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Eileen Joll
Eileen Joll

Eileen Joll

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Seuraa Tilastot Viesti
  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    Hungarian Parliament
    Hungarian ParliamentGrand entrance, only senators are allowed to use on special occasionsBeautiful marble columnsThe crownWaiting room with sculptures of common trades peopleCigar holder while in the chambers. They were numbered so you knew which one was yoursView of Buda from the ParliamentGreat SynagogueJewish cemeteryTree of Life MemorialNames on treeBath hallwayMain bathDome over bathsDinner spotLit up ParliamentThe yellow dots are bats illuminated by the lights1Chain Bridge at night, Buda Fortress in background

    Budapest, Hungary - Day 2

    23. syyskuuta, Unkari ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    We awoke early (for us) and headed to the Parliament to try to get tickets. Online tickets were sold out, but they sell tickets the day of beginning at 8:00. We were there around 7:15 and there were about 20 people ahead of us. The couple behind us were from Cincinnati, Ohio. We were able to get tickets for a tour immediately. The parliament is a beautiful Neo-Gothic building that is the second largest in the world. (Romania is 2 meters longer.) It sits on the Danube river and at night the lights reflect off of the water. It is just as gorgeous inside. The parliament holds the Royal Crown of Hungary that has been worn by the many kings and queens, and the orb and scepter. Following the tour we had a nice breakfast and then went back to the room for a brief rest . Note: we get a view of it from our apt and it is beautiful at night. We can also see St. Stephen' s and the Buda Castle lit up at night.

    Our next adventure was to the Great Synagogue (The Dohány Street Synagogue), the second largest in the world and the largest in Europe. With a main floor originally just for men, and balconies for the women, the synagogue was built to hold about 3,000 people. Today men and women both sit on the ground floor but men are in the center and women on the sides. Worship attendance has dropped dramatically as it has with other religions. The synagogue was bombed in WWII and religious worshiping was banned during the communist period. In the 1990's it was extensively renovated. It's design is more like a Christian church being rectangular in nature and the Torah at the far end. Most synagogues are square and they lead prayers from the middle. The synagogue has a graveyard beside the church which is generally against Jewish custom. But the graveyard was a mass grave for many of the Jews killed here. Bodies were buried 6-7 deep making it difficult to move. About half of the bodies were identified and their names are in memorial markers. In the courtyard behind the Synagogue is the Tree of Life memorial sculpture. It looks like a weeping willow tree and the leaves have the names of Hungarian Jews who were killed during the holocaust. Looking at the sculpture upside down, it looks like a menorah. There is also a heros memorial dedicated to the people who secretly helped the Jews.

    Budapest has numerous thermal baths that date back to the middle ages when under Ottoman Turkish rule . The original baths appeared in Roman times. Some of them have indoor and outdoor pools and some are are undergoing renovations. We chose one that was indoor under a dome and not the most popular - Veli Bej Baths on the Buda side of the bridge. It dates to 1575 and only allows 80 people in at a time. We took a bus to get there. While waiting in line for it to open, we met a couple from Seattle, WA. These pools are actually in a hospital and certain sections are reserved for hospital rehab. There was a main pool of about 35°C (96°F) and several smaller ones housed under the old domes. There was a smaller, hotter one and two smaller colder ones. The facility has been expended to house a pool for swimming laps, two steam rooms and two saunas. We spent about to two hours here.

    Since the Parliament sits right on the river, it is hard to see the front of it when on the Pest side. We had planned to cross the bridge one evening or take a boat ride in order to see the parliament lit up. Since we were already on the Buda side, we found a place for an outside dinner (The Spot Budapest ) directly across from the Parliament and watched as the city lights came on and the river lit up with lights and tour boats going up and down the river. It was a great spot to enjoy a bottle of wine as darkness descended. Then a short metro ride to our apartment.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    Rub his belly for his luck. Random guy joined the picture, lol
    Rub his belly for his luck. Random guy joined the picture, lolStreet bookstoreThe making of a langosOur tour guide, EndreHungarian architectureSt Stephens BasilicaThe making of chimney cakesInteractive Fountain in Liberty Square"Trapped" in the fountainBush and Reagan statues because of their part on Hungarian reformThe parliamentShoes on the Danube - Jews were told to take off their shoes and then were shot.St Stephens BasilicaRuins BarGoulash and Chicken PaprikashOur Canadian and Hungarian friends

    Budapest, Hungary - Day 1

    22. syyskuuta, Unkari ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Our first full day in Budapest started with a free walking tour. Our guide, Endre, was exceptionally knowledgeable and he focused a lot on history and politics. He didn't hesitate to share his views. He also provided good insight into the psyche of the people. During the communist (goulash communism) regime, people were afraid to talk / express opinions in public because they didn't know who was watching - people reported others because they were afraid that if they didn't report, someone would report them for not reporting. There is still a carryover effect today. Since Endre, age 39, was brought up this way, it still has some effect on his behavior, like not eating out in public much, although I think he is over it - he is pretty outspoken.

    Budapest used to be 3 cities, Buda, Obuda (old Buda) and Pest, separated by a river, but now connected by bridges. In 1873 they became one city. Some smart ruler called for the creation of a bridge to connect them for easier access. The Chain Bridge was designed with such advanced technology that it became the model of future bridges. Connecting the cities created the way to them becoming one - Budapest.

    One of the most interesting thing on the walking tour was about McDonald's! The McDonald's here opened in 1988 during the rule of communism. It was a sign of hope for the people living here. It's interior had gold colored trim and was fancy looking. Today it still has that appeal and is considered a classy place to take a date. They have music and a party like atmosphere on the weekends. Another interesting thing was the Interactive Fountain in Liberty Square. The fountain had sensors so when you got closer the water stopped flowing. Our tour guide took us inside the fountain and we felt like we couldn't get out and how scary it was to walk toward the water and not be sure it would stop. He related it to people who are controlled and told one thing and then are afraid to step out of that thinking.

    After the walking tour we went to see St Stephens Basilica, the largest church in Budapest. It is a grand Catholic Church whose tallest spiral is 96 meters high, the same as the parliament, representing equal power of church and state. Catholicism is the dominant religion here but church attendance, like home, has significantly dropped off. The 96 also represents the year of 896, when the Magyar tribes settled in the region which is considered the birth of the Hungarian nation, and 1896 there was a grand celebration of 1000 years of Hungary. We also walked along the river and found the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial. There are bronzed shoes to remember the Jews who were led there, told to remove their shoes and then were shot. There bodies feel into the cold river and were carried away.

    After a short rest in our room, we headed out for the evening. First stop, a ruins bar, Szimpla Kert, located in the Jewish quarter and only minutes from our apartment . It opened in 2002 and is considered the pioneer of Budapest ruin bar movement. It had a little bit of a Randyland feel to it. Located in abandoned, dilapidated buildings they were developed by entrepreneurial people into bars. Furniture was whatever could be found in dumps or leftover in people's houses so nothing matches and the decor is very eclectic. There can be multiple bars in one building, each with it's own vibe. We went around 7, late enough to get the party vibe but early enough to miss the very busy young crowds.

    We went a short distance to Mama Goulash, a very popular restaurant close by. There was a line to get in and we decided to wait. While waiting in the cool evening, we were served hot tea of some kind. While enjoying dinner, we struck up conversation with the people at the next table: two young ladies (age 23-24?) from Toronto and the cousin of one who has lived in Budapest for 10 years. The girls were Kinda (originally Syrian), Tamara and the male cousin Reda (originally from Kuwait). Reda was doing his residency in opthamalogy and had a goal of relocating to the USA to make more money. He has 2 brothers that are already doctors in the US. Kinda was headed home and planning on going to dental school. Tamara loves to travel and wants to check off as many experiences as possible. She was headed to Romania to visit with grandparents. She has major travel plans for the coming years as soon as she figures out how to fund them.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    Michael's Tower and Street
    Michael's Tower and StreetPost office, looks and worked like our old banksDirection Street mapA squareFine military menA different selfie. It was cool and we were glad for the sun.Gym class with school in backgroundBlue ChurchOriginal opera houseUSA EmbassyHans Christen Anderson statue1Bridge and UFO observation deckOld City WallOld houses just outside the old townViews of the Danube river from the castleCastle gate1CastleCastle gardensOld town on left and right, new city in the distance. The road disturbed the old neighborhoodSlovakian lunch - dumplings with sauerkraut and dumplings with cheese1View from our room in Budapest

    Bratislava, Slovakia

    21. syyskuuta, Slovakia ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    Having just one day here is Bratislava, we started with breakfast and then used our gps my city walking tour to see the highlights. We saw St Michael's Cathedral, the Blue Church, the Old Town Hall, the Primate 's Palace and Michael's Tower all in the old town. There are still some of the old town arches where the gates were and some of the old town walls are visible. Like the other countries we have been to, there is a lot of history here from from medieval times to Napoleon to world wars and many memorials reflecting them. We made our way to the castle at the top of the hill for views of the river, city and old town.

    Our apartment was just outside of the old town on Obchodna St, now a busy shopping and eating area. It was sometimes hard to navigate with cars, streetcars (trams) and bicycles all sharing the road. However, there was a relative quietness to the street - not all that many cars.

    Just outside of the old city is the new bridge and UFO observation tower. The bridge has a name but locals call it the UFO for it's saucer like shape. There is a restaurant and observation area at the top in the saucer. We didn't go up but supposedly one can see three countries from there.

    Outside of the old town the city had many very new, contemporary looking buildings but a lot of their buildings are non-descript, plain brick buildings reflecting the communist time.

    We had a Slovakian lunch at U Sedliaka, a nice restaurant where we would have enjoyed spending more time over a dinner. However, it was time to pick up our luggage and head to the train station.

    We considered walking (about 25-30 minutes) but decided to take the tram and save 10 minutes. We got the tram and went past the first stop when we realized we were going the wrong way, oops. We got off at the next stop and switched trams, heading in the proper direction. We were a little nervous as we were now cutting into our comfort time of getting to the train. But, we needn't worry as it train was delayed for about 2 hours. With nowhere to go, we just hung out at the train station. Initially we were outside but we were soon surrounded by homeless people so we moved inside. The train did finally come and we made our away to Budapest , about 2.5 hours behind schedule. Along the way, Eileen's pack fell from the overhead storage rack and startled us as well as the 2 young guys we were sharing a compartment with. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.

    After arriving at the train station, we were able to enter the Metro for a short trip to our apartment which was only a few minutes walking. Our apartment is in the 9th floor and has lots of windows, offering some great views, even at night. While it was now past 9:30, we headed out for a late meal at First Craft Beer and Barbecue (not very Hungarian). After returning to our apartment, we were in bed within the hour.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    Street artist
    Street artistSchronburg PalaceBack of palace and gardensNeptune FountainGilettoReimagined Roman ruinsPrater Amusement ParkVienna park food - sausage and friesOldest functioning Ferris wheelOther Ferris WheelPlain old swing ride way up high ! 🫪A crazy roller coaster in a small spaceArt museum1Street entertainmentThe Danube canal frontSailing the Blue Danube - more green than blueFishing hutOur ship1Steeler game

    Vienna, Austria - Sat/Sun

    19. syyskuuta, Itävalta ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    We headed for the Schonbrunn Palace on Saturday morning. It is on the edge of the city and was the summer home of the Habsburg rulers. We didn't bother touring the palace. When you've seen one, you know what to expect and we have seen a few . Our rather, we had visited one of their palaces in the city earlier in the week. This palace had over 1000 rooms and 40 of them were on display for viewing. Instead we just walked the grounds which were amazing.

    Heading to the palace, the view was obstructed by tents being raised for an international equestrian event being held there next week. Once we went around the palace, we entered a huge garden area known as the Grand Partere. This lead to a large Neptune Fountain area. The distance from the castle to the fountain had to be at least three football fields. Behind the fountain we walked up the hill to the Gloriette, the crowning jewel of the garden. It was said that the emperor would have breakfast here. He either took a carriage ride or worked up an appetite walking! From this point, there were great views of the city. Around this area was wooded park with walking trails. This part of the Schonbrunn is free so there were locals out for a jog as well as tourists. We took our time coming down on the walking paths passing a faux Roman ruins and an Obelisk Fountain as will as a few other statues. On the palace grounds there also is a public swimming pool and a zoo.

    Once down the hill we headed back to our apartment before our evening adventure, which was .... an amusement park! Elena was the one who suggested us going to Prater Park. It was only about a 20 minute walk from our apartment, right in the middle of the city. The Prater was celebrating its 260th anniversary. The park is free to enter and walk around - there are no gates. You pay for the rides individually. There are many rides, restaurants, and food and games stands. Each ride, stand, etc is independently owned hence why you pay for each ride. As a result there are also duplicate rides. And yet, for the most part, they were pretty busy.

    The rides are crammed in there with an emphasis on going up since there is so little space. It is amazing how they can put an exciting roller coaster in such a small space. We ate sausage and fries from a stand and rode two Ferris wheels. The first one was the oldest functioning Ferris wheel in the world, dating from the 1890s, and had carriage type cars that held about a dozen people each. It moved very slowly taking about 15 minutes to go around once. The second was a very tall basket type ferris wheel with great views. The baskets also spun so one could easily see all around. After that we found a beer garden with music and enjoyed both as did many of the older people. The park was much larger than we expected when we entered and we enjoyed just walking around.

    A note about the subways. We bought a 7 day pass that was good on the subway, bus and tram. Randomly they would check tickets but not always. We were never checked after we bought the pass and we rode many, many times. However if they do check and you don't have a ticket, there is a $250 fine. Also the subways run frequently but when the door closes you are out of luck. Once I got on and Jeff didn't, lol. I only had to wait about 5 minutes for him to come in the next one

    Sunday we had a little time before leaving so we took in an art museum, Kunsthistorisches, in Museum Quarter where there are many museums. The paintings were primarily the personal collection of the Hapsburg dynasty and covered centuries of fine art. In addition to the paintings, it houses the Kunstkamner Wein, an art chamber or "cabinet of curiosities". This was the Habsburg's collection of precious, unusual, ingenuous it exotic things from the era.

    We then headed to the river where we caught a river cruise to Bratislava, Slovakia. This was a nice change of transportation from train or subway. The weather was perfect for a boat ride and the scenery was great. We passed a lot of fishing huts and some people fishing as well as tugboats and river cruise boats.

    After checking into our apartment in Bratislava we found a sports bar that put on the Steelers game for us. A little bit later, a group from Philly also came in and the bar people also put their game on another TV. The way the Steelers played, we should have just walked around the town and visited a more classic local bar.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    View from outside the city
    View from outside the cityChurch at the top of the hillInto the woodsVineyards vs cityHandpicking grapesCity of BridgesVineyard lunchRosesMuth HallVienna Boys ChoirNestroy Beer GardenMozart Coffee (coffee with Irish cream)

    Vienna, Austria - Friday

    18. syyskuuta, Itävalta ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    We started the day by visiting our local bakery to get breakfast. We headed out of the city today. Technically we were still in the city but out of the downtown area. We took two subways and a bus to Kahlenberg, a lookout point where we could look down on the busy city. There were a lot of school groups there when we got there. There also is a hotel there and a venue for weddings, etc.

    From there we started hiking downhill through forests and then through the Nussberg vineyards. Vienna is home to over 140 wineries, emphasizing white wine. We passed grapes being picked both by hand and by machine. The machine shakes the vine and the grapes fall off. Around the ends of the rows some grapes fall out and were left behind. The smell of fermented grapes was strong. There also are occasionally roses planted at the end of vineyard rows. Roses are more sensitive to diseases and will die first alerting the vineyards workers to treat the vines before they are attacked. Part way down we stopped at the Weininger am Nussberg, a well known winery for lunch. It was a beautiful day for drinking wine and enjoying the view. Unfortunately we couldn't linger too long as we had other plans, so we finished hiking and then took a bus back to our apartment.

    Tonight's musical adventure was a concert of the Vienna Boys Choir at the Muth performance hall just minutes from our apartment.
    Things we didn't know:
    - there are four different boys choirs all made up of boys 10-14.
    - all of the boys live at the boarding school from Monday morning until Saturday at noon where they receive a regular education and extensive music training. Tuition is pretty cheap ($300-$400 dollars a month)
    - each of the groups tour internationally 9-11 weeks a year. The other weeks they perform in and around Austria including weekly performances at the Muth and singing at mass at St Peters.
    - they now have a girl's choir as well that performs locally and internationally
    Our concert was the first of the season as the boys had only been back in school for two weeks. There were 22 boys singing on stage and 9 of them were new to the choir and this was their first performance. They did a great job singing songs in German, Italian, Japanese and English and ranging from classical to show tunes to pop.

    We were supposed to meet our former exchange student, Elena, and her boyfriend Luis, however, Elena woke up sick that morning and was unable to come. We missed spending time with them.

    For dinner we went to Nestoy, a beer garden about 15 minutes from our apartment. The weather was perfect for sitting outside and the food delicious.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    Crowned jewels from the Hofburgs Treasury
    Crowned jewels from the Hofburgs TreasuryBaby cradle1Hofsburg ApartmentsContemporary Art exhibit of recycled materialsBuilding that holds the rotating contemporary art exhibitRose gardenCircus in front of the city buildingGoulashStanding room at the opera houseThe opera house has 6 levelsThe standing area is in the middleOpera house ceilingBoxes at the operaSacher-torte

    Vienna, Austria - Thursday

    17. syyskuuta, Itävalta ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    We started our day with a leisurely breakfast at a nearby restaurant. Most restaurants here all have outdoor seating and offer blankets in the evening if it gets cold. From there we headed to the Imperial Treasury at the Hofburgs Palace. The Treasury holds many of the crowns, jewels, and suites of the emperors from the Hofburgs time of reign.

    Next up was the Empress Sissi Museum and Hofburg Apartment Tour. Sissi was 15 years old when she was married to Emporer Franz Joseph I. Their mothers were sisters and planned a meeting of Franz and Sissi's older sister, but Franz fell in love with Sissi at first sight. And yes, they were cousins. Prearranged marriages were common in order to guarantee control of monarchies. Sissi was not interested in marriage but obliged. She did her wifely duty but stayed out of politics for the most part. She suffered from some depression as a result of her wishing for a freer life. By later in their marriage, the two of them spent very little time with each other as Sissi would travel whenever possible. She was assassinated on one such trip. The apartments were lavishly decorated and beautiful as expected.

    In the distance we saw the city municipal building so we ventured that direction since we hadn't been there yet. It was hard to get a good view of the city building because there was a circus set up in front of it - a big to tent, smaller tents and lots of trailers. They will be here for a month.

    We came to the Volkstheater Park, another pretty, green space in the city. We stopped at a cafe in the park for a light lunch. We noticed a grande looking building on the park and went to check it out. It was a one room contemporary art museum with revolving exhibits. The current exhibit , Kiteezi, was based on a city in Uganda where a landfill collapsed killing 24 people. The exhibit was completely made of recycled garbage and emphasized the need for less waste. The artist was Nabukenya Allen.

    For dinner we decided on a small, local restaurant that focused on Viennese food. It was a small, family owned place where the person waiting on us spoke very little English. When we asked about dinner we were told that they only thing they had was goulash. Perfect. When it was served it was meat and broth only. We were used to goulash having potatoes or carrots or something else in it. The meat was delicious and extremely tender and it was served with bread.
    Eileen's story: the meat was delicious but I am not a gravy person and I rarely sop up food with bread - it makes it soggy, yuck. While Jeff sopped up his broth, I left mine. In her limited English, the waitress (owner?) asked if it was okay and wanted to bring me different bread. She was truly appalled that I left the broth. I definitely disappointed her!

    Our musical adventure tonight was to the opera. The Vienna Opera House is well known and sells out well in advance of the performance but they sell standing room only tickets at 10am each morning of a performance. The Vienna philharmonic plays for the opera, so going killed two birds with one stone, seeing the opera house and hearing the philharmonic. The show was The Marriage of Figaro, basically a romcom that lasts 3:45 hours with intermission. Our standing area had great views of the stage but we were packed in pretty tight. Each row had less than 2 feet of space between railings and tablets that translated into whatever language you wanted. Being packed in like that, it was pretty warm. We didn't expect to stay for the entire thing but wanted to experience it. We ended up liking the show and enough other people left at intermission that we had more space to move around a little so we decided to stay. And the Vienna Philharmonic was magnificent! Following the show we found a cafe and had a spritz and sacher-torte, a famous Viennese cake.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    University
    UniversitySt Charles ChurchCafeOpen air vendorsDanube canalOld townMonument against war and fascismMozartOne of only three states of horses in the world supported only on two legsHopsburgs PalaceBalcony where Hitler gave a speechEmperer JeffSpanish Riding StablesStatue dedicated to the plaquesSt Stephens ChurchMusicverien - music hall

    Vienna, Austria - Tue/Wed

    15. syyskuuta, Itävalta ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    A 2.5 hour train ride brought us to Vienna, the capital of Austria. From the train station, we used the metro (subway) to get to our apartment which is outside of the old town. The neighborhood is known to be home to a conservative Jewish community. Our apartment is on the 5th floor accessible by a creaky elevator.

    Once settled we went out, headed for the cathedral area in old town but we missed our subway stop and ended up in another part of old town, Karlsplatz. There is a large park there that was pretty populated with skate boarders, bikers, walkers, and a playground. There is a university here contributing to the number of people

    There was a pond in front of a massive building that is St Charles Church, very impressive. We didn't know it at the time, but we would end up back in Karlsplatz several times. We found a cafe for a coffee and to get our bearings. Cafes here have a significant history. Scholars, writers, musicians, etc. spent time at the cafes discussing, writing debating, and reading. The cafes have kept this idea and have newspapers hanging for reading and chairs close for discussions.

    We looked up a place for dinner, Zur Eisernen Zeit, and headed there. It was in an area called Naschmarkt, an open air market of vendors and restaurants. Our waiter was an inspiring writer who has published a couple of short stories. We had traditional Viennese food. While having dinner, we watched a couple buy a lot of candy from a vendor. The vendor spent about 30 minutes with them, letting them taste things. When it was time to pay ($300) the couple wanted to negotiate the price. When the vendor refused, the couple walked away (jerk!) leaving the vendor without a sale and having to put it all back. We walked around and then headed back to our apartment.

    We started the next day with a free walking tour of the old city. (Free tours mean that you tip then whatever you want at the end.) Our guide was a trained actor which made his story telling quite interesting. He was very knowledgeable. To be a guide in Vienna you may study for 2 years and then take 3 days of tests on everything about the country. Throughout the walk, he have us a brief history of 1000 years, highlighting the Hapsburgs who ruled for 600 of those years. We saw Mozart's statue (he moved here from Saltzburg and died here), At Stephens Cathedral, the Hopsburgs Palace, museums (there area many), there opera house, and many more buildings. We also went past the Spanish Riding Stables, where white horses are trained to perform to classical music.

    After the tour, we went to St Stephens Cathedral and used Rick Steves guide to tell us all about it. We also did a tour of the crypt. This was creepy and so interesting. Bodies of the elite were buried under the church. To preserve them and keep them from smelling, they removed their insides and stored them in alcohol in sealed containers. The containers are still there. In addition, there were burial ground for well to do commoners under the cathedral and the square outside. The caskets would decay quickly, when they ran out of room, they had inmates stack the bones in another room. There were piles and piles of bones (including skulls) stacked up. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures.

    Throughout the days there were multiple cafe stops for coffee or wine, We were also on the most expensive street we have ever been on - Karntner Strabe. Think of all of the famous high end names you can think of and they were on all this street - Rolex, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Michael Korr, etc.

    Dinner was smash burgers, fries, and corn ribs at Kvetch, a place down the street from where we were staying.

    That evening we had tickets to a Mozart concert at the Muskveirien (large music hall). There performers dressed in the attire of Mozart's time. One of the horn players played a Viennese horn (only important to Eileen). All of the music was written by Mozart - concertos and opera pieces - except the last two which were written by Strauss. Strauss was from Vienna and known for his waltzes.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    Mozart plaza
    Mozart plazaResidence plaza - scene from the Sound of MusicSaltzburg CathedralCarillon bells, wrung three times a day. Turn up the volumePublic modern art pieceGherkins - art installment. The idea is that pickles are all different just like peopleStatue of consciousnessCathedralSmall organGrand organTurn up volumeMozart was baptized hereMozart's birth placeMozart's first violinHanging signs have always been a part of the streetsSaltzburg streetOld town wallFormer horse washing station. Also scene in the Sound of MusicFortressView from one side of the fortressView from the fortress looking into old townSt Peters cemetary, again, scene in the Sound of MusicSt Peters churchWhat a rock solid stud!!Monks breweryCity by nightSlope in our room1Eileen as Maria front the Sound of MusicMaribell gardens - beautiful gardens and green space and scene from the Sound of Music

    Saltzburg, Austria

    13. syyskuuta, Itävalta ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    We spent a day and an evening in Saltzburg, birthplace of Mozart and the setting for the Sound of Music. These two things are the main focus of the tourism here. The building our room was in dated to 1402 and it was nowhere near the oldest in town. The floors had quite a slope to them.

    Saltzburg got it's name because a long, long time ago, they had access to salt mines and a river for trading. Salt was used for the preservation of food at that time so it was an important thing. They used both the salt and the river for trading and became a rich, powerful, city. Several archbishops invested money into the city as evidenced by the cathedral and other ornate buildings. They wanted to be the next Rome. There is also a fortress on the hill that was enhanced several times for protection as various regimes took power. The walls of the city expanded as the population grew. The old town area is rather small and very walkable. It is also congested as they built buildings anywhere there was room. The streets were connected by small tunnel like alleyways that went under buildings. Today, these alleyways are filled with shops and cafes.

    We traveled by taxi and then train to Saltzburg from Slovenia. After settling into our apartment in the old town, we walked around the town looking at things highlighted in our gps my city or Rick Steves walk. We had dinner and called it a night.

    The next morning we started with a free walking tour. Our guide, Sonya, was very good, taking us to many of the key places, giving us history lessons, and telling stories from the city. Shortly after the walk ended, we went to the cathedral for an organ concert. The cathedral has 5 organs, four smaller and one grand organ. (They used to have 7.) The organists played on 3 of the smaller organs and then on the Grand organ, and oh, what a sound that grand organ made.

    Next stop was lunch at the Steiglkeller for lunch and a beer. Following lunch, we went to the Mozart museum which is in the house where he was born.

    Our next stop was the Hohensalzburg fortress on the hill. To get to the fortress you can walk up hill or take the funicular. We chose to ride. Once there we checked out the dungeons where an archbishop was sentenced to for taking too much salt from the mines. He was building grand things to make a name for himself. He died there after 5 years of solitary confinement. We climbed the bell tower for the view and then walked around the wall. There were also museums there but we skipped them.

    After riding the funicular down we walked to the Augustiner Brau Muln, a beer garden that was originally run by the monks at the Augustinian monestary. After their order shut down, they bequeathed it to the Benedictine ninja. The monks made the beer at one time but now they own 50% of the shares and professional beer masters make the beer now. However, they still use the old style of beer making including storing it in wooden kegs. In the garden you pay for the size of beer you want, select a mug off of the shelf, rinse it out, and gives it to the man who fills the mug from a wooden keg. Around the garden and inside there are food stands. It was a Monday and there were a lot of people there. Supposedly the weekends get very crowded. It was a fun place.

    On our way to the train station that next morning we stopped by the Mirabel Gardens., outside the Mirabel Palace. The gardens and green space are beautiful. The building used to be a residence but is now governmental offices. Some of the song, Do Re Mi, from the Sound of Music, was filmed here. Most of them outdoor scenes from the Sound of Music were filmed in Saltzburg while there indoor scenes were filmed in LA. Fun fact, the story is only partly true. The Von Trapp family left Austria by train to Italy before the Nazis took over. The mountains in Austria do not lead to Switzerland as the movie proposes.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    1Watch the whole thingView from the topWedding photo shootLunch at the topThe hutObligatory sheep pictureA very bold sheep!HD biking eventFun bike at our apartmentSki liftMeat dinner for 2 !?!?!1The wedding party - the wedding cake on the table

    Hiking - Day 7

    12. syyskuuta, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    Today was our last day of hiking. We left the Juliana Trail and got a ride to the national park where we hiked part way into Krajska Gora, our final stop in Slovenia. The trail was marked to be 3.5 miles uphill and then 8 miles downhill and expected to take 8 hours which means at least 9 for us. We knew we didn't want to hike that long so we chose to just hike up and then take the free shuttle down. Saved a lot of wear on the knees.

    Our driver was our luggage transport person, Matea. Her and her husband run a transport and tour company. They were so easy to work with. She picked us up and drove us to the park and then took our backpacks to our lodgings in town .

     The weather was the best we had since arriving in Europe, bright and clear but cool - perfect day to be outside. We hiked with day packs. Our starting point was at a hut where we enjoyed breakfast before we started walking. The hut was near the source of the Soci river, meaning all of the waters run off of the mountain to start the river we had been following the last couple of days. Given the recent rain, the water cascading down the mountains was pretty forceful, bouncing over the rocks, adding to the beauty of the hike. We had to cross tributaries a few times, sometimes on boards, but mostly rock hopping. The hike started a little steep but then with switchbacks, it became a steady upgrade mostly through forests. We reached the summit pass, one mile high, in about 2 hrs and 45 min.

    The summit top is a very beautiful and very touristic point. Cars were parked everywhere, bikers rode to this point, and there are many trails to hike on from this point. There is a Harley Davidson, week long, meet up taking place around the area lakes. Today there were so many bikers at the summit. At the summit there also was a hut where we enjoyed lunch while taking in the view. There was also a wedding couple having pictures taken there. We saw the wedding party later while we were having dinner. After soaking up the views, we walked a short piece down the road to catch the shuttle down the hill to the town of Kranjska Gora. Our knees thanked us for riding.

    The town is a cute well kept town near the borders of Slovenia, Austria and Italy. The people here were the least fluent in English (though we had no problem getting what we needed) but many spoke Italian and German. They have a large summer tourist season with many, many ebikers and hikers, and then a slower winter season. There is a ski resort here but winter snow weather is hit or miss. We went to dinner at a restaurant at the base of the ski lift where they roasted meats. We had a meat platter for two that could have served 4 at least. It was delicious but too much and should be reserved for very hungry hiker or biker dudes. We followed dinner with a locally made after dinner drink to celebrate our hiking week. Tomorrow Brianne will head back to Lujbiana and then to Munich, and then home, while Jeff and I head to Austria.

    Notes on Slovenia: everything seemed very well maintained. The number of bicycles was surprising - some tourists but an expanding part of their culture with the availability of e-bikes. Good food, wine, and liqueurs. Very impressive landscapes. A country approximately the size of New Jersey and a population of ~2.2 million.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    21Crossing waters via rocks1Swinging bridgeKayakers2Crossing waters and getting wet!Mountain goat!!Exploring a cave tunnelFly fishingRafting1Those mountains!!1Fire SalamanderThe waterfall1WWI memorialDrying outView from our apartment

    Hiking - Day 6

    11. syyskuuta, Slovenia ⋅ 🌧 57 °F

    Today we hiked from Kobarid to Bovec, a 14.5 mile hike. Our accommodations had breakfast in their common room. Today was a longer day so we chose to have our backpacks sent ahead. They were picked up at 8 and we headed out with just our daypacks around 8:30 to.....rain, again. It was not a heavy rain, but it was still rain.

    The trail was a mixture of a little of everything. It basically followed the Soca River so for most of the day we heard the river waters flowing, sometimes more violently than others. We got off trail early, but super navigater gps Jeff found a connecting trail to get us back on track. Initially we walked on a narrow stone path along the bank of the river with steep dropoffs on one side. We were rock straddling and stepping carefully. We crossed a swinging bridge over the river and at one point we had to cross tributary waters, swollen by the rain, without a bridge, simply rock hopping or crawling. And once we just had to walk through ankle deep water, committing to getting our feet wetter than they already were. Surrounding the river were views of gorgeous mountains.

    A climb up away from the river took us through some forests and pastures. There were mountain goats on the steep rock edges. When we came back down to the river we were mostly on gravel or asphalt roads and then sun came out! The river became a little calmer and there were many kayakers and rafters on the river. We passed more hikers today than we have all week and many bikers.

    After 12.5 miles we finally came to a town that had somewhere to get something to drink. We all had a cold Cockta, their version of coke made from herbs. After the needed rest we made our way to the town of Bovec and our ending for the day, 8 hours later. Dinner was at the Thirsty River Brewery where we had very good smash burgers and fries.

    Tomorrow is our last day of hiking.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    A very gray, rainy, day
    A very gray, rainy, dayHay for the winterCampground with a lot of camper vansHe followed us along the fenceDucks!Calf's staying dryA rushing riverBee hivesSo cute!!CemetaryStaying dry!Variety of gourdsPretty forest areaField is so green!Town if Kobarid

    Hiking - Day 5

    10. syyskuuta, Slovenia ⋅ 🌧 63 °F

    Today we awoke to............rain! And it rained pretty much all day. We walked 10.5 miles from Tolmin to Kobarid in the rain. If it was going to rain all day, today was the easiest day to hike in it. Fortunately, the trail was pretty level, a gradual uphill, and mostly all on asphalt or gravel road. The little bit that went through the forest was easy walking and beautiful. We walked past a campground, through small villages, larger towns, through pastures, and on busy streets. We saw ducks, cows, sheep/goats and just beautiful landscapes. Just outside of the town we were hiking to, we meet a couple from Australia who were waiting for the bus. They were planning on hiking today but when the weather didn't clear up, they forfeited the idea and we're just going to the next town.

    Upon arriving in Kobarid we got out of our clothes and hung them around the room in hopes of them drying overnight. Our apartment has a common room downstairs where we met our friend for a glass of wine. After a short nap we went to dinner at Hisa Polonka, a restaurant with local fare. Jeff had wild boar and Eileen had shepherds pie with potato and cheese, like a fried pierogi.

    Hoping for better weather tomorrow!    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    A rainbow to start the day
    A rainbow to start the dayTrain stationOur trainTrain caring carsThe lakeRain, rainGray mountainsOne of the critters we have seen - a fire salamander.Apple orchardRoadside tourist attractionThe signs we follow

    Hiking - day 4

    9. syyskuuta, Slovenia ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Today was a short hike that still involved some hills. We took a train from Bohinjska Bastrica to Most na Soci. The train ride took about 45 minutes and was pretty full. In our coach there was a couple from England. They were traveling with friends who were going to be competing in a rowing competition in Bled this weekend. They were going to Most na Soci for a day trip of hiking. The train carries passengers, bikes, and cars.

    We got off of the train just as it started sprinkling. We made our way to the center of town and went to a cafe. While drinking coffee, it started to rain harder. We waited until it let up a bit and then put on our raincoats and started out. The Soca river runs through the town and was damned up for a hydroelectric plant creating a lake used for boating, swimming and fishing. It was quiet being it was the middle of the week and off season but there where a few people in the campground.

    Not too far into the hike we went into the forest and started the climb up about 250 m. The rain made things just a little bit tricky and slowed us down a bit. Once we got to the top we started down again before leveling out into the town of Tolmin. It really wasn't a long hike, and not a really interesting one, but the rain made us watch our step even after it let up. We had originally planned an additional side to to a gorge but cancelled that since the hike took us longer than planned.

    The town of Tolmin is more of a neighborhood and less touristy. It is very well maintained. We stayed in a cute apartment. The owners live upstairs and greeted is upon arrival. She had juice and beers in there refrigerator for us, along with a variety of snacks.

    Dinner was at a restaurant a couple blocks away that had been recommended by our host. Jeff had trout that was was from the river.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    Map of our hike
    Map of our hikeLogging companyWoman tending her gardenCorn dryingSmall villageHappy kids going to work with dadVillage playgroundView part way up the mountainView halfway up the mountainInto the pine trees!Still climbingHunting cabin at peakAt that peak!1View from the peakBunker built into mountain probably from before WWI, part of the Adrian WallWWII bunkersHeaded downEntrance to four mile train tunnel

    Hiking - Day 3

    8. syyskuuta, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Today we hiked over the mountain from Bohninjska Bistrica to Podbrdo. It literally was a hike straight up and then straight down. Our friend choose not to hike today. We know it is better to honor ones body than to prove something. She hiked locally instead. We left around 7:15 in order to beat some of the heat. Because there are not many places to stay in Podbrdo, we will be taking the train back to where we stayed. Therefore, we did not have to carry our big packs and just carried a day pack with water and lunch. The start of the trail was very steep. We first passed a logging company and then a few people walking their dogs headed back to town. Shortly into the hike we passed a small village with a playground and soccer field. A man was driving his tractor pulling a wagon with his two young children in it. They looked happy to be going to work with daddy. From there the trail came to a 4x4 track that was easier to walk on. The trail still went up but not as steep until we started into the woods again, and then it became steep and more treacherous. Finally after around 4 hours we reached the peak. The views were amazing.

    We enjoyed our lunch at the peak. Behind us was an old WW2 bunker and just below they peak was a hunting cabin. There was a road a short way back. I guess they hiked into the cabin from there.

    Starting from the cabin the decent started very steep with a lot of loose rocks. We stepped our way down slowly and carefully. Thank goodness for hiking poles. After about ten minutes, the trail became a series of switchbacks. We still had to watch our step, but it was easier, though any kind of downhill is hard on the knees. The downhill trek was faster and really uneventful. About 3/4ths of the trail was in the shade. We didn't pass anyone. Jeff did lose his hat somewhere on the way down. Once in the city of Podbrdo, we found the train station to take us back to where we started. The first train didn't show and the second train was late so we waited for two hours. The ride back took only ten minutes and went through a four mile tunnel through the mountain we had hiked over.

    Once back, our friend had beers and pizza waiting for us. Such a treat! After dinner, we finished with some gelato and then headed home.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    A misty morning
    A misty morningA misty morningFresh water troughs to fill your water bottles are plentifulLake BohinjA statue dedicated to the first four men to climb some nearby mountainStepping through the stonesAlpine villageEveryone had wood pikes like this. Many are biggerSki jump training areaThe cows know how to stay coolSo do the sheep!Can't get enough of those mountains!LunchHang glidingChurchCemetery outside of the church

    Hiking - day 2

    7. syyskuuta, Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Today was an easy day from Bohinj to Bohinjska Bistrica. We only had to walk about 6 miles so we took our time in the morning. We had breakfast and then hit the trail around 9:30. The trail had some ups and downs and went partly through the forest, but mostly it was on gravel or paved road that went in and out of alpine villages. Shortly into the hike we came across a ski jump Olympic training area. It is so cool to see training areas for sports we only see on tv. Walking through some parts of the forest was like walking in a land mine trying to step between or over rocks. But the rest of the trail was pretty easy walking and it only took us about 2.5 hours. While only registering about 75 degrees, the sun was intense and it felt very hot in the sun. We passed a few hikers going the opposite direction. They all appeared to be day hikers it hikers with a tour that transferred their luggage for them. No one was carrying full packs. We met a couple from northern California who was on a day hike. They were traveling by car throughout Slovenia.

    The town of Bohinjska Bistrica is a cute alpine village resort area with plenty of hotels and restaurants. It is a short drive to the lake we were at yesterday and other towns. Many bike trips go through here. Our apartment wasn't ready so we found a place to get some lunch. The place we chose had Slovenian specials. We split a dish of sausage, sauerkraut, and mashed beans and had struklji (cheese stuffed dumplings) for dessert. After that we checked into our apartment. We were greeted at the door by our hosts. They have lived here for 50 years and have two apartments that they rent out.

    After a short rest we checked out the town church (beautiful) and then walked to the train station to check the schedules. Tomorrow we are hiking to a town that has few places to stay and will take the train back to our apartment here in Bohinjska Bistrica. After checking out the train station schedule we went to the bakery and grocery store. There is no where to stop for food on the trail tomorrow so we will carry our lunch and snacks with us in our day packs.

    We met up with Brianne, our Boston friend, and had dinner. We enjoyed a nice cool evening in a nearby park and then headed back to get an early nights sleep. Our intention is to leave early to beat the heat. Tomorrow is a much longer, harder, day than today.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    Biathlon racingA little church in a little townThe hutInto the woodsWhat a view!The canopy of trees!!!Turn up the soundAlpine village housesLake BohinjQuick swim to cook off

    Hiking - day 1

    6. syyskuuta, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Today we started our 7 day hike through Slovenia. We got a shuttle bus to our starting point which turned out to be in Triglov National Park, We didn't realize we would be starting there. It is Slovenia's only national park. We hiked a trail through the park that should have taken us to the Juliana Trail that we will be hiking all week. It started on a road that went past an alpine skiing training course. There was a teenage biathlon competition taking place. A girl from New York, Sidney, approached us and asked us if we were headed toward the hut, which we were. She had lost a red jacket that she was willing to pay to have shipped (must have some special meaning). She gave Eileen her phone number.

    We traveled past some nice Alpine pastures where cows and horses graze. Some of the cows wear bells around their necks. They are fun to listen to. While near the main part of the park we encountered lots of locals out for a Sunday walk or bike ride. We then saw several people gathering mushrooms.

    The Julian trail had a number of "mountain guys", typical with food, beverages, and hostel type sleeping arrangements. We stopped at one named koca Na Uskovnici. It appeared to be in the middle of a farm, We had a light lunch and something do drink. As we hadn't found Sidney's jacket, we left her name and number with the staff at the hut, and Eileen later notified hey we hadn't found it.

    Eventually the trail turned to the forest and went down hill very steeply. While it is easier on the heart to go downhill, it is very demanding in the knees. The trail was full of roots, rocks, and lose stones making slipping easy to do. At one point our friend's pack started to roll down the hill. She had taken it off to go over or under a log blocking the trail. Fortunately it didn't go to far before being stopped by trees and we were able to retrieve it. We ended up somehow losing the trail and walking the road which, while the road was longer, we moved faster. We managed to turn an 8.5 mile day into 11 miles!

    We ended the hike in Bohinj. It is a small resort town around a lake. We checked into our apartment and then went for a swim in the lake. Afterwards we had burgers at Froksner.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    1Castle Bled
    1Castle BledNearby church with cool roofAlpine slideOur boatOur rowerChurch on the islandClock towerPendulum and cog clockIsland church1Lots of action on the waterMountains, mountains, mountains2

    Bled

    5. syyskuuta, Slovenia ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    We traveled by bus to Bled, Slovenia and spent one night there. Bled is a resort town with a lake, camping, tons of outdoor activities and lots of crowds. There is an island (the only one in the country) in the middle of the lake. We took a boat ride (manually rowed) to the island and toured a church there. There is a "lucky bell" in the church that you could pull the rope and ring. Pulling a rope and ring a church bell had always been on my (Eileen's) bucket list so I was thrilled to be able to do that. There also was a wedding at the church as well were getting ready to leave. Once back we had our first rain so we had something to eat and drink and enjoyed people watching.Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    One of they many squaresThree bridgesThe Grand CanalAnnunciation churchAdam and Eve? and Jeff!Over if the dragons in Dragon BridgeFarmers marketStuffed dumplingsSt Nicholas ChurchDangerous bicycles everywhere!Gustav Mahler - famous composerFast food lunch - stew and sausageView from the castleInteresting sculptureTouring tramFood festivalContemporary buildingsOur tour guideThe city crestThe US EmbassyOur tour guide excited to meet famous singer/actorGelato!!

    Ljubljana, Slovenia

    3. syyskuuta, Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We arrived by train from Trieste and walked to our apartment. It wasn't ready yet so we dropped our bags and started exploring. We were here for two days. Using our gps my city app, we went to the major highlights of the old town. There are three well known bridges over the canal. (The canal is man-made and was designed and added to keep the city from flooding.) The first was Cobblers Bridge. It originally hosted shoemakers who sold their wares on the bridge to avoid paying taxes on land based shops. The second was the Dragon Bridge which has four dragons, two at each end. The dragon is on the Slovenia coat of arms and a major symbol of the city. The third is the Triple Bridges. This one was designed by the famous architect, Plecnik, who designed many of the buildings in the city. There was originally only one bridge but it became bottle necked with traffic. The other two bridges were added for pedestrians. Now they are all only for pedestrians and bicycles.

    We also visited two churches - Franciscan Church of the Annunciation and St Nicholas Cathedral - both beautiful and ornate. The old town has many tgrs, squares, surrounded by many large, ornamental buildings from various areas of history. Slovenia used to belong to Yugoslavia and only achieved independence in 1991. In one of the squares was a farmers market where we bought peaches to eat.

    In the evening we walked up a steep hill to get to the Ljubljana Castle. We walked around the grounds and had great views of the city as the sun set. The castle is used as an event center as well.

    While here we have tried to find and eat true Slovenian specialties. We've had stuffed dumplings. You can get them stuffed with many things both sweet and savory. We had cottage cheese and cottage cheese and buckwheat. We ate at a Slovenian "fast food" place where we had stews and sausages. And we ate at a food festival and had liver and onions and dumplings with beef goulosh. And, of course, we tried a traditional dessert, layers of thin dough, nuts and seeds. We did have a good old American hamburger at "Pop's".

    Our friend from Boston, Brianne, met us late morning. We spent some time at a cafe and then had lunch before she went to her room for a rest after traveling.

    Our second evening we did a free walking tour that took us mostly out of the old town. It was a combination of old and new buildings. Some buildings were destroyed in the earthquake of 1895 and have been replaced by newer, more contemporary stores. We saw the shopping district, the city center living area and the cultural district. Our guide was very knowledgeable and talked about the history of the Slovenian people. His grandmother lived through 10 different reigns/ rulers from 1920 to 2010. The walk was followed by some local Union beer and some gelato.

    The city is full of bicycles! They ride on the sidewalks and more than once we were almost taken it by one! A definite hazard we were but used to.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    He's so angelic!
    Trieste, Italy - Unity piazza1The piazza faces the seaRoman TheaterNice tree lived streetMotorbikes everywhereThis is a Catholics church!A Orthodox ChurchThe Grand Canal, it is prettier than it looks in the pictureJames Joyce, famous authorHe's so angelic!Iced latteRoman ruinsRoman archway1AngelicRock solidGreat viewCastle and ruins at nightUnity piazza at night

    Trieste, Italy

    2. syyskuuta, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    We took a train to Trieste, Italy. Trieste is a city on the Adriatic coast that has been a traders port for hundreds of years. As a result it has been a part of various kingdoms and countries and only permanently becoming a part of Italy in 1958. As a result of it's history, it is an amalgamation of architecture, food and culture.

    There were two things that did stand out immediately. The first was the noise. Coming from Venice where there were no cars, so the vehicular nose was noticable, and we had to be careful crossing streets. The second was how clean and will taken care of the city was. It is one of the richest cities in Italy and it shows.

    We did a walking tour using gps my city which took us to various very ornate churches and piazzas. Along the way we found several excavated areas from the Roman era including a theater and an archway. In the late afternoon we hiked up the hill to the castle which was really only used as a fort. We did a quick tour of the museum and did some time exploring the ground which have great views of the whole city. This city is very compact so one could view the entire area from the hill.

    One of our stops was Caffe San Marco, a cafe with a rich history of writers and philosophers. It now also contains a book store. We went to the bar and Jeff ordered two iced lattes. We were presented with cold foamed milk. Our follow up order was espresso to add to the milk. We forgot to say cafe latte. Though the milk by itself was good.

    We spent the early evening on the deck of the castle enjoying a drink and snacks while watching the sunset. It was nice to not have to rush to the next touristy thing. We enjoyed gelato on our way back to the room.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    View from the Rialto Bridge
    View from the Rialto BridgeGarbage pickup when the area is car/truck freeDeliveriesRialto marketGlass making with the masterHorse made with stretching techniqueStreet performer playing water glassesBurnaSuch colorful buildingsIn high tides, water can flood the city. This is a record of floods and heightsPanini and beerLace!Concert settingConcert programBaccala mantecatoBigoli en salsa and Seppia en nero con polenta

    Venice Day 2

    1. syyskuuta, Italia ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Today we visited the neighboring Islands of Murano, Burano, and Mozzorca. But first we went to the Rualta market,a market of fish, fruits and vegetables. We walked through the stalls and then chose a place nearby for breakfast. We sat next to a group of high school aged boys here in a school trip from Croatia. They highly recommended visiting there.

    We took the water bus first to Murano, an island known for making glass. We watched a small demonstration of a master making glasses with the blown technique and then a horse with the stretch technique. Afterwards we admired all of the works in the shop. Beautiful work, but also very expensive. There are about 30 glass factories left in the island. It takes 20 years to become a master of the craft. Much of their work is commissioned.

    Back on the"bus" to the island of Burano. This is a completely different island - very colorful buildings, laid back, and known for their lace. We walked around enjoying the colorful scenery and then stopped at a Italian like brewery for lunch. The paninis were delicious and went well with our craft beers.

    After strolling a bit more we walked over a bridge to the island of Mozzorca. This island has a lot of green space and it's very quiet. It has a church, a handful of houses, and a exclusive resort. The resort has a Michelin star restaurant and they have installed many sculptures to look at you stroll through their vineyards. This would be a nice plane to stay if you wanted to be away from all crowds.

    Back in the bus and back to Venice. We enjoyed a coffee by the water before going to our room for a short rest. We went to a concert of Vivaldi concertos at the church (not the original) where he worked as a composer and concertmaster for the church as well as giving lessons to the girls in the orphanage. The concert was an hour long, just long enough, and the musicians were outstanding.

    Following the concert we decided to have a true Venetian meal as suggested by Chat gpt. The Taverna Scalinetto is a family business and serves traditional Venetian foods. We had Baccala mantecato - creamed cod on baked polenta with ink, Bigoli in salsa - thick spaghetti noodles with anchovies and onions, and Seppia in nero con polenta - cuttlefish (type of squid) in ink with polenta, a bottle of white wine, followed by Tiramisu and coffee. All very good!

    We got to bed later than planned as we leave in the morning, but we enjoyed it last night in Venice.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    Dogo PalaceOur tour guideA jail cellThe torture room. They would tie the rope to the arms behind the back and pullJail room door. The ceiling was also lower than today's average size man.One of the palace floorsPainting on palace ceilingThe bridge of sighs - the bridge prisoners passed over to the jailFront palace entrance1St Mark's Church/Cathedral/Basillica1All mosaic!Glass wall with many gems and small painted portraits on glass1Carved columnMosaic floor1Woven tapestry from 1500'sOriginal bronze horses that went through 6 dynasties only to return to their starting place in VenicImpressive clock tower that tells time, zodiak year, and moon phaseThey strike the bell every hourCicchettisOur friends from Canada and PortugalThe water busVenice from across the canalDinner on the canal1Pasta Cacio e PepeEuropean coffee!Quiet but beautiful canals

    Venice Day 1

    31. elokuuta, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Our first full day in Venice we spent touring the Doge Palace and St Mark's Cathedral. The Doge Palace was where the Doge lived. The Doge was a mayor-like person from the upper class, elected for life (so they liked to choose old men). There also was a ~300 person Senate made up of upper class. The purpose of the Doge and the Senate was to keep some kind of balance among the classes. The palace has many ornate rooms with tons of paintings and other art. We took a special tour that took us to parts outside the regular rooms. This included the jails and offices, and many great stories. We visited the cell where Casanova was held and ultimately escaped from.

    St Mark's is a church, cathedral, and basilica. The inside is covered with mosaics of cut rock and glass that reflect the light and seem to glitter giving it a very rich and ornate look of the Byzantine era. The mosaics are of Bible stories and we're used to teach the people about them. The floor is made of various marbles in patterns similar to a carpet. There was also a small museum that included bronze horses that were made in the 1300's and have been "captured " by many rulers and moved around. They are now housed in the museums with replicas of them on the terrace of the church.

    After our tours, we took a snack break with cicchetti (tapas) and wine at nearby Bar Au Do Leoni. There we meet two girls, Gionni (22) from Portugal and Cynthia (31) from Ottawa, Canada. They met in Barcelona where they lived for a few years. Gionni is a flight attendant and Cynthia was on a short holiday to Italy celebrating a job promotion. They met up in Venice. We talked for about an hour and a half.
    From there we took a rest in our room.

    In the evening we headed to the canal and took a boat (it took us a little while to find the right dock) across the canal to the tower at San Giorgio. The tower is temporarily closed for renovation but we got a great view of the square and shoreline from across the way. Our intention was to eat on that side of the canal but those places were closing soon so we came back and walked away from the touristy St Mark's square. We ate at La Nuova Perla, suggested by Chat gpt. The restaurant was on the main waterfront with a side canal. We got a seat outside next to a couple from Virginia. They told us what they ordered and that it was the specialty of the area so we ordered it also. It was Pasta Cacio e Pepe - cheese and pepper. The spaghetti is cooked and then poured into a large circle of cheese. The hot spaghetti melts the cheese from the cheese wheel and property is added and mixed together. (See video). It was very good. We also had Tiramisu and coffee but we forgot to order Americano coffee and got the little European coffee. We had a nice liesurely stroll back to our room.

    The weather has been very hot and humid during the day, but the mornings and evenings have had cool breezes.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    First view from the train station
    First view from the train stationgondolas!!Rialto bridgeMusic in St Mark's square all day long, but it is pricey to sit and listenCicchettis - Italian tapasA pay phone!!Sculpture by Kai titled "Love or Money"Morano glass sculptureS. Maria del Carmen ChurchPiazzaDinner and great people watching!Fresh fish!Sea bass stuffed tortellini with ink.View from the waterJust wandering and "getting lost'!1Evening ride

    Venice

    30. elokuuta, Italia ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    We traveled to Venice via a 2.5 hour train ride. The train station in Milan was massive and we had to go up four levels from the Metro, through shops and eateries, to get to the trains. We arrived with minutes to spare. The train went through alternating industrial areas and farmlands including vineyards.

    Arriving in Venice you are greeted by.... Water! I (Eileen), am geographically challenged. I knew there were canels in Venice but I didn't realize the entire city was built on water and that there are no cars. Transportation through the city and various neighborhoods is walking or by water - private boats, water taxis, vaporetto (water bus), or gondolas. We used the vaporettos to get around outside of the area we were staying in. Our first vaporetto ride was from the train station to the area close to our room

    Our room is not more than a 2 minute walk from St. Mark's Piazza. We are very much in the center of things, lot of shops, bars, and eateries. And lots of people. This may not be peak season but the narrow streets are very crowded in many places

    We spent our first afternoon/evening getting lost in the streets. All of the tour books tell you to get out of the main areas and just explore, so we did. We walked through streets and came to many piazzas (town squares). We explored the church of Santa Maria and ate dinner (and drank wine) in the piazza. Later we rode the water bus from one end of the Grand Canal to the other taking in the city at night.    Lue lisää

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  • Alps, Adriatic & Danube — Europe 2026
    Small door at our AirbnbOur tour guideMilan CathedralSo many spires!Mary at the top of the cathedral. The cathedral is dedicated to her1New contemporary buildings in the distance - a big contrast to the Gothic looking churchWindow in the church. Some are stained glass and some are hand painted in glass.32 columns inside the church. And the ceiling is painted, not carved.Alter of the cathedralOld baptistry of church from 300ADBig church doors!Fancy marble floorsEarly afternoon cocktail - Campari, something differentJennifer and Lorenzo with Jeff and EileenSuch a cutie!!

    Pittsburgh to Milan

    28.–29. elok., Italia ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    We started our trip with a 2+ hour delay out of Pittsburgh causing us to miss our connection in London. Jeff got us on the next flight out of London into Milan. While in the air the pilot told us that we had been circling the airport but couldn't land because of storms. We used all of the reserve fuel so we had to land at another airport about an hour's drive away. When we landed the pilot informed us that he had to hear from Heathrow (London airport) on how to proceed. We ended up sitting on the plane for about two hours. During that time they allowed a mom and child to leave on a medical emergency - she was okay. The rest of us just waited until they refueled and got directions from Heathrow to fly back to Milan. The machines at customs were not working well so it took time to get through there and then wait for luggage. We then rode the Metro and the Airbnb host met us at the Metro and walked us to the room. We appreciated that as it was now about 10:15pm local time, 4:15pm Pittsburgh time. We had left our house at 9:00pm so we were traveling for about 19 hours. We found a pizza place that was still open and had dinner.

    The next morning we had tickets to tour the Duomo, the Milan Cathedral. We started on the outside where you could view the many spires, statues and gargoyles. The church started being built in the 1300's and was finished in 1965. However, much of the marble is soft and it is under construction to replace eroded parts of the building. From the rooftops, we had great views of the city, both old buildings and some new, very contemporary looking buildings. Moving inside, the church is very large but much simpler and not as impressive on the inside. There are many rooms with statues and paintings. When they started construction of a subway originally planned to go under the church, they found archeological evidence of a church from around 300A.D. Both St Ambrose and St Augustine were baptized here.

    Afterwards we met a former employee of Jeff's, Jennifer. She worked for him when she lived in El Salvador and has since moved to the Milan area. She also had her four year old son, Lorenzo, with her. We enjoyed a traditional Italian lunch and then walked the shopping district of Milan. Milan is a fashion district with many high end stores so we just did a lot of window shopping and talking. After leaving them, Jeff and I enjoyed some gelato and headed to our room for a rest.

    In the evening we went to a rooftop wine bar where we enjoyed wine and cicchettis (tapas), followed by a good night's sleep!    Lue lisää

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  • On the road: grandkids/parks
    Hail!
    Hail!World War I MuseumOur gracious hosts for the night.

    Homeward bound

    17. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    We left Colorado on Saturday afternoon, a little earlier than planned, but there was bad weather coming in and we didn't want to drive in it. We did hit some hail early in the trip but then we got ahead of the storm and it followed us until we stopped for the night. Since the rain was threatening and the weather was warm, we chose to stay in a hotel that night - the Village Inn. Right next door was a cocktail and cigar bar where we went for a beer.

    Sunday morning we hit the road again and stopped in Kansas City at the World War I museum. The presentation of the war was so well done, we ended up spending 4 hours there, more than we planned. Kansas City is a one of the locations for the World Cup and they had a special exhibit on soccer and its influences on the war. We continued on our way and ended up stopping in St Louis to spend the night at Josh and Liz. We met them at a concert in the park near their house, then went for dinner and ice cream before retiring.

    Monday we drove straight home. It was a great trip - over 4600 miles, three national parks, 2 weeks with grandsons, and some beautiful views of our great country!    Lue lisää

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  • On the road: grandkids/parks
    1
    1Roman loves to bounce!Eating in style!1Such a happy kid!!

    Grandson #2

    10. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    We spent the week with Roman. We haven't seen him since Christmas so it was great to see how much he has grown and achieved in person. He is such a happy kid and is working on figuring out this crawling stuff. Look out when he does, he will be unstoppable!

    Mom and Dad both had terrible colds (thank you Roman for sharing even though you didn't have it too bad), so it was a great time for us to be there. They took some time off of work and were able to get the rest that they needed and we got plenty of snuggles, play time, and walks around the neighborhood.

    We did visit Old Colorado City - a city established during the gold rush and now an interesting tourist town. It has an eclectic array of shops at the base of Pikes Peak. It was a beautiful day for strolling, popping in and out of shops, and ice cream. Roman loves being outside and taking walks in his stroller so he, too, enjoyed the day.

    Before we left we went to an arts festival at the Garden of the Gods. It was a very nice festival with high quality art and a very nice day. Roman, again, loved strolling outside.

    It was hard to leave this little guy (and his mom and dad), but we'll be excited to see his achievements the next time we see him.    Lue lisää

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  • On the road: grandkids/parks
    Lava rock
    Lava rockCampsites at Valley of the Fire1One hot tubTwo more hot tubs in the greenhouse1Our breakfast - cream cheese and berry stuffed French toast and smoked salmon Benedict.

    Colorado bound

    9. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Before leaving the Valley of Fire, we took a little walk and learned more about the area. Several miles including and around the recreation area was all created by a lava flow from a very small hill. There are rows of dark rock adding to the landscape. The eruption happened only 4000 years ago which is young in geological times.

    We headed north just taking in the typical New Mexico scenery, brown hills with small green bushes. It is hard to describe how typical it is for this area and yet how beautiful it is. As we traveled north, the Colorado Rockies came into view. After seeing so much rock and sand, it was weird to see snow on the mountaintops in the distance.

    Our destination today was the Sand Dune Recreation Center. We were here three years ago on our Colorado/Utah trip. We loved it so much then, that we added it to the trip this year. The recreation center has a heated pool and camping area and a 21+ greenhouse with 4 different temperature hot tubs all supplied with hot springs.

    After spending 6 hours of hot tubbing, eating and drinking, we spent the night in the crowded campground. There were a lot of families who traveled here to spend the day at the pool, camp, then spend the day at the pool again. Not a bad set up really. We made coffee and then headed out looking for a breakfast spot. Google told us about a little cafe - Grammy's Kitchen. The reviews said to not be discouraged by the outside because the inside was very cute. And they were right. The outside was kind of a hole in the wall and if we weren't looking for it, we probably would have missed it. But inside was decorated so cute. The place had been in the family for four generations and everything is homemade in house. Our breakfast were delicious! And then, onward to finish the trip to see the next grandson.    Lue lisää

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  • On the road: grandkids/parks
    Jeff with Billy the KiddOld town Messila squareThe sand road looks like snow. It gets plowed daily because of the blowing sands.2

    White Sands NP

    8. toukokuuta, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    We left Guadalupe and headed towards White Sands NP. We didn't bother to make coffee or breakfast and instead, stopped in the La Mesilla area of Los Cruces. We stopped in the old town area where we had breakfast at Cafe de Mesilla, a cute little place frequented by locals. We both had omelettes that were delicious. After that we walked around the old town square mostly window shopping, but we did buy some tea.

    We continued on to White Sands NP. White Sands is a small park and a few hours is all that is needed to visit. After a stop at the visitor center we drive to a trail head. The 1 mile trail went around a sand dune with some signage giving information about the things that live there. The trails are marked with colored poles. People are cautioned to make sure they can see the next post as it is easy to get lost on the dunes. From there we drove the almost 2 mile road through the park passing picnic areas and other trail heads. We stopped at one place where there were some people. Some people were flying kites (great idea!), and others were sand sledding. You can rent sleds from the gift shop. The sleds weren't going all that well. The conditions need to be just right to get a good slide.

    The dunes are not that high as they are ever changing. The dunes are created from gypsum. The gypsum is in the rocks making up the mountains around the valley. The water wears away the gypsum carrying then to the valley below where a lake is formed during the rainy season. When the lake dries up, the gypsum gets eroded and carried by the wind forming the dunes. The winds continue to move the sands causing the ever changing dunes.

    We left there and headed to the Valley of Fires Recreation Area where we were camping. It is a Bureau of Land Management Area. Asking the way we passed through the town of Alamogordo where there is the world largest pistachio! We stopped for a picture and bought pistachios. We stopped in the town of Carrizozo and ate at Rosey's Pizza and then went to our campsite at the Valley of Fires Recreation Area. There we caught a gorgeous sunset.    Lue lisää

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