October 10, 2008
With much anticipation, we arrived in Salzburg on the morning of the 10th. For once it seemed like we had a good start on the day and we might locate a place to stay well before dark. We found the Tourist Information (TI) center easily, picked up information on things to do and places to stay and headed for a local park to have a snack and do a little planning. So much for the head start! A wrong turn downtown led us down a one way, single lane street with parked cars on one side. The street kept getting narrower and narrower and at one point I had to drive on the side walk to get around a parked car. As we rounded the last little curve, the road abruptly ended in a 6’ wide pedestrian-only walkway. Oh crud! This is not good! Making one attempt at making a “U-Turn” assured us there was no way to get the car turned around. The only option was to BACK-UP the two blocks the way we had come in, parked cars, sidewalk and all. Once we cleared that street, we exited the city maze and headed straight out of town and did not collect $200, or pass “GO!”
Once we compiled our list of potential B&Bs, all of which were conveniently located on the same street, we drove by them to pick out the best of the lot. Narrowing the list down to 3 and finding a couple of others not advertised, we stopped at each one to check availability and rates. For one reason or another-- house-a-tosis, no shower, bath literally in the bedroom, cramped rooms or proprietor’s personal hygiene (don’t even ask) -- these available choices were not going to serve as accommodations for our stay. Instead of possibly insulting the owner with our objections, we found that asking for Internet access (which no B & B has) allowed us to decline gracefully.
Without large chain hotels with established and consistent standards, finding an acceptable place to stay in European cities, regardless of how we do it (internet or personal inspection), has taken us an enormous amount of time. This has been consistent throughout our trip thus far. We spend between 2 to 6 hours looking for accommodations and another couple of hours looking for places to eat. Whoever comes up with an objective, comprehensive guide to assist travelers with this universal problem will know what it’s like to be financially secure! We’ll be the first to buy the guide!
Just by driving around, we finally found a nice, small hotel, “Hptel Zur Post”, close to downtown with a bus stop across the street allowing us to park the car and leave the driving to some else. And breakfast was included too, even if it was sliced meats, croissants and coffee!
We purchased a 72-hour Salzburg card (a discount card which proved to be a very good deal) that provided for all local transportation and gave free or discounted entries to numerous museums and events.
Catching the bus into town, we spent our first day browsing through the lovely old town with its attractive shops and decorative wrought iron doorway marquees on our way to the Museum of History. With our card, the entry to the museum was free and we spent most of the morning delving into Salzburg’s art treasures and its past.
Along with the Salzburg card, we purchased tickets for dinner and a Mozart concert in the Hohensalzburg Fortress sitting high above Salzburg. Using the Salzburg card, we got a free ride on a tram to the top and arrived early enough to take a leisurely tour through the Fortress and an imaginary trip back to the 1100 and 1200’s. The museum there also was helpful in our trip back through history. Dinner was very good with a friendly server and a fantastic view 800 feet above the surrounding area with the Alps in the background. After dinner, we headed for one of the halls in the Fortress to listen to a string quintet playing chamber music by Mozart. For a Mozart fan, it was unbelievable to be sitting in a 12th Century Fortress listening to excellent musicians playing Mozart’s music. It was a most enjoyable evening!
On the 12th, we headed to the “new” old part of Salzburg to go through the Mozart museum in the building that was the family’s apartment when Mozart was young. Later in the day, we would visit the apartment where he was born in “old”, old town. As everyone knows, Mozart was a musical genius. But, not unlike today’s musicians, fame and fortune was a dangling carrot. His father was a violin instructor for the City and recognizing his son’s talent set out on an attempt to make him rich and famous. He booked “gigs” in royal courts and in front of other important people traveling extensively achieving reasonable success but taking ill. Mozart’s mother tried to continue her husband’s effort but wasn’t quite as successful. She later took ill and died and Mozart was left to try on his own but was even less successful. He was a performer not a promoter. While In new “old” town looking for a place for lunch, we saw two police officers milling around a parked car. Being good rubber-necking Americans we sauntered over to make sure their investigation was proceeding properly. It seemed a single lady who was staying at a pretty nice downtown hotel had the rear window of her car smashed in by either vandals or thieves. It was a sobering sight and exactly why we have been trying to stay on the outskirts of town in fairly decent neighborhoods. Europeans native to the area are generally friendly and civil. However, there is a very high percentage of immigrants from some of the poorer surrounding countries that don’t seem to have the same standards.
Later that day, we kept our appointment for the free ride our card got us on a River Boat cruise on the Salzach River with comedian for a captain. After the cruise, when we got back to the docking area, he locked the wheel and throttle controls, turned up the volume on the stereo playing the “Blue Danube” and walked away from the wheel while the boat on its own did 4 or 5 360 degree turns in the middle of the river. It was fun and reminded us that being boaters anywhere there is water makes for a good time. While we were waiting to board the boat, we noticed a rack full of bikes with a coin controlled locking mechanism. You insert the appropriate amount, unlock the bike and away you go.
On our last day in Salzburg, we visited Bishop Hellbrunn palace and water gardens which he used as a hunting lodge and incorporated the latest advancements in mechanical engineering to amuse himself and his guests. Apparently, the Bishop was a bit of a prankster since all throughout the grounds there were clever, animated, water driven devices designed to entertain and play practical jokes on the unsuspecting.
Tomorrow, we’re off to Wein (Vienna) with a short stop on the way in Linz to see the Danube.
Dorothea & Ed
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
October 6, 2008 Blog
October 6, 2008
Our new PC was supposed to be delivered on Friday, the 3rd, but it wasn’t. We managed to get on line and checked UPS tracking information to find it was hung up in Cologne awaiting customs clearance. When I called UPS, the first challenge was communicating in EngliGer. The UPS agent, Hans, could barely understand me and I could barely understand him. What I was able to make out was customs considered the PC an import item and a 350. Euro Value Added Tax (VAT) needed to be collected. I finally got Hans to understand I was an American; the PC was not being imported since it was going back to America and I wasn’t required to pay the VAT. He conceded and said the PC would be delivered before Thursday, the 9th. Since we had a couple of days before it came, we ventured forth into the countryside.
On Monday, the 6th we visited a couple of lake resort areas where we originally thought of staying NE of Murnau and SW of Munich. Taking the back roads as we usually try to do, the traffic was light and the countryside had very pleasant scenery of trees with leaves showing off their fall colors.
Lake Starnberg, a large, popular resort lake was our first stop. Although we didn’t see any fish in the lake, we did see a couple of sail boats and a beautiful swan from an unusual angle! The swan was eating something on the bottom which was just out of reach and it was “bottoms all the way up” trying to get to it. See photo for the angle!
Another nearby lake, Ammersee is the smaller of the two lakes. Both are about as wide as Charlotte Harbor’s widest point. Ammersee comes with a legend about King Ludwig II who took the Bavarian throne when he was 18. He was the one who in Fussen built the Royal Castles and was considered to be rather eccentric. They say a conspiracy might have taken place to replace the young king. His cousin had the young king (when he was 35) declared insane. He was arrested and brought to Heilingen Berg as a prisoner. Shortly thereafter he was found drowned in Lake Ammersee. King Ludwig was known to be an excellent swimmer and no one knows for sure if it was an accident, suicide or something more sinister. His cousin then took power. Hmmmm.
The lake has a delightful lakefront promenade and what looked like an active sailing fleet. The Promenade Café on the lake also had delightful ice cream! When you’re in Bavaria, do as the Bavarian’s do – have coffee and sweets in the afternoon. Who are we to buck local customs?
The next day, the 7th, was a totally different experience. We headed for Innnsbruck and the Swarovski factory with its crystal museum, Kristalkindl. Just before getting to Innsbruck you have to travel along a narrow, mountain road with many switchbacks. The road going down to Innsbruck has 26+/-% slopes. Ed said “No problem.” Dorothea said “Yikes!” So off we went! The drive to the top of the pass from Mittenweld along Roadway B177 was over a long distance and the grade up was gradual. Once we got to the top and headed down toward Innsbruck, the decent occurred in a short distance and the grade was steep with five run outs along the way for vehicles with hot, ineffective brakes. We descended in 1st gear and had to keep braking in order to keep our speed manageable while negotiating the sharp curves. At the bottom, the road turned into a four lane “Super Highway” for the rest of the ride into Innsbruck. Being able to breathe again, we turned on the radio just in time to catch “My Love for You Will Never Die” (we have a video of the road with sound but it won’t play in the Kodak Gallery”). What a contrast! A hair-raising decent from high in the beautiful Bavarian Alps, heading to a 14th century medieval city, speeding along on a 21st Century Super highway with no speed limit, listening to American Country Music. Life doesn’t get much better.
The Swarovski Kristalkindl wasn’t exactly what we were expecting. It was more of a display of artists’ works that used Swarovski crystals in their art. BUT, the end of the museum was a treat – a huge showroom with every Swarovski crystal you can imagine – jewelry, phone covers, belts, art pieces - fantastic! We were hoping to see crystals made at the factory but we were told it was a secret process.
The drive to Innsbruck, along with the customary hunt for the “Red October” tourist information (TI) office in downtown Innsbruck and the tour through the Swarovski museum didn’t leave much time to explore “Olde” Innsbruck, which by the way is named for the bridge (Brucke) over the River Inns. But, as we always do, we pushed the opportunity envelope and got to see most of “Olde Town.” One thing we have noticed on all of our visits to these fantastic German Cities is a tour group of Asians who seem to follow us around. We know they are the same group because they like to take movies of each other. We can’t image all Asians have the same preoccupation with cameras!
We left Innsbruck late (after dark), which made the trip back home interesting; considering the steep mountain climb, the winding roads to Mittenweld and the arrival of an early evening fog. Even though it was late when we got home, a glass of fine French made a nice nightcap.
First thing next morning, the 8th, we get a call from our land-lady letting us know our UPS delivery was there. Glory, glory halleluiah! It’s finally here and once again we are whole. I wasn’t fully dressed so Dorothea went to get the package. The next thing I hear is a knock on the door and the land-lady’s daughter is there telling me in broken English that Dorothea needs me. Not an encouraging invitation. When I get to the UPS truck, I see the driver with a death grip on our new PC shielding it from Dorothea who has the appearance of a fine lioness ready to pounce on its prey. It seems there was a matter of a 350. Euros VAT that had to be paid. It didn’t matter what I said about previous arrangements, the driver wasn’t going to let us have the PC without the VAT. “O.K., here’s my credit card, I’ll deal with the VAT later, just give me my PC. “Sorry!”, says Mr. Brown. “Kasse, neine Master Kard!” I tell him I don’t have 350 Euros on me. Can you wait 30 minutes until I can get to the banko and geta kasse? “Neine! Kum bak 14:30! Sie haf kasse!” Covering my options while heading to the ATM, I called Hans at UPS central to find out what’s happening. He says he’ll call the driver’s boss and take care of the problem. At 14:30, Mr. Brown returns, and tells me, no VAT required, and we finally get our PC.
On the 9th, having our new PC in hand, we leave our home base in Murnau and head for Salzburg. Along the way, we make a short side trip to Lake Tegernsee for lunch and then head to Rosenheim for the night. We find a comfortable, new inn just outside of town and have what else, Wienerschnitzel, for dinner at the hotel restaurant. Everyone in the restaurant is once again very friendly and helpful in getting us fed.
Ed and Dorothea
Friday, November 28, 2008
October 2, 2008
Needless to say, the Wednesday following Tuesday’s Oktoberfest visit had a slow start and a long finish. Instead of using guns in WWII, Hitler should have held a beer drinking contest. The country with the most soldiers standing at the end of the contest would take home all of the goodies!
By Thursday, things were back to normal, and we continued our exploration of the area around our new home in Murnau. We headed to the little picturesque town of Garmish-Partenkirchen at the base of the Alps which was a short 20 minute drive from home base. The skies were grey but the vibrant colors of the leaves against the backdrop of the Alps created their own sunshine. This apparently is a very popular ski area though too early this time of year for skiing.
