Mueller Euro Journey

Over dinner last night and again this morning, we went around the table and did our trip superlatives. Everyone had to pick their favorites across a bunch of categories, and it got competitive fast. Best accommodation was all over the map: Sofie picked Naxos, Lukas and Chad went Switzerland, and I picked Portugal. Top three places though? Naxos was unanimous across all four of us. After that it split. Sofie went Dolomites and London, Lukas said Portugal and Paris, Chad had Dolomites and London, and I went Dolomites and Portugal.

Best meals got fun. Lukas picked the Mexican in Lagos, the lamb skewers in Athens, and the gyro pita in Naxos. Sofie said Greek food, the Mexican in Lagos (apparently that place made an impression), and the smash burger takeout in Lagos. Chad went lamb skewers in Athens, mussels in Naxos, and the British pub with a Guinness during the England game. I picked the gyro pita in Naxos, Rotanda, and the shrimp risotto in Lisbon. Best vibes: Sofie said Naxos for the clear water and beach, Lukas picked Portugal for the beach town feel, Chad said Athens for the chill food and coffee (Freddo Cappuccino forever), and I went Naxos.

Then we did top five memories. Chad had six because he's special. Sofie: Disneyland, F1 Race, the Seceda hike, Warner Bros Studio, kayaking in Lagos. Lukas: going to Europe (the whole thing, just the fact of it), surfing, Warner Bros Studio, Disneyland, F1 Race. Chad: F1, surfing, the Seceda hike, watching the England game in a pub, Super Panda Circus, and driving a Sidekick in Naxos. Mine: visiting with family in Dresden, F1 Race, the Seceda hike, surfing, and kayaking in Lagos. Naxos, the Dolomites, and the F1 race kept showing up on everyone's lists. Pretty telling.

And that's it. 52 days. Four of us. One parking ticket of unknown value. We did it.

Me and Lukas hit the pool one last time in Lagos before we loaded up the car and pointed it toward Lisbon. Straight shot up the coast. Dropped the car off at the hotel and set out to squeeze as much of Lisbon as we could into our final hours.

First stop was Time Out Market. Crazy busy but always cool to try different things. Fish balls with cheese happened. A proper pastel de nata happened. So good. So different than what you get back home. It was more of a food tour than a walking tour, honestly, but we hit the pink street, saw the elevator cars, wandered the shopping streets. The kids grabbed a few new pieces for school.

And then there was the gelato. Not once. Not twice. Three times. I couldn't get enough. Pineapple mint first, then lemon basil (incredible), then back for another pineapple mint. Probably the most refreshing gelato I've ever had. Lemon basil and pineapple mint had me absolutely hooked. We also found a really great coffee shop, apparently one of the top 100 best coffee shops in the world or something. Selfie game has been strong this trip.

We checked into our hotel just after 6 and headed out for one final dinner. Hit up Contraband Mexican for a toast to a once in a lifetime experience the four of us will never forget.

10 countries. 14 stops. 10 books read by Sofie and a 22-day Duolingo streak for Lukas' German. Hearts are super full having gotten to spend so much time together.

Last full day in Lagos. Day 50 of the trip. We did exactly what we wanted to do, which was all our favourite things one more time. Ocean bowls, poolside hangs, games, and just soaking it in.

Even got a little poolside workout in between rounds of doing absolutely nothing. The kind of day where you earn your relaxation with a few sets and then immediately undo it by not moving for two hours.

Chad and I took a sunset stroll along the coast to close things out. Beautiful view, SUPER windy and chilly, and the clouds blocked the actual sunset, but it was a perfect way to end our last day here. Catching one last sunset with my ride or die.

After we got back, Chad asked Lukas if he wanted to take a quick dip in the pool. Lukas was PUMPED. This is all he's wanted to do since we got here, go swimming when the pool lights are on. I decided to surprise them and jump in too. Windy and chilly but we didn't care.

Sofie was on video duty, and when she ran to let us back into the condo she ran straight into the glass patio door. Left a full nose, mouth, and chin smudge on the glass. We were all dying. Wish we had THAT on video. Memories all around for the whole fam. What a way to close out the most amazing trip.

