There is so much to see and do in Paris it's no wonder the city never sleeps. The parks, monuments, and museums are all amazing. Then there's the street artists, cafés, and markets scattered all over the place. The best way to experience the city is by walking the crisscrossed roads with a baguette in hand like the Parisians do. Then find a café to relax with a glass of wine while the sun goes down so you can see the city light up at night. Just be aware that even after midnight the metro will still be packed with people.

In Paris there are trees everywhere and the parks are filled with flowers blooming in spring. There are statues depicting Greek gods and mythical events with fountains. Then there are more modern artworks like the Love Wall and entire sides of buildings used as a large art canvas.  

The streets go in all directions so we often found ourselves at some strange intersections. However when we took a wrong turn we were often rewarded with some interesting sights like a wall that appeared to have people breaking through it in an alleyway. We also enjoyed lots of great street musicians and made sure we had Euros on hand to tip them. Of course we also had to see the catacombs under Paris where much of the stone came from for the buildings above ground. The leftover tunnels became the burial grounds for millions of early Parisians who's bones were stacked along the walls in an eerie monument to the dead.

We spent a day visiting the Palace of Versailles and the surrounding gardens. We walked along the river Seine and through different Paris neighborhoods. I took so many pictures it's hard to pick which ones best represent everything we saw.

As we walked through Paris I noticed images made out of pixels on some of the corners of the buildings we were passing. The first handful I saw were of the aliens from Space Invaders and the ghosts from Pacman. They were fairly simple and took me on a nice nostalgia trip. Each day brought more pixel art and it would sometimes be more complex and other times it would interact with its environment. There are a least a handful of different artists putting these pieces up. One artist liked to work with the little grey aliens from sci-fi. Sometimes there would be full body images of little greys while many other times it was just their head. Other artist took their inspiration from video games. Obviously, the Pacman and Space Invaders were their work but there was also Donkey Kong Jr and Nintendo based images. Another artist did more modern work like a girl smoking and a boy and girl eating ice cream. They kept the pixel count down and did a great job of making it look very retro.

Another artist really kicked it up a notch by quadrupling the pixel count and giving us their version of Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer. A unique piece that stood out for me was an excellent rendition of the two men shaking hands on the cover of the Pink Floyd album Wish You Were Here. I am not sure which of the artists might have created it but this piece was fantastic. It really made me want to walk all the streets of the city to see if I find more like it. It also made me wonder what other album covers would look good as pixel art. Nevermind by Nirvana, Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, Book of Souls by Iron Maiden, and Abbey Road by the Beatles all come to mind. The whole experience is like a free museum one could walk for weeks or even months finding new pieces to enjoy each time they explore the city!

What do I mean when I say something is within “walking distance?” To me, “walking distance” is anything that is one to three kilometers away. For my American friends, that is about a half mile to two miles. Why would I want to walk that much? When I walk, I get the chance to look around more and see more things. I also get the chance to take pictures of those things I find interesting. It is not easy to take pictures of stuff while speeding along on a tram. I have tried and only had minimal success. Buses are about the same. I have also tried snapping some shots while biking with little success and a few new dings on my phone case when I dropped it. Walking is the best when one is trying to take in all the sites and enjoy everything around them. Yes, there are caveats to “walking distance.” If I am going to someplace where I am expected to be on my feet for a while, like a museum, then I would rather take a tram or bus to the museum. If I am heading to a restaurant, then I have no problems walking two kilometers to get there. If I want to explore a different part of the city that is two kilometers away, I wouldn’t mind taking the bus over before starting. For this trip in particular, I was planning to get a lot of walking in for a number of reasons. Everyone can do with a bit more exercise and why not be rewarded with some beautiful things to see while getting that exercise. I am a big proponent of more walkable cities even though I don’t have the chance to practice what I preach much in most American cities. I also enjoy driving and have driven most days of my adult life, like many Americans. How comfortable would I feel not driving for 3 months? It has been an enlightening experience.

For those of you that like specific numbers: before this trip I was averaging about 6000 steps per day. While we have been traveling that average has jumped to 14000 steps per day. That is quite a bit of quality city walking. Keep in mind that this is an average because there have been a couple 24000 step days and there have been a handful of travel days where we make a bee-line for the train station and spend 4 to 9 hours on a train to our next destination. I am definitely getting the exercise in. Will I continue to preach about the benefits of a walkable city? Absolutely, if it is a well designed city. This means that basic necessities need to be within walking distance. Things like a grocery store or two, a drug store, a couple of nice places to eat, and maybe a tech store or department store. For bigger selections like malls and big box stores, it would be nice to have inexpensive mass transit that can get you there and back. Access to that mass transit should be walkable! Can I live without a car? In Europe, Yes! They have some very nice walkable cities with excellent mass transit systems. It would be nice to save thousands of dollars a year on car payments, insurance, and fuel. I could use that money to travel by train to see even more of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Vienna is home to many artists, however my favorite is Friedensreich Hundertwasser and his house built to be in harmony with nature. This house has 50 different living quarters of different shapes and sizes some with gardens and each with is own unique design inside and out. Hundertwasser built the house from 1979 to 1985 and demanded that the lease contain a "window right" which meant that each dweller has the "right to lean out of his window and to transform everything on the outside wall." There are no straight lines or uniform structures, even the floors and walls undulate to simulate a nature trail. There are tile mosaics throughout the building and the terraces and roof are covered in trees and other plants. We sat in a coffee shop and watched a short video where Friedensreich explains how his design incorporates nature and lifts the human spirit with it's beauty. He must have done something right because now people come from all over the world to see his design.

