Life on the Vine

Truth be told Tom is not really a fan of bus tours.  He usually enjoys himself once we get to the destination but it's the 6-8 hour-long bus rides going there and coming back that he could really do without.  When I was looking through the new USO catalog a couple months ago, I saw tours to two cities that I really wanted to visit.  I like the USO tours because they give you quick feel for a particular city and help you decide if you want to go back and spend more time. I've shared photos of Christmas markets.  Turns out that some cities have Easter markets too.  The two tours would be visiting the cities when their Easter markets were going on.  So, after confirming that Tom was game, we signed up.  First traveling to Vienna (Wien) and two weeks later traveling to Prague (Praha).  Let's visit Vienna first.  Vienna skyline from Schönbrunn Palace The first Easter market we visited was the one at Schönbrunn Palace , the summer residence used by Empress Maria Theresa,

I love our nation's capital.   Over the years I have spent two full summers there working as a U.S. Air Force summer intern, while in college; lived in the area for 6 month completing my Department of Army Intern Program to become a Public Affairs professional; and traveled there numerous times for work and conferences, including the time I got to go on the Congressional visits with the District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District. I've spent a couple Christmases there; sat on the U.S. Capitol lawn for the Fourth of July celebration that is usually televised on PBS; seen the Christmas Carole performed in Ford's Theater; visited the Korean War memorial with my father-in-law who is a Korean War veteran; gone on the tour of the White House and been to the homes of some of our early presidents - Washington's Mount Vernon and Jefferson's Monticello; visited the Pentagon's 9-11 Memorial with my sister, who served in the United States Ma