Reset search
Dave Hippler
Dave Hippler

Dave Hippler

📍 Japan Read more🇺🇸Madison
FollowMessageStatistics
  • Dave HipplerJapan 2025Traveler
    Sunset at Mt. Inasa Overlook
    Our apartment in NagasakiPeace Stadium and Happiness Arena. Love it.Glover GardenGlover GardenDessert at Glover GardenNagasaki Koshibyo Confucius ShrineMatcha ice cream in ChinatownGround Zero st NagasakiA model of The Fat ManSunset at Mt. Inasa OverlookGodzilla is coming!Nagasaki Koshibyo Confucius ShrineChina Historical MuseumChina Historical MuseumIowa Cyclones shirt in Nagasaki - it's Deanne's alma materSunset was fantastic on Mount InasaThe spectacles bridge, an optometrist's "Must See"Potato Chip Boy loves soy sauce flavored potato chipsThe old Dutch settlement of DejimaPeace Stadium, in the middle of a mallFukusaiji ShrineFukusaiji ShrineNagasaki Koshibyo Confucius ShrineThe RopewayGlover GardenGlover GardenMt Insa viewpointGlover GardenSuwajinjanagasakaJapanese Navy frigates

    Nagasaki

    Nov 11–15 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    The bus ride over the mountains from Beppu to Nagasaki waa beautiful. Some of the leaves are starting to change.

    We rented a fairly large apartment for four nights and it had a rooftop terrace. I thought it might be too many days but Nagasaki has a lot more to offer than just the nuclear bomb sites. It's history is rich and it's a major place where East met West.

    First it was the Portuguese who traded and spread Christianity here. Nagasaki has one of the best bays on this southern island, so it was only natural for foreign sailors to stop here because they were coming from the south.

    But the shogun's tired of the Portuguese and kicked them out and allowed the Dutch to trade from a tiny prison-like a compound called Dejima. This lasted for 200 years during the Edo period, when Japan was closed off to the rest of the world except for small trade with the Dutch and some Chinese.

    When Japan opened up to the world in the Meiji restoration, Nagasaki was crucial because it had coal, dry docks for shipbuilding, and steel works. Mitsubishi started here for example and still builds giant ships, among other things.

    But of course it's most famous because it was the second and last place where a nuclear bomb was dropped during war. The Peace Museum and ground zero, which the Japanese call the hypo center, are fascinating and sobering. Even in mid November the museum was packed.

    On August 9, 1945, the bomber Bockscar originally wanted to drop it on Kokura, an industrial city north of here. Cloud and smoke cover prevented that and Nagasaki was the secondary target. There was a lot of cloud cover here but during a break, they dropped the bomb. It missed the main port area and landed in a residential area just north. Six days later, the Japanese surrendered and WW2 was over.

    But there's so much more the city has to offer. We're staying near the train station, across from Stadium City, a giant mall. I'm not a mall person but I walked over alone at night to check it out. I didn't get the connection but it's a soccer stadium surrounded by two mall towers! There's also a basketball arena next to it. They're called Peace Stadium and Happiness Arena. How wonderful.

    Nagasaki is in a big valley that leads down to the bay, so some neighborhoods are hilly. Its name means Long Cape. There's an excellent bus and tram system but we did a lot of walking to see several shrines and temples. There's a large garden complex called Glover Garden on the hill above the bay. That's the former home of a Scotsman who helped bring the industrial revolution to Japan. Tea, coal mining, steel, ship building, you name it, he had his hands in the trade. Thomas Glover was the man.

    There's a cable car which they call the ropeway. It goes up to mount Inasa and we were lucky to have an amazing sunset and spectacular views of the city below. Of course the food here has been amazing. We just love the city and we're glad to have had four full days to take our time to see it.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/HrScJRTChxd5zzMd6    Read more

  • Dave HipplerJapan 2025Traveler
    Outside of Sanso Kannawaen, our Ryokan
    Breakfast at our RyokanUmi JigokuA shrine in BeppuSanso KannawaenSanso KannawaenSanso KannawaenSanso KannawaenSanso KannawaenSanso KannawaenSanso KannawaenUmi JigokuUmi JigokuUmi JigokuUmi JigokuUmi JigokuSanso Kannawaen10 course kaiseki dinner menuSanso KannawaenThe groovy socks came with the roomModel touristsMulti course saiseki dinnerSanso KannawaenSanso Kannawaen

    Beppu

    Nov 10–11 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Without planning it, we went to the two places in Japan that have hot sand baths on the same day. Beppu is the other major hot springs resort town in Kyushu. It was pretty hard finding Ryokan on short notice so went from the far southwest corner to the far northeast corner of Kyushu when we found some.

    Not too much exciting happened in either town except we totally splurged on ourselves. If the photos and videos seem pretentious it's because they are :).

    The Sanso Kannawaen is a modern Ryokan on a large hill above Beppu. The room was like a huge apartment and included our own onsen which was nice because the public onsens are separated by gender.

    The breakfast was absolutely fantastic with multiple food types. But the most amazing part was the dinner. It was a set dinner called kaiseki. These emphasize small portions of regional dishes and are multi-course. Ours was 10 courses! It included two servings of lobster and countless other items. I posted the menu if you're interested.

    Outside of the ryokan are several natural geysers and boiling springs like in Yellowstone National Park. They're called "hells" for some strange reason. We chose a random one to visit and it was pretty fantastic.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hm5ZLwQxZfWGVSxK6    Read more

  • Dave HipplerJapan 2025Traveler
    They have cool manhole covers here
    The hot sand baths of IbusukiA Ryokan dinnerOn Kagoshima BayOur Ryokan roomObi Wan Kenobe, babyOne of our 2 onsen bathsBreakfast at the RyokanThe hot sand baths, as seen from the bayDeanne can't resist theseStairs to the hot sand bath onsenHot sand bathsMore haute cuisineBreakfastUnagi eelLots and lots of Shochu at the grocery storeCreative manhole coversA walk through a small Japanese townWe usually order food on touch screen devices or our phones at restaurants.

    Ibusuki

    Nov 8–10 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    I've never paid anyone to bury me alive before. But that's what travel is about isn't it? Trying new things?

    The sleepy town of Ibusuki is just what we needed after 2 weeks of large Japanese cities. It's an onsen town and its major draw is the hot sand baths. The whole town is nestled on some seriously hot spring water. Walking to our Ryokan on a warm day, we had to avoid the vented drains, where steam rose from the flowing water under every street.

    We checked our bags with the friendly proprietress and killed 3 hours in town until 3:00 check-in. She seemed to be the only one running this traditional Japanese inn with a built-in onsen. In this case, it's 2 private baths with the hot mineral waters.

    As far as Ryoken go, this was very reasonably priced. It's seen better days, but it's the real deal and is quite charming. You leave your shoes at the door and wear slippers inside. The room has traditional tatami mats for the flooring. Instead of beds, there are futons. You wear yukata robes with obis (black belts) to the baths. And for a guy who is almost two meters tall, you twist your legs into pretzels to sit on the floor under the small tables for meals.

    For some reason she couldn't prepare dinner the night we arrived. Usually breakfast and dinner are offered. Lunch in town was at a beautiful restaurant but the food was the only bland meal we've had. Dinner however was at a traditional izakaya, a restaurant pub and it was great.

    I've been sampling different types of shochu, the popular drink here made of sweet potatoes. It's usually 25% alcohol and you can drink it hot, mixed with something, or on the rocks. I'm usually drinking it on the rocks. It's nowhere near as strong as whiskey or vodka and it goes down easy.

    Breakfast was a delicious mix of pickles, rice, miso soup, and small portions of the local fried fish, omelette, a small cabbage salad and a pot of green tea.

    We soaked after we checked in and I soaked before breakfast the next day but the big draw for the day were those hot sand baths. On the beach, there is an onsen that hires people to bury you under the black, hot volcanic sand on the beach. The mineral hot spring water is running right underneath it into the bay.

    It's quite organized and there are pictures and videos and diagrams of the process so everyone understands. For about $15 each you rent a yukata and obi, get a small commemorative towel to keep, and a larger towel that you rent. You wear nothing but the robe and go outside and lay down and they bury you with the sand.

    They wrap the small towel around your head and kind of prop your head up so you can at least see the clock. You stay for 10 minutes and I must say it feels pretty amazing. But you can leave whenever you want and just kind of get up and push the sand off. Then you go inside the onsen to drop off the yukata and shower and then sit in the hot mineral waters inside. As far as a spa day goes, this one is pretty inexpensive. Too bad they don't allow cameras so there are no photos. The one posted here is from their website.

    Tonight we had the full Ryokan dinner experience. It was a multi course meal and the plates kept coming and coming. A boisterous group of Japanese retirees like us was having a grand old time and even apologized for laughing. No apologies necessary!

