What We Learned while Traveling through Europe

Spending euros feels like spending Monopoly money.

Street signage in Europe is optional.

Not all Europeans speak English. But it doesn't matter. Basic communication is universal.

No two European toilets flush the same way.

International drivers licenses are a scam.

Hot water can be on the right.

Packing cubes are then next best travel invention since rolled luggage.

Purchasing travel clothes is worth the investment. Especially on wash day in the hotel room.

Wearing the same five sets of clothing for 4 weeks can be done.

To get the most out of a location stay at least 2 nights, 3 is better.

Previous travel experiences can't be recreated. Create new ones.

Good maps are worth their weight in gold, even more when you study them before hitting the road.

There's comfort knowing where you'll be sleeping in the next city.

GPS's can't speak German.

Love means getting so angry at your spouse that you want to hop on the next plane. But you're able to get beyond the issue and enjoy the rest of the trip.

When using multiple ATM cards, even if they're on the same account, confirm both are authorized for international travel.

One of the rewards of traveling abroad is a renewed appreciation of what we have at home.

Back in San Diego

We're back! The return trip was uneventful. Anna was waiting for us at the airport. All of our luggage arrived with us so we hopped in the car and headed home to Verin Lane.

Thanks to our great daughter and our wonderful neighbor, Shannyn, we're greeted with frijoles de olla (beans & tortillas). The house looks huge, though slightly rearranged (thanks Anna & Shannyn) and it feels wonderful to be here. We've been up for 24+ hours so we're in bed by 9pm but sleep is fleeting for us and we're both up by 2:30 in the morning. I think it's going to take a few days to adjust.

Thanks for traveling with us. And if you see us in the near future, we'll be happy to bore you with our pictures.

Day 26 - Amsterdam

After a good night's rest we're ready to play tourist for one last day. We decide to purchase canal bus tickets, Amsterdam's version of Greyline's double decker tour bus. It's a great, relaxing way to see the canals and buildings of the city. First stop, the Red Light district, one of Amsterdam's top tourist attraction.

The district is a bit difficult to find, but we know we arrive when we see the "workers" in the windows. It's hard not to gawk as something that's so foreign to us and after viewing a couple of windows we're happy to turn a corner. Later we realize we never really made it to the main street of the red light district, but we've seen enough.

Back on the boat we float through the canals disembarking at the Anne Frank Museum. Now, we've been through a concentration camp, climbed to the Eagle's Nest, and walked through the tunnel system of Hitler's Burghof. But the Anne Frank museum put a victim's face on the atrocity of WW II. Eight jewish people hid in the small rooms of the "secret annex" for two years only to be betrayed during the final months of the war. All were interned in concentration camps and the only survivor was Anne's father, Otto Frank.

After it's discovery, the rooms of the annex were emptied of their content. When the building was opened to the public in the late '50's, at Otto Frank's request, the rooms remained empty. It was a truly moving experience, moving us to near tears during our walk through the dark, stark rooms. If you're ever in Amsterdam, this is a "must see".

After our tour we jump back on the boat and float back to the area of our hotel. One more chance for some McKenny beer at the sidewalk cafe being serenaded by local musicians. Then we grab one final meal and head back to the hotel to pack.

It's been a wonderful trip!

Day 25 - On to Amsterdam

Another travel day. Our last before heading home. It's hard to believe we've been in Europe for over three weeks.

This morning we caught the train from Boppard to Koblenz, then Koblenz to Koln. We had an hour before the train to Amsterdam departed so we wandered out of the train station to catch a glimpse of the Koln cathedral, the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. It is immediately outside the train station and quite a site.

Because our time was limited, Tony chose to wait at a cafe (with a beer) and I walked up the steps to the church to see if I
could get a peek inside. It was Sunday morning and mass was in session, but visitors were still allowed inside and I got to look around a bit. It was wonderful listening to the chanting of the service while viewing the incredible architecture. After a couple of minutes I returned to the cafe and joined Tony with a beer before heading back to the station to catch our train.

