2017 Celebrates Lutheranism in Europe!

Travel guides and television hosts everywhere are gearing up to follow the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation and the men who were at the head of it.  Martin Luther mostly, but also John Calvin.  There will be celebrations for several years, beginning this year throughout Germany and Switzerland.

If you ever wondered what the Reformation was, it was quite simply reforming Catholicism to make the scriptures and practices more available and comfortable to the masses.  Until this time, all scriptures were in Latin and the clergy of the church were quite often the only ones who could read them.  The clergy were also the ones who received communion during the services most of the time.

Martin Luther had a calling and joined the clergy, but what he did was unprecedented at the time.  He translated the Holy Scriptures into his vernacular, German so that everyone could read them for themselves.  It started a spiritual revolution across central Europe and changed the landscape forever.  It was only the start, but it was Earth shattering and by the time that Martin Luther passed, a whole new sect of religion had come to be.

This will be a great year to plan a trip and follow the Lutheran Trail and the lives of Martin Luther and his like minded revolutionary, John Calvin.  There are tons of tour companies that will take you on the whole trail or part of it.  You can also check out several television shows, like Rick Steve's.  There are many ways to learn and enjoy a trip through Germany and Switzerland, but this is the one that will stand out this year and probably for some years to come.

Wurtemburg, Germany is where it started and where Luther Ended his life.  It's a great little German town that has all of the wonders of Germany to offer, and it has a top spot on the Luther and Reformation Trails.  It's one of the spots that you will have to check out and they have festivals planned for the celebration as well.

Hamburg was another hotspot during the Reformation.  It was ground zero for a lot of conflicts between the Catholic Church and those who were challenging their ways.  Hamburg is still noted today for being a modern town with new thinking and cutting edge technologies.  They will be having celebrations during the Reformation Anniversary and are part of the tours along the Reformation Trail.

Zurich, Switzerland was home to more of the Calvinist Movement, but nevertheless are an important stop on the Reformation Trail.  While the city is noted for it's banking and high standards of living, they are part of the Protestant Reformation and will be celebrating the anniversary this year with festivals.

So, I have a lot going on.  I won't say a whole lot about this years long event.  I will be out for a while with a surgery.  I will be back, but in the meantime, check out the plethora of links that I have shared for you to learn about the Reformation and possibly plan an amazing trip to experience it and celebrate it's 500th anniversary.  There are many towns along the trail.  I've only mentioned some of the more prominent ones.  Check out the city and area schedules for festival dates and times.  Get a hold of a tour operator that is offering a guided tour.  I don't take them often, but this is one of those times.  Make your arrangements now, because the anniversary actually starts later this year, but it will be hard to make arrangements if you wait too late.  So, come and see Germany and Switzerland through the eyes of the reformers that made them who they are today.  Come and celebrate this year's 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation and the works of Martin Luther and John Calvin.  Come and be a part of history and enjoy!

http://www.hamburg.com/
http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/?utm_id=sem:Upper-Funnel-Europe-Search-USA-BMM&gclid=CLrjos6Lz9ECFRdYDQodyYwP0Q&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CLCh3s6Lz9ECFam5swodj7YHAA
https://www.luther2017.de/en/experience/travel-routes/travel-routes/
http://www.uncommon-travel-germany.com/wittenberg.html
http://selecttravel.com/tour_reformation_trail.asp
http://www.mygermancity.com/luther-trail
http://www.gocollette.com/en/tours/europe/germany/on-the-trail-of-martin-luther
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Luther
http://www.eurorailways.com/index.html
http://www.mygermancity.com/luther-trail
http://www.slideshare.net/LWFWeb/evangelical-lutheran-church-in-wrttemberg
http://www.booking.com/city/de/hamburg.html?aid=801942;label=yahoogemini-city-hamburg-QFQcwwLOUVBPkFiVjdiP0w&utm_source=yahoo-gemini&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Germany-Hamburg---UFI--1785434&utm_term=hamburg-germany-e
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/germany-hamburg
https://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/point_to_point/triprequest.htm
https://www.raileurope.com/index.html
http://www.lutherantravel.com/index.html
http://lutheranreformation.org/
http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-9389283
http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-and-the-95-theses
http://tourism-bw.com/
http://www.germany.travel/en/index.html
https://www.swiss.com/us/EN/Book/Flight?WT.mc_id=SEA_US&WT.srch=1&tmad=c&tmcampid=94
https://www.zuerich.com/en
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/zurich.html
https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/en
http://reformationtours.com/package/reformation-heritage-trail/
http://religioustravelplanningguide.com/relive-the-reformation-on-collettes-martin-luther-tour/
https://www.luther2017.de/en
https://www.lutheranworld.org/program/reformation-anniversary-2017
http://www.visit-luther.com/explore-luthercountry/events/2017-500th-anniversary-of-the-reformation/
http://reformationtours.com/reformation-jubilee-2017/
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred

I will be back soon and will have more to tell you about out there in the world and more reasons why you should go out and see it.  See you soon, Enjoy!

The Value of Travel

What do you picture as the meaning of life?  As I face some serious health problems, I find myself asking this question.  I've spent most of my life trying to get by.  My hard work and perseverance sometimes seems to be for nought.  I'm surrounded by people who put a lot of value on material things, and I worry that we've all lost sight of what's really important in life.  I won't argue the value of love and family, but I have to argue the value of fancy cars and big houses; Iphones and designer clothes.  I feel that the most important things that we can accumulate are memories and for the first time in my life, I can argue why.

I've been many things in my life.  I've been both rich and poor.  I chose to live my life as a middle class person.  I walked away from rich.  My friends, acquaintances, family and others around me are always talking about things.  Everyone talks about buying a big house, a fancy car, a great phone, a big TV, and so on.  All I ever wanted to do was see the world.  I've had a chance to see a bit of it, and the more I see, the more I want to see.  I always wanted to know if I was crazy because going places and doing things and having experiences was more important to me than who made my purse.  I wanted to be like people I know that spend their lives content with never leaving their country, their state, or even their city.  I thought I was wrong.  I don't feel that way anymore.

There's an old saying that you can't take it with you.  I've always liked that.  Most of us believe in some kind of spiritual life.  Whether you think that you're going to heaven, hell, purgatory, limbo or whatever; whether you believe in karma, reincarnation, or whatever; you cannot take material things with you.  In ancient times, they buried people with what they would need for the afterlife or for when they returned.  We're digging up the items that were buried with these people today.  You can't take it with you folks.  What do you get to keep?  Your memories.

My travels are some of the best memories of my life.  I never questioned that.  I love to share my stories of sitting on the Berlin Wall, going to church in Russia with the Pope, hiking in Iceland, walking in the Alps and many more.  I also love my house, my car, my new oven and many other things.  But, today I learned the value of memories.

I was talking to my mom.  That's right, just talking to my mom.  This is the time of year that makes her a little sad.  Two years ago today, my dad died suddenly.  My mom is still recovering.  My parents lived comfortably.  My parents also liked to travel.  I talked to my mom today, as I always do on days that I'm afraid may upset her about my dad's death.  She told me three stories that were adorable anecdotes from trips that she took with my dad.  She told me about a time that she got drunk in Cancun with him and how much trouble he had getting her back to the hotel room and putting her in bed.  She told me about the time that they were part of the crew on a schooner in the Caribbean.  She told me about the time that they went to Flagstaff and it snowed in the summer on top of the mountains there.  Her voice sounded happy when she was telling me the stories.

I realized that every time my mom talked about the house or the car it was a story of something that stressed her out.  She had something that broke and she had to get it fixed.  She had something that was just there that she didn't seem to want to think about.  Since my dad died, the house has given her no comfort.  The car has given her no comfort.  His gigantic clock collection has given her no comfort.  The only time that she sounds comforted when she talks about my dad is when she talks about their memories.  Most of their memories involve travel.  I thought about that today as I prepare to take care of some serious problems myself.  I wondered if I was losing my mind, or was it really more important to have great memories than to have a lot of money and stuff.

Life is a journey and travel is journeying.  It's pretty simple.  Explorers never seemed to talk of regret.  I have never regretted a single journey that I've taken.  I've been told that travel is a waste of money, but I argue that you cannot put a monetary value on irreplaceable experiences and the memories that they create.  Do I want to look back on my life and judge it on my possessions?  No.  I would rather look back on my life as a story of amazing experiences.  I would call that money well spent.   You can't get time back, so spend it well.  Don't tie yourself to a house and make that your life.  Go out and experience life.  A house can be a prison.  An experience can set you free.  Think about it.

