17 March 2007

A few pictures

I've added some pictures to the old posts...but there are many more. I'm working on the digital album right now, so if you want to see all of them (in a much bigger, labeled format) when it is done, either send me an email or leave a comment on this post. When it's done, I'll send it your way!


15 March 2007

Be impressed! (we are)

We left for our trip with two carry-on bags, one purse and one briefcase. We checked nothing.

We returned with two carry-on bags, one purse and one box. We checked nothing. The briefcase was packed inside one of the bags, and the box had most of our purchases!

I'm so glad Dad taught me how to pack things!

Our own Amazing Race

As I wrote earlier, I suspected that our travel day would be very long, and it was, but surprisingly most of the time went quite quickly. That's because the day itself was not without it's own adventures.

First, we planned on catching the 9:44 train from Brussels to Schipol Airport (Amsterdam). I was a little slow getting going, so we raised across the street from our hotel at 9:10 to have the quickest of breakfasts (and it was really good too--those Belgiums know how to make good coffee!). Then we raced back to the hotel to check out, and then get to the railway station, which thankfully was just a block away. We got there at 9:38...a few minutes to spare.

Now, the trains in Europe are pretty darned reliable, and when the schedule says 9:44, that is what it means. When it was 9:54 we were pretty sure that there was a problem. And there was--the train had broken down on the track, which meant that the other trains behind it were stalled too. The announcement eventually said that the train would be fifteen minutes late, which it didn't mean because it had already been twenty....and so, together with a contingent from Dubai, we waited and waited. Thankfully, the Dubai group had a lovely guide who kindly helped us make sense of the announcements--she could understand all three languages and she had some experience with the trains. She told us that she was pretty sure we would make our plane, because usually, when there was a delay, they got things going again reasonably quickly.

One announcement said that we could get on a different train, go to a different city and transfer to an appropriate train from there. She didn't recommend we do that, because we could easily be stranded in that city. She encouraged us to wait, and in the end, we are glad that we did. Her group however was not patient, afraid to miss a luncheon in den Haag. We were sorry to see them go! In the meantime, there was a young couple named David and Victoria who were planning a romantic day in Amsterdam. They were frustrated too, but eventually, the train came at 11:14.

It was a great train....we sat in the front of the car, going forwards for a change, and had ample space to stretch out with our luggage. What a relief, it looked like we would make it after all...the two hour trip would put us at the airport in time. So we sat back, enjoyed stroopwaffles from the concession cart and enjoyed the ride.

Until Rotterdam which was about half way there. Apparently, even though they said this train went to Schipol, they meant that it would connect to a train to Schipol. So, off we got, and waited with David and Victoria for a half hour for the new train (though it was challenging finding the right track in the first place). We were no longer sure that we would meet our plane...we were still an hour away!

When we finally got to Schipol, we literally ran for the ticket counter, only to find out that we had seats 12 rows apart. We were already twenty minutes late for boarding, so we ran through the airport. The boarding time however was actually the time to start going through security so after all of that, we were good to go. Whew, that was a relief!

Well, as plane rides go, this was really long. I had the seat-by-the-screaming child, and as much as I love kids, I have to admit that I sure wasn't liking this one. He kicked, he shrieked, he screamed, his parents got up and down and up and down, and since I had the aisle seat, so did I. He stuck his hand in my spaghetti, and then grabbed my shirt...in short, he was such a delight.

I was so glad when we landed--and very thankful that this was a B747-400 instead of the scheduled MD-11 because the trip was actually an hour shorter than advertised. YEA!

Customs was no big deal, and then we waited for the bus to come. We were in Montreal, and this was the charter bus to Ottawa that was part of the ticket. It was slow in coming and even slower than leaving (and this was possibly the most tiring part of the whole entire trip). Of course we had to wait for the last person to clear customs before we could leave....which sort of made it frustrating because we had packed so well and were off the plane and out of the airport in just a few minutes. Oh well.

The bus ride was a little hairy and I was praying the whole time. The fog was thicker than snot, and our driver did a great job of getting us home safely and in a reasonable time. If the bus hadn't been part of the ticket, we would have stayed an extra day in Montreal. There is no way we would have attempted to drive in that. And we didn't really want to stay so we just sat quietly and watched him.

Getting to the train station was the best part--we traveled with only carry-on luggage the whole entire way, and it paid off big time when the bus arrived at the station. Within a minute we were in a cab, and on our way to the girls.

Boy my feather pillows felt good! And Charlie's purring...not much beats that!

Double Talk

One of the experiences that we had in Brussels was Rue Boucher (or Restaurant Row). We had mussels at Chez Leon, which is a famous spot--and I have to admit that they got our business precisely because they didn't do what I'm about to describe. Even so, it was an expensive experience.

On Rue Boucher, the restaurants make great sport out of trying to get your business. It was fun when we knew we weren't going to stop. The street is about five or six blocks long, and there are no other business there. The entire narrow street is lined with sidewalk cafes. It would be a great party spot if we were the partying type, so there clearly is a tourist draw. It was crowded and busy, and had a bit of a Klondike Days-at-Night type of feeling. Every two steps, another restaurant tries to entice you in ("I'll buy your first drink", "I'll buy your last drink", "we have a table here", "do you speak English?" "It's a sweet deal". etc. etc. etc.). They'll hand out business cards, and two of them will compete for you at the same time, even pulling on your arms as though you were the rope in a game of tug of war. And it is a game.

