melting is for ice cream, not me

Home again, home again, and I have to say that when the pilot on the rickety tiny-plane flight told us that it was 95 degrees (and, I could guess from past experiences, stifling humid) at our destination, I almost ran up to the cockpit and told him to turn around. But no, we had pets who were eagerly awaiting our return (at least, I'd like to think so) and a garden to rescue (from three weeks of uncontrolled week growth) and real lives to which we had to return. Suffice it to say, April and I are back in Rochester and it's hot as blue blazes (as my mother always likes to say). Hot enough that we've been taking Fargo (and, occasionally, Regie) into the yard and spraying him with the hose every few hours. We've been hunkering down in the rooms with window air-conditioning and trying to avoid steamier parts of the house. I know, I shouldn't complain lest the weather-gods frown down upon me and curse us with an unnaturally cruel and long winter (who am I kidding? we'll have that anyway), but I just can't help it.

Enough. No more complaining about the temperature. Some people politely, or not so politely (you know who you are! :P) demanded pictures and stories upon my return and rest assured that I will post a long, photo-filled explication of our journeys over the next few days. I'll also be trying to catch up on correspondence, but that may take me a little longer. Bear with me in the coming days and please, if you have some to spare, can you send a few cool summer breezes my way?

You are leaving the American sector...

So, I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Berlin (trying to write on a German keyboard, mind you, which is not really a piece of cake when one is used to touch-typing) and since April is next to me writing a long, probably beautifully-written blog entry, I thought I might do the same. At least, write an entry...no promises on length or beauty. Rest assured, that there will be a long and picture-filled post when I get back to the States in a little over a week; this is just a mini-update.

We're leaving Berlin today--after a three-day dash through the city--and heading to my grandmother's house in a little village about an hour away from Cologne. Somehow, in about an hour, we're going to have to squeeze four large suitcases and four medium-sized people into a tiny rental car! Berlin is my favorite city (Vienna being a close second, but not on the itinerary for this trip) and I'm sad to leave, although I have to say that the saddest departure so far was leaving sunny La Palma, where we spent the first week of our journey eating and drinking non-stop (not our fault--my aunt, who lives there with her two incredible Spanish hunting dogs and her husband--seemed intent on plying us with as much Spanish champagne as humanly possible). We also, of course, sat on the beach and baked (my girlfriend was so worried about the sun, rightly so with her fair complexion, that she used SPF 50 sunblock!); went on a truly incredible hike through the mountains, a hike which included 13 tunnels that had to be carefully navigated lest you hit your head on the sharp rocks above (which we all did at least once, except my uncle); and just generally enjoyed the tropical islands breezes and sunlight (the island is very temperate, not too hot, and was apparently the inspiration for Madonna's "La Isla Bonita").

I promise there will be a more thorough explication in about a week, but I'm worried I might run out of time soon, so I better go. I miss you all and hope everyone is fairing well in my absence.

leavin' on a jet plane...

April and I are leaving tomorrow for a three week trip to La Palma (one of the Canary Islands, owned by Spain, but off the coast of North Africa) and Germany (Berlin and Cologne) to sit in the sun, swim and visit (my) relatives. We'll have very sporadic internet access while we're gone (in stark constrast to our in-house wireless) and, therefore, I probably won't be responding to posts, comments or emails until June 26th.

Yes, I'll take pictures (and post them when I get back). Yes, I'll miss you all terribly. :) I hope everyone's having a lovely summer!

~Aviva