european travel

European TravelA Recipe for Success


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“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page” …

Saint Augustine

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During this session you will learn how to plan your own European Vacation like a pro!

We will cover everything you need to know: How to choose your destination How to select your activities once you get there How to do it all safely

We will also share proven itineraries to many exciting European Destinations.

We hope that you will use and share this information to make the most of your tour here in Europe.

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Where do I Start?Where do I Start? Talk, Talk, Talk Brochures Internet-Google European Tours

and check out their itineraries Travel Section in Stars and Stripes Terminal 4 Airport-

Last Minute Tours Be Prepared

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Where do I Start?Where do I Start?

Library Travel Agents

https://europe.satovacations.com/ http://rtttravel.com/ http://www.enjoytours.com/ https://www.aftravelonline.com/startp

age.aspx Cruise

http://www.vacationstogo.com/

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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles


Low Cost Airlines Pros and Cons-

Ryanair- http://www.ryanair.com/en Extra hidden costs Credit card fee - 3 Euro per person per flight Transportation

Location of Hubs Parking Luggage

Six Euro per bag per one way flight -- Round trip = 12 Euro Watch bag weight-only 15 Kilograms (33 pounds) allowed Excess weight fee-8 Euro per Kilo over weight

Cattle Call / Get the Priority Boarding Pass Why push? 3 Euro per person per flight

Length of Trip Wow! I am flying to Venice, Rome and Home for under $150

Euro!!

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Other Airlines- German Wings-

http://www.germanwings.com/index.en.shtml

Tui Fly- http://www.tuifly.com/de/index.html Lufthansa- http://www.lufthansa.com/

Space A Travel – Ramstein is Europe’s biggest cargo and passenger hub for the USAF http://www.globemaster.de/links/Governme

nt/Space-A/Facilities/AFD-060328-001.pdf

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Trains http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm http://www.bahn.de/p/view/international/en

glisch/international_guests.shtml Automobiles

A GPS could save your marriage!! http://www.de.map24.com/ http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamichelin/gb

r/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm

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LodgingLodging

Who is going with you?? Location

Armed Forces Vacation Club http://www.afvclub.com/

B&B http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/europe.html

Hotels http://www.ratestogo.com/ http://www.europeanhoteldirectory.com/ http://en.venere.com/?ref=38007

Stay on a working Farm in Germany (bauernhof or bauernhofe)

Nice website with Links- http://www.bensbauernhof.com/farms.html

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LodgingLodging Castles

www.german-castles.biz

World By Websites http://www.worldby.com/

General Review Sites Trip Advisor-

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g4-Europe-Vacations.html Virtual Tourist-

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/TravelGuide-Europe.html

Rick Steves- http://www.ricksteves.com/ Frommers- http://www.frommers.com/ Lonely Planet- http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ Holiday Watch Dog- http://www.holidaywatchdog.com/

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Travel SafetyTravel Safety

MSG Ron KirkemoProvost SergeantUSAG- Stuttgart

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ItinerariesItineraries

How to schedule days

Flyers/Internet/Travel Books

Hire your own Tour Guide

Hop on Hop off Buses

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Regional SpecialtiesAppetizers

Regional SpecialtiesAppetizers

Unique things to do here in Germany

Appetizers- Day Trips-Take a day off and explore!

Shop for Antiques, Pottery, Crystal, French Linens, Wine, Jewelry and more!

Explore this beautiful Country we live in!

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Regional SpecialtiesRegional Specialties

Christmas Markets- Usually run from late November to Christmas depending on the city. Truly a magical experience.

http://www.weihnachtsmarkt-deutschland.de/ http://www.germany-tourism.de/ENG/culture_and_events/christmas_market

s.htm http://www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk/index1.htm

Get excited about cows?? Experience “The Cows Coming Home”

This happens for a few weeks in the fall( Sept 8-Oct 8) It is truly a European experience. An easy day trip, get up early in the morning to be there when it begins at 9:30.

I sent out my list to several families- they all went to different places and each had a great time seeing the cows bedecked in flowers and hearing the bells.

Germany www.allgaeu.info Switzerland www.myswitzerland.com Austria www.tirol.at A friend’s favorite-

http://www.thalkirchdorf.de/doc/veranstaltungen.asp?seite=1&info=4&spr=TH&grp=Veranstaltungen

Harvest Grapes- http://www.m-w-marquart.net/harvest/ Frankenstein's Castle- www.hauntedhouseonline.com or

http://www.burg-frankenstein.de/halloween/

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Appetizers Day Trips Appetizers Day Trips

Soufflenheim France- Most shops open at 9:00 am. Open on Sunday too! For a list of pottery shops and contact

information, please visit: http://www.mairie-soufflenheim.fr/pageLibre0001021e.html A great place to stop for lunch is Restaurant Au Boeuf 48, Grand’rue Tel. 03.88.86.68.84 Most shops close for two hours at noon and DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSPORTS and your

international Drivers License! More Pottery-

Villeroy& Boch Outlet- http://www.villeroy-boch.com Luxembourg City Mystery boxes were just 25 Euro when we last visited. They are packed full of

pottery. If you like surprises this is a must! Buy a couple and put together place settings.

Wachtersbach Keramics- www.waechtersbach.com Visit A Vendor- Doellinger Antiques- http://www.doellinger-antiques.com/ Shirley's Antiquitaten- Kieshof Strasse 16 Neuenstadt-Cleversulzbach 74196 Tel. 07139

8887 Kneer Tischtextilien (Armin and Marion’s)-http://www.tapestries.de/ WMF Factory is close by visit it too!

http://www.wmf.com/content.asp?nv_id=1940&se_id=1273&sid=1&sp_id=11 Many Vendors have stores around Ramstein- Drive up and make a day out of it Antik Centre-Langen Acher 3, Kottweiler-Schwanden 66879 Tel. 0171-4354479 European Country Living http://www.europeancountryliving.com/ Luc's Antiques- http://www.lucsantiques.com/ Freddy's French Antiques- Hauptstrasse 94B Huetschenhausen 66882 Tel. 06372-803255

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Appetizers Day Trips Appetizers Day Trips

Crystal Shopping-Neustadt a.d. Waldnaab, Germany-Nachtmann Bleikristallwerke- Two big sales a year [email protected] to get on the mailing list http://www.nachtmann.de/pdf/anfahrt_nm_de.pdfKaefer’s Porzellanhaus- Eckstrasse 1, Sohren 55487 Tel.06543 4088http://www.porzellanhaus-kaefer.de/Bodenmais, Germany- Joska Crystal- www.joska.comhttp://ezinearticles.com/?Bodenmais---Germanys-Crystal-Town&id=343346

French Linens- A great trip to take in the Spring, see the baby storks on the rooftops in May.Beauville Factory Outlet- 19, route de Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 68150 Ribeauvillé Tél. : 33 (0)3 89 73 74 74 http://www.beauville.com/They are closed from 11:45 to 2PM for lunch....otherwise, 8-6PM 1001 et un Nappes -#2 Rue des Juifs Ribeauville Owner: Jean Gazeau 0033-389-530-309 Closed on Thursdays

Christmas Ornaments-Christborn- http://www.christborn.de/

French Px in the Black Forest- French wines, Alcohols and French perfumesFriedhofstrasse 78166 Donaueschingen0830-1203 and then 1630-1900Phone-0771 89 88 703

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Appetizers Day Trips

Appetizers Day Trips

Idar-Oberstein, Germany – A great day trip. If you like shopping or looking at precious gem stones, unique purses, scarves,

lamps and high quality cookware then a day trip to Idar-Oberstein is just for you. The drive time each way is about four hours.

