Swanson Vagabonds: Photo Album

Album 11 (December 1-15)

Still feels a little strange to be flying somewhere without Coco, but we're very excited that these 16 hours in First Class will be Peppa-free

Sydeny Opera House - somehow not what I was expecting

Such an icon, and the surrounding harbor is even more stunning than the building itself

Rare selfie without Coco (and Harper/George)

Those mannequins are making it seem like it's chilly here...it's really not.

Manly Beach - and probably my first dozen comments about how unnatural it seems to be gearing up for Christmas and New Years in summertime

Tough to beat this view at lunchtime

Some crazy Aussies, the water was quite chilly

Peaceful Trinity Beach

Boat ride out to the Great Barrier Reef - hooray for not throwing up!

You can't tell from this picture, but there's about a jillion sea creatures right underneath the surface of that water :)

Trying to stay cool at Mossman Gorge - it's not working...

Tropical Daintree Rainforest, where the Kuku Yalanji people have lived for generations

Gorgeous scenic coastline between Cairns and Port Douglas - Captain Cook must've been blind when he said the only things in this swampy land were crocs and mosquitoes!

View from our apartment of Auckland's Sky Tower lit with Christmas colors...but it's summer!?!?

Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, a great spot for day drinking and spending a lot of money to buy wine and ship it home

A very breezy afternoon...but 'wind' and 'wine' are almost like the same word, so we had lots of both

This seems like a rather unremarkable photo, so I'm not sure why it made the cut...Eric?

I think someone had too much wine and fell over while we were walking back to the bus stop. Or I suppose it's possible this is a picture of flowers. Either way, it was a great trip and I can't wait to get back to the Southern Hemisphere to see more.

Album 10 (October 30-November 13)

Cliffs of Moher as the rain is ending on Ireland's western coast

A lot chillier than Granada!

Thankfully no one fell over the edge of the cliff while we were goofing around and taking selfies

If you guessed 700 feet drop-off, you're right!

Manor house on the Blarney Castle estate - we were too late in the season to go inside, but enjoyed the beautiful fall colors and pretty much had the place to ourselves...tourist timing trade-off!

Learning about the history of whisky-making where 100% of the world's Jameson is produced

Beautiful morning for a walk along the Scilly trail in Kinsale, heading out to Charles Fort

Kinsale harbor

Inch Beach in County Kerry

Hard to tell with this munchkin, but it was about 48 degrees and super-windy

Enjoying the scenery of the Dingle peninsula

Blasket Islands off the coast of the Dingle Peninsula - as far west as you can get, they say the next parish over is Boston

40 shades of green in Ireland, sometimes even the water

Harassing the sheep at the edge of a Connemara lake

Kylemore Abbey, an old castle taken over by Benedictine nuns in 1920

In Kylemore's tiny cathedral that Mitchell Henry built in memory of his late wife Margaret

The fortress ruins of Dunluce Castle in Bushmills, once the seat of the MacDonnell clan

Dramatic northern coast in the Giant's Causeway area...legend has it that Finn McCool and Scottish giant Benandonner used to romp around in these parts

The Antrim Coast has some pretty unique basalt formations as a result of long-ago lava eruptions

Cold and windy on the Giant's Causeway, but I'm guessing that's pretty standard

Coastline in County Antrim of Northern Ireland

Crossing the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge to the small island

Not quite sure why the salmon fisherman needed to launch their boat from this island instead of anywhere else along the coast, but I'm sure they had a reason...right?!

Learning about the Peace Line in Belfast while taking the Black Cab Tour

A lot of different perspectives about "The Troubles" that plagued this area in the past, but it seems like most folks in Belfast are embracing peace and glad people aren't killing each other anymore

County Meath has lots of pre-historic remnants from the people that lived and died here thousands of years ago

Newgrange passage tomb, just north of the River Boyne, has been home to spirits since it's creation over 5000 years ago - the roof still has never leaked, at least according to our tour guide :)

Trinity College Library in Dublin - not sure how they find anything in this place since it doesn't appear they're using the Dewey Decimal system

Album 9 (October 6-29)

Montserrat

Some climbing

Umm, I'm sure that's a lovely view from the top of where ever you are...

Wow, check out those beards!!

A pretty average view, if you're a bird.

I'm sure no one ever goes there for climbing, right?

Hanging out at the SIM card store in Tangier and Coco figured it would be a good time to call back to Minnesota and see how Harper, Sienna and Flori are doing - I don't think she managed to get through.

