There are so many to choose from! How do you put one knock your socks off, take your breath away moment ahead of the others?

-Hot air balloon ride in the Australian Outback at dawn. It was so amazingly peaceful, awe-inspiring and energizing at the same time.

-I was lucky enough to spend a few days with a homestay family in a small town near Vienna in 2000. They were so welcoming and friendly, I felt like I was long lost family. They took me to the Danube festival, to an amazing rose garden and on the tour through the Cathedral in Vienna. The sights are amazing, but it's often the people who really touch your heart.

-The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. This ceremony has been performed the same way, every single night for centuries.

-Sydney, Australia. I was expecting a big city with busy people, and I got a big city with wonderfully welcoming people and a rich history. A gentleman walked out of his auto shop to ask my small group of four if we needed help or directions. We were simply trying to decide where to go next and he walked well out of his way to offer help to a bunch of strangers.

-London. The people were very friendly, and the history is just amazing. I can't even imagine living or working daily near these landmarks that have been such a part of world history.

-One of Pope John Paul II's Wednesday morning prayer services. I'm not Catholic, I'm not even religious, but that man had charisma and just a presence surrounding him.

-Scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef. It was amazing and terrifying. My small group of six was surrounded by a swirling, flashing, mass of thousands of silver fish. There was an absolute wall of living silver. Every few seconds we could see beyond them to the shapes of people swimming at the surface, large fish, and mysterious shadows that bring to mind the theme music from Jaws. Yikes!!

-Loch Ness in May. The sky was brilliant blue, the gorse was bright gold and Urquart castle was reflecting on the water.

-The other people on the Cosmos tour through England, Scotland and Wales. Most of the people are my parents age and pretty well adopted me once they knew I was travling solo. Couples from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and even one couple from Malaysia were all so very friendly and always made sure I knew I was welcome to join them in exploring.

Thanks for reminding me of all of those trips and the various groups I've traveled with. The sights are breath taking, wonderous and amazing, but it's the people I meet along the way who really make travel addicting.

Favorite sights -

Duomo San Marco when the lights are on. The gold glass tiles look like the entire building is made of gold, amazing.

Salzburg cityscape in the evening. I walked toward the Brewery on the path along the river and crossed one of the bridges. In the middle I looked back at the old city center. It was one of the most beautiful sights ever.

Favorite ruins -

Rheinfels castle on the Rhine. Wandering through the ruins allows you to let your imagination run wild. Arrive first thing and have the castle mostly to yourself.

Ostia Antica. A chance to see how workaday Romans lived in their day. Surprisingly a person from our age wouldn't feel too out of place. There are roads, apartments, fast food restaurants and public spaces. Again arrive first thing and you will explore without the crowds.

Favorite Museums -

British Museum is just great. Seeing the Rosetta Stone, the key to unlocking so much Egyptian history, is amazing. Greek, Roman and Assyrian treasures are awe inspiring.

Treasure room at the British Library. We were there with only a few other people in the room. Original Magna Carta copies, Carroll's manuscript for Alice and Wonderland, handwritten scores from major classical composers - it was great.

Alte Pinoketec in Munich. The quantity and quality of great art here is amazing. I tend to like classic art up to the impressionists (in the Neue Pinoketec). For modern art lovers there is also the Moderne.

There are so many great museums in Italy, it's almost impossible to pick the best.

Favorite meals -

We were invited to a wedding in Seoul. At the reception they were kind enough to set us with a group of very distinguished older gentlemen who spoke no English. We had great seafood and classic Korean dishes as well as the not-so-great noodles made of squid that were rubber like and dog tongue that was prepared in some way that resulted in two colors, shiny white and bright aqua. We spoke little Korean but will never forget the experience.

In Parametta, Australia we sat down at a little cafe and ordered some seafood. After ordering, a large Italian man came out of the kitchen and asked where we were from in America. I said I grew up in San Diego and he insisted, "You must know my brother." In fact, his brother owned a few restaurant/pizza places in San Diego, sponsored three of my little league teams growing up and was a friend of my mother. My wife was six months pregnant with our first child at the time so he came back and gave us a huge plate of assorted seafood "for the baby".

In Pago Pago, American Samoa we were slightly hungry so went into a small cafe and ordered fried rice and a large soda to share. The lady who took our order was a giant of a woman, not obese but giant. She came back with our food. The plate and cup looked normal size when she was carrying them. When she set them down, however, we felt like we were little children eating with grown up dishes. The plate was bigger than most platters and the cup was probably 64 oz. The fried rice was a mountain, any more and it wouldn't have been able to stay on the plate. The Samoans were all so nice, everyone had permanent smiles on their faces but the humidity was like being in a sauna.

