Madrid, Spain

We left early this morning for a quick flight to Madrid via AirEuropa from Frankfurt Main (FRA).  The flight was easy and uneventful (which is great for a plane ride!). Once to MAD we hopped on the Airport Express Shuttle bus and headed into downtown!

Medulin, Croatia (Departure)

After checking out of our resort (and maybe some kicking and screaming to get us me in the car) it was time to enjoy our last day in Croatia.  Since we didn't fly out until 6:50 p.m. we had plenty of time to check out Medulin, another nearby village.

Well, we thought we had plenty of time...

Rovinj, Croatia

After a failed attempt at Kamenjak we decided to head north to the town of Rovinj, the "Blue Pearl of the Adriatic," to see what we could find there....and we are so glad we did!

Rovinj was absolutely beautiful!  The people were friendly, there were tons of restaurants, boats in the harbor, shops in alleyways...the sights, sounds, smells...it was incredible!

Prementura, Croatia (Kamenjak National Park)

On the recommendation of our waiter last night we headed about 15 minutes away to the town of Prementura to check out another one of Croatia's famous national parks, Kamenjak.

We were so excited to check this place out!  Take a look at the pics and you'll see why....

Brijuni National Park, Croatia

We arrived in Brijuni shortly before lunch.  The boat ride was maybe 10 min. but the kids loved it!

Fazana, Croatia

After enjoying another much-needed "sleep-in" day, we got up and headed by van to Fazana, Croatia (a little fisherman’s village about 25 min. away from Pula).  

Our hotel receptionist arranged for a shuttle to pick us up and take us to village where we would board a boat and spend the day touring the Brijuni National Park, a large network of islands off the coast of Croatia.

Pula, Croatia (Roman Amphitheater)

After checking out Ambrela Beach, we headed back into the city center to check out the Roman Amphitheater, a.k.a Arena of Pula, Pula’s “most famous and important monument.”

It was built during the 1^st century A.D. at the same time the Colosseum in Rome was built and has been the site of gladiator fights, medieval knight tournaments, and present-day performances.  The kid’s thought it was super cool they got to see “the broken thing in Rome’s little brother.”

Pula, Croatia (Ambrela Beach)

Even though the weather was a little too windy to enjoy the water (that jazz was COLD), we took the kids to a nearby pebble beach to check out the views after our fun morning at the aquarium.

 Ambrela Beach was less than a five minute drive from our resort and was awarded a "Blue Flag" for its “cleanliness and exceptional water quality.”  In the summer you can rent deck chairs and umbrellas (there are also bathrooms and showers and a lifeguard on duty). The kids had a blast learning to skip rocks and searching for "sea life!"

Pula, Croatia (Auquarium/Fort Ventura)

The weather today was not the best for a lot of the outdoorsy stuff (very windy, cool, sunshine but rainy).  We had discussed renting a boat to take the kids fishing but no one would take us out due to the wind.  Oh well, it was the perfect opportunity to hit up the Pula Aquarium located inside Fort Verudela (and less than a five min. drive from our resort)…after sleeping in, of course!  (I think I may like no-planned vacations after all).

Pula, Croatia (Arrival)

For Spring Break we decided we were going to take a much-needed VACATION.  And, when I say “vacation” I mean a trip that we I don’t spend weeks itinerizing down to the hour.  This trip was straight up purchasing plane tickets, picking a resort, reserving a rental car, and whatever happens, happens!

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Today we decided to go to Luxembourg with a group of friends to explore their famous casemates and visit the Luxembourg American Cemetery Memorial.  We had gone to Luxembourg before but this time we were able to find parking!

Our first stop was the cemetery to pay our respects to the American soldiers who died in WWII.

Nice, France (Parade of Lights)

When we decided to go to Nice for the Rock'N'Roll 10 Miler du Carnaval we knew we had to check out the Parade of Lights!

We made seat reservations online through their website, easy peasy.  We just printed the tickets out and took them with us to the gate!  The parade was amazing!  The people were so energetic and the floats were spectacular!

Nice, France

Although a gazillion and one things went wrong this weekend, we still had an amazing time making memories along the coast of the French Riveria!

(Photo from RnR Nice)

We went for the Rock'N'Roll 10 Miler du Carnaval (which was AWESOME by the way, you can read more about that adventure here).  It was just the perfect way to spend Valentine's Day weekend!

Hechingen, Germany (Burg Hohenzollern)

(Photo from www.burg-hohenzollern.com)

We went on an impromptu trip to Hechingen, Germany today to check out the Castle of Hohenzollern. The castle is the ancestral seat of the Prussian Royal House and of the Hohenzollern Princes...and does not disappoint!  Even in foggy, cold weather!

Verdun, France

After paying our respects at the Lorraine American Cemetery, we headed into the village of Verdun to see the historic battlefields.  The number of people who died here and the devastation caused by the battles are incomprehensible.  The area was so destroyed after the war (and full of leftover munitions) that the battlefield was declared a "Red Zone" and the nearby villages were unable to be rebuilt.

Our first stop in Verdun was the Douaumont Ossuary.  There is a very large (free) parking lot near the monument and it was easy to get to.  Inside you can visit the war museum and watch a video presentation (in English). However, they were closed during our visit (most everything is closed here in January).

Saint-Avold, France (Lorraine American Cemetery)

Today we had a quick day trip planned with some amazing friends of ours. Our first stop was the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in Saint-Avold, France to pay respects to our many fallen comrades from WWII.

"The Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in France covers 113.5 acres and contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II in Europe, a total of 10,489. Their headstones are arranged in nine plots in a generally elliptical design extending over the beautiful rolling terrain of eastern Lorraine and culminating in a prominent overlook feature. Most of the dead here were killed while driving the German forces from the fortress city of Metz, France toward the Siegfried Line and the Rhine River. Initially, there were over 16,000 Americans interred in the St. Avold region in France, mostly from the U.S. Seventh Army's Infantry and Armored Divisions and its cavalry groups. St. Avold served as a vital communications center for the vast network of enemy defenses guarding the western border of the Third Reich. 

Lucerne, Switzerland (Mt. Pilatus)

Today started out much better than yesterday, which was good because we had a fun day of sledding Mt. Pilatus on the books!

Lucerne, Switzerland (Glacier Gardens & Chapel Bridge)

We started this trip off with EVERYTHING seeming to go wrong.  Our alarm didn't go off, we were almost two hours behind schedule, we hit a horrendous traffic jam (thanks, Garmin), we had to rush, rush rush to get to our hotel and get downtown to see the museum and monuments we wanted to hit before they closed, almost missed our dinner reservation (which was an expensive, massive fail)....it was just...craziness.

But, we had FUN!