Enjoying our duty-free booze on the rooftop of our Tangier guesthouse with the maze of the medina in the background.

I'm pretty sure the New World is that way, guys!

Part of the sales pitch at the scarf store is wrapping you up in them and then taking your picture - once it's been on your dirty head (and there's proof) you feel a little obligated to buy it.

Leave it to Eric to bring us to the junk market - the rest of us focused on people watching and examining the old city walls (we never figured out why they were built with so many little holes in them).

Walking around in the evenings, we'd always see ~40 men for every 1 woman. A slightly different take on the typical Spanish pre-dinner walk where the whole family does the paseo together.

Chilling in the gigantic Place Boujloud (Fes) - all this open space is such a strange juxtaposition with the super-crowded twisting maze of the medina just on the other side of the gate.

Your average street in the Fes medina - merchants of each type tend to cluster together, so if you're looking for fruits/veg you're in the right spot here.

Part of the traditional welcome at a riad or guesthouse - a piping hot glass of sugary mint tea. Yum!

Coco stopped running around for 3 seconds at the Koran school on our walking tour of Fes. She had almost as much stamina as Salim, our tour guide who couldn't end the tour - always one more place we had to see!

One benefit of having a local tour guide - he could show us things like a community oven where everyone in the neighborhood brings their dough to be baked.

A slice of daily life in Fes.

The metalworking corner of the Fes medina, where our guide Salim worked in his father's shop for years and lost his hearing.

Entrance to a Fes mosque between prayer times - no tourists allowed, though.

One of the tanneries in Fes that has been operating (practically without any changes) for centuries.

Unlikely that you've ever smelled anything quite like this.

After getting a glimpse into present-day mosques, it becomes a little easier to imagine what the spaces in the Alhambra palace would've looked like in the 1400's.

I don't trust the donkey, so this is the next best option for getting luggage back to our car outside the Fes medina. And of course, Coco loved being the center of attention :)

Enjoying the icy cold pool at our riad in Marrakech, Coco was more focused on the (pretend) snake that was emerging from the window above us.

Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fnaa Square is not very crowded in the mornings, so you can get a clear view of the minaret at the Koutoubia mosque - this was the inspiration for the Giralda in Sevilla.

This snake is NOT pretend - much to my horror, Coco was thrilled to run up to the snake charmer and snatch it out of his hands, and it was wrapped around her shoulders/neck in no time. EEK!

Coco trying her hand at the carnival-style games in the Jemaa el-Fnaa square after dinner.

The square becomes much more lively at the end of the day - music, dancing, food vendors, henna painters and miscellaneous hawkers of every variety.

Great picture choice, Eric, thanks. Coco and mom hanging out on a Moroccan mountain side that was far chillier than I anticipated.

Anti-Atlas mountains south of Marrakech - major change of scenery!

Exploring in the Marrakech medina - peek through a random doorway in a random street and you may find a dim workshop or an ancient treasure.

Touring Marrakeh's Medersa Ben Youssef, a 16th century university with prayer hall & courtyards - tile work and carved wood in the interior is very similar to the Alhambra.

If you're looking for some antique-style metal lanterns, you should check out Marrakech.

I think the realtor described this one as having great potential, just needing a little TLC.

Even more so than in Europe, it's easy in Marrakech to visualize the past...it's no different than the present or the future.

Coco's passion for dance spans every type of music and atmosphere - she embraces it ALL.

Dinner from the Argana Cafe terrace overlooking the Jemaa el-Fnaa - security here was about like the airport since it was the site of a terrorist bombing 5 years ago.

Cais das Colunas in front of the Praça do Comércio in Lisbon - the river gateway for countless explorers heading out to the Atlantic and into the vast unknown.

Waiting in line to board the #28 tram that will take us through Baixa, Graça, Alfama and Estrela - the Remodelado trams are from the 1930's and can navigate some pretty steep inclines and serious curves (think San Fran). Eric and I wondered more than once how the brakes on these things work as well as they do...

We managed to pick a guesthouse that was directly next to the tram tracks - more noisy than convenient!

We were surprised to see all the flowering trees in Lisbon - seemed odd for late October?

View of Praça Dom Pedro IV and the Portuguese National Theater from the top of the Santa Justa lift, a 1902 mass transit elevator that takes people from the perfect grid of the city center (at sea level) up 148' to Bairro Alto.

Coco getting dizzy at the top of the Santa Justa lift.

