Mike's Blog

Aquarium at the bay at SF

2010-11-26T18:52:00.001-08:00

The aquarium at the bay in San francisco was awesome.

San francisco tour: 1st stop coit tower

2010-11-26T15:32:00.001-08:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Thanksgiving and making pumpkin pie

2010-11-24T23:48:00.001-08:00

In Fallon Nevada making pumpkin pie until midnight.

We made this thing from scratch (kind of). To tell you the truth, until about an hour ago, I had no idea that pie crust can be made by hand and that many argue it is better to make it than buy it. Anyway, I had a lot of time to think while I was crushing up the cookies and crackers, and I started wondering about the history of the pumpkin pie. So here is a quick excerpt from wikipedia. Enjoy!!

the pumpkin is native to the continent of North America. It was an early export to France; from there it was introduced to Tudor England, and the flesh of the “pompion” was quickly accepted as pie filler. The Pilgrims brought the pumpkin pie back to New England, but it subsequently died out in England itself.^[1]

San Antonio Temple pic

2010-10-15T23:59:00.001-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Lesson learned from soccer- finding the right position

2010-09-20T21:42:00.001-07:00

When I was 10 years I was really good at soccer (That's what my mom always told me and I think I scored several times per game). For some reason since then I haven't played a lot of soccer and my skills have diminished yet I still think my mom would say I'm really good (I have the best mom). So for the last 4 weeks I have joined some coworkers to play in a rec league and it has been really fun for me but painful, as I realize that I am not that good. I run all around, tire after 5 minutes of sprinting towards a ball I can't catch, subbing out, then subbing in, and repeating the process. When I shoot I miss, or it gets stopped by the goally as it pitifully and slowly rolls into his hands. I played goally last week and I wasn't anywhere near the goal box when the other team scored. So I have been thinking a lot about soccer and how I can contribute to the team and help and not hinder them- and a few days ago I decided that maybe I was destined to play defense. So as hard as it was, I decided to just stay back and defend and all of a sudden I am noticably helping the team and not hurting them- the position plays to my strengths. And I was happy and the team was a lot happier and we did better.

So I was thinking how that is like life. We bounce around from job to job or position to position in life and we will always be mediocre or poor unless we find the right position and play to our strengths. When we discover our strengths and then use them, we are definitely happier and more helpful to others. It is usually a better use of time and energy to find and develop our strengths than it is to try to be the best at something we are not fit for.

Beautiful mountain view of fall leaves (Midway, Utah)

2010-09-19T21:58:00.001-07:00

The view was amazing, it looked as if the mountains were on fire (not like the Herriman fire)

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Duke Ellington Orchestra and music appreciation

2010-09-19T21:54:00.001-07:00

Last night we went to the Duke Ellington orchestra concert at abravanel hall. It was fun for about 30 minutes. I learned that I don't know much about Jazz or music or orchestras and the less you know and understand something the less you are able to really appreciate it- I think that is a universal principle. Perhaps that is why we are to constantly study the gospel of Jesus Christ. The more we understand the more we appreciate it tand the more we appreciate it the more joy and happiness we receive.

Hanggliding in Switzerland

2010-09-19T21:31:00.001-07:00

Mike Linton

Zorb

2010-08-22T07:33:00.001-07:00

A human is inside of these balls- like a hamster in a cage

Swiss town gstaad

2010-08-21T16:29:00.001-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Gstaad

2010-08-21T16:28:00.003-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Clay tennis court

2010-08-21T16:28:00.001-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Swiss lunch

2010-08-21T16:27:00.003-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Switzerland temple

2010-08-21T16:27:00.001-07:00

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Goodbye Europe

2010-08-21T16:26:00.001-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Video: Hanggliding in Interlaken

2010-08-19T01:18:00.001-07:00

I went hanggliding today in Interlaken, Switzerland. It was amazing. About every 30 minutes today, I have turned to Michelle and reminded her that I was up in the air, flying like a bird, a thousand feet in the air- hanggliding. She rolls her eyes and reminds me she was watching and doesn't need so many reminders.

Michelle captured this video as we were closer to the ground. I thought it would be frightening or scary, but it was a really steady and unfrightening ride, even for me or those afraid of heights. In this video, we did a dive and some turns- like being on a rollercoster, but smooth as ever.

Download now or watch on posterous

IMG_2003.MOV (2199 KB)

More pictures to come when I get home and upload to computer.

Japanese Garden

2010-08-19T01:13:00.001-07:00

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Cool Japanese garden in Interlaken, Switzerland.

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Our Korean friends

2010-08-19T01:12:00.001-07:00

We met these three awesome Korean on the train from Füssen and they taught us several words in Korean and we spoke for hours. We said goodbye as we headed off to Bern Switzerland and try went off to Munich. Two days later, as we were walking back from our hike up Harder Kuhn, which I will tell you about later, we saw them again and said hi, but thy were across a busy street and so we didn't talk to them.

Today, as I was about to run down the hill and take off on a hangglider, I saw one of them that was readying to go paragliding-

So at the bottom we all got together and took a couple of pictures.

Ironically, two of them are studying statistics and the other mathematics, Michelle got along with them really really well.

What?

2010-08-16T05:07:00.005-07:00

We passed some time in the Lindau train station. Some photography class was taking place and so we got them to let us use this- I still don't know how it applies to photography, but it must somehow.

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IMG_1010.MOV (829 KB)

Video: hockey game Füssen vs Red team

2010-08-16T05:07:00.003-07:00

Walked around the town and then just wandered out of th town center and into a neighborhood a few blocks and stumbled upon two hockey arenas and entrance was free so the decision to watch and enjoy was an easy one.

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IMG_0984.MOV (1724 KB)

Video: füssen- view of river

2010-08-16T05:07:00.001-07:00

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IMG_0971.MOV (2753 KB)

I am sure we don't pronounce these things correctly.

Lindau

2010-08-16T05:06:00.003-07:00

Neuschweintstein castle

2010-08-16T05:06:00.001-07:00

Sleeper train?

2010-08-16T05:05:00.007-07:00

Trains lull Michelle to sleep. I am left writing blogs, thoughts, and emails, and taking in the scenery as well pictures.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Church, wrong train, Switzerland

2010-08-16T05:05:00.005-07:00

Last night we found a place in füssen but afterwards we found out that the church was an hour away by train. Well, because of Michelle's navigation skills we got to church fine, due to my navigation skills on the way back we took the wrong train going in the wrong direction and costing us a lot of time and as a result it is midnight and we are still on a train, trying to get to somewhere we can sleep. Definitely an adventure.

We just got to Switzerland tonight.

A little card playing on the train

2010-08-16T05:05:00.003-07:00

We used pretzels

Füssen: random pics

2010-08-16T05:05:00.001-07:00

Cool church

Beautiful river on our walk.

Convinced Michelle to go watch a few minutes of a soccer game

A little of everything- duck, chicken, ribs, stuffing, ham stuff, beets.

Cordon bleu

Bumper cars in dachau

2010-08-16T05:04:00.005-07:00

I am easy to spot in this video- for the first 10 seconds, I am the idiot whose car isn't moving, apparently you need to put the token into the car (not like lagoon or the u.s.a. Where the cars just go when you press the gas) after my car gets going the guy is standing on the edge of my car until I prove to be a terrible driver and he jumps off to save his life.

Also, I meant to hit that car at the end of this video even with the worker on my car, I gave him a chance to get off and he just stayed on my car.

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IMG_0921.MOV (3092 KB)

It was a blast.

Goodby Munich- hello Füssen

2010-08-16T05:04:00.003-07:00

I have been calling it munchen.

Here is my beautiful wife with her backpack. Train from München to about 5 different cities and transfers (bus and train) so that we can go see the Neuschwanstein castle. But the ride was an adventure.

Jumped on this bus and we got caught behind a tractor on a narrow road for 5 minutes and I think it made us miss the train that would have got us to Füssen earlier.

If this picture shows up- remind me to tell you the story of our encounter with this person.

We finally made it to füssen and found a cool and inexpensive B&B.

Video: dachau Oktoberfest

2010-08-16T05:04:00.001-07:00

Video of the small town oktoberfest.

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IMG_0927.MOV (1520 KB)

Warning: don't watch if you tend to get sick from moving video cameras

Bathroom art?

2010-08-16T05:01:00.003-07:00

Looks like some of my art, ironically, I only find this awesome art in restrooms.

