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    All Aboard! A’bord de dans! Traveling in France by Rail

    We spent nine days traveling in France by rail from Bordeaux to Paris on board the SNCF, the French rail service. We visited Lyon, Dijon and Luxembourg before reaching our final destination of Paris. Train travel in Europe is an excellent way to go, but be aware! We made a few mistakes and learned a few things. Here is a recap of our nine day trip – All Aboard! A’bord de dans! Traveling in France by Rail.

    Upper level on our first leg

    Bordeaux

    After four weeks living in Bordeaux we packed up and left with regrets. We truly loved our time in that wonderful city and we will definitely return. The morning we left to begin our traveling in France by rail adventure, our train departed at 6:00am…so the Uber arrived at 5:00am.

    Bordeaux to Lyon Six Hours

    Since we travel for extended periods we are not light packers, and this is the main drawback of traveling by rail. Several of our trains, including this first one, we were seated in the upper deck. It’s not an easy task dragging bags up the narrow stairs. Additionally the luggage racks are not big. On our first trek there were several cyclists, but no bike racks. Some trains do offer racks for bicycles. But on this first train the majority of the luggage space for our first leg was taken by bikes, leaving us with minimal options for our luggage. First lesson, when traveling in France by rail pack light.

    Early morning departure
    Sunrise views

    We watched the sun come up and Venus rising too out the window as we headed to Tours where we would change to a different train. I immediately realized how much more you see from a train than when traveling by car. Miles and miles of gorgeous farmland and tiny villages.

    Traveling in France by Rail

    But before reaching Tours we encountered our first problem about traveling in France by rail. Let me explain:

    We had purchased a France-only Eurail pass via the Eurail app. The pass we selected (about $200 per person) was good for four days of train travel – with the understanding that, for the high-speed trains we planned to travel on, a separate purchase of a reserved seat was required. After purchasing the reserved seats through the SNCF app, we got a ticket showing the reserved seat. The mistake was in thinking that this was our complete ticket – it’s not! It only shows that we had paid for the seat reservation – an additional step of validating the Eurail pass (via the Eurail app, NOT the SNCF app) for travel on that date and train is necessary. So when the ticket inspector approached, we showed him our seat reservation tickets, but he also wanted to see the validated Eurail pass – we had the pass but not the validation – he was not happy – in fact he was very rude. He let us go, without really explaining what we had done wrong, or if we needed to do something more. We were left confused.

    Lyon

    Arriving in Lyon for two nights, we made the right decision to stay at a hotel (Campanile Lyon Centre) next to the Part-Dieu train station. Lyon has two train stations (Perrache and Part Dieu) so make sure you book near the correct one. The train station is also the metro station, so we did not need to drag our bags into the old city. We love a good Metro, and Lyon’s was great.

    Lyon’s Notre Dame
    Beautiful

    We had two days to explore Lyon, which really wasn’t enough time but we hit the ground running. The weather was excellent.

    Lyon Old town
    So many restaurants to chose from

    We spent most of our time in Vieux Lyon (Old Town), and we used GPS My City to follow two different walking tours on our own. Over the two days we walked ALOT.

    Day One

    The city sits at the confluence of two rivers (the Rhone and the Saone), thus many bridges, and there is also an upper city. On day one we started with the upper city. We took the funicular (included in your Metro ticket) up to the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral with outstanding views over the city below. We wandered down through the botanical gardens and then around to the Theatre Gallo Romaine. The Ancient Theatre of Fourvière is a Roman theatre in Lyon. It was built on the hill of Fourvière, which is located in the center of the Roman city. The theatre is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site protecting the historic center of Lyon.

    Beautiful Lyon

    We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring shops and food in the old town. We tasted the famous Lyon bright red pralines and dipped into one of the famous chocolate shops and enjoyed delicious treats.

    Mid-day Pastry Break

    Day Two

    We love using GPS My City and we combined several options to spend the entire day exploring Lyon. We started with one of the most beautiful food markets I have ever seen, Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse. You could spend the entire day here.

    Les Halles de Lyon
    Lyon is famous for this red prallines

    Moving on to Place Bellacour, visiting the Little Prince statue and then Place de Cistines, Lyon’s stunning 200 year old theatre.

