European Vacation May 2016

A 29-day adventure by mjnandy. Read more

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Trip start
April 29, 2016
European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Ready, Set....almost "GO".
April 28, 2016 in the United States ☀️ 16 °C
A year of planning and getting ready for our European Trip. We've been packed for weeks. Changing from two large suitcases and two carry ons to one large bag with wheels.
Never really knowing what type of weather we're to encounter we know that we'll be covered no matter if it's cold, hot or raining.
The folder is ready (you know me) itinerary, hotel info, air info and tickets, contact phone numbers etc.
We are beyond excited to take this JOURNEY that we remember talking about on our first date! Something we both wanted to share with a special person. We originally wanted Italy to be our Wedding location but decided we wanted our family and friends to be with us. Therefore, Camarillo, CA it was. We planned our trip around renewing our vows in Italy. We are so excited to share that moment just us two.
Just a few more things to buy, do and get ready for mom.
Rob will be dropping us off at LAX Sunday and we will be on the plane to fly out at 10:30pmRead more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Ready to FLY
May 1, 2016 in the United States ⛅ 15 °C
Slept in and excited to know that tonight we'd fly out to arrive at our first destination Prague, Czech Republic.
Decided to have Rob, Kalyn and Kenzie pick us up at 5pm instead of 6pm. As always traffic on the way. Hunger setting in. Thankful Kalyn had some left over jolly ranchers and vanilla wafers from her Disneyland outing the other day. LIFE SAVER! Kenzie later broke out with her stash of MINI MINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES.
Arrived at Bradley International Airport 6:45pm. Got in line only to find out they moved the check in area. All good cuz there was no line. We were then told that we needed to have 2 suitcases instead of one that totaled the same weight. PROBLEM? No. The guy was so nice and said he'd take care of it. Then John started a conversation with him only to find out the guy is working towards being a paramedic. So.....the firefighter in John gave him some advice. We saved $180 cuz the staff was so helpful and nice.
The line to get through security was longer than any line at Disneyland but seemed to move at a good pace.
Arrived at our gate at 8:20pm. Grabbed a sandwich (to share) and waters. Hoping my headache will go away.
Sitting here waiting to board and enjoy the flight to our first transfer in Oslo, Norway.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Arrival in Oslo, Norway
May 2, 2016 in Norway 🌬 8 °C
Our flight was smooth, relaxing, enjoyable and comfortable. We sat by the emergency door which gave us plenty of leg room. Dinner was beef, couscous, some type of bean salad and a cute jar with lime cake. John watched Star Wars (the new one) I watched Burndt. Loved having direct access to the screen in which you pick whatever movie, tv show or documentary you want. Norwegian made everything easy to access and request.
Our beautiful flight attendant Faye from Thailand was very nice and pleasant. Shared info about herself, her job and experiences. Love hearing and sharing stories.
It's now 7pm and 30 degrees. I didn't bother walking out to see what 30 degrees feels like.
Waiting to catch the next transfer to Prague.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Arrival Prague, Czech Republic
May 2, 2016 in Czech Republic ⛅ 12 °C
🛬Arrived at Prague Airport. Very empty only our passengers. Luckily our bag came up very fast. Norwegian was a great experience.
We were greeted by our hotel driver whose sign read "MARY & NADY". We laughed and figured that had to be US. The driver a nice young man who spoke great english. He had spent 6 months in England as a bartender. The car...a beautiful BLACK MERCEDES which was very clean. Arrived to the red carpet at our beautiful hotel. Our room was nicer than we thought. Rose pedals on the bed, champagne bottle and a very nice welcome card. Our view...."AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS". I can't believe how green everything is.
Had our champagne and toasted to the Beginning of a Trip that we will remember forever❣Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Prague on Foot
May 3, 2016 in Czech Republic ⛅ 11 °C
Woke up early, not by choice. Time change is tough the first day or so. WE HOPE! We decided to walk as everything looks close by. A hundred miles later (so it felt like) we had breakfast at a beautiful breakfast cafe then walked, Walked and WALKED. The buildings here are breathtaking. You can't help but want to take pictures of all of them. The beautiful flowers and trees amazing. We ended up seeing everything that was on our list to do tomorrow. We also saw some sights for today. Tomorrow it's off to the train station to get our tickets for Munich. Prague is certainly on top of my list for a country we'd visit again. Unfortunately, some places are being renovated so we weren't able to go in. Guess we'll have to return. We couldn't of asked for better weather. Around the mid 60's, great walking weather.
I'm posting only a few pictures here. You may find all pictures on our FB page.
Tomorrow we continue to sightsee possibly by car and an early evening cruise.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Rain in Prague
May 4, 2016 in Czech Republic 🌧 7 °C
Woke up to rain today. That's not keeping us from getting out and about. Walked in the rain to the nearest shopping mall. Had breakfast there at Starbucks. John had to buy what he forgot.
Took taxi to Old Town Prague for some souvenier shopping. Still quite a bit of people walking around.
As we're shopping around we bumped into an "ICE BAR". Had to return in 25 minutes. Only a certain amount of people taken in at a time. We were lucky there were only 3 of us. Met a nice lady from No. Carolina. She even gave us her business card and said if we were ever in the Carolinas we could stay at her small place. She originally is from Venezuela. She was alone cuz her friend didn't want to go out in the rain. (Oh brother). Had such an amazing experience. Especially for a gal that doesn't deal with COLD weather very well. Our glasses were ICE as well. I'd do it again! It's sharing these once in a lifetime adventures with hubby that makes my life so AMAZING!
