Day 9: "

After a cozy night in the castle-side hotel, we woke up and got to breakfast as early as it opened, 8. We ate our usual meat and cheese and bread before taking the hike (in the rain and cold) to the castle, donning our ponchos and rain coats.

Upon getting up there, we found that our tour did not start until 10:10. It was only 9, so we decided to walk around and enjoy the view and watch the weather improve. We bought a coffee mug at the gift shop and made a few runs back down to the hotel. After taking some pictures for other tourists and staring at the castle from below, we headed around the bend and got ready for our tour.
Once inside, we learned about King Ludwig II and how he built the castle around his own medieval fantasies, inspired by Wagner's Operas. He wanted to live just as a medieval king would have (with all the technology of the 1880s, of course). But, 13 years after the castle started, Ludwig was dethroned and found dead 3 days later. Construction on the castle halted, and it remains about half finished to this day. It's missing a keep and an entire garden, and the whole second floor is undeveloped. The completed floors were filled with beautiful paintings of scenes from legends that Ludwig liked, and he apparently didn't let anyone use the same staircase as he did or enter his Singing Hall.
We then hiked all the way down the hill to the main city and stored our luggage in an information center, before heading to the Hohenschwangau, where the royal family lived during the summer months. The castle was yellow with red terracotta roofing, and surrounding it was a beautiful garden with fountains of swans. Apparently, the swan was the favorite animal of both Ludwig II and his father, Maximilian. There were swan fountains, swans painted in the walls, and swans on the chandeliers. This castle, too, was full of paintings, but of historical events as opposed to legends. Historical events, that is, excluding the woman being eaten by a dragon. It's easy to see why young Ludwig fell in love with fairytales and wanted a world of his own.

After finishing our tour, we made a mad dash down to the bus stop and then to the train station, just in time for the 4:00 train to Munich. After a two hour ride with a transfer in the middle, we made it to Munich. We dumped our stuff and decided to shop around a little in the old city.
And here's where it happened- in the Sports Scheck of the old city, there was a display with the jerseys of all the teams (in ranking order) of Bundesliga. In the number 4 spot there they were- 2 Hoffenheim jerseys. Overjoyed, Abby bought the one with Rupp's name, #7, who plays midfield. Our country wide search for the legendary jersey was finally finished!
We were all tired and hungry, so we stopped at a Biergarten for dinner. It was sort of cafeteria style, so we ate Bratwursts and french fries while admiring the gardens that surrounded us. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel for a good night of sleep. I'll update you tomorrow on our adventures in Austria.

Day 8: "What's that over there?"

There's not going to be a whole lot of pictures for today, we spent a lot of time on a train...

After an early wake-up call at 6:30, the Jackson 4 headed for the bus stop to take us to the train station. Our train ride consisted of 3 connecting trains- Heidelberg to Mannheim, Mannheim to Augsburg, Augsburg to Fussen. Fussen is a small town that is just a few minutes away from the Neu Schwannstein and HohenSchwanngau Castles. Upon arriving at the train station in Fussen four hours later, we were shocked to see a man dressed in full medieval garb. When we looked across the street, there was a full on medieval festival going on, apparently one that stretched the weekend. So, the only logical choice was to stow our stuff in a locker and head over there.
The medieval festival was absolutely astounding. There was a man with a hawk on his arm and another with an owl on his shoulder! We saw all sorts of people dressed in medieval clothing, from beautiful skirts to leather kilts. It seemed like the festival was a good way for craftsmen to sell their wares- we saw jewelrymakers, leather workers, actual blacksmiths with actual blacksmithing furnaces, cheesemakers from the Alps, woodworkers, and much more. The food was also impressive- our lunch consisted of a variety of bratwursts- including Mom's two foot long hot dog! There was also a dish called the "Crazy Potato," which was a potato cut so that it twisted around a stick and then fried in oil. During lunch, we got to see a band that consisted of two bagpipes and two drummers, which obviously made an interesting sound. The music was unique because the drummers played what sounded like rock beats, and the bagpipes moved almost as if they were playing guitar solos. It was like nothing we had ever heard before. After looping around a few times (for the cheese samples) we bought some mead and some cheese.
Once we had seen our fair share of the medieval festival, we decided to walk around the old city a little. We saw a beautiful castle, with many traditional elements- including staircases that spiraled down left so you could fight and slits for arrows (Psheeew!). Dad thinks he would have been an excellent medieval archer. After an ice cream break, we got our stuff and took a taxi up to our hotel, by the New Schwannstein castle.
Our hotel was absolutely amazing! We were situated right below the castle, and Abby and I could actually see it from our window. Once we dropped our stuff, we decided to head up there for the view and eat some cheese, crackers and "fancy mixed nuts" for dinner. The view was gorgeous, but we were surprised by how little the castle resembled the Disney castle. I guess it was just inspiration, after all. The castle was stunning, and we went up to a bridge so we could see it from afar and take pictures. We have a couple Christmas-Card-worthy shots as well.
We were ready to end our day by the time we made it back down to the hotel, so we decided to head down for the night. I'll be back tomorrow with more interesting facts about the castle!
Sarah Jackson

