travel recap - rome (day 3)

Our third day in Rome was a bittersweet one.  It was our last day in Europe.  The next day we would make our trek home to Vancouver and back to reality.

Determined to make the most of the short time that we had left on the continent, we decided to get up early to squeeze in a few sights before our reservation at the Vatican Museum: the Spanish Steps and the former Roman Baths.

As our hotel was so close to the Spanish Steps, we walked the few blocks to the top of the steps.  Even though the steps themselves are nothing really spectacular to see, we decided that it would be a good opportunity to slow down and drink in the last moments of Rome.  We wandered down the steps and stopped along the way to take a few pictures.  At the bottom of the steps, we did some browsing in the shops and then boarded the metro to take us to the Roman Baths.

 We knew before going that the Roman Baths wouldn't be as impressive as the Colosseum or the ancient ruins of the Forum, however, we decided that they were an "easy" sight to take in.  After a little searching, we entered the church, which used to be the Roman Baths.  You had to use your imagination, however, you really could picture the naked Romans lazing around in the baths.  It was a pretty beautiful church too.

After we were done at the Baths we needed some lunch.  Since all the was around the Baths was a McDonald's, we decided that we'd take the Metro out to Vatican area and grab a bite to eat there.  To keep me from getting too hungry, Hubby bought me a piece of fresh coconut - that made me happy beyond words.

After getting a bite to eat and eating a couple scoops of gelato, we headed to the Vatican Museum to make our reservation.  I have to admit, by this point in the trip we were kind of over museums.  However, we decided to take a leisurely stroll through the museum to view the amazing collection.  I still can't believe the collection of paintings, sculptures, and other valuables that the Catholic church has amassed over the years; it's too impressive for words.

All through the museum there were signs pointing the way to the Cappella Sistina (the Sistine Chapel). Even all the "hype" through the museum, and the iconic pictures that I've seen of it over the years couldn't have prepared me for the magnitude of its beauty.  Words can't even describe it.  How that ceiling was painted is incomprehensible.

 After we finished at the museum, we decided that we need a little break.  So, we took a quick trip into St. Peter's Basilica and then hopped on the metro back to our hotel.

Back at our hotel we changed and headed downstairs for some pre-dinner cocktails.  A couple of other hotel guests had recommended a nearby restaurant, so Hubby and I decided to check it out for our last dinner in Rome (and Europe).

We couldn't have picked a better place to eat.  It was friendly, the food was fabulous, and it was the perfect place to celebrate our last night in Europe and reflect on our vacation.  During dinner we talked of all the places we visited, and the adventures that we encountered.  We also talked of everything that we were excited about coming home to: our own bed, our friends and family, and our kitty cats.  We sipped the prosecco and lemoncello and promised ourselves that this first trip would not be our only visit to Europe.

After dinner, we weren't quite ready to head in for the night and decided to make one last visit to the Colosseum.  We wanted to see it glowing against the darkness of the night sky; to soak up the last precious moments.

After our visit was complete and we decided to make our way back to the hotel, I sat in the metro station silently thinking about our trip and how far we'd come - not just in distance, but also in our relationship.

This trip had been more than a trip; it was a chance for us to re-connect.  Not that we were dis-connected, but life just seems to go by so quickly sometimes that it was good for us to be able to spend three whole weeks together, just enjoying us.  We were now closer than ever; we felt more connected.

We learned that together, as a team, we can overcome any obstacles that we are faced with: sickness, language barriers, navigating the confusing roads of the French countryside, catching trains, planes, and cabs.  These were all smaller versions of challenges that we'll face in our life together; we just need to work together and we'll conquer them eventually.

We connected with family and realized, more than ever, that it's not "stuff" that makes you happiest in life; it's your experiences, and the people that you share those experiences with, that will truly give you a fulfilling life.

We learned to slow things down, to stop and enjoy a cold glass of prosecco, or a cup of coffee and a freshly-baked croissant.  It's those small moments that make you appreciate "the moment".

We experienced new and different things; we met new people; we learned to be thankful that we're able to live such a blessed life.  And we can't wait to go back again.

travel recap - rome (days 1 and 2)

We were fortunate to spend our third wedding anniversary in Italy.  We awoke in our room in Venice so sad to leave, but so excited to visit the last stop of our vacation: Rome.

