Pisa Italy is worth a visit while enjoying your Europe travel tours …. yep, as in “The Leaning Tower of…” That’s why every tourist puts this Italian city on their itinerary isn’t it? There is more to Pisa than that tower, but come on… how much more iconic can you get? And if all you have time for is to see the tower…. well why not?

If you haven’t been, you might not even realize that there is much more just in the compound of the Campo dei Miracoli, or the Field of Miracles. Also known as the Piazza del Duomo, this green expanse is where the cathedral is… Duomo in Italian…. And the Leaning Tower is the campanile (the bell tower) for the Duomo.

You’ll also see the beautiful Baptistry and the Camposanto Monumentale, the Monumental Cemetery. The whole complex is a dazzling architectural display in white marble. OK, maybe that tower was an architectural project gone wrong, but it does draw tourists.

The Piazza dei Miracoli (another name you may find on maps!) is a wide walled area at the heart of the city. If you’re driving in, you will drive through the city.

The city was in its heyday during the 12th and 13th centuries when it was a maritime power. There are many piazzas and churches dating from that time that are interesting to visit if you have time. It’s crammed full of historical monuments and buildings dating back hundreds of years.

The city declined after its fleet was defeated by the Genoese, and the River Arno started changing course, causing the harbor to silt in. Much of the center of the city has maintained its medieval appearance.

Pisa is also known as a lively university town. Along this academic train of thought, the city was the birthplace of Galileo Galilei, and though he moved with his family to Florence at a young age, he was a professor of mathematics at the university at one time in the late 16th century.

There are plenty of ways to get to the area. You can fly into the International Airport Galileo Galilei from most European cities. I think most tourists would take the train from Rome or Florence… or opt to drive as we did.

There are tourist shops and places to eat around the edges of the piazza… These are tourist places, but they can be expedient if you’re just passing through to see the Leaning Tower and Duomo. It’s a bad joke, but we still say we had pizza in the Pisa piazza…. Sorry (really, I am!) You can find more information about the area at the main tourist information office at the Piazza dei Miracoli.

If I seem to be concentrating on the Leaning Tower… that’s what most tourists do… and what we did. One trip we were taking friends on a whirlwind tour of France and Italy. We didn’t want them to miss this, so we drove into town, parked and told them they had two hours to see the Leaning Tower.

That’s an extreme… and somewhat embarrassing example, but our point is, whether your time is long or short, we think you should see Pisa and its Leaning Tower.

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If you like beer, then Belgian beers should draw you on a Europe travel tour of this little country. The Visit Belgium website says there are over 450 different varieties of beer.

Beer is more than just a drink here… this country cultivates beer connoisseurs. It’s true… Belgians take their beer seriously. Many of the beers have specific beer glasses in which that beer, and only that beer, may be served. Just like some wine glasses, each glass is made to enhance the flavor of the beer it is designed for.

Certain beers may be paired with food, just like wines are, and some beers are aged for years in their bottle. Almost all Belgian beers are “conditioned” in the bottle not in kegs, so it will be different than if you go into a British pub to get a local beer on tap or if you visit one of the growing number of micro-breweries in the U.S.

Many of Belgium’s beers are made in small quantities and don’t travel well, so you’ll just have to go to Belgium to try them.

You’ll find all kinds of styles and all kinds of strengths, so be careful when you’re drinking. There are….

Blanche or White Beers… sometimes called wheat beer.

Lambic beer… a non-malted wheat beer that is naturally fermented by airborne yeast. (This is made specifically in the Brussels area.)

Gueuze, Faro and Kreik beers are Lambic beers. They have a secondary fermentation that makes them sweet or fruity. Kriek is a refreshing cherry-flavored beer. Our Belgian friends told us we had to try the cherry beer while we were in Brussels.

Other different types include…

Brown Beers… more like what you would consider an ale.

Red Beers that are produced from red barley and aged in oak.

Golden beers or blond beers that are like Pilsner lagers.

There are Trappist beers which make famous dark ales and great blond beers. Abbey Beers which are similar but are not made in monasteries.

Six of Belgium’s Trappist monasteries make beer. There are some twenty different beers brewed by those six monasteries. These breweries are not open to the public except on occasional “open door days” and then only with reservations, but you can sample them in local cafes and some abbey shops.

If you drive around to the Trappist monasteries to try their beer, you can try some cheeses too… Beer and cheese instead of wine and cheese.

Many of the Belgian beer breweries have tours or museums. Some require reservations, some have admission frees for the tours and tastings and some are free. Check with the Visit Belgium website for more information.

