Vacation Rentals – Travel Breezers

Slovenia – June 20-24

Honestly, if it wasn’t for Melania, I wouldn’t even have known that Slovenia was a country. My cluelessness is pretty inexcusable because the Slovenia we saw in our four day visit was awesome.

There are no trains from northern Croatia to Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, so for us it was a two and a half hour bus ride from Rovinj. Tip for travelers – don’t judge a town by what it looks like near the bus station. It’s usually pretty grim down there.

A very short taxi ride takes us to our Airbnb in Ljubljana’s extremely charming Old Town. Our rented apartment [http://triplex-apartment-the-princess-castle-ljubljana.booked.net] had a great location right on one of Old Town’s main walking streets, but is hard to recommend due to a poorly equipped kitchen, some cracked and broken furniture and an absolutely treacherous staircase going up to the third level bedroom – making it almost unusable. One other negative is that there is no elevator and it takes about 60 steps to get to the front door. On the positive side however, the place was pretty big, had great wi-fi and a terrific television!

Notwithstanding the shortcomings of our apartment – which we still had a ton of fun in – Ljubiana is a lovely place. The Old Town is very compact. Everything is close so you can have a great time just walking around taking in the impressive architecture, wonderful restaurants, shops and bars that surround the Ljubljanica River as it runs directly through the quaint city.

We had some great meals here, including one at a Julija [https://julijarestaurant.com], and one at the apartment with incredibly fresh vegetables purchased from the Old Town’s “green market” – which is a huge farmer’s market operating Monday to Saturday. There are also many talented musicians in the streets as well as cafe’s serving fantastic ice cream dessert. Sitting around eating dessert is a thing here. We think it should be a thing everywhere!

Great salad after visiting the Green Market

We wholeheartedly recommend a short visit to Ljubljana’s Old Town. At night it’s wonderfully lit up and looks like it was designed by Disney. Overall it provides a quaint Euro city experience that is hard to find in large more touristy cities.

After two nights in Ljubljana, we were on our way to Lake Bled – about 45 minutes by car. We decided, however, to take a detour – 60 minutes in the other direction – to tour the Postojna caves. There are a bunch of different caves in Slovenia. The Postojna caves are the most famous and most visited. They were discovered in the 17th century and are more than 20km long. It’s pretty touristy and you take a 3km ride into the caves in a train, but you then get to walk for about 1.5km. Notwithstanding the touristy feel, these caves are amazing. It’s very hard to capture the massive size and spectacular rock formations in pictures, but if you find yourself in Slovenia, this is something you’ll want to see.

After the caves, we drove through nasty traffic to our apartment on Lake Bled. Not knowing what to expect, this place massively exceeded our expectations. Our apartment, Vila Katja [https://www.bedandbreakfast.eu/bed-and-breakfast/bled/vila-katja/2542192/] was extremely clean and comfortable and within walking distance to the lake.

Lake Bled is an absolute gem. One of the top ten places that we’ve visited in Europe. On our only full day here (we should have stayed longer), we rented a row boat at the Grand Hotel Toplice [https://www.sava-hotels-resorts.com/en/sava-hoteli-bled/accommodations/grand-hotel-toplice], took a toboggan ride at Straza Bled [https://www.straza-bled.si/en/Summer]and then rented bikes for a ride around the lake.

The Grand Hotel Toplice is a Small Luxury Hotels listed property with stunning views – directly on the lake. The public areas are extremely elegant (we didn’t see a guest room) and they had a display case filled with photos of a distinguished group of past visitors.

From the lobby of the Grand Hotel Toplice

We went for a two hour rowboat ride to a small island in the middle of the lake on a perfect day. The incredibly blue water, surrounding green trees and nearby mountains create an unforgettable scene.

After the rowing, we went for an adrenaline rush on a “summer toboggan”. Super fun and more amazing views of the lake. Click on the link for a view of Shawnee thundering down the run!

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Then we rented bikes for a totally peaceful ride around the placid lake. Great fun and all of this in one day.

We were sad to leave the next day, but can’t recommend this highly enough. I’m sure we’ll be back.

Croatia – June 8 -20

There’s only one non-stop flight from Florence, Italy to Split, Croatia. The 6:15am take-off makes for an early wake up but it’s all worth it because we’ll be meeting Nikki – flying in from Paris this afternoon – and then our great friends the Cane’s in a couple of days.

One the bummers about departing Florence was leaving our great airbnb called La Torres del Cestello [http://www.latorredelcestello.it/?act=home&l=en]. We only stayed here one night, but this was an amazing find. It’s in a very good location within a short walking distance to all the best sites and a view of the Orno river! It was virtually brand new, with a fabulous bathroom and a very nice sitting/TV room with leather sofas and a steal $300 in Florence!

After arriving in Split, we made our way to our next home for a few days. An Airbnb next to the beach about 10 minutes – via Uber – outside of the old town [http://www.dejaviews.eu]. It’s a new all white well equipped two bedroom, 2.5 bath place with an ocean view balcony and a great TV room which we used to binge watch about 12 episodes of Animal Kingdom. Guess we all needed a bit of down time!

Split is a big city with an old town dominated by a waterfront promenade directly on a very busy harbor.

In addition to the many cafe’s and shops, you’ll also find a number of tourism shops where you can book excursions. We booked two – the half day boat tour and river rafting.

On our boat tour – with a scary fast boat – the first stop was the quaint old town of Trogir. With it’s Roman roots and lots of cool shops and restaurants it is a definite must visit.

After a 45 minute visit we’re whizzing to the blue lagoon. This is truly a beautiful bay with incredibly clear blue water, but like most “beaches” we saw in Croatia, there’s no sand, just rocks. We spent an hour lying on a short concrete pier. Not bad, but not optimal for Californians used to soft, white sand.

The last stop made the trip! The Laganini Beach Club on the island of Clovo sits on an incredible calm bay with crystal clear water. The beach is still rocks, but the Laganini is a small paradise with plush couches and flowing curtains as your waiter serves you ice buckets of wine and delicious food while lounging. Altogether, it turned into an luxurious day and we wholehearted recommend the half day boat tour.

Two days later we woke early for our river rafting tour. We discovered that we were the only people signed up for the morning trip. So great to get a private tour! The river trip is a cool way to get away from the coast and take in the beautiful inland landscape. The rapids – class 2 and 3 – were fun, but the best part was getting out of the raft and canyoning through a cave full of frigid spring water that was behind a waterfall! Super fun day and a great way to see another cool part of Croatia.

While in Split, we also celebrated Nikki’s 20th birthday at a 1990’s villa with gardens at Perivoj [http://restoran-perivoj.com]. We ate outdoors under big white umbrellas – which were crucial since it rained really hard. Nevertheless, this is a great restaurant and a fun celebration!

Perivoj bringing on the bday celebration!

After four nights in Split, we were very fired up to meet up with the Cane party crew – including our travel agent extraordinaire Tammy Cane, on their 48 foot catamaran [http://www.theartoftravelbytammycane.com/about/] -. We took the 6pm ferry 2 hours from Split to meet them on the island of Vis. We were excited to see Lawrence and our boat captain Val in the main harbor – which was completely packed with pleasure boats. We immediately met the entire crew for pizza and then went to a great cocktail bar and dancing to Tammy’s requested songs by Bruno Mars. It was awesome to see familiar faces so far from home!

Super random meeting in Vis with WSU football coach – Mike Leach

The next morning we sailed around Vis. First stop was the green grotto, a popular ocean cave with a small hole in the top that allowing a focussed beam of sunlight to burn through the water. So cool to swim inside.

Next, we sail to the blue grotto. Another cave, but with a tiny opening. So small it seems that the boat which takes you in could never fit – bit it just barely does. The water in this cave is “uplit” by the sun causing it to be a beautiful translucent blue. Again, super cool.

Piling in for the ride into the blue grotto

After the grottos, Val takes us to a peaceful small harbor on the other side of Vis. I have no idea where we were, but my photos say a place called Komiza. The water was perfect for a great swim. Not too hot, not too cold, just right.

That evening, Captain Val had a surprise for us. He’d arranged for us to have dinner at a local resident’s home. We piled into a van and took a 15 minute ride up a hill to a small village where we were greeted by a herd of goats, sheep and lambs. So cute. Until they started battling over hunks of bread a woman was throwing at them. Then – not as cute – but still tons of fun to watch.

The dinner was totally authentic. The chef cooked fish, meat and veggies in a wood fired oven under several “pekas” which are basically iron lids. If I’m being honest, I thought the food was just OK, but the experience was awesome. Especially when Nikki, Maddy, Nate and Garrett were bottle feeding a lamb after dinner!

The next morning, Captain Val took us on a bit of a rocky ride – causing a little motion sickness for some of our crew (sorry Nate and Tammy) – that ended up in the most beautiful bay. Again, I have no idea where we were, but the photos say “Colta”. It was so perfect that we spent two nights here relaxing, playing cards (mostly a vicious game of “El Presidente”), paddle boarding, and swimming. So much fun!

Click on this link for a great little video of Colta from Space! FD093552-9F25-478A-BE17-B79D3D4D7BF2

Far too quickly, it was time to go. After a sizzling dance party on the way to port, we disembarked somewhere near Trogir.

The following day we took a couple of rental cars for a five hour drive to the Meneghetti Wine hotel & Winery in the Istria region of Northern Croatia [https://www.relaischateaux.com/us/croatia-hrvatska/meneghetti-istria-bale]. It’s a really incredible property – about 200 yards from the sea with a vineyard, two outdoor pools, one indoor pool, a spa and a truly gourmet restaurant. And beyond that — amazing service!

We arrived with great timing because Croatia was playing a World Cup soccer game against Nigeria that night. Lawrence did some quick research and determined that we needed to be in Pula so we could watch the game with some Croatian fans. 30 minutes later, we were in the main square – complete with ancient Roman buildings – and a giant television screen. After gearing up with some Croatian jerseys we watched the crowd of about 2000 go wild as the home team took a 2-0 victory. Great experience. Who says soccer is boring.