The kids spent a lot of time together on their own today and it just melted my heart. After the massages we all posted up by the pool for the afternoon. No agenda, no sightseeing, just sun and water and doing absolutely nothing.

Headed into Lagos for dinner. The town keeps delivering on food and we keep showing up for it.

Post-dinner walk with these goofballs. And you probably guessed it, we made a quick stop at Lidl for our bottle return and picked up some yogurt and buns to redeem the refund voucher. The bottle return system has become a whole routine at this point.

We had big plans this morning. The Seven Valleys hike was on the schedule, but the heat had other ideas. It would have been a 40-minute drive plus a 10-minute uber just to reach the starting point, and with a 7am wake-up there was no way we'd actually be walking before 9. No shade on that trail. I was getting nervous about it, and honestly the kids were thrilled when we called the audible and decided to just walk the boardwalk along the cliffs instead.

About 3km in, even the "easy" version was scorching. Little by little the kids started losing their patience with the heat. Can't blame them. But the views along those cliffs were wild, and we pushed through enough to feel like we'd earned the end.

Chad and Lukas jumped straight into the ocean at the end of the walk to cool down. We grabbed an uber back, had lunch, and I snuck in a nap. I stayed out of the sun the rest of the day and caught up on a bunch of work, which was honestly a welcome call. The boys spent the afternoon working and drawing.

Three more nights in Lagos. Not ready to leave.

Then it was time for a grocery run at our usual spot, Intermarche. We also brought along our 10+ empty 1.5L water bottles to return for a refund because that's how it works here in Europe. BUT the machine was still broken. So we're just... hauling empties around now. Also, can we talk about the nutritional scoring on food here? Every product has a letter grade right on the front. A and B's are a go. C's are a sometimes food. The rest are a no go. So easy. Already dreading going back to the stuff at home and having to avoid yogurt and milk.

The rest of the day was a whatever-you-want-to-do kind of day. Mostly that meant hanging by the pool. Chad and Lukas did a CrossFit Games workout though, swimming laps and burpees. I thought for sure Lukas would need to scale the swimming since Chad's taller and has bigger strokes. I was wrong. Lukas was determined he didn't need to scale it. He crushed his dad.

During the morning grocery trip, Chad had made sure we had everything we needed so we wouldn't have to go back tomorrow. We were positive we had it all. I get the sense he hates going there. Then around 5 we headed inside and realized we were out of toilet paper. A little weak of the host to not have more available, but all good. So back to the store we went. We came for the TP and then some.

We've both always wanted to try surfing. Like, always. And somehow in all our travels we'd never been anywhere to actually do it. Lagos was the spot. We booked a 2.5 hour lesson yesterday, originally set for 9 am, but got a message last night that it changed to noon. Portuguese time. People are never on time and always underestimate the travel time.

So we headed into Lagos town around 11 and hit up Coffee and Waves again for acai bowls. Kind of perfect for the day ahead. From there the surf shop loaded us up and drove us about 50 minutes out to the west coast. Beautiful sandy beach. We got our wetsuits on (I'm a bit claustrophobic apparently, and getting into a wet wetsuit took every ounce of calmness I had not to panic). We each grabbed our board and headed down this long boardwalk staircase, then trotted through soft sand for probably a kilometer to get to the right spot. Then we waited another 30 minutes because of the tide. Surfing is a whole lot of waiting for the right conditions. You don't really realize that.

Into the Water

Sofie and Lukas went with one instructor who had the four kids in the group. We were all heading into the water and didn't have the camera ready to catch Sofie get up on her board. She's the most cautious and was super nervous, so watching her pop up was so exciting. Until she went down, got hammered by a wave, and taken out by the board. That left her pretty shook up. These waves were no joke. They were supposed to be beginner waves this time of year but at one part of the beach you just kept getting hammered. It was HARD work and definitely looks a lot easier than it actually is.

My first attempt going in was less successful. Trying to battle the waves was insane and I kept getting plowed. I was heading back toward the beach to chill with Sofie and got nailed on the head by the surf board. So Sofie and I just sat on the sand for a bit with another young dude who'd just gotten his eyebrow cut open by someone else's board. It was wild. The instructors ended up moving everyone further down the beach where the water was less unruly, and that's where things clicked. I went back in because I wanted to give it a fair shot. So glad I did. Got up on the board a few times with a smile on my face.

