Author: Tammy

We arrived at Istanbul at 10:00. Ayva and Ari stayed in bed while Tavis, Addison, and I got off the shipped and toured the area on foot. Our goal was to find the Grand Bazaar.

It took us a while to get off the ship because so many people were disembarking. It was a long maze to find our way out of the terminal. Eventually we made it onto the streets and just started walking West. We eventually came to a bridge and found underground pathways to cross busy streets. After crossing the bridge, there seemed to be shops everywhere, but this was not the Grand Bazaar.

We kept walking West, up the hill. About 45 minutes later, we found ourselves at the entrance of the Grand Bazaar. There are metal detectors everywhere here. Once we entered, it seemed very similar to our side, but inside a building. Words cannot describe the sheer volume of vendors and small market stands. Everywhere you look, as far as the eye could see was shoppings. I have never seen such an endless market. It is amazing how many stores sold the same merchandise! Each area sold the same type of products. When we first entered, every store sold jewelry. Then we walked through a clothing area. There were tons of tiny stores all competing with each other. The vendors were good though. If you said “No Thank you”, they left you alone. We just window shopped this morning since there was really nothing we wanted to purchase. After leaving the shops we just picked a direction and continued walking. We found huge castle walls and eventually came to an entrance. Inside the ancient wall was a huge park. It reminded me of Stanley Park. We also went into a small cistern. By the time we got back to the ship, we had walked over 13km.

Ayva and Ari enjoyed staying on the ship. They felt like they were the only ones onboard and had free reign of all areas. There were no line ups anywhere!

We were quite tired from our morning trek so we got into our bathing suits and went to the pool deck to find some lounging chairs. We also grabbed some lunch from the buffet. After eating, we swam at the pool and sun bathed for a bit. Once it started getting crowded, Tavis and I went back to our room and spent 2 hours figuring out a car rental to replace our train to Bressanone on Monday. Darn construction on the train the only 3 days we are planning to be there!

By 18:30, we decided to take Ayva shopping for shoes. The Bazaar closed at 19:30 so we knew we had to hurry. When we crossed the bridge, Ayva found a shoe vendor with genuinely fake Nike Airforces for 400 turkish lira ($20 CAD). She tried them on and learned that her shoe size in Turkey is 26. Addison also bought 1.5kg of Turkish Delight a little ways into the shops! We wandered around as the storefronts began to close. We probably could have gotten better deals, but we were not good at haggling and we didn’t have any small Turkish Lira bills.

We slowly made our way back to the cruise ship. We stopped on the bridge on the way back for some photos of the beautiful sunset. We got back around 20:15 and went straight to the buffet for dinner. This time, we only walked 8km around town. My legs were definitely feeling the exercise today from walking over 25km (over 35,000 steps)!

After dinner, we thought we would catch a show. Ayva and I stopped for drinks and onion rings along the way. We thought we were running late, and Tavis told us the place was packed. When we arrived, the theatre was practically empty because the show isn’t until tomorrow. Instead, we went up to the top deck to take photos of the city at night. By chance, we got to see the moon rising above the city. I have never seen such a beautiful moonrise! We tried to capture it in photos but it doesn’t even begin to capture the size or colour of the moon as it rose.

We watched us leave the port at 23:00 and went to bed around midnight. Tomorrow is a sea day so it will definitely be a sleep in day!

Nautical Info

MSC Splendida navigated from one Turkish Point to another, navigating from Kusadasi to Istanbul through the Dardanelles Strait and into the Sea of Marmara. We passed under several bridges whilst on approach to the port. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, serving as the country’s economic, cultural, and historic hub. The city straddles the Bosporus Strait, lying in both Europe and Asia, and has a population of over 15 million residents, comprising 19% of the population of Turkey. Istanbul is the most populous European city, and the world’s 15th largest city. We departed at 23:00. The distance between Istanbul and Corfu will be 722 nautical miles.

We were scheduled to arrive at 07:00, but we actually arrived into Port at Kusadasi about 15 minutes behind schedule. We didn’t have to meet our guide until 08:00 so we met the kids up at the buffet at 07:00 and watched the passengers start to disembark. At 07:55 we were out in the parking lot and met our guide promptly. Her name was Gulcan (giljen), which means Rose Heart, so she said we could call her Rose.. We also had a driver, but I cannot remember his name. He didn’t do any talking. We loaded into the Mercedes van and off we went.

As we started on our adventure, Rose asked us what we wanted to see, and made some suggestions. We decided to start at the house of Virgin Mary. As we drove up mount BulBul (which means Nightingale), Rose told us the story behind the. Sacred location. It is believed this is where St John brought Virgin Mary. He built her a house. He died in Turkey at 98 years old. It has not been confirmed that Virgin Mary lived here, but many believe this is the location.

Rose also told us about the Amazon women who lived in communities with only women. The name “AMA-zon” means “one breast”. women in these communities fought battles to protect themselves. In order to be effective, they cut off one breast so they could ride horses and use bow and arrows to fight.

When we arrived, we paid 1000 Lira for tickets. The prices more than doubled yesterday! It was very crowded, but Rose stayed with us until we arrived at the door and told us stories of the history and how the site was found. She was also great at answering our questions. After waiting 30 minutes in line, we spent about 30 seconds walking through the house. Then we were able to fill our water bottles with the holy water.

Before leaving the site, we found free wifi so the kids could quickly check their emails. They have been disconnected from the Internet for 4 days now! We then left for Ephesus and we were able to get out ahead of the tour buses.

