If you’ve read any books about the south of France and the vibrant Provencal region, you probably know about the fields of lavender that dot the countryside in the Luberon just east of Avignon. If your timing is just right, the weather cooperates, and you find yourself here in mid-June, you are rewarded with heavenly … Continue reading A Week in Provence
We just couldn’t stay away from Italy and spent a few weeks in the northern part of the country after our adventures in the south (with a quick diversion to Barcelona and Lyon.) I recovered from my slump in Florence during a fun night out with our WWOOFing friend Diego. We picked up Walker and … Continue reading La Dolce Vita
I was excited to see my brother again for the second time on our adventure. He decided to bring our niece, Julia for her first international trip and meet us in Italy. Walker has been a car guy pretty much his whole life so we decided to make a pilgrimage to see one of the … Continue reading Dancing Horses
It’s happened. I’m tired. Not just sleepy because I’ve had another night in a strange, uncomfortable bed. I am tired of traveling. After seven months of traveling to 14 countries, I feel pretty good to have come this far. There have been moments (in India) when I longed for the comforts of home, but the … Continue reading Floundering in Florence
We settled in for a week in a second floor apartment overlooking one of Lyon’s quiet pedestrian-only streets. After bulleting through Palermo, Rome and Barcelona for just a few days at a time, it was a welcome relief to slow down, disregard the clock and walk at the pace of the locals. We rise and … Continue reading I’d Never Get Lyon-ly
We completely diverted from our slow travel mantra last week as we squeezed in a few big cities and historical highlights in Europe. From Sicily, we were headed to the mainland and, upon Luke’s request, we made a stop in Barcelona. He was learning about La Sagrada Familia in Spanish class when we left home, … Continue reading Only the Highlights
Sometime during my teenage years my mom started a new Christmas Day tradition of watching the Godfather movies after opening presents while preparing the Christmas night meal. Other families watch basketball or It’s a Wonderful Life, we had the Corleones. So before this last week, most everything I knew about Sicily and Sicilians came from … Continue reading Leave the Gun, Take the Cannolis
I’ve been reading the Hardy Boys series during our trip, and it was no coincidence that there was a mystery waiting for us at Le Fattizze farm in Italy. As we drove near the entrance, we heard a strange sound. It was like a jet airplane, but nothing was in the sky. We slowed the … Continue reading The Secret Track in the Fields
We know we are city people, and it was never more evident than this last week as we went out on the ledge again for a WWOOFing experience. And it was truly wonderful and hilarious. WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms. It’s a worldwide phenomenon, mostly for backpackers and serious folks who want … Continue reading WWOOF, WWOOF, Life on the Farm
Our time in Croatia is drawing to a close, and it has made its way to the top of our list of favorite countries. The beauty, diversity and history are captivating. The Adriatic Sea is so clear, we could see straight to the bottom looking down into it from a mountaintop. The shades of turquoise … Continue reading Beauty in Brokenness