Day 7: "The World's Second Largest Wine Barrel"

After a good night in Heidelberg, we awoke and enjoyed a hotel breakfast of what seems to be typical in Germany- bread, meat, cheese, and cereal. Today was our day to visit the Heidelberg Castle, which sits upon a hill overlooking the city. There was only one way to get up to the castle, though: Funicular.
I, for one, had no idea what a Funicular was, so I was surprised to find that it was sort of like a multi-level bus. Because the hill had such a steep incline, the bus was built like stair-steps and only went diagonally instead of on flat land. Here's a picture I found online-

The doors are on different levels, as you can see, and two funiculars run up and down simultaneously, then switch directions. We had to get on a different funicular track at the halfway point that was a little older than the other ones, and much, much slower.
We made it up to the castle and found that it was built in the 1500s. There was a large courtyard in the center surrounded by the building, and a lovely garden a little further away. We didn't have an audio tour so I can't tell you as much as I'd like to, but a lot of the castle was either destroyed or under construction. We weren't allowed to go inside most of the castle, probably because the 500 year old brick was getting a little shaky. We were, however, allowed to see the world's second largest and largest wine barrels.
Abby took some awesome pictures of the castle- sorry for the sideways-ness.

A lot of those were taken from outside the castle, either on the way to the garden or in the garden. The last picture is of some cows/oxen/bulls/yaks that we saw as we were walking.
After we finished at the castle, we got back on the funicular and made the transfer to the older one so we could go to the top of the hill. The view was amazing, but it was very, very cold! Dad had a beer, and the rest of us split a hot chocolate and a pretzel.

We rode back down to the ground and walked over to our hotel. Next on the agenda was getting our laundry done at the laundromat. We had to take a bus there, but the buses ran every half hour so it was no trouble. While the clothes were drying, we headed over to a mall food court and had some pizza. It was pretty good, and the people-watching in the mall was enjoyable. We collected our laundry and returned to the hotel, before heading out for the afternoon.
Our afternoon was spent shopping down the world's longest pedestrian-only zone. We were searching specifically for a jersey for Abby (see yesterday's post) but unfortunately couldn't find anything. I, however, got a pretty pair of earrings from a department store. We then decided to stop for a break at Pier 4, a bar/restaurant on the water. We had some drinks and watched the water, before heading up to the bridge.
The bridge across the Neckar was about 400 meters long and filled with people. It was also a pedestrian-only zone, which I find to be wonderful. We could see the boats passing beneath us and the mountains on either side of the river.
Once we got across the bridge, we decided to have a walk up the Philosopher's Way, where scholars at the local university would walk to talk about grand ideas. We found, however, that it was difficult to think about moral questions while hiking up the steep slope. We were not disappointed, however, when we saw the awesome view from the top. We shared some gummies and relaxed a while, before heading down to find somewhere for dinner.
After walking around the streets for a while and heading through the big church, we stopped at a fancy organic hamburger place. It was fantastic- the burgers were big and they were delicious. The only off thing about it was the fact that their ketchup tasted like marinara sauce.
We were sleepy after dinner and we had to wake up early the next morning, so we headed to bed at our hotel- only after watching a dramatic episode of the wall in German. We couldn't understand much of what was going on but it looked like they were doing pretty well. I'll update you on our adventures in Fussen tomorrow!
Sarah Jackson

Day 6: "A Bonn-ding Experience!"