    Place Bellacour is Europes largest public square
    Little Prince statue

    So Much to See

    We did a lot of climbing on this day visiting Lyon Cathedral, Place de Jacobins, Place de Terreaux. La Tour Rose and the Montee des Chazeaux steps. Eventually we crossed the river on the beautiful Passarelle Saint-Vincent pedestrian bridge and using GPS My City we found the Fresque de Lyonaise, a mural depicting historic figures of Lyon. We enjoyed a lovely stroll along the river on a beautiful day.

    Beautiful views along the river
    It’s a scavenger hunt to find La Tour Rose, but worth it.
    Montee des Chazeaux steps
    Fresque de Lyonnaise

    There is much more to Lyon, and we will need to return for another visit. After a quick refresh at the hotel, we headed back to Rue Saint-Jean, the main old town shopping street for dinner at the famous Chez Grand-Mere. An underground restaurant where I enjoyed a Lyonnaise dish called quennelles. It was delicious.

    Chez Grand-Mere
    Fish Quennelles. So good.
    The city has many gathering places of beauty and heritage

    Dijon

    Next morning we had an easier departure time of 11:00am. We said our farewells to Lyon and boarded our next train.

    Lyon to Dijon Four Hours

    Alas we encountered another problem when the ticket steward came along. This time we had a woman who was sympathetic to us being novices, and she took a great deal of time to explain to us in detail what we had done wrong…something the first rude guy did not do. She was very helpful even though we had to pay 50 Euro due to our mistake….not having completed adding the specific date and train to our Eurail pass via the Eurail app. But we felt confident we finally had it right. She told us this is a common mistake…and the added costs can be much more than she charged us. So be aware!

    Beautiful Dijon

    Bonjour Dijon

    Arriving in Dijon we were met by our American friends who live half time in Dijon, and the other half in the USA. It was a great treat to have them as our escort on our first day. It was about a 15 minute easy walk from the train station to old town. After checking in to the hotel (B&B Hotel Dijon Centre) located in a great location of the old town, we headed out to explore.

    Our personal guides!

    With only two days in this great city, it was nice to have “locals” to give us the scoop on the best things to see and do. We walked throughout the old town, as they shared with us their favorites and suggested things for us to do on our own on day two. We ended our day with our friends at a little hole-in-the-wall place they love called La Cave Se Rebiffe. Essentially a wine bar with a huge wine menu and a tiny food menu. We ate charcuterie, terrine, pasta and blood sausage with lots of great local wine from the Burgundy region.

    La Cave Se Rebiffe Chacuterie
    Learning about Burgundy region wines

    Day Two

    Day two we hit the ground running on our own. We headed first to Liberation Square for photos of the famous Ducal Palace. The Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy or Palais des ducs et des États de Bourgogne is a remarkably well-preserved architectural assemblage built in the 15th century. Today it houses the City Hall and the Beaux Arts Museum. We headed to the tourist office to obtain a 12 euro ticket to climb the Phillip the Good Tower later in the afternoon with a guide. That tower climb really was one of my favorite things in the city.

    Lyon’s lucky owl
    Musee de Beaux Arts
    Climbing Phillip the Good Tower
    What a view!

    History, Food, Wine, Oh My

    Next we went cathedral hopping – Dijon is a small village with an astonishing number of cathedrals. The Notre Dame Cathedral and its famous (somewhat hidden) owl sculpture, has become a symbol of this city.

    We loved the Rue des Forges and the beautiful half timbered houses, many currently being lovingly restored and preserved. We made our way to the world famous Edmond Fallot Mustard shop. Fallot is the only remaining family-owned and -operated mustard factory in the Dijon region. I have been buying this brand of mustard every time I’m in France for the past twenty years. So delicious. I stocked up for gifts and for myself.

    Half Timbered Houses
    Dijon is a village of cathedrals
    Palais des ducs et des États de Bourgogne

    Since many businesses and restaurants are closed on Monday in France, we asked our local friends for a dinner suggestion. They said Parapluie (translation: umbrella). We made a reservation not knowing anything about this restaurant, and ended up being absolutely charmed by the chef’s choice menu, incredible wine selection, outstanding service and the unexpectedly reasonable price. I highly recommend.

    Parapluie
    Parapluie

    We woke up early on our departure day and walked over the the Halles de Dijon. It had been closed on Monday so we wanted to see it briefly Tuesday morning before we left. One of the best food halles in France. Such a variety of local delicacies for sale. Next time I will spend an entire day there.

    Les Halles de Dijon
    The freshest

    I could easily have spent another three or four days in this lovely, walkable, delicious medieval city. I hope to be back.

    Luxembourg

    Traveling in France by Rail

    Our train to Luxembourg left about a half an hour late, which apparently is unusual when traveling in France by rail. But we eventually got on our way and luckily this time, no issues with our ticket! However, please note if you are traveling on the France-only Eurail pass, you need a separate ticket for the last leg from the final stop in France into Luxembourg. We did not change trains, but we did need two separate tickets (nobody checked, but we did not want to risk it!).

    Hubs is tired of dragging the bags…

    Dijon to Luxembourg 3 hours

    The tiny country of Luxembourg gave us our 148th country, and what a lovely place it was. The only constitutional duchy in the world, it is often referred to as the Grand Duchy. A constitutional duchy is a territory ruled by a duke or duchess, but where the ruler’s powers are limited by a constitution. The duchy itself is the territory or domain, while the ruler’s title is the dukedom. 

    Palace of the Duchy



    Luxembourg City is much larger than Dijon and we took a cab from the train station to our hotel (Hotel Vauban). I loved the location of our hotel right on Place Guillaume II, and perfectly situated in the old center. We were happy to be here for two nights.

    Luxembourg City

    Get Your Walking Shoes

    Luxembourg City and the lower village of Gund are all quite walkable. But if you don’t want to go up and down the hills, take advantage of the FREE public transportation (tram and bus). We however enjoyed walking everywhere as we usually do.

    Inside the Bock Casemates
    That is one deep well

    There is a lot to enjoy in Luxembourg so we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed out to explore. We took our time leisurely walking through the beautiful medieval old town, before arriving at the Bock Casemates – a must-see when in Luxembourg. The Bock Casemates, a subterranean defense system made up of kilometers of tunnels, is today one of the most important visitor sites in Luxembourg. These underground galleries were initially carved in the 17th century, under Spanish rule, and subsequently twice extended.

    Like a Fairy Tale

    Next we did a lovely walk down in the lower village known as Gund, stopping for a cold drink at the Good Weather Bar, only open in good weather! From the outdoor bar and on our walk we enjoyed picturesque views along the Alzette River. It truly looks like something out of a fairy tale. We made our way to the city’s oldest brewery, now a restaurant, called Big Beer and had a giant and delicious early dinner. Luxembourg has it’s own cuisine that leans a bit more German than French but also all it’s own. The pork knuckle was as big as my head. We continued our Gund walk to the Panoramic Elevator of the Pfaffenthal. A free elevator that takes people back up to the upper city with great views too.

    Good Weather Bar
    Panoramic Elevator of the Pfaffenthal
    We were lucky with such great weather
    Giant Pork Knuckle at Big Beer

    Day Two

    We woke up and looked out the window of our room to find a weekly market set up on the square in front of the hotel. So we started our day walking through and admiring all the fresh items for sale. Next we walked over the Pont Adolphe bridge and back over the La Passerelle bridge, in an effort see all angles of the beautiful city, before meeting our free walking tour.

    A variety of old and modern bridges keep Luxembourg moving

    Free Walkingt Tour

    We do free (tip based) walking tours in many cities, and this two-plus hour tour was really exceptional. We visited the palace, the old fish market, Saint Michael’s Cathedral, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Monument of Remembrance and walked along the stunning ancient Chemin de la Corniche. You could easily visit all these on your own, but having a local guide to explain the history, give restaurant tips and insider information is always worth it.

    Notre Dame Luxembourg
    The Monument of Remembrance

    After the tour we were starving so we headed to one of the city’s best restaurants for local cuisine, Brasserie du Cercle. I wanted to try the local dumpling dish called Kniddelen and Arne had a potato pancake with pork called Gromperekichelcher. Both were great. It was a hot day and the local Luxembourg beer was a perfect match.

    Kniddelen
    Gromperekichelcher.

    After an afternoon of shopping for gifts and treats we had a rest at the hotel before dinner at Um Dierfgen. We were still full from lunch but we enjoyed a light dinner including the local seasonal specialty of white asparagus.

