We knew the inappropriately long picture overload had to come at some point, right?
The fact that I packed (literally) 101 pictures into this one single post is either really seriously awesome orrr really annoying. You can vote in the comments – JUST KIDDING, you will never even make it to the comments because you’d have to scroll for 50 years! joke’s on you!
I guess I decided to pack these all into one just in the name of efficiency. Might as well make this a one-stop-Europe-picture-post-stop, and might as be sitting on my couch in maternity leggings while making it happen. I just said MATERNITY LEGGINGS. This is now a thing in my life and I am not mad about it.
Our itinerary for this trip was pretty straightforward.
- Days 1-7 – France:Viking River Cruise!
- Days 7-10 – Switzerland: exploring Lucerne and region on our own
- Days 10-12 – Germany: exploring Munich and region on our own
Basic and easy. Three countries, 12 days. Plenty of time and opportunity to take great pictures with the iPhone 7 plus because YES THIS WHOLE POST IS PICTURES FROM MY PHONE. I’m not freaking out about it, you’re freaking out about it.
Are you sure you’re ready for this?
Here’s the only picture we have of the two of us on our Viking cruise ship, because guess what?
OUR CRUISE NEVER SET SAIL.
And I don’t even mean that in a sad way. The funny thing about this semi-large and seemingly deal-breaker detail is that, strangely enough, it really wasn’t a big deal at all. The river was just too high for us to sail on, so we spent our week with Viking getting off and on the docked ship in Avignon, taking bus tours to the cities on our itinerary, and eventually transferring to (super nice) hotels as needed.
I will say that the one area I was most sad about missing out on was all the amazing food, because this is not your normal cruise ship food, friends. The food that we had in our short two days on board was just 100% incredible and didn’t even hold a tiny candle next to some of the hotel food that followed. I wish we could have eaten every single meal there.
(Pictured here: my self-created “taste of Provence” plate w ratatouille, green olives for days, marinated tomatoes and mozz salad, herbed potatoes, pickled cabbage salad, roasted chicken, and several large shavings of the best cheese that has ever touched my lips. I *might* be pregnant.)
A few people have asked questions about Viking cruises via email and in blog and social comments, and I’m so glad you’re asking! Here are my quick answers to those questions:
Were you the youngest ones on the ship? Yes, for sure. We did find 2-3 kindred youngins (aka 30-somethings – hi Lily! 👋🏼) traveling with parents, and a few couples who’d hit the 40-50’s mark, but for the most part, this is a 55+ crowd.
If it’s 55+, would you recommend the experience to other young people? Yes, in a heartbeat. This is not going to be everyone’s thing, for sure. BUT. Viking cruises are such a good fit for people (all ages) who want to see the BEST of the world without spending hours upon hours planning and preparing, figuring out all the details, and stressing about the logistics of international travel. I say: SIGN ME UP.
What was the best thing about the cruise? Tours, food, cities… but mostly the mental freedom. We loved just looking at the itinerary to see where we’d be going the next day and knowing that Viking would be taking us to all the best spots. There was ZERO need for scrambling on our part to research, plan, or prepare. It was kind of like being at summer camp – you just go along for the ride and let someone else lead, knowing it will be awesome, rather than having to make lots of small decisions at every turn. I know it sounds cheesy, but I feel like our minds really got a chance to relax and actually take in the surroundings because of that mental freedom.
Even when the surroundings included a flooded river. 👇🏼
Other Viking highlights: tour bus! we secretly loved it.
Beautifully decorated ship.
Cozy, luxurious room that did not feel cruise-ship chintzy.
Hot chocolate, coffee, and cookie bar at all hours, thank you very much.
Here’s my excited-to-be-in-France-even-when-it’s-raining look.
And soon after, here’s my almost-passed-out-on-a-tour-and-now-cramming-a-Larabar look. Special times brought to you by dehydration, jetlag, and pregnancy.
Photo credit: Bjork Ostrom.
CREPES CREPES CREPES CREPES CREPES CREPES
Cucumber juice? France is so cool.
Sitting outside the Palais des Papes with Bjork one night, sipping hot chocolate at a cafe, watching people walk by in the plaza. Everything about it was so charmed.
Such a sweet forever memory. ♡
Just reminding you THESE PHOTOS WERE ALL TAKEN WITH MY PHONE. K, not freaking out.
Our amazing hotel in Lyon which gifted me with my life’s most luscious robe and the softest scrambled eggs I’ve ever eaten. The Carlton Hotel is a winner. Good pick, Viking.
Crepes back on the scene.
French Onion Soup from a darling little Lyonnaise Bouchon. Obvi.
oh hai again crepes 😍
Meet Lily and Alice! The perks of going on a cruise = meeting new friends.
Before we can appreciate the beauty of Switzerland, we need to appreciate the beauty of my husband carrying both of our 50 lb. suitcases up the stairs of the train station LIT-ER-ALLY one minute before our train departed for Geneva.
It was 0% stressful.
