Murren, Switzerland. Cables, Trams and Trains
Jul 25, 2023
July 25- August 1, 2023 12 years ago, Jansen met a wonderfully kind and intelligent man named Beat who lives in SLC but grew up in Murren, Switzerland. Beat has built 3 chalets on his land in Switzerland and he invited us to stay at his chalets. In exchange, Jansen helped him with his website,…
Chamonix, France
Jul 25, 2023
July 25,2023 We blazed through Chamonix, less than 24 hours. Hence, few photos. Jansen, Saraya and Fisher did a Parcour tour in the forest. Soren and I went shopping. I literally took one silly photo. Chamonix is impressive. I have always heard you can be sipping espresso in the warm valley and 20…
Chateau-Bernard - The TREEHOUSE!
Jul 23, 2023
July 22-24,2023 The Treehouse stay was impressive to say the least. The Treehouse was super fun. We played camouflage through the evening, hunted mushrooms and shared a composting toilet. We also rented bikes at Altebikes. What an experience because they were electric bikes! I may have been pulled…
La Ciotat, The Calanque National Park
Jul 17, 2023
July 16-22, 2023 La Ciotat, France, Parc National les Calanques. The Provençal word "calanques" means coves bordered by steep slopes. And steep slopes we found! We stayed in an AirBnB in La Ciotat which is the most eastern point of the park. Here there were many calanques within walking distance…
Nimes - The most Roman city outside of Italy
Jul 16, 2023
July 16, 2023 As we drove through Southern France to La Ciotat, our next destination, we decided to stop through Nimes and do a Scavenger Hunt. The company Télé Bleue provides you a backpack with hints to your next location. At that location you use other hints to find out the code to open pockets…
Andorra - Boot Camp
Jul 8, 2023
July 4- 14, 2023 Andorra - I call it Boot Camp because Andorra offers many things similar to the Rockies, but we have not been in the Rockies. We entered Andorra ready to be ourselves - cyclists, mountaineers... And it hurt. But it was the good hurt. Jansen. Fisher and I swapped time riding over a…
Bejes, Spain - Let the photos speak
Jun 25, 2023
June 27, 2023 Bejes, Spain - The heart of Picos de Europa. A small community developed in the 1800s for mining purposes. It now serves as a home to simply a few Spaniards, and remains home of the Picon Bejes-Tresviso. This is a blue cheese made only in this region, a mixture of cow and sheep milk.…
Proaza, Spain - Where Limestone goes to Heaven
Jun 21, 2023
June 26, 2023 Proaza, Spain - a hidden gem in Northern Spain. Tucked in the Valle de Trubia in a deep canyon nestled amongst towering limestone cliffs. The climbing is endless, the beauty relentless, and the people generous. We discovered another spot in this world that could easily be called home.…
Sintra- It may be the most beautiful place on earth.
Jun 20, 2023
June 19, 2023 We hummed and hahhed about wether or not we should spend our layover time in Lisbon or Sintra. Thank goodness we chose Sintra. Lisbon is fine, Sintra is gorgeous. There is so much attention to detail in every little crevice of the town. We took our chances on an AirBnB and scored. It…
Portugal - Mostly Madeira
Jun 18, 2023
June 19, 2023 Portugal, here we come! We drove from Hossegor, France to Bilbao, Spain. We ate an insane amount of SUSHI. Not kidding - 20 plates to be exact. We dropped the car at the airport and flew to Lisbon. We stayed at Le Jardin in Lisbon, near the airport, quiet, clean. Would stay again. The…
Soorts-Hossegor, France - Beach Time!
Jun 12, 2023
June 8, 2023 The sandy beaches of the Bay of Biscay along the west coast of France were our next destination. We had grand plans to surf with Eric, but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. The ocean was as flat as a crepe. The kids had good attitudes and made the best of it. What kid…
Versailles
Jun 8, 2023
June 7, 2023 The essential palace to Louis XIV's centralization of royal power. There are mansions and other disgusting expressions of wealth in the US, but this palace was ridiculous. Funny enough, this palace was not used much after the 17th century. Most of the kings could not afford to keep it…
Fontainebleau Climbing
Jun 6, 2023
June 3, 2023 A familar feeling came over me as we left Paris traffic and entered the quiet rural lands outside of Fontainebleau. I felt calm, peaceful, and ready to live the life of a Frenchman, not necessiraly a Parisian. We arrived at our AirBnB in Barbizon, France. Jansen and I have visited…
Barbizon, France
Jun 4, 2023
June 1, 2023 Barbizon, France deserves its own blog. I struggle to express how much I truly loved this little community. The streets were enriched with cobblestone drives, climbing vines and wooden shutters. Although you feel you have stepped back in time, you also feel spoiled. Just a few doors…
Parc Asterix
Jun 2, 2023
June 3, 2023 After fleeing Paris, everyone intact, we headed north to Parc Asterix. With kids, you gotta do kid things. And I will say - the French know how to design a roller coaster. The coasters there were soooo much more fun than other parks I have visited. Thank you France! What was your…
Paris, France
May 31, 2023
June 2, 2023 Wow! We made it to Paris after an 8 hour overnight flight. We arrived at 8am ready to go. We stayed at an AirBnB in Boulogne-Billancourt. It was quiet and quaint, but I think if I were to stay in Paris again, I would reside closer to the heart of the city. We paid about 20$ in Uber…
Catching Up with My Homies
May 26, 2023
May 30, 2023 Greensboro, North Carolina It is incredibly special to still feel so loved and appreciated by people I have known for decades. Visiting Clarissa in Greensboro, NC, her homeland, was very special in many ways. Our lives have taken many twists and turns but yet, we always find each…
The 2023 Journey begins in North Carolina
May 25, 2023
On May 18, 2023, Saraya, Soren and Anna embarked on our first of many journeys for the summer. We arrived in Hillsborough, NC greeted by our family - Emily, Brian, Evie, Honey and Pops. We spent 10 days exploring the local area. I have decided that Hillsborough is a hidden gem at this point and…