The following day was Father’s Day. We took advantage by watching more World Cup and the US Open on TV and then took a drive to the incredibly picturesque town of Rovinj for dinner at a oceanfront restaurant called Puntalina [http://www.puntulina.eu]. Again, if I being honest, the food was pretty good, not excellent. But the magnificent setting – and of course, the company – made it a very memorable Father’s Day.

Celebration continued the following day – Shawn’s birthday! Tammy had arranged for a van to take us into the hills of Istria for an awesome mountain bike ride along La Parenzana – an historic railway. Super fun for those with biking experience. Pretty fun for the rest. Although I do recall Maddy saying she would never ride again. 😊

After the ride, we went back to the Meneghetti’s gourmet restaurant for a tremendous dinner of steak Florentine along with an amazing cake that the hotel had specially made for the birthday celebration.

Pre-birthday dinner group pic in the vineyards

Sadly, it all ended too fast. Our wonderful friends headed back to Manhattan Beach. And we are off to Slovenia.

Chianti – May 31 to June 7

9 hours of trains through Italy takes us from Bari to Tuscany.

We’d been in Tuscany before on a guided Butterfield & Robinson cycling trip. Shawn and I wanted to ride again, but this time decided to do the planning on our own. We got super lucky surfing the internet and found Tuscany Bicycle in the town of Gaiole in Chianti [https://www.Tuscany bicycle.com/en/]. The owners, Fillipo and Michelle, were extremely responsive, by text, email and phone and got us set up with some terrific Pinarello road bikes.

Shawn in Gaiole with the Rooster – the symbol of Chianti Classico

The bike shop even suggested a great hotel – Rocca di Castagnola [http://www.msnhotels.com/rocca_castagnoli.htm] – a restored stone villa on a hilltop surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.

The property also has an excellent restaurant [http://www.ilcelliere.it/en/] with a terrific staff and was only about 5km from Tuscany Bicycle’s shop.

Fillipo gave us a map and some great suggested rides. However, as the lead navigator, I may have made a few mapping miscalculations that led us up some very steep hills. Shawn aptly named our tour, “Lost Roads.”

However, my guiding was not totally bad. We did capture the stunning poppy fields in bloom and made some great stops in picturesque towns with great cafes. This did renew (somewhat) Shawn’s faith in me as her guide, even though the hotel was straight up a 600 meter hill at the end of the day.

In fact, my (mis) guiding also took us onto the Strade Bianchi – the famous “white roads” of Tuscany – which happen to be gravel. These are rideable, but can be challenging for the less experienced. This resulted in some colorful language – in both English and Italian – from my one person crew. On the positive side, the paved roads are in great shape, there aren’t that many cars, and at the top of nearly every hill is an exquisite view and sometimes a delightful village.

We rode four full days and loved it. If you like cycling, food and wine, a visit to Chianti in spring time is a trifecta of excellence.

A great place to get an espresso and meet lots of other cyclists is Caffe Eroica in Brolio [https://eroica.cc/eroica-caffè]. Great coffee and croissants and directly across the street from the tasting room at Brolio Vineyards – the inventors of the “Ricasoli formula” which forms the basis for all Chianti Classico wines. This is also the place where they came up with the idea for L’Eroica, an annual cycling mega-event [https://www.eroicagaiole.com] where everyone is required to ride vintage (70’s and prior) bikes and clothing. It’s a huge event that is run largely on the Strade Bianchi. If anyone out there wants to do this, I’d love to come back and do it with you!

Towns not to miss while cycling are Radda in Chianti – where we had a fantastic lunch at Ristorante il Girarrosto [http://www.rosshotels.it/ita/hotel-ristorante-chianti.html?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral] –

and Castelonuevo Berardenga – where we also had a great lunch at La Taverna della Berardenga [https://www.thefork.com/restaurant/la-taverna-della-berardenga/57796]. These are both beautiful villages with nice shopping and restaurants for lunch. As well as cool cafes if you need a mid-morning shot of espresso!

We also rented a car – which we recommend as Tuscany is pretty big and there is a lot to see.

Great towns to visit are San Gimignano, Montalcino and Pienza (Shawn’s favorite). All have beautiful architecture, fantastic food and, of course, shopping.

View from the back of Pienza – great place for wedding shots!

There is so much good food and wine in Tuscany. It’s hard – really – to find a bad meal. But the best we had this week was likely La Bottega del 30 [http://labottegadel30.it/en/]. This is a Michelin starred restaurant in the tiny village of Villa al Sesta. So, so good. Thanks Jen for the tip!

Tuscany is a fantastic place. If you haven’t been here, you should go. If you have, you should go back. I’m sure we will. But now – we are on our way to Croatia to meet some great friends!

Puglia – May 23 to 30

A car from Positano to Naples and then a bus from Naples to Bari gets us to Puglia – the “heel of the boot” of Italy. With so much other great stuff to see in Italy – Rome, Florence, Venice, Amalfi, Tuscany – most Americans don’t make it this deep. And that’s unfortunate, cuz it’s another pretty great place.

We rented a car – Jeep Renegade subcompact SUV – and after crowbarring ourselves and massive amounts of luggage inside, made our way to Polignano a Mare, a cliff side town on Italy’s Adriatic Coast.

