Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Update
For more travelling adventures with Locke & I, please check out our Hawaii journeys at: http://alocke-hawaii.blogspot.com/
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Photos Posted
Okay, so it's a few years late...
I finally got around to this travel journal and posted the best 215 pictures from our trip. The photos reflect just about all of our experiences on this adventure -- nothing has been photoshopped. You probably can tell that I love photography – it's a hobby I cherish and a self-taught craft that I've developed over the years.
The pictures are cool, huh? Feel free to comment (will delete the spam ones, though) and click on each shot for a closer view. Enjoy!
All photos in this blog: Copyright – Aloysius, 2005 unless otherwise noted
-- Al
Europe Map
A map of Europe to get a reference of our journey in this blog...
The region we travelled around is primarily in Western & Central Europe. Along the northern perimeter, Berlin marks the northeast corner, Amsterdam the northern point, and London in the northwest. St Malo, France (just south of the Island of Jersey in the English Channel) marks the western edge. Along the southern perimeter, Monaco marks the southwest corner with Naples in the southeast. Closing out the box is Vienna delineating the eastern edge.
-- Al
The region we travelled around is primarily in Western & Central Europe. Along the northern perimeter, Berlin marks the northeast corner, Amsterdam the northern point, and London in the northwest. St Malo, France (just south of the Island of Jersey in the English Channel) marks the western edge. Along the southern perimeter, Monaco marks the southwest corner with Naples in the southeast. Closing out the box is Vienna delineating the eastern edge.
-- Al
Country Flag/Profile
Wish I could take credit for them, but all of the cool country flag/profiles were created by a professional website. You can purchase them at this location: http://www.featurepics.com/.
All country flag/profiles on this blog: Copyright – Featurepics, 2007.
-- Al
All country flag/profiles on this blog: Copyright – Featurepics, 2007.
-- Al
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
The End
Thanks for reading our first-ever online blog...we enjoyed putting our thoughts down and reading the comments from our audience.
In case you were't aware, feel free to add a comment to any of the chapters listed.
We're exploring an option to put photos on here as well. Stay tuned...
-- Al & Locke
In case you were't aware, feel free to add a comment to any of the chapters listed.
We're exploring an option to put photos on here as well. Stay tuned...
-- Al & Locke
Tips & Advice...
Some tips & advice...
Awareness
- ALWAYS be cognizant of your surroundings
- SOMEONE is always watching and often it is a person trying to prey on tourists
Flexibility
- Know not only when attractions close, but last entry as well (applies to British attractions)
- Know what days of the week an attraction will close (Mon-Accademia, Uffizi; Tue-Louvre)
- Plan a thorough itinerary, but be flexible
- We scheduled 3-4 events per day, but agreed to drop 1-2 if we were really enjoying ourselves
Guidebooks
- Frommer's - a good European perspective
- Rick Steve's - the NEW American standard
- Rick Steve's "Mona Winks" - great book for self-guided tours of Europe's best museums
- An English/French/German/Italian Dictionary/Handbook - allowed us to engage 1-on-1 with the locals
Guided Tours/Audio Guides
- Many folks choose this option – this is your personal preference
- We opted out since it is often a slow and time-consuming way to visit a site; plus, we saw many areas where everyone was congregating because of the audio guide; without it, we had flexibility to see what we liked and followup with the brochures later on; also Mona Winks provided us a wonderful strategy to maximize our museum visits
Clothing
- Moneybelt - a must as pickpockets are EVERYWHERE
- Lots of underwear and socks
- A pair of slacks & decent shoes for the more formal events
- North of the Alps gets cool; bring a sweatshirt or light jacket even in May
Suitcases
We had 2 backpacks, 1 carry-on, 2 roll-ons, and 2 large suitcases (1 empty and inside the other for all the souvenirs we were hauling back); this allowed us great flexibility in all of our travels
-- Al
Awareness
- ALWAYS be cognizant of your surroundings
- SOMEONE is always watching and often it is a person trying to prey on tourists
Flexibility
- Know not only when attractions close, but last entry as well (applies to British attractions)
- Know what days of the week an attraction will close (Mon-Accademia, Uffizi; Tue-Louvre)
- Plan a thorough itinerary, but be flexible
- We scheduled 3-4 events per day, but agreed to drop 1-2 if we were really enjoying ourselves
Guidebooks
- Frommer's - a good European perspective
- Rick Steve's - the NEW American standard
- Rick Steve's "Mona Winks" - great book for self-guided tours of Europe's best museums
- An English/French/German/Italian Dictionary/Handbook - allowed us to engage 1-on-1 with the locals
Guided Tours/Audio Guides
- Many folks choose this option – this is your personal preference
- We opted out since it is often a slow and time-consuming way to visit a site; plus, we saw many areas where everyone was congregating because of the audio guide; without it, we had flexibility to see what we liked and followup with the brochures later on; also Mona Winks provided us a wonderful strategy to maximize our museum visits
Clothing
- Moneybelt - a must as pickpockets are EVERYWHERE
- Lots of underwear and socks
- A pair of slacks & decent shoes for the more formal events
- North of the Alps gets cool; bring a sweatshirt or light jacket even in May
Suitcases
We had 2 backpacks, 1 carry-on, 2 roll-ons, and 2 large suitcases (1 empty and inside the other for all the souvenirs we were hauling back); this allowed us great flexibility in all of our travels
-- Al
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
Our Best & Worst of...
Wow, what a trip! Here´s a listing of Al & Locke's 5 best of and worst of in all of our activities to capture both the wonderful and most frustrating moments of our trip.
CITIES
Best 5
1-tie) Paris – so much to see, lots of good food & culture, great public transportation
1-tie) Vienna – two great palaces plus a wonderful pedestrian zone in the heart of the city
1-tie) Salzburg – lots of music-oriented events and a well-maintained city
4) Rome – lots to do and see and the bonus is the Vatican
5) London – lots to do and see, but very over-priced for the value
Honorable Mention
- Amsterdam
- Munich
Worst 5
1-tie) Florence – great culture, but the city itself is not planned or maintained well
1-tie) Venice – overrun by too many tourist this early in the season; hotels will gauge on room rates; several folks were just plain rude
3) Nice – ghetto-like away from the beaches and lots of construction
4) Geneva – hard to drive in old town; besides Lake Geneva, city is very clean and sterile
5-tie) Milan – another tough city to get around
5-tie) Naples – Italian driving at its worst
ATTRACTIONS
Best 5
1) Tower of London – Royal jewels are a MUST see
2) Keukenhof Tulip Gardens – acres upon acres of tulips in full bloom
3) Arch d´Triomphe – the view down to the Charles d´Gaulle circle & the 12 boulevards is worth the price alone
<<< 4) Sound of Music Tour – great tour of the Salzburg sites -- including the famous gazebo – and the fantastic Salzgammut countryside
5) Schonbrunn Palace – fabulous interior, well-maintained exterior, and a fun maze to boot
Honorable Mention
- Anne Frank House – a very poignant and emotionally-moving site
- Le Mont-St-Michel – an incredible island off the Normandy coast
- Phantom of the Opera – a 19-year classic still going strong
- Leaning Tower of Pisa – what a fun climb!
- Pompeii Ruins – best ruins site
- Hofburg Palace – Lipizzaner horses and nice silverware!
Worst 5
1) Westminster Abbey – unannounced early closure
2) Windsor Castle – unannounced early closure
3) Canterbury Cathedral – at 10 pounds ($19) per person, we opted not to go into this overpriced attraction
4) Prague Castle – besides St Vitus Cathedral's stain glass, rest of compound is boring
5) Residenz – besides Antiquarium & Gold Hall, rest of compound is boring
CASTLES, CHATEAUS & PALACES
Best Exterior Water Setting – Chateau Chenonceau in Chenonceaux, France
Best Exterior Land Setting – Nieschwanstein in Fussen, Germany
Best Ruins – Rheinfels in St Goar, Germany
Best Courtyard – Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin, Germany
Best Palace Grounds – (tie) Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France & Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
Best Labryrinth/Maze – Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
Best View – La Torre Guaita in San Marino, San Marino
Best Interior – Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
Best Ballroom – Neues Palace in Berlin, Germany
Best Dining Set/Silverware – Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
Best Jewels – Tower of London in London, England
Best Staircase – Chateau Chambord in Chambord, France
Best Stain Glass – St Vitus Cathedral/Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Rep
Best Artwork – Palazzo Ducale in Venice, Italy
DINING
Best 51-tie) Orangery, London England – English high tea and a wonderful lunch right by Kensington Palace
1-tie) Cafe Fouquets, Paris France – the best cafe on the Champs l'Elysee for a good reason!
1-tie) Deva, Amsterdam Netherlands – Rijkstaffel, Indonesian-style royal buffet
4) Taj Majal, Salzburg Austria – great Indian food in Austria!
5-tie) Lenz, Munich Germany – Thai chicken coconut soup is to die for!
