Fussen

 Fussen is without a doubt the most enjoyable town we visited in Germany. At the foot of the alps, Fussen is the perfect place to combine culture and fitness, the latter of which is especially important given the sheer levels of caloric schnitzles and steins Gabe and I have consumed.

We arrived in Fuusen midday, and dropped our bags off at the HOUSE LA HOSTEL, which was clean, cheap, friendy, and well located ... What more could you ask for at 15 Euros per bed! As with most who visit Fussen, Gabe and I planned to visit and tour the famous Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles. We elected to walk the 6 km there and back (12 total for the mathematically disinclined) through wooded forests. The castles were amazing; even crazy King Ludwig II understood the importance of location, location, location. Gabe and I first hiked to Hohenschwangau, but chose to pass on the tour, and then we hiked up to Marienbrucke, a bridge suspended 100s of feet in the air that affords onlookers postcard perfect pictures of Neuschwanstien. After snapping a few pics (and imagining the opening scenes to Final Destination 6), we toured the inside of the castle which was both interesting and informative. Quick disclaimer: Trip Adviser claims 2hrs lines, but Gabe and I waited behind no one. Later that evening, we had Italian and walked around the historic alstadt.

The following morning, Gabe and I rented bikes, and did the 32km circuit around the large Forgensee River ... Absolutely incredible. Aside from feeling badass for having the fitness and wherewithal to self navigate at times unclear paths and markers, the views were a nonstop flow of Alpinic scenery -- glacial lakes, flowing pastures, and jagged tree studded mountains. We even stopped for a few minutes to swim in one of the lakes, and after hoofing it back to Fussen, we made a final picnic at the hostel with views of Neuschwanstein in the distance. Living the life!

To my list of people met, we now know:
- "Tennessee Jr."
- "Tennessee Sr."

Munchen

To begin, let's add to the list of people Gabe and I have met, by our unique naming system, of course. At the Wombat's Hostel, we had the pleasure of meeting and bunking with:

- "North Carolina," a 31 year old charter school teacher from ... North Carolina
- "William and Mary," North Carolina's 23 year old colleague
- Taylor and Paul, two 18 year old just graduated student of the aforementioned individuals
- "Aussie," a 20 year old aerodynamic engineer from Australia
- "Annada," 22 year old Anna from Canada

More to come on the social part in a bit...

Gabe and I arrived in Munich at around 12pm, and after quickly dropping off our bags at Wombat's, we hit the streets, walking from the Hautbanhof, through Marien Platz, and eventually to Englishergarden, a 1000 acre Cental Park-esq nature preserve in the heart of Munich. Given the size, Gabe and I explored for almost 3 hours, which included swimming in the many rivers, seeking out the tourist landmarks (Chinese Tower), and of course, lake-side libations.

In an act of impulsivity and at the recommendation of Gabe, we went to the HAUS DER KUNST MUSEUM to observe modern art from the Goetz Collection of Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller. The whole point of the exhibit was to mess with your senses, and to say the least, Gabe and I were thoroughly mind-f**ked after such works as "The Killing Machine." From the handout:

"The art strives deliberately for an impact upon the senses, especially upon the sense of hearing. They repeatedly encapsulate the viewer in detachment from his surroundings, literally absorb him into themselves, then thrust him into absurd narratives which come to no logical conclusion. He himself is assigned roles which he does not fully comprehend."

Pretty legit, right! After an hour of R&R back at Wombats, we went to the role famous Hofbrau Haus. That evening, we watched Italy defeat Germany at Wombats, and the stayed up until 4am, socializing with our new Munchen posse, shooting the shit and talking everything from Obamacare, Communist containment, and many less consequential things.

Wurzburg

 Phase II of my euro trip journey has begun, and Gabe and I, armed with the little bit of streets smarts that we collectively have (approx. less than the average person), split from my family, who is heading back to Nuevo Puerto, and travelled South to Wurzburg, a picturesque vineyard town along the world famous "romantic road" in Germany. For Gabe and I, this trip is one of firsts. Gabe has hitherto never been to Germany, I have never travelled solo, and neither of us have never stayed in hostels.

HOSTELS:

The hostel experience is new to both Gabe and me, as we both admittedly have led pampered lives. In Wurzburg, we stayed at the Babelfish Histel, a hip place only a few blocks from the Hautbahnhof. The best perks for the hostels has been 1) the price and 2) the diverse and interesting group of people that one meets. Pretty quickly, Gabe and I befriended a kid named Sung, a rising Junior who attends UC Berkley. With the exception of Sung, Gabe and I have referred to people by their hometown, since we're so bad with names. To that end, we have befriended individuals who we now and will always refer to as ... "Wisconson," "Canada," and "Oregon." There names will never be known, and we expect many more friends to follow!

Wurzburg is small enough to experience in a day, and so after lunch, we took the opportunity to explore this quintessentiall European town. We walked through platzes and cathedrals, and hiked all the way up to Marienburg Castle. We visited Wurzburg's mini-Versaiiles mansion, and after a long day, retired to the Babelfish for a brief nap. That evening, Gabe, Sung, and I went to dinner, and afterwards went to a bar to relax, and watched the Euro 2012 soccer game between Spain and Portugal ... IN ITS ENTIRETY! We retired to our bunks afterwards.

I finally would like to add that both Gabe and I are proud about how much money we have spent. At this point, we're averaging 3 euro at breakfast, 7 euro for lunch, and 12 euro for dinner, plus some goodies throughout the day. Who da think we could simultaneously thive and be so prudent!

Ich bin ein BERLINER

Berlin is really a city on the rise. From the ruins of WWII and the communist divide, the city has quickly transformed itself into a hip, fun-loving, historically interesting place. That's what I was told, and more important, that was what I experienced.

Let's be clear: Berlin is sprawling and massive and really hard to wrap your head around by just reading a guide book. Trip Advisor is no help either, so as with most cities, we just began walking, in order to get a sense of the city. As it happens, the east side is now the trendy interesting place to visit, and in our three days there, we never even ventured West.

 

Day 1:

My Dad stayed in Amsterdam for an extra day to take a course with Merriman, so my Mom, Sister, and I had the city to ourselves. We checked into our hotel -- THE HOTEL CIRCUS -- having read that it was the number 1 rated place to stay on Trip Advisor. Starting from Heckstermart, we crossed the River Spree over to Museum Island and took a quick glimpse of the Berlin Cathedral, which was just as impressive as the Florence Duomo, the standard by which I judge European churches. From there we went to Gendenmarkt, and had hot chocolate on the square. We went further South to the Topography of Terror exhibit and caught our first glimpse of the decaying wall, or at least what's left of it. After a brief walk to Checkpoint Charlie and Potadamer Platz, we meandered from the Brandenburg Gate down the Unter der Linden back to our hotel, after which we met my Dad, had fried chicken at a place called HENNA, and called it a day.

Day 2:

In the Reichstag

The next morning, Gabe flew in and met us at Breakfast, and the whole family plus Gabe took a cab to the world famous Berlin Jewish Museum. I have in the past commented on my views of Jewish-centered tourism in Europe, and the museum was no exception, as one would expect. Most striking was the architecture, designed my Daniel Liebeskind, which was modern and impactful. I found the actual exhibits confusing and overdone, but visiting that museum is really a must. For lunch we sampled CURRYWURST, and in the words of Rickey Stevey, the curry quickly got the worst of us. That afternoon we went to Reichstag dome, which in addition it's coolness for me, as a politics buff, was also really impressive architecturally. Please visit Wikipedia for my articulated thoughts. That night, we met a family friend, Sam C., and went to the Prater Garden, and though I broke my cardinal rule and had schnitzel, I must admit that it was really good.

Day 3:

We again hit the streets by foot early in the morning, and visited the New Synagoge in Berlin. We then went REALLY south to Kreuzberg to sample Berliner Turkish cuisine, and despite the fact that the waiter forget our entrees -- no joke -- we really enjoyed our meal. Gabe and I meandered back, planning our trip, and the whole family has Japanese food.

My final thoughts on Berlin: I really enjoyed Berlin for all the above it has to offer, and in part because the buildings and topography remind me a lot of Washington DC.

Coincidental run in with Sam C. in Kreuzberg

Amsterdam

WHAT a damn fine city! I really consider myself a country person net-net, so the prospect of visiting an urban area for multiple days could be problematic -- not in Amsterdam. With the exception of our drive in -- where bikers are unfamiliar with the English verbs "to break" and "to yield" -- everything about the city was attractive. Our hotel was great. Though steep and cramped, the location was excellent and the general vibe uniquely Dutch. Below is the breakdown of our trip.

Day 1: RIJSTAFFEL AND RED LIGHT DISTRICT

We arrived in Amsterdam late, and after our requisite happy hour libations in the hotel, we sampled Indonesian "rijstaffel," literally rice table, which consists of a lot of small plates, mother f***ing spicy, dishes of meat, vegetables, and tofu with a big bowl of rice ... Really tasty and not Germanic, which is always a plus. Afterwards we went to the Red Light District ... I'm sure you can imagine ... Girls in windows, divided in allies by ethinicity and fetish, beckoning you. No pictures allowed, lest you have your camera stolen! Day

2: ANNE FRANK HUIS AND VAN GOGH MUSEUM

The following day, we hit the two primary Amsterdam sites -- the Anne Frank House in the morning, and the Van Gogh Museum in the afternoon. The Anne Frank House was really a moving exhibit. It's difficult at times to explore the house and information center, when one knows the ultimate fate of the entire family. I actually didn't realize the whole house would be empty. As Jews, I think we rightly have a responsibility to visit sites like this, but ultimately, the story is neither uplifting nor ends well, which is unfortunate and depressing. After a great meal at La Perla, we went to the Van Gogh Museum (pronounced "van chockkk" in Dutch). As I get I older, I'm better able to "get it" and appreciate sites like this. It goes without saying, the art was beautiful and moving .... He def had skills that kills!

Day 3: DELFT

After we came, saw, and conquered Amsterdam and her canals, we day tripped an hour outside of town by train and visited Delft, a small Dutch town world famous for glass wear. I have the least to report from Delft, other than the town was more developed than expected and the factory tour was really cool. We ended our Amsterdam visit with anther great meal at La Perla -- again -- and prepared to move on to Berlin!

Alsace Lorraine: Little Germany in France

As a final chapter to our France expedition, the we spent two night in Alsace, a Germanic region in Northern France. We stayed in Colmar, the Rickey Stevey recommended home base from which to explore the tiny towns that dot the country side. The actual town of Colmar is gorgeous, housing a "little Venice," hatched and colorful Germanesque half-timbered houses, and world-renowned art.

Day 1:

We departed from our room, which sat atop to Martn Jund winery, to explore the town of Colmar. We walked through platz after platz, eventually arriving at the world famous Unterlinden Museum. On the whole, the Unterlinden was an really impressive museum, displaying everything from Renaissance era furnishings to Midieval weaponry. The real draw however was the Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece, a series of paintings whose beauty and importance were obvious, even if their ultimate meaning was not.

Day 2:

As in Provence and Burgundy, we took to the roads to explore vineyards and small towns. Of particular note, we drove through Eguisheim and Kaiserberg, towns which, despite their falling prey to tourist driven commercialism, still retain their original charm. We continue to picnic, and surprisingly the wine and bread were really superior (except of course when compared to Burgundy ...). Even though we eventually will move east to Germany, we were schnitzeled-out upon arrival and ate pizza .... Go figure.

Biking through Burgundy: Beaune and the Cote d'Or

From Chamonix, we headed to Burgundy ... as in boeuf bourguignon Burgundy, the undisputed premier wine capital of France and potentially the world. I have to say, given the impressions of wine country I had formed from such films as SIDEWAYS and such regions like the Cote d'Rhone, which we recently visited, I was surprised to see that the outer parts of the Burgundy region are kind of dumpy.

No worries! Our hotel, 5 minutes from outer Beaune, was, as most of our hotels have been, lovely and picturesque. The night of our arrival, we had dinner at an upscale resteraunt in town, and the food, though good, was not the highlight. Enter MERSAULT, a Burgundy of great repute and import. I could actually taste what made this wine superior ... how smooth, buttery, and nutty (disclaimer: I am no pseudo-gormand/wine afficianado). It was badass.

The following day, we took the car through the Cote d'Or, and explored the scenic Burgundy wine country. I have no tastings on which to report, but can say that our lunch of boeuf bourguignon and noodles, in Pomard, was one of the best of our trip -- humble, not-fussy, and damn delicious.

Chamonix

From Provence, we headed to Chamonix, the valley town at the foot of Mt. Blanc. We did the Tour of Mt. Blanc a few years prior, so visiting the charming alpine town was déjàvu all over again. Our two days in the alps was really an opportunity to burn some calories, get the endorphins pumping, and for me in particular, get some recent field experience as I prepare for the Tour of the Jungfrau region with Gabe in a few weeks.

 Day 1: We took the Aguile D'Midi lift to the top of the mountain range, and were quite literally on top of the world. In addition to the scenery, we, at 13,000+ feet felt the effects of altitude, evidenced by our dizziness and shortness of breath. As per the recommendation of Rickey Stevey (I here his followers are called "RICKNICKS"), we did a 2.5 hour hike which ended with stunning views of the Mer de Glacé, Europe's largest glacier. We were pooped afterwards!