First thing you notice about Polignano a Mare is that it’s really beautiful here. Check out this beach.

And the little town is also excellent. Quaint walk streets loaded with restaurants and cool shops purveying hand made Italian goods. Looked like a choice spot for a wedding party.

Main shopping street in Polignano a Mare

The cliffs here are very dramatic. Caught a couple of good shots from the drone!

If you’re feeling like a big spender, try The Grotto [https://www.grottapalazzese.it/en/]. We passed – even after hearing a good review from the Rosen’s – cuz its 150 euro per person (not including wine), and it seemed like a lot for the four of us. But it’s a spectacular location for a super special dinner – as you can see from this shot.

The Grotto – built into a cave in the cliff

We passed on The Grotto, but there are many other great options. After gorging on meat, cheese, tomato and more cheese for the past week(s), we found a great pescatarian place called Mint Cucina Fresca. [https://www.facebook.com/mintcucinafresca/]. This place was fantastic and somewhat healthy.

Our Airbnb here was totally adequate. If you are looking for two clean bedrooms and a bath – for less than $150 per night, we can recommend this place. [https://www.booking.com/hotel/it/casa-lilla-polignano-a-mare1.en-gb.html?aid=376370;label=log-7hXcdXmQIAnytr80ankEYwS267778187023%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atiaud-297601666715%3Akwd-317486742176%3Alp9058686%3Ali%3Adet%3Adm;dist=0;sb_price_type=total;type=total&] But understand that it does not come with a place to park. And parking in this town is like Hermosa Beach in summer. So be forewarned about that.

Also, there are other very good – non-rocky – beaches close by. Monopoli, about 20 minutes by car south, has excellent sandy beaches. We went to the Lido Sabbiadoro beach club [http://www.lidosabbiadoro.com/en/]. Apparently we were here just prior to the summer crush. They had about 200 lounge chairs and umbrellas and only about 15 guests. But it was clear they were getting ready for the “on” season. In any case, it was a great white sand beach with beautiful blue water.

After three nights in Polignano a Mare, we it was time to for a road trip. First stop was Alberobello. I was chastised for calling it “Albertoburrito”. Sorry. This is the town with the famous “trulli” homes. If you’ve ever done any internet research on Puglia, you’ve likely seen these cute little structures with cone shaped roofs. Yes – it’s a bit touristy – but a totally worthwhile and fun day trip. Another great place to to eat, drink and shop. I found a cool scarf – yes going totally Euro – and Shawn found some jewelry – you must be shocked to hear that.

Albertoburrito was just a stop on the way to our actual destination, Gallipoli. This is not the site of the famous and devastating World War I battle (that’s in Turkey), but instead is another great Italian beach town.

The old town in Gallipoli is on a very small island connected to the mainland via a bridge. We didn’t know that you’re not supposed to drive in the old town – or on the tiny stone walk streets – but that’s where Google Maps directed the Jeep Renegade toward Relais Corte Palmieri hotel [https://www.relaiscortepalmieri.it/old-town-hotel-gallipoli/, our home for the next four nights.

The Corte Palmieri is very charming. A blend of old architecure, relaxing balconies and terraces along with a great location. We had the Luna room which had a private terrace. The girls had a different room (can’t remember the name of that one) with a funky loft. I think both rooms together were about $300 per night (including breakfast). So a pretty good value for four travelers.

Roof Terrace at Corte Palmieri from the drone

The public beach in Gallipoli is a bit “tired” looking, but there are many beach clubs near town.

Gallipoli public beach likely “rocks” in Summer, but pretty dead in May

Following a hotel recommendation (which also came with a complementary ride), we went to Lido Sottovento [https://www.lidosottovento.com]. A nice club with white sand and blue water, but due to a particular seasonal tide, there was a ton of vegetation floating in the water which made it a bit unpleasant to get in the sea. This was not the case at the clubs about 300 yards on either side of Lido, but we just got a bit unlucky on that one.

In any case, we received a tout from a Scottish woman that had a house in Tuscany. She told us to take a 45 minute drive north to Porto Ceasareo. Taking her advice we found a club called Bahia del Sol [http://bahiaportocesareo.com]. Excellent lounge chairs, umbrellas, food, drinks along with great sand and pretty warm water. Great way to spend a day. Again, we were here in late May so the beach was relatively uncrowded. I suspect that if you come here in July it will be totally packed!

As you might recall, we love a day on a boat. We were fortunate to hook up with Francesco at ZaBoat [http://zaboat.it/coming-soon.html] who took us on a half day cruise around the Gallipoli coastline. Great way to spend a super hot and humid day!

And yes, we did go to some cool restaurants. The finest was the Palazzo del Corso at the sister hotel of the Corte Palmieri. We went at sunset and the view was absolutely spectacular.

Sadly, the food did not live up to the view. It was good, but for the price – which was relatively high – we expected better. Nonetheless, we had a great time!

On our last night were getting ready to get some food and we heard what sounded like a marching band in the alley next to our terrace. Shawn exclaimed – “ you just missed it, we have to get down to the street”! So we raced down to the street and found the procession of a marching band, about 200 people and various clergy. Very cool.

