Rick Steves' Best of Eastern Europe Tour
Prague to Lake Bled - Sept 18 to Oct 4, 2011
A little about meI turned 50 this year (2011) and felt like I wanted to celebrate with an incredible trip. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone able to travel with me. Never having travelled alone before, I thought that an escorted tour would then be a great option. However, since I've not ever been on this type of trip, I was a bit nervous about travelling internationally with people I've never met. My concerns also included not having enough flexible time during the trip and staying in places far from the city centers or in hotels that were merely European versions of US chains. Lucky for me my Scottish roots drive me to do extensive research and find the best value for my money. That research paid off - and I'm glad to report that this trip was one of the best experiences of my life! Great hotels, good mix of group time and free time, and strangers who quickly became wonderful travel companions.
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Why Eastern Europe?I was asked this a lot! And I say, why not? Well, a little more went into that decision - but still, why not! A major contributor to the decision happened after I watched several Rick Steves' travel shows on public television. Those 30-minute episodes made me so curious about some of these places - especially the show on Slovenia. Other factors included my interest in WWII history, my fascination with castles and other centuries-old architecture, a desire to really see more of the world, and deciding the tour I pick should be to visit an area where I would be more intimidated to travel alone - but definitely would like to see.
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Quick tip: Clicking on some of the pictures on each page will open a larger view!
Roma violinist serenading us at
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Music for the travelers' soulI enjoy a variety of music and love how motivating and inspiring it can be for me. Many of the tunes playing on my iPod as I journeyed to and around Eastern Europe were songs about travelling, getting away, and seeing and appreciating the world and people around us. So, I wanted to share some of this list on my pages to perhaps inspire others as they plan their travels around this wonderful planet.
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