Sardinia, Italy

We flew from Milan to Sardinia. We drove our little Fiat to Capo Testa on the northern tip of the island and stayed there for 4 glorious nights. It was interesting to see such arid, desert like landscape fall into such clear, sapphire Mediterranean water. It reminded us of Greece. This beach, Capo Testa, was absolutely PERFECT for families. The water was about a foot and a half deep for a hundred yards out and 300 yards wide, no waves. Deia could walk chest deep on her own and she loved it! The pools at this resort were also all kid friendly, not a single deep pocket to be found. We loved her half naked, in and out of the various bodies of water. And here she fell in love with Santino...our waiter for the trip. She would wake up asking for more "Tino." And she would take his hand or let him hold her when we needed to scarf down some food. It was wonderful. In true Campodonico fashion, we rented another boat and road out to the islands between Sardinia and Corsica. Deia was more than happy to be in her life vest (thankfully we brought our own), and we bounced in the ocean...making a couple stops to marvel at the gorgeous water and cool yachts surrounding the tiny islands. We make a quick stop in Puerto Cervo, the "it" spot on the island. While it boasted top designer shops and a marina packed with some of the most insane (sized) yachts we have ever seen, it wasn't our cup of tea. It lacked authenticity. Short of it's location on the globe, it was a brand new development of hotel on top of hotel and a high-end outdoor "mall," it could have been Orange County. Many would disagree, but we aren't the Channel clad couple nor do we want to shop while on the island of Sardinia. We wanted the real deal. We wanted to be where the Italians were. Thankfully we met a wonderful fellow, Italian, mom on the beach one day. Her family lived on the island, as did her husband's family. She made us a reservation at an Agriturismo called La Tegghja...one where the locals go. It's a farm stay. So we went, as the only Americans. We watched an incredible sunset from the cliff top farm and sat down at our assigned table. There must have been 30 other Italian families there! No menu...they just kept bringing course after course of pure Sardinian food....thankfully they spared us the horse meat. With endless refills of house wine, we stuffed our faces into the night. We left fat and happy and having felt like we delighted in one of Sardinia's pure experiences.

NUUNOS

Nuunos, otherwise known as "noodles," were a staple in Italy. The every dinner go-to item that kept Deia happy and allowed us to eat in piece...without taking shifts while she ran around the restaurant. This of course meant that she never wore the same night time dress twice...it was fun for me to pack with that in mind. She was my little doll and her ever-changing outfits were precious.

Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como is a sight to behold. Large, luxurious, divine. We had 3 days to indulge here and, oh boy, we did. We stayed at the gorgeous Grand Tremezzo where we had asked for a room with a terrace, patio, balcony...some kind of outdoor sitting area...NON lake facing (the prices for those would have been obscene)...so that we could have somewhere to hang out while Deia took her naps during the day. This was the first place we had parked it long enough for Deia not to take her naps in the car. The hotel told us they would give us a rear facing, bottom floor room with a terrace. Perfect. Well....not only did we have a terrace, we had a 40x40 swath of grass with 2 lounge chairs, direct access to the garden pool, and to the right was a straight shot view of Bellagio! Not too shabby :) Of course, we rented our own boat so that we could explore the lake solo and Deia enjoyed a cold smoothie on the floating pool of the Villa D'Este. She showed her signs as a budding boater while belting out all her songs as she drove the vessel with daddy. She also sat happily through a 3 hour meal...and a couple others. I can can credit at least 30 minutes of each of those to the wonderful souls who waited on us. The servers in Italy had a way with Deia, and she was putty for them. They would all get on bended knee, eye level with her, say a couple nice things in their gorgeous accent, and she fell in love. They would ask her if she wanted to go into the kitchen and meet the chef...to which she stared and nodded in agreement. Then she would be gone...for 20 minutes or so... ...Corey and I would then open a new bottle of wine...and she'd come back smiling and content. It was brilliant. Deia frolicked through the pathways of Bellagio and through the main square of Mennagio. It was amazing to see her so carefree in this environment. I think it was great for all of us to stretch our legs for a few days after spending so much time in the car. We had visions of what summer holidays would look like if we could rent any of many of the waterfront villas. It was all so truly awe inspiring. ....wouldn't mind an invite from Richard Branson or George Clooney. Yes, we know where they live.

Lake Orta, Italy

Aaahhhh, home. We have always felt that way in Italy. The jagged, magnificent Swiss Alps softened and sang when they led us into Italy. Again, another border crossing that was a game changer. It's like we could feel life, flavor and amore the second we entered the country. We passed by Lake Lugano and on to a little gem called Lake Orta. Thanks to Kristine Setareh, we would have never known about this epic, magic spot with a tiny island in the middle. We went to bed late on Lake Orta because the main square was beneath us and full of the sound of glasses clinking, laughter and very rich, exuberant story telling. We woke up lake front, the sun shone (and consistently then through the lakes and islands on the remainder of the trip) and we settled into a new rhythm. ...One Deia might call Noodles & Gelato. Oh, her European diet consisted only of: milk, cheerios, apricots, gelato, ham and pasta...with messy sauces. Yum. We enjoyed a boat ride and short visit of the island and later made our way out of town.

