Arrived in Frankfurt

We have arrived in Frankfurt, Germany. The start of our European tour. The flight through the night was uneventful but very full due to a Lufthansa strike of some sort.  We had the travel gods smile on us as we were one of the few two person rows.  My luggage was just under weight.

The Frankfurt airport is large but we got around it easily, found where to pick-up our rental car, our way into the city and to the hotel with no issues.

For tonight we are staying at Hotel Cult. A smaller hotel more in a community rather than the tourist part. The room is nothing fancy but it's clean with a bed and a private shower so we are all good for the night. 

After checking in we went for a much needed walk and some lunch. We found a little place that served schnitzel and each enjoyed a plate with a beer and a wine.  

Cheers from Frankfurt!

Departure Day

Well after a full year of planning, it's here. Today we fly to Europe. Packing 4 weeks worth of clothing including two formal dresses into one suitcase was a challenge but I did it! 

Only time will tell if I packed enough, too much or the right mixture for the various weather we may experience at this time of year.  Do you think my suitcase will be over weight or just under? 

DH and I are in the final few hours of organizing before heading to the airport. 

Days till departure

I remember when DH and I decided that we would do a "big" trip for our 5th wedding anniversary. I believe it was on the cruise ship the week we got married way back in August 2004.  The plan was that we would invite all our friends and family and it would be a giant fun event for everyone who could join us on whatever cruise we found at the time that was cheep. Well our fifth anniversary came and went in a blur of activity that seems to be your late 20's/early 30's without a celebration to mark our 5th wedding anniversary but I knew that for ten I would make it happen.

Fast forward to April 2013, I was searching the internet and found the cruise I wanted to take, an 11 night eastern Mediterranean cruise on-board the Celebrity Reflection. It had nearly every port I wanted to see including Santorini and Istanbul. By the end of the month we were booked and a message was sent to friends and family to see who would join us. With messages back and forth in 2013 it ended up that both sets of parents decided to join us on this adventure. And so more than a year before the sailing we began to plan.

Now here it is September 25, 2014. Only days remain till our flight to Frankfurt and the start of our adventure. We will be gone 4 weeks including the 11 night cruise.

Our itinerary is as follows:

• September 30 - land in Frankfurt 
• October 1-4 - Nurburg, Germany with a track day at the Nuerburgring 
• October 4-6 - Drive from Nurburg to Civitavecchia 
• October 6 - Board cruise ship in Civitavecchia, Italy (Rome) Meet up with the parental units 
• October 7 - At Sea 
• October 8 - Santorini, Greece 
• October 9 - At Sea 
• October 10-11 - Istanbul, Turkey 
• October 12 - Ephesus, Turkey 
• October 13 - Athens, Greece 
• October 14 - Mykonos, Greece 
• October 15 - At Sea 
• October 16 - Naples, Italy 
• October 17 - Disembark cruise ship in Civitavecchia (say goodbye to Parental units) and drive to Siena, Italy 
• October 18 - Siena, Italy 
• October 19 - Drive from Siena to Modena, Italy 
• October 20 - Modena, Italy 
• October 21 - Drive from Modena to Lake Como, Italy 
• October 22 - Drive from Lake Como to Stuttgart, Germany 
• October 23 - Stuttgart, Germany 
• October 24 - Drive from Stuttgart to Frankfurt to fly home 

 Please join us as we drive and cruise are way across Europe.