Our Fall Break Trip to Rome Part I - Saint Peter's Basilica

Last year for fall break we didn't go anywhere.  That was fine - the kids had school and I had plenty of work to do.  This year Yulia was really anxious to go somewhere new and different.  One of the appeals of living and working in Kazakhstan was the chance to travel.  We decided on Rome (over Istanbul) and made arrangements.  Yulia booked our flight through the Russian airline Transaero and rented a two-room bed and breakfast flat near the Vatican.

Transaero has been going through a difficult time.  The airline was expanding quickly and had purchased a number of new aircraft.  When sanctions hit Russia and the Ruble started to lose value, the company was hard hit.  Right after we booked our tickets, it was announced that the company would be purchased by Aeroflot.  The week before we were supposed to fly, that deal fell through and the company announced that it was going bankrupt and would cease flying on 15 December.  Starting on October 2, they started cancelling flights - and would only confirm 24-48 hours in advance whether a flight was still going to occur.

We had booked our tickets through Travelocity, so we tried to call on Wednesday (October 7) to see if we could cancel our tickets.  They said that we couldn't unless the airline cancelled the flight, and we wouldn't know that the airline cancelled the flight until Friday evening or Saturday morning.  We were scheduled to fly out on Sunday morning (the 11th) at 6:20 a.m.  We decided that we would wait and see (we had thought if we could cancel that we would try to fly somewhere else - maybe Poland or Germany - because flights are cheaper and more available there).

Our flight wasn't cancelled - so we were on.  We decided that we would roll with whatever came our way flightwise.

Ready to fly!

Sunday morning we woke up early and took two taxis to the airport.  We packed in all carry on configuration in case we were stuck somewhere.  We checked in with no problem and got seats near the front of the plane.  We knew that Transaero was a discount airline and didn't expect to even be fed, but we were given a nice breakfast.  The seats had enough room and the plane was clean and nice.  We landed at Vnukovo airport in Moscow at about 7:00a.m. local time.  Neither of us had flown through Vnukovo before (Just Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo), but the airport was nice.  We were able to get through our second security and passport check and find a seat.  There was a big group of orthodox jews waiting for a flight to New York at the gate next to us, and another group on its way to Israel a few gates down.  It was an opportunity to have an interesting conversation with our children about religious differences.

At Vnukovo airport in Moscow

It's been 4 years since we were in Moscow last time. We were barely here this time!

Our flight to Rome was nearly empty, but we had another nice flight - sitting in economy plus with LOTS of leg room.  We landed at Leonardo Da Vinci airport at around 1:00 p.m. and made it through passport control and customs without problem.  We were met by our taxi and driven to our hotel.  We had to wait for about twenty minutes for the them to come and open the doors and check us in.  Pierpaulo was the owner and he was very friendly.  He and his girlfriend Chiara talked to us for awhile, showed us the map and how to get around, and got the kids hooked on soy milk (it's in the fridge for breakfast).

Look at that awesome legroom on our flight to Rome!

Mediterranean Sea!

A view from the balcony of our B&B mini hotel

We unpacked and relaxed for a little while and then decided we'd walk around to get our bearings and to find the Metro station.  We found the Metro station easily (about a two block walk from our apartment). Then we started walking and accidentally found St. Peter's Basilica.  It was Sunday afternoon and there were quite a few people there, but there wasn't a big line, so we went in - for free - and were able to see the Basilica for a few hours.  We paid extra to go to the museum.  There was some art, a lot of artifacts, and some very interesting items - including little holders that have body parts from dead saints and popes.

Wandering on the streets of Rome

A view from the top of the steps that took us to Vatican

While wandering we came right to the Vatican wall!

Entrance to the Vatican Museums. It is closed on Sundays, so you see no lines!

Saint Peter's Plaza

Saint Peter's Plaza

Saint Peter's Plaza

Saint Peter's Plaza, view of the Basilica

The Basilica itself is very impressive.  We explained to the children that even though we have different religious beliefs, that this was a place of worship and that we should be reverent and respectful.  They did well.  The basilica is where they entomb the popes, and some of them are really on display (Lenin style), so that really got the kids' attention.  We spent about two hours walking around and really got to see things.

