Our Europe road trip started from Berlin, Germany and ended in Lisbon, Portugal. I am very grateful Marco joined us at the last minute. He did all the driving over the 23 days: 5024 km in 10 cities spread over 6 countries. Really enjoyed travelling with him and Deon!
Berlin, Germany – I was very happy that Stephan drove up to Berlin from Frankfurt to meet me and Deon for 30 hours. We stayed in the same hostel company as the one in Buenos Aires five years ago (fond memories of the great time we had back then. Stephan was the one that taught Deon how to ride a bike). Seeing the Berlin Wall was a bit emotional for me: to see one country having to split into 2 parts. Sad to see family having to break up and not be able to see each other for years.
Prague, Czech Republic – is such a beautiful city with amazing architecture. The weather was just perfect while we were here.
Vienna, Austria – Nice short 2 days visiting Vienna, the capital city of Austria.
Strasbourg, France – this was our first stop into France. Cute little town.
Paris, France – We enjoyed eating French cuisine in Paris. It’s my 3rd time here and I still can’t say it’s my favourite city like most people I know.
Bordeaux, France – Love this stop cause I love red wine – we visited 5 wineries in total. My favourite stops were Chateau Lafitte, Courvoisier and Louis XIII.
Biarritz, France – Just here to be a beach bum. This city is situated very close to the border with Spain. I was fascinated to see restaurants opening for just 3 hours during lunch time and 3 hours during dinner time in the center of a tourist area. People are so relaxed and laid back here!
San Sabastian, Spain – Very close to France and our first stop in Spain. Having an amazing host like David, his wife and 2 beautiful daughters made this place very special. We love the beach and eating the tapas here.
Barcelona, Spain – This used to be my favourite city in Europe but it got demoted after this trip because I discovered Valencia, which I like a lot more.
Valencia, Spain – The highlight for me on this road trip was Valencia in Spain! A biking city that is not too crowded. Not expensive. Friendly people. The weather here reminds me of winter in Arizona but the bonus is it has 3 beaches within a 30 minute drive. In fact, I liked it so much that I decided to invest in real estate here so that I can have an excuse to come back and spend my winter months here while learning Spanish! I will be back here in 2018 for sure!
Lisbon, Portugal – our last stop on this trip before flying back to North America. Interesting to learn how people stand in front of coffee bars to drink their coffee. I was surprised the Portuguese tart does not taste nearly as good as the ones in Macau! I have to say I like the beaches here (ultra fine sand) more than the beaches in France or Spain!
