A gorgeous place in any weather, medieval Rothenburg and the nearby hamlet of Detwang are splendid after a fresh snowfall. This is the European headquarters since 1999 for European Focus Private Tours. Owner James Derheim lives here full-time. Starting with the winter season of 2021-22 James will be offering winter tours in Bavaria as well […]
Author Archives: jim
Brexit Explained by a Great Writer
A bit dated, from 2016, but worth a read anyway. “It was the woman on Question Time that really did it for me. She was so familiar. There is someone like her in every queue, every coffee shop, outside every school in every parish council in the country. Middle-aged, middle-class, middle-brow, over-made-up, with her National […]
Shelburne Lodge Owners release “My Wild Atlantic Kitchen” cookbook
What a treat for the eye, heart and stomach! I received mine in June, 2020 and have already made several of the recipes, some of them more than once. This is a treasure for anyone who has had the privilege of staying at Shelburne Lodge, Kenmare, Ireland or who loves Irish cooking. Shelburne Lodge Mon, […]
New as of 2021 Tours – Travel Insurance with “Cancel for Any Reason”
In the wake of the coronovirus and the many upsets to the travel industry, all tours booked for 2021 and beyond will require that clients purchase the “Preferred” policy from Travel Guard (or a similar offer from a competitor) with – and this is the important part – “Cancel for Any Reason” coverage. This protects […]
Ancestral Photography is Back
This is how European Focus began, all the way back in 1989. I had the revolutionary idea to photograph small towns in Germany for those tracing their ancestors. No one was doing this at that time – at least not professionally. This was waaay before the internet, before e-mail, before everything! It seems like the […]
NBC News Story featuring European Focus Private Tours
This story ran two years ago and featured the Petrulli family experiencing their roots in Germany and Italy. https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/travelers-turn-to-their-family-compass-for-a-journey-of-discovery-1306522179595
Available for booking by Australian, South African, Philippine and other clients
With the recent decision by the European Union to ban travelers from the United States from entering (As of July 1, 2020) my calendar has been cleared for July and August, with those tours not able to move forward due to this restriction. My calendar is now open for tours with clients who are coming […]
Enjoy Short Videos from Germany During Lockdown
I’ve been in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, my European home base, since March 15. Soon after arrival, I started making little movies lasting less than 4 minutes and posting them to my Facebook page (European Focus Private Tours) as well as YouTube. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/user/DowntownSRQ/videos?view_as=subscriberhttps://www.youtube.com/user/DowntownSRQ/videos?view_as=subscriber During this time of upheaval and no travel, I […]