The romantic garden of the Sao Jorge Castle, which played a key role as the Moors and Christians battled for the region.

Album 8 (September 19-October 5)

For a new view of Granada, we hiked up to the Abadía del Sacromonte

Climbing in the hills around Granada, she wants to be just like her daddy!

First city on this trip was Warsaw, Poland - I don't know why I thought the US was the only place to have a monument for an unknown soldier's grave...

Warsaw's Castle Square and Sigismund Column - boggles my mind to think about how much work it must've been to recreate this old stuff following the war!

Area of Warsaw's old city walls that has been turned into a lovely promenade

Church towers in the distance behind Warsaw's old city walls

Monument to the 200,000 civilians and resistance fighters killed in 1944 when the Nazi's put down the Warsaw Uprising

We had some pretty heavy days on this trip, seeing and hearing what terrible things humans can do to each other...nice to lighten things up in the evening with some jazz and 'dance' and a good meal

Statue of Fryderyk Chopin, one of Warsaw's favorite sons (Eric may or may not be trying to emulate the hairstyle)

Stopping to smell the roses (and a few dozen other kinds of flowers) in beautiful Łazienki Park

Sure, they may live at the Palace on the Isle in Warsaw, but these royal peacocks are not safe from invaders

All members of the Swanson family in their natural habitat: Coco throwing a tantrum, Kate examining a receipt, and Eric capturing it with the camera

One of countless flower stands in Warsaw - made me long for a house and a vase :)

On the way from Warsaw to Krakow, examining the Polish countryside (perhaps the farmland of a distant ancestor?!)

Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, overlooking the Main Market Square in Krakow, originally opened in 1347

The church at dusk - we happened to stumble into it a moment before a bride walked up the aisle for her wedding ceremony!

Coco and her candles

Just like every other city in Europe, Krakow has bubble blowers that Coco loves

For the first time, we hired a guide to give us a tour of the city - it was great to get some additional insights about places like the Wawel Castle

Day-trip from Krakow to the Wieliczka salt mine, where people have been extracting salt since the 1200's, and carving things down there out of the rock salt for centuries

The Chapel of St. Kinga created in the mine and totally made of salt - from the walls, stairs and floors to the statues and chandeliers

Train tracks leading into the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, where Nazi's exterminated a million people in a few years...the scale of the place is hard to comprehend

In Berlin, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (aka Holocaust Memorial) covers one block at the edge of the Tiergarten

Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, built in the late 1700's by King Frederick William II of Prussia as a sign of peace, then isolated by the wall

Stretches of the wall still stand, but it's really tough to imagine today's Berlin divided

Coco wanted a break from all the history :)

Final city: Amsterdam, land of bricks and bicycles

Another one of the 1500 bridges in Amsterdam, and somehow every one of them is quaint!

Album 7 (August 23-September 18)

Bucharest's Palace of the Parliament, one of the biggest buildings in the world...personally, it seems a little bit of overkill, but their former dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu apparently thought it was a good idea to demolish 7 sq km in the old city center and build this back in the 80's.

Coco getting an up-close look at the intricately woven carpets in the Romanian Palace of the Parliament...either that, or throwing one of her far-too-frequent tantrums...

Not only did he build the giant building, he built a couple more nearby so his government workers could have a short commute. Bucharest is a city of a gajillion cars, so it's nice they have a Champs-Élysées type of boulevard to drive down.

Coco enjoying two of her favorite train-ride treats: juice box and iPad

Coco after she's gotten bored with the juice box and iPad - luckily we haven't been on too many crowded trains so seat-kicking and jumping around is much more acceptable than it would be on a plane

Outside a Brasov cafe - could be Kate and Eric in 30 years?!

Piața Sfatului in the center of Brasov, a lovely wide-open space filled with pigeons and Power Wheels, surrounded by cafes and shops - quintessential Europe!

Looking for Dracula in Bran Castle - we didn't find him, but this was one of the coziest castles we've seen

All throughout southeastern Europe it was common to see old guys sitting around playing chess, we took a few minutes at this park in Brasov to try teaching Coco - she struggled with the rules, but she perfected the contemplative look

Strada Republicii off Piața Sfatului in Brasov, great spot to eat and drink while watching the world go by - even 'tourist prices' in Brasov are a bargain compared with western Europe

View of Brasov from the 'Hollywood' sign at the top of Tâmpa, which is in the Eastern Carpathians

Another beautiful vista of Brasov, this time from Cetățuia de pe Strajă

An old guy in Romania

Coco taking a ride on the carousel at the Brasov Oktoberfest carnival

Try as she might, it was impossible to fly down the giant blow-up slide in a ladylike manner

She was able to remain upright on dry land, but couldn't stand once after the carnie tossed her in the pool - maybe next time!

