Monaco and Monte Carlo: Day 5, Part 2

After leaving Eze, our guide, Sandrine took us right on to Monaco.  Monaco is divided into 10 districts, the most famous of which are the Rock District(where we began our time in Monaco and where the Prince's Palace is located), The Port District (Formula I Grand Prix location) and Monte Carlo (where we ended our time in Monaco).  To get on top of "The Rock" you must drive around a mile or so of curving streets, get into a parking garage, go up an elevator, walk across a gift shop and museum AND FINALLY, ride another elevator to the top.

View of the Royal Palace in my sunglasses

       Upon our arrival, our guide showed us the Oceanographic Museum, and then took us all the way to The Main Square, going past the gorgeous Judicial Building, covered in intricate stonework; the homes of the Princesses and numerous other beautiful buildings and gardens.  The square of Monaco was what you'd probably expect: colorful, bright and open.  At the center was the Prince's Palace, a unique building itself due to it's two parts, built in completely different centuries.  On either side of the Palace are incredibly gorgeous and different views of the harbors below.  On one side you can find a view that looks completely fake (in my opinion it looked like a miniature village), with the buildings perfectly cut and colored exactly the same.  In this same spot were the original cannons and stacks of cannonballs used when Monaco was first created, to protect from outside invadors.  The second view, on the opposite side of the square is where you can see the Grand Prix track, the biggest port, the Olympic swimming pool, and a great view of the hills AND the sea.
       We see the statue of Francois Grimaldi, who tricked his family's way into power by pretending to be a monk.  After this, Sandrine leaves us to explore on our own.  We eat lunch at a little restaurant with an even littler outdoor cafe where I fell off the patio's edge twice. :)  Then we saw the changing of the guards(the hourly, much briefer version than the 11 o'clock changing), went shopping and decided to take the tour of the Prince's Palace.  The Palace had it all.  Gardens, courtyards, famous artwork, paintings, and rooms in every color.
       After this we met up with Sandrine who drove us along the beginning of the Grand Prix track, (around the harbor and nearby areas) and stopped we in Monte Carlo.  We saw the famous and beautiful Casino(which Mom and Omi went in) and the Hotel de Paris(from the movie Monte Carlo) and then explored the gardens next to these famous buildings, which were filled with fountains, sculptures and more fountains.  Finally, we finished up the Grand Prix track on the way back to the main road, where we headed back to the ship.  The end of an amazing, beautiful, colorful day.

Eze, France: Day 5, Part 1



The church in town



This was our second excursion day from the cruise ship.  We had hired another private tour guide to meet us at the dock.  She took us first to the medieval village of Eze, located between Cannes(our port, think Cannes film festival :) and Monaco, our second stop.  On our way to Eze, we stopped once to take pictures of the whole town itself, a gorgeous sight to see.  Then she took us right into the base of the city and we walked to the top.  We stopped on the meandering streets to go inside the beautiful(and bright orange) church, which was filled with gorgeous frescoes and statues.  We shopped and walked and finally made it to the top where we found an exotic garden and absolutely AMAZING views of the French countryside and ports.  This viewing area is found at the prior location of the castle of Eze, (now just a few walls and bronze statues).  Let me just say, it was well worth the hike to the top.  And of course, a day wouldn't be complete for me without falling and embarrassing myself and this was no exception.  On the way back down I slipped and fell full out.  :)  All in a day.  Back on the road again, now, we headed of to Monaco, our second stop. 





The view from the top



Provence and the Cote 'd Azur, France: Day 4



The cliffs of Provence



Our first excursion day on the ship was to Provence.  I was extremely excited for this day and it did not disappoint.  We hired a private guide for the day, to show us the sights.  They met us at the dock and had already come up with a plan for the entire day.  Our first stop was to a tiny town about 25 minutes away from the port of Toulon, where a typical Provencal market was being held on the main street.  There were vendors selling everything from fresh fruit, to clothes, to olives, to knives.  We meandered the market street and stopped to get some coffee and tea at a cafe.  The marketplace is a setting where you can really immerse yourself in the non tourist culture of a place.  Our second stop was what our guides, David (the main guide) and Vincent (driver), called the French equivalent to the Fjords of Norway.  Our journey to these cliffs led us on a long, narrow and incredibly foggy road with stunning, but fleeting views of the port on one side and great views of the mountains on the other.  We stopped once to take photos of the mountains and then got back in the car to finish the drive to the main cliff view.  It was quite amazing.  The fog blanketed the towns below as well as the countless vineyards scattered throughout the valley.  After this we continued our drive to another small town, on the way seeing the basilica built into the high cliff faces where Mary Magdalene's body was discovered in a cave where she lived for 30 years.  We reached the next town and had a delicious lunch.  Me and about half of our group had crepes while the others had meat and fish dishes.  My crepe of choice was prosciutto, cheese and an egg cracked on top, baked.  In this same small town we visited the Basilica de Mary Magdalene, built in her honor.  It was a gorgeous church and featured in the center was her actual skull, in a container and framed by decorative golden hair.  After this, our last stop was a private winery tour.  We learned how they make wine and the adults got to try it.  We all got to try the olive oil as well.  We rushed back to the ship after this, completing a great first day in France.





