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mjnandy

matkusti 20 maahan. Lue lisää🇺🇸Oxnard
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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Time to go HOME.

    30. huhtikuuta 2023, Englanti ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Pick up time for our flight is 6am. Didn't have to wait long for our Uber. Drop off at airport very easy and smooth. Airport very organized.
    We shopped a little and had a good breakfast at Spuntino's. I had a bagel breakfast with a cappuccino and John had fried eggs, bacon and a bloody mary.
    Plane left on time and we had the whole row to ourselves. Virgin Airlines has been a good airlines for us.
    Arrived at Bradley Intl in Los Angeles. Too long of a wait for the bus that takes you to the new pick up section for taxis and Uber. So we walked to pick up an uber to John's work. Picked up the car there and drove home. Weather is like the weather we left behind.

    Our favorite places:
    Mary ~ Budapest & Brasov
    John ~ Brasov, Budapest & London
    Things we learned:
    Mary ~ That Brasov is more beautiful than I ever thought.
    John ~ Learned people are fascinating in all countries and are very nice.
    New foods now favorites:
    Mary ~ Hungarian food the stew and donuts.
    John ~ ALL foods!!

    Overall, we were very happy with our flight. No cancellations and delays were very minimal. Hotels we chose were pretty good except for our London St. Giles. We loved our Brasov hotel the best.
    We flew out with carryons but decided to buy a suitcase in Budapest. We put one of our carryons in the suitcase and traveled with one carryon and checked in the suitcase. On our flight home we carried our carryons and checked in the suicase. As long as we have no stop overs we don't mind checking them in.
    We used Uber and Bolt for transportation most of the time. Not expensive in the areas we traveled in.
    Overall a wonderful vacation. No major issues which is always good. Met many people along the way which is always great exchanging stories and adventures.
    Happy to have shared this journey
    "TOGETHER".    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Last day in London

    29. huhtikuuta 2023, Englanti ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Excited about this morning John has reserved "BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S".
    Tiffany's Cafe' at Harrods. Enjoyed the decor, food, service and champagne. I was pretty surprised to have received a birthday card from the staff.
    The elevator at Harrods was pretty impressive or let's say different. So many watch shops and jewelery stores. John surprised me with a stop at Tiffany's where he bought me the heart chain bracelet I've been wanting. HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAY'S to ME!!!
    We took a walk back towards our hotel. Note we took a taxi to Harrods. A long walk but we took advantage of the sights.
    John stopped at BERETTA to check out the rifles of course. We then stopped at a cool cigar lounge James Fox Cigars. John enjoyed a good cigar and I had coffee and water which was a treat for being there. Took a puff of John's cigar not bad at all.
    We then took a taxi to an area that had so many little shops, hidden shops with lot's of people. We found the BowWow Pet store to get Baker some souveniers. Always a must do when traveling. Stopped at Starbucks for a few more souveniers then walked back to our hotel.
    Rested a bit then went to The Jack Horner restaurant for fish and chips. Had a delicious cider raspberry and pineapple drink. Hope we can find it at home.
    Walked back to our hotel and got ready to head towards the London Eye. Our reservation is for 8:30pm so we'll hang around in the area. Found a small shop with souveniers. Aisles were so narrow made it hard to look around.
    So many people around the area it was like Disneyland on a busy day. Line for the London Eye was very long. We tried getting tickets for a river cruise while we waited but they were all sold out.
    Found a bar/restaurant near by where we could hang out. Music was loud or was it just us being old farts. John got a beer and I just took sips of his. Glad he picked a delicious one.
    John got us Fast Track tickets so we were able to go thru security and right on to the pod. One must enter quickly as the pod is moving slowly. Views of London breathtaking as watching the sunset.
    We were lucky enough to quickly get a taxi and it was back to our hotel. Time to pack rearrange things in our bags to fly home tomorrow morning.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    A day in London

    29. huhtikuuta 2023, Englanti ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    YaY we got to sleep in until 8am. We we're sure tired. This morning's itinerary is Buckingham Palace and whatever else we can squeeze in. Had breakfast around the corner for a crepe and latte'. Took a walk to catch a taxi to get us to the palace. Unfortunately, Uber's and taxis have many detours due to the city getting ready for the coronation. We took pics as we walked around the area then decided to take the On and Off Bus which took us around to see London's highlights. Took a taxi back to the area where we were originally picked up. I stopped and had my hair washed and styled. Needed it after sitting on the top.deck of the bus where we got some rain. Got great pics considering the weather. John also had his hair cut and beard trimmed at a cool small barber shop nearby.
    Enjoyed the Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea. We would of never guessed it was located in what looked like an old office building.
    Tea was good, sandwiches delicious and dessert to die for. Had the waiter sing happy birthday to me with a red velvet miniature cake surrounded by cotton candy. Delicious!
    We were able to meet up with Maddi Caldwell for a bit to say "hello" and catch up on her schooling and travel. So great seeing her.
    We then got ready for our musical Les Misérables at Sondheim Theater. Theater was small and beautiful.
    Stopped at our hotels restaurant for dinner. Not really what we wanted but it was the only place open with no line. All other restaurants were closing or very busy. Streets were filled with people & cars.
    Tomorrow is our last day of our vacation so we'll soak up as much as we can.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Until next time BRASOV

