We travelled by train (again) from Amsterdam to Frankfurt, Germany today. We planned to go direct, but a technical problem forced us to change trains at Dusseldorf. Our hotel is connected to the airport to make things easy tomorrow. We went to downtown Frankfurt, the older part of the city to see their very nice town center, shopping area, and the River. We've had several more delicious pretzels and are settling in and getting ready for home sweet home Manasquan.
Thanks for travelling with us. See you soon.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Bikes, Trams, Canals and a Zoo
Amsterdam is very difficult to navigate, there are so many trams, buses, people and mostly bikes. Lots and lots of bikes. We constantly hear bringgg, bringgg, telling us to move over. Just when you move away from bikes and think you are safe, you're actually in the tram lane.
We went to the Rijkmuseum today, which holds many of Rembrandt's most famous works, including the Night Watch, which is his largest canvas, and also, the Jewish Bride, of which Vincent Van Gogh said he would give up 10 years of his life to be able to sit in front of it for 2 weeks with nothing but a stale crust of bread. The Rijkmuseum was also hosting a special exhibit of work from Johannes Vermeer on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. April, 2009 is also the 400th anniversary of the Dutch East Indies Companies commission to Henry Hudson to find a better, faster route to China. Instead, he ended up discovering the new Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. We saw an actual letter detailing the purchase of Manhatten, and in September the Rijkmuseum and the United States National Archives will present a special exhibition of this 400th anniversary at the South Street Seaport.
After Rijkmuseum, we went to the Van Gogh Museum. There we saw virtually every one of his most famous works, including Self Portrait, Wheatfield with Crows, Sunflowers, Bedroom at Arles, and as a special treat, the museum also had a temporary exhibit titled Van Gogh and the Colors of Night. There we saw Starry Night, on loan from the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It was very interesting to learn about Van Gogh's life, and to see the dramatic change in his art from very dark, Dutch influences early in his career, to much more colorful and vibrant work after he moved to Paris and the rural south of France.
We spent our afternoon at the Artis Zoo. They have many playgrounds, a planetarium, aquarium and geological museum. It was very enjoyable to see something so familiar, the zoo, in such a different place, with so many different people.
We had pancakes for dinner, super delicious. We've had alot of fun, but we're also ready to come home. One more day of trains through Germany, then we leave from Frankfurt. We'll be home for A-Day, Roll Tide !!!
We went to the Rijkmuseum today, which holds many of Rembrandt's most famous works, including the Night Watch, which is his largest canvas, and also, the Jewish Bride, of which Vincent Van Gogh said he would give up 10 years of his life to be able to sit in front of it for 2 weeks with nothing but a stale crust of bread. The Rijkmuseum was also hosting a special exhibit of work from Johannes Vermeer on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. April, 2009 is also the 400th anniversary of the Dutch East Indies Companies commission to Henry Hudson to find a better, faster route to China. Instead, he ended up discovering the new Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. We saw an actual letter detailing the purchase of Manhatten, and in September the Rijkmuseum and the United States National Archives will present a special exhibition of this 400th anniversary at the South Street Seaport.
After Rijkmuseum, we went to the Van Gogh Museum. There we saw virtually every one of his most famous works, including Self Portrait, Wheatfield with Crows, Sunflowers, Bedroom at Arles, and as a special treat, the museum also had a temporary exhibit titled Van Gogh and the Colors of Night. There we saw Starry Night, on loan from the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It was very interesting to learn about Van Gogh's life, and to see the dramatic change in his art from very dark, Dutch influences early in his career, to much more colorful and vibrant work after he moved to Paris and the rural south of France.
We spent our afternoon at the Artis Zoo. They have many playgrounds, a planetarium, aquarium and geological museum. It was very enjoyable to see something so familiar, the zoo, in such a different place, with so many different people.
We had pancakes for dinner, super delicious. We've had alot of fun, but we're also ready to come home. One more day of trains through Germany, then we leave from Frankfurt. We'll be home for A-Day, Roll Tide !!!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
"Think of all the beauty still left around you, and be happy"- Anne Frank
We visited Anne Frank's house today. It was very moving and Maddie was very interested in every aspect of the history of Anne and her family. We walked through the office, where only 4 workers knew of the 8 people in hiding, then went to the secret annex and saw Anne's room, and her actual diary. We also saw the Academy Award won by Shirley MacLaine in 1959 for the movie of Diary of Anne Frank. She had promised Otto Frank, Anne's father that if she won she would give it to the museum. At the end of the tour we learned the fate of all those in hiding. Otto Frank was the only survivor, with Anne dying at Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp only 1 month before the Allied Forces arrived.
After the visit to Anne Frank's house we rode the canal buses for about 2 hours. They go throughout the town and you can see everything. Amsterdam is built around a series of concentric canals, and was one of the first ever planned cities. We learned that Amsterdam has about 1250 bridges and almost 2500 houseboats. The city is not allowing any more houseboats because there is not much room left. Some of the house boats are old and beat up, others look just like small, modern ranch houses, and others have very unique and elaborate outdoor areas on their decks including one with real grass on its roof.
On the canal tour we saw the headquarters of the Dutch West Indies Company, and also saw that most of the houses in Amsterdam are crooked. This is because they are very narrow and have hoisting arms on the front to lift furniture and other items into the house. The houses are built at an angle so that materials don't damage them while being hoisted. Most buildings are also not very tall because of the soft ground.