Sights- Schmuckasten- sells jewelry, scarves, lamps, purses and other unique, hand crafted

items. - They take VAT Forms, checks and major credit cards. You need to contact her for her store hours. She is normally closed on Saturdays but she

will make special arrangements for groups. Contact information is as follows: Schmuckasten Mainzer Strasse 41, 55743 Idar-Oberstein Telephone: 06781-44038 Email: [email protected] Fissler Factory - www.fissler.de sells high quality German pots and pans. ( Visa/MasterCard and VAT) The Deutsches Edelstein- www.edelsteinmuseum.de Museum precious gem museum. Restaurant- La Piazza restaurant which is located at Mainzerstrasse 5 in Idar, locations

Telephone - 06781 44049 Chapel on the Rocks- located 230 steps leading up from the Oberstein market place. Castles Bosselstein and Oberstein Edelsteinminen (gem mine) – www.edelsteinminen-idar-oberstein.de. Phone # 06781-

47440. Tours are in German, with written English translations. Tour lasts about 40 minutes. You must make reservations if you want to dig.

Gemstone Adventureworld – www.edelstein-erlebniswelt.de. Phone # 0049-6781-2050.

Weiherschleife cutting mill.- Phone # 6781-901918

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Soups/SaladsSoups/Salads

Normandy Verdun South of France Amsterdam Spain Belgium Camp Darby/Pisa/

Florence and Cinque Terre Tuscany Bologna, Italy Rue de Vin Sweden/Denmark /Iceland

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Normandy/Maginot Line/Verdun


We did this tour over Spring Break in 2007 and had a fantastic time. It was nicely paced and the whole family was moved by the museums and memorials. It is a vacation for the whole family. Smaller children will enjoy running through the craters at Pointe du Hoc and along the beaches while the older ones will learn more about American History.

Day 1- Drive up. We stayed at a B&B in Bayeux. We returned from our outings each

day in the early afternoon and walked to dinner in this lovely little town. The owner of the B&B sells wine and Calvados and did a special tasting for our family. http://www.les3pierre.com/englchambre.html

Day Two- Mont St Michel

http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Provinces/Normandy/Mont-St-Michel.shtml#

Day Three- Caramels D’Isigny- http://www.caramels-isigny.com/index-gb.htm Omaha Beach and Museum-

http://www.musee-memorial-omaha.com/p2.html Pointe du Hoc- http://www.fishcat.com/france/30pointeduhoc.html

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Day Four- St. Mere Eglise- http://www.airborne-museum.org/accueil_uk.php Utah Beach and Museum-

http://www.utah-beach.com/index.php4?lang=en&PHPSESSID=b0e6279f672ca29dcb4123767ae872dc

Caen Memorial- http://www.memorial-caen.fr/portail_gb/hp/hp.asp Day Five-

Tapisserie De Bayeux- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial

http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/no.php Next two nights were spent in Metz France- Holiday Inn Metz

Technopole 2000 Day Six-

Metz Flea Market check to see if it is open on your during your stay- http://tourisme.mairie-metz.fr/anglais/frameset.html

Maginot Line- http://www.maginot-hackenberg.com/informationanglais.htm Day Seven-Verdun- http://www.xs4all.nl/~verdun/

Fleury Museum Battlefield Grounds Ossaury Monument Trench of the Bayonets http://battlefields1418.50megs.com/verduninfo.htmhttp://www.americansinfrance.net/Attractions/Verdun.cfm

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South of FranceSouth of France

It took 2 days to drive (through Switzerland and Italy) and then we enjoyed the area for 5 days.

We bases ourselves at Hotel La Flore in Villefranche-sur- Mer. www.hotel-la-flore.fr . once we arrived we parked our car and used buses to visit Nice and Monaco. The TI was close to the hotel and I got bus schedules there. www.villefranche-sur-mer-com

We had a heated pool and an incredible view from our patio of the water and lighthouse. There were fireworks almost every night. There was a little grocery store across the street from the hotel and a bakery nearby. We'd shop there for breakfast and lunch. We walked down to town for dinner and it felt like you were in a Van Gogh painting. There were little boutiques open at night. We spent one day relaxing at the pool, another day we walked down to the beach. We took a boat ride one afternoon and saw dolphins. www.amv-sirenes.com

In Nice , www.nicetourisne.com we went to a market and We visited the Matisse Museum www.musee-matisse-nice.org

In Monaco we went to the castle and saw a changing of the guard, we went to the Cathedral de Monaco ( Princess Grace is buried there) and walked by the casino. www.monaco-tourisme.com

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AmsterdamAmsterdam

Lodging-Inn on the Park- http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/nrd-holland-amsterdam-innonthepark.html This B&B is on the outskirts of town. Restaurant-Pasta e Basta- http://www.pastaebasta.nl/I Amsterdam Card- http://www.iamsterdamcard.com/ This card will get you into most of the popular sites, includes free use of all city public transportation and a free canal boat tourDay 1

Aalsmeer Flower Auction- Flowers sold here are around the world by the next day http://www.aalsmeer.com/Bezoek%20de%20veiling.aspx Zaanse Schans Open Air Museum-

http://www.zaanseschans.nl/zschans/en/index.php?Home%26nbsp%3B Keukenhof Garden- http://www.keukenhof.nl/nm/english.html

Day 2- Rijks Museum- http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/index.jsp Anne Frank Museum- http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?pid=1&lid=2

Day 3- Canal Cruise/Lunch at the Hard Rock Café/HomeOther Great Things to do-Van Gogh Museum- http://www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jspHeineken Experience- http://www.heinekenexperience.com/Rembrandt House- http://www.rembrandthuis.nl/cms_pages/index_main.htmlRed Light DistrictAmstelkring Museum- http://www.museumamstelkring.nl/onslieveheeropsolder/eng/home.phpDiamond Factory- www.costerdiamonds.co

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Costa Del Sol SpainCosta Del Sol Spain

Along the coast of Southern Spain this vacation spot was perfect trip for my two girls and a friend! Many English and Irish vacation here so everything is written and spoken in English!!Lodging-The Sunset Beach Club- http://www.sunsetbeachclub.com/We stayed here for one week and booked several tours through the company at the hotel.The hotel had free children, teens, and adult clubs that did daily activities that were included in the price of your room. It also had two restaurants and many more just a short walk away along the boardwalk.From here visit-

Gibraltar United Kingdom Tangier Morocco The Alhambra Palace Down days to just relax.

Needless to say this was a vacation where you just show up and enjoy!

Another family rented a apartment in Marbella http://www.premiermarbella.co.uk/htm/geo-terrace.html It had a great location and was very comfortable for our family of five.

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BelgiumBrugge/Brussels/Waterloo


Our family spent a four day weekend in Belgium, Brussels, and stopped through Waterloo on the way home. Another nicely paced long weekend. We did a lot but didn’t feel overly stressed to get it all in.

Day 1-Brugge Drive to Bruges-Check in at B&B, dinner at the Hobbit, Kemelstraat 8-10 B&B-http://www.etimmerman.be/

Day 2-Brugge Canal Cruise, Groeninge Museum, Bell Tower, and Chocolate http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/musea/Groeningemuseum-Arentshuis/Groeningemuseum/ind

ex.htm

Markets in Brugge- The weekend antique/flea market down by the canals had some really great deals. http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/toerisme/praktische_info/winkelen.htm

Other restaurants in Brugge- Den Dyver a very specialized restaurant combining wine or beer with certain foods. They

made a special fruity soda for our daughter and made her meal "kid friendly" Without kids this would be a nice romantic place to dine.

