Over dinner last night and again this morning, we went around the table and did our trip superlatives. Everyone had to pick their favorites across a bunch of categories, and it got competitive fast. Best accommodation was all over the map: Sofie picked Naxos, Lukas and Chad went Switzerland, and I picked Portugal. Top three places though? Naxos was unanimous across all four of us. After that it split. Sofie went Dolomites and London, Lukas said Portugal and Paris, Chad had Dolomites and London, and I went Dolomites and Portugal.

Best meals got fun. Lukas picked the Mexican in Lagos, the lamb skewers in Athens, and the gyro pita in Naxos. Sofie said Greek food, the Mexican in Lagos (apparently that place made an impression), and the smash burger takeout in Lagos. Chad went lamb skewers in Athens, mussels in Naxos, and the British pub with a Guinness during the England game. I picked the gyro pita in Naxos, Rotanda, and the shrimp risotto in Lisbon. Best vibes: Sofie said Naxos for the clear water and beach, Lukas picked Portugal for the beach town feel, Chad said Athens for the chill food and coffee (Freddo Cappuccino forever), and I went Naxos.

Then we did top five memories. Chad had six because he's special. Sofie: Disneyland, F1 Race, the Seceda hike, Warner Bros Studio, kayaking in Lagos. Lukas: going to Europe (the whole thing, just the fact of it), surfing, Warner Bros Studio, Disneyland, F1 Race. Chad: F1, surfing, the Seceda hike, watching the England game in a pub, Super Panda Circus, and driving a Sidekick in Naxos. Mine: visiting with family in Dresden, F1 Race, the Seceda hike, surfing, and kayaking in Lagos. Naxos, the Dolomites, and the F1 race kept showing up on everyone's lists. Pretty telling.

And that's it. 52 days. Four of us. One parking ticket of unknown value. We did it.

Me and Lukas hit the pool one last time in Lagos before we loaded up the car and pointed it toward Lisbon. Straight shot up the coast. Dropped the car off at the hotel and set out to squeeze as much of Lisbon as we could into our final hours.

First stop was Time Out Market. Crazy busy but always cool to try different things. Fish balls with cheese happened. A proper pastel de nata happened. So good. So different than what you get back home. It was more of a food tour than a walking tour, honestly, but we hit the pink street, saw the elevator cars, wandered the shopping streets. The kids grabbed a few new pieces for school.

And then there was the gelato. Not once. Not twice. Three times. I couldn't get enough. Pineapple mint first, then lemon basil (incredible), then back for another pineapple mint. Probably the most refreshing gelato I've ever had. Lemon basil and pineapple mint had me absolutely hooked. We also found a really great coffee shop, apparently one of the top 100 best coffee shops in the world or something. Selfie game has been strong this trip.

We checked into our hotel just after 6 and headed out for one final dinner. Hit up Contraband Mexican for a toast to a once in a lifetime experience the four of us will never forget.

10 countries. 14 stops. 10 books read by Sofie and a 22-day Duolingo streak for Lukas' German. Hearts are super full having gotten to spend so much time together.

Last full day in Lagos. Day 50 of the trip. We did exactly what we wanted to do, which was all our favourite things one more time. Ocean bowls, poolside hangs, games, and just soaking it in.

Even got a little poolside workout in between rounds of doing absolutely nothing. The kind of day where you earn your relaxation with a few sets and then immediately undo it by not moving for two hours.

Chad and I took a sunset stroll along the coast to close things out. Beautiful view, SUPER windy and chilly, and the clouds blocked the actual sunset, but it was a perfect way to end our last day here. Catching one last sunset with my ride or die.

After we got back, Chad asked Lukas if he wanted to take a quick dip in the pool. Lukas was PUMPED. This is all he's wanted to do since we got here, go swimming when the pool lights are on. I decided to surprise them and jump in too. Windy and chilly but we didn't care.

Sofie was on video duty, and when she ran to let us back into the condo she ran straight into the glass patio door. Left a full nose, mouth, and chin smudge on the glass. We were all dying. Wish we had THAT on video. Memories all around for the whole fam. What a way to close out the most amazing trip.

The kids spent a lot of time together on their own today and it just melted my heart. After the massages we all posted up by the pool for the afternoon. No agenda, no sightseeing, just sun and water and doing absolutely nothing.

Headed into Lagos for dinner. The town keeps delivering on food and we keep showing up for it.

Post-dinner walk with these goofballs. And you probably guessed it, we made a quick stop at Lidl for our bottle return and picked up some yogurt and buns to redeem the refund voucher. The bottle return system has become a whole routine at this point.

We had big plans this morning. The Seven Valleys hike was on the schedule, but the heat had other ideas. It would have been a 40-minute drive plus a 10-minute uber just to reach the starting point, and with a 7am wake-up there was no way we'd actually be walking before 9. No shade on that trail. I was getting nervous about it, and honestly the kids were thrilled when we called the audible and decided to just walk the boardwalk along the cliffs instead.

About 3km in, even the "easy" version was scorching. Little by little the kids started losing their patience with the heat. Can't blame them. But the views along those cliffs were wild, and we pushed through enough to feel like we'd earned the end.

Chad and Lukas jumped straight into the ocean at the end of the walk to cool down. We grabbed an uber back, had lunch, and I snuck in a nap. I stayed out of the sun the rest of the day and caught up on a bunch of work, which was honestly a welcome call. The boys spent the afternoon working and drawing.

Three more nights in Lagos. Not ready to leave.

Then it was time for a grocery run at our usual spot, Intermarche. We also brought along our 10+ empty 1.5L water bottles to return for a refund because that's how it works here in Europe. BUT the machine was still broken. So we're just... hauling empties around now. Also, can we talk about the nutritional scoring on food here? Every product has a letter grade right on the front. A and B's are a go. C's are a sometimes food. The rest are a no go. So easy. Already dreading going back to the stuff at home and having to avoid yogurt and milk.

The rest of the day was a whatever-you-want-to-do kind of day. Mostly that meant hanging by the pool. Chad and Lukas did a CrossFit Games workout though, swimming laps and burpees. I thought for sure Lukas would need to scale the swimming since Chad's taller and has bigger strokes. I was wrong. Lukas was determined he didn't need to scale it. He crushed his dad.

During the morning grocery trip, Chad had made sure we had everything we needed so we wouldn't have to go back tomorrow. We were positive we had it all. I get the sense he hates going there. Then around 5 we headed inside and realized we were out of toilet paper. A little weak of the host to not have more available, but all good. So back to the store we went. We came for the TP and then some.

We've both always wanted to try surfing. Like, always. And somehow in all our travels we'd never been anywhere to actually do it. Lagos was the spot. We booked a 2.5 hour lesson yesterday, originally set for 9 am, but got a message last night that it changed to noon. Portuguese time. People are never on time and always underestimate the travel time.

So we headed into Lagos town around 11 and hit up Coffee and Waves again for acai bowls. Kind of perfect for the day ahead. From there the surf shop loaded us up and drove us about 50 minutes out to the west coast. Beautiful sandy beach. We got our wetsuits on (I'm a bit claustrophobic apparently, and getting into a wet wetsuit took every ounce of calmness I had not to panic). We each grabbed our board and headed down this long boardwalk staircase, then trotted through soft sand for probably a kilometer to get to the right spot. Then we waited another 30 minutes because of the tide. Surfing is a whole lot of waiting for the right conditions. You don't really realize that.