We stopped in a little restaurant for lunch and were promptly served. We have found, when the gratuity is included in the bill, food is served instantly but getting a check or “Rechnung” takes forever. The servers, normally only one or two regardless of the size of the restaurant, must get paid based on the orders processed not by the money collected. Even though this restaurant accepted credit cards, when we tried to pay, the server said she didn’t have time to run a credit card and wanted cash only. That wasn’t going to fly! So, we escalated it to management and had our way and paid by credit card. Before the trip, when we opened our new bank account to use in Europe, we received a credit card that for 12 months had no interest on the outstanding balance and only required a minimum monthly payment. When we charge, we pay the current US dollar exchange rate but no premium and no transaction fee. On the other hand, when we withdraw cash from an ATM using our debit card, we pay not only the exchange rate difference but a non-member bank exchange premium and an ATM fee of between 4 and 8 Euros. Needless to say, we want to charge!
When we got back to Murnau, we had dinner and walked to main street to celebrate the unification of East and West Germany with the locals. The highlights of the evening were three hair stylists with very elaborate hair-dos, mini hot-air balloons made of paper, a terrific drum group and a local group singing Jimmy Buffett’s songs, including Margaritaville, in English but with a German accent. In German, “w’s” are pronounced like our v. So “wasting away …” becomes “vasting avay …” and “…woman to blame’’ becomes “…voman to blame." In spite of the accent, they were good and it really made us think of being home.
The little hot air balloons were really cool. When we first noticed the little orange lights in the black night sky, I thought they were a group of paratroopers like we have at our air show. Then I thought they were helicopters and finally, I thought Marnau was being attacked for celebrating the holiday and we were all going to die. When we asked, we were told they were small, paper balloons with a burning tea lite to create the hot air. They really lasted quite a while even with a light rain. We also found out since they had a live flame and were a fire hazard; they were going to be outlawed from use in Germany. But, no fear, they are planning to create a safe one to use. We are going to keep our eye out for them!
America heavily influences Europe. There are a couple of 24 hour TV news channels, “BBC” and “CNN Europe”, with heavy coverage on US topics. At the time, they were very closely following the Presidential Race and even televised the last Obama-McCain debate in its entirety. The analysis following the debate went on for two days. The TV in our apartment received 140 channels. There were only a few entertainment type channels, a lot of news channels (mostly German but a lot from France, Russia, and Iran) and a whole lot more channels advertising ‘900’ telephone numbers (I really did save Ed from those naughty ads – I held the remote at all times! DZ)
On Sunday the 3rd, we took a trip to “Bad Tolz” about an hour away. The city is a SPA Resort town situated on the Isar River. Bad is pronounced Bat and means “bath.” These curative spas are very popular here. We hiked up to Calvary Church to get a view of the river, town and Alps from its high vantage point. The still active Catholic Church dates back to the 1800s and has Stations of the Cross along the path to the Church. The views were breathtaking.
On Monday the 4th, we took off to the SE for a drive through the Lake District to the high mountain lakes and a mountain peak called “Herzogstand.” (It was 3 degrees C and it snowed for a few minutes! Ed was outside the car taking a picture of a marina with sailboats on a lake 2,400 ft. above sea level and had snow on his jacket! What a treat for me since I can count the times I have seen snow on one hand! (DZ). We had lunch at a restaurant on one of the lower lakes that was 54’ deep in the center. En route to the restaurant, we noticed a handbill advertising a mountain race for old cars, from what we saw they had MGs, Porches, Vettes, Bentleys and VW Beetles. The race course was on the mountain we were on with a very narrow, very winding road with slopes of 15-18% between two small towns. The road was closed to traffic for the race, thankfully, while we were having lunch! And our helpful GPS notified us of the road closing! While we drove through the mountainous area during the afternoon, we saw some of the racers returning from the race. Our day trip ended in the quaint Alpine Village of Mittenwald famous for its painted buildings and incredible view of the Alps. We stopped at a little Café on the Village Square and, as is the afternoon custom in the area, had our Cappuccino and Pastry. (Somehow, I am not sure why, we have not gained any weight yet! DZ)
Having a place in Murnau to stop and collect our wits, we did a spot check on how we were doing. Our car, a Renault III Estate Wagon Turbo Diesel, 150 HP, 6-forward speed manual transmission work horse was serving us well. We were averaging 35 miles per gallon and the most we paid for diesel was 1.41 Euro in France and averaging 1.31 Euros per liter (about $5.36 per gallon). The price of oil was dropping and the future looked promising for lower diesel prices. The car is comfortable, easy to drive and incorporates some of the latest technology (proximity warning, tire pressure read out, keyless entry, shift prompts and break control to name a few). (I have to say that Ed has driven the entire time and is doing such a marvelous job, even though when we’re on the mountain roads my knuckles got a little white and I brake often with my imaginary brake! DZ) Budget wise, we are pretty much on track and think we will be able to stay the course and not have to write home to ask you all for money!
Ed and Dorothea
Needless to say, the Wednesday following Tuesday’s Oktoberfest visit had a slow start and a long finish. Instead of using guns in WWII, Hitler should have held a beer drinking contest. The country with the most soldiers standing at the end of the contest would take home all of the goodies!
By Thursday, things were back to normal, and we continued our exploration of the area around our new home in Murnau. We headed to the little picturesque town of Garmish-Partenkirchen at the base of the Alps which was a short 20 minute drive from home base. The skies were grey but the vibrant colors of the leaves against the backdrop of the Alps created their own sunshine. This apparently is a very popular ski area though too early this time of year for skiing.
We stopped in a little restaurant for lunch and were promptly served. We have found, when the gratuity is included in the bill, food is served instantly but getting a check or “Rechnung” takes forever. The servers, normally only one or two regardless of the size of the restaurant, must get paid based on the orders processed not by the money collected. Even though this restaurant accepted credit cards, when we tried to pay, the server said she didn’t have time to run a credit card and wanted cash only. That wasn’t going to fly! So, we escalated it to management and had our way and paid by credit card. Before the trip, when we opened our new bank account to use in Europe, we received a credit card that for 12 months had no interest on the outstanding balance and only required a minimum monthly payment. When we charge, we pay the current US dollar exchange rate but no premium and no transaction fee. On the other hand, when we withdraw cash from an ATM using our debit card, we pay not only the exchange rate difference but a non-member bank exchange premium and an ATM fee of between 4 and 8 Euros. Needless to say, we want to charge!
When we got back to Murnau, we had dinner and walked to main street to celebrate the unification of East and West Germany with the locals. The highlights of the evening were three hair stylists with very elaborate hair-dos, mini hot-air balloons made of paper, a terrific drum group and a local group singing Jimmy Buffett’s songs, including Margaritaville, in English but with a German accent. In German, “w’s” are pronounced like our v. So “wasting away …” becomes “vasting avay …” and “…woman to blame’’ becomes “…voman to blame." In spite of the accent, they were good and it really made us think of being home.
The little hot air balloons were really cool. When we first noticed the little orange lights in the black night sky, I thought they were a group of paratroopers like we have at our air show. Then I thought they were helicopters and finally, I thought Marnau was being attacked for celebrating the holiday and we were all going to die. When we asked, we were told they were small, paper balloons with a burning tea lite to create the hot air. They really lasted quite a while even with a light rain. We also found out since they had a live flame and were a fire hazard; they were going to be outlawed from use in Germany. But, no fear, they are planning to create a safe one to use. We are going to keep our eye out for them!
America heavily influences Europe. There are a couple of 24 hour TV news channels, “BBC” and “CNN Europe”, with heavy coverage on US topics. At the time, they were very closely following the Presidential Race and even televised the last Obama-McCain debate in its entirety. The analysis following the debate went on for two days. The TV in our apartment received 140 channels. There were only a few entertainment type channels, a lot of news channels (mostly German but a lot from France, Russia, and Iran) and a whole lot more channels advertising ‘900’ telephone numbers (I really did save Ed from those naughty ads – I held the remote at all times! DZ)
On Sunday the 3rd, we took a trip to “Bad Tolz” about an hour away. The city is a SPA Resort town situated on the Isar River. Bad is pronounced Bat and means “bath.” These curative spas are very popular here. We hiked up to Calvary Church to get a view of the river, town and Alps from its high vantage point. The still active Catholic Church dates back to the 1800s and has Stations of the Cross along the path to the Church. The views were breathtaking.
On Monday the 4th, we took off to the SE for a drive through the Lake District to the high mountain lakes and a mountain peak called “Herzogstand.” (It was 3 degrees C and it snowed for a few minutes! Ed was outside the car taking a picture of a marina with sailboats on a lake 2,400 ft. above sea level and had snow on his jacket! What a treat for me since I can count the times I have seen snow on one hand! (DZ). We had lunch at a restaurant on one of the lower lakes that was 54’ deep in the center. En route to the restaurant, we noticed a handbill advertising a mountain race for old cars, from what we saw they had MGs, Porches, Vettes, Bentleys and VW Beetles. The race course was on the mountain we were on with a very narrow, very winding road with slopes of 15-18% between two small towns. The road was closed to traffic for the race, thankfully, while we were having lunch! And our helpful GPS notified us of the road closing! While we drove through the mountainous area during the afternoon, we saw some of the racers returning from the race. Our day trip ended in the quaint Alpine Village of Mittenwald famous for its painted buildings and incredible view of the Alps. We stopped at a little Café on the Village Square and, as is the afternoon custom in the area, had our Cappuccino and Pastry. (Somehow, I am not sure why, we have not gained any weight yet! DZ)
Having a place in Murnau to stop and collect our wits, we did a spot check on how we were doing. Our car, a Renault III Estate Wagon Turbo Diesel, 150 HP, 6-forward speed manual transmission work horse was serving us well. We were averaging 35 miles per gallon and the most we paid for diesel was 1.41 Euro in France and averaging 1.31 Euros per liter (about $5.36 per gallon). The price of oil was dropping and the future looked promising for lower diesel prices. The car is comfortable, easy to drive and incorporates some of the latest technology (proximity warning, tire pressure read out, keyless entry, shift prompts and break control to name a few). (I have to say that Ed has driven the entire time and is doing such a marvelous job, even though when we’re on the mountain roads my knuckles got a little white and I brake often with my imaginary brake! DZ) Budget wise, we are pretty much on track and think we will be able to stay the course and not have to write home to ask you all for money!
Ed and Dorothea
Thursday, November 27, 2008
September 30, 2008
Roughly a week before starting down the Romantic Road, we were approaching Frankfurt on a Sunday afternoon and noticed the northbound traffic was bumper to bumper and stop and go for over 20 miles. Wondering why there was so much traffic, we finally realized all of the locals were returning home from Oktoberfest. Originally planning to get to Murnau on Friday so we could go to Munich that weekend to catch Oktoberfest before it ended, we changed our minds. After seeing all of the traffic we figured weekends in Munich would be nuts so we decided to wait until Tuesday to go when the crowds thinned (wrong).
Instead, we would use the weekend to do domestic stuff. But, that wouldn’t prove to be very productive. We had use of an apartment size washer and dryer in the cellar which could handle about a single change of clothes. We found we were soiling clothes at about the same rate they were being washed. We checked with a local laundry and they wanted 40 euros per kilogram which is about $26.00 per pound. With our three weeks of laundry, that would tally up to over $1,000. At that price, we seriously thought about throwing away our soiled clothes and buying new ones. We badgered our land lady enough she caved in and let us use her commercial equipment. In 4 hours, we had everything clean.
Murnau isn’t one of your more well known German towns. However, we picked it from “Google Earth” and our Garmin’s “Map Source” because of its convenient location. Murnau is about equi-distant from Munich, Innsbruck and Salzburg and all accessible by rail. We gave ourselves 3 weeks to visit them while we set up home making in a distant apartment. Our apartment was a two block walk from the rail station as well as a short walk from town so we could park the car and give it a rest.
