Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Roaming thru Europe, off the beaten path… by car.

On your next vacation trip to Europe, why not get off the beaten path? Rent a car and explore!!

If you need help in planning your adventure, let me know.  Having lived in Europe for more than 22 years, I know a lot about Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and the BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg). I can give you advice on which routes to take, towns and villages to visit, nice places to stay, great places to eat, interesting things to see, as well as fun and cultural things to do. I can provide first-hand information on just about anything an American baby-boomer or woman traveler would want or need to know. (I am one, you know!!)

When I travel by car, I do so slowly. I take my time. I stop here. I explore there. If I see something - even a sign - that looks a bit interesting… I go there. I read the guide books. I stop at the tourist offices. But, most times, I just wander… I just roam… here and there. As a result, I have seen many ‘off the beaten path’ places that most Americans (and sometimes Europeans!!) have never seen.  (Ok, ok… truth be told… sometimes I had not really planned to see some of those places [read: lost, ever so lost]. But none-the-less, I have been there!!)
Getting off the beaten path is easy these days. All you need is a GPS-system in your car, a mobile and a WiFi-equipped tablet.  Years ago, without these devices, it was a bit more problematic. However, I quickly learned that back-country roads generally lead to post roads (postal service) and those roads lead to the national highway system. So all’s good, as they say!! Soft adventure, slow travel - at its best!!!

But now back to the point of this blog.
If you are planning a self-drive European vacation and have some questions or need some information… send me an email (Vicki@roaming-thru-europe.com). If it is something which I can answer off the top of my head (and it, usually, is) … I won’t charge you. But if I have to do some research, we can agree on a small nominal fee.  Sound fair???

Monday, September 2, 2013

Wine, wine.. everywhere in Germany and France!!

I am in the States at the moment, trying to get my Roaming Thru Europe travel program off the ground. The program is designed for baby-boomers  (couples, mainly) and women (of all ages) who wish to make a self-drive vacation in Europe. Stay tuned for more details…

At any rate, since I was working so hard, I decided to go to the liquor store and buy a bottle of wine to ease the pain.  Boy, was I shocked!! The prices of wine are so-o-o high here: $16.99 for a fairly decent bottle.
So, now dear wine-drinking friends who are planning to travel to Germany and France: I have some very, very, important  information  for you. When you want to buy a bottle of wine, head to a supermarket, not to a wine shop. The prices are downright cheap!!  You can get a good bottle of wine  – from anywhere in the world – for under 6€. (I only go to a wine shop to purchase wine when I need a gift. Their free wrapping service makes any bottle look much more expensive than it is!)
In German supermarkets, you will find aisles and aisles of wines from all over the world – including Germany. In French supermarkets, you will find aisles and aisles of French wine and a half aisle of wine from somewhere else!!  I am not a wine connoisseur (merely an imbiber), but I like Pinotage from the Western Cape of South Africa (red wine), and I love Prosecco (sparking white wine) from Italy!!

 
In the summer, there is nothing better than a glass of chilled Prosecco served with chilled gummy bears!! Try it!!