Monthly Photo Contest: October

For those of you who do not already know, we here at Tripsite absolutely love hearing from you, our clients. Whether it be through feedback submitted on tour pages, comments posted on Facebook or other social media outlets, a post-trip email from you, or even a phone call, we value it all! But hands down, our favorite way to hear from you, is through the lovely photos submitted to our contest each month.

First, we would like to acknowledge and congratulate our winner for this month, Kathy Showers, for capturing and sharing this beautiful photo while on our Along the Danube - 4 country tour! Kathy will receive €100 in trip credit to be used towards her next tour. If you have not already done so, do submit your own travel photos for a chance to win tour credit and possibly get featured in our blog!

This photo was taken on October 3rd from the ruins above Durnstein, Austria, in the Wachau wine region. We were on the last day of the tour (Along the Danube - Four Country Tour), and took the hike to see the ruins where Richard the Lionhearted was imprisoned. When we reached the top I saw our barge, The My Story, approaching and took the photo. The Wachau wine region was a highlight of the tour, with schnapps and wine tasting, great food, safe biking paths, and amazing scenery!

We received so many stunning photos in the month of October that we have decided to feature some "Honorable Mentions" and showcase more of your best shots! So here we go...

These two photos were taken on 3rd Sept, 2015, in Zelo Italy during the Venice to Mantova Bike and Barge tour Venice to Mantova Bike and Barge tour on board the Ave Maria. I’ve called it ‘Racked, Prepped and Ready to Go for another day's cycling’. The bikes had been set up and ready to go for that morning’s ride. I had taken an early morning walk along the river from where the boat was moored and as I approached there was no one else about, the lighting was perfect and the shot was an indication on how well the staff organized things on a daily basis. - Tony K.

Early morning view, about 7:30, of Oudeschild harbor on Texel, the first of the Wadden Islands, September 8, 2015. Starting each day with a porthole wake-up shot, this was half-way through the Northern Tour on the Liza Marleen. Quite the magical place... - Gail T.

My photo was taken on Texel Island, in the northern part of the Netherlands. We were on the Angela Esmee, on a Bike & Barge trip. The people in the photo are all part of a group of 33 Canadian cyclists friends who were taking the trip. It was a wonderful trip, and we are already looking at taking another one in another European country. -Martha B.

My tour was the Holland Southern Tulip Tour in mid April. The weather was lovely. The people kind, courteous and friendly. One of our wonderful sites to see was the Keukenhof Gardens. So many flowers. These tulips were so bright and beautiful I just had to make their picture. - Mona W.

We were signed up for the easy bike ride in The Heart of Alsace and were staying in Osthouse, 19 miles south of Strasbourg for 5 days of biking, which turned into hiking, as I broke my arm 2 weeks before. We spent our first weekend in Strasbourg where the first photo was taken on September 26, 2015. It is a shot of a charming section of the old town called "Petite France", filled with canals and flowers.

The second photo was taken September 30 in Colmar, an old medieval town in the southern part of Alsace. We took the train from Erstein to Colmar and spent the day walking around. The photo was taken in an area called "Little Venice" because of the canals. I like this shot because of the schoolyard with kids playing at recess.

The third photo was taken that same fall week from the bike path that joins Osthouse to Matzenheim, both tiny little villages. It gives a sense of the wide, open space between corn fields and little towns. The trees line the local road and the mountains in the background are the Vosges Mountains. - Eileen T.

One of the best experience I’ve ever had in my life was going on the Along the Danube - Four Country Tour during the first week of September 2015. We visited Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava and also wonderful small cities along the bike route.

Every day, after cycling all day and enjoying a delicious dinner, we loved staying at the upper deck of the boat enjoying the view and drinking a glass of wine with our new friends from different part of the world. Especially in Budapest it was fabulous when the boat was leaving because of the wonderful view of the Parliament Building illumined (photo below) and also the company of the full moon and shining stars in the sky! This combinations was a real show!

The Parliament Building had its design in part inspired in the Palace of Westminster and stretches 268 meters in its length, along the Danube embankment. Ornamented with white neo-gothic turrets and arches, it forms the most outstanding landmark of the Pest side horizon. - Claudia B.

First photo: A made a quick stop at Romanshorn to relax and enjoy the last day of 8 days tour Around Lake Constance, we stopped at the Romanshorn Harbor. Romanshorn is a municipality in the district of Arbon in, Switzerland. It is a very nice place in the Lake Constance.

Second photo: A modern and creative cuisine – Hotel and Restaurant Adler in Stein am Rhein Right on the Rathausplatz, at Hotel and Restaurant Adler, we sample the delicious typical dish of the region – the whitefish of Bodensee. And to go with it, the wonderful apfelsaft, the apple juice of the region.

Third photo: MAINAU ISLAND – On the 4th day of the “8 days tour around Lake Constance”, we had the opportunity to visit this small island next Konstanz and Überlinger See. It is a wonderful garden, known as“The Flower Island”. It is a peaceful place to spend a day and see the most beautiful flowers. The photo was taken of “The Peacock of Mainau Island”, a magnificent sculpture made ​​of flowers. - Anna P.

We hope that you enjoy these photos as much as we do!