It’s always the last bit of these trips that are the hardest to write. Partly it’s that the travel day gets in the way, partly it’s sad to say goodbye to new acquaintances, partly it means the adventure is over (for now). Let’s give it a try…

The group got an early start leaving Innsbruck, but didn’t have far to go for our first stop. We visited a small farm just outside town and got a good look at what it takes to keep a family farm going in Central Europe. The owner’s extended family has diversified in a number of different directions, with an eco-friendly truck farm at its core. We toured, then were treated to a coffee and a really nice pastry before we hit the road.

The rest of the day was mostly spent in the bus driving to Vienna. We arrived at our hotel; it was certainly the nicest of the trip, a Marriott that has been transformed from a national riding stable into a five star hotel. After unpacking we left for a group dinner just outside of town at a place called the Marchfelderhof. You have never seen such a place…thousands of pieces of this and that, hanging from ceilings, festooned around the tables. Even the restrooms were the busiest places you’ve even seen. They had a violin/accordion duo wandering around the restaurant, and really nice food.

But wait, there was more to finish the day. We attended a concert given by a small ensemble (2 violins, cello, bass, flute, clarinet and piano) plus an operatic soprano and tenor and a man and woman ballet dancer. They performed Mozart and Strauss as you’d expect, but also worked in a Sound of Music medley. The music was great.

The last day of the tour found us touring Schönbrunn Palace, the emperor’s summer palace. The elegance of the place was amazing, as well as its 500 acre setting. Next was a walking tour through the historic center of Vienna, including walking past the emperor’s winter palace. We enjoyed walking through a cathedral, then Leila and I stopped at Cafe Mozart for a Viennese coffee melange and pastry (she had apple strudel, i had a Mozart torte).

Our group had one last event, a farewell dinner. We drove to a monastery outside of town; before dinner we had a wine tasting in their basement. The monks have a winery and brewery, and do a nice job of both. Dinner was tasty, and we got one last chance to visit with the folks we’d gotten to know over two weeks.

Morning came too early. We flew Vienna to Chicago (9 1/2 hours), then to Denver (2 1/2 hours) and to Boise (2 hours). It was a long day that started at about 5 AM Vienna time (9 PM mountain time Thursday) and ended at 10 PM Friday in Boise.

It was a great two weeks, and we have many memories. Great enough that we are already thinking about the next adventure. More then…

Up bright and early, we were. The drive into Salzburg was pretty, and blessed us with light traffic. The day ahead promised all the Mozart and Sound of Music we could handle, with a taste of the Alps and of WW2 beside.

First up was a walking tour that gave us a good bit of the first two. We saw several places that had “Mozart lived here” signs posted, one of which is thought to be his birthplace. Then the group sang its way through the park that Julie Andrews and the von Trapp children danced through in the Do Re Mi scene. Very heartwarming.

The walking tour continued through the old shops and streets, and stopped for lunch in Mozart Square, in front of the Salzburg Cathedral. As luck would have it an organ recital was scheduled for noon in the cathedral, so off we went. The cathedral is home to seven different organs, dating from the 1600’s to the 1800’s. The organist performed on four of them, playing songs ranging from meditative to big, showy pieces. It was wonderful.

We had lunch in a lovely outdoor cafe, then boarded the bus for another dose of Julie Andrews. We saw the convent that the real Maria von Trapp had been in (and where their actual wedding was), then drove out to where the tree lined avenue is (picture where the children are hanging from trees as the Captain returns to town), and where the gazebo that was in the movie has been moved (picture the Captain proposing to Maria). More singing ensued…

The bus continued up the hill, literally. A road that had been built by the Nazis in the 1930’s went far up into the Alps, giving us a wonderful view of the mountains and of the valley below; we also had a view of Hitler’s “Eagles Nest,” although we could not go there due to snow. It was interesting to find out that we had crossed back into Germany for this drive.

Last stop of the day was in Berchtesgaden, where we had an hour to explore shops (there was one selling varieties of schnapps with free samples) and a really cool old cemetery. We had a great time wandering.

