What I learned during six weeks in Europe

The author, Bob Lawson, along the Rhine River in Germany.

I’ve just returned to Vermont after six weeks across Europe. It was a wonderful trip, but my head did start to spin. I felt like I needed to check the calendar to see which language to speak.

I wanted to share some thoughts and observations with you from my travels:

• Germany is an under-appreciated place to visit. The hotels were of excellent standard, the meals wonderful, and the people helpful and friendly. It’s not overly expensive and there are so many lovely places.

• While the food was excellent in all the countries I visited (Germany, Italy, France, and Spain), France still holds the edge. The supermarkets are full of more great foods, the fruits and vegetables are fresher and more varied, and the restaurants more creative. And of course there are the unmatched French markets.

• You have to love Italy. Tuscany is lovely and of course the food and wine wonderful. But it isn’t always an easy place to travel. Things go wrong. Things don’t work. Be prepared for some frustration.

• The north coast of Spain along the Atlantic is awe-inspiringly beautiful. Think the cliffs of Ireland in one direction and the Swiss alps rising up behind you. The scenery is largely unspoiled and there are more empty beaches than you can imagine. Surfing anyone?

• Europe may be a group of small countries, but having just visited four of the largest, I’m reminded again how diverse each place is. From the near-desert around Madrid to the verdant cow pastures in the north of Spain. From the oysters of Brittany to the sauerkraut of the Alsace. The one thing I found the same: Excellent wine.

From these travels, look for new walking trips in 2027 in central France and northern Spain.