A few trip photos, brief commentary

[Cil]

So Germany was beautiful and the Germans were friendly and helpful and nuts about their soccer. They had a Fan Mile which was one long beer and brat party, with live music, giant TV screens and seating for viewing the games.

Dubrovnik was very touristy but breathtakingly beautiful. Here are a couple views from the city walls.

We drove down to Montenegro for the day, passing through Bosnia on the way. The coast was gorgeous, the people friendly.

We then went to the island of Hvar (pronounced Hwar.) On a rather hairy taxi ride, we drove the length of the island, which is covered with fields of lavender. Hvar Town was virtually car-free, lovely piazza, just a delightful harbor town.

We next went to Strasbourg for the Tour de France. My husband took pix, but unfortunately my camera's batteries died! A nice French lady invited us upstairs to watch the start of the race. The next day we went to a concentration camp in the morning, which was grim; we visited the European Parliament in the afternoon, which was quite uplifting.

Strasbourg is a lovely city, very walkable, very international.

We took the train back to Frankfurt and flew home the same day. Whew.

 

[Mango]

beautiful pictures Cil. Thanks for sharing. :clap_1:
I've been to Germany, but did not get to see the places you went to.

 

[30A Skunkape]

Cool, thanks for sharing

 

[seagrovelover]

Wow ....just beautiful Cil, thanks so much for sharing :clap_1:

 

[Mermaid]

Cil, how did you go about planning your trip? You certainly covered a lot of ground. I've been wanting to go to Dubrovnik for 20 years now, ever since I had to make the travel arrangements for someone else who was going there. (Talk about being pea green with envy.)

I remember the first time I ever saw the Mediterannean Sea. I couldn't get over how gorgeously blue it was, almost like it was dyed that color. And I also couldn't get over thinking that as beautiful as it was, and as much as I marvelled about the depth of that blue, it was the WRONG color!! I'm so used to the turquoise and green of SoWal that I'm starting to think that that's the color all water should be. Oh dear. You can take the gull out of SoWal but you can't take the SoWal out of the gull.

 

[katie blue]

Mermaid, in reference to planning your trip, have you ever checked out SlowTravel.com? Also the Fodors.com forums are great. Both have the latest and greatest info from recent travellers. I did most of my research there for our latest trip overseas, and it made all the difference in our experience. Deals, where to stay, what to see...helps to separate the ultra touristy things from the authentic places, at the very least. Just don't OVERplan, to allow for some spontaneous magic and fun....

 

[Jdarg]

Thanks Cil. You go on some really neat trips!

 

[Mermaid]

Mermaid, in reference to planning your trip, have you ever checked out SlowTravel.com? Also the Fodors.com forums are great. Both have the latest and greatest info from recent travellers. I did most of my research there for our latest trip overseas, and it made all the difference in our experience. Deals, where to stay, what to see...helps to separate the ultra touristy things from the authentic places, at the very least. Just don't OVERplan, to allow for some spontaneous magic and fun....

That's why I was asking Cil how she planned the trip. We've done a fair bit of European travel and when I'm in trip-planning mode, I post on Fodors and slowtrav all the time!! I'm very pesky when I go somewhere; I have to have all the details or I don't relax. I was wondering if Cil had any good tips because this trip was obviously well-organized and well-enjoyed. :clap_1:

 

[audie]

what great views !

 

[scooterpolluter]

So Germany was beautiful and the Germans were friendly and helpful!

:scratch: This is funny Cil. My husband spent two weeks about 4 or 5 years ago in Ahaus, Germany for job training near the Amsterdam border and said the Germans were anything but friendly. He said all he and the other two guys he was training with over there got from them were weird stares as if they knew they were not one of them. He got some fair pictures though. Nothing as nice as the pictures you have posted though. Wonderful!