    27. huhtikuuta 2023, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Packed up last night because this morning we woke up at 5am to have the square to ourselves. We wanted to get some photos without other people in it.
    We were out on the square by 6am. It was very, very cold 41 degrees felt like 4.
    Went back to our room changed clothes packed what we had on and got comfy.
    Walked over to Starbucks bought something hot to drink and hung out there for awhile. Walked around the square got some pics and bumped into our new friends we met on our tour to Bulgaria. We took photos together and of course got on each others FB. Lovely couple from New York both in the medical field.
    Went back to our room and decided to have breakfast there before our driver picked us up at 10:45am. A long morning already. Our driver Florin who lives in the mountains of Brasov was very nice and shared knowledge of the country with us. Scenery we saw on the way was beautiful green fields, cows, horses and sheep. Some of the towns we passed were nice other's were small with some work to be done on the homes.
    We arrived at Sibiu International Airport. It was a total of 3 hours. We arrived at the very small airport early. Thank goodness for Netflix.
    Loaded our plane on time and we are on a 3 hr flight to London. Arrived to foggy and rainy London. Picked up a taxi 2 hour drive to our hotel. John had to tell driver where to turn etc. Arrived at our hotel at 10pm. Not too happy with the hotel the room they gave us is nothing like the pictures on their website. John went downstairs spoke to manager and we got a bigger room but still looks nothing like we thought it would. It's now 11pm we are very tired. If it was earlier we would of looked for another hotel.
    Showered and got ready for bed boy were we tired. Tomorrow we go sightseeing.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Tour today of Pele & Bran

    26. huhtikuuta 2023, Romania ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Excited about today as our tour starts at 8:30am. Woke up at 6:15am to get ready, have something for breakfast, get some cash and meet our tour guide.
    We decided to have breakfast at McDonald's. Not our first choice but it was open, warm and close to our pick up spot.
    Met our tour guide love when they're on time. Our first stop was Bran Castle. Absolutely beautiful on the outside and interesting on the inside. So many stairs and small stair walls. Some secret passages, some with nothing to hold on to but the walls, small steps, narrow and some absolutely not safe when wet. We made it thru and enjoyed it very much.
    Our next stop was Cetatea Rasnov a fortress which offered refuge to the towns people and villagers from the area in times of war. Pretty muddy walking up but the views were spectacular.
    Our next stop Pele's Castle. "WOW, just AMAZING. Beautiful on the outside, stunning on the inside. We were able to have lunch before starting our tour. John and I enjoyed mulled wine, hot cider, slices of pizza and a chocolate eclair.
    Loved that our guide got us ahead of the line. So many kids visiting and touring in Romania. We were only 6 including our guide which made it easy to maneuver around. The outdoors was just as beautiful as the inside. Luckily rain slowed down.
    Our tour ended at 4pm. We enjoyed the knowledge of our guide. Patient, nice, great driver and so knowledgeable.
    John and I relaxed for awhile and had an amazing dinner here at our hotel restaurant Wagner's Loft. Two drinks each, ceasar salad for John, french onion soup for me, a bone in ribeye 28 ounces, 2 potatoes and a lava cake to share all for $108. USD.
    Time to get our luggage ready as tomorrow we leave Brasov and go onto our last leg of the trip ~ London.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Dracula Bound

    25. huhtikuuta 2023, Romania ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    Time to travel to our next city. We woke up early at 6am to have breakfast at the Sky Restaurant in our hotel. Waited for our private driver Theodore in the lobby. He arrived right on time ,of course it was raining. Traffic was really bad getting out of Bucharest. Once on the freeway we were good to go. Our driver stopped for a bathroom and snack stop.
    We bumped into our travel guide from our tour to Bulgaria. What are the chances. We talked to him for awhile and he gave us a must do while in Brasov. Such a nice man.
    The drive to Brasov was beautiful. So green. Reminded us of Mammoth. We arrived to our hotel at 1pm.
    Our room is big and full of antique furniture. Truly goes with the Brasov theme. Our view is spectecular and we're close to everything.
    Went out for a walk luckily the rain stopped. We truly get lucky with weather. Hoping and praying that's the case tomorrow for our tour.
    We enjoyed the beautiful Black Church. It's so close to our hotel. Did some shopping and walked through a beautiful park. Dinner was at DRACULAS RESTAURANT. Of course we went there because of the name. Great service John had ribs and I had some cabbage roll kinda meal. It was just OK. Loved the virgin Piña Colada.
    Walked around again after dinner and stopped at a few more shops. John bought a belt I bought some small souveniers.
    Had some gelato at a place just 3 doors down from our hotel. This could be dangerous.
    Back to the room, wash clothes and relax in the big tub.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Last day in Bucharest.

    24. huhtikuuta 2023, Romania ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Slept in a little this morning. Woke.up to NO water in our room. The whole hotel has no water. Told us should be working in 15 minites then it was an hour. We didn't want to waste our day waiting so we used the water bottle in the fridge. Got ready and off we went. Walked to a monastery about a 20 minute walk. Beautiful morning it was 10am when we left our hotel.
    Stopped at Byro across the street from the park. Delicious italian cappuccinos, hummus, bread, eggs, bacon and beans. We shared it all and it was enough to keep walking.
    After the breakfast walked towards Carol I Park which had a beautiful fountain, statues and monuments. So beautiful and green.
    Kept walking and we reached the Parliament. Took a few pics then we looked for the area with the hanging umbrellas. Ended up at a little area with many restaurants and lounges. We ended up in Old Town so we sat and had a caprese salad and those delicious hungarian donuts. Sat there rested for awhile then off to fine the umbrellas.
    On the way we bumped into the Van Gogh Cafe had to go in and check it out. Found the hanging umbrellas took our pics then shopped at Old Town.
    Bumped into Starbucks, of course we had to stop. Cool drinks, water and rested our feet.
    We continued walking and ended up at a mall. Bought a few items at H&M for Paisley and John.
    Walked back to our hotel and guess what? STILL NO WATER. Hoping it's working by tonight. Tomorrow we have a private driver to take us to Brasov at 9am.
    Just resting and packing for the rest of the evening. Love having fresh fruit brought up to us for snacking on in our room.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Day trip Bucharest to Ruse, Bulgaria

