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Europe
See the sections for our travels to different countries in Europe.
Countries
Our most recent visit to Germany was in Spring, 2026 on a Paris to Prague cruise with Viking.
Our most recent visit to France was in Spring, 2026 on a Paris to Prague cruise with Viking.
Our most recent visit to Iceland was in the summer of 2026. Prior to that we had begun our Northwest Passage cruise there in the summer of 2025.
Our most recent visit to Iceland was in the summer of 2026. We entered with a Gate 1 tour of Scotland and Ireland and then left Dublin on a Seabourn cruise to the Wild Scottish Isles.
Our most recent visit to Great Britain was in the summer of 2026. We started with a land tour of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland with Gate 1 in June and then returned to Scotland with a Seabourn Cruise to the Wild Scottish Isles.
Europe Posts
Rothenburg and Wurzburg, Germany
April 8, 2026 Today we visited Rothenburg, a small town that still retains its medieval character. The Romanticists were charmed by this little town that was untouched by the industrial revolution of the time and insisted that it be preserved as it was. On the way, we drove along the "Romantic" route named for the movement that romanticized the past at a time when so many things were changing. Once in Rothenberg, we had a quick tour starting with the medieval wall that still
Heidelberg, Germany
April 7, 2026 Today we had a long bus ride to Heidelberg. There was an accident so traffic was slow. The scenery was beautiful on the way and the charming town was worth the wait. They even had a tactile map that people who are visually impaired could use to discover the town. After a brief city tour, we had lunch with students from the Heidelberg University. Our student was a native German from Southern Germany who was studying anthropology with a particular interest in Lati
Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein and Rhine River, Germany
April 6, 2026 Today, we visited the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. It was a fun tour as our guide was a local actor who took on the role of an Englishman who "spied" on the construction of the Prussian Fortress built to ward off the advancing French. He wrote a book that caused great consternation with the Prussian military because it revealed too many details about the fortress. He involved the tour group with his "spying" and it was a fun way to learn about the fortress. You can
Cochem, Germany-Draft
April 5, 2026 We travelled along the Moselle River to Cochem. The highlight of today's excursion was a visit to the Reichsburg Castle. The tour of the inside was amazing. There were beautiful ceilings and such interesting details in each room. There was a bust of Louis Ravené, who purchased and renovated the castle in 1868. The castle even had secret passages which could be opened with a little button on the floor. From the castle, we had a splendid view of Cochem and the Mos
Trier, Germany - Draft
April 4, 2026 We toured the city of Trier today. It's population of around 100,000 is about the same as it was when it was a capital city of the Emperor Constantine in the Roman empire. Electoral Palace with Constantin Basilica behind. The Basilica was heated by fireplaces which produced heat below platforms and warmed the entire building. Church of Our Lady Trier Cathedral, the oldest church in Germany. The purple building, the Palais Walderdorff, is where Napoleon stood on
Paris and Reims, France to Luxembourg to Trier, Germany
April 3, 2026 After enjoying a beautiful sunrise, we bid farewell to the our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile, and traveled to meet the river boat in Trier. On the way, we stopped in Reim to see the Reims Cathedral. The stained glass was stunning. The details within the panes were exquisite. We next stopped at the American Cemetery in Luxembourg dedicated to fallen American soldiers who fought in World War II. Soon after leaving Luxembourg, we reached Trier and boarded
Paris and Giverny, France - Monet Gardens Draft
April 2, 2026 Today we did a panoramic city tour with Viking. The highlight was a stop at the newly restored Notre Dame after the disastrous fire in 2019. We were lucky and lines were short so we were able to go inside. We then rode to Giverny to see the house and gardens of Monet. They were beautiful and filled with spring blooms.
Paris, France - Louvre - draft
April 1, 2026 Today we had a tour of the Louvre. We had initially had a 3 hour tour with Project Expedition, but they cancelled on us. Since it was last minute, we were only able to do a 1 hour tour through the hotel. It was very rushed which was disappointing, but was happy to be able to see the museum. We met the guide at a meeting place. We entered the Louvre area through a covered hall which gave good cover from the rain. We waited there a bit until closer to our meeting
Paris, France - Big Bus City Tour (draft)
March 31, 2026 We walked from the hotel to the Arc de Triomphe to our first stop on the Big Bus tour of Paris. We decided to stay on the whole time to get an overview of the city. After driving down the Champ de Elysee, we passed by the Grand Palais. Built in 1900 for the Universal Expedition in Paris, it boasts one of the largest glass roofs in the world. A statue of Charles De Gaulle, the leader of the French Resistance that fought the Nazis and later became France's first
Paris, France - Exploring
April 30, 2026 We explored the area around the hotel today after making the switch for our booked room for the extra night to the room with Viking. Here is the view from our new room. Today we explored the area around the hotel. I had thought this metallic structure was some a sculpture or monument. It turns out that it is actually student housing! The Irene Joliot-Curie Student Residence stands out as an excellent example of contemporary French architecture by the way it mak
Paris, France - Arrival
March 29, 2026 We arrived in Paris today. Here is a night view of the Eiffel Tower from our hotel room.
Heimaey, Iceland - Puffins and Volcanoes
July 27, 2025 Eldfell is on the far left of the town of Heimaey. The rocky outcrop at the left of the harbor was form by the lava from the eruption. Notice how if they had not stopped the lava flow, it could have completely blocked the harbor. In 1973, Heimaey fought a gripping battle with the Eldfell (Hill of Fire) volcano. It caught the people of Heimaey by surprise as the local volcano Helgafell had long been dormant. However, that fateful night in January, a new fissure
Leaving Reykjavik on Seabourn Venture
July 26, 2025 Today we said farewell to Reykjavik as we began our Northwest Passage cruise on Seabourn Venture. We sailed around the Reykjanes Peninsula where the volcano is erupting, but it was still light out and overcast and the peninsula was quite far away, so no lava was seen. Although Brent and I had no luck seeing the volcano, our Image Master photographer, Max Unterharnscheidt had been to the Blue Lagoon area where the volcano was erupting and got some truly amazing p
Exploring Downtown Reykjavik
July 25, 2025 Today, we walked in the opposite direction to explore downtown Reykjavik. Here I am in front of the hotel (the Exeter) before we began our walk. Our first stop was the Settlement House. They built this unique museum atop the excavation of an early Viking settlement in Reykjavik. After learning the history of the early Vikings, we then traveled forward in time to see Reykjavik's growth throughout the years. After the Settlement House, we made our way to Iceland'
Exploring Reykjavik's Old Harbor
July 24, 2025 We had intended to start the day with a helicopter tour of the erupting volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula. However, it was too windy and our flight was canceled. Instead we explored the Old Harbor area near our hotel. We kept with the volcano mindset and began with the Lava Show, a unique experience where they heat up real lava to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It flows down a tube and the experts demonstrate its different properties. The man in the silver suit heat
Landing in Reykjavik, Iceland
July 23, 2025 Our plane flight to Reykjavik on Icelandair was without incident. Our seats were spacious and service was friendly. We had some lovely views as we flew over Greenland. We had to wait a bit for our taxi to the Exeter hotel. We had been hoping to see the volcano erupting, but there was no lava flow when we drove by. It was dying down, although there were still stops and starts to it. We could see the steam caused by the heat though. While we waited for our hotel
Praia da Vitoria, Azores, Portugal
May 5, 2023 We explored our final port without an excursion. We met up with our friends Sumi, Craig, Kelly and Polly after getting off the shuttle and set off in search of limpets for Brent, cork shoes for Craig, and glasses frames for Kelly. We began our day with breakfast in the Pinnacle as our ship sailed into port. Once in town, it was fun to see the colorful chickens and roosters roaming free in the streets. The cobblestone streets were laid out in patterns and set off b
Ponta Delgado, Azores Islands, Portugal
