A week in the French Riviera

We looked forward to our week of vacation on the French Riviera. This was to be a "go and be" vacation instead of "go and see" trip. We wanted to soak up the sights of the Mediterranean coastline with the smell of the salt water and the sound of crashing waves while dozing in the warm sun. 

Driving through France

Doug and I drove from Geneva to Nice, France on a gorgeous blue sky kind of day. We left Geneva just after 6 am for an early start toward the French Riviera. Google maps said the drive should take about 6 1/2 hours but since we hadn't done this before we weren't sure what to expect in terms of traffic delays or road construction. The toll road was not as scary anymore. We had figured out the toll signs on previous trips so I was less anxious about getting in the wrong lane, having the right change or my lack of ability to read French.

Lavender fields near Provence

We headed south and traveled through the hills of the Pre Alps, the valleys of farmland and small towns, the cliff mountain ranges and finally to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was a beautiful drive filled with hills and gorges, fields of corn and wheat, small herds of cows and sheep, mile after mile of vineyards and then as we got closer to Provence, the hillsides were abloom with rounded purple rows of lavender.

The Mediterranean Sea

As we approached Nice I stared out the window waiting for a glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea. I was not disappointed. The anticipation for the week was building an excitement within me that matched the beauty I saw before me.

We had not experienced much traffic so we arrived in Nice just after noon. Our apartment was ready at 4 pm which left us with time to explore our surroundings, have lunch on the beach, and grab groceries for the week. We knew the unfamiliar surroundings would not stay that way for long but driving in this city took defensive driving to a new level.

The Route de Bellet on our way to the apartment

Doug drove to our apartment located on one of the hills of Nice. The drive was filled with sharp switchbacks, steep inclines, and cars parked on both sides of the narrow two-laned road. Every car we met meant I sucked in my breath somehow thinking that would make us smaller as we squeezed past them. There was not always enough room for both cars to pass so one would have to dart to any piece of road available. I'm so glad Doug is a great defensive driver. This did reaffirm to me there is absolutely no way I will be driving in Europe. 

Our balcony view

We met Florence, the owner of our apartment, who showed us everything we needed for our week. She was so kind and generous, and made us feel right at home. She told us about herself and her family, spoke French, English, Italian and Spanish fluently and even told us about places to visit while in Nice. The apartment was gorgeous with an amazing view of the Sea from our balcony. We ate all our meals there appreciating the lovely view.

The beaches of Nice were pebbly, made of smooth flat stones. They were surprisingly comfortable to lie on though. The water was aqua blue changing to a brilliant blue as the Sea deepened. It was so clear and clean we saw our toes even neck deep in the water. I loved the Sea. The water was warm, the waves gentle, and floating in it was super easy.

We spent the week with a beautiful rhythm of breakfast, time at the beach, lunch, time at the pool, dinner, time for a walk. The walk to the beach was only 15 minutes down the hill on stairs that cut a path through the hill. 

Monaco 

We also took in a few of the sights while we were there. One of our days we went on an adventure as we figured out how to grab the bus to the center of town, (it actually came up the switchback road to the apartment, yikes!), transfer to another bus, then find the train station, and buy tickets for the day trip to Monaco. 

The train sped along the coast through the mountains which provided the opportunity for both of us to enjoy the scenery. The French Riviera is absolutely gorgeous with the azure blue sea hugging the rocky hills which rise up from the shore. No wonder people have been living here since the earliest times. 

The Streets of Monaco

Upon our arrival in Monaco we grabbed a map from the tourist center and the bus to Le Rocher, the name for old town Monaco. We visited the Cathedrale, saw the large palace with old cannons and cannon balls and walked through the lush green gardens overlooking the harbor. We walked through the narrow streets surrounded by buildings painted with pastel colors of yellow, pink, orange, and green. We had lunch at a cute sandwich and ice cream shop in the center of town. 

We watched people of all ages and nationalities and tried to figure out their story. Some were local and some were tourists like us.

Monte Carlo Casino

Yacht Club of Monaco

In the afternoon we went to Monte Carlo where we saw the infamous Casino. The guards on the stairs controlled the entrance. I am not a car person but even I knew these cars were some of the most expensive in the world. Maserati, Rolls Royce, Ferrari and BMW's were parked on the Place du Casino while their owners gambled inside.

