Last Couple Days

My last couple of days in England were a combination of relaxation and busy times.  We spent a day at Dad & Jo's house so they could do some work.  It was nice to laze around for a day!

On Wednesday we made our way to London.  We went to visit with Jo's Nan (grandma), and had supper with Jo's parents.  It was nice to see them again.  In the evening I went with Dad and Jo to see Wicked!  It was my third time seeing the broadway show, and their first.  I loved every second of it, just as much as the other 2 times I saw it!  

On Thursday we met up with my step-brother Jesh and his girlfriend, Ariam.  We drove out to Stonehenge, which was a couple hours away.  I found it quite fascinating.  It was so nice to spend the time with Jesh and Ariam!  We went out for supper together as well, and ate at a great pizza place.  They do pizza by the metre!  It was delicious.

I had an uneventful trip home yesterday.  As amazing as my summer was, it feels pretty great to finally be at home!  Now it's time to rest, recuperate and spend time with friends and family before going back to work in a couple of weeks.

This will be the final post on this blog, since my Summer in Europe is finished!  It's hard to believe it's done.  Right now it feels a bit like it was a dream.  I guess it kind of was!  It was a dream come true!  Until next time, Europe!

Dereham, England - Part 3

Another lovely couple of days gone by.  We spent a day in beautiful Cambridge.  We went punting down the river along The Backs.  We got to see many of the pretty colleges.  It was a relaxing ride and we enjoyed the sights.  We had a delicious lunch overlooking the canal, and wandered around Cambridge.

Yesterday afternoon we went into Norwich, the nearest big city.  We had tea, walked along the river, went to a movie and had supper at a great restaurant that used to be a library.  Comfy seats, delicious food and books everywhere!  Lovely!

Dereham, England - Part 2

I've had a lovely couple of days here in Dereham.  Yesterday morning we headed to Great Yarmouth to meet Jo's (my step-mom) brother, his wife and their son.  We enjoyed coffee and conversation with them.  We walked around the town for awhile and ate lunch at a pub.  Great Yarmouth is a vacation town and a sea port.  There are lots of game rooms, casinos, mini-golf courses and amusement rides.  It was fun to explore the town.

Yesterday evening we made our way to Cromer to go to a show at the theatre on the pier.  It was called Seaside Special, and it was a vaudeville-type experience.  There was fabulous singing and dancing, a talented magician and a few comedians.  Such a fun night!

We have enjoyed some down-time today.  This afternoon we did go to an adorable town called Holt for afternoon tea and shopping, but otherwise we are just relaxing and enjoying each other's company!

Dereham, England - Part 1

I have made it safely to my dad and step-mom Jo's house in Dereham, England.  They picked me up from the airport (I was seeing mom off on Wednesday), and we went to the most adorable little pub in a small town near Dereham for lunch.  We spent the rest of the day relaxing.  Felt so good after being so busy for 5 weeks!

Today dad and I spent some time downtown, and then my step-sister, Danah, came over with her fiance, John, and 4 boys for a BBQ.  I had a blast spending time with my gorgeous step-nephews!    

We have some things planned over the next few days, so stay tuned for a couple more posts!

London, England - Part 2

What a busy day today!  We realized that we really had only one full day in London, so we crammed in as much as we could.  

We first went to see Big Ben and the Parliament buildings.  What a stunning building!  We went down the street to Westminster Abbey.  Since both of us had been inside before, we decided to just take in it's beauty from the outside.  Another incredible piece of architecture and art.

We walked to Buckingham Palace and happened upon the Changing of the Guard.  We weren't too pleased about this, since it means the crowds in front of the Palace are insane.  We had both seen the Changing of the Guard before, so we were really just interested in seeing the Palace!  We fought the crowds and spent a few minutes there.

We then walked down The Mall to Trafalgar Square, where we had lunch at a great pub.  We then walked back to the Thames and walked along the South Bank until we reached the Millennium Bridge.  We walked across this fascinating structure toward St. Paul's Cathedral on the other side of the river.  We went inside the Cathedral and toured around with an audio guide.  While mom was wandering around in the crypt (I had finished touring and was waiting at Starbucks), a group of people all wearing purple choir robes walked by and she followed them upstairs to the Cathedral floor.  The choir was preparing for a service and had a practice right then.  It was a mixed choir of about 60 people.  She said it was absolutely gorgeous.  Food for the soul.  Kinda regret my Starbucks.  :-)

We made a quick trip to Kensington Palace, but were disappointed in the amount of construction / restoration happening to the building.  It was hard to see the Palace itself.  

We rushed back to our apartment, changed, and rushed to the Piccadilly Circus area for our Broadway show!  We went to see The Book of Mormon.  While it would certainly not be for everyone (incredibly irreverent and probably offensive), we loved it!  It was hysterically funny and the singing and dancing were phenomenal.  We are Broadway fanatics, so this was the perfect way to end our trip!

Mom flies home tomorrow.  I am heading to the Norfolk area to spend some time with my dad and step-mom.  I fly home on August 16.  I may do a couple of more blog posts, but most of our time will be pretty low-key.

At the beginning of the trip it seemed that 5 weeks was so long.  But it has flew by and we have had the time of our lives!  There are so many more stories to tell, but we'll save those to tell in person.

Thanks for all of your well-wishes, prayers and encouragement for us during this time!  And thanks for 'coming along' with us during our Summer in Europe!

London, England - Part 1

We left lovely Paris this morning and took the Eurostar train under the English Channel to London.  We easily found our flat (which is so big and beautiful!), and met our wonderful host.  

We went to the Tower of London first, to see the Crown Jewels.  So pretty and sparkly!  We took in some of the other exhibits too, like the disturbing torture chamber.  

In true London fashion, it started to rain heavily.  We were completely unprepared, since this was only our second rain of the summer!  So, of course we had left our rain jackets / ponchos and umbrellas at the flat.  So we ran to the nearest Starbucks to wait it out.  

When it let up, we walked across Tower Bridge and then walked along the Thames South Bank.  We ate fabulous fish & chips and drank Pimms & Lemonade at a great pub on the Thames.  

We had planned to walk to Big Ben, but it began raining again.  So we called it an early evening and will be better prepared tomorrow!

Paris, France - Part 3

For our last full day in Paris we decided to go see the Palace of Versailles.  Unfortunately, so did several thousand other people.  The line-ups and the crowds were overwhelming.  For those of you who know me well, you know that I absolutely hate crowds, especially in confining spaces.  I whipped through the Palace quickly and waited outside for mom.  Since I couldn't really enjoy what I was seeing, this is how she felt about Versailles:

"It was a gilded, opulent nod to the indulgences of Louis XIV.  The famous Hall of Mirrors was amazing, and it was interesting to see that even the bed chambers of the King and Queen were used to conduct business transactions.  While the rooms were intact, the original furniture was all carted away due to the French Revolution.  They are still trying to find furnishings of that period so that some of the rooms can be returned to their former glory. In spite of the crowds, I'm glad I saw it."

After Versailles, we went to the Arc de Triomphe.  We wimped out and found the elevator that took took us to the top, instead of climbing the stairs.  Paris is stunning from up there!  The Eiffel Tower looks pretty spectacular, although it almost looks fake!  Maybe I'm just not used to seeing such a famous monument in person yet.

One of the last things that mom wanted to do was walk down the Champs-Elysees.  We did some window shopping, decided that it was way out of our league, and went back to the neighbourhood we are staying in (Montmartre).  We had a delicious dinner, and found a fantastic specialty chocolate shop for dessert.

We leave Paris in the morning and head to London, which is our last stop on this incredible trip!  

Au revoir Paris!  Merci beaucoup!

Paris, France - Part 2

This morning we tackled The Louvre.  We decided that audio guides were the way to go, and we both followed "The Masterpieces" tour.  We only saw a small portion of the museum (over 65,000 pieces of art there - that would take days to see everything!), but we saw what we wanted to see!  Standing before the Mona Lisa was amazing!

We made our way to the Notre Dame Cathedral.  We decided that we had climbed enough stairs during this trip, so we opted to not climb to the top.  We did go inside and walked around the building.  Stunning!

After a bite to eat (French cheeses and crepes!), we spent a couple of hours relaxing at our apartment so we could be ready for....

Moulin Rouge's show Feerie!  We went to the 11 pm show.  Oh the sequins, feathers, lights, massive snakes (eek!), miniature ponies (??), and yes, the many topless women.  The dancing was great, the singing was great (except the horrible lip-synching), the wine was flowing and the acrobatics were phenomenal!  It was a night to remember!  

Paris, France - Part 1

What a day!  We had to get up crazy early (4:00 am), so we would be able to get to the airport in Santorini on time for our flight.  We flew to Athens, then to Paris!  We arrived at our apartment around 3:00 pm, settled in (apartment is nice but TINY!), had lunch and set off to see some sights!  We hadn't planned to do much today because of our early start, but we ended up being quite busy!

We walked to the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur, which is about a 5 minute walk from our apartment.  So so beautiful.  We hiked up yet another large set of stairs to enter the Basilica.  Simply gorgeous inside!  Couldn't take any pictures though.   

We decided that we want to take in the Moulin Rouge show, Feerie, while we are here.  We went to search out the theatre to buy tickets for tomorrow night!  Can't wait!

