Today was more windy dirt road driving. We have gotten better at traversing these, and I have gotten a little better at relaxing my death grips on the arm rests. I also think that we have developed a pretty good team of Carson focusing on driving the car and the road directly ahead, while I keep my eyes open for oncoming cars and upcoming switchbacks.

We woke up earlier than I wanted and started out for Dynjandi. On the way we made a brief stop at Reykjafjarðarlaug for some fun. This was a hot spring fed pool just off the road with an enclosed room for changing in private (this is quite a rarity!) 

Our next stop was Dynjandi. This has been the best stop of our trip so far! We spent several hours hiking up and down the trail along the falls, taking in the extraordinary sights and sounds of the area. Contrary to our previous understanding, this cascade of falls is actually 7 falls in a row. We parked at the bottom and worked our way up. Carson captured the falls with the good camera and I did my best with his phone. We cannot wait to see the final results when we get home. All in all, we spent 3+ hours here and ended up totally missing lunch. This was totally worth it!

Once we were finally able to pull ourselves away from the falls, we proceeded to Simbahöllin Cafe in Þingeyri for our 4pm lupper. Here we enjoyed bowls of minestrone with Belgian waffles for dessert. The waffles came with an apple jam/compote that was delicious! 

After we got a couple sliced of cake to go we hit the road to finish the drive to Ísafjörður. We checked into Hotel Horn, then headed out to do a 6 part multi cache that gave us a brief tour of the town, followed by a late supper. Tonight we ate at Tjöruhúsið. Here they only serve all you can eat fish buffet. It was awesome! Needless to say, we both over ate and were very grateful for the walk back to the hotel.

After breakfast we went for a quick walk to grab two caches that were near our hotel, then headed out of town. I drove for the morning. This turned out to be the most difficult driving of the trip so far. While being my navigator, Carson got to enjoy the gorgeous views and breathtaking scenery. Meanwhile I had a death grip on the steering wheel as I navigated the winding, steep, acrophobia-inducing dirt road cliffs of the Westfjords. TOTALLY WORTH IT!

My drive ended at Hotel Flókalundur for lunch and a break in Hellulaug hot pool. Hellulaug is situated in such a way that it cannot be seen from the road and there is a nice semi-secluded spot to change into your suit. While relaxing in the spring I finally got to take in the incredible view of the fjords and the ocean inlet in between. We were joined in the water by a couple from Holland and a father/son pair with a YouTube channel from San Francisco. When two older guys from Germany joined us we decided it was time to move on.

Carson drove for the afternoon. We started out at Rauðasandur (aka the red sand beach). Who knew that Iceland had sand beaches! Once again, fabulous views and scenery, and we can’t forget the shells! After a few pics, we headed out to the western most point in Europe, Látrabjarg, the bird cliffs. Here 5 species of birds make their nests in crevasses and ledges on the side of shear cliffs overlooking the ocean. The most popular of these birds is the Puffin. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any. So we hiked up the hill quite a ways. Still no luck. After admitting defeat, we started heading down the hill, grabbing a quick cache on the way, and went over to explore the lighthouse at the bottom. While there… you guessed it!! PUFIFINS!!! Well, a couple puffins, anyway. Carson took several pictures with his good camera and it was time to get going, after all it was 7:30 and we had not eaten supper yet.

We stopped for supper in Breiðavík, where we were quickly quizzed about our opinions of Steven Avery’s guilt or innocence. Please don’t take that the wrong way, our waiter was very nice and funny, he just happens to be very interested by the documentary Making a Murderer and couldn’t stop himself when he learned we were from Wisconsin. LOL! Once that was taken care of, we both ordered the tomato soup and Cason had the salmon and I had trout. All was very good.

By now it was almost 8:30 and we still wanted to grab one more cache at Garðar BA 64 before calling it quits for the day. Garðar BA 64 is a retired whaling ship that got its start in 1912 in Norway and has been through many owners. At the end of its life it was intentionally run aground on the beach in Iceland to serve as a memorial for the ship. We finally landed at our hotel around 10 and had to call someone to let us into our room. Boy driving is tiring…

To get our next adventure started off right we stopped off for lunch in Hveragerði at Kjöt og Kúnst. I had a pork shoulder goulash and Carson had a cod, prawn, and fish something in a white sauce. Both were very fantastic! If you ever make it out this direction, this is a must stop!

After lunch we followed the road past the restaurant to the end and parked. From here it was a short 2km hike into the wind, up hill, around horse poo, up another hill, through breezy/blowing/boiled egg stench steam, up yet another hill, to the Hot River. All in all it wasn’t too bad of a hike as long as you know what to expect.

