europe.

It's been a while since my last post, but after my most recent epic adventure, a blog post is the best way to share my travels with the world. I'm not sure when I started dreaming of backpacking around Europe, or what really prompted that desire in my heart, but now I can successfully say ... I've backpacked around Europe. Now I'm not talking about camping, staying only in hostels, and all that hard core stuff, but we did pack 18 days worth of clothes in a backpack, traveled through five different countries, walked approximately 180 miles, and had the experience of a lifetime. So, here ya go, here's a glimpse of my most recent adventure...

NYC - Lori and I met in NYC and stayed with our dear friend Lindsay. (thanks good ole Samford U for bringing us together) 

Paris - Linds decided to join us in Paris for a few days. We spent a lot of time walking around the city and seeing all the popular sites, as well as a few local spots recommended by some dear friends. One of my highlights in Paris was attending mass at Notre Dame, such a neat experience in such a beautiful church.

Colmar, France - Lori and I said our goodbyes to Linds and hopped on the train to Colmar. This little town literally looked like the set of a movie, so quaint and quiet, colorful and overflowing with flowers. 

Istewald, Switzerland - Easily one of our favorite places of the trip. We stayed at a hostel on a crystal clear, ice blue lake, surrounded by towering Alps, quaint villages, and beautiful waterfalls. We loved hiking and making friends with so many local cows. 

Luzerne, Switzerland - Lots of walking around the city and exploring the lake. We loved making friends and eating Swiss chocolate.

Salzburg, Austria - I personally think this would have been my favorite town, but it was very rainy and we couldn't see any of the surrounding mountains. We took a day trip to the nearby ice caves, the biggest ice cave in the world. We also enjoyed taking a bike tour of places in the Sound of Music.

Munich, Germany - We immediately fell in love with the fall weather, and all things beer and pretzels. I loved being able to experience Dachau, although a somber afternoon, I'm was grateful to be in a place so rich in history. We also got to experience THE Oktoberfest, like the one that all other Oktoberfest are modeled after, the one that attracts six million visitors a year. Needless to say, it was a little overwhelming, but definitely a bucket list item and worth the visit. We also took a day trip down to Garmish, a little mountain resort town in southern Germany.

Prague, Czech Republic - Lots of walking around the Old Town and along the river. I really enjoyed the architecture and pastries filled with ice cream. 

Obviously, this is just a glimpse, as I have some couple hundred photos from those epic 18 days. My favorite part of the whole trip - not wearing a watch the whole time and never knowing what time it was or what day of the week. I always lead a busy life, and it was so nice to have a break for a bit. As always, I'm always willing to share more details, stories, and photos, don't hesitate to ask!