MOLTO GENTILE, ITALIA!

Beyond the Fire & Ice in Iceland

2011-07-22T17:30:00.000-05:00

Iceland has the world's most unique combination of natural wonders: dramatic, fiery volcanoes; pure white glaciers; boiling, steaming, exploding geysers; craters running deep and wide into the red-brown earth, surrounding small pools of cool turquoise water; fairy-tale fjords that secretly carry the Atlantic inland, like a subtle invitation to another world; translucent blue lakes fed by narrow streams, themselves fed by white waterfalls that fall long and dream-like, silent in the distance, from smooth, wholly undeveloped mountains of black, brown, green and tan; mile after mile of impassable moon-like lava fields, millions of meticulously-detailed, tiny sculptures fired naturally by the earth and left to harden together in the salty air; and a long, rugged, unspoiled coastline where, even at the harbor of the capital city, Reykjavik, on most days the sounds of the birds and the sea and an occasional ship coming in or setting out are the only sounds to be heard.

It's no wonder that this island-nation of just 317,000 people has an historical penchant for legend, for interpreting unexpected or unwanted events as the work of so-called hidden people who reside like elves throughout their magical, surreal landscape, a place like no other on earth.

What an interesting, entirely original country. Twenty-four hours of daylight in the heart of summer, twenty-four hours of darkness in the peak of winter. Iceland is an isolated land mass the size of Kentucky located just south of the Arctic Circle. In geological terms, it is the world's youngest nation, and like all youngsters, Iceland is still growing, gaining an inch of land per year as molten lava continues to surface and harden along the mid-Atlantic ridge that divides the island in two and separates the European continental plate from the American plate. It is the most sparsely-populated nation in Europe, with about three inhabitants per square kilometer.

This reality, combined with a tradition of last names being comprised of one's father's first name paired with either -son for males or -daughter for females, means that in Iceland people are listed in the phone book alphabetically by their first names.

Sixty percent of Icelanders reside in the southwest, in or near Reykjavik, as almost eighty percent of the island is uninhabited and most of that land is not suitable for habitation. Surprisingly, Iceland does not experience extreme cold, with temperatures in December and January ranging from 28 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit and July and August between 48 and 60 degrees. Our week was in the fifties with good sun every day, only brief rain on two days, but plenty of wind, especially on the Golden Circle Tour and on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

The nation's earliest settlers (9th Century) were likely fleeing oppression and taxation in Norway. Some historians argue, however, that economic opportunity and the need to find enough food for a growing population were the motives for settlement. Because Vikings often brought Irish slaves along on their journeys, Icelanders have Norwegian and Irish roots. Before winning independence as a nation in 1944, Iceland endured four centuries of Danish rule (often not happily so), and a brief British occupation early in the 20th Century that was followed during World War II and the Cold War by the presence of a large American military base at Keflavik.

While Iceland's status as an independent democratic nation is still relatively new (67 years), this culture's roots in representative democracy run deep. In 930 AD the world's first national parliament met at Thingvellir, today a stunningly beautiful national park honoring the founding of the nation. As far as national birth places go, it's hard to imagine a more picturesque setting. Dana fell in love with it immediately.

Culturally, located about midway between Europe and North America, Iceland combines elements of Scandinavian and American culture with its own unique traditions that developed over more than a thousand years of stubborn endurance on a remote North Atlantic island that erupts, shakes, explodes and boils over with abandon. Thus, Icelanders possess a passion for hot dogs (a dog with everything includes remoulade, ketchup, mustard, raw onion and crunchy onion), Coca-Cola, American television & music, and credit cards (for even the smallest of purchases), while at the same time possessing a largely European political and social perspective, with a prime minister (the world's only openly-lesbian head of government, Johanna Sigurdardottir), parliament, universal health care, no military to speak of, strict gun laws, almost no violent crime, the highest rate of Internet usage in the world at 93%, and a life-expectancy (78.7 for men, 82.5 for women) among the longest on earth. Iceland also possesses a retirement age of seventy; this is a tough, hard-working people who, for generations, have had to work hard for what they have. It's also a nation with a literacy rate of one-hundred percent, and a phenomenal creative energy. While scholars suggest that the historical basis for the literary genre of the novel was the Icelandic Sagas of the 12th through the 14th Centuries (long-form prose stories about Icelandic legends), today in the 21st Century, everyone in Iceland, no matter his or her profession, seems to pursue the arts (painting, music, literature) in some way.

Icelanders have historically made the most of every resource available to them, with the earliest settlers (in the Viking Era) living off native fish and fowl, and building shelters using turf and rock. Later inhabitants constructed houses from driftwood that washed ashore from Siberia and South America. In the 19th Century, they employed colorful and durable corrugated iron siding and tin roofs, with materials imported from England. Many of these wonderful iron-clad houses (inexpensive and sure to keep the weather out) still exist, and can be seen on any stroll through the capital. Even the circumstances of Iceland's independence from Denmark in 1944 reflect the clever opportunism of Icelanders, as the people declared their independence as the chaos of World War II--and Nazi occupation--left the Danes in no position to dispute the claim, even had they wished to do so. But perhaps the most impressive evidence of Icelandic industriousness is the nation's use of the naturally hot water that lies just beneath the surface of this living island to provide heat, water and electricity to an entire country in an inexpensive, efficient, and environmentally responsible way. Geothermal energy fuels every light, television, kitchen appliance, heating system, water tank, pool and spa, the Blue Lagoon included.

Like all nations, Iceland does appear to have some unresolved identity issues. The architecture in downtown Reykjavik, for example, while including an original wooden house from the mid-18th Century (the oldest remaining home in the town) and a number of charming 19th Century iron-clad homes in a variety of colors, also includes large, colorless concrete buildings built hurriedly and cheaply, completely lacking relevance or personality, often adjacent to an historic home. Our guide on a walking tour pointed out that this conflict between preserving the nation's rich historic legacy and so-called progress, destroying the old to make way for the new, is a constant battle for the Icelandic people, who find themselves caught between two worlds, the Old and the New, in more than just the geographic sense. Language also reflects this conflict, as the nation strives to preserve its culture by allowing only certain first names to be used for Icelandic children (there is a government naming commission empowered to make these decisions), and new Icelandic words are created for new concepts to ensure that foreign words do not creep gradually into the language. And yet every Icelander we met spoke some English, mandatory English studies are introduced to elementary school children and Icelanders are among the most well traveled of all peoples.

But as singular as the story of Iceland is--even to those, like Dana and I, who grasp only a small portion of it and who visited the greater capital area for just a week--it is the remarkable nature of the people of this island we will remember most fondly. The kind family of Gunnar & Kristen welcomed us in their home with a wonderful meal of cheese-filled grilled hot dogs, lobster, lamb, and potatoes (plus dried salted Haddock, Icelandic candies, and home-made chocolate cake for dessert!) the evening of our arrival. During our week they devoted many hours to showing us, with pride and patience, their homes, neighborhoods and traditions, their black-sanded sea shore, and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. They spoke English freely while we struggled to muster a few adequately-pronounced Icelandic words. They accompanied us to a lovely musical performance at the Harpa and an Icelandic football match. They served us a warming lamb soup with bread in a family summer home on the rugged western shore, a delicious rhubarb pastry, and homemade vanilla ice cream. They introduced us to Icelandic hotdogs at Bill Clinton's favorite stand at the harbor in Rejkjavik, and took us to the best cheeseburger joint in the country. They drove us around for hours. But most of all they listened to us, taught us, and laughed with us.

This is a country where the taxi drivers show you their latest oil paintings and play music in the taxi for you that they themselves composed...and recorded. This is a country where just two days visiting the same small cafe makes you feel like you belong there. This is a country where the people are industrious but artistic, independent but genuinely interested in the world, realistic but good-humored, still struggling to overcome the devastating 2008 economic collapse but generous without limitation or affectation.

At a time when globalization seems to be rapidly transforming even the most unique locales and cultures into a universally-recognized, uninteresting sameness, Iceland is a country that remains an original, one-of-a-kind place, populated by a proud, creative, and stoic people striving to preserve their land and culture while also engaging positively with the larger world.

Knowing even a bit of their story, this much is clear: Iceland may be a small nation, but it has a great deal to offer beyond the fire and ice.

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Accompanying YouTube picture shows on Iceland with original music by Phil Angotti: CLICK HERE

Itinerary: 6 Summer Nights In & Around Reykjavik, Iceland

2011-07-21T20:19:00.189-05:00

GÓÐAN DAGINN ISLAND (Good Day, Iceland)

Reykjavik; Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall; Hot Springs of Geysir & Strokkur; Whale Watching; Black Sand Beach; Snaefellsness Peninsual; Deild Karla Football Match; Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa

Friday, 24 June to Friday, 1 July 2011

Fly Chicago to Reykjavik, Iceland (0 stop), 24-6-11 (Friday), departing O’Hare at 6:40 PM on Iceland Express Flight 5W48, arriving in Iceland at 5:40 AM on 25-6 (Saturday): a 6 hr 0 min direct flight (Iceland is 5 hours ahead of Chicago)
6 nights Reykjavik, Iceland, 25-6 (Saturday) through 1-7 (Friday), with various day trips
Fly Reykjavik, Iceland to Chicago, 1-7 (Friday), departing Reykjavik at 3:30 PM on Iceland Express Flight 5W457, arriving back at Chicago-O’Hare at 5:10 PM: a 6hr 40 min direct flight

DAY 1 (SAT 25.6): ARRIVAL IN ICELAND; REYKJAVIK

Arrival; Flybus to Reykjavik City Center
Upon arrival in Reykjavik at Keflavik Airport at 5:40 AM, we’ll clear customs and use an ATM to purchase 60,000 ISK (about $528 US). While Iceland is very credit card-friendly—and while we’ll have cash Euros for our hotel payment from our bank—some cash is good to have on-hand. Then we’ll take the next available Flybus to the BSI Bus Terminal in the city center (we’ve also paid for a shuttle from BSI to our hotel, Hotel Reykjavik Centrum). The Flybus departs the airport from just outside the terminal. We’ll check the board in the airport to confirm upcoming bus departures. We have already purchased our tickets online at http://www.re.is/Flybus. We’ve also paid to be picked up at our hotel the day of our departure from Iceland (inform our hotel front desk the night before we depart of our flight details and request Flybus pickup in front of the hotel). These tickets cost us 9000 ISK, or about $80.00 US, round trip. We need to bring our printed voucher from the Internet and exchange it for boarding passes at the Flybus sales counter at the airport. The total travel time to our hotel (bus from airport to BSI and then shuttle to our hotel) will be 50-75 minutes.

REVIEW: Flybus was perfect! Highly recommend instead of costly taxi. Also, the ATM at the airport would only allow us to pull half of what we wanted (a limit on withdrawals). We simply took more from an ATM in the city center later in the week. Finally, you may want to visit the duty free shop at the airport and purchase some wine (or whatever your favorite alcoholic beverage is) to enjoy at the hotel, since alcohol is very expensive in Iceland. This is what locals do whenever passing through the airport.

What about Iceland Express Airlines? Well, this airline has two very important things going for it: it is the only airline to fly non-stop between Chicago and Iceland (once a week during the summer, on Fridays), and it is dirt cheap, offering round-trip fares under $700. But while I'll acknowledge that at the time of our flight the service was still very new (a few weeks' old), the comfort, reliability, communication and timeliness...were awful. Our flights to and from were hours late, with no effective communication to help us plan our departures. Finding personnel at the airports who could tell us what was going on was a constant challenge. And when we did find airline personnel, their information conflicted with what was posted on the departure boards around the airports. At O'Hare, there was no counter space devoted to Iceland Express in Terminal 5, causing great confusion. Then a few hours before departure, an Iceland Express magnet was placed over an Alitalia sign, creating the space for check-in. And once we finally boarded the plane for our late departure, we found the crew to be friendly enough, but they did nothing throughout the flight, selling beverages once, but not even equipped to offer pillows or blankets. And the seats? Think of the comfort afforded by wooden bleachers--for almost six hours. I would not say, however, that this is definitely an airline to avoid: it's just that it's a discount airline offering a one-of-a-kind service...and the quality of that service reflects the price you pay, and the market for the service. You should know that before you buy.
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Check-In Hotel Reykjavik Centrum
At Hotel Reykjavik Centrum, we’ve reserved a standard double room with en suite bath for 6 NIGHTS (+1 for the early AM checkin) through the hotel’s Smart Web Deal (at €202 per night, including breakfast): €1,415 TOTAL (about $2,093 US). Phone is 354-514-6000; fax is 354-514-6030; info@hotelcentrum.is; www.hotelcentrum.is. Breakfast is served daily from 7:00-10:00 AM. While our breakfast is included, a week’s Internet access is about $45.00 US (or 5,000 ISK). We’ll pay for this upon check-in (a week). Cancellation policy: in case of cancellation less than 48 hours prior to arrival or in case of no-show, one night-stay will be charged on your credit card. Check-in time is 02:00 pm. Check-out until 11:00 am.

About Our Hotel
Visit the fascinating exhibit under Hotel Reykjavik Centrum to see the remains of a Viking longhouse together with Iceland’s oldest human remains, dating from approximately 870 AD! Hotel Reykjavik Centrum is located on one of the city’s oldest streets, Adalstraeti, in a newly renovated building, the oldest part of which dates back to 1764. City life with shops, restaurants, cafes, clubs, museums and culture is within walking distance. Reykjavik Centrum’s award-winning restaurant Fjalaköttur serves traditional Icelandic dishes, complemented by an extensive wine list. Uppsalir, the hotel’s cozy bar & cafe welcomes guests to relax in a cozy atmosphere.

REVIEW: Lovely hotel, with friendly service and a great bar (if you like beer, try the Danish Tuborg on draft: amazing). Room and bed were quite comfortable. Hotel was spotless, in terms of cleanliness. Breakfast okay, but not great (would probably opt for a local cafe or bakery, instead). Wi-Fi was a bit unreliable...not great, given that you pay for it. And because of the seafood restaurant attached to the hotel, parts of the building smell like fish (but not our room). Overall, though, this hotel has an ideal and historic location in the city center, within easy walking distance to everything (except Pearlan), and our stay was very comfortable. On a return trip to Reykjavik, we'd definitely stay here, again. We slept like babies.
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Get Settled: Old Harbor/Lake Tjornin; Café Haiti; Shopping; Hallgrimskirkja
After getting settled in our hotel—probably between 8:00-9:00 AM—we’ll head up to the harbor to watch the fishing boats come in. One place to consider for something to eat at the Old Harbor is Café Haiti, featuring coffee/espresso and pastries (highly recommended on Trip Advisor).

Then we can could walk down Skolavordustigur street, with artsy galleries. We can shop for some quirky Icelandic designed art, clothing or jewelry (be sure to see the store called Kraum - Icelandic Design). Other shops to visit today or any day this week include: 66°North shops; Iceland giftstore Rammagerðin; DOGMA T-shirt shop; Cintamani shop; and Viking Souvenir shop.

At the top of the hill is the enormous concrete church, Hallgrimskirkja the symbol of the city. We’ll take an elevator to the top of the tower of this church for the wonderful views (400 ISK each, or about $3.50 per person). The church was built between 1940 and 1974. The radical design caused great controversy. The columns on both sides of the tower represent volcanic rock (basalt), a common theme for Icelandic nationalists, and a symbol of the culture.

After the church and tower, we could cross the road to the Einar Johnson Museum, a sculptor whose works have been described as “weird,” “gloomy” and “fantastical”; no need to go inside the museum, though—just go to the garden in back to get a sense of what his work is like (26 bronze casts there). The artist designed the building housing the museum, too. www.skulptur.is.

Then we could stroll and shop, eventually making our way down to Lake Tjornin (locals call it simply the Pond), where a favorite pastime is feeding the ducks. We will also visit city hall (literally built onto the lake) and the nearby National Gallery.

REVIEW: While the National Gallery was on our itinerary, it turns out this museum does not actually display any of the art listed in guidebooks as part of its permanent collection. The front desk told me the guidebooks are causing them a lot of headaches. Instead, the museum (also not free, as described by Lonely Planet, but about $10.00 US), features one or two modern artists in two small rooms. We still visited, but it was not at all what we had hoped in breadth and scale and quality. This is surprising, given how creative Icelanders are and how important the arts are to this wonderful culture. I think this is something they can work on, that is developing a national gallery that does justice to the talent and history (and phenomenal creative output) of the nation. Should you visit? I'd call ahead and check on the two artists currently being exhibited (or visit the website) before deciding.
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Then we’ll head to the main tourist office—perhaps taking a break at the hotel first?—for a guided walking tour.

Guided City Walking Tour: 1:00 PM
At 12:45 PM we’ll head to the My Reykjavik Concierge TRAVELLERS Information at Hafnarstræti 4 (inside the "Wool Market") for the free two-hour guided walking tour of the city, commencing at 1:00 PM (tips are appreciated): http://www.goecco.com/Index/goecco/Trips/CityWalks/FreeTourofReykjavik.

We'll walk you through the history of Reykjavik, from its start as a muddy colonial village by the smoky bay to becoming a modern city in the North. We take you where others don't and tell you the stories you'd never hear otherwise. From the wild history of colonial time under the king of Norway and Denmark, to the tragedy of the down town Architectural story and British occupation, we aim to give you a perfect introduction to REYKJAVIK. On this two hour easy-walking tour we cover all of the main sights of the inner city. Our unique style of combining history with pure entertainment (infotainment) has made us one of the most popular walking tour companies in Iceland.

After the tour concludes at about 3:00 PM, we’ll return to the hotel for a few hours to enjoy a late afternoon siesta. If we want bite to eat we could consider Café Paris, a great people-watching place on Austurvollur Square, with outdoor seating in the summer. Features light meals like sandwiches, salads, crepes, tacos, etc. We could also consider Svarta Kaffio at Laugavegur 54, with great home-made soup in bread bowls and other lunch options.

In terms of getting around, the capital area has an excellent bus system (Strætó). Most buses run every 15 minutes, and every 30 or 60 minutes in the evening and at weekends. Bus information is available at the bus stations at Hlemmur and Laekjartorg, at the Tourist Information Centre, Adalstraeti 2, and on the Straeto website: http://www.straeto.is/english. Single adult fares run from 350 ISK to 1000 ISK (about $3.00 to $9.00 US) depending on the zone and distance. Exact fare required.

Then we’ll take a siesta at the hotel from about 3:00 or 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM.

REVIEW: The walking tour was wonderful...but edgy (in a good and humorous way for us, but perhaps not for all). The guide was entertaining as we strolled through the city center learning about Reykjavik's history, but once in a while he dropped an F-bomb and offered some off-color jokes (about hunting and eating whale, which Icelanders still do, and a few comments of a sexual nature). We were not the least offended, but visitors should know that this is not a standard sort of historical walk.
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First Night in Reykjavik
We have friends in Reykjavik, and so this evening they held a fantastic barbecue for us at their home, which was a highlight of our trip (such kind, generous, fun people!). But for most visitors, options for tonight might include a live musical performance at Harpa, dinner at Perlan (fancy and pricey but great views above the city), or dinner at the Harbor followed by an evening stroll through the town or around Tjorn. The later one stays up, of course, the better one will sleep tonight.

DAY 2 (SUN 26.6): 9:00 AM WHALE WATCHING CRUISE

Whale Watching Cruise: 9:00 AM-Noon
This morning we’ll have breakfast and walk up to the harbor in time for our 9:00 AM whale and puffin watching cruise with the Elding tour company, specializing in whale watching. We’ve reserved our tickets online for the 3 hour cruise at http://www.elding.is/elding (8000 ISK each, or about $141.00 total, for two), but have not paid, yet. The Elding dock is located on the Old Harbor of Reykjavik (pier Ægisgarður), which is located in Ægisgarður.

The whales most frequently seen on tours with Elding are the minke whales, humpback whales, dolphins and porpoises; other species are sometimes spotted. During the summer the boats leave at 09:00, 13:00 and 17:00 and we have additional tours at 10:00 and 14:00 during the high season. Our tours are about 3 hours at sea (see the schedule). For your comfort and warmth, we have special suits on board we can lend you, but we do advise you to wear your warmest clothes - hats, scarves, gloves etc – as it can get very cold, even on the warmest of days. We also offer hot drinks and light refreshments on our on-board café. Alternatively, you can sit inside the boat in the warmth, where you can watch the whales outside from large windows. We have excellent guides to tell you about your trip and describe what you can see and where to look, together with an introduction and safety guide. We tell you about the seabirds and nature in the Faxofloi bay. How much we see depends on the sea conditions and season, but our qualified guides are happy to try to answer all your questions. Depending on the tide and sea we start or end the trip by going to either Akurey or Lundey to watch the puffins (May 15.-Aug 15.) No two whale watching trips are the same. We need to be flexible and organize your trip taking sea conditions, weather and seasons into account. We rarely have to go further than 15 nautical miles from the harbor. Each trip takes about 2,5-3,5 hours: do join us. We look forward to seeing you!

Options for lunch could be a hotdog (popular in Iceland!) from a street vendor near the harbor; Eldsmidjan (www.eldsmidjan.is), the best pizzas in town; a little café called Babalu; or Café Haiti near the harbor, where we had breakfast on the day of arrival.

REVIEW: The Elding whale watching tour was great, but they're not lying when they say that even in the summer one should dress warm. The winds were strong and cold...and it was June. Toward the end I did start to get a little seasick, but the bar on the lower level of the ship provides seasickness pills free for the asking...and this helped. We saw four whales in action on the cruise by following sea birds who feed on the same small fish as whales. While it was interesting to see Puffin Island on the way back to the harbor, the boat simply cannot get close enough to see these delightful little birds very well (wish we had brought a good pair of binoculars along; recommend doing so). After the cruise, our friends took us for a hotdog at Bill Clinton's favorite stand along the harbor, and for a soup at the beautiful black sand beach south of the capital (a restaurant affording stunning views rests on a bluff above the beach). If you have rented a car (we did not), highly recommend stopping here.
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Second Night
Same options as first night (concert at Harpa, dinner and views at Perlan, or dinner at harbor and evening stroll).

If The Pearl tonight, we should proceed to the Hlemmur bus stop to catch bus #18 to Perlan (about 2 km from the city center). Another option is taxi. Perlan is an otherworldly creation with a viewing platform and a revolving restaurant on top of hot water storage tanks. A hexagonal viewing deck offers 360-degree panoramas of the city and mountains. Then we’ll dine at either the fine dining restaurant, Perlan, or the café near the viewing deck. The café is open until 9:00 PM, while the restaurant is open until 10:00 PM. The café offers lighter fare, delicious breads, coffee cakes, and pastries are among the bakery's goods available in The Pearls Cafeteria. You will also find hot soups, sandwiches and assorted salads. The restaurant, which rotates slowly over a two-hour period, offering beautiful views, features beef, lamb and fish, and ala carte prices run about $45.00 US per main course. The wine list is weighted toward France. www.perlan.is.

The Pearl is a magnificent structure. Formally opened to the public on 21 June 1991, it combines utility and vision. Hollow steel framing supports the glass dome and walls that link six aluminum-sided tanks, each of which can contain 4 million liters of water averaging 85°C (185°F). As part of The Pearl's heating system, hot water is pumped through the metal framework in winter, while cold water flows during summer, thereby producing a comfortable year-round environment. The Viewing Deck on Level 4 takes full advantage of the panorama enjoyed from Oskjuhlid; telescopes mounted at each of the six corners of the deck with recorded descriptions in Icelandic, English, Norwegian, German and French.

REVIEW: While we did not dine at Perlan, we did visit the viewing platform and enjoy a latte and pastry from the cafe. The views of the city--houses, municipal airport, harbor, and the mountain--are wonderful, and well worth the short trip from the city center. There is a touristy exhibit on Vikings and a small gift shop, too. Tip: when you're ready to leave, there may not be taxis anywhere nearby, but the staff in the gift shop is more than happy to call one for you; took only five minutes.
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DAY 3 (MON 27.6): GOLDEN CIRCLE GUIDED DAY TRIP; LET’S TALK ICELAND SHOW TONIGHT

Golden Circle Tour: 9:00 AM-4:30 PM
This morning we’ll have breakfast and be ready for our pickup between 8:30 and 9:00 AM for our 7-8 hour day trip visiting the so-called Golden Circle (pickup will be a coach with words GATEWAY TO ICELAND on it; get the right coach, as there are other companies). This tour will include Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir hot spring & Haukadalur thermal area, and Kerið crater. The firm promises more than seven hours of “geographic excellence and photographic wonders.” The cost will be 8000 ISK each (or about $141.00 US total, for two). We booked our trip online at http://www.gti.is/eng/catalog/tour3.html from home, and should produce our confirmation email when collected by the coach. We can pay by credit card or ISK, our choice.

Just over 100 kilometers outside Reykjavík we travel to one of Europe´s largest waterfalls, the beautiful Gullfoss. We visit Thingvellir, site of the World´s first Parliament that met each year outdoors, beginning in 930 AD continuing until 1798. After we have been at Thingvellir we drive to the geothermal fields of Haukadalur where you will be able to stand up close to an erupting geyser.

On our route there are few other interesting sites and stops along the way such as Kerið, a mesmerizing and lake filled crater, just off the main highway. The acoustics of this beautiful crater has drawn artists, such as Icelandic singer Björk, which in 1986 held a concert in the middle of the crater.

We should return from this day trip at about 4:30 PM, at which time we’ll take a relaxing siesta, or do some strolling/shopping, if we like.

REVIEW: Amazing day! Cannot recommend enough. While our driver did forget a pickup at a nearby hotel--and we had to wait at a small shop outside of town while they were taxied to our minibus--the rest of the day was wonderful. Waterfalls, geysers, craters, fields of volcanic rock, historic sites (including Iceland's birthplace, a stunning national park), blue lakes, green fields, mountains...worth every penny, and every minute. But a cold, powerful wind blew all day long...something for which to be prepared, even in June.
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Tonight: Let’s Talk Iceland Show
By 6:40 PM we’ll head out after our siesta to get something to eat before seeing the Let’s Talk Iceland show at a new restaurant called Vikingakrain (Viking Inn; www.vikingakrain.is/index_en.htm). The address is Hafnarstraeti 1-3, 101 Reykjavik (entrance through the gate). We won’t eat here (supposed to touristy) but will see the 8:00 PM show.

Possibilities for dinner beforehand include Tapas Barinn (www.tapis.is) or Hornio, with freshly-made pizzas and pasta, plus Icelandic dishes. Both are recommended in Lonely Planet Iceland.

As for the show, it will cost 2,200 ISK each, or about $39.00 US total, for two. The show runs nightly from 1 January 2010 to 30 November, and lasts about one hour. We’ve reserved our tickets under the name John Novick Jr for tonight, and can pay when we collect them by credit card or cash.

Let's Talk Iceland tells you all you need to know about the history of Iceland and Icelanders from settlement until present day. It is a fun and vibrant play in English. You will meet two Vikings and go on an unforgettable journey with them through the history of Iceland and discuss the strange people living there namely the Icelanders. You will participate in historical events. The Vikings will reenact various events from the past and you will be a part of it and if something is not clear, just interrupt and ask them. You will laugh and learn. The two Vikings do know Iceland and the history like the back of their hands but they are also very amusing and entertaining. Enjoy this fantastic comedy show and learn a little something while doing so.

After the show concludes (at around 9:00 PM), we can take a night-time stroll—or go to sleep early (a pretty long day today).

REVIEW: Can't comment on the Let's Talk Iceland Show, as we just felt a bit run down, and opted out. Did stop by to let them know we wouldn't attend, and the staff was friendly. The place looked 'fake' Viking, but it doesn't mean the show wouldn't have been entertaining, anyway. We had dinner and relaxed at the hotel. As for the restaurants, Hornio and Barinn, we tried them both during the course of the week, and liked them both (probably Hornio a bit more). The tapas and service at Hornio were just wonderful (and the bread they serve when you sit down...wow). There was nothing wrong with Hornio (freshly-made pizzas and salads); we shared a caprese salad and a pizza margharita (both above average, but not great). Barinn and Hornio are attractive and comfortable, located right there in the center of town (just 2-3 blocks from the hotel), and both with romantic interiors. Just felt like Barinn was more of an experience.
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DAY 4 (TUE 28.6): BLUE LAGOON; CONCERT/HARPA

Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa
We’ll rise early today and meet our 8:30 AM Gray Line Iceland Excursions bus to the Blue Lagoon in front of our hotel; we booked our round trip bus in advance at a cost of 3,515 ISK each (7,030 ISK total) or about $62.00 US total). We have paid for the bus without entrance to the Blue Lagoon, since we are purchasing the Executive Lounge package at the Blue Lagoon, for more privacy.

We have our Gray Line Iceland Excursions bus confirmation printout with us, including bar code. Be sure to have it for boarding the bus this morning.

We’ll arrive at about 9:50 AM (a 50-minute bus ride), and proceed to the front desk. We have already booked the Exclusive Lounge (they have our name at the desk) an option for guests looking for more privacy than possible in the regular communal showers and locker rooms.

Our area will include six private changing rooms and private showers for 1-2 people and access to a reserved lounge with modern design furniture, a fireplace and a private indoor lagoon with access to the Blue Lagoon outside. On the second floor, there's an outdoor deck overlooking the lagoon. Light refreshments are served at the lounge, free of charge, and selected dishes from LAVA Restaurant can be ordered. Our cost is €135 total (about $196 US), entitling a couple to 3 hours (we pay in person, not in advance). If we choose, we can eat lunch here before we return to the city.

We are required to take a complete shower first, and then change into our swimwear, before proceeding to the Blue Lagoon. In most places, one is able to stand in the water, so knowing how to swim is not a necessity (although life guards are on duty). After our shower, we’ll spend time in the warm water outside, relaxing and enjoying the surreal landscape. Then, once we’re done, we can return to the lounge, change, and stroll the grounds, taking photos and visiting the gift shop. We could also checkout the balcony or hang out in the lounge overlooking the Blue Lagoon and read or talk.

We should plan to return to Reykjavik via the 12:00 PM or 3:00 PM Gray Line Iceland Excursions bus, arriving back in town after a 50-minute ride. We have 3 hours available to us a the lagoon, but we could shop there and have lunch afterward, if we want the 3:00 PM bus.

Once back in Reykjavik, we have pre-purchased tickets to an Icelandic music show at 5:00 PM, and need to leave for the Harpa concert hall at 4:30 PM (located at the harbor). If we take the 3:00 PM bus, we’ll have just a half hour before we leave for the show. If we take the 12:00 PM bus (and take just two hours at the lagoon), we’ll have a solid three hours to chill or explore the city.

REVIEW: Is the Blue Lagoon touristy? Perhaps. I mean Icelanders have their own neighborhood geothermal pools close to home for daily use, so why would they drive 50 minutes out of town and pay a premium to soak with those coming or going from the nearby airport? Still, this is a don't miss experience. The only way to picture it (sans pictures, of course) it is to imagine yourself wading comfortably along in naturally heated blue water amid a lunar landscape of black rock. I don't even like water, and I spent nearly two happy hours in the lagoon with my wife (who could have stayed for another two hours with ease). Completely relaxing, and entirely original for your eyes and mind. While the Executive Lounge package is by no means necessary, we prefer a bit more privacy when showering and changing (our American puritan roots, no doubt), and I have to say, this splurge enhanced the entire experience for us, with beverages, fresh fruit, coffee, a secure place for our belongings, a private entrance to the lagoon, a section of indoor pool, and even a fireplace for our enjoyment. I think if we go back, we'd do it all again.
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5:00 PM: Women in Icelandic Music at Harpa
At about 4:30 PM, we’ll head to Harpa concert hall, a brand new glass, concrete and steel venue at the east harbor (opened in May), for the 5:00 PM Women in Icelandic Music concert, a 75 minute show with a brief intermission. We already paid for our tickets at www.midi.is. Our reference number is 98F39, but we also have our confirmation email to collect our tickets at the box office. We paid 6,000 ISK total, or about $53.00, in advance of our trip.

Composers, poets or subjects? This program explores the roles women play in Icelandic music. Sung in Icelandic and introduced in English

Length: Around 75 min (with break)
Performers: 2 Singers and a Pianist
Location: Kaldalón – 4th Hall Harpa

The show will conclude at 6:15 PM. If we’re hungry afterward, we could consider Laekjarbrekka (www.laekjarbrekka.is), open from 11:30 AM-11:30 PM, or the café or restaurant at Harpa. After the show, we have a free night in Reykjavik to do whatever we like—or go to bed early!

REVIEW: Harpa is stunning. And while our little concert was not in the main hall (but in one of many small performance spaces), the show was absolutely beautiful, with Icelandic music and lyrics, but English introductions (the stories behind the songs). The vocalists and musician were well-trained professionals...and Icelandic. This venue and our own little hall were designed to capture elements of the nation's geological history, with walls inspired by volcanic rock formations and splashes of red fabric, representing fire. The placement of this national music treasure, right at the harbor, filled with colorful fishing and touring ships, is also striking. Don't go to Reykjavik without a show at Harpa--and I highly recommend something Icelandic.
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DAY 5 (WED 29.6): SNAEFELLSNESS PENINSULA
We spent this day with our friends, who took us on a driving tour to the west coast, the Snaefellsness Peninsula, a remarkable national park that has a coastline resembling the Cliffs of Moher in the west of Ireland: high, rugged, colorful (brown, yellow and red mountains, green fields, black rock, and blue water)--unforgettable. This area also affords one views of a glacier, the first we've ever seen.

REVIEW: The drive from Reykjavik takes about three hours one-way, but with a rental car, is well worth it, especially with an early start. In addition, there are tour companies available (info at the hotel) who will transport you via mini-bus on a day-long journey here. While the ride initially seemed long to us for a holiday, once we arrived and saw the unique beauty of the surroundings, we were so grateful for the opportunity to visit this area. And the lovely dinner provided by our friends at their summer home on the coast made an already great day even more memorable.
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DAY 6 (THU 30.6): SLEEP IN; REYKJAVIK; FOOTBALL MATCH AT 8:00 PM

Sleep In; Shopping; Botanic Gardens; Reykjavik 871
We’ll sleep in today, have a late breakfast, and do some shopping before visiting the Botanic Gardens (open 10:00 AM-10:00 PM; admission is free: www.grasagardur.is). We could also stroll along the pond.

Main shopping streets include Laugavegur (the central shopping avenue), Skolavordustigur, Austurstraeti and Hafnarstraeti.

In addition, we could visit Reykjavik 871 (www.reykjavik871.is), right next to (and, in fact, beneath) our hotel. Built around a 10th Century Viking house, this museum experience is ultra-high tech; open 10 AM-5 PM; 600 ISK each, or about $10.00 total for two. Another possible site to see is the Raohus (or city hall), located on the water and open 8 AM-7 PM. Admission is free.

We could have lunch at any place listed earlier in the itinerary that we missed to this point.

The afternoon is wide open for sleeping, reading, shopping, or perhaps visiting the National Museum (www.natmus.is), free, opens at 10:00 AM OR the Culture House (www.thjodmenning.is), 300 IKR each (or about $5.50 US total for two), opens at 11:00 AM.

Then we’ll enjoy a relaxing siesta back at the hotel.

Tonight: Icelandic Football Match at 8:00 PM
Then at about 7:00 PM we’ll take a taxi or bus to Fjölnisvöllur to see the football match between Fjölnir (Reykjavik) and Leiknir, with kick-off slated for 8:00 PM. We reserved our tickets in advance, and should collect them under the name John Novick upon arrival at the stadium.

To get to the stadium (called Fjolnisvollur) we could take the bus (350 ISK each, or about $6.00) or a taxi from our hotel (about 4,000 ISK, or about $35.00). For the bus, we should catch the 7:15 PM bus #6 at Adalstraeti, a station 100 meters from our hotel, and get off at Fjolnisvollur (a 27 min ride from when we board until our stiop). Once off the bus, it’s a four-minute walk to the stadium.

The tickets for the match on hold for us will be 1200 ISK each (2400 ISK total, or about $21.00 US total).

This is a First Division game in Iceland, one level below the Premier Division. Fjölnir was founded in 1988. Fjölnir’s team nickname is the Bitter Lemon! Round trip taxi to/from Fjölnisvöllur will cost about 7000 ISK (about $60.00 US total). The stadium is about 15 minutes drive from the city center. We could also get there by bus (much cheaper), for about 1400 ISK for two, round trip (about $12.00 US total).

NOTE: Before leaving the hotel, however, we should ask the front desk to make certain the Flybus collects us at the hotel tomorrow afternoon in time for our 3:30 PM departing flight for home.

We may take a taxi home from the game (about 4,000 ISK or $35.00 US), if one’s available. If not, we’ll retrace our steps via the bus.

Our Last Night
We will depart the hotel tomorrow around noon for home, and so after the game, we can take one last night-time stroll around Reykjavik, before doing some initial packing.

REVIEW: We never made it to the botanic gardens, but I do recommend 45 minutes for Reykjavik 871, which does a fantastic job detailing the founding of the city, centered around the ruins of an original Viking long house. Interesting and well done, really capturing your imagination. The football match was also great fun...what's not to like about a home side whose nickname is "The Bitter Lemons"? Got cold, however, and so we left at the half. Still an interesting match. While the level of play was certainly not world class (second division), the athletes played hard and quite physically...which I hear is a trait of Scandinavian play. Colorful, energetic and competitive. A nice way to spend an evening in Reykjavik at an unbeatable price. Can't comment on the bus service, since our friend from Reykjavik, David, accompanied us, and so he drove.
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FLIGHT (FRI 1.7): FLIGHT KEFLAVIK TO O’HARE
After breakfast this morning, we’ll finish packing for our departure for home, checkout of the hotel, and take a final look around Reykjavik before meeting the Flybus in front of our hotel at TBA PM (we’ll have confirmed the pickup time with our hotel front desk last night, but it will probably be around noon).We’ve already purchased our Flybus tickets via the Internet, from home, and simply have to show our vouchers.

At the airport, we’ll clear security and check in for our 3:30 PM non-stop flight from Reykjavik to Chicago on Iceland Exoress Flight 5W457, arriving at Chicago-O’Hare at 5:10 PM (a 6hr 40 min flight). Then we’ll take a taxi back to the city, probably getting back to Lincoln Park by 7:00 PM.

EXPENSES (21 JUNE 2011) Based on $1.55 US per €; .0089 US cents per ISK (Icelandic Kronur)

Airfare (includes flight insurance and seats with additional legroom): $1,626 US
Lodging: (6 nights): €1,414 = $2,093 US
Ground Transport (bus to/from airport, estimated taxis): 13,200 ISK x .0088 = $115 US
Entrance Fees/Tours 42,000 ISK x .0089 = $374
Per Diem Breakfast included with hotel; 3500 ISK for lunch; 8000 ISK for dinner; and 15,000 ISK per day shopping, etc = 21,500 ISK x 6 = 159,000 ISK x .0089 = $1,415 US

TOTAL COST OF THIS SIX-NIGHT TRIP: $5,735.00

Giving It a Go: A Baseball Guy Gives European Football an Honest Shot

2011-04-17T20:15:00.070-05:00

Guess I'm swimming in the deep end, now.

My fascination with all things European--history, art, architecture, wine, food, and, of course, travel—has led me to finally devote some time and energy to exploring just why soccer (football in Europa, calcio in Italia) is the world’s game. I mean, billions world-wide can’t be wrong, can they? I guess I’m not so sure…at least not yet. But I’m working on it.

I grew up with an unquestioned faith in the natural authenticity, the timeless symmetry, and the green promise of baseball, where teammates and rivals celebrate the connectedness of all—and the glory of summer, our longest, sunniest days, the days we live out of doors—by tossing a cowhide-covered ball between us, leather glove to leather glove, and striking it into play with a hunk of wood, the natural grain exposed, a perfect fit at the handle for the human hand.

Of course, none of this occurred to me at eleven years old. Baseball was just what we did any chance we got. In our side yard, the brick garage served as the catcher (automatic ball return!), a clay brick as first base, a tree as second, the side of the apartment building as third, and a glove as home. Well beyond the tree, up a gradual slope, was the fence that separated the yard from the sidewalk in front of our three-flat. The fence was covered in ivy in the summer months, which, to us, made our yard Wrigley Field. But unlike the real deal in Lakeview, our South Side version of the Friendly Confines had that tree as second base, which meant that cracking a home run over the ivy and onto Avenue L required one to crush the ball through the foliage of the fully mature tree, or just about over it, something even King Kong Dave Kingman might have struggled to do. The side yard on the corner of 100th Street and Avenue L was a pitcher’s ballpark.

Of all my sporting loves over the years—baseball, hockey, football, basketball—only baseball has survived as a passion into middle age. It’s a game that seems to prove something lasts. Despite the specialization in today’s game, the modern equipment, and the increased size and strength of the players, it remains, essentially, the same: the 90 feet between bases, the 60 feet, 6 inches from the mound to home, and the home run fences anywhere from 300 to 400 feet from the plate, well, they pose precisely the same challenges to 21st Century ballplayers as they did to the Cubs’ first National League championship team back in 1876…the summer of Custer’s Last Stand. Of all major sports, the game itself has withstood time, and would be recognized and played well by the best players of any era. So when Dana and I are at Wrigley watching the Cubs, we feel instinctively (it’s not something spoken) as if we’re not just watching a game, but that we’re somehow taking our rightful place in our family and city and national histories. We belong.

That brings me to soccer. Now that we’ve traveled a good bit of Europe—with Iceland and another trip to Italy next—it seems to me that soccer might just hold some of the same character and history and cultural significance (that sense of identity, of belonging) for those who love that game. And I’m beginning to think that one cannot really understand the rich, historic tapestry of European cultures--and, perhaps, our own ancestry, personal and national--without making an honest effort to understand football, too. And besides, with nieces and nephews having played more soccer than baseball in their youth, I can't help but wonder: Why?

So I’ve consulted with some well-traveled friends who know the game well, researched a bit, and selected two teams to follow closely whose histories and cultures and cities intrigue me, since I figure one has to have a rooting interest in this business (it is a game, after all). I also think I can learn more by following one or two teams through their seasons than I can trying to wrap my head around dozens of squads and hundreds of players across many leagues.

I’ve selected West Ham United from east London in the English Premier League (although as one might expect from a Cubs’ fan, since I’ve followed West Ham, the team has collapsed and now faces the real possibility of relegation to the Championship or B league next year), and Fiorentina in the Italian Serie A, largely because Dana and I just love the city of Florence so much. I’m keeping an eye out for a La Liga (Spanish League) club for which to root, but while blown away by the quality of play in this, perhaps the greatest of all professional leagues today, no team as caught my eye just yet. Again, as a Cubs fan, it’s counter-intuitive to adopt a team like Barcelona or Real Madrid, which would be like trying to learn about the soul, the passion in baseball by adopting the New York Yankees as a team. Only a New Yorker would believe one can learn as much from winning as one can from a desperate struggle to survive.

One month into my adventure in European football, I’ve learned three things:

1. Beer—Estrella Damm from Barcelona has been my choice—goes surprisingly well with breakfast foods like oatmeal, sausage & egg sandwiches, and French toast. Since the European games are broadcast live at The Globe and other European style pubs starting at about 6:30 AM on weekends, most of my beer consumption now takes place before 11:00 AM. And in these establishments, this seems not only socially acceptable, but also rather natural!

2. While I used to think the rule prohibiting the use of one’s hands (only the most complex, effective tool man has) was a flaw in the game, it’s actually quite fascinating, a strength. What can you do when your most commonly relied-upon tool is unavailable to you? That requires remarkable creativity and ingenuity from the athletes, and is mesmerizing to watch.

3. The fact that a football match runs no more than about two hours on television—compared to three hours for most baseball, hockey, basketball and American football contests—is already something I appreciate. The length of the matches seems perfect, allowing for intensity and maximum energy…but not lethargy and monotony.

From time-to-time I’ll update visitors to Molto Gentile, Italia with my findings. A fun way to pass the time before our next journey across the pond. Thanks for reading, and ciao for now.

GIO

Essay: Why Travel to Europe? What's Wrong with the U.S.?

2010-08-10T17:41:00.257-05:00

I wonder why those of us who find travel abroad so enriching, so invigorating, find it necessary to justify our excursions, to others or to ourselves. I consider myself a patriotic person. I taught American history for many years. I've walked countless Civil War battlefields, read thousands of pages of American history since college, and remain active in voter registration and grassroots politics. I cherish the personal relics we display in our home from our ancestors who fought against royal birthrights in the Great War, Fascism in World War II, and the spread of Communism in the post-war Army of Occupation, Korea and Vietnam. I think the Founders of this great nation were sophisticated, open-minded Enlightenment thinkers who realized at conception that the nation to which they and the courageous young men in arms gave birth would be complicated, evolutionary, a constant work in progress, a perpetual striving to ensure equality of opportunity and personal liberty for every citizen...probably never finished, entirely, but always forward-looking, optimistic, hopeful of getting just a bit closer to that glorious ideal Mr. Jefferson put, so eloquently, into words.

And yet I am asked often, "How could you spend so much time and money going to Europe when there are so many places in America you haven't yet seen?" As if it somehow makes one more American--or more responsible with his or her money--to lounge by the pool in Vegas, whoop it up with Mickey and Donald in Orlando, catch a Broadway show on Broadway, or even camp alongside the beautiful Yellowstone River out west.

In recent years I've encountered and developed some wonderful justifications for our love of travel abroad: to see firsthand where we, a nation of immigrants, came from; to learn about ancestors and the lives they led before coming to America; to gain a more global perspective on the challenges America and the world face in the 21st Century; to be inspired by the infinite variety of cultures this wonderful little planet holds; to support today's global economy, impacting positively not just the countries we visit, but America, too; to get far enough away from work and our day-to-day routines to truly relax, disconnect a little, and grow even closer together, my wife and I (amazing how you can still do that, no matter how many years you've had as a couple or how close you already are); and to learn, no matter where you travel, that when it comes right down to it people always have more in common with one another than anyone suspects.

Even travel guru Rick Steves seems to feel the need to justify his business in terms of the opportunities European travel offers to bring the world closer together, to try to build a better future for us all by increasing global understanding and empathy, and sharing possible solutions to universal problems. His latest book, Travel as a Political Act (2009), a book I really like, makes a compelling argument that travel abroad is itself an action individual citizens can take to do their part to bridge the divides between societies that so often lead to misunderstanding and fear--and violent conflict.

I was amazed to see, recently, that even America's first family, the Obamas, are not immune to narrow-minded attacks when it comes to European travel. When the first lady traveled to Spain this month with a young daughter--accompanied by a dear friend who had recently suffered a death in her family and very much wanted a change of scenery and the close company of her old friend, Mrs. Obama--she and the President (who did not go on this trip) were accused by political opponents of enjoying lavish holidays abroad while the American people were left behind to suffer through an oppressive summer of high unemployment and nagging economic anxiety. The implicit message here was not very subtle: travel beyond the shores of the US is for rich, elite pleasure-seekers who don't believe their own country is worthy of their time and money.

I can't help but wonder if these same small-minded critics would possess the courage to level such ridiculous charges against Ben Franklin, Tom Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, old Sam Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, or JFK.

I doubt it.

And although I believe that the various justifications for travel abroad referenced above possess merit, I don't much care. I've come to view European travel the same way I view a glass of wine. You can analyze it all you want, write about the terroir, the wine-maker's intentions, the history of the vineyard, the unique characteristics of the varietal, the science employed in its making, the type of barrels used in the aging process, the impact of the year's weather on the ripening of the grapes, and the tasting notes published by the world's leading experts...but in the end it comes down to this: if you like it, you drink it. And if you like it a lot, you drink some more.

I like the taste of Europe, so I drink it. I like it a lot, and so I drink some more.

The rest is just icing on a very delicious Sacher torte, to accompany my wine.

On Vivaldi, Venice and Vomit

2010-08-06T18:17:00.007-05:00

Classical music and ice hockey have held similar places in my life: my appreciation of these two art forms has always exceeded my ability to understand and participate in them...and anyone who doesn't recognize hockey as art, well, you clearly haven't seen Wayne Gretzky, Steve Yzerman or Denis Savard skate: savoir faire was everywhere.

But while I've long ago given up driving to a south suburban rink at two o'clock in the morning with buddies Dan and Glenn to endure two long, sweaty hours of physical abuse--usually involving me falling onto the ice in an infinite variety of painful contortions and a post-game 5:00 AM meal of White Castle hamburgers, Diet Coke and Tylenol--I have not given up the ghost when it comes to making sense of classical music. And I've graduated in middle-age to a late night meal of prosciutto, a glass of Tempranillo, and Motrin. Tylenol is so 1995.

So when Dana and I had the opportunity to hear a quintet featuring some of the best young musicians from across the Italian region of Veneto perform selections from the Venetian Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons at a 16th Century palazzo in Venice a few summers back...well, it sounded like heaven, even before I'd heard a single note.

The setting was fairy-tale mystical. Venezia's Palazzo delle Prigion (even an old prison sounds damn sophisticated in Italiano) was begun by Giovanni Antonio Rusconi in 1563 and continued in 1589 by Antonio da Ponte, who beat out Palladio and the great Michelangelo himself for the commission to design the Rialto Bridge across the Canale Grande (completed in 1591). The Palazzo delle Prigione--which held accused spy Casanova for a stint back in the 18th Century--is connected to the Palazzo Ducale by the Bridge of Sighs. The Palazzo Ducale served as home to the Venetian city-state's rulers centuries ago, when Venice was a global power at the center of east-west trade--and had the navy to prove it. Legend has it that the Bridge of Sighs, a covered bridge in stone spanning the narrow canal that separates the palace from the prison, evoked involuntary sighs from the condemned men who made the walk from the palace court to the prison, since the bridge's small windows afforded one last glimpse of their Bride of the Sea (as Venice was known) and, perhaps, friends and family, before the convicted faced life in prison--or worse.

Back in the 21st Century, Dana and I chatted with some travelers from Switzerland as we waited in line to enter the prison, mainly about the hilarious manner in which Italians form a line, not unlike the manner in which the painter Jackson Pallock might choose to create a painting entitled Line.

Our concerto in the prison was organized by Veneto's Orchestra Collegium Ducale, and the damp, stone-walled room in which the show was to be performed--a large windowless space of stone, with about seventy-five folding chairs set up before the familiar black music stands you remember from music class as a kid--was illuminated mostly by candles. We took our seats in about the fourth row, quite satisfied, slowly cooling down in the darkness, and eager to see these college kids show us what they could do. It's impossible to be in this setting and not feel like two of the luckiest people in the world.

What we didn't know then was that trouble was lurking in the halls of the Palazzo delle Prigion, and headed our way.

Just seconds after the quintet launched into Vivaldi, violins ablaze with frenzied Baroque energy in the flickering prison, all for our pleasure after a long, exhausting day, two well-dressed men who had not bathed since Casanova slept here more than 250 years ago quietly slipped into the room and took seats directly behind us.

Dana noticed it first, shifting uncomfortably in her seat about a minute before her eyes communicated to me her realization of the unfortunate situation in which we found ourselves. And make no mistake about it: this isn't hyperbole. The odor, which to this day I cannot describe without feeling a little nauseous, seemed to surround you physically first, and then, rather than enter through your nostrils, it carefully seeped through your pours, so that by the time you smelled the stench, you had the definite sensation that it was both on you and in you, and just might be impossible to get off.

Now I understand that most people around the world do not bath daily, and do not use the multitude of hygiene products that nearly all north Americans and many Europeans use. And I think Dana and I, in our travels, work hard to accept if not embrace the little differences in culture that make travel abroad interesting and rewarding. But this wasn't cultural.

It was metaphysical.

When I looked at Dana again, she had her purse open and her head buried inside of it in an attempt to use the handbag the way Dough Boys back in the First World War employed their gas masks to survive the lethal mustard cloud floating across no man's land toward them. Whereas the Dough Boys possessed a small life-saving charcoal filter in their masks, Dana had to settle for the recently purchased Italian scented soaps still in her bag. And while the brave men of the Great War sought occasional refuge in the trenches, here we were, exposed fully...sitting ducks caught between the lines as an insidious enemy poured over-the-top.

And so we agreed to move, without speaking a word, with only a slight nod (Dana nodding with nearly her entire head stuffed into her bag, so that it appeared from my vantage point that the bag was nodding at me), and departed for a place to stand against the back wall on the other side of the room.

At first the new position seemed a vast improvement. We could actually see the performers better, and the air, well, it seemed fresher. We redirected our attention to Vivaldi, as the slow, quiet melodies seemed to drift about the dark room as if playing with the shadows thrown by the players' movements, hinting, from time-to-time, at the anticipated joy of spring ready to burst forth in music.

But in a matter of minutes, the odor returned, as foul and fierce as before. Either the putrid, rotten, sweaty gas had, by this time, encompassed the entire room, or it was entrenched in the fiber of our clothing. Or--and this always crosses one's mind in this situation-- could the smell possibly be emanating from us?

We tried to focus on the concerto, determined to stick it out to the end, and while we rallied just enough to do so--and while the night engendered a deeper appreciation of Vivaldi, great respect for the talent of the fine young musicians of the Collegium Ducale, and fond memories--in the end, we escaped the Palazzo delle Prigion just in time, sucking in the Adriatic-cooled evening air after the show as if we'd been holding our breath for the last 90 minutes.

We were relieved not to have vomited to Vivaldi in Venice, and left wondering as we walked back across Piazza San Marco toward Locanda al Leon, now eager for a deep sleep (sleep in Venice, like everything else, is somehow sweeter), Is it possible that no one else even noticed that?

For Americans, one of the most exciting things about European travel is that Europeans seem to experience their day-to-day lives in a much more sensory way than we do. The fresh produce markets, the wines tied inextricably to particular plots of land, the music, the cafes, the fashion, the food, the art, the grand public squares full of people savoring life and the quiet, narrow Medieval lanes where locals stroll every evening re-affirming their sense of place, of family, of home. The sights, sounds, feel and smells of Europe are a result of people soaking up life through every sense available to them, rich but real, simple but beautiful, and always in full color. Europe--and Italy, especially--is a place where even the foul odors come with a little more intensity and a little less shame.

And I suppose changing that could change everything.

On Visiting Dachau, July 4, 2010

2010-07-26T19:05:00.008-05:00

First, I need to get a few things off my chest:

What Jews, Catholic priests, political dissenters, gays, intellectuals, Roma, and prisoners-of-war endured at Dachau and camps similar to it between 1933 and 1945 must never happen, again, and to me, there is no price too high to pay to ensure that it does not.

To say that such a thing as the Holocaust could not happen today, in the 21st Century, is short-sighted and naïve. When ugly, bigoted rhetoric, especially in hard times, turns into a so-called mainstream political position--and is reinforced by the election to the government of leaders who hold and promote such hate-filled positions--the 1930s and 40s teach us, clearly, that we are capable of the most barbarous conduct toward our fellow man. I am saddened that we have not learned to be more careful with words, especially in our political discourse, in the wake of the bloody 20th Century.

Whether or not they consider themselves so today (or ever did) the GIs who liberated Dachau--the men of the 42nd US Infantry Division and the 20th Armored Division--and their counterparts all over Europe, are and always will be heroes. This doesn’t mean they have to be considered perfect: they weren’t, and to view them as such is to lessen the particular hell they had to endure. In the midst of the horror they found at Dachau, a few of these young men gave into their rage and exacted a deadly vengeance some would struggle to come to terms with later. But while they remained vulnerable to the most basic of human emotions--shock, empathy, sadness, rage and grief--these GIs risked their own lives for the freedom of people they didn’t even know. When they arrived, all over Europe, the continent’s most vulnerable, weak, sick and suffering men, women and children understood what that meant: life and freedom.
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Visiting Dachau is not something one shakes off so easily. Located about ten miles north of Munich, it’s about a twenty-minute train ride to the town of Dachau, born in the Middle Ages. The station at which you arrive is the same station prisoners would have passed through, prior to be force-marched to the camp, beaten and kicked by guards all the way. Falling out meant the possibility of instant death. To the Nazis, this was a work camp, after all, and if you were not capable of marching to the camp, chances are you would be worthless to the Fuhrer as a munitions worker, and therefore the state actually benefited from your death at that point, saving the meager cost to cloth and feed you a diet to keep you alive and working for about nine months.

Today’s twenty-minute ride between Munich’s Hauptbahnhof and Dachau doesn’t begin to capture the distance in mindset one travels during that period. You arrive not knowing how to act, what to say, what to do. And it’s so quiet. It’s as if you’ve ceased to be you, and have lost--gradually, as you get closer to Dachau--the ability to communicate thoughts and feelings. I suppose it’s as it should be: what could you possibly say or do that could capture the enormity of the loss here? At least 30,000 lives cruelly destroyed forever in the most painful, gut-wrenching ways imaginable, all for an ignorant, stupid theory: some of us are born with more inherent value than others, and therefore do not deserve freedom, opportunity, fulfillment, or even life itself. A dull, unoriginal, utterly ridiculous God-dammned theory--and 6,000,000 are dead. Words matter. Ideas matter. And sometimes, when we’re careless or disengaged or desperate, maniacal demagogues matter, too.

Dachau was a "parent" concentration camp created by the Nazis in 1933 to serve as a model and training ground for a system that grew to include 20,000 work and extermination camps of various sizes throughout fascist Europe. Because of its role as a parent camp, anything that happened anywhere in the system--including deadly medical experiments, the gassing to death of prisoners (not common at Dachau, but it happened), torture during Gestapo interrogation, the execution of prisoners-of-war, and more) happened at Dachau.

At the time of its liberation on Sunday, April 29, 1945, American soldiers found 30,000 people in a camp that was constructed to hold a maximum of 5,000. They also found railroad box cars filled with corpses; bodies piled high by the crematorium (the Nazis were short on fuel to keep the ovens burning); gas chambers; mass graves; and prisoners so malnourished and sick, that 3,000 Dachau prisoners died of illness after being liberated.

Death marches--including the forced marches from the train station--claimed the lives of many, but at Dachau, a slave camp supporting munitions production, most were worked to death to maximize their value to the state. A Dachau accountant calculated that each prisoner, based on a nine-month life span and considering his production, clothing, and meager food expenses, was worth the equivalent of 900,00 Euros in today's currency (about $1,165.00 U.S). Human life reduced to figures in a chilling mathematical calculation.

In the hours and days after our visit to Dachau--on 4 July, our Independence Day in America, of all days--Dana and I found ourselves struggling to carry on with our site-seeing in Munich, attributing it to weariness near the end of a long fifteen-night European holiday to London, Cambridge, all through Austria, and, at the end, Munich, Germany.

Looking back at it now, I think we also found it hard to continue our journey unsure of how to come to terms with our visit to Dachau--and I don’t think we’re any more capable of doing so now than we were two weeks ago. Maybe that’s why preserving a terrible place like this, at least preserving aspects of the physical grounds as much as possible--survivors often comment about how sterile and serene the place seems, post-war--is so important, even if it is unpleasant for the people of the small town of the same name who would like nothing more than to move on, to put this dark chapter in German and local history behind them. I don’t judge those people. Most weren’t even alive at the time, and like us, they just want to live their lives fully, looking to the future. As far as their grandparents and great-grandparents go, if I was a resident of Dachau in Nazi Germany, could I summon the courage to risk my own life--and, more dear, that of my entire family--and stand up to the SS and Gestapo at that camp on the edge of town? Having a sense of what kind of brutality was going on there, and on what scale?

The answer to that question scares me. And Dachau scares me. Not only because it happened, but because I think it’s possible that something like Dachau could happen again in this world. I’ll say it, again: once you’ve visited, this is not an easy place to shake-off.

And it’s not supposed to be.

NOTE: Click HERE for Gio's short film on visiting Dachau

Gio's Original YouTube Series on European Travel and Art

2010-07-26T19:03:00.011-05:00

Click here to access all episodes of Gio's YouTube show, European Highlights with Gio & Dana Marie, featuring short (five minutes or less) color slide shows of our favorite European locales set to the orginal music of Chicago power-popper Phil Angotti (http://www.philangotti.com/).

Click here for Gio's European Art show, Gio's Paintbrush.

Itinerary: London, Austria and Munich in Two Weeks

2010-07-26T18:10:00.012-05:00

GRUSS GOTT 2010: ENGLAND, AUSTRIA & GERMANY

LONDON, ENGLAND; VIENNA, HALLSTATT, SALZBURG & INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA; MUNICH & DACHAU, GERMANY

Sun 20 June - Tue 6 July 2010

++BASIC ITINERARY++

+Fly Chicago to London, England (0 stop), 20-6-10 (Sun), departing O’Hare Terminal One at 6:12 PM on United Airlines Flight 928 (seats 36A, 36B), arriving in London, England at 8:25 AM on 21-6 (Mon): a 8 hr 13 min flight

+4 nights London with Optional Day Trip (Oxford? Brighton? Cambridge?), 21-6 (Mon), 22-6 (Tue), 23-6 (Wed) & 24-6 (Thu)

+Flight London to Vienna, Austria (0 Stop), departing London-Heathrow Terminal Three at 9:50 AM on British Airways Flight 700, arriving in Vienna, Austria at 1:10 PM on 25-6 (Fri): a 2 hr 20 min flight with a 1 hour time difference

+3 nights Vienna, 25-6 (Fri), 26-6 (Sat) & 27-6

+Train Vienna to Hallstatt, Austria, 28-6 (Mon), 3 hours 42 minutes with no changes

+2 nights Hallstatt, 28-6 (Mon) & 29-6 (Tue)

+Train Hallstatt to Salzburg, 30-6 (Wed) - 2 hours 40 minutes including 1 change

+3 nights Salzburg with guided Sound of Music day trip,30-6 (Wed), 1-7 (Thu) & 2-7 (Fri)

+Train Salzburg to Innsbruck, 3-7 (Sat) - 2 hours with no changes

+1 night Innsbruck, 3-7 (Sat)

+Train Innsbruck to Munich, Germany, 4-7 (Sun), 1 hour 49 minutes with no changes

+2 nights Munich, Germany with day trip to Dachau Concentration Camp, 4-7 (Sun) & 5-7 (Mon)

+Fly Munich, Germany to Chicago-O’Hare (0 stop), 6-7 (Tue), departing Munich Airport Terminal Two at 3:40 PM on United Airlines Flight 8855, operated by Deutsche Lufthansa, arriving back in Chicago at 6:20 PM: a 9 hr 40 min flight

++DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY++

DAY ONE (MON 21.6): LONDON

Arrival at Heathrow; Transfer to Covent Garden
We’ll arrive at Heathrow Airport at 8:25 AM on Monday, and after clearing customs, take the Tube (Blue, Piccadilly Line, heading east) to Covent Garden, which is the stop right after Leicester Square. We should purchase two three-day Travelcards for the Tube, at about £17, each, before boarding. This will be direct service from Heathrow to the Covent Garden stop, where our hotel is located.

Walking Directions to The Fielding Hotel from the Covent Garden Tube stop: Exit the Covent Garden Station onto Long Acre. Turn right and walk along Long Acre. Turn right onto Bow Street. Continue along Bow Street until you reach the junction of Bow Street and Broad Court, cross over at the pedestrian crossing onto Broad Court. The Fielding Hotel is on the right.

The Fielding Hotel, at 4 Broad Court. We’ve reserved a larger queen room for four nights with early check-in, including en suite bath/shower and wireless Internet access. Our rate is £164.50 per night, including VAT (total will be £658, BUT we paid a £64.50 deposit to hold the room in February, and thus the TOTAL due will be £593.50). Telephone is 20-7836-8305; email is reservations@thefieldinghotel.co.uk; www.thefieldinghotel.co.uk. We’ll start each day with breakfast at the nearby Covent Garden market (not available at the hotel, but many great local options nearby).

Note: Small, simple little hotel, with an outstanding location and very friendly, helpful staff. Nothing fancy, and no breakfast, but a fine place. Would definitely recommend it.

Breakfast & Shopping in Covent Garden; Harrod’s Department Store; Tour Kensington Palace
After getting settled in our hotel and having breakfast in Covent Garden, we’ll proceed via Tube to the Knightsbridge stop for some browsing and shopping at Harrod’s (opens at 10:00 AM), as well as the nearby shops on Beauchamp Place. To get to Harrod’s, we’ll take the Piccadilly line (Blue) west from Covent Garden to Knightsbridge (the 5th stop from Covent Garden).

After a few hours browsing and shopping, at about 1:30 PM, we’ll head over to Kensington Palace to tour Queen Victoria’s birthplace and Princess Diana’s one-time residence (about £12 each). To get there from Knightsbridge, we’ll take the Tube from Knightsbridge to High Street Kensington.

After touring Kensington Palace, we’ll head back to the hotel (for a short siesta) via Tube from High Street Kensington (Circle Line, Yellow) to South Kensington, where we’ll change to the Piccadilly Line (Blue) to Covent Garden.

Note: We never made it to the Palace; Dana needed a siesta and John went to the National Gallery (free, Trafalgar Square), instead.

Canela Café; Old Westminster By Gaslight Walk
At about 5:15 PM we’ll head out for dinner at Canela, a Portuguese café well-liked by locals on Yelp, with great prices. To get there from the Covent Garden Tube station, we’ll head northeast on Long Acre toward James Street, and turn left on Neal Street. Then we’ll go left on Earlham Street, and Canela will be on the right. It’s a two-minute walk from the Tube station.

After dinner, by about 6:15 PM, we’ll walk a few blocks to the Leicester Square Tube station, and take the Northern (Black) line south to Embankment, and then transfer to either the Circle (Yellow) or District (Green) line west to the Westminster stop. Then we’ll proceed to Exit 4 to meet our tour guide Angela, for our two-hour walking tour from London Walks, the Old Westminster Gaslight Tour (£7, each; no pre-booking; just show up and pay your guide).

After the walking tour--at about 9:00 PM--we’ll head back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep via Tube.

DAY TWO (TUE 22.6): LONDON

Breakfast at Crème de la Crepe; Thames River Cruise to Kew Gardens
We‘ll have breakfast this morning by 8:30 AM in the basement of the Covent Garden Market at Crème de la Crepe, before taking the Tube from the Leicester Square Tube station to Westminster Bridge for our Thames River Cruise to Kew Gardens.

Note: Crème de la Crepe was never open at 8:30 AM; we went to Starbucks, instead.

To get to Westminster Bridge from Covent Garden, we’ll walk a few blocks to the Leicester Square Tube station, and take the Northern (Black) line south to Embankment, and then transfer to either the Circle (Yellow) or District (Green) line west to the Westminster stop.

Then we’ll take the Westminster Passenger Services Association boat from Westminster Pier (departing from the pier beneath Westminster Bridge at 10:30 AM) to Kew Gardens (about £11, each, one-way; a 90-minute cruise up the Thames, with 45 minutes of narration; http://www.wpsa.co.uk).

Once at the Gardens, we’ll focus on three buildings: the Palm House, the Waterlilly House, and the Princess of Wales Conservatory. After the Palm House, we’ll walk 10 minutes to the Orangery for a light lunch. Afterwards, we’ll proceed back to Victoria Gate to take the narrated 35-minute train through the park that departs on the hour (entry to the park is about £13, and the train ride will be about £4 each). See p. 95 in Steves.

After the tram ride, we’ll take the Tube from Victoria Gate (take the Green Line, District) to the South Kensington stop, where we’ll transfer to the Piccadilly Line (Blue) back to Covent Garden for an afternoon siesta before tonight’s concert.

Bon Jovi Concert at the O2 London, 6 30 PM; leave hotel at 5:00 PM
After a siesta--and maybe grabbing a snack in Covent Garden--we’ll depart the hotel by 5:00 PM to take the Tube to the London 02 to see Bon Jovi in concert (starts at 6:30 PM). To get there via Tube, we’ll walk to the nearby Leicester Square Tube station and take the Northern Line (Black) south to Waterloo, where we’ll transfer to the Jubilee Line (Grey) heading east to the North Greenwich stop (where the 02 is located). The walk from the North Greenwich underground station to the O2 is about 200 meters.

After the show, we’ll have dinner at one of the many restaurants/pubs in the O2, to wait for the crowds to die down before returning to Covent Garden via Tube (Jubilee Line/Grey west to Waterloo, transfer to the Northern Line/Black, then north to Leicester Square). If the Tube is too crowded (or closed), to get home we could take a black cab (about £30, though).

Note: The Tube from the 02 was crowded, but after a short wait, worked out fine.

DAY THREE (WED 23.6): LONDON

Sleep In; Shopping; Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms; Snack at the Westminster Arms
After our long day on Tuesday and the concert Tuesday night, we’ll sleep in this morning as long as we like, eventually taking breakfast at Covent Garden market before exploring Covent Garden’s shops (consider the crepe place we visited yesterday morning, or Ben’s Cookies at 13, The Piazza, also highly recommended).

Then, at about 2:00 PM, we’ll proceed to Westminster via Tube for a tour of the Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms. The War Rooms are located--once we’re at Westminster Bridge, just out of the Tube Station--away from the bridge, west, heading toward Victoria. See London map in Steves; the War Rooms are #10 on the map, and Westminster Arms, where we’ll have lunch later, is a few blocks south of there.

We’ll tour the Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms on King Charles Street (about £13, each; see p. 62 in Steves). A free and excellent 60-minute audio guide is available for the site
.
Then we’ll have a drink, a snack or lunch at The Westminster Arms at 9 Storey’s Gate, a few blocks south of the War Rooms (food is served downstairs).

Afterward, we’ll head back to the hotel for a siesta before we see Billy Elliot this evening.

NOTE: For the sake of convenience and because of the nice day, we actually walked to the Cabinet War Rooms from Covent Garden, through Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall, to Parliament Square. After the War Rooms—we dined in the nice little café there instead of the pub—we strolled through St. James Park across the street, to Buckingham Palace, before walking back for a siesta.

Billy Elliot; Dinner at About Thyme
About 6:30 PM we’ll take the Piccadilly line (Blue) from Covent Garden west to the Green Park stop, where we’ll transfer to the Victoria line south, to Victoria, which will place us about 100 meters from the Victoria Palace Theatre on Victoria Street, where we’ve purchased two tickets in advance for the 7:30 PM showing of Billy Elliot: The Musical (we paid £60, each, for seats in the Stalls, Row L, Seats 35 and 36, the left of the stage). Our confirmation number is 1843. We’ll get the tickets in the mail before our trip and should bring them with us (https://www.victoriapalacetheatre.co.uk). Once in front of Victoria Station, we should proceed left on Victoria Street for the theater (about two minutes’ walk). The show runs for 3 hours, including a 20 minute intermission.

After the show, we’ll have a snack and drinks at About Thyme (we will have made a reservation for 10:45 PM; web is www.aboutthyme.co.uk). About Thyme is located 200 meters south of Victoria Station on Wilton Road, on the junction with Warwick Way. It is a short walk from the Victoria mainline train station, and Victoria Underground Station on the Victoria, District and Circle lines. Comes highly-recommended on Trip Advisor.

After dinner we’ll return to Covent Garden via Tube from Victoria to sleep!

DAY FOUR (THU 24.6): LONDON (WITH OPTIONAL DAY TRIP)

Sleep In; To Do TBA
We’ll sleep in today until about 10:00 AM, and then make a plan over breakfast. We should be sure to order a cab to Heathrow for a 7:15 AM pickup tomorrow morning.

Among the options to consider today is the following:

+Vinopolis: London’s museum of wine (on South Bank; open noon until 9:00 PM on Thursdays; about £16 each; last entry 7:00 PM; includes tastings; located between the Globe and Southwark Cathedral (London Bridge Tube); might be fun at night
+The National Gallery features some of the greatest European paintings anywhere, and is free of charge; walking distance from Covent Garden; free entry; overview tours at 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM - see p. 65 in Steves
+We could take the Tube to Marble Arch and take a walk through Hyde Park - see p. 79 in Steves
Shopping and strolling Covent Garden
+Optional Day Trip via train to Oxford or Cambridge (classic university towns) or Brighton on the sea: trains include 10:06, 10:36 and 11:06 AM, from Victoria Station to Brighton (52 min, 0 stop; about *40 each?); 10:22, 10:50 and 11:22 AM, from Paddington to Oxford (1 hr, 0 stop; about *40 each?); and 10:15, 10:52 and 11:45 AM, from King’s Cross Station to Cambridge (just under an hour, 0 stop; about *40 each?)

NOTE: We chose a day-trip to Cambridge via train, and had a lovely day strolling the town and the various colleges that make up the university. For some it was graduation day.

Dinner at The Sherlock Holmes; South Bank Stroll
At about 6:00 PM we’ll proceed via Tube from Covent Garden to the Embankment station, for dinner at The Sherlock Holmes Pub, 10-11 Northumblerand Street, Westminster. We’ll exit Embankment at Villiers Street, and follow Villiers Street away from the station. We’ll go through The Arches, which run underneath Charing Cross station, straight across Craven Street and down Craven Passage to Nothumberland Street: http://www.sherlockholmespub.com. We want seating in the casual ground floor pub, not upstairs in the restaurant.

After dinner we’ll return to Embankment, cross the pedestrian Jubilee Bridge, and proceed on foot along London’s South Bank, people watching and shopping, until we reach Westminster Bridge (visit Vinopolis?). There we’ll cross the bridge and take the Tube from Westminster back to Covent Garden to pack for our morning departure via Heathrow to Vienna, Austria.

NOTE: Changed our minds, and instead of visiting the South Bank, we had a taxi take us to the site of a Florence Nightingale hospital and to Conan Doyle’s home, before dropping us in Hyde Park for a sunset stroll around the lake there.

DAY FIVE (FRI 25.6): FLIGHT - LONDON TO VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Fly London to Vienna, Austria
We’ll rise at 6:15 AM this morning and meet our taxi to Heathrow in front of the hotel at 7:15 AM. We’ll depart England at 9:50 AM on British Airways Flight 700, arriving in Vienna, Austria at 1:10 PM (a 2 hr 20 min flight plus 1 hour time difference).

Arrival in Vienna; Taxi to Pension Suzanne
Upon arrival at Vienna International Airport at 1:10 PM, we’ll head just outside of the arrival hall to catch a taxi to our hotel, the Pension Suzanne, located just yards from the historic opera house. The taxi should run about 40 from the airport, including the airport surcharge.

At the Pension Suzanne, we’ve reserved a quiet apartment room (queen) with shower, toilet and breakfast buffet--and arranged for an early check-in today--for 127 per night for three nights: 381 TOTAL). Also has free WI-FI, elevator, and fans upon request. Located a few yards from the opera house at Walfischgasse 4; phone is 01/513-2507; info@pension-suzanne.at; www.pension-suzanne.at.

NOTE: Nice little hotel. Good size room. Old-fashioned décor and an average breakfast, but clean, with a helpful staff. Great location, near the opera house and the main pedestrian street. We could even hear the opera through our window. The outside of the place is not much to look at, and in fact, is easy to miss completely, but we would stay here, again.

RS Self-Guided Walk of Vienna (strolling/shopping); Visit St. Stephen‘s Cathedral
After getting settled in the room (by about 2:30 PM), we’ll head outside to the opera building to begin the RS self-guided walk of Vienna’s old town, beginning at the opera and ending at the Hofburg Palace, not far from our hotel (the guided walk can be found on p. 78 in Steves). If we want lunch, we could, when we reach Neuer Markt, have something to eat at Kurkonditorei Oberlaa, which also has outdoor seating in the summer (p. 83). While we shop as we stroll, when we get to stop ten, Stephansplatz, we’ll visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral (while it’s free to enter, we’ll pay about 5 each to take the elevator up the tower). See p. 91 in RS. After completing the rest of our “get acquainted” tour of the old city center, we’ll return to our hotel for a siesta.

Horse Drawn Carriage Around Old Town Vienna and the Ring; Dinner at Kurkonditorei Oberlaa
Then after our siesta, we’ll have dinner at Kurkonditorei Oberlaa near our hotel (see p.159 in Steves), with outdoor seating on Neuer Markt. Located at Neuer Markt 16. Great pastries! For location, see map p. 155, location #20.

After dinner, we’ll stroll to Stephensplatz, to the north side of the Cathedral, to find the horse-and-buggy guides (called Fiakers in Austria), and splurge, at twilight or after dark, for the 40 minute horse-and-buggy tour through the old town and around the ring. Should be beautiful and memorable. Note: They may also be available for hire in front of the nearby Hofburg. About 70.

DAY SIX (SAT 26.6): VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Sleep in; Lipizzaner Stallions at Spanish Riding School; Stroll Naschmarkt
We’ll sleep in this morning until about 9:30 or so (after yesterday’s early start) have breakfast at the hotel, and then visit the Spanish Riding School for the 11:00 AM show (80 minutes in length). We’ll ask for standing room tickets at the door (20-28 each). The school is located near our hotel at Vienna’s Imperial Palace Hofburg, the main entrance Michaelerkuppel.

After the performance ends at about 12:30 PM, we’ll head over to Naschmarkt for shopping and strolling, having lunch at one of the many eateries there (see p. 62 in RS).

Then we’ll take a siesta back at the hotel, perhaps enjoying a slice of the world famous sacher torte (cake) with coffee at Café Sacher (about 8, each), first. See map p. 79; it’s located right near our hotel.

Heurigen: Dinner in a Vienese Wein Garten
After a long siesta, we’ll take Tram D to the last stop (Beethovengang) to the Nussdorf neighborhood, to have dinner in an Austrian Heurigen (a family-owned wine garden on the outskirts of town). The ride is only about 30 minutes. There is a tram stop near our hotel, just south of the opera (see map p. 42). Will cost under e2 per ticket, one way. Buy tickets from Tabak-Trafik shops, station machines, offices marked Vorverkauf in the stations, or on tram (but it’s more expensive to do that, so avoid it if possible).

Once off the tram, we’ll find three places from which to choose, all skinny and side-by-side: if open, choose Schubel-Auer Heuriger (open 4:00 PM to Midnight Mon through Sat). Here we’ll find we can fill our plates with a self-serve cold-cut buffet (about 6 to 10 each). Food is sold by the 10-dag: 10-dag is about a quarter pound. Other dishes to look for, per Steves, include Stelze (grilled pork knuckle), Fleischlaberin (fried ground meat patties), Schinkenfleckerin (pasta with cheese and ham), Kummelbraten (crispy roast pork with caraway). Servers will then take our wine order (about 3 per glass, with each glass about 8 oz). The wine is homemade new wine…and strolling musicians playing traditional Austrian music may show up at anytime.

Then we’ll return home after dinner, a few drinks, music, and strolling this non-touristy Austrian neighborhood.

NOTE: We opted against the tram out of town, and instead took a guided bus tour of the city and after dinner strolled the beautiful Stadtpark.

DAY SEVEN (SUN 27.6): VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Vienna Boys’ Choir (Anton Bruckner’s Mass in D Minor) at Hofburgkapelle; Café Braunerhof
This morning we’ll rise early to attend the 9:15 AM Mass in D Minor performed by the world-renowned Vienna Boys’ Choir in the nearby Hofburgkapelle (we have already reserved ticket through http://www.hofburgkapelle.at, at a cost of 26, each). We have arranged to collect our tickets at the chapel‘s booking office at 8:30 AM, paying cash (the tickets are being held for us under Reservation No. 48806). We’re supposed to take our seats by 8:50 AM. Our tickets include a good view of the altar, which will be important at the end, when the choir comes down to perform one song at the front of the chapel (all other songs are performed from the balcony behind us). The performance will run about one hour. It takes place in the Hofburg Palace’s imperial music chapel; the entrance is at Schweizerhof--we can get there from In der Burg Square or by going through the tunnel from Josefsplatz. See RS color map of Vienna.

After the performance, we can have a coffee and read or relax in a Vienese café. We can try Café Braunerhof, located between the Hofburg and the Graben, at Stallburgasse 2 (see item #23 on map in Steves, p. 155). We could also stroll and shop, before we take the U-Bahn (subway) to visit the Hapsburg’s Schonbrunn Palace, second to only Versailles in terms of European royal grandeur.

Karlsplatz; Schonbrunn Palace
To avoid the huge summer crowds visiting the palace and a long wait for our entry time, we’ll book our tickets in advance online and visit at 2:00 PM, when most tourists are departing. At about 1:00 PM, then, we’ll take the U-4 (U-Bahn 4, subway) to the palace (will cost under 2 per ticket, one way. Buy tickets from Tabak-Trafik shops, station machines, or offices marked Vorverkauf in the stations--you cannot buy U-Bahn tickets on the train). To get the U-Bahn from our hotel, we’ll head just south of the opera to Karlsplatz (see color map of Vienna). Note that Karsplatz is picnic friendly square--we could enjoy a sandwich or sausage here for lunch before heading to Schonbrunn on the U-4. For a description of the buildings on this square, see p. 56 in RS.

Once we’re on the other end and exit the U-Bahn station, we’ll walk about 400 yards to the palace (just follow the crowds). The main entrance will be on our left-hand side, as we face it. We will have booked, in advance, the Grand Tour (13 each, takes about 60 minutes), including the Imperial Apartments (about 40 rooms). We’ll also explore the palace gardens, which offer a fine city view (we’ll skip the coach museum). The visit will probably take about two hours, including the guided tour, exploring, and the gift shop. If we arrive early, we can explore the gardens before entering the palace.

Then we‘ll return to the old city center the way we came, and to our hotel at about 5:00 PM, for a short siesta.

NOTE: Decided to visit Belvedere Palace, instead, and skip Schonbrunn on this visit. Saw Belvedere, including Klimt’s “The Kiss,” the palace gardens, and the view of the old city from the gardens, and then The Secession, which holds Klimt’s “Beethoven Frieze.”

Our Last Night in Vienna: Dinner at Reinthaler’s Beisl; Haus der Musik
After our siesta, we’ll have dinner at around 6:45 PM at Reinthaler’s Beisl, located near St. Stephen’s Cathedral, a block off the Graben, at Dorotheergasse 4, and one of the few restaurants open in the old town on Sundays (open until midnight; see #4 on map, p.155 in RS). Afterwards, we could get gelato from an Italian gelateria behind St. Stephen’s, Zanoni & Zanoni.

Then, by about 8:30 PM, we’ll stroll back along Karntner Strasse (the main pedestrian drag connecting the south end of the old town and opera with the north end and St. Stephen’s) toward home, turning left on Annagasse (and then taking the first right on the next street) to visit Vienna’s Haus der Musik (open until 10:00 PM, but last entry is at 9:00 PM, so we need to get there by about 8:50 PM, at the latest, to have a solid hour to explore this fun, hands-on museum on Vienna’s rich musical history--and on music itself). Will cost about 10 each to enter: www.hdm.at.

Afterwards, we’ll return to our hotel to pack and prepare for our morning departure from Vienna for Hallstatt.

DAY EIGHT (MON 28.6): TRAIN VIENNA TO HALLSTATT

Checkout of Hotel; Train to Hallstatt, Austria
We’ll checkout of the hotel after breakfast this morning by 9:00 AM and taxi to Westbahnhof (west train station) to board our 9:44 AM train to Hallstatt (a direct 3 hour 42 minute journey; note that this one train does NOT require a change in Attnang-Puchheim, as all others do). We’ll arrive in Hallstatt at 1:26 PM.

Austria Rail Pass
We will have purchased, in advance of the trip, two Austria Passes (Saver, 2nd Class…Saver is for 2 or more people traveling together), at about $180 each--which will save us money versus buying individual tickets as we go. The Austria Pass entitles us to ride anywhere in Austria for 4 days during the span of one month: during our 10 nights in the country, we’ll use the three days this way: Vienna to Hallstatt on 28.6; Hallstatt to Salzburg on 30.6; and, Salzburg to Innsbruck on 3.7; and Innsbruck to the German border on 4.7. We’ll have to have our passes filled out and validated at Westbahnhof before boarding the train (see instructions that accompanied the rail passes). Note that on 4.7 we’ll have to buy German rail tickets from the border to Munich, since the Austria passes become invalid at the Austrian-German border. Remember to buy in advance, or risk a huge fine on the train.

In terms of which train take, be sure to take the first available ICE train (white with red trim, and streamlined noses; avoid R and REX, very slow, uncomfortable regional trains). The ICE trains will be air-conditioned and quite comfortable, and nearly always run on time.

Important Note: If, for whatever reason, we do have to change in Attnang-Puchheim, the schedules won’t say Hallstatt, but trains to Bad Ischl AND Ebensee stop in Hallstatt.

Arrival in Hallstatt; Checkin Hotel Gruner Baum
We will arrive in Hallstatt at about 1:30 PM. Hallstatt’s so-called train station is no more than a wide spot along the tracks across Lake Hallstatt from the town. Stefanie (the name of the boat) meets each train at the ‘station’ and carries passengers and bags across the lake to the town, for under 3 per person. Note that Stephanie stops running at about 6:30 PM--be absolutely certain to arrive much earlier than that (we will arrive in plenty of time, by 1:30 PM).

Once across the lake, exit the boat and go left about 20 yards to reach our hotel in town, the Hotel Gruner Baum, a pricey but beautiful inn with stunning views of Lake Hallstatt (and the Market Square). We’ve reserved Room 103, a Junior Suite, with a separate bedroom, a big living room, a big bathroom and a terrace to the lake. breakfast and Internet access (in the bar) at a rate of 210 per night for two nights: 420 TOTAL). Our confirmation number is 19687. Also offers laundry service for guests--we will have the hotel do laundry for us upon arrival today; contact@gruenerbaum.cc; www.gruenerbaum.cc.

NOTE: This was our splurge hotel, and IT WAS AWESOME. Room 103 was one of the most beautiful rooms and room balconies we’ve ever seen. Worth every penny. Wish we could live here! At the hotel restaurant with waterside dining, ask for the Austrian waiter who lived in Nashville, TN trying to make it big in American country music. Funny, with a dry sense of humor—and quite talkative, even if a little slow with service. But what’s the hurry? Relax, you’re in Hallstatt, Austria.

Lakeside Picnic Lunch; Self-Guided Tour of Hallstatt; Bone Chapel
After getting settled and freshening up a bit, we’ll return to the boat dock to have a lakeside picnic lunch from the snack stand at the dock (tables and other lakeside seating are easy to find), before taking Steves’ self-guided tour of the town, which begins at the boat landing, right where we’ll be sitting (p. 282).

After the short tour, we’ll return again to the dock to hike up the covered wooden stairway, following the Kath. Kirche signs (Catholic Church). After viewing the church itself, we’ll go behind it to the 12th Century Chapel of St. Michael, to see the bone chapel (1, each; see ps. 285-86 in RS). Then we’ll return to the hotel for a nice, long siesta.

Stroll to Lakeside Park; Dinner, Gasthouse zur Muhle
After our siesta, we’ll take a short walk south of town to a grassy public park on the lake, before returning for dinner at Gasthouse zur Muhle, which serves good pizza, other Italian fare, and good Austrian, too, at great prices. Afterwards, we can have a drink on the Market Square and watch nightfall, or call it an early night and return to the hotel to relax.

DAY NINE (TUE 29.6): HALLSTATT

Sleep Late; Rent Boat on Lake Hallstatt
This morning we’ll sleep in as late as we like, before having breakfast at the hotel and renting an electric boat from Riedler, next to the main boat dock, 75 yards past Braugasthof (about 17 per hour for a faster 500-watt boat…still pretty slow). Open until 7:00 PM. We’ll spend about 1.5-2 hours on the lake, relaxing, talking, reading. It is possible that tonight one of the companies will run a candlelit boat ride on the lake, something we can ask about, if interested.

Lunch on Market Square; Hallstatt Museum
After our time on Lake Hallstatt, we’ll grab a bite to eat in the Market Square (consider fresh sandwiches to go from the Zauner bakery/butcher/grocer, if open), and we can visit the Hallstatt Museum (p. 286 in Steves; about 8, each; open until 6:00 PM; located next to the TI at Seestrasse 56). Then we’ll take a siesta back at the hotel.

Lakeside Dinner & Stroll; Prepare for Morning Departure for Salzburg
We’ll enjoy dinner tonight in our hotel, with lakeside tables, elegant service and upscale food @ 15-20 per plate; open until 10:00 PM. Note: If we prefer something other than our hotel restaurant tonight, our last in Hallstatt, we should dine on the lakeside terrace at Gasthof Simony’s Restaurant am See (10 entrees until 9:00 PM). See map p. 280 in Steves (it’s close to our hotel, cheaper than our hotel, and the views are supposed to stunning, as well).

NOTE: Chose Gasthof Simony for dinner—wow. Great food, great views. Fresh whitefish caught that morning in Lake Hallstatt.

After dinner, we could grab an outdoor table at Ruth Zimmerman’s, on the square, open from 10:00 AM to 2:00 AM in the summer, for a drink or pastry. We could also take an after-dinner walk along the lake before returning to the hotel to pack and prepare for our morning departure for Salzburg.

Important: We should be certain to confirm the departure times of the boats to the train station for tomorrow, to ensure we make our 10:32 train from Hallstatt to Salzburg, Austria.

DAY TEN (WED 30.6): TRAIN HALLSTATT TO SALZBURG

Checkout of Hotel; Take Boat Across Lake to Train Station; Board 10:32 AM train to Salzburg
We’ll rise early today, have breakfast, checkout, and take the TBA boat across Lake Hallstatt to the train station (under 3, each for Stephanie; first boat leaves for the station at 6:50 AM, but we won’t need to leave that early).

Then we’ll board our 10:32 AM train to Salzburg (show our Austria Passes once aboard, and fill out dates. etc; there is no station in Hallstatt). This train will take us to Attmang-Puchheim, where we’ll arrive at 11:47 AM, to transfer to our 12:02 AM train to Salzburg, arriving in Salzburg at 12:49 PM, a total journey time of 2 hrs and 17 minutes, including the one change.

Arrival in Salzburg: Bus to Old Town Center
Upon arrival at Salzburg’s train station just before 1:00 PM, we should visit the TI at track 2A and purchase two 72-hour Salzburg Cards (about 37 each), which will cover our public transport in town and all of the sites we’ll visit, before heading to the parking lot, where we’ll find a variety of buses. Any bus marked Zentrum stops near the main bridge in the old town, near our hotel, including bus numbers 1, 3, 5, 6, 25 and 26. We will simply show our Salzburg Cards to board the bus. Be sure to exit the bus at the Mirabellplatz for our hotel. Once off the bus, we should walk straight on and after the traffic lights, take the first turning on the left to the Hotel Trumer Stube at Bergstrasse 6 (see map p. 256).

Check-In Hotel Trumer Stube
At Hotel Trumer Stube we’ve reserved a comfortable double with en suite bath and breakfast at a rate of e105 per night for 3 nights (315 TOTAL, minus 10% if we pay cash and show RS Book, so will be about 285 TOTAL). The hotel also has WI-FI; http://www.trumer-stube.at; info@trumer-stube.at. We’ve requested a room with WI-FI (not the top floor, where it won’t work).

NOTE: Would NOT stay at the Trumer Stube, again. While it was clean and friendly enough, there were issues. First, we specifically requested in writing prior to the trip—twice, in fact—a room not on the top floor, and a room with wireless access. Upon arrival, we were given a top floor room without wireless access. We asked for a change, which they did make, although with odd comments like, “But we prepared this special room for you,” which made no sense at all: it was too small to move in, brutally warm with a low, dormer style ceiling, and as I said, was the complete opposite of what we had booked. In addition, the room we did get, while a bit better, on the first floor, had some issues, too. Dana cut her foot on the metal piece on the floor covering the seam from the room floor to the bathroom tile. The location was good, ½ block from Linzergasse, a crazy pedestrian drag running down to the river and across to the old town. But—and this is no fault of the hotel’s—there was major construction going on next door the entire stay, a huge development sure to take considerable time to finish, throwing up dust and making noise. The new owners seem eager to put things right in this place, and it sure could use a remodel, and so we wish them well. But overall, it wasn’t a good experience for us (the quality of the food at breakfast really needs an upgrade, too, with processed cold cuts, cheap rolls and watery juice served daily). Just not possible to recommend the Trumer Stube at this time.

Lunch at Café Bazar; Old Town Walk
After getting settled in the hotel (at about 2:30 PM), we’ll head out for lunch at Café Bazar, a coffee house with light meals and great views, near our hotel (see map p. 265).

Then we’ll cross the Salzach River and head to Mozartplatz (see map p. 265) to embark on Steves’ Self-guided Old Town Walk (p. 230), which will include: a visit to the Salzburg Panorama 1829 painting (about 2 each, to see); the town’s famous glockenspeil; Salzburg Cathedral; a giant chessboard; a waterfall and bakery; the festival hall where Captain von Trapp sang before he and his family made their escape; an open air market; Getreidagasse (once the city’s colorful main drag); and Mozart’s birthplace.

Then, after some browsing and shopping, we’ll return to the hotel for a siesta.

Steingasse Stroll; Dinner & Views at Stein Terrasse Café at the Stein Hotel
After a nice long siesta, we’ll stroll Steingasse, once the only road proceeding south over the Alps to Venezia (in the Middle Ages), and today an area known for it‘s quiet, beautiful sites (the home of the man who wrote the lyrics to Silent Night, World War II tank marks, the school Maria (Sound of Music) taught in, and some commanding, gorgeous views of the town (see p, 246 in Steves for directions and commentary).

Then, as part of this stroll, we’ll enjoy a light meal and drinks at Stein Terrasse Cafe, inside the Stein Hotel, and up via elevator. A wonderful place with the best views of the city. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Open until midnight.

DAY ELEVEN (THU 1.7): SALZBURG

Sound of Music Minivan Tour
We’ll get up early this morning (around 7:30 AM), have breakfast by 8:30 AM, and meet the Bob’s Special Tours minivan outside our hotel between 8:45 and 9:15 AM for the four-hour Sound of Music Tour (also includes some city sites): already booked at www.bobstours.com at 40 each (bring confirmation email with us). Our reservation number is iYx2V. The tour will bring us back to Salzburg by 1:00 PM.

Upon our return to town at around 1:00 PM, we’ll have lunch and do some strolling and shopping, before returning to our hotel for a siesta.

NOTE: The tour was nice, the guide professional, friendly, and well-versed in behind-the-scenes details of the movie and various locations we visited. The luge ride was an added bonus! On the other hand, after we paid our guide cash, which he required, the company billed our credit card, charging us twice for the same tour. We contacted them when we got home, and while they said they would fix it, they added that “It wasn’t our fault.” Not sure what the hell that meant, but we were satisfied they agreed to fix it. Then, instead of taking away the charge, they accidentally added a THIRD charge. However, they quickly informed us of the mistake via email, and ultimately took both over-charges off the card. In the end it was a good tour at a fair price, and we only paid once for it. It’s the attitude about the double-charge that still makes no sense to me, but maybe something was lost in translation. We do recommend this tour.

Sound of Salzburg Show
After our siesta, at about 7:00 PM, we’ll grab a quick bite to eat somewhere and proceed to the Sternbrau Inn (enter from Getreidegasse 34; it’s a sprawling tourist complex of food options, with one air-conditioned room for the shows; see #5 on map p. 256) for the Sound of Salzburg show, feature talented singers in costume singing songs from The Sound of Music and Austrian folk songs (we won’t eat dinner there, but come for the show, which reduced our ticket price, to be booked in advance online, to 30.00, each, including one drink; the food is supposed to be poor, while the show is good). The show begins at 8:30 PM. We booked our tickets in advance in early May. Our e-ticket is in our papers on the trip.

NOTE: Cheesy dinner theater at its absolute best! The “international” cast of very good singers did a fine job, but there’s something about a Japanese guy and a Russian girl dressed in traditional Austrian garb singing Rogers and Hammerstein’s imaginary Austrian songs to a crowd of American tourists eating apfel strudel that’s just so damn surreal…and goofy. The film interview with Maria (the real deal) is very interesting. A fun night.

DAY TWELVE (FRI 2.7): SALZBURG

Funicular & Lunch at Hohensalzburg Fortress/Castle
After sleeping in a bit this morning (10:00 AM?), we’ll take the funicular high above the town for lunch at the café between the Funicular exit and the castle, followed by a tour of the castle and grounds. The commanding views of Salzburg and the Salzach River are supposed to be stunning. Both the Funicular and our entry to the castle will be covered by our Salzburg Cards. See p. 241 in Steves for a self-guided tour of the castle and grounds (open until 7:00 PM).

NOTE: Ended up walking from Hohensalzburg across the heights that surround the town to Monchsberg and the art museum for lunch. Took about 30 minutes, and was a lovely walk with wonderful views of the city and river.

Shopping Getreidegasse & Mozart House
Then we’ll stroll and shop a characteristic and picturesque old shopping lane called Getreidegasse, a street we surveyed on our self-guided walking tour on Thursday, before visiting the Mozart house museum (Wohnhaus, located in the New Town, north of the river; p. 245; entrance covered by our Salzburg Card; allow about 90 minutes for the visit, including a nice 30-minute film…you need the audio guide to have the soundtrack to the film…the soundtrack is track 17 on the guide; open until 8:00 PM).

Then, by about 4:30 PM, we’ll take a siesta back at the hotel before tonight’s Mozart concert. We’ll have a cheap, casual dinner near the hotel at about 6:30 PM.

Mozart Concert at Mirabell Palace; Prepare for Journey to Innsbruck in the Morning
Tonight we’ll attend a Baroque chamber music concert at the Mirabell Palace (Schlosskonzerte), offering a lavish Baroque setting and high-quality musicians. The show begins at 8:00 PM. We have already purchased our tickets online at a cost of 35 each (row one, with reserved seats): www.salzburger-schlosskonzerte.at. The performers will be the Ensemble of the Salzburger Schlosskonzerte. We will collect our tickets (already paid for) by giving our name at the Evening Box Office on the first floor of the palace, right in front of the Marble Hall. The box office opens at 7:00 PM, and the doors to the hall open at 7:30 PM for the 8:00 PM performance. The concert will end at about 9:40 PM.

NOTE: Wonderful show in a stunning setting at Mirabell Palace. Highly recommend, even if not a classical music aficionado.

Afterwards we’ll return to the hotel to prepare and pack for our morning departure for Innsbruck, in the Alps.

DAY THIRTEEN (SAT 3.7): SALZBURG TO INNSBRUCK

Checkout of Hotel; Journey to Innsbruck by Train
We’ll rise by 8:30 AM this morning, have breakfast, and take a taxi (ask the hotel to order one for a 10:00 AM pickup) to the Salzburg train station to board our 10:53 AM train to Innsbruck, Austria (a direct, non-stop train; a 1 hour 59 minute journey). We’ll arrive in Innsbruck at 12:52 PM.

Arrival in Innsbruck; Check-in Hotel Weisses Kreuz
Upon arrival at Innsbruck’s Hauptbahnhof station (if our train stops at Westbahnhof, stay on for Hauptbahnhof), we’ll proceed 10 minutes on foot to the old town center. We’ll leave the station by veering right to Brixnerstrasse, and follow it past the fountain at Boznerplatz where it turns into Meranerstrasse. Go straight until it dead-ends into Maria-Theresien-Strasse. Turn right and proceed 300 yards into the old town. We’ll pass the TI on our right, where we’ll also see the Golden Roof and our hotel, the Hotel Weisses Kreuz.

HOTEL WEISSES KREUZ
Hotel Weisses Kreuz * A-6020 Innsbruck * Herzog-Friedrich-Strae 31 * Tel.: +43 512 59479 * Fax: +43 512 5947990 hotel@weisseskreuz.at; www.weisseskreuz.at

NOTE: An amazing, historic hotel, opened in the 16th Century. Stunning Alpine interiors, beautiful rooms, a staff that goes out of their way to make you welcome and comfortable, and a tremendous breakfast spread. Located right on Innsbruck’s main pedestrian street, just steps from the Golden Roof. Having spent just one night here, we were sad to leave. Highly recommend.

Lunch; Cable Car Ride into Alps; Shopping
After getting settled by about 2:00 PM, we’ll proceed out of our hotel for quick lunch (two choices nearby include Mama Mia, with pizza by the slice, or Martin Reformhaus Vegetarian Deli, with salads and sandwiches; see map p. 304 for directions).

Then, no later than about 2:30 PM, we’ll head to the Nordkettenbahn (the three lifts from the center of town that will carry us thousands of feet above the Golden Roof and Innsbruck (25 round trip, each). We start with the Hungerburg-bahn funicular, which leaves from the Star Trek-looking station outside of the Congress Innsbruck, right behind Hofburg (see map p. 309). They leave every 15 minutes. See p. 309 for the additional lifts from there, We’ll have a drink at the café on the very top, Hafelekar. The last lift down from the top is at 5:00 PM.

NOTE: Don’t miss this climb if in Innsbruck. The view of the town, river, and the Karwendel Alps—mountain sheep and all—is stunning, and something we’ll never forget. A fine experience, with decent food/drink options at each stop during your ascent via cable car. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth the cost, and then some. A comfortable ride to the top, at about 7,000 feet.

Once back in town, we’ll shop and explore Innsbruck’s compact old town center for about 90 minutes before taking a siesta at the hotel.

Dinner at Cammerlander
After our siesta, we’ll have dinner at 8:00 PM at Cammerlander (we’ll ask our hotel to make a reservation for us in advance of the trip), featuring great steaks and a fine variety of Austrian and international dishes (we should choose between the glassed-in veranda with candlelight OR riverside dining with a mountain view; dishes are 8-22; also offers a good salad bar at about 5; open until 11:30 PM; see #7 on map, p. 304, near river).

Then we‘ll return to the hotel to prepare for our early morning departure for Munich. Note: we should purchase a few snacks and beverages for our guided day trip to Dachau tomorrow, since, per the tour company, such items are not available on the site.

DAY FOURTEEN (SUN 4.7): TRAIN INNSBRUCK TO MUNICH, GERMANY; DAY TRIP TO DACHAU

Checkout; Train to Munich, Germany
We’ll rise by 6:00 AM today, checkout and taxi or walk to the train station to validate our passes and board the 7:36 AM train to Munich, Germany (a 1 hour 39 minute ride; covered by the final day of our Austria rail pass). We’ll arrive in Munich at 9:15 AM. IMPORTANT NOTE: We must also buy tickets from the German border to Munich, since our Austria pass will only get us to the border, and the fine for being on board with no German ticket could be very high.

Check-in Alpen Hotel Munchen
Upon arrival, we’ll proceed to our hotel to either check-in early or drop off our luggage. We’ll proceed on foot (it‘s located right near the station) to the Alpen Hotel Munchen.

Walking directions from Munich Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) to our hotel: Exit the station via the main exit. Walk south along Bahnhofplatz for approximately 100 metres. Continue walking south along Schillerstraße for approximately 100 metres. Walk left on to Adolf-Kolping-Straße and continue for approximately 70 metres. The hotel is located at Adolf Kolping Strasse 14.

The Alpen Hotel Munchen is at Kolping Strasse 14; phone is 49 (0) 89 55 93 33 33; info@alpenhotel-muenchen.de; http://www.alpenhotel-muenchen.de. We’ve reserved a comfort double room with WC, shower, LAN Internet, mini-bar, room safe, complimentary mineral water upon arrival and full buffet breakfast for two nights for a TOTAL of 256,00 (we’ve paid about $167.00 US in advance, and we’ll pay the balance in cash; the excellent rate we secured was based on a non-refundable offer).

NOTE: Nice, simple business-class hotel, close to the train station and an easy 10-minute walk to the center of old Munich (rebuilt after WW II). The area around the station and hotel is a bit seedy, with sex shops, but still feels safe, even at night. Just unusual to see so many nice hotels on the same streets with adult stores and strip clubs. But there really aren’t any problems staying here. And the Alpen Hotel had a good breakfast, very nice rooms, and a lovely little interior garden courtyard for afternoon drinks, reading, and breakfast. Was like an oasis in the city. And they allowed us to check-in hours early, making us feel welcome and comfortable.

After getting settled in the hotel--or, worst-case scenario, dropping off our luggage and using the restroom if our room isn‘t ready--we’ll walk to Marienplatz, exploring Munich’s main square, with about two hours to have a bite to eat and see the square, having to meet at the Radius Tours office in the train station by 12:15 PM for our five-hour tour of Dachau.

Dachau Memorial Tour by Radius: Departs from Station at 12:30 PM; Returns to Munich by 5:30 PM
We have already purchased two tickets (the email ticket is in our papers) for the five-hour English guided day tour of Dachau, at a total cost of €42,95 (for two adults).

To get to the tour company (located inside the Munich train station), follow these instructions: We are located in Munich Central Train Station (Hauptbahnhof), in the area just opposite from tracks 32-34. Beginning in the main hall of the station, looking along the tracks where the inter-city trains leave, follow the path to the right of track 26 to the bottom, until you come to the area with new tracks (27-36). Turn right, then right again. There we are: Radius Tours.

After returning to Munich at about 5:30 PM, we’ll return to the hotel for a much-needed siesta.

Dinner at Augustiner Braustuben
For dinner tonight, we’ll visit the Augustiner Brausteben. There are three different Augustinerbräu sponsored bierhalls. The first in this pair of reviews is the Augustiner Bierhalle. This bierhalle is located in the pedestrian area between Karlsplatz and Marianplatz at Neuhauser Straße 27. The food served in the downstairs restaurant is reasonable and excellent. The beer is inexpensive compared to a lot of the tourist places. The atmosphere is pure Bavarian. The biergarten is super with a very professional and friendly staff. Upstairs the actual bierhalle is lively and great fun. The other, the Augustinerbräuhaus, is on Landsburgerstrasse.

Afterwards, we’ll check out the city center at night, stroll and shop.

DAY FIFTTEEN (MON 5.7): MUNICH

We’ll sleep late today, even if it’s eleven o‘clock. Then we’ll grab a relaxing, leisurely breakfast at the hotel before heading out for our last day on this trip (note: the hotel breakfast ends at 10:30 AM, so if we miss it, we’ll grab a bite at a café, instead).

Free Walking Tour of Munich at 1:00 PM
At 12:40 PM we’ll head to Marienplatz, by the large column, for a free three-hour walking tour of the city. Be sure to look for the guides wearing red T-shirts. The walking tour covers all the main sites.

NOTE: We opted for an open-air bus tour of the city, instead, enabling us to see the Olympic Tower and stadium from the ill-fated 1972 summer games, and to get off at Englischer Garten, to stroll the park and enjoy lunch at a small beer garden there. We walked back toward Marienplatz afterward.

Then after the tour, we’ll see the bells ring at 5:00 PM at Marianplatz and do some shopping before returning to our hotel for a siesta.

Our Last Night
On our last night on this trip we’ll have dinner at the touristy but popular and fun Hofbrauhaus, with casual, good food, a lively crowd, and live German music (http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de). We’ll also do some final shopping around Marienplatz or anywhere interesting we saw on our walking tour this afternoon, before returning to the hotel to pack and prepare for our departure tomorrow at about Noon for the airport.

NOTE: Having had lunch at a small Hofbrau garden in Englischer Garten, we opted to visit the Old Botanic Gardens, instead, tonight, and had dinner at a Lowenbrau beer garden in that park.

FLIGHT (TUE 6.7): MUNICH TO CHICAGO- O’HARE; DEPART MUNICH AT 3:40 PM; ARRIVE HOME IN CHICAGO AT 6:20 PM

We’ll sleep until about 9:00 AM, grab breakfast and coffee near the hotel, and then checkout by 11:00 AM, before taking a taxi to the train station in time for the 12:03 PM train to the Munich Airport (43 minutes, 0 changes, arriving at 12:46 PM and costing TBA).

At the airport we’ll check-in for our 3:40 PM flight out of Terminal Two to Chicago on United Airlines Flight 8855, operated by Deutsche Lufthansa, arriving back in Chicago at 6:20 PM: a 9 hr 40 min flight, with 0 stops.

Upon arrival at Chicago-O’Hare at TBA PM we’ll take a taxi back to the city (about $45.00).

NOTE: The hotel called a taxi for us, but ended up calling a private limo service, costing us 70 Euros. We would have been better off hailing our own taxi to the airport. It was a pleasant, easy ride, but more money than we wished to spend on it. I suspect the hotels have arrangements with private drivers, and take a cut.

++FINAL TRIP BUDGET AS OF 16 MAY 2010++

Based on $1.34 US per Euro and $1.54 US per GBP

Lodging: (15 nights: 4 London; 3 Vienna; 2 Hallstatt; 3 Salzburg; 1 Innsbruck; 2 Munich): 658 GBP + 1560 Euros
Transportation (buses, trains, taxis): 100 GBP + 200 Euros
Entrance Fees/Tours: 150 GBP + 382 Euros
Per Diem (meals & shopping): 148 GBP per day x 4 = 560 GBP – 120 Euros per day x 11 days = 1,320 Euros (breakfast at hotels; 10 Euros each for lunch; 25 Euros each for dinner; 50 Euros shopping per day, or 550 Euros TOTAL shopping)

::TOTAL COST OF THIS TRIP IN US DOLLARS: $11,348.00 US, including airfare & insurance

Airfare: $3,073.00 US + $196.00 US ($98 x 2 for trip insurance) = $3,269.00
Currency Purchased (for expenses on trip, itemized above): 6,998.00
Tours, Concerts, et al Paid in Advance of the Trip via Internet: $826.00
Austria Rail Passes (4 days): $360.00

The Warmth of an Irish New Year

2010-01-23T16:50:00.012-06:00

According to an old Irish proverb, "When God made time, he made a lot of it." Well, one week isn't a lot of time, but in the right company, and with the right attitude, even a cold, rainy, windy (and sometimes snowy) week in Ireland can warm your heart and renew your sense of wonder.

Ennis, where we began our ramble, is a neat little market town on the River Fergus, in County Clare, where the families all know one another (or at least know of one another), and where, because of the dearth of tourists, a visitor can get a sense of everyday Irish life, on the streets, in the shops, and at the pubs. It's also located near Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, and thus the town served as a wonderful home base for our first few nights in Ireland as we recovered from that long journey across the pond. We enjoyed the pizza at Pizzeria Uno very much, but were not impressed by the food (or ambience) at Quinn's Pub, on our first night. The Poet's Corner Pub, at our hotel--The Old Ground Hotel--was delightful, however--energy, ambience, great drinks at fair prices, locals and visitors, and trad every night. We also found The Old Ground (the oldest section of which was built in the 18th Century) a wonderful, warm and inviting place to stay (great breakfast scones!). Jane O'Brien, our local walking tour guide, told us many believe the place--once the county jail--to be haunted. Didn't see any ghosts, but the ruins of the 13th Century Franciscan Friary in town, especially at night...well, they seemed perfect for such spirits.

Unanimously dubbed "The Day from Hell," the day of our departure from Ennis for The Burren and Cliffs of Moher (before bunking down for the night in Galway City) was a challenging one. Temperatures below freezing left ice on the road from Ennis to Galway with which the local governments had no means to contend. This resulted in a long, slow journey to Galway with John Woods, our driver, beginning at 7:45 AM on 28-12. We arrived late to our Galway B&B, the Ardawn Guesthouse, and just as we walked in the door and were invited to enjoy a warm breakfast by Breda, the owner, a driver for our Cliffs of Moher tour company came in and practically demanded we join him immediately or risk missing the tour bus. Breda came to our rescue, however, and told the guy to get lost for a while...which he did. And then she served us the most delicious scrambled eggs on toast---free-range, she called them--any of us had ever eaten. We inhaled the rejuvenating eggs, and rushed out the door for our Cliffs tour, making the bus on time.

The driver informed us immediately that while the trip would take place, dangerous road conditions--ice, mainly--meant we'd have to skip portions of The Burren in the mountains, and that the journey would take longer than usual to the Cliffs. He explained further that we'd have to pack into this small little mini-bus since it handles more safely than the usual, larger tour bus. Just as we settled in--half disheartened about the abbreviated tour and the expected long, slow journey, and half relieved that the tour was taking place at all (and that we'd see the Cliffs of Moher today, on a cold but clear day)--things took another bad turn. A man and his family from the Canary Islands--an entire family, as it was, whose personal habits of hygiene were considerably less than desirable for such close quarters over a long drive--planted themselves near us. And from that moment until we exited the bus almost seven hours later, back in Galway, our tour completed, each of us shared one simple, basic objective: don't vomit on ourselves in Ireland. So this is what our ramble had come to by 28 December.

But we rallied. We made a friend from Appleton, WI, a teacher called Lindsey, whom we had lunch with in Doolin town, helped out with photos at the Cliffs (and she, in turn, took photos of us), and who we bumped into later that evening at a pub in Galway. And even though the stench on the bus was worse going home than heading toward the Cliffs, and even if the Trad played by the driver on the return journey seemed like one long, piercing root canal, and even if our guest rooms were ice boxes back at the Ardawn and a steady rain poured down on us as we explored Galway City's Medieval old town that night...we were fascinated by The Burren, blown away by the Cliffs of Moher, eager to explore some shops in town the next day...and so looking forward to the possibility of more of Breda and Mike's free-range eggs on toast after a good night's sleep.

With only one night and half of the next day in Galway City, we didn't really get to know this old college town of about 65,000 which serves as Galway County's main administrative center. The name "Galway" comes from an old Irish word for foreigner, since the city's British overloads kept the native western Irish out of the town for centuries. Little of the old Galway fishing village and trading center was preserved by the foreigners who controlled the city (to them, Irish heritage was not something to be preserved) and thus only a portion of the Norman wall remains today, at the Spanish Arch. The Spanish Arch, built around 1584, was where Spanish ships would unload their cargo when Galway was a major port city. We purchased silver Claddagh rings for each of us at Thomas Dillon's Claddagh Gold, which, having opened its doors in 1750, claims to be "the original makers of the Claddagh Ring." The rings feature two hands holding a heart which wears a crown. It is believed that the symbol originated in the fishing village near Galway's shore (or claddagh), and represents the phrase, "Let Love and Friendship Reign." The ring became popular outside of Galway in the middle of the 19th Century. Tradition dictates that if owner of the ring wears it with the crown pointing toward the finger nail, he or she is in love or married. If, however, the ring is worn with the heart pointing toward the finger nail, he or she is unattached. The day we purchased our rings snow was falling in the old town center, which, being quite rare in Galway, seemed to add excitement to the street.

On 29 December we boarded the 3:05 PM train at Galway station, near Eyre Square, bound for Dublin City. We arrived in rainy Dublin after dark and taxied to the Fitzwilliam Guest House, located in a neighborhood of old Georgian townhomes about six blocks south of St. Stephen's Green. The Fitzwilliam was our home for four nights. Dublin is an amazing city, combining gorgeous 18th Century Georgian/Neo-Classical architecture and planning--courtesy of the British, since Dublin was the Empire's second city, next to London--with the spirit and humor and charm of the Irish. While the Irish people everywhere in our journey were warm and friendly and full of life and wit, Dublin's taxi drivers, in particular, were pleasantly sarcastic, curious, and chatty, making us laugh out loud during nearly every ride. Highlights of our time in Dublin included walks through St. Stephen's Green; strolling and shopping Grafton and O'Connell Streets; visiting the Guinness Storehouse and Brewery at St. James Gate; touring Kilmainham Gaol, a somber and powerful national monument; exploring Christ Church Cathedral (a church has stood on this site since 1040); ending our nights with drinks and dessert at Foley's, our local pub near the Fitzwilliam; a double-decker bus tour through the town; having dinner in the colorful and lively Temple Bar district; walking the grounds of Trinity College, founded in 1592; and seeing the Gate Theatre production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." On New Year's Eve, we had dinner at Good World Chinese Restaurant, walked O'Connell and Grafton, had drinks at Foley's, and returned to the Fitzwilliam for a Prosecco toast at midnight--and, for Frankie & Tony, a snowball fight, as big wet flakes fell just before twelve o'clock (Dana, Mari & John hung out in the room, and talked). The weather was a constant challenge for us in Dublin, but like the Irish, we just kept going. St. Stephen's Green, for instance, was rainy and cold on our first full day in town, sunny and bright on our second, and covered in snow on our third. Welcome to Ireland!

A lot has been said about the food in Ireland, most of it unflattering. And while it's true we were eager to get home to eat something not accompanied by potatoes and meat with gravy, the food wasn't bad. We enjoyed Irish Stew (with lamb), fish and chips, steak, Beef and Guinness Cassarole, turkey, ham, and some excellent Chinese food during our stay. At Foley's, we had Bailey's Ice Cream and Christmas Pudding more than once, usually accompanied by drinks: Baileys on the Rocks, Bailey's & Coffee, Guinness, or Carlsberger, a nice lager from Denmark.

But it was the Irish people and their sense of irony and humor--and their good-natured, take-things-as-they-come outlook--that really left an impression on us, and left us feeling content at the end of each day. Throughout the week, guides and locals we met told us this short Irish parable about worrying too much, about coping with the challenges life presents us all: "There are only two things to worry about: being healthy or being sick. If you're healthy, you've got nothing to worry about. If you're sick, there are only two things to worry about: getting better or dying. If you get better, you've got nothing to worry about. If you die, there are only two things to worry about: going to heaven or going to hell. If you go to heaven, you've got nothing to worry about. If you go to hell...well, you'll be too busy visiting with your friends and family to worry about anything!"

Now that's the kind of spirit that can keep you warm on a cold Irish winter's night.

Itinerary: New Year's in Ireland, 2010

2010-01-21T12:47:00.013-06:00

RAMBLIN’ ACROSS THE EMERALD ISLE: NEW YEAR’S IN IRELAND 2010

Fri 25 Dec 2009 through Sat 2 Jan 2010

OVERVIEW
For our week exploring Ireland between Christmas and New Year’s 2010, we’ll start in the west, on the Atlantic, and work our way east, to Dublin City and the Irish Sea.

Our first stop will be a small town, Ennis, County Clare, a bustling town of 18,000 people (about the size of Highland) dating back to the 13th Century. Ennis is County Clare’s main town, located just 15 miles from Shannon Airport, a good first or last stop in Ireland. A workaday Irish town, we’re visiting Ennis to get the feel of small-town Ireland, without a lot of tourists. In Ennis for 2 nights, we’ll take a guided walking tour with a local resident, see a live show featuring traditional Irish music and dance at our hotel, stroll the town, and dine in local pubs. We’ll also do some shopping and get adjusted to the time change in this, our first stop.

After two nights in Ennis, we’ll head north to Galway by taxi (departs 8:00 AM, about an hour ride) for a one-night stay in a larger city and a guided day trip to see the beautiful and famous Cliffs of Moher that tower above the Atlantic in a nearby by national park, as well as the moon-landscape area known as The Burren, two Irish castles, ancient cave dwellings, the charming town of Doolin, and the beach along the Atlantic Ocean. Then we’ll return to Galway, exploring the town at night and the next day. Galway is a college town of 65,000 with a famous bay. We’ll stay at an Irish Guest House 5 minutes from Eyre Square, the center of town. We’ll walk the town’s Medieval Latin Quarter; visit the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, built in 1320; shop for Claddagh rings (which originated from the fishing village that once thrived in Galway along the river); and eat at a place called Busker Brownes.

After exploring Galway, we’ll leave the Atlantic coast and head east to Dublin City, on the Irish Sea, via afternoon train. We’ll spend four nights in Dublin, including New Year’s Eve 2010. Dublin is the capital of Ireland and its largest city, with 1.5 million residents; the city is over 1,000 years old. In Dublin we’ll tour the 700-year-old Dublin Castle and the old jail (opened in 1796, now a moving museum on the suffering of the Irish); walk Trinity College; tour the Guinness Brewery at St. James Gate; stroll and shop Grafton Street and the area called Temple Bar (especially at night, for people watching); explore O’Connell Bridge over the River Liffey and O’Connell Street; take a guided tour of the city via double-decker bus; visit St. Stephen’s Green, the city’s version of NY’s Central Park; see a live production of A Christmas Carol; go ice skating at the city’s Christmas market; be there for the traditional ringing of the bells at Christchurch Cathedral at midnight on New Year‘s Eve; and enjoy the Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Day Parade and a short day trip to the fishing village of Howth on January 1st. On Saturday January 2nd we’ll fly home direct from Dublin to Chicago, arriving at 1:00 PM, giving us a day and a half to recover!

ITINERARY

Fly to Shannon Airport, 25-12-09 (Fri), departing O’Hare Terminal 3 at 5:05 PM on American Airlines Flight 86, arriving in Ireland (Shannon Airport) at 11:25 AM on 26-12 (Sat); we change planes at London-Heathrow en route, arriving in London at 6:35 AM after a 7.5 hour flight, and departing London at 10:05 AM on Air Lingus Flight 381, with a 1 hr 20 min flight to Shannon
Bus to Ennis, 26-12 (Sat), a 30 min journey
2 nights in Ennis, 26-12 (Sat) & 27-12 (Sun), with a day trip to Bunratty Castle
Bus to Galway, 28-12 (Mon 7:10 AM), a 1 hr 20 min journey
1 night in Galway, 28-12 (Mon), with a guided day trip to the Cliffs of Moher, The Burren and Doolin Town
Train to Dublin, 29-12 (Tue 3:05 PM); a 2 hr 50 min journey
4 nights in Dublin, 29-12 (Tue), 30-12 (Wed), 31-12 (Thu) & 1-1 (Fri), with a day trip to the fishing village of Howth on New Year’s Day
Fly home to Chicago, 2-1-10 (Sat),
departing Dublin at 10:35 AM on American Airlines Flight 93, arriving at Chicago-O’Hare at 1:05 PM on 2-1 (Sat) – an 8 hr 30 min, non-stop journey home

DAY ONE (SAT 26.12): ARRIVE AT SHANNON AIRPORT 11:25 AM; TRANSFER TO ENNIS BY 11:55 AM BUS

Arrival at Ireland’s Shannon Airport; Transfer to Ennis via Coach Bus
We’ll arrive at Shannon Airport at 11:25 AM on Saturday, and after clearing customs, use the restroom and then take either the 11:55 AM (preferred) or 12:55 PM bus to Ennis (then walk to The Old Ground Hotel). We have booked our bus tickets in advance at www.buseireann.ie; about e5 each). Drive time from the airport to Ennis will be about 30 minutes; the bus makes one stop in Clarecastle; the Ennis bus station is the next stop. The bus number we want is number 51 toward Galway. Simply show the counter or driver our confirmation email.

Arrival in Ennis; Check in Hotel
We’ll arrive in Ennis around 12:30 PM, if we make the first bus at the airport. The Old Ground Hotel is located just a few blocks from the combination bus-train station, straight up Station Road, on our right, across from Sts. Peter & Paul Church, at the intersection of Station Road and O’Connell Street (see map in Steves, p. 242). We’ve reserved two rooms, a double for Dana & I and a triple for the kids, each including breakfast, an en suite bath/shower and wireless Internet access (we should request wireless upon check-in). The Old Ground Hotel is a stately, ivy-covered 18th Century building, very near the town center. Our rate is e200.00 per night total for 2 nights (TOTAL will be e400.00): telephone is 065-682-8127; http://www.flynnhotels.com/Old_Ground_Hotel/index.htm
reservations@oldgroundhotel.ie
_________________________________
Confirmation email for Ennis hotel:

Dear John,
Thank you, you now have 2 bookings

1 room for 3 people at 40.00 each bed and breakfast x 2 nights 8385 and 1 room for 2 people at same rate for 2 nights

Mary, Reservations
Old Ground Hotel
OConnell Street, Ennis, Co. Clare
Tel: 065 6828127
Fax: 065 6828112
Email: reservations@oldgroundhotel.ie
Online reservations: www.flynnhotels.com

Cancellation policy:100% charge for non arrivals and any rooms cancelled less that 24 hours prior to arrival.

Afternoon & Evening
Once we check-in the hotel, get settled, and freshen-up a bit (probably about 1:30 PM), we’ll checkout the town and have lunch at one of the following (we could also visit these restaurants tonight or tomorrow, too; since 26.12 is a holiday in Ireland—St. Stephen’s Day—we’ll go with whatever’s open today; Mary at our hotel said that some businesses will definitely be open):

The Poet’s Corner Pub at our hotel (pub grub)
The Town Hall Bistro at our hotel
Numero Uno Pizzeria on Old Barrack Street, off Market Place

After lunch, we’ll walk the town (see map p. 242), checking out the River Fergus, the Friary ruins, and O’Connell Street Square, as well as identifying places we want to visit tomorrow or know more about on our walking tour of Ennis with a private guide, Jane.

After lunch and our exploration of the town, we’ll take a late afternoon siesta at the hotel (personal time for all, to do what they want).

Tonight, after our siesta, we’ll see the music and dance show in the Banner Room at our hotel (will be about e15 each). Then we can check out the town at night, grab a sandwich somewhere open, and return to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.

DAY TWO (SUN 27.12): ENNIS - 9:30 AM TOUR; BREAKFAST AT 8:45

Today in Ennis: Walking Tour; Bunratty Castle
After a late breakfast at the hotel, we’ll meet Jane of Ennis Walking Tours for a private 1.5-hour tour of the town (e60.00). We’ll meet Jane at our hotel at 9:30 AM.
_________________________________
Confirmation email for Ennis walking tour:

Hello John,

Many thanks for your interest in Ennis Walking Tours! I would be happy to do a private tour for you during the holiday season; there is a minimum charge of 60 euro for a private tour. We can meet at 9:30 AM at your hotel for a 1.5-hour tour.

Best regards

Jane O’Brien

Director Ennis Walking Tours
St Brendans Lifford Rd - Ennis Co Clare, Ireland
Tel: (087) 6483714

www.enniswalkingtours.com; info@enniswalkingtours.com
_________________________________

After the tour, we’ll grab a drink or a snack, do some shopping, and then head back to the hotel to meet our driver, Tony Woods (actaxis@eircom.net; www.actaxis.net), for our day trip to Bunratty Castle & Folk Park departing from our hotel at 1:00 PM. Bunratty Castle is open on 27 December from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. We’ll visit the castle from about 2:00 PM until 3:30 PM, and then have lunch at a nearby pub or restaurant, returning to Ennis with Tony by about 5:30 PM. The rate is e40.00 per hour (x 4.5 hours), or about e180.00 for this excursion. Bunratty’s admission fee will be about e34.00 total, for the family rate.
_________________________________

John,

That’s no problem. I’ll see you at 13:00.

Regards,

Tony Woods
A&C Taxis / Tony Woods Chauffeured Tours
Email: actaxis@eircom.net
Web: www.actaxis.net
Phone: +353 87 2547511
_________________________________

Upon our return we’ll take a siesta at the hotel, and head out for our last night in Ennis (personal time for all, to do what they want).

Tonight in Ennis: Cruise’s Pub
Tonight we’ll have dinner in a local pub (Cruise’s on Abbey Street) with live music afterward, before returning to the hotel to pack for our morning departure for Galway and our day trip to the Cliffs of Moher (tomorrow is a very long, full day). We’ll also take one last look at Ennis, since we leave very early in the morning. We’ll checkout of the hotel tonight and pickup continental breakfast at a grocery for the morning (or ask our hotel), since we‘ll leave before breakfast is served.

DAY THREE (MON 28.12): TRANSFER TO GALWAY VIA TAXI AT 8:00 AM; TOUR CLIFFS OF MOHER, THE BURREN & DOOLIN TOWN AT 10:00 AM - RISE AT 7:00 AM TODAY

Rise at 7:00 AM; 8:00 AM Transfer to Galway
We rise at 7:00 AM, checkout if we haven’t the night before, and meet Tony Woods outside our hotel at 8:00 AM for the hour ride to the Ardawn Guesthouse in Galway city (e100.00 cash for this transfer).

Arrival in Galway; Day Trip to the Cliffs of Moher
Upon arrival at the Ardawn Guesthouse, we’ll check-in (we’ve arranged for an early check-in, about 9:00 AM), and have breakfast.. We will be picked up at our hotel at 9:50 AM by O’Neachtain Tours for our day trip to the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin, and the Burren (e110.00 total booked online in advance of our trip at http://www.ontours.biz/index.html; naugtour@iol.ie). Our online confirmation:
_________________________________

Please print out this E Ticket Confirmation.

Dear John,

Thank you for booking our Cliffs of Moher Tour at 10:00 AM on 28/12/09. We look forward to seeing you and we confirm your booking. Your card will be charged .In the meantime we wish you a safe and pleasant journey and if we can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us, assuring you of our best attention at all times.

Kind regards
Michelle Ryan
Customer Service Manager
Please note that coach departs from the new Coach Station in Fairgreen Road, just across from the Tourist Office.
_________________________________

Upon our return to Galway at about 5:30 PM, we’ll check-in to our B&B, and then take a much-needed siesta (personal time for all, to do what they want).

The Ardawn Bed & Breakfast, where we’ve reserved two rooms, a triple for the kids and a double for us, including en suite bath/showers, wireless Internet access, and breakfast at a rate of e80.00 per night for 1 night per room, with breakfast (TOTAL will be e160.00): http://www.galway.net/pages/ardawn-house; ardawn@iol.ie; telephone is 091-568833.
_________________________________

Confirmation email for Galway hotel:

John,

I can provide you with 2 rooms, a triple and a double for the night of the 28th. I will only charge you a room rate of Euro 80.00 per room per night. This will include breakfast and all taxes. Your reservation is confirmed.

Our cancellation policy is 50% charge if cancelled within 7 days prior to arrival and 100% charge if cancelled within 72 hours of arrival.

Regards,

Mike and Breda Guilfoyle
Ardawn House
31 College Road
Galway
Tel 091 568833
Fax 091 563454
ardawn@iol.ie
_________________________________

Our Night in Galway
After a siesta and freshening up (personal time for all, to do what they want), we’ll walk Galway town at night (probably around 7:30 or 8:00 PM), including Eyre Square, the Medieval Latin Quarter, the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas (built in 1320) and the path along the River Corrib. If open, we’ll also shop for Claddagh rings (which originated from the fishing village that once thrived in Galway along the river)—if not open, we’ll do so right after breakfast in the morning. We can eat at a place called Busker Brownes tonight (three popular eateries in a sprawling place with very good but inexpensive food). It’s at Cross Street and Kirwan’s Lane (enter on Cross Street and walk to the back for better seating; open 10:30 AM-9:30 PM). See map p. 259. We could also see some Trad music at a pub--see p. 264 in Steves for recommendations.

Then we’ll call it one long day—and a night!

DAY FOUR (TUE 29.12): GALWAY; TRAIN TO DUBLIN - LEAVE HOTEL BY 11:00 AM TO VISIT GALWAY IN THE DAY

Morning & Early Afternoon: Galway
We’ll sleep in a bit, checkout of the hotel after breakfast, store our luggage, and then spend about three hours exploring Galway during the day, shopping and browsing, from around 11:00 AM until about 2:00 PM. We should walk down Galway’s main drag; see map/explanation in Steves, p. 260. This could also be personal time for all to do what they want; break into two groups, or go together - everyone chooses what they want to see and do).

Mid-Afternoon: Train to Dublin
Then we’ll collect our bags from the hotel and head to the train station by 2:20 PM for the 3:05 PM train from Galway to Dublin (2 hours and 43 minutes to Dublin’s Heuston’s Station, arriving at 5:48 PM; e125.00 total for five passengers). We’ve purchased tickets in advance online at http://www.irishrail.ie.

To collect our tickets at the station in Galway:

You have chosen to collect your tickets at Galway station. Please ensure that you have your reservation number (PRN) with you.

For fast ticket collection at Galway, you can use the Ticket Collection Machines. Just swipe the credit card you made the booking with and your tickets will be printed.

When collecting at a Booking Office the tickets may be collected by the credit/laser card holder on presentation of the credit/laser card used for the booking and the
Booking Reference Number (above). If the appropriate credit card is not presented, then the ticket(s) may only be collected by presenting one of the following: a form of identification such as a valid driving license or passport, or an alternative credit/laser card to the one used for the booking, provided, however, that Iarnród Éireann reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, not to furnish any ticket to any person other than the holder of the credit/laser card used for the booking. Please take your seat 20 minutes in advance of departure.

Evening: Arrival in Dublin
Upon arrival at Dublin’s Heuston’s Station at 5:48 PM, we’ll take a taxi directly from the station to our hotel, The Fitzwilliam Townhouse, at 41 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, near St. Stephen’s Green, and check-in around 6:15 PM. Dublin’s cabs have a reputation for being affordable and quick, with very friendly drivers.
_________________________________

Confirmation email for Dublin hotel:

The Fitzwilliam Townhouse Confirmation of Reservation

We are pleased to confirm your reservation as follows:

Guest Name: John Novick
Arrival Date: 29th June 2009
Departure Date: 2nd January 2010

Dear John,

Thank you for your confirmation. I confirm that we amended your reservation into a Double Room at EUR85 per night and a Triple Room at EUR110 per night for 4 nights starting with the 29th December 2009.

The rooms are next to each other. Should you require further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best regards,
Laura in Reservations

Total w/out Breakfast: e$780.00

Time of Arrival: Between About 6:00 PM

Guaranteed by your credit card will be preauthorized and not charged prior to arrival. In the event of non-arrival, please be aware that a charge of one night's accommodation will be made. In the event that the booking needs to be cancelled, please advise us 48 hours prior to 4:00pm the day of arrival. Please note our latest check-in time is 10:00pm and our time of departure is 11:00am.Thank you for choosing the Fitzwilliam Townhouse and if we can be of any further assistance, please let us know.

We very much look forward to welcoming you to Dublin.

Kind regards,

Paul

The Fitzwilliam Townhouse,
41 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
T: +353 1 6625155 F: +353 1 6767488
info@fitzwilliamtownhouse.com; www.fitzwilliamtownhouse.com
________________________________

Tonight
After getting settled in our hotel by about 7:30 PM, we’ll checkout the area around St. Stephen’s Green, near our hotel (note the Yeats statue and Famine Memorial on the Green; see p. 57 in Steves), walk Grafton Street (one of Europe’s great pedestrian walkways; see p. 57, and notice the Molly Malone statue, “The Tart with the Cart”), and take the O’Connell Street stroll (p. 60), seeing the River Liffey, O’Connell Bridge, sites we’ll visit tomorrow, and the city center. It’s about a 15-minute walk from our hotel to O’Connell Street. For dinner, we’ll walk or taxi to the Temple Bar area (p. 58), and dine at Luigi Malone’s, with “a fun atmosphere and a varied menu of pizza, pasta, ribs, sandwiches, and fajitas”; located on the corner of Cecilia & Fownes Streets, and open until 11:00 PM. This area, Temple Bar, is known for its party atmosphere, so people watching will be abundant.

After dinner we’ll head just about two blocks away to Gogarty’s Pub (Fleet Street and Anglesea Street); we’ll go to the upstairs music room, featuring trad sessions until 2:30 AM, with no cover charge.

Then we’ll head back to the hotel on foot or via taxi for the night.

DAY FIVE (WED 30.12): DUBLIN - LEAVE HOTEL BY 9:00 AM FOR DOUBLE-DECKER BUS TOUR; BREAKFAST AT 8:15

Morning-Afternoon: Double-Decker Bus Tour with Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham Gaol; then Shopping on Grafton Street
For breakfast, our hotel recommends Puffer Bellies Café, which is attached to our guesthouse on the lower ground floor. Breakfast is served as follows:

:From 8 AM-Noon Monday - Friday
:From 8 AM-10 AM Saturday & Sunday
:Traditional Irish breakfast is €6.95 and continental is €5.95.
Also note that Dublin does have Starbucks! A little taste of home. (:

After breakfast we’ll take the 90-minute Irish City Tours double-decker bus tour, departing from Upper O’Connell Street outside the Dublin tourism office at 9:30 AM (north of our hotel, across the River Liffey, and just before Parnell Square). We purchased tickets in advance at http://www.irishcitytours.com/index.htm; the online price was 63.00 Euros total for all of us. We could also board the bus at stop 7, St. Stephen’s Green, right near our hotel, instead (all depends if we want to start the tour at the beginning, or if we don’t mind jumping in mid-stream). The tickets are good for 24 hours. Note the following stops: stop 14 is the Guinness Storehouse/Brewery; and stop 15a is the old jail, called Kilmainham Gaol. In the winter, the bus stops running at 4:30 PM—and begins each day at 9:30 AM.
_________________________________

Please print and retain this receipt as proof of purchase.

Booking date16/10/2009
Travelling date30/12/2009
TourDublin City Tour
PUP09:30 Stop 1: 14 Upr. OConnell Street
No Ad2
No St/Sr3
Client InformationCustomer nameJohn Novick Jr
Cost 63,10 EUR

Desk 1, Dublin Tourism Centre, Suffolk Street, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 1 6057705
Tel: +353 1 4580054
Email: info@irishcitytours.com
_________________________________

We’ll hop-off the bus/tour at stop 14 for the Guinness Storehouse tour (about an hour; www.guinness-storehouse.com; see p. 69 in Steves). If we’re hungry, we could eat something at the Storehouse’s Brewery Bar on the fifth floor. The self-guided tour of the site ends on the seventh floor, at the Gravity Bar, with panoramic views above Dublin and a free pint of Guinness for all! Note: a well-hidden secret: Budweiser is also brewed at the Guinness Brewery! Ugh.
_________________________________

Mr John Novick Jr,

Thank you for purchasing tickets to GUINNESS STOREHOUSE® - you're now on your way to an unexpected adventure.

Please print this email and bring it with you when you visit us so that you can enjoy fast-track entry - your ticket is valid for 12 months from now and you can visit us any time between 9.30am and 5.00pm seven days a week (we're open until 7pm in July and August). Check the website to find out how to get here.

Once you arrive, simply pass through the front entrance and go straight to the Pre-paid ticket machines. You should make sure you have your order reference number below. Then you're ready to begin your journey to the heart of GUINNESS®. It's like nothing you've ever imagined.

--------------------------------------------
Details
--------------------------------------------
Name: Mr John Novick Jr
Country: United States

2 x Student under 18 @ 9.00
1 x Student over 18 @ 11.00
2 x Adult @ 13.50
Total: Euro 56.00
--------------------------------------------
REGULAR OPENING HOURS:
--------------------------------------------
Monday to Sunday
9.30am - 5.00pm (last admission 5.00pm)
Public holidays: Normal opening hours apply
During your visit to the home of Guinness® why not plan a relaxing lunch in our award winning Restaurant - the Brewery Bar on the 5th floor.
Lunch served daily from 12 noon - 4pm

Our Coffee Bar on the 1st floor is open daily from 10am - 6pm

--------------------------------------------
WE'RE HERE TO HELP!
--------------------------------------------
Any queries about your visit? Please e-mail us at customer.service@guinness.com or call Customer Care at: Tel: +353 1 4084800. The Information Desk is open 9.00am - 6.00pm daily.

For directions and a map click here:
http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/GettingThere.aspx

www.guinness-storehouse.com
--------------------------------------------

Then we’ll board the bus again for stop 15a, to visit Kilmainham Gaol (1 hour for a tour; about e6.00 each; see p. 68 in Steves).

Note: We’ll pass Dublin Castle on this bus tour, but we’ll visit the castle tomorrow, since it’s open on 31.12.

Afterwards, probably at around 2:00 or 2:30 PM, we’ll board the next available bus, and hop off at our starting point this morning on Upper O’Connell Street, and then walk back toward our hotel, but stop at Grafton Street to shop and explore (see p. 57 in Steves).

If we haven’t eaten yet, this would be a wonderful main street area for lunch in the city center. Restaurants to consider for lunch near Grafton Street include the pubs The Duke and Davy Burns, both on Duke Street, Bewley’s Café at 78 Grafton Street, and the chain Wagamama Noodle Bar, on South King Street, underneath the St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Center. We won’t eat dinner until after the play tonight (a late dinner).

After strolling, shopping and lunch, we can return to the hotel anytime this afternoon for a siesta (personal time for all, to do what they want).

Tonight: Evensong at Christchurch Cathedral; A Christmas Carol at Gate Theatre; Late Dinner
After a siesta, we’ll attend the 6:00 PM Evensong choral service at Christchurch Cathedral (walk, bus or taxi, depending on weather). Then we’ll head back to the hotel, buying a quick snack at Dunne’s Grocery Store to eat on-the-go, near our hotel and St. Stephen’s Green, on South Great George’s Street, across from the gate to St. Stephen’s Green (see map p. 81).

Then we’ll proceed to The Gate Theatre by taxi (1 Cavendish Row, Parnell Square), for the 8:00 PM performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (already secured tickets, 100.00 Euros total for 5 seats):
_________________________________

Hi John,

I have processed your booking and your new confirmation number is below. Kind regards, Derek

Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' Adapted by John Mortimer
Wed 30 Dec 09 08:00 PM GMT
Seat Numbers: D/8 D/9 D/10 D/11 D/12
TTL: €100.00

Derek Kelly
Box Office Manager
Gate Theatre
1 Cavendish Row
Dublin 1
01 874 40 45
boxoffice@gate-theatre.ie

WWW.GATETHEATRE.IE
Box Office: 01 874 4045 874 6042
_________________________________

After the show we’ll walk back, crossing O’Connell Bridge and seeing the city’s main drag at night from start to finish (see p. 39 in Steves). If we’re hungry, we could also stop for a bite to eat before returning to the hotel to crash.

DAY SIX (THU 31.12): DUBLIN - LEAVE HOTEL AT 11:00 AM FOR DUBLIN CASTLE, KILKENNY‘S; ICE SKATING, CHRISTMAS MARKET

Until 11:00 AM: Personal time for all, to do what they want, sleep, take a walk, etc. Everyone on their own for breakfast today, at their own pace.

Afternoon: Dublin Castle; Kilkenny’s Department Store; Ice Skating/Christmas Market
Then at 11:00 AM we’ll head to Dublin Castle on foot (just over an hour with 45-minute tour, about e5.00 each, opens at 10:00 AM; www.dublincastle.ie; see p. 53 in Steves). If time afterward, we should visit City Hall and the basement museum next door to the castle.

Then we’ll visit the popular Kilkenny Department Store on Nassau Street just south of Trinity College, not far from our hotel.

Then we’ll proceed no later than 3:30 PM via taxi, bus or train to Smithfield Shopping Center for ice skating and browsing the Christmas Market there: we have purchased our skating tickets in advance, and need to bring them to the rink (an outdoor but covered rink). Our time begins at 4:15 PM and ends at 5:15 PM.

Then back to the hotel for a few hours of personal relaxation time for all to spend any way they choose.

NYE in Dublin; Dinner at Good World Chinese Restaurant; Bells of the Cathedral at Christchurch
At about 7:45 PM we’ll walk to the nearby Good World Chinese Restaurant for our 8:00 PM dinner reservation. It’s located at 18 South Great Georges Street, close to our hotel.

After dinner, we could explore Temple Bar or the area around Christchurch Cathedral, before we join the crowds that traditionally gather outside Christchurch beginning at 10:30 PM for the ringing of the bells as the New Year begins; the festive spirit is fueled by live music and street entertainment (no fireworks). Afterwards, we’ll head back to the hotel.

DAY SEVEN (FRI 1.1): DUBLIN - NEW YEAR’S DAY PARADE; DAY TRIP TO THE NEARBY FISHING VILLAGE OF HOWTH; SLEEP IN; BREAKFAST AT 10:30 AM

Until About 10:30 AM: Personal time for all to do what they want. Breakfast at 10:30 AM.

Afternoon: Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Day Parade; Dinner and Walk in the Fishing Village of Howth
This morning we’ll sleep in a bit, and after a late breakfast, we’ll find a good spot in the city center (we’ll ask our hotel for a good spot to be) to watch The Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Day Parade (probably about 11:30 AM). The Parade will begin on Parnell Street North and go up O'Connell Street where all of the bands will stop and perform a medley for the Lord Mayor outside the General Post Office. The bands will then continue up Westmorland Street, onto Grafton Street and finish at St. Stephen’s Green—near our hotel—where they will all perform together before dispersing.

Then we’ll take the 2:58 PM DART train to Howth (from Pearse Station, will be marked HOWTH, not Howth Junction), a 25 minute ride to this quaint fishing village just eight miles north of Dublin (return tickets will be e4.20 each). We’ll taxi to Pearse Station in Dublin to catch our train. We can catch our return train to Dublin in Howth at 5:45 OR 6:25 OR 7:05 PM. On our return, we may want to exit in Dublin at Tara Station, not Pearse, since we’ll have better luck with a cab there if the weather is foul (see Mapeasy map).

In Howth, we’ll walk the promenade along the harbor to the Irish Sea, and walk both piers into the harbor (see map in Steves p. 93). The West Pier has the footprints of King George IV carved into stone in 1821. The East Pier has a 200-year-old lighthouse at the end and the closest views of Ireland’s Eye, a rugged nearby island. Note that the tower on a bluff overlooking the harbor was built to protect the port from Napoleon (it was never needed). In the early 20th Century, Irish rebels smuggled German guns to Dublin through this village, helping arm the Easter Rising of 1916. Abbey Street runs uphill from the harbor, south, becoming Main Street (we’ll walk this, too). For dinner, we have a 4:30 PM reservation at The Abbey Tavern (www.abbeytavern.ie); The Abbey Tavern, from Howth Dart Station, is just a short walk along the promenade.

Tonight: Our Last Night - Temple Bar
Tonight, after our return from Howth and a brief siesta, we’ll do some last-night shopping at anything open and if we’re up to it, see some Trad music at a Temple Bar pub, before we return to the hotel to pack and prepare for our flight home tomorrow. While not everything in town will be open tonight, the Temple Bar neighborhood will be hopping. We could also walk to visit a site any of us wish to see again before leaving Dublin in the morning.

When we return to the hotel to pack, we should order a taxi to the airport for five persons for a 7:30 AM pickup (the journey takes about 45 minutes, and our flight home departs Dublin at 10:35 AM).

FLIGHT (SAT 2.1): DUBLIN TO CHICAGO O’HARE; LEAVE HOTEL AT 7:30 AM; BREAKFAST AT THE AIRPORT; DEPART DUBLIN AIRPORT AT 10:35 AM; ARRIVE HOME IN CHICAGO AT 1:05 PM
We’ll checkout of the hotel by 7:15 AM and meet our 7:30 AM taxi to Dublin Airport (ordered by our hotel for us last night, arriving at Dublin Airport at about 8:00 AM) for our 10:35 AM flight to Chicago: American Airlines Flight 93, arriving at Chicago O’Hare on Saturday at 1:05 PM (flight time is 8 hours, 30 minutes). After checking-in for our flight and clearing security, we’ll have breakfast.

Upon arrival at Chicago-O’Hare at 1:05 PM we’ll either take a taxi back to the city (about $45.00), or be picked up by family at O’Hare, tba.

Ghosts of Spain: A Must-Read Before Visiting Espana!

2009-10-22T16:48:00.020-05:00

A Gio Book Review: Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through Spain and Its Silent Past, by Giles Tremlett, 2007

Giles Tremlett's 2007 cultural conversation about all-things Spanish is a must-read for anyone planning to visit Espana! Tremlett provides thought-provoking, colorful insights into Spanish history, culture and character. This may be the most interesting and plausible text on a foreign culture ever written by an outsider, in this case an English reporter married to a Spanish woman and living in Madrid with their young son. The Spanish penchant for noise and for doing things en masse; the terrible and tragic Civil War and resulting fascist dictatorship of Franco; the Two Spains; the Pact of Forgetting (the terrible atrocities of Spain's bloody history to have hope of moving forward...but can a nation really avoid facing its demons, forever?); the role of the Catholic Church (and of Islam) in Spanish history; the unification of the country and Golden Age after the discovery of the New World; the Inquisition; the transition to democracy led by a monarch appointed by a dictator (talk about unique circumstances!); unbridled capitalist building on the coasts before the economic collapse; foreigners--especially the English--flocking to Spain for retirement and transforming entire villages into ex-pat enclaves; and the breakout of Spanish culture post-Franco, to the point where extreme personal freedom is favored over even basic societal order...these and many other aspects of Spanish history and culture are explored in a readable, interesting way. If you read just one book about Spain before traveling there, Ghosts of Spain is the one. Click on the book cover above to order the book through Amazon.com.

Thoughts on Italy

2009-10-12T16:21:00.004-05:00

"Italy is far from hellish. Its got too much style. Neither is it heaven because it's too unruly. Italy is an offbeat purgatory full of proud, tormented souls, each of whom is convinced he has a hotline to the boss. It can have you fuming and then purring in the space of a hundred meters, the course of ten minutes. People who live in Italy say they want to get out, but those who do want to come back. This is not the sort of country that is easy to explain." --Beppe Severgnini, 2006

"To put up a show becomes the only pathetic way to revolt against destiny, to face life's injustices with one of the few weapons available to a desperate and brave people, their imagination." --Luigi Barzini on the Roots of Italian Culture, 1964

"Italy and the spring and first love altogether should suffice to make the gloomiest person happy."--Bertrand Russell

"You may have the universe if I may have Italy."--Guiseppe Verdi

"Travel is intensified living...and one of the last great sources of legal adventure."--Rick Steves

Getting "Whacked" in England: 9 Nights, Summer 2009

2009-10-11T10:10:00.006-05:00

In England, getting whacked doesn't have quite the same meaning as it does here in the States. To the English, as opposed to being rubbed out by a Joe Pesci-type somewhere in the Jersey hills, being whacked is being exhausted, drained, dog tired. After our nine-night journey through England from 26 June through 5 July, 2009--including 3 nights in Bath, 2 nights in The Cotswolds, a day trip to Stonehenge & Lacock, and 4 nights in London Town during a record-breaking heat wave, sans air conditioning--we were, well...whacked.

What a way to get rubbed out.

What follows are some observations, a bit of history, a few meaningful quotations, and a brief report on our first trip to England, followed by a link to the specifics of our nine-night itinerary, including hotels, restaurants, sights visited, ground transport, costs, etc.

Cheers!

Gio
___________________________

BATH SPA

Bath, even before the Romans built a spa here around 60 A.D., was known for its mineral hot springs. 200 years ago, the city was England's upscale place to see and be seen. Now a city of 85,000, Bath features a new spa, a 500-year old Perpendicular Gothic abbey, 18th Century Georgian architecture, and beautiful River Avon vistas, gardens, and shops.

The River Avon in Bath is beautiful, especially from the Parade Park, but its name--Avon--is not so unique. In fact, England has many rivers called Avon, since Avon is the Celtic word for "river," and the Romans, not realizing this, adopted the name Avon for many bodies of water, in effect, naming all of them "River River." The locals must have gotten a good laugh at that back in the 1st Century.

Pulteney Bridge has shops lining both sides of the street, and thus has been compared to Ponte Vecchio in Florence; however, it's not as old, not as big, not as interesting, not as historic, and not as beautiful as Ponte Vecchio...otherwise it's a valid comparison.

"What a remarkably small world Britain is. That is its glory: it manages at once to be intimate and small scale, and at the same time packed to bursting with incident and interest. Can there anywhere on earth be, in such a modest span, a landscape more packed with busy, productive attainment?" Bill Bryson, "Notes from a Small Island" (1997). Hard to argue with Bryson here. Small geographically, but England just lives BIG.

Bath Abbey at dusk on a summer night is comforting somehow; one just feels connected to people and places and events that came before, things that really matter. Nicknamed "Lantern of the West" for the bright light that pours through its beautiful stained glass, here, in 973 A.D., Saints Dunstan and Oswald crowned Edgar as the first King of all England. The Abbey square is located between the Abbey and the captivating ruins of the Ancient and Medieval baths, and is a beautiful place to sit at dusk eating gelato and listening to street musicians, as the city center grows quiet and darkness falls.

My Breakfast Faus Pas: we stayed at a wonderful guest house in Bath, the Three Abbey Green, right in the city center...welcoming, beautiful, ideal location, and a good price, too. But next time, I have to remember these family-owned guest houses take great pride in their service--and in their food. Got up very early one morning, before Dana--and long before our breakfast service started at the Three Abbey Green--and went to Starbucks for a latte and to edit some photos on my laptop. All good, at this point. But then I thought I'd be a thoughtful husband, and bring Dana a Tall Mocha, her addiction of choice, and with it, a little taste of home. Upon my return to the guest house, I entered the charming little breakfast room on the lower level carrying two take-away cups of Starbucks coffee--and with one step inside instantly drew every eye in the room directly on me, like the super trooper beam Abba sings about. I had instantly insulted our fair host (and her daughter, too) and drew a number of knowing "Ugly American" nods from fellow guests from around the world. "Do you not like our coffee?" the owner asked. "We make it fresh and select the beans so carefully. Would you mind very much pouring those into the coffee cups on your table, and letting me take the rubbish away?"

We made a friend from Norway in Bath, Irene, on a long-delayed bus from Heathrow to Bath Spa, and had dinner a few times, including Italian at Martini's Restaurant. We hope to visit Irene's native Norway someday! The people in England--the English and visitors on holiday like Noreen--were so friendly, so welcoming, more than many other places we've been. Was also surprised at how many wonderful Italian restaurants we found in England, including Martini's and Vito's (a family from Puglia owns Vito's, recommended by our River Avon cruiser captain). Vito's, a gem filled more with locals than tourists, can be accessed on Pulteney Bridge (head down the steep stairs).

In April of 1942, Bath, York and Canterbury were bombed in a blitz by the German Luftwaffe. 400 lives were lost and 19,000 buildings destroyed. In Bath, houses in the Royal Crescent, Circus and Paragon were burnt out, along with the Assembly Rooms, while the south side of Queen Square was destroyed. All have since been reconstructed.

Samuel Pepys, 17th Century English diarist, bathed in Bath's mineral waters once, and recorded this entry in 1668: "Pretty enough, only methinks it cannot be clean to go so many bodies together in the same water."

STONEHENGE
Stonehenge literally means "hanging stones." According to Rick Steves: while England has hundreds of stone circles, Stonehenge is the only one with lintels (horizontal cross pieces) and the only one in which the stones have been made uniform and smooth. What's left today is half of the original structure, with many stones quarried for building materials over the years. Stonehenge was built sometime between 3000 and 1000 B.C. and is an accurate celestial calendar. It may have also had religious significance, but no one knows for certain. The stones weigh between 25 and 45 tons, each, and were carried over 200 years from 20 miles away (the tall monoliths and lintels) and as much as 240 miles away, in Wales (the shorter stones in the middle, called bluestones). No one can say how this was accomplished. For some perspective, consider this: Stonehenge is older than the pyramids in Egypt, the Acropolis in Greece, and the Colosseum in Rome. There was a time when tourists could rent hammers on-site and break off a piece to take home as a souvenir. Today, though, the rocks are roped off.

On the day of our visit, 28 June, a light drizzle fell for a while and the skies were overcast. This seemed, actually, to add to the mood of the place. Stonehenge is not the kind of thing you can stare at for hours, but it has a definite aura about it that's intriguing and kind of powerful. You know you're looking at an undertaking so important that it took many, many lifetimes to complete (reminds me of the generations it took to build some of Europe's grandest cathedrals), and that you're standing right there, where ancient peoples stood. Burial mounds surround the site, in the distance, as if the structure itself wasn't enough. Our tour guide and Dana agreed, though: one look at the job to be done here, and if the workers or volunteers were free people, they must have thought seriously about calling off sick. England's National Trust is planning a major restoration around Stonehenge over the next ten years, recreating the surrounding grasslands, moving the highway underground (eliminating its appearance and noise), and building a new visitors' center a few miles away.

THE COTSWOLDS HILLS

The Cotswolds Hills, a sizable area of Gloucestershire, northwest of London, features numerous small villages that thrived in the Middle Ages on the wool trade. Today Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Campden, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Moreton-in-Marsh feature Medieval market crosses, centuries old wool churches, historic pubs (we dined at the King's Arms, the primary stopover for 17th Century travelers to London from the north of England), sleepy squares, simple shops, lush gardens, and friendly, chatty people. We stayed in Stow, as our home base, for two nights, and visited the other villages by local bus on 30 June. The bus gave us the chance to talk with residents, including a wonderful old volunteer driver who took us and a small bus of locals heading to Moreton for the weekly market on an early morning tour of the hills and hamlets in between the two towns. When we realized we were on the wrong bus--going not to Bourton, where we had planned, but to Moreton--the seniors on the bus, and the driver, nearly died of laughter. This happy accident was a highlight of our trip...as is so often the case.

"A streak of ancient wisdom warns us that it is our duty to keep an eye on the old thatch [the English village] because we may have to go back there some day, if not for the sake of our bodies, perhaps for the sake of our souls." H.V. Morton, "In Search of England" (1927).

"America is a land of extravagance, sweeping gestures, and vast spaces. The scale of England is different. The countryside is divided, subdivided, and divided again by hedgerows, paths, lanes, and odd-shaped fields. It is a patchwork of small squares, each with its own terrain, trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Ancient monuments, bits of fallen wall, hidden streams, and remnants of old forests turn each square into a story written in fine print." Susan Allen Toth, "My Love Affair with England" (1992).

Our homebase in The Cotswolds, Stow-on-the-Wold, had a wonderful Market Cross, which for 500 years reminded dealers on market day that God was watching them...so they had better be honest. Stow, born before the Romans invaded Britain, later became a key market town with trade roads crossing through the village, which rests on the highest point in the area at 800 feet above sea level.

The garden at the Stow Lodge may be the most beautiful, charming, and relaxing place on the planet that is not located in Italy. Really. What a place to enjoy a glass of wine and drift away on a summer afternoon, before dinner. What heaven would be like if it was in someone's backyard.

LONDON TOWN London is an enormous, diverse city, with 9 million energetic people from England and around the world, living, working and playing in 600 square miles of neighborhoods, historic sites, pubs, churches, Thames River bridges, boats, and walking paths, black cabs, undergroud tubes, and double-decker buses. We put in four consecutive 12-hour days in London--in record-breaking heat sans air conditioning--and we barely scratched the surface of all this city has to offer in music, art, architecture, history, food, gardens, and people. A remarkable, one-of-a-kind place. English people we met in the Cotswolds suggested that London is not really "England," I presume because of its diversity and pace of life. Not sure what to make of that, but this much is true: London may just be the most interesting, lively big city in the world. We would go back in a minute...and we will return.

The echo of hurrying footfalls "has been a continuous sound for many hundreds of years, in the very centre of the city, and it may be that the perpetual steady echo of passing footsteps is the true sound of London in its transience and in its permanence." Peter Ackroyd, "London: The Biography" (2000).

Westminster Abbey's Coronation Chair has been used at every coronation since 1308. Queen Elizabeth I is entombed here, as is Geoffrey Chaucer. A fascinating church in which to wander. On the inside, where pictures are not allowed, I wouldn't say it's the most beautiful church in the world (we've seen churches in Spain and in Italy much more stunning in their beauty), but Westminster is so filled with things--from the British Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to a Poet's Corner, and from chapels, gardens and paintings, to sculptures, tombs, and cloisters--that I'm convinced one could reside in this Abbey for a year and not take all of it in.

Was strange to be in England on Independence Day, the 4th of July. I thought about this while riding the London Eye, the tallest observation wheel in the world at 450 feet, looking down on the River Thames, Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. While a few hundred years doesn't add up to a millisecond in geological terms, what a difference that span makes in human affairs. I couldn't help but wonder what Jefferson, Adams and Washington would say if they stood with us in our carriage, overlooking London, on 4 July, 2009. It's not rational, but Dana and I both experienced a hint of guilt at being here on the 4th. I can't even say why. Was all very strange.

London is a coral reef of humanity. Whites are now a minority in parts of the city that once symbolized white imperialism. Arabs have nearly bought out the area north of Hyde Park. Chinese takeouts outnumber fish-and-chips shops. Eastern Europeans pull pints in British pubs. Many hotels are run by people with foreign accents. London is learning--sometimes fitfully--to live as a microcosm of its formerly vast empire--Rick Steves. Definitely. Yes, we saw that, felt that.

London's remarkable Victoria Station is a 19th Century tribute to the Queen who ruled an Empire for 63 years, 7 months, and 2 days--now that's one helluva a run. We sometimes used this station to access the Tube during our four days in London, but we also used the quieter Sloane Square station, during peak hours, to avoid the mammoth crowds that swarm in and around Victoria from London, Dover, Portsmouth, Canterbury, and London's Gatwick Airport. We took the Gatwick Express from Victoria for our flight to Genova. Our hotel, The Limetree, was in Belgravia, where Margaret Thatcher resides, and was equidistant between Victoria and Sloane Square. A good location, really, but the neighborhood was awfully sleepy at night, especially after 9:00 PM. However, the staff at the Ebury Wine Bar next to our hotel--from Spain, the Czech Republic, and England--were wonderful. Johanna from the Czech Republic raved about the beer back home, and so I tried a bottle they had on hand. Sitting there, an American in England, drinking Czech beer in a wine bar talking to new friends from Spain and Eastern Europe about London...all of this talk about a global society means something. This is the future. It's not just talk.

Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, has a cafe in the crypt, not far from where John Milton rests. So bizzare (still, I had a bottle of beer and we ate fresh strawberries we bought at Covent Garden Market...because we could). Princess Diana was married at St. Paul's, and Wren himself, Blake, the Duke of Wellington, and Admiral Nelson lie in the crypt. There has been a cathedral on this site for 1,400 years. This church was built between 1675 and 1710, after the Great Fire. St. Paul's is the largest church in England, combining forms from the continent: tiers of Corinthian columns, curved porches, and a dome. It's exterior is beautiful at night; we saw it walking from the Thames after seeing "As You Like It" at the Globe.

I went to London a normal guy, but came home humming Abba melodies on the way to work each day. The theater scene on the West End, near Picadilly, is something else. We saw "Mamma Mia," Dana's choice, and now I'm ruined musically, maybe forever. Be careful here. Travel can change you, and not always in ways you'll like!

THE LAST WORD "I've thrown the question at numerous people and though most are delighted to be English they've struggled for any sort of definition of what it is to be English. Mr. Sheffield can define English only by what it isn't. 'The one thing English isn't is European,' he says. 'There's water between us, and water is water.'" Joe Bennett, "Mustn't Grumble: In Search of England and the English" (2006).

So there it is, then...England. Water is water.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL ITINERARY FOR THIS TRIP: 9 NIGHTS IN ENGLAND, FOLLOWED BY 5 NIGHTS IN ITALIA (includes hotels, restaurants, travel times, details about key sights, and costs)

Photos of Our European Travels

2009-10-04T16:30:00.007-05:00

For online albums of our trips to Italy and other European destinations, visit the Molto Gentile, Italia photo page located at http://moltogentileitaliaphotos.shutterfly.com.

Benvenuto!

2009-10-03T12:31:00.007-05:00

Welcome to Molto Gentile, Italia (That's Very Kind, Italy).

As an Italiophile, I am happy to share information from our trips with you, including itineraries, recommended readings, favorite hotels, restaurants, links, an Italian language guide for travelers, and photos. We also provide our Top 10 Tips for Combating Italy Withdrawal when you return from your Italian holiday, much-needed counsel for many Americans who visit Italy...and don't want to go home!

Molto Gentile, Italia is a starting point for your Italy planning, offering free information to world travelers, things we've learned through personal, first-hand experience. Specific details like hours of operation for museums, the currency exchange rate, train and bus schedules, or hotel rates can change quickly. Our itineraries offer a general plan based on trips we've taken when we've taken them, along with our impressions of each locale--not up-to-the-minute travel advice based on current prices. For books to help you prepare in greater detail to visit Italy, check out Gio's Book Reviews in the archives.

And be sure to become a fan of Molto Gentile, Italia on Facebook. If you already have a Facebook account, you can sign up right here: just scroll down this page.

Grazie e buon viaggio!

Five Little-Known Reasons Italy is So Damn Original

2009-09-28T19:55:00.037-05:00

We'll save the thoughtful analysis for another time. This post is straight to the point: here are five little-known reasons Italy is so damn original, and if you haven't been there, you really need to go...now!

5. Nutella, native to Piemonte, now outsells all peanut butter brands combined, worldwide. Nutella and jelly? Take that, Skippy!

4. "Ars longa, vita brevis"--"Art is long, life is short"--the key to living a rewarding life. What more can one ask of a culture?

3. Annual wine consumption per person: 26 gallons. And yet Italians never seem to be intoxicated. Piano, piano (slow, slow).

2. Italy has more hotel rooms than any other nation in Europe. And who says the Italians don't plan ahead?

1. Italy has a population of 58 million people...with 63 million mobile phones. If you can't communicate with others, can't express yourself when you feel the urge to do so...you might as well be English!

Sources: Let's Go Italy 2009; lifeinitaly.com

Gio's Top Ten Italian Travel Tips

2009-08-29T17:37:00.250-05:00

"Italy is far from hellish. Its got too much style. Neither is it heaven because it's too unruly. Italy is an offbeat purgatory full of proud, tormented souls, each of whom is convinced he has a hotline to the boss. It can have you fuming and then purring in the space of a hundred meters, the course of ten minutes. People who live in Italy say they want to get out, but those who do want to come back. This is not the sort of country that is easy to explain." Beppe Severgnini, 2006

After three excursions to Italy in the last 18 months--and a fair measure of reading and research before and after each trip--Dana Marie and I have picked up a few lessons about Italian travel that might come in handy for Americans making their their first journey across the pond.

Here, then, are our Top Ten Italian Travel Tips. Among the places in Italy we've visited--the locales in which we learned these travel lessons--is Milano (twice), Venezia (twice), Firenze (twice), Siena, Cortona, Roma, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Paestum, Cinque Terre (twice), Genova, and Stresa. We've only scratched the surface of this wonderful country, its rich and varied culture, its intriguing people, and its long, complex history. But that's okay--because we'll be back the first chance we get.

Buon viaggio!

GIO'S TOP 10 ITALIAN TRAVEL TIPS

10. Italian trains: buy tickets as you go at the station, not in advance of your trip; don't pay for 1st Class, go with 2nd; try to schedule Eurostar or Intercity, and avoid Regionale if you can: Italian regional and local trains are often brutally warm in the summer...and unreliable (arriving late, leaving early, or canceled). That being said, take the train, anyway--a great way to connect with Italians and other travelers!

9. Try to speak Italian as much as possible, in restaurants, at the hotel, on the beach, in museums, at a bar (which in Italy is what Americans would call a cafe). Doing so, even if referring to a book frequently and struggling with proper pronunciation, is appreciated by the Italian people...and can lead to great laughter and fun conversations (in both English and Italian).

8. Drink red AND white wine! I know, I know..."I only like red," or "I drink white." Time to get over that. Italy is home to hundreds upon hundreds of amazing grape varietals--not to mention the countless tastes produced by blending grapes--and trying new things, expanding your palette, is an important part of any wine drinker's Italian travel. The Chianti produced in Tuscano, the dry white wine produced in Liguria, the prosecco in Veneto...drink local. You'll be surprised at what you discover, and how it opens new doors to wine enjoyment at home, too. Italy is the world's largest wine producer. Don't be afraid to try something new.

7. Do not carry cash, credit/debit cards, or travel documents in your pockets, purse, day bag, or backpack. Violent crime is rare in Italy, but pick-pockets and scam artists abound...and are highly professional (sometimes even in their dress). Men, women, children, anyone can be 'on the job,' in search of the unsuspecting and unprepared tourist. Understandably, these people focus their attention on areas known to draw large number of international tourists, those with their guard down, those lost or confused. Do your best to blend in with the locals (maybe leave the Yankees jersey at home!), and carry your valuables in a money belt worn around your waist or around your neck, under your clothing. Just keep a small amount of pocket money in your pocket. That way, if you get nabbed while exiting a crowded train in Rome after a 10 hour overnight flight, struggling to drag your bag off the train with you...the loss of cash won't ruin your day (or your trip).

6. Force yourself to learn how to use the public transport (trains, buses, boats) in the cities you visit. Taxis are fine when exhausted or drenched or in a rush, but they do have three major drawbacks: it can be hard to tell if the route taken by the driver is a direct and reasonable one; taxis cost more than public transport; and, finally, while a friendly driver can provide some pleasant conversation, to really interact with Italian locals every day, go where they go...on the buses, train, and boats.

5. Take advantage of the siesta anywhere you go in Italy (even if it is a southern Italian tradition, and one that may be dying out). Soaking up all the Italian culture you can every day for two or three weeks can be physically and mentally grueling, even if you do build in some chill days at the beach, or in a small town, or at an agriturismo. To ensure that you have the energy and desire to enjoy both the early mornings in Italy and some night life, set aside two to three hours every day between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM to read, sleep, enjoy a drink on a veranda overlooking the sea or in an interesting piazza. You can also use this down time to phone home, edit and label your photos, or watch some Italian television (The Flintstones in Italiano is my personal favorite). We've found that this daily siesta can help us keep going at night, and still get an early start each day. And Italians really don't eat dinner until after 7:00 PM, anyway!

4. Hotels: select hotels owned by families, not chains, and base your selections on location and what you can learn about their cleanliness and comfort--not their amenities (we use www.tripadvisor.com and www.ricksteves.com, along with Rick Steves' guidebooks, to identify and research our hotels). When it comes right down to it, staying right where you want to wake up every morning and go to bed each night--whether you prefer the city center, near a favorite vista, close to public transport, or situated with easy access to day trips--is THE key factor, since location is what enables you to spend more time each day enjoying your locale, looking for those unplanned and memorable experiences...and less time finding your way from one sight to another. Cleanliness, of course, is the other key factor, without which one cannot really relax and re-charge after long days and nights of adventure. Give up room size, give up a pool, a weight room, even a bar (go local, just down the street!), give up room service, an elevator, and give up digital cable television. Enjoy Italy's light continental breakfast and a cappuccino in a humble little breakfast room, served by the owners themselves. If you're looking for a Holiday Inn or Marriot-style hotel experience...go to Disney World or the Grand Canyon. You're in Italy, for God's sake: the less time you spend in your hotel, the better! NOTE: These days, nearly all hotels, even small, family-owned establishments, offer WI-FI Internet access, either free or for a small charge. Many of these hotels also provide a small common area inside or outside the hotel, perfect for a late-night drink (often BYOB) or your afternoon siesta.

3. Mangiere! This is Italy, after all! Breakfasts in Italy are light, including a pastry, perhaps a few slices of ham and cheese, and espresso or juice. Breakfast is included in the cost of your hotel room. Cappuccino is popular, but Italians don't drink cappuccino after about 11:00 AM...in fact, it's seen as a faux pas to do so, showing poor taste, or misunderstanding one's digestive system, mixing cappuccino with meals that typically include tomatoes or tomatoes sauce, pasta, fish or meat. Lattes are more popular in the afternoon. As for lunch, travelers can save some money if they opt for a larger lunch (can be pizza or a panino or focacia at a bar, with a drink, or a full-blown restaurant meal, pasta, meat, or fish), and then share a primo piatto or second plate at dinner, sometime around 8:00 PM. Simply put, the lunch specials are cheaper than the dinner specials, and with a large lunch, come 8:00 PM, a shared snack may be all that's needed. Another approach to dinner is to have one guest order a primo piati (such as a pasta or risotto), and another a main course (meat or fish), and then share. In general, portions are generous, and prices can be high. We've found sharing to be perfect. And be sure to save room afterwards for fresh gelato: wow.

2. Get off the beach. This is not to say that part of your Italian holiday should not include quality time at the sea side...so beautiful, so relaxing, so much fun. But if one travels to Italy to spend every day at the beach, you have to ask, "Why not just go to Florida or California?" and save yourself a ton of money and time? Make time to do things you might not ordinarily do at home. Explore art, music, architecture, shops, small piazzas, castles, bars. Take walking tours. Find a cooking class. And find a way, especially on a second or third trip to Italy, to see, safely, Italy's gritty, urban side. Go beyond picturesque Italy, and strive to understand the country's diversity and prejudices and problems, too (political corruption, regionalism, organized crime, apathy, racism/xenophobia). Observe, read, think, and talk with those around you.

1. Our favorite three-week Italian itinerary: fly to Naples; bus, train, boat or taxi to Sorrento; 4 nights in Sorrento, including day trips to Isola Capri and the Amalfi Coast; train to Roma (visiting Pompeii en route); 3 nights in Roma, including the ancient sites and a day at the Vatican & St. Peters; bus to Siena; 3 nights in Siena, including day trips to smaller Tuscan hill towns nearby; bus to Firenze; 3 nights in Firenze; train to Cinque Terre; 3 nights in Cinque Terre; train to Milano; visit Milano as a day trip; train to Stresa; 2 nights in Stresa, in the foothills of the Italian Alps; train to Venezia; 3 nights in Venezia; fly home from Venezia. Specific details about each locale, along with our favorite hotels, restaurants, and tours, are available in the archive section of Molto Gentile, Italia.

_________________________________

"To put up a show becomes the only pathetic way to revolt against destiny, to face life's injustices with one of the few weapons available to a desperate and brave people, their imagination." Luigi Barzini on the Roots of Italian Culture, 1964

Itinerary: 9 Nights in England followed by 5 Nights in Italia

2009-07-26T21:40:00.010-05:00

English Entrée, Italian Dolce
Our 2009 Summer Excursion to England e Italia

-9 Nights in England
-5 Nights in Italy
-In England: Bath (& Stonhenge), The Cotswolds & London Town
-In Italia: Cinque Terre & Genova

Thursday 25 June – Friday 10 July 2009

OVERVIEW OF ITINERARY
-Depart from Chicago O’Hare Terminal One for London Heathrow via United Airlines Flight 928 at 6:05 PM on Thursday, 6/25; arrive at London Heathrow Terminal One at 8:25 AM (0 stop, 8 hrs 20 min)

-Three Nights in Bath, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 6-26 through 6-28 (with a guided day trip to Stonehenge on Sunday)

-Two Nights in The Cotswolds, Monday & Tuesday, 6-29 & 30 (Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Moreton-in-Marsh, Chipping Campden & Broadway)

-Four Nights in London, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday, 7/1 thru 7/5

-Four Nights in Cinque Terre (Monterosso), 7/5 though 7/8, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday

-One Night in Genova, 7/9, Thursday

-Depart from Genoa Cristoforo Columbo Airport for Chicago O’Hare via United Airlines Flight 9282 (operated by Dolomiti Airlines) at 12:05 PM for Munich on Friday, 7/10 (1 hr 35 min); arrive at Munich-Franz Joseph Airport Terminal Two at 1:40 PM; depart Munich Terminal Two via United Airlines Flight 8855 (operated by Deutsche-Lufthansa) at 3:40 PM, arriving at Chicago O’Hare Terminal 5 at 6:15 PM Friday, 7/10 (9 hrs 35 min)

FLIGHT: CHICAGO TO LONDON: THU JUNE 25
We’ll depart Chicago O’Hare (Terminal 1) for London via the 6:05 PM United Airlines Flight 928: arrive at London, England’s Heathrow Airport (Terminal 1) at 8:25 AM England-time on Friday, 6/26. Flight time is 8 hours and 20 minutes.

DAY ONE: BATH: FRI JUNE 26
Heathrow Airport to Bath:
After clearing customs, collecting any checked bags, and freshening up a bit, we’ll take the 10:15 AM National Express coach bus from Heathrow’s central bus station to Bath Spa bus station on Avon Street (38.50 pnds total for two people, a 2 hour 35 min ride; www.nationalexpress.com; we have already paid for this journey, and must present the e-ticket we received to the driver upon boarding…it’s among our travel papers).

Arrival in Bath: Check in Three Abbey Green
We should arrive in Bath at the bus station on Avon Street at 12:50 PM (see map in Steves, p. 278). Our hotel, Three Abbey Green, is just a few blocks away (a 10 or 15 minute walk or a 4-5 pnd taxi ride, depending on how we feel).

Our hotel in Bath is The Abbey Green: +44 (0)1225 428558; Fax: +44 (0)1225 31666; stay@threeabbeygreen.com;
www.threeabbeygreen.com. 125 pnds per night for 3 nights, or 375 pnds total. We will have already paid a 20 pnd deposit to reserve the room. We must pay the balance in cash upon arrival for The Abbey Green (355 pnds).

We have reserved the Sycamore Room, with a king bed, en suite bath/shower, and windows opening to the historic square, Abbey Green. The hotel is located right in the centre of historic Bath. A town house, some of it built as early as 1658, the hotel has just seven rooms over three floors with no lift. Just a couple minutes walk from the train and bus stations and just 50m from the Abbey and Roman Baths. We will have arranged for a 1:00 PM check-in.

Today: Lunch at Pump Room, Tour Roman Baths, Shopping/Strolling, Visit Abbey
After getting settled in the hotel, we’ll begin our site-seeing with lunch in the Roman Bath Pump Room, a restaurant and site in itself (about 12 pnds each; we will have made a reservation for 1:45 PM by emailing romanbaths_bookings@bathnes.gov.uk or calling 01225 444477). Convenient WCs can be found in the space between the baths and the pump room.

After lunch we’ll tour of the Roman and Medieval baths (see Steves p. 267), just 50 yards from our hotel (11-12 pnds each). After touring the baths, we’ll walk the center of town, shopping and getting our bearings (see color map in our guidebook).

After shopping and walking—we can proceed back to the Abbey area, where our hotel is, to tour Bath’s historic 500-year-old abbey (2.50 pnds each, last entry at 5:00 PM, see p. 269 for details).

Then we’ll return to the hotel at about 5:30 PM for a siesta before dinner.

Tonight: Dinner at Tilley’s
Then we’ll dine near our hotel at Tilley’s Bistro (build your own meal with 7 pnd starters), healthy French, vegetarian and English meals with candlelight ambience. Highly recommended by Steves. Our hotel will already have made a reservation under “John Novick” for 7:45 PM tonight. Located at 3 North Parade Passage, just a block south of the Abbey. Note that Tilley’s only accepts reservations by phone at 01225 484200.

After dinner at Tilley’s, we’ll head back to the hotel for the night, to relax and get some sleep—unless we still have energy, and wish to walk the town at night and have a drink at the bar of a pub.

DAY TWO: BATH: SAT JUNE 27
Morning: Walking Tour
This morning after breakfast at the hotel we’ll take the free two-hour walking tour (departing from in front of the Pump Room) beginning at 10:30 AM. This tour, free of charge, is offered by the Mayor’s Corps of Honorary Guides, and has an excellent reputation. The guides, all volunteers for the town, do not accept tips.

Afternoon: Lunch/Shopping, Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge & Gardens (maybe Avon River Cruise) and Guildhall Market
After the walking tour, we can enjoy lunch in town, at either Wagamama, 1 York Buildings, George Street, one of a stylish, youthful chain of modern noodle shops OR Browns, which fills an old police station right across from the Abbey with 8 to 15 pnd meals and a nice terrace if the weather is good (located just a half-block east of the Abbey).

After lunch, we can stroll the town, again, and shop, ultimately visiting the Royal Crescent, the stately Georgian/Neoclassical buildings from Bath’s late 18th Century glory days, per Steves. We will visit one of the homes here, the Georgian House at Number 1 Royal Crescent (corner of Brock Street & Royal Crescent, see ps. 270-1), to see how aristocrats lived in the 18th Century. Open until 5:00 PM today, but last entry at 4:30 PM. Admission is 5 pnds each, and there is a 2 pnd guidebook available.

Then we could visit the Pulteney Bridge, sort of an English version of Florence’s Ponte Vecchio (costs about a pound to enter the lovely English gardens below the bridge, if it’s a nice day; definitely worth the stop). Finally, just across from the bridge, is Guildhall Market, a small mall, worth exploring.

Then a siesta at the hotel.

Tonight: City Bus Tour; Gerrick’s Head Pub
After a siesta we’ll catch the city bus tour at the nearest of 17 sign-posted pickup points (we’ll plan to board about 6:20 PM). We want the 50-minute downtown tour for about 10 pnds, each (simply pay the driver upon boarding). The last tour departs at 7:00 PM.

Then we’ll have dinner tonight at about 6:30 PM at Gerrick’s Head Pub, located to the left and behind Theatre Royal as you face it. Described as a classy pub with outdoor seating for great people watching (a pricey dinner menu, about 12 pnds, each). Address is 8 St. John’s place.

Then we could stroll or relax at a pub over a drink, i.e., The Old Green Tree in the town center on Green Street.

DAY THREE: BATH & DAY TRIP TO STONEHENGE: SUN JUNE 28
Morning: Sleep In; Brunch; Avon River Cruise OR Costume Museum
After sleeping in a bit and enjoying a late breakfast/early lunch, we could catch a river cruise near Pulteney Bridge (which we visited yesterday), across the bridge, at Pulteney Weir (about 8 pnds each for a two-way 60 minute cruise to Bathampton and back; WCs on board). Just take whatever boat leaves next OR we could visit the Costume Museum instead of the river cruise, if the weather’s bad (featuring displays on over 400 years of fashion): about 7 pnds each (see p. 271 in Steves).

Afternoon: Stonehenge & Lacock
Then we’ll meet at the Glass House shop on the corner of Orange Grove (near the Abbey) by 1:00 PM for the half-day Mad Max Mini Bus Tour of Stonehenge and the countryside village of Lacock (departs at 1:15 PM). Costs 15 pnds each, including the 7 pnds needed for entry to Stonehenge (we must pay cash on the tour; no credit cards accepted). We’ve already reserved our places for this tour at http://www.madmax.abel.co.uk (see confirmation email). We’ll return to Bath by about 5:15 PM.

Tonight: Our Last Night in Bath
After Stonehenge, we’ll enjoy a siesta at the hotel for a few hours, and then have dinner at Martini Restaurant at 9 George Street at 7:15 PM, “a hopping, jovial, purely Italian restaurant” open 6:00 to 10:30 PM. Our hotel will have already made a reservation for us under the name “John Novick” for 7:15 PM tonight.

Afterwards we can take one last look around Bath, shopping and strolling, before we return home to pack for our morning departure for The Cotswolds. We’ll have to depart the hotel in the morning for the train station no later than 9:10 AM.

DAY FOUR: BATH TO THE COTSWOLDS (STOW-ON-THE-WOLD): MON JUNE 29
Early Morning: Train to Cotswolds; Check-in Hotel; Walk Stow-on-the-Wold
After breakfast at the hotel, checkout and proceed directly to the train station no later than 9:10 AM (on foot or by taxi) for the ride to The Cotswolds (Moreton-in-Marsh station).

We have already purchased tickets for the 9:43 AM train from Bath Spa to Moreton-in-Marsh, a ride of 2 hours and 13 minutes (includes one change in Reading), arriving at Moreton-in-Marsh at 11:56 AM.

NOTE THAT WE’LL NEED OUR CONFIRMATION EMAIL AND CREDIT CARD TO COLLECT OUR TICKETS AT THE BATH SPA STATION, FOR THIS JOURNEY AND FOR OUR TRIP ON 1 JULY FROM MORETEN-IN-MARCH TO LONDON’S PADDINGTON STATION. We paid a total of 77 pounds (about $120.00) for all English train travel on this trip.

Then, upon arrival at the station at 11:56 AM, we will meet our pre-arranged taxi at noon to take us to our hotel in Stow-on-the-Wold (The Stow Lodge Hotel). Our taxi is by Tony Luker, cotswoldtaxis@aol.com; chris@stowlodge.com; mobile phone is 0771-0117471. Cost for the taxi will be about 10 pnds.

We will have pre-arranged with this same company to take us from our hotel in Stow at 10:00 AM back to the train station on Wednesday when we depart the Cotswolds for London by the 10:48 train.

The Stow Lodge Hotel is on the Square. Stow-on-the-Wold. Cheltenham. Gloucestershire. Tel No. +44 (0) 1451 830485; enquiries@stowlodge.com; http://www.stowlodgehotel.co.uk. We have reserved a room with a king bed overlooking the church, for two nights (including private bath/shower and breakfast) for 119 pnds per night (238 total pnds, but we will have already paid a 70 pnd deposit, meaning we will owe 168 pnds upon arrival).

Afternoon: Lunch at King’s Arms; Explore Stow
After getting settled in the hotel, we’ll have lunch at the King’s Arms at 1:30 PM (email info@thekingsarmsstow.co.uk to make a reservation), not in the pub on the ground floor, but upstairs, where they serve excellent food known as “English with a twist.” The King’s Arms is located across the square and to the right of our hotel, next to the TI. The King’s Arms building, in the 1600s, was the main stopping post between London and Birmingham. Today it’s known for great food (the upstairs restaurant is highly recommended, with 15-20 pnd meals). Stow was fiercely loyal to the crown during the English Civil War, thus all of the royal allusions in the town.

After lunch we’ll take Steves’ self-guided walk of Stow-on-the-Wold (p. 351 in guidebook), starting with the stocks on the square, followed by a siesta at the hotel.

Tonight: Scenic Walk with Dinner in Broadwell
At about 6:30 PM tonight we’ll take a scenic countryside walk (about 30 minutes) past the Old Roman Well to the village of Broadwell for dinner at The Fox Inn, serving quality pub dinners (open for dinner 6:00 to 9:00 PM; located on the village green). Then we’ll checkout Broadwell before walking back to Stow for the night. We could have a nightcap at a Stow pub, if we like.

DAY FIVE: THE COTSWOLDS: TUE JUNE 30
WALK TO BOURTON-ON-THE-WATER; THEN BUS TO CHIPPING CAMPDEN & BROADWAY

Morning & Early Afternoon:
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll head out by 8:30 AM for the walk from Stow-on-the-Wold to the nearby village of Burton-on-the-Water:

WALK FROM STOW TO BURTON-ON-THE-WATER & ACROSS MEADOWS AND MILLS TO LOWE SLAUGHTER
Distance: 6.5 km/4 miles
Time: Allow 2-3 hrs

Starting from St Edward’s Hall, leave Stow Square following Church Street, walk past the church, to reach Sheep Street. Cross at the traffic lights and walk along Wragg’s Row to cross Back Walls into the burial ground. Leave the cemetery by the
second gate on your right and walk down South Hill. When you are about 150 metres past Bretton House cross the Fosse Way to a track with a footpath sign next to Quarwood Cottage. Follow the track to a field. Cross the field into woodland and continue down through Nether Swell Manor Farm and the paddock beyond, to reach Hyde Mill.

Cross the bridge and walk round the farm buildings. Turn right/signed Lower Slaughter. Turn left through the metal kissing gate to a small bridge and follow the path across four fields. Cross a stream and turn right through the gate. Cross the field to the gate in the far left corner. Turn half left to follow the sign to Lower Slaughter across the next three fields. Just before the end of the third field turn right through a farm gate then turn left to follow the hedge line, past the cricket ground then turn right to join the road. Turn left keeping the church wall on left, follow it round to the churchyard.

Cross the road and turn left to follow the River Eye on the path around to the right. Continue along to a metal gate leading to a tarmac footpath across two fields to The Coach and Horses on the Fosse Way. Cross the Fosse and turn right to a junction, turn left down Station Road towards Bourton. About 50 metres past Meadow Way on your left, cross the road and take the path alongside the playing fields. Pass the church on your left to reach Bourton High Street. We’ll spend an hour or so exploring Burton.

Late Morning/Afternoon: Burton-on-the-Water to Chipping Camden
Then instead of walking back retracing our steps to Stow, we’ll catch the 12:35 #855 bus in Bourton-on-the-Water (on High Street, at the Edinburgh Wool Shop) to Moreton-in-Marsh, arriving in Moreton at 12:55 PM. Then we’ll take the #22 bus from Moreton (departs from High Street, Corn Exchange) at 1:45 PM to Chipping Camden (we’ll have some time to checkout Moreton, first), arriving at Chipping Campden at 2:12 PM.

In Chipping Camden, we’ll spend a few hours exploring the town (see p. 340 in Steves), enjoying strolling, shopping, and a leisurely lunch. Check the guidebook for some good choices for lunch, including Eight Bells, the Volunteer Inn, and the Lygon Arms Pub.

Then at about 3:45 PM we could, if we choose, walk to the nearby village of Broadway (see path below). After exploring Broadway, we’ll need to take the 5:37 PM bus from Broadway (departing from High Street, the Lygon Arms) to Moreton-in-Marsh (bus #21)—arriving in Moreton at 6:00 PM. Then we’ll immediately grab the 6:05 PM #801 bus from Moreton (High Street, Town Hall) back to Stow (arriving in Stow/Police Station at 6:25 PM). If we just miss the 6:05 PM bus to Stow, the next one isn’t until 7:15 PM (each is a 10-minute ride).

If we decide to skip Broadway and return to Stow from Chipping Campden, buses back to Moreton from High Street/Noel Arms include a 3:25 PM, 3:45 PM, or 6:30 PM.

WALK FROM CHIPPING CAMDEN TO BROADWAY TOWER & VILLAGE OF BROADWAY
Distance: 4 miles (8 round trip, but we’ll walk one way, there)

Walking west along the High Street, turn right at St Catharine's Catholic Church, turn right into Back lane, at the junction turn left into Hoo Lane. The roadway now becomes a green lane. Please note the footpath and the bridlepath are segregated for the benefit of all. Proceed to the top of the green lane turning left into Kingscomb Lane, then following the signposts turn right along a field edge path to the stile set between two ash trees. Turn left and walk across the top of Dovers Hill enjoying the extensive views to the West and the Malvern Hills, taking in both the OS column and Griggs Topograph.

Leave this National Trust property through the car park, turn left onto the road and then turn right at the cross-roads. Make sure you cross and use the footpath on the left-hand side of the road set above the edge of an arable field. A stone stile puts you into a small enclosure, bear left to a wall gap, walk through a small wooded area and the pathway opens out to the Green Mile, believed to have originally been a leisure carriage drive. Please note no horse riding is permitted on the Green Mile.

As denoted by its name this track is one mile long. The footpath then crosses a wall stile and cuts diagonally across two arable fields to meet and cross Buckle Street. Go straight across Buckle Street through a third arable field to reach the stile onto Fish Hill. Turn right after crossing the stile and follow the path towards the brow of Fish Hill. A safe crossing point is well signed to take you over the busy A44. Climb a short bank and then follow the path to the right, which swings left in light woodland to join a rising hollow-way. Leave the wood into pastureland, up through a lateral valley, pass through a gateway, keep to the left-hand flank of the hawthorn dappled lateral valley to a stile directly below Broadway Tower.

Broadway Tower is set on an ancient beacon site and built as a token of love. The Tower is open and for a small fee you may climb to the very top and enjoy the extensive views across the Worcestershire countryside.

If you wish to extend your walk, then the pathway down to the picturesque village of Broadway is well marked and will add another mile to your walk.

Then, after exploring Broadway for an hour, we’ll need to take the 5:37 PM bus from Broadway (departing from High Street, the Lygon Arms) to Moreton-in-Marsh (bus #21)—arriving in Moreton at 6:00 PM. Then we’ll immediately grab the 6:05 PM #801 bus from Moreton (High Street, Town Hall) back to Stow (arriving in Stow/Police Station at 6:25 PM). If we just miss the 6:05 PM bus to Stow, the next one isn’t until 7:15 PM (each is a 10-minute ride).

Tonight, Back in Stow
By this point, we’ll be ready for a nice siesta at the hotel, and maybe some dinner. Tonight we’ll simply relax at home in Stow-on-the-Wold and pack for our morning departure for London town. We could dine at the Lodge Restaurant at our hotel, which features excellent food and a popular 22 pnd three-course dinner option OR for eating-on-the-cheap, we could head to the grassy triangle where Digbeth hits Sheet Street for take-out (a number of options) to eat at the triangle, or on the benches by the stocks on Market Street, or at our hotel.

NOTE: Complete Cotswolds bus timetables are at: http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/Bustimes/Cotswold.htm.

DAY SIX: THE COTSWOLDS & LONDON: WED JULY 1
Train to London Town
Sleep in, have breakfast at the hotel, checkout, and meet our taxi outside the hotel at 10:00 AM to head for the Moreton-in-Marsh train station for the 10:48 AM train to London (a 1 hour 41 minute ride), arriving at London’s Paddington Station at 12:29 PM. We purchased our train tickets in advance, from Chicago, AND COLLECTED THEM AT THE BATH SPA STATION A FEW DAYS AGO WHEN WE TOOK OUR FIRST ENGLISH TRAIN. Taxi to book: Tony Luker, cotswoldtaxis@aol.com; chris@stowlodge.com; mobile phone is 0771-0117471. Cost for the taxi will be about 10 pnds.

Arrival in London; Check-in Lime Tree Hotel
Arrive at Paddington Station in London at 12:29 PM. At Paddington, buy two Three-Day Travelcards plus two One-Day Travelcards for the Tube from the ticket window (about 23 pnds each), which will ensure smooth transport during our four days in London. We should pickup a free Tube system map, too, showing the various lines and their destinations. Then we’ll take the Tube to Victoria Station, very close to our hotel in the city center. At Paddington, after we secure our Tube cards, we should take the Circle Line (the yellow line, westbound, from platform 1), which will run direct to Victoria Station, our hotel stop.

Upon arrival at Victoria Station, we should exit the Tube (Big Ben will be to our right: wow!), and turn left as we face Big Ben, and then go left again at the first street (Buckingham Palace Road). We’ll then proceed about two blocks to Eccleston Street, and go right for two blocks, taking a left on Ebury. Our hotel, The Lime Tree Hotel, will be on our left-hand side: 135-137 Ebury Street, Belgravia, Tel: 020 7730 8191; http://www.limetreehotel.co.uk; info@limetreehotel.co.uk. We have reserved a superior queen double for four nights at a rate of 150 pnds per night (60 pnds TOTAL, with no deposit paid) including private bath/shower, breakfast, and WI-FI. This area, known as Belgravia, is safe, tidy and within a five-minute walk of the Tube, bus and train stations.

Today in London: Westminster Walk
After checking in and getting settled, we’ll have lunch at the Ebury Wine Bar, at the bar, with high-quality food (a step above pub grub). Located just a few doors beyond our hotel, on the same side of the street. Note that the back room features more expensive restaurant-style food.

Then we’ll take the self-guided Rick Steves’ Westminster Walk to get oriented (p. 55), starting at Westminster Bridge and Big Ben, passing the houses of Parliament, Whitehall, 10 Downing Street (the British White House), and ending at Trafalgar Square. We’ll visit the Parliament building (start with the House of Lords, with a much shorter line, and then you can likely ‘sneak’ right over to the House of Commons, skipping the long wait). At Trafalgar, walk a bit longer to Piccadilly Circus (colorful nightlife and theaters). Our theater for tonight’s performance of Mamma Mia (7:30 PM) is located between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square: Prince of Wales Theatre (31 Coventry Street, Piccadilly Circus Tube Stop).

Then proceed just a bit further (see map p. 69) to Leicester Square. After checking out Leicester Square, we’ll head back to the hotel for a late afternoon siesta at the hotel.

Tonight: Dinner at Grumbles; Mamma Mia at The Prince of Wales Theatre
We’ll dine tonight just a few blocks from our hotel at Grumbles, a hip and cozy place with great sidewalk and ground floor seating (avoid downstairs, if you can). They have 8-16 pnd plates and early bird specials; located half a block north or Belgrave Road at 35 Churton Street. Grumbles opens at 6:00 PM. Our hotel will have already made a reservation for 6:00 PM for us under the name “John Novick,” since Mamma Mia starts at 7:30 PM (we’ll taxi from the restaurant to the Prince of Wales Theater, 31 Coventry Street, after dinner). We need to show our credit card and email confirmation to collect our tickets for the show (at the box office). Then we’ll walk or take the underground back to our hotel, after the show.

Mama Mia Details
Thank you for purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster. Tickets being held at the Box Office can only be retrieved by the card holder with the original credit card used for this purchase. Please also bring your booking confirmation number.

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/h/help.html

You purchased 2 tickets to:

Mamma Mia
Prince of Wales Theatre, London,
Wed 1 Jul 2009, 19:30

Order for: John Novick
Seat location: section STALLS, row B, seats 19-18
Total Charge: £127.90

You will need a photo ID, the electronic ticket confirmation, and the credit card to collect your tickets at the box office.

DAY SEVEN: LONDON: THU JULY 2
Tower of London; Shopping@St. Katharine Dock; Thames Cruise; Churchill Museum; Westminster Abbey
Take the Tube to the Tower Hill stop to visit the Tower of London at 9:00 AM (see the Crown Jewels first, then Beefeater tour, then White Tower, or risk getting caught in a horribly long line for no reason). At the Tower Hill Tube Stop, notice the remains of London’s original Roman wall. After the Tower of London, walk just east of the Tower Bridge to visit the chic shops of St. Katharine Dock, and enjoy lunch at the old Dickens Inn. Then catch a Thames River boat ride to Westminster Bridge to visit the Churchill Museum and Westminster Abbey before taking a late afternoon siesta at the hotel.

Tonight: Sticky Fingers Café; Live Music or Night Bus Tour
This evening at about 6:30 PM or so we’ll take Tube to the High Street Kensington stop and have dinner at Bill Wyman’s Sticky Fingers Café and Stones Store/Museum (1a Phillmore Gardens, Kensington; exit Tube station, turn to our left, and proceed to Phillmore Gardens). After dinner and shopping at Sticky Fingers Café, we could take the Tube to Soho for a live band at a pub OR after dinner we can take an evening bus tour of London with the London-By-Night tour company. Pickup after dinner in Picadilly Circus, Haymarket, Tour Bus Stop, outside number 11 at either 8:12 PM or 10:12 PM. About an hour tour (pay the driver, 13 pnds each).

DAY EIGHT: LONDON: FRI JULY 3
Buckingham Palace; Herrod’s Department Store; Beatles Store; Sherlock Holmes Museum
After breakfast at the hotel, take a hop-on-hop-off bus tour starting at Victoria Street at 9:00 AM, hopping off near the end in plenty of time to get a good place to observe the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace at 11:30 AM (be at St. James Palace, located just up The Mall from Buckingham by 11:15 AM, in order to accompany the guard going off duty and the marching band on the short walk to Buckingham; this is the real pageantry). When we arrive at Buckingham with them, grab a spot on the high ground around the circular Victoria Monument (don’t crowd the gate with the rest of the tourists, since the elevated ground offers the best view). Then we can watch the new guards and the horse guards all converge for the changing of the guard (which really takes place behind the gate, and is anti-climactic without the rest of the show).

After Buckingham Palace, visit the nearby and world-famous Herrod’s Department (a million square feet of space with seven floors; great food court on the ground and lower ground floors, and a memorial to Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed at the Egyptian Escalator on the ground floor). Then visit the Beatles Store (221 Baker Street) and the Sherlock Holmes Museum, next door to the Beatles Store (walk, or take the Tube to Baker Street stop).

Tonight: Shakespeare at Globe Theater
At 7:30 PM tonight we’ll see As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater (we already purchased our tickets online and received them by mail; we’re traveling with them), followed by dinner at The Black Friar Pub, “London’s best Art Nouveau pub.”

Dear Mr. John N Novick

Thank you for booking with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Online. Your booking details are as follows:

BOOKING REFERENCE: 1626515
Please quote in any enquiries relating to this booking.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Customer Number: 648869 Name: Mr. John N Novick

Purchase Details: As You Like It
at Shakespeare's Globe
03 July 2009 at 19:30

Tickets: A35 - A36
Lower Gallery, Door 2 Bay J
2 tickets - Adult at £33.00

Total Cost: £68.00 (including £2.00 transaction fee)

We’ll take Tube to the London Bridge stop followed by a 10 minute walk (exit the London Bridge Tube and proceed past London Bridge—toward and past the cathedral—following the Thames to the Globe). OR take the Tube to Westminster, cross the bridge to the London Eye, and follow the pedestrian-only Jubilee Walkway along the river to the Globe. Then after the show, we can retrace our steps to the Tube station and take the Tube to the Blackfriars stop for dinner OR proceed past the Globe to the Tate and across the Millennium Bridge (we should see this bridge) to the pub OR take a minicab from outside the Globe…the pub address is 174 Queen Victoria Street. Then take a night-time walk and return to the hotel.

DAY NINE: LONDON: SAT JULY 4
Laundry; Tussaud’s Waxworks; Covent Garden; St. Paul’s Cathedral; Notting Hill
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll drop off a few loads of laundry for our Italian leg by 8:45 AM at the “Launderette Centre,” located not too far from our hotel, a block west of Warwick Square at #31 Churton Street (see #22 on map p. 112); open 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM; 9 pnds per load for full service (we should have them do two loads for us). We can pick them up later this afternoon when we return to our hotel for a siesta.

Then we’ll visit Tussaud’s Waxworks at 9:30 AM (Baker Street Tube stop, on Marylebone Road) as soon as they open (we have already booked tickets in advance for the 9:30 AM entry time—the combo ticket including the London Eye ticket for 33 pnds, each—at www.madame-tussauds.com). We have to show our credit card and email confirmation to collect our tickets at Tussaud’s. Then tonight we’ll ride the Eye after our siesta, before dinner.

After the waxworks, we’ll take the Tube to the Covent Garden stop to enjoy shopping and people watching in Covent Garden a boutique-ish shopping/dining area. Then we’ll visit the nearby St. Paul’s Cathedral to see and tour the church before proceeding via Tube to the Notting Hill and Bayswater neighborhoods for lunch and more shopping/exploring.

We’ll have lunch at Café Diana, a healthy eatery with sandwiches, salads and Middle Eastern food once frequented by Princess Diana: 5 Wellington Terrace, on Bayswater Road, opposite the Kensington Palace Garden gate—where Di once lived.

Then we’ll return to Belgravia, collect our laundry, and return to the hotel for a siesta.

Tonight: Ride the London Eye; Tapas
Tonight before dinner we’ll ride one of London’s newest icons, the London Eye, very close to our hotel. The London Eye is the world’s highest observation wheel. 25 people ride in each air-conditioned carriage for a 30-minute journey around, providing stunning views of the London skyline. At 450 feet tall at the top, even nearby Big Ben looks small from the Eye. It costs about 15 pnds, each, and is open until 9:00 PM, but late afternoon/early evening is perfect for photos. We will have booked a specific time in advance of our trip with our Tussaud’s Waxworks tickets (see above). Upon arrival, we input our confirmation number into the ATM-like machine, collect our tickets, and then join the ticket holders’ line, which starts 10 minutes before our departure time.

After the Eye, we’ll enjoy dinner at Goya Spanish Restaurant & Tapas Bar, with 12-15 pnd meals (located at 2 Eccleston Place; see map p. 112).
After dinner, we could take one last look at London Town before we return to the hotel to pack and prepare for our morning departure to Italia!

DAY TEN: LONDON TO GENOA, ITALY TO MONTEROSSO AL MARE (CINQUE TERRE): SUN JULY 5
Morning: Flight to Genoa, Italy from London’s Gatwick Airport; Train to Monterosso al Mare
This morning we’ll rise at 5:00 AM, checkout of our hotel by 5:45 AM, and either walk or taxi to Victoria Station. There we’ll take the express train from nearby Victoria Station to London-Gatwick Airport (about 17 pnds each for Express Class, 4 per hour beginning at 5:00 AM; can buy tickets on the train with no extra charge, just a 30-minute ride: www.gatwickexpress.co.uk). We should take the 6:30 AM train, to arrive at the airport just after 7:00 AM for our 10:10 AM flight to Genoa. We can breakfast at the airport.

OUR FLIGHT TO ITALIA
Our flight is British Airways flight #BA2688 departing London-Gatwick Terminal North at 10:10 AM for Cristoforo Columbo airport in Genoa, Italy, arriving in Genoa at 1:10 PM (a 2 hour flight, with a 1 hour time difference, with Italy being 1 hour ahead of England).

Upon arrival at Genova-Colombo at 1:10 PM, we’ll collect our baggage and take a 20-minute bus ride from the airport to the train station (e4 each, pay on the bus), probably clearing customs in time for the 2:00 PM bus, arriving at the station by 2:30 PM (if we decide to take a taxi to the train station instead, will run about e15). Note we want Stazione Brignole, not Principe, for our particular train today.

Once at Brignole, in the new town, we should purchase two standard class tickets on the 3:20 PM train to Monterosso al Mare, arriving in Monterosso at 4:42 PM, a 1 hour 22 minute ride (train no. 11285). The train will cost about e20 total.

Arrival in Monterosso al Mare
We’ll arrive in Monterosso at 4:42 PM. Upon arrival, pickup a train schedule at the station for use on our trip. Then exit the station and go left.

Our hotel is located in the old town/historical center, just across from the beach at Piazza Garibaldi (see no. 2 on map, p. 909): Albergo Pasquale. To get there, we’ll exit the train station (located in new town) and go left (on the only road, Via Fegina). Follow Via Fegina under the pedestrian tunnel connecting the new and old towns.

Proceed through tunnel into old town. Path goes left after tunnel. Continue on to Piazza Garibaldi. Our hotel is Albergo Pasquale, just a few steps from the beach, boat dock, and tunnel entrance (air-conditioned; all rooms with a sea view; near train tracks, but noise is not a problem here). Address is Via Roma 37. We’ve reserved a small double with private bath/shower, air and breakfast at a rate of e155per night for four nights (TOTAL e620 cash). Info: www.pasini.com; pasquale@pasini.com; phone is 0187-817-550. Owned by Felicita & Marco.

After Getting Settled
Check-in hotel, and after getting settled, we’ll have dinner and take an evening stroll. When we’re ready for dinner, consider Miky (all pastas cooked in a thin pizza crust! Opens for dinner at 7 PM; located 100 yards north of the train station in new town, Via Fegina 4) OR Ristorante Belvedere (in old town on the harbor).

After dinner, for nightlife with a sea view, we could walk to Il Caselo, in a building from 1870 that served as the town’s first train station, overlooking the beach on the road toward Vernazza.

Another option would be Fast Bar, on Via Roma in the old town, featuring plenty of younger travels and noisy drinkers until 2:00 AM.

Another place to keep in mind tonight or any night in town is Enoteca Eliseo, the finest wine bar in Monterosso: select a bottle from their top shelf, and for e6 extra you can enjoy it from their cozy tables. They also serve light snacks. Wine sold by the glass (bicchiere) are posted daily; located at Piazza Matteotti 3, a few blocks inland and behind the church (see map p. 909).

DAY ELEVEN: MONTEROSSO AL MARE MON JULY 6
After sleeping in and a late breakfast at the hotel, we’ll take the Steves self-guided walk through Monterosso, starting at the dock in old town, not far from our hotel. From the dock, climb a few rough steps to the top of the breakwater, to begin with an orientation view. From the breakwater (sit as long as we like; bring a beverage?), walk to the old town square (just past the train tracks and beyond the beach) called Piazza Garibaldi. After checking out the Garibaldi statue and the square’s shops/sites, just under the bell tower (with our back to the sea, the bell tower will be on our left), is a set of covered arcades where old locals hang out. Then check out the black and white St. John the Baptist Church, made of Carrara marble. Leaving St. John’s, go left immediately to another church, Oratory of the Dead. Then return to the beach and find the brick steps leading up the hill-capping convent (starting between the train tracks and the pedestrian tunnel). Follow the orange brick road skyward to a convent church, a cemetery, and a ruined castle (along with a statue of St. Francis of Assisi and a wolf enjoying the view, like you). From here, backtrack 20 yards and continue upward again, to the gate and the Cappuchin church. After visiting the church, hike uphill to the cemetery that fills the remains of the ruined castle, at the summit. From here, any trail will lead us back into town.

If it’s a nice day, we can rent two chairs and an umbrella for e15 and watch the sunset on the beach with a drink (the beach, the best in Cinque Terra, is just across from the train station). OR we can do this another night.

We can also spend time today reading/sunning on the beach (Steves says the best beach is in the new town, across from the train station).

For lunch today, we can either eat on the beach (pizza from Il Frantoio just off Via Roma at Via Gioberti 1 OR an e5 box lunch for the beach prepared by BarDavi, located under the arch on the main drag at Via Roma 34).

Tonight, after a siesta, we’ll walk to Il Casello (see p. 913 Steves), on the beach, for drinks and a light dinner, or visit the town’s best wine bar (see above).

DAY TWELVE: CORNIGLIA & VERNAZZA TUE JULY 7
After breakfast this morning, we’ll take the train to Corniglia, and enjoy the 90-minute scenic hike between Corniglia and Vernazza. At the Monterosso train station, we’ll purchase a three-day Cinque Terra Card (combines hiking passes on all trails, along with a map and train schedule; about e10 each for three days). No longer includes trains/buses, but they’re cheap, about e1 per ride. We should wear comfortable hiking-style shoes today.

From the Corniglia train station, we’ll zig-zag up through the town via 400 stairs to explore the sleepy main square (see Steves p. 889) before catching the trail to Vernazza (see Steves p. 875). The hike, about 90 minutes in length, will pass some beautiful scenery, a nude beach well below the path, and a bar, before entering Vernazza.

Once in Vernazza, we’ll take Steves’ self-guided tour of the town on p. 898, and have lunch harborside at Ristorante Pizzeria Vulnetia at Piazza Marconi 29.

After exploring Vernazza, we’ll catch the boat from the harbor in Vernazza back to Monterosso al Mare, for an afternoon siesta before the passiagiata and a late dinner. Then we’ll sit by the water until we’re ready to go to sleep.

NOTE: Tonight we should email Roberta, our tour guide in Genova at 3:30 PM this Giovedi (Thursday), meeting at our hotel, Palazzo Cicala (Piazza San Lorenzo 16), to confirm. Roberta’s email address is diodebe@inwind.it.

DAY THIRTEEN: RIOMAGGIORE & MANAROLA WED JULY 8
After sleeping in and breakfast at the hotel, we’ll spend some time at the beach in Monterosso al Mare today, relaxing and reading.

Then, after a siesta at the hotel, we’ll catch the 6:07 PM train (get there a few minutes early, these trains can be either early or late) to Riomaggiore, arriving at 6:25 PM (an 18 minute ride). From the Riomaggiore train station, check out the colorful murals (and then pass through the long tunnel that connects the station to the town); then ride the elevator to the top of the town (included with our Cinque Terra Card); see the dramatic sea and town views and the church; then walk Via Columbo, the town’s main drag (see p. 878 in Steves).

Then, sometime around 7:30 PM, we’ll have dinner in Riomaggiore at either a sitdown pizza place (Gigi’s Veciu Muin at Via Columbo 83, open to 11:00 PM, or a nicer restaurant, Bar & Vini A Pie de Ma, at the trailhead on the Manarola end of town, with a dramatically situated terrace with stunning views, open until 8:00 PM).

When done visiting Riomaggiore, we’ll return to the train station to pickup the Via Del Amore hiking trail to the next town, Manarola (just a 20-minute hike; see p. 875 in Steves for the hiking trail from the train station). We’ll take the stroll this time at around sunset, which takes place just before 9:00 PM tonight; we want to be on the trail/walk no later than about 8:30 PM.

Then we’ll explore Manarola: a 30-minute circular walk will show us the town and the surrounding vineyards, ending at a fantastic viewpoint which we missed the last time we were here (see p. 885 in Steves).

When finished exploring Manarola for a few minutes, we’ll take the train back to Monterosso al Mare, departing the station at Manarola at 9:33 PM: it is imperative that we take this train, or we’ll have to wait until 11:22 PM for the next one!

Upon our return to the hotel in Monterosso, we’ll pack for our morning departure for Genova.

DAY FOURTEEN: CINQUE TERRE TO GENOVA THU JULY 9
Checkout Hotel; Train to Genova
After breakfast at the hotel and some free time to read, edit pictures, write, or do some shopping, we’ll checkout and proceed with our bags to the train station in Monterosso for the 11:55 AM train to Genova, arriving at Stazione Brignole at 1:16 PM (a 1 hr 21 minute ride), e8 each for 2nd Class. Stazione Brignoli is just 10 minutes from our hotel: we’ll take a taxi after leaving the station, “Palazzo Cicala, per favore.”

Check In Hotel, Lunch
We’ve booked a suite with breakfast and Wi-Fi (no doubles remained) for e194 for one night at Palazzo Cicala: Piazza San Lorenzo 16; http://www.palazzocicala.it; info@palazzocicala.it; 39-010-251-8824. Our confirmation number is 1240874353. Our secret number is 11448. We’ve requested a bright but quiet suite.

Locanda di Palazzo Cicala is in the very heart of the historic city centre of Genoa, opposite the Duomo, and gives onto the sixteenth-century Piazza San Lorenzo, just a short walk from Palazzo Ducale, the University of Genoa, the Carlo Felice theatre and the Old Harbor, where guests can visit the Aquarium or depart on boat tours of the Riviera di Levante to Camogli or Portofino.

The hotel is strategically situated for tourists and business visitors to Genoa alike. All the tourist attractions, churches and museums of historic or artistic interest in the old town can be reached in less than five minutes walking through a network of pedestrian streets and piazzas that, along with the area bordering the old town, make up Genoa's main shopping district. The location is also ideal for the evening, because all the most important theatres and cinemas and popular nightspots are concentrated in the old town.

Once we check in and get settled—probably around 1:30 PM—we’ll have lunch at a bar near the hotel at Piazza San Lorenzo. Then we’ll return to the hotel for our 3:30 PM guided walking tour of the town.

Guided Walking Tour of Genova
Then we’ll meet our private tour guide, Roberta, in our hotel lobby at 3:30 PM. She will take us on a three-hour walking tour of the old city, from 3:30 to 6:30 PM (the cost will be e80 total).
Ciao John, It's all ok! We can meet in front of your hotel. My mobile is (0039)3495304778.
A presto Roberta
Buon giorno John!

The cost for a guided tour in Genoa is 80 euro for 3 hrs. July is quite hot and shops and churches open only at 3/4 p.m. You can come around 3.30 p.m, we can do the tour and then you can walk in town by yourself (shops close at 7.30) and maybe have dinner and go back in the evening. I only suggest you to come and go from Brignole station not Principe. It's closer to the center and better for who comes fron Monterosso

Ciao Roberta

Then we’ll enjoy a siesta at the hotel before dinner and packing for our morning departure for home.

For dinner tonight, we will visit Pintori, located on a small but pedestrian-friendly and safe street right near the duomo and our hotel: Via San Bernardo 68 Red. Family run and rustic, with outstanding food and a fine wine list. Our hotel has already made a 7:30 PM reservation for us for tonight under the name “John Novick.”

Some Background on Genova
With a long and important history stretching back centuries, the port city of Genoa is Italy’s sixth-biggest and has Europe’s largest old town. Via Garibaldi (formerly Strada Nuova) is known for its many Baroque palaces, and the city is also famous for its carruggi (narrow alleyways). Piazza de Ferrari, the main square, is home to the Palace of the Doges and the Teatro Carlo Felice; the birthplace of Christopher Columbus is nearby. We could also stop at the panoramic terrace of Castelletto. From here we'll see the historical center of Genoa, the port and the “Lanterna” or lighthouse, which is considered the symbol of the town.

The home of Christopher Columbus, the city of Genoa has long had a proud maritime tradition that dates back to ancient times. The Etruscans founded the city in the 6th century BC, and it was later a major trading port with the Greeks. During the Punic Wars the Carthaginians destroyed the city in 209 BC. Rebuilt by the Romans, it remained a vital trading center for several centuries.

After the fall of the Roman Empire in the West the city was controlled by several different powers, first the Ostrogoth and then by the Lombards. During this time the town fell into great decline and was little more than a backwater port.

However, as with other Italian maritime centers the city rebounded and built a massive trade fleet, making the city one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean. The city was sacked by Moorish pirates in the 10th century, but once again rebounded. From this port an empire was built that controlled the seas and lands around the vital port city.

During the Crusades that city-state allied with the Byzantines, and became one of the large Maritime Republics. Wars with Venice, another Maritime Republic, and the introduction of the Black Death to Europe began a decline for the trading empire. By the 16th century the zenith had passed, and the Mediterranean was but a lake compared to the worldwide trade routes established by Spain and Portugal with the opening of the New World.

The city was nearly destroyed by the French in 1684, and conquered by Austria in 1746, only to lose the last of its territory by 19th century. The city was annexed by France in 1805 and then transferred to the House of Savoy following Napoleon’s downfall. While the city remained the center of an anti-Savoy movement, it recovered economically during this time. In 1861 along with the other Savoy lands the city became part of a unified Italy.

Genoa Warning
Even locals are wary of back streets in the Old City, especially on midafternoons, when shops are closed and streets tend to be deserted. Purse snatching, jewelry theft, and armed robberies are all too common. Also, count your change here: The shenanigans by shopkeepers and waiters are second in infamy only to Rome's.

FLIGHT: GENOA TO MUNICH TO CHICAGO: FRI JULY 10
This morning, the day of our departure, we’ll checkout and take a taxi at 9:30 AM from our hotel to Genoa’s Cristoforo Columbo Airport for our 12:05 PM flight toward home (will cost about e15 and take about 15 minutes).

Depart from Genoa Cristoforo Columbo Airport for Chicago O’Hare via United Airlines Flight 9282 (operated by Dolomiti Airlines) at 12:05 PM for Munich on Friday, 7/10 (1hr 35 min); arrive at Munich-Franz Joseph Airport Terminal Two at 1:40 PM; depart Munich Terminal Two via United Airlines Flight 8855 (operated by Deutsche-Lufthansa) at 3:40 PM, arriving at Chicago O’Hare Terminal 5 at 6:15 PM Friday, 7/10 (9 hrs 35 min)

Basic Travel Vocabulary for Spain

2009-06-15T08:28:00.005-05:00

Here are the basic Spanish language words and phrases needed for travel in Spain. As with most European countries, locals appreciate the effort to speak their native tongue, so ignore your anxiety over speaking imperfectly, and jump right in...this will help you connect with others on your travels, and lead to some fun, memorable moments, too!

Hola

Adios

Buenos dias

Buenos tardes (2-10 PM)

Buenos noches (after 10 PM)

Mucho gusto (Pleased to meet you!)

Feliz Navidad (fay-leeth nah-bee-dahd) Merry Christmas

Feliz Ano Nuevo (Happy New Year)

Buena suerte (good luck)

Gracias and Muchas gracias

De nada (You’re welcome)

Por favor (also what you say to get the attention of a bartender in a tapas place)

Usted ed muy amable (You are very kind)

Lo siento. No comprendo (I am sorry. I do not understand)

Habla usted Ingles? Do you speak English?

Habla solo un poco de Espanol (I speak a little Spanish)

Perdone (pehr-doh-nay), donde estan los servicios (dohn-day ay-stahn los sehr-bee-thee-ohs) is Excuse me, where are the restooms?

Donde esta…? (Where is…?)

Buenos dias. La reserva para NAME para tres noches. Me llamo NAME (for checking in our hotels)

Una mesa para dos, por favor (A table for two, please)

Un momento, por favor

Tiene…? (Do you have?)

Me/Nos gustaria… (I/We would like…)

Barra (counter), mesa (table), terraza (terrace)

Un pincho (bite-sized tapas), una tapa (larger tapas), and una racion (x-large serving)

Una cana (small draft beer)

Cerveza de barril (beer on tap)

Agua mineral sin gas (water without gas)

Café con leche

Uno mas, por favor

Caliente/frio (hot/cold)

Corto/largo (small/large)

Pescado (fish)/Marisco (seafood)

Verduras (vegetables)

Churros con chocolate

Todo estuvo muy bien (Everything was great)

La cuenta (the bill)

Le pagamas ahora (Can we pay now?)

Cuanto cuesta? (How much does it cost?)

Recibo (receipt)

A que hora? (At what time?)

Nos hace (ah-thay) una photo? (Would you take a picture?)

Un billete/Dos billetes

Es tan bonito (It is so beautiful)

Perdone, donde hay un cajero? (Excuse me, where is a cash machine?)

Una balsa, por favor (a bag, please)

Dios mio! (My goodness!)

Arriba/Abajo (up/down)

Bueno/Malo (Good/Bad)

Sin salada (no entry)

Iglesia (church)

Beso (kiss)

Te quiero (tay-kee-ehr-oh) I love you)

A _____, por favor (To ______, please – for taxis)

Aquiesta bien (Here is fine – for taxi’s to drop us off)

Dos billetes para Toledo, de iday vuelta (Two tickets to Toledo, round trip)

Donde esta la esctacion? (Where is the station?)

Via is train track; coche is train car; transbordo is transfer trains; horario is schedule; hora salida is departure time; anden is platform; destino is destination; con retrasso is late train.

Reading About Italy: Gio's Book Reviews

2009-06-10T08:25:00.027-05:00

"The Italians: A Full Length Portrait Featuring their Manners and Morals," by Luigi Barzini - 1964
This is THE most important book you'll ever read about Italy. Period. If you read one book before visiting Italia for the first time, and you are at all interested in learning more about Italy than what one can learn at a beach, this is THE book: buy it and read it, right now. (:

"La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind," by Beppe Severgnini, 2006
Funny, insightful, contemporary; an ironic but meaningful book, and oh so easy to read; sure to make you laugh or at least smile a lot. A wonderful companion to Barzini's The Italians, above, which is a more serious book with great weight and depth. If you read two books before embarking on your Italian excursion, make this the other one! Call it comic relief, with a point.

"Brunelleschi's Dome: How A Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture," by Ross King, 2001
The man and the artistic and engineering feat that in many ways launched our modern world; a readable, short piece on the incomparable Brunnelleschi, the city-state that spawned him, and a fascinating period in history

"The City of Florence: Historical Vistas & Personal Sightings," by R.W.B. Lewis, 1996
A dense but rewarding read on the history of Firenze written by an American who saw the city in World War II and later lived there as an expat. Lewis not only describes this wonderful city and many of its major sites, but relates his own personal experiences year, with a healthy dose of Florentine history thrown in for good measure. If you intend to read just one book on Florence, make it this one.

"Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe," by Bill Bryson, 1993
The American travel writer Bryson leads the reader on a witty, sarcastic and insightful trip through Europe (including parts of Italy) replicating a journey he made as a much younger man. A small book, and definitely worth the read.

"Europe 101: History & Art for the Traveler," by Rick Steves & Gene Openshaw, 2007
Exactly what the title of this treasure suggests: just enough detail to help the traveler make some sense out of the breathtaking art, architecture, historial sites, and cultures he or she will encounter when in Europe (including Italy). A great guide to historical periods, architectural traditions, symbolism in art, and even biographies of important players. Full color photographs, helpful graphics and charts, and a whimsical but intelligent tone make this work worth buying and reading more than once as you explore Italy over the course of many years.

"Europe Through the Back Door," by Rick Steves, 2007
Steves' bible: how to travel to Europe and ensure that at least some of what you experience is beyond the crass, cheapened made-for-tourists Europe...a travel philosophy about how entering through back doors opens up a whole new world of local people, customs, and human connections. Absolutely FULL of tips for the first-time traveler abroad. A must.

"Venice from the Ground Up," by James H.S. McGregor, 2006
A complex, detailed account of the magical city of Venice and how it came to be, including highly-specific examinations of Venetian architectural traditions. Rich, interesting, and even captivating in places, but also very dense and almost overwhelming in its depth. Includes some degree of architectural jargon. Worth the time and energy, but probably best for those most interested in architecture.

"Stolen Figs and Other Adventures in Calabria," by Mark Rotella, 2003
Rotella explores, at first on a trip with his father to Calabria and then through an extended stay with relatives on his own, his family's past and the rich cultural and historical roots of the Italian southland. Rotella's writing is warm, interesting, and even a little sentimental, but the understanding and appreciation he develops for the Italian south, its history and food and people and struggles through years of poverty and oppression and chaos, makes this book worth your time even if you're not planning on visiting Calabria.

"Rick Steves' Italy 2009," by Rick Steves
The guidebook for Italy, excepting Calabria. The recommendations for hotels, restaurants, and cultural experiences have been right-on-target for us. A very highly recommended guide. Regular online updates at RickSteves.com ensure the most accurate travel information possible. We pull the pages we need for a particular trip right out of the book, 'bind' them along with our itinerary using simple binder rings, and we've got an easy compact guide for our excursion that is lightweight and fits comfortably in a pocket. The guide includes self-guided tours of many sites and cities, easy-to-read maps, and Steves still visits the locations featured in his guidebook personally.

"Ciao, America: An Italian Discovers the U.S," by Beppe Severgnini, 2007
Beppe is back! This time, he moves with his wife and children to America (Washington, D.C.), to live for a year and explore the US from an Italian's eyes...smart and readable...and hilarious! Our obssession with air conditioning is especially funny in this light. But the book reveals less about the Italian character than La Bella Figura. Still, a quick and enjoyable read. Not very deep, but not without insight, either. A great read when you're not up for something requiring a whole lot of concentration.

"The Dark Heart of Italy," by Tobias Jones, 2005
The analysis Jones offers on Berlusconi's rise to power, the notion of a divided Italy (into two bitter and violent political and cultural camps), and the insights into the impossibility of ever getting at a consensus on 'the truth' in Italian history and politics...these make this book worth the effort to wade through a few too many pages of names, dates, details, and words in Italiano. Reads like an attempt to place contemporary Italy, with all of its problems, frustrations, AND beauty and vibrancy, into a meaningful historical context, and on this level, I think this book works. Also, Jones' notion of Italy's historical obsession with appearances and beauty (what Severgnino calls "La Bella Figura")--seemingly at the cost of substance--being, in reality, a concept of beauty that necessarily includes a moral goodness (he points out that even Berlusconi's supporters, despite his looks, charm, wealth, success and power, don't describe him as beautiful), is fascinating, and certainly rings true. The Italian concept of beauty, he argues, is more than cutting a good figure in Armani: it includes an inherent human goodness, as well. In the end, Jones offers some heartfelt and powerful insights into this amazing yet troubled country, and while the organization/structure of the book could be tighter, more logical, pushing through rewards the reader seeking to make sense of the seeming chaos of Italian life.

"In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World It Made," by Norman Cantor, 2002
An almost scary book comparing the Great Plague to a nuclear holocaust in terms of the devastation it caused to the society of its time...but then also comparing the spread of the disease to the potential for contemporary biological warfare waged by terrorist groups. Some surprising and fascinating info on the origins and spread of the plague (more than just those damned rats), but overall, a mediocre read.

"Florence and the Medici," by John Rigby Hale, 2001
Intriguing topic: one of the most important and greatest cities in world history--and the family that ruled it. Some detailed exploration of the family rivalries and bitter fighting that marked Italy's long history after Rome's fall and before unification (giving one a good sense of life in Florence during the Renaissance)--but given that this Italian city really launched the modern world (and, to an extent, the nature of every city that followed), the writing here is awfully dry and uninteresting.

"Venice: Tales of the City," by Michelle Lovric, 2005
Historical excerpts about the most unique city in the history of the world, from natives and visitors and travelers from across the planet. On the whole, a rich and rewarding book, although some of the excerpts require so much setup for them to make sense...probably could have been a bit shorter, tighter. Still, leaves the reader with some amazing mental images, i.e., early Venetians, fleeing so-called Barbarians after Rome's fall, driving oak pilings deep into the lagoon to support the islands (talk about a safe, out-of-the-way location to settle!), and the songs they sang, and some of Casanova's exploits, real and imagined, in explicit detail. Pretty neat stuff.

"A Short History of Venice: Pacini Small Library 4," by Gherardo Ortalli, 2001
Great little history of Venezia, part of a series published in Italy and translated into other languages, including English. Picked it up in San Marco for about seven euros, and it's interesting and easy to read. Fits in your pocket, too!

"Postcards from Europe: 25 Years of Travel Tales from America's Favorite Guidebook Writer," by Rick Steves, 1999
Steves pulls from many years of European travel to share thoughts and stories that reveal much about each place and culture, AND about us as Americans, too. A strangely dark book, in a way, with Steves lamenting the loss of authentic experiences at the hands of packaged big-bus tourism, cheap and made-to-order. Reminds me of Thomas Jefferson's statement that travel makes one sad, somehow. Also reveals an interesting internal struggle within him: as a famous guide and promoter of European traveler, he inadvertently contributes to the very problem he laments: local areas over-run with tourists that inevitably change the places forever. Still, his notion that European travel makes one a better citizen of the world--and is thus worth the cost, to the traveler and the places visited--rings true, in the end. Steves explores this theme in great depth in Travel as a Political Act, another fine book, a manifesto, really, that seeks to demonstrate how thoughtful travel can help bridge cultural divides and create empathy across ethnic, religious and national boundaries where it might not otherwise exist. The Postcards book is okay, but not as interesting nor as valuable as his Italy guidebook (updated annually), or his art and history for travelers text, or Travel as a Political Act. Die-hard Rick Steves fans will enjoy Postcards, but probably not for everyone.

"Customs & Etiquette of Italy," by Hugh Shankland, 2005
This series offers small little books with cultural insights and practical advice for getting along in a variety of countries. The Italy book is okay, with the highlight being a series of sketches explaining common gestures employed by Italians...they're hysterical! A handy little book to read first, if you've never been (will take about an hour to read), but if you know Italy, it's not of any use to you.

Laundry, Toast, and Belonging on a Saturday Night in Stresa

2009-04-06T09:20:00.017-05:00

By the time our train pulled in to the small, neat station in Stresa, late on a hot, muggy July afternoon, we had endured eight consecutive days of temperatures well into the 90s, and most of what accounted for the dead weight in our bags was damp, dirty laundry. We dragged our bags down the portable steps from the train, hitting the platform with a dull, tired thump, and headed out of the station in search of a taxi just as it started to rain.

The hour ride from Milano was comfortable and cool but we were the kind of tired you can only experience as your body nears heat exhaustion, sort of a drowsy, dim, foggy state of being, too tired to be frustrated anymore, and certainly too hopeless to continue complaining about the heat. When I closed my eyes on the train, I could see, clear as day, Da Vinci's fresco, "La Ultima Cena," with it's dreamlike colors and long Italian landscape extending deep into the distance behind Christ and the Apostles. We had just seen the work for the first time a few hours ago in the refectory at Santa Maria della Grazie, and now, traveling away from Milan, north, toward the lakes, I imagined we were in the painting, with our regional train traversing Leonardo's landscape, no doubt shocking the tourists in the gallery.

We had awakened that Friday in Monterosso al Mare at 5:00 AM, in Cinque Terre, to check-out of Locanda al Maestrale and walk with our bags to the station on Via Fegina, in the new town along the beach. We had spent two nights in a stunningly gorgeous room in which the air conditioning unit, circa 1975, seemed to generate only an annoying buzz and hot, stale air. Exhausted, we walked down the darkened main Road in Monterosso, Via Roma, and then along the beach to the station, to catch the 6:30 AM train to Milano.

Upon arrival at Milano's Centrale Stazione (built rather oppressively by Musolini in that fascist style intended to make people like us feel insignificant) at about 10:00 AM, we embarked on a whirlwind tour, checking our bags, taking the metro to Piazza Duomo, shopping at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, visiting the neo-Gothic Duomo di Milano, taking a cable car to Santa Maria della Grazie to see "The Last Supper," and grabbing a quick bite to eat standing up at an Italian bar across the street--sort of our own "La Ultima Cena"--before returning to Centrale to collect our bags and hop aboard our train to Stresa.

We had been on the move over the past week, starting out in Sorrento and visiting Capri, the Amalfi Coast and Paestum, before touring Pompeii, Firenze, and Cortona, all in prelude to our arrival in Cinque Terre. The train journeys from Sorrento to Pompeii, from Firenze to Cortona, and from Firenze to Cinque Terre were especially trying. Italian regional trains, unlike the sleek, cool Eurostars, were hot, sweaty, dilapidated and very, very slow. Despite the lack of air conditioning, many of the windows were even screwed shut, presumably to prevent tourists with visions of the cool Italian air blowing through their hair from being decapitated with their heads stuck out of the small, dirty windows, all in the effort to gain enough air to continue breathing until they reach their destination.

But at Stresa, we were glad to be in the lakes district, in the foothills of the Italian Alps, where a breeze carrying a refreshing drizzle welcomed us to town, and where snow-capped mountains could be seen in the deep distance, across blue Lago di Maggiore. On this particular Italian excursion we had seen so much already, from the Blue Grotto of Capri to Sophia Loren's house along the Amalfi Coast; from the stirring ruins of Pompeii, with Vesuvius still looming ominously above the town, to the tombs of Galileo, Machiavelli and Michelangelo at Santa Croce in Firenze; and from the disturbing concrete Nazi gun bunker keeping a silent watch over Monterosso's picturesque harbor, to the view of urban Milano from the rooftop of the neo-Gothic duomo, surrounded by tall, thin spires of a beautiful white stone, reaching high toward a rich blue sky...

Stresa's glory days are well behind it. Once the town along Lake Maggiore attracted aristocrats on the Grand Tour, offering luxurious accommodations for the worldly, refined traveler. Today, with the towns along Lake Como receiving all of the attention--drawing the rich and famous, from Hollywood stars, legendary musicians, and political elites--Stresa is a slow, sleepy little town, worn but elegant, faded but dignified still, like sweet old grandparents whose salad days have long since passed but who continue to put on their finest clothing for church and an old-fashioned home-cooked meal every Sunday afternoon. Churchill honeymooned in Stresa, and Ernest Hemingway recovered from his wounds here in a hotel fronting the lake during World War I.

As it turned out, Stresa was precisely what the doctor ordered for us, too.

We adopted the town's pace as our own, enjoying gelato at Piazza Cardona, pasta at Osteria degli Amici, and a cable car ride 5,000 feet up Mount Mattarone, where we felt a much-appreciated July chill as we drank our coffee and ate homemade strudel on a ledge overlooking the town and lake while cows grazed in a nearby Alpine pasture. After a brief hike up a dirt trail, we encountered one of the most familiar sites in all of Italy, a small, humble shrine to Mary...even here at 5,000 feet, not so far from the Swiss border, Madonna presides over all that is Italian. Then on the cable car down Mattarone's slope, a friendly, middle-aged woman from Cologne, Germany was shocked when she heard Dana and I speak in obviously-American English, having pegged us for sure-thing Italian natives. This made us both smile with a certain amount of pride in the comfort level we were beginning to attain on-the-move in Italia.

Later, when we took a ferry ride on Lago di Maggiore to Isola Bella, my halting, stuttering attempts at Italiano left such an impression (a humorous one, no doubt) on a fragile, aging shopkeeper on the island that she told me in her own stuttering attempt at English, "I will remember you!" I gave her a large pack of Wrigley's Doublemint gum from our backpack and shook her hand warmly before exiting the store with a happy "Ciao!" uttered in the distinct accent of a native of Chicago's South Side.

But the highlight in Stresa for us was Saturday night. We knew we had an early Sunday morning departure for Venezia, our last stop on this trip, for three glorious nights, before returning to Chicago via Venice's Marco Polo Airport. As a result, we anticipated an early return to our hotel, the Moderno, located just a block from Piazza Cardona, Stresa's main square, to pack for our morning departure. Dana wanted to do some laundry before leaving Stresa, since we knew how costly even a few loads of laundry could be in Venice. So we checked our guidebook and found a self-service laundry mat located in a residential section of the town. Around the corner from the laundry was a small family-owned cafe, featuring birra alla spina and various sandwiches, including the Italian classic, "Toast," which is, simply put, grilled cheese. So we ordered Toast, a draft beer, and a bottle of water, and headed out to the old wooden tables placed across the road from the cafe, in a small piazza featuring nothing but concrete and a few empty planters. The owner, a tired-looking but pleasant woman who appeared to be in her fifties--come to think of it, she sort of looked like Stresa, itself--sat at the bench across from us with her adult son, who nursed a beer and read the paper. Otherwise, this quiet little corner of everyday Italy was deserted.

As I ate my Toast and drank my birra (Nastro Azzuro, no doubt), Dana ran over to the laundry to get a few loads underway as we ate. When she didn't come back, I figured there must have been a wait for open machines. So I just sat there, in perfect contentment, with my grilled cheese and cold beer, enjoying the music in the Italian language conversation taking place between the cafe owner and her son, and watching the sun fade into twilight. When Dana finally returned twilight was already slipping into dusk, but she was so full of energy, full of life.

"I want you to meet the people at the laundry mat," she said. "I've been talking with them...in Italian!" By this time she was positively beaming.

"They live across the street from the laundry, and they have a son who's old, but can't take care of himself. It's very hard for them. But they're so nice! They helped me with the machines, and we got to talking. We should go now so you can say hi. They will be going home soon. They're buying pizza."

It's not an easy thing to explain, but somehow, even after nearly two weeks of traveling this awe-inspiring yet troubled country, experiencing Italy's spectacular art, architecture, archaeological ruins, natural beauty, stunning piazzas, heavenly vistas, and fine restaurants, tonight, a Saturday night on the town featuring grilled cheese sandwiches, draft beer, and a coin laundry...tonight we felt, perhaps for the first time, like we belonged.

A Week in Espana Itinerary: Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo y Sevilla

2009-04-06T09:20:00.014-05:00

Año Nuevo en España: A Week in Spain for New Year's 2009

• Fly Chicago to Barcelona, departing Fri afternoon 12/26 & arriving in Spain Sat morning 12/27
• 3 nights in Barcelona, Sat 12/27, Sun 12/28 & Mon 12/29
• High-Speed AVE Train from Barcelona to Madrid (3 hours), morning, Tue 12/30
• 4 nights in Madrid, Tues, 12/30, Wed 12/31, Thu 1/1 & Fri 1/2 (includes day trips to Toledo and Seville)
• Fly Madrid to Chicago, Sat morning 1/3
• Arrive in Chicago Sat afternoon 1/3

Fri Dec 26, 2008 - Sat Jan 3, 2009

FLIGHT (FRI 12/26): CHICAGO TO BARCELONA-EL PRAT DE LLOBREGAT

Take a taxi to O’Hare at 12:30 PM (Dana from LP, John from school in Evanston) for our 4:45 PM flight to Barcelona, Spain. Leave O’Hare at 4:45 PM via American Airlines Flight 6274 (operated by Iberia) departing from American Airlines Terminal 3 and arriving in Madrid’s Barajas Airport at 7:40 AM (flight time is 7 hrs 55 min). We arrive at Terminal 4S. Then take Iberia Airlines Flight 6122, departing Terminal 4S, at 9:30 AM and arriving in Barcelona, Spain at 10:40 AM on Saturday, 12/27 (flight time is 1 hr 10 min).
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DAY ONE (SAT 12/27): BARCELONA

Arrival & Check-in Hotel Catalonia Albinoni
Upon arrival at El Prat De Llobregat Airport at 10:40 AM, clear customs, collect any checked luggage, and proceed immediately out of the arrivals lobby to board the Aerobus (#A1), e4 each, paying the driver (say Para Placa de Catalunya, si? and Dos billetes, por favor); 3 per hour until Midnight; arrives 30 minutes later in the center of town at Placa de Catalunya, very close to our hotel (1 block). After exiting the bus, we’ll proceed on foot to Hotel Catalonia Albinoni, one block south of Placa de Catalunya at Avinguda Portal de l’Angel 17, phone 933-184-141, www.hoteles-catalonia.com, albinoni.reservas@hoteles-catalonia.es, e180 for double with bath for 3 nights (e540 total), with breakfast buffet included, and elevator. See map p. 82. Our hotel is in The Eixample neighborhood, uptown Barcelona, away from the Old City (chic shops, shady trees, wide sidewalks, many great tapas places). See p. 65 in Steves. This is where many of the Modernista sites are located. Upon arrival at the hotel, say Buenos dias. Reserva para Novick, por favor. Durante tres noches.

Afternoon: The Ramblas; Sagrada Familia
After checking into our hotel and getting settled, we’ll take Steves’ self-guided walk of the Ramblas, exploring and shopping (p. 44 in Steves), eventually arriving at the Columbus monument where the Ramblas hits the harbor (e2.30 each for elevator to top for view of the city).

It’s also worth noting that a number of streets lead out of Placa de Catalunya, not just Las Ramblas: the street called Passeig de Gracia is full of traffic and top shops; the street called Rambla de Catalunya is the most pedestrian-friendly; and the street called Avinguda Portal de l’Angel is stubby but shop-filled. We should eventually explore them all, but we’ll start today with Las Ramblas, one of Europe’s greatest boulevards/slices of life. Note: wear our money belts and bags over the shoulder: pickpockets/petty thieves work this strip.

Say Dos billetes, por favor. Built in 1888, this monument marks the place where King Ferdinand & Queen Isabel welcomed Columbus back to Spain after his first voyage to America. Note that all along the Ramblas we’ll see newspaper stands that also sell phone cards. Say Tiene usted una tarjeta telefonica para llamar a los Estados Unidos, por favor? Tiene la tarjeta de llamada Europa? During the walk, just to the right of the La Boqueria market (see p. 48), as you enter, we’ll see Pinotxo Bar, a great place to stop for a bite to eat (tapas, spinach tortillas, breakfast, et al; grab a stool across the way and people watch while we eat; owned by fun-loving Juan and his family). OR have a more sit-down kind of lunch at Bar Terrace Restaurant Ra, a lively terrace behind the market, featuring a lunchtime salad/pasta/wine meal for just e11. Open for lunch 10:00 AM-12:30 PM. Two big and popular sandwich chains to keep in mind in Barcelona are Pans & Company and Bocata.

After lunch and exploring and the Columbus monument, we’ll take the Metro to Sagrada Familia (METRO: Sagrada Familia). At the Metro station we will buy two T10 cards (about e7 each), giving us 10 rides a piece on the Metro during our stay in Barcelona. Say, Nos gustaria montar dos pases de diez (dee-ayth), por favor.

Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Sagrada Familia, a Gaudi Church, was worked on by the renowned Spanish Modernista architect Antoni Gaudi from 1883-1926, and is still a work in progress. Open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and costs e7 to enter (see self-guided tour on p. 66 in Steves). Say Nos gustaria que dos entradas, por favor. Gaudi descended from four generations of metal workers, and incorporated ironwork into his architecture. He developed and implemented new, unique approaches to structure and space in his buildings, seeking to develop a style that on one hand was contemporary, but on the other captured the essence of the Catalan identity. Nature and religious conservatism were key elements of this identity for Gaudi. Many of his buildings resemble grottoes or caves or other elements from nature.

After the church visit, we’ll take a late afternoon/early evening siesta at our hotel. Si, si, si.

Tonight: Font Magica & Dinner
After our siesta, we’ll take the METRO to the Espanya METRO stop, exit the station, and walk toward the towering National Palace, arriving by 8:00 or 8:30 PM to see Font Magica and a 20-minute music, water & colored light show that runs on the half-hour from 7:00-9:00 PM.

After the Font Magica, we can explore that area a bit, or simply return via Metro, to the Barri Gotic neighborhood (see p. 51) to dine at La Crema Canela (Jessica’s friend in Madrid made a 9:30 PM reservation for us; located 30 yards north of Placa Reial at Passatge de Madoz 6, phone 933-182-744; dinners e16-e20). Say, Tenemos una reserve para dos. El nombre es Novick.

Afterwards we can explore Barri Gotic at night. It is supposed to be full of life!

DAY TWO (SUN 12/28): BARCELONA

Morning: Guided Walking Tour of the Medieval City
After breakfast, we should head to the TI a few blocks away at Placa de Catalunya, Barcelona’s central square, to buy two tickets to the 10:00 AM two-hour walking tour of Barcelona (buy them about 20 minutes in advance; e10, each—from the desk, NOT a guide). A local English-speaking guide will give us a two-hour tour of the city, focusing on the Medieval story of Barcelona as we proceed from Placa de Catalunya through the cathedral neighborhood and finish at City Hall on Placa de Sant Jaume.

At noon on Sunday, if we can/choose to do so, we could see the traditional patriotic Catalunyan dance, Sardana, performed for free in front of the cathedral.

Afternoon: Chocolate Museum; Picasso; Shopping
After the tour, we’ll have a quick lunch at a place that looks inviting, and then head to the Chocolate Museum, which tells the story of chocolate from the Aztecs to the Europeans (chocolate was first unloaded and processed in the Old World through the port of Barcelona). Open 10:00 AM-3:00 PM, e4, each; www.museuxocolata.com; located a few blocks from the Picasso museum at Carrer Comerc 36, in the La Ribera neighborhood; METRO or an easy taxi ride. METRO: Jaume I (Placa de l’Angel), and walk a few blocks. Say Nos gustaria que dos entradas, por favor.

After the chocolate museum, we could visit the Museu Picasso, very close by (or if Dana would like to shop, instead, we could split up for a few hours). Open 10 AM-8 PM (closed tomorrow, Monday); e6.00 each. The ground floor has a required and convenient bag check, WCs, and a cafeteria. This crowded museum is typically slowest between 2:00 and 6:00 PM. See self-guided tour in Steves (p. 59). Say, Un billete, por favor or Dos billetes, por favor.

Picasso, to many the greatest artist of the 20th Century, spent his formative years (ages 14-21) in Barcelona, and this museum holds the best collection in Spain of his more realistic early works. While the artist was happy to donate works to this fine museum throughout his life, he sadly never saw it, himself, having sworn never to visit a fascist Spain. The collection of over 290 paintings is laid out for visitors in chronological order.

Then our siesta: sleeping, reading, a few drinks, editing our pics, call home, or a swim?

Tonight: Tapas in The Eixample
Tonight we’ll dine in The Eixample neighborhood, where our hotel is located, at Quasi Queviures (Qu Qu for short), serving upscale tapas, sandwiches, salads and more with a fun setting and high-energy; walk right through the enticing kitchen to reach the tables in back. e2 tapas, e5 dinner salads, e7 plates; open 8:00 PM to Midnight; located between Gran Via and Via Diputacio at Passeig de Gracia 24. We’ll plan to dine here at about 9:00 PM.

After dinner, we’ll explore The Eixample (meaning The Expansion) on foot.

DAY THREE (MON 12/29): BARCELONA

Morning: Sleep In; Casa Mila; Block of Discord
Sleep in later today, and after breakfast we’ll proceed to Casa Mila, Barcelona’s quintessential Modernista building and Gaudi’s last major work, 1906-10 (e8 each to see all three floors and the view from the top—includes a brief film—open 9:00 AM-6:30 PM). To reach Casa Mila, take METRO to Diagonal stop (see Steves ps. 69-70). Say, Dos entradas para los tres pisos, por favor (two tickets for all three floors, please).

Then just four blocks from Casa Mila (see map p. 67) we can walk down The Block of Discord, featuring an amazing block of competing 19th Century Modernista buildings (competing for originality and creativity).

Afternoon: Explore Beachfront & Forum; Gaudi’s Parc Guell; Open Time
After lunch, shopping, and strolling, we can take a taxi or METRO to the beachfront (METRO stop is Barceloneta). Then we can explore the beachfront, Citadel Park, and the Forum, a modern shopping area nothing like historic Barcelona (today’s city). See p. 76-77 in Steves. Bike rentals are available here, too.

If we’d like to see more wild-and-crazy Modernista sites, we could also visit Parc Guell, a colorful, surreal park at the center of an unfinished Gaudi-designed upscale housing development. Modeled in layout after an English garden, the mosaic medallions say “Park” in English. Open daily 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, free. See Steves’ self-guided tour of the park and its detail and sites (the park now has a good bookshop, a Gaudi museum, some shopping, and plenty of art) on p. 71. To get to Parc Guell, take the Red Tourist bus OR bus #24 from Placa de Catalunya, which will leave us just a few blocks away, or an e6 taxi ride. Avoid taking the Metro here, since you’ll still need the bus, afterward.
Then our afternoon/early evening siesta.

Tonight
After our siesta, we’ll head out for our last night in Barcelona, visiting the Gothic quarter, near the cathedral, one last time. Consider dinner at Café de l’Academia, according to Steves, “a delightful place on a pretty square tucked away in the heart of the Barri Gotic, but patronized mainly by the neighbors. They serve honest cuisine from the market with Catalan roots.” E10 first courses, e15 second courses, open for dinner 8:45-11:30 PM, near City Hall square, off Carrer de Jaume I up Carrer Dagueria at Carrer Lledo 1; 933-198-253 (see map p. 90). After a nightcap, we’ll return to the hotel and pack for our early morning departure via high-speed train for Madrid, Spain’s capital.

DAY FOUR (TUES 12/30): BARCELONA TO MADRID

Early Morning: Checkout & Depart for Madrid
Have breakfast, checkout, and leave the hotel by 7:15 AM via taxi for La Estacion Sants station for the 8:30 AM high-speed AVE train (Train no. 3680, Car 7, Seats 13C & 13D) to Madrid (2 hrs 43 minutes; arrives at Madrid Atocha station at 11:13 AM; present our rail passes and reservations at the ticket window at Sants Station and then board. Already purchased in advance of the trip with our three-day Spain passes.

Tell the hotel desk before 7 AM, Nos gustaria un taxi a La Estacion Sants, por favor.

Tell the taxi driver, Para la Estacion Sants, por favor.

At Sants Station: present our railpasses and passports at the ticket window, and say, Nos gustaria que para validar estos pases, por favor (We would like to validate our passes, please). The clerk will write in our passport numbers and the first and last day our passes can be used. We should provide the clerk with a small slip of paper with the start and end dates in terms of validity for our passes (written European style): 30.12.08 – 29.2.09. Before leaving the window, we can also ask, Que numero de pista para Madrid, por favor? (What track number for Madrid, please?).

Then, since we have a three-day flexipass, we must write in ink in the first blank box on our passes, today’s date before we board the train (and we’ll do the same for our other train rides to Toledo and to/from Sevilla on those days). Otherwise the conductor on-board may think we’re trying to scam the system and gain days.

Arrival in Madrid at 11:13 AM; Guernica
Upon arrival at Atocha at 11:13 AM, we’ll exit the station immediately to briefly visit the museum directly across the street, our only real opportunity on this trip to see Picasso’s anti-war masterpiece, Guernica, in the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (e6; open until 9:00 PM), We’ll take our bags with us, checking them at the museum (it is free to do so, per Steves). Say, Bolsa de comprobar, por favor? (Bag check, please?).

After Guernica, we’ll take the Madrid Metro to Puerta Del Sol, the city center, where our hotel is located (Metro stop: Sol). Note that the Atocha station is split into two halves: the AVE side and the Cercanias side: we want the AVE side. The two halves are separated by a corridor of shops. The AVE side has a pleasant, airy ticket office (Taquillas). The AVE side of the station is noteworthy: it’s located in the towering old station building, but inside contains a lush tropical garden in the grand hall. In the departure lounge on the upper floor, TV monitors announce track numbers. If we have questions, visit the Informacion counter next to Centro Servicios AVE. The terrorist bombing of March 11, 2004 took place at Atocha, and thus security is tight. A 36-foot glass memorial to those lost in the attack is located near the station’s Metro exit.

If we can’t find the Metro station after the museum, we should ask, Donde esta la estacion de metro, por favor?

Then we’ll grab the Metro at the Atocha RENFE station (note that the Metro stop called just Atocha is a different stop in town, not this one at the Atocha station). Once we locate the Metro, we’ll purchase two ten-ride Metrobus tickets at e6.40 each. Say, Nos gustaria montar dos pases de diez (dee-ayth), por favor.

We want the Sol Metro stop at Puerta del Sol, four stops away. Ask to confirm direction and train, or check signs. Say, Para Puerta del Sol?

Check In Hotel Europa
Our hotel is located kiddy corner from the Sol Metro station. Check into our hotel, Hotel Europa, Calle del Carmen 4: 915-212-900, www.hoteleuropa.net, info@hoteleuropa.net: double with private bath e110 per night, for 4 nights, plus e39 for breakfast for two for three mornings, plus 7% tax (TOTAL e513, cash or charge). The hotel also has a highly-recommended cafeteria and restaurant attached, fun for breakfast and a good buy any time of day, per Steves. Our room has a high-speed Internet cable included. Note that most hotels in Spain do not include breakfast, unlike in Italy. Note that Starbucks in always nearby, too, although local cafes serving hot drinks, pastries, and simple sandwiches are abundant. More touristy places offer various ham and egg deals.

Upon arrival at the Europa, say Buenos dias. Reserva para Novick, por favor. Durante cuatro noches.

Hotel Europa is located in the historic center of Madrid: all major sights are within a 20-minute walk or an e4 taxi ride from this square. Madrid is the hub of Spain, with 2.8 million people. It’s also Europe’s highest capital at 2,000 feet above sea level. It’s a young city, relatively speaking: King Phillip II moved the capital of Spain here from Toledo in 1561.
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Get Acquainted with Madrid Walk & Palacio Real
After getting settled, we’ll take Steves’ self-guided walk of Madrid between Puerta del Sol and Palacio Real (p. 211), enjoying lunch near Plaza Mayor. After lunch (see ps. 251-52 for recommended options), we’ll tour the Palacio Real, Europe’s third greatest palace (behind Versailles and Vienna’s Schonbrunn). e9 each with one-hour tour; open 9:30 AM-6:00 PM. See p. 219 in Steves for background. Say, Dos billetes, por favor.

Then we’ll head just north of Puerta del Sol (where our hotel is located) to the main shopping district between Puerta del Sol and Gran Via (see p. 241 in Steves), including the giant Spanish Department Store El Corte Ingles. From Puerta del Sol, go north a few blocks to Calle di Gran Via, and go left on Gran Via to reach the modern Plaza de Espana.

Then an early evening siesta at the hotel: reading, sleeping, editing pics, or some light shopping nearby.

Tonight: Flamenco, Dinner & Paseo
After our siesta and a drink at the hotel, we’ll head to see live Spanish Flamenco at 9:30 PM (one-hour show) at Las Carboneras (a few steps from Plaza Mayor); e30 each gets us entry and one drink. Reserved in advance for us by Jessica’s friend: Plaza del Conde de Miranda 1; phone is 915-428-677. We have a 9:30 PM reservation for a drink and snack, but the show actually begins at 10:30 PM. Say, Tenemos una reserva de nueve a treinta, por favor. El nombre es Novick.

Note that Plaza Mayor will also have a Christmas Market set up to explore before Flamenco, if we get there early.

After Flamenco, we’ll dine at Posada de la Villa, located just south of Plaza Mayor (close to our Flamenco show; see map p. 251) at Cava Baja 9. A nice restaurant—lamb and pork are specialties—at about e30 each for dinner. Say, Una mesa para dos, por favor.

Then we’ll take the evening Paseo closer to our hotel along Gran Via to Plaza de Espana (see map p. 216). A famous Spanish dessert is Churros con Chocolate, a deep-fried doughy treat (usually about e3) which one dunks in hot chocolate pudding. Steves recommends the Chocolaterias Valor chain, or Chocolateria San Gines, a few blocks off Puerta del Sol (see p. 255 for directions).

DAY FIVE (WED 12/31): MADRID

Morning: The Prado
After an early breakfast at Europa, we can take the 20-minute get-acquainted with Madrid walk from Puerta del Sol to the Prado: from Puerta del Sol walk three blocks south to Plaza del Angel & take the pedestrian walkway to the Prado along Huertas Street. We’ll visit the Prado when it opens at 9:00 AM to avoid crowds (e6, each).

As we near the Prado, we’ll pass a recommended bar/café on Huertas Street—on our right-hand side—called La Plateria Bar Museo, opens at 8:00 AM (with tapas, light meals, and hearty salads called raciones). We can enjoy lunch here after visiting the Prado.

We’ll spend about two hours in the Prado (be sure to pickup the free English floor plan as we enter). With 3,000+ paintings and countless masterpieces, this is Europe’s top collection of paintings. We’ll focus on the 14 masterpieces we wish to see (otherwise this museum can become overwhelming), per our printed plan (to be brought with us on the trip). Spanish masterpieces include Tres de Mayo by Francisco de Goya, Trinity and other works by El Greco, and works by Diego Velazquez, including Las Meninas--which some critics believe is the best painting ever created by human hands--and Valezquez’s The Drinkers. Apart from the renowned Spanish collection, we can see Albrecht’s Self-Portrait (German); Rubens’ The Three Graces (Flemish); Titian’s Venus with an Organist and a Dog (Venetian Renaissance); Fra Angelico’s The Annunciation; and Raphael’s Holy Family with Lamb (both Italian).

Afternoon: El Escorial & Valley of the Fallen
After lunch at La Plateria Bar Museo (see above), we’ll take the Metro to the Moncloa stop to catch the bus to El Escorial, the 16th Century palace built as headquarters of the Spanish Inquisition. Take bus #664, the fast bus from Madrid (about 45 minutes), from the basement of the Metro station (4 per hour; e3 each; pay driver). Once at the station in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, it’s just a 10-minute stroll to the palace: exit the bus station from the back ramp that leads over the parked buses, turn left, and follow the newly-cobbled pedestrian lane, Calle de San Juan. The street will veer to the right and become Calle Juan de Leyra. In a few short blocks it will dead-end at Duque de Medinaceli, where we’ll turn left and see the palace. Stairs lead past several eateries through a park past the TI and directly to the visitor entrance of the immense palace/monastery. We’ll buy combo tickets (e10, each), including entrance to the palace and the nearby Valley of the Fallen.

After the palace, we simply walk 10 minutes back to the town, and hire a taxi to take us to the Valley of the Fallen (about 15 minutes’ drive, wait for us for an hour, and then take us back to the bus stop: will run about e45).
The Valley of the Fallen, high in the Guadarrama mountains, features a 500-foot tall granite cross and a powerful underground monument to the victim’s of Spain’s bloody civil war (1936-39). In 1940, prison workers dug 220,000 tons of granite out of the hill beneath the cross to form an underground basilica. For another e2.50 each, we can take a funicular to the base of the cross for a commanding view after visiting the basilica. See Steves ps. 274-77 for an explanation of the site.

Then we return via taxi to the town, and catch the bus back to Madrid for our siesta before we begin our New Year’s Eve celebration.

New Year’s Eve Celebration, Puerta del Sol, Madrid

New Year’s Eve ‘09: Dinner & the
Eating of the Grapes on a Packed Puerta del Sol

We’ll have dinner tonight at La Finca de Susana, located just a few blocks east of Puerta del Sol and our hotel (see Steves’ p. 250) at Calle Arlaban 4. This wonderful little restaurant is so popular among locals that it opens for dinner at 8:30 PM (e7 meat or fish plates). DOES NOT ACCEPT RESERVATIONS. LINE UP BY 7:45 OR 8 PM?

Because Puerta del Sol gets so packed on New Year’s Eve (sort of like Time’s Square?), we’ll want to get out to the square, probably, by 10:00 PM.

At Puerta del Sol we’ll brave the crowds gathered to ring in the New Year, and join in the Spanish tradition of eating one grape with each chime of the clock at midnight to bring good luck in that month (note: three warning chimes will ring first, before the twelve chimes begin at the stroke of 12:00 AM).

Sometime after 12:30 AM, we’ll return to the hotel and try to get some sleep despite the noise from the street below.

DAY SIX (THU 1/1): MADRID & DINNER IN TOLEDO

Madrid’s Christmas Wish Tree
New Year’s Day: Sleep Late; Retiro Park; Toledo
We’ll sleep late today to recover from New Year’s Eve. After brunch (at the Europa? Or anywhere nearby that’s open), we’ll enjoy some down time, reading and relaxing. before taking the Metro to visit Retiro Park, once the private domain of kings and queens, but now a favorite place for Madrid residents to holiday (since Charles III opened the park to commoners in the 18th Century).

Retiro Park is open until dusk on New Year’s Day. The park features Madrid’s Christmas Wish Tree: the hollow cone of the tree is filled with helium balloons, each with a New Year’s wish attached. All of the balloons are released on the Epiphany, January 6th.

After exploring the park, we’ll take a short afternoon siesta before taking the 3:50 PM train to Toledo to wander the old city and have dinner (depends entirely on what’s open).

To get to Toledo, we’ll head to the Puerta de Atocha train station (only a 10-minute walk from Puerta del Sol, or take a taxi if we prefer) to catch the 3:50 PM AVE train, a 30-minute ride, e9.00, each, arriving Toledo at 4:20 PM. We do not have reservations for this train, and will need to approach the window with our railpasses and purchase a seat reservation. Say Tenemos pasos. Deseamos ir a Toledo, y volver a Madrid esta noche (We have passes. We want to go to Toledo, and return tonight). Then pay for reservations. We should get to Atocha early, since the holiday train schedule may be different. We’ll buy round trip seat reservations.

Before we board the train, we must write today’s date 1.1.09 in the second box on our railpasses, thus recording our second of three travel days allowed by our three-day Spain passes. The last day will be for Sevilla tomorrow.

Options for our return appear to include the 7:30 PM train back to Madrid Atocha OR the last train back to Madrid for the night, which departs Toledo at 9:30 PM (30 minutes back, either way).

Arrival in Toledo
Upon our arrival in Toledo, we will follow this plan to see all that’s open on a public holiday:

• Arrival: We’ll exit the station and take a taxi to the Cathedral, which closes at 6 PM on New Year’s Day. Say to the driver, Catedral de Toledo, por favor (about e5, but probably a holiday surcharge of e1 or e2, too). If a taxi is not available, we’ll have to take the bus to the town center, and a walk a few blocks to the Cathedral (see map p. 297 in Steves). If we take the bus to Plaza de Zocodover, proceed out of the station for the bus (e1 each, pay the driver), and take the #5, #6 or #22--say “Para Plaza de Zocodover?” to confirm with the driver.
• Cathedral: Toledo is Spain’s leading Catholic city with one of Europe’s best cathedrals and the capital of Spanish medieval souvenirs. For info on the Cathedral, see p. 302 in Steves (e6 each, tickets sold in shop across from church entrance; open until 6 PM today). We’ll have about an hour to see it. There is no WC in the Cathedral. Built from 1226 to 1495 (over about 250 years), it’s primarily Gothic, but also incorporates later styles.
• Plaza de Zocodover: After the Cathedral we’ll walk to Plaza de Zocodover (see map p. 297), to see Toledo’s main square. Toledo is the state capital of Castile-La Mancha, and Plaza de Zocodover is its central square. Old people hang out in this square in the morning and young people in the evening (the Paseo).
• Tourist Tram: A white goofy tourist tram leaves from the main square on 50-minute tours, and offers wonderful views from the city, including stunning views of the Tajo Gorge-- if it’s running on New Year’s Day (about e4 each; sit on the right-hand side, not behind the driver, for the best views; should leave at the top of each hour). You buy tickets from the TI at Calle de la Silleria 14.
• Alcazar: We also want to see the Alcazar from the outside (now closed for renovation): see p. 308 in Steves. It dominates the Toledo skyline, a huge former imperial residence built on the site of a former Roman, Visogothic and Moorish fortress. See map p. 297 to get there from Plaza de Zocodover.
• Bridges & Tajo River: In our walking we’ll also want to see two of the town’s bridges across the Tajo River, the Puente de San Martin (Old Bridge) and the Puente Nievo Alcantara (just east of Plaza de Zocodover; see map p. 297). The Alcantara is also known as the National Monument Bridge: Roman in origin and reconstructed during the Almanzor Period, it is one of the entrances to the town. During the Middle Ages merchandise and people went through this entrance to keep control of who came into the town. On the eastern side there is a fortified entrance crenelated with a half moon arch with another horseshoe arch inside. There is also a statue of San Idelfonso and the coat of arms of the Catholic Monarchs.
• Eat & Drink: Then we’ll find something to eat and drink before heading via taxi or bus back to the train station to catch our return train to Madrid. For dinner, we can try to visit one of Steves’ restaurants in Toledo (ps. 320-21), if open. Local specialties, if we opt for them, include partridge (perdiz), venison (venado), wild boar (jabali), roast suckling pig (cochinillo asado) and cordero (baby lamb). Pork and lamb, probably, for us! For dessert, we’ll enjoy a Spanish treat: mazapan. We’ll visit the Santa Tome shop on the Plaza for what many locals call the best in town—again, if open.

When ready to return to Madrid, we can take either the 7:30 PM train back to Atocha OR the last train back to Madrid for the night, which departs Toledo at 9:30 PM. Either way a 30-minute ride back to Atocha.

DAY SEVEN (FRI 1/2): DAY TRIP TO SEVILLE

Train to Seville
After an early breakfast at the hotel, we’ll head to Atocha for the 9:00 AM high-speed AVE train to Seville (Train no. 2090, Car 8, Seats 7D & 8D); arrives at Santa Justa station at 11:35 AM, a 2 hr 35 min ride). We can taxi from our hotel to Atocha. Say, Para la Estación de Atocha, por favor. AVE. Leave the hotel via taxi by 8:00 AM.

BEFORE WE LEAVE FOR THE STATION, THOUGH, we should ask the front desk to hire a taxi for us to Barajas Airport tomorrow morning, picking us up at the hotel at 5:30 AM. Say, Nos gustaría un taxi a Barajas mañana a las cinco treinta.
Our return train from San Justa station in Sevilla later today leaves at 5:45 PM (train 2171) and arrives back at Atocha in Madrid at 8:15 PM.

We will have had our railpasses already validated for the two-month period (back in Barcelona), and so all we have to do is check our reservations for the right car/seat on the train, and then write in pen the date (2.1.08) on our passes in the third box before boarding the train, so the conductor does not suspect us of trying to scam an extra day of use. No need to write anything upon our return trip tonight; it’s the same day.

Tour of Sevilla with Private Guide Marta Casals
Upon arrival at Seville’s wonderful Santa Justa station, we will be met by our private guide Marta Casals at 11:40 AM as follows below. We will need about e250 in cash for the tour, including e160 (Marta’s pay) plus e15 gratuity for Marta plus about e50 total for entry fees to bullring and cathedral and for tapas plus about e20 for taxis = e245. Dana may also do some shopping.

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Hello Mr. Novick,

I will be pleased to show you my city on January 2nd.
5 hours is not a lot but I think we can see a lot of interesting things. Besides the program you propose to me I recommend you to visit the Royal Palace (Alcazar).

So, the visit could be like this:
• 11.40 Meeting point at train Station with the tour guide.
• Take a taxi and go to Square of Spain, the biggest square in Seville decorated with a very nice collection of ceramic tiles.
• Then go to the city center on foot (10 min) crossing and visiting Santa Cruz Quarter (Old Jewish Quarter)
• Visit of Plaza de Toros, bullring and its museum
• Take some tapas around Plaza Nueva & the City Hall
• Visit the Cathedral Santa Maria de la Sede and Giralda Tower
• End of the visit. Perhaps some free time for shopping or to have a coffee. Then, you can take a taxi to go back to the train station.

The fees of this visit is 160 €, not including the tickets to monuments (5 € per person the Bull Ring, 8 € per person the Cathedral), tapas and taxi. Language: English Duration: 5 hours

Best Regards, Marta Casals
marta-casals@terra.es
http://www.private-guides.com/guide-in-spain/marta-1054/index.php

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Hello John,

Yes, 160 € in total for the visit. The time and meeting place is ok. The main exit where taxis are.

Perhaps we could see the Alcazar instead of Plaza de España, we will see on place. You can pay me the same day, not needed a deposit.

About tapas there is a range variety (meat, vegetables, cheese…), so I am sure there will be no problem for your wife.

Anyway, some days before we can confirm the visit by e-mail in case there is any change.

Have a good trip, if you need anything else please tell me.

Saludos, Marta marta-casals@terra.es
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Some Notes about Today’s Sites
Seville’s Cathedral, Santa Maria de la Sede, is the world’s largest Gothic church. It also contains the final resting place of Christopher Columbus, who started his voyages to the New World from here. This church is the third largest church in Europe, after St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London. Took 120 years to build, began after a mosque was torn down in 1401 after the Reconquista. The Moors, who took the Iberian Peninsula in A.D. 711, were driven out of Spain about 700 years later, with the job finished around 1500, about the time of Columbus’ Discovery, ushering in Spain’s Golden Age. The cost to enter the church is about e8 each.

We’ll also visit Barrio Santa Cruz (p. 379). This neighborhood was once Seville’s thriving Jewish Quarter, and is now “a classy maze of lanes too narrow for cars with small plazas, tile-covered patios, and white-washed houses.” The narrow streets, designed to prevent cooling against hot Andalusian summer days, are called kissing lanes because the pathways are so narrow between buildings. Orange trees are everywhere because they never lose their shade, and thus provide a natural sun block. At Plaza de Dona Elvira, local artisans sell ceramics, embroidery, and fans.

For a bite to eat in the Barrio, we could visit Restaurante San Marco, cheap pizza and good Italian under the arches of a Moorish bath from the Middle Ages (good salads, pizza & pasta for about e8). Open 1:15 to 4:30 PM. Located at Calle Meson del Moro 6. See circled green area on map in Steves, p. 381. Or Marta will suggest a place for tapas.

In addition, we’ll visit Seville’s famous bullring for the 25-minute guided tour of the ring, museum and matador’s chapel (see p. 403 Steves). Will cost e5 each for a guided tour, which is required for visitors to the ring. Three tours per hour; open 9:30 AM-7:00 PM.

Return to Madrid
After the Cathedral. bullring & museum, Santa Cruz neighborhood, and shopping with tapas—all by horse-drawn carriage--we’ll say goodbye to Marta and taxi back to San Justo station for our 5:45 PM train back to Madrid (Train 2171, Car 8, Seats 7A & 8A), arriving at Atocha at 8:15 PM.

Our Last Night in Spain: Dinner & Mesones
Upon our return to Atocha, we will return to the hotel by about 8:30 PM for a final siesta before grabbing dinner and packing for our morning departure for Chicago. We should also confirm our 5:30 AM taxi to Barajas tomorrow morning at the front desk.

We’ll have dinner tonight at one of the following restaurants: Sobrina del Botin, a block downhill from Plaza Mayor at Cuchilleros 17, with excellent food and higher prices (e30 meals, open 8:00 PM-Midnight) OR La Bola Taberna, near the Royal Palace at Calle Bola 5, e18 specialty is cocido Madrileno or Madrid stew, consisting of meats, carrots and garbonzo beans. They have other items, too. Open 7:30-11:30 PM.

We can also visit some mesones: just west of Plaza Mayor, the lane called Cava de San Miguel is lined with long, skinny cave-like bars called mesones, for drinking and singing late into the night. See Steves p. 243. All depends on what we have left in the tank!

RETURN FLIGHT HOME (SAT 1/3): MADRID TO CHICAGO

Early Morning
Rise at 4:30 AM, checkout of our hotel, and take a pre-arranged taxi direct from our hotel at 5:30 AM to ensure arrival at the airport for about 6:00 AM. Will cost about 30-40 Euros (about a 20-min ride).

Upon arrival at Barajas Airport, check in, have breakfast, and board our 8:55 AM Iberia Airlines Flight 3500 from Terminal 4 to Frankfort, Germany (flight time is 2 hrs 40 mins), arriving in Frankfort in Terminal 2 at 11:35 AM.

Then board our 2:10 PM American Airlines Flight 83 from Frankfort’s Terminal 1 to Chicago O’Hare (flight time is 9 hrs 50 mins), arriving in Chicago at 5:00 PM.

Then take a taxi back to Lincoln Park, probably arriving about 6:30 PM on Saturday, 1/3.
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::IMPORTANT NOTES::
* Calculate 24-hour time easily by subtracting 12 and adding PM to the time (so that 17:00 is 17-12 = 5 PM).
* Commas and decimals are used in the opposite way on the continent (but not in Britain): e1,25 is one euro and 25 cents
* Calculate metric distance by cutting kilometers in half and adding 10% of the original (so that 100 km is 100/2 = 50 + 10 = 60 miles)
* Calculate temperature easily by doubling the Celsius temperature and adding 30 (will get you a temperature within just a few degrees, so that 21 C is 21x2 = 42 + 30 = 72 degrees F)
* To call the US using an international phone card we purchase in Europe: call the number on the card, and enter your PIN when prompted; then enter 001-area code-seven digit US number.
* When in need of a water closet consider upper floors of department stores, book stores, bars or restaurants. No need to buy anything, especially at restaurants with outdoor seating: they have no idea inside that you’re not a guest outside.

::EST COSTS AS OF 1 DECEMBER ‘08::
(based on 1.37 rate dollar to Euro, from our bank)

Apprx $5,700.00 excluding airfare
Apprx $7,800.00 US total, including air

($1086.00 US per day is the cost of this trip, or about $45.00 per hour while in Espana)

-Airfare: $2,093.00 on American & Iberia Airlines

-Lodging: (7 nights: 3 Barcelona; 4 Madrid): (e1050.00) apprx $1,440.00

-Transportation (car hires, trains, buses, taxis), including two 2nd class tickets for high-speed AVE train from Barcelona to Madrid and two 2nd class tickets for the high-speed AVE train from Madrid to Seville: (e1,000.00) apprx $1,370.00

-Tours (walking, sites): (e450.00): appx $620.00

-Per Diem (meals, admission fees, shopping, etc.; not including lodging): e235.00 x 7 = (e1,645.00) appx $2,255.00

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OUR SPANISH TRAVEL VOCABULARY

Hola
Adios
Buenos dias
Buenos tardes (2-10 PM)
Buenos noches (after 10 PM)
Mucho gusto (Pleased to meet you!)
Feliz Navidad (fay-leeth nah-bee-dahd) Merry Christmas
Feliz Ano Nuevo (Happy New Year)
Buena suerte (good luck)
Gracias and Muchas gracias
De nada (You’re welcome)
Por favor (also what you say to get the attention of a bartender in a tapas place)
Usted ed muy amable (You are very kind)
Lo siento. No comprendo. Habla usted Ingles?
Lo siento. Habla solo un poco de Espanol.
Perdone (pehr-doh-nay), donde estan los servicios (dohn-day ay-stahn los sehr-bee-thee-ohs) is Excuse me, where are the restooms?
Donde esta…? (Where is…?)
Buenos dias. La reserva para Novick para tres noches. Me llamo John Novick (for checking in our hotels).
Una mesa para dos, por favor.
Un momento, por favor
Tiene…? (Do you have?)
Me/Nos gustaria… (I/We would like…)
Barra (counter), mesa (table), terraza (terrace)
Un pincho (bite-sized tapas), una tapa (larger tapas), and una racion (x-large serving)
Una cana (small draft beer)
Cerveza de barril (beer on tap)
Agua mineral sin gas (water without gas)
Café con leche
Uno mas, por favor
Caliente/frio (hot/cold)
Corto/largo (small/large)
Pescado (fish)/Marisco (seafood)
Verduras (vegetables)
Churros con chocolate
Todo estuvo muy bien (Everything was great)
La cuenta (the bill)
Le pagamas ahora (Can we pay now?)
Cuanto cuesta? (How much does it cost?)
Recibo (receipt)
A que hora? (At what time?)
Nos hace (ah-thay) una photo?
Un billete/Dos billetes
Es tan bonito (It is so beautiful)
Perdone, donde hay un cajero? (Excuse me, where is a cash machine?
Una balsa, por favor (a bag, please)
Dios mio (My goodness!)
Arriba/Abajo (up/down)
Bueno/Malo (Good/Bad)
Sin salada (no entry)
Iglesia (church)
Beso (kiss)
Te quiero (tay-kee-ehr-oh) I love you)
A _____, por favor (To ______, please – for taxis)
Aquiesta bien (Here is fine – for taxi’s to drop us off)
Dos billetes para Toledo, de iday vuelta (Two tickets to Toledo, round trip)
Donde esta la esctacion? (Where is the station?)
Via is train track; coche is train car; transbordo is transfer trains; horario is schedule; hora salida is departure time; anden is platform; destino is destination; con retrasso is late train.

Gio's Favorite Hotels & Restaurants in Italy

2009-02-06T07:02:00.033-06:00

OUR FAVORITE HOTELS

Here are some great hotels we've found in Italy. Most were recommended by Steves and travelers on Trip Advisor, but we've listed only our favorites based on personal experience staying there. After our hotel reviews, you'll find notes on our favorite places to eat in Italy.

Cinque Terre: Albergo Pasquale in Monterosso al Mare: we paid e155 per night, for four nights, summer 2009: right on the beach, just through the tunnel and into Old Town, facing Piazza Garibaldi, this wonderful hotel offers the ideal location for watching the world go by in Cinque Terre. The rooms are modern, with a Mediterranean theme, and every room possesses a stunning view of the beach, harbor, and piazza. There's a lovely little patio space just outside the hotel, adjacent to the breakfast room, that fronts Via Fegina...a perfect place to spend the late afternoon siesta or enjoy an after dinner drink. Wi-Fi is available for a cost, but inexplicably, only one hotel guest at a time can log on. This is the hotel in the Old Town closest to the train station, another benefit while dragging luggage along on a sunny, warm day. Pasquale cannot be beat if you wish to be where the action is in this, the Cinque Terre's largest, busiest town. If you prefer a smaller place removed a bit more from the center of life in a town, with a little more privacy, too, see Locanda il Maestarle, below. One final note, on air conditioning: at Pasquale, we had the ability, in our room, to make the temperature like Chicago in February, if wanted to. At Locanda il Maestrale, be sure to test the unit in your room for cold air...we've spent some unbearably hot, sweaty nights there.

Cinque Terre: Locanda il Maestrale in Monterosso al Mare: we paid e135 per night for two nights, summer 2008: beautiful breakfast balcony and friendly, casual service. Gorgeous rooms. Located on a quiet portion of the main drag, a few blocks up from beach and the main square, Piazza Garibaldi. Ironically, while in a quiet locale, at night one can hear kids' laughing or screaming, sometimes, probably heading home up Via Roma. In extreme heat, test the air conditioning for cool air before accepting room (some rooms are cooler than others). About six blocks from train station.

Firenze: Hotel Pendini: we paid e88 per night for two nights, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 2007: charming, luxurious, but not costly. Wonderful service. Free internet on computer in lobby. Located adjacent to Piazza Repubblica, with nice outdoor cafes weather permitting; centrally located. Dana didn't like the cold tile floors, and the room was a bit dusty, but a nice location and good service. Affordable, too, for such a large, historic city. Walking distance to all sites.

Firenze: Pensione Alessandra: we paid e150 per night for three nights, summer 2008: beautiful place located just two blocks from the Arno River and Ponte Vecchio; eager, friendly, GREAT service! Nice public lounge, but it doesn't have air (rooms do, however). Can walk everywhere, easily.

Genova: Locanda Palazzo Cicala: we paid e194 for one night, summer 2009, the only room Palazzo Cicala had available for this, our last night in Italia on this holiday: what a memorable experience! Our room was an enormous palatial suite (quite literally, since Cicala is a 17th Century Genovese palace) with 12 foot ceilings, double French doors, two double beds, a single bed, a sitting room, and marble and rich fabric everywhere. Genova, the capital of Liguria, while interesting and historic as a port city (and home to contemporary architect Enzo Piano), is also dirty, worn, and even somewhat dangerous, with pickpockets and even muggings (rare for Italy) commonplace. This hotel was our escape from it all. It faces Piazza San Lorenzo, and the beautiful cathedral of the same name. One of the most interesting hotels we've ever visited. If even for a day, we felt like royalty!

Roma: Residenza Cellini: we paid e170 a night for three nights, winter 2007: one of the most expensive hotels in which we've ever stayed...and it was a wonderful splurge. Stunning rooms, elegant public spaces, impeccable service, located near Piazza Repubblica; very convenient to Metro for all sites. Rome is not our favorite Italian city by a longshot, but if we ever return, the chaos and noise and pace of life in this city is completely softened at day's end at Residenza Cellini. So beautiful.

Stresa: Hotel Moderno: we paid e110 per night for two nights, summer 2008: clean, simple and neat rooms; nice lobby; easy walk to Lago di Maggiore (three-four blocks); right on main square; excellent location, good price...even if the service and vibe is rather businesslike for holiday travelers. But this is northern Italy, afterall, where things end to be a bit more serious, influenced by our Austrian and German friends to the north.

Venezia: Locanda al Leon: we paid e125 per night for three nights, summer 2009, and e110 per night for two nights, winter 2007: a home away from home! Very nice Venetian style rooms, with a good breakfast served in a small but charming room; friendly service in a casual setting; and the location, just a few blocks from the lagoon and 2.5 blocks from Piazza San Marco...it cannot be beaten. We absolutely love this place, not because of any single thing, but because of the combination of good price, excellent location, and warm (and cool in the summer!), comfortable rooms. As the hotel in which we spent our first night in Italy, back in December of 2007, this little place has a home in our hearts.

Coming soon: hotels in Sorrento and Siena

RESTAURANTS

CINQUE TERRE:

Il Casello at TBA
Coming soon

FIRENZE:

Trattoria 13 Gobbi at Via Del Pocellana 9 Red
A small, charming, slightly off-the-tourist route trattoria recommended by Rick Steves for its excellent food, reasonable prices, and local ambience. We've been here twice, now, once on Christmas Eve 2007, and then again in June of 2008. The service is a little impersonal, but efficient, and the overall experience is outstanding. There's also a delightful little bar a half block toward the river, on the corner, with great birra alla spina and delicious bellinis di Venezia!

Bar San Michele (across from Orsanmichele Church)
This little Italian bar features an amazing calzone with spinacci e ricotta cheese, decent drinks, pizza, and other typical bar fare, including indoor and outdoor seating (or, as always, the cheapest option, standing at the counter). The key here is the spinacci e ricotta calzone: we dream about this calzone. If you're in Firenze, you have to try one.

SIENA at ?

Coming soon

SORRENTO:

Da Franco's Pizzeria at Corso Italia 265 (near the lemon grove) A casual, comfortable pizzeria just a few blocks from Piazza Tasso featuring delicious Neopolitan-style pizza served on paper plates. Wooden bench seating and a loud, fun atmosphere--along with good prices and great food--make Da Franco's a favorite. Great portions!

More to follow...

Italian Language Guide for Travelers: Basic Words and Phrases

2009-02-05T21:16:00.007-06:00

When it comes to trying to communicate in Italiano, the more you give, the more memorable interation you'll get! Don't be too self-conscious--just do your best and smile! Study and memorize these simple words and phrases prior to your trip, and you'll be interacting with Italians in no time!

GREETINGS

Buon Giorno - Good morning

Buona Sirra - Good afternoon/evening (after 3 PM)

Salve - Hello

Bene, grazie - Good, thanks

E lei? - And you?

Mi chiamo ____ - My name is ____

Come si chiama? - What's your name?

Parla Inglese? - Do you speak English?

Arrivedercci - See you later

Grazie/prego - Thank you/you're welcome

Per favore - Please

Mi dispiace - I'm sorry

Mi scusi - Excuse me

Va bene - Okay

Per - For

Cazzo! - Damn!

Permesso - Excuse me (to pass)

Sono Americano/a - I'm American

Ciao - Hi or bye

Non capisco - I don't understand

AT THE HOTEL

L’albergo - Hotel

Il piano - Floor

Primo - First

Secondo - Second

La camera - Room

La vista - View

Le scale - Stairs

Su - Up

Giu - Down

La calazione - Breakfast

Latte - Milk

Ti amo - I love you

La lavanderia - Laundry mat

Al mattino - In the morning

L’aeroporto - Airport

Oggi - Today

Domani - Tomorrow

Molto gentile - You're very kind

AT THE RESTAURANT

La prenotazione - Reservation

La cena - Dinner

Un tavolo per due, per favore - A table for two, please

Il pane & coperto - Bread and cover charge

Solo contante - Cash only

Il pranzo - Lunch

Questo - This one

Lo stesso, per favore - The same, please

Una birra alla spina - A beer on tap

Piccolo - Small

Medio - Medium

Grande - Large

Cioccolata calda - Hot chocolate

Biscotti - Cookies

Caffe latte’ - Coffee with a lot of hot milk

Caffe freddo - Sweet iced/cold coffee

Cappucino - Espresso with foamed milk on top

Dolci - Dessert/sweetsGelato - The best ice cream in the world!

Torta - Cake

Panna cotta - Chilled pudding

Basta - Enough

Da portar via - For the road

Avete ____? - Do you have____?

L’acqua naturale - Water without carbonation

La bibita light - Coca-Cola light (diet)

Vino della casa - House wine

Rosso vino - Red wine

Bianco vino - White wine

Cin cin! - Cheers!

Un altro, per favore - Another, please

Fra un minuto - In a minute

Insalata - Salad

Zuppa, minestra - Soup

Formaggio - Cheese

Pomodori - Tomatoes

Contorni - Side dishes

Patate - Potatoes

Fagiolini - Green beans

Riso - Rice

Legume - Vegetables

La carne - Meat

Pollo - Chicken

Pesce - Fish

Ai frutti di mare - Seafood

Fantastico - Fantastic/wonderful

E’ tutto, grazie - That's all, thanks

Il conto, per favore - The bill, please

TOURING

Vorrei... - I’d like...

Vorremmo... - We'd like...

Sa dove’ ________? - Do you know ________ is?

Quando? - When?

Quanto costa? - How much does it cost?

La carta di credito - Credit card

A destra - To the right

A sinistra - To the left

Un bancomat - ATM

Schede telefoniche - Phone card

Biglietto/i - Ticket/Tickets

Uscita - Exit/gate

Il bagno or la toiletta - The Bathroom

Freddo - Cold

Caldo - Hot

La ricevuta - The receipt

Aperto - Open

L’orario - Schedule

Passeggiata - Evening stroll

Il centro citta - Downtown/city center

La chiesa - Church

La spiaggia - Beach

L’imbarcazione - Boat

Diritto - Straight ahead

Storico - Historical

Il treno - Train

Il telefono - Telephone

Aiuto! - Help!

Polizia - Police

Il medico - Doctor

Ora - Departure time

Principali fermate destinazione - Final destination for a train

Binario - Track number for a train

NUMBERS

Uno - One

Due - Two

Tre - Three

Quattro - Four

Cinque - Five

Sei - Six

Sette - Seven

Otto - Eight

Nove - Nine

Diechi - Ten

Undici - Eleven

Dodici - Twelve

Tredici - Thirteen

Quottordici - Fourteen

Quindici - Fifteen

Sedici - Sixteen

Diciasette - Seventeen

Diciotto - Eightteen

Diciannove - Nineteen

Venti - Twenty

Cento - One-hundred

TIME

A che ora? - At what time?

Lunedi - Monday

Il Martedi - Tuesday

Il Mercoledi - Wednesday

Il Giovedi - Thursday

Venerdi - Friday

Il Sabato - Saturday

La Domenica - Sunday

L’inverno - Winter

La primavera - SpringEstate - Summer