Algarve, Portugal

Portimao is on the southern coast of Portugal. The beaches are the most beautiful we have seen so far. The rock formations that have been worn away over the last 30 million years are gorgeous. There are many caves, private beaches and wide open sand to explore. The ocean looks tropical - green and blue. We have been able to hear the roar of the ocean from our room and from every beach restaurant. This is an amazing destination to relax and chill out since the month of March has been so tough for us. :)

We have walked along the beach each night to dinner no need for any other form of transport. Last night we did venture out into the little town of Alvor for dinner. The town had many beach side restaurant and what looked like a fun bar scene. We would highly recommend this as a great destination to hang out and take in some fresh fish! Portugal also has been one of the most economical of our destinations, always a nice bonus... :)

It should be mentioned the caves and private beaches do have their down falls. We were
unfortunate enough to see a lot of skin and it was unpleasant. D was taking a video of cave exploration and it came to a very aburpt ending - see video.Thankfully this wasn't as bad as it could have been - which we had the bad luck of experiencing in other countries (Greece, France)...

For Portugal coastal pictures click here...

Sevilla, Spain

We arrived in Seville hoping to find more Spanish culture; without a doubt this city is alive and ready for a party. Between the tapas bars on every corner, huge bull ring in the center of old town and flamenco dresses hanging out of almost every store the culture can not be missed. This is the perfect time to hit Seville. The Easter week celebration is huge here as well as the April bull fights so our timing was perfect. The city has lots of tourists but they don't over power the strong local felling of the city.

We hit the highlights the Real Alcazar and the Cathedral y Giralda. After Rome we did not

think a Cathedral could wow us but we were wrong. The sculptures and shear size of the Cathedral is sight that should not be missed. The palace and gardens at Real Alcazar were extraordinary and made for a cool escape within the city.

This is a place you could easily spend a week just checking out different parts of the city.

For more pictures from Sevilla, click here...

Grenada, Spain

Heading north to Grenada definitely changed our impression of Spain.  After seeing the coast (which was beautiful), it was time to get a little Spanish culture.  Grenada was a great starting place for that.  

From Grenada you can see the Sierra Nevada mountains and you can definitely tell that the weather there is affected by proximity to these mountains.  We hit the highlights here - the Alhambra and the main cathedral in the heart of town.  Again, the Cathedral just blew us away, with its unique style and architecture.  The Alhambra had a line t

hat ensured we won't be taking children to Disney World anytime soon - this is not a walk up and "wing it" destination.  We learned that the hard way...  

The Alhambra's strategic military location offered stellar views of Grenada below and the mountains to the East.  This city had a great cafe/bar culture with lots of folks hanging out in squares enjoying the best Grenada to offer.  This is a destination to bring your Patience and expect to find things out on your own - ie they lack signs for basic things around the exhibits.  We came across several Norwegian and English families who expressed their disappointment with the organization of these exhibits.  

This was a trip highlight and certainly a worthwhile audible.  For a link to more Grenada pictures click here....  

Costa del Sol, Spain

After our snowy adventures in France we caught an Easy Jet flight down to the southern coast of Spain. To start with, there was nothing really easy about it. We flew out of Geneva on Easter Sunday thinking that no one would be at the airport – think again. By the time we returned the rental car we quickly realized that we were right in the middle of spring break for every family in the US, UK, France, Switzerland and Spain. The Geneva airport just wasn’t ready for it – people people people were sprawled out all over the floor throughout the terminal.

After a good test of patience waiting for the plane to arrive, we finally departed for Spain. EasyJet is a European version of Southwest, so the 50 families with kids boarded before us and we were about the last 10 people to board for open seating. No seats together but somehow we both got aisles. K picked the wrong seat, as a couple seating next to her took the next 2 hours to practice their affection towards each other. Unreal! This is the second time this has happened to K during our travels if this occurs again I am afraid she will be unable to keep silent.

The coast of Spain brought us sunshine, great views, sandy beaches, but other then that we were somewhat disappointed with how commercial the area is. There were many English speaking establishments and at times it almost seemed as if Espanol was the second language. We were warned by many this part of Spain did not provide the true Spain experience but the sun and sea drew us here anyway. We would not recommend this region if you are looking for a true Spain adventure.

All of that said our hotel was a lovely escape from the surrounding area. It sits directly on the beach with a lovely pool and great places to have breakfast and lounge about. It is a small boutique beach house with only ten rooms, if in the area we would highly recommend "The Beach House".

After a couple days we took a voyage down to Gibraltar. It made for some cool views of Africa and unbelievable wind, but we were really surprised by the amount of building on this small territory. The area is flooded with dozens of 10 story mid-rises which eliminate any chance of a waterfront view for much of the residents.

For a few more pictures of southern Spain take a look here...

