Europe....such a beautiful continent

Thanks for responding! Make sure to watch them "full screen (laptop standard)" There are so many details one misses when one views a picture 3x5.

Where are you going to (other than Paris) in 2010?

Cannot wait for Mexico! Cannot wait to start photographing again :D

Btw, whenever I look at my Europe 2009 pictures, I am grateful for two things: I decided to buy a DSLR camera in the beginning of my trip and I moved away from photographing big pictures and moved into photographing finer details (statue's face, etc.) They are so beautiful!

Ten years ago, I was lucky enough to live in Cuernavaca, Mexico for a year! The best year of my life is what my family always hear me saying. I have been back many times.

My plan for this year seems to be UK and maybe France, then later on we may go to Hawaii.

Hi, Judy. I have never had an experience like yours. I am sometimes a little tired when I get home, but never too tired to look at my pictures. I can't wait to go through them and I do it over and over for 2-3 months after I get home. It makes it easier for me to come home, knowing I can look at my pictures.

A suggestion for your solo travel in Mexico. Fly to either Guadalajara or Mexico D.F. then use buses to get around. The primera class buses and the primera plus/executivo class buses (depending on the bus line) are very inexpensive, comfortable and virtually tourist free.

I took my family on a month tour of Mexico and used the buses exclusively, the only thing I would change is replacing the long drone from Tijuana to Guadalajara - after that the trips are reasonable. Plus, I wouldn't want to walk across the border to catch a taxi to the bus station as we did then - too dangerous these days.

I would also avoid taking a night bus. We did some out of necessity but there were warnings about bandits at night. I've got to think it's worse today than it was a few years ago.

A couple of thoughts.

There are hostels and there are hostels. I really like a clean, quiet hostel but the days of party hostels are behind me. I do some advance research and am generally more than happy with my hostel stays.

One of my favorite techniques is to upload my pics into my computer and set the screen saver as a slide show of the file. That way I find myself viewing them often without making a special effort to "get them out".

I still make photo albums with the pictures from my trips. I save all the stuff like ticket stubs and restaurant receipts and make like a scrapbook with the photos. Now my kids are pulling the albums out, some with them in it, some before they came along. It's neat to share the pictures with them.

We're sticking to the states this summer and visiting family. Next summer, it's back to Germany. We've realized that there's a lot of stuff that we've seen but the kids haven't, so we're taking them there. And there's DEFINITELY a farmhouse in the plans!

Thank you so much for replying!

I realize that hostels are not for me. During the day time I am gregarious, but at night, I prefer solitude to reflect. I did stay at one BB and a hotel for 3 nights and have much enjoyed that atmosphere.

I have booked my hotel in Mexico City and Puebla. They were recommended to me by Fodorites and I have checked their reviews on tripadvisor. Prior to my Europe trip, I did not realize the importance of a goodnight's sleep and now have become vigilant when hotel booking.

These are the following towns/cities that I will visit: Mexico City, Puebla, Cholula, Teotihuacan, Xochimilco.

If there are must-do's, must-eat's, must-buy's, sights, places, restaurants, insights, advices, or what you miss the most about the above locations, please let me know.

Btw, I love UNESCO sights, learning about civilization, architecture, art, history, and people.

Thank you!

The one trip where the pictures just don't make sense are the ones of Macchu Picchu. We spent all day there after arriving on the first bus at Dawn, walked on every path and looked at every stone and still now, I can't believe we were there when I see the pictures.