Day 6! We decided that after our adventures in Cologne, it was time for us to take a short excursion to the nearby town of Bonn. Bonn is a small town that happens to be the place where Beethoven was born, thus bringing it fame and many a traveler. We headed to the train station early in the morning and stowed our stuff in a locker machine. We aren't entirely sure how it worked, but it managed to keep our stuff safe and secure for the whole day, so it wasn't a problem. We hopped a train to Bonn and 20 minutes later, there we were!
The morning was spent in the Beethoven museum. The museum was insanely detailed, filled with pictures of Beethoven, his friends, his pianos, his manuscripts, and his letters. He composed a ridiculous amount of music, more than I thought he had. We got to listen to a library full of it and see what his pieces sounded like. He was an impressive composer for his time, and I'm glad I got to learn so much more about him.
After that, we walked around Bonn. It was an awesome city, but we decided we wanted to leave after lunch. Lunch was at a place called Back Werk, a cafeteria-style restaurant with good prices and good food. We enjoyed our pastries before walking back to the train station.
Once we arrived back in Cologne, we realized that we still had 7 hours before we had to get on the train to the next town we were staying in. So, we got on a train to a town called Duren, in the mood for an adventure.
Duren was a cute little shopping town with a lot of fun things to do. We stopped for ice cream by the street and watched the people go by, before continuing through the pedestrian-only roads of the city. We settled at a cafe, the Cafe Extra Blatt, and sat outdoors for some drinks. When I went inside for the bathroom, I was shocked to find out we were actually sitting at a two-story restaurant with a full bar. We opted to stay outside and discuss our plans and the things we'd seen.
After a peaceful afternoon in Duren, we headed back to the train station only to find that everything had gone to chaos. Our 8:28 train had been delayed by 25 minutes and we weren't going to make the connection in Frankfurt. We hopped on a train minutes before it left and found seats next to strangers. We switched our connection to Mannheim, and somehow got to Hiedelberg earlier than predicted. We were sleepy after our wild train connection, so we decided to hit the hotel and head to bed.
Sorry there aren't any pictures- no photos allowed in the museum and we didn't do much in the afternoon. I'm headed to bed but I'll update you tomorrow!
Sarah Jackson

Day 5: "What do you need 5 Organs For?"

Sorry for the late update! There have been a lot of late nights lately...

After finishing three days in Amsterdam, it was time to get up early and take the train to Cologne, a nearby town. The train ride took about 2 hours, and we enjoyed the many fun parts of the train, like the table seats and the bistro car. The first thing you see when you pull up to Cologne is the massive church, called the Dom, that was started in the 1500s. I'll go into more detail about that later, as the tour didn't start until 2:30.
As for the rest of the morning, the four of us traveled to our hotel room, which overlooked a square by the Rhine. Abby noted that it was definitely a view fit for a princess. Once we dumped our stuff and took a break from the chaos, we headed down the 71 stairs - we counted twice - and headed towards the Dom. We couldn't find a tour until the afternoon, so we decided instead to wander around and enjoy the view. The church was absolutely amazing, and it definitely stood out against the modern background of the city.
For lunch, we stopped at a place called "Curry and Wurst." Mom and Dad decided to daringly try the Currywurst- sausage cut up and put in a spicy curry. Abby and I opted for the humble hamburger, and got our first taste of the legendary "Mezzo Mix." Half Coke, Half Fanta. Once done with lunch, we stopped at the Cologne Fan Store and looked around for a jersey for a family friend. Abby was disappointed at the lack of Hoffenheim jerseys, but hoped that some would be available in the next town.
Finally, 2:30 rolled around and we went down to the Dom for our tour. We got handed headsets so we could hear over the background noise, and followed a guide around the church. Here are some fun facts:

• The Church was technically started at around 300AD, when Constantine legalized the practice of Christianity in the Roman Empire. People have been meeting around the spot of the Dom for over a thousand years, and it's likely a chapel was built there around that time. 
• The building we see today was started during the 1500s by a well traveled architect who was interested in Gothic Style. The church is thought to be the perfect example of French Gothic... except for the fact that it's in Germany. 
• Around the late 1600s, construction was stopped because of several reasons- money was one, of course, but Gothic style of architecture had gone out of fashion. That's, like, so last century. 
• Construction of the Dom resumed in the 1800s, perfectly in style and according to the plans that the architect made. 
• The Dom was made famous because it supposedly contains the remains of the three magi that visited Jesus at his birthplace. We're not sure how credible this is, but the shrine has an interesting history. It was originally in Milan, but was moved to Cologne after the leader of Cologne helped another leader fight Milan and win. 
• The shrine contains many pictures of Jesus- and a picture of Otto X, who decided to put himself on there so as to be portrayed as a follower of Christ. 
• Much of the stained glass is original, but the stained glass from the 1800s was destroyed in the War. The early stained glass was spared, as people moved it underground to keep the church from falling. 
• There is only one non-church related person buried in the church. He was a very wealthy knight. His tomb is covered in a grave, to keep his family away from him. They were angry because the money went to putting his grave in the church instead of to them. 
• The church has 5 organs?
• There are over 10,000 square meters of stained glass in the church, while only 8,000 square meters of floor space. That's a lot of glass. 

