European vacations

If you are visiting the Loire Valley in France and are not interested in or have already seen all of the castles you can handle, I recommend taking a drive through the Parc du Pilat. This is a wonderfully scenic route through rolling hillsides and small forests. There are many small and old villages throughout the parc du pilat, such as Planfoy. The only cons about this beautiful day trip are the winding roads that may make some passengers sick. So, if you love long drives through scenic country, check it out!

The Loire has many attractions for lovers of food and drink but if you want to do something rather different while in this fabulous area. I would recommend you include a visit to the Cointreau factory at Angers in your itinerary. I must admit I wasn’t a particular fan of Cointreau. For the uninitiated Cointreau is a distillation of orange peel not but just any orange peel. (oh no…) this particular orange peel is a blend of various dried peels imported for their special zest from the furthest corners of the orange growing world.

We’d heard great things about the Keukenhof Gardens, the famous tulip showcase located near the town of Lisse, Holland. Our friends had visited previously and shown us amazing pictures. So this year we decided to take a road trip and see them for ourselves, even though we knew we’d be there slightly past their peak in late April. Sadly, we were quite disappointed with our visit to the Keukenhof Gardens.

We arrived at the gardens, situated just a little ways southeast from Amsterdam, by 10:45 am on a Saturday. We could tell that it was going to be crowded by the look of the parking lot. We were directed by parking attendants to our parking spot, with car after car filing in orderly procession right behind us.

After you’ve had it with the hordes of people crowding the streets of Prague, head on down to Ceský Krumlov. The town centre is very small, surrounded by a picturesque river flowing around it. There is also a fantastic castle overlooking this charming town. It is (at least in May when I visited) one of the most pleasant towns I have ever had the pleasure of relaxing in.

Knowing little about Belgium, I imagined it would be similar to France, which I had already traveled through. They speak the same language, so it makes sense, right? Wrong.

While the countryside is as charming as France’s, and the canals in the north as pleasing as the Netherlands’, Belgium has its own temperament and personality. Rain is the standard in this small country, especially in the winter. The day can start out sunny and end in a long, gray drizzle.

My husband is an avid history buff, but I have always resisted. Until after our trip to the city of York, that is. The city has a rich, fascinating history that drew me in and it is an experience that has enhanced my travels to other cities as well, where I now am more appreciative of the history behind each new city. The most fascinating thing about York is that it has survived several distinct eras intact. It has been a stronghold for Romans, Saxons, Vikings, Normans, and medieval British. Each group built their society on the remains of the last. For example, the wall surrounding the whole of the old city, which is medieval, is built on the remains of the original Roman wall nearly 2,000 years old.

One of the many highlights in Vienna is Schloss Schönbrunn (open 8:30-17:00, to 16:30 November-March, to 19:00 in July and August; prices vary depending on what you want to see, a medium package about $20).

The location was already in use in medieval times. Acquired by the Habsburg Maximilian II in 1569 the first representative building and a zoo were erected. The present form after many changes and additions is roughly 250 years old. In these rooms Empress Maria Theresia gave birth to her 16 children. The castle was beautifully restored a few years ago and is now privately operated (that alone improved things a lot).

Review Topic: Sights & Attractions

Forget the Ninja turtles the Louvre is home to all the great masters and I”m not talking about Splinter! First impressions may deceive you of the diversity held inside but you will automatically know this is not your typical museum. The Pyramid of glass, that covers the entrance to this dedication of and to the great artisans throughout history, stands out boldly against the myriad of watching statues in the multitude of archways and parapets of the surrounding buildings. The surrounding buildings not only contain parts of the museum but are also exhibits themselves. These fortifications having served not only as a museum for the last two centuries but also having been a medieval fortress and then Palace to the kings of France. The descent below into the museum allows you to see that like the pyramids of Egypt many untold treasures are beneath its shell even in the wandering catacombs that at one time were even parts of the moat.

So many travelers go to Spain, and while visiting Barcelona, miss one of the best day trips to the extraordinary mountain of Montserrat. This incredible place is only about 24 miles from the city and worth every bit of your time. There are many very reasonably priced bus tours (not my favorite type of travel, but worth it for this trip) that can be arranged through the hotel. The whole day trip, which included a nice city tour, was about $35 per person.

Part of the allure of European travel for me is uncovering layers of history and culture wherever you visit. When a certain deja vu comes over me in a foreign land, I suspect I’ve been there in a previous incarnation, so drawn am I to uncovering these roots and branches of old places. With that in mind, Colchester, England was the right place to go.