Such a perfect day here in Strasbourg. The weather was perfect, and after having breakfast we headed to the parking garage to get the car and head out for some sightseeing. Being that we were so close to the border of Germany, we decided to take a ride along the wine route. It was very picturesque with miles and miles of vineyards. We stopped at a local wine tasting facility and walked around a bit before heading back to Strasbourg. Luckily we found a parking spot and walked to an area known as La Petite France to find a place for lunch. It’s quite a neat area laced with canals and half-timbered homes and cobblestone streets. This area is for pedestrian traffic only so it is easy to wander through. We found a lovely restaurant in ... read more

Woke up to more rain. The clouds lift and descend around the mountains, teasing us with scenery, then taking it away. We had a wonderful breakfast, again, more food than you can eat. This hotel is incredible. It’s been completely remodeled, and apparently was done by an artisan. Upon checking out, we found the room was only $43 Eu each and that feast we had for dinner was $25 EU each. Unbelievable. I set the GPS for Arosa. There are numerous ways to get there from here, so I figured the GPS would send us the quickest way. Off we went, and within minutes we were climbing and switchbacking on the most scenic road I’ve ever seen. This was the heart of the Alps, and the mountains were incredible. Between the heavy rain and the clouds, ... read more

Well, we woke up to a beautiful morning here in Chamonix. Our plans this morning were to have breakfast, check in with the para gliding school, and for Sandy to do laundry. So, after a wonderful breakfast, we took off to find the laundromat. The first one we found only allowed you to drop off your clothes and come back later in the day, as they would do the laundry. Took off from there, and finally found another one. Although most of the machines were broken, Sandy managed to find one that worked and got started while I took off to call the school.. Hooray, they advised that the flight was on,and I left for the gondola to meet my pilot. The lines to get on the gondola were incredibly long, but we managed to sneak ... read more

Woke up to beautiful sunny skies. After breakfast we packed our bags then headed out for a short walk while waiting for our luggage to be picked up And delivered to the parking area outside of the walls. It was quite a unique experience staying in the walled city overnight. During the day it is bustling with activity, but is a whole different scene at night. The streets get very quiet, and you can almost imagine the sentries making their rounds with their torch lights. That’s what a bottle of wine will do to you. We took a walk over to the Basilica, as it was now open to the public. It was quit impressive. If you’ve never been to a midevil church, read “Pillars of the Earth”, and you’ll get a sense of what we ... read more

First of all let me say that there will be more pictures going forward. We had a problem with the transferring of the photos from our camera, but Ray fixed it this morning. Today was a beautiful day starting off with breakfast on the patio overlooking the valley below, As usual the offerings were delicious and plentiful. The favorite for all of us are the croissants, the wonderful European coffee, and for me the homemade yogurt with fruits and jam. We then headed out for a day of site seeing our first stop being the Chateau de Castelnaud. The castle was built during the 11th century, with it changing hands many times through various wars in the subsequent centuries. It was built to defend against the Chateau de Baynac, across the Dordogne River. As you approach ... read more