First, let me introduce Mary and Greg. They are long time family friends who came along for the ride.
We started in Florence, and it was HOT. Here's Mom, Mary and Greg trying to cool off in the sliver of shade provided by a lamp post. Do you see that green tarp behind them providing a lot more shade? They didn't see it.
Even the stray animals tried to beat the heat. This is the first in a series of "cats in a plant box." Can you see him in there? It's not easy, unless you're trained animal finders like us.
We hit lots of museums in Florence (the renaissance history there is amazing). The bridge behind me and Bizzy has a private passageway built on top of the storefronts (you can see the small row of square windows at the top)... that was so the Medici's could walk from their house to their offices without encountering the public.
We walked up LOTS of steps to see the top of the city. It was worth it.
Our next stop was Cinque Terre. It was hot there too, but luckily a swim in the Mediterranean made you feel a lot better. We took one after a pretty grueling hike. The views were unbelievable.
After Cinque Terre we moved on to Lugano, and tried to slow down a bit. We spent one day at the beach and another on a boat to Bellagio. We never get to have family over, so a dinner at the apartment was high on the list as well. It did not disappoint.
From here, we moved to France. The first stop had our jaws dropping... the beautiful vineyards of Puligny-Montrachet.
We rented bikes one day. The plan was to stop at each little wine town, pack a lunch in our bike baskets, and just enjoy the scenery. Success! Best day of the trip for me. The sky was rediculously blue, and everywhere you looked was green.
The rest of our stay in Montrachet was just as nice. We had a tasting dinner. I was determined not to let any wine go to waste, which was ridiculous. I think they poured about 14 different types... lots of glasses on that table.
The next night was a dinner with more courses than we could count. They all looked this pretty... even the snails.
The rest of our time was spent walking around the cute little town. It just kept getting prettier.
Next up - Amboise. The highlights here are the hotel (to the left) and the castle (to the right).
And here's a view OF of our hotel, FROM the castle. It ties the whole thing together.
We found more animals and a another bar. Surprise, surprise. The dog's name is Olga and she HATES hot air balloons. Which, unfortunately, Amboise has a lot of.
Now, for the piece de resistance - Paris! We hit all the must sees... the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame, the catacombs. The result? WE WERE EXHAUSTED!
After the second day, we needed a break. Everyone split up, had no specific agendas, and REALLY enjoyed themselves. Me, Mom and Bizzy went shopping. We walked around the cutest area, stepped in any shop we wanted to, and stumbled upon what are quite possibly the best macaroons in the world (ice cream is pictured - there were lots of desserts involved). Bill and Ryan walked around an equally attractive neighborhood, and went to the mecca of all kitchen stores.
We found even more animals...
We spent our last night revisiting the Eiffel Tower. It might be touristy, but it sure is fun. At night, you just lay on the lawn and wait for the lights. Then, if you're really excited about your time there, you buy tiny towers an put them on your head. Don't knock it till you try it.
All in all, it was an amazing vacation. Pretty hard to come back to an empty apartment after spending all that time with family and friends. Good news for us is that it's not too empty - Bizzy stayed behind! And we've been loving every minute of it.
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