Extravagant stores with exorbitant prices lined the streets. We walked through the gardens along the boulevard then headed down the street towards the harbor.

Monaco is built on a hill which juts out into the Sea. The harbors are filled with some of the most luxurious yachts in the world. We walked past some of them on our way to the Yacht Club of Monaco where we watched young children as they learned to sail, then took the 20 minute train ride back to Nice. 

Apollo at Place Massena

We got to see many things while in Nice. We went to a Music Festival on the Promenade Des Anglais with about 70,000 people. The music was fun, the crowd energetic, the evening weather perfect. 

We wandered through the streets of Old Town, saw the Flea Market on Cours Saleya, visited the Cathedrale Sainte-Reparate, and Eglise du Gesu (Church of Jesus). The famous fountain of Apollo in Place Massena was a gathering place for many. We tried ice cream at the famous Fenocchio's with its 94 flavors to chose from. 

White Chocolate for Doug and Yogurt for me

We climbed the stairs to Castle Hill with breathtakingly beautiful views of the harbor and the Sea. 

Promenade Des Anglais

We walked the Promenade du Paillon and the Promenade Des Anglais. The cool of the evening was our favorite time to walk along the shore. 


We talked, shared plans and dreams, and sat quietly holding hands taking in the beauty all around us.

Nice was simply all I hoped it would be.

Family and Friends

At the Geneva Airport

I had the opportunity to travel back to the United States for a 2 week visit and was so excited. Doug was traveling to Ohio a week later for business so I was flying solo. It had been a while since I had flown by myself and I found myself double checking my passport, money, and belongings frequently. I left my apartment at 8:30 am for my 11:45 flight. It was a little earlier than I needed to leave but I was ready. I had already double checked to make sure I had everything and knew it could take up to an hour to get to the airport depending on traffic. Plus, I wanted to be one step closer to family and friends.

I grabbed my luggage, took the tram and then the bus to the Geneva airport, easily got through the check in and security process and headed to my gate. I was stopped at passport control so I handed them my passport and was told my visa had expired. I tried to explain I had a 6 month family reunion visa. He pointed to an April expiration date and just took my passport to another agent. I wasn't anxious yet but I could feel my heartbeat pick up speed as they spoke to each other in French. I thought about what I could do and remembered my Swiss identification card. I handed it to the agent. He smiled (good sign) and said, "show this next time." My heartbeat slowed as I walked to my gate. I was on my way.

I met the most interesting people on the flights headed to Washington, D.C. and Dayton. One gentleman had been in Geneva at the United Nations for 2 days. He worked with a U.S. non profit agency and had been meeting with people from all over the world trying to help the African refugees. One woman was in Geneva for 4 days. She worked with the World Trade Organization and shared her story of many trips leaving a young family at home. On my flight to Dayton I met a man who had been in Turkey for 6 months and had been traveling for over 28 hours already. He didn't share much about what he had been doing but he was a civilian working with the military. He was moving from Dayton to Texas for work the following week and was ready to be home. I watched his joyful reunion with his wife and children.

I had prepared a list of things I wanted to do while in the States. It was a bit daunting but my priority was to see family and friends. My friend, Shirley, picked me up at the airport. We had planned to have dinner together and Chipotle was my choice. I slowly savored every bite as we reconnected and shared stories.

Welcome Home

As we entered my neighborhood I kept staring out the window anticipating the first view of my yard and house. The yard was freshly mowed (thanks Jeff) and was so welcoming. I walked into my house, set down my luggage, walked into the kitchen and enjoyed the sights and smells of home. It felt good to be back. I leisurely wandered from room to room, climbed the stairs, and fell into bed. It had been a long day.

The next day I went to Kroger. My father-in-law, Bill, was coming for dinner and I was making roast chicken with all the fixings for his belated birthday. I was unprepared for my reaction as I walked into the grocery. I stopped to consider why I had tears in my eyes. The familiarity. The convenience. The abundance. The colors. Row after row of items. Everything right where I knew I would find it. All in a language I could read. All this and more assaulted my senses and emotions. I had to keep telling myself I didn't need to buy everything even if it all looked so good. Later that evening Bill and I talked about the last 3 months while sitting at the kitchen table. Dinner was nice but time together was priceless.

