July 10 Monday Tossed and turned all night due to the warmth of my room. My little USB port fan it's just not working. I called at 5:30 in the morning down to front desk to see if someone could come up and take a look at it. And that's just what he did, he looked at it and said it's normal. And they wouldn't change my room either. So I have got to find a fan. Breakfast was buffet with a huge amount of selections. But then again I'm so used of my American meals so I didn't eat too much again. They did have some sort of flaky pastry cheese cake that I liked a lot. We went past a few former homes of wealthy people from before Communist rule. Now they are office ... read more

July 8 Saturday Another morning in Europe. Went down to have breakfast right before we left for the parliament building. We can see the parliament building from our hotel so it was a very short trip. We are able to get the first tour of the morning. We didn't use our local tour guide but instead used a tour guide from the actual parliament building. He was very good-looking and even had a scar going down the side of his left eye. Reminds me of the romance novels heroes I used to read as a kid. The building was pretty impressive. The grand staircase was really spectacular. We were allowed to take photographs throughout the whole building except for where the crown is located. Just as we were about to leave the crown area, we were ... read more

So it has been exactly one week since we started our tour. I have been to England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Austria. So far it has been a great trip. The different cities we stopped and have been wonderful, the food has been great, the atmosphere has been perfect. So today after a wonderful breakfast that would've cost me €38 on my own at the Hilton Vienna, we headed to the Schonbrunn Palace. Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial summer residence located in Vienna, Austria. The 1,441-room Baroque palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historical monuments in the country. Since the mid-1950s it has been a major tourist attraction. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations ... read more

uly 4. Murano, Venice, and Burano So I forgot to set my alarm clock this morning. So luckily we get a phone call wake up call but it didn't leave me much time to get ready for breakfast and then to the bus. We headed out to a part of Venice called Isola Della Giidecca and went to see a Murano glassblowing demonstration. I've been to some before but those lasted a good 20 to 30 minutes. This one was no more than five to ten minutes before they took us to the show room area to have sit down and look at sets that we could buy at a discounted rate. The show room itself was gigantic with lots of overpriced items. I found a small blue leaf about the size of a half-dollar and ... read more

Sunday morning, we left at 8 after a nice buffet breakfast. We headed through Germany to reach Munich for a short stop. It rained all the way there. We did get some fog, but it made the green countryside really beautiful. One of the striking things I saw was a large parking structure built over the highway for the airport near Stuttgart. Good idea for saving space. I have noticed in Germany that their are more American stores and services. We’ve passed Shell Gas Stations, Burger Kings, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and even a John Deere factory and showroom. So far every shop I’ve been in they have been able to speak English, very well at times. Munich, Bavaria’s capital, is home to centuries-old buildings and numerous museums. The city is known for its annual Oktoberfest celebration and ... read more