Brittany Fenkel and her teenage daughter Anna from Bryn Mawr took a mother/daughter trip to three countries in Europe last summer with a unique focus on the performing arts.  Their custom-planned trip began in Prague with a 3-night stay at the 22-room Hotel Residence Agnes, located in the city’s Old Town. They found the hotel to be charming with staff that treated them like family.  On arrival, freshly made apple strudel, wine, and coffee were offered with complimentary snacks and drinks whenever they wanted.  The staff reviewed their itinerary with them to make sure they knew where to go, made excellent dining recommendations and reservations, did their laundry for free, and even offered complimentary airport transfers and driving services.  The duo took a city driving tour to all corners of the city with our favorite Prague guide, Luba, and also visited Prague Castle on their own.  Their entertainment roster included a jazz concert with the Czech Jazz Workshop at the Jazz Dock (a jazz club literally right on the river) which they said was really fun, authentic, and unique, as well as a version of Swan Lake ballet, performed in a small (but hot) venue without live music, but enjoyable, nonetheless.  A day trip to Cesky Krumlov rounded out their Czech experience.  They then flew to Vienna for a 4-night stay at the Hotel Beethoven, fitting for this arts-inspired trip.  The boutique hotel is centrally located in the city near the Naschmarkt.  They said that their room was spacious and comfortable, but the hotel didn’t have the same family feel and service levels as Prague.  They took a walking tour of the city with a private guide, and she recommend some iconic restaurants and gave them plenty of local lore.  Their long day trip to Salzburg for a Sound of Music tour was also combined with Mozart history.  They were hoping for more Sound of Music stops, but still found Salzburg to be adorable and gorgeous. An incredible classical music concert that included some opera was a Vienna highlight. The top-notch musicians were in period costumes which were both touristy and charming at the same time.  Their last stop was Venice where they flew in and stayed at the upscale Starhotel’s Splendid for 4-nights, located on a canal for easy access and a short walk from the Piazza San Marco.  While the hotel was a bit dark, they said the staff was amazing and they enjoyed their room.  They took a Boat Ride and Walking tour of the city and a tour of the Burano, Murano, and Torcello Islands.  The later was a large group tour, but still fun. They were pleasantly surprised by the lovely Burano which is known for its lace.  They went shopping at a beautiful store that had extraordinary handmade items that the shop sells to many royals and celebrities. Torcello was nothing special, but they were fine with that and Murano was also nice with all of its glassmaking artisans.  A stop for drinks at the Hotel Cipriani was beyond extravagant, but a lovely experience. The Barber of Seville opera performed in an incredible palace topped their stay.  They said the intimate setting felt like an extravagance…so small, personal, special, and creative. It was a truly delightful and memorable way to end their trip. A wow!  Overall, a great trip. They let us know that they walked over 20,000 steps a day in the summer’s 90+ degree heat and loved every minute of it!