With a heavy heart, I took an early morning train from Brussels to Paris, to catch my flight back home.  I made it into Gare d'Austerlitz with…

I decided to start with Antwerp.  Belgium was small enough that each city was only an hour or so away from Brussels, so I could go to them as …

Evening came as I arrived back in Brussels.  I got my Panos sandwich and walked out to the European Union headquarters just to see the buildin…

I took the train from Antwerp over to Gent.  I thought of all the cities I visited in Belgium, I liked Gent the best.  I just loved the f…

That afternoon, I went back to Brussels to see a couple more things there.  I stopped at the Comic Book museum, thinking there would be a lot …

I caught a train in the morning to Bruges, just to see what the city was all about.  There wasn't much more that I wanted to see in Brussels, …

I arrived in my last country of my trip through Europe.  Sure, I was flying out of Paris, but I wasn't going to spend much time there. I lear…

Now I was a little disappointed with Zaanse Schans, but I wasn't going to give up my windmill search until I found some good ones.  Going off …

I had two leads for windmills, one was from the hostel and the other was from my guide book.  I knew I could count on my guide book for good w…

When I think of the Netherlands, I think of the Dutch. When I think of the Dutch, I think of windmills. When I think of windmills, I think of Kin…

Satisfied with my windmill hunt, I came back to Amsterdam and ate like a horse.  I spent the rest of the day at leisure, and caught an early m…

On day 2 in Amsterdam, I left my hostel early and walked to the Anne Frank House.  There were already long lines, but I waited it out and went…

The train from Germany pulled into Amsterdam Centraal right on time.  I walked the short distance to my hostel in the morning sun where I drop…

After a day in Nordlingen, I headed back to Munich to grab my things and catch the night train to Amsterdam.

On my last day in Germany, I did pretty much what I said I was going to do - I jumped on a train and went off into the countryside (another be…

I decided to keep using Munich as my base of operations in the area and took a quick train to Dachau in the morning.  Dachau was the first of …

After returning to Munich from Dachau, I wanted to see something beautiful that would lift my spirits a little.  So, I went to Schloss Nymphen…

I got back in time for dinner, and my foot really started hurting bad.  As I walked the streets, I had a serious limp going on.  I am not…

So it's not technically accurate to list these castles under Füssen, but the castles are close by so it works out. I jumped on the train early in…

The train pulled into Munich and I walked to my hostel.  Dropping off my things, I headed into the city centre to see what Munich was all abou…

On my third and final day in Berlin, I visited two big sites.  The first was Schloss Charlottenburg.  This palace was built in the early …

I woke up on my second day in Berlin and my foot still seemed fine.  I had decided that I would revisit some of the sites we saw yesterday, bu…

My train brought me into Berlin at about midnight.  I had booked a hostel online and let them know that I was going to be in late that night.&…

I woke up to a sore foot.  I showered, and wondered how I was going to walk around today - my foot was very swollen.  I had thought about…

Or maybe I just used it all up yesterday when I found my camera. The plan for today was to head to Prague Castle and see what was going on there.&…

The train ride to Prague was nice, I had a whole compartment to myself.  Well, I guess being woken up at gunpoint with guards asking for my pa…

The next morning my two new friends and I headed up the path leading to Festung Hohensalzburg, the castle overlooking Salzburg.  It sits at th…

The hills are alive...or something like that.  Most people come to Salzburg because of the Sound of Music, I have still never seen the movie.&…

One of the few hostels in Salzburg, this hostel is about a 15 minute walk from the train station but is beautifully located in the city of Salzburg…

On my last day in Vienna, Alex mentioned that you can indeed go inside Schloss Hofburg, and take a self-guided tour of the rooms.  So, we head…

Alex from Romania, one of my roommates in Vienna, and I decided to explore Schloss Schönbrunn together.  It was in the opposite dir…

I arrived in Vienna with no issues and walked to my hostel.  After showering up and dropping off my things, I grabbed a map of the town and st…

On day 2 I slept in a bit but then decided that I didn't want to wait (or pay for) the Camp d'Oro bus, so I caught the public bus.  Somehow I …

The train from Rome pulled into Venice right on time, very early in the morning.  I was staying at Camp d'Oro, which was about 30 minutes from…

Of the group from last night, a couple of us decided to get up early and head over to the Vatican, in hopes of seeing the Pope.  Some had told…

