tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225681342011-11-27T19:15:12.106-05:00Tripping our way through Europe, America and lots of places in betweenRebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.comBlogger781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-29987990266140719982010-11-12T21:32:00.003-05:002010-11-12T21:48:56.273-05:00

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday. I fell asleep at 8:30. I'm a whimp.We did the Highway 1 drive from San Fran to Los Angeles. We stopped in beautiful towns along the way, including morning in Carmel (where Clint Eastwood was mayor). The sea lions were sunning themselves on the rocks. They were yawping so loudly, we thought they were piping in the noise to attract tourists. But it really

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-39841569836508076522010-11-11T00:05:00.003-05:002010-11-11T00:15:09.857-05:00

I'm pretty beat, so this will be short. I went to Muir Woods this morning with my new friend Laura. The photos really don't do it justice because they aren't scratch-and-sniff.This was a fella who wandered into the shot on accident, so we decided to make the most of it:The tour included a stop in Sausalito (sp?) on the way back. It's a cute little town known for its houseboat residents. This is

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-54082227898773916162010-11-09T21:55:00.008-05:002010-11-09T22:34:02.782-05:00

I am sore. And beat. And did you know you have muscles in your shin area? Well you do. I know this because mine hurt. But I don't feel guilty for eating that crepe, though.We did a ton of walking today. The weather has been beautiful (sunny and in the low 60s) for the most part, so it was a great day for a long walk. Tim went to his conference this morning, so I explored the area near our hotel.

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-18992803078410820742010-11-09T00:17:00.004-05:002010-11-09T00:56:05.153-05:00

I had a very busy day. It's helping a lot that my body hasn't fully adapted to Pacific time, so waking up at 6 a.m. feels like sleeping in to me. I'm telling myself it is the jetlag that got me to Ghirardelli Square at 9:15 this morning, not the excitement over being in a store completely devoted to the consumption of chocolate. Makes perfect sense.After taking in the free chocolate samples and

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-81757921437468985172010-11-08T10:56:00.000-05:002010-11-08T10:57:24.029-05:00

This trip has been amazing so far. California has so many variations--remote and wild to packed with people and concrete. After we landed, we rented a car and headed in the direction of Yosemite. I have to give HUGE propps to Garmen. The navigation system made it so much easier and efficient to get around. I highly recommned them.The drive to Yosemite was beautiful. It was full of rolling hills,

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-75439240884816541992010-01-08T14:14:00.008-05:002010-01-08T14:53:55.140-05:00

Well, we're at the end of another trip. The video says a lot, but here are a few more of my final thoughts on Paris: Things I Will Miss -bread-pastry shops on every corner -the beautiful architecture -the "life is to be enjoyed" attitude -the bed in our apartment -knowing that wonderful museums are just around the corner -chocolate -bread -gaufres (see the photo) -short skirts (that's Tim's

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-8488616584516172832010-01-07T11:41:00.004-05:002010-01-07T12:02:42.075-05:00

Yes, this post is about my unmentionalbles. You still have time to turn the car around, but after this point, you may be as scarred as I am. For you creepy people, there will be no photos that correspond with this post.It was a day of retail therapy for me. Suz and I dropped the fellas off in a delightful cafe and took off for a few area department stores. The first store we tried had tons of

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-91738898812559690032010-01-07T03:03:00.003-05:002010-01-07T03:39:47.639-05:00

We pick up this blog with our little group spending its first night in the charming Midieval town of Bayeux...After exploring the town and grabbing dinner, we all decided to call an early night for several reasons:-we had to get up early for the D-Day beach tour the next morning-it was freezing-there was nothing else to doWhen we went to bed, the world around us looked like this:When we woke up,

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-73743792636201901882010-01-06T13:24:00.003-05:002010-01-06T14:52:53.165-05:00

We fell off the grid for a little while there. And let me explain why.On Tuesday, Tim, Tony, Shelley, Suz and I all made our way to the airport to rent a car and drive to Bayeux in north France. The Plan was to drive to Mont St. Michele, tour the abby, then drive to Bayeux for the night. The following morning, we'd have a tour of the D-Day beaches and explore the town after the tour. Note the

