Italy April 2009

One of my favorite destinations is Italy! It's probably the most popular destination within Europe for my clients. The atmosphere, architecture, people and the amazing food....need I say more? I decided to take my 16 year old daughter on a 6 night adventure to Rome and Florence. She was excited not only for the fabulous cuisine in store for us but also for the shopping (shoes, shoes and more shoes!) We arrived bleary eyed and early in the morning determined to miss a wonderful day in Rome because of jet lag. We checked into our wonderful hotel, Capo d'Africa, a charming little boutique hotel a couple blocks from the coliseum in a quiet neighborhood. The rooms were quiet, restful and spacious for European standards. We spent the next 3 days exploring Rome by touring the coliseum, climbing the stairs to the roof of St. Peters, browsing the Vatican Museum and loving the Sistine Chapel, visiting the Borghese Museum and the National Museum and of course getting our fill of gelato, pizza and the most wonderful pasta. We couldn't get enough of window shopping, but with the Euro/dollar exchange we didn't find ourselves coming home with too many souvenirs.
Next stop was Florence. We took the 2 hour train ride to Florence station and stayed in the most amazing luxury boutique hotel called The Lugarno. This beautiful, unique hotel faced the Arno River on one side and Ponte Veccio on the other. We had a delightful corner room that gave us amazing views both day and night. We immediately set out to see my favorite museum the Academia. Reservations are a must for this since the lines can be easily 3-4 hours long. My daughter was amazed to see the statue of David as well as the other wonderful Michelangelo unfinished sculptures. We took a 1/2 day tour of the Uffizi museum, which was well worth the price. Our favorite part of Florence was just walking around, people watching and enjoying the feast of incredible architecture. Everyone should travel with a high school student who has just taken European history. She had so much information about the things we were seeing. I was the student and she was the teacher! Florence has incredible flea markets and we actually got some great bargains on purses, shoes, scarves and ties.
Our trip to Italy was a great bonding experience for both of us as well as an amazing learning adventure! We can't wait to go back and see the north.

I just returned from a spectacular trip visiting some amazing cities along the Rhine River. I have been to Europe many times in the last 20 years but have never had such an enjoyable, effortless trip.
We began our journey in Basel Switzerland and made our way, day by day to a new enchanting city each day ending in Amsterdam. The seven day cruise was a great way to discover some beautiful destinations along the Rhine and only unpack once.

Our first destination was the inviting city of Strasbourg. Here we explored the Ill river by boat and walked around the cathedral and fun shops. We saw the Black Forest that afternoon and visited a great cuckoo shop while others in our group visited and sample wine in the Alsace wine region. The following day we visited Mainz and Heidelberg. We had a fantastic guide in Heidelberg that engaged us with the intriguing history of this lovely city. The next day we were in Rudensheim. We loved sampling the local flavors and exploring up and down the cobblestone streets. The mechanical museum here was especially fascinating. Our next stop was Koblenz. On the way to Koblenz we made our way through the Lorelei Valley. The scenery was breathtaking! Large and small crumbling castles high on hills, picturesque cathedrals and vineyards dotted the landscape. The fall leaves had just changed and we were treated to scenic golds, reds and yellows along the river banks. Cologne was our next stop. We explored the city and marvelled at the cathedral and purchased a sample of cologne, for which the city was named. Our last port was Amsterdam. We have been there many times before but always enjoy this lively city. Our favorite museum, the Rijksmuseum was under renovation, but we still were able to see some of our favorite Vermeer and Rembrandts. Amsterdam is especially lively at night and a group of friends from the ship got together to explore, walk and people watch.
Our ship was small, with only 140 passengers and crew. We had a cozy, well equipped cabin with floor to ceiling sliding glass windows. We dinned on local specialties as well as other national delicacies served by an incredibly efficient staff. Our daily tours were fascinating, led by local, well informed guides and we still had quite a bit of free time in which to explore and discover the city.
Our favorite part of the river cruise was Heidelberg. The history of the city, the beautiful castle high atop the hill overlooking red roofs, the Rhine River and graceful steeples was a something we will not forget. We also loved the cruise through the Lorelei Valley with its intriguing legends and crumbling castles. An Avalon Waterways cruise is a great way to see Europe. I would love to help you plan your river cruise. Whether its on the Rhine, Rhone, Moselle, Yangtze or Nile, you will be amazed at how convenient and economical a river cruise can be!

