Photos from our European Vacation

I'm posting Facebook links to our photos and you do not have to be on Facebook to view.  2 weeks into our 3 week trip you will see my arm in a sling.  A funny thing happened on the way to The Forum (literally) in Rome... I was listening to an audio guide of the sights and tripped on an ancient cobblestone.  In a valiant attempt worthy of a gladiator to save my phone, I came down hard on my wrist and fractured it badly!  The ambulance came (wee-woo) and took me to the hospital where only one person I came into contact with spoke English- fortunately the doctor who treated me.  They had to "manipulate" my arm in a manner similar to the rack I had just seen in the Tower of London 2 weeks earlier.  I ended up with a cast from my fingertips to above my elbow which was like carrying a 10 lb baby around for the rest of our trip.  This all happened the day before our cruise and nothing was going to stop me from getting on that ship!  We did have some of the wildest adventures and I'll try and post some stories to go along with the photos soon.  Two days after we got home, I had surgery on my wrist but will be rid of the sling in a week and I start physical therapy.

London

Hampton Court

Paris

Zurich

Bernina Express (Swiss Alps)

Venice

Rome

Allure of the Seas

Barcelona

Palma de Mallorca

Aix-en-Provence and Cassis

Cinque Terre

Adding one story that I posted on Facebook...

So the Bastille Day in Paris story... Yes, high speed Eurostar from London at noon and dinner cruise reservations that evening... What could go wrong? Well how about our Eurostar breaking down and limping into Paris 3 hours late? So now it's after 5 pm and we are trying to walk to our hotel that I know is a 9 minute walk and we get totally lost! Make our way back to train station and Jeff says let's just take a taxi! "Taxi driver" tells us €30 and I say, "It's a 9 minute walk!" And he says, "Ok, 2 euros a minute!" Sorry, I've read my Rick Steves and know a scammer! So off we go walking again and get even more lost! Without anymore detail, let's just say we were introduced to the more dodgy areas of Paris! Finally after an hour or so of wandering the streets and back alleys of Paris with luggage in tow, we find our lovely little hotel at about the time we are supposed to be boarding our boat! We check in, throw on our dressy clothes and have Micael point us in the direction of the Metro. What more could go wrong? Is it even possible to make it to our "prepaid" dinner cruise to see the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower? We hop on the packed number 7 metro (I have my directions- 2 trains and a bus or if no bus a 20 min walk) and within 30 seconds a pickpocket has his hand in Jeff's pants trying to steal his wallet (in our rush, no time to put on the money belt) and Jeff slaps his hand away saying, "Get your hand outta there!!!" Think that"s it? Non! We are on #7 but heading in the wrong direction! Get off first stop and run around and get back on #7 going right way. Transfer to # 8, get off at correct stop but no bus so start speed walking with thousands of Parisians along the riverfront (almost sure boat has left by now) and finally arrive dripping in sweat to our dock... And we are not too late!!! The rest of the night was amazing as you can see from the video of fireworks over the Eiffel Tower! Unforgettable! I have another video to share about a magical moment onboard "The Cristal" and yet another tale about our adventure back to the hotel... arriving at 2 am! (No, we didn't get lost again!)

Spelunking and Little Lambs

I've mentioned before that Sarah is such a great travel planner and finds the most unique places to stay and things to do.   So far, in New Zealand, they went zorbing which is rolling down a hill in a large inflatable globe.  They also went spelunking and rafting in 43 degree water in a glow worm cave- see Black Water Rafting Company.  I'm pretty sure these activities were planned with Justin in mind.  But for Sarah, the main reason they were staying at Kamahi Cottage billed as New Zealand's only 5 star farm accommodation, was so she could pet baby lambs.  Well, she got her wish!

 

Sarah is a vegetarian and I don't see any lamb chops in Justin's future now!  