Three hours later we arrive at Amsterdam's Central Station. As we worked our way over to the tram stop we catch a few peculiar wiffs....ahhh, remember, we're in Amsterdam....and jump on Tram 5 which drops us a block from the hotel. The roads in Amsterdam are shared by cars, trams, bicycles, lots of bicycles and pedestrians, lots of pedestrians. Yet somehow everyone seems to get to were they want to go without colliding with others. In the days to come we learn there's a system to the traffic, red pavement is for wheeled vehicles. Pedestrians stay on the gray sidewalk.

We settle into our hotel, in a room about 8 feet wide and two twin bed. It'll do. The water's hot, and the sheets are clean. And much to Tony's pleasure, there's english TV! But it's too early to retire, so with map in hand we hit the streets to find some dinner. Our first stop is at a pub for some local beer. Later we walk through the narrow streets of the Leidseplein area and find an irish pub suitable for dinner. With our bellies full, we head back to the hotel and call it a day.

Day 24 - Relaxing on the Rhein

We woke to sunshine this morning and what a beautiful day it was. Having nothing we had to do found us relaxed and enjoying our temporary home base. After breakfast we walked through the marketplatz, only a few steps from our hotel. Tony's feeling he's conquered his fear of heights so we head over to the Sesselbahn, also know as the Boppard chairlift.

After purchasing tickets we settle into the "chairlift" and head up to Gideoneck, the hilltop overlooking the Rhein. Viewing the lift from the ground didn't look it would be an issue. But about a quarter of the way along both of us realized that sitting on a park bench suspended from a one inch cable could bring out a fear in both of us. I was able to look around and enjoy the view. But Tony had to close his eyes for a good portion of the ride. But once we got to the top, found the restaurant, and had a few beers, well the view was worth the ride! Wait a minute, we have to go back down!!!

Actually going up was fine for me. It was the ride down that made me a bit nervous. I don't think it was the height as much as the clicking I kept feeling from the back of the chair. OK, enough of that. We made it down and had a wonderful time. On to the next event.

We spent the rest of the area riding the Hunsruckbahn up to Emmelshausen, a small town above Boppard. The train travels over two viaducts, five tunnels and has spectacular views while traveling through the forest above Boppard. We reach our destination, walk around an extremely quiet town, find a place to grab a beer and then head back to Boppard. A great experience, but low on the excitement meter, especially after the sesselbahn!

We head back to the hotel to freshen up a bit, then head out to the riverfront for a glass of wine. The weather is perfect so we walk along the waterfront to a beautiful park along the river. The history of this region speaks to us from a bronze plaque
that reads "The 87th division of the 3rd Army, USA crossed the Rhine at this location the night of March 24, 1945." Thank you to all service men and women who so valiantly fought or are fighting for our freedom and the freedom of others.

We return again to our italian restaurant where Claude, our waiter and now friend greets us. We order the local wine, Caprese salad, pizza and pasta, and enjoy our last night Boppard. We hope to return one day.

Day 24 - Cruising the Rhein River

Today our plan is to cruise the Rhein River. But first we need to return the car. So we're off to Koblenz, a 20 minute drive up the river. Our GPS guides us to the address given by Avis. But we drive into a Mercedes Benz dealership. Mmmm, nobody's mistaking this Fiat for a Mercedes. We're thinking the rental office is no longer at this location. But after a bit of investigation we discover an Avis rep inside and successfully drop off the car.

Our initial plan was to catach the boat in Kolblenz. But we're a bit late so we train back to Boppard and catch the boat from the dock directly across from our hotel. And we begin our day cruise of the castle section of the Rhein.

We're traveling upstream on the old paddleboat Goethe. So travel is slow. But
we're in no hurry, and beer & food are served on the ship. The weather isn't the most cooperative, but the rain does hold off and the cruise is delightful. Four hours later we disembark in Bingen, a city 35 km upstream. Our initial plan was to take the boat bact to Boppard. The trip takes half the time, but we opt for the 20 minute train ride instead. The trip was delightful and the castles are majestic, and our train schedule reading skills have improved since Florence.

