Ferney Voltaire, France to Cedar Springs, Michigan

Awake at 6. In the car and on the way to the airport at 7. The start of a very long day - 22 hours until we were in bed again.

Because the airport is in the border of Switzerland and France, it makes things at there rather complicated. We had to return the rental car to the Swiss side but had trouble finding it. The absence of any signage certainly didn't help. Once we were back at the Hertz location, Dave was breathing easier. It's quite stressful at times - being in a foreign location and not speaking the language. Since we were flying back with Air France, we had to go to the French side of the airport - after parking the car on the Swiss side. 😕

Check-in was a breeze - even though I wasn't able to pre-check the day before. Due to Dave's "gold medallion status" -  with Delta, who's a partner with Air France - we were allowed to wait for our plane in the Air France lounge. A first for us! We had a free breakfast and sat in comfy chairs until it was time to go to our gate.

The flight to Paris was smooth but a bit late. The gate for the flight to Chicago was quite a ways away from our arrival gate. The plan was that Dave would run ahead and hold the plane - if needed - which it wasn't. While the gate was in the same terminal - a huge one - it was a far bit of running to get there. The flight had actually started to board just as our first flight was landing. We made it - which was a huge relief. I did wonder how they were going to get our suitcase over to the Chicago bound plane in time. 

We left Paris shortly after 1 pm and arrived in Chicago at 9 pm - 3 pm local time. The flight was smooth but long. Neither of us got out of our seats for the whole flight. It felt really good to stand up. 

The line for customs was incredibly long due to a couple of full flights arriving at the same time. There were literally hundreds of people waiting to go through customs. We snaked through the line for almost an hour. At all times, there were four or so agents there but not taking any people. Why that was remains a mystery. Once we got to the agent, it was a couple of questions and we were on our way to get our suitcase. It had been well over an hour since we landed so we weren't sure where the bag would be at that point. Not in Chicago, that's where.

The plan was to get an Uber to where we parked our car. We ended up taking a taxi - watching the meter go up as we sat at red lights. The car was still there - we were a bit concerned about this. It took us almost four hours to get home. A very long time after an already very long day. 

We were home and in bed by 10 pm - 4 am for our brains and bodies. It's good to be home. It was an amazing trip. We had many new experiences and created lots of delightful, and some less so, memories. Now it's time to reconnect with the kids and grandkids and pick up our everyday lives at home.

One thing I learned today: Air France's food is not good. The main meal was supposably pasta but it looked like fish eggs and had a gluey texture. It had nothing to offer. Dave got a Heineken and even that didn't taste good. However, the celery and carrot sandwich - who knew this was a kind of sandwich? - was a pleasant surprise. The freshness of the roll had a lot to do with it.

One new thing I experienced today: How to deal with "lost" luggage. Due to a far too short layover between flights, and the fact that our flight from Geneve was 15 minutes late - doesn't sound like much but it sure made a difference - our checked bag didn't get on the plane to Chicago. We had to find the guy who processed the paperwork and get that in order. The bag will be put on the next flight to Chicago and couriered to us. (If we lived 200 miles or less from the airport, we were expected to pick it up.) Here's hoping it makes it. There are a lot of things in that bag we don't want to loose.

Most powerful moment of the day: Getting into bed after being up and traveling for 22 hours. Our own bed with our pillows. So, so great!

One pleasurable experience: Seeing signs in English. I was reading many of the signs and billboards on the way home. It was so nice to be able to read, and understand, them. 

By the numbers:

We drove: 1,317 miles

Churches visited: 5

Castles visited: 4

Countries visited: 5 - Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, Germany, and France

Modes of transportation: 5 - train, gondola, plane, taxi, and car 

A Day in Geneve

It was a bumpy night with a slow start this morning. It must have been the ribs. I had more than Dave so I felt worse than he did. I woke up at 3 am feeling pretty bad. My imagination started running away from me - as it will do at 3 am. What if I'm sick tomorrow and have to spend our last day in this sardine tin of a room? What if I'm still sick on the plane and have to be near a bathroom at all times? What if there are bed bugs in this bed? Apparently Dave was thinking much more creatively than I was. What if I had to go to the hospital? What if there was something really wrong with me and I had to stay there?

While I didn't feel 100% in the morning, I was determined to enjoy our last day. I got the repacking for the trip home completed. That can't wait until tomorrow. With that, sleeping until 8, and moving pretty slowly (well, at least I was), we didn't leave the room until about 11. 

