Well, this was a beach vacation to remember since none of it could be spent at the beach after the first day :). The weather was extreme by Portugal terms. They had not had rain in a month and then the week we were there it rained every single day after the first day! So despite the beauty all around us, we had to find other things to keep us busy.  A few walks to the beach to watch the waves crash (sitting with some ‘all inclusive’ champagne) was a relaxing break the odd day when the rain let up.

Then mid-week we went go-karting and walked the old centre to meander the shops… it was an expensive day at the track, but the race was worth it.  Bri slammed into tires on a turn and Greg’s back took a beating, but it was certainly good fun on a rainy day. Afterwards, the kids refused to walk home in the rain with us and waved a taxi down, then dared to let it drive past us in the pouring rain as we walked the rest of the way up a steep hill to the hotel!  Shocking?  Not if you know them…they thought that was hilarious!   We were soaked and chilly when we arrived 10 minutes behind them, so we spent the next 2 hours at the spa.  Ahhhhh – beautiful!!

However, THE highlight to remember, on those rainy days was our day of four wheeling through the interior ‘hills’ of Portugal in heavy rains at times. We had to rent a car to get to the meeting town of Messines and find the fire hall.  There we met the lady who led us out to the farmhouse where the quads were.  It started to downpour sideways when we arrived so we had to stay in our car for 10 minutes and wait before running to the house! Through the mud and rain and wind we pushed forward and saw some beautiful countryside and local homesteads. It was a great eye opener. We stopped a few times for water along the way – once in a Eucalyptus forest, once to have lunch at a cafe and once to look at a school now flooded in the valley, built hundreds of years ago before water filled that area. You had to be 18 to drive, so Bri was the passenger on my quad and she was a terrific sport about it. Considering we had to shake the cocoons and spiders out of the rubber boots lent to us after a winter outside, and she had to sit in the rain on the back of a quad while mud splashed up all over her…she was a trooper! Especially since her brother was leading the pack with his own quad, crossing rivers and climbing hillsides – It was quite harrowing at times with the rain and rough terrain!

We were all very happy and energized though, because it was something we could do in the rain and still enjoy!  It was warm enough outside (16) to still have fun with it and take in the scenery and the experience of driving narrow, eroding paths and bridges over dams (just us and a guide!).  Chris had a bright vest because he was at the end of our convoy, so it was a safety measure they take.  At times during our adventure (the 3 hour tour!) the sky did clear up and we lifted our muddy visors to take it all in!

On the way home we went to the town of Silves because we had read about the beautiful Cathedral there. The streets were so ‘old Portugal’, that we loved the authentic feel of the city. Chris and I walked around while the kids waited in the car (wet and tired!). Here is a small taste of Silves:

So…our trip to Portugal has been great so far…but storm clouds are looming on the horizon.  We were desperate for a bit of sunshine, but didn’t want to travel a day each way with just 1 week off for the February break.  We’ve always wanted to experience the Algarve, and we know many people who rave about the region, saying that it would be difficult to beat its value and atmosphere.  So that was our February pick.

Our only major concern has been the weather.  Portugal had been clear and sunny for a month up until yesterday.  Prior to our vacation we had been watching accuweather.com, hoping that the predicted forecast for rain would be wrong (but it looks like it won’t be).   Although we were anticipating a wet week, yesterday was a spectacular day.  We spent our time lazing in the sunshine and photographing the incredible views along this coastline.  We played lots of frisbee, and both Greg and Brianna swam in the ocean.  We wanted to make the most out of this day so we ended up staying outside until sunset.

A huge plus has been our resort…we really lucked out.  A last minute change allowed us to be upgraded to a brand new resort that is all-inclusive.  We haven’t been on an all-inclusive vacation for quite some time, so we’ve been enjoying all the options.  The resort has beautiful grounds and a nice roof top bar that we’ve enjoyed both nights. Even with the rain, it has a covered roof and heaters and palm trees all around, so it’s lovely.

The kids are using the resort’s spa today (which is just beautiful – we are very lucky!) and later this week we plan to take a shuttle into Albufeira to do some indoor go-karting or other activities when it rains.  We’ve also planned an ATV excursion later this week so hopefully that is still a go on Friday!  We’ll make the most of the week here, and cross our fingers that we see some more sun so that maybe we can fit in another “um cochilo” on the beach.  The timing was just a little early for the guaranteed weather, but it is very relaxing, so we will recharge and enjoy!!