We walked all the way around Vondelpark, which is like Central Park for Amsterdam. We saw many dogs and people playing and lounging. There was alot of work being done to get the park ready for Spring, escpecially since the city has had more rain recently than usual.
There are so many different types of transportation here, it makes it difficult to even cross the street. There are cars, scooters, buses, trams, and we've never seen so many bikes. Bikes of every shape and size are everywhere. Most of them look old fashioned, but people ride them fast. We hear bells behind us warning us to move over constantly. Many people have bikes with large buckets on the front where they carry their kids or groceries.
Tomorrow we will go to the Rijkmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and maybe even the zoo, one of the oldest in the world.
After the visit to Anne Frank's house we rode the canal buses for about 2 hours. They go throughout the town and you can see everything. Amsterdam is built around a series of concentric canals, and was one of the first ever planned cities. We learned that Amsterdam has about 1250 bridges and almost 2500 houseboats. The city is not allowing any more houseboats because there is not much room left. Some of the house boats are old and beat up, others look just like small, modern ranch houses, and others have very unique and elaborate outdoor areas on their decks including one with real grass on its roof.
On the canal tour we saw the headquarters of the Dutch West Indies Company, and also saw that most of the houses in Amsterdam are crooked. This is because they are very narrow and have hoisting arms on the front to lift furniture and other items into the house. The houses are built at an angle so that materials don't damage them while being hoisted. Most buildings are also not very tall because of the soft ground.
We walked all the way around Vondelpark, which is like Central Park for Amsterdam. We saw many dogs and people playing and lounging. There was alot of work being done to get the park ready for Spring, escpecially since the city has had more rain recently than usual.
There are so many different types of transportation here, it makes it difficult to even cross the street. There are cars, scooters, buses, trams, and we've never seen so many bikes. Bikes of every shape and size are everywhere. Most of them look old fashioned, but people ride them fast. We hear bells behind us warning us to move over constantly. Many people have bikes with large buckets on the front where they carry their kids or groceries.
Tomorrow we will go to the Rijkmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and maybe even the zoo, one of the oldest in the world.
Monday, April 13, 2009
We Found a Fireman's Fair- in Amsterdam
Our day began in Brussels where we walked through the Grand Place, visited the Church of Saint Nicholas and checked on Mannekin Pis once again. We then hopped aboard another train, headed to Amsterdam. Amsterdam is in the Netherlands, which is also known as Holland, and is our 8th country of our trip.
On the train we watched as the architecture and landscape changed again. We saw many homes made primarily of brick, and many farms with horses, sheeps and cows. We also saw quite a few windmills, both old fashioned and the newer type, and several tulip fields. Holland is known for tulips and windmills.
Once we arrived in Amsterdam, one of the first things we saw off in the distance towards our hotel, a giant ferris wheel and swings way up high. We found out that the carnival was in town. After checking in to the hotel we went straight back to the fair and have alot of new ideas for the Manasquan Fireman's Fair.
We went on the Round the World ride, which is just like the swings, except it goes more than 60 meters high ! That's about as tall as a 20 story building. We could see all of Amsterdam, and we were higher than every building except maybe a few church steeples. We also rode the Breakdance, which is like the tilt-a-whirl and the scrambler together, but much faster and more violent. We loved it. After a few more rides and cotton candy we called it a night.
We're not sure about tomorrow yet, but our plans for Amsterdam include Anne Frank's House, and the Van Gogh Museum. We're having a great time and learning alot.
On the train we watched as the architecture and landscape changed again. We saw many homes made primarily of brick, and many farms with horses, sheeps and cows. We also saw quite a few windmills, both old fashioned and the newer type, and several tulip fields. Holland is known for tulips and windmills.
Once we arrived in Amsterdam, one of the first things we saw off in the distance towards our hotel, a giant ferris wheel and swings way up high. We found out that the carnival was in town. After checking in to the hotel we went straight back to the fair and have alot of new ideas for the Manasquan Fireman's Fair.
We went on the Round the World ride, which is just like the swings, except it goes more than 60 meters high ! That's about as tall as a 20 story building. We could see all of Amsterdam, and we were higher than every building except maybe a few church steeples. We also rode the Breakdance, which is like the tilt-a-whirl and the scrambler together, but much faster and more violent. We loved it. After a few more rides and cotton candy we called it a night.
We're not sure about tomorrow yet, but our plans for Amsterdam include Anne Frank's House, and the Van Gogh Museum. We're having a great time and learning alot.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Best Easter Ever (if only Tom were here)
We've had a wonderful Easter. We awoke to a variety of traditional European Easter treats. We had brunch in Paris, then spent the morning at Jardin du Tuileries, where we went on the carousel and jumped on the trampolines.
Our train from Gare De Nord was delayed arriving for about 30 minutes, then when we got on, there were still problems with the train so everyone had to get off and board a different train. Our seats were not together, but we still made it to Brussels only about 1 hour late. Brussels is where NATO and the European Union are headquartered. It is also the home of Godiva chocolate. Brussels is the capital of Belgium. Belgium is a small country, located between France and Holland. 60% of the people speak Dutch as their primary language and 40% speak French, though almost everyone also speaks English.