So we decided to have fun. Most of you will have heard me use double-talk at one time or another--a bit of a nonsense language that I teach to kids. Instead of agreeing that we spoke English, I answered every single person in doubletalk, and feigned confusion when they didn't understand. They really didn't know what to do with me, and that was the whole point.

That was a hoot!

More on Brussels

Brussels didn't really impress us, though I am trying to decide if that is really Brussel's fault! You know how it is on a vacation, when you know that you are at the end of it, you start to wish for home--and if you knew that you still had three or four weeks left, well, somehow that's okay? That, and spring break, may have accounted for some of our frustrations with the city.

But not all.

Probably the thing that frustrated me most was the overpowering um...smell...at some of the street corners. I think that possibly, the mannequin pis has been used as permission to do like the locals. It's also necessary to really watch where you walk--both because of what you might step in, and so that you don't break your neck on the loose and uneven cobbles. Brussels has a much higher proportion of beggars than did the other cities we visited (but even so, could not rival the number on Bank Street in Ottawa alone), and there were enough "beware of pickpockets" warning signs and displays to make us a bit uncomfortable. And last, our hotel choice was practical for the train station--but far too industrial to be charming. It also had some very quirky things--like a bathtub that was only a scant 4 feet long, and a half door on the shower so that no matter what, you had water everywhere. The tub/shower also looked really deep, but it was raised for some bizarre reason--making it a treacherous affair altogether.

On the other hand, there were some terrific smells in Brussels...the waffle stands, french fry stands and chocolate shops are quite enticing. We ate french fries with mayonnaise--the Belgium way. I've done that for years; in college I had a Dutch roommate who did that and I came to enjoy it far more than ketchup! Brussels fries are really good. We shared a waffle with chocolate--only to learn that it is just the tourists who ask for something other than sugar! Oh well, it was good. And of course, we went to Mary's--choosing to spend a relative fortune on the craft of good chocolate rather than buy the 'walmart' bundles of 8 or more boxes that would have cost about the same.

Brussels is also a place where you can buy wonderful lace or tapestries. I would have liked both, but we were a little short on space and we had already purchased quite a nice souvenir. So, I took the card for the tapestry shop, and next time will have a particular place and size in mind so that I can choose something appropriate. We did however choose two handmade lace place mats, which are now proudly displayed under our stemware.

I'm sure that we will go back to Brussels--it would be interesting to see during the Christmas festivals, or when they have the flower show, and people watching can be fun. Also, I want to get some tapestries and more lace eventually. But, I can't imagine spending more than a day there next time.

13 March 2007

Some next to last thoughts

Well, unless there is an internet cafe at Schipol airport, this will be the end of posting until we get home and I can look at all the pictures I took--at which point I'll post a bit more and try to give you some of the best ones.

In a few minutes, we are going to unpack everything and repack, trying to guess what bags customs will want to see, which bag we'll check if we have to (though we think that we have in fact managed to do this trip with carryon luggage only), and maybe to sample a little more Mary. Then I'll have a bath in the way-too-short tub, throw out anything unecessary, and make sure that tomorrow will be stressfree, at least until after breakfast.

We may have erred slightly in planning this last leg of the trip. We decided to spend as much time in Brussels as possible, and therefore intended all along, to stay here tonight, and take the train to the airport tomorrow.

The problem is that it is a 3 hour train ride followed by a 3 hour wait at the airport; a 7 plus hour flight, followed by two hour wait at the airport in Montreal, before our bus will leave, and then, a two hour flight home. Do the math...we are insane!

And we just realized that sometime this afternoon.

We get in sometime around 11 p.m. tomorrow, after beginning the travel the equivalent of 4 a.m.

Yup, so glad we took Thursday off.

But, to make the transition back to the real world easier, I have planned to spend the afternoon on Thursday here (oh, I'm sorry, I can't link to that....it's a surprise for someone!)

Should help, don't you think?

Thank you, Rick Steves!

Well, since we are nearing the very end of our trip, I thought I should post a word of thanks to Rick Steves. His was the German phrase book that helped us order dinner and find a place to stay, and get directions, and find coffee. His was the city tour book that encouraged me to go to Haarlem, found the perfect little lunch place, and sent me enroute to the Van Gogh museum. And his website is how we found Mary.

Not so bad, for a day's work!

My new best friend?

Meet my new friend, Mary.

Mary's place was a little hard to find. It isn't that it is difficult, it's that this entire city is placed on an axis that doesn't quite make sense. I never thought that I had a built in north/south axis, but apparently, I do, since everything here is sort of oriented northwest!

After the issues with the museum, we tried to find her anyway. And we did.

She's divine!

Music interruptus


Well, it was a good plan.

Today we went to the Museum of Musical Instruments. This was very promising, an audio tour that changed tunes every time you got near an instrument, featuring five flours of instruments, two just of pianos and clavichords.

It was a good plan!

When we got in the door, there was a lovely wooden carved display of a jazz band, and I went over to look. M of course followed. And in that instant, 937 brilliant examples of raging teenage hormones came in behind us and more or less, stormed the entrance. We thought that we could just wait a few moments, and then go behind them. Unfortunately, they were followed by 1013 of their friends.

Oh thinks, us, lets go to the cafeteria on the top floor and order coffee, and wait them out. Which we did. But, before long, streams of teenagers-feigning-interest-in-a-field-trip came traipsing through the coffee shop. We thought it might take a bit longer, so we aske dif we could order lunch...it was 11:45 so it seemed sensible.

No, we could not. They didn't take orders till twelve.

Okay, I got mad. I admit it. We tipped them nothing for the overpriced coffee and started back down the stairs, dodging kids as we went. And at the entrance, we then had to squeeze past the groups of tweens that were also spending the day there.

So, no lovely music to muse over, instruments to idealize. Nothin.

I don't think I like field trips!

12 March 2007

Well, THAT's a relief!

Today had some very good moments. The first was when I actually understood the announcement on the train, more or less. The next was when I actually asked a question and was understood. Then later, I actually ordered my food and got what I wanted.

I'm so glad I took at least a little French. I'm so glad my teachers taught 'international'. I hope I get to take more soon!

European Television

There are some things about Europe that I have yet to grasp, and the tv schedule is one of them. Never mind the language problems, those are to be expected. But I don't understand why it is necessary for a show to start at 8:15 instead of 8:00 or 8:30, while another channel may choose an 8:05 schedule. I'm sure there is a reason. there must be....don't you think?

On the other hand, at least I could understand Deal or No Deal in German!

Lest you think we have been spending our time doing nothing but the tube, let me assure you how wrong you are!

Mussels in Brussels

Well, it's been a very long day. In order to drive into Stuttgart, return the car, have breakfast AND catch the train that we didn't know where to find, we had to get up very early. At least, early for holidays--though rather regular for work. I confess, I find the holiday time-to-get-outta-bed much easier than than the work-time-to-get out of bed!

The train ride seemed very long. This is, I think, because my leg hurts, and there doesn't seem to be a really comfortable position except for sticking it straight out in front of me. Of course, there wasn't much opportunity for that to happen. Also, during the first part of the trip from Stuttgart to Koln, we were in a seating area with two men, one of whom was far ruder than he needed to be. He was sitting in the wrong seat, it wasn't convenient to move (but we actually wanted to face forward) and in the end he wouldn't move, and instead took over the car table with all three of his laptop computers. That was frustrating. Then, we had all of nine minutes to de-train, hobble down the stairs, across the station, up the stairs and re-train. To top it off, once we got there, someone else was sitting in our seat, and the train was really crowded....so that meant that our luggage was scattered all over the place. It was a wee bit exhausting.

So, tonight is a quieter night. We spent the late afternoon roaming around Brussels, and of course, I ate mussels. M did not--he has no such liking--but the place we went is popular and was suggested by our tour book, the hotel, and the tourist office. We decided to give it a go, and I was quite happy with them. It was a VERY ample portion. The place was entertaining enough, but M's meal showed that really, the place is designed for mussels. After that, we topped things off with Haagen Daz!

We're also being a bit lazy. This computer is at the hotel, and we didn't search out a charming little place. We went straight for something close to the train station, because when we leave on Wednesday, that too is an early train. The internet here is relatively expensive, but then, it is right here....and today, there is far more appeal in that.

Tomorrow, I hope to go to the Museum of Musical instruments, and to visit Mary's chocolates. It's a bit out of the way, and it is supposed to be hand made, family run. I think that sounds like a place I shan't miss!

11 March 2007

We're off to find a farm.

M is still searching for the places on his dad's maps. He just said that he found the farm, and it isn't far...so we are on our way there now.

Tomorrow morning, we have to turn in our car, and catch a train to Brussels. We will stay there two nights, and then it is time to come home.

Can you believe it?

Me either!

Okay, I never expected that

This is Sunday, and in Europe most things shut down. However, the internet cafe is open, and there is a lady running the shop. At this moment, she is at her computer, watching John Travolta disco in a white suit. Saturday Night Fever on a Sunday morning.

Permagrin


Today we are looking for all the remaining places for which M's father made a list. The thing is that yesterday was interesting, but not the most productive as far as finding things that made his father smile.

Today I think is different. Imagine this: we are at this moment, in a tiny internet cafe in the township of Wernau. This is actually part of Stuttgart, but not really--a bit like the pieces of Ottawa that are part of Ottawa, technically, but not really.

M's dad drew a map. Imagine three lines. At the bottom, a note that says the church is there, it is where he had his confirmation. At one of the intersections, an old town hall. Across the intersection, the new town hall. To the right, the Finklemyer factory. And somebody lived there, or still does, or maybe it is someone's son.

The problem is that M's dad is drawing a map that is 30 years old. The challenge for us is trying to figure out where things actually are. It's a bit like the amazing race, since we only have today to finish. So there I was, looking at something that seemed like it might have been a church....but, it turned out to be the Old Town Hall.

Only, it was actually the NEW town hall that M's dad referred to. There is a newer town hall across the street. As I'm looking every bit the tourist, trying to find something on the building, a man comes to us and speaks in German, but he is clearly offering an opinion. We struggle a bit, then ask if he can speak English--no, he cannot, but his wife can.

And then, it turns out, they know all the pieces on the map. They remember the factory--it has been gone now for ten years, and replaced by the 'new houses'. they know the church--it is a bit up the hill. This town hall is the old town hall, etc. etc. etc. They were charming, memorable, helpful folk, and we are very grateful to them.

So, after that, we walk down the street, but it is the wrong church, and we get more directions, and we get to the place where the factory was. And as we are snapping photos, and trying to orient ourselves to the 30 year old drawing...a horn beeps at us.

It's the man, returning now with a collection of brochures and papers on Wernau. This might help, he says.

For the next 8 blocks, M can't stop grinning. In fact, he's at another computer looking up something else...and he is still grinning.

That makes THIS trip. Mission accomplished :-)

This was the coolest thing we saw, so far

M's father has given us a list of places to see, all on tiny notepaper. On one piece, he said that Lichenstein castle was his favourite castle, as a kid. The day before we saw that tiny note, as we were getting to our current hotel, we went around this corner on the hill and all of a sudden, I said

OH WOW, look at that!!!

In such a manner as M, driving the car, almost went off a slightly steep cliff.

Then we realized it was Lichenstein castle, and yesterday, fighting the sun going down, we returned.

Let me just say that this was WAY cool. It is precariously perched on the steepest of cliffs. Unfortunately, it was getting too dark when I took my pictures, so the pic on the left is downloaded from the web. There was a moat, and a black and white guard cat. There were drawbridges, and the most awe-inspiring views of the town below that you can imagine. You are as high as you could possibly imagine being, and you can see forever.

Now imagine how they could possibly have built that? It's just so difficult to describe it adequately.

The pictures show just the tiniest piece of the castle. Sure, some of it is in ruins, but not all of it...they are trying to restore it, bit by bit. But I liked it. A lot. It wasn't tourist-hell, and it was interesting and fascinating, and just so very neat.

Lichenstein Castle. Amazing!

10 March 2007

The difference between men and women

She: Wow, the style of the churches has really changed. Look, the houses are totally different than what we have at home. Oh listen to the birds! Hey, that's an eagle!

He: Wow, the style of cars has really changed. Look, the cars are totally different than what we have at home. Oh, listen to that horsepower! Hey, that's a 4 door smart car!

Good news!

Today, for the first day since Feb 28th, I didn't wake up at night coughing and spewing nasty bits and choking. For the first time, the waste basket wasn't full of used kleenexes. I'm feeling SO much better!

However, all that walking we did may have stressed out my achilles tendon. Darn tender that is, and I can kind of feel it vibrating on me. So we are trying to be very careful. Wouldn't want to have a post that says 'torn tendon' or anything like that!!!

Good thing we are driving today, that's what!

Balmy Freudenstadt

Today we are on an adventure to see all things that M's dad has seen. We are trying to take a lot of pictures for him too, and hope to put together a book. Right now, we are in Freudenstadt, in the Black Forest. We have had several discussions about why it might be called 'black'. One possible explanation is that it is a forest in the mountains, so some of those trees are awfully tall. Another might be that it is just that dense, which it certainly can be, though just like in Bavaria, the scenery changes often.

The houses are particularly different--they are larger, and not quite so cute. While there are some timberframed houses, most of them are covered in a kind of plaster. This however can be fun as it lends a good canvas for painting on. Some people choose a barn red colour, others a sky blue, and one a crocus purple. Most however are various shades of white or ivory or pale yellow. The roofs are no longer red, but are brown instead, and there isn't nearly as much cobblestone. Because it is in the hills, it is quite something to see the roads...just imagine looking up a hill and seeing nothing but stacks of houses. It's amazing! but so far, I haven't managed a picture of that because I keep seeing them when there is no place to stop.

We just bought ourselves another little souvenir. My goodness they are cute. And what are they? Egg cups! Each has a personable little rabbit holding up the cup on his head. One rabbit has bent ears, the other manages to keep his straight. They are just rather comical.

We're doing a bit of a tour today, so there is a lot of driving. This suits me just fine!

09 March 2007

Things we forgot to tell you


Yes, as we drive along, sometimes our conversations turn to blog posts. Here's some things we forgot to tell you...

In the 'we didn't expect to see that' category:
  • speed limit signs for tanks. The military kind.
  • Slippery when frogged signs...to warn of the little devils who may wish to cross the street
  • 18 inch high fences to discourage the little devils from doing what they wish
  • Another sign with a frog saying that You Like HIM!

In the 'take our word for it' category:

  • The Alps and a sinus cold are not a good mix
  • Castles don't make it easy to drive. They show up everywhere--but our favourite ones are on the edge of a cliff.
  • Castles attract all sorts of tourist buses and grouchy tourist people, and make for long lineups, whether it is raining or not. Especially the King Ludwig castles!

In the 'this is what we love about Germany' category:

  • I love the churchbells. I find it interesting that sometimes, they take turns ringing. The classic churches go first. The smaller churches seem to follow. That makes it hard to tell when it is REALLY noon!
  • M loves the cars. A lot of times he starts to laugh just because he saw one he didn't think he was going to see. Like a Volkswagon THING. Yes, that is the name. Go figure.

In the 'things we might not miss' category:

  • smoking. MAN this cafe is smoky! But there it is. Tomorrow we will try the library.
  • Sore throat and colds

Kongen


Well, here we are in the not yet quaint Kongen. It could be quaint, we just haven't found that part yet. However, we have a very nice hotel which apparently has the best restaurant in the area. AND it has a bathtub. How sweet is that?

I´m just thinking...

That those of you suffering through minusXXX degrees don´t want to know that here, the crocuses and daffodils are blooming, and that we don´t always need a jacket?

I just read about the weather at home. How nice that it is at least supposed to be above zero when we get home! Thanks for that...we appreciate your consideration :-D

Off to Stuttgart, more or less

In just a few minutes we will be leaving to drive close to Stuttgart. Í think the town is called Tubingham, but we don´t know if it has been captured as part of Stuttgart now. We have many little hand drawn maps from M´s dad to track down. We really hope that some of his memorable places are still there, since I would like to take tons of pictures to make both a book and a calendar for him (as I am intending to do for M´s mother, of Regensberg).

