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Slovenia

A quick 3 hour drive in the morning from Venice brought us to Lake Bled in Slovenia, a new country for all of us! We were disappointed to learn that the weather here too was sweltering and unfortunately our room didn’t have air conditioning. Fortunately it got fairly pleasant at night and we had a balcony to enjoy after the kids slept. The lake is stunning and very hard to capture in pictures with its bright turquoise, warm, crystal clear waters filled with row boats and a tear drop island. We particularly liked that it felt like a really small town. The first evening we walked around the lake, sat by the shore and dipped our toes in the lake, and ate some Chinese food nearby since it’s the kids’ favorite. Anjali and I finally got to spend some time in the balcony after the kids slept and sip on our Antinori chianti.

The next morning we ate some yummy breakfast overlooking the lake and visited the bled castle with its breathtaking view of the lake and the island. The kids did great as they climbed up themselves and appreciated the view (Ariana said “so pretty” and Ayaan said “we should get a house like this”). We then took the row boat to the island. The ride was beautiful but the island church and tower were disappointing. After our boat ride, we ate a nice lunch lakeside at the Hotel Jezero while the kids were busy playing with the baby stroller. Ayaan has become quite European – before drinking water he always asks if it’s sparkling now. The kids had a late nap after which we decided to go visit the Castle beach for a dip in the lake and some fun for the kids with a sand pit. It’s a must do in Lake bled as the water is warm and it’s a great way to experience the lake with family.

On our last day in Bled, we woke up early and made our way to Vintgar Gorge – a beautiful stroll along a crystal clear river with waterfalls among narrow rock cliffs. It reminded us a bit of Plitvice in Croatia, but not as emphatic. The kids did fantastic again as they walked about 80% of the way appreciating the beauty and saying hi to all the doggies on the way. I’m glad we got there early since we missed the crowds and the sun. We were all a bit tired after the hike, so we drove to Lake Bohinj about 45 mins away for lunch. Beautiful but not really worth a visit after Lake Bled. Our final evening in Bled was spent strolling along the lake and capping the night off with some local Bled cream cake and a glass of muscat. Slovenia has been relaxing although hot, and we’re off to Austria tomorrow!

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Munich

We drove early this morning to Salzburg, a return visit for me after 20 years, on our way to Munich. The city seems to have developed considerably since I last visited, but maintained its charm. Our first stop was the Mira bell palace and gardens where I reminisced about the songs from Sound of Music. Next, we headed to see the Salzburg Cathedral but it was closed for Sunday service. We strolled around the beautiful baroque quarter, and stopped in a beer garden for a tall mug of beer while the kids played in the fountains and sand pit nearby. After a satiating Indian meal, we continued our journey to Munich while the kids napped. Germany is Ayaan’s 20th country!!!

Gaurav and Ayaan were thrilled to be checking in to the Westin Grand, a hotel with air conditioning after several nights of apartment living. Gaurav’s insights and love for hotels while traveling (and lack of appreciation for apartments) should give us lodging real estaters some comfort in the midst of the sharp rise in shared lodging establishments. Ayaan was also surprised to learn that Munich was a city, since he’d been calling mayonnaise Munich for the entire trip. After some rest, we headed to the famous Hofbrauhaus for some mugs of beer with sausages, roast chicken and pretzels. The kids enjoyed the live music and the meal. We then strolled around the various squares and made our way to Marien platz where the sounds of beautiful live music at every corner had us stopping several times to appreciate the beats.

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Luxury in Southern Spain

After breakfast, I picked up a Hertz rental car to drive to Marbella with Ayaan and Anjali’s parents’ bags, while Anjali drove the Peugeot with the rest of the gang. The 2 hour 45 mins drive from Seville to Marbella was winding and gorgeous across many mountains, lakes and changing landscapes. Both kids napped for almost the entire time and Ayaan woke up as we approached Marbella saying “Daddy this is so beautiful, it feels like Hawaii.” And it sure does with amazing weather, surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and mountains.