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-5164809560698541212010-01-04T15:01:00.003-05:002010-01-04T15:22:05.450-05:00

We said good-bye to most of our little party. Only Shelley, Suz, Tony, Tim and I are left. Sad.We spent most of the day just wandering, accomplishing nothing to speak of. We're packing to drive to Normandy early tomorrow morning. It will be a great adventure driving in a foreign country with a manual transmission.To keep you coming back,here are a few of my favorite funny photos.There's just

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-35325884740657144862010-01-03T13:28:00.003-05:002010-01-03T14:23:49.425-05:00

Tim here...don't blame any of this non-sense or lack of punctuation on Bec...I had a blog worthy experience I just needed to share...but first I must mention that this post would not be possible without the financial support of Susan Rhein.So there we were at a cafe between Saint Chapelle and Notre Dame. Cafes near major attractions are usually quite nice and this one did not disappoint. I need

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-8174407107824451612010-01-03T12:21:00.006-05:002010-01-03T13:21:46.677-05:00

Miles walked: 2.35, but I think the pedometer is lyingSteps: 6,373, yet another lieCrepes today: two, which is the truth, but they came two to a plate, so I couldn't turn one down, could I?The day started early with the entire gang meeting at the Christmas tree in front of Notre Dame at 9 a.m. Walking to the cathedral was almost a religous experience unto itself. The city was sleeping, the air

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-64236063158444865742010-01-02T15:12:00.004-05:002010-01-02T15:36:40.478-05:00

Miles trod: 7.14Steps stepped: 19,300Crepes consumed: 6 totalHad another busy day today. We're at the point in the trip where we feel we have to start knocking some of the big stuff off the list or we might not get to it.The day started early with a trip up 284 spiriling stairs to the top of the Arche de Triumphe. Napoleon sure thought a lot of himself to have that huge monument built in his

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-6710302718059116382010-01-01T16:00:00.004-05:002010-01-01T16:19:15.562-05:00

Steps today: 16, 071Miles walked: 5.94Crepes digested: one more than my last count (am I in double digits yet?)It was a bitterly cold day in Paris. The first day of the year started off biting cold with little snowflakes here and there.Our day began a little later than normal to give us all time to recouperate from the NYE party the night before. Once we all gathered, we headed to Pere LaChaise (

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-67296191833070992382010-01-01T03:54:00.003-05:002010-01-01T04:26:22.377-05:00

We celebrated New Year's in grand style this year. We started with a food-and-drink celebration at Tony, Susie and Shelley's apartment. Around 11:30 p.m. we strolled (some people staggered) to Pont Neuf (Bridge Nine), which is the oldest bridge in Paris.At midnight:

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1258899661485419852009-12-31T12:47:00.005-05:002009-12-31T13:19:17.425-05:00

After a rather lazy start to the day, the entire gang, seen here:met up for a tour of the catacombs. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. But I'm pretty sure it was one of the least romantic things Tim and I have ever done. The catacombs were created because the cemetary in one area (ironically the area where we live), which was used for hundreds and hundreds of years, was making the residents

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-41084186962701610972009-12-31T05:12:00.002-05:002009-12-31T05:16:35.882-05:00

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-74325884389748291692009-12-30T16:07:00.004-05:002009-12-30T17:17:48.541-05:00

Miles walked: 8.97Steps today: 24, 258Crepes devoured on this trip: 4 (two today helped)And I mean everything. We started off the morning by hauling ass across town to the tourism office, which turned out to be closed, before heading the the Orsay Museum where we met the gang.The focus of the Orsay seems to be Impressionist art and sculpture. It's funny how some people don't think they're into

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-6619648077013204582009-12-29T15:38:00.007-05:002009-12-29T16:35:41.441-05:00

Miles walked: 8.66Steps taken: 23,417Crepes eaten on this trip: 2 (I'm falling behind)I think we walked to Spain today. Tim and I had the day to ourselves most of the time. The others went on a tour of the Loire Valley castles. So, we took advantage of our time and toured Paris on foot.It was a little rainy, but very warm (lower to mid 50s, I'd say), so it was pretty comfortable. We walked

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-31110079742912217592009-12-29T15:17:00.003-05:002009-12-29T15:47:08.034-05:00

Be kind. This is our first attempt at vlogging.

