Our first leg across southern and western Europe is over.
From Rome to Lisbon and many places in between. It's like driving from Toronto to Vancouver in distance, but with much more to see! Read our logs below to find out where we stopped along the way.
May 6, 2014.
Still in Caxarias, Portugal. It has been so nice to chill out in Caxarias, Portugal for the past week and a half. We've done many day trips around the surrounding area and have seen and experienced quite a bit. Our good friends, Shelly and Stu, left us 2 days ago, but we still have Sue with us while we enjoy our last night here in Caxarias at the vacation home we have been calling home for the past little while. We've pretty much done the gamut of things to do and see around the area and are eager to get back on the road to discover new places. In the past couple of days, we visited a place called the Sanctuary of Fatima which is a huge religious area in the middle of Portugal. There was area where you could light up a candle outside of the Cathedral which was basically an inferno of burning wax because of all the candles that people were lighting up. We also revisited Nazare and had a great time on the beach. The weather has been exceptional with nice blue skies and mid to high twenties (Celsius) temperatures. Today, we visited the Moeda Caves which are near Fatima. The caves were awesome! We've visited quite a few caves during our travels so far and this particular one rates high. The lighting inside the cave made it so you could see everything. The colours inside the cave were beautiful. Several nights ago, during the last night that Shelly and Stu were with us, we were treated to a fantastic Portuguese meal in the home of the cousin who owns the vacation home we are staying in. Ana and Nelson treated us to an authentic Portuguese feast. The meal started off with homemade blood sausage and local cheeses, followed by fish soup, followed by cod bacalao, stuffed pork with piri piri sauce and then some excellent homemade deserts and Portuguese liqueurs. Thanks Ana and Nelson! Tomorrow, Sue leaves us, bound back home to Toronto and we will continue on our journey with a couple nights stop in Porto, Portugal.
Sue: I have been so fortunate to join my friends for the week here in Caxarius for a much needed vacation and catch up! I have missed them all so much! And Bennett is HUGE! and such good company :) The excursions we've had have been anchored with fabulous meals... these people know how to eat well! And Italian food, regardless of where you are on the planet, is pretty reliable. I can say that my friends have certainly been able to find great places to tuck in.... as a Ravazzolo, it's obvious that I would approve of their favourite foodstuffs. We've also indulged in some great seafood at a few beach locations, so really, how could you go wrong? We took a trip into Lisbon on Sunday to deliver Shelly and Stu to their departure local and enjoyed a sunny afternoon seaside, trying to avoid the pushers. It's a beautiful city, but apparently super fun at night and unfortunately that was not in the cards for this trip. Next time, perhaps! The visit to the Sanctuary at Fatima was really moving for me personally as it's a place my late mum always wanted to visit. I lit a huge candle for her (at great peril considering the inferno that was produced from the countless others that were melting all over the place) and was pleased to see that mine was still going after our tour through the beautiful cathedral. And the modern church at the other end of the square was modern and stunning, and flanked by the coolest, and probably largest crucifix I've ever seen. I've had so much fun dipping my toes in the ocean with Bennett at the beach in Obidos and Nazare, and our "sheshell' (four year old pronunciation) collecting was so fun. The caves at Modea were amazing and made for some great photo ops... hard not to feel a bit naughty with all the phallic stalagmites, stalagtites and curtains of limestone. So I'm off, back to Toronto tomorrow feeling full of love for my wonderful friends and am looking forward to their return to our Canadian homeland!
Tricia: We are enjoying our last night here at the villa and I must say I'm a little sad to have to pack up...back to hotels and daily packing! We have had so much fun these past few weeks and are so lucky to have been able to share this time with such great friends (Stu, Shelly, Sue and Barry)...Our meal at Ana and Nelson's was amazing! Just such a treat to be able to experience traditional Portuguese food and drink. Ana must have cooked for hours! Bennett has LOVED having people other than his boring old parents to play and speak with. Good thing Granny and Pop are coming in less than 2 weeks! We are looking forward to the last leg of our trip...Happy Birthday to my Mum on the 10th...we will DEFINITELY celebrate in Paris! xox
Still in Caxarias, Portugal. It has been so nice to chill out in Caxarias, Portugal for the past week and a half. We've done many day trips around the surrounding area and have seen and experienced quite a bit. Our good friends, Shelly and Stu, left us 2 days ago, but we still have Sue with us while we enjoy our last night here in Caxarias at the vacation home we have been calling home for the past little while. We've pretty much done the gamut of things to do and see around the area and are eager to get back on the road to discover new places. In the past couple of days, we visited a place called the Sanctuary of Fatima which is a huge religious area in the middle of Portugal. There was area where you could light up a candle outside of the Cathedral which was basically an inferno of burning wax because of all the candles that people were lighting up. We also revisited Nazare and had a great time on the beach. The weather has been exceptional with nice blue skies and mid to high twenties (Celsius) temperatures. Today, we visited the Moeda Caves which are near Fatima. The caves were awesome! We've visited quite a few caves during our travels so far and this particular one rates high. The lighting inside the cave made it so you could see everything. The colours inside the cave were beautiful. Several nights ago, during the last night that Shelly and Stu were with us, we were treated to a fantastic Portuguese meal in the home of the cousin who owns the vacation home we are staying in. Ana and Nelson treated us to an authentic Portuguese feast. The meal started off with homemade blood sausage and local cheeses, followed by fish soup, followed by cod bacalao, stuffed pork with piri piri sauce and then some excellent homemade deserts and Portuguese liqueurs. Thanks Ana and Nelson! Tomorrow, Sue leaves us, bound back home to Toronto and we will continue on our journey with a couple nights stop in Porto, Portugal.
Sue: I have been so fortunate to join my friends for the week here in Caxarius for a much needed vacation and catch up! I have missed them all so much! And Bennett is HUGE! and such good company :) The excursions we've had have been anchored with fabulous meals... these people know how to eat well! And Italian food, regardless of where you are on the planet, is pretty reliable. I can say that my friends have certainly been able to find great places to tuck in.... as a Ravazzolo, it's obvious that I would approve of their favourite foodstuffs. We've also indulged in some great seafood at a few beach locations, so really, how could you go wrong? We took a trip into Lisbon on Sunday to deliver Shelly and Stu to their departure local and enjoyed a sunny afternoon seaside, trying to avoid the pushers. It's a beautiful city, but apparently super fun at night and unfortunately that was not in the cards for this trip. Next time, perhaps! The visit to the Sanctuary at Fatima was really moving for me personally as it's a place my late mum always wanted to visit. I lit a huge candle for her (at great peril considering the inferno that was produced from the countless others that were melting all over the place) and was pleased to see that mine was still going after our tour through the beautiful cathedral. And the modern church at the other end of the square was modern and stunning, and flanked by the coolest, and probably largest crucifix I've ever seen. I've had so much fun dipping my toes in the ocean with Bennett at the beach in Obidos and Nazare, and our "sheshell' (four year old pronunciation) collecting was so fun. The caves at Modea were amazing and made for some great photo ops... hard not to feel a bit naughty with all the phallic stalagmites, stalagtites and curtains of limestone. So I'm off, back to Toronto tomorrow feeling full of love for my wonderful friends and am looking forward to their return to our Canadian homeland!
Tricia: We are enjoying our last night here at the villa and I must say I'm a little sad to have to pack up...back to hotels and daily packing! We have had so much fun these past few weeks and are so lucky to have been able to share this time with such great friends (Stu, Shelly, Sue and Barry)...Our meal at Ana and Nelson's was amazing! Just such a treat to be able to experience traditional Portuguese food and drink. Ana must have cooked for hours! Bennett has LOVED having people other than his boring old parents to play and speak with. Good thing Granny and Pop are coming in less than 2 weeks! We are looking forward to the last leg of our trip...Happy Birthday to my Mum on the 10th...we will DEFINITELY celebrate in Paris! xox
May 3, 2014.
In Caxarias, Portugal. After spending a few days at a nice beach resort, the Praia D'el Rey Golf and Beach Resort, we have been living in a Portuguese style vacation home that one of my Step-Moms friends have graciously allowed us to use for 2 weeks. Thank you Tito and Leslie for letting us stay! Best of all, we have friends staying with us and have been enjoying their company immensely. Shelly and Stu arrived 5 days ago and Sue arrived a couple of days after. There is plenty of room in our home, with 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and it sits in a very beautiful part of Portugal about one and a half hours north of Lisbon and has excellent vistas. Bennett loves having his own room, as do Tricia and I, although Bennett is still in the habit of getting up during the night to wonder where his mom is, so she has to sleep with him in the early hours. We have been drinking up a storm since our friends arrived (and staying up till 3AM), with Stu and I typically finishing off a bottle of port each night along with plenty of wine and beer to boot. The ladies haven't been quite as indulgent as me and Stu, although Sue can definitely hold her own! It has been so nice to remain put for a while and not have to pack up and stay at hotels. We have visited quite a few places around Caxarias (which is a tiny little town) including the following: Obidos, the Obidos Lagoon, Peniche, Nazare, Caldas da Rainha and Figueira da Foz. Obidos is a small walled city built in the 1700's and you can walk around the entire village on a path along the surrounding wall. The Obidos Lagoon is gorgeous and has a massive beach with lots of kite surfers practicing and we had 2 excellent meals there on separate nights but at the same restaurant (unfortunately I can't recall the name of the restaurant but there are only a couple there). Peniche is a beautiful little fishing village where the homes reminded me of Cinque Terre (although not as spectacular as Cinque Terre though). Nazare was an awesome little beach town and it was interesting to see many racks of fish that were being dried out in the sun along the beach. We had a very memorable meal while in Caldas da Rainha at a restaurant called Sabores D'Italia. Tricia said it might have even been the best Italian pasta she's had! We did a repeat on the restaurant on a second time bringing Shelly, Stu and Sue with us. The least memorable place was probably Figueira da Foz which was kind of a like a Daytona beach. The other nice thing about staying put in our home is we've had a chance to cook our own meals and make our own lunches. This is a luxury and option that you just don't have while staying in hotels. The Portuguese seem to love fish and there are plenty of seafood restaurants as well as great fish available in the supermarkets so you can cook it yourself. Fish is my fave, so for that I am very happy. Unfortunately, Shelly and Stu will be leaving us tomorrow as they will be heading back home to Bobcaygeon in Canada, but we will spend the day all together in Lisbon as we will drive them back there for their flight. Sue will be remaining for a few days more with us. Portugal itself, for us, has proven to be quite a laid back and relaxed place with very friendly People. It's quite a small country and has lots of rural little towns. We've found a great cheap beer in Portugal called Argus at 2 Euro per six pack. Our slogan for it is, "Argus, cheap beer, great friends!". Once we leave our vacation home here in Caxarias in a few days, we will be driving up to Paris over the course of a week with planned stops in Madrid, Spain and Bordeaux, France. We will be itching to explore after having stayed put for an extended period.
