Our second leg across southern and western Europe is over. We are now back home in Toronto!
June 27, 2014.
In Rome, Italy. Well, we made it! We are now back in Rome and will be heading back home to Toronto. We really enjoyed the area around Osimo, Italy before going on the road for our last time with a final semi-long drive into Rome at about 3 and a half hours. During our last day in Osimo, we visited a beautiful little town called Loreto which had a really nice Basilica (that had very few tourists inside - nice!). We also had one last beach day at nearby Porto Recanati. We encountered some torrential rain during our drive to Rome and we ended up driving through a very interesting place called L'Aquila, interesting because apparently they had a massive earthquake back in 2009 which caused severe damage to the city. Much of the damage was, sadly, still very apparent. When we arrived back in Rome, we checked into the same hotel which we had stayed in some 2 months prior, the Rome Marriott Park Hotel. Bennett and I loved the giant swimming pool / hot tub they had there and we spent quite a bit of time in it. By luck and coincidence, Tricia's cousin Matt and his wife Stacy happened to be in Rome while we were there (on a 40th birthday trip for Matt). We took advantage of the opportunity to see them and enjoyed a great dinner together. It was so nice to meet up with them and have dinner with them on our last night in Rome, an excellent way to end out our trip. This is my final log of our epic journey. I sincerely hope that everyone who followed us along our journey enjoyed all the updates to the website (many nights I was up until the very wee hours of the morning updating the logs and uploading pics and vids). I think the effort was well worth it as our memories can live on and be remembered for many years to come. Until our next epic trip (which we are already planning), ciao for now!
In Rome, Italy. Well, we made it! We are now back in Rome and will be heading back home to Toronto. We really enjoyed the area around Osimo, Italy before going on the road for our last time with a final semi-long drive into Rome at about 3 and a half hours. During our last day in Osimo, we visited a beautiful little town called Loreto which had a really nice Basilica (that had very few tourists inside - nice!). We also had one last beach day at nearby Porto Recanati. We encountered some torrential rain during our drive to Rome and we ended up driving through a very interesting place called L'Aquila, interesting because apparently they had a massive earthquake back in 2009 which caused severe damage to the city. Much of the damage was, sadly, still very apparent. When we arrived back in Rome, we checked into the same hotel which we had stayed in some 2 months prior, the Rome Marriott Park Hotel. Bennett and I loved the giant swimming pool / hot tub they had there and we spent quite a bit of time in it. By luck and coincidence, Tricia's cousin Matt and his wife Stacy happened to be in Rome while we were there (on a 40th birthday trip for Matt). We took advantage of the opportunity to see them and enjoyed a great dinner together. It was so nice to meet up with them and have dinner with them on our last night in Rome, an excellent way to end out our trip. This is my final log of our epic journey. I sincerely hope that everyone who followed us along our journey enjoyed all the updates to the website (many nights I was up until the very wee hours of the morning updating the logs and uploading pics and vids). I think the effort was well worth it as our memories can live on and be remembered for many years to come. Until our next epic trip (which we are already planning), ciao for now!
June 22, 2014.
In Osimo, Italy. On our own and on the road again! Connor left us on the 20th of June, flying back to Toronto. After enjoying the Villa in Castiglion Fiorentino (near Cortona) for 2 weeks (with Ivan, Sharron and Connor), we headed east to the coast and have found one of our favourite spots in Italy in a place called Osimo. The drive out to the east cost of Italy from Castiglion Fiorentino was absolutely beautiful and we ended up stopping for lunch in a city called Fabriano which had a great park area. We would have liked to check the city our more, but had to get on our way. Our accommodation at the Villa Belvedere Degli Ulivi, in Osimo, is excellent! We have a one bedroom apartment which is so much nicer than the tiny little hotel rooms you usually get at most European hotels. Upon checking in, we increased our stay by an additional 2 nights (to make it 4 in total) as we were very impressed. Our hostess, Lucy, is fantastic. She's been recommending activities, booking restaurants for us and is even ironing my shirt for me to use at a nice restaurant she's booked us into for tomorrow night. Being very close to the Mediterranean has its perks, the beach being one of them. The geography in this area is beautiful. We've had 2 awesome days here so far, yesterday was a total beach day and today we rented a power boat and cruised along the coast. We were able to anchor just offshore of a beautiful little beach which was basically private for us. Yesterday when we went to the beach, it was packed with Italian locals (but it was a Sunday) and you had to pay for a spot. It was kind of hellish, however, Bennett loves the beach so much and he was having such a good time. When you pour back a couple of beers into you, the crowds don't bother you as much (at least for me anyways!). We have 2 more nights here in Osimo before we head off to Rome which will be our final place before taking a flight back to Toronto. It has been a wild ride!
Tricia: These past few weeks with my parents, Sharron and Ivan and Connor have been great! After traveling for so long and it being just the three of us, I think it took a few days to adjust to having others around! It was so nice to share these experiences with them. We are on our own again and this part of Italy is spectacular! We are in a tiny town really in the middle of nowhere but it is 10 minutes to the ocean. Yesterday we rented a boat and it was amazing. Bennett and I swam to a beach where no one else was...Bennett named it Bennett's Beach of course. It was so much fun and a memorable way to end our journey. We are going to explore the little towns around here including Loreto today and then we have booked to have a really special dinner on the sea. I can't believe that we will be home so soon. We are looking forward to seeing all our friends and family and excited about finding a home (for now). We will see what life holds for us back in Canada...
In Osimo, Italy. On our own and on the road again! Connor left us on the 20th of June, flying back to Toronto. After enjoying the Villa in Castiglion Fiorentino (near Cortona) for 2 weeks (with Ivan, Sharron and Connor), we headed east to the coast and have found one of our favourite spots in Italy in a place called Osimo. The drive out to the east cost of Italy from Castiglion Fiorentino was absolutely beautiful and we ended up stopping for lunch in a city called Fabriano which had a great park area. We would have liked to check the city our more, but had to get on our way. Our accommodation at the Villa Belvedere Degli Ulivi, in Osimo, is excellent! We have a one bedroom apartment which is so much nicer than the tiny little hotel rooms you usually get at most European hotels. Upon checking in, we increased our stay by an additional 2 nights (to make it 4 in total) as we were very impressed. Our hostess, Lucy, is fantastic. She's been recommending activities, booking restaurants for us and is even ironing my shirt for me to use at a nice restaurant she's booked us into for tomorrow night. Being very close to the Mediterranean has its perks, the beach being one of them. The geography in this area is beautiful. We've had 2 awesome days here so far, yesterday was a total beach day and today we rented a power boat and cruised along the coast. We were able to anchor just offshore of a beautiful little beach which was basically private for us. Yesterday when we went to the beach, it was packed with Italian locals (but it was a Sunday) and you had to pay for a spot. It was kind of hellish, however, Bennett loves the beach so much and he was having such a good time. When you pour back a couple of beers into you, the crowds don't bother you as much (at least for me anyways!). We have 2 more nights here in Osimo before we head off to Rome which will be our final place before taking a flight back to Toronto. It has been a wild ride!
Tricia: These past few weeks with my parents, Sharron and Ivan and Connor have been great! After traveling for so long and it being just the three of us, I think it took a few days to adjust to having others around! It was so nice to share these experiences with them. We are on our own again and this part of Italy is spectacular! We are in a tiny town really in the middle of nowhere but it is 10 minutes to the ocean. Yesterday we rented a boat and it was amazing. Bennett and I swam to a beach where no one else was...Bennett named it Bennett's Beach of course. It was so much fun and a memorable way to end our journey. We are going to explore the little towns around here including Loreto today and then we have booked to have a really special dinner on the sea. I can't believe that we will be home so soon. We are looking forward to seeing all our friends and family and excited about finding a home (for now). We will see what life holds for us back in Canada...
June 17, 2014.
Still in Cortona, Italy. Hard to believe for us, but we've been in one place for 10 days now! We still have a few days to go here at the Villa we've been staying at. Sadly, Sharron and Ivan are leaving us tomorrow, but Connor will remain until the 20th of June. It's been a gastronomic experience here over the last week. Sharron has been cooking most of the dinners, and we've only ventured out to restaurants twice. Sharron, as anyone who knows her, is a true chef. The dinners we've had out have been recommended (and reserved) by the owner of our Villa, and he's made some excellent picks. Days trips over the past week have included Florence, nearby Castiglion Fiorentino, Lake Trasimeno and Siena. During our time in Florence, we decided to take the train as parking is a major pain (plus it's kind of fun taking the train). We walked around the pedestrian area downtown and visited several major sites including the Ufizzi Gallery, the Ponte Vecchio (a bridge famous for it's gold sellers) as well as the Basilica of San Lorenzo (kind of the discount Cathedral compared to the Duomo in Florence as it was way too crowded to visit). Florence, as well as most other major tourists areas in Italy are very crowded now with tourists, as it's now the high season. I really hate crowds, on subsequent visits to Italy, I would come back in April where there are far fewer tourists. Tricia, Bennet and I actually started out in Italy in March and it was far less busy. Man I hate crowds of tourists (did I mention that already?). Lake Trasimeno is quite a large lake in the middle of Italy and during our visit, Tricia and Sharron opted for a re-visit into Florence, while Pops (my dad), Connor, Bennett and myself visited the Lake. Connor and I bought some fishing gear and tried our luck, however, we only caught a few small ones, including a couple of very small bass and a perch. A couple of nights ago, the owner, Andrea, and his "Momma" Gabriela, came over to cook us an authentic Tuscan meal including stake Florentine (done on a wood burning BBQ), fresh lasagna as well as a flurry of other local delicacies. This was a very memorable meal. Yesterday, when we went into Siena, I got to see the Duomo which was spectacular! Tricia, Bennett and myself had actually visited Siena already, a couple of months ago, however, only Tricia had visited the Duomo (while I had relaxed back at our Hotel). It seems that our Villa here in Castiglion Fiorentino is packed with all kinds of creepy crawlies and I've spotted several scorpions. One of these scorpions came up through my bathroom drain as I was brushing my teeth. I promptly let out a Ned Flanders scream, Tricia woke up and exterminated it. I really hate bugs and scorpions are kind of gross. We've had a fantastic time here with Sharron and Ivan and we will miss them, but we know that we will be coming home very soon now. Only a few weeks left of our incredible adventure to go! After we have finished here, we will be making our way back down to Rome and flying home.
