Category: Europe

Traveling in Europe can be a rich and rewarding experience, with its diverse cultures, languages, and historical sites. The continent is home to some of the world’s most iconic landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, and the Big Ben. Visitors can also explore the rich history and culture of Europe through its museums, galleries, and festivals, and enjoy the stunning natural beauty of the continent’s mountains, lakes, and forests. Additionally, Europe offers a wide range of culinary delights, from traditional French cuisine to Italian pizza and pasta, and German sausages and beer. However, visitors should be aware of the potential challenges of traveling in Europe, such as the high costs, language barriers, and overcrowding during peak tourist season. It is important to research the specific countries and regions to be visited, and to take necessary precautions to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip. Shown below are the trips we’ve taken in Europe.

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary – October 2014

We chose to take this trip and visit these countries for the following reasons:
1. We’ve never been to any of these countries before.
2. We were interested in learning more about Europe’s famous castles, churches and palaces.
3. We wanted to visit the sites of World War II and learn more about the atrocities of Hitler and the Third Reich.
4. We were never on a river cruise before. We chose this one because of its association to the “Sound of Music” movie location (Salzburg, Austria) and the lure of the Danube river.
5. I wanted to see the country where my ancestors came from – Germany.
6. Last, but not least, we were flying to Europe from New York, so we wanted to visit the September 11^th Memorial and the World Trade Center site in New York City.

Click here to read the complete Trip Report

Rhine Falls – Switzerland – Europe’s largest & most spectacular waterfalls

Iceland – August 2012

We flew to Iceland and rented a car to travel around the country. We drove a little more than 800 miles around the Circle Route. This is a land of scenic beauty, numerous waterfalls, volcanic rock, geysers and the famous Blue Lagoon. It also has many glaciers, and we stayed a few days with the Rotary District Governor of Iceland who was kind enough to guide us to the most scenic parts of the country.

Click here to read the complete Trip Report

One of the many waterfalls in the incredibly beautiful country

England (RFE Tour) – July 2009

This was a Rotary sponsored trip known as a RFE (Rotary Friendship Exchange). We flew to Birmingham with our firends Lonnie & Ardeth Leslie; rented a car and drove to Lincoln where the RFE began. After seeing all the sites in Lincoln (compliments of our host families) we drove to London and toured there for a few days, saw ‘Phantom of the Opera’ at Her Majesty’s Theater, then on to Stonehedge, another Wonder of the World. It was fun learning how to drive on the wrong side of the road, with a car that had the steering wheel on the opposite side as well. Lonnie was our navigator.

Carey & Donna with our English RFE hosts and Lonnie & Ardeth Leslie

Mediterranean Cruise – January 2007

It’s always fun to cruise in the Mediterranean. We visited several coastal cities in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Egypt. We visited the Coliseum in Rome, many of the famous temples in Athens, and the great pyramids and the Sphinx in Cairo, Egypt. This trip was on the infamous Costa Concordia ship that eventually sank along the coast of Italy in 2012.

On board the “infamous” cruise ship Costa Concordia

Canary Islands/Spain/France – July 2001

Donna & I took Keith & Chris on this trip to the Canary Islands, Spain & France. We toured Tenerife then flew to Madrid for a couple days, then took an overnight train to Paris where we toured for two days. Following that we took another train to Normandy and stayed with the people who hosted my mom & Dad during the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. In Paris, we climbed the Eiffel Tower, visited The Louvre and many other sites around the city. In Normandy we visited Omaha Beach and several museums in the area, as well as the Normandy cemetery.

Nighttime at the Eiffel tower – Paris, France

Mediterranean Cruise – October 2000

This cruise was our first trip to Europe. We visited Barcelona, Spain; Nice, France, Rome, Italy, and several Greek islands. It was on a small ship (600 passengers) known as the Renaissance 3, however this cruise line is no longer in business. It was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken.