What was your single favorite European travel moment for 2007?

Being a Eucharistic minister at mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was certainly right up there!

Great topic!

It's really tough to choose, but I think my favorite moment was when we sailed up the fjord into Kotor at sunrise in October. I had aboslutely no idea how stunning the scenery would be ... it literally took my breath away.

Close second was in Paris - it was our first time there - had arrived by train from Venice on a rainy afternoon, and finally after settling in at our apartment in the Montmartre, we were starving. We wandered our neighborhood in the dark, completely intimidated by the French on the chalkboard menus outside the numerous cafes. Hunger forced us into a small cafe, where we stumbled through the items available until a young waitress took pity on us and in a very friendly manner helped us each decide on a pork loin plate. The dinner was delicious with a sauce to die for, and the wine she brought to our table warmed us.

The icing on the cake, so to speak, was when she had a free minute to spare from her waitressing duties, and she came over to our table and drew us a small map on a napkin, pointing the way to some of the out-of-the-way places to see in the immediate neighborhood. What an amazing welcome to Paris!

One most memorable..Istanbul,first day in city, standing outside Blue Moseque when the call to prayer came out over loudspeakers and was echoed by other mosques. It was a cultural moment I haven't forgotten.

Watching my son propose to his girlfriend at the Eiffel Tour.

Having traveled to France many times, our favorite moment of 2007 was arriving at our room at the "Chateau Perreux " just outside Amboise. Stunning---simply stunning!

What a great topic can't wait to read all of the responses.

www.ballet.org.uk/video/versailles_01.htm


"This summer (26 – 28 July) English National Ballet performs Swan Lake in truly romantic surroundings. See the world’s best-loved ballet performed on a floating stage on the Bassin de Neptune in the glorious gardens of the Palace of Versailles. As the sun sets behind the magnificent Chateau, watch the beauty and elegance of English National Ballet’s 64 dancers in this unique and magical setting."

This has to be the highlight of our vacation. It was a most magical evening in a most magical place.

I always love the moment when the plane is just about to touch down (in Europe!)The trip is planned and the anticipation at maximum level.

This year we went to see the tulips in Holland - fantastic. One day in the formal gardens and one day riding thru the tulip fields - now besides all the places I have yet to go, I have added this trip to my list to do again!

Seeing the Ballet Nacional de Cuba perform Don Quixote in the Grand Palais in Paris, last summer -- and then Alicia Alonso herself coming out on stage.

The view from the "top" in Anacapri. Just beautiful.

visited London,Bath, Aix, Nice ( and other places on the Cote) ,Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Granada.
Many great moments. One I did not expect:

getting out of the cab and seeing Park Guell - felt a jolt of pure childlike joy .

An entire year without having to go to, through, near, or from Heathrow Airport.

Scavi tour followed at a close second by every morsel I ate while in Italy.

Difficult decision! I would have to say being at the Open in Carnoustie, literally inches from players such as Tiger, Sergio, etc. and watching the playoff hole. Weir said hi to us!

Second was coming over the crest of a hill and then - BAM - Bamburgh Castle (England) in all its glory looming in the distance perched high on a cliff. I have been to over 150 castles in Europe, all special in their way, and this castle's dramatic location literally left me breathless.

Visiting the Rodin Museum for the fourth or so time but this time with a special exhibition of Rodin's own collection of Japanese art.

A cheese sandwich shared with my wife on the shore of Lake Lucerne with the cheese and bread chosen by the shopgirl.

Falling in love in Dubrovnik.

First trip to Italy in October...

Coming out of the train station at Termini Rome. My brain was instantly in overload!

But the best was walking down the stairs where Trajan's Column is and seeing in one eyeful the Forum, the Colosseum, Trajan's Market. I will never, ever forget that image!

I cannot wait to go back! Merry Christmas, my Fodor friends and Happy Travels in 2008!

Paula

My first trip to Europe in 17 years--where did the time go?

My favorite moment is drinking prosecco and eating the appetizers prior to our dinner at La Giostra in Firenze on my wife's birthday, with the gelato at Vivoli's and Grom a close second.

Meeting with Barb in Mostar and again in Dubrovnik... and no, it wasn't me she fell in love with!!!

Seriously, it was Mostar. I was swept away by its beauty, which surpassed anything I saw in Croatia or Montenegro.

More a series of moments....Taking a transatlantic cruise on the QM2, the Eurostar from London to Paris, picking up my car in Paris, and showing my in-laws Paris, Normandy, and Holland. Along the way, guiding them around the Normandy battlefields, visiting the American cemetery and the Bayeux Tapestry, and celebrating my wife's birthday at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Norman countryside. We then drove back to our home in Germany, stopping in Cologne for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. We sat in a sidewalk beer garden with a view of the cathedral and that delicious Frueh Beer in the small glasses. I am a proud American, but I LOVE Europe!

Fabulous funky shopping at London Fashion Weekend and then in East End shops!

My second favorite moment was sitting with Julia on our tiny terrace in Mostar, sipping wine and listening to the call to prayer. Truly a goosebump moment.

My first view of the Piano Grande in Umbria, near Norcia. What a valley! I could not believe such a place existed. It took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. What a wonderful world we live in.

Single favorite European travel moment - was in Switzerland when we stopped off on the side of the road to watch the Swiss locals bring the cows down from the mountain while on our way to Atzmännig.

Dunno if it's the second best moment, but a bit bittersweet - visiting the housing area I had lived in as a child in Germany.

The medieval parade followed by the Palio d' Asti horse race in Sep in Asti. Here are a few shots to capture the moment--do not miss the final turn pic.
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/showgallery.php?cat=4172&page=3

The American Cemetary at Normandy.

Really, I couldn't pick just one either...a series of images comes to mind...watching the lights go on at the Eiffel Tower, the magic fountain in Barcelona, the underground concert in Mallorca, the villages in Costa Brava, the Parador in Cardona, the boys' choir in Montserrat...most of the trip was magical.

Happy holidays all!

Two really...

In The Hague in April with my sister, both of us are huge Vermeer fans. We were hunting for The Girl With a Pearl Earring and got lured toward the wrong space looking for it, realized it, turned around and WHAM were face to face with her. We grabbed each other and gasped with delight. It could not have been scripted better!

And a long night in Rome eating a tremendous meal family style with two new friends I just met on tour at the Vatican and about a dozen local diners. What a fun, crazy and delicious night. (Rome has lots of wonderful, impressive sightseeing aspects, but this stands out as my favorite moment of the week there!)

Carnival in Rottweil

Walking the mudflats in Cuxhaven at low tide

Strolling through the back streets of Regensburg

Walking with my husband by the Ouse on a suddenly sun-drenched afternoon in February. It was stunning.

Our very first visit ever with our kids to Europe in July!
I think our favorite moment was visiting Montreaux, Switzerland.

We're headed to Ireland in a few months--ready for more exploring!

I agree with the American Cemetery at Colleville - it is breathtaking to see it for the first time. On a par with my first view of Mont St. Michel in the distance from a French county road.

But this year, it was on the Canal St. Martin boat tour - our first time, after many trips to Paris. There was a moment, waiting at a lock, and the water pouring in, as I stood at the front of the boat, when I was simply "there," having fully “landed” in the City of Lights on that particular visit. These unbidden moments are one of the most pleasurable parts of travel. They cannot be sought, and they cannot be prolonged, so I am most grateful when they appear.

