We have tried to post pics and videos of our more interesting accommodations but some folks have asked for details so we thought we should award a “BEST” to each place and also send direct links in case anyone wants to bookmark them.

Our goal on this trip has been to stay at least a week but preferably 2-3 weeks in each place. Our philosophy on accommodations has been to try and stay in apartments or houses when possible. It is more affordable and gives us a better feel for the culture and community. We can cook for ourselves, seek out the best bakery and grocery shop and tackle laundry like the locals

 *****

Florence, Italy

AWARD: Most Colorful Neighbor

View from our balcony in Florence.

We wrote about “cranky lady” in our blog but this really was a great neighborhood apartment. Three bedrooms, great proximity to all the sites and good value! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/933558

 *****

Oia, Santorini, Greece

AWARD: Best Sea View

When we got up in the morning for coffee, this was the view from the table!

It is hard for me to be objective, because Oia is still one of my favorite places on earth. Staying in a cave house was a dream of mine, so Lydia House was a dream come true! Definitely one of our splurge accommodations but worth every cent and comfortably fit all of us! Plus Manos, the owner, is so gracious and made our stay unforgettable! http://www.vrbo.com/357131

 *****

Athens, Greece

AWARD: Best Amenities For Free

We had a peek-a-boo view of the Acropolis from our balcony!

We picked AVA Hotel from TripAdvisor and we weren’t disappointed! Great location and great service.  Free breakfast, free candy, free movies, free slippers, etc. Definitely a good value for Athens. http://www.avahotel.gr

 *****

Pitsidia, Crete

AWARD: Best Place For Insanity

Wescott rates all accommodations on whether or not it has enough room to do the Insanity Workout indoors…our Villa Potamis in Pitsidia was very spacious and perfect….it also had a pool! Great kitchen too. It was a little too far from Matala but if you want to be off the beaten path, it is a great house for your $$! http://www.vacation-apartments.com/11533.htm

 *****

Barcelona, Spain

AWARD: Best Location

Tons of cool street art in our neighborhood in Barcelona!

Our Barcelona 4th floor walk up apt in the Barri Gotic district was so ubercool we felt like hipper humans simply walking in the front door. The neighborhood was unbeatable with El Salon, one of the best restaurants we have discovered on the whole trip, right across the alleyway…Laura Kelso, you would love it!! http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p970965?flspusage=fl

 *****

Seville, Spain

AWARD: Best Piazza & Worst Wifi

Tuck in courtyard of our apartment, eating a donut and looking for the resident Turtle (Tortuga)

We don’t want to make a habit out of awarding “worsts” but we had to do it here. The apartment was dynamite with a terrific roof deck and adjacent to a quaint piazza with several good restaurants. But the Santa Cruz neighborhood, while ground zero cool in terms of its location next to the cathedral, was also the worst part of the city for wifi. It was so bad we had to get an extra room 10 blocks away at a hostel just to do email and Skype calls….!!! http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p1004734

*****

Lisbon, Portugal

AWARD: Best Interior Decor

A machine gun box is in the hallway…the twins used it as a shoe holder

Our apartment in Lisbon was a three bedroom centrally located in the city.  But the best part was the decor! Frederico, the owner, is an interior designer and has created a uniquely eclectic vibe with use of local artists pieces mixed with antiques. It is awesome! We actually had the pleasure of staying in 2 of Frederico’s apartments because our stay in a Lisbon was extended and they were both amazing! Apt1:  https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/991682 Apt2: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/823181

 *****

Marrakech, Morocco

AWARD: Best Urban Oasis

Killer lighting in the Riad!

Right in the heart of the old Medina, Riad Sekkat is a wonderfully zen escape in the heart of the Marrakesh chaos. And everyone who takes care of you at the Riad is amazing! We definitely had some of our best meals in Marrakesh at the Riad, and the cook, Raja, taught us some cooking techniques! Siham, the house manager, went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293734-d1389183-Reviews-Riad_Sekkat-Marrakech_Marrakech_Tensift_El_Haouz_Region.html

 *****

Bwejuu Beach, Zanzibar, Tanzania

AWARD: Best Unspoiled Beach To Get Away From It All

Bwejuu is definitely the most “off the beaten path” we have been so far on this trip. Most tourists go to the northern coast of Zanzibar rather than the east. We stayed for 3 weeks in two different hut-type accommodations. The first was Crazy Mzungos which was exactly what it sounds like…. A funky backpacker type place with a great sand floor bar and a good chef! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g616019-d1942330-Reviews-Crazy_Mzungo_s_Flashpackers-Bwejuu_Zanzibar_Zanzibar_Archipelago.html

This is the beach in front of Crazy Mzungos during Christmas week!!