We arrived at Ephesus around 09:30 and there was no line to get tickets. Rose helped us purchase our tickets from the booth. As we entered, there were a lot of sleeping dogs and a cat just inside the gates. It was a strange site.

Rose informed us that this was actually the 2nd Ephesus. The first city was built on marshland and often flooded, so they moved to this location further up the mountains. It is believed that 250,000 people inhabited the city, and 50,000 were wealthy and lived in the upper city during the Roman times. Over 800 years they inhabited the city until it was destroyed by earthquakes. They tried to rebuild, but when Malaria swept through the city, the inhabitants abandoned the area. The water levels had also dropped and it was no longer a booming port city.

We toured the area as Rose provided commentary on each part. From the baths at the top, to the stadiums, houses, shops, public bathrooms, library, stadium, and the open market, all the way down to the old port. Today, the water level has dropped several km and is nowhere near the city. This was one of my favourite sites. We explored the area until just after 11:00. It was hot but there was some shade along the way.

Next, Rose suggested that we check out an authentic Turkish leather shop. They provided apple tea and put on a fashion show. It was the first time I experienced a real fashion show with the stage, lights, and music. They even pulled Ari to the back and included him in the show! After, they took us into the shop and tried to sell us their products. The one Ayva tried on was a lightweight reversible leather jacket. They are very thin and do not wrinkle. They come with a 1 year guarantee. They also came with a starting price tag of $1,500 USD. They offered 60% off which was still $700CAD. The jackets were beautiful, but a bit too expensive for us, and not very practical for our next 20 days of travel. We left with only our photos and memories. It was a neat experience though and I am glad Rose took us here.

Our last stop was a local carpet weaving shop. They welcomed us and taught us how the wool and silk carpets were weaved. We also learned how they get the silk from a cocoon. Each caterpillar is dried in the cocoon and then softened in waterr and spun. They must do this so the silk does not break. They get a minimum of 1km of silk from a single cocoon!!!

The rugs were amazing! They appeared a different shade depending on where you stood. If you look at the rug from the direction of the weave, the colours were vibrant. When looking from the opposite direction, they were washed out. We would have loved to purchase one, but we didn’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend. It can take up to 8 months to hand weave a large carpet. Even the tiny ones were $500! As much as I love these, I think we are going to stick with the $100 IKEA rugs. It was quite an experience though and we enjoyed the apple tea.

After a great day of learning the history and culture of Turkey, we returned to the ship and said goodbye to Rose and our driver. It was still early but we were exhausted! Once onboard, we got drinks, ate lunch, and had a siesta.

We left the port at 16:00 and met the kids at the bowling alley for a few games. Later we went to the main dining room for dinner and then caught a show. I am quite impressed with the level of entertainment onboard. Lastnight, we saw a ventriloquist who had us laughing the entire time. Tonight it was Cirque de Soleil vibe with the variety of talents that were used to tell a story. I tried taking photos but it just doesn’t capture the wow factor that that you get from a live show.

Tomorrow we arrive in Istanbul.

Nautical Info

MSC Splendida navigated through the night in an Easterly direction, bound for the Turkish Port of Kusadasi. The pilot expected us to embark at 06:00, with the Vessel alongside in the Berth at 07:00. We are about 10 minutes late. Kusadasi is a large resort town on the Turkey Aegean coast, and the centre of the seaside district of the same name within the Aydin Province. We departed at 15:00. The distance between Kusadasi and Instanbul is 350 nautical miles.

We arrived in Port around 7:00am. We met for breakfast in the buffet. We were off to meet our guide at 7:55. He immediately escorted us to his Mercedes van and we set on our way to Athens.

Dimitri, our guide, dropped us off at our meeting point and walked us up to the road that took us to the entrance. When we got to the end, the line to purchase tickets was an hour long. I asked at the gift shop where to go with our pre-paid vouchers and was told to skip the line and go directly to booth 5. Apparently, I was supposed to check my spam folder for actual tickets yesterday. I recalled a conversation lastnight with Tavis that I am now receiving Greek spam! Hmm, I guess it wasn’t junk. Oops, my bad. The ticket agent issued us tickets anyway. We went toward the entrance and there was another hour line up just to get in. There was a tiny line on the other side. Not sure why that line was so short but we put our heads down, tickets up, and followed them. Less than 20 minutes after being dropped off, we were at the top of the Acropolis in Athens!

We spent 90 minutes leisurely walking around the site. It was amazing! It was also very breezy at the top which was appreciated. What an amazing experience!

We had a great view of the Orpheum below. Apparently, Yanni still does shows there and the acoustics are so good, you don’t even need a mic! We may have to come back to Athens to catch a Yanni concert sometime.

We met Dimitri at our meeting point at 11:30 and started on our way to the modern Olympic stadium. We had 5 minutes to take photos and he explained the history of ancient and modern Olympics. Apparently it is the largest marble stadium in the world where they held the first MODERN olympics in 1896. Not to be confused with the ancient Olympics which were held in Olympia (our stop yesterday). Dimitri also explained why they stopped holding the ancient Olympics. In AD 393 the king of Greece was worried the people may revolt after communicating about standards of living with international visitors to the Olympics. Ari asked why they started the Olympics again in 1896 and Dimitri replied by saying “Why not?”

Next we stopped at the Temple of Zeus and spent 10 minutes to see the temple. There are only 4 pillars still standing. Overall rather underwhelming but still amazing to see the scale of the pillars and imagining what it would have looked like with the original 100. My advice for this site would be to enter by the opposite side, under the ancient gates and take photos rather than entering the park itself.