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-32518582390020737922009-12-29T04:19:00.003-05:002009-12-29T04:31:02.210-05:00

When we travel and stay in one place for a stretch, we like to stay in apartments. It really helps us settle into a neighborhood and connect more with the city.Our tiny Paris apartment admittedly took some getting used to for me. It's so small, we've orchestrated a well-choreographed morning routine. While I blow my hair dry, Tim showers. While he dries off, I sit on the bed and put on deordorant

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-28335765895960510792009-12-28T15:47:00.005-05:002009-12-28T16:33:32.755-05:00

Steps walked: 17,897Miles walked: 6.62Crepes devoured: 2 for this tripWe're off to a relaxing start on this vacation.Usually we go-go-go, but today we saw a few things, sat down and people watched for a while, then walked a little more. The weather is brisk without being too cold and with the addition of the sun today, it made for a very enjoyable Parisian day.We started the day with a walk/Metro

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-6378521750524603252009-12-28T03:11:00.002-05:002009-12-28T03:16:14.768-05:00

It occured to me that I didn't introduce our fellow travellers to you. From left to right in the top picture: my cousin Susan (heretofore referred to as Suz, Tim's brother Tony, Tim, Erika, Kevin and Tim's friend from the Corps, Shelley (Kevin is Shelley's brother and Erika is is wife).

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-75828364725388420672009-12-27T15:27:00.003-05:002009-12-27T16:07:56.252-05:00

Steps today: 10,750Miles walked: 3.97 After a rather uneventful flight, we woke up to this around 3 a.m. on our body clocks. It's the French country side with a dusting of snow.We made it through customs lickety-split and found the car that we hired to drive us to our apartment. What a fantastic experience! Tim and I actually got to our apartment via the most efficient route on our first

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-13573753094614261202009-12-26T12:19:00.004-05:002009-12-26T12:42:58.203-05:00

Tonight we leave for 14 days in Paris. Well, mostly Paris. Some Normandy, too.Packing is especially hard this time. You mix packing for winter and spring with being on the road for 14 days and you get quite an issue. Luckily for us, there's a Laundromat right across the street from our apartment. We'll be using that a few times, I'm sure.A typical luggage entourage for us is a personal bag and a

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-61022331512174540362009-12-06T19:42:00.002-05:002009-12-06T19:56:41.713-05:00

Happy to report we can once again live up to the name of this blog--we're heading to Europe!I hope you'll bookmark our travel blog and visit often between Dec. 27 and Jan. 8. We're going to Paris and this time, we've conned... er... asked a few friends to join us. So, you'll have our (mis)adventures to experience in cringe-worthy style (remember when Tim got pooped on by a French bird? See the

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-80078560203687258632009-03-21T19:24:00.010-04:002009-03-21T19:45:54.031-04:00

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I was dog tired. Walking around the world will do that to you.Yesterday we spent the day at Epcot. We saw the best 3-D movie--Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. The floor shook, things came flying at us and to top it all off, a dog sneezed on us and we all got sprayed. Could've done without that, but overall it was very cool.Our favorite ride of all was Soarin'. It

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-37233155493622983472009-03-20T09:35:00.002-04:002009-03-20T09:43:54.518-04:00

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-28602271607053720632009-03-20T09:07:00.005-04:002009-03-20T09:35:36.028-04:00

After Tim's presentation yesterday (he was much in demand), our travels (and a shuttle bus, then a monorail) took us to the Magic Kingdom. First, we took the train all the way around the park, just to get the lay of the land. Then, we started to wander. Our first stop was Mike Wizowski's comedy room. If you saw the movie Monsters, Inc., you'll recognize Mike as the little green eyeball guy voiced

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-28901138789574886182009-03-19T09:05:00.005-04:002009-03-19T09:31:55.211-04:00

After checking in to our first hotel (we're moving somewhere way cheaper this morning), we headed to Downtown Disney for a quick sandwich.After we ate, we caught the shuttle to The Swan hotel, then we got the water ferry to Disney Studios. If we could have taken a bedouin caravan, our day would have been complete.My top priority at Disney Studios was seeing the Muppets. The Muppets are from my

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-43175986581622553962009-03-19T08:25:00.002-04:002009-03-19T08:32:12.098-04:00

I was a little worried about the flight to Florida. I thought it would be crammed with crabby kids who where yoinked out of bed earlier than normal, then strapped into a airplane seat for two hours.I was wrong.There were only two squirts on the flight. And they sat right behind me.They didn't have volume control. Don't get me wrong, they had their cute moments--exclaiming, "I see the North Pole!"

