27-06-2011
Pretty, pretty town.
So different from Brussels, smaller, prettier, cleaner and obvious to see why it is a UNESCO world heritage town. Canals crisscross across the town along with multiple bridges. The buildings are old and there is a castle like feel to many of them. Cobblestone roads with horse drawn carriages and bicycles, flowers blooming in hanging pots and boats filled with people on the canals complete the picture.
Easy to see the town on foot but it was hot, the heat wave has hit Belgium. Having found out about the Begijhnof in Amsterdam we visited another one here. Quiet and peaceful, well suited to the nuns that have taken over the place.
The large gothic church that houses the Michelangelo's Madonna and Child has a lot of treasures. The statues in itself is beautiful, supposedly his only piece of sculpture outside Italy, it is delicate and wonderfully sculpted. There is also an interesting tree trunk that is hollowed and has carvings both inside and outside, different to anything I have seen in a church.
The fries at the square were better than the ones in Brussels but Amsterdam's were the best. The chocolates were great but sadly melted in the heat before we could eat them all, greediness had prevailed and we had bought too many.
Sat by the river in the shade, enjoyed the beer ( I skipped it) and the view which included windmills and a couple that really needed to get a room.Then took a canal cruise, along with every other tourist in town. The guide had a good sense of humor making it an enjoyable trip. Needed another drinks break, after the cold in Netherlands the heat really got to us.
After a really lovely day the trip back to Brussels was marred by the cancelled trains. A train is supposed to go every half an hour but there was only one for whole evening, glad we managed to get in. Already running late, it was filled to the capacity with no space to move. Arrived back late to see the airport expresses were running more than 90 minutes late. The journey to the airport is 20 minutes on the train but more than an hour in a taxi in peak hour. Hope this is sorted by tomorrow morning.
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Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Rotterdam / Brussels
26-06-2011
Sunday morning , Rotterdam was asleep. We along with the a few joggers were the only ones on the streets. But we had not seen the famous cube houses yet.
Cube Houses, fun to look at , not sure if they would be fun to live in permanently. A sign outside stated that creativeness was a necessity to live here as standard furniture would not fit. There is even a hostel nestled among the cubes. Close by were the two famous bridges of Rotterdam and not too far was the Euromast. Along the river there is a flag display , tried recognizing them as we went, I sure have improved this year.
Early afternoon we reached Brussels. As we stepped out of the train station we had a gentleman, face scarred from a knife or glass, come up and tell us to keep away our iPad as people have been killed for their phones, scary. I think that set the tone for the rest of the day, we were quite wary from then on.
The European side is dead on the weekends so we literally walked from one end to the other of the lower side. Passed by some old beautiful buildings of churches, palaces and museums, pretty gardens, grand statues and a war memorial column. The good thing is near all of them is a plaque with quite a decent explanation. Along the way had Belgian fries ( a bit of a let down after the ones in Amsterdam), Belgian waffles ( yummy) and Belgian beer ( fruity one for me). Visited the statue of the Peeing boy (Manneken Pis), he was quite dressed up and actually has over 800 costumes, way more clothes than me!
Had a lovely dinner and even though we reached the hotel past midnight, the town is still alive. Overall did not like Brussels too much, the streets are dirty, smelly, saw two instances of road rage turning into fights (the reasons were flimsy), men spitting on the roads and one peeing in front of the restaurant, not a place I want to revisit.
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Sunday morning , Rotterdam was asleep. We along with the a few joggers were the only ones on the streets. But we had not seen the famous cube houses yet.
Cube Houses, fun to look at , not sure if they would be fun to live in permanently. A sign outside stated that creativeness was a necessity to live here as standard furniture would not fit. There is even a hostel nestled among the cubes. Close by were the two famous bridges of Rotterdam and not too far was the Euromast. Along the river there is a flag display , tried recognizing them as we went, I sure have improved this year.
Early afternoon we reached Brussels. As we stepped out of the train station we had a gentleman, face scarred from a knife or glass, come up and tell us to keep away our iPad as people have been killed for their phones, scary. I think that set the tone for the rest of the day, we were quite wary from then on.
The European side is dead on the weekends so we literally walked from one end to the other of the lower side. Passed by some old beautiful buildings of churches, palaces and museums, pretty gardens, grand statues and a war memorial column. The good thing is near all of them is a plaque with quite a decent explanation. Along the way had Belgian fries ( a bit of a let down after the ones in Amsterdam), Belgian waffles ( yummy) and Belgian beer ( fruity one for me). Visited the statue of the Peeing boy (Manneken Pis), he was quite dressed up and actually has over 800 costumes, way more clothes than me!
Had a lovely dinner and even though we reached the hotel past midnight, the town is still alive. Overall did not like Brussels too much, the streets are dirty, smelly, saw two instances of road rage turning into fights (the reasons were flimsy), men spitting on the roads and one peeing in front of the restaurant, not a place I want to revisit.
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Sunday, June 26, 2011
Netherlands - Hague/ Delft
25-06-2011
Cold and wet, the worst kind of day. It was the Veteran's day so Hague was full of the Veterans coming for the parade. It was nice to see them, all dressed up and having a good time.
The Binnenhof was closed to the public in the morning for the event. With not many options and at the urging of the lady at the tourist info centre we visited the Maurithuis. I am glad we did, we came out in a better frame of mind than we were in earlier. It is not a very big place but the paintings are very well displayed,the audio guide is good and the video shown in the beginning is funny. The girl with the pearl earring, the anatomy lesson, Suzzana , the laughing boy, the original sin and one with cows( cannot remember the exact name) were wonderful as were others, though not as famous.
By this time the Binnenhof was open, saw the area but the rain and mist hampered the view slightly.
We decided to return to the hotel but the rain stopped so we saw the town, with its palaces, squares and churches. Suddenly people were everywhere, a competition was on for iPods ( who could hang on to a beam via a cloth piece for the longest), there was a show with various drums being played in the honor of the Veterans and gifts being handed out. We had some Stroopwaffles, thin biscuit-like waffles made fresh and treacle ( I think) placed in between two. There was a gingerish taste to them, yummy.
Visited Delft on the way to Rotterdam. Small, pretty town quite bustling with street markets. Saw a cute water bird building a nest for his mate, pulling a leaf way bigger than him along the water. At a square saw the famous Delft pottery and also a Gypsy roadshow, singing , dancing and a variety of food stalls. Dinner was sorted. Sat and watched awhile.
The day turned out better than I had expected in the morning.
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Cold and wet, the worst kind of day. It was the Veteran's day so Hague was full of the Veterans coming for the parade. It was nice to see them, all dressed up and having a good time.
The Binnenhof was closed to the public in the morning for the event. With not many options and at the urging of the lady at the tourist info centre we visited the Maurithuis. I am glad we did, we came out in a better frame of mind than we were in earlier. It is not a very big place but the paintings are very well displayed,the audio guide is good and the video shown in the beginning is funny. The girl with the pearl earring, the anatomy lesson, Suzzana , the laughing boy, the original sin and one with cows( cannot remember the exact name) were wonderful as were others, though not as famous.
By this time the Binnenhof was open, saw the area but the rain and mist hampered the view slightly.
We decided to return to the hotel but the rain stopped so we saw the town, with its palaces, squares and churches. Suddenly people were everywhere, a competition was on for iPods ( who could hang on to a beam via a cloth piece for the longest), there was a show with various drums being played in the honor of the Veterans and gifts being handed out. We had some Stroopwaffles, thin biscuit-like waffles made fresh and treacle ( I think) placed in between two. There was a gingerish taste to them, yummy.
Visited Delft on the way to Rotterdam. Small, pretty town quite bustling with street markets. Saw a cute water bird building a nest for his mate, pulling a leaf way bigger than him along the water. At a square saw the famous Delft pottery and also a Gypsy roadshow, singing , dancing and a variety of food stalls. Dinner was sorted. Sat and watched awhile.
The day turned out better than I had expected in the morning.
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Netherlands - Haarlem
24-06-2011
Started as a cold, wet, miserable day. The type when you question your sanity for being out in the streets. Ducked into a shop to avoid the downpour and the day became better. Retail therapy is the answer to all problems, it can brighten any day.
A little later, shopping bags in hand and an apple tart in the tummy we set to explore the town. By this time the rain had stopped, the sun was shining and we were smiling.
Walked around the main square, a large church dominates it. People, dressed up, were there for some sort of celebration. Viewed a contemporary art exhibition, not really our thing.
Then the famous windmill, Adriaan's Molen. Our first true windmill in Netherlands. It was rebuilt around 10 years ago and is now a museum. It was Jeevan's new elephant i.e. more than a million pictures of it. The most amusing bit was the elderly gentleman who guided us through the mill. We were with another 4 people and one would constantly question and correct him but it did not faze him. As he said, he knows little and likes to only know a little. Jeevan and I laughed constantly through the tour.
Later in the evening went to Rotterdam, the plan was to roam around a little. We are staying in a nice hotel, it would have been just a regular place for a holiday in Australia but in our Europe trip it is a nice hotel. So stayed in and enjoyed a lovely relaxing bubble bath.
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Started as a cold, wet, miserable day. The type when you question your sanity for being out in the streets. Ducked into a shop to avoid the downpour and the day became better. Retail therapy is the answer to all problems, it can brighten any day.
A little later, shopping bags in hand and an apple tart in the tummy we set to explore the town. By this time the rain had stopped, the sun was shining and we were smiling.
Walked around the main square, a large church dominates it. People, dressed up, were there for some sort of celebration. Viewed a contemporary art exhibition, not really our thing.
Then the famous windmill, Adriaan's Molen. Our first true windmill in Netherlands. It was rebuilt around 10 years ago and is now a museum. It was Jeevan's new elephant i.e. more than a million pictures of it. The most amusing bit was the elderly gentleman who guided us through the mill. We were with another 4 people and one would constantly question and correct him but it did not faze him. As he said, he knows little and likes to only know a little. Jeevan and I laughed constantly through the tour.
Later in the evening went to Rotterdam, the plan was to roam around a little. We are staying in a nice hotel, it would have been just a regular place for a holiday in Australia but in our Europe trip it is a nice hotel. So stayed in and enjoyed a lovely relaxing bubble bath.
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Netherlands- Amsterdam- Day 2
23-06-2011
Raining again but this time we were prepared, though it stopped shortly.
We did a walking tour of the Golden age canals. This area is so much quieter, the shops and cafes are more local as are the people on these streets. Saw some interesting houses and churches along the way. Crossed a lot of bridges, walked near varying houseboats and nearly got hit by cyclists multiple times.
Visited the Bloemenmarkt ( the flower market ), the best bit were the adjoining cheese shops. The goat cheese was good but a new one ( for us ) was the Pesto cheese, really good.
Joined the line ( seemed never ending but moved quite quickly) for the Ann Frank's museum. Having read her book in school, I remembered just the basics. The house with it's secret annex is now quite an interesting museum. At one point I had tears in my eyes, cannot help but get emotional in such a place. I liked the fact that they had an area dedicated to Margot, her sister, she too should not be forgotten. I hope the money from the museum is being put into good use.