We felt that we still had energy to do more, so we went to the Eiffel Tower.  I definitely had a moment there!  Not only is it beautiful and famous, it is an amazing feat of architecture as well.  We went up to the very top (that's for you, Lois!) by elevator.  We were NOT about to climb 702 steps to get part-way up!  The view of Paris from 281 metres up was incredible!

We had supper nearby, and then went back to the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower and just sat and looked at it.  The sun set and created a beautiful pink backdrop.  When it was dark enough the lights came on and it was stunning!  We sat there for about an hour, just taking it in.  What we didn't know was that every hour the tower sparkles for a few minutes.  Amazing! It was a perfect evening, gazing at a perfect sight.  

Santorini, Greece - Part 2

Last night we took in the famous Santorini sunset.  Crowds of people were gathered to watch it.  It honestly looked very similar to our beautiful prairie sunsets, with the added bonus of the sea.  We figured that most of the people there are not used to such vibrant sunsets, because they all burst into applause when it was done!  Too funny!

Today we decided that we had earned a “day off”. We went down to a cafe/lounge/pool and spent the day there. It was amazing! We scored some lounge chairs, which overlooked the pool and the sea. The chairs and pool were free to use, but you had to order from the cafe/bar. And order we did! It was hard to resist when the food and drinks were brought right to your lounge chair.

Tomorrow we have to be ready to leave at 5:00 am, in order to catch a taxi to bring us to the airport for our 7:00 flight back to Athens. Then we fly to Paris! Our few days in Greece have been lovely and we would both like to come back one day!

Santorini, Greece - Part 1

We had another early morning today. We were on our way by 6:20 to head to the ferry. It was a 4 1/2 hour ferry ride from Athens to Santorini. When we arrived, we were met by a driver, who took us and a few other people to the town of Oia. A wonderful man named Vasily met us at the van and brought us to Nina's House, the name of our cave house. He carried both of our suitcases the whole way, in 30+ heat, up and down many stairs. The stairs here are very rough and uneven, making it hard on the knees to walk them. Glad we didn't have to carry our heavy suitcases as well!

Oh. My. Word. It is incredibly beautiful here! We have the most amazing view of the Aegean Sea and the Calderra (formations left behind by past volcanic eruptions) from our doorstep. The little white buildings with their blue roofs are deservedly famous. We spent the afternoon walking, shopping and eating delicious Greek food.

We also had a new experience – we let little fish nibble at our feet! We were passing by the “Kissing Fish – Fish Spa Concepts”, and were intrigued. We went in and the people receiving treatment convinced us to try it. The little fish are called Garra Rufa, and they have no teeth. They somehow eat the dead skin off of your feet! It's supposed to help with circulation as well. It was an interesting sensation – it tingled. We were both a little nervous to do it, but enjoyed it in the end!

We've been told that the best sunsets in the world are seen here, so we'll check that out tonight.

We are planning a relaxing day tomorrow – we've had a couple of busy days and early mornings!

(bought a new adapter today, so pics are up!)

Athens, Greece

We arrived safe and tired this afternoon in Athens.  We had to leave our place in Positano at 6:00 am, had a hired driver take us to Sorrento, got on a train to Naples, switched trains in Naples, arrived in Rome, got on another train to the airport, flew to Athens, took a taxi to our apartment, and finally arrived at our apartment around 6:00.  Whew!  This travelling business is tiring!  We were a little nervous about missing our flight to Athens, but everything worked out beautifully.

We are only in Athens for this one night.  Our apartment is nice, and it's very close to the Acropolis.  We went to see it, although it's hard to see from the road.  Lots of trees surrounding it.  We found a great restaurant for supper and ate authentic Greek food.  Yum!  We are leaving early tomorrow morning to catch a ferry to Santorini.  Can't wait!

I managed to break my plug adaptor, so the pictures on the blog will have to wait until I can buy another one.  Uploading pics uses a lot of battery juice!  I'll get around to it as soon as possible!

Positano, Italy - Part 2

Today was our last full day in Italy, and we spent most of it on the water!  We took a ferry to the Island of Capri.  We wanted to see the Blue Grotto so we decided to take a boat tour around the island.  We saw the Coral Grotto, White Grotto, Green Grotto and finally the Blue Grotto.  They were all gorgeous.  

The other grottos are visible from the boat, but the Blue Grotto is inside a cave.  When we arrived, our boat stopped and several row boats came to bring us inside the cave.  The opening is so small, you have to lie down in the boat so you don't hit your head.  Quite an adventure!  The Blue Grotto is visually stunning.  The water in the cave is actually glowing an electric blue.  Incredible!

We took the ferry back to Positano, did some shopping, and took our last terrifying bus ride along the Amalfi coast.  Not sorry we don't have to do that again!