Entering Saint Peter's Basilica

Inside St. Peter's

Pope John Paul II Tomb

Another pope's tomb. There were a number of them here.

A view of the beautiful building.

Storm grate on the floor of polished brass. Papal keys in the middle.

Confessionals for Catholics who want to confess.

Girls examining a massive door at the exit

Swiss Guards at the entrance to Vatican City

The view of the Basilica. The chairs behind us are from the Pope's address to the public earlier that morning.

On our way back to our apartment, we stopped at a little pizza place.  One of the workers spoke a bit of English, and we used hand signals, smiles, and pointing to order.  It worked out well.  We had a very nice day and it really set the tone for the rest of our stay in Rome.

Some Sunday street market we came across while walking home from Vatican

Eating outside at the little pizza cafe

Rome at night! Beautiful!

Yuki Gets Babesiosis

One reason that we haven't put together a post for a few weeks is that we've been busy with the start of school - and the craziness that four kids and 3 different schedules, along with extracurricular activities, entails.  We are settling into the school routine quite well, and we will have a post about school a bit later.  However, one thing that happened at the end of the kids' second week of school and throughout their third week really made things a bit crazy for us.

On September 12th, Yuki began acting lethargic. She didn't want to eat her food in the evening.  That is a very atypical thing for our dog: a lover of food. She has had some problems with seizures in the past, so we wondered if maybe she was feeling ill.

On Sunday the 13th she wasn't feeling any better.  She was very lethargic and didn't even really want to go for her regular walks.  We thought that maybe she had some sort of a dog cold or flu.  We decided that we would watch her carefully to figure out what was happening.  Monday she was kind of the same, but by the late evening she was looking very bad.  Yulia decided to take her to the veterinarian in the morning.  It's a good thing that we did.

It turns out that she had been bitten by a tick.  The ticks here carry babesiosis, a disease that is in some ways similar to Malaria.  It turns out that this is quite common in the area.  We are used to tick season ending at the end of August, so we had not treated her for September.  (Read more about Babesiosis in dogs here).  In brief, the disease consists of piroplasms, which:

...infect and replicate in the red blood cells, resulting in both direct and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, where the red blood cells (RBCs) are broken down through hemolysis (destruction) and hemoglobin is released into the body. This release of hemoglobin can lead to jaundice, and to anemia when the body cannot produce enough new red blood cells to replace the ones being destroyed. Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia is likely to be more clinically important than parasite-induced RBC destruction, since the severity of the condition does not depend on the degree of parasitemia. (Source)

When the vet saw Yuki he told us that if we had waited one more day to come in, she probably would not have made it.  As it was, the next week consisted of many trips to the veterinary clinic across town to get treatment.  For the first four days we needed to go twice a day to have a series of drugs pumped into her with an IV.  The first day they gave a medicine that kills the parasites, and then the rest of the time they gave here a cocktail of gamma globulin,  vitamins, and other nutrients, along with IV fluids.  By the end of Tuesday (the 15th, Yuki's eyes and skin were yellow from the hemoglobin, and her liver was beginning to fail.)

Yulia and I took turns taking Yuki to her morning vet appointment (mostly Yulia, but I took her one day).  We both took her to the evening appointments, which lasted for a week, after we had put the kids to bed. This meant that we were out until 11:00 or 11:30 for most nights in addition to having our very full days with the kids.

***

We hadn't been too impressed with the veterinary clinic when we took Yuki there in late spring to get her rabies vaccine (required once per year here instead of every three years).  The clinic is on the first floor of an apartment building.  It is small, smells of dogs, cats, and urine, and has peeling paint, scuffed and peeling linoleum, and a stuffy atmosphere.

Our opinion changed when we saw how hard the vets worked and how they took care of Yuki and the many other dogs (at least 3 or 4 others that we met had the same problem) that were suffering from severe symptoms. The clinic is not much to look at, but they were professional in handling their job. And they all fell in love with Yuki!

