Our path through the Netherlands continued. We may never be able to pronounce Nijmegen correctly, but we did enjoy the town very much. Nijmegen vies with Maastricht for the title of oldest city of the Netherlands, and we certainly saw signs of its history. The streets were filled with charming spaces, whimsical art and delightful people. It was wonderful! Having heard about the unique town … Continue reading Our Friends, the Dutch
Our springtime adventure was winding down, but there was still time to visit several more towns in the Netherlands. We visited The Hague with River and Felix. Our first stop was The Bookstor Cafe, for hot drinks in their quiet courtyard. Then Kathy dragged everyone to the Escher Museum. It was a great way to see the evolution of MC Escher’s talent. His work with … Continue reading The Netherlands
We spent two days in Luxembourg City, the capital of Luxembourg. It is a modern city built around a Ville Haute (Old Town) filled with medieval ruins. We walked past streets of modern buildings to reach La Passerelle, a 19th-century viaduct. Walking over La Passerelle, we had amazing views over a pretty valley, far below us. The park-like area had walking paths through the lush … Continue reading Luxembourg
Besides Paris, we made two other stops in France. Amiens is a beautiful town that surrounds a pretty canal. It was fun to walk the paths along the water and see the different neighborhoods along the way. Jules Verne lived in Amiens and wrote many of his novels there. Our hotel had images of him everywhere. The most impressive part of Amiens was the Notre … Continue reading Amiens and Reims
I love Paris in the springtime. I love Paris in the fall. I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles. I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles. I love Paris every moment. Every moment of the year. I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris? Because my love is near. I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris? … Continue reading Paris!
Poppies were in bloom along the roadside as we drove into Antwerp, Belgium. The city was bustling with visitors enjoying the beautiful day. Grote Market square was huge, with impressive, beautiful buildings in every direction. A food tour started with some interesting options (did somebody say ‘horse meat’?!). It evolved into a walking history tour, and eventually ended at a bar where we enjoyed a … Continue reading Belgium
The final stops from our river cruise were in Hungary. We traveled into the Puszta countryside to the Bakidpuszta Horse Farm. Here, we watched traditional Hungarian cowboys and their highly trained horses put on a lively demonstration. It was an amazing show of skill and horsemanship. In Kalocsa, we visited the Cathedral of the Assumption and were treated to an organ recital. Our final cruise … Continue reading Hungary
Croatia has a wine region along the Danube that we were curious to explore. Reaching Ilok, we were taken to a museum to learn the history of this part of the beautiful Croatian countryside. Overlooking the region was the Ilok Castle. We were told that wine cellars of the castle are among the most famous in Croatia, but we were not invited inside (sigh!). As … Continue reading CROATIA
The path the Danube takes between Romania and Serbia is stunning. The Iron Gates are an impressive series of gorges where the Danube flows between the Carpathian and Balkan mountains. The path is tranquil today, but there are signs of past conflicts in this area. The words engraved under the rock sculpture of King Decebalus (Dacian king, 87-106AD) say he was “made by dragons,” as … Continue reading Serbia
We are getting a better understanding of the history of the countries of Eastern Europe. Today, the cities that had been under Communist rule are still depressed. Rural areas between cities, however, have beautiful, flourishing farms. Between Rousse and Arbanasi, we saw beautiful sights including fields of canola, steep cliffs, stone bridges and a few goats. In Arbanasi we walked through the Konstantsalieva House, a … Continue reading Bulgaria
