Hello all. Well, another great day on the other side of the world, and my what a day it was. We started off with the intention of sleeping in. Ah, that precious commodity of sleep that is so lacking some days on our vacations. Unfortunately, we neglected to turn off the alarm on the ipod, so sure enough, at 6 am it went off, and Michelle was awake. Thankfully, for one time in her life, she was able to get back to sleep. And since our bed here is really two twins pushed together, Tim did not notice her get out of bed, nor crawl back into it.
At 8:45 Tim was the one doing the waking. We rushed downstairs to grab breakfast before it closed at 9:30. Homemade bread, juice, homemade cheese, organic eggs (from the hotels farm) and coffee were downed with gusto. Back up to the room to prep for the day, and we were off.
Off to where you may ask? Well, what a great question. You see, the day before we were looking for something a little wild and crazy to do, and since the Swiss are so outdoorsy, there were many options. We chose to run off of a cliff . . . with a parachute and a guide strapped to our backs of course! We had talked to a man yesterday at one of the companies, and thought that we would sleep on it. In the morning, we were both still excited about the option, so we left the hotel to set up the flight. When we arrived to the shop, their 12:00 session was booked solid, but they had two openings at the 1:30 session. We booked two spaces, and were off to find some breakfast.
On the way, we stopped at the train station to deterime times for our trip out of town tomorrow. Originally we had planned to go to Luzern, but as we will explain later, plans are changing slightly. Once the train information was determined, we went to lunch at the CoOp place again. Having figured out the method to this place, we wanted a second try at it. We both tried different food this time, and it was still ok . . . not great, but not the worst meal we had ever had.
We arrived to the parasailing booth a little early, so we spent the time watching others at the landing site. It was amazing to see all of the tricks and turns they were doing in the air before landing. We both decided that we wanted to experience whatever they could throw at us.
We waited with a Hindu family, a family of four, where the mother spoke no english. The guide was working on hand signals with her, and trying to learn a few key Hindu words. We all drove in a van together that had to be push started by the guides, and there were a few cracks about how the van was as old as the parachutes we would be using. Nervous laughter commenced by most.
We reached the top of the hill that we would be launching off of, and all of the guides unrolled their packs. We were then to choose which guide we wanted to take us on our flight. Nothing like knowing someone for 20 minutes, then being asked to choose one to bet your life on. They warned us at the booth that our camera was a "bit big" to take on the flight, but that it would be up to the pilot we choose. Tim chose the one who seemed ok with him bringing our camera on the trip, and Michelle chose the one who was left, as everyone else seemed to rush to one specific person. Michelles guide was named Martin, and she would soon learn he had been doing this for 16 years, with over 5,000 flights under his belt. Not a bad default. Tims guide, Peach, beat Michelle's, with 18 years experience. We think we got the pick of the guides.
As they were unrolling their packs and strapping us into the harnesses, it soon became clear that since Michelles guide was the last one to unroll his parachute, she was the first person to go. Imagine a slight hill, that at the top end was where we were standing and the packs were being unrolled, and as each new pack was unrolled, it was placed just below the one before it. So that you had all the chutes lined up, going down the hill. That meant that since Michelles parachute was the last one to unroll, she was going first and was starting with less running room than everyone else. Ah, the joys when she figured THAT one out! At least with her leaving first Tim was able to get some good launch photos of her, as he was the last to launch.
It ended up well though, as she did not have enough time to get scared before she was being lifted off the ground and flying like bird. The sensation of lift off is quite thrilling, a bit like lifting off in an airplane but without a metal tube around you. The whole trip must have lasted all of 20 minutes, but it was amazing. We flew close to cliffs, and had a great view of the Interlaken valley. Just amazing. Towards the end of the flight near the landing zone, the pilots offered us the option of doing tricks - "Do you like rollercoasters?" The G-force was amazing as we plummeted downward in tight circles - blood rushing to your feet and your stomach turning. The landings were both smooth, better than others we saw who tumbled to the ground with the pilot strapped to their back. The camera survived with some great pictures of Tim's flight.
Once back on the ground we wandered back to our hotel to figure out what we were going to do for the next three days before we headed over to Paris. We were both feeling lukewarm about going to Luzern, as we are a little burned out with big cities and in need of some more rest and relaxation. So after much debate and the help of the hotel receptionist Paula, we are headed tomorrow over to a small town farther up in the hills called Murren. It is close to the town of Gimmewald, which is where some of the Westmont students have gone in the past for their semesters away. Gimmewald comes highly recommended, but we opted for Murren as the hotels were a little more available in Murren, and it was not so remote. A day trip to Gimmewald will be a fun possibility though. We have plans to sleep in a bit, head over to a department store to buy some warmer long jons to put under our pants, and then head up the mountain. The weather report for Murren was 6 degrees, but no snow. There should be internet access there as well, so hopefully we can keep the daily updates going.
Using Paula's food recommendation, we headed down the street to Barron's restaurant. A more traditional restaurant serving Swiss faire. Since we are on the German side of Switzerland, there is a heavy influence in the food. We opted for a starter of Gulach soup for Tim and potato soup for Michelle. We added a bottle of wine and a glass of the local beer. The main courses were Pork Schnitzel and noodles for Michelle and Rosti with a Brot sausage for Tim. We were satisified and happy with the choices. Needing to add to our delight of a good meal we topped it with dessert of a swiss-style apple pie with ice cream and whipped cream. Bellies full and a empty wallet (it is expensive here) we left the restaurant to head back to the hotel for a relaxing evening.
Blessings to all, good night!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Rockin' Interlaken
Well, we are beginning our second day in Switzerland, but it is only proper to tell you about the first day first.
I dont know if this was mentioned before, but if there are misspellings or punctuation errors in our posts, please have patience. Finding the right keys on different types of keyboards is always a fun experience. In all of the countries we have been in so far, there are small changes that make typing fun. And since Michelle types pretty fast having memorized the key positions, it makes her have to think a little more. In all countries, the @ symbol for email addresses is either a third symbol under the number 2 button, requiring you to hit the "alt gr" button first, or it is on the right side of the keyboard. We are always searching for the apostrophy symbol, as it changes in every country, and in Switzerland the "y" and the "z" buttons are reversed. Ah, the joys of international typing! (Just took me a full minitue to find that exclamation point, so I will use it again now for good measure!)
We told the operator of the bed an breakfast that we had an early train to catch, so she made a special note to prepare breakfast a half an hour earlier than ususal. Appearently we were not the only ones to take advantage of this as there were others dining with us. Breakfast was had and we took a fast paced walked to the train station with fully loaded packs to make our 7:43 train. Not the time to be late as we had several connections to make on this leg of the trip. The first train was from Stresa to Domadossola, then Domadossola to Spiez, and the final train from Spiez to Interlaken West. Catching a train can be a nerve racking process as we only knew our destination not the train's final destination. Unfortunately, most of the trains are listed by departure time and final destination. It was a leap of faith to hop on a train solely based upon the departure time.
