It dawned on me that my Blockclock has upgradeable firmware and today I jumped from 1.07 to 1.22!

I was also having intermittent WiFi issues and realized that the Blockclock binds to a specific WiFi access point by MAC address, so I added multiple ones for more reliability.

Blockclock mini web interface showing firmware download progress from version 1.0.7 to 1.2.2, currently at 95 percent complete.

We all went to Barbie tonight and it blew right past my already high expectations. It was a fun movie while still covering important topics. Plus, the 2001: A Space Odyssey sequence in the beginning was just delightful! Highly recommended. 🍿

Barbie movie poster featuring a large pink letter B with two actors posing on it, releasing July 21

While we were in Soglio, Switzerland at the end of our hiking trip we all got our cameras out and did a photo walk of the village. Here are my ten highlights. Also see Mazie’s photos and Tyler’s photos.

Green Alpine meadows above Soglio with a winding path, several people walking, and jagged glacier-carved peaks behind Cobblestone square in Soglio Switzerland with outdoor restaurant seating under white umbrellas and parked bicycles beside a dark SUV Weathered wooden barn facade above a stone-walled lower level with an open doorway, in Soglio Switzerland Wooden window box overflowing with red and pink impatiens on a stone wall in a cobblestone alley in Soglio Switzerland Black and white cat with amber eyes standing on stone steps surrounded by green plants and small yellow wildflowers in Soglio Switzerland Cluster of bright pink phlox flowers in full bloom against lush green foliage in a village garden Small weathered figurine of a seated human form tucked at the base of a teal painted wooden door on a stone wall in Soglio Switzerland Person in a yellow bird-print shirt standing in a rustic stone room displaying colorful paintings including irises and a mountain landscape. Narrow cobblestone alley between ancient stone and timber buildings in Soglio Switzerland with alpine mountains visible beyond Jagged granite peaks of the Bregaglia Alps rise above forested slopes and a glacier valley near Soglio Switzerland

Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 17

Weather: Warm morning in Florence. Airports fine.

  • Pack up suitcases for journey home
  • Breakfast at hotel
  • Taxi to Florence Airport
  • Tyler forgets PokΓ©mon gifts in airport at another gate and runs back and is able to recover them right before we board. 😳
  • KLM 1642 City Hopper flight to Amsterdam
  • Flight delayed over 40 mins due to baggage loading issues. Anxious with an already short transfer to next flight.
  • Another Amazing Race experience as we dashed from the Cityhopper late arrival to gate D47 with only 25 minutes to departure. Cleared passport control on super-fast-cut-in-front-of-everyone and were the last four welcomed onto the plane by the KLM gate agent waving us along! πŸƒπŸΌβ€β™€οΈπŸƒπŸΌβ€β™‚οΈπŸƒπŸΌβ€β™€οΈπŸƒπŸΌβ€β™‚οΈ
  • Delta 165 to Minneapolis landed at 5p CT
  • Lyft ride home
  • Home Sweet Home!

Jump to day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 or Switzerland & Italy 2023 collection.

Breathe it all in

On the final evening of our Switzerland & Italy trip we slowly walked around the Duomo in Florence and took in the grandeur. We all admired it and Mazie and I “breathed it all in”. It’s a goofy thing we like to do to really take in the scene with a big, deep breath. It started by breathing in the waterfalls in Iceland.

As we were standing there it hit me that this is the last family vacation we’ll take before she goes off to college.

Many new journeys are ahead. But I’d be fine keeping things just as they are too.

Boarding the KLM Cityhopper in Florence to begin our journey back to Minneapolis via Amsterdam! πŸ›«

Family of four posing for a selfie on the tarmac while boarding a KLM aircraft via outdoor stairs, with other passengers queuing behind them.

I’m more than twice as active when we travel versus β€œnormal”. πŸšΆπŸΌβ€β™‚οΈ

Apple Health Steps chart showing monthly average of 14,765 steps Jun 30 to Jul 30 2023, with early-month average of 9,035 and later average of 21,100 Apple Health bar chart showing walking and running distance averaging 3.8 mi before July 16 and 8.2 mi after, Jun 30 to Jul 30 2023

Switzerland & Italy Log - Day 16

Weather: Hot and sunny.

  • Breakfast at hotel
  • Walk to cooking class pickup
  • Ride to Accidental Tourist villa
  • Pasta cooking class in Tuscan Countryside with Accidental Tourist
  • Ride back to pickup location
  • walk to hotel
  • Cool down, freshen up
  • Taxi to Chalet Fontana to get olive oil and honey, but they don’t sell their honey ☹️🍯
  • Walk back to hotel with “The Struggle”
  • Cool down and freshen up
  • get gelato at Venchi
  • Help Angie get pool open over FaceTime
  • Walk around and shopping
  • Tammy and Mazie purchased matching linen shirts
  • Dinner at New Bridge pizza with Moscato d’Asti
  • Stroll around Duomo and take in last scenes of Florence at night
  • Return to hotel
  • 😴

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Restful.

Tabby cat curled up asleep on a yellow cushion in a built-in nook, beside a window with botanical curtains and rustic decor