(From October 2) We spent three memorable days and nights in the beautiful valley around Prato allo Stelvio, in Sud Tyrol, technically in Italy but the locals all believe they are Tyroleans first, Italians a distant second. We were told by the mayor of the town, perhaps a distant relative of our guest, to go […]
Tag Archives: private
Taking Photographs is Part of the Trip
People on a big bus tour rarely get to stop and smell the flowers, much less take the time for a well-composed photograph. With European Focus Private Tours philosophy of “your pace is our pace,” our guests have all the time they want to capture the moment. Our recent guest Art shoots his ancestral village […]
Taking a Nap at 6,017 feet
A tourist naps on a bench above the Eagle’s Nest, known locally as the Kehlstein Haus. The site is popular with those wishing to have a splendid view over the Berchtesgaden Alps. One can see far into Austria from this vantage point. Or, one can examine the insides of one’s eyelids, as in this man’s […]
Welcome Back Fifth Time Guests Art and Carol
(From September 21, 2012) Art and Carol have taken five trips with European Focus since 2008 including trips in Germany, Italy, Ireland, France, Spain and for this most recent adventure, which started in Berchtesgaden, Germany we traveled through parts of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. More to come, and welcome back Art and Carol!
St. Gallus Church in Willmandingen, Germany
From a visit on September 16, 2012 The church of St. Gallus in Willmandingen dates back to at least 1220. That’s when scientists determined the paintings in the tiny chapel on the ground floor of the tower were created. Those paintings, depicting scenes from the life of Jesus, were whitewashed over in the 1500s soon […]
Visiting Relatives in Willmandingen
Events occurred on September 16, 2012 A trip revolving around family history depends on connections made. One of those connections was made with the pastor of the church in tiny Willmandingen, Germany. A letter sent to the pastor’s office by Beth Renney from Fresno, California reached across the miles and the years, resulting in a […]
St. Pankratius in Hoinkhausen, Germany
September 15, 2012 The Catholic Church of Saint Pankratius is the ancestral church of Suzanne Pellegrino and Elizabeth Renney’s Mollerus ancestors, who settled in this village in the last years of the 18th century. The church was built as early as the 12th century. A stone triptych on the north entrance of the church dates […]
Celebrating a Birthday at Hirschhorn Castle
September 10, 2012 Sometimes while on a trip around Germany one just has to say “why not?” and go to a castle for a dish of ice cream to celebrate a birthday. That’s what we did the other day to celebrate our guest Beth Renney’s birthday. Up, up, up we drove into the hills above […]