Guernsey Island, A Crown Dependency

In 2012 I read the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and declared to Alex that I would someday visit the Island of Guernsey. Have you ever got lost in a book and felt such a connection to the setting without having ever physically been there? That happens to me often but  the deep connection felt for this little Island in the English Channel was a special feeling I couldn't shake.  Fast forward to 2015, we moved to Europe for a three year duty assignment and as we were compiling our travel bucket list, Guernsey was one of the first locations to get scribbled down. We had done a trip with some friends to Prague months prior and knew they would be great people to travel with again. After pitching the idea to them for a 4th of July trip to Guernsey Island, they were all about it. I hoped that all the Guernsey hype from my previous years of getting wrapped up in a book based on the island would live up to the hype and not be a total let down for all of us.

Getting to Guernsey takes a bit of planning because 1. it's expensive and 2. there's only one airline that flies into the island from England so it takes time to coordinate flight schedules and get logistics squared away. I was able to find relatively cheap airline tickets on EasyJet from Stuttgart to Gatwick but given the times, we would have to spend the night in a hotel and take an early morning flight from Gatwick to Guernsey on the sole airline servicing the island, Aurigney.

We flew in on a lovely day with blue skies, sunshine, and the perfect weather. As our plane descended, I peered our the window only to be overcome with the beauty of the place I had dreamt about for the last five years. The lush green countryside with cows roaming their pastures, dramatic cliffs giving way to the blue waters of the English Channel, and charming homes dotted the landscape caused a wave of excitement to overcome me and I couldn't wait to get off the plane and explore this idyllic island. Our stay at the Duke of Richmond in Saint Peters Port was incredible. The location was prime, we were treated so well by all the staff, and the English breakfast each morning was a real treat. For the next two days, we set out on foot to discover the island's spectacular coastline and uncover some of its rich history.  A few highlights from our days were hiking along the coastline and finishing at a small beach where we relaxed with cold drinks and allowed the children to run in and out of the water, splashing and chasing each other / taking a private gin tasting and finding our favorite gin ever followed by dinner / throwing a red carnation into the English Channel in remembrance of family member whose plane went down in the Channel during WWII.  This entire trip was everything I thought it would be and more! The island is one of the most charming, relaxing, and peaceful places I have ever been to.

Travel Notes

Accommodations
Duke of Richmond Hotel

Restaurants

The Pickled Pig 

Terrance Garden Cafe

Crabby Jacks 

Bella Luce Hotel (Gin Tasting / Dinner) 




Attractions
La Vallette Underground Military Museum 

The Little Chapel 


Transportation
We flew from Germany to Gatwick to Guernsey on EasyJet and Aurigney 

Itinerary- 5 days and 4 nights

• Day 1
• Depart Stuttgart in the afternoon and arrive in Gatwick 
• Hotel Check-in
• Dinner 
• Day 2
• Breakfast at hotel
• Airport to catch flight to Guernsey 
• Duke of Richmond Hotel Check-in 
• Explore Saint Peters Port 
• Lunch at Garden Terrace 
• Dinner at the Pickled Pig 
• Day 3 
• Breakfast at hotel 
• Aquarium 
• History Museum 
• Hike along the coastline 
• Lunch at beachside cafe 
• Dinner at Crabby Jacks 

• Day 4
• Breakfast at hotel 
• Explore island some more 
• Tour the little chapel 
• Gin Experience and dinner at Bella Luce 
• Day 5 
• Check out of hotel 
• Flight to Gatwick / Flight to Germany 

Catez, Slovenia

This was our final trip in Europe before packing up our household goods and moving back to America. I still can't believe we had the opportunity to travel so much in the last three years which had not only given us amazing memories but also shaped us and opened our eyes to new places, people, and intricate details of just a fraction of the world. I had high hopes that our last trip would be somewhere incredible to top off those three years but let me tell you, we were burnt out. We honestly had no desire to go anywhere else and were so focused on a smooth pack-out of our things and getting everything logistically ready to move back to America, I didn't have much more energy to plan an elaborate trip. Alex had one last work trip to Catez, Slovenia and would be spending three weeks there. He was staying at a nice hotel that had an indoor waterpark attached to it so we thought Brecken would absolutely love it. So that's that. The little guy and I would be flying solo into Zagreb, Croatia to meet Daddy and get a week break before the chaos of an overseas PCS move would be upon us.

