Day five, our last day of the group trip, started really early, at 7 AM, to be exact. Today we had to drive quite a ways to make it back to Maastricht, but we would also stop twice to tour World War sites. The first stop was at the city of Verdun, to pick up a map of the battlefield and to eat lunch after driving all morning. Almost everyone chose to eat at the same place, which had good food but was quite slow. It took awhile for everyone to get their food and then get back to the bus. Yes, I know slow service in Europe is considered polite service, but we were looking for a bit faster service than what was provided. After that, we stopped at the World War I battlefield of ... read more

Day three of the group trip was definitely one of my favorite days, maybe my favorite. We went into Switzerland and the Swiss Alps, so that should give a clue as to how beautiful everything was. Even though we drove for over seven hours today, it was worth it. Today was definitely a nature day, rather than a cultural day. There is not a lot of description here, but enough, and lots of pictures. The day started with another great breakfast, then we left at 7:45 AM. The drive from Austria into Switzerland was gorgeous, with the Alps rising in the distance, then traveling next to, and finally into the mountains. We stopped around lunchtime at Vitznau, which is a town built around Lake Lucerne. At the train station, we got out and had time to ... read more

Well, now that the group trip is over, it is kind of tough to remember the first couple of days, especially the first day. It seems so long ago. But first, before I get into the specifics of day 1 of our group trip through Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, France, and Lichtenstein, let me just say that it was an amazing trip. I saw snow-covered mountains, beautiful lakes, castles, forests, and had some experiences and saw some places that I will never forget. First was breakfast. The cafeteria people had packed our breakfast the night before, so I was eager to see what they packed. It was rather interesting. A cheese sandwich, a ham sandwich, an apple, a Capri Sun pouch for juice, and…a Snickers bar. Now everything else I can understand, but a candy bar ... read more

Today was my last sightseeing day in Rome. I would be here part of tomorrow too, but I have to leave so early tomorrow that I will not be able to see anything. On the schedule today: just two places, the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica. But first was another good breakfast. They have such a range of jams available here that I had two different kinds today on my roll, and I had two different kinds yesterday as well. I tried a little bit of the coffee today, but it was terrible. The Vatican is a ways from the city center, so I had to think out the metro routes and etc. well beforehand, to make sure I would end up where I wanted to be. Mission accomplished, I arrived at the Vatican metro ... read more

Well, today was the start of my trip to Rome. On the whole, it went quite well, I only got really lost once, and saw everything that I wanted to see. First, though, how I got there. I flew out of Eindhoven airport (about an hour away from Maastricht) in the afternoon, and saw Zurich and the Alps from above as we flew over them. The actual flight was shorter than I thought it would be, and uneventful. Upon landing in Rome at 6:30 PM, I got on a bus to the main hub of all public transportation in Rome, Termini train station. At Termini, I went by the tourist information place there in the station, and bought a three-day Roma Pass. This pass gives the holder free transportation on the metro and regular buses, free ... read more