After leaving the Vatican, we went to a park nearby and spent the rest of the morning there.  After walking around the city some in the aftern…

Today I joined up with a fellow hostel stayer and we headed out into the city.  Our plan for the day was to head to the south of Rome and chec…

This often overlooked site in southern Rome is, in the reviewer's opinion, one of the best in the city. These catacombs, dating back to the 2nd ce…

So I woke up crazy early in the morning to head over to the Vatican museum.  First of all, the museum has weird hours (they close at like 2), …

We took a couple steps from St. Peter's Square and were back in Rome.  The first thing we all wanted to check out was the Pantheon, so we head…

Oh my goodness...Rome Italy!  Stepping out of the train station leaves you with a big question mark over your head...it's a rather modern area…

I spent one final, relaxing evening in Florence before catching an early morning train to Rome!

So this day happened to be my birthday, and Cinque Terre seemed like a great place to spend it! I jumped on a train to La Spezia early in the morn…

I broke up my days in Florence because all the museums are closed on Mondays!  Please take that into consideration when you're traveling …

Once I arrived back in Florence, I took the time to walk around a bit.  I got some gelato and checked out some of the street performers trying…

I jumped back on the train (the great benefit of having the Eurail pass) and headed to Siena.  After a quick train ride, I was there.  Th…

I woke up early on America's Independence day to visit the leaning tower of Pisa.  Of course, in Italy this is just another day.  After a…

Before I left for Italy, I ran into a friend who I had met at some point earlier in my trip...how crazy is that?  She had just come from Italy…

I slept in this morning and then set out on an adventure.  I had heard of walking trails, so I sent to look for those.  I ended up findin…

I woke up early in the morning and jumped on a train to Interlaken.  The name literally meaning between lakes, this city has lakes on two side…

So in day 2 the group and I jumped on a train and headed over to the base of Mount Pilatus.  We watched our clocks and, sure enough, the train…

From the moment I arrived in Switzerland, I knew there was something special about it. The people at the train station were great in directing me …

My train pulled into Lucerne bright and early in the morning.  I had already booked a hostel, so I went to the information booth and asked the…

On day 3 I really didn't have time to do anything, I had to catch a train back to Barcelona and then catch a night train to Lucerne, Switzerland.&n…

I had to make a quick stop in Barcelona before I could catch my overnight train to Lucerne.  If you look at any map, it makes sense, but this …

So I didn't get much sleep at all the day before, but that was all good.  I headed out into the city, grabbed some lunch at the supermarket fo…

I actually arrived into Madrid around midnight, and went straight to the hostel.  I checked it and went to sleep - what was there to see at 1:…

On day 3 I headed towards the area known for Gaudi and all his works.  Again, I am not huge on art but Gaudi has a style that I kinda like.&nb…

On day 2 I grabbed my swim trunks and headed out the door.  My plan for the morning (actually, I slept in a bit, so it turned into early after…

And into a new country!  Spain is a beautiful country with great people.  I met some great people on the train, and before we arrived in …

On my final day in Paris, I slept in a bit.  After I did get up, I decided it would be cool to check out the palace at Versailles, since it's …

After Versailles, I headed back to Paris for just a bit before heading off to Spain.  I walked around a bit, grabbed some dinner, and then cau…

On day 3 in Paris found me wandering up near Montmartre and Sacré Coeur in northern Paris.  First I checked out the impressive Sacré Coeur b…

I got up the early my second day in Paris and took the metro to the Louvre stop.  There are actually two entrances to the Louvre, the one abov…

The overnight train arrived early in the morning of the 19th of June.  Getting off the train, I was excited to actually be in Paris!  I g…

This is more of a filler than anything, but the last day in Nice was very relaxing too - and I'm very glad I did it.  Late that evening I caug…

 The few days I spent in Nice allowed for some much needed rest.  If you're planning to backpack for the first time, please make sure you…

I slept in a bit the next morning, and I woke up to no pain due to sunburn.  I was still a very dark color, but the sunburn seemed to be gone.…

That evening I took it easy in Nice, pondering what to do tomorrow.

So I met a Chinese girl on the train down to Nice.  She was staying for the day before heading elsewhere.  We ended up walking around the…

After the tour ended, I grabbed some dinner in Tours to take with me on the train.  I had to make a quick stop in Paris before catching a trai…

Day 2 of the château tour took us back to the Blois area.  Our first stop was another extravagant château, Château de Chambord.  This …

After visiting three château in one day, we headed back to Tours.  There were more château to come tomorrow!