Into the Water

Sofie and Lukas went with one instructor who had the four kids in the group. We were all heading into the water and didn't have the camera ready to catch Sofie get up on her board. She's the most cautious and was super nervous, so watching her pop up was so exciting. Until she went down, got hammered by a wave, and taken out by the board. That left her pretty shook up. These waves were no joke. They were supposed to be beginner waves this time of year but at one part of the beach you just kept getting hammered. It was HARD work and definitely looks a lot easier than it actually is.

My first attempt going in was less successful. Trying to battle the waves was insane and I kept getting plowed. I was heading back toward the beach to chill with Sofie and got nailed on the head by the surf board. So Sofie and I just sat on the sand for a bit with another young dude who'd just gotten his eyebrow cut open by someone else's board. It was wild. The instructors ended up moving everyone further down the beach where the water was less unruly, and that's where things clicked. I went back in because I wanted to give it a fair shot. So glad I did. Got up on the board a few times with a smile on my face.

Lukas crushed it like we all knew he would. Such a natural athlete. And I got up not once but four times. I've always wanted to say I stood up on a surfboard and now I can. Sofie tried it and got up on her knees, then decided this was more so not for her. Can't blame her. These were the biggest waves I've seen in person. What was supposed to be a 2.5 hour lesson turned into a full day. Hearts are full. Bodies are sore.

Got home, had work meetings, and ordered smash burgers from Uber Eats for a lazy dinner. They were so good. Then worked till after 1 in the morning. The part people don't see. Late night work sessions after a full day of getting pummeled by the Atlantic.

We're into our final week. It's hard to believe. London, Paris, and Greece feel like they were so long ago, but also like we just left. That weird time-warp thing that only happens on long trips.

Lukas has started scheming up ways to make money so he can save for his Celebration Set, and Chad's body is absolutely crushed, especially after adding a run into the mix this morning. So Lukas gets a workforce and Chad gets free labor disguised as entrepreneurship. Win-win.

Six days. That's it. Wild.

We're really just winging it at this point. No real plans, just a loose list of things we'd like to do. This morning we walked down to the beach to see if the kayak tour booth still had availability for the 10am slot. The group was capped at 12 but Cristiano made it work and added us to his group of 11. Sofie and I paired up, the boys paired up. Cristiano was a phenomenal guide.

Kayaking along the coastline and going into the caves felt like living IN a postcard. Some had cool holes in the ceiling letting light pour through, others were just very small coves you had to duck into. The water was very cold but also super refreshing while you're out there paddling. We hit about 10 caves on the itinerary before Cristiano told us we were 5km in. It was both a relief and a disappointment to hear we were getting towed back. We felt like it was a good way to get a workout in, but once we got back to the beach we could already feel it in our arms. So maybe the tow was a good thing.

We were all pretty tired in the afternoon. We'll be feeling that tomorrow for sure.

Hit the old town after. Empanadas, then meatballs, then gelato, then the grocery store again. That's just the rotation at this point.

Chad and I decided to hit the little farmers market that only runs on Saturdays. The market was cute. Lots of olive oils, nuts, local fruits, chilli peppers. I picked up some flowers, because given how long we're in Lagos, why not? I love flowers. Some people see it as a waste of money since they die but they brighten my days and bring me so much joy when I walk by and see them sitting on the counter. Even at home I always have them around.

The kids made their own breakfast and went about their morning. Sofie is about to wrap up her 9th book and Lukas is deep into Pokemon, stressing that his celebration sets will be sold out as soon as they come out. Chad and I enjoyed our breakfast on the balcony while Lukas headed down to the pool.

Rest of the day was nice and easy. Poolside, researching what we want to see and do while we're here. We're super central to everything so tons of options. We did decide to squeeze in a little fitness poolside though. 100 squats, 80 sit ups and v sits, 60 push ups, 40 lunges, 20 burpees. Lukas crushed us.

Also, heatless curls by Sofie with socks. 10/10 recommend.

We walked to the coffee shop and had an incredible breakfast. Peanut toast for Lukas, avocado toast for Sofie, an acai bowl for Chad, and papaya with yogurt, granola, honey and berries for me. That papaya situation was pure deliciousness. Definitely making that as an afternoon snack back home.

Afterward we ended up wandering toward the market and poking around the surf shops, bathing suit shops, and souvenir spots as they opened up. We spent way more time in the old town than we anticipated but we'll definitely go back.

The fish market was an experience. The kids and Chad couldn't stand the smell. I tried to scope out salmon filets for dinner but got worried about lugging fish back to the car in the heat and then leaving it there while we did a full grocery run.

We came back to the Airbnb and spent the rest of the day poolside while Chad was up on the deck taking a jam-packed day of work meetings.

Lukas woke up this morning and said in the saddest little voice, "we're going to our final destination." He's been waking up the past few mornings feeling a bit down that the trip is going by so fast. Honestly, same. It's been such a fun and amazing summer. So many memories, a lot of laughs, only a couple of tiffs. I feel very grateful we've gotten to spend SO much time together as a family.

We dropped the rental car off and headed into the departures lounge at Zurich. Every flight here in Europe so far has offered to check our hand luggage free of charge because the plane is full. Of course we take them up on it every time. For those wondering about the luggage situation: two check bags and then we each have our own rolling carry on. The check bags at this point are basically shoes (yes, all 12 pairs), Jagermeister bottles, a bottle of wine, and a bunch of chocolates and candy from Germany. We really haven't bought much at all. It helps to be restricted with your luggage.

Lagos Bound

Landing in Lisbon was a breeze. Travelling within the Schengen countries has been so easy. We haven't had to deal with the long wait times that other travellers are reporting at passport controls. The one time we needed to go through, the kids and I used our European passports and Chad, being the only Canadian, was able to tag along with us. Picked up a new rental car that looks like it's from space, and pointed it south toward Lagos.

The drive was about three hours. We stopped at a supermarket on the way and grabbed rotisserie chicken with rice and potatoes for dinner, plus the basics for breakfast and more fresh OJ. Fresh orange juice in Europe hits different. The Airbnb is another great find, a whole new look and feel compared to everywhere else we've stayed. Portugal already feels like its own thing.

Left the house at 7:30 to make the hour drive out to Bannalpsee. We'd been watching the forecast and there were thunderstorms threatening later in the day, so we wanted to get up there while the views were still clear. Also, speed ticket count is officially at 2. We both saw the flash go off in the mountain tunnel. Cool.

Took the cable car up. Can you guess who wasn't too keen on that? The lake was worth the ride though. Lukas wanted to take a dip in the cold water, and he really does pull Chad out of his comfort zone with stuff like that.

We hiked around a bit, soaked it all in, and then headed back down before the weather turned. After we got back to the Airbnb we just chilled for the rest of the day. Earned it.

Most of the day was a work day. Meetings, calls, ear buds in, walking around town between sessions. But even on a work day, we ate well. Kristin made an incredible gnocchi with speck for dinner and it was delicious. Home cooked meals in Switzerland are saving us because, wow, this country is expensive.

We headed into Lucerne around 4pm. It's a cute little city but being there confirmed we made the right call with the Airbnb outside of town. Just to put it in perspective: we were getting gelato scoops for 1.50 to 2.00 euro across Greece and Italy. Here, one scoop was 5 CHF, which is about $8.75 CAD, and the scoops were half the size. The worst part? The kids said it tasted "ok." After weeks of Italian gelato, Switzerland never stood a chance.