I can't narrow it down to a single moment. But one was similar to missypie's - sitting in a beautiful placa in the Barri Gotic of Barcelona, eat our first tapas and enjoying the people-watching.

Another special moment was in the tiny village of Monforte d'Alba, in the Piemonte, with the wonderful, friendly owner of the B&B we stayed at. He had driven us to a vineyard for a tour, and we were admiring the view over the countryside. I asked him something like, are you originally from Monforte, and he replied (in Italian), no, my birth village is over there, pointing to another tiny village, about one ridge over. His comment really struck me, and I've thought about it a lot. Just something about the Italian culture, and understanding how, to Giulio, he wasn't from "here," he was from a place that's only about 3 km away, but to him, that's an entirely different place.

Drinking hot spiced wine and sailing down the Danube at night watching the lights of Budapest from the top deck of our riverboat.
The "I can't believe I did it moment" - renting a bathing suit and going to the public baths in Budapest and sitting in a hot pool outside on a cold day.

Buying amazing sandwiches of incredible creamy buffalo mozzarella and spicy salami on fresh foccacia at Volpetti and taking them up Avantine Hill (stopping to look at St. Peter's through the keyhole) and devouring them in the orange grove park with the most amazing view of the Rome before us.

A close second was St Marc's square at sunrise, empty except for me and my husband and a lot of pigeons. Then we walked through a million tiny streets to a little cafe and sat outside sipping our cappuccinos as the locals came and went and Venice woke up. Heaven.

Seeing my first real Enzian (an alpine wildflower) on a hike in Switzerland. . . and having my whole family there with me to share the moment (and many more wonderful moments on the trip).

They grow right on the ground, so I had to lie down in the grass to get a full-frame shot with my macro lens. Now our photo album has a shot of my son taking a picture of me taking a picture of the flower. All surrounded by that gorgeous Swiss scenery, including the fearsome Eiger and snowy Jungfrau in the background.

My DH and | had just travelled to Chiusi from Rome by train. A new experience in Italy for us. Not only had we gotten on the right train, our rental car was waiting for us just across the street from the train station, our new GPS was turned on (and worked!)and we were on our way to Montepulcino. We arrived at sunset at the most charming apartment with a view over Tuscany. The wine was unpacked, the fire was lit and all my hopes for a magical experience in Tuscany were fulfilled.

A carriage ride through the streets of Amsterdam in February cuddled under a cozy blanket and drinking hot chocolate.

Not a single moment but just being able to show my niece why I love London & enjoying a rather raucous pub dinner with a dear friend & his family who came down from Derby.

Being at the top of the Windsor wheel (like the London Eye but maybe a third as big and situated in a park next to the River Thames where it is much smaller in Windsor) with just my sister and me in our pod and looking out over the very misty and drizzling English countryside and the swans down on the river and up at the castle and down at the train station and over at Eton and ... you get the idea. Lovely, just lovely.

Or maybe it was standing on the Hungerford Bridge with my sister, and we were looking toward Big Ben waiting for it to sound off 10:00 p.m. and her getting misty and saying she would never have seen any of it if I had not taken her to London.

Too many to cull down to a single moment but..

Seeing in 2007 in the square in San Quirico d'Orcia with the locals throwing loud firecrackers down all around us

Staying overnight on the top of the world at Lagazuoi in the dolomites and then skiing down first the next morning

Watching the fog lift to reveal the Baisilca San Francesco

Visiting the parmigianno regianno factory in Parma

Seeing opera at La Scala and La Fenice

I had a very wonderful two trips to Italy in 2007.

Seeing my mothers expression when she saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. This was her first trip overseas, so it was even more special.

Saying "I do" during our renewal of vows ceremony at the American Church in Paris.

After 20 years, I felt my warranty might be running out, so I picked the one best place to renew. Paris is my wife's favorite city, and she is a glass artist. The American Church in Paris has the only Tiffany windows in Europe; a French national treasure, and the minister was a wonder.

She looked radiant, and I felt blessed. A special moment.

>What was your single favorite European travel moment for 2007?

My Lady Wife says:
Dinner at Es Zimmer in Salzburg.

I say:
My first taste of Pinot Gris at the Schwendi in Kientzheim. (Compare it to having a glass of milk fresh from the cow.)

We both agree that stepping out onto the balcony of our room (Vanilla) at the Schreier in Lindau was quite a treat.

PS,

Driving through the woods along the D417 and suddenly coming out into the sun and seeing the Munster valley spread out before us.

Best memories-

The BBC tour and watching a taping of Jonathon Ross.

Touring the Fuller's brewery w/microbrewers from Belgium and the free tasting afterwards. Yum.

Seeing the Yorkshire countryside for the first time on my journey from York. Staying in my little flat in York and the view of Holy Trinity churchyard from the lounge window.

The authentic Italian food at a little restaurant in Cardiff. Seeing the Millenium Centre and waterall..Doctor Who geek here.

Traveling in WT+ after having flown BA coach for many years.

Coleen- would you mind sharing with me the name of that fabulous place you stayed in Montepulciano? And any contact info you have?

THANKS!
Paula
paulam910@hotmail.com

Walking "into" a contrada feast day parade in Siena -- the medieval costumes, the festivity, the crowd singing...

This is such a difficult question! If you'd said "favorite experience" I probably would have said bicycling all around Amsterdam (such fun and such nice scenery), but because you said "moment" I'm going to say that it was sitting at a little covered table at a tiny restaurant in Orvieto, sipping some Orvieto Classico while gazing at the Duomo and watching storm clouds blow over. (And the best part was having Orvieto pretty much to ourselves even though it was in early June - the thunderstorm had kept most of the tourists away, I suppose, but it ended up being a beautiful day after it blew over.)

This a great thread and it makes me want to click on all of your names to read trip reports!
Mine was very simple and only sort of travel related. We moved to the UK this summer. Our first overnight trip away from our new house was up to Edinburgh. It's a pretty fun city and we had a good time. We drove to and from and that was pretty crazy. But, my favorite moment was on the way home, coming around the corner of my street and realizing that I was home, but that home was here! I get to live here! I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Since then I've been to Paris twice and Rome once -- each time the plane touches down in London I think -- I get to live here!
Now, as I read all of your posts I think -- those are all so close! I can go there too! Thank you.

Being proposed to in the Villa Borghese. I well up when I think about it!

How about one per trip or country? If just one...first evening in Stockholm the weather was lovely when I walked down to the waterfront, got an ice cream cone, and then a band struck up on the bandstand. Watching the beautiful colors of the summer sunset on the buildings, seeing the water, listening to the music, eating an ice cream...I'm sure I was grinning ear to ear. Had to telephone my husband back in the US to tell him what he was missing.

Visiting the Evangelische Kirche in Tagerwilen, Switzerland, the church where my grandparents were married in 1849. We were given the history of the church (started as a convent in 700) and a tour which included the bell tower. We also received a copy of the church registry page with their names on it, and a copy of their civil wedding certificate.

Our trip to England was our first European trip.

It's hard to pick out just one moment, but some highlights were having a pint at The Eagle and Child, J.R.R. Tolkien's favorite pub in Oxford; looking out over the landscape at Conwy Castle in Wales; having a lovely anniversary dinner at The Bell at Skenfrith in Wales; and visiting Jane Austen's house in Chawton.