The second was Pakacha run by a local man who has integrated the village into his establishment. More likely to see cows walking by on the beach than people  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g616019-d2374032-Reviews-Pakacha_Bungalows-Bwejuu_Zanzibar_Zanzibar_Archipelago.html

View from the bungalows at Pakacha

Both were fun and funky!

 *****

Arusha, Tanzania (on safari)

AWARD: Most Luxurious Tent & Best Organic Farm

We used safaris.com to book our entire expedition and were lucky enough to get matched up with Kibo…a very cool Tanzanian company! They owned both lodges we stayed in during our safari, Kitela and Lake Masek Tented Camp. Kitela has a gigantic organic farm on the property that grows food, not only for Kitela guests, but many other Kibo lodges. For those of you obsessed with gardening, it is worth the trip to Tanzania just to take a tour of the Kitela organic farm. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g790144-d3421174-Reviews-Kitela_Lodge-Karatu_Arusha_Region.html

Lake Masek is a tented camp right in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on the edge of the Serengeti. The tents are the most luxurious tents known to mankind with footed bathtubs, flushing toilets and amazing outside showers. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g317085-d1547561-Reviews-Masek_Tented_Camp-Ngorongoro_Conservation_Area_Arusha_Region.html

 *****

Arusha, Tanzania (rental house)

AWARD: Best Mountain View

Mom and Cliff hang in gout in the Arusha House garden

With a sunset view of Mount Kilamanjaro from the swimming pool, dining room, and master bedroom, this house can not be beat on the Mountain View! Add monkeys swinging in the trees on most nights for an added bonus! Such a cool house and great place to chill after safari! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1669725?guests=7&s=h4cq

 *****

Bagamoyo, Tanzania

AWARD: Best Body Surfing

We changed places in Bagamoyo because the first place we stayed at was a nightmare. The Bagamoyo Country Club is probably the nicest place in Bagamoyo. It is on a spectacular stretch of beach and has a decent restaurant. But all in all, you should not travel to Bagamoyo if you want an outstanding beach experience. There are a ton of awesome reasons to visit Bagamoyo, but a great hotel is not on the list. If we had to do it over again, we would have tried a small guesthouse and skipped trying to be on the beach.  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g678704-d1758132-Reviews-Bagamoyo_Country_Club-Bagamoyo_Pwani_Region.html

 *****

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

AWARD: Best hotel room with dining table for 8!

View of Dar Es Salaan from our hotel room balcony

We picked our hotel in Dar based on TripAdvisor reviews and we weren’t disappointed. Tanzanite Suites isn’t the most awesome hotel but it is a good value.  Plus we were able to get a 3 bedroom suite that had a dining room table for 8 which was an awesome hang out for all of us as we regrouped before headings to Asia. We visited some of the more expensive hotels in Dar but decided they weren’t worth the money. http://www.tanzaniteexecutivesuites.com

 *****

Hanoi, Vietnam

AWARD: Best, Best, Best! Value!! Service!!!

Tuck and Jones hanging out with Viet and his son at the front desk playing games on the iPad

Finnegan’s was so outstanding, we can’t decide on only one “BEST.” For $45/ night, we had a great room in a great location with an awesome breakfast included. But the best part was the service! Viet and his whole family took care of us and helped us get the most out of our 2 weeks in Hanoi! He even called Tuck and Jones orphanage on our behalf and set up our visit!!! Thank you Viet and everyone at Finnegan’s for making our visit unforgettable!! http://hanoifinneganshotel.com

 *****

Hoi An, Vietnam

AWARD: Best Home Base

At the Ha An they even put rose petals on your bed for check-in

What does “home base” mean? As we talked about it, we decided it meant a place that makes you feel at home! Ha An had a killer breakfast (included!) free bicycles, a pool table, a fruit basket in your room…everything! The bed and pillows were super comfy too! http://www.haanhotel.com

 *****

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

AWARD: Best Host…laundry room gets honorable mention

View from our HCMC apartment!