We have to leave EARLY tomorrow morning in order to catch our plane in Rome to Athens.  The bus doesn't run as early as we need to leave, so our host ordered a taxi for us to take us to the train station in Sorrento.  We have to take 2 trains to get to Rome, and then make our way to the airport to catch our flight.  Hopefully everything is on time!

Ciao, Italy!  We thank you for 15 amazing days! 

Positano, Italy - Part 1

We arrived in Positano, on the Amalfi coast, yesterday afternoon. We are actually staying in Nocelle, which is a small community, literally clinging to the sides of the cliffs above Positano. We had to take 2 trains and 2 busses to get here. It took about 5 hours to get here from Rome, not because of distance, but because the roads are insane. Narrow and winding. The bus driver has to honk his horn when he drives around a corner to warn oncoming traffic, because there is not room for 2 vehicles to pass one another for most of the way. We met several vehicles on the road, and they had to back up to a point where they could pull off and let the bus pass. It was absolutely terrifying.

We arrived at our bus stop, and weren't sure how to get to Villa Sofia. We found a sign to the Villa, and a very nice local woman whipped out her cell phone and called for us. She didn't speak any English, but she was incredibly helpful. Our host, Luciana, came to meet us 5 minutes later and put our luggage on a 'lift', which is like a mini cable-car. So the luggage got a ride, and we got to walk all 291 steps to the Villa.

Our first night were in a smaller place without air conditioning (have I mentioned how hot it is here??), but now we are in 'Paradise' (the name of our new apartment). We have lots of space, and the very important air conditioning.

Last night Luciana suggested a restaurant to us. The restaurant provides a free shuttle service to the places 'on the rocks'. We only needed to climb the 291 steps, and we were picked up and brought to the stunning Ristorante Scirocco. The man who picked us up was the son of the owner, Antonio. Antonio was waiting for us at the entrance to the restaurant and welcomed us warmly. He was so hospitable and encouraged us to make ourselves at home. We had a fabulous dinner, with a stunning view. He threw in a number of 'freebies', including heart-shaped watermelon for dessert, and insisted on us having Limoncello. It was a wonderful evening.

Today we spent at the beach in Positano. Luciana told us we could walk down the 2,000 (!!!) steps to get there, or we could take the terrifying bus ride again. We figured we'd rather die on the bus than die on step 1,500, so we braved the bus. And survived. :-) We rented a couple of lounge chairs because the beach had no sand. It's only rocks. We haven't seen a beach with sand yet. It was way too hot in the sun, so we stayed in the shade all day (except for quick dips in the water). We somehow still managed to get some sun. We both needed the rest and relaxation and enjoyed it immensely!

Rome, Italy - Part 4

We started the morning by seeking out the Pantheon again, in order to go inside.  It was nice to not have to wait in line for an attraction that we wanted to see.  It was also free!  Bonus.  This building was founded by Agrippa before the time of Christ.  Unreal!  It was re-built in the year 118, and converted to a church in 608.  Hard to believe!  The tombs of the Kings of Italy and the painter, Raphael, are housed there.

We spent some time at a large market, Campo de Fiori.  I wasn't feeling well (I've come down with a nasty cold), so mom went to the Piazza del Popolo (lots of beautiful statues and fountains) and Castel Sant 'Angelo on her own while I rested.  The Castel was built in year 138.

We very much enjoyed our time in Rome.  We hope to be back one day!

Rome, Italy - Part 3

Another blistering hot day in Rome. We know we shouldn't complain about the weather, but it has definitely slowed our sight-seeing down. It's impossible to walk around outside all day in that kind of heat. We are making the best of it, however, and we went to see some ruins today.

We started off with the Colosseum. We took the metro, and were shocked when we stepped out of the metro station and the Colosseum was looming right over us. It's hard to fathom how old the building is when it is surrounded by more modern things, like the metro. It's amazing how much of the building is still intact after almost 2000 years. We went inside and enjoyed wandering about the ruins.

We went across the street to the Palatino, another set of ruins. While it was very interesting, at some point one ruin does start to look like another. :-)

We spent this evening with a dear friend of ours, Ernesto. He lives here in Rome. He took us to a fantastic restaurant for dinner, and then showed us some sights. We saw the Pantheon at night, Piazza Navona and he took us to a place that overlooked the city. It was so great to connect with him again! It was also wonderful to have a local man show us some things we wouldn't have found on our own. Grazie, Ernesto!

Rome, Italy - Part 2

Vatican Day!  The Vatican has been at the very top of my travel wish list for a long time.  To actually be there and see it in person was incredible.  A dream come true!  