    23. huhtikuuta 2023, Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Woke up early enough to have breakfast at our hotel. Beautiful view from the Sky Restaurant. We walked what has become our usual walk downtown. Our van picked us up right on time which is always a great start. The drive from Bucharest to Ruse is 1 hour took maybe an additional 20 minutes to get thru border control. Line for truck drivers went back for miles.
    Ruse when we first drove across was not impressive. Looked very old and sad. We stopped for pictures by the danube river. We then walked through the neighborhood in which we came across a fortress that was closed so unable to see.
    We also were showed areas in which they dug into and found part of the fortress. That just stands as is nothing else being done. We then walked downtown to get to the underground church. History on the church was pretty interesting. We walked back down the main street and checked out a few stores. Many were closed due it it being sunday.
    We met for lunch which was delicious and a treat from our driver. Had great laughs with the couple from New York.
    Drive back to Bucharest took about 2 hours. One hour it took to get through border control. Saw puppies at the border to looked to be on their own. Saw their mom as we drove closer to border. Puppies were adorable.
    We had our driver drop us off at The Harp cute pub we enjoyed the night before. Had drinks food and took BOLT back to our hotel.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    From Budapest to BUCHAREST

    22. huhtikuuta 2023, Romania ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Woke up today with enough time to have breakfast at our hotel. Our shuttle arrived early so it was off to the airport.
    Checked in 1 bag (cuz yes we bought a suitcase) for souveniers.
    Our plane was to depart 11:50am of course it was delayed about 45 minutes. Luckly we weren't on any schedule. We were shuttled to our small plane which had only a few people on it cuz that's all there was room for. Small planes aren't my favorite but for an 1.5 hr flight I could hang. John kept telling me horror stories of propellers going out etc. I went to sleep until I had to get up to go to the bathroom. This bathroom was so small you couldn't turn in it. I was just grateful there was one on that small plane.
    We got a taxi at the airport our driver Michael was very nice and gave us info about what was going on in Bucharest.
    Arrived at our hotel had our delicious fruit delivered snacked on it then took a 20 minute walk to Old Town. Along the walk we had rain. We found a nice hungarian restaurant great food, service, dessert and music. So happy we stopped here.
    For 2 drinks, our main meals, bread pita like and hungarian donuts for $43.
    John was shocked!!
    We walked around Old Town lots of restaurants, bars and shops. People of all ages babies and older people like US.
    We stopped at a pub while we waited to get a taxi. John had a hungarian beer and I had a latte. Total for both $4.22.
    Our taxi arrived a nice young man whose dream is to go live in Los Angeles. He didn't understand why we chose Bucharest for vacation. We told him we didn't understand why he'd want to live in L.A. He reminded me alot of my godson Cameron. Arrived at our hotel got ready for bed as tomorrow we have a day trip to Ruse, Bulgaria.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Last day in BudaPest

    21. huhtikuuta 2023, Unkari ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Today is our last day in Budapest. We started early to get a few stops before I finally get my haircut.
    We stopped opera house and took pics outside. It was closed so we didn't get to see the inside. A beautiful building. We then went and had breakfast at New York Cafe'. It was the most beautiful place I've ever had breakfast at. Service was amazing, professional and fast. Food and drinks were very good.
    It was off now to get my haircut. Stephen at Gabor Hair Salon & Cafe' Bar was so nice and professional. He has been cutting hair for 30+ years. We enjoyed talking with him and learning more about Budapest. He had a cafe' bar downstairs. It wasn't open so John had to stay for the cut and style.
    From there we went to the Jewish Synagogue. John was given a paper yarmulkes that wouldn't stay on his head. A bobbypin was given but.....John has no hair and it just wasn't staying on. Omgosh I was cracking up. Not a great place to be laughing. John was trying hard to keep it on his head but it just wouldn't stay. I told him I'd chew some gum real quick to keep it on his head. Luckily he only had to wear it in the synagogue. We left there after walking around. It was hard seeing pictures and realizing how many lives were lost in the same area where the Synagogue stands. We went to some other sights on our list and got them checked off. Lunch/dinner was at Hard Rock Cafe guess we'll try and hit them up in different countries. Did the ice bar here in Budapest. Yes it was cold but had good drinks and had fun.
    Did some shopping at the market place and shopping at the main center.
    Back to the hotel to rest and pack for our flight to Bucharest, Romania tomorrow.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Train to Bratislava, Slovakia

    20. huhtikuuta 2023, Slovakia ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Alarm went off at 5:30am. Goal was to be picked up at our hotel by 6:30am to get to the train station and take the 7:29am train to Bratislava. Arrived at station only to find out no one was there selling tickets where they should be. We were told they moved the ticket station outdoors due to a remodel. Found the so called ticket booth. Now to find out where to catch our train. Unfortunately, no one was available and those there had no idea. We found out we had to keep an eye out on the digital screen for the platform to be issued. It was a cold morning. We found the train we were to be on right where we were standing. Thank goodness we didn't have to run somewhere else.
    Train ride was 2.5 hours long. Very comfortable and $32 for the both of us one way. Views were like other train rides in europe we have taken. You see graffiti, trash, beautiful green areas, nice homes, homes barley standing, construction, flower fields,buildings lost in weeds and trees. Overall comfortable and fast.
    We arrived in Bratislava and then figured out we needed a taxi to get to Old Town. Taxi's were available right outside and they only accepted cash. Off to the ATM inside to get some cash. We arrive at the main center which pretty much looked beautiful and clean. We took this cute little train to the castle. They only gave you 20 minutes to go up so we decided to go across the ways for pictures and views.
    Once we arrived at the old town we took in some sights in walking distance did a little shopping stopped by a cute spot for some hungarian beer. Walked around quite a bit then got our taxi back to the train station. We had an open ticket which allows you to go back at any of the departing times. Our train was delayed 20 minutes was more like 40. So many people waiting my concern was is everyone going to fit. We didn't reserve seats so I was hoping we wouldn't have an issue. John made sure I got on the train as soon as people were getting off the train. Sometimes you just need the "excuse me" and push thru.
    We were hungry so we stopped at this nice restaurant named APE REGINA. Had a yummy raspberry aperol spritz and delicious food. Our dessert was enjoyable as well. We have been lucky to have chosen restaurants that serve amazing food.
    It was time to head back to our hotel, shower, it was a nice hot bath for me and get some sleep for our last day in Budapest.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Sightseeing Budapest.

