Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Alternative Grand Tour of Europe

I recently received an e-mail newsletter from Lonely Planet with their "10 Essential Stops in Europe." The list included London, Paris, Rome and the like. You can find the list at http://tiny.cc/2hptk. It got me thinking about my "Favorite 10 Stops in Europe." None of their 10 made my list - but that's neither here nor there. Your list may be similar to theirs or mine, or totally different. I'm not much for lists of "Bests" or "Musts." But lists of personal favorites can trigger ideas for others. And make be long to return to some as well!

Anyway, here are my recommendations for an Alternative Grand Tour of Europe. Enjoy - and send postcards!

Brugge, Belgium - a Monet landscape around every corner
Dingle, Ireland - great small town, wonderful pubs, amazing scenery nearby.
Glasgow, Scotland - my favorite city in the UK - vibrant and gateway to the highlands and islands
Krakow, Poland - monumental town square, great castle, and well positioned for day trips to Auschwitz and Częstochowa
Mont Ste. Michael, France - spectacular setting, especially at high tide
Portofino, Italy - picturesque; and strolling through the surrounding vineyards and groves makes it all the more worthwhile
Rhodes, Greece - the good parts of Greece in a small package
Santiago de Compostela, Spain - the Cathedral is probably my favorite in all of Europe
Venice, Italy - an Adult Disneyland - if you like boats and canals and walking, its gets no better than this
Vianden, Luxembourg - small town Europe gets no better than this - medieval feel

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