Our apartment in HCMC was gorgeous! Well decorated and had a killer view.  But it was our host who made our stay there so spectacular. Bach is so thoughtful and accommodating, he makes you want to stay and stay!!! He read our blog before our arrival and moved a Wii into the apartment just for our stay. He kept our baggage for us for 5 days while we went to the beach. He put extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, Oreos, coffee, snacks, water, laundry soap, everything in the apartment for us to use. This is the type of service you expect from a good hotel but you never get pampered like that in a rental apartment! It was awesome!!!! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1980685

 *****

Mui Ne, Vietnam

AWARD: Best Pool for Kids

Even though Mui Ne is on the beach in Vietnam, we didn’t spend anytime at the beach…that is because our pool was KILLER! It had a slide that was so fun, I spent as much time on it as the kids Roaming Jones kids and Sharples kids agree that what we will all remember about Mui Ne will be the epic Sea Links pool!!!  The house was decent.  In a golf resort where all the houses look exactly the same but the pool was unforgettable! http://www.agoda.com/sea-links-beach-resort-golf/hotel/phan-thiet-vn.html

*****

In the spirit of trying to keep a journal of accomodatons, restaurants, sites, etc. I have become an uber-reviewer on TripAdvisor.  Feel free to check out my profile and follow along on further details if you want  http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/misopiso88

What’s not to love about Florence?  We had a fabulous two weeks!  What did we learn?  Here is what we collectively agreed we take away from our Italy experience…

1) ART: A greater respect for the arts!  Try to live/experience/appreciate art and architecture everyday!

Otto kissing and hugging the leaning tower!

2) FASHION: Be more fashionable instead of just wearing basketball shorts everyday  We were blown away by everyone wearing stylish shirts, long pants and   super high heels in the blistering heat!

Tuck had a blast at the Italian fabric store!

3) FOOD:  Shopping every morning for that day’s food is more fun than buying a weeks worth of food at once, and you also end up eating more fresh and healthy items!

Fresh flowers and veggies at one of our favorite stands!

4) BREAKFAST: Salami, cheese, bread and fruit is actually an awesome alternative for breakfast!

Standard breakfast spread in our apartment

5) Cities can tackle recycling and do it well!

Recycling center right on street in Florence! They had them every 1/2 mile!

Arrivederci Italia!  We promise to visit again soon. HELLO Greece

View from Piazzale Michelangelo overlooking the city!

As we reviewed the list of selected books, we realized that most of the required reading books for 10-18 year-olds are pretty depressing and dark.  Lord of the Flies, Diary of Anne Frank, Ordinary People, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, etc.  In an effort to have a more balanced approach, we decided to add an additional book as the first book of the trip…..The 10th Anniversary Edition of The Art of Happiness by The Dalai Lama & Howard Cutler.  It may seem like a book that is too hard for a couple of the members of our book club but we let them do the audio version

We finished it last Wednesday and had a great discussion about it!  Most interesting was favorite quotes which I posted below. We all agree it is a great book to read as we begin this year long odyssey and also dive into more serious book topics.

OTTO – “The more reliable method for achieving inner contentment is not to have what we want but rather to want and appreciate what we have.”

WESCOTT – “In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias, they had welfare, terror, murder and bloodshed – but they produced Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they have brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock.”

YVE: – “True happiness relates more to mind and heart. Happiness that depends mainly on physical pleasure is unstable; one day it’s there, the next day it may not be.”

CLIFF: – “The first step in seeking happiness is learning.” AND, “We contribute to our own suffering by personalizing every annoying situation, as if it were being intentionally perpetrated on us.”

LISA – “Love is difficult to define, and there are many different definitions. But perhaps the most pure and exalted kind of love, is an utter, absolute, and unqualified wish for the happiness of another individual.”

“

Hazelnut products from the same company as nutella.

Good old fashion nutella.

In Florence, Italy, arguably one of the best cities in the world to enjoy Italy’s finest tastes, we did not imagine finding a cooking class would be at all difficult. But, much like trying to get a souffle not to fall as it cooks, finding a reasonable class suitable for children that is not over-the-top gourmet is next to impossible. If you’re willing to spend $1,000 for a family to be lead to market, brought to a villa, prepare and cook super-fancy fare and sip spectacularly synchronized wine (Laura, I know you’re mouthing “Yes, Please!”) then you can find lots of alternatives. But, if all you want is to have your kids learn to make homemade ravioli in the birthplace of said delicacy, then you’re out of luck!

Once we realized this, we remembered our role in Home Schooling (really, we’re the teacher?!) and set out to make our own class. It was such a great food adventure, starting at an Italian cooking store to buy pasta wheels, a rolling pin and an assortment of ravioli cutters and ending in a wonderful family meal that left me weeping!

