Niagara Road

Picked up a car, a white Jeep patriot, the 3 men of our party all had the same reaction as far as comparaison to my ex Jeep back home looked like.
GPS set to Nigara Falls with the type of route set to scenic.

It was amazing how quickly NYC was left behind us. Seems like a stone throw away to get over Washington Bridge to New Jersey.

After a little drive we stopped in a roadside burger joint that was placed from the fifties in our time. The seats reminded me of vals jaquet ( for those of you who know it the one that squeeks).
We try not to feed the kids deep fried every day and asked our hispanic waiter to take the chips back and give us an empty plate. The empty plate part ws understood very quickly but the fries part finally got through after a fifth or sixth time saying NO we DONOT want the fries.
The gps took us through an amazing set of roads through woodland over bridges, small roads full of greens and lakes.
Around 4pm we ended up at Costa's, a place recommended by a nice couple that even gave us a map of Pensylvania. Kids paradise, karting, slides, mini golf, arcades.
An hour later with our two happy campers e went on to end in the Pocono Pines Motel.
The kids went for a swim in the outdoor pool, but I need to stop here and give you my description of the place.

We had to options the room with or without kitchinette, this was all explained to us b a lady, although very kind reminded us of the crazy woman in the movie misery.
a) The kitchinette room: a two bed bedroom with shower and kitchinette, brown carpet that looked like it was placed at the beginning of the count of the Jewish calendar.
b) The no kitchinette room: Brand new rainbow striped carpet dar and gloomy right across a half destroyed bungalow that looked a bit like the mixture of Freddy Kruegers house and Amity Villethe 13th.
We opted for b).
The surroundings set in a wood were pretty amazing. After dinner I tried to take Val for a walk in the woods with the flashlight. Kids amused to death, Val scared to death it took her 300mt to turn around, sighing so did we.

Woke up at 6, now I haven't got anything against birds, but I sure wanted a rifle to kill the one screaming at 6.
Took Matt for a Jog to the lake, took the car to get breakfast around the corner(forgot the corners in the US are a lot wider than the ones in Europe and had breakfast in the open in the woods.
If you ever wondered what happens to the wholes in the donuts well their sold at the foodmarts.

Paws 'n Claws or lets stuff large animals on a small cage and set them in the woods turned out a blast for the kids.

We had a great time too as we set out on our new mission: the fat people illustrated album (all credit for the idea goes to Val), more on that later.

A long drive on the non scenic highway took us, as soon as we hit the scenic route again to Skaneatles.
First impression waow upper class Knokke le Zoute for New Yorkers but at the lake.
Second impression after double parking on a road that could fit two trucks, and the lady calling the cops cause I'm gunna create an accident staying there...This is Knokke!
Nice motel good food nice people, kids in overex mode, 'twas a long day but what a beautiful one.
We are in travel mode.

Bye bye Big Apple -1

We arrived at the last day before departure.

On the schedule for today: A day at the museum.
So of it is to the museum of natural history.........what a booooooring place.
Not that it isnt interesting on the contrary the dinosaurs hall"s" were amazing, despite the many of them, I Think there are about 5 different ones. The sealife hall was pretty good.
Our first impression though, the asian mamals took us through stuffed animals of all sorts, in hallways that not only looked old and smelled old but that were so grim and dim a dead man would get depressed.
All in all we had a good time.

We left NHM to find ourselves on a back entry were there was no cueing whatsoever to get in on the contrary to the main entrance.
Outside the museum a block and an ice cream further, the clouds opened. We walked back from the NHM through Central Park, with Val repeating that we are not made of sugar, me and Matthew looking for dry passages under the trees Julian stroling along wet or not who cares.
Finally made it to 5th ave., pools of water everywhere and after giving the kids a 'laisser passer' to jump in them we watched people skip and jump to try avoiding the splatters, while feeling the freeze of the airco each time we passed a store who's door was open.
Dried up went to eat a New York strip around the corner, came back to the hotel to pack, and after the usual stress and screaming that goes along with packing, for us boubies anyway and again having to put our foot down at Matt and Julian who were both beyond tired (for those who dont have kids that means they suddenly seem to produce some kind of extra insuline or endorfines that causes them to become OVER Excited) we fell asleep.