Tricia: We have had SO much fun these past few days! It has been such a nice change to actually stay in one place and unpack. The villa we have been staying at is so homey (albeit a very HUGE home!) - Tito and Lesley - thank you again! Having our friends here has been exactly what we needed. It has been AWESOME to have girls to talk to...I MISS my ladies (sorry Bart). Bennett is so happy to have people other then us around...although, he keeps dragging Shelly on nature walks and forcing Stu into soccer games. We were able to see some of the great beaches and little towns around here.Sadly, Shelly and Stu (and Barry White) left yesterday and we miss them already. It has been a great week and I'm so excited to see the rest of the people that are coming to meet us in the next few months. I feel like our journey is coming to an end and reality is slowly creeping in (not really, but sometimes I think that I should really think about what we are doing when we get back!) But before that, we are lucky enough to get to enjoy France and Italy with good friends and family...Happy Birthday to Menaka and Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas! xo
In Caxarias, Portugal. After spending a few days at a nice beach resort, the Praia D'el Rey Golf and Beach Resort, we have been living in a Portuguese style vacation home that one of my Step-Moms friends have graciously allowed us to use for 2 weeks. Thank you Tito and Leslie for letting us stay! Best of all, we have friends staying with us and have been enjoying their company immensely. Shelly and Stu arrived 5 days ago and Sue arrived a couple of days after. There is plenty of room in our home, with 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and it sits in a very beautiful part of Portugal about one and a half hours north of Lisbon and has excellent vistas. Bennett loves having his own room, as do Tricia and I, although Bennett is still in the habit of getting up during the night to wonder where his mom is, so she has to sleep with him in the early hours. We have been drinking up a storm since our friends arrived (and staying up till 3AM), with Stu and I typically finishing off a bottle of port each night along with plenty of wine and beer to boot. The ladies haven't been quite as indulgent as me and Stu, although Sue can definitely hold her own! It has been so nice to remain put for a while and not have to pack up and stay at hotels. We have visited quite a few places around Caxarias (which is a tiny little town) including the following: Obidos, the Obidos Lagoon, Peniche, Nazare, Caldas da Rainha and Figueira da Foz. Obidos is a small walled city built in the 1700's and you can walk around the entire village on a path along the surrounding wall. The Obidos Lagoon is gorgeous and has a massive beach with lots of kite surfers practicing and we had 2 excellent meals there on separate nights but at the same restaurant (unfortunately I can't recall the name of the restaurant but there are only a couple there). Peniche is a beautiful little fishing village where the homes reminded me of Cinque Terre (although not as spectacular as Cinque Terre though). Nazare was an awesome little beach town and it was interesting to see many racks of fish that were being dried out in the sun along the beach. We had a very memorable meal while in Caldas da Rainha at a restaurant called Sabores D'Italia. Tricia said it might have even been the best Italian pasta she's had! We did a repeat on the restaurant on a second time bringing Shelly, Stu and Sue with us. The least memorable place was probably Figueira da Foz which was kind of a like a Daytona beach. The other nice thing about staying put in our home is we've had a chance to cook our own meals and make our own lunches. This is a luxury and option that you just don't have while staying in hotels. The Portuguese seem to love fish and there are plenty of seafood restaurants as well as great fish available in the supermarkets so you can cook it yourself. Fish is my fave, so for that I am very happy. Unfortunately, Shelly and Stu will be leaving us tomorrow as they will be heading back home to Bobcaygeon in Canada, but we will spend the day all together in Lisbon as we will drive them back there for their flight. Sue will be remaining for a few days more with us. Portugal itself, for us, has proven to be quite a laid back and relaxed place with very friendly People. It's quite a small country and has lots of rural little towns. We've found a great cheap beer in Portugal called Argus at 2 Euro per six pack. Our slogan for it is, "Argus, cheap beer, great friends!". Once we leave our vacation home here in Caxarias in a few days, we will be driving up to Paris over the course of a week with planned stops in Madrid, Spain and Bordeaux, France. We will be itching to explore after having stayed put for an extended period.
Tricia: We have had SO much fun these past few days! It has been such a nice change to actually stay in one place and unpack. The villa we have been staying at is so homey (albeit a very HUGE home!) - Tito and Lesley - thank you again! Having our friends here has been exactly what we needed. It has been AWESOME to have girls to talk to...I MISS my ladies (sorry Bart). Bennett is so happy to have people other then us around...although, he keeps dragging Shelly on nature walks and forcing Stu into soccer games. We were able to see some of the great beaches and little towns around here.Sadly, Shelly and Stu (and Barry White) left yesterday and we miss them already. It has been a great week and I'm so excited to see the rest of the people that are coming to meet us in the next few months. I feel like our journey is coming to an end and reality is slowly creeping in (not really, but sometimes I think that I should really think about what we are doing when we get back!) But before that, we are lucky enough to get to enjoy France and Italy with good friends and family...Happy Birthday to Menaka and Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas! xo
April 26, 2014.
In Lisbon, Portugal. Well, sadly, we are now in the last new country that we will see during the long adventure we've been on now for almost 8 months, although, we have at least 2 months left of travel where we will, eventually, be traveling up to Paris then down to Rome. We had quite a long drive coming from Seville, Spain into Lisbon, at just over 4 hours. When we arrived in Lisbon, we checked into a great JW Marriott hotel and were able to get a nice upgrade (once again!!) to a great suite. We spent 2 days and nights in Lisbon. Some might say that we don't spend enough time in each place, however, our style of travel is that of having a small taste of the surroundings and then moving on to sample the flavours of something new. While in Lisbon, we took a hop on/off tour of the city to see the main sights. The tour was very poor and we found the bus sped through the city too quickly. We actually did not get off the bus until almost the entire circuit as the weather was a bit rainy. We stopped in the downtown core of Lisbon and walked around, had a nice lunch and then visited one of the main squares which was right next to the ocean. While walking around, I was approached, on 3 separate occasions, by drug pushers who offered me marijuana (or anything else I wanted), each time the pusher told me I could sample before I buy. I guess my hair is getting a little long now and I haven't shaved in a month so my beard is coming along nicely, which probably makes me look more like a drug user than most people, although I am not (only booze and e-cigs for me!). Compared to other cities that we've seen, we don't really like Lisbon as much. It's hard to say why exactly, perhaps it lacks the charm of other places we've been to. I will say that the people in Portugal that we've met so far are extremely friendly and are very happy to chat with you. I think the economy here in Portugal has not quite healed as well as other European countries we've visited. Evidence of this is that we have noticed more than the average amount of beggars on the street and at stop lights as well as, I've mentioned, the amount of drug pushers who have approached me. As a traveler, the poor national economy bodes well for us as prices seem to be cheaper than what we've seen in either Italy, France or Spain. We left Lisbon yesterday and headed slightly north to where we are now, in a small beach town at a Marriott beach resort called the Praia D'el Rey Golf and Beach Resort. It could be that we are becoming a little bit snobby, but we are not overly impressed by this particular Resort. I'd say it is average, kind of what you would get at a typical all-inclusive type resort in Cancun or Cuba. Unfortunate, because we had such high hopes and it's always a downer to be let down if you've built something up in your mind to be spectacular. We are very seasoned travelers, after all, and we've seen some incredibly posh places (take the Raffles Resort in Siem Reap, Cambodia for instance) as well as some really crappy places (like the Super 8 Motel in Grande Prairie, Alberta) and I'd say this particular place rests somewhere in between. I might need a little bit of a reality check as I shouldn't be complaining about anything given that I have not worked for almost 8 months and this morning I went golfing on a beautiful golf course overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Well, we have 2 days left at this Marriott Resort before we check into a Villa where we will be spending 2 weeks and have some friends from back home who are joining us (Shelly and Stu). We are so looking forward to settle down for a couple of weeks and not have to drive. We actually might unpack our bags for the first time since Christmas (where we had rented a beach home in Perth, Australia).
Tricia: Kenneth, you should totally come to Lisbon;) As Bart mentioned, we are just outside Lisbon at a resort. I feel trapped. Like I am in Cuba at an all inclusive! That being said, the view is spectacular and there are 2 great pools that Bennett is living in right now. Yesterday we also toured a medieval city called Obidas which was beautiful and we spent the afternoon on the beach at a cool lagoon. So life is quite good. When we were in Lisbon we met the nicest people. The doorman asked Bennett who his best friend at school was and his answer was "oh I haven't been to school in years. My best friend is my cousin Kaius!". I kind of felt like an unfit mother. We are REALLY excited about seeing Shelly and Stu and having a little break in one place...we have basically planned the last part of our trip (which I can't believe and is so sad!) but it is exciting as we will be spending a lot of time with our friends and family as they come visit...can't wait!
In Lisbon, Portugal. Well, sadly, we are now in the last new country that we will see during the long adventure we've been on now for almost 8 months, although, we have at least 2 months left of travel where we will, eventually, be traveling up to Paris then down to Rome. We had quite a long drive coming from Seville, Spain into Lisbon, at just over 4 hours. When we arrived in Lisbon, we checked into a great JW Marriott hotel and were able to get a nice upgrade (once again!!) to a great suite. We spent 2 days and nights in Lisbon. Some might say that we don't spend enough time in each place, however, our style of travel is that of having a small taste of the surroundings and then moving on to sample the flavours of something new. While in Lisbon, we took a hop on/off tour of the city to see the main sights. The tour was very poor and we found the bus sped through the city too quickly. We actually did not get off the bus until almost the entire circuit as the weather was a bit rainy. We stopped in the downtown core of Lisbon and walked around, had a nice lunch and then visited one of the main squares which was right next to the ocean. While walking around, I was approached, on 3 separate occasions, by drug pushers who offered me marijuana (or anything else I wanted), each time the pusher told me I could sample before I buy. I guess my hair is getting a little long now and I haven't shaved in a month so my beard is coming along nicely, which probably makes me look more like a drug user than most people, although I am not (only booze and e-cigs for me!). Compared to other cities that we've seen, we don't really like Lisbon as much. It's hard to say why exactly, perhaps it lacks the charm of other places we've been to. I will say that the people in Portugal that we've met so far are extremely friendly and are very happy to chat with you. I think the economy here in Portugal has not quite healed as well as other European countries we've visited. Evidence of this is that we have noticed more than the average amount of beggars on the street and at stop lights as well as, I've mentioned, the amount of drug pushers who have approached me. As a traveler, the poor national economy bodes well for us as prices seem to be cheaper than what we've seen in either Italy, France or Spain. We left Lisbon yesterday and headed slightly north to where we are now, in a small beach town at a Marriott beach resort called the Praia D'el Rey Golf and Beach Resort. It could be that we are becoming a little bit snobby, but we are not overly impressed by this particular Resort. I'd say it is average, kind of what you would get at a typical all-inclusive type resort in Cancun or Cuba. Unfortunate, because we had such high hopes and it's always a downer to be let down if you've built something up in your mind to be spectacular. We are very seasoned travelers, after all, and we've seen some incredibly posh places (take the Raffles Resort in Siem Reap, Cambodia for instance) as well as some really crappy places (like the Super 8 Motel in Grande Prairie, Alberta) and I'd say this particular place rests somewhere in between. I might need a little bit of a reality check as I shouldn't be complaining about anything given that I have not worked for almost 8 months and this morning I went golfing on a beautiful golf course overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Well, we have 2 days left at this Marriott Resort before we check into a Villa where we will be spending 2 weeks and have some friends from back home who are joining us (Shelly and Stu). We are so looking forward to settle down for a couple of weeks and not have to drive. We actually might unpack our bags for the first time since Christmas (where we had rented a beach home in Perth, Australia).
Tricia: Kenneth, you should totally come to Lisbon;) As Bart mentioned, we are just outside Lisbon at a resort. I feel trapped. Like I am in Cuba at an all inclusive! That being said, the view is spectacular and there are 2 great pools that Bennett is living in right now. Yesterday we also toured a medieval city called Obidas which was beautiful and we spent the afternoon on the beach at a cool lagoon. So life is quite good. When we were in Lisbon we met the nicest people. The doorman asked Bennett who his best friend at school was and his answer was "oh I haven't been to school in years. My best friend is my cousin Kaius!". I kind of felt like an unfit mother. We are REALLY excited about seeing Shelly and Stu and having a little break in one place...we have basically planned the last part of our trip (which I can't believe and is so sad!) but it is exciting as we will be spending a lot of time with our friends and family as they come visit...can't wait!
April 22, 2014.
