The prince archbishop who ruled over Salzburg, Austria in 1600 had 16 statues erected in his pleasure garden outside the rural Mirabell Castle. The statues are slightly larger than life representations of the dwarves who served him. The one pictured even has a large boil protruding from his forehead! This sort of thing would not […]

I visited the small village of Darlowo, Pommern recently with clients Bill and Kay Ruckle. The church, built in the 14th century, has an old millstone incorporated into the tower section. This is the first time I’ve seen this done (and I’ve seen and photographed more than 1,500 churches in my career) and so I […]

One of the largest examples of Roman architecture north of the Alps can be found on the end of the Hotel Bischofshof am Dom in central Regensburg. This gate was one of the entrances leading from the Donau River (Danube) to the camp once known as Castra Regina. The gate dates from about 179 AD. […]

The view from our favorite hotel, the Zechmeisterlehen in the direction of the Kehlstein and Hoher Goell mountains on October 29.

While visiting tiny Rademin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern recently we were blown away by the size of the ancient church key. More than a foot long, the key (which the pastor admits is the only one in existence) turns a rusty but still working lock on a thick, wooden door in an even thicker stone and brick wall […]

Amalfi seen from the balcony of our room at the Hotel Marina Riviera Leaving the hustle and bustle of Rome behind, we are spending three nights in the little town of Amalfi on the famous and immensely attractive coastline of the same name. The history of Amalfi reaches back into the Byzantine and Roman empires. […]

No matter how many times we visit, the Eternal City never ceases to amaze with its endless supply of ancient sites to explore and marvel over. King of these is the Colosseum. Built in 72-80 AD by slaves captured from fallen Jerusalem, the massive center of the Roman’s thirst for blood stands strong despite centuries […]

Welcome Back! Our latest tour is with four people who first experienced a trip with us in 1999. Our newest tour is with Mel and Mary Deimel and Tony and Delores Irenze. The Deimels and Irenzes traveled around Germany with Jim in the autumn of 1999. We met cousins in the Deidesheim, Germany area and […]