We walked up to the walls of the Vatican (a 2 minute walk from our apartment), and were quickly offered a 'skip the line' guided tour.  You pay quite a bit more than the normal admission fee, but you don't have to stand in the crazy line up.  After seeing how long the line was, and feeling how hot the sun was, we decided to go for it.  One of the best decisions we made so far!  We had a guide and were connected to her through an audio system.  She led us through the Vatican Museum, ending with the Sistine Chapel.  What an amazing moment, to stand under that historical and beautiful ceiling.  

The tour ended, and we went on our own inside St. Peter's Basilica.  Such a massive and gorgeous building.  We couldn't miss the opportunity to go up the dome, so we hiked up all 320 steps to the top!  We did take the elevator to by-pass the first steps - otherwise it would have been 551!  The view of St. Peter's Square from up there is perfect.

After spending some time in St. Peter's Square, we decided that we had the energy to see some more sights.  We took the metro (subway) and found the Trevi Fountain. It was super crowded, but we both muscled our way to the front to make a wish.  :-)

We also saw The Spanish Steps.  I guess we figured we hadn't climbed up enough steps for the day, so we did those too.  Only 138.  Legs are a little shaky tonight!

What a perfect day of seeing perfect sights.  Hearts are full.

Rome, Italy - Part 1

We arrived safely and without complication this afternoon in Rome.  We managed to find our apartment quite easily, and our host was waiting for us.  Our apartment is huge!  2 massive bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.  Great location too - a 2 minute walk from the Vatican!

We had planned to take a short walk down to the Vatican to find our bearings (we will go in tomorrow).  We arrived at a corner of the surrounding wall.  There were no signs, and we didn't bring our map, so we had to choose - right or left.  We chose right.  Wrong decision.  We ended up walking around the entire thing.  And it's huge.  And it was 35 degrees!  Not the best way to spend an afternoon.  :-)

We escaped to our air conditioned apartment after that, and only emerged to find supper.  Turning in early and plan to spend the day at Vatican City tomorrow!

No pics today - stay tuned for lots tomorrow!

Florence, Italy - Part 4 (trip to Pisa & Cinque Terre)

Today was a delicious feast for the eyes.  We travelled to Pisa to view the famous Leaning Tower.  What a sight!  It was quite magical to see it in person.  

From there we went to Cinque Terre.  This was one of the top things on our list of must-sees in Italy.  Cinque Terre is a collection of 5 villages on the Gulf of Genova.  The villages are built into the side of cliffs.  They are a combination of natural and man-made features.  It was stunning.  We took a boat to each of the villages, since the best view was from the water.  Another hot, but wonderfully satisfying day.

Florence, Italy - Part 3 (Trip to Siena)

We decided to do a side-trip from our base in Florence today.  We chose to visit the medieval city of Siena.  It was a 90 minute train ride.  When the train pulled into the station, it looked like a normal city.  We were both a little disappointed, thinking that the trip wouldn't have been worth it.  We took a bus to the city centre and were blown away by the views of old Siena.  We found the Duomo, the main piazza, and wandered in and out of some old buildings.  Stunning.  We also met the very first person on this trip who not only knew where Manitoba is, but where Winkler is too!  She spent some years at the CFB Shilo.  Small world!

We are both feeling the strain of the blistering heat and busy days.  Hard to find the energy to do all of the sightseeing we want to do!  We have another busy day planned tomorrow.  Going to Pisa to see the tower and then to Cinque Terre to see as many of those gorgeous villages as possible.

Florence, Italy - Part 2

Museum day!  This morning we stood in line for 90 minutes (in the shade, thankfully!) to get into the Galleria dell'Accademia.  This is where Michelangelo's 'David' lives.  What a stunning piece of artwork.  It's displayed beautifully, in an area of the museum with vaulted ceilings and perfect lighting.  We were both quite surprised at how big the sculpture was.  I may have taken an illegal picture of the statue with my phone.  Oops.  :-)  We did wander through the rest of the museum as well, and marvelled at the age of some of the other sculptures and paintings, but seeing 'David' was definitely the highlight.

We also went to the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo to see one of Michelangelo's 'Pieta'.  We didn't realize that he had done more than one sculpture with that name, and were expecting the sculpture of Mary holding the broken body of Jesus.  That sculpture is in Vatican City, so we'll be sure to see it next week.  This 'Pieta' was still equally moving and stunning.  And the pictures were legal.

Other highlights of today:

We ate dinner in a quaint little courtyard that was surrounded by lemon trees.

A very attractive Italian man told me I had beautiful eyes.  I should probably mention that he was trying to sell me a green scarf at the time and he was pointing out that the scarf matched my eyes.  Obviously, I bought it.  ;-)

At the end of our street there is a huge stage set up.  Roberto Benigni is performing there tonight.  He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 'Life is Beautiful' several years ago.

