Florence, Italy

We loved our time in Florence! Not as touristy and not as crowded as Rome. We had the opportunity to eat at a lovely place called Trattoria. What WONDERFUL food they had there! We were able to see Michelangelo's David and other creations. Security would not allow us to take pictures of David, so the picutres posted here are of the reproductions displayed in the town square. I hope to go back to Florence. It's a lovely town!

Ponte Vecchio is Florence's most famous bridge. It is lined with shops that have traditionally sold gold and silver. We did not, however purchase any gold or silver there. We just walked down the middle of it and took some pictures.

Suzanne at the restaurant Trattoria. A friend of ours suggested this place (as well as Rick Steve). It had GREAT food and wonderful ambiance.

The restaurant from the front.

Down the street in Florence......love it!

Really big doors! I want those on my house! So COOL!

Love the architecture! Very unique!

Just had to take one more picture of it:)

Here is Tasha and I on the Ponte Vecchio.

The girls on Ponte Vecchio.

Holding Madussa's head.

This is a very famous sculpture called: The Rape........uh, oh my goodness......

Replica of Michelangelo's David. The original was in Galleria dell' Accademia. Security would not allow us to take pictures of the sculpture in the museum and we saw several people getting yelled at when they dared to try and snap a picture (yikes).

This is Giotto's Tower.

Jordan and Tasha in front of Giotto's Tower.

This door is made of gold and has engravings on it that are pictures telling stories from the Bible.

Inside the Duomo. This is Florence's Gothic cathedral and has the third longest nave in Christendom according to Rick Steve.

One of the few works of art in the Duomo. Most of the works of art are found in the museum located behind the cathedral.

Here is Tasha standing in front of some REALLY big doors inside the cathedral. I don't think we will need doors that big in our house:)

Dachau Concentration Camp

On 22 March 1933, Dachau Concentration Camp was established for political prisoners. Thousands upon thousands of people were murdered here. On 29 April 1945, the Americans liberated the survivors of the camp. Many died of the tortuous experiments performed on them. One of the stories told of men who begged to drink the dirty water left over from the moping of the floor because the Third Reich had been performing an experiement on what happens when people are deprived of water. I don't show the pictures of the emaciated people who lived and died at the camp, but the atrocities that took place here must never be forgotten.

It was a very sobering visit for us, but Eric and I thought it was necessary for our children to understand history, so that hopefully it does not repeat itself........

This is the gate into the prison camp that all prisoners entered through.

The sign reads: "Work sets you free"

These are the foundations for the buildings where the prisoners stayed.

This is one of the furnaces in the crematorium.

Another furnace.

In the camps the buildings were built by the Jewish people. There was no urgency to complete the task because once they are finished they are killed; thus the numerous nails nailed in the same place.

This is one of the gas chambers.

This is where the gas was fed through. On the ceiling is the last remaining shower head. All the rest were stolen.

This is the stone that sits in front of the crematorium.

Tasha wanted to take a rock from the site with her and just about tripped in the process. :)

This is Tasha and I listening to our "guided tour" in the courtyard of the camp.

Inside one of the bunk houses where the prisoners stayed.

Here is Eric and Tasha reading about the processing of prisoners. Along the back wall there is one of the original desks where prisoners paperwork was processed and the writing on the back wall reads: "Smoking Forbidden"

Some of the propaganda posters.

Can the Air Force handle two Dumperts at the same time?

Jordans enlistment (the Captain is a friend of the family)

A parent could not have been more proud

A life in the service of others ensures a life with meaning

The proud witnesses

Paris - Seeing It All!

What do you think of when you think of Paris? Escargot anyone?

I think my meal moved!!

I would like some new parents please.

Top of the Eile tower (to the left the louve, to the right, Napolians tomb.

Cool! Just like in the Da Vinci Code (apparently not everyone saw what the fuss was about).

Champs Elysees with Arc De Triompe at the end of the road (we had lunch...spent the kids college fund)

We were moving at 300 MPH (you would think the picture would have been blury).

How fast?

Lobby of our hotel (Officers hotel).

On a bridge with the Conciergerie in the background. There "on Siene people" (say it several times, it gets funnier). the Conciergerie is where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned. When was used as a prison, kings used it to torture and execute failed assassins. The tower at the left of the picture is called "The Babbler" because of the painful sounds that came from it.

Noter Dame Cathedral. This place is huge!

One of the carvings on the front of Notre Dame. Judgement day.

Lots of crowds.

Pantheon, a neoclassical monument to French notables.........HA! HA!

If you look close, you can see the rose line (where Tasha's hair is hanging down). St. Sulpice Church from The Da Vinci Code again.

St. Sulpice Church

Rose line in St. Sulpice Church (Jenny looks like she has a few questions)

The real lady liberty from National Treasure II

You would have to be pretty small to climb up to her crown. Needless to say we did not go to "the top"

Foot of the Eiffle. Tower The kids didn't want to take the stairs.

Hot chick!

There are serious problems here.

The Louvre from the Eiffle Tower.

Night time is cool!

Veiw from our hotel room window. (to the right)

Another view from our hotel. (straight ahead)

The best Micky D's ever! It looks loke Mr. McGorium's Wonder Imporium!

A work of art (the paintings not bad either). This is as close as they would let us get.

This was the crowd we faught to get the picture of the Mona Lisa.

Half a hallway...the place is HUGE!

There was a group that looked just like us...hummm......wait a minute, who's that girl on the left?

Hey, dum, dum; you give me gum, gum? (from A Night at the Museum)

They are standing in front of Eugene Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People

Just to give you some scope...6 hours one floor........whew!

We could have used wings (we were tired)

We didn't think we could get this good of a shot of the stuffed bear (sometimes we just get lucky).

My first crepe (thin, over-priced pan cake).

A picture (Jordan's helping with the modesty).

We got the rose line covered.

Inside of Notre Dame. The amount of humongous chaples is staggering!

Thinker Dude (not his real name) at the Rodin Museum. Finaly...we caught them thinking.

Hold your breath...we are going through a tunnel.

Napolean's tomb...big box for a little guy. He is actually inside SEVERAL coffins.........

A real Paris sewer tour...there should be a tour for all of my jobs.

Paris boat ride down the Seine River (Jordan was trying to call someone)

Eiffel Tower.

Old train station on the Sein...now the Orsay Museum where Van Gogh's works of art are housed.

Kings cortierers...the hydius group.

The oldest bridge in Paris.

Noter Dame stained glass.

Noter Dame from the boat.

Another Noter Dame boat picture.

Better picture of the "Babbling Tower" of the Conciergerie.

The bridge where they shot the helecopter scene in National Treasure II....by the way, there is NO WAY you can even see the statue of liberty from this bridge.

This is the location where Marie Antoinette, among others, was made "a foot shorter at the top" by the "national razor".

Obolisc (this is were they publicly killed people...Tasha made it through ok)

You find the Rose line throughout Paris.

Rose line as it hits the obolisc.

The kids liked the picture untill the wind shifted.

Peace out Paris!