After a great night’s sleep (I highly recommend Hotel Excelsior Ernst!), we met our guide Ulie for a private tour of Cologne Cathedral. What an unforgettable way to start the day. It’s towering twin spires are like an architectural exclamation point rising over the city, and the interior of this beautiful, massive cathedral is awe-inspiring. Inside, Ulie shared some fascinating, lesser-known stories about this Gothic masterpiece. Although much of Cologne was destroyed during

Sunday marked our final day in Paris, and the city decided to send us off with more rain. We made our way to Galeries Lafayette, which is really less a department store and more a cluster of four enormous shopping complexes spread over multiple blocks. Founded in 1893, the flagship store is famous for its sweeping art nouveau balconies and iconic glass dome, a 141-foot architectural gem completed in 1912. Unfortunately, the weather had drawn half of Paris inside with us – so

We set out Thursday morning to further explore Paris and its Marais district, a neighborhood that somehow manages to feel both historic and modern. The Marais stretches across the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, two of Paris’ 20 municipal districts. These arrondissements wind outward like a spiral, beginning at the center of the city on Île de la Cité. Each arrondissement has its own distinct personality. The Marais is known for its medieval streets, boutique shops, Jewish herit

Extreme Empty Nesting is back to traveling again! This time? We are experiencing Paris in December, before heading to Germany for another Christmas markets cruise. This time, we’ll explore the Rhine River, from Cologne, Germany to Basel, Switzerland. No matter how many times you cross the Atlantic, a sleepless overnight flight has a special way of blurring the line between morning and midnight. We landed in Paris early Wednesday, bleary-eyed but excited, and made a beeline to

We set out mid-morning ready to squeeze every last drop out of our time in the Rockies. On our way to the parks, we saw the spiral...

Before I jump into Wednesday’s adventure, here are some interesting facts about the Trans-Canada Highway. This highway system is the...