Vienna Sings!

Vienna!! Our nineth stop and undoubtly the "icing" on the trip so far. I expected it to be beautiful but it is so much more than that. The buildings are spectacular! The food is delicious! Art and classical music is everywhere and everyone looks like the belong in a story. Coffee shops are everywhere (and those who know me best know how much I love a good coffee shop) and the Viennese and tourists alike seem to slow down the pace to just "enjoy".

Again, by the time we arrived we are only here for a day and a half and that was our first mistake. No where near enough time. This city deserves a minimum stay of a week I think. Next time I won't make the same mistake. After finding our hotel we drop off our luggage and head off towards the old part of the city. It's not far - just a 25 minute walk to the centre (going downhill). We see the Museum Quarter, the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Art) and the Museum of Natural History but we don't have enough time to do justice to this magnificent museum so we just photograph it from the outside (see reference to first mistake). We also get to see the Hero's Square and take a stroll through some of the old city while scouting out our supper destination.

What did we get a chance to see in Vienna? The Danube River, The Vienna Opera House, St. Stephan's Cathedral, the amusement park with the Vienna Riesenrad (Ferris wheel) and on our final evening we also went to a live concert at Palace Auersperg - a 1 1/2 hour performance in the same room that many famous historical figures performed in during thier lives . The performance was set 1700's and the 11 member symphony were dressed in period costume.  The music was of Wolfgang Mozart and Johann Strauss. In addition to just hearing the symphony orchestra we were treated to to 4 opera numbers and 3 dances - two ballet and one waltz. A bit of culture to add to the atmosphere of this wonderful city.

As I said before - not nearly enough time and it is time to say goodbye to Vienna. God willing we will be back for a second performance!!

Next stop Salzburg, Austria.

Museum of Fine Art

Hero's Square

Vienna State Opera House

Ride at the Amusement Park

Vienna's famous Ferris Wheel (each car holds about 10 people)

View from the Ferris Wheel (Terry had to take the pictures as I was
to scared to stand up:-)!!

St. Francis of Assisi Church

Danube River (Not so blue as the songs always talk about -
more of a dirty brown colour!!)

Pretty in Praha

Prague (Praha) in the Czech Republic is the eighth stop in our 2012 tour. We were there for two nights but with travel we really had only one and a half days to explore it. So, our focus was on the old city of Prague which is really where the tourists gather anyway. Once we found our hotel (which is another story in itself) and dropped off our luggage we headed off immediately to Wensceles Square which is a most popular area for tourists that leads into the old town. We weren't dissappointed.

Prague is a beautiful old city and full of tourists like ourselves. There are restaurants, bars, shopping and things to look at everywhere.

My favourite place was the palace which lies high upon the hill overlooking the city of Prague?.  To reach the castle we decided to climb the Old Castle Steps (Staré zámecké schody).  It was a workout for sure but once you get there though you see it is well worth the effort - a panoramic view to match the beautiful hot day we saw it on.

We also crossed the famous Charles bridge, saw the Astronomical Clock and Old Town as well (although I didn't take too many pictures there as there were barriers put up every where for events that were going on. Kind of ruins a good picture anyway.

Prague is a city of discovery - there always seems to be something happening - entertainers, markets, music festivals (we lucked out with one in the old city square - and an English speaking band to boot!!) so our time in this city was well spent.

Next up - the much anticipated Vienna, Austria!!!

St. Wensceles Square

View from the top of the stairs that led to the castle.  You can see the
whole city from here and it is spectacular!!

St. Vitus Cathedral - It is so massive you can only photograph
pieces of it at a time.  The square it is located in is too small to
get a photograph of the whole square!

The changing of the guard at the castle at noon.  It draws a big crowd!



The Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square

This was one of the buildings in the old town square - the only
one that wasn't totally obstructed by the ugly blue walls that were put up for
the concert and other events that were happening during the week.

The Thing About Berlin

We arrived in Berlin on a Thursday evening with certain expectations about what to expect from this "modern and thriving" German city. We started touring the city early on Friday morning expecting to see and hear about Berlin - of course mostly about it's sad (and of course shameful) past. (I realize of course that Berlin's past is not all bad - but I think many associate this city with the Nazi regime so many of the tours focus on this.) We had visited Dachau Concentration camp in 2010 and just a little over a week ago we toured Anne Frank's hidden annex on Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterddam (it must seem like we have a little theme going on here - it wasn't intentional). We weren't disappointed. We saw the Berlin Wall and read the many stories posted at this memorial site; the headquarters of the Third Reich; the Holocaust Memorial and we saw the many buildings that were rebuilt after the bombings of World War 2. We even stood above the bunker where Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide (hooray!) and of course we saw much, much more than this short blog has room for.