Zermatt!

We drove through the spectacular Swiss Alps to the base of Zermatt, where we took a train into town. We spent Father's Day on the Matterhorn and Deia tasted her first snow. The gondola ride was especially fun for her and then the mid-mountain alpine restaurant with it's giant slide was surely a highlight. This is the only time she has wanted to wear a hat in....as long as she has been aware of one being put on her head :) She also hasn't seen the Ergo since she was a year old and had no problem taking her nap in one on Corey's back as we hiked down the mountain for a couple hours. This is a good time to mention that Deia slept everywhere and anywhere we needed her to on this trip! The car, the stroller, the ergo, and her pack n play...which saw a different hotel every night for 10 nights. We were shocked, impressed and thrilled! She is a true travel buddy.

Montreux, Switzerland

We finally made it to Montreux on Lake Geneva. It was interesting to feel quite a difference between France and Switzerland just upon crossing the border. The opening of the Alps was stunning and the lake was huge and deep blue with the crazy rise of steep mountains bordering it. The weather was so-so, but the views made up for it. One of the site highlights of our entire trip was a walk through Chateau Chillon, a castle on the eastern part of the lake and made popular by the Lord Byron who was a prisoner there. Being able to explore every nook and cranny of this place was a real treat. Deia loved the echo of her voice in the large rooms and loved the arms holes in the towers...she would peek out of all of them. This is where she learned to say umbrella, and, of course, wanted to hold one herself.

Clos Du Vougeot

The nicest vineyard and Grand Crus winery we went to was at Clos Du Vougeot. Deia ran through the vines, played in the gravel, and smelled every single flower...about a hundred times :)

Arbois, The Jura

Deep in the mountains of the Jura, in Franche-Comte, we stayed at Castel Damandre in Arbois. Such a different landscape than all of the vast farmlands we had just driven through. It was hilly and lush. We hiked to this beautiful waterfall right from our hotel! Arbois was the home to Louis Pasteur and seemed like such an interesting choice...being so far away from any bustling city. If we had had more time in the area, we could have gone rafting, fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, and, of course, wine tasting. It's an adventurous part of France that we never knew about until we needed a stop-over place on our way to Switzerland. Ah, what road tripping opens your eyes to.

Chateuneuf

We took a side trip to see the castle at Chateuneuf. On the cliff's edge of a hilltop town, this magical castle stood tall and proud. Deia ran from room to room, looking at the models of the castle in it's various eras and saying nigh-nigh when she saw the beds in every bedroom.

Beaune, Burgundy

From Avallon we drove to Beaune. We arrived in the evening with little time to get settled at our adorable B&B and to get out to eat. So we went to the historic city center with a long list of restaurant recommendations...and a short list of those to absolutely stay away from. After getting denied, with child, at one place (our first true taste of French arrogance), and finding about 10-15 more unsuitable for a little one, we ended up stopping at ALL three awful spots, only to end up with horrible take-out panini's and fries... that we ate in our car! Deia was on my lap in the front seat, happily dipping fries in ketchup, while we laughed hysterically about our botched plans. We we a little underwhelmed with the hospitality in Beaune...people seems slightly less enthused than anywhere else we were. Then again, we're judging on a 24 hour stay. We did enjoy the old hospices. Deia threw coins in the wishing well and jumped in puddles between the cobblestones.

Chateu De Vault De Lugny, Avallon

Everyone should stay in a real Chateu at least once in their lives :) Chateau De Lugny is an entirely restored Chateau from the XIII & XVIII centuries on 100 acres of private grounds, with a trout fishing river and impressive vegetable garden. We especially loved the few resident peacocks, turkeys and house dog. The Chateau was nearly empty, so it was wild to feel like we almost had it to ourselves! We had an 8 course gourmet meal in the original Gothic vaulted ceilings of the former Chateau kitchens. Somehow, Deia lasted the entire dinner and was such a good date! Our walk around the land was breathtaking. The old dungeon and watchtowers were available for exploration and we walked through the gardens to see where all of our dinner food had come from. What a special experience. I really hope that we can recommend this amazing place to another family. It is incredibly family friendly!

Noyers, Burgundy

We discovered Noyers by accident and it was, hands down, our favorite medieval city in Burgundy! Off the beaten track and barely mentioned in the guidebooks, it's easy to miss the farm road that winds to it. Noyers is a storybook town of surreal, half-timbered houses, mini squares and chalky cobblestone streets. It reminded us of a Hollywood back lot, it just couldn't be real! We went to the local market to buy some fruit and walked into the patisserie to grab a couple baguettes. We then sat, alone, in a tiny square and wondered when someone would yell, "cut!" Deia played with local chatte's and ran around smelling flowers on window sills. It was charming and inspiring. Such a happy accident!