The great adventure awaits

Hello

Welcome to my online accounts of my great adventure! I leave July 30th for a whirlwind tour of Europe including a stop in Iceland (which is the most exciting part).

This is roughly the schedule that I will be following:
Day 1: Depart for Europe.

Day 2: Arrive London.

Day 3: London to Amsterdam. We drive to the White Cliffs of Dover for our cross-Channel ferry to France. Then through Belgium to the Netherlands and its capital, Amsterdam for the evening. (D)

Day 4: Amsterdam Sightseeing. See clogs being made and try some cheese in the Dutch countryside. Later shop for diamonds or visit the Rijks or Van Gogh museum.

Day 5: Amsterdam to Rhine Valley. Leaving the Netherlands we enter Germany and head for the Rhine Valley. We travel past Cologne, before following the Rhine River and its barges, vineyards and medieval castles.

Day 6: Rhine Valley to Mt. Pilatus - Lucerne. Today we head for the Alps and lakeside Lucerne. A special treat is our two night stopover in Europe’s highest hotel, our resort on top of Mt. Pilatus. We'll enjoy views from the cable car on our trip to the summit.

Day 7: Lucerne Sightseeing at Leisure. Taking the cable car down to Lucerne for an orientation tour of the city. An opportunity to see the Lion Monument, cross the Chapel Bridge and shop for watches and Swiss Chocolate.

Day 8: Mt Pilatus - Lucerne to Innsbruck. Now to Austria via Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. We continue to the jewel of the Tyrol, Innsbruck where we see the famous Golden Roof and have time to wander at leisure.

Day 9: Innsbruck to Venice. We head south over the Brenner Pass to Venice where we learn about glass-blowing. Enjoy our complimentary motorboat to see St Mark’s Square, the Doges’ Palace and Bridge of Sighs.

Day 10: Venice to Rome. Southwards as we pass Bologna, climb through the Apennine Mountains, passing medieval hillside villages and on to the fabled Seven Hills of the Eternal City, Rome. Tonight a walking tour of this ancient city includes the Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon.

Day 11: Rome Sightseeing. Today why not discover the secrets of the Vatican City and Sistine Chapel with a local guide? In your free time wander the ancient ruins of Rome

Day 12: Rome to Florence. We drive to Florence where our guide takes us on a walking tour of the Duomo, Giotto’s Bell-tower, Piazza della Signoria and the Basilica of Santa Croce. We'll enjoy a demonstration of Florentine leathercraft.

Day 13: Florence to Nice – French Riviera. We continue via Italy’s west coast to view the Leaning Tower of Pisa before heading to France and the famous Côte d’Azur. Tonight, we drive to Monaco to view the Royal Palace and visit a casino.

Day 14: Nice Sightseeing at Leisure.

Day 15: Nice to Lyon. We visit a French perfumery before our drive to see the Palace of the Popes in the Papal city of Avignon. Then north along the Rhône Valley to Lyon.

Day 16: Lyon to Paris. Journey north to the Chateau of Fontainebleau before continuing to the romantic city of Paris. Tonight we enjoy a magical evening tour of the city illuminations. See the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and Nôtre Dame Cathedral.

Day 17: Paris Sightseeing. Today, a full day for us to explore Paris. There’s time to shop on the Champs Elysées, take in a museum or stroll by the Seine.

Day 18: End Paris. We hop on a train to Bayeaux and spend the night in a hostel

Day 19: Visit the Juno Beach Centre at Normandy, then back to Paris and fly out for Iceland.

Day 20-22: Visiting Iceland including partying with the survivors of the Rejkyvik Marathon on the weekly Rannan (pub crawl).