European Vacation with Kids

My latest adventure was our family's trip to Europe. My kids are now ages 17, 15 and 11 and I thought this might be a good age to introduce them to all the wonderful things I love about European cities. My two oldest children had taken French in school and had both studied European history so they were really excited to go. My youngest was a bit apprehensive about the trip thinking it would be a lot of boring museums and cathedrals.We started our trip off in London. After recovering a bit from jet lag we enjoyed the walk around Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abby and the National Gallery. The kids all loved the audio tour of Westminster Abby. The next day we were off to the Tower of London, which was probably everybody's favorite part. The tour guides really make this tour fun for all. They have a lot of great (and sometimes a bit gruesome) stories about the royalty who made their home the Tower. My daughter and I went for tea at Claridges while the boys visited the London Aquarium. Tea at Claridges is great fun! We dressed up and enjoyed a variety of teas, finger sandwiches and handmade desserts. It is a must for any London visit. Our remaining days found us at the Tate Museum, St. Paul’s and the Globe Theater. We also really enjoyed the Thames River cruise, which a great way to learn a bit of London history and at the same time see some major sites. Because we were on a bit of a budget we took the Tube everywhere and loved it. Our fourth day was spent taking the Euro star from London to Paris. It was a great, quick ride. We found ourselves enjoying the Louvre and Eiffel Tower the first day. My youngest was a bit tired of museums at this point so we made sure we visited the major works of art at the Louvre and then called it a day. I am hoping some of the wonderful things he saw will stick in his mind someday when he takes art history. We all had a great time visiting Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, St. Chappell (my favorite) and D'Orsay Museum. We took the Metro everywhere and for fun each kid had to pick our metro route every day to our destination. They made a few mistakes here and there but overall really figured out the system well. The last night in Paris was highlighted by a visit to the top of the Eifel Tower at midnight.After two big cities it was great to rent a car and drive north to Normandy. We loved our visit to the Caen Memorial Museum. This is a fantastic museum for young and old. There is some wonderful memorabilia, like a wedding dress made from parachutes, and some great movies that illustrate the importance of D-Day and how this historic day turned the course of WWII. There is such a wonderful reverence about Normandy that makes you so grateful for the men and women that sacrificed so much. We loved our accommodations in a fun little B&B farmhouse. The owner's husband cooked a delicious, traditional Normandy style dinner for us that evening. We visited the American Cemetery, which was touching and beautiful and the D-day beaches. The coastline in Normandy is amazing. I wished for more time in Normandy.We then were on to Bruges. This is one of my favorite European cities. It looks like a medieval town stuck in time. There are historic Flemish buildings, beautiful gardens, canals running through it all and of course the fabulous chocolate. We walked and ate and ate and walked! Our last stop was Amsterdam. The Van Gough Museum was definitely a favorite for my kids. They loved the layout and the audio tour is a must. We all had a huge appreciation for Van Gough and his amazing works. We did a bit of shopping and lots of walking. The Canal cruise was very interesting and a good way to get off your feet for a while.It may not have been the best time to visit Europe because of the weak dollar to euro ratio, but it was good timing for us and sometimes that is the most important factor. Overall we had a great time and some fantastic pictures and memories. A few tips I can give on traveling in Europe with children:
· Don't over plan your days. Save some time for sitting and people watching or strolling in a park.
· Limit time spent in museums. Talk a bit about the important works you will see, and then visit those. Total limit in the Louvre for our youngest was 2 hours. (Actually that was the limit for my husband too!)
· Don't just spend time in big cities. Be sure and go off the beaten path a bit. It is the best way to get to know locals. The people in the smaller towns tend to be friendlier and like families. Our favorite destination in all of this was Normandy.
· Make a game out of museum or town tours. Have a check list of important art works or historical sites. Our game of having each kid find a metro route to our destinations was a lot of fun for them and a great learning experience.
· Don't be afraid to travel like a local. Stay in locally operated hotels, eat in local restaurants. The Marriott and McDonalds are great and familiar but you might still feel like you are in the US!
· Give your kids disposable cameras. They loved having their pictures developed when they got home. It meant more to them than looking at our pictures.
I would love to help you plan your customized family trip to Europe.

Zimbabwe and Botswana Adventure

In all my travels I have never been anywhere that has touched me as much as Africa. So after my journey to South Africa and Zambia last fall I just knew I had to go back to see more of Southern Africa. In early April I had the amazing opportunity of spending almost 2 weeks in Zimbabwe and Botswana. I was given the chance to stay in some wonderful hotels and tented camps and to experience the incredible African spirit of graciousness and hospitality.