Our tour left the from the train station in the early afternoon.  There were maybe 8 of us in a van-bus and we headed out to Blois, on the Loi…

After we'd all piled back on the van-bus (I don't know what else to call it!), the driver took us to Amboise.  Atop a hill looking otu over th…

After a night in the airport, we took off bright and early and landed without a hitch in Tours.  The strange thing was that there was no ATM i…

As all good things must come to an end, Phil had to catch a bus that evening, and I had booked a flight to Tours, France that was to leave early in…

Phil had the idea of taking a boat down the Thames and getting off at Greenwich, to see the sites there.  I had never even thought of doing su…

Having stayed up late, Phil and I took the opportunity to sleep in a bit before heading out into the city.  The changing of the guard happens …

After making it back from Canterbury, I set out to see some more of the things in London that I had yet to see.  I started with Westminster Ab…

The next morning I jumped on a train (I didn't forget anything this time) and took off for Canterbury.  I was forced to read the Canterbury ta…

London was my base of operations while exploring southern England, and so I would spend my evenings here.

I woke up early and walked all the way to the train station before I realized that I had forgotten my rail pass in the hostel!  I was so mad..…

For those that do not know, the city of Bath was so named because of the Roman baths that remain in the middle of the city. After the Romans conqu…

So I finally made it to bath.  It wasn't too late in the day but things in Europe seem to close early, so I went to check out the Roman Baths …

I've been to London several times and I always find myself coming back here. It may be because it was the first place I stayed at in London, but t…

Wow!  Talk about an amazing city!  The train from Wales pulled into one of the many train stations in the city, and it was a challenge no…

I slept in a bit and then headed out into the city.  There was quite a bit to see but somehow I managed to squeeze it all into one day.  …

The next morning, I woke up and set out on a quest to find as much Beatles stuff as I could.  There's a big Beatles museum with tours and what…

It took longer than I expected to reach Cardiff, and the only hostel in the town (that I knew of, anyway) was a bit of a walk from the train statio…

I think it goes without saying that Hadrian's Wall is not one spot on the map, but rather a wall that extends along the northern border of England.…

I arrived in Liverpool late in the evening, much later than I had wanted to.  For whatever reason, I went to an information booth and asked th…

At dusk, out of one of the oldest buildings in town emerges a shadowy figure, dressed completely in black. In clothes of old, you begin to wonder …

Early in the morning, I validated my BritRail pass and caught the first train down to York, England.  The train ride was beautiful and we pass…

Our tour ended in Edinburgh and we all went our separate ways.  My plan was to catch train that evening down to York, England.  However, …

We waved Inverness and the northern Scottish Highlands goodbye as we started south toward Edinburgh.  Our first stop on our way back was the b…

Our next stop on day 6 was to Bruar Falls, in the Pitlochry area.  Surrounded by a forest of Scottish Pine, it is one of the few areas in Scot…

Our last stop on our Highlands stop brought us to Dunkeld Cathedral.  This cathedral was a major center for Christianity as easy as the 7th ce…

We had driven along Loch Ness in the afternoon of day 4, but today was our day to spend on the loch.  Before we did that, we spent the morning…

A visit to the Inverness and Loch Ness area would not be complete without a boat trip out on Loch Ness itself. While it's never been proven or dis…

The end of day four of our Haggis adventure took us to another castle...and we were spending the night there!  This is Carbisdale Castle, buil…

The morning of day 4 brought us to the door of the famous Eilean Donan Castle.  The castle is full of history that dates back to the 6th centu…

How about an evening in a large, haunted castle deep in the Scottish Highlands? The owners of Carbisdale Castle give you the opportunity to do tha…

This sad site (depending on who you ask; we were with Scots) is the location of the final battle in the war between the Scots and the English.&nbsp…

We only made a quick stop here, but it's well worth the mention.   The ruins of Urquhart castle sit right on the shore of Loch Ness.&nbsp…

Why is it called the Isle of Skye, you ask?  Well, I don't know...I suppose I should look it up!  Our day three was devoted solely to thi…

After a fun filled, action packed day 2 of the Haggis tour, we headed over the bridge to the Isle of Skye.  Tomorrow we would tackle the islan…