The ride from Italy into Switzerland was a beautiful train ride with views that were memorable of ridged snow covered peaks and lush green fields. And an occasional tunnel, or twelve.
Arriving in Interlaken, we were not sure what to expect - will it be cold? We were prepared for the worst Michelle bundled in her sweater and pants and Tim in his short-sleaved shirt and short pants (some things just don't change). The weather was actually quite nice with the sun peaking between the clouds. The mighty Junfraujoch mountain before us was fully engulfed in a white blanket of snow. The rivers that run through the town a light blue unlike we have even seen before.
When we booked our hotel (thank you again to the Booking.com recommendation from a fellow traveler), we opted for the swiss chalet looking structure. Upon arriving at our destination we were not disappointed. As we sit and type this we are in a wood paneled room with a giant wood burning fireplace and cow bells the size of my head hanging on the wall. I'm expecting someone to start yoddling soon. When we checked in the receptionist didn't really speak english and so we communicated with hand motions. Our room has wood floors, a four post bed with two single mattresses pushed together, and a balcony with a view of Junfraujoch. We dropped our packs and rested our feet. It must be getting close to the end of the trip as the packs are getting heavier and our feet are getting sorer. In need of nourishment, we pulled out the unopened chorizo sausage (not like the stuff at home - think of a spicy salame) that we purchased in the Barcelona airport and the apricot juice that we had purchased the night before and had a snack while sitting on the balcony enjoying the beautiful view. What an introduction to Switzerland.
We then walked slowly through the town, enjoying the views, the people, and the little shops that we could walk through. It was a day of rest, for both our feet and our bodies, with nothing on the "to do" list but relax. There is one main street in town, that runs from the west train station to the east. On the way we tried to stop for lunch at a little kebab restaurant, and after deciding that this was the place to eat, we discovered that they did not take credit cards. We are trying to avoid getting Swiss frances (as Switzerland is not on the euro) so that we dont have to deal with exchange rates and extra francs when we are leaving. We continued on the street in search of another place.
Once we reached the east train station, we had lunch at a place called the "Coop". They have a grocery store downstairs, and the restaurant upstairs. We walked through the grocery store first, then made our way up to eat. Michelle thinks that the Swiss all look like they could go hike a mountain even when they are just grocery shopping. They all look like they stepped out of a Patagonia or North Face catalgoue. The restaurant was cafeteria style, where you pay for certain foods by the weight and others by the serving. We chose our food, which was funny, as we were not sure what we were doing, so we just followed the lead of the person in front of us. We added a little bit of meat, some veggies and Tim added french fries to his plate, Then he realized that they charge per packet for ketchup. Since each packet was .50 swiss francs, we could esily spend 30 US dollars just on him eating french fries. He does love his ketchup! We also added a cheese cake looking item to our plate, and hoped for the best.
The meal was ok, it was food in the belly, but not nearly as inspiring as ones we have had before. The best part was the pork cutlet and a funky noodle looking dish that looked a little like 3 day old french friend shriveled up (both had by Tim and tasted by Michelle). Since it cost about 20 US dollars, it was dissapointing from that perspective given the serving portions. The swiss franc and US dollar are about equal, but everything here costs twice as much. The swiss may corner the market on outdoorsi-ness, but they sure do know how to drain the wallet quickly!
We continued walking around town, visiting the Japanese garden (a small garden with some of the largest fish we have seen, even blue ones!) and a few churches. The churches looked like the ones at home, without all of the elaborate ornimentation that we have seen in other European churches. It was refreshing.
Back to the room for a short nap, and then hitting the town again to see the last part of the main street we started earlier. Most everything was closed at this point, but we did manage to find a restaurant that served Korean, Chinese and Japanese food. OK, it's not local food but at least it is not a spicy wings at the Hooter's on the main drag. No sushi (probably a good thing) but we did manage to find some good kim chi (Tim, with Michelle on a few bites), spicy beef and rice (Tim), pan fried chicken and rice (Michelle), and some chicken dumplings (shared). It was good, our bellys were finally full, but still cost us twice what it would back home. Oh well, when on vacation . . .
We then walked along the river, and passed what we think was a community sports club, complete with pool, exercise equipment and a crazy miniature golf course. The holes for the miniature golf course had launch ramps for the balls from one part of the course over to another. It was the weirdest miniature golf course we have seen.
We made it to the center of town in time for the Nissan outdoor games video presentation. There were 5 teams, complete with mountain bikers, rock climbers, sky divers, paragliders, and kayakers who had one week to make a video of their sports. They were competing for 70,000 swiss francs. They showed the final videos last night in the middle of the city, and there were a good number of people that turned out. Before the awards presentation there was a concert with a Danish rock band (go Danes!) called the Blue Van Group. Aside from some technical difficulties, they were not that bad, and the dancing in the streets by the other partygoers was fun to watch. Michelle's favorite song was called "Man up".
We stayed and watched a few of the videos, enough to know that the athletes are a little crazy in what they do. We walked back through town via the river, and shared a bit of swiss chocolate and coca cola while watching a bike race. Rabobank had its bike team in it, near the lead when we were watching. We then went to bed nearing midnight. Until later!
I dont know if this was mentioned before, but if there are misspellings or punctuation errors in our posts, please have patience. Finding the right keys on different types of keyboards is always a fun experience. In all of the countries we have been in so far, there are small changes that make typing fun. And since Michelle types pretty fast having memorized the key positions, it makes her have to think a little more. In all countries, the @ symbol for email addresses is either a third symbol under the number 2 button, requiring you to hit the "alt gr" button first, or it is on the right side of the keyboard. We are always searching for the apostrophy symbol, as it changes in every country, and in Switzerland the "y" and the "z" buttons are reversed. Ah, the joys of international typing! (Just took me a full minitue to find that exclamation point, so I will use it again now for good measure!)
We told the operator of the bed an breakfast that we had an early train to catch, so she made a special note to prepare breakfast a half an hour earlier than ususal. Appearently we were not the only ones to take advantage of this as there were others dining with us. Breakfast was had and we took a fast paced walked to the train station with fully loaded packs to make our 7:43 train. Not the time to be late as we had several connections to make on this leg of the trip. The first train was from Stresa to Domadossola, then Domadossola to Spiez, and the final train from Spiez to Interlaken West. Catching a train can be a nerve racking process as we only knew our destination not the train's final destination. Unfortunately, most of the trains are listed by departure time and final destination. It was a leap of faith to hop on a train solely based upon the departure time.