Dachau festival pic

2010-08-16T05:01:00.001-07:00

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Dachau Festival

2010-08-14T07:45:00.001-07:00

After the concentration camp we went to dinner and we saw all these ladies dressed up in traditional German dresses and the men in leprachaun shorts and cool shirts and vests and boots, and so after dinner I convinced Michelle that we should follow them and so we followed some people a few blocks to see where they were going and it was a huge carnival and a huge crowd of people eating and drinking pitchers (1 pitcher at a time per person) of beer, a band playing on stage, everybody talking and laughing, a waitress darting through the crowd carrying a full pitcher of beer that spills over the top and onto the floor, 10 people to a 6 person table and close to 200 tables- the whole town of Dachau must have been there.

It was just like you'd imagine or see in a movie with German's and lots of beer. We got through the walk way with no beer spilling on us and at the other end was a fair going on.

We walked around and got ice cream and people watched. Michelle let me ride in the bumper cars and after I figured out how to put the token in front so that it would go, I had a lot of fun and it was awesome.

I thought to myself. People really are the same everywhere- they may dress different and they may speak an unknown language, but they find joy and entertaiment in similar ways (and sadness and pain too). I saw a huge group of people enjoying time with their friends, riding bumper cars, playing carnival games, licking ice cream off a cone in the rain, and eating good food- people all looking for happiness ( I mean it is "the object and design of our existence") and I think and saw that many don't know where to find it.

German food?

2010-08-12T13:42:00.007-07:00

Baguette and tomato soup?

Frammkuchen

2010-08-12T13:42:00.005-07:00

Delicious

Breakfast

2010-08-12T13:42:00.003-07:00

Found this place at the train station- eggs, bacon and bread

Freiburg Temple

2010-08-12T13:42:00.001-07:00

So we made it to the Freiburg temple today. Great experience of course.

Flammkucken dinner

2010-08-10T13:25:00.005-07:00

It was good!

Frankfurt temple

2010-08-10T13:25:00.003-07:00

This is the Frankfurt temple at around 5:35 pm (TLFS Time) - too late for session.

Googles amazing walking directions took us straight to the back of the temple.

Beautiful temple "that we'll go inside someday." hopefully thursday.

6 nimmt!

2010-08-10T13:25:00.001-07:00

About 6 years ago when I was doing my internship in Peru, a German lady that was staying at the same hostel that I was staying at taught me how to play this game.

I recognized it in one othe store windows and we bought it. It is a very fun game. We couldn't understand the instructions so we couldn't play until we got to an Internet connection and learned them.

Our Austrian breakfast

2010-08-10T13:24:00.009-07:00

Orange juice, bread, butter, banana, nutella, and a satisfied stomach.

Trains, trains and automoBuses

2010-08-10T13:24:00.007-07:00

One of the best and worst parts about travelling to 10 different cities in 30 days is learning to navigate completely different transportation systems, in several different languages, and then actually arriving without contention to your desired location when you want to be there.

We have been to 8 different cities so far and have done pretty well in getting to where we wanted to go, but today we failed, I feel like we just fell behind in The Amazing Race or something akin to losing a game where the consequences are just the mental anguish that lingers on, replaying for a while what you could and should have done differently, but that doesn't erase the feeling of failing. We left Salzburg and after a few transfers we made it to Frankfurt and found our hotel and then we started to navigate the metro system and it did not follow the above map, and we were so thrown off and in disbelief that the train wouldn't go where it said it should that we looked so confused people started explaining to us in 100% German some things that seemed important- like a construction change in the stop we were trying to get to. Finally some high school kid who spoke perfect English saw our desperation and asked if we needed help? He helped us circumnavigate the construction and get to our transfer which we finally did, but we arrived to the Frankfurt temple 1/2 hour later than the final 5 pm session. But because I asked Michelle if I could plan the last third of our trip it is really "flexible and up in the air" according to me and "unplanned and homeless prone" according to her, so to say the least we are dealing quite well with the setback and now we are even happier with our unplanned plan.

Sidenote: the Frankfurt temple is far away from the city and the farther away you get, the more you become the only ones that speak English. I think it is more fun like that.

Inspiring Art

2010-08-10T13:24:00.005-07:00

I have seen a lot of art on this trip- most of which was forbidden to photograph, but this piece was personally given to me by some jack of all trades (doctor, tour guide, journalist, artist by night) Korean professor that we met on the sound of music tour.

Life is like a game of tetris

2010-08-10T13:24:00.003-07:00

I admit I have played several games of tetris while traveling on the train while Michelle sleeps comfortably and after hours of taking in the beautiful scenery stairing out the window like a kid at the candy store.

So I was thinking how much life is like a game of tetris-

Here are a few thoughts that may or may not make sense-

Life is like a game of tetris....

You never know what you are going to get.

You are only given certain defined pieces to work with but you get to decide what to do with them.

Each piece you play is only a small part of the whole game, but the whole game can be defined by a well placed piece or a poorly placed piece.

Sometimes during the game you are given all the right pieces that fit together like a childrens puzzle. Those times never last forever.

It's easy to focus and get frustrated and lose your focus when you receive a piece at the wrong time (it isn't that te peice has changed, it's just that the board and timing have) that has no apparent place and that causes a hole.

Covering the hole, or mistake and just stacking blocks on it is a recipe for disaster in the future and will ultimately lead to a bad game

Working on not covering up the hole, but removing the blocks over it allows you to stay safe and not be threatened by it in the future

It seems impossible to never create a hole.

You can always recover and fill the hole i you make the right moves quickly after your error.

It's fun

It's frustrating

It takes practice to be really good

You only know a move or two in advance

It's sufficient to know only a move or two in advance- you don't have a choice to play the present piece ( you can't demand to see the next fifty pieces before you start playing)

It just keeps going and then stops suddenly.

The more you play the harder, faster, and more difficult it gets- the pieces fall according to past performance.

The game is personal- you don't play against somebody- everyone gets different pieces in different order

****
that is all for now- any other thoughts or comparisons can be shared

€0,20 cents and a whole lot of fun

2010-08-10T13:24:00.001-07:00

This bouncyball provided several minutes of fun for me and stress for my wife.

It was cheaper than the marionette show (think pinocchio before the talking cricket) though, I can assure you of that.

Puppet show of the magic flute

2010-08-09T16:09:00.001-07:00

We finished our day off by going to a professional puppet show of Mozart's "The Magic Flute," it was really fun. They do such a good job that sometimes you forget they are 2.5 ft. tall puppets.

More sound of music scenes

2010-08-09T16:05:00.001-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Sound of music cathedral where they filmed

2010-08-09T16:04:00.003-07:00

Sound of music house and lake

2010-08-09T16:04:00.001-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Sound of music tour and almdudler

2010-08-09T16:03:00.001-07:00

Michelle read that one drink that is unique to Austria is almdudler- I tried it and liked it, takes kind of like Ginger ale, but not as strong.

Doing laundry

2010-08-09T16:02:00.001-07:00

So there isn't a laundrymat accessible to us in Salzburg so we did it all by hand and then hung It all to dry today. I had brought some rope in case we had to wash and dry our close by hand. This was a very small sink. I am sooooo thankful to have a washer and dryer right in our house back home- what a blessing.

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Another laundry detergent difficulty

2010-08-09T15:58:00.001-07:00

New choices in Germany.

Native American group in Austria

2010-08-09T15:57:00.001-07:00

This street performer tribe was playing beatles music in Austria- we found this very humorous.

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Salzburg river

2010-08-09T15:55:00.001-07:00

Mozart birthplace (first home as child)

2010-08-09T15:54:00.001-07:00

It was cool to learn about how Mozart was raised. Definitely insightful to see how his dad was essential to mozart's success and fame.

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Random fountain

2010-08-09T15:50:00.001-07:00

Mozart statue

2010-08-09T15:49:00.001-07:00

Austria day one

2010-08-08T15:13:00.001-07:00

So our inexpensive hotel is a ways from the city and so we have already had some adventures getting to and from church and back to the hotel. We got lost on the way to church and luckily (or tender mercy) an empty taxi passed us (especially in this area on a Sunday morning), and he took us close to the church where we spotted some members and followed them the rest of the way. After church some guy in a huge rush asked us what our plans were and if we knew what we were doing, we said we didn't know and no, and so before he had to run to a meeting he pulled out a map and gave it to us. As we thanked him and walked out we pulled out the map and started walking, after a block or so some utahns we had met at church (2 couples that were doing a road trip through switzerland and Austria) stopped and asked if we needed a ride and where we were going, we answered yes and we have no idea. So we guessed that we would like to go the center of town and they took us there. They were really awesome and we will be forever thankful for their kindness and consideration in picking us up.

