One more night in Paris!

It's been a fantastic visit here and a fantastic day. Even though the guys were a little under the weather they were troopers and the four if us walked about forty minutes to the D'Orsay gallery. OMG was it fantastic Renoirs, Picasso , Monet, Manet, Toulouse Lautrec and so many more!  Awesome works in an awesome gallery. We left and picked up a picnic and sat and ate in a charming little Parisian park. Was so nice to finally not be rushed. The boys were once again troopers and went and did laundry. I got to put my feet up and have a snooze in between eliminating a hundred pics off my camera!  Does that give you an idea of how many I actually have left???
Oh yeah did I tell you about our last evening. So special saying goodbye to the wonderful people we have spent the last three weeks with. And our guide and now friend Lusa from Bothel Washington. What a wonderful person she is. This trip would not be the same without her!  We said our goodbyes and walked to the Eiffel Tower. I sure wish I could post the wonderful pics I took!  I will do that when I get home. What a site. We stood under the tower looking up. OMG
It's been a cornocopia of wonders here in Paris. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed everything... Even the metro...well maybe not enjoyed it but pretty much figured it out. Even how to distinguish the pickpockets .  You have to be here to appreciate the beauty and history.
We are going out for a last supper here with a couple we met Jon and Mary. Been fun to spend time with both if them. Mary is a fantastic jeweller and has given me lots if great ideas.
Arivoir!
Xxxxx

The French Connection

I cannot believe how be beautiful this city is!!! Coming into it I still have not picked my jaw up from the floor!  We have had a wonderful day...Got here just after lunch and checked into our funky hotel and then checked out Notre Dam cathedral.  I am still in awe!
Just got back from a beautiful dinner in the town square!  OMG... There are several million people in Paris... Largest number of people in a European city.  Wall to wall people sitting out on the sidewalk side by side.  Was an interesting day learning the metro system and all the pickpockets. Ran into several .
Getting tired do off to bed. Up early to go to the Lourvre tomorrow morning and the orsay gallery in the afternoon.
Miss everyone

Oui oui, mes Amis!!!!!

Ah,  France it is today!  We left the beauty of the Swiss alps for the beauty of France!  Arrived in Beaune this afternoon with sunshine following us the whole day! We were introduced to a wonderful vintner and her winery and her wines!  Yuppers Deb imbibed!  After a few glasses( actually just part glasses) of vino we found a great outdoor restaurant to try beef bourgignon !  To die for!  Very Bon!
We are off to Paris tomorrow to see Notre Dam and then the Lourvre the next day. Will be sad to say aurivour soon!
Hugs xxxx

The Swiss Alps!

Got up early this morning and took the tram up to ten thousand feet to a revolving restaurant at the top of the world!!!!!  What an amazing day!  We walked and walked and walked through the Alps over hills and dales and through the forests.  We had picked up a picnic lunch so sue, Terry, Bill and I  parked our butts and enjoyed the view overlooking Murren Switzerland.  OMG what a View. Will post pics when I get home. We are overtaking the restaurant trying to do emails nd get caught up on wifi.   Our hotel is Heidi's house ( at least looks like it at he edge of town with nothing around) and our room is grandma 's attic!  Literally!!!  Squeaky floor and everything. Pine room with single beds end to end. Fun overlooking the valley .  We have had an interesting time with Swiss francs and the expensive cost of everything. My lunch alone yesterday was 25 francs which is about 40.00 Canadian  
And I just had fruit and cheese ns a water ( water was 5 francs for a small bottl). Needless to say we will not be eating here much more !
Miss everyone
Xoxoxo

Oh what a beautiful day! Cinque Terre

Words cannot describe how beautiful, fantastic, perfection ( but still no toilet seats ....) and the food!!!!!
We actually got to sleep in this morning. Awoke at eight and then read for half an hour !!! Talk about decadent!!! Had breakie and then we headed off to Levanto which is one town over to the north ( I think) and wandered around with new friends Mary  and Jon from Fargo North Dakota   They had been there before and Mary, who is a fantastic jeweller wanted to go back to check out this great bead and pottery store she had been to at that time. Of course I could not decline the invitation to join them so the four of us headed out on our adventure.  We bought train tickets not having a clue what to do  we muddled through and made it through all the pick pocket threats and wandered the streets looking for this shop. Don't know how we did it but our muddling paid off and they found it!!!... And did we have fun!
Girls had fun and boys lounged outside under the shade of a big tree waiting for us.  We were awhile!
We had a beautiful lunch at an outside cafe and then back in the 'mugger central' train and headed past Monterosso ( where our hotel is) and  headed for Vernazza.  Holy cra-!!!!!picture post card scrumptious.  Did I say I love it here?
We checked out the marina and then took the ferry back to Monterosso.  Bill went sunbathing if course on the sands of the Mediterranean....how cool is that!
I visited with sue and terry and had show and tell!
Jon made reservations at a beautiful restaurant on top of a cliff.  What a view!  Spectacular!
Our day ended with , of course sidewalk gelato !!!!!yum

Off to Switzerland tomorrow!  Supposed to be sunny again!
I have to go I am falling asleep while typing and my spellcheck is having a field day!!!
Love and hugs
Deb

P.S.
Read this at your own risk because spellcheck and myself are at war!!!