The old part of Geneve, centrum, was about a 20 minute drive. After parking the car, we ventured out for a day of Reformation fun. Interesting facts about parking garages: they're super clean, well lit, and user friendly. There's either a red or green light by each parking spot to let you know if it's open or not. In today's parking garage, there were spots that were reserved for women after 6 pm - to keep them safe. Love it!

Geneve is on Lake Geneve and apparently, it's always windy in town. Well today didn't disappoint. There were white caps on the lake. It was one of those days when you should just crawl of out bed, get dressed, and go out. You're going to look like you just got out of bed due to the wind whipping around so no need to put any effort into trying to look put together. It'll only last a minute or two. 

We started our day in a super ritzy shopping area - by "started" I mean we walked past the stores. Versace, Prada, Cartier, Gucci, Dior..... First stop was the information centre and then off to Saint Peter's Cathedral where John Calvin was the pastor for awhile. The church was massive. There were choir stalls from the 1400's, five different bells dating from 1,000, Calvin's chair, and so much more. We went up the 173 spiral stairs to the top of the tower. It was hard with my dizzy mode kicking in. However, once at the top, the view was amazing. We were able to see very old parts of the tower/bell area. There were 173 steps coming down as well. 😀 

The first church was built on the site in the 300's. We were able to see the original "entrance step" of that church on the archeological tour. More on that below. The Romans were actually there before that. So much history!

The Reformation museum was included in our ticket so we did a quick walk through of that. There were some interesting items but almost everything was in French which makes it rather frustrating. 

Hunger was getting our attention. We had a snack at about 12. Breakfast was bread and jam in our room. We found a lovely restaurant and decided to sit inside. It was just too cold to be outside - 57 degrees but the wind! Lots of people were braving the cold and sitting outside. Dave had a "John Calvin" beer which he really liked. I really liked the bottle so that's going home. Meal #3 with really good food. (Pretty sad in the eating out department this trip.)

After supper we walked a short way to the "Reformation Wall." It's a must see for visitors and of special interest to people who've studied the Reformation - like Dave. It was getting colder so we started back to the car. Dessert and coffee/tea was calling us. We shared a raspberry crepe. This last delightful experience officially ended our vacation. After that, it's just getting ready to go home.

Things are pretty much set for the morning - bags packed, car gassed up, alarm set. I tried to check-in for our flights but the system isn't cooperating so we'll just have to do it at the airport tomorrow. Up at 6. Return the car by 7ish. Fly out at 10:30. Get to Paris in just over an hour and then the 8 hour flight home. What's really important is a good night's sleep. Let's hope that happens!

One thing I learned today: Geneve is the birthplace of fine watch making. There are a lot of watch shops around - ones where you can spend a fortune for a watch. We briefly looked through a window at them but couldn't see any prices. If you have to ask the price, you can't afford them.

One new thing I experienced today: Laying down in a church. The Maccabee Chapel - part of Saint Peter's Cathedral - was amazing. The painting/decorations were spectacular. I laid down on a pew to get a picture of the ceiling. I've never done that before.

Most powerful moment of the day: Being under Saint Peter's Cathedral and seeing archeological excavations from 100 BC. It was amazing to see parts of many different religious buildings from 100 BC to the 1,000's. One area showed the tiled floor - still with a lot of color - of a bishop's "parlor" from almost 1,000 years ago. And, we saw coins from 75- 50 BC!

One pleasurable experience: Eating a lovely meal and talking about the things we're going to do in our future.

Allschwil, Switzerland to Ferney Voltaire, France

The last leg of our journey began this morning. We're making our way back to the Geneva (Geneve is what it's called here) and the flight home on Thursday. After stopping for gas (and a coffee and Nutella croissant for Dave), we were on our way. By the way, Nutella is to Europe as peanut butter is to Canada/U.S. It's everywhere and a staple. Today, we saw a container of it with a pump on it.

It was going to take us about 2.5 hours to get to Geneve. (After two weeks we're almost locals). It was a pretty drive. Lots of farmland, greenery, hills - all the things we saw when we first landed. It felt familiar and comfortable. The weather was a mix again - drizzle to rain to full cloud cover to peaks of sun and, as a bonus today, wind. With one day left to go, we've only had two days were we'd say it rained for the better part of the day. There have been a few days with sun, not as many as we'd like, but overall it's been just fine. We prefer this weather to summer weather with the crowds of tourists it brings. For the most part, the driving was clear sailing today - unlike the chaos (Dave's word) of Basel. If he thought it was chaos, you know how crazy it really was.

The night before we left for our trip, we watched "25 must-sees in Switzerland." We didn't have any plans for our trip - which is generally how we travel - but over the course of the trip, we've seen seven of the 25. As we approached Bern, Dave remembered that Montreux had an amazing castle. It was still morning so we decided to go there - which in the end only added about an hour to our total driving time. And it was SO worth it!

Lunch was fresh bread and jam in the car at a rest stop area. I'm really going to miss the incredible bread here! (The language has switched back to French at this point.)

We got to Montreux about 1:30 where is was lightly raining and cold. The thermometer said it was about 57 but it sure didn't feel like that. The dampness and wind combined to make it feel much colder. However, that didn't hinder us exploring the best persevered medieval castle (Chateau de Chillon - pronounced "she on"), and most visited historical site, in Switzerland. It's kind of like Alcatraz in that it's built on an large rock with water (Lake Geneve) all around it. It was delightful. We got the audio headsets and spent over three hours exploring and learning. I got some really great pictures. (The first part of the castle was build in the 1000's with additions put on in the 1200 and 1400's.)

Back in the car and on our way to Geneve. We hit a bit of rush hour traffic, and our first traffic jam since we arrived, but still made good time. We arrived in Ferney Voltaire, France at about 6:30. 

It was time for supper and some meat. We've had so very little of it on this trip. Right by the hotel, which is just across the Swiss border in France, we came upon a steak like place that was doing it's best to "be American." Country music played and the menu was much like what you'd find at Logan's. Dave had a variety plate that included buffalo (tasted like beef) and I had ribs. Interestingly, the sauce comes on the side. We popped into the grocery store next door and bought, you guessed it, a loaf of fresh bread for our breakfast. France uses euros - which I didn't have - but they accepted Swiss francs. Thankfully.

We arrived at the hotel about 8ish. At check-in, we didn't get the guy's full attention as he was talking to his friend (?) on the phone the whole time. We opened our room door and voila, there was our teeny, tiny room. We briefly talked about going somewhere else but decided to stay. It's an experience. It's something new, I kept saying.

One thing I learned today: So very many things at the castle. Here's one about food. People in the medieval times ate fewer than 10 vegys. Potatoes, corn, beans, squash, and peppers all came from the Americas in the 1500's - which is after the Middle Ages. They used to eat lilies, roses, gladiolas, and catnip. 

One new thing I experienced today: The smallest hotel room ever! Our hotel for the last two nights is seven minutes from the airport and was only $50 (US) per night. We booked it before we left. What do you get for $50? A very clean but super tiny room that doesn't even provide one towel. (We're using a t-shirt.) We had to get creative with our suitcases. They were in the shower, and lying on the floor in front of the door to the hall. 

Most powerful moment of the day: Let's go with painful this time. The castle was built many years ago when people where much shorter than they are today. I'd be a giant to them. The doorways in the castle are all very low and most are made of stone. I was doing really well until I didn't. I walked right into a "door frame". Rock meets head. Not good. No blood. No concussion. But I did wonder if it had some impact as I laid in bed later - not feeling well at all. More on that tomorrow.

One pleasurable experience: We made a pit stop in our travels this morning atone of those pull of the highway type of stops. It was delightful. After finally finding a one franc coin out of my stash of change so I could use the bathroom, I went to two of the shops. I was able to get the last things I was looking for to take home. That may not sound like a big deal but it was. There's a certain level of stress that goes along with making those purchases. I always want everything to go well, and bringing home "good gifts" is included.

A day in Basel

Having a B&B with a kitchen again allows me to have oatmeal for breaky which is lovely. We headed out the door about 9:30 - our usual starting time on this trip - to spend the day in Basel, a medieval town in the northeast corner of CH. 

The car park near the centrum was only a few minutes drive from where we are staying. We're pretty much pros again at the "mechanics" of travel - certainly a long way from where we were when we first arrived here. The information centre was about a 10 minute walk. I was able to finish my shopping for gifts for the grandkids there. Always a a nice feeling.

There were five walking tours through the heart of the city. We had some trouble downloading the app with the commentary for the tours but finally got it. For the first time on this trip, it felt like we were in Europe - meaning: it felt very familiar to the other trips we've taken. The history, old buildings, narrow winding streets. So nice!