Tricia: We have been so spoiled here at the Villa. It is beautiful and there is plenty of outdoor exploring to do, swimming for Bennett (although the pool is freezing, he doesn't care - and therefore I have to go in!) and amazing food (courtesy of the region but mostly thanks to Sharron!). As Bart mentioned, there are a LOT of GIANT bugs. That is one thing that is a little surprising at times...especially when I am awoken to Bart's shrieks of terror over a bug in the bathroom! It has been so nice to just relax with Sharron, Ivan and Connor and experience this amazing part of the world! I have had a few days of being able to spend time with Sharron shopping (love it!) while Bart watched Bennett. We went to San Gemigano yesterday and was able to roam around the city carefree. I must say, it was so nice to have some adult time and not have to run like a maniac after Bennett who chases all birds all the time! Sharron and Ivan are leaving today and we have another 3 days here with Connor until we start making our way back to Rome. It is hard to believe that our journey is ending! It will have been 10 months since leaving Canada and we are looking forward to seeing everyone soon! We are heading back to reality although we are already planning our next adventure...to be continued!~
Still in Cortona, Italy. Hard to believe for us, but we've been in one place for 10 days now! We still have a few days to go here at the Villa we've been staying at. Sadly, Sharron and Ivan are leaving us tomorrow, but Connor will remain until the 20th of June. It's been a gastronomic experience here over the last week. Sharron has been cooking most of the dinners, and we've only ventured out to restaurants twice. Sharron, as anyone who knows her, is a true chef. The dinners we've had out have been recommended (and reserved) by the owner of our Villa, and he's made some excellent picks. Days trips over the past week have included Florence, nearby Castiglion Fiorentino, Lake Trasimeno and Siena. During our time in Florence, we decided to take the train as parking is a major pain (plus it's kind of fun taking the train). We walked around the pedestrian area downtown and visited several major sites including the Ufizzi Gallery, the Ponte Vecchio (a bridge famous for it's gold sellers) as well as the Basilica of San Lorenzo (kind of the discount Cathedral compared to the Duomo in Florence as it was way too crowded to visit). Florence, as well as most other major tourists areas in Italy are very crowded now with tourists, as it's now the high season. I really hate crowds, on subsequent visits to Italy, I would come back in April where there are far fewer tourists. Tricia, Bennet and I actually started out in Italy in March and it was far less busy. Man I hate crowds of tourists (did I mention that already?). Lake Trasimeno is quite a large lake in the middle of Italy and during our visit, Tricia and Sharron opted for a re-visit into Florence, while Pops (my dad), Connor, Bennett and myself visited the Lake. Connor and I bought some fishing gear and tried our luck, however, we only caught a few small ones, including a couple of very small bass and a perch. A couple of nights ago, the owner, Andrea, and his "Momma" Gabriela, came over to cook us an authentic Tuscan meal including stake Florentine (done on a wood burning BBQ), fresh lasagna as well as a flurry of other local delicacies. This was a very memorable meal. Yesterday, when we went into Siena, I got to see the Duomo which was spectacular! Tricia, Bennett and myself had actually visited Siena already, a couple of months ago, however, only Tricia had visited the Duomo (while I had relaxed back at our Hotel). It seems that our Villa here in Castiglion Fiorentino is packed with all kinds of creepy crawlies and I've spotted several scorpions. One of these scorpions came up through my bathroom drain as I was brushing my teeth. I promptly let out a Ned Flanders scream, Tricia woke up and exterminated it. I really hate bugs and scorpions are kind of gross. We've had a fantastic time here with Sharron and Ivan and we will miss them, but we know that we will be coming home very soon now. Only a few weeks left of our incredible adventure to go! After we have finished here, we will be making our way back down to Rome and flying home.
Tricia: We have been so spoiled here at the Villa. It is beautiful and there is plenty of outdoor exploring to do, swimming for Bennett (although the pool is freezing, he doesn't care - and therefore I have to go in!) and amazing food (courtesy of the region but mostly thanks to Sharron!). As Bart mentioned, there are a LOT of GIANT bugs. That is one thing that is a little surprising at times...especially when I am awoken to Bart's shrieks of terror over a bug in the bathroom! It has been so nice to just relax with Sharron, Ivan and Connor and experience this amazing part of the world! I have had a few days of being able to spend time with Sharron shopping (love it!) while Bart watched Bennett. We went to San Gemigano yesterday and was able to roam around the city carefree. I must say, it was so nice to have some adult time and not have to run like a maniac after Bennett who chases all birds all the time! Sharron and Ivan are leaving today and we have another 3 days here with Connor until we start making our way back to Rome. It is hard to believe that our journey is ending! It will have been 10 months since leaving Canada and we are looking forward to seeing everyone soon! We are heading back to reality although we are already planning our next adventure...to be continued!~
June 10, 2014.
In Cortona, Italy. We have now been at our Villa, just outside of Cortona, for 4 days. Ivan, Sharron and Connor are now all here with us. We have been enjoying Tuscan life and some incredible weather. It's been 35+ degrees C and sunny since we arrived! So far, we've ventured out to a couple of towns close to our Villa. Yesterday, we visited the nearby town of Cortona. Situated on an incline, Cortona offers some exceptional views of the surrounding countryside. Most towns seem to be built on top of hills here in Tuscany. I'm guessing, but there was probably some strategic planning behind this to offer the residents some protection during the more turbulent historical times of the area. Or...it could be that they wanted to enjoy the views. No good walk around an Italian village is complete without a stop for a nice lunch, including some nice wine to enjoy it with and we did just this during our walk around Cortona. After spending a few hours walking, shopping and eating, we arrived back at our Villa, fired up the grill and enjoyed some T-bone steaks on the BBQ. My Dad, Ivan, is a most excellent BBQ'er. I've learned everything I know about grilling meat from him. There is quite a bit of property around our Villa so it's great for Bennett to play in and he loves to have Connor kick a ball around with him. The outdoor pool is also a nice added bonus, although the pool is not heated, so it's rather chilly to swim in. The very hot weather should help to warm the water up over the next short while (hopefully!). There seems to be plenty of insect life around the villa. I've already spotted my absolute favourite, the house centipede (I can't seem to escape them!), a scorpion (apparently they are no deadly ones here), and plenty of small lizards. There are also many rabbits around as well as some wild pigs (which the owner of the Villa had mentioned but we have not yet seen). Unfortunately, we are now in prime tourist season and most Italian villages are inundated with tourists. Not much we can do about this. I can see why it's so popular here as the Tuscan countryside is beautiful and there are plenty of amazing little villages to visit. Today, we drove into the town of Assisi. This is the home of the Saint Francis Basilica and where the City of San Francisco, USA, derived it's name. The Basilica was beautiful, inside and out (as can be expected from most Basilicas), and admission was free (nice!), but picture taking was not permitted inside (a shame). Assisi is also a town that was built on a hill and, like Cortona, offered more amazing views of the surrounding area. Our lunch in Assisi was not as good as the one we enjoyed in Cortona. This evening we, once again, enjoyed a nice meal back at our Villa. Interesting, apparently corn starch is a good substitute to use if you don't have flour to batter up your veal scaloppini. Sharron cooked dinner and used whatever we had available in the pantry. As I'm writing this journal, everyone but me is fast asleep as we will be getting up early tomorrow morning and taking the train into Florence. Stay tuned for what are sure to be some nice pics and vids from Florence! Arrivederci for now.....
In Cortona, Italy. We have now been at our Villa, just outside of Cortona, for 4 days. Ivan, Sharron and Connor are now all here with us. We have been enjoying Tuscan life and some incredible weather. It's been 35+ degrees C and sunny since we arrived! So far, we've ventured out to a couple of towns close to our Villa. Yesterday, we visited the nearby town of Cortona. Situated on an incline, Cortona offers some exceptional views of the surrounding countryside. Most towns seem to be built on top of hills here in Tuscany. I'm guessing, but there was probably some strategic planning behind this to offer the residents some protection during the more turbulent historical times of the area. Or...it could be that they wanted to enjoy the views. No good walk around an Italian village is complete without a stop for a nice lunch, including some nice wine to enjoy it with and we did just this during our walk around Cortona. After spending a few hours walking, shopping and eating, we arrived back at our Villa, fired up the grill and enjoyed some T-bone steaks on the BBQ. My Dad, Ivan, is a most excellent BBQ'er. I've learned everything I know about grilling meat from him. There is quite a bit of property around our Villa so it's great for Bennett to play in and he loves to have Connor kick a ball around with him. The outdoor pool is also a nice added bonus, although the pool is not heated, so it's rather chilly to swim in. The very hot weather should help to warm the water up over the next short while (hopefully!). There seems to be plenty of insect life around the villa. I've already spotted my absolute favourite, the house centipede (I can't seem to escape them!), a scorpion (apparently they are no deadly ones here), and plenty of small lizards. There are also many rabbits around as well as some wild pigs (which the owner of the Villa had mentioned but we have not yet seen). Unfortunately, we are now in prime tourist season and most Italian villages are inundated with tourists. Not much we can do about this. I can see why it's so popular here as the Tuscan countryside is beautiful and there are plenty of amazing little villages to visit. Today, we drove into the town of Assisi. This is the home of the Saint Francis Basilica and where the City of San Francisco, USA, derived it's name. The Basilica was beautiful, inside and out (as can be expected from most Basilicas), and admission was free (nice!), but picture taking was not permitted inside (a shame). Assisi is also a town that was built on a hill and, like Cortona, offered more amazing views of the surrounding area. Our lunch in Assisi was not as good as the one we enjoyed in Cortona. This evening we, once again, enjoyed a nice meal back at our Villa. Interesting, apparently corn starch is a good substitute to use if you don't have flour to batter up your veal scaloppini. Sharron cooked dinner and used whatever we had available in the pantry. As I'm writing this journal, everyone but me is fast asleep as we will be getting up early tomorrow morning and taking the train into Florence. Stay tuned for what are sure to be some nice pics and vids from Florence! Arrivederci for now.....
June 7, 2014.
In Cortona, Italy. We, sadly, said goodbye to Ken and Margaret today. I dropped them off at the airport in Pisa this morning and they are now headed to Scotland for a week before heading back home to Welland in Canada. We had spent the last 2 weeks together exploring some excellent places including Paris and Beaune in France and Portovenere in Italy. Our last 5 days together were in Portovenere and we had one final day together in a rather remote area in Italy called Barga which is about 2 hours away from Florence at a fantastic Renaissance Marriott Hotel in Tuscany. Our Apartment in Portovenere, the Casa Della Nonna, was incredibly beautiful and had the most incredible views. On our last night at the apartment, we decided to take advantage of the view and have dinner "al fresco" style on our balcony. Yesterday, we left Portovenere and headed deep into the mountains (it was a beautiful drive but Ken was extremely nervous) for our last night together at the Renaissance Hotel in Tuscany. The hotel was very nice and at night they have fireflies all around which light up the hills. We took an evening walk after dinner to enjoy the firefly display. As Ken and Margaret needed to catch their flight early, we headed off to the Pisa airport at 6:45AM. After dropping them off, I drove back to our hotel and Tricia, Bennett and I enjoyed the breakfast buffet (free with my Gold Membership!) a great swim in the indoor pool and had a late check-out before driving off to where we are currently. We are now in Cortona which is in Tuscany at an unbelievable Villa which my Dad and Sharron have rented for the next 2 weeks. They will be joining us, along with my older son Connor, who will be flying in tomorrow. We are actually slightly north of Cortona way up in the hills in a remote location. The Villa has incredible views, is large (it can actually accommodate 11 people) and has a beautiful outdoor pool. Bennett will be in heaven here as he loves to swim. Stay tuned for what is sure to be some fun times over the next couple of weeks and I will be sure to take plenty of pics and vids to share our memories. Ken and Margaret, if you are reading the log, be sure to let us know that you landed in Glasgow safely!
In Cortona, Italy. We, sadly, said goodbye to Ken and Margaret today. I dropped them off at the airport in Pisa this morning and they are now headed to Scotland for a week before heading back home to Welland in Canada. We had spent the last 2 weeks together exploring some excellent places including Paris and Beaune in France and Portovenere in Italy. Our last 5 days together were in Portovenere and we had one final day together in a rather remote area in Italy called Barga which is about 2 hours away from Florence at a fantastic Renaissance Marriott Hotel in Tuscany. Our Apartment in Portovenere, the Casa Della Nonna, was incredibly beautiful and had the most incredible views. On our last night at the apartment, we decided to take advantage of the view and have dinner "al fresco" style on our balcony. Yesterday, we left Portovenere and headed deep into the mountains (it was a beautiful drive but Ken was extremely nervous) for our last night together at the Renaissance Hotel in Tuscany. The hotel was very nice and at night they have fireflies all around which light up the hills. We took an evening walk after dinner to enjoy the firefly display. As Ken and Margaret needed to catch their flight early, we headed off to the Pisa airport at 6:45AM. After dropping them off, I drove back to our hotel and Tricia, Bennett and I enjoyed the breakfast buffet (free with my Gold Membership!) a great swim in the indoor pool and had a late check-out before driving off to where we are currently. We are now in Cortona which is in Tuscany at an unbelievable Villa which my Dad and Sharron have rented for the next 2 weeks. They will be joining us, along with my older son Connor, who will be flying in tomorrow. We are actually slightly north of Cortona way up in the hills in a remote location. The Villa has incredible views, is large (it can actually accommodate 11 people) and has a beautiful outdoor pool. Bennett will be in heaven here as he loves to swim. Stay tuned for what is sure to be some fun times over the next couple of weeks and I will be sure to take plenty of pics and vids to share our memories. Ken and Margaret, if you are reading the log, be sure to let us know that you landed in Glasgow safely!
June 4, 2014.
In Portovenere, Italy. After enjoying several days in our rather rustic accommodations in the remote and mountainous area of Mombarcaro, our journey continued eastward into Genoa (a city we had previously visited on our trip westward bound from Rome to Lisbon). We ended up staying at the same hotel that we had previously been in, the AC Marriott Genoa, as we had found the hotel to be particularly good. I booked 2 rooms on Marriott points to accommodate all of us. After checking into our hotel, we decided to head to an outlet mall that we had also previously patronized, the Serravalle Designer Outlet mall. The mall is about a 45 minute drive north of Genoa. The best part about the mall is it has a "baby parking" area where you can drop off your kid, for free, and go out shopping. Ken and I were not interested in shopping, but Tricia and Margaret were. While back in Genoa, we again did a repeat on the same restaurant that we had enjoyed during our first time in Genoa. The meal, as previous, was fantastic, a seafood delight! Off on our way again after only a one nighter in Genoa, brought us to our current location in Portovenere, which is located in between Cinque Terre and La Spezia. Our apartment in Portovenere, the Casa Della Nonna, is absolutely first class! We are on the second floor of a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with unbelievable views of the Bay of Portovenere. I know I've said this before, but this could be the best accommodations we've had all trip, and we could DEFINITELY live here! The weather has taken a turn for the better for us over the past few days and has been beautifully sunny and warm. The town of Portovenere is quite nice, albeit rather touristy, however our apartment is located slightly off the main tourist strip and later on in the day, the town quietens down nicely. During one of our days here, we rented a small boat which allowed us to explore the beautiful coastline around Portovenere. We enjoyed lunch on the boat as well as beer and wine (which is one thing you can't do in the nanny state of Canada!). We could have actually boated all the way into Riomaggiore, the first town in the south of Cinque Terre, however during one of our stops the anchor became lodged in some rocks and I couldn't get it out. I had to leave the anchor and its rope in order to free the boat. Yesterday, we took a ferry ride up to Cinque Terre and started out with a visit to Riomaggiore. We enjoyed a round of drinks, walked around a bit and then took the train to the next town, Manarola and spent a short time there (of course refreshing ourselves with another round of wine) before hopping once again on the train, this way all the way to Monterosso (the first town in the north of Cinque Terre). We had actually already been to Cinque Terre back in early April. This time, in June, we found the towns to be very crowded. Even though it's nice to have good weather, I would say that visiting Cinque Terre on a rainy Spring day (as we had previously experienced it) is better given the very diminished crowds that it affords. I hate crowds!! Margaret and Ken also had visited Cinque Terre about 10 years ago and from their perspective, they are also in agreement that Cinque Terre is better experienced when there are no crowds. Anyways...a day in a crowded Cinque Terre town still beats a day slaving away in a cubicle for the Man! Perhaps the best part about our experiences here in Portovenere and Cinque Terre is the view from our apartment, which is something that you can look at and enjoy all day long. Today is our final day here in Portovenere and, sadly, Ken and Margaret will be leaving us on the 7th of June. We've had a tremendously fun run with them over the past couple of weeks and we've seen so much along our stretch of travel that began, with them, in Paris and will end in Pisa. Next stop for us will be near Florence where we will be meeting up with my Dad, Sharron and Connor!
MARGARET:
We have had a wonderful visit in Portovenere. It was a good choice to stay here instead of actually in Cinque Terra.
It has become over developed for tourists and is like Niagara Falls crowds. I am glad we visited Monterossa where Ken was inspired to begin doing his own work again (The women of Monterossa and Men of Vernazza.) This apartment is designed to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings. It is spacious, modern and the view is amazing. Ken has enjoyed sitting reading on the veranda or watching the different ships (there is a naval base in La Spezia). The restaurants have been excellent but tonight Bart is cooking "a nice meal" and we will take advantage of the apartment facilities. We are heading to Glasgow in few days and are looking forward to seeing family and some friends. Unfortunately my wee aunt Julia will be in Jersey when we are there and we are very disappointed we will not see her or sample her stew pot this time around! We will miss Bennett but can look forward to seeing them again in July.
