GatewayRedbirds.com

I know I haven't been around here a lot lately, been busy with other things in my life, but I still check in and hope everyone here's doing well.

Anyway, in better news: I'm taking a 2 week+ trip to Europe around the end of the month. I'm going to be visiting England, many countries in mainland Europe, even up into Norway and Sweden. This trip will include several days in Amsterdam for, again, obvious reasons. I've never been out of the US and I certainly have never been to Europe. I'm insanely excited for it!!

If you have any experiences or recommendations for can't miss places in the following countries I'll be visiting, let me know: England, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden.

Second hand knowledge of this but my son spent some time in Poland for a class he was taking in college and said Warsaw was amazing.

First of all, good to have you back!

When my daughter did a semester in London, she was in South Kensington - just south of Hyde Park. You're off the main tourist path and can explore an interesting and unique area - and one with a little baseball history if you visit the Hereford Arms pub on Gloucester Road.

The Hereford Arms has a long and colourful history dating back to Victorian times. The pub first came to prominence as the reputed drinking haunt of “Jack the Ripper”, but this rumour has never been confirmed as his identity has never been established.

It was later a famous patron, the author Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, who named his most celebrated detective after a nearby block of flats, through whom the pub became well known.

There are more tales to tell, too. During the First World War, American servicemen frequented the pub and the attractive Hereford Square was turned into a baseball diamond for games with allied troops stationed nearby. An outstanding bill for a broken window, caused by a rogue baseball, has still yet to be settled!

Just south of there is Chelsea with lots of pubs and neat archtecture. We walked by a bar there when a throng of Croatian soccer fans were celebrating a victory. And you're not too far from Craven Cottage, home of the Fulham Football Club.


Haven't been to any of the other places you're visiting, but have a great trip and keep us posted.

I'm stoked for you, Cronos. You're going many places I haven't been, so I don't have a ton of advice. In London, the British Museum is insanely huge, and a good chance to see the amazing artifacts that the British Empire plundered from everywhere on earth. I really enjoyed the Tate Modern, but skip that if you're not into modern art (looks like they have an exhibit for Edvard Munch up now.

Thanks, guys. I've been around and reading, just haven't posted much.

I'll be renting a car in both England and mainland Europe, hitting up all of those countries I mentioned while couch-surfing with some online friends in each country to save on expenses. This is going to be a real adventure for me, and something that I'll never forget, I'm sure. I'll give a link or post some pics and stuff, of course.

The only concrete plans in England so far are Stonehenge, the Cliffs of Dover (where I will view them while listening to the Eric Johnson song "Cliffs of Dover" on my ipod; the world may explode from that happenstance), and the obligatory stuff in London (London Eye, British Museum, pubs aplenty). Other than Amsterdam and Neuschwanstein castle in Germany, I don't have any set plans for specific destinations yet on the mainland besides what my friends there will want me to see.

Appreciate the suggestions, I'll see if I can squeeze in as much as possible.

Sounds amazing! Have fun and post pics.

Wear condoms

This sounds like an awesome time. I went a few years back and it's one of the best trips I've ever had. My trip included northeast France, northwest Germany, a day in Amsterdam, and most of my vacation was spent in Rotterdam. Honestly, most of what I did was the touristy stuff- the Anne Frank house, the Van Gogh museum, the Boijmans museum in Rotterdam...

fyi- if you want more specific suggestions for Germany I would be happy to give them. I lived there for a year. Just pm me.

Go see a soccer game. You will like it.

If you are going to be there around Oktoberfest expect the crowds at any of the Bavarian sights (e.g. Neuschwanstein). Oh and if you are going to be there around Oktoberfest, drink some beer in Bavaria.

If you are coming from the North to go to Bavaria.
Here are some things on the way
Koln is great place to visit. Nice historic city. Lots to do and see.

If you like cars you can check out the Porsche HQ in Stuttgardt.
The Cathedral at Ulm is amazing.

If you like old university towns you might like Heidelberg, Tubingen.

For a different side of Germany you could go to Dachau, which is near Munich

going north from Bavaria

if you are a history buff you might check out Nuremburg. You can see many of Third Reich buildings there. It is chilling to go out to the parade grounds where they held the big rallies.

Weimer, Leipzig are nice places to stop as well.

Berlin is awesome, though I am not sure I would want a car there.

have a great trip

Sounds awesome I hope you have a great time!

If I may throw out a suggestion or two, check out the WWII sites in France such as the American cemetary, Normandy, and such. It may sound a bit morbid but I've heard touring one of the old concentration camps in Germany is the most moving and amazing experience. I know three separate people who have been and they say it's almost life changing.

Also if you are a car fan hit up the Nurburgring in Germany or Spa in Belgium.