We showered, packed, checked-out, and grabbed the vaperetto to the train station.  We lugged our luggage up the steps, and turned around to get one last glimpse of the beautiful city.  I can honestly say that our hearts were a little heavy, as we didn't know when we'd return to this magical place again.

Once we were on the train, we snuggled into our seats and were ready for our few hours' journey to the eternal city.  Just before the train left the station, another couple asked us if we would mind if they sat with us - being the nice Canadians that we are, we said that we'd be more than happy to share with them.  Actually, as it turned out, they were also from Canada.  We shared some prosecco with them, and talked the whole time until they disembarked in Florence.  They were very entertaining and made our train ride a little more fun.

travel recap - venice (day 3)

On our third day in Venice, we decided to take a trip out to the Island of Murano; the Island famous for its beautiful glass work.

We hopped on the vaperetto and sailed out to the nearby Island. Once we got off, we started exploring the hundreds of glass shops in search of some beautiful gifts to bring home to our family. We strolled though the streets, hand in hand, and admired the beautiful work. The vases, jewellery, and chandeliers were all too beautiful for words. I dream that we will have a Murano glass-chandelier in our home one day - but for now they're out of our price range.

We finally decided on some purchases to bring home and conversed with some of the local shop-owners. A necklace and bracelet for Grandma S, a bowl for our Parisian hosts, and a pair of earrings for me - little tokens of a city we hold so dear to our hearts.

travel recap - venice (days 1 and 2)

We awoke at 3 am in our hotel room in Munich.  Half asleep we showered, dressed, and packed our bags ready to travel to Italy.  We stopped by Mom and Oma's room to say our goodbyes, called a cab, and headed to the airport.  It was bitterly cold in Munich that day, with the first fog of the season rolling in.

We arrived at the airport, checked in for our flight, had some coffee and played cards, and soon boarded our plane.  Before we knew it, we were up in the air over the Dolomite Alps, and even sooner we touched down in Venice.

As we walked down the steps of the plane, we could immediately smell the salty, ocean air; so comforting for those of us that live near the ocean.  We got inside the airport, grabbed our bags, and waited to board our bus that would take us into the heart of Venice.

travel recap - munich (day 2)

I have mixed feelings about our second day in Munich, for this was the day that we visited the Dachau concentration camp.

remains of the train rails that brought the prisoners into the camp

Hubby, my brother, and I took a train and then a public bus out to the camp. When we got there, everything was eerily quiet. Despite the many, many visitors, all you could hear was was wind in the trees, and the gravel crunching underneath the feet of those paying their respects to the lives lost.

the sign on the camp's entrance door: work will make you free

We started by wandering around for a little while and then took in a short video at the camp's theatre room.  There were many moments in the video where there was nothing but silence and horrifying footage on the screen.  There are images that I saw that I will never, ever be able to forget.

travel recap - kaltenbach (day 5) and munich (day 1)

Black Forest from the tower

 We woke up late on our fifth day in Germany to a cold, drizzle-y day in the Black Forest.  A little hung over, and a little sad that this was our last day in Kaltenbach, we had a quiet morning together.

map on top of the tower showing all the towns

 After lunch, Oma said that she'd like to take us to "hike the Blauen"; specifically, a tower on top of the Blauen mountain in the Black Forest.  At first, I didn't climb up the observation tower - I preferred to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground.  Sure, it doesn't look like it's that high up, but it was.  And the observation tower was built in 1895 - I didn't really trust it, to be honest.

travel recap - kaltenbach (days 3 and 4)

Our third day in Germany was a nice, relaxing one. In the morning, we drove out, and hiked to, an old, nearby ruin. It was really neat, as there was an old tower (complete with a spiral staircase) that you could climb up and get a fantastic view of the black forest. It was pretty neat - and also really neat to be able to do something that my Oma used to do when she was a little girl.

After hiking back down to the car, I was getting a little hangry, so my family decided that we should head into Kandern for some lunch. Hubby, my mom, and brother all ordered schnitzel, but Oma and I went for the spaetzle. The one that we ordered was mixed with cheese and onions. "It's the German version of macaroni and cheese", I proclaimed. It was amazing; so much so that I think I'll have to make another batch of spaetzle and experiment with adding some cheese this time.

travel recap - kaltenbach (days 1 and 2)

We awoke early in our hotel in Bayeux knowing that we needed to shower, pack, eat, and get on the road to return our rental car and catch our train back to Paris.  We had two different train connections to make in this one day (we had to take three different trains in total) and we knew that missing just one of them by even a minute would affect the whole rest of our day and cause us many headaches.  Needless to say, we wanted to get to the train station with plenty of time to spare.

