We are just back from our long-planned, eagerly-awaited, ultra-amazing, nearly-three-week European vacation. And we could NOT have had a more fantastic vacation. The fun was never-ending, the scenery was amazing, the food was divine, the weather was perfect, and the family and friends along with us made it all the more special. We took literally thousands of pictures, and I have so so many favorites, but I'll post only a sampling in somewhat chronological order.
We began our trip with a day in Vienna enroute to Italy. It was a little bit of a chore because we'd just gotten off the plane with very little sleep. But we pulled it together enough to walk around the city, have a great Austrian lunch, and do a little shopping before we crashed into a very serious power nap.
 |
| Simone thought this humongous shoe on display in the window was hilarious. |
 |
| The restaurant where we had lunch. |
Next up... Italia! To Venice, where we met up with the grandparents. Here's where whittling down to a few photos starts to get really tough. Pretty much anywhere you looked was a postcard view, but I'll limit these to largely shots of Simone having fun.
 |
| The first of our near-daily gelatos. Don't judge, it was vacation and we walked A LOT! |
 |
| Simone got a Venice scavenger hunt book from Santa(which she's holding here) that kept her interested in all the sightseeing we did. |
 |
| Quintessential Venice. |
 |
| Obligatory pizza, which was oh so delicious!! |
 |
| Had to take a stroll through the market! |
From Venice, we took a cruise to Croatia and the Greek islands. There are just no words to describe the beauty --crystal clear, bright blue waters and breathtaking scenery such an awesome experience there. And as usual, the cruise offered something for all. Simone especially loved the kids club, where she met lots of friends and was able to take a break from the sightseeing and have some kid fun. Our days at sea also gave the grown ups a much needed chance to lounge and relax amidst all the touring (which we still did plenty of!) We had stops in Split, Santorini, Mykonos, and Katakolon (where we visited Olympia).
In Split, we had a really exciting private boat tour of the blue lagoon where Simone got to jump in and swim in the sea on her own for the very first time ever! She couldn't have gotten a more spectacular spot to do it either -- clear, warm and gorgeous.
 |
| Our boat tour brought us to Trogir -- really beautiful as well! |
 |
| Pop kept threatening to tie Simone to the front of our boat like on the Titanic movie, and ... ultimately he did. |
And we wrapped up with a tour of Diocletian's Palace -- incredible stuff, although Simone was much more interested in the boat tour.
Santorini was stunning! We toured the island from Fira to Oia to Perivolos. We had magnificent scenery, visited a winery that claimed to be the oldest in the world (who knows, but it had out of this world views of the Caldera), had a yummy lunch in Perivolos on a black sand beach, watched the sunset, and then climbed down 588 steps back to our ship (mostly to say we'd done it!).
 |
| The steps may look tame enough, but they were very slippery from all the wear. My knees were trembling by the time we got to the bottom. |
On Mykonos, we did some shopping and visited the windmills. Again, gorgeous waters and inspirational views.
Our day in Olympia -- the site of the first Olympic games-- was a scorcher. The ruins were incredible, but had very little shade. Simone was ecstatic to cool off with some ice cream!
Once we bid farewell to our home at sea, we headed next to Budapest, Hungary -- a strong contender for our favorite stop, although it was a very very close contest. By day, Budapest is a magnificent, ornate city; by night it is magical! The city glows with majesty.
Much to Simone's delight, Budapest had a number of subtle water features--like this in ground mist spraying system-- that popped up suddenly for a quick cool off. Simone was a BIG fan.
 |
| Daddy playing it cool. |
 |
| Another of MANY gelato breaks -- this place was famous for it's floral shaped cones which, of course, we all had to try. So creamy and DELICIOUS! |
 |
| Grown up date night --an AWESOME Hungarian dinner with some very good friends. |
 |
| Can't you just taste it!? |
The Parliament, the palaces, the skyline -- how can you not just fall in love with this city?!?
 |
| Oh daddy, always the clown. |
We were sure to build in some down time for Simone to get a few breaks from the demands of sightseeing. The bathhouses of Budapest were perfect for this. They were beautiful, historic, and relaxing and refreshing. Oh, and did I mention pretty fun too?
Had enough yet? Hope not, cuz next up.... Slovakia. We had a very quick day trip to Bratislava, but we couldn't miss the opportunity to visit when we were so close. So we ventured off on Simone's first train ride. She was super excited to eat breakfast in the dining car.
While not as visually magnificent as Budapest, Bratislava was a very charming city. And the incredible Slovak lunch we enjoyed was alone worth the trip! (not to mention the handcut crystal shopping!)
Ok, for those of you still reading, we're nearing the end. Last stop --- drumroll, please... Prague!
Once again, a spectacular city. The skyline, the food, the weather! although it was raining the morning we arrived, it quickly turned into a few VERY nice, mild days. Even had a bit of chilly breeze -- so pleasant.
I also need to note the incredible little hotel where we stayed -- Residence Agnes. Out of this world customer service. They treated us like long lost relatives; they could not/not do enough for us. We'd never stay anywhere else in Prague.
 |
| Having fun with fountains! |
 |
| Simone took this shot from the top of the clock tower. |
 |
| Spent part of an afternoon at a toy store for Simone to do some of her own shopping. She picked a small animal for her backpack that's from a famous Czech cartoon. |
 |
| Afternoon break/snack in our hotel lobby. |
The hotel recommended two restaurants that were superb and oh so cozy. We had amazing meals at both of them.
And then home we went. But not before a quick stop at the Harrod's at London Heathrow to get some of the tea we love. Mission accomplished -- perfect summer vacation!
So this, my longest post ever, matched our longest family vacation ever and hits only some of the highlights. And it doesn't come close to doing it justice. We did so much and saw so many things, I can't possibly post everything here. But we hope this gives you a good idea of how we spent our July. For now, we're happy to be home and look forward to having a restful few weeks before school begins again.