We continued to walk on St. Charles Bridge got taxi back to our hotel. Took more pictures of course, but this time in the rain. Later it's off to dinner for some Czech food and tomorrow morning off to Munich, Germany.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Ginger And Fred Restaurant
May 4, 2016 in Czech Republic 🌧 7 °C
Our last evening in Prague. Still raining, cold and a little breezy. Decided to walk across the bridge to the Ginger & Fred Restaurant. The building was designed after a photo of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
We took a walk up to the bar area of the restaurant in which you walk outside to view the city. Absolutely amazing! Took some pictures and headed downstairs to the restaurant. The restaurant a round about room that had windows all around. Some views magnified so you could see them closer and much bigger.
We loved the fact that we had the restaurant to ourselves. The service and waiter were both great.
Started off with some bread, butter and a small (shot glass) dessert of an Apple Mousse that was tart yet sweet. (Think this is just to get our pallets ready for dinner)
We both had a glass of different Czech wines. Both very good. I chose spaghetti for dinner which had shrimp and octopus and the best pasta I've ever had.
John chose Wild Boar with pureed red cabbage. That was delicious as well. Dessert we chose sorbet with red sauce and a hint of chocolate. EXCELLENT VIEWS, SERVICE, WINE, FOOD & DESSERT.
Light rain on our walk back to the hotel. Took some awesome pics on the way. PRAGUE definitely one of my favorite places in Europe. Hope to visit again soon. We will cuz we come back on the 21st for 1 night when we start heading home.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Prague to Munich in 3.5
May 5, 2016 in Germany ☀️ 16 °C
Today a bittersweet day cuz we have to leave beautiful Prague. John wakes up at 2am. Therefore, I wake up at 3am. Got on our tablet and bought our bus tickets for Munich. Packed the night before so we will head off to the bus station at 9am. Breakfast at the hotel first.
Arrived to the bus station to to find we had no clue where to go. Always feels like a scavenger hunt. I stay put with the luggage and John does the SEARCH. LoL. We have time for a coffee and pics at the train station.
Our bus was 2 decks. We of course on the top front side. I get window! Ride was ok problem was it was hot inside. The A/C is not to working well. We slept some and took time fanning ourselves. Scenery was so pretty. Arrived in Munich 3 hrs and 45 minutes later. Walked to our hotel which was a couple of blocks away. Got in our room which overlooks some of the city. (Not as impressive as Prague). We leave again to pick up the rental. Again, we walk...luckily just across the street to the train station. We pick up the JAGUAR which is parked across the street behind the hotel...we walk again.
Drove to the center of Munich (Marieplatz). Walked around saw a few of the sights on our list. Dinner was good at a very nice restaurant. Yes, Beers. Needed after the WALK. Back to our hotel by 10pm.
Off to sleep morning drive to Neuschwanstein Castle and sight seeing along the way.
Weather was nice around 54 degrees. Happy that it's not raining.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Castle, Tiara, Motorcycles & Cars
May 6, 2016 in Germany ☀️ 9 °C
Woke up to a beautiful morning in Munich. It's off to the Castle 2 hour drive than hoping to be back in time to visit BMW Welt and the BMW Museum. Cuz John and Robert working at BMW is just not enough! LOL
Our drive was beautiful. The drive on the outskirts is breathtaking. We past so many small towns. All look the same yet each one has its own unique look. I kept wondering if the 1st thing they build is a CHURCH with a steeple. Hmmmm....
John kept thinking we were going the wrong way but GPS said that was the right way as did my MAPS app.
I kept looking around for the best town to live in. I mean who wouldnt want to live in the midst of greenery, flowers and hills. Certainly love the outskirts more than the city.
As we got somewhat close the beauty of the snow capped mountains (Bavarian Alps) the snow on the mountains reminded me of icing on a cinnamon roll. I mean a TINY bit.
We stopped close to arriving to the Neuschwanstein Castle to take some pictures. (With our camera) My cell decided to STOP working 20 minutes into our drive. That's why you didn't see postings or check-ins yesterday.
The pics I'll be posting are not great. I took pics of the camera screen. We are hoping to get better WIFI today to upload to Facebook.
John had a great time driving on the AUTOBAHN. Loved driving "FAST" !!! Having a fast car certainly helped. Therefore, we arrived back in Munich to visit BMW ontime.
BMW was what we expected and more. Any BMW FAN (like myself) would appreciate it! John appreciated it also considering being an employee of such a huge corporation. The building alone is worth the visit. No charge for BMW Welt but only 10Euros for the museum. Had lunch there and did a bit of shopping.
I realized I liked the Mini Cabrio Convertible. Would be a great car for Kalyn and Kenzie! Robbbbbb hook us up. Hahaha~
Turned the car in and walked around to shop for another piece of luggage. YES we need another one.
Unfortunately, shops and malls close early so John will go get one in the morning before our train ride "First Class" to Salzburg, Austria. Our next country. We are very fortunate cuz the train station is across the street. Many shops...money exchange places, food, desserts, sweets, souveniers and STARBUCKS❣
Our fast train leaves at 11:15am it's 9:18am now.

AUSTRIA here we come.Read more
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I ❤ Salzburg!
May 7, 2016 in Austria ☀️ 21 °C
Woke up on our last morning in Munich, Germany.
John left to buy another suitcase. Walked across the street to catch our train.