We walked around Grand Place, one of the largest and most famous town squares in Europe and visited alot of chocolate shops and waffle shops. We even had chocolate covered waffles. For dinner we had the best Flemish Beef Stew, plus meatballs. We visited the Mannekin Pis, a statue of a little boy going to the bathroom. It is known world-wide and every souvenir shop sells postcards and miniatures of this famous Belgian icon.
We just ordered the most delicious pomme frites from room service and are settled in the night. Tomorrow we head to Amsterdam.
Our train from Gare De Nord was delayed arriving for about 30 minutes, then when we got on, there were still problems with the train so everyone had to get off and board a different train. Our seats were not together, but we still made it to Brussels only about 1 hour late. Brussels is where NATO and the European Union are headquartered. It is also the home of Godiva chocolate. Brussels is the capital of Belgium. Belgium is a small country, located between France and Holland. 60% of the people speak Dutch as their primary language and 40% speak French, though almost everyone also speaks English.
We walked around Grand Place, one of the largest and most famous town squares in Europe and visited alot of chocolate shops and waffle shops. We even had chocolate covered waffles. For dinner we had the best Flemish Beef Stew, plus meatballs. We visited the Mannekin Pis, a statue of a little boy going to the bathroom. It is known world-wide and every souvenir shop sells postcards and miniatures of this famous Belgian icon.
We just ordered the most delicious pomme frites from room service and are settled in the night. Tomorrow we head to Amsterdam.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
ATrip to Le Sommet
We planned to leave early today to get to the Eiffel Tower before the lines got too long. The concierge told us he thought the Eiffel Tower was on strike, but they opened yesterday and were open again today. We arrived 30 minutes before opening and were far, far back in line. Once they opened, the line moved quickly and we made it to the ticket booth in about 1 hour. We then took the elevators to the 2nd level, and waited in another long line to take the final elevator to the third level, Le Sommet. There we saw Gustav Eiffel's apartment where he entertained prominent visitors such as Thomas Edison, and had an incredible view of the City, including the smaller sister to our Statue of Liberty.
Gustav Eiffel won a contest in 1886 to design an iron structure for the 1889 Universal Exhibition, it was built in just over 2 years, and was originally known as the Dame de Fer, or "Iron Lady". Gustav Eiffel was passionate about science and had the names of 72 prominent scientists engraved in the tower. The tower is as tall as a 120 story building, and has 7 million visitors each year. We think maybe 6.5 milllion of them were there today. We walked down from the 2nd level, the same as a 43 story building.
The tower was planned to stand for 20 years, but Gustav Eiffel opened it to scientific studies, and experiments, and eventually it was used for radio broadcasts which made it too important to tear down. It is still used today as an observation station for weather and air quality.
Our trip up and down the tower took several hours, after that we explored the city more. We went to 2 toy stores, several chocolate shops and a perfume store. We also took a pony ride in the park and rented a small wooden sailboat which Parisian kids push around a pond with a stick. The parks and playgrounds are different than home but they are alot of fun and have some unique equipment.
We're settled in for the night now and are anxiously awaiting for the bells of Paris to ring out loud tomorrow morning, after they return from Rome with lots of chocolate !
Happy Easter
Gustav Eiffel won a contest in 1886 to design an iron structure for the 1889 Universal Exhibition, it was built in just over 2 years, and was originally known as the Dame de Fer, or "Iron Lady". Gustav Eiffel was passionate about science and had the names of 72 prominent scientists engraved in the tower. The tower is as tall as a 120 story building, and has 7 million visitors each year. We think maybe 6.5 milllion of them were there today. We walked down from the 2nd level, the same as a 43 story building.
The tower was planned to stand for 20 years, but Gustav Eiffel opened it to scientific studies, and experiments, and eventually it was used for radio broadcasts which made it too important to tear down. It is still used today as an observation station for weather and air quality.
Our trip up and down the tower took several hours, after that we explored the city more. We went to 2 toy stores, several chocolate shops and a perfume store. We also took a pony ride in the park and rented a small wooden sailboat which Parisian kids push around a pond with a stick. The parks and playgrounds are different than home but they are alot of fun and have some unique equipment.
We're settled in for the night now and are anxiously awaiting for the bells of Paris to ring out loud tomorrow morning, after they return from Rome with lots of chocolate !
Happy Easter
Friday, April 10, 2009
Paris in a Day
Paris is very crowded so we woke up early and went to the Louvre Museum to get in line before it opened. We were one of the first to the ticket window. We went straight to the Mona Lisa, beautiful, but much smaller than we expected. From there we went right to the Venus De Milo. The Louvre claims the statue really should be called Aphrodite, her Greek name, rather than Venus, her Roman name, because she was found by a Greek farmer in 1820 on the Island of Milos. We also toured Napolean's apartment in the Louvre, since it was formerly a royal palace. We learned that it is the largest museum in the world.
After the Louvre, we went to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, where there was a special display and procession of the Thorn of Crowns, worn by Jesus on the cross, a nail of the Passion, and a splinter from the cross. These are among the most prized relics in the Church and there are special Knights that protect and care for them.
