So just imagine this. I have been planning to take this trip for almost 20 years. I finally said yes and asked my dad to come with me. I then spent months planning and preparing for it. When we got to the airport in the Netherlands, I took out 60€. Cool.

That was the only time my ATM card worked for the entire trip!

I was beside myself. Freaking out, I tried almost every ATM I found along the way with the same results. No soup for you (money that is). I spent an hour on the phone with my bank to see if they could do something. They said they couldn’t help me. Don’t worry, when I returned home, I got a new bank. Anyway, we had determined that the chip in my card, that had been working fine at home, was now damaged. I took my dreaded credit card with me as a backup, and it got some use while out shopping. I say dreaded because I hate credit cards. My debit card is my good buddy, but I despise credit cards.

Thankfully, my dad was kind enough to loan me money throughout the trip. My hero. Thanks again, Dad.

St. Peter’s Basilica

Gazing down the nave at the baldachin and upward at the rays of light streaming down overwhelmed me with emotion. I had dreamed of coming here for some time. My dream was now a reality.

Hiking in the Swiss Alps

I’ve seen mountains in the highlands of Scotland and the Appalachians back home. But the Swiss Alps bring home the gold medal (yes, the Winter Olympics are on now). We were there on a clear, bright day, and the colors were so vivid. As the trail would turn, I would see something new and just be blown away at the beauty. I kept stopping just to let these moments soak in.

Wandering in rothenburg

I’m so enamored with Germany, and this town was so much fun. Taking blue hour photos in the evening felt like a magical time warp.

In the description of the tour, it says this is one of their most active tours. Yes indeed. Here are the miles walked from my telephone app. I realize of course this might not be as accurate as a Fitbit, but it works for me. I have a wanderlust issue. What’s around the corner?

Here are the miles I Walked on the tour:

Many works of art I photographed are used as a means to highlight the beautiful artwork seen on this tour. As I was able to freely photograph the artwork, and I am not using them in any commercial means, the copyrights for these artworks remain in public domain or with the original owners, foundations, trusts and estates.