Thanks beeb. 😘
Our Airbnb in Lucerne was basically a legit tiny house it was GOALS in every way. Also included many petting sessions with James the most awesome Swiss dog.
Things I loved about Switzerland: the food (lots of variety and for whatever reason I felt like we found some of our best food here), the weather (crisp and sunny), the views (!!), and the ability to finally wear my Swiss outfit that was definitely not cool enough for France but totally fit the vibe in Switzy.
Just want you to know: those are curry-spiced beet fritters. 🔥❤️
Basic with a capital B, but this magical sandwich of plain bread, mozzarella, fresh tomato, basil, and aioli eaten on a train through Switzerland will be a forever memory for me. It was a moment of pure Swiss bliss.
A boat trip around Lake Lucerne at sunset. Extremely cold, crisp, and clear views of one of the most beautiful countries in the world with my winter boy by my side. Couldn’t have been better.
On the way up 👆🏼 and not even nervous.
This whole day at the top of Mount Pilatus is a forever memory. The panoramic views were just… I have never seen anything like it. I remember being up at the top and thinking: someday soon I’ll be back and home and this will all just seem like a dream. True dat. But it was such an incredible dream for those few hours while it lasted. I think for both Bjork and I, this was our favorite experience of the trip.
Germany actually started in Austria, with an adorable hostel (Hotel Tannenhof) and a rental car and a plan to visit the castles.
Spaetzle, sauerkraut, and bacon at the Christmas Market. Words cannot describe how good this was.
That is the last picture I have of Bjork for the whole trip, because a mystery virus slash food poisoning took him down and out for the remaining 36 hours of the trip. And when I say down and out, I mean literally did.not.get.out.of.bed. for 36 hours. I cannot even sugarcoat it for you – it was a pretty depressing way to end the trip.
I spent the rest of the trip by myself, walking around Christmas Markets and taking half-hearted pictures and eating warm cinnamon almonds. It was better than being sick, but dang. Life’s less fun without my travel buddy.
Which brings us to my last forever memory of the trip – The Last Dinner – which involved me going out solo to a restaurant to have dinner, but getting so emotional when they brought me to my table for one in such a beautiful, candle-lit restaurant that I actually had to leave so as not to openly cry like a pregnant fool at my table (“no, I’m sorry, just a change of plans”). I went back up to the room where I proceeded to ordered room service pizza and eat it next to the bed that Bjork, still, 36 hours later, had not gotten out of. 💔
We will laugh about it someday. Just give us 20 years.
What a trip, you guys.
It was so phenomenal. It ended on a bittersweet note, but the other 11 out of 12 days were all just absolutely five-star awesome. And thankfully, the day we got back home, Bjork returned to his happy, healthy, feel-good self.
Most so than other trips we’ve taken, I just have so many feelings about this trip – most notably a feeling of deep gratitude that we were able to knock off such a huge travel experience and spend such meaningful time together as we bring our just-the-two-of-us chapter in our lives to a close. It makes me feel weepy. I’m not hormonal at all tho.
The world is so amazing, and now, the big question for all of us, you and me — where to next? ✈️
I mean, it’s probably not even hard to take a baby along on international adventures, right?
Shout out to Viking Cruises for hosting us, Mom and Dad for watching the Sagey Girl, and YOU for your excellent recommendations which I studied and took notes on using a pen and a napkin on the train. You guys are the best. ♡
OTHER ANSWERS TO COMMENTS:
I have the iPhone 7 plus which has an even better camera than the iPhone 7. Many of these photos were taken in “portrait mode” which creates the look of the shallow depth of field.
My coat (aw, shucks, thanks for asking) is from Express, and it’s as wonderful as it looks, and at the time of this post it’s on SALE! Click here to see the coat.
My boots are from Macy’s / Bare Traps and they were so warm and comfy through our whole trip, even with walking 5+ miles almost every day. Click here to see the boots.
More Travel Pictures and Posts:
Girls’ Weekend Getaway: Scottsdale, Arizona
West Coast Road Trip (San Fran To Seattle)
Getting up early is a great option as well and especially love it when there are fewer people around! Great advice Ian thank you. baliboat.tours
I think it’s great that this person is so excited about their trip. Europe is a beautiful continent, and I’m sure they’re going to have a great time. I also think it’s great that they’re not ashamed of wearing maternity leggings. Maternity leggings are comfortable and practical, and there’s no reason why anyone should be ashamed to wear them.
Hey Lindsay, What kind of suitcases did you have on your trip to Europe? I LOVE them !!!
Europe is one of the best honeymoon destinations in the world. Get the best Europe Honeymoon Packaes tour from Flip Trip.
Love the pictures and the story! I live in the Munich area and I am glad you liked it… I am a huge fan of PinchOfYum and FoodbloggerPro. Regards from Munich!