The ride from Italy into Switzerland was a beautiful train ride with views that were memorable of ridged snow covered peaks and lush green fields. And an occasional tunnel, or twelve.
Arriving in Interlaken, we were not sure what to expect - will it be cold? We were prepared for the worst Michelle bundled in her sweater and pants and Tim in his short-sleaved shirt and short pants (some things just don't change). The weather was actually quite nice with the sun peaking between the clouds. The mighty Junfraujoch mountain before us was fully engulfed in a white blanket of snow. The rivers that run through the town a light blue unlike we have even seen before.
When we booked our hotel (thank you again to the Booking.com recommendation from a fellow traveler), we opted for the swiss chalet looking structure. Upon arriving at our destination we were not disappointed. As we sit and type this we are in a wood paneled room with a giant wood burning fireplace and cow bells the size of my head hanging on the wall. I'm expecting someone to start yoddling soon. When we checked in the receptionist didn't really speak english and so we communicated with hand motions. Our room has wood floors, a four post bed with two single mattresses pushed together, and a balcony with a view of Junfraujoch. We dropped our packs and rested our feet. It must be getting close to the end of the trip as the packs are getting heavier and our feet are getting sorer. In need of nourishment, we pulled out the unopened chorizo sausage (not like the stuff at home - think of a spicy salame) that we purchased in the Barcelona airport and the apricot juice that we had purchased the night before and had a snack while sitting on the balcony enjoying the beautiful view. What an introduction to Switzerland.
We then walked slowly through the town, enjoying the views, the people, and the little shops that we could walk through. It was a day of rest, for both our feet and our bodies, with nothing on the "to do" list but relax. There is one main street in town, that runs from the west train station to the east. On the way we tried to stop for lunch at a little kebab restaurant, and after deciding that this was the place to eat, we discovered that they did not take credit cards. We are trying to avoid getting Swiss frances (as Switzerland is not on the euro) so that we dont have to deal with exchange rates and extra francs when we are leaving. We continued on the street in search of another place.
Once we reached the east train station, we had lunch at a place called the "Coop". They have a grocery store downstairs, and the restaurant upstairs. We walked through the grocery store first, then made our way up to eat. Michelle thinks that the Swiss all look like they could go hike a mountain even when they are just grocery shopping. They all look like they stepped out of a Patagonia or North Face catalgoue. The restaurant was cafeteria style, where you pay for certain foods by the weight and others by the serving. We chose our food, which was funny, as we were not sure what we were doing, so we just followed the lead of the person in front of us. We added a little bit of meat, some veggies and Tim added french fries to his plate, Then he realized that they charge per packet for ketchup. Since each packet was .50 swiss francs, we could esily spend 30 US dollars just on him eating french fries. He does love his ketchup! We also added a cheese cake looking item to our plate, and hoped for the best.
The meal was ok, it was food in the belly, but not nearly as inspiring as ones we have had before. The best part was the pork cutlet and a funky noodle looking dish that looked a little like 3 day old french friend shriveled up (both had by Tim and tasted by Michelle). Since it cost about 20 US dollars, it was dissapointing from that perspective given the serving portions. The swiss franc and US dollar are about equal, but everything here costs twice as much. The swiss may corner the market on outdoorsi-ness, but they sure do know how to drain the wallet quickly!
We continued walking around town, visiting the Japanese garden (a small garden with some of the largest fish we have seen, even blue ones!) and a few churches. The churches looked like the ones at home, without all of the elaborate ornimentation that we have seen in other European churches. It was refreshing.
Back to the room for a short nap, and then hitting the town again to see the last part of the main street we started earlier. Most everything was closed at this point, but we did manage to find a restaurant that served Korean, Chinese and Japanese food. OK, it's not local food but at least it is not a spicy wings at the Hooter's on the main drag. No sushi (probably a good thing) but we did manage to find some good kim chi (Tim, with Michelle on a few bites), spicy beef and rice (Tim), pan fried chicken and rice (Michelle), and some chicken dumplings (shared). It was good, our bellys were finally full, but still cost us twice what it would back home. Oh well, when on vacation . . .
We then walked along the river, and passed what we think was a community sports club, complete with pool, exercise equipment and a crazy miniature golf course. The holes for the miniature golf course had launch ramps for the balls from one part of the course over to another. It was the weirdest miniature golf course we have seen.
We made it to the center of town in time for the Nissan outdoor games video presentation. There were 5 teams, complete with mountain bikers, rock climbers, sky divers, paragliders, and kayakers who had one week to make a video of their sports. They were competing for 70,000 swiss francs. They showed the final videos last night in the middle of the city, and there were a good number of people that turned out. Before the awards presentation there was a concert with a Danish rock band (go Danes!) called the Blue Van Group. Aside from some technical difficulties, they were not that bad, and the dancing in the streets by the other partygoers was fun to watch. Michelle's favorite song was called "Man up".
We stayed and watched a few of the videos, enough to know that the athletes are a little crazy in what they do. We walked back through town via the river, and shared a bit of swiss chocolate and coca cola while watching a bike race. Rabobank had its bike team in it, near the lead when we were watching. We then went to bed nearing midnight. Until later!
Friday, May 29, 2009
There's no stress-a in Stresa
Ok, so second post of the day, but since we have free unlimited internet at this hotel, and no one else is in need of the computer at present, why not take advantage?
Today we were up early, at 6:30 so that we could get ready, finish packing, get breakfast, update the blog and get on the train by 9:00. Whew, I am exhausted just thinking about all we did today. We brought all of our pack with us on the train, and had to hike it about 10 blocks to the train station. Who doesnt want a brisk morning walk at 8:15 with a 25 lb pack on your back. And my friends at work think I am on vacation. :)
Finding the train station was easy, we slipped on the train 15 minutes early and had a smooth ride into Lake Maggiore. We found our hotel, which lookes more like a bed and breakfast, except that it has about 30 rooms to it, and is on a small hill overlooking the lake. It is centered in a town on the lake called Stresa. Very beautiful, and the people running it are great. We dropped our luggage and then went to the lakeside so that we could see about getting a boat out to the islands that are in the lake. They are owned by the same family, once connected by cousins to the pope (the cousins were prominant cardnials, and the family owned 6 different immense houses all around Italy). We caught a boat to the first one, and toured both the house and the grounds. I bought a few new scarves (ok, so I am now addicted, but they have so many cute ones here!) and then we hopped on the next boat. That one took us to another island, where there was both a house and a botanic garden. One of the trees on the property was over 400 years old, and was knocked down in 2006 due to a hurricane. They showed pictures of it pre-hurricane, and it brought tears to my eyes. It was so big and full, almost covering the entire view of the front of the house. What was left was this small thing, that looked like its limbs had been sheared off. So majestic, and now so frail looking.