In Portovenere, Italy. After enjoying several days in our rather rustic accommodations in the remote and mountainous area of Mombarcaro, our journey continued eastward into Genoa (a city we had previously visited on our trip westward bound from Rome to Lisbon). We ended up staying at the same hotel that we had previously been in, the AC Marriott Genoa, as we had found the hotel to be particularly good. I booked 2 rooms on Marriott points to accommodate all of us. After checking into our hotel, we decided to head to an outlet mall that we had also previously patronized, the Serravalle Designer Outlet mall. The mall is about a 45 minute drive north of Genoa. The best part about the mall is it has a "baby parking" area where you can drop off your kid, for free, and go out shopping. Ken and I were not interested in shopping, but Tricia and Margaret were. While back in Genoa, we again did a repeat on the same restaurant that we had enjoyed during our first time in Genoa. The meal, as previous, was fantastic, a seafood delight! Off on our way again after only a one nighter in Genoa, brought us to our current location in Portovenere, which is located in between Cinque Terre and La Spezia. Our apartment in Portovenere, the Casa Della Nonna, is absolutely first class! We are on the second floor of a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with unbelievable views of the Bay of Portovenere. I know I've said this before, but this could be the best accommodations we've had all trip, and we could DEFINITELY live here! The weather has taken a turn for the better for us over the past few days and has been beautifully sunny and warm. The town of Portovenere is quite nice, albeit rather touristy, however our apartment is located slightly off the main tourist strip and later on in the day, the town quietens down nicely. During one of our days here, we rented a small boat which allowed us to explore the beautiful coastline around Portovenere. We enjoyed lunch on the boat as well as beer and wine (which is one thing you can't do in the nanny state of Canada!). We could have actually boated all the way into Riomaggiore, the first town in the south of Cinque Terre, however during one of our stops the anchor became lodged in some rocks and I couldn't get it out. I had to leave the anchor and its rope in order to free the boat. Yesterday, we took a ferry ride up to Cinque Terre and started out with a visit to Riomaggiore. We enjoyed a round of drinks, walked around a bit and then took the train to the next town, Manarola and spent a short time there (of course refreshing ourselves with another round of wine) before hopping once again on the train, this way all the way to Monterosso (the first town in the north of Cinque Terre). We had actually already been to Cinque Terre back in early April. This time, in June, we found the towns to be very crowded. Even though it's nice to have good weather, I would say that visiting Cinque Terre on a rainy Spring day (as we had previously experienced it) is better given the very diminished crowds that it affords. I hate crowds!! Margaret and Ken also had visited Cinque Terre about 10 years ago and from their perspective, they are also in agreement that Cinque Terre is better experienced when there are no crowds. Anyways...a day in a crowded Cinque Terre town still beats a day slaving away in a cubicle for the Man! Perhaps the best part about our experiences here in Portovenere and Cinque Terre is the view from our apartment, which is something that you can look at and enjoy all day long. Today is our final day here in Portovenere and, sadly, Ken and Margaret will be leaving us on the 7th of June. We've had a tremendously fun run with them over the past couple of weeks and we've seen so much along our stretch of travel that began, with them, in Paris and will end in Pisa. Next stop for us will be near Florence where we will be meeting up with my Dad, Sharron and Connor!
MARGARET:
We have had a wonderful visit in Portovenere. It was a good choice to stay here instead of actually in Cinque Terra.
It has become over developed for tourists and is like Niagara Falls crowds. I am glad we visited Monterossa where Ken was inspired to begin doing his own work again (The women of Monterossa and Men of Vernazza.) This apartment is designed to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings. It is spacious, modern and the view is amazing. Ken has enjoyed sitting reading on the veranda or watching the different ships (there is a naval base in La Spezia). The restaurants have been excellent but tonight Bart is cooking "a nice meal" and we will take advantage of the apartment facilities. We are heading to Glasgow in few days and are looking forward to seeing family and some friends. Unfortunately my wee aunt Julia will be in Jersey when we are there and we are very disappointed we will not see her or sample her stew pot this time around! We will miss Bennett but can look forward to seeing them again in July.
May 30, 2014.
In Mombarcaro, Italy. I would wager that not many Canadians can say they've been to Mombarcaro, Italy! Not many Italians could say it either! It's very, very remote here. It appears that France and Italy are very busy tourist areas in late May and June. Evidence to this is the lack of available, decent accommodations at this time of year. Just before leaving Beaune, France (which was amazing!) we needed to find a place to stay (for the 5 of us now - me, Tricia, Bennett, Ken and Margaret). It's not easy to find good accommodations at this time of year at the last minute. We finally found something that appeared to be ok, in a very small remote area between Turin and Genova, Italy, which is where we currently are now in Mombarcaro. We had enjoyed Beaune, France immensely. Although the weather was not the greatest, we still explored the surrounding area of Beaune including a trip into nearby Dijon. Dijon, I believe, is quite famous for its mustard. We found Dijon to be not so great. It's kind of dirty and the buildings do not seem to be very well looked after. While in Beaune, on our last day, we took a ride on a small tourist train that they have which rides you around the city and outside of it and gives you some history. We also ventured into the Hotel Dieu which was basically a very nice hospital set up by a very wealthy guy and his wife in 1443. The hospital was set up for the poor, but was set up to be a really nice place for poor people to recuperate. After leaving Beaune, in our inadequately sized car (for 5 people plus bags!), we drove to Chambery, France and stayed the night there. Our B&B in Chambery, Les Suites de l'Hotel de Sautet, was fabulous. It's a really old place built in the 1700's and has been very well maintained. The ceilings in our rooms must have been near 20 feet in height. Our B&B was right in the pedestrian area and we went for a nice walk around the town which is nestled the in Alpes. The mountains are beautiful and many are snow capped even now in late May. We had a fantastic dinner in Chambery and I even tried some frog legs as my meal. So we are now in Mombarcaro, which is very remote. Our accommodations are not that great, although the surrounding mountain views are spectacular. The weather again has been the pits, a lot of rain but we do get some sunshine relief as well. Our first night here, we went for dinner at a local restaurant. It turned out to be a 10 course meal, which we were not expecting. No menu and no choices of food, only what they brought around for us of their choosing. It was good, but way too much food. We have been doing a lot of relaxing here, which Tricia finds extremely hard to do! We have been getting poor sleeps as there seems to be some wild animal that lives in our roof and starts clawing on the ceiling when the sun comes up at 4:30AM. It's been a lot of fun though. This is wine country and there are tonnes of vines around. Today we drove into nearby Barolo, which is a very famous wine making area of Italy. We spent a couple of hours in Barolo, wine bar hopping and walking around admiring the surrounding beauty of the buildings and vineyards. Italy is such a beautiful country. Sadly, Italy will be the last country we see on our trip, but what a great place to end it.
Tricia: I LOVED Beaune. It was romantic and understated and so FRENCH! Everything about it was terrific, especially our accomodations. It was a beautiful apartment and a perfect location. Bart and I were lucky to have a date night here as well. Bart made reservations at one of the most highly rated restaurants in town...it was all about pork...lots of pork. The chef came out and announced 3 choices and that was it...I ended up basically getting half a pig covered in cheese sauce. I found it a little overwhelming but delicious! Chambery was also a really nice town and I was disappointed that we couldn't explore it more. We did walk around the historical section and went to a great park in the middle of the town which Bennett loved! Mombarcaro was a totally different experience. The house itself was in a spectacular location and you could look out onto wineries and see the Alps in the distance. It was amazing. However, the house was more rustic...it was clean and spacious but i didn't sleep for 3 nights with the noise of some sort of animal in the rafters! It was relaxing and we did have a super day in Barolo but I will be glad to get to Cinque Terre!
Margaret:
We have spent the last few days in this most scenic of areas. We are high up in the Alps and the snow-capped peaks are an amazing sight. Bennett has been hoping we can go up there and build a snowman!! Our neighbours are a group from Switzerland who are here for a retreat on personal values. Bennett was all for joining them in their yoga to show them the Lion pose that Sue had shown him.We went went to Barolo winery and met a vintner who has recently returned from his son's wedding in Buffalo. He took a photo of us for his website! Last night we went for dinner to a Nonna's kitchen 4 star restaurant and had Ten courses! Only Ken was brave enough to try the raw mince course and he paid the price!!
Today we head for Genoa and then the seaside at Cinque Terra where we have a house on the beach for four nights!! Kyle will not approve of all my 10 course meals and vino. I had planned to maintain my training gains but Patricia Cosgrove has been a bad influence and made me sample all this new wines etc.!!!
Margaret
In Mombarcaro, Italy. I would wager that not many Canadians can say they've been to Mombarcaro, Italy! Not many Italians could say it either! It's very, very remote here. It appears that France and Italy are very busy tourist areas in late May and June. Evidence to this is the lack of available, decent accommodations at this time of year. Just before leaving Beaune, France (which was amazing!) we needed to find a place to stay (for the 5 of us now - me, Tricia, Bennett, Ken and Margaret). It's not easy to find good accommodations at this time of year at the last minute. We finally found something that appeared to be ok, in a very small remote area between Turin and Genova, Italy, which is where we currently are now in Mombarcaro. We had enjoyed Beaune, France immensely. Although the weather was not the greatest, we still explored the surrounding area of Beaune including a trip into nearby Dijon. Dijon, I believe, is quite famous for its mustard. We found Dijon to be not so great. It's kind of dirty and the buildings do not seem to be very well looked after. While in Beaune, on our last day, we took a ride on a small tourist train that they have which rides you around the city and outside of it and gives you some history. We also ventured into the Hotel Dieu which was basically a very nice hospital set up by a very wealthy guy and his wife in 1443. The hospital was set up for the poor, but was set up to be a really nice place for poor people to recuperate. After leaving Beaune, in our inadequately sized car (for 5 people plus bags!), we drove to Chambery, France and stayed the night there. Our B&B in Chambery, Les Suites de l'Hotel de Sautet, was fabulous. It's a really old place built in the 1700's and has been very well maintained. The ceilings in our rooms must have been near 20 feet in height. Our B&B was right in the pedestrian area and we went for a nice walk around the town which is nestled the in Alpes. The mountains are beautiful and many are snow capped even now in late May. We had a fantastic dinner in Chambery and I even tried some frog legs as my meal. So we are now in Mombarcaro, which is very remote. Our accommodations are not that great, although the surrounding mountain views are spectacular. The weather again has been the pits, a lot of rain but we do get some sunshine relief as well. Our first night here, we went for dinner at a local restaurant. It turned out to be a 10 course meal, which we were not expecting. No menu and no choices of food, only what they brought around for us of their choosing. It was good, but way too much food. We have been doing a lot of relaxing here, which Tricia finds extremely hard to do! We have been getting poor sleeps as there seems to be some wild animal that lives in our roof and starts clawing on the ceiling when the sun comes up at 4:30AM. It's been a lot of fun though. This is wine country and there are tonnes of vines around. Today we drove into nearby Barolo, which is a very famous wine making area of Italy. We spent a couple of hours in Barolo, wine bar hopping and walking around admiring the surrounding beauty of the buildings and vineyards. Italy is such a beautiful country. Sadly, Italy will be the last country we see on our trip, but what a great place to end it.