So again, we don´t know where we´ll find the internet....but we´ll log on as soon as we do.

Can´t believe we are into the last week of our trip!

Market day

All the towns in Europe have a market day, and it changes from town to town. Today is market day in Meersburg, and we had a great bird´s eye view. Our hotel room was on the corner, and we had three windows to look out at. We watched the cheese seller, the vegetable lady, the pretzle guy and the olive man all set up their wares. Then came the flower seller, the fish man and another cheese truck.

And then came everyone with their baskets.

I could really get to like this way of doing things!

Note to self

Next time when I come to Europe....my hair is either going to be short enough to stay out of the way, or long enough that I won´t care.

In Meersburg...

We haven´t found a biergarten in Meersburg, and this is great news, because here, they are replaced with wine bars. Last night, mostly because we couldn´t find another place to eat, and largely because this very friendly guy invited us in....we ended up at the wine bar.

Goodness, it was fun. Just like the quirky little place that our host in Cologne took us too. We sampled the local wines, and wish we could take some home. They were very good (and a wee bit stronger than we were expecting, we discovered). Don´t worry, there were no hangovers. But, had we had a third glass, well, maybe.

This was a one man show. His name was Andreas, and he was charming because he was shy and very busy, and very curious. He pours the wine, explains the wine, answers the phone, answers questions, serves at the bar, brings things to the table, and if that weren´t enough, he is also the cook. So the menu....well, there isn´t a menu. He said what he could offer was a steak and fried potatoes with a salad. I asked if he had anything smaller, and he said that he had a smaller steak. Too much fun! He also said it would take some time, and that was okay too...we weren´t going anywhere! When he brought it, he was all apologetic. He burned the potatoes (but not really), and he had undercooked the steak (but not too much)...and we didn´t care because we were having such a great time. Then he said it was the first time he had cooked one for customers. We said we felt honored.

In the meantime, the man who invited us in came to chat. His name was Joe, and he is from Zurich. What a character! He is everybody´s buddy, and clearly a favourite at the place. All 20 of us thought so.

We were really disenchanted with Meersburg till then, but it wasn´t so much the town´s fault as our own. We just got in too late. Joe and Andreas saved the day!

Support your local library!

Because they offer poor tourists like us a really nice place to sit and blog and it isn´t so very much money!

When I get home, I´m going to renew my library card. And I am going to get back in the habit of seeing what they have.

Okaz, zour turn to figure it out.

So here we are in Meersburg...and Iäm tired or trzing to tzpe on a German kezboard, so todaz zou get to figure out what it should be. What Iäve learned so far is that a y is a z, and a z is a y and there is a whole extra set of buttons, and the shift kez onlz works on one side, according to which side of the kezboard zou are on. Get the picture_

08 March 2007

And ONE more thing

I know now why Germans make such good wine.

They have a lot of grapes to practice with.

I've NEVER seen so many perpendicular lines in my life--every direction you can imagine!

And that's it...I have my half minute warning. Bye for now!!

On the Bodensee

Well, this is my last two minutes of typing (thank goodness for a hundred words per minute).

We are now in the southern part of the country, on the Bodensee. We are a little disapointed in the town but that is only because we cannot find our way around, and it is expensive to boot. However, the land and the scenery and the Bodensee itself is quite lovely. We are starting the part of our trip that is meant to discover all things about M's dad. So tomorrow, we head near Stuttgart. Of course, if I could remember the name of the actual town, I'd tell you--but I don't.

I dont' get it

Why is it that I can't get him to go on a roller coaster--but going down 7 switchback turns in a row is no problem?

Cause I gotta tell you, it was sure a problem for me. I know now why my leg is sore--I kept reaching for a brake that wasn't there!

Oberammagau

Okay, bear with me all you people who can spell foreign words much more easily than me. I'm on a timer here!

Oberammagau was pretty great. It's a bit like a walking gallery; nearly every house has painted scenes or words or people looking out the windows, or shutters, or grand doorways, or almost anything you can imagine. It's a charming village, and there are a lot of stores there, many with the woodcarving.

We stayed in a very nice BandB with a generous host named Tobias. He referred us to the very best restaurant we have been in so far. My goodness what a feast we had. First, there was some sort of clear soup with veggies and beef--it was so full of flavour that I could hardly believe it (I thought I might be feeling better--but it turns out the soup was just that good). After that, M had a mixed grill which made him a very happy man. Every single piece of meat was perfectly cooked, so now he might eat lamb again after all. For me, I had lighter fare--a cheese crepe with spicy veggies inside. Yum, it was perfect for me. The restaurant was family owned, in a little pub.

Of course, we got caught in the rain again on the way home.

As far as Oberammagau goes--we liked it but I do not think that I would have the same feelings if it was overun with tourists at the Passion Play or whatever. It was busy enough, but I think that it could get a little crazy! We're glad we went....but now, we're in wine country!

Heading off to find an Angel--erratum

Okay, I've been caught. The problem with typing in internet cafes with German keyboards on a timer is that it is easy to make mistakes.

Not only did Nora and Esther buy me an angel, but so did Sue....only, she bought me THREE. I actually had that sentence in there, and I am terribly sorry that I forgot to mention it. So let me just add, that one of my very favourite is one she gave--an angel seated, playing a grand piano. It's a wonderful centrepiece to the collection. So Sue...forgive me, please.