As you might expect with all these beer, there are beer festivals in many cities and towns the year round. In addition to trying a variety of beers, you can buy beer glasses, bottles, labels, and coasters (though you can snag coasters for free when you buy your beer). You can also buy old ads, clocks, mirrors, pints, jugs and other collector’s items.

Not up for that kind of a festival? You’ll find a number of Belgian beer museums, and there are also many Belgian beer tours.

Don’t worry too much about all the differences; just revel in the fact that when you stop in a little cafe or pub, you’ll have lots of great Belgian beers to choose from. The Globe Cheap Travel Guide reveals how anybody can take advantage of Discount Europe Travel Tours, through secrets previously only known within the travel industry.

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Gdansk could be your port of entry in Poland if you take a Baltic States or Northern Europe Cruise. It could also be your first stop if you enter Poland by ferry as we began our travel tour.

We arrived in Poland after a long overnight ferry ride from Nynashamn, Sweden. It was kind of a fun introduction because we were about the only non-Polish passengers on the ferry. Driving into the center of the town was surprisingly easy… we just followed the signs to the center of the city… “centrum”… and even hotels were marked in relatively easy to read signs. That’s saying something because Polish is NOT easy to read!

Get a hotel near the center of town. There is lots to explore, starting with just looking at the wonderful architecture of the Old Town. It’s hard to believe that 90 percent of this city was destroyed or damaged in World War II. The buildings and churches have been painstakingly restored or rebuilt.

Walk along the pedestrian walkway along the river front. The Dlugie Pobrerze hugs the Motlawa River bank. See the crane, the Zuraw, the largest medieval port crane in Europe (though this too has been reconstructed). The buildings along the riverfront are impressive and colorful. (Even the buildings that have been turned into a hotel look like individual houses.)

You can view the riverfront best by walking over the bridge that is a continuation of the Long Street. Or take the small pedestrian ferry across in front of the crane. It’s free if you have a ticket from the Maritime Museum that is housed in the Crane Building.

Leave the river and pass through the Green Gate to stroll the Long Street… the Dlugi Targ and Dluga, its narrower continuation. It’s also a pedestrian street lined with great buildings.

Highlights are the Artus Court and the Neptune Fountain in front of it. The Uphagen House further down on Dluga has been recently restored, but it’s 17th century Rococo panelling was not damaged in the war, and it’s fun to see.

Walk all the way to the end of the Ulica Dluga and go through the Golden Gate (we had to do this since we’re from the San Francisco area!) and the Highland Gate. If you’re so inclined, you can check out the Prison Tower and torture museum while you’re there….. or just pass through like we did!

Browse the amber shops…. they’re everywhere, but especially along the very pretty Ulica Mariacka. This street (ulica means street) runs parallel to Ulica Dluga. You reach it from a side street, or you can enter it through the Mariacka Gate on the riverfront. Like much of Gdansk, most of the buildings were rebuilt after WWII, but it contains outstanding examples of traditional Gdansk architecture.

There are lots of churches to see. Most are historic, but they’re comparatively plain inside because they were rebuilt. We didn’t go to the shipyards, but signs of the Solidarity Movement were everywhere.

You may drive in like we did, or you could take the train to arrive at the central railway station, Dwonec Glowny. It’s a beautiful old building in its own right… a great introduction to the city’s architecture.

You may also find yourself arriving by air. The Lech Walesa Airport has become a destination for many low cost air connections from all over Europe. Maybe because Poland is still a bargain to travel in. There are also domestic flights from Warsaw or Krakow. There are transfer buses to the central train station, which is right on the edge of the Old Town, about every half hour.

No matter how you arrive in Gdansk, this pretty Baltic city is definitely worth a visit. The Globe Cheap Travel Guide reveals how anybody can take advantage of DISCOUNT Travel Europe Tours, through secrets previously only known within the travel industry.

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If you are thinking about traveling to Europe shortly, then you should check out these discount Europe Travel Tours to Venice. Check out what you can get up to in Venice in just one day…

Many people try to see Venice in a day. Time and money are often short when you’re traveling, so you want to get to as many places as you can. You really shouldn’t see Venice just in daylight…. a day and a night maybe. Or two nights and a day.

Venice really is a small town. You can walk right across it from the train depot to St. Mark’s Square in less than an hour… but that would be if you were just walking and not looking, and what you really want to do is stroll and SEE Venice…. La Serenissima herself is the main attraction.

The first time we went to Venice, we arrived by train at night and stayed near the train station. As soon as we settled in, we hit the street and started walking. To see Venice by street light is magical. Narrow winding streets…. Blue and red stripped “barber poles” holding boats and gondolas on the canals…. Little arching bridges to cross….