After touring the grounds and the house on the second island, we went back to the room to ask the hotel staff about dinner recommendations. The recommended a new up and comming restaurant that they really liked. We went there, and ordered as we usually do. The wait staff were nice, and when they brought out the salmon appetizer, it looked like something off of Iron Chef. For those of you who have not seen that show on the food network, it pits a new chef versus a seasoned chef (known as an Iron Chef) and gives then a weird ingrediant to work with. Their challenge is to create at least 3 dishes with the ingrediant, and most use it in an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. The problem is, their portion size is so much smaller than we are used to. Well, that is what we received. A very good appetizer, but more artisitic than filling. Unfortunately, we were so hungry (remember, we only had breakfast that morning) that we dove into it with out taking a picture. The main course for Tim was a steak with vegetables and for me it was a pasta with fish au gratin. Mine was great, and Tim loved his. We shared a bottle of wine, with a little Tiramisu for dessert. Tim tried grappa, and yes, we do only need to try things once. :) We know know that Grappa is not a favorite of either of ours.
And so that brings us back to present day, with me typing away on the computer. I am quite sure that Tim is now asleep in the hotel room, and I will soon join him.
A few other random things of priases:
Praise God for good weather, as it has not been too hot, nor has it rained yet
Praise God for good health. Aside from the minor mosquito bites and blisters, we are doing well. My knees are holding strong (at true miracle since the arthritis has been solid in the right one for about 8 months and I am not taking 1 of the meds here in Europe). I had an allergic reaction to the Aspercreme I was using on that knee, making it red and itchy, but 5 days later it is gone.
Praise God for good relations between Tim and I. If you ever want to test your marriage, try traveling like we do for even a week. What does not kill us . . .
Praise God for friends and family who are taking care of our lives back home. Specifically Tims sister and family with our dog Shadow (hopefully he has not destroyed too much!) and our friends the Lindstroms taking care of Lizzy (glad she finally made a short appearance the other day!) We could not enjoy ourselves here without you there.
Much love to you all. Good night!
Today we were up early, at 6:30 so that we could get ready, finish packing, get breakfast, update the blog and get on the train by 9:00. Whew, I am exhausted just thinking about all we did today. We brought all of our pack with us on the train, and had to hike it about 10 blocks to the train station. Who doesnt want a brisk morning walk at 8:15 with a 25 lb pack on your back. And my friends at work think I am on vacation. :)
Finding the train station was easy, we slipped on the train 15 minutes early and had a smooth ride into Lake Maggiore. We found our hotel, which lookes more like a bed and breakfast, except that it has about 30 rooms to it, and is on a small hill overlooking the lake. It is centered in a town on the lake called Stresa. Very beautiful, and the people running it are great. We dropped our luggage and then went to the lakeside so that we could see about getting a boat out to the islands that are in the lake. They are owned by the same family, once connected by cousins to the pope (the cousins were prominant cardnials, and the family owned 6 different immense houses all around Italy). We caught a boat to the first one, and toured both the house and the grounds. I bought a few new scarves (ok, so I am now addicted, but they have so many cute ones here!) and then we hopped on the next boat. That one took us to another island, where there was both a house and a botanic garden. One of the trees on the property was over 400 years old, and was knocked down in 2006 due to a hurricane. They showed pictures of it pre-hurricane, and it brought tears to my eyes. It was so big and full, almost covering the entire view of the front of the house. What was left was this small thing, that looked like its limbs had been sheared off. So majestic, and now so frail looking.
After touring the grounds and the house on the second island, we went back to the room to ask the hotel staff about dinner recommendations. The recommended a new up and comming restaurant that they really liked. We went there, and ordered as we usually do. The wait staff were nice, and when they brought out the salmon appetizer, it looked like something off of Iron Chef. For those of you who have not seen that show on the food network, it pits a new chef versus a seasoned chef (known as an Iron Chef) and gives then a weird ingrediant to work with. Their challenge is to create at least 3 dishes with the ingrediant, and most use it in an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. The problem is, their portion size is so much smaller than we are used to. Well, that is what we received. A very good appetizer, but more artisitic than filling. Unfortunately, we were so hungry (remember, we only had breakfast that morning) that we dove into it with out taking a picture. The main course for Tim was a steak with vegetables and for me it was a pasta with fish au gratin. Mine was great, and Tim loved his. We shared a bottle of wine, with a little Tiramisu for dessert. Tim tried grappa, and yes, we do only need to try things once. :) We know know that Grappa is not a favorite of either of ours.
And so that brings us back to present day, with me typing away on the computer. I am quite sure that Tim is now asleep in the hotel room, and I will soon join him.
A few other random things of priases:
Praise God for good weather, as it has not been too hot, nor has it rained yet
Praise God for good health. Aside from the minor mosquito bites and blisters, we are doing well. My knees are holding strong (at true miracle since the arthritis has been solid in the right one for about 8 months and I am not taking 1 of the meds here in Europe). I had an allergic reaction to the Aspercreme I was using on that knee, making it red and itchy, but 5 days later it is gone.
Praise God for good relations between Tim and I. If you ever want to test your marriage, try traveling like we do for even a week. What does not kill us . . .
Praise God for friends and family who are taking care of our lives back home. Specifically Tims sister and family with our dog Shadow (hopefully he has not destroyed too much!) and our friends the Lindstroms taking care of Lizzy (glad she finally made a short appearance the other day!) We could not enjoy ourselves here without you there.
Much love to you all. Good night!
Swimming in a Lake of Silk and Gelato
On day two in Milan, we decided to make a day trip of Lake Como. Our original plan was to go out to the lake with all of our packs, and stay the night, then go from there to Lake Maggiore and onto Switzerland. When we talked to the train personel, they let us know that there was no train from Como to Maggiore, the one train we could take would put us from Como to Milan, then Milan to Como. So hense, why we decided to stay two nights at the business hotel. It was a good decision, as the hotel was nice, and the breakfast was great. Tim had granola, and since we could not find cold milk for it (only hot for the coffee) he decided to eat it with yogurt. He was very happy with the decision, and raved about its goodness off and on all day, eagerly anticipating the next breakfast. He is going to love it that I told you all about it. :)
We slept in a bit, as this hotel had both curtins and shutters, which kept out most of the light. It was great, but the trip was started about 3 hours late. We took the 10:30 train which brought us to lake Como AT 11:37. We found the tourist information office, recieved about 5 lbs of paper worth of information on the area, and grabbed the next hydrofoil (high speed boat) that was there. All of this happened in about 20 minutes after we departed the boat, so our heads were spinning a bit. It took about an hour to get around Lake Como to the small town of Bellagio. A beautiful little town, very picturesque (as if all small towns in Italy dont belong on postcards!)