Turning in early tonight.  Tomorrow we are heading to Siena for the day.  

Buona Notte!

Florence, Italy - Part 1

We left Venice this morning.  While it is very magical and beautiful, we weren't sorry to leave the crowds.  We hopped on a high-speed train (after waiting for 3 hours at the train station - the earlier trains were full), and made the trip to Florence.  We had vague directions from our host to walk to the apartment, but since it was crazy hot, and we didn't know exactly where to go, we decided to take a taxi.

After settling in, we went to explore the neighbourhood a bit.  To our surprise, we stumbled upon the Duomo - Florence's most well-known landmark.  It is a 5 minute walk from our apartment.  So beautiful, and so big.  We found a nice little restaurant right beside the Duomo and sat at a lovely outdoor table.  Not 5 minutes after sitting down, it started to pour.  Our waiter moved us indoors and we ended up next to a friendly couple from Australia.  We had a marvellous time chatting with them throughout our dinner.  We have loved meeting so many different tourists on this trip.  It feels like you instantly have a special bond when you discover you speak the same language!

Turning in early tonight and gearing up for the sights of Florence tomorrow.

Venice, Italy - Part 2

We enjoyed our quietest night yet - no streets equals no traffic noise!  We took advantage of this and managed to sleep in a bit.  Being very comfortable now with the vaporetta (water bus), we hopped on one that took us to the island of Murano.  Murano is famous for glass-blowing.  Many years ago, Venetian people were afraid that the fires of the glass-blowers would burn down their city.  So, all of the glass-blowers had to do their work on the island.  We watched a short glass-blowing demonstration in a broiling hot factory.  It's hard to imagine how these men could work under those conditions for hours at a time.  Sweat was pouring immediately after entering the factory.  It felt like a sauna.  We did a little shopping on the island as well.

We headed back to Venice, did some more shopping, and finally enjoyed our first bruschetta and pizza in Italy for lunch.  Delicious.  We continued strolling along the streets of Venice.  Such a beautiful city.

We took our host's advice for supper, and went to a restaurant that he highly recommended.  After we sat down and looked at the menu, we realized that we should have probably checked the menu before we entered the restaurant.  Quite pricey, and there was exactly 1 option for me in each category of food.  The rest was shell-fish, which I am allergic to.  What we ate we enjoyed, but lesson learned for next time!

We went in search of a gondola ride, but were informed that the evening prices were even more expensive than the day.  100 Euros for a 30 minute ride?  No thanks.  We enjoyed the sunset over the Grand Canal, and then headed back to our apartment.

Tomorrow morning we leave for Florence!  Arrivederci, Venice!

Venice, Italy - Part 1

Buona sera from Venice!

This morning we left the beautiful Lake Como region for Venice.  We had a fantastic first experience in Lake Como with Air BnB (a website where you can rent places all around the world), and our host, Francesco, was very hospitable.  He frequently checked in on us, answered questions and brought us delicious tiramisu.  Twice.  :-)

We travelled by train to Venice, with a stop in Milan.  Unfortunately, we didn't have time to leave the station in Milan.  We arrived at the Venice train station, with instructions to phone our host.  We found the public phones, but had great difficulty in figuring out how they worked.  We finally got it, and made contact with our host.  We took a water bus, on the Grand Canal, and our host met us at the dock.

Our apartment in beautiful and it overlooks a canal!  We spent the rest of the day wandering around San Marco (the main square in Venice), then headed back and had dinner under the shadow of the Rialto bridge beside the Grand Canal.

We were feeling adventurous, so we started to walk back in the direction of our apartment.  After several dead ends, we did manage to find our way back.

We are very thankful tonight for air conditioning - it's the first place we've stayed in so far in Europe with this luxury.  Although we would call it more of a necessity.  :-)

We plan to head to Murano tomorrow to see the beautiful glass museum.

Lake Como, Italy - Part 2

Today we decided we should take full advantage of the beauty surrounding us, so we hopped on a boat in Como and sailed to Bellagio.  What a gorgeous trip.  Bellagio has become more famous recently, since George Clooney purchased a house close to it.  We cruised by it, and weren't even sure that it was his house (it was so big, it looked like a hotel!). I took a picture anyway, and upon further research we determined that it IS his house!  But alas, no sign of him.

We spent a lovely couple of hours in Bellagio.  We dined, shopped and walked.  And sweat. It's crazy hot and humid here!  We still quite enjoyed our time.

After boating back to Como, we managed to find the bus depot, and travelled back to Blevio. We ended up eating dinner at the same restaurant as last night, for a couple of reasons.  1 - No other restaurant was open in Blevio (strange, I know).  2 - We had so much fun last night that we just had to go back!  We were welcomed very warmly by the owner again, and had a wonderful meal by the lake.

