We now return to regularly scheduled blogging.

My parents have come and gone, and all I'm left with are a ton of photos of their trip. And homework, of course.

For my parents VERY FIRST trip to Europe, Matt and I attempted to give them a taste of the best the continent has to offer. We started out in our own backyard of Mainz and took them to the wine festival going on down by the Rhine river, followed by a whirlwind trip to Paris by train, had a few relaxing days to recuperate at the apartment, and then a road trip to Vienna. Although we saw and did a ton, there was still more we could have accomplished.

But certain guests of mine somehow brought all the rain to Europe when they came, making for some wet and soggy sightseeing days here and there. We managed to get a lot of great pictures though.

Here are a few of my favorites. I'll recap the rest of their adventures next week.

Wine fest on the Rhine (which my parents will always insist on calling "river fest")

 I took them on a long walk down the river and made them stand on the train bridge to get this picture. My mom does not like bridges, so it was an impressive feat.

 Dad drank more beer than I thought he would during the trip.

 And look who else tried some!

Before the rain, we managed to venture out in Paris to enjoy the flowers and ambiance.

 Visiting the Eiffel Tower was also a treat - the rainy weather made all the tourists scatter.

On the way to Vienna we stopped for lunch where they brew Matt's favorite beer.

 Outside of Vienna, we took my parents on a scenic train ride through the pretty Alps. And made them hike into town for lunch.

 The views were great though, and everything was very peaceful and quiet.

 My parents have never played monopoly with Matt before. He doesn't go easy on anyone, even in-laws.

This one is probably one of my favorites. On the last day I had them get dressed in our Oktoberfest gear to pose for pictures. This is their prom pose picture.