Tomorrow we make our last jump, to Vienna. We have two nights there, then it’s time to head home. More to come…

These two days gave us a welcome relief from the hustle, bustle, and sorrow of Munich. We left the city and started climbing into the mountains. Our first stop was at Neuschwanstein Castle, reportedly the model for Disney’s various castles.

The castle is in a most beautiful spot, but stands far from finished inside (the king died under mysterious circumstances before it was done). The tour takes you through the parts that were done, plus in fine Disney style takes you through two gift shops. It’s all amazing. The king did not really like being around people, but he loves Wagner’s operas. The tour guide says that in essence the castle was designed to echo the themes of the operas the king loved and to give him a place to hear live performances of those operas with him as the only audience. Most interesting…

A short distance from the castle is the Austrian border and the northern Alps. The drive from there to Innsbruck was absolutely beautiful, with many snow covered peaks. The road had more than a few hairpin curves that our bus driver handled with ease.

On arrival in Innsbruck we took a short walk around the ancient downtown area (that included a period-authentic McDonalds and Starbucks). From there we went to our hotel for dinner, and then to an authentic Tyrolian folk concert. We saw and heard dancing, foot stomping, yodeling, a brass band, and musicians playing an amazing assortment of folk instruments including a saw, cowbells, and several others.

This morning our local tour guide took us to see the Olympic ski jump area from the 1976 Olympics. It was really cool (and made me think of “the agony of defeat” on ABC Wide World of Sports. Crashing on that jump would hurt a bunch).

From there we did three things that were truly experiences. First, the bus took us up to a little town that had hosted Olympic cross country and Alpine skiing events. There we took off on a 45 minute horse drawn wagon ride. The woods in the area were pretty, and the mountains around us were breathtaking. After this we took a regional train to get back to Innsbruck. Greg is always in favor of train travel!

The final excursion was a combination train/cable car ride to near the top of a mountain. Innsbruck is at about 1400 feet (I think), the end of our ride today was at 6200 feet; the change in elevation came in about a 20 minute ride. The view from the top was wonderful; we walked around a bit, took pictures, and had a drink before going back down the mountain.

Tomorrow is an early start as we leave for Saltzburg. Only two stops left…

We arrived in Munich after a peaceful drive to find a city center that was anything but peaceful. In some ways it felt like Times Square…so many people, so many of them on the move. (A note: German pedestrians and bicyclists are generally not willing to yield the right of way. Bikes especially are a hazard here!) Our first stop was in front of the city hall to watch the glockenspiel do its ten minute show, depicting first a wedding complete with a jousting match, then a dance routine.

Second thing was a walking tour of the historic area around the square. We got our first “Mozart was here” of the trip, and saw several places that figured heavily in the Germany of the 1930’s. The tour guide had a higher gear than our group, narrating as she walked; it was difficult to keep up. After the tour we were turned loose to find dinner in a market area, Leila and I had a very nice brat in a crusty bun…it was tasty.

The next morning our group took a tour of Dachau, the infamous reeducation camp just outside Munich. I’m not sure I can properly describe my sorrow to see and hear about innocent men’s suffering and needless deaths. This was a place used for political opponents of the Nazis, and they would not leave this place. Well, they would leave temporarily as slave labor, working 16 hour days on a 200 calorie daily diet.

That afternoon we had free time in the city for lunch, shopping, and sightseeing. Greg wasn’t quite ready for the commotion of a beer hall, so we had a great lunch in a place near Marienplatz, did some shopping, and finished off the afternoon with some gelato.

Our tour next takes us to the Alps and to Innsbruck, plus a side trip to a castle on the way. More next time!

As opposed to the “other” Rothenburg!

Our journey south began with about a six hour bus ride. We stopped twice at rest areas equipped with gas station/convenience stores, and got well acquainted with coin operated rest rooms. You put your one euro into the turnstile and get access to the rest room AND get a one euro coupon for the convenience store. Win-win for everyone.

Mid-afternoon we arrived in Wurzburg to sightsee, and found ourselves in the middle of a giant party. It was a religious holiday (Ascension Day…means Pentecost is just around the corner), but it seemed that most of the crowd was more in the mood to hang out with their people. We did enjoy the energy, walked through a very nice church, then along the Main River.

