Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Amsterdam - The End

Well, it took a little while, but I've finally got around to the final entry.

I took the train from Bacharach, Germany to Amsterdam. Finally, I got to ride on one of the super high-speed German ICE trains! These things are super awesome - sleek on the outside, and posh on the inside. And, I was traveling 1st class (since I'm old, I had to buy a 1st class Eurail pass. As Rick Steves says, "Forced Luxury")


German ICE train


Too bad the train didn't get up to full speed - I'm not sure why. We were well over 100 mph, but not as fast as I had been on one of the French TGV trains. (I think I been close to 200 mph on that)

I got back to the apartment in Amsterdam, and headed out to dinner. Since I was in Amsterdam, naturally I went for Indian. ;-) I was just in the mood for some naan & curry.
That night it stormed really hard. REALLY HARD! No complaints, though. It was fun to watch the lightning & hear the thunder. And, considering how fantastic the weather had been during the whole 6 weeks - I couldn't get upset about a little rain.


Rental Bike in Amsterdam


As in other cities, I decided that a bike would be the best way to get around. I rented a bike near the train station. They were really concerned about bike theft - I guess it's very common in Amsterdam, which is why everyone rides really crappy, basic bikes. My bike had 2 locks on it - one for the rear wheel, and a chain that was for the front wheel & frame. I was told that I must use both locks whenever I leave the bike anywhere.

Biking in Amsterdam is great, although more chaotic than the other cities that I had biked in. On my last day, I used the bike to get outside of Amsterdam & bike in the Dutch countryside. Well, I probably didn't make it to the countryside, but I definitely wasn't in Amsterdam-proper.

I made my way past lots of enormous wind turbines. I couldn't believe how quiet they were! I was standing basically at their base, and I could barely hear a faint whine.
I crossed a canal on a ferry (which cost nothing) and headed north. I rode through Zaanstad, and made my way up to an area called Zaanse Schans. There were some fantastic old windmills up there! If I had been there earlier, I could have gone inside to see how they work. Oh well, I'll go back to the Netherlands again to do some more biking in the countryside. I'll stop by the windmills again.


Windmill in the Netherlands


I visited my 4th WWII historical site while in Amsterdam - the Anne Frank House. The line to get in was really long, but fortunately I ran into the Singapore girls again. They told me that they read that the lines are much better around 6pm. So, I went back then, and sure enough - they were.

The Anne Frank House was really moving. It was such a small space for so many people to live! Anne's original diary is on display there too. It was the only place that I saw in all of Europe where everyone respected the 'No Photography' signs.

The Trip Home
At the end, I was tired. I wanted to see more, but I didn't want to right now. I had moved around so much that I was tired of getting on trains, visiting museums, checking in, checking out, etc... So, I decided that it was time to come home. I'll have to see more next time.

I'm not sure how long my next trip to Europe will be. A week or 2? Several weeks/months? Whatever it is - I won't move around as quickly next time. I'm glad that I did this trip as I did - it was a good way to get exposed to a lot of things. But, next time I'll take more time in each place.

I made it home in time for one of my favorite events of the year - the Minnesota State Fair. I went twice. :-) I ate a lot. :-)

I also made it back in time to spend a few days with Brian - a friend from college who now lives in Australia. He was back in town for a visit, and it was great to see him again.

Several people commented that I looked much thinner after coming home. I jumped on the scale, and wow! - I was 10 lbs lighter! I hadn't paid any attention to my diet or exercise while over there. I ate & drank like crazy. I guess all the walking around (especially with a big backpack on) really had an impact.

People ask what my favorite place was. I'm not really sure - I visited a lot of great places. But, here are some of the highlites that stick in my mind:

- Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person. Much cooler than I had expected!
- The Richelieu wing of the Louvre. The sculptures were amazing.
- Hiking in the mountains of Gimmelwald
- Paragliding in Interlaken
- The amazing stories from Normandy
- The ice-cold stream through the English Garden in Munich
- Swimming in the alpine lake in Fussen
- Using a bike to get around. (Fussen, Salzburg, and Amsterdam)
- Wandering around Prague at night
- The Night Watchman's tour in Rothenburg

So it was a great trip. I'll definitely go back to Europe many times in the future.

Some Statistics
- Days in Europe: 45
- Countries Visited: 7
- Cities Visited: 19
- Ghosts seen: 0 (not even in Prague)
- Flights: 5 (4 in airplanes, one on a paraglider)
- Journeys by train: 22 (I think... not counting subways & trams, btw)

Friday, August 28, 2009

The Rhine Valley

[This is the 3rd post today - they've piled up as I haven't had internet access recently]

When I arrived in Rothenburg (my previous destination), there were 3 women checking into the hostel ahead of me. That night, when I went on the Night Watchman's tour - there they were. The following night, when I went to dinner at the English COnversation Club - there they were again! (although, not as a part of the club).

When I got to the Rothenburg train station to leave, I probably shouldn't have been surprised to see them there. Then, when they got off at the same connecting stop as me, I decided to find out what their deal was.

Me: "Didn't I see you 3 at the hostel in Rothenburg"
Them: "Yeah"
Me: "Where are you going now?"
Them: "Bacharach"
Me: "Really? So am I. Small world. Where are you going after that?"
Them: "Amsterdam"
Me: ... "Really? Wow - small world. So am I. So, where are you 3 from?"
Them: "Singapore"
Me: ... ... "Wow - really small world"

So, I chatted with them a bit, and found that they were following Rick Steves' book through Germany too. :-)

Anyways - My last stop in Germany was the Rhine Valley - famous for wines & the castles that line the Rhine river. It's definitely a busy place - there are barges & ferries cruising all over the river (not to mention tourist cruise boats), and trains are constantly running up & down tracks on both sides.