We walked to a beach called La Puente, and of course, where there is open water and a beach, Tim must go in. Except this time, he went all the way in. Unfortunatley for him, the water here was not nearly as warm as it was on the Cinquw Terre trail, and he grimaced mightily as he went under. The whole experience lasted all of 20 minutes, but it made for some great photos on my part. Of course, I was smart, and removed my Teva sandles to dip in a toe, but no more than that. Hey, it was cold, and I dont do cold well. :)
We then walked through the town, and explored some of the little shops with hand made items. We purchased a few things, and then had our second meal of the day. Gelato of course. First their is breakfast, then gelato 1 then gelato 2 then lunch then gelato 3 then maybe dinner but of course you must have gelato 4, right? Am I weird in this? I didnt think so.
I tried coconut, which is a new flavor for me, and a little scarey. I like coconut, but do you want to commit to an entire scoop of it as ice cream? Thankfully it was wonderful, so great that Tim ate a huge chunk of it.
We then headed back to the hydrofoil which took is back to Como. We visited their Duomo (from what I can tell, a Duomo is a church, but I am not sure what separates a Duomo from a Cathedral). We then had gelato 2 (see a trend here?). We tried finding some silk stores, as Como is known for their silks and all the Italian designers come there to plan their yearly silk needs for their collections. Most of what we found was touristy, or artisitic, but nothing much in between. I did buy one silk scarf (see Jeannette, I can get Tim to buy me clothes!) but everything else was priced way outside of what I was comfortable with. I just dont wear that many scarves, or silk in general, so there was little appeal for me.
We hopped on a train back to Milan, had lunch at a little cafeteria (not sure why they called it this, it looked and acted like a true restaurant to us) and then went to bed. Up early in the morning for Lake Maggiore!
We slept in a bit, as this hotel had both curtins and shutters, which kept out most of the light. It was great, but the trip was started about 3 hours late. We took the 10:30 train which brought us to lake Como AT 11:37. We found the tourist information office, recieved about 5 lbs of paper worth of information on the area, and grabbed the next hydrofoil (high speed boat) that was there. All of this happened in about 20 minutes after we departed the boat, so our heads were spinning a bit. It took about an hour to get around Lake Como to the small town of Bellagio. A beautiful little town, very picturesque (as if all small towns in Italy dont belong on postcards!)
We walked to a beach called La Puente, and of course, where there is open water and a beach, Tim must go in. Except this time, he went all the way in. Unfortunatley for him, the water here was not nearly as warm as it was on the Cinquw Terre trail, and he grimaced mightily as he went under. The whole experience lasted all of 20 minutes, but it made for some great photos on my part. Of course, I was smart, and removed my Teva sandles to dip in a toe, but no more than that. Hey, it was cold, and I dont do cold well. :)
We then walked through the town, and explored some of the little shops with hand made items. We purchased a few things, and then had our second meal of the day. Gelato of course. First their is breakfast, then gelato 1 then gelato 2 then lunch then gelato 3 then maybe dinner but of course you must have gelato 4, right? Am I weird in this? I didnt think so.
I tried coconut, which is a new flavor for me, and a little scarey. I like coconut, but do you want to commit to an entire scoop of it as ice cream? Thankfully it was wonderful, so great that Tim ate a huge chunk of it.
We then headed back to the hydrofoil which took is back to Como. We visited their Duomo (from what I can tell, a Duomo is a church, but I am not sure what separates a Duomo from a Cathedral). We then had gelato 2 (see a trend here?). We tried finding some silk stores, as Como is known for their silks and all the Italian designers come there to plan their yearly silk needs for their collections. Most of what we found was touristy, or artisitic, but nothing much in between. I did buy one silk scarf (see Jeannette, I can get Tim to buy me clothes!) but everything else was priced way outside of what I was comfortable with. I just dont wear that many scarves, or silk in general, so there was little appeal for me.
We hopped on a train back to Milan, had lunch at a little cafeteria (not sure why they called it this, it looked and acted like a true restaurant to us) and then went to bed. Up early in the morning for Lake Maggiore!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
An improving view of Milan
Hello again! So lets get you caught up on the latest adventures. After hiking 3 of the 4 trails in the Cinque Terre, and sweating bullets on the last one, we were very open to the idea of finding a place in Vernazza to stay for the night, instead of finishing the 4th one and heading back to Milan. We came off the mountain, and decided to ask at each of the houses on our way into town that had "Rooms for Rent" signs on them. In the last three towns we had seen many signs like these, so we were hopefull that Vernazza would have a healthy supply as well.
At the first one that Tim saw, we rang the bell as indicated on the sign, but there was no one there. MIchelle had seen a sign a little earlier, so we turned around and went back the way we came a few steps. We were discussing how to contact the person on the sign when a man yelled hello from his balcony. We inquired about the room, and he said he was full. Feeling like this was going to be Milan, round two, just with more sweat and exhaustion than the first time, we turned to leave. He called us back and said his friend (the one owning the first sign that we tried to contact) might have a room. He made a few calls, while we waited what seemed like an eternaty. A man came walking down from the hill, and out balcony friend began chatting with him in rapid Italian. It turns out he did have a room available, and would we like to see it. Remembering Milan, we said a firm Yes.
The room was actually an appartment, complete with kitchen and living room/dining room. It had still not been cleaned from the last guests yet, but we were assured that the mans mother would come within the next 30 minutes to clean it. We were grateful, and headed out to explore the city.
We found the little cove of the town and watched as people were swimming in the ocean and laying out on the beach. Tim, who needs to put at least a toe in every body of water we see, wished we could swim in it later in the day. Michelle, who just wanted to sleep, was less than enthused. :)
We ate a slice of pesto pizza and an orange fanta and then headed back for some much needed showers. Refreshed, we found a place to eat, based on one of the recommendations from Rick Steves, and had an enjoyable evening listening to the surf on the ocean. There was a younger couple there who had just gotten engaged, so it was fun overhearing part of the conversation about how surprised she was, and watching her admire her new ring. Michelle, ever the sucker for romatic moments, bought and sent a rose over to their table as a congratulations. It reminded us of when we got engaged, with the ring tucked inside a dozen red roses.
Back at the room we creashed for some much needed sleep.
