Good to be home - enjoy some photos

 Berlin Cathedral - this is in East Berlin - what used to be behind the iron curtain

 Brandonburg Gate - last remaining gate surrounding Belin - used to have many surrounding the city - this was part of the Iron Curtain

 View from the Berlin Cathedral

 Cathedral

 Cathedral

 Cathedral

 Munich

 Munich

 Salzburg, Austria

 Fortress in Salzburg

 Salzburg

 Astronomical clock in Prague

 Prague

 Prague

 Prague Castle Guards

 Krakow, Poland square

 Krakow Square

St. Mary's Cathedral, Krakow

Heading Home

This morning found us leaving Poland the way we left all the other countries: in a mad dash! We made it the airportand through security in time to make our 8:50 flight connecting through Munich- so we visited Germany one more time before leaving the continent. Enough of a layover to spend the last of our Euros. Then on to Chicago, which took 9 hours. Then, once in Chicago it took 2 hours to go through customs and security. Now we are waiting for our flight to Indy-we could have rented a car and driven it faster but after being in different time zones and travelling all day who wants to do that? Our lil group is down to 3 now- no, no one got left behind, but since Jerry lives in Chicago he went on from here. We are all glad to be back and the only casualty was Alex's suitcase which suffered a broken zipper. Once I get to my computer I will post some photos. Now, I have to get back to my supersized diet coke WITH extra ice :)

Auschwitch and more

Today we took a tour of Auschwitch concentration and extermination camp. We had a personal guide for the four of us. She was able to explain the horrible and unthinkable events that took place there with dignity and grace. It was a long, life-changing day-an experience that fills you with such sadness and awe at the resilence of those involved. Our last evening was spent shopping, having dinner in an outdoor cafe on the square, and enjoying one last gilatto-best ice cream ever! Did I ever tell you about restaurant experiences here? In the US, eating out is a eace to the finish. The wait staff rush you along so they can get more people in-here, it is the opposite.Want to sit and order a drink and that's all for an hour? No one cares. But, if you are starving, look out-it takes about an hour from tbe time you order until the food arrives. Ready to leave? You have to chase down the waiter to get your bill. Why? Because here they view eating as an enjoyable event to be savored-not devoured. Rather than gulping your food and running, the people here socialze and relax over a meal. It is a different attitude from the fast food mentallity that we often have at home. Packing and getting ready to be at the airport at 7:15 AM for a long day of travel. It's been a great journey but we are all ready to come home.

Made it to Krakow

The night train was yet another " cultural experience". Our couchette car had three bunks on each side and room for one to stand up. Not quite the luxury suite I had imagined! Leaving at 8 PM and arriving at 7 the next morning meant 11 hours in that room with about 4 of them not moving. Evidently we had a layover or whatever they call that by train travel jargon. But, luckily we made it and basically gave ourselves an extra day in Krakow. This city is the smallest we have been to, with a main square that is easy to navigate on foot. Our bnb this time is right on the main square-the only complaint-wait for it- you can guess- not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 flights of stairs up to our rooms. No elevator for Europeans-not enough space in these funky buildngs. But the good thing is the exchange rate here- the currency is the Zloty and it is 20 cents to the dollar! So a great Italian meal in a sidewalk cafe costs the equivalent of $8.00. First day spent shopping and seeing the St. Mary's Cathedral- a beautiful church with blue and gold detailing in the ceiling and walls. The city still has part if the wall that protected it during the middle ages going from the castle on the hill to the end of the main square. Weather: first day with no rain at all.

Last two days in Prague

During the last two days we worked in  more shopping and sightseeing. Jerry and Alex visited two Torture museums and a ghost and legends museum. Alex and I did the Royal Palace and St Vitas Cathedral tour. The Royal palace is the older original palace dating back centuries. It isn't decorated much but has information telling how it was used as a fortress. The cathedral, with its soaring ceiling, murals, stained glass, marble, and statues looks as intimidating as some of the castles. We also saw original suits of armor and the dungeon where prisoners were kept. Alex and I visited the Ice Pub Prague. It is made entirely of carved ice- the bar, the tables, a throne, a replica of the Charles bridge and the glasses are hollowed out ice cubes. They give you thermal parkas and gloves to wear and you are allowed to stay 30 min. in the 19 degree atmosphere. They also shine blue lights on the ice that makes it seem colder. Another unique Prague experience. In a few hours we catch the night train to Krakow, Poland and should be there by 7 AM. There we will be using zloty, the Polish currency. Not sure what wifi will be like there so may have to wait till Tuesday when at the airport to update this. Our trip has been wonderful but we are all looking forward to being home. No one will miss all the subway, train, and streetcar travel less than our mom!' "On a sad note, we have been following news from home and are saddened to hear of the awful tragedy in Colorado. Our prayers go out to the families of those affected by this senseless act of violence."

Learning our way around Prague

The past two days we have become more familiar wirh the area here. We are staying in a family run residence on a street on the tram line. Our rooms are in a huge re-furbished house but each room has outside entry. Our room is above a coffee house so we can get fresh coffee as we board our tram for the 10-20 min ride to various parts of town. More shopping and gawking at historical landmarks. Now, I promised to share our blacklight theater experience. This is a form of theater that is unique to prague and originated in the 1960's. It mixes mime, dance, music, and florescent effects with no words- so there is no language barrier. There is no set, but the stagehands wear all black and the props and scenery glow and look as if they are floating. Alex and I saw one with Beatles music based on the 60's. It was strange, random, and interesting. Colorful, glowing butterflies seemed to fly through the air on stage when in reality the stage hands all dressed in black were moving them. The theater was very small and we were two of the 20 audience members in a room that could hold about 40. It was a cultural experience. Other cultural experiences noted today:as we were throwing away our food a young boy grabbed the plate so he could finish the last few bites. An older man looked eagerly as he accepted the chips I offered him rather than throw them away. We throw food away everyday without thinking about it. Today for the first time here I noticed the people hanging around the food stands waiting for tourists like us to throw away "their next meal". This evening we took two elevators and some stairs up the clock tower for great views if the city. This is the astronomical clock that has characters every hour and a real person plays a trumpet from the tower. We spent time around sunset in the tower and it was breathtaking. Then, as darkness fell, we walked through the streets to the river and the Charles Bridge. The photo on this blog page is the Charles Bridge looki g toward the Powder Gate. They used to store gun powder for the castle here. The cathedrals, castle, and towers were all lit as well as the boats on the river below. Fireworks were going off in the distance. A short walk (our mantra is "everything is a short ten minute walk" as our guide books always say) to the trams and we are in for the night. All the walking is starting to take its toll on us, some more than others. We wonder what Mom is really writing in her travel journal each night and in her tell-all book who gets the blame for all the short ten minute walks she has been dragged on...)

First full day in Prague

The day started out with rain, as most of our days have the past few weeks. Of course it is hottest summer ever at home and rainiest one here. But it usually lets up enough that we can keep going.Today we took a tram to the top of the castle hill and saw breathtaking views of the city. The castle has guards who change every hour. It is a huge complex with courtyards, gardens and a cathedral. We walked down the hill and to the Charles Bridge. This connects the city and has 31 larger than life statues along the railing. This is one of the oldest bridges in Europe, dating back to 1100. After lunch at a cafe on the river below the bridge, we walked along the street near the bridge. We found a nice monument dedicated to the NY firefighters who lost their lives on 9-11. Walking further, we found the John Lennon wall. In response to his death, the the oppressed people covered a wall with graffiti as a memorial and the pice would have it painted over. Until 1989 when freedom came to the people here and the wall art stayed. Alex signed the wall during our visit. Our evening was spent walking around the New Town area- new because it was created by the king in the 14th century well after the old town. The gothic buildings and churches are beautiful lit at night. Food here has been easier to navigate. At lunch, we ordered dumplings as side dishes, they wegre slices of warm white doughy bread versus the noodle-type we are used to. BUT I still miss ice so much. And I miss the oversized supersized soft drinks in the US. Here, because I guess the people aren't gluttons luke we are, the Cokes in restaurants are served in what can only bedescribed ad juice glasses at home. The beer comes in 10 gallin drums, though. (I should mention that I am writing this on my iphone- so if there are typis its most likely because I can't see what I am doing... Tomorrow we investigate the Black Light theatre ...

Prague has Tonno pizza, too!

After getting on our bus and riding for 4.5 hours we made it to Prague. Today we got settled in our new location, a bed and breakfast place, and tried to get oriented. Because this is such an old city, and one that wasn't destroyed by war, the streets are not laid out in a grid. Instead, they are narrow and curvey and sometimes suddenly end. There are cobblestone streets in places with trams, electric streetcars, running in the street. Everywhere you look, there are tall, old buildings with steeples and intricate carvings, paintings, or statues. Lots of nice shops, too. The czech money is strange- a slice of pizza and a coke were 60 korowns which is $3.00. We had just figured out Euros and now are switching to korowns. Now, we almost had a repeat of the terrible tonno-tuna pizza incident that happened our first dinner in Munich. We stopped at a pizza stand and there were different pizzas out. Jerry asked for sausage. Alex asked for sausage. I was waited on by a different server and when I pointed to what the others were given and said "sausage" the server said "sausage? Tonno, ok". And of course I said "that is not ok". Luckily this was discovered before anyone had to suffer and we all ended up with cheese. Tomorrow the real exploring begins.

The "Mad King tour"

Today found us racing to the main train station on the Ubahn subway to catch a bus for our castle tour. We spent the day riding through parts of Bavaria in the mountains. Again, the views were stunning! First stop, Neuschwanstein Castle, built by Mad Kung Ludwig. This is the castle that inspired Walt Disney to create the Cinderella castle in the animated movie and later the one in the theme parks. Now, we were disappointed to see half the outside covered in scaffolding as they work on it, but the other side if it and the inside was fantastic. This guy was a richer-than-rich kid who spent all his family's money on making fabulous castles. In fact, he ran the royal family into debt and they got so disgusted they had a doctor who had never seen him declare him insane so they could put him in a home and stop his out of control spending. Some health care plan he must have had with a diagnosis like that without an office visit. The area below the castle is a cute little village if souviner shops and food stands disguised as houses. This is all in the mountains. After leaving here back on the bus to a mountain town with a name way too long to remember or spell. In the fields on the way we saw many alpine style houses with beautiful window boxes full of flowers. Some of them are attached to the cow barns so in winter it is easier to get to the cows and the heat from them helps warm the house. Ewwwwwww... Lastly we stopped at Linderhoff, the castle that Mad King Ludwig built and lived in first as an adult. This guy really liked himself-mirrors and gold plated everything with muraled walls, ceilings and furniture. Beautiful fountains and gardens. Finally back on the bus to the Ubahn and to the apartment. Last night in Munich-tomorrow on a bus for 4.5 hours to Praque. I just mastered the euro and started to pay with coins (they have 1,2,20,50 cent pieces and 1 and 2 euro coins) and had picked up a little German ( quick, who remembers what "tuna" is?). Now it will be Czech and crowns ( that's their money)

Editorial correction

It has come to my attention that additional clarification on the "then there were two" post. The 2/4 who did not get off the train actually got off on the opposite side and turned around to walk through the train to get off on the same side as the other 2/4 when the doors shut and wouldn't let them out. Door closed on this subject...

Salzburg

Today finds us running through the train station again but today we are taking the regional train to Salzburg, Austria. It is about an hour and forty minutes from Munich. About an hour into the trip we begin to go through tunnels in the mountains. Then we start to see hills clustered with Alpine style homes with pitched roofs and flower boxes. It is a cloudy day with rain which masks some of the mountains in the morning, but later the sun shines and it is a nice day. Once in Salzburg. we see the old town, part of which was started in the 900s. The snow-capped mountains and grassy ountains with trees are all around us. This is the birthplace of Mozart a d there is a large fountain of his likeness in one of the squares. We took a long long, long climb up to the Fortress Castle overlooking the old town. The views here were spectacular! Walking around the castle ( did I mention it was a long walk straight up to the castle?) and its museum really gives you a sense of life back then. Some of the rooms have ceiling and wood wall coverings from centuries ago. This is the town where several of the scenes from The Sound of Music were filmed. We had planned to see some of these but instead chose to spend time in the castle and walking around the old town. After a couple of trains we are back at the apartment around 11:00. It was a long but fun day. Helping make it a good day was that I finally got a chocolate croissant!! Each day we would be running to catch a train and I would wave "allo" to these. pastries and forge onward. By the time we would come back in the evening, they would be gone or the store was closed. But not today. Today was the day we had some time to spare so I got my chocolate croissant and it was all I had hoped for and more... Tomorrow we are spendi g the day shopping and enjoying Munich near our neighborhood before we leave in a couple of days.

Nurnberg or Nuremberg?

So today 4 of us made it on the right train to Nuremberg. Germans call it Nurnberg and others sometimes call it Nuremberg, but whatever you call it, it is about 2 hours from Munich by train. It is a medieval city with a castle, cathedrals, and the Nazi Party Rally Grounds and Nazi Documentation Center museum. There is a three mile long wall around the city. We made the long walk up to the castle and discovered that the tour was in German only-so we skipped the inside tour and walked around the outside. It had nice views of the city below. We also visited a German Toy museum with interesting wooden and tin toys and dolls. The Nazi Documentation Center had a museum with photos describing the events leading up to the Nazi parties' rise to power and we saw the place were Hitler's largest demonstrations took place. It was strange to see photos of these demonstrations taking place in front of the historic places we were just standing in front of... Of course, it wouldn't be complete without more tours of beautiful cathedrals - the magnificant architecture, murals, domed ceilings, stain glass, and marble and wood carvings are amazing. After returning on the train, we headed back to Marienplatz, the large area with restaurants, shops, and so many interesting buildings. After another fine Italian meal (there seem to be more Italian and Mexican restaurants in this area) at an outdoor cafe, we walked to large stone arch that is comparable to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Then, a quick jump on the Ubahn (underground subway) and a few blocks and we are back. I don't think I've described train stations yet- think shopping mall with trains. Some of the best pastry we've had has come from the stands at the train station. The main train station, Hauptbanhoff, is the largest and offers lots of options, including a grocery store. So, when I tell you we eat in the train station, you may picture a dark corridor with pre-made sandwiches on a cart. Some of the food is pre-made, but it is a busy place with lots of things. The train stations also have cutesy names for their public restooms. The station we were at today had a sign outside their restoom that said "McLean" and it wasn't a Mcdonalds- but they do have those and Burger King here. Another station called theirs "Rail Fresh". Now, if you need to use a public bathroom here you must pay, usually 1 Euro or sometimes 50 cents. Another reason to collect change. Tomorrow we are going to spend the day in Austria....more then.

Then there were two...

Today really turned out to be a very enjoyable day; however, it had a very rocky start. When the story I am about to share is told by various parties, there no doubt will be a different version. But, as the unofficial blogger documenting this adventure, of course my version is TRUE. We intended to go to the Alte Pintekotek, art museum, after going to the train station to get our transportation tickets. It was a great deal for a family pass to ride the train as long as you travel together. This should not be a problem, as we are planning several day trips were we will be together. I should mention that when you ger on a bus, tram, or train no one checks your ticket automatically, but if a security officer randomly checks and you dont have a ticket you get fined up to 50 euros ( about $65). So, I can best describe what happened next using a story problem. Those who know me well know that I would rather walk across hot coals than try to solve a math problem; but this seems fiting, so follow along: "When 4 people get on a train heading south going 50 miles an hour with the destination the art museum and the weather is sunny and clear, what color is the train and how many people actually get off at the right stop?" If you said "blue" you are wrong, it was red. If you said 2/4 got off the train, you are right. 1/4th of the group, the designated leader, tells 3/4 of the group to get off at the next stop. 2/4 of the group get off and watch as the train pulls away with the other 2/4 of the group, including the 1/4 who said to get off at this stop and has the group train pass, is still on the train. All agree that 4/4 were frustrated, but lets just say that 2/2 went to the art museuam and 2/2 went back home. Who made it and who didn't? A friendly, LIVELY debate took place later when we met back up and we aren't placing blame...lets just say that those of you who get art museum souvenirs will know.... The rest of the day was salvaged and we headed out to Marianplatz, a beautiful square with traditional style buildings, cathedrals and restaurants. The glockenspiel that re-enacts a joust to music with characters that rotate three times a day is housed toward the top of a huge gothic structure that anchors this area. We were able to go to the top on an elevator - no stairs, thank you- for spectacular views of Munich. We also found a few more stunning cathedrals with intricate carved details and beautiful paintings on the walls and domed ceilings. We also heard a pipe organ concert in one of these churches. Beautiful, yet creepy loud music that sometimes reminded me of the soundtrack of a horror movie. Top that off with a great dinner at an outdoor cafe (fried chicken, pasta and veggies) and street musicians and we survived our first day in Munich! Can we all make it to Nurnberg on the same train tomorrow? Time will tell.

