Strasbourg

Switzerland, A Touch of Heaven on Earth

June 28, 2020 by Joel Thornton

Switzerland is unreal. It will constantly stop you in your tracks with sights that you can’t believe you are seeing. Its alpine valleys beg you to come into the country. The majestic Alps are amazing in so many ways. I get mesmerized every time I am there.

Because of its size it is an easy country to tour. Because of its mountain range it is a difficult country to get through. The train system runs with Germanic efficiency. Some of the train stations look like sets straight out of the movies.

In fact, the highest train station in Europe is in Switzerland in the Jungfrau Region of the Alps. It sits at 11,821 feet above sea level. I was there in the middle of July a number of years ago and the high temperature for the day was 32 degrees.

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Strasbourg–the Hidden Jewel of the Alsace Region

May 9, 2020 by Joel Thornton

The first time I went to Strasbourg, France was in the late summer of 1997. I was on a fact-finding mission for my company. We were contemplating opening a European office and I was charged with determining if we should and where it should be located. That trip took me to Paris, Brussels, London, Cologne, and Strasbourg. I had only been to London before that trip.

I fell in love with Strasbourg from the beginning. Even though I was there when I received that one of my musical heroes, Rich Mullins, had been killed in a car accident, the city still holds fond memories for me.

Most people have never heard of Strasbourg, but it is the headquarters for the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe’s purpose is to uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe. It was founded in 1949 and has 47-member states.

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Safety, Always a Concern, Never an Issue

May 3, 2020 by Joel Thornton

Many people never travel abroad because of the fear of the unknown. I do not let that happen. I believe that, if we do our homework and take some easy precautions, we can avoid troubles while abroad and still enjoy traveling.

My family and I were living in Strasbourg, France on September 11, 2001. We sat in our apartment and watched the World Trade Center Towers come tumbling down. I knew that this one event would change how we travel for years to come if not forever. Tensions rose in Europe, as did anti-Semitism.

Not long after, we began to see refugees streaming into Europe unchecked, mostly from the most troubled areas of the Middle East. This changed the dynamic of Europe fairly drastically. And yet the world still spins on its axis.

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