This evening we return to the little italian restaurant around the corner to try some new delicious dishes. Then we stop at a small cafe next to our hotel and have desert and latte. Time to call it a day.

Day 23 - Boppard & Burg Eltz

Happy 21st wedding anniversary to us. We were hoping for a sunny day but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. But it's not big deal. We plan to tour Burg Eltz today which will be indoors for the most part. So we eat yet another German breakfast while enjoying the company of an Austrailian couple. who give us all sorts of tips for visiting their country. Mmm, that may have to wait a while.

Around 10 we hop into our Fiat Panda (let your imagination take this one) and head out of Boppard following a route recommended by our hotel host, an American ex-patriot. We zig-zag up and out of the Rhine Valley, then zig-zag down into the Mosel River Valley. But before we reach the River we stop at a lookout point with a panoramic view of the Mosel River and a number of the small villages aligning it's banks. Unfortunately the day is still quite gloomy, but non the less it's an "aha" moment.

Once we cross the river we follow the signs up to Burg Eltz. I've seen pictures of
the castle sitting on a rock surrounded by forest, but we're crossing miles of wheat fields and small villages when suddenly we begin a slight decent into a wooded valley. We've reached the parking lot of the Burg. We'll have to travel the rest of the way by foot. Fortunately the path to the castle is down hill and we'll be able to catch a shuttle for the ride back.

This particular castle has been intact for 700 years. Much of it is still furnished as it was 500 years ago. The castle has been in the same family for 850 years (33 generations) and looks the same today as it did in 1472. It was originally owned by three branches of the same family, all living within the castle. One family branch died out in the 1800's. And another sold it's share to the 3rd family branch who still has living quarters within the castle.

Now here's my "small world" story. We're waiting for the english tour and I notice the lady standing next to me has a San Diego key chain on her backpack. So I strike up a conversation asking if she's from San Diego. With a German accent she says yes and when I ask where in San Diego, she replys "Chula Vista" . As it turns out she lives on Del Mar Avenue which is about three miles from us. She grew up in this area of Germany and is visiting her family who is celebrating her father's 80th birthday tomorrow. As we're waiting she tells us she used to be a tour guide at this castle and starts giving us all sorts of background info on the castle, it's structure and the family Eltz. She said it was a great job, and after hours they used to party and sleep over in the castle. Now it sounds like fun but the place is a bit creepty for sleepovers. Anyway, the tour begins and we're given a close-up and informative tour going through two-thirds of the castle. The other third are the caretaker's quarters and the private quaters of the Eltz family.

Three hours later, as we leave the castle, we opt not to stop at the restaurant recommended by our host. We want to have a few drinks with dinner and don't want to have to drive back to Boppard afterwards. So we head back into town, regroup and start out on foot to a great little Italian restaurant right around the corner. Yeah, I know Italian food in Germany? We're in the land of wurst, schnitzel and wild game. If you know either of us you know why we're eating Italian. Caprise salad, penne fomaggia, basil linguine and a liter of chiati. It was delicious! We're saving the Rhine wine for tomorrow while we cruise the river! Guten Abend.

Day 22 - On to the Rhine

Waking up this morning we saw blue sky and the peaked roofs of Rothenburg through our 3rd floor bedroom window. It's beautiful, but time to move on to the Rhine River area. We made reservations for a hotel in Boppard which is on the northern end of the castle section of the river. We walk over to the restaurant for a quick breakfast and hit the road. The drive over to Boppard is about 3 hours. But I'm sure it will take us a bit longer. We finally hit the road around 10.

Little Miss GPS tries to send us north through Wurzburg and Frankfurt, but we opt to backtrack south a bit and pick up the A6 Autobahn. No worries, she'll catch up with us. Travel is smooth until we hit some pretty heavy road construction just before Bingen. But we waddle through it and we arrive at our hotel around 2.