Our menu consisted of the following:
Sausage, beef and herbed ravioli with mushroom wine sauce
Ricotta and rosemary cheese filled ravioli with butter and sage sauce
Tagliatelle with bolognese sauce

Here’s a few shots of the class:

Otto and Jones mixing the eggs and readying the flour for dough making!

The kids combining the eggs with Semolina flour. Notice all our ravioli cutters :-)

Tuck made a hole in the semolina flour in which Otto is delicately pouring the egg mixture!

Wescott using our cool Italian rolling pin to roll out the past dough!

Tuck working the dough for our pasta

Wescott mixing in Oregano into crumbled sausage and ground beef

Jones spooning out the ricotta mixture for his ravioli creations

Tuck needs more pasta dough to do more raviolis!

Tuck loved cutting his raviolis

Our sauces simmering, awaiting ravioli completion!

Jones with his final creations: Star-shaped ricotta cheese raviolis!

Yve with her creations… we chilled them in the freezer for about 20 minutes so they’d hold together when they get boiled

Jones putting raviolis in the boiling water

First course of Tagliatelle and Bolognese sauce; accompanied by Chianti supplied by Artan, our host in Florence

The benefit of Home School is you can drink wine while teaching :-)

Second Course – ravioli with chianti :-)

Wescott with Sausage and Ground Beef Ravioli in Mushroom Wine Sauce

Enjoying the perfect meal made by all of us

Wescott in the dwommo being cool                Yve no top of  the  dwommo  and other stuff

Just click on a picture to start a slide show!

Leonardo Da Vinci Museum

After my stroll down overachiever lane, I constantly encountered the ubiquitous Leonardo. Maybe I wasn’t looking before, but he began popping up more often than Fiats in an Italian Piazza, and there are many Fiats in an Italian Piazza (they are everywhere)! Between Vitruvian Man t-shirts and da Vinci miscellany sold by the nagging street vendors, there was no escaping Leonardo. I’m even currently reading The Da Vinci Code by accident! Better yet, I just realized that I’m writing this blog post in an airport called Leonardo Da Vinci Airport!

Lots and lots of Fiats!

Although it seems impossible, I think there is method to this “coincidental” craziness! The thing is, Da Vinci tackled so many groundbreaking endeavors, that the reason for his popularity today remains a matter of opinion. According to the average tourist like yours truly, Leonardo most likely gained his acclaim with the help of Mona Lisa and numerous mechanical marvels. But, to the averagely luny conspiracy buff, Leonardo’s intriguing personal life and dubious involvement with a secret society known as the Priory of Sion, may be the correct explanation!

Although a genius, Leonardo’s life was far from perfect. He was born a bastard. Birthed by the mistress of his married father, Leonardo’s life started out with plenty of drama. Although his father loved and protected Leonardo, he was left with no money or possessions when his beloved father died. Cheated out of a hefty sum of money by his devious siblings, Leonardo constantly needed money to fund his profound experiments and projects. But the drama doesn’t end there! In addition to Leonardo’s financial problems, he possessed an abject rivalry with Michelangelo, the preferable, younger, and more talented craftsman.

Despite the obvious, I find Leonardo da Vinci riveting because all my life I have dreamt of being an inventor. Leonardo is the ultimate entrepreneurial inspiration because of his blatant brilliance and unyielding devotion to invention. Recently, I went to a weeklong summer camp called Leadership+Design, where I learned that the intersection of art, design, creativity and innovation combine in powerful ways. Sometimes together, these elements create revolutionary ideas that can have a significant impact on potentially everyone. From Florence onward I will remember da Vinci’s novel recipe: a potent mixture of art, design, creativity, innovation, and persistence. And with it, maybe one day, I will cook something great.

We decided that while our patronage might not be as grand or impactful, the Medici Family’s legacy of supporting the arts, which has proven to be a gift that has enriched and inspired generations past, present and in the future, is something to be admired and continued. With that, we are collecting one piece of art in every country we visit during the next year. After careful review of several street artists in and around Florence, we settled on Hiro, a Japanese artist living in Florence, painting typical Tuscan pastoral scenes and red-tiled roof-scapes of Florence with a precise, Asian aesthetic, as well as a series of still-life skulls that are haunting and hypnotic. No, the irony of selecting an Asian artist in the heart of Tuscany is not lost on us :-).

After a discussion with Hiro about what we were looking for, he sent us away to return in a day or so to retrieve the finished watercolor. True to task, he created exactly what we hoped for, thereby continuing the virtuous cycle of art patronage that universally enriches all of us.