Tricia: I LOVED Beaune. It was romantic and understated and so FRENCH! Everything about it was terrific, especially our accomodations. It was a beautiful apartment and a perfect location. Bart and I were lucky to have a date night here as well. Bart made reservations at one of the most highly rated restaurants in town...it was all about pork...lots of pork. The chef came out and announced 3 choices and that was it...I ended up basically getting half a pig covered in cheese sauce. I found it a little overwhelming but delicious! Chambery was also a really nice town and I was disappointed that we couldn't explore it more. We did walk around the historical section and went to a great park in the middle of the town which Bennett loved! Mombarcaro was a totally different experience. The house itself was in a spectacular location and you could look out onto wineries and see the Alps in the distance. It was amazing. However, the house was more rustic...it was clean and spacious but i didn't sleep for 3 nights with the noise of some sort of animal in the rafters! It was relaxing and we did have a super day in Barolo but I will be glad to get to Cinque Terre!
Margaret:
We have spent the last few days in this most scenic of areas. We are high up in the Alps and the snow-capped peaks are an amazing sight. Bennett has been hoping we can go up there and build a snowman!! Our neighbours are a group from Switzerland who are here for a retreat on personal values. Bennett was all for joining them in their yoga to show them the Lion pose that Sue had shown him.We went went to Barolo winery and met a vintner who has recently returned from his son's wedding in Buffalo. He took a photo of us for his website! Last night we went for dinner to a Nonna's kitchen 4 star restaurant and had Ten courses! Only Ken was brave enough to try the raw mince course and he paid the price!!
Today we head for Genoa and then the seaside at Cinque Terra where we have a house on the beach for four nights!! Kyle will not approve of all my 10 course meals and vino. I had planned to maintain my training gains but Patricia Cosgrove has been a bad influence and made me sample all this new wines etc.!!!
Margaret
May 25, 2014.
In Beaune, France. How is it possible for one Country to keep getting better and better the more that you travel within it? Well, that seems to be our experience with France. During our last day in Paris, we visited the Notre Dame Cathedral. The Cathedral was a little disappointing on the inside. There were way too many people there and the entire middle section was occupied by chairs so the crowd was forced, like cattle, to walk in a line around the perimeter of the church. It was, however, free to go inside. From the outside, the Cathedral was quite beautiful. I think at this point, we've seen too many Cathedrals and they definitely do all blend into each other after you've seen so many. We finished off our stay in Paris with a fantastic dinner out on our last night. Bad food simply does not exist in France. After Paris, we headed off on the road, south, to a small town called Beaune, about a 2.5 hour drive away (just south of Dijon). Our accommodation, l'Appartement de la Cote, in Beaune is absolutely incredible, perhaps the nicest we've had, certainly in the top 5 of all our travels. Be sure to check out the pics and vids of the apartment. The town of Beaune itself is very nice, small and can easily be walked around. It was founded in the 15th century. Our apartment is located right in the historic district steps away from nice restaurants and shops. We've enjoyed a couple nights in cooking our own meals and one night out so far. There is a very nice park within walking distance nearby called the Parc del la Bouzaine. Within the park there is a small lake that is filled with fish and upon which you can rent a row boat. We had a wonderful few hours enjoying the park. The weather has, unfortunately, been rainy almost every day since Ken and Margaret arrived. They brought the bad weather it seems! Each day we head out with umbrellas in hand. We are in a region of France known as Burgundy which is a famous wine region producing wines from the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. We took a drive today outside of Beaune and there are grape vines just about everywhere. The countryside is beautiful with rolling hills and vineyards laid out pretty much as far as you can see.
Margaret:
We certainly did bring the rain-every day so far since we came! However, we are enjoying being with Patricia and Bart and especially Bennett, so much, that it makes up for the weather. Although Paris is a spectacular place to visit, steeped in culture, amazing dining and architecture, Beaune is just a delight. As Patricia and Bart often say "we could live here." It is full of history and culture. The surrounding Bourgoyne countryside is mile after mile of vineyards. They all have tasting rooms but few have developed them to include restaurants etc like we have in Niagara. We are finding France to be very expensive. Everything from accommodation, eating out, to to bottled water (I paid 4.50 euro for two small bottles)is off the wall. Italy is much more affordable and we are heading in that direction. We drove to Dijon for a day trip today but were disappointed in the city. It appears run down and the old buildings have not been maintained. We did not stay long. Tomorrow we plan to stay local and explore our immediate surroundings. Patricia and I will have a few hours on our own and we have offered to give Bart and Patricia a date night while we look after our nutty grandson. I think Connor was their only other baby sitter in all these months. I can just imagine Bennett and Kaius on future Sleepovers!!!
In Beaune, France. How is it possible for one Country to keep getting better and better the more that you travel within it? Well, that seems to be our experience with France. During our last day in Paris, we visited the Notre Dame Cathedral. The Cathedral was a little disappointing on the inside. There were way too many people there and the entire middle section was occupied by chairs so the crowd was forced, like cattle, to walk in a line around the perimeter of the church. It was, however, free to go inside. From the outside, the Cathedral was quite beautiful. I think at this point, we've seen too many Cathedrals and they definitely do all blend into each other after you've seen so many. We finished off our stay in Paris with a fantastic dinner out on our last night. Bad food simply does not exist in France. After Paris, we headed off on the road, south, to a small town called Beaune, about a 2.5 hour drive away (just south of Dijon). Our accommodation, l'Appartement de la Cote, in Beaune is absolutely incredible, perhaps the nicest we've had, certainly in the top 5 of all our travels. Be sure to check out the pics and vids of the apartment. The town of Beaune itself is very nice, small and can easily be walked around. It was founded in the 15th century. Our apartment is located right in the historic district steps away from nice restaurants and shops. We've enjoyed a couple nights in cooking our own meals and one night out so far. There is a very nice park within walking distance nearby called the Parc del la Bouzaine. Within the park there is a small lake that is filled with fish and upon which you can rent a row boat. We had a wonderful few hours enjoying the park. The weather has, unfortunately, been rainy almost every day since Ken and Margaret arrived. They brought the bad weather it seems! Each day we head out with umbrellas in hand. We are in a region of France known as Burgundy which is a famous wine region producing wines from the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. We took a drive today outside of Beaune and there are grape vines just about everywhere. The countryside is beautiful with rolling hills and vineyards laid out pretty much as far as you can see.
Margaret:
We certainly did bring the rain-every day so far since we came! However, we are enjoying being with Patricia and Bart and especially Bennett, so much, that it makes up for the weather. Although Paris is a spectacular place to visit, steeped in culture, amazing dining and architecture, Beaune is just a delight. As Patricia and Bart often say "we could live here." It is full of history and culture. The surrounding Bourgoyne countryside is mile after mile of vineyards. They all have tasting rooms but few have developed them to include restaurants etc like we have in Niagara. We are finding France to be very expensive. Everything from accommodation, eating out, to to bottled water (I paid 4.50 euro for two small bottles)is off the wall. Italy is much more affordable and we are heading in that direction. We drove to Dijon for a day trip today but were disappointed in the city. It appears run down and the old buildings have not been maintained. We did not stay long. Tomorrow we plan to stay local and explore our immediate surroundings. Patricia and I will have a few hours on our own and we have offered to give Bart and Patricia a date night while we look after our nutty grandson. I think Connor was their only other baby sitter in all these months. I can just imagine Bennett and Kaius on future Sleepovers!!!
May 22, 2014.