The next day we were up and about early, trying to hit the last trail before it got too hot. We were packed up and out the door by 8;15. We stopped off at a local bread store and bought a large pesto bruchetta and a few apples, and headed up the trail. No matter how early you get started though, you are going to get hot. This last trail was the hardest, 2 km with the highest elevation climb. And boy was it a climb. Just imagine going up as many stairs as you think you can possibly climb, then turning the corner and having another set of stairs. And every time you stop to rest, you see 2-3 mosquitos hovering about. It was not a pleasant beginning. But the pain was all in the first 30 minutes of the climb. From then on it was much more managable. We were glad to be going the direction on the trail that we were, as at the end there was an even larger set of stairs going down. If we had started the entire hike from this last city, we are not sure if we would have made it.
The last town was named Montorossa al Mare, and once we got there we headed towards the train station. There was one pulling into the station as we arrived, and we asked other travelers if it went to Milan. They said yes, but since we were not sure if we needed reservations, we asked one of the train employees who was hopping on the train. He said it was going to Milan, and ushered us on the train. Once on, with the train moving, h told us that we needed to pay 18 euros for the reservation fee. So, it ended up that this was not the train we wanted. For the regional trains, which also go to Milan, our eurorail pass allows us to ride for free. Woops. Lesson learned, never jump on a train without asking all the questions first.
The train ride was smooth, getting us back to Milan in 3 hours. Once we arrived we found an internet cafe and reserved two nights in another hotel in Milan. This time, we made sure to do it through a site we have used for a while, and one where we could read comments left by other people. We checked into the hotel and were pleased to see that it was clean, comfortable and had no remnants of other past guests. It looks like a business hotel, which is great for us.
We spent the rest of the day exploring Milan. We walked to the Galleria and the Duomo, which also took us by the Scala theater that we mentioned in our last post. Looking at all of the men and women dressed up was fun, they were all so elegant and the fashion really is interesting to watch. We could not pull it off, but they manage to!
We had dinner in the Galleria, Tim had Osobuco with saffron risoto and Michelle had a pesto gnochi. Tims meal was excellent, Michelles was good. It was then back to the hotel for a night of good sleep.
We are about to catch a train to Lake Maggiore today. The hotel should have internet, so we can catch you up on our day trip to Lake Como that we did yesterday. Ciao for now!
At the first one that Tim saw, we rang the bell as indicated on the sign, but there was no one there. MIchelle had seen a sign a little earlier, so we turned around and went back the way we came a few steps. We were discussing how to contact the person on the sign when a man yelled hello from his balcony. We inquired about the room, and he said he was full. Feeling like this was going to be Milan, round two, just with more sweat and exhaustion than the first time, we turned to leave. He called us back and said his friend (the one owning the first sign that we tried to contact) might have a room. He made a few calls, while we waited what seemed like an eternaty. A man came walking down from the hill, and out balcony friend began chatting with him in rapid Italian. It turns out he did have a room available, and would we like to see it. Remembering Milan, we said a firm Yes.
The room was actually an appartment, complete with kitchen and living room/dining room. It had still not been cleaned from the last guests yet, but we were assured that the mans mother would come within the next 30 minutes to clean it. We were grateful, and headed out to explore the city.
We found the little cove of the town and watched as people were swimming in the ocean and laying out on the beach. Tim, who needs to put at least a toe in every body of water we see, wished we could swim in it later in the day. Michelle, who just wanted to sleep, was less than enthused. :)
We ate a slice of pesto pizza and an orange fanta and then headed back for some much needed showers. Refreshed, we found a place to eat, based on one of the recommendations from Rick Steves, and had an enjoyable evening listening to the surf on the ocean. There was a younger couple there who had just gotten engaged, so it was fun overhearing part of the conversation about how surprised she was, and watching her admire her new ring. Michelle, ever the sucker for romatic moments, bought and sent a rose over to their table as a congratulations. It reminded us of when we got engaged, with the ring tucked inside a dozen red roses.
Back at the room we creashed for some much needed sleep.
The next day we were up and about early, trying to hit the last trail before it got too hot. We were packed up and out the door by 8;15. We stopped off at a local bread store and bought a large pesto bruchetta and a few apples, and headed up the trail. No matter how early you get started though, you are going to get hot. This last trail was the hardest, 2 km with the highest elevation climb. And boy was it a climb. Just imagine going up as many stairs as you think you can possibly climb, then turning the corner and having another set of stairs. And every time you stop to rest, you see 2-3 mosquitos hovering about. It was not a pleasant beginning. But the pain was all in the first 30 minutes of the climb. From then on it was much more managable. We were glad to be going the direction on the trail that we were, as at the end there was an even larger set of stairs going down. If we had started the entire hike from this last city, we are not sure if we would have made it.
The last town was named Montorossa al Mare, and once we got there we headed towards the train station. There was one pulling into the station as we arrived, and we asked other travelers if it went to Milan. They said yes, but since we were not sure if we needed reservations, we asked one of the train employees who was hopping on the train. He said it was going to Milan, and ushered us on the train. Once on, with the train moving, h told us that we needed to pay 18 euros for the reservation fee. So, it ended up that this was not the train we wanted. For the regional trains, which also go to Milan, our eurorail pass allows us to ride for free. Woops. Lesson learned, never jump on a train without asking all the questions first.
The train ride was smooth, getting us back to Milan in 3 hours. Once we arrived we found an internet cafe and reserved two nights in another hotel in Milan. This time, we made sure to do it through a site we have used for a while, and one where we could read comments left by other people. We checked into the hotel and were pleased to see that it was clean, comfortable and had no remnants of other past guests. It looks like a business hotel, which is great for us.
We spent the rest of the day exploring Milan. We walked to the Galleria and the Duomo, which also took us by the Scala theater that we mentioned in our last post. Looking at all of the men and women dressed up was fun, they were all so elegant and the fashion really is interesting to watch. We could not pull it off, but they manage to!
We had dinner in the Galleria, Tim had Osobuco with saffron risoto and Michelle had a pesto gnochi. Tims meal was excellent, Michelles was good. It was then back to the hotel for a night of good sleep.
We are about to catch a train to Lake Maggiore today. The hotel should have internet, so we can catch you up on our day trip to Lake Como that we did yesterday. Ciao for now!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
We left our sweat on the Cinque Terre
Before we get to the Cinque Terre, we will tell you of our adventures in Milan hotels. We arrived at the Milan airport around 11:00 pm, and began looking for a room. You see, when you make last minute plane reservations, you dont always have time to also look for hotel rooms. So, since we had easily used a train station room reservation agent in the past to help us find rooms, we figured that we should be able to do it again with some luck, although maybe not the best deal on a room.
We found a room reservation station in the airport, not the typical tourist information booth, and were greeted by a smarmy man who said that there was a festival in town, and there was only one hotel with openings. He quoted us two prices, one for a room with a bathroom in the room, and one with a shared bathroom. We asked if we could have a moment to discuss the options. When we came back and asked for the room with the shared bathroom (which also came with a lower price) low and behold it was no longer available. In the 2 minutes it took us to discuss the options, it was snapped up by someone else. Not liking the bait and switch going on, we opted to find a place on our own.
