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The Best Spain and Portugal Itinerary: 14-Day Road Trip

Europe · Portugal · Spain · Travel

The Best Spain and Portugal Itinerary: 14-Day Road Trip

With this Spain and Portugal itinerary, 14 days is the perfect way to get your feet wet by exploring two amazing countries. The best part is that this guide is…

Read More The Best Spain and Portugal Itinerary: 14-Day Road Trip

the latest on instagram

We need your help! Look through the pics and tell

We need your help! Look through the pics and tell us who posed in Pisa the best.⁠
⁠
Pic 1️⃣: Julia hugging and holding the tower⁠
Pic 2️⃣: Kenny using all his gains to push it back up⁠
Pic 3️⃣: Maddie giving it a hug⁠
Pic 4️⃣: Julia "smooshing" it. ⁠
Pic 5️⃣: Logan holding it in his hands⁠
Pic 6️⃣: Kenny pretending it's an ice cream cone⁠
Pic 7️⃣: Jess giving it a high five?⁠
Pic 8️⃣: Jess picking it up with just two fingers⁠
⁠
Want to do your own fun pics? Here are some tips:⁠
⁠
⦿ Have a lot of patience⁠
⁠
⦿ Show the kids how cool they look so they'll *want* to stay still.⁠
⁠
⦿ Have a helper⁠
⁠
⦿ Prepare to move around to get the angle ⁠
⁠
⦿ Snap those pics quickly⁠
⁠
⁠
📸 SAVE NOW, TRAVEL LATER⁠
———⤹⤹———⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe.⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinitaly #pisa #pisatower #pisaitaly #leaningtower #leaningtowerofpisa #americaninitaly #americanineurope #familyvacation #travelwithkids #travelgoals #traveltip #wheninitaly #italywithkids #showthemtheworld #lovetotravel #fulltimetravel#igersitalia

Then and now. I only wish I still had that black p

Then and now. I only wish I still had that black pair of TOMS. ⁠
⁠
(Who am I kidding...I do. I just found them in my closet). ⁠
⁠
First pic: circa July 2013, complete with an OG IG filter. ⁠
⁠
Wanna know the caption? It was pretty awesome: "Wine tasting rocks my socks off!" ⁠
⁠
I mean, I wasn't wrong 🤣⁠
⁠
Second pic: February 2023. I saw the barrel of corks just as we were leaving and couldn't resist snapping a pic. ⁠
⁠
The last time I went wine tasting in Tuscany I had a 4-month-old baby. This time we had three kids in tow. ⁠
⁠
Both times, Tuscany opened the kids with open arms. I love Italian hospitality…and wine 😍
⁠
⫸⫸Where is one place you would love to go back to visit?⁠

(Although the real question should be: what was the name of that OG filter I used on that picture 🤣) ⁠
⁠
📌 @castellodigabbiano
⁠
⁠
⁠
🍷 SAVE NOW, WINE LATER⁠
——— ⤹⤹———⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe.⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinitaly #tuscany #tuscanywine #americanineurope #americaninitaly #wheninitaly #castellodigabbiano #chianticlassico #tuscanwine #tuscanwinery #parentswhotravel #gosomewhere

A decade ago my husband and I were driving around

A decade ago my husband and I were driving around Tuscany when we spotted a sign that looked familiar. ⁠
⁠
It was for the winery of a wine that we used to drink all the time back in America: Gabbiano. ⁠
⁠
This was in the middle of summer when you could just pop into pretty much any place and ask for a tasting. It was a fantastic experience, and so fun to indulge in one of our favorite wines from the source.⁠
⁠
Fast forward to our most recent trip to Italy. ⁠
⁠
We wanted to do a wine tasting in Tuscany again, but all the websites said they didn't start until mid/late March and we didn't have time to make a reservation since it was all so spur-of-the-moment.⁠
⁠
We decided to just start driving around to see if any were open. Turns out, our car steered its way back to Castello Gabbiano.⁠
⁠
At first, it looked like we'd be out of luck—the doors were locked and we didn't see anyone around. ⁠
⁠
But then the stars aligned and someone offered to open up shop for us with an impromptu wine tasting. ⁠
⁠
Their hospitality was generous, and the wine was even better. We even bought two cases to send home.⁠
⁠
Then we went to their restaurant on-site (where we were the only ones there; I swear they opened it just for us) and had one of the best meals. ⁠
⁠
The last time we were there we ate outside with a little terrace (see last 📸; one of the only ones I have from 10 years ago), so it was nice to eat at their restaurant, even if it was a lot fancier than we planned. ⁠
⁠
⫸⫸ Would you go winery hopping in Tuscany? Have you before? ⁠
⁠
⁠
🍷 SAVE NOW, WINE LATER⁠
———⤹⤹———⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe.⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinitaly #tuscany #tuscanywine #americanineurope #americaninitaly #wheninitaly #travelgoals #travelblogger #castellodigabbiano #traveltuscanyitaly #chianticlassico #tuscanwine #tuscanwinery

