June 18, 2011 - Washington Dulles Airport - Overnight flight DC to London!
FB Post - June 19,
2011
We arrived in London safely at 7:15 am London time (2:15 am EST). Nothing like missing a whole night of sleep!!! Room wasn't ready at the Hilton, so we took off to Oxford Street for hours of shopping. Got back and checked into the room...an hour later we were greeted by a BEDBUG crawling across the floor, got moved to a bigger, nicer room, but I'm still FREAKED OUT and worried about BEDBUGS!!!
View from our hotel room in London.
Having fun our first night out on the town in London.
Went out for dinner and Felicia realized she was old enough to order a glass of wine, so she did, haha. We had a little toast.
Of course we went straight to the West End to see if we could catch a show! Ended up seeing Chicago the next night.
FB Post - June 21,
2011
We went
sight-seeing all around London this morning. Went to St. Paul's Catheral, saw
Big Ben, the Financial District, Buckingham Palace and watched the changing of
the Guard just to mention a few. The architecture is different, and London has
a lot of old traditions, but it definitely has New York City kind of feel.
Waiting in front of Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard.
Thousands and thousands of other people waiting to see the changing of the guard also!!!
Here they come!
There they go!
London by night - internet photo so you can capture the true beauty.
London by day
St Paul's Cathedral
"Photo by David Iliff. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0"
Didn't get a great full photo so I posted one from the internet so you can see how big and beautiful it is.
About our visit to St. Paul's Cathedral; it was awesome. The current cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710, however a cathedral dedicated to St. Paul has stood on this highest point in the city of London for more than fourteen hundred years.
After our official sight seeing tour with a tour guide, Felicia and I basically walked ALL over London! ...and I'm not kidding!
THE MAP READER!!!
More map reading!
And again! She's an expert by now, lol!
THIS WAY MOM!!! Oh she'll get me for this one, haha! I just love that look on her face, lol!
A random man posed in my picture of Charles Dickens Coffee House, haha!
Always have to check out Urban Outfitters wherever we go. 
Of course we had to see a show!!! Chicago was awesome!
Getting ready to see the show!
FB - June 21,
2011
Took the
Eurostar Train from London to Paris this morning. Took a tour of the Eiffel
Tower. It's one block from the hotel and we have the most amazing view of it!
I'm terrified of heights, but went up to the second level (600 feet). There I
saw the most incredible views I have ever seen in my life. Paris is BEAUTIFUL
in every direction!!! Then I bravely (with my knees knocking) walked the stairs
all the way down.
Euro Train from London to Paris.The following photos are from Paris.
The Eiffel Tower at night.
The next morning we climbed the Eiffel Tower to see the most spectacular views!!!
Felicia and I from the second level of the Eiffel Tower 600 ft up.
The pictures below are just a glimpse of the amazing views from the second level (600 ft) of the Eiffel Tower.
The dome you see in this picture is L'Hôtel National des Invalides, later shortened to Les Invalides. A complex of buildings containing museums and monuments all relating to the military history of France.
Louis XIV decided to build a home/hospital for aging/ill soldiers in 1670. The architect commissioned for the building was Liberal Bruant. It was completed in 1676. Later a chapel was added for the veterans called Eglise Saint-Louis des Invalides. Jules Hardouin Mansart assisted the aging Bruant in that project. The chapel was finished in 1679. Shortly thereafter, and after the death of Bruant, Mansart was commissioned to add a private royal chapel. The dome you see in this picture was completed on the royal chapel in 1708.
There are many tombs on the site, but one of the most notable is that of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821). King Louis-Philippe had Napoleon's remains brought back to France from Saint Helena in 1840.
The Seine River runs through Paris. 482 miles long and flows into the English Channel. There are 37 bridges crossing the Seine River in Paris alone.
More views from the Eiffel Tower.
Place du Chatelet - The name comes from the Grand Chatelet which built in 1130 by Louis VI. It was a stronghold on the right bank of the Seine River and housed court, police headquarters and number of prisons. The Grand Chatelet was demolished around 1802 and the Place du Chatelet was created. The fountain in the center of the square is known as Fontaine du Palmier. In the middle of the fountain sits a column decorated with palm leaves in which the names of Napoleon Bonaparte's campaign's in Egypt and Italy are inscribed. The winged statue of Victory adorns the top.
We walked down the steps! This view almost gave me a heart attack, haha.
Side view of Notre Dame Cathedral - our view during dinner on the patio at the restaurant right across the street.
Felicia had the Escargot for her appetizers. She loved it!
Lots of fun people on our tour. Made lots of new friends.
Our tour guide on the left and driver on the right. They were both amazing!!! Our tour guide spoke at least 8 languages FLUENTLY!
