Best hidden gem:
Greg: "Gotta be Murren (see pix to the right). This is a town high in the Swiss Alps that was stunning. I remember opening up my window in my hotel room and having a panoramic view of Jungfrau mountain. The next day Reagan
and I hiked the entire day through this charming area. A close second would have to be St. Wolfgang in the Austrian Lakes District (Salzgammergut). On a smaller scale, Frankfurt's Palmengarten is a place that I will never forget and is awesome on a freezing day in Germany"
Jen: "Lakes region in Austria. Also, the entire country of Belgium. Belgian people were very friendly and the food was great. This is quintessential europe. Finally, Lucca in Tuscany. It seemed unaffected by the tourists. Primarily locals in this place"
Best Food:
Greg: "Loved the jaegerschnitzel anywhere in Germany. Zum Storchenest, our town restaurant, made the very best. I've tried the dish here in the US and no one so far has come close to what they serve in Germany. I also had goulash in Hungary and loved it. Not too spicy, not too bland...perfect"
Jen: "Chocolate croissants at Netto (our neighborhood store). They melted in your mouth...flaky and soft in your mouth all at the same time"
Biggest surprise:
Greg: "The Italian food in Germany was wonderful! Without exception it was made by Italian immigrants/expats who were probably looking to escape some of the insanity of Italy."
Jen: "How much Germans are like Americans culturally. After visiting places like Spain, France, Greece, it was clear that Germans (and somewhat the Irish) are like us. We eat meals at the same time, don't take siestas, like fireworks, etc.
Also, naked people. Europeans in general are not prude. It's not sexual to them...it seems normal. In America, they would be arrested.
Finally, I was surprised that cops didn't issue tickets. Speed cameras gave out all the tickets"
Place that lived up to the hype:
Greg: "Venice. It was even better than I imagined. Touristy? Absolutely...but for good reason. The canals, the confluence of architectural styles, Dogges Palace, and Saint Mark's Square; not one thing disappointed. I recently got back to Vegas and went to the Venitian trying to relive the authentic Venice experience and it wasn't even close.
A close second would have to be Capri. A lot of travel writers now urge their readers to skip this touristy mecca but they're doing their readers a disservice. So long as you go in the shoulder season and stay away from the high season, Capri is perfect; otherwise, you're screwed."
Jen: "Amsterdam. 24-7 energy plus the sheer beauty of the city. Also, Brugges in Belgium is lot in time. Definitely up to the hype"
Biggest "Glad I did it but won't be doing that again" Moment:
Greg: "Running with the Bulls in Pamplona. Chance of a freaking lifetime. Especially since I ran with my dad and cousin, it's an experience that would be impossible to top."
Jen: "Riding the trains...not for pleasure but just for basic transportation. Also, using Italian pit toilets"
If I had to live somewhere in Europe, it would be:
Jen: "Vernazza in Cinque Terre or anywhere in Ireland (see pix to the right) or Amsterdam"
Greg: "Bann. But Southern Italy would be nice too"
Greg: "Gotta be Murren (see pix to the right). This is a town high in the Swiss Alps that was stunning. I remember opening up my window in my hotel room and having a panoramic view of Jungfrau mountain. The next day Reagan
and I hiked the entire day through this charming area. A close second would have to be St. Wolfgang in the Austrian Lakes District (Salzgammergut). On a smaller scale, Frankfurt's Palmengarten is a place that I will never forget and is awesome on a freezing day in Germany"Jen: "Lakes region in Austria. Also, the entire country of Belgium. Belgian people were very friendly and the food was great. This is quintessential europe. Finally, Lucca in Tuscany. It seemed unaffected by the tourists. Primarily locals in this place"
Best Food:
Greg: "Loved the jaegerschnitzel anywhere in Germany. Zum Storchenest, our town restaurant, made the very best. I've tried the dish here in the US and no one so far has come close to what they serve in Germany. I also had goulash in Hungary and loved it. Not too spicy, not too bland...perfect"
Jen: "Chocolate croissants at Netto (our neighborhood store). They melted in your mouth...flaky and soft in your mouth all at the same time"
Biggest surprise:
Greg: "The Italian food in Germany was wonderful! Without exception it was made by Italian immigrants/expats who were probably looking to escape some of the insanity of Italy."
Jen: "How much Germans are like Americans culturally. After visiting places like Spain, France, Greece, it was clear that Germans (and somewhat the Irish) are like us. We eat meals at the same time, don't take siestas, like fireworks, etc.
Also, naked people. Europeans in general are not prude. It's not sexual to them...it seems normal. In America, they would be arrested.
Finally, I was surprised that cops didn't issue tickets. Speed cameras gave out all the tickets"
Place that lived up to the hype:
Greg: "Venice. It was even better than I imagined. Touristy? Absolutely...but for good reason. The canals, the confluence of architectural styles, Dogges Palace, and Saint Mark's Square; not one thing disappointed. I recently got back to Vegas and went to the Venitian trying to relive the authentic Venice experience and it wasn't even close.
A close second would have to be Capri. A lot of travel writers now urge their readers to skip this touristy mecca but they're doing their readers a disservice. So long as you go in the shoulder season and stay away from the high season, Capri is perfect; otherwise, you're screwed."