Favorite hike -

Glacier Park in British Columbia (not the US Glacier Park). We took the recommended hike because Grizzlies were a threat at other trails. The hike was on a ridge between two glaciers that resembled views of climbing Mt. Everest. We were hiking with our kids (youngest our seven year old daughter). The only people we saw on the hike were college age young adults who kept remarking how stout our children were to hike to the top. We took some great pictures with the "End of Trail" sign at the top. The views of the wilderness were incredible and we'll never forget the day.

Favorite music -

Traditional sessions in Ireland. In Limerick, I found a pub with a traditional session and had a great time. When they finished, I asked if there was any other music around. I was pointed in a general direction and found a pub with two men playing folk songs on guitars to a huge crowd. I went in and had a nice conversation with a man, woman and their baby over a pint. He made a comment that everyone there was family and I didn't get it until he later told me it was an IRA pub.

Street music performed by remarkably talented musicians.

Choir practices in empty cathedrals.

Favorite Festival -

Bonnfest. Unlike Octoberfest, Bonnfest goes all night and has only one huge bier tent with two stages. On one stage the traditional oompah band played 45 minute sets, then the other stage took over with a rock band playing about 80 percent ABBA songs. Three generations of German families, with very few tourists, crowded the tent, stood on the tables and sang along. Instead of being herded out of the tent at 10:30 like Octoberfest, we left at 4am and the party was still going strong.

Favorite Wildlife Memories -

In Waterton Lakes, Alberta (North of US Glacier Park) we parked at a trailhead for a hike. The parking lot was empty except for at least 50 bighorn sheep (no rams, ewes and babies only). We had our daughter in the car who was using pro-sorbe bottles at the time because she had a milk allergy. I figured the soy based milk wouldn't hurt them so I rolled down the window, squeezed the bottle and squirted them. They instantly were climbing all over themselves to get some of the milk. I got out of the car and went through three bottles while my wife took pictures of my new friends and I. When the milk ran out, the sheep wandered to the edge of the parking lot and leapt 20 to 30 feet across a river gorge with seemingly no effort at all, then disappeared into the woods.

In Kings Canyon National Park, California we were camping at a lake at 9600' elevation. One other couple was also there and doing everything wrong, smoking trout on their fire, wearing perfume, hanging their food only two feet off the ground and using bio-degradable soap in the lake. We went to talk to them about doing things right. (It turned out the guy went to my wife's high-school and was friends with her brother so we've kept in touch since) Later in the day, we pulled our food down for dinner then decided to try to catch a trout or two to have with dinner. Within ten minutes we heard a commotion in our camp and found a large black bear eating our food. We screamed, threw rocks, hit sticks on trees and made enough of a commotion to get the bear to leave. While my wife figured out what food we had left, I worked to start a fire. As I was ready to strike the match, something told me to look over my shoulder. Another full size black bear was inching into camp just a few feet behind my wife. I grabbed her and retreated to a safe distance. We tried to scare this bear away but it didn't leave until all our food was gone. The only thing left was a pack of dentyne gum with a bear's tooth imprint in it. We ate with our new friends that night and all packed out the next day.

One of my main travel experiences that I cherish is the kindness of strangers. Despite language barriers, cultural differences, and political/religious ideological divergence, there is something to be said for being able to approach a total stranger and communicate in order to get help with directions, hailing a taxi, finding that perfect restaurant, or returning a dropped item.

I will never forget when my husband and I landed in Frankfurt, Germany and attempted to navigate the s-bahn from the airport. We were jetlagged and completely bewildered because we hadn't taken public transit in Europe before. Someone sensing our confusion approached us, asked us if we needed help, and showed us how to read the maps, buy the tickets, and how to make the transfers. We were so grateful for that person's help. From that point forward, we used this new skill on many subsequent trips to Europe. That one small gesture made all of the difference in how we traveled.

I had planned a trip to northern Italy, with a house booked for a week near Vicenza and many day-trips already planned in the Veneto. However one of the highlights of that trip, real serendipity, was visiting Mantova. I looked at the map to see where we could spend a few hours en route from Asti to Vicenza. It was pouring with rain in Asti so we couldn't explore there.
Mantova was wonderful, especially the ducal palace which was amazing. It reminded us of the Alhambra in Granada for its scale, the variety of architectural styles and the many hidden treasures (including a room decorated by Mantegna).
On that same trip we also explored the countryside south of Padova and visited Monselice, Este and Montagnana, all beautiful and very different.
And really near the house, in Costezza, we discovered a complex with 3 villas; you could visit the gardens of one of the villas and we ate at a restaurant in another where we were invited to see another of the dining rooms which had ancient frescoes on the ceiling (which I found were featured in a book about Venetian villas I had bought earlier that summer).
Another trip, to the Baltic, plans to go to St Petersburg on a mini-cruise from Helsinki were foiled and with further investigation I discovered we could go to Riga (by bus from Tallinn which we already planned to visit). We are big fans of art nouveau architecture so I'd call that serendipity too.

My trips are usually a string of little things, with sometimes a big experience. But, I travel for the whole experience, the whole package, including both big and little happenings.

Here are a few:

When I was a teen, my family and I were staying at L'Oustau de Baumaniere (sp?) in Les Baux - I still remember the potato and lamb dish I had one night, scented with rosemary. I also remember escaping the boring family (who had the temerity to take us to Baumaniere - imagine!) with another teen, a young man also with his horrible, embarrassing family, to run around in the fields at night. It was a warm, windy, moonlit night, with the smells of lavender, rosemary and thyme swirling around. We may have exchanged a smooch or two...

Last summer, my youngest son and I went to Cozumel (trip planned with Fodor's help, BTW). Together, we discovered a whole new world underwater, watching many fish, eels, and SHARKS! as we went snorkeling. It was magical!

And, an incident I mentioned in my Botswana trip report: my nephew, 17 years old, really did not want to spend his winter vacation with his family (nor did my oldest son). Leaving hot, blond girlfriend and buddies to be with his cousins - a fate worse than death! Then when he saw his first lion, up close and personal (really quite close) I heard him whisper "That's tight!" And, after that, the two senior boys, son and nephew, loved the trip, fascinated by millipedes, lions, black mambas, bucket showers and drop toilets.

A few years back, we went out west. Visited the Grand canyon. We took a little shuttle bus that goes along the rim, and decided to get out and walk between a couple stops. We were hiking along, when we noticed that we were missing a child. PANIC! We retraced our steps, calling him. We asked everyone we saw. We looked everywhere. Then, another shuttle came along. We asked the driver, who said YES! a little boy had been found and had been taken to the visitors center at the last stop. He took us there where we had a tearful, ecstatic reunion, tearful on my part as I fell apart after holding it together during the search. My son (the DS with whom I went to Cozumel) was unfazed, and thrilled to have been given a Coke, which I did not normally allow him to drink.

This has the most wonderful stories! I wish I had see this before as I tried to start a topic on this subject several days ago. I agree with Doug and how he felt seeing the Winged Victory at the Louvre as a real highlight. And all those 'up close and personal' animal stories make me green with envy!

My most memorable moment was in London.

Twenty five years ago, I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, not knowing what I would see there. I came across the Cast Room. I'll say what it all is in ordinary terms. It's full scale plaster casts of all the great monuments of the world, in just two rooms. But in extraordinary terms, it is every treasure imaginable jammed together in glorious profusion. One's eyes can't help but dart from one fabulous object to another. Trajan's Column dominates, too large for even for the first huge room, so it is displayed in two sections. Flying angels protrude from the walls, horses strut the aisles and medieval couples sleep peacefully amidst the confusion. It is a breathtaking and unforgettable sight when you first turn the corner and come upon that room.

I was fortunate to return last year and it was every bit as fantastically gorgeous as I had remembered. I was wandering back to the entrance when a young Asian woman and her little girl entered the room. The little girl's eyes widened a large as saucers and her mother instinctively dropped down beside her and together, on the same level, they drank it all in with the most beautiful look of wonderment on their faces.

I knew I had only a split second to capture this, so whipped out my camera and took their picture. It was a terrible photo! Blurry and dark and requiring quite a bit of work to make it viewable. But even in this imperfect state, it showed everything that makes moments like this priceless. Through their eyes, I relived the first time I saw the Cast Room and , for that one magical moment alone , it was well worth going half way around the world .

I seem to remember too that, due to the delicate nature of the casts and also since it would now be impossible to duplicate these Victorian era masterpieces, children were not allowed into these rooms twenty five years ago. How glad I was that this was no longer the case!

Pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.com/kerryajs

Love the topic. My favorite travel experiences are:

* Unplannable interactions with the people I meet along the way.
- In Hoi An, Vietnam, my friend and I had gone to stare at a famed well -- a mere hole in the ground -- from which the water to make a certain kind of noodle reputedly must come. The woman next door invited my friend and me into her front room, where she was teaching English to a mess of small children. We turned into impromptu teaching tools for conversational skills.
- In Marrakesh, a man complimented me on my halting, rusty French in a pharmacy where I was trying to buy talcum powder. He can have no idea how happily and how often I've thought of him over the years.
- Somewhere around Newcastle West in Ireland, as I tried to head from Limerick to Dingle via back roads, I got myself thoroughly turned around and headed into a small country gas station for directions. The man behind the counter chatted happily with me, and with a grand flourish, a bow, and a laugh took a free giveaway AOL disk from a display on the counter and presented it to me as "a token of his appreciation" for my visit to his country.
- Same trip, same problem -- thoroughly lost, this time somewhere in County Cork, I believe. I stopped at a gas station under construction for directions. The very young man to whom I appealed with a "could you help me? I am *totally* lost!" responded with a gentle "ah, well, we're all a little lost now, aren't we?"

* Discovering that thing that in retrospect I can't believe I never knew about each place.
- Pittsburgh's setting is lovely, cradled in the steep hills around its river junction.
- Bavaria has for me a color, the faded "Kodak yellow" of its glorious old churches.
- Tokyo isn't Manhattan. Most of the buildings are no taller than those in Washington, D.C., maybe 10 stories high.
- The Wasatch Mountains rise so abruptly from the pancake-flat valley floor on which Provo sits that the terrain doesn't look real.

* Challenging my assumptions about the way the world is by visiting supermarkets, pharmacies, stationery stores, and other "daily life" spots.
- I smile to remember 21-year-old me standing in a Sainsbury's supermarket in Cambridge, having my mind quietly blown as I discovered that dishwashing liquid could come in a *straight-sided* squeeze bottle. Who knew? Who knew that the U.S.-style curvy squeeze bottle had not descended from on high as the ne plus ultra of dishwashing-liquid bottles?
- My favorite trick for getting myself into ordinary places is shopping for talcum powder everywhere I go. It's cheap, light, and available pretty much everywhere, but not necessarily in the places you'd think. (Finding my powder is how I wound up talking to the man in the little shop in Marrakesh; there, all I could find is powder for babies, and it's kept behind the counter.)

My brother and in a tiny restaurant in Oltrano in Florence, meeting newlywed American couple who had married in Florence and were renting an apartment for a month. They were probably in their 30s, from San Francisco, and invited us to sit with them and have an after dinner drink. We had vin santo and cantucci cookies, then wanted lemoncello and the waiter said, "I drank it all." so we had Grappa, which tasted like battery acid. We told stories and laughed hysterically and had a great time. Kissed each other on each cheek when we parted. I had a bad cold and was physically miserable, but so so happy, the memory that really stands out. And of course the statue of David, another highlight.

Doing a conga line at a Swiss folk show in Lucerne - the whole room got up and danced around the room.

Fireworks on the beach in Waikiki
Fireworks over the castle in Edinburgh after the Military Tatoo
Riding a long tailed boat in Bangkok
Incredible art, incredible theatrical performances, incredible scenery
the Princess hotel in Scottsdale

My only trip abroad was last year, and it was after learning some useful tips from the Fodors forums.

I went to Switzerland for eight days. Based on some advice, I did as much couchsurfing(.org) as I could. It wasn't for the savings, but rather because I was traveling alone, and I wanted to try to experience the real life there. After visiting the CS site, I found the members to be positive, friendly people.

My absolute best, most clear memory of my trip was my first night there. I was staying with a French young woman and her German boyfriend in Bern. I met her after her work. We took the tram (my 8 day all-you-can-ride pass), stopped at a little grocer for fresh ingredients and copious amounts of chocolate, then continued to her flat.

Her boyfriend and I enjoyed a variety of snacks and wine while she cooked and we all chatted. Then we sat over dinner, wine, and chocolate for hours talking about life, the world, our countries, and so on. That was unquestionably the most enriching part of my trip.

Beyond that I enjoyed the architecture and history of Switzerland... an attention to structure and permanence that seems to be missing from much of American life. I fell in love with Luzern/Lucerne, and I spent a night or two in Zurich, Lugano, Luzern, and Geneva as well.

Geneva was the most colorful city in more ways than one, and my CS host there was a gracious man who gave me a tour of the city, including most importantly his favorite pub with its great selection of beers and traditional Swiss food.

