San Juan, Puerto Rico, December 2012
We went on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate the 45th anniversary of our first date on December 1st. One of the stops was in San Juan Puerto Rico where I took the opportunity to run on the beach. Our favourite part of the cruise was the kayaking tour of the bioluminescent bay at night. The microorganisms glow so brightly they can be seen from space. What a magical night!
Paris, France, October 2012
We spent the last few days of our amazing 3 week holiday in the south of France in Paris. Although we’ve been there many times before we still discovered places in Paris we’d never been before. We loved Musee Rodin where we were able to view famous sculptures The Kiss and The Thinker. Our hotel was one we stayed at in the ’90s with our then teenaged daughter. We texted her a picture from the deck with a gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower. Does it get any better than that?
In the mornings I ran along the Seine. One morning I ran by the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral with its stunning flying buttresses. In the picture I’m running on Pont de l’Archevêché where lovers write their names on locks, hook them to the bridge, and throw the key in the Seine. There are currently over 2,000 locks on the Pont de l’Archevêché.
Canal du Midi, France, September 2012
For our 40th wedding anniversary we traveled throughout France. For one of the three week holiday we took a private barge along the Canal du Midi. The canal which is 240 km long and has 91 locks was originally built in the 17th century as a shortcut between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. It was lined with 4200 Plane trees but a wilt disease is destroying the beautiful trees and within the next 20 years they will all be taken down. It’s a hugely expensive but necessary endeavour. Unfortunately the canal’s charm will be sadly effected by the removal of the lovely canapy of the Plane trees.
I ran beside the canal in the early mornings while Bob rode along on a mountain bike borrowed from the barge. The barge was very luxurious, hosting just the four of us, a captain, hostess and private chef who prepared amazing gourmet meals just for us. We were very spoiled 🙂
Maubec, France, September 2012
We stayed at a vineyard, Domaine Faverot in Maubec, a small village in Provence in the south of France. Every morning I ran to the small town bakery and carried back baguettes for our breakfast.
Amalfi Coast, Italy, June 2012
We continued along the Amalfi Coast. This is a photo of me running on the ship in the early morning with Amalfi in the background. There are the most beautiful mountain roads that hug the coast and present gorgeous views at every turn. We stopped in a few ports along the away including the Island of Capri where we rented a small boat and were able to snorkel in the blue grottos. The water was a stunning clear turquoise! Later we continued on the cruise to Sorrento where we visited ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to run there but I still thoroughly enjoyed this amazing site.
Venice, Italy, June 2012
We went to Venice to celebrate our friends 40th anniversary with them. Venice is such a jewel – so beautiful and romantic. We just spent a couple of days there enjoying the streets and San Marco’s and eating fish and pasta. Bob and I had celebrated our 25th anniversary in Venice in 1997. Love that city 🙂
Kotor, Montenegro, June 2012
Continuing on our cruise we stopped in Kotor and I was able to get off the boat in the early morning for a run around the port. Noted for its stunning architecture and natural landscape Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We climbed up to the Fortifications of St Johns, about 2000 feet up 1350 steps directly above the city on almost vertical cliffs. It was a very hot day, about 35 C and many of the steps were uneven and broken but we made it to the top. At one point we realized the only way out if someone twisted an ankle was by helicopter. Just barely recovered from a badly torn hamstring that had kept me sidelined for over four months I was really worried about the adventure. No worries we made it back down and enjoyed a very large Italian beer at the bottom!
Marseille, France, June 2012
Sometimes when we’re cruising I have to get off the ship really early to get in a bit of a run. It’s worth it 😉 We love the wine and had a great tour of the town.