Parishioner tossing rose petals at Virgin Mary

Unfortunately, our time in Puglia was coming to an end and we made the two and a half hour drive to departing planes and trains in Bari. Sadly, we were all heading in different directions. Nikki to see her boyfriend Ben in Paris. Nicole, home to LA. And Shawn and I to Chianti. OK, not so sad 😉!

Positano – May 19 to 23

With a great visit to Bordeaux behind us we flew to Naples where we were so psyched to meet Nikki and her awesome BFF Nicole at an AirBnb – our jumping off point for a trip to Southern Italy.

Quick note about discount flyers like Easy Jet. Make sure to check the luggage allowances! Some Easy Jet tix allow one piece of checked luggage (some don’t), but our allowance was only for 15kg per person, not the usual 23kg, ouch! So, upgrade online to avoid the high charges at the airport.

Naples is an intense city with tons of action everywhere. We met Nikki and Nicole at Palazzo Carafe Della Spina. That’s a very fancy name for a vacation rental apartment directly in the middle of the old city – also known as the Centro Storico. [http://www.booking.com/Share-eQq1xA]. Perfectly adequate and clean place if you are looking for two bedrooms (one is a loft) and two bathrooms for under $100. And the manager, Maria, is very nice and awesome. After our ride to Positano fell through, she quickly arranged another one. And was great with suggestions for restaurants. The Centro Storico is actually really cool, but one night in Naples was plenty for us.

Positano is a pretty magical place. Very hard for mortals to describe in writing, so I’ll give you a bit of a guy named Steinbeck.

“Positano bites deep. It’s a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone. Its houses climb a hill so steep it would be a cliff except that stairs are cut into it. I believe that most house foundations are vertical, in Positano they are horizontal. The small curving bay of unbelievably blue and green water laps gently on a beach of small pebbles. There is only one narrow street and it does not come down to the water. Everything else is stairs, some as steep as ladders. You do not walk to visit a friend, you either climb or slide.” – J. Steinbeck. For more Steinbeck on Positano go to: https://sirenuse.it/media/57085/Steinbeck.pdf

This enchanted village is built directly into a steep hillside above the Tyrrehenian Sea – that’s what the Mediterranean is sometimes called on the west coast of Italy. It’s very possible to get a place that requires walking down literally hundreds of steps to the sea. And, of course, hundreds back up. The steps were supposedly built uneven to ward off enemies back in the day. Not sure I believe that. But, if you want the best location in Positano, check out Villa Costanzo. It’s a two bedroom, one and one-half bath VRBO [http://www.villacostanzo.com] just 12 steps from the beach. Kitchen and dining room as well. And best of all – an amazing view. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this place.

Villa Costanzo – Right at the top of the steps to the beach

Positano is loaded with quaint walking paths and little streets lined with boutiques – great linen and jewelry. Shawn, Nikki and Nicole did quite a bit of damage here. I might have done a bit of shopping myself. 😉 There are also a ton of excellent restaurants.

A little beach time – then a bit of damage

Two of our favorite restaurants were Chez Black [http://www.chezblack.it] – a Positano institution that is right on the beach – and Ristorane Max [http://www.ristorantemax.it]. Chez Black has great pizzas, pasta and seafood and is a terrific place to see and be seen – awesome people watching! Max is a combo art gallery/restaurant and is much more of a fine dining experience. The food at Max, however, is excellent. Probably the highest quality dining we had in Positano.

Another great place is La Tagliata [https://www.latagliata.com]. It’s built into the very top of the cliffs above town. Way, way up there! If you call them, they will send a bus to pick you up. The ride up is pretty scary. Views from the bus windows make you feel like you’re flying as you traverse the impossibly narrow streets clinging to the mountainside.

Tagliata is not “fine dining”, but authentic and high quality – owned and operated by an Italian family – and really, really good. They are very friendly and ask you only two questions. Where are you from? And, do you want red or white wine? Then the food just starts coming – and coming. Best to arrive here on an empty stomach or you won’t get through the first 30 minutes of this two and a half hour feast. It’s a fixed menu – with lots of vegetarian mixed in. The friendly waiters just keep bringing more dishes. Anti-pasta, pasta, cheese, veggies, breads, meats – all kinds – and loads of desserts. All you can eat and drink for 40 euro per person. And an amazing view! Very fun!

The road along the Amalfi Coast – AKA the Amalfi Drive – is a marvel of engineering and is arguably the most spectacular road in Europe. It’s built directly into the cliffs, hundreds of feet above the sea. Tour busses, cars and motorcycles all fight for position on the ultra-tight curves. Years ago, Shawn and I made the mistake of renting motor scooters with our pre-teen girls for a “fun” trip down the coast. Pro tip – this is a bad idea and an example of poor parenting 🤔.

But if you really want to see the coast – and you do really want to see the coast – you have to rent a boat. I can’t emphasize this strong enough. You must rent a boat! One of my top 10 favorite things to do in the world is to rent a boat in Positano on a sunny day.

