2024 Grand Heart of Europe Tour with Image Tours and tour manager Mike Lindo!
The 2024 Grand Heart of Europe Tour was an incredible 23-day adventure through some of Europe’s most beautiful spots! Travelers explored charming villages, stunning countrysides, and famous cities across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, and England. Highlights included visits to Rome, Pisa, Florence, Tuscany, extra time in Paris, and two nights in London. With cozy hotels, daily breakfasts, and dinners, plus a fun, knowledgeable tour manager leading the way, it was an unforgettable trip packed with amazing sights and memories!
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Travel Photo Gallery
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Our first stop in Amsterdam was the Rembrandt Hoeve cheese factory that also had an adjoining wooden shoe shop.
The host did a wonderful presentation on cheese making with a great sense of humor that kept everyone laughing.
The host sharing the art of wooden shoe making with our tour members.
Corey and Shirley enjoying samples of farm made Gouda cheese.
Our tour group in front of a beautiful windmill of the Netherlands.
Our Image Tour Manager giving our group some information before we board our Amsterdam canal tour boat.
Our group enjoying a beautiful sunny day on the canal waterways of Amsterdam.
Our group cheered this wedding couple as we passed them under this popular romantic drawbridge.
Tour members on the dock in front of our tour boat. Everyone enjoyed this boat ride and our tour manager and boat captain gave everyone a surprise by cruising on the canal that passed the front of the Anna Franks house.
Beverly in front of a cheese maker store in the beautiful small town of Delft in the Netherlands.
We had another filled day visiting Antwerp and everyone went shopping for Belgium chocolates and lace. Here is our tour manager Minne showing our group some highlights of Antwerp.
Fries with mayonnaise, yummy, but we all still prefer ketchup.
Group picture in front of the Antwerp town hall with many flags of Nations.
A somber visit to that American Military Cemetery in Margraten where over 8000 Americans of World War II lay in rest.
Group picture before we board our cruise boat on the Rhine.
Kania, Brittney, Sujin and Grayson enjoying the sun and beautiful views along the Rhine.
Art, Vicky, Eric and Gwen enjoying the Rhine
Sheryl, Beverly, Mike and Lilian enjoying lunch at a local cafe the Minne recommended in Boppard, Germany.
Beverly so excited the have a German beef hot dog in Boppard.
Juana on the Heidelberg bridge in Germany.
Delicious deserts at a Heidelberg cafe that many of our tour members stopped by to relax before we headed out.
We just arrived at the Rothenburg town square in Germany and our tour guide Minne pointed out some places to eat.
Medieval customs of dance and music in one of the Rothenburg courtyards.
Some of our tour members taking a photo with a family in medieval times dress.
A German specialty, pig knuckle, that was delicious and many in our group tried.
Geraldine, Susanna, Frederick, Emily, Michael and Margaret also enjoying an authentic German meal in Rothenburg.
Cappuccino in Nuremberg town square, Germany.
So delicious! Cappuccino and dessert!
Everyone enjoying a taste of the famous Munich sausage sandwich and potato, cheese and bacon pancakes.
Frederick and Susanna in the hotel courtyard.
Lilian enjoying her room and lanai.
Our group in front of the beautiful and elegant Bavarian Palace.
Beautiful Bavarian Palace garden and water fountain.
Our group having Bavarian dinner at our hotel before heading to the Tyrolean show.
Bavarian pancake soup and schnitzel, oh so delicious.
Schnitzel
Sujin and Grayson getting in on the fun.
Tyrolean musical show
Start of a wonderful and entertaining Tyrolean musical show.
Everyone toasting and having fun.
Wonderful couple of days enjoying the sights and history of Munich and Bavaria.
We traveled to Lake Garda in Italy for lunch and some shopping. Some of our group in front of Lake Garda port before finding a relaxing restaurant for lunch.
Many of our tour members ended up at the same restaurant for an excellent seafood dish.
Another group at the same restaurant that served a wonderful Italian meal in a relaxing atmosphere.
View of ducks on Lake Garda.
Beautiful alleys of the Lake Garda port area.
Some members at the entrance of Lake Garda after enjoying lunch and shopping.
The balcony of Romeo and Juliet in the city of Verona.
Brittney posing with the statue of Juliet.
NST members enjoying the Verona market square for some shopping.
Our group are ready to board our boat to Venice.
Beautiful photo in front of the famous Venice bridge.
Group picture at a Murano glass factory.
Everyone amazed during the glass making demonstration by a professional glass maker.
The glass maker made a glass ball with a little horse so quickly the kept everyone in awe.
Glass and crystal presentation kept everyone’s attention.
Everyone enjoying their gondola boat rides in Venice, Italy.
Gondola boat ride in Venice, Italy.
Our dinner was at restaurant tucked away in the alleys of Venice and we enjoyed a dinner of a salad, lasagna, tiramisu with red or white wine.
On the way to Rome we stopped at a hilltop village called Pienza. Pienza is UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautiful views of the Val d’Orcia valley. Our group spent some time walking, shopping and dining in Pienza. Here is the entrance to Pienza.
View of the outside walled walkway of Pienza and part of the Val d’Orcia valley.
A Pienza bistro where many of our tour members ate.
Outside wall of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.
Our group with Alexandria, our Rome guide.
Part of our group inside the Colosseum.
Our group enjoying the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome.
A morning walk through the older parts of Rome was an relaxing treat that stopped at the beautiful Trevi Fountain.
NST group picture in front of Trevi Fountain.
Shirley throwing a coin across her left shoulder, into the fountain, to hope for a wish come true.
Absolutely beautiful Trevi Fountain is unexpectedly up against a building and not a typical circular fountain that I envisioned. Maybe we should have watched 'Gidget goes to Paris.'
We visited Pisa and Florence and our members enjoyed the history, food and shopping especially in Florence.
Steven, Gwen, Shirley and Corey at the leaning tower of Pisa.
Coffee, tea and pizza... or is it Pisa?
The Brunelleschi Dome in Florence, Italy.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Flore, Florence, Italy.
Lilian modeling a leather jacket and purse at the Misuri Leather Store in Florence.
Geny also modeling the leather goods.
On the road to Switzerland we stopped at a winery and restaurant named Fattoria IL Poggio in Toscana, Italy. Here is the winery guide showing us their grape vines and olive trees.
Their dog Bruno was a hit with everyone and he followed us during the tour and at our dining tables.
Our guide Minne had everyone join in on a toast.
The wine tasting included 3 types of white wines and 2 types of red wines. All their wines were excellent and everyone got their fill.
This is the meat platter that they brought to our tables and it was all excellent. They had some delicious sausages, huli huli style chicken and pork ribs.
On our way to our hotel in Switzerland, we stopped at Lake Lugano for some shopping and a quick lunch then we drove on the beautiful scenic Gotthard mountain pass.
Gotthard Mountain Pass views
We stopped at the Caffe Chicco Doro at one of the highest point along the drive on the Gotthard mountain pass to enjoy some hot chocolate.
All our tour members relaxed and enjoyed their hot chocolate and snacks while enjoying the beautiful views.
Our group rode both the Drahtseilbahn Funicular and the worlds only open air, two story gondola to get to the top of the Swiss mountain, Stanserborn.
Geny and Michael on top of Stanserborn.
Some of our members in a group photo.
We rode through the clouds and we thought we would not see much but when we broke through the clouds we were amazed at the soft pillowy clouds that surrounded us and it was amazing. Made you want to just jump on the clouds.
Beautiful couple photo of Joselito and Carmelita.
Beverly and Sheryl
Sujin and Grayson on the way down
After Stanserborn our group headed for Lake Lucerne for some shopping and a little lunch. Backdrop is the Chapel Bridge, a covered wooden bridge in the town of Lucerne.
All on board for a sight-seeing cruise. We relaxed with a served drink and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and weather on Lake Lucerne.
Just kicking back on Lake Lucerne.
Lake Lucerne views.
Back home to our current town of Engelberg, Switzerland.
Beautiful Titlis/Engelberg hillside view of homes in this huge mountain valley where they have to be prepared to sometimes being stuck in their homes for a month during heavy snow periods.
In London, our group took an afternoon stroll to Chinatown for lunch and many of our members enjoyed lunch at the many Chinese restaurants.
Hobson’s Fish and Chips
Corey, Shirley, Beverly and I decided to try some fish and chips at Hobson’s Fish and Chips near Chinatown.
The Cod fish and chips were delicious and prepared just right and it was great with some fries and diced salad.
Our members in front of the Buckingham Palace.
We were fortunate to be at the Buckingham Palace when they had the changing of the guards.
Eric and Gwen along the outer walls of the London Towers.
Our tour members were thrilled to see the Crown Jewels at the London Towers. The Crown Jewels are amazingly so valuable that it cannot be insured.
Our tour members at the entrance to the Crown Jewels.
Gwen and Michael trying hard to make a heart.
Lunch today was a delicious steak and ale pot pie with mash potatoes and gravy.
Dinner before heading to our Mama Mia theatre show in London.
On the Thames river cruise with the Tower Bridge backdrop.
Big Ben from the Thames river cruise.
Our Thames river cruise passed through the Tower Bridge.
A day in Paris is a beautiful place and the French culture in Paris still centers in fashion, cuisine, art and architecture. Here is the Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, sitting high above Paris and overlooking the city.
Art and Vicky enjoying Basilique du Sacre.
A Classic Beef Bourguignon dish is a must when experiencing the cuisine of France.
It’s a beef stew cooked with a whole lot of red burgundy wine for its sauce.
Place du Tertre square is a beautiful area where at lot artists paint and locals dine. It was known to be a hangout spot for artists like Dali, Renoir, Van Gogh and others.
Our members entering a local French restaurant named Les Noces de Jeannette.
They had nice selection for our group with choices such as escargots, leek tart, Duck in orange sauce and Boeuf Bourguignon.
Everyone enjoyed the dinner and especially the music provided by a talented accordion musician who walked the room with his accordion.
Dinner was served with a light rose wine, white and red wine. Our members enjoying a wonderful French diner in Paris.
After dinner we were treated to this amazing view of the Eiffel Tower glittering at night.
We stopped to take pictures of the Charles de Gaulle Etoile.
Members enjoying our cruise on the Seine river that goes past many historical sites and buildings, including the Notre-Dame de Paris
Cathedral. Eiffel Tower is in the background of this picture.
Eric and Gwen just cruising the Seine River.
All smiles on the Seine river cruise with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Some of members with our servers at our farewell dinner.
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