Every hour is a changing of the guards. How interesting could this possibly be? It is like watching a dance. Dimitri told us that the pompoms on the guards shoes had a hidden blade in them which is why they have the kicking motion. I had to take video. If this is how they really walked, I believe it was a good strategy. If I was in a war and saw someone walking toward me in this manner I would be laughing to hard to put up any kind of fight! You have to watch the video to understand.

Next, we went to Ancient Agora. We walked to the site and wandered around. We walked to the temple Hephaestus (the greek god of fire). We also noticed many kittens throughout the site. They were really cute and came right up to is. Ari was feeling sick and we figured he had sun stroke. I stayed with him outside the museum while he rested and Tavis, Ayva, and Addison went into the museum, then to a local restaurant for some Greek cuisine. Ari started feeling better so around 12:30 we started making our way back to the meeting place. We met up with Dimitri at 1:00.

Our last stop was at the Acropolis Museum. The first thing we noticed was that it was built on an archeology site. You could see where they have excavated and uncovered ruins. After waiting in line, we went through security to get into the building and purchased tickets. It was a huge building with 3 levels. Tavis had to check his bag before going into the actual museum. We wandered around the main floor and went up to level 2. The most impressive was the top level where they had artifacts from the Acropolis of Athens. They had several ancient pieces in place to show the scale, along with some replicas. I made the mistake of touching one of the blocks to see if it was real. Yes, apparently they are real and you are not supposed to touch anything. I was given a talking to and felt like a school kid about to get detention. My bad… If you go to a museum, don’t touch anything!

We didn’t have enough time to explore the ruins under the building because we had to meet Dimitri at 2:30. He then drove us back to our home on the Splendida.

We had a great tour today. We saw a lot of Athens and Dimitri was a wealth of information. He educated us on the history of Athens and and even taught us some greek words. He also had some great advice for traveling in Greece. He suggested getting a map of the entire country and circling all the places we have heard of. Then travel somewhere else and spend some time there. The best way to see a country is through the locals, but you need time to really appreciate it. I would like to return to Greece again!

Nautical Info:

During the night, MSC Splendida passed Elafonisos Strait was possible to see on starboard side the Coastal light of Kythira island and on the portside, Maleas Cape. After that, we sailed toward the North East and then the North West towards Piraeus, Mainland Greece. Departure was at 18:00. In the evening, MSC Splendida will pass Kea Strait between Kea Island on starboard side and Makronisos Island on portside. Subsequently, we will pass the Kafireas Strait where it is possible to see on Starboard side, Andries island and on Portside, Evvol island. Distance between Piraeus and Kusadasi is 202 nautical miles.

This morning we arrived in Katakolo around 8:00am. We had breakfast at 7:30 and were off the ship by 8:45am. We had arranged transportation through Get Your Guide on a hop on hop off bus that would take us to the Archeological Site. We also pre-purchased tickets to the Olympia Archeological site which we had to pickup at the ticket office. This time we had a google translator downloaded so we were prepared to communicate.

When we walked off the ship, we made our way to the parking lot and saw the Hop on Hop Off bus waiting for us. We got on and showed our pre-purchased tickets. We were given a receipt along with a set of headphones each. We went upstairs and found 5 empty seats with a decent view on the top floor which had a roof for shade, but was open air. So far so good! It was not that hot yet, we had good seats, and we were looking forward to the nice breeze along the way. Everything was going as planned.

Five minutes later… Tavis pointed out that the Hop On Hop Off bus only goes half way to Olympia. So apparently every town has an archeological museum in Greece, and this was not the one we were expecting. Oops, my bad! Tavis grabbed the bus map off my lap in frustration and our museum passes (which I was also holding) flew out of my hands!

This was definitely one of those “Oh crackers!” moments! Here we were on a bus that wasn’t going where we wanted, and we had no tickets to the museum that we planned to go to, which wasn’t even where we were going. We had no internet or phone, but at least we had Google Translator downloaded. We had the rest of the bus ride to come up with a new plan for the day… It was definitely going to be an adventure, just not the one we planned.

When the bus stopped, I looked all over and found our ticket at the front with a footprint on it. Phew, crisis averted! We now had tickets again to a museum that we couldn’t get to. We decided we might as well check out the Archeological Museum in Pyrgos, as I recalled our ticket was valid at all surrounding sites. It was worth a try to salvage the mistake.

We got off at the museum stop along with 2 other people. Weird that no one else got off. We walked down the street to the museum… closed on Mondays… Oh wait, it WAS Monday!

Well, we decide to make the best of it. We walked down the street and found a pharmacy so we popped in and bought hair conditioner for 4 euros. At least Ayva and I would not have tangled hair the rest of the trip!

We had no idea what to do, so Tavis tried turning on his phone… no signal. Useless! We noticed a bus station on the Hop On Hop Off Bus map so we decided to walk toward it.

We arrived at the bus station at 10:06. The ticket agent spoke English and she informed us that a bus would leave for Olympia at 10:30. For 2,20 euros each we could get air conditioned transportation the rest of the way. She told us it would be a 30 minute ride which still gave us lots of time to visit the Archeological Site. We purchased a return ticket and sat down to wait. While we were waiting, Addison was able to connect to the free wifi and fixed his phone. Yay! He was now back on the grid and we would be able to communicate with him back on the ship!

At 10:20, we tried to get on the bus parked in front of the Olympia sign, but the driver told us “Wrong bus”. We spoke to a few locals who helped us get on the right bus. We were finally on our way to Olympia! It was not a quick 30 minutes though. We stopped at every stop along the way. As time was ticking down we tried to stay positive and chatted with some very friendly locals who were happy to communicate in their broken English. Everyone was so friendly. It took an hour, but we did arrive in Olympia around 11:20.