ah, France









An olive vendor



The Basilica



The gorgeous mountains

Barcelona, Spain: Days 1-3

The first stop on our trip, Barcelona, at first struck me as a loud, crowded, dirty city.  But as our time there progressed I realized that while these things may be true, it was also a city full of culture, beauty and great food.   Our first day was only a half day and we were completely exhausted after a 11 hour flight, plus jet lag.  But after dropping our bags off at our apartment and getting freshened up, we headed out anyway.
        Our apartment was located on a side street off of Las Ramblas, the main shopping avenue of Barcelona.  We went to get some food and choose to go for Spanish traditional and have Tapas.  We were happy we did.  It was absolutely delicious.  To give you an idea, Caroline and I shared: La Bamba (a large rounded fried potato filled with meat and cheese), Patatas Bravas (my favorite; baked potato chunks covered in a delicious spicy sauce), a Ham and Cheese Potato Croquette, and Pan con Tomate (Bread with Tomato).  After this we began our search for the "Big Fish" a sculpture I learned about in art class.  Fast forward to an hour later when we finally found it, took some pictures and sat on a rock wall looking at the beautiful waves of the Mediterranean coming in.
      The next day, Theo was sick all morning and we had a late start.  But eventually he was feeling a bit better and we headed off to the bus tour we had signed up to do for the day. We saw the Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, and then got off the bus at Park Guell, a park designed by Barcelona artist, Anton Gaudi, located on the outskirts of the city.  It was one of my favorite things about Barcelona.  We ate lunch in the Park, which was filled with interesting sculptures, paths and walkways, built in a natural style.  The front of the park was beautiful with two interesting and unique buildings framing the entrance.  Across from these was a set of stairs with a balcony on top.  All of the tiles throughout the Park were uniquely painted and often in shapes of valleys of hills, giving everything an even more interesting look and feel.  We climbed to the top of the balcony where we were met with Park Guell's famous curving benches and an amazing view of Barcelona.
       After this we got back on the bus for a scenic view of other parts of the city.  Along the way we saw the Palau Nacional, The Olympic Stadium, Monjuic and other beautiful sights.  During this time Mom got sick as well and we came back to the apartment.  Later, the 5 of us who weren't sick went out to another dinner on a street similar to Las Ramblas, called La Raval and once again had fantastic Tapas in a beautiful nighttime setting.  The next morning we packed up our stuff and got on the cruise ship, leaving the vibrant Barcelona behind us.

We're Back!

Here we are, back in Wisconsin, after a FANTASTIC 2 weeks in Europe!  We left on July 13th and came home on the 26th, and let me say, OHMYGOSH!  Europe is more amazing than all the rumors, pictures and stories put together!  Now, the next 10 or so posts will be about each individual place we travelled to on this trip.  Enjoy.  :)

Trip Preparation

Here are some things my parents have taught me or I have learned about preparing for a trip:

1. ALWAYS have a list(and have different ones for different kinds of trips)
2. Start packing early so you never have to rush
3.  When packing, think through your daily routine (showering, doing hair, brush teeth, etc.)
4. Have a place set a side where you can put important things before you even bring out a suitcase
5. Double check you have your documents
6. Keep your phone on when going to the airport in case your flight is delayed
7. Always be at the airport early

I know most people who see this will already know these things, BUT since I'm leaving in 3(!) days I was in the mood to talk preparation :)

The "Method" To My Madness

You may see this blog and ask yourself, "why?".  Why am I so crazy for travelling?  Well the answer is simple:
I'm not really positive.

I'm sure someone could look at my life and say, "THAT is where it all began", but personally I think there are several factors.

For starters, I think my passion for travel may have something to do with where I live.  Wisconsin.  Now, don't get me wrong, Wisconsin could be a lovely place.  But, I have always believed there was just not enough to do, especially in my towns.  So I'll jump at any opportunity to go somewhere new and exciting. 

Secondly, I am a very lucky person.  Meaning, I have been going on nice trips, with both my families, my whole life.  Just as a little girl, I went to; California, Pennsylvania, Disney Land, Disney World, Crivitz, Mole Lake and North Carolina.  Then when I was older; North Carolina(again), The Dome Home(Northern Wisconsin), The Dells(numerous times), Mexico(twice), The Florida Keys, Colorado, Boston, Cape Cod and now Europe.  So, yes I have been blessed.  And every time I go somewhere new, that love of travel is instilled a little deeper in me.

Thirdly, I love adventure.  My parents are constantly remarking on my willingness to do anything exciting(meanwhile I have tons of other fears).  For example, I have always wanted to skydive, I LOVE going whitewater rafting, snorkeling, cliff jumping, and zip lining, and if you asked me to go bungee jumping or scuba diving I would say yes in almost a heartbeat. 

So, there they are.  The reasons I can think of to explain my passion for being somewhere new, exciting and different. 

Cliff Jumping in Crivitz

Snorkeling:Florida Keys

Zip Lining in Puerto Vallarta

On a sailboat in Cape Cod

Swimming with a Dolphin