Honeymoon in New Zealand- Day One

Justin knows I am not a fan of flying and especially not in small private type planes so they didn't tell me or Sarah's mom what they had planned for the first day of their honeymoon in New Zealand.  Here's the post they left after the fact on Facebook:

"A floatplane came and picked us up at the jetty a few steps from our room, and took us for a flight over New Zealand's geothermal area...volcanic craters, sulfur bays, geysers, etc. Neat experience! Sorry Sue Bringhurst and Darylynn Mills, we figured it was best to tell you after we were done so you didn't worry. — with Justin Mills at Black Swan Lakeside Boutique Hotel."

They got that right... I would've been very worried but now I have to wonder what else they aren't telling us about their plans!  Here are photos from their flight.

Next they move on to Kamahi Cottage, a luxury sheep farm resort so Sarah can hold baby lambs-   That sounds a bit tamer but I wonder what else they have up their sleeve?!?

Spur of the Moment

We had a quick little trip up to Morro Bay over the weekend.  George and Robin were on their way down from a Washington/Canada trip and called and asked if we might want to meet up with them in Morro Bay.  Jeff's grandparents built a home there many years ago and it is still in the family so we had a nice place to stay.  It was our first road trip with the dogs in the new Prius.  Remember I showed you the liner that Jeff made to protect the back area when the seats are down?  The dogs are great travelers and they had so much fun hiking and going to the beach.  Here's a photo of a trail we took high above the Morro Bay area.  Off in the distance, you will see the big Morro Rock in the water that is a landmark for the area.  My physical therapist would freak out if she knew I did this strenuous uphill climb!

We've visited Morro Bay a lot over the years but this weekend was, without a doubt, the best weather I've ever experienced there.  It's so often foggy and cool but, as you can see, it was sunny and clear with temps in the mid-80's!  We did this hike with Jeff's cousin Susan and her husband Greg and their 12 year old Golden Retriever, Sophie.  We had a nice BBQ back at the house that George and Robin fixed for us all.  Delicious tritip steaks, George's famous twice-baked potatoes, salad, and apple pie a la mode.  The following night, we went out to a Mexican restaurant.  

Jeff, Kanan and Cooper at Morro Bay beach

Cute Sandpipers running in the soup

Otters Galore!

Souvenirs

We are all getting a lot of souvenirs from Justin and Sarah's travels.  Today, we are going down to visit Justin and pick up souvenirs that they have for Jessica and Pat and for the boys.  We will also see their trip photos and hear about their adventures.  We're taking the dogs and will go to the Huntington Beach Dog Beach, have dinner with Justin and Sarah, watch Survivor and then come back home.  When we picked them up at the airport, they gave us our souvenir that they bought in Venice.  They are Comedy and Tragedy Masks.  I put them on my console table in the living room.  Here's a photo.

The little silver compact in the photo is a gift from their trip last year to Istanbul.  I have placemats and coasters from Sarah's Vietnam/Thailand trip and a wine bottle holder from their Costa Rica trip last August.  We also have refrigerator magnets from exotic places they've visited.  Since they only travel with carry-on luggage, they have to keep their souvenirs small.

I saw my Orthopedic doctor on Monday and told him that, unfortunately, the cortisone shot didn't really help much.  He'd like me to have microsurgery because he's concerned about nerve damage if this herniated disk keeps pressing on my nerve.  The last three toes on my right foot tingle all the time like they're asleep which is a sign that it's affecting the nerve.  I'd like to give it more time to see if it gets better on it's own because it often does after 6 months or so and it's only been 3 months.  I'll try and wait until after summer before I consider surgery.  In the meantime, I'm going for physical therapy and I begin that on Friday.  Besides what they want to do for the disk, I want them to tell me what exercises I can safely do because I'm used to exercising 3 times a week and have been afraid to do that for fear of further injuring my back.  I'm not happy losing the muscle tone I've worked hard to maintain. 

Rattlesnake Aversion Clinic

Cooper and Kanan are going to a Rattlesnake Aversion Clinic at The Barkley this afternoon.  We have lots of rattlesnakes in the local hills and the trails where we take them hiking.  The training involves wearing "bark collars" and introducing them to live muzzled rattlesnakes.  You can read about it HERE.  We asked if it would be okay to bring Ryan and Jacob along to watch as they are always so worried about rattlesnakes at the parks since they have "Beware of Rattlesnake" signs.  I wasn't sure if The Barkley would think this appropriate but they said it would be fine for them to come and watch.  I think it will be good for them to see what a real rattlesnake looks like and be aware they are to be avoided.

Justin and Sarah are back from their whirlwind European Adventure.  I thought I'd end my version of their travelogue with a wonderful photo of them in Paris!  Have a great weekend, Happy Easter and see you in April!

  

King's Landing

 On Saturday, Justin and Sarah (after taking trains and planes) arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia.  They splurged here and stayed in a luxury hotel:  The Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik.  They were so fortunate to have a sunny, warm, clear day as you'll see in the photos where Justin is in short sleeves.  This was the part of the trip Justin was most looking forward to as I mentioned before as it is the location site of King's Landing in one of his favorite shows, Game of Thrones.  Dubrovnik did not disappoint!  All he could say was, "Wow...just wow!"  The walls and fortresses date back to the early Middle Ages!

My favorite photo.  Those doors are so intriguing!

The unluckiest boat in Dubrovnik!

Another beautiful photo!

Later this week, I should have photos from the final legs of this epic journey:  Dublin and Paris. 

Ryan has mastered riding his two-wheeler. At first he could only turn one direction but now he can do figure 8's! Way to go Ryan! The video should straighten out when viewed. For some reason, I can't directly upload iPhone videos to blogger so have to go through Vimeo.

Castles in Germany and Slovenia

Justin and Sarah are visiting a lot of castles and they will end their European vacation with a stay at a castle in Dublin.  They've been taking trains through the countryside and visited Neuschwanstein Castle in Southwest Bavaria, Germany.  Didn't the dark clouds give it an eerie Dracula's Castle-like look?

Justin & Sarah at Neuschwanstein Castle

After visiting the castle, they took an overnight train to Lake Bled in Slovenia, arriving at 6 AM.  They were able to check right into their hotel overlooking the lake and they had a beautiful, sunny day for exploring this glacial lake in the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia.  The lake surrounds Bled Island which has several buildings, the main one being the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, built in the 15th century, where weddings are held regularly. The church has a 52 m (171 ft) tower and there is a stairway with 99 steps leading up to the building. Traditionally it is considered good luck for the groom to carry his bride up the 99 steps on the day of their wedding before ringing the bell and making a wish inside the church.

Lake Bled and the island

Medieval Bled Castle in the background, swans in the foreground

Snow on the ground

Boat ride to Bled Island

Lake Bled Island and Pilgrimage Church

Justin checking out those ancient 99 steps!

Next stop, Dubrovnik, on the Adraitic Sea coast of Croatia.  As a huge fan of the HBO series Game of Thrones, Justin is most excited to visit this city which is the location of King's Landing in the series.  For any GoT fans, HERE's a site "Winter is Coming" that shows the location sites and a preview of what Justin and Sarah will be seeing in Dubrovnik.   

The Race Continues...

If you didn't see my last post, it's where Justin and Sarah's Amazing Race through Europe begins with photos of Amsterdam, Venice and Prague.  Continuing here with more photos of Prague.  Prague is famous for it's Gothic architecture and you can see the beautiful Tyn Church in Old Town Prague.  Tyn Church was founded in 1385.  Legend has it that Tyn Church gave Walt Disney the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle.  Here's a closeup of Tyn Church.

  

Another famous landmark in Old Town Prague is the Astronomical Clock which dates from the 15th Century and is the oldest working astronomical clock in the world.  Every hour on the hour, you can see "The Walk of the Apostles" in which figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures—notably a figure of Death (represented by a skeleton) striking the time; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months.  Below is a photo of this famous clock.

