September 8, 2026 Awe Saturnia, Italy The night sky came alive as we sat in the thermal pools (that are free) called Cascate del Mulino di Saturnia. Truly amazing, with cascading waterfalls, pools of various sizes and depths for soaking, and a river to follow through the bamboo reeds and around the bend and back to the main connection point. Disney could not have […]
September 7, 2026 Two Sides of The Tuscan Sun I had to tell the kids to channel their country-mouse selves as a country farm is pretty much the opposite of a Florence city hotel. The first complaint was the farm cats – for our one who does not like such things. And then the ants. And then the flies. And even the outdoor pool […]
September 4, 2026 Where did we go wrong? Mia chose the pizza place tonight. Our first Italian pizza in Florence. The website says 13th best pizza in the world – must be true. We walked the obligatory 12 blocks through cobbly streets and a bit of major construction, but we did find the place. We were the only ones in there – one of […]
September 3, 2026 Jet Lag (and other dislikes) Has it been 2 days or 3 days?! According to my Oura ring, it’s been enough to bring my sleep score to a 32 (not out of 40). Duolingo swears I keep breaking my streak. It’s jet lag. I am pretty sure it’s been two days. Got on a night flight September 1 – arrived to […]
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 Exiting the U.S.A. Last night, probably like most people who are about to embark on a big adventure, I woke up at 2:30am. I was wide awake. Likely a combination of adrenaline, hearing something fall off my towering pile of things to finish packing, and the call of the adventure itself. Instead of getting anxious about the mounting sleep debt […]
The Traveler Who is the traveler, or pilgrim, apart from the vacationer? This is the question we seek to answer as we, a family of five, travel for 100 days in the EU and UK. I started a book (again) that I’ve had for a couple of decades, The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred, by Phil Cousineau. During the […]
August 5, 2026 Here we go! Almost. Before the trip, there are the prep steps before any actual adventuring can begin. The right gear. Fall clothes that fit from last year. This was a never-ending sitch! Wires and plugs and the items required by school. And the EU. Actualizing our lives into 5 suitcases for 100 days. Today is the official first day of […]
July 19, 2026 How the Conversation Started … Yes, this is a family dinner conversation as we wondered about the many bookings we made while preparing to spend 100 days in and around Europe. “I think it just eliminates the need for toilet paper.” “Is there a fan?” “No, that’s what underwear is for – to dry you off.” Ok, this is my family. […]