Waiting for the night train to Budapest - the smile got significantly smaller as the ride progressed

These people probably knew they weren't going to get any sleep

Daddy and Coco being silly in Budapest

St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest - we've seen a lot of churches in the past few months, but the ceiling on this one was amazing

Another giant Parliament building, this time on the shores of the Danube in Budapest - since 1978, it's been the home of the Hungarian crown jewels, which had been stored at Fort Knox during the Cold War (random!)

Heading out to Margaret Island in the middle of the Danube River

Coco's interpretive waltz on our Danube River cruise - Strauss got it wrong, though, it's not blue!

Mathias Church surrounded by the Fisherman's Bastion, one of the few places we visited on the 'Buda' side of the river

View from Fisherman's Bastion on the 'Buda' side, looking across to the Parliament and the 'Pest' side of town

A cool, rainy day was the perfect time to visit the Széchenyi thermal baths in Budapest and let the healing properties soothe us

Beautiful Slovenia - hiking in the Julian Alps

Triglav National Park

Stopped for a picnic lunch at Vršič Pass - at 5285 ft, the highest pass in Slovenia

One upside of Coco's carsick demands to get out every 5 minutes, lots of opportunity to stop and take cute pictures!

Triglav, highest point in Slovenia (9396 ft), with first recorded ascent way back in 1778 - wow!

Waterfall in Triglav National Park

Lake Bled - island church with Bled Castle overlooking the shore in the background...doesn't get much more picturesque than this little spot about an hour outside of Ljubljana.

Predjama Castle, built into a cave in the cliff face back in the 13th century

Coco and her balloons strolling along the Vintgar Gorge with the crystal-clear Radovna River. Who am I kidding...this kid doesn't "stroll" anywhere, she's sprinting!

The world's slowest sailboat race on Lake Bohinj, also about an hour outside Ljubljana

Fruit galore at the market in Croatia

Tiny St. Nicholas Church on Marjan Hill in Split - not pictured are 3 sweaty tourists enjoying the beautiful view over the coastal islands of the Adriatic Sea

Album 6 (July 28-August 22)

Coco found a quiet corner at the Alhambra while we visited with Aunt Lauren

Intricate Moorish architecture at the Alhambra never gets old (pun intended!)

Alhambra, Granada

View of Granada from the Alhambra

Strolling through the Generalife at the Alhambra (well, one of us was apparently running)

Two old guys pondering life at a mirador in Ronda, Spain...where the tradition of bullfighting was established and shaped

View from the mirador in Ronda, Spain

Bridge in Ronda, connecting the old town to the 'new' town

Barbary ape surveying the Straight of Gibraltar and North Africa

Looks like we stumbled upon a rave, but it's actually a giant cave inside the Rock of Gibraltar

One of the great north faces of the Alps, the Grandes Jorasses (on the left)

Eric on a rope

The ice tunnel access at the top of the Aquille du Midi. People roping up for direct and easy access to the alpine.

The Matterhorn, with the closest ridge being the line of ascent for me, and the first ascent.

Snow slopes above Chamonix.

The new Hornli Hut below the Matterhorn. Nice accommodations!

Mont Blanc Massif

The view from the Aquille du Midi toward the top of Mont Blanc.

The highest point in Switzerland in the distance, Monta Rosa.

Partner Bastiou for the day walking across the glaciers of Mont Blanc.

A little swiss town.

The famous bridge in Lucerne, Switzerland

Lake Geneva - no, not the one in Wisconsin. There's another one in Switzerland - who knew?!

Showing George around Lake Geneva

Cruising through Geneva neighborhoods in our stylish bike helmets

A little Swanson feeding the swans - turns out the Swiss swans like French fries

Bears are everywhere in Bern, Switzerland - this one is pretty talented at blowing bubbles.

The beautiful Aare River flowing through Bern

Street Parade in Zurich - just...wow.

Our favorite little papparazo

Enjoying the park in Zurich, Switzerland.

Choo choo! Here we come, Liechtenstein.

Family mountain-top selfie in breath-taking Austria.

Tyrolian Alps outside of Innsbruck, Austria - yep, we got rained on.