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-61717115782182884472009-03-16T16:01:00.004-04:002009-03-16T16:13:12.367-04:00

We're fast approaching the day of jubliee--the day we take a vacation for the first time in a while and head to the unknown world of Disney.We're both really looking forward to this. Tim has to present at a conference about rocks or dirt or something, but that's only for 90 minutes on Thursday. The rest of the time, we'll just have fun.So, stay tuned. We'll travel blog March 18-22. You'll get all

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-60044249799428227852009-03-01T19:09:00.006-05:002009-03-01T19:14:56.300-05:00

We're planning our next trip to Europe with a group of friends and family. Paris is the destination for Dec. 26 through Jan. 9.To officially kick-off the trip planning process, Tim and I hosted a brunch this morning. We had sweet and savory crepes as well as a few other delicious treats that really got us all in the mood for France:Hope you'll follow our adventures. We'll have more people with us

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-16354339267885740802009-02-10T19:55:00.006-05:002009-02-10T20:17:28.921-05:00

Tim is still working on his Ph.D. in civil engineering. Because of his studious nature, we were fortunate enough to go to Hawaii last year.Well, the hits just keep comin.'He's presenting at a conference in Orlando next month. Neither of us was too excited about the travel possibilities here until he called to make reservations at the resort and was asked if he wanted a view of the castle. That's

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-9893238328969075052008-05-16T13:41:00.010-04:002008-05-16T14:16:08.679-04:00

Yesterday, (Thursday) I spent the day relaxing. Tim and I started the day by the Super Pool, hanging out before he went to his conference.While we were there, we saw this lizard, who evolved to blend in better with the electrical boxes around the resort.Then, we saw two ducks. We assumed they came down to the pool to catch the early-morning rays and have a swim before a busy day of eating bugs.

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-38692543178019356942008-05-14T20:20:00.003-04:002008-05-14T20:36:03.520-04:00

We went to Pearl Harbor today. And it only took 90 minutes on The Bus.Getting off the bus at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial was a bit of a surprise. The area is sacred. I understand that. I believe that is should be. But it seems...neglected. I just wish the government would allocate a couple hundred million to the memorial and give it a face lift, add some size and give it the proper attention it

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-9845648506513896682008-05-13T20:34:00.004-04:002008-05-13T21:21:17.247-04:00

I took a shopping excursion today to the famous Hawaiin store Hilo Hattie. I was going to go to the International Market, but it was raining pretty hard for a while. Side note--as soon as we pulled in to Hilo Hattie, it stopped raining.On the trolley ride there, I sat next to a lovely woman from Louisana. She was taking a vacation to celebrate her 45th anniversary and brought most, if not all,

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-49908771379529489132008-05-13T16:40:00.002-04:002008-05-13T16:57:50.790-04:00

I just got back from a lei making lesson. It was a nice, relaxing way to start the day. Step one:Break all the stems off the orchids.Step two:Put the stems in a pile for someone else to clean up.Step three:Take the gigantor needle and thread and poke the string through the orchid.Step four:Repeat all the above steps until you get this:Now, I think I'm going to try to figure out the public bus

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-66780813523661991332008-05-13T01:47:00.005-04:002008-05-13T02:04:36.077-04:00

One of the most difficult things for me this trip is getting used to the time zone changes. Hawaii is six hours behind Michigan. With that in mind, Tim and I were wide awake, lights on, reading after going to bed and waking up at 3 a.m. Luckily we fell back asleep, but we were still up in time to go out to breakfast together and get Tim to the conference before 7:30. We both noticed the fantastic

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-75527629643673191672008-05-12T13:49:00.005-04:002008-05-12T14:07:12.792-04:00

