Thursday with Ryan

Thursday with RyanActually with Ryan1Favorite Places in EuropeWhat were some of your favorite places on my trip??

What do you think were my 2 favorite countries to visit??Hints: I love mountains and skiing!!The name Ryan is from ancestors that migrated here from this country during the potato famine.

2Favorite Places in Pictures

Favorite Countries

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland The Alps, Switzerland History Filled Cities

City Flag of Mainz Explorers Monument , Lisbon3Back to Ireland for St. Pattys Day Galway and Western Ireland may be my favorite places in Europe.

From the beautiful Cliffs of Moher to the ancient Stone Fort on the Aran Islands and the traditional music in Galway.

Western Ireland had a bit of everything!! 4The City of Galway

Claddagh Quay in Galway Claddagh RingTraditional Irish Music played every night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tuvk1iznNo&feature=player_detailpagehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgsUBYLZpJk&feature=related

5Ancient Celtic Stone Fort

Backside of the Fortification The main fortress with series of surrounding wallsDating to before 2000 B.C-How many years ago is that???Aran Islands Movie6The Swiss Alps and Lindt Chocolates

- Small villages are found in valleys between the towering peaks.

Switzerland is easily the cleanest country in all of Europe.

- Many of the rural people work on both small family farms in the summer and work the ski resorts in the winter.

7Swiss Houses

The Swiss houses all have the date of their construction carved on the outsides.

Many of these houses are also B&Bs for skiers in the winter8The City of Mainz, Germany

- Carnival is a famous event each year in Mainz- The Guttenberg Statue- In front of the Gutenberg museum

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Mainzs Importance Past and Present Mainz was the Roman capital North of the Alps and later the strongest Roman Catholic diocese outside Italy.The city still has many buried Roman ruins.

10Mainzs Importance Past and Present Today the city is the capital of one of Germanys sixteen states.

11Lisbon - The City by the Atlantic

- Tower of Belem that protected the city.- The style of the building is taken from the Moors who ruled Spain and Portugal for 800 years. The Moors were actually from the Middle East.- Looking out on the Tagus River that empties into the Atlantic Ocean.12The City of Explorers

- The tomb of Vasco de Gama. Discoverer of the sea route to India. Explorers monument in Lisbon- All the famous Portuguese explorers are sculpted here.

The side profile also reveals the prow of a 3 masted caravel with Henry the Explorer at the helm. Immediately behind him is Manuel I and Luis de Camoes; ruler of Portugal during the Age of Eploration and poet who expounded upon Portuguese exploration in the epic "Lusidas," respectively. Other figures of note that commemorate the Portuguese Age of Exploration include: Vasco da Gama (discoverer of the sea route to India), Pedro lvares Cabral (discoverer of Brazil), Ferdinand Magellan (first to circumnavigate the globe), and Pedro Nunes (16th century mathematician) to name a few.13The City of Seafood and Pastries

Pastries of Belem, flavored with cinnamon and sugarWhere they make the pastriesFamous Portuguese seafood stew14

My Favorite Places in EuropeI cant wait until I am able to visit Europe again.

Hopefully you all will have the opportunity to visit this great continent!!!15