Just imagine how beautiful our cities would be if more architects built beautiful and uplifting homes like this one.

Prague is in the center of the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic, and home to some of the most beautiful architecture I've ever seen. The heart of Prague is filled with cobblestone roads lined with colorful buildings and interesting statues. The Prague Castle sits on a hilltop with red roofed buildings below it. We had a great time seeing the Cathedral, old Royal Palace, and especially Golden Lane where small shops were hidden under the great walls surrounding the castle. That little blue box below is for post and I used it to send a postcard with special Prague castle stamps.

Our Airbnb was right next to a bell tower and we climbed up 300+ steps to see views of the city and learn a bit of history. The bell tower was built before the church and originally served as a fire lookout, then it was taken over by Soviet spies during the Cold War, and in 2002 it predicted the largest flood in Prague's history when one of it's bells broke earlier that year. Every place we visited had it's own unique story or an interesting façade that was fascinating.

When the sun set in the evening the city lit up and we saw a whole new side of Prague. We enjoyed a drink at the top of the Dancing House. Prague Castle makes a beautiful reflection on Vltava river. We strolled past street vendors selling chimney cakes in front of the opera house. The old church in town square and the surrounding buildings were all glowing each night.

Prague is like a fairytale city with so much to see and do.

Why did we decide to travel to Prague? We hosted an exchange student that said it was a nice place to visit. We were looking for someplace to go between Berlin and Vienna on our itinerary. Our first thought was Munich but after a review we thought Prague might be a better choice. Robin thought it might have some historical significance because it is a part of the Czech Republic. Robin needs to go back and study his history some more because Prague was the focal point of numerous events throughout history. We stayed in a beautiful little apartment located between the Charles bridge and Prague Castle. We were within walking distance of food, attractions, parks, shops, and pretty much anything else you can think of. The Charles bridge is a walking bridge lined with statues that has a great view of the Prague Castle in one direction and the old city in the other direction. The Prague Castle is a well maintained national treasure. The old town square is filled with vendors of all sorts and surrounded by historical building and churches.

The Astronomical Clock tower is also located in the old town square and attached the the old town hall. The Astronomical Clock itself is pretty cool but the tour of the old town hall they have inside is even better and includes going to the top of the clock tower and out on the catwalk to see the city from 80 meters above the square. It is an awesome experience!

Long story short, had we not visited Prague and later learned all of the things we missed, we would have been mad at ourselves for quite a long while!

In the center of Berlin is the beautiful Tiergarten Park with trails that wind through tall trees and over streams. There are statues and flower gardens throughout where people can sit on a bench or listen to the birds. It was easy to forget you were in the middle of one the largest cities in Europe.

The park is split into four parts by two wide streets that intersect at the Siegessäule, victory column, in the middle of the park. The victory column was originally built in 1864 and is 67 meters tall so it is visible between trees from the entire park. We walked through the tunnels under the streets to the Siegessäule which had plaques describing the reliefs on each side of the base of the column. Once we were on the roundabout we could buy tickets to go inside and climb the spiral staircase to the top observation deck. Inside they had the history of the victory column and detailed models of it and many other famous buildings. On the first level are huge red granite columns that surround a mosaic of tiles that depict historical leaders from the Kingdom of Prussia and key figures in the unification of Germany in the 1800's. We could see divots on the columns from WWII where German soldiers tried to fend off the advancing Soviet army shortly before their surrender. Then we made the climb to the top on a long spiral staircase, it was nice of them to put a small bench or two on the way up. Once we we're at the top we could see the whole city from the small outdoor deck surrounded by steel bars. Anything not tied down could easily be swept away by the strong winds. The deck was small so we could get pictures from every direction in just a few steps. To the East we could see Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag Building in the distance. There were great views of the Tiergarten Park below and the city skyline surrounding the park.

The Wall that divided West Berlin from East Berlin during the Cold War is memorialized in the streets and in outdoor museums throughout the city. We learned that in a November 1989 press conference Günter Schabowski, an East German politician, mistakenly said papers were no longer needed to cross into West Berlin. When people watched the news that evening thousands of them rushed to Checkpoint Charlie and the guards were overwhelmed thus ending the Soviet strangle hold on East Berliners. Now there are only a few sections of the wall that are still standing and where the wall was torn down there are strips of inlaid stones across sidewalks and in the streets indicating where it once stood.

The souvenir shops all have pieces of The Wall for sale for tourists to take home. In 1989 and 1990 people came from all over the world to chip away at the wall or cover it with street art. Then in 2009 Berlin invited several artists to come back and recreate the most famous murals on the wall with paints that could withstand the elements better. That became the East Side Gallery which is a long section of wall with all kinds of street art painted by artists from all over the world. The most famous piece shows two men kissing. It is a recreation of a photo of a Soviet politician and an East Berlin politician sharing a "Bruderkuss," a fraternal kiss, in 1979 during the celebration of the 30th year of Soviet occupation of East Germany. The artist named the piece ‘’My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love,’’ however many mistake the piece for a celebration of gay rights in Berlin. The 1,316 meter long wall was filled with very interesting artworks that depicted different emotions about the Cold War and warnings for future generations.

The third largest city of Sweden is just across the Öresund bridge from Copenhagen, Denmark. Malmö has many large parks and a mix of historical buildings and new infrastructure. The city is very walkable and had lots of trees, murals, and trendy restaurants. Above is the Malmö castle which has been converted into a museum that includes aquariums, natural history, and modern art exhibits. We found that many shops don't open till just before noon and people are relaxed and friendly. In Sweden their favorite custom is called Fika which is when shopkeepers close up to have coffee and a cinnamon roll with a friend. We followed the tradition at the Bageri Leve which had the best vegan pastries I've ever tasted.

Some of the oldest buildings in Malmö are in Lilla Torg, little square, and are used to showcase local artists' work. I enjoyed the exhibit on architects who have converted old churches of all shapes into new usable spaces for the community, such as a concert hall and a yoga retreat while preserving the original structure of the building. The artists shop still has the original wood beams from 1592 and is maintained with the traditional red paint used for all Swedish historical buildings.

It was nice walking around Malmö finding street art on buildings and statues such as the optimistic orchestra added in the early 2000's soon after they opened Malmö University to attract young people and revitalize the city. Now the city is filled with young families, walking trails, bike paths, and shopping avenues.

Christiania is on the East side of Copenhagen's main channel and is home to a self-proclaimed autonomous district run by its residents with its own rules since 1971. It's a home to hippies and artists and the rules are simple: no guns, knives, or violence of any kind. The signs and art are all very colorful and invoke a counter-culture feeling of free love and anarchism. The residents work hard to be environmentally friendly with small homes, repurposed materials, and bike paths in place of streets. It felt like a an organic neighborhood unspoiled by land developers and not constricted by rigid building codes. Beware that the residents don't want tourists to take photos of them, especially in the Green Light District. However a local shopkeeper allowed photos of the street art and sculptures in his area and I snapped several photos along the canal trail leading into Christiania.

In Frederiksberg Have, on the West side of Copenhagen, sits a huge public park with nice walking paths, canals, lots of birds, and... elephants. One of the people we met in Copenhagen recommended we check out Frederiksberg Have which borders the Copenhagen Zoo. We took a trail that led through some tall trees on the outside of a winding canal and when we turned a corner there they were, elephants playing just a few meters away. The elephant swimming pool was right next to the trail and we had a great view as they splashed and played in the water. Then the baby elephant started running around and rolling in the mud. The rest of the family dug holes and threw mud on their backs for their own mud spa treatments. As we watched people walked by with their dogs and one cute little pit bull stopped to watch with us before running off to catch up with it's human. We enjoyed watching them have fun till the keepers brought lunch and the elephants moved to the other side of the enclosure.

We are currently visiting Copenhagen and it is a very beautiful city. There is a wonderful mixture of old world and new all around. This makes for exciting walking trips around the city. Around one corner you may find a store with all the latest electronics or an awesome vegan eatery while the next corner may be hiding a building from the 1700's with a handful of marble statues. We found out how easy it is to get in quite a few steps while doing this. A couple of days ago we put in 23,000 steps without even realizing it!

The Rosenborg Castle was built in the 1600's and is a treasure trove of beautiful artifacts. Different rooms have been decorated by the various kings and queens of the last four centuries and each has it's own unique style. There was so much to see floor to ceiling we had to move very slowly so we didn't miss anything; even the window frames had tiny sculpted scenes or jewelry displayed that one could miss if you moved through a room too fast. To top it off the basement had a room dedicated to displaying the king's and queen's crowns filled with rare stones and some of the loveliest royal jewelry. Surrounding the castle is a large garden that was open to the public with more sculptures and a large playground. I especially enjoyed all the carved elephants scattered throughout the castle.

Duisburg, Germany is small compared to Frankfurt, however it has a long history as a center for trade dating back to the 9th century. It sits at the intersection of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers and archeologists have found ancient tools from thousands of years ago. Vikings raided the city in 862 and throughout it's history different kings have claimed the city as their own. Multiple sections of the city walls from 1566 are still standing, however they can be tough to find in between the buildings. As a major trading city Duisburg flourished with many craftsmen and artists throughout the centuries. Despite the World War II bombings the city still has some great historical buildings and many of the homes have been rebuilt to fit the historical design. Today the streets are lined with trees and there are some interesting new sculptures along it's central plaza which was bustling with shoppers even in the snowy weather. We visited on March 8th, International Woman's Day, and were able to enjoy some music and a small woman's march up the main plaza. I'm so happy I was able to see the beautiful city where O'Mama was born back in 1914.