I went for one of the famous cruises on the Rhine - from Bacharach (where I stayed) to St. Goar (about an hour away). The cruise was ok - you looked at castles along the way. When I got to St. Goar - there were the Singaporeans again!

We wound up going to the same castle - the only castle in St. Goar: Rhinefelds. I toured the grounds. It offered some good views of the river & valley. But, I was more excited to get to the tunnels under the castle. Most are closed off, because they're pitch black & really easy to get lost in. But, there are a few that have been mapped off (but, they're still very very dark - only a few slits of light in the wall).

I made my way down a stone spiral staircase to a tunnel that was 30-40 years long. It was completely dark in there - no light at all. I thought about turning back (because I didn't have a flashlight, as they recommend that you bring with you). But, I didn't want to pass up the opportunity, so I proceeded by using my camera's flash to light the way. Every few feet I'd take a pick & get a glimpse of what lied ahead. Obviously I made it through, since I'm writing this. :-)

Later that evening, I took the cruise back up the river to Bacharach. Bacharach's a small, quiet town. There is really nothing to do there in the evening - everything pretty much shuts down by 9pm. So, I grabbed dinner (schnitzel with some of the local wine - which was great), and headed to the B&B to go to sleep.

Today was pretty quiet. Woke up, and had breakfast at the B&B. It was a little awkward, since I was the only guest at the time & the little old lady was waiting on me hand & foot. The food was good, though - her husband has bees & makes honey, and she made strawberry & apricot jams.

Then, it was time to make sure I had had a ticket up to Amsterdam (this train required reservations), grabbed some lunch, bumped into the Singaporeans again, and then bought some of that awesome wine.

As I write this - I'm on my way to Amsterdam; my last stop before I come home.

Rothenburg

Slowly making my way back towards Amsterdam, I stopped in the small, midevil town of Rothenburg. The old city is surrounded by wall, with guard towers over every street connecting the city with the outside world.

The highlight of the visit was the Night Watchman's tour. At 8:00, everyone meets in the town square, and is led around the town by the Night watchman - who tells the history of the town, explains the duties of a Night Watchman, and entertained the entire crowd with his sense of humor. It was definitely the most entertaining tour that I've been on in a long time.

Another great experience was the dinner I had with the English Conversation Club. The club meets every Wed evening at a restaurant to have some food, drinks, and chat in English. It's mostly locals, although every week some tourists join in. I read about it in Rick Steve's book, and was also referred there by one of the town's shop owners. It was fun talking with the Germans, and there was also a woman from Wisconsin who had moved over to Rothenburg after marrying a local farmer. The food was great - pork w/ cream & mushroom sauce, and a pear stuffed with cranberries.

I visited 2 museums - the Museum of Midevil Crime & Punishment & the Imperial City Museum. The Crime & Punishment museum was supposed to be great, but I was a little disappointed. I went to the Imperial City Museum right before it closed, and had to rush through it. I wish I had more time - the museum was much cooler than I had expected. They had a great display of midevil weapons - swords, lances, rifles, pistols, crossbows, etc... Some of the swords were huge - as tall as me! And, they had rifles there that were 7-8 feet long... I had no idea how anyone would lift one of those. I guess midevil people were strong.


One more stop - the city of Bacharach, to spend the day cruising on the Rhine river. Then, it's back to Amsterdam for a couple of days & then back to Minnesota.

Prague

Prague is a spooky city at night! It's super old, dimly lit, and there are statues (darkened with age) that loom over you like spectres. (especially on the Charles bridge) It's a lot of fun to wander around at night.


DSC_8585

Spooky statue in Prague



At this point, I'm pretty fatigued with museums, so I didn't go into many. I will definitely come back to Prague, and will tour the museums then. For this trip, I spent a lot of time wandering around the city while admiring the architecture & hearing the stories.

I took 2 tours in Prague. The first was a Free Walking tour, which was a lot of fun. It was led by a Scottish guy who was a lot of fun to listen to. He told us about Prague's bloody history - there were a lot of Catholic/Protestant battles here, and a lot of hangings & beheadings.

In the evening, I went on a Ghost Tour - I was inspired by how spooky things are here. The tour was fun, but not as great as I had expected. I didn't see any ghosts. :-(

I did go to one museum - the museum of Communism. It showed how bad things were in Czechoslovakia under Communism, and had a very clear anti-Communist message. It was surreal to see news clips, photos, and stories from things that happened just 20 years ago, but seems so different than the way things are now.

The food in Prague was good - I had some good goulash, and some chicken, dumplings, and cabbage. And, of course, I had some really good Czech beer. After the walking tour, I went to a Monastery that brewed beer for Kings for a great lunch with their specially brewed beer.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Austria

I made 2 stops in Austria - in Salzburg (near the German border), and in Vienna.

Salzburg was a lot of fun. It's divided by the Salzach river, into the Old Town & New Town. Overlooking the Old Town (and dominating the entire city landscape) is the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which is high atop a hill.

I decided to rent a bike for the day, which was a great decision. It was great to bike along the river, and stop whenever I wanted to take a look at something. I was also able to get from my hostel to the Old City & around very quickly. Bike rental is definitely the way to go!

I spent the first day going around the city & seeing the sights. (BTW - I bought a Salzburg card, which gets you into lots of sights for free. It's kind of expensive, but worth it if you go to a number of sights, which I did). I went to Mozart's birthplace, and the home where he lived a little later in life. I also went up to the fortress, which was really cool (it has never been taken by force, and when you're up at the top, you can see why).

Later in the afternoon, I went to a piano & violen concert at Schloss Mirabell (which, incidentally, has an awesome garden with statues & a great view of the fortress). It was cool to hear music by Mozart in his home town.