The train was very nice, clean and roomy. Got in our comfy seats and off we were. The scenery was nice once we were out of Munich. The train ride was 2 hours but it seemed like 20 minutes. WiFi started to work pretty good but slowed down so only got to post a few pics.
Arrived in Salzburg to wonderful weather 70 degrees. We were prepared to take the 7 min walk down the street to our hotel. We walked out of the station turned right and there it was. (John said we better slow down cuz it should take 7 min not 3). To my surprise guess what's next door? STARBUCKS!!!
Across the street are the taxis. Everything we'll need is within 5 minutes. From our hotel room window to the right is the mall. BINGO!!!
Got checked in and off to the room to unpack, freshen up and go have a little food to sight see.
The corner cafe was a 7 minute walk. John had a chicken salad and I had mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. We both had a BEER, mine was beer with grapefruit. Yummers. 🍺
Walked across the street a 2 min walk and got a taxi to St. Peter's. The taxi driver was very friendly and pointed out places of interest. Out of all the taxis in line the one we got was a BEAUTIFUL BLACK MERCEDES. Go Figure!
The taxi driver drove us by a LOCK BRIDGE. I've always heard of them and had hoped to someday add to one. We found a lock at a store (red) and borrowed a sharpee from the Starbucks barista. I wrote:
Mary and John
May 6, 2016
Until we Return
John locked it up onto the fence and I threw the key in the water below. Apparently it's to show your love and keep a couple together. Key is thrown in so the LOVE is never to end! We bought a 2nd lock in case we find another fence at another location.
Saw most of the places I had for the days itinerary. As we walked we saw a rooftop restaurant. We decided to stop and have dinner. We shared a club sandwich and a salad. The White Wine I had was not to share. John had a beer and that too was not a sharing drink. 😉🍷🍺
We looked at our map only to realize we were close to our hotel. So.....we WALKED back. A taxi to and a nice walk back was perfect.
We stopped at the train station to the market. (Only minutes from our hotel). Picked up cookies, the Grapefruit Beer and some water for our room.
Salzburg is a small, beautiful city. I loved it when I was 17 and I love it still years later!
Tomorrow early tour to the 🎵SOUND OF MUSIC🎶.
Four hours in total upon our return we will go to the Fortress and see other places we may have missed.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
The Hills are Alive
May 8, 2016 in Austria 🌙 13 °C
Early morning start as we set out for the tour of the Sound of Music film location tour. (I'm a FAN)
Started off having breakfast at our hotel buffet style overlooking the mountains and nearby hills.
With time to spear we went next door and hung out at Starbucks while we waited for our van to take us to the bus to start off our tour. By the way....the Barista Esther at Starbucks spoke English pretty well. I asked her where she was from. She is from Salzburg but worked two years in the U.S.A. as a Nanny. Ok, ready to hear where? WOODLAND HILLS, CA!! It's a small world afterall. I gave her one of John's business cards with my info. Hope to hear from her when and if she returns. Young adults 18-23 have a program to be Nannys for families in the states.
The tour took us back to remembering many parts of the musical along with history of the taping, the actors and sight issues. We were driven to Mondsee where the filming of Maria marrying the Captain took place. The church is beyond BEAUTIFUL! Lakes and mountains BREATHTAKING. It was Sunday so not many places were open for shopping. Restaurants of course along with pastry shops were very much open for business. We learned Salzburg had some snow just a week before we arrived. It's not a wonder why it's so green and there are pretty blooming flowers everywhere.
We loved being able to drink Sparkling Wine and Beer on board. The sing a long on the bus was fun. The tour guide was very entertaining and very knowledgeable about the movie. The tour was so worth the 4 hours.
We returned and headed to the Fortress. The view from above was BREATHTAKING. I know I keep saying Salzburg is beautiful, has breathtaking views etc.
But it "IS"! Reason why I love Salzburg so much.
We enjoyed having dinner outside the Fortress. Beer, SPAGHETTI and a potatoe salad (potatoes in a green salad along with some sauerkraut). We thought it was pretty good. Took a walk back did some shopping and ended up taking a taxi back to our hotel.
A beautiful day indeed. I think John has become as fond of Salzburg as I am. Think we WILL be back someday.
Tomorrow is another early morning start. Our next train ride.....VIENNA BOUND.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Sunny VIENNA
May 9, 2016 in Austria ⛅ 16 °C
6AM alarm didn't go off. NO we automatically woke up at 5:30am. We packed last night to make it easier in the morning. Train ride is scheduled for 10:15am.
Luckily it's just a 5 minute walk.
With time to spare we walked next door to the mall. Stores were closed so we went to the mall grocery store. Fun to see different items from home.
Hubby surprised me by buying me a beautiful necklace and earrings from the lobby of our hotel. This will be so meaningful to me cuz he gave it to me in my favorite city. ♥
Even when we try to take up time we seem be quick.
So.....guess we'll get some coffee/lattes at the Starbucks next door. We loved the location of this hotel everything is within walking distance.
Went to the train station and hung out close to our departure train platform. Found our "FIRST CLASS SEATS" they're really comfy with lots of room. Decided to order lunch on this 2.5 hour train ride.
John had Mac 'n Cheese, salad and beer I had Apple juice from our backpack and a panini which was bread with what seemed like a 1/4 inch bologne slice. (I was hungry so I ate 1 slice of bread with the meat. I don't really like BOLOGNE but like I said "I was hungry".
The mustard came in a tube which was different. I'm not a mustard person so I just put a dab for taste.