After the Dom, we shopped around a while and made our way to a cafe on a square, where I decided that I was going to have a taste of my Dad's beer. 

That was not a good idea. At least Dad seemed to enjoy it. 

We also ordered some pretzels. 

We shopped around a little longer and searched for a jersey for Abby, without much luck. We decided that dinner would be varied things from the Lidl, the small grocery, as some of us were more hungry than others. We bought some pastries and random snacks for the journey. 

It was a long day, so we retired to our hotel for the night. Stay tuned, Day 6 will be up in a few minutes!

Sarah Jackson

Day 4: "Let's get Van Gogh-ing!"

We started out the day bright and early- 7:30AM to be precise- and made our way straight for the Van Gogh Museum, as we heard the line for tickets was dreadful. Breakfast was humble leftovers, and we took the tram down to the museum. The line was long, but it wasn't as long as we thought it would be, as we arrived about 10 minutes before the museum opened.
After getting our tickets and our audio tours, we put our headphones on and began our stroll through the museum. We saw many of Van Gogh's famous pieces, including Almond Blossoms, The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, and Irises. I would've had someone take pictures but we weren't allowed, so you can instead imagine how beautiful they were in real life.

Once we finished our museum tour, we headed down to the shop to find everything either overpriced or disappointing. So, we instead decided to shop around outside as we made our way to the Rijks museum, the most famous museum in the Netherlands. We stopped for sodas on the way there and got our pictures in front of the I Amsterdam sign.

Sorry, I can't figure out how to rotate that...

The Rijks museum was absolutely amazing- not only were the works of art there beautiful, but the building itself was breathtaking, filled with detailed floor mosaics and stained glass art. We saw the Night Watch by Rembrandt, a few Vermeers, and a couple Monets, as well. We had a few favorites from lesser known artists. There was one picture of some children teaching a cat to dance while an old man yelled at them through a window, and a 7 foot long painting of some guy's interpretation of the rapture. Fun stuff. 

However, we made the mistake of not eating lunch before entering the museum, so we all got tired and hungry by the time we were on the second floor. After a quick snack, we went through a collection of boat models, jewelry, guns, and fine china, which was quite impressive. We even saw a harpsichord that folded up to the size of a golf bag- so you can take your harpsichord with you on the go!

After the museums, we stopped by the Chipsy King for some fries, and headed back to the hotel for another break. We played a round of hearts - which I lost - but I did get to drop the queen on Mom, which was a victory in itself. 

At about 4 we headed down to the station and took the ferry to Northern Amsterdam. It was like a completely different town- it seemed almost abandoned. There were only a few people around, and the buildings were covered in graffiti and worn down by time. However, the true treasure awaited us at the end of a small port- the legendary Pancake Boat. 

If you know Abby, you know how excited she was when the glittering pancake boat approached from around the corner. We got seated on the top deck of the boat and eventually began getting pancakes from the buffet. What is called a "pancake" in Amsterdam is clearly very different from what we call a "pancake" in the states. We were presented with what looked like crepes- flat, flaky pastries instead of fluffy ones. They were delicious! We got to pick from a wide array of toppings- bacon, eggs, peaches, marshmallows, sprinkles, you name it. Abby and Dad were going to have a competition, but both of them gave up at 3. Me? Just 1. Mom had 2. 

Afterwards, we waited 30 minutes for a ferry before heading back to our hotel. It was a fun and exciting day, and we all went to bed early, as tomorrow the train is leaving at 8:02...

Sarah Jackson

Day 3: "Can we go back to the cheese mill?"

