For my 32nd birthday we took advantage of the one sunny day in Amsterdam and hit up Vondel Park. We were joined by many friends! We had a nice time snacking, drinking and visiting with each other! The boys got in some football and bocci ball while us ladies sat around the beautiful pond and caught up on the latest! A big special thanks to Ruth and Courtney for the yummy homemade cupcakes!
We were pleasantly surprised with a last minute visit from Will Larter. Will is a great friend from college and was in Switzerland for work. He had one night in Amsterdam so we made the most of it! We met up with some friends for drinks at the Engelbewaarder and then made our way through the Nuit Blanche - an annual all night arts festival. The highlight of the evening was definitely the lucha libre type professional wrestling performed by a group of Belgians in a pretty dramatic theatre setting. Will and Cynthia are expecting their first a few weeks after our due date. Looking forward to meeting the little guy in December!
Shortly after Kirk got back from Cannes our friend Eric arrived for a day before we embarked on our two week holiday. For the evening we met up with some friends at T'artensnest and then followed up with late night falafels and turkish pizza. We had a lovely brunch the next morning hosted by the Armistead's then caught a late flight to Nice - not a bad warm up for two weeks of relaxing!
It was my first time in the French Riviera and Kirk's third. We flew into Nice and took a 30 minute taxi through some windy roads and finally made it to our destination - Villefranche Sur Mer! One of the first things we noticed were the various yachts and boats sprinkled along the coast - twinkling in the warm night.
Our apartment sat in the heart of Villefranche Sur Mer's old town - directly on the hillside. It was beautiful and modern and conveniently placed near little cafes, stores, shops and the beach! We watched the Euro Cup match between France and Spain (Spain won) before heading out the door for a late night first stroll. We felt special with a lovely firework show - it's like France knew we were coming. Then we finished our walk around the village with some ice cream!
The next day we rented a "fun yak" - the name pretty much describes the day. We took our little boat around the coast line amongst the yachts and cruiselines - viewed all the massive cliff side homes and gardens and finally anchored off the beach in Paloma. The water was warm, clear, a bit choppy, but that didn't stop Kirk and Nelly from snorkeling!
That night we cooked dinner in our apartment before going within the fortified walls of the Citadel for some outdoor cinema! Yes, it was for Men In Black III (in French) - but that didn't really matter - it was lovely, warm, in a beautiful garden, surrounded by fireflies and the stars!
The next morning we trained off to Nice for some light shopping, touring and eating! Like Villefranche Sur Mer, Nice has a lovely stretch of rocky beaches and sparkling blue water! We walked along the boardwalk admiring the beach volleyball and locals dipping in the Medi!
The sun beating down on us made it hard to resist yummy gelato. This place was fantastic - they had a wild assortment of flavors - like beer, avocado, jasmine, and chewing gum! We returned back to our quiet beach town for a late night dip in the Mediterranean and a home cooked meal!
In the morning Kirk and I explored the little town's markets and luckily found a butcher for our evening feast! We thought it would be nice to change up the beach scene so we headed further out to Beaulieu Sur Mer. The walk took us through residential areas - this time we could see the massive opulent gates leading to the cliffside homes. You could smell jasmine and blackberries in the air! The beach was packed with families, students, tourists and locals all basking in the sun and dipping in the refreshing blue Cote de Azur. We had dinner in and then head out to a small bar to watch Spain defeat Portugal in a shootout. We definitely rooted for Spain considering we were going to be there in a few days and would love to watch them play in the final while we're in their country!
The next day we took a 40 minute train to Ventimigilia, Italy. We walked around a charming park and ate some pizza on the waterfront and finished the meal with grappe. Our stop was a brief, but a nice one!
On the way back we swung thru Monte Carlo, Monaco. Massive boats, high end shopping, opulent buidlings, casino and the opera, this city purred with engines from lamborginis and porches. You can even see the race lines for the Grand Prix! A really beautiful place! We officially hit three countries in a matter of hours - unbelievable!
We stayed in for another lovely home cooked meal and listened to the music and locals feasting in nearby apartments. I love listening to the clatter of dishes and conversations over the dinner table - what a truly beautiful village! Once again we ended at the same outdoor bar to witness the defeat of Germany. Looks like an Italy vs. Spain finale!
The next morning we put in a little beach time before before heading off to the airport - now for the 2nd week of our trip - Mallorca! We flew into Palma that evening, walked around a bit and stopped for some late night drinks!
In the morning we drove through various towns. We started in Valdemossa then stopped for lunch in Deia at Richard Branson's resort, La Residencia. We dined on the beautiful terrace oddly enough next to Nicollete Sheridan. From here we drove to a nearby beach called Cala Deia. Again we stopped for some drinks and people watching. Then we swung through Soller to Porto de Soller. Here we walked along the beachfront and admired the boats, white sandy beaches, shopping and frozen yogurt. Cali Pi was our last and final destination!
In the morning we drove through various towns. We started in Valdemossa then stopped for lunch in Deia at Richard Branson's resort, La Residencia. We dined on the beautiful terrace oddly enough next to Nicollete Sheridan. From here we drove to a nearby beach called Cala Deia. Again we stopped for some drinks and people watching. Then we swung through Soller to Porto de Soller. Here we walked along the beachfront and admired the boats, white sandy beaches, shopping and frozen yogurt. Cali Pi was our last and final destination!
For our first full day at our resort in Mallorca we hit up our local beach. The water was amazing, clear, warm and packed with beach enthusiasts!
The next day we drove back to Palma to take the Train de Soller (an hour scenic ride from Palma to Soller). The ride was lovely - really captured the country side of Mallorca. Soller is quaint, sweet and quiet - we stuck around for some shopping and a big tapas lunch before catching the train back to Palma.
From Palma we found a small restaurant that served up some amazing Paella and wine. We were in heaven!
The following day Kirk and Eric went to play a round of golf Pula Golf Club - designed by Jose Maria Olazabal and home of the Mallorca Senior Open. A short but challenging course on the northeast coastline of the island. Meanwhile, I hung back and enjoyed the sun and relaxed.
Happy 4th of July!!! To celebrate the 4th we sat poolside and played plenty of H-O-R-S-E and enjoyed the Spanish sun. We substituted hot dogs with chorizo, but managed to find some Budweiser beer! Missing family and friends on this special day!!!
It was sad to see Eric heading back to the States, but it was an amazing trip we'll never forget. Definitely can't wait to plan our next European vacation.
