The Numbers...

Just in case you're counting...

1 - Number of horse ride (Nieschwanstein)

2 - Number of funicular rides (Capri-2x)

3 - Number of language regions visited on one Swiss day (French, German, Italian)

4 - Number of currencies (Euro, English Pound, Swiss Franc, Czech Koruna)

5 - Number of ferries (English Channel, Lago Magiorre, Capri, Venice-2x)

6 - Number of gardens visited
(Keukenhof, Versailles, Villa Taranto, Mirabell, Schonbrunn, Burg Garten)

6.90 - Dollars per gallon of gas in Britain & Netherlands (we won't be complaining about our $2.50/gallon in the San Francisco Bay Area anymore, will we?)

7 - Number of towns visited
(St Goar, Zermatt, Stresa, Mont St-Michel, Portofino, Vernazza, Capri)

8 - Number of subway systems used
(Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, London, Paris, Rome, Vienna, Prague)

9 - Number of museums visited
(Rijksmuseum, British, Louvre, D'Orsay, Accademia-Florence, Uffizi, Borghese, Palazzo Ducale, Accademia-Venice)

10 - Number of trains rides
(Munich Airport, Berlin-2x, Postdam-2x, Chunnel, Versailles-2x, Zermatt-2x)

12 - Number of capitals visited
(Vaduz, Berlin, Luxembourg, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Monte Carlo, Rome, Vatican, San Marino, Vienna, Prague)

14 - Number of countries visited
(Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Great Britain, Italy, Monaco, Vatican, San Marino, Czech Republic)

16 - Number of gas stations visited

17 - Number of major cities visited
(Munich, Zurich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Nice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Venice, Salzburg, Vienna, Prague)

19 - Number of Palaces/Castles/Chateaus visited
(Residenz, Hohenschwangau, Nieschwanstein, San Souci, Neues Palace, Schloss Charlottenburg, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Palace of Versailles, Chateau Chambord, Chateau Chenonceau, Chateau de Chillon, La Torre Gaiuta, Palazzo Ducale, Heilbrunn, Schonbrunn, Hofburg Palace, Prague Castle)

21 - Number of small cities visited
(Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Vaduz, Heidelberg, Potsdam, Luxembourg, Brugge, Canterbury, St Malo, Rouen, Versailles, Montreaux, Cannes, Monte-Carlo, San Remo, Pisa, Siena, Assisi, Pompeii, Positano, Sorrento, San Marino)

22 - Number of hotels we stayed at

28 - Degrees Fahrenheit when we arrived in Munich on April 21st

29 - Number of days in Europe

40 - Number of miles we walked (total guess)

57 - Number of times we took public transporation (close estimate)

82 - Degrees Fahrenheit during our Pompeii visit on May 13th

100 – Dollars – the price of a full tank of gas in Britain & Netherlands (14.5 gallons)

163 – Number of steps in the Nieschwanstein Castle tour (counted)

278 – Number of steps to climb the Arc d'Triomphe (counted)

304 – Number of steps to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa (counted)

471 – Number of steps to climb Bruneschelli's dome on the Duomo in Florence (counted)

5562 – Number of miles driven

8900 – Number of kilometers driven

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Currency Conversion

1 Euro in April-May, 2005 =
- $1.30 US Dollars
- SF1.5 Swiss Francs
- CK26 Czech Korunas

1 British Pound in April-May, 2005 =
- $1.88 US Dollars

Gasoline

Unleaded Octane
- 87, US regular unleaded (not available)
- 89, US mid-grade unleaded (not available)
- 91, US premium unleaded / Europe low grade unleaded (phasing out)
- 95, Europe basic unleaded
- 98, Europe high grade unleaded
-100, Shell V-Power unleaded
- 1980s - Europe was still using leaded gasoline; I had to take the catalytic converter off of my American car to use it
- In Europe, cars operate at a much higher octane; it's provides better performance & burns more efficiently
- We tried all octanes and didn't notice a difference except for a little sluggishness with the 91 version

Price per Liter (~4 liters to a gallon)/Price per Fillup (14.5 gallons)
- Current price in San Francisco Bay Area, USA ($2.40 per gallon/$35 for a fillup)
- .95 Euros in Austria ($4.95 per gallon/$71 for a fillup)
- 1.00 Euros in Germany ($5.20 per gallon/$75 for a fillup)
- 1.20 Euros in Italy ($6.25 per gallon/$90 for a fillup)
- 1.25 Euros in France ($6.50 per gallon/$94 for a fillup)
- 1.30 Euros in Netherlands ($6.90 per gallon/$100 for a fillup)
- .90 Pounds in England ($6.90 per gallon/$100 for a fillup)

For some reason, gas prices are lower in Germany, Austria and Czech Rep, and higher everywhere else with the highest in Netherlands & Great Britain (Shell – the Dutch/British multi-national corporation – has a large presence in both countries)