I don't need too many words for Riquewihr, just take a look at my photos. This is a charming and…read moreinteresting little city to visit. Definitely worth making a trip to see! On my river cruise we went to many small villages and tourist towns, however Riquewihr really shines!

This was a colorful, charming town on the Alsace Wine Route. Our cruise took an excursion to both…read moreColmar and Riquewihr, and these beautiful towns, with cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses are straight out of a fairy tale. Colmar is the inspiration for Howl's Moving Castle, as well for Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Riquewihr was a smaller town, but every bit as delightful, and both towns were decorated for Christmas when we visited in December.

This is definitely special. I traveled halfway across the city just the fine this and almost missed…read moreit. Because it's such a small fountain. However, take the time to zoom into the pictures.And you'll get to see why it's such a special fountain.

I read about Kindlifresserbrunnen in my guidebook for Switzerland, listed as a must-see…read morearchitecture in Berne. Aside from Zytglogge and Bärengraben, this structure topped my list of things to see during my day trip to the city. Kindlifresserbrunnen translates to "child-eater fountain," and it depicts exactly that: an ogre eating babies by the sack full. Not only was I enthralled by this concept, but I was amazed that it was actually a long-standing public structure and not a form of avant garde art. This would never be erected in The States... but I would love to see one appear anyways. Berne, keep staying awesome.

Niederdorf is the area of Zurich across the Limmat river from Lindenhof and Schipfe. It's more…read moretouristy in terms of shopping and there is more of a nightlife in this area. Unfortunately, that means it is also more expensive. It's definitely an area to check out, and is not too far from the old town hall, Grossmuenster cathedral, University of Zurich, or a couple of museums. 80/2025

Located in old town Zurich, this is a wonderful place to walk around and look at the shops, eat…read moredinner, grab a drink, and see some local landmarks. With plenty of restaurants, you are bound to find a place with good food and great atmosphere! The options are endless. Multiple shops line the street, from designer labels, to old antique shops that sell Swiss knives. The old river runs along side the street, as well as some popular church's, including the Grossmünster Church. The area has beautiful architecture, and during the holiday season, is lined with Christmas lights. As we walked along, we enjoyed window shopping, ending with a good dinner. Definitely a good way to spend the evening.

You cannot miss the character these fresh water runnels add to the city. Take off your shoes and…read morerelax.

it s really nice with the little canals of water running through the streets of the old part. It…read morereally gives it character. I did stupidly think that Die Bächle was one specific little well or something at first.

The "country town" of Colmar in Alsace is sweet and charming. The colorfully painted traditional…read morehouses, canals, displays and atmosphere cast a fairy tale spell over the town and is said to be the inspiration behind Disney's Beauty and the Beast. One of my companions remarked that Howl's Moving Castle is modeled after Colmar as well. So maybe you can get a picture in your mind. You must visit to see for yourself. The half-timbered houses, the cobblestone streets, the canals (Little Venice), the historic center -- this is a very lovely town and one of the highlights of our trip. Also, we visited in December and the Christmas markets were in full swing. I'm sure that summer would be a great time to visit, but Colmar is especially magical during the Christmas season. Be prepared for crowds.

Taking a break from the big cities, Colmar is a charming gem in the Alsace region of France…read more Arriving a few days before the Christmas markets start, I find the hotel I'm staying at and the town itself busily building up it's appearance. It's a seasonal thing. But do they really need to? The town is like a medieval setting in a Disney movie! The architecture of timbered wood, houses with pointy roofs and even little nooks with Disney characters is amazing! This town has all levels of dining establishments: fine dining to snack nooks. It's the combination of French and German influences that make this region different from others in France. I just visited the Musée Underlinden. It's impressive for the Triptyque altar pieces on display. A surprise is the size of this museum (quite large!) as well as a Claude Monet piece and other better known French artists. The Petite Venise neighborhood is filled with canals which have flatboat rides cruising down the waterways. 5-star picturesque! If you happen to travel to Eastern France, I highly recommend a stay in Colmar. It's one of the nicest small towns I've seen in my travels!

We arrived a few days early for our July 2019 Collette 9 day tour of Alpine lakes and Scenic…read moreTrains, spending the time self touring Zurich, Switzerland. Much of the time at various museums, but found time to walk to Lake Zurich. Big vast blue mountain lake on the edge of one of the most expensive cities in Europe. Snow covered peaks of the Alps in the background. Fancy promenade for walking around the parks full of gardens that line the Lake. Water fountain in one area, spewing a geyser of water high in the sky. Bridges and wooden towers line the river full of ducks quaking for a handout. On the opposite side is a lake shore walkway. They have a high dive tower in the summer, where dare devils jump off the 30 foot tower into the deep cold waters of the Lake below. A local band is playing. When they see that I'm recording a few seconds of music, one of the performers stops me afterward, asking if I would like to buy a CD of their music. Trying to get hustled again. Not many Asians in Zurich, and no way for me to hide that I was a tourist. As our tour leader, Marion Roy said, this was the first time she had seen a senior Chinese tourist in shorts and sandals. But she had never been to California in the summer nor Hawaii.

Loved it here. Spent a Sunday afternoon just reading my book on one of the benches. Water is really…read moreclean, which makes the whole setting really nice. Beautiful view of everything.