We walked all over Paris, and had ice cream on the Bridge to Ile St. Louis, a small island in the Seine River, while a band played and girls danced, it was a very fun environment. We toured the Tuileries Gardens and the Luxembourg Gardens. At Luxembourg Gardens we played in the park and had a GIANT Cotton Candy. We met some young girls from Michigan and from Texas.
We walked to the Eiffel Tower, which was really crowded so we'll go there early tomorrow. We also went to the Arc De Triomphe, had dinner on the Champs Des Lysee, and per our routine, went to some local markets to see different foods and compare prices.
The tradition in France is that all of the bells from all of the Churches go silent starting on Holy Thursday. The bells fly to Rome to visit the Pope and return Easter Sunday with gifts for the children (chocolate bells and chocolate fish are popular), so Easter Sunday all of the Church bells will ring again.
After the Louvre, we went to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, where there was a special display and procession of the Thorn of Crowns, worn by Jesus on the cross, a nail of the Passion, and a splinter from the cross. These are among the most prized relics in the Church and there are special Knights that protect and care for them.
We walked all over Paris, and had ice cream on the Bridge to Ile St. Louis, a small island in the Seine River, while a band played and girls danced, it was a very fun environment. We toured the Tuileries Gardens and the Luxembourg Gardens. At Luxembourg Gardens we played in the park and had a GIANT Cotton Candy. We met some young girls from Michigan and from Texas.
We walked to the Eiffel Tower, which was really crowded so we'll go there early tomorrow. We also went to the Arc De Triomphe, had dinner on the Champs Des Lysee, and per our routine, went to some local markets to see different foods and compare prices.
The tradition in France is that all of the bells from all of the Churches go silent starting on Holy Thursday. The bells fly to Rome to visit the Pope and return Easter Sunday with gifts for the children (chocolate bells and chocolate fish are popular), so Easter Sunday all of the Church bells will ring again.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Day of Trains, City of Lights
We had an adventurous day on the train. No one told us before we left, but everyone in Europe, and we mean everyone, goes to Paris for Easter Weekend. We tried everything to get a train from Basel to Paris, lots of different connections, lots of transfers, almost everything was sold out. We finally managed to make the reservation we needed, and also managed to spend time in Freiburg, Germany and Strasbourg, France on our way.
Freiburg was a much larger city than we thought. They have a canal running through the city with a statue of an alligator that they call the Canalligator. All around the cathedral there was a giant market with fresh fish, meat, bread, flowers and produce.
After Freiburg we stopped in Strasbourg, France. It is just across the border from Germany, and Barack Obama visited here for a NATO meetings just last week. We met a local gentlemen who told us about all of the security and people in town for the meeting, and also that he had been to Chicago and San Francisco for work.
There is one section of Strasbourg known as La Petite France, it is the oldest part of town and looks just like Belle's village. People stared as we skipped and sang "There Must Be More Than This Provincial Life".
We took a high speed train from Strasbourg to Paris. It is more than a 6 hour car ride, but the train only took a little bit more than 2 hours. The French countryside was similar to the rural parts of Southern Germany, lots of green fields, rolling hills and small towns. We noticed that the order of train announcements changed from German-French- English, to French-German-English.
We arrived in Paris in the late afternoon and walked a good distance to our hotel. We had dinner at an outdoor Bistro then walked to see some of the sights.
Tomorrow we plan to get up early, go the the Louvre and head straight for the Mona Lisa, then we'll go to Notre Dame where there will be a Good Friday Procession which will include a relic of Jesus' Cross.
Bonne Nuit
Freiburg was a much larger city than we thought. They have a canal running through the city with a statue of an alligator that they call the Canalligator. All around the cathedral there was a giant market with fresh fish, meat, bread, flowers and produce.
After Freiburg we stopped in Strasbourg, France. It is just across the border from Germany, and Barack Obama visited here for a NATO meetings just last week. We met a local gentlemen who told us about all of the security and people in town for the meeting, and also that he had been to Chicago and San Francisco for work.
There is one section of Strasbourg known as La Petite France, it is the oldest part of town and looks just like Belle's village. People stared as we skipped and sang "There Must Be More Than This Provincial Life".
We took a high speed train from Strasbourg to Paris. It is more than a 6 hour car ride, but the train only took a little bit more than 2 hours. The French countryside was similar to the rural parts of Southern Germany, lots of green fields, rolling hills and small towns. We noticed that the order of train announcements changed from German-French- English, to French-German-English.
We arrived in Paris in the late afternoon and walked a good distance to our hotel. We had dinner at an outdoor Bistro then walked to see some of the sights.
Tomorrow we plan to get up early, go the the Louvre and head straight for the Mona Lisa, then we'll go to Notre Dame where there will be a Good Friday Procession which will include a relic of Jesus' Cross.
Bonne Nuit
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Please Don't Push Me Into the Trolley
Our journey today brought us to Luzern and Basel, Switzerland. Luzern is home to the longest covered bridge in Europe, known as the Chapel Bridge. The Chapel Bridge and Watch Tower were built in the 14th Century and have been used as fortifications for the city, a prison, and as a treasury vault. We watched an active archeological dig near some road construction, where old foundations were exposed and archaeologists were digging, scraping, dusting, measuring and labeling.
We went to Coop City, a kind of department and grocery store where we compared prices here to those at home. Switzerland is also one country which still maintains its own currency, the Swiss Franc, instead of the Euro.