More sightseeing around Paris!
La Madeleine - originally dedicated in 1492 by King Charles VIII to Saint Mary-Magdalen. Over the years a succession of buildings followed. The present day structure was decided on by Napoleon I in 1806. It was to be consecrated to the glory of the Great Army and the architecture inspired by Greek Temples. Later Louis XVIII continued the works in accordance with the original plans but when it was completed in 1842 it was used for worship. It is supported by 52 Corinthian columns and quite magnificient to see.
Arc De Triomphe in the rain. 10 - 12 streets feed into a circle around this monument. There are no lines to guide you in or out and it is crazy. Below is a couple of pictures of the circle. It was raining so it was hard to get a good one, but I you can get the idea.
Cars feeding into the circle around Arc De Triomphe from just 1 of about 10 - 12 streets that surround the monument.
Here is an aerial
view from the internet so you can see what I'm talking about.
The Louve - Philippe Auguste constructed the Louve as a royal chateau in 1204. It was transformed between 1364 - 1380 by Charles V. It was completely rebuilt between the time of Francois I and the 19th century. What you see today is a mix of styles from four centuries. Original remnants from the 12th century are visible in the crypt. 1682, Louis XIV lived at the Palace of Versailles and The Louve primarily held the royal collection of art. For the next hundred years the Academie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres (scholars who were the most versed in the knowledge of history and antiquity)occupied the Louve. During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decided the Louve should be a museum. It opened as a museum on August 10, 1793. The collection was increased by Napoleon, thenLouis XVIII, and Charles X. During the Second French Empire the museum gained 20,000 pieces and has continued to grow through gifts and donations. As of 2008, the collection is divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings. Today it houses close to 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century over an area of 652,300 square feet. More than 8 million people visit the museum each year.
The Louve in the rain.
Inside t.he Louve
That's the Mona Lisa in the far background. She was smaller than I expected.
A closer view!
Inside The Louve
FB Post - June 22, 2011
LOVING PARIS!!! The Louvre was amazing!!! Avenue Des Champs-Elysees was amazing...well girls do have to shop!!! Heading to the Moulin Rouge shortly. Can't wait. Off to Lucerne, Switzerland in the morning.
After a lot of sight seeing Felicia and I spent the afternoon walking all over Paris. We
seriously covered a lot of territory! This photo above is walking up Avenue Des
Champs-Elysees. Getting ready to do a little shopping!
Avenue Des Champs-Elysees
Avenue Des Champs-Elysees - Oh you know we checked out the
Louis Vuitton store!
Moulin Rouge - This is a internet photo. When in Paris you MUST go!!!
FB - June 23,
2011
Went to
the Moulin Rouge last night. The show was just spectacular. We had a great
dinner there, the WOW, the sets and costumes were amazing. Today was a long
travel day, but we have arrived in Lucerne, Switzerland. If you think of a
fairy tale book with the most gorgeous illustrations you have ever seen then
you can imagine Lucerne. It is BEAUTIFUL!!!
Traveling from Paris to Lucerne, Switzerland. SHE WILL ALWAYS BE MY BABY!!!
Lucern is an absolutely breathtaking beauty of a city!!!
Kapell Bridge built around 1300 AD and is considered the world's oldest wooden bridge.
Our hotel in Lucern. It was lovely!
Just a couple of photos of beautiful Lucerne!
The Lion's Monument was erected in memory of the Swiss Guard members killed in Paris (1792) during the French Revolution.
More photos of beautiful Lucerne.
FB - June 25, 2011
Well I survived the Mount Pilatus! Thank You Lord!!! It was a 30 min. train ride straight up the mountain. Then we came down the other side in a large cable car, stopped midway down and got into 4 man gondolas. It was spectacular...or at least the parts I saw in the couple of minutes I didn't have my eyes covered!!!! It was terrifying, but I'm glad I did it!!!
Everyone one the train getting ready to take a 30 minute train ride up, up, and up...7000 ft up!
Here we gooooooo!!!
Here I am for the entire train ride up!
Whew, made it!!! 7000 ft to the top.
This is how we came down...which no one informed me of before I went up!!! I almost had a heart attack right there on the spot when I realized I had to come down in a cable car FROM 7000 FEET UP!
Shopping...and shopping...and more shopping!!!
A fun typical swiss lunch with great entertainment!!!
Felicia had the good fortune of having a few other teenagers on the trip!
The Cow came through and licked everyone, haha.
Awesome dessert!!!
FB - June 25, 2011
Travel day - from Lucern, Switzerland to Austria, then on to Munich, Germany. I can't begin to describe how tremendously huge and magnificient the mountains are through Switzerland and Austria. It is a sight of beauty beyond any words in my vocabulary.
