My First Visitor

  The month of November has been a special month. Not only is it Thanksgiving (which I love because it kicks off the Holidays) but it marks a huge spot in this deployment. I am over the half way mark which means I am just on the down hill slope. I thought it would get easier when I hit this point, actually I was just trying to make it to this point all along but now that I am here I have quickly realized it's not easier at all. I am missing my husband so much, I crave to hug him and give him a kiss. But, November also brought me a visit from my brother. My brother Travis flew in on November 7th and left November 16th. This was such a treat and definitely what I needed to get me through the next few months.
  This trip was my brothers first time in Europe so I tried to make it extra special and fit in as much as we could. Our first and biggest journey of this trip was to Switzerland and France. We drove from Italy to Bern, Switzerland and then to Lyon, France spending the night in both cities. The drive was great and we really got to see a good bit of each country. We visited a Chocolate factory (a must if in Switzerland), Roman Ruins, Cathedrals and many other amazing sites. Here are some pictures:

These are from Switzerland. The beauty of Switzerland cannot be captured in pictures. This was my second time traveling there and I was still at awe of the beauty. Getting "lost" is one of my favorite things because usually one ends up stumbling upon something they wouldn't normally see. Well this happened to us, we found a very interesting Antique shop!

I LOVE Christmas, I so would've taken this Santa Clause home with me but sadly he wouldn't fit in my compact car. ha!

 Our next destination was Lyon, France. I have been to France 3 times and it is certainly one of my favorite countries. What I like most is not the food, not the scenery but Orangina. I'm not sure why this Fanta like soda is so amazing and BETTER than Fanta but I have to grab a few every time I step foot into France. Anyways, Lyon is host to the biggest Roman ruins outside of Italy. They were very impressive as was the surrounding sites. The black and white photos are ones my brother took!

 The best thing about Lyon is that to get to the Ruins and Cathedral you must take a Funicular up the hill. I've never taken one before so it was pretty neat! To finish off our journey through Lyon we ate the most spectacular lunch I've probably ever had, at a restaurant called Fourviere Restaurant. I feared that it was just an overpriced tourist cafe but to our surprise it ended up being an amazing place. It is right next to the Basilica so if you ever find yourself there, try it!

 From there we started the 6 1/2 hour drive back to Italy. Thankfully the drive is pleasant and the scenery is entertaining enough. On our way back we went through the Monte Blanc tunnel and ended up in the middle of a snow laden land! As I have surely mentioned before, I LOVE SNOW! So it was a perfect place to stop for a break. I also didn't know it was the destination for the 2006 Winter Olympics but as you can see, it was!

 Our last trip we took on his visit was to Verona. I absolutely love Verona, I have been there 4 times already. But this time we actually did the Rick Steve's (these books are fabulous) walking tour of Verona and everything was so much more interesting. Right next to Juliet's balcony is a wonderful embroidery shop! I highly suggest stopping in there. I got a super cute apron! 

 It's really amazing how these ladies made these things. They used super old sewing machines and did it purely by hand! What a talent!

 Sadly, my brother had to get back to the United States. His visit was such a pleasure and gave me the boost I needed to get through these next few months. As most probably now know, I didn't go home for Thanksgiving and I am not coming home for Christmas. It was a hard decision but one that had to be made. As for now, I have some wonderful plans for the upcoming months so stay tuned! :)