Lukas crushed it like we all knew he would. Such a natural athlete. And I got up not once but four times. I've always wanted to say I stood up on a surfboard and now I can. Sofie tried it and got up on her knees, then decided this was more so not for her. Can't blame her. These were the biggest waves I've seen in person. What was supposed to be a 2.5 hour lesson turned into a full day. Hearts are full. Bodies are sore.

Got home, had work meetings, and ordered smash burgers from Uber Eats for a lazy dinner. They were so good. Then worked till after 1 in the morning. The part people don't see. Late night work sessions after a full day of getting pummeled by the Atlantic.

We're into our final week. It's hard to believe. London, Paris, and Greece feel like they were so long ago, but also like we just left. That weird time-warp thing that only happens on long trips.

Lukas has started scheming up ways to make money so he can save for his Celebration Set, and Chad's body is absolutely crushed, especially after adding a run into the mix this morning. So Lukas gets a workforce and Chad gets free labor disguised as entrepreneurship. Win-win.

Six days. That's it. Wild.

We're really just winging it at this point. No real plans, just a loose list of things we'd like to do. This morning we walked down to the beach to see if the kayak tour booth still had availability for the 10am slot. The group was capped at 12 but Cristiano made it work and added us to his group of 11. Sofie and I paired up, the boys paired up. Cristiano was a phenomenal guide.

Kayaking along the coastline and going into the caves felt like living IN a postcard. Some had cool holes in the ceiling letting light pour through, others were just very small coves you had to duck into. The water was very cold but also super refreshing while you're out there paddling. We hit about 10 caves on the itinerary before Cristiano told us we were 5km in. It was both a relief and a disappointment to hear we were getting towed back. We felt like it was a good way to get a workout in, but once we got back to the beach we could already feel it in our arms. So maybe the tow was a good thing.

We were all pretty tired in the afternoon. We'll be feeling that tomorrow for sure.

Hit the old town after. Empanadas, then meatballs, then gelato, then the grocery store again. That's just the rotation at this point.

Chad and I decided to hit the little farmers market that only runs on Saturdays. The market was cute. Lots of olive oils, nuts, local fruits, chilli peppers. I picked up some flowers, because given how long we're in Lagos, why not? I love flowers. Some people see it as a waste of money since they die but they brighten my days and bring me so much joy when I walk by and see them sitting on the counter. Even at home I always have them around.

The kids made their own breakfast and went about their morning. Sofie is about to wrap up her 9th book and Lukas is deep into Pokemon, stressing that his celebration sets will be sold out as soon as they come out. Chad and I enjoyed our breakfast on the balcony while Lukas headed down to the pool.

Rest of the day was nice and easy. Poolside, researching what we want to see and do while we're here. We're super central to everything so tons of options. We did decide to squeeze in a little fitness poolside though. 100 squats, 80 sit ups and v sits, 60 push ups, 40 lunges, 20 burpees. Lukas crushed us.

Also, heatless curls by Sofie with socks. 10/10 recommend.

We walked to the coffee shop and had an incredible breakfast. Peanut toast for Lukas, avocado toast for Sofie, an acai bowl for Chad, and papaya with yogurt, granola, honey and berries for me. That papaya situation was pure deliciousness. Definitely making that as an afternoon snack back home.

Afterward we ended up wandering toward the market and poking around the surf shops, bathing suit shops, and souvenir spots as they opened up. We spent way more time in the old town than we anticipated but we'll definitely go back.

The fish market was an experience. The kids and Chad couldn't stand the smell. I tried to scope out salmon filets for dinner but got worried about lugging fish back to the car in the heat and then leaving it there while we did a full grocery run.

We came back to the Airbnb and spent the rest of the day poolside while Chad was up on the deck taking a jam-packed day of work meetings.

Lukas woke up this morning and said in the saddest little voice, "we're going to our final destination." He's been waking up the past few mornings feeling a bit down that the trip is going by so fast. Honestly, same. It's been such a fun and amazing summer. So many memories, a lot of laughs, only a couple of tiffs. I feel very grateful we've gotten to spend SO much time together as a family.

