Pre Baby Pic Clean-Up: Europe 2008

I'm trying to sort through what could very well be thousands of pictures I've taken and saved in either boxes or to some vaguely named folder.  Tonight, I came across the very sweet trip we took in the summer of 2008 to France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

We had only had "real" jobs for a few years, so even though the locations were glamorous by all our standards, we stayed at cute and inexpensive boutique hotels, basically backpacking our way with a 14 day Eurail pass.  

It was a trip like no other we had ever taken, lugging around big backpacks, washing clothing in sinks and plopping down for picnics using our REI travel food plates and sipping European wines out of REI folding travel cups.  For goodness sake, during our visit to the Louvre, we had 2 bottles of wine, a cork screw and lovely French cheese in our backpacks! 

I've already pinned down Paris as the first out-of-country location we're taking Savannah (next July).  In true Mexican, Roman Catholic fashion, I promised a sort of pilgrimage with my first baby to the Notre Dame Cathedral as a sign of gratitude for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

  

Upon arriving in Amsterdam. Yes, that's Johnny Depp on my shirt

Playing travel guide for Adam

Amsterdam! So lovely!

Organizing the big backpack

At the Paris military school with French pastries

This was an "AH!!" moment for us

Trusty REI plates & cups, always ready for a picnic-this one in front of the Eiffel Tower

Out & about on a rainy Paris morning

Planning the next leg of our rail trip, with a build-a-bear wearing Superman PJs (long story)

Welcome to Versailles!

The Versailles Gardens

Ice cream somehow tasted better in this setting

Marie Antoinette's private palace

Brussels!

Enjoying frites (fries) and mussels in Brussels 

Antwerp, Belgium!  One of my faves!

But of course we would drink Hoegaarden while in Antwerp!

My favorite train station - Antwerp