On the way back Michelle figured out how to navigate the bus system and she got us safely back to our hotel, where we can give our feet and minds a nice rest in preparation for some Salzburg sightseeing tomorrow.

Below Michelle sits pleasantly waiting for our bus to come.

Mike Linton

801-671-2849

Austria pic

2010-08-08T13:57:00.001-07:00

Mozart's restaurant?

2010-08-08T10:50:00.001-07:00

We ate at the same restaurant that Wolfgang (cool name) ate at... Or so the expensive menu says.

Salzburg mountain pic

2010-08-08T10:44:00.001-07:00

The hills are alive....

Mountain view from Italy to Austria

2010-08-08T10:42:00.001-07:00

Book notes from "The Millionaire Mind"

2010-08-06T08:17:00.001-07:00

Here is my book review and notes from the millionaire mind. Most ofthes are direct quotes from "the millionaire mind" written by Thomas J Stanley, Ph.D.

I just decided to type everything that I had underlined and so it is quite random. The book is good and these are the points that I wanted to remember.

********

Millionaires-

You cannot enjoy life if you are addicted to consumption and the use
of credit.
M. Try not to be controlled by lenders.
I taught my sons that money is not their God. You control it...not it
control you.
Only about 5% of households in america have net worth of 1 million plus
Most M. Have never spent more than 41K on an automobile
There is a strong correlation between playing golf and wealth (I hope Michelle reads this)
M. Credit their honesty and integrity as a contributing factor to
their wealth.
Many M. Are active in their religion and in fundraisers for charities
If you make one major decision correctly, you can become economically productive.
Most millionaires don't do DIY projects
Top 5 success factors: honesty, discipline, social, spouse, hard work.
To become a leader you must have the ability to sell your ideas, your
game plan, your dream, your product, or your services.
You have to have tenacity to win
Always focus on needs of others
Critics are a necessary part of our social system in america-they
screen out those who lack the courage and resolve to take criticisms
and triumph in spite of them.
Ignoring the criticisms of detractors is a significant correlate of
economic success and career achievements.
M. Don't take rejection personally.
M. Are extremely competitive
66% of M. Exercise regularly
Being fit helps you enjoy job
Being honest is a better use of ones time
If you want to be successful, select a vocation you love
Researchers have in fact had great difficulty demonstrating that
grades in school are related to any other behaviours of importance--
other than doing well on aptitude tests.
M. Make wise investments (not necessarily stock market)
Age is significant correlate of wealth
One of the hallmarks of discipline is one's ability to become
economically successful without being given a road map
Most success derives from proactive behavior.
Discipline people are not easily sidetracked.
If you lack discipline your chances of accumulating wealth are very
small no matter how smart we are

Millionaires are finishers in a society of starters

It is important to count your blessings everyday, paying homage to hour spouse,...

Be disciplined enough to search for great economic opportunities

Millionaires are tenacious

They usually started working early in their lives

Enlightened parents tell their children- you can achieve if you work hard.

In school learn how to develop a strong work ethic.

Millionaires love their careers

Luck has a lot to do with economic success

Millionaires have good advisors

They have learned how to make accurate judgments about people

Use CPAs and attorneys as advisors

Successful risk takers are market nichers

Those with highest income levels give credit to their ability to recognize opportunities that others do not appreciate

M. Believe in themselves and have the know-how and skills to regain their self confidence.

M. Have a spouse that is respectful, patient, cheerful, and unselfish.

Dr. Peterson who deals a lot with financial risks says he can deal with them because of his strenuous exercise program that is like the one designed for young marine recruits in boot camp.

Fear and panic are the products of an unconditioned body, mind, and spirit.

Most economically successful people were conditioned early in life by their parents to withstand the fears and worries so often associated with adversity and taking major risks. Their parents provided them with a loving, warm, stable, and positive environment.

Often financial success is the product of having a supportive spouse and stable marriage.

As religious faith grows so do peoples self confidence.

People like to work for people who are excited about work.

Many affluent chose the right vocation at the right time.

A lot of people think that all the money is in manufacturing or creating a product, but most the time it is in the industries that servethe developers and manufacturers.

The successful business owners are cost sensitive- paying very close attention to expenses.

Stress is a direct result of devoting a lot of effort to a task that's not in line with ones abilities.