We dropped the rental car off and headed into the departures lounge at Zurich. Every flight here in Europe so far has offered to check our hand luggage free of charge because the plane is full. Of course we take them up on it every time. For those wondering about the luggage situation: two check bags and then we each have our own rolling carry on. The check bags at this point are basically shoes (yes, all 12 pairs), Jagermeister bottles, a bottle of wine, and a bunch of chocolates and candy from Germany. We really haven't bought much at all. It helps to be restricted with your luggage.

Lagos Bound

Landing in Lisbon was a breeze. Travelling within the Schengen countries has been so easy. We haven't had to deal with the long wait times that other travellers are reporting at passport controls. The one time we needed to go through, the kids and I used our European passports and Chad, being the only Canadian, was able to tag along with us. Picked up a new rental car that looks like it's from space, and pointed it south toward Lagos.

The drive was about three hours. We stopped at a supermarket on the way and grabbed rotisserie chicken with rice and potatoes for dinner, plus the basics for breakfast and more fresh OJ. Fresh orange juice in Europe hits different. The Airbnb is another great find, a whole new look and feel compared to everywhere else we've stayed. Portugal already feels like its own thing.

Left the house at 7:30 to make the hour drive out to Bannalpsee. We'd been watching the forecast and there were thunderstorms threatening later in the day, so we wanted to get up there while the views were still clear. Also, speed ticket count is officially at 2. We both saw the flash go off in the mountain tunnel. Cool.

Took the cable car up. Can you guess who wasn't too keen on that? The lake was worth the ride though. Lukas wanted to take a dip in the cold water, and he really does pull Chad out of his comfort zone with stuff like that.

We hiked around a bit, soaked it all in, and then headed back down before the weather turned. After we got back to the Airbnb we just chilled for the rest of the day. Earned it.

Most of the day was a work day. Meetings, calls, ear buds in, walking around town between sessions. But even on a work day, we ate well. Kristin made an incredible gnocchi with speck for dinner and it was delicious. Home cooked meals in Switzerland are saving us because, wow, this country is expensive.

We headed into Lucerne around 4pm. It's a cute little city but being there confirmed we made the right call with the Airbnb outside of town. Just to put it in perspective: we were getting gelato scoops for 1.50 to 2.00 euro across Greece and Italy. Here, one scoop was 5 CHF, which is about $8.75 CAD, and the scoops were half the size. The worst part? The kids said it tasted "ok." After weeks of Italian gelato, Switzerland never stood a chance.

We did window shop all the watch stores though. Lukas was trying to convince us to buy one but, uh, not in the market currently lol. We grabbed some Laderach Frischschoggi instead. Went with Dubai chocolate and caramel, only 100g of each because it would have cost us a downpayment on a car otherwise.

Walked around Lucerne for a bit after that and headed back home. Stopped at a shop on the way and here is what $50 CAD got us: budget Swiss chocolate (which is delish), budget cheese to make grilled cheese with leftover bread, Landjager for our hike tomorrow, and a mini Toblerone pack. Switzerland, man.

About halfway through, we stopped at a grocery store while still in Austria since everything in Switzerland costs roughly one million dollars. Grabbed a hot lunch there too, which was actually great, and loaded up on supplies before crossing the border. At 1:08pm we crossed from Austria into the tiny country of Liechtenstein, and by 1:12pm we were in Switzerland. Four minutes of Liechtenstein. That's the whole experience.

We arrived at our Airbnb and it is a gem. We actually booked this place just three days ago when we were in the Dolomites and realized we didn't want to be stuck inside a hotel room for three nights. Got super lucky finding it so last minute. Given how expensive Switzerland is, it's nice to be able to make our own coffee, have breakfast, lunch, and dinner without eating out every meal. The place has plenty of room and it already feels like home base.

Also, shoutout to Oakley who was racing today at the corgi races in Fort Erie. Coming in as the defending champion, he didn't quite match yesterday's performance but came in second in his heat. A little distraction at the start line cost him a couple seconds. Still number 1 in our hearts.