What a whirlwind weekend! Our schatzli is 15 now and like usual, there is never a dull moment when she is ‘on the go’.  This weekend was no exception and to make it even more exciting we welcomed our good friend Sierra and her friend, Sam to our flat here in Paris on Friday! They came to celebrate Bri’s birthday and take their University reading week holiday with us! So, that made the 17th even more special for Brianna this year.

Friday night Brianna celebrated here with her friends.  About 24 of them were here in the apartment from about 8:30pm to 11:30pm with lots of food, music and dancing to celebrate.  It ‘sounded’ like a lot of fun…Chris and I were quietly ‘overseeing’ from another room, ready at any moment to take a complaint from neighbours. None of them knocked though and it must have been due to the notice that we put up in the hallway the day before, warning of the party we were going to have.  That is customary here and that way the neighbours tolerate the noise once a year or whatever it is.  So, it all worked out.

While Bri was having her ‘party’, Greg took Sierra and Sam into Paris for some flaming B52’s! Yummm. They came home feeling jet lagged but happy after the night out. At that point the 20 or so kids that were still there, split and went outside to call an uber.  It was perfect timing.

Then on her actual birthday, Bri woke up to 15 balloons around the apartment floor, all with different words on them that describe her.  We took some pictures of her with her balloons and then she went into Paris with Sierra and Same for the afternoon.

In the evening we took her out to her favourite restaurant – Caravaggios in Vaucresson.  She had her favourite dish (Papardelle Umbriana) and we all had some red bubbly wine to toast to the great year ahead.  Greg was tired of all the photos at this point…lol . The walk home was serene and starry with the Eiffel tower in the background.

After dinner, the 4 of them went into Paris AGAIN (at 10:30pm) to the Latin Quarter. Greg knew of a restaurant/bar that served specialty drinks and they all wanted to go see it.  So, after another uber ride in and out, we were all finally saying goodnight at 2:30am! Overall it was a fantastic day in Paris with friends and family and we are happy to be here with Bri on her 15th. Happy Birthday Breeze!  We love you so much!!

Since 18 is the official drinking age in France, this was a big birthday over here for Greg! To celebrate, we decided to take him and Brianna to London for the weekend of his birthday and see some new things together. We stayed at the  Marriott Regents Park and enjoyed the pool and spa there, as well as the good breakfasts.

On Saturday, Greg was stuck having to work on a Film assignment that he had to hand in on the Monday and it required hours of editing (he focused on it both ways on the train as well). So after a few hours homework in the hotel room, we soaked up London with a taxi tour and saw sights such as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and the M16 building (Secret Intelligence Service). We were able to fit in a West End show – Wicked, which was definitely a highlight.

At one point I got lost in Soho after leaving the kids and Chris at a restaurant called ‘Dirty Bones’ to go over to Piccadilly Circus and buy a bathing suit for Greg (who had forgotten his! Long story on how that happened).  My phone was out of data… and wouldn’t let me google map or even phone them, without my data… so I was all turned around after heading out one direction to find a certain Sports store, and then coming back from another direction. Every street and pub looked the same and there is another (older) Dirty Bones restaurant that everyone kept directing me to which was out of the way!  When I finally found the restaurant (2 young guys knew about this ‘new’ restaurant I was referring to, because it is beside one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurant)….my meal was cold and I ate quickly so we could leave. That was a little adventure I won’t forget in London.

The kids enjoyed Camden Market a lot on the Sunday before catching our train back to Paris. Camden Town Market had so many cool stores and the prices were decent…it was a place I could spend half a day at easily! Bri got her license plate there and a couple of brand name shirts and Greg got a backpack and tried some amazing foods (he liked everything he saw!).  It was only a few bus stops from our hotel, so it was an excellent location for us to hang out.

Some of the highlights for the kids would be walking across London Bridge with the city all lit up at night, the SIS building (M16), shopping at Harrod’s, walking Piccadilly Circus and the Carnaby Street vibe. Greg will remember ordering drinks for himself (legally for the first time) in London and we will remember the first class train ride that got us to London and back in less than 3 hours on the Eurostar. I had dreaded being 275 metres under the English Channel in a train tunnel, but it was not noticeable and we were only under the water for about 20 minutes. Dinner and ‘drinks’ were included in our train tickets so it was a very relaxing journey! Great way to celebrate 18! Happy Birthday Gregor! We hope you enjoyed celebrating in London! It was a very fun weekend overall!

