Pictures From Europe Tour - 2012
The pictures that Alice took while on the tour have been uploaded to our Webshots albums. Click HERE to view pictures at: http://travel.webshots.com/slideshow/583392030yotJir

We hope you have enjoyed traveling with Alice on the Blog.

Until next trip! Love Ya. ----- Let us hear from you!
Don Norvell

Coming Home! - Thursday August 13, 2012
Alice and her traveling companions will be flying back home today. They will leave Paris France on a Air France 747 at 10:35 AM and arrive in San Francisco airport at 12:45 PM (a 10 hour flight). They will fly back to Las Vegas on Southwest Airlines and arrive in LV at 6:45 PM

Paris Shopping and Sight Seeing - Wednesday, August 12, 2012
Alice said they had a really good time at the Can-Can show last evening. She said that a couple of the men in the tour group were taken up on the stage. They did some shopping before they head home tomorrow. On the way back to the hotel they went into the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Paris City Tour - Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Today the group was taken on a Paris city tour and then taken to the town of  Giverny for a visit to the Claude Monet house and garden.

Claude Monet House and Garden

 They are scheduled to go see a Can-Can show tonight.  

Brussels to Paris - Monday September 10, 2011
Today they traveled through the Ardennes forest and French countryside to the "City of Light", PARIS   When they arrived in Paris, they went to the Eiffel Tower and then went on a boat curse down the Seine River Cruse. In the evening they went to dinner and saw a cabaret show in the city.

 

The Ardennes Area of France

 In both World War I and World War II, Germany successfully gambled on making a rapid passage through the Ardennes to attack a relatively lightly defended part of France. The Ardennes was the site of three major battles during the world wars – the Battle of the Ardennes in World War I, and the Battle of France and Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Many of the towns of the region were badly damaged during the two world wars.

Brussels - Day of Rest - Sunday September 9, 2012
Today the group had an opportunity to join an optional excursion to the Belgian and French countryside for an artisanal afternoon visiting various local farms and food producers. Alice and her traveling companions chose to say close to the hotel and rest-up today.

 

The group is staying at the Sheraton in Brussels

Brussels to Bruges and Return to Brussels - Saturday, September 8, 2012
Today they traveled to the imperial city of Bruges. Bruges Belgium is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Lined with typical patrician houses, Bruges, a World Heritage site, conveys the splendor of by-gone days. They took a leisurely-paced walking tour, guided by a local resident, of one of Europe's most perfectly preserved medieval cities.

Brussels, Belgium - Friday, September 7, 2012
After breakfast this morning the group traveled from Amsterdam to Brussels, the capital of Belgium. I just talked to Alice and she was at a sidewalk cafe eating sweets and drinking a beer. They took a tour of the city today and did some shopping. She said she bought chocolates. The city tour included the Royal Gardens and castle, Atomium, Arch of Triump and of course, the world-famous Grand Place. 

Check out the Brussels website at: http://www.visitbelgium.com/?page=brussels
Click HERE for Brussels, Belgium Information.
Click HERE to view some Brussels, Belgium pictures.

 

Thursday, September 6, 2012: Amsterdam -

Floriade - Amsterdam
They spend the day captivated by the beauty of nature and awed by scientists’ efforts to understand it at the world-famous Floriade horticultural exhibition. Held just once every 10 years, Floriade is the ultimate global cultural event, featuring flora from around the world, as well as more than 300 cultural and green-tech presentations across a 165-acre park in Venlo, Netherlands. Also on display are living cultural exhibitions representing more than 30 countries from around the world.

When I talked to Alice this morning, she said that they walked all day and she almost got lost once. She said everone rides bycycles there and it gets a little dagerious if you are not careful.

Amsterdam's Historic City Tour - Wednesday, September 5, 2012

 Today we went on a sightseeing tour of the historic city center and included the Royal Palace and the Hortus Botanicus. The Hortus Botanicus is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world.  Originally founded in 1638 as a medicinal herb garden, today it boasts more than 4,000 plant species in gardens and greenhouses protected from the bustle of the city behind the 300-year-old gates. They also were taken to view one of Amsterdam's famous diamond-cutting artisan workshops.

The Fun Starts - Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Alice and her fellow travelers arrived in Amsterdam and check into the hotel. The group was taken to lunch and then they took a bus tour of this beautiful city. After the tour they were treated to a really nice dinner in a local restaurant. After dinner the travelers were taken on a candlelight canal cruise.

READY TO GO!!!!

Tomorrow morning, Monday September 3, Alice will fly from Las Vegas to San Francisco and then fly on KLM airlines to Amsterdam Holland. The flying time from San Francisco to Amsterdam is approximately 10 hours. She will arrive in Amsterdam at about 9:15 AM Amsterdam local time. She will be staying at the Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Centre, 

Itenearay of the Tour

 Alice Norvell and Lucille & Tom Piper will take the following 11 days, 13 Meals (9 Breakfasts and 4 dinners) tour through the Netherlands, Belgium & Paris. They are scheduled to go to the following destinations. We will follow them with a day-to-day description of what they are doing on this Blog as they travel through Europe.

Day 1: Monday September 3, 2012. The journey begins with an overnight flight to Amsterdam.

Day 2: Tuesday September 4, 2012. Today is a tour of Amsterdam, the 800-year-old thriving capital of Holland. Then they will end the day with a candlelight canal cruise.

Day 3: Wednesday, September 5, 2012. Another full day of touring Amsterdam's historic city center, the Royal Palace and other interesting parts of the city.

Day 4: Thursday, September 6, 2012. They will spend the day at the world-famous Floriade horticultural exhibition.

Day 5: Friday, September 7, 2012. Today they travel to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and enjoy a panoramic tour of the city. 

Day 6: Saturday, September 8, 2012. They travel to the imperial city of Bruges, and tour one of Europe's most perfectly preserved medieval cities.

Day 7: Sunday, September 9, 2012. Today our tourist will be on their own to explore Brussels or tour the Belgian and French countryside.

Day 8: Monday, September 10, 2012. Today they will travel through the Ardennes forest and French countryside to the "City of Light" Paris.

 Day 9: Tuesday, September 11, 2012. This day starts with a panoramic tour of Paris including Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame cathedral and other points of interest.

Day 10: Wednesday, September 12, 2012. This day will be open to explore Paris on your own.

Day 11: Thursday, September 13, 2012. Today they will return home. I think they will be very very tired.