The view on the way was very pretty. I haven't seen that much green in a long while.
We arrived in Vienna 10 minutes later than scheduled. We got a taxi right outside the terminal. Our taxi driver a singer who indicated he sang at venues around Austria. Not sure if he was for real but his singing was pretty good.
We arrived at our hotel. Not going to be one of our favs but it's walking distance to a church, shopping area, taxi and food. Seems to be run by an older austrian man who speaks pretty good english.
The elevator is so small only two people fit at a time. We have a key to our room and one to the front door of the hotel. Room has everything we need and is spacious. The bed is comfy but it is so low. Guess we can roll out of it. Hahahaha.
We decided to make our first sightseeing tour by foot and by Horse Carriage. The city is very beautiful. Lots of shopping ~ stores, boutiques, bakeries, high end jewlry stores, shoes, clothes....
John keeps saying that the streets and buildings look like the fake back drop at a movie studio. I just keep telling him "this is the REAL DEAL"!
We caught a taxi to drive us back after a nice dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. The taxi driver gave us a tour on the way back. Stopped to view the American Embassy in Vienna where my Uncle Joe worked while serving in the Marines. Not sure if it was the right location but they have it so secured you even have to get an approval to take a picture of it.
It's been a long enjoyable day. We're tired but have been able ro rest for the next day.
Tomorrow is shopping, seeing inside of churches more sightseeing and a river cruise. Hoping to get to the ferris wheel for night viewing of the city.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Vienna "O" VIENNA.
May 10, 2016 in Austria ⛅ 13 °C
SLEEP? Yes we finally got to sleep in and it was wonderful. No rushing today.
This morning we started at our Starbucks close to our hotel. About a 7 minute walk down part of a street that has every shop, restaurant, ice cream shop....you name it it will probably be on this 10 mile stretch.
Decided to sit outside and enjoy the street views and people watch. Once we finished we walked to see up close some of the historical spots we saw yesterday.
The buildings here are historical buildings that are both beautiful and filled with so much history.
Weather today started off cool. It later became cloudy and we thought for sure we'd get some rain. We are happy to say "no rain" showed up. Got cooler as we walked and shopped.
We made it to Vienna University and bought a few things there. A nice man from Norway that we asked for directions was nice enough to walk us over to the student store. Such a beautiful university.
We then walked to St. Stephans and we were lucky that there was no line to get in. Yesterday the line was about an hour long. This cathedral is amazingly beautiful. But then again european churches are so full of art, architecture and are amazing. The peace you feel inside touches your heart in a blessed way.
John and I decided to have lunch at a pizza place close to the cathedral. Pizza was good and gave us the energy to continue with our walk.
We found a smaller church tucked away that we decided to walk into. Not filled with much but you could tell the church had been there for years. It's kinda strange but this church was surrounded by bars and clubs. We spoke to a police officer who was pretty young. He was securing this district because of the shortage of officers. (Everytime they mention DISTRICT it reminds me of THE HUNGER GAMES) but this is how Vienna is divided. Guess it would be like our counties.
We then walked to the area where we will be boarding our boat for the Danube River Cruise. We arrived early so we sat outside at a cafe. It was very cold. Luckily cafés here will give you a blanket to borrow while you sit outside. The cappuccino helped but it was still very cold. Think they need outdoor heaters. Some places do have them.
We set out on our cruise hot wine to start with and get the blood moving again. Decided to have dinner and beer while enjoying the cruise.
The day didn't stop there. We walked over to ride the ferriswheel and view Vienna. It moves very slow and the view was very pretty.
We took a taxi back to our hotel. Think we had already walked enough. On a map a great BIG CIRCLE!!
It was a great day for sure. Until tomorrow...our last day in Vienna.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Last day/night in Vienna.
May 11, 2016 in Austria ⛅ 15 °C
Always a bittersweet leaving a beautiful city.
So today was a free day to go out and take in as much as we could of some places we've already seen.
We started our journey from our hotel with a leasurely walk to find a place to have breakfast. We found a small place which seemed to be husband/wife owned.
Had a ham and cheese omelette that reminded me of my mom's. It was hot chocolate for me and John ordered a latte. A crisp morning so a hot drink was perfect to warm up.
We continued on our walk and stopped at a few, no not a few every souvenier shop I could take John into. LoL
We took a few pics along the way and continued our walk to places we may have not seen on any tour.
We stopped at three different churches/cathedrals. We both have enjoyed the beauty in each and every one of them.
Started heading back to our hotel to straighten up and go through all our souvenirs. Picked up 4 bottles from some people on the street introducing a new drink. Pretty good non-alcoholic drink. Love Freebees.
After we were done we got ready to go on another adventure.....WALKING. We shopped and walked. Found some hat's along the way. We walked and found this hidden restaurant with some viennese food.
Kinda fancy yet casual and this nice older man seemed to work the whole restaurant on his own. He spoke very little English but luckily he had menu's in english. Very easy to just point. He was very pleasant and kind and the food was the BEST! Beer, Lemonade, 2 salad bar salads, Vienna Trout with white rice, ribeye steak with potatoes and grilled onions for only $34. Great PRICE for a great dinner in a very nice restaurant. As we walked towards our hotel we realized we were only a couple blocks away.
John is so good in directions no matter where we are it's impossible to get lost. I just walk and walk and stay right next to him.
Time to get some sleep it's 10:30pm here now. We'll be checking out very early for our next destination.