We took the bus into town and then the metro to the central train station. While waiting for the metro we met an older couple from Ohio who were just leaving the Scala theater after a show. They talked to us about where there were many hotels, and we set off in that direction. We began walking around to the different hotels nearby asking if there were open rooms. The first one had a room, but it was 400 euros a night. You can do the conversion yourself, but it is a little outside our desired price range. After the 7th hotel with no openings we started to hear some options in the upper end of our price range. We kept walking following the signs to the next hotel, and happened upon the Rally Hotel, a "2 star" hotel (out of 5 stars). We walked in and they had rooms available, but the place smelled of incense. We negotiated for a price, decided we would keep looking, turned to leave and he dropped the price further. Maybe this should have been our first clue. We agreed to the room and were given a key. Glad to finally have a place to rest our head, we opened the door to the room.
What greated us was the instant smell of moth balls and heat, as the windows were firmly closed. There was a presentable enough bed, but it looked like the room had undergone no major renovations in around 30 years. We unpacked and began getting ready for bed. We also packed smaller day packs with a change of clothes in anticipation of our next trip. The shared bathroom echoed the years of the bedroom, except that there was an indication that we were staying in the red light district. That is as far as we will go with that description. Back in the room, Michelle decided to open the wardrobe to see if there was an extra towel, and found another indication we were in the red light district. Needless to say, we were not interested in meeting any of the other "guests". As we went to bed Tim also leveraged a chair underneath the doorknob. Can never be too cautious!
A fitful nights sleep ensued, and we were up at 5:30 am to get out of there to jump on the earliest train to the Cinque Terre. We have never been so excited to be out of a place before, and were surprised as we headed to the exit to have no one behind the front counter. A very sleepy hotel manager finally emerged froma back room, took our key and unlocked the front gate so that we could leave. Michelle still gets shivers thinking about being stuck behind a locked gate at that place.
Happily out, we made our way to the train station, checked our big bags into checked luggage, and headed onto the train with our day packs. The train ride was 4 hours long, with stops to many small villages along the way. Both Tim and Michelle caught up on a bit of sleep, which was not easy.
We took the train all the way to Riomaggiore, which is the farthest city south in the Cinque Terre. We arrived around 11:30, filled our water bottles (the first time), and did the first hike to Manarola easily. This first hike is the easiest of the 4, with an estimated time of 20 minutes for completion. The sights were beautiful, and the walking easly, and they should be, since this was the trail of love.
We had lunch in Manorola at a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves called Aristide. We shared a seafood sampler platter, Tim had the pesto gnochi and Michelle had the pesto lasagne. We loved all of it, especially the octopus on the seafood sampler. Who would have thought that octopus tasted so good when you prepare it correctly!
We filled the water bottles again and continued on the trail to the next town of Cornelia, dipping our toes in the water at one of the beaches along the way. This was a harder hike, and as we were now in the full sun of the day, there were precious few shady spots. Tim donned his hat, and Michelle opted to use the umbrella, not for the rain, but to keep the sun off of her as much as possible. In Corneila, we stopped for ice cream and bought more water. We then found a place to fill our water bottles yet again. Hydration is key to hiking mid day!
On the trail from Cornelia to Vernazza we had sweat dripping off of us. Lots of stairs, as this trail had the second highest elevation shift of all 4 trails. We were rewarded with beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding hillsides. But it was so hot. Hiking down into Vernazza, we decided to try and stay there for the night. Again, not having a reservation anywhere, flashbacks of the rat hole in Milan kept appearing. But this time, we were much more cautious.
When we update again, we will tell you about our second round of finding last minute accommodations. For now, know that we are safe, back in Milan, and we will try to get you current with our next post. Ciao!
We found a room reservation station in the airport, not the typical tourist information booth, and were greeted by a smarmy man who said that there was a festival in town, and there was only one hotel with openings. He quoted us two prices, one for a room with a bathroom in the room, and one with a shared bathroom. We asked if we could have a moment to discuss the options. When we came back and asked for the room with the shared bathroom (which also came with a lower price) low and behold it was no longer available. In the 2 minutes it took us to discuss the options, it was snapped up by someone else. Not liking the bait and switch going on, we opted to find a place on our own.
We took the bus into town and then the metro to the central train station. While waiting for the metro we met an older couple from Ohio who were just leaving the Scala theater after a show. They talked to us about where there were many hotels, and we set off in that direction. We began walking around to the different hotels nearby asking if there were open rooms. The first one had a room, but it was 400 euros a night. You can do the conversion yourself, but it is a little outside our desired price range. After the 7th hotel with no openings we started to hear some options in the upper end of our price range. We kept walking following the signs to the next hotel, and happened upon the Rally Hotel, a "2 star" hotel (out of 5 stars). We walked in and they had rooms available, but the place smelled of incense. We negotiated for a price, decided we would keep looking, turned to leave and he dropped the price further. Maybe this should have been our first clue. We agreed to the room and were given a key. Glad to finally have a place to rest our head, we opened the door to the room.
What greated us was the instant smell of moth balls and heat, as the windows were firmly closed. There was a presentable enough bed, but it looked like the room had undergone no major renovations in around 30 years. We unpacked and began getting ready for bed. We also packed smaller day packs with a change of clothes in anticipation of our next trip. The shared bathroom echoed the years of the bedroom, except that there was an indication that we were staying in the red light district. That is as far as we will go with that description. Back in the room, Michelle decided to open the wardrobe to see if there was an extra towel, and found another indication we were in the red light district. Needless to say, we were not interested in meeting any of the other "guests". As we went to bed Tim also leveraged a chair underneath the doorknob. Can never be too cautious!
A fitful nights sleep ensued, and we were up at 5:30 am to get out of there to jump on the earliest train to the Cinque Terre. We have never been so excited to be out of a place before, and were surprised as we headed to the exit to have no one behind the front counter. A very sleepy hotel manager finally emerged froma back room, took our key and unlocked the front gate so that we could leave. Michelle still gets shivers thinking about being stuck behind a locked gate at that place.
Happily out, we made our way to the train station, checked our big bags into checked luggage, and headed onto the train with our day packs. The train ride was 4 hours long, with stops to many small villages along the way. Both Tim and Michelle caught up on a bit of sleep, which was not easy.
We took the train all the way to Riomaggiore, which is the farthest city south in the Cinque Terre. We arrived around 11:30, filled our water bottles (the first time), and did the first hike to Manarola easily. This first hike is the easiest of the 4, with an estimated time of 20 minutes for completion. The sights were beautiful, and the walking easly, and they should be, since this was the trail of love.
