Once again we drove  towards the turquoise coast of the French Riviera. On a little peninsula sticking out of the coast near Nice, France is the little town of St. Jean Cap Ferrat. The jewel of this seaside town is the Ville Ephrussi de Rothschild. Built by Beatrice Ephrussi-Rothschild in 1906 . It is the epitome of Italian Rococo Riviera architecture. The two-story house of was built of pink marble, white marble, and trimmed in gold. It sits beautifully nestled on the point of the peninsula with views of the sea on three sides. The 9 Jardins, or gardens, are registered with the National French Botanical Society. Each of the nine gardens had a theme, ranging from Japanese, exotic tropical, to classical French. Our family enjoys strolling through gardens and these selections of gardens were some of the most exquisite and magical we’ve ever seen.  Hidden grottos, nooks with stone staircases, benches for siting and gazing, wild overgrown bamboo like forests, and two classical rose gardens met our eyes at every turn. Not to mention the stunning views of the harbor and ships bobbing up and down like little white toy boats on the turquoise sparkling waters.!

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Inside the home was equally impressive. The square patio, which was really an indoor reception room, was the beginning point of our audio tour.  Beatrice Rothschild was the daughter of the famous banker Alfonso Rothschild. She married an Ephrussi banking heir, but was later separated and then widowed after 20 years. She was a classy, delightful, eccentric who collected fine are and furnishings including many that belonged to King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

She loved animals and had dogs, gazelles, and a pet mongoose and monkey.  Her dog even had a wedding ceremony! The various rooms were appointed in classical 18^th century French feminine style. The entire estate was a joy to visit!

Mid-afternoon and we drove 25 minutes to old town Nice, parked and walked a bit to a lovely café. It was a perfect summer day to sit outside in the shade drinking a glass of Rosé wine as a cool refreshing breeze gently blew across our faces.

We then meandered around old town to shop, eat gelato, and take in the Mediterranean stucco architecture buildings painted in warm orange, creams, with pops of blue, green, and reds. We even rested a bit inside St. Rita’s Church after walking along a portion of the Promenade de Anglais, the boardwalk along the rocky, pebbly beaches. The Friday night life was getting into full swing as we passed through the outdoor market where I Purchase a pretty lavender/olive themed tablecloth.

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On the way back to the farmhouse, the sat nav took us along country roads, instead of the motorway. It was a lovely way to end our time in the Provence de cote-Azur region of France!

Heading directly west for 2 hours brought us to the quaint village of Le Beaux de Provence.  The old town sits on top of a limestone hill. The cobblestone streets would uphill and contained charming stone facades with blue and red shutters. After winding our way through the narrow streets we reached the Chateau Le Beaux a 13^th -17^th century fortress.

Before entering the Chateau, we stopped and had a delightful lunch in a café courtyard that was cut out of a cave. It was probably once and old niche for livestock and you could see the old hayloft floor beam holes in the stone.

The Chateau perched high on the hilltop glittered in the brilliant sunshine. At times the while limestone was blinding to look at. We arrived just in time to see a trebuchet demonstration. There were three different styles of trebuchet in the courtyard. The re-enactors used large styrofoam balls and launched them from two different trebuchets! It was a treat for us to see a real French trebuchet being shot in an old ruined French Castle! We built our own trebuchet about 2 years ago.

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After the demonstration we meandered around exploring the various rooms and towers. We climbed the rubble stairs and were treated to an amazing view of the surrounding valley and farmland. Dante was inspired to write the “Hell” section of the “Divine Comedy” after visiting Chateau Le Beaux. The gnarly limestone cliffs reminded him of twisted souls. However in stark contrast the farmlands looked like a green and yellow patchwork quilt.

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We stopped and did a bit of shopping as we walked back downhill. We found some lovely French made pottery and ate yummy gelato! Faywen and I both found lovely new sun hats at a local milliner’s shop. Gerand was very kind and took his time helping us find hats. He was particularly smitten with Faywen. He said it’s not often he has such well-mannered children with good taste in his shop!