Once at the river, we quickly changed into our suits and climbed in. For the sake of complete honesty, I was bit underwhelmed by this one… I think I had this experience built a bit too high in my mind. It was pretty busy and not exactly “hot.” Regardless, the water was warm and deep enough to lay down in, both traits were welcomed following the journey up. After a 30ish minute soak we climbed out, dried off, and got dressed.

After stopping off for a quick cache find, we headed back down the hills.

PS: Carson wants me to mention that there were some very gorgeous views and I felt silly using the trekking poles… that is all…

It’s been a while since we last checked in! Since the last time, we have been to Hawaii & Belize, said goodbye to an uncle & a grandma, and brought two fabulous little girls into the world. Life has been busy nuts but fabulous and awesome and sad and rewarding all at the same time! Maybe someday we will be able to go back and fill in the missing pages for you, but for now we are moving forward to our next adventure!
Here we go!

Wow! It has been too long since we’ve last posted and a lot has happened since then. But the main highlight is that 2+ years after it began, the puzzle is finally finished! And with that done, we were able to expand the family by 2!

We present to you:

Hobbes and Alley are brother and sister born on April 26, 2011. When we brought them home on Aug 14 they were not quite 4 months old and two of the cutest little peanuts!  They took well to their new home, exploring all of the nooks, crannies, and hidey-holes, giving us a quick lesson in childproofing a house. They were both pretty quick to make themselves at home.

Hobbes enjoys finding new places to hide:

And Alley enjoys finding Hobbes’ hiding places:

Hobbes and Alley are both very active kittens.  They enjoy chasing balls and all things shiny!

They also love to climb, pounce, and…

…WRESTLE!!!

But, at the end of the day, they are all cuddles and complete adorableness.

 

Ahhh, this was the best morning of the trip: we slept in! However, the slower morning did result in fewer options still available for breakfast. But never-the-less, it was totally worth it!

After breakfast we started our day of Roman History Education. We began with a metro ride under Roma and emerged at the front gate of the Colosseum. To enter, we walked past the long lines, swiped our Roma Passes and walked right in! Once inside, we pulled out our Rick Steve’s audio guide and instantly became confused as it seems that the set up of the entrance has changed since the audio guide was recorded making it very difficult to follow along. After a bit of confusion and frustration, we gave up on the guide and started to explore and enjoy the scene on our own. The entire space is very humbling when you think about the ingenuity that it took to create the tunnels and pulley systems under the Colosseum floor as well as the stability of the multiple seating levels that are still visible. It’s hard to believe they used to flood the whole place to stage sea battles or raise scenery and beasts through the floor for elaborate game hunting. It was cool that they had reconstructed a portion to look like it might have hundreds of years ago.

From here, we explored the Arch of Constantine and meandered our way over to Palatine Hill.

Here we once again used our Roma Passes to skip the lines and zip inside without delay. Despite a really confusing map, we managed to wind our way through the ruins. We didn’t really know what we were looking at most of the time, so it was a little difficult to get excited about any of it; this is one of the few instances where I wish we would have had a formal guidebook to explain the sites.

Once at the top of the hill we had a great view of our next stop, the Forum. We had another audio tour that started us at the Arch of Titus. Just like the rest of the big arches, we weren’t actually able to walk underneath it. After the arch, we were lead down the right side to the Basilica of Constantine. This was one of the most impressive structures of Ancient Rome. The three remaining arches represent just a fraction of the original size and stature. These arches were once mirrored on the opposite side, with even larger arches spanning the space in between. It’s hard to get a feeling of the sheer size by looking at a picture, but being there was pretty awesome. Although there is little left of this once magnificent space, it is still easy to imagine the great baths, empirical meetings, and local counseling that once took place on this site.

From the Basilica we moved down the paths that were once traveled by Constantine, Caesar, and other Ancient Romans, past the green church doors (which we couldn’t find), and through to the far end of the Forum.  At this end, we could see the House of the Vestal Virgins, the Temple of Caesar, and the Temple of Saturn. By the time we made it this far we were both pretty pooped and ready to start the up hill trek back to the hotel for a quick nap before dinner at a rooftop restaurant.

Before calling it quits for the night, we did a quick Skype session with Carson’s parents and eventually with Momma (Daddie was outside working on the car).

Finally… BEDTIME!!!!

