August 16, 2012
8332 kilometres
42 days
21 different beds
9 countries
3 oceans
?? $ . . . but worth every cent, no matter how much it cost us.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Row on row
August 12 and 13, 2010
Throughout this trip we have seen countless vineyards, row on row of neatly planted grapevines making tidy lines across the landscape. Brilliantly green lush vines produce wines that breathe life into the economy and bring a liveliness to the dinner table.
Yesterday we saw more tidy lines, but this time they were row on row of neatly placed white marble crosses, 9,387 in all, each one marking the grave of a soldier who died on the D-Day beaches in 1944. The WWII Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial above Omaha Beach houses headstones of only forty percent of those Americans who gave their lives to free Europe on those beaches; the remainder were buried at home. We also visited the Juno Beach Centre where Canadian forces landed and toured the informative Visitor Centre there. Besides the sheer numbers of soldiers who lost their lives in that assault, most disturbing for me was a photograph of a boatload of young men just about to land on the beach. The fear in their eyes was haunting. I couldn't help thinking that had I been born fifty years earlier, one of those frightened boys could have been my son. I will post my photos on Facebook, but even a video can't capture the sheer size of this cemetery, nor the sense of loss.
Today we are making the first step in our long trek home. We are driving from Dieppe on the west coast of France all the way across the country to Strasbourg in the east, near the border with Germany. We will return our car there tomorrow, then take the train to Zurich where we will fly from on Monday morning. We're ready to be home now and are looking forward to seeing our kids, sleeping in our own bed, and eating lots of fresh vegetables.
Throughout this trip we have seen countless vineyards, row on row of neatly planted grapevines making tidy lines across the landscape. Brilliantly green lush vines produce wines that breathe life into the economy and bring a liveliness to the dinner table.
Yesterday we saw more tidy lines, but this time they were row on row of neatly placed white marble crosses, 9,387 in all, each one marking the grave of a soldier who died on the D-Day beaches in 1944. The WWII Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial above Omaha Beach houses headstones of only forty percent of those Americans who gave their lives to free Europe on those beaches; the remainder were buried at home. We also visited the Juno Beach Centre where Canadian forces landed and toured the informative Visitor Centre there. Besides the sheer numbers of soldiers who lost their lives in that assault, most disturbing for me was a photograph of a boatload of young men just about to land on the beach. The fear in their eyes was haunting. I couldn't help thinking that had I been born fifty years earlier, one of those frightened boys could have been my son. I will post my photos on Facebook, but even a video can't capture the sheer size of this cemetery, nor the sense of loss.
Today we are making the first step in our long trek home. We are driving from Dieppe on the west coast of France all the way across the country to Strasbourg in the east, near the border with Germany. We will return our car there tomorrow, then take the train to Zurich where we will fly from on Monday morning. We're ready to be home now and are looking forward to seeing our kids, sleeping in our own bed, and eating lots of fresh vegetables.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Fabulous French Cuisine . . .and Me Without My Camera!
August 12, 2010
Back in France and STILL love it.
Left Bruges and headed for Ieper (Ypres) to see the war memorial. Oh man, to see ALL those names of young men who died in WWI was very unsettling. The memorial is massive, forming an archway over the road leading to the town's main square. We also visited some of the many war cemeteries, all with white headstones, that are sprinkled throughout Flanders. Some of them had no names, so were simply inscribed," A Soldier of the Great War-- Known unto God".
The drive south to Dieppe was particularly beautiful and peaceful. Farmland rolling down to the sea, small villages, and those lovely white cows, Charlerois, I think they're called and yes, Andrea, they are "ripped".
Our hotel in Dieppe is one of only six right across from the beach. The beach is gorgeous! Smooth cobbles . . . breezy . . . waves . . . it is good to be back near the ocean again. We are right below the 13th Century castle. We wandered through the town, munched on a chocolate baguette, and enjoyed a glass of wine in the sunshine.
We had dinner here at the hotel, and it was our best meal yet. My Norseman Salade, which I thought would be a salad, turned out to be a gigantic plate of seafood, artfully presented on a small mound of greens. I actually ate raw oysters, lox, huge prawns, kippered herring and another type of unidentified fish. Den had a seafood terrine for his appetizer. For our main course, we had a chicken dish with shrimp and peanuts, mounded on top of a ring of toasted bread that was filled with carrots and zucchini. Dessert was a large framboise meringue. And where was my camera?
Back in France and STILL love it.
Left Bruges and headed for Ieper (Ypres) to see the war memorial. Oh man, to see ALL those names of young men who died in WWI was very unsettling. The memorial is massive, forming an archway over the road leading to the town's main square. We also visited some of the many war cemeteries, all with white headstones, that are sprinkled throughout Flanders. Some of them had no names, so were simply inscribed," A Soldier of the Great War-- Known unto God".
The drive south to Dieppe was particularly beautiful and peaceful. Farmland rolling down to the sea, small villages, and those lovely white cows, Charlerois, I think they're called and yes, Andrea, they are "ripped".
Our hotel in Dieppe is one of only six right across from the beach. The beach is gorgeous! Smooth cobbles . . . breezy . . . waves . . . it is good to be back near the ocean again. We are right below the 13th Century castle. We wandered through the town, munched on a chocolate baguette, and enjoyed a glass of wine in the sunshine.
We had dinner here at the hotel, and it was our best meal yet. My Norseman Salade, which I thought would be a salad, turned out to be a gigantic plate of seafood, artfully presented on a small mound of greens. I actually ate raw oysters, lox, huge prawns, kippered herring and another type of unidentified fish. Den had a seafood terrine for his appetizer. For our main course, we had a chicken dish with shrimp and peanuts, mounded on top of a ring of toasted bread that was filled with carrots and zucchini. Dessert was a large framboise meringue. And where was my camera?
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Imbibing in Bruges: beer, fries, waffles and chocolate!
August 10 and 11, 2011
Our two day stay in Bruges has been just the pick-me-up we needed at this point in our holiday. After a 6.5 hour trip from Rothenburg, our GPS led us right to our hotel (well almost) just around a corner from the Markt, the main city square. We didn't know what to expect, having just quickly picked this one through expedia without reading any reviews. It is beautiful! Our room is huge, has a sitting area with wing-backed chairs separated from the bedroom by French doors, looks out onto a common patio, and has wifi that works. The hotel also has a pool and sauna and a beautiful breakfast room complete with a grand piano. Enough about the room. This city is one to fall in love with.
Yesterday we just wandered and explored and tried out different bars in the afternoon and evening. We found a great little place called The Hobbit for dinner. While I had fully planned to resist the chocolate that is so plentiful here, Denis was a very bad influence. We tried seven flavours, voted, and coconut won by a landslide. Today we got serious about seeing this city properly. We let Rick Steves guide us around from the Kindle travel guide we bought for our iPad and saw all the sights.
Wednesday is market day in Bruges and the Markt was full of flowers, fruit, vegetables, cheese, cooked and fresh meats, and pastries early this morning. It seems to be serious business for local women as they select their supplies for the week, and either pack them in their reusable bags or in the baskets on their bikes. It amazes me how they navigate these cobblestone cities in their high heels. Even those riding bikes wear fancy footwear.
We toured the bell tower, Burg Square with all the different styles of architecture, the Basilica of the Holy Blood (now that's quite the story!) http://www.holyblood.com/EN/B.asp City Hall, the Church of Our Lady (with Michelangelo's peaceful statue of Mary with a young Jesus), took a canal ride, and went on a tour of a local brewery. Since there was a tiny hint of fall in the air at times today, I decided it was time to buy a few items of clothing. Who can resist these great fall fashions?
Speaking of resisting, we didn't deprive ourselves in the food department today either. We tried the local gaufres (waffles), frites (fries), and waterzooi (creamy chicken stew), and Denis has been a real trouper handling the tough job of sampling local beers.
Our two day stay in Bruges has been just the pick-me-up we needed at this point in our holiday. After a 6.5 hour trip from Rothenburg, our GPS led us right to our hotel (well almost) just around a corner from the Markt, the main city square. We didn't know what to expect, having just quickly picked this one through expedia without reading any reviews. It is beautiful! Our room is huge, has a sitting area with wing-backed chairs separated from the bedroom by French doors, looks out onto a common patio, and has wifi that works. The hotel also has a pool and sauna and a beautiful breakfast room complete with a grand piano. Enough about the room. This city is one to fall in love with.
Yesterday we just wandered and explored and tried out different bars in the afternoon and evening. We found a great little place called The Hobbit for dinner. While I had fully planned to resist the chocolate that is so plentiful here, Denis was a very bad influence. We tried seven flavours, voted, and coconut won by a landslide. Today we got serious about seeing this city properly. We let Rick Steves guide us around from the Kindle travel guide we bought for our iPad and saw all the sights.
Wednesday is market day in Bruges and the Markt was full of flowers, fruit, vegetables, cheese, cooked and fresh meats, and pastries early this morning. It seems to be serious business for local women as they select their supplies for the week, and either pack them in their reusable bags or in the baskets on their bikes. It amazes me how they navigate these cobblestone cities in their high heels. Even those riding bikes wear fancy footwear.
We toured the bell tower, Burg Square with all the different styles of architecture, the Basilica of the Holy Blood (now that's quite the story!) http://www.holyblood.com/EN/B.asp City Hall, the Church of Our Lady (with Michelangelo's peaceful statue of Mary with a young Jesus), took a canal ride, and went on a tour of a local brewery. Since there was a tiny hint of fall in the air at times today, I decided it was time to buy a few items of clothing. Who can resist these great fall fashions?
Speaking of resisting, we didn't deprive ourselves in the food department today either. We tried the local gaufres (waffles), frites (fries), and waterzooi (creamy chicken stew), and Denis has been a real trouper handling the tough job of sampling local beers.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Fairy Tale Villages and Schneeballen
August 9, 2010
Fairy Tale Villages and Schneeballen
The Romantic Road, das Romantische Strasse, in Bavaria is a definite must-see. Thanks, Andrea and Trevor, for suggesting that we include it on this trip. This route runs between Fussen in the south and Wurzberg in the north and connects a series of tiny medieval villages, farms and rolling hills. In the 1950's, the local towns cooperated to create this scenic route for tourists. The villages at which we stopped were walled cities, complete with well-preserved ramparts. We were immersed in the Middle Ages today.
Our first stop was Nordlingen, a town built on the site of a meteorite crater that hit the earth 15 million years ago. The circular wall of the city was constructed on the crater's edge making it perfectly round. We walked along the covered wall and poked around the town, exploring some of the shops in colourful, picturesque high gabled buildings. We bought a couple of Schneeballen, but wondered what all the fuss was about. The ones we had were just strips of pie pastry rolled into a ball, baked, and dusted with sugar.
Next stop: Dinkelsbuhl. Cuter than cute. Think Chemainus, multiply it by at least 1000 in terms of qualilty, then add hundreds of years of fascinating history, a moat, a wall, towers, cobblestones and window boxes and you have Dinkelsbuhl.
On to our destination for the night--Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It is touted as the best of the best on the Romantic Road, but we were a little disappointed. The town's historical value is outshone by the tourist shops which dominate the main streets. Beer steins, cuckoo clocks, Hummel figurines and Christmas decorations, all at inflated prices crowd every shop window.
We followed Rick Steves' advice to park outside the city wall and we dragged our luggage over the cobblestones several blocks to our hotel, (imagine the sound of that) only to find that the hotel had a secure parking garage, for a price, of course. It is a lovely old medieval building, our room is large, and beautifully decorated and has a balcony overlooking a small garden and a jumble of tiled rooftops.
As I took my estimated one hundred and seventy second picture of a narrow cobblestoned street today with much less enthusiasm than the first one hundred, I realized that we are just tired. Hips ache, legs are sore and feet hurt. We have driven over 6000 km and it feels like we have walked just as far, mostly uphill or on stairs. If Rothenburg had been one of our first sights, I suspect we would have been enthralled.
At dinner we saved room for the fancier Schneeballen we had seen, bought the chocolate and marzipan one that Andrea had recommended, but still couldn't see the attraction. We are off across the country to Bruges in Belgium tomorrow. Chocolate, here we come!
Fairy Tale Villages and Schneeballen
The Romantic Road, das Romantische Strasse, in Bavaria is a definite must-see. Thanks, Andrea and Trevor, for suggesting that we include it on this trip. This route runs between Fussen in the south and Wurzberg in the north and connects a series of tiny medieval villages, farms and rolling hills. In the 1950's, the local towns cooperated to create this scenic route for tourists. The villages at which we stopped were walled cities, complete with well-preserved ramparts. We were immersed in the Middle Ages today.
Our first stop was Nordlingen, a town built on the site of a meteorite crater that hit the earth 15 million years ago. The circular wall of the city was constructed on the crater's edge making it perfectly round. We walked along the covered wall and poked around the town, exploring some of the shops in colourful, picturesque high gabled buildings. We bought a couple of Schneeballen, but wondered what all the fuss was about. The ones we had were just strips of pie pastry rolled into a ball, baked, and dusted with sugar.
Next stop: Dinkelsbuhl. Cuter than cute. Think Chemainus, multiply it by at least 1000 in terms of qualilty, then add hundreds of years of fascinating history, a moat, a wall, towers, cobblestones and window boxes and you have Dinkelsbuhl.
On to our destination for the night--Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It is touted as the best of the best on the Romantic Road, but we were a little disappointed. The town's historical value is outshone by the tourist shops which dominate the main streets. Beer steins, cuckoo clocks, Hummel figurines and Christmas decorations, all at inflated prices crowd every shop window.
We followed Rick Steves' advice to park outside the city wall and we dragged our luggage over the cobblestones several blocks to our hotel, (imagine the sound of that) only to find that the hotel had a secure parking garage, for a price, of course. It is a lovely old medieval building, our room is large, and beautifully decorated and has a balcony overlooking a small garden and a jumble of tiled rooftops.
As I took my estimated one hundred and seventy second picture of a narrow cobblestoned street today with much less enthusiasm than the first one hundred, I realized that we are just tired. Hips ache, legs are sore and feet hurt. We have driven over 6000 km and it feels like we have walked just as far, mostly uphill or on stairs. If Rothenburg had been one of our first sights, I suspect we would have been enthralled.
At dinner we saved room for the fancier Schneeballen we had seen, bought the chocolate and marzipan one that Andrea had recommended, but still couldn't see the attraction. We are off across the country to Bruges in Belgium tomorrow. Chocolate, here we come!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Thunderstorms, traffic waits, a castle and a Brauhaus!
August 8, 2010
Wow!
So much happened today it is already hard to remember everything.
Left Bolzano after a continental breakfast in the hotel during which we booked two nights in a hotel on the beach in Dieppe.
Went through the Brenner Pass. Absolutely spectacular scenery. Looming mountains, terraced hillsides, tiny villages, geranium flower boxes. Beautiful.
Crossed the border into Austria and headed towards Innsbruck. Got caught in a traffic hold up for half an hour. Sang along with sappy country music on the iPod and actually enjoyed it.
Stopped and had coffee and shared a muffin. Should have had the apple strudel. When in Rome . . . you know.
Reached Fussen just over the border into Germany. Since we were trying to navigate without a map today (foolish) we parked in the wrong P 4 parking lot, and ended up having the most expensive bathroom break--parking lot fee plus a coffee so we could use the restaurant's bathroom.
Corrected ourselves and headed for the Neuschwanstein castle. Another expensive mistake. Bought the parking ticket for 4.5 euros, walked through the pouring rain, had a look at the length of the line for the bus to take us up to the castle and agreed that (a) this would not be a life-changing experience, and (b) photos from the parking lot would be just fine.
Headed up the Romantic Road through yet more incredible scenery. I "omg"ed it for most of the way. Rolling green hills, happy cows, tidy farm houses bedecked with
geraniums, even their woodpiles were tidy. Loved it.
Arrived in Munich and our (at the moment) beloved GPS led us straight to our hotel. We've discovered the secret to getting a great hotel room: pay more! In a Sheraton tonight. So glad to have a super comfortable bed even though the hotel lacks the personality of the great B&B's we have had.
Proud of ourselves tonight. Our goal for Munich was to revisit Marienplatz and to eat in a Brauhaus. This required taking the subway. We actually figured it out and got off at the right spot. Pretty good for two people who don't speak German. As soon as we came up the stairs out of the subway, we remembered why we loved Munich the first time we were here. It is such an exciting city and such a well-orchestrated mix of the old and the new. Just as we were about to watch the glockenspiel in Marienplatz, the main square, the skies let loose and it started pouring. We ran to a covered area and tried to wait it out. We had been looking for a particular brauhaus (without a map . . . ) but found another one. Loved it! A true Bavarian experience. It was a typical old style German beer house, complete with a boar's head, antlers, rifles, beer kegs, and steins. We broke with our non-meat habits and ordered beer and weiner schnitzel. When in Rome . . .
A perfect end to the day was walking back through the square under a rainbow (no kidding) and stopping to listen to a chamber music group playing Pachabel's Canon.
Wow!
Wow!
So much happened today it is already hard to remember everything.
Left Bolzano after a continental breakfast in the hotel during which we booked two nights in a hotel on the beach in Dieppe.
Went through the Brenner Pass. Absolutely spectacular scenery. Looming mountains, terraced hillsides, tiny villages, geranium flower boxes. Beautiful.
Crossed the border into Austria and headed towards Innsbruck. Got caught in a traffic hold up for half an hour. Sang along with sappy country music on the iPod and actually enjoyed it.
Stopped and had coffee and shared a muffin. Should have had the apple strudel. When in Rome . . . you know.
Reached Fussen just over the border into Germany. Since we were trying to navigate without a map today (foolish) we parked in the wrong P 4 parking lot, and ended up having the most expensive bathroom break--parking lot fee plus a coffee so we could use the restaurant's bathroom.
Corrected ourselves and headed for the Neuschwanstein castle. Another expensive mistake. Bought the parking ticket for 4.5 euros, walked through the pouring rain, had a look at the length of the line for the bus to take us up to the castle and agreed that (a) this would not be a life-changing experience, and (b) photos from the parking lot would be just fine.
Headed up the Romantic Road through yet more incredible scenery. I "omg"ed it for most of the way. Rolling green hills, happy cows, tidy farm houses bedecked with
geraniums, even their woodpiles were tidy. Loved it.
Arrived in Munich and our (at the moment) beloved GPS led us straight to our hotel. We've discovered the secret to getting a great hotel room: pay more! In a Sheraton tonight. So glad to have a super comfortable bed even though the hotel lacks the personality of the great B&B's we have had.
Proud of ourselves tonight. Our goal for Munich was to revisit Marienplatz and to eat in a Brauhaus. This required taking the subway. We actually figured it out and got off at the right spot. Pretty good for two people who don't speak German. As soon as we came up the stairs out of the subway, we remembered why we loved Munich the first time we were here. It is such an exciting city and such a well-orchestrated mix of the old and the new. Just as we were about to watch the glockenspiel in Marienplatz, the main square, the skies let loose and it started pouring. We ran to a covered area and tried to wait it out. We had been looking for a particular brauhaus (without a map . . . ) but found another one. Loved it! A true Bavarian experience. It was a typical old style German beer house, complete with a boar's head, antlers, rifles, beer kegs, and steins. We broke with our non-meat habits and ordered beer and weiner schnitzel. When in Rome . . .
A perfect end to the day was walking back through the square under a rainbow (no kidding) and stopping to listen to a chamber music group playing Pachabel's Canon.
Wow!
Get a bigger cup
August 7, 2010
Today we had what we call "a travel moment", one of those experiences that you want to last forever and that you know you will never forget.
We drove north from here in Bolzano to a tiny town called Castelrotto, poked around a bit, decided we weren't dressed warmly enough and went back to change. It's chilly being up this high in the mountains.
Being up on the Suisi Alm, the largest alpine meadow in Europe was an amazing experience. We took a cable car up the mountain from Suisi, then another one further up into the meadow. Sitting there looking over the meadows and the alpine huts, hearing the tinkling cow bells, and breathing in the fresh mountain air was simply indescribable. There are not enough adjectives in the English language. Even photos cannot capture the beauty of this spot. You will just have to come here. Soon. Den and I agree that this is a day that will be etched in our memories forever.
Earlier on this trip we decided our philosophy was to "Fill up the life we have." We have expanded on that. Now our goal is simply to "get a bigger cup" :)
Today we had what we call "a travel moment", one of those experiences that you want to last forever and that you know you will never forget.
We drove north from here in Bolzano to a tiny town called Castelrotto, poked around a bit, decided we weren't dressed warmly enough and went back to change. It's chilly being up this high in the mountains.
Being up on the Suisi Alm, the largest alpine meadow in Europe was an amazing experience. We took a cable car up the mountain from Suisi, then another one further up into the meadow. Sitting there looking over the meadows and the alpine huts, hearing the tinkling cow bells, and breathing in the fresh mountain air was simply indescribable. There are not enough adjectives in the English language. Even photos cannot capture the beauty of this spot. You will just have to come here. Soon. Den and I agree that this is a day that will be etched in our memories forever.
Earlier on this trip we decided our philosophy was to "Fill up the life we have." We have expanded on that. Now our goal is simply to "get a bigger cup" :)
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