Don’t worry too much about your direction or getting lost…. Follow those signs that say “Per Rialto” or “Per St. Mark’s”… (Per Rialto means the direction for Rialto Bridge; Per St. Mark’s means… well, you get it…). Sometimes the signs “Per St. Mark’s” point in BOTH directions…. isn’t that wonderful! Wander where you want! All of the day trippers have gone home in the evening, and the narrow streets are all yours and so romantic!

Do what we did and wander all the way to St. Mark’s Square. If you don’t want to spring for an expensive drink at one of the cafes on the square, buy a gelato on a side street, then stand in the square and enjoy the dueling orchestras playing sentimental old favorites.

In the morning, try to see St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. You probably won’t have time to go up the Campanile for the view with only a day, but it’s your choice…. if you only have a day, you’ll be back.

Stroll the streets, shopping along the way. There are lots of wonderful expensive things to buy in Venice, but there are some affordable Italian fashions too… and what better, easily packable souvenir could you ask for than some flamboyant Italian creation?

Find a table at one of the restaurants along the Grand Canal with a view of the Rialto Bridge for lunch. Yes, it’s touristy… it has been touristy for centuries, so you are in good company.

In the afternoon try to sample some of the art… at the Church of the Frari or the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Or if you’re interested in the history of Venice, you could venture into the Museo Correr. If you want to see one of the grand palazzi that line the Grand Canal, see the Ca’ Rezzonico, the museum of 19th century Venice.

When you get all the way to one end of Venice, take a vaporetto to the other end… you’ll never tire of seeing Venice from the water, watching all those palazzi glide by. It takes on a different look in the morning, in the afternoon, at night.

Choose a romantic canal-side restaurant for dinner… or a wonderful little trattoria down an alley. Take a gondola ride before or after dinner. Who cares if it’s touristy? Your gondolier will sing for you, tell you where Marco Polo lived… and you’ll love it.

Go to a concert in the evening… there are chamber orchestras all over vying for your money. Or just go back to St. Mark’s square and listen to those dueling orchestras again.

Two nights and a day will let you see Venice in the short time you have… and by having one or two nights there, you’ll be able to savor it with fewer crowds….. how romantic!

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Travel is dreaming… at least we think it is. It’s dreaming about a place, thinking about it, and learning about it, and finding a way to get there.

Long, long ago, my wife came home from work one day and said, “Katmandu. We’ve got to go there.”

When I asked why, she said because the name sounded so exotic. So why shouldn’t a bewitching name call to you? If travel is dreaming about where you want to go, something has to set you to dreaming.

Following another dream, we went to Morocco because as a girl my wife had seen a TV program about “The Walled City of Rabat.” She couldn’t imagine a city having a wall around it. Our hometown didn’t. What would that look like?

Why would they need a wall around their city? That image piqued his interest, so for years he had a curiosity about Rabat… she dreamed of going there and seeing it for herself.

You have to use your imagination here… that sentence has to roll off your tongue with a certain amount of awe and maybe with a little resonance… certainly with a bit of drama… not just the walled city of Rabat… but, “The W-A-L-L-E-D… City… of… R-A-B-A-T.” Can you hear it? It was a sentence that set us to dreaming for years.

I have a friend who hasn’t traveled much yet, but she dreams of going to Paris. She wants to sit in a sidewalk cafe and drink French coffee and watch people walk by. I don’t know what set her to dreaming that, but I’m fairly sure she’ll get to Paris some day and enjoy that coffee tremendously.

What sets YOU to dreaming? Is it one of the grand cities of the world? Mountains to trek through? Do you want to go on safari? Maybe you would love to go to fashion week in Milan or ride on a gondola in Venice.

You may travel to learn about yourself… how well you can get by in a foreign setting. Can you endure a hike through the mountains? Will you like what you find out about yourself? Are you hoping for a revelation of some sort? A life changing experience?

Travel experiences can sometimes seem magical. It may seem that travel is dreaming while you are on your journey. You may even find that you have to keep reminding yourself that you actually are there… you ARE walking on the Great Wall of China. Pinch yourself…. make yourself stay aware so you don’t get home and say you should have paid more attention…. been more…. more THERE.

Travel is dreaming about that journey even after you return home. That’s a great thing about it. You’ve learned a little about a new place. It will never be entirely foreign to you again. Those memories that travelers have help connect the world more closely.

Do we keep talking about the reasons to travel because we are trying to rationalize traveling so much? Maybe, but we think travel helps spread tolerance and understanding, so we want to cover all of our reasoning to convince you to get out there and explore the world.

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