A window of opportunity opened for me to take Janet to Europe for some Christmas markets. Fortuitously, Prague had recently joined our wish list. After finding a good flight, booking two Hyatt hotels with points, and lots of planning, we were heading to the Czech Republic! Day 1: Strahov Library and Petrin HillA Brief HistoryContinue reading “Six Days in Prague”
Category Archives: Independent Travel
Four Days in Banff
This was the first time that scenery has overwhelmed me. The Rocky Mountains beckon as one drives along the Trans-Canada highway from Calgary towards Banff, but distance dulls the effect. I have been around higher mountains, but these slopes rose abruptly from the Bow Valley. Each morning, I renewed my awe, remarking that they wereContinue reading “Four Days in Banff”
Three Days in London
The final stage of our wild trip with the Sems and the Townsends was London. We’d walked the southern half of the Cotswold Way, cruised the Kennet and Avon canal on a canalboat for several days, checked out a White Horse and Avebury’s massive stones, and were ready for London. After Avebury, we’d driven ourContinue reading “Three Days in London”
A White Horse, a Hot Range, Stone-Hugging at Avebury, and a Glance at Stonehenge
Why did we only glance at Stonehenge, and what is Avebury and that other stuff? Explaining this to our crew of Sems’s and Townsend’s was the day’s mission. In honour of Louie, the third duckling who was carried away to an unknown fate by a fat seagull while we cruised the canal on our adventure’sContinue reading “A White Horse, a Hot Range, Stone-Hugging at Avebury, and a Glance at Stonehenge”
Italy Day 13: Burano, Murano, and a Gondola Ride
Visiting Venice’s outer islands is a popular excursion. Burano is known for its lace and Murano for its glass. While tours include travel on dedicated boats, the islands are served by the regular vaporettos and allow visiting other islands on the way without a tour group. As we visited early in the morning, there wereContinue reading “Italy Day 13: Burano, Murano, and a Gondola Ride”
Italy Day 12: Exploring Venice
Having experienced a half-day taste of Venice on the previous day, we were ready to find “our” Venice. For Janet and I, that meant heading out early to a distant corner of the main islands to visit the church of San Pietro di Castello. I’d found this church as it was a geocache which explainedContinue reading “Italy Day 12: Exploring Venice”
Italy Day 11: To Venice
Traveling around Europe by train includes some classic moments. We’ve previously experienced a few, from overnighting between Paris and Berlin or passing through the channel tunnel. This day we experienced a simple one and an inspiring one. The simple experience is one that can end well or badly: running for the connecting train, usually involvingContinue reading “Italy Day 11: To Venice”
Italy Day 10: Hiking and Swimming Cinque Terre
Having scoped out Riomaggiore and Manarola the day before and after a good sleep, we were ready for a more ambitious walk. But first to enjoy coffee and breakfast on our balcony. Our hiking plan was to walk on the mountain trail from Monterosso to Vernazza and onto Corniglia. Bailey and Jett returned from theContinue reading “Italy Day 10: Hiking and Swimming Cinque Terre”
Italy Day 9: Pisa and Cinque Terre’s Lovers Lane
Hello from Italy! If you could do me a favor and “like” or leave a comment on the platform that you get this blog from, I’d greatly appreciate it. A comment would be a bonus! Thank you for reading my musings. The pace-slowing in Florence after Rome continued. With our next destination in northwest Italy,Continue reading “Italy Day 9: Pisa and Cinque Terre’s Lovers Lane”
Italy Day 8: Florence
Our full day in Florence was another chill day, but that does not mean we didn’t walk and climb! We had reservations to climb the bell tower at 8:15am, but Bailey and Jett opted out so we headed out without them. Our next objective was a walk that started from a piazza on the otherContinue reading “Italy Day 8: Florence”
Italy Day 7: Rome to Florence and a Sunset
After six active days, it was good to have an easier day without climbing but we still walked over sixteen thousand steps. The difference between Rome’s hustle and Florence’s Tuscan tranquility was refreshing. Our plan for the evening was to catch the sunset over Florence and the River Arno. It was a couple of milesContinue reading “Italy Day 7: Rome to Florence and a Sunset”
Italy Day 6: The Vatican and a Cooking Class
We wrapped up our three days in Rome with visits to St Peter’s Basilica (including a climb to the top of the dome), and the Vatican Museums (to see the Sistine Chapel), with an Italian cooking class as our grand finale. The Basilica is overwhelming. I used Brian Schmisek’s The Rome of Peter and PaulContinue reading “Italy Day 6: The Vatican and a Cooking Class”
Italy Day 5: Ancient Rome
Time to go back 2000 years. My two previous visits to the Colosseum and Forum had left me somewhat underwhelmed by the piles of ancient rocks through my lack of understanding. This time, the Gladiator movies, Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion books, and a PhD in a related field helped me understand what IContinue reading “Italy Day 5: Ancient Rome”
Italy Day 4: Rome
Two-nil. Naples scored two goals last night to win their national championship. I’m sure we felt the cheering through our apartment walls when they scored, and the fireworks outside our window were definitely loud! This wasn’t the best evening to have a 5:30am taxi to catch a train to Rome. After the delays in gettingContinue reading “Italy Day 4: Rome”
Italy Day 3: Capri
The day went to plan but not how we intended. We reached the sites but not in the way we would have liked. Yet we had a fantastic time and made the most of our day on Capri. We walked through sleepy streets as Sorrento woke up and arrived at the port in time forContinue reading “Italy Day 3: Capri”
Italy Day 2: Path of the Gods and Positano
Each of us did our favorite activities today. Janet and Peter hiked the Path of the Gods, a trail that hugs the cliffs as it winds along the Amalfi coast for a few miles. Bailey and Jett had a photo session with a local photographer using multiple outfits, locations, and early morning light to captureContinue reading “Italy Day 2: Path of the Gods and Positano”
Italy Day 1: Pompeii and Sorrento
Italy welcomed us with a classic day of travel stress but by the day’s end, we could reflect on it with smiles. The day had started so stress free! As usual, I was questioning the plan when the alarm went off at 4 am, but I was soon in full-on travel mode. The Uber whiskedContinue reading “Italy Day 1: Pompeii and Sorrento”
New York City in Four Days
It takes an Ireland-style tour to see this much of NYC in four days. Visiting over St Patrick’s Day weekend and the NYC 1/2 marathon was fitting. We focused on independent self-guided tours (planned by Janet) and marveled at the tremendous variety we found in Manhattan. A couple of shows and many great meals roundedContinue reading “New York City in Four Days”
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 