What would a visit to Poland be without being waved over and then fined for driving on the ‘wrong’ road (taxi road) and having to pay a cash fine on the spot? Good thing we exchanged our euros for Czech ‘Koruna’ and Polish ‘Złoty’ before leaving Paris. The ‘Police’ spoke only Polish (harshly and quickly I may add) and all we knew was he was asking for our documents. We gave him passports, license, and rental papers. He walked away and came back with a 15 euro (equivalent) fine for driving on a road (other cars were also on) that our GPS had told us to turn onto to find parking. How can you argue with an officer when you don’t speak the language and they won’t accept any discussion anyway? So it was…”yes sir, thank you sir”… and we were off again.

We continued to follow the GPS to the parking (1 block away) and then walked into the old centre of Krakow.  We had reservations to tour Schindler’s factory and had to pick up our tickets at the Visitor Centre.  We had a quick local food sampling at the Christmas market in the square and then headed out to Schindler’s Factory at a near run because we had to be there for 12:20pm and it was a 2 km walk.  We could have taken a tram, but most of our zloty had now gone to a policeman and lunch. 🙂 No time to find money and a tram stop to take us to the right area.

Schindler’s Factory had a fantastic Museum about World War 2 organised as a timeline through different rooms, displaying Poland from 1938 – 1945. It was hard to believe the atrocities they suffered from both Russians and Germans at the same time.  Schindler’s role was admirable and being in his actual office and building after seeing the movie was a significant connection for us and the kids. Schindler’s List is a must see if you are ever coming to Poland.  From there we also saw the remnant’s of the old Jewish wall (4 blocks away) that the Jews were forced to build around the ghetto to confine them to the one area.  The German SS ordered that the wall be built in the shape of tombstone heads to remind the Jews of their fate.  There is only 12 metres left of the wall and it is very eerie to touch it and be right there where liquidation took place.

We then went back to the car (by tram)  and drove out to our Airbnb that was on the outskirts of Krakow.  The next day we toured the area some more and walked around the Salt Mine, but did not go down into it even though it sounded fascinating.  We did an underground Museum experience about Krakow and enjoyed the Christmas market some more.

The next day we visited the Auschwitz/Birkenau Concentration Camps about 30 minutes from Krakow. It was moving beyond words. We were all very somber after all of the visuals and the reading they provide in the different barracks where the prisoners were kept. Then a long, walk to the crematoriums was powerful and haunting. The cold, rainy weather added to the horrors that we were already trying to understand.

The next day we visited a Modern Art Museum near Schindler’s Factory. It was actually a very refreshing activity because the art is so unique and bizarre, that there was so much to see and talk about. We only took a few photos, but there were some interesting exhibits that really ‘walked the line’. Greg and Brianna were surprisingly captivated – imagine that…

Mobile home – all you need in life

Later that day we took our rental car to the airport and waited there for two hours before flying home (to Paris) at 7:00pm.  We did so much more in the evenings in Krakow and had excellent food, including their famous donuts. It was a great place to shop and both Greg and Bri bought some clothes there.  Overall, a very relaxing trip to Poland and a comfortable stay at a wonderful Airbnb.

Prague Edition:

This New Years we decided to get a different perspective on Europe and head East to Prague and then drive through the Czech Republic and Poland, to Krakow.  Our flight went without a hitch this time, although we did stand in a line for a flight to Barcelona when we were still in Paris because they didn’t have the different destinations posted when we arrived (imagine us being 3 hours early!). So then we had to stand in the ‘Prague’ line after standing in the Barcelona line. Otherwise, the flight was faster than expected and we arrived half an hour early in Prague. Then we ordered an uber to take us to our Airbnb which was right at the end of the Charles Bridge on the edge of the old town centre. It was on Malostrana #7….a pedestrianised area that was packed up with tourists roaming the streets. But our flat was a in a beautiful old building tucked down an alleyway and through a courtyard, on the 2^nd floor. It had fantastic character and was very quiet. In order to access it, we had to first go on a scavenger hunt down the street to find a tree outside the Malta embassy that had our keys in a locked container. The owner sent us photos in order of which way to go to find the keys and gave us the code for the lock. Chris had no problem following these abstract street photos and we had the keys in less than 4 minutes.  Once in the flat we got ready to explore the Old Centre over the bridge by doing a ‘Prague Legends walk’ with a tour guide. It was a very cold night, so we dressed warm and headed out into the dark to find our meeting point in the Old Town Square.