We made it to Olympia! Next we had to find out where to go. A local asked if she could help and we told her we were looking for the museum. She pointed down the road and gave instructions. We walked past the buses, and across a bridge, just like she said. We arrived at the ticket booths and there were long line ups. We knew it could take a long time. Tavis stood in one line, and I stood in another. I handed Ari our pre-paid receipt and asked him to walk behind to see if he could find anything out. He came back moments later with tickets! We were finally in!!!

We spent an hour in the archeological site. It was hot, but amazing! We saw archeologists actively digging, and others restoring walls. We were able to walk most of the site while resting in the shade throughout. There were a lot more trees than I expected. After exploring the area, we made our way to the museum for an express 20 minute walk through. We did not enough time to read everything, but we didn’t want to miss the bus back to Pyrgos.

After exploring the Archeological Site and the museum, we made our way back to the bus stop with 20 minutes to spare. We saw a local so we asked him if we were in the right place. He spoke French. The kids all rushed over and were excited to speak with him. They seemed to have a nice conversation and had a big grin on his face. He seemed happy to speak with us. His bus came before ours but he told us to wait for the blue bus. It was just a few minutes later. When we got on the bus, we sat in the front seats and met a fellow Canadian who came here on vacation, fell in love, and married a local. We had a great conversation with her. Ari asked her how to say “Thank you in Greek…”Eff par-dee-stO”

It was neat to take the city bus because it went along the back roads, rather than the highway. We had plenty of time to catch our bus back to the terminal, we just needed to find the Hop On Hop Off bus stop.

We got off the city bus and started walking toward the Hop On Hop Off stop. Tavis saw another pharmacy and popped in to look for something. As he was in the store, our bus was driving by. The driver must have recognized us because he stopped in the middle of the road and opened the door. Ari ran into the store to get Tavis who was coming out and we all ran into the street and hopped on the bus… literally! He didn’t even ask to see our tickets! This bus had no shade upstairs so we sat at a table downstairs. We were on our way back to the cruise terminal. We met a family from Austria who were very nice as well. It is fun trying to communicate with others. Everyone we meet seems to speak a little English.

After getting back on the ship, we had under an hour before we departed. We ate lunch, watched us leave port, then had about 5 games of bowling before Tavis and I returned to our room to get to Monday work tasks.

Today was such a great experience! We met lots of friendly people and saw some great little towns. I can see why people love Greece. It will definitely be an adventure we will remember!

Nautical Info

Early in the morning we passed approximately 4 nautical miles from the island of Zakynthos. In the afternoon left the moorings with destination Piraeus, Greece. Towards dinner time, one of the most important points of the Greek coast was visible on the left of the ship, namely the lighthouse of the island of Sapienza, where we passed at a distance of about 10 nautical miles. Throughout the evening, the ship will circumnavigate the Peloponnese. Distance between Katakolon and Piraeus: 269 nautical miles.

Today is Tavis’ birthday, and it is off to a great start! We woke up at 7:30am and opened the blinds to a gorgeous view of the Adriatic Sea. We got some coffee from the espresso bar and enjoyed it on our balcony. We had booked interior rooms but Tavis surprised me and upgraded our room! He is amazing!

After relaxing for a bit, we went up to the buffet to meet the kids for breakfast. We got a table at the very back of the ship and had another great view!

Below is a passage from our daily program which explains today’s itinerary.

“MSC Splendida will navigate at Sea all day long through the Adriatic Sea on a South Easterly course, bound for Katakolon, Greece. In the evening MSC Splendida will pass the straight of Otranto which connects the Adriatic Sea the Ionian Sea and separates Italy from Albania. Its width at Punta Palascia, east of Salento is less than 72 km. The straight is named after the Italian city of Otranto. The distance between Trieste and Katakolon is 653 nautical miles.”

For Tavis’ birthday, we purchased the Fun Cruise Pass. This gives Tavis and the boys unlimited used of the Formula 1 Simulator, 4D Theatre, and Bowling for the remainder of the cruise. Tavis is as giddy as a school boy! Thank you Ron and Mom and Dad for the great birthday gift. Tavis and the boys are beyond excited!

Tavis got a little excited and when he released the steering wheel, it bopped him in the face. He still wants to go again but I suggested we put ice on it first. After a brief break to put ice on his face, Tavis and teh boys spent the rest of the morning at the simulator.

We all met for lunch and after, Tavis and the boys were back at the simulator until the actual F1 race began. They watched it in the Sports Bar. While they were doing there boys things, Ayva and I toured the shops and tried to find a seat close to the pool. There were literally no seats! We looked everywhere, but 1 flaw is that all the lounge chairs on the top deck. People reserve them with their towels in the morning and have them all day! NOTED! Our next sea day will be very different. Ayva and I have decided that next time, we are going to reserve a bed on the top deck for 29 euros. It is not crowded so we have a home base to leave our stuff without all the crazy crowds.

After the F1 race, we got ready for our gala dinner. Tonight was the first elegant night which was very fitting for Tavis’ birthday dinner! We enjoyed a lovely family dinner. Today was the gala night so everyone was dressed up. After, the boys went straight to the simulator and Ayva and Tavis got photos of the sunset. It was a very relaxing day! We then got back into our casual clothes and spent the rest of the night bowling and at the simulator. We definitely got our money’s worth on that purchase!

Addison has no phone so he had been MIA all day. not sure how he has spent his time, but tomorrow we are hoping to find wifi so we can get him back in the family chat.