We did window shop all the watch stores though. Lukas was trying to convince us to buy one but, uh, not in the market currently lol. We grabbed some Laderach Frischschoggi instead. Went with Dubai chocolate and caramel, only 100g of each because it would have cost us a downpayment on a car otherwise.

Walked around Lucerne for a bit after that and headed back home. Stopped at a shop on the way and here is what $50 CAD got us: budget Swiss chocolate (which is delish), budget cheese to make grilled cheese with leftover bread, Landjager for our hike tomorrow, and a mini Toblerone pack. Switzerland, man.

About halfway through, we stopped at a grocery store while still in Austria since everything in Switzerland costs roughly one million dollars. Grabbed a hot lunch there too, which was actually great, and loaded up on supplies before crossing the border. At 1:08pm we crossed from Austria into the tiny country of Liechtenstein, and by 1:12pm we were in Switzerland. Four minutes of Liechtenstein. That's the whole experience.

We arrived at our Airbnb and it is a gem. We actually booked this place just three days ago when we were in the Dolomites and realized we didn't want to be stuck inside a hotel room for three nights. Got super lucky finding it so last minute. Given how expensive Switzerland is, it's nice to be able to make our own coffee, have breakfast, lunch, and dinner without eating out every meal. The place has plenty of room and it already feels like home base.

Also, shoutout to Oakley who was racing today at the corgi races in Fort Erie. Coming in as the defending champion, he didn't quite match yesterday's performance but came in second in his heat. A little distraction at the start line cost him a couple seconds. Still number 1 in our hearts.

Slept in this morning. No alarms, no rush. Got up and went for another epic breakfast, which is becoming one of the best parts of the routine here.

Then we headed out on the trail into the Vallunga Valley. 12km out and back, flat the whole way. No elevation, just wide open spaces between two massive mountains. A nice change of pace after yesterday's big hike. Cows everywhere with cowbells clanging across the valley, which honestly never gets old. We stopped along the way to do some bouldering on the rocks, and we hit a couple of those barefoot trails they have set up along the path. Really cool experience. Some of the surfaces were fun and some were more painful than others.

Back in town we grabbed buns and lunch meat from the grocery store and made our own lunch at the hotel. Chilled for a while. Then headed out for ice cream sundaes as a late afternoon snack, which is when the afternoon thunderstorm rolled through. Full downpour. So we spent some time in the sauna and spa and steam room, which was not a bad backup plan at all. Grabbed a few more things from the grocery store for a makeshift dinner.

The village is such a fairy tale spot. I can see us coming back to an Alps-style village like this and just living. Really great few days here.

Started the morning with an incredible breakfast buffet at the hotel. Lukas probably took at least eight trips up and was very excited about the little Nutella jars. The kid is a machine.

We drove about five minutes to the gondola, which took us halfway up Seceda. From there it was an estimated 1.5 to 2 hour hike to the top, and we knocked it out in an hour and a half. Lukas wasn't bothered by the hike at all. Sofie let out a few groans along the way, but here's the thing about Sofie. She'll put her head down and just grind it through. We knew she'd be fine. Once we were at the top she said it was absolutely worth the hike and called it the best hike she's ever done. Even rated it in her top 5 experiences of the entire trip. The views were just incredible, completely breathtaking... no, but seriously, just unreal up there.

Lunch at the Hut

We stopped for lunch on the way back down at one of the little huts along the trail. There are tons of them scattered on the descent. The food was delicious, and the hut also had rabbits. The kids spent the entire time with the bunnies and are now of course asking for a rabbit. So that's fun.

After we got back to the hotel, we did a quick workout in the hotel gym and then went down to grab a coffee. Ended up calling the kids to see if they wanted to join us for a sundae instead. They did.

Driving day. We headed south toward the Dolomites, through South Tirol, which is technically Italy but doesn't really feel like it yet. Stopped in Innsbruck at a grocery store because I've been craving one very specific thing since we got to Germany: meatloaf on a bun. Finally got it. Worth the stop.

On the way we swung through Red Bull Hangar 7, which was very cool. Italian espresso in hand. Lots of laughs, as usual.

The hotel is great. Not as remote as it looked in the pictures online, but that actually works in our favor because it's super convenient to hikes and the condo. Sofie is wondering if we accidentally booked the honeymoon suite because the bedding was arranged in a heart shape on the bed. We did not. Probably. The place has a sauna and a beautiful backyard that we will definitely be taking advantage of over the next few days.

Early start today. And by early I mean out the door by 8, which for us on this trip is basically dawn. Stopped at a bakery for buns, cold cuts, and cheese to eat on the road, then pointed the car toward Hallstatt. The drive through the Alps was gorgeous. Now picture this: cruising through the mountains, shifting down, shifting up, feeling the turns and bends through the passes. Sounds very cool. What we were actually cruising through the Alps in was... less cool. Let's just say the car did not match the fantasy.

Hallstatt was super cute. It's overcrowded these days but we arrived before the masses showed up and decided to take an electric boat out on the lake. Our captain took us around and it was so worth it. Sofie and Lukas loved the little town. Grabbed coffee and some really good gelato. Apparently people think Hallstatt is the town that inspired Frozen, but sounds like that's just a rumour.

Sound of Music Tour

We left Hallstatt and stopped at Mondsee for lunch and to see the church from The Sound of Music. Then back toward Salzburg, where the first order of business was... laundry. Our Airbnb doesn't have a machine and we were running dangerously low on undergarments. Dropped a load at the laundromat, set a timer for 30 minutes, and speed-walked over to Mirabell Gardens. Another Sound of Music filming location. Another super clean and pristine garden. It was really hot today.

Back for the laundry, then home to dry it. Chad had work meetings while the rest of us chilled. Around 6 we headed back out to explore Old Town Salzburg, only to realize the city basically shuts down at 7pm. Most of the stores were already closing.

The Fortress Gamble

We wanted to go up to the fortress but it was 7:30 and it closed at 8. Not worth 60 euro for half an hour. So we took a gamble and walked up anyway, secretly hoping some kind soul would let us in at a discount. But... we got in for free. Just walked right in. Wandered around and caught a bit of the sunset over Salzburg. You know me, I'm a sucker for a good sunset. Lukas got his energy out working on those uphill skater strides. Then back home for a very late night of work.

Said goodbye to Budapest this morning and hopped on a five hour train to Salzburg. Sofie has now read seven books on this trip. Life with a Kobo addict. She was buried in it for most of the ride.

Once we got in and dropped our stuff, we headed to a palace where they have these trick fountains all over the grounds. We all had a blast. The kids kept getting sprayed and kept going back for more.

We also found the Sound of Music gazebo, which brought back lots of memories from when they put their play on with the girls. Had to get a photo obviously.

Wrapped the night with some more good food and beer before calling it a day. Salzburg is off to a good start.

That Thai massage from yesterday did the trick. Woke up feeling like a new person. Grateful for the little Asian lady who twisted and pulled my body in all sorts of directions. Did some work while everyone was still sleeping, and it was probably 10 am by the time we actually rolled out of the condo. Grabbed coffee and pastries on the way out and decided today was the day we'd finally check out the Buda side. Turns out one side of the river is called "Buda" and the other is called "Pest." You learn something new every day.