Good Morning! We made it to Hawaii and have begun to explore. We didn't make it to the hotel last night until about 9 p.m. and it was dark bythe time we got here, so not too much to report.I will say on our flight to Seattle, we were stuck in the Bermuda Triangle of bad airline passengers. The guy next to me (not Tim) whistled softly to himself for nearly the entire five-hour flight. The guy in

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-47498976144058075362008-04-21T17:26:00.004-04:002008-04-21T17:36:52.274-04:00

Typically in this blog, I've shared details of our travels throughout Europe. And I know the link refers to Europe. But we need to break from this for a while. See, we're going on another trip soon and I'd like to blog about it. So, the rules are going to change. Nothing in the lower 48 states unless it's really cool like wine tasting in Napa, which after a few samples could get interesting.May

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-82332725231870242242008-01-04T05:13:00.000-05:002008-01-04T05:48:34.163-05:00

We had a blast yesterday.We started out very early (and very cold) on Portobello Road the famous open-air market. Only someone forgot to tell the merchants to show up. It was a pretty seedy part of town, but as luck would have it, I found a pretty sweet pair of shoes--on sale!But believe it or not, that wasn't the pinnicle of our day.Our next stop was Imperial College of London. Tim was accepted

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-30931855964975514722008-01-04T05:01:00.001-05:002008-01-04T05:51:08.396-05:00

Sorry for not posting yesterday. We were a whirlwind of tourism all over London and by the time we got to the nice Internet cafe (the one I have been using is pretty questionable--this one isn't much better), the machine to buy computer minutes was broken.So, you need to know about the Ceremony of the Keys. It's the oldest military ceremony in the world; it dates back 700 years. At exactly 9:55:

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-60081357825432397092008-01-02T09:22:00.000-05:002008-01-02T09:24:24.642-05:00

We just read Yahoo! news that Detroit got pounded with snow. How bad is it? Maybe we don't want to come home at all. That would mean we'd have to shovel...

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-84862581427620366962008-01-02T08:48:00.000-05:002008-01-02T09:17:58.385-05:00

It's pretty nippy here today. The air temperature isn't so bad, but the wind is whipping out of the North Sea and freezing our ears off.We didn't start off the day on a very good foot. Well, I didn't anyway. About 15 minutes before our alarm went off, something got blown off the bathroom window sill. It was a great calamity. But, not enough to get either of us out of bed.Fifteen minutes later, I

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-19503728310080225552008-01-01T16:02:00.000-05:002008-01-01T16:21:22.796-05:00

Whew! What a ride! London is non-stop (except on holidays--then it's a grinding halt), mad rush, swarmed historic blob of amazement. We just realized we only have three days left and we have no idea how to fit it all in. So much for a day trip to Bath. I suppose we'll have to come back.It took us quite some time to find our little apartment. The roads here greatly resemble Rome--on minute you're

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-40801205067422385072007-12-30T08:47:00.000-05:002007-12-30T09:04:25.193-05:00

No one story in particular, so here's a bunch of little ones...On flying here--Tim was sitting next to a young couple and their small boy on the way to Edinburgh. They carried on a sippy cup for the wee Scot while in flight. Once we were in the air, the kid opened his drink and it went PSHHHHT! spraying apple juice on everyone in the vicinity.On eating here--I could get used to the salt and

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-33590196395733287322007-12-29T16:25:00.000-05:002007-12-29T16:31:33.789-05:00

We're leaving Scotland tomorrow, but I wanted to give you my impression of the Scots as a people before I go (so don't look for a post tomorrow, I'll be back the next day).Scotland has a brutal history. The native Highlanders were literally cleared out by the British, similar to how Native Americans were treated. And yet, when you're there, you can feel the pull. Scots are attached to their land.

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-66104476997880284332007-12-29T15:55:00.000-05:002007-12-29T16:25:14.459-05:00

You take the high road and I'll take the low road and I'll be in Scotland before you...If you ever make it to Scotland, you MUST see the Highlands. Tim and I aren't ones for organized tours, but this, by far, was the best thing we've done so far. A Scotsman, Tim--believe it or not--toured us about 350 miles up to Loch Ness, stopping along the way to view the mountains and other historical spots.