Lee Ann

Drinking prosecco at an outdoor table facing the Pantheon in Rome.

Mine would have to be while walking the pre-dawn streets of Rome. It was just so amazing watching the sunrise over the city. I was able to come away with this

www.pbase.com/trsw/image/88729210

Tom

Walking home to our hotel in Paris, in April at 1 AM. We are two ladies 65 and 77. It was great weather, great food and lots of local churches to visit leasurly.

We had a wonderful week.

Not really a "moment" but my favorite memory from last years travels was walking around various Spanish cities (Salamanca, Segovia, Toledo, etc) early in the morning and seeing all those little tiny black birds that swoop around church towers and other high places, mostly at dawn and dusk. I've noticed them in many other European locations, but it seemed in Spain there were more of them. Now when I look at my photos and I see tiny black specs it brings me back to the way the air felt and smelled and sounded on those early morning walks.

Being invited to our landlord's apartment upstairs from our rental in Rome - warm enough to sit on her rooftop terrace and watch some fireworks, drinking wine, eating olives and crostini she had prepared.

She grew up in Sicily. We talked about joining her there sometime at her family's villa!

I felt like Sally Field getting the Oscar "YOu like us, you really like us!"

Great pic, Tom.

Love the bird on the statue.

The "Stroll" begins in ernest about dusk along Paseo de La Concha (a promenade along the beach with gardens). Donostia/San Sebastian is magical with families and lovers all dressed in attractive clothing as if going out to dinner (which they probably were). My destination was the Pinchos trail in the Parte Vieta (old town). It is hard to explain the ambience of the "stroll". Group happiness? I've never been to a place like it.

I can't narrow it to only one, but it is between the following 3 choices.

1/Switzerland - standing outside in the snow on an absolutely perfect day at Jungfraujoch.

2/Santorini, Greece - Hiking up to the top of the volcano and looking out over the beautiful water.

3/Venice, Italy - Sitting up in the front seat on the vaporretto going up the Grand Canal, towards the Piazzale Roma one very early morning (Unfortunately, to catch my transportation to the airport for the flight home )

Yes, it is the time of year to reflect and I have been doing that too. We have been traveling all over Europe for the last 15 months so there is sooooo much to reflect on and hard to narrow it down to one moment.

We did a romantic classical journey this year, focusing primarily on a Hellenic Odyssey, Moorish adventure and Ottoman sweep for my child who is a Homer & Greek Myth lover & dreams of being an archeologist.

I am still absolutely astounded by what we saw & the people we met in places like Knossos, Ephesus,Cappadocia,Parthenon,Pompeii,Santorini,Delphi, Pamukkale, Troy and Pergamum.

We also loved Venice,Prague,Dubrovic,Salzburg,Florence and Umbria, but the most ancient sites still reverberate intensely.

The one-of-kind moment that really blew our minds, that we will never forget, happened just a short flight away from Europe. My 6yo daughter rode in by camel to the Sahara desert and did a violin concert for 50 Berber kids & bought them healthy food as a treat.

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/3BC3272B-CFF8-4552-9EFA-28E6C3A1171F.html

It meant so much to my daughter and these kids, all under 7 who never saw a violin and live with no running water, very simply. They had learned some French songs to sing as she entered. There was so much love,joy and warmth it made me cry.

Ok, it is not techniquely Europe, but Africa ( yet part of our European tour), so I will narrow it down to two other priceless moments.

We spent over 45 days in Croatia and by pure chance, we kept bumping into a very sweet film crew and major star from Japan, all over the country. We became quite fond of each other and they ended up putting my daughter in the film!!

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/3BC3272B-CFF8-4552-9EFA-28E6C3A1171F.html

What are the chances? Sweet readers of our blog in Japan let us know that it aired with my daughter in the opening shot. Small world.

Another more personal highlight was when my husbands father and sister came to visit us in our small Andalucian Spanish village for his 80th birthday.

They are Spaniards who had never been to Spain, so sharing it with three generations was an emotional highlight from visiting Spain's oldest bullring, to our Octogenarian even getting up on an Andalucian horse!

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/CE39E136-9F28-4ABF-9B84-02B0627C5AAC.html

It has been an incredible year!!

Bastille Day in St. Aubin Sur Mer with our son. French Blue Angels overhead spewing red white and blue vapors. A block long parade of local little girls twirling batons and the entire village watching a pretty decent fireworks display at the local park. We felt French.

Now I know what I'm doing with my afternoon at work (sllloooowwww)... wandering through WTNow's website!

I had to read through my trip report to figure out a single memory. And the winner is:

Arriving in Cinqueterre just before sunset in the off season with no reservations, using a bottle of wine to kill time waiting for the next train to Vernazza, riding PAST Vernazza because we couldn't open the train door, wandering through Vernazza, finally finding a hotel with a room up a thousand steps, and then the best dinner of the trip in the hotel's restaurant.

Okay, not really a moment, but still the best memory.

Here's to 2007 - can't wait to see what 2008 brings!

>My 6yo daughter rode in by camel to the Sahara desert and did a violin concert for 50 Berber kids & bought them healthy food as a treat..... They had learned some French songs to sing as she entered.<

That's a keeper, WT.

We splurged and spent a week in Paris for our 25th anniversary at our favorite hotel. We had dinner in the restaurant and all the staff stopped by the table over the evening to congratulate us. The other favorite memory of the year is standing in Monet's bedroom looking out at a rain shower in his garden at Giverny. Luckily it was sunny again when we left the house.

Looking out our window in the Albergo del Senato in Rome and feeling like you could touch the Pantheon.

What a great hotel in Rome.

We decided on an "off the beaten path" trip in Germany this year.
There were no single favorite stunning moments; just a series of simple pleasures. Perfect.

Hard to choose for me. But I guess if I had to choose, it would be the moment she noticed I had ordered pigs feet for dinner our first night there, which also happened to be her birthday (the trip was her birthday present). It is our culture's tradition to eat pigs feet in celebration of a loved one's birthday to ensure a long and healthy life, but I had ordered it because I had a strange craving for pigs feet. Clearly we're lapsed in this tradition, since I didn't know about it. My mom was thrilled, and even had a little bit of it.

There is a tie for the close second between the dinner cruise on the Seine and her seeing the Notre Dame.

Paris was our only European trip this year. We'll correct that in 2008, I hope. Exchange rates be darned!

PS- there were some great and amazingly awesome moments everyone had in 2007. Hope everyone has more in 2008!

This year one of my favorite travel moments was sitting in the late afternoon sun in Riomaggiore on the Cinque Terre. We were at a cliffside bar/cafe named Bar & Vini drinking local wine and eating chocolate cake with our fingers. The place was empty except for us and there was a gentle breeze and life was good. We let a few of our trains go by before we caught one to go back to Santa Margherita Ligure.

Our family had a wonderful one-week stay in Rome earlier this year. Hard to pick out any one best moment but a few that stand out as special:

Standing with my husband by the illuminated Teatro Marcello the first night we arrived. (We were staying at an apartment I had chosen on Via della Reginella in the ghetto area and had explored the area to the north of the apartment that afternoon. My husband went out for a walk before dinner and came racing back --up several flights of stairs--to announce we were right around the corner from amazing ruins which I had to see right away)

Looking out over the forum from the Farnese Gardens (a beautiful view and especially wonderful to us because we were escaping a Vt. winter and loved the orange trees, flowers, etc)

Watching my son discover and fall in love with the Pantheon and the Piazza della Rotunda. He had been excited about seeing the Forum and Colisseum but had not realized how amazing the Pantheon is.