We walked up to Castle Hill and toured around the church, then made our way to Fisherman's Bastion. So beautiful up there. Postcard views everywhere you look. I keep finding myself drawn to the history here. Walking through these streets and wondering what life was like in 1945, 1950. You look at the apartment buildings and wonder who lived there, who was forced to leave. Europe has so much WWII history layered into every block and I'm absolutely drawn to it.

Hospital in the Rock

Chad found the Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum, tucked underneath Buda Castle. A hospital and nuclear bunker used in WWII, carved into the rock. It was a guided tour and this family does NOT like guided tours, but all four of us really enjoyed this one. It was really interesting. They wouldn't let us take any pictures inside (though if you google it, some rebels managed to sneak a few and post them online). The only photo we got was Sofie and I wearing nurse cloaks because the temperature in the underground tunnels is around 15 degrees C. Scary thought, what people had to live through down there. You really hope history doesn't repeat itself.

After that we headed back down the hill, grabbed buns, meat and cheese, and jumped on the metro back under the river to the Pest side. Lots of meetings today so the coffee shop became the office for three or four hours.

Wrapped up the day with Hungarian goulash again for dinner. Felt like the right way to cheers our stay in Budapest. Tomorrow we've got an early morning train to Salzburg.

Grabbed coffee with Kristin after breakfast, then she headed off for a Thai massage while I went back to hang with the kiddos and see who won the CrossFit Games.

Once everyone was ready we ventured out to the Pest side for a proper walkabout and to snap some photos. Found out pretty quick that Budapest is more expensive than we initially thought. Almost paid $40 for a bowl of goulash, which, no. Lunch plans kind of fizzled after that. Grabbed gelato and a chimney cake instead, then spotted a burger spot called Simon's and went for it. Took forever but it did the job. Headed back to get ready for some work meetings.

Found a coffee shop to camp out in and knocked out some work. Then the real payoff: headed out for a proper Hungarian dinner. Goulash, Hungarian stew, chicken paprikash. It was amazing.

This whole thing started because I looked up F1 races on a whim and realized the Hungarian Grand Prix lined up with dates we were flexible on. So we booked flights to Budapest. Did a bunch of research and decided grandstand seats were worth the money over general admission. Pricey for two adult tickets, but we grabbed cheaper kids tickets which made it a little more bearable. And honestly, sitting where we ended up? No regrets. We could see the start/finish line and all the pit stops. Bathrooms without line ups. Water refill stations. The seats were incredible.

We took public transit out at 9 to get there for 10:30. The race wasn't until 3, so we had hours to wander the fan zones, do some shopping, soak it all in. Picked up some buns, cold cuts, and cheese from Aldi for snacks. And of course we bought some gear like a real F1 fam.

The Race

I'm having a hard time articulating it. The fan experience, the lead up to the start, everything was so amazing. The sounds can't be explained. It's a feeling you have to feel for yourself. We each picked a driver to cheer for. Sofie picked Norris. Lukas picked Max. I was cheering for Antonelli. And Chad went with Lewis Hamilton. The finishing order? Norris won, Max came second, Antonelli third, Hamilton fourth. Top four in the exact order we picked them. Sofie was losing it. We watched the podium ceremony right from our seats.

Getting Out

Leaving the venue was chaos. Getting there had been super simple, about an hour. Subway, train, free shuttle. The way out? The line for the shuttle was insane. Imagine a ski hill lined up in a zigzag all the way to the top. We started walking and ended up beating the shuttle buses that passed us. They all sat in traffic. We walked 2km to a train station, cut up the side of a hill as a shortcut while everyone else waited in line. Waited about 10 minutes, got on the first train that pulled up. First ones off, walked to the subway and caught the one that was just leaving. At one point we asked how much for a taxi back. 150 euro. No thanks. We left the venue at 5:15 and got home at 7. Not too shabby.

I'll be honest, I'm a big sports guy but I've never really watched or kept up with F1. I think that has changed now.

Around noon we hit the road toward Budapest. About an hour into the drive we crossed the Slovakia border, and maybe half an hour after that we were into Hungary. Three countries in under two hours. Pretty simple drive, honestly. We also grabbed a few burgers from a place called Pickle before leaving Brno, which held us over nicely.

Dropped off the rental car and got to the Airbnb. Very, very Hungarian. Huge apartment decorated like your old Hungarian grandmother's place, lol. A bit out of style but super clean, which is really all we care about. Perfect location too. Groceries store right downstairs, three coffee shops close by, everything walkable. Kristin has been crushing the travel details and this one was no exception.

Langos and Late Night Walks

After chilling for a bit we went out for our first langos. Fried dough with sour cream and cheese. We got a Hungarian one with bacon bits and another with chicken paprikash. Yum. Delicious.

Later we went out for a late night chimney cake and gelato. One of the hotels nearby has an F1 racer staying there, so there were crowds gathered outside looking for autographs. Headed back to the apartment to try to catch up on the CrossFit Games. We're still two days behind.

Tomorrow is a big day. Our first ever F1 race.

Last breakfast in Dresden. A sad goodbye, as usual. This is the part where we tell ourselves we won't wait too long before we come back. Let's see what comes from it.

Prague Pit Stop

Made our way to Prague and went to U Fleku for lunch. You could never tell from the outside, but inside there's a massive beer garden and it's just a cool spot. We walked around for a couple hours after that. Busiest city we've seen on this whole trip, by far. Grabbed some smash burgers from Pickle, which were basically OG McDonald's burgers. Quick and good.

Checked out a bunch of the city on foot, snapped way too many photos, and got back on the road toward Brno. I used to come here for work and always loved it, so this one was personal. Splurged on a suite at the hotel, and sure enough, when I'm in charge of the hotel booking you end up in a suite 50m from the sweetest cocktail bar.

Finished the night at Super Panda Circus. I've been a few times and the experience is out of this world. You can't explain it. It's something you have to experience yourself.

Cold and rainy all day. Probably the first day that wasn't nice since we've been here. We had plans to go to the zoo but we chilled instead. Grabbed a local doner for lunch. Delicious. So good. Then afternoon coffee and cake, because that's what you do on a rainy day in Germany.

Took the host family out to dinner, which turned into an excellent traditional German meal. Finished up with some Jagermeister and beers. The kind of slow, easy day you don't plan but end up remembering.

We ended up at a pizza party with some Germans, and it turned into a proper hang. Aperol Spritz and Jagermeister flowing freely. That's a combination that says "we're on vacation and nobody's driving anywhere."

Lukas made a new friend, which is always the best part of these random social days. Kids don't need a shared language or a plan. They just find each other and figure it out.

After breakfast we hit the Titanic exhibit with the kids and Nancy. Cool to see, though a bit disappointing that the written sections weren't in English. Luckily they had a QR code that pulled up an English audio guide, so we made it work.

Late afternoon we walked over to the Altstadt to show the kids around. The Frauenkirche, the old streets, all of it. Of course we stopped for ice cream. German ice cream is the creamiest around and the cheapest. That's just a fact at this point.

Dinner with the Family

We met up with Kristin's family for dinner. Two aunts and two cousins. The food was delicious and it was great to catch up. And then the big moment: Sofie ordered her first alcoholic beverage. In Germany you can drink under your parents' supervision, and Kristin and Sofie have been talking about this happening the entire trip. So that happened.

Woke up and hit the grocery store first thing. The weather has been cold here all week, apparently a drastic change from the usual. Radeberger beer was on sale though. 9.99 euro for a case? Done.