Good times with Anita and Dana 

I spent the first week doing those things on the to-do list as I prepared to be gone for another 3 months; dentist appointment, hair cut, yard work, bills and mail, shopping for things difficult to find or expensive in Switzerland, yearly home maintenance jobs, etc. I am deelpy grateful for friends who are helping take care of the details while I am gone. I tried to connect with as many people as I could. My heart was full of thankfulness for these good friends. Having lunch together, kayaking on the river, time at the pool, going for a walk, and chatting over tea. I cherished every moment and every conversation.

Doug arrived in Mason for his business trip just as I was about to leave. We sat on our patio for a moment in the coolness of the evening and shared news and dreams.

The second week I traveled to Green Bay to see my parents and siblings. My sister, Debbie, and her darling 17 month old son, Dillon, joined Bre and I on our 9 hour drive to Wisconsin. Each city we passed brought us closer to family. Time and miles flew by as we shared our thoughts, stories, family memories, and plans for the future.

Debbie and Dillon had driven to Ohio from North Carolina the previous day and we were spending another long day in the car. We talked and laughed about who would need to stop first. It wasn't Dillon. He was an amazing traveler.

We arrived in Wisconsin, after only 2 stops mind you, excited to see everyone.

Family photo time

This was a very special time as all 9 of us, along with my mom and dad, were home at the same time. My brother, Ben, and his wife, Julia, joined us from South Carolina. What a blessing it was to all be together! We got to spend some precious moments together celebrating with good food, great fun and lots of hugs. We did miss my sister, Julie, who was ill at home recovering from complications after shoulder surgery. Thankfully she's feeling better and I saw her before we left.

I enjoyed playing and talking with my nieces and nephews, eating all of my favorite barbeque foods, and sitting around Josh's kitchen table with some of my siblings as we shared stories of our childhood.

crazy cousin fun

On our trip back to Ohio we remarked, "There is never enough time to visit no matter how many days we spend together." We always long for one more day.

I prepared for my trip back to Geneva with a few more visits with friends, a little more shopping, and a dinner with Doug and Bill. The two weeks had sped by. It was time to return to Geneva.

As I got on the plane I thought about how blessed I am to have such amazing friends and family.

My heart is full

Les Gorges du Fier, Lovagny, France 

There is nothing sweeter for me than having my entire family together. Breanna and Nathan were both able to visit us for a long weekend and I could not stop saying "my heart is full." What an absolutely joyous time we had.

Bre and I just got back from Athens, Greece on Thursday afternoon in time to grab a few groceries before Doug picked Nathan up at the airport. I was so excited to have all of us under the same roof for the next 2 1/2 days. We were all quite tired from the previous long days but that could not stop us from celebrating Nathan's 24th birthday with chicken fajitas and chocolate cake. We took an evening walk to Parc de Bastions, played a floor sized game of chess and walked through old town Geneva to finish the day. 

The walkway through the gorge

Doug and I had found a couple of places we wanted to visit in France, so the next day we grabbed our passports, packed a lunch and ventured to a place called Gorges du Fier (Gorge of Fire) in Lovagny, about 40 minutes from Geneva. It was a beautiful sunny day and the drive through the rolling hills of France was delightful. We found signs that pointed towards the gorge which helped supplement my researched directions. After buying our tickets, we proceeded down a path, across a bridge and stepped onto a wooden platform secured to the side of the gorge. The sight of the gorge was stunning. We couldn't believe how beautiful it was as we walked through the rock cut by the swirling River Fier below us. I was shocked by the fact that the platform we were walking on had been totally under water just the previous week because of a rapid snow melt in the mountains. We could see the high water mark on the side of the rock above our heads and now the water was 75 feet below us. We took our time, admired the scenery, laughed and chatted, and took lots of photos! This was a perfect beginning to the day.

Annecy, France

  

We returned to the car and drove 15 minutes farther down the country lan to the town of Annecy, a medieval town complete with castles, cobblestones, and canals. It was the perfect stop for lunch. We found a bench next to the lake and ate our picnic lunch as we looked out at the sailboats and small cruise ships lining the shore and the mountain peaks rising across from us. Doug and I have a favorite bakery in town which was just the right place to stop for dessert. This time we tried a delicious lightly sugared flaky pastry that melted in our mouth. We walked along the canals, gazed into shops, appreciated the architecture, shared stories, plans and laughter and I marveled at how blessed I am. I could not stop smiling.