Money spent on travel is money spent on making memories.  That's not a waste.  My mom has great memories.  That's what comforts her.  Those are the things that she remembers most.  This is a woman who once placed a great deal of importance on material things.  Now that she's missing my dad, her point of view has changed.  Facing my own problems and looking back at my regrets and my accomplishments I can say that I most fondly remember my travels.  I don't have a fancy house or a fancy car.  I don't have an Iphone or a designer purse.  I do have memories of traveling 17 countries and 37 states.  I have memories of romantic getaways with my husband.  I have memories of road trips with my son.  I have memories of European adventures with my family.  I have memories of hiking Iceland with my mom. I'll take my memories.  After all, it's the only thing that I have a shot at taking with me.

So, take some time and do some traveling.  Spend some quality time on the road with your family and loved ones.  Make the memories that will comfort you when your loved ones have gone.  Remembering is what we really have after our loved ones leave us, so make the memories that will comfort you later now.  See the world and enjoy!

http://greatsafaris.com/
http://www.trans-siberia.com/
http://www.silversea.com/landing-why-silversea-4/?campaign=USA_Bing_Search_Generic_PPC&s_kwcid=AL!843!10!73942175496573!118213009012&ef_id=WHsNwgAAAK6BiTrN:20170115055318:s&website=337dc751&77tadunit=69de49e2&77tadvert=73942175496573&77tkeyword=%5bluxury+cruises%5d&77tentrytype=s&77tentry=USA_22A
http://www.trans-siberian-travel.com/
http://safaris.com/
https://www.virtuoso.com/
http://www.besttravel.com/luxury-travel/
http://www.europeanrivercruises.com/?source=gemini&cn=rivercruises&ag=europe
http://www.trivago.com/?sLanguageLocale=US&iSemThemeId=10626&sem_keyword=luxury%20travel&sem_creativeid=75591433851438&sem_matchtype=be&sem_network=s&sem_device=c&sem_campaignid=180709571&sem_adgroupid=2549572898&sem_targetid=116345476997&cip=1221070201
https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/get-brochure/?CMP=KNC-FY17_ABD_ACT_DOM_General-Family_|NB|B|4176700.AD.AM.01.01|&d_psid=kwd-16671642320|dc|best%20places%20to%20+travel|4784937485|b|5046:10|&s_kwcid=AL!5046!10!4784937485!16671642320&ef_id=WHsNwgAAAK6BiTrN:20170115055058:s
http://www.crystalcruises.com/
https://www.exclusiveresorts.com/travel?cid=70139000001LTtA&rp=/discover39
http://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com/
https://luxuryescapes.com/subscription
https://www.expedia.com/Vacation-Packages?kword=trip!b.ZzZz.4840000736169.0.10595012132.luxury%20travel.trip&semcid=US.UB.BING.SEARCH.PACKAGE&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=USA:ENG:%:GT:GLOB:ALL:E:X::&utm_term=trip&utm_content=USA:ENG:%:GT:GLOB:ALL:XX:X:X:X:X:E:X:trip:
http://www.aroundtheworldtours.com/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/how-to-plan-a-trip-around-the-world/2016/04/25/190c8f80-f5d4-11e5-a3ce-f06b5ba21f33_story.html?utm_term=.881971cbc99a
http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/expeditions/around-the-world-jet-tour/detail
https://www.seabourn.com/
http://www.atwt.net/
http://www.abercrombiekent.com/?did=8568&utm_content=MQXIzpc9-d_pcrid__pkw__pmt_e_&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=A%26K+Brand_General&utm_term=abercrombie%26kent
http://www.statravel.com/top-multi-stop-routes.htm
http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/
https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/antarctica?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=03.%20Antarctica%20%7C%20USA%20%7C%20ENG&utm_term=Antarctic%20cruise&utm_content=Antarctica%20%2B%20cruises%20%2F1
http://www.polarcruises.com/antarctica?mm_campaign=485D87F841FB2962CDAE4DA47CAA0F31&keyword=antarctic%20cruise&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Antarctica%20Cruises%20-%20Exact%20Bing&utm_term=antarctic%20cruise&utm_content=Antarctica%20Cruises
https://www.yampu.com/destinations/antarctica/antarctica/
http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/en/antarctic
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred