Scotland, Days 15-21: We had descended into Scotland from the scenic hills of northern England, and the terrain became more harsh, the mountains more majestic and the animals more rugged. We started in Edinburgh and headed straight for Edinburgh Castle, perched on a hillside in the middle of town. Although the $22 admission is hard to swallow, it is well worth it. The Royal Mile leading to the castle is littered with cafes, and yes, even a William Wallace lookalike, ready for action and a photo. The castle has been a stronghold for Scotland for centuries, yet it was also invaded and captured a number of times by the English.

If you are a golfer, St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf, is an easy day trip north of Edinburgh. Six courses are nearby. We rented clubs and played one of the courses. We were delighted to simply walk out on to the Old Course, famous for occasionally hosting one of the Majors tournaments, and walk the 18th hole just as every famous golfer has during the past 100-plus years.

We moved northwest across the island toward the Highlands and nestled just below the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, Ben Nevis. Although "The Ben" is just shy of 4,500 feet, we found true the local saying that you experience all four seasons on the way up the mountain.About halfway up it began to rain, and a short while later pea-size hail began pelting us. About 1,000 feet from the top, the snow began. With heavy winds and a disappearing path, we were glad that we were near the top, where the mountain finally saw fit to part the clouds and offer us a panorama of the Highlands.

Wales, Days 21-23: The final leg of our U.K. journey was Wales. The signs here are in Welsh and English, and sometimes you hear Welsh spoken. We stayed on a wonderful working farm two miles from Caernarfon, a town on the west coast of Wales near Snowdonia National Park. The town has gorgeous beaches and a castle in the middle surrounded by shops and pubs amid the old castle walls.

Our time in Wales was spent exploring the beautiful countryside, including Snowdonia. It contains Wales' highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Snowdon, and is covered with wildflowers and animals. We hiked up Snowdon and around lakes, waterfalls and sheep. A little over halfway up, the trail changed into a rapid ascent and disappeared into a thick cloud blanketing the mountain. Upon reaching the top, we were greeted with 50 mph winds, 50-foot visibility and near-freezing temperatures. We spent less than a minute at the top and decided it was time to head down.

Next stop was Waterford, Ireland. We took more than 24 hours to get there, journeying by car, train and ferry. We are learning more and more about traveling and the most recent lesson is, count on transportation taking twice as long as you think it will.

Ireland, Days 24-28: As we stepped into Ireland and away from the expensive U.K., we were welcomed with a very laid-back attitude. After a quick stop to check out the famous Waterford Crystal Factory, we headed out, weaving along the narrow, rough roads. Renting a car in Ireland is cheap, but you have to be ready to spend some time on the road.

The farm we stayed at was in Cahersiveen, on the west part of the Ring of Kerry, a major highlight of Ireland. We found that Ireland's true beauty lay in the soft green slopes that flowed directly into the blue-green ocean. When we landed in Killarney, on the northeast part of the Ring, we found that it was the most bustling town in the area. We saw Ross Castle and took a beautiful hike up to Torc Waterfall, heading through a variety of wildflowers to see gorgeous views of the Lakes of Killarney.

We were staying on a working horse farm, and the husband, Liam, took us on a long ride up into the hills. As we rode up the mountain, we couldn't help but think that anywhere in California, this beautiful land would have been swallowed up by multimillion-dollar homes and hordes of people.

In striking contrast to the countryside, Dublin (a.k.a. Publin) is where most people flock. We found a highly questionable yet cheap hostel, and if it weren't for its great location and price, we would have left. In fact, we learned yet another travel lesson: Never leave the only clothes you own with an 18-year-old guy at the reception desk to be cleaned and expect to get them back intact. Our whites came back pink, and we were missing a pair of socks and underwear. We would have preferred dirty clothes.

We headed out to explore the pub scene. Temple Bar, a street and surrounding area just south of the Liffey River, is wall-to-wall pubs. We're not big drinkers, but we found ourselves on a pub crawl, making friends with the locals and enjoying live bands. Our favorite pub was called Porter House: four stories tall, with walls lined with thousands of beer bottles.

Time to move eastward. We were able to score a connecting flight through Ryan Air, a discount airline. Our connecting flight to London was only $30, which beats any train or ferry. Our goal is to average under $150 per day plus our plane flights, most of which we booked through a company called Airtreks. So we said goodbye to our last English-speaking country for six months.

The Netherlands, Days 29-34: Before attempting Amsterdam, we headed out to the Dutch countryside. The Netherlands is good to visit for an easy transition to non-English speaking countries, because most people know at least a little English. De Hoge Veluwe is a large national park near Arnhem, close to the German border, filled with biking trails, woods, and the wonderful Kroller-Muller Museum. We grabbed two of the thousands of free white bikes that are available all around the park. We saw deer in their natural environment. We then biked out to the museum and found dozens of original Van Goghs and a beautiful sculpture garden. There is something special about viewing an artist's original works in the land where they were created.