Sitting by the obelisk in the almost-empty St. Peter's square for about half an hour as dusk turned to night, and watching the lights go on (this was totally unplanned--we were just killing time between our tour of the church and a dinner reservation with friends)

Walking back and forth across the Isola Tiberina from the ghetto to Trastevere in the evenings and listening to the sax player who regularly played there on the Ponte
Fabrico.

Wow, such amazing moments. Great thread Missypie!

I too have had difficulty narrowing it down. But if I had to pick, I would have to say:
While staying in Monterosso in the Cinque Terre, we stumbled upon a demonstration of a local italian woman preparing pasta from scratch. Her expert handling of the flour and eventually the dough was just amazing. You could tell she'd probably done it a million times.

It was one of those unplanned moments, and we weren't even part of the group, but they all welcomed us. Very cool.

H

While on a bike trip through Austria, our favorite moments were when we finally found a place to eat or, after riding around and around and up the hill to the town, we found our hotel for the night.

It was so sweet knowing we'd reached our destination and it was time to relax.

Visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam for the first time. When I walked into the gallery with the Sunflowers and other Arles period canvases, I had to sit down, I felt so giddy.

Second place: Going back to Auvers-sur-Oise.

Special to me this year was the view from the balcony of our hotel in Assissi looking down on St. Francis' Basilica and out on the landscape, and then later, after dinner, sitting on the wall around the fountain in the town center talking with my niece and just enjoying the peace and quiet.

The opera in Budapest.

Omero restaurant in the hills above Florence on a sultry June evening. Second time to Florence for me, first for my wife. A lovely meal combined with enjoyable company in a wonderful locale made for a singularly memorable evening.

The Firenze bug's bitten my wife as hard as it's bitten me.

Ok you guys you have me almost wishing our vacation was in Europe instead of Asia this year. We did have a wonderful time but my heart is in Europe.In 06 we went to Paris,Cyprus & Turkey for my 60th. The highlight was sleeping in a cave hotel in Cappadocia and going on a hot air baloon ride.I am not anearly raiser but this was an incredable day.
Next year back to Europe-Portugal and the year after the Venice area and Budapest-great subject-Chris

Having dinner on the Carlton Hotel Beach in Cannes enjoying the fireworks and celebrating Bastile Day with my wife and some very good friends.

Walking around Nanzenji Temple in Kyoto, Japan. We had the temple almost to ourselves, and the beauty of the temple, the beautiful painted silkscreens and the serenity of the gardens made for a magical experience.

Tracy

Definately picking tomatoes on an organic farm in Corsica. Warm days, swimming in the afternoons at the local creek and drinking beautiful wine with great people in the afternoons until late...

Stopping by St. Eustache when the choir was rehearsing. Beautiful music in a beautiful setting; I could have stayed all afternoon.

there were so many but ...
having sonia tavoleta as our tour guide for the vatican..priceless!
anyone ...and i mean anyone who is planning on a vatican tour (she also does other tours as well) but especially the vatican when lines are long, time is short, and as you know the collection is vast and one can quickly go into museum overload mode...you simply cannot beat sonia for her knowledge and of course the time saving logistics of even getting in especially on a saturday.
With sonia you simply do not get a tour ...but you get a history lesson, and wonderfully integrated experience.

tcreath wrote: "Walking around Nanzenji Temple in Kyoto, Japan."

That is indeed a memorable European travel moment!

2 different towns, 2 moments:

Seeing Jean Fouquet's Diptyque de Melun for the first time at the Antwerp fine arts museum (a real treasure house).

Spending the early evening of May 10th at the jardin des Tuileries. There was a special light that day that was pure magic.

The Alps in Switzerland. Many moments ~ the walks and hikes, the sound of cowbells, Schilthorn on a blue sky day, Mt Rigi at Sunset, Guarda in a snowstorm, and every moment on our apartment balcony in Grindelwald with the Eiger and Monch so close you felt like you could touch them. And having family there to celebrate our 25th with us made it even more special!

This past June, my husband and I walked into Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris where a priest was singing, the organ was playing, and the smoky incense filled the air. I lit a candle for my Mother near the altar. My emotions overcame me, and I broke down in tears. It was a moment that I will never forget.

Actually two...My passport being stamped, for the 14th time, allowing my entry to Great Britain. Arriving by train in my favorite town, York!

Sitting in the window of our rental apartment in Seville listening to the Flamenco singers in the bar across the street.

Watching the sun come up while the swallows swooped on the balcony of the beautiful Los Castanos Hotel in Cartajima, Spain (near Ronda). Then that evening going for dinner in the town's only restaurtant for a four course meal served outside with wonderful food, wine and service but no menus as you have what's made that night which only added to the stunning ambience.

1. The town square in St Etienne, France, before the Scotland v Italy game in the rugby world cup, with pipe bands playing and everyone drinking beer/red wine and having a ball.
2. Hearing the cars at full throttle behind us at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix and then watching them tear round the harbour in front of us.
3. Evening snowfall in Krakow Old Town - cold, but beautiful.

Dinner at Trattoria Monti in Rome. I felt like I was in a movie. Large Italian family was celebrating a birthday of one of the older women. There were old men, old women, beautiful younger woman and children running around everywhere! Loved it!

We discovered such great natural beauty and fine people in Ireland this year, it's difficult to choose a favorite experience. However, my most memorable moment was probably standing on the grave of my great-great-grandfather on a small tidal island off the Connemara coast, smelling the salt from the sea and thinking about how amazing it is to come full circle and return to one's homeland.

..last month taking off from Le Bourget at 7 pm and not getting stuck in traffic. The magical moment(not that the above wasnt miraculous as opposed to magical) was just after takeoff. The flight path was right over the city and the sky was exceptionally clear. The streets were outlined by lights and it was easy to pick out the arc de triomphe and the eiffel tower...a real google earth moment!

Standing in the main Christmas Market in Vienna last week. Light snow falling and the colored lights shining and christmas music playing. What a magical experience.

My first trip to Paris with my 15 year old daughter and 20 of her french classmates. Our first sighting of the Eiffel Tower from the plane as the sun was rising over the city. Walking around the corner from our hotel and seeing Eiffel lit up at night, always took our breath away. The view of Champs Elysee from the ferris wheel on a freezing cold day. Seeing the city almost totally by foot...we were there in November during the metro strikes. Cooking school in Lyon, Chambord and Chennoceau (sp?) We can't wait to get back!

Being in London with my kids and husband. It's a great city and it was our first visit - and the first time to Europe for our kids.

I can't wait to read all of these..I was thinking of posting similar with my '07 travel highlights to make up for not doing a trip report. Hope its ok if I list several...