Saint Amour, France

If you have any plans to visit central France this year, please reach out to us - we found an ultimate getaway. Tucked away near the Jura mountains and south of Burgundy wine country, we spent our Easter weekend at a 12th Century French Chateau. It was incredible. We'll let pictures do most of the talking, but we should note that we had 60 degree weather when we arrived and 6 inches of snow the following morning. We couldn't believe it, as we saw people on the French coast in bikinis almost 36 hours before...
This place is an absolute fairytale and we could not have loved staying here more!

For some more views of the chateau, click here.

Lyon, France

As we headed north for the French countryside we had heard great things about Lyon and decided to make a night of it. The drive from the Cote d'Azur to Lyon was beautiful and it really surprised us how desert-like the southern part of France seemed (think SW USA). About half of our drive was chasing a massive sunset, we saw the sunset behind about 10 different hills/ mountains. The second half of the drive was in darkness and we were not looking forward to it. Turns out the drive at night was beautiful, as many of the chateaus and churches in small towns were all lit up. If our conversation topics were running dry these sites kept us both entertained.

We hit Lyon too late at night to capitalize on the restaurants we'd heard so much about, but the next day we definitely got a taste of Lyon. Every day near the rivers (Rhone & Saone) locals flood the farmers markets, where we saw some of the freshest food thus far in Europe. The only part that might have outdone these farmers were their baking counterparts in old town. It seems that the boulangeries and patisseries take every other storefront in Lyon.

Just when we thought we could be "churched out" from touring so many religious houses, Lyon presented a true gem - Notre Dame de Fourviere. The level of detail inside this church may have out done most of the churches we've seen. About 15 college students were there to sketch different parts of the inside decor, which was a cool way to see others admiring the architecture. Note: This church should be on everyones to do list in Lyon, it is worth all the stair climbing we promise.

For more shots from the day in Lyon, click here...

Monte Carlo, Monaco

If you are heading here for a visit, do yourself a favor take the train or rent a scooter. Unfortunately, we learned after leaving Monte Carlo that a water main exploded on the main road from Nice to Monaco, which made for a 45 minute diversion and lots of single lane traffic.

The only thing possibly more frustrating was when we were handed a menu 25 minutes later which featured a 55 Euro hamburger. If you expect to find out how that burger was, don't hold your breath we were out of the restaurant within minutes.

The casino is worth a quick stroll in as it is much more James Bond then Vegas. The inside of the Monte Carlo casino is extremely ornate, comparable to some of the chateaus and cathedrals we've seen across Europe. Just beautiful! The grounds outside are just as well manicured with all kinds of fancy cars waiting out front. The only part that might be more impressive then the casino and outside landscape is the marina to the north. The yachts are unlike anything you've ever seen... The wealth in this small country is unfathomable.

Nice, France

Spending a couple of days in Nice certainly slowed us down. We (read D) chucked away the camera for this leg of the trip and enjoyed the heart of the French Riviera - Cote d' Azur. The beach is rocky in this part of France, but that did not keep people off it catching some rays almost every moment we were in town. Walking along the beach or bike path is worth carving out some time here, whether you are on business or holiday - there were plenty of conventioners doing this same.

The old town of Nice is fun to walk around. There are a ton of cooking shops and bakeries which draw a fare share of tourists and Nicois alike. Plenty of sunshine, great bread/croussaints, moules frites, amazing art (Matisse) make it easy to want to call this place home.

One notable encounter was a taxi driver who claimed to speak 9 languages fluently. It made for pretty fascinating cab chatter, but a painfully slow ride. At one point we wanted to ask her if she knew how to say step on it in all 9 languages.

After spending 2 days here we opted to check out Monaco and then head north to Lyon.

Cinque Terre, Italy

We'd heard a ton about this area from other friends and travelers, after a few minutes here it was easy to see why. The five towns: Monterossa, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore all sit right on the coast and make for a large national park of Italy. We stayed in Manarola and hiked north to Monterossa on our first full day - what a trek! While walking along the Mediterranean coast you come across olive groves, lemon trees, thyme bushes and countless vineyards. Between every town the terrain and vegetation changes just enough to make each of these hikes unique. The hike is definitely some effort no matter what type of condition you are in and we felt pretty lucky to make this trek on a cool spring day - although locals told us it was pretty hot (60s).

When you think you've see it all in Cinque Terre you quickly learn this park and coastline is not all there is to offer. Cinque Terre is the home of pesto, which we benefited from at nearly every meal. Pesto pizza was surprisingly good by the slice!

For pictures from the hikes or hanging out in the towns of Cinque Terre, click here.

Rome

After so much hype it is hard to image loving Rome, but we did. We absolutely loved it and can not wait to go back! Our hotel was up in the hills with a great view of the city, but not easy access to all the sites. We hit the highlights - Coliseum, Vatican, Statue of Moses by Michelangelo, Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain.  All of which are worth a visit but be sure to pack your patience. We encountered many a school trip and it is not even high season. High school students are all the same whether Spanish, Italian, French, Canadian or American they are loud rambuncious and generally unpleasant in large groups... :) A favorite observation was the current style of of very low cut pants which are at times worn with inapporiate under garments leaves an inconent bystander with a very unpleasant view.

