Summer 2011 (July 1 - August 14)

Summer 2011 (July 1 - August 14)

July1: Leave Honolulu
July2: Arrive in Boston
July3: Paris - Evreux - Caen - MSM
July4: Rennes - Redon - Laval
July5: Le Mans - Chartres - Paris
July5-7: Place de Rebuplique, Paris
July7-11: Place Vendome, Paris
July11: Nancy
July12-15: Strasbourg - Baden-Baden
July15-17: Basel, Swiss
July17-20: Milan
July20-22: Nice
July22-23: Aix-en Provence
July23-25: Nimes
July25-26: Dijon
July26-27: Paris
July27-August3: Prague
August3-7: London
August7-14:Los Angeles

Last words

46 days of traveling, it was a memorable trip with my daughter and niece. I am glad that I did it without any major incident, but nothing is the same without my Mimi.
I will be home in a few days, but memories of the trip will be with me forever. When I see Miranda, I see Mimi in her. I miss Mimi so much. This picture (Nancy, 07/11) is for you Mimi, tea and dessert are for you.
PS: I got my sabbatical for next year Mimi - I am going to be in VN for a few months and travel to see the world. I wish u were with me.

Not Europe? Why?

Top ten crazy things in Europe:

10. A bunk bed at Etap Hotels
9. Traffic/Parking in Paris
8. Café au lait in Basel (7.5 Swiss Franc = $11)
7. Too many towns, cities, and countries in 5 weeks.
6. Taking Miranda to see Czech doctors with an interpreter.
5. No hotel reservations
4. Tolls in Swiss (1-200 kilometers = $60)
3. England weather
2. Three lakes (Lucern, Lugano, Como) in one afternoon
1. Sunday in Europe (ie: everything is shut down on Sunday, except Prague)

Love Europe? Why?

Top twelve reasons why I love the European Trip this Summer.

12. Five Indian Restaurants in a small village outside of London.
11. Gandhi’s Saffron Mont Blanc Ink in France
10. Swiss Alps in the rain.
9. Park Hyatt at Place Vendome
8. Prague City
7. Mont Saint Michel at dawn.
6. Dinners at L’immagine in Milan.
5. Best cuisine in France.
4. Tour De France in Redon
3. Classical concert at St. George’s Basilica in Prague with Miranda.
2. Chanel Fashion Show in Paris with Miranda and Sarah.
1. Breakfasts with croissants and café au lait/tea + people watching with Sarah and Miranda

Savile Row - The best of the best for custome made suites

Fish and Chips at a local pub called Hand and Flower

ET phone home :-)

crossing road at your own risk

Rainy day in London (Miranda is in front of the house where the Beatles had their last album)

We arrived in England yesterday afternoon. The flight to England from Prague was smoothly and on time. We checked in at the Holiday in at the airport, went out to a local Pub for Thai food and non alcoholic beer and chatted with an old brit gentleman that reminded me of grandpa. This morning, we decided to take a bus + tube to downtown London where our hotel was. It saved us 40 pounds so we did it in the rain, it was not too bad. Got to our hotel and one hour later, in the rain, we went window shopping on Old and New Bond Street. Miranda was happy because she got two more pairs of shoes. London is quite charming. We love it here!
Right now, we are at the Pub called Hand and Flower on High Kensington Street having fish and chips. Tomorrow's weather is sunny and warm (25C)

London

Next destination - London

7 nights in Prague - we have a memorable and wonderful time in Prague. I was hesitant to come to Prague because it was a former communist country. I am so glad i did come and have a great experience with the culture, the food, the city and the people. Promise to come back one day. Time to say goodbye to Prague and hello to London

Prague

Pho in Prague

pasta - mimi would love this

Had pasta (140 krona = $8) in Prague yesterday, it happened one of the best I have had including in Italy.

beer, i bought it for the picture

MIranda in Prague on a rainy day

Rain and Rain

A terrible day in Prague. The rain comes down non stop all day, we went out for breakfast and did some shopping.

Different part of Prague, behind is the castle.