A Tea room De Proeverie - Katelijnestraat 6. You can get a variety of yummy chocolates and pastries with your tea or coffee, there is even a chocolate sampler platter that is divine! Across the street is the chocolatier Chocoladehuisje and they make the goodies for the tea room as well. Of course I can't say I've ever gone wrong with any chocolatier in Brugge!!

Pastis - Speelmansrei 8. Across the main road and down a bit from the B&B house/hotel is a neat little Italian place called it was a nice quiet place, no tourists and great food.

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Day 3- Oostende and Brussels Oostende-walked the beach and did the Space Explorer Museum-Great for the Kids!! Earth Explorer science museum- http://www.earthexplorer.be/en/default.asp Oostende- http://www.toerisme-oostende.be/modules/page.phtml?pageid=699&languageid=3 Afternoon in Brussels - we spent a great chunk of time just going between Godiva and Neuhouse! Brussels- http://www.offbeattravel.com/brussels-belgium.html

Day 4- Waterloo Waterloo on our way home. The children were given a Treasure Hunt Book to fill out as we went to the

different exhibits. It kept them engaged and we learned a lot! Waterloo- http://www.culture-espaces.com/en/waterloo/444-home/

Other places recommended by the folks who live up there- Gent- http://www.gent.be/ Ieper- http://www.ieper.be/ieper_en.aspx?SGREF=11900 Great beer found here-we missed it- http://www.sintsixtus.be/eng/index2.html Flanders Field Cemetery http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/ff.php Flanders Field Museum- http://www.inflandersfields.be/# The museum and the cemetery are actually an hour away from each other. Please be careful if you are trying to

visit the cemetery to go the correct way.

You can fill your gas tank at Bitberg/Spangdahlem. We needed to fill up again in Belgium.

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Cinque Terre /Camp Darby/Pisa/and Florence

Cinque Terre /Camp Darby/Pisa/and Florence

While the boys were at Scout Camp, the girls were off to Italy for a week.

We drove to Cinque Terre and stayed in a La Dolce Vita Apartment in Riomaggiore- http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/LaDolceVitaApartment-CinqueTerre-10418

Cinque Terre- http://www.cinqueterre.it/en/index.asp. Find time to come here! Five towns connected by a path that you can hike. Incredible

views! We arrived the first night and just relaxed and set off early the next morning for the hike.

I would recommend you start at Monterosso al Mare and work your way back. We did the opposite and the hardest part of the hike was late in the afternoon when we were already tired. There is a train that runs between all of the towns to get you to your starting point if needed. Take your time, have lunch in one of the towns, jump in the sea to cool off. It was one of my most memorable days here in Europe!

Off to Camp Darby for the remainder of our vacation- http://www.usag.livorno.army.mil/sites/mwr/Seapines/SEAPINESSTARTHERE.htm Day Trips to- Florence and Pisa with the rest of the time spent at the American Beach in

Tirrenia. The chow hall on base was a great place for breakfast! Pisa- When you arrive go straight to the ticket booth to reserve your time to go up the

tower. It may be a few hours out, or reserve online for 2 Euro more at www.opapisa.it

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FlorenceFlorence

Lodging- Hotel Bretagna Lungarno Corsini 6, I-51023 Firenze Tel. 0039 55289618

Restaurant- Da Pennello Via Dante Alighieri 4R 055-294848 http://www.frommers.com/destinations/florence/D52155.html

Markets- http://www.florence.world-guides.com/markets.html San Lorenzo Market at Piazza San Lorenzo is a must. You can find great leather items. It

doesn’t close until 1900 and doesn’t shut down during the day when most churches and museums do.

Shopping: Piazza Santa Trinita is a great place to shop for haute couture. Ponte Vecchio Bridge – gold shops run the length of the bridge

Things to see- Accademia –Home of David, need I say any more?? (make reservations ahead of time) Via

Ricasoll 60 055-2388609. Closed on Monday. Uffizi Gallery -Incredible-Must see! www.uffizi.firenze.it. (make reservations ahead of time)

Piazzale degli Uffizi 6 055-23885. Closed on Monday. You can book through www.selectitaly.com or http://www.weekendafirenze.com or call

847/853-1661. Palazzo Pitti (across the Arno) Piazza Pitti 055-2388611 Il Duomo at Piazza del Duomo. Admission is free but the lines can be long so get there early. Giott’s Bell Tower beside the Il Duomo. There is a fee to climb the stairs to the top. Baptistry also by the Il Duomo. There is a fee. Medici Chapels at Piazza Madonna degli Adlobrandini 6 055-294883 Basilica di Santa Croce at Piazza Santa Croce 16 055-244619. Church has free admission.

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Tuscany Tuscany

Lodging- Giacomo Marengo- www.marengo.it but book by e-mailing Patrick- [email protected] he gives a discount to American Military his cell number is (011-39)

335 7663887. He also does several day tours, we were never disappointed! http://www.tuscanyumbria.com/index.html www.Tuscany.net

Transportation: A car is advisable since this estate is located right in the middle of the wine-country

Sights that we saw: Outdoor market (Saturday) in Mont San Savina.- must do Volterra- beautiful drive and beautiful mountain top village. Assisi- So much history, beautiful scenery, not very crowded and an easy day trip. A Must! Siena- It was a nice city to visit with a lot of history. Try to visit on a weekday that is not a

holiday. Food- The Italians like to eat and they like for you to eat. Be prepared.

We had some meals recommended by the owners of restaurants. This will be a full coarse meal. Way more than you could ever possible eat but the food is incredible. They usually have a set price for one of these “sampling” meals. (€25-35) This is a good price for what you get…wine is included. Make sure that your children are not charged the same price. Some restaurants will give a discount price for children. You can also take home any uneaten food. Don’t let this hinder you because it is a fantastic way to experience the local food and culture. Use this information to plan accordingly.

Don’t try to use these farm houses as a base to go see all of Italy (Rome, Venice, Florence, etc.) Stay within an hour or two of your house. It’s less stressful and you will truly feel like you have lived in Tuscany.

Shop at the local market. Enjoy sightseeing during the day and come home to a nice relaxing meal that you cook

at home with your favorite local wine.

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Bologna, ItalyBologna, Italy

Lodging- Hotel Alberto Centrale at Via Della Zecca 2, Bologna 40121 Parking is in a restricted area, but they give you a parking pass so you don’t get towed.

The hotel is centrally located so you can walk to all the sights. A typical European breakfast is included. They have rooms for 4 or more.

Restaurant- De Cesari at Via de’ Carbonesi 8 (south of Piazza Maggiore) 051-237710 Enoteca Italiana at Via Marsala 2/B 051-234989 (north of Piazza Maggiore)

Things to see: Fontana di Nettuno (Neptune Fountain) on the Piazza del Nettuno Basilica di San Petronio on the Piazaa Maggiore – free admission Basilica di San Domenico on the Piazza San Domenico 13 – free admission Tower of the Asinelli and Tower of Garisenda (Bologna’s leaning towers) Stroll down Via Strada Maggiore – most architecturally elegant street in Bologna Lamborgini Factory & Museum at Via Modena 12, Sant'Agata Bolognese 40019.

Phone # 0039 051 68 17 616. www.lamborghiniregistry.com. Call first and set up a tour of the factory. The museum is worth seeing. The tour is free. They are closed on Monday. It’s about 45 minutes north of Bologna.

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Rue de VinRue de Vin

The region we love in France is called the "Rue de Vin," or French Wine Route. It officially begins in Strausbourg and stretches south to Colmar. S and C are large cities with charming "old town" areas... but lots of traffic and not relaxing for parents with small children. I recommended 4-day trip:

1. Drive to Strausbourg (2 hrs) eat lunch at a charming restaurant in the Old Town area (alte stadt in German)... take a

river boat ride (1 hr.) which includes 2 or 3 "lock" changes, where they raise/lower the water levels--cool for children. See the cathedral and have a sweetie at the most charming candy shop I've ever seen that is on the street that runs perpendicular to the front door of the cathedral. YUM! Grab a McDonalds drive-thru dinner on the way for your 1/2 hour drive to Itterswiller--South of Strasbourg, in the direction of Colmar....

2. Drive to Itterswiller and check in at the Hotel Arnold. www.hotel-arnold.com

The best hotel we've found--and the most charming gift shop across the street. The Hotel Arnold has family rooms as well as a restored home across the street--where we last stayed--three bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, spiral staircase--all in one apartment. You can send your room request online and explain that your parents are with you--the staff speaks perfect English--and they can suggest room options. You can also have a nice gourmet dinner there if McDonalds didn't sound good!

3. Wake up, have a lovely breakfast at the hotel, then drive to Riquewihr for a morning of shopping...

a train ride is available for the children in the center of town... goes up through the vineyards... Moms can shop for French country pottery, table linens, china, wrought iron decorative stuff. Buy the city guide book. Awesome. Let the children explore the city wall/gate entrances. Fun climbing at each end. Have lunch at the bright blue restaurant with the red windmill... The Blue Moulin, I think is the name. The roasted chicken is perfect. Chicken nuggets for the kids.

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Rue de VinRue de Vin

4. Drive to Ribeauville after lunch... 2 villages away... North... follow the Rue de Vin signs leaving Riquewihr and you'll find Ribeauville.

Park at the old city gate between the wall and the city park. Rent a bicycle (bike cart) in town and ride around the park or play at the playground with the children... You can shop more and have tea at the blue restaurant in the middle of town with the purple/pink/white petunia window boxes. The patisseries also sell coconut macaroons. Buy bags full!

My favorite vendor sells here... Center of town just off the main street--look left and you'll see his tablecloths stretched out along the wall. He speaks perfect English--tell him your table size (how many it seats) and your color scheme and he will coordinate the perfect look! He always throws in free towels or napkins--and I've never found better prices. Fun Provincial patterns. There is a small butterfly park outside of Ribeauville if you want a little break before dinner....

5. Drive through the vineyards, watch the sunset... find a restaurant or buy bread and cheese and have a picnic!

6. Spend the next day touring Haut Koenigsbourg An amazing medieval castle/fortress with a lovely restaurant, gift shop, and stunning

view. Lots of steps/adventure/imagination for the children. 7. Ask at the front desk for other local events...

There are about 20 villages along the route... you can stop in for wine tasting at the "caves"... wine cellars... and you can also take walks or bike rides through the vineyards. Beautiful area!

Glass blowing place in Kayserberg- http://www.musee-du-vignoble-alsace.fr/partenaires/verrerie-d-art.php

Another recommended places to stay- Hotel Constantin 10, rue du Pere Kohlmann 68240 Kayserberg Hotel Le Riquewihr – http://www.hotel-riquewihr.fr/hotel/index.html Hotel Le Schoenbourg – http://www.hotel-schoenenbourg.fr/

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Sweden/Denmark /IcelandSweden/Denmark /Iceland

We flew into Stockholm, Sweden and rented a car. We started up in the mountains to join in the Midsummer festivities which begin the third Friday of every June and run through the weekend or sometimes throughout the week, most Scandinavian countries celebrate at Midsummer, but it is especially traditional and noncommercial in the area surrounding Lake Siljan. We stayed in a tiny village just outside of Rattvik.

Lodging- Hantveksbyn, where you have small individual cabins for families, a breakfast buffet is included.

There is also a row of cabins set up for all kinds of delightful handmade goods you can take home as souvenirs made right there as you watch from jewelry to carved wooden animals. The carved wooden horse is a very traditional gift item. www.hantverksbyn.se

The next day we went into downtown Rattvik for the parade and pole raising.

The next morning we took a leisurely drive around the lake, We stopped in several towns and wandered through churches, museums and markets.

Because of the Midsummer Holiday, be aware much of the towns and village shops and restaurants are not open, this includes Stockholm.

The next morning we drove into Stockholm, returned the rental car near the train station and trained in to our hotel.

Lodging- Park Inn Solna-www.parkinn.se it is located inside a huge mall near downtown. The train stop is located under the mall, and very convenient. Our stay included a transportation pass good for the duration of our stay, these were also available for purchase at the main train station.

33


Our first morning we trained into town and went to the Vasamuseet a museum that houses an entire warship from the 1600's that had sunk in Stockholm's harbor

Sights- Gamla Stan the oldest part of Stockholm. Gamla Stan is filled with

wonderful shopping, narrow streets, beautiful old churches and museums, it should not be missed!

Storkryan an old lovely gothic cathedral Changing of the guards at the Royal palace just behind Storkryan Shopping street is Vasterlanggatan where you'll find everything from

cheap souvenirs, fine paintings, and crystal to fashionable clothing shops. You'll find the best deals on crystal at Wasa Crystal at #31..

Resturants- Cafe Sten Sture at 10 Trangsund, ask the waiter about the restaurants

historical past! SPISA hos Helena at 18 Scheelegatan.

The next day we took the train to a huge outdoor park/zoo/museum called Skansen.

We stayed all day, and ate at Skansa's food court buffet which had many traditional Swedish dishes.

34


The next day we took a longer train ride to another city called Sigtuna. Sigtuna is the second oldest town in Sweden, it has old ruins of medieval

churches, the area is also well known for it's many 11th century Runestones. Sights-St. Maria dating from the 13th century

On our last day, we returned to Gamla Stan to purchase the souvenirs we'd picked out a few days prior. In the afternoon we were on a train bound for Copenhagen.

Copenhagen-two days We arrived in the afternoon and just set out for downtown, hitting the

main shopping street STROGET. Restaurant - Ristorante La Sosta at 1632 Kobenhaven V. www.lasosta.dk we

liked it so much, we ate there twice, the owner was very friendly and spoke English.

Mexican restaurant Mama Rosa at 24 Nikolaj Plads (which is part of the long shopping street Stroget).

Sights- Little Mermaid statue, a famous statue by the equally famous local Hans Christian Anderson.

There are two lovely towers worth climbing for the view at Our Savior's church at Christianshavn and the twisted dragon tower at the Stock Exchange downtown.

The next morning we took a train out to Roskilde. Rosklide has a big Viking ship museum with many old recovered ships and plenty of interesting Viking history. You can even ride in a restored longboat in the harbour, and get your picture taken in Viking clothes. There is also a beautiful 12th century cathedral worth exploring.

35


The next day we took the train up to Kronberg Slot Sights- the Castle known from Shakespeare's Hamlet. There are very few remaining furnishings in the castle, the dungeon

contains a sleeping giant Viking statue, legend has that he will rise if Denmark falls under attack!

Kronberg Slot is located in the small town of Helsingor, which has plenty of fun little streets to wander and shop.

Karmeliter Monastery is worth a visit, even though we arrived too late to go in.

Rosenborg Slot which is the Royal Palace in Copenhagen, but wished we had the opportunity to go.

Our last day in Copenhagen we spent at Tivoli amusement park that has been open since 1843. We had a great time

riding all the rides, playing games, getting our picture taken, and the evening light show is worth sticking around for.

The next morning we flew into Reykjavik, Iceland and rented a car. Lodging-Hotel Best- www.motelbest.is It was located between Reykjavik and the airport. It was perfect, and the stay

included breakfast. Restaurant called Duus at Duusgata 10 www.duus.is the food and service were

outstanding. We hiked around the cliffs on the coast after dinner until we decided to retire for

the night.

