We wandered many quiet streets in our last 2 days in Venice and Paris. Discovering quiet squares frequented by locals makes you feel like you found a secret. Now I am at home checking my Lotto ticket. If I don't win, I'll need to call my counsellor for some End of Holiday therapy. Until next time...

Rovinj was the right spot to end a holiday that, at times, had a lot going on. Aside from small shops and another ancient church, there was swimming and relaxing on our balcony. We chose to focus on swimmimg and relaxing. The warm, clear water made us want to bob and float with distant boat waves for hours. Weather was hot, sunny, stormy and rainy. One night we had the most spectacular lightning storm right in front of our balcony. Two hours of forked lig...

Slovenia is a great outdoor adventure waiting to happen - 4,000 caves throughout the country with gorges and rushing rivers, warm lakes, rolling hills and farmland.As soon as the train came in through the north western corner of the country into Ljubljana and us driving further south to the tourist farm where we stayed, we realized we needed more time… In 5 short days we were able to take in 3 caves, a gorge, a swim at a beautiful lake and a luge ride down a sk...

Have you ever been in a town that is so picturesque that you take a ton of photos? Bassano del Grappa is one of those towns. A covered bridge going over an idyllic European river, buildings perched over said river and sunny and breezy weather to make you want to stay out all night to enjoy it. The bridge comes alive in the evenings when it cools down enough for the locals to want to come out of hiding. The fresh summer food and two grappa manufacturers don't ...

We just finished four action-packed days in Venice. Our refuge was the cool, quiet and comfortable accomodations we had down a small residential street. Just at the end of the street was a canal boat that sold beautiful fresh produce every morning. And, of course, cappucino at any one of several bars. Dinners by Derek every night in the garden made for a relaxing end to long hours of walking that involved high temperatures and gelato. Sean always loves to see med...