Here we come ROMA, ITALIA!!!Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Finalmente Italia
May 12, 2016 in Italy ⛅ 16 °C
Woke up to rain in Vienna. We escaped having rain on our days there. We had cold days but not too cold to enjoy the beautiful city.
We were picked up by a private transportation company. A man in a nice suit driving a nice black mercedes.
We arrived at the the airport early . We usually do to make sure we're at the right place and there are no problems. It was nice chatting with the family. Kalyn FB Messenger us on our way to the airport.
Plane ride was nice and quick a 2 1/2 flight. John and I enjoyed a Sangria in the air with some snacks. Upon arrival the rain had stopped. YAY!!! Took awhile for our luggage to come up. Guess cuz we were early our suitcase were under everyone elses. Who knows, what's important was it showed up.
It was a 45 minute taxi ride from the airport to the hotel. We checked in and the guy at the front desk helped and answered alot of questions we had.
We are across from the Vatican which is nice for our tour tomorrow morning.
We did a lot of sightseeing since arriving in Rome. About 3 to 3.5 hours of walking and seeing 15 of the main sights of Rome. We stopped to eat as we hadn't really had a meal all day. It never rained again, we're hoping to get nice weather for the Vatican Tour in the morning.
So happy we are in Rome this time of year. There are people but not nearly as many as the end of the month will bring. Their busy tourist season begins.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Vatican City
May 13, 2016 in Vatican City ⛅ 17 °C
Blessed be Rome II
Today started with an early breakfast here in the hotel. The hotel has a small area for a breakfast buffet it was good and the small patio deck had a nice morning view.
We walked over to meet our tour guide GIGI. (Meeting place a 5 minutes walk) HE was an awesome tour guide so knowledgeable, funny and remembered our names! The tour was 4 hours long. Started at the Vatican Museum then the Sistine Chapel to the Vatican itself. So much beauty and so much history. We enjoyed the tour very much.
We walked back to our hotel to take care of our transportation to the Amalfi Coast. Finished that then it was off to the Colliseum. No walking there we took a taxi. Nice taxi driver he loves Americans.
Walked around the colliseum. We didn't do the tour as there were so many other places we wanted to see. Tomorrow is a very early morning tour. A tour to TUSCANY!!! We'll be walking 20 minutes to get to the meeting place.
After the colliseum we sat and had a panini to share and a couple of beers. We decided to take the On and Off tour bus just to get back to the hotel and see more sights.
We have been very lucky weather wise. Cloudy yet cool and sunny. The weather couldn't be much better considering the 10 day forecast showed rain when we were in Vienna.
Took over 300 pics today. I didn't post them all...but thought you may like and enjoy the ones I chose. (See Facebook Album).
Dinner was at a restaurant right next door pretty much to the hotel. We had wine Spitzers, spaghetti and I had pasta rice with seafood. DELICIOUS! The hostess gave us a complimentary shot of GRUPPA. Just what we needed to give us a boost.
Tomorrow TUSCANY. 💙Read more
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Tuscany under the clouds
May 15, 2016 in Italy ⛅ 12 °C
5am the alarm goes off. 😲 Time to wake up get ready and take the 20 minute walk to our meeting place for our Tuscany tour.
So excited as this is a place I've been wanting to see for a long time.
We walk to the door of our hotel only to see the RAIN come down. Not a great way to start our day especially when our tours are outside. Our hotel staff calls a taxi for us. We arrive at Popolo Square. Still very cloudy a drop here and there. Once again, we're early. We walk into a church (they're all over) sit there Pray for no rain, safe travels and health of all our loved ones.
We figure we'll walk and find a cafe'. We find one have our cappuccinos and share a danish. No pancakes and waffles here. NO STARBUCKS EITHER!! 😲
We head back to the square line up and get on the bus. 65 people on this tour. Divided by 3 different sticker colors. We're "GOLD"!
On the way it poured rain for about 5 minutes then it stopped. Two hours for our 1st stop but we did stop at what they called "THE BAR". Thought we were stopping for a drink. It's an old bar building that has become a souvenier and toilet stop. Best part of this place was the FREE SAMPLES. Chocolates, Cookies, Virgin Oils, WINE, Chocolate Truffles, Lotions, Body Oils.......at this point we didn't need to buy snacks.
Scenery is beautiful. Picturestique❣
First stop the medieval town of MONTEPULCIANO. This is such an amazing little town John and I could see ourselves living there. What a great retirement place, so calm and peaceful.
Next stop was a church that has been there for centuries. (Like everything else in Rome) the church was a horse stable before being restored. Gorgeous scenery. We then were taken on a 30 minute drive to an old Tuscan farm for a 3 course meal and wine tasting of 5 different wines. The food "delicious" and cooked by the owner. Sweet lady who reminded me of my Nana. She said I was "BELLA"! LOL
After being full and tipsy we went off to Montalcino and Pienza. Two other old towns.
We had the most amazing tour. We loved Rebecca one of our tour guides cuz she always gave us and the couple across from us (from San Juan Capistrano,CA) what was left in the wine bottles. As they say "If you don't ask you'll never know". YES, we asked for more VINO. 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
We arrived back to Rome at 8pm. Taxi's were very busy so.....YUPPPP WE WALKED BACK TO OUR HOTEL.
Packed for tomorrow mornings train to Naples. 2 hour train ride then we'll be picked up by a Private car for a 2 hour drive to our hotel in Amalfi Coast.
