Back on the road again………..(REO Speedwagon, 1979)

I’m back on the road again, I’m on my way!

Nothing to do with this post, just a cool picture of the neighborhood moose.

Well, after some months of planning and struggling with hotels versus vacation rentals, we’re leaving the metropolis of Fairplay and heading off to Europe. This time it’s a 3-month journey to 4 countries and 17+ cities with some significant time in Rome and Madrid. The last time we were in Rome it was for a week and we swore that if we ever came back it would be for a month so we could take in all the city has to offer. Collette, being the antiquity fanatic of the family, would have it no other way.  As for Madrid, since we’ve never been there it was a no-brainer on how long we should stay. Both of these cities will take up the lions share of our journey.

ICELAND

But first there’s Iceland. Yes, land of enchantment and excitement, full of nature’s beauty! Sounds a lot like Fairplay, huh! We have 5 days here to make our way around the island and see what the perimeter has to offer. We’ll not be going to the interior of the island, on whats called the “F” roads, because our luxury rental car is not equipped for these rough and somewhat questionable roads. We did purchase the SAAP insurance, I’m guessing the acronym stands for “Sand and Ash Protection; not a person who lacks good judgement, due to the sandblasting effect caused by the high winds. I thought a can of spray paint would be cheaper but the co-pilot said no.

ITALY

Once we’ve closed the book on Iceland, off to Lake Como, Italy to spend a little time with George and Amal relaxing by the lake sipping tequila. Right! We’re on the other side of the lake so probably won’t make it by George’s place, but we will have time to enjoy this beautiful lake at the base of the Alps, can’t wait.

Pack it up after a week or so and get on the train for Agritourismo Vernianello, a working vineyard located in the heart of Tuscany. The owners of this vineyard have 6 condo style apartments they rent to tourists visiting the area. Complete with a restaurant, swimming pool, cooking classes and of course wine tasting, this little countryside abode will be our base for 10 days.

Now, on to Rome and a month of walking thru more history than anyone can imagine. Preparations for touring this city have been in the works for months, watching documentaries and YouTube, reading books, websites, and sending enough emails to choke our massive 5GB downlink to a crawl. Up front and center will be exploring Hadrian’s villa (Villa Adriana), the “Broken Pot Mountain”, Portus and Ostia Antica. These are some of the out-of-the-way sites that most tourists don’t visit. Of course the usual sites will also be on the agenda, the Coliseum (especially at night!), Forum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon, etc. And a couple of hidden gems, Norcineria Viola salami shop and Osteria Romana di Simmi restaurant, both of which had their start in the early Roman period.

Moving right along, once finished with our month in Rome, we take the train to Pompeii and a bit more ruin viewing. We will actually visit 3 cities while here, Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples. Most have heard about Pompeii, the city which was buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79AD, but no so for Herculaneum which is less than 30 minutes away and has quite a collection of buried ruins from the same 79AD eruption. And who can go to Italy without visiting Naples, well probably a lot of people but we’re going to stop there.

PORTUGAL

Leaving Italy we hop on our Ryan Air flight and travel to Lisbon, Portugal. We’re here for 10 days and will tour not only the city, but the surrounding towns of Sintra, Cascais and Fatima.  Justin and Nicole will join us while we’re here and stay with us as we travel on to Spain and the capital city of Madrid.

SPAIN

Once in Madrid we put down roots for a while and settle in to cruising around the city and taking in a few Flamenco bars. Later in our stay in Madrid Justin and Nicole head home while Lindsay and Leo join us for a few days of sightseeing before taking the train to Barcelona. Barcelona will be our final stop in Spain where we’ll spend 5 days enjoying the cathedrals, tavernas, and museums.

So after visiting these cities and spending our children’s inheritance, back to Iceland for an evening in Reykjavik before heading home to the good ole US of A. There you have it, 88 days of relaxation, sort of.

That’s it amigos. The blog is back up and running so if you can’t sleep at night, this may help. Oh and don’t forget to subscribe. For a mere $5,000.00USD you get access to all the blog posts along with a nifty keychain made from a recycled wine cork. A real collectors item.

Cheers,

Home on the range….