So Deanna and I are safely in Venice, after some boring train travel (me) and almost-missing-the-plane travel (D). We are staying in a lovely, 3 room B&B, and have been thoroughly welcomed by Riccardo, who runs the place for his family and informed us we are staying is his sister's old room. We have a lovely fresco on the ceiling, and matching twin beds that look very cute.
Venice, if possible, is more picturesque than all the pictures of it I've ever seen. We are out walking around, doing errands like laundry and bank and calls home to moms. It's just lovely.
Thanks to those who posted concerns about safety...there was defintely more of a police presence on the trains today, but everything seems fairly calm. And, it's definitely an answer to prayer that Deanna made her flight after much delay in Houston and confusion in Paris.
Ciao for now!
Erin
Friday, July 08, 2005
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Serious times
I'm sure that you all will have heard the news about London by the time you read this...it's very sobering and all over the news here. Although the attacks seem tied to the G8 summit, it seems strange and a little scary to think that I was in London last year at this time...
I'm now safely in my hotel room, after hours of being lost in the industrial parts of Innsbruck, trying to figure out where to return the rental car. I was feeling low and grumpy until I turned on CNN and got some perspective...
peace,
erin
I'm now safely in my hotel room, after hours of being lost in the industrial parts of Innsbruck, trying to figure out where to return the rental car. I was feeling low and grumpy until I turned on CNN and got some perspective...
peace,
erin
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Dinner Adventure
Hello again,
Just wanted to report on our evening...we found a place in Rick Steves that was supposed to be very local, very atmospheric, and so on. So we wandered around the little streets near the town square until we finally stumbled upon it. The door to the bar downstairs was closed, but we went upstairs to the restaurant, where the door was also closed, although we could hear the accordion music and singing....Gretchen was brave, I was not, and she opened the door and we went inside....
The place was small and packed full of Müncheners drinking and singing along to the accordion player...we were seated at a table approximately two feet away from him and his accordion. He asked something, we didn't understand, and then someone translated and we said we were from California, at which he made muscles like Arnold and everybody there laughed. And the laughing continued...we had no idea what he was saying, but he seemed to be making some pretty great jokes at our expense, because everyone in the place was laughing and laughing....we just raised our beers at the appropriate times, and said "Pröst", and smiled.
We ordered two things off the menu that we couldn't read and didn't know what to expect, but when the food came it was very tasty...maybe some of the best food we've had since we've been here. We ate, we drank, and the folks were getting louder and louder....we couldn't sing along, and so when men from the bar started buying us drinks and toasting us after every song we figured it was time for the two California girls to say goodbye...
Tchuss for now...
erin
Just wanted to report on our evening...we found a place in Rick Steves that was supposed to be very local, very atmospheric, and so on. So we wandered around the little streets near the town square until we finally stumbled upon it. The door to the bar downstairs was closed, but we went upstairs to the restaurant, where the door was also closed, although we could hear the accordion music and singing....Gretchen was brave, I was not, and she opened the door and we went inside....
The place was small and packed full of Müncheners drinking and singing along to the accordion player...we were seated at a table approximately two feet away from him and his accordion. He asked something, we didn't understand, and then someone translated and we said we were from California, at which he made muscles like Arnold and everybody there laughed. And the laughing continued...we had no idea what he was saying, but he seemed to be making some pretty great jokes at our expense, because everyone in the place was laughing and laughing....we just raised our beers at the appropriate times, and said "Pröst", and smiled.
We ordered two things off the menu that we couldn't read and didn't know what to expect, but when the food came it was very tasty...maybe some of the best food we've had since we've been here. We ate, we drank, and the folks were getting louder and louder....we couldn't sing along, and so when men from the bar started buying us drinks and toasting us after every song we figured it was time for the two California girls to say goodbye...