Arrival in Munich

We left Berlin in a whirlwind, just making our train. This train is the high speed ICE DB train system that crosses the country. On the way we were able to see pretty countryside and little clusters of houses, each seeming to have a church with a tall steeple that can be seen for miles. Sometimes up on a hill you would see castles, some of which were abandoned and in ruins. In the US we would never think of leaving these standing until they actually collapse, as a monument to time passing around them. Instead, we eagerly tear down anything that looks "old". The train took about 5 hours. Then we made our way to our apartment that will be our home-base for this stay. It is in a remodeled house that has been turned into apartments in a neighborhood with shopping and parks. There is a set of large doors that open off the street that lead to the brick paved courthood. Some apartments have balconies overlooking the courtyard with flowers. Into another door and up two flights of stairs (what's with all the stairs?) is our home for the week. Like everything we are discovering in Germany, it is small, compact, and designed for efficiency. There is a kitchen with a fridge and tiny freezer ( big enough to make 12 miniature ice cubes so in 10 hours there will be ice!) livingroom with pullout couch, dining area and bedroom. We are an easy walk to the grocery and the S bahn city trains. It is in the low 70's here and feels refreshing. A trip to the grocery was interesting: it had two floors with a moving sidewalk ramp to the basement so you could take the shopping cart there. We also have an Aldi's nearby. Eating here continues to be interesting. Since we were tired and not yet aquainted with the surroundings we decided to get food at the grocery for dinner. Alex got a frozen cheese pizza and it was great. I wasn't satisifed with just cheese so I got one with pictures of veggies on it and the word Tonno- Jerry didn't know what that was, but it all looked like veggies with sausage. One bite and I knew there was something really off about the sausage. Turns out tonno is TUNA- ugh. Now I don't know if you have ever had tunafish on pizza, but in case you are considering it let me say this: DON'T....tunafish on pizza is disgusting. Tomorrow we will begin our site-seeing here so I will have more stories then. "Tschus". (bye)

Last Day in Berlin

Today was the last full day in Berlin. After walking around looking for someplace for breakfast we finally decided on an outdoor cafe near our hotel. Afterwards we did some serios shopping. Guess what? Berlin has a store called C&A that is like Kohls, but just has clothes. We also found the "Macy's" version, Karstadt. After reading about a chocolate shop called Fausson and Rauch- "the world's largest house of chocolate", Alex and I dedicated ouselves to the task of finding this place. According to our guide book, it was a short walk south of yesterday's location. So, boarding the S bahn train we eagerly got off at the suggested stop and started walking. Our book had a photo of a cathedral on the square near the shop. We could see it in the distance-blocks away! But, chocolate calls so we kept walking toward the large dome of the cathedral. Along the way we stopped and looked in 2 other cathedrals with breathtaking stained glass, soaring domed ceilings, and intricately carved wooden staircases. Unexpected treasures along the journey. Finally we get to the cathedral and it is a busy square with people eating at outdoor restaurants and shopping. I worry: what if the shop mo longer exists and we have cone so far? But there it is on the square! It is like Ghiradelli stores on steroids. An artist is carving a 5 ft ship out of chocolate and has made several 4-5 feet tall replicas of historic buildings around the city. A case runs across one lenght of the store with truffles of all possible flavors. A chocolate volcanoe is oozing choc sauce nearby. I wanted to bring some back for everyone but it would only melt. It was delicious. As we trek back, we realize that we could have saved blocks of walking if we had taken a different train! But we would have missed the cathedrals and know we have a fun memory-but the guy who wrote our travel guide and I do not agree on ehat makes a short walk!!!! Dinner was a challenge - it is hard to find places with food that you understand what it is. We were on a mission for Italian nut the three places we went all had weird issues that were dealbreakers. So, it was Subway tonight. Off to Munich tomorrow-leaving on the 12 am train for a 7 hour ride. Oh yeah, in case you were wondering, Jerry made it back and was pleasantly surprised that we survived. Munchen (what Germans call Munich) here we come...