Hope to have some SUN to lay out and relax. We've been very lucky weather wise. Rain has shown on forcast then stops when we are out and about.
Ciao' for now~Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Amalfi Coast ~ PRAIANO
May 15, 2016 in Italy ⛅ 16 °C
Bittersweet morning to say goodbye to Rome and the fabulous staff at our hotel. It certainly is great to be able to find staff that is so kind and eager to help.
Woke up at 6am to head to the train station. Had breakfast at a small cafe' there cuz as always we're EARLY! Cappuccinos and a ham and cheese panini to share. Hey, we had that yesterday. 😨
We got on our train had great 1st class seats. Sat across from each other and lucky us no one sat next to us on our 2.5 hr train ride to Naples. We arrived 7 minutes later than scheduled. We were so glad to see our driver (Liam Neeson lookalike) already waiting for us. He was so nice and shared some sights with us. Rained upon our arrival in Naples and rained on and off more ON along the way. It stopped once we reached Sorrento. YaY...John got some pretty good pics on the way. Had him sit by the window. Rain stopped just as we arrived to Amalfi.
We arrived at our hotel in which we got into an elevator and stopped to a cave like hallway to the receptionist desk. The lady that checked us in was so very nice in greeting and telling us about what was offered. She even walked us to our room. The view from the check in area was so pretty. Can't wait to stroll around.
Got into our room which is very nice. We have a deck with an amazing view and outdoor shower. Got all settled in to go have lunch/dinner than off for a stroll. Met a nice couple from Florida during dinner and chatted with them for awhile. Had a delicious pasta with seafood that we shared a bottle of wine and the best chocolate dessert ever.
Took a walk around the hotel and found some nice spots for photos tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing more of Praiano and our renewal vows. Let's pray for a Sunny Cloudy day. NO RAIN❣Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Streets of Amalfi
May 16, 2016 in Italy ⛅ 15 °C
Slept in a bit...well we still woke up before 8am.
Went down to breakfast in our hotel. Sat outside with an amazing view. Coffee was delicious along with scrambled eggs and bacon and tomatoes. NO PANINI TODAY!
We decided to take a walk and check out the area and do some SHOPPING. You don't have much space to walk as there are no sidewalks and the streets are very narrow. First stop was the bank. With the help of our reception gal we walked up the street. More like went up stairs after stairs after STAIRS. We finally reached the main street. Decided to walk our way down to the major street here to shop. Our first stop a small shop where they make LIMOCELLO. The man there was kind enough to take us to a small room where they cut up the lemons to make this drink. He also gave us samples of many of the drinks they make.
We walked further and stopped at a few stores and a beautiful church with an amazing courtyard and view.
Found a flower shop in which we went ahead and ordered a small bouquet. A new place which just opened 2 months ago. Still settling in and she offered to deliver it to our hotel. (NO EXTRA CHARGE)!! ✔
We asked about a hair salon place and walked with caution a little further down. FOUND IT and a lady who spoke english. YAY!! Had my hair washed and blow dried for only 20 euros. She did a great job.
Walked back to the hotel and decided to lay out on our deck for awhile. Gorgeous sunny day!
It was time to get ready for our little Vow Renewal and pictures.
After that we decided to have dinner. We decided to have dinner at our hotel. The waiter gave us a glass of champagne to celebrate our renewal. We had a local bottle of Red Wine which was wonderful with our Calamari appetizer and our Pasta/Rice with artichoke. Omg DELICIOUS. We sat there enjoying the beautiful view. The waiter told us to take our time. Thank goodness cuz this wine and champagne was getting to us QUICK. LOL.
We sat there and took in the moment...reminiscing, laughing and shed some tears. The most amazing part a WHITE BUTTERFLY flew in front of us as we started dinner. YES....looks like my DAD was with us❣ What a touching moment for sure.
We finished and as we were going to ask for our check the waiter came with some dessert the cook had made just for US. A lemon like cannoli with a creme that was yummy. On the house. We love how this hotel has taken care of us and they do so much to help you no matter what.
We will surely return again.....someday.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Rainy Day in Positano
May 17, 2016 in Italy ⛅ 17 °C
Love the days we don't have to wake up early. Waking up with a headache from drinking a bottle of WINE and some CHAMPAGNE was maybe just a little too much. Yet FUN!
Woke up to blue skies and a cool day. We had breakfast here at our hotel. This time we sat inside, too cold for me. I was excited they had cocoa pebbles. WooHoo...chocolate milk!
John bought our tickets at the front desk for our bus ride to Positano. (1,20Euros) each. Quite intetesting to watch these big buses get by each other on these narrow streets. At one time we were head to head with another bus. Our driver had to back up a ways so the other could pass. This happened more than once. Then I think they try to make up the time when there are no other buses.
We made it and the view is just like the postcards, movies and pictures. We walked thru shops up and down stairs. We made it to the beach and started looking into tours to Capri. All sold out or way too expensive. So we decided to check out more shops and have a drink.
We then walked to the Rada restaurant to check out one of the cave restaurants. They let us go in and look around but it wasn't open for lunch or dinner til later tonight.
John wanted to know whether the water was cold. Because I had shoes I could throw off I went to check out the temp. Ummmmm...this sand is just ROCKS. Ouchhhhhhh~ How do people walk barefooted on this? My feet hurt! Got to a spot to where I could remove the small rocks off my feet and was happy to get my soft shoes back on. Oh btw the waters temp was cool. Not warm and not freezing cold.