Hi Lindsay,
Glad to see you enjoyed your trip to Europe. I saw a CNBC article and video recently where some people are enjoying a full-time income as travel bloggers. Immediately, I thought of that because I saw you in these nice photos enjoying your trip in Europe and thought to myself “people can really quit their day jobs and become millionaires off of this blogging stuff.” Hey, I like what you’re doing over here with the food blogging and just being yourself. Don’t change anything, ok? (smile) 🙂
Keep up the good work, Lindsay! 🙂
I loved looking at all the photos – they brought back memories of the trip my hubby & I took when he was in college. It was a trip through the college,(accounting)We went to Italy, France, Holland, Switzerland, Germany & England in 15 days. We left our 1 year old son at home with my mother-in-law & celebrated my hubby’s birthday in Italy (they share the same birthday). We also went to Lucerne & Munich as part of our trip. We have such wonderful memories of that trip. My wishes for you & yours is that you have as many wonderful years of memories as we have had – 42 years & counting. Four children, four grandchildren with one on the way – many more years of memories to go! Thank you for sharing your stories!
YASSSS, MADE IT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, and I ain’t even mad that it was 101 photos. So worth it. 😀
Love this post – all 101 pictures of it! I read this after reading all of your Afton posts in one go. I started sobbing about one minute in and didn’t stop. This was a nice distraction to compose myself. In 2013 I travelled through France on an Avalon river cruise. It was amazing and I am sorry you didn’t get the full river cruise experience but you certainly had an amazing holiday.
How did I miss this post? Hm maybe because mid December I got so sick and behind on my Christmas shopping. But glad I saw it now. I LOVE your pictures! You both are so dang good at photography. That iphone is incredible. Lindsay, you look so beautiful. Thanks for taking us readers along with you! 🙂
What a beautiful post! I looked at, and enjoyed every single photo. You are such an amazing photographer. Honestly. I’m so inspired by the two of you. The River Cruise is definitely on my list. I’m not quite to the 55+ crowd but certainly closer than you two are. I prefer something quieter and this looks like it fits the bill. I love that they plan all the good stuff and all you have to do is show up. Thanks again for a lovely post, and I sincerely hope you both have enjoyed your holidays together.
Great photos and post! You missed Italy…next time come and visit the south for exceptional food and wine!
Your pictures & blog inspired me so much I bought my first ever iphone!!! So that I too can extend those magical moments in pictures 😉
Wow, that was the trip of a lifetime. I totally agree with your decision…something to do as a couple before you become three! <3 And you can always go back with the tot in tow. 🙂 I can't wait to see pics of your babe one day (just like Smitten Kitchen with her two kidlets–I love seeing how family intersects with the blog…it really is a life, not just two separate things). Question: your hat! your scarf! SO CUTE. Where did you find such a great ensemble?! They go perfectly together. I'm kinda meh on boots and jackets, because they usually go with a lot of things (blank canvas). But, a good scarf/hat ensemble really stands out, and I always notice!
Wauw.. wow… amazing picures.. from the mountains, the birds, the food.. its amazing! love these photo’s so much! thanks for sharing
Love the pics! You should do a “What we packed” post follow up. I always love to see what people packed and why.
Silly question, what brand of luggage do you have? I’m going to Europe in the summer & need new luggage and yours looks like it holds a lot but easy to get around with.
I’ve always wanted to do a Viking Cruise. I have read such amazing reviews and even with not being able to fully utilize the ship it still sounds like you had a wonderful time.
I will definitely need to check it out in the future.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Wow – that really didn’t feel like 101 photos! Probably because they were all so wonderful….and I’m super impressed that they were shot on your iphone! Can I ask what VSCO filters you use? Thanks!
Awww, sweet Aix. I was there last year. Your (awesome iPhone) photos brought back such great memories!
I absolutely love this post! Thank you for sharing your trip with all of us. And I’m so glad Bjork wasn’t sick for too long!
What a delight to view all of your travel photos! Thank you so much for sharing them with us. The iPhone 7Plus is A-MA-ZING! We have friends who travel all the time with their baby, and they make it seem so easy. Hopefully, you’ll be able to do the same. I would suggest a future trip to Lago di Garda in Italy. Rent an apartment for a couple of weeks and take short drives to visit all of the many lovely towns around the lake. We usually stay in Riva del Garda, which is on the mountainous end of the lake. Short drives to Bardolino, Verona, Limone, Malcesine (which has a really cool castle)and many others. The town at the “flat” end of the lake is Sirmione, which is literally a walled town with a moat that you access over a real drawbridge. The town of Arco is high above Riva del Garda and also has some great views from the ruins of a castle.
Hope you and Bjork have a wonderful Christmas! All the best to you!
Great images!!! Thank you for sharing with us.
No. But. How are all of these taken with a phone. How does that phone even make shots looking out through the windshield amazing?! Apple should be thanking you a whole lot for showing how amazing their phone is, YOWZA. I have never even considered getting an iPhone until NOW.
Thank you so much for sharing your amazing trip (hope B is feeling much better now)! It allowed me to ‘travel’ a bit from my seat on the couch with my tea. <3 Happy Holidays!
An iPhone !! Really? Those pictures are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Honestly though, just between you and me, did you do a lot of editing or does the iPhone do bokeh???