AUTHOR: Kathy McShea

Pictures: View the Slideshow full-screen (100 pictures total)

The Trip:
A 20-day trip driving around Belgium, France, Switzerland and Luxemburg, in early summer 2010.

Why:
I was about to start a new job and the splurge of a special trip was hard to resist. This one played to some of my favorite things: good food, fabulous modern art, historical architecture and beautiful vineyards boasting some of the finest wine available anywhere.

Getting There:
I got a flight with Delta through JFK in New York City to Brussels, Belgium. I took the train to Brugge and rented a car from Eurocar for the journey. (Tip: avoid the middle of the center row at all cost. It makes it difficult to sleep - especially during a red-eye trip.)

Coolest Attraction:
For art-lovers, the Centre Pompidou-Metz has a collection of modern artists to rival the best museums world-wide.

Highlights:
The cathedrals were magnificent. I especially loved the Marc Chagal stained glass at the Reims Cathedral in France. Another stunner was in Strasbourg, France where I entered the magnificent gothic Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg and turned left to have a breathless moment seeing a stained glass window that seemed to be three or four stories high.

Sometimes leaving things unplanned brings happy results: like discovering the Hotel and Restaurant Belevedere in Luxemberg where they have an "arrangement" that includes a gourmet meal and a room that overlooks the historic Vianden Castle on the border with Germany.

The best hiking in Switzerland was along low-impact trails surrounded by waterfalls (one had a rainbow!) near the Stechelberg Hotel that was teeming with spring flowers.

Who could forget seeing the soaring medieval architecture all around you at the Grand Place in Brussels for the first time?

Best Night’s Stay:
This is hard, because it is tied to the best view from my window. At the hotel and restaurant Belvédère in Vianden Luxemburg there was a stunning view of the Vaindan Castle, all lit up for most of the night. At Murten Switzerland at the Hotel Murtenhof & Krone, a balcony window opened up to the lake with a view of colorful sailboats, both beautiful and peaceful, in the morning light.

Best Meal in Town:
This is also a difficult choice because the food was marvelous at every stop, so I'll list three culinary highlights. I'd go to Chez Leon for mussels in Brussels. In Calmar, walk through the kitchen to a hidden gourmet restaurant named Cote du Cour, where I enjoyed the best lamb and polenta dish I've ever had, along with a watermelon desert to die for. Another favorite dish was my first night in Brussels, where white asparagus was in season and the kitchen at T'Kelderke off Grande Place turned it into a mouth-watering soup.

I Knew I Wasn’t in DC When:

I saw more bikes than cars and nobody seems to use a lock (in Brugge)

I fell asleep to the sounds of waterfalls and woke up to the sounds of sheep bells on their way up the mountain (in Switzerland)

I didn't see a house built before 1800 (in Brugge, BE or Colmar, FR)

All the menus seemed to be in French, often with English translations (one said "burned cream" for Crème Brûlée - HAH!)

I seemed to find at least one artisan chocolate shop on each block, The Chocolate Line may be the best (in Belgium)

Each town center in France seemed to have a 100-year old Carousel

I Can’t Believe I Almost Didn’t:
Go to the tour of Châteaux de Pommard. This top flight cellar boasts a great tour followed by a relaxed and satisfying wine-tasting event. Not to mention, they have an art gallery which featured an exposition by Picasso. (Next time I'd plan ahead and sign up for the lunch they serve.)

Most Embarrassing Moment:
Telling someone who reached me by phone on the day I was supposed to be back in DC that I'd missed my plane. Word to the wise: overseas travel requires check in at least two hours before the plane is scheduled to leave if you don't want to suffer the same fate. But like my caller told me, it is sort of like snow day for adults. You pay the price for a changed ticket, plus jetlag lingering, but who can complain about an extra day in Brussels?

What I’d Do Differently:

I'd do laundry sometime on the trip instead of packing enough for every day and save valuable space in my baggage

And don't pack too much. Not leaving room to bring home souveniers required a visit to the post office my last day to ship a box.

I'd plan more time in Luxemburg and less time in Switzerland - I found I may have a touch of altitude sickness above 10,000 feet

I'd take advantage of a boat-trip in Strausbourg, France to get a relaxing (non-walking) tour of the city highlights

I'd order the fresh caught trout for dinner at Hotel Stechelberg

I'd plan the trip with some more in-place days to add some relaxation to the adventure

Favorite Souvenir:
Last time I went to Switzerland (in 1989) I bought a watch and I happily didn't resist the impulse to do it again this year, choosing a watch made by Swiss Military. I also found a stylish coat in the very fashion-forward Brussels. Plus, the Châteaux de Pommard makes a reknown Grand Cru, and they ship!

Don’t Forget to Pack:
Don't forget your car-charger for your cell phone, and your camera charger too for that matter. Bring an extra disc for storage of those photos if you don't plan to download them anywhere. And don't forget adapters for other electrical things. The Switzerland plug is different than the ones in France and in Belgium too. If you are traveling in early June, don't forget a proper coat or jacket. The air is cool and brisk in the morning and evenings - but heats up mid-day. Wish I had also packed something to heat up tea in the morning - coffee makers are not part of the drill in European hotels and I missed my tea-time routine. And I found bedding doesn't always include a sheet in Europe (different traditions so if you want one pack it) and the bathroom towels don't include a washcloth (not standard in Europe, so bring it or do without)..

Best Part of the Trip:
Discovering medieval Europe and the delights France has to offer outside Paris. There is indeed more to France than Paris. And -- bonus! -- enjoying the long light-filled European days (nightfall doesn't come till around 10PM in this part of the globe during the spring.)