TRAVELCONNECTION
Living history
Europe provides a unique historical experience
ONE OF THE best aspects of traveling is the
opportunity to view and experience history. You
can walk along roads that are thousands of years
old, and meander through ancient cities and
structures that have withstood the centuries.
months, around 4:30 in the afternoon. That’s
when the light is perfect, and casts magical shad-
ows around this last Moorish stronghold.
Exploring by water
Strolling through history
The great charm of Paris is not only in visiting
the many wonderful art museums, but traveling
between them. From the Louvre, walk through
centuries-old neighborhoods to the Musée
d’Orsay (a former train station that now houses
artworks created between 1848 and 1914, including masterpieces by the great impressionists).
Then, stroll through the 17th-cen-
tury Jardin des Tuileries—a public
garden where Parisians celebrate,
meet, promenade and relax—until
you reach the Musée de l’Orangerie,
home of Monet’s Water Lilies.
Another way to experience the beauty and
history of a country is by river cruising. The ships
on these cruises are relatively small, go at a slower
pace and can reach destinations that the bigger
ships simply can’t. You can approach each special
destination in a way that allows you to engage with
your location and its part in world history, providing you with an up close and personal opportunity to have a genuine, authentic and fully
curated experience in the region.
On French river cruises, the
immersion centers on the beauty
of French culture, from the wineries of Bordeaux on the Gironde,
Dordogne and Garonne rivers to
Monet and other impressionists
who painted along the banks of
the Seine. There’s a rich and never-ending parade of castles—
some as old as 900 years—along
the Rhine.
TODD BIGELOW
PETER GREENBERG
Peter Greenberg is the
multiple–Emmy Award–
winning travel editor
for CBS News and host
of The Travel Detective
on public television
(petergreenberg.com).
Amble along the banks of the Seine
to see how the river divides the city
into the Left Bank (on the south
side) and the Right Bank (north of
the river), and learn how the first
settlers (a Celtic tribe called the
Parisii) inhabited one of the river’s
islands around the third century.
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At costcoconnection.com,
search “Travel Connection.”
BOTTOM: © M.V. PHOTOGRAPHY / SHUTTERSTOCK, TOP: VIKING RIVER CRUISES
When navigating Rome, I like to
walk on the marble steps and ancient
roads and wonder who might have preceded me.
In Rome, the architecture and history of the
Roman Empire still live and surround you, from
the first republic and the Caesars to the generals
and imperial Rome. Everywhere you turn you will
encounter direct and intense historical and physical perspectives.
On the fabled Danube, passengers sail through Germany,
Austria, Slovakia and Hungary,
exploring Budapest’s imperial
In Spain, take the train from Seville to Malaga.
The trip lasts about three and a half hours, but
once there, head to the Alhambra of Granada and
the famous courtyard of the lions. The Alhambra
is a palace and fortress complex constructed
between 1238 and 1358 on a plateau that overlooks
the city of Granada. A tip for your walk: In the
winter months, start at 3 p.m.; in the summer
delights, taking in Bratislava’s baroque wonders
and Passau’s ancient fortress. In Austria, Vienna
is the “Waltz Capital” and the spectacular Wachau
Valley is a wine lover’s dream. Onshore, be sure
to visit magnificent Melk Abbey and take an
excursion into the Czech Republic to picturesque
Český Krumlov. These are not just river cruises,
but immersive enrichment trips, and the storytelling at each location is unparalleled.
COSTCOCONNECTION
Costco Travel offers packages
to destinations throughout
Europe and around the world.
Costco Travel also offers river
cruises in Europe and China.
To learn more, click “Travel”
at Costco.com or call toll-free
1-877-849-2730.
THE
OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS Click here for a video showing highlights of a Viking river cruise. (See page 9 for details.)
In Portugal, you can glide through the Douro
Valley, where grapes have been grown for 2,000
years, and meet the winemakers who have been
a part of its storied history. Porto, where the Douro
River meets the Atlantic Ocean, is filled with
architectural wonders; stroll along the bustling
Rua de Santa Catarina, and sip the city’s storied
port wines after touring one or more of the area’s
notable cellars.
On foot or by water, history awaits. C
Above center: The Cologne
Cathedral, in Germany, along
the Rhine. Below: The
Alhambra, a Moorish palace
in Granada, Spain.
MARCH 2017 The Costco Connection 21