What a crazy morning! Everything was going great, we were all on schedule to catch a train at 10:58 until 1 tiny event created a ripple effect… as we locked the door of the airbnb and started walking to the car, Ayva realized she forgot her water bottle inside!

A perfectly planned morning started spinning off the rails. I still had internet, so I texted the owner and he said he could be here in 10 minutes. No problem, just 10 minutes behind…

Then we saw the gas station and remembered we had to fill up! Another 5 minutes gone….

Then we arrived at the budget location to return our vehicle and apparently it was permanently closed! The attendants told us no car rental here, and suggested we phone the number provided. Great!!! We have no internet, no phone, a car to return, and 15 minutes until the train leaves. Tavis ran inside and was told where the closest car rental was.

That is when we had to come clean. It wasn’t how we planned to tell the kids but I believe the exact words were “We are not actually catching a train, we are going on a cruise ship. Get out and grab your bag. Addison go with Dad to return the car”. To fully understand the emotions… Tavis and I were arguing, Ayva was crying, and Ari and Addison were trying to figure out what we could possibly do to fix the situation. Yay! Not the greatest parenting moment????. We took the bags out of the car as quick as possible. Tavis and Addison drove off, while the rest of us stayed behind with the luggage.

It took about 5-10 minutes for the kids to process what had just happened. They were in shock and thought for sure we had lost our marbles. I had to show them the itinerary and confirm several times that we were not catching a train, and the ship behind us was our mode of transportation to Greece. Then I spent the next 5 minutes apologizing for all the lies, and they were recalling all the clues that led up to that moment. I explained that we have kept this a secret from everyone, not just them, for over 7 months. (I would like to point out this was NOT an easy secret to keep! Tavis and I decided that in order to keep it from the kids we couldn’t tell anyone.)

Our boarding time was between 11:00-12:00 and we we already in line by 11:30. It took some time to go through customs and security but we were on the ship by 1:00. The kids have their own room at the front of the ship. Tavis and I are a floor above at the back????. We unpacked our luggage and moved into our room. Then we all met for lunch in the buffet. We tried to leave the ship and spend more time in Trieste, but apparently you are not allowed to leave the ship once you have boarded. It was a bit disappointing but we got to spend the rest of the day familiarizing ourselves with this huge ship. Our phones are all connected to the ship’s free wifi and somehow, we are all able to send and receive texts. This is great because we let everyone do their own thing and when we want to meet up with them we send a group chat and everybody appears.

Our ship left port at 7:30pm. We are spending the next 9 days on MSC Splendida. We have 6 ports of call and will be visiting Greece, Turkey, and Italy. After 6 days of steadily moving, we can finally slow down and relax while we cruise to each destination.

This morning, Tavis and I woke up at 7:00am. After I showered, we went for a walk to a local bakery and bought some fancy croissants and Tavi’s coffee for breakfast. It was only 6,00 for everything! We went back to the house and got the kids up for breakfast. While Tavis and I did some work, the kids packed up their bags. By 9:00am we were packed with Jeep fully loaded with luggage and we began our journey.

Our first stop was the Pighin winery. The person working in the office knew a bit of English and commented that a few Pighins have come over the past several years. We explained that it was probably my relatives. We bought a bottle of white and a bottle of red wine for only 13,00 total. It was neat to see the size of the vineyard and facilities in general.

Next, we made our way to Trieste. It was about an hour drive. We set up the car to avoid tolls so it wasn’t the most direct route but it was really fascinating driving through all the small villages. Every one of them had a steeple tower and the roads became very narrow. I understand why they have small vehicles here! We tried to find free wifi in a place 10 minutes away from our airbnb, but we had no lunch. We went down roads that had about an inch of clearance on each side. I am sure it was stressful for Tavis, but also a unique experience for sure!

We decided to go straight to our airbnb. When we arrives, I asked to use the wifi at the neighbouring store and the generous man set me up. I contacted our host and he met us at the door of the apartment to help us with our bags. We stored the suitcases in the apartment and took our bags with us in the car.

It was noon, so we went to the waterfront in Trieste and found parking. When we went upstairs, there was a market with a cafeteria so we decided to eat lunch there. We found directions to get into Koper, Slovenia without using tolls. It was only a 30 minute drive so after we were well nourished, we made our way across the border. We made sure we had our passports handy and we were prepared for long border waits. However, there really was no border crossing! One minute we were in Italy, the next we were in Slovenia. It was quite uneventful!

Our instructions had us zigzagging on small back roads, but eventually we found the car park in Koper and set off on foot to find the waterfront once again. We walked through the narrow alleys with cobble stone roads that we are quite familiar with now. Every place here is so similar but unique in their own way. We eventually came out at a beautiful park area with a playground, mobile library, and many stores. The water was the most amazing bluish green colour! To the right was a public beach with many people swimming. Just beyond that was a freight port. We took a short walk along the boardwalk before making our way back to the narrow streets of Koper and to our car.

On the way back to Trieste, we decided to take scenic route home along the ocean. It was a beautiful drive and there were miles of public beaches. The facilities were better than I expected, with showers, bathrooms, and benches. The only thing it didn’t have was available parking. Every spot was occupied!

When we got back to our apartment, the cleaning lady was still there. We used Google translate to communicate with her. We decided to walk to a grocery store and pick up some food to cook for dinner. We were amazed at how cheap the food was. We spent a whopping total of 16,90 and bought far too much pasta, sauce, meat, lasagna, tomatoes, grapes, bread, and 1.5 litres of an orange carbonated beverage. That was the cheapest dinner ever! When we got back, the apartment was clean and Addison and Tavis prepared a delicious dinner.

After dinner we walked around Trieste from our apartment and then settled down for an early night. Tomorrow we start our journey to Greece.

We all woke up at 10:00pm to the person wanting to see our train tickets. Right! We need to show we actually did pay for the cabin. We were all sleeping quite soundly, it was hard to believe we had travelled 90 minutes. He also took our beverage order as our tickets included a free breakfast of a hot beverage, bread, and marmalade. Tavis ordered a coffee and the rest of us ordered hot chocolate. After he left we all fell back asleep.

Tavis and I got up at 3:00am to use the washroom and brush our teeth before returning back to our cabin. We took turns so one of us could lock the door while the other was out. We were told to keep the door locked all night, but it felt safe enough. Despite waking up every hour or two to check out our progress, I actually felt well rested in the morning. We all got up around 6:30am. It was quite a comfortable 10 hours of travel! I highly recommend the night train… if you are short. It was perfect for us, but Tavis’ feet did touch the wall. If you are taller than Tavis, you might not be as comfortable… Or you might want to sleep on the top bunk with your head at the window so your fee can hang into the storage cubby. Hmm, maybe it isn’t a storage cubby after all, just a place for feet!

We were informed around 7:00am that the beverage machine was broken and we would only be getting water with our bread. A hot beverage would have been nice, but we were just happy to be getting breakfast. On not such a good note, we were also informed that the train was 20 minutes behind schedule. This was quite concerning because we only had 30 minutes to make our connection! This was cutting it close!

In the end, we made up time and arrived right on schedule. To make things even better, our connecting train was on the adjacent platform as the one we arrived on. After departing the train at platform 15, we took 5 steps to arrive at platform 14, ready to catch our next train to Venice. As it turns out, 30 minutes was ample time!

We made our way to our reserved seats on train 311. We were in coach 1 and had a section of 4 seats with a table and a single seat across the aisle. Our devices were charged, but our seats on this train also had a plug for each seat. Everyone turned on their devices and and I began to write my blog posts for the past 2 days. We began our 6 hour train ride to Venice.

After finishing my blog posts, I began watching a movie. Then we had a riveting game of rocket. Addison and I played against Ayva and Tavis. It was quite the game and by the time it ended, we were 30 minutes from Venice.

When we arrived in Venice we realized we didn’t have internet, which means we also didn’t have navigation. With the help of a young man, we quickly found the Budget rental company and received the key to a Jeep Renegade. Then we walked down the street to the park and found the vehicle. We managed to fit all the suitcases and a backpack in the back of the car. I put 2 bags up front with me, and the kids had 2 bags in the back with them. Then we were pleased to discover that our vehicle had navigation. We put in the address of Grandpa’s childhood home and off we went.

About 45 minutes into our trip we were hungry. We saw the green Golden Arches of McDonalds so we decided to stop. It was the first building that we passed where we knew we could get lunch. The chicken nuggets are the same as in Canada, the the burgers are way thicker, and the boys likes the wraps.

Soon we left and made our way toward Via Molino, 12. We had to make a short stop along the way for tavis t rest his eyes. We were all tired. After a 2 minute recharge, we were on our way again. We arrived at the house around 6:30. There were people in the driveway. We tried communicating with them but they didn’t speak English. The kept saying they knew a Maria Pighin. We showed them the photo we had of my grandpa as a boy. They thought it was neat. After trying to communicate, we eventually headed on our way again.

The small villages were so amazing to drive through. The photos just don’t do it justice. Buildings made of stone, narrow alleys, large steepled churches, and the occasional abandoned house with trees growing inside. What a sight!

We arrived at our Airbnb in Udine around 7:30pm. What an amazing house. It definitely feels and smells like my Oma and Opa’s house! Everything is old. The kids were fascinated with the decor. After unpacking, AYva and Ari stayed in while Addison, Tavis and I went for a walk.

I love Udine! What a gorgeous city. We walked into town and ventured down cobble stone roads, past several tiny shops and restaurants. There was out door charaoke in the park. We walked up a steep hill to a chapel with locked gates. We could hear music so we walked down and around. We found ourself in teh heart of the town at an outdoor jazz concert. It was so amazing. We had gelato and explored the city before making our way back to the house.

Now it is time to get some sleep and we will see where tomorrow’s adventure will take us.

“WHOOP!… WHOOP!… WHOOP!” That is the sound that startled us all awake at 6:00AM. It took a minute to get our bearings and we realized it was a fire alarm. Apparently none of us cared because we just put pillows over our head and tried to get more sleep. Tavis went down to reception to find out what was going on, but the rest of us really would not do well in a real emergency. It ended up being a false alarm and the noise stopped about 10 minutes later. Since none of us could fall back asleep, we decided to get up. That is when we noticed the torrential downpour outside. Not the greatest weather for a bike ride.

Addison showered while Tavis and I got payroll done. It actually was perfect because we finished our work and were were all ready for the day just as the breakfast buffet was opening, at 7:00am. We met down at the buffet. The food was amazing and included in the price of the room so we filled our bellies full. As we ate, we watched the rain bounce of the roads. We were a little nervous about riding in the rain, but this was the only day we had so we decided to make the most of it.

Next we went up to our room, packed our bags, put on our rain gear, did a final sweep of the room for any personal belongings left behind, and drop our luggage off at reception (We couldn’t get a late checkout). They stored our 5 suitcases and 3 backpacks for the day. Around 8:30, we headed to the tram stop, leaving plenty of time to get to our bike tour. The rain had stopped and the sun was shining. Off go the rain jackets and warm clothing!

