Vanessa, Corinne, Wendy & Bob
in the Italian Alps

A really big event of 2005 was the MCCLURE SUMMER VACATION. Since Vanessa graduated from high school in 2005 (more on that later), we decided that it should be marked by something extra special. With the potential to be one of the last summers that we could get in a family vacation with everyone along, we decided on a visit to Europe. We began serious planning in 2004, although we had been thinking about it for several years. We attended a European vacation seminar, bought books and videos, surfed the internet, and began figuring out what we wanted to do. We left Seattle on the 2nd of July and spent the next four weeks traveling. We had airline tickets into Dublin, out of London, and Eurail (train) passes for open travel. We had also arranged for 5 nights lodging in Venice - everything else was arranged day-to-day!

We started our in Ireland and spent 5 days driving south, then west, then north, then east back to Dublin. We experienced some amazing countryside, beautiful people, amazing music, and good food (and drink) in several Irish pubs. We also visited Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells (an amazingly beautiful hand-written manuscript of the Bible, and about 1800 years old!). In Dublin we were blessed to meet up with some friends from Oman whom we hadn't seen in ages - Tony & Val Riley and their boys Ben, Jamie, and Robbie (we had never met Robbie). They had just returned from holiday and we went to their beautiful home for a scrumptious BBQ and lots of "catching up". It seems like only yesterday that we all left Oman (but the kids have sure aged!).

From Dublin we flew to Rome. There we spent 3 days wandering about and taking in as much of the beauty, splendor, and history as we could absorb (not to mention eating as much wonderful food as we could!). A truly amazing city, far too short a time to really begin to appreciate it. While there we visited the Vatican and even climbed to the top of Saint Peter’s Basilica - a real feat of endurance.

We (the girls) did a lot of sleeping on the train rides	Then we hopped the train (Eurail Passes) to Florence - a place of beauty and the home of Michelangelo's David. Pictures simply don't do it justice. How someone can make a piece of rock look so beautiful and almost alive! The trip was a hot one and we arrived late in the afternoon. As our daily routine was to look for a place to sleep once we arrived somewhere new, Bob got on the phone and began to check things out. Finally, Bob found a youth hostel (Europa Villa Camerata) that had four beds - in an army tent! So, we grabbed a local bus and headed out to the edge of town. The hostel itself is a 600 year-old villa - beautifully restored - and it was full. However, the tents were permanently set up, had beds, a wooden floor and electric lights - not bad. Fresh linen to make up our beds and we were set.
The window to our apartment is the little hole on the roof of the building in the middle (it was nice inside!)	From Florence, we traveled by train to Venice and the beauty of the city with no streets, only canals! We arrived there in the evening and caught one of the last Vaporetto (water bus) to the area near the apartment that we had arranged for our stay (thanks to our friends the Gnageys, who stayed there on their visit in February). Our host, Roberto, collected us and guided us to our temporary home (upstairs in his home), a cute little loft just off a quiet plaza and above a floating market. We awoke the next morning to discover that one of our small bags was missing - the one containing the 400 digital photos that had just been put onto CD and erased from the camera, Wendy's check book filled with all but one of her credit cards, our Eurail train passes and our return plane tickets! Bob had failed to pick it up from the bench as we left the vaporetto stop the night before and it was nowhere to be found. We filed a report with the police, but have little hope of ever seeing it again. The biggest loss was the priceless photos of our trip up to that point. But, we forged on and enjoyed the rest of our stay in Venice. While there, we observed the most amazing 2-hour fireworks display in the annual celebration of the end of the plague, Festa del Redentore on July 17. Another truly amazing city.	Fiesta del Redentore The City of Venice is beautiful but many of the buildings are sinking

We left Venice on Sunday, planning to replace our lost Eurail passes in Verona, our next stop. We got up the next morning (Monday) and headed right to the train station to get our replacement tickets. Only to learn they are only re-issued in Venice! So, Bob hopped the train BACK to Venice and replaced the tickets while the girls toured Verona for the day. They even visited the (alleged) home of Juliet and saw the famous balcony! Bob returned later in the day with tickets in-hand!

Bolzano had this little outdoor restaurant that was really great!

Back onto the train and off to the north - Bolzano (Bozen), South Tyrol, a very interesting, beautiful, mountainous area of the Pyrenees region of Italy. We found a brand-new youth hostel (photo here) where we stayed, a wonderful restaurant where we had dinner, and woke up to a beautiful mountainous view - which we pursued. We traveled up the side of the mountain by cable car to a picturesque little village named Renon. There we saw the Pyramids (amazing spires of earth, each with a large rock on top!). From this location you could also see across the valley to the Pyrenees (that's the picture, above, with the four of us). There, we boarded an old and interesting little train between the cable car drop-off and the village of Renon.

The Pyramids. Amazing geologic formations caused by erosion.

From Bolzano, we got back on the train and headed to France. There, we ate more good food, visited lots of cool places like
(more to come, this next weekend, I hope).

Vanessa & her friends Annette (right) & Ashley (behind) at CWU

Vanessa graduated from Arlington High School this year! What an achievement and are Mom and Dad ever proud! Dad even got to sign her diploma (as he is still on the School Board)! Now, she has gone off to Ellensburg, WA to Central Washington University. She's having a great time there and making new friends and even finding some time to study! Ellensburg is about two hours drive from Arlington - so it is pretty easy for her to come home and visit once in a while (and to get her laundry done by the maid mom). Leaving Arlington had its "bummer" items too. Vanessa had been in the local EXPLORER post for three years and had to leave that behind. She had really enjoyed the activities and experiences that she had while part of that group. She made good friends and gained lots of unique experiences in Law Enforcement - the Explorer Post is sponsored by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Department.

Vanessa & her friends in Explorers (doesn't she look sharp "in uniform"?)

Corinne in her business suit for her NAM Interview

Corinne has moved up to "middle-school" -- the 7th Grade! She's loving it and enjoys the newfound freedom of changing classrooms for each subject. She is taking all the regular "stuff" as well as participating in Keynotes (the school choir), Volleyball, and taking electives like art and computers! She has made many new friends and re-connected with some (from the other elementary schools) that she hadn't seen in quite some time. Corinne also had another exciting event this summer - she decided to try something different - The National American Miss Pageant! What an adventure! Sometime early in the year, she decided that she wanted to give it a try and the next thing we knew (after OK'ing it with Mom & Dad), she had filled in the application, found sponsors, raised the entry fees, and she was "in". So, over Labor Day week-end, we all went to Seatac (city between Seattle and Tacoma, where the airport is) and attended the National American Miss - Washington State Pageant. Corinne didn't "place", but the personal growth and risk-taking she experienced were memorable. We were so proud of her!

Corinne in her Evening Wear at NAM, with Mom, Dad & Vanessa

Bob still works for BioSonics as Director for Marketing & Sales.  That means that he is responsible for making sure that the products keep selling and the company has an income!  Actually, it is a lot of fun and he gets to know people from all over the world and to help them find solutions to their problems for monitoring fish, plants and other things under the water.