Amsterdam II

I have found some more time. I guess the last time (perhaps) Berfore we leav tomorrow morning.

It is getting dark now and everyone else is in for the night but I wanted to get out and write some more.

We did do some more touring tonight. We walked along a number of canals, and shop-filled streets. We walked down the main thoroughfare called the Damrak and then down past the Royal Residence and towards the Mint Tower (demarks the medieval limits of the city). The Flower market was closed for the evening , unfortunately but we did see some of the shops which hold them. The netherlands is known for its flowers....

We stopped at McDonald's to eat something before returning home. So many people!

Afternoon In Amsterdam

I feel terrible. I haven't had the opportunity to post for some time. Since we left London. I did have access in a nice cafe in Paris but for some reason I couldn't login on the strange french keyboards. Perhaps, I can fill you in now! Further, it seems like it is hard to publich my blog here In Europe!

We had a wonderful time in Paris. The weather was a little cold but we made due with coats and exercise. We arrived and made our way from our hotel to the Eiffel Tower (a matter of four blocks or so) The Tower is impressive at over 1000 feet high adn crisscrossed with metal fittings, bolts and the like. It is like a mountain that only gets bigger as you get closer. Paris surely doesn't disappoint! One is always awed by the beauty, splendor and variety of different things about the city...

We made sure to purchase metro passes and I tried unsuccessfully to purchase museum passes Tuesday evening but Tuesdays are bad for museums (many are closed). We used the metro and buses extensively on this visit. It is quite easy to move around a well-organized city like Paris with metro/ bus

Jordan would just love the history and the beauty and the large number of darling dogs that parisians have! :)

We toured parts of the louvre --Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Coronation Of Napoleon, busts, Da Vincis, and many more. Then we wlked to NOtre-Dame and walked through the gloreous interior, had lunch at McDonalds and then took the metro back to the hotel. After refreshing, we toured the Napoleon's Military Museum and finished the nigth with a bus tour of the local area and a quick coffee before bed.

we left Paris yesterday adn travelled to the Rhein River Valley in Germany. I stayed on the MOssel River at a placce called Beilstein. It is a quait, out-of-the-way, place with no ATM's, no bus station ... just people and homes and zimmers right on the lazy Mossel River.


Not everything is perfect when you travel. We are constantly at each other's throats. We are always picking at each other's failings (the smaller the better to pick on) out of lack of sleep and energy and stress of going from place to place. Further, we haven't had as much patience and understading when things don't go right-- a metro door shuts on our leg or we go in the wrong direction or someone is rude to us... Sometimes we do too much comparing or our ways versus European ways. We shoudl just accept their ways instead.

I lost my Debit card today too; an ATM ate it!

I do feel terrible... I wish my access were as easy as home and as convenient.

It truly has been hectic... London, Paris, Rhein Valley and now the very interesting and remarkable Amsterdam!

This place is so free, open and wonderful. People, canals, bikes, sights and sounds ... We just finished a quick walk around our hotel. ( we didn't have a hotel when we arrived. I called around from the central train station and eventually found one in a peaceful area not far from Anne Frank's house!)

i will write again soon (if I have the time....)

Morning in London II

We are ready to venture to Paris. We had breakfast and checked out. Everyone is excited and looking forward to taking the Chunnel underneath the Channel. It should be interesting given we will be travelling over 100mph and seeing the English and French countrysides.

We are leaving from Waterloo Station-- a short walk from her (the Tube would have cost $6/person for a very short trip!). We depart around 12PM and arriv in Paris at about 4PM. Our plan today is to go walk near the Effiel Tower and perhaps have dinner somewhere close to our hotel. We will then tour tomorrow for the entire day which is good for Paris museums, in general, are closed on Tuesday.

I believe everyone is doing well with the extreme amount of walking that we are doing. In London we didn't have our big packs on, so it was easier than today when we have all of our gear in our back. I think the positives outweigh the negatives in having one pack and mobility...

I hope We can find good internet accessin Paris. If it is not possible, please be patient. I will find a point of access as soon as I can.

I need to continue to take many photos for everyone to see. I am trying to think how I can use the resources here to upload themto the net?

What... I will write soon. I look forward to your comments...

Evening in London

Thanks for the comment JOrdan! It is good to hear from you... We miss you and love you (no surprise honey!)

No celebs however....

We certainly saw many things today. We toured for 10 hours including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tower of London and others. We saw today: Rosetta Stone, Magna Carta, DaVinci Notebooks, many paintings, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street. It is truly awe-inspiring to take in all the history, culture, experiences in a monster of a city like London. It is huge and packed and high-energy!

We used the Tube and buses extensively and purposefully. How easy it is to navigate a city if one knows how to implement public transit!

We are tired but we feel good. We purchased groceries in lieu of going out to eat. It was cheaper--byfar. We bought cheese, bread, pop, crackers, carrots, oranges and apples. We have been walking and we need to eat!

I feel that we have seen alot of the inner city area and that our stop here has been quite eye-opening and memorable...

Tomorrow I will say much more when I am more awake and fresh!

Morning in London

We have made it! We are in London and it appears that the day will busy. Buckingham Palace, British Museum, London Eye, Parliament, London Tower. Thankfully the weather is cooperating and it will be cool and comofortable.

