A Postcard from Europe

Shortly after arriving at our destination in Belgium (2019-03-26) we realized that we needed to fill up with gas. Google Maps recommended th...

The previous day, we arrived at AMS from YVR, completely exhausted . So, this day (2019-03-18) we decided to just acquaint ourselves with Am...

Look up at the Centraal Station in Amsterdam if you're wondering about the wind direction... Amsterdam - Wind direction as per the C...

Using our hotel in Luz as a base, we explored the Algarve. Most tour guides had the Fortress at Sagres as a "must see" attraction....

The name "Óbidos" probably derives from the Latin term oppidum, meaning "citadel", or "fortified city". That...

Óbidos is a photographer's fantasy land. I can compare it to Quedlinburg in Germany insofar as every few metres or every corner presents...

Prior to our trip we had, of course, read many tour guides about Portugal, and Lisbon in particular. Included in the must-see attractions we...

Our trip pre-planning had included a hotel booking. What luck! Without any real prior knowledge of Lisbon, Hanne and Gail found a hotel smac...

When we arrived in Lisbon, the temperature was, for us, too hot. But then again, we don't do heat very well. So, tired from our flight,...

Our early morning tram ride (on the #12 line) had taken us to a small plaza with a commanding view of the Targus (various spellings: Tagus. ...

Earlier in the morning we'd ridden the #12 tram through some interesting old Lisbon neighbourhoods. We'd read about the yellow trams...

One block from our Baixa hotel was the Rua Augusta. This street is probably as good an introduction to Lisbon as any. Full of sights, stores...

The Convent of Christ in Tomar, attached to the Tomar Castle, is one of the most impressive historical sites we've visited in Europe. ...

Our fantastic hotel not only had cool, clean, and very creatively-decorated rooms, it also had a roof garden with a spectacular view of old ...

In early May, Beate took us on a tour of picturesque Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler. As we approached the Marktplatz, storm clouds gathered behind t...

May 1st is perhaps not the best time to visit Rüdesheim am Rhein (because it's a bank holiday in Germany and the town is teeming with to...

On our first days in London, we hit many of the iconic sights. On this particular day, the Tube took us to Westminster. Once we emerged from...

If you visit Lisbon, a ride on one of the iconic trams lines (Line #28 likely the best, but #12 is also pretty good) is a must. Make sure yo...

A quick ride up the funicular took us up to Sitio, the upper part of the town of Nazare. A slight drizzle and some mist were just what we ne...

After arriving at our hotel in Tomar, we took a stroll along the Nabão River, heading for the old part of town. This window caught my eye. C...

Once we travelled west from our hotel location in Luz, Portugal, we found the "real" Algarve. Two of our favourite places; Burgau ...

Our recent visit to London took us on a Thames cruise. On this particular sunny day, the cruise went as far as the futuristic-looking Thames...

After the longest drive (most kilometres per day) of our Europe vacation, we ended up, unannounced, on Erich's doorstep in Taunusstein ....

In the morning we had gotten up in Husum , Germany. Now, in the early afternoon of this April day, we arrived at Løgumkloster in Denmark , a...

There's plenty to grab the attention of the avid photographer visiting Quedlinburg . Primarily, of course, the hundreds of half-timbered...

So far our trip had taken us from Amsterdam to Bremen, via overnight stays in Leeuwarden and Ostfriesland. A few days stay in Bremen had us ...

We started this day in Leeuwarden , the capital of Friesland , in the Netherlands . Clouds had accompanied us most of the way into Germany,...

The day started rainy and miserable. And stayed that way. Until my mood turned miserable (possible because the ladies insisted on shopping a...

On the 30th day of our most excellent European vacation, we were in Kleinenbroich with Tante Christel. That's when Biffy suggested we t...

It was day 38, our last day in Europe, and we'd arranged meet meet friends in  Amsterdam , for lunch. After a great lunch at what has be...

For visitors from the west coast of Canada , where it's almost impossible to find any buildings from pre-1860, Quedlinburg is complet...

This day started with a rising sun illuminating waterfront shops in Husum, Germany . By late afternoon, a low sun brightly lit up the waterf...

The advantage of visiting friends or relatives when traveling is local knowledge. In the case of our visit with Beate and Paul, in the Ahr V...

This postcard captures the quintessential Amsterdam . Bicycles! Oh yeah. More bicycles . This is a multi-level parking garage for thousands ...

I'll keep this post short and simple. Dogs can't read! But, in Bremen , apparently neither can dog owners. Generally, Europe, compar...

At the start of the day we rented a car in Amsterdam. By late afternoon - rush hour to be precise - the car had taken us to Leeuwarden . Thi...

Our first real stop in Germany, after crossing the Dutch border, was Greetsiel . Of course, we'd stopped briefly in Freepsum and Pewsum...

On Day 11 of our European vacation, we awoke in Husum . After an amazing breakfast at the Thomas Hotel , we pointed the car in the direction...

When we arrived in Eilenburg to visit Rosie and Ewald, we also had the good fortune to meet Roland, who volunteered to take us sightseeing i...

Normally, as tourists, we'd have never visited Eilenburg . However, as we were visiting Ewald and Rosie and they wanted to show us their...

Twenty days after arriving in Europe for our 2012 vacation, we found ourselves being shown around Idstein by Erich. Of course, no visit to ...

Our 32nd day of our European vacation took us to Cologne with Wolfgang and Brigitte. Without Wolfgang's local knowledge we would never ...

We're about to return to Canada, but we've got a least one more day to see the sights of Amsterdam. Man we love this city! The steep...

We picked up our rental car at Schiphol, Amsterdam's Airport and managed - thanks to our car's GPS - to get out of the bustle of the...

Since the first postcard was an iconic statue, why not stay with the "iconic" theme. How about a postcard from Cologne . Near ...

Let's start this blog with a really iconic postcard. How about the statue of Roland in Bremen ? "Der Roland" iconic statue...