Twelve Things: Memorable European Travel

Early morning Paris (1)

Tom insisted I drag myself from a nice, cozy bed to appreciate Paris before there were too many people out and about. I objected. I whined. I was generally a pain in the ass. But Tom was right: you can't beat early morning Paris.

Driving the Ring of Kerry (2)

The Ring of Kerry is a superb place to visit: the scenery changed every hundred feet, and we spent more time trying to soak it in and capture the experience with the camera than we spent in the car.

Whale watching in Faxafloi (3)

I had been looking forward to this experience, but I was still completely blown away by how exhilarating whale watching would be. My mom was right: I should have been a marine biologist.

Exploring Stockholm (4)

Stockholm is one of those places that didn't come with a reputation to live up to. Few people we know had been there, and we knew little about the city. So Stockholm was one of the most pleasant surprises of our time in Europe. It is a gorgeous city that makes creative use of the land and the water, and we made astounding discoveries everywhere we went. We left thinking that we could live there (provided I packed a sunlamp).

Auschwitz and Birkenau (5)

This was a hard day. I nearly lost it when I realized the bolt of cloth in front of me was made of hair from Auschwitz victims. But we left agreeing that these places should remain standing: "Forever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe. Auschwitz-Birkenau 1940-1945"

Hiking and riding gondolas in Zermatt (6)

Although we were conflicted about Zermatt, there's no doubt that we will never forget the sweeping vistas we enjoyed there.

Lake Como evening (7)

After the cold mountains of Switzerland, Lake Como was exactly what we needed. 

Evening with the locals in Rome (8)

Do you know any Romans? You should try to find some. 

Mosques in Istanbul (9)

After seeing four frillion churches and cathedrals in Europe, it was a fun change of pace to visit three mosques in one weekend and appreciate all the similarity and all the difference. 

Wandering Santorini (10)

All the Greek Islands we visited were fantastic, and the trip was a perfect balance of relaxing on the beach and exploring ancient artifacts. But there's a reason Santorini is the most popular destination: the scenery is astounding no matter which direction you look, from the towns of Oia and Fira to the black sand beaches to sunset to the crazy caldera shape the island retains.

Berlin wintermarkets (11)

We have concluded there's just no way to replicate our first experience with winter markets in Berlin (Prague's were a touristy disappointment; Dresden's were fun but just weren't the same). We didn't really know what wintermarkets were when we showed up in Berlin, and we found the most fun, convivial atmosphere. Even though we knew absolutely no one, we felt like we were part of it all, celebrating the season like Germans.

Touring Isle of Skye (12) 

I've been quite honest about my irrefutable love for Scotland. So I'm cheating and sticking the entire trip on this list. From our home base in the area to the Trotternish Peninsula to touring Talisker and the Cuillin Mountains, it was the perfect trip, and I remember every minute of it despite the volume of whisky I consumed. So clearly, something magical was happening.