Paris in springtime – beautiful, but a bit chilly! Europe is having a very cool spring this year. It just hasn’t felt like spring for more than a day here and there.

The tulips and daffodils were done in Paris, but the purple irises were gorgeous. They came in many shades and styles and were the show flower last week for sure.

 

The highlight of the 5 days we got to spend in Paris was a cooking class. Bob and I had found this very tiny restaurant back in October. The owner, chef, waitress, etc. is a Canadian born woman who has lived in France for over twenty years. She went to Paris to further a career in design and wound up as an interpreter at a cooking school. Strange how life’s paths take a turn! There were 4 FedEx women who took the class with me and we made some delicious dishes that we sat and enjoyed mid day with Catherine the chef.  My sister asked me how it differed from the class we took together in Tuscany. It was quite different – in Italy we were all much more relaxed and laid back, joking around a bit and conversing a bunch. Here, it was a bit more serious. When we started taking photos and chatting the chef would remind us things were cooking and jobs needed doing. Much more serious, but equally fun.  We boned a chicken and cleaned and prepared artichokes, which were both new to me. Bob and another husband came back and joined in our lunch, which was delicious, and a wonderful way to spend half a day.

 

Profiteroles - Yum!

The cooks at "Reed"

 

One of the beautiful statues atop the outside of Opera Garnier

We had the chance to take a tour of the Opera Garnier, the old opera house in Paris. I had seen it many times from the outside, but it was so worth it to go inside. The tour guide we had really had such great knowledge of the entire place and he told so many interesting details we never would have known just walking about. The views from the outside balcony were worthwhile and as we sat in the theater workers were on stage working on sets. They rolled out a huge 30-foot statue on a flatbed as we were watching. Really cool. The ceiling around the huge chandelier had been redesigned and restored by Marc Chagall. It was unique to see something so modern set inside such an old building. The ornate decoration inside is difficult to take in all at once and it is everywhere, especially outside the performance area. The guide explained that in its day the common areas were like a stage themselves where you went to be seen on a public stage of sorts.  Seeing the opera here is very expensive because they have so many subscription holders. I think it is easier to see a ballet (and less expensive too).

Chagall ceiling decoration

Vibrant Venice

On our way back from Croatia to Germany, Venice was our stop. After so much traveling over the last month we were not that excited about another stop. We didn’t realize that this would be the perfect ending spot for the trip. Venice was a city full of energy and so very different than anything we had seen. 

 

I had read so much about Venice, but couldn’t quite picture it.  The size of the waterways and the amount of traffic on the canals was fascinating. It was a bit overwhelming when we first arrived. We parked the car in a large car park and ventured down to the boat/bus service and couldn’t figure out which boat to take or which direction to even go in. There are times when the language or cultural barrier makes you feel so out of place. This was one of those times.

Thanks to Caitlyn’s job at Westin we have been trying out Starwood properties all across Europe. They have proved to be some of the nicest properties we have stayed. The hotel in Venice did not disappoint! After checking in we set right off walking throughout the city, exploring the alleys, canals, and squares. The beauty was in the buildings, bridges, and gondolas silently and smoothly maneuvering the canals. We discovered alleyways that led to waterways that you didn’t even know were there. Piazza San Marco is amazing – a huge open area surrounded by tall buildings, a gigantic cathedral, and hundreds of seats at cafes where dueling café orchestras entertain those in the area. So unique.

As beautiful as the piazza was during the day, it was equally intriguing at dark. The city at night was so much quieter, and there was a marked difference in the number of tourists walking around. You can explore dark alleyways that lead to small canals where gondolas whisk through in the dark night. We did take a gondola ride late on our last night in Venice. It was beautiful – quiet, enchanting, and just stunning. We both were so glad we chose to go on the ride, especially at night.

Two mornings that we were there, Bob talked me into getting up really early and see Venice in a very different light. What a great idea. The city still quiet and empty was just so charming. The boats on the canals at 7am are working boats – people delivering clean linens, food deliveries, and boats picking up garbage, and dropping off construction supplies. We were in Piazza San Marco with two other people. You could take in the expanse of the area and the details in the immense buildings. The 300-foot bell tower in the square opens at 9am. Again, the volume of tourists is not there yet that early in the day. The views of the city from the tower are just wonderful. It’s a contained area of islands, so the perspective from above is impressive.

