2010 Summer Excursion

Our recent excursion began in Belgium where we enjoyed eating chocolate from the fabulous Neuhaus Chocolatier while checking out the sights in Brussels. Catching up with Sarah between her archeoloical dig sessions made it even more special.

The La VilletteRestaurant provided a fine meal and excellent hospitality when the skies opened and we had to make a mad dash for their attic dining room. Its great when a seemingly frustrating situation turns out to be delightful! On to Barcelona where unique architecture abounds! We enjoyed viewing the sights from the seat of a bicycle on the Fat Tire Bike Tour.

Gaudi certainly left his mark on the city, as well as more recent architects like Frank Gehry, who designed the giant copper fish located in Port Olympia, right outside our hotel. From the scorching sun and temperatures of Barcelona, we went through the picturesque french countryside to Lyon, France passing through the Le Tour 2010 route, especially for Eric, the ultimate fan.

Once again we caught up with Sarah who trained south from visiting her French family in Brittany. We had lots of fun gathering freebies from the tour's parade, and experienced the "woosh" of riders as they passed in all their colors.

(Mark Cavendish wins Stage 11 Sprint)

After several days of chasing the route, and expanding our waistlines with the great food and wine in the area, it was back to Belgium where we trained to delightfully quaint Bruges, which mesmerized Kevin with the vast array of beers, and taunted me with all the wafting scents of chocolate, waffles, and fries. On our way out of town, we did all enjoy small cups of hot chocolate that was really just melted chocolate in a cup. YUM!