A bridge we crossed later in the evening had some sort of event happening. Tons of people were fishing, beer was being sold and a wooden contraption was making music. After an hour it was empty!
Had some more chips, small one after watching quite a stupid movie, Bad teacher. Good day overall.
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Raining again but this time we were prepared, though it stopped shortly.
We did a walking tour of the Golden age canals. This area is so much quieter, the shops and cafes are more local as are the people on these streets. Saw some interesting houses and churches along the way. Crossed a lot of bridges, walked near varying houseboats and nearly got hit by cyclists multiple times.
Visited the Bloemenmarkt ( the flower market ), the best bit were the adjoining cheese shops. The goat cheese was good but a new one ( for us ) was the Pesto cheese, really good.
Joined the line ( seemed never ending but moved quite quickly) for the Ann Frank's museum. Having read her book in school, I remembered just the basics. The house with it's secret annex is now quite an interesting museum. At one point I had tears in my eyes, cannot help but get emotional in such a place. I liked the fact that they had an area dedicated to Margot, her sister, she too should not be forgotten. I hope the money from the museum is being put into good use.
A bridge we crossed later in the evening had some sort of event happening. Tons of people were fishing, beer was being sold and a wooden contraption was making music. After an hour it was empty!
Had some more chips, small one after watching quite a stupid movie, Bad teacher. Good day overall.
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Netherlands- Amsterdam- Day 1
22-06-2011
A bit of a gloomy day but as we were going to visit the Van Gogh museum it did not really matter.
The museum was well set up, Jeevan loves his paintings so we spent quite some time there. The audio guide not only has information about the paintings but also has excerpts of his letters to various people. His self portraits, the potato eaters and the others made good viewing.
Came out of the museum to pouring rain, no form of protection with us. Wondered about watching a movie, instead spent the time eating at one of my favorite joints, Wagamama.
The rain ceased, the sky cleared and we saw quite a bit of Amsterdam. The Dam square with it's palace, war monument and church followed by the Begijnhof (initially religious women who didn't want to become nuns lived here and helped people, now too only women live here though not necessarily religious). The courtyard is small but very serene, everybody talks in hushed tones.
Next was Spui, it had the largest English book shop we have seen so far in Europe, got me excited. A very interesting book was on display - What men think of other than Sex. The back cover had a good little blurb and a few people had endorsed the book. I flipped through to get a brief idea, and guess what - the pages were empty!
We were using a guide that took us to a chapel and then said the entrance was through a tunnel in the adjoining hotel. We went to the hotel and were escorted to the chapel, along the way we heard the history. When we arrived we realized it was now a hall for various functions. The lady had thought we were interested in hiring the place!
Had some super yummy chips, they are supposedly voted number one in Amsterdam. I would strongly agree with that. We made a mistake by ordering a large portion, it was so sad to discard them, heartbreaking actually.
Strolled along some canals, saw the headquarters of what was once the East India Company (ruled India and Sri Lanka) . Right across were some coffee shops and not too far away was the red light district. Well from there on we had an interesting night.
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A bit of a gloomy day but as we were going to visit the Van Gogh museum it did not really matter.
The museum was well set up, Jeevan loves his paintings so we spent quite some time there. The audio guide not only has information about the paintings but also has excerpts of his letters to various people. His self portraits, the potato eaters and the others made good viewing.
Came out of the museum to pouring rain, no form of protection with us. Wondered about watching a movie, instead spent the time eating at one of my favorite joints, Wagamama.
The rain ceased, the sky cleared and we saw quite a bit of Amsterdam. The Dam square with it's palace, war monument and church followed by the Begijnhof (initially religious women who didn't want to become nuns lived here and helped people, now too only women live here though not necessarily religious). The courtyard is small but very serene, everybody talks in hushed tones.
Next was Spui, it had the largest English book shop we have seen so far in Europe, got me excited. A very interesting book was on display - What men think of other than Sex. The back cover had a good little blurb and a few people had endorsed the book. I flipped through to get a brief idea, and guess what - the pages were empty!
We were using a guide that took us to a chapel and then said the entrance was through a tunnel in the adjoining hotel. We went to the hotel and were escorted to the chapel, along the way we heard the history. When we arrived we realized it was now a hall for various functions. The lady had thought we were interested in hiring the place!
Had some super yummy chips, they are supposedly voted number one in Amsterdam. I would strongly agree with that. We made a mistake by ordering a large portion, it was so sad to discard them, heartbreaking actually.
Strolled along some canals, saw the headquarters of what was once the East India Company (ruled India and Sri Lanka) . Right across were some coffee shops and not too far away was the red light district. Well from there on we had an interesting night.
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Germany - Berlin -Day 3
21-06-2011
After a lovely late start to the day we visited the Gemaldegalerie. It had some great pieces , really like the ones of Manet on display. But we were not as enthralled as we normally are therefore decided to skip all other cultural events and head to the shops.
Loved it, love shopping.
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After a lovely late start to the day we visited the Gemaldegalerie. It had some great pieces , really like the ones of Manet on display. But we were not as enthralled as we normally are therefore decided to skip all other cultural events and head to the shops.
Loved it, love shopping.
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Germany- Berlin-Day 2
20-06-2011
So much has happened here in the past 100 years that we decided to go on a guided tour to hear all about it. We went out of our way to start on an earlier tour, what they don't write on their website is that they merge with the later tour at a different venue and then start it. Could have just slept in instead!
In spite of the start I really enjoyed the tour. The guide was really passionate as well as quite theatrical , arms flying all over the place, shouting, crying, laughing, she did it all. We went through the Museum Island, saw the area that once contained the old palace and then the East Germany Parliament, both destroyed. Walked by Night of Shame, a memorial for the burning of books that occurred during the Nazi rule. Then the war memorial of the woman with the dead child, both are quite thought provoking.
Saw the Goring's Air Ministry, the area of the Gestapo headquarters , Hitler's bunkers, heard the story of his suicide. Stopped for a chocolate break at a shop which had a chocolate sculptures of the important buildings in town.
Then the Berlin wall part of the tour commenced. Checkpoint Charlie, the remaining bits of the wall itself, the museum associated with it , were seen and stories heard about it. There was a man from the US in the tour who had visited Germany when the wall was standing.
Stopped at the Ode to the murdered Jews of Europe, blocks of the same length and width but varying heights and inclination fill the area. There are others monuments as well for the lost lives at the hands of Hitler.
We ended the tour at Paris square after seeing the glass domed Parliament
(people can watch the session occurring through the glass ceiling). The square contains Hotel Adlon where Michael Jackson infamously held his child out of the window.
We walked through the Brandenburg gate, along Tiergarten to the victory column and that was it for history for the day. The best bit is I am reading a novel that is set in Berlin around Hitler's time and being here makes it a fun read.
The rest of the day was spent at the shops and watching X Men. There was a premiere of a new Kevin James movie so he was there too ( didn't actually see him).
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So much has happened here in the past 100 years that we decided to go on a guided tour to hear all about it. We went out of our way to start on an earlier tour, what they don't write on their website is that they merge with the later tour at a different venue and then start it. Could have just slept in instead!
In spite of the start I really enjoyed the tour. The guide was really passionate as well as quite theatrical , arms flying all over the place, shouting, crying, laughing, she did it all. We went through the Museum Island, saw the area that once contained the old palace and then the East Germany Parliament, both destroyed. Walked by Night of Shame, a memorial for the burning of books that occurred during the Nazi rule. Then the war memorial of the woman with the dead child, both are quite thought provoking.
Saw the Goring's Air Ministry, the area of the Gestapo headquarters , Hitler's bunkers, heard the story of his suicide. Stopped for a chocolate break at a shop which had a chocolate sculptures of the important buildings in town.
Then the Berlin wall part of the tour commenced. Checkpoint Charlie, the remaining bits of the wall itself, the museum associated with it , were seen and stories heard about it. There was a man from the US in the tour who had visited Germany when the wall was standing.
Stopped at the Ode to the murdered Jews of Europe, blocks of the same length and width but varying heights and inclination fill the area. There are others monuments as well for the lost lives at the hands of Hitler.
We ended the tour at Paris square after seeing the glass domed Parliament
(people can watch the session occurring through the glass ceiling). The square contains Hotel Adlon where Michael Jackson infamously held his child out of the window.
We walked through the Brandenburg gate, along Tiergarten to the victory column and that was it for history for the day. The best bit is I am reading a novel that is set in Berlin around Hitler's time and being here makes it a fun read.
The rest of the day was spent at the shops and watching X Men. There was a premiere of a new Kevin James movie so he was there too ( didn't actually see him).
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Germany- Berlin- Day 1
19-06-2011
Bad day to be out, good day for the museums.
Museum island, appropriately named , was quite busy for a Sunday. Having no preference, we started with Neues Museum as it required a time slot for entry.
It has quite an impressive collection but somehow didn't really capture my attention. Obviously the Nefertiti Bust is worth a look, no renovation required so far, for such an old piece that is amazing.
Loved, absolutely loved the Pergamonmuseum. Went in with minimal expectations, left excited. First was the altar of Pergamon, it has been reconstructed magnificently. The stairs have been made from the marble found there and can be used to walk on or sit. The friezes are on the walls not in glass cases. Next was the Roman room, the columns are huge, we were seeing ruins after a break so liked them again. The best of all was the Ishtar gate and the Processional way, reconstructed from the finds in Babylon. WOW. To think centuries ago they were part of an amazing city. I can go on and on about them but will just go look at the pictures and relive the memories instead. There were obviously many more things in the museum but these were the best bits.
The weather was still poor so popped into the Altes Nationalgalerie. A lot to see there and not too much time. Started at the top as per the guide there but the best bits were on the lower two floors which were slightly rushed. Some beautiful marble sculptures were on display.
Overloaded, we decided to wind down with a movie. A slight misunderstanding made us miss some trains and by the time we reached the theatre it was too late. We shall return.
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Bad day to be out, good day for the museums.
Museum island, appropriately named , was quite busy for a Sunday. Having no preference, we started with Neues Museum as it required a time slot for entry.
It has quite an impressive collection but somehow didn't really capture my attention. Obviously the Nefertiti Bust is worth a look, no renovation required so far, for such an old piece that is amazing.
Loved, absolutely loved the Pergamonmuseum. Went in with minimal expectations, left excited. First was the altar of Pergamon, it has been reconstructed magnificently. The stairs have been made from the marble found there and can be used to walk on or sit. The friezes are on the walls not in glass cases. Next was the Roman room, the columns are huge, we were seeing ruins after a break so liked them again. The best of all was the Ishtar gate and the Processional way, reconstructed from the finds in Babylon. WOW. To think centuries ago they were part of an amazing city. I can go on and on about them but will just go look at the pictures and relive the memories instead. There were obviously many more things in the museum but these were the best bits.
The weather was still poor so popped into the Altes Nationalgalerie. A lot to see there and not too much time. Started at the top as per the guide there but the best bits were on the lower two floors which were slightly rushed. Some beautiful marble sculptures were on display.
Overloaded, we decided to wind down with a movie. A slight misunderstanding made us miss some trains and by the time we reached the theatre it was too late. We shall return.
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Saturday, June 18, 2011
Prague/ Berlin
18-06-2011
Relaxed morning . Thought about visiting a castle outside Prague but scraped the idea in favor of sleeping in. Spent the rest of the morning catching up with family.
Unknown to us we took a scenic routed train. We commented on how beautiful the outside was as we went along a river with mountains on the sides, quite a few castles on various edges and people having fun in the river or the fair we passed. Only when we had our pass out to be shown did we look it up and realize it is a listed scenic route.
Good day to be indoors, drizzling and cloudy a lot of the times. Back in Germany, looking forward to Berlin.
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Relaxed morning . Thought about visiting a castle outside Prague but scraped the idea in favor of sleeping in. Spent the rest of the morning catching up with family.
Unknown to us we took a scenic routed train. We commented on how beautiful the outside was as we went along a river with mountains on the sides, quite a few castles on various edges and people having fun in the river or the fair we passed. Only when we had our pass out to be shown did we look it up and realize it is a listed scenic route.
Good day to be indoors, drizzling and cloudy a lot of the times. Back in Germany, looking forward to Berlin.
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Prague - Day 2
17-06-2011
Revisited the Prague Castle to finish seeing the bits that were closed due to the strike yesterday.
The only thing worth the trip was the Picture Gallery which contains a few masterpieces accompanied by good written information.
Went to Staromestki Namesti( the old town square), it really is an old town square. The surrounding buildings, the fountain in the middle, the stalls with women dressed in costume cooking traditional fare, men serving beer, a spit with meat getting roasted, a humongous pan on an open fire for the potatoes, makes a great atmosphere. Had delicious food here, two pancake sort of things with bacon in between and a twisted hollow bread like thing sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
Joined the throngs in front of the old town hall to watch the show at the hour, over before it starts!
An interesting church we went to was, St. James' church. It has a shriveled arm of a thief hanging inside from the 16th century.
Walked through the old Jewish quarters, the overcrowded cemetery and the synagogues, such a sad history yet now seems lively due to all the tourists. We visited our first ever Synagogue. The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest one in Europe in use.
Had some great fruit at the Havel market as we made our way to the Petrin tower. A miniature Eiffel tower it has beautiful rose gardens in front of it. Felt too lazy to walk so the funicular was very handy.
Last stop was the Wenceslas square, it's the busiest square in the city. Even with all the modern stores it also has an old city feel. Contemplating buying a history book but it weighs around two kilos, not sure if I want to lug it around.
Last night here, Prague has been lovely. Old city, steeped in so much history, most of it quite sad.
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Revisited the Prague Castle to finish seeing the bits that were closed due to the strike yesterday.
The only thing worth the trip was the Picture Gallery which contains a few masterpieces accompanied by good written information.
Went to Staromestki Namesti( the old town square), it really is an old town square. The surrounding buildings, the fountain in the middle, the stalls with women dressed in costume cooking traditional fare, men serving beer, a spit with meat getting roasted, a humongous pan on an open fire for the potatoes, makes a great atmosphere. Had delicious food here, two pancake sort of things with bacon in between and a twisted hollow bread like thing sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
Joined the throngs in front of the old town hall to watch the show at the hour, over before it starts!
An interesting church we went to was, St. James' church. It has a shriveled arm of a thief hanging inside from the 16th century.
Walked through the old Jewish quarters, the overcrowded cemetery and the synagogues, such a sad history yet now seems lively due to all the tourists. We visited our first ever Synagogue. The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest one in Europe in use.
Had some great fruit at the Havel market as we made our way to the Petrin tower. A miniature Eiffel tower it has beautiful rose gardens in front of it. Felt too lazy to walk so the funicular was very handy.
Last stop was the Wenceslas square, it's the busiest square in the city. Even with all the modern stores it also has an old city feel. Contemplating buying a history book but it weighs around two kilos, not sure if I want to lug it around.
Last night here, Prague has been lovely. Old city, steeped in so much history, most of it quite sad.
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Prague - Day 1
16-06-2011
The public transport is on a strike today, our sturdy legs were put into good use.
Made our way to the Prague Castle in the morning. Having read quite a few unflattering reviews about the place we reached there with mixed feelings. Sometimes low expectations leads to a better experience.
There are guards at the entrance, came back at midday to watch the change of guard with all it's fanfare. There were trumpets being blown, drums rolling, quite a few soldiers marching and obviously a large crowd watching.
First stop inside was the St. Vitus Cathedral, it has taken many centuries to complete it. There are quite a few tombs in here, very nicely explained to us by an elderly gentleman working there.
Then through the Royal Palace, has an air of abandonment as it has been unoccupied for so long. The annoying thing about the castle is that even having bought a ticket for the whole castle, further charges come up along the way. The Ludwig's wing has an interesting history with men being thrown out of the windows for speaking up against the rulers.
A toy museum is also in the grounds of the palace. There is statue of a young boy in the front courtyard . I am not sure of the exact significance but a lot of people rubbed his penis ( due to that it was golden and shiny), for once we did not follow the crowd.
After visiting the other cathedral and palaces, ended up on the Golden Lane. I enjoyed this quite a lot. Sharpshooters lived here, the houses, shops , the passageway within the wall and the towers are open to the public. There is a display of knight's armors, spears, swords and various other weapons. There is also a setup where target shooting is possible using a crossbow, very Robin Hoodish. Jeevan did pretty well.
St. Nicholas' church in the lesser town is beautiful with it's dome and tower. Paid entrance, more a concert hall these days than a place of worship.
Everything here has an entrance fee, including Vrtbovska Zahrada, the terraced gardens of a small palace, very serene. Saw a lovely bridal couple having their pictures taken.
The next thing was free, Church of our Lady Victorious. It has the wax statue of baby Jesus, Bambino di Praga. Met an Indian priest from Mangalore ( 50 km away from our university) there, he was quite chatty.
Walked on the famous Charles Bridge. Loved looking at the various statues lining both sides, each has a history behind it. Rubbed and wished upon St. John of Nepomunk's statue ( he was thrown off this bridge). The towers at both ends of the bridge have men dressed in medieval clothes and blowing trumpets every hour. 12 heads were displayed here a few centuries ago, people beheaded for going against the rulers and their religion.
Thought about going for a concert to the Obecni Dum ( grandiose building) but after watching the people going through, we realized we did not have appropriate clothes.
Walked by the Powder tower and decided to call it a night as tiredness suddenly descended upon us.
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The public transport is on a strike today, our sturdy legs were put into good use.
Made our way to the Prague Castle in the morning. Having read quite a few unflattering reviews about the place we reached there with mixed feelings. Sometimes low expectations leads to a better experience.
There are guards at the entrance, came back at midday to watch the change of guard with all it's fanfare. There were trumpets being blown, drums rolling, quite a few soldiers marching and obviously a large crowd watching.
First stop inside was the St. Vitus Cathedral, it has taken many centuries to complete it. There are quite a few tombs in here, very nicely explained to us by an elderly gentleman working there.
Then through the Royal Palace, has an air of abandonment as it has been unoccupied for so long. The annoying thing about the castle is that even having bought a ticket for the whole castle, further charges come up along the way. The Ludwig's wing has an interesting history with men being thrown out of the windows for speaking up against the rulers.
A toy museum is also in the grounds of the palace. There is statue of a young boy in the front courtyard . I am not sure of the exact significance but a lot of people rubbed his penis ( due to that it was golden and shiny), for once we did not follow the crowd.
After visiting the other cathedral and palaces, ended up on the Golden Lane. I enjoyed this quite a lot. Sharpshooters lived here, the houses, shops , the passageway within the wall and the towers are open to the public. There is a display of knight's armors, spears, swords and various other weapons. There is also a setup where target shooting is possible using a crossbow, very Robin Hoodish. Jeevan did pretty well.
St. Nicholas' church in the lesser town is beautiful with it's dome and tower. Paid entrance, more a concert hall these days than a place of worship.
Everything here has an entrance fee, including Vrtbovska Zahrada, the terraced gardens of a small palace, very serene. Saw a lovely bridal couple having their pictures taken.
The next thing was free, Church of our Lady Victorious. It has the wax statue of baby Jesus, Bambino di Praga. Met an Indian priest from Mangalore ( 50 km away from our university) there, he was quite chatty.
Walked on the famous Charles Bridge. Loved looking at the various statues lining both sides, each has a history behind it. Rubbed and wished upon St. John of Nepomunk's statue ( he was thrown off this bridge). The towers at both ends of the bridge have men dressed in medieval clothes and blowing trumpets every hour. 12 heads were displayed here a few centuries ago, people beheaded for going against the rulers and their religion.
Thought about going for a concert to the Obecni Dum ( grandiose building) but after watching the people going through, we realized we did not have appropriate clothes.
Walked by the Powder tower and decided to call it a night as tiredness suddenly descended upon us.
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Friday, June 17, 2011
Vienna- Day 3
15-06-2011
Only thing left on the agenda was the Schonbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Habsburgs. We were really early so escaped the throngs that descended later.
The rooms are pretty but quite similar to the Imperial apartments in some areas, also the commentary is similar. The candles on the chandeliers were electric but flickered and moved like a true flame, giving an authentic feel to the place.Need to read more about Maria Theresa, sounds like a fascinating lady.
A lot of reviews call this a mini Versailles, well it was built when Marie Antoinette was living in Versailles ( daughter of Maria Theresa). The gardens surrounding the palace are beautiful and more impressive than the interiors. Gorgeous flowerbeds, enormous fountains ( Neptune and Obelisk ), roses over a walkway, a maze along with a children's play area, a swimming pool, even Roman ruins have been included. Climbed the hill , atop is the summerhouse , the Gloriette, lovely views of the city as well as the palace and gardens below.
Leaving for Prague today. Glad we got to see so much of this old classy city , unluckily missed the Vienna Choir boys ( not performing on the days we were there).
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Only thing left on the agenda was the Schonbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Habsburgs. We were really early so escaped the throngs that descended later.
The rooms are pretty but quite similar to the Imperial apartments in some areas, also the commentary is similar. The candles on the chandeliers were electric but flickered and moved like a true flame, giving an authentic feel to the place.Need to read more about Maria Theresa, sounds like a fascinating lady.
A lot of reviews call this a mini Versailles, well it was built when Marie Antoinette was living in Versailles ( daughter of Maria Theresa). The gardens surrounding the palace are beautiful and more impressive than the interiors. Gorgeous flowerbeds, enormous fountains ( Neptune and Obelisk ), roses over a walkway, a maze along with a children's play area, a swimming pool, even Roman ruins have been included. Climbed the hill , atop is the summerhouse , the Gloriette, lovely views of the city as well as the palace and gardens below.
Leaving for Prague today. Glad we got to see so much of this old classy city , unluckily missed the Vienna Choir boys ( not performing on the days we were there).
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Vienna -Day 2
14-06-2011
We were earlier than the time of the entrance to get good seats at the Spanish riding school to see the Lippizanner horses. The performances are on the weekends, so would not be able to see them. Instead we opted for the morning exercises with music, what a disappointment. It is of two hours duration and more expensive than some museums. All we got to see were the horses walking around the arena, a few canters and once one kind of went up on his hind legs. Most people left after an hour, I think one has to be crazy about horses to enjoy this. We had already seen the horses in their stables and then being taken into the arena, could have saved the money and the time. The performances, being shown on the screen outside, look amazing. Next time hopefully we will be here on a weekend.
Then to the Leichtenstein museum. Small art gallery containing some great pieces like the ones of Ruben's children and the earth - a face made by various animals, up close you see the animals , from a distance the face. Another interesting painting was one that looked like a sketch of a man was pinned on a tree, good 3D effect.
Visited the rest of the places around the Ringstrasse. The best was the Karlskirsche, the grandest church in town ( in my opinion) and the Secession, white building with a golden, netted dome.
Dinner at the crowded Naschmarket. The market was built on the riverbed of the Danube after it was diverted.
A slower paced day.
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We were earlier than the time of the entrance to get good seats at the Spanish riding school to see the Lippizanner horses. The performances are on the weekends, so would not be able to see them. Instead we opted for the morning exercises with music, what a disappointment. It is of two hours duration and more expensive than some museums. All we got to see were the horses walking around the arena, a few canters and once one kind of went up on his hind legs. Most people left after an hour, I think one has to be crazy about horses to enjoy this. We had already seen the horses in their stables and then being taken into the arena, could have saved the money and the time. The performances, being shown on the screen outside, look amazing. Next time hopefully we will be here on a weekend.
Then to the Leichtenstein museum. Small art gallery containing some great pieces like the ones of Ruben's children and the earth - a face made by various animals, up close you see the animals , from a distance the face. Another interesting painting was one that looked like a sketch of a man was pinned on a tree, good 3D effect.
Visited the rest of the places around the Ringstrasse. The best was the Karlskirsche, the grandest church in town ( in my opinion) and the Secession, white building with a golden, netted dome.
Dinner at the crowded Naschmarket. The market was built on the riverbed of the Danube after it was diverted.
A slower paced day.
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Vienna- Day 1
13-06-2011
So much to see in such little time.
Did not realize that today is a holiday for the Pentacost. Arrived early morning to Stephensplatz, it was so quiet. The stalls were closed and there were a few pedestrians. Later in the day it was just the opposite with a open stalls and cafes along with the hustle and bustle of the crowds. There is a shriveled old tree behind a glass panel near a hotel, where craftsmen placed nails for luck when leaving Vienna in the 16 century, today there are mainly nails,minimal tree.
St. Stephen's Cathedral dominates the square, the inside is very different due to the lighting effect of the windows, various color hues play over the structures. Initially thought it was the glass that was stained in the colors but it is sheets of colored plastic hanging over the windows, innovative. We attended the mass later in the morning as a Mozart concert was being held along with it. Beautiful singing accompanied the lovely music. Vienna and Mozart go hand in hand.
Walked around at various stages through the day to explore Vienna. Passed by the finishing school for ladies (Savoysches Damenstift), no longer functional, I wonder why !
Saw the State Opera house, has a large screen outside where a passerby can watch the show being performed. Next to it is the Sacher hotel along with it's famous Sachertorte. We had one at the cafe there, a little dry for me, maybe the expectations were too high.
Went by Albertina, Lobkowitz palace, Josefplatz ( massive statue of Joseph II on a horse ) and Michaelplatz ( containing an interesting fountain, St Michael's Church and Loo's house) to reach the Hofburg palace.
The Hofburg Palace, the winter residence of the Habsburgs. It is quite an extensive complex. First visited the Silver linen rooms, the Sissi museum and the Imperial apartments ( Kaiserappartments). An audio guide took us through the lot. I was a bit skeptical about the first set of rooms but ended up finding it quite interesting. Gold , silver and porcelain tableware and cutlery were abundant and some of the sets had quite a history behind them . The centerpieces were gorgeous , even the napkins that are placed on the table are folded in a specific manner, only two people presently know the secret method.
Sissi museum gave us quite an insight into this melancholic but beautiful princess. Her dresses and jewelry , though copies, were gorgeous. Her life seems quite tragic, death of a daughter, only son committed suicide along with his mistress and it seems like she had depression and anorexia, lastly to be assassinated . When she was stabbed in the chest she did not even realize it and boarded the ship which set sail and had to return after she fainted.
Imperial apartments, the king's area was quite a contrast to Sissi's side. The picture painted through the rooms makes him out to be quite a well loved, hard working king very much in touch with the common man. His life seems even more tragic, deaths of his children, wife , brother and then World War I.
Next stop was the Imperial treasury ( Schatzkammer). Stunning jewelry ( an emerald of 2680 carats) , literally takes your breath away. The crowns , the paintings and the coronation gowns are marvelous. The swords were so well decorated, one had Arabic writing on it giving it a very magical look. There was an exquisite cradle that was made for Napoleon's son, an eagle is at the foot end looking to the top of the cradle, symbolizing the hopes on the son to surpass his father's success. Poor boy grew up away from fame, politics and his parents, dying at 21 from a lung disease. There is also quite a bit about the order of the Golden Fleece which is still active today.
The other half of the treasury contains relics associated with Mary and Jesus Christ. The larger the number of relics in a country, more it's power in the Holy Roman Empire. So obviously a little skeptical about the true origins of the relics but still quite fascinated. Each bit is protected with beautiful exteriors. There are bits of the cross, the lancet that pierced him, a nail from the crucifixion and the veil on which his face was wiped and his image appeared ( actually can see traces of a face on the cloth). Also bits of Mary's veil, an apostle's tooth and a few other things.
Admired the rose gardens surrounding Hofsplatz , then the parliament. Impressive
large white building with staircases on both sides, statues in the middle and chariots on both ends at the top, reminded me of Rome.
Spent the rest of the evening walking around the various squares. One has a plague column ( was expecting a sad monument but is very cheerful as it is thanking the gods for getting rid of the plague). We were following a walking tour plan and got to see quite a few non touristy areas, at one point of time we were in a courtyard. The entrance to it is through a small gate in a wall, on our own we wouldn't have noticed it. It was so quiet there, only a few local people and us, a pedestrian area right in the centre of the city.
Exhausted but what a great day, looking forward to a late start tomorrow.
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So much to see in such little time.
Did not realize that today is a holiday for the Pentacost. Arrived early morning to Stephensplatz, it was so quiet. The stalls were closed and there were a few pedestrians. Later in the day it was just the opposite with a open stalls and cafes along with the hustle and bustle of the crowds. There is a shriveled old tree behind a glass panel near a hotel, where craftsmen placed nails for luck when leaving Vienna in the 16 century, today there are mainly nails,minimal tree.
St. Stephen's Cathedral dominates the square, the inside is very different due to the lighting effect of the windows, various color hues play over the structures. Initially thought it was the glass that was stained in the colors but it is sheets of colored plastic hanging over the windows, innovative. We attended the mass later in the morning as a Mozart concert was being held along with it. Beautiful singing accompanied the lovely music. Vienna and Mozart go hand in hand.
Walked around at various stages through the day to explore Vienna. Passed by the finishing school for ladies (Savoysches Damenstift), no longer functional, I wonder why !
Saw the State Opera house, has a large screen outside where a passerby can watch the show being performed. Next to it is the Sacher hotel along with it's famous Sachertorte. We had one at the cafe there, a little dry for me, maybe the expectations were too high.
Went by Albertina, Lobkowitz palace, Josefplatz ( massive statue of Joseph II on a horse ) and Michaelplatz ( containing an interesting fountain, St Michael's Church and Loo's house) to reach the Hofburg palace.
The Hofburg Palace, the winter residence of the Habsburgs. It is quite an extensive complex. First visited the Silver linen rooms, the Sissi museum and the Imperial apartments ( Kaiserappartments). An audio guide took us through the lot. I was a bit skeptical about the first set of rooms but ended up finding it quite interesting. Gold , silver and porcelain tableware and cutlery were abundant and some of the sets had quite a history behind them . The centerpieces were gorgeous , even the napkins that are placed on the table are folded in a specific manner, only two people presently know the secret method.
Sissi museum gave us quite an insight into this melancholic but beautiful princess. Her dresses and jewelry , though copies, were gorgeous. Her life seems quite tragic, death of a daughter, only son committed suicide along with his mistress and it seems like she had depression and anorexia, lastly to be assassinated . When she was stabbed in the chest she did not even realize it and boarded the ship which set sail and had to return after she fainted.
Imperial apartments, the king's area was quite a contrast to Sissi's side. The picture painted through the rooms makes him out to be quite a well loved, hard working king very much in touch with the common man. His life seems even more tragic, deaths of his children, wife , brother and then World War I.
Next stop was the Imperial treasury ( Schatzkammer). Stunning jewelry ( an emerald of 2680 carats) , literally takes your breath away. The crowns , the paintings and the coronation gowns are marvelous. The swords were so well decorated, one had Arabic writing on it giving it a very magical look. There was an exquisite cradle that was made for Napoleon's son, an eagle is at the foot end looking to the top of the cradle, symbolizing the hopes on the son to surpass his father's success. Poor boy grew up away from fame, politics and his parents, dying at 21 from a lung disease. There is also quite a bit about the order of the Golden Fleece which is still active today.
The other half of the treasury contains relics associated with Mary and Jesus Christ. The larger the number of relics in a country, more it's power in the Holy Roman Empire. So obviously a little skeptical about the true origins of the relics but still quite fascinated. Each bit is protected with beautiful exteriors. There are bits of the cross, the lancet that pierced him, a nail from the crucifixion and the veil on which his face was wiped and his image appeared ( actually can see traces of a face on the cloth). Also bits of Mary's veil, an apostle's tooth and a few other things.
Admired the rose gardens surrounding Hofsplatz , then the parliament. Impressive
large white building with staircases on both sides, statues in the middle and chariots on both ends at the top, reminded me of Rome.
Spent the rest of the evening walking around the various squares. One has a plague column ( was expecting a sad monument but is very cheerful as it is thanking the gods for getting rid of the plague). We were following a walking tour plan and got to see quite a few non touristy areas, at one point of time we were in a courtyard. The entrance to it is through a small gate in a wall, on our own we wouldn't have noticed it. It was so quiet there, only a few local people and us, a pedestrian area right in the centre of the city.
Exhausted but what a great day, looking forward to a late start tomorrow.
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Germany - Munchen -Day 3
12-06-2011
Last day in Munich, a little bit still left to cover.
Left early in the morning to visit the Englischer Garten. There are supposed to be quite a few nude sunbathers around but we were too early so only saw the exercise enthusiasts. On the river flowing through saw a group of people surfing on a wave that formed as the water gushed through the bridge. Most didn't stay up too long.
Saw the Chinese tower with the surrounding beer gardens, just being set up for the day. Then headed for our last museum.
The Alte Pinakothek, had so much but the audio guide helped us concentrate on a few. Rembrandt is the artist known to have made the most self portraits , also put himself in some pictures ( like the crucification of Christ ). The self portrait of Albrecht Durer is quite enthralling. Ruben' s wives along with his other paintings also made good viewing. Cannot remember the artist or the name of the picture but there was a good one of a lion attacking a man and other men killing the lion.
Have really enjoyed our stay in Munich. Good food, beer, inexpensive ice cream and great sights along with helpful people.
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Last day in Munich, a little bit still left to cover.
Left early in the morning to visit the Englischer Garten. There are supposed to be quite a few nude sunbathers around but we were too early so only saw the exercise enthusiasts. On the river flowing through saw a group of people surfing on a wave that formed as the water gushed through the bridge. Most didn't stay up too long.
Saw the Chinese tower with the surrounding beer gardens, just being set up for the day. Then headed for our last museum.
The Alte Pinakothek, had so much but the audio guide helped us concentrate on a few. Rembrandt is the artist known to have made the most self portraits , also put himself in some pictures ( like the crucification of Christ ). The self portrait of Albrecht Durer is quite enthralling. Ruben' s wives along with his other paintings also made good viewing. Cannot remember the artist or the name of the picture but there was a good one of a lion attacking a man and other men killing the lion.
Have really enjoyed our stay in Munich. Good food, beer, inexpensive ice cream and great sights along with helpful people.
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Germany - Munich -Day 2
11-06-2011
The morning was spent at Deutsches museum, largest museum of masterpieces of science and technology. It was different to any museum we had visited so far. It was overwhelming and having no audio guide or plan with us, we were quite underprepared. The bits about boats , airplanes and bridges was quite interesting but we got a bit bored with rest. Left after the electricity show, was in German so not very exciting.
The rest of the day was well spent at the Schloss Nymphenburg. I think there is some form of a tradition where brides to be visit the palace. We saw 4-5 groups of women with one in each dressed in a ball gown and wearing some form of a tiara.
Quite enjoyed the visit, I think I am becoming a bit of a history buff. Love the stories of the kings and queens of the bygone eras. It's a beautiful palace, there are two rooms of beauties. The first is of only noblewoman, the collection of Maxmilian I . The second room is much bigger and has a wider range of beauties, obviously Ludwig I 's collection ( Ludwig II' s collection in another building is that of horses).
Then visited the garden, rather a forest in a lot of areas, and the many smaller museums. Marstallmuseum houses the royal coaches, carriages and sleds. Ludwig II's ones are pieces of art, lots of gold, lots of work and a lot of them, he really knew how to spend ( or waste) money.
Then Amalienburg, the hunting lodge. There is a circular platform on the roof from which Maria Amalia shot animals as they were made to run around the lodge.
There are central canals, hedges , trees and pastures but it looks quite unkept, maintenance for such a huge area must cost a fortune.
The last building we visited looked pretty shabby on the outside, then read it was built to look like a ruin. The chapel inside also had a similar theme, I really liked it, cave like with seashells and butterflies built into it.
Good day overall.
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The morning was spent at Deutsches museum, largest museum of masterpieces of science and technology. It was different to any museum we had visited so far. It was overwhelming and having no audio guide or plan with us, we were quite underprepared. The bits about boats , airplanes and bridges was quite interesting but we got a bit bored with rest. Left after the electricity show, was in German so not very exciting.
The rest of the day was well spent at the Schloss Nymphenburg. I think there is some form of a tradition where brides to be visit the palace. We saw 4-5 groups of women with one in each dressed in a ball gown and wearing some form of a tiara.
Quite enjoyed the visit, I think I am becoming a bit of a history buff. Love the stories of the kings and queens of the bygone eras. It's a beautiful palace, there are two rooms of beauties. The first is of only noblewoman, the collection of Maxmilian I . The second room is much bigger and has a wider range of beauties, obviously Ludwig I 's collection ( Ludwig II' s collection in another building is that of horses).
Then visited the garden, rather a forest in a lot of areas, and the many smaller museums. Marstallmuseum houses the royal coaches, carriages and sleds. Ludwig II's ones are pieces of art, lots of gold, lots of work and a lot of them, he really knew how to spend ( or waste) money.
Then Amalienburg, the hunting lodge. There is a circular platform on the roof from which Maria Amalia shot animals as they were made to run around the lodge.
There are central canals, hedges , trees and pastures but it looks quite unkept, maintenance for such a huge area must cost a fortune.
The last building we visited looked pretty shabby on the outside, then read it was built to look like a ruin. The chapel inside also had a similar theme, I really liked it, cave like with seashells and butterflies built into it.
Good day overall.
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Germany- Munich- Day 1
10-06-2011
All ready for a new day in a new city.
Combined two walking tours from Frommer's and with a good map in hand we started.
Marienplatz, the busiest square in Munich, flooded with various tour groups and tourists all eagerly awaiting the show at 11. I was glad we were there too as it was a lot of fun to watch the mini tournament enacted in the clock tower (Glockenspiel) of the new town hall (Neues Rathaus ). The jesters, the nobles and then the knights, in the second round one of them gets knocked out. This is followed by the dancing in the second row.
Went to quite a few cathedrals/ churches, a lot of them were destroyed in the war but were restored quite quickly. Frauenkirche, the domed towers are part of the Munich skyline, not as impressive inside. Peterskirche, beautiful inside, a lot of white and gold. Theaternikirche and Michaelkirche are quite unpretentious on the outside but gorgeous interiors surprised us.
Viktualienmarkt ( Munich's stomach) , is a wonderful market. There was a shop selling olives, mushrooms etc in barrels and had huge bunches of dried red chillies hanging above, a very attractive look. We had a seafood lunch there and came back for dinner, soup from the soup kitchen ( name of the restaurant).
Visited the Hofbrahaus, first it's massive second floor hall which also contains a niche with a history of the brewery. Then sat in the sprawling beer garden, Jeevan had the liter jug, didn't down it in the 3 minutes in spite of all my encouragement .
On our way to Feldherrnhalle passed Alter Hof and Munzhof , two small palaces, as well as Max Joseph Platz, undergoing a lot of construction. At Feldherrnhalle there are two lions on the staircases. One facing the church has his mouth closed, symbolizing that people should not speak against Christianity. While the other lion faced the government building with his mouth open, so people should question the governing body. This was built by Ludwig I, well the people spoke and he had to resign from the throne for his affair with Lola Montez.
Spent a little time in the garden nearby, Hofgarten. An interesting contraption passed us by, a beer bike. 8-10 people were pedaling with a man directing , there was a table in between loaded with beer.
Crossing Maxmiliansplatz , well shaded, Karolineplatz ( inspired by Paris' Place de I'Etoile) we reached Konigsplatz. It is surrounded by grand buildings , we had lots of fun trying to capture ourselves with the buildings in the background each time the road was car free ( a lot of running and laughing involved ).
Spent the evening in Maxmilianstrasse, window shopping at the lovely stores lining the street.
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All ready for a new day in a new city.
Combined two walking tours from Frommer's and with a good map in hand we started.
Marienplatz, the busiest square in Munich, flooded with various tour groups and tourists all eagerly awaiting the show at 11. I was glad we were there too as it was a lot of fun to watch the mini tournament enacted in the clock tower (Glockenspiel) of the new town hall (Neues Rathaus ). The jesters, the nobles and then the knights, in the second round one of them gets knocked out. This is followed by the dancing in the second row.
Went to quite a few cathedrals/ churches, a lot of them were destroyed in the war but were restored quite quickly. Frauenkirche, the domed towers are part of the Munich skyline, not as impressive inside. Peterskirche, beautiful inside, a lot of white and gold. Theaternikirche and Michaelkirche are quite unpretentious on the outside but gorgeous interiors surprised us.
Viktualienmarkt ( Munich's stomach) , is a wonderful market. There was a shop selling olives, mushrooms etc in barrels and had huge bunches of dried red chillies hanging above, a very attractive look. We had a seafood lunch there and came back for dinner, soup from the soup kitchen ( name of the restaurant).
Visited the Hofbrahaus, first it's massive second floor hall which also contains a niche with a history of the brewery. Then sat in the sprawling beer garden, Jeevan had the liter jug, didn't down it in the 3 minutes in spite of all my encouragement .
On our way to Feldherrnhalle passed Alter Hof and Munzhof , two small palaces, as well as Max Joseph Platz, undergoing a lot of construction. At Feldherrnhalle there are two lions on the staircases. One facing the church has his mouth closed, symbolizing that people should not speak against Christianity. While the other lion faced the government building with his mouth open, so people should question the governing body. This was built by Ludwig I, well the people spoke and he had to resign from the throne for his affair with Lola Montez.
Spent a little time in the garden nearby, Hofgarten. An interesting contraption passed us by, a beer bike. 8-10 people were pedaling with a man directing , there was a table in between loaded with beer.
Crossing Maxmiliansplatz , well shaded, Karolineplatz ( inspired by Paris' Place de I'Etoile) we reached Konigsplatz. It is surrounded by grand buildings , we had lots of fun trying to capture ourselves with the buildings in the background each time the road was car free ( a lot of running and laughing involved ).
Spent the evening in Maxmilianstrasse, window shopping at the lovely stores lining the street.
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Friday, June 10, 2011
Germany - Nurnberg
9-06-2011
Two surprising things, everything is not punctual and people are very friendly. Have had strangers come and ask if we needed help when we have been looking at maps. In the trains, in the first class, chocolate is offered by the ticket collector.
This city was badly affected in the war and a lot of the older buildings have required extensive repairs. Went to the various cathedrals ( they have a very old feel to them ) and the market square ( the famous christmas market is held here). Passed an old beautiful fountain which is surrounded by a railing which has a brass ring that can be turned. Not sure about it's purpose but as we saw everybody turning it, we did it as well, made a wish too.
Saw a man on a rope cross the river, then the town hall with it's copy of the royal crown. Climbed the hill to the imperial castle. After Neuschwanstein, it seemed like a very regular castle.
Faber-Castle originated in Nurnberg with the marriage of Miss Faber and Mr. Castle.
Nurnberg was an important base during the Nazi rule. The museum is a wealth of information about the life of Hitler and the Socialist Party, from the beginning to the end. The horror of the concentration camps and the Holocaust. The last room shows bits of the Nurnberg trial, absolutely ridiculous, all the men denied ever knowing of the concentration camps.
The museum is in the area that was under construction during Hitler's rule. The Colosseum that was not completed can be viewed from a platform in the museum. After that we walked around the lake and saw the stadium in which the Nazi Rallies were held. Now a jogging and exercise park, roller hockey was also being played.
Stopped at the city beach ( bringing the summer to the city, basically a lot of sand, blown up pools, volleyball games , sunbathing chairs, heaps of drinks and food outlets) after that. Seemed such a contrast, the Nazi rule to the now relaxing young Germans.
Learnt so much about Hitler today, interesting fact Jeevan is exactly 90 years younger than him and my father 58 years younger.
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Two surprising things, everything is not punctual and people are very friendly. Have had strangers come and ask if we needed help when we have been looking at maps. In the trains, in the first class, chocolate is offered by the ticket collector.
This city was badly affected in the war and a lot of the older buildings have required extensive repairs. Went to the various cathedrals ( they have a very old feel to them ) and the market square ( the famous christmas market is held here). Passed an old beautiful fountain which is surrounded by a railing which has a brass ring that can be turned. Not sure about it's purpose but as we saw everybody turning it, we did it as well, made a wish too.
Saw a man on a rope cross the river, then the town hall with it's copy of the royal crown. Climbed the hill to the imperial castle. After Neuschwanstein, it seemed like a very regular castle.
Faber-Castle originated in Nurnberg with the marriage of Miss Faber and Mr. Castle.
Nurnberg was an important base during the Nazi rule. The museum is a wealth of information about the life of Hitler and the Socialist Party, from the beginning to the end. The horror of the concentration camps and the Holocaust. The last room shows bits of the Nurnberg trial, absolutely ridiculous, all the men denied ever knowing of the concentration camps.
The museum is in the area that was under construction during Hitler's rule. The Colosseum that was not completed can be viewed from a platform in the museum. After that we walked around the lake and saw the stadium in which the Nazi Rallies were held. Now a jogging and exercise park, roller hockey was also being played.
Stopped at the city beach ( bringing the summer to the city, basically a lot of sand, blown up pools, volleyball games , sunbathing chairs, heaps of drinks and food outlets) after that. Seemed such a contrast, the Nazi rule to the now relaxing young Germans.
Learnt so much about Hitler today, interesting fact Jeevan is exactly 90 years younger than him and my father 58 years younger.
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Germany- Fussen
8-06-2011
Left early to make our way to Germany. The first train was late so missed the connecting train. Arrived later than the initial plan but made it to both the castles.
Really loved both the castles. The first view of the Neuschwanstein castle is magical, it is so fairytale like it is amazing. It is very Walt Disney - ish, I expected blue birds to start singing at any moment and a dainty princess to hop along. Had our first bratwurst in Germany along the way.
First stop the Hohenschwangau castle ( highland of the swans ). Not as pretty as Neuschwanstein , but had it's own charm especially inside ( took only 4 years to build). The guided tour inside was better than the other one with a lot of history about the castles and the kings ( Maxmilian, Ludwig, Otto and Luitpold ) . This castle even had an elevator, no longer in use. Some wonderful gifts from the people Bavaria for Leopold are on display. The paintings in the castle have been done on the walls itself and so far have not required any restoration. The King's bedroom has painted walls of naked women frolicking in the gardens and a night sky on it's ceiling which was lit by candles through the roof , giving the illusion of sleeping outdoors. There is a private staircase connecting the King and Queen's bedrooms, located on different floors ( secret nightly visits). The original telescope in it's correct position is still there, through it Ludwig monitored the ongoing work of the Neuschwanstein castle (17 long years).
The 30 minute walk to Neushwanstein castle was through light drizzle, mist and the surrounding woods making us feel we were in medieval times. It was even enhanced by the odd horse carriage passing us by and to top it all off by seeing the Neuschwanatein castle perched high up on top of the mountain.
Neuschwanstein castle ( built by King Ludwig for Richard Wagner and dedicated to his operas). The castle was never completed and opened as a museum 6 weeks after Ludwig's death ( he stayed in it for a total of 172 days, this is calculated by adding all the time he visited the castle while it was being constructed).
The inside is lovely too. The throne room has paintings on the walls, a beautiful chandelier with the night sky above it, intricate mosaic on the floor, the marbled steps but no throne ( the royal family cancelled the order after Ludwig's death due to the expense). There is a concert hall which is used in summer and plays Wagner's songs. His bedroom was marvelous , not a huge bed but the work on it was amazing . The washstand had running water through a swan's beak and even the toilet was pretty cool ( throne like). Next was the artificial cave( lit by battery operated lights), then living room with a telephone ( Ludwig loved technology).
Walked to a bridge outside, best views of the castle. Would have been nice if we had been told about the bridge , we saw it from the castle and asked about it on our way out.
Drenched on the way to the bus but so loved today.
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Left early to make our way to Germany. The first train was late so missed the connecting train. Arrived later than the initial plan but made it to both the castles.
Really loved both the castles. The first view of the Neuschwanstein castle is magical, it is so fairytale like it is amazing. It is very Walt Disney - ish, I expected blue birds to start singing at any moment and a dainty princess to hop along. Had our first bratwurst in Germany along the way.
First stop the Hohenschwangau castle ( highland of the swans ). Not as pretty as Neuschwanstein , but had it's own charm especially inside ( took only 4 years to build). The guided tour inside was better than the other one with a lot of history about the castles and the kings ( Maxmilian, Ludwig, Otto and Luitpold ) . This castle even had an elevator, no longer in use. Some wonderful gifts from the people Bavaria for Leopold are on display. The paintings in the castle have been done on the walls itself and so far have not required any restoration. The King's bedroom has painted walls of naked women frolicking in the gardens and a night sky on it's ceiling which was lit by candles through the roof , giving the illusion of sleeping outdoors. There is a private staircase connecting the King and Queen's bedrooms, located on different floors ( secret nightly visits). The original telescope in it's correct position is still there, through it Ludwig monitored the ongoing work of the Neuschwanstein castle (17 long years).
The 30 minute walk to Neushwanstein castle was through light drizzle, mist and the surrounding woods making us feel we were in medieval times. It was even enhanced by the odd horse carriage passing us by and to top it all off by seeing the Neuschwanatein castle perched high up on top of the mountain.
Neuschwanstein castle ( built by King Ludwig for Richard Wagner and dedicated to his operas). The castle was never completed and opened as a museum 6 weeks after Ludwig's death ( he stayed in it for a total of 172 days, this is calculated by adding all the time he visited the castle while it was being constructed).
The inside is lovely too. The throne room has paintings on the walls, a beautiful chandelier with the night sky above it, intricate mosaic on the floor, the marbled steps but no throne ( the royal family cancelled the order after Ludwig's death due to the expense). There is a concert hall which is used in summer and plays Wagner's songs. His bedroom was marvelous , not a huge bed but the work on it was amazing . The washstand had running water through a swan's beak and even the toilet was pretty cool ( throne like). Next was the artificial cave( lit by battery operated lights), then living room with a telephone ( Ludwig loved technology).
Walked to a bridge outside, best views of the castle. Would have been nice if we had been told about the bridge , we saw it from the castle and asked about it on our way out.
Drenched on the way to the bus but so loved today.
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Switzerland- Mt. Riggi / Luzern
7-06-2011
Mount Riggi- the queen of the mountains.
We spent most of the day getting to the mountain summit. First a boat ride on the lake then a train ride on the oldest cogwheel train and then a hike. We got off at an earlier station (Riggi Kaltbad ) so we could walk our way up. There are great views of the lake and the mountains. Saw the Lake Luzern cross, was looking for a cross on the lake but it was the lake itself that makes a cross. The path to the summit was well marked with people along the track.
Beautiful at the top, 1797 m ( didn't make it to 1800m ). Spent a bit of time there and then back to the train station .
On our Africa trip the guide would say - we are not lost, we are exploring. Well we explored a lot of the mountains on our way down. We took a different path, thinking it would be as well marked ( we were given a list of hiking trails at the information centre). A lot of the times there was no path and we were in the meadows with wild flowers and tagged cows. Jogged the last 10 minutes to catch the train ( earlier one than the initial plan ).
Back in Luzern, did all the must do's in Switzerland by buying chocolates, eating a traditional cheese fondue and rosti, enjoying our last night here.
Had a lovely time in Switzerland, will be back I hope.
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Mount Riggi- the queen of the mountains.
We spent most of the day getting to the mountain summit. First a boat ride on the lake then a train ride on the oldest cogwheel train and then a hike. We got off at an earlier station (Riggi Kaltbad ) so we could walk our way up. There are great views of the lake and the mountains. Saw the Lake Luzern cross, was looking for a cross on the lake but it was the lake itself that makes a cross. The path to the summit was well marked with people along the track.
Beautiful at the top, 1797 m ( didn't make it to 1800m ). Spent a bit of time there and then back to the train station .
On our Africa trip the guide would say - we are not lost, we are exploring. Well we explored a lot of the mountains on our way down. We took a different path, thinking it would be as well marked ( we were given a list of hiking trails at the information centre). A lot of the times there was no path and we were in the meadows with wild flowers and tagged cows. Jogged the last 10 minutes to catch the train ( earlier one than the initial plan ).
Back in Luzern, did all the must do's in Switzerland by buying chocolates, eating a traditional cheese fondue and rosti, enjoying our last night here.
Had a lovely time in Switzerland, will be back I hope.
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Switzerland- Geneva
6-06-2011
The first thing we saw was the Jet d'Eau, a fountain that pumps 132 gallons of water from Lake Geneva into the air. Through the day we saw it from various parts of the city. It is quite an old fountain and very much a part of Geneva.
Near it is the flower clock. We saw a large group of Japanese tourists taking pictures before we saw the clock , we knew we were in the right spot. One of them took a very pretty picture for us.
Walked through the old city. After a week of German we were back to hearing French. As Switzerland was not affected a lot by the world wars, old towns are quite well preserved. The town hall, the arsenal ( cannons and pretty mosaics), St. Peter's Cathedral, the statue of General Dufour ( cofounder of Red Cross) at Place Neuve, the reformation monument, the Palais de Justice and Tour de-l'Ile ( very difficult to find due to the surrounding construction) took up the morning.
Passed the Ile Rousseau on our way to the Palais des Nations. On the promenade there was an exhibition of photos from around the world of nature, to increase awareness for recycling . There were some amazing pictures, would love to see all this things in real. Photos though do bring about a different perspective, there was one of Eucalyptus bark from Australia, I have never seen one look like they way it did in the picture.
Reached the square outside the United Nations Building. Got a bit of a shock, there were large placards asking the UN to stop India from torturing Kashmiris in India occupied Kashmir. We were in Kashmir two years ago on a holiday, I never got any such vibes from the Kashmiris there or heard about it in India. There was also a monument of a broken chair ( huge ) for people affected by land mines.
The area surrounding all the various international organizations is quite unkept and Geneva on the whole is not as clean as the rest of Switzerland we have visited, unexpected.
Stopped by the WHO building, the wordings on the wall brought back memories of Community Medicine in college , had to learn a lot of their policies. Then for our guided tour of the UN building. I was quite thrilled with the ID badge, the picture shows the excitement , grinning from ear to ear. Went through various conference rooms, learnt about the founding of the UN and the construction of the building. The building has a lot of gifts from the members including walls, floors and carpets. Liked the Spanish artwork on a ceiling , it looks different from every angle representing the different points of views. The other interesting one was a tapestry from China, the entrance to the building is always towards you ( an optical illusion).
The majority of restaurants we passed were Thai, obviously quite a popular cuisine here. Had it for lunch, as good as always.
Long day but not too tiring.
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The first thing we saw was the Jet d'Eau, a fountain that pumps 132 gallons of water from Lake Geneva into the air. Through the day we saw it from various parts of the city. It is quite an old fountain and very much a part of Geneva.
Near it is the flower clock. We saw a large group of Japanese tourists taking pictures before we saw the clock , we knew we were in the right spot. One of them took a very pretty picture for us.
Walked through the old city. After a week of German we were back to hearing French. As Switzerland was not affected a lot by the world wars, old towns are quite well preserved. The town hall, the arsenal ( cannons and pretty mosaics), St. Peter's Cathedral, the statue of General Dufour ( cofounder of Red Cross) at Place Neuve, the reformation monument, the Palais de Justice and Tour de-l'Ile ( very difficult to find due to the surrounding construction) took up the morning.
Passed the Ile Rousseau on our way to the Palais des Nations. On the promenade there was an exhibition of photos from around the world of nature, to increase awareness for recycling . There were some amazing pictures, would love to see all this things in real. Photos though do bring about a different perspective, there was one of Eucalyptus bark from Australia, I have never seen one look like they way it did in the picture.
Reached the square outside the United Nations Building. Got a bit of a shock, there were large placards asking the UN to stop India from torturing Kashmiris in India occupied Kashmir. We were in Kashmir two years ago on a holiday, I never got any such vibes from the Kashmiris there or heard about it in India. There was also a monument of a broken chair ( huge ) for people affected by land mines.
The area surrounding all the various international organizations is quite unkept and Geneva on the whole is not as clean as the rest of Switzerland we have visited, unexpected.
Stopped by the WHO building, the wordings on the wall brought back memories of Community Medicine in college , had to learn a lot of their policies. Then for our guided tour of the UN building. I was quite thrilled with the ID badge, the picture shows the excitement , grinning from ear to ear. Went through various conference rooms, learnt about the founding of the UN and the construction of the building. The building has a lot of gifts from the members including walls, floors and carpets. Liked the Spanish artwork on a ceiling , it looks different from every angle representing the different points of views. The other interesting one was a tapestry from China, the entrance to the building is always towards you ( an optical illusion).
The majority of restaurants we passed were Thai, obviously quite a popular cuisine here. Had it for lunch, as good as always.
Long day but not too tiring.
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Monday, June 6, 2011
Switzerland-Bern/ Uetliberg
5-06-2011
After a bit of a hectic night of trying to book tickets to South America, some hotels in Germany and a cruise in the Galapagos, we decided to take it slow today.
Bern, the capital of Switzerland, was a slow city today, most likely because of it being Sunday. Nearly all the shops were closed with minimal traffic on the streets, making it easy to stroll around. Walked along the main street, passing the multiple fountains - the bagpiper, the ogre, the bear, Samson, Justice and a few others. As we came near the prison gate, an old fashioned steam engine crossed it, giving the city a very old feel. Lovely clock tower, a model of a man strikes the bell every hour and a variety of other contraptions go off as well. Fun to watch .
Einstein's house is hidden among the shops. Lived here when he discovered the theory of relativity.
The sun was out and so were the bears at the pit. They are the mascots of Bern , two were frolicking while the other two were lazing in the sun. Felt a bit bad for the bears as they are in a confined space, maybe they are moved around , not sure. Sat by and watched the strong currents of the Aare River flowing.
Stopped by the cathedral, a stained glass window has a picture of a bear as well as one on the ceiling. Then the parliament, there was a massive iron spider being displayed in the square but the best was the water jets from the ground. Toddlers and children ran through the water, some a bit scared others fearlessly . Then the rain started but we were back at the train station by then.
There were some soldiers at the ground floor near the trains, along with the clock, the train timetable board, the sunlight streaming through the glass showing up the dust in the air it transported us to an old war movie. On the other side was the loud live music of the Thai Festival with the mouth watering food smell.
At the Sprungli in the train station the lady serving us reminded me of Mr. Bean in Love Actually. We had a few minutes to catch our train and were buying Truffes du Jour. First the explanation, had to be eaten within three days, we told her we would consume them today itself. She took our order and then started an elaborate packing process, the paper to cushion them, the ribbon around the box and then tag. Had to sprint to the train.
We had not been to Uetliberg as we took a break day earlier. The sun was shining in Zurich so we went up the hill. Really good day to see Zurich from the tower up there , the lake and the mountains were crystal clear.
Forgot to write about a cute thing in Spain. In Seville at the pedestrian crossing, on the green light a man is shown walking along with a timer, when there are seven seconds left he starts running. A lot of times I stopped just to watch him run.
Good day , a bit more relaxed.
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After a bit of a hectic night of trying to book tickets to South America, some hotels in Germany and a cruise in the Galapagos, we decided to take it slow today.
Bern, the capital of Switzerland, was a slow city today, most likely because of it being Sunday. Nearly all the shops were closed with minimal traffic on the streets, making it easy to stroll around. Walked along the main street, passing the multiple fountains - the bagpiper, the ogre, the bear, Samson, Justice and a few others. As we came near the prison gate, an old fashioned steam engine crossed it, giving the city a very old feel. Lovely clock tower, a model of a man strikes the bell every hour and a variety of other contraptions go off as well. Fun to watch .
Einstein's house is hidden among the shops. Lived here when he discovered the theory of relativity.
The sun was out and so were the bears at the pit. They are the mascots of Bern , two were frolicking while the other two were lazing in the sun. Felt a bit bad for the bears as they are in a confined space, maybe they are moved around , not sure. Sat by and watched the strong currents of the Aare River flowing.
Stopped by the cathedral, a stained glass window has a picture of a bear as well as one on the ceiling. Then the parliament, there was a massive iron spider being displayed in the square but the best was the water jets from the ground. Toddlers and children ran through the water, some a bit scared others fearlessly . Then the rain started but we were back at the train station by then.
There were some soldiers at the ground floor near the trains, along with the clock, the train timetable board, the sunlight streaming through the glass showing up the dust in the air it transported us to an old war movie. On the other side was the loud live music of the Thai Festival with the mouth watering food smell.
At the Sprungli in the train station the lady serving us reminded me of Mr. Bean in Love Actually. We had a few minutes to catch our train and were buying Truffes du Jour. First the explanation, had to be eaten within three days, we told her we would consume them today itself. She took our order and then started an elaborate packing process, the paper to cushion them, the ribbon around the box and then tag. Had to sprint to the train.
We had not been to Uetliberg as we took a break day earlier. The sun was shining in Zurich so we went up the hill. Really good day to see Zurich from the tower up there , the lake and the mountains were crystal clear.
Forgot to write about a cute thing in Spain. In Seville at the pedestrian crossing, on the green light a man is shown walking along with a timer, when there are seven seconds left he starts running. A lot of times I stopped just to watch him run.
Good day , a bit more relaxed.
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Sunday, June 5, 2011
Switzerland- Mount Pilatus/ Luzern
4-06-2011
One of the best parts of going to Mount Pilatus( the highest point in Central Switzerland) is the travel ( the golden round trip ).
The journey began with an hour's cruise over Lake Lucerne . Sat on the upper deck, the sun was shining and the views were gorgeous throughout . Next bit was on a cogwheel train, the steepest in the world ( 48% gradient a lot of the times) . Again wonderful views especially when you see another train on the rails and realize the steepness. Once at the top, we went on various hiking trails. One side of the mountain was sunny with a few clouds while the other side was shrouded in a cold mist, felt quite odd on walking through a tunnel. On one of the viewing points prayer flags were hanging, wonder how they got there. Also saw a man blowing an Alpine horn, they are massive.
The descent down was a lot of fun. Cable-car down to the next stop, could not see a thing along the way due to the fog. At the stop, Frakmuntegg, we went on Switzerland's longest summer toboggan run ( 1.4 km). It was our first time on one and I loved it! On our first time we were behind a gentleman with a disability ( most likely had a stroke at some point of time) and he got stuck, his wife tried to push him along. It must be so hard to want to do things that you could do before with ease and now are unable to do so. I was behind them and stuck too, felt very bad for him. We got another ride to compensate and whizzed down the second time.
Then a smaller cable car ( panoramic gondola) down to the city. It goes through various stops along the way. On one of them a sweaty, smelly man got into ours. He had just run up the hill, athletic gear on along with a garmin. I could not understand why he joined us, the cable cars are small, the next one was empty and the usher was trying to direct him into the other one. So, bit of a stinky ride at the end!
Roamed around Luzern for the rest of the day. Filled with tourists in the city centre. Visited the dying lion, in memory of the Swiss Mercenaries who died in 1792 during the French revolution. There is a sad air around the monument so it does it's job well.
Then walked on the old city's walls, climbed all the towers to try and find the panoramic view, obviously was the last one. Hopefully this is making me fitter. Visited the various squares, buildings in many of them have a variety of paintings on their walls. Walked on two wooden bridges that cross the river, one was very pretty( chapel bridge) , decorated with flowers. It also had a wonderful ceiling with 122 paintings. The bridge was built in the 12th century but a fire destroyed a large portion of it in the last century, rebuilt with copies of the original paintings.
Loved today.
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One of the best parts of going to Mount Pilatus( the highest point in Central Switzerland) is the travel ( the golden round trip ).
The journey began with an hour's cruise over Lake Lucerne . Sat on the upper deck, the sun was shining and the views were gorgeous throughout . Next bit was on a cogwheel train, the steepest in the world ( 48% gradient a lot of the times) . Again wonderful views especially when you see another train on the rails and realize the steepness. Once at the top, we went on various hiking trails. One side of the mountain was sunny with a few clouds while the other side was shrouded in a cold mist, felt quite odd on walking through a tunnel. On one of the viewing points prayer flags were hanging, wonder how they got there. Also saw a man blowing an Alpine horn, they are massive.
The descent down was a lot of fun. Cable-car down to the next stop, could not see a thing along the way due to the fog. At the stop, Frakmuntegg, we went on Switzerland's longest summer toboggan run ( 1.4 km). It was our first time on one and I loved it! On our first time we were behind a gentleman with a disability ( most likely had a stroke at some point of time) and he got stuck, his wife tried to push him along. It must be so hard to want to do things that you could do before with ease and now are unable to do so. I was behind them and stuck too, felt very bad for him. We got another ride to compensate and whizzed down the second time.
Then a smaller cable car ( panoramic gondola) down to the city. It goes through various stops along the way. On one of them a sweaty, smelly man got into ours. He had just run up the hill, athletic gear on along with a garmin. I could not understand why he joined us, the cable cars are small, the next one was empty and the usher was trying to direct him into the other one. So, bit of a stinky ride at the end!