On the beach you’ll find several kiosks where you can rent boats and buy tickets for the ferries to Capri and other coastal towns. We rented at a kiosk is called Lucibello. It’s not inexpensive – was 600 euro for 8 hours – but oh so worth it. We were blessed with a glorious sunny day and a cool breeze. Our captain Roberto took us for the slow ride down the coast from Positano to Amalfi. The water is bluest you’ll see anywhere and the scenery is other-worldly.

Went for a swim in that cave – really a huge cavern

We pulled in for a terrific lunch at La Tonarella [http://www.ristorantelatonnarella.com/en/storia/]. Apparently Jackie “O” used to come here for a special pasta with courgettes (that’s zucchini). It was delicious. Also great just to watch big groups of Italians have a lunch. It always sounds like they are arguing – until they bust out laughing.

La Tonorella is the pink building on the shore

Enjoying the speciality drink of Positano – Limoncello

Positano is a place that you must see. But, in my opinion, it is much more “touristy” than when we visited about 10 years ago. Our sense was that many more busses of visitors are being jammed into town than before. It doesn’t ruin the experience – especially if you get a boat – but it’s something to be aware of just so you can set your expectations accordingly.

Next stop – Puglia.

Biarritz to Bordeaux – May 7 to 18

I know that I’ve become a bit tardy in recent reporting. Apologies to my four readers. “The warm summer breezes, french wines and cheeses, kept his ambition at bay – Jimmy Buffet.” It’s very easy to do nothing in France.

A plane from Florence to Madrid and a connection to San Sebastián gets us to a little town just outside the airport called Hondarribia. Firmly inside the Basque Country. I think they just seceded from Spain. No worry. If it’s not on Fox it’s all fake news anyway. Or is that CNN? 😂

For one night we lodge at the three-star Hotel Obisbo, a 15th century structure converted into a funky hotel (not in a smelly way, it’s actually super clean) that’s a five minute taxi from the airport. And less than $100 for the night. Small room, but tidy and comfortable. Expecting an “airport city”, the little town of Hondarribia, with cobbled streets and a cool, old church is a pleasant surprise.

We happened upon a great little restaurant called Danontzat with the best – and I mean the very best – Foie Gras that I’ve ever had [http://gastrotur.net/gastroteka-danontzat-hondarribia/]. Per the owner, the goose is not force fed, but lives under a fig tree and eats the figs that fall off the tree before its liver is sacrificed. Hmmm. But so, so good!

The next day we take a short taxi ride – about 30 minutes – to the incredibly swanky town of Biarritz. It’s like Beverly Hills and La Jolla had a love child and dropped it on the coast of France. Got an Airbnb here that was awesome – if you’re not too tall. [https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/21127022?eal_exp=1528163641&eal_sig=e462d639ef00767c9b17605f5399969f58f3b6f7df636ef5e7e210bca39f44c9&eal_uid=116697965&eluid=0&euid=51a1f103-cfe9-45b1-9d03-6d18093aff7c]. Not a problem for the vertically challenged Klein’s. One small room (kitchen and living area) downstairs with a queen size bed in the loft. The shower is upstairs and the toilet is down. It’s challenging to navigate the spiral staircase downstairs in the middle of the night and the ceiling upstairs is a bit low, but the incredible location wins out.

We’re just above the Grande Plage, one of the top surf spots in France – and, I think, one of the best “city” beaches anywhere.

During our three day early May (and a bit rainy) visit, the waves were about 5-8 feet with about 50-75 surfers in the water most of the time. Really cool to watch out the window.

This town is super glitzy. The winding cobblestone streets are full of great bistros and shopping. The Grand Plage promenade is loaded up with tables for lunch, snacks and drinks on the shore – a perfect spot to take in the coastal views, and enjoy the surf action.

Unfortunately for us, it was mostly cloudy and rainy, but when the sun did poke through you could imagine an awesome summery day in Biarritz.

Other cool attractions include a better than expected aquarium – with this very rare French blue lobster.

An impressive cathedral on the cliffs above the surf.

And a great stone walkway to take in the superior ocean views.

We’d totally recommend Biarritz for a two or three day visit. Probably better in the summer, but the crowds are likely massive as well.

Think Lizbeth Salander might be hiding here in BTZ

It’s a two hour train ride from Biarritz to Bordeaux where we meet Kevin and Linda Rosen (once known as Linda Glick and, of course, 1984 UCLA Lambda Chi Alpha Crescent Queen) our traveling companions for a week in one of France’s finest wine regions. Linda, an amazing planner, arranged an Airbnb in the best part of Bordeaux’s old town for our first two nights.

Located on the Garonne River, Bordeaux was one of the most important trading ports in the 18th century. For some reason, I had in my mind that it was a little village, but it’s most definitely not. It’s actually the sixth largest city in France – with about 250,000 people and the hub of one of the world’s preeminent wine growing regions. It’s full of activity and great architecture – old and modern.

For wine aficionados, you’ll already know that “left bank” refers to wine regions on the west side of the Garonne River and “right bank” to those on the east side of the river. I know you knew that – it was just a refresher.

Linda arranged dinners at two fantastic restaurants – Solena [http://www.solena-restaurant.com] and Le Boucheon Bordelais [https://www.bouchon-bordelais.com]. Both are excellent. Solena is a bit more “fine dining” – it is a Michelin rated restaurant – and Le Boucheon is a bit more of a bistro, but both are great.