We finally made it to our B&B after dark and we were more than ready for a hot meal and a good night’s sleep.  After checking in, we made our way up the cliff and into town in search for a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves. We finally found it only to be disappointed that it was not open.  Therefore, we started walking the main street through town trying to find a place to stop.  Carson finally noticed a sign that pointed us down an alley towards the sound of clanking silverware and laughter.  So we stopped in, only to find George and Connie at one of the four tables inside.  The host/server/owner insisted that we sit with George and Connie for our meal. This turned out to be a lot of fun!

Aside from the conversation, the food and wine were also very enjoyable.   Carson had a plate of meatballs, I enjoyed another delectable bowl of gnochi (I have got to learn how to make this stuff!), and we shared a liter of the house red.  Part way through dinner, a woman came in and our host shut the front door.  We didn’t really think anything of it until a bit later when another couple inquired if the restaurant was open and they were turned away! Apparently, we later learned, the woman that came in was our host’s girlfriend and they decided to close when she showed up so they could dine together.  At this point, the only people in this small restuarant were George & Connie, Carson & myself, and our host, his girlfriend and his mother.

This fun night came to a boisterous ending about two hours after it started when we signalled the host that we were ready for our checks and he came to our table and asked if we were ready for more wine 🙂 (he was as tipsy as the rest of us)

The following day started with a simple, yet delicious, breakfast at the B&B that consisted of cereal with yogurt (instead of milk), toast with an assortment of mystery jellies, and more orange juice that is really red and does not taste like oranges. This was one of our best continental breakfasts of the trip.

After breakfast, we climbed in the car and started our day of exploring the Tuscany hill towns.  By the time we were ready for lunch, we had meandered our way to Trattoria Latte di Luna in Pienza. Here we split one of the best bruschettas of the trip! The freshly diced tomatoes on a bed of sea salt drizzled with smooth olive oil all culminated for a to-die-for bruschetta. After our starter, we both enjoyed homeade pastas with marinara sauce.

After lunch, we finished our tour of Tuscany and made our way back to Orvieto and cleaned up for a fancy, birthday dinner. I found a resaurant in our Rick Steve’s guide that sound increadable so we descided to give it a try.  Once again, we arrived at the restaurant, only to discover that it was not open. No worries yet, it was still a bit before seven, so we descided to walk around town and give the place a chance to open.  By 7:15 it still did not look open so we descided to go in and ask if they were open. Ah Ha! Yes, it was open! So we accepted a table and ordered some wine.  After a few minutes, the waiter came back around and informed us what our options were (they did not have menus) and we each asked if we could have a sampling of everything he had described (he described only two meals). This turned out to be a great decission! Our meal consisted of a crape filled with fried onion, mushrooms, and light sauce and fettucine with truffles and other mushrooms. Both were very delicate and savory; well worth the wait!  If we ever make it back to Italy, this place is on my list!

The next day started with another breakfast of cereal and toast at the B&B and another hike up the cliff.  Lunch consisted of a couple of salads at the internet cafe in Orvieto.  Carson ordered a cold seafood salad and I had a warm penne salad with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, nothing too exciting.

By the time that we finished lunch, we finally realized that we hadn’t had any gelato since we arrived in Orvieto! We could not leave with out at lease one taste. So I had a cone of berry and Carson mixed it up a bit by ordering one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of pistachio.

Our stomachs are going to miss Tuscany!

We spent our last day in Orvieto exploring the town and learning about it’s history.  But before we could get started, we had to figure put where we were going to store our luggage (there was not a baggage check at the train station). We decided to leave our bags at the B&B while we were seeing Orvieto and return to get them later in the afternoon.  The only problem with this plan is that the B&B is on the far side of the cliffs from the train station; so, it would be a hefty 1+ hour walk up the cliff, through town, and back down the cliff to get to the train station. No Problem, we’ve walked farther 🙂

We dropped the car off at Hurtz across from the train station (at the bottom of the cliff) and decided to ride the funicular car to the top. Once at the top, we took a quick right turn out of the station to find St. Patrick’s Well.  This was pretty cool. It is a very deep water well that uses a double helix form to reach the bottom and return to the top without running into oncoming traffic.  The walk down was easy until we got to the bottom and looked up… Narf!

After the well, we found Orvieto’s main fortezza (fortress).  The town has turned it into a park with green spaces and benches, where locals and tourists can hangout and take in the surrounding views.

From here, we continued our walk through town up to the Duomo. The facade of the Duomo was primarily green and white striped with magnificent artistry on the front.  The main works on the front were done as intricate marble carvings and specifically detailed mosaics.  Unfortunately, due to religious services, we were not able to enter the Cathedral. We can only imagine what we would have found.

