Ok….we went to Florence this weekend…..
We wanted to travel lightly – the budget airlines tend to charge you an arm and leg for checking in heavy language. Mark and I agreed – only traveling with carrying-on bags….so we had to make a choice between two bears…..both have visited Rome already.
They agreed that Andre gets to go to Florence and Louie will go to Prague, next weekend.
Ok – here’s Andre’s story….
SATURDAY
ANDRE SAY BYE-BYE TO LOUIE. LOUIE TELLS ANDRE TO BRING BACK SOME WINE. ANDRE TELLS MOMMY.
MOMMY LIKES TO WEAR CUBS CAP ON PLANE RIDE. GO CUBS!
MARKIE WAITS AT THIS STORE FOR MOMMY’S FRIENDS. MARKIE AND MOMMY ARE TIRED FROM WALKING FROM TRAIN STATION TO BIG DOME. MARKIE FOUND A PENSIONE NEAR BIG DUOMO. MARKIE ALMOST GETS IN TROUBLE FOR BOOKING A SINGLE ROOM FOR THREE GUESTS (MARKIE, MOMMY PLUS ANDRE). MOMMY SAID WE’LL SNEAK IN LATER WHEN THE MEAN HOTEL PEOPLE GO TO SLEEP.
MOMMY TAKES ANDRE AND MARKIE TO DINNER WITH MOMMY’S FRIENDS. MOMMY AND MARKIE AND MOMMY’S FRIENDS DRINK A LOT. ANDRE LIKES PASTA.
ANDRE WALKS AROUND PIAZZA REPUBLICA. MOMMY SAID THIS WAS AN ANCIENT ROMAN FORUM. MOMMY LIKES HOW THE BUILDINGS LOOK.
MARKIE AND MOMMY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE COLD WIND. EVEN DOGGIES WERE COLD ENOUGH TO WEAR JACKETS. ANDRE WAS NOT COLD BECAUSE ANDRE STAYED IN MOMMY’S BAG.
ANDRE SAW ITALIANS TRYING TO SELL FAUX GUCCI AND PRADA….OK…MOMMY SAID THEY WERE FAKE. ANDRE ALSO SAW A CHALK ARTIST DRAW THIS PICTURE. BUT IT RAINED LATER THAT NIGHT. ANDRE THOUGHT IT WAS A NAUGHTY PICTURE BUT FELT SAD ABOUT IT WASHING AWAY.
MARKIE AND MOMMY GOT PINTS AT THIS IRISH PUB. ANDRE WANTED DESSERT.
MARKIE ORDERED COCONUT, CAFE AND CREAM GELATO. ANDRE DOESN’T LIKE COCONUT. ANDRE LIKED CREAM.
SUNDAY
ANDRE HEARD BELLS FROM THE DUOMO. ANDRE RAN DOWN TO LOBBY. ANDRE COULD NOT WAIT TO SEE MORE OF FLORENCE.
ANDRE GOES TO MASS AT THE DUOMO.
ANDRE THINKS THE DUOMO IS BIG BIG.
MOMMY TAKES MARKIE AND ANDRE TO UFFIZ. MOMMY’S FRIENDS SAID THE UFFIZ HAS A GREAT COLLECTION OF RENISSANCE ART.
MARKIE DOESN’T WANT TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH ANDRE.
MOMMY’S FRIEND STEPH SAID THIS IS THE ONLY BRIDGE THAT WAS NOT DESTROYED BY THE GERMANS RUNNING AWAY, DURING WORLD WAR II.
ANDRE WONDERED WHAT LOUIE WAS DOING. ANDRE MISSED LOUIE.
back in London….
back in Italy….
MOMMY AND MARKIE WALK SLOWER THAN MOMMY’S FRIENDS. MARKIE KEEPS IN TOUCH WITH STEPH BY MOBILE TEXTING. ANDRE WANT TO TEXT BUT ANDRE’S PAWS ARE TOO STUBBY.
MOMMY LIKES THIS STENCIL ON A WALL IN FLORENCE.
ANDRE LIKES LOOKING AT ART IN FLORENCE. ANDRE WANTS TO SAY HI TO ART, BUT MOMMY SAYS THEY WON’T SAY HI BACK. ANDRE SAD. ANDRE MISSES LOUIE.
MOMMY TAKES MARKIE AND ANDRE TO THE GALLERIA DELL’ACCADEMIA. MOMMY’S FRIENDS SAID THE MEAN MUSEUM PEOPLE TOOK CAMERAS AWAY FROM TOURISTS WHO TRIED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE DAVID. SO, MOMMY HID BEHIND THE COLUMNS TO SNAP THESE PIX. ANDRE WANTED TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH DAVID. MOMMY SAID THAT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA.
MOMMY SAID HIS HANDS ARE TOO BIG. MARKIE PLAYED WITH THIS PROGRAM FROM STANFURD…..GO BEARS!