Can you imagine being hangry in Italy? Seems pract

Can you imagine being hangry in Italy? Seems practically impossible, right? ⁠
⁠
But there we were, five of us strolling around Cinque Terre in the winter (aka off-season), and we were getting hangry. ⁠
⁠
Silly me didn't follow the first rule of traveling with kids: always, always, ALWAYS, pack snacks. ⁠
⁠
I know. I know...🫣⁠
⁠
Our plan was to eat once we arrived a little before noon, but one thing led to another, and with limited options for open restaurants, we were all getting low on fuel. ⁠
⁠
We found a focaccia place open in our first town, so we grabbed some as a snack (it was delicious, and we should've just bought more to make a meal out of it). That held us till we found gelato in the next town—thank goodness for gelato in February—and then we finally found an open cafe two towns later. ⁠
⁠
Wine and pizza never tasted so good once we finally got some in our bellies. ⁠
⁠
So it's not like we were starving, but we clocked a good 20,000 steps that day all before 4 pm, so we needed some food. ⁠
⁠
And before you mention grocery stores: yes, yes; we should've just found a store and stocked up on fruit and snacks, but we were silly and figured we'd just grab some pizza forlunch...in Italy!⁠
⁠
Just had to share a little reality that things don't always go according to plan...and to not be like me. Always, ALWAYS pack emergency snacks!⁠
⁠
Typically (this day not included) we take some sort of the following with us to all our outings: apples and/or oranges (bananas smush way too easily), nuts, peanut butter crackers, and goldfish. ⁠
⁠
⫸⫸ What are the usual backpack-worthy snacks that you take with you? ⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
✈️ SAVE NOW, TRAVEL LATER⁠
---------⤹⤹---------⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe. 🔗 in bio for blog posts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinitaly #travelfamily #travelfamilytime #travelfamilyblog #familytravels #familytraveling #travelwithus #traveltips #kidswhoexplore #takeyourkidseverywhere #italywithkids⁠ #travelandlife #travelwithkids #familyvacay

It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of year: t

It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of year: tulip season!

Here’s where to find tulips in the Netherlands:

🌷 Goeree-Overflakkee
🌷 The Tulip Route in Flevoland
🌷 Bollenstreek (AKA the Bulb Area)
🌷 Keukenhof Gardens
🌷 Zeeland
🌷 Noord-Holland (the little nook north of Amsterdam)

And some tips for your tulip trip:
❌ skip the short dresses; it gets windy out there!
⭕️ wear sensible shoes; it can be muddy
❌ don’t pick tulips (unless you’re at a you-pick-‘em farm)
⭕️ stay on paths provided

For even more detailed tulip info, check out my ultimate tulip guide (🔗 in my bio!).

🌷 SAVE NOW, TRAVEL LATER⁠
———⤹⤹———⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe.⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinHolland #igersholland #visitnetherlands #visitholland #thisisholland #visitnetherlandsfrom #travelmoment #momswhotravel #adventuremama #parentswhowander #tulips #tulipseason #tulipfields #tulpenpluktuin #americanineurope

💡We had another "AHA" moment during a train rid

💡We had another "AHA" moment during a train ride in Italy.⁠
⁠
As we were on our way from Pisa to Cinque Terra, Julia noticed "snow" on the mountains out the window...only it wasn't snow.⁠
⁠
We were riding through the town of Carrara: as in Carrara marble! ⁠
⁠
The reason she looks so excited/surprised is because we had JUST watched the Italian episode on Europe from Above which featured a segment on Carrara marble.⁠
⁠
Watching the kids put two and two together after learning about it, only to see it in real life (through a dirty train window) was pretty darn cool. ⁠
⁠
I've said it before (in a reel...go back a few and find it, it's titled "Do This Before you Travel in Europe"!), but if you're not watching Europe from Above before you take a trip, you might be missing out. ⁠
⁠
Pretty neat, right? ⁠
⁠
⫸⫸ Have you seen any sites featured on Europe from Above yet?⁠
⁠
⁠
🇮🇹 SAVE NOW, TRAVEL LATER⁠
———⤹⤹———⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe.⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinitaly #americanineurope #wheninitaly #italywithkids #VisitTuscany #visititaly #tuscany #travelblogger #europefromabove #havekidswilltravel #familytravel #kidswhotravel #familieswhotravel #takeyourkidseverywhere #kidswhoexplore #parentswhowander #europewithkids #parentswhotravel #natgeotravel

