Tunnel Vision

We have spent a lot of time in tunnels while we have been in Europe. It has become a regular occurrence on our travels over here, whether it be in a car, a train or even walking. I'm still not sure if it is the confined spaces they need to work with (less geography, more people), easier rock to drill through (limestone vs. granite), or just better technology and desire than we have.......perhaps a combination of all three. These are not always short tunnels either, many exceed a kilometre in length. Some of the more surprising ones so far have been a car parking garage built into a hill and a 300 metre pedestrian tunnel on the way to the ice caves (as a shortcut) when there was already a visually appealing path around the side of a mountain. Today in Lyon, France, we found a new kind of tunnel called a traboule, which is an underground passageway to get from one street to another rather than walking around the block. We went through several of these which are hidden by a normal looking door (we knew about these in advance of our Lyon visit so we searched out a map which provided us with the street addresses, allowing us to know which doors to enter as we walked about the city).

Lyon had more to offer though. We took a funicular up to the ancient Roman ruins and the Notre Dame Basilica, and then walked back down the switchback path to the old city and the Saone and Rhone Rivers which wind through the city. There are good river paths and today (Sunday) there were several markets that we passed through (food, art, books). We also took a river cruise, walked around the Croix Rousse area (parks, views) and had a nice dinner near the huge Opera House.

Prior to coming to Lyon we spent our final day in Basel with Rachel. In the morning we cleaned up some of her apartment (moving next week to a larger apartment) and spent the afternoon visiting the surprisingly good Kunst Museum. We expected to see some nice art but to see so many pieces from artists like Picasso, Renoir, Van Gogh, Chegall, Matisse, Rodin and many more artists we were familiar with was a treat.

The next day we left Switzerland for Lyon, France.......a 4  hour trip on the rails that involved 2 seamless train transfers (Bern, Geneva) where 7 minute intervals were still plenty of time to move on to another platform and train. You have to be impressed with the public transport systems over here - easy (well signed), fast (trains up to 200 km / hr) and efficient (on time). The Geneva - Lyon segment of this trip was particularly scenic, travelling through a river valley with mountains on both sides.

Tomorrow we will fly to Spain where we will spend the remainder of our time before returning home. The first thing on our schedule is to walk along the Camino de Santiago. We are going to stop in Madrid (flight from Lyon) to drop off our spare clothes and anything else we won't need to carry during our 115 km Camino walk. That also means giving up my beloved netbook computer for 2 weeks (since internet access will be infrequent in many of the small towns and villages that we will pass through). In my own mind I am entering another tunnel that I can only hope that I make it out of........2 weeks without using a computer. Wish me well.

Lyon, France - taken from the bank of the Saone River looking towards the St. Jean Cathedral and the Notre Dame Basilica at the top of the hill (Fourviere).

The Roman ruins and amphitheatre dating back to 15 BC

Sculpture in Place de la Comedie - beside the Opera House and in front of our dinner restaurant.

As You Wish

“As you wish”……is a great line from my all-time favourite movie, The Princess Bride, and I find I am repeating this line more and more often in my retirement years where I spend a full 365 days with my lovely princess bride…...but I digress.

When we last left you, we were deep in the Black Forest. On our final day there I still didn’t spot a fire swamp or any rous (rodents of unnatural size) but we did see more beautiful churches (St. Blasien marble work) and continued our lovely countryside drive. In Bad Sackingen there was a 400 year old, 200 metre wooden pedestrian bridge across the Rhine to Switzerland. When we walked across the bridge we observed many Swiss residents returning from Germany after doing their daily shopping in the less expensive country. There was a bit of confusion (on our part), returning our rental car when we arrived back at the Basel Airport, since we entered the Swiss side rather than the French side (cheaper car rentals in France). Fortunately, there are no ‘manned’ border crossings in this part of Europe, so it was not a lengthy passport-induced return to France and the other side of the airport.