Eventually we headed on to Rothenburg (apparently there is another Rothenburg in another country, so the “ob den Tauber” is tacked on so you can keep them straight. This one is on the Tauber River). The city was been in its past much larger than it is now, but dates back to 800 AD. The original city walls are still there, and the buildings and shops inside the walls are what you might picture as German. It’s a splendid town!

We spent a night at Rothenburg, had time to wander around during the evening, but had a late start today. The shops were closed for the holiday, so the late start allowed us to do some shopping. We are now back on the bus, headed for Munich. For Dana…we just went by Lego Land Germany, but the bus did not stop.

First some housekeeping. We’re about a third of the way through the trip now. To honor dad…the price of regular unleaded here in Germany is about 1.81 euros per liter. I’ll let you do the math. And for Graham and Dana…I saw a shop (but did not get a picture) called BurgerMeister. I can’t say where Meister Burger is….

We began the day at new heights, as we went up the radio tower originally built by East Berlin. The view of the city from up there was tremendous. The elevator was a zippy ride too. After that came a tour went from old to older.

First came a stop to see a remnant of the Berlin Wall. The portion we saw did a good job of showing how the inner wall, the “kill zone” and the outer wall were laid out, and the tour guide described how thoroughly East Germany controlled their population. We had forgotten that the wall was not linear, but that it actually encircled West Berlin (as did East Germany).

Second stop of the day was at a monument for the murdered European Jews of WW2. The monument was designed to keep you off balance and to remind you of the anonymous way the Jews and other disfavored groups were killed.

Last stops of the morning were at the location of Hitler’s bunker (an empty lot now, not very interesting) and at Checkpoint Charlie. The latter is interesting in that the city has grown up around it in thirty years time. The Soviet checkpoint of course is completely gone, so you are left to visualize how things were.

After an afternoon break we took off again. The tour went to the Wansee villa where Nazi officials discussed “the final solution” for all the groups they hated. It is remarkable how little time that discussion took. Next we went to the “Bridge of Spies.” We did not see Tom Hanks.

The group changed gears at this point; we learned a great deal about the various emperor Fredricks Germany had earlier in its history, then got to view the outside of a “small” mansion Frederick I had built. It looks swanky! Finally we had dinner at a nice lakeside villa that we were told is Tom Cruise’s favorite. We didn’t see him either.

Tomorrow we start moving south…we’ll meet you there.

We started the day early, headed for the train station and a high speed train headed to Berlin. The Cologne train station was certainly an efficient and well laid out place. We bought some sandwiches in a shop, then found our platform and climbed onto carriage #24.

Amtrak could learn a thing or two from the ICE train…we maxed out at about 250 km per hour with a nearly perfectly smooth ride. The thing that was the same as trains everywhere? We arrived in Berlin 30 minutes late. Ah well, it was a good experience.

On arrival our group met our local tour guide for a brief trip around. We saw the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag (parliament building), and the outside of a number of museums. The inside of those museums will need to wait for another trip, but they sound interesting. Like a lot of European countries many of the museums contain artifacts collected (swiped) from other countries.

Our hotel for our stay was stylish, having been fitted from a building that was Siemens headquarters in the early part of the 20th century. We could certainly get used to duvet covers; very comfortable. After getting checked in we set off again, making one stop on our way to dinner. Outside the Berlin Philharmonic’s concert hall was a monument to those with mental health problems who had been murdered by the Nazis. It was very moving.

Dinner was a group event. The food was good, the beer glasses looked like you’d expect, and the group got very happy. There was a gentleman playing a keyboard, and eventually he started playing tunes meant to get you singing. There wasn’t much space for dancing, but yet it happened anyway. Fun was had by all, until it was time to say goodnight. We’ll have a full day in Berlin tomorrow…

Sadly the weather report for today turned out correct, it was a cool day that started rainy and ended the same way. The blessing was the middle, it was dry when we really needed it to be dry.