5-tie) Cafe Luxembourg, Amsterdam Netherlands – wonderful outdoor cafe
5-tie) Kale de Grote Cafe, Amsterdam Netherlands – wonderful kabob & indian food
Honorable Mention
- Le C'amelot, Paris France (since closed)
- Caffe Martini, Milan Italy
- Hotel Primavera, San Marino San Marino
- St Stephan's Cafe, Venice Italy
- Cafe Europa, Vienna Austria
Worst 5
1) Schloss Heidelberg Cafe, Heidelberg Germany – poor cafeteria quality
2) Domus Carmelitana, Rome Italy – worst breakfast & service of all the hotels
3) La Baita, Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany – not a good Italian joint
4) Jade Imbiss, Frankfurt Germany – not a good Chinese joint
5) Old Castle Inn – Vaduz, Liechtenstein – basic food that was way over-priced
HOTELS
Best 5
1) Relais Merascu, Capri Italy (A+)
- beautiful views, wonderful rooms, best breakfast (creme and chocolate filled croissants!), reasonable prices, easy access to boat dock and funincular to Capri, nice staff
2) Hotel Primavera, San Marino (A)
- nice hallway, great room, excellent breakfast, nice staff
3) Britanny Ferries, English Channel (A)
- wow, what a surprise! Nice view, beds and shower to boot!
4) Hotel Uhland, Munich Germany (A)
- nice room, good staff, internet access, excellent breakfast
5) Bergland, Salzburg Austria (A)
- excellent room, excellent breakfast, nice staff, parking under a tree
Honorable Mentions
Hotel Hilleprandt, Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany (A-)
- nice room, beautiful view of the Alps, good breakfast; staff could be friendlier
Domus Carmelitana, Rome Italy (A-)
- nice lobby, very nice room, great parking and location in city; breakfast could use some help
Hotel Austria, Vienna Austria (A-)
- good room, beautiful staircase; a little difficult for cars to get to
Tyr Prague, Prague, Czech Rep (A-)
- good room, nice breakfast; some minor street noise
Worst 5
1) Hotel Gallini, Venice Italy (F-) – claimed to not have our reservation; when we displayed e-mail copy a bunch of excuses were made; they then booked us into another local hotel that was very poor quality and we were expected to pay for their mistake. We will ripped them to shreds on all of the internet reviews.
2) Overnight Train Berlin-Frankfurt (D) – tough to sleep on a bench
3) Caswell Hotel, London England (C) – dirty carpets, shower that was half-functional
4) Hotel Adam, Florence Italy (C) – first room lock didn't work; second room had a storage staircase in it; location was difficult to get to by car
5) Van Ostrade Hotel, Amsterdam Netherlands (C+) – steep steps, funky room decorations
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Best 5
1) Paris Metro – with Moblis Carte, you have unlimited access for a cheap price to all of Paris´subways and trains – a great way to get around the city
2-tie) Vienna U-Bahn – simple, yet effective urban transit system
2-tie) Munich U-Bahn – straight-forward U- (underground) & S- (street) Bahn system
4) Amsterdam Tram – excellent network of street trams, but construction caused reroutes
5) London Underground – great subway system, but very pricey
Worst 51) Florence – city buses only, which were constantly crammed with too many folks; no readily available info to determine routes
2) Nice – city buses only
3) Rome – too few subway lines for a such a large city
4) Pisa – great parking area, but no linkage to the Leaning Tower
5) Venice – gondolas and water taxis are expensive; alternative is walking or slow ferries that make many stops
DRIVING
Best 5
1) A95 Autobahn from Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen – got up to 133 mph before the speed governor kicked in – this car rocks!
2) A7 Autostrada from Milan to Genoa – lane markings disappear and with a very curvy freeway the road becomes a racing strip – everyone was doing it!
.jpg)
3) Simplon Pass at Swiss/Italian border – incredible view at 2005 meters (6000 feet) with the high Alps surrounding you >>>
4) England – can´t help but feel a little exhilarating driving on the other side of the road!
5) Amalfi Coast – the drive between Sorrento and Positano is incredibly beautiful
Worst 5
1) Florence – roads become small alleys that are nearly impassable for cars; not enough parking lots
2) Pompeii/Torre Annunziata - ghetto towns with little signage for the ruins
3) Portofino – town is great, but the narrow road leading to it has too much traffic -- including tour buses and mopeds – and blind curves
4) Nice – too much construction and parked cars
5) Geneva – old town is too complicated to figure out how to get around by car
CARS
Al's nomination for "Dud of the year" – Fiat Punto
Locke's nomination for "Dud of the year" – Fiat Panda
-- Al & Locke
CITIES
Best 5
1-tie) Paris – so much to see, lots of good food & culture, great public transportation
1-tie) Vienna – two great palaces plus a wonderful pedestrian zone in the heart of the city
1-tie) Salzburg – lots of music-oriented events and a well-maintained city
4) Rome – lots to do and see and the bonus is the Vatican
5) London – lots to do and see, but very over-priced for the value
Honorable Mention
- Amsterdam
- Munich
Worst 5
1-tie) Florence – great culture, but the city itself is not planned or maintained well
1-tie) Venice – overrun by too many tourist this early in the season; hotels will gauge on room rates; several folks were just plain rude
3) Nice – ghetto-like away from the beaches and lots of construction
4) Geneva – hard to drive in old town; besides Lake Geneva, city is very clean and sterile
5-tie) Milan – another tough city to get around
5-tie) Naples – Italian driving at its worst
ATTRACTIONS
Best 5
1) Tower of London – Royal jewels are a MUST see
2) Keukenhof Tulip Gardens – acres upon acres of tulips in full bloom
3) Arch d´Triomphe – the view down to the Charles d´Gaulle circle & the 12 boulevards is worth the price alone
<<< 4) Sound of Music Tour – great tour of the Salzburg sites -- including the famous gazebo – and the fantastic Salzgammut countryside5) Schonbrunn Palace – fabulous interior, well-maintained exterior, and a fun maze to boot
Honorable Mention
- Anne Frank House – a very poignant and emotionally-moving site
- Le Mont-St-Michel – an incredible island off the Normandy coast
- Phantom of the Opera – a 19-year classic still going strong
- Leaning Tower of Pisa – what a fun climb!
- Pompeii Ruins – best ruins site
- Hofburg Palace – Lipizzaner horses and nice silverware!
Worst 5
1) Westminster Abbey – unannounced early closure
2) Windsor Castle – unannounced early closure
3) Canterbury Cathedral – at 10 pounds ($19) per person, we opted not to go into this overpriced attraction
4) Prague Castle – besides St Vitus Cathedral's stain glass, rest of compound is boring
5) Residenz – besides Antiquarium & Gold Hall, rest of compound is boring
CASTLES, CHATEAUS & PALACES
Best Exterior Water Setting – Chateau Chenonceau in Chenonceaux, France
Best Exterior Land Setting – Nieschwanstein in Fussen, Germany
Best Ruins – Rheinfels in St Goar, Germany
Best Courtyard – Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin, Germany
Best Palace Grounds – (tie) Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France & Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
Best Labryrinth/Maze – Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
Best View – La Torre Guaita in San Marino, San Marino
Best Interior – Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
Best Ballroom – Neues Palace in Berlin, Germany
Best Dining Set/Silverware – Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria
Best Jewels – Tower of London in London, England
Best Staircase – Chateau Chambord in Chambord, France
Best Stain Glass – St Vitus Cathedral/Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Rep
Best Artwork – Palazzo Ducale in Venice, Italy
DINING
Best 51-tie) Orangery, London England – English high tea and a wonderful lunch right by Kensington Palace
1-tie) Cafe Fouquets, Paris France – the best cafe on the Champs l'Elysee for a good reason!
1-tie) Deva, Amsterdam Netherlands – Rijkstaffel, Indonesian-style royal buffet
4) Taj Majal, Salzburg Austria – great Indian food in Austria!
5-tie) Lenz, Munich Germany – Thai chicken coconut soup is to die for!
5-tie) Cafe Luxembourg, Amsterdam Netherlands – wonderful outdoor cafe
5-tie) Kale de Grote Cafe, Amsterdam Netherlands – wonderful kabob & indian food
Honorable Mention
- Le C'amelot, Paris France (since closed)
- Caffe Martini, Milan Italy
- Hotel Primavera, San Marino San Marino
- St Stephan's Cafe, Venice Italy
- Cafe Europa, Vienna Austria
Worst 5
1) Schloss Heidelberg Cafe, Heidelberg Germany – poor cafeteria quality
2) Domus Carmelitana, Rome Italy – worst breakfast & service of all the hotels
3) La Baita, Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany – not a good Italian joint
4) Jade Imbiss, Frankfurt Germany – not a good Chinese joint
5) Old Castle Inn – Vaduz, Liechtenstein – basic food that was way over-priced
HOTELS
Best 5
1) Relais Merascu, Capri Italy (A+)
- beautiful views, wonderful rooms, best breakfast (creme and chocolate filled croissants!), reasonable prices, easy access to boat dock and funincular to Capri, nice staff
2) Hotel Primavera, San Marino (A)
- nice hallway, great room, excellent breakfast, nice staff
3) Britanny Ferries, English Channel (A)
- wow, what a surprise! Nice view, beds and shower to boot!
4) Hotel Uhland, Munich Germany (A)
- nice room, good staff, internet access, excellent breakfast
5) Bergland, Salzburg Austria (A)
- excellent room, excellent breakfast, nice staff, parking under a tree
Honorable Mentions
Hotel Hilleprandt, Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany (A-)
- nice room, beautiful view of the Alps, good breakfast; staff could be friendlier
Domus Carmelitana, Rome Italy (A-)
- nice lobby, very nice room, great parking and location in city; breakfast could use some help
Hotel Austria, Vienna Austria (A-)
- good room, beautiful staircase; a little difficult for cars to get to
Tyr Prague, Prague, Czech Rep (A-)
- good room, nice breakfast; some minor street noise
Worst 5
1) Hotel Gallini, Venice Italy (F-) – claimed to not have our reservation; when we displayed e-mail copy a bunch of excuses were made; they then booked us into another local hotel that was very poor quality and we were expected to pay for their mistake. We will ripped them to shreds on all of the internet reviews.
2) Overnight Train Berlin-Frankfurt (D) – tough to sleep on a bench
3) Caswell Hotel, London England (C) – dirty carpets, shower that was half-functional
4) Hotel Adam, Florence Italy (C) – first room lock didn't work; second room had a storage staircase in it; location was difficult to get to by car
5) Van Ostrade Hotel, Amsterdam Netherlands (C+) – steep steps, funky room decorations
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Best 5
1) Paris Metro – with Moblis Carte, you have unlimited access for a cheap price to all of Paris´subways and trains – a great way to get around the city
2-tie) Vienna U-Bahn – simple, yet effective urban transit system
2-tie) Munich U-Bahn – straight-forward U- (underground) & S- (street) Bahn system
4) Amsterdam Tram – excellent network of street trams, but construction caused reroutes
5) London Underground – great subway system, but very pricey
Worst 51) Florence – city buses only, which were constantly crammed with too many folks; no readily available info to determine routes
2) Nice – city buses only
3) Rome – too few subway lines for a such a large city
4) Pisa – great parking area, but no linkage to the Leaning Tower
5) Venice – gondolas and water taxis are expensive; alternative is walking or slow ferries that make many stops
DRIVING
Best 5
1) A95 Autobahn from Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen – got up to 133 mph before the speed governor kicked in – this car rocks!
2) A7 Autostrada from Milan to Genoa – lane markings disappear and with a very curvy freeway the road becomes a racing strip – everyone was doing it!
.jpg)
3) Simplon Pass at Swiss/Italian border – incredible view at 2005 meters (6000 feet) with the high Alps surrounding you >>>4) England – can´t help but feel a little exhilarating driving on the other side of the road!
5) Amalfi Coast – the drive between Sorrento and Positano is incredibly beautiful
Worst 5
1) Florence – roads become small alleys that are nearly impassable for cars; not enough parking lots
2) Pompeii/Torre Annunziata - ghetto towns with little signage for the ruins
3) Portofino – town is great, but the narrow road leading to it has too much traffic -- including tour buses and mopeds – and blind curves
4) Nice – too much construction and parked cars
5) Geneva – old town is too complicated to figure out how to get around by car
CARS
Al's nomination for "Dud of the year" – Fiat Punto
Locke's nomination for "Dud of the year" – Fiat Panda
-- Al & Locke
Did you know...
Did you know about the Europeans that...
Keyboards
- The "Y" and "Z" are switched on German keyboards
- Very hard to find the outlyers: exclamation point (!), question mark (?), quotes (") and even the 'at' symbol (@) were tough to find, especially on the French keyboards
Languages
- English spoken in: Great Britain (obviously!), but alot in Netherlands & Czech Rep; also most tourist areas use it as a lingua fraca/de facto common language for the tourist industry
- French spoken in: France, Belgium (Brussels & southern 1/2), Luxembourg, Switzerland (western 1/4), Monaco
- Dutch spoken in: Netherlands, Belgium (Brussels & northern 1/2)
- German spoken in: Germany, Austria, Switzerland (central & eastern 1/2), Luxembourg and Liechtenstein (though there is a distinct dialect between Austria and Germany and even within Germany itself), Italy (very small section that used to belong to Austria)
- Italian spoken in: Italy, Switzerland (southern 1/4), Vatican, San Marino
- Czech spoken in: Czech Republic
- That many Europeans are at least bilingual, if not multilingual
Important phases to learn: we were able to say "hello", "excuse me", "thank you", "goodbye", and "where's the toilet" in the local languages; with French, German, and Italian, we could order food and count out change as well
Phases & Translations
- "Mind the Gap" – in London, a phrase to look down when you step off the subway – there's a signficant step and gap that can create havoc if you're not paying attention
- "Look Right" – in London, painted on the sidewalk curbs to remind non-British folks that your empty lane to the left is actually traffic coming from the right (folks get hit all the time)
- "Take Away" – in London, it means take-out
- "Fucker" – in London, a German tour company with this name (but with an umlaut – double dot – over the u); only problem was that they were in England and nearly caused a riot as everyone was staring and pointing at the bus and they had no idea!
- "Fahrt Gut" – in Vienna, Al had his picture taken with this sign -- ha!
Cultural Behaviors
- Parisians - last time Al was here on a tour, he and his mom experienced the renowned "rude Parisians"; but Locke and Al didn't run into a single problem (and we interacted with many folks), so Al's opinion of the French just skyrocketed
- Germans & Austrians will stare (not necessarily rude, but it is still unsettling)
- Czechs are very courteous in the subways and in driving
- For the most part all the Europeans we interacted with were polite; only problem we ran into were the Venetian Italians, who were already fed up with the boat loads of tourists already there
Fashion Styles
- Burgundy red hair is the NEW blonde – specifically for French, German & Czech women
- A few young plump girls wearing very tight tops – like their American counterparts – but instead of looking sexy they look like a sausage casing gone bad (we called them SC (sausage casing) girls)
- Capri pants are all the rage – especially for MEN!
- STRAIGHT men are fashion conscious – particularly in Italy
- BRIGHTLY colored tennis shoes
Dining Out
- When ordering, indicate "1" with your thumb; if you use your index finger (American-style), you'll get 2 of whatever you just ordered
- Breakfasts are usually bread with cheese & deli meats plus cereal
- Portions are much smaller – no supersizing!
- No free refills
- You pay for ketchup at fast food restaurants
- Salad dressing is olive oil & balsamic vinegar in Italy
- Forget steaks – you get rumpsteak instead!
- Outdoor cafes are everywhere (great if you're a non-smoker)
- Tipping is 5-10% and is covered if "Coperto" appears on your bill in Italy (we overtipped our waiters there)
- Dogs often lay very obediently with the diner (mostly in Germany)
Animals
- Germans love big black dogs or small white dogs (Berlin was different with a lot of brown dogs)
- Italians love small bronze terriers or black cats
Buildings & Rooms
- 1st floor is not the ground floor – it's the next one up
- Elevators are made for two skinny people
- Elevators don't have the "feelers" and will NOT pull back – we witness a few oops!
- A double bed is TWO twins pushed together in a wooden frame
<<< - What does a man do with a Beidet (low sink for the ladies in France/Italy) – nothing!
- Restrooms are usually indicated by "WC" (water closet from the British)
- Men's urinal in public restrooms will have a small fly etched into the porcelain as target practice
- You have to pay for most public restrooms – but they are clean!
Public Transportation
- For subways, you need to know the two end points to figure out which direction you're heading - Some cities (Munich, Berlin, Paris) had different systems converging at stations; you have to pay attention to which system and then which line you were taking
- Some subway system doors didn't open automatically (Vienna, Prague) – you have pull a level or push a button to activate the door
Cars
- Cars can be very tiny (Smart Car), yet are still driveable on highways
- German carmakers that sell in the US (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen) sell much smaller models in Europe (e.g. Mercedes' A140, BMW's 1-series, Audi's A2 & A3, and Volkswagen's Polo)
- Models for both the US and Europe will have different size engines; for example BMW's 3-series are sold in Britain as 316 (1.6 liter engine) or 320 (2.0 liter) vs the American market with 325 (2.5 liter) and 330 (3.0 liter)
- Diesels are VERY big in Europe; bet you didn't know that BMW made them, huh?
- Station wagons are very popular; we estimate about 1/3 of the auto market
- SUVs are compact to medium-size; we saw one Hummer and one Expedition
- Pickups are virtually non-existent; we saw one only
Traffic Lights
- With red light, yellow light will come on for 2 seconds just prior to turning green (Britain, Germany, Switerland, Austria)
- Green light will flash 4 times prior to yellow light (Austria)
- Small bicycle lights down on pole (France, Netherlands)
- Traffic lights just for pedestrians only (more common than in US)
- All traffic lights are placed at the front of an intersection (so if you pull up to the crosswalk, you can not see the lights because they are directly overhead – fortunately, my moonroof saved me many times)
Streets
- Much more narrower than US
- Lanes will start and stop without notification
- Street signs are on building corners high up (Netherlands, France, Italy)
- Most major boulevards will change names every couple of blocks
- Many small Italian cities are simply not signed; you have to ask
Traffic Circles/Roundabouts
Used quite extensively and likely place where most tourists get into trouble (fender benders & lost); so, here's our take on the right of way and how to proceed in the circle:
- England - in the circle; using centrifigal force
- France - in the circle
- Paris (only) - coming into the circle; using hand gestures to indicate your intention
- Benelux - in the circle
- Germany - coming into the circle; select lane from sign and stick to it
- Austria - coming into the circle
- Italy - usually coming into the circle, but a line of white yield signs on the pavement will determine otherwise; drivers are always impatient and will "push" even if they don't have the right of way
- Czech Rep - didn't see any?
Can't help but think of Chevy Chase's dilemma in "European Vacation" as he's stuck in a circle in London. Locke had our adventures and VERY close calls – especially in the Parisian circles. With a brand new car, I think I got a few more gray hairs that day...
City & Highway Driving
- All city driving is more chaotic and crazy than in the US, with the Italians being the worst and the Czechs the most polite (they actually stop for you while in a crosswalk)
- Unlike city driving, European highway drivers are VERY discipline; meaning you pass on left and then immediately move over to right
- Average highway speed is much higher than in US – usually around 80 mph
- In Germany and Italy, you MUST drive with one eye on the rear view mirror before passing because a high speed car will likely be in the left lane and ready to mow you down
Interstate/Freeways
- Known as: Autobahn (Germany/Austria), Autonelswegen (Netherlands), Motorway (Great Britain), Autoroute (Belgium/France/Switzerland), Autostrada (Italy)
- Signs DO NOT have direction of travel; for example in the US the approach sign will have NORTH 101 to San Francisco or SOUTH 101 to San Jose; in Europe the approach sign will have A7 Milan or A7 Genoa (or just Milan/Genoa) – you better know your local geography and know what your relationship is to the cities
Toll Roads/Turnpikes
- Toll highways in France and Italy; Toll stickers (upon entry at customs) in Switzerland, Austria and Czech Rep
- Coins for tolls: in France it's a real pain as you don't know your toll until you approach the attendant; thus, we always had lots of change on hand and Locke had increments ready so I could hand them over quickly or pluck them into the bucket (I was so stressed once, I left and didn't even get the change)
License Plate Codes
A – Austria (though it is Osterreich in German)
B – Belgium
CH – Switzerland (Confederation Helvetica in Latin)
CZ – Czech Republic
D – Germany (Deutschland in German)
F – France
FL – (Fursturdam) Liechtenstein
GB – Great Britain
I – Italy
L – Luxembourg
MC – Monaco
NL – Netherlands
RSM – (Repubblica) San Marino
V – Vatican
USA – United States of America (for vehicles abroad)
-- Al & Locke
Keyboards
- The "Y" and "Z" are switched on German keyboards
- Very hard to find the outlyers: exclamation point (!), question mark (?), quotes (") and even the 'at' symbol (@) were tough to find, especially on the French keyboards
Languages
- English spoken in: Great Britain (obviously!), but alot in Netherlands & Czech Rep; also most tourist areas use it as a lingua fraca/de facto common language for the tourist industry
- French spoken in: France, Belgium (Brussels & southern 1/2), Luxembourg, Switzerland (western 1/4), Monaco
- Dutch spoken in: Netherlands, Belgium (Brussels & northern 1/2)
- German spoken in: Germany, Austria, Switzerland (central & eastern 1/2), Luxembourg and Liechtenstein (though there is a distinct dialect between Austria and Germany and even within Germany itself), Italy (very small section that used to belong to Austria)
- Italian spoken in: Italy, Switzerland (southern 1/4), Vatican, San Marino
- Czech spoken in: Czech Republic
- That many Europeans are at least bilingual, if not multilingual
Important phases to learn: we were able to say "hello", "excuse me", "thank you", "goodbye", and "where's the toilet" in the local languages; with French, German, and Italian, we could order food and count out change as well
Phases & Translations
- "Mind the Gap" – in London, a phrase to look down when you step off the subway – there's a signficant step and gap that can create havoc if you're not paying attention
- "Look Right" – in London, painted on the sidewalk curbs to remind non-British folks that your empty lane to the left is actually traffic coming from the right (folks get hit all the time)
- "Take Away" – in London, it means take-out
- "Fucker" – in London, a German tour company with this name (but with an umlaut – double dot – over the u); only problem was that they were in England and nearly caused a riot as everyone was staring and pointing at the bus and they had no idea!
- "Fahrt Gut" – in Vienna, Al had his picture taken with this sign -- ha!
Cultural Behaviors
- Parisians - last time Al was here on a tour, he and his mom experienced the renowned "rude Parisians"; but Locke and Al didn't run into a single problem (and we interacted with many folks), so Al's opinion of the French just skyrocketed
- Germans & Austrians will stare (not necessarily rude, but it is still unsettling)
- Czechs are very courteous in the subways and in driving
- For the most part all the Europeans we interacted with were polite; only problem we ran into were the Venetian Italians, who were already fed up with the boat loads of tourists already there
Fashion Styles
- Burgundy red hair is the NEW blonde – specifically for French, German & Czech women
- A few young plump girls wearing very tight tops – like their American counterparts – but instead of looking sexy they look like a sausage casing gone bad (we called them SC (sausage casing) girls)
- Capri pants are all the rage – especially for MEN!
- STRAIGHT men are fashion conscious – particularly in Italy
- BRIGHTLY colored tennis shoes
Dining Out
- When ordering, indicate "1" with your thumb; if you use your index finger (American-style), you'll get 2 of whatever you just ordered
- Breakfasts are usually bread with cheese & deli meats plus cereal
- Portions are much smaller – no supersizing!
- No free refills
- You pay for ketchup at fast food restaurants
- Salad dressing is olive oil & balsamic vinegar in Italy
- Forget steaks – you get rumpsteak instead!
- Outdoor cafes are everywhere (great if you're a non-smoker)
- Tipping is 5-10% and is covered if "Coperto" appears on your bill in Italy (we overtipped our waiters there)
- Dogs often lay very obediently with the diner (mostly in Germany)
Animals
- Germans love big black dogs or small white dogs (Berlin was different with a lot of brown dogs)
- Italians love small bronze terriers or black cats
Buildings & Rooms
- 1st floor is not the ground floor – it's the next one up
- Elevators are made for two skinny people
- Elevators don't have the "feelers" and will NOT pull back – we witness a few oops!
- A double bed is TWO twins pushed together in a wooden frame
<<< - What does a man do with a Beidet (low sink for the ladies in France/Italy) – nothing!- Restrooms are usually indicated by "WC" (water closet from the British)
- Men's urinal in public restrooms will have a small fly etched into the porcelain as target practice
- You have to pay for most public restrooms – but they are clean!
Public Transportation
- For subways, you need to know the two end points to figure out which direction you're heading - Some cities (Munich, Berlin, Paris) had different systems converging at stations; you have to pay attention to which system and then which line you were taking
- Some subway system doors didn't open automatically (Vienna, Prague) – you have pull a level or push a button to activate the door
Cars
- Cars can be very tiny (Smart Car), yet are still driveable on highways
- German carmakers that sell in the US (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen) sell much smaller models in Europe (e.g. Mercedes' A140, BMW's 1-series, Audi's A2 & A3, and Volkswagen's Polo)
- Models for both the US and Europe will have different size engines; for example BMW's 3-series are sold in Britain as 316 (1.6 liter engine) or 320 (2.0 liter) vs the American market with 325 (2.5 liter) and 330 (3.0 liter)
- Diesels are VERY big in Europe; bet you didn't know that BMW made them, huh?
- Station wagons are very popular; we estimate about 1/3 of the auto market
- SUVs are compact to medium-size; we saw one Hummer and one Expedition
- Pickups are virtually non-existent; we saw one only
Traffic Lights
- With red light, yellow light will come on for 2 seconds just prior to turning green (Britain, Germany, Switerland, Austria)
- Green light will flash 4 times prior to yellow light (Austria)
- Small bicycle lights down on pole (France, Netherlands)
- Traffic lights just for pedestrians only (more common than in US)
- All traffic lights are placed at the front of an intersection (so if you pull up to the crosswalk, you can not see the lights because they are directly overhead – fortunately, my moonroof saved me many times)
Streets
- Much more narrower than US
- Lanes will start and stop without notification
- Street signs are on building corners high up (Netherlands, France, Italy)
- Most major boulevards will change names every couple of blocks
- Many small Italian cities are simply not signed; you have to ask
Traffic Circles/Roundabouts
Used quite extensively and likely place where most tourists get into trouble (fender benders & lost); so, here's our take on the right of way and how to proceed in the circle:
- England - in the circle; using centrifigal force
- France - in the circle
- Paris (only) - coming into the circle; using hand gestures to indicate your intention
- Benelux - in the circle
- Germany - coming into the circle; select lane from sign and stick to it
- Austria - coming into the circle
- Italy - usually coming into the circle, but a line of white yield signs on the pavement will determine otherwise; drivers are always impatient and will "push" even if they don't have the right of way
- Czech Rep - didn't see any?
Can't help but think of Chevy Chase's dilemma in "European Vacation" as he's stuck in a circle in London. Locke had our adventures and VERY close calls – especially in the Parisian circles. With a brand new car, I think I got a few more gray hairs that day...
City & Highway Driving
- All city driving is more chaotic and crazy than in the US, with the Italians being the worst and the Czechs the most polite (they actually stop for you while in a crosswalk)
- Unlike city driving, European highway drivers are VERY discipline; meaning you pass on left and then immediately move over to right
- Average highway speed is much higher than in US – usually around 80 mph
- In Germany and Italy, you MUST drive with one eye on the rear view mirror before passing because a high speed car will likely be in the left lane and ready to mow you down
Interstate/Freeways
- Known as: Autobahn (Germany/Austria), Autonelswegen (Netherlands), Motorway (Great Britain), Autoroute (Belgium/France/Switzerland), Autostrada (Italy)
- Signs DO NOT have direction of travel; for example in the US the approach sign will have NORTH 101 to San Francisco or SOUTH 101 to San Jose; in Europe the approach sign will have A7 Milan or A7 Genoa (or just Milan/Genoa) – you better know your local geography and know what your relationship is to the cities
Toll Roads/Turnpikes
- Toll highways in France and Italy; Toll stickers (upon entry at customs) in Switzerland, Austria and Czech Rep
- Coins for tolls: in France it's a real pain as you don't know your toll until you approach the attendant; thus, we always had lots of change on hand and Locke had increments ready so I could hand them over quickly or pluck them into the bucket (I was so stressed once, I left and didn't even get the change)
License Plate Codes
A – Austria (though it is Osterreich in German)
B – Belgium
CH – Switzerland (Confederation Helvetica in Latin)
CZ – Czech Republic
D – Germany (Deutschland in German)
F – France
FL – (Fursturdam) Liechtenstein
GB – Great Britain
I – Italy
L – Luxembourg
MC – Monaco
NL – Netherlands
RSM – (Repubblica) San Marino
V – Vatican
USA – United States of America (for vehicles abroad)
-- Al & Locke
What we missed...
About America
- Friends & Family
- Big 'ol breakfasts with eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and toast
- Free refills for sodas
- Free ketchup
- Better salads & dressings
- Mexican food
- Free toilets
- Decent size elevators
- Self service car washes
- Traffic lights across the intersection so you can see them
- Lack of mopeds in significant numbers
- Wider streets
- Much lower gas prices
About Europe
- French & German bread
- Italian Gelato
- Austrian desert specialties (strudel, ice cream creations, etc)
- Very long daylight hours during spring/summer months
- Incredible cultural/historical sights
- Lack of suburban sprawl
- Flowers in abundance everywhere >>>
- Fields upon fields of mustard
- Great public transportation systems
- Disciplined highway driving (no left lane hogs)
-- Al & Locke
- Friends & Family
- Big 'ol breakfasts with eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and toast
- Free refills for sodas
- Free ketchup
- Better salads & dressings
- Mexican food
- Free toilets
- Decent size elevators
- Self service car washes
- Traffic lights across the intersection so you can see them
- Lack of mopeds in significant numbers
- Wider streets
- Much lower gas prices
About Europe
- French & German bread- Italian Gelato
- Austrian desert specialties (strudel, ice cream creations, etc)
- Very long daylight hours during spring/summer months
- Incredible cultural/historical sights
- Lack of suburban sprawl
- Flowers in abundance everywhere >>>
- Fields upon fields of mustard
- Great public transportation systems
- Disciplined highway driving (no left lane hogs)
-- Al & Locke
Locke's Favorites...
Locke's favorites
Favorite Moments: Driving through the countryside, eating great ethnic food in Amsterdam and Salzburg, being amazed by the London train traffic, looking down at Paris from the Arc and the Eiffel.
Poignant Moments: Visiting the American cemeteries in Luxembourg and Normandy, visiting Dachau outside of Munich
Unforgettable Landscapes:
<<< Southern Germany, the Alps!, Northern Italy, Austria and Southern Czech Republic
Incredible Cities: Canterbury, Stresa, Vernassa, Cannes, Capri, Salzburg
-- Locke
Favorite Moments: Driving through the countryside, eating great ethnic food in Amsterdam and Salzburg, being amazed by the London train traffic, looking down at Paris from the Arc and the Eiffel.
Poignant Moments: Visiting the American cemeteries in Luxembourg and Normandy, visiting Dachau outside of Munich
Unforgettable Landscapes: <<< Southern Germany, the Alps!, Northern Italy, Austria and Southern Czech Republic
Incredible Cities: Canterbury, Stresa, Vernassa, Cannes, Capri, Salzburg
-- Locke
Al's Favorites...
My favorites from the trip (in chronological order)...
Favorite Moments
- In Munich, as I take delivery of my new car
- Just outside of Munich, driving the new car 133mph on the German Autobahn
- In Fussen, the horseride back down from Nieschwanstein
- In Berlin, standing at Checkpoint Charlie with a Russian soldier actor (I was here as a U.S. military man in 1987 when the wall was still up)
- In Amsterdam, biking down the streets and then sipping coffee at an outdoor cafe while Locke and I watch the tour buses go by
- In London, watching the original Phantom of the Opera production
- In London, having high tea & lunch at the Kensington Palace's Orangery
- In Mont St-Michel, as we approached the abbey and the view took our breath away
- In Paris, having a wonderful lunch with Locke at Paris' best cafe
- In Versailles, huddling up with Locke as we stay dry under an umbrella during a thunderstorm
- Just north of Genoa, driving like an Italian racecar driver on the A7 Autostrada
- In Florence, as I gazed upon the Statue of David in the Galleria Accademia
- In Positano, as we drive up the wrong way on a one-way street and the locals are yelling "Senso Unico, Senso Unico!" (One way, One way!) and we're yelling back "Turistas, Turistas!" (Tourists, Tourists!)
- In Capri, with Locke smiling so broadly when I took his picture on the hotel balcony
- In Austria's Salzgammut region, as Locke and I go on a luge run
Poignant Moments
- Witnessing a tourist literally drop dead at Nieschwanstein
- Walking in the Luxembourg American Cemetary to General Patton's grave
- Wave of emotions flowing over me while in the Anne Frank House
- Walking along the D-Day beaches – specifically, Omaha Beach – and the Normandy American Cemetary >>>
- Finding out my cat had passed away via e-mail while in Rouen, France
- Walking the Dachau Concentration Camp grounds
Unforgettable Landscapes
- Bavarian Alps @ Garmisch-Partenkirchen
- Rhine Valley
- Tulip fields in full bloom in the Dutch countryside
- English countryside with skinny lanes to drive on
- Mont St-Michel
- High Swiss Alps @ Simplon Pass
- Lago Maggiore
- Portofino Harbor
- Isle of Capri
- Apennines Hills @ San Marino
- Austrian countryside with the Alps in the background
- Czech countryside filled with fields of mustard
Incredible Cities
- Munich
- Amsterdam
- London
- Paris
- Rome
- Salzburg
- Vienna
-- Al
Favorite Moments
- In Munich, as I take delivery of my new car
- Just outside of Munich, driving the new car 133mph on the German Autobahn
- In Fussen, the horseride back down from Nieschwanstein
- In Berlin, standing at Checkpoint Charlie with a Russian soldier actor (I was here as a U.S. military man in 1987 when the wall was still up)
- In Amsterdam, biking down the streets and then sipping coffee at an outdoor cafe while Locke and I watch the tour buses go by
- In London, watching the original Phantom of the Opera production
- In London, having high tea & lunch at the Kensington Palace's Orangery
- In Mont St-Michel, as we approached the abbey and the view took our breath away
- In Paris, having a wonderful lunch with Locke at Paris' best cafe
- In Versailles, huddling up with Locke as we stay dry under an umbrella during a thunderstorm
- Just north of Genoa, driving like an Italian racecar driver on the A7 Autostrada
- In Florence, as I gazed upon the Statue of David in the Galleria Accademia
- In Positano, as we drive up the wrong way on a one-way street and the locals are yelling "Senso Unico, Senso Unico!" (One way, One way!) and we're yelling back "Turistas, Turistas!" (Tourists, Tourists!)
- In Capri, with Locke smiling so broadly when I took his picture on the hotel balcony
- In Austria's Salzgammut region, as Locke and I go on a luge run
Poignant Moments
- Witnessing a tourist literally drop dead at Nieschwanstein
- Walking in the Luxembourg American Cemetary to General Patton's grave
- Wave of emotions flowing over me while in the Anne Frank House
- Walking along the D-Day beaches – specifically, Omaha Beach – and the Normandy American Cemetary >>>- Finding out my cat had passed away via e-mail while in Rouen, France
- Walking the Dachau Concentration Camp grounds
Unforgettable Landscapes
- Bavarian Alps @ Garmisch-Partenkirchen
- Rhine Valley
- Tulip fields in full bloom in the Dutch countryside
- English countryside with skinny lanes to drive on
- Mont St-Michel
- High Swiss Alps @ Simplon Pass
- Lago Maggiore
- Portofino Harbor
- Isle of Capri
- Apennines Hills @ San Marino
- Austrian countryside with the Alps in the background
- Czech countryside filled with fields of mustard
Incredible Cities
- Munich
- Amsterdam
- London
- Paris
- Rome
- Salzburg
- Vienna
-- Al
Friday, May 20, 2005
DAY 30 - Munich II
Thursday, 19 May 2005
Dachau Concentration Camp
This was on our itinerary at the beginning of the trip, but we ran out of time and rescheduled it to the back end. Alot of changes since I last came here in 1987. The entrance now follows a 1/4 mile of the long walk the prisoners took from the train station to here (several miles). A new display with lots of information and pictures is now housed within the main building and a few more memorials went up.
The displays were very informative because I learned this time around that Dachau was the FIRST concentration camp built by the Nazis, and became the model and training ground for others to follow. Also, this camp had many sub-camps that reported to it from many miles away. Thus, the prisoners would come here first, then were sent elsewhere depending on their status and physical abilities. The main purpose of this and most of the concentration camps was to make armaments for the war using slave labor. Select camps such as Aushwitz had the main purpose of extermination. Still all camps saw large numbers of prisoners die from starvation or abuse. Definitely a must-see site to appreciate the horrors of Nazi regime and what our human species is capable of doing in its most evil state.
Gates to Hell
The ominous greeting, "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work is Freedom) at all Nazi Concentration Camps...
They have done a great job updating the museum. A lot of European school kids were there when we were. If only more US kids had these opportunities, I think it would make their learning experience more meaningful.
Prep & Car drop off
Found a self-service car wash and washed the grime and bugs off the car. Then we dropped it off at the designated logistics company, and the employee took off the front license plate as our souvenir. We said bye to the car (for the two-month ocean shipment via Panama Canal) and took a taxi to the airport.
Car Mileage: 5566 miles @ Munich, Germany
Flying back home
We arrive early, but there are only single seats left. So, Locke and I are left to sit by ourselves in the middle-seats...not a comfortable option for a 12-hour flight. Ugh! Speaking of flying, be prepared to go through security TWICE before you get to your plane. Also, Lufthansa gets demerits for having seats that have very little legroom to spare.
-- Al & Locke
Dachau Concentration Camp
This was on our itinerary at the beginning of the trip, but we ran out of time and rescheduled it to the back end. Alot of changes since I last came here in 1987. The entrance now follows a 1/4 mile of the long walk the prisoners took from the train station to here (several miles). A new display with lots of information and pictures is now housed within the main building and a few more memorials went up.
The displays were very informative because I learned this time around that Dachau was the FIRST concentration camp built by the Nazis, and became the model and training ground for others to follow. Also, this camp had many sub-camps that reported to it from many miles away. Thus, the prisoners would come here first, then were sent elsewhere depending on their status and physical abilities. The main purpose of this and most of the concentration camps was to make armaments for the war using slave labor. Select camps such as Aushwitz had the main purpose of extermination. Still all camps saw large numbers of prisoners die from starvation or abuse. Definitely a must-see site to appreciate the horrors of Nazi regime and what our human species is capable of doing in its most evil state.Gates to Hell
The ominous greeting, "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work is Freedom) at all Nazi Concentration Camps...
They have done a great job updating the museum. A lot of European school kids were there when we were. If only more US kids had these opportunities, I think it would make their learning experience more meaningful.
Prep & Car drop off
Found a self-service car wash and washed the grime and bugs off the car. Then we dropped it off at the designated logistics company, and the employee took off the front license plate as our souvenir. We said bye to the car (for the two-month ocean shipment via Panama Canal) and took a taxi to the airport.
Car Mileage: 5566 miles @ Munich, Germany
Flying back home
We arrive early, but there are only single seats left. So, Locke and I are left to sit by ourselves in the middle-seats...not a comfortable option for a 12-hour flight. Ugh! Speaking of flying, be prepared to go through security TWICE before you get to your plane. Also, Lufthansa gets demerits for having seats that have very little legroom to spare.
-- Al & Locke
DAY 29 - Prague
Wednesday, 18 May 2005
Cyrillic vs Latin Alphabet
If you're not aware, many of the Slavic countries utilize cyrillic letters – you've probably seen it with Russian/Soviet propaganda and it looks backwards to us. I thought the Czechs would be utilizing cyrillic as well, but it appears that for the most part they are using letters from the Roman alphabet with a few accent marks to spice it up. Thus, reading the signs was not as difficult as we first thought – whew! [5/27/05 note: I did some research later on – the western Slavs (Polish, Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenes, and Croats) – all adopted Latin letters because they had also adopted Roman Catholicism. The eastern Slavs (Russian, Ukraines, etc) adopted Cyrillic and Orthodox Christianity. Interesting to note how religion played a significant factor in the adoption of written script.]
Prague Castle/Pradsky Hrad
We head up the hill to the castle, but pass thru the castle gardens first. What a wonderful way to enter the castle. There were only a few tourists, and with the many levels up the hill it was a quiet and peaceful journey. The castle itself is a little unique...the walls surround a small city that includes a palace, cathedral, and shops. So, unlike the other castles, Prague Castle is actually a tiny ancient city surrounded by a wall and thus one of the largest castles in the world.
- Old Royal Palace
Kind of a dud. Not much to see except for the throne room.
- St Vilus Cathedral
The best stain glass on the entire trip. While Notre Dame has bigger stain glass, this cathedral has the most extensive & impressive of our tour.
- Golden Lane
Set of small shops that sell specialized souvenirs. Not worth the price of admission, and there is a separate admission fee for this area.
Old Town Square, Prague/Praha
The central cathedral dominates the landscape...
Neat area with well-preserved architecture from the medieval era. On one end is the Astronomical Clock which has a small show every hour on the hour. Think of it as the Czech version of the German/Swiss/Austrian Glockenspiel.
Drive thru Bohemian Forest
We finish up Prague and head south towards Germany thru the foggy and misty Bohemian Forest. Once we hit the German Autobahn, I decide to push the car to its limit of 133 mph again...this was my last chance to legally do this so I had to savor the moment – plus Locke was enjoying this too!
-- Al & Locke
Cyrillic vs Latin Alphabet
If you're not aware, many of the Slavic countries utilize cyrillic letters – you've probably seen it with Russian/Soviet propaganda and it looks backwards to us. I thought the Czechs would be utilizing cyrillic as well, but it appears that for the most part they are using letters from the Roman alphabet with a few accent marks to spice it up. Thus, reading the signs was not as difficult as we first thought – whew! [5/27/05 note: I did some research later on – the western Slavs (Polish, Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenes, and Croats) – all adopted Latin letters because they had also adopted Roman Catholicism. The eastern Slavs (Russian, Ukraines, etc) adopted Cyrillic and Orthodox Christianity. Interesting to note how religion played a significant factor in the adoption of written script.]
Prague Castle/Pradsky Hrad
We head up the hill to the castle, but pass thru the castle gardens first. What a wonderful way to enter the castle. There were only a few tourists, and with the many levels up the hill it was a quiet and peaceful journey. The castle itself is a little unique...the walls surround a small city that includes a palace, cathedral, and shops. So, unlike the other castles, Prague Castle is actually a tiny ancient city surrounded by a wall and thus one of the largest castles in the world.
- Old Royal Palace
Kind of a dud. Not much to see except for the throne room.
- St Vilus Cathedral
The best stain glass on the entire trip. While Notre Dame has bigger stain glass, this cathedral has the most extensive & impressive of our tour.
- Golden Lane
Set of small shops that sell specialized souvenirs. Not worth the price of admission, and there is a separate admission fee for this area.
Old Town Square, Prague/Praha
The central cathedral dominates the landscape...
Neat area with well-preserved architecture from the medieval era. On one end is the Astronomical Clock which has a small show every hour on the hour. Think of it as the Czech version of the German/Swiss/Austrian Glockenspiel.
Drive thru Bohemian Forest
We finish up Prague and head south towards Germany thru the foggy and misty Bohemian Forest. Once we hit the German Autobahn, I decide to push the car to its limit of 133 mph again...this was my last chance to legally do this so I had to savor the moment – plus Locke was enjoying this too!
-- Al & Locke
DAY 28 - Vienna II
Tuesday, 17 May 2005
Lipizzaner Museum
We stop by the Lipizzaner Museum to get tickets for the world-famous Lipizzaner horse's morning routine...only, for some unknown reason, they are not performing today. :( So, we settle for the museum and get a good glimpse into of the life the horse and horsemen. BTW, the Lipizzaner is named after the town of Lipica, a town in western Slovenia on the border with Italy.
Hofburg Palace/Schloss Hofburg
In the palace gardens, we come across the Mozart Memorial with a neat set of flowers planted to resemble a large treble clef. Though the palace exterior is not extrordinary, the interior really shines. First up is the silverware, and this is the best set we've seen on our entire tour. Gold plates, cups, tableware – even giant golden candelabras! The rooms are also well-kept
and nicely furnished as if the royals were still living there. Of all the palaces and castles we've been thru, the two Vienna palaces were the best kept. Once done, we pack the car and head for the Czech Republic on a local highway.
Wolfgang Mozart Memorial
A tribute to Austria's beloved son and most famous musician...
Czech Republic/Ceska Republika
As we cross the border, the Austrian customs guy looks at our passport and groans "Americains" in disgust. The Czech customs were pleasant and indicated that we needed a highway sticker for the car. This was the third sticker on the windshield, which is basically a hefty highway charge (~30 Euros) for Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic. Made some change from Euros to Czech korunas, and we headed into the country. While coming into the first town, we casually notice a woman standing by the end of a driveway. Nothing comes of it until we notice a second woman in a second driveway. Then Locke puts it together – these are hookers for European tourists/truck drivers coming into the Czech Republic! The third driveway has two of them – yikes! Then the billboards have softcore porn picture shots of places to stop by. Though this is just a local highway, it is also the main route from Vienna to Prague.
Countryside
Once we get past this first city the countryside opens up around us. Simply amazing is all I can say. Gently rolling hills with patches of green and blooming mustard scattered in between. One of the most beautiful landscapes I've seen in all of Europe.