The Legends walk was interesting because it gave us an introduction to the streets around the old centre and some very interesting history on the city of Prague which was great to have on our first night there. We heard stories handed down about the hospital there (opened in 1354) with it’s public amputation theatre, and the conditions in the Middle Ages on the streets and the famous hangings that took place. There were many true facts as well as legends that the guide shared to give us a sense for the history of Prague. We walked away understanding more about the different phases of government ruling, especially the oppression under Communism right until 1987 and how the Velvet Revolution was a monumental movement of the people of Prague standing together against Communism. The guide spoke of the current president and current issues as well as the significance of the convent in town and St. Agnes who was the cities strength and inspiration when faced with Communist restrictions. The children were interested, but frozen after 2 hours of walking outside, so we headed to a restaurant afterward to warm up.

The Christmas market in Prague is still on until the 6^th of January (Three Kings Day), and this is one of the reasons we chose Eastern Europe. It really extends the Christmas spirit and beauty by having those markets open with Christmas music and so many local foods and drinks still available. This way we could find all of our ‘favourites’ (mulled wine frequently of course) and get a sense for the local crafts and marketed products.  Trdelník (sugared bread pastry) was a hit with Greg, Chris and I…but not so much Bri.  I think we had it about 4 times while we were there – sometimes stuffed with fruit and whipped cream.  We also climbed over 120 stairs to get to Prague castle for a tour through 5 of it’s buildings, including St. Vitus Cathedral and Golden Lane. It was an amazing ‘step back in time’.

That night we ate at an Irish pub in a cellar room that was very cool, and then walked back to our flat over Charles Bridge. The walk was always beautiful and we walked that bridge every day.  The next day we toured Prague castle and walked Wenceslas Square to shop and take in another area of Prague. Greg and I climbed the tower on Charles Bridge and got a great view of the castle and city.

We came across some cool street art later and another Christmas market where we ate more traditional foods. The kids bought themselves some clothing and then we made our way over to an ‘Illusion’ show that we had tickets for a well known bar called M1.  We arrived and were all given complimentary drinks from the bar menu (Blue Chaos, Strawberry Dacquiri and Long Island Ice teas). Clearly they thought the kids were old enough, so we all had a drink together to toast to 2017!

The next day was the 31st and we toured around the city in our own area and  found a John Lennon Peace wall right behind our flat. It began in the 80’s and is dedicated to him in response to the government during Communism. Yoko Ono came to visit the wall once and wrote on it. Many people still visit it in memory of its message. Then at 4:30pm we watched a classical music concert in the famous St. Nicholas church on the Old Town Square (below). Nothing wrong with the kids  hearing some Mozart and Vivaldi on New Years eve…(they handled it well) and then we went to a beer hall we had reservations for about a 10 minute walk away. From church to a bar…hmmm? On the way, we saw some snake ‘handlers’ and of course they dropped their snakes on Brianna’s shoulders!  That is the reason for that random photo!! Look how busy that back street was! It took us 20 minutes to walk one block…it was body to body – very slow going!

We could not believe how crowded the back streets were, so we decided at about 11pm (after our dinner / show) we would watch the fireworks from the bridge on the end closer to where we were staying.  Dinner was traditional Czech food (duck and dumplings and strudel for dessert) and local apertifs throughout. There was also a show that was very upbeat and held some surprises for us! It was an interesting evening to say the least.  At 10:30pm we left to go to the bridge and it was perfect timing.   Fireworks started at 11pm and just kept intensifying until about 11:50pm when they really went wild. It was a great night on the bridge and we always felt safe and in good company. In the Czech Republic though, it is still legal for residents to set off their own fireworks in the streets (life when we lived in CH), so it did get a little wild afterwards, as it sounded like gun shots going off around us on the walk home.  The police were present on the streets for this reason and we heard the next day on the news that 1 person had died due to a firework and another been injured terribly. So, I wonder at what point they will decide that significant amounts of alcohol and fireworks in people’s hands on crowded streets, is not a good idea? We personally never witnessed anything too dangerous, although Chris and I dropped the kids off at the flat at a 12:30am and then went on our little walk to see all that was happening down the back streets and along the river. We watched people setting off fireworks and saw lots of empty canisters and garbage all over the ground. By morning when we walked to pick up our car rental, everything was clean – no trace of all the firework                  remains that were all over at 1am the night before.  Very fun way to bring in 2018!

Overall, we loved the ambiance and genuine Medieval experience Prague has to offer!!!  The buildings were magnificent and the food and shopping ~ excellent!   Prague is a ‘#1’ destination in Europe for New Years and it did not disappoint. We were happy we chose to spend New Years there.

Just for fun, we bought tickets to STOMP the other day because we heard the show was at a famous old cabaret theatre in Paris and it was the 2nd last day of the show. Luckily we got tickets for an early show and enjoyed a performance of STOMP where we wouldn’t have to worry about a production in French that we couldn’t understand. 🙂 If you haven’t heard of Stomp performances, perhaps my short video clip will explain:

Folie Beregere has a colourful history and famous actors such as Charlie Chaplin performed there.  For this reason, we just really went to take in the atmosphere and sit in a world renowned theatre from the late 1800’s to get a sense for what it was like to be in that audience.  The chairs/seating were ancient red velvet with wooden renaissance carved arms.  We felt like we’d gone back in time.

AFTER THE SHOW:  Later we had dinner and a nice walk through Paris. Then Greg went in a different direction to meet friends while Chris and I walked the Champs with Bri up to the Arc de Triumph. I thought I’d take some train station photos for memory sake, so here we are on the Champs and on our way home by metro.  Photos are not great quality from my phone, but it will be a reminder of all the metros we had to take in Paris.

We were so lucky to have good friends, Jen and Terry Capsey come to stay with us this November for 10 days!! We had two very fun weekends with them and while we worked, they went to Barcelona and Amsterdam.  They were hard core traveller’s from Day 1 when I met them at home on my lunch and they seemed bright eyed and bushy tailed after such a long day of travel! They even hit the village food market an hour after they arrived and Terry jumped right into speaking French with all the locals!!! I’ve been here over a year and here he was showcasing better French skills in his first hour here! Put me to shame…

Chris and I took turns the first few days touring Jen and Terry all around Paris. We hit some main historical sites, like The Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de Triumph and The Pantheon. We walked the Champs Elysees, Latin Quarter, and Le Marais to see Victor Hugo’s home.  They  enjoyed the views from Montmartre and Trocedero while the Eiffel tower sparkled at night! They were troopers with all the walking and got the hang of the train system and different lines very quickly!

Hotel de’Ville

Eiffel Tower from Trocadero

Crown of Thorns in Notre Dame

The Pantheon! ~Foucault’s Pendulum~

Notre Dame before hitting Latin Quarter

One major highlight was going to an 11pm show at Moulin Rouge to celebrate the two girls birthdays!!! That was a wild night with an interesting pre-show line up and then amazing front and centre seats with champagne flowing~ it was seriously the craziest thing I’d ever seen; from the roller skating act to a dancer swimming naked with 5, 18 foot boa constrictors in a pool that rose out of the floor in front of us! We got to dress up for kicks and have lots of laughs; what a memorable night!!!

Just walking along the Seine was an adventure all on it’s own one day.  Terry wanted a painting of the Eiffel Tower and worked his magic on a vendor to try to cut a deal. He actually did very well since we saw them selling a block up for much more!!  It’s one of the reasons we made him an honorary ‘Parisian’ by putting a scarf around his neck for a photo op! We also took a very nice walk all through Saint Cloud Park to see the ruins of Chateau de St. Cloud which King Louis the 16th bought for Marie Antoinette as a country escape.  We just happen to live across the street from this royal acreage that the kings hunted in and the grounds are now winding with paths that we can bike or picnic at when the weather is right!  There are sculptures and gardens that are magnificent in summer! To see a reconstruction of how the Chateau once looked got to his link.

Saint Cloud Park after a picnic

Terry ~ nice scarf!