Across the street from the Duomo is where our Orvieto Underground tour met. From here we walked down the side of the cliff to a small cave opening in the side. Here we entered and proceeded a few feet in where it was explained to us that most of the real estate (homes and businesses) in Orvieto still come with their own underground space. Some of these ‘cellars’ are only one level, while their neighbor may have three levels. From here, we proceeded deeper into the cave to additional rooms that were used once used for crushing olives to oil and grapes to wine, as well as functioning as a workshop.  We then left this cave and continued farther down the cliff to another cave opening where we found several more rooms.  Many of these rooms were once contacted to kitchens above and housed pigeons that are still a kitchen delicacy today.

Once the tour was completed, it was time to collect our bags and catch the train.  So, it was down the cliff to the B&B to pick up the bags, up the cliff while carrying the bags, across town, down the cliff, and into the station.

Until Rome, Caio!

After a good night’s sleep and a quick breakfast, we loaded up in the car and headed out to Tuscany for a day in the hill towns. After a quick hour drive north, we came to our first stop, Montepulciano. Here we found a parking spot and started walking up the hill to Piazza Grande where we took a quick walk through the Cathedral and took in a cantina (cellar). While at the Contucci Cantina, we were treated to all the samples we could drink with no pressure to buy.  After several tasty reds, we decided to go with five reds and one white. This specific winery is owned, operated, and manufactured locally and (according to Adamo, the cellarman) featured on American PBS. From there we proceeded back down the hill, taking in the views of the Tuscan hillsides.

Our next stop was Piensa, where we paused for a quick lunch on our way to Montalcino.

Once to Montalcino, our first stop was at the biggest wine store we’d seen yet. After a few minutes of being awe struck at the huge selection, we decided to take home just one bottle of €35 Brunello di Montalcino 2005, the area’s number one wine. As we paid for the bottle, we were instructed that it is to be opened and let breathe for two hours before drinking it. I guess we’re starting to get fancy with our wines. 🙂

At this point in our day, we were ready for a drive through the Tuscan countryside, simply taking in the views. Sadly, this is where our Tuscan experience ends.

The food in Venice was okay, but lacked the pizzazz and wow that we experienced in Florence.

By the time that we arrived in Venice it was already 12:30 and we could not check into the hotel until 2:00. So to kill some time, we grabbed a couple of paninis at a snack shop near St. Mark’s Basilica and proceeded to walk around the square.

For supper that evening, we wanted to try a place that we read about in Rick Steve’s Italy. In the book, it states that place opens at 6:00. It was 6:30 when we got there and the place was gated shut with a guy inside on the phone. Although disappointed, we consulted Rick again, and found a place near our hotel that has a relaxed atmosphere and great fish. So, we get there a few minutes after 7:00 (we don’t have the recommended reservation so we are hoping for a table) and are quickly seated at one of the 10 tables in the restaurant. We ordered a plate of Cod to start and Penne with Crab to split. After the waiter/owner takes our order to the kitchen, he returns to ask if we would like to try the chef’s specialty, fresh Gnocchi instead of the penne. Sure, sounds greats! 15/20 minutes and half a bottle of wine later, the Gnocchi shows up. This was delicious, melt in your mouth pasta with a sauce to die for! Wait a minute, what about our cod? Oops, he forgot about it, he’ll go get it now. Before he brought it out, we were expecting a plate of fried cod… Nope! It was a plate of cod salad (you know, shredded cod with cream sauce all mashed together like you are going to spread it on a sandwich) and three squares of what we finally concluded were grilled potato of some sort. Although hesitant, it was very good. I am beginning to like eating outside of my box! As we were finishing up with our delayed cod plate, the restaurant was full; not an empty table in the place. Wait, they can squeeze in a few more groups… Any table that had four chairs but only had two people sitting at it started to receive guests at their table. Ours included. He sat another couple from Switzerland (???) at our two empty chairs. What an evening of oddities, but the food was good. [We keep forgetting to take pictures of our food, so no pictures to make your mouth water.]

The following day started with more of the same: a roll with meat and cheese for breakfast and a panini for lunch. This time dinner came with a recommendation from our hotel. We arrived and were promptly stalked by our possibly hung-over 40-something waiter until we ordered. Carson started with a macaroni dish and I started with ham ravioli in a cream sauce. Both were very good, although Carson’s came out looking like penne instead of macaroni so we’re not sure he got what he actually ordered, nevertheless, it was still good. For the main meal, Carson had Filet Mignon, and I had Veal in a Lemon Sauce. Both of which were OK, but nothing to write home about. We did finish with dessert this time, a “truffle” that came in the form of a very liquored slice of white cake. [Of course we forgot to take pictures of the most interesting part, the pasta. Here’s the second course.]

On to Cinque Terre!