So, while touring the Scottish Highlands, one of our guides made mention of the legendary food, Haggis. Now, I knew what it was...sheep stomach st…

Our next stop was a quick one to Loch Garry.  The neat thing about this loch is that it looks like the country of Scotland!  Coincidence?…

After the hike back from the waterfall, we headed over to the area known as Glenfinnan.  This area also happens to be a big part of the Harry …

Day two took us north, into a majestic, green, hilly area.  We knew we were finally in the Highlands.  It was incredible, seeing tho…

The Scottish Highlands may seem daunting for some, but not the folks at Haggis Tours. These Scots know what they are doing. Haggis offers 3, 6, 8…

While the name Haggis may put some people off (if you don't know what it is, check out one of my later posts), I had heard many great things about …

One of the really neat things about this tour was all the history our guides shared with us.  We did a lot of silly things too, but it was ama…

The end of day one brought us to the little town of Oban, on the west coast of Scotland.  We all went out to a pub in town and met everyone an…

I would have liked to spend more than 2 full days in Edinburgh, but my schedule would not allow it.  I definitely wanted to take a Haggis 6 da…

Day 2 in Edinburgh was a little bit more casual than the hectic events of day 1.  I slept in a bit before heading out to check out the sites.&…

All right, the title is a little retarded.  My flight made it into Glasgow, Scotland right on time.  I just wanted to pass through Glasgo…

Most people are unaware that the entire city of Edinburgh was built above an older city that existed on the same site. Well, it's true. The under…

The train pulled into Edinburgh station at around 10:00 AM and I was off to find my hostel.  The one tricky thing I learned quickly about Edin…

The tour bus pulled back into Dublin at about 6 in the evening, and awe all got off and went our separate ways.  I wanted to go to Scotland to…

Today was our last day of the tour.  Fortunately, we still had a lot of neat things to do!  We reached Cork early in the morning and made…

After leaving Blarney Castle, we drove up the road a bit (or a lot, I am not exactly sure) to the town of Cahir and it's castle, Cahir Castle (who …

When I think of Ireland, this is the area  that comes to mind...the magical southwest.  I hope the pictures are able to do it some justic…

We rolled into Killarney in the late afternoon, and proceeded to check into the hostel there.  There were horses and buggies waiting for us, t…

This tiny town was our stop for the evening...there wasn't a thing to do in town, we ate at the one restaurant and then went back to the hostel.&nb…

We left the city of Galway with the sun shining behind us.  As we drove along the western edge of Ireland, the terrain started to get more roc…

We left the desolate Burren behind us and headed south to the famous Cliffs of Moher.  Right on the Altantic, the Cliffs offer spectacular vie…

After leaving the Cliffs of Moher, our trip continued south along the coast of Ireland.   I've found that what they say is true...Ireland…

After a busy, fun filled day driving all over northwestern Ireland, we reached Galway.  As our drive wound the bus down the narrow streets, we…

After checking out the waterfall he made famous, we went to see W. B. Yeats' grave site.  It's in a small cemetary in the area known as Drumcl…

After leaving Belfast, we headed back into the Republic of Ireland.  We crossed the countryside and headed into Leitrim County, where we …

We got up pretty early in the morning and went to the supermarket in Derry before heading out.  A group of us picked up some lunchmeat, bread,…

We arrived in Belfast in the early evening.  After dropping things off at the hostel, we were taken on what's known as the "Black Cab" tour.&n…

Early this morning the tour bus pulled up to the Four Courts Hostel and we were off on a six day tour of Ireland.  We took a drive throug…

After leaving Drogheda, we headed north toward Derry, our destination for the day.  On the way, we made a stop at a rather random cemetary.&nb…

Day 3 in Dublin was a relatively slow day, and an opportunity to relax before I started 6 a day All-Ireland Paddywagon tour the next day.  It …

After staying out late last night with the guys I had met from Australia, I took the opportunity to sleep in a little this morning.  It was an…

Looking for a way to get around Ireland? Want to learn all about the history, the myth, and the culture today? Want to go places you wouldn't thi…

The plane landed in Dublin International Airport ar around 6:30 AM GMT.  I stumbled out of the airport, a little lost, a little confused and v…

The anticipation was building as I sat in Chicago O'Hare airport...I was about to do something many people think is crazy, I was about to fly acros…