Day 14

This morning I had an awesome breakfast date with Rohan. We had breakfast in the hotel, croissants, cereal, juice, and scrambled eggs. Chocolat croissants with raspberry jam are the bomb!!

The we were off to Musee L'Orangerie to see waterlilies. We then wandered around Le Tulliries and had lunch. Then it was off to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Venus Di Millo. We split up after the Louvre and the girls went shopping.

We love the soldes!! (aka SALES). A new suitcase was purchased to get the new purchases home! (Not it). We returned to the Ritz via taxi, driven by someone who did not know where the Ritz was, but we made it!

We changed into warmer clothes, stopped for a drink at Hemingway's Bar and then we were off to the Tour Eiffel. We had tickets to the first level @ 10:30 pm, and once we were there we got tickets to the very top!! When we made it back down to the ground we headed to dinner at Pizza Pino - Sarah's favorite place to eat in Paris. Then we went back to the hotel, gathered up our charges and off to bed. Tomorrow will be here way to early.


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Location:Paris, France

Day 13 Paris

Morning came early today, we needed to be on an 8:30 am train from Lucern to Basel, so we could catch our 10:05 train to Paris! We had a lovely ride through the countryside, but the clouds kept getting darker and darker as we made our way to Paris. When we arrived at Gard de l'Est it was pouring down rain.

We checked in at the Ritz Paris and the bundled up and we were off to the Musee D'Orsey, along with everybody else in Paris. (The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays). We returned to the Ritz and Sarah took one for the team by watching four children, while suffering from a migraine so that the rest of us could go to Hemingway's Bar for drinks, and then out to dinner.

Tomorrow we are sleeping in (meaning, I will be up at six) and then we are off to more museums!!!!


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Location:Paris, France

Day 12 Luzern

We started our day off early today, taking two backpacks and on roll aboard to the laundry. It is great, you drop you clothes off and by the end of the day your clothed are cleaned and folded, at a fraction of the hotel laundry rates!

We then wandered around looking for the pharmacy, ATM, and for a pastry shop for a bite of breakfast, before meeting the rest of the family for a traditional Swiss meal and entertainment.

After lunch we did a little shopping, saw the Sleeping Lion sculpture, explored the glacier museum, stopped for more cake, explored a little more if the city. Then returned to the laundry to pick up our clean clothes.

After a short rest at the hotel we headed back to the Chinese restaurant from yesterday for more noodles and lemongrass chicken.

Now we are packing again - tomorrow we are off to Paris!

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Location:Luzern, Switzerland

Day 11

This morning we got on the Wilhelm Tell express. This is a train ride and paddle boat ride to Luzern, Switzerland. Even though it was a gloomy overcast day the greenness and vibrancy of the Swiss Alps was able to pop.

I have never seen water as blue as Lake Luzern. It was this awesome opulent blue.

When we arrived in Lucern we checked into our hotel, and then seven of us hopped on Taxi's to go to the English language version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. It was crazy watching the movie with both German and French subtitles. And there was an intermission!

After the movie we went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant close to the hotel, the lemongrass chicken and glass noodles with veggies were very yummy! On our way back to the hotel we stopped by the casino to check it out, but we did not do any gambling.


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Location:Cernobbio & Luzern

Day 10

After breakfast the children where given the option of staying at the kids camp or coming on the ferry to Bellagio. They chose to go to the kids camp. So the adults headed to the 11:15 ferry to Bellagio. We got sidetracked at the shoe store and ended up on the 12:15 ferry to Bellagio. Two hours later we ended up in Bellagio, it was a great leisurely cruise up the lake.

We hiked up into the city and found a little ristorante for lunch, guess what we had? Pasta and pizza! Then we wandered around town a little and tried to find a gelatoria, ended up at an ice cream window, and then headed back to the ferry to Cernobbio.

Our boat back was a paddle boat We sat outside, played cards and watched for George Clooney's Villa on our way back to the village.

We then sat on the patio and had bellini's before heading to an authentic Italian restaurant off the beaten path in Cernobbio. We had one more trip for gelato and then off to bed. Tomorrow we head to Luzern, Switzerland.