Tchuss for now...
erin
München, city of wild weather patterns
Greetings,
Today is our second day in Munich. We have been to the lovely Nymphenburg Palace, and have now rented bikes to save on all the walking. (walking, walking, always the walking...) We are going to bike around the old town, maybe visit one more palace, and do some shopping and eating tonight, which is Gretchen's last. The sun is out, there is a slight breeze, and a few fleecy clouds. Nothing to indicate that yesterday was a day of pelting rain, temperatures so cold that I was wishing for warmer clothes, and us walking around with our raincoats tight around our faces, severely limiting our peripheral vision.
Habits I have picked up here, like the chameleon that I am, include: drinking my (very strong) morning coffee black, eating a kaiser roll with a hard boiled egg for breakfast, and saying "Ja, Ja" very breezily in answer to questions. Who knows what Italy will bring :)
I'll write again tomorrow from Innsbruck, my last stop before meeting Deanna in Venice on Friday. It is my mission in Innsbruck to find a way to upload pictures that will not cost me a small fortune. But to those of you chomping at the bit for photos, I ask, are not my word pictures enough!?!
Tchuss,
Erin
Today is our second day in Munich. We have been to the lovely Nymphenburg Palace, and have now rented bikes to save on all the walking. (walking, walking, always the walking...) We are going to bike around the old town, maybe visit one more palace, and do some shopping and eating tonight, which is Gretchen's last. The sun is out, there is a slight breeze, and a few fleecy clouds. Nothing to indicate that yesterday was a day of pelting rain, temperatures so cold that I was wishing for warmer clothes, and us walking around with our raincoats tight around our faces, severely limiting our peripheral vision.
Habits I have picked up here, like the chameleon that I am, include: drinking my (very strong) morning coffee black, eating a kaiser roll with a hard boiled egg for breakfast, and saying "Ja, Ja" very breezily in answer to questions. Who knows what Italy will bring :)
I'll write again tomorrow from Innsbruck, my last stop before meeting Deanna in Venice on Friday. It is my mission in Innsbruck to find a way to upload pictures that will not cost me a small fortune. But to those of you chomping at the bit for photos, I ask, are not my word pictures enough!?!
Tchuss,
Erin
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Bicycling the alps...
Hello!
Yesterday Gretchen and I had our own tiny Tour de France of sorts. According to Rick Steves, the castles we wanted to visit were and easy 30 minute bike ride away, so we set off, through hill and forest, riding up and down and around a beautiful lake, across the border to Germany, and found the castles. It involved many more hills than we had anticipated, and Gretchen wanted to try going back a different way, so we did. (This of course, after several hours of two castle tours and lots of hiking around bewteen them). But, Gretchen was convinced we could find a flat way, and I suppose that we did, but in doing so got lost, and finally when we stopped and asked for directions (after carrying our bikes up and down a bridge that led over a waterfall, and trying to go up a road that clearly had not been used in years), we found that we were only a few km from our hotel :) So hooray, we made it home, and only minutes before a big thunderstorm with lots of wind and pelting rain blew in! (As we helped clear the outside tables of the restaurant here, the waitress said, "you have hurricanes in the U.S., we have this!" -it was really windy).
So we spent a quiet evening, and planned for Munich, for which we are leaving in a few minutes. It's raining pretty hard today, so we're glad to be driving again and not out on foot or pedal.
More from Munich!
erin
Yesterday Gretchen and I had our own tiny Tour de France of sorts. According to Rick Steves, the castles we wanted to visit were and easy 30 minute bike ride away, so we set off, through hill and forest, riding up and down and around a beautiful lake, across the border to Germany, and found the castles. It involved many more hills than we had anticipated, and Gretchen wanted to try going back a different way, so we did. (This of course, after several hours of two castle tours and lots of hiking around bewteen them). But, Gretchen was convinced we could find a flat way, and I suppose that we did, but in doing so got lost, and finally when we stopped and asked for directions (after carrying our bikes up and down a bridge that led over a waterfall, and trying to go up a road that clearly had not been used in years), we found that we were only a few km from our hotel :) So hooray, we made it home, and only minutes before a big thunderstorm with lots of wind and pelting rain blew in! (As we helped clear the outside tables of the restaurant here, the waitress said, "you have hurricanes in the U.S., we have this!" -it was really windy).
So we spent a quiet evening, and planned for Munich, for which we are leaving in a few minutes. It's raining pretty hard today, so we're glad to be driving again and not out on foot or pedal.
More from Munich!
erin
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Climb Every Mountain!
Grus Gott, as they say here in Austria...
Tonight is our second night in the Austrian Alps, near the town of Reutte, very near the border with Germany. (this info is for the benefit of my mom, who is following on a map :)
We are in a lovely alpine guest house, in a little valley, overlooking a farm and a meadow with horses and cows. Best of all, there is a large play yard with a trampoline that Gretchen and I have made some great movies on with my camera. :)
Today we hiked to some castle ruins....although hiking seems such a gentle word for what we actually did. Basically, in this area, the Tiroleans of yore were always worried about the invading Bavarians from the north, and so they built these fortresses on the tops of hills. Today we went to one, then saw another one on the next hill over a kilometer straight up, and we decided it was now or never, and did it. We've got some great pictures to show, if I can ever find a computer with a USB port that I can get access to...I'm working on it!
We also did a luge ride today....something I was very scared of, but then after it was over I wished I could do it again, only faster. (If you're imgagining laying flat like the Olympics, it's actually more like sitting up, with the brake between your feet. Funny thing is that I went first, wasn't quite sure how to make it go fast, and then got stuck, just sitting there a little ways down. The kindly Austrians waiting at the top with Gretchen showed her how to do it better so she didn't get stuck like me :)
Report from the salt mines: a very fun and silly tour, yes, complete with miner's outfits including a leather flap that covers your butt. We even had to slide down into the mind holding on to each other, like sliding down a giant banister. Fun times!
Tomorrow we head across to Germany to the famous "fairy tale" castle of Neuschwanstein. We are renting bikes and biking across the border instead of driving...seems more adventurous that way.
Got to go for now; there is a Rick Steve's tour group here and they are all chomping at the bit to use the internet as well. Sadly, I must say that (with a few notable exceptions), they are the loudest and most obnoxious people we've seen so far. I feeling like writing to Rick to tell on them.
Tschuss for now!
erin
Tonight is our second night in the Austrian Alps, near the town of Reutte, very near the border with Germany. (this info is for the benefit of my mom, who is following on a map :)
We are in a lovely alpine guest house, in a little valley, overlooking a farm and a meadow with horses and cows. Best of all, there is a large play yard with a trampoline that Gretchen and I have made some great movies on with my camera. :)
Today we hiked to some castle ruins....although hiking seems such a gentle word for what we actually did. Basically, in this area, the Tiroleans of yore were always worried about the invading Bavarians from the north, and so they built these fortresses on the tops of hills. Today we went to one, then saw another one on the next hill over a kilometer straight up, and we decided it was now or never, and did it. We've got some great pictures to show, if I can ever find a computer with a USB port that I can get access to...I'm working on it!
We also did a luge ride today....something I was very scared of, but then after it was over I wished I could do it again, only faster. (If you're imgagining laying flat like the Olympics, it's actually more like sitting up, with the brake between your feet. Funny thing is that I went first, wasn't quite sure how to make it go fast, and then got stuck, just sitting there a little ways down. The kindly Austrians waiting at the top with Gretchen showed her how to do it better so she didn't get stuck like me :)
Report from the salt mines: a very fun and silly tour, yes, complete with miner's outfits including a leather flap that covers your butt. We even had to slide down into the mind holding on to each other, like sliding down a giant banister. Fun times!
Tomorrow we head across to Germany to the famous "fairy tale" castle of Neuschwanstein. We are renting bikes and biking across the border instead of driving...seems more adventurous that way.
Got to go for now; there is a Rick Steve's tour group here and they are all chomping at the bit to use the internet as well. Sadly, I must say that (with a few notable exceptions), they are the loudest and most obnoxious people we've seen so far. I feeling like writing to Rick to tell on them.
