Author: Ben Sandee

Thank you’s

It takes a lot for a trip like this to happen, so there are a few people we want to thank:Alex and Kyle, for taking great care of our house and our aging, quirky dogs. We knew they were in great hands and could not have done this trip without you. Ed and Linda (Liz’s […]

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Home Safe

Home safe a few days ago, officially.  We’re getting back into our summer routine now and have a bit of time to catch up.  We still have some things to write about so this won’t be the last post on the blog.We will have links to our Picasa-driven pictures site soon. There are plenty of […]

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Amsterdam (reprise)

Our epic 72 hour trek home started yesterday when we took the ferry from Hydra back to Athens. A great final meal with our friends and this morning we were up bright and early to catch a flight back to Amsterdam. Tomorrow we take our long-haul through Dublin to Chicago, where a combination of bus, […]

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Greek Island Experience

This morning we woke up on the island of Hydra (pronounced ee-drah) and have the morning free before we head back to Athens. The island is serviced primarily by donkeys, who hall everything from people to luggage to food to bottled water (pic related). Overall a nice quiet island with plenty to explore for a […]

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Urchin Care Clinic

The first thing that we start talking about when we arrive at our host’s, Rachel and Dimitri, house in Athens is the beach and swimming. It’s very warm here (95F) and “going for a dive” is a part of the culture. So, within a few hours of our arrival we were being whisked away at […]

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Athens

…Grease.  Yep, we made it. Land of slickback hair, blue jeans, dancing in the streets, singing with Olivia Newton John…. More later, we’re very happy to be staying here with our friends Rachel, Dimitri, and Jake. Beautiful house with a beautiful view of the Aegean sea from our private loft. We’re off to jump off […]

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Tour de France, Stage 17

Warning: very long post that will bore most everyone. Our tour experience had us waking up at 6am to guarantee early access to the mountaintop town that we were using as a base for our spectating. Each morning we have a few crucial tasks to complete before too long, and this morning was no exception. […]

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Fiat Accompli

Woke up in Genoa yesterday morning and walked to the local Europcar (yes, I have the jersey and shorts!) to pick up our adorable Fiat Panda. There was a bit of apprehension as the official rules suggested I would need an international driver’s license (something easily procured from that genuinely evil organization, AAA). But the […]

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Milano

No, not the cookies.  But equally delicioso.  We’re recovering from a wild and crazy day watching the Tour de France in person.  We were on the border of France and Italy (on the French side) at the Col du Montgeneve.  This was the first climb of the day, a category 2 climb, and we were […]

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