Barcelona - lunch at the counter of Cal Pep; the food (amazing!), atmosphere, talking with others all around me..a couple from Sweden, a boy from Italy who was motorcycling across Europe..this is why I travel! Breakfast at Pinotxo first morning, meeting an amazing couple from Barca who adopted me during my one week stay..the xixos (best here)..cava cava cava. Spa at Hotel Om. Seafood platter at the bar in back of la Boqueria washed down with Spanish beer and followed by a misguided exit into the Raval quarter and right down the middle of the infamous street of ill repute..ha ha. Watching the Flamenco Ballet Sara Baras at the opera house. Passing by an open window and hearing the most angelic music being sung by a choir one evening..I was mesmerized and frozen in place for a few minutes.

Positano - getting picked up by some new friends in their boat down at the docks and spending the day going up and down the Amalfi coast, swimming in amazing coves, docking at the Covo di Sogni for a long and lazy lunch with amazing sangria, an impromptu disco dancing party on the prow. A day on another boat with the hilarious Salvatore and Gloria, meeting some new friends Dougie and Ursula from the UK..jumping off the kissing rock...having too many glasses of wine and prosecco . Finding a fabulous pair of Paciotti shoes on sale on Capri. Motoring along the coast with some local friends one evening and eating at an ancient pizzeria...pastries from Andrea Panzi (sp). OMG there are so many, I could go on forever.

Amsterdam - Strolling the lovely canals..realizing I loved this city that I added on to my trip at the last minute and had no "plan" and no expectations.

New York - girls trip..our stay at the Giraffe, what a wonderful discovery..staff, happy hour, room, location..burger from Shake Shack (the best burger I've ever had bar none). The new MOMA..amazing. Showing a first timer my favorite city in the world and hanging with my girls

Sonoma - first time in wine country for a bachelorette pary..best memory is driving down the country roads, head out the window, jazz music playing and a feeling of total calm and contentment wash over me..one of those "it is so great to be alive" moments.

Wow, I am a yarner when I get started.

Thanks for starting this thread missypie and to all those that contributed..may you all have many more incredible travel moments in 2008.

JenV

This year I took my granddaughter to Europe for her first trip. She was almost 12 - and we have been planning this trip for about 8 years. My single favorite moment for 2007 was when we went inside the church where Fraulein Maria (Sound of Music) was married (the church in the movie version). I got tears in my eyes because dreams do come true. Our trip happened because Summer (my granddaughter) and I used to watch the Sound of Music and she told me when she was four that she wanted to see the church where the marriage took place. I told her that someday I would take her there and we would see it together. The trip was truly a life-changing event for Summer - she is now planning on taking a year of her college in Rome. We had many wonderful moments in Rome, Orvieto, Salzburg and Paris on our trip, but I will never forget the look on Summer's face when she saw the church.

I now have six grandchildren and the other five are pondering where they will go with me. One of them is thinking about Africa, one is thinking about China....who knows?

Lynn Gibson - I love that! planning a trip for 8 years with your 12 year old granddaughter! I hope I still have the health to travel with my not yet born grandchildren!

I loved almost every minute of our 2 week trip to Italy in 2007, but the one moment that will be forever engraved in my mind was standing out on our vast balcony at Eden Roc at midnight, completely mesmerized by the brightest, fullest moon shimmering down on the Mediterranean Sea and lighting up the orange umbrellas on the beach and the gentle waves of the ocean for miles and miles, while listening to the peaceful nighttime sounds of Positano. A feeling of awe and beauty filled my soul.

Thanks for allowing me to share my magical moment missypie!! Happy 2008 to all!

A sunny afternoon in October, riding a rented scooter along the Amalfi Coast, with the arms of a girl I had just met at the hotel around my waist, returning to the hotel after sunbathing on a secluded beach in Maoiri.

Yikes Padraig....I must have overlooked that slight "European" word! Must have been all of that champagne at the holiday get together...

Okay then, my favorite European travel moment would be driving around the Ring of Beara in Ireland with my mom and aunt. Beautiful and quite mesmerizing!

Tracy

This thread is really making me smile...

I've done a lot of european travel this year (New Year's resolution to write trip reports!!) as we moved to Zurich last New Year's Eve. Like a number of posters, I think my favorite moments were those I saw through the eyes of my 2 daughters.

like nolefan1 - night time under the Eiffel tower with my 17-year-old - loved seeing her fall in love with PARIS.

the Gornergrat train ride to see the Matterhorn with my 13-year-old..."mom, is this the one we always see in all those pictures?"

Lynn Gibson - both my girls loved the Sound of Music tour. I thought I would find it corny, but Austria was so beautiful I was enthralled. The girls especially loved the gazebo and did a little "16 going on 17" singing and dancing there which was very appropriate for my then 16-year-old!

The first "moment" (actually a few hours) was our first night at Oktoberfest in the Oksenbraterei tent. The second would be our second visit to the Marienbruecke and actually being able to see Neuschwanstein. Our first time we could barely see an outline of the castle.

After touring Blenheim Palace and grounds, we went into the village of Woodstock, and had afternoon tea at one of the hotels/inns there. Despite all of the problems getting there from London in late March, it was a wonderful experience!

Barcelona for me too Missypie!

Our first night's venue was the Maritime Museum, tapas and cavas under skyward majestic arches. How can a shipyard look like a church?

Eating smorrebrod and wienerbrod (separately!) in Copenhagen. The free community of Christiania. Visiting the Amalienborg museum. Humoring the locals with my attempts at (poorly) speaking a few words of Danish.

London, November 11 on Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. Remembering the past, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. The two minute silence (not even one cell phone or cough it seemed and the crowd was enormous), brought chills and tears to my eyes.

Thanks everyone, for sharing such lovely memories! May the new year bring many other treasured moments.

Eating at Cal Pep in Barcelona with my 18-year-old daughter. She still talks about it.

while we visited garmisch-partenkirchen and took an afternoon hike to the lake. What a beautiful view. I felt like julie andrews, " the hills are alive...

This is one of the very best threads I have ever read. We remodeled our house this year so could not leave the country but I feel like I've been many places and seen many beautiful things through your experiences. Especially loved the photos!
Thank you fodorites. Happy Travels and Happy New Year.

What a wonderful list to read! The first of my favorite moments happened when my mother, sister and I spread some of my grandmother's ashes at a beatiful 16th century relic of a church on the bay in Schll, Ireland. The second favorite was the moment I'd been waiting for - to commune with Botticelli's Birth of Venus. I just had to sit and stare...

One moment and one "experience"

My moment was in Paris in February: the night was very cold and clear, and there was a bright moon and the twinkling lights were on the Eiffel Tower. We were walking across the Pont des Arts, and my brother and husband (both were kind of grumpy) were walking fast, far ahead of me. I looked at them and just laughed at their grumpy backs, and something grabbed me and I started dancing around on the bridge, spinning and twirling. It was weird, but so freeing. No one else was there to see, of course, or I probably wouldn't have done it.

And the experience: the Biennale in Venice. I have always wanted to see it, and it far surpassed my expectations. Going in to buildings that one could not normally enter was great. One palazzo had its windows over the Grand Canal open and it was a lovely day. That was probably the best Biennale moment, but all of it was wonderful.

This is a delightful thread.

I have two favorite moments.

The first moment was seeing St. Chapelle for the first time. After I walked up the stairs to the second floor, I was so astonished by the stained glass windows that I actually stopped dead in my tracks (fortunately, no one was behind me, so nobody walked into me)and the little voice that keeps thinking in my head actually was silent for a while as I just stared around the room in amazement.