Tschuss for now!
erin
Friday, July 01, 2005
The hills are alive...
...with the sounds of Gretchen, Erin, and other tourists in a little van, singing along to the sound of music soundtrack!
Yes, this morning we did the most touristy thing we've done so far. Here in Salzburg, where the Sound of Music is very big, we went with a small group on a drive around the city and surrounding lakes and moutains, seeing all the top TSOM sights...and singing along, if quietly, to the soundtrack. The other folks in the van were three women from Escondido, and a family from San Mateo, all using the Rick Steve's guidebook (and all on a first name basis with Rick, e.g. "Rick says this is the best tour", and so on.) Also, thanks to Rick and this tour, I can tell you all later what's true and not true about the movie. For example, the von Trapp family did not escape from here by hiking over the mountains to Switzerland, because Switzerland is a few hours drive away!
In any case, Salzburg is alpine, very medieval feeling, and at least today, extremely rainy. Mozart is everywhere....houses where he grew up, hawking postcards, and especially on these little round marzipan-chocolate balls. Last night we walked all around the old city, a bit lost but stumbling upon wondrous things along the way...a giant chessboard with pieces 2 feet tall that locals sit around and watch as people stand and play...a beautiful view of the alps from the mountain top fortress above the city...so many little things. Tonight I will drag Gretchen to yet another classical music concert, and tomorrow she is dragging me to a salt mine tour complete with traditional saltmining costumes that we have to don in order to slide down the chute to a subterranean river system. We'll see how that goes!
Yesterday during the drive here from the Danube valley, we stopped at Mauthausen, a Nazi concentration camp where the prisoners had to work in a quarry in addition to all of the other horrors of being in camp. Even writing about it right now makes my stomach knot up-I've honestly never felt such palpable evil as I did yesterday during the part of the tour when you walk through the gas chamber and crematorium rooms. As the survivors said on the informational film, there aren't words in any language to describe it.
We head to Bavaria and "Mad King Ludwig"'s castles tomorrow...
bye for now!
Erin
Yes, this morning we did the most touristy thing we've done so far. Here in Salzburg, where the Sound of Music is very big, we went with a small group on a drive around the city and surrounding lakes and moutains, seeing all the top TSOM sights...and singing along, if quietly, to the soundtrack. The other folks in the van were three women from Escondido, and a family from San Mateo, all using the Rick Steve's guidebook (and all on a first name basis with Rick, e.g. "Rick says this is the best tour", and so on.) Also, thanks to Rick and this tour, I can tell you all later what's true and not true about the movie. For example, the von Trapp family did not escape from here by hiking over the mountains to Switzerland, because Switzerland is a few hours drive away!
In any case, Salzburg is alpine, very medieval feeling, and at least today, extremely rainy. Mozart is everywhere....houses where he grew up, hawking postcards, and especially on these little round marzipan-chocolate balls. Last night we walked all around the old city, a bit lost but stumbling upon wondrous things along the way...a giant chessboard with pieces 2 feet tall that locals sit around and watch as people stand and play...a beautiful view of the alps from the mountain top fortress above the city...so many little things. Tonight I will drag Gretchen to yet another classical music concert, and tomorrow she is dragging me to a salt mine tour complete with traditional saltmining costumes that we have to don in order to slide down the chute to a subterranean river system. We'll see how that goes!
Yesterday during the drive here from the Danube valley, we stopped at Mauthausen, a Nazi concentration camp where the prisoners had to work in a quarry in addition to all of the other horrors of being in camp. Even writing about it right now makes my stomach knot up-I've honestly never felt such palpable evil as I did yesterday during the part of the tour when you walk through the gas chamber and crematorium rooms. As the survivors said on the informational film, there aren't words in any language to describe it.
We head to Bavaria and "Mad King Ludwig"'s castles tomorrow...
bye for now!
Erin
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