As we walked back it started raining then pouring. We decided to take a taxi back to our hotel. Stopped raining an hour later. Walked around and stopped at Pirata Bar and Restaurant I had a cappucino, John a beer and we shared calamari. Returned back to our room and repacked for our early departure tomorrow. Need to go back to Rome and fly out to Krakow, Poland. Luckily we have a private car so no bus to train to airplane. Just a car ride to the airport. Much EASIER! Still sunny so we decided to go to the restaurant section of the hotel and sit on the couch to watch the sun go down. Unfortunately the sunset is on the other side.
Next stop KRAKOW, POLAND. A two hour plane ride. 🌨Apparently it will be raining tomorrow. Thursday and Friday is to be sunny. 🌞Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Poland. Krakow, POLAND
May 18, 2016 in Poland ⛅ 7 °C
A bittersweet early morning leaving Praiano. Woke up at 4:30AM to be ready for our pick up at the hotel at 6AM. As we waited outside the hotel the view well we just had to take it in one last time. The narrow streets very quiet all you could hear are the waves splashing, birds singing and roosters crowing.
Our driver was there at 5:55am. The personal drivers we've had show up in a Mercedes and wear nice suits. They all have been so nice. Our drive was a direct one to Rome. We arrived to find a very long line of people to check-in. Luckily the line went quick. This airport is pretty unorganized. All in All we got there with hours to spare. Shopped a little, ate and got on our way.
The weather cloudy with rain. (Of course). The flight is 1 hour 55 minutes long. The plane was full, we slept and before we knew it we were in Krakow.
The airport very empty the only people were the passengers on our flight waiting for their luggage. Luckily ours came up quick and our driver was there to pick us up. (A little rain now) It was about a 30 minute drive to our hotel. The driver spoke great english.
We checked in and dragged our suitcases up some stairs to our room. The room is very nice, the bathroom AMAZING. Nice big tub we can't wait to try. Lighting is very modern. Only problem no drawers for our clothes. Guess we'll just use our suitcases.
We got a map from Olga our receptionist. Being the experienced walkers we are we decided to go out sightseeing. Krakow is a very nice city. Reminds us a little of Prague with old buildings and many churches.
Because I've been craving some Mexican food we decided to go to Hard Rock Cafe'. Cuz you know it doesn't get more mexican than that! We were hungry and we happened to be right in front of their building. Luckily they had a special with...."TACOS"! They were pretty good....considering not a mexican restaurant. All in All it hit the spot! We had great seats upstairs by the window. Great view of Old Town Square.
Time to sleep as we are being picked up tomorrow morning to tour Auschwitz and Birkeneau. Should be nice weather. NO RAIN!Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Camps and Castle
May 20, 2016 in Poland ⛅ 8 °C
Today we take the tour that I've been wanting to take since I was in Jr. High school.
The morning started with coffee in our room. We bundled up as weather is to be cold today. Went outside our hotel room at 8:40am for our van pick up at 9am. We were picked up and it was off to our tour. The 1.5 hour drive was nice. Enjoyed the beauty of the outskirts of Krakow.
We arrived at Auschwitz for the museum tour. We had 20 minutes before joining our tour guide. John went ahead got us a hot drink while I went to a small flower shop to buy a red Rose. The tour was one that I will never forget. The sadness that over takes you listening to stories and seeing what you have only heard of, read in books and have seen in movies. This is now REAL. Hair of people who died, clothes of children and equipment used by the handicapped etc.
I knew it would be hard to explain in my summary
I did take many pictures to share.
I was able to lay one Red Rose in the area they call the DEATH WALL. I think you all know what happened there. Birkeneau also a location of many lives being lost. A real train car that was used. In your mind you start imagining what it was like. I did anyways. That's when you start Praying for all those individuals who had no idea what they were about to encounter.
We arrived back to our hotel and decided to go see the Wewal Castle and yes we walked our way through town, the college and some beautiful parks.
The Castle is very big and beautiful from a distance and quite beautiful once you get closer.
We walked around and took pics. After all the walking we stopped by the mall. (Cuz we found out that's where the Starbucks was at). This mall is huge! Could of walked around but I was getting tired from walking all day and we still had to walk back to our hotel.
On our way back we decided to have dinner and mexican food sounded good. We had only a ham and cheese sandwich and water from our driver after the first half of the tour. After all the walking you get a bit hungry.
Went into a couple of souvenier shops on the way back to the hotel and stopped for drinks and snacks at a small grocery store on the way. Need some for our room.
Tomorrow breakfast is being delivered to our room then it's off to see a few more places get back for our couples massage then walk to go back to Cloth Hall for some souvenier shopping.
We'll be home Monday and our journey is slowly coming to the last days. It's back to Prague then Copenhagen then LAX.
For now we continue to enjoy every sight,every step and Every Second.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Last day in Poland
May 20, 2016 in Poland ⛅ 14 °C
Excited to get up and get going. Yet sad today is our last day in POLAND.
We had breakfast delivered to our room luckily it got here before we left. Didn't know we'd be ready to get going so soon. Breakfast was worth waiting for. Funny how we seem to eat strawberries more when we are out of Oxnard. Anyways.....
Our walk was nice, weather PERFECT. We enjoy our walks here through parks, old buildings, shops and the smell of bread and pastries.
