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......

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.....

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...

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.....

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.....

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.....

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.

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.....

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.......

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....

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.....

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"...

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......