After 2.5 months on the road in Europe, we are settled in Mumbai and the kids are loving it with their grandparents.  Both Ayaan and Ariana have started pre-school at Creative Kids. It’s Ariana’s first time in school and she’s still settling in. We’ve been spending time dropping and picking them from school, playing with them and taking them to the pool, meeting friends and relaxing at the CCI health club and pool. The grandparents as expected are thrilled to have them around! Ayaan is already asking when we are going on a plane next, and its still about 10 days until we head to Mauritius.

Our Europe segment of this journey was fantastic in retrospect.  We spent 90 days in Europe driving over 9000km, pushing the double stroller for over 1000km, walking/hiking for about 15km a day, visited 12 countries, took the kids to over 50 playgrounds and churches. It was also great that the grandparents and family were able to join us for the beginning and end legs of our trip, and we met some friends along the way in Lisbon, Munich and Copenhagen. Our favorite parts of the trip were definitely when we were driving with Italy, Spain and Ireland being our favorite kid-friendly countries we visited and Algarve, Marbella, San Sebastian, Como, Lake Bled and the countryside in Ireland were the highlights!

Ayaan and Ariana visited 11 new countries (Italy being a repeat) and ended with a tally of 24 and 20 countries each. Gaurav is now at 48 and Anjali at 45. We felt our itinerary was just right, so if anyone is interested its below. Also once again the lease from Peugeot for 55 days worked out brilliantly and I highly recommend it.

* solid line is driving, dotted line is flying

June 16 – Fly from SFO to Porto via EWR on United

June 17 – 3 nights – Porto – Sheraton Porto

June 19 – Car rental pickup from OPO Auto Europe lease (drive to Duoro valley)

June 20 – 4 nights – Lisbon, day trip to Sintra – Apartment

June 24 – 3 nights – Drive 3 hours to Algarve (beach front towns) – Luxury collection

June 27 – 3 nights – Drive 2.5 hours to Seville – AC Marriott

June 30 – 3 nights – Drive 2.5 to Marbella. Airbnb, Westin Grand

July 4 – 2 nights – Drive 2 hours to Granada –  Autograph.  Alhambra tour booked 8:15am on July 5th

July 6 – 3 nights – Drive 4 hours to Madrid (day trip to historical capital of Toledo on the way) – Westin Palace, Madrid

July 9 – 2 nights – drive 4 hours to San Sebastián –  Airbnb.

July 11 – 3 nights – drive 2.5 hours to Bordeaux. Day trip to St Emillion and Medoc – Domaine de Mercade

July 14 – 2 nights – drive 4 hours to Lyon – Airbnb

July 16 – 2 nights – drive 2 hours to Lausanne  – B&B in country farmhouse near Lausanne

July 18 – 1 night – drive 2 hours to Tasch (park car to take train to zermatt). Take train to Gornergrat to see Matterhorn, Artist hotel

July 19 – 1 night – Drive 2.5 hours to Lauterbrunnen, Chalet Rosa

July 20 – 3 nights – Drive 3.5 hours to Como / Bellagio – Villa Lago (apt)

July 23 – 2 nights – Drive 2 hours to Florence. Westin

July 25 – 3 nights – Drive 1 hour to San Gimiano / Tuscany. Fattoria Voltrona Agriturismo in San Gimigiano

July 28 – 2 nights – Drive 3 hours to Venice – Agriturismo Il Melograno di Serafin Gianni.

July 30 – 3 nights – drive 3 hours to Lake Bled (consider nearby Triglav National park). guesthouse

Aug 2 – 3 nights – Drive 3 hours to Halstatt. Visit Salzburg on the way to Munich. Apartment.

Aug 5 – 2 nights – Drive 2.5 hours to Munich, stop in Salzburg on the way. Westin Grand Munich

August 7th – Return car to Munich Airport

Aug 7 – 5 nights – Fly to Brussels – Lufthansa – Booked Aloft Brussels

Aug 12 – 4 nights – Fly to Budapest – Brussels airlines  – Booked apartment

Aug 16 – 4 nights – Fly to Copenhagen on Norwegian  – Booked AC Marriott

Aug 20 – 10 nights, Fly to Dublin on Norwegian, Alamo Minivan booked 20-28, parents get in on 19th.  Pick up parents from Dublin and Drive to Kilkenny (1.5 hours) – Springhill Court

Aug 21 – Kinsale (near cork) – (2 hours drive), stop at Rock of Cashel on the way – B&B in Kilbrittain

Aug 22 – Killarney – visit Kinsale, Charles Fort and Dingle peninsula – Booked B&B in Castlemaine

Aug 23 – Killarney (do Rings of Kerry loop – all day; also do Skellig Michale 2 hour boat tour)

Aug 24 – Doolin/Clare (possible stops at Ennis, the Burren, Adare) – (2.5 hours) – B&B

Aug 25 – Doolin/Clare, do Cliffs of Moher

Aug 26 – Galway (1.5 hour drive), Connemara national park day trip – Apartment, 2 nightrs

Aug 28 – Dublin (2.25 hour drive), leave morning to drop off car by 1pm – Apartment 2 nights

Aug 29 – Dublin

Aug 30 – Fly to Mumbai – Turkish Airlines

Looking forward to relaxing in Bombay, visiting my sister in Delhi, spending time with family and exploring Mauritius, Jordan and South East Asia over the next few months.