We spent about five hours sightseeing and enjoying the amazing weather - in the low 70's and mostly sunny. Our first stop was Munster Cathedral. The very first church was built there in the early 800's and the current building was built in the late 1400's. An earthquake destroyed the previous structure. The gothic architecture on the exterior was stunning. In the crypt were tombs from bishops from as early as 820. The church was Catholic but now is Evangelical Reformed.

We did our best to follow one of the walking tours but it was really challenging. The streets go wherever they want with no pattern. At one point we ended up in a market square with lots of "food trucks." Lunch was the best fish and chips. Right beside the marketplace was the town hall - an incredibly beautiful building that's been in use since the 1300's. 

This is the oldest city that we've ever been in. Many of the homes/shops were from the 1400's. Cobbled streets. There was a lot of construction going on - replacing pipes (?) under the roads. Back hoes are able to have their buckets literally a few feet from pedestrian's heads. It's up to the people to pay attention.

We wandered up and down streets, crossed a bridge over the Rhine River, and found our way back to the car. A lot of walking today. I do need to mention the traffic. In the old part of the city there are very few cars but a ton of buses and streetcars. At one point, there were four of these that could be seen by looking straight ahead. The streetcars are 100' long. No kidding. With so many of them, the roads going every which way, and crosswalks everywhere, to me it felt like Russian roulette trying to cross a street. Interesting thing about the crosswalks. When someone wants to cross, out they go. Bikes, cars, etc. are just expected to stop for them. Streetcars obviously can't stop so people do need to pay attention to them. We saw a man almost get hit. He didn't even look before stepping into the crosswalk so he didn't see the car the barely missed him.

Next stop was the spot where France, Germany, and Switzerland meet. It was a bit tricky to find. The "meeting point" is in the water. And again the question comes to mind: How was this monitored before the EU existed?

One last stop at Aldi where we picked up some food for supper and breakfast. The bakery section at Aldi is phenomenal - quiches, all sorts of fresh breads/rolls, European fruit tarts.... Maybe the Cedar Aldi will have the same thing. 😁

Supper (mini pizzas - I know, more carbs) on the back patio in the sun. Dave went for a bit of a walk. The rain finally started so reading commenced. Off to our final stop tomorrow - Geneva where we'll focus on John Calvin and the Reformation.

One thing I learned today: Shortly after the Reformation took place, highly decorated/designed buildings were forbidden which resulted in rather bland architecture for a period. Another example of the church meaning well but.....

One new thing I experienced today: Seeing a small boat attached to a cable that spanned the river. The current was so strong that the only way to easily, and fairly quickly, get from one side of the river to the other is by being sure the boat is tethered to the wire. It takes people from one side of the river to the other - about 500'. Also on the river were massive barges. Whether going against or with the strong current, both required very skilled pilots.

Most powerful moment of the day: Powerful isn't the ideal word here but it did evoke a strong emotional response in me. When we first arrived in Geneva, there was graffiti on every barrier along the sides of the roads. It was most annoying - and ugly. Today, in the heart of this beautiful town on houses from the 1300 - 1500's, houses that are very well cared for, there was graffiti. Not on a lot of houses but still. It's infuriating for me to see and I'm sure much more so for the home owners. One house had the original shutters from the 1400's - pealed paint and all - with some graffiti and stickers on them. Stickers ruin all sorts of things here. You can never "fix" those shutters so they're free of the "mess" and yet are still original. I'm still upset thinking about it!!

One pleasurable experience: While we sat in an outdoor café beside the Rhine River in the delightfully warm sunshine having coffee/hot chocolate and apple strudel, a duck walked through. He stood by our table until it was clear he wasn't going to get anything and then moved on.

Dachau, Germany to Allschwil, Switzerland

Today was a travel and rest day. We left the hotel in Dachau and drove to Allschwil, Switzerland which took about four hours. The temperature started about 50 and was in the mid 70's by the time we got to our next B&B. On the journey it drizzled, poured rain, blazed full sun, and filled the sky with lots of clouds - so a bit of everything. The drive through Germany was almost like driving in MI or southern ON. The landscape and trees looked very familiar.

The border between Germany and Austria was "nothing" - just a sign that noted you were now in Austria. The same is true for the border between Switzerland and France. However, the border between Austria and Switzerland had us slowing right down and passing by police officers again - no guns though. It's so interesting how this differs from country to country and whether you're entering or leaving a country. In all of our other European travels, borders have only been marked by signs.

Yes, we did drive through four different countries today. A long drive in Germany, about 30 minutes in Austria (where we were instantly met by old mountains and tunnels), a long drive in Switzerland, and literally 15 seconds in France. The town we're staying in tonight is on the French/Swiss border. I wanted to experience being in four countries in one day (it could have been five if we had gone about 20 minutes out of our way to Liechtenstein). The French/Swiss border was marked by a tiny building and the tightest roundabout you can imagine. We drove around it and so were officially in France - for seconds yes, but we were there. Our final two nights will be spent in France. The hotel is seven minutes from the airport in Geneva (CH).

Tonight's B&B is located on the edge of the town. It's the last house on a dead end road - surrounded by countryside. It's another truly unique place with a lawn that doesn't get cut but looks great with tall grass and wild flowers.

We arrived at the B&B and were settled in by 4 pm. We have a private patio right outside our door so reading in the sun while watching the chickens was enjoyed for a couple of hours. 

Finding a place to have supper was a bit challenging - being Mother's Day and all. I've realized that almost all of our food on this trip has been carbs - mostly in the form of bread products and pasta. While the fresh bread items are super amazing, it's time for something else.

Except for the first couple of days of our trip (where people spoke French), German - in different dialects - has been the spoken language. Today is the first time we've come across people who didn't speak any English.

The plan was to go for a walk along the paths by the B&B but that didn't happen. What did happen was reading and sleeping so we could ready for another day.

One thing I learned today: Trucks aren't permitted to drive on Sundays. Pick-ups are the exception. We've seen less than 10 pickups in all of our travels. Not having big trucks on the road makes driving much more enjoyable because there are many, many of them. Not so nice for the truckers who have to stay parked in truck stops for the entire day. Dave could really related to that.

One new thing I experienced today: Driving on a road without a speed limit. Unless otherwise noted, you can drive as fast as you want on German highways/freeways. They suggest 130 kms/hr (81 miles/hr) but there's no limit and it's completely legal to go as fast as you want. Dave got our little puddle jumper up to 150 kms (93 miles/hr) when I put an end to that. Our car is adorable but it's also a tiny, tin can that will crunch like one.

Most powerful moment of the day: Wondering how borders between countries looked/operated when they were in place. The borders literally go through neighborhoods/backyards. How was that monitored? Were there walls that have been taken down? What a massive project it was when the EU came into existence. Borders gone. All EU countries changed their currency to the euro. It's hard to get your head around. But, it does make things much easier for travelers and those who live here. (A reminder: Switzerland is not part of the EU and has its own currency, but they have done away with border requirements.)

One pleasurable experience: Seeing the B&B owners out walking - with their cat! The cat runs beside them as they walk - like a dog would - without a leash. And! The sign on the toilet that says men may not stand up to pee. 

Sistrans, Austria to Dachau, Germany

The goal was to get to Dachau Concentration Camp by 12:30 so that we could get two of the 30 spots on the guided tour. While the drive was just over two hours, things take time. So we were up and at it and out of the door by 9:30. 

The drive was a combination of sun, clouds, and some sprinkles. The rain, once again, held off all day! The scenery went from snow capped mountains to flat ground. The car's GPS had been working wonderfully until it decided it had had enough. We were on a very busy stretch of freeway and the GPS made it look like we were driving through fields. The SIM card we bought for Europe sure has come in handy - with this being the most valuable time yet. Pulling up Google maps got us to the camp. Without it.......

While the thermometer said it was in the low 50's, it sure felt colder than that. A shirt and two coats and it still felt "cold." However, I felt guilty for even thinking about being a bit cold when I stood in the camp's massive roll call area (held 30 - 40,000 people) knowing that others had stood here in nothing but pajama like clothes for hours in the dead of winter - unable to move or they'd be shot.

We decided not to be part of the guided tour and got audio tour headsets instead - which was definitely the way to go. We arrived at the camp at 12:30ish and left about 4:30. There aren't words to adequately describe the camp or the emotion felt while being there. I'm not even going to try. I'll just say that we were both very deeply impacted. I'll list the pictures I took with a bit of info for each - in the order I came across things.

