Dennis Steele - My European Adventure

2011-08-10T04:53:00.000-07:00

August 10, 2011 -- Palm Desert, California. Wow, after 2 days of travel we returned to Palm Desert at around noon on the 9th. We boarded the Alitalia flight at 9:30 a.m. for the first leg of our return on the 8th. As soon as the plane was boarded by all passengers, there was a medical emergency and a doctor was called on-board. The bottom line is that, instead of leaving at 10 a.m. we sat in the plane for 2 hours and finally left at noon. The result of that delay was a missed flight for the second leg of our journey and were forced to stay overnight at Ohare Airport in Chicago. So, making the best of the situation, we chose a hotel across the street from the airport, had a nice dinner and got some sleep.

The rest of our journey went flawlessly, and we arrived at the Palm Springs airport at 12:10 on August 9th. The temperature was 109-degrees F, but it was good to be home after such a long and exciting trip. So, of course, jet-lag is part of the reality of these kinds of trips, so here it is 1:50 a.m. on the 11th. I'm wide awake and ready to get busy. The rest of the "world" is asleep!!

Looking back on our travels for the last month, I think about the many places we've been -- but more importantly, the many people we met. Our stay with Francesco, and his wife Laura, in Tuscany was a highlight. Their hospitality was a wonderful gesture of friendship. Our visit with Carlo in Caserta was just as wonderful, and I'll always remember the lunch his mom made for us. On every day, and every where throughout the trip, we had serendipitous meetings with people from all over. Young people traveling throughout Europe and people of all ages on holiday from every part of the world. We met people from Canada, the U.S., Singapore, Slovakia, Russia, the U.K., the Philippines, Austria, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, China, Iran and Afghanistan. One highlight was meeting Dr. Sajo, a Justice of the European Court of Human Rights

Our favorite city was Florence Italy. The music, culture, food, activity and people there were beyond description. In every corner of the 3 countries we visited -- Italy, Austria and Germany -- we found friendly, engaged and happy people going about their routines of working and living their lives. We had the occasional "language barrier", but in every instance, we were able to make ourselves understood in one way or the other. We did find that Italy is going through it's own "financial crises", but for some reason, the people were engaged in the "moment". I think their "social safety net" helps them cope with these realities. In some way, the Italians seem assured knowing that they live in a society that invests in the "individual" through such programs as universal health-care.

So in closing, I can recommend travel to everyone who can find the time to do so. The benefits of going to different places in the world and meeting the people there are incalculable. As the old TV commercial used to say: "Try It You'll Like It"!!

How true.

2011-08-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

Bocca della Verita

August 7, 2011 -- Rome Italy. It's hard to believe that our trip is coming to an end. We'll be catching an Alitalia flight at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. This has been quite the experience, and we've enjoyed every minute of it.

We did have a plan for today and set off around 10 a.m. to get a couple of things done. After an initial check-in at one of the local Internet Points, we found that it isn't possible to check-in on-line for our flight. I can only think it's because of the emmigration requirements. So, we'll get to the airport a bit earlier than planned to take care of checking in and getting to the gate on time..

One of the tourist attractions we wanted to see is the "Bocca della Verita", in English it's translated as "Mouth of Truth". It was made famous in a movie scene with Gregory Peck and Audry Hepburn in the film Roman Holiday. It is the image of a man's face and has been on the wall in the pontifco at the church Santa Maria in Cosmedin since the 17th Century. It is most "famous" for its role as a "lie detector". Tell a lie, and it is purported to "bite off your hand"! So, I was sure to tell the truth when it was my turn. Neither Linda nor I lost any fingers.

After we left the church, we noticed we were'nt very far away from the Jewish section of Rome, so we decided on a "kosher lunch". We found a cute restaurant called the Bocconcino Kosher and enjoyed some Falafal, beer and salad. While there, we had an "fun" exchange with a family from New Jersey. One last chore we accomplished was finding the train that'll take us to the airport. The Italian system is pretty efficient, with trains leaving at :22 and :52 minutes past each hour.

We finished up the evening with a nice "Japanese" dinner!! OK, so we haven't enjoyed the Italian food here that much, but it really doesn't seem to suit our taste. Go figure.

Ciao for now, ciao from, and "to", Italy.

2011-08-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Carlo IZ8GNR at his radio.

August 6, 2011 -- Rome Italy -- Today, was our day to head out to my "ham radio" friend Carlo Capola. Carlo lives near a city in southen Italy named Caserta -- not far from Napoli. Yesterday we had bought reservations on a "fast train" to Caserta and the trip was supposed to take 1 hour 15 minutes. Yet, the Italian train system has its own way of doing things and we stopped in the middle of no-where for 40 minutes. No explanation was given and we arrived late. Carlo was patient enough to wait for us, he found he is short order (I must look like to American tourist, because he picked me out immediately) and we got into his car bound for his home.

Lunch is Served!!

Carlo lives in a farm-house in the Alvignano area of southern Italy -- about 30 minutes by car away from the train station and Caserta. Linda and I met his mom and dad and we were told we were invited for lunch. Meanwhile, Carlo took me to his radio shack for a look at his ham radio equipment. He has a really nice setup, and we discussed the kind of activities he enjoys the most -- which is "chasing distant stations" on the radio.

It wasn't long before lunch was served and we joined his parents at the table in their home. Now, we were told we were "special" guests, so a multi-course meal was prepared! It consisted of "anti-pasti", followed by a main course of spaghetti, then salad and then ice cream! I gotta tell you, I don't have much of an apetite for large quanities of food, so by the end of the meal -- Linda and I were contentedly "stuffed". What a wonderful meal made by an Italian woman in the southern Italian countryside.

We returned to the train station at 3:30 for a 4:00 p.m. train and got back into Rome, also a bit late, a 5:25!! I have been having a battle with my "sinuses" for the past day, so I made a stop by the "Farmacia" to get some anti-histamine. In Italy -- Europe I think -- the pharmacists are trained to prescribe some medicines, so I was lucky finding a young woman who seemed to know what I need. NOW, I just need the courage to take the stuff!!

News at 11..

2011-08-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

August 5, 2011 -- Rome Italy. We boarded a train this morning in Florence for Rome and arrived at about 12:45 p.m. We reaquainted ourselves with "Riccardo", a new friend we made when we were in Rome a few weeks ago. Riccardo manages a hotel a few blocks away, so without much effort we found our way, got settled and set off for the Sistine Chapel at theVatican. We had 3 p.m. reservations, so it was easy to get there on time.

Linda and the St. Peter's Basilica

Once we were at the Vatican, we entered a bit early and wandered through the extensive collection of the Vatican Museum. Along the way, we had an opportunity to take a break and a cup of coffee on the Vatican grounds. You can only imagine at the majesty and beauty of the Vatican. Its lawns, flowers and hedges are beautifully manicured. Despite the thousands of people who visit the Vatican Museum on a daily basis, the grounds are spotless. There is an extensive collection of Egyptian relics, Roman and Grecian sculpture and artificates from the early history of the Vatican. Once we entered the Sistene Chapel, the frescoes are breath-taking. Michaelangel's work is amazing, and one can see why the Vatican in general, and the Sistene Chapel in particular, is such a sought after tourist destination.

Oh yeah, and one more thing!!

After about 2 1-2 hours in the Vatican Museum, we hopped the subway back to the Roma Termini. I have an acquaintance in Caserta south of Rome by about 2 hours. Carlo Capolla is a ham radio operator who lives nearby the city. He and I made our acquaintance through Facebook, and Carlo will be hosting us at his home tomorrow for a few hours. It'll be interesting to see a new city and visit the ham radio "shack" of an Italian ham radio operator. So, stay tuned for that blog tomorrow night.

Once we were back at Riccardo's "Internet Point" cafe, we asked him about a good Chinese restaurant in the nighborhood. He and a co-worker put us onto a neat little place around the corner and we enjoyed "yet another Chinese meal in Italy"! We'll be getting some well deserved rest this evening, do some reading, watch some TV and get ready for an early rise for our trip to Caserta tomorrow.

So, as always, stay tuned.

2011-08-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

August 4, 2011 -- Florence, Italy. So, readers, first things first. Today is my son Ken's birthday. So, I want to wish Ken the best birthday ever! Take the day off, enjoy the wife and family and have a snack at Canter's Deli for me!! I love you.

Rowers going under the Ponte Vecchio

Today is our last day in Florence, and we're 4 days from returning to the U.S. We started out the day getting some laundry out of the way. We also thought we could rent a car and head for Lucca. There are a couple of car rental agencies in Florence -- one, EuropCar, had cars for rent but cars were 160 Euro's for the day. That's $240! On top of that, they didn't have a GPS, so even if I was nuts enough to rent a car for that kinda money, I couldn't find my way around. The next agency had cars for less, but a 2 hour wait in line deterred us from getting one. So, we thought -- OK, we'll take a train.

We were only a few blocks from the train station, so we made our way over there to check out the schedule. There was, in fact, a train for Lucca at 13:44. It turned out to be a "slow" train and the trip would have taken 2 hours plus to get there. So, in the end, we decided not to go to Lucca -- at least this trip. We saw on the map there is a Science and Technology Museum in Florence and decided that, after lunch and an Internet Point "fix", we'd make our way over there.

Planetarium in Florence, Italy

Lunch was at a nearby Falafal joint we discovered near the hostel. They have great coffee, my favoriate drink (Fanta Zero) and the best beer in Italy -- Birra Moretti. The Falafal is pretty good, too. About two doors down is a place called the "Internet Train", so we stopped in and used the computer to buy a ticket for the Sistene Chapel tomorrow at 15:00. We'll be in Rome by noon, so that'll give us plenty of time to drop our bags off at the hostel and make our way to the Vatican. We then set out for the Museum of Science and Technology -- and the planetarium there -- to see what we could see. Unfortunately, they were closed, and the building seemed completely shut down.

On the way back to the hostel we stopped at one of the local supermarkets, the Billa, to buy some fruit and drinks. It had been a busy day wandering the city, so it was nice taking a 30-minute break enjoying a cold drink, listening to some music on the T.V. and talking. We thought it'd be fun to find a Chinese restaurant, so we made our way over to the "InfoPoint" nearby. We learned there were a couple of good restaurants near the train station, so another hike over there was in order. We found a great little family-owned place and had a light dinner of noodles, won ton soup and rice.

At around 8:45 p.m. it was time to check out the music concert near the Odeon Theater in the middle of town. By now, we knew Florence pretty well, so we found the venue in short order. The quartet consisted of a drums, piano, base and "bongo". I would describe it as "modern jazz" -- and frankly it wasn't to our liking, so we left, making our way back to the hostel. On our way, we ran across a street guitar player/singer, Paolo Depa. He was better listening than the more "professional" group, so we stayed for a while. He sang a variety of popular songs from the 60's-90ìs, including the Beetles and Elvis!!

By now it was 11:15 p.m., so we figured it'd be prudent to get a good night's sleep and hit the train station early.

More tomorrow from Rome..

2011-08-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

August 3, 2011 -- Florence, Italy. This morning we went over to the train station to get our reservations for Rome on Thursday. We've gotten a 11:15 reservation one of the fast-trains, so it'll be a comfortable ride on the last leg of our journey. While we were there we decided to follow through on some research we did last night and take a day trip to Cinque Terre (pronounced: chink-wa terry). We boarded the train for Cinque Terre at 9:30 a.m. and arrived around noon.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Cinque Terre is on the coast of the "Italian Riviera". The closest city, and the city we changed trains in is about 10 minutes away by train but through a long LONG tunnel through the mountains.. The literature about the area says that "over the centuries, people have built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm are the small family owned businesses. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, but cars cannot reach the villages from the outside".

The first train stop is the village of Riomaggiore. This is an amazingly beautiful village dating from the 13th Century. It is known for its unusual character and wine. We didn't see the vineyards but they are, we were told, extensive in the hills nearby. It seemed to me the major industry was tourism. There were hundreds of people walking the narrow streets, looking in the shops and at the marina. I noticed, for example, a group of about 10 folks dressed in Scuba gear getting into a boat for a trip out into the harbor. There was a dive shop nearby.

While there are a total of 5 villages all connected, we decided that one was enough. By the time we walked up and down the hills, and climbed the hundreds of steps from the top of some of the streets to the bottom where the marina was located, we were "done"! We made our way back to the train station and caught a 4:30 p.m. back to Florence thru La Spezia and Pisa. We finished up the evening having a delightful "kosher vegetarian" meal at Ruth's Restaurant in the Jewish section of town.

Ciao for now

2011-08-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

August 2, 2011. Florence Italy. We boarded the "Frecciarossa" -- the 175 mph high-speed train from Bologna to Florence at 9:30 a.m. Our train was actually at 10:30, but a train came into the station and it was headed for Rome, so we boarded. Interestingly, no one asked us for our tickets or any other identification. These are wonderful trains. Comfortable, air conditioned, VERY fast and has internet on-board! It only took us 35 minutes to get our destination.

One interesting event occurred when we were making our way to the train station in Bologna. We noticed much of the station blocked off and radio and TV crews setting up their equipment. Additionally, there were a fair number of Carabinieri" (police) at and around the station. Once we neared the front door of the station, I asked what was going on and was told that it was the anniversary of the 1980 bombing of the station which killed 85 people and wounded 200 others. The policeman told me it was the worst tragedy of its kind since the end of WWII. It seems there would be a commemoration later in the day. The picture at the right is of me and the policemen who said they were in their "dress uniforms". Very impressive, wouldn't you say???

Gov't Building at Palazzo Vecchio

Once in Florence, it was easy to find our hostel since we had stayed there before. I made a reservation for 2 full days at the Alex House on "Borgo de Grechi. We were surprised to find, this visit, that our accommodations is an "apartment", with a living-room, dining-room, kitchen, private-bath and bedroom -- and, of course, the balcony overlooking the city! Really neat. The Alex House is centrally located and very near most of the interesting spots in Florence. Not far away is the Ponte Vecchio and Galileo Museum. Florence is still full of life, with tourists everywhere. There are large numbers of groups walking throughout the city with tour-guides speaking all sorts of languages. We were also told that August is the month that most Europeans take their vacation, so people from all around the continent are coming here for their holiday.

Synagogue, Florence, Italy

In the early afternoon, we found the Jewish Museum and Synagogue not too far from the hostel. We enjoyed an hour going through the museum and spoke with one of the docents. Her comments were interesting, noting that Italian Jews don't use the word "Jew" or "Jewish" to describe themselves. Rather they use "ebraica" (and variations of the word) to describe their community. She said it was their way of putting a distance between the connotation of "Jew" (Juden in German) and all that it implies about their experience in Italy. Down the street from the museum is "Ruth's Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant", and we made reservations for tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. That should prove to be interesting, I think.

We finished the evening by dropping by the "Odeon" to see if any English language films were on the play-bill. We saw Roberto Benigni's It's a Beautiful Life. It seemed to punctuate our earlier visit to the Jewish Museum. Just outside the theater, the Cafe Odeon was offering its Happy Hour and for the price of a beer, we were able to enjoy a nice dinner in their outside seating.

We have two more days in Florence to go. So far, we haven't decided what to do as yet. Maybe a day trip or some other interesting activity. We'll know more in the morning after asking some questions and doing some research.

Ciao for now.

2011-08-01T04:33:00.000-07:00

August 1, 2011. Bolgona, Italy. Well, it's hard to believe that it is August 1st!! We've been in Italy, Austria and Germany for the last 22 days, and we'll be returning to the U.S. on August 8th. But, we're still in Bologna and still enjoying our stay. We arose early this morning and enjoyed the hotel's continental breakfast. As usual, it was delightful. It turns out, also, that the hotel has a neat little "modem" that one can rent for 5 Euros a day. Just plug it into the A.C. and enjoy broadband internet connectivity in the room. Having high-speed broadband is always enjoyable for me -- I get to check into Facebook and read my email regularly.

Last night, when reading about the various museums in the Bologna area, we discovered many of them are closed on Monday. This being Monday, we figured we had chosen a "bad time" to spend our only day here. But, undaunted, we set off for the Jewish Museum we discovered yesterday. As we approached the museum, after a 10 minute walk from the hotel, it looked closed but some windows were open, so I knocked loudly on the door and asked if "anyone was there". Some one came to the window and motioned us to "pusha the buttona". We did and gained entry in just a few minutes.

The Jewish Museum of Bologna is located on Via Valdonica, in the area of the former ghetto. Information at the museum states that it was formed to conserve the Jewish heritage and culture that has been part of Bologna for centuries. There are few artifacts in the museum, but a rather complete description of the Jewish experience -- both in Europe, Italy and Bologna. The story seems to be the same everywhere one goes in Europe. The Jews were accepted, rejected, expelled and ghettoized in every country. Italy is no exception. Now Jews are accepted once again and in most instances somewhat "protected". We finished our time at the museum with a look in their gift shop and left after saying our "good byes" to the curator.

Once again, we decided on a double-decker bus tour of the city. It turns out that Bologna is a much larger city that we first thought. It is the 7th largest city in Italy with a population of more than 1-million. Bologna is famous for its towers and porticoes, its many churches, a historical downtown and, of course, its food. The city even has a "leaning tower", built in the 12th Century. The bus took us around Bologna, up into the hills overlooking the city and into the fancy residential and shopping neighborhoods. The open-air bus was comfortable and we enjoyed the time we spent seeing parts of the city we didn't know existed.

Tomorrow we're on the way back to Florence. We've made a reservation at the same hostel as before. It's comfortable and centrally located. A couple of days later, we'll be back in Rome for the remainder of our trip. Time -- I can attest -- passes too quickly!!

Ciao for now, i miei amici!!

2011-07-31T05:58:00.000-07:00

July 31, 2011 -- Bologna, Italy. We boarded an "EC" (Euro-City) train at 11:15 a.m. and arrived in Bologna at 12:20 p.m., about 20 minutes early. During the trip, I found there was an internet connection on the train, so I logged into their wifi system. It cost me .01 Euro -- one cent Euro, about 1.5 cents U.S. It was a neat experience being able to read email and check out my Facebook account while traveling from Milano to Bologna. My posting on Facebook was "why can't I do this in the U.S.?". It seemed to me that, as the largest, most advanced nation on the planet, something as simple as a high-speed train between cities, with internet, would be the easy.

Our first impressions of Bologna were that it is a small town with nothing to do. We were wrong. As we walked to our hotel, about 300 meters from the "Stazione Centrale", most of the shops were closed, there was very little traffic in the streets and hardly any people were present. We realized it was Sunday, so maybe that was the reason. Once we got situated in our lodgings, we headed out for the Piazza Maggiore (the main square) in the center of the city. It didn't take long for things to change.

Along the main street, Via dell Indipendenza, activity became more evident. Before too long we found shops open, a good number of people walking along the street and the bustle of cars and buses. By now it was around 2:30 p.m., so we decided to try the restaurant recommended by the front desk clerk at the hotel. the Osteria Dell Orsa Sas via Mentana. The desk clerk recommended that we order "pasta".

Trying to locate the restaurant was a bit confusing, so we asked questions from an older gentleman with a hand-truck full of "stuff" and a little dog. It turns out his "stuff" was for his performance as a street musician. He was a saxophone player. Once he gave us easy-to-follow directions he then proceed to give he details instructions about "something". Even though he spoke beautiful Italian, we only understood a word or two. We shook our heads yes and thanked him for his help. I think he was telling about the museums in the city, but I'm not sure.

Once we found the restaurant, we ordered a liter of beer and some food. Linda had eggplant parmigiana while I had pasta Bolognase.Our waiter was an interesting young man with with long hair in dred-locks, a t-shirt and shorts. I noticed he spoke Italian, English and French while were there. Before we received our food, he reminded us that "only HERE can you get Bolognase!! Nowhere else in the world. He gave me a knife, but reminded me that "I must NOT cut the pasta!" We followed his directions exactly. Needless to say, the food was delicious. All through our trip we haven't been able to find decent "Italian food" -- until now.

Finally, later in the evening we located the tourist information center near the main square. We found that a Jewish Museum is in the city so walked over to see where it was located. We'll be going there tomorrow. There are a variety of other sights we'll seek out in the morning, but it's apparent to us that Bologna seems to be a "one day' city!! There is lots of activity to observe and see, but not all that much to do. A number of museums awaits and, maybe, a tour bus is in our future.

I'll keep you up to date in tomorrow's blog post.

2011-07-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

July 30, 2011 -- Milano, Italy. After getting up a bit late, around 9:30 a.m., we had a quick breakfast and set out for the Duomo. This time we decided not to walk, and we decided to take the "underground" from the train station. Our first goal was to locate the famous "Odeon", the English language cinema, to see if we could see a film later in the day. After a look at the map and a question or two, we found it only to discover that it was being "remodeled" and was closed for the next few weeks!

OK, no problem, we saw on the map that the "Planetario" wasn't too far away from the theater, so we continued walking down Corso Vittorio Emanuele II toward the Giardini Pubblici where the planetarium is located. The "Corso" is a wide walking street with high-end shops all along the boulevard. It eventually lets into the Corso Venezia and then the public gardens.

We found the planetarium in short order and noticed one of the two metal doors was closed, so undaunted we headed through the open door and into the lobby. So, to make a short story even shorter -- the planetarium was "closed for remodeling" too!! Luck would have it that two workers were by the projector and we gained entrance to the theater. We took a couple of pictures of the projector and around the lobby. The planetarium projector is an older Zeiss, much the kind that was used at the Griffith Planetarium when I was a kid. I've found that, throughout Europe, there are large number of the old Zeiss projectors still in use.

We caught another subway train back to the Duomo and had a bite of lunch at one of the many cafe's along and around the Piazza. As has become our custom over the last couple of cities, we decided to take one of the double-decker buses around the Milano. The tour included 20 stops along two different routes. One stop was the Castle Sforza. Construction on the castle began in 1450 by Francesco Sforza. Over the next few centuries it was used in defense of its inhabitants, but now is the location of a museum which includes the last sculpture, the Rondanini Pieta.