Our excellent planner also put together a very nice wine tour with Elodie [www.bordeauxwithelodie.com]. Elodie picked us up at our apartment – which was convenient cuz it was raining – and took us to the left bank to tour and taste the finest of Chateau Lafond-Rochet (AOC: Saint Estephe), Chateau Beychevelle (AOC: Saint-Julien), and Chateau Kirwan (AOC: Margaux).

These are all Grand Cru Classe labels from the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. In the Medoc region – which encompasses the left bank – the Grand Cru Classe ratings were established in 1855 and have not been re-rated since. No matter, these left bank winemakers continue to represent quality and their Chateaus are extremely impressive – along with the wines. A great day of tasting (that’s “degustation” for the oenophiles) and touring, as well some fine wine education.

Next we’re off to our Backroads cycling trip along the Dordogne River and the “right bank” of Bordeaux. Yes, life is getting rough! Team Rosen/Klein meet our trip leaders at the train station and shuttle with a group of seven others “cyclists” to the village of Pontours to pick up our bikes and take a warm-up ride through the bastide town of Molieres and some lovely tree-lined paths along the Dordogne River.

Molieres – Ms. Rosen (former pro art director) knows how to set up a pic!

After about 20 miles, we reach our destination – and home for the first two nights, Le Vieux Logis [http://www.vieux-logis.com/en/], a Relais & Chateaux listed property in Tremolat. It’s a beautiful, elegantly restored estate, formerly dedicated to tobacco production. That night we are blessed with a fantastic dinner at the property’s own Michelin one-star gourmet restaurant. Was so great. Especially since it was paid for many month’s ago.

The next day, however, brings a challenge. Rain. We had packed our cycling clothes in January – and shipped them to Nikki in Italy so we could pick them up just before this trip – dreaming only of sunny days. So our rain gear was a bit make-shift. Crescent Queen Rosen, on the other hand was fully equipped for the battle with a long water proof coat, gortex pants and even shoe covers. So good to be a “planner”. 😊 No matter, 10 out of our group of 11 (one was smart enough to pass this IQ test and not ride) saddled up and rode in the rain to the Rouffignac Cave [http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/france/rouffignac/index.php] to view prehistoric cave paintings of woolly mammoths, rhinos, bison and horses. I usually find this kind of stuff pretty boring, but these petroglyphs are actually pretty cool. But go on a warm day. Transitioning from a cold wet ride to a colder wet, damp cave is not ideal. Nonetheless, the hot bath back at Le Vieux Logis was awesome!

Day 3 brought slightly better weather and an overcast ride through the wonderful countryside of Bergerac (remember “Cyrano de Bergerac”). After a stop at 16th century Chateau de Monbazillac – which is cool if you like old chateaus – we ride our way to Chateau de Vigiers, a fabulous resort with an awesome looking 27 hole golf course [https://vigiers.com/relais-hotel-dordogne.html]. This resort is also endowed with a Michelin one-star restaurant – and we finished off the day with another gastronomic delight!

Backroads (and Butterfield & Robinson) always save the best for last. As the weather continued to improve, we make our make our way to the gem of the right bank, Saint Emilion – a UNESCO World Heritage site. The riding remains sublime as we wind through some of the world’s finest vineyards toward Hostellerie de Plaisance [https://hostelleriedeplaisance.com] an amazing hotel in the best location in town directly adjacent to the tower of Saint Emilion’s monolithic church.

Hotellerie de Plaisance is five star in every sense. Beautiful rooms with terraces overlooking the old city, amazing service and, of course, their own vineyard.

That evening our guides had arranged for a “wine school” with Benjamin, an expert oenologist from Vignobles and Chateaux, one of the top wine negotiants in Bordeaux. After an hour of excellent (and actually interesting) instruction, we were fully prepared to taste/drink some fine Bordeaux reds at a great St. Emilion pizza spot with the Rosen’s.

The following morning we finally see a mostly sunny day and suit up for another wonderful ride through the villages and vineyards surrounding St. Emilion. Wine expert Benjamin joins us for lunch and a tour at Chateau Pavie, a Premier Grand Cru Classe vineyard. In St. Emilion, this seems to matter a bit more than on the left bank (Medoc), as the ratings are re-evaluated every 10 years (not just held over from 1855).

After the ride we take a private tour of the catacombs and Europe’s largest monolithic church – Eglise Monolithe [http://www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com/uk/1-discover/31-the-12-inescapable-monuments/5-the-monolithic-church-and-its-bell-tower.html] – which happens to be directly under our hotel. If you find yourself in St. Emilion, this place is a must see. It’s a huge church, carved underground in the limestone plateau. Really feels like something out of a Tomb Raider movie. Sorry there are no pics – they are not allowed inside this church.

Our journey to French wine country concludes with a truly gut-busting (and delicious) six-course dinner at our Hotel’s two star Michelin restaurant, La Table de Plaisance. Fantastic cap on a great week!

