Cinque Terre and Pisa

Thanks to Grumpy, Jen and Ryan, Paul and I escaped for a cheeky kid-free night away in Cinque Terre where we enjoyed an authentic seaside dinner (without having to worry if the kids would like it). The next morning, we walked the amazingly scenic path along the cliffs from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza. I’m not sure if I was so breathless because of all the stairs we climbed up and down on our journey or because of the awesome views of the rocky cliffs plummeting to the sea and the picturesque colourful villages clinging to these steep mountains.

In Vernazza, we dabbled our toes in the sea and scarfed down a lunch of the freshest, tastiest fried calamari that either of us had ever tasted and then caught a train to meet Grumpy and the boys in Pisa where we marveled at just how much that tower really leans and took tons of silly photos.

Florence

How excited we were to find that our accommodation was located right on a beautiful restaurant-lined square just over the Arno River from most of Florence’s tourist spots!

We started our visit with a quick walking tour to orient ourselves (and to find out where all the best gelato and pizza could be found). Later on, we visited the Da Vinci and Galileo museums as well as the Porcellino statue, the Duomo, and the many sculptures in the Piazza del Signoria. The boys thought it was hilarious looking at all the naked breasts and penises.

We also visited many many gelaterias and pizzerias, and made the most of our beautiful Plaza de Santo Spirito, with the kids playing chasey and us adults enjoying a spritz or two.

Venice

Nearly twenty years ago, when I first visited Venice, I couldn’t wait to leave. It was pouring down with rain and there was an American backpacker who wouldn’t leave me alone. This time, we couldn’t have asked for a better time, and I would have been happy to stay there forever.

Upon arrival, we wove our way through the buildings, along narrow pathways, beside the canals, and across numerous bridges until we finally found our accomodation in an old mansion converted to a guesthouse. That night, the kids got right into the spirit of Italy, and had their first of many many pizzas. Here’s Paul’s video of the Thomas/Niemeyer parade from the train station to our guest house.  

The next day we set off bright and early with an amazing tour complete with power boat trip around the canals, a trip to a marionette maker’s workshop, and even a gondola crossing of the Grand Canal.

After a quick lunch consisting of more pizza, we visited the Doge's palace on a family tour where we learned all about the Doge's way of justice and visited the prison cells next door across the Bridge of Sighs.

We wrapped up the day with a canal-side dinner before saying goodbye to the town of the winged lion as we made our way to Florence. It was a pretty epic day; lucky for us, Paul made a little video. 

The Bavarian Alps

After Neuschwanstein, we winded through the Alps, passing through Austria and back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, a gorgeous little town at the base of Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain at 2962 metres.

From G-P, we took the Eibsee cable car to the summit where we were blessed with some breaks in the clouds when we could see for miles across the Alps in all directions. The kids rented a couple of sleds, and the adults chilled out with a beverage or two and felt so lucky to be right there.

Later in the day, we all took the cogwheel train through and down the mountain. Then we hiked up the precarious path hugging the sides of the Partnach Gorge. The sheer walls of the gorge and turquoise green glacial water were stunning, but it was the construction of the tunnels and pathway that really amazed me. 

Check out Paul’s video.