We decided to see Europe like the college kids do--by purchasing a Eurail pass and backpacking it. We cheated with one small suitcase between us in addition to the 2 backpacks. We traveled by train (cog, high speed, and funicular), boat (canal and ferry), cable car, lift, bus, taxi, and of course, walking. Our agenda read Amsterdam, Munich, Lucerne, St. Moritz, Zermatt and Paris.
The food everywhere was absolutely delicious, and we made lots of stops in pastry shops, such as this Bavarian bakery in Munich.
We enjoyed window shopping, and managed to buy a few things for our family. The rule was it had to be light in weight and rather flat. After all, we were going to have to carry it everywhere we went. We actually left behind a pair of Don's not-so-gently-worn pants in order to make room.
We were most thankful for our eyes to see God's wonderful handiwork. We hiked to this point overlooking Lake Lucerne.
We found, as we had been told we would, that English was widely spoken but, of course, there was an abundance of strange-sounding names. Almost everywhere we went, people were kind and helpful. In Amsterdam, 2 different men ran at least a block to catch up with us in order to clarify their directions.
At every turn was an adventure, and feeling sure we'd never do this again, we embraced as many as we could. In Zermatt, we walked not a half mile from our hotel and this wonderful scene was tucked in between the hotels that lined the river.
We had many moving experiences where we felt in touch with the history of the people. This is a cemetery in Zermatt, where the founders of the city, mostly mountain-climbing guides, are laid to rest.
We felt sure that our cousins who put us on the ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland were thinking, "We'll never see those people again!" But we quickly learned that if we were on the right platform at the right time, we would be on the right train. Some trains required reservations and the internet was most helpful with train schedules.
The very first day in Amsterdam our feet hurt! The sign in the window read "Chinese Foot Massage" which sounded really inviting. We drew lots of curious looks from passersby, which made us a good ad for their services.
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