Alex picked us up in his sporty Mercedes sedan rental car and we drove 25 minutes to where he had been staying for work, Hotel Terme. This was a clean hotel with an extremely dated interior. The lobby and restaurant of the hotel screamed 1970's but we found it to be neat, it was as if we were traveling in time! During the weekdays of our visit, Alex would leave early for work and Brecken and I would slow roll it to our buffet breakfast and either go to the waterpark or waste a few hours in the hotel room playing games and watching shows until Daddy was released from teaching his seminars in the early afternoon. When the three of us went to the waterpark together, it was probably one of the most fun times we've had as a family. Alex and I love waterslides.. LOVE them. These slides were super fast and after gaining some confidence, Brecken worked up enough courage to slide down alone. One time was all it took for him to be sold on the experience. Over and over again we went, getting faster with each run! It was hours of enjoyment and laughter. Other fun times from this trip was a night out in Ljubljana for Arabian food and a day trip to Samobor Croatia to walk around an easter market in the square. Slovenia and Croatia have been two of our favorite lesser traveled destinations in Europe. The countrysides are quiet and really lend a feeling of times past. It's very inexpensive to travel here and worth considering if you want a lesser traveled destination in Europe that fits a tighter budget.

Mediterranean Cruise

2016 was the year of my first cruise. Me, my husband, and our then two year old sailed through the Baltic Sea with Royal Caribbean and my once negative perceptions of cruising were erased by the positive experience on that trip. We didn't get suckered into booking a follow-on cruise while still onboard, although tempting, but we did walk away with chatter of a possible Mediterranean cruise for the summer of 2017. 

The year of 30. Yep, it was my biggest birthday to date. I could write a whole blog post with a lengthy run down of my thoughts leading up to this milestone but, I'll leave it short and avoid that tangent. If you are wondering, 30 has been my favorite number yet. I find beauty in aging and love the wisdom, maturity, and self-love that comes with this time in my life. So for any of you reading this who are still in your 20's and may be dreading the shift of that 2 to a 3.. don't. Be excited. Be grateful. Be content. Be adventurous. Be positive. Be YOURSELF.

Alex and I found a Mediterranean cruise that would be sailing during my birthday, which conveniently always falls over Memorial Day weekend. My Mom and Mark were interested in joining in on the celebration and didn't think twice about booking a cabin right beside ours. Having them along to ring in my 30th was super special. There's nothing quite like family! I chose our cruise based on dates and ports of call, Santorini sealing the deal. A month or so after confirming our trip, I received an email stating that our itinerary had changed. I remember glancing over the update and immediately noticing Santorni was no longer on the itinerary but exchanged for Split, Croatia. Yeah, I was a bit bummed since Santorini was a huge deal breaker for why we purchased the cruise but this updated itinerary was a SMALL let down in the scheme of life. We embraced the change and knew that time together anywhere in the Mediterranean would be wonderful. It really was such a wonderful trip together with so many memories made. Poor Mark was sick for a portion of the trip + we did lose Brecken onboard for about 10 minutes.. which was so scary. Long story short, Mom thought we had him and we thought she had him. Basically he wandered off and got separated from us on the pool deck. Norwegian Cruise staff was absolutely amazing and had him sitting on a chair waiting for us while they located his parents. It was a fast and scary ordeal but thankfully nothing happened and we got hi back safe and sound! 

4 countries in 7 days.
(Click on the links below to preview a short write up and photos from each city.)


Venice, Italy // Dubrovnik, Croatia // Kotor, Montenegro // Olympia, Greece // Athens Grece // Split, Croatia

Travel Notes 

Ports of Call
As stated in the past, PLAN AHEAD! The time in each port goes by so quickly and if no plan is in place for what to see or do, much of the time will be wasted. Guided tours are not necessary but are always a nice option if you want to get a good dose of information and history on the specific city!

Food
The food choices were as bountiful as our first cruise. Everything from poolside bbq to sushi to Italian was being served at some point during the day. Buffets were always an option if time was limited and we were in need of fixing a quick bout of hunger.. more or less for our three year old! A majority of the specialty restaurants on the ship were part of the original food package and did not leave us signing for any additional charges at the end of our meal. 

Beverages
At the time of booking, a beverage package was added to our invoice for a nominal amount. None of us are heavy drinkers but it was nice to sip on a mixed drink by the pool or order a glass of wine with dinner and know that I hadn't just paid 15 dollars for that beverage. If you think you might drink at least three drinks a day, opt for one of the beverage packages. It will pay for itself by the time you disembark! 

Norwegian Cruise Line vs. Royal Caribbean
We loved our first cruise with Royal Caribbean for the excellent childcare, great food, and hospitable staff members that went above and beyond. The second time around, we chose Norwegian only because they had the dates and specific ports of call that we were looking for. We liked the flex dining option that allowed us choose when and where we wanted to dine but found all other services and amenities were on par with RC. The main difference we noticed between the two was the hospitality from the staff members. Norwegian's employees seemed to lack the spark of love for their jobs and the ability to provide timely and high quality service. After pondering why this could be, we felt that tips could be the reason. With NCL, tips are included in the package price and therefore the employees aren't working as hard to receive a tip at the end of the cruise. 