36


The next morning we drove south a few hours, the drive is about 3 hours on mostly gravel roads, to see a glacier Solheimajokull,

Sights- Waterfalls you could hike around, above and behind the Skogafoss and the

Seljalandsfoss, Beaches of Dyrholaey. The beaches are black because of the lava and there are some

really unusual rock formations on the coast worth seeing. We drove back towards our hotel and followed a route lake Kleifarvatn where you can

see several boiling mud pots bubbling up from deep within the earth, and you can also go to the very spot where the European tectonic plate and the North American tectonic plate meet, you can stand on a little footbridge right in the center of earths midline.

We spent all of the next day in downtown shopping and enjoying the view, Sights- Saga museum which was ok, but probably not worth seeing if you go to the National

museum Hallgrimskirkja a modern church that sort of resembles the Space shuttle! You can go to

the top for an amazing 360 degree view of Reykjavik. We took a little drive into Hafnarfjordur which has a rich history of goblins and gnomes

living nearby and even among the people of the quaint little town. You can get a map with various creature locations and go goblin hunting!

We found a fun Viking restaurant Fjorukrain at 55 Strandgasse www.fjorukrain.is On our last day we took a horseback riding tour with Hestar www.ishestar.is they

have a variety of tours to choose from. We rode the native Icelandic horse which is a little smaller than the horses of Europe and North America. After a few hours on horseback we spent the rest of the day and evening at the Blue Lagoon. Probably Iceland's biggest tourist attraction, the huge geothermal pool was a really nice end to a long journey through Scandinavia, and the restaurant served good food as well.

37

Side DishesSide Dishes

Garmisch Oberammergau Rothenberg Munich Cruise the Rhine Esslingen Ludwigsburg Berchtesgaden Salzburg Trier/ Luxembourg / Bastogne Skiing

38


Garmisch-Lodging- Edelweiss- http://www.afrceurope.com/Restaurant- http://www.gasthof-fraundorfer.de/englisch/index_e.htmlZugspitze- Highest point in Germany- http://www.zugspitze.de/main_en.phpLongest Tyrolean summer alpine slide: http://www.langes.at/front_content.php?idcatart=542&changelang=29

OberammergauLodging- Friedenshoehe - http://www.friedenshoehe.com/en/index.htmlHotel Alte Post- http://www.ogau.com/estart.htmRestaurant- Zauberstub ‘n- http://www.zauberstubn.de/Frames/US/Frameset-us.htm - The owner

will come around and do magic tricks for you, great food too!!

Rothenberg- http://www.rothenburg.de/index.php?get=121Night watchman’s tour in Rothenburg od Tauber - http://www.nightwatchman.de/

39


Munich Hofbraeu Haus http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en/index_en.html Raft down the Isar River on a Log Raft! http://www.isarflossfahrten.biz/isar-log-rafting/

Cruise the Rhine- http://www.k-d.com/englisch/index.html- View over 20 castles along the way! Take a

river cruise one way and then train back to your car. http://www.firework.rhine-river.com/ - Night cruise where the castles are beautifully

illuminated. Fireworks displays are launched from a few castles.

Esslingen Our favorite Christmas Market Kessler Sekt Factory – Marktplatz 21-23, 73728 Esslingen. www.kessler-sektkellerei.de. Phone # 0711-310-5930. Tours available

Ludwigsburg http://www.ludwigsburg.de/servlet/PB/menu/1026879_l2/index.html Fall festival, baroque Christmas market, and the Fairy tale gardens for the children.

40

BerchtesgadenBerchtesgaden

Berchtesgaden- A great place for a three day weekend Lodging-

Gästehaus Deml- www.ferienwohnungen-deml.de Alpengasthof Hochlenzer - www.hochlenzer.de. Alpenhof- www.alpenhof-hintersee.de/ Hotel Zum Tuerken- http://www.hotel-zum-tuerken.com/index.html- this home was

actually occupied during WWII and has underground tunnels that connects it to other strategic homes of that time.

Restaurants- Jolly Pizza- www.pizzeria-jolly.de

Things to see- Eagle’s Nest- http://www.kehlsteinhaus.com/english- open late spring through late fall Documentation Museum - http://www.obersalzberg.de/cms_e/content/home/ one of

our favorite museums. Salt mines- www.salzbergwerk-berchtesgaden.de –put on miners gear and ride the

train down to the mine Old Salt Works - http://www.salzwelt.de/salzwelt/en/default.asp Königssee boat trip- www.seenschifffahrt.de/ Adidas outlet just before you cross the border to Austria, right hand side of the road.

41

SalzburgSalzburg

Salzburg Lodging-

Bloberger Hof - Awesome place! www.blobergerhof.at

Things to see: Hohensalzburg Festung-

http://www.visitsalzburg.net/sights/hohensalzburg.htmCastle Largest, fully preserved fortress in central Europe. Tours available

with English audio guides. You can take a tram to the top or you can walk. The walk is very steep.

Sound of Music Tour- can be booked through some hotels Catacombs located behind St. Peter’s Cemetery which is behind

the cathedral. Salt Mines – A-4830 Hallstatt. Guided tours in English.

42

Trier/ Luxembourg / Bastogne

Trier/ Luxembourg / Bastogne

Lodging Spangdahlem Lodging- http://dodlodging.net/VT_Spangdahlem.htm Hotel Zum Christophel in Trier- http://www.zumchristophel.de/index-eng.htm

Trier Resturants- Zum Domstein- http://www.domstein.de/ Sights-

http://www.germany-tourism.de/ENG/destination_germany/master_tlstadt-id1228.htm?cc_lang

Porta Nigra Market Square Cathedral

Luxembourg Luxembourg American Cemetery- http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/lx.php Villeroy& Boch Outlet-http://www.villeroy-boch.com Luxembourg City (330 Rue du Rollingergrund), Mystery boxes were just 25 Euro when we last visited. They are packed full of pottery. If you like

surprises this is a must! Buy a couple and put together place settings Bastogne-

http://www.paysdebastogne.be/index.php?lg=fpdb/bastogne_en&page1=a-pays.htm See the Fox holes outside Foy that the Band of Bothers were in… http://ardennesghost.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html

43

SkiingSkiing

General Information about Areas and snow reports http://www.bergfex.com/

Companies that set up Ski Vacations- Tyrolian Tours Tours- http://www.tyroliantours.com Siegi Tours- http://www.siegitours.com/principal.htm Don’t forget Patch Ski Club and MWR outings

Local Skiing and Sledding- Feldberg- http://www.feldberg24.de/feldberg/feldberg.html Todtnau- sledding,10 mins from of Feldberg http://www.todtnauer-ferienland.de/de2/winter/rodeln.php?lang=en&psid=aec9515905b

7c816c92493734c3eed32&

Other Lodges- Austria-www.tauernstueberl.at Switzerland- Hotel Beatenberg-Interlaken- www.mercure.com

44

Main CoursesMain Courses

ParisRomeLondonVenicePragueBerlin

45

ParisParis

Useful Information- Lodging-

Cercle National des Armées –A French Officers’ Club has two hotels in Paris where we can stay.

http://www.cnaparis.com/angl_htm/hotell.htm B&B’s Good Morning Paris- http://www.goodmorningparis.fr/en/accueil.htm Hote Qualite Paris- http://www.hotesqualiteparis.fr/en/

General Information/ Websites- http://www.paris.org/ http://en.parisinfo.com/ http://www.parisdigest.com/index.html• Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements, which start with the 1st in the center of

the city and spiral outwards like a nautilus. The arrondissement is often referenced, and when you have an address with a zip code, the last two digits give the arrondissement (this can be helpful when looking at hotels). The Louvre is in the 1st, Eiffel Tower is in the 7th, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees are the 8th, and Montmartre is in the 18th.

