FOODIE IN FLIP FLOPS

The city of Chartres flies under the radar and I am not quite sure why. It is located 50 miles southwest of Paris and is the capital of the Eure-et-Loir Department. It is a small city with a historic cathedral, charming cobblestone streets with the Eure River winding through.   Chartres has beautiful old buildings and nice walking paths making it easy to explore and wander.  I felt as though we had stepped back in time. Along the river, the city has a small animal park and an elaborate garden with over 65 different varieties of roses. Bogi had no trouble making friends! Another interesting attraction is the Maison Picassiette. In 1938, Raymond Isadore collected and starting decorating his house with broken shards of glass and china. It took Isadore 25 years to cover the floors, ceilings, walls, furniture, fences... essentially everything! In the 1980's, the city took over the property and for €6 you can wander t...

We have always wanted to visit the Dolmites in the Italian Alps, but for some reason kept putting it on the back burner. I'm glad we finally went because it was one of the most beautiful places we have ever been!! The region is divided into three valleys, all beautiful. You could spend a month here and not come close to seeing everything. I recommend picking a valley that most interests you and then explore from there. If you have more time, switch accommodations into another valley, otherwise you will be overwhelmed trying to see everything and end up spending too much time in the car. The roads are mostly two lane which wind through mountain passes, nothing fast moving about it. With that said, the views while driving will knock your socks off and give you a kink in your neck.   In northern Italy, there are three languages spoken, German, Italian, and Ladin. It is a unique microcosm in that you have both the influences of the Italians and Germans, making it a ni...