Zipping About Europe

Here are some more details from the European travelers, as reported by Kate. Of course this is the trip described in earlier posts – where Ruth is leading Kate and three nieces on a hectic 15 day tour of some favorite spots in Europe.

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Lake Luzerne

DAY 1

After flying overnight from Boston to Zürich we took the trainto Luzerne. Apart from being super tired and a bit cranky Luzerne was very cool. Our hotel was quaint and the location was perfect! It was about 2 blocks from the train station and the heart of the town. We were up on the 4th floor where Mom and I shared a room and we had a balcony. There was a nice view overlooking a park and our neighbor’s underwear on his balcony (gross).

We walked around the city a bit, and enjoyed the famous pedestrian covered bridge, with beautiful geraniums in planters along the outside. The inside is decorated with painted scenes of the village from earlier centuries. Luzerne is both old and very modern; it’s quite different to see a street of buildings right next to each other, the old and the new.

We took a boat ride on Lake Luzerne. The day was mostly foggy so the view of the mountains wasn’t very good, but the temperature was a balmy 71 degrees. It was breezy and lovely and finally the sun peeked out, which was a pleasant gift. The hotels along the edge of the lake looked like the perfect place to relax…..but we had no time for relaxing.

Still super tired from our flight the night before, we traipsed around in search for the restaurant in the guide book.  We finally found it and it was closing. Exhausted we split up. Shary and Wendy picked up some food in the coop while Mom, Judy, and I found a place that had German traditional music. (I had cheese fondue: yummy!) Finally, we all got back to the hotel where we collapsed into bed. Very cozy.

DAY 2

We were at the trainstation by 6 am the next morning where we began a series of five trains that got us to Rothenberg Ob Der Tauber by mid afternoon. I love riding the rails! It is a great way to see the country, relax, and meet people. The trains are very nice and comfortable. Yea for the first class ticket!!!

We met a man who lives in Zurich but had become a Swiss citizen only this year after moving here from England 30 years ago. He was very friendly and pointed out some of the sites through the window. We shared our itinerary with him and he was quite impressed. He was an engineer who made the three hour commute 4 times a week. Ouch.

Anyway on reaching Rothenberg, we checked into our hotel which was inside the old medieval wall. We dropped our stuff and headed off to explore the town.  First stop food.  I had my first German beer (Teuscher) – it was good but I was floored. Maybe I need to keep trying different kinds I also had a cream potato soup which was very good.

After our lunch we walked in and out of all the tourist trap stops. Mom found her Hummels.  I really love this little city. For a Girl who loves coffee and treats, it is a dream come true!  Every house, building, and shop was beautiful – straight out of a story book. I really felt like Cinderella or Snow White would walk around a corner at any minute.  We visited the church which had the most magnificent wood – carved sculpture. It was awe inspiring.  Then it was off to the enormous Christmas store where I found a nice traditional Christmas decoration – it’s a perfect reminder of Rothenberg!

We had a great dinner at Zur Goldenen Rose, a recommendation from Rick Steves. I was really impressed by how much I liked the food. I had a vegetable potato cake with an herb sauce and salad with dill dressing. The cakes were fantastic, they were crispy on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside – mmmmm delicious.

We rushed out to the town square for the Night Watchman’s tour. Wow, he was great! He took us  through the old medieval town, narrating short and funny commentaries. Really worth it – I would have followed him around for another 2 hours despite my sore feet. We took his advice to walk to the old wall of the city. Kind of spooky really. Then off to sleep in our sweet little painted beds.

DAY 3

This was a very long day. If it wasn’t for our delicious breakfast in our hotel, we would not have eaten the whole day; with all the train changes there wasn’t much time to eat. We took a total of 8 trains, 3 buses, and 1 carriage ride. I really like riding the trains. It’s fun and relaxing. The German country side is very picturesque. Wendy thought it was similar to new Brunswick. There is definitely a resemblance.

What I love about the train trips is meeting new people. We met Kaniko from Japan. She was really cute. Since she was headed in the same direction we were, we incorporated her into our group. We also met Peter who was a hoot! He’s a personal coach and also a pop star!!! He was really funny.

It was perfectly sunny on our way up to the famous Neuschwanstein castle. It took 2 bus rides up the hill followed by a small steep walk downhill. Some old, sketchy guy was trying to hang with us, making some lewd “jokes.”   The castle, however, was an absolute fairy tale. The paintings on the walls were gorgeous. The colors were so vibrant and they all told a story from Wagner’s operas. I’ll need to learn more about them! They seem very dramatic! We rode in a horse and carriage down the hill and caught the bus back to the train station. Late in the evening we arrived in Salzburg.

