...and we're off!!!!!!

We're leaving in a few minutes for an almost month long trip thru Western Europe!!!!!  As I've packed I've wondered, "what on Earth was I thinking?"...packing for five kids and ourselves it not the easiest thing in the World.

We leave our beloved pets with a petsitter who will be here...A Spinnaker who is having a lot of trouble getting up and falling down often and a Sandy who appears to be doing way better than we ever thought she would be doing at this time due to her cancer diagnosis.

Everyone is so excited...Bronwyn is saying she is going to , "Europe" and she wants to go on a "pink plane...Okay??????".  Tristan rattles off "Belgium, France, Italy, "what's the one that begins with an "A", what's the one that begins with an "S", Germany the Netherlands.

Reichen and Karsh are beside themselves with enthusiasm...having been totally into the Roman Empire. I've ordered them all new and matching Italian made Roman Armor to be given to them the night before we arrive at Puy du Fou. Reichen so wants to be a knight of the round table...he wants his name on a chair...he wants to put his shield and sword on display as he eats so my plans are to set them up around a table wherever we end up eating for dinner. It's not easy hiding them from them :)

I hope to blog while there with hopes of sharing how camping thru Europe really is. I keep saying it is very doable financially but must admit we are spending WAY more than I thought we would and packing has not been easy. Gas alone will be upwards to $3,000...it is an awful time for an American to go to Europe, the value of our dollar is not good there.

Our journey takes us...

To Belgium, Denant, beautiful Brugge...

Claude Monet;s home, Rouen, the Bayeaux tapestry, the beaches of Normandy, St Mont Michele, Puy du Fou, the Lascaux Caverns , Carcassone, the biggest Egyptian Museum outside of Cairo in Turin, Cinque Terre (ahhhh), Tuscany, a photo op at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Vinci to Leonardo's museum where they have made some of his scientific experiments, dreams come alive. On to Florence...to the Vatican where we hope to have a private viewing since a member of the Swiss Guard is related to a dear friend...to Rome...to Pompeii, to Venice where we have masks packed to paint and decorate.

To Innsruck Austria, to Neuschwanstein Castle (the castle that Disney used to make the Princess castle at Disney), to the Black Forest, to Luxembourg (added only because in a search I found picture of a family having a lunch infront of gorgeous ruins...then on to Amsterdam to the Van Gogh Museum....

Things we have to delete from our trip...and might pull off but I doubt...

Paris...Oktoberfest...Berlin.

Just a slight dose of what is in store if my BIG dream of traveling around the World with the family in 7 years really does happen :)