Prague

Czech sausage with saukraut, you find these everywhere

Prague

At last we arrived in Prague. The flight was 70 minutes, not bad at all. We took a taxis (700 krona ~ 45 dollars) to the Sheraton. The drive was beautiful, the city is surrounded with mountains and river. Checked in and got an up grade to a suite that has a cappucino machine in the room, YES!
Sarah - U have a great convention with your friends OK.

STEAK FOR DINNER

This restaurant only has one dish on the menu, steak. U come in and the waitress would ask u if u want it rare or medium, that is it...then after u finish, they bring u more steak and fries. The steak is so tasty with curry sauce. The best steak in Europe.

why are we going back to Paris...the answer is LADUREE MACARON

Last night in Paris

checked in at the Holiday Inn CDG - 5 minutes later, we left for Paris. The traffic was pretty bad, but we were determined to see Paris one more time. The girls got their macaron from LADUREE and had crepes for lunch at Suzette - walked around to see Nortre Dame Cathedral and then to De Pres Saint Germanin to have steak dinner. What an experience!
As Sarah getting off to US, we are heading to Czech Republique for 7 nights and then London...I hope Czech is wonderful as people said?

Paris - croissant and cafe au lait

7:30 in the morning, we are about to leave the hotel heading to Paris, the city of excitement and lights....So many destinations that we have covered in the last 25 days, so many stories to tell and to remember...Sarah will be missed, but I hope to do another trip soon in the future.
Lets hurry, Paris is waiting for us...I will have a cup of tea with Mimi this afternoon in Paris.
Miss u a lot wife.

Boeuf Bourguignon

Had a great dinner in Dijon, two more nights in France for us. We are leaving for Paris very early in the morning. Its 316 kilometers from Dijon so I am expecting to get there around 12 and 1 in the afternoon. I am going to miss having Sarah with us :-(

Paris at last!

Dijon

Finally we got our Beef Burgundy, it was ok not fantastic - We have been searching all over France for this dish, but apparently only Dijon serves Beef Burgundy in the Summer (its a winter dish). Dijon is pretty, but not Strasbourg. I am hoping to take a tour to the mustard factory or champagne vineyard.
The girls enjoy the trip immensely (me too). We are heading back to Paris tomorrow for our last goodbye (we will return...) - Sarah is leaving on Wednesday 27, we are going to miss her dearly (i call her my co-pilot#2). You can get a better "huckleberry friend" than Sarah (she knows our joke :-))

Arriving in Dijon

Left Nimes at 8:30, stopped in Orange for breakfast and Vienne for lunch and arrived in Dijon at 4:30 (360 kilometers only). Holiday Inn is very nice not far from the center - We are coming in to town in 1 hour. Stay here 2 nights and then Paris. (Vienne for lunch - a picturesque town on a river)

Bullfight in Nimes

Girls in Nimes

Nimes - got hungry so we stopped at a vineyard to have some free grapes

Mimi

Three nights in the row I saw Mimi in my dreams - Mimi is with me here! Miss u wife.

Saint Martin for Breakfast

Arles - Bullfight anyone?

Arles

No reservation

We are in Nimes, but decide to stay here for one day instead of 2 so tomorrow (Sunday) we are heading north closer to Paris to Dijon. 400 kilometers north so it will take 5 hours at least with breakfast and may be lunch in Lyon. The girls want to go back to Paris one more day so i have decided to stay in Paris near the CDG airport for July 26-27.

Provence

Breakfast in Cagnes sur Mer near Nice

Provence

Nimes

A great beautiful day in Aix en Provence, we decide to go to Arles (Vicent Van Gogh's birthplace) this morning for breakfast and then to Nimes (our pit stop for 3 days). Everyone is healthy and happy.

movie

Leaving NICE this morning

Its 7 am, I am down at the lobby using the free internet while the girls are still sleeping in bed. Our plan for today is to leave the Le Meridien around 9, have breakfast in old town Nice and drive to Aix en Provence (1 hour 30'). I had a dream last night, do not remember the details but Mimi was in my dream. The view of this picture is from my cafe (tea with you Mimi)