Working boats on the water early in the morning

Inside St. Mark's Cathedral

The day we were leaving we went to St. Mark’s for Sunday morning mass. It just happened to be the Sunday a dozen children were making their First Communion. They were dressed in simple white robes, holding a small shell with a lit votive candle, and looked so precious. The music was beautiful and you could take in all the details of the church. Very special mass.

Above the door of St. Mark's - beautiful mosaics

    

                                 

Venice was definitely a one of a kind place with beauty in the colors and textures of its medieval buildings, magical picture perfect canals, and vibrant energy from the movement in the waterways to the people in the city squares.

 

Exploring Croatia

Around the time of our move to Europe, I did a search on the Internet for “Must See” destinations to visit. We were compiling our bucket list of places to go and things to see. Locales in Croatia showed up no fewer than 3 times in the top twenty places to go while in Europe. I have to admit that I really had no idea where Croatia was, nor could I name one city in the country, but we put it on our list as a place that we were unlikely to visit if living in the U.S., but a relatively easy destination from Germany, and that’s why we recently spent 10 days traveling there.

Croatia is a small country of 4.5 million people. It was a 12-hour drive from Cologne to Zagreb, the capital, and we transited Austria and Slovenia while enroute. We had the good fortune to arrange for Caitlyn and Corey to join us for the first week, via Zagreb, and Patrick and Raha to meet up in the city of Split, during week 2. We had 3 days of overlap with all 6 of us staying at another one of Caitlyn’s Starwood property resorts, this one the Le Meridien Lav, Split.

Hundreds of waterfalls - all shapes and sizes

Cait and Corey flew into and adjusted to European time in Zagreb, while Janice and I met up there, and almost immediately headed out to the largest park in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes National Park. Plitvice is a series of lakes in Central Croatia, along the Bosnia and Herzegovina border. Mountain runoff has formed 16 lakes, descending in altitude from 2000 ft. to 1600 ft., and as a result has formed the most incredible display of waterfalls. The unspoiled natural beauty of this UNESCO Heritage sight is something we’ll never forget. Hundreds of waterfalls dot the landscape and the watercolors vary from green to blue to grey depending on the sun and minerals. We spent 2 days and over 7 hours hiking an extensive network of trails and bridges to just get a taste of Plitvice. This was a real test for Janice’s recently healed leg, but she rose to the challenge and never once held us back.

Lodging in Plitvice was less than stellar, and our accommodations brought lots of nervous laughter, and possibly a tear or two. We rented an entire floor of a bed and breakfast that was ranked very high on Trip Advisor. 2 Bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and DR, with a porch overlooking the waterfalls. What they failed to mention was that guests living on the upper floors would casually stroll thru our apartment enroute to their rooms. At one point, as I was on the balcony admiring the view, the B&B owner just showed up, standing beside me. No knock, nothing, he just felt like talking. Later that night, before lights out, I told Janice “ this place gives me the creeps.” If Caitlyn heard me say that, she’d be sleeping in the car. Spartan would be a step up...

Great displays of ice cream!

Gate to the city of Zadar

Next stop was the town of Zadar on the Dalmatian coast. A small and pretty seaside village, with over a thousand years of history and architecture present, what I’ll probably remember most is the presence of the “sea organ”, a series of underwater pipes that react to the tide and movement of the waves, resulting in a relatively soothing yet random melody.

Seaside town on the way to Split

Hvar, Croatia                

A 3-hour drive along the Adriatic was our first real exposure to the beauty of the Dalmatian Coast. Winding roads and dramatic landscape brought us to the city of Split, where we arrived just as Patrick and Raha had flown in from Philadelphia. 3 days basing in Split brought us on a fantastic sail to the island town of Hvar. If visiting Croatia, this town is a must see. Sea kayaking and relaxation rounded out the remaining time here. We parted ways with Cait and Corey as they flew back to Boston, Patrick and Raha rented a car and set out for Dubrovnik, while Janice and I headed north, for a weekend in Venice before the drive to Cologne.