We will be heading to Venice in the morning.  By bus, train and water taxi!  Should be an adventure!

Lake Como, Italy - Part 1

Ciao from Blevio, Lake Como, Italy!

We left Freiburg, Germany this morning.  We were a little apprehensive of travelling on our own.  Our fabulous tour guide, Lothar, and his wonderful wife, Ingrid, gave us some travelling tips, and they were invaluable.   We made it to the train station at Como S Giovanni without any problems.  We got on a bus that was supposed to take us within 150 meters of our apartment.  When we got off the bus we quickly realized that we were much farther away.  We asked a nice looking local man (who was walking his dog) for directions, and he bent over backwards to try to help us.  He enlisted the help of at least 7 other locals, and we finally got the correct directions.  We had a good kilometre hike (in 30+ degree heat), dragging our suitcases, but we finally made it.  Our host was waiting for us, waving enthusiastically out of the window as we walked up.  Our lovely apartment has a gorgeous view of the lake.

We went out to search for a restaurant for dinner.  We found one, back where the bus dropped us off, and we were surprised to find out that most restaurants in Italy are closed on Mondays.  A very nice British woman overheard our request for food and pointed us in the direction of the Momio restaurant.  It was way down by the water, and the patio jutted out into the lake.  Absolutely stunning.

The owner was a hoot, and he welcomed us with open arms.  He serenaded us all evening (though slightly off beat) with some reggae, some disco and a rousing rendition of Moon River.  We obviously joined in on that one.  :-)  We were served double the wine that we had ordered (on the house), and he insisted that we partake in some shots of limoncello.  We had already paid for our meals (delicious homemade pasta), but he left the bottle of limoncello and wouldn't take no for an answer.  He told us that he wanted to make our first night in Italy memorable.  He succeeded.  There may have also been an invitation to skinny-dip, but we won't talk about that.  ;-)

We have been surrounded by such friendly, helpful people so far in Italy.  What a great introduction to the country!

Freiburg, Germany

We spent yesterday afternoon in the Black Forest, which is a short drive away from Freiburg. We spent a short time at Titisee, which is a beautiful lake town, up in the mountains.  We went on a boat cruise around the lake, and enjoyed the picturesque scenery and fresh air.

We went to another small town in the Black Forest, Sankt Blasien, which is known for the stunning former Monastery.  When we arrived in Sankt Blasien, the church bells were ringing enthusiastically, so we made our way to the Monastery.  A wedding had just finished, so we got a peek at the beautiful bride and handsome groom.  It's easy to see why the couple would have picked this building for a wedding.  Gorgeous.  We were again granted permission to sing a few songs.  We have had several of these 'impromptu performances' on the tour, and they have been some of my favourite moments.  While there are always people who stop and listen to us, we're really singing for ourselves.  Such a treat to sing in a building designed to accentuate the voice.  

We had our final evening concert in Freiburg last night.  It was a beautiful older church, and the audience was amazing.  We sang in a different church's worship service this morning.  

We have now (tearfully) left our fabulous choir, and are on our own.  We are spending the rest of the day resting, and will take the train through Switzerland to Italy tomorrow.  We won't lie - we're a little nervous to do our first traveling alone.  We were so spoiled by our wonderful choir tour guide, Lothar, who figured everything out for us.  I'm sure we'll get to where we need to get to eventually!!  

So, tomorrow starts a new adventure!

Italy......here we come!!!!!

Strasbourg, France

We spent an afternoon in gorgeous Strasbourg, France.  The town is famous for the Strasbourg Cathedral that stands in the town center.  It is impossible to describe this building.  It actually takes your breath away.  It's massive size (you can't even get a picture of the whole thing...it's too big!) and the intricate detail are unbelievable.  Our choir was granted the incredible opportunity to sing a few songs inside the cathedral, right in front of the alter.  I think I can safely say that this will be one of the biggest musical highlights of my life.  Hundreds of tourists gathered around to listen to us sing.  There was a senator from the European Union there.  He comes to the cathedral once a year.  He told us that he was delighted that he came on that day and could hear us sing.  When we sang "Great is Thy Faithfulness", a women in the front row sang along, with tears in her eyes.  She was from Texas and told us that it was her favourite song.  Several of the tourists even recorded us singing and I kept hearing different devices playing it back to them throughout the afternoon!  The acoustics in the cathedral are something that can not be matched.  What a privilege to sing there! 

We had some free time in Strasbourg, and my mom and I braved the climb to the top of the cathedral.  330 steep and winding steps!  The view was completely worth it, though!

A short, but lovely stay in France.  

Fellbach, Germany

We spent a busy day in Fellbach.  We went to the Ludwigsburg Palace and toured the grounds and gardens.  It was massive and absolutely beautiful.  

