Europe
Amsterdam, Netherlands June 28, 2015
This morning we started with a 3 hour cruise of the canals. I knew I wanted to cruise the canals but I didn’t want to be on a large boat full of tourists, so we rented an electric boat from Boats4Rent. They gave us a map of the canal district with an idea of how … Continue reading
Amsterdam, Netherlands June 27, 2015
Walking out of Amsterdam Centraal Station the first time was very overwhelming – buses, trams, canal boats, bicycles, and cars all converge in front of the station. We headed to the Visitor Center in front of the station for directions to the Van Gogh Museum. We hopped on a tram, which was easy to find and … Continue reading
Groningen, Netherlands June 24, 2015
After 3 flights and 4 trains, we finally made it to the Netherlands! Airfare from the Midwest to Europe is always expensive, particularly in the summer. I was able to find decent flights into Frankfurt, but that meant that we had to take 4 trains to travel to our first destination, which is Groningen in … Continue reading
Dublin, Ireland 11.15.2013
The weather today wasn’t quite as cold and windy, but I can see why they say to pack clothes for every season. Dublin’s public transportation isn’t the best and some sites are spread out around the city, so we took the Hop on/Hop off Bus. The bus was a great way to get around and … Continue reading
Dublin, Ireland 11.14.2013
Landing in Dublin was a bit of a shock – Spain and Morocco were sunny and dry but it’s very windy, rainy, and cold here. It’s snowing in Des Moines, so I won’t complain. We walked along the Liffey River and crossed the Ha’Penny Bridge, a famous pedestrian bridge over the river. We shopped and … Continue reading
Valencia, Spain 11.7.2013
We flew from Marrakech to Madrid today and then took the AVE high speed train from Madrid to Valencia. The train is definitely cheaper with more advance purchase. I had checked prices before we left the US, but the price at the counter was much higher. We’re in Valencia to watch the MotoGP race this … Continue reading
September 17, 2011 Morella, Spain
We were up before the sun today, driving to the MotoGP track in Alcaniz. We visited Morella, an ancient walled city on a hilltop. The old town is surrounded by 1.5 miles of stone walls with 7 huge gates.
September 16, 2011 Aragon, Spain
We’re driving from Barcelona to the Aragon region of Spain. The views are beautiful – the Mediterranean on the left and rolling hills on the right. We’re staying in an apartment in Cati surrounded by beautiful churches and countryside.
September 15, 2011 Split, Croatia
Today we are in Split, Croatia’s second largest city. The pier is near Old Town and Diocletian’s Palace, a medieval palace that’s really like a walled city. We didn’t take an organized shore excursion offered by the ship here – we just walked around Old Town.
September 13, 2011 Mykonos, Greece
We are in Mykonos today, another Greek Island in the Mediterranean. Mykonos is much different than Santorini – it is flatter with larger white beaches. The architecture isn’t quite as stunning, but the windmills that dot the island and windy roads edged by stone walls are fun to explore. The ship docked about one mile … Continue reading