Journey of Paris, France: What to do in Paris after all the tourist stuff

Seeing I was already in Europe I could not resist an invitation from Marion, the first friend I met on my journey in the Amazon, to visit her in Paris. I had been to Paris before but never with a local. I was beyond thrilled to return to one of my favorite cities but it … More Journey of Paris, France: What to do in Paris after all the tourist stuff

Journey of Zug, Switzerland: The Barnhouse Workaway

Our train pulled out of the Zurich station skirting the lake and dropped us off in a picturesque farm town. Although the town was only 20 minutes from Zurich and 30 minutes from Lucerne we felt a million miles away. Our next journey was leading us to another workaway, this time to an old timber-frame … More Journey of Zug, Switzerland: The Barnhouse Workaway

Journey of Chamonix, France: Alpine exploration

Chamonix with its immense snow-covered peaks and alpine adventures has been on my bucket-list for quite some time. With plenty of ski lifts and hiking trails the village is a magnet for visitors year-round. Our amazement of this area began with a stunning ride on the expensive, but worth it, glassed roofed train Mont-Blanc Express. … More Journey of Chamonix, France: Alpine exploration

Journey of Lake Maggiore, Italy: Italian Lake District budget style

Jon and I decided to escape our Buddhist, vegetarian, enclave for a few days and discover Italy’s lakes district.  Lake Como was 3.5 hours away by public transportation so we decided to try out Lake Maggiore which was only 20 minutes by train from Domodossola and only an hour and a half from Milan making … More Journey of Lake Maggiore, Italy: Italian Lake District budget style

Journey of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland: A lesson in history not to forget

While Krakow turned out to be an enchanting city our main purpose for coming to this area was to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau. Located in Oswiecim less than two-hours by bus from Krakow is the site of unspeakable horrors where an estimated 1.1 million innocent people were murdered from 1941-1945. Although a reservation is required, a guide … More Journey of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland: A lesson in history not to forget

Journey of Krakow, Poland: Romance combined with history

Krakow is a beautiful old-fashioned city with a shifting history. The city made its wealth from trade in the late 10th century. In the 12th century after an invasion ruined the city they used this opportunity to create streets in a near-perfect grid, which is still prevails today. By the end of the 18th century … More Journey of Krakow, Poland: Romance combined with history

Journey of Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia: Skiing and historic castles

If you really want to discover the flavor of an area spend time outside the cities. We discovered Liptovsky Mikulas on accident looking for reasonable places in Europe to ski. We were fortunate that this area had so much more to offer. We stayed in a small suburb outside of town which had rolling mountains … More Journey of Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia: Skiing and historic castles