Our lunch in Luzern was a ham and cheese sandwich, on a pretzel. There are pretzel stands everywhere. Switzerland is also the first country in which we have seen Starbucks and Claires.
We're based in Basel for the night, we walked to the old marketplace, the old cathedral and saw the Rhine River, which runs through town. Like New Jersey, Basel is home to many pharmaceutical companies.
All of the fast trains to Paris are sold out, so tomorrow we take a leisurely, but longer, trip to the City of Lights for Easter Weekend.
See You All Soon
We went to Coop City, a kind of department and grocery store where we compared prices here to those at home. Switzerland is also one country which still maintains its own currency, the Swiss Franc, instead of the Euro.
Our lunch in Luzern was a ham and cheese sandwich, on a pretzel. There are pretzel stands everywhere. Switzerland is also the first country in which we have seen Starbucks and Claires.
We're based in Basel for the night, we walked to the old marketplace, the old cathedral and saw the Rhine River, which runs through town. Like New Jersey, Basel is home to many pharmaceutical companies.
All of the fast trains to Paris are sold out, so tomorrow we take a leisurely, but longer, trip to the City of Lights for Easter Weekend.
See You All Soon
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Mad King Ludwig and Taxis in Zurich
We all love Germany. We had pretzels for breakfast. We visited Neuschwanstein Castle, which was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. We were able to take a horse drawn carriage from the village up the long, winding road to the castle. The castle was never finished because King Ludwig died under suspicious circumstances only 1 day after being told that a group of doctors were about to issue a report finding him mentally unstable. He is known as Mad King Ludwig. At the time of his death, he was only 40 years old, and had 3 castles under construction. The castle at Neuschwanstein is within view of his parents castle. King Ludwig was good friends with the famous composer, Richard Wagner, and the castle was dedicated to his operas. The government of Bavaria actually banished Wagner to Switzerland because they thought he had too much influence over the king, and that the king was spending too much money on Wagner. An interesting point not mentioned on the tour of the castle is that Walt Disney used it as his inspiration for the castle of Sleeping Beauty.
After Fussen, we took the train to Lindau, Germany. Lindau is a small island in the Boddensee. The landscape of Germany is beautiful, and many farmers were out working their land. With the windows open on the train, it really smelled like Spring. We've noticed alot of cultural differences in each country we've visited, and we've also seen that in many ways people are the same wherever you go.
After our brief stop in Lindau, we hopped on the rails once again, headed for Zurich. The highlight of the trip was a real restaurant car. Other trains have had snack carts that are pushed through the aisles, or snack bars. This train had a sit down, waiter service, restaurant. It was really cool.
We think Zurich taxi drivers would starve in NYC. We got off the train and tried to get a taxi, the driver got out of his car to explain to us how to get to the hotel. After trying to follow his directions, and wandering around town, we hailed a 2nd taxi, who pulled over and told us to keep walking that it wasn't much farther.
We'll be in Basel, Switzerland by tomorrow night.
Bis Morgan
After Fussen, we took the train to Lindau, Germany. Lindau is a small island in the Boddensee. The landscape of Germany is beautiful, and many farmers were out working their land. With the windows open on the train, it really smelled like Spring. We've noticed alot of cultural differences in each country we've visited, and we've also seen that in many ways people are the same wherever you go.
After our brief stop in Lindau, we hopped on the rails once again, headed for Zurich. The highlight of the trip was a real restaurant car. Other trains have had snack carts that are pushed through the aisles, or snack bars. This train had a sit down, waiter service, restaurant. It was really cool.
We think Zurich taxi drivers would starve in NYC. We got off the train and tried to get a taxi, the driver got out of his car to explain to us how to get to the hotel. After trying to follow his directions, and wandering around town, we hailed a 2nd taxi, who pulled over and told us to keep walking that it wasn't much farther.
We'll be in Basel, Switzerland by tomorrow night.
Bis Morgan
Monday, April 6, 2009
Trains, Trains, and More Trains
We started our day at 5:30am with a water taxi to the Venice Train Station. We arrived at our hotel in Fussen, Germany at 9:00pm. We took trains from Venice to Verona, Verona to Innsbruck, Innsbruck to Munich, and Munich to Fussen. Thankfully we were nowhere near the earthquake, and didn't even know about it until we were in Austria.
On the train we noticed that the terrain changed rapidly and within an hour of Verona we started to see the snow covered alps. The architecture also changes, with stone and stucco houses with terra cotta roofs giving way to homes that really look like chalets.
Innsbruck is located in a valley and is surrounded by amazing mountains. We spent a portion of our afternoon there, we saw the Golden Roof, and once again played in the Bundesgarden Park with the locals. The Winter Olympics were held here in 1964 and 1976 and you can see the ski jump right from the train station. Innsbruck is also home to Swaroksi Crystal. The older part of town really looked very Disneyesque. We had pretzels and watched the Bavarian band. Even with snow covered mountains all around it was about 70 degrees.
On the train to Fussen, the landscape changed again to flat farmland, with many very neat homes with well manicured yards. We saw quite a few deer in the many open fields. We've now settled in Fussen in perhaps the most unique hotel room we've ever experienced.
