Team Base Revelry

Last evening at the BMW ORACLE Racing base, Leslie and Meg standing by as we feted our old AC friend, Bob "The Fish" Fisher (GBR, journalist/ historian), on the occasion of his 72nd birthday. Full story on the team blog.

Buon Apetito

Antonio Campagniolo, late one night last week, in front of his restaurant Lambrusceria, Conde Altea 31 in Valencia. For three years Lambrusceria, a.k.a. "The Docks", has been our favorite eatery in VLC, and has in that time become a popular hangout for the AC crowd. Toni is a marvelous host and good friend.

For the Love of Art

Like the Love Sculpture in NYC and elsewhere, this "Por amor al arte" by Robert Indiana is in the Gran Vía Marquez de Turía, Valencia. Photo courtesy of Fabio Gava.

Starbucks

Valencia now has not one but two Starbucks. We paid a quick visit to the newest one on Sunday when touring Rachel around downtown. Rachel has lived all her life in the USA, has even been to Seattle, but, LOL, the first time she went to a Starbucks was today in Spain....

Kids' Kitchen Klatch

23:45 Saturday in the kitchen here at home in VLC, the multi-culti klatch of kids has just come back from the junior nightclub "Guru" after yet again another evening of dancing there. Countries represented 'round the table: AUS, CAN, DEN, FIN, NZL, SWE, USA.

Meg's French Connection (UK)

Summer has returned to VLC, at least for a few days. Today I was back to shorts and flip flops for the first time since late November, and most of the afternoon Meg and her friends were outside in the yard playing badminton, soccer and basketball.

I did get Meg to stand still long enough to model the French Connection UK t-shirt I brought back for her from London last weekend which, hurray, she likes -- even though it does not have the brand's FCUK initials displayed in big letters across the chest or back as often that company's clothing does.

No way, Meg, not while you are living under OUR roof!

Yikes, they grow up too fast. And, speaking of connections, the Wilson-Ehman heritage becomes more evident with each passing month. Who does she look more like these days, Leslie's sister Jonalee or my sister Cristine?

Shoe Queens

Warm, sunny weather has returned to VLC this weekend with temps in the mid-20s (75F) and hardly a cloud in the sky. The ladies (from left: Hayley, Meg, Meggie and Rebecca) shoot some hoops -- all in Converse sneakers, albeit different colours -- before heading to Bonaire shopping mall, "prolly to buy more shoes, Dad."



Converse Queens: clockwise from lower left, Meggie, Meg, Rebecca and Hayley.

Junior Ministry People...

...or so the popular dance club Guru calls the 14-17yo crowd admitted on Friday and Saturday nights from 1900 to 2200 (national ID card or passport required). Photo above taken as Rebecca (SWE), Hayley (USA), Meggie (AUS) and Meg were heading to Guru, as they often do on Saturday nights, where they will will meet up with a number of their other AC and school friends. Hayley's father took them; I get to go pick them up afterwards at, where else, the Ben & Jerry's in the mall outside the club where they like to relax with an apres-club helado. Still kids after all, thank goodness.