Booking Agency
I will search for hours online to scour every site imaginable for the lowest prices. The agency that had the lowest price and best package deal for cruising was through militarycruisedeals.com. This family owned company supports military and gives great discounts! We had the pleasure of working directly with the owner on this booking via a quick Skype phone call. If you are a veteran or active duty military family- check them out! 


Itinerary- 10 days and 9 nights

• Day 1
• Drive to Venice, Italy
• Check-in at Ibis Padova, Italy 
• Dinner at hotel
• Day 2
• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive to Fly and Park
• Shuttle to cruise terminal 
• Set sail!
• Day 3
• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Day 4 
• Kotor, Montenegro 
• Day 5 
• Katakolo, Grece (Olympia, Greece)
• Day 6
• Athens, Greece 
• Day 7 
• Day at Sea 
• Day 8
• Split, Croatia 
• Day 9
• Arrive back to Venice, Italy
• Disembark cruise ship 
• Shuttle back to Fly and Park
• Drive back towards Venice
• Park at the Tronchetto parking garage
• Take "People Mover" train into city
• Sightseeing through the city
• Boat Ride
• Eat Lunch
• Return to car and depart for Matarello, Italy

Katakolo, Greece (Olympia) + Athens, Greece

We all had high hopes for the cruise stops in Greece but they weren't as we had hoped or expected. It was full swing tourist season and the lines + heat were intense! We didn't have a lot of time in Athens so our best bet was to jump on the red city hop on hop off bus and get a quick drive by glance of the city. Alex and I hate seeing cities this way because it feels like so much is left uncovered and unexplored. However, this may be the less desirable part of a cruise. Just enough to get a taste for a location but definitely not enough time to really get a good understanding of the location. This was a quick stop on our Mediterranean Cruise. Once our ship docked, we decided to take a bus for a 45 minute drive to see the ancient sites! Olympia is an unmissable place to visit if you're into history, mythology, and of course sports. The museums are full of fascinating exhibits and relics, and the archaeological ruins tell the stories of the guts, glory, and spirit of the Olympic Games. There's not much to write about for this location because it was a quick stop with most time spent in Olympia just walking around. Brecken rode on Alex's back in the carrier and when he wasn't in the carrier, he was busy playing with sticks or racing me, Gaga, and Moe! 

Almafi Coast (Positano) + Pompeii

 Thanksgiving 2017.. Why sit at at home and celebrate without family when we could take advantage of traveling! We entertained our international friends with a traditional American Thanksgiving feast a week in advance and decided that this year we would be alone, just the three of us, on a trip to the Almafi Coast in Italy. We flew into Naples and had a private-driver pick us up and escort us to Positano with a short stop at Pompeii to see the ruins. I'm always intrigued by history; it's an odd feeling to be standing in the same place where people's lives ended in a tragic way. To see glimpses of their lives through pieces that were recovered and restored. The volcano, Mount Vesuvius, which caused the town of Pompeii to be covered beneath meters of ash and pumice, still stands as a glorious part of this Italian region. We gazed at it through the windows of our taxi van as we left Pompeii and headed towards the coastal town of Positano. This town is typically buzzing with tourist in high season soaking in the sunshine under the iconic orange umbrellas dotted along the beach and dining or gazing through the shops and restaurants that thrive off of tourism. However, November is not peak season and unbeknownst to us, this little Italian town that cascades down the side of a cliff would be quiet. Shops and restaurants boarded up for the season, the beach area under construction in some parts and obviously not dotted with those iconic orange umbrellas. Nevertheless, we made the best of it as we always do! With a town that sits on a cliff, one must note that if you weave your way down to the beach, it's a trek to get back up! Our wonderful AirBnB (Casa Malu) apartment sat at the top of the town and was right across the street from a lovely little grocery store and cafe with the best espresso and pastries. We made most meals in our apartment but did find the ultimate Italian restaurant, Chez Black, down by the beach with ravioli that was to die for. This was one of our slower trips with less hustle and bustle and more quiet time. Our evenings were spent in the apartment making arrangements for our next military assignment back to America. We were rank ordering locations where we would like to move to next and speaking of the pros and cons of each place. There's always change that comes with life but for sure comes a little more often with a military lifestyle. If it weren't for Alex's job, we wouldn't have the opportunity to live abroad and see more of the world. These travels have been a huge highlight in our lives!