Hello everyone! Yet another exciting day in Amsterdam has come and gone...
Due to weather changes, we made the executive decision that it would be best to do the windmills today instead of tomorrow, so we wouldn't have to walk through the rain. We all got about 12 hours of sleep and didn't get moving until around 8:30 Amsterdam time- very fortunate on our part. Breakfast for me and Abby was donuts from the Dunkin' Donuts across the street. We then made the 15 minute hike to the train station.
When we arrived at the train station, we purchased two-way tickets to a small suburb of Amsterdam near a lake, where we would get to see the windmills. After a couple train changes and general confusion, we made it successfully to the village to see what we came for- the windmills.
The first stop was the bakery. I had eaten donuts for breakfast so I was a little uncomfortable (the bakery was hot and stuffy), but the rest of my family was eager to purchase Stroopwaffels from inside. In the meantime, I made a few new friends- a duck and a couple of sheep! We then made a stop at the cheese mill, where we got to watch a demonstration on how cheese is made- and sample different types of cheese. In Amsterdam, cheese is traditionally eaten with mustard or cheese sauce, which was a new experience for us. We also explored quite the variety of cheeses- Sheep cheese?
After that, we made our way to the other mills in the area. The linseed mill was first. Linseed oil is used for leatherworking and paint, so it's quite common. The seeds were ground up by the mill into a fine powder, which was heated to the perfect temperature before being placed in a leather bag. The bag would go into the sides of a wedge, which was pushed down by the mill, squishing the linseed powder into the oil. We got to climb up the ladders and go to the second layer, and the third, which was outside of the mill so you could look over the river and see the blades. The mill could be turned to face any direction, depending on the wind.
Next we went to the color mill, which ground up materials for dyes. Not much to say about this one, it was a fairly simple design. After that, though, was the sawmill. The sawmill was one of the original mills in the village, but fell after industrialization began. The mill we saw today was a reconstruction from 2007 of the same mill that would have existed in the 1600s. The mill was extremely complicated and I don't understand entirely how everything works, but the mechanical knowledge that would be required to build it was amazing for the time.

After the windmills, we went back to the cheese mill for another round of samples. I met a goat! We took the train back to the main city and headed for Our Lord in the Attic, a 3 story church in the attics of two houses from the mid 1600s. During that time period, Protestants took over Amsterdam and Catholics were forbidden to worship in public. They were, however, free to practice their religion as long as it was done in private, so a wealthy merchant decided to construct a church in the attics of two houses. The church was extremely detailed, and even had an organ! I was amazed by the architecture and the small size. We also got to peek into what life was like for people during the 1600s.
Once we finished in the church, we decided to go get fries for lunch, or as the locals call them, "Frites." They were fantastic and quite filling, especially covered with cheese! We had a lot of water to fuel ourselves for the afternoon. We then strolled around and found a beautiful church to explore- it was under construction so the organ was missing, but it was still stunning. The stained glass was impressive, especially considering it was made in 1555. The church dated back to 1306, and painter Rembrandt's wife was buried there as well.

Abby and I ventured into a chocolate shop while Mom and Dad found a boat tour, and we soon found ourselves buying some chocolate covered cherries. We didn't realize, however, that when the lady said they were filled with alcohol, she meant actual liquid alcohol. Needless to say, I was quite surprised when I bit into the cherry and liquor came spilling out. The alcohol burned my mouth a little but the cherry tasted fabulous.
As planned, we went on a boat tour after. It was quite pleasant, getting to sit around in the boat while the tour was read to us from a headset. We saw a lucky bridge, a house with 6 heads on it, and a ton of different Canals.
After a break in the hotel room, we concluded our night at a pizza parlor run by a family from Italy. We spent a while there enjoying the pizza- cheese and pepperoni, of course- and a nice break from the chaos of our day. We trotted home in the rain, planning our day for tomorrow, which I'll update you on later. It was a pretty thrilling day, and I'm glad I got to spend it with my 3 favorite people.
Sarah Jackson

Day 2: "It needs more salt"

Sorry for the late update- it was a long day yesterday...

After 10 hours of sleep between the four of us, we arrived in Amsterdam at about 8:15AM Amsterdam time, a.k.a 1AM Central Time. We had to get here by train, which was actually a really fun experience, especially considering we bought the tickets using only coins that Dad had from previous trips. The view of the countryside was lovely, and the train station in Amsterdam was absolutely astounding. We stepped out of the station and began our search for our Hotel, Old City Amsterdam.