    The first Ryokan we booked is all the way up north in Beppu, so we're taking an early train to make it up there in time for checkin tomorrow afternoon. It just so happens that these are the only two cities in Japan with hot sand baths. We'll be in both cities on the same day.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/yMNvXYPoNTbQM5SU6    Read more

  • Dave HipplerJapan 2025Traveler
    Sakurajima
    Terukuni ShrineTerukuni Shrine 照國神社Terukuni ShrineWisconsin sweatshirts are coolThirteen Stone BuddhasA random sub in the baySakurajima SelfieSengan-enSengan-enSengan-enSengan-enSengan-enSengan-enSengan-enSmoky SakurajimaA shrine on the volcanoA shrine on the volcanoA foot soak in the hot waters of SakurajimaOn a very crowded bus on SakurajimaSakurajima volcanoThe underwear of local hero, Takomori SaigoEvery meal is an adventureAt dinner in KagoshimaHeading back to KagoshimaBonito Sashimi. Melt in your mouth delicious!

    Kagoshima

    Nov 6–8 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Kagoshima is the largest city next to an active volcano, closer than Naples is to Vesuvius. Volcano Sakurajima is right across Kagoshima Bay from us. This isn't a major tourist hotspot but we found a $70 flight here from Kobe and it's a good jumping off point for visiting the island of Kyushu.

    It's about the size of Milwaukee with a few tourists sites and a great transportation system. We rarely do this, but we opted for the Hop on Hop off pass to see everything in one day. A lot of the tourist sites have to do with the local samurai hero, Saigō Takamori. He is sometimes known as The Last Samurai and was important in the Meiji restoration. That's the modernization of Japan that ended the Shogunate.

    The highlights were Sengan-en, a Shogun family villa that is restored and has amazing gardens. The other one is the smoky volcano of Sakurajima. Many times of the year there's so much ash you have to carry an umbrella for that and wear a mask. But it wasn't active and we had great air quality.

    We took a short ferry ride across the bay and jumped on the tourist bus for views around the island, a foot soak in the hot waters, and an observatory on the top. On a random Friday in November, the buses were packed with Japanese tourists. We were one of the few gaijin (foreigners). It didn't hurt that it was in the mid 70s and sunny.

    I must say every meal here is an adventure. There's so much more to Japanese cuisine than sushi and tempura. We are picking random restaurants based on Google maps reviews, and almost every one of them has been fantastic. A bonus is the fact that the food and alcohol here are incredibly cheap. We're having a hard time spending $40 for meals for two with drinks. Last night I ordered (among other things) a "rice ball wrapped in meat." Delicious. It looked like a reverse corn dog, with something akin to bacon on the outside.

    The island of Kyushu is famous for all of its Onsen, or hot springs since we're right on the Ring Of Fire. Ryokan are traditional family owned lodgings with Onsens and with breakfast and elaborate dinners included. There are many Ryokan throughout Kyushu. Most are booked months in advance, so we're having a hard time finding any that won't break the bank and are near a main road. Ryokan are pretty much the only expensive thing in Japan and they are usually in a rural area so city dwellers can get away from it all. My international driver's license expired, so we can't rent a car.

    But, we found one in an onsen town to the North in Beppu. And after booking that, we found one in nearby Ibusuki. So we're headed down there next for two nights before heading north to Beppu.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/YjobZkTSFqdjvmTr9    Read more

  • Dave HipplerJapan 2025Traveler
    Kobe Beef!
    Our hotel in KobeNunobiki Herb GardensNunobiki Herb GardensFinally chilling outTouristingHarborlandKobe Port TowerSelfie spotBecause one is not enoughThe earthquake memorialChinatownKobe at nightBefore our first Kobe Beef mealOur personal chefKobe at nightMoegi HouseWeathercock House (The Former Thomas House)In KitanochoA yakiniku restaurant for Kobe BeefIkuta-jinja ShrineIkuta-jinja ShrineIkuta-jinja ShrineKitanocho

    Kobe

    Nov 4–6 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Kobe is just a hop, skip, and a jump down the coast from Osaka. It's home to the fabled Kobe Beef, a trademark type of Wagyu beef that is arguably the best in the world.

    I sure picked the right hotel here. For $100/night, we have a spacious room in a central location, amazing bed, and free drinks and snacks for up to 3 hours each night. Damn.

    We got to check in early and went to the hills on a gondola for the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens & Ropeway. The views were amazing and the garden was top notch.

    There was a horrendous earthquake here in 1995 that killed thousands. They've had 30 years to rebuild and there is still lots of high rise development going on here. Harborland is one of the results of billions in investment dollars. It's a large shopping area on the water. There are tour boats and a large park, along with a Ferris wheel. Nearby is the Kobe earthquake memorial which describes the event and has video and photos showing the devastation. We walked home through the small but vibrant Chinatown.

