The Answer

So apparently no one likes riddles anymore. There were two honest attempts.

So the answer we were looking for was 'Mount Etna'. Though most people in American have never heard of it (including me) we should know it, for it is the highest active volcano in Europe. It is listed as an inactive volcano in the Merriam-Webster dictionary I have on my phone, but that is extremely false. As we approached, the beast was spewing hot lava quite high into the air against the setting sun. Upon seeing this we had some doubts about our sanity of driving towards it, but this was an excursion for our son.

Zion has been so enthralled with volcanoes for the last little bit. Many times throughout the last months he will ask me about what can stop hot lava. "Is it stronger than the fireplace? Is it stronger than concrete? What is stronger than lava? What can stop it?" And his weapon is always some sort of lava gun.

In the 1669 it destroyed the city of Catania. The explosions on Mt. Etna are getting more and more common in recent years. The hotel owner at the top of the mountain is predicting it may do that again soon. "All that needs to happen" he tells me, "is that as it is fulling up it needs to find an easier route out of one of the vents. Then the whole world will hear of Etna again." He thinks that the top of the mountain, where his Hotel sits, is in the safest place because it is near the crater, where it already has an easy exit on the top of the volcano, but the people on the sides and in Catania have to stay on their toes. For one day it will make its way out towards them.

- The Latimer's

Manual

I haven't really driven a stick in 12yrs.



Nothing like immersion.






Yup this is our car a Suzuki Swift, containing our 2 suitcases, 1 large backpack, 3 smaller bags, 2 car seats, 1 travel crib, 2 adults and 3 children. We fit fine...except for Eliza's legs.

- The Latimer's

Liam's Nightly Stretching

- The Latimer's

A Riddle

Sicilian country side





I think blogs are too one sided and since not many people are commenting, which is the fun part for us, I have made a riddle that needs to be solved for us to post again. Sounds fun, right?!
So here it is:

the Settlers are near this place
where Joe might not stand a chance
if you want more ore, there's plenty in this space

Where are we?


- The Latimer's

Panorama - Erice

- The Latimer's

The Funivia 2

- The Latimer's

The Funivia

- The Latimer's

Trapani

It was a nice city to stay in for a day, plus they had couscous, which is one of my favorite.


First view of the Mediterranean






Teaching the boys how to get right up to the edge.






The amazing Mama with all the boys.

After seeing the streets we skipped naps and went straight to the hills.

So not knowing that there was a cable car to the top of the mountain,
I asked our hotel manager, "How often do the cars come that take the people to the top?"
His reply,"Every 10 seconds"
That was curious response, until I saw it.

Then I felt dumb.









Snack time

At the top is this amazing village and castle spanning many centuries and many different occupations. It's called Erice.








Read the bottom portion of the sign.
Apparently it is a big deal.
It feels like the mafia could control everything, quite easily.



Enjoying his first Italian gelato.



I am a wildflower kind of guy






The castle was Amazing!!!



This was a nerve racking photo for me, for there was a major drop off behind them



This was nerve racking for everyone else, for there was a major drop off in front of them









Zion day dreaming. One of his few moments of calm and stillness.



One thing I do have to say is that Italians LOVE babies. The kids, the teenagers(girls and boys), the old men, they all love the babies. This group of high school girls went crazy over Liam, like crazy screaming and wanting hold him. Pretty cool to see how they pour their love onto children.



A great first place to stay. Off to the next one.

- The Latimer's

An Unexpected Journey - Sicily

So it isn't that we didn't know where we were headed, but we didn't know exactly the process and the different stops along the way that we would take to arrive there. So we bought our tickets three days ago to Sicily, Italy.

From the moment we arrived at the airport we felt His favor. A man noticed us and rushed us to the front of the line (one benefit of having children). A whole row of seats together on a plane without assigned seats. A woman which whom Naphtali loved and wanted to hold him the whole time, two grandmas who where in love with him and a man whom he would try to play games with even though he was asleep.

As we exited the terminal a man was unexpectedly waiting with a sign with our names on it and drove us straight to the apartment. Wow!

- The Latimer's

Krakow

Krakow is beautiful, and cold.








Amazing vegetarian restaurant, and very cheap, 20$ feed everyone, with left overs.






Posers

















Mulled wine with raspberries and ice cream. So so delicious.



Apparently you cannot play the trumpet, eat ice cream or roller blade on the trolly.

Is this list seem so completely random and strange to anyone else?



The amazing Castor Coffee Club. They had this delicious rooibos espresso, different then anything I have ever tasted.



One last grand group picture before we split and went our separate ways

- The Latimer's

Noah's 3rd Birthday

Noah is officially 3.

So far two out of the last three birthdays have been out of the country.
First one was in Switzerland/France and this one in Poland. I think April is our favorite time to travel or something.

Noah we are so proud of you. We dearly love 3 year old Noah. You are fun, wild, sensitive, inquisitive, content, strong, brave, tender, and loving. Quite the combo. You love to sing any song that comes to your mind and sometimes quite loudly. You are not afraid of bugs, in fact you have quite the eye for ants and love them so much that you actual kill them, or maybe you don't know your own strength, of which you have much. On many occasions your older brother with ask you to deal with the creepy crawlers that are near him. Your skill is in high demand in this family. Happy Birthday Noah!












- The Latimer's

Ulucz, Poland

This is the town where Eliza's grandfather grew up, into his mid 20's, and lived until the later part of the war in 1942. Then they were forced to leave and walk miles and miles past Humniska where many were killed and some sent away to labor camps.



The hand painted sign for the town, current population ~150.












The oldest resident. He remembers the time (he was 12) but unfortunately says that there isn't much left from that period.

- The Latimer's