Last week-end we spent Saturday travelling to Freiburg, Germany with Rachel, a one hour train ride. Freiburg is a nice laid-back medieval town along the Rhine, surrounded by vineyards. We spent most of our time in the Old Town, enjoying the Munsterplatz market, well preserved buildings and walking along the river. On Sunday we walked around the Old Town of Basel since we really hadn’t spent much time doing that even though it had been our base for almost 3 weeks. It really is a beautiful place to live and we can now better appreciate our daughter’s desire to remain here (and nearby Europe in general). While walking along the Rhine, I also found my first geocache on this trip. It was a rather unique one, with the GPS coordinates pointing to the middle of the river, but we soon saw an engineless boat (using the river current and a metal line, 10 metres above the fast moving river) bringing passengers from one side to the other, and correctly ascertained it was our target.

On Monday morning we took a $50, 1.5 hour flight to Berlin for this week’s adventure (Note – update from my previous blog…….I couldn’t seem to get any traction from the locals on re-building the wall, so I have moved on). While there we stayed in an apartment owned by a friendly French woman who had previously been to Quebec and loved our country. We spent our first day walking around the core of the city to get our bearings. Alexanderplatz, with its World Clock (with Edmonton listed on it for some strange reason), the 1200 foot high version of our CN Tower (1800 feet) and the Rathaus (Red Town Hall) attracted most of the crowds (more tourists than we had anticipated in this ‘off’ season). Then it was on to the Berlin Cathedral (Protestant actually) which provided a good 360 degree city view from the Dome walkway once we had climbed the many, many steps to get there. The Brandenburg Gates and Reichstag (Parliament building) were also highlights. The next day we focussed on the historical East-West split. We visited the Berlin Wall Memorial and the DDR Museum where we saw what life was like for the East Berliners in their controlled society. After that we went to Checkpoint Charlie where we were reminded once again about the years between 1961 (wall built) and 1990 (wall torn down). It was an excellent refresher for a major event that occurred during our lifetime, and ended happily for most, especially the East Germans who no longer had to risk their lives to escape their country. We capped off the day with a more light-hearted Salvadore Dali exhibition (over 450 exhibits) where we had the chance to live inside the head of this weird and wonderful artist. On our last full day in Berlin, we took a 30 minute train ride to nearby Potsdam, summer home of the Prussian kings and German Kaiser until 1918 (the completion of WW1 and their loss of power).  Our main focus there was to visit the many preserved palaces that started with Frederick the Great in the mid-1700’s. The Sanssouci (‘without concern’) Palace was his summer retreat, and while it was magnificent inside, his adjacent Art Gallery was even more spectacular in our minds. The Orangerie and Neues Palais (New Palace, 1769), built for receiving and entertaining important guests were also wonderful to wander through. It rained on and off for the day……we have had really good weather so far….. but the timing worked out well for us, spending much of our time that day wandering through the palaces that were all situated in the large Sanssouci Park.

We are now back in Basel, spending our final few days with Rachel until she joins us in Barcelona next month. We have done plenty of walking while we have been here, so our legs are still in good shape as we move on to Lyon, France for a quick stop before entering Spain and our upcoming Camino de Santiago trek. Gute nacht.

Freiburg - Historical Treasury building

Basel - Old Town home

Shoe scraper, built into the bottom step of the old homes. Not there to remove ice or slush, rather to remove horse manure (from the cobble stone road days).

Father and daughter enjoying a cold beverage during our walkabout.

Berliner Dom - a beautiful Protestant Church with a walkway around the dome (and no elevator to the top)

Remains of the wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial where locals chiseled off pieces to keep back in 1990.

From the Salvadore Dali exhibition - over 450 pieces of his art were assembled.

Schloss Sanssouci - summer palace for King Frederick and his successors. This was the Music Room.

The Art Gallery that Frederic the Great built. Some items purchased and others, the fruits of war.

Neues Palais (New Palace) - built in 1769 to receive more important people than us. The separate service quarters across the parade grounds were also very large and eloquent.