Let me start at the beginning. We are slowly getting to know each other on the trip, including our tour director. Ellen is native to the Netherlands, so her first language is Dutch. Her husband is Italian, so she speaks Italian. She also is fluent in English and in German, and is a little bit fluent in French. It was a great reminder of how much better we could do in teaching our students foreign languages.

We climbed onto our motor coach for a ride out of Frankfort and towards the Rhine River valley. We made a short stop in a little village and got to have a very pleasant walk around. Later in the morning we left the bus for a one hour cruise on the Rhine. We saw more than a few castles from the boat, plus a great deal of river traffic…river cruise ships, barges, you name it. Greg enjoyed seeing all the train traffic as well.

Lunch was spent in a castle that dates back to the 13th century. The view from up there was wonderful, the meal was great, and we continued to get to know our fellow travelers better. It’s amazing that people without the tools we have now could build structures so far above the river valley, structures that endure 700-800 years later.

Back on the bus to drive to Cologne…but, things got more than a little wet at that point. We arrived in Cologne to find the rain falling steadily. Leila broke out our umbrellas and away we went to visit the Cologne Cathedral. It really was amazing in more than one way. The building took so long to complete that its structure changed as technology changed, including flying buttresses that were no longer needed later. The twin spires were not completed until the 1800’s. The building mostly survived WW2, but some of the stained glass is contemporary.

We arrived at our hotel fairly late in the day, and Tuesday will be an early start…we ride a high-speed train into Berlin. More then…

It was cool, partly cloudy day today here in Frankfort. After a nice breakfast here at the hotel we hopped onto the subway to meet our walking tour guide for an introduction to Frankfort.

I have to say we learned a lot. This city has been here for better than 2000 years, and due to its strategic location it has changed hands multiple times: first a Celtic people, then the Romans, then the Franks (thereby the name: the ford of the Franks. Catchy!), then various German city-states, then the French, then onto modern history. It being on, or near, navigable rivers made it into a trading city right from the start, but it also became an important center of finance and an important place politically, as St Bartholomew’s Church became the spot where Holy Roman Emperors were elected.

The church is a really fine looking building; we did not get to go inside since it is Sunday and they were holding Mass all day. We learned that very few buildings in the core of the city survived WW 2, but that this Catholic Church and a Protestant church did avoid bombing. This means that very few buildings in the downtown predate 1945. On the other hand, the locals had an empty canvas to rebuild their city.

Our tour guide took us to a remnant of the ancient city walls; adjacent to this was where the Jewish ghetto had been until about 1850. He was able to speak to the group about some of the ways Frankfort has chosen to remember the holocaust. Greg got a little emotional, which just is getting him ready to see Dachau later this week.

Later in the afternoon we met our travel group for the first time, did a little bit of sightseeing with them, then had dinner as a group. I think it’s going to be a great 12 days. We head towards Cologne tomorrow, with a short boat ride on the Rhine and then lunch in a castle. We’ll tell you all about it in our next chapter…

I should start with the travel day on Day Zero! Uneventful day, long day (left Boise Friday morning about 10 AM MDT, arrived Frankfort Saturday morning about 9 AM local time), excellent day due to how we were treated in flight. We had decided to pay extra for the ability to sleep flat on the trans-Atlantic flight, and boy were we pampered. It would be hard to go back to coach seats.

Once at the Frankfort airport we connected with our transfer to the hotel, then were pleasantly surprised to be able to check in to our room. We got our bags settled, then headed to the subway for a ride into town. Saturday was the one day of the trip that we had on our own, the tour doesn’t start until Sunday afternoon, so we spent the day wandering around.

Well, we did have one task in mind…Leila wanted to go by the Stieff Teddy Bear store, where she found a cuddly travel companion (Greg says he’s cuddly too). We spent the rest of the morning exploring the area around the old city hall.

It was then back to the hotel for a walk along the Main River. It’s a busy river, we saw several rowing teams in races and a number of commercial barges hauling freight. We had dinner at the hotel, then collapsed into bed to catch up on our sleep. Sunday morning will find us on a walking tour in Frankfort, then in the afternoon we get to meet our tour group. More then…