    Luxembourg’s famous Chocolate House Nathanal Bonn
    White Asparagus in season

    It was a whirlwind tour of this beautiful place and I am so glad we made the time to visit Luxembourg City. But now it’s time to head to Paris.

    Charming Luxembourg City

    Paris

    Of course we have visited Paris before (a few times) but we always look forward to seeing this beautiful city of lights. So back on board we go!

    Bonjour Paris! Ravi de vous voir!

    Luxembourg City to Paris Three Hours

    Arriving in Paris at Gare de Est we decided to take an Uber rather than wrangle our bags on the Metro. But we used the Paris Metro the rest of our time and it is such a great metro system.

    Since we have been to Paris many times, we decided to not do all the major attractions, except we really wanted to see the newly reopened Notre Dame.

    The beautiful Marais neighborhood
    Parisians enjoying a sunny May Day bank holiday

    Our hotel, (the Hotel Le Compostelle), was in the Marais neighborhood, and we spent our first afternoon wandering and enjoying the sites and sounds and smells of the Marais. We were there on a holiday (May Day) and all the Parisians were out enjoying the fine spring weather. We then met our good friends who live in Paris at a restaurant called Acme and it was incredible! One of the best meals we have ever had in Paris. Multi course, chef’s choice dinner with an amazing wine pairing. We ate, sipped and talked well into the night, sitting outside on a warm night. Parfaite!

    Innovative haute cuisine at Acme
    Good food and friends

    Day Two

    Next morning we were up early (thank you coffee) because we had a reserved time to enter Notre Dame. I highly recommend getting a reserved time if you will be in Paris during the busy season. You can go on the Notre Dame website at 12:01 am two days before you want to visit and reserve a time. You can also wait in line, but the line can sometimes be hours long, so we recommend reserving a time. I loved seeing the new Notre Dame, it has been so lovingly restored and it is stunning. Don’t miss it.

    French Coffee. Nothing better.
    Notre Dame
    Newly restored and beautiful Notre Dame

    We spent the rest of this day wandering and enjoying our favorite sites including Jardin de Luxembourg, and views of Tour Eiffel. I wanted to visit two iconic Paris shops for souvenirs – Marin Montagut and La Grand Epicerie de Paris. We also visited Rue Montorgueil, a new-to-us area of Paris with so many restaurants. Here we had a perfect Nicoise Salad and wine for lunch at Les Artizans. Back to the hotel for a rest and then out to an amazing dinner at Grand Coeur. Wow the beef tenderloin for two was incredible. Highly recommend.

    Jardin de Luxembourg
    La Grand Epicerie de Paris
    Rue Montorgueil,
    Lunch at Les Artizans
    Grand Coeur Beef Tenderloin. Wow.

    Day Three

    The forecast said possible late afternoon thunderstorms but the day dawned bright and blue. We took the train outside of the city to the stunning and new-to-us Parc de Sceaux – a hidden gem just outside of Paris. Here we met a group of women from a Facebook walking group I am in, and spent the next two hours talking to them (most expats from United Kingdom) and exploring this stunning park. Such a joy.

    Parc de Sceaux.
    Parc de Sceaux.

    Back into the city to meet our friend again to explore the Carnavalet Museum, one Paris museum we had never visited. I heard great things about this museum, and we only had two hours which was not enough. We really enjoyed the historic presentation and will check it out again on our next visit.

    Carnavalet Museum
    Carnavalet Museum

    Expect the Unexpected

    Just as we were getting ready to leave the museum, we witnessed one of the most astonishing weather events of my life. In a matter of minutes the weather changed from blue sky and sun to black clouds, fierce wind and golf ball size hail. It hailed so hard and so much the hail piled up on the street like snow. Luckily we were not caught outside because people were injured and many cars and outdoor venues were damaged. Trees were down. It was wild and crazy.

    Hail as big as golf balls. OMG.

    Not only was it our final night in Paris, but it was our final night of this four month, seven country journey. We were tired and ready to head home. But we enjoyed one last Paris meal at Au Bourguignon du Marais This famous restaurant is a bit touristy, but it was close to our hotel and we had a good meal and also enjoyed visiting the two oldest houses in Paris just down the street. The medieval half timbered houses on the Rue Francois Miron are the only ones remaining in Paris, built in the 15th century.