We took a walk to the Old Jewish Quarters and Ghetto Square. On the way we came across a beautiful, large church. Not on our list to see but what the heck we'll check it out. So happy we did. CORPUS CHRISTIE CHURCH is one of the most beautiful churches we've seen. Absolutely DIVINE. We walked around and took in all the beautiful decor. WOW! Corpus Christie Church is a MUST SEE!
We walked over the what John calls "LOVERS BRIDGE". That took us to the Jewish Quarters. I don't know if it was worth the walk but if we hadn't gone we would of missed out on the Corpus Christie Church.
On our way back we shared a Oreo Cookie/Raspberry Gelato. Got back to the shopping area and shopped. Because we were thirsty we decided to visit the Mexican restaurant we went to last night and have a couple of margaritas. This is sure to help our tired feet and get us relaxed for our Couples Massage.
Walked back to the hotel then walked over to where we'd be getting our long awaited massages.
We had so many kinks, knots and pains that the massage had us feel at the end that we could do another 100 miles.
After the massage we walked back to City Square to shop and have dinner. I tried the priogis filled with cheese and onion and John had pasta and mushrooms.
Enjoyed sitting outside like most Europeans do. Great scenery and people watching. When we finished we headed back to the hotel stopping at souvenier shops along the way.
I must admit Krakow is a place I would certainly return to. This city has surprised me with what it has to offer and see. The people are nice, most speak english and there is so much to do and see besides Auschwitz. There are still things I want to do and see here in Krakow. We hope to visit here again someday!

Tomorrows agenda: We are being picked up by car at 9am. Heading to Prague again it's a 4 hour drive. Lay over for our flight to Copenhagen, Denmark.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Krakow back to PRAGUE
May 21, 2016 in Czech Republic ⛅ 13 °C
Well here we go. We're pretty much packed up, easy to get it done the night before. Had enough time to run out to the corner bread/bakery store get a coffee and danish for breakfast and a few cookies for the road.
We stood outside waiting and taking in the view of Krakow for the last time. Krakow surely did surprise us it is a city we'd visit again!
Our driver picked us up at 9am for our 4 hour drive to Krakow. Seems like a lot of hours but taking a train or plane was going to take longer. Our driver Jerry was one of the nicest, professional and a fun person we had the privilege of meeting. We learned alot about living in Prague. We made two stops on the way to stretch our legs, got snacks and used the bathroom.
We had an awesome ride with great weather. Jerry was a great driver and the van we were in was quite comfortable.
We arrived at our hotel which is quite across the street from the airport. Jerry dropped us off we checked in and got settled in.
Went to dinner here in the hotel. Enjoyed trying a traditional czech soup. DELICIOUS. John and I are enjoying the chocolate truffles (mushrooms).
We finished dinner and waited for Jerry and his girlfriend to meet us. They are both a lovely couple and enjoyed our time with them. She doesn't speak English but seems to understand some. She's a hair stylist and has styled hair for professional athletes and other professionals. She does GREAT work.
We started seperating some items and moving things around in our suitcases for our flight tomorrow.
Now resting and getting ready for tomorrows plane ride 1 1/2 hr flight. Not even about the ride itself its getting checked in and going through security. I don't think there will be many people at this airport.Read more
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European Vacation May 2016 mjnandy
Copenhagen Layover
May 22, 2016 in Denmark ⛅ 17 °C
The time is close, so close that tomorrow we'll be HOME! Woke up in Prague had a nice breakfast at the hotel. Hung out in our hotel room til it was time to checkout walk across the street to the airport. SO CONVENIENT.
We got our luggage checked in and we took off towards our gate. Stopped at some of the stores along the way. We sat and waited a little over an hour before we got loaded. (I mean get on the plane) 😉
The flight was only 1 1/2 hours long. Pretty much all our flights have been 2 hours or less.
John sat by the window and I sat in the middle. Luckily, no one on my left side. We bought a chocolate bar, cappuccino at one of the shops. John bought some kinda juice we've never heard of. CHOCOLATE WAS VERY GOOD!
The view from the plane arriving to Copenhagen was pretty different. We of course flew over Sweden. Wish we could of stopped there too! 😆
We arrived in Copenhagen and got a taxi to our hotel. This hotel truly stands out. Very Modern. The staff very nice and they speak English. We got settled in and decided to take a taxi to Kongens Nytorv (main area). We decided instead of walking to take a cruise. It was nice and we got to see the outside of many main attractions. Weather was nice on the cruise. A little cool but felt good when the sun was hitting you.
We walked down a street filled with many shops, restaurants, bars, ice cream shops and souvenier shops. We walked by Tivoli. Unfortunately we didn't have time to go in and enjoy. On our list to do another time. We walked and walked ending up in an area which didn't really have much to see. We came upon a Radisson Hotel so we took a taxi back to our hotel.
We were both hungry so decided to have a nice dinner at our hotel. Afterall this is our last European meal. We mainly enjoyed the "BEER"! The beer had honey in it that came from bee's that are located at the top of the hotel. It truly was one of the best beers I've ever had. And if you know me I'm more of a WINE person. 🍷
After dinner we came back to our room got settled for tomorrow. Tomorrow we fly home.
🛬 My brother Rob will be picking us up at LAX. We should arrive around 5:30pm.
So it's Home Sweet Home tomorrow. 🏡
"Thank YOU" to our family/friends who followed us through Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland & Denmark.
We loved sharing our journey with you. Travel has always been my PASSION. Hoping John and I can continue seeing this WORLD of ours. There is so much history, beauty and culture to take in.
"BELIEVE" and make it HAPPEN!! WE DID❣Read more
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