T-2: Ready for Departure

 In just 48 hours we’re setting off for what we hope will be an incredible family adventure. After nearly two years of waiting for the Covid-19 Pandemic to subside, it is time for life to resume. We know Covid-19 is still out there and there is some risk involved in travel, but life apart from risk simply does not exist. There is risk in getting behind the wheel of a car, going to school, or going out for a drink with friends. We do what we can to minimize the risks but we cannot avoid them entirely. So why not live life to the fullest while we still can? With that in mind, we’re off for a six-week trip to Europe in two days. We will update our daily adventures in this blog as we go. I hope you will follow along and perhaps be inspired to explore the world yourself. 

The Itinerary

The final itinerary ended up as a combination of two separate plans to check off some of those ‘bucket list’ items. First, Kate has wanted to go to Paris for nearly 40 years. We were supposed to go for her 50th birthday in 2020 but the pandemic put everything on hold. Second, I have wanted to go to St. Andrews, Scotland, the home of golf, since I took up the game in 1992. Last fall, I entered the ticket ballot for the 150th Open Championship and was fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to purchase tickets for the first round of play. I bought the tickets and eight months of planning began. Here’s what we ended up with in the end:

  • Orlando to Frankfurt via Lufthansa
  • Frankfurt to Brussels by train
  • Brussels/Bruges for three nights
  • Brussels to Paris by train (5 nights)
  • Paris to Burgundy (3 nights)
  • Burgundy to Provence (3 nights)
  • Provence to Paris (3 nights)
  • Paris to London via Eurostar (4 nights)
  • London to Dover (1 night)
  • Dover to Norway and back to Dover cruise (9 nights)
  • Dover to Edinburgh (5 nights)
  • Edinburgh to Dublin via ferry (4 nights)
  • Dublin to Orlando via United Airlines
We are looking forward to an adventure that may lead to many more trips to Europe in future summers. We hope you will follow along and we welcome any suggestions for sights to see from those who have visited any of these places. 

Au revoir,

Rob, Kate, and Grace





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