Now if I could only figure out how to get a Schengen visa for more than 90 days!

My first trip to Europe was in the city of Rome. I knew that drinks were served warm in Europe and ice had to be requested. We sat down to dinner the first evening at this beautiful sidewalk cafe and I was pleased when the waiter asked what I thought was "Ice?" but what he actually said was "Gas?" which I figured out when he brought sparkling water with no ice. I also learned first hand what is meant by "When in Rome ..." Watch the locals and follow their lead for great service and assistance. During my first trip to Paris I learned not to stop in the bicycle lane and take pictures!

My first trip overseas was for my German class in high school. That trip opened my eyes and gave me a little taste of what was really out there.

My second trip was unforgettable. My best friend and I just graduated college and decided to spend what little money we had on a trip to Europe. We went to London and Paris, also visiting Stonehenge, Bath and Versailles. We met this laid-back Aussie from our tour group, and we hung out with him and another guy from Venezuela the whole time. The Aussie and I completely clicked, and we continued talking after the trip was over. He was stationed in Iraq and I was back home in Ohio, and we planned how we would visit each other when he was home from Iraq. A year later, after multiple visits, we got married!

Since then, together, we've been to Australia & the US, Tahiti, Bora Bora, NYC, Niagara Falls, Ireland (twice), Spain, Morocco, the Netherlands, Mexico, Italy and we are planning a trip to Costa Rica. I can't imagine what amazing experiences I would have missed out on if I wouldn't have met someone who likes to travel as much as I do.

Call me biased, but one of my favorite travel experiences was in Australia. We went from jumping on a sailboat and diving the GBR, to holding a koala and petting a kangaroo at the Cairns Zoo, to stopping on the side of the road and breaking open a sugarcane stalk, tasting the sweetness, to hiking down to Cape Tribulation "where the reef meets the rainforest", to standing next to the termite mounds in Litchfield, to experiencing some interesting cuisine at the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets...such a memorable trip!

We are all so fortunate that we have the means to experience life like this.

I was traveling with a friend and we had mapped out our month backpacking trip pretty precisely. Until one day she left and I stayed behind in Switzerland—I was meant to be meeting with her in a couple days elsewhere. I ran into a girl I knew from school who had come from Germany—a place not on our itinerary—and couldn't stop talking about how much fun she had.

With that, I threw my plans out the window and took off to Germany. I have yet, since then, to plan a vacation. You never know about the best places until you are on your way. And even if you only see what's in the guidebook, knowing you allowed yourself that freedom makes all the difference in your experience.

I was very lucky as a junior in high school to have spent that year as an exchange student living with a family in Saltillo, Mexico. When I came home from that experience I exclaimed to my parents I wanted to explore more of the world and visit Europe. An extravagence in the 1960's. I worked my senior year in high school to pay for my "summer abroad" before I left for college. I remember meeting so many kids from so many other countries in the hostels in London and Madrid and Barcelona. There was no fear and only wondermunt as we hitched for rides from place to place or mapped out our next stop knowing that our final destination was Paris. Meeting up with friends made in London at the American Express Office in Paris (which is where EVERYONE went to get mail and money from home) is probably one of the most vivid memories. What has always stayed with me is how we are all the same. We speak different languages, we have some different customs and ways of expressing our thoughts, but we still care about our families, we are still basically good people who are honest and nice. Call me naive but in the 40 years of travel I have done since that first trip abroad that view of the world has not changed only been reinforced.

Ok, I'm amending my post. Here's an anedote. My family spent a summer in the southwest of France in the small village of Chalus. We had rented a gite for two weeks. During the time we were there we had gotten to know the people in the village, the butcher, the postmaster, the people who owned the small pizzaria, etc. Our last night before returning to Paris, the kids decided they didn't want to eat a big meal out nor did we have the makings to eat at home. So we went to the small pizzaria in the village owned and run by a young couple. There were 7 of us, my husband, our two teenage children, friends from Rome and their one year old. We took up half the restaurant. After we were seated. Each of the people from the village that we had gotten to know over our two weeks there came in and took up the remaining seats at the restaurant, forming one long table. We ended up having a going away party. They toasted to us, we toasted to them. We talked and talked and laughed and got to know each other better. They had not had Americans rent in their tiny village before, usually only Britians. They had preconcieved ideas and we seemed to alleviate them of these ideas. Only our daughter spoke French that was passible, but we all seemed to be able to communicate that evening.