In Paris, France. The apartment we've rented in downtown Paris is amazing! It is called Trinity Apartments and we highly recommend it to anyone. When we checked in, the owners, Alex and Emma, were there to show us around the place and they offered up many suggestions for dining around our area. It's perfect for us and our guests, Ken and Margaret who we picked up from the airport on the 20th of May. It has been such a pleasure to have Ken and Margaret with us and it gives Bennett a nice break from his parents. The weather in Paris over the last few days has been a little rainy, but we have not let that dampen our spirits or ruin the fun. We've seen quite a few things in Paris so far including the Louvre, the d'Orsay Museum, the Effeil Tower and we've been to a Vivaldi string instrument concert in a church (la Sainte-Chapelle) which is now a venue for small concerts. The Louvre is an enormous Museum of Art and is one of the biggest attractions in Paris. It's impossible to see everything in the Louvre in one visit, it's just too big! I don't know a lot about Art, but there are some incredible paintings housed in the Louvre which we spent about 3 hours exploring. The most popular painting is probably Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and unfortunately, it was so crowded that we could only view her from afar. We did spy some famous works by Rembrandt. Much smaller and much less crowded was the d'Orsay Museum. We toured pretty much the entire Museum and enjoyed seeing many paintings from the Impressionist era done by Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne and others. There was also a Van Gogh exhibit which we enjoyed as well. We took a trip up the Eiffel Tower and it offered some incredible panoramic views of Paris. We really love Paris and the past few days have been very memorable. Of course we've enjoyed some great food and wine at restaurants, but we've also eaten in at our apartment quite a few times as well. We have some great local food markets around us and we are taking advantage of the kitchen in our apartment to do our own cooking. Prices in Paris (and France in general) are exorbitant so eating in saves quite a bit of money. We will be remaining in Paris for another 2 days in our apartment before we head out on the road, with Ken and Margaret with us. It might be a little tight in our vehicle. We totally should have rented a larger car, but it's too late now.
Margaret:
Well we are here at last and it is quite wonderful to see Patricia, Bart and Bennett. My wee boy has grown very long and lean
and is still a crazy character.It is so lovely to hear his wee feet pounding down the stairs in the morning for snuggles! He is so used to traveling that he was able to sit through most of a Vivaldi concert at an amazing venue, La Sainte Chapelle, People commented as we left on his remarkable behaviour. (Aunt Trisha will be saying "there's the granny boasting again").
Paris is even more beautiful than I remembered. It was 65 years ago that I was here with the youth hostelling gang. The architecture of even the most humble apartments is amazing. Ken was of course bemoaning the fact that Glasgow tore down such buildings in an attempt to modernize with Basil Spence monstrosities. (Gems like the St, Enoch Hotel!)
Tomorrow we will visit Notre Dame but the rain has hardly stopped since we got here and is expected to continue. (Kim Kardashian is disappointed in the weather for her wedding in Paris this weekend). I know it is 1:00am and I am writing rubbish but Patricia and I had a French coffee after the concert and we are wired! Ken is doing very well and we are looking forward to each day of our trip.
Tricia: Thank God for my parents...it means that Bart and I can slack off on the parental duties! We have had a great few days so far and seen so much already. The Louvre is something you have to do, but I was a little anxious in it. Too many people, too hot, too big, too many lines (but incredible sights!). I LOVED the Musee D'orsey...it was the best museum I have ever been to. It was so nice to share it with my parents...to get my Dad's commentary on the history of the art was really special. I'm very grateful for this. We also did the Eiffel Tower which was awesome. I really didn't expect much but it was absolutely spectacular. All I could think of was I know why Stuart Neil Jones proposed to Shelly there! That damn Kim Kardashian is killing my Paris buzz though...they were at the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower the same day as us! They closed the top of the tower because of her!!! I have to say that Bennett has been REALLY good at all the museums and the concert...that being said, I did bribe him with chocolate and the Ipad! Anyway, the adventure continues for now...
In Paris, France. The apartment we've rented in downtown Paris is amazing! It is called Trinity Apartments and we highly recommend it to anyone. When we checked in, the owners, Alex and Emma, were there to show us around the place and they offered up many suggestions for dining around our area. It's perfect for us and our guests, Ken and Margaret who we picked up from the airport on the 20th of May. It has been such a pleasure to have Ken and Margaret with us and it gives Bennett a nice break from his parents. The weather in Paris over the last few days has been a little rainy, but we have not let that dampen our spirits or ruin the fun. We've seen quite a few things in Paris so far including the Louvre, the d'Orsay Museum, the Effeil Tower and we've been to a Vivaldi string instrument concert in a church (la Sainte-Chapelle) which is now a venue for small concerts. The Louvre is an enormous Museum of Art and is one of the biggest attractions in Paris. It's impossible to see everything in the Louvre in one visit, it's just too big! I don't know a lot about Art, but there are some incredible paintings housed in the Louvre which we spent about 3 hours exploring. The most popular painting is probably Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and unfortunately, it was so crowded that we could only view her from afar. We did spy some famous works by Rembrandt. Much smaller and much less crowded was the d'Orsay Museum. We toured pretty much the entire Museum and enjoyed seeing many paintings from the Impressionist era done by Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne and others. There was also a Van Gogh exhibit which we enjoyed as well. We took a trip up the Eiffel Tower and it offered some incredible panoramic views of Paris. We really love Paris and the past few days have been very memorable. Of course we've enjoyed some great food and wine at restaurants, but we've also eaten in at our apartment quite a few times as well. We have some great local food markets around us and we are taking advantage of the kitchen in our apartment to do our own cooking. Prices in Paris (and France in general) are exorbitant so eating in saves quite a bit of money. We will be remaining in Paris for another 2 days in our apartment before we head out on the road, with Ken and Margaret with us. It might be a little tight in our vehicle. We totally should have rented a larger car, but it's too late now.
Margaret:
Well we are here at last and it is quite wonderful to see Patricia, Bart and Bennett. My wee boy has grown very long and lean
and is still a crazy character.It is so lovely to hear his wee feet pounding down the stairs in the morning for snuggles! He is so used to traveling that he was able to sit through most of a Vivaldi concert at an amazing venue, La Sainte Chapelle, People commented as we left on his remarkable behaviour. (Aunt Trisha will be saying "there's the granny boasting again").
Paris is even more beautiful than I remembered. It was 65 years ago that I was here with the youth hostelling gang. The architecture of even the most humble apartments is amazing. Ken was of course bemoaning the fact that Glasgow tore down such buildings in an attempt to modernize with Basil Spence monstrosities. (Gems like the St, Enoch Hotel!)
Tomorrow we will visit Notre Dame but the rain has hardly stopped since we got here and is expected to continue. (Kim Kardashian is disappointed in the weather for her wedding in Paris this weekend). I know it is 1:00am and I am writing rubbish but Patricia and I had a French coffee after the concert and we are wired! Ken is doing very well and we are looking forward to each day of our trip.
Tricia: Thank God for my parents...it means that Bart and I can slack off on the parental duties! We have had a great few days so far and seen so much already. The Louvre is something you have to do, but I was a little anxious in it. Too many people, too hot, too big, too many lines (but incredible sights!). I LOVED the Musee D'orsey...it was the best museum I have ever been to. It was so nice to share it with my parents...to get my Dad's commentary on the history of the art was really special. I'm very grateful for this. We also did the Eiffel Tower which was awesome. I really didn't expect much but it was absolutely spectacular. All I could think of was I know why Stuart Neil Jones proposed to Shelly there! That damn Kim Kardashian is killing my Paris buzz though...they were at the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower the same day as us! They closed the top of the tower because of her!!! I have to say that Bennett has been REALLY good at all the museums and the concert...that being said, I did bribe him with chocolate and the Ipad! Anyway, the adventure continues for now...
May 19, 2014.
In Disneyland Paris, France. Well, we came, we saw, and we conquered Disneyland Paris! We were very happy with the Hotel we chose, called the Dream Castle Hotel, which was just a short shuttle bus ride away from the Disneyland park. There are actually 3 areas of Disneyland which you can visit. First is Disney Village, which is free to enter and basically contains a bunch of restaurants and Disney shopping stores. Second and third is Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios. During our first day, we only visited the Disney Village as we had arrived later on in the day. The following day, we took the shuttle bus into Disneyland to arrive at the park at the opening time of 10AM. It was an awesome day, and Bennett was ecstatic! We started off with the Disneyland Park and pretty much did all the rides that Bennett was allowed to ride. At the beginning, we were actually a little disappointed. The rides all had pretty long waiting times, the riding time was quite short and they were rather non-exciting. We were comparing Disneyland Paris to Disneyland California (which we had visited a few months ago). Comparing the two, California wins out by far. The one in California seemed to have much more thrilling rides (even the kids ones) and the Disney characters and Disney icons seemed much more visible and in your face. In the one in Paris you are not as immersed in all things Disney as you are in California, which is, I think, what you want! You want to feel like a kid again! This was lacking at the Paris Disneyland. A couple of rides that the Paris Disneyland did not have (which we thought strange) was no giant Ferris Wheel and no bumper cars. After exploring the Disneyland Park, later on in the afternoon, we ventured over to Walt Disney Studios. The ticket we purchased allowed us to visit both places (this feature was an extra 10 Euros). Walt Disney Studios was, we felt, and to put it bluntly, lame. Two of the major rides were closed and the park was quite small. Also, we went to one of the shows they offered which was to do with the character Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch). The show we saw was only available in French (an English version was playing earlier on). So, Bennett went up in the front of the stage with the other kids and Stitch started to speak to some of the kids (in French of course). When Bennett was asked what his name was, Bennett didn't understand the question, so he says "I dunno". Well, the Stitch character then said (in French), "I've never heard of anyone called I dunno". All the other kids laughed and Bennett ran back to us crying. He was very upset. We ended up leaving the show before it was over. After going on a couple more rides, we decided to head back to the Disneyland Park and leave Walt Disney Studios behind. We discovered a few great rides on our second visit back, notably the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (got a great video of us riding this one, so be sure to check it out), the Pirates of the Caribbean water raft ride and the It's a Small World water raft ride. The last few rides of the day kind of redeemed Disneyland Paris for us. Just as we were leaving, I decided to try out the main ride, the Space Mountain Mission 2 roller coaster. This was fantastic! I rode it twice by myself (as Bennett was too young and short to go). I hadn't been on a major roller coaster ride in a very long time, and I will now seek out great roller coasters when I have the chance. Before leaving the park, we told Bennett he could choose a Disney toy to buy and, of course, he chose a set of Lightning McQueen cars (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you don't have kids!). All in all, we had a full (from 10AM to 11PM) and great day at Disneyland Paris. We are now in downtown Paris at an apartment we've rented for the next 5 nights. Tomorrow morning we will be picking up Ken and Margaret (Tricia's parents) from the airport and will be spending the next couple of weeks with them.