We arrived at the bike tour around 9:00am, 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting time. The man working was really nice and let us come in and use the toilet while we waited. He also fitted us with bikes. At 9:30, our group of 13 was on our way. Our first stop was a free bike ferry. It was kind of like BC Ferries, but way more effiicient (ferry arrives, bikes ride off, bikes ride on, ferry leaves).

We stopped just on the other side of the ferry and were told a bit about the history of the area and how that Gallows were discovered only 20 years ago while building the foundation for a new building. We also learned that the Dutch really don’t know much about their history because of the floods, fires, and black plague. Many of the people and the documents that contained their history were destroyed. It is believed this is why the Amsterdam flag consists of XXX. I didn’t realize this was the official flag, I thought had to do with the Red Light District and everything was just x-rated!

Next we rode to a lake that contains several modern windmills. We learned how Amsterdam flooded every 20 years until the big flood of 1916. The cause of the flooding were storms from the sea that travelled up the channel. They built a dam to separate the main channel from the sea and they haven’t had a bad flood since. We also learned that houses are built on dikes and most have full basements. Rather than wasting space under the house, they have basements where they store food and often have a kitchen, along with access to the back yard. The main level is for living, and the top level of the house is for sleeping. This is so if there is a flood, they have more time to get out.

As we continued our tour, we passed several shoestring villages. These are groups of houses in a row along a dike. They are all so cute and unique. We loved them! Soon, the rain began fall. We got a bit wet, but it wasn’t too bad. We rode along country bike trails and saw lots of cows and sheep. We even passed a woman on her bike, walking her horse! Eventually we stopped in a cute village were we went in for treats. They had 4 different types of pie to se bought one of each to share amongst the 5 of us (apple pie, lemon cheese cake, chocolate cake, rhubarb crunch). It was really good.

Next we began our journey back. We stopped at an old church that had no steeple. Apparently the owners ran out of money and when they could afford to build it, they decided not to because it make the church unique. We noticed that some of the houses in the area were quite modern, and others very old. Ayva also decided that she would love to come back to Amsterdam. She fell in love with the bikes and the country side.

Our last stop was at an old traditional chalk windmill. It only runs a couple days a week and can only be operated by mill workers. When in operation, it just turns because it is so old that it can’t handle the same workload it once did. It was neat to see such an old structure still in operation today.

We arrived back at the ferry and rode the last 5 minutes back to the starting point right on time at 1:30. The past 4 hours flew by and we covered 30 km. It was definitely a highlight of our trip (not just because it was the only thing we’ve done). I highly recommend this countryside bike tour!

We decided to cancel our pre-booked luggage storage. The attendant at the location was not friendly or helpful. He would not cancel our reservation, so we walked to the nearest Starbucks to access wifi. We were able to cancel our reservation for a 5 euro fee. I would not recommend Luggy for luggage storage if you don’t have internet.

From there we just started walking. Addison took us out toward the Van Gogh museum. We walked past a place that did Iris art. We were very intrigued. They take photos of your iris and turn it into art. We took in the sites and eventually made it to the museum. Addison wanted to go in but we didn’t have time because we had to get back to Central Station for our canal tour of the city. We were all quite tired so we sat down on a bench to rest our feet.

While searching for a tram stop, we found a free bathroom. It was the strangest thing I’ve seen. You push a button to go in, then wait for the door to open and close. Then when finished, you push the button to open the door and after you leave it closes for 5 minutes to sanitize the room. I don’t think it was working properly though because Tavis and Ari said it stunk like an outhouse.

We eventually found a tram that took us to Central Station. At this point we were running late for our canal tour. Once we got on the tram, it said we would arrive just as we were supposed to be checking in to the canal tour. When we arrived, we quickly ran to the canal meeting place only to find they were running 15 minutes behind and ended up waiting around.

When we boarded our canal cruise, Ari quickly ran to the front of the boat which had long cushions for laying down. Tavis and I joined him up there while Ayva and Addison sat on the site. We were all very tired at this point and although we enjoyed the tour, we had a hard time keeping our eyes open. We learned a lot about the city. We saw one of the narrowest structures. At one point in history, the taxes charged for living on the canal were based on the width of your home. One person wanted to live there but couldn’t afford the taxes, so he built a tall skinny building and paid little taxes just so he could have the prestigious address.

We also noticed that several houses were leaning quite a bit. The reason is that when they started building structures they were not putting the foundation far enough into the ground. They also used wood. For the foundation which has since rotted away and the houses are shifting. Some houses are also built on a forward angle. This is because many houses are too narrow to carry large items upstairs. Instead, they have a pulley system on the top floor and they use it to lift large items to the different floors in the house rather than carrying them up stairs.

During a time when there were no houses, the people were encouraged to live on boats in the canal. They were able to stay for free so many people took advantage. Unfortunately, the canals became crowded and dirty from the waste. The government had to put limits on the number of permits allowed and restricted the use of houseboats. The houseboat is not allowed to move because it needs to be hooked up to water, sewer, and electricity. The only time it is allowed to move is when it goes to the dry dock for maintenance. There are currently only 2500 boat permits allowed along the canal. The current cost of a permit is 400,000 euros (not including the coast of the boat). We also learned that every month they fish out several bikes, and even the odd car. Insurance companies were losing money on cars falling into the canal so they funded to cost of building medians along the side of the road. However, there are still areas where the road drops straight off into the canal.