Endless Fields of Mustard
During our entire trip fields of mustard are in bloom since it is spring. Every sizeable country had them – Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Czech Republic. So I finally find a good field and take my landscape photo of this lush scenery.
-- Al
Lipizzaner Museum
We stop by the Lipizzaner Museum to get tickets for the world-famous Lipizzaner horse's morning routine...only, for some unknown reason, they are not performing today. :( So, we settle for the museum and get a good glimpse into of the life the horse and horsemen. BTW, the Lipizzaner is named after the town of Lipica, a town in western Slovenia on the border with Italy.
Hofburg Palace/Schloss Hofburg
In the palace gardens, we come across the Mozart Memorial with a neat set of flowers planted to resemble a large treble clef. Though the palace exterior is not extrordinary, the interior really shines. First up is the silverware, and this is the best set we've seen on our entire tour. Gold plates, cups, tableware – even giant golden candelabras! The rooms are also well-kept
and nicely furnished as if the royals were still living there. Of all the palaces and castles we've been thru, the two Vienna palaces were the best kept. Once done, we pack the car and head for the Czech Republic on a local highway.Wolfgang Mozart Memorial
A tribute to Austria's beloved son and most famous musician...
Czech Republic/Ceska Republika
As we cross the border, the Austrian customs guy looks at our passport and groans "Americains" in disgust. The Czech customs were pleasant and indicated that we needed a highway sticker for the car. This was the third sticker on the windshield, which is basically a hefty highway charge (~30 Euros) for Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic. Made some change from Euros to Czech korunas, and we headed into the country. While coming into the first town, we casually notice a woman standing by the end of a driveway. Nothing comes of it until we notice a second woman in a second driveway. Then Locke puts it together – these are hookers for European tourists/truck drivers coming into the Czech Republic! The third driveway has two of them – yikes! Then the billboards have softcore porn picture shots of places to stop by. Though this is just a local highway, it is also the main route from Vienna to Prague.
Countryside
Once we get past this first city the countryside opens up around us. Simply amazing is all I can say. Gently rolling hills with patches of green and blooming mustard scattered in between. One of the most beautiful landscapes I've seen in all of Europe.
Endless Fields of Mustard
During our entire trip fields of mustard are in bloom since it is spring. Every sizeable country had them – Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Czech Republic. So I finally find a good field and take my landscape photo of this lush scenery.
-- Al
Monday, May 16, 2005
DAY 27 - Vienna I
Monday, 16 May 2005
Salzburg
We had a chance to roam around old Salzburg today. We had coffee and cake-strudel at a 300-year old coffee shop on the balcony with a view of the townsquare below. There's a tremendous amount of Mozart history here since this was his hometown. Al & I both highly recommend Salzburg.
Car Mileage: 5000 miles @ 10 west of Melk, Austria
Schonbrunn Palace/Schloss Schobrunn
An icon that personifies the former Austria-Hungarian Empire...
We saw a beautiful palace today in Vienna that rivals Versailles. 
It's immacu- lately maintained and the grounds are incredible. Locke & I had fun walking, wondering, playing hide & seek and getting wickedly lost in the extensive maze/labyrinth!
This is a must visit if European palaces are your passion. During Europe's apex of colonial power,
Schloss Schonbrunn was Austria-Hungary's response to the Palace of Versailles that we visited in France a couple of weeks back. One thing the Austrians manage to do better than the French...the complete restoration of the interior to include place settings at the dinner table when the king and queen sat down for a royal meal. Simply an amazing and breathtaking site.
Vienna/Wien
Tonight the restaurant Al & I wanted to go to was closed for renovation but we headed to the St Stephan's Square area where lots of people were strolling around and we had dinner out on the patio topped off with a huge ice cream sundae for me. They do enjoy their ice cream here! They also have a strange propensity, here and in Germany, for brightly colored tennis shoes and brightly colored red hair (as in Rit dye red).
Longing to go home...
Though we had a wonderful trip thus far, Locke and I agreed that we were ready to go home. Part of it was our 4 weeks away from home, and a part of it was living in different hotels every night. Though we enjoyed the vacation, it was also a welcome relief to know that we'd be going home in a couple of days.
-- Al & Locke
Salzburg
We had a chance to roam around old Salzburg today. We had coffee and cake-strudel at a 300-year old coffee shop on the balcony with a view of the townsquare below. There's a tremendous amount of Mozart history here since this was his hometown. Al & I both highly recommend Salzburg.
Car Mileage: 5000 miles @ 10 west of Melk, Austria
Schonbrunn Palace/Schloss Schobrunn
An icon that personifies the former Austria-Hungarian Empire...
We saw a beautiful palace today in Vienna that rivals Versailles. 
It's immacu- lately maintained and the grounds are incredible. Locke & I had fun walking, wondering, playing hide & seek and getting wickedly lost in the extensive maze/labyrinth!
This is a must visit if European palaces are your passion. During Europe's apex of colonial power,
Schloss Schonbrunn was Austria-Hungary's response to the Palace of Versailles that we visited in France a couple of weeks back. One thing the Austrians manage to do better than the French...the complete restoration of the interior to include place settings at the dinner table when the king and queen sat down for a royal meal. Simply an amazing and breathtaking site.Vienna/Wien
Tonight the restaurant Al & I wanted to go to was closed for renovation but we headed to the St Stephan's Square area where lots of people were strolling around and we had dinner out on the patio topped off with a huge ice cream sundae for me. They do enjoy their ice cream here! They also have a strange propensity, here and in Germany, for brightly colored tennis shoes and brightly colored red hair (as in Rit dye red).
Longing to go home...
Though we had a wonderful trip thus far, Locke and I agreed that we were ready to go home. Part of it was our 4 weeks away from home, and a part of it was living in different hotels every night. Though we enjoyed the vacation, it was also a welcome relief to know that we'd be going home in a couple of days.
-- Al & Locke
DAY 26 - Salzburg
Sunday, 15 May 2005
Venice/Venezia
We woke up early to get out of Venice ASAP. We got down to the dock and the water taxi wanted 60€ to take us back to the car park (you can't drive in Venice). Al & I only paid 10€ each on the way over so we backed out right quick and took the "waterbus" which isn't as direct but a whole heck of a lot cheaper, 3.50 € a piece. We had enough of Italy by the time we left there and welcomed our entry into Austria.
Austria/Osterreich
The drive from Venice to Salzburg is incredibly scenic and breathtaking. The Austrian Alps dominate the western half of the country, and on every turn in the highway it's like another picture postcard.
Austrian Alps
An Austrian village snuggled amongst the scenic Alps...
Salzburg
Salzburg is absolutely stunning. A beautiful city with equally beautiful countryside. We saw some homes and shops
with outstanding architecture (lots of glass – even in one garage). Both the old and new parts of the city were pleasant and we found a great Indian restaurant only about 10 minutes away from our hotel.
Sound of Music Tour
From the 1965 film, starring Julie Andrews...this was a lot of fun! We saw a lot of the Austrian countryside, rode a luge down a hillside and stopped for strudel and coffee to enjoy the lake views. Al & I thoroughly enjoyed this trip.
One of the bonuses about the Sound of Music Tour is that the guide will take you into the surrounding Austrian countryside known as Salzgammut. With the Alps as your scenic background the views were just breathtaking.
-- Al & Locke
Venice/Venezia
We woke up early to get out of Venice ASAP. We got down to the dock and the water taxi wanted 60€ to take us back to the car park (you can't drive in Venice). Al & I only paid 10€ each on the way over so we backed out right quick and took the "waterbus" which isn't as direct but a whole heck of a lot cheaper, 3.50 € a piece. We had enough of Italy by the time we left there and welcomed our entry into Austria.
Austria/Osterreich
The drive from Venice to Salzburg is incredibly scenic and breathtaking. The Austrian Alps dominate the western half of the country, and on every turn in the highway it's like another picture postcard.
Austrian Alps
An Austrian village snuggled amongst the scenic Alps...
Salzburg
Salzburg is absolutely stunning. A beautiful city with equally beautiful countryside. We saw some homes and shops
with outstanding architecture (lots of glass – even in one garage). Both the old and new parts of the city were pleasant and we found a great Indian restaurant only about 10 minutes away from our hotel.
Sound of Music TourFrom the 1965 film, starring Julie Andrews...this was a lot of fun! We saw a lot of the Austrian countryside, rode a luge down a hillside and stopped for strudel and coffee to enjoy the lake views. Al & I thoroughly enjoyed this trip.
One of the bonuses about the Sound of Music Tour is that the guide will take you into the surrounding Austrian countryside known as Salzgammut. With the Alps as your scenic background the views were just breathtaking.-- Al & Locke
DAY 25 - Venice
Saturday, 14 May 2005
San Marino
We did get a chance to visit the city way on top of the hill to get a few souvenirs and take a few pictures. Our timing was perfect...we were just leaving as the first of many tour buses were rolling in. This is one cool, laid-back little country snuggled in the Apennine Mountains of Italy...it's totally worth a stop if you're roaming around Italy. Also, did you know...it is the oldest republic in the world!
Grand Canal/Canal Grande
Venice's "main boulevard" through the heart of this floating city...