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Location:Cernobbio

Day 9 - Cernobbio

We all slept in this morning, a well needed rest. After breakfast I saw the hotel doctor because I had three infected bug bites from Mykonos. After getting a prescription for some antibiotics we explored the grounds of Villa D'Este. What beautiful gardens and fountains, against the lake background. Truly amazing.

We lunched in town on pasta and gelato, did a little window shopping, and then I needed to return to our room and prepare for a job interview. I am hoping that it went well and I might have a job when I return to Seattle.

After my interview I joined the family back at the restaurant we dined at last night for pasta and pizza! It was fabulous, again!

When we were done my goddaughter and I returned to the hotel for some quality time and then it was time for bed. Tomorrow we are going to take the ferry to Bellagio. (And I am not talking about the casino in Vegas!)


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Location:Cernobbio

Day 8

We had an early morning this morning because we wanted to make it to the World Heritage site of Delos. We had a 30 minutes boat ride in choppy seas to get there, but the visit left an impression that is priceless. The realization that civilization goes so far back, and the size of the homes and the sanitation systems in the first and second centuries makes ones mind marvel. What makes this even more impressive is the buildings where dry stacked, meaning there was no cement or glue holding these structures together. Massive underground cisterns to collect rain water, with arches that supported the structure overhead that are still intact in the 21st century. Mind blowing!

We then visited the site where legend says Apollo and Artemis where born. It is guarded by some lovely lion statues. Then it was back to our boat and back to the hotel for breakfast.

All to soon it was time to leave Mykonos and fly to Milan. I can now add another country to the places I've been!

After collecting our bags we hopped in cars and headed to the town of Cernobbio, on Lake Como. We checked into Villa D'Este and then set off to explore the town and find dinner! Pasta and pizza where on the agenda for the evening. After dinner we found a Gelato stand and then walked down to the lake and enjoyed an evening stroll around the fountain and then back to our rooms.

Since it was Bastille day there were fireworks on the lake. It was a magnificent show, lots of color and even some that where shot into the water, before they would shoot into the sky! I will add the six minutes of video when I get home!

Then it was time to go to bed. Tomorrow will be another full day!

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Location:Mykonos & Cernobbio

Day 7

For our last full day in Mykonos we started with homework time, the boys did their work and I wrote postcards! We also sent the laundry out to Ornos so we could have clean clothes for the rest of our trip (A huge savings over having the laundry done at the resort!)

Then we walked into Ornos for lunch before heading to the beach for our last full day in Greece. We swam, we floated, the kids went out on a Jet ski, we built waterworks. A fun time was had by all!

We then headed into Hellos for our last dinner on Mykonos. Tonight the kids suggested street food. We started with roasted corn, then had gyros, sausages, and half a chicken. Then we went for ice cream at our favorite location, did a little more shopping and then headed back to pack!


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Location:Mykonos

Day 6

What a view to wake up too. We started our day with breakfast and then we headed to the beach.

Even with turning over every fifteen minutes, I became a little pink. We then had lunch at the beach restaurant before going back to the beach for naps or quiet time in the sun. Maybe this is when the burning happened. We finished up our afternoon with a little homework time and reading by the pool.

Then it was back into town for dinner and ice cream. Tonight we had fusion Greek food. It was very interesting, bacon wrapped helumi cheese, spinach crepe, and Greek style porkchops.

Yum. Tomorrow is our last full day in Mykonos, it will be hard to say goodbye to such a beautiful location.

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Location:Mykonos

Day 5

We woke up to a beautiful blue sky this morning. The boys started their daily work and then it was off to breakfast. When we returned we were going to do a little more work to finish up, then have some pool time, but our work took longer than expected and we ended up skipping the pool and headed into town for lunch.

After lunch Aarti, Sarah and I headed shopping while the rest of the family headed back for beach time. We found a few trinkets and some clothes. We had a snack - more baked cheese anyone? And then we found a Taxi to take us back to the hotel.

I jumped in the pool for about an hour with the kids, then it was time for a shower and then off to another town for dinner. The sunset as we were leaving our hotel was gorgeous!



When we arrived at dinner we walked into the kitchen area off the restaurant and picked what we wanted for dinner, it was awesome!

I can not wait for our next adventure!


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Day 4 Mykonos

We left the Beau Rivage in Geneva at 4:30 am for a 6:00 am flight to Zurich, where we caught a 7:50 am flight to Mykonos.
The flight was a little bumpy, but the German eye-candy helped a little.

