The last day of Eurail

Made it to Paris fine on our last train covered by Eurail. Excited for what the next two days hold! 

Unexpected Delays

Well, we had planned to catch a train earlier this morning and be in Paris by noon. At the station, we found out that it wouldn't be possible. Instead, we will be arriving just before 11pm. Unfortunately, we lose a day in Paris, but we get another afternoon in Cologne. 

Kalkriese and Bremen

Today, we spent four hours in Kalkriese learning about how Herman and Germanic tribesmen defeated three Roman legions in 9 AD. We really enjoyed the exhibits and also were able to walk around the ancient battle site in the forest. 

The evening we spent in Bremen. Kari recently did some research and found that both Kalthoff and Bandemer graves were there. We visited Friedhof Riensberg first where there were eight Kalthoffs buried. Once we arrived, it was a little sad because the information building was closed and the cemetery was so huge that there was little hope in finding any Kalthoffs. However, on the bright side, the cemetery was gorgeous and we enjoyed a picnic there in the sun (which we haven't seen in awhile). Of course, we looked around a little but no luck. Next up, Friedhof Huckelriede to search for the four Bandemers. Same story. Too big but very beautiful. However, we did find a Brandenburg grave. Even though we were not able to locate any of the graves we came to see, we were very glad we tried and still embraced the nice weather. 

Last night, we skyped the family back home which was a great time. However, tonight, we are getting ready to leave for Paris in the morning. Tomorrow is our last day to use our month long Eurail pass. We have definitely made the most of it. 

Cologne

We had a great time exploring this city. Our ancestors came from this general area of Germany so it was neat to see where they may have lived or visited. Sometimes people came up to us speaking German. Even though we look it, we are sadly clueless when it comes to speaking German. The cathedral was very impressive and we walked around the old town.  We also toured a Roman German museum dedicated to displaying artifacts of the area both from German and Celtic background and those influenced by the Romans since the early AD centuries. We went out to eat at a traditional tavern before catching a train to go further north to Dortmund. Tomorrow, we are going just north of Osnabruck to go to a museum about Herman the German. 

Luxembourg

We had a day of scenic train rides from Frankfurt through Luxembourg to Liege, Belgium. Tomorrow, we go to Koln! 

Frankfurt

Got here about 5pm. Stayed in the train station at the Starbucks and got wifi to locate a hostel. We found a nice affordable hostel just 100m in front of the station. They serve free pasta suppers and free breakfast in the morning. Frankfurt in general I can't really say many positive things about. We have found it to have a fairly uncomfortable feel to it.

Tonight was very frustrating as we tried to plan out the remainder of the trip. We hit many roadblocks. After several hours, we have completed booking hostels for the rest of our nights. A decent accomplishment. Tomorrow: we are going to Luxembourg. Friday: we hope to spend in Cologne. Saturday: we are planning to visit a museum about the Varus Battle and Herman the German. Sunday: we travel to Paris and maybe tour Versailles. It's going to be a crazy four days. I hope we enjoy it. But right now, I am drained and ready for bed. 

Hrensko

Yesterday morning, we booked a hotel in the northern part of the Czech Republic, deep in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. 

It took a half a day to get there. We got checked in and were impressed by our nice room. By 4:30, we were out on the trails. It was rainy and foggy which added to the mystical feel of the lush mountainous landscape. We hiked to the natural stone bridge, which was filmed for the opening scene of the Narnia movies. It was truly a majestic sight to take in. The way back to the hotel was less enjoyable as the wind and rain became more harsh. 

This morning, we got up at 5:00 to go hiking in the Kamenice river gorge. It was a long, cold, rainy walk to get there, but it was so worth leaving our warm beds. Between last night and this morning, we hiked 20 kilometers. Just a indicator about the beauty of this area and our determination to see it during our short stay. At 8:00, we enjoyed the hotel's breakfast and planned out our route. Now, we have just completed our long day of travel from Hrensko, Czech Republic to Frankfurt, Germany. We are both excited to explore the area where our ancestors are from over the next few days before going to Paris on Sunday. 

