Omg my legs are feeling it today lol. Totally worth the views from yesterday though. Today we made our way towards Florence. First stop was Lucca - an old, still has its Renaissance walls, town. It was pretty - didn't find there was anything particularly amazing, just the overall vibe was nice. I still marvel that none of our kids have been hit by a car or honked at - not the greatest at sticking to one side of the road, let's just say... and things get quite narrow! We ate lunch at this really nice cafe - prosciutto and cheese, warmed up - just to die for. Next up was San Gimignano. We had a little bit of time to explore - then we had a guided tour. It's beautiful with the towers all over ... read more

Short one today - long driving day today broken up by some wonderful little stops. First things first though - the view this morning from the hotel was awesome. I was in a nook, so didn't really get a great photo, but you're really nestled in the alps. Woke up, opened my window to hear birds chirping, church bells ringing and could just smell and breath fresh air. So glorious. First stop was the much anticipated stop at Swarovski's Crystal Garden - museum, store and playground all in one! I'll be back next year, so I didn't explore the grounds, but I did look at the museum and of course the store where I got myself a few goodies. It was really fun watching the kids shop - some had shopping lists from their mom/sisters lol, ... read more

We started our morning with a bus tour pretty much just around the ring road - literally a road that rings around the Old Town. We drove by a lot of statues and important buildings. We also drove by Stadtpark which gave me an idea for later. We then stopped at a Hundertwasser building - a famous artist/architect. Hundertwasser House is a low-income apartment but decorated/created in a very unique and quirky style. Different apartments are different colours, there's all these random details on the outside, it's all green-space on top, and there's not a single straight-line anywhere. I loved it. I also loved watching the kids... we had about 15 min there and honest to God they spent more time taking pictures with a red phone booth (like what they have in London) than they ... read more

And as the trip winds down (noooooo) I figured I wanted to try Blue Lagoon when it's frigid outside. Sure, it's great and comfy in the middle of summer, but I was curious (despite the stupid price) to see what it's like in winter. I don't like tourists traps and I generally do my best to avoid them unless I have a good deal... but this is the rare one that I keep going back to, price be damned, and it didn't disappoint. So, the water has silica, algae and an assortment of minerals in it - it's actually a weird milky white if you scoop a bit out in your hand, but it's the sun's reflection is what gives it the gorgeous colour in the lagoon. Since it has all the stuff in it, the ... read more

2 notes first: I added in photos for yesterday's post about the Golden Circle, if interested Nothing weird is happening to me on this trip...?? it feels so unlike me to not have weird travel moments. Ok nothing weird other than the 10-11 cashier guy talking to me about horror movies Ok so last night! The forecast weather-wise was in our favour, but the aurora forecast was pretty low... regardless they take you out with the idea that if you don't see them at all you can re-book. I was really hoping I wouldn't have to re-book because getting back at 1am is just too much 2 nights in a row lol. We actually bussed back to Thingvellir park (but a different area) and were essentially let loose in a giant parking lot lol. Literally just ... read more