Along the way we stopped in the small country of Liechtenstein for a tour.
Liechtenstein
Beautiful Swiss Alps and scenery.
A castle! We saw many castles along our journey! You will see many more photos from our Rhine River Cruise.
Also stopped in the quiant medieval town of Innsbrook, Austria for a tour and visit. Population of about 121,000. Very busy tourist town with lots of great shops and restaurants. It is internationally renowned as a winter sports center. Innsbrook hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. A few photos below.
Spent a couple of days in Munich, Germany. Home to 91,000 college students, 61 theatres and 45 museums. Yep, it's our kind of city. It's a mix of the old and modern (1960ish) style Architecture. Took a trip to visit Nueschwanstein Castle. The design of the Cinderella castle at Disney is based off of this castle. Quite spectacular, google it.
Met a lot of nice folks along our journey and ate lots of really good food!!!
The Old City - Neues Rathaus/New Town Hall in Marienplatz Square
Waiting for the clock to strike 5:00 pm (also happens at 11:00 am and noon) at which time the Glockenspiel recounts a royal wedding and a jousting tournament on the top level, and a ritualistic Barrel Makers’ dance on the lower level, known as the "Schafflertanz". The show lasts about 15 minutes and concludes with the golden bird up the top emerging and chirping three times.
A close up view.
Schloss Nymphenburg/Nymphenburg Castle and the Botantical Gardens
Downtown Munich
Above we are resting outside the
Neuschwanstein Castle - The Cinderella Castle at Disney World was modeled after this castle. So spectacular! The picture below is from the internet, but I wanted to share the full view.
Olympic Stadium in Munich
On the road again...
The following pictures are from Rothenburg. A visit to this quaint town quickly reminds you that our country, America, is a baby in comparison to Europe. The first parrish was built in Rothernburg around 970. Such an amazing sight to see this town starting from the Middle Ages. We really enjoyed our visit here.
The entrance into the old town.
The cars look out of place right, haha. But yes it is a thriving town
St. Jacobs Church - Gothic style - Construction of this church lasted over a century, from 1311 to 1484.
Inside St. Jacobs 
Former meat and dance halls.
The Town Hall - Renaissance facade - built between 1572 - 1578. Formerly the sight of a double Gothic building from the 1250's. Part of the structure burned in 1501, but the bell tower has been preserved to this day. 
Views on the top of the Bell Tower. 
On the way back down. And well what can I say...everyone else did it, so...haha!
FB - June 28, 2011
Arrived in Wiesbaden, Germany on Monday for a couple of days, not far from Frankfurt. Today we drove about 30 min. to Rudesheim. Took a cruise on the Rhine River. Oh my goodness, sooo many castles sitting on cliffs along the shore. Then we visited Marksburg Castle. It dates back to the 13th century. So amazing to see these historical castles. Our country is so young in comparison. It's amazing to see the history here.
A few photos of Wiesbaden below. Awesome city of about 280,000. Weisbaden and it's surrounding area the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region is a metropolis of about 5.8 million. Known as a spa town in reference to it's many hot springs. It sits on the Rhine River. See pictures below of our Rhine River Tour. Evidence of settlement in Wiesbaden dates back to the Neolithic era with historical records documenting continuous occupancy after the erection of a Roman fort in 6 AD. It's a really nice city and one I would love to come back to.
Rolling into Wiesbaden.
Our hotel - Crowne Plaza
Took a walk around the town. After all that riding we are all a little silly.
Cool bookstore.
Modern city, very nice shops
We visited and toured the Marksburg Castle built starting in 1150. It has grown and changed over hundreds of years, but was never destroyed and has always been lived in. Below are a few pictures of this castle.
View from the castle wall.
Steps carved into the rock.
Protection!!!
More views.
I cannot remember what this top picture was but we loved all the food everywhere we traveled in Europe.
Delicious!FB - June 30, 2011
Yesterday we traveled to Cologne, Germany and visited the Cologne Cathedral - a 700 year old Gothic Cathedral. It is so HUGE, I cannot describe the enormity. You should google it under images to take a look.
Cologne was established in 50 AD, yes I said the 1st century, as a Roman Territory. Today it is Germany's 4th largest city and is a major cultural center of the Rhineland. Cologne is home to more than 30 museums and hundreds of art galleries. It was heavily bombed during WWII and lost 95% of it's residents. By 1959, the city's population had reached pre-war numbers. It has grown steadily and has about 1,000,000 residents today.
The Rhine River runs through Cologne.
The Cathedral of Cologne - I can't begin to describe the enormity of this Cathedral. This massive structure sits on a site which was previously occupied by the "Old Cathedral" that was completed in 818. In 1248, in preparation of the new Cathedral that structure was destroyed by fire. The new Cathedral of Cologne was started in the same year, 1248. Work halted in 1473 and was only sporadic through the next 400 years. The original medieval plans were discovered in 1842 and work resumed. It was finally complete in 1880, 632 years after construction began.
This gives you a little perspective on the size. This ornamental decoration is the exact size of the ones that sit on the top of the two twin spires.
Side view.
Spooky, haha. All my photos of and around the altar had these circles.
FB - June 30, 2011
Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Amsterdam, Holland...home of the BICYCLES!!! 750,000 residents and 1,000,000 BICYCLES!!! Seriously, if you need to cross the street, you literally have to wait for 50 or more bicycles to pass every single time. They have a huge three level parking deck for bikes and there are hundreds bikes on EVERY street corner and attached to EVERY railing in the city.
Coming into Amsterdam!
Cable car lines!
The city streets have 4 lanes; one for pedestrians, one for bikes, one for cars, one for cable cars. Say your prayers before crossing the street. You will need the Lords help to get to the other side! haha
There is no corner, street, or railing without bikes!
A few pedestrian streets.
Street performers!
The cable cars literally come up through the middle of what you may think is a side walk.
Felicia and new friends did a Pub Crawl night!
I Amsterdam, in Museum Square, which is a large park area. That's Amsterdam Rijksmuseum in the background. The museum is fantastic! It was founded in 1800, but moved around a few times before it's permanent location at Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South. The main building designed by Pierre Cuypers opened in 1885.
These two pictures show a parking deck for bicycles! It was huge! Everyone rides a bike there. Old people, young people, business people, you name it, everyone rides a bike. Driving is discouraged, fees and parking for a car are very expensive. Cars are not allowed on many streets.
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FB - June 30, 2011
Today we went on a city tour of Amsterdam. First by bus, then by boat on the canals. The canals run throughout the city, so it's a great way to see the sights and the city. Then Felicia and I basically walked all over Amsterdam looking, shopping, and exploring.
Canals, canals, and more canals! Amsterdam has more than 60 miles of canals. From the picture above you can see they are laid out like streets in circles around the city. There are three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizergracht. |
Below from Wikipedia:
The three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht, dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form concentric belts around the city, known as the Grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings.[1] The 17th-century canal ring area, including the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Jordaan, were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010.
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| Lots and lots of houseboats along the canals of Amsterdam. People live in them and some are really nice rentals. |
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This is the Anne Frank House taken from a boat ride in the canal. You can see where people are lined up to go in. Anne Frank and her family were hidden in the annex of the of the building for more than two years. It has been preserved in it's natural state from the time period. Many historical documents and items are on display there including Anne Frank's original diary and notebooks.
Below is an excerpt from the Anne Frank House Museum website.
For more than two years Anne Frank and her family lived in the annex of the building at Prinsengracht 263 where Anne’s father, Otto Frank, also had his business. The Van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer hid there with them. The doorway to the annex was concealed behind a moveable bookcase constructed especially for this purpose. The office personnel knew of the hiding place and helped the eight people by supplying them with food and news of the outside world. On August 4, 1944, the hiding place was betrayed. The people in hiding were deported to various concentration camps. Only Otto Frank survived the war.
Leaning Houses! All over Amsterdam!
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| Houses built all along the canals. |
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| Tiniest house in Amsterdam. It is lived in. |
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| The houses were built so narrow that furniture cannot be taken up through the stairwells. Most all the houses have built in hooks to hoist furniture up and in through windows or ladder systems like this is used. |
We did lots of walking all over Amsterdam. A few random pics below.
What can I say? Girls do have to shop!
Side note - No pictures here, because they were not allowed on these streets, but our tour guide ask if our group wanted to walk through the red light district. Guess what, nobody declined, haha. I guess it's just something you have to see for yourself. Not that we really saw much other than girls in lingerie, but they were covered. Nobody was blinded during the walk, haha. So there you have it, prostitution is legal in Amsterdam. No pimps here. It is a legal business that is extremely monitored and regulated. The workers have to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases on a very scheduled basis as well as other required monitoring.
FB - July 2,
2011
From
Amsterdam, we traveled to Brussels, Belgium. Spent some hours there touring
around and enjoying the city. Ate the best waffles EVER!!! From Brussels we
took the Eurostar fast train back to London. After arriving in London, Felicia
and I hopped on the underground train to Kings Crossing and took her picture at
the Harry Potter - 9 3/4 platform...a little more shopping, and a nice dinner
to end our vacation.FB - July 2, 2011
We are home from our whirlwind vacation all over Europe. I may need a vacation to recover from my vacation, haha. But it was a GREAT trip and I am so thankful Felicia and I had this special time together. A trip we will always remember.