Roma!

It's  Friday... I think
OMG. What a day!  Yesterday was soooo tiring. We walked to the Colleseum.  Awesome place.  Then walked from there to the Parthenon.  Sooo very awesome! Incredible dinner.  Supposed to be a small finned and ended up with another five course Italian dinner.   Awesome!  Walked from
There to the Trevi fountain.   OMG it is so wonderful and bigger and than expected and I was awe struck with the beauty if not only the day but the whole day!!!  We learned how to use the subway and sll did magnificently.  Even after all our hints  on how to protect our possetions one of our group was swarmed and robbed on the subway.  Another story!  On the way back the woman's hubby was robbed. Can't believe the luck. About 65 euros together. We got back and after sll the vino we had at dinner without too much problem.  And all fell into bed!  Never woke up until six this morn.
Now today we did the Vatican. Oh boy. Now we are once again exhausted .  We literally walked our assisis off!!! Tomorrow we get a relaxing six hour bus ride to cinque e Terre. Yippee!
So much stuff but have to go to bed... Up at six again and on the bus at 8 .
Good night all
Hugs

A beautiful day in Florence

Well another whole page lost to the wind.  That's what I get for writing late at night and dozing off. Who knows what buttons my sleep filled mind pushed. Whooshhhhh and gone!
Had an incredible full day in Florence. We were able to sleep in a tad and breakie at our leasure.  Oh mis amicis!   We did not know what was in store for us!  We walked our assisis off!!!!!  Spent the morning wandering the marketplace. HUGE!!! Seemed to go for miles, and the prices were unbelievable  Italuan leather sooooo cheap. Picked up a couple of small purses. Can't bring much home as we are so tight already for space.  The four of us had a wonderful lunch in a sidewalk trattoria. Yum!!!! Wehad a guided you tour of the Uffizi gallery in the afternoon.  Oh my god when we got around the sore feet and broken backs we were all in supreme awe!!! I saw the  Boticellis'. which was one mark off my bucket list!  Venus is huge but very pastel in Colorado which surprised me. Original Color.  We saw Leonardo paintings and so much more. All donated to the city by the Medici family. Incredible!!!there are 90 rooms  of art.  Needless to say we did not see everything. Had an awesome local guide
We staggered back to our hotel and collapsed outside at our wonderful cafe below the hotel  Sat outside on the sidewalk and people watched.  Bed came fairly early. And heard nothing if the street below!
We are off to Roma this morn so will return!   Except not late tonight!
Amore!!!

Florence!!!! Tuesday Sept 17...I think

We just arrived in Florence! What a bustling city!  Off to tour for an hour on our own with a four course Italian dinner after a walking tour.... Whew!  We sure walk off any bad stuff consumed!... Well we try anyway.
Will be back later.... Arevadercvi !

Venice day 2. Sept. 16,2013

Another fantastic day. Perfect breakie then a guided walking tour of the city by this wonderful local guide whose name I can't remember. Lovely girl and excellent English. What an intriguing city this is  
Such beauty on the inside but she's wearing thin in the outside.  We had an afternoon on our own so wandered the streets and picked up done Venetian glass jewelry. Wow! We were still full from our Italian four course meal the night before so just a panini from a tiny shop close to the hotel worked perfect for din din.
We had a fantastic gondola ride on the canals. Our boat with the four of us was joined by a musical duo. He played the accordion  and she performed several operatic Italian songs. It was a real treat but felt sorry for Bill as he was squished by me on one side and a large loud accordion on the other.  The other boats with us were entertained by this beautiful singer and so enjoyed the experience  we couldn't complain at all and Bill was a trooper about it all. I think he secretly enjoyed the singing!
Had a cuppa nightcap at sue and Terry's abode before bed to recap the day. Awesome does not describe it accurately ...
Special hugs to Mason from Wayway and Bubum!
Xoxo