Old City Amsterdam is run by the owners of the bike shop next to it, which is in an alley off a large street. There are bikes crowding through the alley, and always a few customers talking in Dutch to the workers. We can open the balcony from our second floor apartment room and look down on the shop.
Once we dropped our stuff at the bike shop (our room wasn't ready yet), we walked down to the Albert Cupt Marketplace. The shopkeepers sold a variety of goods- from cheese to scarves to soap! Dad decided that he was destined to eat the Herring, a rather unique fish eaten by the locals, so we bought some from a stand. It was adorned with onions and pickles, and he bought a coke to wash everything down. After one bite, he decided that the best strategy would be to eat it with the pickles to help the flavor. "It needs more salt," he commented. I found the whole situation a little fishy, so Abby and I opted for Stroopwaffel instead. We got to watch the lady make it in front of us, and enjoyed the warm honey flavor.

After making our way through the marketplace, we strolled to the Rembrandt Square, where we relaxed at a cafe and enjoyed some coffee and soda while watching the people go by. I particularly liked the fact that I could lean back and be in the sun, a luxury after hours of traveling. We also ordered the Bittenballs, which are breaded balls stuffed with beef and cheese. The flavor was nice but the texture was strange, almost a little too mushy.
Next, we walked over to the Purse and Bag Museum of Amsterdam. We used our I Amsterdam cards to get in for free, and took an audio tour through it. The traveling exhibit was "Men's Purses: The Bag Makes the Man," which was quite interesting until it turned into tennis bags. The museum has a intriguing history and was pretty enjoyable, all things considered.
We hopped on a tram for free- thanks I Amsterdam- and made our way to a different part of town, where we would head to the Anne Frank House. Our tickets were for 1 and it was only about noon, so we went across the canal to the Westerkurk and spent some time there. Being the musician that I am, I was stunned by the pipe organs and how big and intricate they were. The one in this Church in particular was amazing in both size and quantity, and the detail on it was just gorgeous.

 There are more varieties of tulips than I could possibly imagine, and we learned many interesting tulip facts- did you know Tulips originated in West Asia? Neither did I.
After that, it was time to go to the Anne Frank House. We booked our tickets months in advance, so we were all very eager to see what the museum held. The museum was an educational experience, and told a sad story. It was well done and I'm glad we went.
We'd had a very busy morning so we decided it would be best to stop back at the hotel for a break. We all napped and refreshed our energy before dinner.
Dinner was the Foodhallen, a mall food court with an extensive collection of food stands. Abby and I went for pulled pork sandwiches on Sourdough bread. Dad had the "French Steak Sandwich" which was "spectacular," and Mom had a Dutch Greens Salad. Abby and I had some chocolate ice cream for dessert. We noted that the ice cream cones were genuine waffle cones, as the ice cream was put in waffles which were wrapped in paper to keep anything from falling out. We were full, though, so we chose the cup instead.
Since we were all completely exhausted, we roamed back to our hotel and went almost straight to bed. I think that about covers yesterday- I'll be sure to update you tonight on today's activities!
Sarah Jackson

Day 1!

Here we are in the Newark Airport! It's certainly been an exciting ride here- from Mom becoming a paramedic (not really) to us meeting a tiny dog in the ladies room, after seeing a woman with hair dyed cotton-candy pink. I'm writing from the United Club, an exclusive lounge for high ranking members of United Airlines. Abby and I are set- there's free cookies, wifi, and an open bar. I'm feeling rather sleepy though, as waking up at 3:45AM and then spending a few hours on an airplane some 39 thousand feet off the ground tends to wear a person out. We're going to be spending the next few hours relaxing here, until we board the international overseas flight to Amsterdam for the night. I'll check in once we touch down.
Sarah Jackson

And so it begins.....

It is 11:53 AM Eastern Time on Sunday June 25 and we are currently sitting in the United Club at Newark (EWR) airport for our flight to Amsterdam.  We got up this morning about 3:45 Central Time and then had David Dippel drive us to the airport.   After a smooth three hours, we've arrived!   The United Club here is very nice as Sarah and Abby sample the cheese and drink Shirley Temples from the bar.  It must be rough.   That's all for now.  On to a seven hour layover.....

Trip Overview

Welcome to the To Europe blog that will describe the adventures on the Jackson family as we travel to Europe this summer.  We will be departing Austin and traveling to Amsterdam for a few days.  From Amsterdam we will be taking the train to Cologne, Germany and the to Heidelberg, Fussen, Munich, and Salzburg, Austria.  Then we will fly back to Amsterdam for a quick night and then back home to Texas.