    19. huhtikuuta 2023, Unkari ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Starting early morning walking towards Fisherman's Bastion. Oh so many stairs.
    Made it to the top beautiful views and overall just amazing. We were lucky enough to see Matthias Church as they had no idea when their ticket person would show up. We walked around went back to church and we were told we could go in no charge just a donation. Absolutely worth seeing. We walked to Budapest Castle which is big and views beautiful. We walked down and decided to do the On and Off bus. Stopped at the Harley Davidson store and had a nice lunch sitting outdoors. Love the hungarian stew. You can never go wrong no matter what city you visit on the On and Off bus.
    Had beautiful views from the ferris wheel that we took the opportunity to ride on. They weren't busy at all. Beautiful day and amazing views.
    Stopped along the way at Cafe' Gerbeaud for a cappuccino & a chocolate for each of us. We saw a few more places then headed back to our hotel for a wine tasting/ cheese evening cruise. Again views were amazing. Great way to celebrate my birthday as that is what I told John I wanted to do. After our cruise we went to a lovely italian restaurant and had a wonderful dinner. Back to our hotel as tomorrow is a train ride to Bratislava, Slovakia for the day. Having a great time and weather has been absolutely PERFECT!    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Flying away.

    18. huhtikuuta 2023, Unkari ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    10 hour flight LAX to Heathrow London airport. Our flight leaves at 1:40pm. Of course plenty of time. We arrived Heathrow long walk to restaurants, shops and cafe's. The screen showed that our flight was to show our gate number at 1:05pm. Well, at 12:45pm it showed 'BOARDING" We start our 20 minute walk to our gate. Once we showed our boarding pass John was told he had to check in his bag. Plane will be full so no room for his carry on. Funny cuz people checking in after him were able to take their bags. Oh well, this was our last flight.
    Arrived in Budapest 6pm headed to our hotel. Met some nice people on the shuttle. An asian lady 71 years old traveling on her own from Sacramento and does alot of traveling alone. Another young lady was with her sister and sisters boyfriend. They were there to scatter her husbands ashes in Vienna. We decided to have dinner at our hotel after going to the grocery store for water and juices. Delicious food on my birthday. View from our room is amazing.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Ready, Set, Fly Away

    17. huhtikuuta 2023, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Woke up 7am. Not cuz we had to leave early only because that's what time we woke up. Got ready made sure we had everything, fed Baker and left the house at 8:30am. Not too much traffic on PCH.
    John dropped me off at Bradley Intl meanwhile he parked our car at his work.
    He's only 15 minutes away from LAX. His boss was nice enough to bring him back to LAX. It was a good thing we arrived early we checked in at counter to make sure they had my TSA pre-check. They didn't after John called them to give them my number. Made it thru security quickly however the line we went thru or they directed us to we still had to remove our shoes & belt. They later told John we should of told them we had pre-check. Well they did see it on our tickets and advised us to a specific line. Oh well, we're here early made it thru security and had enough time to get something to eat.
    Our flight to London leaves at 3:40pm we arrive at Heathrow at 10am then take a plane at 1:50pm to Budapest, Hungary.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyEastern Europemjnandy

    Hungary for travel. Getting ready.

    5. huhtikuuta 2023, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Ready for the trip we were going to take May 2020. Due to covid and taking care of m♡m we have had to delay.
    Flights have been booked for months. Hotels were the second thing we reserved and 1 month before our trip we reserved and bought tickets to those places we really wanted to see and experience.
    Something different that I did was pick clothes online that I thought would give me option of outfits. Colors that could be used with each pair of pants, sweaters or tops. Same with shoes. This certainly helped in keeping the number of clothes down for packing.
    Itineraries in folder, info on our flights and tickets for certain things we'll be doing. I like to plan my days and avoid the "where should we go today?"
    John and I make the perfect travel partners cuz we can't stay put and we love to see as much as we possibly can.
    We used (I used) for my thick sweaters Travel Space Saver Bags which work great to minimize taking up space. We also never travel without using our travel cubes. Keeps us organized and makes it easy to find what you're looking for.
    Carry-on luggage is how we're traveling. Our bags can also be carried like backpacks. John's is new (gray one) I will be using the same bag I traveled to Paris and Athens in 2019.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    Traveling is a learning experience.

    1. huhtikuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I always learn a few new things or try new ways of traveling. I make a note of it not only for myself but for others to maybe consider trying. Here's a few suggestions:

    1. I still consider the CUBES the best and smart way to pack.
    2. Always confirm hotel reservations up to two weeks in advance. Keep all email correspondence. I print and add it to my travel binder.
    3. I use a flexible binder for vouchers, itineraries, tickets, emails and flight details. Flexible binders fit and bend easily in backpacks and purses.
    4. I found it handy and convenient to have euro's prior to arriving to your destination.
    5. Most "all" transportation companies take euro's and credit cards.
    6. We noticed that many stores will ask if you want your card run in DOLLARS or Euro's.
    7. Obtain tickets for those sightseeing places that are important for you to visit ahead of time. Not a "must" as we saw many places still had tickets available.
    (Just gives me a piece of mind).
    8. Schedule your airport to hotel and hotel to airport transfers ahead of time. Saves you time and I'm sure you'd rather be seeing sights.
    Hotel can also take care of this for you.
    9. Take advantage of breakfasts included with your room.
    10. Carry on or Check in luggage. Still not sure which I liked better. Carry on seemed to have worked for all of us and saved time.
    11. Enjoy every second cuz you'll only be there for a certain amount of days/time. You can sleep and rest on your flight or when you get home.