Chad stayed back to work, so I loaded up the kids with Sigrid (my mom's best friend who's always been like an aunt to me) and her granddaughter and we drove out to the shopping centre. I showed the kids where I lived growing up. The building with the section that extends out and the brown brick on the right is the one my parents owned. The ice cafe was down below. Then we all went and got ice cream sundaes, because of course we did.

We did some shopping and another grocery run to stock up on all the treats we can't get back home, or that cost a fortune when we can find them. The good stuff.

Then we stopped by my friend's bridal shop. I stood up in her wedding back in 2018 and we used to chat about this dream of hers. A year later she went and made it happen. Pulling up to her store, seeing all the details she put together herself, learning she's grown it to two locations now. I wouldn't have expected anything less from her, but still. So proud of what she's built.

We came back and Lukas got down to work learning German. All afternoon. The kid is committed.

Ps. I love being here with my fam.

One thing I will not miss about Greece: disposing of the toilet paper in the bins instead of the toilet. Surprisingly tough habit to break, but we got used to it. The piping is too old and toilet paper would clog. We didn't want to put it to the test so we obliged.

Last night we sat on our balcony after finishing the bottle of wine the hotel gave us for free, just reflecting on our time in Greece. Hard to believe we were there for two whole weeks. That time flew by. Maybe because we visited three different places? My honest review: I'd 100% come back. I thought it was beautiful. I still rank our time in Makarska, Croatia in 2018 as my number one. It was less touristy, we had more of a local feel. The only thing there is you need water shoes because the water is rocky and they have sea urchins. For that reason alone, I loved the beaches in Greece a lot more. Athens was great, probably because of the neighborhood we stayed in. Naxos was beautiful and chill. Loved the laid back beach town feel. It's definitely going to be overrun with tourists as the years pass and they build more. Would go back in a heartbeat.

And then Santorini. Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I think Santorini was overrated. The white houses built on the cliff with blue dome tops are only a few of them. It's not all over the island and it's not something that immediately stands out. Tourists lining up to get the perfect Instagram shot when in reality they waited in line and had a 30 second timer ticking before the next person steps in. Just feels so fake. The location of our hotel was less than ideal, the food was not the best we had in Greece but was the most expensive. If you're reading this and planning on visiting, Santorini is still worth seeing, but a few small tweaks to how we did it and I think you'd enjoy it more. It's one of those places you feel like you need to see. Just lower your expectations.

We arrived in Berlin and picked up our VW. Hit 176 km/h on the Autobahn and were still getting passed. We stopped by my aunt's grave in Berlin. Going to Germany this time around feels a bit different. She was always the one to send a birthday video (even to Chad, who doesn't speak German), came to our wedding, and would never miss the kids' birthdays. Fun fact: we share our wedding anniversary with her birthday.

Even flying within Europe, you can still rack up a 12 hour travel day. We finally got to my family's place in Dresden at 6:30pm. In typical fashion, they invited their friends and had a big dinner prepped for us. It feels like home when we're here. Everyone is so welcoming. The drive from Berlin to Dresden was great, too. Would have been perfect if Germany had made it to the World Cup finals. Watching Germany play the final while actually in Germany would have been an experience. Instead, we had to settle for Spain vs Argentina.

Early start today. Driver picking us up at 7am meant we were awake before the sun was fully up. Chad and I actually caught the sunrise, which was worth dragging ourselves out of bed for.

Oia at Dawn

Our driver dropped us in Oia at 7:15 so we could walk around and grab some photos before starting the hike. The streets were still quiet, that brief window before the cruise ship tourists flood in. We went looking for the famous blue domes postcard shot that everyone comes to Santorini for. During peak season it's apparently a 500m+ line and you get 30 seconds to take your picture. We found the line, took one look at it, and refused. Just wandered instead. We still had beautiful views.

We stopped at a bakery to grab breaky for the walk and off we went. The Oia to Fira hike was 10km and took us about 2:30 to 2:45 hours. Glad we did it. Beautiful views. Hot at times. Very windy in certain spots. Steep inclines, slopes, stairs, a little bit of everything. About halfway through we stopped for a coffee, gelato, and to replenish our water, which was very needed.

Sofie of course found a Sephora. Some things transcend geography. We grabbed lunch before our driver picked us back up and headed to the hotel around noon. The rest of the day was ours to recover.

Back on a boat for Chad. I booked the speed jet so it was only an hour instead of two, which was a mercy. We pulled into the port and the hotel had told me to look for a driver holding a sign with our name. Every single person standing there was holding a sign with names on them. Wall to wall signs. Eventually we found him.

Settling into the Amber Light Villas for three nights. The place is beautiful and secluded, and our hotel room isn't even really a room. It's more like a little private villa situation. Here's the honest review though: internet is mostly nonexistent (wifi and eSIM reception both terrible), it's remote enough that taxis are hard to come by and a 15-minute drive runs 25-30 euro, there's nothing within walking distance (no bakery, no coffee shop, no grocery store), and unlike everywhere else in Greece they charge for bottled water. The restaurant food is fine but not something we want three times a day for three days. So we bit the bullet and got a private driver who now has our schedule and will take us where we need to go. We thought about renting a car but the logistics were tough.

I woke up just in time to catch the sunrise from our balcony. Beautiful. We headed down to breakfast around 9 and then lounged by the pool. Sofie is now on the last Twilight Saga book. I was sitting on the balcony doing some work and got a notification that my card was charged from Kobo. Good to know my card is linked for her reading pleasures.

Fira

This afternoon we headed into Fira so Chad could do some work somewhere with actual internet. We wandered around for a while and went to dinner at a place our driver recommended. It was a bit off the beaten path and not touristy. Food was very good. After dinner the driver dropped us at the supermarket and picked us up from there. We grabbed a case of water and some snacks for our hike tomorrow.

Woke up feeling so sad to be leaving Naxos. We went down to the beach one more time just to sit and chat. No agenda, no plan, just soaking it in. Gonna miss those donuts. Daily carb fuel for real. We'd gotten into a routine here and it was hard to let go of it.

Got a later checkout (12:15 instead of 11, small win) and dragged our luggage about 120 meters to the bus stop. The bus rolled right up. Perfect timing yet again. Made our way to the port in Naxos town and sat at a brunch place while we waited for the ferry.

The port was organized chaos. Up to three ferries docking at once, people and cars pouring off while other cars and people tried to get on. They're never on time so it was hard to figure out where ours would even dock. The whole boarding process only takes about ten minutes so I was worried we'd miss it. But somehow we made sense of the chaos and got on.

Only complaint right now is that the wifi and reception is absolutely terrible. Not sure how we're going to get work done at night.

Not much to report on today, which is kind of the point. Our last full day on this island and we spent it exactly where we should have: at the beach. I'm actually sad we're leaving. It feels like we're packing to go home even though we still have so much trip left. I'd come back here for a month, easy. Just maybe not July or August when everyone else has the same idea.

Lukas was basically in the water all day. Sofie is almost done with the third book of the Twilight saga, which she started yesterday. The girl's got a problem but I guess it could be worse.

We got in around 6, showered up, and went out for dinner one more time. Had to break out the new fits we picked up yesterday. My shoes were an Athens find. Real leather, 15 euro.

I woke up before everyone and slipped out to the beach. The rest of the crew was still asleep and it was perfectly calm. Good weather, quiet water. Exactly what I needed.

Around lunch we walked over to the car rental shop and picked up a little Suzuki Jeep. Manual transmission, squeaky, no power steering. The first few turns were rough but Chad got the hang of it. The plan for the day: three little villages, wander, get lost, grab a coffee or gelato somewhere.