My second favorite moment occurred a few days earlier, when I tried to go to St. Chapelle but arrived at the head of the line at one minute after closing time. Not sure what to do instead, I noticed a bunch of people were all walking in the same direction. If someone had asked me if I knew that Notre Dame was near St Chapelle, I would have said yes, but for some reason it never occurred to me that was where all these people were going. So I decided to follow them, turned a corner, and there, totally unexpected, was Notre Dame. There is something absolutely wonderful about seeing Notre Dame for the first time without realizing that you're going to see it.

In this case, I didn't stop walking - but was so absorbed that I walked right off a curb. Good thing I didn't sprain my ankle.

After not having gone to Europe for 13 years in favor of India, Africa, South America and Asia, I went back to Spain.

The highlight might have been standing at the highest point in the Alhambra, the watchtower in the Alcazaba, and knowing that this was basically where the European reconquista of Spain was completed and Islamic rule in Spain ended.

Riding the London Eye w/ 9 dear friends from all over (States, Canada, S. Africa, Ireland, London) at dusk -- Champagne flight in our own private capsule celebrating several individual milestones (B'days, retirements, promotions) - and just as we got to the top the hostess poured all of us another glass of Champagne - the lights of London coming on below -- magical - and the most wonderful couple chose that moment to announce their engagement. More Champagne all around

Drinking sangria and watching flamenco in Sevilla with my sisters.

Watching the sunset from the Pont Neuf in May. It was a gloriously sunny day, the humidity was high and everyone was pausing their cameras to marvel at the grandness of the moment.

It's the sensuous climate that gives Paris it's reputation for romance. The atmosphere moves you to it.

Wandering around London's St. Paul's Cathedral at dusk.

Happening to be in Rome on Saturday December 8, 2007 - the day of the Immaculate Conception - and seeing the Pope go down the street of my hotel on his way to bless the Statue of the Virgin Mary at the Piazza di Spaggna.

And, along with that, being in Rome on the day that the Italian citizens celebrated their first day of Christmas shopping! If you ever questioned taking a trip to Italy in December, that trip told me why it's far better than going in May or June when all of the tourists go (which I've also done).

Felice Anno Nuovo!

When my ATM card FINALLY worked in Budapest. The stupid VISA people did not unblock it when I left the US as I had called and asked them to do. It was a hassle getting things straightened out, as they kept insisting everything was fine (Yeah, that's why we were talking in the first place). For about 36 hours I walked around with my stomach churning with what felt like were machetes.

Fun thread! I am having a hard time with the ONE moment. Our trips are so fabulous and my husband is so amazing that each and every moment is great....
The moment when the bus came over the hill at St Gilgen and we saw the "onion dome" church from "Sound of Music" and the aqua Lake Wolfgangsee....ahhhh bliss! Then, a meal on a drizzly day in the castle-like setting of Stiftskellar St Peter with torches burning on the walls and warm soup and cool white wine.

Standing in the middle of the Marienplatz in Munich during the Christmas Markets at night. I had a mug of gluhwein in one hand and a nutella crepe in the other. Simple, yet wonderful.

Taking my grandson the Rome for his fifth birthday in May. We took him to the Med to go swimming. He had the time of his life and is still talking about it.

Of course, his mom & dad went along too.

It was a trip of a lifetime!

Well, totally uncharacteristically, I had only 2 days in Europe in 2007 - in Amsterdam, so it's easy to single them out as being my favorites.

But had wonderful times in NYC, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, and Kenya, so can't complain.

Oh this is easy. Kissing my new Parisian "friend" at Pub St Germain last March. Ah bliss.

1. A 10 days stay in Weggis/Lucerne, Switzerland and taking a daily drive to one large mountain pass and covered many of the mountain passes.

2. Journey by cruise ship between the three Scandinavian countries

Standing on the ramparts of the ruins of a castle in Terena Portugal, at sunset, with my husband in my arms and a vodka & tonic in my hand.

I was lucky enough to be able to return to Paris and London in October (after a very long absence!)with my 16 year old daughter who was on her first visit to both cities. We had many memorable moments but for me, my favourite was when I discovered that at Place de la Concorde I could simply stand in one spot and in one turn take in such wonderful sights and see iconic attractions such as the Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, the Ferris Wheel,Tuileries,D'Orsay and Paris traffic (among others!)- a truly parisian experience!

Two more Turkey moments. We were driving back along Med heading back towards Ephesus. Stopped in small fishing village, looking for a hotel. We park on a street and while SIL is going to check one out, a man comes out to car and says he has rooms in his hotel. Check the guidebooks, reocmmended, and since it is on the ocean side, we say OK. We enter the room and wham, view hits you...overlooking Med (30' away), harbour, islands, fishing boats coming and going.Priceless. No windows, so at hight you could hear waves hitting shore. When we left we all commented on how we should have planned our trip to spend a lot more time in this town.

Second moment was on leaving this village. Driving along side of mountain, twisty roads, with Med on one side. My SIL remembers a "secret beach" so we are on lookout. We come around a corner, look way down, and there is this white sand beach...but what told us this was special was the colour of the water. Blue/greens like I had never seen before. I had heard of the Med colours, and we had seen some on our previous days, but this was amazing. So we parked and walked down to the beach. As we swam, tour buses would stop and park up top, so people could take pictures of this beach. As someone famous once said, I'll be back.

Our first trip to Paris - and our honeymoon. Kissing my husband at Trocadero while the "twinkle" lights are flashing on the Eiffel Tower. Yep, that would be it.

While visiting the Tower of London with my family, I watched as my history-loving daughter gazed in awe at the grafitti carved in the walls in one of the prison towers. She was overwhelmed by the tangible evidence of the presence of people she had read about, and I was so happy that her Dad and I could give her the experience!

Sunset on a patio overlooking vineyards in Tuscany near San Gimignano while drinking the wine made at the agriturismo at which we stayed, and eating local cheese. The owners also made us appetizers - fried squash blossoms - and we enjoyed it all with the lights of San Gimignano going on about a mile away. Perfection!

What a wonderful thread! Micheal Paris, what was the name of the small fishing village in Turkey? I'm keeping notes on all of these wonderful moments for future reference.

Walking up the 18th fairway of the Old Course in St. Andrews for my last round of the summer--and seeing the familar landmarks of that mesmerizing place with my Scottish friends, Bryce and Willie. I am truly blessed.

Jinx Hoover

I think my overall best travel moment of 2007 would have been the whale trip we did out of Provincetown, MA when the whales were so close to the boat we could nearly touch them.

In Europe, it was probably visiting the Haras National in Tarbes, and seeing, firstly, the beautiful buildings, and secondly, the beautiful horses.

One of my favourites from 2007 would have to be the Pena palace in Sintra Portugal ,a loolypop coloured eclectic fairytale castle perched on top of a mountain overlooking the delightful town and spectacular coast. An inspiration of human excess and imagination.
Others include the Andalusian triangle of moorish delights in Sevilla , Granada and Cordoba.

Hi Lily,

The town name is Kas. It is small, village is built on hillside, many interesting shops and restaurants, no need for car - all walkable, small harbour with boats offering tours. It seems to have so far escaped the hotel/resort development at some of the other places along Med. I was also in Goreme (Cappadocia)and would consider a combo of the two towns as a perfect escape from city life.