In Seville, Spain. After leaving Murcia, we headed off to Seville, but not before spending one stopover day/night in Granada, Spain. Granada is a beautiful little town, with lots of tiny little streets (a challenge to drive in). Our hotel was in the historical downtown area, however, driving to the hotel was brutal and very frustrating. The streets are very small and there are many one way streets, so if you miss your turn, it means circling back and wasting a lot of time. When we finally arrived at our hotel (in wet and cold weather), the Monjas del Carmen, we were not overly impressed. I guess if you are in a great location, the quality of the hotel can be sub-par as people will stay regardless. Anyways, we did not have much time in Granada, so luckily there was a great little hop on/off mini bus tour right outside of our hotel which we took. Because of the crappy weather, we stayed on the bus for the entire circuit and were able to get a good glimpse of things in Granada. The number one attraction in Granada is the Alhambra Palace but, unfortunately, tour tickets were sold out. We were able to see it driving by on the tour bus. This might have been just as well as we've visited inside of so many sights over the past few weeks, so not going inside the Alhambra did not really bother us too much. Next stop after Granada was Seville where we booked into a AC Marriott Hotel for 2 days/nights. We have really been enjoying Seville and Spain is redeeming itself nicely (I had mentioned in my prior log that we hadn't yet warmed up to Spain as yet). Although our hotel was not directly in the heart of the downtown, it was just a short cab ride away from the action. We have done a lot in Seville including a nice walk around the downtown, a horse and buggy tour throughout the downtown, a visit to the Royal Palace (actually Tricia did the tour of the Palace while I took Bennett to an amazing park - the Parque de Maria Luisa), as well as going to a Flamenco dance performance. While in Seville, we had beautiful weather which made the horse and buggy ride very enjoyable. The Flamenco dancing was excellent! Bennett was calling it the Flamingo dance, he sat through the entire one and a half hour performance without complaint and seemed very interested in the performance. The dancing is kind of like old Vaudeville tap dance and the dancers legs and feet seem to vibrate a million times a second. We thoroughly enjoyed our time while in Seville and would not hesitate to go back for another visit at some point in the future, same goes with Barcelona. One thing about Spain that we find not as good as in either Italy or France is the food. Tapas food is really big in Spain, and it's ok for a bit, but we totally miss the amazing food we had in Italy and France, sorry Spain!! Spain does have very beautiful and unique architecture though. Many of the buildings have extra flair with beautifully coloured tiling and mosaics. Next stop for us Lisbon, Portugal. Our Portuguese vocabulary is completely non-existent, we know not one word. In Spain we at least know how to order another beer, "una cervaza por favor!". Portugal will be the last new country we see during the trip of a lifetime that we've been on now for almost 8 months. After Portugal, we will be slowly driving back to Rome, Italy over the next couple of months, through Spain, France and finally into Italy once again.
Tricia: Ok, I actually really liked Granada and was SO disappointed that we did not get to see the Alhambra. It really bummed me out but we were there on Easter Sunday and it was absolutely insane. If it is one thing Bart dislikes, it's crowds and Granada was wall to wall people everywhere we went! Our hotel was not great (despite excellent reviews) and it was pouring rain the entire time. It definitely clouded our judgement. Seville on the other hand we LOVED! We have had such a great visit and it is the perfect size city. We have done a LOT of walking which I love and everywhere is very accessible. One thing that has been such a bonus is my UofT student card. I get student discounts on almost all attractions. Even though they must think I am the world's oldest student - I don't care...that tuition money spent better do me some good! The horse and buggy tour was a really great introduction to the city. A man even ran out to our carriage from a local restaurant and gave us a shot of sherry! The Real Palace was amazing. I lined up for about 30 minutes before I got in. At first I was interested and impressed but then I really had to think how long ago it was built...just incredible! I really like the architecture in Spain. It is so diverse and eclectic. There is so much to see! The flamenco show was fantastic. We were referred by our hotel and it did not disappoint. The dancers were unbelievable and Bennett is now trying his Flamingo dancing every now and then! I can't believe that it is already the end of April...we have done so much - on one hand it feels like we have been away for ever but on the other, it seems like yesterday that we were packing up our house...anyway we are still enjoying the ride and are excited to see what the next part of this journey holds.
In Seville, Spain. After leaving Murcia, we headed off to Seville, but not before spending one stopover day/night in Granada, Spain. Granada is a beautiful little town, with lots of tiny little streets (a challenge to drive in). Our hotel was in the historical downtown area, however, driving to the hotel was brutal and very frustrating. The streets are very small and there are many one way streets, so if you miss your turn, it means circling back and wasting a lot of time. When we finally arrived at our hotel (in wet and cold weather), the Monjas del Carmen, we were not overly impressed. I guess if you are in a great location, the quality of the hotel can be sub-par as people will stay regardless. Anyways, we did not have much time in Granada, so luckily there was a great little hop on/off mini bus tour right outside of our hotel which we took. Because of the crappy weather, we stayed on the bus for the entire circuit and were able to get a good glimpse of things in Granada. The number one attraction in Granada is the Alhambra Palace but, unfortunately, tour tickets were sold out. We were able to see it driving by on the tour bus. This might have been just as well as we've visited inside of so many sights over the past few weeks, so not going inside the Alhambra did not really bother us too much. Next stop after Granada was Seville where we booked into a AC Marriott Hotel for 2 days/nights. We have really been enjoying Seville and Spain is redeeming itself nicely (I had mentioned in my prior log that we hadn't yet warmed up to Spain as yet). Although our hotel was not directly in the heart of the downtown, it was just a short cab ride away from the action. We have done a lot in Seville including a nice walk around the downtown, a horse and buggy tour throughout the downtown, a visit to the Royal Palace (actually Tricia did the tour of the Palace while I took Bennett to an amazing park - the Parque de Maria Luisa), as well as going to a Flamenco dance performance. While in Seville, we had beautiful weather which made the horse and buggy ride very enjoyable. The Flamenco dancing was excellent! Bennett was calling it the Flamingo dance, he sat through the entire one and a half hour performance without complaint and seemed very interested in the performance. The dancing is kind of like old Vaudeville tap dance and the dancers legs and feet seem to vibrate a million times a second. We thoroughly enjoyed our time while in Seville and would not hesitate to go back for another visit at some point in the future, same goes with Barcelona. One thing about Spain that we find not as good as in either Italy or France is the food. Tapas food is really big in Spain, and it's ok for a bit, but we totally miss the amazing food we had in Italy and France, sorry Spain!! Spain does have very beautiful and unique architecture though. Many of the buildings have extra flair with beautifully coloured tiling and mosaics. Next stop for us Lisbon, Portugal. Our Portuguese vocabulary is completely non-existent, we know not one word. In Spain we at least know how to order another beer, "una cervaza por favor!". Portugal will be the last new country we see during the trip of a lifetime that we've been on now for almost 8 months. After Portugal, we will be slowly driving back to Rome, Italy over the next couple of months, through Spain, France and finally into Italy once again.
Tricia: Ok, I actually really liked Granada and was SO disappointed that we did not get to see the Alhambra. It really bummed me out but we were there on Easter Sunday and it was absolutely insane. If it is one thing Bart dislikes, it's crowds and Granada was wall to wall people everywhere we went! Our hotel was not great (despite excellent reviews) and it was pouring rain the entire time. It definitely clouded our judgement. Seville on the other hand we LOVED! We have had such a great visit and it is the perfect size city. We have done a LOT of walking which I love and everywhere is very accessible. One thing that has been such a bonus is my UofT student card. I get student discounts on almost all attractions. Even though they must think I am the world's oldest student - I don't care...that tuition money spent better do me some good! The horse and buggy tour was a really great introduction to the city. A man even ran out to our carriage from a local restaurant and gave us a shot of sherry! The Real Palace was amazing. I lined up for about 30 minutes before I got in. At first I was interested and impressed but then I really had to think how long ago it was built...just incredible! I really like the architecture in Spain. It is so diverse and eclectic. There is so much to see! The flamenco show was fantastic. We were referred by our hotel and it did not disappoint. The dancers were unbelievable and Bennett is now trying his Flamingo dancing every now and then! I can't believe that it is already the end of April...we have done so much - on one hand it feels like we have been away for ever but on the other, it seems like yesterday that we were packing up our house...anyway we are still enjoying the ride and are excited to see what the next part of this journey holds.
April 19, 2014.
In Murcia, Spain. We haven't really warmed up to Spain as much as we did with Italy and France, so far. It was very enjoyable in Barcelona, however, our drive further south has not quite put us in love with Spain as yet. After Barcelona, we headed south to the city of Valencia, I think famous for a couple of things, oranges and Paella. We spied many orange groves around Valencia, and I did enjoy a nice seafood Paella dish (although the waitress was a little bit gruff and the Paella was unfortunately overcooked). It could very well be that we are just becoming travel weary now. Valencia did offer us up a very nice zoo, called the Bioparc Valencia. We've stopped at quite a few zoos over the course of our travels, and this particular zoo rated very high for us. We've now seen elephants on 4 different continents (North America, Australia, Asia and Europe!). The interesting part about this zoo was they allowed several species to co-exist in the same exhibit and some of the exhibits were very large, offering the animals plenty of room to roam around. Of particular amazingness (is that a word?) was the giraffe exhibit where there were about a half dozen giraffes running around freely. I've never seen a herd of giraffes run around before, and this was quite a spectacular sight to see (caught a nice video of this so be sure to check it out). After Valencia, we traveled further south to Murcia. We booked our hotel, the AC Hotel Murcia, on points and I was able to get us an upgrade to a suite, a very nice score! AC Hotels are part of the Marriott brand and they seem to have a lot of them in Italy, France and Spain. Unfortunately, I'd say that AC Hotels are not a great quality of Marriott hotels, as we've generally been a little disappointed with them. We've stayed at several AC Hotels now and most folks on tripadvisor don't rate them very high, and we understand why, maybe AC stands for Absolute Crap? Well...as long as you get a suite, it's not totally bad. The downtown walking section of Murcia is very nice, however, our hotel was not in the downtown section, so we had to take a cab there (we knew this before checking into our hotel). During one of our days in Murcia, we visited an area just outside of town called the Sanctuary of the Virgin. I didn't spy any virgins while there, but it did offer some nice vistas of the city of Murcia. We also drove to a shopping mall to do some shopping (cause that's what you do while at a shopping mall). Tricia went shopping for clothes and for some Easter treats for Bennett, while Bennett and I went bowling for a couple of hours. They only had 10 pin bowling available, but I was surprised at how easy Bennett was able to pick up a ball and toss it down the lane. It was very nice to have a hotel suite in Murcia, which allowed extra room for us to set an Easter egg hunt for Bennett on Easter Sunday morning. He was so excited and it's so cute to see that he believes there actually is an Easter Bunny (ahhh...to be 4 years old again). The next stops for us will be in Granada and Seville, Spain. Happy Easter to anyone and everyone reading our logs!
Tricia: I loved Barcelona and totally want to come back. I thought it was spectacular and there was so much to see and do! Valencia however, was a different story. I just did not get a good vibe. I think it was partly because we were in a crappy location and also we were very tired...I am starting to feel toured out and needed a break...we have seen so many sights, churches, UNESCO sights etc. that they are beginning to blend into one. However, the Bioparc was great and driving through Valencia I do believe that it was probably a really nice town. Murcia has been a good break. The town is not overly exciting but being Spain, there is still a tonne of history and sights to see. Being in Spain over Easter, it is EXTREMELY busy! We have been lucky to get hotel rooms and into sights. I did a little shopping (2 hours on my own!) while B&B bowled and got a few things - you know it's bad when even Bart said I should get some new things as I have been wearing the same clothes for the last 8 months! Not to worry - I am going to shop my ass off in Paris and Milan! Easter Sunday was definitely not traditional. However, Bennett was SO excited for the Easter Bunny to come. We had a mini hunt (although he missed the annual mega egg hunt at my Aunt Tricia's)! He managed to come through with some chocolate and a lightning mcQUeen toothbrush...he was ok...we are heading to Lisbon and so excited to start seeing people v
In Murcia, Spain. We haven't really warmed up to Spain as much as we did with Italy and France, so far. It was very enjoyable in Barcelona, however, our drive further south has not quite put us in love with Spain as yet. After Barcelona, we headed south to the city of Valencia, I think famous for a couple of things, oranges and Paella. We spied many orange groves around Valencia, and I did enjoy a nice seafood Paella dish (although the waitress was a little bit gruff and the Paella was unfortunately overcooked). It could very well be that we are just becoming travel weary now. Valencia did offer us up a very nice zoo, called the Bioparc Valencia. We've stopped at quite a few zoos over the course of our travels, and this particular zoo rated very high for us. We've now seen elephants on 4 different continents (North America, Australia, Asia and Europe!). The interesting part about this zoo was they allowed several species to co-exist in the same exhibit and some of the exhibits were very large, offering the animals plenty of room to roam around. Of particular amazingness (is that a word?) was the giraffe exhibit where there were about a half dozen giraffes running around freely. I've never seen a herd of giraffes run around before, and this was quite a spectacular sight to see (caught a nice video of this so be sure to check it out). After Valencia, we traveled further south to Murcia. We booked our hotel, the AC Hotel Murcia, on points and I was able to get us an upgrade to a suite, a very nice score! AC Hotels are part of the Marriott brand and they seem to have a lot of them in Italy, France and Spain. Unfortunately, I'd say that AC Hotels are not a great quality of Marriott hotels, as we've generally been a little disappointed with them. We've stayed at several AC Hotels now and most folks on tripadvisor don't rate them very high, and we understand why, maybe AC stands for Absolute Crap? Well...as long as you get a suite, it's not totally bad. The downtown walking section of Murcia is very nice, however, our hotel was not in the downtown section, so we had to take a cab there (we knew this before checking into our hotel). During one of our days in Murcia, we visited an area just outside of town called the Sanctuary of the Virgin. I didn't spy any virgins while there, but it did offer some nice vistas of the city of Murcia. We also drove to a shopping mall to do some shopping (cause that's what you do while at a shopping mall). Tricia went shopping for clothes and for some Easter treats for Bennett, while Bennett and I went bowling for a couple of hours. They only had 10 pin bowling available, but I was surprised at how easy Bennett was able to pick up a ball and toss it down the lane. It was very nice to have a hotel suite in Murcia, which allowed extra room for us to set an Easter egg hunt for Bennett on Easter Sunday morning. He was so excited and it's so cute to see that he believes there actually is an Easter Bunny (ahhh...to be 4 years old again). The next stops for us will be in Granada and Seville, Spain. Happy Easter to anyone and everyone reading our logs!
Tricia: I loved Barcelona and totally want to come back. I thought it was spectacular and there was so much to see and do! Valencia however, was a different story. I just did not get a good vibe. I think it was partly because we were in a crappy location and also we were very tired...I am starting to feel toured out and needed a break...we have seen so many sights, churches, UNESCO sights etc. that they are beginning to blend into one. However, the Bioparc was great and driving through Valencia I do believe that it was probably a really nice town. Murcia has been a good break. The town is not overly exciting but being Spain, there is still a tonne of history and sights to see. Being in Spain over Easter, it is EXTREMELY busy! We have been lucky to get hotel rooms and into sights. I did a little shopping (2 hours on my own!) while B&B bowled and got a few things - you know it's bad when even Bart said I should get some new things as I have been wearing the same clothes for the last 8 months! Not to worry - I am going to shop my ass off in Paris and Milan! Easter Sunday was definitely not traditional. However, Bennett was SO excited for the Easter Bunny to come. We had a mini hunt (although he missed the annual mega egg hunt at my Aunt Tricia's)! He managed to come through with some chocolate and a lightning mcQUeen toothbrush...he was ok...we are heading to Lisbon and so excited to start seeing people v
April 17, 2014.
In Barcelona, Spain. After enjoying the beautiful little town of Villefranche-de-conflent in France, we hit the highway and headed to Barcelona. The drive was beautiful, very picturesque. When we arrived in Barcelona, we were very impressed with our hotel pick, the Renaissance Fira Hotel (a Marriott) so we we plugged ourselves in for an extra night which gave us 3 nights in Barcelona. There is so much to see in Barcelona, we only covered a portion of it, so there is plenty to see on a subsequent visit. Although our hotel was slightly outside of the city center, Barcelona has an incredible subway system. Yet another city we've visited which kicks Toronto's ass in terms of its public transportation system (I hate to harp on Toronto, but it really needs to get its ass in gear to bring it up to most other major city's standards). Having a smart phone and a local SIM card is incredibly invaluable when traveling to foreign places, I can't stress this enough. With my awesome Samsung Galaxy S3 (I never leave home without it), all I have to do is plug in the site I want to visit and it will tell me which which subway lines I need to use to get there. This is so convenient when navigating the complex subway system in Barcelona. Almost every corner of Barcelona is accessible via the subway, awesome stuff! During our first day in Barcelona, we took the subway (conveniently located right next to our hotel) downtown to visit the Palau de la Música Catalana, the Barcelona Cathedral and the Barcelona Magic Fountain. When traveling with Tricia, you are never bored as she likes to pack the sites in, hahahahhaa!! I think we must have walked a 10k marathon, but it was well worth it. The Palau de la Música Catalana was an incredible place. Top artists from around the globe perform 300 days of the year at this venue. Built in the early 1900's, in the Catalan style (tonnes of mosaic tiling and beautiful sculptures, exactly how you would picture the stereotypical Spanish style), it was designed to inspire the artists who perform there. Unfortunately, we were not able to experience a performance, however, there is an impressively large organ within the building which, as part of our guided English tour, they turned on for a few minutes so we could hear and enjoy the acoustics that the interior of the building purveys. The Barcelona Cathedral was also a very impressive site, both inside and out. We were expecting a water and light show at the Magic Fountain, however, the hotel concierge conveyed us the wrong information and no water shows were available during the day we picked to show up, ah well. On our second day out in Barcelona, we visited La Sagrada Familia Basilica. This is a church designed by the famous Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi. The church began construction in 1882 and is STILL under construction today and actually might not be finished for another 30 years or so. Of course, Gaudi has long passed, however, he knew that the church would be an on-going project for many years after his death. His original plans are still being used for construction. This is a very popular destination for tourists and, during our tour, there were many tourists (I don't do well in large crowds). The inside of the building is eye popping. Unbelievably beautiful. We've had some incredible food while in Barcelona and, interestingly enough, we had 2 of our 3 dinners at our hotel which had a amazing restaurant. Seafood and meat is fantastic here in Barcelona. Our last meal was eaten out in the downtown area and consisted of tapas. The Spanish people love their tapas, which is basically a bunch of small appetizers consisting of meats, cheeses, veggies and fish for you to share with all in your dinner group. We've had such a variety of food in the last few weeks starting in Italy, then France and now Spain, man are we ever lucky!! Even though we sometimes have bad days during our travels, we constantly have to remind ourselves that we have essentially been on vacation for the last 7 months and we are incredibly fortunate to be able to experience a journey such as the one we are on.
Tricia: We made our way to Barcelona, somewhere I have wanted to visit for a long time and it did not disappoint! It is a really big city and so much to see that 3 days definitely did not do it justice. As Bart said, it gives a great base for the next time that we visit. The hotel we stayed it was great...Bennett called it "the ugly hotel" and it was pretty hideous from the outside but inside was fantastic. The nice thing about Barcelona is the amount of green space all through the city. The first day we went to a huge park where there was hundreds of people just enjoying the beautiful weather - biking, playing frisbee and soccer (of course), drinking and have picnics etc. Bennett loved it! The second day, went to La Sagrada Familia Basilica which is just awesome. The lineup - not so much. We started lining up and the queue was 3 hours long! So Bart went online and bought tickets for later that afternoon. In between we were going to go to other sites but ended up in another park (of course) and met a family that are doing what we are! They are from San Francisco and have been traveling since September but they have 3 kids! They are much more brave than us...we kept saying we don't think we would have lasted a month with 3! Bennett had SUCH a fun afternoon playing. He has found it a little hard to ask other kids to play with him lately (obviously they don't understand him) but he is scared they will say no. (Poor bud), so this was a really special afternoon for him. We have had some amazing food here too. Again, I really need to stop eating and drinking! (not going to happen). We are making our way to Lisbon and are looking forward to seeing some friends there! We have to say CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah and Dave D'Costa who had baby Samuel Charles D'Costa this week. We are so thrilled and can't wait to meet him...(although he has taken one of our rooms in Chez D'Costa)!
In Barcelona, Spain. After enjoying the beautiful little town of Villefranche-de-conflent in France, we hit the highway and headed to Barcelona. The drive was beautiful, very picturesque. When we arrived in Barcelona, we were very impressed with our hotel pick, the Renaissance Fira Hotel (a Marriott) so we we plugged ourselves in for an extra night which gave us 3 nights in Barcelona. There is so much to see in Barcelona, we only covered a portion of it, so there is plenty to see on a subsequent visit. Although our hotel was slightly outside of the city center, Barcelona has an incredible subway system. Yet another city we've visited which kicks Toronto's ass in terms of its public transportation system (I hate to harp on Toronto, but it really needs to get its ass in gear to bring it up to most other major city's standards). Having a smart phone and a local SIM card is incredibly invaluable when traveling to foreign places, I can't stress this enough. With my awesome Samsung Galaxy S3 (I never leave home without it), all I have to do is plug in the site I want to visit and it will tell me which which subway lines I need to use to get there. This is so convenient when navigating the complex subway system in Barcelona. Almost every corner of Barcelona is accessible via the subway, awesome stuff! During our first day in Barcelona, we took the subway (conveniently located right next to our hotel) downtown to visit the Palau de la Música Catalana, the Barcelona Cathedral and the Barcelona Magic Fountain. When traveling with Tricia, you are never bored as she likes to pack the sites in, hahahahhaa!! I think we must have walked a 10k marathon, but it was well worth it. The Palau de la Música Catalana was an incredible place. Top artists from around the globe perform 300 days of the year at this venue. Built in the early 1900's, in the Catalan style (tonnes of mosaic tiling and beautiful sculptures, exactly how you would picture the stereotypical Spanish style), it was designed to inspire the artists who perform there. Unfortunately, we were not able to experience a performance, however, there is an impressively large organ within the building which, as part of our guided English tour, they turned on for a few minutes so we could hear and enjoy the acoustics that the interior of the building purveys. The Barcelona Cathedral was also a very impressive site, both inside and out. We were expecting a water and light show at the Magic Fountain, however, the hotel concierge conveyed us the wrong information and no water shows were available during the day we picked to show up, ah well. On our second day out in Barcelona, we visited La Sagrada Familia Basilica. This is a church designed by the famous Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi. The church began construction in 1882 and is STILL under construction today and actually might not be finished for another 30 years or so. Of course, Gaudi has long passed, however, he knew that the church would be an on-going project for many years after his death. His original plans are still being used for construction. This is a very popular destination for tourists and, during our tour, there were many tourists (I don't do well in large crowds). The inside of the building is eye popping. Unbelievably beautiful. We've had some incredible food while in Barcelona and, interestingly enough, we had 2 of our 3 dinners at our hotel which had a amazing restaurant. Seafood and meat is fantastic here in Barcelona. Our last meal was eaten out in the downtown area and consisted of tapas. The Spanish people love their tapas, which is basically a bunch of small appetizers consisting of meats, cheeses, veggies and fish for you to share with all in your dinner group. We've had such a variety of food in the last few weeks starting in Italy, then France and now Spain, man are we ever lucky!! Even though we sometimes have bad days during our travels, we constantly have to remind ourselves that we have essentially been on vacation for the last 7 months and we are incredibly fortunate to be able to experience a journey such as the one we are on.
