Category: Travel Talk

Fiery Heat in Florence

7/19 I can’t believe the trip is coming to an end tomorrow. We spent the day in Florence with a “real feel” temp of 105. After a demonstration at the leather shop and a tour of the square, we were ready for a cool drink in air conditioning. We relaxed for awhile before our four course dinner. Then road to our hotel nestled in the rolling hills of Tuscany.

7/20 Our final day. We started the day with a truffle hunt. The dogs found four truffles, but one ate half of one whil his owner was distracted 🙂 Our two dogs were Mya and Bilba. It was cute to see that they were like regular dogs, even though they were working, they’d stop and get people to pet them. Mya is the more serious hunter. Bilba liked to sit back and then when Mya found a truffle she’d run in and start digging. We finally got some pool time after, but it started pouring and thundering about half an hour later. Now I’m headed to our farewell dinner and Nicole’s Nook will resume it’s bookish content.

Cinque Terre

Today we took a train to visit the cliff-side villages of Cinque Terre. We visited two of the five villages, Manarola and Vernazza. The quaint villages of this Unesco sight seemed to be untouched by time.

Genoa

Beautiful day in Italy. We started the day with a walking/panoramic tour of Genoa. Then, we had an amazing lunch including a lesson on making cheese forcaccia. From there we took a ferry to Portofino “one of the most glamorous spots in the Italian Riviera”.

Nice Day

Today was an extra excursion day. Five of us went to St. Paul de Vence. This was a beautiful medieval village with the best views yet. Then we went on to Grasse for a lesson in perfume making. We got to make our own scent with a lilac base. A wonderful day.

Bonne fĂȘte nationale

Happy Bastille Day from France! Today was spent making our way to Nice. We stopped along the way in Aix-en-Provence. It was very interesting being there on a holiday Sunday because many places were closed and it felt much more private.

It was eight years ago today that Nice faced a terrorist attack during Bastille Day. For that reason, they did not have fireworks or celebrations out of respect for those lost.

food on wooden tray
Photo by Polina Kovaleva on Pexels.com

Marseille

Marseille is the second largest city in France. We started the day with a walking tour of the old town. Then our tour group split up for a couple of options. I chose to go to Cosquer Cave, a replica of a prehistoric cave. I was very excited to discover that the cave is the only prehistoric cave discovered to have paintings of penguins! We were on our own for the rest of the afternoon and most of us went to the hilltop Notre Dame (not that one) cathedral for breathtaking views of the city.

For dinner, we went to a socially responsible restaurant where people in need get training in exchange for food and shelter. It was a meaningful experience to end the day.

Adios Spain, Bonjour France

Whenever I’m asked which superpower I would want, I always respond with teleportation. Visiting other places is fun, but the time it takes to travel there is not. That is an advantage to tours. Collette is always very good about planning stops along the way. On the way to Marseille we stopped to tour the Abbey of Fontfroide and have a three course lunch. Then by the time we got to the hotel we it was time to find a place for dinner.

These days of travel within vacation can seem tedious, but the key is to find attractions along the way and enjoy the view.

Leaving Barcelona

The hotel wifi wasn’t cooperating last night, so I missed posting. As predicted, I love the countryside of Spain more than Barcelona. On Wednesday we made our way to Costa Brava, stopping along the way in Girona, a smaller city. The view from my hotel room is a living postcard. It’s ocean view and there’s nothing like hearing the waves all night.

Today we saw the Salvador Dali museum and the villages of Callela de Palefrugell and Llafranc. The Dali museum was fascinating. Dali was so innovative and truly saw the world differently from the rest of us. He really stands out as an artist who enjoyed success in this lifetime. He loved his wife and muse, Gala, even signing her name in his signatures.

The main word today though was HOT, and it will only be hotter from here on out. While it was “only” 92, it felt much hotter. The return to the pool was heavenly. On to France tomorrow.

Barcelona Day 2

Today we went to two must see sights in Barcelona. We started the morning on a panoramic bus tour of the city. The highlight was Placa de Catalunya. It is the highest point in the city and has amazing views. During the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s rule, it was the sight of many deaths. The city has now taken it and made it place to celebrate peace and nature.

Later, we went to the La Sagrada Familia, the church designed by Gaudi has been under construction since 1852. No matter what your religious beliefs, it is an awe inspiring place. I took a lot of pictures, but they can’t do it justice. There is so much detail and symbolism in ever space.

Barcelona Day 1

Technically, this is my day two in Barcelona. But, the “touristy” part of the trip started today. Prepared to roast in the Mediterranean, I was pleasantly surprised. It was warm (low 80s), but there was a nice breeze. We started with a guided walking tour of the city. Even though I know this it’s still so striking to me whenever I visit other countries just how young the USA is compared to most countries. There are structures in tact from Ancient Rome. The architecture of the past is so much more ornate that it gives old cities much more character. A great start to the tour.

Remains of Ancient Roman Aqueducts

In other great news- I have a new suitcase, paid for by the airline. They emailed me the location today and I was able to make the exchange during our free time this afternoon.

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