Mike

PS...don't tell too many people

That's easy! Hands down:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22492524@N06/2166406848/

WOW jumper - what a fantastic sight!

My favorite moment of 2007 had to be my first glimpse of the Temple of Segesta presiding majestically over a valley in Sicily with the wildflowers in full bloom last April. It still makes my heart jump for joy.

Without a doubt :

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=35097101

Gondola ride down the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It was heaven.

Being in the historical D-Day locations in Normandy. It was emotional.

Staying at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, France. This is the hotel in the Hitchcock movie "To Catch a Thief" starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

Only one? It must have been walking along the Appia Antica on a cool Nov. afternoon. The basalt stone road with the ruts from chariots brought tears to my eyes. Watching a flock of sheep cross this road with the sheepherder and dogs in tow made me want to give up my whole life here and truly join that slow, peaceful way of life.

Waltzing over the Danube across Szabadsag Bridge while listening to Strauss's "An der schönen blauen Donau" on headphones.

Michael & Lilly,

Ahhh, Kas & the beautiful and unique Turquoise Coast!! This is also a fantastic area to explore by boat and it is VERY cheap to do this in Turkey.

We loved pulling into the harbor at Kas and exploring the town. There is a spectacular little island nearby that can only reached by boat....one of the most peaceful & charming places on the planet.

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/B00E1723-F026-489A-944E-C9828E175AA6.html

The hospitality of the Turkish people also is amazing and like no where else. Definitely one of our highlight countries. I was amazed at how similar the Turquoise Riviera ( in non built up areas like Marmaris) was to Croatia....both beautiful and pristine.

WTnow,
Your pictures brought back some good memories. We took a day trip out of Kas to Kekova and the sunken city. Glass bottom boat so could see ruins, urns,etc...below. And multiple pit stops to swim in the Med. A fun and cheap way to spend a full day.

We started our Med visit driving from Antalya till Marmaris, then headed inland. Antalya was quite developed, and we'd probably not go back, while Marmaris, destination for many tour package operators, would have been interesting to see more.

Agree that Turkey is a great destiantion and affordable (if chosen wisely...still hurting over US$450 hotel room in Antalya)

ttt

jumper and WTnow, Beautiful shots!! WT, How goes it?

Lunch at the Grand Vefour in Paris, and thinking about all those famous and not-so-famous who might have sat in the same banquette over the last 200 years

Visiting the area of Poland where my grandparents lived and are buried. Soaking in the Polish atmosphere while doing so.

For me this year I had 2 favorite European moments...

1. Taking a balloon ride over Cappodocia in Turkey...the moment I realized I was actually floating was amazing and the landscape took my breath away.

2. I spent Christmas week in Rome with my mom. She hadn't traveled internationally in about 15 years and after spending years caring for her mother and my dad this trip was her re-introduction to the travel bug. We arrived in Rome to find a rather grey and drizzly day, but our driver was there waiting for us. As he drove us into the city to our hotel he made a side trip to the Aventino neighborhood (unbeknown to us) and brought us to the keyhole where you can look through and see the city and the dome of St. Peter's. Even through the dreary grey day, we could make out the dome and my mom was almost moved to tears...she said what a wonderful way to be re-introduced to Rome! I was so thrilled at that moment and knew this was going to be a great week in Rome! And it was

Visiting the Old-New Sinagogue in Prague, with the recently uncovered Jerusalem stone floor -- a flood of emotion that should have been expected, but somehow wasn't

Second was to climb the path to castello Vezio in Varenna

I too will jump on the Paris bandwagon...

1. An unexpectedly memorable meal at Wadja in Montparnasse. Steak frites with good company, including the owner's small dog under our table. Marked by general feeling of bliss.

2. Snorkeling for the first time off Provo (Turks and Caicos)... scared out of the water by an exceedingly large stingray. Very exciting! But the better moment probably entailed touring the few bits of the island that are not yet developed.

Sitting with my DH in a flower filled field with our picnic lunch on a walk from Guarda to Ardez in Switzerland. A perfect June day of blue sky, gentle breeze, insects buzzing, cows bells, no one else for miles and wondering if the kids were looking after our house back home!

Paragliding off the First in Grindelwald, Switzerland......ooohh.....scary!!!!

I know the question was what was your single favorite moment... but everything about our family's August 2-21, 2007, trip to Italy was amazing considering what could have been.....

We live in a suburb of Minneapolis and August 1, 2007, was the night of the deadly I-35 bridge collapse. Our college-age son was several blocks away at the Univ. of MN taking a final exam at the time and would have been on that bridge approx. 1 hour later. We feel very grateful but sad for the families that lost loved ones.

We spent 1 week at an agriturismo near Lake Garda, a week at another agriturismo outside of Assisi in Umbria and 3 days in Venice.

It was our 4th trip to Italy and we have loved every place we've visited, but one of our favorite memories is just sitting outside of our agriturismo sipping wine (or peach ice tea for the kids) and eating olives and p. reg. cheese. Even better when the scent of sweet jasmine and lavender is in the air. Something so simple but very memorable.

oops...just realized that one of my moments was in the Caribbean---not Europe.

Bella--- just curious, what were the names of the agriturismos where you stayed in Italy?

The bridge collapse must have been extremely unnerving for you and your family; I'm so nervous the day before a trip for no real reason at all.

Katie,

would it really be breaking the rules to share the Caribbean favorite moment now that you got us all curious?

no one would report you or anything... promise!

gruezi

In answer to Katie H.--the agriturismi we stayed at on our 2007 Italy trip are as follows:

Ca'del Baldo, www.cadelbaldo.com, which is at the foot of Mt. Baldo--7 km. from Lake Garda and 30 km. from Verona. It is on the edge of a village called Caprino Veronese. I searched online for many, many hours/days to find this place. It is run by a young couple, Roberta and Carlo. Roberta speaks 4-5 languages. The apts., pool and grounds are beautiful and we would stay here again. Check out their website for pictures--it looks just like the pictures!

They bought the property 10 years ago and renovated the bldgs. If I remember right, they have only been open for 3 years or so. They are planning on adding a vineyard and olive trees in the future.

There are 4 apts with A/C--2 of them in the former hayloft (1st floor), which is attached at the end of the home that the family lives in and 2 in the former stables (ground). All apts. have private terraces with tables/chairs and the ones in the former hayloft are covered. We loved having this terrace and being able to just step out there with our morning coffee, etc.

The second week we stayed a few km. outside of Assisi at a place called La Fornace, www.lafornace.com. This was also very nice but we were on the 1st floor (I knew this when I booked)and missed not being able to just step outside with our coffee or wine so probably wouldn't stay here again for this reason. There was a nice brick patio with tables below our apt., lovely grounds and pool.

This place was in the Rick Steves' 2007 Italy book and I found out later it is also in Karen Brown's book. It was a great location for exploring many of the Umbrian villages.

We have stayed at agriturismi on previous trips and we really love having our apts. on the ground level. Also, as most people know, you really must have a car if staying at an agriturismo. Let me know if you would like more info.

I love this thread!

Just one moment?!?! 2007 was our final year in Germany and we traveled every chance we could get, so it's tough to single out one experience. I have to go with this one (yes, another Rome story!):

I took my mom to Rome for 4 days in June - my third visit, and her first. The whole trip was wonderful (it was the second time in our lives that the two of us had traveled together without other family) but my favorite moment was when we stumbled on the Teatro di Marcello in the early evening and got to listen to a pianist warming up for a concert. We stood there for a long time watching and listening as strains of Chopin floated up to us, echoing off the arches of the theater, the whole scene bathed in golden light. Absolutely magical!

I think walking into the Cathedral at Como was probably my favourite holiday moment of 2007. Breathtaking. A wonderful atmosphere. Doubly so, after visiting the much larger, in-your-face gothic Duomo of Milan, even with all its spires and treasures.

We went to Venice for a week and the whole trip was magical but I do have two stand out moments.

First, sitting with a nonna on Burano and watching her make lace and talking with us (in Italian) was a magic moment. It felt like I was a little girl again and sitting with my grandmother while she quilted.

Second, on the vaporetto late at night a man ahead of us has a huge bouquet of flowers of lilies, tulips, etc. Giacomo and I have been in the business so we notice these things, and I comment to Giacomo how lovely it is. The gentleman must have overheard and turns around and extracts three tulips and gives them to me. I am astonished and thank him profusely. Only in Italy can a man have the confidence and gentlemanliness to give another Italian man’s wife flowers right in front of him. Another memory to always bring a smile…

Thanks BellaItalia--- just curious for my own personal files. Photos of that first one look beautiful. A potential trip "one day" to Italy with my extended family came up over the holidays and I thought that securing several apartments at an agriturismo might be a good way to go.

We entered an uncrowded Retiro park in Madrid on a warm, beautiful day in March. Near the lake, we saw a man with a beret, sitting on the ledge, playing "New York, New York" on an accordion. We sat down on a park bench to savor the moment and realized that it doesn't matter where you go, you can always find a reminder of home.

Lunch on the deck of the Windstar in the port of Monte Carlo, nice wine, fresh seafood, sitting in the sun, looking at all the yachts and the harbor,feeling like one of the rich and famous for an hour.

Ditto for lunch of the deck of our canal barge in Burgundy in early November--sunshine, great food and wine and the absolute peace of the beautiful countryside.

Walking the streets of Ronda.

Riding on a VIP (no, i'm not one...) catamaran in the mediterranean off Valencia watching the America's Cup races, culminating a wonderful Spanish holiday.

Definitely visiting the St. Stephan's Cathedral in Vienna. What a sight!

I went to Turkey and Greece last September. My friend and I spent the first three days in Cappadocia before arriving in Istanbul. After dropping off our bags, we went and sat on the benches in front of the Blue Mosque and listened to the call to prayer. We sat there people-watching for the next hour. The next five days were amazing, but there was nothing like that first evening when we tried to soak it all in.

This year we went to visit our daughter and son in law in London, and made a five day side trip to Amsterdam. I think the highlight was being at Kukenhoff gardens just at the peak of the tulip blooms, and renting bikes outside of the gardens and going for a nice ride along the tulip fields

Toss up;

Walking the streets of Sarlat as the son rose and walking the canals of Brugge at night.

Sigh.....

This will be hard to narrow down to one moment, so I'll pick two....

1) the feeling I got when our train rounded the corner entering Cinque Terre and seeing the Mediterranean Sea for the first time. All the months of planning or photos I've researched couldn't hold a candle to what I was seeing. I couldn't help but put my nose outside the window to smell the sea air. And the look on my husband's face while I did this was priceless.

2) When I realized what a gift it was to be in Vernazza. That moment were I felt I had died and gone to heaven. We fell in love with the town, people, food and energy of such a special town that we only spent 4 days of our life there. Such a special place...aaahhhh.

can I cheat and add one more?

If you let me...the moment when I realized that this was the first of many trips I'll be taking to Europe!

Favorite trip: Taking my Mom to Italy for 15 nights, in May. We visited Varenna (Lake Como) for 3 nights, Venice for 3, Florence for 2, Val d'Orcia for 3, and Rome for 4 nights.

It's so hard to pick a "single favorite moment" because it was all so wonderful, but a few of them were the after-hours tour of the Vatican with Helen Donegan, and the ballooning in the Val d'Orcia. Mom loved the whole trip but the highlight she said was the ballooning (this from a woman with a pronounced fear of heights, and until her daughter started flying, hated flying, full stop.)

Now I don't think I can keep her away from balloons. I expect our next trip will contain a balloon ride somewhere.

My husband and I were on our way to the Doria Pamphilj gallery in Rome when we were startled by three Jack Russell terriers who had come running up to a wrought iron gate we were passing. Since we were missing our own dog back home we stopped to say hi and then continued around the corner to the gallery. We quickly realized that these dogs actually lived in the house attached to the gallery and throughout our visit we'd hear them barking--we could see them in the courtyard and it was so funny to watch them madly barking and running toward the gate whenever someone walked past. There was a fountain in the middle of the courtyard and at one point all three of the dogs were running around the rim.

The gallery was a real highlight for me--the Velazquez portrait of Pope Innocent was fantastic--but it was the three naughty little dogs that made it my single favorite European travel moment for 2007.

Being reunited with my luggage after 5 sweltering days in Rome! Thank goodness we had an apartment with a washer/dryer!

Gotta say, when we were at the Edinburg Tattoo...it was, as always, spectacular. We were spellbound for over 2 hours. Also, we found a marvenous restaurant just a few doors down the Royal Mile..went there before and after the performance, waiting for the crowds to thin out.

An Italian Tuscan vacation for two weeks in late Sept and October and then 4 glorious days in Cinque Terre.
Swimming in the cleanest, most azure blue water in the Ligurian Sea, and then having gelato. Specialty in the region is pasta with pesto! That was fabulous. Or hiking through the ancient villages!
Another....seeing the statue of David in the Accademia in Florence and marveling at his curves and stature.
Another...eating at Enotecca Pinocchorri in Florence which is a three star Michelin restaurant. Having over 10 courses of the most heavenly food, served on elegant china, drinking delicious wines, and getting the royal treatment from the staff. Ahh...Italy!
Or a wonderful capuccino with biscotti people watching in the cafes...everyone is alive and active.

I there are many from our one trip to Europe this year, but to pick two:

Watching our daughter explore Raglan Castle, exclaiming that this was the coolest thing ever - we were the only ones there.

Flirting with the peacocks when we spent the night at Gwydir Castle.

How can I pick just ONE??? How about two? (1) a one-week Adriatic Sea cruise along the coast of Croatia, with Dubrovnik being my favorite destination (absolutely gorgeous, pristine scenery all along the way); (2) spending parts of two days walking among the natural beauty in Plitvice National Park in Croatia (waterfalls everywhere).

Visiting Cyprus in January

watching people ski - then driving down to the beach (30 mins) and watching people sunbathing on the beach.

Peter

Walking upon St. Gervais Church in Paris one night, and upon entering the church, saw nuns singing at front of the altar. It was a very solemn experience.

Having cocktails (venetian spritz, of course!) at the 500 year old Bancogiro on the Grand Canal of Venice. Breathtaking.............

Well, I only spent two days in Europe in 2007 (I know - horrors!), but I'd have to say that walking out the door of the hotel LOML and I were staying at in Amsterdam after arriving really late the night before from Kenya and looking up and seeing the most amazing rainbow gleaming over the canals was pretty fine.