C&J EUROTRIP

It's Over! :(

2007-07-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well to say it was the trip of a lifetime is probably a phrase that has been way overused. I cannot think of another way to describe it though. It was absolutely amazing and we will always remember our time in Europe.

Wednesday

2007-07-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

Today we traveled by train and cable car to the top of Zugspitze. The tallest point in all of Germany. The view was out of this world.

Tuesday

2007-07-18T19:58:00.001-07:00

Today we got to visit the incredible Neuschwanstein castle. Wow, what an incredible place.

Monday

2007-07-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

Monday was a long drive north out of Italy through the mountains. It was a little overcast but incredibly beautiful. We made it to the Edelweiss resort in Garmisch Germany just in time for an incredible German dinner.

Sunday

2007-06-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

We took the train to Venice Italy. Wow what a beautiful city. So many pictures to take. We also were able to take a boat taxi over to the island of Murano. This is where they make the famous Italian glass. We also got to see a glass blowing demonstration which was really neat. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Saturday

2007-06-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Today we took a trip up to the little mountain town of Barcis Italy. There is a gorgeous blue river that runs down to an incredibly blue-green lake that the town sits on. It was also the day for boat races on the lake which was really cool to see. The water was so clear you could see lots of fish just swimming around.

Friday

2007-06-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

We started off at the Vatican today. Wow is it huge. We then were able to visit the church that held Peter's chains and the prison where they fell off while he was awaiting his martyr. We also got to tour the ancient city of Rome, our whats left of it. All in all a great day.

Thursday

2007-06-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Our first full day in Rome. We were in much need of a shower but couldn't check into our hotel until 2 pm. So we went and toured the colosseum. After a shower and a nap we did the dulce vita stroll down the Via Del Corso. We also caught the spanish steps and the Trevi fountain along the way.

Julie and I with our next cars

2007-06-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe we won't buy one but wouldn't it be nice with gas being so high? We did some calculations and gas is about $7-$8 a gallon. Yikes!

Wednesday

2007-06-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

On wednesday we left on the overnight train for Rome. We had to get the "comfy" couchettes for four. You can see how roomy these are in the picture. It went all night and stopped at very station along the way. It was horrible but we survived. lol!

The car game

2007-06-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

We have seen quite a few famous cars on our journies here. See how many you can guess.

Tuesday

2007-06-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we arrived at Aviano Air Base in Italy. So nice to be able to buy a few groceries and wash clothes. We also took a trip up the mountain to a little town named Gorgozza. There is a natural Aqueduct here that goes over 150 meters under ground. Such a cute little town and beautiful stream that runs out of the natural aqueduct.

Julie said "NO"

2007-06-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

We have had pretty good luck with the restroom facilities so far. When we stopped to gas up along the highway in France, Julie could not make herself use this particular WC. (That's Water Closet for you non-Euro's)

Monday

2007-06-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

On Monday we traveled south out of Paris through the french countryside toward Milan, Italy. It was so incredible traveling through the french alps into Italy. There was almost 50 miles of tunnels a one point, the longest being about 39 miles. The view once you came out on the other side was well worth it. Although I'm not real sure it was worth the 50 euro toll. YIKES! Oh and soo many cool castles in every village along the way. Even time for a snowball fight. P.S. Pricilla, Misty said check out her shoes?

Finally! The Eiffel Tower

2007-06-02T04:48:00.000-07:00

On sunday night we got to visit the Eiffel tower. The concierge had recommended taking a differant route than what I had planned out and boy was he right. We ended up on a tall platform up above the tower with an incredible view from the champs du mars. Every hour on the hour the lights come on. It is really spectacular at night.

Sunday in Paris

2007-06-02T01:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday was cold & rainy but that did not stop us from traveling over to the Ilse de Cite to view the famous cathedral of Notre Dame. The Ilse de cite was the origional city of Paris. It is located on an island in the middle of the river Siene. I hope you enjoy the pics.

Famous sightings

2007-06-02T01:23:00.000-07:00

We have seen a lot of famous monuments and buildings, but who would have believed a famous person sighting. That's how surprised we felt when we saw this "unnamed" Backstreet boy.

Saturday evening

2007-05-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

After a short rest at the hotel we set out towards the Champs-Elysee. The most famous street in Paris. Everything from bistros to Renault showrooms to Disney. At one end is the Arc de Triomphe. It was mind boggling to see how big it really is. The pictures just do not do it justice, but here are a few anyway.