That being said...we did find another angel. It also plays a flute, but I am pretty sure that the face is different (it became a bit hard to tell). However, it appears that this particular collection of angels is at an end, which is fine because it is a grand collection! It was very difficult to find one that had removeable wings. The new series is all attached, and most of the angels are kneeling. We bought one playing a harp, and another playing a cello. I'm well set!

06 March 2007

Heading off in search of an angel

Many years ago, my friend Nora gave me a little carved wooden angel as a gift. It is only a few inches high, and the wings often fall off, and it plays a flute. It is one of my treasures, particularly since it has been joined by similar angels that Esther gave me. Right now, I have five in my collection--playing a flute, a lute, a front-style flute, a piano and a harp.

Tomorrow we leave Regensburg to travel through Munich on our way to Oberammagau region which is the home of these little beauties. This was the only place that I requested specifically to come to on this trip....and I can't wait to find the perfect one to add to the collection. I've already dusted off a spot to keep her!

That being said....who knows when we will get internet access again. I'm just letting the three of you who actually check the blog know, so you aren't worried about us :-)

Roman roads

When I stop to think about it, these Roman roads we are walking on are an amazing feat. Just imagine the stone masons who had to form the stones to make them fit the pattern, sometime in the 1700s. Just imagine how heavy they had to be. The basic grid pattern that we use in most towns and cities today is fashioned after the Roman pattern.

I'm impressed by the Romans these days. Earlier, I think I told you about the stone bridge, but since I am too lazy to go back and check, I'll just tell you about it again. The stone bridge is a masterpiece of medieval engineering that has survived 850 years. It is the oldest preserved stone bridge in Germany as was, for hundreds of years, the only way to get into Regensburg. Now, what makes it interesting is the engineering to keep all of those arches up. ..and since only busses are allowed on there today, it must be perfectly done!

Those guys were pretty darn smart!

Doric Temple

I don't know if this will surprise any of you, but it did surprise me. Close to Regensburg, there is a Doric temple, up in the hills. This website can show you what we mean, as well as give you a bit more information on the area.

We walked up there this afternoon, but unfortunately we just missed the hours where we could go inside. Nonetheless, it was quite interesting, and I had fun with picture taking. I just wish I could have caught a shot of the Panavia Tornado that went by! Wouldn't that have been a great shot, that big modern plane framed by the columns of the temple?

Oh well, maybe next time.

Hanging out at the mall

I've had a very frustrating couple of days. When we arrived in Cologne, I got a tickle in my throat which, by the next afternoon was the sorest throat I've ever had, and since then it has moved into my ears and I'm all stuffed up. Worst of all, I cough violently and hard all night long, and that doesn't make me the most cheerful person the next day....

Which is why today, we stayed indoors for a bit and went to the mall.

What an eyeopener that was! This mall had some lovely stores, which we expected. It also had a market running through the centre of it, which we did not. A bunch of little kiosks selling everything from pickled herring, to schnitzelsemmer to the biggest loaves of black bread that I have ever seen (they were roughly two feet in diameter!). There was a cheese kiosk, another that sold sausages, and another that sold breads and buns and pretzels. Everything looked and smelled amazing. The locals were going about with their baskets, choosing what they needed for the day.

And then, there were several little beer cafes as we walked along. We had lunch in one of those--remarkably affordable, which is good since we tend to spend a bit more at supper.

In the end, we bought some German kitchen things as requested by M's dad, and a little cheese slicer for us (Dave, I think you'll love it!).

I left feeling a little less grouchy.

Maybe it's just me...

But doesn't NINE seem a little young to be running the internet cafe?

On the other hand....it wasn't closed!

Bayernwald

Yesterday on our drive to Regen, we enjoyed a lot of picturesque views. There was farmland, with houses that were typically built in an 'L' or 'T' shape--the barn was typically attached to the house, just on a different axis. Some of them are even in a U or square--but these were the wealthier families, and apparently, it was all for protection. Just a few minutes later, you would be in the dark Bavarian forest, but not to worry, it was soon going to be a bit of prairie. And before you knew it, we would go up several feet as we climbed the mountains.

It changed with such regularity that it was like looking through a view master--those 3d things we played with as kids.

05 March 2007

Nuremberg

When we left Koln, we did so a little later than planned, and consequently made an unplanned stop in Nuremberg. It was getting dark, we were getting tired, and we chanced a little hotel we saw, based on Herr Hummel's recommendation that if it looks clean in the lobby, it is usually a good sign for the rest. It was good advice, as the inn we picked was cheap (77 euros for a bed with a shower and parking and breakfast!). It wasn't too exciting, and I was glad that I had a bit of shampoo that I like (Dave...that gift pack you gave me for my birthday still comes into use because the bottles are the perfect size!).

In the morning, we explored the old city, and it was a very pleasant surprise. We didn't realize what a great medieval find this was until we were walking the streets. Of course, being Sunday, there wasn't a thing open but it didn't matter because it was a great window-shopping town. There is a river that runs right through the town--and right through a hospital, through two arched tunnels. There are some great churches that couldn't decide if they would be Gothic or Roman or Romantic, and there was some great people watching. One of the most amusing things was the 12:00 noon bells at one of the churches, and about a hundred people came to watch. The tower has several figures, and it is a bit like a cuckoo clock, with all of them doing something when the bell rings (in fact, one of them does the ringing). Unfortunately, the age of the building means that they have to put chicken wire up to keep the pieces from falling, and this impeded the action a little bit. But, it was interesting nonetheless, and all those faces were looking skyward. I love watching people!