Hotel Garni Gunter is right across the street from the Rhine. The room we reserved was a standard room but when we check in the owner offers us his 3 room suite for the same price. Hey, it's our anniversary tomorrow, let's go for it. The room is on the 4th and 1/2 floor and we have a commanding view of the river.

After settling in we explore the riverfront stopping for a beer. Then head back to the hotel to rest before dinner. Tomorrow morning we'll hit the tourist road again. We're planning to explore the area before we turn in the car and visit Burg Eltz.

Day 21 - Rothenburg ob de Tauber

Ok, I confess, we broke down and had fast food. We had to do one more round of laundry and while we were waiting for the wash we snuck across the street to a Burger King. What we were really craving was the ice cold coke. If you've ever travelled in Europe you know what I mean. ICE is a rare commodity!

So the laundry is finished and we should be able to make it 'til next week. Hard to believe we've been over here for 3 weeks already. It's been great, all parts of it. But we're ready to head home.

This afternoon we walked another section of the wall and toured the Criminal Museum. After all the midevil torture items and descriptions we walked out with quezy stomachs. Ah, we know what will calm that...Bavarian pretzels and beer. Make that a Dunkel Bier, dark and sweet. One is good, two are better and why not have three? We're walking. Remember, beer is a food substance in Germany.

So we head back to our B&B and stop at a little tour shop I had read about - ok, another confession, we're traveling with a Rick Steves book. When we walk in I remember it's the same store my sister Gail purchased a cuckoo clock in '96. We're the only people in the store 'cause it's almost closing time. The owner Annaliese greets us and asks where we're from and how we heard about our shop. We reference Rick Steves and then begins to tell us about her 20+ years friendship with him.

Seems she first met Rick Steves during one of his first backpacks through Europe when she offered to store his backpack while he toured the city. He's been referencing her store since his first tour book and their families have quite a close relationship. She proudly pulls out his personal Christmas cards. And even has one of his hand written letters from pre-email days. Now Annaliese is 82 years old. She's quite fragile due to a car accident a few years ago, but her mind is quick as a whip. We really enjoyed hearing her stories as much as she enjoyed sharing them. Definately a "Back Door" moment.

We continue back to the B&B to freshen up, then head back out for the Night
Watchman's Tour at 8pm. Now this guy has quite the gig. Works 2 hours a night giving the same walking tour for 100+ people at 6 Euros/PP. Not bad. Got some entry level history on the city and left feeling good about the tour.

We've had a great stay in Rothenburg but we're ready to move on to the Rhine. Tomorrow morning we'll be driving over to Boppard for a few days before we head up to Amsterdam. Guten Abend.

Day 20 - Crazy Ludwig

Today is castle day. We're up early, have our German breakfast and head to the Castles. We're in luck. The weather and time of year keep the crowds to a minimum. We purchase tickets for both castle tours and begin our climb up to the Hohenschwangau, King Ludwig's childhood home.

Our tour begins promptly at 8:55. The tour guide speaks english, but the tour is given in German so we, along with another english speaking couple, are given recorders allowing us to listen to the tour in english. The tour is great but quite short, 30 minutes. There are 4 floors to the castle, but the tour only goes through the 2nd & 3rd floors, the queen & king's living quarters. Yep, they had their own quarters. But there was a hidden staircase between the bedrooms.

Now something was wrong with this family. There were only two sons: Otto, the younger was declared insane as a youth. And Ludwig, well he wasn't called crazy for nothing. And 2 days after he was diagnosed as insane, he's found floating in the lake with his phychiatrist. Guess he was spending too much on his chain of castles.

Next we opted to ride the bus up to Neuschwanstein. Before our tour we walk over the Marienbrucke (bridge). Yes, I said WE. My husband accompanied me all the way to the other side. We got a great shot of the castle, but the south side was covered in scaffolding. We sure have seen alot of that during this trip, especially in Munich. Perhaps Bavaria is sprucing up for the 2010 Passion Play. Ahhh, just speculation.

