Our last few days in Europe were spent on land - we tripped around Holland by foot and by train. We added an impromptu day trip to The Hague (Den Haag), the political centre of The Netherlands, and home of many important EU sites. It is about a 50 minute train ride away from "home" in Amsterdam. Travelling this way showed us alot more of the idyllic Dutch countryside. Rows of farmland, crops, flowers (bloemen), dotted by cows, sheep and the cutest red-roof, perf...

We've travelled by air, by train, by bus... but never by sea. Our next adventure takes us to the Baltic Sea on a Scandinavian cruise! 7 countries, 7 different languages over 2 continents in 12 days. It reads as a promotional ad for the Amazing Race, doesn't it? We've made plans to hit the ground running in every port of call, exploring as much of the city as we can by foot! You can tag along by following our blog posts and photo uploads. "Down time" on the at-s...

Almost a year to the day, The Sheppards are returning to Europe! Destination this year? Holland, and the Dutch capital of Amsterdam. We are looking forward to our exploration of a new culture with rich history and a charming backdrop. Amsterdam will act as our home-base for 9 days, however, we have booked quite a few excursions that will take us into the countryside, small coastal regions, sites in and around the capital (The Hague, Southern Holland etc.), and ...

2 Weeks (plus a day) and counting, til we pack our carefully planned luggage (with ample space for 'take homes') and get on a plane headed for Europe! Ask us how many times we've packed and re-packed... or don't bother, it's embarassing. A few house keeping notes: We are not sure how much access we will have to the internet while we are away. I'm sure the hotels will have computers (it's not 1971, or a remote jungle community), but it will be difficult to cons...

It is exactly 1 month 'til our plane lands in Europe and we start 3 weeks of non-stop 'Tripping'. I wanted to talk a little bit about the second leg of our Tour: Vienna-Munich - Berlin. Starting with Vienna... After 4 days in Paris, we will board an intra-Europe plane for Vienna to begin our next 3 city Tour. I have a feeling that this plane ride will be the source of many "stories" for years to come. The plane ticket was uber cheap. Like ridiculously cheap. E...