Linda and Shawn with Josh – one of our Backroads Guides

Although we are sad to put Bordeaux in the rear-view mirror (and to say au revoir to the Rosen’s) we are happy to be flying south to meet up with Nikki and her BFF Nicole for a few days in Positano and a week in Puglia.

Florence, Italy – April 30 to May 7

Air Europa from Lima to Madrid. Biz class – from an accumulation of AmEx Platinum miles – which was very nice. Then a connection from Madrid to Rome. Italo train from Rome to Florence. After 24 hours of travel it was a fantastic surprise when Nikki – studying abroad at NYU’s Florence campus – met us at the station.

Also great cuz we needed someone to help us find our Airbnb. If you are thinking about going to Florence and need more than just a hotel room we very highly recommend this place. [https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/661521?check_in=2018-08-06&guests=1&adults=1&check_out=2018-08-11]

Two bedrooms – one with a queen size bed – and one with a twin. Possibly two twins if you ask. One and a half bathrooms. Living/dining room and a serviceable kitchen (no oven, but a microwave). But the best part is the location. Just around the corner from the Palazzo Vecchio. Right in the middle of Florence. Walk out the door to the best shopping, bars and restaurants. Three minute walk to the Uffizi Museum. A great base to do Firenze.

Firenze is such a fun place. Architecture, art, food, and shopping (especially for leather products) are all five star. And the views are just so memorable. Even the Arno River – which really isn’t much of a river – comes alive when the sun hits it just right.

We’d been in Florence a few times before so we opted to try a few different experiences. First up was a tour of a Parmagiano cheese factory. [https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/91363?location=Florence%2C%20Italy&source=p2&currentTab=experience_tab&searchId=dd83d5a2-9b87-40fa-b102-cb98ebdf358f&federatedSearchId=ce43c316-09b1-4fc5-95f6-25cfc884c8e1&sectionId=e0c2624e-2203-4195-be34-d03ed933978c]

Authentic Parmagiano cheese comes solely from Parma Reggiano – about an hour train ride from Florence. The manufacturing process has been highly regulated and maintains its traditional roots. We met Claudio – who’s family has been making cheese for generations – and, after putting on sterile lab coats, he took us on a tour of his factory. Really cool to see the making of the cheese wheels and the “caveau” – where thousands of cheese wheels are maturing. Smells so good!

Claudio and Shawn in the “caveau” with the maturing cheese

Next up was a leather making workshop. [https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/158168] This is what happens when you only have daughters. But it was really fun. Florence is one of the leather capitals of the world. There are hundreds of leather stores with beautiful hand-crafted items. We went to a small leather shop where the super nice proprietor let us pick out our leather and then taught us how to cut it with her patterns and ultimately – over about three hours – craft some very cool items. Shawn and Nikki made purses and I made a sweet leather pouch. Totally recommend this as well.

Also went for an Italian cooking class. [https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g187895-d11450563-Cooking_Class_and_Lunch_at_a_Tuscan_Farmhouse_with_Local_Market_Tour_from_Florence.html] Another great experience. First a tour of Market Centrale – which is a must see and where we purchase our ingredients – then a very short bus ride to an beautiful farmhouse in the hills above Florence. Chefs Issak and Carmella are funny and extra-energetic while teaching the group of about 20 to make bruschetta (pronounced properly in Italian, bru-ske-ta), roast pork, ragu, pesto, fresh pasta from scratch and amazing tiramisu. All with generous amounts of Chianti Classico. Great day and one of the best meals ever. And no worries about having 20 in the group. The kitchen and dining rooms (with an incredible view) are super nice and appropriately sized. After one glass of wine, everyone blends just fine. Another excursion that is highly recommended.

And, of course, beyond the “excursion/experiences”, we had time for just walking around. There are so many marvelous things to marvel at.

Eating is also pretty prodigious. There are far too many good restaurants to name. But some of our favorites, suggested by Nikki, were Osteria Santa Spirito for great pasta (know for it’s gnocchi with tuffle cheese sauce) [https://www.google.com/search?q=osteria+santa+spirito&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#lkt=LocalPoiAbout&trex=m_t:lcl_akp,rc_f:nav,rc_ludocids:8779609045513250019,rc_q:Osteria%2520Santo%2520Spirito,ru_q:Osteria%2520Santo%2520Spirito] and Gustapizza for great pizza. Both are casual, well priced and in the Santo Spirito area.

Other favorites included Ristorante Hostaria il Desco [http://www.hostariaildesco.com/] and Natalino [http://www.ristorantenatalino.com] for dinner and if you’re craving a rooftop for cocktails, the Hotel Continentale Terraza Bar [https://www.lungarnocollection.com/la-terrazza-lounge-bar] at the base of the Ponte Vecchio is great!

Bistecca Florentina at Hostaria il Desco

There are so many other restaurants that you’ll find just by walking around.

And, of course, there is shopping. Every famous (and not so famous) designer has a store in Florence. If you are looking for something unique – like perhaps a pair of red suede drivers – it will be here.

We’re on our way to Biarritz, France for a few days then to Bordeaux to meet up with Kevin and Linda Rosen for a cycling trip through the vineyards.

So happy to be in Europe. And to see Nikki. We feel so fortunate to be on this journey.