Patty and I returned Friday night from an exhausting but exhilirating three-week trip to Europe.
Two of the first people I spoke with after returning asked me the same question: What was the highlight?
It’s impossible to say. If you’ve been, you know Europe is a highlight reel, where you go from one spectacular place to another.
Our trip began with a week-long cruise up the Rhone River from Avignon to Lyon in southern France. From there, we took the fast train to Paris, where we spent five days. Then it was on to Bruges, Belgium, for three days and finally Amsterdam for the last three days of touring.
I always say real life has a way of interjecting itself into vacations, and this was no exception. A few days into the cruise, one of our traveling companions came down with Covid. A couple of days later, her husband got it, and the day we traveled to Paris I got it. Only Patty, who had it several months ago, was spared. Fortunately, none of us had a particularly bad case. I spent one day in bed in our Airbnb but was back on the streets the next day.
…I’ve got quite a few photos to show you, so let’s get right to them, and I’ll continue the travelogue as we proceed.
Here’s our group — me, Patty, Julie and Jim — on the Viking Buri, a river boat that holds about 190 passengers.It doesn’t get dark until about 10 p.m. in Europe during the summer. I took this photo from the upper deck of our boat.The cruise began at Avignon, northwest of Marseille.If I hadn’t said we were in France, you might have guessed from this photo, which I took in Vienne.Lyon is the third largest city in France, after Paris and Marseille. Its prominent landmark is the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere, on the hill at left. The basilica is sometimes called “the upside down elephant.”Covid knocked me out of action on Monday, July 11, but Tuesday the 12th I was back on my feet, walking near one of the world’s great landmarks.Paris is famous for, among other things, its cafes and continuous fashion show on the streets. Suffice it to say, jeans and athletic shoes are not in vogue…Paris, while not to be missed, is also maddening because of the hordes of residents and visitors. Patty summed it up perfectly when she said, “Paris is mayhem.”Topping Montmartre, a large hill in Paris 18th “arrondissement,” is the Basilica of the Sacre-Coeur. Somehow, I made it up Montmartre’s many steps. Having “conquered” the hill, we took the funicular back down.Looming above the city of Bruges, Belgium, is its Belfrey, which formerly housed a treasury and the municipal archives and also served as an observation post for spotting fires and other dangers. We went to Bruges primarily because Patty is of Belgian descent. We had made arrangements to see several of Patty’s relatives, but after telling them about our cases of Covid, we were able to meet only two of her cousins, Ivan and Rita Bossuyt, who joined us for dinner in Bruges on two successive nights.Then we were in Amsterdam, my favorite European city. It is much easier to navigate than Paris, and many of its streets, like this one, have a singular charm.At a “brasserie,” a lady enjoyed a smoke and her newspapers.The most spectacular and distinguishing element of Amsterdam is its ring of canals, which provide an important transportation link as well as boat tours for tourists. Amsterdam, which was founded in 1250, got its name from the dam that was constructed in the city’s center. “Aeme Stelle Redamme” is Medieval Dutch for “Dam in a Watery Area.” People own the houseboats that line some of the canals, and the owners also pay rent to the city for the space.This is the confluence of the Amstel River and the Prinsengracht canal (flowing into the river under the bridge in the background).Owing to their age, some of Amsterdam’s buildings lean.The Rijkesmuseum, above, and the nearby Van Gogh Museum are two of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions, along with the Anne Frank House…We went to both museums but unfortunately had to pass on the Anne Frank House — which I’ve been to before — partly because 80 percent of the tickets are sold online two months in advance. Tickets cannot be purchased at the museum itself, so if you ever go to Amsterdam and want to tour the house — a must — be sure to research the ticket situation.This is Rijkesmuseum’s airy and welcoming entrance hall. On April 13, 2013, the main building was reopened after a 10-year renovation that cost 375 million euros. Rijkesmuseum has about 8,000 art and historical objects on display, including Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch,” which is famous for three things: its colossal size (12 by 14 1/2 feet), the artist’s dramatic use of light and shadow, and the perception of motion in what would have traditionally been a static military-group portrait.The final photo is of these two women who waited on us at the Eetcafe Blaubrug, where we had one of our last meals. I didn’t get their names, but in addition to being great servers, they suggested we take the ferry to “Amsterdam Noord.” North Amsterdam is a trendy area that features, among other things, the Street Art Museum, which opened in 2012. Nowhere else in the world is graffiti elevated to such a level. Viva Amsterdam!
So THAT’S where you’ve been! If you’re making the trip, a minimum of three weeks is a must. Those waitresses look sassy! The other two individual ladies: do you ask permission to photograph them?
No, I didn’t ask permission of the lady smoking or the lady standing in the street. In her ase, she was looking right at me — check it out — and could have said something if she wanted. Be careful, Gayle, somebody armed with a phone camera might point it your way one day!
She definitely wasn’t posing, Gayle. Like many memorable photos, this took place in the space of a few seconds, and I got very lucky. She was walking ahead of us, rather slowly, and I sensed the opportunity for a good picture — with her eye-catching outfit and self-important air. I hurried up and walked past her — she didn’t notice me at all — and then I turned around, pointed snd shot just as she looked up. I turned around and walked on, and so did she. A moment in time, in the South of France.
I think we’ve got that photo thoroughly analyzed now…Too bad I didn’t get her name and email address so I could have sent her a link to the blog and get her side of it.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
I have been waiting for your blog post about the trip! Thanks for sharing. We will be anxious to hear more about it sometime soon. Welcome back!
Thanks, Gloria. There’s more to the story.
Looks like a great trip!
Great pictures and commentary. Thanks!!
Thanks, Bob…I muddled along with the phone camera.
Great to see all of you having such fun!
I’m glad none of us ended up in the hospital, like you did, Stan! Like most ambitious trips, it was challenging at times.
So THAT’S where you’ve been! If you’re making the trip, a minimum of three weeks is a must. Those waitresses look sassy! The other two individual ladies: do you ask permission to photograph them?
No, I didn’t ask permission of the lady smoking or the lady standing in the street. In her ase, she was looking right at me — check it out — and could have said something if she wanted. Be careful, Gayle, somebody armed with a phone camera might point it your way one day!
Yeah, she definitely looked like she was posing.
There’s something creepy about the idea of that…😳
She definitely wasn’t posing, Gayle. Like many memorable photos, this took place in the space of a few seconds, and I got very lucky. She was walking ahead of us, rather slowly, and I sensed the opportunity for a good picture — with her eye-catching outfit and self-important air. I hurried up and walked past her — she didn’t notice me at all — and then I turned around, pointed snd shot just as she looked up. I turned around and walked on, and so did she. A moment in time, in the South of France.
On second thought, she does look like, “what the hell are you doing?”.
I think we’ve got that photo thoroughly analyzed now…Too bad I didn’t get her name and email address so I could have sent her a link to the blog and get her side of it.