We all enjoyed the tour, but we were ready to sleep. We made our way to the tram and rode it back to the hotel. We all decided to go to the bathroom before going back to Central Station. We missed our tram by 5 minutes. When we tried to board the next tram, our days passes had expired (a minute before). It was a gorgeous day, and I am frugal, so we decided to to walk the 30 minutes back to the train station with our luggage. It was a really nice walk along the boardwalk. We saw cruise ships and and river boats. The kids didn’t appreciate it as much as I did. When we arrived back at the station, many restaurants were closing. Tavis found a sit down Thai restaurant that he and the kids ate at. The service was quick and the food was excellent. I also enjoyed my fries from the fast food restaurant next door.

At 7:30, we made our way to platform 10 where we caught our Nightjet. We quickly located our sleeper car and were quite impressed with it. We had no idea what to expect but it was quite big. Our luggage fit nicely under the benches. There were 2 charging stations and 4 usb outlets. The top bunks had extra storage above the hallway where we stored a few backpacks. There were also bottles of water and bedding waiting for us. Addison and Tavis immediately climbed up to the top bunk. We lifted the back bench cushions up to form the middle beds. Ayva sleep on one, and the backpacks slept on the other. Ari and I slept on the bottom bunk. I was fascinated with the sheets! They had the bottom sewn together and it opened up to the front so it was easy to climb in and out. The blankets were sufficient, and we also had a unit that both heated and cooled the sleeper cabin. Needles to say, we all fell asleep moments after pulling out of the station.

We had a great day in Amsterdam! Although it was only 24 hours, I feel we took advantage of the time and saw enough to know it is a place that would return to. I can see why people like living there. Now we are off to Italy.

We boarded our flight around 7:00pm. Flying overseas is a completely different experience than what we are used to. The flight attendants have been so amazing. The kids are also quite self-sufficient. Tavis and I watched a really good movie together (separately). It was A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks. It was really good.

The meal options on the plane were good but we were all quite full from the snacks at the lounge. I just had a fruit snack with tea and biscuits. I love the accent of the British flight attendants! After our snack, tavis and I watched a movie together but apart. We did our best to time it at the same time.

After the movie, I set up my bed, turned on some music, and cozied up in my blanket for the remainder of the flight. The pods are so cool! I didn’t sleep much. I noticed the kids didn’t sleep either, but Tavis was out for several hours. With an hour remaining in our flight we all got up for breakfast. I have to give kudos to British Airways for having the best mini croissants ever!! It was a nice flight and a great experience. Even though we arrived around 5:00am (1pm local time), we all seemed to be bright eyed and bushy tailed… ready for the adventure that awaited us in Heathrow.

Heathrow it was a gong show. First we had to take a shuttle to the terminal. Then we had to navigate a maze of never-ending lines that were always moving just get to Security. They were quite strict about us having liquids in proper bags. The experience at security made us appreciate TSA at home! Ayva was panicking that she would have to leave half her liquids behind. She took out a bunch of lipsticks and gels and threw them in her bag. In the scuffle, Tavis forgot to remove his computer and ipad. Yes, we were one of those families. Then scanner machine broke with our luggage in it and Ayva almost lost it. She was convinced it was her liquids that wrecked the machines. Ironically, hers was the first of our stuck bags to get through. Meanwhile, they had to go through Tavis’ entire bag and it took a long time before we were ready to speed walk to our gate.

We finally got through and our gate was already announced and the boarding was apparently starting soon. I checked the gate twice on the screens while waiting for Tavis’ bag. We headed frantically to gate A-18, at the very end of the airport. When we got there, the sign said the flight was Zurich. Of course I must have read the screen wrong. Tavis went to check the screen himself while I asked a flight attendant near by. Apparently our gate was changed to A-15 which we passed half way back. We finally arrived at the right gate and had a minute to relax while crew members were arriving and frantically trying to get organized. The last minute gate change caused total chaos for passengers and crew members. It was completely disorganized for boarding and no one knew where to go or what to do. I feel this might be comparable to herding sheep????. Thank goodness we were in group one to board.

We managed to clear security 3 times during the course of our trip. Although our backpacks are larger than the limit and we have more liquid than what fits in the standard bags, we managed to get all the way to Amsterdam without having to check anything! I consider that a successful 24 hours of travel… and it was fun too ????

When we arrived in Amsterdam we stopped at the bathrooms. Apparently the toilet paper doesn’t go in the toilet. Eeew. Next we made our way to the train station. We noticed the signs are all in English and the main wall in the terminal was just made of plants. The train station was huge and the ti kets were easy to purchase. We made our way with ease and train departed a minute after we got on.

When arriving at Centraal Station, I asked at the info desk where to pick up our day pass that we pre-purchased in CAD on get your guide. If you are traveling, I strongly recommend checking out that app/website. We went to GVC across the street. Everyone has been so helpful. The ticket agent gave us our tickets with a map and instructions to our hotel.

Hotels in Amsterdam are much different than at home. The “queen” been I would consider a twin and the single is small. There was no couch so for tonight Tavis and I will share a twin and the boys can share the bigger bed. this will be practice for the sleep on the night train tomorrow. I think everyone will be tired tonight so it should be ok.

After sorting out our accommodations, we took a short rest and caught the tram back to Centraal station at 7:30pm to do some exploring. We took the tram back to town and wandered around the streets. It was quite a bit colder and windier than we expected!

We saw a street performer, then went through the red light district. We got caught in a sudden rain storm so went into a store for cover. Apparently we weren’t quite out of the red light district. Ayva and I had quite a chuckle over all the penis memorabilia and clothing, including the mankini. A few minutes later, the rain let up and we took the tram back to the hotel. It is 11:00 and we are getting some rest so we have the energy for our 4 hr bike ride tomorrow.

What a great start to our vacation!