Postcards & Snapshots
from
Welcome to our Central Europe Scrapbook
One Postage Stamp at a Time
— 🩵 Mark and Becky
​
Here's your first postcard!
Timeless Churches,
Timeless Villages
You've Got
Mail!
Stamped
&
Delivered
June 2024—Greetings from the
Planning Stage​. Celebrate! 🎊
We picked our tour for 2025!
​​
We are Mark and Becky and we just reserved our spot for a 2025 Rick Steves Central
Europe Tour. Why Central Europe, you ask? We’ve thought about how people who once lived behind the Iron Curtain endured Nazi occupation, communism’s scarcity and oppression, and Cold War divisions—how these experiences shaped who they are. Today, these countries are drawing curious travelers like us to explore their hidden histories, lush landscapes, vibrant cultures, dazzling architecture—and, of course, incredible food.
​
​We hadn’t given much thought to Central Europe—until this trip. We were looking for a destination with real depth, and a personal connection brought this region to life for us: Mark’s paternal grandmother grew up in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains, in what was then Hungary and is now Slovakia. On top of that, the beauty of Slovenia has long been on our bucket list, and we’ve always been intrigued by the wonders of Croatia. We can’t wait to experience it all.
​
This Central Europe tour will be our sixth with Rick Steves and our eighth romp through Europe—proof that we’re either committed travelers or hopelessly addicted to gelato, stunning vistas, and charming cobblestone streets. Either way, we’re thrilled to keep the streak going and see what surprises await us.
📫 A new adventure begins!—
Mark and Becky
Philadelphia, PA
JUN 24, 2024
Discovering Europe’s
Hidden Back Doors
📖 Once Upon a Rick Steves
Here's what brings us back to Rick Steves Europe for our travels
Always looking for the backdoors—Mark and Becky 🚪
Like those favorite jeans that fit just right, six tours with Rick Steves shows just how comfortable we are with the thoughtful itineraries, superb guides, practical travel mates, and well placed hotels.
🩵 "Through the Back Door" approach—go beyond the front door attractions
🩵 Perfect balance of free time + guided exploration
🩵 Adventurous spirit—expect surprise discoveries
🩵 Camaraderie—a merry band of travelers Rick Steves' style
🩵 Efficient, local-savvy guides—never reliant on merchant kickbacks
🩵 Locally owned hotels—cozy, central, and charming
🩵 Wow moments that take your breath away
🩵 Alumni benefits—stacking tour‑by‑tour discounts
🩵 Buddy system—no time-wasting roll calls
🩵 Cultural experiences over shopping gauntlets
🩵 " Bang for the buck"—smartly designed tours delivering more than solo travel
Philadelphia, PA
JUN 27, 2025
Our Merry Band of Travelers
Wish You Were Here (We Finally Are!) 🇪🇺
Greetings from Central Europe. Here you'll find all the postcards we sent along the way.
Consider this your invitation: dive into our Photo Mailbag and let our postcards and photos bring Central Europe to your doorstep.​ Story-packed days exploring Prague, Kraków, Budapest, Rovinj, Plitvice, Bled and more—a true Central Europe adventure. Expect local insights, hidden gems, music, history, riverside strolls—and plenty of photos, too.
Our mission? To uncover everyday magic—one quaint square & cobblestoned street at a time.
Thanks for reading our mail and sharing the journey.
​
​Üdvözlettel (Best regards)— Mark & Becky
Fellow Rick Steves Travelers & Scrapbook Sleuths
2025 Rick Steves Central Europe Tour
Prague to Slovenia in 15 Days
Central Europe
APR-MAY , 2025
Wow Moments
Along Our
Central Europe
Trail
Do I hear angels singing? — 🎶
​
You know that moment when you hear the angels sing? Yup, that’s a “WOW Moment,” and Rick Steves tours are full of them. Whether it’s a jaw-dropping vista, an unexpected local discovery, or a simple yet genuine cultural connection—those pauses take your breath away.​
From lake cruises and impromptu concerts, to century old memorials and climb high tower panoramas, every day promises its own WOW—just when you least expect it. We’ve captured them in pixels, memories, and heartfelt notes. Each one quietly transforming a moment into a memory.
Peek at our wow moments in the Photo Mailbag below and use the map to follow along with the postcards!
​
Still hearing those angels—Mark & Becky 😇​
Philadelphia, PA
JUN 27,2025
Photo Mailbag
Our WOWS Delivered in Pixels
​Click the image to see where we experienced a WOW moment.
Wow—it felt as though we stepped between the pages of history.
Wow—beneath the Tatra peaks,
we felt a connection with Mark's roots.
Wow-in every chamber we sensed the story of labor, faith, and resilience.
**Images rendered in an attempt to capture the feeling of our WOW moments**
Wow—the feeling of power, beauty,
and awe all at once
Wow—Sea breezes, sun-kissed stones, happy hour boat ride, an island retreat— it felt like stepping into a dream
***“Back‑door travel,” a “merry band of travelers”
"bang for the buck" and “wow moments,”
—are all part of Rick Steves' travel philosophy.***
Wow—We felt like we were looking through a window into a fairytale.