    Our trip was amazing we had cold weather but we were prepared for that in March. You either go when it's cold and less people or go when the weather is nice and there are lot's of people. We made the best of our days rain and wind did not hold us back.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    PARIS, GREECE to HOME

    31. maaliskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Nothing like having to wake up in the early hours or not sleep at all on your final day. We arrived back to the hotel around 9pm or so. John and I had already packed so it was off to get some sleep at least 3 or 4 hours. Wake up time is at 1am! Robert, Kalyn and Kenzie decided to stop at the hotel restaurant for coffee, juice and toast. They slept on and off to not sleeping at all. John and I went downstairs to check us all out. Our pick up time is 2:30am and did I mention clocks moved up an hour in Greece?
    When we get to Germany it moves back. It certainly was a LONG day.
    When I was going thru security I was told to go thru a different line "STAR ALLIANCE. I thought I was a chosen STAR who was chisen to get upgraded. Right behind me was Kenzie. We had been luckily chosen to go through a full security search. IT WAS FUNNY yet we went through it with laughs. Kenzie kept saying "WHAT, DO WE LOOK LIKE BAD PEOPLE"?
    I told her "NO, THEY JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT MAKES US SO AMAZING"! We just laughed cuz it was us two.
    Flights were all comfortable and close to departure times. I've realized that's just how flights go.
    Was able to watch the ending of A STAR IS BORN with John (yes again) the ending anyway, watched the old Star is Born with Barbra & Kris, Baywatch the movie and Tom Cruise in American Made.
    Luthansa Airlines was a nice plane and flight attendants were very accommodating with drinks and warm towels.
    Kenzie I think slept the most then Kalyn and Robert. John and I slept maybe a couple of hours on and off.
    We arrived on time and safely. Our checked in bags arrived in a timely manner. John took a taxi to his work to pick up the car and came back to get us at Bradley International.

    It's great to be back home of course but at the same time the reality sets in of getting back to the everyday norm.
    We arrived unpacked, washed clothes put things
    away and tomorrow we hope to sleep in. Robert and John are both off from work. ME? Not so much.
    We were all very THANKFUL to mom for sending us on this amazing vacation. A vacation of memories to last a lifetime. Best part was sitting together during drinks the night before and thinking of where we want to go next.
    TRIPMASTERS will certainly be a travel site I use again. The only thing I'd change to is having direct flights and having transfers set up before hand.
    HAPPINESS for me is truly traveling and traveling with the people I love the most is PRICELESS!    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    Athens Ruins Last Day

    31. maaliskuuta 2019, Kreikka ⋅ 🌬 9 °C

    The day started with meeting at 7am at our hotel for breakast. Delicious items to choose from. I must admit my fsvorite was the yogurt and tomatoes.
    We walked our way to buy our tickets to see the Acropolis. Passed many nice buildings and found ancient ruins in between.
    We arrived at our destination without any problems.
    Tickets were 10 euro each. We enjoyed walking up seeing all the sights along the way. I don't remember going up this distance when I was here in 1979. You start to wonder how they were able to go up and down back then. The higher we got the colder and windier it got. So very cold. It even blew John's
    beret off his head. We were lucky to arrive a few minutes after it opened the toir buses were arriving just as we were leaving.
    From there we walked over to a few more sights then got something to eat. We wanted a gyro wrapped instead we got an open faced gyro. We received an after dinner liquor which was minty and delicious.
    We did a little shopping after Robert, Kalyn and Kenzie went back to the hotel. John and I headed out to find a pet store to buy Baker a souvenier. After stopping at a few more stops we picked up a delicious heart shaped chocolate donut and some Starbucks sat outside and people watched. Saturday is certainly a busy day in Athens. The donut was delicious and not as sweet as they are at home.
    The other stop we made was the church we sat outside to take a picture after our gelato the night before. Unable to take pictures per the rules but one learns to turn on your VIDEO walk around and get some shots of the beauty inside.
    Kenzie wanted to meet on our rooftop for drinks. Once again it was very cold and windy. Kalyn and Kenzie wanted to have a REAL wrapped up gyro. We went out looking and of course couldn't find a vendor. John asked a couple who worked in one of the shops they suggested a restaurant only 3 minutes away. We had our nice dinner and Kalyn, Kenzie and Robert had their wrapped up BUG AUTHENTIC GYRO.
    Kenzie wanted to have some drinks on our last night we found s restaurant with outdoor seating and heaters. Had our drinks well Kenzie had drinks all of us had only one. We left back to our hotel as tomorrow is our departure day. John and I had already packed. We get picked up at 2:30am to make our way to the Athens airport.
    Robert, Kalyn and Kenzie made it to have some bread, coffee and juices at the hotel. John and I skipped it and headed downstairs for checkout.
    Goodbye Athens, until next time.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    Cold Windy Day in Athens

