Our new home in Milano!

We got to Milan three days ago. Since then, it's been "gotta get this, we need that".  We've been to Ikea a lot because they have everything we need (except food).

After going to Ikea and back again...and again...we're finally done!  And all in all, I think my room looks great :)

So far it's been awesome in Milan.  

From,

       Lulu

My Bunk Beds!

We are home!!!

The house is great and big.  Almost everything was at the house but a few boxes that we got on the  second day.The third day we went to Milano to do some technical stuff (immigration). The fourth day I did this blog.

We have a housekeeper named Marilyn.  Yesterday Marilyn took us to town while my parents were out.  We got gelato (ice cream) and went to the grocery store. She made risotto and chicken for supper.  

Home

Bye,

Justin:)

Finally--Milan!

Norway East: Oslo

No Flam

Fun on Train chicken fights

Oslo==Telles boat, ice cream

Bike ride, naked statues, elusive xmas pic

Norway West: Bergen

Raise your hand if you've heard of Bergen.  Anyone, anyone?  Bueller?  Me neither, until Gary said we should go to Norway and take the amazing train ride from Bergen to Flam, apparently one of the steepest train ride out there (for you stats geeks:  80% of the ride is at 5.5% grade).  Here's a map:

Sounded like a good plan to me!  Flew from Iceland to Bergen to explore a little bit before the train ride that wasn't (more on that a little later).

Bergen is a fantastic town, surrounded by gorgeous fjords.  First stop:  funicular ride to the top of a mountain overlooking the city.  Mainly in my quest to get *the* holiday photo so I can actually send out cards this year:

Maybe...

Nope...

The quest continues.  While the perfect shot alluded me, we did find signs that strange things were afoot in this Land of the Midnight Sun.

Trolls...

Dinosaurs?

The elusive smiling Justin

We found out what they do with naughty children:

Prison at the fort

Stocks in historic Byrggen

...and a few other head-scratchers along the way...

Crooked stairs (circa 1700)

What is this strange booth you speak of?

Classy joint, this McD's!

 CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF OUR BERGEN PICS!

Iceland In a Nutshell

Iceland:  land of fire and ice. We (that's the royal we--can you guess who was excited?) were really hoping that the volcano would erupt while we were here so we could stay longer, but it looks like we're back to Code Orange.  Bummer (at least for the kids.  The adults were slightly more pragmatic).

In case you aren't familiar with Iceland, here's a crash course.  Or at least a map:

While it felt like we drove the entire country in two days, we really drove from Keflavik (see it, on the west coast?), down to Vik, and then back through Gulfoss area to Reykjavik.  Our very own Golden Circle.  The rest of the country?  There be dragons, we were told.

Our highlights, in a few quick pics:

MOSS JUMPING:

There is moss all along the sides of the highways (I use that term loosely...think Mystic Valley Parkway, 01890'ers).  Lulu read online that the moss was super bouncy, and since we left the trampoline at home, they were Jonesing for a jump.  Sure enough, this stuff is seriously bouncy.  Major levitation.  Air Jordan-esque.

GEOTHERMAL COOKING (eggs!):

Iceland seems to be one big ol' volcano, ready to blow (oh wait, it is!)  As a result of this death-defying geological phenomenon, there are geothermal springs everywhere.  In the area surrounding Hverhamart (to the east of Reykjavik), they exploit this like no one's business (actually, like their business...and lots of it).  We had supper at a geothermal restaurant, where all cooking was done in geothermal ovens, and in the morning, the kids cooked us eggs in a geothermal hot pit.  Cheaper than oil!  Or gas!  

SPELUNKING IN AN EARTHQUAKE FAULT:

Sometimes the best things are completely unplanned.  Lulu and Sarah spotted this super-cool earthquake fault while moseying along some highway somewhere.  We popped out for a look, and were treated to a spelunking adventure deep into the earth.  [OK, not that deep we could still see blue sky.  But didn't it sound better that way?]  Not only did we create human tunnels in the natural tunnel, we did some accidental geo-caching thanks to Monkey Justin, who happened across a geocaching treasure.

GEYSIRS AND WATERFALLS:

OUR LITTLE CABIN ON THE BEACH:

...AND THIS RANDOM PHOTOBOMBER.  DON'T ASK. 

To View All Iceland Pictures, Click Here!

We are in Norway!!!

Today we went to Vilvate, which is the Science museum in Bergen.

My favorite thing was the ball machine with all of the contraptions. To use it, you turn a crank. The crank lets out a ball. The ball travels down a track and chooses which way to go. The balls run into instruments that make noise, and bounce off things too. There were special balls that were silver. They were heavier than the other balls, so they had a weight sensitive platform that they opened. This allowed them to go on different tracks than the other balls. 

There was also a robotic jump rope. It counted the number of kilo Jules you burned with each jump. Kilo Jules measure energy. Daddy burned way more than I did each jump. 

Another fun exhibit was measuring how fast you could kick a soccer ball.  I kicked it 48 kilometers an hour!  Dad kicked it 61 kilometers an hour.

Lulu concentrating on building a rocket with me

Building a rocket together, using just pulleys and strings

Feeling hurricane force winds on a motorcycle

Bye!

Justin :)

Fun in Iceland

We got in to Iceland at 12:00 last night (their time, 8:00 our time.  This is because they're 4 hours ahead of us! ) It was completely dark when we got in so we went straight to our hotel and went to bed. 

The next morning my mom woke me up since there was a time difference I was really tired:-( then we took a long drive down to the more southern part of Iceland where our hotel room was.  On the way we stopped and took hike up a mountainish thing that was covered in rocks.  The only problem was that it was also covered in tiny rocks that were easy to slip on because it was a crater left by a volcano eruption. There were really cool rocks because of the lava hardens into the coolest lava rocks. 

Cool views

Awesome rocks

Justin was surprised!

This is where the bubbling hot spring are

Then we checked into our hotel room and went to the pool it was really nice after that we went to this really cool earthquake exhibit it had earthquake simulator and was like to be in a real earthquake:



It was a great day and I had so much fun!😀

Keeping it real,

                       Lulu😃😃

Thoughts and feelings on the move, by Lulu

I'm a little nervous to start school and to meet new friends in a new town but it will be a great experience and one I will never forget. I will learn a new language and I will learn it in the country it originated from! I know it will be fun once I get there (even though I'm a little nervous now) and will see a lot and learn a lot and I know the food will be great! 

Soooooo I'm just going to go with the flow and in joy The ride before we get there because going to Iceland and Norway and then to Milan . I know Iceland will be fun because we're going to the blue Lagoon and Norway will be awesome! I can't wait to go, but right now we're sitting in the lounge waiting for out flight to Iceland where we will spend five days and then we will spend five days in Norway then we will go to Milan. 

I can't wait to start our big adventure!

Ciao, 

         Lulu

Feelings about the move, by Justin

I do not want to move, but it's too late now. The renters are not coming. They backed  out 1 week before they were supposed to move in. Now I am at the airport in the lounge waiting for the flight.

...and we're off!

After months (and months and months...), Team Girotti is hitting the road! Our move to Milan is now underway. If you count the airport lounge as underway... Next stop: ICELAND!