We stayed in a lovely Airbnb in a complex near Puerto Banus with a resort style pool, a great restaurant and hookah! The guests were very nice and it was probably one of my best Airbnb experiences too date (I still prefer the comforts of a hotel to be honest). We spent the first evening dipping in the warm pool, eating some Lobster paella and watching the thrilling games between Argentina-France and Portugal-Uruguay. At night, I put the kids to bed while Anjali took her parents to a nice Indian meal. And for the second time on the trip, we headed out after dinner while MIL watched the kids. We walked down the buzzing Puerto Banus – a harbor with high-end yachts, open bars with people overflowing to the streets, house music and Ferraris everywhere. It was a fun night out after a while for just the two of us after the hectic month of June.

On our second day, we hit the pool again on another beautiful day after which we strolled Puerto Banus in the day and ate at the locally recommended Picasso pizzeria overlooking the sea and the yachts. The children and us were super excited to get some Chicken Tikka pizza!

After lunch I got to watch Spain lose among the locals which was quite an experience. Kids woke up late from their nap so we headed to the old town in Marbella for a stroll and dinner in the square. The old town reminded us of a Greek town, specifically Mykonos, with its tiled cobbled streets, roses everywhere and cathedrals. I ended the night smoking some double apple hookah and watching Croatia beat Denmark in penalties!

Our last day as a family in Marbella got to a relaxing start at the beach. The kids are finally at the age where they love the beach and can independently play with each other and their sand toys. One of my favorite parts about this journey is taking the time to observe Ayaan and Ariana interact without having to rush. Ayaan has become a real big brother fetching water for Ariana from the sea!

We ate lunch at our Airbnb and after putting the kids to sleep MIL took care of the kids while Anjali and I headed out to Nikki beach for some chill music and rose at the pool and beach. We ate dinner as a family at Tuk Tuk, an Asian fusion restaurant that was great.

Marbella and Puerto Banus have definitely been the highlight of the journey so far!

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Sevilla

We arrived in Sevilla in the early evening and walked to Plaza de Espana. Spain is Ayaan’s 15th country and Ariana’s 11th, and the second time for us. We caught a picture with a beautiful rainbow by the fountains and then took a horse carriage ride through the Jardins de Maria Luisa, the Torre de Oro and the cathedral. We enjoyed tapas at Mateos, a restaurant in an alley near the cathedral.

The next morning, we visited the Real Alcázar, which was a gorgeous site with large gardens, palatial rooms, peakcocks and large ponds with fish which the kids loved. Our next stop was the grand Cathedral where we saw Christopher Columbus’ tomb. Gaurav climbed to the top of the Giralda tower while several glasses of rose and the kids kept me from the ascent.

In the evening, we explored the Traina neighborhood, famous for bullfighting and the Flamenco. After filling our bellies with tapas, Gaurav put the kids to bed and I headed to a Flamenco show with my parents.

The next day, we spent the morning in a park with the kids and Gaurav got a massage in the afternoon at Aire and spent some time relaxing in the baths overlooking the cathedral. In the evening, we absorbed sweeping views of the city from Metropol Parasol. Today, we’re off to Marbella!

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Algarve

A short 2.25 hour drive from Lisbon brought us to the beautiful Pine Cliffs, A luxury collection resort on the beach. We enjoyed an al fresco lunch of gazpacho and fajitas before hitting the resort pools. A bottle of rose and a lot of splashes later, we enjoyed a Japanese dinner at an elegant outdoor restaurant by Chef Olivier. Ariana enjoyed bonding with her masi while devouring sushi (see video). Later that evening, we enjoyed a nightcap of Madeira on our deck before drifting off to sleep.

placeholder://We started the next day with a sumptuous breakfast and then spent some time enjoying the kids club. Ayaan and Ariana got to ride in some real John Deere trucks and jump in a bouncy house! Ariana has started speaking a few full sentences since our trip began and it’s been a pleasure to witness her progression real-time. Her favorites include expressing her preferences – “I like masi!” or “I don’t like this”.

We then joined the rest of the family and drove along the coast to Praia de Benagil. Ayaan and Ariana enjoyed playing by the beach, and then we took a boat which guided us through an awe-inspiring landscape of limestone formations and crystal clear blue aqua!