Wandering around in the evening, I was reminded how small the world is. As I was walking up to a restaurant to eat, I thought I saw a familiar face. I did a double-take, and there was Tim - an American that I had met while living in Singapore!

The next day, I took a bus back into Germany, to the town of Berchtesgaden. I went to see the Eagle's Nest, which was Hitler's mountain retreat & where he planned a last stand (this place was in the one episode of Band of Brothers that I saw).

There were 3 things to see there. The first was the Nazi Documentation center (which was destroyed & rebuilt into a museum). They showed how Hitler was first presented to the German people (Eerie to see the propaganda, presenting him in such a positive light). They also showed how the 3rd Reich operated, the propaganda against Jews & other minorities, and how the Nazis committed their atrocities. Finally they showed how WWII progressed, and how Nazi Germany fell to the Allies.

The 2nd sight to see was the underground bunkers that the Nazis built. They were much bigger & more high-tech than I had imagined. They had air-locks, fuel storage facilities, power & life support faciliities, etc... And, the tunnels were not small - they were easily big enough to drive vehicles through.

Finally, it was off to the Eagle's Nest - the mountain retreat. I only had an hour up there (it closes earlier than I had expected), but an hour was enough. It has been converted to a mountain-top restaurant now (definitely better as a restaurant with a view than a Nazi hideout). The view was fantastic - you could see all the way to Salzburg!

Speaking of Salzburg... the hostel that I stayed (YoHo) at there wasn't the best. The internet access sucked (everyone had trouble getting online, except either very early or very late - and when you did get online, it was very slow or it dropped you). There was also a bar in the hostel, which was very smokey & the smell drifted up into the halls. The rooms weren't too bad, but it was pretty hot - which made it tough to sleep. It wasn't a disaster, but it could have been better.

My next stop was Vienna. While I'm on the topic of hostels, I'll preface my Vienna experience with a story from my hostel (Westend Hostel). The hostel was pretty nice - modern, and they served breakfast. But, I found out the true meaning of noisy roommate. One guy in our room snored so loud - it kept everyone up both nights. I couldn't believe that anyone could snore that loud. I put earplugs in, and it still woke me up - although not as much.

So, most of my time in Vienna was cloaked in a veil of exhaustion. Coffee & redbull were definitely my friends. But, I also wonder if I am getting a little fatigued on traveling - we'll see after I have a good night's sleep - I've booked a single room in Prague.

Anyhow - Vienna was a nice city, although I think I need to come back again to do it justice. I visited Stephansplatz, the giant church in the center of town, and a number of other churches. I visited 2 small museums, and spent quite a bit of time out in parks - sitting in the grass & relaxing.

The highlite of my Vienna experience was going to see Mozart's Requiem performed by an orchestra & choir at Karlzplatz church. It was great to see that performed in such a magestic setting.

So, now I'm off to Prague, with high expectations. Everyone says Prague is a great city, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to getting a little more sleep. :-)

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Fussen

[WiFi connectivity continues to be really spotty at hostels recently. Hopefully I'll be able to keep updating...]


Germany has been great so far. I've been down in Bavaria - in the Southeast corner of the country. The food has been really good - I've had sausages, sour kraut (which I actually liked, unlike the times I've tried it in the US), schnitzl, pork knuckles, etc... And, the beer has been fantastic. I've had lagers (light) and dunkels (dark). I've also had some beer mixes. A Radler is lager mixed with lemonade/sprite (a shandy in the US). I've also had a dunkel mixed with coke. That was pretty good, but nowhere as good as a Radler.

My 2nd stop in Bavaria was the city of Fussen. It's a small town that many people stay at while visiting the castles of Neuschwanstein & Hoenschwangau. I toured the castles, which were pretty cool - especially Neuschwanstein. Many people believe that Neuschwanstein was the model used for the Walt Disney castel - I'd believe it. They look a lot alike.

The tours through the castles were a little rushed (but going on a tour is the only way to get into the castle). The artwork & decorations inside the castles were really impressive - they are more recent than other castles, and have been really well preserved. Lots & Lots of gold, ivory, and jewels...

While the insides were cool, the area around the castles was really cool. There were mountains around them, and an alpine lake (Alpensee) nearby. I hiked around the castles for a while, and went up to a bridge that spans a gorge & waterfall for a better view of Neuschwanstein. Unfortunately, there's a lot of scaffolding up on one side of the castle. I guess I'll have to come back again someday.

Alpensee is awesome - it was really calm (mirror-like), a dark blue/green, and surrounded by mountains. I rented a row-boat & paddled out on the lake for a great view of the castles & surrouding area.

Back in Fussen that evening, I grabbed an outdoor table at a restaurant. Since they were pretty crowded, I invited a couple to sit at my table. They were from Spain, and we had a great conversation throughout dinner. I was amazed at how much of my Spanish came back. I was able to communicate w/ them (albiet in somewhat broken sentances), and they helped correct my grammar as I went along. :-)

This morning, I woke up & checked out of my hostel. I had a few hours to kill before the train, so I seized the opportunity. I dropped my backpack off at a locker at the train station & rented a bike. I biked down to Alpensee (only a 15 minute ride), and went for a swim! It was great - cool, but not as cold as the water in the English Garden in Munich. Definitely a great way to end my time in Fussen.


DSC_8201

I'll be back to Germany in a week or so, but for now I'm off to Salzburg Austria.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Munich

[Note - this was written a few days ago, but I haven't been able to get online recently... so I'm way past Munich already] :-)

Arriving in Munich, it occurred to me that I hadn't been in a big European city for quite some time. Since Paris, every place I've gone has been a relatively small place. At these smaller cities, the train comes up along side the station; stops; lets people out & in; and then keeps on going in the same direction.