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-41213173435669225042007-12-28T15:00:00.000-05:002007-12-28T15:25:33.051-05:00

What a fun day today. Not just because of all we saw and did, but because the weather was so unpredictable. One minute--sun (I actually wore my shades for about 17 minutes!), the next minute it was pouring.It rained so much, that on our way to Cadenhead's, a car drove by and completely soaked me with gutter water. I looked like I was wearing a leopard print coat. But we made it to Cadenhead's

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-8415798446125315202007-12-28T04:29:00.000-05:002007-12-28T04:44:48.886-05:00

A full night's sleep in a real (well, two twin beds pushed together) bed felt wonderful. Around 6 a.m., the wind started howling and banging things around. At first Tim suggested a ghost, which I was willing to buy into but had no tolerence for so early in the morning, but then we hear the wind. Shhh!So, we just finished our breakfast. Tim had smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.I had the

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-47827425063208425252007-12-27T15:08:00.000-05:002007-12-27T15:27:41.570-05:00

We've arrived in Edinburgh jetlagged, but safe and sound. We didn't sleep on the flights here (we had a 3.5 hour layover in Amsterdam) and we hit the town as soon as we pulled in.And can you believe it--we came straight to our B & B. We didn't get lost once. Amazing.So today we explored Edinburgh (we arrived at 11 a.m.). There's a huge festival in town for Hogsmany, which starts on 12/29, so

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-56866481687145181022007-12-25T14:43:00.000-05:002007-12-25T14:47:05.961-05:00

Tomorrow we're on our way to Scotland. We've checked the forecast and it's for rain. But that won't matter much. It's Scottish rain, so that makes it charming, right?I've been doing a little countdown of my own for the last week or so. It's the "One More Day of Long, Hot Showers and Full-Strength Hairdryers," countdown.But I'm not complaining. I love travel.See you on the flip. The next post will

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-52427169541165090472007-12-23T21:59:00.000-05:002007-12-23T22:30:29.855-05:00

When we talk about our travels, we frequently try to sell others on the benefits of packing light. Very light. We each take one carry-on bag each, and, this trip, one personal bag. I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled with this idea at first. Afterall, what if I needed a fifth pair of pants for some reason? And we haven't even talked about how many shoes to bring...But the one carry-on has its

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-81154053412392247732007-12-07T17:13:00.000-05:002007-12-07T20:22:07.866-05:00

We got the itch again. European travel just calls to us.We had the option of refinishing our kitchen (and you all know how much I love my cupboards) or going to Europe. We chose Great Britain.Our holiday adventure begins Dec. 26, Boxing Day. We'll leave here in the afternoon and land in Amsterdam around 4 a.m. our time. Then, a quick flight to Edinburgh will get us there in time for a late

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1147379930962644052006-05-11T16:24:00.000-04:002006-05-11T16:38:50.976-04:00

So sad. it's our last night in paris. what a wonderful city. we've been here a week and there's still plenty to do. we both love it here.today, we went to the louvre and saw all the masterpieces. that place is so huge, it has 12 miles of galleries. no joke. it takes up blocks of the city. hard to imagine that was a residence of kings at one point. how long would it take to sweep the floors???

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1147286626695625862006-05-10T14:42:00.000-04:002006-05-10T14:43:46.696-04:00

just a quick note. we ate at a jewish restaurant for dinner. the kitchen is right out in the restaurant, no barriers. the cooks and waiters were singing "Golddigger" by Kanye West and Jamie Foxx.who knew?

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1147286299431683352006-05-10T14:23:00.000-04:002006-05-10T14:38:19.443-04:00

It's the same, but it's not.8 22 5 15 24 9 5 12 2 21 12 8 8 22 13 22 5 20 26 5 22 19 7 21 12 22 8 5 26 24 22 25 22 9 26 5 12 2 12 19 4 4 12 13 16 7 12 13 12 23 15 15 18 7 8 18 8 22 12 19 8 9 5 12 2 21 12 9 12 15 12 24 22 19 7 9 12 22 20 26 9 22 5 22 25 20 13 18 13 9 12 14 26.

