Arriving in Holland felt like an end to a long and wonderful trip. But we still had things and people, both expected and unexpected, to see. I had found out only days before crossing the border into The Netherlands that my good friend and fellow rider Ave was starting a new job at a training barn in Holland. Her first day was our first day, so we went straight to Putten to greet her. She was tired but happy to see us and we were happy to see her. Steve and I ch...

Chocolate, beer and a little pissing statue...we were in Belgium! Following Paris we headed straight to Brussels with a pit stop overnight at the sight of The Battle of Waterloo. We parked in the visitor's parking lot overnight and were unimpressed by the large hill and statue that represent the 1815 battleground. But it was free parking. The next morning we were in Brussels. We parked outside the city and took a streetcar to the center. The old town square is ...

Arriving in Paris from the depths of the metro made me feel like a child who has just laid eyes on her first pony (wrapped in a big red bow) after the blindfold has been pulled away. We came up the stairs facing the Arc de Triomphe, which stands boldly at the center of the biggest roundabout in Europe. This arch is a monument to the Grande Armee (the name of France's army at the time) by order of Napoleon. We went under the roundabout to the arch via the tunnel...

Following what would be our last adventure in the great outdoors came the second largest city in France, Lyon. Lyon is known for its gastronomic glory, the capital of fine French cuisine. You might think that title would go to Paris, but Lyon is the place for oddities and classics alike. We spent one single day in Lyon because we were itching to get to Paris. But, we could have stayed longer with more time. This fantastic city, situated on the Rhone River, is l...

I was worried about maintaining my Riviera tan after leaving the coast of France. But as we learned quickly, the farther we drove into the Provence region the hotter it became. On our way to Vallon Pont d'Arc, a popular town on the Ardeche River Gorge, we stopped here and there to see the blooming lavender fields. The south of France is the home of perfume and the flowers needed for it. Lavender, one of many flowers used to create the essential oils in perfume,...