Prague

Yesterday, we took a 4 hour free city tour around Prague learning about the history and culture. It was a fantastic way to experience the city and our tour guide Andrea was superb! Later on, we went out for beer and embraced the Czech way of life! 

Flying high

Today we had a nice breakfast with Sue and Ant who housed us last night. We went to church and then headed off for the airport. The flight to Prague was only two hours and we arrived a little before 8.

Our hostel is in a very nice part of Prague. We already love it here.

Ceiling of our dorm room!!

Street of Prague near Charles Bridge

Lady Melissa Percy's Wedding

Today was spectacular, truly magical! It has been my favorite day abroad so far. We got the perfect spots for viewing all the guests walking to and from the church. We got to see everyone in their finest clothing and hats. We got to see many famous guests, including William, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Pippa Middleton, Chelsy Davy, Eugene, Beatrice, Duke Ralph, Duchess Jane, Earl George, Lord Max, Lady Katie, Lady Melissa (the Bride) and her groom Thomas Van Straubenzee. It was a marvelous wedding. They really went all out and the firework display this evening really topped off the night! 

The big day for Lady Melissa!

The energy is high in town! We are looking forward to seeing all the famous guests in their fancy clothes and celebrating with the Alnwick community! Should be a great time! Met up with Chris and Mary by chance at the post office so we went out for coffees! Now just waiting for the excitement to start. O wait,

I am already there:) 

In Alnwick again!

It's great to be back and the town is bustling with energy as the wedding approaches! Should be an eventful weekend! :)

Girona

We arrived about 5pm and were delighted to find our hostel very nice. Kari and I actually have a dorm room to ourselves and there is a nice kitchen and rooftop terrace. After settling in, we spent the evening exploring Girona. We walked on the old city wall and through gardens, took in the cathedral and experienced El Call, the old Jewish quarter. Girona is such a beautiful, distinctly Spanish city. From the roof, we enjoyed some freshly made salsa and watched twilight set in. Tomorrow, we get to spend the morning here but by mid-afternoon, we will be off to the airport to catch our flight to Newcastle, England for the wedding of Lady Melissa Percy in Alnwick. Very excited! 

A night out in Spain

Some Australians invited us out for some mojitos and tapas. We hit a part of town far from any touristy places. The venue was called Rubi and it was locally known for its great mojitos for 3,50 Euro. They were fantastic and we spent a couple hours talking about all of our travel experiences. 

Two of the guys had been to Moscow recently and we learned that the metro there is 2 km deep. Apparently, you ride an escalator for an least ten minutes to get down and up. Also, the feel and mood is very different from other European cities. It's very quiet and private. They really liked the experience and they also got to see snow for the first time. They were fascinated! Haha. They obviously haven't experienced a Minnesota winter. 

This morning, we toured the Segrada Familia. It's a huge, modern cathedral which has been in the process of being built for over a century and won't be finished for decades. It was designed by Gaudi and will be the treasure of all his works.

Now, we head up to Girona to experience a different area of Spain even though its not to far out of Barcelona.

Barcelona

Today was a lazy day despite the sightseeing. We got an early start and after a nice breakfast headed out to see the Gaudi architecture all over Barcelona. His work is so fluid. The buildings look like they are melting. We saw Casa Batllo, Gracia Pedrera, Sagrada Familia, and Park Guell. Tomorrow morning we are going to your the inside of Segrada  Familia. 

We went out for lunch to a place the locals would go far from any sights. The tapas were great. In the afternoon, we were lazy and took a long nap. The weather has been great here: cool and overcast. Later, we got some groceries and made our own paella, which is a traditional Spanish rise dish. It was tasty and we ate so much of it. Now, we are full and hanging out at the hostel. We want to go on a walk in a bit but we need  to wait a bit. Haha. 

It's been a really nice time here in Spain! 

Lyon and Montpellier

Today was a long travel day from Chambery to Barcelona. We left our hotel at 7:30 this morning and didn't arrive at our hostel tonight until 9:30. 

We had a 4 hour stop over in Lyon, where we went to an outdoor cafe. It was a cool breezy morning in the shade. We split an espresso, blueberry muffin, and raspberry tart. All very good. We also picked up some baguettes for the rest of the day. We had a 2 hour stop in Montpellier and we walked around and went to another cafe where we split a crepe dish with vanilla ice cream. It was a  hot afternoon so it was a nice treat. 

Arriving in Barcelona was exciting after a day of anticipation. So far, we really have been impressed with the city and we are looking forward to exploring it tomorrow! After checking in, we went in on the hostel's meal deal. 5 Euro for a plate of Spanish rice and a beer. We ate it out on the patio where it was nice and cool. Additionally, we picked out some sights for tomorrow and talked with some people about good places to maybe grab a bite to eat. Can't wait, but I welcome a good nights rest! 

Barcelona - Las Rhambles 

Annecy

The Little Venice 

We have really been loving France and its people. This morning on our way to Annecy, we talked to a nice young man named Matt. He is an Optician and creates lenses for glasses and contacts. He has been to southwestern America and was jealous of our traveling. He was born in Annecy and adores the city. He told us a story about him kissing a stranger on Lover's Bridge there, it's a very romantic place. 

Annecy was beautiful and we enjoyed exploring its narrow streets and bridges. It was a hot day so we took a walk to the beach on lac d'Annecy. There we suntanned and swam while taking in the fabulous views of the Rhone-Alps. There were sailboats on the lake and the mountains created a picture perfect scene. (We really love the Alps. We have seen the Italian, Austrian, German, Swiss, and French Alps now. What can I say, we like the mountains!) We enjoyed the cool clear water; it was most refreshing. We then took a walk back into Annecy and found and shady spot where we played cards, ate a Kebab sandwich, and relaxed. After the better half of the afternoon had past, we headed to Aix-Les-Bains, where we sat in a lovely park for awhile. 

Back in Chambery, we freshened up and cooked a fabulous supper of soup, bread, and pasta. Now, we are fighting the heat, drinking wine, listening to music, and preparing to head out to Barcelona tomorrow. 

Chambery

Last night, Kari and I were able to Skype Kasey and Mom. It was nice to talk to them! After a nice breakfast, we quickly hiked up to Grindelwald's main station where we began our train journey for the day. In Bern, we had a 14 minute gap between trains so we snatched some salsa ingredients at the station grocery store in record speed before barely catching our connecting train. In Gevena, we had a similar stop over during which we grabbed a carrot pie cookie to split to use up the rest of our Swiss Francs. Once in Chambery, France, we had a lengthy hot walk with our packs to our hotel. We had a small apartment on the top floor. It's very basic and was fairly cheap. Sometimes it's nice to have a break from hosteling. 

In the afternoon, we ate salsa and listened to French music hits on the TV. Later on, we Skyped the family! Mostly Mom and Dad because Kasey slept in awhile. It's been awhile since we have talked to Dad. Afterward, we headed out to get groceries. We got ingredients to make a nice French meal tomorrow night including some rose wine. We are happy to put the kitchenette in our room to use. Then, we took a nice evening stroll about the city, enjoying the balmy weather and the beautiful French words flowing on the breeze in the streets. 

The window needs some cleaning...

Eating good tomorrow night:) 

Grindelwald

Today we traveled into the heart of the Swiss Alps! Loving the incredible views. We played a countless number of ping pong games outside at the hostel. Lets just say things did not go in my favor... Ha! 

Luzern

TIt took 7 hours and 6 train rides, but we finally got to Luzern, Switzerland. It's a hot summer day and we spent a couple hours soaking up the sun with hundreds of other beach goers by the lake. Tonight, we made a nice Italian meal in the hostel kitchen and taking a stroll along the lake. 

Balcony view

Lake walk 

Fussen

This morning we took a nice long walk up to the famed Neuschwanstein Castle. It's the one Disney used as a model for the Cinderella castle. The history was very interesting while the scenery and architecture were so beautiful. On our way back to Fussen, we took a 2 hour hiking trail. It was nice to be in the woods enjoying nature! 

This afternoon, we stocked up on groceries here in Germany. We difinely won't be eating out in Switzerland, too spendy. We had some nice sandwiches on the balcony. We also spent a couple hours planning out the rest of the first leg of our trip. It feels good to have things figured out for the next two weeks. 