Our drive home took us through St. Remy where Vincent VanGogh stayed a year and painted his famous “Starry Nights”. We also drove by the ancient roman ruins at Glanum and viewed the Roman Arch.

To tread where the ancient Romans tread was amazing! We drove inland today towards Avignon and Pont du Gard. The Pont is the only surviving Roman aqueduct to cross a river. Built in the 1^st century AD the Uze to Nimmes Aqueduct ran for 50km from the Uze hot springs to the cistern and fountains of Nimmes.

The Pont or “bridge” spreads 143 meters at the bottom to 270 meters on top across the Rhône River. The river gently flows through the limestone hills with scrubby trees and bushes. There were even 1,000 yr old olive trees in the area along the path to the Pont. The river was a great place to swim and it was fun watching the locals floating on tubes and diving from the limestone flat rocks.

The Pont was stunning with tan stone arches set against a brilliant cloudless blue sky. The triple level of arches gracefully held the 6 meter wide by 2 meter tall capped aqueduct that was built on top of the arches.  From the Uze Springs the aqueduct gently slopes about 25cm per kilometer allowing a steady flow of water.

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Inside the museum we learned about the engineering techniques and cultural uses of the aqueduct’s waters. The Romans had heated flooring and hot/cold bathes. They even had running lead piped water pumped into their homes and flush away toilets with sewage control. It was amazing to learn about the aqueduct system and still see the Pont du Gard span the large valley cut by the Rhône.

From there we drove 30 minutes to Avignon. We hoped to visit this ancient medieval town and seat of the Western Popes, but sadly we could only drive around the old city walls. It seems that we decided to visit during the week long National Festival of the Arts. There were absolutely no parking spots to be had! Cops were positioned outside various lots to turn folks away!

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Resigning ourselves to the fact we weren’t going to see Avignon or the Papal Palaces, we chose a secondary item from our list that was in nearby Cabrieres de Avignon. This little happening village is a 20 minute drive into the Provençal farmlands.  We visited The Musee de la Lavande or “Lavender Museum”.

Provence is the largest producer of fine lavender in the world. We learned about the distilling process, old and new farming techniques, and various uses for lavender.  These included treating wounds and sore throats, bathing, washing clothes, stress relief and massage. It was fascinating learning about the history, uses, and farming of lavender.

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We arrived home late, but enjoyed the countryside by moonlight. Just as the sun was setting we stopped by a beautiful sunflower field. Words can’t describe the brilliant orange sunset casting an intense warm glow on the yellow sunflower petals catching the last nourishing rays of sunlight!

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Today we drove directly south 45 minutes to Antibes. Situated on a little peninsula, Antibes is home to a large marina and sandy beaches along the French Riviera.  The old seaside town was charming with its cobblestone roads, stone and tan buildings, and multi-level courtyards built along the old city walls that sit perched on the rocky shoreline. The Fort of Antibes is perched on an ocean front cliff and guards the natural bay. This harbor is now used to dock fishing boats, cruise ships, and mega yachts.

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We walked along the sea wall catching glimpses of the beach and ocean below through old brick arrow slits.  Near the end of the marina were docked the mega yachts and we looked up two of them. One belonged to a Saudi Arabian Prince and the other to the Crown Prince of Qatar.  The Katara is the 16^th largest yacht in the world and is worth $400 million dollars.

After viewing the yachts we went into Old Town and explored the central market where we purchased lavender sachets, black grapes, and Macarons!

Nearby the market was the Museé Picasso an art museum. In 1946 Pablo Picasso came and resided in Antibes. He worked in and with the art museum. We got to see about 150 of his paintings. There were other artist’s works on display, but most of the sunny museum was dedicated to Picasso.  Faywen really enjoyed walking around with us and describing all of the paintings!

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The museum opened up onto another sunny seawall, but the sky darkened and rumbled and the rain came pouring down! We had our umbrellas and the cover of the tight quaint alleys. We made it to a large outdoor café that was covered and we ordered lunch. The best part was the chocolate moose Robert and I shared. By the time we were done eating the skies had cleared.

It was time to walk the marina and then go swimming. Most of the mid afternoon we all enjoyed the sandy family friendly beach in the Old Town. It was accessed through the old city wall. It was a lovely 29C or 84F and the sun popped in and out of the clouds. The gentle breeze helped cool the wet skin. The kids enjoyed exploring the rocks along the wall, burying each other in the sand, and of course swimming in the turquoise waters. I took a lot of photos of the kids, the water lapping the beach, and the boats sailing around. The water was shallow and the swim area was protected by a natural little harbor. I took a photo of a nice English family and they took our photo in return!

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We cleaned up, found a gelato place, and the kids rode the giant Ferris wheel. We drove home stopping for dinner in Frigano at Papé Pizza.  We all agreed it was the best pizza we had ever eaten and the owner was very friendly and nice.

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This morning we drove a little over an hour southeast to the tiny Principality of Monaco. It is the 2^nd smallest country in the world with a landmass at only 2.2 km sq. It has been a principality since the 17^th century and is currently ruled by Prince Albert II and his wife Princess Charlene. They have 4 yr. old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.

We entered Monaco via an underground mountain tunnel that spirals downward to the sea. After parking underground we took a lift up to ground level. The first thing we saw as we excited the garage was a view of he sparkling turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea!

About 38,000 people live in Monaco. The city of Monacoville was absolutely beautiful and very clean. There are actually three cities that make up the little principality, Monacoville, known as Le Rocher, La Condamine, and Monte Carlo. The latter is known worldwide for being the playground of the rich and famous, who come to gamble at casinos and dock their mega yachts!

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Le Rocher or “The Rock” is the location of Old Town Monaco with it’s cobblestone and brick roads, bright earth tone Mediterranean colors, and 17^th-18^th century buildings. Perched on the cliff within Le Rocher is the Palais du Prince or “Palace of the Prince”. We arrived just in time to witness the 12:00 changing of the Guards. The guards processed from the barracks across the courtyard to the palace. They were dressed in crisp white uniforms and marched precisely to the drum and bugles,

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Just off the square we had a nice lunch at a local French restaurant and then we entered the Palace. We all enjoyed the leisurely audio guide tour of the Palace courtyard and State Rooms. Palais du Prince is one of the most elegant palaces I’ve ever toured! Classical details and well appointed without being over the top. There were no gaudy gold filigree statues, busy frescos, or crazy wild wallpapers etc. The lines of each elegant room contained Mediterranean colored trim work, furniture, and classical art. It felt like a warm comfortable residence. However the throne room was the typical red velvet and gold as one would imagine a throne room to look like!

The Palace ticket also included an entrance to the Prince’s Automotive Museum. Monaco is known not only for yachts and casinos, but also the Monaco Grand Prix Formula One Race, which is held every year. It’s usually held in May and the drivers start and end in Monaco, but also drive along the French/Italian Riviera.  There were race cars from as early as the 1920’s, fancy royal cars, and cars used in movies shot in Monaco.

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The sun was warm, but the ocean breeze helped cool us off. We found a gelato shop and sat in a little local green shady square while we ate. A few blocks further on and we were at the marina. I’ve always wanted to see the famous Monaco Marina with its multi-million dollar yachts! Docked there were simple sailboats all the way up to triple or quadruple decker mega yachts!

Then it was time to hike back up the hill through the green shady park back to the Palace Square. It was a tiring trek so once at the top we sat in the shade and gulped water from the local community water filling station. Public water fountains are all over Europe and are often well maintained and provide clean, fresh, cool water. The view was lovely from the side of The Rock by the Palace.

We meandered back through the charming streets to the Aquarium. Unfortunately, it was very busy. Instead we walked a couple of blocks to Monaco Cathedral.  While inside the Byzantine styled church, the organist began practicing adding an ethereal ambiance to our visit. We found the graves of Prince Albert’s parents, Prince Reinier and Princess Grace. Grace Kelly was originally a famous American actress and so the current Prince speaks French as well as American English. The entire sanctuary was traditional except for the neon blue lights around the organ balcony in the back.

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Our final stroll took us along the seaside and garden promenade. We drove up and out of the garage past the marina. I caught my final glimpse of the white yachts glittering in the sunshine before we headed into the spiraling mountain tunnel that took us back to France!

We awoke to Cremona’s church bells calling the villagers to Sunday Mass. After a hearty breakfast we walked over to the Museum of the Violin. Cremona is the ancient centre of violinmakers. For centuries Cemonan masters have made wooden stringed instruments and passed down their knowledge to apprentices.. The museum displays taught us everything from the evolution of the rebec to a modern violin, the techniques of the luthier, and also had a large display of various violins, violas, cellos, and basses made by different luthiers throughout the past 500 years.  Some of the instruments were by famous luthiers such as Stradivari, Guarneri and Alboni.

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After exploring the museum we were treated to a concert in the performance hall. We heard a superb violinist playa 1669 Stradivari a cappella. The first Sunday of the month is typically the museum’s family day. As part of the concert the violinist demonstrated the sound from a Paraguayan violin made completely out of recycled material. These instruments are made so that even poor kids in Paraguay can learn music. The violinist made it sound amazing by playing an Argentine Tango. The museum docent let the kids touch and hold the violin! They took a photo of our kids and perhaps they’ll be in on the Museum’s webpage!

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Once completing the museum tour, we drove along the Italian Rivera into Southern France. We passed through several tunnels and over many bridges. There must have been at least 100 or more tunnels of varying lengths. The motorway was quite the feat of road engineering along the coast. Cars moved together in a dance hugging the coastline, soaring over valleys, and through mountainsides.  The views as we drove varied from glimpses of turquoise ocean to red-roofed small towns, sweeping valleys reaching down to the sea, and churches perched high on hilltops.

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We arrived at our 18^th century French farmhouse around 7:00pm. Aneshka, our hostess, was very nice. We drove to the nearest village of Seillans, for dinner and ate outside in the old cobblestoned town square. Neighborhood cats and a sweet old basset hound came over to our table for pets.

As the sun set casting long shadows on the old stone walls, we walked around the narrow cobblestone streets and enjoyed exploring the quiet of a Provençal village.

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Saturday July 6^th we went and picked up our rental car, packed it up, and drove out of town around10:00am. We enjoyed the lovely Alpine views as the car wove it’s way through the Southern Austrian and Northern Italian mountains. The Dolomite Alps are stunning and everything was so lusciously green.

Our first stop on this two-week long excursion, was Cremona, Italy! Hotel Impero was situated right on the edge of the main square and we had a delicious authentic Italian dinner at Osteria la Sosta.  The food was all locally sourced and handmade and the service friendly.

Cremona is a smaller town with classic Lombardy Italian qualities. The Duomo (Cathedral of Cremona) and piazza were charming and the main pedestrian way was paved in cobblestones. The Torrazzo of Cremona (bell tower) is the oldest brick structure in the world reaching a height of112m or 369ft. It was built in 1309.

Cremona is the home of two famous luthiers, Stradivari and Guarneri. Tomorrow we will go to the Museum of the Violin. While meandering around, we saw at least three luthier shops just off the main piazza and also the world-renowned School of Violin Making was just a few blocks from our hotel.

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I drifted off to sleep listening to the lyrical singsong rhythm of Italian conversations floating up from the cafes outside our open window. Everyone was enjoying a delightful summer’s night!

The kids had their last full day of school today. Robert and I met his colleague Anita for lunch at a little café on the edge of the Stadtpark. Anita has been Robert’s only true friend and actively engaging colleague at FH Joanneum. She teaches English for E Health students. Anita is from Austria, but has spent a lot of time in the UK. She gave us a couple of gifts on behalf of the university department. The gifts were Austrian Gmunder ceramic tray and an E Health t-shirt for Robert. Anita and Robert had a good laugh about the shirt, because of its symbolic irony! Robert isn’t an E Health specialist. He’s a commuter scientist who knows a little about E Health, but doesn’t specialize in the subject!

Once back home, Robert began preparing food for our 4th of July dinner party. We invited our good friends, the Gissy’s, over to help us celebrate! They were excited to join us for Independence Day! Sally, who’s Australian, brought a sparkly candle we used on the Flag Cake. It was our “fireworks”! Thomas brought a nice French wine. He’s originally from France and we had fun discussing how the French were our allies during the Revolutionary War.  They have 2 daughters, Elodie and Manon. The latter is Faywen’s best friend at GIBS.

Liam, Seamus, and Faywen put together the Flag Cake. I was able to find three thin pound cakes, cream, and blueberries/strawberries. Thee kids meticulously assembled the correct stars and Stripes onto the cake. The Gissy’s loved the idea of a Flag Cake and plan on doing the same thing for Bastion day in France of July 14^th. The sparkle candle was the highlight of the festivities atop the Flag Cake! Between the handmade décor, food, and patriotic music we all had a good time!

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Everyone hugged goodbye. It would be the last time we would see the Gissy’s. They were moving back to France early the next week while we were on holidays. We all agreed to stay in touch and possibly coordinate future visits to France and the USA! It was a wonderful memorable 4^th of July!

It rained all night, which cooled things off a bit the next day. We checked out of our apartment and drove west for 25 minutes passing through the suburbs of Budapest. This section of the city was very Eastern European in appearance mixed with an occasional modern building housing a company or business. Just outside the city stands the largest Flea Market in Central Europe. The market was quiet because it was Sunday morning.

It contained the normal items one sees at a flea market: porcelain, pots and pans, jewelry, old clothes, and various knick-knacks. What made this Market unique were all the old Soviet Union items: Communist posters, magazines, military supplies, and propaganda. The boys each purchased a Soviet medal and Seamus found an old WWII surplus Russian Air Force hat in excellent condition! Faywen even found a little comedy/tragedy theatre pin and I found a piece of Hungarian embroidery.  It rained off and on while at the market. But it didn’t dampen our spirits as we explored each row of booths. Almost nobody spoke English, though I did communicate via a bit of German with the older vendors. Overall it was a fun time seeing what folks collect in Central/Eastern Europe!

About a 30 minute drive from the flea market was Memento Park. The park was opened in the late 1990’s and it contains old Soviet and Communist statues from around Hungary. After the collapse of Communism in 1989, the Hungarian people decided to gather and establish a public park as a  “Memento” or keepsake of their Communist past. I was impressed that the Hungarians had such foresight to realize they needed to preserve even the “bad” part of their history!  

The statues and plaques were fascinating to look at. Many were in disrepair, rusted, or disassembled during the fall of Communism. I particularly liked the “Glorious Revolution” statues and the iconic Lenin statues.  The entire garden like park was surrounded by a wall and had an eerie quality. The statues were also a humbling reminder of the corruption of government and the suffering of the common civilian. I believe it will be a place the kids will never forget.

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We ate lunch at a McDonald’s just off the motorway.  McDonald’s restaurants are popular in the old former USSR countries. They seem to be everywhere in Slovenia, Czech Republic, and Hungary. However, unlike American McDonalds’ the Central European versions are much cleaner, family friendly, and offer a LOT of healthy food options! The Hungarians made the best “picture perfect” burgers I’ve ever seen!

After lunch we drove north and into Slovakia. Bratislava, the capital, is just over the border from Vienna and the detour only added 30 minutes to our travel home.  I‘m so glad we decided to go that path home. We visited Devin Castle, which is in ruins. It’s just west of Bratislava and sits on a hill overlooking the Danube River and the Morava River, which empties into the Danube at the river bend.

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Devin Castle was one of the prettiest castle ruins I’ve every visited. It reminded me of Urquhart Castle in Scotland lying along the hillside ridge with the ruined tower keep built into the rock cliff.  Like Urquhart, Devin was destroyed by gun powder explosions. Napoleon Bonaparte blew up the castle in 1809. There was a small museum inside the Keep as well as a courtyard with Medieval games for kids and adults!

The breeze was cool on the castle ridge and afforded us breathtaking views of the Danube River valley and gently rolling foothills! The small Morava River passed through luscious green farmland before opening into the Danube just below the Tower Keep.