Munich's train station is big - 30+ tracks, and each track ends inside the building. There's a sea of people coming & going everywhere. Some running to meet their train. A few walking back after missing their train, and everyone else going on their way. I was excited to be back in a big city, and thrilled to be in Germany (I had really been looking forward to this part of the trip)

I had not booked any place to stay, so I set out in search of lodging. The first place I went to was honest with me - they told me they were a party hostel. Not wanting to be kept up until the wee hours, I went to another place. They were full. But, the 3rd time was the charm - I found a place not too far away that had an open bed.

With only a few days, I set out right away. I headed to the city center - a place called Marienplatz. A lot's going on there - there's the New Town Hall, which has magnificant architecture. After checking that out for a while, it was time to head to Virtalienmarkt. Under the huge Maypole there is different vendors selling different produce & food, and most importantly - a beer garden. I grabbed my first liter, and an enormous pretzl & went to town.

After finishing that, I noticed someone reading a book written in English - so I decided to go over to talk. After she & I chatted for a while, we decided to head over to Hofbrauhaus. It's an enormous beer garden that has become quite a tourist destination. Everywhere people are hoisting huge glasses of beer, and eating things like pork knuckles, sausages, etc... It also has an important history - it's where Hitler gave one of his first public speaches.

The next morning was the somber portion of my Munich stay. I visited the concentration camp at Dachau. As I did with Normandy, I decided to go with a tour group in order to get the most details about the history. It was definitely worth it - I got much more out of the visit than if I had gone there & walked around alone. The stories of what happend there are unimaginable. We were able to visit a dormitory, a prision block, and administrative block, and finally the gas chamber & creamatorium. After that, I also visited 3 memorial structures that have also been built on the compound.

Later that afternoon, I visited the English Garden in Munich. This was a big change of pace from the morning. The garden is huge, and full of people having fun. There's a stream that flows through the park, and goes over a small waterfall. People were jumping in & swimming around. I desperately wanted to join, but didn't have a swimming suit & had my camera with me. So, the best I could do was to soak my feet - it was very cold! (Lake Superior cold, for the Minnesotans reading this)

I continued to wander through the park, and came across the beer garden. Hooray! And, I ran into a guy that was on the tour during the morning. So, we sat down & had a beer. The beer garden felt just like Oktoberfest (on a smaller scale). People in leiderhosen, an Um-pah band, lots of beer, and lots of fun. We even saw a Beer Bike - a moving bar, where 8 people sit around on stools & peddle. The peddling powers the thing, and those 8 people get driven around while they drink. Definitely have to try that some time!

Oh, and there's a 'clothing optional' portion of the park. As was explained on an episode of Seinfeld once, there's 'good naked', and 'bad naked'. Most of the park was populated by the latter. :-( I walked through that area quickly.

After the beer garden, we headed up to a restaurant that my friend Brian recommended (Weyprechthof). We ate way too much, and drank another liter there. It was really good.

Today was more fun. I headed to a modern art museum, where I got to see some works by Salvador Dali, and some exhibits on 'old' stuff from the 1970s. They had some old school computers, including some of the first laptops.

After the museum, it was back to the English Garden! I love that place. I made my way to the stream again. After sitting around for a while, I couldn't resist. I took my shirt off, and emptied my pockets & climbed in. It was refreshing for a few seconds, and then I lost my breath. It was really cold! I couldn't believe people were playing around in it - I could only handle a minute or so. (On a side note - I firmly believe that my time in Singapore has softened my tolerance to cold... I'll have to spend a lot of time outside this winter, to toughen myself back up)

Well, now I'm down in Fussen, Germany. I discovered on the way down that the train schedules can, indeed, change without notice. The connection that I was supposed to take (according to my rail schedule) doesn't exist. Oh well, I just had to take 2 other connections, which only delayed me by an hour. At least I didn't get stranded at some station. Tomorrow I see the castles of Howenschwangau and Neuschwanstein - I have reservations for the morning (since it's tourist season), so it's good that I made it here tonight. :-)

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Gimmelwald

Wow - I can't believe that it's been almost a month since I came over here... time is flying by!

My most recent stop was the quiet, quintessentially Swiss, town of Gimmelwald. Everyone that has been there raves about the place, and with good reason. The town is nestled in between mountain ranges, and the views are spectacular! It's beyond small-town... there's a hostel (the world-famous Mountain Hostel), a couple guest houses, and then some old-school Swiss houses on the hill. Cows & sheep are grazing everywhere, and there's nothing to do except hike around or, perhaps, throw yourself off a mountain (preferably with a parasail attached).


DSC_7705


I arrived in late afternoon, as the day's hikers were making their way back to the hostel. Nothing to do but relax & have a pizza (the hostel makes fantastic pizzas).

The next day, I set out early on a hike to the Schilthorn. James Bond fans will recognize the peak of this mountain as the Villian's lair from On Her Magesty's Secret Service. Despite the fact that I am in reasonably good shape (at least I think I am), this was a difficult hike. I was winded within 20 minutes, and was taking frequent breaks. Fortunately, the breaks are all very scenic.

About halfway up, the clouds started rolling in. Not wanting to get caught in a rain on a mountain (again), and not really wanting to climb all the way up to look at clouds - I changed my route. I headed up to another peak, which offered a cloud-free view. It was breathtaking - I had never seen mountains like that before. Hiking down, I found myself behind a waterfall that emptied into a deep mountain gorge - with a mountain in the distance.


DSC_7821


Today I woke up early & took the cable car up to the Shilthorn. Yeah, I cheated, but my legs & available time wouldn't allow me to hike. The view at the top was great for about 45 mins, and then the clouds rolled in again. It was cool to watch clouds racing up the sides of the mountain towards us.