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1147276563300558102006-05-10T11:38:00.000-04:002006-05-10T11:56:03.313-04:00

today, wednesday, we went to versaille. we were both disappointed. maybe it's because of the cloudy, rainy, cold weather. maybe it's because none of the 300 fountains were on. maybe it's because there were no flowers and the hall of mirrors (where the famous treaty was signed) was under renovation. i just wasn't enchanted.i got that the place was huge. i also got that the garden was massive. and

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1147275489776348422006-05-10T11:28:00.000-04:002006-05-10T11:38:09.776-04:00

sorry for the infrequent posts. believe it or not, there is a dirth of internet cafes in paris. the ones that i can find, don't load the blog for some reason...yesterday we had the most fabulous dinner at a tiny restaurant run by a family. the daughter took the orders and helped us decipher the menu while the bother cooked. mom greeted regular customer with those oh-so-french air kisses on each

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1147113222256007412006-05-08T14:18:00.000-04:002006-05-08T14:33:42.280-04:00

Howdy to all from the City of Lights. Sorry it has been so long since my last post. We arrived here on Saturday morning and met a friend of mine at the Louvre. My friend, Coen, and his girlfriend, Lucinda, stayed in our apartment this weekend. Boy, did we have a great time. L is fantastic and it was great to see Coen again.We toured the city with them and saw many of the big sights: the arche de

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146845015257218042006-05-05T11:53:00.000-04:002006-05-05T12:03:35.273-04:00

we have been useing the guidebooks of rick steves to get us around. we have his dvds and we try to watch his travel shows on pbs as often as possible. in short, we are fans.so, today, in milan, we visited the duomo. a beautiful cathedral (the 4th biggest in the world and took 500 years to build). i was listening to the audioguide while tim was taking pictures. we came around the corner of the

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146771157517288622006-05-04T15:27:00.000-04:002006-05-04T15:32:37.530-04:00

we visited the uffizi museum today. michaelangelo, leonardo, titan, botacelli, the list goes on. they were all beautiful. our guide, barbara, enlightened us on the techniques and meanings behind the paintings. her english was great, but she pronounced some words amusingly. like the word naked. she said nakt. and tired was ty-red. she was great. we have hot water now. who knew you had to turn on

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146682537360582012006-05-03T14:44:00.000-04:002006-05-03T14:55:37.373-04:00

so today was my big cooking lesson. and all i can say is that it was fabulous. we made a fava bean and mint bruschetta (pronounced brew-SKAY-tah), homemade gnocchi with pesto sauce, veal and artichokes and for dessert an orange custart tart with almonds.there were three students in the class, including me. the other two were a couple from denver, who were very nice. the chef, barbara, was also

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146587997986843432006-05-02T12:30:00.000-04:002006-05-02T12:39:57.986-04:00

firenze, the italian way of saying florence, is just like rome, siena and every other italian town. only this place has more character. we got here this afternoon and checking into our hotel (we still have not gotten the station to hotel time under 45 minutes). pensione sorelli is a huge, 500 year old mansion with an amazing view of the city and the tuscan country side. the ceilings in our room

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146587355135767142006-05-02T12:18:00.000-04:002006-05-02T12:30:33.430-04:00

i loved lucca. we biked the ramparts. ate fabulous food every night. had a hot shower every day.there was a soccer stadium *stadio football* just outside the 100 foot thick city walls. we could hear the fans cheering, chanting and singing the team song. sure beats any team spirit we have back in the u.s.oh, the food. we found this great restaurant with the most charismatic owner ever. he actually

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146322532607074392006-04-29T10:48:00.000-04:002006-04-29T10:55:32.606-04:00

yesterday, while we were at dinner (a smoking-hot waiter served us--mama mia!), another american couple sat in the same room as us. the man seemed to have a great grasp of the italian, but the woman did not have the gift of being a polyglot. so, instead of walking up to the waiter to ask for mustard, she whistled for him. like she was calling for a dog. i almost fell out of my chair i was

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146322072993114662006-04-29T10:46:00.000-04:002006-04-29T10:47:52.993-04:00

salubrious peregrinator--who are you

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146321978099829952006-04-29T10:36:00.000-04:002006-04-29T10:46:18.110-04:00

here we are in lucca. this is italy. no ifs ands or buts about it. it is posititvely wonderful. it tops rome, venice and siena. hands down. it is an ancient city with its walls (100 feet thick) around it. inside are shops, homes, piazzas and little markets. we have only just arrived and i truly feel like i am in europe for the first time. i cannot wait to explore more.siena, the town we just left