• watchtower at entrance to camp - These were located all around the camp and were always manned with SS and guns.
• train tracks and platform - Where the people arrived from all over Europe - most to end their days behind the fence.
• camp commandant's headquarters - Beautiful building just outside the "prisoners camp" - a small part (5 acres) of the entire concentration camp (25 acres). You can only visit the prisoners' camp section of the camp. The rest of the original camp is part of the town and being used for "regular" things.
• entrance to the prisoners' camp - At this point, prisoners would think this place was going to be quite nice. 
• a photo of the prisoners welcoming the US troops - It makes you want to cry just looking at it.
• gate at the entrance which says "work sets you free" - The SS were told that if people couldn't work, they were useless, and therefore needed to be killed.
• roll call area - It's massive. Truly, breath-takingly massive. Trying to imagine it filled (and it was to overflowing) with prisoners is impossible.
• the sign that says "never again" (placed well after the war) - May it be so. And yet, evil people continue to do Satan's work on earth.
• perimeter fence, guard tower, and death zone - Fences were electrified with a high voltage charge. A small ditch was between the fence and 8' of grass - the death zone. If anyone stepped onto the grass, they were killed. Some, who couldn't take it any more, did so or ran to grab the fence.
• bunks in the bunk houses - There were 30 bunk houses that each held many 100's of prisoners'. Conditions couldn't have been worse. All of the bunk houses were torn down in the mid 1960's at the request of the former prisoners. The cement foundations are all that's left. There were two reconstructed bunk houses.
• Toilets and wash basins - Hundreds of prisoners had literally a few minutes to use these facilities. Every. Single. Thing. was impossible. And set up that way on purpose. If the stripes on the blankets on the beds in a row of bunks weren't lined up and perfect (for the entire length of many bunks), horrific punishment was the result.
• camp road - All of the barracks were along this road. Many for prisoners, a library, a brothel (prisoners could go to the brothel where other prisoners would service them), human experimental barracks, etc. The ones closest to the gate were for the staff - library, etc. - and the ones at the farthest end were for the "worst of the worst" - according to the SS's system. Beautiful trees grow along the road so it made for good PR photos - which were needed.
• exterior of the crematorium - A nice looking building that held untold horrors - including the next three points.
• cremation ovens - Dead bodies were stacked a room and then taken into the "oven room." Live prisoners were hung in the oven room.
• gas chamber - Prisoners entered a room where they took off their clothes to get ready for a delousing shower. Next room .......
• chamber for disinfecting clothes - Prisoners clothes were disinfected in massive chambers - six of them. 

At this point, we were overwhelmed and while there was much more to see in the museum, we just couldn't do it. We did stop at the bookstore and purchased a few books.

Supper, check in at a very modern hotel, and bed. 

One thing I learned today: A massive number of things. Here are a few: 1. People can be unbelievably evil. 2. People can have a tremendous will to live. 3. Hate knows no bounds. 4. Compassion can come at a price.

One new thing I experienced today: Crossing the border between Austria and Germany. Traffic was slowed to 10 kms/hr with the two lanes of traffic having to split and drive on either side of a cement barrier in the middle of the road. There stood two police officers - one with some kind of rifle that I'm sure was very powerful. The officers looked at each car/the passengers as they went past them very slowly. Off to the side was a covered area with about ten more officers - in case they were needed we assumed. While the borders between the EU countries are gone (if you miss the sign, you don't even know you've crossed the border,) this sure felt like a border.

Most powerful moment of the day: So, so many of them. Here's just one. That we were able to walk out of the concentration camp. Literally 100's of thousands of people couldn't even dream of doing that.

One pleasurable experience: Good food. While we've not eaten out a lot, finding good food at restaurants has been challenging. Tonight we ate at a local German restaurant where many people knew each other - having conversations amongst three different tables of people. You could tell some folks were regulars as drinks arrived without being ordered. I had cordon bleu (pork) and Dave had wiener schnitzel (also pork) and it was delicious!

A Day in Innsbruck

Before 8 am, Dave was at the small grocery store - which is just down the road - and got chocolate croissants hot out of the oven. Yum! 

Today, we were going to spend the day exploring Innsbruck via the hop-on-hop-off bus. We parked at the southern most point on the route - which was the location of the ski jumping at the 1976 Olympics - and boarded the first bus at 11 am. The guy driving the bus was not a people person. 

There were 28 points of interest - three of which we wanted to spend some time at. Turns out we only had time for two of them - plus a bonus stop. Some sort of protest had closed the road to traffic so the bus couldn't get to where we were waiting for it after we got off the first time - which resulted in us loosing a half an hour. It did allow us to have a lovely stroll in a park as we made our way to the next bus stop. 

