Our European Adventure

I’ve been absent from “blogland” for a spell because I was on a wonderful adventure through Europe with my husband and two grown sons.  What a wonderful time we had in five different countries over five weeks.  I’m posting a few photos from each locale to give you a   summary of the trip.

I thought I would start with the “high” points of the trip – literally!  The boys and I climbed to the top of every tower, spire or hill we could find for the best vantage point of the cities we visited.  This photo is from the top of the Old Town Hall Astronomical Clock Tower in Prague, dating from 1364.  While not our favorite climb (it actually consisted of ramps instead of stairs and ladders), it still provided amazing views of the city.   

Our favorite was the climb to the top of the spire on the Church of Our Savior in Copenhagen, which was completed in 1752.  We took 400 steps (some of which were nearly vertical ladders) to the very top of the 90m tower.  There were 343 steps to the Tower Keepers' Room at St. Stephens Cathedral in Vienna, and we were 61m above the street atop the Old Town Hall Tower in Rothenberg, Germany.  

No climbing, but we did ride the London Eye 135m into the sky to see incredible views over the Thames.

Denmark was the starting point of the trip – complete with the boys crewing on a replica of a Viking ship and a visit to the Little Mermaid.   

We saw some lovely palaces and castles, but really enjoyed Kronborg Castle on the Baltic Sea, famous as the setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Next we were in the Czech Republic.  That is Prague Castle on the hill behind Rick and me, and because we missed the bus to reach it, we walked up the “hill”.  Felt more like a mountain while we were climbing!   

My great-grandparents came from the small Czech village of Sadska, and we took a day trip to visit.  It was amazing how similar it was to the small town they settled in back in Nebraska!

Vienna was the next stop – and I finally was able to ride in a horse drawn carriage around the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace!   How fun.  

We visited museums and took advantage of the music culture throughout the trip.  We attended a symphony concert in Vienna, sitting on stage behind the orchestra and had standing room tickets for the Vienna State Opera.  While in Prague, we had attended a bassoon, harpsichord and cello recital held in an 800-year old monastery, and saw a stage production of Agatha Christie’s Mouse Trap in London.

We finally had hot weather in Munich, where we rented bikes and rode 13 miles around town.  Of course the beer garden was a nice treat after that!

On to the Alps where the boys went swimming in an Alpine lake, while Rick and I enjoyed the restful picnic time.  As a family, we climbed to the ruins of Ehrenberg Castle, built in 1296.  The boys climbed to the top of one of the mountains near our apartment, and at the top, they rented scooters and had an easier way down!

Back in Germany, we visited the medieval town of Rothenberg, founded in 1250.  We walked along the town wall, where some family members found themselves a little cramped!

We took the ferry from Calais, France to Dover, England and enjoyed the views of the white cliffs.

Our final stop was Great Britain.  Amazing museums, great pub food, and history abounding.

We finished in the British countryside in the Cotswolds, and enjoyed a quaint Bed & Breakfast with a short walk into town to our favorite pub for dinner.  A great ending to a fabulous trip!