The trains went on strike in Italy (for a soccer game!) and we gathered 10 tourists together from about 4 different countries, and rented 3 Mercedes taxis to take us to Venice. There were 3 students from Canada who were on a tight budget, so we all pitched in and paid their way. We had a German translator to wheel and deal the price- great fun, and met alot of interesting people!

When my wife and I arrived in Rome last March, we were so exited to be finally living a long sought dream that we eagerly sequestered our jet lag, dropped our bags and stormed to the Forum and the Palatine Hill. I was filled with a deep sense of satisfaction as we stared fondly at the vestal pool, the Basilica Julia, and the Domus Augustus. But there is one memory which I will never forget. Our good friends and traveling companions--veteran explorers of Rome--led us to the Basilica of San Clemente, a modest looking façade on the Via Di San Giovanni in Laterano. Our modest first impression was quickly cast aside as we descended to the original basilica, dating to the fourth century. And our surprise at seeing the original basilica was transformed to elation when we descended even further to walk the original herringbone streets of Rome, stand in houses built during the Republic, and gaze at an in situ Mithratic Temple. This was an awe inspiring site! These experiences are truly the stuff of life!

I was 19 and had begged/worked while going to college full-time to go on a Spanish Study Abroad program through my university. After a month studying in Madrid, seeing the Olympics in Barcelona, the World Expo in Seville, etc., my friends and I made use of our Eurrail passes and saw a new city just about every 2 days for a month...England, France, Germany, Austria, and on and on. I started off as a sheltered, innocent Virginia girl and ended with a passion for travel, exploration and education. I am now married, have been a teacher for 15 years and STILL have the bug to travel. We leave for Switzerland next week!

Two iconic Paris experiences that, for me, cemented the city as every bit as romantic and inspiring as it's described:

Both of these were on a weekend trip to Paris with a small group of kids from my study abroad summer in London.

It was scorching hot in mid-July when we were there and we were having a blast, eating gelato every hour and a half or so and taking in the sights around St. Germain.

We didn't want to spend all of our money on lunch, so two girlfriends and I opted for a crepe stand and a crepe au jambon et fromage. Just as we parked ourselves on the curb of a quiet side street to enjoy our simple lunch, talking to each other about how amazing street food is sometimes, a little old french lady walked by with her groceries in a basket, looked at us smiling and said, "Bon appetit mademoiselles!" before walking away.

Who said the French were snooty? I am a firm believer that they love to see people of any age or nationality enjoying the city that they love so much themselves.

The second was an entire night: sunset, cheap wine and music on the steps of the Sacre Coeur while everyone around us mingled and soaked in the amazing view, pink and purple sky and tired pop music...

...and more tired pop (with everyone from Germans to Argentinians and Spaniards to us singing along) later that evening on le Passerelles des Arts - a pedestrian bridge crossing the Seine. More wine, cheese and dancing with strangers on a warm July evening with the twinkling Eiffel Tower with a big, bright Paris 2012 neon sign on it (this was during their Olympic bid in '05). How romantic.

It was the first trip to Paris in 2001. We had a list of places to see. We were walking to Notre Dame and happened to see a sign for Ste Chapelle so we went toward it and found it inside the of the Justice compound. We went in and looked around the bottom floor and then went thru the wooden door to take the stairs up to the chapel. The stairs were a spiral with worn wooden steps. As we got higher the stairway became narrower and my 6' 1" husband started losing room for shoulders. We reached the top floor, took a small left and proceeded to a wooden door dwarfed in a large plain wooden wall. My husband preceded me and opened the door and stepped inside. He virtually came to a dead standstill and I actually ran into his back. He took two-three more steps and that allowed me to step forward and look up. I can quite remember as if it was yesterday, I started to cry and the hair virtually stood up on my arms. With tears running down my face( and I am not particularly religious) I gazed upon one if not the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Photos do not due it justice, and even one viewing cannot allow you to take it all in. We will be in Paris this year for a month and the return visit is an absolute for me.

We had the same experience as misty_in_stl. I swear we would still be stranded in Frankfurt if someone had not helped us out at the train station. Our most memorable experience of our only trip to Europe (and hopefully not our last!) was getting off the boat from a cruise down the Rhine. We were in the middle of street fair in Koblenz and heard music coming over the speakers. The tune seemed familiar...my husband and I recognized it at the same time and cracked up laughing..."you picked a fine time to leave me Lucille" sung in German, by a woman. We knew we weren't in the U.S. anymore! This is also when we discovered we travel best with a map, a rental car and only a vague idea of where we want to end up.