Sometimes beauty cannot be described with words or captured with a photograph. During my travels, I saw things that set a new standard of beauty in my mind. The architecture of Vienna made me wonder why American cities look so mundane. The mountainous regions of Italy forced me to envision my personal idea of utopia. The historic ancient Rome evoked truly historic thoughts of the area. This section will briefly try to give you an idea of the places we visited.

Our journey started from Minneapolis where we boarded KLM airlines. Our first flight landed some nine hours later in Amsterdam. Though we never really left the airport, the six hours spent touring the airport and speaking with people offered us our first taste of Europe.

We then took a short flight to Munich, Germany. One night in this city definitely left us wanting more. We toured the most historic parts, and some of us even found a little time for fun. The next morning we found ourselves on a long train ride through Germany, Austria and finally to our destination of Merano, Italy. The train ride let us view some of the most beautiful parts of the Italian Alps. This was truly a magical experience. We then started our 2 weeks in the mountains. We would stay in Brunnenburg castle located in Dorf Tirol. For fun, we would play in Merano, or on some occasions Bolzano.

Members of the group took excursions to visit Italian cities. Verona and Venice became destinations to some travelers. My group opted for a wild and unforgettable experience in Rome. This included an eight-hour train ride through cities like Verona.

A quick two weeks went by and we soon found ourselves traveling to Vienna, Austria. This big city contained some of the most beautiful architecture I have ever witnessed. St. Stephen's Cathedral will forever stay fixed in my mind as a symbol of religious beauty.

Our trip concluded with a trip back to Munich, Germany. We then flew to Amsterdam and back to Minneapolis from there. The pictures above may offer a better idea of the trip. -Kris Hjelmeland