Third Day in Berlin...alone

Day three started with Jerry leaving for his side trip. The rest of us mapped out a plan to return to the east part of Berlin ( we are staying on west side) to see Museum Island. This is a grouping of 5 museums by the Spree River. After Alex made sure we were on the train heading in the right direction, we settled in for our 20 min ride. Then once we got off the train it was only about 5 minutes to the museum after 10 minutes of trying to figure out which direction to go. We saw several ancient exhibits with artifacts from Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Islamic cultures. Also famous works of art- with major historical significance, I am sure, but to me they were either pretty or creepy. We all got scolded by Germans for various innocent mistakes: I sat my stuff on a nice marble table so I could take off my jacket only to be told by a no-nonsense guard in words I didn't understand but facial expressions and gestures hard to miss not to put items on the exhibits-I guess those stone statues sitting on the bench were important. Then later Mom got a quiet talking-to for sneaking bites of a cereal bar in a no eating zone. Later at lunch, after we asked for English menus and ordered food we told the less than friendly and barely English speaking waitress we woul just drink the bottles of pop we had just brought in with us. This is apparently more unacceptable here than at home and she launched into a litany that of course we didn't get until she had someone else tell us No drinks not from restaurant. Museums would be better if all exhibits are on one floor: when you hear "5 floors of exhibits" at first you think " cool"- but after several floors and multiple museums you think "why?" The highlight of today had to be touring the Berlin Cathedral. It is spectacular! Words can't describe the details, stained glass, sculptures and, yes, stairs. Alex tooke the 270 stair climb to top that leads to an outdoor walkwsy for outstanding city views. So naturally when he described this I couldn't miss it. While it was an amazing view of the city, that stairs were a combination of narrow, wooden, winding stairs and metal spiral stairs. Alex thought it was fun to record my agony so I'm sure it is. trending topic on YouTube. This area of the city has a large park-like atmosphere with people picknicking and musicians playing. As it started to rain we made our way back to the train station and miraculously got on the right train. Our day without our "guide" was a success! Topping it off with a piece of home, we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe -not wanting to create anymore controversy in restaurants. And just to make us feel at home, we had a 90 minute wait for a table. But it was worth it! what will tomorrow bring?

Second Day In Berlin

After the breakfast offered in our hotel spread out in a dining room with a balcony overlooking the street below, we set off for Schloss Charlottenburg. It is a palace that was occupied by some royal family a long time ago(you can see how well I listened). It had beautiful decor. Later that night we took the train to the former East Berlin side and saw the Brandonburg Gate. This area is a party zone- street musicians and restaurants. We ate at an outside cafe and I bravely tried white sausage. I don't know enough vile curse words to describe how it tasted, but at least I tried to fit in to the culture. At night the Gate is light and it is a beautiful sight. Nearby there is a memorial park dedicated to the murdered Jews of Europe and a memorial for those who lost their lives trying to escape East Germany. Walking around here it is hard to imagine that not that long ago this city was divided! Stay tuned for tomorrow's adventure: Jerry is leaving us to go visit a friend two hours away and will be gone overnight. Will the three of us be able to survive without speaking German or really knowing where we are? I would love to post photos but having technical issues:(. maybe next stop.

First day in Berlin

After a busy travel day we finally made it to our hotel! It is on the second floor of an old building on a narrow tree-lined street a couple of blocks from a busy shopping area. The decor is from the 1930's with art nuveau influence. We take the bus and trains and subway to get around. Our first major trip was to see the Olympic Stadium from the 1936 Olympics. We also took a train to the former East Berlin area and walked around. You don't see many overweight people here and I'm guessing it's because they have to walk everwhere to get to the trains. I do miss ice; they don't use it so drinks aren't very cold. It was sunny and in the 80's.

Trying to decide what to pack for the trip and how to cram it all in a suitcase.  While it is supposed to be 101+ at home, temps in Berlin and Munich are about 80 with lows in the 60's.  We are trying to follow the advice of travel guru Rick Steves, who says be a "traveler",  not a tourist.  Which basically means try not to stick out like a loud American and blend into the culture.  Our flight leaves Thursday so we will get there Friday. More to come...