DAY 4

Market

I keep thinking it will be hard to top what I have already seen but it keeps getting better.  I love Salzburg! It is mysterious, impressive, and grand. The breakfast was filling but not great. Hard boiled egg, cold meats, yogurt and muesli.  The coffee was week and a disappointment.  But that was the only disappointment of the day. After breakfast we walked about 5 minutes to get tickets for the Sound of Music tour. There was a morning market filled with locals buying cheese, meats, pastries, and produce from the dozens of venders. It was fun to split up and wander around alone searching for what we wanted for lunch later that day. I ordered two stuffing balls and a sweet loaf of braided bread from an old lady who didn’t speak English at all. The man next to her told me I needed to learn German!  I agreed. After a good amount of wandering in the market we hopped aboard the our tour bus.

It was fun being super touristy. The tour guy was funny and it was fun to see the many of the movie sites – too bad the gazebo was locked, I really wanted to dance around in it!  The tour was also great because it took us out into the country to see the lakes. It was super beautiful. It was hazy though which was a bit of a bummer.

Once finished with the tour it was straight to the Mirabelle gardens. How pristine. I saw a gardener and asked how many gardeners does it take to keep it so well. He replied 15!  We stood in all the locations that Maria and the kids had been filmed; we were one of many all doing the same.

We got to see a lot because Mom knew right where to go. We toured Mozart’s home (after he was 17). It was neat to see the old pianos, but most impressive to me was hearing about his daily schedule. He was up at 6, hair finished by 7, composed until 9, taught and then composed more… I can’t remember all the details but he seemed to be actively working all the time.

From there we headed across the old city, through very winding lanes lined by buildings as early as the 1300’s – now all turned into shops, cafes, and restaurants. Turned out it was Rupert’s Festival. We had to make our way through a fair in the middle of the square where Maria sings her “Confidence” song, and walk up the steep, steep stairs to Nonnberg Nunnery. The film falsely portrayed this to be where Maria’s was novice.  What a view of the city from the gate of the Nunney aka abbey! I really thought the graveyard was awesome – so decorated and well kept.  I was a little frustrated because I really wanted to go inside the Hohensalzburg Fortress up on the hill just beyond the “abbey.” It was built in 1077 and then several princes added to it along the years. Anyway I guess that just means I have to come back to Salzburg!

Later, we went to Mozart’s birthplace museum and learned some more about Mozart. It made me want to see some of his operas! At dinner, I had schnitzel and potatoes. The tough part of the day was that my feet were swollen and hurt from all the walking, but I persevered. We took the train back into Munich on the nicest train so far (OBB I think).

Once in Munich, I confess I wasn’t very interested in sightseeing during the 90 minute wait for the next train.  But, Judy really wanted to so – off to see the Rathauskeller (Town Hall). The exterior is so imposing and scary-looking, with its gargoyles and all. The experience inside the courtyard was romantic and a bit on the spooky side as well.

We raced back to the station to catch our overnight train with sleeping compartment. What an experience! I got in first and slept on top. I actually slept some which was a surprise, but woke up at many of the stops being nervous someone would try to come in our compartment.

Ruth checking on her crew in the 6 berth compartment

DAY 5

The night train was an adventure. It dropped us in Köln. There was just enough time to grab a coffee. Then several switches later we arrived in Bacharach, a small picturesque town along the Rhine River. We roamed around the old cobblestone road, and then enjoyed a breezy ride down the Rhine, castle spotting!  It’s hard to believe all that transpired in times gone by…

After another train ride, we arrived in Paris. Though we had expected that the Paris station and Metro system might be stressful, I felt like it was very manageable. We found our way to our hotel with ease. After dropping off our bags, we headed off to Rue Cler, two blocks away, for a delectable dinner and some table wine comme ci comme ca. (I had pasta with truffle sauce.)

After dinner, we took the one hour Seine boat tour. It was magical; the lights on the Eiffel Tower had just lit up against the backdrop of a pink and purple sky. The air was warm with a cool breeze. The majestic walls along the Seine shown brilliant white against the growing darkness. Along the way, a guide pointed out sights along the river like the Tuileries Garden, the Obelisk at the Louvre,  and the Musee d’Orsay. Then back to the hotel.

DAY 6

We lost all the electricity in our two hotel rooms this morning before leaving for Versailles. It was due to our hair dryers! We were a little worn down – we’ve had some colds in our group, first Shary, then Wendy. So all in all, we got going a bit later than planned.

We had a great day in Versailles – very sunny and beautiful. We did everything there: the castle, the Grand Trianon, the Petite Trianon, the hamlet, the gardens, and the fountains. Exhausted, we headed back to Paris on the train. After listening to some English tourists tell us about a good place to eat, we abandoned our Rick Steves’ plan for dinner.  That turned out to be a big mistake. Again we got lost and walked and walked and walked. At least at the end of all of that, we got up to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

The day ended with some very sore feet. We went to bed at midnight.