    Au Bourguignon du Marais
    Rue Francois Miron timbered houses still in use

    Traveling in France by Rail

    Five cities in nine days using the France Rail SNCF… was a fun experience. Easy and efficient the train also provides a relaxing trip, with WIFi and the most amazing views. I would definitely do it again, but with smaller suitcases. You should consider traveling in France by Rail.

    Traveling in France by Rail

    We had a very early Uber ride to Charles de Gaulle for our flight back to the USA and our summer home in Washington State. Merci France. We loved our five plus weeks enjoying your culture, food, wine and history. Au Revoir. Abientot!

    Parc de Sceaux.

    Thank you for reading my post All Aboard! A’bord de dans! Traveling in France by Rail. Be sure to see our post My Favorite Day Trips from Bordeaux and last week’s post What’s Next for My Fab Fifites Life. Over the next few weeks I will continue to have Wednesday book reviews, but will take a wee break from writing travel content. I promise to return soon.

    We love it when you pin, share, comment and engage with our blog posts. Merci!

    Europe Travel  --  Food & Drink

    Eating My Way Through Paris

    Well, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been in Paris, either for a long stay or a quick pass through. But Paris is always a good idea, and this time we had less than 48 hours. So, we booked a food tour and a few dinner reservations and I began Eating My Way Through Paris.

    Delicieuse

    French Coffee

    Delicious or delicieuse, no matter how you say it , the French Cuisine is all that and more. It can have a reputation of being expensive and a bit fussy, but in our travels we have found the opposite. In fact, everyday French cuisine is relatively simple. Food in Paris is also international and the French embrace many cuisines and flavors.

    Coffee and Steak Tartare

    Steak Tartare
    Figs and Cream

    My favorite two things in Paris are the coffee, my favorite in all the world, and steak tartare. I can get both excellent coffee and steak tartare back home in the USA, but there is just something about enjoying these special favorites in a cafe in Paris. On our first night in Paris we had steak tartare with a bit of a different twist; it included sun dried tomatoes, at Les Fines Gueules just a block or two from the Louvre.

    Since figs were in season we enjoyed a delicious and light desert of fresh and stewed figs in a yogurt like cream. Wow.

    Walking Food Tour

    Warm Croissant on a cold morining

    Our second day, we decided to forego the museums and Eiffel Tower and instead make our way to Montmarte for a walking food tour with Devour Tours. This tour was kind of expensive, $100 each, but we were interested in learning more about Montmarte and the hidden places locals go for a bite to eat. So this day was all about Eating Our Way Through Paris.

    French Croissant

    It was a chilly morning but we met our guide and three other couples (2 American and 1 Canadian) and began our tour with coffee and one of the best croissants I’ve ever had. We learned about the laborious process of creating the layers and layers and LAYERS in a perfect croissant and savored every bite. Off to a great start.

    Chocolate

    Chocolate
    Macaron

    The French have delicious chocolate, despite the fact they grow no cacao in their country. They have, however, perfect the art and we enjoyed a tasting at one of the cities finest chocolatier Arnaud Larher. Here we also sampled macarons, another Parisian specialty. This is macarons not macaroons (coconut) and these luscious little bites are amazing. Also expensive.

    Organic

    French Cheese
    Local and Organic

    Locals are embracing shops that are popping up all around the neighborhoods offering locally grown, organic, and sustainable products. Our guide took us to a lovely shop brimming with beautiful produce from the region, as well as coffees, pickled and canned items, fresh pastas and more. We tasted incredible cheese here (the French really know cheese) and I ate way too much. The chevre was out of this world. Also included in our tasting was jamon and grapes. This was my favorite stop on the tour.

    Brittany

    Crepe
    Apple Cider

    Brittany and Normandy (where we had just been days before) are the home of the French crepe and apple cider. Our next stop took us to a small outdoor cafe run by a woman from Brittany. Crepe Octopus is where we had an amazing freshly made apple cider with a warm and delicious caramel and butter crepe. Please and merci.

    Wine

    Organic Wine

    Of course you can’t visit France and not drink wine, but our wine tasting had a little twist. We visited an organic wine shop and tasted several local wines including a vegan wine. Vegan wine means no animals were used in any part of the process including even a horse pulling a cart. Not sure I found the wines to my taste, but it was still interesting and commendable to see this effort and passion this shop has for their niche product.

