After an extraordinary trip three years ago, we didn't know if another one would live up to our expectations. Well, this one did and then some! Even though this trip was two months shorter than the last one, we packed a lot into it.
We were so blessed to have many good friends join us at various places along the way.
In London, we were honored to have dinner with Max and Jean, the friends we met in Spain. We had dinner at the famous Simpson's-in the-Strand and drinks at the equally famous Savoy.
In Glasgow, we were so very excited to see Ian and Mary and introduce them to our friends from home.
We were delighted to see Michele and Stephane, our dear Parisian friends. A favorite last time, and even more so this time was a visit to Laval, France to visit with Olivier and Claire. He's Michele's brother. We loved having dinner with our friend, Donna and lunch with Pat and Barbara's daughter, Megan while in Paris.
We were so fortunate to meet up with George and Bj's daughter, Shannon and her family and in-laws in Budapest for drinks at a roof top bar. In Vienna, we were happy to see Tom's friend, Mike and his wife Gail, for a nice dinner and time to talk over old times.
One of the most special times during this trip was when our friends from home were able to come to Europe and join us. In Scotland, George and Bj, and Pat and Barbara were with us. In Italy, Kay and Susan and Rick and Joy joined us. Sharing this time with our friends meant everything to us.
All of the apartments were clean, comfortable and in good locations. However, we have never climbed so many steps in our lives. Every place we stayed had so many steps, we were always able to work off all that gelato!
We were enchanted by the town of Bruges, Belgium . Walking along the canals at night was so special. In Bruges, our apartment was a thousand year old "tower house"--again with lots of winding stairs, but so worth it.
We were also captivated by Kraków, Poland. It was more beautiful than we ever expected. The Wieliczka Salt Mine just outside Kraków will always be a favorite and we have a salt lamp from the mine as a reminder of a beautiful time. Tom had to rewire it when we got home. The US and European plugs are different!
We wanted to see the North Sea when we were so close in Belgium. After dinner, we asked our server about the best way to get down to the water. With a bit of a language barrier, she asked if we would drive, doing a steering wheel motion, or "go with your feet". We thought that was so cute, and so was she.
Another memorable moment was when Tom had to quell a little confrontation on the bus. Two women got into a bit of a shoving match. Tom told them, "knock it off"! Even though they didn't understand English, they did understand that.
When we were in Paris, Prague and Budapest we stayed in the middle of town, where it was noisy and lively.
Some of our favorite places however were in the small quiet little villages.
On the Amalfi Coast in Italy we were in Furore, between Amalfi and Positano. It was so calm and peaceful and perfect to return to after a day of sightseeing and shopping. It was the same at Lake Como, in the little village of Colonno. Both of these places had terraces overlooking the water, perfect for relaxing.
Another one of our favorites was the London Eye. Watching London light up at night was spectacular! Sprinting up the hill to see the Prime Meridian will not be soon forgotten.
More of our unforgettables were the Robert Tatin museum in Laval, Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel Tower in Paris at night, Rothenburg, Germany, the American Cemeteries, swimming at Trogir, Croatia, exploring Ravello, Cosmo's at Relish with Rapheal and dinner at Serafina, just to name more than a few.
We are so blessed to be healthy and able to take a trip like this.
We appreciate all the wonderful people of Europe that were so kind and patient with us.
And an extra special "thank you" to my editor, proofreader, picture placer, my partner, my beloved husband, Tom. I couldn't have done my blog without you. Thank you for staying up late so many nights to make sure the blog got done. You're the BEST!
Can't wait for our next adventure!
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