View of Hvar from the sailboat

Hvar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sailing on the Adriatic Sea

Patrick and Raha

Kayaking at Split, Croatia

 

A sunny afternoon in Salzburg

One thing we have noticed in driving from place to place here is your options for stopping off points are always cool. We were driving from Koln to Zagreb, Croatia and knew we couldn't do it in a day. So...you pull out a map and start looking for an interesting place for an overnight. For the most part we don't like driving once it is dark here because the highways (autobahns) in Germany are not lit with continuous lighting. Because of the speeds at which some cars travel they seem to come up out of nowhere at night and it can really be unnerving. The best part is you get to stop in towns you might otherwise not get to see!

That is how we ended up in Salzburg, Austria for the night. Lots of families have visited here and everyone loves it. Most people end up on some kind of Sound of Music tour - either on foot, bike, or even Segway. Since we were just staying overnight we set out on foot and just went exploring. There is a imposing castle that overlooks the town that you can see from almost anywhere you are. There is a beautiful river with cafes, shops, and bike paths on both sides and gorgeous mountains in the distance.

Some towns and cities here have one thing that stands out and for Salzburg it was the guilded signs that hung from building to identify their business. It is almost like there is a little competition going for who has the most unique and beautiful sign. Even McDonalds had one. Of course I started taking photos of them and have shared some below! 

From Lisbon to Barcelona

At dock in Lisbon

Lisbon was the perfect backdrop for some beautiful pictures as we left port. This was the first time for us to travel on a ship and the weather was perfect! We watched the sunset on Portugal as we sipped wine and had our first dinner with our small group of 8 aboard the Wind Spirit. Wind Star cruise line was repositioning from the Caribbean so the Wind Spirit and the Wind Surf, a slightly larger version of the boat we were on were traveling from Lisbon to Barcelona to begin summer cruising in the Mediterranean.  Our ship can accommodate 148 passengers while the Wind Surf can have double that number. 

Wind Surf photo taken one morning from our cabin as we were coming into port.

The two ships traveled together, leaving port within 30 minutes of each other, so often you could watch the other out at sea which was very cool for us. One evening they sailed out together and side by side raised their sails in unison. It was quite a beautiful sight with the sun high in the sky and a slight breeze on deck!  The unfortunate part is the picture I have is of the other boat, bigger, but just as beautiful as ours. 

Wind Surf

Cadiz

The weather for the entire cruise was perfect. We boarded in the evening and spent the entire next day cruising.  It was a great way to begin our eight-day trip. The third night out we went through the Straits of Gibraltar and after that the nights were a bit smoother. 

Cartagena

Cartagena - Roman Theater

Almeria

The ports of call were on the smaller size and we stopped each day in a different Spanish town where we could spend the day exploring the beautiful squares, cobble-stoned alleys, old fortresses that began with the Moors back in the 10^th century, churches and cathedrals of various sizes and age, and some wonderful parks along the waterfronts. Since we only had a day to spend in port we spent it exploring instead of sunbathing on the beaches. Each time we pulled out of port we had time to relax in the afternoon or evening sun aboard the ship. Favorite port would have to be Malaga where we took a 4-hour bike tour of the city. At every turn there was a special building, garden, or picture perfect street. The guides on the bike tours are usually transplants that just have a love for their new found city which transfers into a fun way to visit a new place for us! We ended at the beach with this sculpture.

Palma de Mallora - Cathedral on the water

The ship, company, and locations were just perfect. We really got a taste of what Southern Spain had to offer. It was so nice not to have to pack and unpack which is what we are usually doing when we are visiting various places in Europe. That was a real treat! I could definitely see us looking into more cruises during our stay. 






We ended the trip in Barcelona. Having been here last spring our day was dedicated to Antoni Gaudi, the famous architect from Catalonia - going up into Park Guell and visiting the magnificent Sagrada Familia and having a tour of the most breathtaking cathedral. It is not yet complete, so I guess we will have to make a trip back again in years to come. It is a must if you go to Bacelona.

Entrance to Park Guell

Inside Sagrada Familia