We also walked along the wall...built somewhere in the 1800s. Loved it all!

something happened to him

He's starting to request classical music instead of that 'north american stuff'.

I never thought I'd see the day!

Gray roots

Ah yes, you might think that was about the hair on M's head, but you would be wrong! In this case, it is about searching out where his mom grew up--on a very gray day.

Today we drove a very scenic route--off the autobahn--to the cities of Cham and Regen. Regen is where M's mother was raised, and it is a lovely place. Howeer, the real places--with names I can't pronounce--have all been grouped together under the name of Regan. They show now as areas of the city,instead of the individual little towns that they once were. And, I do mean little. The one town is quite simply, one road, with houses on either side. It was most interesting for me to listen to M talk about things and people that he has rarely talked about before. We took loads of pictures, laughed at the chickens on the sidewalk, and just really enjoyed the day. For me, it was good that it was gray, since sunlight and trees are not always my friend.

Tonight when we came back we decided to go to a little pub that we have noticed on a few occasions. This was funny, actually--because I left our handydandy phrase book at the hotel. We had a German menu, and a unilingual German server, and we ordered 'blind' as it were, because we were only sure of half hte words. The result? We had pancake soup--which was surprisingly tasty, soup with pretzels in it, and somekind of meat, and then M had a mixed grill plate that also included red cabbage and a cold potato salad and this half-cooked dumpling thing. Mine on the other hand, was almost divine. I had pork medalians with a sort of stroganoff topping, and with that came cheesy, oniony spatzle. Yum, it was good! And finally, my throat was not too sore to eat. I just have to get rid of this stupid cough now.

peeking back in history


We are in Cologne now, and are very privileged to be staying in this hotel. We had a lovely room--a huge antique bed, and matching furniture. I think it was all from the 1600s, but it was painted a very odd shade of green. I didn't so much like the twin mattresses pushed together--though that is typical for here. The space between them wasn't very comfortable, and I always seemed to have something sutck there!

What is very cool, is that the hotel is owned by a man who stood up for M's dad at their wedding. They went to school together, and from the many pictures we saw, they were quite the characters. We are being truly spoiled, and it is a great delight to meet this charming and generous man.

Cologne is a lovely city. The cathedral marks the centre of the town, and it is an imposing structure. Construction began in 1248, and took more than 600 years to build. 600! It is the second largest Gothic structure in the world. However, it is very dirty, and I found it less appealing than another church, St. Gerion. St. Gerion is more Romanesque, and I liked that far more...simpler lines, lovely curves.

Herr Hummel, our host, is an extremely knowledgeable guide, and while M was at work, he took me through the entire city--red light district and all. At 70something, he is pretty spry, and rides a bike everywhere. We walked a lot, and he took us to the most charming little pub. That was truly a highlight of the trip--it was small, and loads of fun. There was a group of guys next to us that were playing some sort of dice game, where getting combinations of 7 was a good thing, but it was better if there was also a pair of snake eyes. Couldn't understand it in the least, but they were a little bit flirty and a lot of fun.

Interestingly, there seems to be only one beer in Koln, and it is served in the most charming little glasses. Each is .2 litres, they are about two inches round and four inches tall. And, they appear automatically, and keep coming, unless you put your coaster on the top--the coaster is also how they keep track of what you have had, a simple tick mark on the coaster and then they add them all up. We had a traditional German pub meal of sausages and potatoes mixed with saurkraut, which was surprisingly a nice twist to basic smashed potatoes!

Herr Hummel and I also went to the Germanic/Roman museum, and that was great. Koln is a terrific place for archeological finds, and some were truly amazing, all found in the area. One of the most amazing finds was a large mosaic, which was the size of a small room. Apparently, it took ten men a month to do a section--and I estimate there would have been 40 such sections. All those tiny little pieces of stone; can you imagine the skill--and the patience!?

The other thing Herr Hummel insisted upon was observing the 4:00 'coffee and kuchen' hour. He took us to this very busy bakery that had the most amazing looking cakes. You wouldn't believe it! But I'm thinking that could be a nice tradition. I was disappoitned that I couldn't eat cake the second day because of a sore throat...all that rain finally caught up with me.

Two days in Koln--Herr Hummel thought we should have planned a few weeks and he would be our guide. Next time, perhaps. It's a good reason to return!

Anybody out there?

HEY PEOPLE!

I thought the idea was for you to leave comments telling us how jealous you are, or sharing details, or letting us know about the big storm in Ottawa, or telling us that we should send a postcard.

Where are you all?

Regensburg

This is a wonderful city! It is romantic and quirky, and has many interesting architectural features. For one, the oldest stone bridge in the world is here, truly a marvel in engineering. The Romans built it, complete with arches over the Danube. How they did it is a mystery to me!

Perhaps one of the most interesting things is that M's mother walked these very same streets. And visited the cathedral that is directly across our hotel room. And maybe ate at the sausage house that we are going to visit this afternoon.

The city has tower houses--very tall skinny things, and it has beautiful balconies and ancient old cobblestone streets. And it has chocolate, and coffee and all those good things!

But my time at the internet cafe is almost up, and we are heading to the town of Regen today, where M's mother was when she was a child.

That means we have to go on the autobahn. This makes M very happy. Me, not so much. He drives at the suggested speed of 120, most of the time, but then he is the slow man on the road, so he has gone as much as 160. Believe it or not, he still gets pushed and people just whizzzzz on by.