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We need your help! Look through the pics and tell

We need your help! Look through the pics and tell us who posed in Pisa the best.⁠
⁠
Pic 1️⃣: Julia hugging and holding the tower⁠
Pic 2️⃣: Kenny using all his gains to push it back up⁠
Pic 3️⃣: Maddie giving it a hug⁠
Pic 4️⃣: Julia "smooshing" it. ⁠
Pic 5️⃣: Logan holding it in his hands⁠
Pic 6️⃣: Kenny pretending it's an ice cream cone⁠
Pic 7️⃣: Jess giving it a high five?⁠
Pic 8️⃣: Jess picking it up with just two fingers⁠
⁠
Want to do your own fun pics? Here are some tips:⁠
⁠
⦿ Have a lot of patience⁠
⁠
⦿ Show the kids how cool they look so they'll *want* to stay still.⁠
⁠
⦿ Have a helper⁠
⁠
⦿ Prepare to move around to get the angle ⁠
⁠
⦿ Snap those pics quickly⁠
⁠
⁠
📸 SAVE NOW, TRAVEL LATER⁠
———⤹⤹———⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe.⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinitaly #pisa #pisatower #pisaitaly #leaningtower #leaningtowerofpisa #americaninitaly #americanineurope #familyvacation #travelwithkids #travelgoals #traveltip #wheninitaly #italywithkids #showthemtheworld #lovetotravel #fulltimetravel#igersitalia

Then and now. I only wish I still had that black p

Then and now. I only wish I still had that black pair of TOMS. ⁠
⁠
(Who am I kidding...I do. I just found them in my closet). ⁠
⁠
First pic: circa July 2013, complete with an OG IG filter. ⁠
⁠
Wanna know the caption? It was pretty awesome: "Wine tasting rocks my socks off!" ⁠
⁠
I mean, I wasn't wrong 🤣⁠
⁠
Second pic: February 2023. I saw the barrel of corks just as we were leaving and couldn't resist snapping a pic. ⁠
⁠
The last time I went wine tasting in Tuscany I had a 4-month-old baby. This time we had three kids in tow. ⁠
⁠
Both times, Tuscany opened the kids with open arms. I love Italian hospitality…and wine 😍
⁠
⫸⫸Where is one place you would love to go back to visit?⁠

(Although the real question should be: what was the name of that OG filter I used on that picture 🤣) ⁠
⁠
📌 @castellodigabbiano
⁠
⁠
⁠
🍷 SAVE NOW, WINE LATER⁠
——— ⤹⤹———⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe.⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinitaly #tuscany #tuscanywine #americanineurope #americaninitaly #wheninitaly #castellodigabbiano #chianticlassico #tuscanwine #tuscanwinery #parentswhotravel #gosomewhere

A decade ago my husband and I were driving around

A decade ago my husband and I were driving around Tuscany when we spotted a sign that looked familiar. ⁠
⁠
It was for the winery of a wine that we used to drink all the time back in America: Gabbiano. ⁠
⁠
This was in the middle of summer when you could just pop into pretty much any place and ask for a tasting. It was a fantastic experience, and so fun to indulge in one of our favorite wines from the source.⁠
⁠
Fast forward to our most recent trip to Italy. ⁠
⁠
We wanted to do a wine tasting in Tuscany again, but all the websites said they didn't start until mid/late March and we didn't have time to make a reservation since it was all so spur-of-the-moment.⁠
⁠
We decided to just start driving around to see if any were open. Turns out, our car steered its way back to Castello Gabbiano.⁠
⁠
At first, it looked like we'd be out of luck—the doors were locked and we didn't see anyone around. ⁠
⁠
But then the stars aligned and someone offered to open up shop for us with an impromptu wine tasting. ⁠
⁠
Their hospitality was generous, and the wine was even better. We even bought two cases to send home.⁠
⁠
Then we went to their restaurant on-site (where we were the only ones there; I swear they opened it just for us) and had one of the best meals. ⁠
⁠
The last time we were there we ate outside with a little terrace (see last 📸; one of the only ones I have from 10 years ago), so it was nice to eat at their restaurant, even if it was a lot fancier than we planned. ⁠
⁠
⫸⫸ Would you go winery hopping in Tuscany? Have you before? ⁠
⁠
⁠
🍷 SAVE NOW, WINE LATER⁠
———⤹⤹———⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe.⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinitaly #tuscany #tuscanywine #americanineurope #americaninitaly #wheninitaly #travelgoals #travelblogger #castellodigabbiano #traveltuscanyitaly #chianticlassico #tuscanwine #tuscanwinery

Can you imagine being hangry in Italy? Seems pract

Can you imagine being hangry in Italy? Seems practically impossible, right? ⁠
⁠
But there we were, five of us strolling around Cinque Terre in the winter (aka off-season), and we were getting hangry. ⁠
⁠
Silly me didn't follow the first rule of traveling with kids: always, always, ALWAYS, pack snacks. ⁠
⁠
I know. I know...🫣⁠
⁠
Our plan was to eat once we arrived a little before noon, but one thing led to another, and with limited options for open restaurants, we were all getting low on fuel. ⁠
⁠
We found a focaccia place open in our first town, so we grabbed some as a snack (it was delicious, and we should've just bought more to make a meal out of it). That held us till we found gelato in the next town—thank goodness for gelato in February—and then we finally found an open cafe two towns later. ⁠
⁠
Wine and pizza never tasted so good once we finally got some in our bellies. ⁠
⁠
So it's not like we were starving, but we clocked a good 20,000 steps that day all before 4 pm, so we needed some food. ⁠
⁠
And before you mention grocery stores: yes, yes; we should've just found a store and stocked up on fruit and snacks, but we were silly and figured we'd just grab some pizza forlunch...in Italy!⁠
⁠
Just had to share a little reality that things don't always go according to plan...and to not be like me. Always, ALWAYS pack emergency snacks!⁠
⁠
Typically (this day not included) we take some sort of the following with us to all our outings: apples and/or oranges (bananas smush way too easily), nuts, peanut butter crackers, and goldfish. ⁠
⁠
⫸⫸ What are the usual backpack-worthy snacks that you take with you? ⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
✈️ SAVE NOW, TRAVEL LATER⁠
---------⤹⤹---------⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe. 🔗 in bio for blog posts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinitaly #travelfamily #travelfamilytime #travelfamilyblog #familytravels #familytraveling #travelwithus #traveltips #kidswhoexplore #takeyourkidseverywhere #italywithkids⁠ #travelandlife #travelwithkids #familyvacay

It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of year: t

It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of year: tulip season!

Here’s where to find tulips in the Netherlands:

🌷 Goeree-Overflakkee
🌷 The Tulip Route in Flevoland
🌷 Bollenstreek (AKA the Bulb Area)
🌷 Keukenhof Gardens
🌷 Zeeland
🌷 Noord-Holland (the little nook north of Amsterdam)

And some tips for your tulip trip:
❌ skip the short dresses; it gets windy out there!
⭕️ wear sensible shoes; it can be muddy
❌ don’t pick tulips (unless you’re at a you-pick-‘em farm)
⭕️ stay on paths provided

For even more detailed tulip info, check out my ultimate tulip guide (🔗 in my bio!).

🌷 SAVE NOW, TRAVEL LATER⁠
———⤹⤹———⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe.⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinHolland #igersholland #visitnetherlands #visitholland #thisisholland #visitnetherlandsfrom #travelmoment #momswhotravel #adventuremama #parentswhowander #tulips #tulipseason #tulipfields #tulpenpluktuin #americanineurope

💡We had another "AHA" moment during a train rid

💡We had another "AHA" moment during a train ride in Italy.⁠
⁠
As we were on our way from Pisa to Cinque Terra, Julia noticed "snow" on the mountains out the window...only it wasn't snow.⁠
⁠
We were riding through the town of Carrara: as in Carrara marble! ⁠
⁠
The reason she looks so excited/surprised is because we had JUST watched the Italian episode on Europe from Above which featured a segment on Carrara marble.⁠
⁠
Watching the kids put two and two together after learning about it, only to see it in real life (through a dirty train window) was pretty darn cool. ⁠
⁠
I've said it before (in a reel...go back a few and find it, it's titled "Do This Before you Travel in Europe"!), but if you're not watching Europe from Above before you take a trip, you might be missing out. ⁠
⁠
Pretty neat, right? ⁠
⁠
⫸⫸ Have you seen any sites featured on Europe from Above yet?⁠
⁠
⁠
🇮🇹 SAVE NOW, TRAVEL LATER⁠
———⤹⤹———⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
follow @jesstagirl for more fun around Europe.⁠⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
.⁠⁠
#jesstagirlinitaly #americanineurope #wheninitaly #italywithkids #VisitTuscany #visititaly #tuscany #travelblogger #europefromabove #havekidswilltravel #familytravel #kidswhotravel #familieswhotravel #takeyourkidseverywhere #kidswhoexplore #parentswhowander #europewithkids #parentswhotravel #natgeotravel

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