On Tuesday, we bought our tickets to Munich and headed for Germany’s biggest party. The morning was a pleasant 10 C and the sun was shining. The train ride went through mostly agricultural countryside with the exception of the resort area of Lake Starnberg which is about 14 miles SW of Munich. Just outside of Munich, in a suburban area, we noticed an apartment or condo complex that had an interesting arrangement for “green space.” Behind the complex there was a line of 10 x 20 meter lots, each different that resembled your typical suburban back yard. One had a child’s swing set, the next one had a lawn building, the one next to that had a vegetable garden and next one had lawn chairs and a BBQ grill. It appeared the plots were a substitute for a private back yard. It was easy to imagine a summer scene where kids would be playing and 30 feet away their next door neighbors would be tiling the garden while 30 feet from them a couple would be having a cook out. Not being from a big metropolitan city where it might be common, I thought the arrangement was quite ingenious.
After arriving In Munich and a visit to the Tourist Information (TI ) center we were off to “Zentrum” (town center) to spend most of the day exploring the regular part of Munich that wasn’t directly celebrating October Fest. We were on our way to see the infamous “Hauf Brau” haus and passed through a very large central square, “Marienplatz”, that had every retail shop conceivable. These were not your typical tourist trinket shops but high-end classy department stores. From the type of stores and their prices, resident of Munich appear to be doing very good financially.
We came out of one store just in time to see the “Glockenspiel” in the bell tower of the “New Town Hall.” We watched like a couple of kids while the upper figures engaged in a jousting tournament and the lower figures did their mechanical dance. Later, we stopped and had lunch at a neat shop (“Bread & Butter”) that was a cross between “Sharper Image” and “Pies & Plates.” It had all sorts of high end household items and fresh bread being made at the lunch counter.
According to local accounts, the Hauf Braus haus in old Munich was instrumental in the development of beer brewing and while it was an October Fest venue, we went there to visit its museum. All of the placards and displays provided information on how it contributed the early brewing development. Not that it was important except from an historical perspective, nothing was mentioned about it serving as the mass meeting place for organizing Hitler’s Socialist Worker’s Party. I guess that aspect of their history doesn’t need reinforcing.
Leaving “Old Town”, we made our way over to the west part of town where October Fest was “really” being celebrated. We were anxious to see if Munich’s “October Fest” would top Key West’s “Fantasy Fest”. It did!
When we walked through the main gate, we could not believe our eyes. We expected a couple of beer tents like they have in Cape Coral and a fairly large crowd. What was there was immense. It is a huge fair, with an enormous midway (larger than the Florida State Fair in Tampa) and huge beer tents that more permanent structures than tents and can hold at least 1,500 people. Remember, this is a Tuesday afternoon around 5:00 pm, somewhat cold and dreary. That didn’t matter, the crowds were thick and every beer tent we peaked into was packed.
On the recommendation of our friends Bob and Joyce Ryan who lived in Germany for a while, we found our way to the Spaten (a German brewer) tent. It was really great but we didn’t know all of the tables were bought and paid for months in advance. A nice little waitress managed to find us a couple of empty seats at a bought table and asked the table owners if they minded if we joined them while we ate. The two guys were Catholic Frat brothers from the University of Munich with a young girl who appeared to be a Frat groupie chick and also a student. At first, they were a little hesitant to have a couple of old folks sit with them but after a toast or two and showing them we could sing the German drinking song, which was sung by everyone in the tent, we were accepted. Their little ditty went something like:
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit Der Gemütlichkeit Ein Prosit, ein Prosit Der Gemütlichkeit
Eins, zwei, drei – zuppa!
That short song, played after every Oom-Pah Band song, was designed to promote beer drinking. 1 Liter mugs don’t last long when you take a long draw from them every 4 or 5 minutes. For dinner, we had another one of those delicious ½ fried chickens, drank a little more beer than moved on when the table’s owners other guests arrived. No problem though, making friends in a beer tent with a bunch of happy people was easy. We met another group of young folks who adopted us and hung out with them for awhile (awhile meaning way too long). Having a good time and trying to keep up with our newfound German friends, things got a little fuzzy. I forgot we came by train and to get back home, we needed to make our way back to the station before the last train out of Yuma. Dorothea, my trusty, forever vigilant navigator got us back to the train station with 20 minutes to spare before the last train departed.
Dorothea and Ed
Roughly a week before starting down the Romantic Road, we were approaching Frankfurt on a Sunday afternoon and noticed the northbound traffic was bumper to bumper and stop and go for over 20 miles. Wondering why there was so much traffic, we finally realized all of the locals were returning home from Oktoberfest. Originally planning to get to Murnau on Friday so we could go to Munich that weekend to catch Oktoberfest before it ended, we changed our minds. After seeing all of the traffic we figured weekends in Munich would be nuts so we decided to wait until Tuesday to go when the crowds thinned (wrong).
Instead, we would use the weekend to do domestic stuff. But, that wouldn’t prove to be very productive. We had use of an apartment size washer and dryer in the cellar which could handle about a single change of clothes. We found we were soiling clothes at about the same rate they were being washed. We checked with a local laundry and they wanted 40 euros per kilogram which is about $26.00 per pound. With our three weeks of laundry, that would tally up to over $1,000. At that price, we seriously thought about throwing away our soiled clothes and buying new ones. We badgered our land lady enough she caved in and let us use her commercial equipment. In 4 hours, we had everything clean.
Murnau isn’t one of your more well known German towns. However, we picked it from “Google Earth” and our Garmin’s “Map Source” because of its convenient location. Murnau is about equi-distant from Munich, Innsbruck and Salzburg and all accessible by rail. We gave ourselves 3 weeks to visit them while we set up home making in a distant apartment. Our apartment was a two block walk from the rail station as well as a short walk from town so we could park the car and give it a rest.
On Tuesday, we bought our tickets to Munich and headed for Germany’s biggest party. The morning was a pleasant 10 C and the sun was shining. The train ride went through mostly agricultural countryside with the exception of the resort area of Lake Starnberg which is about 14 miles SW of Munich. Just outside of Munich, in a suburban area, we noticed an apartment or condo complex that had an interesting arrangement for “green space.” Behind the complex there was a line of 10 x 20 meter lots, each different that resembled your typical suburban back yard. One had a child’s swing set, the next one had a lawn building, the one next to that had a vegetable garden and next one had lawn chairs and a BBQ grill. It appeared the plots were a substitute for a private back yard. It was easy to imagine a summer scene where kids would be playing and 30 feet away their next door neighbors would be tiling the garden while 30 feet from them a couple would be having a cook out. Not being from a big metropolitan city where it might be common, I thought the arrangement was quite ingenious.
After arriving In Munich and a visit to the Tourist Information (TI ) center we were off to “Zentrum” (town center) to spend most of the day exploring the regular part of Munich that wasn’t directly celebrating October Fest. We were on our way to see the infamous “Hauf Brau” haus and passed through a very large central square, “Marienplatz”, that had every retail shop conceivable. These were not your typical tourist trinket shops but high-end classy department stores. From the type of stores and their prices, resident of Munich appear to be doing very good financially.
We came out of one store just in time to see the “Glockenspiel” in the bell tower of the “New Town Hall.” We watched like a couple of kids while the upper figures engaged in a jousting tournament and the lower figures did their mechanical dance. Later, we stopped and had lunch at a neat shop (“Bread & Butter”) that was a cross between “Sharper Image” and “Pies & Plates.” It had all sorts of high end household items and fresh bread being made at the lunch counter.
According to local accounts, the Hauf Braus haus in old Munich was instrumental in the development of beer brewing and while it was an October Fest venue, we went there to visit its museum. All of the placards and displays provided information on how it contributed the early brewing development. Not that it was important except from an historical perspective, nothing was mentioned about it serving as the mass meeting place for organizing Hitler’s Socialist Worker’s Party. I guess that aspect of their history doesn’t need reinforcing.
Leaving “Old Town”, we made our way over to the west part of town where October Fest was “really” being celebrated. We were anxious to see if Munich’s “October Fest” would top Key West’s “Fantasy Fest”. It did!
When we walked through the main gate, we could not believe our eyes. We expected a couple of beer tents like they have in Cape Coral and a fairly large crowd. What was there was immense. It is a huge fair, with an enormous midway (larger than the Florida State Fair in Tampa) and huge beer tents that more permanent structures than tents and can hold at least 1,500 people. Remember, this is a Tuesday afternoon around 5:00 pm, somewhat cold and dreary. That didn’t matter, the crowds were thick and every beer tent we peaked into was packed.
On the recommendation of our friends Bob and Joyce Ryan who lived in Germany for a while, we found our way to the Spaten (a German brewer) tent. It was really great but we didn’t know all of the tables were bought and paid for months in advance. A nice little waitress managed to find us a couple of empty seats at a bought table and asked the table owners if they minded if we joined them while we ate. The two guys were Catholic Frat brothers from the University of Munich with a young girl who appeared to be a Frat groupie chick and also a student. At first, they were a little hesitant to have a couple of old folks sit with them but after a toast or two and showing them we could sing the German drinking song, which was sung by everyone in the tent, we were accepted. Their little ditty went something like:
Ein Prosit, ein Prosit Der Gemütlichkeit Ein Prosit, ein Prosit Der Gemütlichkeit
Eins, zwei, drei – zuppa!
That short song, played after every Oom-Pah Band song, was designed to promote beer drinking. 1 Liter mugs don’t last long when you take a long draw from them every 4 or 5 minutes. For dinner, we had another one of those delicious ½ fried chickens, drank a little more beer than moved on when the table’s owners other guests arrived. No problem though, making friends in a beer tent with a bunch of happy people was easy. We met another group of young folks who adopted us and hung out with them for awhile (awhile meaning way too long). Having a good time and trying to keep up with our newfound German friends, things got a little fuzzy. I forgot we came by train and to get back home, we needed to make our way back to the station before the last train out of Yuma. Dorothea, my trusty, forever vigilant navigator got us back to the train station with 20 minutes to spare before the last train departed.
Dorothea and Ed
Thursday, November 13, 2008
September 25, 2008
Continuing our drive along the Romantic Road admiring the spectacular fall colors of the hardwood trees (some had an iridescent red we had not seen in the States) we stopped just outside of Steingaden to visit a Pilgrimage Church called the “Flagellaged Saviour in the Meadow”or Weiss Church. It was just beautiful. Although there was a service going on, the many visitors were tolerated and we were able to admire the creativity and ingenuity of artist, architects and builders from the 1800’s. On another historical note, while strolling the meadow path, it was here we discovered German cows actually wear cow bells around their neck!
When we got to Fussen, as usual we drove around to get the lay of the land and look for signs advertising Zimmer Frei or Gasthauses. The B & B, Haus am Forggensee was just outside of town at the base of the Alps and had a room available. Even though it was overcast with clouds in the mountain tops, the view from our room was spectacular. While we sat there admiring the scenery from our balcony, the cool mountain air mysteriously caused a bottle of wine to evaporate. Directly across the street from our B & B was an upscale resort and spa on Lake Forggensee. The rooms were 250+ Euros/night which explains why we were at the B & B and not there! However, undaunted (vino has many powers), we decided to explore the resort and see what made it so special. While wandering around trying to look like we belonged there we got lost and somehow ended up right in the middle of their candle-lit, formal dining room in the jeans we had had on all day, looking like we were dragged in from the cold (it was). The maitre d’ came over to us and asked if we wanted a table for two. So, what do you say with everyone watching and trying to figure out what language you’re speaking; “No thanks, we’re from the B & B across the street and we’re just snooping around.” We stayed for dinner, had fun with the waiter and enjoyed the company of a young couple next to us who spoke fluent english.
So, managing to leave in good graces with everyone, we spent the evening in our humble B & B with Heidi our host and had breakfast in morning. All along the Romantic Road all of our accommodations have included breakfast. Well sort of. Breakfast over here is a bologna, ham or cheese sandwich. Fruits, packaged cheese spread, crackers and other miscellaneous “goodies” adorn the little buffet tables (but nothing Ed really wanted to eat at 7:30 am). We found since no one really watched over these items, we could, discretely take a few of them with us for emergency road rations. Last year when we were leaving the Marathon Yacht Club (Florida), a power boater told us, “… sailors have to be watched because they’ll take anything that isn’t locked up.” Well, Heidi must have known we were sailors because she made sure there would be no free road “goodies” for us that morning.
