The Places We Might Have Seen

So, before I get around to discussing what happened after the return home, let's talk about the places we missed seeing on our itinerary.

First, let me say that I have often wondered what would have happened had I stayed on by myself and finished part of the trip.  Well, I'll never know.  It would be thirty years before I returned to Europe, instead spending all of my vacations in the USA and Canada.

We were supposed to be in Europe until the first of August.  The places we missed and when I eventually saw them go like this:

I went back to Vienna in 2005.  But when I did go, I also visited Budapest, Hungary and Prague, Czech Republic.  Those last two cities were not on my original agenda.  I loved Vienna, especially seeing all of those palaces of the Hapsburgs.  Here is the Belvedere Palace, just another home away from home:

Leaving Austria, our next stop was to be Germany.  First up was Munich.  I finally visited in 2013.  Here is the Town Hall in the Marienplatz, slightly more ostentatious than any Town Hall I worked in:

The highlight of this country was to be a trip to see Neuschwanstein Castle.  It was worth the wait.

Next up would have been Heidelberg to see the ruins of the castle there.

I have never gotten to Mainz, but I have been to Cologne to see the cathedral.

My map shows us planning to go to Berlin, a city I would love to visit again, but not when they have a long holiday weekend celebrating their reunification.  Ugh!  The crowds and traffic....

From Berlin it was onto Hamburg.

From there we were to travel by train and ferry to Copenhagen, Denmark with further stops in Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway.  I have yet to visit any of these countries.

Back on the continent there was a scheduled stop in Brussels where I visited in 2016.  Again, during a festival.  I need to start planning better.  Here is the Grand Place minus the stalls that were set up.

We had a round trip ticket to Paris, so that would have been the last stop we planned.

I only had $131.26 when I returned home out of the original $1200 I took with me.  That comes to a little more than $17 a day, including souvenirs.

Obviously, I would have had to write a check at American Express to get more Traveler's Checks if we stayed  and finished the trip.  But since I returned, I had a down payment for a 1969 Dodge Charger when I got home.

I also had a letter from the City of Detroit asking me start start work immediately.  I had put my request in before I left saying that I would be available in August.  So, I went back to work as soon as we could process everything.

I hope that those of you who followed me on this rehash of my journey enjoyed the trip.  Maybe it will even encourage you to travel if you have never done so.  I married someone who had no interest in traveling to Europe, which is why it took me so long to get back there.  I'd leave in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose.  Well, in fact it has over the years. 

Next up, the end of a friendship.