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_After a rather uncomfortable but inexpensive sleep we set off from our pull out north of Balzano and head towards Zurich in the early morning hours the next day.  Taking one of the alternative roads into Switerland requires that we drive through an overpass.  The drive is spectacular and nail-biting.  The steep, winding and twisting road reveals spectacular views at each switch back and as we climb it gets colder and colder and soon we driving through snow covered scenery.  Down the mountain pass and soon we arrive at the Swiss border.  There is a border entrance with the tiny border buildings but no one is inside.  The Swiss are not part of the European Union and I am ready with all our passports in hand but the border is un-manned and we get on our way. 
     Driving in Switerland is candy for all the senses.  Each small town is beautifully kept and you can see tiny villages nestled in the valleys surrounded by mountains.  We decide to . . .



 
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We arrive in Zurich and it is great to see our friend Franz.  After warm embraces, we are shown to our own apartment.  That's right - our own apartment!  As luck would have it, Franz had a vacant apartment in which we could stay!  We parked our new, new car and unloaded our gear and quickly got settled in.  We open the door to the apartment and as we explore our new space, Birch and Allegra immediately find chocolate bunnies on the beds and are ecstatic.  The bunnies were compliments of Franz's mom.  We are then invited for a BBQ dinner at his parents' home just down the road.  We had met his parents about seven years earlier while they were visiting in Canada.  It is great seeing them again on their turf.  We exchange stories and enjoy an excellent dinner together.
     Our time in Zurich was a good mix of . . .



 
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_Our next stop after visiting family in Slovenia is to visit a friend who was our neighbour in Steveston and has now moved back to Zurich.  While in Slovenia we manage to connect with Franz via email and we arrange to visit at the end of April.  After saying our good-byes to Zio Flavio and Mary along with many Slovenian and Italian relatives we head off toward Switzerland armed with print offs of our route from Google Maps and in our New New car.  Driving through Europe is rather easy, the road signs are clearly marked and as long as you know which major city you are heading towards and other large cities on route it is fairly easy to get around, especially if you stay on the major freeways.  We decide to . . .


 
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This is the fourth visit I have made to visit family in Slovenia.  The last visit, seven years ago, was to see my grandmother before she passed on.  Thankfully Birch and Allegra got a chance to meet her then: even though they were young at the time they do have a few memories of her.  On the trip this year, I wanted to make sure that we all got down to Dubrovnik.  I have always heard a lot about the walled city but never made the time to go.  Well this time we did!  We drove along the Croatian coast in our new, new car.  We packed the car with all of our belongings and we are on our way.  It is a little nerve racking in the beginning knowing the recent history with our new, new car.  As we drive off . . .


 
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_We are here in Koper for about two weeks before deciding on our next destination.  During our time with my Uncle we had a good mix of spending time with family (translation: eating) and visiting various small towns in the area.  My Uncle is a great host.  The days varied from leaving in the morning and driving to a neighbouring small town (Piran, Portoroz, Isola) to relaxing at his home and just enjoying being in one place. 
     Piran is a beautiful small town on the Adriatic coast.  Slovenia has a very small coastline and this tiny town is a gem.  The centre is situated on a point jutting out into the Adriatic Sea.  All the homes are crowded together, where the red tiled roofs almost touch each other.  The walkways are . . .



 
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_We finally arrive in Slovenia, the country where my Dad was born, and I manage to contact my Uncle Flavio (Zio Flavio) two days before our arrival in the capital Ljubljana.  After a gruelling 24 hour train ride from Sophia to Ljubljana (complete with a 6 hour wait in Belgrade) we are met with my Uncle's warm hugs and smiles.  We is wearing a cap with the Maple Leaf and his car is proudly displaying the Canadian flag!  We immediately start speaking in Italian, which is our only common language.  The region of Slovenia that my family originates from is bilingual.  They all speak . . .


 
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We sleep in a cave during our first night in Cappadocia .  Yes, many hotels in the area have converted old cave dwellings into hotels for guests to sleep in.  A quick and delicious breakfast and then we are off again visiting the northern regions of Cappadocia.  We are fortunate to have the same guide, Effe, for the leg of our tour and we begin by visiting a nearby site where monks once lived but is now abandoned.  Again our day was filled with a lot of information and site-seeing . . .


 
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Now we hop on a night bus and head east to the interior of Turkey to an area called Cappadocia.  Cappadocia is located in the centre of Turkey and it gets a lot colder as we move west.  Again the bus ride was as comfortable as it gets and Birch and Allegra sleep effortlessly.  That is the beauty of being young, you can sleep under varying conditions, for me, I survived! 
     Wow, Cappadocia is absolutely gorgeous, it consists of many giant stone formations that have been carved out over time.  We go to . . .



 
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After a refreshing sleep in a hotel room, the tour guide picks us up along with another family and we head to Pamukkale which is only a couple of hours away.  This town also has a huge well preserved amphitheatre and many Greek ruins.  Along with all this archeological beauty, there are many natural hot springs that have been running through the area which explains why it was once another large Greek centre.  These hot springs contain calcium carbonate which eventually get deposited along the rock creating white hillsides and pools.  As we approach . . .


 
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On this leg of our trip we book a five day tour through local travel company near our hotel.  Our time is limited so three popular towns to visit are suggested: Ephesus, Pamukkale and Cappadocia.  The tour involves getting from town to town with tour buses that are pre-booked and travel through the night.  The concept is that while travelling through the night we could sleep on the bus and when the bus arrives in the early morning we could freshen up and then be ready to visit each town.  It is a good idea if sleep comes easily while travelling along and constantly being woken up for rest stops.  Regardless we are happy with our choices which allow us to see a little more of Turkey (a large country to begin with for European standards).  We leave Istanbul at . . .