 

Let Them Eat Cake

We have been driving through the southern Black Forest area of Germany for the past few days. Although we have done several short hikes while we have been here, we have still been unable to find the Black Forest cake........where are they hiding it?
Nonetheless, our drive has been a good one. Rhonda has been doing a masterful job at the wheel. I am a wuss (pronounced 'vuss' here in Germany) when it comes to driving a stick shift vehicle, especially when there is more than one of them on the road at the same time. The panoramic views have been wonderful.....lots of mountains, valleys and rivers along the way, including the Schwarzwalder Panoramastrusse (Black Forest Panoramic Road) with it's narrow serpentine roads up into the clouds on the first rainy day of our trip. Along the way we have passed many lovely villages that probably look the same as they did 100 years ago (with some fresh paint added). They all seem to have a well stocked supply of firewood (easily replenishable) indicating their winters must be cold. They seem to use their available resources better than we do.......many rooftop solar panels (on older homes), wind turbines (individual use rather than wind farms) and houses on hillsides, preserving the flatter land for agriculture (and still good use of their hillsides for farming). The fall colours have been nice but they would have been outstanding, especially in Todtsau (surrounded by mountains) if the sun had been shining. The other advantage to having a car for the first time is that we have been able to stay at some great B&B's in countryside homes, with hosts that only speak German but cook tasty meals. We will spend another half day in the area tomorrow (Friday) before re-joining Rachel in Basel.....Caity had to return home to earn more money to spend travelling.

Prior to coming here, we spent last week-end with both daughters in Bern (medieval, cobbled streets, neat underground shops) and Lucerne, where we took a boat across the lake to Alpnachstad. From there we took the world's steepest cogwheel railway (48% grade) up to Mount Pilatus (where Pontius Pilate was sent to grieve). There were fabulous views all the way (up and down), and at the top we hiked to the peak at 7000 feet for some incredible views including a long distance view of Lucerne. Back in Lucerne we walked across the Chapel Bridge to the Old Town, stopped into the Hof Cathedral and went to the Lion Monument (Lowendenkmal) which Mark Twain referred to as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world".

At the beginning of this week we picked up our car and drove to Strasbourg, France where we spent a full day and a bit. Perhaps we should have taken a train since we parked the rental car for 36 hours in a pay parking lot and then walked around the city. Their Cathedral is a magnificent one, as I suppose it should be when it took over 250 years to build it. With the top steeple reaching 466 feet it was the world's tallest building for 227 years (1647 - 1874). The boat tour along the canal circling the Old Town, the Barrage Vauban area (controlling the water levels and preventing hostile navy forces from entering the city), the tiny winding streets of Petite France, the Museum of Modern Art (Kandinsky, Monet, Picasso) and the relaxing walk through the Parc de l'Orangerie were other highlights. Strasbourg is also the government seat of the European Union, and the recently built buildings (appropriately outside of the Old Town) looked impressive.

Stay tuned for more developments as we make our way to Berlin next week and I try to convince the locals to build a wall to keep out non-desirables.

Vienna Opera House - taken from our $4 standing room only seats since we only had 1 hour to watch the performance of Salome before our overnight train to Zurich (and didn't want to pay $100+ for a regular seat)

Lucerne harbour view....showcasing Rachel's future home up the hill.

Mount Pilatus on our hike to the peak. Note the rail car on it's way up the mountain.

Strasbourg, France looking back from the protective Barrage Vauban with the Cathedral in the background

View of homes from the old city on the Ile canal boat tour

The countryside guesthouse that we stayed in near Triberg in the southern Black Forest.

A rural home on our Black Forest drive (near St. Peter). Obviously a retired couple with way too much time on their hands (and not golfers).

Stairway to Heaven

We have spent the past 5 days in beautiful Austria. I am quite convinced that the stairway to heaven must be here, I just haven't found it yet. But it is not because I haven't climbed enough stairs in my search to find eternal bliss.

The week started in Salzburg, near the German border, which we reached by train after spending time in the lovely Lake Constance area. On our first day there, Caity and I wanted to visit the Ice Caves and do a gorge hike outside of the city while Rhonda did a tour of the Mirabell Palace and Gardens, the Domquartier (offices and residences of the 17th century ruling class, built next to the Cathedral since the spiritual rulers were also the political rulers) and then a cable car ride to Untersberg which had a very scenic view of Salzburg and the surrounding area. Both trips were wonderful, although ours had a bit more adventure. The Ice Cave trip involved a half hour train trip to Werfen followed by a cable car ride and a steep hike to the cave entrance. Once we were in the cave we walked up another 700 steps to the top of the cave, through large caverns and massive amounts of ice. We only covered one kilometre of the chilly 42 km cave. After that we took another short train ride to Liechtensteinklamm where we wanted to explore the narrow gorge which led to a 50 metre waterfall at the end. With no directional signs in view at the station we asked two different locals at two different times to point out the way and when they separately were in agreement we set out on our way. About one kilometre later with still no signs in sight we asked a young schoolgirl if she knew the way. She immediately pointed in the opposite direction to which we had walked, so with our time running short, I flagged down a taxi and he drove us back the way we came and another 4 km's to the start of the gorge. It was worth the effort though. The hike went through a very narrow gorge, carved out by a fast flowing river, and up many more stairs to the beautiful roaring waterfall. It must be an incredible experience in the spring once the snow melt is underway.

The next two days we all walked around the Old City of Salzburg. The highlights were the Hohensalzburg Fortress (1100 - 1600 archbishop's homes and protection from political rivals), both of Mozart's homes (incredible artist and similar portrayal that was described in the award winning movie, Amadeus), a Salzach River cruise, several Museum visits (the Modern Art Museum was 1960's strange), and the impressive Cathedral (and 200 more steps to the tower for a great view of the city). Our final stop was a short trip outside the city to Hellbrunn Palace, a summer playground for a 16th century archbishop where he designed trick fountains to surprise and soak his guests (and the tourists who now venture out there).

We then moved on to Vienna, using our handy Eurail pass once again. The train system is a very convenient way to travel in Europe with trains going in every direction and frequently.  Five minute transfer times are easily made (electronic signs guide you to the correct platform) with a ticket honour system in place (checked on board 50% of the time) and the trains travel at speeds of up to 200 km / hr.

Vienna has also been a treat to walk around. The Old City has many pedestrian-only streets and like most cities we have been in, they do a wonderful job of preserving and maintaining their historical buildings, so there are great views with every step. Yesterday we visited the lively Naschmarkt where the ladies purchased scarves and we all enjoyed some market stall food. Then it was on to St. Stephen's Cathedral where we went down into the Catacombs (11.000 people buried there) and climbed the 343 steps of the South Tower for a good view of the city. A short tram ride around the Old City was followed by a walk through Volksgarten and more impressive buildings including the Imperial Palace, and finally, a visit to the Sacher Café for drinks and a taste of their famous Sachertorten which was delicious. In the evening we took the Metro out to Schonbrunn Palace for a concert in a beautifully decorated hall where we listened to music by Mozart and Strauss, accompanied by two opera singers.

Today, Caity is renting a bicycle to explore some sights outside the city, while we are going back into the Old City to visit the highly acclaimed Art Museum (Kunsthistorisches) and the Rathaus, a seemingly odd name (but perhaps appropriate) for the home of their city politicians. In the evening we will re-group with Caity and go to a performance at the Vienna Opera House before departing on an overnight train back to Switzerland where we will meet up with Rachel in Bern.

Train travel to Salzburg - in style

Mirabell Palace and Gardens

Hike up to the Ice Cave

Gorge hike at Liechtensteinklamm

Old Town in Salzburg

Inside the main Cathedral which had 7 pipe organs

View of Salzburg and the Salzach River from the Hohensalzburg Fortress

Vienna - Stephensplatz in the centre of Old Town

St. Stephen's Cathedral - good timing with an orchestra practicing near the main alter.

Schonbrunn Palace - on our way to the concert

The Hall audience applauding an excellent performance.

Our Search for the Fountain of Youth Continues

Our European Adventure is underway. We arrived in Basel, Switzerland on the first day of October and moved into daughter Rachel’s tiny apartment which will be our base for the next month. It was wonderful to catch up with her once again, along with Caity who had arrived a few days ahead of us and will be our travelling companion for the next 12 days.

My first task was to get some clarification on Rachel’s recent promotion to Senior Scientist. Several years ago, well maybe a few more, I became a Senior Golfer. However that had nothing to do with my game rising to a new level, rather it had everything to do with my age. I was therefore justifiably concerned that the Scientific world took the same approach but at a much younger age for Scientists. Fortunately, Rachel set me straight and I am proud to announce our Senior Scientist has been recognized by her manager and peers for the wonderful work she has accomplished during her first 10 months at the University. This promotion is not normally awarded until someone has earned their stripes over a five year period so this was indeed a major accomplishment for her. We are very proud.

During our first two days in Basel we did a lot of walking around the city, getting our bearings for future outings. Very little English is spoken, mostly German and some French. Rachel has learned some key German words, making it easier to communicate when she is with us. We had drinks at Bar Rouge which is on the top floor (31^st) at Exhibition Square which provided great views of the city. That evening we had dinner in Old Town, near the Rhine River, where the streets were busy with outdoor bar and restaurant patrons, and others strolling around admiring the beautiful architecture in the area. Yesterday, following a much deserved 12 hour sleep (8 hour time zone change), we took a short train trip to Augst to walk amongst the old Roman ruins of August Raurica which date back to 27 B.C. The amphitheatre (where the gladiators used to fight), the restored outdoor theatre and the remains of the old fort beside the Rhine River were the highlights.

Our first impression of Switzerland has been very positive. The weather has been lovely, 20C and slightly cooler in the evenings. Basel is very pretty and clean, the people seem friendly, they have well run transit systems (bus, tram, trains) and are very well organized. Trains leave exactly on time as scheduled and electronic signboards advise the time of the incoming bus or tram. Tickets are purchased on an honour system, speeding up the passenger stops. Costs are based on a user pay system (since their tax rates are very low) so prices tend to be a bit higher than most other countries but it appears to be working for them. It seems like more people own bicycles than cars leading to good air quality and walkability. I have only two minor disappointments so far. The first is the lack of recycling, with very few bins available for aluminum cans, bottles and paper, which all seem to end up in the trash cans (of which there are many). The second is their No Fun policy (officially called the No Noise law). Starting at 10 pm each evening, the lights go out at the soccer pitches, outdoor parties are supposed to end and even showers in your home are not permitted after the curfew in case the sound offends a neighbour. I suspect this law was enacted by older politicians who like to go to bed early but it does seem a tad early to cut out the fun. 

Today, we left Rachel behind at work, and took a train from Basel to Friedrichshafen which is on the German side of Lake Constance. We walked along the harbourfront, went to a biergarten (last week-end of Octoberfest) and had a delicious meal at a restaurant recommended by our host, Marcus. We are spending two nights here and tomorrow we will take a boat tour around Lake Constance and visit the Zeppelin Museum before moving on to Salzburg and Vienna in Austria for a week. Rachel will join us at Lake Constance for a day and then return home to Basel to take care of her ailing cat.

Bar Rouge on the 31st floor of the former tallest building in Basel overlooking the city.

Urinal view of Basel (or vice versa). Exhibition Square below and the Rhine River crossing the middle of the city.

Old Town and it's cobble streets

Augusta Raurica - the restored (and still used) theatre dating back to 27 B.C.

Friedrichstafen, Germany - walking along the beautiful harbourfront.

Biergarten Babes

Lake Constance waterfront and a Zeppelin tour above.....60 minute rides for only $600 pp....and fully booked 6 months ahead of time.....if only we had known :-)

Lukullum Restaurant - former bank with highly secure washrooms.