It is good to commumicate and be able to say hello to everyone at home. I hope to communicate regularly and often.

Yesterday was a long day. We went from Chicago to Philadelphia to Shannon to London Gatwick and on a train to the downtown area. Jordan would have loved it! She loves to experience new things.

We did chekc in to the hotel and walked down to Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. We are going to the changing of the guard at Buck. Palace today along with the British Musuem, British Library and Trafagger Square (spellings?)...

Sorry about my typing. I should have taken a typing class then I could say awhole lot more!

We are gogint ot purchase a one-day transport ticket and go on the buses and Tube all day. I hope I can show everyone a good time and see alot of sights. We are all more awake, coherent and momre happy after going to bed yesterday at 5:30Pm and awaking at 4:30Am London time. Wow! I feel so much better after laying down, sleeping and refreshing myself!

I wish we had had more time in Ireland. We were there for 3 hours or so and we really only see the airport and what we could see from the airplane on the way in and out. It appeared quite lovely-- green , open and lush. We did have an Irish breakfast--sausage, beans, eggs. We were very hungry so it was very filling and good.

I wish everyone was here and enjoying this as we are. New experiences, new people and new sights... tremendous!

We ate at Subway last night on the way to the hotel. It was good but very expensive--£11.20=$22.40 for 2.5 12" subs. I am agast at the prices. I almost purchased drinks too!

I will write again soon. I help everything is well for everyone!

Morning in Chicago

We're up and packing. The day is warm and humid but quite pleasant and clear. Breakfast is continental which means good and plentiful-- bread, bagels, juice, cereal, coffee-- but limited in diversity.

Mom and Dad are really to go.

We are set to set off at 1PM.

Hotel

We've arrived in Chicago. Tonight we'll stay here (have dinner with Heather and Geoff) and fly out tomorrow. We arrived here around 4PM, checked in and then attempted to check-in for tomorrow's flight; unfortunately we couldn't check in because our final destination is international. There really isn't a hurry, for we will go to O'Hare at 1:30 for our 4PM flight.

I can't think of what we are forgetting. We were thorough so maybe we aren't missing anything.

We are all tired already. Packing is fatiguing!

I am thankful for the high-speed internet. It is helpful but I mustn't grow to accustommed to it...

We been discussing what is expected tomorrow-- fatigue, long hours and some frustration, I think. However, it will be worth it...

We've weighed our bags. THey are within our tolerances of 22 lbs. and 22x9x14 inches. Therefore, they are considered carry-ons for the leg of the trip between Shannon, Ireland and London. If we didn't make them carry-ons, then we would have pay for them to be checked...

Back packs

We are 'still trying ot find my favorite backpacks . I know they are from Target and that I purchased mine two years ago for $5. I just can't find them. They aren't available in Dubuque. I am in Iowa City today so I will make a run over to the Target here.

We are ready. We simply need to take the dog to the borders and take off for Chicago. (I guess I am ready, and Mom and Dad aren't so ready)

Everyone is upbeat and excited. We are going to stay in Monticello tonight, Chicago tomorrow and then park-and-fly from the hotel. We leave Chicago at 2pm and arrive in the early morning hours of Sunday in Europe. I hope the flight aare ontime and the transfers smooth. One can only hope and expect that things won't go as well as one would have hoped.

Couple days out ...

We still busy preparing. First, I have downloaded the relevant files on the MP3 Player--music, Rick Steves programs and mini-tours for the Lourve, Orsay Museum and general Paris Walk. It should be a nice addition for us.

Also, we are copying our passports, driver's license and credit cards just In case we lose something. Further, we have put together our collection of books, map, etc into a collapsible folder and purchased an electronic scale so that we are "on-weight" at check-in. I called about my credit cards (you need to inform your banks that you are going overseas). Reservations and tickets are set up and simply need to be confirmed.

I still need to copy the Paris-Cologne train tickets. I wonder if I need to reserve anything with them? The other tickets for London-Paris, Galwick Airport to Victoria Station and the RyanAir tickets are all paper-less...

Sunday Morning

I am sitting in front of the computer pondering the week and the day ahead. Today I will continue to prepare for the trip ahead of us. First, I need to pick up the London and Paris Rick Steves city guides and perhaps a couple of small maps for Lonson, Paris and Amsterdam. I had ordered the guides through Amazon but I am not optimistic that they will arrive before we depart; they have been shipped by slow, and cheap, ground shipping by my unfortunate choice just to save a couple of dollars. I wish I had just shipped them 2-day instead.

I am also pondering MP3 players. If I could find some cheap ones I might pick some out and download audio tours, music, etc. onto these for everyone.

One week out ...

We are now one week out for our family trip to Europe. We are leaving from Chicago in one week from today and spending one week in Europe. We will be touring London, Paris, the Rhein River Valley and Amsterdam.

Of course, this is alot to see and to do, but one must veture ahead in travel and gently push oneself in terms of time, energy and planning; it is our intention to do so!

I know Mom and Dad are apprehensive, and they should be at the unknown. However, this trip will be a life-enduring memory for them. They will feel excitement, nervousness, boredom, tiredness, fatigue, anger, awe, ignorance and knowledge of the unknown. I was very much the same way the first time I came to Europe. This trip marks the third year in a row that I have ventured there-- I hope I always return, every year.