Planning, Packing, and a Plane Ride Across the Atlantic from DC to Warsaw

“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” 

 Mark Twain – from The Innocents Abroad

As a child, I developed a love of travel and being on the road, seeking new adventures, seeing new sights, meeting new people, encountering new ways of living, and sampling new foods, new culture, and new ideas

Today, as a 73-year-old, I find my travel passion is just as great. My traveling partner Judy, who has also been my wife for 52 years, and I have been extremely fortunate. We have been on safari with lions in Kenya and spent 2 weeks in Fidel Castro's Cuba. We have roamed extensively in Asia. We have sailed through the Panama Canal, perused art masterpieces in Italy and Russia, taken a fog-shrouded Jack the Ripper night tour in London, hiked the majestic mountain trails of Machu Picchu, dove into the clear Pacific waters off Tahiti, and seen a stunning sunrise in Stockholm with Swedish friends.

But obviously, even after so many years, there were still many places yet to visit. And one of those was Eastern Europe. We had long talked about taking a river cruise in that part of the world. But, in 2024, Judy discovered a 16-day bus trip sponsored by the Smithsonian and we decided to sign up for that excursion.

And so, this blog that you are now reading (which is the 1st one I have ever composed using AI extensively) is my attempt to capture in words and pictures some of the highlights we found on our Smithsonian journey to the Historic Cities of Central Europe. 

I hope you enjoy it.