Yuki's last treatment.  By this time she was very unwilling to lay still  The first few times she had her treatments, she just laid there and took it. 

***
The first two days of the treatment were still very rough - and we were not certain that she was going to make it.  When they began giving fluids, she couldn't control her bladder and so we had to buy some diapers to put her in around the house.  She showed no interest in anything and simply slept, or laid in her kennel staring.  She didn't even look up when I would come home from work - a huge change from the dog that practically jumps out of her skin when she sees me normally - even if I've just been gone for two minutes. It did not look good.

Yuki wearing a diaper and some briefs that used to be William's, our friends' 4-year old son.

One very sick dog!

Yuki began to look better and show a little bit of interest by the third day.  She was able to control her bladder and she began to eat a bit of food on her own. By the fourth day she was looking good, if still a bit weak.

After her week of treatment she looked good, and was walking and doing normal things, but still didn't want to play.  That has changed now.  Not only that, but she seems to have stored up a bunch of naughty energy that she had to get out.  She spent the last week in trouble for going through the garbage, climbing on the furniture, and generally being a pain.  We're so glad to have her back!

The first time she decided to play after being sick, she couldn't decide which ball she liked the most... so she brought both!

Fiesta Days Rodeo in Spanish Fork

I always wanted to go to a rodeo but in all my years of living in America, I've never been to one. This summer while we were vacationing in Utah, they had a couple of big rodeo events, and so we bought the tickets to the Fiesta Days Rodeo in Spanish Fork.

New Rodeo stadium in Spanish Fork, Utah

The Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo is held every July and has been a Fiesta Days Tradition for over 70 years. World champions compete using a back-to-back format. The twelve fastest contestants during each morning move to the evenings performance allowing the audience to see the best contestants each night as well as a potential event winner any given night. Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo was also voted the #1 Rodeo in the Intermountain Area in 2014. Pretty cool!

Nika, Brennen, and Lina watching the rodeo.

It doesn't matter what we are doing, these two are always having fun.

We went with our family, my sister-in-law and my nephew on July 21, the first night of the Rodeo. The stadium was full! We got there about 45 minutes early, so we could find some parking and were entertained by mutton bustin' done by little kids (some of them were as little as 5-year old!)

See the flying hat!

See the flying boot and the flying kid!

This one won the competition! We noticed that if the kids rode backwards, they could hang on a lot longer.

All the sheep that lost their riders would gather together in one spot.

Then the Rodeo started with the opening ceremonies.

Rodeo committee and royalty

Bringing the American flag

The first event was Bareback Bronc Riding where the rider attempts to stay on the bucking horse for 8 seconds without touching the horse with his free hand. It was pretty impressive.

Here are the guys getting the rider off the bucking horse after he stayed on it for 8 seconds.

Then they had steer wrestling in which a horse-mounted rider chases a steer, drops from the horse to the steer and wrestles it to the ground by twisting it's horns.

Team roping in which there are two mounted riders The first roper is referred to as the "header", the person who ropes the front of the steer, usually around the horns, Once the steer is caught, the header must dally (wrap the rope around the rubber covered saddle horn) and use his horse to turn the steer to the left. The second is the "heeler", who ropes the steer by its hind feet after the "header" has turned the steer. Team roping is the only rodeo event where men and women compete equally together in professionally sanctioned competition, in both single-gender or mixed-gender teams.

Saddle bronc riding.

Women's barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. It is usually done by women.

Look at that sharp turn!

And finally bull riding. It was really hard to get a good picture of this particular event because riders didn't stay long enough on the bull (and we didn't have a really good view of them).

Run for dear life!

They also had a rodeo clown who was actually really funny and entertained us in between the events.

One of my favorite shows was the one with Texas longhorns performed by “One Armed Bandit”. The rider rounded up these beautiful animals on the top of a huge trailer!

They are beautiful and mighty beasts!

I just love the pattern on their backs

Holly cow! Really!

We had a great time!

I took this picture at sunset during the rodeo. I just love it!