Our first stop was an indoor market. An unplanned stop but a delightful one! Lots of fruits and vegys, meat and fish, flowers, baked goods, and places to have a drink. At 11:30 in the morning several of the tiny "shops" had people sitting in very tight quarters chatting and enjoying a glass of wine. We enjoyed a piece of really good apple strudel on a bench outside the market overlooking the river with colorful homes on the other shore.

Our next, and first planned, stop was the Hofkirche - a Catholic church with the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I. Some false advertising here. Yes, it's a church but it turns out the "tomb" is really a memorial since the emperor isn't buried there. The "tomb" is really amazing - the most splendid imperial tomb in Europe. There are 28 bronze statues  (almost 10'  tall) of family and important people (from 526 to 1555 - 1555 was "Joanne the Mad" - poor woman to have a name like that) standing along the sides of the "tomb." The statues were very impressive. How the artists were able to create the intricacies/details (in bronze!) is a mystery.

Our ticket allowed us to visit the attached museum which had items from the 1400's to the 1900's. They have the largest collection of furniture/cabinets/ceramic heaters that I've ever seen.  I'm sure most of the items all came from very wealthy people as the craftsmanship was excellent. One of my favorite things was a small wooden calendar (about 4" x 6") for June and July from the late 1400's.

This is where the protest came in so we didn't get back on the bus until 2:30. We had to be back at our car by 4:45 or else we'd have to find another way to get there. The commentary on the bus was quite good but rarely matched where we were. 

Our second planned stop was Schloss Ambras. It's a castle/palace built by Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria (mid 1500's) for his wife, a commoner - which was a serious no-no in those days. Marrying a commoner that is. Unfortunately, this is another case of false advertising. Yes, it's a castle (very different than the ones we've seen in other parts of Europe) and while there were a few original tables and chairs, one spectacular and authentic hall (for entertaining), and a bath tub (a metal lined box with a stool in it), this stop was mostly an art gallery, armory (many, many suits of armor in pristine condition), and an extensive collection of glassware. While rare and very valuable, not so interesting for us. The interesting part were the "curiosities" displayed as they were in the 1500s. A collection of "things" for people to look at. I could have spent a lot of time there but the clock was ticking. We couldn't miss the last bus of the day. (The peacocks were beautiful - at least the males who were doing their best to attract the females who didn't seem too interested.)

After getting the car, we headed back into the center of the city for supper. It was a beautiful, warm (70ish), sunny day so we wanted to sit outside to eat. Our view was an old city gate and colorful buildings beyond it. The sun was warm and the food was fantastic. This was a definite highlight of our trip. The small things, right?

Since the weather was much better today, we could see the snow capped mountains that surround Innsbruck and Sistrans. The mountains never cease to please and amaze. I think we've seen mountains (or foothills) everyday so far. That will change tomorrow as we head to Dachau, Germany - yes, where the famous concentration camp is located. Strange as it may be, I've always wanted to see a concentration camp. WW II and the camps are the topics I've read the most about. Not sure why I'm so interested in this but I am.

One thing I learned today: The housing built for the Olympians were repurposed for regular housing. Today, people from over 50 countries live in them. 

One new thing I experienced today: Ordering supper. We went to an Italian place - with outdoor seating which was the most important factor in choosing where to eat. When we entered, we went to the "station" were the food was that we wanted - pasta for both of us. There were seven different kinds of noodles to choose from - all handmade that morning. The staff cooked our food in front of us as we told them the ingredients we wanted - garlic, cheese, spice, etc. It was such fun! We got rhubarb drinks. They were suggested to us because I asked for noodles that were "fun." When it came to drinks, the woman asked if we wanted a fun drink. I love it when people play along.

Most powerful moment of the day: Being in the curiosity room. I imagined all of the people who stood by those same displays hundreds of years ago and were just as impressed and interested in the artifacts as I was. I'm sure bragging rights went along with it. "I've seen the XXX at the palace. Have you?"

One pleasurable experience: This trip. I was hoping for a slower pace, relaxing trip where we could take our time and not be overly busy. That's exactly what the trip has been. The normal schedule that we've kept on these trips, of lots of sightseeing and going until 9 or so every night, hasn't been our pattern. Both are great options but at this point in time, the slow and relaxed is what's needed.