Global Calgary Blog

• Hits and Misses

  <p> I guess it’s time for the final assessment when it comes to traveling Europe with the family.   A trip we all agree has been fantastic.   Not perfect, but truly a wonderful experience.   Two weeks running around on our own and two weeks in an organized tour.  It’s really hard to say which was best because it </p>

  Apr 25, 2011
  
• Ready to come home

  <p> The final few days of the tour brings us back to Paris again.   Not a quick stop to switch trains, this time a chance to check out some of the sights.   Notre Dame, The Louvre (Mona is looking good!), the Eiffel Tower (you’ve got to see it sparkle at night), and a half dozen other stops.   A grea</p>

  Apr 25, 2011
  
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• off the beaten path

  <p> Taking the road less traveled is really paying some dividends.   That’s the philosophy of a Rick Steves’ tour:   enjoy what Europe has to offer but do it through the back door.   Get out and meet the ‘real’ people and not just the tourist traps. We’ve hit all of the major cities on this trip, but we usually sta</p>

  Apr 25, 2011
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• mother nature weighs in

  <p> After more than a week of being bombarded with some of the greatest creations by human hand…. A reminder of another power today.  We’ve moved north from Italy for a few days into Austria and Switzerland.   The ‘canvas’ is no longer a ceiling or marble, it’s the Alps.   Heading in I thought this would be an ‘ok</p>

  Apr 25, 2011
• more random observations

  <p> More random observations…  Here’s another day of reflections after now completing a week of travels in Italy.   Based on conversations with locals, tour guides, watching some TV and reading the occasional paper.  In no particular order and without confirmation….. Real estate reality check.  </p>

  Apr 25, 2011
• Gondola’s and Children

  <p> Gondola rides and children….. save your money   “Children should be seen and not heard’. Can’t recall who came up with that gem, but until today I didn’t buy into it.   And then we took a Gondola ride in Venice.    The ‘classic’ thing to do when you’re in the Italian city famous for its </p>

  Apr 25, 2011
• New Travel Mates

  <p> We met our expanded family this afternoon.   The travel group we’ll be hauling around Europe with for the next 2 weeks.   Always an interesting time when you toss a diverse group of people together.   I’m of the opinion that in these situations you should adopt what I call the ‘Survivor’ rule, based a bit on t</p>

  Apr 25, 2011
• When in Rome

  Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you sure can’t see it in two.  But we’ve managed to pack in a lot over the past 48 hours. This is where our organized tour began for the final two weeks.  We’ll wind our way back to Paris with stops in Florence, Venice, the Alps, and Burgundy as...

  Apr 25, 2011
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• Midnight Express

  Whew.  Dodged a bullet on this one.  A date circled on our trip that had the potential to elevate Dad to ‘planner of the year’…. Or drop me back down to ‘loser’ status.  (As the father of a teen and a tweener there’s often a big L on my forehead… but so far I haven’t...

  Apr 25, 2011
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• No more free wheeling

  We’ve come to the end of the first two weeks of our month in Europe.  The end of the ‘free wheeling’ segment.  Planes, trains and automobiles.  A week of racing around to various sites and a week of relaxing near the ocean.Can’t say goodbye to the car fast enough.  It’s been the only stressful component...

  Apr 25, 2011