Wheeling and Dealing by the Seine

Finding quaint French cafes to eat in was so much fun with Terry and Jen and then the food and drink made it even better! One day after we had some wine and cheese in the park, Jen and I went to a PSG soccer game at Parc de Prince and it was totally new to both of us! It was an ASP night so I saw lots of familiar faces ~ what a great atmosphere!! Later we met up with Chris and Terry in Montmartre for dinner.  We’ll never forget switching restaurants 3 times on the artsy square at Montmartre because of the wind and the waiter and the menu…LOL We ate outside everywhere we went, whether it was Italian, French or Greek fare. We also had many laughs at Caravaggios and the food was excellent everywhere we went (especially the French cheeses and wines picked up at the markets)!! I will never forget Jen eating her frog legs and Chris popping breaded anchovies with eyeballs into his mouth ~ such culinary courage!   Terry and I were happy sticking to the familiar ‘French’ Soup…lol

ALLEZ PSG!!

Dining outdoors at Montmartre

Yes kids ~ FROG legs!

Calamari, shrimp and ANCHOVIES

On the first Sunday, we went to Versailles for the market and then to tour the Palace.  Chris and I hadn’t been inside the Palace since we moved here; it has been about 12 years since we lived in Switzerland and it was like seeing it again for the first time.  We took our time and enjoyed learning about the history of the Palace and then toured the stables as well. The image featured at the top of this blog is Jen and Terry at the top of the Versailles gardens overlooking the fountains. We loved the Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed. You can see the boys contemplating which ‘sleigh’ would be theirs if they had lived in those times…equivalent to dreaming about cars I guess…

Chris and Terry and their sleighs

Chris and Mo outside Versaille

Jen and Terry outside Versailles

Hall of Mirrors

Versailles Palace chapel

There was a weeknight that we went into La Defense to the Christmas market and had  hot wine while Jen shopped around for some gifts. That night was the coldest it has been here yet this winter, maybe -3.  I nearly froze (the hot wine helped!). We did some Christmas shopping and teased Ava and Ayden with our photos of candy booths. 🙂

Great candy booth!

A literal train wreck!

The last weekend of their visit we decided to leave the kids on their own and go for a little road trip to the Loire Valley! We borrowed a friend’s little Nissan and took off on a Saturday at about 1pm (after I coached volleyball and Jen and Terry went to the Garches market). I had booked an Airbnb near Chateau Chambord that was a 17th century farmhouse with an apartment now built into the ‘attic’.  After our first day, we had a late night at our Air bnb. This was because when we returned from dinner we saw two identical doors on the building we were staying in and we were not sure which one was ours and which was the private residence of the owners! It was dark and none of us could remember which door we left from. We didn’t want to wake the owners, so we were in a holding pattern for a while.  Then later that night, we couldn’t get Jen out of the bean bag chair in our living room~ it was a material that just sucked you into it 🙂 Great breakfast in the morning though to get us started on our way ~

Impossible to get out of…

Yes, it’s a duvet cover!

The 2nd sleeping area in Airbnb

Hmmmm…?

Beautiful historic farmhouse all renovated inside

living room area with high vaulted ceiling and beams

Day 1 we had planned to go to Chateau Chenonceau and then Clos Luce (Da Vinci’s house) in Amboise, before going for dinner in Blois, where we had reservations at “L’assiette au boeuf”. {In the end, we didn’t make it to Clos Luce in time and had to go back that direction the next morning before hitting Chambord}.  Chenonceau was beautiful and it was a first for us visiting there too! An amazing castle run by women, even if one was the mistress…Day 2 in the Loire Valley, we toured Clos Luce and then Chateau Chambord  a majestic castle very well preserved with a magnificent staircase in the centre. You can get a sense for it in the previous link.

Double helix staircase~da’Vinci blueprint?

Chateau Chambord

Chateau Chenonceau

The boys by a fire again

Chateau Chenonceau

Clos Luce in Amboise

Chateau Chenonceau

Chateau Chenonceau

Blois while driving by…

We arrived home on the Sunday and ordered ‘Uber Eats’ so that Jen and Terry could pack for their flight home the next morning. They really packed in a great deal of fun and special memories over the 10 days they were here. Considering this blog is only about the two weekends they were with us! Amsterdam and Barcelona are entirely separate stories from the week, that we will not write about here since we were not with them 😉 We know they travelled ‘hard core’ in those cities too so we applaud their energy and spontaneity.  We miss their positive energy and smiles ~ we are so very grateful they made it over to see us and that Ayden and Ava were kind enough to let them go. It made our November feel like one big vacation!  Bravo Capseys!