We got ready, filled our tummies, and arrived at the car rental place exactly at 8 am, when they opened. Even with the Hertz agent's limited English skills and our limited French skills, we managed to return the car with no problem at all and grab a taxi to the train station with plenty of time left to catch our Paris-bound train.  Why was I worried, this day was going to be a breeze!  Well, this is where things got a little interesting.

at the train station in Bayeux

travel recap - versailles and bayeux

We woke early on day seven, ready to hit the ground running to visit a place that I'd wanted to visit ever since I can remember; a place of kings and queens and pure decadence: Versailles.

We boarded the metro and headed out of Paris and into the town of Versailles.  Walking up to the palace from the train station, all you could see was the golden gates and rooftop of the palace glittering in the morning sun.  We arrived, took the obligatory "photos in front of the golden gates" and then headed inside.  After picking up our (free) audio guides we started exploring the palace.

I can't even find the words to describe how over-the-top everything was.  The wall paper, ceilings, fireplaces, and chandeliers were all amazingly opulent; so much so that it almost felt like it wasn't real, like it was a ride at Disneyland.

Even though the palace itself was amazing, my (and I think Hubby's) favourite part of Versailles was the gardens.  We assembled a picnic lunch before we left the palace and then headed down the eat our lunch canal-side.  After lunch we decided to rent bikes (you can also rent paddle boats and golf carts that play classical music) to explore the gardens for a couple hours.  It was very romantic, and definitely one of our best memories of our whole trip.

the new Lance Armstrong

travel recap - paris (days 5 and 6)

Hubby describes our fifth day in Europe as "the best day ever".  I have to agree; it was a pretty fantastic day. 

medieval walls of the Louvre

It all started with an early-morning trip to le Louvre.  We knew that we could spend an entire day exploring the museum, but we decided instead to pick out some highlights that we wanted to see and then go and do some shopping followed by a nice, relaxing lunch.

Winged Victory of Samothcrace

travel recap - paris (days 3 and 4)

We woke up on our third day in Paris and we were ready for some more sightseeing.  On the agenda for this day was le Musee de l'Armee followed by a walk down Rue Cler to do some foodie shopping  for our dinner the next day.

outside le Musee d'lArmee

I have to admit that I wasn't very excited for le Musee de l'Armee, but I ended up really enjoying it.  There was tons to see, and Napoleon's tomb was extremely impressive - that guy sure had a HUGE ego.  The museum had tons of interesting weapons, armour, and exhibits - we spent a lot of time there, but I'm sure that Hubby could have spent another couple hours there.

Next stop was lunch at a nearby cafe, and then off to Rue Cler for some shopping.

travel recap - paris (days 1 and 2)

When the wheels of our jet plane touched down, I looked over to Hubby and exclaimed "we're in PARIS"!  I was beyond excited - I couldn't believe that I was actually in Europe!

We got off the plane, grabbed our luggage, got our passports stamped, and headed to our Paris home.  As we drove through the city, we were silent.  Just taking everything in - trying to get our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.  Suddenly, we arrived at the apartment, lugged our suitcases up four flights of stairs, and walked in to the beautiful apartment.  We dropped our bags in the entry way and started exploring the place - we were floored at just how beautiful it was.

living room of the apartment

We hadn't slept for basically a whole day, but we didn't want to sleep in an effort to beat the dreaded jet lag, so we decided to go for a walk.  We stepped out on the Paris streets and couldn't believe that we were actually there.  We decided to walk through le Jardin des Tuileries to le Louvre.  We soaked it all in and took a few pictures, then realized that we were starving so we found a small cafe near the apartment and had some lunch.  I had chicken with a mushroom cream sauce and it was, by far, the best chicken that I had ever had.  Eventually, the tiredness took over and we decided to go "home" and have a nap to get refreshed.  We set our alarm for one hour and passed right out.

outside the Louvre with a view of the Eiffel Tower

venezia

We just booked this hotel (it's acutally technically a B&B) for our three night stay in Vencie.

