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That’s what travel to Scotland in the year of 2009 in will bring. As a SCOTSmaster and Scots agent I hope to visit in April, but the festivities start in January with the Robert Burns’ 250th Anniversary weekend and don’t stop until end of November and the Finale Weekend packed with all kinds of celebrations across the country.

March starts with the International Comedy Festival in Glasgow or you can travel to Stanza for Scotland’s Poetry festival. We also have Aye Write! It’s The Bank of Scotland Book Festival.

In April throughout East Lothian is a new festival celebrating the life and legacy of John Muir, he is the ‘father of modern conservation’ and one of the most influential people in the worlds environmental movement.

May is Whisky Month and throughout Scotland distilleries open their doors to visitors and locals alike. You could choose a short tasting session or opt for a 3 day whisky course. The Spirit of Speyside Whisky festival starts off May 1-10 and Islay’s annual Malt and Music Festival will close out the month.

June is meet your ancestors month in Clackmannanshire, the Royal Highland Show west of Edinburgh and it’s the beginning of the world renowned Edinburgh Film Festival.

July brings The Gathering 2009! Join with clan members and witness Scotland’s largest ever Highland Games! They are taking place in Holyrood Park, along the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. Visit the clan tents, listen to live music, watch the hill runners, the Highland Dancers and the Clan Parade on the Royal Mile.

August brings the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle; over 12 million people have experienced this event and 40 countries have been represented over the years, so get your tickets early! August also brings Piping Live- Music of the Clans in Glasgow and the Johnnie Walker Golf Championship at Gleneagles.

September brings the International Youth Tattoo, the Cowal Highland Gathering, the Angus & Dundee Roots Festival, the ‘Clan Scott’ Society gathering and the Isle of Bara Whisky Galore festival.

October brings ‘Beautiful Journey’ that is focusing on Glasgow’s future by launching a new ship every night along the River Clyde and a celebration across the highlands for a fortnight with a series that explores and celebrates the way the Scots have shaped countries and communities around the world.

November brings another whisky week throughout Scotland along with St. Andrews festival 2009, the Scots Music awards in Dumfries and celebrations galore across the country during the Finale Weekend. In December all Scots will be resting!

If you’d like to attend any of the events above or find out about traveling to Scotland call Totem Travel and ask for Jennefer, 800-321-7907 or email Jennefer@totemtravel.com. I have been a SCOTSmaster for over 7 years, traveled there multiple times and can help make your trip to Scotland all you dreamed and more.

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My first trip to Berlin was in 1990, it was summer and the ‘Wall’ had just come down the winter before. I remember peeking through the wall between the pieces of rebar and cement and I even brought home a few pieces.

I grabbed a postcard with a colorful guy that had a purple Mohawk; he was standing under a street sign with the wall behind him. I found that same street sign and took a picture of me standing under the same sign, but in my picture the wall was broken and only pieces of it could be seen. I remember thinking I was lucky to be there at such an historic time.

Of course we also saw the Brandenburg Gate and Potsdam and another vivid memory is the Pergamon Museum on Museum Island where they have a 2^nd century BC altar from Greece as well as the Ishtar Gate from Babylon among other gigantic ruins from Asia Minor. I was overwhelmed with the sheer size of them and to this day remember it with awe. Today Museum Island is a World heritage Site.

As an agent at Totem Travel I returned to Berlin as part of an escorted tour with Trafalgar and so much has changed. That street sign I have a picture of me under, now has a through street with no wall behind it at all. A little further away is the Check Point Charlie Museum and the left over sign saying “You are now leaving the American Sector” in English, French, German and Russian. The museum is a must see and a bit chilling when you realize the extent to which people will go to better their lives when oppressed.

Each time I am back in Berlin I also visit Kurfurstendamm, or better know as ‘Kudamm’, which is Berlin’s liveliest shopping street. At one ends stands the Kaiser-Wilhelm church, it was almost completely destroyed in a bomb during the War but a new belfry and church were erected around the shell of the old tower as a reminder.

Along Kudamm are shops and galleries as well as parks and squares to stop and shop or eat or simply watch people. At the other end or Kudamm you find the Tiergarten park which leads you onto the Brandenburg Gate that today is free to walk through. The avenue of Linden trees leading away on either side is stunning and the Soviet War Memorial is also nearby.

Berlinhas many parks and green space too. It’s a young city that is re-inventing itself and is always changing so you can go back again and again and always have a new experience. If you’d like help planning your time in Berlin, call Jennefer our expert in Europe group tours at (800) 321-7907or email her at jennefer@totemtravel.com.

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I have just returned from a 2 week trip to Ireland and yes, it is that green, take a peek at my slide show for proof! It’s been a while since I was in Ireland and boy has it changed! The growth is amazing but the things that haven’t changed are the fun people and the stunning scenery.

I started my journey in Dublin, from there my friend and I picked up a car for a few days of roaming the country roads on our own and yes, even I drove on the other side of the road and only hit one curb! We headed west for a castle stay and a couple nights B&B inland then picked up a tour with Trafalgar Tours.

On our Trafalgar Tour we went north to Belfast and Derry/Londonderry and onto the Northern most tip of Ireland called Malinhead. From there we headed down the west coast for Castlebar, Galway, Limerick and Killarney before heading east towards Waterford and then north back towards Dublin.

All along the way we encountered the famous Irish charm in pubs and restaurants, we saw lots of sheep and rolling green hills with splashes of yellow gorse and stone walls crisscrossing as far as the eye could see. Golf courses were aplenty as were Castles and castle ruins, special monuments to all the Saints and those the Irish would make saints if given the chance. We saw the famous graffiti in Northern Ireland from the times of the ‘Troubles’. We went to the National Stud Farm (Slide Show) in Kildare and the Giants Causeway, the Cliffs of Moher, the Belleek and Waterford Crystal factories (Slide show) and Craggounowen, the discovery park where we learned about life in Ireland in BC, just to name a few of the places and sights.

I am in the process of completing my Shamrock training which will give me the distinction of being an Ireland Expert to go along with my other Destination Specialist certifications such as BritAgent, SCOTSmaster, Bavaria Expert, Spain Specialist, Holland Expert and Certified France Agent. As a travel agent it’s important to see new places and explore the places people are asking about, this year Ireland has been highly requested and it was time for me to return and see all the things Ireland has to offer as a destination and believe me it wasn’t lacking at all!

Keep checking back at TotemTravelBlog.com and you’ll hear all about the sights listed above and more in detail. If you’re interested in help planning your trip to Ireland contact Totem Travel and ask for Jennefer, the Europe Expert or shoot me an email at jennefer@totemtravel.com and I’ll give you the up to date news on travel in Ireland.

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If you’ve already done the requisite cities of Europe such as London, Paris and Rome you might think of expanding your horizons and plan a visit to Budapest in Hungary. Not as well know as some of the other European Capitals but definitely worth a visit.
Budapest is actually 3 cities with the legendary Danube running between them, you have Buda on the hilly side and north of that is Obuda and on the other side of the river is Pest which is as flat as Buda is hilly, but back in the late 1800’s Budapest became the city it is today.

Probably the most well known is Castle Hill and the Castle District, however you’ll need the funicular to transport you up the hill as there are really no roads. At the top is where you’ll find the Royal Palace, Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church, Holy Trinity Square, National Hungarian  Gallery, Budapest History Museum and the Vienna Gate among others.

Between Castle Hill and the river is what’s known as Watertown with its aged peaceful lanes, and many churches such as Taban Parish Church, St. Elizabeth Church, St. Anne’s church, Chapel of St. Florian and Capuchin Church.

Crossing either the Chain Bridge or Margaret’s Bridge will lead you to the Pest side where you can visit a myriad of old neighborhoods such as the Jewish District, Pest Inner City, Theresa Town and Leopold where you’ll find the Houses of Parliament, Freedom Square, Inner City Market Hall and the State Opera House.

If you’d like a day out of the city, a visit to Szentendre is a great place, especially during the summer where it becomes a huge handcraft and souvenir market. You can stroll along the Danube, have café in a small coffee house and shop till you drop for all kinds of fun items from Hungary such as antiques, coins, folk craft, porcelain and pottery and don’t forget to bring back the Hungarian Paprika.

If you’d like help planning your travel to Budapest, please call Totem Travel and ask for Jennefer, the Europe Expert at 800-321-7907 or jennefer@totemtravel.com