NYC (2)

After a day in Philly riding the AmTrak to visit cousins, and a stop at the touch me museum (boys I know what you're thinking), a
you can touch everything museum for toddlers. It's back to the Big Apple.
We had our 3rd in a row Japanese take out at the hotel and went to bed.

Woke up at a normal hour 7AM, the kids are at full throttle this morning.

Breakfast: Bagel with lachs and cream, fresh orange juice, french toast, sunny sides up, we're all on a new diet.

There is something magical about Central park.
I suppose it's a mixture of squirrels, greens, water in the midst of the huge concrete and glass towers surrounded by yellow cabs, that brings upon one a feeling of, I am in the middle of nature, it's an astounding break of the buzz of the never resting Apple. Add a tiny Chinese guy singing Italian opera with a mouth that opens bigger then crater, a black Gandalf in full attire, and a 5 crew Dixie Band and your hypnotized by what this city offers you.

Matt just took his 47th picture of a squirrel I stopped counting a while ago.

The kids are climbing rocks Julian starts crying 1mt from the top as if he was going to fall and splatter to the floor, the rocks are 2mt high.

In a cab to China Town Julian falls asleep, Matthew too, siesta at the hotel.

Tonight boat to Miss Liberty then Japanese take out for a change.

Amazing how many people walk around Time Square on a Monday eve 10PM, it's totally back to the buzz, Central Park is around the corner in place and time but it seems so far away from here.
We just past a guy holding a sign saying "Keeping it real, want to buy weed" begging for money.
Julian is to tired to walk, lets take a cab and go to sleep.

Matthew breaks a glass in the bathroom, thank God for room service.
Japanese as good as the days before.
Kids fell asleep in less then half a second, wife is angry cause she cant sleep while I write on the blog.
Had a great day with the family despite a few wrong decisions for the kids comfort.


Check out the pics

D - Day

Ok then...D Day is here.

We've been screaming, shouting, crying, laughing, coughing, sweating, packing, fighting, checking, screaming, re-checking, crying, tagging and we'll probably repeat the ritual in about 5 hours just before we're off to the airport, but hey it's for a good cause ....... OURS!
We're off to the big apple after a last minute small change of schedule on wednesday morning.
My friends wife (we were going to spend the week there after two days NY), is due early so ...
re-schedule the whole first week.
Add a last visit to the hospital due to lung probs on my part, getting the extra set of wheels for my sold jeep, selling the jeep and a trip to the telephone shop and I guess that was enough to get through the day in stress and rush and get to the point of screaming, shouting, crying, laughing, coughing, sweating, packing, fighting, checking, screaming, re-checking, crying, tagging!

All well now found a way to connect to my Higher Power and calm the F@•# down and going to bed exhausted but incapable of sleeping.

Matthew described it beautifully, it's a feeling of excitement mixed with some kind of sad feeling I can't really describe!

This is but a mere see you later not a goodbye!

3 more nights sleeping

3 nights to go and we're off.......AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

We're still not sure where to go after NYC !!!

Within the 60 days

We are within the 60 day span before departure.
It is really happening.
Can't wait, so excited, so nervous, so happy, so scared,so adrenalised........!

Location:Mortsel

General feeling D-day minus 2 months

It is indescribable. There's a cocktail of feelings I didn't expect. It's a mixture of over excitement, anxiousness, curiosity, impatience, and so on... What I wonder the most is the feeling of self-confrontation.
I am definitely ready! After talking about it for almost a year, waiting 2 more months feels like an eternity. We have still so many things to do like being prepared for homeschooling the kids, administrative paperwork, buying practical clothing, luggage, preparing our itinerary more deeply, vaccines, ...
I can't wait and at the same time will miss my family and friends like crazy. I have such a hunger for everyday contact with my circle of friends, it's gonna be pretty therapeutic.