Row, Row, Row Your Boat...

And So It Goes... 

Dear Hearts and Innocent Bystanders...

Those U-turning Wackos are off on another globe trotting adventure, this time to celebrate their 

30th Anniversary.  

[Yeah... she's put up with his antics THAT long!]

But First... A Quick{?} Wrap up of Dis and Dat since you last came this way.

• NOWAT CARIB 2014 was a blast with their new found friends MD-NK-M&M {check NOWAT-CARIB 1ST PORT – GRAND TURK ISLAND to refresh yourselves as to who they are} they all still keep in touch and may cruise together again to celebrate  M's {of MD not M&M} 50th B-Day.

• 2014-15 were a whirlwind of homework and after school projects, sleepovers, etc. with the Grandsons while Cristina was in Nursing School for her RN Degree, which netted a job with Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood 30 days out of school! YEA!!! Now she starts cramming for her Bachelors Degree {Wellllll... maybe in a year or so.}

• 2015 Saw the first ever MONTALVO Family Reunion in the Smokey Mountains bringing together 4 generations of our favorite Family from La Habana, CUBA,  {some of whom have never met} on a mountaintop in North Carolina for 3 days of family fun and bonding. Everyone had a BLAST, even those that got lost on the mountain {several times... but that's a whole other story}

• Also in 2015 Chucky got roped into planning and executing his 55th High School Reunion, {due to a shortage on the committee of weary souls who truly wished they were somewhere else}. Another story for another time, but it was a raving success.

• And lastly, 2015 saw the headcount at Casa d'Chaos go back up to 3 as #1 Son Henry returned to "The Refuge" to study for his CDL License and then sign up with Armallini Transport to haul flowers to California and back {Yeah... he be Truckin' - 12 days at a time}

And that's all there is about that.

SO NOW... 

You may recall that, for their 25th anniversary, The Wacky American Tourist and Ever-Lovely Illy spent 2 weeks Rambling Around Tuscany munching Sharp Cheese and Crusty Breads while Sippin' some "mighty fine wine".

And as much as they love returning to Italy as often as possible, this time it's a 

"Bucket List" Multi-Country 

Jaunt through Europe!

{Cue The Music} 

Soooooo... come June 11, an overnight flight starts them off with a 4 day race through PARIS, then hopping a train through three countries to bike around AMSTERDAM for a couple of days, then {as the title of this post alludes} board a Viking Longship [riverboat] for an 8 day "Up a Lazy River" cruise or in this case Up the RHINE to BASEL Switzerland. Along the way they'll explore some interesting countryside, forests, castles, rocks, ruins 'n' temples, then hop another train to ZURICH...  

{Pant, Pant.. Huff, Wheeeze...} 

OK, catch your breath then we'll continue...

and, finally jetting back to the Good Ole USofA on the 25th.

All in a sparse 14 days, not counting the overnight flight to Paris. Unless, at the last minute {of course} they decide to take a train through the Alps to fly out of Milan. {She DOES LOVE Milan - its all about the Shoes ya know}
Whew... now I'M outta breath.

The usual ***NOWAT ALERTS*** will go out as this one did via email, although Dragon Chic suggested using Facebook or texting this time until Chucky reminded her that a significant portion of our bleary eyed yet loyal followers have barely mastered email and many still don't FACEBOOK. {Uncle Chuck included}.
And of course you know that last exchange resulted in one of THOSE looks as she grudgingly agreed that at least everyone still "email's" and can follow a hyperlink to the latest blog posting... we hope.

OK Now... stay glued to your desktops / laptops, iPads, Smart/or/Dumb Phones or WHATEVAH... for the next blast from that long winded wacko and the Ever-Lovely Dragon Lady, as he meticulously plans {that's his story and he's sticking to it} what is shaping up to be another, "soon to be" fabled saga in their search for:

Mona Lisa's 'n' Tour Eiffel's

Windmills 'n' Wooden Klompen

Bratwurst 'n' Bierstube's 

Brownbrot 'n' Saurbraten

Midieval Villages 'n' Black Forests

and a fine bottle of crisp Reisling

Or sumpn' like dat...

Ciao Pour L'Instant,

{dust off your French Dictionaries}

Uncle Chuck & The Rolling her eyes at him already,

Dragon Lady