This was a bucket list trip for both of us.

Neither of us had ever been to Paris.

So, we built the trip the way we tend to—
around a cruise, with a few extra stops layered in along the way.

Here’s how it all adds up.

Trip Snapshot

• Dates: August 26 – September 13, 2025
• Route: United States → France → Italy → Monaco → Spain → France → United States
• Days away: 19
• Transportation: Planes, trains, boats, and automobiles
• Luggage: Carry-ons and a backpack (no checked bags)

By the Numbers

• Traveled 11,532 confirmed miles across Europe
• Flew 6 times, covering approximately 9,957 miles
• Sailed 820 nautical miles across the Mediterranean
• Drove 1,016 kilometers through the Normandy countryside

• Visited 20 cities across 5 countries
• Took 10 trains, 9 buses, and 10 rideshares
• Crossed 2 seas
• Experienced 6 cruise ports without ever repacking

• Walked 231,843 steps (about 105+ miles on foot)
• Went 20 meters underground and walked among the remains of 6 million souls

• Rode in 1 hot pink 1967 Citroën convertible
• Navigated 1 golf cart adventure

• Captured 1,275 photos
• Shared countless meals
• Collected more memories than we can count

The Highlights Reel

• Seine River scramble: We got caught in the rain before our cruise and took cover under the Pont d’Iéna, hoping it would pass before boarding. It didn’t. I ended up bartering with a street vendor for an umbrella… that didn’t survive the trip home because it wouldn’t fit in our luggage.

• Mont Saint-Michel: We had every intention of beating the crowds. We didn’t. But somehow, even packed with people, it still felt like stepping into something completely different. One of those places that lives up to it.

• Normandy American Cemetery: One of the quietest—and heaviest—places we’ve ever stood. Row after row, perfectly aligned. A place that doesn’t ask for words.

• Pink Citroën tour: A 10/10 experience through Paris. Our driver handled the Arc de Triomphe roundabout like it was his personal course and showed us both the highlights and places we never would’ve found on our own.

• Cinque Terre: Narrow paths, colorful buildings, espresso with a view, and Nutella crepes along the cliffs. Simple, slow, and exactly what you hope it will be.

• Pizza in Monaco: Sharing a meal with another couple from the ship, sitting in Monaco like it was just another evening. One of those small moments that sticks.

• Paris mornings: Coffee and pastries at street-side cafés, watching the city wake up one table at a time.

• Barcelona in the rain: Not exactly planned. Another umbrella purchase—but this time one we could actually keep. Walking the city anyway.

Nineteen days. Five countries. A lot of miles in between. And somehow, it’s the moments in between the movement that stay with us the most.

Adventure, on Purpose.