Concluding Sentiments

Our trip is at an end now, but it has been an experience we will never forget.  It has been an amazing journey as we've traveled through roughly 25 cities and 12 countries in the past 8 weeks.  It has truly been a chance to see the history of modern civilization and enjoy the culture of so many diverse people.

Some of the amazing things we've seen on our trip include:
Stone age burial chambers and ring forts in Ireland
Ruins of the Roman empire and foundations of western civilization in Rome
Medieval castles throughout Great Britain and Ireland
The Sistine chapel and a chronicle of ancient art in the Vatican
Incredible Gothic churches built to display the glory of God
Renaissance art that pulled Europe out of the dark ages
Palace of Versailles where so many kings have reigned and historical documents have been signed
The seat of the Austro-Hungarian empire in Vienna
The depths of human depravity in concentration camps and the global history of genocideRebuilt architecture of cities destroyed in World War II bombings
Nuclear bunkers from the cold war
The streets of communist protests and oppression in Prague
The struggle for independence and the rise and fall of empires
The instruments and performance halls of musical geniuses
Beautiful mountain views and local cheeses in Switzerland
The Dutch attitude toward tolerance and the beer culture of Munich
Delicious local cuisines in twelve different countries
National pride everywhere that we go
The incredible efforts taken to preserve the past and keep local traditions alive
And the preparation for the 2012 Olympic games in London

It felt very fitting to end our trip during the Olympics, as they represent the decision to compete in sports rather than in war.  We were fortunate to see much of the games from hotels or pubs during the last week of our trip and are watching the closing ceremonies as I type this post.  We look forward to sharing more of our trip with everyone, and we plan to continue using this blog for exciting events in our life.


Thanks for reading!
Marty and Shawna