The week of July 4th is when I have to take my mandatory vacation. This year I broke my record by leaving footprints in 3 countries - the Netherlands, Austria & Germany. Almost everyday before 7 a.m. I was already on the train. A few trips took 2 & 1/2 hours by train plus a boat or a bus ride each way. I visited 20 places in less than 9 days, not even including Munich where I did not do any sightseeing this time due to the weather condition. Nevertheless, I had a very memorable gathering there with a new friend Amelie whom I just met in Muenster a few months ago. She and her husband travelled for 7 hours from the north to meet her cousins and me in Munich. I did not post a photo of them here though, as some people may not like to be seen on a public website.

These are all scenic photos of the places I visited. Because of global warming, the weather in Europe has changed drastically in the past couple of years. During this trip I experienced 3 severe thunderstorms, one in each country I went to. When it was not raining the sky could be beautiful. Anyway, I should be very thankful to have these pictures for the memory, regardless of the quality.

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