I spent three weeks in Rotterdam, city that my great-grandfather left in 1912. Land of my Dutch last name: Schoenmaker (literally shoe-maker...the kids from middle school were right, for once).
Read MoreFrom Lisbon central - Cais do Sodré - I took the train a few kilometers along the coast to see some famous landmarks including the Tower of Belém and LX Factory...
Read MoreAfter two days in Sintra I trained to Lisbon, capital of Portugal. It is a different rhythm from Sintra: larger city, faster pace, even taller hills, and access to the water.
Read MoreSintra was an unexpected stopover between Luxembourg and the Netherlands. I decided I wanted to go somewhere warm, saw a decently priced flight for the next day, and that was that. Very happy I took the plunge and spent 4 days in Portugal, starting with the mid-sized town of Sintra...
Read MorePalácio da Pena was overrun by tourists (myself included), but it was still a beautiful spot to visit. The vibrant colors, the view of the ocean and the surrounding green space made the cost of entrance worth it.
Read MoreLuxembourg was a confusing country to visit. I couldn't easily conceptualize it as a place, France looks French and Belgium looks Belgian, but Luxembourg looks...Luxembourgish? I didn't have enough previous exposure to know what I was getting into. It is such a mixture of old and new, middle and modern, far and new. Not to mention the Luxembourgish language which sounds (to an English speaker) like soft Dutch and hard French.
Read MoreI had two days to kill before meeting a friend in Luxembourg, so I opened up Google Maps and decided on Basel, a short train ride away from Zürich. It is a mid-size town within walking distance of France and Germany, which came in handy when the local train ticket kiosks refused to print tickets. A short walk to St. Louis, France, got me on the train to my next destination...
Read MoreBefore visiting Switzerland, I only knew the country to be associated with good chocolate and mountains. After visiting, I associate it with good chocolate, a beautiful lake, and lovely public transportation...
Read MoreThe sea town of Anstruther was a gorgeous town to walk around for a few hours on a sunny afternoon. I took a short walk along the coast (while dodging golf balls from the nearby golf course) to get to Pittenweem, another small town with lots of history and shops.
Read MoreFrom London I took the train north to Edinburgh before stopping in St. Andrews to see a university friend from Chile. Edinburgh Old Town is packed with beautiful old architecture. As usual, my favorite city wasn't the bustling capital city but rather a smaller town - St. Andrews - home to St. Andrews University where Kate Middleton and Prince William dated.
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