The things we didn't expect to see were parties that would happen on the particular weekend. Friday night there was a live telecast of the Euro 2012 game between Germany and Greece being held in Tiergarden Park. This area of Mitte is where we were staying so we got a first hand view. What accompanied this telecast were thousands of loyal fans who made their way happily and noisily throughout the late afternoon to watch the game. Now at this point you may be asking yourself - "So what? That happens with rider games as well." True enough - happy fans are great. The difference is that Regina, nor any city in Saskatchewan that I know of, does not have an open liquor law which finds thousands of fans carry bottles of beer and wine down the street. We watched in amazement as those carrying the bottes just dropped them when they were finished with them. The bottles were being smashed everywhere on the streets. The more drunk the fans, the bigger the mess. The next morning as we made our way down towards the Tiergarten area the garbage and smashed bottles left behind was unbelievable.

Saturday brought another surprise we weren't expecting either. We did a little shopping in the morning and then took a 4 hour bike tour around Berlin to get a "close-up" history lesson from a young man (Eric) from the USA who was doing his masters at Humboldt University in Berlin. He was a wealth of information and as we weaved our way throught the Berlin traffic we got to see this city from a much more personal perspective from someone who loves Berlin. Once again, there seemed to be another party going on as many of the streets we had travelled on the day before that were clean and clear were now full of garbage and smashed bottles - you can't imagine the mess it was. Even the Holocast Memorial was not immune to the carnage. In addition to the garbage and smashed bottles it looked like several of the memorial stones had been used as a free WC (those of you who have travelled to Europe will recognise this - but for those of you who haven't - WC = Watercloset = toilet).

What we didn't know at the time, but we found out as we biked closer to our final destination, was that Saturday afternoon Berlin was holding it's annual Gay Pride Parade. This parade drew a crowd of over 700,000 people and the parties were everywhere on the streets. There were police vans positioned on most corners and the streets were blocked off to traffic. I am not sure what the parade brings in cities like Toronto and New York but it was a real eye-opener for us - and for others on the bike tour as well. We didn't actually see the "parade" but we did get to see hundreds of "participants" both before, and after the parade, and believe you me - it was some crazy party going on!! I won't comment on what we saw but I will include a quote from an online article I found and you can imagine for yourself what was going on on the streets of Berlin that Saturday night.

"Berlin’s ‘anything goes’ atmosphere and lax drinking laws, combined with the German attitude to nudity, meant that there was a lot of flesh on display."

The thing about Berlin is that it will mean something different for everyone and it offers different things to different people.  And, as a "country-bumpkin" from the praires I have only one thing to say about Berlin - this "past to present" tour was one crazy history lesson!!

Note to self: When travelling remember to check out cities calendar of events!

Remains of the Berlin Wall today.  Artists came from all over the
world to paint pictures on these walls after Berlin was liberated.  After
several years the paintings needed to be restored so the original artists
were tracked down and asked to restore their paintings once again.

A monument consisting of hundreds of stories about Nazi
Germany can be found just behind the remains of the Berlin Wall. 
These stories cover the rise and fall of the Third Reich.

Checkpoint Charlie

The Holocaust Memorial

Just one of the hundreds of stories found behind
the wall.  This story is of Claus von Stauffenberg (Those of
who saw the movie Valkryie will know will know this story.
Tom Cruise played Claus in the movie.

On our bike tour.  The bikes aren't pretty but they are easy
to operate - I managed not to fall off so I think I did well:-)

The Reichstag (We wanted to tour this building but didn't
know that you have to book months in advance if you want
to see it during peak time - bummer).

This City Called Amsterdam

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living."

Miriam Beard

I have to confess that I was a little uncertain about coming to Amsterdam.  Basically, most of the things I knew about Amsterdam weren't very positive - most of it was negative and some of it down right creepy.   I have, however, found Amsterdam to be "much, much" more than it's negative reputation.  I have found it to be a city steeped in history and wonderful surprises.   Terry and I have both loved visiting this city for a number of reasons - the museums, canals, architecture and atmosphere  are just a few of the attributes of this unique city (not to mention the chocolate and the cheese!).   So I decided to look up some facts about Amsterdam and thought I would share the following as we can personally testify that these facts are pretty darn accurate!

• The Dutch people are the tallest in all Europe and second tallest in the world (and the best looking)

.
I have to tell you that this little tidbit in itself has made me feel totally at home in this city of over one million!! For the first time in my life, here, I am not in a minority. For the first time in my life, in this city, I am average height!!!

• Amsterdam has over 1 million bikes but only 700,000 Amsterdammers

I thought Japan had a lot of bikers. Amsterdam gives the Japanese culture a run for their money when it comes to biking!!! Business men and woman, mothers and fathers with their children, young women and men - everyone rides a bike here. Rush hour traffic is not just about cars here. Keep your eyes and ears open here or you might get run over by a bike!!