Zip lining over the water fall

Our next stop was about a 40 minute drive winding along the coast of Lake Annecy past several small towns until we climbed the green hills through the town of Seythenex. We arrived at the empty parking lot, climbed a few stairs and were welcomed by Sebastian at the Grotte and Cascade of Seythenex. We asked if it was possible to go zip lining and were assured we could. Sebastian was so kind, explained everything in English, and trained us for our adventure over the waterfall. We got into our (lifeline) harness, put on our helmets and donned one leather glove (our braking system). We practiced clipping our 2 carabiners and our pulley onto the wire, rode a practice wire that was 7 feet off the ground and we were ready to fly 130 feet above the waterfall. I was feeling a little nervous but definitely excited and so thrilled to do this as a family. We followed Sebastian as he climbed the path to the waterfall and the zip line platform. I was giddy as we kept going higher. Finally we reached the platform and I was first in line to sail among the treetops. I climbed up, fastened myself securely in place, sat in the harness, edged my way to the end of the platform, smiled hugely, waited a bit gathering my courage, edged a little farther, and took the leap. Oh. My. Gosh. Too. Much. Fun! I squealed in delight. It was beautiful, smooth, and all I had hoped for in our adventure. I could hear Bre as she began to sail down the cable. Then Nate, and finally Doug. What a great ride! 

Enjoying our time in the caves

We then had 20 minutes to walk around the waterfall before our guide took us into the caves. These caves were formed by erosion from the glacier water that found its way into the rock. Our guide, Sophie, told us about all the formations, what caused them, and let us climb up the slippery slide. She was very knowledgeable, friendly and kind. She gave the tour in both English and French. We reminisced about Doug and Nate's experience caving with Boy Scouts as we ducked our way throughout the cave. (I actually had to duck too). We walked for about 40 minutes through the tunnel until it was time to leave the cave and begin our journey home. What a fantastic day.

Can you believe we are doing this?

In the morning we took the tram to Carouge, a nearby street market, to check out the local produce. The sights of the colorful fruits and vegetables were enticing and the smells of the flowers, spices, roast chicken, freshly baked bread were amazing. After we walked around the market, we headed to Mont Saleve. The mountain is in the French Prealps and is called the Balcony of Geneva. We took the bus to the border of Switzerland, walked into France and took the cable car to the top. Our plan was to hike down the mountain. As we took the ride up Nate and Bre remarked, "how do you get down that?" Doug and I hadn't ever hiked it so we didn't know, but we had seen a trail sign and knew it was possible. After we exited the cable car we hiked 20 minutes uphill to the Observatory for our picnic lunch with a magnificent view of Geneva. It was a little overcast so we could not get a clear view of Mont Blanc but we clearly saw the valley far below us. When we were ready to head down, we found the trail head sign letting us know it was a 2 hour hike down the mountain. We were all in. 

Our hike down this mountain 

The hike down the mountain was better than I could have imagined. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We walked towards the cliff, entered into the dappled light of the tree lined path, and carefully picked our way down the narrow, switchback trail. The Grand Gorge trail was well marked but it was really steep. Every once in a while we got a peak at what was coming next and couldn't believe what we were doing. It was a sheer drop off this mountain and the valley floor was a long way off. The ground beneath our feet changed frequently from a dirt path to one filled with rocks, to shifting loose rock where the rushing water created the gorge, to a path covered
with deciduous leaves. We continued to travel lower and lower. The path gradually began to level. A pasture appeared and the view of the mountain stood before us. We paused to appreciate what we had just experienced. We realized we had climbed through the cleft in the rock. We finished our hike and returned to the apartment thankful for this time together.

After dinner we spent the evening playing Euchre. Family game night fun made me so happy. I cherished every moment with Nathan and Breanna. 

