We left Amsterdam today and drove to Germany... happy to be leaving the country where it costs money to go to the bathroom. Though we did encounter some very interesting toilets in the Netherlands, including one that cleans the seat by itself. I wasn't entirely sure I trusted it, but if I have to pay 50 cents, at least it's doing something. We were on our way to Oberwesel on the Rhine River, home to Castle Hotel Auf Schoenburg... the medieval castle-turned hotel where we were staying that night. Angie and I had been keeping it a secret from Mom so [View Full Entry]

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Today was supposed to be the day to go to Delft, the little town with the famous blue hand-painted pottery factory. We had skipped Zaanse Schans the day before due to lack of time, so were faced with a decision. After realizing it was Sunday, and looking up the Delft town website on Cees's trusty free internet terminal, we decided that the shops in town might be closed, and we didn't want to take the chance, since it was a pretty long trip there. Zaanse Schans it is. We walked to the train station and Angie went up to the counter [View Full Entry]

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Today we went to the Anne Frank House... the house where the 15 year-old Jewish girl and her family hid from the Nazis for two years until they were betrayed by one of their confidantes (who exactly betrayed them remains unknown.) They were arrested and sent to concentration (extermination) camps, and only the father, Otto, survived. Anne died just a few weeks before the liberation. Her diary writings were published by her father after her death and are world-known. The house remains unfurnished by the request of Otto, but a scale model shows the inside of the house as it would [View Full Entry]

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Today we took a train and then a bus to Keukenhof Gardens. The flower fields weren't looking too promising on the way there, so we were worried that the long winter had delayed the blossoming of the tulips. The gardens weren't at full bloom, but it was still awesome. As we walked through the park, we discovered a grassy area that had these giant bean bag chairs strewn about for lounging (apparently called Fat Boys... no offense to anyone who may be reading this blog). We each collapsed in a chair for a couple minutes before moving on to explore the [View Full Entry]

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My flight to Chicago was pretty uneventful, though I was a little afraid that I would be late due to a late take-off from Colorado. Mom was already waiting at the airport, and Angie arrived just a few minutes after me. While we waited for the plane to board, Angie decided she wanted to go get her shoes shined... in Detroit. An hour later, when the plane started boarding, Mom and I sat there wondering A) if she would make it, and B) if she didn't, what the heck were we going to do with her carry-on bags?? Finally, Mom boarded [View Full Entry]

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Sadly, the last day of the tour. Today I passed on the optional excursion to Ischia and instead spent some time roaming around Sorrento. Nancy and I walked down to Marina Piccola and then down Via San Cesaro, my favorite shopping alley. It was there that she was kidnapped. By a mime. "Look, it's a mime!" He had been so still, I hadn't even noticed him. I got my camera out to take a picture of him and as I was fussing with putting my camera away, she went over and put a coin in his cup. He motioned for her [View Full Entry]

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Today was the best day of the trip... we set off in the morning on a 3 1/2 hour hike on Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods). Luckily, it was much cooler today than on previous days or it could have been a seriously uncomfortable 3 1/2 hours! Antonio had been telling us all week that everyone always says this is their favorite part of the trip, and I can see why. The views were simply amazing! The hike was not hard, but it was on the very edge of a cliff and I can see why they insist on [View Full Entry]

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Today we went to the Isle of Capri (apparently pronounced KAH-pree, not kah-PREE...) The ferry ride on the way over was pretty bad... the ferry was packed and completely enclosed with no air, and it was so hot. I was feeling pretty sick by the time we arrived, and the fumes from all the buses and boats at the marina did not help. Capri was literally over-run with people, you couldn't even walk down the street without running into someone. It's the playground of the rich and famous, with all of the Gucci, Prada, <insert something else Paris Hilton wears here> [View Full Entry]

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Today we did the famed drive along the Amalfi Coast. I had been planning on sitting on the right side of the bus to get the best views, but by the time I got down there, everyone had already boarded. Luckily, Chris offered for me to sit next to her by the window since she's tall and can see over me. The coast is amazing... at one point we saw a swimming pool carved right out of the side of a cliff. There's a cute miniature version of the town of Praiano set into the cliff by the highway. We saw [View Full Entry]

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This morning we took the bus to Termini and then walked to a village called Massa Lubrense. The path was overgrown in some places, very lush with vegetation. We saw several different different kinds of herbs growing in the wild. Along the way, we met the cutest little puppy (black, of course) that was perfectly happy to have his belly rubbed by all 26 people. I was sure I could fit him in my suitcase, but the others wouldn't let me take him :-) We ended our walk at Marina della Lobra and had lunch at Angelo's Bar. His wife made [View Full Entry]

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