I just have to keep breathing.

It's all in the flush

One of the very interesting things in Europe is the variety of toilets...and sometimes it is a real challenge to figure out where the flush is! In Amsterdam, I was trying to figure out what this big stainless steel panel on the wall was--and it was a two-part flushing system...the big flush and the small flush. That style seems to be quite common here.

But, we've also seen a plunger/pressure system on the wall, a small little lever on the top of the tank, a double button on the top of the tank, a panel on the opposite wall. The challenge is finding it quickly.

Sometimes it costs money, and the ladies who man the room are very clever--they leave a plate with 50 cents or more in it, hoping to entice you to pay as much....when only 10 cents will do. But, as soon as you leave, they are busy cleaning.

My favorite? We stopped in a rest area, and to get into the facilities cost 50 cents. Not only did it allow you to do your thing, but you could use that 50 cents ticket to discount whatever you bought in the little store. And, once you did your business and stood up, the back of the toilet starts to move, and then the whole entire ring around the bowl moves as a previously hidden took comes out of the back and washes the whole entire seat, making it ready for the next person. So, I had to 'do it twice', just so that I could watch again.

I want one of those at home!

01 March 2007

It's sunny today

Of course....because we are leaving Amsterdam, so naturally the sun has to come out! Today we are taking the train to Cologne, and we will have all sorts of stories to tell about that later.

But first, some last thoughts on our trip to Holland:

Things we loved:
  • the coffee. It's amazing. It's WAY better than Starbucks or any of the normal çhains at home.
  • Stroopwafel. The hotel has left us a sample every day, and it is so tasty. These are little waffle cookies with built in syrup. The bakeries all have one, but I've only indulged once there (because they go GREAT with the coffee). I need to learn how to make those.
  • The museums--in my case, specifically the Anne Frank and the tenBoom House in Haarlem.
  • Rereading The Hiding Place in one night. That would be last night. Because we're taking the train, so maybe I can sleep then?
  • Rijstaffel.
  • The canals--they go every which way
  • Watching the way the traffic flows. Why they don't have more accidents baffles us, but somehow it all works.
  • Laughing at the traffic jams. There is no patience for people who decide to hop out of their car....of course, because there is no where else for people to go to!
    If you're stuck....you're really stuck.
  • The architecture and the gables and the skinny houses
  • The flower market, and the super large tulips that the hotel had. I mean tall--like 3 feet or so.
  • The big bouquet of tulips that was in our room, thanks to M for my birthday
  • The cobblestone
  • The shops and the people of Haarlem
  • The tub in our bathroom. We are at an ämerican-style' hotel....and the tub is easily 5.5 feet long. It's a welcome thing at the end of 17,000 steps!
  • The friendly coffee shoppes where people actually laught at my feeble attempts at Dutch, and then kindly help me say it correctly.
  • Free internet at the library.
  • Old cheese (oude kass). Now, that is really what it is called, and that's how you buy it in the store. It's salty and full of flavour, and makes a great sandwich. This is different than young cheese (jong kass). But that's good too.
Things we could have done without
  • Blisters
  • Rain. There was so much of it that it interfered with taking pictures. It was too hard to hold a camera, protect it from the rain, hold the umbrella and try to protect your stuff from all the pickpockets that are here. However, we survived.
  • The bank machines. They work well, but we should have upped our daily limit before leaving home. The most we can take out at a time is €250, which means that we have to make more trips to the bank. And more trips means more conversion and user fees. Oh well.
Things we may never understand
  • The traffic light systems. Imagine this: there are three traffic indicators for pedestrians on the street which appears to be divided in thirds. In some cases there is a tramline going down the middle. There may also be a bicycle lane and a car lane in either direction. But the way the lights for us worked is this.....first the one closest to you comes on, then the one at the far side comes on, and eventually, the one in the middle comes on, but the one on the far end goes off. Huh??? Also, the pedestrian lights have an audible rhythm to them--first it knocks slowly, then it ratatatats, then it ratatatatatatatats faster, and then it knocks slowly again. Very interesting indeed.
  • Accidents---or rather the lack of them. But then, that was also one of the things we loved.
Well people--who don't appear to be out there---we're having a great time. But we don't know yet how it will work for internet in Cologne. Rest assured we will get back to our stories as soon as we can, as much for our own remembering as anything else.

And now, we have a train to catch.

Rijstaffel

This was how we celebrated my birthday, and it was so much fun! First, we walked forever (or so it seemed....sometimes those steps, while enjoyable, seem to take a long time!). We went over to the Museumplein, to a little restaurant. They were the friendliest, most fun people that we have encountered so far. The menu explains what the rijstaffel is, and how to eat it.....so we ordered an appropriate bottle of wine, and waited a few minutes before the meal came out. Oh my goodness!

There were perhaps 20 dishes: two kinds of rice, some sort of vegetables in coconut sauce, pork satay and peanut sauce, some funky nut combination and toasted coconut and sweet potato threads and beef in coconut milk, chicken and some sort of curry, vegetables with a peanuty sauce, and on and on and on it went. We had a great time, and surprisingly, we were satisfied (well satisfied!) but not overly full. That's because there is just a couple of bites of everything. It was a most interesting time.

And it also let us think of MomK and DadK, and Esther and Perry, so it was just special all around.

Of course, now M wants to have some at home. Yoo hoo, MomK........I need some recipes, me thinks!