Once in a Lifetime Pounds

We are down to less than 3 days before we head off to Europe - again.  We love traveling Europe.  I wish I could live in Europe.  We love to experience the food, the history, architecture, the food and the various cultures that are so very different than life here in the U.S.  And did I mention the food? 

Here is some advice on a more obscure preparation activity: weight gain.  Yes, you read that right.  I'm saving my pounds available to gain for France, Italy, and Spain!  The pounds gained in those countries surely are better than pounds gained here.  I can gain poundage here - anytime.  Any weight gain resulting from a European trip is truly special.  Each pound gained is a once-in-a-lifetime pound.  They are pounds I will never ever experience anywhere else.  With that philosophy in mind, it becomes very important to not gain any weight pre-trip that might minimize the actual trip poundage total available.  In fact, I recommend losing pounds just so you have poundage to gain in exotic locales.  When faced with excellent food choices pre-trip, I remind myself of the possibilities for truly exceptional pounds awaiting me just a few days away.  It definitely makes my food choices so much easier!

4, 3, 2, 1...Count Down!

There are less than 4 weeks until I have the giddy pleasure of leaving the U.S. of A by jetting off to my favorite vacation destination: Europe.  My husband of 31 years (as of Wednesday 7/28) and I will be joined by his sister and brother-in-law, Jackie and Dale, and they will be with us for part of our 3 week journey.  They will be taking off on a Mediterranean cruise in Venice and then join us again in Barcelona, Spain 10 days later. 

Our journey starts with a few days in Paris and then a flight down for several days in Venice.  This will be my fourth trip to Venice in 9 years; James's 2nd.  It is a favorite of ours.  Venice is a fascinating city in a state of what I call elegant decay.  The premise of this city in the middle of a bay with no cars is pretty amazing.  We love visiting the churches with the incredible art captured within, find hidden piazza's (plazas) as well as just get lost while walking the city alley ways. Oh, and the shopping is amazing.

We have traveled with Jackie and Dale several times before.  Let me interject here that it is important to make sure you travel with people you get along with really well. You want to be able to be yourself and voice your opinions on the "what do you want to do today,"  or "where shall we eat" questions without letting yourself get shut out if there are more opinionated voices in the group.  That said, we've traveled with them before and get along fabulously.  We are very much looking forward to showing them the joys of traveling in the alluring Europe. We picked a good time of year to go as far as the weather.  It is also the tail end of the tourist season, so we'll miss some of the larger crowding typically found in June - August.

We start out in Paris, only for a few short days, and then head on to Venice for 3 days.  Jackie and Dale leave on the 2nd day for their cruise.  From there James and I head over to the South of France to Nice. We'll do some day trips to Monaco and St. Tropez from there before we rent a car and go to a quaint fishing village of Cassis (see photo).  Cassis will be our restful respite after lots of touring and walking.  We'll be able to meander the small town and hit the beach.  I also hope to take a boat tour of the Calanques, sort of like fjords, that make up the rugged coast line there.


After Cassis we drive up into the mountains in the Provence region.  There we'll stay in a tiny, nearly forgotten town of Les Baux.  Les Baux has ruins of a 12th century castle that was once a regional seat of power.  It was destroyed in 1632 by King Louis XIII.  The city is literally carved into the rock that rises up from the valley floor.  While staying in Les Baux, we'll do day trips to visit the famous Pont du Gard aquaduct, the city of Nimes, Arles, an other nearby towns.

Our next big leg of the trip is down into Spain.  After a quick night in Avignon to catch a 6 a.m. train, we're off to Barcelona.  This is where we catch up with Jackie and Dale who will finish up their cruise there.  I am very excited to see the Modernisme architecture made famous by Gaudi in the late 19th century, and Gaudi's famous  Sagrada Familia, still unfinished (slated for completion in about 50 years).