Picture this you have just viewed the Moses Statue by Michelangelo. The beauty is hard to take in all at once; in fact we were just in awe of the sculpture of Moses who parted the Red Sea.  As we are walking down the steps of the church, a young lady is sitting on the steps in her very "hip" low cut jeans and all the world to see her undergarments as well as a "part" of her own! This was the most ungodly sight which had us shaking our heads and laughing for about 20 minutes.
Its worth mentioneing the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Rome. We have not seen this level of workmanship since Cairo. Everyone has a tour you must be on, a trinket you must buy or a cab you must get in. This is all part of the charm of Rome as long as you don't fall for the tricks. We both really enjoyed the salesmanship and creativity of the hustlers.  

Rome Pictures

For the pictures from Rome, please click here.

Santorini, Greece

The white buildings against the blue sea was more then we expected. We were really surprised to see that most of the island was closed up or getting ready for the start of tourist season. In a way it was fun to see all of the stores, inns and restaurants making modifications to paint, drywall, etc. We had a chance to see the islands behind the scenes at times it seemed only 100 people were on the whole island.

Fortunately, we discovered a taverna (local restaurant) close by and it made for a great dinner spot each night. K experienced some great seafood (served with the head, her favorite) with squid and red snapper making for excellent meals. In the town of Fira we had a chance to mingle with the locals at an outdoor cafe called Diviso. Waffles, crepes and iced coffee were the specialties and the hangout was pretty fun to see.

The sunsets were as fantastic as we'd heard about from our research. Our villa made for a great view, but the wind/sun only really gave a few hours tolerable on the balcony. After a couple days here you can see why March isn't packed with tourists; the temperature is great but the wind seems pretty constant at all hours of the day.

There is one other part of Santorini that deserves mention - cats. They probably outnumbered humans 2-1 on the island. It was creepy. Perhaps it isn't as noticeable in the height of tourist season, but we felt at times that we were surrounded. This would be an awesome place to spend a few days right after high season, mid to late September, when everything is still open.

Santorini pictures

Click here for the pictures from the Greek Island.

Athens Pics

For the rest of the Athens shots, click here...

Athens, Greece

Flying to Athens is quite a sight. On a clear day you can see the islands to the south and Mount Olympus and other snow capped mountains to the north. The city itself seems to sprawl from above and once you hit the streets and sights of Athena, that observation is solidly confirmed.

Walking or driving through the streets of Athens you can't help but wonder what traffic flow was like before the 2004 Olympic games. Traffic flowed pretty well, but was constant at almost all hours of the day and the air quality off the main roads was tough to handle. We spent about 2 days here seeing the sights and that certainly does it justice. If you had a long list of local spots you could warrant more time, but we did not and 2 days within the city hit the spot.

The Acropolis and surrounding areas really makes for a day in itself. Our last night in Athens we circled back and caught the Parthenon and Acropolis just before closing time, which we'd highly recommend. You'll still get crowds, but the tour buses seem to have disappeared and you get a better feel for everything atop the rock. Walking around atop the Acropolis you can see the sea on a clear day, but it is difficult to get past how vast Athens really is.

Spending some time in Plaka (old part of Athens) was certainly worthwhile. You get a mix of bazaar/flea market/sidewalk cafe. The shops get mundane pretty quickly, but there are countless courtyards and cafes worth camping out in for a few hours. Plan on eating some great seafood, fresh bread, drinking some Ouza (similar taste to Sambuca, but mixed with water/ice to make a cloudy concoction) and taking your time.

You can see that this is a gateway to many of the other parts of Greece, both mainland and the islands. For the rest of our shots in Athens, come back soon for a link.

Positano, Italy

We have found a little piece of heaven on Earth, Positano. Its a little town on the Amalfi coast, just south of Naples. The town clings to the cliffs like barnacle on a ship. Its amazing the whole town does not just slip into the bright blue green sea. The color of the water is spectacular.

This time of year Positano is pretty quiet as most of the hotels and restaurants don't open until Easter weekend. D and I had the place to ourselves or so we thought. Sunday morning we thought Mass would be neat in an 80 person chapel. The chapel was packed with locals and we were lucky to claim the last two seats. Ladies in their 80's belted out tunes and the charismatic priest delivered a passionate sermon. We are both sorry we could understand what he was saying but we greatly enjoyed the show. Our three days were filled with excellent food, long walks up and down the stairs to the sea/beach, people watching and of course a little shopping. Through out town you can hear the waves crashing and dogs barking. If you are looking to relax and don't mind some stair climbing we highly recommend Positano. Its on a short list to return to one day!

For a few more shots from Positano, click here.

Cairo pictures

For more pictures of Cairo, click here...