Neuschwanstein Castle, built by 'Mad' King Ludwig II as his escape from Munich (and reality).

Hohenschwangau Castle in the Bavarian countryside, childhood home of King Ludwig II.

Lighting candles at St. Michael's Church in Munich

The Englischer Garten in Munich, Germany - nudity is allowed (encouraged even?!)

Hmm, getting ideas after she saw a couple swim past - Englischer Garten.

Antiquarium, the oldest room in the Munich Residenz palace

Two troublemakers :)

Album 5 (July 6-27)

Passion Facade of La Sagrada Família, Barcelona

Coco was more interested in the park than the iconic cathedral - shocking!

Park Guell, a Gaudí creation in Barcelona

Palacio Nacional, Barcelona

Breeze feels great on a hot day, riding the tourist bus to see Barcelona

Little momma pushing her baby

Checking out Camp Nou, the home of Barcelona's soccer/football team

Scenery in Montenegro

View of Dubrovnik's Old City from our terrace

View of Dubrovnik's Old City from the walls

Not surprising that the walls of this city held out invaders for centuries, Dubrovnik is incredible

Eric just agreed to get us some ice cream - we're so happy!

Nice little spot for dinner in Dubrovnik

Enjoying a pre-dinner drink on our rooftop in Manarola after a busy day exploring the Cinque Terre region

More stunning coastline - this time in Italy's Cinque Terre

Beaches aren't too common in this part of Italy, but we managed to find one in Monterosso

Local life in Vernazza, Italy

Cinque Terre region, Italy

One of the towns in Cinque Terre - maybe Riomaggiore?

Manarola, Italy - our place was at the very top of the hill, so we didn't feel too guilty gorging on pasta and pizza after walking up there from the harbor a couple times each day :)

A very vertical city - Manarola, Italy

View from dinner...and the food was pretty decent, too!

The Duomo in Milan

Lots of statues perched atop spires at the Duomo, pretty unique

Milan

The Last Supper

Partying with the locals at the town carnival in Monistrol de Montserrat

Of course you should eat cotton candy at 10:30pm

Dancing in the "city center"

Coco showing off her moves

Another AirBnB selected for its great views - Monistrol de Montserrat

Montserrat, Catalunya, Spain

The monastery on Montserrat

Album 4 (June 21-July 5)

Fresh off the boat in the harbor of Heraklion, Crete

Coco was making EXTRA-sure the bus driver knew how to get us to the ice cream shop

Palace of Knossos, ancient Minoan site on Crete

Olive trees as far as you can see in Crete - just like Spain!

Had to stop on the way to the beach since Coco was getting carsick...happy as can be as soon as she's out of the back seat!

Jumping from the caves in Matala, Crete

Perfect beach day! Matala, Crete

Along the edge of the caldera in Santorini, it's a LONG way down!

Santorini sunset

The 'Donkey Steps' in Santorini connecting the old port to the town of Fira...I'm glad the new port exists and is serviced by bus and taxi instead!

Yup, this is why Santorini is overrun with tourists :)

Caldera view from the town of Oia before dinner

Tourist boats filling the cove on Nea Kameni, Eric hiked up to the top of the volcano there. Palea Kameni is in the distance, we got to swim in volcanic hot springs there.

Exploring the Acropolis in Athens - south porch of the Erechtheion with the Karyatides

Coco enjoying the Parthenon

Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea - Tiny little Greek Orthodox church in the middle of an intersection in the Monastiraki neighborhood of Athens, build in the 11th century

Anafiotika neighborhood in Athens - on the slopes of the Acropolis hill but feels like you've been transported out of the city and onto one of the Greek isles

Central Market, Athens

Wine bar near our place in Granada - this one just snuck in!

Harborside in Heraklion, Crete

Waiting for sunset at the ancient Minoan Palace of Knossos

Santorini

Trying not to fall over the wall into the caldera, Santorini hilltop towns in the background

Classic Santorini - all blues and white

Coco calls this one the "Parthenon Squeeze"

Evzone guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, outside Greek Parliament building in Athens

Coco likes to see how the sausage is made, Central Market in Athens

Album 3 (June 1-20)

Our new apartment! Overlooking the plaza in front, the top floor 4 doors on the left are ours (living room, Coco's bedroom, and our bedroom). Kitchen, bath and guest room all face the inner courtyard. Supermarket is across the street and 3 restaurants have seating around the plaza fountain. Nice view from the balconies include some of the Alhambra and Sierra Nevada mountains.