Travel Tips

We began our trip in Heidelberg, Germany with a tour of thr castle and a wander through the city. My first experience with European coffee came here.

Munich was the second city we saw and it gave me a whole new appreciation of Germany after studying German History in college almost 30 years ago.

Our third town was the quaint village of Innsbruck nestled in the Austrian Alps. This is the site of two former Winter Olympic Games and offers picturesque views in all directions.

Venice was very touristy but the kind of place everyone should see at least once if they get the chance. Everywhere you turn it is like a living painting. Take a gondola ride and hang out in the Piazza de San Marco. If you want to get better bargains, get off of the main streets and wander. The prices get better and the views are just as spectacular

Even though this picture is not a typical image of Rome I felt that the Pantheon represented my Rome experience because it is 2000 years and in good condition, is in the middle of Rome and in a piazza, and I had to find it on my own. This is the place of both Victor Emmanuel's grave and that of the Renaissance painter Raphael.

Florence or Firenze had a small town feel to it even though you knew that the only reason for its continued importance was for tourist money. There is so much packed in a small area including museums, churches, and leather works it is overwhelming. David was all over but I couldn't photograph the original.

One of the best days of the trip was the day we arrived in Paris via Lucerne and Zurich, Switzerland. After no sleep and breakfast we toured the city including Notre Dame, Trocadero, Place de la Concorde,the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel tower or Le Tour Eiffel. The evening held a party on the champs du mars in front of the tower, a trip up the tower, a boat ride on the Seine, and birthday cake and wine on the river. C'est Magnifique!

We finished our European escapade in London after three weeks of travel. I call this trip the sampler tour because we smpled so many places and ways of life in a short period of time. Castles in Germany, Roman architecture and Renaissance art in Italy, the symmetry of Paris and its monuments, and the comfort of moving around Picadilly Circus and Covent Garden in London were all together almost overwhelming but not quite. We are going to do it all over again plus Amsterdam, Brusells, Athens, and the Greek Isles to boot. I can't wait!