Köln to Koblenz Our Germany leg was very ambitious on paper, with some moving parts and timing for trains and hotels that all needed to work out for the plans envisioned to come to fruition. The plan seemed simple enough. Leave Amsterdam by train to Köln, Germany and check into a hotel. In the morning,…
Exploring the City Our second day in Amsterdam we left wide open since the first day was scheduled out. We wanted the space to allow us to do whatever we felt we wanted to or needed to do once we got a sense of the city and discovered what it had to offer. Was there…
Hotel Alexander and Soof The hotel Alexander has been a wonderful place to stay. The staff is welcoming, the accommodations are European standard (small) but the beds are comfy. There is a coffee machine in the lobby ready at all hours. Heaven for me. The hotel prepared a beautiful breakfast spread each morning and it…
Van Goph Museum Tour We started our day with a nice breakfast at the Hotel Alexander, situated in the Museumsplein district, it is tree lined, picturesque and still a jump away from the center of the city. All around the hotel area are historic buildings, as is much of Amsterdam. Notably, the 7 sisters buildings,…
Tour of Gravensten Castle The town of Ghent is something else. We kept saying as we walk through the small streets lined with shops, restaurants and chocolateteers, “What is this town?” It has towering medieval walls and steeples rising over 3 and 4 story hotels, apartments and businesses. The views down the streets are stunning…
Arrived in Ghent We chose Ghent as a destination because it looked like a quiet little Belgium town, with cobbled stoned streets and stone cathedrals, medieval bridges and even a castle. Yes, it has all of those, but what we weren’t prepared for was the shopping and massive amount of tourists out and about enjoying…
Eurostar to Belgium I woke up early to sound of rain falling through the trees in the garden outside. It’s a soothing sound and then I realized we have to walk to the train station with all our luggage! Did I pack an umbrella? Can I cover the suitcases with trash bags? Should just call…
London Day 1 In the Streets of London Landed in Heathrow. 10 hour flight and a nice upgrade, the flight had plenty of leg room and a vegan meal, which made the red eye manageable. Noise canceling headphones on and I am out. Touch down. Customs was a breeze thanks to the somewhat new UK…
We are taking Off We, my wife and daughter who is 17 and on verge of her senior year of high school are ready to explore Europe by train. This is a departure from our past vacations abroad and the plan really only came together a few weeks ago. So we have a beginning and…
Travel Itinerary Arrive in London We arrive in London on the journey awaits us to explore Europe by train, plane, boat, foot and any other means we stumble across. We are excited, a little nervous and thrilled to be able to experience such an amazing place. The culture, the food, the people and hopefully as…