Under the Tuscan Sun

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Kristen

9 long months of grey and cloudy German skies made us long for the sandy beaches of California. But since a trip over the ocean back to the West Coast wasn’t in the cards we looked closer to home to … Continue reading →

Tuscany Daily Schedule

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Kristen

Tuscany daily schedule Wake up whenever you want—since the shutters are heavy and the A/C is cold, our first morning didn’t start until 11:30am Get dressed in bathing suit and slather on sunscreen Pick up a pool raft and fill … Continue reading →

Driving the Tuscan Hills

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Kristen

Abbey of San Galgano, Tuscany It was hard to leave the clear blue waters of our pool but we were excited to see what village treasures lay beyond the town of Siena. We stopped first at San Galgano Abbey, an … Continue reading →

Siena

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Kristen

Contrary to popular belief, all roads do not lead to Rome. However, many roads DO lead to Siena. Now, we are familiar enough with Italy to know that we’ve seen some exceptional piazzas, those huge main market squares that anchor … Continue reading →

Berlin Bound

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Kristen

There are few cities in this world that rate a second trip…the gritty and uber-urban capital of Germany happens to be one of them. Most Americans are familiar with Berlin and its landmark Brandenberg Gate as the place where John … Continue reading →

Ed Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Kristen

A couple of years ago, Lindsey came home with some new music and told me I had to listen to this great song. It was “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and it became our family’s anthem, particularly … Continue reading →

Greece Trip Itinerary

Tim’s completion of a year-long chaplaincy residency is the perfect time to celebrate. While Ireland still makes the top of our “Must Visit List”, the draw of sunshine, water and an oracle or two made Greece our destination for 2018. After a visit to the library to check out every Greece and Turkey travel book in San Diego County, we settled on this 2 week itinerary:

Depart LAX for Mykonos (via Athens) ………stay Mykonos for 2 days with an excursion to the island of Delos….

Next stop is Santorini, the island famous for it’s blue-domed houses and deep blue waters. We’ll stay here for 3 days

Then, on to Rhodes, which once boasted the historical Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. The monument may no longer be standing but the island is chock full cobblestone streets and fortified old towns.

From Rhodes, we’ll head over to Marmaris, Turkey. The primary draw for visiting Turkey is to get up to Ephesus but we found that taking a ferry to the southern end of the country offers a great deal on seaside resorts with rock bottom prices–so we’ll indulge in the island life for a bit. We plan to hire a private guide to tour Ephesus on one of our days in Turkey.

Finally, we’ll fly north to Athens and spend 3 days touring the crumbling landmarks of that ancient city. The Acropolis, Agora and lots of temple ruins should satisfy the inner goddess in me.