Before we leave the Schwangau area we grab some lunch. Does Apfelstrussle and coffee classify as lunch? Then we're off to Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber. The drive takes about 3 hours and we're fortunate enough to find lodging at Gasthaus Victoria, just inside the old town wall. It's an entire 3rd floor of a house and after being on the road for 3 weeks we're enjoying the extra space.

We leave our lodging and walk a portion of the old wall and head to the center of town. Our tummies are growling, but the German food menues just aren't our thing. So again we find a great little pasta place, tonight dining on Pesto Linguini. Yum! After dinner we're off to bed. Tomorrow we'll explore the town a bit.

Day 19 - Ettal & Fussen

Took our time this morning. Our B&B was quiet and comfy and it was still raining so we decided to take our time heading back to Germany. Our destination today was Neuschwanstein. You know - the Disney castle. Rumor has it the place gets packed. So we're going to find a place to stay in the area and then head up to the castles (Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau) first thing in the morning.

We stop at the Ettal Monastery a beautiful example of baroque style art and architecture just outside Oberammergau. Ah, don't get too impressed with my art & architecture knowledge. I'm a great Googler. We continued down the road to Oberammergau, but first we stopped at an alpine slide. Pretty dang fun and just exciting enough for the two of us.

Our stop in Oberammergauvwas shorter than expected. I had fond memories of this town during my last visit to Germany. But the town just didn't live up to those memories. One of the things I vividly remember is the house paintings of Red
Riding Hood and Peter & the Wolf. We found the houses on our way out of town and I have to say I was disappointed. We considered staying in the town, but decided to get closer to the castles we were visiting on Monday.

We're discovering we're not real good at flying by the seats of our pants - especially in a country where neither of us speak the language. If we just wanted a place to lay our heads we had endless choices of B&B's, private zimmers, or hotels. But we prefer having a place with internet access and finding lodging with that is pretty hit & miss...more miss than hit.

After driving through a pretty good thunderstorm we pull into the first hotel in Fussen and decide to call it home for the night. Just our luck, no internet. No biggie. However, we did find the best little italian restaurant along the Lech River. The beer was cold and we had the best 4 cheese rigattoni! No colesterol checks for a while, please. After dinner we walked through the old town, again practically having the whole town to ourselves. Then headed back to the hotel for an early evening. We want to get to the castles early.

Day 18 - Berchtesgaden

After a good nights rest in the Alpine air we're ready for a day of touring. Today we plan to visit the Eagle's Nest and the salt mines. We stop at the Berchtesgaden National Parks office and we're encouraged to visit the Eagle's Nest first because poor visibility is predicted for later in the day. This is the first cloudy weather we've had during the three weeks we've been on the road.

Tony drives the windy road up to the Eagle's Nest parking lot. I visited this site 14 years ago and things have really changed. There used to be specially designed bus that climbed the steep road to the Eagle's Nest elevator. But now there's a large ticket/souvenier center and dozen's of busses waiting to carry visiters up to the top. So we purchase our tickets for the bus ride and join the que.

The bus ride up is as breathtaking as I remember. We can see the entire Koningsee valley and even the city of Salzburg in the distance. Once at the top we enter the tunnel to the bronze elevator that will carry up to the top. The sky's are cooperating. Tony & I walk behind the Kehlsteinhaus and take in the views. I venture out to the end while Tony waits at a point he feels comfortable at. We then walk out to the other end. The path is quite rough and narrow so Tony finds a bench to wait for me while I climb up to the memorial cross. There's snow on part of the path and I decide not to go beyond that. I don't trust my footing and I don't want to be falling among the rocks. But the view, oh the view is just beautiful.

Back at the parking lot we tour the Documentation Center, something new since my last visit. And finally get to the bunkers. Again, amazing. There is an entire city built into the mountainside, and tunnels connecting many of the compound buildings, of which none remain today.