    Quiche

    Quiche

    We ended our food tour at a lovely little cafe for an amazing quiche dish that was chock full of vegetables and ham and cheese. I really loved this dish. I make quiche often at home, and I will need to try to recreate this. Served with a small salad and a delicious mustardy vinegarette. Delicious.

    We really enjoyed this tour and walking around and learning a bit more about the beauty and history of the Montmarte neighborhood.

    Dinner

    Italian Appetizers
    Gnocchi

    Yes, even after all that, we still had dinner. After our tour we headed back to our hotel to organize and repack for our flight the next morning. Then we wandered out to meet our Parisian friends Pierre and Zineb. They chose a local Italian bistro for us to enjoy dinner with them. Oh my gosh. Il Bacaro was incredible. Remember what I said earlier about a wide array for international cuisines? You can find Italian, Sicilian, Moroccan, Ethiopian, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Brazilian….everything! And of course McDonalds is also in Paris.

    Happy Girl in Paris

    At Il Bacaro we shared an amazing appetizer plate with my favorite, a bacalao mousse, also octopus,and an eggplant ratatouille.

    For our main course, Arne and I shared gnocchi in a tomato and red pepper sauce. The little dumplings were made with perfection – light and airy.

    I was way too full after Eating My Way Through Paris I couldn’t eat dessert. We said farewell to our friends and headed back to our hotel and prepared for our morning flight.

    Everywhere you look in Paris – food as art

    Thanks for reading our post Eating My Way Through Paris. Be sure to see last week’s post about Monet’s Giverny and a Wee Bit More.

    See this week’s top performing pin Capsule Wardrobe for a Three Week Trip here.

    We are getting ready to board another flight and begin a SEVEN MONTH trip. So stay tuned for more about that next Friday!!

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    Africa & The Middle East Travel  --  Europe Travel  --  Inspire  --  Island Life  --  North America Travel

    And The Grand Adventure Continues

    Travel is Back for My Fab Fifties Life

    When we went to Iceland in June 2021 I thought travel was back. But then the Greek alphabet started to wreak havoc on our travel life. First Delta hit in the summer and then Omicron almost shut us down when we were in Mexico. That Pandamit refused to loose it’s grip. Now, more than two years since it started, we once again are cautiously dipping our toes into travel with a ten week tour. We are ready and The Grand Adventure Continues.

    And the Grand Adventure Continues (Canva)

    My word of the year for 2022 is caution. And although we always travel with caution, navigating a travel life today requires a great deal more preparation and caution than in the past. Changing rules for testing and entry requirements require constant monitoring. It requires patience. It requires time. And it also requires being a bit of a gambler.

    Off We Go

    So with all that in mind, we have spent the past several months planning, studying the CDC information and reading the US State Department guidelines. We have put hundreds of hours into our preparation to embark on this tour. The destinations listed below each are chosen for a specific reason – personal and cautionary…and the Grand Adventure continues.

    New York City

    New York City (Canva)

    Twice we have canceled a week long winter visit to NYC due to the Pandamit. When we decided to try again for a spring visit, it was because we were headed to Boston for a college reunion. But alas, the college reunion was canceled (sigh). So we added the days we were going to be in Boston to the days we had already booked for New York…giving us a nice long stay of eleven days.

    We have been to New York at least a half a dozen times, but each time has always been only 2-3 days. Having eleven days gives us time to slowly see the city and all it’s fabulous museums, restaurants, neighborhoods and history. We have a full itinerary and are really looking forward to it. April 21-May 2.

    Caribbean

    Caribean
    Antigua (Canva)

    When we first decided to head to the Caribbean after New York the other countries on our itinerary (see below) hadn’t totally opened up. So we decided to head to the turquoise waters of two islands we had never been to before. It’s been a long time since we spent time in the Caribbean and we are looking forward to ten days in Antigua (in an Airbnb with a car) and ten days in Turks & Caicos (a resort with no car). For us it’s incredibly rare that we stay in a resort, so this should be interesting. It’s not a super fancy all-inclusive, but it is nice and we expect it to be very relaxing and within our budget. May 2-May 21

    Morocco

    Morocco
    Morocco (Canva)

    From the Caribbean we fly to Washington DC for a one night stay, where we will also do a Covid test for entry into Morocco. This is also where we will rendezvous with our two adult sons, who are joining us for the Morocco portion of this itinerary. We are off to Morocco to attend a wedding reception of a friend of our family…a party that has been canceled three previous times since the Pandamit hit. Before the wedding in Fes, our family will spend a week touring Morocco. This is my second visit to Morocco and I am really looking forward to seeing this beautiful country again, sharing it with my two adult children and attending a traditional Moroccan wedding. It should be an incredible experience. May 23-May 31.