Tomorrow we vist Mad King Ludwig's Castle at Neuschwanstein Castle, and head to Zurich for the night.
Gute Nacht
On the train we noticed that the terrain changed rapidly and within an hour of Verona we started to see the snow covered alps. The architecture also changes, with stone and stucco houses with terra cotta roofs giving way to homes that really look like chalets.
Innsbruck is located in a valley and is surrounded by amazing mountains. We spent a portion of our afternoon there, we saw the Golden Roof, and once again played in the Bundesgarden Park with the locals. The Winter Olympics were held here in 1964 and 1976 and you can see the ski jump right from the train station. Innsbruck is also home to Swaroksi Crystal. The older part of town really looked very Disneyesque. We had pretzels and watched the Bavarian band. Even with snow covered mountains all around it was about 70 degrees.
On the train to Fussen, the landscape changed again to flat farmland, with many very neat homes with well manicured yards. We saw quite a few deer in the many open fields. We've now settled in Fussen in perhaps the most unique hotel room we've ever experienced.
Tomorrow we vist Mad King Ludwig's Castle at Neuschwanstein Castle, and head to Zurich for the night.
Gute Nacht
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Sunday in Venice
We had a fun Sunday, wandering the streets, really alley ways, of Venice the entire day. We took a water shuttle from our hotel, and saw several processions of palms for Palm Sunday. Many people had olive branches instead of palms.
At St. Mark's Square we fed pigeons and learned about the Basilica San Marco which was built in the 9th Century to house the body of Saint Mark. We also learned about Murano glass which is made in Venice, and saw an antique market at Campo San Maurizio.
We went to an exhibit of musical instruments dating from 1580-1965. A focus of the exhibit was also Antonio Vivaldi, a famous composer who was born in Venice in 1678. He was a priest and spent most of his life teaching at Ospedale della Pieta, which was a State run school for orphaned girls. At this school the girls were only trained to be excellent musicians. The girls were said to sing like angels, and all of them could play multiple instruments, including some unique and uncommon instruments. Most of the girls spent their entire lives at the school.
We set the gelato record today with 3, and we've decided our favorite flavor is Fior di Latte. We also rode the carousel at Campo San Polo 4 times, and played on the playground at the public park with some local kids. There were alot of kids around today, riding bikes, scooters, and rollerblading. Lots of Fun. We've decided that Dean and Connor would make excellent gondoliers for halloween.
We have a busy travel day tomorrow. We are getting picked up by water taxi at 5:30am to go to the train station. We plan to spend tomorrow afternoon in Innsbruck, Austria and then arrive at our hotel in Germany later in the evening.
Ciao from Venice, Italy
At St. Mark's Square we fed pigeons and learned about the Basilica San Marco which was built in the 9th Century to house the body of Saint Mark. We also learned about Murano glass which is made in Venice, and saw an antique market at Campo San Maurizio.
We went to an exhibit of musical instruments dating from 1580-1965. A focus of the exhibit was also Antonio Vivaldi, a famous composer who was born in Venice in 1678. He was a priest and spent most of his life teaching at Ospedale della Pieta, which was a State run school for orphaned girls. At this school the girls were only trained to be excellent musicians. The girls were said to sing like angels, and all of them could play multiple instruments, including some unique and uncommon instruments. Most of the girls spent their entire lives at the school.
We set the gelato record today with 3, and we've decided our favorite flavor is Fior di Latte. We also rode the carousel at Campo San Polo 4 times, and played on the playground at the public park with some local kids. There were alot of kids around today, riding bikes, scooters, and rollerblading. Lots of Fun. We've decided that Dean and Connor would make excellent gondoliers for halloween.
We have a busy travel day tomorrow. We are getting picked up by water taxi at 5:30am to go to the train station. We plan to spend tomorrow afternoon in Innsbruck, Austria and then arrive at our hotel in Germany later in the evening.
Ciao from Venice, Italy
Saturday, April 4, 2009
We Open in Venice
We traveled today from Florence to Bologna, then on to Verona. The train cars are all numbered, we were assigned to car 1, but the signs on the platform were reversed from the actual cars, so we got on car 12 and had to walk all the way back while everyone crowded the aisles finding their seats and stowing their luggage. In Verona, we visted the Coloseum, which is not quite as large as the one in Rome, but is still big. They host opera concerts all Summer. The major highlight of Verona was Juliet's house. There were love notes and graffiti all over the 12th Century home. It is still owned by the Dell Cappella (Capuleti) family, but the museum is administered by the City of Verona. Each room had some key dialogue from the play, Madddie read every word. There is a statue of Juliet in the courtyard, and if you touch her in a certain place while making a love wish, your wish will come true.
We went to two McDonald's today, and neither one of them would give us milk. They said it was only for coffee, but when we bought coffee, they said we could use the creamers in the bag.
After an afternoon in Verona, we took the train to Venice. We thought we were taking the 4:29pm train, but the sign said 3:59pm and it left at at 4:06pm, luckily we just got on the train, but we still don't know which one it was, but it went to Venice.
It was so exciting to walk out of the train station and instead of city streets, see canals and water taxis. We walked across the Rialto Bridge to San Marco Square and took a water shuttle to our hotel.
We noticed that the terrain changed from the hills of Florence to flat farmland as we went towards Bologna, then as we neared Venice we saw water and boat dealers and eventually a large port with big cranes, ferries and cruise ships.
