Goodbye 2014...Hello 2015...

It is time to bring 2014 to an end and welcome in a new year - 2015!

At the end of the year we had the pleasure of heading back to the states and visiting with family and great friends. We started our journey in New York and ended it in Richmond.

It was a great trip!

We flew into NY and stayed a few days in the city - while there we were able to visit with Suzanne/Annette, Joanne/Diane, Stuart and Stephen/George. It was wonderful getting to see everybody and celebrate a little. Though I did not take photos at every event I did get a few in...

Dinner at Knickerbockers with
Diane & Joanne!

Lunch at Nomad with
Stuart!

While in the city we had the opportunity to go down to the 9/11 Memorial and see the Freedom Tower close-up. It was an amazing experience and something everybody needs to go see! A beautiful experiance that I will remember for a longtime!

A model of the Twin Towers

The New Freedom Tower!

The memorial fountains...

...& a solemn reminder... 

A date always remembered...

...& a memorial to honor it!

It was also Christmas in NYC so we had to go see the windows, the tree and the creche...

The magical colorful windows...

..along Madison Avenue!

The tree & angels at...

....Rockefeller Plaza! 

And the amazing creche...

...at MOMA!

The detail and colors were...

....just fabulous! Happy Holidays!

After spending a few days in the city we traveled out to Long Island to visit with my parents and our great friends James & Greg (and for Tom to meet the newest addition to the family)...

Welcome to the handsome...

Gavin Gale-Noone!

 While on Long Island we took another trip back into the city - my Mom wanted to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular...so we made a day of it!

Mom & Dad outside
Radio City!

The grand chandelier
inside the Music hall! 

New York Sightseeing with
the Rockettes!

Santa & the Rockettes!

A trip to the North Pole...

...& the Grand Finale!

A little clip of the Grand Finale - Enjoy!

After spending some lovely quality time with our family and friends in the north we hopped an Amtrak train for a leisurely trip down to Richmond and the Original Barrington Resort & Spa!

While in Richmond we were able to get together with Tom's Mom, Tabitha/Jonathan, Angi/Rob and our neighbors Tim/Beverly. We also took a day and went to Virginia Beach to visit with Bill and Diane! 

No one can ever say we don't fill our time when we travel home...

An amazing Christmas Dinner at the Jefferson's LeMaire Restaurant with Tom's Mom!

We need to thank Pat Manning our friend and the person at the Jefferson who always makes us feel like royalty!

Tom & his Mom
at the Jefferson

The amazing tree in the
Jefferson Rotunda!

  

The Jefferson's Mascot...

...& the Life-size Gingerbread House!

From our trip to Virginia Beach...

Diane was being camera shy....

 Though I did not take any photos we had the most marvelous New Years Eve with Angi & Rob. They took us to O'Possum an amazing restaurant in Richmond. It was described to us as a mix of the Regal Beagle (from Threes Company) and a Bordello...they were spot-on! The food, company and evening was Spectacular! Thank you to Angi & Rob for letting us ring in the new year with them!

Tom & I did get out on our own while home -
We had wonderful dinners at Buckhead's, Mortons and Kona Grill (some of our favorites).

My honey and I enjoying a Xmas Eve Martini at Mortons!

 Well, after 3 weeks away and a full trip it was time to head back to Switzerland...
Back to...on the home front...
I want to post a wrap-up of my ceramic endeavors from 2014 - here is a small cross-section of me paying with clay & glaze...enjoy!

My 'It's 5 O'clock Somewhere
Cheese Platter

My Herb Bowl with
Chalkboard band

Christian Louboutin
Black Boot Vase
w/Red sole

The Holiday Tree
and Penguin
card holders

Japanese Green Glaze Platter

and the Jigsaw Trivet

Over this past year we have had many exciting trips to new places and to places we have been and loved. We know that 2015 will bring us more new adventures and we will continue to enjoy life!
For 2105 we wish much love, health and happiness to everyone!

Signing off for 2014...
With lots of love!
Ron & Tom

Fall Adventures from 2014...

Yes - I know I have been negligent...

It has been a while since I posted last and I will try and make up for that in this posting!

Though in 2015, this will be my round-up posting for the fall of 2014...

To start this post I have to travel in time back to September & October...

We were lucky enough to many fun and adventurous things...

In no particular order - here they are..

To start, It was a lovely day and I decided to wander down to Port Ouchy for a day at the Longine's Global Champions Tour (a worldwide horse jumping show). Jumpers from all over world were competing. It was something I had never seen before and it was quite exciting to attend and watch! Take a look...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then Tom had a business trip to Milan to shoot a video for work and I decided to tag-along for a little sight seeing and fun! This is also when I got my hair cut off - it was getting a little long (even for me)...

The Milan Duomo...

The Sforza Castle...

No...not Berlin...

the Milan Brandenburg Gate!

Moving on...Tom & I did something on a dare... Hopefully, most of you may have heard about the "Ice Bucket Challenge". Well, we did it charity - but - we did it our way! We decided to take a trip to Rome and do the challenge at the major fountains & landmarks in the city...

First, of course, a nibble & drink at the Eden Hotel...

Cheers & Va Bene!

The Trevi was closed for renovation!

Here is just one of the clips - We were at the Colosseo and we recruited a local Gladiator to assist! Enjoy!

 

We were lucky enough to take another trip back to Rome in October. My brother Mike and his wife Judy were going to be in town and we decided to join them for the weekend. It was great to see them and be back in one of our favorite places... (It was also the weekend that John Paul II was being sainted - whatta zoo).

An interesting shadow...

...in a local church!

A trip to the Castle St. Angelo...

...with my honey!

Me & Archangel Michael

St. Peter's & the crowd!

A trip to Campo di Fiori...

...with Mike & Judy!

A sort-of Selfie...

...& a stop at the Pantheon!

A stop at St. Peter's after the crowd...

Mike & Judy w/ the Swiss Guard!

At the end of September we decided to take a road trip to the North of Italy and some places we have never been before. We took a lovely weekend and traveled to Torino and the surrounding cites of Bra, Asti and Alba. It was a magical weekend of seeing new places, eating magnificent food and seeing a Ren-fest type celebration!

A foggy ride over the mountains...

...to the city of Torino!

An industrial city, quiet except for...

...the Maserati Car show! Cool!

Back to the land of the
Big Spritz! Yippy!

and a side trip to Alba for
some local Truffles!

And off to Bra (yes, Bra) for the day!

Anybody for a Bra Sandwich?

And to Asti for the Palio di Asti!

A local horse race and medieval fest!

Kings, Queens, Jesters & Clergy...

Everyone & everything done to the 9s!

Fun was had by all -

(It was a zoo but in a great way)

- well maybe not everyone!

Just a short example of the day & the festivities!

And we made the rounds of all the...

...Eataly's in Torino & Asti!

To round up this post I will move to the letter Z -
In northern Switzerland there is a town called Zug. It was just the cutest place right on the water and very Swiss!

Welcome to ....

...Zug!

Scary Statues...

...& the laundry is fake!

A lovely medieval village...

...located right on the water!

With funny vehicles and...

...even funnier displays!

Well, I have caught you all up with our fall of 2014. The next thing on our agenda is to head back home for the holidays! We are spending a little time in New York to visit friends/family then we head down to Richmond for more holiday celebrations!

As always, we wish our family and friends happiness and health!
With lots of Love -
Ron & Tom