Tricia: We made our way to Barcelona, somewhere I have wanted to visit for a long time and it did not disappoint! It is a really big city and so much to see that 3 days definitely did not do it justice. As Bart said, it gives a great base for the next time that we visit. The hotel we stayed it was great...Bennett called it "the ugly hotel" and it was pretty hideous from the outside but inside was fantastic. The nice thing about Barcelona is the amount of green space all through the city. The first day we went to a huge park where there was hundreds of people just enjoying the beautiful weather - biking, playing frisbee and soccer (of course), drinking and have picnics etc. Bennett loved it! The second day, went to La Sagrada Familia Basilica which is just awesome. The lineup - not so much. We started lining up and the queue was 3 hours long! So Bart went online and bought tickets for later that afternoon. In between we were going to go to other sites but ended up in another park (of course) and met a family that are doing what we are! They are from San Francisco and have been traveling since September but they have 3 kids! They are much more brave than us...we kept saying we don't think we would have lasted a month with 3! Bennett had SUCH a fun afternoon playing. He has found it a little hard to ask other kids to play with him lately (obviously they don't understand him) but he is scared they will say no. (Poor bud), so this was a really special afternoon for him. We have had some amazing food here too. Again, I really need to stop eating and drinking! (not going to happen). We are making our way to Lisbon and are looking forward to seeing some friends there! We have to say CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah and Dave D'Costa who had baby Samuel Charles D'Costa this week. We are so thrilled and can't wait to meet him...(although he has taken one of our rooms in Chez D'Costa)!
April 14, 2014.
In Villefranche-de-Conflent, France. We have taken quite a shining to France now. It took a little bit of time, but we found a place that we could truly move to and, perhaps, start a new life! It's so nice to be able to converse with the local people in their native tongue as both Tricia and I can speak French. The 13 years of schooling en Francais is finally paying off. During our last day in Montpellier, we enjoyed an excursion to the beach. The temperatures are very nice here in the mid 20 Celsius range. Bennett loves the beach, he's a total beach bum. After Montpellier, we thought that we'd head directly down to Barcelona, Spain, but the drive would have been about 4 hours (a little long), so we picked a mid point and stayed the night in a city called Perpignan. We actually didn't spend any time exploring Perpignan, instead, for a day trip, we headed in-land a little to visit a natural hot spring called Saint Thomas Les Bains. The hot spring was ok, more of a concrete swimming pool with natural hot sulfur water flowing through it. We were so spoiled while in BC at the Liard Hot Springs (a definite bucket list item), and nothing really compares to it. Nonetheless, we all had a great time relaxing in the hot springs in France. However, while venturing to the hot springs, we spied a very nice looking B&B (called A l'Ombre du Fort) on the side of the road near a very small town called Villefranche-de-Conflent. I coerced Tricia to go inside the B&B and check if they had availability, which they did and we booked for the following night. So, we left Perpignan, and headed to our B&B the next day. When we arrived, and after being charmed by the owners (Robert and Linda) and enjoying the beautiful scenery surrounding the B&B, we bumped our stay up to a second night. We've had an incredible time in Villefranche-de-Conflent. The town is a tiny walled city that was built in the 17th century. There is a castle, called Fort Liberia, overlooking the town which we climbed up to visit (quite a little hike, but well worth it - Bennett made it up pretty much on his own!). There are also caves nearby, which Bennett and I explored (a self guided tour which Bennett and I were solely on, no one else in the cave at the time!). The owners of the B&B informed us of some property that is for sale within the walled city which we had a look at. I'm not sure we are ready to take the leap of moving to France just yet, but we might at some point in the near future. We totally love it here! The French way of life is very compelling to us. The people are friendly and welcoming, the scenery is unbelievable and the food and wine is, arguably, the best on the planet. Italian food is awesome as well, but the French cuisine seems to encompass so much more. Also, in France, they don't mess around. If something seems wrong, they ban it. Take for example the burqa, the hideous mask covering the faces of extremist Muslim woman, not allowed here! Also, when swimming in a public place, men have to wear a speedo. While enjoying the hot springs, I had to rent a speedo to wear! Tricia loved it. Tomorrow...we are heading off to Barcelona, Spain for more adventures.
Tricia: I LOVE FRANCE! I never thought I would enjoy it this much, but I can definitely see myself living here (don't worry mom, we're still coming home). As Bart mentioned, we stayed in Villefranche and it has been so relaxing and wondrous. We managed to see a lot in the few days that we have been here and Bennett has loved the B&B we are at. The owners are amazing and they have a big, rambling property with chickens, horses, cats, dogs, guinea pigs all looking onto a river. Of course within 5 minutes, Bart had the owner's sons getting him their fishing rods! We climbed to the top of Fort Liberia and all the way down again...it has 1000 steps underground that leads back into the town. It was quite the journey and we are so happy that Bennett is strong enough now to hike on his own...because carrying him up that hill was definitely NOT an option! The town has some fantastic little restaurants which of course we tried out (Bennett loved the rabbit - although to him it was chicken!). It has been really nice being able to communicate and understand what people are saying...after all these years, Ms. Condon's french classes are paying off! We did actually check out a property within the city walls but it was NOT in good shape at all...maybe another time however. We are off to Spain and are excited to see Barcelona as we have heard great things about the city.
In Villefranche-de-Conflent, France. We have taken quite a shining to France now. It took a little bit of time, but we found a place that we could truly move to and, perhaps, start a new life! It's so nice to be able to converse with the local people in their native tongue as both Tricia and I can speak French. The 13 years of schooling en Francais is finally paying off. During our last day in Montpellier, we enjoyed an excursion to the beach. The temperatures are very nice here in the mid 20 Celsius range. Bennett loves the beach, he's a total beach bum. After Montpellier, we thought that we'd head directly down to Barcelona, Spain, but the drive would have been about 4 hours (a little long), so we picked a mid point and stayed the night in a city called Perpignan. We actually didn't spend any time exploring Perpignan, instead, for a day trip, we headed in-land a little to visit a natural hot spring called Saint Thomas Les Bains. The hot spring was ok, more of a concrete swimming pool with natural hot sulfur water flowing through it. We were so spoiled while in BC at the Liard Hot Springs (a definite bucket list item), and nothing really compares to it. Nonetheless, we all had a great time relaxing in the hot springs in France. However, while venturing to the hot springs, we spied a very nice looking B&B (called A l'Ombre du Fort) on the side of the road near a very small town called Villefranche-de-Conflent. I coerced Tricia to go inside the B&B and check if they had availability, which they did and we booked for the following night. So, we left Perpignan, and headed to our B&B the next day. When we arrived, and after being charmed by the owners (Robert and Linda) and enjoying the beautiful scenery surrounding the B&B, we bumped our stay up to a second night. We've had an incredible time in Villefranche-de-Conflent. The town is a tiny walled city that was built in the 17th century. There is a castle, called Fort Liberia, overlooking the town which we climbed up to visit (quite a little hike, but well worth it - Bennett made it up pretty much on his own!). There are also caves nearby, which Bennett and I explored (a self guided tour which Bennett and I were solely on, no one else in the cave at the time!). The owners of the B&B informed us of some property that is for sale within the walled city which we had a look at. I'm not sure we are ready to take the leap of moving to France just yet, but we might at some point in the near future. We totally love it here! The French way of life is very compelling to us. The people are friendly and welcoming, the scenery is unbelievable and the food and wine is, arguably, the best on the planet. Italian food is awesome as well, but the French cuisine seems to encompass so much more. Also, in France, they don't mess around. If something seems wrong, they ban it. Take for example the burqa, the hideous mask covering the faces of extremist Muslim woman, not allowed here! Also, when swimming in a public place, men have to wear a speedo. While enjoying the hot springs, I had to rent a speedo to wear! Tricia loved it. Tomorrow...we are heading off to Barcelona, Spain for more adventures.
Tricia: I LOVE FRANCE! I never thought I would enjoy it this much, but I can definitely see myself living here (don't worry mom, we're still coming home). As Bart mentioned, we stayed in Villefranche and it has been so relaxing and wondrous. We managed to see a lot in the few days that we have been here and Bennett has loved the B&B we are at. The owners are amazing and they have a big, rambling property with chickens, horses, cats, dogs, guinea pigs all looking onto a river. Of course within 5 minutes, Bart had the owner's sons getting him their fishing rods! We climbed to the top of Fort Liberia and all the way down again...it has 1000 steps underground that leads back into the town. It was quite the journey and we are so happy that Bennett is strong enough now to hike on his own...because carrying him up that hill was definitely NOT an option! The town has some fantastic little restaurants which of course we tried out (Bennett loved the rabbit - although to him it was chicken!). It has been really nice being able to communicate and understand what people are saying...after all these years, Ms. Condon's french classes are paying off! We did actually check out a property within the city walls but it was NOT in good shape at all...maybe another time however. We are off to Spain and are excited to see Barcelona as we have heard great things about the city.
April 9, 2014.
In Montpellier, France. Vive la France baby!! After enjoying Genoa, Italy, we headed on the road into the south of France. There's a different feel once you cross the border into France. The scenery is beautiful, in some places I think it is actually similar to Australia, with red rocky hills and beautiful beaches. Nobody speeds in France as they have photo radar everywhere (unlink in Italy where in some places they also have photo radar, but everyone seems to ignore it). Our first night in France was spent in a smaller town called Juan les Pins which is in the Antibes area. We would have liked to have stayed in Nice, but the prices were crazy expensive. At our Marriott hotel in Juan les Pins, we spent 160 Euros (about $240 CDN) for a postage stamp sized room which had 2 single beds in it. We were not overly impressed. If we had mountains of cash, I'm sure we could have done a lot better, but alas, we are on a budget. Juan les Pins is a beach town but it did not really offer much for us and we only spent the one night. Our next night was spent in Marseilles. We were very unimpressed with Marseilles. It's a crapper. It might have been the area we've stayed in, although according to Tripadvisor the North African Quarter is supposed to be good. We found it dirty and un-charming. Our hotel was terrible. You could not even stop in front of the hotel to unpack your bags as the street was so narrow that traffic could not flow if you stopped. There were tonnes of dirty old hag prostitutes on our street. We got out of Marseilles fast. France has redeemed itself now in Montpellier. Our hotel, another Marriott (of course!) is situated very close to the historical district. They have an excellent tram system here that, from our hotel, takes about 10 minutes to get to the fantastic walking area in the historical district. There are beautiful green spaces here for walking and parks for Bennett to play in. The food is France has been fantastic. In the three days that we've spend in France so far, I've enjoyed escargot, mussels and a wonderful lobster bisque. We like Montpellier and will be spending an extra day here before heading off to Spain the day after tomorrow.
In Montpellier, France. Vive la France baby!! After enjoying Genoa, Italy, we headed on the road into the south of France. There's a different feel once you cross the border into France. The scenery is beautiful, in some places I think it is actually similar to Australia, with red rocky hills and beautiful beaches. Nobody speeds in France as they have photo radar everywhere (unlink in Italy where in some places they also have photo radar, but everyone seems to ignore it). Our first night in France was spent in a smaller town called Juan les Pins which is in the Antibes area. We would have liked to have stayed in Nice, but the prices were crazy expensive. At our Marriott hotel in Juan les Pins, we spent 160 Euros (about $240 CDN) for a postage stamp sized room which had 2 single beds in it. We were not overly impressed. If we had mountains of cash, I'm sure we could have done a lot better, but alas, we are on a budget. Juan les Pins is a beach town but it did not really offer much for us and we only spent the one night. Our next night was spent in Marseilles. We were very unimpressed with Marseilles. It's a crapper. It might have been the area we've stayed in, although according to Tripadvisor the North African Quarter is supposed to be good. We found it dirty and un-charming. Our hotel was terrible. You could not even stop in front of the hotel to unpack your bags as the street was so narrow that traffic could not flow if you stopped. There were tonnes of dirty old hag prostitutes on our street. We got out of Marseilles fast. France has redeemed itself now in Montpellier. Our hotel, another Marriott (of course!) is situated very close to the historical district. They have an excellent tram system here that, from our hotel, takes about 10 minutes to get to the fantastic walking area in the historical district. There are beautiful green spaces here for walking and parks for Bennett to play in. The food is France has been fantastic. In the three days that we've spend in France so far, I've enjoyed escargot, mussels and a wonderful lobster bisque. We like Montpellier and will be spending an extra day here before heading off to Spain the day after tomorrow.
April 6, 2014.
In Genoa, Italy. We are beginning to round the bend of top of the boot of Italy. After leaving Viareggio, we headed to the area known as Cinque Terre, which as the name implies, is made up of 5 villages. We drove into the northernmost of the 5 villages, called Monterosso and, luckily, managed to find accommodation (we had not pre-booked). Our accommodations were adequate, albeit, not spectacular. We've come to the conclusion that we need more space when it comes to the hotels we stay in. Our hotel room was rather postage stamp sized. After traveling so long now, and with a 4 year old, we are finding that having a little space is a nice luxury to have. Having said that, the area of Cinque Terre is incredible! The villages are all built on the side of mountains and the views are breathtaking. The 5 villages are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. During our stay, unfortunately, the weather was rainy. There is a pedestrian path that connects all of the villages together (although some of the trail is currently closed due to landslides), which you can hike along. Not sure how long the hike would be, probably most of the day, but there is also a train that connects all of the villages as well. We took the train from Monterosso to the last village, Riomaggiore, and then took a train ride to each of the villages going back. We omitted Vernazza as, I've mentioned, the weather was poor and we were also getting a little tired. By the end of the trek, we were quite soggy, but we had a fantastic time exploring and took many pictures along the way. We had a glass of wine in each of the villages we stopped at, as well as a great meal while in Corniglia. If you like seafood, as I do, this is the place to be! I think Bennett has had either pasta or pizza of every day we've been in Italy, and why not, it's the best country for it! We only spent 2 nights in Cinque Terre and then headed off to the city of Genoa, where we currently are now. Genoa is quite big! We decided to stay at another Marriott (you just can't go wrong with Marriotts). Got the IBM discount again, which saved us 30 Euros (thanks IBM!). Being Gold members, we also get free internet (key in Europe as many places charge for it, not sure why in this day and age) as well as free breakfast, score! Yesterday, we visited the Genoa Aquarium, which is supposedly the largest in Europe. It was ok, not sure it was worth the price of admission, about 60 Euros for the 3 of us. I think, by far, the best aquarium we've seen so far is the one in Monterrey, California. Anyways, the Aquarium was still nice to see and we got to trek through the historic district of Genoa while getting there and we experienced the public transit system (via bus) in Genoa as well. We needed a little break from Italian food, so we decided to get a Big Mac meal (Bennett a Happy Meal), while in Genoa. Today, we went shopping. I've been wearing the same pair of Converse for most of the trip and they are getting a little worn (and very stinky). We went to an Outlet Mall about 40 minutes outside of Genoa. I managed to score some nice buys, but Tricia couldn't find anything! The best, however, was the "Baby Parking" area for Bennett. Free of charge, we were able to drop Bennett off while we shopped and he had fun playing with all the Italian kids. He had a great time. Tomorrow, we are heading off to France, just outside of Nice. Ca va bien!
Tricia: Cinque Terre was amazing...my parents and brother had visited years ago and it was one of their favourite places...I can see why! The towns are so quaint and beautiful. Also, because of the crappy weather, there weren't a lot of tourists which was a definite plus. I really wanted to do the hike but it would have been impossible (mostly due to the weather). Also the road between two of the towns were inaccessible and in the midst of repair. The hotel was just ok. It was TINY and Bart hit his breaking point. It is very rare to see Bart mad but the size of the room made him insane! Again, the food was spectacular. We haven't had a bad meal. But seriously, I need to get out of Italy as if not, I will not fit in the car and have to buy two airplane seats! Genoa has been a really nice surprise. I'm not sure why but I wasn't expecting a lot. The old town is amazing. We did like the acquarium but it was definitely expensive! We did go to the outlet mall - which normally I would love, but I think I have lost my passion for shopping. I am desperate need of new clothes but had no desire to shop...what the hell is wrong with me??? Bart however, shopped like a pro! Bennett was in the playground area for about 5 hours and didn't want to leave. I am really looking forward to France!
In Genoa, Italy. We are beginning to round the bend of top of the boot of Italy. After leaving Viareggio, we headed to the area known as Cinque Terre, which as the name implies, is made up of 5 villages. We drove into the northernmost of the 5 villages, called Monterosso and, luckily, managed to find accommodation (we had not pre-booked). Our accommodations were adequate, albeit, not spectacular. We've come to the conclusion that we need more space when it comes to the hotels we stay in. Our hotel room was rather postage stamp sized. After traveling so long now, and with a 4 year old, we are finding that having a little space is a nice luxury to have. Having said that, the area of Cinque Terre is incredible! The villages are all built on the side of mountains and the views are breathtaking. The 5 villages are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. During our stay, unfortunately, the weather was rainy. There is a pedestrian path that connects all of the villages together (although some of the trail is currently closed due to landslides), which you can hike along. Not sure how long the hike would be, probably most of the day, but there is also a train that connects all of the villages as well. We took the train from Monterosso to the last village, Riomaggiore, and then took a train ride to each of the villages going back. We omitted Vernazza as, I've mentioned, the weather was poor and we were also getting a little tired. By the end of the trek, we were quite soggy, but we had a fantastic time exploring and took many pictures along the way. We had a glass of wine in each of the villages we stopped at, as well as a great meal while in Corniglia. If you like seafood, as I do, this is the place to be! I think Bennett has had either pasta or pizza of every day we've been in Italy, and why not, it's the best country for it! We only spent 2 nights in Cinque Terre and then headed off to the city of Genoa, where we currently are now. Genoa is quite big! We decided to stay at another Marriott (you just can't go wrong with Marriotts). Got the IBM discount again, which saved us 30 Euros (thanks IBM!). Being Gold members, we also get free internet (key in Europe as many places charge for it, not sure why in this day and age) as well as free breakfast, score! Yesterday, we visited the Genoa Aquarium, which is supposedly the largest in Europe. It was ok, not sure it was worth the price of admission, about 60 Euros for the 3 of us. I think, by far, the best aquarium we've seen so far is the one in Monterrey, California. Anyways, the Aquarium was still nice to see and we got to trek through the historic district of Genoa while getting there and we experienced the public transit system (via bus) in Genoa as well. We needed a little break from Italian food, so we decided to get a Big Mac meal (Bennett a Happy Meal), while in Genoa. Today, we went shopping. I've been wearing the same pair of Converse for most of the trip and they are getting a little worn (and very stinky). We went to an Outlet Mall about 40 minutes outside of Genoa. I managed to score some nice buys, but Tricia couldn't find anything! The best, however, was the "Baby Parking" area for Bennett. Free of charge, we were able to drop Bennett off while we shopped and he had fun playing with all the Italian kids. He had a great time. Tomorrow, we are heading off to France, just outside of Nice. Ca va bien!
Tricia: Cinque Terre was amazing...my parents and brother had visited years ago and it was one of their favourite places...I can see why! The towns are so quaint and beautiful. Also, because of the crappy weather, there weren't a lot of tourists which was a definite plus. I really wanted to do the hike but it would have been impossible (mostly due to the weather). Also the road between two of the towns were inaccessible and in the midst of repair. The hotel was just ok. It was TINY and Bart hit his breaking point. It is very rare to see Bart mad but the size of the room made him insane! Again, the food was spectacular. We haven't had a bad meal. But seriously, I need to get out of Italy as if not, I will not fit in the car and have to buy two airplane seats! Genoa has been a really nice surprise. I'm not sure why but I wasn't expecting a lot. The old town is amazing. We did like the acquarium but it was definitely expensive! We did go to the outlet mall - which normally I would love, but I think I have lost my passion for shopping. I am desperate need of new clothes but had no desire to shop...what the hell is wrong with me??? Bart however, shopped like a pro! Bennett was in the playground area for about 5 hours and didn't want to leave. I am really looking forward to France!
April 2, 2014.
In Viareggio, Italy. We really enjoyed our time with Connor while traveling with him around the Amalfi Coast and then back to Rome. The small coastal towns of the Amalfi Coast are definite gems in Italy. During our last day in Vico Equense, we took a driving trip to Ravello and Amalfi then back through Positano and Sorrento. The scenery is spectacular and we found an excellent restaurant for lunch (I don't think there is bad food anywhere in Italy!). Traveling at this time of year is great as it's still the slow season, so the small roads are not yet choked with tourists. We eventually made our way back to Rome on March 30th (again staying at the Marriott) as Connor's flight back to Florida was leaving on the 31rst. We made it back to Rome in time for Connor and I to do one last tour of the city (while Tricia and Bennett stayed back at the hotel). Connor and I went to the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and we did a nice walking tour around Rome and we eventually stopped for dinner, which was so nice to be able to do it with just myself and Connor. Rome at night is very special as well. The soft lights add a special ambiance to the many sights of Rome. After leaving Connor in Rome, we headed north to the city of Siena and stayed in a really quaint little hotel which offered great views of the surrounding Chianti area. We learned that the city of Siena predates Roman history and was first settled by the Etruscans. The old city center of Siena had an excellent Square where Bennett ran around kicking a soccer ball for hours and we met a nice couple who were traveling with their 2 kids (one was Bennett's age of 4) and we spent hours chatting. During one of our days in Siena, we went driving around the Chianti region which has beautiful rolling hills and many wineries (many of which were closed, unfortunately, as it is still early in the season). We now have some experience with the Italian health care system. Bennett had not been feeling well for the past week, so we took into in the Pronto (Emergency in Italian) just to see if he had another ear infection. Apparently, the doctor said that he had some kind of viral infection and, thankfully, it has now seem to have run its course and we can tell as his demeanor has changed substantially to a more positive one. While in Siena, Trica visited the Siena Cathedral and I handled Bennett for a spot. Tricia took many pictures while inside the Cathedral which look spectacular. After Siena, we once again headed north and stopped for a few hours in Pisa, which is home to the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. I had actually visited the Tower when I was 16 with my Aunt and Uncle, Greg and Judy. I'm now 25 years older and the Tower is still leaning! I guess they haven't fixed it yet. Tricia and I took turns climbing the stairs up the Tower as Bennett was too young to climb and they wouldn't allow him to. We are glad that we didn't spend the night in Pisa as it's not really a "cute" place. Instead we continued further north to the city of Viareggio, which is a beach town on the west coast of Italy. Next we will be continuing on further north and eventually into France. Italy has been fantastic, keep it coming baby!!
Tricia: We were so sad that Connor had to leave! His being here was so good - we really miss him...I really miss him being able to babysit - Bart....! The two of them are like brothers (Connor being the older and more mature one). Our time on the Amalfi Coast was amazing. It is such a beautiful place. I could definitely live there! Siena was unbelievable as well...I LOVED it and in fact, I might even have liked it MORE than Amalfi. We walked the entire old town and at night we met an American family and we talked with them for about 3 hours while Bennett played with their 2 boys...he had so much fun. As Bart mentioned, we had to take Bennett into the hospital...we thought it was his ears. Since then he must be feeling better because he is a much happier kid...if he hadn't improved i was either going to send him home or leave him on the street in Italy. Seriously, he was driving us insane and was so miserable. I was able to go see the Duomo in Siena and am so happy I did. It was one of the most amazing sites I have ever seen. Absolutely stunning. Seeing the Tower of Pisa was a must do while here. I'm glad we did it although I think it might be a little overrated...We are heading to Cinque Terra and am really excited to see it.
In Viareggio, Italy. We really enjoyed our time with Connor while traveling with him around the Amalfi Coast and then back to Rome. The small coastal towns of the Amalfi Coast are definite gems in Italy. During our last day in Vico Equense, we took a driving trip to Ravello and Amalfi then back through Positano and Sorrento. The scenery is spectacular and we found an excellent restaurant for lunch (I don't think there is bad food anywhere in Italy!). Traveling at this time of year is great as it's still the slow season, so the small roads are not yet choked with tourists. We eventually made our way back to Rome on March 30th (again staying at the Marriott) as Connor's flight back to Florida was leaving on the 31rst. We made it back to Rome in time for Connor and I to do one last tour of the city (while Tricia and Bennett stayed back at the hotel). Connor and I went to the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and we did a nice walking tour around Rome and we eventually stopped for dinner, which was so nice to be able to do it with just myself and Connor. Rome at night is very special as well. The soft lights add a special ambiance to the many sights of Rome. After leaving Connor in Rome, we headed north to the city of Siena and stayed in a really quaint little hotel which offered great views of the surrounding Chianti area. We learned that the city of Siena predates Roman history and was first settled by the Etruscans. The old city center of Siena had an excellent Square where Bennett ran around kicking a soccer ball for hours and we met a nice couple who were traveling with their 2 kids (one was Bennett's age of 4) and we spent hours chatting. During one of our days in Siena, we went driving around the Chianti region which has beautiful rolling hills and many wineries (many of which were closed, unfortunately, as it is still early in the season). We now have some experience with the Italian health care system. Bennett had not been feeling well for the past week, so we took into in the Pronto (Emergency in Italian) just to see if he had another ear infection. Apparently, the doctor said that he had some kind of viral infection and, thankfully, it has now seem to have run its course and we can tell as his demeanor has changed substantially to a more positive one. While in Siena, Trica visited the Siena Cathedral and I handled Bennett for a spot. Tricia took many pictures while inside the Cathedral which look spectacular. After Siena, we once again headed north and stopped for a few hours in Pisa, which is home to the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. I had actually visited the Tower when I was 16 with my Aunt and Uncle, Greg and Judy. I'm now 25 years older and the Tower is still leaning! I guess they haven't fixed it yet. Tricia and I took turns climbing the stairs up the Tower as Bennett was too young to climb and they wouldn't allow him to. We are glad that we didn't spend the night in Pisa as it's not really a "cute" place. Instead we continued further north to the city of Viareggio, which is a beach town on the west coast of Italy. Next we will be continuing on further north and eventually into France. Italy has been fantastic, keep it coming baby!!
Tricia: We were so sad that Connor had to leave! His being here was so good - we really miss him...I really miss him being able to babysit - Bart....! The two of them are like brothers (Connor being the older and more mature one). Our time on the Amalfi Coast was amazing. It is such a beautiful place. I could definitely live there! Siena was unbelievable as well...I LOVED it and in fact, I might even have liked it MORE than Amalfi. We walked the entire old town and at night we met an American family and we talked with them for about 3 hours while Bennett played with their 2 boys...he had so much fun. As Bart mentioned, we had to take Bennett into the hospital...we thought it was his ears. Since then he must be feeling better because he is a much happier kid...if he hadn't improved i was either going to send him home or leave him on the street in Italy. Seriously, he was driving us insane and was so miserable. I was able to go see the Duomo in Siena and am so happy I did. It was one of the most amazing sites I have ever seen. Absolutely stunning. Seeing the Tower of Pisa was a must do while here. I'm glad we did it although I think it might be a little overrated...We are heading to Cinque Terra and am really excited to see it.
March 28, 2014.
In Vico Equense, Italy. We've had some incredible times over the last few days. Luckily for us, the weather turned favourable and we were able to enjoy a hike up Mount Vesuvius without rain and with beautiful views of surrounding Naples and Pompei. The sleeping volcano of Mount Vesuvius is indeed still active and we witnessed small plumes of steam emanating from the upper parts of the cone. Our hike up the volcano took about an hour and Bennett was able to make it up himself, unaided (going down was a slightly different story as he was very tired by his climb up). The small town where we currently are, in Vico Equense, is not as touristy as some of the more famous towns in the area such as Positano or Sorrento, however, these towns (and others) are all within very easy driving distance. Our current accommodation is absolutely fantastic! We have a 2 bedroom apartment (at a place called the Cubo Apartments) and it is five star. I'd say it could be the best accommodation we've had in all our months of traveling thus far (and we've stayed at a lot of places). It is pricey though, in fact everything is this region is pricey, but we figure it's money well spent as the scenery and food is stunning. Tricia and I have actually been in this region before, during our honeymoon 6 years ago, but this time we have a little more time to explore, and explore we have! We've done quite a bit of touring around with day trips to Positano, Sorrento, Amalfi and the Isle of Capri over the last couple of days. Although pretty much all the areas around here are enormous highlights, of particular fantasticness (I think I just made up a new word!) was our day trip to the Isle of Capri. Located just a short 20 minute ferry ride away from the town of Sorrento, Capri is a jewel in the Tyrrhenian Sea. When we stepped off of the ferry, we actually had no plans other than to perhaps walk around and check things out, but an old Caprian (I think that is what a person from Capri would be called) sailor type guy approached us and made us an offer to take us for a private boat ride around the island. We accepted, and did not regret it. I captured some great videos and we took tonnes of pictures during our cruise, so be sure to check them out. The sailor also allowed Connor to drive the boat, which I'm sure Connor enjoyed. After our cruise, we started to walk up to the main square in Capri, but the hike was quite arduous. About a quarter of the way up, we were approached by a taxi driver who offered to take us for a drive around the island for a very reasonable price. Our visit to the Isle of Capri offered up some very lasting memories and we were very happy to have Connor along with us to enjoy it. The area we are in is known at the Amalfi Coast and I'd say a trip here should be bucket list item for anyone. Tomorrow, we are heading back to Rome as the following day Connor will be, sadly, flying back to Florida to finish off the incredible experience he's been having over the last seven months, at a Golfing school in Orlando.
In Vico Equense, Italy. We've had some incredible times over the last few days. Luckily for us, the weather turned favourable and we were able to enjoy a hike up Mount Vesuvius without rain and with beautiful views of surrounding Naples and Pompei. The sleeping volcano of Mount Vesuvius is indeed still active and we witnessed small plumes of steam emanating from the upper parts of the cone. Our hike up the volcano took about an hour and Bennett was able to make it up himself, unaided (going down was a slightly different story as he was very tired by his climb up). The small town where we currently are, in Vico Equense, is not as touristy as some of the more famous towns in the area such as Positano or Sorrento, however, these towns (and others) are all within very easy driving distance. Our current accommodation is absolutely fantastic! We have a 2 bedroom apartment (at a place called the Cubo Apartments) and it is five star. I'd say it could be the best accommodation we've had in all our months of traveling thus far (and we've stayed at a lot of places). It is pricey though, in fact everything is this region is pricey, but we figure it's money well spent as the scenery and food is stunning. Tricia and I have actually been in this region before, during our honeymoon 6 years ago, but this time we have a little more time to explore, and explore we have! We've done quite a bit of touring around with day trips to Positano, Sorrento, Amalfi and the Isle of Capri over the last couple of days. Although pretty much all the areas around here are enormous highlights, of particular fantasticness (I think I just made up a new word!) was our day trip to the Isle of Capri. Located just a short 20 minute ferry ride away from the town of Sorrento, Capri is a jewel in the Tyrrhenian Sea. When we stepped off of the ferry, we actually had no plans other than to perhaps walk around and check things out, but an old Caprian (I think that is what a person from Capri would be called) sailor type guy approached us and made us an offer to take us for a private boat ride around the island. We accepted, and did not regret it. I captured some great videos and we took tonnes of pictures during our cruise, so be sure to check them out. The sailor also allowed Connor to drive the boat, which I'm sure Connor enjoyed. After our cruise, we started to walk up to the main square in Capri, but the hike was quite arduous. About a quarter of the way up, we were approached by a taxi driver who offered to take us for a drive around the island for a very reasonable price. Our visit to the Isle of Capri offered up some very lasting memories and we were very happy to have Connor along with us to enjoy it. The area we are in is known at the Amalfi Coast and I'd say a trip here should be bucket list item for anyone. Tomorrow, we are heading back to Rome as the following day Connor will be, sadly, flying back to Florida to finish off the incredible experience he's been having over the last seven months, at a Golfing school in Orlando.
March 25, 2014.
In Naples, Italy. Before leaving Rome, we took a guided tour through the Vatican City including St.Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel (unfortunately not pictures allowed in the Chapel). We found that taking a guided tour was very informative as there is so much history to be conveyed and it offered a much more valuable experience. The buildings, artifacts and art work are extremely impressive, St.Peter's Basilica is immense, I think the largest church in the world. The wealth of the Catholic Church seems almost absurd, obscene even. We have learned that much of the wealth was taken through the plundering of other civilizations over many centuries, so in other words, it's basically all stolen stuff! We had really enjoyed the tour we received around the Old City of Rome so we booked with the same tour guide, a very knowledgeable guy named David, who took us around the rural areas of Rome, including a stop at the original Roman road which the Roman soldiers had used, as well as to a catacomb near Rome and a area in the hilly region near Rome. The tour also included a 5 course lunch at an Italian restaurant which included several different pastas, local wine and a locally cured meat platter. We have experienced quite a bit in and around Rome, but there is still much more to see for future trips back. After Rome, we drove south down to Naples (about a 2 hour drive) where we've rented an apartment in the downtown historic section. We are not overly impressed with our accommodation (Tricia is particularly not happy here), but we've decided to stick out our rental period at the apartment. The location is excellent, lots of great places to walk around to. The city of Naples itself is rather dirty and run down. Traffic is chaotic, rather similar to Cambodia style! Almost every car here has body damage and I'm a little scared that I opted not to take the extra insurance on our rental vehicle. We actually incurred some damage to our last rental vehicle in Germany which Hertz dinged me for 450 Euros (luckily my Amex card is covering the damage costs for that). Walking around the old historic section of Naples is fun, there are so many little shops, restaurants, cafes and interesting looking buildings. The roads and sideways are tiny and all made of old cobble stone, but it is quite dirty here, lots of trash on the ground and graffiti on the walls. It's still very interesting to walk around though. Today, we took a small road trip out to the village of Pompeii. The old city of Pompeii was a town that was destroyed and buried by layers of ash about 2000 years ago by the nearby eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius. The town was unearthed and rediscovered over the last 400 years and is now a very popular tourist destination (and has been for over 250 years). Amazing to see how people lived and what they lived in 2000 years ago. During excavation, plaster was used to fill in areas where people were and you can see how they looked during the exact moment they perished from the volcanic blast. Unfortunately, the weather was quite poor, cool and rainy as we explored Pompeii. This evening, Tricia and I finally made it out on our own for dinner while Connor babysit. We had an excellent Neapolitan meal, quite a romantic dinner actually (I had 2 fish dishes including one dish of anchovy, awesome!). Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will drive to nearby Mount Vesuvius and hike to the top of the cone.