Biking along Lake Geneva

Doug took Bre to the airport the next morning while Nathan and I explored the old city of Geneva. We walked through the Parc Bastions, up the hill paved with cobblestones, past the old stone wall, to the Hotel de Ville and then St. Peter's Church. We headed down to the new city filled with stores selling expensive watches, chocolate, and clothing. We then walked to the Plainpalais street market filled with clothes, fruits and vegetables, breads and cheeses, and food ready to eat. Doug met us here for a falafel lunch.  We grabbed the tram to Nations where we rented bicycles to tour the city. Doug and I got on electric bikes while Nathan chose to get a bit more exercise. I loved the electric bike! We rode 20 miles on bike trails through the Botanical Gardens, along the lakefront, through the Parc des Eaux Vives, and continued past the beaches. There are a lot of hills in Geneva but the electric bike made all of them fun for me. Nathan loved the ride on his bike too.

CERN 

We turned in our bikes, grabbed a tram and headed to the Globe of Science and Innovation CERN building. CERN is a large nuclear physics research facility with many buildings and also the particle accelerator located 300 feet under the ground on the France and Switzerland border. We appreciated the sculpture which represented centuries of scientific exploration filled with formulas, quotations, and discoveries.

We headed back to the apartment for homemade Bruschetta and Capresse, with fresh pesto and pasta for dinner and great conversation. I felt so blessed to have had this amazing time with family.

It's all Greek to me

Botanical Gardens with Bre

Breanna arrived in Geneva Monday morning and we quickly took advantage of our time together. After dropping off her luggage, we jumped on the tram to the Botanical Gardens. It was so beautiful and peaceful in the park. Earlier this spring I had watched the creation of an exhibit out of various sticks of wood. Now I was captivated by the finished designs. We continued our walk along the banks of Lake Geneva mesmerized by the beauty of the lake and mountains. We walked 2 miles until we reached the center of town. It was time to get home to shop for groceries, cook dinner and pack. We were leaving early the next day.

Tuesday morning Bre and I traveled to Athens, Greece on a 6 a.m. flight out of Geneva. We landed in Athens by 9:30 a.m. with our backpacks and grabbed the metro to our stop in the heart of the city. It was our plan to go to the hotel, check our luggage and head to the beach. It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day and I was so excited to be here with Bre.

My first glance of the countryside revealed an arid landscape with rocky mountains surrounding the airport. As I looked closer, I saw the beauty of palm trees, flowers planted by the roadside and olive groves dotting the hills. The airport was about 12 miles from Athens which took 40 minutes by metro. I was thankful so many signs were written in both Greek and English because it was really difficult to match the Greek symbols to the address of the hotel I held in my hand. I had picked a hotel just a short walk from a metro station for convenience. This was a short 2 day visit and I wanted to take advantage of every minute. We reached our hotel without any difficulty and in a matter of minutes we were headed to the beach by bus.

Voula Beach

We wanted to go to a sandy, private beach so we could have beach chairs and an umbrella. Our receptionist had suggested the beach at Voula. She said "once you get there just pick one." I hoped it would be that easy. After about 30 minutes on the bus we had our first glimpse of the beaches. We knew our beach was still 30 minutes farther down the coast so we stayed on the bus and enjoyed the view. Some beaches were stony, some sandy, but all were enticing. We kept going hoping we could find the beach we wanted once we got off the bus. We were so surprised when we arrived. The area was beautiful and perfect. We began walking along the sandy beach not quite sure how things worked. We saw there were different kinds of lounge chairs denoting different owners. We found someone who explained we just needed to pick our chairs and then pay 2.50 euro for the chair for the rest of the day.
That was easy.

We picked chairs next to the sea with an amazing view of the clear, hazel colored water and nearby islands. It was the middle of the week so the area was not crowded.

We laid out in the sun for hours, waded in the water, read a little, slept a little, talked a little and had the best time. Listening to the water lap against the shore rejuvenated both of us. The blue skies, warm sun, salty air and gentle breeze made this a picture perfect day.

It was time to leave long before either of us were ready to go, but we slowly walked back to the bus encouraged by the thought of authentic Greek cuisine for dinner. The Athinaikon Restaurant was near our hotel and calling our name. Bre had Moussaka and I tried their homemade spicy sausage dish. Both were fabulous.

The Parthenon on Acropolis

In the morning I went to the rooftop terrace of our hotel to catch a glimpse of the Acropolis. Bre and I had spotted it in the distance the day before but it looked so far away. The Acropolis was clearly visible from the 9th floor of the hotel but I still wondered about the climb. After breakfast we headed out to see as much of the city as we could.

Stefanos explaining the sites

We went on a 3 hour free walking tour beginning just a short distance from our hotel. Stefanos was our very knowledgeable tour guide. He actually worked as an archaeologist but picked up extra money leading tours. He shared a wealth of information with us and said, "I will give you just enough so you want to study more on your own." He did a great job all day. We also met some really nice people; students from Michigan, missionaries from Wisconsin, a grad student from London, and a couple from New Zealand.


We began at Monastiraki Square where the Pantanassa Monastery was built in the 10th century. We then walked through the Monastiraki Flea Market which had a little bit of everything for sale. The streets were narrow and filled with booths and people. It was a great place for people watching as we wound our way through the area.

Ancient Agora

We saw the Ancient Agora where all the commerce, political decisions, religious and cultural activity occurred in Athens. Ancient, as in 3000 B.C. It was hard to fathom that much history. Later in the day, Bre and I walked around in the ruins of the area and appreciated how much the excavations revealed.

Hadrian's Library

We walked on towards the Roman Agora which was built when Rome occupied Greece. It was built by Julius Caesar and Augustus. All this history in just a few footsteps was almost overwhelming. We saw the Tower of the Winds, a marble clocktower built in the 2nd century B.C. We passed Hadrian's Library, built in 132 AD, which was more like a cultural center as it had lecture halls, held 16,000 scrolls, and a theater.

Changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier

We continued to wander through neighborhoods where the old and the new blended beautifully into the current city of Athens. The Mikri Mitropoli (small cathedral) built in the 13th century sat next to the Cathedral of Athens built in 1832. We walked one block to Ermou Street and were greeted by all the modern shopping stores. We headed to Constitution Square for the changing of the guard. The soldiers guard the tomb of the unknown soldier and every hour a symbolic ceremony is held. A dog sat at the soldiers feet until the ceremony was completed and the new guard was in place.

Zappeion Hall

The National Gardens were lovely, shaded (much appreciated), and filled with walking trails. We grabbed another bottle of cold water and walked to Zappeion Hall, built in 1888 for the modern Olympic Games. It has been used in some fashion for every Olympic Games held in Athens since then. We walked up the steps, entered the portico, and looked at the open atrium. The cool air inside the building welcomed me as I appreciated its historical significance.

Panathenaic Stadium 

It was a short walk to the stunning Panathenaic Stadium. The entire stadium was built of white
marble for the Olympic Games of 1896. This was the same site where the ancient games were held in 776 B.C. We also learned the origin of the Marathon race began at these games to commemorate when Greek warriors ran 25 miles from Marathon, Greece to Athens to defend the city against the Persians. Again I was bombarded by the history of Athens.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Bre was excited as we walked back through the Roman Agora and saw the Temple of
Olympian Zeus. It was one of the sites she really wanted to see. The remaining 15 columns (out of 109) showed how large this temple really was. Nearby we saw Hadrian's Arch, built in 132 AD as a gate between the Ancient Agora and the Roman city of Athens.

Climbing the steps up Mars Hill

Our tour was almost finished but I was most looking forward to Mars Hill. We continued our walk
toward the Acropolis as Stefanos told us the history of Athens and the myths surrounding the temple of Athena. Under the threat of rain, with lightning in the distance, we climbed the marble rock of Mars Hill. The marble was very slippery and the climb steep. Stefanos explained the marble had been polished over the years by the leather sandals of the many people who had climbed this hill before us. This hill is also called the Areopagos. It was here that Apostle Paul first spoke to the people of Athens about Jesus. I took some time to be still as I contemplated Paul's speech.

On top of the Areopagos (Mars Hill)

The storm quickly approached and the skies threatened to open up with a torrential downpour so we carefully walked off the hill back to where we began our tour. The rain began as we stood under the awning of a building and said goodbye to Stefanos and our new friends. Bre and I knew we were headed back to the Acropolis but chose to grab Gyros for lunch (they were so delicious) and our raincoats first. We were much more familiar with the streets of Athens and felt confident as we walked back to the Acropolis. The hill was not as difficult as we thought it would be and the view of Athens was incredible. Just as we got to the Acropolis the sun came out and the temperature grew even warmer. We wandered along the north slope fascinated by the construction of the many buildings of the Acropolis during a time without modern equipment. The Parthenon was built after the Greek forces defeated the invading Persian armies of Darius and Xerxes in 500 B.C.. I was amazed as I learned it used 22,000 tons of white marble from a mountain 17 miles away.