First stop was Chalkio, about 30 minutes from the Airbnb. We had gelato and coffee. We later realized we were never charged for the gelato. Whoops. Strike one.

Five minutes down the road was Filoti. Beautiful little alleys you can genuinely get lost in. We stopped for a Margarita Pizza and a side of fried potatoes. Sounds American but it's actually a pretty standard side here, especially since the potatoes come directly from Naxos. When we finished, Chad and the kids used the bathroom and I went to wait outside so they could clear the table. They caught up with me, we piled back into the Jeep, and about 15 minutes into the drive to Apeiranthos I asked Chad if he had paid the bill. He looked at me. I looked at him. We dined and dashed. The kids were convinced we were all getting arrested.

Apeiranthos topped the other two, and that's saying a lot. The mountain views were incredible. The pictures honestly don't do any of it justice. Sofie and Lukas insisted on taking a photo together, which they called their possible last picture before getting split up by Greek authorities.

Someone we had met at the beach earlier had told us about a restaurant up in the mountains with spectacular sunset views and incredible food. We made reservations for 6:30. Lamb shank, braised pork loin, and gnocchi. The kids demolished their meat dishes and we split what was left. They're living their best life and they don't even know it. Chad also managed to squeeze in a couple hours of work meetings somewhere in the middle of all this. Part of the trade-off 😉

The sunset from up there was something else. Our beach straight ahead, Old Naxos Town just to the right, Paros across the water, and Mykonos off to the side. We sat and watched it go down.

On the drive back the GPS routed us back through Filoti. We stopped and paid the bill. They were super appreciative that we came back. The kids finally exhaled.

Kristin was out the door early for a 5k while everyone else was still asleep. By the time she got back, we were into our usual bakery and coffee run, tried a new coffee shop, grabbed some groceries, and that was basically the plan for the morning: nothing. Three full days in the sun will do that to you. We built this in on purpose. Chad and I worked, Sofie had her face in her Kobo (she's going to finish the second Twilight book in under three days, which is honestly impressive), and Lukas was deep in video games. No agenda, no bus, no sunscreen. Just the Airbnb and the AC.

We left at 5 to catch the bus into Naxos Town. First stop was the Portara, the old Apollo Temple sitting up on its little peninsula. Middle of July and when we got there around 5:30 it was practically empty. Wild. We had it almost to ourselves. By 8pm it was absolutely packed, but by then we were long gone.

From there we wandered into the Old Market. The alleys up there are genuinely maze-like, little boutique shops tucked around every corner. We did some shopping and picked up some Greek clothes, which felt like the right call.

The sunset views from up there were just too gorgeous. Impossible to capture the real thing in a photo but we tried anyway.

Then dinner near the port watching the sun go down. We were joined by some friends, specifically every cat in Naxos, who decided Sofie was the most interesting person there. Sofie does not like cats. This goes back to a babysitting job a couple years ago where apparently the family cat "bullied her." The cats of Naxos do not know or care about this history. There's a video. It's good.

At 9 we walked to the bus station and one pulled up immediately. Fifteen minutes later we were back, and yes, we finished the day with a crepe and gelato. At this point it's just tradition.

We bused into Old Town this morning for a full-day catamaran cruise around the Cyclades. Twenty people on board, two crew members who did everything including cooking lunch. We were out from 10 to 4:30.

Everyone had a different experience, and we asked each person for their review. Lukas: "It was so awesome and the best part were the waves on the way back and getting my sister soaked. It was so fun and I met so many nice people." Chad: "My body was in stress all day. Physically and mentally. I had to swim with Lukas. I was stressed because I didn't want to get sick. And I was uncomfortable because of my burn. However, experiences like this are always made by the people you spend it with and we were lucky to have great people that we had great conversations with." Sofie: "It was okay. I felt nauseous at times. The water was awesome. The way back was a bit scary with all the waves. The food was okay, the fruit was delicious. I couldn't wait to get back and read my Kobo." And me: I found it very relaxing and beautiful but spent half the day worried about Sofie and Chad not feeling well. At 11:30 I remember thinking how long they have left to go. At one point I dozed off. The ride back was a thrilling crash through waves and we got absolutely soaked.

Lunch on board was rice and mussels in tomato sauce, cooked by the crew right there on deck. The people were great. Folks from Australia, Boston, LA, Manchester, Paraguay, Brazil. We got talking to a young couple from Orange County. She works in the film industry as an editor. Her latest project is a movie called Animals, directed by Ben Affleck, coming out later this year. That was a fun conversation.

The ride back through the waves was wild. Lukas was living for it. Sofie and Chad, less so. We took the bus back to our place, showered, crashed, and ordered takeout. Nobody had the energy for anything else.

We headed back to our bargain sun loungers and asked for the same deal as yesterday. After a call to the boss, the guy gave us the thumbs up. We all got a bit burned yesterday. It's only 28 or 30 degrees but the sun here is strong, and the breeze tricks you into thinking you're fine. This morning we vowed to actually look after each other. I am seriously the worst at taking care of ginger bodies. Poor Sofie and poor Chad. We lathered up before heading out and kept reapplying at the beach. Lukas was in the water all day long, only coming ashore for sunscreen or to buy donuts from the donut dealer walking up and down the beach. Sofie read her Kobo under the umbrella.

We headed back to our place around 2:30 for lunch. Pasta and greek salad, so good. The original plan was to head into the Old Town to see the Apollo Temple at sunset, but we were all pooped. With a day out on the water tomorrow, we decided to lay low and let everyone do their thing. Sofie stayed hooked on her Kobo, Lukas played video games with his buddies from back home, I squeezed in a nap, and Chad got some work done.

After the beach we saw the damage. Chad's feet and legs were super burned. Lukas' back was burned. While Chad got ready for dinner, I ran to the pharmacy. With how much sunscreen we'd been applying, we realized the Aegean sun was just too much for our Attitude Sunscreen. I found a local brand that locals swear by. It wasn't cheap. After sun lotion, sunscreen for the catamaran tomorrow, and a tanning oil with SPF 50 for me. 70 euros later but hey, anything for my gingers.

Chad and I grabbed dinner at a Mediterranean place by another beach while the kids chilled back at the apartment. Food was great, views were great. A proper date night.

Right before bed I started organizing our stuff for tomorrow and read the labels on the Attitude sunscreen, trying to figure out how we'd all gotten so fried despite constant application. That's when I realized Chad had been using the wrong bottle on his feet all day. That explains a lot.

The beach day was finally here. The kids had been patiently waiting for this one. We walked along the pebbled beach looking for a spot to camp out. The area closest to us required you to order food and drinks from the restaurants to use the loungers, so we kept going. Found a more private section further down where you just pay for the loungers and bring your own stuff. The guy wanted 30 euro for one set in the front row but we talked him down to two sets for 40 euro. Glad we had the shade because we still walked away with some sunburned spots. On the walk down, Lukas noticed a couple of topless women tanning. He said he was terrified to see naked men. I said, "aren't you terrified to see naked women?!" He said "NO!!!" We were told it gets really busy after July 15th, so maybe we unknowingly timed it well. It didn't seem too crowded at all.