We had lunch in Manorola at a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves called Aristide. We shared a seafood sampler platter, Tim had the pesto gnochi and Michelle had the pesto lasagne. We loved all of it, especially the octopus on the seafood sampler. Who would have thought that octopus tasted so good when you prepare it correctly!
We filled the water bottles again and continued on the trail to the next town of Cornelia, dipping our toes in the water at one of the beaches along the way. This was a harder hike, and as we were now in the full sun of the day, there were precious few shady spots. Tim donned his hat, and Michelle opted to use the umbrella, not for the rain, but to keep the sun off of her as much as possible. In Corneila, we stopped for ice cream and bought more water. We then found a place to fill our water bottles yet again. Hydration is key to hiking mid day!
On the trail from Cornelia to Vernazza we had sweat dripping off of us. Lots of stairs, as this trail had the second highest elevation shift of all 4 trails. We were rewarded with beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding hillsides. But it was so hot. Hiking down into Vernazza, we decided to try and stay there for the night. Again, not having a reservation anywhere, flashbacks of the rat hole in Milan kept appearing. But this time, we were much more cautious.
When we update again, we will tell you about our second round of finding last minute accommodations. For now, know that we are safe, back in Milan, and we will try to get you current with our next post. Ciao!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
A funny thing happened on the way to the AIRPORT ...
YOu may be asking yourself why two smart people, with perfectly valid Eurorail passes, might be writing a blog about the experiences in a Barcelona airport. For the answer to that, we have to take you backwards a few days. Come follow us on this new twist to our journey. :)
So we woke up early from our hotel room in Barcelona, ready to go to the train station and book our train to Nice, France. We had a nice breakfast of grapes and juice (clearing the fridge in the hotel room of the last random pieces of what we bought) and packed up everything on our sacks. After having checked out and stowing our luggage, we made ur way tot eh train station. We asked the nice genetleman about the departure times, thinking we would be able to get space on the night train, and were informed that at 8 pm there was a scheduled Frenc train strike. Yup, at 8 pm we could be stuck at whatever town we were in, if the conductors decided to stop at the dot, or we would be stuck in Nice if they let the trains go through to their destinations. Either way, the strike would last at least 2 days (sso much for those day trips via train from Nice to Monaco and Cannes) and that the strike might last longer than 2 days if it was extended. So, any train travel in France was dicy at best.
So imagine yourself having spent the last 10 days in Spain and Portugal, ready to move onto the next country, and finding yourself stuck, as the only border country with Spain tot eh east is France. no option to skirt around it via another country. No securty that the money you spend will be for transport somewhere, or a grand donation to the french train lines. So we did the onlly thing we felt had security to it, we looked for flights out. We figured a flight would be an added cost (ugh), but if it saved the timing of the rest of our trip, then it was worth it.
Since we checked out of our room, we could not use their internet access, so we found a wifi connection at a local cafe. With two cafe con leches and small sandwiches in hand, Tims fingers flew trying to find flights using the ipod. Did we mention what a life saver this thing has been? :)
With a flight at 8:05 pm secured (we thought, no way to print a confirmation from the ipod!) we then tried to plan the rest of our time in Barcelona. We tried the Picasso Museum, which was an interest for Michelle, but it was closed. We then wandered around the Gothic quarter, and ate out first churros con chocolate with a yummy tropical icee. We then walked around Las Ramblas, which is a main shopping area. We visited a marketplace that sells fruits and meats, and tried a hot pink kiwi tasting fruit. We then went to the Guell park, which was designed by Gaudi. Then back to the hotel to pick up the baggage.
We left about 4 hours to get there, and were proud to have been there and ready to take off in 2 hours. The flight to Milan was uneventful, which is good. :) We arrived at the airport and had our luggage by 9:30.
More to come on the interesting search for a hotel for the night, and the rat hole where we finally stayed. Also an update on the events of this last day in the Cinque Terre. Yeah, the next post will be a fun one. :)
Depending on access, it might be a little while before we post again. Yes, the pink water bottle is back in our hands, for those that were worried about its fate. And a Happy Birthday to Michelles dad (on the 26th) and Michelles sister Shelby on the 29th!
So we woke up early from our hotel room in Barcelona, ready to go to the train station and book our train to Nice, France. We had a nice breakfast of grapes and juice (clearing the fridge in the hotel room of the last random pieces of what we bought) and packed up everything on our sacks. After having checked out and stowing our luggage, we made ur way tot eh train station. We asked the nice genetleman about the departure times, thinking we would be able to get space on the night train, and were informed that at 8 pm there was a scheduled Frenc train strike. Yup, at 8 pm we could be stuck at whatever town we were in, if the conductors decided to stop at the dot, or we would be stuck in Nice if they let the trains go through to their destinations. Either way, the strike would last at least 2 days (sso much for those day trips via train from Nice to Monaco and Cannes) and that the strike might last longer than 2 days if it was extended. So, any train travel in France was dicy at best.
So imagine yourself having spent the last 10 days in Spain and Portugal, ready to move onto the next country, and finding yourself stuck, as the only border country with Spain tot eh east is France. no option to skirt around it via another country. No securty that the money you spend will be for transport somewhere, or a grand donation to the french train lines. So we did the onlly thing we felt had security to it, we looked for flights out. We figured a flight would be an added cost (ugh), but if it saved the timing of the rest of our trip, then it was worth it.
Since we checked out of our room, we could not use their internet access, so we found a wifi connection at a local cafe. With two cafe con leches and small sandwiches in hand, Tims fingers flew trying to find flights using the ipod. Did we mention what a life saver this thing has been? :)
With a flight at 8:05 pm secured (we thought, no way to print a confirmation from the ipod!) we then tried to plan the rest of our time in Barcelona. We tried the Picasso Museum, which was an interest for Michelle, but it was closed. We then wandered around the Gothic quarter, and ate out first churros con chocolate with a yummy tropical icee. We then walked around Las Ramblas, which is a main shopping area. We visited a marketplace that sells fruits and meats, and tried a hot pink kiwi tasting fruit. We then went to the Guell park, which was designed by Gaudi. Then back to the hotel to pick up the baggage.
We left about 4 hours to get there, and were proud to have been there and ready to take off in 2 hours. The flight to Milan was uneventful, which is good. :) We arrived at the airport and had our luggage by 9:30.
More to come on the interesting search for a hotel for the night, and the rat hole where we finally stayed. Also an update on the events of this last day in the Cinque Terre. Yeah, the next post will be a fun one. :)
Depending on access, it might be a little while before we post again. Yes, the pink water bottle is back in our hands, for those that were worried about its fate. And a Happy Birthday to Michelles dad (on the 26th) and Michelles sister Shelby on the 29th!
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