finally....amsterdam & starbucks refresh

Last day of my holiday :(

Today is Saturday, which means tomorrow I travel home.
I am excited for my own bed, but sad to see Europe go away... I do love it here.

Today Suzi and I got up to head to Monaco and Monte Carlo. The sun gods graced us with lovely weather for the first part of the day, which was great, as the scenarie in that place was amazing!!

We hiked around and as we came across the Casino... we saw a lot of money and flash that made us feel poor and frumpy. Sadly the casino was not open yet so we could not bet even one euro...nor did we have time for the castle.

We had a great lunch, I bought some french wine I hope to be able to get ho,e (cross your fingers) and then we raced back to meet up with Josh who flew in this afternoon.

I am having PC issues so I will update all of Nice when I am home... till then ciao! (I know its not french, but I loved Italy enough to stick with it)

kk

Dinner in Nice and then a better experience at the wine bqr

I will blog on this night when I am back...but trust me, it is a good story...and the food porn is um, interesting?

Thoughts on a Friday in Nice

It is crazy shopping day in the USA... and being away from it for the first time ever, I realize how much I love the energy of that day. I am very glad to be traveling ... but sad to miss it, along with family and friends on the Turkey holiday.

Our first day in Nice ended with news of Suzis Aunt Charlotte passing away peacefully surrounded by her family. She had been ill for a few months so it was not unexpected, but still hard news to hear. We spent time last night and today trying to figure out if she should go home...and after a long night, her and Josh (with full support of her mom and aunts) decided to go forward with plans of their vacation to Switzerland. With all the stories of her wonderful aunts and their adventures, I agree her aunt would would want them to travel and live life to the fullest... as it sounds like she did this herself.

We are staying in Nice today. Laying low... plus it is raining. Ick. Josh is flying in tomorrow, and then they depart Sunday to Zurich and me to Minneapolis.

Love to all of my family... and especially my aunts, as aunts are such special gifts to all of us. Send Suzi, Josh and their family some good energy.

We are going to go find yummy French pasteries, something that always helps lift ones spirits!
kk
PS I am having trouble uploading photos from Nice, but will keep trying as we had a FABULOUS meal last night!

Nice, France

Toasting Thanksgiving in Nice with Champagne (Suzi had blanc Wine).
We stopped a a local pub to grab a pre dinner drink, as restaurants do not open till 8 here.
We then wandered through Old Town, Nice to find a recommended place (from the hotel). It was called Cote Marais... YUMMY!

I had duck for Tday dinner and Suzi had Prawns, with the heads & legs still on them (see below YIKES!).
BUT first we started out with an eggplant souffle (see above), it was sitting on top of a cold marinara sauce. and OMG... good.

We dont have a photo of it but we had a delicious desert of fondue chocolate something, basically a slice of heaven :)

This place was small and 2 lovely french men seemed to own it and do all of the work. We read later that it is all organic also... perfecto. Travelers Note: Find this plqce to eat dinner.

No more Italy, on to France

Last purchase in Italy. The goal of the trip was black boots, I completed the mission this morning (bad photo, but wait till you see in person)

On train to Nice. First class of course :)

We bought these little goodies in La Spezia as a treat. I was sick the night of my birthday (tummy issues) so Suzi turned these into my birthday cake. They were VERY yummy... yes people on the train thought we were crazy Americans.

Happy Birthday to me and my girls

In case you missed it on 60 Minutes, this is what Andy Rooney thinks about women over 40:

As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, 'What are you thinking?' She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting.

Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you do deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?', here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!

- 60 Minutes Correspondent Andy Rooney (CBS) Andy Rooney is a really smart guy! :)

Finishing up the birthdqy in Cinque Terre

This was our treat after a long hike. A chocolate tourte and Cinque Terre Yummy wine. When I walked up to pay for it {because you pay for nothing till well after you are done} we found out that Chris Smith from Long Island , whom we met on the hike and met up with him and his family later at the last town, paid for our treats. REALLY? How amazing and kind. We didnt know till after he and his family left, so we could not thank him. So I thank him here as I try and type this from Nice, France... where nothing is as it should be on the keyboard.

More from France later!kk

the view on our hike

cinque terre a perfect place to turn 40

This is Cinque Terre, Italy. It is numerous fishing communities that we hiked through.

We started in Riomaggiore then to Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. About 6-7 kilometers. BUT it was all up and down rocky terrain. WOW what a workout. It was so beautiful and warm too...amazing.

In the middle of one of the deserted towns (note for travelers: they all were as it was the off seson so most places closed) we saw people standing in the town square, when they noticed the Minnesota sweatshirt I was wearing they announced they were from Eden Prairie, MN...really? There were all of 50 people mulling around, including locals...so what are the chances? Small big world.

We also met a couple from Michigan on the trail. They were staying in a town near by and in Italy for 3 months!! Cool! They were probably in their early to late 60s and he had a year off work. We kept reminding ourselves that they had walked the hard parts and said it wasnt that bad as we started to wonder if we could make it. They were great motivation... as the trails to the north were very difficult!

At the last town we hiked to, we met a the Smith family from Huntingtion, NY (Long Island). They were such a fabulous family. They managed to hike to the next town while we took the train and sat at the wine bar and waited for them.

I cant imagine any of our photos will show off the amazing scenery, but I hope you each make it there some day. The hike is HARD. But you can take a train between cities to visit.

We are off to find boots, dessert and a good bday dinner.

Thanks to all of you who have sent me birthday messages. I have had great day!

kk