Justin and Sarah in Old Town Prague (above) and sipping tea in an outdoor cafe (below)

Prague at night

 

After their stay in Prague, they took a evening train to Plzeň (Pilsen) also in the Czech Republic and visited a  brewery famous for being the birthplace of pilsner beer. And the only place in the world to get unfiltered, unpasturized pilsner beer. Delicious, and only 2 bucks a pint, according to Justin.  Here's what I assume to be the "Before and After" photos of their visit to Plzeň and it's brewery.

Before

Lovely light dusting of snow

After

Looks like Sarah is critiquing Justin's Czech/German drinking song

After their tour of Pilsen, they took a train to Munich, Germany where they are now as I write this entry.  In the next few days, they will be on more trains on their way to Mittenwald and Innsbruck in the Bavarian Alps.

This just in... a video Justin posted on Facebook.  They have arrived in Munich and are on their way to the Hofbrauhaus for beer and schnitzel.

Amazing Race European Tour

Justin and Sarah are on their Amazing Race style of an European Tour.  They arrived Friday in Amsterdam and then a quick flight to Venice, Italy.  The stop in The Netherlands was because that's where the cheapest flight from the US landed them.  Here's a photo taken in Amsterdam.

They stayed on a "Boat and Breakfast" Yacht in Venice.  HERE'S a link to their floating accommodations.  They were so lucky to have a gorgeous first day in Venice.  This is definitely on our bucket list.  Here are two photos of the famous canals.

They have now arrived in Prague in the Czech Republic.  They are staying in the historic Old Town Square at the Lippert Hotel.  There's a webcam showing the view they have from their room HERE and here's the photo Justin took of the view from their room.  The church you see is the Tyn Church.    

Construction of the Romanesque/early Gothic church started in 1365.  The grand portal was built in 1390. The West front wasn't erected until after the Hussite wars in 1485; the south tower was finished in 1511.  Although the structure is not the same, legend has it that Tyn Church gave Walt Disney the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle.  And take a close look at the two spires on the church. They are not symmetrical. They represent the masculine and feminine sides of the world. This is characteristic of Gothic architecture of the period.

I'm posting this early on Sunday (Happy St. Patrick's Day) because we are going up to Ojai with Chris and Liz for an early dinner at The Ranch House.  They have a beautiful outdoor setting and we have 5 PM reservations so we can enjoy eating outside.  HERE's (another) link to The Ranch House.  You can have a virtual tour from that link and see the menus.  I'm ordering :

Chipotle Chicken Chevrie
Jidori free range breast of chicken stuffed with wilted spinach, wild
mushrooms, chevrie, toasted walnuts & thyme, rubbed with a sun dried
tomato pesto - baked -served with a cranberry tequila glaze.

The Three Amigos

Sierra is back visiting with us for the next two weeks while Justin and Sarah are on their latest European Adventure.  Here's a photo of The Three Amigos also known as "The Rainbow Coalition."

Justin and Sarah's trip includes the following cities:  Amsterdam, Venice, Prague, Pilsen, Munich, Mittenwald, Slovania, Dubrovnik, Dublin and Paris in that order.  In Venice, they are staying on a yacht and in Dublin they are staying in a castle.  Dubrovnik is their big splurge where they are staying at a luxury hotel.  I'll be posting photos over the next two weeks of their travels.  

I used an old photo of the dogs because my camera is broken.  What's really ridiculous is the only part that's broken is a tiny plastic pin that holds the battery in place.  I'm so irritated that they made a nice, expensive camera and put a piece of plastic in it that, if broken, makes the camera inoperable.  The battery light keeps blinking because it thinks the battery is low when it isn't because the battery isn't pushed all the way down due to the broken little pin.  I've tried adding things to keep the battery down- paper, a paper clip and other things- and nothing works.  I called Sony and they offered me two "solutions"  I could get 15% off a new camera or pay $130.00 to have the camera repaired!  Sorry, $130.00 is too much for a tiny piece of plastic that in my opinion is a design flaw.  Since I have a lot of accessories for the camera:  extra batteries, extra cards, nice case, etc... I decided I'd try to find the same camera on ebay and if I can get one for @ $50.00, I'll take a chance on a second one.  I have a couple I have my eye on and I know I can get one for $99.00 through a "Buy it Now" but I'm hoping to get one for a lot less.