The Castle at Versailles

2007-05-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didnt get this all up earlier. A lot of slideshows to dump on you at once. I have had more trouble than I would have thought getting a plugin and internet access. So here are some shots from the castle itself. Somewhere around 7 different areas of the castle that you can tour. These were mostly from the main castle. The were cleaning the front entrance and just finishing up in the hall of mirrors. But still just incredible. Oh and they gave you audioguides that told you where you were all along the tour. Jason & Misti said it was the best 25 euro they have ever spent for a tourist area.

The fountains of Versailles

2007-05-30T06:42:00.000-07:00

We walked forever in the gardens and none of the fountains were on. I was soo upset because I had read that the fountains were supposed to be turned on during May. As we were walking back to tour the castle we heard music start to play over the loudspeakers and as we walked up over the hill the fountains were going. What a beautiful day it turned out to be.

For Wesley & Dena

2007-05-30T05:56:00.001-07:00

We saw these along our trip to Paris and couldn't let them go by without snapping a picture for you.

Saturday at Versialles

2007-05-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous hotel in Paris

2007-05-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Such a beautiful hotel we were able to book in downtown Paris. We are staying at the Holiday Inn Republique. This is the view out of our room.

The "CRAZY" Schnitzel Lady

2007-05-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

OK. This is Petra, she is one incredible lady. Explanation and embarrasment to follow. Somehow we got confused and believed that our friends Brad & Shenista were in Spangdhalem Air Force Base in Germany. When we arrived we could not find a pay phone to call them. Petra was serving up schnitzel outside the BXExtra. She started talking with us and picked up her cellphone and gave Shenista a call. She said, "This is the schnitzel lady. Your friends from America are here with me." Shenista had no idea what she was talking about. She told her to come to the BXExtra and meet us. Well it turns out they are at Rhamstein. lol. But we had such an incredible time laughing and joking with Petra we just had to add her as one of the highlights of our trip. Oh, she can make some incredible fries also. She cooked up a plate and set down and ate them with us. Thanks again schnitzel lady.

You can buy anything out of a vending machine.

2007-05-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

Just to prove my point, here is Jason fixing to purchase a brand new iPod from a vending machine at the DFW airport. Luckily Misti stopped him before he had a chance to finish the purchase. ;)

We Made it!!!

2007-05-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

Finally! It was touch & go for a bit. Especially sitting on the runway in DFW for over 2 hrs. while an incredible storm blew through. The view flying into Philly was a welcome sight as you can see. Thank the Lord they held our connecting flight until we arrived. Wish I had a video of all of us running all the way across the Philly airport to get to the right terminal. We did make it on in time, if only to sit for another 30 min. awaiting takeoff. So after 15 straight hours of riding in a plane we arrived in Frankfurt Germany.
More to come soon...

HOORAY! The passports are in.

2007-05-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

That's right, today @ 10:15 the FedEx man dropped off a package at our home containing our shiny new passports. WHEW! A special thanks goes out to Roberta at congressman Thornberry's office. Did you know that one of the constituent services offered by Government officials is working with federal agencies on your behalf? It's true and thanks to them and my good friend Shad who told me about it, our passports were expedited and shipped out overnight at no extra cost to us. So the countdown to Europe continues. Hopefully the drama has ended.

Extreme Talent

2007-05-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have elaborated on the caliper of folks that are traveling with us to Europe. Jason & Misti were stationed in Aviano Italy for 3 years. They have made 1/2 a dozen trips to Rome and probably a dozen trips to Venice and all points in between. They are great friends and just a blast to be around as you can tell from this video. =) btw...Sorry Jason hehe

Dream Vacation

2007-05-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

So as you can probably tell, this is my dream vacation. No, not the one in the picture but the European vacation we are planning. I have to admit this is not Julie's dream vacation, although she is excited to go. Her dream vacation was Niagara Falls in 2002. So all the comments got me to thinking. What is your dream vacation? Where would you go? What would you do? Can't wait to see your ideas.

Basic Itinerary

2007-05-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is just some basic points of interest that we will be hitting on our trip. You can double-click the markers on the Left-hand side to go to that location. You can also double-click the marker on the map to zoom in. I suggest turning on the satellite or hybrid view buttons in the upper Right-hand corner of the map to see some gorgeous imagery. Purple markers are cities we will visit and blue are points of interest. If folks enjoy this I will add more later. Have fun!

Click here

The Adventure Approaches

2007-05-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

So it is now less than 3 weeks now till we leave for Europe. We are so excited! Everything seems to be coming together except for our passports. :( They still have not arrived and I am beginning to sweat a bit. So if you have time in your prayers please ask God to light a fire under those special government employees.