• The Van Gogh collections in the Van Gogh Museum and the Kröller-Müller Museum are the largest in the world

I can testify that this is a wonderful museum - showcasing Van Gogh's works from the very beginning to his tragic death.

• Most Dutch people speak at least one foreign language as well as Dutch and English.

Everywhere you go in this city people know at least a little English - but surprisingly enough we only encountered a few people with just a little knowledge of English. Most people were very comfortable using English - which was good for us and all the other tourists that visit each year!!

• Over one million people visit the address Prinsengracht 263 each year - the hiding place of Anne Frank during the Nazi occupation of Holland.

Terry and I were able to help add to these numbers this year. This was a great museum - and an emotional one. It is hard to believe that we stood in the same room where this young woman wrote about the secret annex at Prinsengracht 263 where she hid, along with her family and some family friends, for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

Our time in this city is soon coming to an end. Tomorrow we move on to Berlin - where I will once again fall into the minority. Oh well. It was it good while it lasted:-)

One of the many canals in Amsterdam - this picture was taken
just a block from the house where we stayed.

The house in the middle is Prinsengracht 263 - the
home where Anne Frank and her family hid during the
Nazi occupation of Holland.  Our rental house was
just two blocks down at Prinsengracht 19.

The memorial for Anne Frank.

A cool "corner" home.  Difficult to furnish
this home I expect.

Everyone rides a bike.  And these bikes are not "fancy" bikes. 
In America they would be considered "garage" sale bikes - but
everyone has one and they are not cheap!!

A typical sight on a typical street.  Eco friendly!!

Some more interesting architecture.

Typical architecture - all of the homes are similar in style.

Our view from our canal boat ride gives us the perfect
opportunity to view all 7 canals at the same time. 

Waffles, Chocolate and Brussels

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."

St. Augustine

The first rule of travelling is "be prepared for the unexpected". Things will rarely go as smoothly as expected and knowing this makes a journey less stressful.

As this is my own invented rule I should have "been prepared" for Brussels. Our first introduction to Brussels was the train station. Signs were posted everywhere warning tourists to "beware" of pick pockets which made me uneasy.   I brought along a map of the area we would be staying in with some instructions on how to get to our hotel - which was easily within walking distance.

Step One: Find our exit. Finding an exit to the street was easy - there were many of them. Finding the right exit to the street we were looking for was a whole different story. So, scrap step one and move onto step two.

Step Two: "Wing it".

Outside the station, traffic is busy and the streets fan out in every direction - like a spider's web. The first street we are looking for is nowhere in sight. A local was kind enough to point us in the right direction and so we were off. As we maneuver ourselves through the maze of streets we get closer to our B&B - but the closer we get the more "sketchy" the area begins to look. It wasn't looking good. The streets are narrow and garbage is cluttered everywhere and the people we passed...I won't go there. We wind our way long the narrow cobblestone streets and finally our hotel comes into view.

Hotel Galia

O.M.G! I did refer to the reviews on our booking website before booking - they looked pretty good.

Step three: Don't panic. Things usually look worse then they are.

Step three proves to be good advice. While the hotel is not exactly "The Ritz" it is clean and the young man at the front desk is friendly, knowledgeable with good English. The elevator is small and slow as we ascend to the 3rd floor (it is only 45 seconds but it feels like we are ascending much higher - heaven possibly?). The room is small but serviceable and the bathroom is big enough to turn around in. Yes. We have arrived.

From our hotel to the main centre of the city is about a 15 minute walk - mostly downhill so the walk there is easy. There are many beautiful old buildings in Brussels - worthy of photographing. Most notably we visit the Grand Place in Brussels (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site). The streets in the this area of the city are lined with wonderful little shops and restaurants and tourists (and locals as well I assume) enjoy the excitement found there. I got my flag, a yummy Belgium waffle, a glass of wine and a box of amazing Belgium chocolates so I am satisfied - those were my objectives while in Belgium.



Guildhalls on the Grand Place



Town Hall in the Grand Place

Another building in Grand Place - not sure what this building is.

A street near the Grand Place and typical architecture
found in Brussels.

Belgium Waffles

My apologies to my co-workers who may be reading this. Terry and I have begun eating the chocolates ourselves. Really I thought about bringing them back for you guys but I am sure the chocolates will all be melted from the heat we are expecting to experience in Italy! But I must tell you - they are SO delicious!!!

Working our way through the box!

Next stop.  Amsterdam.

Scotland Forever

"And yet the place (Edinburgh) establishes an interest in people's hearts;

go where they will, they find no city of the same distinction."