Roamed around Luzern for the rest of the day. Filled with tourists in the city centre. Visited the dying lion, in memory of the Swiss Mercenaries who died in 1792 during the French revolution. There is a sad air around the monument so it does it's job well.
Then walked on the old city's walls, climbed all the towers to try and find the panoramic view, obviously was the last one. Hopefully this is making me fitter. Visited the various squares, buildings in many of them have a variety of paintings on their walls. Walked on two wooden bridges that cross the river, one was very pretty( chapel bridge) , decorated with flowers. It also had a wonderful ceiling with 122 paintings. The bridge was built in the 12th century but a fire destroyed a large portion of it in the last century, rebuilt with copies of the original paintings.
Loved today.
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Switzerland - Rhine Falls/ Basel
3-06-2011
The weather forecast was wrong and the day was sunny and lovely in the afternoon.
Morning was spent at the Rhine Falls, the largest falls in Europe. Well...... it is not very large. In it's favor is it's setting. The backdrop is a medieval castle, a boat can also take you to the centre of the falls where you can climb onto a viewing platform. The town surrounding it, at least the bits we saw , is quite small, Schloss Laufen. Went on the adventure trail, a railway bridge crossing the river before the falls, had to run back the bridge to get the train.
The rest of the day was spent at Basel. The city where three countries meet, France, Switzerland and Germany. We even walked to the meeting point, the three countries corner, a very long walk. Ben& Jerry's ice-cream along the way made it easier .
Basel is very tourist friendly making it very easy to see the sights. The Tinguely fountain, outside the theater was a really fun fountain to watch. It was like walking into an inventor's courtyard and accidentally pressing a switch. There were machines with wheels and hoses whirring and spouting water.
Visited the St. Elizabeth's church and then the red Munster ( cathedral). Liked the open market in the square outside the town hall as well as the town hall itself. It was built 500 years ago ( when Basel joined the Swiss Confederation) and meetings are still held in it today.
Forgot to ask at the tourist information about Roger Fedrer's house, could have visited. Wonder if he will win today.
Sri Lankan dinner tonight ( found a place in Basel) after a long time.
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The weather forecast was wrong and the day was sunny and lovely in the afternoon.
Morning was spent at the Rhine Falls, the largest falls in Europe. Well...... it is not very large. In it's favor is it's setting. The backdrop is a medieval castle, a boat can also take you to the centre of the falls where you can climb onto a viewing platform. The town surrounding it, at least the bits we saw , is quite small, Schloss Laufen. Went on the adventure trail, a railway bridge crossing the river before the falls, had to run back the bridge to get the train.
The rest of the day was spent at Basel. The city where three countries meet, France, Switzerland and Germany. We even walked to the meeting point, the three countries corner, a very long walk. Ben& Jerry's ice-cream along the way made it easier .
Basel is very tourist friendly making it very easy to see the sights. The Tinguely fountain, outside the theater was a really fun fountain to watch. It was like walking into an inventor's courtyard and accidentally pressing a switch. There were machines with wheels and hoses whirring and spouting water.
Visited the St. Elizabeth's church and then the red Munster ( cathedral). Liked the open market in the square outside the town hall as well as the town hall itself. It was built 500 years ago ( when Basel joined the Swiss Confederation) and meetings are still held in it today.
Forgot to ask at the tourist information about Roger Fedrer's house, could have visited. Wonder if he will win today.
Sri Lankan dinner tonight ( found a place in Basel) after a long time.
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Thursday, June 2, 2011
Switzerland- Zermatt / Matterhorn
2-06-2011
Loved today.
Early start to try and make the most of the time in Zermatt. A little bump along the way, we were on a train and the conductor told us that the Eurail was not valid on the train. Luckily no fine, just paid for the ticket, quite expensive.
Zermatt is a little town up on the mountains. Trains, electric cars, bicycles and walking are the modes of transport. On arrival the sun had just started perking through the clouds, the snow fall from the day before gave the town an icy touch. There are webcam views of the Matterhorn from the top station of the cable car and the train station at the information centre. The views did not look good, in fact it was cloudy and nothing was visible. We still decided to get to Gornergrat, the weather forecast for Zermatt for the next few days is worse. The train taking us up there is the highest open air cogwheel train in Europe. The ride was wonderful. Having never been in proper snow, we were really excited as the train chugged along through snow covered terrain. Just got better as it went higher. There were sheep lazing in the snow as well as big squirrels(?) burrowing into it.
When we got off at Gornergrat( 3000m) the child within us was set loose. We jumped in the snow, had snowball fights, made a snowman, tackled each other into the snow and loved every moment of it. To top it all, it started snowing.
I was quite happy with the day, sipping hot chocolate looking at the clouds and the white glistening snow. Quite unexpectedly clouds lifted and the Matterhorn appeared, we were so lucky. It was a beautiful sight, had time to take pictures and admire the view. The clouds covered it again, so glad we got to see it.
On our way back, smiling.
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Loved today.
Early start to try and make the most of the time in Zermatt. A little bump along the way, we were on a train and the conductor told us that the Eurail was not valid on the train. Luckily no fine, just paid for the ticket, quite expensive.
Zermatt is a little town up on the mountains. Trains, electric cars, bicycles and walking are the modes of transport. On arrival the sun had just started perking through the clouds, the snow fall from the day before gave the town an icy touch. There are webcam views of the Matterhorn from the top station of the cable car and the train station at the information centre. The views did not look good, in fact it was cloudy and nothing was visible. We still decided to get to Gornergrat, the weather forecast for Zermatt for the next few days is worse. The train taking us up there is the highest open air cogwheel train in Europe. The ride was wonderful. Having never been in proper snow, we were really excited as the train chugged along through snow covered terrain. Just got better as it went higher. There were sheep lazing in the snow as well as big squirrels(?) burrowing into it.
When we got off at Gornergrat( 3000m) the child within us was set loose. We jumped in the snow, had snowball fights, made a snowman, tackled each other into the snow and loved every moment of it. To top it all, it started snowing.
I was quite happy with the day, sipping hot chocolate looking at the clouds and the white glistening snow. Quite unexpectedly clouds lifted and the Matterhorn appeared, we were so lucky. It was a beautiful sight, had time to take pictures and admire the view. The clouds covered it again, so glad we got to see it.
On our way back, smiling.
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Switzerland - Lenzburg
1-06-2011
Switched off the alarm and decided to have a break.
Raining outside and the fact that we have been on the move since the 10th of April, we took a much needed day off.
Spent a large part of the day in my PJs . Staying at a flat so did some washing and cooking, read a book.
Feeling good, ready to go again from tomorrow.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Switched off the alarm and decided to have a break.
Raining outside and the fact that we have been on the move since the 10th of April, we took a much needed day off.
Spent a large part of the day in my PJs . Staying at a flat so did some washing and cooking, read a book.
Feeling good, ready to go again from tomorrow.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Switzerland - Zurich
31-05-2011
Poor weather but that did not stop us.
Spent the morning walking along Bahnhofstrasse , the shopping street of Zurich. Lined by trees on one side and the other with wonderful shops ( clothes, shoes, watches, jewelry and oh so yummy chocolate, love the smell). Keen sandals were on sale, could not believe the price, don't even need them ( wearing a pair at present) but wanted to buy a pair anyway( did not have them in my size ).
Stopped in the churches along the way, Fraumunster, Grossmunster, St. Peter's and Wasserkirche. They are so different to the ones in Italy and France. The stained glass is more modern along with stark walls, minimal paintings and statues.
Cruised on the Lake Zurich, all very pretty . Cannot believe but I snoozed in the last half an hour, blaming it on the heavy lunch and calming effect of the water.
Sprungli, heaven, chocolate/pastry cafe. Ate a variety of their Luxemburgerli exquisite macaroons. The instruction leaflet said to eat it as soon a possible , we followed it to the tee and had them all then and there. Will return.
Walked to Lindenhof , along the way passed Weinplatz. As per our guide book we were supposed to see a fountain , had a hard time finding it. Didn't spend too much time in either place as it was raining. Not the showers that we have encountered so far rather a constant drizzle which showed no sign of stopping.
Done for the day.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Poor weather but that did not stop us.
Spent the morning walking along Bahnhofstrasse , the shopping street of Zurich. Lined by trees on one side and the other with wonderful shops ( clothes, shoes, watches, jewelry and oh so yummy chocolate, love the smell). Keen sandals were on sale, could not believe the price, don't even need them ( wearing a pair at present) but wanted to buy a pair anyway( did not have them in my size ).
Stopped in the churches along the way, Fraumunster, Grossmunster, St. Peter's and Wasserkirche. They are so different to the ones in Italy and France. The stained glass is more modern along with stark walls, minimal paintings and statues.
Cruised on the Lake Zurich, all very pretty . Cannot believe but I snoozed in the last half an hour, blaming it on the heavy lunch and calming effect of the water.
Sprungli, heaven, chocolate/pastry cafe. Ate a variety of their Luxemburgerli exquisite macaroons. The instruction leaflet said to eat it as soon a possible , we followed it to the tee and had them all then and there. Will return.
Walked to Lindenhof , along the way passed Weinplatz. As per our guide book we were supposed to see a fountain , had a hard time finding it. Didn't spend too much time in either place as it was raining. Not the showers that we have encountered so far rather a constant drizzle which showed no sign of stopping.
Done for the day.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
France/Italy/Switzerland
30-05-2011
Breakfast in France, lunch in Italy and dinner in Switzerland.
Long travel day. Met interesting people along the way. A lady who had a Californian son, two French children and one Italian daughter and presently was going through a divorce with a Colombian man, exhausting list!
The train ride has been beautiful. First the French Riviera , then bits of Italy and finally picturesque Switzerland. Growing up with Bollywood movies, Switzerland is the land of beauty and romance. In a lot of wedding videos in Darbhanga they show the bride and bridegroom traveling through Switzerland, I specifically asked not to have that in mine. Well now we have travelled through , not our pictures.
The scenery has been better than the movies and the photos . Snow capped mountains, lakes, greenery and the quaint houses. I am taking it all in as the weather for the next week is cloudy , fingers crossed that the weather forecast is wrong.
Excited.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Breakfast in France, lunch in Italy and dinner in Switzerland.
Long travel day. Met interesting people along the way. A lady who had a Californian son, two French children and one Italian daughter and presently was going through a divorce with a Colombian man, exhausting list!
The train ride has been beautiful. First the French Riviera , then bits of Italy and finally picturesque Switzerland. Growing up with Bollywood movies, Switzerland is the land of beauty and romance. In a lot of wedding videos in Darbhanga they show the bride and bridegroom traveling through Switzerland, I specifically asked not to have that in mine. Well now we have travelled through , not our pictures.
The scenery has been better than the movies and the photos . Snow capped mountains, lakes, greenery and the quaint houses. I am taking it all in as the weather for the next week is cloudy , fingers crossed that the weather forecast is wrong.
Excited.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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