12 October 2026

Europe 2026

 

A quick version of our plans as our flights with Air France today (Paris - Vienna)  were cancelled and we are now booked on an earlier flight to Copenhagen then Vienna!!!!!!!!


EUROPE ITINERARY OVERVIEW

October 12 – October 31, 2026


WEEK 1: VIENNA & BUDAPEST

Oct 12 | Toronto ➔ Copenhagen (In Transit)


Status: BOOKED

Oct 13 | Copenhagen ➔ Vienna (Arrival)

Transit: Flight 

Hotel Base: Ibis Wien Hauptbahnhof (Am Hauptbahnhof 2, 1100 Vienna, Austria)

Status: BOOKED

Oct 14 | Vienna (Wieden Loop & Markets)

Transit: Walking Core Trail

Hotel Base: 

Oct 15 | Vienna (Imperial Core & Architecture)

Transit: Walking + S-Bahn Subway


Oct 16 | Vienna ➔ Budapest (Nightlife Stroll)

Transit: ÖBB Railjet Train


Oct 17 | Budapest (Historic Core & Riverside)

Transit: Downtown Walking Trail



WEEK 2: BALKANS & TRANSYLVANIA

Oct 18 | Budapest ➔ Zagreb (Arrival Walk)

Transit: 

Oct 19 | Zagreb (Upper Core & Murals)

Transit: Walking + Ride-Share


Oct 20 | Zagreb ➔ Belgrade (Welcome Dinner)

Transit: Air Serbia 

Oct 21 | Belgrade (Bohemian Quarter Loop)

Transit: Pedestrian Core Walk


Oct 22 | Belgrade (Extended Sightseeing)

Transit: Free Day Loop


Oct 23 | Belgrade ➔ Bucharest (Arrival Dinner)

Transit: Air Serbia 

Oct 24 | Bucharest (Murals & Passages Loop)

Transit: Art Walk (Strada Verona)


WEEK 3: TRANSYLVANIA & POLAND

Oct 25 | Bucharest ➔ Brașov (Fairytale Castles)

Transit: 

Oct 26 | Brașov ➔ Bucharest (Communist Monuments)

Transit: 

Oct 27 | Bucharest (Calea Victoriei Culture)

Transit: Taxi + Landmark Pedestrian Route


Oct 28 | Bucharest ➔ Warsaw (Design Dinner)

Transit: LOT Polish Airlines

Oct 29 | Warsaw (Old Town & Royal Route)

Transit: Linear Royal Route Walk


Oct 30 | Warsaw (Eco-Murals & Floating Palace)

Transit: Park & Palace Walk


Oct 31 | Warsaw ➔ Paris ➔ Toronto (Return)



Foto Tunes

Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.


May 2019 - Rome Italy



Bob Dylan - When I Paint My Masterpiece


Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble
Ancient footprints are everywhere


You can almost think that you’re seein’ double
On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs



Got to hurry on back to my hotel room




Where I’ve got me a date with Botticelli’s niece


She promised that she’d be right there with me
When I paint my masterpiece



Monday Mural

  I'm linking up at Monday Mural

May 2026 - Toronto ON

This mural is located at Queen Street West and O'Hara Avenue in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood. 

It is a collaborative work featuring artists Bruno Smoky, Monki, and Gratian.
The artwork includes a prominent green, top-hat-wearing creature and a blue pirate mermaid.\It was was completed around April 2026.
I think it's pretty cool!



10 October 2026

Jumping Bean

 Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

9 October 2026 - Toronto ON
ST. JOHN'S NL

LAST WEEK'S POST

Saturday
Just for fun, what did I do today??
Added frequent flyer numbers and passport info on AF website. Wrote them on our paper tickets and added to my cell.
Wrote 3 posts. Linked up weekly post and September recap.
Provided info to cruise company for refund - they had all that info already since had already taken my money, whatever, I'll play nice.
Read some blogs.
I had a major meltdown as I thought my laptop had died. It didn't but I then did multiple backups of files and photos just in case!!!
Showered, dressed and lunched. Took pork out for dinner. Checked the weather in Budapest.
Spent ages trying to buy train tickets on a Hungarian website, finally success. 
I did a load of laundry after we (finally) unpacked our suitcase. 
It took thirty minutes to optimize my laptop, I had forgotten to do it last month.
I installed Apple on my laptop. Looked for MKR new season but couldn't get it to open.
Filed some photos. Did our mail in voting for mayor.
Prepped dinner.
Changed all the garbage, regular, recycling and green bin.