MOMMY AND MARKIE MISSED THE TRAIN BACK TO ROME. MARKIE SAID BAD WORDS. MOMMY HAD TEARS IN HER EYES. ANDRE SAW THE TRAIN PULL AWAY AFTER MOMMY AND MARKIE RAN TO THE PLATFORM. MOMMY’S FRIENDS GOT THE CONDUCTOR TO RADIO BACK TO THE STATION AND LET MOMMY, MARKIE AND ANDRE ON TO THE NEXT TRAIN.
ANDRE TOOK A NAP. MOMMY SAID THE TRAIN STOPPED BEFORE REACHING ROME. MOMMY SAID OUR CAR BLACKED OUT. ANDRE WOULD HAVE BEEN SCARED, BUT ANDRE WAS SLEEPING.
MOMMY TAKES MARKIE AND ANDRE TO DINNER WITH MOMMY’S FRIENDS IN ROME.
ANDRE HAS A DRINK. ANDRE HAD A LONG DAY.
ANDRE HAS ANOTHER DRINK.
MOMMY AND MARKIE LOOK PRETTY.
STEPH HAS ANOTHER DRINK. MOMMY HAS LEMONCELLA. MOMMY WANTED GRAPPA BUT MARKIE SAID GRAPPA TASTES LIKE LEAD PAINT. ANDRE DIDN’T WANT MOMMY TO HAVE GRAPPA.
MARKIE BOOKS A ROOM AT THIS HOTEL. MOMMY LOVES THIS HOTEL BECAUSE IT HAS INTERNET ACCESS. MARKIE AND MOMMY CHECK E-MAIL. MARKIE DECIDED TO RUN WINDOWS UPDATE AND STARTS TO PATCH THE MACHINE. MARKIE IS NICE. BUT MARKIE AND MOMMY DRANK TOO MUCH. MARKIE AND MOMMY FALL ASLEEP AT THE COMPUTER. MOMMY SAID ANOTHER GUEST WOKE THEM UP. MOMMY SAID THE GUEST WANTED TO CHECK E-MAIL.
MOMMY AND MARKIE BRING UP CHIANTI TO MOMMY’S FRIENDS.
MONDAY
MOMMY TAKES MARKIE AND ANDRE TO THE AIRPORT. MOMMY WOKE US UP TOO EARLY.
ANDRE TRIES TO HELP MOMMY WITH HER BAG AT CIAMPINO AIRPORT. MOMMY SAID THE FLIGHT WAS DELAYED.
MOMMY SAID ANDRE SHOULD SIT DOWN.
ANDRE GETS A SEAT ON THE AIRPLANE.
ANDRE LISTENS TO CHEMICAL BROS.
MARKIE SAYS HI TO LONDON.
MOMMY TAKES MARKIE AND ANDRE ON A TRAIN RIDE BACK HOME.
MARKIE THINKS ANDRE CAN’T SEE. MARKIE SUCKS.
ANDRE IGNORES MARKIE. ANDRE MISSES LOUIE. ANDRE WISHES LOUIE WENT TO FLORENCE, TOO.
The whole family appears to of had a wonderful time. (Andre included) I will post some recent photos when I get back from visiting Raymond in Arizona. Raymond will not let me carry my Hello Kitty around 🙁 You get to carry Andre and Louie around, so you should talk to him. That way I can take my Hello Kitty with me everywhere I go. HAHAHA
Take Care,
Faith
Please… easy on Andre’s alcohol intake. He’s just a little bear.
Did you leave Louie by himself ?… That would be bear abandonement isn’t it?
if louie’s old enough to drink – he’s old enough to stay home by himself.
as for andre – some times it’s difficult to come between a bear and his drink.
Ohmahgawd, Kris! I so loved that one “Meanwhile, back in London…” picture. Perfect!
Andre is cool, such a happy photogenic bear. 🙂 Quite the world traveler, too. The furthest my bear has gone is San Diego, although he would be looking forward to a trip to Pasadena for New Years. It cracks me up that Louie is at home drinking and watching tv … I wonder where he learned *that* from … If everyone had a bear, the world would be a much happier place … Go Bearsessesss!
“Go Bearsessesss!” – yeah, I miss Chancellor Tien too.
Ok so I just laughed out REALLY loud in Starbucks. Prompting the guy next to me drinking coffee to want to see these photos too.
“Markie doesn’t want to take a picture with Andrea,” is HILARIOUS. You can see the edge of Mark’s jeans. Then the one with the thumbs up and caption, “Markie sucks” – too funny!
And I love the one where the bear is listening to chemical brothers!
The funniest thing is that people must stare at you like you’re nuts when you take these!!!
Love AJ
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA Back in London …. oh my gosh, this is SO comical!
The guy next to me says your blog reminds him of the movie Garden Gnome. Never saw it.
Oops, I accidentally typed AndreA instead of Andre. I’m so used to typing my own name that the A comes naturally.
You are fucking weird.
Kristina is not weird. There was absolutely no need for profanity, because if Andre sees that he will need his mommy to explain what that ugly word means. The profanity didn’t need to be stated to get your point across. Couldn’t you think of something more creative or intelligent to say? You are extremely peculiar would have been a much nicer way to say how you feel. Uncanny, strange, weird, but FUCKING. That is just mean you need your mouth washed out with soap. Furthermore you are merely jealous, because you are not as creative or intelligent as Kris.