May 4, 2023 At Ponta Delgado, we set off on our final Cruise Specialist excursion to the Furnas Village hot springs. We boarded the bus in the morning and enjoyed the sights as we first drove to the town of Ribeira Grande. We enjoyed our brief time looking around the town and enjoying the delicious Portuguese custard pastry, pastel de Belem. After about 30 minutes to explore, we got back on the bus and headed to the tea factory. There was a beautiful rainbow in the sky as we
Irish Dinner At Sea
May 2 to 3, 2023 There were two days at sea before we reached our last destination before crossing the Atlantic. On the first night, we enjoyed an Irish dinner at the Pinnacle. The first course was boxty - potato pancakes with caviar and aged cheddar cheese sauce and chive oil. Next, we enjoyed a carrot soup with a barley wafer and smoked honey foam. The fish course was fresh scallops in a whiskey and bacon bouillon. There was an Irish Coffee Granita to cleanse our palate. Th
Cobh - Cork Countryside and Kinsale
May 1, 2023 We enjoyed the peaceful drive through the beautiful Cork countryside. We stopped at Charles Fort which was built in the 17th century and is one of Ireland's largest fortifications. It had amazing views. We also had fun poking around the colorful town of Kinsale. We had some time to enjoy an Irish scone. There was a vendor selling spoofy paintings of famous artists, including The Scream that we saw in Olso. We had time to explore Cobh when we returned and enjoy a d
Dublin, Ireland
April 30, 2023 "Captain William Congreve with his Son William" was Brent's favorite picture at the National Gallery in Dublin, the highpoint of his walk around the town. (It was a tour, and I was still coughing so I stayed back on the ship.) Brent had a pleasant walk around Dublin and enjoyed the unique architectural features. His favorite part of the tour was the National Gallery where he saw paintings depicting David and Goliath, Christ's miracle of the loaves and fishes, a
Oban, Scotland
April 29, 2023 We tendered into Oban. It is a small, picturesque fishing community. It is known as the "Gateway to the Islands" and is the unofficial capital of the West HIghlands of Scotland. The view from the ship emphasized its location in the Highlands and it was surrounded by the hills of the Highlands. We didn't have a bus tour and I was feeling a bit better so I went into town with Brent. It was fun to poke around in the shops and walk along the waterfront. Oban is fam
Isle of Skye and the West Highlands, Scotland
April 28, 2023 I was still under the weather when we arrived at the Isle of Skye, our first port in Scotland. I was sorry to miss the tour of the West Highlands, but it felt it was best not to spread the cold my sore throat had developed into. Brent did have a great time seeing the Eilean Dolan Castle and learning about the Highlands. I will need to return someday as I have ancestors from the Highlands. The MacIans were a part of the McDonald clan that feuded with the Campbel
Bergen, Norway
April 25, 2023 Bergen was our last stop in Norway. I stayed on board as I had a sore throat and wanted to rest up for the Norwegian dinner tonight. Brent went into town on a quest for whale meat. He did find some and enjoyed it. I wasn't sad to have missed it though. That evening we went to the Pinnacle to enjoy a Norwegian dinner complete with a cured salmon appetizer, a leek and potato soup with Norwegian brown bread called Purresuppe, a raspberry and cardamom sorbet as a p
Eidfjord, Norway
April 25, 2023 The spectacular sail in to Eidsfjord past the snow-covered fjords captivated us that morning. The small communities nestled among the woodlands looked so peaceful. All too soon, the sail-in was over and we arrived at Eidsfjord, a tiny town surrounded by snow-covered mountains. We went in search of hot chocolate and waffles. The first place we tried turned out not to be so great as the hot chocolate you served yourself from a machine and the waffles had got pre
Haugesand, Norway - Village of the Vikings
April 24, 2023 The port of Haugesund took us to the land Vikings once called home. Not far from Haugesund is Avaldsnes, once the home of Viking kings and now the site of a history center and a recreated Viking village. This is where my excursion would take me. The sail-in to Haugesund took us passed wooded shorelines. It wasn't hard to imagine Viking ships in these same waters - although the current houses were more modern. I was excited to visit the Viking village and thankf
Kristiansand, Norway
April 23, 2023 Today we explored Kristiansand on our own. As we walked out of the port, we could see our ship reflected in the glass exterior of the Kilden Performing Arts Center. Before we disembarked, we had enjoyed the view of Kristiansand from our verandah. We walked along a small canal and over a bridge into the town of Kristiansand. The houses or shops along the water were in reds and yellows. Brent had been hoping to visit the Fish Market, a main attraction in Kristian