    29. maaliskuuta 2019, Kreikka ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    Woke up to rain still falling in Santorini. Dreading going out in the rain and getting soaked. We all had a continental breakfast delivered to our room's at 7am.
    John and I pack up the night before makes it much easier with the cubes. You also get to sleep in a little later, no rushing and you get to enjoy your morning breakfast.
    It was still raining when we walked up with our luggage. Luckily one of the guys carried our luggage down to the transportation office. So happy it wasn't pouring like it had been the day before.
    We arrived at the Athen's airport within 20-30 minutes. This airport is still as small as I remember it. We checked in all the backpacks besides mine. We were 30 minutes delayed yet we arrived 5 minutes before our scheduled arrival time go figure.
    We were able to get a van (Black Mercedes) to drive us to our hotel. Traffic is as bad as downtown L.A. with many people on scooter's and motorcycles.
    Driver said we were in a good spot close to everything. We checked into our rooms except for Robert his wasn't ready yet. Luckily we are on the same floor. Kalyn and Kenzie are right next door so we get to bang the wall to each other. Rob is right across from us.
    We were all very hungry so we chose ATHEN'S HARD ROCK CAFE'. Another tradition to go to a hard rock cafe in every country we visit. Food was delicious, drinks hit the spot and service was amazing.
    We decided to go walk around and shop. It is very breezy and very, very cold - 52 degrees.
    Saw 2 church's and walked into one. Beautiful.
    Lit candles for our loved one's back home.
    Next had to have GELATO. Yup we just had to with this cold weather. Found a nice little place with outside seating & heaters. Gelato with a cappuccino is what John and I shared. They brought water and 4 cookies along with the order. It's so nice how they always give you a little more extra.
    We finished and headed back to our hotel. Stopped next door to get water for our room.
    John & I wanted to check out the view on the rooftop. WoW!!! It is an amazing sight. We took a few picture's only a few cuz it was very cold and windy.
    Off to our room we go to get some rest for tomorrow. We will be seeing as much as we possibly can cuz Sunday we head home.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    Rain & Santorini Tour

    28. maaliskuuta 2019, Kreikka ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    The morning plan was to meet at 8:45am and have breakfast outdoors together. I looked out and you couldn't even see the volcano. It was very foggy minutes later it was raining. We had all our breakfasts delivered to Kalyn and Kenzie's room. As they have the biggest room.
    We scheduled a tour for 10:30am. The CAPTAIN aka OWNER did mention that it may be cancelled if it rained. John walked to his office and they were still closed. Thankfully one of the maintenance guys had walked to the tour office with John he wanted to know where this tour office was. The receptionist called the room to let us know it was still a "GO"!
    We all filled out our breakfast request for tomorrow before we leave this amazing hotel. Continental breakfast is what we'll get at 7am. Our plane departs at 9am to Athens.
    The rain didn't stop us from going back to Oia and seeing Megalochori, Venetsanos Winery, hiked up to see the Red Rock Beach and ate at a nice restaurant by the Black Beach. We also stopped at Amoudi where some of The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants was partly filmed. The Captains son and his mother had a part in the movie.
    Kenzie was extremely happy at the winery. We of course picked the dessert wine. A brown color wine
    that was delicious with goat cheese and a jelly type relish that had chili and honey along with sesame crackers. Kenzie had her sister glass cuz Kalyn isn't into sweet wines. Scenery there was beautiful from what we could take in with the rain. It rained and rained but we still enjoyed our tour with Nikolas our tour guide.
    He took us by the Black Sand Beach and stopped at a restaurant to get something to eat. As he parked Kenzie noticed a small puppy, Robert noticed he was hiding under a car trying to stay out of the rain. WE the dog lovers of course felt bad for the little pup.
    The puppy must of known who would rescue him cuz he walked directly to Kenzie and she put him in her jacket. We were happy to see other dogs in the restaurant. Apparently the dogs belong to the owner and they run around in the restaurant. It was great for us Dog Lovers. It was like being home. Yes Kenzie did want to bring the puppy back with her. (Who wouldn't).
    We arrived back to where we were picked up for the tour. Robert had a 4pm appointment to get a tattoo and I had a hair appointment at 4:30pm across the street from each other.
    John, Kalyn and I walked back to our hotel. The path was like a river flowing down. John and I stopped at a shop and Kalyn went back to her room. One has to be very careful walking on the rock pathways and marble tiles. They get very slippery. We stopped by to give Kalyn a box of baklava we had just bought her. She loves her baklava.
    John and I arrived to our room with no electricity. He called down to the office. The lights came up in about 20 minutes. We decided to order room service for dinner. Delicious linguine with mussels and a yummy crab salad. Just enough for us to share with each other. We tried sharing our meals when we weren't too hungry. It worked most of the time.
    We packed our luggage and got ready for tomorrow's flight to Athens. Fingers Crossed and Prayers that this rain stops for our last two days on this amazing trip with family.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    Fira Santorini ~ Dinner in Oia

    27. maaliskuuta 2019, Kreikka ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Woke up early this morning but it was still sleeping in compared to the 5am-6am in Paris. I think we were all needing a day to catch up on sleep. We all ordered breakfast to be delivered to our rooms. Kalyn and Kenzie walked over to their pick up area for the boat tour, swimming and lunch. They enjoyed it but the water was very cold.
    John, Robert and I decided to take the cable car down to the Old Port. Views from the cable was amazing. Unfortunately we had to wait 2 hours for it to take us back up. So we did some shopping, walked around the area, had drinks and had some amazing calamari. We we arrived to the top we decided to check out the area. OMG the steps are crazy. With my bruised toe it is very hard and painful. I'm keeping up the best I can. One must suck it up and move on.
    Kalyn & Kenzie arrived back to our hotel before we did so they were hanging out at the pool. We joined them for awhile. Great way to soke up my foot in freezing water. We were able to get some pics luckily. We met at 6pm for our drive to Oia which was about 20 minutes from us. Oia is very beautiful we weren't able to hang around as long as we would of liked to. Took pics and had a nice dinner. It got dark fast and our pick up was at 8:30-8:45 so it was off to the van. We hope to be able to see more tomorrow on our 4 hour tour.
    We arrived back to our hotel at about 9:30. We are dropped off at the street and we walk up. First time was killer but we've gotten used to it. Like I said "We Just SUCK It Up"!
    Beautiful place for sure they're building and remodeling so many awesome places. Look's like they are working hard to finish by summer. (So John keeps telling us that). Don't know how they get rocks, tile, dirt, sand, wood up and down all those steep steps. We actually saw this guy taking things down on a wheelbarrow. Unreal.
    Guess that's why we don't see gym's around here. Senior citizen's here are in better shape than we are.
    The food in all the restaurants have been nothing but amazing. People are very nice and helpful.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    SANTORINI Here We Come