We were excited to see how Amsterdam compared with its freewheeling reputation and to meet up with Kaitlin's parents. One of the greatest things about our trip is that we will be able to share it in person with many people along the way. Traveling with others is a different experience: You must learn to adjust your pace to allow time for everyone to reach a consensus on decisions large and small, but the advantage is having others for company, and to help with logistics.

One thing we learned to be aware of when traveling was stereotypes. Up to this point, most generalities we had heard had proven true (it rains a lot in London, Ireland is very green). And yes, in the Netherlands nearly everyone rides bikes everywhere. However, it is not true is that there are hash bars and prostitutes on every corner. They are certainly prevalent in the Red Light District -- which is pretty raunchy -- but it is not widespread or part of the everyday culture.

Amsterdam is perhaps best explored by boat along its numerous canals, which are clean, alive, and efficient. We also had a wonderful time in the Rijksmuseum, which is under construction, but still has a beautiful wing open for viewing paintings by artists such as Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Any visit to Amsterdam would not be complete without a visit to Anne Frank's house.It was a moving experience to see the inside of the house that just 60 years ago hid an entire family from the Nazis for years.

Exemplifying the city's laidback feel is the massive and well-used Vondelpark with its small lakes, makeshift soccer pitches, small cafes and even an old theater. Another relaxing area to explore is The Jordaan in the northwest part of downtown, where artists line the street and music is played outside the cafes. And we also enjoyed great food! We were able to explore Italian, Spanish tapas, Indonesian and even the local Pankaken House.

Southern Germany, Days 35-39: We next took a speed train to Frankfurt at speeds that exceeded 335 kph (200 mph). The fastest cars on Interstate 5 look like they are barely moving compared with the speeds we saw on the German ICE (InterCityExpress) trains and the Autobahn. Yes, the Autobahn really has no speed limit, and we were regularly passed by cars moving significantly faster than 190 kph (115 mph). Of course, we often slowed to take in the enchanting and picturesque Romantische Strasse (Romantic Road), one of the most scenic drives we have ever made.

The Romantic Road runs from Wurzburg, about 100 miles east of Frankfurt, to Fussen, near the Austrian border and close to Munich. Although it's only about 200 miles long, it has no shortage of enticing towns to visit and other distractions along the way. Wurzburg is definitely worth a stop and immediately sets the tone with its medieval castles and residences lining the river. Going south, we came across town after town that looked largely untouched since medieval times.

However, the real gem of the Romantic Road is Rothenburg. The town is surrounded by an almost intact stone wall with vineyards on the hills just outside. We walked along most of the wall and climbed the Rathaus Tower for a number of vantage points.

Close to Fussen, the landscape changed into a beautiful fairytale backdrop to the Alps, with the enchanting Neuschwanstein Castle looming in the mountains. Built in the late 19th century by the "mad" King Ludwig II, the castle served as inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. The castle is more awe-inspiring from the outside than the inside, and from the Marienbrucke, a bridge just an hour's hike away, it seems to float in mid-air.

Here we separated from Kaitlin's parents and headed into Munich to be hosted by a friend of Thomas's aunt. Whenever possible, we get referrals from people we know for stays with friends or family. It is great for the budget and it feels as though you are living in the city, not just visiting it. We were surprised at how open most Europeans are about welcoming people into their homes, and we have received many invitations.

We didn't know what to expect on this first home stay. But we were overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality of Thekla and Wolfgang and gained an invaluable perspective on the city and the country. Thekla took us out our first day for a grand tour of Munich. We wandered in and out of churches, checked out the local outdoor market, and visited the famous Hofbrauhaus, one of Germany's best-known beer gardens. As we walked, she told us how the city has come back from being almost destroyed in World War II.

On another day, as we left the city, we got caught in some of the hardest rain we have ever seen. We barely found our way back to their house, and when Thekla opened the door to two drowned American rats, their hospitality continued with hot tea and a good laugh.

Please visit the Web site of Kaitlin and Thomas Gertz at www.mytripjournal.com/gertzaroundtheworld.

Best Places to Stay:

Bed & Breakfast Amsterdam -- beautiful place and great location just west of Vondelpark on a canal. Paul & Karen Galderman, #00 31 20 6792753, www.bedandbreakfastamsterdam.net

Gwern House Bed & Breakfast -- picturesque and perfect for exploring Snowdonia National Park. Ellen Jones, #00 01 286 831337, ellenpjones@hotmail.com

Best Pub: Porter House, Dublin, on the west end of Temple Bar, 1618 Parliament St., #00 353 679 8847

Editor's Note: Kaitlin and Thomas Gertz of San Diego are on a 16-month around-the-world trip in which they plan to visit 50 countries. They'll be sharing the experience with North County Times readers every month, starting with this installment in print and the rest online at http://www.nctimes.com/travel/.

On the Net

Please visit the Web site of Kaitlin and Thomas Gertz at www.mytripjournal.com/gertzaroundtheworld.