At the Parthenon

We climbed the steps to the Parthenon and looked out over the city of Athens. We walked down the south side through the ruins from the Theatre of Dionysos and then visited the Acropolis Museum. The Museum was incredible. It was actually built on the site of an archaeological dig and the floor tiles were clear so we saw the ruins below our feet. The statues from the Acropolis were in the museum for protection from further ruin. The entire side of the museum was a window which gave us a spectacular view of the Acropolis.

We left the museum and wandered through the streets toward our hotel and dinner. We sat at an outside table at a Mediterranean restaurant and enjoyed the ambiance and delicious food. We shared stories until the lights came on and our eyes began to close.

I loved experiencing Athens with Breanna. The laughter we shared and the memories we created far exceeded anything I could have imagined.

Milan and Venice, Italy

Doug and I began our trip to Milan and Venice, Italy for a long weekend. We grabbed our GPS and camera, ready for an adventure.

Entering the Mont Blanc Tunnel

We left Switzerland, traveled through France and entered Italy through the Mont Blanc tunnel. The four hour drive was filled with beauty. The majestic mountains were green and blue with evergreens until brown rocks jutted out sharply above the tree line. The twisting switchback road led to the 7.2 mile tunnel deep through the heart of Mont Blanc. The blue glacier ice hung onto the mountain in deep crevices and glistening, brilliant white snow covered the top of Mont Blanc. Medieval castles stood guard on top of the peaks in each valley. Waterfalls cascaded through ravines into rapidly flowing rivers below.  We traveled through a tunnel and over a bridge into a valley until another tunnel ushered us into the next valley. Over and over we went through mountains until suddenly everything was level and we reached the plains. Farmers were making hay and growing corn in their fields for the small herds of cows grazing on the pastures near the barn. Row after row of grape vines wrapped themselves around trellises on the steeply inclined terraces. A lone coyote walked across the field of foot high corn plants. A photo could not do justice to the profound beauty before us. Doug loved the two Lamborghini's that flew past us while we kept to the speed limit. Tickets are never fun, but substantially more difficult in a foreign country. We arrived in Milan just as the sun was setting.

Milan World Expo 2015

The United Kingdom Pavilion

After a great night sleep and a good breakfast, we headed to the World Fair. The Expo Milano 2015 was called "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life." It was all about food; the relationship of people to the earth, biodiversity, sustainability, feeding the entire world, and productivity. The expo was on 490 acres and there were over 145 countries participating in this 6 month fair. We saw many things but we had our favorite pavilions. Austria created pathways surrounded by trees and plants to provide breathable air. The United Kingdom built a giant metal beehive complete with the sound of bees that we walked through giving us a bee's eyes view of the flowering garden below us. Switzerland filled four towers; one with coffee, one with salt, another with apples and the final one with water. Everything was free and we could take as much as we wanted but they were not going to refill the towers. We were encouraged to think about those who would come after us so there would be enough for everyone, even if they came at the end of the fair in October. I heard people say, "only take one." The architecture of Vietnam's pavilion was built to look like trees and Malasia's building was built out of self sustaining materials from the region. It was a great topic for a world fair that addressed a great need. 

Northern Italy countryside

We left the fair, took the bus back to our car and then drove 3 hours to Venice. Northern Italy is beautiful. This part of the drive was fairly flat with rolling hills that came into view as we continued to get closer to Venice. Castles and church spires stood tall on the hills, while farmland and small groups of homes reminded us of the communities living here. 

We arrived in town just outside of Venice where our hotel was located. In Venice, buildings are given their address based on when the building was built. They are not in sequential order. Our GPS kept saying we had arrived at our hotel but we could not find it. It was already dark, the roads were unfamiliar and I couldn't get my phone to work. After circling the area 3 times, we stopped at a hotel and asked them directions to our hotel. I know, right. Awkward. Thankfully, the woman at the reception desk spoke English and was friends with the manager at our hotel. She gave me directions, a map and a number to put in our GPS that would get us closer to our hotel. We arrived without any further difficulty. 

