I sometimes get requests for Europe from potential clients who want to see "everything" or go "everywhere". After I groan a bit (sorry - but I am being honest) I then say, "Great! Sounds fabulous. How long do you have to travel?"
"We have a week, maybe ten days."
I then take a deep breath and start explaining how that it is not possible to "see everything" in 7-10 days. Europe is a small continent but not THAT small.
Finding vegetarian friendly restaurants in Europe isn't too difficult. Actually, in most cities and larger towns it is quite easy. Many restaurants will indicate on the menu which items are meat-free or even vegan but some smaller towns (looking at you France) I have been served meat in dishes even after telling the waiters (in their language) that I don't eat meat. I have learned that I have to say "no chicken, no pig, no cow, no fish" for them to fully understand what no meat means. Or when in doubt I stick to pizza and cheese omelettes.
Even though I have a vegetarian diet, I am not a huge fan of "vegetarian/vegan only" restaurants.
Trains are great in Europe. They are quick and efficient. They get you from point A to B in a blur. Which sometimes that is what you want. But sometimes you may want a more relaxed and slower pace. And a slow relaxed pace is definitely what river cruising can offer.
Imagine being able to check-in to your floating hotel for at least 7-nights knowing that you will get to visit many places and see beautiful scenery without having the hassle of packing your bags every few days.
Our day consisted of visiting two different wineries, lunch at a local "off-the-beaten" path restaurant in a tiny tiny village as well as exploring hilltop towns as we went. Our wine expert guide, Davide, is from Cortona so not only is experienced with the best wineries to visit in the area but also which back roads to use to get there and where the scenic views are to stop at en route. We just sat back, relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.
I'm not usually keen on heights but I do love a good cityscape so when I heard there was a SkyLounge bar in Amsterdam I knew I had to try it. Turns out the SkyLounge isn't that high up - I believe it was the 15th floor - so it didn't cause any dizziness or vertigo. It is located on the top floor of the Doubletree by Hilton which is walking distance from Centraal Station conveniently located near the cruise ship port.