There were two sections to the castle. The Keep and inner wall were from the 13^th century and the outer courtyard and buildings were built in the 15^th century. There were practically no other people on the castle grounds and so we able to take amazing photos of the ruins set against the green grasses and setting sun accented by a thunderhead off in the distance. Devin Castle was well worth the detour and a lovely way to end our trip to Hungary and Slovakia.

Today was another warm, but beautiful day in Budapest. This morning we crossed the Danube River to the Buda side in order to explore Castle Hill. Buda Castle and St. Matthias Church came into view as we crossed the Chain Bridge. Scotsman, Charles Adams in 1896, engineered the bridge.

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Once at Castle Hill we purchased tickets for the “jump on jump off” open air mini bus tour that stopped at four different destinations on top of the hill. The little mini-buses held about 20 people and we enjoyed whizzing around the old cobblestone streets feeling the cool breeze whip through the open sided carts.

Stop #1 took us to the main square, St. Matthias Church, and the Fisherman’s Bastion. It was busy, but not crowded as we ascended the steps to walk along the walls of the Fisherman’s Bastion. Built in the 14^th century the geometrical open towers and long walls allowed wives of fisherman to come and watch for their menfolk returning down the Danube River. Atop the Bastion walls we could see how important and majestic the Danube River is to the city. The river winds its way through the city like a giant artery, truly the heartbeat of Budapest!

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The Church of St. Matthias sits directly behind the Fisherman’s Bastian in the heart of old Buda. Built between the 13^th-15^th centuries St. Matthias is a perfect example of Medieval Byzantine Church architecture. The creamy white stone gracefully rose in columns and buttresses to meet the colorfully tiled roof. The entire cathedral sparkled in the sunlight.

Inside the eye was drawn to the countless colorful paintings and patterns on every surface. Zigzags, circles, diamonds, and swirls framed walls and religious art frescos. There were also lovely cases full of artifacts from the early uses of the church, including items that belonged to St. Istvan, the patron saint of Hungary.

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Just a few minutes before noon we gathered at the door to the bell tower. The church bells rang and we began our ascent within the tower. We stopped at two viewing platforms to see the bells. Since our family were veteran church tower “climbers”, we found the mere 197 steps to be easy! Once at the top, the little narrow stone path encircled the pinnacle of the tower. There were stunning views of both Buda and Pest!

Down the street from the church was a traditional Hungarian Lace shop, where we purchased several pieces of lace. Hungary is known for its lace-making and embroidery work. Several selections contained paprika pods embroidered into the lace. I asked the shopkeeper about the paprika and he explained that Hungary is the largest producer of paprika in Europe and the little spice is used in many national Hungarian dishes.

We caught our mini-bus and made our way to stop #2. The Hungarian Military Museum contained artifacts and uniforms from the 18^th-21^st centuries. I loved all the beautiful brocade and furs used in making the 19^th century Austro-Hungarian uniforms. The Communist room was also fascinating. There was even a US army uniform on display!

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Stop #3 dropped us off at Buda Castle, which was really a complex of 18^th-19^th century buildings. Today the buildings house the National Art, History, and Science Museums of Hungary. Because it was later in the day we chose to forgo a museum and just admired the square and architecture.

Stop #4 was at the foot of the hill and took us to the Castle Gardens. The roses and ivy colonnades were my favorite parts of the gardens. It was lovely day and a bride and groom wee having a photo shoot in the small ivy colonnade. The kids even found a nice soft green patch of grass to sprawl out and take a nap!

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We crossed back over the Chain Bridge and walked down Andressy Ave, which is the main pedestrian shopping street. Faywen even found a statue of William Shakespeare! While shopping we found a whimsical wooden stacking doll of all the former Soviet leaders. However my favorite find was an antique headscarf from a nearby Hungarian village. We finished the day with another lovely dinner sitting outside watching the locals and tourists alike meander up and down the pedestrian way. Though this time Liam chose NOT to eat Hungarian spicy chicken wings!