The hostel may as well have been a US embassy - I couldn't believe the number of Americans there. I met a nice couple from Brooklyn, another couple from Austin, and a big group from Indiana. There were also a couple of families from Minnesota at the guest house next to the hostel... small world. There were also a number of Aussies there. I have always found Aussies to be very friendly & fun-loving people, and the people here definitely lived up to that reputation. It was a lot of fun at the hostel!

This afternoon, I took the cable car back down - sure that I would return to Gimmelwald again. I'm back in Interlaken now, getting ready to head up to Munich tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to hoisting huge steins of beer!


~~~~~
Tons of Americans - several new friends
everyone has computers

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Paragliding!

I went paragliding today - my first time. It was awesome!

Pictures speak louder than words, and video speaks louder than pictures (unless you have the sound turned off). :-)



The pilot also let me fly a little bit.

And, we did stunts (but, this isn't me flying the glider).

Monday, August 10, 2009

Switzerland

I said Au Revoir to France on Saturday, and crossed into Switzerland. My first stop was Geneva. Geneva seems to be a very pleasant place - not too exciting to visit, but it looks like it would be a good place to live.

I arrived via bus, and had a long walk to the area where I'd be staying. I stopped to chat & get directions from a British woman, who explained that there was a huge festival going on & I might have trouble finding a place to stay. Fortunately, I was able to get a spot in the City Hostel. This was the first hostel that I'd stay at in Europe, and I was a little skeptical. But it turned out really great. It was very clean, very cheap (I'd heard Switzerland was expensive, but I was surprised to see how expensive everything is), and I was looking to meet people. I hadn't met many people so far, and I figured that it would be easier in a hostel. It worked out really well. I met a guy from New York City in my room. He's a high school teacher for at-risk youth, and was very nice to talk to.

The first night in the hostel was anything but quiet. There were fireworks being set off over Lake Geneva. They were the loudest fireworks I'd ever heard! The guy from NYC & I both thought it sounded like we were in a war zone.

The next day I got up & went for a walk down to Lake Geneva. There's a really cool display to promote astronomy down at the lake. There are several dozen huge posters on display, with incredible images from space (taken from Hubble or land-based telescopes). I spent some time admiring the images, and reading about the science behind them.

Then I walked around to the other side of the lake to see Jet de Eau. It's a huge water fountain that shoots water 140 meters in the air. The water exits the nozzle at 200km/hr (120mph). Of course I had to touch it - it was incredibly powerful!

After that, I grabbed a kebab for lunch & headed up to the United Nations. They offer free tours, so I joined & learned some really interesting stuff.

Geneva was enough for a day, but I was ready to move on. I took the train up to Interlaken, where I'm staying at another hostel. Again, this one is super clean & a great price. And, just like Geneva - I've met some really cool people here. The first night I went out with an Italian guy, and Danish guy, and an Austrian woman for some drinks.

Today I woke up & found that the weather was teetering on the brink of rain. I decided to go for a 'short' hike up one of the mountains nearby. Well, I kept going "a little further", and then decided to go to the top of the trail. My 'short' hike turned into 6 hours, and I came down the hill in a slight drizzle feeling very tired. But, it was a lot of fun & it gave me a great view of Interlaken.

Again tonight, the hostel did it's magic. I met another guy from NYC - a CSci professor. I had dinner w/ him & we might do stuff together tomorrow.

Weather permitting, I plan on going paragliding tomorrow. I hope I'm able to - it looks incredibly fun!

After that - it's off to the small mountain village of Gimmelwald... recommended strongly by everyone who's been there. I can't wait.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Chamonix!

Chamonix, France is great! It's an outdoor sports mecca - I've seen tons of people with climbing gear (both rock & ice). People ride mountain bikes through the streets, and para-gliders circle above. The city has the feel of a ski resort, like Vail.

Chamonix is in a valley between 2 mountains. I've been to the top of both of them - one yesterday & one today. The views were spectacular! I rode cable cars to the top of both of them, and across a huge glacier today. At the end of the trip, I was in Italy. I stopped for a pizza, before heading back to France. Exhausted & a little sunburnt (despite lots of sunscreen), I'm very satisfied.

I considered staying longer, but I decided that I've been in France long enough. Off to Switzerland tomorrow, where I'm sure to see more mountains. I'll definitely be back here someday.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

More France

Since last writing, I've been through 2 cities in France. The first was Tours, in the Loire Valley. Tours was nice enough. But if I had to do it again, I'd go stay in one of the smaller cities - maybe Blois or Amboise. And, it would be more fun if I'd had a car... next time.

While in the Loire, I visited the final home of Leonardo da Vinci & an amazing Chateaux - Chenonceau.

Da Vinci's home was very interesting. He was brought there by a French King (I forget which one), because the king loved Da Vinci's work & wanted him to have a place to just create. When he moved there, da Vinci brought 3 of his paintings with him. One of them was the Mona Lisa. The king fell in love with the painting, and it's been famous ever since.

They also have several models of da Vinci's inventions, which are really cool to see in person. It's amazing to see all the things that da Vinci thought of, that are very similar to things that are in use today.

Next was Chateaux Chenonceau, which was really cool! I was getting kind of tired of museums & chateau, but this was definitely worth it. The grounds were amazing - the gardens were cool, and the Chateau extends across the river. I also found the kitchen & other areas used by the servants to be really cool.

My next stop was the city of Carcassonne, which is in Southern France - a little north of the Spanish Border. I went there to see the Midevil city - which is the largest midevil restoration that has been done in Europe. It was enormous - with 2 walls wrapping around the city, a Cathedral, and a fortefied castle within the walled city.

There were a number of restaurants & shops inside the midevil city - a little touristy. But, it was still cool to see a well-preserved midevil fortress.