• Tours-• Paris Walks- http://www.paris-walks.com/• Seine River Boats- www.bateauxparisiens.com or www.batobus.com

Market-Porte de Clignancourt- Saturday through Monday

46

ParisParis

Shopping- Galleries Lafayette (www.galerieslafayette.com) & Printemps

(http://departmentstoreparis.printemps.com) on boulevard Haussmann are fun department stores and have long lines to view their holiday windows.

La Samaritaine (currently closed for renovations-- www.lasmaritaine.com) is one of the oldest department stores in Paris and offers the best free view of the city from their roof-top restaurant

Rue Rivoli is near Place de la Concorde and the American Embassy. At 248 Rue de Rivoli, you will find WH Smith, a huge English bookstore, and a short walk to #226 takes you to Angelina’s Tea Room, famous for hot chocolate.

Restaurants- World Class Dining/Michelin Rated Restaurants If you have wanted to experience an “ultimate

dining experience” in a restaurant owned by one of the world’s top chefs, many are open for lunch, and you can have this experience for about half the cost of a dinner sitting---it will still be pricey, but a very memorable experience. Reservations required.

There are many in Paris, but Taillevent is in the 8th, 15 rue Lamennais, +33.1.44.95.15.01 www.taillevent.com; La Table by Joel Robuchon is in the 16th, at 16 rue Bugeaud, +33.1.56.28.16.16

Eat at a school in Paris for apprentice chiefs and food service personnel-Article from Stars and Stripes- http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=103&article=53254&archive=true

Relais de Venise (271 Boulevard Pereire, Porte Maillot) offers easy dining. They don’t take reservations and only serve salad, steak, & French fries. A line forms outside at 1745 and the doors open at 1800. As everyone is seated, the waitresses come around and take drink orders and ask how you want your meat (rare, medium, & even well). The steak is sliced and served in a house “special sauce”. After everyone is served, they come around and offer “seconds”. There is an extensive dessert menu, but do not plan on staying around for a 2nd cup of coffee and conversation, there is still a line outside and they turn over into a 2nd seating as everyone finishes up dessert. www.relaisdevenise.com

47

ParisParis

Museum Pass- A must have if you are touring Paris museums. You can purchase a pass for 2,4,or 6 days. It allows

you entrance into many of the most popular museums and you don’t have to stand in line at each waiting to pay. http://www.parismuseumpass.com/en/home.php

Day1- Drive to Versailles and tour the castle and grounds on to Paris to check in to our hotel http://www.chateauversailles.fr/en/index.php

Day 2- Euro Disney- we hopped on a train that dropped us off right in front of Disney-The park does great

Halloween decorations during the month of October. If you can get away during the week in the fall and winter (but avoid French school holidays), the park is virtually empty. The ticket office would have the dates of the French school holidays---usually 2 weeks in November, December, and February. www.disneylandparis.com

Day 3- Notre Dame Cathedral- http://goparis.about.com/od/sightsattractions/p/Notre_Dame.htm Sainte-Chapelle- http://sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/ Conciergerie- http://www.parisdigest.com/monument/laconciergerie.htm ParisL’Open Tour Bus- http://www.paris-opentour.com We bought the two day ticket and used the

bus to get to all of our travel destinations Orsay- http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html Sacre-Coeur- http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/us/index.html

Day 4- Louvre- http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en Hopped on the bus and toured the city Arc de Triomphe Eiffel Tower- http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/

48

Paris ExtrasParis Extras

Monet’s House at Giverny This is about 1 hour outside of Paris, but if you are at all a fan of Claude Monet, it is worth the trip. The Gardens are the

paintings coming to life. http://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/visitgb.htm Montmartre

This neighborhood was the original home to the Paris artists, and has a lot of character (just rent Amelie). In this neighborhood is one of the oldest Cabarets, Lapin Agile. While the entertainment is all in French, it is still quite entertaining. Reservations recommended. This is not the Vegas-Moulin Rouge type of cabaret, but folk songs, humor, and drinking songs. There are great stories that come with this cabaret….told on Paris Walks. www.au-lapin-agile.com +33.1.46.06.85.97

Jazz Clubs Paris has some great jazz clubs, like the Duc des Lombard in the 1st arrondissement.

http://www.10best.com/Paris/Nightlife/Jazz_Clubs/index.html Marais

An old area of Paris rich with history (3rd and 4th arrondissement), including the Jewish quarter. There are at least 2 Paris Walks focusing on this area including “Saints & Sinners” and “Murderers & Mistresses” Great delis with the best Pastrami sandwiches! (Many shops and delis are closed on Saturday in this area). The Picasso museum is also in this area. www.parislemarais.com

The Musee de Cluny at Place Paul – Painleve in the 5th has many of the original sculptures and stained glass removed from the Paris churches (including

those beheaded statues from the revolutionary war) as well as a room of The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. www.musee-moyenage.fr

Ile St. Louis• This is a small island behind Notre Dame (connected by a foot bridge). This island contains a cute shopping street and

some fun restaurants; try Nos Ancetres les Gaulois for fun for all ages (Rue St. Louis en Ile), followed by an ice cream at Berthillon. www.nosancetreslesgaulois.com

Paris is a city that could keep you occupied for days. If you had longer or could return try to visit some of these other sights; Napoleon's Tomb, Rodin Museum,, Picasso Museum, L’ Orangerie Museum, and this still doesn’t cover it all!!

49

RomeRome

Lodging- Rome USO can help you find a place to stay. I used Rome By to find ours. http://www.uso.it/ http://www.romeby.com/ Bed and Breakfast Suzy - Awesome place near the Vatican. Owners speak

little English but we did fine. 00195 Roma Via Tommaso Campanella, 15b/int 7 Tel. 06.39743842

Cell. 335-6403089 & 335.6506403 & 380.7287858 Markets- http://www.rome.world-guides.com/markets.html

Piazza de Portaportese-Sunday Mornings 0500-1400 Underground Market held in the psrking lot between Via Sistine and Via

Veneto 1500-2000 on Saturdays 1030-1930 on Sundays-Closed in the summer, Mercato Village Olimpico-Fridays 0800-1330

We used the itinerary from Rick Steves’ Rome 2006 Day 1- Walk Across Rome

We flew Rynair out of Frankfort to Rome and arrived late in the afternoon and checked in to our B&B. After getting settled we did Rick’s night walk across Rome. It starts at Campo de’ Fiori and includes stops at Piazza Navona, The Patheon, Trevi Fountain, and ends at the Spanish Steps. The fountains are the most beautiful at night.

http://rome-tour.co.uk/index.html

50

RomeRome

Day 2-Caesar Shuffle Nero’s Golden House (Domus Aurea)- Reservations needed-

http://www.pierreci.it/do/show/article/01006 Palatine Hill- Tickets are good for both the Hill and the Colosseum, so get your

tickets and tour here first and save waiting in long lines at the Colosseum. Colosseum Roman Forum

Day 3-Vatican Vatican City St. Peter’s Basilica- http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/ Vatican Museum- http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html Afternoon Hop Off Hop On Bus Ride- Many companies pick up across the street

from Vatican City on Via della Conciliazione. Just go there and see which company best suits your needs. Many offer a two day pass, worth while if you are going to be in town for a few days.

Special Note- Visit the Vatican Necropolis, which is referred to as the Scavi. You will actually go below St. Peter’s Basilica and learn more about its incredible history. I have been on the tour twice and it is well worth the effort to get tickets- http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/uffscavi/documents/rc_ic_uffscavi_doc_gen-information_20040112_en.html

51

RomeRome

Day 4- Borghese Gallery and Churches Borghese Gallery- My favorite museum in Europe!! Reservations needed-

http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm Santa Maria Maggiore San Clemente San Giovanni in Laterano http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome.htm

I have been to Rome three times and still have not seen everything! It’s an incredible city that will continue to fascinate you each time you visit.