Slept in this morning. No alarms, no rush. Got up and went for another epic breakfast, which is becoming one of the best parts of the routine here.

Then we headed out on the trail into the Vallunga Valley. 12km out and back, flat the whole way. No elevation, just wide open spaces between two massive mountains. A nice change of pace after yesterday's big hike. Cows everywhere with cowbells clanging across the valley, which honestly never gets old. We stopped along the way to do some bouldering on the rocks, and we hit a couple of those barefoot trails they have set up along the path. Really cool experience. Some of the surfaces were fun and some were more painful than others.

Back in town we grabbed buns and lunch meat from the grocery store and made our own lunch at the hotel. Chilled for a while. Then headed out for ice cream sundaes as a late afternoon snack, which is when the afternoon thunderstorm rolled through. Full downpour. So we spent some time in the sauna and spa and steam room, which was not a bad backup plan at all. Grabbed a few more things from the grocery store for a makeshift dinner.

The village is such a fairy tale spot. I can see us coming back to an Alps-style village like this and just living. Really great few days here.

Started the morning with an incredible breakfast buffet at the hotel. Lukas probably took at least eight trips up and was very excited about the little Nutella jars. The kid is a machine.

We drove about five minutes to the gondola, which took us halfway up Seceda. From there it was an estimated 1.5 to 2 hour hike to the top, and we knocked it out in an hour and a half. Lukas wasn't bothered by the hike at all. Sofie let out a few groans along the way, but here's the thing about Sofie. She'll put her head down and just grind it through. We knew she'd be fine. Once we were at the top she said it was absolutely worth the hike and called it the best hike she's ever done. Even rated it in her top 5 experiences of the entire trip. The views were just incredible, completely breathtaking... no, but seriously, just unreal up there.

Lunch at the Hut

We stopped for lunch on the way back down at one of the little huts along the trail. There are tons of them scattered on the descent. The food was delicious, and the hut also had rabbits. The kids spent the entire time with the bunnies and are now of course asking for a rabbit. So that's fun.

After we got back to the hotel, we did a quick workout in the hotel gym and then went down to grab a coffee. Ended up calling the kids to see if they wanted to join us for a sundae instead. They did.

Driving day. We headed south toward the Dolomites, through South Tirol, which is technically Italy but doesn't really feel like it yet. Stopped in Innsbruck at a grocery store because I've been craving one very specific thing since we got to Germany: meatloaf on a bun. Finally got it. Worth the stop.

On the way we swung through Red Bull Hangar 7, which was very cool. Italian espresso in hand. Lots of laughs, as usual.

The hotel is great. Not as remote as it looked in the pictures online, but that actually works in our favor because it's super convenient to hikes and the condo. Sofie is wondering if we accidentally booked the honeymoon suite because the bedding was arranged in a heart shape on the bed. We did not. Probably. The place has a sauna and a beautiful backyard that we will definitely be taking advantage of over the next few days.

Early start today. And by early I mean out the door by 8, which for us on this trip is basically dawn. Stopped at a bakery for buns, cold cuts, and cheese to eat on the road, then pointed the car toward Hallstatt. The drive through the Alps was gorgeous. Now picture this: cruising through the mountains, shifting down, shifting up, feeling the turns and bends through the passes. Sounds very cool. What we were actually cruising through the Alps in was... less cool. Let's just say the car did not match the fantasy.

Hallstatt was super cute. It's overcrowded these days but we arrived before the masses showed up and decided to take an electric boat out on the lake. Our captain took us around and it was so worth it. Sofie and Lukas loved the little town. Grabbed coffee and some really good gelato. Apparently people think Hallstatt is the town that inspired Frozen, but sounds like that's just a rumour.

Sound of Music Tour

We left Hallstatt and stopped at Mondsee for lunch and to see the church from The Sound of Music. Then back toward Salzburg, where the first order of business was... laundry. Our Airbnb doesn't have a machine and we were running dangerously low on undergarments. Dropped a load at the laundromat, set a timer for 30 minutes, and speed-walked over to Mirabell Gardens. Another Sound of Music filming location. Another super clean and pristine garden. It was really hot today.