You have tonbe able to see an opp, then you have to believe you can do it, and then you have to do it n

There is a correlation between length of marriage and net worth

Successful people plan and organize.

Parents shouldnteach their children how to plan and organize.

Many millionaires are frugal.

Large majority of millionaire's are not do-it-yourselfers.

Never waste your mental and physical energy doing unproductive things.

M. Do not move very often

Never borrow long term with the prospects of short term income.

M. Spend a lot of time deciding which home to purchase.

When buying a home

1) be willing to walk away from any home at any time.

2) don't pay initial asking price for any home

3) never try to purchase home in short period of time

4) consider homes that are part of foreclosure, divorce settlement, or estate sale.

Many millionaires work hard, but most are not workaholics.

Moderation in consumption and a healthy, disciined lifestyle are the hallmarks of the affluent in america.

Most millionaires prefer to socialize with children and grandchildren and entertaining close friends.

Decamillionaires are nearly twice as likely to play golf than high income producing nonmillionaires.

Most millionaires were raising funds for good causes before they became wealthy, and they had noble intent

If youbwish to become affluent, associate with economically productive people.

Millionaires think differently than the crowd.

I don't think educational background in most cases is as important as the will to win.

Economic success equation

1) understand the key success factors our economy continues and will continue to reward: hard work, integrity, and focus

2) don't let bad grades get you down

3) have courage to take financial risk. Learn how to overcome defeat.

4)pick a vocation that you love and that is also unique and profitable.

5)be careful in selecting a spouse

6)operate an economically productive household

7)follow the lead of millionaires when selecting a home. Study, search and negotiate aggressively.

8) adopt a balanced lifestyle. Remember it does not take a lot of money to enjoy the company of your family and friends.

****

I typed this all on my phone so excuse the many typos and some wording I did change to make it shorter and easier to type.

Video: Pompeii standard house

2010-08-06T03:06:00.001-07:00

If you get motion sickness don't watch this, it isn't worth any of the information that you'll get

Download now or watch on posterous

IMG_0736.MOV (3403 KB)

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Video: train broken down on way to Pompeii

2010-08-06T03:05:00.001-07:00

Our train broke down on the way to Pompeii. It started smoking and making funny noises. They quickly got us all off and then we all waited for another train.

Download now or watch on posterous

IMG_0733.MOV (2779 KB)

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Video: Pompeii colosseum

2010-08-06T03:04:00.009-07:00

Download now or watch on posterous

IMG_0734.MOV (1258 KB)

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Pizza oven

2010-08-06T03:04:00.007-07:00

They would make all the pizzas in here. One guy would toss the dough and then slap on the ingredients and then one would grab it with a flat shovel looking thing and slide it in the oven for a few minutes. Then out came the best pizza I have had- it is similar to the style you find at Grimaldi's in New York.

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Pizza In Naples

2010-08-06T03:04:00.005-07:00

We were told that pizza was invented in Naples Italy and so we went and gave it a try. We weren't disappointed. Inthougjt it was the bes pizza I had ever had. They had some guys making pizza right in front of brick oven and all.

Pompeii forum

2010-08-06T03:04:00.003-07:00

Video: roman forum- roman ruins

2010-08-06T03:04:00.001-07:00

I found the Roman forums, the place where the Senate met and which was the center of all things Roman, the most interesting of all. With the free audio guides I downloaded from ricksteves.com, I learned about the history of all the major things shown in this video. The temples, the market places, the houses, the arcs I thought to myself, "these people were real and a few of them lived during the time of Christ, they ruled Jerusalem".... I will maybe finish my thoughts later- gotta go. The video below doesn't explain too much, but it is short and the view is good.

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IMG_0727.MOV (3088 KB)

Video: Pantheon

2010-08-04T02:26:00.001-07:00

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Raphael is buried in the pantheon- it was cool to see it.

Colosseum video

2010-08-04T02:25:00.005-07:00

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Mass

2010-08-04T02:25:00.003-07:00

Michelle and I talked about attending a mass while we were here in Europe touring all the famous cathedrals- so after we got done touring the Sistine chapel and the Vatican museum we went and started touring St. Peter's Basilica (where it is said that the remains of Peter are, and it is the main chapel at the Vatican, where the Pietá is, and michelangelo's beautifully architected dome and everything is just massive) so as we were touring they start shuffling a huge group of people out half of the basilica and so we as part of that group who were pushed back. We started asking why, and they said because mass was starting- we were right there and we asked if we could go and after a little wait, we were among the first to walk in and sit down and we sat through mass in Italian. It was a great experience.