    Senegal

    Senegal
    Senegal (Canva)

    The West Africa nation of Senegal has been on my list for a long time due to it’s fascinating history, but we have never been able to squeeze it in. But it’s a short flight from Casablanca to Dakar so we will check Senegal off the bucket list. We have a brief visit (five days) and have hired a tour guide for two days to take us to some of the major sites. May 31 – June 5.

    Paris

    Paris France
    Paris (Canva)

    From Senegal we are headed to the island of Malta, but to get to Malta requires a flight and an overnight in Paris. Well Paris is always a good idea, right? Fingers crossed for good weather to spend one full day strolling around my favorite arrondissements of the city of lights and eating everything I can. June 5-6

    Malta

    Malta
    Malta (Canva)

    The next three stops on this tour are three places Covid shut us down in, and we have been counting the days until we could return. So we begin with Malta.

    We were supposed to spend three weeks on Malta in May of 2020…of course that didn’t happen. It’s a destination I have wanted to visit for years. Full of beauty and history and fascinating geography…if you don’t know much about Malta you would probably recognize it from the role it plays in many movies and TV shows including Game of Thrones. We are staying in the historic town of Valletta in an Airbnb and we will not have a car except for one day when we have a car to see the ancient city of M’dina. I’ve booked a food tour and a one day tour to the island of Gozo. The rest of the time we will explore on foot. June 6-15th

    Israel

    Israel
    Israel (Canva)

    In March of 2020 after only five days of our 17 day itinerary in Israel we fled the country to avoid being put into a two week quarantine. We fled to Cyprus (more on that below) and I cried in the car as we drove to the airport. We had seen some amazing sites in Israel, but no where near all, including Jerusalem and Masada. I had waited to visit Israel since I was a child and learned about it from a Girl Scout leader. My heart was broken.

    So let’s try it again. This time we will spend our entire 7 day visit in Jerusalem in an Airbnb. We have a Jerusalem tour one day, another tour to Bethlehem in Palestine one day, and we will rent a car and drive to Masada one day. We also have booked a Shabat dinner with a local family. These are all high on my wishlist. I love the food of this region too, and I can’t wait to eat all of it! June 15 – 22

    Cyprus

    Cyprus
    Cyprus (Canva)

    Dear sweet Cyprus. It holds such a special place in my heart, after we spent two months in lockdown on this gorgeous island. But during that two months we did not see any of the amazing historic sites, enjoy any of it’s stunning beaches or eat in any of it’s amazing restaurants. Covid had everything shut down. We have vowed to return and now we will.

    Unfortunately we only have seven days, but we know exactly what we want to see and do, and we can make it happen. Looking forward to staying in the same Airbnb we were trapped in for two months and we can’t wait to see our hosts who were so kind to us. We also hope to see our friend Leza who we met and spent a day with in a cooking class – the only thing we got to do before we went into lockdown.

    Cyprus is a fascinating tiny country with a disputed border, fantastic food, ancient history (supposedly the birthplace of Aphrodite), mountains and beaches and so much more. Dear sweet Cyprus. We are coming. June 23-30

    Ten Weeks and The Grand Adventure Continues

    This itinerary is busy…much busier than we usually pursue. But we are taking a deep breath and tackling it, because life is short and due to the Pandamit we have some catching up to do! We will arrive back in the USA June 30th for the summer months before we go again.

    We hope you will follow along on this blog and all of our social media sites (Facebook Group, Facebook Page, Twitter and Instagram) and of course here on the blog where I hope to have a post almost every Friday.

    Be brave and get out there! Travel is back! And the Grand Adventure continues. Away we go.

    We love it when you pin and share our blog posts.

    See last week’s post Travel Wardrobe for Multiple Climates.

    See this week’s top performing pin here My Favorite Things Ogunquit Maine

    All photos in this post by CANVA