Vintage European Travel Destinations
Vacation Ideas

The scenery is amazing and Gyro Sandwiches are definitely our favorite food. Not to mention the tomatoes in Greece are to-die-for! Santorini had an especially wonderful allure as you have the options of riding the cable car or you can choose to ride a donkey up the steps on the side of the mountain.

We chose the cable car, but watching the donkeys carry visitors up and down the mountainside was a site to see. We had a fantastic time on the ship as well.

We were able to meet people from different parts of the world and really get to know our shipmates. This didn't mean we didn't have plenty of quiet time for just the two of us, though! There were plenty of places on the ship and the ports to get away for a romantic stroll or dinner for two. I would love to have the opportunity to go back and relive some of those moments again.

There were many nice restaurants to eat there as well. Then, the next day, we went shopping. There are a lot of stores in Switzerland and we got some nice Swiss watches in very great prices! The time flew by while shopping because the stores are so big. Finally, on the last day, we drove around Switzerland and viewed the Alps and the scenery. The scenery in Switzerland is amazing as well. Overall, Switzerland is probably one of the best vacation spots ever.

We stayed in a great little house near Cadiz which proved to be a perfect spot to reach many different locations. In one particular place, only 20 minutes away, a local enthusiast recorded over 160 species! I was able to observe, record and photograph a wonderful variety of birdlife. Some birds found here are Hoopoe, Griffon Vultures, Bee Eaters, Harriers, Storks and many, many more not seen in my home country.

The nearby salt marshes are home to huge flocks of Flamingoes, Avocat, Black Winged ts, Egrets, Plovers ...I could go on and on - it was fabulous. Just off the nearby motorway is Bolona & Sierra de la Plata - a terrific place with stunning landscapes.

Here you can find the Little Swift which is a very rare bird. This is also home to lots of Griffon Vultures. They like to nest on the rock faces. Other birds found here are Blue Rock Thrush, Eagles, Egyptian Vulture, Hoopoe, Nightingale, Woodpeckers, Woodchat Shrike and the Black-Eared Wheatear. All in all, the Cadiz region of Spain is THE place to visit.

It was charming and every day we walked to the local bakery and bought fresh baguettes and pastries. During the day we would pack picnics and ate wherever we ended up.

We ate lunch in front of the famous Eiffel Tower, in a canoe in the canals of opulent Versailles and on the grassy slopes in front of the picturesque Sacre Coeur. It was the simple life. We did whatever we felt like. We wandered the small shops and hidden gardens of Paris.

No rush, no hurry, no goals or plans. It was calming and with the delights of Paris city life all around us, we never ran out of things to do, up until the day we had to leave. This was, by far the saddest day of our relaxing Paris vacation.

We rented the car in Calais and explored Western Europe. We went to France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands on the continent. We ate at lots of little cafes, saw the big sites, and overall had a wonderful time.

I saw things I had always dreamed of seeing: the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa, the Sistine Chapel, and the Anne Frank House. Before going, I was mostly dreaming of all the man-made sites to see, but some of the most beautiful were the natural sites.

The Alps were simply stunning. Such beautiful valleys with crystal-blue ponds and lots of forestry. We took the long way over the Alps, and I am so glad we did. We also stayed in a hotel in Genoa just off the Mediterranean. It was a whirlwind (eight countries in a month) but so worth every moment!

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