Jen: "Amsterdam. 24-7 energy plus the sheer beauty of the city. Also, Brugges in Belgium is lot in time. Definitely up to the hype"
Biggest "Glad I did it but won't be doing that again" Moment:
Greg: "Running with the Bulls in Pamplona. Chance of a freaking lifetime. Especially since I ran with my dad and cousin, it's an experience that would be impossible to top."
Jen: "Riding the trains...not for pleasure but just for basic transportation. Also, using Italian pit toilets"
If I had to live somewhere in Europe, it would be:
Jen: "Vernazza in Cinque Terre or anywhere in Ireland (see pix to the right) or Amsterdam"
Greg: "Bann. But Southern Italy would be nice too"
Biggest disappointment:
Greg: "Oktoberfest (the second time). Bringing your family to Oktoberfest is a recipe for disaster. Mix in some rain and a lot of obnoxious drunks you can see why this was not a trip for the ages. That being said, I had a good time the first time I went with a colleague from work. We had better weather and since it was on opening day, no one was drunk (yet). Still, it was croweded and I was really lucky to even get inside one of the bierhalls.
Much like Oktoberfest, Naples was a big disappointment with the family. The place seemed very sketchy and dirty. A year later I returned to Naples and ventured past the area around the train station and did have a much better time.
Finally, the Autobahn is overrated. Much of it is speed restricted and is often riddled with traffic. But when it's unrestricted, it's great"
Jen: "Torino. Not picturesque. Full of immigrants. Also, Disneyland Paris (Greg disagrees). Employees were rude/characters left with kids still waiting for them/not well maintained..."
Worth the splurge:
Greg: "The London Eye. We'll probably be paying interest on the amount we shelled out to ride but the view was awesome. Hey, it's London! Everything is expensive."
Jen: "Stockholm. Expensive but worth it. Also, the room in Vernazza that overlooked the main square/church/marina"
Biggest cultural struggle:
Jen: "Nothing open on Sunday and no one takes credit"
Greg: (See previous post)
Best Souvenier:
Greg: "Our German gummi bear, Luke. We also came home with a ton of wine and beer"
Jen: "Luke."
What would you change about the time we spent in Europe:
Jen: "Spent more time in Italy and learned a foreign language so we could have chatted with the locals more"
Greg: "I would have liked to visit Calabria (more than from the deck of a ship), the French Riviera and Denmark."
Best advice to other travels:
Jen: "Get outside of the cities and go to the smaller villages. Get to interact with the locals."
Greg: "Jen's right. The cities are overrated. As for meeting people, act as if you are a temporary local"
What I miss most about living in Europe:
Greg: "British TV, Netto, good jaegerschitzel, ryanair, our village and neighbors, the crew at TPMRC, Christmas markets."
Jen: "Chocolate croissants, slower pace, drinking wine in a public park, fests, pretzels"
Greg: "Oktoberfest (the second time). Bringing your family to Oktoberfest is a recipe for disaster. Mix in some rain and a lot of obnoxious drunks you can see why this was not a trip for the ages. That being said, I had a good time the first time I went with a colleague from work. We had better weather and since it was on opening day, no one was drunk (yet). Still, it was croweded and I was really lucky to even get inside one of the bierhalls.
Much like Oktoberfest, Naples was a big disappointment with the family. The place seemed very sketchy and dirty. A year later I returned to Naples and ventured past the area around the train station and did have a much better time.
Finally, the Autobahn is overrated. Much of it is speed restricted and is often riddled with traffic. But when it's unrestricted, it's great"
Jen: "Torino. Not picturesque. Full of immigrants. Also, Disneyland Paris (Greg disagrees). Employees were rude/characters left with kids still waiting for them/not well maintained..."
Worth the splurge:
Greg: "The London Eye. We'll probably be paying interest on the amount we shelled out to ride but the view was awesome. Hey, it's London! Everything is expensive."
Jen: "Stockholm. Expensive but worth it. Also, the room in Vernazza that overlooked the main square/church/marina"
Biggest cultural struggle:
Jen: "Nothing open on Sunday and no one takes credit"
Greg: (See previous post)
Best Souvenier:
Greg: "Our German gummi bear, Luke. We also came home with a ton of wine and beer"
Jen: "Luke."
What would you change about the time we spent in Europe:
Jen: "Spent more time in Italy and learned a foreign language so we could have chatted with the locals more"
Greg: "I would have liked to visit Calabria (more than from the deck of a ship), the French Riviera and Denmark."
Best advice to other travels:
Jen: "Get outside of the cities and go to the smaller villages. Get to interact with the locals."
Greg: "Jen's right. The cities are overrated. As for meeting people, act as if you are a temporary local"
What I miss most about living in Europe:
Greg: "British TV, Netto, good jaegerschitzel, ryanair, our village and neighbors, the crew at TPMRC, Christmas markets."
Jen: "Chocolate croissants, slower pace, drinking wine in a public park, fests, pretzels"
Pictures from top to bottom: Swiss Alps, Jen in Dublin, and our backyard in Bann
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