After a light supper, we took a nice walk and ended up in Austria! Fussen is right on the border. This evening, we have been talking with some fellow travelers. We met a pair of cousins: a girl from Wisconsin and a girl from St. Paul, Minnesota! We also met a nice couple from Calargy, a man from Nurnberg, Germany, and a family from Toronto. O the people you meet; the world feels a little smaller! 

View from our walk

View from the hostel balcony

Dachau

Yesterday we visited the concentration camp here. The memorial and museum were very impressive though the place itself was awful to see and learn about. I am glad we went though. 

Today, we are in Fussen getting ready to hike to the beautiful castles hidden among the Alps. Tomorrow, we go to Switzerland. 

Hellbrunn and Hallien

Spent the morning touring Hellbrunn palace and water gardens. The water garden was great and the tour guide had a lot of fun with the trick fountains. We were caught in all sorts of water traps and didn't escape dry. We got to see the Sound of Music Pavilion too. 

In the afternoon, we took a train out to Hallien where we toured a salt mine. It was really neat. We had to put on protective jumpsuits. During the tour, we got to ride a miner shuttle, go down wooden slides, boat over an underground salt lake, cross the German/Austrian border 200 m underground, and taste salt on the walls of the tunnels. It was quite the experience! 

Tomorrow, we will be going to Germany and will be staying in Fussen for a couple nights. 

Salzburg

We arrived about 1pm. We met a English boy who was staying at the same hostel so we set out together and quickly found it. We relaxed and caught up with the world of technology for a bit as well as did some laundry. We spent the late afternoon and evening walking around Salzburg. We visited many of the famous sites from the Sound of Music film. Tomorrow, we are spending the night here in Salzburg again. It's such a nice city:) 

Hallstatt

Well, we have had our fair share of adventures here in Austria. Our evening on the deck back in Kitzbuhel was very pleasant. I can only imagine what Kitzbuhel would be like in the winter. I am sure it would be bustling with ski and snowboarding enthusiasts. The day we spent hiking up on the mountain was the first day we didn't use our Eurail pass since we activated it. We have been making good use of it. 

In the morning, we arrived at the station early not to miss our train. There is a car show this weekend in Kitzbuhel so the town was revving with nice cars both old and new everywhere you looked. At the station, we were confused because the train we wanted didn't show on the departure screen. So, we planned out a new route and waited. The train kept getting delayed so we picked up some groceries. Peaches were on sale and we got 16 small ones for just 1.24 euro! Just after finally boarding the train, we realized that there was two train stations in Kitzbuhel and we had been at the wrong one for our earlier train. O well, we are still only beginning to learn the ropes of train travel and in the end, things worked out marvelously.

Due to flooding, our 2 train ride trip turned into 7 train rides, 4 bus rides, and 2 Taxi buses. Everything was covered by the Eurail pass and the scenery again was stunning. The Austrians were very helpful in getting us to our destinations. The flooding presented many obstacles but the transportation system was amazing despite. They just replaced trains with buses where the tracks could not be used. They ushered people all over the country very efficiently. 

We arrived in Hallstatt around 5:30. It was magnificent. I had dreamed of going to Hallstatt for many years and it was so worth all the hours of travel to make it out there. There were swans on the lake and it was twilight. A perfect combination for photographing the lovely Austrian mountain town by the lake. We had a lovely evening there. 

By ten, we were in Bad Ischl where we soon located our hostel. It was very nice almost like a hotel. We were able to spend extra time washing up so we are feeling nice and refreshed. The breakfast this morning was very good. Today, we are heading North to Salzburg where the Von Trap family in the Sound of Music lived. Hopefully, we can find some of the places where they filmed the movie. Tomorrow, we hope to tour Hallien salt mine. 

The weather has been very warm and we have been having a great time. We have been traveling together for 13 days and over half way done with our first leg of the backpacking trip. Hopefully, our travels will continue to go well as they have been! We have been thinking and talking about pretty much all our family and friends back home! Kasey you are especially missed! Kari and I constantly talk of you and your humor! We look forward to reuniting with loved ones:) 

Playing with the kitty at the hostel in Kitzbuhel makes us miss S'more and Mr. Socks back home! 

