not taken an extensive trip to the lands of our ancestors, Germany and Switzerland. We had watched many of the Rick
Steves’ public broadcasting programs,and were eager to try his style of travel. We liked the idea of “lighter packing is
better packing”, and “if you are a grouch, our tours are not for you. We want you to come with malignant optimism.” This
sounded like our kind of tour. We did our research, spent four weeks in Netherlands, Germany, Wales, and Austria
before joining the ETBD, Best of Europe in 14 Days tour. We were eager to go!
our faithful Rick Steves’ Best of Europe
2005 guidebook to guide us all the way.
We used it extensively to find great
accommodations, dining and travel
options. BUT…the most fun was the
private sleeping room on the train from
Munich to Paris. We boarded the train in
Munich, and woke up in Paris. How
good is that? (Thanks for the
recommendation). I was able to get
some shots of the classic landmarks.
the Beaugency Hotel. (7th
arrondissement). We met our tour
guide, Colleen Schaffer, for a briefing.
Meeting our tour group for the first time
was exciting. It was obvious from the
beginning that we had landed a
superior tour guide (Left) and an
outstanding group of fellow travelers.
We were in for an unforgettable 14
days!!
As I opened our room window that
evening, the view from our window was
very surprising...the Eiffel tower.
(Below)
delighted and surprised when Colleen announced that we would
have time to catch a cruise on the Seine. We gathered our group
together, counted noses, and headed off for a perfectly beautiful
evening on water. (Left) and a twilight view of Notre Dame.
(Below)
the way the banks of the river were lined with
folks engaged in picnics, visiting, chatting,
playing cards, i.e., generally having a great
time. It was a lovely sight!
buy phone cards in Europe that were very
reasonable. Back in the USA were seven
grandchildren (ages 6 to 11) who we missed
very much. We called them often and it
sounded like we were just across the street.
prior to the tour, we were able to do the
Rick Steves' Historical Paris walking
tour. We had to see the Eiffel Tower by
night as well.