In front of the castle is a large beautiful fountain. It's been a warm day, and quite a few people were sitting on the edge of the fountain, some with their feet in the cool water. Linda and I cooled ourselves with the water and had a minor "water fight". It was great fun.

This is our last day in Milano. We've found Milano to be a large urban city, more so than any of the other Italian cities we've visited so far. Even Munich seemed less "business oriented". Yet, there were thousands of tourists enjoying the Italian summer. The warm days bring them into the numerous squares to enjoy the city. The Piazza Duomo, the largest square in Milano is home to the large Cathedral of the city and brings what seems to be all of the many tourists to see its elegance.

Tomorrow we'll be in transit to Bologna. So, as always -- stay tuned!!

2011-07-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

July 29, 2011 -- Milano Italy. We started out early in the day with breakfast at the hotel. It's the custom, in most of Europe, to include a "continental breakfast" during ones stay. A continental breakfast is different than we are used to in the U.S. It usually includes a wide selection of cheese, juices, fruit, lunch meats, toasts and coffee. It's a great way to start the day.

After breakfast we headed out on foot and tried getting reservations for our trip to Bologna on Sunday. The line at the train station ticket office was very long, so we headed into town vowing to wait out the line upon our return later in the day. As we wandered down the main street, Via Pisani, one can only notice that Milan is a mature, modern and vibrant city. Our route took us deeper into town through what appeared to be a mature business district with what appears to be a variety of banking and finance centers.

Our first stop was the Duomo. The Duomo is a Cathedral started in 1386 and completed in 1965!! It is an absolutely stunning building and is the fourth largest Cathedral in the world. While we didn't take the time to enter the building, one can tell it is exquisite in every detail. Taking a look at the picture at the top of this entry will make my point for me.

I noticed on the map there was a "Museo Astronomico Di Brera" a bit farther into the city, so we made our way in that direction. The museum is located in the Brera Academy founded by Maria Theresa in 1776. The astronomy exhibits are on the top floor and I found my way to the director's office. While he wasn't there, I did meet with an assistant director. He and I discussed the two observatory domes on the roof and the exhibits. It seems the telescopes were abandoned in 1917 because of the poor seeing conditions. I wasn't able to find out much more as my Italian nor his English was limited. We continued wandering throughout the exhibits, found our way to the roof to take a couple of pictures and then left.

Our next stop was the Museum of Science and Technology. It included exhibits on robotics, ore mining and use and and the generation of electricity. The museum seemed aimed at a non-science crowd and I got the feeling it would be great for kids from grammar and middle school.

By now it was pretty late, so we headed back to the hotel. We tried to find a laundrymat, but without any luck. We both wanted to take one of the antique street-cars heading back toward the Central Train Station. It was fun, and it reminded me of my experiences on the "Key System", the streetcars that went into Hollywood from the Valley. I used to take them as a kid on my way to the Griffith Planetarium.

Tomorrow we're going to explore the city some more, take in a couple of the museums, locate the Milano Synagogue and planetarium. We'll probably take a double-decker bus tours around the city. I understand there's an English language cinema called the Odeon near the Duomo, so who knows, maybe we'll see a movie!!

News at 11!!!

2011-07-28T08:03:00.001-07:00

July 28, 2011 -- Milano Italy. Our train was at 9:30 a.m for our transit from Innsbruck to Milano. It was an "EC" train -- a Euro City, which is a fairly fast train. Still, the trip took us 3 hours. We needed to change trains in Verano, but we only had an hour wait, so we were quickly on our way again. We arrived in Milan at 2:30 p.m. and quickly found our lodgings. It is the Hotel Casanova about a 2 minute walk from the "Stazione Centrale".

Interestingly at the station in Innsbruck I heard my name being called!! I looked around, wondering who the heck would know me in this part of the world. It was our new friend Charley Renaud, the law student who had invited us to hear Justice Sajo speak at the University of Innsbruck Law School. Charley is in a summer program in Innsbruck from St. Mary's University School of Law in Austin Texas. Linda and I spent a most enjoyable couple of hours talking, sharing some fruit and getting to know each other.

Milan is a city with a population of about 1.3 million and is the capital of a region called Lombardy. It's an older city, founded around the 3rd Century B.C.E. Today, though, it's a modern and prosperious city with an extensive infrastructure of street cars, light rail, buses and, of course, the Italian railway system. Commerce is everywhere. We're just getting started visiting the city and we'll be here for 2 days. I'm told it is a major fashion and design center with a major influence in finance, commerce, literature, music and sports. So, over the next couple of days we hope to see a lot of the city.

More to follow.

2011-07-27T00:28:00.001-07:00

July 27, Munich Germany. Today we´ll spend the day in Munich. We left by high-speed rail at 10:30 a.m. It´s a 2 hour trip from Innsbruck. Along the trip to Munich, we met and had a nice discussion with a retired doctor. He has been in Innsbruck on a "geneology" trip for his family. I didn´t get his name.

Once in Munich, we made a bee-line for Starbuck´s and had our second "American-style" coffee since this trip began on July 6th!! I wasn´t used to the caffiene and it got my heart-rate going right off the bat. Still, it tasted good! Outside the station, the weather was sunny and warm, so we were pleased to be out of the colder weather of Innsbruck.

After a quick stop by the Tourist and Information Center, we made our way into town. Our first stop was the main square where the "Glockenspiel" is located -- Marienplatz. The Glockenspiel consists of 43 bells and 32 life-size figures. At certain times of the day there is a 15-minute "performance" put on by the "clock". Along the way, one can hard miss the activity and energy. The street, Neuhauser, was loaded with people. Shops were everywhere and people were enjoying the cafe´s and activities along the way.

It´s interesting to mention the street performers -- we found a pianist playing classical music for the crowd. He talent was more than evident and the crowd enjoyed the performance. Not too far away a young women and man were singing "opera" with a piano accompaniment. They were excellent as well, as we listened for a little while. Finally, there was an Asian group -- Chinese maybe -- playing three instruments I really didn´t recognize.

We wander around the "platz" for a bit and made our waz to the Haufbrauhaus. This is a famous "bier haus" founded by Wilhelm V in 1589. Mozart, for instance, lived nearby and made the place famous in the late 18th Century. Other notables made appearances there as well, one of them too "infamous" to mention -- but you should be able to ascertain his name by my reluctance to even "spell it" in this blog!!

The place was packed, but we took the time to find a place to sit and got the waiter´s attention. A "liter" of beer was 7.60 Euros -- about $11.00 -- but it was well worth the investment. Linda and I shared the beer as well as a snack. We sat at a table with another couple and struck up a nice chat -- even though they onlz spoke Italian. A couple of guys at the next table toasted us and we bought them a beer. Great fun.

Once leaving the Hofbrauhas, we found the "Viktoalien-markt", an open market full of vendors of all kinds. Everything was available -- fruit, gelato, flowers, food of all kinds and clothing. Here again, the place was growded and the activity for an enjoyable visit. It was in the market that we saw the "opera singing" trio.

It turns out the market is close to the Jewish Museum and Synagogue, we we found them both and slowly walked through the museum. Its three floors explore the Jewish experience in Munich -- an experience that was troubled and difficult until after the Second World War. Across the plaza, we entered the Jewish Community Center and were able to visit the sancturary of the Synagogue. It´s interesting that one gains entrance to the synagogue through an underground tunnel -- but first it´s necessary to pass through a rigorous security check. We´ve noticed that the Jewish community in Austria and Germany is protected by an extensive security system.

Tomorrow we're going to transit to Milan -- a 7 hour train ride through Verano. A long day awaits!!

Ciao...

2011-07-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

July 25, Innsbruck Austria -- The plan today was to go to Mittenwald Germany as a day trip. Mittenwald is about 38 kilometers away from Innsbruck and is located in southern Germany. We boarded a train at 10:30 a.m. and arrived at 11:30. It´s a short walk from the train station to the downtown and shopping area. Mittenwald is a small Bavarian town in the Bavarian Alps with a population of about 25,000 people. It´s clearly a favorite place for people to visit, with lots of shopping and cafe´s for the tourist.

There are mountains and beautiful scenery everywhere. One highlight of the day-trip was a ride up the "Karwendlebahn" (cable car) to the top of a 2200 meter peak overlooking the city. I know I use this word too much, but the view was "breathtaking", with the city and countryside below. At the top is a restaurant and "biergarten". Here the visitor can enjoy a meal, a beer or just the majestic views of the mountains above and the city below. During our visit, there was a wonderful Bavarian "duo" singing songs as they played the guitar and accordion. Couples were enjoying their traditional dancing styles!

We headed back down the mountain after about 45 minutes. Since we had an hour before our train back to Innsbruck would arrive, we stopped off for a beer, some talk and people watching. Our return train was at 16:30 (4:30 p.m.) and, I admit I slept a bit on the return. It's been a long day with lots of walking -- and worth every bit of it.

We've extended our stay in Innsbruck by a day, so tomorrow we'll be off to Munich to see that city and all it has to offer.

Stay tuned.....

2011-07-25T03:49:00.000-07:00

July 25, 2011. Innsbruck Austria -- We spent the day wandering around Innsbruck so as to get a real feel for the city. Unlike the weekend, today is Monday and the city is bustling with activity. The stores, cafe's and offices are open and the familiar sounds of city traffic is everywhere. Innsbruck is the capital city of the "federal state of Tyrol" and has a population of about 120,000 people. There is an additional 30,000 students who study as one of the various campuses at the University of Innsbruck.

As mentioned in yesterday's post, we've been invited to the University of Innsbruck to a discussion and lecture on Human Rights at the university's law school. The speaker was Dr. Andras Sajo (http://web.ceu.hu/legal/sajo.htm) a justice on the European Court of Human Rights. Dr. Sajo conducted a lively discussion on the subject of "liberty and equality", and started with philosophical beginnings of the subject during the early Greek and then Roman periods. He brought the discussion forward to the 18th Century and the French and American Revolutions. After a robust question and answer period, the afternoon was completed with a reception in his honor. There were a variety of refreshments -- including BEER!!! How European??

Later in the afternoon, around 5 p.m, we decided to take a "bus tour". It isn't the double-decker bus we've seen in most cities, but Innsbruck has city buses for touring. Innsbruck is a magnificent city with lush greens, clean streets and beautiful buildings. At one point we went to a high-point overlooking the city. The view was breath-taking -- too bad we didn't have a chance to take any photos.

We sat in front so we could take some photos. It happens that the driver, Harry, likes to practice his English, so he gave us a running commentary about the sights of the city. This was in addition to the commentary we were hearing through the earphones. A most enjoyable hour and a half of sightseeing.

We finished our day by going to an English language theater nearby. We saw the film The Good Heart with Paul Dano and Brian Cox. It seemed that the majority of the theater goers were Austrian, so I'm not sure they were there for the English language or the subtitles in German!! Regardless, it's a great film and one you may wish to watch on DVD.

More to follow, so stay tuned.....

2011-07-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

July 24, 2011. Dachau Germany. We started out the day at 7:30 a.m. and wanted to make the 8:30 a.m. train to Munich. Our plan was to visit the Concentration Camp museum at Dachau. It turns out our train was a "milk train", and what would have been a 2 hour rip to Munich took us just over 3 hours. We saw "every stop" along the way. All was not lost, of course, as we met an interesting couple from Hamburg who had just finished a 2-week vacation in one of the small Bavarian villages along the way. "Hans" is a simi-conductor engineer for Philips in Hamburg, and we had an interesting discussion about technology in general and semi-conductors in particular.

We arrived in Munich around 11:30 a.m. and made our way to the "underground". There is an extensive subway system in Munich and Dachau is one of the many stops along the S2 line. Once in the city of Dachau, we boarded a bus for the museum and arrived about 20 minutes later. As we walked toward the front gate of the "camp" we joined a tour group that was just beginning to take shape along the way. The tour guide spoke excellent English, so we felt we were pretty lucky.

The tour lasted around 3 hours and we covered the entire camp -- from the administration of the prisoners to the crematoria. I had been to Dachau in 2008, but again, I learned quite a bit more about the extensive concentration camp system the Nazi's created in the 12 years of their rule in Germany. Over its existance as a Concentration Camp, more than 200,000 people were held there with 46,000 killed through a systematic program of "slave labor". Our guide explained how the Nazi´s assigned prisoners tasks they could not possibly perform then punished them for the "infraction". Most of the deaths were a result of starvation, however. Additionally, in support of the war effort, prisoners were "sold" as slave labor to such companies as BMW, Krupp and Messerschmidt. It was a stark reminder of the kind of inhumanity people are capable of perpetrating on their fellow human beings.

We caught the subway back to the Munich station and boarded a high-speed train bound for Innsbruck. This time, the trip only took 2 hours. As always, we were luck to meet a couple of law students going to a summer school at the University of Innsbruck. We discussed a wide variety of interesting topics and in the end, we were invited to a discussion group and lecture on "International Human Rights" at the university tomorrow. It seemed a fitting invite after our day of learning about the human rights violations practiced at Dachau in the 1930´s and 40´s.

On a more positive note, as we wandered toward the train for Innsbruck, we spotted a "Starbucks Coffee" -- The FIRST Starbucks we've spotted since we've been in Europe. And the FIRST real cupa coffee we've had since we got here!!! Ah the American Experience!

After a late dinner, it's time to close, so as always my friends, more to follow.....

2011-07-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

July 23, 2011. Innsbruck, Austria. Our train was at 11:50 a.m., so we started the day with a morning coffee and a trip to the Cyber Cafe. In Italy these are called "Internet Points". Throughout the country, so far, we've been able to find Internet Points just anywhere we've gone Verona is the exception, but as we walked the city, we saw an Apple Store and got our email and Facebook fix!

In order to get to Innsbruck, we needed to go back through Verona and then board the train for Munich. As mentioned, there was a railway workers' strike yesterday, but we learned that the train for Munich would be in Verona at :59 past the house. We arrived in Verona at 11:57 a.m., so we thought we probably missed the train for the hour. A look at the track assignments told us that the train would be on track #3, so just for the heck of it we made our way up there. The 12:59 p.m. train was still in the station so we jumped on board! It was a lucky moment as the next train would have been 2 hours later. As it is, we'll get into Innsbruck at 4:30 p.m., so it's a 3.5 hour train ride.

We found a couple of seats and settled in for the trip. The rail-car was very hot and stuffy, but we figured it'd get better once the train got underway. No such luck! The conductor told us the air-conditioning was out of order and the lights did not work. The entire car was asked to leave for other parts of the train. Linda and I waited for the crowd to "scramble" and then made our way toward the front of the train. It didn't take long to find seating and we made ourselves comfortable again. I saw a man walk past with a cup of coffee and learned the "food car" was 2 coaches ahead, so I went looking for a snack.

It was then I found the "first class coach". Our Eurail Pass qualifies us for first-class accommodations, so we moved again -- this time to the relative comfort of a much less crowded rail-car, reclining seats and electrical power for my netbook. Linda and I enjoyed a tasty lunch in the food-coach and met Horst, our waiter/cook. We had a nice chat. It turns out Horst is a Rod Stewart fan and follows Stewart around the world for his concerts. Horst will be in Las Vegas in couple of months for a concert or two. I gave Horst my card and offered him a sight-seeing tour of the Palm Springs area if he comes to town.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of our travel, so far, has been the interesting people we've met.

We arrived in Innsbruck Austria at 4:30 p.m. and found our lodgings. It's located perfectly, near the Arch de Triumph, right downtown in Innsbruck and near the train station. After a bit, we went for a walk. This part of the city, I think it's the downtown section, is absolutely deserted!! Unlike Italy where people were in the streets, shops were open, entertainment was everywhere -- Innsbruck is a very VERY quiet place right now.

Our plan is to be off to Munich in the morning with a visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp. The camp is about 35 minutes away from the city of Dachau by bus. We'll also take some time to see Munich.

More to follow.....

2011-07-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

July 22, 2011. Venice and Verona Italy. This was an interesting day. Our train for Verona was at 12:57 p.m., so we had some time in the morning to explore. We saw that the Gam Gam Restaurant, in the Jewish section of town, serves potato latkes so we headed out there for a breakfast. Once there, we found they wouldn't open for another 30 minutes, so we headed into the heart of the Ghetto. There we found an artist by the name of Rado Leon. His work is in pencil is quite beautiful. We discussed his drawing and the conversation got around to the use of the word "ghetto", particularly as it is used in the European Jewish community. He explained how it was an important "reminder" about the Jewish experience and to remember where the Jews "were" and where they are now. The discussion impressed me, such, that I walked over to the Chabad House and donned Tfillin with Eliezer acting as my tutor. I found it an emotional and uplifting experience!

We then made our way to the train station and boarded the Eurostar for Verano. It was about an hour ride in a modern, air-conditioned and comfortable train. Once there, our plan was to get our ticket for Innsbruck. B-U-T, it turns out that the railway ticket-agents had called a one-day strike, and getting a ticket was impossible. It also seems that the train for Austria is run by a different company, so we just need to show up, find the train, get on and see what happens! Wish us luck for our transit to Innsbruck tomorrow!!

We walked into the heart of Verona. It is a beautiful city, the main street of which would rival Rodeo Drive, Wealth Avenue or El Paseo. All of the high-end and expensive shops were there. We walked through the city a bit,
and located the Piazzette de 14 Novembre (my birthday). It was neat seeing the plaza with my birthday on it (see the picture on the left).

A bit deeper into the city we found the Juliette House and took pictures near the statue and her balcony. You probably know that this is the "Juliette" of Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliette.

Verona also has a coliseum similar to the one in Rome built in 30 C.E. and can host 30,000 spectators. Today, four productions are performed each year, including opera, ballet as well as popular musicians and performers. Lyle Lovette, for example, will be there soon. I'm told that the Verona Arena is one of the best preserved venues of ancient Rome. It was beautiful and is right in the middle of town.

Back at the Verona train station, we located our track and decided to head up there to wait for our train. There were a bunch of young guys drinking beer, singing loudly and have a great time. I said, "hey where's my beer" -- and before I knew it I had my beer and Linda and I were in middle of it all. It was really lots of fun. While only one guy spoke very broken English, we all understood that we all enjoyed each other's company. The fun continued until it was time to board the train, and we said our farewells.

We found our way back to Venice on the 7 p.m. train and had an interesting exchange with a street vendor. As I walked away from the train station, the street vendor "grabbed" my arm and roughly guided me to a model ship he wanted to sell me. I declined and went my way. The interesting part happened with we heard a siren and a police boat roared to a stop nearby. Two policemen walked up the very same guy who had grabbed me! They didn't seem pleased with him and some heated discussion took place. We left the area after about 5 minutes, but the policemen were continued talking with the guy. Hummmm, it seems I missed being in the thick of that by about 60 seconds or so!!

Excitement in Venice!!

Tomorrow we'll be making our way to Innsbruck, so stay tuned....

2011-07-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

July 21, 2011. Venice and Murano Italy. Today we decided to boat out to Murano, an island about 35 minutes from Venice. Murano glass is world renown, and glassmakers have been making glass in Murano since 1291 C.E. We took the "water bus" from the train station area to Murano and sat in the very rear of the boat. The view was spectacular as we left the inside of the city onto the more open water. On the way, we passed a variety of smaller islands, including "Isola de San Michele" or in English, San Michelle. It was originally a prison island, but since 1807 it became a cemetery for the people of Venice and surrounding areas.

Once in Murano I was interested in finding Vetri Artistici, the "furnaco" and show room I had visited during my trip in 2008. I remembered it was near the lighthouse, so we made our way in that direction. Again I was lucky and found the furnace and the show room in just a few minutes. Once there, I met Raffaele -- the same gentleman who had helped me on my previous visit. I reminded him of our meeting and mentioned that he had, at that time, taken me to the special showroom upstairs as well as a private viewing room for the furnace. Raffaele didn't remember me specifically, but my description of the venue let him know I was a repeat visitor. We were able to visit the upstairs showroom and the furnace. It was quite thrill.

After leaving the factory, we caught a bit of lunch and continued our exploration of Murano. One item I wanted to buy was a figure of a rabbi in Murano glass. I had seen these in the Ghetto, so I hoped I could find them in Murano and meet the artist if possible. I always enjoy pieces of art from the artist him/herself. As we passed a shop, Linda jumped and pointed out the rabbi figures! We went into the store, found the artist whose name is Simon. We had a chance to talk about his art for awhile, take a picture or two and buy one of his pieces. It is a rabbi holding a Torah with a Star of David inscribed in the front. It's quite beautiful and I think a unique piece.

After returning to Venice we waited in another long line at the train station and bought our tickets for a day-trip to Verano tomorrow as well as our transit to Innsbruck Austria on Saturday. Linda bought some jewelry in The Ghetto, we did a bit of shopping at the Coop and caught another wonderful Chinese dinner at our favorite restaurant.

By now it was 11:30 p.m., so it was time to get some sleep. One interesting note is that the dinner hour in Italy is fairly late, and many people are just starting their evening meal at 10 p.m. and later.

More to come!!

2011-07-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

July 20, 2011. Venice Italy. We started out the day with a stop by the local internet point. There are variety of these kinds of stores throughout Italy. In this case, the internet point was in a small bookstore near a local university about 5 minutes from the Hostel. We then set off for a walk toward the "Stazzione" and found a laundrymat on the way. We'll do some laundry this evening.

Nearby, I re-located an artists' studio that I had visited during my trip to Venice in 2008. The artist, Massimo Busetto, occupies a small corner store/studio not far from the Grand Canal. His studio is full of his works, many of which I'd love to own. We talked about my previous visit and while he didn't remember me, he did enjoy the fact that I found him again and took the time to stop by. We invited him to Palm Desert and the very active "art scene" there. It was an enjoyable visit.

We took the "Ponte Degli Scalzi" (this is the main foot-bridge by the train station) to the other side of the Grand Canal and turned right, looking for the Jewish "Ghetto" (the term "ghetto" in Europe refers to the neighborhood, and doesn't carry the negative connotation we associate with

the word). It didn't take long before we found ourselves in the Campo Degli Ghetto. Besides the Chabad House, there are variety of art shops, artists, music and restaurants. It's a small area, but seems vibrant and with interesting points to see for the visitor. I had a rather long and interesting discussion with Elisha from the Chabad House about the meaning of donning of "tiffilin" -- and while he invited me to do so, I have so far declined. Maybe tomorrow!! We finished up the visit by stopping by the Restaurant Gam Gam for a wonderful meal. The restaurant supports the Chabad House so we felt we were supporting their effort in Venice.

We continued our walk around the neighborhoods and continued farther into the city -- or at least we thought. It's interesting, but the Grand Canal circles around the city, so as we walked farther and farther away from the train station, we finally realized were were walking closer and closer to our lodgings at the Camp Del Toma! We found and crossed the Ponte Realto. This bridge was built in 1181 C.E. It went through a couple of changes, and in 1255 C.E. it was changed from a pontoon to a wooden bridge. It was surrounded by a market and eventually became part of the market itself. Today, it is a modern steel/concrete structure covered with shops of all kinds (see the last photo of this entry). It was crowded and fun, with hundreds of people buying and selling items of all kinds.

Later in the afternoon, we found the laundry and did a week's worth of laundry. Now, they tell you that Venice is an expensive city. I can now attest this is true, a "single load" of laundry cost us 24-Euros -- the equivalent of $36!! Wow, we coulda bought new clothes for that, right??!! Of course, any experience leads to another. We were having a bit of trouble understanding how the machines in the laundry worked, so a young man came to our rescue. His name is Sharif. Sharif is from Afghanistan and has been living in Venice for 2 years. While the rest of his family is still is his country, Sharif told us he was very glad to be in Italy and loved it here. He said he hoped to visit the United States some day, and we invited him to contact us. We'll exchange Facebook friendships.

Our final outing of the evening was for dinner. We walked toward the Ponte Rialto looking for a suitable restaurant and saw a Chinese Restaurant that looked interesting. We walked inside and looked around, not sure we wanted to stay. There were 2 couples sitting at a table who signaled us saying the food "was great". We had a enjoyable 10 talk to these folks from Manchester in the U.K. Lots of laughter and joking let to a delightful exchange between us. They said they were leaving for home in the morning -- my comment was "oh darn, we were going to buy you dinner tomorrow night"! With that, one of the guys said he'd "send me the bill". Great fun.

Oh yes, the food was great!!

So far, we've met interesting people from India, China, Afghanistan, Canada, Australia, the U.K. and of course, the U.S. So our trip has been more than just an Italian experience, but an international experience as well.

Tomorrow we plan to go to Murano, so stay tuned....

2011-07-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

July 19, 2011 -- Tuesday, Venice Italy. We started out the day with a re-visit to the Academia Gallery and a chance to see Michaelangelo's David. After an hour wait in the "non reservation line", we were able to get a ticket and wandered through the Gallery. In addition to the Michaelangelo collection, there is a magnificent collection of works by Botticelli. We stayed for about an hour or more and went back to the hostel for our baggage.

One interesting experience of note is when we met Manuel and his family. He is a retired Filipino soldier now living in Austria. He and his family emigrated to Austria 14 years ago. In additional to Tagalog and English, he and his family speaks fluent German. More interesting is when, during our discussion, he said how much he really liked a film called The Sound of Music. With that, he began singing the song in its entirety!! So, picture this , a Filipino now living in Austria who speaks German singing the Sound of Music in English. It was great fun...

We found our way to the "Stazione" and boarded the train at 2:30 p.m. As luck would have it, it was a modern Euroliner -- a beautiful high-speed train with luxurious seats, free coffee and air conditioningIt took the train 2 hours to travel from Florence to Venice. Here again, Linda and I had the good fortune of meeting a delightful couple from India. His name is Shashank (we didn't quite get his wife's name), and for the next two hours or so, we all discussed a variety of interesting topics -- but especially a philosophical discussion on the subject of "truth". The most interesting part of this is that, coming from India, Shashank had an entirely different point of view -- one based in "eastern beliefs". Both Linda and I found it very stimulating and the time passed quickly.

Once we arrived in Venice, we found our lodgings and settled in. After a bit of dinner and exploration, we'll called it a night and will get an early start in the morning.

So, as usual, stayed tuned.....

2011-07-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

July 18, 2001, Florence Italy. It's Monday and we decided to take in the "David " at the Academia Gallery. It's a relatively short walk from our lodgings, so we started out around 10:30 a.m. or so. About half way there I mentioned that "you know, I'll bet the museum is closed on Monday -- many of them are!!" And, sure enough it was. No big deal, we decided we'd see David in the morning before we left for Venice.

We then made our way to the train "Stazione Santa Maria Novella" to settle on a time and train for our transit to Venice.We booked a 14:30 (2:30 p.m.) train so as to give us enough time to visit the Academia. We both figured we had walked enough over the past couple of days, so we opted for one of the double-decker buses for an overview of Florence. We then spent the next 3 hours touring the city and listening to the on-going description of the city.

One of the stops was near our hostel, so we took 1/2 hour break and had a bit of lunch. It turns out that Italy is full of "falafal joints", a food that Linda and I both enjoy. After lunch we re-boarded the bus for the second half of the guided tour. We finally left the bus at the Ponte Vecchio and took a slow walk back into our side of town.

After dinner, we thought we'd see if there was another concert near the Piazza de Republica and found a trio featuring trumpet player Fabrio Morgera. He was accompanied by a keyboard and drummer. The drummer, Piero Borri, was one of the most extraordinary musicians I've seen. All in all, the music scene in Florence seems to be very full -- and, apparently, free to those who seek out these performances.

Each of the cities we've visited has its own charm and personality. Rome and its antiquities is a wonderful place to see. Tuscany, with its villages and towns is beautiful, serene and charming all at the same time. But Florence is a step up. This is a vibrant city, teaming with activities, sights and people. Where Rome has a fair amount of litter in streets, Florence is clean and well maintained. The warm nights bring people into the streets for a variety of activities -- even at 1 and 2 in the morning. Yet, one feels safe and welcome. So, if you've got a week or two and want to visit Italy -- Florence is my recommendation.

Of course, we'll be in Venice tomorrow, so my opinion might change. Stay tuned!!!!

2011-07-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

July 17, 2011, Florence Italy. Today started out a bit late as we didn't get going until 10:30 or so. Our lodgings are in a great location and we found a nice little coffee shop around the corner. Our first stop, we thought, would be the Ponte Vecchio. You may know that the Ponte Vecchio is a Midieval bridge over the Arno River. The bridge started its existance in 996 C.E. and has been in use ever since. Commerce first started on the bridge in the 15th Century and is currently the venue of a variety of "gold shops" and other jewelry. it's quite the site.

But, before we made it to the bridge, we happened upon the Galileo Museum on the river front. The museum is home to a variety of science exhibits -- medicine, astronomy, electricity and the study of gravity just to mention a few. But, my interest was the fine collection

of telescopes, including the first ones used by Galileo. He first turned the telescope to the heavens in the 16th Century and the discovery that Jupiter had moons that circled its planet changed the modern world. There is also a very nice collection of Newtonian (reflecting) telescopes.

Upon leaving the museum, it was back to the visit of the Ponte Vecchio. I wanted to find a replacement earring for myself in 18K gold. The original earring belonged to my wife Portia, and I wore it as a memorial to her. During a surgery I had in 2010, the ring was somehow lost, so my goal was to replace the ring. I had always thought I would wait until I returned to Florence and get an 18K ring. So, it was fun to complete that journey.

Linda and I wondered around the neighborhood near the Ponte Vecchio for a couple of hours. The nearby streets were filled with all kinds of shops and cafe's. It seems that, when in Italy, one consumes a good quantity of food!! And wine. And beer!! So, we enjoyed the afternoon. At around 3;30 p.m. we went to the Picasso, Miro and Dali exhibit at home of the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation. The exhibit covered the period from 1896 and into the lives of these three men.

At 5:00 we went to the Teatro Oden and saw an English language film, the latest Harry Potter film. While the film was "so so", it was good sit in a darkened theater on comfortable chairs and enjoy some quiet time. Upon leaving the theater, there was another band setting up at the same venue where we enjoyed the performance the night before, so we decided to stay for awhile. We thought we'd get a drink and walked to a nearby bar where there seemed to be a private party in progress. I asked if it was, in fact, a private party -- we were not only told it was, but we were invited to join in the birthday festivities!!! It was catered and we enjoyed a good serving of delicious food and wine before the music began.

On the way back to the hostel, we happened on an enjoyable street performer who, dressed like Charlie Chaplin, was entertaining the crowd. We stayed for about 1/2 hour before heading back. One final beer ended the evening, and we shared a "Guinness" at one of the local pubs. We sat outside, soccer was playing on the TV, people were enjoying the warm evening and we had a great time. We didn't leave until around 11 p.m., so we had quite a full day.

2011-07-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

July 16, 2011. So, when you stay up until 1:30 a.m. looking through telescopes, drinking wine and enjoying good conversation there's every reason to assume you'll miss the 'direct train" to Florence. And that's just the way it went. We finally boarded a train for Florence at 12;22 p.m., but it went to Livorno and Pisa first -- entirely in the wrong direction. But, board the train we did, and we finally pulled into the Florence station at 3:30 p.m.

Our lodgings were a 30 minute walk from the station and our directions to the hostel were perfect. It turns out the hostel is in a 200 year old building on a cute side street not too far from the Florence Duomo. Cute cafe's and other shops line the narrow street in both directio

ns. We're on the 2nd floor, and looking down onto the passing crowd is fun and enjoyable.

We've decided to stay an extra night, so we'll be in Florence for 2 full days besides today. That'll give us 2 1/2 days of adventure in this most beautiful city. Upon our arrival, the desk clerk knocked on our door and presented us with a nice bottle of red Tuscan wine from the owner! A most surprising but welcome gift. Just outside our room is a refrigerator full of beer and water, and we were told to 'help ourselves".

For those of you who may be wondering, and noticed that I used the term "hostel" rather than "hotel" -- it should be known that Europe is full of hostels of one sort or another. Many people refer to them as "youth hostels" -- but the reality is that these dwellings are just another way for the owners to attract their guests. We have a private room, for example, and in this case, we share the W.C. with another room down the hall. The advantage is that one can obtain lodgings for 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of the average hotel

and still be in a clean safe environment. We're right in the middle of the city with attractions all around us, so it's well worth the perceived inconvenience of sharing a bathroom!!

After a bit of exploring and shopping we'll call it a day and get an early start in the morning. Florence is a city well worth exploring with lots of sights and activities to enjoy.

We had a lucky find as we were wandering throughout he streets near our lodgings. Besides the fact that there is a Picasso, Miro and Dali exhibit at the art museum (we're going there tomorrow), there was an amazing performance of "progressive jazz" by a quartet of musicians just outside the museum. The performance started at 9:30 p.m. and they played until 10:45 p.m. or so.

One really neat innovation was when the drummer came out from behind his drums and played the cello!! The sax and guitar player were able to make sounds I'd never heard in music before -- a truly wonderful exhibit of musical skill. I wish I could do that!!

So, as always dear reader --

Stay tuned......

2011-07-16T01:08:00.000-07:00

July 15, 2011 -- Wandering Tuscany. Francesco and I spent the morning working on one of his telescopes. After disassembling the mountain and cleaning some of the worm gears (I don't want to get too technical), we were able to make the drives on the mount work nicely.

Francesco arranged for us to visit Villa Ferraia (http://www.villaferraia.com) for an evening of food, drink and astronomy. Vittorio, the owner of the villa has a 14" Meade telescope in an observatory. We set out by car around 1 p.m. and headed into the country-side. Along the way, we visited a number of Medieval villages including Montancino, Sant' Antimo and finally Tocchi where the Villa Ferrais is located.

Vittorio's Villa is in a fairly remote part of the country-side and we drove over a rough dirt road for about 20 minutes. Yet, there were many visitors at the Villa, including people from Europe, the U.S. and "down under". There's a beautiful swimming pool with lush grounds and gardens.

After dinner, we set out for the observatory at about 10 p.m. The moon was up and pretty bright, but we were still able to see quite a nice selection of deep-sky objects.

Today we'll be heading into Florence for a couple of days of sightseeing and exploration. Among the sights we want to see is the U.S. Military Cemetery which is the final resting place to more than 50,000 WWII soldiers.s including the great globular star cluster in Hercules. We explored the skies, drank some wine and talked until we all agreed it was time to head home at around midnight.

More to come.. Stay tuned.

2011-07-14T03:25:00.000-07:00

July 14, 2011 -- SIENNA, ITALY. We set off for Sienna today by way of the train. Sienna is about 1.5 hours from Francesco's house in near Follonica. The station was very small with only a ticket machine to help us. With the instructions in Italian, it took us -- and Francesco -- a few minutes to figure out how to get a ticket. But get one we did, and were able to board the train at around 9:45 this morning.

Once we got to the train station in Sienna, Linda and I found the Tourist Information desk, got a map, had a bit of coffee and then set off for the city. It's about a 30 minute walk up and over a sizable hill. The city is quite beautiful and very modern. There is a combination of little streets winding through the city as well as wider more modern boulevards. We decided to stick to the smaller streets to as to see the various shops and people.

We wandered into the city and finally found what I think is the main square, the Piazzo Del Campo. There is a beautiful fountain in the square which dates back to 1419,

but the square itself was, once, as an open market that was established before the 13th Century. Needless to say, the surrounding buildings were beautiful and the square itself is an imposing space of commerce and activity.

Part of the adventure was to continue into one of the side streets to the left of the square. We continued exploring away from the Piazza up a bit of a hill and into a more residential part of the Sienna. At one point, Linda spotted a sign to a "Sinagogue" and we ventured in that dir

ection. The sign invited to knock on the door and ask for a tour, but there was no reply. We stuck around for a few minutes, knocked a few more times, but to no avail. So, we continued walking farther into the city.

At one point we found a neat fountain and took a bit of a rest. Right around the corner was "Conad City" which turned out to be a super market, so we went inside for some yogurt, fruit and cold drinks.

We found our way back to the train station about an hour early and visited a "Galleria" across the street. Lots of neat shops. Once we were back in the station, we met a couple of "kids" who has just married in Palm Desert!! They live in Irvine and were on their honeymoon in Tuscany and the rest of Italy. Small world, isn't it??

When it was time to get onto the train back to Montepescali, we were surprised that the train

one "one car only"!! About a dozen people got onto the train and we enjoyed a quiet ride back to where Francesco picked us up. All in all, our impression of Sienna is that it a most beautiful, cosmopolitan and charming city. The combination of shops, streets, history and people make it a perfect place to be. I, for one, felt it would be easy to live in such a delightful city.

2011-07-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

July 13, 2011 -- Today we were off to Pisa by train. Francesco and I spent the morning working on one of his telescopes and fooling around with one of his computers. The challenge is make his "wireless connection" work -- but we did succeed.

At around noon, we boarded a train for Pisa. It takes about an hour and a quarter. Once there, we found the Tourist Information Desk and got a map of the city. It was about a 35 minute walk to the Tower and Duomo area of the city. The construction took place over a period of 177 years and began in 1173! It's a beautiful structure made mostly of white marble. It is the bell tower for the Cathedral which is located nearby.

Pisa is a beautiful city with lots of nice shops and restaurants. The river Arno runs prominently through the center of town -- and it was busy with boat traffic and other forms of commerce.

On our way back to the train station, Linda and I stopped at a cyber cafe for a quick fix of email and Facebook. We also found a delightful falafel shop and enjoyed a bit of lunch. Tomorrow we "may" go to Sienna or Montealcino. In a couple of days we'll be off to Florence, Venice and points north -- but that's a blog entry for another day.....

More to come..

2011-07-13T08:07:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, July 13, 2011. We arrived in Follonica around 3 p.m. and met my friend Francesco at the station. A short ride, about 10 KM, and we pull up to his home in the Tuscan mountain-side overlooking Follonica. It's a remote, quiet and beautiful setting. Like me, Francesco is an amateur astronomer and has several interesting telescopes. We have a number of other interests in common, including electronics, an old camera collection and technology in general.

Francesco's far covers quite a bit of acerage -- although I'm sure sure how much. But he does have an olive tree orchard with about 200 trees. The olives are harvested yearly and made in olive oil at a local "refinery". Francesco keeps some and sells the rest. He also has a substantial solar-power system that provides him with much of his electrical needs. The excess is sold to the city. Francesco tells me that his energy use is quite low and he will actually make some income from the effort. Pretty neat.

After a delightful dinner, we went into the small village Gavarrano on the top of the hill. The majority of the buildings are several hundred years old and the streets are narrow and winding. There is a working mine in the side of the hill that provides the area with income from pyrite. We got back to Francesco's placed around 10:30 p.m. and after an interesting discussion about some communications equipment he bought in the U.S., we hit the sack around 11:30 or so

Tomorrow we have train tickets for Pisa, so keep tuned..... More to come.

2011-07-12T01:23:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 12, 2011. Since this was our last day in Rome, we decided to take a tour bus around the city. We thought we'd see all of it without having to walk too much. So, we decided to take one of those double-decker tour buses around the city. This was the way to go. We stopped at the Trevi Fountain again, this time to get a better picture of ourselves and had the fortune to meet a nice couple of folks from the U.K. on holiday for a few days.

As we were leaving, we stopped at a neat little cafe called the News Cafe and struck up a conversation with the "bar tend". He was most enjoyable, and we exchanged pleasantries. His name is Chris. Chris and I decided we'd become "friends" on Facebook, so

I gave him my Facebook user name. Since it continues to pretty warm in Rome, Linda and I enjoyed a couple of beers while Chris put out a nice serving of patatoe chips as a snack.

We boarded the tour bus again and made our way back to the Termini and hotel area. After checking in with Francesco via email, we found we needed to leave the city in the morning and head into Tuscany. Francisco said that "Tuesday would be better for him". Linda and I had decided we need to sample "pasta" while in Rome, so we found our friend Riccardo and asked about a good restaurant. Luck would have it that his commendation was just around the corner just a couple of blocks away, so off we went. By now it was around 7:30 p.m. or so. Riccardo told us to ask for "Mario"...

We found "Fraginetto Restuarant" in short order and introduced ourselve

s to Mario the owner. After explaining we wanted authentic Italian food, Mario said "I'lla take care of you" and brought Linda and bowl of lasagna and me some linguine con mare (linguine with fish). The food was great and we enjoyed a nice bowl of fruit to end the meal.

So, tomorrow we'll be on our way to Follonica, stay tuned..

2011-07-11T02:34:00.001-07:00

Rome, July 10. Linda and I started out the day with a nice breakfast in a nearby bistro. The food in Italy -- Rome at least -- is quite a bit different than at home. The eggs are similar but cooked differently. After going to the Roma Termini, we asked the folks where there was an English language movie house in the city. They found one for us, and we plan to take in a movie at 5:30 this evening. It should be cooler and comfortable.

We bought a day-pass on the bus/subway lines and made our way to the Vatican for a visit to the Pope. You may recall that last time I was in Rome, I met the Pope face-to-face. That didn't happen this time, but we did get to see much of the Vatican and wandered the grounds for a couple of hours. There was a nice shaded area where it was cooler and more comfortable in the heat.

At about 2 p.m. we wandered back into the Ottaviana section and I was able to locate the falafal shop I had found in 2008. The shop has been there for about 6 years and it was petty much the same. Linda and I had a neat falafal sandwich in pita bread and it was ju

st delicious. It's about the best falafal I've tasted anywhere. After we jumped the train for a ride to the Spagna station to try to find the movie theater.

As is the case, the maps are good but not great -- but after a bit we were able to find the theater and saw we were a bit early. No problem -- an hour at the local air conditioned cafe with a couple of beers hit the spot perfectly. At about 5:00 we found our way back to the movie house. A couple of minutes later, the line started to build up,

and we struck up conversations with all of those around us. One women was living in Rome working for the U.N. food program. Another couple had lived in Rome for 20 years

or so. Even though they maintained their U.S. citizenship, they found Rome a great place to live -- although, they said, it was a bit expensive. Still, they loved it in Italy.

After the movie (we saw The Conspirator with Robin Wright), we walked to Piazza Venezia and boarded a bus back to the Termini and hotel. Dinner was light but refreshing and we got to sleep around 10:30 after a very busy day. Tomorrow we plan to do our laundry and then enjoy the city from one of the many double-decker tour buses.

2011-07-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

Today turned out to be very hot -- about 85 or 90-degrees. Since Linda and I were covering much of our day on foot, it made for a lot of "stops and hydration!!" -- in other words we sat and drank lotsa water...

Our first stop was the church at San Pietro in Vincoli to see the only Michaelangelo outside of the Vatican in Rome. It's the "horned Moses"and was, if I'm correct, completed in 1515. The sculpture is just beautiful -- it clearly understood why the Pope's of the day wanted Michaelangelo to complete a v

ariety of work -- including the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.

We had tickets to gain entrance to the Coloseum at noon, so we made our way there and spent a hour or a bit more wandering the ancient structure. Lemme tell ya, there was a hugh crowd of people there, and by buying our tickets on-line, we didn't have to stand an hour or

more in line.

After looking at the map, we found that the Jewish section, the Synagogue and Hare Krisna Temple were a short walk, so we set off to find all three of these sights.

One thing about the tourist maps of Rome is they are incomplete! I figured it would be an easy walk to this section of town, but after a couple of twists and turns, we found ourselves lost in the neighborhood. We were "close", but couldn't find our way to the specific streets we needed. Luck would have it w

hen we saw an older man walking with groceries toward his home. A quick question or two -- with a complete explanation of where we needed to be was forthcoming. Of course, his instructions were in ITALIAN, but we pretended we understood him and finally found our way. It took three more questions, including one to a local traffic cop, for us to find our way.

All in all, it was worth the journey. The heat has been pretty oppressive over the past day or so, but by taking it slow, we're able to get along OK.

We made our way back to the hotel by bus at around 3 p.m. It's interesting to note that riding the bus in Rome is a test in endurance and patience. Today being Saturday, the buses were very crowded, so even though we bought a ticket, we didn't get close enough to the "validation" machine to have to use them. It seems that most bus riders in Rome don't pay, they just hop on and hop off!! Yet, the system seems to wok, the buses are on time, and if you can stick it out, you'll get where you want to go -- with a ticket to use another day!!

So, either tomorrow or Monday we'll head off to the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. We plan to head up north to Follonica on Tuesday or Wednesday.

As always reader -- more to follow.....

2011-07-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

Linda and I landed at the Rome Airport at around 10:30 a.m. on Thursday 7/8/11 and took the train to the Roma Termini. Our lodgings were 4 blocks from the Termini and we found them without too much trouble. It turns out the Roma Termini is a great location, central to lots of little shops and cafe's -- and all the transportation options one needs to get around Rome.

After a good night sleep (we hit the sack at around 5 p.m.!!) we got up around 9 on Friday and set out for a day of sightseeing. After finding a neat little "super market" and getting our lunch and snacks for the day, we headed over to the Trevi Fountain. Remember "Three Coins in a Fountain" and "Roman Holiday" -- well, it's the same really cool fountain. The fountain is +500 years old, founded and built for Pope Urban in 1629 or so. Neat. The water was clear and cool -- cold actually -- and with the ambient temperature around 85-degrees, it felt really great getting wet.

We spent about an hour there, threw some coins in the fountain met a couple of neat couples from Canada and Venice California. It's easy to meet people when you offer to "take a photo for them" so they can both be in the picture. We had a great time. It was off for a walk and found a neat cafe where we enjoyed some of Rome's finest coffee!!

Then it was off to the Pantheon. Now here's a rare and beautiful building -- built I am told -- in 27 B.C.E. The tourbook we bought describes it as the largest free standing masonry dome built. Inside it lighted by a huge central opening/window in the center top of the dome. We were able to sit for a while and enjoy the cool inside.

After wondering some more, we stopped and enjoyed some "thin crust pizza" cooked Roman style and a couple of beers. We sat outside and enjoyed people-watching as well as good conversation. After, we struck out on foot and intended to walk back to the Termini -- but,good sense urged us onto a bus and we made it back in style in one of Rome's many motor-coaches.

So, we're more or less done for the day. We'll go out this evening and explore the neighborhood around the hotel and Termini, maybe visit one of the neat cafe's for a beer or gelato flavors in the street-side vendors. Tomorrow we plan to hit the Colosseo and find the one Michelangelo that it "outside the Vaitcan".

More to come........

2011-05-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Some interesting new developments for our trip to Italy have occurred since my last posting. My friend Sam, manager of Scope City in San Francisco, introduced me to Francesco who lives near Grosetto and Follonica in Italy. Francesco is a retired physicist with an interest in astronomy and telescopes. On a recent trip to the United States, Francesco and his wife had occasion to stop in Scope City and was introduced to me via telephone. We exchanged a couple of emails, and a few days later he and his wife were able to stop by my place in Palm Desert. We had a great visit, talked about my telescope building efforts and amateur astronomy in general. Francesco went on to invite Linda and I to his home in Italy. He further offered to take us on a personal and guided tour of the Tuscany area!! Francesco offered us the use of one of his cars for a few days! What a treat this will prove to be...

As the trip to Italy gets closer, the itinerary is beginning to materialize. It's clear that we'll be travelling to Rome and then to the north. Switzerland is a short train ride away, so a trip there should be in the offing. Additionally, we've decided to make our way to Munich so we can take a side trip to Dachau. Dachau, for those of you who may not know, is the infamous "slave labor" camp run by the Nazi's during WWII. The camp was opened in 1933 and continued in operation until it was liberated by the Allies in 1945. The camp is now a museum located outside the city of Dachau.

More later.....

2011-05-01T15:38:00.001-07:00

May 1, 2011: This will prove to be an interesting summer. During the month of July, I'll be travelling with my friend Linda to Italy for 30 days. We'll fly into Rome for a week then travel throughout the country. We'll visit Tuscany, Rome (of course), Solarno, Naples, Milan, Pisa, Florence, Venice and much more. It's possible we'll get into southern France and Germany, but that's up in the air right now.

As was the case with my last EU trip in 2008, I'll be carrying a computer with me. I'll post to this blog every day with comments about our travels and pictures. So, stay tuned. More to follow....

2008-07-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm back in the United States, I've had a chance to think about the places I've visited over the last two months. It has been quite an adventure. I spent the first 10 days moving around England and much of France with my friend Roger Sims. I cannot express enough, my thanks to Roger and Helen for the kind hospitality. Their sons, Nickolas and Robert and delightful young men, and it was a pleasure getting to know them better.

Once I was on my own, I made my way from place to place by rail. For those of you who plan any travel throughout Europe, I can highly recommend the Eurail pass. I was able to go to many of the European Union countries without any problems, never having to show my passport and only having to pay a small additional "fee" occasionally. Otherwise, all train travel was covered, which by the way included some of the underground (subway) systems in many of the cities. In every case, the people in the train stations, information bureaus and tourist bureaus were kind, courteous and helpful. If there was a "language problem", there was always someone who helped. I did my best at learning some of their language and the "locals" were always grateful and humorous.

In many ways, when something did go wrong, it was part of the adventure. For example, on my way to Pompeii, I missed the stop and went too far. The next stop was Solarno, a beautiful Italian city on the Mediterranean Sea. I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours there waiting for the next train back to Pompeii.

Importantly, one must not take themselves too seriously. Many times I laughed at myself for some reason or another. The second time I broke my camera, for example, it cost me a couple of $, but it was fun to seek out a store, find the camera department and explain what I wanted.

Many of the countries I visited were battlegrounds just a few years ago. Now their communities are thriving and prosperous. Many people are multi-lingual, educated and well traveled . Generally, the average workweek is 35 hours and most Europeans get 25 days or more vacation per year. Most of the countries I visited have universal health care systems, and while there are always "pros and cons" about subjects such as these, it seems better to have a health safety-net than nothing at all.

In my opinion, the most beautiful cities were Paris, Budapest, Vienna and Krakow. The most interesting was Rome. The most delightful was Amsterdam. The most friendly people were the English, French and Dutch. The cities I would visit again -- ALL of them. I can't think of one city that disappointed me.

Here's a list of the countries and cities I visited.

United Kingdom
Stroud
Gloucester
Stratford upon Avon
London
Portsmouth

France
Le Havre
Bayeux
Jonchery
Dijon
Paris

Italy
Pisa
Rome
Verona
Pompeii
Salerno
Florence
Venice
Murano

Germany
Munich
Mittenwald
Berlin
Dachau
Potsdam

Czech Republic
Prague
Terizen
Kunta Hora

Hungary
Budapest

Austria
Vienna
Innsbruck

Hungary
Krakow
Auschwitz
Warsaw

Holland
Amsterdam

Belgium
Brugge
Brussels
Antwerp

I've enjoyed keeping this blog. It's a reminder of my experiences along the way -- an experience I will not soon forget. So, until the next adventure -- Ciao... Dennis

2008-07-01T02:33:00.000-07:00

Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam Holland. I awoke to a strange email saying that British Airways had canceled my flight. No more explanation, except it was an aircraft that could not be maintained. But, there were no suggestions, no telephone numbers, and the only hyperlink was broken!! So, needless to say, British Airways was on "my list" -- if you get my meaning!!

After trying a couple of things on the Internet, I called the travel insurance company, Access America. They bailed out on me by saying that, if the airline cancels a flight, it's not covered with their insurance. If I incurred any additional costs, it would be between me and the airline. So, for those of you who are planning a trip here or there, my suggestion is NOT to take the most expensive insurance. Just get the "health" section of the policy in case something hapens to you. Oh, they did offer to help for for an "additional charge", but after spending more than $500 on travel insurance, and thinking I was covered, I declined their offer. Thanks again Access America.

Jennifer and I went to the airport as planned. She went to find her flight (we traveled separate airlines) and I set out to find a British Airways agent. It didn't take long, although there was no signage for me to follow. The airport information desk was helpful and I found the ticket counter was nearby. To British Air's credit, they did offer me 2 flights -- one to Paris and then to LAX on Air France and one on KLM directly to LAX. Needless to say I took the KLM non-stop and will in LAX at the same time my canceled flight would have been there. So, what started out as a potental disaster turned out ok, and I'm pleased with the outcome.

The plane starts boarding at noon and it's around 11:40 a.m., so I'm at the gate. So, with boarding time close at hand, I'll sign off and continue this at a later time.

I arrived at LAX at 3:10 p.m. By the time I cleared customs it was 4 p.m. and our friend Dianne was there to pick me up. She suggested we wait around for Jennifer to arrive at 7 p.m., we went went to a local restaurant and enjoyed some soup and conversation.

Jennifer and I arrived home at 8:30 p.m. or so. We had left for the Amsterdam airport at 8:15 that morning, but the time difference is plus 9 hours. By the time we walked in the door we had been up and in transit for 19 or 20 hours. Ten minutes later, I was "out cold". As I reflect on my last 2 months of travel, it's hard to believe it has come to and end. At the beginning of the trip, it seemed like it would go on forever! Of course, all good things come to a close, and in many ways, I'll be glad to be getting back to the U.S. and the routine I've set for myself.

Ciao for now....

2008-06-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 30, 2008 Amsterdam Holland. Jennifer and I were up and out early today, around 9 a.m. After a continental breakfast at the hotel, we made our way over to the market area. I needed to have some laundry done, and there was a vendor there who would do the work for me. For a couple of extra Euros, my clothes were washed, dried and folded. We walked along the street-market for a bit, bought a gift or two and then decided to make our way to the Jewish Museum in downtown Amsterdam.

It was a beautiful day, so we decided to walk. I was surprised to find that, when walking straight along the street and not following the tram tracks, it only took us around 20 minutes to get to the museum. We paid our entry fee and each of us got an audio tour. The museum was originally a synagogue dating back to 1671. After the Second World War, the synagogue lay unattended and in disrepair, but in 1989 the building was renovated and the museum opened its doors. Although it is not the first Jewish museum that has been in Amsterdam, it is now the only one in the city. The collection is about Jewish life in Amsterdam from the late 17th century to present. Jennifer and I spent around 2 1/2 hours going through the collection thoroughly.

As we left the museum, we noticed the Amstel Diamond building across the canal. Jennifer recalled that there were tours given, so we took our chances and went to the front door. We gained entrance and, yes indeed, we were given an introduction to the cutting, polishing and setting of diamonds. We stayed around 45 minutes. On the way back into the center of town, we stopped at a coffee shop on Rembrandtplein for some coffee and conversation.

We thought it would be a good idea to get the train ticket for the journey to the airport tomorrow morning. We both need to be there early. I went ahead to the train station while Jennifer checked out one of the many beautiful stores along the canal. We met 45 minutes later and decided we'd take a tour of Amsterdam by canal. So, we found a canal boat to our liking and spent the next hour going around the city from that perspective. It was a warm and delightful day, and being on the water was just the perfect end a day of sightseeing.

By 6 p.m. we were back at the laundry, I picked up my clothes and we decided to go to our favorite tapas restaurant for dinner and drinks. The restaurant is called Pilsvogel, and we liked it so much that we've gone back 3 times now. This was our last evening in Amsterdam and we wanted to enjoy a good meal, talk about our experiences together and pursue one of our favorite passtimes -- people watching!!

So, tomorrow it's to the airport and back to reality. What a wonderful 9 days in Amsterdam. What an absolute wonderful 2 months in Europe. It's hard to believe it is coming to an end, but while these kind of trips always do -- there's always next year.

Bye for now....

2008-06-30T00:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday June 29, 2008 Amsterdam Holland. Today was a most unusual day, as Jennifer and got up at around 1 p.m.!! After running around Amsterdam for the week and going off to Brugge then Brussels and Antwerp, we must've needed the sleep. As we were leaving the hotel, we rented 2 bicycles and set out to explore a bit. At first, we stayed in the immediate vicinity of the hotel to get used to riding a two-wheeler again! We zigged and zagged, but finally got our bearings.

We set off to find some breakfast and rode over to the marketplace, and weren't surprised to find the market closed as it was Sunday. But there was a restaurant or two open and we chose one we had seen over the past few days. We sat down outside and had some coffee to get started. As we enjoyed the morning, I struck up a conversation with a couple of young folks at the next table, and after a couple of minutes asked them if they'd like to join us. They did.

Daniel and Martine are delightful young folks from London. They had flown to Amsterdam for a weekend holiday and stopped at the restaurant for breakfast. We spent the next 3 hours laughing, exchanging stories, exploring ideas about travel, politics and the European Union. The food was good too. Toward the end of our visit together, we exchanged the promise to email each other, and I gave Daniel my blog and website information. Jennifer and I both hope they'll be in touch, and we feel we made some friends during our time here.

We jumped back on the bikes again and headed out of the city. At first we stayed on quiet streets and it didn't take long for us to get into more residential areas of the city. The homes were large and beautiful and we were sure we found the "high rent" district of Amsterdam. We continued along one of the canals for a good time and kept going away from the hotel for around 45 minutes or so. We decided to turn around and head back. Between Jennifer and I we were able to return directly to the hotel area without any problems.

As we were riding back to the hotel, it was around 6 p.m., we thought it'd be fun to check out the cinema and see "In Bruges" with Colin Ferrell and Ralph Finnes. We figured that, because we had been there, In Bruges would be a great film to see together. We locked the bicicyles near the tram and took the short ride into town. We bought tickets for the 19:15 (7:15 p.m.) showing and decided to find a coffee shop while waiting for the film to start. It wasn't a far walk to a nice shop on Rembrandtplein before Jennifer and I were enjoying a nice cup of coffee and enjoyed and some of Amsterdam's finest . . .

Back at the hotel we checked in the bicycles and then made our way back to our favorite "tapas" restaurant. It was the final game of the Euro2008 Cup with Germany and Spain as the finalists, so we sat outside to watch the game. There was about 20 minutes to go. A couple of beers and a dish of olives capped off a most enjoyable day. We both realized that tomorrow, June 30, is our last day in Amsterdam. The time has gone too quickly, but we agreed we've had a wonderful visit to this most wonderful city.

2008-06-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 28, Amsterdam Holland with day trips to Brussels and Antwerp. We were up early again this morning so as to make an 8:59 a.m. train to Brussels. Unlike the train to Brugge yesterday, this one did not require a train change, and we rode straight through. We got to Brussels around noon and found our way to the tourist information center. As it turns out, the tourist office was outside the train station in a large square. It was a 5 minute walk there.

Our initial impression of Brussels is that it is beautiful European city with lots of little streets that wind themselves here and there. Brussels is a large city with more than one million people living there. It is the administrative heart of the European Union. Brussels is considered the "defacto" capital of Belgium. It is also the home of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

After our stop at the tourist information office, we were armed with a map of the city and learned that much of what we wanted to see was nearby. We went deeper into the city, following cute little streets with lots of shops and restaurants. Earlier in the day, it was obvious that it had rained, but now the sky started to clear and the sun began to warm us. We explored for about an hour before taking some time for a quick snack of won-ton soup and some tea.

As we continued our explorations, we happened onto the formation of a parade. We asked what the occasion was, and were told that it was a parade in celebration of "Meyboom". Meyboom is a Belgian holiday celebrating a "feat of arms" in the 14th Century. Meyboom means "tree of joy" and the celebration takes place with the planting of a tree on the 9th of August. The parade is complete with brass bands and giant puppets. Jennifer and I watched the parade, with the giant puppets and all, and were told it was a "pre-planting celebration". We followed the parade back into the heart of the city.

By now it was around 3:30 and we decided to take the train back to Antwerp for a look around there too. We boarded the train and we arrived in Antwerp after an hour journey. There was an orchestra playing some delightful music at the train station, so we stopped and listened until they packed up their instruments and left.

As we left the train station and started walking along one of the main streets, we noticed a cinema and decided to take a look. We enjoyed a showing of "Made of Honor" and then continued exploring the city for the next hour or so. Antwerp is a beautiful city, as well, and has a population of around 470,000 people. We were limited in our time and stayed on the main streets most of the time. Unlike Brussels, Antwerp didn't seem to have the many twisty streets, but we may have missed those sections altogether.

Jennifer and I headed back to the train station so as to make the 7:59 train to Amsterdam and got back into the city around 10:30. It was just getting dark and we were tired, so we made our way back to the hotel for a good nights sleep. Tomorrow we plan to rent some bicycles, visit the Jewish Museum and explore more of the city. We also want to take a boat ride on the canals before we have to leave on Tuesday.

Ciao for now.....

2008-06-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 27, 2008, Amsterdam Holland. After such a long day yesterday, Jennifer and I got a late state this morning and left the hotel at 10:30 a.m. I needed to buy a sweatshirt, so went went to the outdoor market not far from the hotel. The market is called the Albert Cuypmarkt and is the best known and busiest in Amsterdam. It's around 4 or 5 blocks long along a nice section of town. After an hour or so, I was the owner of a new sweat-shirt with a hood. Perfect for the cool evenings in the city.

We decided we'd see the Old Portuguese Synagogue, or "Esnoga", near the center of the city and took the tram in that direction. This is a truly old building dating back to its construction in 1671. The Synagogue is named for the fact that the Jewish community was expelled from Spain. They went to Portugual and finally Amsterdam in the early 17th century. As Spain and Holland were friendly countries, the Jews called themselves "the Portuguese Jews" to eliminate their immigration problems. Before 1940 there were approximitly 200,000 Jews living in Holland. Now there are around 20-25,000 Jews still in the country.

Jennifer and I went across the street to the Jewish Museum, but since it was going to close in 1 hour, we decided to see it on Sunday. We're also planning to rent bicycles from the hotel on Sunday as well, so that should be lots of fun. Amsterdam is a big city, geographically, but all of the sights are in a relatively small area, so bicycles will be a great mode of transportation for the day.

We headed back to our "favorate" tapas restaurant for a touch of dinner at around 6 p.m. and thought we'd see if there was a cinema we could see. A short tram ride back into the city center and we were at the Pathe Cinema looking for a film. We decided to see It Happened in Las Vegas with Ashton Kushner and Cameran Diaz. It was a thoughly delightful romantic comedy and we had a great time.

So, as reported, tomorrow we're on to Brussells.

Ciao...

2008-06-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 26, 2008, Amsterdam, Holland day trip to Brugge Belgium. Today we were up early in order to get an 8:59 train to Brugge. The train took us to Antwerp where we changed trains and arrived in Brugge Centraal at 12:25 p.m. (the train station in Antwerp was especially beautiful, particularly the old station).

Click HERE to see where Brugge is located. Brugge is the Dutch spelling. Sometimes, it can be spelled "Bruges"

Jennifer and I found the tourist office easily and we were armed with a map of the city and a good idea about what to do next. We decided to take the 15 minute walk into the center of town. The weather in Belgium was as elsewhere, sunny, cheerful and promised us a delightful day.

As we walked into the city, we could see that Brugge is a beautiful place. The clean streets and charming buildings were all around us. The center of the city is dominated by a large cathedral, so it was easy to make our way there. As we got closer into the center of town, we saw horse-drawn carriages and a canal boat or two filled with tourists enjoying the view and commentary from their respective guides. After spending some time here, it is clear that the tourist industry is a major part of Brugge's economy. It seemed that most of the shops, hotels and other attractions are clearly serving the tourist trade. We found the "belfry" (clock tower) in the center of the Grote Markt. Á large outdoor market was set up all around and was surrounded by restaurants and shops of every kind. At one point, Jennifer and I found the "Rodeo Drive" of the city exhibiting every high-end name in fashion and hotels.

Brugge is called the "Venice of the North", with its canals and adjacent waters used for transportation and commerce. The city was chartered in 1178 and the historic city center is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After looking into a few shops, and sampling some delicious Belgian chocolate, Jennnifer and I decided we'd take a canal tour. The tour boats are easy to find, and we chose one we liked, making sure there would be an English speaking guide. He spoke good English, as well as French and Spanish. During the tour we learned that a Belgian beer brewery was nearby, so we decided to go there after the boat ride.

We also wanted to see Michelangelo's "Madonna and Child" which is part of the art decoration in the "Church of Our Lady" and is believed to be the only the only Michelangelo sculpture to have left Italy during his lifetime. The church itself is a beautiful building with spires measuring 122 meters high. It is considered one of the tallest "brick" buildings in Europe. After viewing the sculpture, Jennifer and I sat in the serenity of the church for a short while.

As we left the church, we inquired about the brewery and found it was a short 2 streets away. We walked there and found we were just in time for a 4 p.m. tour of the old brewery and beer tasting. This is the last active brewery in Brugge, the Huisbrouwerij de Halve Maan (Half Moon) and was founded in 1856. While the beer is now brewed in a new facility outside the city, the old brewery is a museum, used for tours and a delightful pub. Our guide had a great sense of humor, clearly enjoyed her city and wound us up and down over 200 stairs of the old building. At one point, we were on the roof with a beautiful view of Brugge and its many historic buildings. As promised, the end of the tour included a glass of their beer.

By now is was getting a bit late, so Jennifer and I decided to make our way back to the train station for the 6:20 p.m. train back to Antwerp and then Amsterdam. We boarded the train on time, but due to a delay along the track, we missed our 7:59 connection and had to wait until 8:59 to board our train for Amsterdam. We got back into town at 11:30 p.m., just in time to make one of the last trams back to our hotel. We were tired and ready for a good nights sleep, but happy that we had enjoyed such a wonderful day exploring a part of Europe many people never see.

Tomorrow, Friday, we'll be enjoying Amsterdam. Saturday, we'll be off to Brussels for another day trip.

Ciao.....

2008-06-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 25, 2008, Amsterdam, Holland. Jennifer and I were up at around 9:30 this morning and enjoyed breakfast at the hotel before venturing out. We had decided yesterday to visit the Rijksmuseum (this is the National Museum of Holland). The museum houses the "Dutch Masters", including Rembrandt and Vermeer. It is located in the same "Museum Plein", or square, as the Van Gogh Museum and was an easy walk from the hotel. We purchased the "audio tour" and spent around 2 hours walking through the collection. Obviously, the artwork, silver work and other parts of the collection were very beautiful. The museum was built in 1885.

We then wandered into the city center, exploring the streets as they wound through delightful shops, across the canals and finally had a delightful Thai dinner in a small family-owned restaurant. At one point during the day we found ourselves outside the Heineken Brewery and expected to enjoy a tour. We were told that the tour included a beer-sampling session at the bar. Our luck ran out when we found that the brewery was closed for renovation and is expected to open later this sumer. Another good reason to return to Amsterdam.

We walked back to the hotel at around 9:30 p.m. It was still daylight, of course, and we stopped at another small coffee shop to enjoy a last cup of coffee before calling it a day.

Tomorrow we are on a day trip to Brugge in Belgium. It is around 3 hours by train, and from what we've heard Brugge is a most beautiful city. So, stayed tuned, and I'll report on that outing tomorrow evening.

'Til Later...

2008-06-25T00:35:00.000-07:00

June 23/24, Monday/Tuesday, Amsterdam, Holland. It's been a quick couple of days! Jennifer arrived on Monday and after a bit of jet-lag napping, we were out and about for an exploratory walk around the city. Yesterday, though, we had a plan. After looking at the map, we decided we'd go to the Van Gogh Museum and then see what happened next. As it turns out, the museum isn't too far from the hotel, so we decided upon walking there.

We left the hotel, took a right turn and discovered a charming neighborhood of shops and activity. There was a large open market we found, as well, as walked through there slowly. Jennifer bought a pair of sun-glasses which promptly broke. We thought 'we'd go back today and change them for another pair.

It was around a 30 minute walk to the Van Gogh Museum and we paid our 10 Euros to get inside. It's a new and brightly lit building, and we took our time going through all 5 floors of artwork. There is art from a variety of artists, as well as Van Gogh. By the time we finished the Museum, we were determined to find a cup of coffee and headed toward a street across the "plein" from the museum. We enjoyed a tasty cup of coffee an Jennifer enjoyed a 30 minute shopping excursion to a couple of nearby stores.

We decided to find our way to the Anne Frank House, so we boarded a tram and headed toward the center of town. As we walked along one of the many canals in the city, we decided we needed to take a canal boat before we left Amsterdam. We plan to do that on Friday if not today. When we reached the Anne Frank House, we found there would be a 45 minute wait to gain entrance. We stood in line and was able to tour the house at around 4 p.m. The Anne Frank House is, of course, that which has been made famous by the book Diary of Anne Frank, the story of the Frank family's attempt to hide from the Nazi's in 1942. The family was later betrayed and was deported to various death camps in 1944. Otto Frank, the father, was the only survivor.

Later in the evening, we ventured back to the neighborhood by the hotel and found a great "tapas" restaurant for dinner. We liked it so well that we both thought having dinner there again was a good idea. We got back to the hotel round 10 p.m., after a completely delightful day in Amsterdam.

Bye for now.....

2008-06-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 23, 2008, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I arrived yesterday by train and found my way to the hotel without any problems. I spent a couple of hours in the evening exploring a bit of Amsterdam. I set the alarm for 6 a.m. and got some sleep. Jennifer's plane was arriving at 7 a.m. and I wanted to meet her at the airport.

So, early this morning I boarded a tram for the central train station and then journeyed on to the airport. Jennifer's plane arrived at 7:30 and we said our first "hello" at 8 a.m. or so. We found our way back to the hotel and enjoyed the hotel's continental breakfast together. At around 11 a.m. we went back into central Amsterdam and explored a bit of the city. At one point, we went into the train station and arranged for train tickets to Brugge and Brussels. We will be going to these cities on Thursday and Saturday respectively.

We both faded around 3 p.m. but an hour nap helped that considerably. We were off again, this time exploring the neighborhood round the hotel. There are canals in each direction and we found a number of cute shops to visit. We made our way into central Amsterdam again. We found a great little Italian restaurant for dinner, enjoyed a coffee and cappuchino at one of the many coffee houses and returned to the hotel at around 10 p.m. Amsterdam is far enough north so that it doesn't get dark untl around 11 p.m. at this time of year. More daylight for enjoying the city and its many attractions.

Tomorrow we'll do more of the "tourist" kind of things, including a visit to the Anne Frank House and Van Gogh Museum.

2008-06-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 21, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Amsterdam is HERE.

OK, so when did I complain last? Never, right? Oh sure, I broke a couple of cameras, but so what!! Anyway, that's expected. I boarded the train at 12:48 p.m. from Berlin to Amsterdam and had a great ride. When we reached the German/Holland border, we were told there would be a 15 minute stop-over. If we'd like to stretch our legs, feel free. I got off the train and took a breather.

It turns out that, at the border, the train locomotive changes from a German engine to a Dutch one. So, what the heck, I walked over and watched. It was neat to watch the huge locomotive uncouple and the new one attach to the train. Meanwhile, the engineer was leaning out of the big cab, so I asked him if he'd take a picture of the inside with my camera. "Come on in," he said. "Take a picture, it'll be fine". So, I did. Then, the conductor blows his whistle and we're ready to leave. The engineer says "you'd better get back to your compartment". So, I put my camera away climb down the 3 steep steps to the platform. I'm feeling a bit rushed, so I jump the last step, land on just fine, and my right calf muscle decides to cramp!!

I'm still not complaining, am I?? I hobbled back to the first car, got into my compartment, rubbed my calf muscle and 2 hours later we're in Amsterdam Central Train Station. Except now, I'm limping!! Geeez. I've gone almost seven weeks of walking everywhere without one incident, and now I'm a gimp!! So, after I checked into the hotel in Amsterdam, I went back out and walked and then, walked some more. Oh I limp a little, but I am getting around, and I've decided nothing will stop me!! I may slow down a bit, but I ain't gonna stop.

Period!!!

Sunday morning update. A good nights sleep will do one wonders. I awoke this morning feeling pretty good -- and the muscle eased up considerably. So, maybe I ain't a "gimp" after-all!!

2008-06-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

June 20, Berlin Germany. Last night I was getting off the train and when it came to an abrupt stop and I was bumped into one of the vertical metal hang-rails. I was carrying my camera in my pocket, it bumped the metal and -- yes again -- the LCD screen broke. When I got back to my room, I looked for the receipt to no avail. So, I've decided that the camera manufacturers are going to have a splendid year. I think their sales will "spike" for the month of June!!

So, it was back to the store this morning for a camera. I was lucky, though, I found the last "floor model" of a nice Panasonic camera that I was able to get inexpensively. So, all is well. And, yes, I am now using my camera case. Twice is quite enough, as far as I'm concerned.

If you read yesterday's blog, I mentioned I would be taking a day trip to either Dresden or Potsdam. Going to the store for the camera, and the train timetable, made the decision for me -- I went to Potsdam. I boarded an 11:30 a.m. train and was in Potsdam by noon or so. It's a suburb of Berlin, whereas Dresden would have been a 2 hour journey.

While I'm not sure what Dresden would have been like, I did find Potsdam boring, very touristy and commercial. It is a very nice city, but not much to see, unless one likes castles, churches and official-looking buildings. I did ask about the building in which Churchilll, Stalin and FDR had their famous meeting held on July 18, 1945. I was shown where the building was on the map and told that not much public transportation goes there. I did walk around Potsdam for a couple of hours, enjoyed an outdoor market and sat in front of a nice pub and had a beer. But, all in all, it was a waste of time.

When I returned to Berlin, I decided it was time to move along. So, I went to the train station and purchased a ticket for Amsterdam. I'll be there tomorrow, a day early. I called the hotel and made sure they had a place for me to sleep and I'll get into Amsterdam around 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. Jennifer arrives on Monday, so I'll have a day to get the lay of the land, find out about the transportation system and how to get to the airport (to pick up "J"). I plan to relax much of the day and hold off sightseeing until Jennifer comes in.

'Til later, then......

2008-06-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

Thursday June 19, 2008, Berlin, Germany. Today was the day to see the city. I was up early and went to the train station at around 9 a.m. to see the city Tourist Information Office. They were very helpful, gave me a great map of the city and and good map of the subway. Actually, Berlin has a dual transportation system, an underground (the U trains) and the surface tram system (the S trains). They cover the city very well, and one can buy a day pass to take care of all the cost.

I found a double-decker sight-seeing bus and they were nice enough to give me a map with a "walking tour" of their route. So, for no additional cost at all, I walked the entire tour they suggested. It took in everything I wanted to see. It was a nice warm day, a bit humid, so walking was a great way to see the city and get some exercise.

Upon leaving the main train station, Hauptbahnhof, I walked to the German Reichstag building. It was a 10 minute walk. The building is famous, in that a "staged fire" by Hitler in the latest 1930's solidified his claim as German Chancellor. Sort of the beginning of the end. it is a beautiful building erected in 1894 and housed the first parliament of the German Empire.

A few blocks down the road was the Brandenburg Gate. Construction on the Gate was completed in 1798, and through the years, it has served as a powerful symbol in one way or the other. The Nazi's used the gate as their symbol. In 1963, President Kennedy spoke there, declaring that because the Berlin wall had been erected, we were "all Berliners". Again, in 1987, President Regan spoke at the gate as well, demanding that "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!". Today, it still stands in Berlin as a symbol, but now it is one of peace and conciliation. (an interesting note: there is a sizable "Starbucks" coffee shop on the square with the Gate -- a fitting testament to "commerce in the city").

Not far away I came upon the Holocaust Memorial. This s a huge 4.7 acre site right in the middle of Berlin with granite blocks of various heights. They are aligned in perfect rows and are designed to commemorate the murdered Jews during World War II. The austere presence of the blocks demands that one consider their meaning. The memorial is built one block away from the Brandenburg Gate, another symbol of its design and meaning.

Not far away is the Memorial of the Topographie of Terror. This is an area of the city that has been transformed into a museum under the skies. It is the location of the buildings and complex that made up the Nazi SS prison, a place of torture and execution. As I think about the subject matter of this blog over the last couple of days, I can see a recurring theme. It is hard to be in Eastern Europe or Berlin without recalling the history of the Nazi period, 1933-1945. It's a subject that is trust upon you and one that cannot be avoided.

Next on the walking tour was Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie was the name given by the Western Allies to a crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War, While other crossings into East Berlin existed as well, Checkpoint Charlie was the crossing for foreigners or Allied forces. Now, it is the center of commerce and tourist-related businesses. By the time I got to Checkpoint Charlie, I was ready for a break, so I sat down at a cute coffee "haus" and had a drink. People watching there was great fun.

I looked at the map while relaxing and noted that the Jewish Museum of Berlin was just a few blocks away. So, I made my way there, and inquired about guided tours. There were none, but for 2 Euros, I rented an "audio tour" and spent about 2 hours going through the exhibits. Essentially, the museum traces Jewish life throughout Berlin's history. I also noticed alot of young kids there, all with guides and obviously on school outings. I thought that was a good sign of continued progress in this most unusual city.

OK, so I know I've done this a thousand times, but I finally got onto an "S Bahn" -- the S train -- and took the cross city ride to the Zeiss Berlin Planetarium. It's an unusual building, and as I got closer to the front door, I noticed it was closed. I saw an employee entrance and decided to knock loudly. My persistence paid off and a gentleman came to the door. I explained I was from California and would like to see the planetarium projector. He invited me inside and took me to another office where I met one of the managers. I explained myself again, and was taken to the planetarium for a picture-taking session. It was great fun, and I'm glad I took the time to "knock on the door".

Tomorrow I am planning a day trip, possibly to Dresden or Pottsdam.....

2008-06-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

June 18, Berlin Germany. I was up at around 7:30 this morning and had an 11:25 train to Berlin. It was a 6 hour ride, so I arrived at the Berlin Haupbahnhoff (train station) at 5:30. The train I took this morning was an express and was very comfortable. When I bought my Eurail Pass, I bought a "first class" ticket, so I've been able to travel first-class whenever those accommodations have been available. They were today, and it was great.

I found my way to the hostel easily and I have a very nice room overlooking the courtyard. It's a nice and sunny room, so I think it'll be an enjoyable stay. The hostel has wireless internet throughout, so I'm having fun doing my favorite internet stuff. The Euro 2008 soccer competition is still in progress, and I've had a chance to watch some of the games (at least in part). I can see why the Europeans are so crazy for the sport. It's tough, much tougher that our own version of football, and in my opinion requires far more skill!!

I have to set a sight seeing plan tomorrow, so I'll head to the main train station and talk to the tourist information folks. I've also decided to take a "day trip" to Dresden, probably on Friday. That should be an interesting adventure, and I'd like to find a factory where the china is made. Otherwise, I've been to so many cities now that I've discovered they are beginning to blend into each other. Still, visting the great cities of Europe has been a wonderful experience, and one that I won't soon forget.

So, dear read, this will be a short entry, and until tomorrow -- stay tuned.

Click HERE to see where I am located now...

2008-06-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Warsaw Poland. As today is my last day in Warsaw, I decided I'd try to take in as many of the sights as possible. As it turns out, the Old Town, the Warsaw Ghetto Monument and Technology Museum were all pretty close to each other. I was able to walk, or use the trams, to cover everything I wanted to. The first thing I did was to walk to Ian's apartment to pick up my umbrella. It was left in the taxi yesterday. I got there around 10 a.m. we had a cup of tea together and enjoyed some conversation.

Ian lives adjacent to a large and beautiful park in Warsaw called Park Lazienkowski. There are number of sights in the park, but the most interesting is the Palace on the Water. It's a beautiful building, and was the private "residence" of the King in 1764. The park itself is very large with a variety of sights to be seen, but once I visited the Palace, I decided it was getting a bit late and I had lots to to, so I made my way to the Old Town.

At first I was going to walk into the Old Town, but I took a bus instead. I noticed on the map there was a Museum of the Resistance (in the Warsaw Ghetto) not too far from where I intended going, so I thought I'd start there. Unfortunately when I arrived, I discovered the museum is closed on Tuesdays so I didn't get a chance to go inside. I did learn that the museum just opened this year. It was a bit off the beaten track, but it was a new red brick building, quite large, and I'm sure the exhibits are excellent. Another good excuse to come back to Warsaw is the see the museum.

My next stop was the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial. On the way, I visited the Nozyk Synagogue, the oldest in Warsaw. The Warsaw Ghetto was the most "infamous" in Europe during World War II. It was the largest of the Jewish ghettos established between 1941 and 1943. Starvation, disease and deportations to the concentration and extermination camps dropped the population of the ghetto from an estimated 450,000 to approximately 71,000. In 1943 the Warsaw Ghetto was the scene of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the first mass rebellion against the Nazi's. A small area of the former ghetto is now a park and memorial and I sat on a bench for awhile and had a bit of lunch. I stayed about 45 minutes and then made my way to the Old Town of Warsaw.

As its name implies, the Old Town of Warsaw was founded in the 13th Century. The town originally grew up around the site of a castle. The Market Square (Rynek Starego Miasta) was laid out sometime in the late 13th or early 14th century. Old Town is also on UNESCO's World Heritage Site as a place that accurately reflects its history. The Market Square was alive with activity. Horse-drawn carriages, musicians, tourists and restaurants and pubs were in abundance. I walked through the entire Old Town area and found an interesting Museum dedicated to Marie Curie, the discover of radium. She was awarded 2 Nobel Prizes as well, one in physics and one in chemistry. While I thought the exhibits were limited, it was still a worthwhile visit.

As I was walking back to the train station, I spotted the Museum of Technology. Among its exhibits, it is also the home of the Warsaw Planetarium. As has been the case in every city I've visited, I was welcomed into the planetarium, took a couple of pictures, talked at some length with the manager and enjoyed the visit immensely. The planetarium projector is a fairly rare 37 year old Zeiss instrument. The only other working model, of this type, was one I saw in Prague. I also found they had an amateur radio station there, and while it wasn't open, it was fun to see.

So, tomorrow I'm off to Berlin on an 11:25 a.m. train. It's a 6 or 7 hour ride, so I'll be there tomorrow evening. From there it'll be on to Amsterdam where Jennifer will join me on the 23rd. I can't believe my European adventure is coming to a close. It's been wonderful so far, and I expect the remainder to be just as enjoyable.

Bye for now.....

2008-06-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 16, Warsaw, Poland.

Click here to see where Warsaw is in Europe.

After the best night's sleep I've had for awhile, I was up at 8 a.m. and got ready to get onboard a 9:55 train for Warsaw. As opposed to yesterday, the sun was out again today, and it was quite a bit warmer. I found my compartment and settled in for the 3 hour transit from Krakow to Warsaw. During the trip, I had the good fortune to meet a young man, Ian Debski, from the United States who now lives in Warsaw. We discussed a variety of interesting subjects, and once we disembarked the train, Ian was nice enough to offer to share a cab and drop me at the hostel. It was great not having to navigate the streets of Warsaw until later in the day.

Once I was settled in the hostel, I made my way back to the train station and purchased a ticket for Berlin. I'll be going there on Wednesday. I also stopped by the Tourist Information Office, and I've planned my day for tomorrow. While Warsaw itself is a very big city, the Old City and the old Ghetto area are confined to a well defined section of the city. I plan to walk "into" the old section and then use public transportation to get back. Depending on the weather, and how I feel, I might walk both ways.

So, what about my first impressions of Warsaw? Warsaw is the largest city in Poland and is the capital. Its population is 1.7 million or a bit more. After World War II, about 85% of the city was destroyed, so it is no wonder that Warsaw takes on the look of any other modern city I've visited. From what I've seen so far, and to my surprise (again), Warsaw is a clean, cosmopolitan city with high-rise office buildings, a mature transportation system and shopping as good as anywhere. Right next to the train station, as was the case in Krakow, a new modern shopping mall has every shop one can imagine -- including movie theaters (cinema as they are called in Europe). With some time to kill, I took in a movie and thoroughly enjoyed a brand new cinema with a "liquor bar" in the lobby. Now, that's civilized!!

The pictures here are of present-day Warsaw. The bottom picture is that of Ian as the taxi dropped me off at the hostel and we bid farewell. Thanks Ian...

I think one of the best parts of this trip has been the people I've met. It's been great, so far, and I expect the next two weeks will be just as good or better!!

Cheers.....

2008-06-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday June 15, 2008, Krakow Poland. Today it was overcast and cool all day. A welcome change from the hotter huimid days. I started the day at one of the main Tourist Information offices just outside the railroad station. I asked about 3 things that I thought about seeing in the city. 1) The Jewish section, 2) a planetarium and observatory, and 3) the sights of the city one should see in a remaining day in Krakow.

The term Jewish section, at least as I can determine, is a bit of a misnomer. While there was a large Jewish population before WW II, 90% of these people were killed. A majority of those remaining emigrated to other countries after the war. Now, although there are remnants of Jewish life -- 3 or 4 synagogues -- I was unable to ascertain how many Jews actually live here. Probably very few. There was an interesting newspaper article in an English language Krakow publication saying that, while there are hopes of a revitalization of the Jewish Section, not enough Jews are here to make it happen.

But, I did visit the Jewish section, called Kazimierz. I was able to find three synagogues. These are old buildings, one of the dating back to the 13th Century. A couple of them seemed to function as houses of worship, but during the week they were more like museums. I didn't see any of the grandure of those in Vienna and other parts of Europe. I inquired about a guided tour and found it would be very expensive because it would be a one-on-one. So, I bought a book of walking tours and spent about 2 hours looking around Kazimierz.

While I had taken the street car to Kazimierz, I decided to walk back to the city square. On the way, I stopped at Wawel Castle. It's a beautiful group of buildings that, at one time, was home of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Further along, I happened onto Kanonicza Street near the castle, The street is the last of the main road that leads to the gate of Wawel Castle. It is full of beautiful shops, hotels, horse-drawn carriages (now giving tourists rides), a museum or two and, of course, a church.

Along the way there were lots of cute shops, bistros, clubs, bars and attractions. Krakow is a beautiful city, and as mentioned earlier, not what I expected. There is an old world feel to it while it also embraces many features of the west. The Grand Square, while my hostel is situated, it also the site of the Bascilia of the Virgin Mary. The building dates back to 1478.

By around 3 p.m. I was pretty tired and decided to call it quits for the day. I went to the train station and bought a reservation to Warsaw tomorrow. I have a Eurail pass, but depending on the train, I'm charged a "supplement". In this case it was 5 Zlottys, about $2.50. I have a 9:55 a.m. train. I'm planning on spending 2 nights in Warsaw and then go on to Berlin. As Jennifer is joining me in Amsterdam on the 23rd, I plan to be there on the 22nd to get the lay of the land. That'll be a perfect ending to this 2 month adventure in and around Europe.

More later.....

2008-06-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 14, 2008, Krakow Poland and trip to Auschwitz Death Camp.

Auschwitz is located here.

I awoke at 7:30 a.m. and had a quick breakfast at the hostel at 8 o:clock. I walked over to the bus station and bought a round-trip ticket for Auschwitz. I boarded the bus at 9:10 a.m. and arrived at the camp at around 10:45. It took us around 1 1/2 hours to get there. I was surprised when I arrived. In the 68 years since the end of World War II, the area around the camp has been built into a thriving community. It was as though the camp was put there as a tourist attraction.

Upon entering the camp, now called the Auschwitz Museum, I found my way to the information desk and inquired about tours. There would be one starting at 11:30, so my timing was good. It was suggested I attend a short film first and report back to collect an earpiece and receiver so I could hear the tour guide. There were about 25 of us in this section of the tour. The admission to the museum was free, but the tour was 49 Zlotys, around $20. Our tour guide was knowledgeable about the evolution, history and use of Auschwitz. Her English skills were quite good. Our tour was of two of the three camps associated with Auschwitz. This was the main camp, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II - Birkinau. We did not visit the third camp, Auschwitz III-Monowitz. The tour took around 3 hours.

As we toured Auschwitz I, it became clear to me that the reason for the camps' existence was to abuse, torture and then kill people. Auschwitz was the biggest of the Extermination (Death) Camps. It was estimated that 1.1 to 1.6 million were killed there -- 90% of whom were Jews. Others killed were gypsies, Catholic priests, Russians, political prisoners, homosexuals and the mentally retarded. Most victims were killed in gas chambers using Zyklon B gas; other deaths were caused by systematic starvation, forced labor, lack of disease control, individual executions, and so-called medical experiments.

I was particularly disturbed by a couple of sights I saw. One was the use of human hair for blankets, mattresses and cold weather clothing. It seemed a particularly morbid idea to use one of this items. We were told, also, that the ashes and bones from the crematoria was used a fertilizer in farming. I tried to understand what it must be like to eat food fertilized with human remains. While I realize that I was looking at these events with the eyes of a 21st Century adult, with the 20-20 vision of history as a context, it is still difficult to imagine such uses of the victims killed there.

The other thing that impressed me, and affected me, was "Block 11". Block 11 was known by he prisoners as "the death block." It filled several functions, but the most important was that of the central jail. At first it seemed "incongruous" to have a jail within Auschwitz, but then as I toured the facility, its uses became clear. In the basement of the block, there were two different kinds of cells that were particularly cruel: 1) the starvaton cells. Here prisoners were put into the cells, closed in without light, and starved to death. It usually took 7 days to kill them. Those who survived were killed with an injection to the heart; and 2) the standing cells. Here, 4 prisoners were put into a cell 30"x30" and forced to stand throughout the night. They then worked as slave laborers the next day and forced to stand again. This process would last 3 days or more! Finally, the court yard area between Blocks 10 and 11 was called The Death Wall. Here prisoners, usually political prisoners from Poland, were shot against one of the walls. Around 7,000 people were killed this way.

Later, as I thought about these sights, I wondered about the construction of these facilities. Someone had to think of them in the first place. Someone else had to draw the architectural plans and someone had to supervise the slave laborers during construction. It started to sink in that Auschwitz had evolved into the sole purpose of killing people. But when we were taken to Auschwitz II-Birkinau, the purpose of the camp became even more obvious.

Auschwitz II-Birkinau is 3 kilometers from the main camp. The first thing one sees is the main gate. It is a large imposing building that seems to dominate the scene. But, once inside, one can see that Auschwitz I-Birkinau is absolutely huge. It is about 20 times the size of Auschwitz I and, at its peak, held 170,000 prisoners. But Birkenau was built to kill people. As train-loads of people arrived, mainly Jews from Nazi occupied Europe, "in" Auschwitz II-Birkenau, they were chosen to enter the slave labor force or be killed. Usually, a prisoner could go from the train to the crematoria in an hour or less. But, regardless of whether prisoners were chosen to die or work, the plan was the kill them all. The only difference was that some were killed immediately, while others were worked or tortured to death. Men, women and children, regardless of age, were treated this way. Any child under 14, except in some cases where medical experiments were conducted, were killed.

After visiting the gas chambers and crematoria deep inside the camp, I walked the entire length of the railroad track to the main gate. As I passed the area where the selections were made, I tried to imagine the events that happened here. I realized that, as the train came through the main gate and the people came off the cattle cars, the entire train was already in the camp. Many of the passengers were already dead from the several day journey without food or water. I was standing at a point on the Earth where millions had passed to their deaths. There were hundreds of visitors in the camp with me, and the contrast seemed surreal.

This makes the third camp I've visited: Dachau, Terezin/Thesenstadt and Auschwitz. While the first two were slave labor camps, many thousands died or were killed there as well. In a way, all of these camps were death camps. Oddly, I was most effected by Dachau, maybe because of our guide, maybe because it was the first camp I visited -- I'm not sure. But one thing is certain, one can study about the Holocaust, listen to testimony or watch films and documentaries, but it isn't until one actually visits these places and witnesses the remains of what happened here, does he or she begin to grasp the realities of those times.

For those who deny the Holocaust, and the killing of 12 million people by the Nazi's before and during World War II, they need only take the time to visit here themselves. While one may not understand why these events happened here, one cannot deny that they happened. The evidence screams at us and reminds us all to remember the lessons of history.

2008-06-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 13, transit to Krakow Poland from Vienna Austria.

Click here to see where I am now.

The day started at 7 a.m. I managed to drop my camera from the bed to the floor, a distance of only 12 inches, and the LCD screen broke. The camera is useless, so it's time to buy another. I'll need to find one I can use in the U.S. as well as Europe..

I boarded the train at 9:08 a.m. and started the 5 hour journey to Katowice. I'll need to change trains for Krakow and should arrive around 4:21 p.m. It's been a quiet journey so far. My compartment is filled with 5 other guys going into Poland. They've been talking non-stop since they boarded. At first it was a bit distracting, but I put on my earphones and am listening to a pretty good FM station that, for some reason, doesn't seem affected by the fact we're traveling across 2 countries! I just turn up the volume a bit, and my compartment quiets down with the music.

I've heard a couple of times that Vienna is the entry point to Poland and the East. I realized a bit ago that it is very possible, probable really, that I am following the same train routes the deportees took on their way to Auschwitz! I've been thinking about this for the last hour or so and it forces me to reflect on all the stories and reading I've done over the years. I think about those who were here before me. The whole thing started when we went through a small town and I saw a cattle car on a rail siding. It's funny how the mind can play these kind of tricks on you. I'm typing on my pc on the train right now, so I'll put this away until later.

Well, it's later! I arrived in Krakow at around 5:30 p.m., about an hour late. I found the tourist information booth and asked about the location of the hostel and a place where I can buy a camera. As it happens, the train station is right next door to the largest shopping mall, the Galleria, in Krakow. So, I was able to buy the same camera I have now, only the new version. I'm not sure what it cost me, as I paid in local currency -- the Zlotty!!

I didn't know what to expect when seeing Krakow for the first time. All the way here on the train, the little towns and cities we stopped in seemed very remote. They appeared to be small bedroom communities, so I thought Krakow might be the same. Well, as usual, I was wrong. Krakow seems to be a sizable modern city. I mentioned the shopping mall, for example, it was huge, lots of people and prosperous. I was surprised to be honest. The hostel I'm staying in is on the main town square. The square is very picturesque, lots charm and expensive looking restaurants.

I'll be here for 3 nights and 2 full days. I will be going to Auschwitz tomorrow, and then on Sunday explore the rest of the city, including the Jewish section. There is a lot to see here, so I'll have a full couple of days. I'll also inquire about any astronomy clubs, observatories and planetariums, although these are my second priorities.

So, until tomorrow, as usual, stay tuned.....

2008-06-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

June 12, 2008 Vienna Austria. I decided to check into two sights today: 1) the Jewish Section in Vienna, and 2) the Vienna Planetarium. I went to the local train station, Westbahnhof, near the hostel and looked around for the Tourist Information office. I found out that it was located downtown in an area called Karlsplatz. It is near the opera house and the area was quite a bit different from yesterday. It was far more cosmopolitan, busier and clearly a higher-end part of town. I've discovered that, when one is looking for a particular venue like the Tourist Information Office, it's a good idea to ask directions, go a little bit and ask again!

After a bit, I walked into the Tourist Information Office and found that I was within a few blocks of the Jewish Museum, a Holocaust Memorial and the largest and oldest synagogue in the Vienna. I went to the museum first and asked about tours. I was told that the synagogue had an English language tour. So, the good news is that the tour was going to proceed at 2 p.m. (it was noon), the bad news is that they required a picture I.D., so I had to go back to the hostel to get my passport. It only took me about 15 or 20 minutes tol get back there and I had a side benefit of learning the subway system REALLY well!!

I returned to the synagogue at 2 p.m. and there were around 8 or us, including an Israeli couple. The tour was of the Vienna Synagogue itself, not the neighborhood, but I was glad that I was able to find a tour at all. During the discussion, the tour guide talked about the plight of the Viennese Jews over the centuries. It's interesting that the Israeli couple couldn't understand why that "just didn't fight back, insist on their rights or leave"!! We talked about about the alternatives the Jews had at the time, and I thought it was wonderful that the Israeli mentality was to "fight" in some way or another. There are currently 7,000 Jews living in Vienna whereas there were more than 150,000 before the war. The tour lasted about an hour and we left, each of us going in different directions.

It was around 3:30, and I noticed that the planetarium was just a bit farther out on the same subway line that got me to the synagogue. Around 15 minutes later, I was in front of the planetarium only to find out that it was closed. There was a guy out front of the door smoking a cigarette. I wanted to take a picture, so instead of asking him to move, I asked him to shoot a picture of me in front of the building. As luck would have it, he took a key out of his pocket, opened the door to the planetarium and asked if I wanted a picture of the planetarium projector! How lucky is that? We went inside and I took a picture or two. He knew of the Kuffner Observatory, saying it was connected through the same governmental organization as the planetarium.

On the way back to Westbahnhof, I spotted this cool little internet cafe, paid my 2.5 Euros and "you know the rest". I've enjoyed my stay Vienna very much. It is a beautiful and friendly city. There are cute shops, cafe's and bistros everywhere. I look forward to returning here someday. There is so much more to see. Well, I've given myself a good excuse to take another trip to Europe next summer!!

Tomorrow I'm off to Krakow and Auschwitz. The adventure continues.......

2008-06-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

June 11, 2008, Vienna Austria. Today was my first full day in Vienna. Before I left for Europe, I made a contact on one of the astronomy websites I frequent. Chris Goldmann offered to show me around an old observatory of Vienna. I called him this morning, took a train to a stop near his home and he picked me up at around 10:45 this morning.

Chris Goldmann is a 26-year-old physics and astronomy student at the University of Vienna. He belongs to an association which, among other things, has the care-taking responsibility for the Kuffner Observatory in the hills overlooking the city. The views from there are breathtaking. This beautiful observatory building dates back to 1884 when Moriz von Kuffner funded the design and construction. The nearly 11" diameter refractor is still the 3rd largest refractor in Austria. More importantly, it had an instrument considered unique in its day, and even now, a Heliometer -- for measuring the diameter of the sun and distances to stars.

Chris and I spent a good deal of time touring the facility. We went into all the domes, talked about the history of the observatory and Kuffner family and discussed what the observatory is doing today. At one point, we put a solar filter on the big scope and tried observing the sun. But as luck would have it, just as I looked into the eyepiece, clouds rolled over the top of the sun and it remained cloudy for the rest of the day!

We then adjourned to a cute little bistro near the observatory for lunch. I asked Chris to help me order some traditional food, and I had a great Austria soup (called Griesznockerlsuppe), salad and noodle dish. It was all delicious and we enjoyed an extended discussion about Austria, the European Union, politics and more.

Around 2 o:clock, Chris and I made our way over to the observatory at Vienna University. This is a 68cm (26.77 inch) refractor, and was for a time the world's largest refracting telescope. It was built n 1878. Whereas the Kuffner Observatory has been fully restored, the University's observatory has not, and it shows the years of wear. But despite its age, one can see the truly majestic nature of this instrument. It is still a thing of beauty.

Chris dropped me by the tram station at around 5 p.m. I had a wonderful time with him. Gaining this kind of insight of the Vienna astronomy scene was a wonderful treat. Thanks to Chris, it made my first day in Vienna truly memorable.

There is still more astronomy to see in Vienna. I'll probably take in the planetarium tomorrow, but that will be about it. I want to explore more of the city before I leave for Krakow on Friday. After all, this is the city of Einstein, it was the capital of the Austria-Hungarian Empire and the home of Mozart and Liszt. So, I'll be off in the morning to discover and explore.

More later....

2008-06-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

June 10, 2008, Budapest and transit to Vienna. (I am located HERE today). I had a 5 p.m. train to Vienna so decided to take a side trip to the planetarium in Budapest. It is at the edge of the city, and I was able to find my way there by taking a tram and then a bus. The planetarium is located in a large park surrounded by an expanse of grasses, flowers and trees. It's a nice venue. I found the entrance and asked if I could talk with the plentarium director. After a quick phone call, I was asked to wait for a bit.

I met with Dr. Lorenc Kinga. She and I had a very nice visit together. We discussed the planetarium equipment, the programs and a nearby observatory in the hills over Budapest. It was unfortunate I was unable to visit the observatory, but I just ran out of time. The planetarium has a very nice Zeiss projector that dates to about 1960 or so. At one point Dr. Kinga took me into the planetarium to watch part of the show they were presenting to a large group of school children. The projector was doing a wonderful job, and the sky above the show floor was filled with stars, the Milky Way and planets. I had a chance to take a couple of pictures and I bid farewell to Dr. Kinga and her staff. They were very nice to me, something I've found again and again as I've visited planetaria and observatories throughout Europe.

I arirved in Vienna at around 8 p.m. and will get busy seeing the city tomorrow. So, until then --- Ciao.....

2008-06-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

June 9, 2008, Budapest Hungary. Today I spent a good portion of the morning and a bit of the afternoon touring the Jewish section of Budapest. The Jewish section is defined by the existence of 3 or 4 synagogues located throughout the city. Our tour guide had an interesting story to tell of his own. His parents were born in 1948, after the Russian occupation. Under the Russians, religion was "illegal", so his parents did not admit to, nor did they practice, being Jewish. As a result, our guide was unaware of his Jewish roots. After the Russians left, he became aware of his ethnic roots and became involved in learning more of his heritage. He has now progressed to the point of conducting tours of the Jewish community and exploring more about this part of his history.

Our first stop was the Dohany Synagogue. Synagogues are named by the street on which they are located. It was a Jewish holiday, so we were able to gain entrance under somewhat restricted conditions. Yet, the interior of this beautiful building is majestic in itself. Budapest has more than 20 synagogues, some of them were "hidden". For example, we visited an apartment building in an old section of town. The center courtyard of the apartment had a synagogue built in the courtyard, inside a virtually closed structure. It was a way for the Jews of Budapest to build their houses of worship when it was illegal for them to own land.

At first, it wasn't very obvious that Jews live in Budapest. As our tour wound its way through Budapest, and "old Buda", one began seeing signs of Jewish commerce. Shops were here and there, but not in great numbers. Today, around 80,000 Jews live here, but in the 1930's, over 200,000 lived here. During World War II, Hungary was an ally with Germany and the Jews were somewhat ignored. But in 1944, the deportations began, and when the rail lines were severed by bombing, forced marches began to Vienna and then on to Auchwitz. All in all, well over 1/2 the population was deported and/or murdered.

As was the case in every part Europe I've visited, except for England, Jews were excluded from the greater population. They were forced to live in ghettos, and kept out of most forms of commerce. In all of these cases the ghettos were walled in. It is interesting how the Jews of Europe managed to survive and flourish. First secretly and then more publicly. It's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, no question.

All in all, we visited 3 synagogues, 3 or 4 memorials and a couple of monuments. One of the monuments was in honor of Carl Lutz, a Swiss diplomat. During the later period of WWII, he was able to use his connections with the Germans as an official of the Swiss Government to save thousands of Jewish lives. The monument, to the left, is in honor of his efforts. A plaque on the wall quotes the Talmud and says: "He who saves but one man (life) is as he had saved the whole world".

Toward the end of the day, I was ready for a change, and found that Budapest has a nice aquarium a bit out of town. So, with instructions from the tourist office, I was able to take a tram (streetcar) and bus for a 45 minute ride to a shopping mall. There was a pretty complete aquarium there, and I enjoyed the exhibits or an hour or two.

Tomorrow I am off to Vienna. So, 'til then, "stay tuned"...

2008-06-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

Click here to see where I am now.

Sunday, June 8th, Budapest, Hungary. I took a 9:45 p.m. train from Prague to Budapest last night. It was a sleeper compartment, and although I paid for a 4-person compartment, I was lucky and no one joined me. Even though, it was pretty darn uncomfortable. But, I considered it part of the adventure of this trip and enjoyed the journey anyway. I arrived in Budapest at 7 a.m. and found my way to the hostel, left my bags and was able to arrange a 3 hour tour of the city with a tour-bus company. One of the most impressive aspects of the tour was Melinda, a 23-year-old young woman who could speak 5 languages! She gave the descriptions of the city in all languages, and was most impressive. There were about 15 of us on the tour, with English, Spanish, Italian and German. She also spoke Hungarian.

As I arrived in Budapest at 7 a.m., it was raining, and the city looked old and foreboding. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As I toured the city, it became clear that Budapest is an absolutely beautiful city, on a par with Paris or any other cosmopolitan center of the world. The sun come out at around 10:30, and it warmed up nicely. The tour made its way to 4 or 5 important parts of the city, two of which were in the hills overlooking Budapest. The views from on-high were amazing, and I fell in love with the city almost immediately.

Budapest was actually two cities, Buda and Pest, but was unified into one city in 1873. The city is separated by the Duna River. It was only a bit later that I learned that the Duna is the Danube River. This is a river we know as a river of song, poetry and beauty. It is a marvelous sight to see the river wind itself through the city, surrounded on both sides by majestic buildings, parks and people. It is crossed by 4 bridges, one of which (the Liberty Bridge) dating back to 1894.

The river itself is beautiful, and there is a wide variety of activity on the water. Boats for cruising, gambling, industry and sightseeing were in evidence. It was a beautiful day, and many people were out and about enjoying the themselves. It seemed like tourists and residents alike were everywhere. So, more adventures in this beautiful city tomorrow.

Viszontlatasra for now......

2008-06-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

June 6, 2008, Prague, Czech Republic. Today I plan to leave Prague, and I've arranged for a late sleeper-train to Budapest. Since I had some time, I thought a day trip would be in order. A stop by the tourist information center led to me an interesting city called Kutna Hora (pronounced cut-nah hore-a). The city is about an hour away from Prague by train, so it was easy to get there. Once I disembarked I was interested in finding the "center of attraction", the Ossuary and Church of Kutna Hora. An ossuary is a facility for the storage of human bones.

According to accounts I read in the brochures I received while visiting there, an Abbot was sent to the Holy Land by the king 1278. Upon his return he sprinkled the cemetary near the church with some of earth he had removed from Golgotha. Golgotha was the site where Jesus was said to have been buried by the Romans. The cemetery soon became a desirable burial site throughout Central Europe. During the Black Death in the mid 14th century, and after some wars in the early 15th century, thousands of people were buried there.

Around 1400 a Gothic church was built in the center of the cemetery with a lower chapel to be used as an ossuary. After 1511 the task of exhuming skeletons and stacking their bones in the chapel was given to a monk of the order. So, in 1870, a wood carver by the name of Frantisek Rint was hired to put the bones in order. He used the thousands of bones to adorn the church, made a central chandelier and built huge bell-shaped mounds of human bones! So, to make this long story short, I went to see the city and Ossuary.

OK, so I've seen some interesting and different sights in Europe. But, I must admit this one caught me right between the eyes. It's difficult to see so many human bones displayed in such a casual manner. I do see how "just another church-like building" has now been transformed into a tourist attraction. There were lots of people there. In such a small town, it must be a boon to their economy! It wasn't expensive to get into the church, but around the church were cute little bistros, curio shops and a tourist van or two. All of these added to the town's prosperity, I'm sure.

So, ciao for now. My next report will be from Budapest, Hungary! Wow, whata ride.

2008-06-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

June 5th, Prague. The weather continues to cooperate and it's been warm, but not very humid. A nice change from just a couple of days ago. I went into the downtown area for a bit, and I decided to visit the Jewish section during the morning. While waiting for a tram, there was a enjoyable and colorful parade coming down one of the main streets. I wasn't able to determine the purpose of the parade, but one of the people I spoke to said it represents an early historical period of the city.

I then went into the Jewish section of Prague for a few hours. This area of town is what is left after World War II. Now, there are 1600 Jews living here, where as before the war, upwards of 60,000 lived here. This amazing area exhibits the traditions, customs and legends of the Jewish people in Prague from their early settlements in the 10th century. The remains of the community include what were 5 synagogues. These are now museums with artifacts dating back to the inception of the community in the 1300's. The Jewish community in Prague is considered one of the oldest in Europe. I spent around 3 hours going through the various museums, had a bit of lunch found my back to the tram.

I had a 3 p.m. appointment at the observatory in Prague with a Mr. Martin Fuchs. I found my way to the cable car that takes tourists and residents up the steep hill into a beautiful park area. The park has a variety of activities, including a "hall of mirrors", rose garden, a replica of the Eiffel Tower (about 1/3 size) and the observatory.

I met Martin Fuchs and he was gracious enough to spend around 1 1/2 hours with me. We toured the observatory, talked about telescopes and discussed the instruments. Afterwards, we went to Martin's office where I showed him my website and we talked about telescope making. All in all, it was a very enjoyable visit, and one that I will not soon forget.

Tomorrow I'll be "on the road" a bit, heading for Budapest. I've also decided to add Auschwitz to my iternary, so I'll be going to Krakow before heading to Berlin and Then Amsterdam.

Oh yes, andJennifer will be joining me in Amsterdam? What a great way to end this adventure!. Don't ya think?

Later

2008-06-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

June 5, 2008. Prague, Czech Republic. Today I was out a bit early and began by walking across the Charles Bridge into an older part of Prague. The bridge is beautifully constructed and was built in 1357 by Charles IV and was completed at the beginning of the 15th century. I continued into the city and wandered into Old Town, a part of the city that dates back to the 12th century! Now that's some history, I thought. I had an opportunity to board a small sightseeing "train" and thought I'd take in a bit of the city. As the train made it's way through the city, it touched on the Jewish Quarter, and I decided it'd look into that part of town tomorrow. Finally, half way through the sightseeing trip, we stopped at Prague Castle and is disembarked and stayed for awhile.

Prague Castle is 1000 years old on its own. This is an amazing complex of buildings, churches, basilicas, residences and royal residences dating back to 970 C.E. I found my way to the entry and was able to join a tour that had just started a few minutes before. Our guide was very knowledgeable and had good English skills. There were about 8 of us on the tour, so it was a small enough group to be able to ask questions. The tour took about an hour and was worth the time. Afterwards, I wandered the castle grounds a bit and decided to walk down the hill to the city. The castle overlooks the city from high atop a hill with the city of Prague displayed beautifully below it.

As I walked down the hill, I noticed in some literature that the Prague Planetarium was on a tram stop I had used a couple of times. I decided to head there and see if I could make a contact with someone and see the planetarium. I found the planetarium easily and as I entered the front door, I asked if I could speak with the director or lecturer. A bit of a language problem ensued, but shortly a young man joined me who introduced himself as Jan Sifner. Jan is the Head of the Technical Department and was delighted to meet someone interested in his craft.

I enjoyed a delightful hour or two with Jan. He was good enough to show me through the entire planetarium. I was the only visitor there at the time even though it was open for business. In that respect I was lucky! We talked about the three planetarium projectors in the building, including a small Zeiss Projector from the 1950's, a variety I didn't know existed. After a bit, Jan asked if I'd be interested in seeing an English language planetarium show, and I said yes. I spent the next 50 minute in the plentarium theater, by myself, watching a fascinating show about alchemy and the early interpretations of astrology. It was a wonderful presentation and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Jan and I had a chance to talk about telescopes, and I told him I was a telescope builder. We looked my website and discussed a variety of different issues on the subject. He then told me of the Prague Observatory in the nearby hills and asked if I'd like him to fix up a private tour for me. Of course I said I would, and he made a call and gave me the name of an individual I'll be seeing tomorrow at 3 p.m. I'm looking forward to that outing very much.

As I was leaving the planetarium, I then saw a notice for a light show and concert in the adjoining fair grounds. Why not? I went over there, had a snack and enjoyed an hour of recorded music and "dancing lights" from 8 until 9 p.m. As it got a bit later, and darker, it started to cool down and I decided to call it a day. I've found an interesting "Chinese Restaurant" with an internet cafe in the rear. So for now, I'll catch up on my blog, check out an email or two, get a cuppa tea and look forward to tomorrow's adventures.

Bye..

2008-06-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

June 4, 2008, Prague, Czech Republic. Today I decided to go to the city of Terezin, about an hour away by bus. Terezin is a fortress city, builty at the end of the 18th century by the Emperor Joseph II to protect Bohemia from the northwest.. Terezin was completed in the 1890's, but was never used as a military base. Rather it was used as a prisoner of war camp during World War I, and ultimately became a prison for some soldiers and poltical prisoners.

In the 1940's, the Nazi's determined that Terezin would be a relocation center for the Jews who fell under their domination. The Jews were promised relocation to a new place to live in peace and security. In reality, for many of the Jews who were relocated there, it was a way-station to the extermination camps to the east. During WWII, the Gestapo used Terezín, better known by the German name Theresienstadt, as a ghetto,concentrating Jews from Czechoslovakia, as well as many from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark. Terezin was not used as an extermination camp, but of the over 150,000 Jews who arrived there, about 33,000 died in the ghetto itself, mostly because of the extreme population density. About 88,000 inhabitants were deported to Auschwitz and other extermination camps At the end of the war there were 17,247 survivors.

I boarded the bus at 10 a.m. and arrived in Terezin at 10:55. A bit of a change came in the weather, with rain threatening a good part of the morning. It drizzled a bit and rained only a little during my stay there. I found a tourist information center in the city, got a map and some directions, and set out to look around the city and visit the museums. I visited the Jewish museum just around the corner from the bus stop. Since Terezin had a "semblence" of society, the Jews who populated the city tried to build a sense normalcy. The arts florished and as a testament to life there, the museum was full of artworks by the children and adults alike.

I wandered the city and noticed it isn't a very busy place. There are a small number of businesses, some kids came and went from school and there were a few cars. But it didn't seem to be very populated. The library was closed, so maybe there was something going on -- a holiday perhaps. I don't know. One of the things I wanted to see was the crematorium. Just to the right of the crematorium building is a graveyard along with a black marble monument to their deaths. There is a second graveyard at the entrance to the Small Fortress also. There are Christian and Soviet memorials at the site as well. Except for another 2 people just leaving as I arrived, I was the only visitor. It doesn't seem that this part of Terezin gets many visitors.

I decided that no visit would be complete without visting the Small Fortress -- the prison. It's about a 15 minute walk from the town, and as I looked back toward the main part of the city, I could clearly see the "fortress" aspect of Terezin. It is surrounded by walls and gates that can be used to control traffic if needed. Ofcourse, today, it is much more open, but I could see how the entire complex was indeed a fortress. I could see the Small Fortress in the distance, and as I got closer, the graveyard became a dominent feature. The front entrace is forboding, with black and white painted stones at the entrance that outline a sense of hughness and mass. The gates seems to say "you will not leave here -- unless I let you leave!".

Oddly, and as opposed to the feelings I had at Dachau, I didn't feel a sense of "misery" here. Yet, clearly, the people who were imprisoned here were starved to death, punished for minor violations or executed in the public square. Maybe it was because I walked on my own and didn't have a guide telling me what happened along the way. It didn't seem as though the museums added to the realities of life in Terezin. Only that Jews had been imprisoned here, had lived here, had died here and very few survived.

As I returned to Prague by bus, it was raining fairly hard. I was glad I carried my umbrella. The rain cooled the humidity and temperature a bit. It seemed a fitting end to the experiences I had in Terezin/Theresienstadt.

2008-06-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here is where Prague is located.

I was able to get the early train from Munich to Prague today. And it was a lucky thing I did. The rail system enroute to Prague required maintenance and we were about 2 hours late. Arriving in the daytime allowed me to find where my lodgings were without having to deal with getting around the city at night.

We had to change trains in Plsen in the Czech Republic. The train station was right out of the 1900's. Although it was old and dirty from soot and other elements in the air, it was none-the-less charing enough. Very "European". Simple wooden benches were provided for travelers waiting for their train. We waited around 20 minutes and were back on-board an old looking train heading, again, for Prague. During the train trip, I felt a bit cold and put on the sweat shirt I bought at the Greenwich Observation in London. After we arrived in Prague, I took off the shirt and wrapped it around the handle of my suitcase. As I left the train and walked toward the main station, I was pushed and shoved a bit. I didn't think too much of it, until I realized my sweat shirt was gone!! I suppose someone needed it more than I!! Oh well, lesson learned.

I'm not very concerned about the theft, but it does remind me that there are dishonest people around, and one must watch out at all times. I keep my important valuables close at hand, and continually check to ensure they are secure. As is usually the case when getting to a new city, it's time to sit back with the maps and the tour-guide. Prague is an old city and deserves careful consideration. So, more on that later.

Bye for now...

2008-06-02T03:18:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 2. Today I decided to "get outa town". I asked the helpful clerk at tourist information what a good day trip would be for me. I thought that Innsbruck would be a good bet, and he told me that along the way there is a beauitful Bavarian town called Mittenwald. So, with Eurail pass in hand, I checked the departure schedule and boarded a train at 9:32 this morning. I chose a first class seat and settled in with some Sudoku. As luck would have it, Axel Lehmann joined me in the compartment. He was going from Munich to some other cities along the way for business and, as it turns out, spoke perfect English. We had a nice discussion about sky diving, and Axel gave me some pointers about this part of the country. The trip to Mittenwald took around 2 hours, and I arrived 10:30 or so.

is everything I was told it was. A charming Bavarian town with beautiful artwork painted onto the sides of its buildings. The church is dated 1741, so it's been around a few years. As I strolled along the Obermarkt I noticed a market and stopped in to see what was inside. A few minutes later, I had the ingredients for a picnic lunch. I found a park nearby with a delightful fountain in the center. The green grass, shady trees and people sitting and strolling made for a perfect place for lunch.

I wandered off the main street into the neighborhood a bit. Colorful homes lined the streets. The lawns were perfectly sculptured and the mountains were close and in the background. Although it is easily 75 or 80 degrees on the floor of the valley , and a bit humid, the mountains are snow covered and tower over the city. I'm told the peaks of the mountains are 2,244 meters high (close to 7,000 feet or so). I also found that a cable car will go to the top of the mountain for a spectacular look at the city and surrounding area. So, I made my waz to the Karwendelbahn and paid for a round trip ticket. It need not be said that the views from 2244 meters were breathtaking. It was considerably cooler as well, a welcome break from the heat and humidity.

To round out the day, I returned to the station and boarded a train for Innsbruck. The trip took around 1 1\2 hours, so I relaxed and reflected on the day. You will recall that Innsbruck hosted the Olympic Games in 1976. It is a picture-book city, surrounded by majestic mountains with snowcaps and icefloes. I decided to spend about 2 hours here, so I found the tourist information center, got a map and started wandering around the city. The city is completely charming, with the Tyrol Trams carrying passengers up and down the streets. The Rudolfsbrunnen is a magnificient fountain and statue build in 1877 to commemorate the Tyrol's 500 years as a part of the Austrian federation.

An interesting part of the "old city" is the Golden Dachl, a house witha golden roof. The house where the roof is situated was built in around 1420 by Archduke Fredrick IV. By the end of the 15th century the house was in the hands of the Emperor Maximilian I. In 1500 he ordered that the balcony, complete with golden roof, be built in honor of his second marriage. This area is surrounded by restaurants, curio shops and more. Hundreds of people were in and around the attraction. There is a museum here as well, although I didn't go inside.

All in all, my day trip away from the big cities was a worthwhile distraction. Although, I must say that Innsbruck must be considered a bigger city. Yet, the time I spend in Mittenwald was very pleasant, and I'm glad I took the time to get into the countryside for a slower paced look at Germany and part of Austria.

Tomorrow I'm off to Prague.

More later....

2008-06-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Click HERE to see where Munich is located.

Yesterday, May 30 I took the train from Venice to Munich. It was a 6 hour trip and great fun. I was with 2 couples who all spoke English. One couple from Australia and the other from New Zealand. We joked alot, took some pictures along the way and generally discussed our trip throughout Europe. I arrived in Munich around 8:30 p.m. and made my way to the Hostel. It was a 20 minute walk or so, but it was warm and pleasant and I enjoyed the stroll through the city.

Today May 31, I decided to go to the Dauchau Concentration Camp. At first, I thought an organized tour was the way to go. I inquired about one at the Tourist Information Bureau and showed up at the appropriate time. I was told it would be 21 Euros and take 4 to 5 hours. I asked if there was a bus, and the tour guide said "no, we'll take the subway!" Whoa, hold on, I thought. If he can take the subway, so can I. So it was back to the main train station. As it turns out, my Eurail pass works on the buses and subways here in Munich, so I got directions and boarded the train for Dachau. It took around 20 minutes to get there.

Once in the town of Dachau, I used my Eurail pass again and took the bus to the memorial and museum. I then found that an English speaking tour was to leave in 20 minutes -- cost 3 Euros! Our guide had very good English skills and our tour took 2 1\2 hours. At the end of our tour, there was a 20 minute film about the evolution of the concentration system in general, and Dachau in particular. Later, I went back to a couple of the sights and exhibits and took some pictures on my own.

Essentially, some weeks after Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, he ordered that a concentration camp be established for poltical prisoners. This was, at the time, as a result of the Rechstag fire. Dachau was used as a model for the other camps to follow and was used, mainly, for slave labor. In all, Dachau existed for 12 years, imprisoned more than 206,000 people and more than 43,000 of them died. An untold number of people, and not counted in the 43,000 dead, were sent to Auschwitz to be murdered by gas and other means.

A most interesting artifact is the existance of a crematoria. Originally, 2 crematoria were used to dispose of the dead and another 4 were added over the first few years. There was also a "prototype" gas chamber, where (it is thought) testing Zyklon B gas had taken place, but it is not sure whether any mass killings took place here.

The city of Dachau is quite beautiful. On the bus trip to the memorial, and nearby the camp, there were children playing, it appeared a grammar school was nearby and people lived and enjoyed their lives as we all do. It was dificult for me to separate myself from the lives people are living today and the realities of 63 years ago. The camp itself is a sobering place.

All of the major religions of the world have established memorials there (since every religion was represented in the killing), and I was told that more than 800,000 visitors attend the memorial every year. I spent about 5 hours there, wandering the compound and thinking of those poor souls who had passed there before me. An inscription nearby reminds those who attend about what had happened there and reiterates the motto NEVER AGAIN. Amen to that.

Like Dachau, Munich is a beautiful city as well. Today is Sunday, so many stores are closed, but there is activity throughout the city. So as not to end this entry to the blog on a "down note", upon returning to Munich I was delightfully entertained by Leonid Khenkin and his Klesmer-jazz music. He and his fellow musician, the bass player, gathered quite a crowd and entertained us all for as long we applauded. As I left, there crowd was still sitting -- loudly and happily applauding.

Both of these men are Jews. In a way, it is testament to the resilience of the human soul. Here, at this time and in this place, they live, work and -- presumably -- enjoy their lives.

Auf Weidersehen.....

2008-05-30T04:48:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 30, Verona Italy. I decided yesterday to take a day trip somewhere within 2 hours of Venice and focused on Verona. Verona is about 1 1/2 hours from Venice by train. I found that with my Global Eurail Pass, I can travel just about anywhere I want with no additional charge. Sometimes, there is a 5 or 10 Euro surcharge, but not every time. Last night, it was threatening rain, with thunder and lightening occuring off and on during the evening, but this moring it was clear with blue skies. The pavement was wet, so it rained when I was asleep. As it should be, right?

Once I arrived in Verona, it was clear this was another beautiful Italian city. Verona has been a city in one form or another since 550 BCE. The city exhibits many of these landmarks including a beautiful coliseum. The coliseum is over 2000 years old and is still in use today -- mainly for opera. I listened to one of the guides discussing the use of the coliseum today. She pointed out that, because the city needs the money, rock concerts are often given in this venue. But, she said, it should only be for the "voice of opera". The coliseum can hold upwards of 20,000 people.

After visiting the Tourist Center, and wondering around a bit, I discovered that one can purchase a Veronapass. This allows the visitor to gain entry into more than 14 museums and points of interest for a single fee of 8 Euros. I thought it was a good investment, and bought one. After visiting the coliseum and the Museo Lapidario M (a collection of stones and engravings), I found my made my way to Casa di Giulietta (Julliette's house). From the courtyard, it is said, you can see Juliett's balcony. There is a bronze statue of Juliette in the courtyard, and I had a fellow visitor snap my picture.

One highlight, which only cost 3 Euros, was to take a sightseeing "tram" around the city. It looked like a locomotive with 3 cars, but it was filled with people and took around 25 or 30 minutes to complete a circuit of the city. A pretty good investment, considering I didn't have to walk! A bit later, I found myself on the Piazza Erbe, a large plaza with a beautiful fountain and market in center of the square. I was people-watching and enjoying a sip of water when I looked up and saw the Piazetta XIV Novembre signage above the square. Whoa. For those of you who know me well enough, you'll know this is my birthday. How interesting to have a Piazzetta named after my birhday in Verona Italy!

Along the Corso Porta Nuova, one of the main streets, there are a whole variety of activities, stores and entertainment. Even though Verona is a small city, every high-end store is represented here. Street entertainers, such as Pinnocheo, entertain the visitors and, for a price of a donation, one can have his or her picture taken with them. Lots of fun, and the area is crowded with on-lookers.

All in all, so far, the visit to Verona was a great choice for the day, one that I won't quickly forget. I still have a bit to do, so -- with that -- I'll say ciao for now.......

8:30 p.m. Back in Venice. I finished up my trip to Verona with one more museum -- the Museo della radio d'Epoca. It is part of the Intituto Tecnico Industrial Statale de Verona and is an extensive collection of radios, components (such as tubes), antenna, microphones -- everything related to radios. There was some interesting military equipment there, including a radio receive from the United States (I had used one of these when I was in the Navy). Although they had some shortwave radios there, they didn't have any ham radio equipment. As I was leaving the museum, I asked one of the 3 people working there if they knew of an amateur radio club in the area. Interestingly, I chose to speak to a fellow who was, himself, a ham radio operator. He told me of a club in the area and some of their activities. We exchanged call signs and said "ciao". Lots of fun.

So, tomorrow I'm off to Munich for a couple of days. It should prove to be an interesting part of the trip. My train leave at 1:30 p.m. and arrives at around 8:30 in the evening. So, 'til I find an internet point in Munich, I'll say ciao for now......

Click HERE to see where Verona is located.

2008-05-29T08:36:00.001-07:00

Click HERE to see my current location.

Thurday, May 29, Venice Italy. One of the first things I did this morning was to extend my stay in Venice by one day. So, I'll be leaving on Saturday rather than Friday. It will give me the time I need to do a couple of things -- including getting some laundry done!!

At around 9 a.m. or so, I bought a 24-hour ticket for the water-busses. The water-bus system in Venice is, as you can imagine, very extensive. I wanted to get two things done, the first of which was to go to Murano. My goal was to find a factory where the glass is actually made into art. The water-bus ride was around an hour, and in itself very enjoyable. The bus made many stops along the way, and I was able to see new and interesting parts of Venice.

After arriving in Murano, I walked for a bit and then asked directions. I was told to walk toward the light house, and sure enough there were two or three factories there, one of which was producing class.. One of the fornace work space was open and I was able to see the craftsmen work at their trade. One of the showrooms looked inviting, so I entered and looked around for quite some time. I found a piece I really liked and discussed a purchase with the sales person. I told him I was interested in buying something that was made there and not elsewhere. He took me through a door and into the fornace room where I was able to watch the craftsmen work on the very piece I was buying. So much for an authentic piece of Murano glass!! Since I had committed to buy someting, he treated me like a V.I.P and gave me a tour of the upstairs, which had been closed off to the public. The glass there was amazing. The colors, textures, shapes and sizes were truely beautiful. For those of you who have seen and enjoy Murano glass, you have an idea of I'm describing.

My piece was packaged and I made my way back to the hostel for a rest. I wanted to put the package in my suitecase and spent some time re-organzing. After an hour, or so, I wanted to complete the second activity on my list. I went back to the water-bus and this time took it to the Piazza San Marcos. It is located on the other side the island. As was the case for the last day or two, the weather is still very warm and humid. I made sure to carry, and drink, lots of water. I decided to walk back to the hostel, from there, and visit the Ponte Rialto on the way. This is a bridge much like the Ponte Vecchio. It isn't very long, but raises high over the canal and is fairly wide. Along each side are shops selling all manner of souvenirs, Murano glass and more. The bridge was very crowded and everyone seemed to be enjoying his or her warm day in Venice.

After shooting some pictures and doing some window shopping, I continued walking back to the hostel. This took me across much of Venice I hadn't seen and along the Grand Canal -- a fairly long walk. At first I thought I may have lost my way, but by keeping the canal on my left, I felt sure I'd get where I wanted to go. Sure enough, I started to recognize some landmarks. I stopped in a cute little coffee shop, very small and empty except or 2 or 3 local residents. I figued that having local residents for customers was a good sign, and I was right. The coffee was the best I've had in Europe so far. All in all, it took me around an hour to get back to my part of town, give Jennifer a call and drop into my favoriate "internet point". As I sit here writing this, there is an accordian player outside the door playing for the guests of a restoranti. How delightful is that??

The last picture, the one directly above, is a picture of the hostel I'm staying. It is "on" the Grand Canal. If you look at the white building in the center with the peaked roof, and then to the right just a bit, you'll see a narrow white building with 4 windows. My window is on the top floor and on the left. There is a wonderful view of the Grand Canal and part of Venice from there.

So, tomorrow is another day. And until then, stay tuned. Ciao.....

2008-05-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

May 28, Venice. I boarded the train at 8:38 a.m. and made my way to Venice. It's a 3 hour trip by high-speed train. The weather continues to be beautiful, with a warm sun and humidity. But, it's pretty comfortable, and the kind of weather I enjoy. As I left the train station in Venice, I was greeted with what appears to be a beautiful city. The train station is on the Grand Canal. My directions to the hostel were to take the “white bridge on the left, turn right on the Grand Canal and go to 555”. The directions were perfect and I arrived in 10 minutes or less. The hostel is “on” the Grand Canal, just a few seconds from a whole raft of activity. I immediately thought that coming here from Florence was a good decision.

I checked in at the front desk and was given a variety of directions about the city and a map. There are no limit to the sights to see here – including Morano (the famous glass is made there) and a Jewish section. After checking my bags, I left the hostel and started to roam around the area. I crossed back over the white bridge and, through no planning of my own, wound up at the border to the Jewish section. I took it as a sign, and continued to walked into that part of the city. I found the “Singagoge”. My timing was excellent, and I joined a tour of the area and the three remaining synagogues of Venice.