In the afternoon we went to the Mercedes-Benz museum.  Lots of shiny, pretty cars!

The evening was another concert.  The audience was lovely and really appreciated our music.  It was a pleasure to sing for them!

Pics in the tab at the top.

Rothenburg, Germany

Such a lovely, medieval town.  The inner city is surrounded by a gated wall.  We spent the morning going on a guided tour to learn about the history.  We had an incredible experience of an impromptu concert in a cathedral.  People came in from off the street to hear us sing.  We sang "Gott ist die Liebe", "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (606)".  It was so moving to sing in such an acoustically rich place.  Many people in the 'audience' were very moved as well.  We then had several hours of free time.  We shopped, walked and ate delicious food.  Nice to have some 'down' time today in the midst of such a busy tour!

Cruising Down the Rhine!

We were fortunate to be able to go on a 1.5 hour cruise down the River Rhine.  It was breathtaking.  So many beautiful castles, vineyards and towns on the shore. Check the Pictures link for the pics!

Neuwied, Germany

After leaving the Netherlands, we travelled to Germany.  Our first stop was Neuwied.  We stayed at a lovely hotel.  It was quite modern compared to the other hotels we have stayed in.  Big bonus - there was an elevator!

We went on a walking tour of Neuwied, with the pastor of our host church guiding us.  Very interesting to hear about the history of the different religious denominations of the area.

We also had the opportunity to visit a castle.  We went to the Marksburg Castle, which overlooks the River Rhine.  This castle was inhabited for the first time in 1283.  It was beautiful, and we all enjoyed an informative tour.

We had another evening concert, and it went well despite the sweltering heat.  The audience was so enthusiastic, and it was a pleasure to sing for them!

Delft and Ouddorp / Goedereede, Netherlands

After our wonderful time in Sneek, it was hard to imagine another location that could equal the beauty.  We found it, however, in Ouddorp and Goedereede.  

On our way to these towns, we stopped in at the Royal Delft Museum and factory, where we learned about how this beautiful blue and white porcelain is created.  

We made our way to Ouddorp, the next stop on our choir tour.  A few of us took a short trip to the North Sea.  We had a delicious potluck at the church, and then headed to our hotel for the night.  The hotel was in nearby Goedereede.  It was absolutely stunning!  Our hotel was built in 1490, which is 2 years BEFORE Columbus sailed.  Mind-blowing.  The whole town was bursting with charm.  We even found the most perfect windmill.  So sad to only stay one night in this gem!!

Loved the Netherlands so much.  The Dutch people we met (and even the ones we didn't) were so gracious and friendly.  There were countless strangers who would stand and wave at our bus as we drove by.  Every place we saw was sparklingly clean.  I'll be back one day!  Next stop, Germany!  

(Pics in the picture link at the top of the page)

Sneek, Netherlands

We have had a wonderful couple of days in the picturesque town of Sneek.  The people are friendly, the architecture is stunning, and the whole city is beautifully well-kept. 

We arrived here yesterday, July 4th, after a very long 2 days of travel.  We were warmly welcomed by our host church, Doopsgeminde Sneek. After a lovely supper that they provided, it was early to bed.  

Today was spent exploring our Mennonite heritage, with a short trip to the nearby towns of Witmarsum and Pingjum.  Witmarsum has a monument dedicated to Menno Simons.  In Pingjum we went to a hidden church, where the Mennonites had to meet in secret to avoid persecution.  We also visited the church where he was ordained as a catholic priest.  It was at that church that he began to explore the Anabaptist faith. 

We had our first of several concerts tonight, at Doopsgeminde Sneek.  It was wonderful to sing for such an appreciative audience. 

If you're interested in pictures, click on the link at the top of the page. 

We're Here!!

After 19+ hours of travel, 3 flights, one sleepless night and one bus ride, we have arrived safely with the other choir members in Sneek, Netherlands.  More detailed update coming soon!

We're Off!!

A year of dreaming and planning has finally come to an end.  The day is here!!  Today myself, my mother and a group of lovely, musical ladies (and some spouses) take off for a 12 day choir tour around The Netherlands and Germany (http://faithandlifewomentour.blogspot.ca/ for more info).  Following that, my mom and I will continue to travel, spending 15 days in Italy (Lake Como, Venice, Florence, Cinque Terra,  Rome, Positano and many more side-trips), 4 days in Greece (Athens and Santorini), 4 days in Paris and 3 days in London.  After my mom flies home on August 7th, I will be spending another 9 days with my dad and his wife in the United Kingdom before flying home on August 16th.  Oh the anticipation!!  This blog will be a place to share the many pictures, stories and experiences of our Summer in Europe.  Thanks for coming along!