After Barcelona, we head down to the south of Spain, starting in Granada to see the Alhambra.  We've purchased our tickets to that structure in advance at the advice of several travel gurus.  After Granada we'll head even farther south and check out Gibraltar.  We hope to take the gondola up and then walk down and check out the Apes of Gibraltar.  We then spend the night in Tarifa in order to catch an early morning catamaran ride over to Morocco where we have a tour or Tangier arranged.  Jackie is very adamant about wanting to ride a camel, which we hear is available on the tour. I may opt to be the photographer and watch the others meander herky jerky around on the smelly, lurching behemoths.

The trip is rounded out with a nice stay at a Marriott resort in Malaga before we head on home.  From there I hope we have time to visit one or two of the white villages that dot the Spanish coastal area.  I've seen some really nice videos and pictures of the area so I do find myself conflicted about visiting that or laying on a beach.  I tend to bypass the beach because one can lay on a beach with closed eyes lots of places around the world, even at home, where I can only see these unique sights one place.  Hmmm... which do you think I'll choose?

So that's the trip in a nutshell.  You can see the entire itinerary, if you so choose, by visiting TripIt. You do not have to sign up to view the itinerary.  As usual, I will also blog as we go.  I also hope to post occasionally on Facebook.

Europe Travel Map

Travel Route

 Take a look at our itinerary on the map above as well as check out the details I've made available on TripIt.

Springing into Action

I'm more focused now than I probably have been in...well forever.  At least about fitness and health.  Oh, I worked out plenty in my younger years, but I sure wasn't as motivated as I am now.  Back then it was about being slender and also about the "me" time I could carve out.  Now it is about staying cancer free and active so I can run, jump, and play with my kids and grandkids.  I want to be full of vitality and not, as I see so many around me, too tired out to engage in anything after a long days work.

My stint with cancer which culminated in 6 weeks of tiresome radiaton and then immediately going into 6 weeks lolly-gaggin' around the house with pins in my feet meant that I had gained weight (again).  Within just a few days of having the pins out, I painfully began the walking again, determined to get fit.  I had been doing quite well prior to the surgery, but 6 weeks off my feet meant it was slow going for a while.  Well it is now 6 weeks later and I can pretty much walk as many miles as before.  I have even started to run a little.  I can't run far, mostly because my lungs start burning and my legs get heavy, but each week I know I'll do better.  The weight coming back off has been slow; or at least it feels slow.  But I now I just have to be patient, eat right and keep active and it will slowly come off.  I am determined.

I tried golf again the other day.  I hadn't done that in years.  Even when I did, I stuck mostly with the driving range, getting pretty intimidated when golfing with anyone since it took me a gazillion shots just to make it to the the par 3 hole, the one time I did play on a course.  Well, maybe I'll try again. We'll see.  I noticed that it worked out my midriff muscles pretty good.  I like that idea better than doing sit ups. :)

I am very excited about my upcoming trip in August/September to Europe.  The last time I went was in 2008 with James.  We visited Romania (spent a week helping with some orphanages) then on to fun in Istanbul, Kusadasi (near the Ephesus ruins), Greek Islands, and finally Athens.  This trip will start in Paris, then move to Venice where we'll say goodbye to a couple traveling wtih us (Jackie and Dale).  James and I will move on to the South of France to see Nice, Cannes, Monaco, and the Provence region.  We meet up again with Jackie and Dale in Barcelona, after they get off their cruise ship, and then head on down to the south of Spain to see Granada, Malaga, Gibraltar, Tarifa, and a day trip to Tangiers, Morocco.  All-in-all, a 3 week trip that is sure to be warm, beautiful, full of history and architecture: everything James and I love about traveling.

I have most of our hotel reservations done, the main flights to/from Europe booked, and the only thing that remains are rental car, one hotel, and then some smaller flights and trains between the cities. We typically walk a LOT when we travel, so this getting in shape will be important so we can stay energetic throughout our trip.

I am focused.  I am driven.  I WILL be healthy.  Watch me.