Back update:  quite a bit improvement so hoping it continues to improve.  Even planted marigolds out front!

Finally, here's the kitchen cabinet makeover after I put the dishes and things back.  The box that says, "Dream" is to gather mail so it's not on the kitchen counter.

Dingo Delivery

Sierra, Justin's dog, is here with us.  Sarah, Justin's girlfriend, gave Justin a trip to Colorado for Christmas and they are leaving this morning at 7:30 AM and will return home Monday evening.  Sarah's best friend lives there and they are all going to go snowboarding and tubing.  They are lucky that Colorado is pretty warm right now compared to the big chill going on in the Midwest and back East.  The temperatures in Denver during the day have been in the 50's.  You may remember that Sarah is a travel fanatic and they have already planned their next trip.  They are leaving in mid-March for two weeks in Europe.  They are flying to Venice, Italy via Amsterdam.  They still haven't worked out the details of where they will be going from there.  Maybe Germany or Prague.  Their return flight is from Dublin to Paris and then to Los Angeles so they will probably spend some time in Ireland and France.  They want us to join them but we are reluctant to go in March when the weather will still be too cold for our liking.  We did however get going on getting our passports.  We found we had to get certified copies of our birth certificates so we did that last Tuesday and they should be here in a couple of weeks.  Here's a photo of our little visitor, Sierra.  She's a Carolina Dog which is also known as an American Dingo.  Justin rescued her as a pup from a group in Orange County that saved her from the pound on the day she was due to be euthanized.  She's a great little dog...really smart and well-behaved.

Hi Sierra!

In case you missed my last post, take a look below at our snow day with the boys!  We all had the best time!

Sun Diego

San Diego is famous for being one of the sunniest cities in the United States and it actually has more sunny days in the winter than the summer.  Their Chamber of Commerce likes to call the city Sun Diego.  It's a popular place for people to come to escape the cold winters.  They call them "Snowbirds."  It's a little over 2 hours away from us.  Jessica went to college there at UC San Diego which is located in La Jolla.  We used to love to go visit her during her four years there because it's such a beautiful area.  We took a long walk with the dogs along the cliffs of La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya) and through the charming town.  Here's a photo of La Jolla Cove.

If you click to enlarge the photo, you might be able to see all the wildlife:  pelicans and sea lions amongst them.  This is also a popular dive area and Jeff and Justin want to go diving there.  We also took the dogs to one of the largest dog beaches in all of California.  It's called Ocean Beach Dog Beach.  Cooper especially enjoyed it because it has two areas: one a normal shore break area with waves but also a long channel where there are no waves.  While Kanan will body surf waves, Cooper is afraid of them so this area in the photo below was his cup of tea!  You can see they had lots of dogs to play with!

Will check Jeff's camera to see if he has more photos to share but wanted to post these while Jacob is napping.  I'm watching him today and had so much TV to catch up with when we got home Tuesday afternoon so didn't have a chance to update here.

Robin sent me photos that she took at the dog beach and here's a great one of Kanan and Cooper sharing/competing retrieving their water toy.

San Diego Getaway

No Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales for us this year.  Instead, we are having a little getaway to San Diego.  We took the dogs and met George (Jeff's dad) and Robin at Santee Lakes, one of their favorite places to visit.  Before we left, we had a nice Thanksgiving at our house.  The boys were really good and Ryan enjoyed the traditional foods.  He brought his own little placemat that he made at school.  Jacob is still a fussy eater so he made do wit his usual bananas and other white food!  I was too busy getting all the food on the table so I didn't take any photos other than the one below.  My Facebook friends from Australia, South Africa, Sweden and Brazil wanted to see a picture of our dinner so I snapped a quick photo of my plate.  I didn't even think to arrange it nicely so what you see is what I ate!  You'll probably recognize my special yam casserole and Jessica's zesty carrots.

And rather than pumpkin pie, we had a Tuxedo Cake!