Thinking this would be our only trip to Europe ever, this 2.5 week tour took us to 5 places: London and Cornwall in the UK, then Paris, the Bavarian region of Germany, and Salzburg.
When: Late April to early May, 2015
Itinerary:
Five Sightseeing Highlights:
- Buckingham Palace and the major sights of London
- Port Isaac, setting for Doc Martin TV series
- The major attractions of Paris, including the Louvre and, of course, dinner on the Eiffel Tower
- Neuschwanstein Castle, model for the castle in Disneyland
- The Sound of Music bus tour in and around Salzburg, featuring all the sights from the movie
Five unexpected moments:
- Sitting at a cafe across the street from Notre Dame in the early morning, watching the city of Paris come to life.
- Being yelled at by a French waiter for an insulting tip (None is expected, a dollar tip is welcome, a nickel is considered a massive insult. Who knew?)
- Viewing the love locks over the Seine, more poignant now that they are gone.
- Recognizing Doc Martin characters and getting to observe live filming
- A wonderful, warm breakfast cafe spot on the river Thames, and the gracious bus official who introduced us to it.
Five challenges overcome:
- Mastering the subway systems of London and Paris — we gave ourselves time and grace, and it worked out great!
- Tackling three countries who don’t speak English — not at all the problem we thought it might be.
- Dealing with a train strike in Germany — just part of the adventure.
- Losing my iphone in Austria — life goes on.
- Traveling 2.5 weeks with a back pack and a carry-on — there is really no other way.
The postings that follow will highlight 10 pictures from each of the stops.