Back for the laundry, then home to dry it. Chad had work meetings while the rest of us chilled. Around 6 we headed back out to explore Old Town Salzburg, only to realize the city basically shuts down at 7pm. Most of the stores were already closing.

The Fortress Gamble

We wanted to go up to the fortress but it was 7:30 and it closed at 8. Not worth 60 euro for half an hour. So we took a gamble and walked up anyway, secretly hoping some kind soul would let us in at a discount. But... we got in for free. Just walked right in. Wandered around and caught a bit of the sunset over Salzburg. You know me, I'm a sucker for a good sunset. Lukas got his energy out working on those uphill skater strides. Then back home for a very late night of work.

Said goodbye to Budapest this morning and hopped on a five hour train to Salzburg. Sofie has now read seven books on this trip. Life with a Kobo addict. She was buried in it for most of the ride.

Once we got in and dropped our stuff, we headed to a palace where they have these trick fountains all over the grounds. We all had a blast. The kids kept getting sprayed and kept going back for more.

We also found the Sound of Music gazebo, which brought back lots of memories from when they put their play on with the girls. Had to get a photo obviously.

Wrapped the night with some more good food and beer before calling it a day. Salzburg is off to a good start.

That Thai massage from yesterday did the trick. Woke up feeling like a new person. Grateful for the little Asian lady who twisted and pulled my body in all sorts of directions. Did some work while everyone was still sleeping, and it was probably 10 am by the time we actually rolled out of the condo. Grabbed coffee and pastries on the way out and decided today was the day we'd finally check out the Buda side. Turns out one side of the river is called "Buda" and the other is called "Pest." You learn something new every day.

We walked up to Castle Hill and toured around the church, then made our way to Fisherman's Bastion. So beautiful up there. Postcard views everywhere you look. I keep finding myself drawn to the history here. Walking through these streets and wondering what life was like in 1945, 1950. You look at the apartment buildings and wonder who lived there, who was forced to leave. Europe has so much WWII history layered into every block and I'm absolutely drawn to it.

Hospital in the Rock

Chad found the Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum, tucked underneath Buda Castle. A hospital and nuclear bunker used in WWII, carved into the rock. It was a guided tour and this family does NOT like guided tours, but all four of us really enjoyed this one. It was really interesting. They wouldn't let us take any pictures inside (though if you google it, some rebels managed to sneak a few and post them online). The only photo we got was Sofie and I wearing nurse cloaks because the temperature in the underground tunnels is around 15 degrees C. Scary thought, what people had to live through down there. You really hope history doesn't repeat itself.

After that we headed back down the hill, grabbed buns, meat and cheese, and jumped on the metro back under the river to the Pest side. Lots of meetings today so the coffee shop became the office for three or four hours.

Wrapped up the day with Hungarian goulash again for dinner. Felt like the right way to cheers our stay in Budapest. Tomorrow we've got an early morning train to Salzburg.

Grabbed coffee with Kristin after breakfast, then she headed off for a Thai massage while I went back to hang with the kiddos and see who won the CrossFit Games.

Once everyone was ready we ventured out to the Pest side for a proper walkabout and to snap some photos. Found out pretty quick that Budapest is more expensive than we initially thought. Almost paid $40 for a bowl of goulash, which, no. Lunch plans kind of fizzled after that. Grabbed gelato and a chimney cake instead, then spotted a burger spot called Simon's and went for it. Took forever but it did the job. Headed back to get ready for some work meetings.

Found a coffee shop to camp out in and knocked out some work. Then the real payoff: headed out for a proper Hungarian dinner. Goulash, Hungarian stew, chicken paprikash. It was amazing.

This whole thing started because I looked up F1 races on a whim and realized the Hungarian Grand Prix lined up with dates we were flexible on. So we booked flights to Budapest. Did a bunch of research and decided grandstand seats were worth the money over general admission. Pricey for two adult tickets, but we grabbed cheaper kids tickets which made it a little more bearable. And honestly, sitting where we ended up? No regrets. We could see the start/finish line and all the pit stops. Bathrooms without line ups. Water refill stations. The seats were incredible.

We took public transit out at 9 to get there for 10:30. The race wasn't until 3, so we had hours to wander the fan zones, do some shopping, soak it all in. Picked up some buns, cold cuts, and cheese from Aldi for snacks. And of course we bought some gear like a real F1 fam.

The Race

I'm having a hard time articulating it. The fan experience, the lead up to the start, everything was so amazing. The sounds can't be explained. It's a feeling you have to feel for yourself. We each picked a driver to cheer for. Sofie picked Norris. Lukas picked Max. I was cheering for Antonelli. And Chad went with Lewis Hamilton. The finishing order? Norris won, Max came second, Antonelli third, Hamilton fourth. Top four in the exact order we picked them. Sofie was losing it. We watched the podium ceremony right from our seats.

Getting Out

Leaving the venue was chaos. Getting there had been super simple, about an hour. Subway, train, free shuttle. The way out? The line for the shuttle was insane. Imagine a ski hill lined up in a zigzag all the way to the top. We started walking and ended up beating the shuttle buses that passed us. They all sat in traffic. We walked 2km to a train station, cut up the side of a hill as a shortcut while everyone else waited in line. Waited about 10 minutes, got on the first train that pulled up. First ones off, walked to the subway and caught the one that was just leaving. At one point we asked how much for a taxi back. 150 euro. No thanks. We left the venue at 5:15 and got home at 7. Not too shabby.

I'll be honest, I'm a big sports guy but I've never really watched or kept up with F1. I think that has changed now.

Around noon we hit the road toward Budapest. About an hour into the drive we crossed the Slovakia border, and maybe half an hour after that we were into Hungary. Three countries in under two hours. Pretty simple drive, honestly. We also grabbed a few burgers from a place called Pickle before leaving Brno, which held us over nicely.

Dropped off the rental car and got to the Airbnb. Very, very Hungarian. Huge apartment decorated like your old Hungarian grandmother's place, lol. A bit out of style but super clean, which is really all we care about. Perfect location too. Groceries store right downstairs, three coffee shops close by, everything walkable. Kristin has been crushing the travel details and this one was no exception.

Langos and Late Night Walks

After chilling for a bit we went out for our first langos. Fried dough with sour cream and cheese. We got a Hungarian one with bacon bits and another with chicken paprikash. Yum. Delicious.

Later we went out for a late night chimney cake and gelato. One of the hotels nearby has an F1 racer staying there, so there were crowds gathered outside looking for autographs. Headed back to the apartment to try to catch up on the CrossFit Games. We're still two days behind.

Tomorrow is a big day. Our first ever F1 race.

Last breakfast in Dresden. A sad goodbye, as usual. This is the part where we tell ourselves we won't wait too long before we come back. Let's see what comes from it.

Prague Pit Stop

Made our way to Prague and went to U Fleku for lunch. You could never tell from the outside, but inside there's a massive beer garden and it's just a cool spot. We walked around for a couple hours after that. Busiest city we've seen on this whole trip, by far. Grabbed some smash burgers from Pickle, which were basically OG McDonald's burgers. Quick and good.

Checked out a bunch of the city on foot, snapped way too many photos, and got back on the road toward Brno. I used to come here for work and always loved it, so this one was personal. Splurged on a suite at the hotel, and sure enough, when I'm in charge of the hotel booking you end up in a suite 50m from the sweetest cocktail bar.

Finished the night at Super Panda Circus. I've been a few times and the experience is out of this world. You can't explain it. It's something you have to experience yourself.

Cold and rainy all day. Probably the first day that wasn't nice since we've been here. We had plans to go to the zoo but we chilled instead. Grabbed a local doner for lunch. Delicious. So good. Then afternoon coffee and cake, because that's what you do on a rainy day in Germany.

Took the host family out to dinner, which turned into an excellent traditional German meal. Finished up with some Jagermeister and beers. The kind of slow, easy day you don't plan but end up remembering.

We ended up at a pizza party with some Germans, and it turned into a proper hang. Aperol Spritz and Jagermeister flowing freely. That's a combination that says "we're on vacation and nobody's driving anywhere."

Lukas made a new friend, which is always the best part of these random social days. Kids don't need a shared language or a plan. They just find each other and figure it out.

After breakfast we hit the Titanic exhibit with the kids and Nancy. Cool to see, though a bit disappointing that the written sections weren't in English. Luckily they had a QR code that pulled up an English audio guide, so we made it work.

Late afternoon we walked over to the Altstadt to show the kids around. The Frauenkirche, the old streets, all of it. Of course we stopped for ice cream. German ice cream is the creamiest around and the cheapest. That's just a fact at this point.

Dinner with the Family

We met up with Kristin's family for dinner. Two aunts and two cousins. The food was delicious and it was great to catch up. And then the big moment: Sofie ordered her first alcoholic beverage. In Germany you can drink under your parents' supervision, and Kristin and Sofie have been talking about this happening the entire trip. So that happened.

Woke up and hit the grocery store first thing. The weather has been cold here all week, apparently a drastic change from the usual. Radeberger beer was on sale though. 9.99 euro for a case? Done.

Chad stayed back to work, so I loaded up the kids with Sigrid (my mom's best friend who's always been like an aunt to me) and her granddaughter and we drove out to the shopping centre. I showed the kids where I lived growing up. The building with the section that extends out and the brown brick on the right is the one my parents owned. The ice cafe was down below. Then we all went and got ice cream sundaes, because of course we did.

We did some shopping and another grocery run to stock up on all the treats we can't get back home, or that cost a fortune when we can find them. The good stuff.

Then we stopped by my friend's bridal shop. I stood up in her wedding back in 2018 and we used to chat about this dream of hers. A year later she went and made it happen. Pulling up to her store, seeing all the details she put together herself, learning she's grown it to two locations now. I wouldn't have expected anything less from her, but still. So proud of what she's built.

We came back and Lukas got down to work learning German. All afternoon. The kid is committed.

Ps. I love being here with my fam.

One thing I will not miss about Greece: disposing of the toilet paper in the bins instead of the toilet. Surprisingly tough habit to break, but we got used to it. The piping is too old and toilet paper would clog. We didn't want to put it to the test so we obliged.

Last night we sat on our balcony after finishing the bottle of wine the hotel gave us for free, just reflecting on our time in Greece. Hard to believe we were there for two whole weeks. That time flew by. Maybe because we visited three different places? My honest review: I'd 100% come back. I thought it was beautiful. I still rank our time in Makarska, Croatia in 2018 as my number one. It was less touristy, we had more of a local feel. The only thing there is you need water shoes because the water is rocky and they have sea urchins. For that reason alone, I loved the beaches in Greece a lot more. Athens was great, probably because of the neighborhood we stayed in. Naxos was beautiful and chill. Loved the laid back beach town feel. It's definitely going to be overrun with tourists as the years pass and they build more. Would go back in a heartbeat.

And then Santorini. Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I think Santorini was overrated. The white houses built on the cliff with blue dome tops are only a few of them. It's not all over the island and it's not something that immediately stands out. Tourists lining up to get the perfect Instagram shot when in reality they waited in line and had a 30 second timer ticking before the next person steps in. Just feels so fake. The location of our hotel was less than ideal, the food was not the best we had in Greece but was the most expensive. If you're reading this and planning on visiting, Santorini is still worth seeing, but a few small tweaks to how we did it and I think you'd enjoy it more. It's one of those places you feel like you need to see. Just lower your expectations.

We arrived in Berlin and picked up our VW. Hit 176 km/h on the Autobahn and were still getting passed. We stopped by my aunt's grave in Berlin. Going to Germany this time around feels a bit different. She was always the one to send a birthday video (even to Chad, who doesn't speak German), came to our wedding, and would never miss the kids' birthdays. Fun fact: we share our wedding anniversary with her birthday.

Even flying within Europe, you can still rack up a 12 hour travel day. We finally got to my family's place in Dresden at 6:30pm. In typical fashion, they invited their friends and had a big dinner prepped for us. It feels like home when we're here. Everyone is so welcoming. The drive from Berlin to Dresden was great, too. Would have been perfect if Germany had made it to the World Cup finals. Watching Germany play the final while actually in Germany would have been an experience. Instead, we had to settle for Spain vs Argentina.