As is the case with the other parts of Italy, even though Venice was a Republic on its own at the time, there was a Jewish Ghetto from the 16^th to 10^th Centuries. Like Rome, the city was unified” and the Jews were liberated in the 1830's, more or less. The tour through the synagogues was very interesting. Our guide told us about the evolution of Jewish community in Venice and the building of the synagogues. It turns out that, at the time, Jews were excluded from being craftsmen, so the buildings (and interiors) were built by non-Jews. It is interesting, but not surprising, that the synagogues have no Jewish symbols, and one of them displays a prominent Christian symbol. No doubt this reflects the realities of the time.

As a lucky find, there is a delightful restoranti and bar in the Jewish section next door to a hotel with wireless internet!! So, for 5 euros an hour, I'm able to get on-line and take a breather from walking. Given that I have 2 or more days to enjoy the area, this will be a great place to setup an itinerary for a few days of activity. I'm using my little ASUS pc to get on-line and buy a beer or “cafe Americano” to justify my sitting at one of their tables. Great fun.

It's now around 3:30 p.m. or so. I'll wander a bit more and continue to discover the ins and outs of the city. So, as always --- more later!!

2008-05-27T03:46:00.000-07:00

May 27, 08. Firenze (Florence). The first thing I did this morning was make a reserveration for an overnight in Venice. I expect to get up tomorrow "whenever" and make my way to the train station. High-speed trains leave for Venice every hour, so it should be easy to get onto one.

I walked down the long driveway to the bus and was able to recognize the Piazza where the building housing the statue of David was located.. I went to the main entrance and asked if there was a fee. I was told "no, no fee, this is a university". So far so good, I found the appropriate line, waited my turn to get into the Galleria dell'Academia and was stopped by a lady in a glass box. Regardless of what I had been told, I was charged 6 1/2 Euros to get inside. Before long, I was standing face to face with Michelangelo's David. We've all seen pictures and documentaries, I'm sure, but standing there and looking at this massive sculpture is overwhelming. David is atop a pedestal that stands 5 or 6 feet tall. Then, David stands another 8 or 10 feet on his own. He is a massive and beautiful work of art. There is no doubt that Michelangelo was a genius and a good reason why his talents were in demand by the Church. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed, so what you see is not my own photo.

It's difficult to decide to leave a venue like this. But leave I did, and I made my way back toward the Fiume Arno and the science museum. Today is another very warm day, along the way I found a neat little market where I was able to buy some water and drinks. It was a bit "upscale", and I thought it might be the Florentian Trader Joe's . As I walked up to the science museum, I couldn't believe my luck. There was an extensive telescope exhibit with the actual first telescopes made by Galileo. Giovanni Battista Amici, an astronomer and telescope-maker who lived during the 19th Century was represented also. There was a beautiful working model of the first reflecting telescope made by Isaac Newton. While the Galilean and Newtonian telescopes were small by comparison, the Amici telescopes were much larger. Most of Amici's telescopes on display were reflectors, but a couple of refractors were there as well.

I also had an opportunity to meet Dr. Andrea Gori who is the coordinator of public service for the museum. We had a nice chat about telescopes and telescope making and use.

As I left the museum, I started walking away from the river and back into the center of the town. I saw on my guide map there is a large "Piazza Mercato Centrale" and decided to take a look. This is a 4 or 5 square black area in and around the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, and seems to specialize in "stuff" -- better known to those of you in the know as Chochka! There were hundreds of vendors and thousands of prospective buyers!

I spent the rest of the day wandering up and down the twisty and narrow streets of Florence. It is a delightful town with lots of friendly people and wonderful sights to see.

More tomorrow -- from Venezia!!

2008-05-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Click HERE to see my current location.

Monday, May 26, Florence. I got up around 7:30 and made my way to Roma Termini and the train for Firenze. It was a beautiful train, one of the high speed versions. I've purchased a first class "global pass" from Eurail and I get to travel first class. Not bad. Many trains give our free drinks and snack to first class passengers. The train departed at 9:55 a.m. and we arrived in Firenze at 11:30 a.m. I found my way to the Tourst Information and got info about getting to the Hostel. "Take-a bus 17 to the end," they said. "It's there."

Right they were. It turns out the Hostel is about a 20 minute bus ride out of the city. Once there, it is necessary to walk about 1/4 mile up a long driveway to the building. In a way, it's worth it. The hostel is a converted "Villa" in the hills with sheep ranches and vineyards around the property. It is quiet and beautiful. But a bit remote. I was able to check in and check my bags at 2 p.m. and made my way back into the town by the same bus that took me there. As was the case in Rome, one is supposed to have a ticket, but no one checks and no one cares!! So, "when in Rome"...

First let me say that the weather is quite warm, around 80 degrees or so. Fairly humid. It's been the same for the last 4 or 5 days, but after some pretty heavy rain in Rome for the first 3 days, I can't complain very much. I enjoy the heat and settled in to getting around the city. After checking about trains to Venice (I'll go on Wednesday), I made my way to Ponte Vecchio. It's a bridge spanning Fuimi Arno and dates back to the first third of the 14th Century. It abounds with activity, and the main commercial activity is GOLD!! I found a piece I really liked, and when I asked the price, I was told 5000 Euros. A bit out of my budget, but nice just the same.

After wandering around the bridge and area for about an hour, I wandered the city. I realized it was time to find out where Michelangelo's David is housed and go see it. It turns out it is in a building called the Galleria dell' Accademia. It also turned out that, because it was a Monday, it was closed. I did speak with the docent inside the door where David "lives" and was assured that it'll be open and ready to view at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. So, to quote the Terminator -- "I'll be baaaack"..

I made my way around much of the city. The areas of interest are easily within walking distance. Not much traffic is allowed, no busses and very few cars. I found a variety of churches, piazzas and biscilicas. One of the most famous, Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore and Museo dell'Opera del'Duomo are adjacent to each other. The were was huge crowd of people sitting on the steps, talking and walking around. It was quite a sight.

So, it's time to head back to the hostel, get a shower and a bit of rest. I'll be up early and out on the town -- so, stayed tuned.

2008-05-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 25, Rome. Well, today is my last day in Rome and I decided to change things a bit. I awoke later than usual, around 9:30, and caught the bus for Ottavania. I stopped in my trusty internet point and checked my email. Gotta say connected, right? I knew I'd do a bit of walking today and decided that 2 pair of socks was a good bet. It was, and at the end of the day, my tootsies still feel pretty good. Maybe I'm just getting used to walking.

I made my way into a part of town I hadn't been into much. It is an areas called Repubblica. The center of the "Piazza della Republica" is dominated by a large and beautiful fountain with the four bronze statues of the Najadi by Mario Rutelli. One side of the square is large and very old church called Santa Maria degli Angeli is adjacent to Diocletian's Baths. The baths were dedicated in 306 C.E. and remained in service until the first third of the Fifth Century.

On the other side of the square is another church, one that I became very interested in. It is called the Warner Moderno. The interesting about this church is that they, somehow, display images and tell stories that are either in the past, present and even the future. I found that the doors would open at 2:30 p.m. and that I would be able to worship at 4:10 p.m. --- more on this later.

I was able to locate the Museum of Science and Planetarium of Rome. It turns out the museum is quite a bit out of city and wasn't on any of the maps I had. I stopped at the tourist information booth at the Roma Termini and was told the museum was at the end of one of the two subway trains that span much of the city. Since I had a 4:10 appointment at the Warner Moderno Church, and it was around 1 p.m., I boarded the subway and headed out there. It was about a 15 minute train ride and then a 10 minute walk to the museum.

The science museum and planetarium are housed in an imposing building. Huge columns boarded the sides as I walked into the door. I was greeted by a "antique" Zeiss Planetarium project. These were very popular in planetariums. Using a word like "antique" when talking about a plentarium projector that was built in the 1920's or 30's is a bit of a stretch when here in Rome. The one on display is the same projector in grew up on at the Griffith Planetarium and Observatory in Los Angeles. While these are no longer in use, it is hard to find a well-preserved one. The one in Rome is very nice and all original. I was told it was given to Rome after World War II by the German government as a gesture of friendship. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the planetarium and science museum.

So, by now it was close to 3 p.m. and time to my way back to the Repubblica Metro stop. If you recall, I had an appointment to worship at the Warner Moderno Church -- more like a Cathedral really -- at 4:10. I arrived there a bit early, around 3:35, and had a snack. I paid my 5.50 Euro fee to gain entry and entered the viewing chamber precisely at 4 p.m. At 4:10 the images began to display on the wall. They were images of the past, 10 feet high and 15 feet wide -- more or less. The images began to tell a story of events which had happened in 1957. Again, given that I was in Rome, these are very ancient images, but they told the story in exact detail -- there was even color and sound.

So, I sat back and enjoyed...

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

It so nice to end a week in Rome with a religious experience! Si?

2008-05-24T04:31:00.000-07:00

May 24, Rome. Today I got up a little early to make it to the Sistene Chapel before the crowds. I took the bus into Ottaviano and had a quick "cafe Americano" before heading over to the Vatican. I was on my way by 8:30 or so. Well, "what to my surprise", but that the line for the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel was about 2 miles long. I think I was number 1000 in line! After about 5 minutes I was number 1000 of 2000. The line grew in length quickly, but moved quickly as well.

It took around 30 or 40 minutes to gain entrance to the museum. I paid my 14 Euro fee and was on my way to see the collection and the Michelangelo. You must know, the museum is HUGE. There are artifacts everywhere. It tuns out that the museum was founded by Pope Julius II during his reign from 1503 to 1513. It is an amazing collection of tapistries, paintings, statuary -- everything imaginable. There were so many things to see, and my eye was caught by an interesting orrery in one of the gallerys. An orrery is a mechanical "model" representing the motions of the planets (the picture is an example is isn't the one in the Vatican).

Most impressive, of course, is the Sistene Chapel with its Michelangelo ceiling. I was very surprised to see that the Creation of Adam is a relatively small fresco in the middle of many small scenes making up an enormous ceiling. Regardless of size, it is breathtaking and cannot be adequately described. One must simply see it and take it in. After around 3 hours, or so, I found my way to the exit.

I decided to go to the large market at a square called Campo d'Fiori. The market consists of vendors selling all things to eat. It occupies the center of the fairly large square with a fountain in the middle. Cute restaurants ring the outer perimeter. I decided to walk from the Vatican Museum to the market, a distance of about 2 miles or so. It took me over the "Fiume Tevere" and through much of the old city. I walked along a long windy and narrow street called Via Giula, and just before reaching the market I made a very lucky find.

A small, almost hidden eatery was on the right side of the street. I stopped for a snack, and was pleasantly surprised on two counts: 1) that the food was absolutely wonderful, including a falafel wrap I took along with me, and 2) unlike the many restorantes and eateries around the "tourist" part of town, this one was very INEXPENSIVE!! Given that everything in Rome seems to cost 10 Euros, I was happy to pay the price for such a great experience and food.

The market was very busy, people everywhere. I was taken by the contrast of so much food, so many people with money to buy the food or eat in the restaurants and a number of homeless and beggars asking for help. I was especially bothered by an old woman sitting on the ground near the fountain. She was bent over, appeared to be very old and her appearance would be too disturbing to recount. She was dressed very warmly, yet the sun was out and it was a warm day. While yours truly and a few others put a couple of Euros in her collection plate, most people ignored her. It reminded me of the tremendous dichotomy that can exist in a city that gave rise to Western Civilization. I wanted to know more about her but, frankly, I was afraid to ask. Unfortunately, this is a scene one can see in any country of the world -- including the U.S.

So, today is Saturday and I have one more day in Rome before going on to Florence. I think I'll sleep late, do a laundry and nurse the blister I seem have one on my right foot!! Still, I've gotten some interesting impressions of the city. They go something like this:

Rome has some of the most interesting "antiquities" that are still being used in everyday life. It is a delightful city that one must visit more than once.
Everyone, or so it seems, smokes cigarettes. So, the tobacco companies need not fear!! Generally the street is the Roman ashtray.
There are trash cans on many corners, but they are full and are emptied so infrequently that people use the street for trash. Trash abounds. Graffiti does too.
Red lights mean stop, and green lights mean go. But in Rome, there is a cooperation between automobiles and pedestrians. Pedestrians cross the street anywhere and anytime, regardless of the stop light, and cars do their best to "miss 'em". I must say that I did see and hear lots of ambulances rushing here and there, so who knows??
Italy has lots of trains and busses, and they have a "schedule". You know, when they will arrive and depart. BUT, the schedule is generally ignored.
The underground (subway) and busses use the same ticket as a means to pay the transit fare. But, on busses, most people don't pay! One simply gets on, waits until their stop and gets off!
I believe it is physically impossible for Italians in general, and Roman in particular, to talk without using their hands!! But when they do talk to each other, it is clear that they are engaged. They are communicating, and they obviously enjoy it.

Well, there thousands of other things I could list, but you get the idea. As always, more to follow....

2008-05-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

May 23, trip to Pompei.

I was up 7:30 a.m. this morning and decided to go to the train station to see if I could get an earlier train. I could have, but was told that the "super speed" train I was on at 9:25 would be faster than an earlier but slower train. So, I had a bit of breakfast and boarded the train bound for Napoli. I was then to change trains in Napoli for Pompei and arrive around noon or so.

Once in Napoli, I boarded the train for Pompei. This was a rickety old train, a local, that made every stop along the way. It shook, rolled side to side and made lound squeaky noises when stopping. BUT, it left on time, so I was pleased. As I saw the stations going by, one by one, I decided to ask about the stop for Pompei.

So, now --- here is the pop quiz.

What does it mean when you see the following sign on a trip from Napoli to Pompei?

OK, so need a hint! Here's another picture of the square in front of the Solarno train station.

So, and the ANSWER is ---

You've missed the Pompei station and gone too far!!

Well, I mentioned all along that I was looking for adventure. I wasn't planning a visit to Solarno, so what the heck. I checked on the next train to Pompei (going in the other direction this time) and found I had an hour to explore. It turns out Solarno is a beautiful city on the Mediterranean. I wondered around a bit, took some nice pictures (one of which you see below) and thoroughly enjoyed the unscheduled visit.

I finally boarded the train, after checking twice that I was on the correct platform, and was rewarded with a thoroughly modern, quiet and very fast train. Pompei was the section stop north, about 15 minutes. Not a bad detour at all.

I arrived in Pompei in short order and was pleased with my navigation skills, at last. The ruins, it turns out, are a short walk through the new city. New Pompei, as is the case with most cities in Europe I've found, is dominated by a beautiful church in the center of the square. Turning left at the church and walking about one-quarter mile, I entered the Ruins and paid my admission. I noticed there was a "reduced" fare for seniors and was quickly asked by the clerk: "what country are you from?" When I said the U.S., I was just as quickly notified that reduced fares are for EU seniors only. So, pay your 11 Euros, please. I did gladly.

As I wondered around the Ruins, I noticed many folks has an "audio guide" and I was sorry I hadn't rented one. But, as luck was to have it (another example of right-place, right-time), I happened upon an English speaking tour-guide and joined the group. His English skills were excellent, and he had a great sense of humor. We wondered through the Ruins as our guide pointed out a variety of interesting buildings, adding some historical context and seemed thoroughly knowledgeable in the subject.

Ah, now the interesting stuff. Phallic symbols and brothels (Hey Jeno, I do listen to ya). He was quick to point out that, like other places in the world and through the ages, the "oldest profession" was practiced openly and without dishonor. The "ladies" advertised their skills with pictures over their rooms. Can you intrepret the one just above??

Phallic symbols, on-the-otherhand, related to the fertility of the land and not the body. An interesting interpretation, but there you have it! From the expert himself.

The picture to the right is yours-truly with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. It is Mt. Vesuvius which erupted in 79 C.E. that destroyed the city. The volcano eruption last for two days, burying the city under a thick layer of ash. After around 3 1/2 hours roaming the Ruins and listening to the guide, I made my way back to Napoli and then Rome.

What a great day. Lots of sun, beautiful weather, and thoroughly delightful. Tomorrow I'll make my way back to the Sistine Chapel for another try and see more of Rome.

Ciao 'til later.

2008-05-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

May 22. My plan was to go see the Sistine Chapel this morning. I was told by more than one or two folks to "get there early". It opens at 10 a.m., so I figured 9 a.m. would be a good time. As I approached the chapel (it is part of the Vatican Museum), I thought I was in luck because there was no crowd or long line. As I approached, I saw a couple of Catholic priests walking away and figured something was up. As it turns out -- the museum and chapel were closed today!! Good planning on my part, right? So, as I've been stating new rules for myself from time to time -- the rule for today is: "get there early, make sure it's open". Makes sense, right??

I then decided to go to the Rome Termini (the main train and metro station) and find out about the train times to Pompei. After enduring yet another long line, I was rewarded with a English speaking clerk (ok, sort of English speaking). I made reservations on the 9:55 a.m. train to Pompei tomorrow. It's around a 2 hour train ride, and I'll have about 6 hours in Pompei to see and do the sightseeing I plan. At the same time, I made a train reservation for Florence and will be leaving Rome on Monday morning bound for that city. I'll spend at least one overnight there.

Since I was at the main station, I found the Tourist Information Booth and plotted a course for the Jewish section of Rome (suggested by Jennifer yesterday). As it turns out, I was able to visit the Jewish section, the Pantheon and the large and beautiful square called Piazza Navona. On the way to the bus, I spotted a "barbarie" and figured out how to get my hair and beard cut. For 10 Euros, I look like a human being again, and I had wished I brought my own clipper. Oh well, next time.

I figured I had found the Jewish section of the city when I saw a restaurant that said "Roman Jewish Cuisine". I made my way to the main synagogue for Rome and found that it is treated as a museum when religious services are not being held. I paid my entry and wandered through the interesting and informative display of artifacts. At 1:15 p.m. there was a tour with an English speaking guide. She was difficult to understand, but at the end of the tour I thought I had learned alot about Rome and its Jews.

As was the case in many parts of Europe, it's Jewish population has lived through its share of acceptance and rejection. For more than 1500 years, the Jews lived in Rome since its rise of Empire, and in 1555 Pope Paul IV segregated the Jews into a ghetto. There were three gates to the ghetto, all locked at night, and Jews were required to listen to compulsory Catholic sermons on their Shabbot. These conditions, and similiar restrictions existed for the next 300 years, and the Jews of the ghetto were re-accepted into Italian life in 1870. Of course, there was the Nazi occupation and deportations as well. There are now approximately 13,000 Jewish living in Rome with around 35,000 living in Italy. The Jewish section pretty much occupies the old ghetto boundaries. As I wandered through the section, I found it vibrant and friendly. Everywhere, people were talking, laughing, playing cards, eating and enjoying the day. Lots of tourists were there and it was wonderful to see life in that part of the city thriving.

I then walked to the Pantheon. This is a beautiful building built to "all the gods" in 125 CE. It's a majestic place, occupying a dominant place in the square. A fountain is in the center of the square and there were a huge number of tourists and visitors. I managed to exchange some comments in Spanish with a couple of kids from South America, took some pictures, wandered the square pretty thoroughly and completely enjoyed the sights.

I ended the day with a visit was to the Piazza Navona. It is an absolutely HUGE square, with a fairly large oblisk in the center and two large fountains at each end. It was once a circus and later a market. Today it is full of artists and restaurants. People sitting around the fountains and even a "San Francisco type of still-man" posing as a Roman statue in silver.

So, tomorrow I'm off to Pompei. Can't wait to see it and report back to you. Stay tuned.....

2008-05-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 21, Roma (evening). So, the saga continues. I had a great day walking myself silly, but it was worth every step. After getting together with the Pope at "his place", I went outside and found the tour-bus and boarded. It had started raining very hard, thankfully I had a nice BIG umbrella from one of my friends in Rome, so I was high and dry. I stayed on the bus until I saw a stop for the Fontana de Trevi. I decided to get off at that point and see the "watering hole" made famous by the movie Three Coins in the Fountain. It is beautiful. I took a couple of pictures, and put TWO coins in the fountain. One for me and one for Jennifer. Putting a coin promises, it is said, a return to Rome. Next time, Jennifer can join me. I stayed for about 45 minutes and exchanged pleasant greetings with one or two folks. We traded taking pictures for eachother.

I went into the Metro station and saw on the map that I was within walking distance of the Colosseo, so I went back up to the street and headed there. On the way, I came across a beautiful momument, the Momumento a Vittoria Emanuele II and in the back was a Renior exhibit. I've always enjoyed this particular artist, so I paid my 7.5 Euros and took a long look. Seeing his work was wonderful. Something I recommend if you ever have the chance.

On the way out of the museum, I stopped at the "information" desk and asked about the David statue. Now, everyone -- I mean EVERYONE knows that the statue is in Florence. Except me, of course, but things happen for a good reason and the young lady behind the desk told me of a famous Michelangelo sculpture at S. Pietro in Vincoli. In fact, she said, it was the most famous sculpture in Rome. So, map in hand, I found my way there and found Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses. This is the famous, one many of you have seen, with horns in Moses' head. A beautiful piece of work. When visiting this venue, one needs to climb around 75 steps, but let me say it was worth it.

OK, so off to the Colosseo. I found a cute little bistro for a quick bite of lunch and then wandered around the curved streets looking for a way into the Colosseo. As I turned a tight corner, it was in front of me. In contrast with the cars, people walking and television antennas, it was a strange and wonderful site. Once I bought a ticket and get inside the Colosseo, I found it was worth all the effort.

Pretty much exhausted by now, I found my back to the tour-bus stop and headed for Ottavanio. I found a cool little cyber-joint, they call them internet points in Italy, and spent a bit doing what I like to do best -- oh, except for sightseeing throughout Europe, that is!! You believe me, right??

More tomorrow.....