The Krebs Family European Tour

My parents had big plans for their 50th (could they top Hawaii for their 45th??) and did not disappoint: we went to Europe for two whole weeks!!

Shortly after Samuel and Brie returned home from camp to our new home and yard...

And right after Brie turned 13...

We flew to Newark...

Got our trip shirts on...

And then suddenly we were in London and having fish and chips at a pub. The world can be wonderfully small sometimes! 

The Royal Mews!

And the Warner Brothers Studios where the Harry Potter movies were filmed. That was definitely a "pinch me" day! 

Entering the Main Hall!

Platform 9 3/4!

Diagon Alley!

Standing in Gringotts was completely surreal.

Samuel pulling out a mandrake...

Butterbeer is delicious, in case anyone is wondering...

The wand chooses the wizard...

And some wizards choose Fluffy the 3-headed dog. 😉

We got to go up in the London Eye! 

Then grab delicious bentou boxes...

And see The Play That Goes Wrong. It was so so hilarious! 

The next day, we went to the Tower of London!

And Buckingham Palace!

And then took the train through the Chunnel. Did you know that they serve a full meal with wine on that ride? Made my day!

And then we were in Paris toasting with bubbles! (Beth studied abroad there twice, so she was right back in her element!)

 Brie was quick to order crème brûlée! 😋

And find Monet at Musée d'Orsay. Brie's favorite! 

Van Gogh ranks up there, too, of course! 

As does boba tea!

Then we were off to the Eiffel Tower...

The view was breathtaking...

And we had champagne at the top to toast the anniversary couple!

That night, we met up with our former Storybook neighbors Hélène and Marc. (Their kids were away at summer camp and could not join us.) What a treat for us!!

Happy bellies after good wine and lots of pesto escargo!

The next day we headed out of Paris to Château du Clos Lucé to see DaVinci's home! The home and the grounds are really something else.

My beef tartare with egg on top, fries and Orangina might have been the most perfect meal ever.

Followed by crêpes! 

As always, Paris was perfect for walking...

Sweet treats...

And gratitude for just being there.

This photo may encapsulate our entire trip. On his own, Sebastian ordered frog legs on our last night in Paris and LOVED them. Actually, we all enjoyed them! This is why people should travel more! 

Then we flew to Munich. Wonder if we're family?

At the Munich Airport, we were greeted by our childhood neighbor from Germany and her husband. I was really emotional about it. We have seen them since (both in America and in Germany), but having Tony and the kids there made me realize how much time had passed and how long they've been great friends to us. Here are the four parents--they were our neighbors in Veitsbronn, Germany, from 1985-1987.

A toast (and homemade baked goods galore!) to old friends!

We had the dining room to ourselves for dinner that night--so special! This was the kids' table!

Our dumplings and goulash dinner was outstanding. 

Sunrise in Ringelai!

Beth and I went for a jog in the gorgeous countryside!

Germany could not be more quaint. This reminded me how much I loved growing up there!

Mom and Dad having breakfast. 💕

In the afternoon, we went for a hike. 

Jens's son Bruno is an A+ hiker!

Group pic on the bridge!

Wooly neighbors.

Then we got to do something that I only did once as a child and have dreamt about since...a local rollercoaster! You get pulled to the top by something similar to a ski lift and then pace yourself coming down. It's a blast!!

Going up! 

The curves on the way down...

The kids loved it...especially Bas!

Then we went to Passau for the afternoon...it's so gorgeous (still)! 

(I went to Passau a child on a school field trip. My classmates and I had so much fun!)

Then it was Biergarten time. Is there anything better?? 

As kids, Beth and I were obssessed with Bum Bum ice cream pops in Germany. They taste like strawberry and then the stick is a piece of gum you can chew, so no waste! I was really excited for the kids to try them!! (Bas has an expander, so we recommended he not get the gum one. He WASN'T thrilled...)

Auntie B, on the other hand?? "This tastes like our childhood!!"

The sun setting behind us...

Getting in some Baby Elly snuggles...

A few last group pics! 😍

One of "the kids," of course! 

Then off to Czechia where Brie got a frog in Prague! 

We got to hear the hourly clock tower chime in the square...

And visit the Jewish cemetery...

And pass by the Charles Bridge...

That night, at our hotel in Brno, I got to try their local fish with a curry sauce. FABULOUS.

The big kids enjoyed the pool on Night 1 (Sebastian was too young...weird but true)...

Luckily, there were other fun things to do...

Early the next morning, we left for Auschwitz. It didn't feel right to take many photos, but we tried to capture some of what we saw.

Walking around brought on a mix of emotions and an almost bizarre sense of reality, to be honest. It's a little hard to believe what happened there...there simply weren't many photos or signs to explain what you were walking through. The tour guides help, but it's still a leap with your mind. There were spaces where I could sense my grandparents' presence and others where there was zero. Our guide was knowledgeable, but her knowledge sometimes conflicted with what my grandparents had told my mom/us. The day was complicated.

We returned to the hotel feeling heavier and lighter...and Sebastian finally got his turn in the pool! 

Our view was just gorgeous. We'd love to return to Brno for some more R&R! 

More billiards!

On a lighter note, we headed to Salzburg the next day. It was every bit as charming and wonderful as we thought it would be (like Tony and I need to retire there fabulous). 

I'd always wanted to visit the salt mines there when I was little, so that was first on our list. Sebastian especially enjoyed it since he loves Minecraft so much. (I didn't even make the connection before we arrived!) Traveling underground and learning about the history of the mines was such a cool experience.

That night we found an outdoor Biergarten and had more schnitzel and beer (of course)!

(This is juice...)

Bright and early the next day, we fulfilled another bucket list item of mine (and Beth's and Tony's) and took the Sound of Music Tour!! Our tour guide lived in Salzburg her whole life, including the filming of the movie, so she had many interesting stories to tell. Would you believe that she was nearly Gretl's stunt double in the capsizing boat scene?? 

Here is the cathedral where Maria and Captain Von Trapp get married. We learned that they filmed the pews "twice" so the church would appear larger and more grand.

And here's the Von Trapp home behind us and across the water!

We saw the gazebo where Liesl and Rolfe perform "Sixteen Going on Seventeen."

And then explored the Mirabel Gardens where so many of the fun outdoor Salzburg scenes were filmed.

And, needless to say, there was no shortage of delicious things to eat!

Another big accomplishment while in Salzburg? Brie found their B'nei Mitzvah outfit: a navy blue suit! As usual, Brie channels Timothée Chalamet. 😉

Rooftop shot!

Our last evening there, we had dinner with Beth's good friend and former old coworker Dagmara who lives right outside Salzburg with her husband and two boys. It was such a fun evening and her son enjoyed the attention of three big kids.

The next morning at the aiport, I spotted a celeb (in my little world) at our gate! Here's my kinda, sorta subtle attempt at photographing Kevin Brugger... 

From House Hunters International. I recognized him right away; I think Tony and I have seen every epiosde with him in it since it's so fun to live vicariously through people house hunting in Germany and Austria. (He was flying to the Seychelles Islands, not the Netherlands like us.)

Our last stop: Amsterdam!

There were lots of nods to Van Gogh (and our dog) throughout the city. 

We were there during Pride Week, so everything was rainbow, including the cheese! 

The city was crowded (and a bit bawdy), but lovely... My childhood memories were that it was very quiet (and not at all bawdy), so it was interesting to see the changes.

A big high point was the Van Gogh museum. We learned so much!

Beth and I vividely remember the Anne Frank house from when we were kids. 

The statue is gone now, but you can still tour her house. They expanded into the building next door and it's a beautiful museum now. 

Beth had the wonderful idea to bike around Amsterdam (when in the Netherlands, right??), so we biked the whole next morning...

The little towns on the outskirts of the city are truly idyllic.

Go, Bas, go!

Many of the windmills are still working, so we toured one. It grinds stone to give color to paint!

We ended our two-week trip on a very high note...and who would have guessed that it would be such a big hit (it might have been Sebastian's favorite from our sightseeing): a cheese tasting! We learned all about how this dairy pampers their cows and then got to try dozens of cheeses. We bought our top 3: truffle, coconut and pesto. YUM! 

We went to an authentic Dutch restaurant for our final dinner. We had another great meal! 

And then we were...HOME! Back to our new house that we'd only occupied for a few short weeks before our travels. What an amazing trip of a lifetime--thank you, Granddaddy Rob and Gammy, for the spectacular 50th wedding celebration! 💓--and it felt good to be back in Cincinnati.

Blossom was SOOOO happy when we picked her up from boarding. Can't beat being home and reunited!!

P.S. Our shirts were designed by the kids...we were a jetset rock band rocking out on our 50th anniversary. Check out the cities we hit on our world tour!

P.P.S. Once back, we started to explore our new home again. This is the old switchplate cover on our laundry room wall. Looks like someone we know. Ha!