Oslo, Norway
April 22, 2023 We sailed into Oslo past houses scattered throughout the forested hills. After disembarking, we walked to the new Nasjonalmuseet, Norway's national art museum, to see Edvard Munch's famous painting, The Scream. We had missed it the last time we were in Oslo in 2019 because the museum was still being built and it was in storage. Many people think the title refers to the man on the bridge, but the man is not screaming. Instead he is covering his ears to block ou
Copenhagen
April 21, 2023 Hans Christian Anderson lived most of his life in Copenhagen. He is famous for his fairy tales like "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Steadfast Tin Soldier". His well-known "Little Mermaid" became a beloved Disney movie. One of the popular tourist attractions we saw when riding on the Hop On Hop Off bus was a statue of the Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen. She has had many adventures of her own. She is a popular target for vandals and has been painted, written on,
Amsterdam - Tulip Festival
April 19, 2023 Today we did a morning tour to the Keukenhof Gardens for the Tulip Festival. It was the perfect time to visit with both tulips and daffodils in full bloom, as well as hyacinths and other spring flowers. Our day began with another beautiful sunrise. We again left the city of Amsterdam and journeyed to the countryside. As we neared the gardens, we drove by beautiful tulip and daffodil fields in full bloom. Soon we were at the Tulip Festival. This year was its fir
Marken and Volendam, Netherlands
April 18, 2023 We spent two days in Amsterdam. On the first day, we visited Marken and Volendam, two quaint fishing villages, as well as stopping by a tourist-centered farm for cheese-tasting and a demonstration of how wooden shoes are made. There was a beautiful sunrise when we arrived in Amsterdam, painting the sky different shades of pink and lavender. On our way to Marken, we passed the canals of Amsterdam. Bike riders filled the bike lanes as biking is a healthy, cheap a
Weymouth, Great Britain
April 15, 2023 Today, after our walk together around Weymouth, Great Britain, Brent took a tour of the Tank Museum in Bovington to see over 300 tanks and other military machines used in key battles from World War II to the modern day. Our day began with the ship coming into to port at Portland (not Oregon). We had missed our stop in Brest, France the day before because of rough seas. We hopped on a shuttle and went to the seaside town of Weymouth to wander around. We didn't s
A Coruna and Betanzos
April 12, 2023 The Tower of Hercules was built in the 1st century A.D. by the Romans and is still in use today. It was the first place we stopped in A Coruna before journeying on to Betanzos. The artist Pablo, Picasso spent 4 years of his childhood (around 9 to 13 years old) in A Coruna. He and his dad called the Tower of Hercules, the "Tower of Candy" (“Torre de Caramelo"). Its color reminded him of caramel. The budding artist painted the tower during his stay in A Coruna. O
Lisbon, Portugal
April 10, 2023 Brent toured Lisbon and Sintra todtay. I stayed back on the ship as I had blisters and was giving my toes a break to heal up. Lisbon was a beautiful city which featured many magnificent city squares with monuments, fountains, cafes, shops, and other attractions. The one above is Rossio Square. The one below is Restauradores Square which was built to commemorate the restoration of Portugal as a separate country from Spain rather than sharing a king with Spain. T
Easter in Seville, Spain
April 9, 2023 It was Easter Sunday when we visited Seville. Many of the houses had dried palms in their windows for Palm Sunday the previous week. It is a tradition to cover palm leaves so they are hidden from the sun and can whiten. People then braid the leaves into decorations to mount about their entryway. The one seen here is above the Casa Pilatos, or Pilate's House. A beautiful traditional house that has been turned into a museum that we visited. We started out our East
Malaga and Granada, Spain: Alhambra and Picasso Museum
April 8, 2023 Brent and I went on separate excursions today. He visited Alhambra, an ancient citadel that was originally built as a fortress (alcazaba) in the 9th century by the Zirtians - the first kings of Granada. In the 13th century the Islamic Nasrid dynasty rebuilt the ruins of the alcazaba and added a castle for the sultan to live in. Each generation of sultans in the dynasty gradually added their own touches to the citadel. As it reached its peak of grandeur, the Alha
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