    26. maaliskuuta 2019, Kreikka ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Another early morning start as the shuttle is driving us to the airport at 6am. Need to get our boarding passes when we get there. Our plane departed at 9:30am. We arrived in Athens our layover close to an hour or so then shuttled to our plane. Then carried our carry on luggage up the stairs onto the plane. We arrived on time in Santorini. We waited for John and Rob's luggage to arrive. (They we're told it was too big so they had it checked in in Athens). Kalyn was also told to check her's in too. She told the desk attendant "you just let my sister go thru with the same size bag and a Disney tote"! So they let her through. We took two taxi's to our hotel. We got dropped off on the street and told to go up. Yes we had to climb up to get to our beautiful hotel. We were greeted at the door by Katerina and her staff. What an "AMAZING" welcome. They have only 10 rooms here. We were told to put our luggage down and she took us by the pool. We sat down right outside of Robert's Suite. They brought us out drinks Kenzie & I had sparkling Moscsto. It was very, very good. John, Robert and Kalyn had lemonade.
    We were taken to our room's and were in awe. A nice rolled up letter welcoming us, 2 bottles of wine and delicious fresh fruit.
    We received a map and some info on the island. There are alot of things to do and places to see. Kalyn & Kenzie are taking a boat ride to see other island's and do some swimming. John and I will check out the local sights, Robert may go get a tat.
    We'll meet around 5 or 6 head to Oia and have a wonderful dinner and take a walk around.
    We had the most fabulous place Salt & Pepper.
    HIGHLIGHT: Kenzie tried grilled SHARK for a bottle of wine.
    We all felt like we were at a relatives home and our Tia (aunt) was making us each our favorite meal. The hostess couldn't be friendlier. Her husband is the chef and he is truly AMAZING. Wakes up every morning at 7am to get fresh vegetables, fish and meat. Kenzie tried octopus for the first time. Said it was just ok. (Now I owe her onebof my bottled wines). The size of the shrimp was unbelievable and so delicious. Just when we thought we were done she came out with these little square bowls which was dessert. Custard with a strawberry type jelly on top. We all enjoyed our dinner very much to say the least. It's a very small place and reservations are needed located at the bottom of our hill. Thank you to our hotel hostess for the wonderful recommendation.
    Back to the room we filled out our form for breakfast to be delivered to our room or our balcony. We chose the room cuz I think it will be cold again tomorrow. We found two chocolate chip cookies for a night snack. We had our bottle of wine along with it.
    Looking forward to seeing more of Fira tomorrow.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    PARIS SIGHTS and Last Night

    25. maaliskuuta 2019, Ranska ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    This is our last day in Paris much left to see. We met for breakfast at our hotel at 7am and ready to hit the cobblestone streets at 8am. Well not all are cobblestones. Our first stop s 20 minute walk from our hotel was to Le Village Royal which had a lovely display of colorful umbrellas. Our second stop was to LaFayette Gallerie' which has got to be one of the most beautiful shopping places in Paris. Beautiful stained glass dome and a beautiful decor around each floor. The walk across the glass floor was interesting. It was fun watching those afraid of heights or glass floors hang on for dear life and get off quickly. We then went to the Louvre to see the pyramids and to see the actual building. Next was shopping then to the Pneuf Bridge. From there we walked over to the Notre Dame Cathedral which was as beautiful as I remember it to be. We stopped for a bite to eat right outside of the church. We walked to see the Panthenon then off to Luxembourg gardens and headed back to our hotel to rest a little before going on our evening Seine River Cruise.
    We decided to take a taxi to the location to save life on our feet. I stubbed a toe which is now black and blue and have blisters starting on my heels. Pain and all I stuck in out and kept up.
    The hotel called for our van pick up at 6pm. We are a 20 minute walk away and an 8 minute drive away.
    Driver pick us up on time we start driving thru much traffic. Driver cannot get us over the bridge any of them because the chinese president is visiting and for security reasons the bridges are being blocked by police. One is still open so we tell the driver to drop us at a corner and we'd cross the bridge. People along with cars were not allowed to cross. John was told that in 20 minutes it would reopen. Sitting in the cold we waited until they told us they had no idea when it would be open. We decide to walk to the bridge that was still open. We crossed the bridge and walked the waterfront only to find out that the driver was way off on where we were to be left off. We ended practicality walking back a quarter for a mile back the opposite way. Made it to the 7pm boat ride but by the time we got the boarding passes the boat was on it's way. We had to wait for the 7:25pm cruise. Note it is breezy and very cold. Finally were on the boat no tables for the champagne like we thought we'd have. They give you these funny looking lids that look like shot glasses to put on your small bottle and drink it that way. Kalyn and I had only a sip as we both are not a fan of it without juice. Mimosas are more to our liking. The cruise had beautiful views way to cold to be outside but we did go out to get a few pics. An hour later we walk to get dinner. Found a nice restaurant close by. Kalyn and I had great hot chocolate. Robert and Kenzie ordered a drink and John had lemonade. Food was delicious.
    Kenzie is wanting to do shots so she did along with Rob and John.
    We're finished John calls for an Uber van. There is an 8 minute wait and minutes later driver is not there. He can't get over the bridge. They are still CLOSED. So here we go walking over the bridge to meet up with the van. We luckily made it there around the same time.
    Well you can see everyday we had some kind of adventure. Never a dull moment in Paris or with us.
    We get to hotel Kalyn and Kenzie come with me to take pics from our balcony. John and Rob stay downstairs. We finally all get to our rooms to pack get some sleep for a 6am pick up for our flight to Santorini via Athens.