Our itinerary for the day in Fussen was to tour King Ludwig’s two famous castles, Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. Both were spectacular and Neuschwanstein (construction started in 1869) supposedly was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. It also was the hardest to get to. To reach the castle, we had to walk about 45 minutes up a steep incline and stop numerous times to take pictures and more importantly to catch our breath. For a couple of “flatlanders, it was tough; but seeing the castle was really worth the trek. It truly is a fairy tale castle built by a troubled, very young king (who had problems not much different than today’s everyday life struggles) with an intriguing story.
After touring the castles, we headed to Murnau to check into what was going to be our home for the next three weeks. It was a good thing too, because after being on the road for 3 weeks, there was no more room in the car for one more laundry bags. They were starting to fall out when we opened the doors to get the luggage out for a night’s stay. In spite of what the guide books say, there are no self service laundries in France, Belgium or Germany.
We checked into the apartment late in the afternoon, found a place for all of our stuff, re-arranged the furniture and headed to the local convenience store to pick up a few groceries until our planned shopping trip on Saturday. This 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a combined kitchen, dining and living room unit probably will not serve as the model we’ll use when we decide to downsize!
We did most of our shopping on Saturday at one of the largest markets in the area (about the size of one of our large CVS or Walgreens pharmacies). They do not have anything that resembles a Publix and for sure there is not one on every corner. It took a long, long time to figure things out but we did learn a lot about local customs. Paper napkins are not used, saltine crackers don’t exist, canned vegetables are few and far between, beef is very limited and while pork is supposed to be plentiful, the cuts are not from the prime sections. Evidently, bacon, Jimmy Dean sausage or waffles, Orville Redenbacher popcorn, potato chips were never introduced in Germany or if they were they were not well received! While most of the countryside is used to raise dairy cows, based on what’s available on the store’s shelves, milk apparently is not consumed in large quantities. People seem to drink the unrefrigerated milk in cartons and not fresh milk. Sodas are scare but .5 Liters of beer come in a case of 15 for 12 euro or $15 (plus deposit) and wine averages 2.75 euro per .75 Liter or $3.25 (at an exchange rate of 1.4). In addition to what is and isn’t familiar in the market, the metric system is used to measure quantities. When we ordered 1 kilogram of bologna, the butcher in the deli looked astonished, holding his hands horizontally, about 18 inches apart, he quizzically asked; Ya? We quickly learned a kilogram is roughly 2 pounds so we adjusted our request to 100 grams. We couldn’t understand exactly what the butcher said but it sounded a lot like “Amerikaner dumkoff”.
On Sunday, we planned to make a quick trip to pick up a few previously unfound grocery items only to find everything was closed. Instead we found Murnau was having a Street Festival which sounded like a good way to celebrate our arrival. That evening at the festival, a Blues group by the name of “Williams Wetsox” was the headliner. They were singing blues in German and their music sounded great. So good in fact, I had to buy one of their CDs. Dorothea says they can’t sing and true they may not be Jimmy Hendricks but to a blues fan, they have an intriguing sound and they made the party groove.
Look for a link in our separate email to the associated photos. You'll have to wait until the next group of photos to see "Williams Wetsox". The group's photo is on my IPhone and I haven't yet loaded Itunes on our new pc.
We would like to thank all of our friends who provided us with information, books and hints on where to go and what to see. All of the information has been extremely informative and has helped to make our adventure all the more pleasurable. Also, thanks to all of those back home who continue to help us realize a dream by taking care of those everyday that always need attention.
Ed and Dorothea
Continuing our drive along the Romantic Road admiring the spectacular fall colors of the hardwood trees (some had an iridescent red we had not seen in the States) we stopped just outside of Steingaden to visit a Pilgrimage Church called the “Flagellaged Saviour in the Meadow”or Weiss Church. It was just beautiful. Although there was a service going on, the many visitors were tolerated and we were able to admire the creativity and ingenuity of artist, architects and builders from the 1800’s. On another historical note, while strolling the meadow path, it was here we discovered German cows actually wear cow bells around their neck!
When we got to Fussen, as usual we drove around to get the lay of the land and look for signs advertising Zimmer Frei or Gasthauses. The B & B, Haus am Forggensee was just outside of town at the base of the Alps and had a room available. Even though it was overcast with clouds in the mountain tops, the view from our room was spectacular. While we sat there admiring the scenery from our balcony, the cool mountain air mysteriously caused a bottle of wine to evaporate. Directly across the street from our B & B was an upscale resort and spa on Lake Forggensee. The rooms were 250+ Euros/night which explains why we were at the B & B and not there! However, undaunted (vino has many powers), we decided to explore the resort and see what made it so special. While wandering around trying to look like we belonged there we got lost and somehow ended up right in the middle of their candle-lit, formal dining room in the jeans we had had on all day, looking like we were dragged in from the cold (it was). The maitre d’ came over to us and asked if we wanted a table for two. So, what do you say with everyone watching and trying to figure out what language you’re speaking; “No thanks, we’re from the B & B across the street and we’re just snooping around.” We stayed for dinner, had fun with the waiter and enjoyed the company of a young couple next to us who spoke fluent english.
So, managing to leave in good graces with everyone, we spent the evening in our humble B & B with Heidi our host and had breakfast in morning. All along the Romantic Road all of our accommodations have included breakfast. Well sort of. Breakfast over here is a bologna, ham or cheese sandwich. Fruits, packaged cheese spread, crackers and other miscellaneous “goodies” adorn the little buffet tables (but nothing Ed really wanted to eat at 7:30 am). We found since no one really watched over these items, we could, discretely take a few of them with us for emergency road rations. Last year when we were leaving the Marathon Yacht Club (Florida), a power boater told us, “… sailors have to be watched because they’ll take anything that isn’t locked up.” Well, Heidi must have known we were sailors because she made sure there would be no free road “goodies” for us that morning.
Our itinerary for the day in Fussen was to tour King Ludwig’s two famous castles, Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. Both were spectacular and Neuschwanstein (construction started in 1869) supposedly was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. It also was the hardest to get to. To reach the castle, we had to walk about 45 minutes up a steep incline and stop numerous times to take pictures and more importantly to catch our breath. For a couple of “flatlanders, it was tough; but seeing the castle was really worth the trek. It truly is a fairy tale castle built by a troubled, very young king (who had problems not much different than today’s everyday life struggles) with an intriguing story.
After touring the castles, we headed to Murnau to check into what was going to be our home for the next three weeks. It was a good thing too, because after being on the road for 3 weeks, there was no more room in the car for one more laundry bags. They were starting to fall out when we opened the doors to get the luggage out for a night’s stay. In spite of what the guide books say, there are no self service laundries in France, Belgium or Germany.
We checked into the apartment late in the afternoon, found a place for all of our stuff, re-arranged the furniture and headed to the local convenience store to pick up a few groceries until our planned shopping trip on Saturday. This 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a combined kitchen, dining and living room unit probably will not serve as the model we’ll use when we decide to downsize!
We did most of our shopping on Saturday at one of the largest markets in the area (about the size of one of our large CVS or Walgreens pharmacies). They do not have anything that resembles a Publix and for sure there is not one on every corner. It took a long, long time to figure things out but we did learn a lot about local customs. Paper napkins are not used, saltine crackers don’t exist, canned vegetables are few and far between, beef is very limited and while pork is supposed to be plentiful, the cuts are not from the prime sections. Evidently, bacon, Jimmy Dean sausage or waffles, Orville Redenbacher popcorn, potato chips were never introduced in Germany or if they were they were not well received! While most of the countryside is used to raise dairy cows, based on what’s available on the store’s shelves, milk apparently is not consumed in large quantities. People seem to drink the unrefrigerated milk in cartons and not fresh milk. Sodas are scare but .5 Liters of beer come in a case of 15 for 12 euro or $15 (plus deposit) and wine averages 2.75 euro per .75 Liter or $3.25 (at an exchange rate of 1.4). In addition to what is and isn’t familiar in the market, the metric system is used to measure quantities. When we ordered 1 kilogram of bologna, the butcher in the deli looked astonished, holding his hands horizontally, about 18 inches apart, he quizzically asked; Ya? We quickly learned a kilogram is roughly 2 pounds so we adjusted our request to 100 grams. We couldn’t understand exactly what the butcher said but it sounded a lot like “Amerikaner dumkoff”.
On Sunday, we planned to make a quick trip to pick up a few previously unfound grocery items only to find everything was closed. Instead we found Murnau was having a Street Festival which sounded like a good way to celebrate our arrival. That evening at the festival, a Blues group by the name of “Williams Wetsox” was the headliner. They were singing blues in German and their music sounded great. So good in fact, I had to buy one of their CDs. Dorothea says they can’t sing and true they may not be Jimmy Hendricks but to a blues fan, they have an intriguing sound and they made the party groove.
Look for a link in our separate email to the associated photos. You'll have to wait until the next group of photos to see "Williams Wetsox". The group's photo is on my IPhone and I haven't yet loaded Itunes on our new pc.
We would like to thank all of our friends who provided us with information, books and hints on where to go and what to see. All of the information has been extremely informative and has helped to make our adventure all the more pleasurable. Also, thanks to all of those back home who continue to help us realize a dream by taking care of those everyday that always need attention.
Ed and Dorothea
Friday, October 31, 2008
September 22, 2008
The trip to Wurzburg was mostly a quick driving trip because of our late departure from Heidelberg. The weather was again pleasant, starting in morning at 8 C and warming in the afternoon to 18 C. When you do the conversion, that’s about 48 F to 64 F. The numbers seem cold but it really isn’t. Generally, there is little wind and low humidity and it is quite comfortable. We covered the distance on the Autobahn in relatively short time.
Once we got to Wurzburg, we found it to be like many of the larger cities we’ve passed through, it’s not a place where you want to spend a holiday, too big and not quaint and cozy. So, off we go to the outskirts to a little berg called Hochberg where the grass is greener and the air is fresher. We found a room at a nice gasthof, the Gasthof Golden Adler. It was a little late when we checked in so we headed straight to the restaurant to make sure we didn’t miss dinner. Much to our surprise we found in addition to the usual schnitzel or bratwurst, they had a ½ deep fried (no breading, just crispy) chicken on the menu. The chicken was soooooooo D E L I C I O U S !!! Normally, we chat a little during dining but I don’t believe either of said two words to each other while we ate. It was the first normal meal we had had in 2 weeks.
The next day we needed a couple of miscellaneous items so we stopped at the local “WalMart,” which in that part of Germany is a “Toom” store. It was interesting to see how they manage the shopping cart problem. It was the same way we noticed in all the cities since Belgium. The carts are stored in a shelter in the parking lot. To get a cart, you insert a 1 Euro coin and release a chain holding the carts together. When you finish shopping, you return the cart to one of the cart locations, reconnect the chain and retrieve your Euro. No errant carts in the parking lot and no cart attendants needed to bring them back home. The second thing we noticed is the stores don’t provide bags for your purchases. It’s like “Sam’s.” You either carry out each individual item in your arms or you bring your own bag. Also, all of the checkout cashiers have a chair and sit while checking you out. Having a cashier check you out while seated takes a little getting used to. Ed kept looking to see if they were pregnant. Anyway, we again had fun deciphering the packages to find what we needed. Bought some wine, which by the way really does not give you a headache. We were advised of this by some friends and it really is true! Also the prices are unbelievably inexpensive. You can get a nice bottle of everyday wine for 3-5 euros.
The next morning we left Hochburg and headed down the “Romantic Road” on the elusive Route 27 (It kept avoiding us. The signage wasn’t over done). I saw a neat little cemetery in a forbidden apple orchard and had to stop. Dorothea wanted me to pick some apples but I remembered what happened to another guy who ate an apple when he wasn’t supposed to so, instead, we took a couple of pictures and continued on. Even though the cemetery was located in a rural area, the tombstones were not insignificant. Most were on family plots dating back to the early 18th century. All were well cared for and indicated a strong tie of the present to the past.
The “Romantic Road” is an old trade route between Wurzburg on the North to Fussen in the Alps on the South. The roads are good and most of the land is in agriculture. The lands appear to be manicured and picturesque (if only Arcadia, FL could see them). We were on somewhat of a schedule to get to our apartment in Murnau on the 26th so we only could spend a little time in the villages of Bad Mergentheim, Weikershiem, Rothenberg, Feuchtwagen, Dinkelsbuhl, Wallerstein, Nordlingen, Donauworth, Landsberg and Fussen.
From Wurzburg we stayed in a great inn with a large room in Endlefingerhof and explored the nearby town of Bad Mergentheim (Bad is pronounced Bat and means Bath as in Spa). The lady at the Tourist Information (TI) Center told us about a light and dancing water show they were having that evening at 10:00 in one of the gardens. Since the temperature had dropped that day, we bundled up, headed for the gardens and decided to have dinner before the show at a nearby restaurant. We found there is no correlation between high prices, an attractive setting and good food. The dinner at the Best Western Premier left a lot to be desired. The water and light show with music was cool. It wasn’t the Bellagio but, they did a good job with the production.
We left Endlefingerhof and headed for Weikersheim to see its castle and town and planned an extended stop in the walled city of Rothenberg. The city with its surrounding wall and gates is a large shopping area which includes a Christmas Shop and quite a few of regular residences. The Christmas shop is huge with more than 20 different rooms (Dorothea was in heaven!) Wish we could have stayed longer in this spectacular walled city. Lots to see and not enough time! From Rothenberg on our way to Feuchtwangen, we came across a real sheep herder and his two German shepherds working a flock. From the photo you can see the size of the herd which made the dogs cover a lot of ground. They appeared to do it effortlessly. Also note the “black sheep” in the herd! In Thurnhofen, near Feuchtwangen, we stayed at the “Pension Grunen Wald” on the 23rd. It had a small restaurant where we had a dinner of guess what, Wiener Schnitzel. The best part of dinner was meeting our next door diner, an anesthesiologist from East Germany who was a great guy and chatted with us most of the evening. Dr. Hans Jurgen Woske was on his way to a medical conference and was glad to “practice his English” with us. He was someone who back home would have become an endearing friend and we hated to say good bye knowing we would never see him again.
The next day we went on to Dinkelsbuhl, Nordlingen, and Harburg. We saw quaint horse-drawn carriages (German version of conch trains!) in many of the villages like Dinkelsbuhl. St. George Cathedral is Gothic style and beautiful. At Donnauworth we stopped for coffee and pastries and were happy that our GPS coverage was back on! Our last stop for the day was Landsberg. We found the lovely “B & B, Aufeld” in Pitzling just outside of Landsberg. The owner was very nice and proud of the fitness room and sauna he built. He also was a sailor!
We could have spent two weeks on the Romantic Road, but had to be selective in how long we stayed in each city since we wanted to spend time seeing the Hapsburg’s castles including the “Cinderella” castle of King Ludwig II near Fussen and get to Munich before “October Fest” ended.
Be sure to see the associated photos for this BLOG on our Kodak gallery. we'll send you a link in a separate email.
Notes from last blog – “sahne” means cream, not sayne. Also the castle in Sankt Goar is Rheinfels.
Dorothea and Ed
The trip to Wurzburg was mostly a quick driving trip because of our late departure from Heidelberg. The weather was again pleasant, starting in morning at 8 C and warming in the afternoon to 18 C. When you do the conversion, that’s about 48 F to 64 F. The numbers seem cold but it really isn’t. Generally, there is little wind and low humidity and it is quite comfortable. We covered the distance on the Autobahn in relatively short time.
Once we got to Wurzburg, we found it to be like many of the larger cities we’ve passed through, it’s not a place where you want to spend a holiday, too big and not quaint and cozy. So, off we go to the outskirts to a little berg called Hochberg where the grass is greener and the air is fresher. We found a room at a nice gasthof, the Gasthof Golden Adler. It was a little late when we checked in so we headed straight to the restaurant to make sure we didn’t miss dinner. Much to our surprise we found in addition to the usual schnitzel or bratwurst, they had a ½ deep fried (no breading, just crispy) chicken on the menu. The chicken was soooooooo D E L I C I O U S !!! Normally, we chat a little during dining but I don’t believe either of said two words to each other while we ate. It was the first normal meal we had had in 2 weeks.
The next day we needed a couple of miscellaneous items so we stopped at the local “WalMart,” which in that part of Germany is a “Toom” store. It was interesting to see how they manage the shopping cart problem. It was the same way we noticed in all the cities since Belgium. The carts are stored in a shelter in the parking lot. To get a cart, you insert a 1 Euro coin and release a chain holding the carts together. When you finish shopping, you return the cart to one of the cart locations, reconnect the chain and retrieve your Euro. No errant carts in the parking lot and no cart attendants needed to bring them back home. The second thing we noticed is the stores don’t provide bags for your purchases. It’s like “Sam’s.” You either carry out each individual item in your arms or you bring your own bag. Also, all of the checkout cashiers have a chair and sit while checking you out. Having a cashier check you out while seated takes a little getting used to. Ed kept looking to see if they were pregnant. Anyway, we again had fun deciphering the packages to find what we needed. Bought some wine, which by the way really does not give you a headache. We were advised of this by some friends and it really is true! Also the prices are unbelievably inexpensive. You can get a nice bottle of everyday wine for 3-5 euros.
The next morning we left Hochburg and headed down the “Romantic Road” on the elusive Route 27 (It kept avoiding us. The signage wasn’t over done). I saw a neat little cemetery in a forbidden apple orchard and had to stop. Dorothea wanted me to pick some apples but I remembered what happened to another guy who ate an apple when he wasn’t supposed to so, instead, we took a couple of pictures and continued on. Even though the cemetery was located in a rural area, the tombstones were not insignificant. Most were on family plots dating back to the early 18th century. All were well cared for and indicated a strong tie of the present to the past.
The “Romantic Road” is an old trade route between Wurzburg on the North to Fussen in the Alps on the South. The roads are good and most of the land is in agriculture. The lands appear to be manicured and picturesque (if only Arcadia, FL could see them). We were on somewhat of a schedule to get to our apartment in Murnau on the 26th so we only could spend a little time in the villages of Bad Mergentheim, Weikershiem, Rothenberg, Feuchtwagen, Dinkelsbuhl, Wallerstein, Nordlingen, Donauworth, Landsberg and Fussen.
From Wurzburg we stayed in a great inn with a large room in Endlefingerhof and explored the nearby town of Bad Mergentheim (Bad is pronounced Bat and means Bath as in Spa). The lady at the Tourist Information (TI) Center told us about a light and dancing water show they were having that evening at 10:00 in one of the gardens. Since the temperature had dropped that day, we bundled up, headed for the gardens and decided to have dinner before the show at a nearby restaurant. We found there is no correlation between high prices, an attractive setting and good food. The dinner at the Best Western Premier left a lot to be desired. The water and light show with music was cool. It wasn’t the Bellagio but, they did a good job with the production.
We left Endlefingerhof and headed for Weikersheim to see its castle and town and planned an extended stop in the walled city of Rothenberg. The city with its surrounding wall and gates is a large shopping area which includes a Christmas Shop and quite a few of regular residences. The Christmas shop is huge with more than 20 different rooms (Dorothea was in heaven!) Wish we could have stayed longer in this spectacular walled city. Lots to see and not enough time! From Rothenberg on our way to Feuchtwangen, we came across a real sheep herder and his two German shepherds working a flock. From the photo you can see the size of the herd which made the dogs cover a lot of ground. They appeared to do it effortlessly. Also note the “black sheep” in the herd! In Thurnhofen, near Feuchtwangen, we stayed at the “Pension Grunen Wald” on the 23rd. It had a small restaurant where we had a dinner of guess what, Wiener Schnitzel. The best part of dinner was meeting our next door diner, an anesthesiologist from East Germany who was a great guy and chatted with us most of the evening. Dr. Hans Jurgen Woske was on his way to a medical conference and was glad to “practice his English” with us. He was someone who back home would have become an endearing friend and we hated to say good bye knowing we would never see him again.
The next day we went on to Dinkelsbuhl, Nordlingen, and Harburg. We saw quaint horse-drawn carriages (German version of conch trains!) in many of the villages like Dinkelsbuhl. St. George Cathedral is Gothic style and beautiful. At Donnauworth we stopped for coffee and pastries and were happy that our GPS coverage was back on! Our last stop for the day was Landsberg. We found the lovely “B & B, Aufeld” in Pitzling just outside of Landsberg. The owner was very nice and proud of the fitness room and sauna he built. He also was a sailor!
We could have spent two weeks on the Romantic Road, but had to be selective in how long we stayed in each city since we wanted to spend time seeing the Hapsburg’s castles including the “Cinderella” castle of King Ludwig II near Fussen and get to Munich before “October Fest” ended.
Be sure to see the associated photos for this BLOG on our Kodak gallery. we'll send you a link in a separate email.
Notes from last blog – “sahne” means cream, not sayne. Also the castle in Sankt Goar is Rheinfels.
Dorothea and Ed
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
September 18, 2008 BLOG
Thursday, September 18, 2008, another dark day in the history of Koblenz! In addition to the city being hit particularly hard by bombing raids during WII, it also was witness to our laptop deciding to have a problem. The charging circuit on the main mother board went out. Without our laptop, some of the tasks we planned to do on-line to facilitate our trip were going to be very disruptive. Needing to keep in touch with relatives and friends at home and manage some of our finances, we needed access to the internet from our own pc. Without it, we would have to depend on finding and using unsecure internet cafes instead of the relatively secure and convenient hotel networks. That put a damper on my spirits especially since I took precautions to avoid possible electrical problems by bringing a spare battery and power supply. For the next 36 hours, it became a preoccupation to try and get it fixed. Eventually, realizing a fix wasn’t going to happen while we were traveling, the unplanned expenditure for a replacement was accepted as necessary to keep us going without a lot unnecessary distractions. (While Ed is preoccupied, I venture to a neighborhood grocery store to find our important “snacks and wine!” Trying to decipher names of cheeses, etc in German is a challenge, but I am successful! dz)
With a plan formulated, it’s back to our sojourn. On Sunday, September 21, we head out for Heidelberg along the West side of the Rhine with its many castles, vineyards and a planned stop in the small town of Sankt Goar. We had heard they were having a festival called “Rhine on Fire” and it also had one of the largest castles along the Rhine open to the public. According to the locals, the “Rhine on Fire” lights up the Rhine from both sides of the river and culminates in a fireworks show second to none. People were coming in from all over the area and with limited accommodations being booked months ago there was no convenient place to stay. However, we did tour of the local St. Goar castle and have lunch in the midst of the festive crowd. (I discover a new drink – “new wine” which is unfiltered and somewhat sweet. dz)
One of the things we have noted to date was even though we’re traveling in what is supposed to be the off-season, everywhere we go there is some sort of celebration or conference going on. So much for having Europe all to our selves!
The day is sunny with a low in the morning of 5 C heating up to 16 C in the afternoon and the scenery fantastic. We read in the guides, the stretch from Koblenz to Heidelberg had more castles than anywhere and it’s true. Looking at those massive 12th and 14th century structures high up on top of mountain peaks makes you wonder how in the heck they managed to get them built. They’re all stone (large ones), no beams or timbers.
Arriving in Heidelberg, we stopped at the downtown Tourist Information Office to check on accommodations. Guest what, they were having a convention, but we found a great B & B with a restaurant about 20 minutes out of town high on a hilltop. Great little place, relatively new, nicely decorated and owned by a young couple. The husband, Nick, spoke excellent English, was the chef and ran the restaurant. We had a great meal, even if it was another Wiener schnitzel (no more oxen parts for me) and learned another useful German word, “sayne”. Ordering coffee after diner, our waitress asked, “mit sayne” (sounds like “sun”). Looking stumped, the waitress got Nick to come out of the kitchen to tell us “sayne” means cream.
When we started, I thought my 2 years of college German would get me through our stay in Germany. It may have 40 years ago but it would prove to be a little but not a lot of help today. Unfortunately, that is the single biggest disadvantage in getting the most out of our trip. Even though we have just started, we’re finding that we’re missing a lot by not being able to read descriptions and explanations of what we see. A lot of monuments and sites have plaques or signage explaining the history or background. We’re able to make out some of it but miss a lot. The other thing we’re finding is that not knowing the full history of an area is a disadvantage.
