Geo: 42.59, -82.9607Packing requires special planning when you live out of a back pack rather than luggage. We find it' s much simpler to be a minamilist when moving to multiple locations by trains and planes. We've had experience with this over the past few years and have found we can manage quite well with a lot less. The weight of heavy backpacks is grueling when walking a longer distance to hotels or across major airports.As usual this is a self directed vacation. We've done a lot of homework the last four months reviewing information on the internet and in travel books and other travelers blogs. It involves researching flights that are short and reasonably priced, lodging in close proximity to city centers, preparing lists of sights we want to visit, and foods we may be ... read more

Geo: 50.087, 14.4202 Day two in Prague we walked over ten miles seeing as much as we could. We began with a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, croissants, oatmeal and pancakes with chocolate and cherries. We would need the nourishment to carry us through a busy day.Haveleska Market was our first destination. The vendors there were selling fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade crafts, teas, toys, and souvineers.We journeyed on crossing oner the Charles Bridge to the Castle Quarter. On Nerudova Street we saw stores for shopping and souvineer hunting along with quaint hotels and restaurants. It's a historic street linking the Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle.St. Vitus Cathedral was our next stop. It is the largest and most important temple in Prague. Along with religious services the coronations of kings and queens took place here. ... read more

Geo: 48.1299, 8.23131Today's destination was Triberg, Germany. It offers what one associates with the Black Forest. It has magnificent scenery, deep valleys, crystal clear water, and fresh air. Germany's highest waterfalls can be found in Triberg.We started our journey with a 3 hour train ride. We had to make one train switch but managed that easily. The time went rather quickly because there was so much to look at. The scenery was indeed beautiful as we began to see the mountains, the green of the pine trees and the beautiful countryside.Upon our arrival it was time for a latte break. The guy who waited on us was originally from Pennsylvania but moved to London 18 years ago. He is here visiting his in-laws and was helping out in their café. Of course a conversation began since ... read more

Geo: 52.3738, 4.89095We woke to rain this morning which caused a switch in our plans for the day. Rather than ride in the rain we took a train from Haarlem to Amsterdam. Many of the cafes and restaurants in these smaller cities do not open until lunch time so we headed to the train station and will get breakfast when we arrive in Amsterdam, which is what we did. For a while we waited out the rain and it proved to be to our advantage. The rain stopped and we headed out on bike to see a few things we missed earlier in the week.We rode to the water to see the National Maritime Museum which is located in an old Arsenal from 1656. Docked in the water there is the East Indiaman Amsterdam. Another tour ... read more

Geo: 52.0767, 4.29861After enjoying the traditional European breakfast of meats, cheeses, boiled eggs, dry cereal, yogurt, breads, jellies and spreads along with hot tea and coffee, this morning found us on the bike path from Gouda to Den Haag. It was still windy but the sun was shining. Our early morning start found us in the midst of people going to work and kids going to school, all by bike. It's amazing how young some of the kids appear to be and they are riding bikes to school. No one around here rides slowly either. Bikes are crisscrossing between different paths across streets and around corners mixing in with car traffic and trams and everyone knows where to go and how to maneuver. Another interesting fact about the bike paths here is that motor cycles and ... read more