Words cannot describe how excited I am for this trip!

Note: All images courtesey of http://www.pontechiodo.it/.

two

Today, Hubby and I are celebrating our second wedding anniversary.  Well, actually, we celebrated this past weekend in Seattle, today we're both back at work after a week-and-a-half off.  Nevertheless, today is a celebration.  We're celebrating the milestone that this two years of wedded bliss.  

What have I learned in these past two years?  I've learned (as cliche as it sounds) that our love gets better with age.  

As we're entering our second year of marriage and the seventh year of our relationship, some may say that we're entering the "terrible two's" or that we're likely going to experience the "seven year itch".  I've found it to be quite the opposite, however.  If anything, I think that this is the best point in our relationship.  We're in synch.  We're communicating.  We're compromising.  We're working together as as team; Team T&A.  Sure, we're not perfect and we've got our off days too, but for the most part, we're rockin' it.

I remember taking a moment on our wedding day to silently hope that we would always remain as happy as we were in that moment.  I never thought that it would be possible to be happier, I thought that there was no way that I could handle any more love.  I was wrong.  I'm leaps and bounds happier now, two years later.

Happy anniversary, babe.  I love you more than words.

Two years down, forever and ever to go.

september travel

September is, by far, my favourite month out of the year. I guess it's no coincidence that we got married in September, and that we usually like to take most of our vacations during this fabulous month. Now, I know that once we have kids September vacationing will be a distant memory. I'm pretty sure that our kids' teachers would hate us if we took our children out of school for two weeks while we went travelling around the world. Yep, so not gonna happen. So, we're enjoying our children-less years and soaking up all the last days of summer by taking some much-awaited (and much-deserved) vacation time. Hubby and I are working today and tomorrow then we're getting the heck outta here. Our destination (or should I say, destinations)? Camrose, Alberta and Seattle, Washington.

adventures in wine

Hubby and I are on vacation.  It's fabulous.  We wanted to do something with these days that we had off, but we didn't want to spend a small fortune either.  I suggested visiting some local wineries and Hubby loved the idea.  So, on our first day off, Hubby and I packed a lunch and took a trip out to the valley and visited three different wineries.

If you live in the lower mainland and you've never checked out any of these wineries, I urge you to do so. Most of the tastings are complimentary (or super cheap - like $3) and the tours are very interesting. You don't have to buy any wine, however, we find the prices to be very reasonable, for the most part. All in all, it's a fun and inexpensive way to enjoy a day off.

sunday movie: "Midnight in Paris"

Hubby and I, along with a bunch of our closest friends, decided to get together to cheer on our Canucks in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals this past Saturday.  Well, unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that our boys made us proud and and won the game 3 - 2 (11 seconds into overtime, no less).

So, what do you get on a sunny Saturday combined with a victorious hockey team, an electric city, and good friends?  Beer.  Lots and lots (and lots) of beer.  And Montreal smoked meat sandwiches, but that's a different story, for a different day.

granville island food

What's the best place to spend a rainy Sunday in Vancouver?  Granville Island.  Actually, it's a pretty great place to spend a sunny Sunday, or really any day for that matter.  So, that's exactly where Hubby and I spent part of our weekend.

To me, one of the best parts of Granville Island is the food.  Sure, Hubby and I, with our matching black umbrellas, explored the maze of little artisanal shops, but the best part was the alllll the food.

two nights

I wait for the clock to blink 4:00, much like I imagine a school kid waiting for the end of day bell.  3:58 ... 3:59 ... then, finally, 4 o'clock.  I turn off my computer, set my phone to call forward, and ride the elevator downstairs to meet my love.  The weekend is finally upon us.

I see him amongst the crowd, and greet him with a kiss.  Hands held we walk through the rainy streets of Vancouver in a comfortable silence, sometimes breaking our grasp to weave in and out of the street traffic.

baby list: update

After Hubby read my previous post on my baby list, he immediately emailed me and told me how much he loved it and how he was excited to start crossing items off the list.  In fact, he even suggested we print it out and hang it on our fridge to keep us motivated.  See why I love him, he's such a great husband!

I also suggested that he add some items to the list so that it was more of a reflection of the both of us, and not just me.  Here's our updated list, if you're interested: