Putting a Travel Plan Together

Being somewhat of a number’s freak, my greatest pleasure was doing the detailed planning for this trip two months in advance. It became a daily ‘high’ when whipping out my travel notes. I explored the possibility of having a travel agency do all of the work. No fun in that, and the final cost seemed exorbitant. Itinerary flexibility was a requisite so I eliminated the middleman, with one exception – reserving accommodations.

I was determined that each city’s home base was strategically placed in city centers, close to cultural hubs – markets, museums, landmarks, etc… That would prove to be the right strategy.

After much pondering, shuffling and revising, a surpentine-like route, ‘The Swerve’, emerged. Paris was the starting point. Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Krakow and Warsaw followed. Side trips would include Bruges and Auschwitz/Birkenau. The latter two cities were saved for last. I didn’t want to start my trip visiting sites that revealed the atrocities during Hitler’s reign. The hours spent imagining and establishing a sound and logical itinerary was like getting periodic shots of adrenaline.

The streets of Amsterdam.