Venice is full of small alley ways and lots of twists and turns. It is very easy to get lost, but thankfully there are signs for San Marco and the Rialto, the two major tourist locations, on almost every corner.
We finally arrived at our hotel and we were very tired so we went to the lobby for some snacks. We had cheese and vegetables, but our favorite part of the night was watching a little Japanese girl stick her hands in the food, and then an older British man would get angry and complain. He even starting videotaping her. She usually stopped at our table to say hello to Maddie on her way back and forth from the food.
Tomorrow we explore Venice, including perhaps, a gondola ride.
Ciao
We went to two McDonald's today, and neither one of them would give us milk. They said it was only for coffee, but when we bought coffee, they said we could use the creamers in the bag.
After an afternoon in Verona, we took the train to Venice. We thought we were taking the 4:29pm train, but the sign said 3:59pm and it left at at 4:06pm, luckily we just got on the train, but we still don't know which one it was, but it went to Venice.
It was so exciting to walk out of the train station and instead of city streets, see canals and water taxis. We walked across the Rialto Bridge to San Marco Square and took a water shuttle to our hotel.
We noticed that the terrain changed from the hills of Florence to flat farmland as we went towards Bologna, then as we neared Venice we saw water and boat dealers and eventually a large port with big cranes, ferries and cruise ships.
Venice is full of small alley ways and lots of twists and turns. It is very easy to get lost, but thankfully there are signs for San Marco and the Rialto, the two major tourist locations, on almost every corner.
We finally arrived at our hotel and we were very tired so we went to the lobby for some snacks. We had cheese and vegetables, but our favorite part of the night was watching a little Japanese girl stick her hands in the food, and then an older British man would get angry and complain. He even starting videotaping her. She usually stopped at our table to say hello to Maddie on her way back and forth from the food.
Tomorrow we explore Venice, including perhaps, a gondola ride.
Ciao
Friday, April 3, 2009
Under the Tuscan Sun
Our tour guide Franco took us to several Tuscan Hill towns, and through the Chianti Region today. We drove past the American Cemetery at Florence, where more than 4300 U.S. Serivce Members who died during World War II are buried. We saw many olive trees, cypress trees and vineyards.
Franco told us quite a bit about everyday life in Italy. For example, we learned that kids go to elementary school from ages 6 to 11, then middle school from ages 11 to 14, and high school from ages 14-19. Students can attend school Monday- Friday until approximately 4pm, or a bit later, or they can have early dismissal each day if they also attend on Saturday.
Following High School you can get a job, go to a trade school, or enroll in University. University is a bit different than it is in the U.S. Most students live at home and attend the University closest to their home, as the univesities don't usually offer housing. Franco also told us that Italians love TV reality shows and that his 20 year old daughter who is studying Hotel Management only comes home to eat and get money. According to our new friend, football (soccer), bicycle racing and basketball are the most popular sports in Italy.
We visited San Gimignano, a medieval city known as the Manhatten of Tuscany because of its large towers. There are currently 14, although at times there were more than 70. San Gimignano was also a main stopping point for pilgrims from France and England on their pilgrimage to see the Pope in Rome. The movie, "Tea with Mussolini" was filmed here, and they also have a shop which won the the 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 Gelato World Championship.
We next stopped at Monterigioni, which is very small, but was called a "Crown on a King" by Dante because of its appearance on top of a large hill. We had lunch at a restaurant that we saw on Rachel Ray, and met a couple from Chicago whose daughter went to Princeton, they asked about Bruce Springsteen, who the mom said she loves. Franco recommended the Pasta with boars meat sauce, but no one was that adventurous today.
After lunch we went to Siena, which has one of the largest cathedrals in the world. Siena was a major enemy of the Florentines in the middle ages, until 1/2 their population was lost to the "Black Death", or Plague. There is a major horse race in the center of town every summer, with each neighborhood of the city cheering for their own horse. The race is very popular with thousands of people attending, Franco tells us that good tickets are usually more than 500 Euros.
Our final stop for the day was at a small winery in the Chianti Region, we tried some wine, Maggie tried Grappa, which was very strong.
Franco told us quite a bit about everyday life in Italy. For example, we learned that kids go to elementary school from ages 6 to 11, then middle school from ages 11 to 14, and high school from ages 14-19. Students can attend school Monday- Friday until approximately 4pm, or a bit later, or they can have early dismissal each day if they also attend on Saturday.
Following High School you can get a job, go to a trade school, or enroll in University. University is a bit different than it is in the U.S. Most students live at home and attend the University closest to their home, as the univesities don't usually offer housing. Franco also told us that Italians love TV reality shows and that his 20 year old daughter who is studying Hotel Management only comes home to eat and get money. According to our new friend, football (soccer), bicycle racing and basketball are the most popular sports in Italy.
We visited San Gimignano, a medieval city known as the Manhatten of Tuscany because of its large towers. There are currently 14, although at times there were more than 70. San Gimignano was also a main stopping point for pilgrims from France and England on their pilgrimage to see the Pope in Rome. The movie, "Tea with Mussolini" was filmed here, and they also have a shop which won the the 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 Gelato World Championship.