Tricia: We made the promise to Bennett that we would go to Disney when we came to France and we followed through but man it was exhausting! As Bart said, we were there for over 12 hours of Disney fun...Although it is definitely not our idea of a vacation spot, just watching how excited B was made it all worthwhile! He was elated...we lined up for an HOUR to have a picture taken with Mickey Mouse - seriously, an hour. But in the end it was well worth the time and money spent. I did feel so sad for him at the Stitch show...he was SO embarrassed and my heart broke for him as he was sobbing. But he bounced back with the promise of ice cream and more Lightning McQueen! The hotel we stayed at ended up being really good as well. Except for the swimming pool that I was forced into. It was disgusting with about 50 kids in a SMALL space. I felt truly vile afterwards.Tomorrow we pick up my parents and I bloody well can't wait! I'm so excited to see those two that tomorrow can't come soon enough. Our place in Paris is fantastic and we are looking forward to exploring this city!
In Disneyland Paris, France. Well, we came, we saw, and we conquered Disneyland Paris! We were very happy with the Hotel we chose, called the Dream Castle Hotel, which was just a short shuttle bus ride away from the Disneyland park. There are actually 3 areas of Disneyland which you can visit. First is Disney Village, which is free to enter and basically contains a bunch of restaurants and Disney shopping stores. Second and third is Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios. During our first day, we only visited the Disney Village as we had arrived later on in the day. The following day, we took the shuttle bus into Disneyland to arrive at the park at the opening time of 10AM. It was an awesome day, and Bennett was ecstatic! We started off with the Disneyland Park and pretty much did all the rides that Bennett was allowed to ride. At the beginning, we were actually a little disappointed. The rides all had pretty long waiting times, the riding time was quite short and they were rather non-exciting. We were comparing Disneyland Paris to Disneyland California (which we had visited a few months ago). Comparing the two, California wins out by far. The one in California seemed to have much more thrilling rides (even the kids ones) and the Disney characters and Disney icons seemed much more visible and in your face. In the one in Paris you are not as immersed in all things Disney as you are in California, which is, I think, what you want! You want to feel like a kid again! This was lacking at the Paris Disneyland. A couple of rides that the Paris Disneyland did not have (which we thought strange) was no giant Ferris Wheel and no bumper cars. After exploring the Disneyland Park, later on in the afternoon, we ventured over to Walt Disney Studios. The ticket we purchased allowed us to visit both places (this feature was an extra 10 Euros). Walt Disney Studios was, we felt, and to put it bluntly, lame. Two of the major rides were closed and the park was quite small. Also, we went to one of the shows they offered which was to do with the character Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch). The show we saw was only available in French (an English version was playing earlier on). So, Bennett went up in the front of the stage with the other kids and Stitch started to speak to some of the kids (in French of course). When Bennett was asked what his name was, Bennett didn't understand the question, so he says "I dunno". Well, the Stitch character then said (in French), "I've never heard of anyone called I dunno". All the other kids laughed and Bennett ran back to us crying. He was very upset. We ended up leaving the show before it was over. After going on a couple more rides, we decided to head back to the Disneyland Park and leave Walt Disney Studios behind. We discovered a few great rides on our second visit back, notably the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (got a great video of us riding this one, so be sure to check it out), the Pirates of the Caribbean water raft ride and the It's a Small World water raft ride. The last few rides of the day kind of redeemed Disneyland Paris for us. Just as we were leaving, I decided to try out the main ride, the Space Mountain Mission 2 roller coaster. This was fantastic! I rode it twice by myself (as Bennett was too young and short to go). I hadn't been on a major roller coaster ride in a very long time, and I will now seek out great roller coasters when I have the chance. Before leaving the park, we told Bennett he could choose a Disney toy to buy and, of course, he chose a set of Lightning McQueen cars (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you don't have kids!). All in all, we had a full (from 10AM to 11PM) and great day at Disneyland Paris. We are now in downtown Paris at an apartment we've rented for the next 5 nights. Tomorrow morning we will be picking up Ken and Margaret (Tricia's parents) from the airport and will be spending the next couple of weeks with them.
Tricia: We made the promise to Bennett that we would go to Disney when we came to France and we followed through but man it was exhausting! As Bart said, we were there for over 12 hours of Disney fun...Although it is definitely not our idea of a vacation spot, just watching how excited B was made it all worthwhile! He was elated...we lined up for an HOUR to have a picture taken with Mickey Mouse - seriously, an hour. But in the end it was well worth the time and money spent. I did feel so sad for him at the Stitch show...he was SO embarrassed and my heart broke for him as he was sobbing. But he bounced back with the promise of ice cream and more Lightning McQueen! The hotel we stayed at ended up being really good as well. Except for the swimming pool that I was forced into. It was disgusting with about 50 kids in a SMALL space. I felt truly vile afterwards.Tomorrow we pick up my parents and I bloody well can't wait! I'm so excited to see those two that tomorrow can't come soon enough. Our place in Paris is fantastic and we are looking forward to exploring this city!
May 16, 2014.
In Arcueil, France. There aren't many countries that we've seen on our trip so far that rivals France, and we've seen a lot places! Incredible food and wine as well as beautiful scenery, rich history and great infrastructure. The French take their food very seriously, kind of like Art. Even a simple salad in France can be a mouth watering delight. Alas, the wonders of France also come with a price. A very expensive price. It's expensive here! After leaving San Sebastian, Spain, we headed north into France and have had stops in Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Chatellerault and our current location, Arcueil (which is basically a suburb of Paris). The city of Bordeaux, or moreover, the Region of Bordeaux is famous for wine. The city is actually quite large, much larger than I would have thought. We had excellent accommodation in Bordeaux at La Villa Chambre D'Hotes. We had checked in for one night and wanted to extend to an additional night, unfortunately, it wasn't available. There were excellent walking areas, shopping areas, parks and plenty of places for Bennett to play. Instead of staying an additional night in Bordeaux, the village of Saint Emilion was recommended to us, so we booked a night there. We were not disappointed! Although our accommodation at the Logis de Remparts was quite poor (not so clean postage stamp sized room), the village of Saint Emilion was incredible, especially if you are a wine lover. The village is designated as a Unesco World Heritage site, and no wonder! There were more wine shops there than I've ever seen before. The entire village is walkable (it's pretty small) and dates back to a thousand years ago. The village also hosts an underground monolithic Church, which is apparently the largest in Europe. The tour through the Church was amazing. Saint Emilion is definitely a place worth visiting. After spending as much time as we could in Saint Emilion, we headed off to another town called Chatellerault. We chose this town because it was a half way point between Saint Emilion and Paris. Not too much to say about the town of Chatellerault itself, however, our accommodations at the Maison d'hôtes Villa Richelieu were fantastic and we had an excellent meal in town. We are now in southern suburb of Paris called Arcueil (not much to say about it other than they have a Courtyard Marriott hotel here) and are about to head off to Disney Land which is just east of Paris. Bennett is extremely excited about it (as are way because we really enjoyed Disney Land in California). We will be staying at a hotel quite close to Disney Land called the Dream Castle Hotel located just of the Disney Land park, for 2 nights.
Tricia: I LOVE FRANCE. Seriously, I love it. We have enjoyed it so much so far and the best is yet to come! Bordeaux was spectacular - the accommodations, the food, the location, the weather - everything! Then moving to Saint Emilion was even better...it was quaint and lovely. I made Bart promise that we would come back (by ourselves) for some wine tasting...(we did a little but Bennett doesn't exactly find it interesting). Disney is going to be great for Bennett. He is so excited he woke up at 4:30 in the morning and asked if it was Disney day yet! I'm most excited to see my parents! Only 2 more days and we get to explore Paris together! Can't wait...special good thoughts and kisses to Great Granny from Bennett! xoxo
In Arcueil, France. There aren't many countries that we've seen on our trip so far that rivals France, and we've seen a lot places! Incredible food and wine as well as beautiful scenery, rich history and great infrastructure. The French take their food very seriously, kind of like Art. Even a simple salad in France can be a mouth watering delight. Alas, the wonders of France also come with a price. A very expensive price. It's expensive here! After leaving San Sebastian, Spain, we headed north into France and have had stops in Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Chatellerault and our current location, Arcueil (which is basically a suburb of Paris). The city of Bordeaux, or moreover, the Region of Bordeaux is famous for wine. The city is actually quite large, much larger than I would have thought. We had excellent accommodation in Bordeaux at La Villa Chambre D'Hotes. We had checked in for one night and wanted to extend to an additional night, unfortunately, it wasn't available. There were excellent walking areas, shopping areas, parks and plenty of places for Bennett to play. Instead of staying an additional night in Bordeaux, the village of Saint Emilion was recommended to us, so we booked a night there. We were not disappointed! Although our accommodation at the Logis de Remparts was quite poor (not so clean postage stamp sized room), the village of Saint Emilion was incredible, especially if you are a wine lover. The village is designated as a Unesco World Heritage site, and no wonder! There were more wine shops there than I've ever seen before. The entire village is walkable (it's pretty small) and dates back to a thousand years ago. The village also hosts an underground monolithic Church, which is apparently the largest in Europe. The tour through the Church was amazing. Saint Emilion is definitely a place worth visiting. After spending as much time as we could in Saint Emilion, we headed off to another town called Chatellerault. We chose this town because it was a half way point between Saint Emilion and Paris. Not too much to say about the town of Chatellerault itself, however, our accommodations at the Maison d'hôtes Villa Richelieu were fantastic and we had an excellent meal in town. We are now in southern suburb of Paris called Arcueil (not much to say about it other than they have a Courtyard Marriott hotel here) and are about to head off to Disney Land which is just east of Paris. Bennett is extremely excited about it (as are way because we really enjoyed Disney Land in California). We will be staying at a hotel quite close to Disney Land called the Dream Castle Hotel located just of the Disney Land park, for 2 nights.
Tricia: I LOVE FRANCE. Seriously, I love it. We have enjoyed it so much so far and the best is yet to come! Bordeaux was spectacular - the accommodations, the food, the location, the weather - everything! Then moving to Saint Emilion was even better...it was quaint and lovely. I made Bart promise that we would come back (by ourselves) for some wine tasting...(we did a little but Bennett doesn't exactly find it interesting). Disney is going to be great for Bennett. He is so excited he woke up at 4:30 in the morning and asked if it was Disney day yet! I'm most excited to see my parents! Only 2 more days and we get to explore Paris together! Can't wait...special good thoughts and kisses to Great Granny from Bennett! xoxo
May 12, 2014.
In San Sebastian, Spain. We have covered a fair bit of ground since leaving our vacation home in Caxarias, Portugal with stops in Porto, Portugal as well as Leon, Burgos and now in San Sebastian, Spain. Internet access has been a bit spotty, so I haven't been able to update the website in almost a week. We have had excellent accommodations in all the places we've stayed since leaving Caxarias. Porto is located a couple hours north of Caxarias and we were really impressed with the City's beautiful scenery. Porto is the home of Port, the tasty fortified wine that I heavily indulged in with Stu while we stayed in Caxarias. There are many different Port wine makers and they all have their flags flying in Porto. The brand I am most used to back home in Canada is Taylor's and we spied their production facility, but did not visit the inside, while in Porto. Our accommodation while in Porto was at an apartment style hotel called the Taipas Apartments which we were very pleased with. Much of the downtown is built on the inclined side of a steep hill which runs up from the ocean river in the center of Porto, so walking around is a little arduous. Porto had a much faster pace than what we were used to coming from the small town of Caxarias and we were not used to the sounds of honking cars and impatient drivers. We ventured into an interesting 3D art exhibit while in Porto and snapped some interesting pictures. After leaving Porto, we headed north-east into Leon, Spain. Leon had a great downtown walking area as well as a beautiful Cathedral. Pretty much most of Spain has beautiful Cathedrals and they are actually starting to blend into each other for us when we visit one. Next stop was Burgos, which again had a beautiful Cathedral. Our accommodations were excellent with an AC Marriott Hotel that was located right in the historical section and had beautiful views. Spring is in full form now in Southern Europe and everything is so green with all vegetation springing to life. I had a bit of mental meltdown in Burgos, which Tricia will attest to. I guess we've been traveling so long now and with just the 3 of us 24 hours a day, it was getting to me. The fixer for me? Booze! Yep! Booze, booze, booze, the cause of and solution to most of life's problem (quoted from Homer Simpson). One of our absolute favourite places is San Sebastian, where we currently are. Located in Northern Spain, right on the Atlantic Ocean and a very short drive away from the French border. San Sebastian is a great place to visit if you love food, which the city is very well known for and has many Michelin Star rated restaurants. We weren't able to dine in one of the Michelin Star restaurants, but we did enjoy a very memorable meal. Our Accommodation in San Sebastian was a really nice Hotel called the Astoria 7. We enjoyed some time on the beach (which Bennett loves) and they had some great park areas for Bennett as well. We had a "booze" day in San Sebastian whereby we took a nice bottle of wine to the beach and Bennett went swimming in the ocean while we watched. We are finding Europe to be so much more relaxed than in Canada. Example, at least in Spain, you can drink anywhere and they don't gouge you on wine or beer prices. Plus, you can buy wine and beer everywhere! And why the hell not! In Ontario, Canada, you are forced to visit the LCBO or Beer Store, what a joke. Next stop after San Sebastian will be into Bordeaux, France. In a weeks time, we will be meeting up with Tricia's parents in Paris, France. Margaret and Ken, we are looking forward to seeing you!
Tricia: So since leaving Caxarias, time has been flying by! We couldn't decide whether to drive to Madrid and through to Paris or to Porto. Our lovely host Ana, in Caxarius had said she loved Porto and we are glad we decided that route! Porto was wonderful - very picturesque. Yes, Port is everywhere...I am not a big fan of port but Bart overdosed with Stu so he abstained too! I have absolutely loved northern Spain. Yes, Bart had a bit of a meltdown...in fact, I have never seen the Bartman so out of sorts! He was truly agitated and I can totally understand it. Eight months with the three of us is a LONG time together and he needed a break! Burgos and San Sebastien have been amazing. There are beautiful outdoor spaces and lots of areas for kids to play. Bennett has found a tool to make friends in any country - bubbles. A cheap bottle of bubbles and kids flock to him! I make sure to buy a bottle wherever we see them. San Sebastian is a food lovers paradise...Sharron - we thought of you many times while here! The restaurant that we visited was highly rated and deservedly so! We are really excited about France and can't wait to see family!
In San Sebastian, Spain. We have covered a fair bit of ground since leaving our vacation home in Caxarias, Portugal with stops in Porto, Portugal as well as Leon, Burgos and now in San Sebastian, Spain. Internet access has been a bit spotty, so I haven't been able to update the website in almost a week. We have had excellent accommodations in all the places we've stayed since leaving Caxarias. Porto is located a couple hours north of Caxarias and we were really impressed with the City's beautiful scenery. Porto is the home of Port, the tasty fortified wine that I heavily indulged in with Stu while we stayed in Caxarias. There are many different Port wine makers and they all have their flags flying in Porto. The brand I am most used to back home in Canada is Taylor's and we spied their production facility, but did not visit the inside, while in Porto. Our accommodation while in Porto was at an apartment style hotel called the Taipas Apartments which we were very pleased with. Much of the downtown is built on the inclined side of a steep hill which runs up from the ocean river in the center of Porto, so walking around is a little arduous. Porto had a much faster pace than what we were used to coming from the small town of Caxarias and we were not used to the sounds of honking cars and impatient drivers. We ventured into an interesting 3D art exhibit while in Porto and snapped some interesting pictures. After leaving Porto, we headed north-east into Leon, Spain. Leon had a great downtown walking area as well as a beautiful Cathedral. Pretty much most of Spain has beautiful Cathedrals and they are actually starting to blend into each other for us when we visit one. Next stop was Burgos, which again had a beautiful Cathedral. Our accommodations were excellent with an AC Marriott Hotel that was located right in the historical section and had beautiful views. Spring is in full form now in Southern Europe and everything is so green with all vegetation springing to life. I had a bit of mental meltdown in Burgos, which Tricia will attest to. I guess we've been traveling so long now and with just the 3 of us 24 hours a day, it was getting to me. The fixer for me? Booze! Yep! Booze, booze, booze, the cause of and solution to most of life's problem (quoted from Homer Simpson). One of our absolute favourite places is San Sebastian, where we currently are. Located in Northern Spain, right on the Atlantic Ocean and a very short drive away from the French border. San Sebastian is a great place to visit if you love food, which the city is very well known for and has many Michelin Star rated restaurants. We weren't able to dine in one of the Michelin Star restaurants, but we did enjoy a very memorable meal. Our Accommodation in San Sebastian was a really nice Hotel called the Astoria 7. We enjoyed some time on the beach (which Bennett loves) and they had some great park areas for Bennett as well. We had a "booze" day in San Sebastian whereby we took a nice bottle of wine to the beach and Bennett went swimming in the ocean while we watched. We are finding Europe to be so much more relaxed than in Canada. Example, at least in Spain, you can drink anywhere and they don't gouge you on wine or beer prices. Plus, you can buy wine and beer everywhere! And why the hell not! In Ontario, Canada, you are forced to visit the LCBO or Beer Store, what a joke. Next stop after San Sebastian will be into Bordeaux, France. In a weeks time, we will be meeting up with Tricia's parents in Paris, France. Margaret and Ken, we are looking forward to seeing you!
Tricia: So since leaving Caxarias, time has been flying by! We couldn't decide whether to drive to Madrid and through to Paris or to Porto. Our lovely host Ana, in Caxarius had said she loved Porto and we are glad we decided that route! Porto was wonderful - very picturesque. Yes, Port is everywhere...I am not a big fan of port but Bart overdosed with Stu so he abstained too! I have absolutely loved northern Spain. Yes, Bart had a bit of a meltdown...in fact, I have never seen the Bartman so out of sorts! He was truly agitated and I can totally understand it. Eight months with the three of us is a LONG time together and he needed a break! Burgos and San Sebastien have been amazing. There are beautiful outdoor spaces and lots of areas for kids to play. Bennett has found a tool to make friends in any country - bubbles. A cheap bottle of bubbles and kids flock to him! I make sure to buy a bottle wherever we see them. San Sebastian is a food lovers paradise...Sharron - we thought of you many times while here! The restaurant that we visited was highly rated and deservedly so! We are really excited about France and can't wait to see family!