Venice/Venezia
- Ducal Palace/Palazzo Ducale
- St Mark's Cathedral/Basilica San Marcos
- Academic Gallery/Galleria Accademia
Venice was one big disaster. From the hotel losing our reservations, making us pay for inferior reservations (tiny rooms, sagging beds, smelled bad, no television, etc.) at another hotel even though our first hotel admitted the problem was their fault, steady rain for 2 hours, too many people, unpleasant people...this was Al & my worst experience in Europe. 
The Palazzo Ducale is definitely interesting to look at but the Galleria Accademia was only so-so. It also poured on us, but Al & I salvaged the day by having a nice dinner after the rain cleared at an outdoor cafe. This is definitely a walking city and the maze of streets can get a little confusing/disorienting at times.
The hotel disaster...
After the fiasco, we go over to the other hotel – a single artist hotel, with rooms that stink. Locke and I are seething...so, I mention to him that we CANNOT let this other hotel get away with what they did – basically "lose" our reservation for 130 euros,
so they could charge 400 euros for the weekend telecom convention that was going on. We go back there and make the biggest scene either one of us have ever made. In the lobby, while other American tourists are checking in, we publicly humilate the owner/manager.
Then I do the ultimate – I put my left hand on the inside of my right elbow and give him the Italian version of "f--- you!" and we storm out. Locke and I high-five one another -- at least we were able to enjoy the rest of the day in Venice and make him feel guilty knowing what he did to us. Sometimes one just has to be a little "Italian" and get just as expressive to get the emotions out -- things were already looking better... :)
Bell Tower at San Marco's Plaza/Campanile di Piazza San Marco
The high point for low-lying Venice...
-- Al & Locke
San MarinoWe did get a chance to visit the city way on top of the hill to get a few souvenirs and take a few pictures. Our timing was perfect...we were just leaving as the first of many tour buses were rolling in. This is one cool, laid-back little country snuggled in the Apennine Mountains of Italy...it's totally worth a stop if you're roaming around Italy. Also, did you know...it is the oldest republic in the world!
Grand Canal/Canal Grande
Venice's "main boulevard" through the heart of this floating city...
Venice/Venezia
- Ducal Palace/Palazzo Ducale
- St Mark's Cathedral/Basilica San Marcos
- Academic Gallery/Galleria Accademia
Venice was one big disaster. From the hotel losing our reservations, making us pay for inferior reservations (tiny rooms, sagging beds, smelled bad, no television, etc.) at another hotel even though our first hotel admitted the problem was their fault, steady rain for 2 hours, too many people, unpleasant people...this was Al & my worst experience in Europe. 
The Palazzo Ducale is definitely interesting to look at but the Galleria Accademia was only so-so. It also poured on us, but Al & I salvaged the day by having a nice dinner after the rain cleared at an outdoor cafe. This is definitely a walking city and the maze of streets can get a little confusing/disorienting at times.The hotel disaster...
After the fiasco, we go over to the other hotel – a single artist hotel, with rooms that stink. Locke and I are seething...so, I mention to him that we CANNOT let this other hotel get away with what they did – basically "lose" our reservation for 130 euros,
so they could charge 400 euros for the weekend telecom convention that was going on. We go back there and make the biggest scene either one of us have ever made. In the lobby, while other American tourists are checking in, we publicly humilate the owner/manager.
Then I do the ultimate – I put my left hand on the inside of my right elbow and give him the Italian version of "f--- you!" and we storm out. Locke and I high-five one another -- at least we were able to enjoy the rest of the day in Venice and make him feel guilty knowing what he did to us. Sometimes one just has to be a little "Italian" and get just as expressive to get the emotions out -- things were already looking better... :)Bell Tower at San Marco's Plaza/Campanile di Piazza San Marco
The high point for low-lying Venice...
-- Al & Locke
DAY 24 - Naples
Friday, 13 May 2005
Capri
Capri is gorgeous! We took the boat ride over from Sorrento and we could see our hotel from the boat as we arrived. We had an ocean view room, tiled floor, robes & slippers, very nice! We took the funicular up to the top of the mountain and had dinner overlooking the coastline below. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far!
Pompeii
Talk about lost & Pompeii in the same sentence and that about describes Al & my initial foray into finding the ruins site. We spent 1.5 hours the first day trying to find the site without success and another half-hour the following day before finally being able to locate the site. 
We found it more interesting than the site in Rome. Very interesting how the original city was laid out but not too many artifacts. These are in a museum in Naples that we didn´t have time to visit.
Pompeii Ruins
The dead man's pyroclastic cast illustrates Mount Vesuvius' power...
Naples/Napoli
Didn't get to visit the city center and heard from another couple that we didn't miss much. It's about as chaotic as other large Italian cities are. However, the surrounding Campania Region is incredible – from Pompeii to Capri to the Amalfi Coast, it is an area rich in beauty and history.
Car Mileage: 4000 miles @ 15 miles east of Naples
San Marino
This little country is really beautiful. We visited Castle/Torre Guaita at the very top of the city of San Marino and had a spectacular view of the surrounding country below. Truly beautiful.
Crazy Italian Drivers
On one of Naples' highways, a driver in an old Seat is in the left lane and we're in the right lane. We're in a construction zone, so concrete barriers are on both sides. He all of a sudden veers left and hits the left concrete barrier. Then – as if a rock glancing off the pond surface – he rockets over to the right lane in front of us and continues driving as if NOTHING HAPPENED. We couldn't believe our eyes, and then while passing him we look over and he's talking to himself loudly. Wow, what a crazy driver!
Al's meltdown
The lovely ghetto towns of Torre Annunziata & Pompeii is where I had my meltdown. After driving in Italy for a few days, I had it with the crazy Italy drivers and roads. Too many darn mopeds trying to pass on your left or right, or riding your rear bumper. Too many skinny alleys that barely allow your car to fit thru, so you have to fold your mirrors back for that additional 6" of space. Too many roads that simply become a one-way heading the other way. Too many roads that are way too skinny and with too much traffic (including huge tour buses coming at you). Too many streets with no street signs.
Yesterday, I finally caved in to the driving pressure and had to take a 5-minute breather to collect & compose myself before driving again. Once I'm done with this trip, I shall NEVER drive in Italy again – at least I hope!
I later found out that Torre Annunziata is the headquarters for the Camorra organization, an Italian mafia – yikes! No wonder we were getting stares as we drove by and there were no other tourists besides us. We were quite fortunate to stumble upon a local museum for Italians. Though the staff didn't speak any English, she drew a simple map for me to get back out the city, as the signs were pretty much non-existent. I'm very grateful that someone was looking out for us...
-- Locke & Al
CapriCapri is gorgeous! We took the boat ride over from Sorrento and we could see our hotel from the boat as we arrived. We had an ocean view room, tiled floor, robes & slippers, very nice! We took the funicular up to the top of the mountain and had dinner overlooking the coastline below. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far!
Pompeii
Talk about lost & Pompeii in the same sentence and that about describes Al & my initial foray into finding the ruins site. We spent 1.5 hours the first day trying to find the site without success and another half-hour the following day before finally being able to locate the site. 
We found it more interesting than the site in Rome. Very interesting how the original city was laid out but not too many artifacts. These are in a museum in Naples that we didn´t have time to visit.Pompeii Ruins
The dead man's pyroclastic cast illustrates Mount Vesuvius' power...
Naples/Napoli
Didn't get to visit the city center and heard from another couple that we didn't miss much. It's about as chaotic as other large Italian cities are. However, the surrounding Campania Region is incredible – from Pompeii to Capri to the Amalfi Coast, it is an area rich in beauty and history.
Car Mileage: 4000 miles @ 15 miles east of Naples
San MarinoThis little country is really beautiful. We visited Castle/Torre Guaita at the very top of the city of San Marino and had a spectacular view of the surrounding country below. Truly beautiful.
Crazy Italian Drivers
On one of Naples' highways, a driver in an old Seat is in the left lane and we're in the right lane. We're in a construction zone, so concrete barriers are on both sides. He all of a sudden veers left and hits the left concrete barrier. Then – as if a rock glancing off the pond surface – he rockets over to the right lane in front of us and continues driving as if NOTHING HAPPENED. We couldn't believe our eyes, and then while passing him we look over and he's talking to himself loudly. Wow, what a crazy driver!
Al's meltdown
The lovely ghetto towns of Torre Annunziata & Pompeii is where I had my meltdown. After driving in Italy for a few days, I had it with the crazy Italy drivers and roads. Too many darn mopeds trying to pass on your left or right, or riding your rear bumper. Too many skinny alleys that barely allow your car to fit thru, so you have to fold your mirrors back for that additional 6" of space. Too many roads that simply become a one-way heading the other way. Too many roads that are way too skinny and with too much traffic (including huge tour buses coming at you). Too many streets with no street signs.
Yesterday, I finally caved in to the driving pressure and had to take a 5-minute breather to collect & compose myself before driving again. Once I'm done with this trip, I shall NEVER drive in Italy again – at least I hope!
I later found out that Torre Annunziata is the headquarters for the Camorra organization, an Italian mafia – yikes! No wonder we were getting stares as we drove by and there were no other tourists besides us. We were quite fortunate to stumble upon a local museum for Italians. Though the staff didn't speak any English, she drew a simple map for me to get back out the city, as the signs were pretty much non-existent. I'm very grateful that someone was looking out for us...
-- Locke & Al
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)