It's time to head back to Berchtesgaden and tour the salt mines. Good idea 'cause it's beginning to rain. So we head to the Salzburgwerk visitors center, doan our miner's overalls and board the monotrain to enter the mine. The tour is in German (WHAT??) so the english speakers are directed to the side to listen to an english recording. The chamber is huge and we need to get to the next level below. This is done by sliding down a wooden rail. What fun. As the tour continues we board a barge that floats across a salt lake. To harvest the salt the mines are flooded and the salt brine extracted. Then one more slide down to a lower level. Finally we board a funicular that carries us back to the top where we reboard the monotrain that returns us to the visitors center.

It's getting late and we need to find a place to stay so we head into Salzburg and find a great little B&B with internet connection. It's only 4 pm so we head into Salzburg and walk the streets of the old town. As we pass through the Residence Plaza I spot an artist I purchased a picture from 14 years ago. I stopped to talk to him, told him my story and snapped a picture. I told him neither of us have changed. He agreed. I'll have to compare the pics when I get home.

Back to the hotel for a little R&R. Tomorrow we head to Neuschwanstein.

Day 17 - Dachau

Our last morning in Munich found us moving a little slow. That bike ride took a while to recover from. Mmmm, maybe it wasn't the bike ride, but the multiple liters of beer we consumed.

We found our way to the Avis car rental office and jumped into our Fiat Panda. We were loaded with maps, hooked up the GPS and proceeded to get lost getting out of Munich. Now I'm not so sure how we did this because we only needed to make one turn to get on to Dachau Strasse. And this street was supposed to take us directly to the concentration camp. The gal at Avis gave us one set of directions and the GPS said something else. And Tony & Betty just got confused - go figure!

Now pronouncing German street names is impossible for Tony. And I struggle quite a bit with them. But that GPS babe just murders them! OMG, she's impossible to understand in a language has way too many syllables. So I spent some time studying the maps and by the time we left Dachau we (Tony, Betty & that GPS babe) had most of the kinks worked out.

Back to Dachau. I'm not quite sure how to explain the feeling of walking through a WWII concentration camp. Few original buildings remain. And a couple of barracks have been rebuilt by a survivors group. This camp was the first in Germany and is now visited by all German school students. Walking through the grounds and exhibits is humbling to say the least. What a waste of human beings. And to think this atrocity was masterminded primarily by one person and then carried out by his followers. "Can't we all just get along together?"

After Dachau we navigate our way to the Berchtesgaden/Salzburg area.

Day 16 - Munich

After breakfast we're not quite sure how to structure the day. The weather is cool and we're a pretty good distance from the old city center. The first thing we decide to do is purchase a day pass on the UBahn. It pays off quickly. Once we reach the old town center I attempt to turn on my camera and realize I forgot to replace the battery! Not a problem. We're experts with the UBahn at this time so we hop back on to the U6, return to our hotel and pick up the battery. Then we hike back to the train station and within an hour we're back at the Marienplatz waiting for the glockenspiel to play. It's as bad as I remembered it from 14 years ago. But this is Munich and one has to hear and watch the glockenspiel performance at least once. We opt to try out Lenny's Free bike tours as recommended by Rick Steves. We're a bit skeptical when this yellow and black contraption pulls up. It appears Lenny is testing out a new touring vehicle he's created. Now I'm not sure what to call this, but Lenny claims it's based on some tour bikes he's seen in Amsterdam. Tony & I are a bit skeptical, but we decide to go for it. And are we glad we did. The tour began at 11:30 and we didn't get back to the Marienplatz until 4 pm! Lenny and his staff informed us that this is the maiden voyage of his new "touring machine". So he's not sure how long his 3 1/5 tour will take. Now mind you, this tour is FREE. In the future he plans to charge 20 Euros/pp. But this is the first time his contraption has been out on the streets of Munich. So the eight passengers in seats with bike pedals begin peddling. We pass the Hoffbrau Haus and Odeonsplatz, listening to the commentary from Lenny and his staff. It's overwhelming to think that we're standing in the spot where Hitler began his National Socialism movement. Our tour continues and we end up at the Chinese Tower in the Englisher Gardens. This is our luncheon stop. Probably a good thing because by now we all have 2 liters of beer in our bellies. Hey, it's Munich! After lunch we continue our tour through the gardens. Lenny points out the nude bathing lawn and fills us in on the two most famous sun bathers...Tripod and Robocop (replace the p with a ck). It's a bit cool so we're not expecting to see either of these famous sun bathers. But much to our surprise, Robocop (replace the p with a ck) is stretched out on the lawn across the river. And his hardware piercings are gleaming in the sunlight! Ahh, no. I'm not posting pictures here. Oh what a tour! We continue on crossing the Istar river where the famous river surfers are. The riverbed was constructed to create a wave suitable for surfing. If you've seen any travel shows on Munich you've probably seen this area. We stop again to watch the surfers. Quite amazing! Back we go to the Marienplatz. Just in time...lots of beer. Of course we can't leave Munich until we have a dunkelbeer at the Hoffbrau Haus. By then it's 5 pm and we're pretty happy. Thanks to Lenny for a great tour. If you're ever in Munich, meet him at the fish fountain in the Marienplatz at 11:30. It's well worth the tip! For not really having a plan for today, we had a wonderful time in Munich. Lots of great memories! Tomorrow morning we'll be packing up and heading out to the Salzburg area. We don't know where we're staying or if we'll have internet connection so it may be a few days before you hear from us again.

Day 15 - On to Germany

Today is a travel day. We're up early, finish packing, and have our final breakfast gazing at the falls for the Lauterbrunnen Valley.


We catch the 9 am train down from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken Ost. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to visit Interlaken. The beauty of the Lauterbrunnen area kept us busy for the two days we had in the area. On to Zurich where we pick up the Deutchbahn to Munich.

Somehow we manage to find the Uhland hotel. When we exited the train station we turned on the GPS for assistance. For the entire time we walked toward the hotel (I had a printed map) a satellite connection was never completed. Our hotel is only a block from the Oktoberfest grounds which are empty at this time. It's an old mansion with 30 rooms and we're on the ground floor which means we have no steps.


After we dump our luggage and freshen up we head to the Old Town Zentrum to find something to eat. We settle on a restaurant that has something other than "wurst". We order an appetizer of nacho's and I'm not sure if it's been our abstinance of Mexican food but they were pretty darn good. The peppers were so hot Tony didn't eat all of them! We finished up with spagetti & a green salad. I liked it, but Tony thought everything tasted like fish and on the way back to the hotel he stopped for a Subway. Yeah, I know...but we haven't stopped at the McDonalds or Burger King yet.

We walk back to the hotel and call it a day. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Day 14 - Trummelbach Falls

Even vacations require some maintenance. So after breakfast this morning we headed to the laundromat to wash some clothes. Up until now we've been sink washing. So putting our clothes in the washing machines felt like a luxury. Did I say that?

After our chores we headed up the trail to Trummelbach Falls. Hiking paths in Switzerland are very well maintained and marked. It was an easy 45 minute hike along the river. Trummelbach is a series of ten glacier-waterfalls inside the mountain and it is only accessible by tunnel-lift (or stairs) and the internal falls are illuminated. The Falls is an UNESCO site and is the only accessible glacier-waterfalls in Europe inside the mountain.

We took the lift up and hiked the stairs to Falls 6 thru 10. Now, I'm not afraid of heights, but when we reached the first falls, the temperature dropped, the wind gust out of the tunnel and the roar of the waterfall was deafening. And while I looked over the edge at the Falls I felt panic. Looking down into the pool of water made me dizzy. It was almost hypnotic and I needed to get away from the edge. Tony, Mr. Aerophobic didn't seem to have any problems.

We continued up the steps to view the rest of the falls. Once we were deeper into the tunnel system my panic subsided and we were both in awe of the power and size of these falls. The water comes from the snow melt of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains.

After the falls we continued our hike up the valley. In Stechelberg we hopped on a gondola for a 5 minute ride to Gimmelwald. No panic from Tony here either. Of course he couldn't see how high we were. He kept his eyes closed for the entire 5 minute ride. Gimmelwald is not as developed like many of the other valley towns. Years ago the city declared itself as an avalanche zone. It was very interesting watching the farmers harvest a crop on the hillside. Their tractors and wagons were working at a pretty steep angle.

After our short visit we headed back down. This time Tony did keep his eyes open. I have to say, I was proud of him for even going up. I think the most difficult part was the anticipation, although he may disagree.

After a quick bus ride back to Lauterbrunnen we stopped by the coop to pick up a couple of things for dinner. We also found some great local cheese and cold cuts at the meat market. For our last night in Lauterbrunnen we dined on our balcony with one of the best views in Europe.

Time to pack up for Munich. We'll miss this place.

Photos

If you're interested in viewing more pics, try this link

Europe Photos

Day 13 - Top of Europe

The down comforters sure came in handy last night. Lauterbrunnen can get a little chilly at night this time of year. We had our first German style breakfast this morning - bread, cheese, yogurt, cereals, juices and great coffee. All this food and a view to die for.

After breakfast we headed down to the train station to catch the train(s) up to the Jungfrau, the highest railroad station in Europe. The ride up takes 2 hours with a switch of trains in Kleine Schleindigg. The last quarter of the ride was in a tunnel running through the Eiger. The train stops at two lookout spots where everyone jumps off the train, walks over to the lookout windows, snap their pictures and hop back on. These Swiss are organized!

The train comes to a stop 11,333 feet above sea level. Today that placed us above most of the clouds. Initially the view is blinding because sun's reflection off the snow is so bright. The tinted windows in the observation building help, but once we step out onto the viewing plateau, sunglasses are a necessity. Tony made it 20-30 feet out on the viewing plateau but became uncomfortable with the height. Yeah, 11,000 feet is a long way down. The plateau is relatively safe, but the snow covering was a bit slippery and the only thing to hold on to is a single rope fence. I was comfortable enough to make it to the top. But I stayed in the middle.

We walked through the ice caves to look at the sculptures. Then headed up to the cafeteria for some lunch. By now we were both very light headed so we decided to catch the next train down. It was close to four by the time we got back. On the way back to our hotel we stopped at the market for a bottle of wine which we enjoyed on the balcony off our room. I don't think I can tire of the view in this valley.

Day 12 - Venice to Lauterbrunnen

We're up early today. We need to catch an 8:30 train from Venice to Spiez, Switzerland. We get to the St. Lucia train station with time to spare only to find out that our train leaves from the Maestre station on the mainland. Fortunately we catch a local train and make our connection on time. We sure are learning alot on this trip, like pay attention to detail!

So we settle in for the next five hours, bread, cheese and wine in tow. The train to Milan is pretty crowded. But from Milan to Spiez we're able to stretch out. At the Swiss border dogs are brought on board searching for either drugs or weapons. It only takes a few minutes and we're on our way.

In Spiez we transfer to the Interlaken Ost train. And from Interlaken we transfer tot a local train to Lauterbrunnen. This town only has one street so finding our hotel is a breeze. Hotel Staubach was built in 1890 and we can hear the years creak as we walk over the worn wooden floors. Our room, #14 has a view of the main drag and the Staubbach Falls, the grand dame of the village.

We freshen up and head out to dinner at the Oberland hotel. Tony has a great dish of vegetable lasagna and I opt for the green salad with rasberry vinigerette dressing and chicken skewers. After two weeks in Italy my palate was ready for a change. Both meals were delicious.

After dinner we walk past our hotel to the Staubbach Falls and find a path leading up to the falls. So we suck in our full bellies, walk past the field of sheep with clanking bells on their necks, and hike up the path behind the waterfall. I'm so proud of Tony. He made it to the top! A couple of photo ops and back down we go. Our hotel is only a block away so we head home and call it a day. But not before skyping with family back home.