Oh - and I learned an important lesson in Carcassonne: know where your hotel is. When I reached the train station, I had a general idea of where it was. I asked the information area, and they pointed me in sort-of the right direction. I say sort-of because it was a little bit off, which resulted in me hiking around residential neighborhoods for an hour with all of my stuff on my back (it was hot, and there were hills). I was looking for someone to ask, but all the shops were closed. Finally, I stumbled upon a hair salon - when I asked the lady where the hotel was, she pointed next door! :-)

Turns out, if you go the right way, it's only a 15 minute walk to the train station. Lesson learned.

After Carcassonne - I took the overnight train to Lyon. It was much more comfortable sleeping on a train than I expected. The bunks were actually long enough for me to stretch out, and there was plenty of space in there. I didn't get the best night's sleep, but I'll be able to make it through the day. :-)

Now I'm on another train - heading to Chamonix, a city in the Alps that is on the Italian border. I'm really excited to see the Alps.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

An aside

First thing (nothing to do with travel).
I am proud to announce that I've had my 2nd photo published! Once again, someone found one of my pics on flickr, and asked to use it. It's in the Schmap!! guide - a free guide for cities. A photo I took on Lake Harriet was selected:

http://www.schmap.com/minneapolis/activities_outdoors/#p=255636&i=255636_44.jpg

Here's the original on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theycallmecb/3552770698/

BTW - if you're interested, here's the first pic of mine that got used (I got $50 for this photo) :-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theycallmecb/1157461848/


Ok - back to travel stuff.
Mont St-Michel was nice. I spent the day there, and had a good time. I toured the Abby, went to a couple museums on the island (it's an island when the tide is in, which it wasn't), and walked around. But, one day was enough - definitely not enough stuff to spend more than one day there.

This morning I took the train back to Paris. Hoping to get an overnight train down to Carcassonne - that wasn't in the cards. So, I got a train to Tours France - right in the Loire Valley. I'll spend a day or 2 here, and then head to Carcassonne (trains permitting).

I haven't done anything in Tours yet. As I walked around this evening, I had several moments where I thought something was a sign for a tourism office. Then I realized it was just the town's name: Tours. :-)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Normandy

Today I am in Bayeux, France. I came up here to tour the beaches of Normandy, where the D-Day (or as they call it in Normandy, the Liberation Day) invasion occurred. I was able to join on to a tour with Battlebus, and it was worth every cent.

I joined 7 other people (all Americans, including a family from Eagan, Minnesota) on a tour led by a Brit named Alan. He has studied the battles of D-Day for some time, and has been leading tours for several years. He has even had the chance to interview and lead tours for several D-Day survivors. When I asked what he can show a person that was actually there, he explained that he has helped several people find out exactly where they were (they didn't know at the time) by listening to their stories.

We toured Saint-Mere Eglise (the first town liberated by the Allied invasion). You could see the dents in the iron fences where bullets had hit, and holes in walls near windows where the Allies were trying to hit snipers. We also toured Utah Beach, Point du Hoc, Omaha Beach, and the American Cemetery.

The sights were moving. But, what was more captivating were the stories that Alan told. He has met with one survivor from Omaha Beach that had his jaw shot off, took shrapnel to the head, stepped on a mine, and was shot through the pelvis. He survived, and returns to Normandy every year for the anniversary.

We also visited a church that was used as an aide station by 2 US medics (one with only 1 day of training). They treated 83 soldiers, and 80 survived - all without the aide of morphine or any proper aide equipment (which had been dropped elsewhere). The church's windows had been shot out, and now have been replaced with stained-glass windows honoring the Allied Liberators. The pews of the church are still stained with blood, which can't be removed.

Another interesting fact - weapons (guns, and live explosives) are still being found each year. And, on average, 8 bodies are still being found in this area each year.

I've done tours in other locations before - some were worth it, others were not. This one definitely was! The personal stories definitely added to the experience. I will probably come back in the future, and take some of their other D-Day tours.

Tomorrow it's on to Mont St. Michel.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Paris wrap-up

Q: What did I do on my birthday?
A: Wait in line.

Yesterday, July 28th - my 34th birthday, I went to Versailles to see the famous Chateau there. Then, I returned to Paris & went to the Eiffel Tower - I wanted to go to the top.

Underestimating the nature of high season - I didn't get a museum pass, which would have let me skip the lines. (at Versailles, but not the Eiffel Tower). Big Mistake!

Upon arriving at Versailles, I waited over an hour to get a ticket. Then, I waited another 1+ hour to get in.

When I went to the Eiffel Tower that evening, I waited over an hour to get in. After getting to the 2nd level, I had to wait in another line to get to the top. Then a line to get down to the 2nd level. Then a line to get back to the ground. I think I spent over 2 hours in lines there too.

I got onto the metro, and started to head home. It was almost 1:00am. Then the metro lines started closing down. I got off one train & ran to my connecting train - missing it by literally seconds. So, I was stranded in some unknown part of Paris. Fortunately I was able to flag down a cab... exhausted.

Anyhow - enough ranting about lines. The sights I saw were great.

Versailles was amazing. The building was more ornate that I could possibly imagine. It was more luxurious than anything you'd see on TV or in movies. I could see why the French people would rise up when the kings had all that, and they had nothing.

While the building was impressive, I liked the gardens & lawns outside 10 times that. They were fantastic, with perfectly manicured trees, great statues & fountains, and a mile-long artificial lake.

I've already raved about the Eiffel Tower. It's spectacular! Going to the top at night was cool, but I think it would be better in the daytime (hindsight = 20/20).

Today was more relaxed. I grabbed a croissant & coffee at a cafe near the apartment that I was staying in. Then I went to the Catacombs - where millions of Parisians are buried. Their bodies were moved to underground mines after cemeteries became overcrowded.

Then it was time to say adieu to Paris, and take the train up to Normandy. Tomorrow I see the D-Day beaches.

So, in conclusion - definitely go to Paris! It's a fantastic city, with wonderful things to see & do. But, definitely don't go to Paris during the high season if you want to do tourist things. You'll just wind up dealing with huge crowds.

I was very impressed by Paris. I'll definitely be back - there's a lot more to see & do.

(More & more pics are going up onto flickr. I'm not taking the time to name them, link them here, or post to facebook - no time for that right now)

www.flickr.com/photos/theycallmecb

Monday, July 27, 2009

Paris rocks!

I expected Paris to be a great city, but it has exceeded my expectations!

Yesterday (Sunday)was the final day of the Tour de France. The race ends with the riders riding into Paris and doing 8 laps around the Champs Elysees. I figured that since I was in the city, I should probably check it out.

I arrived down in the area around 10:30, and could see that it was already filling up. After wandering around for a little bit, I decided that I'd better grab a good spot. I saw a guy in a cycling jersey with a really expensive camera (Nikon D3 w/ 70-200 lens, easily $6000) - so I figured he knew where the good spots to watch & take pictures were. So, I stood by him. He was a really cool guy, and we chatted while we waited. We weren't actually on the Champs Elysees - that's all reserved for VIPs, sponsors, and people who are even more out of their minds than we are (i.e. willing to wait longer). We were on Rue de Rivoli, which is one of the other streets that the riders circle.

We had plenty of time to chat - we stood there for over 5 hours! Over the afternoon, the crowds poured in, and it became obvious how choice our seats were.

First the caravan (all the sponser vehicles) came by, and finally it was time. We saw the peloton approaching, and before you knew it - 200 riders flew by - man they were fast! I took as many pictures as I could - they were going too fast to really focus on one rider. But, luckily enough, I got a couple shots of Lance Armstrong.

Over the next 40 or so minutes, they circled past 7 more times. The sprinters separated themselves from the rest of the group - I couldn't believe how fast they were going.

And then it was over... 6 hours of my life down the drain. :-) It was a once in a lifetime thing, and I chatted with some cool people - the guy from the UK, some people from the US, and some other Europeans.

And, I got a cool sunburn to show for it! :-)

After the race, I wandered through the Jardin Des Tuileries - the land out in front of the Louvre. I went to the Louvre, and walked inside the main entrance (the glass pyramid). It was pretty cool. The museum had already closed, so it wasn't too crowded.

Afterwards, I went on a cruise of the river, which was a great way to see the city. I went at 9:00, so I got to see everything at twilight.

Today was the Louvre - I spent 5 hours there, and am exhausted from it. Of course, I saw the Mona Lisa & Venus di Milo. The Pavillion Denton (where those exhibits are) is the most famous. My favorite wing, though, was the Pavillion Richileiu. They had awsome sculptures there. There were 2 huge open atriums - all white marble, well air conditioned, and full of incredible statutes. It kind of felt like you had passed through the pearly gates.

After the museum closed, and I had a chance to lie down in the grass & relax, I took a walk up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. I climbed to the top & got some great shots of the city at sunset. I also got to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle (At the millenium, they installed sparkling lights on the tower. Later, when they took them down, everyone complained. So, they put them back up, and every evening the tower sparkles around the top of the hour).

Suffice to say - I'm having a blast here. I've extended my stay in Paris by 1 extra day. Tomorrow's my birthday & I want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower! I also plan to go to Versailles, and to see the Catacombs.

On Wednesday I will depart Paris - heading up to Normandy to see the D-Day beaches. I'm sure I'll be back to visit this city many more times in the future.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Amsterdam --> Paris

I took the train from Amsterdam's Centraal station to Paris' Gare du Nord today. Riding the train was thrilling - it was super fast (over 100mph), super quiet, and super comfortable.

Arriving in Paris, I took the Paris metro to the apartment that I'm staying in. The Paris metro is very useful, and sometimes very stinky. There are many lines that criss-cross the city, and make it easy to get anywhere you want to go, fast. But, it's not a clean & modern metro by any stretch of the imagination (Greece, Bangkok, and Singapore are all better). One of the stations smelled like pee. But - regardless, I like the metro - it makes it easy to get around.

The apartment I'm staying in is Awesome. It's in Montmatre, which is an artsy area on the north side of Paris (near Moulin Rouge). I really enjoy the place.

After arriving & getting settled, I headed down to Notre Dame. The church is amazing! I walked around the outside (love the architecture), and then toured the inside (which was as impressive as the churches I saw in Rome). Then, I waited over an hour to get up into the bell towers. The wait was worth it - there was a great view of the city (including my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower), and I got to see the largest bell in the tower (enormous!).

The gargoyles on top of Notre Dame are really cool. My favorite was one that was devouring an animal (there's a pic on flickr). While I was up there, the bells started ringing - deafining, but awesome.

Following Notre Dame, I wandered around Paris - trying to make my way to the Eiffel Tower. I failed - it was much farther than I expected, and I took a couple wrong turns. But, after grabbing a Panini, I jumped on the metro & was there in no time.

Usually all of the big tourist sites are impressive, but just live up to my expectations. The Eiffel Tower far exceeded what I expected. It was much bigger than I had imagined, and was really really cool to see. I didn't have time to go up in it (the line was gigantic) - I'll have to do that soon.

On my way back to the apartment, I came across a big rally - protesting the recent Iranian elections. It was held on Champs de Mars, right in front of the Eiffel Tower. There were pictures of Neda (the Iranian woman that was shot during the protests in Iran) everywhere.

Well, I've been up for 18 hours, so I'm going to bed. Tomorrow should be great - I'm going to watch the last leg of the Tour de France live - they'll be riding on the Champs Elysees in Paris!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Athens

Athens is hot, dusty, and windy - but a lot of fun. The archeological sites are impressive!

First & foremost is the Acropolis - with the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. We went during the evening, which was wise - because there are tons of tour buses dropping tons & tons of people off during the day. It's also less hot in the evening. But - did I mention that it's windy? Let me emphasize that again. There was dust blowing everywhere!

Other highlites of Athens include some hills that I climbed - Filopappou (which offers a fantastic view of the Acropolis), and Lykavittos (which doesn't have a working cable car to the top, regardless of what any guidebook says. It was a hot climb!)

Filopappou hill has a special memory for me - I grabbed some fruit from a small store one morning, and climbed to the top of the hill. There was nobody else on the hill - I had it all to myself, complete with a fantastic view. It was a very relaxing part of the day.

Other parts of Athens stood out too. The National Garden was nice (albeit much smaller than I expected). The Temple of Olympian Zeus was cool.

The guidebooks made Athens out to be a not-very-nice city. I found the areas with all the archeological sites, and the neighborhoods that have been designated pedistrian-only, to be very nice. The rest of Athens is a regular, busy, big city - a lot like Bangkok.
Athens does have a very nice metro, though. It's very modern, and much cleaner than I expected - a great way to get around!

And, even though I don't normally like Greek food - I had some very good meals in Athens & Santorini.

Now I'm back in Amsterdam, and heading off to Paris tomorrow morning. Can't wait for the train ride!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Santorini - part 2

Our last day in Santorini brought us back up to Oia. We wandered around for a while, shopping & sightseeing. Oia is definitely one of the most picturesque areas on the island (although there are lots of great parts)

We then went down to Amoudi, the port below Oia. We had a fantastic lunch there - grilled calmari (the biggest squid that I've ever seen on a plate), tomato kefedes (a local dish, which is awesome), and grilled eggplant. This was definitely the best meal I've had on Santorini.

Santorini was a great place to visit. I'd definitely like to come back again, and stay a few more days - maybe as long as a week. It would also be good to not come during high season. The crowds & heat weren't too bad, but it would be better without them.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Santorini

Our first stop in Greece is the Island of Santorini - home to all of the white buildings with blue roofs that you see on calendars. The island is ring shaped, due to a volcano that collapsed in on itself, leaving a caldera in the middle. The villages are very photogenic (second only to Rome, Alison) :-)

On day one, we rented a car (a tiny Smart car - which made Caroline very happy), and drove around the island. We went to the highest point on the island, which gave us a spectacular view of the caldera & all of the villages around it. There was a church at the top of the mountain, along with a military radar base (complete with a sign warning people of 'cancergenic radar emissions'. We didn't stay their long.) Following that, we drove to an awesome town called Pyrgos, which was a lot of fun to walk around.

(BTW - 'cancergenic'... their word, not mine)

Then it was time to hit the beaches. We went to the red beach, where the rocks are red due to their iron content. It was fun swimming there, but a little treacherous to reach the beach & get into the water - lots of rocks. Then we drove to the black beach, which was much easier to get to, but as you can imagine - the black sand/rocks were a little hot under the Mediterranean sun.

We finished the first day by watching the sunset in the town of Oia - which is spectacularly beautiful. I guess that's why there were several thousand people there watching the sunset.

Today we went on a cruise out to the volcanic peak in the center of the caldera. I went swimming in a hot springs - kind of weird to go from cool, blue ocean water to warm rusty water in the space of a few meters.

Then we went hiking to the top of the volcano. There was evidence of 4 eruption periods on the peak, so it was interesting to see the different types of rocks. The coolest thing, in my opinion, was a hole in the rock that was steaming hot. As you held your hand there, you realized you were not merely on a mountain - you were on a dormant (but not inactive) volcano!

BTW - I haven't taken the time to link pictures to this blog. But, you can check them (and all my other Europe photos) out at:

www.flickr.com/photos/theycallmecb

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Day 1 - Amsterdam

Arriving in Amsterdam, I was amazed at the number of huge wind turbines. There was a large group of turbines just off shore, and lining the coast, as we were flying in.

Jet lag wasn't too bad, although I didn't sleep very much on the flight. After arriving at my friend Caroline's place, I spent the afternoon walking around the area near her apt.

In the evening, we went up to Central Amsterdam. The canals are cool, and there are a lot of cool old churches. We saw the red light district, and smelled a LOT of pot coming from all of the 'coffee shops' (I didn't expect there to be that many of them. We also saw Amsterdam's flower market.

The apartments/houses in Amsterdam are packed really tightly together. They're all 3 stories high with very steep staircases (the staircase at Caroline's place is treacherous). Caroline pointed out hooks on the top of all the houses, that are used to hoist things like couches & dishwashers up from the outside as people are moving in. Coincidentally, we watched some people lift a couch to the 3rd floor as we were out walking that evening.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

The Beginning

Welcome!
As many of you know, I was laid off from my job last May - another victim of the economic crisis. Knowing that it's a very tough job market right now, I decided to use the opportunity to take a summer vacation. For the first time in 16 years, I've had a summer without any studying or any work. It's been great!

I've spent much of the past 2 months enjoying the beautiful Minnesota summer - something I haven't been able to do for the past few years. I've spent a lot of time outdoors - riding my bike, running, swimming, and I've even started kayaking & stand-up paddling on the Minneapolis lakes. Last weekend I ran the Lifetime Fitness triathlon for the 4th time - lots of fun, and I was happy with my time, despite taking 3 years off.

The other big activity for me this summer has been planning my European vacation. Originally, I was going to go over for 2 weeks - traveling around with a friend. But, after the layoff, I decided to extend things a bit. Right now it looks like I'll be there for 6 weeks. Who knows - maybe it'll be longer than that.

The plan is to go to 7 countries - The Netherlands, Greece, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. I'll be writing a bit about my travels here, so check back if you are wondering where I am & what I'm up to...