What a Long Strange Trip it Has Been

Now that our European adventure is over (for now), we thought that we would take the time to trace our steps and truly acknowledge how many wonderful places we were able to visit. In chronological order, here was our trip in a snapshot, it certainly makes our heads spin.

    1. Frankfurt, Germany – It may have been our home, but it was still a wonderful city and we have a lot of incredible memories of our time there.

      Old Town Frankfurt
    2. Kassel, Germany – It was the first place that we visited once we found an apartment and is the home of the Brother’s Grimm Museum and is part of the Fairy Tale Road.

      Lowenbrau Castle
    3. Heidelberg, Germany – Truly one of the idyllic cities that we visited while in Germany.

      Heidelberg Castle
    4. Koblenz, Germany – One of the most amazing train rides that we have ever taken and an amazing city on the Rhine.

      Suburbs of Koblenz
    5. Hochheim, Germany – A truly small hamlet experience.
    6. Vienna, Austria – Our first trip outside of Germany and truly a center for the arts.
    7. Cologne, Germany – Amazing Dom and a wonderful old-world city. We had been told that it was a place that we had to visit while we were in Germany and we would definitely agree.
    8. Wurzburg, Germany – Another small town experience that we had been hoping for and one of the best of Christmas Markets that we had visited.

      Statue in Wurzburg
    9. Strasbourg, France – Wine, medieval villages, and some of the friendliest people that we had the opportunity to meet, and that is saying a lot.
    10. Prague, Czech Republic – One of the places in Europe that everyone should visit at some point in time. We were there over Christmas and it was spectacular.

      View of Prague Castle
    11. Athens, Greece – There are few places in the world as historically important as Athens.

      Amazing History
    12. Bucharest/Brasov, Romania – Definitely one of those special places where the experience far surpasses anything that you might read.

      Dracula’s Castle
    13. Nuremberg, Germany – An unexpected surprise, so much history, both new and old that it became one of our favorite memories of our time in Europe.

      Medieval City with Current History
    14. Paris, France – Not our first visit there, but it is still one of our favorite cities that we have ever visited, even if it was rainy the weekend that we were there.

      Eiffel Tower
    15. Dublin, Ireland – A special trip for personal reasons as we flew our mother over to see us and it will hold a special place in our hearts.

      The Irish Countryside
    16. Amsterdam, Netherlands – One of our last adventures while we were in Europe and definitely an interesting city full of history and art.

      Canal Upon Canal
    17. Florence, Italy – Part of our farewell tour, this is an incredible city that will fulfill any romantic visions of Europe that you could ever dream of.

      What an Amazing City
    18. Rome, Italy – So much to see, the history, the arts, the Vatican City, and for us a very special meeting with a fellow blogger.

      The Roman Forum is Amazing
    19. Lucca/Pisa, Italy – A quick day trip from Florence, but it rounded out our trip to Italy perfectly.

      Pisa is All About the Leaning Tower

So, as you can see, we had about twenty-five weeks in Europe, part of that time finding an apartment as well as working every week, but we definitely made the most of our time. It will be the trip of a lifetime, perhaps several lifetimes, and we are extremely thankful for every moment. Expect details of these wondrous adventures in the coming days and weeks as we plan our next crazy experience.

Spending Christmas in Prague

As we mentioned, we decided to go to Prague over the Christmas weekend since we didn’t have any family in town. We still have another day before we fly back to Frankfurt, but it has been a wonderful time. Apparently a lot of other people had the same idea and it has been extremely busy, even on Christmas Day itself. Old town was packed with tourists and we were glad that we booked dinner reservations in advance. There is a lot to share, but for the moment we are just soaking it all in and trying to absorb everything that we have seen. This is just a tease of some of the sights that we have seen. Prague has lived up to all expectations, a truly memorable experience.

Charles Bridge
Christmas Tree in the Old Town Square
Prague Castle Complex

 

We Have Arrived in Frankfurt

We have finally arrived in Frankfurt. We have plenty to do ahead of us, but for now “we are here” as we have reminded ourselves several times. Plenty to look forward to over the next several months, but for the time being we will rest, get our bearings, and start planning the days ahead. One step at a time, but excited about the opportunity that is now directly in front of us.

Our First Glimpse of Frankfurt, Germany