While we were set up, we noticed an English-speaking family nearby. Usually they have a British accent, but Sofie said they were too nice to be American. Turns out they were from Ottawa. Chatted it up with the mom, who had some great recommendations for our time in Naxos. We headed back to the Airbnb around 4 but grabbed lunch on the way. We had dinner plans for 6:30, which is early, but Chad had a work meeting at 8pm so we had to be back by then. This place is always lined up apparently. We nailed the timing with the early reservation. No wait, walked right in, got one of the last tables in a packed house.

Dinner was absolutely incredible. A family-run tavern with massive portions. We paid 63 euro for a traditional Greek salad, zucchini balls, lamb chops (five of them) with fried potatoes, pork souvlaki with more fried potatoes and tzatziki. They also gave us a loaf of bread, shots of moonshine at the end of the meal, and dessert. It was a lot of food. I could have done without the moonshine. The kids had a nibble of it and played it off real cool.

And yes, we topped the night off with gelato.

Started the morning the way we've been starting every morning in Athens. Coffee and baked goods at our neighbourhood spot around the corner. Met a solo traveller from New York and chatted up our favourite barista one last time. We're going to miss that place.

Back at the hotel by 9 because the kids had actually asked to do a workout. They were dressed and waiting for us when we got back. Did a whole session together, then headed right back to the cafe for a Freddo and a mango smoothie with Lukas. Two trips to the same cafe before noon. That's how you know it's good.

At noon we checked out and made our way to get Lukas his beloved lamb skewers. We waited while he enjoyed them and then hit our favourite gyro place. After lunch we went, you guessed it, to our favourite gelato place. Reminds me of the gelato my family used to make when I was growing up.

For the first time on our trip, we got some sprinkles. It was fine. We were headed to the airport anyway to catch our flight to Naxos. The locals in Athens all seem to rave about Naxos so we were ready to find out for ourselves.

We got on this tiny 18-row plane. The flight was a quick little hop, maybe 30 minutes. Super tiny airport here in Naxos. Our driver picked us up and drove us 10 minutes to the Airbnb.

The listing did not do this place justice. Absolutely beautiful, 100m walk to the beach. We grabbed groceries and a gyro, then just hung out at the Airbnb since we got in late and we both had work meetings. Also found a delicious gyro pita place right nearby where you can grab a pita for 4.50 euro. We're here until the 16th. The plan is mornings at the bakery for fresh bread before breakfast. Sounds pretty good to us.

It wasn't until 11:30am that we headed out for breakfast. The portions were massive. We could have shared two amongst the four of us. After that we hit the shops. Sofie had a few things she was hoping to buy.

Around 2 we headed back for some work meetings, then around 6 we went back out to grab lunch/dinner. Picked up some roadside sesame rings along the way. This is what our days in Athens have been like. No regrets, just going with the flow.

We also hit our favourite gelato place again. They just opened a couple of weeks ago and we've been every day. Today we each doubled up on our scoops.

We slept in this morning. No alarms, no plans until we felt like it. Eventually we headed down to the hotel gym and shortly after, the kids came and joined us. Tiny gym but better than nothing.

After that we went on the hunt for breakfast. Stopped at a bakery on the way and walked out with a ton of stuff for about 7 euro. Brunch, gelato, a Freddo cappuccino at a cafe where we just sat and chatted up the locals. Athens has been an amazing surprise. Maybe it's our neighbourhood but the cafe, food, and bar scene is so good. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. It's a completely different pace here.

After the bakery run and brunch we headed back to the hotel, got some work done, then went back out for lunch. Lunch here is between 2-5pm, which took some adjusting. Another souvlaki at our fav spot. Tried the Mythos beer. Canada does it better for sure.

The Acropolis

We went to the Acropolis after lunch and got there just after 5pm. We'd hoped for a morning entry time but everything was booked, so we opted for the 5-6pm slot. Still hot but shady in spots. The marble everywhere is insane. Over 2,400 years old and you can just walk pretty much anywhere. Took a ton of photos. The walk down was beautiful.

Headed back to the hotel for an 8pm meeting. At 9:30 we decided to grab dinner while the kids chilled in the room. Late night date night for drinks and more food that we really didn't need, but when in Greece you know. We've been liking the change of pace in Athens.

Started the morning at the airport sending Mom back home. Her first trip outside of North America and she crushed it. Bag drop, check-in, security, all by herself, made it to her gate in no time. A few sad tears saying goodbye, not gonna lie. But I get the sense this is the start of something new for her. She's heading back in first class care of Franko, so she'll be just fine.

The kids both said they wished Grandma could come with us, which got me a little. But we wiped our eyes and pointed ourselves toward Athens. Second leg of the tour. Let's go.

Up at 6:30, out the door by 7:45. We took the metro out to Disneyland to be at the gates for the 9am opening. The train station was a two minute walk from the main entrance, which made the whole thing painless. They do it right here. All the details are spot on. We hacked the lines all day by going through the single rider lanes. Saved ourselves 120 euros per person on the skip-the-line passes, and a 75-minute wait turned into 15 minutes as a single rider. Half the time we ended up on the ride together anyway. The boys' favorite was Crush's Coaster.

We packed bread, cheese, cold cuts, and cucumbers from the apartment and had a standing picnic for lunch. Water stations everywhere made it easy to keep the bottles full. Another great hack. 18,000 steps by the end of it.

Mom has always wanted to go to Disney, and at 65 she finally knocked it off the bucket list. This was Cheryl's last day with us. Can't believe 10 days are already gone. Tomorrow we drop her off at the airport.

The kids stopped at the shop and treated themselves with the euro money they got from family. A bunch of shopping happened.

Back at the Airbnb to scrounge up dinner and pack. Grabbed one more crepe from our neighbourhood creperie before calling it a night.

Took the metro to Sacre-Coeur for the first time and it was an adventure in itself. Cheryl's Canadian kindness kicked in at the platform and she let someone go ahead of her, which meant she and Chad didn't make it onto the same train as the rest of us. The kids were worried. We waited at our stop and they pulled up less than five minutes later. All good. Welcome to the Paris metro. Montmartre was a slow walk around the basilica and the square, really nice photos. Grabbed crepes for lunch. We thought it was going to be an easy day but still hit 17k steps. The hack to keeping the kids happy on this trip is a non-stop flow of croissants, macaroons, gelato, or crepes. Whatever works.

On the way back we split up. The girls went near the house to shop for beauty products and groceries. Lukas and I hit up a couple of Pokemon stores. Found a really cool spot at Fuji stores, two shops right beside each other with awesome singles in French and Japanese. Lukas bought a few packs because he wants to grab one in each language we travel to as a keepsake. Then we picked up some baguettes and headed home to have pasta for lunch.

Afternoon iced coffee and people watching. Just the two of us getting some adult time while Cheryl hung with the kids. These are the last couple of days with Chad's mom on the trip so we're soaking it in.

Chad found a great place for our first real dinner in Paris. Red wine, duck, creme brulee. The whole deal. Nice way to close out the night.

Started with coffee and people watching on the morning walk. Noticed the park where they filmed Emily in Paris, which was fun. Hit up Notre Dame early, then jumped on the hop on hop off bus to get around the city.

Hopped off at the Eiffel Tower, grabbed baguettes, croissants, and macarons from a bakery and had a little picnic. Very French of us. Back on the bus for more touring after that, but eventually the day caught up with us and we grabbed an Uber back to decompress for a few hours.

## Arc de Triomphe at Sunset Headed back out for dinner at a local spot. Ordered a few things to share and a few things came out that we didn't order lol. But it was all very very good. Then up the Arc de Triomphe as the sun was setting. Incredible views of the city.