We have learned things on our adventure, like, be flexible, laugh often, enjoy the process, relax. Still, I was a bit apprehensive as we got on the bus toward Venice on Friday. There was a transportation strike that went into effect at 9 am. I wanted to get on a vaporetto before the strike so we left the hotel at 8, walked to the bus stop and got on a fairly full bus which was considerably packed by the time we arrived on the island of Venice twenty minutes later.

I saw a ticket booth as soon as we got off the bus, bought our two tickets and grabbed the first boat I saw. Unfortunately, the boat I chose was going in the opposite direction of where I wanted to go. We stayed on the boat until it got back to where we started and jumped on the correct boat one dock down from us. This boat was jammed full with barely standing room for all of us. But it was worth it. The view from the water was stunning as we saw the city unfold before our eyes. The buildings literally reached the edge of the canal and many of them had a landing for a boat to dock. We traveled down towards San Marco, our stop for the day, when suddenly the boat docked and we were all told to "get off". The strike had begun. We followed the crowd and twisted our way through the narrow paved streets for about 15 minutes. As we walked, we noticed, every once in a while, directional arrows on the buildings pointed us toward San Marco. We now understood how people found their way around the twisting streets.

We walked around the Piazza San Marco, rode the elevator to the top of the tower for beautiful views of the island and port, visited St. Mark's Church, walked to the water's edge, watched people riding in gondolas down the narrow canals. We climbed over bridges, wandered the streets, peaked into churches, shopped for treasures, tasted great gelato (strawberry cheesecake for me and peanut butter for Doug), had a delightful late lunch, and began to make our way back to the bus. The strike was only operating in the evening between 4:30 and 6:30 pm. We made it back and even got to shop at the mall next to the hotel.

The next day as we went back to Venice, I felt so much more relaxed. The weather was beautiful. I understood the transportation. I knew how to find my way around the island. I cherished every moment. We went to an art exhibit, wandered for a few hours watching people, found a nice restaurant with a great view, listened to musicians playing in the streets, sat at the canal and watched the traffic on the water, and kept remarking how amazing this trip had been. It was then time to say good bye to Venice and drive back to Milan for the evening.

Our GPS, my dear friend "Gen", directed us to our hotel without any problem. She began the trip telling us to "follow the highlighted route" to which I said, "we will do our best". The roads frequently have many names and numbers and they don't always match what "Gen" tells us but we have been successful so far with only a few recalculating statements from the GPS .

On our last day, we traveled into the city of Milan to see Duomo, Milan's Cathedral. This cathedral is the fourth largest in the world, the largest in Italy (St. Peter's is in Vatican City). It was completed in 1965. The first stone was laid in 1386. I was amazed when I learned there were 135 spires and 3,159 statues. There's even a statue of Napoleon because he helped push to finish the facade. This cathedral was where Napoleon crowned himself emperor. We climbed the 201 stairs to walk on the top of the cathedral and it was so worth it. We saw the spires from this new perspective which was simply stunning.

After we wandered around the area, saw Da Vinci's statue, and walked through the 5 story iron and glass covered Galleria (absolutely beautiful) it was time to begin our journey home.

We were headed back toward the Mont Blanc tunnel. The traffic is carefully regulated through this 7.2 mile, two lane, multi-country tunnel. There are customs on both sides of the tunnel since one side is Italy and the other France. Only one vehicle per every 150 meters is allowed in at a time so the traffic can back up significantly. We were 23 miles from the tunnel when signs began appearing. It seemed like there might be an issue but since we are unable to read Italian, or French for that matter, we weren't sure what was happening. At one point 99 percent of the cars exited the highway but we kept going forward. Traffic slowed, then stopped. It took about 2 1/2 hours to reach the tunnel. Doug and I laughed and joked, took pictures, made up stories, hoped the tunnel wasn't closed, and loved every minute. I have to say it was the most beautiful, awe inspiring, drop dead gorgeous scenery I have had the pleasure of enjoying. Once we entered the tunnel the remaining hour to Geneva was clear sailing. I can't wait to do it again!