Monday’s dawn brought us our first sunny day! We awoke in Basel, Switzerland, a city that sits gracefully at the meeting point of three countries – Switzerland, France, and Germany. Known as “the museum capital of Switzerland,” Basel is home to 40 museums and hosts its annual Art Basel, and internationally-acclaimed art fair. Basel also has a strong pharmaceutical, chemical, and financial presence in its bustling business district. We began with a short city tour through Gros

On Sunday morning, we awoke in beautiful Strasbourg, France, a city that feels like a storybook come to life. We began our day with a two-hour guided walking tour through the city center, which turned out to be the perfect way to get oriented and understand why Strasbourg is often described as a crossroads of Europe. Sitting on the Rhine just a mere three miles from the Germany border and shaped by centuries of both French and German influence, the city uniquely blends cultur

Our destination Thursday morning was Koblenz, a historic city that sits at the famous Deutsches Eck (“German Corner”) where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet, and a crossroads that has shaped the city for more than 2,000 years. The Romans established a military post here in 9 BC, making Koblenz one of the oldest cities in Germany. Towering high above the city is the massive Ehrenbreitstein Fortress that was rebuilt in the early 1800s on the site of earlier fortifications dati

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