Some other suggestions if you have more time- A Day trip to Pompeii, Trajan’s Column, Forum, and Market, Appian Way with

Catacombs, and an evening to just sit in the Piazza Navona to just eat, drink and people watch.

Restaurants- Trastevere has great restaurants- our favorite was

http://www.ristorantelabotticella.com/default.htm# Pizzeria Baffetto - great place for kids and excellent pizza (near Piazza Navona) Via del Governo Becchio 114 Tel.06-6861617 Il Gelatone - great gelato with nice size portions Via de Serpenti 28

52

LondonLondon

Lodging- Victory Services Club- http://www.vsc.co.uk/ Union Jack Club- http://www.ujclub.co.uk/

Day 1- Tower of London- http://www.hrp.org.uk/ Cruise from the Tower to the Westminster Bridge along the Thames Westminster Abbey- http://www.westminster-abbey.org/ Walk from here to Trafalgar Square Special note- Tower of London has a special Ceremony of the Keys where

they lock the Tower up like they have been doing for over 700 years every evening at 2130-Free!!

You must book a few months ahead http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/WhatsOn/ceremonyofthekeys.aspx?EventDate=&Step=View

Day 2- Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour- http://www.bigbus.co.uk/ The ticket is good for 24

hours so hop off and on at will. Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard-1130 Special Note- beat the crowds and watch the Inspection of the Guard

ceremony at 1100 in front of the Wellington Barracks 500 yards east of the palace on Birdcage Walk and then follow them to the palace.

British Museum- http://www.britishmuseum.org/default.aspx

53

LondonLondon

Day 3- Day trip to Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Warwick Castle Evan Evans Tours- http://www.evanevanstours.co.uk/full-day-tours.htm Oxford-University City- http://www.oxfordcity.co.uk/ Stratford-upon-Avon- Home of Shakespeare-

http://www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk/ The Warwick Castle is my favorite! It has a Waxwork exhibition which

depicts life at the castle over the centuries. Other Great Things to do in London-

Shop or have afternoon tea at Harrods- http://www.harrods.com/Cultures/en-GB/Home/homepageindex.htm

London Theater- http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/shows Have dinner with Queen Elizabeth 1 at the Hatfield House-

http://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/Hospitality.asp?S=6&V=1&P=30 Visit Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station London Eye Ferris Wheel- http://www.ba-londoneye.com/ Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks- http://www.madame-tussauds.co.uk/

There is so much to do here, you are only limited by your time available.

54

VeniceVenice

I have been to Venice twice and have stayed once when the whole family was with me off the island at the Hotel Tritone- http://www.httritone.com/ and once on the island when there was just three of us at 374 Ponte Chiodo- http://www.pontechiodo.it/index.html

I enjoyed staying in Venice more because you were able to stick around longer in the evening and just relax instead of getting back on the vaporetto and then a bus to get back to your hotel.

Day 1- St. Mark’s Square St. Mark’s Basilica- http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/WAI/eng/visite/visite.bsm Doge’s Palace- Secret Itineraries Tour-must be booked before you arrive-

http://www.weekendavenezia.com/bigphp/mus.php?mus=ducaleveis&skin=ve Gondola Ride-you can select how long you would like it to last and where you go. Costs

around 100 Euro, you can shop around and the cost might go down. Day 2

Burano- Homes are painted bright colors, known for their lace .http://www.isoladiburano.it/ Murano- Famous for its glass factories Return to Venice and just get lost, enjoy the surroundings and eat gelato.

Other Sights- Correr Museum, Accademia, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Frari Church Favorite Restaurants-

Ristorante al Giardnetto intersection of Ruga Giuffa and Calle Corona Ristorante Ribo - excellent food but pricey! S. Croce, 158 Tel. 041 5242486 BoraBora - pizza place Trattoria-Pizzeria Campo San Bartolomio-San Marco 5251 Tel. 041.5236583

55

Karlovy Vary/PragueKarlovy Vary/Prague

Lodging Prague -Pension Rustical- http://www.rustical.wz.cz/ Our favorite place to stay in

Prague is with Stan. He runs a B&B on the outskirts of town. He does driving tours of Prague that gives you a wonderful overview of the city. The breakfast is one of the best we have found in Europe.He will also drop you off and pick you up from Prague on request.

-Prague United States Embassy Apartments-Tel.-00420-2-5753-0663 ext.2096 -Rezidence Lundborg- www.lundborg.se It is really a quaint place although a

little on the expensive side, but you can't beat the location! (Tara Marchant) -Hotel Julian, www.julian.cz I highly recommend it! They have family rooms so

you don’t have to get 2 rooms, plus they have a nice breakfast included. We also liked that they had a secure courtyard for parking. We walked everywhere, but it was a hike after a long day! There is a great restaurant about 3 blocks away from the hotel on the way to central Prague called Olympia with Czech food that was excellent with really good prices. (Janet Anderson)

Resturants- U Prince- http://www.hoteluprince.cz/ Right in the middle of the square by the

astronomical clock. Dine on the rooftop for a great view of the square. Lodging Karlovy Vary-

-The Grand Hotel Pupp- http://www.pupp.cz/aj/indexaj.html This is were the movie the Last Holiday was filmed.

56

Karlovy Vary/PragueKarlovy Vary/Prague

Day 1 Drove to Karlovy Vary to shop for crystal and enjoy this beautiful spa town

www.karlovyvary.cz Day 2

Morning Driving tour with Stan from Pension Rustical. In the afternoon we walked from the Charles Bridge to the Prague Castle. We stopped at Church of St. Nicholas http://www.psalterium.cz./en/o_kostele_en.php and spent the rest of the day in the castle quarter- http://www.prague-tourism.com/attractions/attractionslist.php?attrcat_id=6

Don’t miss going inside St. Vitus Cathedral http://old.hrad.cz/castle/svvit_uk.html Day 3

Jewish Quarter- http://www.jewishmuseum.cz/aindex.htm Old Town Square with the Astronomical Clock Infant Jesus of Prague- http://www.karmel.at/prag-jesu/english/firsten.htm

Extra Time-no problem Climb the Petrin Lookout Tower gives you the best view of the city-

http://www.prague.net/observation-tower-on-petrin Bohemia Ticket International- http://www.ticketsbti.cz/ We did the paddle boats with the children under the Charles Bridge-a great

memory! Shop, eat, and enjoy this beautiful city!

57

BerlinBerlin

Berlin- No Trip recipes as of yet, below is recommended sights to see

Reichstag – Platz der Republik 1, www.bundestag.de, 030-22732152

Deutsches Historisches Museum, Unterden Linden 2, www.dhm.de, 030-203040

Schloss Charlottenburg – Luisenplatz. Phone # 030-3209-1275. Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedaechtniskirche – www.gedaechtniskirche.de.

Free admission. 030-218-5023. Checkpoint Charlie – Friedrichstrasse 43-45, D-10969 Berlin-

Kreuzberg, www.mauermuseum.de. Phone # 030-253-7250. Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin – Unter den Linden 13-15. Phone #

030-202-0930. Free on Monday. Berlin Wall – partial wall at Bernauerstrasse and Ackerstrasse Olympia Stadium – Olympischer Platz 3. Phone # 030-300-633. Schoeneberg Rathaus – John-F-Kennedy-Platz. Free admission.

Phone # 030-75-600. Unter den Linden – has many things to see in this area

58

DessertsDesserts

ItalyCooking SchoolPolandMarkets

59

Italy Shopping TripItaly Shopping Trip

This trip is usually planned the last weekend of the month to include a antique market that is held the last Sunday of every month in Piazzola sul Brenta .

Nove-shop for pottery. Stores in town close early on Saturday, arrive early! La Ceramica VBC - Ceramic Shop-www.laceramicavbc.com Ancora- http://www.portaleceramica.com/ancora.htm

Lunch in Marostica is a nice way to round out a day. Two cafes there serve a light lunch, Il Diavolo e Angelo and Café Centrale

Bottega Purses-, well made by the same people, at Pelletterie La Rotonda, via Riviera Berica 64 phone-0444-323-286

Antique market- It’s the largest in Northern Italy! Beautiful chandeliers to be found here, many from Venice! http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=103&article=33700&archive=true

Other Things to do- Tour of Villa Emo at Fanzolo -http://www.toursitaly.com/veneto/villa_emo.htm Visit Monte Berico a beautiful baroque church that overlooks Vicenza -

http://www.monteberico.it/sito/inglese/inglese.php

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Italy Shopping TripItaly Shopping Trip

Recommended hotels -Villa Pasini http://www.villapasini.com/eng/villa.html This place was incredible! It was located on the grounds of a villa built in

1770. You can stroll through the gardens and vineyard. The owner is an American who has been living in Italy for 15 years. Her restaurant recommendations were spot on!-Lisa Mallets

-Nogarazza Residence Trattoria - www.nogarazza.com One of my most favorite places I have stayed in Europe. Food was the best!

Paolo is the owner and his wife is American. Both speak perfect English. They will take excellent care of you. We went there on the SCSC trip and we had 3 people to a room. It had two single beds and a double bed in every room so I imagine this would be good for families. You have to eat there!!!!-Julie Gifford

-Ederle Inn- http://vicenzamwr.com/lodging.html Located on the Vicenza Military Base- tel.+39-0444-718034/718035 If we shop late on Sunday at the market, we will sometimes stay at

Edelweiss on the way home to break up the drive- http://www.afrceurope.com/

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Cooking SchoolCooking School

My family sent me to a cooking for my 40th Birthday. It was incredible! For one whole week I didn’t have to make any decisions!

During the day the class travels to a different Tuscan Town to tour, and we meet up again in the afternoon to prepare our dinner. We were able to visit Cortona, Deruta, Assisi, Montepulciano, and more. Dinners are prepared as a group under Faye’s guidance. We made homemade gnocchi, lasagna, risotto, and tiramisu to name a few. It’s a wonderful week and you will leave feeling refreshed and ready to cook some Tuscan Favorites.

http://fayefood.com

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Poland Shopping TripPoland Shopping Trip

Boleslawiec Lodging-

Blue Root- http://www.bluebeetroot.com/ I have heard only great things from people who have stayed here. Very helpful, will set

up tours, and have provided the shopping guide that is attached to this e-mail Protea- http://www.protea.com.pl/hotel-ang.htm

What is “GAT”? – Short for gatunek which means the quality category of the product. Gat one is the best, no defects and it goes to Gat five which can not be used in the

oven.

Bring plenty of money, Euro or USD because ATM’s are hard to find

Websites- Polonea Polish Pottery http://www.poloneapolishpottery.com/ Boleslawiec Chamber of Commerce- http://www.chamberofcommerce.pl/pottery/

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MarketsMarkets

Markets-Metz Flea Market-

Parc des Expositions on the outskirts of Metz http://tourisme.mairie-metz.fr/anglais/frameset.html look under MARCHÉ AUX PUCES for

market dates. Markets are usually on Saturdays with special markets on Sundays about three times a year

Website for Belgium and Netherlands- http://www.antiek.com/fleamarkets.cfmNijmegen, Netherlands-

Vrije Market-Cuijk- http://www.vrijemarkt.nl/ Saturdays 0900-1630Tongeren, Beligium-

http://www.tongereninfo.net/enantiekmarkt.htm Sundays 0700-1500Stuttgart, Germany

Weekly antique market at the Karlsplatz Two very large markets a year one in May (Frühjahrs) and one in September (Herbst)-

http://www.stuttgart.de/sde/menu/frame/top.php?seite=http%3A//www.stuttgart.de/sde/keyword.php%3Fid%3D9713

Other Markets in Germany- http://www.flohmarkt.de/ - German Website-use online translator.

Check out the Stars and Stripes Travel Section every Thursday for current market listings.

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Children’s MenuChildren’s Menu

A nice search engine for parks (amusement, water, climbing)-http://www.infoparks.com/flashan/r_parcs/r_theme2/frameset.htm

Search Engine for Water parks- http://www.freizeitbad.de/en/parks/germany.php Amusement Parks-

Europa Park- http://www.europapark.de/lang-en/c51/default.html Phantasialand –www.phantasialand.de

Indoor Water Parks- Filderado (just 20 minutes from Patch)- http://www.fildorado.de/ Atlantis- http://www.atlantis-freizeitpark.de/

Climbing Park- http://www.abenteuerpark-schlosslichtenstein.de/home.htmLocal Children’s Activites Indoor Sand Soccer/Volleyball-

Indoor Beach Sports- http://www.indoorbeachsports.de/index.html Indoor Playgrounds-

Kinderland- http://www.ki-la.de/ Paladion- 07031 677930 Silberweg 18, Boblingen 71032 JOLOS-www.jolos-kinderwelt.de

Stuttgart Zoo - http://www.wilhelma.de/ Go Carts-

Kart Arena- www.kart-arena-stuttgart.de Kartion- http://www.kartion.de/

Medieval Dinner- http://www.schloss-auerbach.de/IE_E/centerframe.cfm

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Ala CarteAla Carte

Online Translator- http://babelfish.altavista.com/

International Drivers License- A must if you are driving outside Germany- Take a passport, ID, and passport size photo Landratsamt Building- Address-Park Strasse 16 Boeblingen

Local Kennels Dog Holiday Pension- www.dogholiday.com Pick up and drop offs on Sunday, speaks English Hundehotel- Schlosspark Strasse 33, Markgroningen- Tel. 07147 5555 Hunde Hotel Haase- http://www.hundehotelhaase.de/SeiteHHH/Doghotel/Dog%20Hotel.htm

Corso Cinema - http://www.corso-kino.de/

Great Sports Store- Decathlon- http://www.decathlon.de/DE/unsere-stores-11750163/

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Ala CarteAla Carte Dubrovnik

Srdjan Gizdie- www.dubrovnikbedandbreakfast.com Manager speaks English Frana Supila 1 , 20000 Dubrovnik Croatia Tel. +385 (0)91 2015591 The location is awesome. It's right outside a main entrance to the Walled City. I can't

say enough about Dubrovnik. One of my favorite places! You must take the boat ride out to the Island that you can see from Dubrovnik. Also, do the walking wall tour of the city. Great food, inexpensive and most people speak English. Incredibly beautiful.

Pompei - Awesome! Don't miss seeing Pompei Hotel Palma - friendly and good location. Right across the street from the main train

station. Via Piave, 15 Pompeii 081.863.11.68 www.pompeihotelpalma.com

IRELAND Malahide Guest House - www.malahidehouse.ie If you go to Dublin stay in Malahide which is a little village outside of Dublin. The was wonderful!!! Right across the street from the Castle. Rosemary is the owner. She's a sweetheart.

Ice Ice Baby- See the Iceman in Bolzano Italy-Over 5000 years old found in 1991 South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology -

http://www.archaeologiemuseum.it/f01_ice_uk.html

european travel - recipe for success

Documents

rue de vin

langenamp

appetizers

make reservations

main train

easy day trip

italy shopping