Tricia: I have not written in a while but we've been busy! First off, having Connor here is so GOOD. He has changed so much in the past 6 months or so that it is remarkable. Bennett has missed him so much too. He couldn't wait for him to get here! Connor is also so good with Bennett that it gives Bart and I a little break. (and Bennett too, as I am sure he is sick of us!) Rome was fantastic and as Bart said, we saw so much. The tours we took were great and the guide David was amazing. He had such in depth knowledge. He took us into the hills above Rome and we were able to see places away from the main tourist areas. I sat next to a British couple who were lovely and we ate and drank for about 3 hours! The food just kept coming...seriously, i might need to pay for 2 seats on the way home. The food is so GOOD...and pasta is my favourite food on earth...good thing we are walking so much. I have to say that Naples is definitely not for me. I just don't get a good feel here...which is rare for me. A lot of it is because i HATE the place we are staying. We rented it off tripadvisor and it had great reviews but it sucks...I feel like i am staying in a hostel. I wanted to leave yesterday but Bart and Connor wouldn't let me...let's just say they will not be getting a good review from me! I am really looking forward to Positano as it holds such great memories for us. Hopefully the weather gets better!
In Naples, Italy. Before leaving Rome, we took a guided tour through the Vatican City including St.Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel (unfortunately not pictures allowed in the Chapel). We found that taking a guided tour was very informative as there is so much history to be conveyed and it offered a much more valuable experience. The buildings, artifacts and art work are extremely impressive, St.Peter's Basilica is immense, I think the largest church in the world. The wealth of the Catholic Church seems almost absurd, obscene even. We have learned that much of the wealth was taken through the plundering of other civilizations over many centuries, so in other words, it's basically all stolen stuff! We had really enjoyed the tour we received around the Old City of Rome so we booked with the same tour guide, a very knowledgeable guy named David, who took us around the rural areas of Rome, including a stop at the original Roman road which the Roman soldiers had used, as well as to a catacomb near Rome and a area in the hilly region near Rome. The tour also included a 5 course lunch at an Italian restaurant which included several different pastas, local wine and a locally cured meat platter. We have experienced quite a bit in and around Rome, but there is still much more to see for future trips back. After Rome, we drove south down to Naples (about a 2 hour drive) where we've rented an apartment in the downtown historic section. We are not overly impressed with our accommodation (Tricia is particularly not happy here), but we've decided to stick out our rental period at the apartment. The location is excellent, lots of great places to walk around to. The city of Naples itself is rather dirty and run down. Traffic is chaotic, rather similar to Cambodia style! Almost every car here has body damage and I'm a little scared that I opted not to take the extra insurance on our rental vehicle. We actually incurred some damage to our last rental vehicle in Germany which Hertz dinged me for 450 Euros (luckily my Amex card is covering the damage costs for that). Walking around the old historic section of Naples is fun, there are so many little shops, restaurants, cafes and interesting looking buildings. The roads and sideways are tiny and all made of old cobble stone, but it is quite dirty here, lots of trash on the ground and graffiti on the walls. It's still very interesting to walk around though. Today, we took a small road trip out to the village of Pompeii. The old city of Pompeii was a town that was destroyed and buried by layers of ash about 2000 years ago by the nearby eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius. The town was unearthed and rediscovered over the last 400 years and is now a very popular tourist destination (and has been for over 250 years). Amazing to see how people lived and what they lived in 2000 years ago. During excavation, plaster was used to fill in areas where people were and you can see how they looked during the exact moment they perished from the volcanic blast. Unfortunately, the weather was quite poor, cool and rainy as we explored Pompeii. This evening, Tricia and I finally made it out on our own for dinner while Connor babysit. We had an excellent Neapolitan meal, quite a romantic dinner actually (I had 2 fish dishes including one dish of anchovy, awesome!). Tomorrow, weather permitting, we will drive to nearby Mount Vesuvius and hike to the top of the cone.
Tricia: I have not written in a while but we've been busy! First off, having Connor here is so GOOD. He has changed so much in the past 6 months or so that it is remarkable. Bennett has missed him so much too. He couldn't wait for him to get here! Connor is also so good with Bennett that it gives Bart and I a little break. (and Bennett too, as I am sure he is sick of us!) Rome was fantastic and as Bart said, we saw so much. The tours we took were great and the guide David was amazing. He had such in depth knowledge. He took us into the hills above Rome and we were able to see places away from the main tourist areas. I sat next to a British couple who were lovely and we ate and drank for about 3 hours! The food just kept coming...seriously, i might need to pay for 2 seats on the way home. The food is so GOOD...and pasta is my favourite food on earth...good thing we are walking so much. I have to say that Naples is definitely not for me. I just don't get a good feel here...which is rare for me. A lot of it is because i HATE the place we are staying. We rented it off tripadvisor and it had great reviews but it sucks...I feel like i am staying in a hostel. I wanted to leave yesterday but Bart and Connor wouldn't let me...let's just say they will not be getting a good review from me! I am really looking forward to Positano as it holds such great memories for us. Hopefully the weather gets better!
March 21, 2014.
In Rome, Italy. The last time we were in Italy was six years ago during our honeymoon. This time we have a kid in tow (actually 2 kids now that Connor is here with us). We flew into Rome 3 days ago, from Frankfurt, on a really cheap Ryanair flight. During our first 2 days/nights in Rome, we stayed at the Rome Marriott Park Hotel which is about a 30 minute drive from the downtown center. Our reason for staying outside of the center is that we are awaiting the arrival of Connor (my 18 year old son) and we didn't want to be in the center of the sight-seeing action until he arrived with us as we have arranged for a centrally located apartment rental in the downtown for when he arrives. Rome, and Italy, is all that we remember. Amazing food, great climate, very friendly people and deep history. During our stay at the Marriott Hotel, we did not venture far away from the hotel as we kind of wanted to recharge and relax a little after our whirlwind trip through Central and Eastern Europe (well, some might not consider Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, etc. as Eastern European countries but geographically speaking they are more in the eastern quadrant of Europe). We received a nice upgrade, once again, at the Marriott Hotel thanks to my gold membership, nice!! There was an incredible whirlpool at the Hotel, largest one I've ever seen, that Bennett and I enjoyed quite a few visits to. Two days ago, we left the Marriott Hotel and checked into the downtown apartment that we've rented for 4 nights. Our apartment is in a fantastic, non touristy part of Rome, close to the Monti Tiburtini subway stop, which is only a 20 minute (6 stop subway ride) to the Colosseum. We really feel like locals while staying at the apartment and there is everything we need within easy walking distance such as a grocery store, fruit stand, cafes, wine store and nice restaurants. During our first day at the apartment, we took the subway to the Colosseum, not to go inside as we wanted to wait for Connor, but just to do a little exploring and have dinner. The evening lights cast a beautiful glow on the exterior walls of the Colosseum and the surrounding ruins. Today, Connor arrived and I picked him up from the airport at 7AM. We haven't seen Connor in 7 months, so we were all excited to see him! He's a grown man now and has really matured! After breakfast, we all ventured back onto the subway and headed down to the Colosseum once again. As we walked out of the subway station, we were approached by an English speaking tour operator and were offered a great package tour deal for the Colosseum and the Old Rome City, which we accepted. Part of the benefit of the tour was you get to skip the ticket lineup for the Colosseum (which in itself can be over an hour of queuing). The Colosseum is an incredible place, almost 2 thousand years old, and our tour guide was great at explaining its history. Events held within the building, during the times of the Roman Empire, were free for all of the Roman Citizens. The Events that occurred were mostly of blood and guts, including the gladiator competitions and public executions (where criminals would be ripped apart by exotic wild beasts). We all very much enjoyed our tour within the Colosseum and afterwards, our tour continued into the Old City of Rome. It's incredible that the form of Government that we have today (in Canada and many other countries) all stem from the Romans. The Old City of Rome is in complete ruins and only small parts of the original buildings exist today, so you have to use your imagination a little when picturing what it looked like 2000 years ago. After our tours, Tricia and Connor went off on their own to do more exploring while I took Bennett back to our apartment. The Metro system here is a little small to accommodate the amount of people who use it and, although Bennett and I tried, we were not able to get onto a train (it was rush hour), so we ended up taking a taxi ride back to the apartment. For dinner, we went back to a local restaurant, near our apartment, which we had eaten lunch at when we first arrived at the apartment. We had a awesome meal, all locals in the restaurant, and the waiters were extremely friendly. They brought out some Grappa and Limoncella at the end of our meal and we all had several shots (including Connor, no drinking age here!). There is so much to see in Rome. Tomorrow we plan to visit the Vatican City as well as the Pantheon. We think that Connor is really enjoying his time thus far, his first time in a non English speaking country!
In Rome, Italy. The last time we were in Italy was six years ago during our honeymoon. This time we have a kid in tow (actually 2 kids now that Connor is here with us). We flew into Rome 3 days ago, from Frankfurt, on a really cheap Ryanair flight. During our first 2 days/nights in Rome, we stayed at the Rome Marriott Park Hotel which is about a 30 minute drive from the downtown center. Our reason for staying outside of the center is that we are awaiting the arrival of Connor (my 18 year old son) and we didn't want to be in the center of the sight-seeing action until he arrived with us as we have arranged for a centrally located apartment rental in the downtown for when he arrives. Rome, and Italy, is all that we remember. Amazing food, great climate, very friendly people and deep history. During our stay at the Marriott Hotel, we did not venture far away from the hotel as we kind of wanted to recharge and relax a little after our whirlwind trip through Central and Eastern Europe (well, some might not consider Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, etc. as Eastern European countries but geographically speaking they are more in the eastern quadrant of Europe). We received a nice upgrade, once again, at the Marriott Hotel thanks to my gold membership, nice!! There was an incredible whirlpool at the Hotel, largest one I've ever seen, that Bennett and I enjoyed quite a few visits to. Two days ago, we left the Marriott Hotel and checked into the downtown apartment that we've rented for 4 nights. Our apartment is in a fantastic, non touristy part of Rome, close to the Monti Tiburtini subway stop, which is only a 20 minute (6 stop subway ride) to the Colosseum. We really feel like locals while staying at the apartment and there is everything we need within easy walking distance such as a grocery store, fruit stand, cafes, wine store and nice restaurants. During our first day at the apartment, we took the subway to the Colosseum, not to go inside as we wanted to wait for Connor, but just to do a little exploring and have dinner. The evening lights cast a beautiful glow on the exterior walls of the Colosseum and the surrounding ruins. Today, Connor arrived and I picked him up from the airport at 7AM. We haven't seen Connor in 7 months, so we were all excited to see him! He's a grown man now and has really matured! After breakfast, we all ventured back onto the subway and headed down to the Colosseum once again. As we walked out of the subway station, we were approached by an English speaking tour operator and were offered a great package tour deal for the Colosseum and the Old Rome City, which we accepted. Part of the benefit of the tour was you get to skip the ticket lineup for the Colosseum (which in itself can be over an hour of queuing). The Colosseum is an incredible place, almost 2 thousand years old, and our tour guide was great at explaining its history. Events held within the building, during the times of the Roman Empire, were free for all of the Roman Citizens. The Events that occurred were mostly of blood and guts, including the gladiator competitions and public executions (where criminals would be ripped apart by exotic wild beasts). We all very much enjoyed our tour within the Colosseum and afterwards, our tour continued into the Old City of Rome. It's incredible that the form of Government that we have today (in Canada and many other countries) all stem from the Romans. The Old City of Rome is in complete ruins and only small parts of the original buildings exist today, so you have to use your imagination a little when picturing what it looked like 2000 years ago. After our tours, Tricia and Connor went off on their own to do more exploring while I took Bennett back to our apartment. The Metro system here is a little small to accommodate the amount of people who use it and, although Bennett and I tried, we were not able to get onto a train (it was rush hour), so we ended up taking a taxi ride back to the apartment. For dinner, we went back to a local restaurant, near our apartment, which we had eaten lunch at when we first arrived at the apartment. We had a awesome meal, all locals in the restaurant, and the waiters were extremely friendly. They brought out some Grappa and Limoncella at the end of our meal and we all had several shots (including Connor, no drinking age here!). There is so much to see in Rome. Tomorrow we plan to visit the Vatican City as well as the Pantheon. We think that Connor is really enjoying his time thus far, his first time in a non English speaking country!