The Fukudas in Europe

We just had the most amazing trip to Europe.  With our passion for soccer, we decided to book a trip to Barcelona to watch Lionel Messi play in person. This evolved into a stop to France, which then evolved into a surprise stop in Norway.  The kids were great to travel with. They truly appreciated seeing all the sights, and trying new food. I got to see a new side of my kids, as more mature individuals trying things for the first time. Watching their reactions, hearing their thoughts and opinions on the different places we visited was great. Working full time helps me value this time exploring new things with the family, a lot.  I'm so grateful we got to do this...

In Barcelona we stayed in the Hotel Silken in Las Ramblas. The room was spacious and modern, and the location was fantastic.  We saw lots of Gaudi architecture. We at tapas, paella, churros con chocolate. And most importantly we watched FC Barcelona play at Camp Nou. The stadium was amazing, it was so much nicer than any other stadium I have ever seen. The energy of the crowd was contagious. Everyone was provided flags and banners to raise and cheer at different points of the game. FC Barcelona won and the game ended with a huge celebration to commemorate the retirement of Andres Iniesta.

In France, we stayed at Renaissance Paris Le Parc Trocadero Hotel.  Compared to Barcelona, the room was more dingy and 4 times more expensive. But for Paris standards, the room was excellent as most accommodations in Paris are cramped. The hotel was located about 5 minutes away from the Eiffel Tower.  They provided a delicious breakfast each morning with an assortment of pastries, cheeses, meats, eggs, fruit, yogurt, cereal and strawberry juice! Around town, we ate delicious steak, desserts, and baguettes. We enjoyed views of the Eiffel Tower every day and took a walking tour to the top level. This was a huge deal for me as I conquered my fear of heights. \ We also saw Notre Dame, Versailles, and Sacred Heart. We learned a lot about the monuments in the area and took a fun walking tour around the Montmarte (art) area.

Our trip ended with a surprise stop in Oslo Norway.  Our original flight home from Paris was overbooked so the airline arranged for us to fly to Oslo with hotel accommodations, airport transfers, etc. We had a little over 24 hours to explore Oslo. We went downtown and found a fun restaurant to watch the champions league final with some locals. It was a great way to extend, then end our family vacation.