Walked down the Champs-Élysées to close out the night. Sofie dragged us into the biggest Sephora I've ever seen, and she was in heaven. Finished with late night crepes that were sooo good. Busy day but we ticked off all the boxes. 🥐

Travel day. Made our way to Paddington, caught the Tube to King's Cross, then walked over to St Pancras International. On the way out of the Tube, Cheryl overheard a man clock Chad and say, in the most British accent, "I wouldn't mind getting a piece of him myself either." We were dying. Not the first time he's drawn that kind of attention. 🤣 Took the Eurostar to Paris. Super convenient, super fast, absolutely terrible wifi. Had grand plans to hammer through some work on the two-hour ride but settled for a nap instead. 🫠

Walked out of Gare du Nord and grabbed a taxi van immediately. Thought our timing was still impeccable. It was not. The taxi dropped us off in the 15th arrondissement instead of the 11th. Just as the driver finished unloading all our bags, we loaded right back up. Twenty more minutes in the cab. We finally arrived at a newer building in a neighborhood off the beaten path. Got into our little apartment, I dove into the work I couldn't do on the train, and then we headed out for a quick bite and groceries. Paris, day one. Low key.

Paddington Station to Victoria Station, then a ten-minute walk to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards. Nailed the timing, it was starting right as we arrived. We'd wanted to book one of those Airbnb experiences with a local who knows the best viewing spot and can actually explain what's happening, but our dates weren't available. So we just watched. And honestly, we still don't understand why all the marching back and forth is necessary. Just seems like overkill 😅.

Westminster & Big Ben

Westminster Abbey was next, and Sofie had SO many questions. The Royal Family, Princess Diana, all of it. Her interest in history is really starting to show, and it made me realize I need to read more about it. (If anyone has great book recs, send them over.) Then we walked to Big Ben, where I almost got hit by a turning vehicle while taking a photo of Cheryl and the kids. Ok that sounds dramatic, but Cheryl was concerned. Lukas, meanwhile, brings allll the vibes.

Jumped back on the Circle line and made our way to London Bridge, then walked over to Tower Bridge. It looked far but it was actually a nice little stroll along the Thames. The Tube was packed today but the whole crew conquered it like pros.

Finished off our last day in London at a pub. Traditional pub food, a Guinness, a few more pints, the England vs. Congo match on the screens with a bunch of locals. And the kids? They were absolutely thrilled to be drinking Fanta out of a glass. Priorities.

After breakfast we headed to Camden Market. Cool to see but wouldn't have been upset if we'd skipped it. The area felt a lot different than the other parts of London we've been to. Immediately a "carry your purse on the front" kind of situation. We walked around for a couple hours, had gelato, grabbed a German donair (yum), and went searching for Pokémon packs.

Back to the Airbnb to chill, then out again because the only camera lens smashed on day two 😩 so we had to grab a replacement. Ended up wandering through Soho and near Piccadilly Circus. We've fully mastered the Tube at this point. Changing lines, reading the map, all of it just clicks now.

Found a pub that was highly recommended for having the best Guinness in London. They didn't lie. It was great. The whole place was packed at 5:30 with people in suits and work clothes grabbing pints with their colleagues before heading home. Seems like a pretty simple life. But I keep coming back to how anyone affords $15 Guinness on a regular basis. That's wild.

Snuck out mid-morning for a coffee date with my mom while the crew chilled at the crib.

Then the big one. Harry Potter at Warner Bros. Studios. It was an amazing experience. For any movie lover it's worth the trip. The sets, the props, the poster designs. We went through the whole thing and took approximately one million photos.

Back at the Airbnb we ordered pizzas for everyone, then headed out to a nearby pub to catch the Germany vs. Paraguay World Cup match. Found a table beside a group of German fans, grabbed a couple of Guinnesses, and settled in. It didn't take long before the occasional "Scheiße!" started erupting from the next table every time Germany missed a chance. At 11:00 p.m. the bartender called last orders, so I wisely picked up a couple more Guinnesses to get us through the rest of the match. Or so we thought. At 11:30, right as the game was heading into stoppage time with the score tied, the bartender flipped on the lights and shut off every TV in the pub. Game over for the customers. We hustled back to the Airbnb, calling Eddie on the walk so he could keep us updated. Made it back just in time to watch the rest of stoppage time, only to see what looked like Germany's winning goal called back. It went to penalties and Germany came up short. Won't be watching the final surrounded by German fans when we get there on the 19th. 😞

Got up early and picked up the rental car. First stop: Windsor Castle. We explored the grounds, wandered through the staterooms, and saw Queen Mary's Dollhouse. No photos allowed inside but we snuck a few 🤫 The dollhouse has running water and electricity, everything built to 1/12th scale. The books in the library actually have real passages written in them. The Long Walk leading up to the castle is about 4km and looked like it goes on forever.

Then came the polo situation. The grounds we'd originally picked had hosted their match the day before. We pulled into the parking lot, immediately questioned why there were barely any cars, but someone swore they could hear people, so we carried on. Out came the sunscreen, around the corner we went... and found a children's birthday party with a giant bouncy castle. Without saying much, we all quietly turned around, marched back to the car, and pretended we had never been there. Found another polo club a short drive away. £30 per car to enter. We wandered through the pro shop, found a little coffee cart and ice cream stand, and claimed a table out on the lawn. The schedule said 2:30 but the match didn't start until 3:30. In the meantime we tried to find a washroom in the clubhouse and got asked for our wristbands. Wristbands? That's when it clicked. The seating chart. The curious looks. The guests in fascinators dressed to the nines. We hadn't wandered into a polo match. We'd wandered into a private event. Sofie had actually suspected this the moment we walked in, but naturally we didn't listen. So we made our graceful exit with our oversized Yeti water bottles in hand, looking every bit like we'd packed for a public park. The opposite side of the field had a spot where you could just pull up your car and watch. Ended up being perfect. Locals had the whole thing dialed: tablecloths, proper silverware, wine glasses, enough food to rival a dinner party. Just before the match started, the announcer gave a special welcome to the former President of Laos and all his guests. We slowly looked at each other. Pretty sure we had just crashed the former President of Laos' polo party. 😬 We fixed divots at halftime and the finish was intense. A crackin' good time.

On the way back we stopped in Richmond. Beautiful little place. If you've watched Ted Lasso, you'd recognize a few of the spots. Mental note for next time: skip the private event, bring a picnic, and maybe double-check whether we're actually invited.

Landed around lunch, made our way through Paddington Station, and hauled everything up to the Airbnb on the 7th floor. In Europe that means a LOT of stairs. No AC either, and it's hot. Then we just went for it. Walked to Notting Hill, hit Portobello Road Market. Great spot for antiques and vintage stuff. Got Grandma to the Notting Hill bookstore. Had coffee and gelato to warm up at some point. Grabbed groceries, fresh bread, and produce on the way back.

All day we kept seeing people in cowboy hats and cowboy boots everywhere. We wanted to ask but were worried we'd offend someone's everyday style. Eventually we caved and asked. Garth Brooks is playing at Hyde Park. We definitely debated trying to get tickets but opted for an early bedtime instead. Dropped the kids off at the flat and split a Guinness to kick off the big vacay. Exhausting day from the red eye but we got after it.

The boys are out on the balcony doing some drawing. I never thought this trip would actually happen. Chad's mom making her way across the big pond to see what Europe has to offer.