We began our adventure at the luxurious Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg. Our flight landed late in the day so we had to overnight before our flight out the following morning. The Saxon hotel is located about 45 minutes from the airport. It is a beautiful, boutique hotel surrounded by an oasis of magnificent local flora and fauna in the midst of a bustling city. It was became the home to Nelson Mandela after he was released from prison. The 24 large suites are luxuriously appointed. We were treated to a tour of The Saxon’s state of the art spa, where one can be pampered after a long flight.

The next morning we set off to Victoria Falls. After a short 90 minute flight we arrived at the Victoria Falls Airport and were transported to the historic Victoria Falls Hotel. I remember seeing this incredible white hotel last fall across the Zambezi River Gorge and wanting the opportunity to someday stay there. The Victoria Falls Hotel has hosted Royal families, heads of state, celebrities, authors journalists and poets for over 100 years. The grounds are serene and majestic. There is a magnificent view of the gorge from the grounds and one can observe the falls by taking a short walk down to the observation area. Upon our arrival we took a private sunset cruise on the Zambezi and saw many hippos, crocodiles, dozens of species of birds and an incredible sunset. The next day we visited a lion orphanage where young abandoned lions are taken to be taught how to survive on their own in the wilds. We were able to interact with the lions and even rubbed their bellies like my house cat! We then were able to touch, feed and ride elephants around the private game park.

The next day we were off to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. We arrived by light aircraft and even had to wait to land because of a large black rhino who had decided to sunbathe on the dirt runway. We were transported to Makalolo Plains tended camps. When I first heard the word “tented camps” my mind went immediately to family camping trips with everyone crammed into the old Springbar. This was far from my image of camping. Each beautifully appointed tented room is private, luxuriously decorated and has all the comforts of home. There is a private toilet, shower, safe and cozy king size bed and a spacious deck for game viewing outside the tent with an outdoor shower. The food served at Makalolo was a culinary lover’s delight. We were spoiled with local favorites as well as European fare. The game viewing was fantastic at Hwange National Park. The first night we had sundowners (drinks and hors de ovres) next to a heard of Cape buffalo. While we quietly enjoyed an incredible sunset a lone hyena came over and checked us all out. What an incredible experience to see one of these amazing animals up close. You are reminded of the fact that you are in a tent when you hear the wildlife outside all night long. The first night a few male lions were roaring for their territory boundaries in the middle of the night. It is an incredible if not a bit exciting sound. The following days we were rewarded with sightings of lions, herds of elephants, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, foxes, rhino and many varieties of unusual and colorful birds. We were able to visit a village to see how the people of Zimbabwe lived every day life. Hearing the children’s voices singing was a memory I will not soon forget.

The highlight of my experience was our visit to Botswana. Having been a huge fan of Number One Ladies Detective Agency series I was anxious to see this beautiful country for myself. As we flew over Kasane and saw the red dirt roads, jackleberry trees and tin roof houses I could picture Mma Romatswe sitting on her porch enjoying her red bush tea. Upon landing after another light plan ride we packed our belonging into the Land Rover and were immediately rewarded by a herd of elephants. So many elephants that we had to stop the vehicle for almost 30 minutes to let them pass. Our guides surprised us with a sunset dinner next to the Linyanti River where we enjoyed a gourmet meal fit for a king. We arrived at Kings Pool Camp where we were warmly greeted by an amazing staff. Our rooms at Kings Pool were spacious with huge showers, sitting areas, luxurious king beds and an inviting deck area with a day bed and plunge pool. Again, a far cry from a camping experience. Our meals were taking on a deck overlooking a watering hole. Safari experience in the Linyanti/Savuti Channel was unforgettable. One of my goals on this trip was to see wild dog which are very scarce in Southern Africa. Up until the final day we only saw them hunting from a distance but the last day we were able to come up to a pack sleeping in the shade. About 12 wild dogs allowed us to get close enough to enjoy watching the pups play in the sun. The most amazing experience was a young male elephant that came right up to our Land Rover and sniffed the vehicle then the legs of several riders. After it was finished investigating he stamped his feed and flapped his ears the proceeded to chase after our vehicle when we started to drive off. The second we stopped he would also stop and back off into the brush as if his courage was lost. We had a great laugh over this and took some amazing pictures. We said goodbye to Botswana to head for home, but we took with us some incredible pictures, so dear friendships and some wonderful memories.

I can’t wait to visit more of these amazing countries soon!