John took a walk to get some cool, fresh air.









We watched the first episode of new series War. Two top London law firms clash over a shocking divorce case that rocks the legal world, with elite attorneys from Cathcarts and Taylor and Byrne battling for supremacy. Hey, Dominic West stars in it, so it has to be good.
We also caught up on Criminal Intent Toronto.


Sunday 
We had 10:15 mani pedi appointments but we are still coughing so cancelled until Wednesday.
We just laid low and entertained ourselves.

Monday

John cancelled golf. We decided to remove a day in Sofia from our plan, it was for one night and involved a flight, so didn't make a lot of sense, we added the day to Belgrade. I confirmed the additional night with the hotel. We also booked our flight from Bucharest to Warsaw.

I got Euros from the bank (FCP) and walked to the Eaton Centre for a sweater that I wanted and also found one for John. I had sushi.
This is a new sign at Union Station. How civilized life was. Now there aren't even any benches or seats because the "unhoused" homeless would occupy them.


I also got confirmation that we will receive a 100% credit from the cruise company. 

We had our first frost warning!




Tuesday
Tuesday Treasures - Little Bighorn
T Stands for Tuesday

With all the news around Cornell I found this to be very interesting.

We stopped into Uniqlo at Union first and John found two lighter sweaters.

We headed to College Park and the subway was a joy, service was turned back at College Park due to "an injury at track level", shut down service between College Park and St. Clair stations. I must say there WERE shuttle buses outside, but the lines were huge.

At Winners we found two suitcases to replace out trusty almost 15 yo ones. The subway was going to be chaotic and we had the suitcases so we walked back.







Wednesday

10:15 mani pedi appointments came early after getting up at 8!! Walking back.



We headed out at 3:15 to meet John's daughter at Billy Bishop. 
Philip Cote (Anishinaabe-Algonquin muralist and ancestral knowledge keeper)


Cute! As we headed home on the shuttle.


She had been here for a conference and could only book the 7:30 flight home (company rules), so she didn't have time for dinner like we usually do. We took the Porter shuttle to Billy Bishop (island) airport and chatted until 6:15 when she went through security. Best laid plans... She messaged at 9 that flights had been cancelled due to thunderstorms, Porter only flies small plans. Porter simply said make your way to Pearson (train from Union) and see if you can get on a flight there. That didn't make sense timewise!! John picked her and got her to Pearson in no time and she got an 11 PM flight home.
Some customer service!
BTW it was a big light storm!

Thursday

John headed out to play Turtle's Creek at 8:30 and he sent this photo later in the afternoon.


I paid the condo insurance for 2027. I checked on flu shots - not until Oct 26. I filled out the AWAY card and gave it to Steve, I also did the online notification. Put another NO FLYERS sign in our mail box. Completed instructions for T while we are away. I updated our master travel plan.
I am now up to date on Australia My Kitchen Rules 2026!

We watched a 2016 movie with Cillian Murphy Anthropoid. It depicts Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich by exiled Czechoslovak soldiers Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš in World War II.


Friday
I went for a haircut and ran a couple of errands before meeting my BFF for lobster rolls, our go-to.
I cleaned out fridge and froze the remaining bananas.

We are away starting Monday for three weeks, I will post our itinerary soon.

Autumn is here.


The Canada geese are on their way south.



It is Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. 





COOKING



Saturday - pork tenderloin au gratin potatoes and cauliflower
Sunday - leftovers with additional cauliflower
Monday - Bulgogi beef rice and green beans
Tuesday - Asian beef and beans
Wednesday - ordered Swiss Chalet
Thursday - ham, mashed potatoes cauliflower
Friday - steak green beans and baked potato


READING

I started Standing Still, but honestly, it is a bit of a drag and really not catching my interest.





09 October 2026

Weekend Roundup

  Welcome to The Weekend Roundup...hosted by Tom The Back Roads Traveler

1. Starts with "O"
2. A Favorite
3. OVER - Chosen by Tom

Starts with O - OINK


FAVOURITE 
ONLY


OVER





REFLECTIONS

OSGOODE Hall Toronto ON

Europe 2026

  A quick version of our plans as our flights with Air France today (Paris - Vienna)  were cancelled and we are now booked on an earlier fli...