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146241953888938922006-04-28T12:28:00.000-04:002006-04-28T12:32:33.890-04:00

so far, we are managing on our little italian. tim did a great job today making and canceling reservations for our hotel on the phone. he actually went down to the front desk to learn the word for "cancel"--kahn-cha-lot-o. i had a misunderstanding with the fella at the smoke shop. i was trying to ask if he could break a $50, but he thought i was asking for 50 metro passes (you buy them at the

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146241713334390182006-04-28T12:25:00.000-04:002006-04-28T12:28:33.336-04:00

so far, the food has bee wonderful. tim has ordered some pretty questionable items (like today he ordered a ham/pork sausage. it came out looking like two ironed cow udders). but the pasta and pizza are delicious. we have not had nearly enough wine, though. it is cheaper than a glass of pop! the desserts are not as austentatious as i thought. i suppose i will have to wait for paris for that.

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146241328204844662006-04-28T12:07:00.000-04:002006-04-28T12:22:08.216-04:00

hey all. love the comments, but if you are going to make them, please sign your name at the bottom, otherwise i have no idea who it talking.on to buisness. yesterday we went to the vatican. it was positively breathtaking. it sure puts your tiny life into perspective. the bascillica is huge. in the dome, you can stand an entire football field up end zone to end zone, floor to ceiling. it holds

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146080393723783502006-04-26T15:30:00.000-04:002006-04-26T15:39:53.736-04:00

there are distinct differences between europeans and americans. the first was the dogs in the restaurants. that still disgusts me.the second is the lack of underwear. with the low rise jeans that are so popular today, it is pretty obvious when someone is not wearing their unmentionables. honestly, i do not know what is worse--seeing someones underwear hanging out, or their crack fully exposed. at

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1146069461213510162006-04-26T12:19:00.000-04:002006-04-26T12:37:41.230-04:00

whew! what a day!i have to digress for a moment and talk about the hotel again. we have to walk UP 30 (one flight) stairs to the front desk, where i am writing to you. this is also where we have breakfast--cereal, rolls, croissants, etc. oh, breakfast. i love it here. they have spreadable chocolate. yum!okay, back to our day. we started out on the metro and headed up two stops to the colosseum.

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1145992228848301962006-04-25T14:51:00.000-04:002006-04-25T15:10:28.860-04:00

sorry it has taken so long to post. for some reason the internet in venice was so slow! this blog will not be properly punctuated. the italian keyboard is decidedly different that the american one, and i could be typing lines of hyroglyphics before i realized what is going on. oh, there are not any apostrophes either, so no contractions...get a cup of coffee and a snack--this post is a long one!

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1145673044065740852006-04-21T22:16:00.000-04:002006-04-21T22:37:50.050-04:00

Well, here we are. The night before we go. I don't think we'll sleep very well. We're both pretty excited. Our bags are packed--when I say "bags," I mean our one carry-on each. Yep, that's right, we're traveling for three weeks out of one carry-on bag each. Should be interesting. We'll be well-versed in European Laundromats. That's for sure.Our travel plans have changed once again. We land in

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1143409387712183732006-03-26T16:38:00.000-05:002006-03-26T16:43:07.723-05:00

The official date of departure--April 22--has been set. We got great airfare to Paris, so we've changed our itenerary for the ump-teenth time. Now, we land in Paris and take the train to Avignon for a few days. Then on to Venice, Rome, Florence, the Cinque Terre, possibly Milan and finally Paris for five days. Whew. That was exhausting just typing all that!30 days to go!

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22568134.post-1140121521210489692006-02-16T15:22:00.000-05:002006-02-16T15:25:21.220-05:00

We're getting ready for Europe. It's hard to believe that we've been saving for years for this and it's finally happening. We're checking into airfare and have decided to fly out of Toronto to Zurich, Switzerland with a layover in England--just trying to get more stamps in our passports. We'll keep you posted as we travel through Europe.65 days and counting!

Rebecca and Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541108940139782833noreply@blogger.com0