This whirlwind of a month had me in seven countries… then the same trip again, extending into October! Rick Steves’ Europe through the Back Door —as it was called then— started a Best of Europe II tour that began in London, traveled south toward the Mediterranean & ended in Barcelona. The 20-day trip was crazy fun, & the company gave me the opportunity of assist on two back-to-back trips.
With 271 photos of the UK, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, France & Spain spread over 11 rolls of film, I’ve only selected a few that caught my eye. A couple years later Best of Europe II morphed into Village Europe, & the route changed quite a bit before disappearing altogether in 2005.
Observations: Recognize any of the places above? I still love telling stories of frantically changing currencies at every border crossing, as well as running to find a phone card to confirm hotels & restaurants. What a different experience we have today as guides. I knew I had photos of the Sagrada Familia without a roof… & that Heidebloem bus was ours! Can’t imagine parking at the entrance today. Also, note that no one was on the Millenium Bridge in London; officially opened a few months before this photo was taken, the structure wobbled so much that safety concerns caused its closure until 2002.
Hope you enjoy this glance at the past. Read about the genesis of this project, & please leave a comment if you also remember this particular time & place.
© 2000 Robert Wright. Any copying, usage, or reproduction of the images above requires owner consent.