After a typical German breakfast of cold cuts and rolls (where are the eggs?), we thanked and said good bye to Nick. On the way into town to find an internet café, we pass the Heidelberg castle and cross over a river in time to see a Sunday morning sailboat race. It’s good to see the boats and makes us nostalgic about being away from home.
After many wrong turns and learning downtown Heidelberg in minute detail, including how to back our car out of pedestrian-only walk area (!), we find an internet café and park in a city garage. We spend almost 4 hours on the internet trying to catch up on emails and spec'ing out, comparing and ordering a new Dell laptop. The café has 20 to 25 computers, and almost all of them are being used by kids playing on-line games. It slows down the response time for us and along with smoking being allowed, the time we spend there is agonizing.
Finally, we decided on the laptop we want, submit the order, work out shipping to Dorothea’s sister, Linda, and take care of the billing details. We had to have the laptop shipped to Linda for three reasons. One, ordering and shipping to Germany would have required the order to be processed in Dell’s overseas department and configured with a German keyboard, not English (which has z’s and y’z in unusual places among other differences!). Secondly, shipping direct to Germany would have required us to pay an 18% Value Added Tax (VAT). Thirdly, we had to work out the logistics on where we would be for an extended period in order to receive the shipment. We had to get it ordered while we were in Heidelberg so the order could be processed while we were traveling and get to us during our extended stay in Murnau in southern, Germany.
With that done, we are ready to head for Wurzburg for our trip down the “Romantic Road.” But first, I had to get out of the parking garage. When we entered, an automatic dispenser gave us a ticket. Seeing an attendant in a booth, I thought you paid when you left. Not so! I get to the exit gate and there is no attendant and nowhere to pay. As I’m trying to figure what to do, cars pull in behind me blocking any possible retreat. The gentleman behind me keeps saying, “Gasse, gasse.” I’m thinking, I’ve got plenty of gas. Finally, he gets out of his car and leads me to a machine (kasse (cashier), not gasse!) 100 feet away where you put in the parking ticket and it calculates the fee. You put in the appropriate amount, get your change and validated ticket. You then have to run back to your car and place it in the gate controller to get out before more time is added. That little bit of info was never found in any of our travel guides!
Ed and Dorothea – See associated photos on our Kodak web site
With a plan formulated, it’s back to our sojourn. On Sunday, September 21, we head out for Heidelberg along the West side of the Rhine with its many castles, vineyards and a planned stop in the small town of Sankt Goar. We had heard they were having a festival called “Rhine on Fire” and it also had one of the largest castles along the Rhine open to the public. According to the locals, the “Rhine on Fire” lights up the Rhine from both sides of the river and culminates in a fireworks show second to none. People were coming in from all over the area and with limited accommodations being booked months ago there was no convenient place to stay. However, we did tour of the local St. Goar castle and have lunch in the midst of the festive crowd. (I discover a new drink – “new wine” which is unfiltered and somewhat sweet. dz)
One of the things we have noted to date was even though we’re traveling in what is supposed to be the off-season, everywhere we go there is some sort of celebration or conference going on. So much for having Europe all to our selves!
The day is sunny with a low in the morning of 5 C heating up to 16 C in the afternoon and the scenery fantastic. We read in the guides, the stretch from Koblenz to Heidelberg had more castles than anywhere and it’s true. Looking at those massive 12th and 14th century structures high up on top of mountain peaks makes you wonder how in the heck they managed to get them built. They’re all stone (large ones), no beams or timbers.
Arriving in Heidelberg, we stopped at the downtown Tourist Information Office to check on accommodations. Guest what, they were having a convention, but we found a great B & B with a restaurant about 20 minutes out of town high on a hilltop. Great little place, relatively new, nicely decorated and owned by a young couple. The husband, Nick, spoke excellent English, was the chef and ran the restaurant. We had a great meal, even if it was another Wiener schnitzel (no more oxen parts for me) and learned another useful German word, “sayne”. Ordering coffee after diner, our waitress asked, “mit sayne” (sounds like “sun”). Looking stumped, the waitress got Nick to come out of the kitchen to tell us “sayne” means cream.
When we started, I thought my 2 years of college German would get me through our stay in Germany. It may have 40 years ago but it would prove to be a little but not a lot of help today. Unfortunately, that is the single biggest disadvantage in getting the most out of our trip. Even though we have just started, we’re finding that we’re missing a lot by not being able to read descriptions and explanations of what we see. A lot of monuments and sites have plaques or signage explaining the history or background. We’re able to make out some of it but miss a lot. The other thing we’re finding is that not knowing the full history of an area is a disadvantage.
After a typical German breakfast of cold cuts and rolls (where are the eggs?), we thanked and said good bye to Nick. On the way into town to find an internet café, we pass the Heidelberg castle and cross over a river in time to see a Sunday morning sailboat race. It’s good to see the boats and makes us nostalgic about being away from home.
After many wrong turns and learning downtown Heidelberg in minute detail, including how to back our car out of pedestrian-only walk area (!), we find an internet café and park in a city garage. We spend almost 4 hours on the internet trying to catch up on emails and spec'ing out, comparing and ordering a new Dell laptop. The café has 20 to 25 computers, and almost all of them are being used by kids playing on-line games. It slows down the response time for us and along with smoking being allowed, the time we spend there is agonizing.
Finally, we decided on the laptop we want, submit the order, work out shipping to Dorothea’s sister, Linda, and take care of the billing details. We had to have the laptop shipped to Linda for three reasons. One, ordering and shipping to Germany would have required the order to be processed in Dell’s overseas department and configured with a German keyboard, not English (which has z’s and y’z in unusual places among other differences!). Secondly, shipping direct to Germany would have required us to pay an 18% Value Added Tax (VAT). Thirdly, we had to work out the logistics on where we would be for an extended period in order to receive the shipment. We had to get it ordered while we were in Heidelberg so the order could be processed while we were traveling and get to us during our extended stay in Murnau in southern, Germany.
With that done, we are ready to head for Wurzburg for our trip down the “Romantic Road.” But first, I had to get out of the parking garage. When we entered, an automatic dispenser gave us a ticket. Seeing an attendant in a booth, I thought you paid when you left. Not so! I get to the exit gate and there is no attendant and nowhere to pay. As I’m trying to figure what to do, cars pull in behind me blocking any possible retreat. The gentleman behind me keeps saying, “Gasse, gasse.” I’m thinking, I’ve got plenty of gas. Finally, he gets out of his car and leads me to a machine (kasse (cashier), not gasse!) 100 feet away where you put in the parking ticket and it calculates the fee. You put in the appropriate amount, get your change and validated ticket. You then have to run back to your car and place it in the gate controller to get out before more time is added. That little bit of info was never found in any of our travel guides!
Ed and Dorothea – See associated photos on our Kodak web site
Monday, October 20, 2008
September 17, 2008
On Tuesday, September 16, we packed up and got ready to leave Waterloo and head for Koblenz by way of Liege, Spa, Recht, Sankt-Vith, Prum, Gerolstein, and Mayen. A group of friends from our Yacht Club were taking a river boat cruise on the Rhine and we planned to meet them on the 18th in Koblenz.
On the way out of Waterloo, we stopped by the site where 300,000 men did battle that led to the downfall of Napoleon. We found swords had literally been traded for plowshares. Most of the land had been returned to agriculture and all that was left to commemorate the losses was a large mound of dirt. Wars – what a waste!
We had planned to stay in Liege, Belgium but when we got there, the city was large and didn’t look very appealing so we decided to go on to Spa, a resort town centered literally around a large natural spa! We’re glad we did because we found a fantastic B & B. When we called to get directions, Robert, the owner said he would send his son to show us the way. The house, like the owner’s hospitality was like an American antebellum, southern plantation home with high ceilings and large rooms (unlike the postage stamp rooms up til now). We could have stayed there a lot longer but couldn’t convince the owners they should adopt another set of parents.
In the morning we continued on to Koblenz with a side trip SW of “Recht” to “Poteau, Belgium”, another battle field site, this time it’s WWII, Battle of the Bulge. The end results were the same. Nature reclaimed the ravaged landscape and all that remains is an underfunded museum with old military surplus equipment attempting to immortalize wasted resources.
While we were in the area we stopped in the picturesque town of “Vielsalm” on a lake for morning coffee. This time it wasn’t McDonald’s, but a pleasant café at the lake resort!
We drove on to Koblenz in sunshine, pleasant temperatures, a high of 18 C (64 F), through hilly, and mostly agricultural countryside. We entered Germany and found the Autobahn an interesting road to travel. I would see a car coming up in the rear view mirror, way behind, and tell Dorothea to try and get a video clip of their speed. By the time she turned on the camera and started the video, the car would pass and be a ¼ mile ahead. We were doing 130 kph and they would pass us going 45 to 50 mph faster. That’s about 210 kph.
We arrived in “Koblenz” around 4:00 pm and went through our normal routine of looking for a room for the night. We found a nice little hotel with a restaurant on the East side of the Rhine that had one room left. We got to our room, freshened up, had a little wine and cheese and headed downstairs for dinner.
It was a small dining room with another couple and also two separate single guys. All spoke a little English and we had an enjoyable time chatting with all of them. When we asked for a menu, we found out there was only one choice. The waitress who didn’t speak any English tried to describe the dish but only in German. No problem! Our new found friends offered to interpret but all we got was that the meat was oxen. As we seemed a little hesitant, one of the single guys finally said that it was the part of the male oxen that could not make the female oxen happy. Having read that Europeans eat all parts of the animals, that explanation conjured up images in my mind that I didn’t want to think about at dinner time. When the dish arrived, it didn’t look like a normal piece of beef, it didn’t have the consistency of beef and it didn’t taste like beef. Sometimes in emergencies, stored snacks serve one well!
The next day we had a great dinner with Constance & Bill Robison in old town Koblenz. We were invited to a delightful breakfast on their luxurious cruise ship the next morning and were glad to see several YC friends. It’s truly a small world! And they speak English! What a treat after 3 weeks of French!
Look for associated photo link we'll send via email.
Ed & Dorothea
On the way out of Waterloo, we stopped by the site where 300,000 men did battle that led to the downfall of Napoleon. We found swords had literally been traded for plowshares. Most of the land had been returned to agriculture and all that was left to commemorate the losses was a large mound of dirt. Wars – what a waste!
We had planned to stay in Liege, Belgium but when we got there, the city was large and didn’t look very appealing so we decided to go on to Spa, a resort town centered literally around a large natural spa! We’re glad we did because we found a fantastic B & B. When we called to get directions, Robert, the owner said he would send his son to show us the way. The house, like the owner’s hospitality was like an American antebellum, southern plantation home with high ceilings and large rooms (unlike the postage stamp rooms up til now). We could have stayed there a lot longer but couldn’t convince the owners they should adopt another set of parents.
In the morning we continued on to Koblenz with a side trip SW of “Recht” to “Poteau, Belgium”, another battle field site, this time it’s WWII, Battle of the Bulge. The end results were the same. Nature reclaimed the ravaged landscape and all that remains is an underfunded museum with old military surplus equipment attempting to immortalize wasted resources.
While we were in the area we stopped in the picturesque town of “Vielsalm” on a lake for morning coffee. This time it wasn’t McDonald’s, but a pleasant café at the lake resort!
We drove on to Koblenz in sunshine, pleasant temperatures, a high of 18 C (64 F), through hilly, and mostly agricultural countryside. We entered Germany and found the Autobahn an interesting road to travel. I would see a car coming up in the rear view mirror, way behind, and tell Dorothea to try and get a video clip of their speed. By the time she turned on the camera and started the video, the car would pass and be a ¼ mile ahead. We were doing 130 kph and they would pass us going 45 to 50 mph faster. That’s about 210 kph.
We arrived in “Koblenz” around 4:00 pm and went through our normal routine of looking for a room for the night. We found a nice little hotel with a restaurant on the East side of the Rhine that had one room left. We got to our room, freshened up, had a little wine and cheese and headed downstairs for dinner.