Robert Louis Stevenson

I am writing this on the train travelling from Edinburgh to London. Edinburgh is beautiful city - it's age clearly showing in every nook and cranny of the city with the rain only adding to the mystery of this old and beautifully unique city.  

 

In rainy weather this is a city where it is easy to spot the many (and I can't stress the word "many" enough) new travellers to Scotland who have also come to explore this city. You will find them (us) everywhere carrying umbrella's. Not just any umbrella though. Like us, they carry the umbrella of the unprepared tourist. That is the umbrella that is purchased, after the fact, to keep the rain off. The rain that we heard about, but really didn't expect to encounter. The umbrellas are found in every store and are most reasonable in price. Only 8 pounds. The only problem is these umbrellas are not built to withstand the rain and wind encountered here. They fold and break like pretzels and you can see the tourists walking in the rain trying to repair their purchases - usually unsuccessfully.   Lesson #1 - Come to Scotland prepared for wind and rain.

 

What I truly love about travelling I found here in this city. A comradery with other travellers is always found under trying travelling circumstances. We joined a day trip on Saturday which fit in perfectly for us as well as the other 14 travellers who were equally happy to find themselves on a bus - dry and comfortable and still able to explore a little of this beautiful country despite the rain that tried to deter us!! Team Canada (being Terry and I) was joined by teams USA, Brazil, Israel, India (Delhi A & Delhi B), Spain and Japan. We all set out to explore and learn a little of Scotlands history. We travelled to Sterling Castle where we learned about Willliam Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Turns out William Wallace looks nothing like little Mel Gibson! We also heard about Rob Roy McGregor (aka Rob Roy Campbell) and heard tales about his brutality in the Trossachs of Scotland. And it also turns out that Rob Roy looks nothing like Liam Neeson. I am no longer in love!!

 

We also travelled to Loch Lohman and in addition to some photo ops of this beautiful Loch we got to try out some of the local dishes. The haggis with turnup and the CullinSkink soup were recommended from the menu and turned out to be quite good. We wrapped up the long day with a trip to Glengoyne Whiskey Distillery where we got to sample some single malt whiskey and see how it's made. The whiskey was a welcome addition to this overcast and rainy day and it made the trip back to Edinburgh a most enjoyable one!

 

All in all this tour was a great way to spend a day. Our tour bus driver Rob is crazy in love with his country (as are most of the other Scots we had the pleasure of speaking with) and he was a wealth of information. He spoke almost constantly during the 10 hour tour which says a lot about his knowledge of Scotland I think!!

 

We never got to see enough while in Edinburgh during our time in Scotland - Holyroodhouse Palace and the Abbey (which were great!) and some interesting sights along the Royal Mile. Quite simply there was far too much rain and wind to be out touring around - but that just means another opportunity to come back again. And return we will.

Palace of Holyroodhousen in Edinburgh

 

Sterling Castle (inside)

More Sterling Castle

Sterling Castle...again!!

At our Glengoyne Whiskey Distillery tour

Hamish the Highland Cow - this is one good looking cow - don't you agree. 
Hamish is on Facebook so check him out and give him a big "Like"!!
And check him out on youtube as well!! 

Ever wonder where the word "crapper" came from? While Thomas Crapper did not invent the toilet,
Crapper still has a close connection to the first patent for the toilet.  Read on...

The beautiful Loch Lohman.

 

Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey behind Palace of Holyroodhouse.
The abbey was founded in 1128 by King David of Scotland.

Galway, Ireland

"Drawn as if by a magnet, visitors come again and again, captivated by

this most special of Irish counties." 

                                                                                          Galway.net

Galway Ireland has proven to be a most pleasant surprise. This little city (70,000) has a wonderful, colourful and lively downtown full of interesting shops, restaurants and live entertainment - we clearly made the correct choice when choosing to come here.  Not that Belfast wouldn't have been great as well- but that will have to keep for our next trip.   During our stay in this area, in addition to exploring the city itself we also took some time out to visit the Cliffs of Moher and two interesting castles.

Downtown Galway - a music festival is on so there are people
playing music on every street!

Dunguaire Castle

Dunguaire Castle was built in 1520 by the O'Hynes clan
on the picturesque shores of Galway Bay.

Bunratty Castle

Bunratty Castle lies in the middle of Bunratty Village. 
It was built in 1425.   Below are just a few of the many buildings
 and animals found here (see below) 

My very first view of a thatched roof!

Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher  are located in County Claire Ireland. 
They rise 120 metres' above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head and reach
 their maximum height of 214 metres just north of O'Brien's Tower.
Awesome view - if get a chance to visit, take it.

 

O'Brian's Tower at Cliffs of Moher