When we arrived (and the passengers clapped for our rough landing, it is a little windy) Jamie, Kalpana and Leela picked us up at the airport. After a short ride, Jamie is learning to drive like the Greeks, we made it to the Santa Marina. It is beautiful here, we have a great view of the cove and the crazy huge yachts is the cove.

We went into town for lunch, I have given up my vegetarian ways for this trip, and I have the lamb with lemon sauce. All I can say is yum. We followed up lunch with a trip to the ice cream stand and a walk through town.

Upon returning to the Santa Marina we went down a kazillion stairs to the beach for an afternoon of swimming, tanning and playing in the sand. We then got to walk back up a kazillion stairs to get ready to go to dinner.

We walked to a great little restaurant close to the hotel. And had an enjoyable meal with great conversation. Then it was back to the hotel where we were going to have a golf cart take us back up the hill, but the boys said we could walk up, so we did, and we ended up in the bar for drinks and ice cream.

It was a long but exciting day. I am falling in love with Greece, do we have to go home?



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Location:Mykonos

Day 3

Today is the final day of the 2011 Kiwanis International Convention. We had a late start this morning, we woke up about 30 minutes before we needed to leave for the Polexpo. We arrived for a luncheon where we were honored to be present as Dr. Gasse shared his passion for the Eliminate project and invigorated the crowd around this project - the Kiwanians are on board and ready to Eliminate MNT by 2015. Jamie Lee Curtis was in attendance and received a Tetanus shot from Dr Gasse.

Then it was off to the closing ceremonies, Jamie Lee Curtis was the Key Note speaker and the entertainment was provided by a duo called Space Violins. Kiwanis International has pledged to raise 110 Million US Dollars for the Eliminate Project. Their goal for the end of the weekend was to raise 2 million, by the time they left Geneva they had raised 4 Million. Please let me know if you would like to donate to the project and I will be more that willing to assist.

We left the Polexpo and headed back to our Hotel, we had been warned that there was a parade scheduled, but it would probably be over before we retuned. It was still going strong when we finally (after a few detours) made it back to our hotel. We changed and went down to have Tea and watch the crowd. It was amazing.

Tomorrow Carrie and the girls head back to Seattle and Aarti and I head on to Mykonos!

Bon Soir


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Location:Geneva, Switzerland

Day 2

We started our day with a lovely breakfast at the Hotel Beau-Rivage before heading over to the Polexpo for a morning of Kiwanis Conferences. Carrie was a guest speaker, telling her story about how she became involved with the EliMiNaTe project and UNICEF.



After her rockstar presentation we headed into old town Geneva where we had a great lunch, per the recommendation of our taxi driver. We then toured the excavation site under Cathedral St Pierre.

Then it was off to a meeting at the UNICEF headquarters to hear about the progress various programs are making and the goals for the future. When we finished at UNICEF we explored the arboretum and walked up to play in the fountain in front of the United Nations. A great way to cool off before we went back to the Polexpo for a reception with the Kiwanis.

Our final event for the evening was a dinner with various UNICEF staff and Dr Francois Gasse, the leading expert in the field of MNT and the immunization of world against Tetanus. (Quick fact it only takes $1.80 to protect a mother and her newborn child from Tetanu, three $0.60 shots over 6 months)

The day was full, but the information learned is invaluable.


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Location:Geneva, Switzerland

Day 1 - Geneva

Yes, my jetlag plan worked like a charm. If only our flights would have been on time we would have made it to Geneva in time for the opening of the Kiwanis International meeting in time to hear Dr. Jane Goodall speak. You win some, you lose some and today we gained four extra hours in the (H)Amsterdam airport. We all made it onto the same flight (I was on stand-by, ask me at a later time about booking tickets to Europe) and made it to Geneva in time for the Kiwanis Gala Dinner. It is now late and we have an early moring, more later!

And we are off again, in 13 hours.

So how do you counter jet lag? My solution is to stay up for at least 24 hours before getting on a 1 pm flight to Europe, especially when I need to be alert and responsive when getting to our final destination. That way I can get on the nine hour flight to Amsterdam and sleep the whole flight. Wish me luck!


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Location:Seattle, WA