The Pietá

2010-08-04T02:25:00.001-07:00

Michelangelo was amazing. This picture is bad, but so was the view after it was moved back and placed behind bulletproof glass because some lunatic came and tried to smash it to pieces with a hammer, and pieces fell and somebody stole the nose of the Pietá, and I was wondering about that person who took it, and I wonder why they wouldn't send it back- maybe more thoughts on that later.

We went to mass in there- and it was a great experience. Another post on that later

Swiss guards

2010-08-04T02:24:00.003-07:00

Just outside the Basilica we saw the Swiss guards. Something about those "uniforms" reminds me of clowns. Somebody said- "never laugh at a clown with a gun- shouldn't that be- always laugh at a clown with a gun"

Actually, I understand it is a really cool and prestigious thing to be a Swiss Guard. I do wonder if one of the street performers would get in trouble for impersonating an officer if they were dressed up like this though.

Laundry detergent

2010-08-04T02:24:00.001-07:00

You can learn a lot by travelling, but I think one of the most important things you learn is gratitude for the little things. Not very often do I go to bed and thank Heavenly Father for washers and dryers, free public toilets, orderly traffic, Walmart, air conditioning everywhere, so many clothes and options, internet access everywhere, cell phones that work and have coverage, Utah clean air act, cereal and milk in the morning, pillows, work, a car and understanding the language when we go to church.

It took us about twenty minutes to find out which one of the 10 options we had was actually laundry detergent. We narrowed it down to these two and then flipped a coin, and asked some Italian lady by pointing to the container and then my shirt and looking really stupid. She nodded and we decided to chance it. By the way ECO 10 makes everything from dishwashing soap to floor wax.

Colosseum

2010-08-04T02:22:00.003-07:00

We went to the colosseum today and it was amazing- huge, broken down, real, sad, mysterious and interesting. I think I liked it more than Michelle.

National museum

2010-08-04T02:22:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the Rome national museum. It was pretty cool to see the coins of the Romans since before Christ. We also got to see the famous discus thrower statue.

Best food yet

2010-08-03T03:33:00.001-07:00

We ate at a small ristorante called ristorante mamá, owned by Mauro, who was a great cook and kind in talking to us and recommending some restaurants in Venice.

This chocolate cake was the best I have ever had.

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

A chameleon?

2010-08-03T03:32:00.001-07:00

Is this a chameleon? We saw it just outside our rental apartment in Roma.

Photo: Mega Palzone

2010-07-31T16:26:00.001-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Us on top of the dome with Florence in background

2010-07-31T16:25:00.003-07:00

Florence is beautiful.

El duomo

2010-07-31T16:25:00.001-07:00

We hiked about 500 steps up this (el duomo) today, and the view was worth it. The museum was great too.

Picture Michelle navigating

2010-07-31T16:21:00.001-07:00

With our refined methods- we should be asked to be on the amazing race.

Some restaurants are zagat rated and some are for routards

2010-07-31T16:20:00.001-07:00

This made us laugh

Florence Italy

Amazing sidewalk chalk art

2010-07-31T16:18:00.001-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Best Cooking class in Florence

2010-07-31T10:35:00.001-07:00

> After we arrived in Florence, we raced to find our accommodations > and then catch a bus to our scheduled cooking class at giglio > cooking school. A week ago in Paris we ran into a travelling group > of teenagers that we talked to and we asked what their favorite > thing was in Florence- and they told us about this cooking class > taught by an awesome lady with great English who was a great teacher > and that it all made for a great experience, so we emailed Marcella > and it was one of our favorite things to do in Florence.
>
> I will write more about it later, but it was so fun. We made pasta > and sauce from scratch ( which i didn't have a clue how it was done) > and some amazing steak, and an even better dessert. More pics and > video to come
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Michelle on the train

2010-07-31T10:33:00.001-07:00

This blog is mostly a reference for me to remember our trip as we go, so that I can reference and organize- Friday we spent from morning until 5 pm travelling from Nice, France to Florence. It was fun to navigate the train system and being on the train gave us time to catch up on some much needed naps.

Herr is Michelle really enjoying her book.

View from Uffizi museum

2010-07-31T10:14:00.001-07:00

Here is a view of Florence from the uffizi museum. Inside this museum you see a ton of ancient art- like botticelli's birth of Venus, a few da Vinci's, michelangelo's Holy Family, raphael's self portrait and a few others of his. We ha to wait to go to the other museum to see Donatello's work, but I saw all 4 of the ninja turtles' namesakes today- a good but exhausting day.

Fountainbleu Palace

2010-07-29T15:35:00.001-07:00

We went to fountainbleu yesterday it was really cool, one of my favorite parts of our trip. This castle was home to my grandfather for a little while during world war 2 while he marched under Patton. I bet they all liked staying there.

I was impressed by how extravagant everything was, and how unnecessary riches and ornaments are for real happiness.

Standing in the center of paris

2010-07-29T15:28:00.001-07:00

In the apartment we rented in Paris there was a guide book for paris by Rick Steves- it was really good and we highly recommend it for people travelling to Paris. He told us that just 30 yards in front of Notre Dame is the very center of the city. So here we are standing in the very center of Paris.

Video and pic: all time worst street entertainment

2010-07-29T14:50:00.001-07:00

I have seen some bad street performers in my day, but these two were the worst. I felt like I was watching my little sister's dance routines she choreographed and performed when she was like 5 years old (which were great for a 5 year old)

They dropped each other when they attempted lifts, stumbled as they twirled and their umbrella routine was so bad it was comical. Anyway, I tried to get their second act on video, but as you will see people just kept leaving and walking in front of my video camera- which proves my point poignantly. They did start with a big and tired audience that had found a respite on these stairs, at least until they had started their show. Enjoy!!

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Video: Eiffel tower lights

2010-07-29T14:31:00.001-07:00

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We were on the Eiffel tower at the beginning of the hour and so it started to light up like you'll see in this video. It was phenomenal seeing the massive structure and it really is an awesome site and marvel to think they built something like this just to impress people- it turns out 100+ years ago Mr. Eiffel beat the competition for the best design and everything- he beat out somebody that proposed to build a huge replica of a guillotine (which I am sure would have been a huge crowd magnet, "hey everyone, come see how we ran our government for a few years.") Although, it doesn't represent France's past, it certainly represents France since it was built and long into the future.

Eiffel tower picture at night

2010-07-29T14:28:00.001-07:00

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Woody Allen's crew filming part of "midnight in Paris"

2010-07-27T06:49:00.001-07:00

We just happened to be eating here when a part of Woody Allen's crew came by to film "midnight in Paris" - they are in the background. We went and talked to one of them afterwords and found out what movie it was for, and who was directing it.

Video: Monet's Pond

2010-07-26T10:15:00.001-07:00

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You might recognize this from Monet's paintings. Because I was so familiar with Monet's paintings and it has always been a dream for me to go to France and travel outside the city for a day in the hot sun, it was like having splendid Deja vu when I saw this pond that had only been a part of my in depth studies of Monet, not to be confused with Manet, both artists and people don't think it is funny when you pronounce the T at the end of their names. He (mOnet) would come out and paint almost every day and he would paint the same thing at the same time of day and then move onto another painting, for example he would paint #1 canvas at 9am and then #2 canvas at 10am and #3 at 11, and he would do the same thing every day so the lighting and everything was the same.

The day trip was very fun, and it was really cool to see his house and his paintings and his garden and pond. We also ran into some really cool people. It was really cool to see the town he lived in- it was like you would think a town in France would be.

Monet's house and garden

2010-07-26T09:53:00.001-07:00

We visited Monet's house and garden and pond today. It was cool. It makes me want to go and buy a sketch book and start drawing.

Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Rochambeau lemonade

2010-07-26T09:10:00.001-07:00

I ordered a lemonade and recieved this bottle of rochambeau lemonade which was just a $5 bottle of sprite. Rochambeau- isn't that rock, paper, scissors?
I won't be getting anymore lemonade.

Chartres cathedral video with organ in the background

2010-07-25T17:33:00.003-07:00

We toured the Chartres cathedral This morning and we really enjoyed the tour by malcom miller.

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Mike Linton
801-671-2849

Fireworks at Versailles

2010-07-25T17:33:00.001-07:00

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Watched the firework show tonight in Versailles. It was fun.