It was a small dining room with another couple and also two separate single guys. All spoke a little English and we had an enjoyable time chatting with all of them. When we asked for a menu, we found out there was only one choice. The waitress who didn’t speak any English tried to describe the dish but only in German. No problem! Our new found friends offered to interpret but all we got was that the meat was oxen. As we seemed a little hesitant, one of the single guys finally said that it was the part of the male oxen that could not make the female oxen happy. Having read that Europeans eat all parts of the animals, that explanation conjured up images in my mind that I didn’t want to think about at dinner time. When the dish arrived, it didn’t look like a normal piece of beef, it didn’t have the consistency of beef and it didn’t taste like beef. Sometimes in emergencies, stored snacks serve one well!
The next day we had a great dinner with Constance & Bill Robison in old town Koblenz. We were invited to a delightful breakfast on their luxurious cruise ship the next morning and were glad to see several YC friends. It’s truly a small world! And they speak English! What a treat after 3 weeks of French!
Look for associated photo link we'll send via email.
Ed & Dorothea
Monday, October 13, 2008
October 12, 2008 Update
It’s been almost a month since we composed our last update. We were in Koblenz, Germany, when our laptop’s charging circuit on the main mother board failed. The computer works but it won’t work on external power or charge the batteries. The laptop is 7 or 8 years old and before we left, we considered getting a new one but decided against it thinking if it there was a theft, the thief could have the old one and our insurance company could buy us a new one. So, in preparation for the worse, I backed up and removed all of the personal information, bought a spare battery as well as an extra AC power supply which is now 8 extra pounds of worthless luggage. This trip is a lot like cruising, you never have the right spare parts.
After two weeks of having to jump through hoops to get an order processed and a lot of help from Dorothea’s sister, we now have a new Dell Vostro 1710 Laptop. The old one of 22 pounds is still with me but I have been leaving it on top of the car wherever we stop.
We will be trying to catch up on correspondence as well as other computer based business as we continue our adventure.
We’re currently in Salzburg and will be heading toward Vienna tomorrow. Along the way we’ll work on getting caught up with publishing notes of our trip.
Ed & Dorothea
After two weeks of having to jump through hoops to get an order processed and a lot of help from Dorothea’s sister, we now have a new Dell Vostro 1710 Laptop. The old one of 22 pounds is still with me but I have been leaving it on top of the car wherever we stop.
We will be trying to catch up on correspondence as well as other computer based business as we continue our adventure.
We’re currently in Salzburg and will be heading toward Vienna tomorrow. Along the way we’ll work on getting caught up with publishing notes of our trip.
Ed & Dorothea
September 16, 2008
Finally, we picked up our own wheels and once again we’re free. Free, free, free at last! Which brings up an interesting point. When we were in London, we were talking to a local who told us they’re not required to carry any form of ID. No driver’s license, social security, proof of insurance or anything. They said attempts had been made to change that but it was resisted because it was considered to be an infringement on personal liberties. Imagine that, our forefathers left Europe in search of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness only to evolve to a point where we now have less personal freedom than those back where we came from. Irony!
Since Pope Benedict was still in Paris and scheduled to speak at Notre Dame on Friday night, we decided on our way back to the hotel to try and get away from all of the congestion and head for the “Right” bank, (north of the Seine River) to find a nice quite place for dinner. Think again Sherlock! I’ve driven in New York, Chicago and L.A. all of which pales in comparison to driving with Parisians. (I have to say Ed’s driving is stupendous! dz.) The people in the cars are nuts but predictable. Can’t say the same about the hot shots (male and female) on the “Crotch Rockets” who are maniacs and bent on suicide. They’re allowed to weave between, in front of and around cars and generally go anywhere they feel like going. And, since they comprise about 10% of the vehicles it’s not something you can ignore. Change lanes without looking and you’ve added a new appendage to your car. After an hour and 20 miles north of the river, there was no change in congestion. So, needing a break from the dodge-em cars routine, we eventually came upon an upscale area just north of the Louve. We parked the car and walked some of the back streets looking for romantic Paris. We found Le Treilhard Brasserie and after dinner, stopped at a local market and bought a bottle of French wine for 2.49 Euro. I think I’m going to like France!
Early Saturday, we headed north to the Champagne region. Along the way, I had to stop for a cup of coffee and other necessities and much to Dorothea’s chagrin stopped at a McDonald’s. The coffee was good but no “Egg-McMuffins.” None-the-less, while we were there, we planned our route to the Champagne Country and Epernay, the home of Moet et Chandon and Dom Perignon. When we got there we found we were a couple of weeks early for the harvest and only tours of the cellars and not the processing facilities were available. No matter, a glass of Brut Imperial made up for it.
We had planned to stay in Epernay but when we called, everything was booked. So north we went to Reims and then to Rethel. About 10:00 p.m. and not having much luck in finding a room we figured if we couldn’t sleep at least we could eat. We stopped at a small pizzeria and while talking with the proprietor told him of our search for a hotel. What resulted was somewhat typical of what we have found of all the French. Without being asked, he took the time to look up the phone numbers of the hotels in the area, brought his cell phone to our table and offered to call them and to lead us there in his car. It’s easy to understand generosity of the French underground to help so many Americans back to their lines during WWII. From what we have seen and experienced, the French are really friendly and go out of their way to help if treated with a little respect.
Sunday morning, the 14th. we headed to Belgium with a stop in Charleville for coffee and a scrumptious pastry filled with a peanut butter mouse (Heavenly! dz). From there we continued on and planned to stay outside of Brussels in Waterloo. Yep, the one in the same place where Napoleon met Wellington. We found a nice hotel/bed & breakfast in a residential area and set up camp for a couple of nights.
We made our way to Brussels via train, very easy and comfortable. The St. Michel’s Cathedral is beautiful. In doing some renovations they discovered very old artifacts which were on display. The Grand Place is huge, the gothic buildings are so ornate and the detail is unbelievable.
Our stint in the city was complete with seeing the original “Mannekin Pis” Statue, lunch in a local Brasserie followed by a Belgium waffle and depositing all of 20 Euros in a local Casino. We took the metro back to Waterloo in time for cocktails and dinner at a local restaurant recommended by our Inn-keeper. After ordering and receiving our order, I have never seen as pleading an expression on Dorothea’s face as when she looked at her entrée of “Filet Americana” and panicky said, “I don’t want to eat raw hamburger!!” Evidently, “Filet Americana” in Belgium means “Steak TarTar.”
View the associated pix in the photo album link sent in a separate email.
Ed and Dorothea
Since Pope Benedict was still in Paris and scheduled to speak at Notre Dame on Friday night, we decided on our way back to the hotel to try and get away from all of the congestion and head for the “Right” bank, (north of the Seine River) to find a nice quite place for dinner. Think again Sherlock! I’ve driven in New York, Chicago and L.A. all of which pales in comparison to driving with Parisians. (I have to say Ed’s driving is stupendous! dz.) The people in the cars are nuts but predictable. Can’t say the same about the hot shots (male and female) on the “Crotch Rockets” who are maniacs and bent on suicide. They’re allowed to weave between, in front of and around cars and generally go anywhere they feel like going. And, since they comprise about 10% of the vehicles it’s not something you can ignore. Change lanes without looking and you’ve added a new appendage to your car. After an hour and 20 miles north of the river, there was no change in congestion. So, needing a break from the dodge-em cars routine, we eventually came upon an upscale area just north of the Louve. We parked the car and walked some of the back streets looking for romantic Paris. We found Le Treilhard Brasserie and after dinner, stopped at a local market and bought a bottle of French wine for 2.49 Euro. I think I’m going to like France!
Early Saturday, we headed north to the Champagne region. Along the way, I had to stop for a cup of coffee and other necessities and much to Dorothea’s chagrin stopped at a McDonald’s. The coffee was good but no “Egg-McMuffins.” None-the-less, while we were there, we planned our route to the Champagne Country and Epernay, the home of Moet et Chandon and Dom Perignon. When we got there we found we were a couple of weeks early for the harvest and only tours of the cellars and not the processing facilities were available. No matter, a glass of Brut Imperial made up for it.
We had planned to stay in Epernay but when we called, everything was booked. So north we went to Reims and then to Rethel. About 10:00 p.m. and not having much luck in finding a room we figured if we couldn’t sleep at least we could eat. We stopped at a small pizzeria and while talking with the proprietor told him of our search for a hotel. What resulted was somewhat typical of what we have found of all the French. Without being asked, he took the time to look up the phone numbers of the hotels in the area, brought his cell phone to our table and offered to call them and to lead us there in his car. It’s easy to understand generosity of the French underground to help so many Americans back to their lines during WWII. From what we have seen and experienced, the French are really friendly and go out of their way to help if treated with a little respect.
Sunday morning, the 14th. we headed to Belgium with a stop in Charleville for coffee and a scrumptious pastry filled with a peanut butter mouse (Heavenly! dz). From there we continued on and planned to stay outside of Brussels in Waterloo. Yep, the one in the same place where Napoleon met Wellington. We found a nice hotel/bed & breakfast in a residential area and set up camp for a couple of nights.
We made our way to Brussels via train, very easy and comfortable. The St. Michel’s Cathedral is beautiful. In doing some renovations they discovered very old artifacts which were on display. The Grand Place is huge, the gothic buildings are so ornate and the detail is unbelievable.
Our stint in the city was complete with seeing the original “Mannekin Pis” Statue, lunch in a local Brasserie followed by a Belgium waffle and depositing all of 20 Euros in a local Casino. We took the metro back to Waterloo in time for cocktails and dinner at a local restaurant recommended by our Inn-keeper. After ordering and receiving our order, I have never seen as pleading an expression on Dorothea’s face as when she looked at her entrée of “Filet Americana” and panicky said, “I don’t want to eat raw hamburger!!” Evidently, “Filet Americana” in Belgium means “Steak TarTar.”
View the associated pix in the photo album link sent in a separate email.
Ed and Dorothea
Monday, September 15, 2008
September 12, 2008
September 10, 2008
Wow, someone was sure looking out for us! The fire in the Chunnel between England and France was the day following our trip. If that fire had occurred immediately before or on the day we were traveling, we would have been in a Royale mess. We heard on the news it was going to take three days before the tunnel would be reopened. Three days with no accommodations and lugging around eight, 55 pound bags would not have been a pretty sight.
However, we made it just in time. The Euro Star station in London is modern and beautiful! Ed tried to take photos, but was promptly told no pictures were allowed and had to delete them. But, before getting caught, we had already taken two in the waiting lounge! The First Class accommodations in the station were quite comfortable. And, on the train, brunch and champagne made the trip go quickly. We really didn’t realize we had passed through the Chunnel until we were in France and checked GPS on the iPhone! It’s was a very quick trip. The countryside is mostly agriculture, but pleasant scenery.
When we arrived at the Paris, Gare du Nord train station, the waiting line for taxis looked like the ride queue for “Space Mountain.” Dorothea stood in line for the taxi while I, probably unnecessarily, watched our stuff. I doubt if any sensible thief would have risked a hernia trying to cart it off. Regardless, while standing there doing my duty, on three different times, gypsies (they didn’t actually have a sign saying they were gypsies but they did look the part), approached me asking if I could speak English. Responding, I replied with corresponding hand gesture, “Nien, Ich nich, sprecken Deutshe, verboten, verboten, nadda, nadda, vamoose!” They kind of looked at me quizzickly and left.
On the way to the hotel, we asked the taxi driver if he took British Sterling Pounds for payment. Emphatically, he said no. Having no other currency except credit cards, which were not accepted, I had to come up with a way to make payment. Thinking I had thought of everything by opening an HSBC Bank account before I left the States, I asked him to stop and wait while I made an Euro withdraw from one of the Paris branches. That’s when the fun began. I tried my brand new HSBC debit card and couldn’t get it to work. I went inside to get help which made things even more complicated. After about a half an hour of trying to communicate with the French Bank reps and my US rep, the taxi driver came in, visibly irritated, speaking a mile a minute in French, which I didn’t understand but knew he wasn’t too pleased with this American. He got in the middle of the discussions and things got deeper and deeper and I’m thinking, this cab fare is going cost more than our plane tickets. Finally, HSBC gave me a 100 Euro emergency advance and we were on our way.
Our Paris hotel, the Royal Cardinal, is located in the Latin Quarter, close to St. Germain, Notre Dame and is centralized for seeing many of the sites. But the hotel . . . built before Napoleon’s parents were born, well, it left something to be desired. Not anything close to the hotel in London, which was fabulous. Live and learn. But, the architectural sights and the whole Parisian atmosphere made it bearable. The buildings and statuary are truly amazing. The effort that went into creating both is beyond my imagination. Having designed many and built a few homes, it is truly remarkable what was done with limited knowledge and tools of 500 to 700 years ago.
We walked to Notre Dame – what a beautiful cathedral. Seeing it up close and personal is just jaw dropping. We were lucky enough to see a special video presentation in the cathedral at 9:00 pm which reviews the history of Notre Dame.
Brasseries are everywhere and as they say – wine truly is cheaper than water! Patisseries tempt you at every corner with their pastries, desserts and breads.
Ed and Dorothea
Wow, someone was sure looking out for us! The fire in the Chunnel between England and France was the day following our trip. If that fire had occurred immediately before or on the day we were traveling, we would have been in a Royale mess. We heard on the news it was going to take three days before the tunnel would be reopened. Three days with no accommodations and lugging around eight, 55 pound bags would not have been a pretty sight.
However, we made it just in time. The Euro Star station in London is modern and beautiful! Ed tried to take photos, but was promptly told no pictures were allowed and had to delete them. But, before getting caught, we had already taken two in the waiting lounge! The First Class accommodations in the station were quite comfortable. And, on the train, brunch and champagne made the trip go quickly. We really didn’t realize we had passed through the Chunnel until we were in France and checked GPS on the iPhone! It’s was a very quick trip. The countryside is mostly agriculture, but pleasant scenery.
When we arrived at the Paris, Gare du Nord train station, the waiting line for taxis looked like the ride queue for “Space Mountain.” Dorothea stood in line for the taxi while I, probably unnecessarily, watched our stuff. I doubt if any sensible thief would have risked a hernia trying to cart it off. Regardless, while standing there doing my duty, on three different times, gypsies (they didn’t actually have a sign saying they were gypsies but they did look the part), approached me asking if I could speak English. Responding, I replied with corresponding hand gesture, “Nien, Ich nich, sprecken Deutshe, verboten, verboten, nadda, nadda, vamoose!” They kind of looked at me quizzickly and left.
On the way to the hotel, we asked the taxi driver if he took British Sterling Pounds for payment. Emphatically, he said no. Having no other currency except credit cards, which were not accepted, I had to come up with a way to make payment. Thinking I had thought of everything by opening an HSBC Bank account before I left the States, I asked him to stop and wait while I made an Euro withdraw from one of the Paris branches. That’s when the fun began. I tried my brand new HSBC debit card and couldn’t get it to work. I went inside to get help which made things even more complicated. After about a half an hour of trying to communicate with the French Bank reps and my US rep, the taxi driver came in, visibly irritated, speaking a mile a minute in French, which I didn’t understand but knew he wasn’t too pleased with this American. He got in the middle of the discussions and things got deeper and deeper and I’m thinking, this cab fare is going cost more than our plane tickets. Finally, HSBC gave me a 100 Euro emergency advance and we were on our way.
Our Paris hotel, the Royal Cardinal, is located in the Latin Quarter, close to St. Germain, Notre Dame and is centralized for seeing many of the sites. But the hotel . . . built before Napoleon’s parents were born, well, it left something to be desired. Not anything close to the hotel in London, which was fabulous. Live and learn. But, the architectural sights and the whole Parisian atmosphere made it bearable. The buildings and statuary are truly amazing. The effort that went into creating both is beyond my imagination. Having designed many and built a few homes, it is truly remarkable what was done with limited knowledge and tools of 500 to 700 years ago.
We walked to Notre Dame – what a beautiful cathedral. Seeing it up close and personal is just jaw dropping. We were lucky enough to see a special video presentation in the cathedral at 9:00 pm which reviews the history of Notre Dame.
Brasseries are everywhere and as they say – wine truly is cheaper than water! Patisseries tempt you at every corner with their pastries, desserts and breads.
Ed and Dorothea
Thursday, September 11, 2008
September 10, 2008
September 9, 2008
Monday, the Queen Mum invited us over to her cottage to show us around and watch some of her boys come to work.
Monday, the Queen Mum invited us over to her cottage to show us around and watch some of her boys come to work.
The process was preceded by a contingent of 12 Cavalrymen making their way through the streets of London. The mounted soldiers, in full dress regalia polished to a high sheen were quite a sight. They were 20 or 30 feet away from us and even though the riders were all young kids, as they came by, the collective group projected an aura of total superiority. It’s no wonder the use of the Calvary in warfare was so effective. I can not image the thoughts of adversaries on foot who stood before them with a sword or rifle in hand knowing they might be able to deliver a single blow before they were ground into the earth.
In a way, connecting with the affluence and pageantry of a monarch is a little hard for a liberal. But, contemplating the longevity of the British and their enormous contributions, it’s good to see them continue with traditions that give us a glimpse back in time.
In a way, connecting with the affluence and pageantry of a monarch is a little hard for a liberal. But, contemplating the longevity of the British and their enormous contributions, it’s good to see them continue with traditions that give us a glimpse back in time.
Almost all of the English people we have encountered have been very nice. However, they don’t seem to be a patient lot. Getting them to explain something or clarify a point is mostly met with a noticeable disdain. None the less, we’re getting along with them quite well. That is except walking on the sidewalks. London is a very busy, multi-national town. The streets are always crowded with cars, buses, bikes and motorcycles and the sidewalks filled with people that could pass for a United Nations Convention. As such, the pedestrians don’t always follow a set traffic pattern. It seems most of the local English want to walk on the left side just as they drive. You can tell who they are because they oppose our direction on the right side and do not freely yield. We keep getting these stares, like, “… what the hell is wrong with you, get to the left.”
Also, all the drivers are preparing for a spot on a LeMann’s race team which makes crossing the streets a real adrenalin rush, especially when you’re accustomed to looking left before you cross. On more than one occasion, I’ve looked left, saw there was no traffic, took a step off of the curb and, …woosh, I’m almost wearing a coat of paint from a passing BMW. Between my peripheral vision and Dorothea’s tugs, I’ve been saved. But, Dorothea has said as long as we are in London she doesn’t want to walk on my right side any longer.
In addition to getting around on the “Tube” and double-decker busses, we did a LOT of walking. So, today we are nursing our blisters and bruised shins and making an effort to adjust to the time change. We had a nice lunch today, a “Ploughman’s Lunch” in a unique establishment called a “Whole Foods Food Hall.” So much food, so little time.
Wednesday, we take the “EuroStar” through the Chunnel under the channel to Paris. Once again, we will be contributing to the cabby’s, porters and bell hops welfare. Soon, we will be stopping long enough so our average daily budget can catch up and we can eat something besides the crackers we brought.
Queen Mum has a spectacular place! As she is gone for the summer, she allows you to visit her home. I personally love her gaudy taste – gold, gold and more gold! The ballroom set for a state dinner for 150 was spectacular. They measure the distance of the plates to the edge of the table to make sure everything is perfectly aligned. From what we saw, we have a few ideas to pass along to Jake our Club manager.
During our walk, we had to stop and visit Harrod’s. Although it is characterized as a tourist type department store, I am still totally enthralled with this huge store – it literally has everything - and in such luxurious settings. I really could spend a whole day there. Since I was there last – a long time ago- they have added a Food Hall, which seems to be a very popular food shopping concept here. Wow! Two floors of cheeses, meats, pastries, breads, seafood, candy, etc. along with many small food bars to sit and eat while shopping. Spectacular!
Lunch at heralded “The Wolseley” in Picadilly was less than great, food was good (expensive) with a “cover” charge (no entertainment, except the patrons), and wait staff is quite snobby as reviews often note.
Can’t wait for our trip to Paris tomorrow morning.
Cheers – off to dinner!
Dorothea and Ed
Sunday, September 7, 2008
We MADE it!!!!
Wow!
Finally, after a loooooooonnnnnnnnngggggggg planning time, it's Sunday evening and we are sitting in London!
On Saturday, Sep. 6th, our departure date, we got up at 5:30 am to finish our last minute preparations. We made reservations for an airport shuttle to pick us up at 9:45. We literally worked double time from 5:30 until the van arrived at 9:40. All throughout our planning process we made a lot of progress in accomplishing goals and objectives. However, being totally ready was determined in the last few minutes. The last, final tick of the clock decided for us that we were totally ready, whether we wanted to be or not.
We went out earlier today to explore the Kensington area where we are staying. Other than that we haven't done much. We've been gone about 26 hours are making a good start at contributing to the financial welfare of travel related personnel such as shuttle companies, skycaps, porters, cabby's, and bellmen.
While waiting for the Gatwich Express to take us to Victoria Station, we noticed one of London's Public Works Projetcs. Since at lot of Bostonians hail from England, I now know why Boston's "Great Dig" took so long. If you'll notice in the photo we took, those are plants growing in that temporary overhead debris barrier.
The Delta flight over was great. Dorothea, in her incredible way had the foresight to upgrade us to 1st class. What a difference!! If it wasn't for a few of our fellow passengers, who evidently were traveling to Europe in search of a cure of their flatulence, the flight would have been perfect.
Ed
During our walk we noticed cars park both ways on the street, but what really caught our eye was this cute little car - and we hope the car we are buying in Paris is bigger than this! All the bellhops, porters, etc. wondered if we were moving over here with all of the luggage we have!
Tomorrow's plans include viewing the Changing of the Guard and a tour of Buckingham Palace, strolling through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park and finding a great place to have fish and chips! But for now it's good night - - the time change and little sleep has caught up with me!
Dorothea
Finally, after a loooooooonnnnnnnnngggggggg planning time, it's Sunday evening and we are sitting in London!
On Saturday, Sep. 6th, our departure date, we got up at 5:30 am to finish our last minute preparations. We made reservations for an airport shuttle to pick us up at 9:45. We literally worked double time from 5:30 until the van arrived at 9:40. All throughout our planning process we made a lot of progress in accomplishing goals and objectives. However, being totally ready was determined in the last few minutes. The last, final tick of the clock decided for us that we were totally ready, whether we wanted to be or not.
We went out earlier today to explore the Kensington area where we are staying. Other than that we haven't done much. We've been gone about 26 hours are making a good start at contributing to the financial welfare of travel related personnel such as shuttle companies, skycaps, porters, cabby's, and bellmen.
While waiting for the Gatwich Express to take us to Victoria Station, we noticed one of London's Public Works Projetcs. Since at lot of Bostonians hail from England, I now know why Boston's "Great Dig" took so long. If you'll notice in the photo we took, those are plants growing in that temporary overhead debris barrier.
The Delta flight over was great. Dorothea, in her incredible way had the foresight to upgrade us to 1st class. What a difference!! If it wasn't for a few of our fellow passengers, who evidently were traveling to Europe in search of a cure of their flatulence, the flight would have been perfect.
Ed
During our walk we noticed cars park both ways on the street, but what really caught our eye was this cute little car - and we hope the car we are buying in Paris is bigger than this! All the bellhops, porters, etc. wondered if we were moving over here with all of the luggage we have!
Tomorrow's plans include viewing the Changing of the Guard and a tour of Buckingham Palace, strolling through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park and finding a great place to have fish and chips! But for now it's good night - - the time change and little sleep has caught up with me!
Dorothea
p.s.
See photos in next "Post" until we get this figured out.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Getting ready for the BIG trip.
Testing our new BLOG.
After a year of planning and preparation, it's down to the last 11 days. 11 DAYS!!! We have 111 days of things to do.
After a year of planning and preparation, it's down to the last 11 days. 11 DAYS!!! We have 111 days of things to do.
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