The night bus ride into Madrid from Lisbon was comfortable. After arriving to the station, we made our way to the metro for a short ride to stop Seville to drop off our luggage at Hostel Delfina. The hostel was not what one would think of as the typical hostel. A hostel can also be a b&b, a guesthouse, or pension. Situated in a stylish neighborhood in the heart of Madrid, the Hostel Delfina is a beautiful apartment. The host was accommodating despite having to come to the door so early in the am. We set out to see the … Continue reading Madrid Spain

Lisbon, like many port cities, was once one of the richest places in the world, thanks to exploration and trade. It is still rich in culture today. Clay roofs make up the landscape. The tiles that make up the front of many of the buildings come from the Moorish influence. They add color and beauty to the stone facade . https://www.lisbon.net/history Check out the history of Lisbon. While walking up to the top of the city to look at a castle built in the 1930’s though looking hundreds of years older, we were approached by the owner of a little … Continue reading Lisboa (Lisbon) Portugal

For 7€ a bus will get you into Dublin’s city centre. A small shop just up from Connelly rail station, at 77A Talbot street, will allow you to leave your bags for the day, if your accommodations won’t, for only 5€ per bag. I walked over to Gresham hotel for a tea and a warm croissant with Irish butter before boarding a bus for a tour to the Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough and Avoca. There are various companies out there offering the tour. Prior to the last ice age the Wicklow mountains were covered in trees. After the ice melted bogs … Continue reading Ireland

Airlines such as Easyjet, and Ryanair offer cheap rates for fights in and around Europe. There are various other airlines out there as well. The ride over the Alps as we crossed over Switzerland from Berlin, was amazing as we seemed to barely clear the steep slopes of snow covered caps. If you looked close enough you could see into the valley’s between the peaks. I took a train from Milan to Como for a night on the lake. Como is in Northern Italy in the Lombardy region. http://www.visitcomo.eu/en/ I had booked a room at Residence Diaz for $58 for … Continue reading Como Italy

Berlin is according to a tour guide, a city still recovering from World War II and the occupation of the Soviets. The city has been rebuilt over the years. There is a mixture of the new, some built during the Soviet occupation, and the old rebuilt to look like its original state. “In the Garden of the Beasts, by Erik Larsen is a must read book about the US ambassador Dodd’s time in Berlin prior to the war. He reported back to Washington and Roosevelt, about the changes in Berlin under the Third Reich, and Hitler Tyranny. The garden in … Continue reading Berlin