The first half of our around-the-world journey followed a relatively fluid line through South America, Australia and New Zealand, up into Asia, and across to India. We think of it like a well-orchestrated piece of music. The second half of the trip is shaping up to play much more like jazz. We have far fewer reservations made, we’re going to be much more improvisational, and instead of traveling from one continent to the next, we’re going to enter and exit Europe several times, traveling to the Middle East and heading down to Africa on two separate occasions. It was originally our plan to spend the new year in Israel, but the conflict that erupted there in November forced a change of course that had us traveling to Turkey in late December, then finding our way to Barcelona where we are currently hunkered down, plotting our adventures for 2013.Double-click the image above to see where we have been and where we are going. You’ll notice some exciting new additions that weren’t on the previous itinerary — specifically Greece, Kenya and Iceland. While nothing is set in stone and there’s much improvisation to come, here’s the very rough shape of the second half of our journey:
Barcelona: Until January 9
Bilbao, Spain: January 9-12
Geneva, Switzerland: January 13-15
The French Alps and Lyon: January 16-23
Lisbon and Portugal: January 23-29
Southern Spain: January 29-February 3
Morocco: February 3-13
Israel: February 14-28
Istanbul: March 1-3
Kenya: March 3-14
Paris: March 15-April 15
Italy: Late April
Eastern Europe and Greece: Early May
Austria, Germany and Holland: Late May into June
Copenhagen and Scandinavia: The better part of June
England, Ireland, Scotland: Late June into July
Reykjavik, Iceland: Mid-July
New York and Fire Island: Late July
OUR ALWAYS EVOLVING ITINERARY
If you happen to be overlapping with us anywhere along the way, let us know. We’d love to see you. If you happen to know anyone we should meet in these places, let us know too. We’d love to meet them.
Somehow it’s difficult for me to look at this image and not feel just a little bit sad for Canada
What about poor old Moscow and South Africa? We need another year (or decade) to truly cover the map. This year is like a sampler plate. Delicious, but very small portions.
Hello,
I’m a friend of Stacey Williams (I’m Lulu’s godmom). I posted here once before. I am absolutely loving your blog and journey. I hope to do a similar trip when my three kids are a little older. In the meantime, we were just in Marrakech for ten days and have a few Parisian friends to hook up with if you are interested.
Please email me if you want some Marrakech info!
Happy New Year!
Ali Gray
Alexandragray@mac.com
Must be a shock to be in good old Europe after all the unfamiliar places…. Of course the Gaudi everywhere in Barcelona, the Boqueria, Ca Pep for seafood and the nice Picasso museum near it…
Dean and I LOVE following your adventures around the world…it’s SO inspiring!
I would love to connect you with my dear friend Racquel Roberge Turner who founded an organization called http://www.mothersfightingforothers.com/.
Mothers Fighting For Others provides orphaned girls in KENYA with a loving and nurturing environment and a quality education, so they can learn, thrive and achieve their highest potential.
Mothers Fighting For Others is dedicated to providing orphans and vulnerable children with opportunities their parents would have provided, if they only could; a loving and nurturing environment and a quality education, so they can learn, thrive and achieve their highest potential.
Check out her site and connect and if her school is on your path…it will be another life changing experience
Her email is Racquel Turner .
Love you guys!
xoxo Jessica, Dean, Ollie & Harry (still in lalalala land
Jessica and Dean,
We would love to get in touch with Racquel Turner. We didn’t get her full email address but we will check out the website and be in touch with you soon.
Thanks,
Mark and Jen
The evolving itinerary always allows for serendipity! Good on you. Joan and I loved Barcelona and hope you do as well. Hope you get up along the Costa Brava…it’s beautiful. Sorry we didn’t get a chance to say goodbye in Goreme. Perhaps we will meet again. In the meantime, keep on traveling.
Art & Joan
Fabulous chart!!! You have already completed an amazing journey… and so many neat places remain ahead. More special than any one location is simply the chance to be together as a family.
Honestly, in the midst of everything, that has been the very best part, Russ. As you know well.
Hi guys, Sue from Sydney here. I am currently in Spain too – Seville! Will be off to Madrid on the 7th then to Barcelona on the 11th. Sad that we cant meet up again but it is nice to know you are safely to the east of here.
I’ve been reading and enjoying your blog since my cousin Gail,(her dad, Meier and my mom, Bessie were 1st cousins)sent me your address.
I spent 2 wonderful weeks in Sept. 2012 in a 1000-yr-old castle in Tuscany. The castle belongs to the sister (and her husband) of a local friend, Tina Kun. Its been beautifully maintained and restored and has been run as a b&b, hotel, wedding site, etc for many years. Its rooms are filled with paintings and murals done by Tina’s artist father many years ago. The place is called Montalto. I’m sure you can find it on the internet. If you want any more info, Tina’s e-mail address is CMKUN@COMCAST.NET
no!!! i was going to plan your barcelona break for february! damnit, i have so many friends there who would love to meet/host you, hmm. got time? i will email you separately and just give you names/#’s. i’m sure you’ve discovered all the wonderful things to do there, though – the boqueria, tibidabo, the miro museum on top of mont juic, the picasso museum in the barrio gotico (i had an apt. on that street, btw!) and the famous “locals only” tapas joint called “xampanyet” across the street – best cava in town. oohh i wish i were there with you!
scandinavia? try norway! let everyone else go to sweden & denmark (tho’ copenhagen is a great city) and take a fjord trip, starting in bergen. just gorgeous.
istanbul? you’re going back to turkey? i had a vacation of a lifetime there, criss-crossing the country, but i guess you’ve done the “countryside” already…. ! i can recommend some hammans and a really funky neighborhood for you in istanbul.
Portugal: visit Sintra, a fairytale-like town just north of Lisbon.
i have a friend in Tel Aviv. oh, she’s from newton!
my cousin roni (daughter of aunt sophie) lives in geneva with her husband christian. they’re a lovely couple who know the town right and left (he’s swiss).
so glad you’re going to africa after all! so so happy for you guys ….
happy happy new year,
xx leah
Wow! What a trip so far.
And it seems like just yesterday that, still wet behind the ears, you were watching “dancing fountains” in Lima. So much has happened since then!
You still have plenty of time “to think’. And much to think about. Onward brave soldiers!
xox,#1FANNY
p.s. The Lurker and I are heading to Santiago, in the central mountains of the Dominican Republic, next week to distribute free prescription eye glasses to the country people. It will be fun and rewarding I’m sure!
If you go to Senegal, I can hook you up with Souleman’s family (Willows husband) in Dakar… Let me know. xo B
If your plans for Fire Island fall thru, we would love to host you at our home in Southampton/Sag Harbor. We have room for you, 2 14yr old girls (cousins) and a 16 year old girl. Plus we have a clothes dryer.
How cary that is it March 14 and I just saw this Itinerary change!! You are in Kenya!! one of my homes!! i hope you went to Lamu! or tree tops…or the ark…
anyway…looking forward…my cousin lives in Scotland – do you need a connection there?? also my frien came back from Icleand YESTERDAY and said there are two best hotel to stay …if you want met o get the names…one wakes you up to see teh Northen Lights and one is Blue Lagoon (ha ha! not like Brooke shields and christopher Atkins) my tow cents..