Then we headed down to Sicily. It was a great place to end this adventure. In several ways it reminded us of the things we've been missing about Africa. In Palermo we wandered around the fish markets, vegetable stalls, churches, and port. When we ventured outside of Palermo we found the beautiful countryside was lush green with rolling hills, the coastline was stunning, and the people continually went out of their way to help us and make us feel welcome. We loved the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, built by the Greeks around 500 b.c. Unfortunately, for the first time on our trip, we had a deadline to catch a flight. We'll have to hike Mt. Etna next time.
From Italy we flew to Dublin for two nights, then on to Raleigh, NC. Being reunited with Scout was everything we'd hoped. Of course she remembered us! We are thankful that she was so well cared for. We also got to meet Lillian Garrity, and had a great time with Payton, Ryan, Holly, Bill, and Jodi. From there we drove back to Minnesota and have been in Hibbing for a couple of weeks already. We are trying to find jobs--we hope in the Twin Cities. We have been a little reclusive so far but hope to make it to Wisconsin and the cities for visits soon.
It means a lot to hear people say they have enjoyed reading our blog. Thanks to everyone who made comments here or via email or facebook; you're what kept us blogging! Let us know if you'd like to see some of our video!
