Greetings from Liverpool! It's after midnight, and Andrew and I just got back from a great evening at the Cavern Club. It has been an incredible day. We are really tired, so will update during the train ride back to London tomorrow. Am posting one picture that exemplifies the day. See you tomorrow.... read more

London was chilly -- 55 to 65 all day -- and misty...the perfect London day! Andrew and I had coffee and breakfast at Esqiures Coffee, which looks like the British version of Starbucks. From there, it was off to our top priority and total bucket list item: the walk at Abbey Road. We were like kids at Christmas on the tube ride and walk. We walked down Grove End Road about 1/4 of a mile when we saw the Abbey Road street sign. We rounded the corner, and there it was: the iconic crosswalk where The Beatles shot that most famous photo. We just stood and stared at it, grinning and slapping each other on the back. Then it was time to get to work. Abbey Road is a pretty busy street, so we had to ... read more

Bon jour from Brussels! After a 3.5 hour train ride, we arrived in Brussels at 1330. We continued our theme from Frankfurt and we stepped out of the train station into the red light district. Andrew and I hiked through a number of interesting individuals into a much better area and found our hotel. And what a hotel! Hotelbloom! (that is the actual name) is a spectacular place that is a work of art. Creativity is everywhere. Each room is decorated by a different European artist, so every one is unique. I have posted a picture of the room but suggest you look up the website for the full effect. The room itself is huge and extremely comfortable. After settling in, we headed for the Grand Place, the center of the old town and main tourist ... read more

Guten tag, alles. First full day in Frankfurt got off to a very slow start. Andrew and I alternated hitting the snooze button til 0830. Even then, we moved slowly, leaving the hotel at 1030. Fortunately, we found a place up the street still serving breakfast, and it was sooo good: boiled egg, crossaint, heavier roll, cheese, butter, tomatoes, and espresso. From there, we took a walking tour of Frankfurt's main sights: Saint Bartholomeus' Cathedral (beautiful and breathtaking), City Hall, St. Paul's Church, Haus Wertheim (built in the 1600s, it is the only house with traditional half-timbered construction to survive World War II), Customs Tower, Iron Bridge (cool views of the River Main as well as city), St. Leonhard Church, and Archeological Gardens. We toured the last, and it was incredible. The museum displayed artifacts found ... read more

Hello from Bern! Andrew and I took it easy this morning, eating the bread, cheese, yogurt and fruit we bought last night at the grocery, then heading out about 0930. We stopped at a neighborhood we saw from the tram, then wandered til we found a cafe for coffee. Once again, we discovered that everything in Bern is really expensive, with a double espresso running $4.50 each. We were extra surprised that drinking the coffee at the cafe was $4.00 more than getting it to go...which we found out AFTER ordering and getting the bill. Lesson learned. The morning was very cool (a nice change) so we walked toward the center of town. We discovered a chess board on the walkway so stopped for a quick game. After Andrew beat me handily, we walked on to ... read more