    👣 16,000 steps 7.4 miles.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    METRO Delay & Disney Paris

    24. maaliskuuta 2019, Ranska ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Day two in Paris started at 6am. If one does not start early you miss out on a lot of hours to see a lot of the city sights. As we walked around the quiet empty streets no cars around Paris we decided to start the morning with the prettiest STARBUCKS ever. It was CLOSED!
    We decided to walk to Le Village Royal to see the beautiful sight of colorful umbrellas. We ended up at the wrong village. Well we did see some beautiful buildings and did stop back at Starbucks. A coffee/tea and a delicious danish was this mornings breakfast at 7:30am.
    All done now time to get on the metro and head to Disney Paris. Robert and John purchased the tickets and off we went on our way. Well kind of...we had 25 stops and only made 5. The metro STOPS unexpectedly as their had been an accident. When the metro stopped we were in a dark area. Lights remained on. Right away movies you've seen with this happening comes to mind. WE received message on the speaker in FRENCH! No one around us speaks english. John asks one gentleman and he speaks very little english. Tells us their was a victim and we'll be getting off. We see from the windows people from the back cars walking on a small area on the side of our car. We are all to get off but have to jump down 4 1/2 FEET!! As we wait for our turn to jump off a couple next to us from Ontario Canada tell us they speak English and tell us there was a victim on the tracks. We wait for our turn on the edge of the door opening of the car to a small walkway which is very lightly lit. I used my cell flashlight to help see our our path. We get seperated only by a couple of people and see the emergrncy crew try to remove the victim from under the first car.
    We work our way to the exit with the canadian couple. Kenzie and I get to the other side but John, Kalyn and Rob can't get the exit stiles to OPEN. We wait and try to no avail. A man comes from our side and gets the large door open to pass with luggage. He goes in and Kalyn, Robert and John make it to our side. Now how do we get to Disney? We figure we'll need to get an Uber. We were lucky the other couple starts calling and we decide to go 50/50 on the charge. Uber indicates they can only take 6 passengers. We're "7". John calls for a car for us and we get picked up first. We get to DISNEY 10:15am just 15 minutes later than our scheduled time but we made it.
    Disney Paris is amazing. We loved it!! It was very cold 51 degrees with a breeze. We'd get some sun but turn a corner and it would get colder. Lots of fun rides the longest we waited is an hour. Disney Paris and Hollywood Studios was alot of fun. Got back to our hotel room at 11pm it's time to sleep for tomorrow we're meeting for breakfast at 7am.

    👣 26,005 steps 12.3 miles.    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    Air Flight & Eiffel Tower

    23. maaliskuuta 2019, Ranska ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Ready or not here we go on our family adventure.
    To start off early started at 6am. Left the house for 7am. First stop Starbucks for coffee.Kenzie stayed in car cuz she was way in the back.
    We arrived at LAX with alot of time to spare.
    Our flight was arriving late which meant we were going to be late to San Francisco. John went to customer service and Suzanne found us an earlier flight which would allow us 30 minutes to get to our Paris gateway. That didn't happen cuz their delay in bringing in planes was late. We arrived at 3:27pm gate to Paris closed at 3:40pm. Luckily they held the gates for all passengers grabbed our backpacks and ran. WE MADE IT and arrived in Paris!
    Our driver was there waiting for us on time. The airport was confusing but we found him!
    It was about a 45 minute ride to our hotel. Two rooms were ready one was not. We did arrive much earlier than our check in time. We freshened up a little John and I went to the hotel bar. We were given some Tonic Water and croissants. At 2pm we headed to the Eiffel Tower for our 5:30 tour. Dark clouds came in no rain just very cold and breezy. Kenzie was so excited to finally see The Eiffel Tower. Tower it was only a 11 minute walk from our hotel.
    Dinner at a great cafe with some of the best waiters.
    HIGHLIGHT: Kenzie tries ESCARGOT for the first time for a few euros.
    Well it's back to the hotel to get ready for Disney Paris. Going by train and meeting up at 6am.

    Movies Watched SFO to Paris: A STAR IS BORN,
    BEAUTIFUL BOY,    Lue lisää

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  • mjnandyParis, Santorini & Athens 2019mjnandy

    Itinerary, Flight & Hotel Vouchers

    18. maaliskuuta 2019, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    As John would say "I'm not organized it's just my OCD". Well kind of, let me explain.
    My first travel adventure was for 27 days in europe and I was 17.
    I was with a school group with chaperones. An
    ITINERARY for 17 year olds I guess is what is needed. I know if we were on our own we would have missed many of the tourist spots that should not be missed.
    I enjoy looking into each country to see what the top 10 places are a must to see. I fit them into my days and work from there.
    I use the app "VISIT A CITY" alot of the time. I used it for our European trip in 2016. This app allows you to add your hotel location, add your sights, restaurants etc. It even gives you the estimated time it takes to enjoy the attraction and the option to purchase tickets. It also gives you the time it takes from A to B walking. If you are there 3 days it will suggest what the best day is and hours. You can adjust or edit any of the information. Love It!
    I also have a page for prices on all our shuttles to and from airports to hotels. Price for our train ride to
    Disney Paris and return transportation to hotel.
    Tickets for tours all printed and apps downloaded on my cell. (Always have backup although you are able to print at many of the hotels).
    As you saw on our last picture we do use the cubes now in our travels. Even if it's just a weekend getaway.
    It really makes it easy to locate an item instead of messing up your whole suitcase. When arriving at your hotel you just put the cubes away in the drawers. That's if you don't have anything to hang.
    Also helps in minimizing what you take.
    We also use the travel bags where air is taken out to flatten and use up less room. This is great for thick items like sweaters. I used it in 2016 for my renewal wedding dress. Funny story, we found it in our suitcase still flattened in the bag. Oops.
    Robert is all packed up and ready to go. He'll be taking this backpack and a small nylon one for everyday usage.    Lue lisää

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