Yes, the revolutions of 1989 for all intents and purposes had put an end to the Warsaw Pact but this was only a dozen years later, the internet was still new and a lot of the world was still trying to determine how they fit in the greater puzzle. Remember, this is 2001 and there wasn’t much published on Budapest so I was a little nervous about crossing “behind the Iron Curtain”. I had researched Vienna pretty well, but left the states knowing nothing about Budapest. This trip would be 4 days in Vienna and 2 days in Budapest. I had always feared that we would get someplace and have a miserable time so I had been trying to do at least two dissimilar locations one primary and one as a backup. Times were still such that trips had to be fairly short and fairly inexpensive. I could not find a photo on the web, but here's a drawing and description.Įarly fall of 2001 my wife and I planned a trip to Europe. I used google street view to look at it now, and someone has trimmed the grass and it all looks much too tidy. But, the stone was still there 25 years later and it had a beautiful thick coat of lichens attesting to the purity and high quality of the air. I've been back since and the sky wasn't as blue and it wasn't July so no daisies. We took a picture of the stone though and not the view. We were in her mini and came over a hill and there it was sitting on the hillside surrounded with daisies with the blue sky and sea behind it. The first time I saw it was on July morning when I was 23 years old and my sister and I were with Marjorie who lived on the island and had know my grandfather and some of the brothers. This is where my grandfather's relatives are buried and there is a stone there for him and his four brothers. Peter's Churchyard and Church on South Ronaldsay. These two experiences were the most beautiful I have had in Europe and they will go with me to the grave. I decided to walk up the trail between the fence and the headstones and right there in front of me was a rather large upright stone with my father-in-law's family name on it in cyrillic. The driver and I talked with each other just inside the cemetary fence. My wife went wandering around through all the flora to see if she could find anything that might offer a clue to her family origin. After observing for some time and taking a few photos the driver found the cemetary which was overgrown with oak trees, bushes and flowers. We found the church and as it was Sunday the faithful filled the church and a good part of the churchyard. This farm village of wattle fences and painted houses was literally at the end of the road. In the Ukraine city of Lviv we hired an English speaking driver to take us to a village north of there where my father-in-law's relatives came from. During our stay in the city we visited the church several more times. The whole experience was akin to going back four or five hundred years. We were taken by the experience and stayed for an hour or so. It was a week day and worshipers were coming and going as they said their prayers and paid homage to the saints. The moment was so moving my wife gave some tears to the church and we found a place to sit. We walked into it and entered an Orthodox church that looked like it was centuries old, and it was as we found out later. In the small city of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria we were walking along an old street and there was a church with the entrance just off the sidewalk. Above all, there are two that will forever stand out in my mind. It’s been going since the 1600s and still going strong.We have been lucky to see mind fulfilling scenery on our trips to Europe. Feeling peckish? Pop over to Sally Lunn’s for her incredible toasted buns. It’s so well-preserved and probably one of England’s best Roman sights to see. Once you’ve settled in, be sure to visit the Roman Baths and see how the Roman’s used to bathe in the city. Perched in the west of England, it’s relatively small but one of the prettiest cities to visit in Europe for a day trip or a weekend. Read more: Best things to do in Edinburgh 15.) Bath, EnglandĪnother Roman city (like Nimes in France), Bath is one totally beautiful place to discover. Not only that, make sure to explore the iconic museums, see the views from Carlton Hill and Arthur’s Seat and explore the New Town with its grid streets and gorgeous little shops. Just be sure to book a table in advance it’s a wee little restaurant that fills up fast. For a tasty treat on the Royal Mile, stop by the White Horse Oyster Bar who conjures up some of the tastiest seafood in all of Edinburgh.

Most picturesque places europe