We next stopped at Monterigioni, which is very small, but was called a "Crown on a King" by Dante because of its appearance on top of a large hill. We had lunch at a restaurant that we saw on Rachel Ray, and met a couple from Chicago whose daughter went to Princeton, they asked about Bruce Springsteen, who the mom said she loves. Franco recommended the Pasta with boars meat sauce, but no one was that adventurous today.
After lunch we went to Siena, which has one of the largest cathedrals in the world. Siena was a major enemy of the Florentines in the middle ages, until 1/2 their population was lost to the "Black Death", or Plague. There is a major horse race in the center of town every summer, with each neighborhood of the city cheering for their own horse. The race is very popular with thousands of people attending, Franco tells us that good tickets are usually more than 500 Euros.
Our final stop for the day was at a small winery in the Chianti Region, we tried some wine, Maggie tried Grappa, which was very strong.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Galileo's Head Was on the Block
We wandered all over Florence today, and spent some time at the Palazzo Strozzi where they had an exhibit on Galileo. Many famous artists, writers and scientists are from Florence, including Dante, DaVinci, Machiavelli, and Michelangelo. We learned how ancient civilizations viewed the planets, the Egyptian concept of the Lunar Calendar, and that over the course of history, civilizations have looked to the heavens to navigate the seas and to decide when to sow and when to reap. We also learned that Copernicus was the first to develop a Heliocentric view of the universe, when others still held to the belief of a Geocentric universe. Galileo was born in Pisa, and while on a trip to Venice, bought a toy used to see far away. He worked hard at improving it and eventually invented the modern telescope which he used to observe the heavens. Galileo was tried twice by the Catholic Church for his scientific theories, the first time he got a warning, the second time he was found guilty of heresy and was subjected to a forced abjuration. We saw one of Galileo's original telescopes, and a finger from his right hand. That was neat.
We walked over the Ponte Vecchio a number of times. The Ponte Vecchio is a famous bridge with many shops. It was originally a meat and produce market in the 12th and 13th Century, it then become home to many goldsmiths and silversmiths. Today it is almost exclusively jewelry stores.
We went to almost every Piazza, many small markets, and street vendors. In one of the grocery stores the shelves were arranged by country, the American shelf had brownie mix, marshmallows, cheese balls and peanut butter. Kevin and Maddie rode on a carousel, and we paid .60 Euros each to use the public water closet. After dinner near the Medici Castle(now Florence Town Hall), we had our first taste of Italian hot chocolate. It was hot, but no sugar at all, it wasn't very tasty.
In our hotel bathroom there are cords in the tub and shower, Maggie pulled and pulled on them over and over while asking what they did. She stopped when the front desk called to check on the alarm coming from our room.
Ciao
We walked over the Ponte Vecchio a number of times. The Ponte Vecchio is a famous bridge with many shops. It was originally a meat and produce market in the 12th and 13th Century, it then become home to many goldsmiths and silversmiths. Today it is almost exclusively jewelry stores.
We went to almost every Piazza, many small markets, and street vendors. In one of the grocery stores the shelves were arranged by country, the American shelf had brownie mix, marshmallows, cheese balls and peanut butter. Kevin and Maddie rode on a carousel, and we paid .60 Euros each to use the public water closet. After dinner near the Medici Castle(now Florence Town Hall), we had our first taste of Italian hot chocolate. It was hot, but no sugar at all, it wasn't very tasty.
In our hotel bathroom there are cords in the tub and shower, Maggie pulled and pulled on them over and over while asking what they did. She stopped when the front desk called to check on the alarm coming from our room.
Ciao
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Leaning Tower and Florence
We left Rome on the 9:46am train and headed up the coast to Pisa, about a 3 hour ride. There was some nice scenery, but also alot of industrial areas and major ports on the Tyrrhenian Sea. There is also quite a bit of graffiti all over Italy. We sat with a couple from Los Angeles on their way to some of the Italian coastal cities, then to Paris.
We toured the Baptistry, the Cathedral and went to the top of the Tower. The entire area is known as the Piazza dei Miracoli, or "Miracle Square". There are alot of stairs, 294 to be exact, and it really does lean. Construction on the tower began in 1173 and was finished 99 years later. The Tower is 186 feet high at its peak. Galileo performed his famous experiment about gravity from the tower. We ate lunch on the lawn next to the tower (with it leaning away from us just in case) and then walked back to the train station, about a mile.
We took a commuter train from Pisa to Florence, pretty crowded, and have just settled in to our hotel here in Florence. We have a very nice view of the Arno River.
Tomorrow we will spend the day exploring Florence, the Duomo and the famous sculpture David.
We toured the Baptistry, the Cathedral and went to the top of the Tower. The entire area is known as the Piazza dei Miracoli, or "Miracle Square". There are alot of stairs, 294 to be exact, and it really does lean. Construction on the tower began in 1173 and was finished 99 years later. The Tower is 186 feet high at its peak. Galileo performed his famous experiment about gravity from the tower. We ate lunch on the lawn next to the tower (with it leaning away from us just in case) and then walked back to the train station, about a mile.
We took a commuter train from Pisa to Florence, pretty crowded, and have just settled in to our hotel here in Florence. We have a very nice view of the Arno River.
Tomorrow we will spend the day exploring Florence, the Duomo and the famous sculpture David.
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