Day 2: We did a brief ... very brief ... portion of the TMB, hiking for four hours from Les Contamines to the Col du Bahm. The hike was fairly moderate, and we capped off our two days in the alps with a delicious lunch of omeletes and beer in a Mt. Hut below the Col.

Our experience in Chamonix amped me up for my future hikes through CH with Gabe, and the new addition to our group, Cullen.

An omelet never did taste so good ... @ a Mt. Hut restaurant

Peddling through Provence: Arles, Point du Gard, and the Cote du Rhone

Provence now is in stiff competition with the Dordogne for my favorite region in France. In reading Rickey Stevey, I had a really difficult time getting a sense for the region and it's activities. Well suffice it to say, our first intro -- Arles -- set the mood. Though Arles is hot, slightly dirty, and crowded, it has a certain je ne sais quoi; it's streets and squares inspired van Gogh for gosh sakes! That being said, cities our not really our scene, so we enjoyed, we took in, and we quickly moved on.

For two nights, we stayed in a lovely gite, the MAS DE LAS CROIX, 10 minutes outside of St. Remy de Provence. If after meeting the solicitous proprietor Jordane and her dog Ethon you are underwhelmed, I would proudly assert that you are without a soul! The setting, appropriately rural, was splendid.

That afternoon, we headed to Pont du Gard, to visit the famous Roman Aqueduct, which stands only six feet shorter than the Colosseum. After hiking around for a bit, Charis and I swam in the River below, experiencing for the first time an introduction to the culturally shocking European views on "swimwear," or lack thereof.

The next morning, we geared up for a day long tour of the Cote du Rhone valley, hopping between small picturesque towns and tasting wine at the vineyards from which these towns draw acclaim. Though most most wine still generally tastes the same to me, I feel like a classy mofo when tasting.

Jordan and her dog, Ethon

Languedoc Region

 Our visit to the Languedoc Region was brief, as we needed a one day rest stop between the Dordogne and Provence. The big draw in the region was Carcassone, a well preserved, shamelessly touristic medieval town. Rickey Stevey awarded the town three triangles, an Oscar for Best Actor in the travel world, and for the first time, I would say our travel compatriot was dead wrong. We spent literally ... 43 minutes in Carcassone. You walk around, see one medieval structure, turn left, see a similar medieval structure, then walk forward 10 more paces, and guess what you see yet another similar medieval structure, all the while being solicited to buy nick-nacks and doo-dads from street sellers and beggers who refuse to take a hint that you want them to bug off.

Our hotel and dinner, 50 minutes outside of town, was a welcome respite. We had seafood cassoulet with some lovely Rose ... What more could you ask for! Once you leave the big city, the Languedoc feels distinctly Mediteranean.

Dordogne

The Dordogne is the most lovely and interesting region of France we've visited so far. Topographically, the area is stunning, with small picturesque towns set against yellow, beige cliffs dotted along the Dordogne River. Even though we were in Southern Europe, the amount of trees and jungle had a rain forest-like effect.

Our hotel, the La Bard, was in medieval Montfort. The couple who ran the place were solicitous to the point of overbearing, but it was charming in a Jewish mother sort of way, deserving of no less than 5 stars on Trip Advisor. 

Since we had so little time in the region, we hit the big sites -- touring the Cro-Magnon caves of Lascaux II, taking a scenic kayak tour along the Dordogne, which included visits to Castlenaud and Beynak, and sampling unlimited and excessively unions amounts of Foie Gras (apparently the Dordogne I the force feeding capital of the world). Were it not for European Socialism, I would be more than content to retire to a small rural town around Sarlat, tending to my own garden and experiencing nature at its finest.

Chenenceaux and Vouvrey

 This trip has proved an exhaustive tour of France, its food and culture. I have the impression that most American's visit Paris and the Riviera; however, with the exception of Normandy, we have run into very few english speaking individuals, which has been a total joy. As we jump from region to region, I've done my best to learn about each one's unique charm. That being said, we used our 1.5 days in the Loire to explore chateaux's and drink a lot of wine.

Early in the am, we headed to Chateau Chenenceaux, one of the most famous in the Loire. I can report that Chenenceaux and its gardens are brilliant; however, having lived in Newport, the notion of visiting a "mansion" is not ground breaking -- that seemed to be the consensus of the family. We made a picnic in the Chateux's gardens, sampling for the first time one of the regions's specialties ... rilletes, aka fattening and delicous pork.

That afternoon, per the recommendation of Rickey Stevey, we went on a wine tour and tasting in Vouvrey. The tour guide spoke little English, and though we comprehended almost nothing he said, the opportunity to explore the cellers, and marvel at wine aged as old as 1872, was really unique. Afterwards, we did a tasting, including a red wine, white wine, and dessert wine. I have to say personally, I'm into white. Off to the Dordogne, the land of foie gras!

Mont St Michel to the Loire Valley

Leaving Normandy, we drove further North to Mont St Michel, the famous island abbey rising from an uninhabted, tidal swamp. Given the reviews of hot, sweaty, partially obese throngs of tourists, I viewed the excursion as a "must do," but expected little. Oh how wrong I was!

TripAdvisor and Ricky Stevey were right ... Mont St Michel is crowded and cheaply commercial at times, but if you arrive after peak visiting hours, get some exercise by actually walking from the parking lot, down the road to the island, and up the stairs to the Abbey, the whole experience is truly special. Granted I'm not religious, or even Catholic, but the whole aura of the place permeated your visit. If there is one negative, the famous salt-water lamb, for which Mont St Michel is renowned, tastes as you might expect, normal lamb we get at BJs.

The following morning, we took to the road heading southward through the Loire Valley to a small town 6km outside of Ambois. Though we have yet to visit the Chateau's, the dinner we had last night was sublime:
-locally sourced white asparagus with olive tapenade
-smoked swordfish salad -leeks with smoked ham and hard boiled egg
-monkfish with pork trotters (a revelation for all things pig)
-red mullet with vegetables raised in the restaraunt garden
-a selection of cheeses ranging from funky to what the funk

Normandy: D-Day on June 6, 2012

By pure coincidence, we did the Rick Steve's "D-Day Sites in One Day" on the 68th anniversary of Operation Overlord. Our visit had further meaning, as the weather -- cold, cloudy, and rainy -- set the scene to imagine the troop's experience (without bullets and the prospect of death, of course). Leaving Honfleur, we arrived in Arromanches, a toursity, albeit charming, town between the both the American -- Omaha and Utah -- and English/Canadian -- Juno, Sword, and Gold -- beaches. After an intro to D-Day at the Arromanches 360 Theater, we visited Port Winston from the cliffs. I can report that Arromanches was appropriately mobbed, and though we did not speak with any of the vets, we had the good fortune to see a few in the flesh. Given that 2012 is an off year to reunion, the commemorations were less grandiose. Having introduced ourselves to the battle, we headed west to Longues-sur-Mer, the site of four, intact German artillery batteries, all the while anxiously anticipating Omaha Beach and the American Military Cemetary. With the images of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN in my head, we drove further West to Omaha Beach. Despite its apparent tranquility, the beaches's history was palpable. Quite seriously, you could imagine the beach littered with the dead, injured, dieing, and totally freaked-out. We went up to the American Military Cemtary, which was expectedly depressing, and in desperate need of a feel-good-upper, we headed further West to Point-du-Hoc, the most interesting (but equally sad) monument in Normandy. We finished our day with a quick visit to the German Military Cemetary, which in comparison to the victory and hope the American Cemetary celebrates, evokes despair and defeat. A lovely dinner in Bayeux concluded our jam packed, jet-lag distorted day. Still in search of caffeinated coffee, but proud to report we've located mouth-gasmic cheese and charcuterie.

Logan to Reykjavik, to Paris, to Giverny, to Honfleur

So the European adventure has begun! After an effortless, almost too easy, no nonsense flight from Logan to Reykjavik (landed at 12am for midnight sun), we left for a 6am arrival into Paris, from where we immediately dparted directly to Giverny, the sight of Claude Monet's home. By the pure coincidence of jetlag and timezone, we were energized enough to arrive promptly when the doors opened, affording our family the opportunity to explore Monet's gardens, his lily pond, and home SANS (see how much I've picked up already) hordes of tourist. Please note that the entire site's signs are ascribed in French and Japanese? When we left Giverny, we, oh lucky we, saw five tour buses headed in the opposite direction. For the next few hours, I had the opportunity to see how the French drive ... In close proximity, fast, and aggressive. To say we encountered one or two dicey situations with me at the helm would be an understatement. That night, we arrived and slept in Honfleur, a pictureseque and quaint small town where the Siene meets the English Chanel. At that point, we were so unbelievably blown out, experiencing the gorgeous town as mindless sightseeing automatons. I can report so far that in France the wine is less alcholic and the coffee less caffeinated, but both more flavorful. More from Normandy soon (for history buffs reading this, what is significant about the day we're visiting ... June 6), and oh year, GO SCOTT WALKER!