Venice, Sept 15/16 Sunday/Monday

Buongiorno! Italy... Can't believe it. And Venice to boot. Wow!
Was still raining as we came in but I think going to be nice now. Very humid but so far so good. Finally maybe get to unpack the summer clothes !
I can't believe the shopping here. You can't use a mask shop a purse shop a shoe shop a glass shop or a jewelry shop as a visual reminder of where you are because every second shop is one of the above. We had to have an orientation on how to read signs because you are walking Down very narrow tall alley like streets and you can't use church steeples as a guide. Should be interesting to see who gets lost today.  Long bus ride yesterday with a rude awakening to Italy.  Another story.
Beautiful several course dinner. Sooooo full and late!  Had a perfect breakie this morn with jam filled croissants fruit and tea!  A good cuppa for a change.  Gotta run right now but will wow you with our excursions later....
Xoxo

Rothenberg, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013

WOW
These places just keep getting and better!  I LOVED Bacharach, but Rothenberg is truly superb !  This is a walled medieval town and has the best shopping we have seen yet..... Not that we have been looking ;-). 
Checking out fonts...hmmmmm
Hmmmmm... Old standby!
Had a nice bus ride from Bacharach to Rothenberg this morning. Got here about noonish.  Found an adorable authentic restaurant for lunch then Sue and I split from the fellas and went our own wayward ways.  I was on a mission to find a watch !  I know, I know, this watch lady without a watch you ask?  Yuppers..... I not only broke my alarm clock, the watch strap on my good watch bit the dust for the third time and the brand new watch I bought quit working... So if course had to go find one that works.  Now in The European cities we have been into so Farsi not believe in big stores but family owned small places if business. Keeps them operational. Smart actually.  You can find a separate store for just about anything.  Although both Sue and I have been looking for a water bottle.  They keep telling us they're in the cooler. A North American thing I'm told.  Ah when in Munich we' ll look.  
We had another delightful meal... Jumped into the first place we could find to get out of the rain...actually had veggies....what a treat!  Carbs and protein!  No dieting here!  But....having said that I dint think I have seen an overweight person yet except tourists!!!!! Imagine, maybe there is something hidden here... Must investigate. 
Went to the town centre at 8:00pm and met up with a lively gentleman from medieval times called the "night watchman". Third from the bottom of the food chain as he likes to tell it!!!
We had an interesting walking tour if the city with about a hundred if his closest other friends
The rooms have been incredible and different and charming and we left the elevators behind after the second stay!  Today we hiked a bit up!  
It is still raining. We are all running out of winter clothes!  There were a few who ventured out this morn in shorts and sandals!  I have to admit I went the sandal route as well!
We have heard from Darlane and John and they are so close in Koblenz but we are heading in opposite directions!   Was fun to hear about their experiences in Germany as well.  I honestly did not know what to expect and have been so tickled at all the wondrous things we've seen and done so far.  As you can probably tell I am feeling much better today. My rest yesterday made all the difference.
Wifi acting up so going to go. If spellcheck has intervened hope u can figure things out!
Gooten nicht
Xoxo

Bacharach Germany sept 11 2013

What an extraordinary town! I think it's the 11th but didn't want to check my phone and lose connection again. Very precarious!!!  Had a wonderful walkabout through this beautiful town with a gentleman in his 80's who told very moving stories of his life here during the war and the occupation. His brother had to enlist and never came home. So very sad. Not a dry eye!  I opted to stay back this afternoon while the group went in a castle and cruise excursion.  I would have loved!!!!tge cruise but I really needed proper medication ( thank goodness for translate!)  excellent pharmacist!  All in all a fantastic day and looking forward to a special dinner prepared by our hotelier and chef, Kurt .
Hugs

Sept 11 leaving Haarlam

It's raining...it's pouring... The old man is snoring !!!

One if those  days you just want to stay in bed!  Cold is nasty this wet a. m.  Caughing crazy woman! Thank goodness pretty much a driving day. Will isolate myself in the back of the bus. God I hope I don't pass along these nasties to anyone! Shoot!  List everything again last night. Will catch up soon.
Looks like home us the only nice weather. Good for you guys!
Xoxo

Haarlam, Netherlands. Sept 7/8/9 2013

I can't believe I rambled on and lost it all.   Well at least on this small screen I can't find the September updates!  Will add those at a later date...
Well it is the first day if our travels with the group.  Had a great intro last night and a super city walk and fabulous dinner at an Indonesian restaurant. Awesome good!  Left there in a raging rainstorm . Should have known !
We are off to Amsterdsm the first day trip. Think we are going by train. Not sure. Woke up thus morning to more pelting rain and a crappy cold.  I am not happy about the cold and the rain certainly doesn't help but u am looking forward go the day....