Just back from eight weeks in Europe, see my travel journal if you like

Excellent pictures! Haven't had a chance to read all your journals yet, but they look good.

Maggie
Fantastic....off to pack my bags,,oh wait..Can't ....but truly your journal inspires..
Thank you so much for sharing

Maggie, just finished reading your travel journal and looking at your photos. Sounds like you had an incredible trip. I enjoyed reading about all of the places you traveled and especially the places where my wife and I have been. It brought back nice memories and makes me want to go back. Your journal is filled with good information and lots of humor. Were those really Bella's black pants hanging out the window in Venice? :). The WWII veteran you met in France was a touching story. We too slept at the Gasthof Simony in Hallstatt and I agree with you about how well the beds slept. I think it took my wife about 2 seconds to fall asleep when she hit the bed there and I got a photo of her in a sleepy bliss. The photos you took were very good too and I especially liked the one you made in the Black Forest with the sun's rays beaming down through the trees.

It was an excellent read and a good on you for taking such a trip on your own and recording it in a journal for us to read. I highly recommend others to read it.

Maggie, What fun! Thanks so much for sharing.

Maggie--Thank you SO MUCH! Your journal and pix are wonderful!

Loved your pictures and stories, the ones of Venice made me very excited as we are going there over Christmas. I can't wait. Thanks for sharing.

Maggie, your photos are beyond excellent! Thank you SO much for sharing them with us. I have spent two evenings pouring over them and haven't hit your journal yet. They brought back wonderful memories of our trips but your photos far surpass any I have taken. What type of camera did you use? WOW!

Hi Charlene,

Thanks you for your kind words. I used a Nikon Coolpix P80. I just always try to shoot with the sun at my back, seek out the not so obvious shot, and try to get other things in the shot with the main subject. Hope that helps. Thanks again.

Cheers,
Maggie

Maggie, what a great journal. You just finished what I would call the trip of a lifetime. So many wonderful places, and OH! what memories. Thanks for sharing and making everyone jealous. HA!
One question please. You mentioned how difficult it was arriving in Paris and finding the right train. I will be arriving @ CDG next year and will have to get to Bayeux in Normandy. Then later back to Paris and to Frankfurt where I will be more @ home with the language. Not knowing any French, do you think that is a problem? I thought there would be some signage in English but did not sound that way according to your journal.

Hi TC,

In the CDG airport proper, there is some signage in English, but to get to the trains, you'll walk a bit to another area and I don't remember much if any signage in English there.

There are a couple of information booths so get in line and when you get to the person behind the desk, greet them and ask them if they speak English, but ask nicely in French (Bon jour, parles vouz Anglais?). If they do speak English, they'll probably admit it if you at least make an effort in their language and they'll help you.

Be aware though, they're busy and tend to be a little vague, for example, they'll point in a general direction, you go that direction and then reach a point where there's five options. That's how I wound up on the wrong train, I had to guess and I guessed wrong. I was a little timid then, but there's no need to be.

If you think you've found your train but you're not sure, find someone and ask. Even someone else riding the train.

And, if you mess up, so what. Just go with it. It will be an adventure and something neat may happen that wouldn't have otherwise. And you'll have a good story to tell.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Maggie

Maggie - How did you find out about the car deal?

Hi Joel,

I found it in Rick's 2008 book and on the website. Renault and Peugeot both have similar programs. Renault's is called Renault Eurodrive. You can go to their web site (www.renaultusa.com), select the dates you want, the car you want, where you want to pick it up and drop it off, and it will spit out a price for you. You'll work with an American office to set it all up.

You get a brand new car with new car smell and all, unlimited mileage, they pay all of your insurance with a $0 deductible, you get roadside assistance in 43 countries, and gobs of pick up and drop off locations throughout Europe.

Peugeot's program is call Peugeot Open Europe I believe. I priced Peugeot as well and Renault was a little less. I was thrilled with the service I received from Renault and would highly recommend them.

Cheers,
Maggie

Maggie, I'm still reading your journal. Let me just say you are as good with words as you are with a camera. Your description of the American Cemetary made me cry. I was overwhelmed. Thank you so much. Laurel

Maggie, I am also still reading your journal. It's wonderful. This past June, we also stood in the American Cemetery and on those beaches...same feelings, same overwhelming sense of poignancy, same everything...thanks for sharing. You just have to be there. You just have to go there.

Wow! I love those photos. I am sitting in my office with the wind and rain beating against the windows and I just want to jump on a plane now!

Thanks so much for reading my journal and for your kind words.

Since I've been home, some of my friends and family asked me to compile my journal and pictures into a hard copy, a book. I have done just that, had some printed and distributed them. I have a few left and will make them available to those that want copies. You can see some pictures of the book in the last journal entry.

It's 168 pages, and all but five or six have color pictures. If you'd like one, it's my cost plus shipping, just contact me at:

maggie.williams1@gmail.com

Cheers,

Maggie

Just WOW! Excellent writing and photography!

Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!

I was just wondering who you used for book printing?

Been meaning to read this for awhile, and now with less than a week til our trip to Italy, I sat down and read the whole thing. Fantastico! I especially loved the section about France (1st part). You've got me dreaming about my next, next trip to Europe, cuz 2 weeks in Italy just isn't enough!

P.S. Lynden is one of my favorite non-Europe places!

Hi ourpassportstamps,

Thanks for reading and for your coments. I did the first book at a local Kinkos/FedEx, I think it cost $90+. Wow.

I searched on line for places and gave docucopies.com a chance and they did real nice job for less than half the price and on better paper and including the shipping.

Cheers,
Maggie

Hi Maggie, I finally was able to finish your journal and I enjoyed every bit of it. I gave you the voice of Samantha Brown.

Hi Harry and Laurel,

I went to the UK for a week on business last year and to Norway on business for less than 24 hours. So, this trip was essentially my first trip to Europe.

Oh, I love Samantha Brown, so I'm honored.

Cheers,
Maggie

Hi,

I'm still getting questions and comments about this journal, which is awesome. A couple of comments were about how hard the journal was to get into and navigate and I agreed, it was difficult to use.

I've since moved it to:
http://maggiewilliams.wordpress.com

Feel free to stop by, it's much easier.

Cheers,
Maggie

Maggie, thanks so much for posting the link to your blog! It was very informative and entertaining, and I loved the pictures!

I love your journal! How did you find the time to post while traveling? Thank you for sharing your trip with us! :^)

Dear Maggie.

What an awsome journal!! What a fantastic way of guiding someone like myself through a trip to Europe. The pictures were out of this world. I was so intrigued with the journal that I found it extremely hard to stop. It made me feel as though I was there with you. You have a great way of capturing the readers attention. I am seriously thinking of printing it off and making it into a book. I have told all my friends about it and they have began to read your journal as well.

Maggie, you have convinced me to take a trip to Europe. I found it very informative and will use it as a guide on my trip.

I look forward to reading more of your adventures in the future. You have a fabulous command of the english language and a great sense of humour. I especially liked your entry on the "mad cow" horse.

Thanks for all of your hard work and effort you put into this Journal. It must have been an experience of a lifetime. I thank you so much.

Sincerely, Terry D, British Columbia, Canada

Well done, Maggie!

I enjoyed it very much!

Maggie, awesome journal!!