End of year message for travelers - Happy Holidays!

Dear friends,

As 2016 comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the ups and downs in my personal life as well as those in communities around the world. We live in an interconnected global space, and we cannot separate ourselves from the events, successes, and pains of our fellow humans and the environment in which we live. It has been a rocky year, but I choose to focus on the positives.

It has been my absolute pleasure to work with countless couples and friend and family groups on their major milestone vacations. I have helped plan and share the joy in numerous destination weddings, vow renewals, honeymoons, anniversaries, and birthday trips. I have influenced many excellent people in expanding their horizons as they visit and explore different cultures, languages, and landscapes from the Caribbean to Italy to Argentina to Australia to Hawaii to Spain and beyond.

Furthermore, it has been a great privilege to travel, learn, and make wonderful memories with my own family and friends to some stunning destinations in Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast & Capri, Cancun, NYC, and around our lovely newly adopted home of Switzerland. I love sharing photos from my and my clients' trips on Facebook and Instagram, so I hope you have been following us and liking our pictures! Nothing makes me happier than sharing this beautiful and fascinating world in which we live with all of you.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support in 2016, and I look forward to hearing from you when you're ready to plan your next adventure!

Because we respect your diversity in culture and faith, we wish you "Happy Holidays" and a prosperous 2017!

Warmest regards,
Ashley

Treasure Travel, LLC
www.trytreasuretravel.com
ashley@trytreasuretravel.com

Understanding the Universe - The Large Hadron Collider at CERN

My husband's new job working at CERN is what brought us to Geneva last September. We finally had our first opportunity to tour the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) yesterday. Due to danger of radiation exposure, it is only possible to see the collider when it is turned off as it was for a short time.

The LHC is "the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator that has been in operation since 2008. The tunnel is built in a circuit 27 km (16.7 mi) in circumference and 100 meters (328 feet) below ground, and traverses the border of Switzerland and France. Ultrahigh vacuum and superconducting electromagnets keep the beam of protons on a circular trajectory so they might smash into each other so physicists can study subatomic particles, matter, and antimatter. This knowledge helps us better understand our universe." Feel free to read a little more about the implications of these discoveries.

Our kind and insightful guide Niko is a friend and colleague, who works with data from the LHC "Beauty" experiment. He was very gracious to show us around and answer all our questions. My 13 year old stepson was truly smitten by the concept of the muon particle, so Niko entertained some imaginative commentary.

To enter the underground area, we had to first don our hard hats then pass through a safety mechanism that ensures only a human with no ill intentions is entering the facility. Then we took the elevator deep down 150 meters (about 500 feet) underground.

It was definitely a privilege to get to see this fascinating experiment and learn about what great work is being done at this facility. I highly recommend a visit if you have the opportunity.

Don't forget the World Wide Web was created at CERN!

New Year's in Geneva, Switzerland

Happy New Year!

My 13 year old stepson Nicholas just spent 5 day with us in Geneva during his first trip to Europe. We had such a fun time despite the foggy cold weather. Have a look at a few of our photos!

We were dog sitting a Keeshond in addition to our Australian Cattle Dog mix and Chimaltipoo. This is in front of the ice skating rink at Parc des Bastillions.

A walk through downtown Geneva

Nicholas is checking out the Flower Clock at the Jardin Anglais.

A visit to the St. Pierre Cathedral is very interesting; and the long walk up the stairs to the towers is rewarded with amazing views!

Lake Geneva (Lac Léman en français) is always beautiful, and the Jet d'Eau is a memorable landmark.

Treasure Travel embarks on an AmaWaterways Rhine River Cruise

Me! All bundled up cruising through the Rhine River Valley

For one week in November, we cruised from Amsterdam to Basel on the AmaSerena on the Rhine River. While it was a somewhat chilly trip, we were warmly enriched by the culture, scenery, food, and wine.

Amsterdam

Our home away from home

AmaWaterways's crew on the AmaSerena did a wonderful job making us feel welcome and well served during our time on the ship. With just 82 cabins on this vessel, you receive plenty of personalized attention and fantastic service. After a week, we had made friends with many of the staff and other passengers.

Double balcony cabin - a perfect place to watch the world go by

A special evening at the Captain's Table

Wine is included with lunch and dinner on all AmaWaterways river cruises. You are encouraged to spend time away from the ship at the ports so you can be immersed in the local culture and enjoy the many included excursions.

Taking photos

Heidelberg Castle

Cathedral in Cologne

Our itinerary began in Amsterdam, Netherlands where we embarked through the man-made canals prior to entering the Rhine River in Germany. Our stops included the ports of Cologne, Rudesheim, Speyer & Heidelberg, Strasbourg & Kehl, Breisach & Freiburg, and finally Basel, Switzerland.

Cologne, Germany

Cologne is a lovely city!

Freiburg German Christmas Market

We were happy to learn the German Christmas market in Freiburg had just opened!

Christmas Markets just opened in Freiburg

Heidelberg Castle

Heidelberg Castle

Heidelberg was my favorite stop -- a beautiful town with so much charm and so many gorgeous views! Excellent food and beer can be found there as well. While visiting the castle, we were treated to a light snowfall.

Sunset on Neckar River in Heidelberg

Snowing at Heidelberg Caste

33% alcohol beer Vetter 33 with Käsespätzle (cheese noodles) in Heidelberg

Rudesheim, Germany

Rudesheim is a charming quaint village with some wonderful wines and locally made brandy. We loaded up with some great red wines, reislings, sparkling whites, and brandies from the town.

Rudesheim, Germany

Rudesheim Wine Cellar Tasting Room

Rudesheim, Germany

Rhine River Valley vineyards and scenery

Rhine River Valley castles and scenery

Drinking Rudesheimer coffee with a warm blanket while watching the Rhine Valley scenery

This part of the journey was the most scenic, so everyone was sure to stay on deck to enjoy the passing views. The crew passed out warm blankets and hot Rudesheimer coffee (which is made with flambéed local brandy) to keep us toasty.

Rhine Valley Reisling Grapes, Wineries

Rhine Valley Scenery and Castles

Castle

Castle

Rhine Valley scenery

Neckar River in Heidelberg

Heidelberg streets

Heidelberg - view from the castle

We had such a fabulous trip that we have decided to invite our friends, family, and clients on a Rhône River wine cruise in the South of France on the AmaDagio for Thanksgiving 2016. This unique sailing will be hosted by Barry and Kim Wiss of Trinchero Family Estates from St. Helena, California, and features complimentary lectures, wine tastings, exquisite cuisine and wine parings, and excursions to historic vineyards and wine cellars. More details at www.adventuresbytheglass.com or www.trytreasuretravel.com.