That evening, we grabbed drinks and dinner at the hotel bar where we had prime seats to watch the Portugal vs Iran and Spain vs Morocco World Cup games.

The next morning, we headed to the stunning hotel beach that was lined with cliffs of orange hues on one side and surrounded by clear blue water on the other. We had lunch at Mare, the hotel’s beach side bar before heading to the pool where Ariana napped and Ayaan enjoyed an ice cream with Nani. In the evening, we headed back to the kids club where the kids got to ride a motorized car!

This evening, we’re looking forward to having the babysitter watch the kids while we enjoy a nice meal with my parents at Pescadore, the hotels seafood restaurant. After the meal, Gaurav and I opened the bottle of Sassacaia that we’d saved from SF and enjoyed it against this beautiful backdrop of illuminated orange cliffs…Overall, Algarve (and the Pine Cliffs resort) was stunning and did a solid job of differentiating itself from other beach destinations.

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Lisboa

We spent our first morning in Lisbon riding tram 28 across town – we were lucky to get there early enough to snag window seats lining one entire side of the tram, allowing the entire family to be up close with some of Lisbon’s popular tourist attractions. Ayaan particularly enjoyed riding the tram with mommy. Once we were off, Ayaan Ariana and Shloka enjoyed running through the water fountains in the square. We then proceeded to get lunch and two pitchers of sangria while watching the World Cup. Uber worked incredibly well in Lisbon!

Our next stop was across town to Belem where we strolled along the board walk near the Belem Tower. We then proceeded to the Jeronimos monastery which boasted a beautiful church and an even more stunning courtyard surrounded by ornate carvings. Ariana enjoyed petting the horse outside. We strolled to a nearby cafe with live music to enjoy a bottle of rose and dinner for the kids. Gaurav bought some delicious egg tarts and malasadas for the family from Pasties de Belem – Ayaan couldn’t have been happier with that end to his day!

After putting the kids to bed in their grandparents care, Dhara Kunal Gaurav and I headed to Bairo Alto, the reportedly swanky neighborhood with bustling nightlife and some of the city’s best restaurants. Luckily for us, there was a street festival where we started the night with mojitas and sangrias enjoying a live band. We then proceeded to dine at a cevicheria with pisco sours.

We got a late start the next morning and decided to wander the neighborhoods of Lisbon. We started with Alfamha whose narrow quaint streets beckoned us to wander aimlessly to enjoy its true beauty. We then headed to the Mercado de Ribiera and took in the stalls lined fresh produce and meats. We then found ourselves in a huge hall lined with multiple restaurants and bars where we enjoyed a delicious lunch of roast pork and scallops. While we wanted to explore Chiado next, we forgot to bring Ariana’s pacifier which led to a huge toddler meltdown, forcing us to take the first cab back to our Airbnb. Lisbon’s vibe reminded us of San Francisco and Rio and the red “Golden Gate” like bridge and the Christ replica explained why.

That evening, we celebrated my dads 67th birthday (a few weeks early while the whole family was together) at a beautiful tapas restaurant in the Chiado neighborhood. Obrigado Lisboa!

 

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Day Trip to Sintra

Our second day in Lisbon got a late start as I finally had a good night’s sleep – is it possible that the kids are finally over their jet lag??!? Today we are going to the historic town of Sintra with its palaces and castles. We decided not to take the car and park it in a garage for the next 3 nights. We figured it’ll be easier with the 9 of us to take the train together and Ayaan would love it! Luckily the train station was just a minute walk from our apartment and round trip train tickets were just 5 euros each. The day started out with a slight drizzle which actually was a welcome respite from the heat (that we’re still getting accustomed to).

After a quick 35 min train ride (trains don’t run on time like Japan though), we arrived. Sintra delivered on its promise of a magical, fairytale-like town. Our first stop was the Pena Palace and gardens. After a steep walk uphill pushing our double stroller, we were rewarded with a stunning landscape. The palace was grand and its Arabic architecture and bold colors were awe-inspiring, differentiating the Pena palace from its peers. My favorite was the ‘wall walk’ that offered generous views of the Moorish castle, rolling green hills and the beach beyond.

After a quick lunch at the cafe at the palace, the kids napped in the stroller while we proceeded to our next attraction. The Moorish Castle is a fortress with stunning views of the Pena Palace and historic center of Sintra.

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We then took a convertible taxi down to the center of Sintra. We enjoyed a bottle of rose and some hors d’ oeuvres at a cafe in the square while Ayaan devoured to get a cotton candy gelato! Fairly tired from our adventures, we retreated to the apartment for a sumptuous dinner of butter chicken and rice! Gaurav headed to see his friend Tim who was visiting from SF to catch up and watch the Argentina-Croatia game.

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Made it to Lisbon!

On the 20th of June, we made our way to Lisbon by car. It was a seamless 2 hour 45 mins drive to the city center. Both Ayaan and Ariana nap like little babies in the car ride which drove our decision to drive around rather than take the train. Also much easier with the luggage since we can leave stuff in the car.

We arrived in Lisbon to find the streets completely empty! One of the best parts of the trip so far is being in Europe during the World Cup – it is truly special and I feel so lucky to experience all of the cup in the best football countries – Portugal, Spain and France. Portugal was playing Morocco and the entire town had gathered in the square to cheer Christiano Ronaldo and their Home team – we were headed to the square too to watch the tail end of the game and reunite with Anjali’s family. We underestimated how chaotic driving would be with the cops shutting down the streets around the square. We were lucky enough to find street parking close by! The atmosphere at the square was fantastic with thousands of fans with their flags screaming. We met Anjali’s family at a cafe at the square and the kids were incredibly excited to meet Dhara masi, Kunal uncle, their cousin Shloka and most of all their Nana and Nani!

We checked into our Airbnb apartment on Avenue de Republica. It was a historic 5 bedroom 3 bath with original wooden floors and most importantly a washer and dishwasher. I made a quick run to the grocery store, Anjali picked up some food later and we spend the night drinking Portuguese wine and catching up in the apartment. Lisbon and Portugal remind a lot of Brazil. Day trip to Sintra up next.

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First stop: Porto

Portugal is our first stop on our journey! It’s Ayaan’s 14th country and Ariana’s 10th; it’s also the first time for us. We made it here via EWR and two tiring flights and as expected it was where we got over our jet lag – luckily no more of that for 2.5 months. No better way to spend Father’s Day but to kick of our trip with the two little wanderers.

After checking in to the Sheraton Porto and a nice long siesta, we spent the evening on the Port wine side of the Duoro river. Nothing better than some Tawny and Ruby with some grilled octopus and spaghetti carbonara after a long day. A further treat was watching Brazil play in the square (The Portuguese are big fans since Brazil was a colony).

Our 2nd day started at 2pm (thank you jet lag) with a walk in the art district and the historical part of town including many churches and Ayaan’s favorite spot – the train station that has amazing tile murals. In fact the architecture is stunning in Porto with tile covered edifices and the 6 bridges across the river. Our favorite stop of the day was a truffle and port cave experience that we stumbled upon in a little alley in the historic district called Chocolataria Equador .

We spent the evening taking a boat ride, hanging out in the square watching musicians, walking over the famous bridge and drinking some port wine while the kids had a late nap. We met a lovely couple from the States who’d now made Burma their home and enjoyed sharing our life and travel experiences. Our last stop for the night was a children’s park with the most fantastic view that was extremely crowded for 10pm!

On Tuesday, June 18th we leased a white Peugeot 308 – the leasing experience was fantastic and I drove away with a brand new car with all coverage for the next 55 days. Our first trip in the car was a day trip to Duoro Valley – our first wine region of this trip. We visited one winery called Quinto do Vallado and it included a short tour of the Portuguese barrels where Port wine is stored and an elaborate tasting in a cave including white, red and port wines. Our final stop was at the stunning Six Senses where we enjoyed a lunch of Portuguese rice with chicken while appreciating the magnificent view. We finished our Porto experience with a stroll on the beach and grilled octopus and prawns with rice paired with a Tawny port at 5 Oceanos. Onto Lisbon tomorrow and looking forward to reuniting with Anjali’s family! – Gaurav