Apple strudel with cream enjoyed on Kotzbuheler Horn

Kitzbuhel car show

Swan Lake or officially Hallstattersee 

Hallstatt

Kitzbuhel

Took a tram up to Kitzbuheler Horn for the day. We got plenty of time to enjoy the view and hike. Tonight, we are making Mexican food at the hostel and planning out where we are going next! 

Alps!

Spent most of today on trains. However, it was the most scenic day of my life. We got to gaze upon Italian and Austrian Alps for hours as we traveled up to Innsbruck. We really liked it there but our hostel was in Kitzbuhel. After a train catching error on our part, we were temporally stranded in Worgl. It turned into its own little adventure. Now, we are at our hostel. It was dark when we arrived so we are excited to wake up and see what the mountains around us look like! 

Innsbruck Station

The last minute

With the flooding in Austria, we didn't bother booking anything for tonight. However, after checking at the train station, we found out we would be able to make it to Austria. So we found an Internet restaurant and got some wifi and booked a hostel for tonight in Kitzbuhel. It's in a ski resort area not too far from Innsbruck. We are looking forward to the scenic train ride up and exploring the Alps. There is sure to be more hiking in the next couple days:) 

We enjoyed our last morning in Venice and Italy. The gelato will be missed dearly along with the pasta. 

The city on the water

We got plenty of great pictures in Venice on our nice 2 hour walk. Can't wait to share them. Tonight, we are eating at the hostel as they offer loads of pasta and sangria for just 5 euro. We are so fortunate to have a nice balcony overlooking the waterway at our hostel from which we can enjoy Venice as the dark sets in. What a great way to spend our last night in Italy. 

Venice

Kari and I just arrived at our hostel in Venezia!! We just have one night here so we are off to explore! 

Monterosso to Vernazza to Corniglia

That was our hiking route this morning. The views were incredible. We got a nice early start after enjoying a coffee and croissant. We hiked along the coast route in half the estimated time. We were feeling like champs! As it was a sunny day, we were glad to be finished by noon. In the afternoon, we had our clothes washed and dried. As we waited, we laid out in the warm sun by the small harbor. This evening, we packed up and prepared for heading to Venice in the morning. Tonight, we are eating at the hostel again. We will be missing the food and wine of Italy after heading north into Austria on Thursday. No doubt we will be taking a nice walk enjoying Manarola by night.

Mountain hiking

We did a lot of hiking in the mountains along the coast through the rain and sun. We preferred the rain. It was cooler. During the trek, we ate an entire box of granola bars and half a roll of cereal cookies. We needed the energy. It was so scenic and we are planning another long hike for tomorrow. Tonight we are eating at the hostel restaurant. We are just really enjoying it here:) 

Manarola 

Corniglia 

Pretty flowers

The view from our hostel patio

Hello Cinque Terre!

This morning we went on a great walking tour through Florence, learning about the history of the city's interesting past. We then headed off to the train station and arrived in Pisa around 3 in the afternoon. The leaning tower was neat to see. At 4:30, we were off again to the Tuscan coast. Arriving in Cinque Terre was magnificent. So much beauty. We are staying here for three nights and I know we will enjoy every moment. Tonight, we took a short walk around Manarola and took pictures. Then, we treated ourselves to a nice seafood meal. We split a mixed grill with vegetables and had a house wine. It had small portions of seabass, squid, octopus, prawns, crab, and lobster. We liked everything, but Kari's favorite was the crab and I loved the prawns and lobster. It was a nice introduction to our time here in Manarola. Tomorrow, we hope to hike along the coast and visit some of the other cities. Hopefully, it won't rain as much as predicted but it will still be very scenic.   Along with the nice things, we also need to catch up on some laundry. 

Manarola

Trains

Yesterday we activated our Eurail pass and our month of train travel began. We headed up to Florence. We took a nice long walk about the city in the evening. We finished the night down at the hostel restaurant, enjoying espresso and splitting a tiramisu. We had a nice heart to heart. Today, we are going on a free walking tour of Florence and then heading off to Pisa and afterward arriving at Manarola. Excited to see Cinque Terre!