    We're in Kobe, so why not splurge on the best steaks in the world? We went to one of the oldest steak houses in town (Mouriya Honten) and went all out for dinner. It was the most expensive meal we've ever had, and probably the best. A personal chef prepared a Kobe sirloin steak along with a non-Kobe Wagyu steak. Both were melt in your mouth amazing. I didn't notice too much difference between the two, to be honest. You don't need a knife for these steaks, they are so tender and marbled to perfection.

    The next morning, we toured the Kitanocho neighborhood. It's where foreigners traditionally lived and many of them built houses like in their home country. We went into a couple from the early 1900's.

    Lunch was at a different Kobe steak place. This one was a yakiniku restaurant. That's a Japanese-style BBQ restaurant where you grill your own steak and vegetables at a table with a built-in grill.  It was great, but not as good as last night's meal. But, it cost 1/4 of the price! And it's still a Kobe steak.

    On the way back to our room, we stopped into Ikuta-jinja Shrine, one of the oldest Shinto shrines in the country.

    In the morning, we took the autonomous (no driver) Portliner monorail to the airport on a man-made Island in the bay. We flew to the island of Kyushu on SkyMark, a low cost carrier. It was on a new Boeing 737 and cost us $70 each with luggage. A bullet train would have taken much longer and cost more. Our destination is Kagoshima, a city on a bay across from a very active volcano.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/Jv3TrfVRxUYTLSwz7    Read more

  • Dave HipplerJapan 2025Traveler
    Dotonburi district
    Osaka CastleUnagi eel restaurantDotonburi districtAdvertisement for a host show in the Dotonburi districtPopcorn MamaThe Alfonse Munch MuseumNamba Yasaka Jinja ShrineGambling parlorDotonburiHousing MuseumHousing MuseumHousing MuseumAmerica MuraNamba Station CelebrationNamba Station celebrationMaid cafe in OsakaOn a trainAmericanaA pop up shop for a J-pop boy bandNerds are people tooOur first shabu-shabu mealMore Americana in America MuraDeanne's KimonoA strange ad on a train

    Osaka

    Nov 1–4 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Osaka is not too far from Kyoto so we took a local train from near our hotel. It was more like a subway train. We're renting an apartment for the first time and it's nice to have a little more space and a kitchen.

    There's a convenience store on almost every corner here. Between 7- 11, Family Mart, and Lawson's, you are want for nothing: hot meals, snacks, cold drinks, a bathroom, coffee etc. After we checked in we tried to go to a local restaurant but they were full so we decided to just grab food at a Family Mart and eat in a park where we watched a youth baseball team practice.

    Then it was off to Japan's most visited tourist site, the Osaka Castle. It's a beautiful and impressive building that is built up on high ground surrounded by moats. The castle has burned and been rebuilt several times. This latest version is from the 1930s but was damaged and restored after World War II bombing. It was a beautiful weekend day and the line was only about 15 minutes long.

    We're trying new foods, so for dinner we went to an Unagi (eel) restaurant. They opened at 5:00 and we were the first ones in the door and within 12 minutes the place was sold out. We got lucky on that one because it was delicious.

    After dark we headed to the Dotonbori nightlife area. Wow. Imagine about five or six Las Vegas strips crossing each other. There's bright neon lights and animatronic displays that restaurants have above their door showing what food they sell. Thousands and thousands of people of all ages and nationalities are milling around, walking along the canal, drinking, eating, and having fun. Pachinko parlors are seemingly everywhere. Think 10 Bourbon Streets without drunks and puke.

    Host shows are popular here. These are bars where pretty boys in makeup are paid to flirt with women and they're incredibly popular. There's no sex involved but women of all ages pay to drink and have the company of a young man who pays attention to them. That speaks volumes.

    On Sunday we went to the Osaka aquarium. It was highly recommended by our friend Jo, who lived in Japan for 3 years. It was huge and pretty incredible, probably the best aquarium I've been to.

    We had lunch at Tempozan mall next door. Our guide book recommended eating at one of the many restaurants inside. We tried a Tonkatsu restaurant again for the pork cutlet set meal. Lucky for us it's oyster season and we got pork cutlet and 3 fried oysters, miso soup and rice for about $11 each. Incredible. When you enter a restaurant in Japan, at least one of the staff yells "Irasshaimase!" which is akin to "welcome" or "come on in." And when you leave, more times than not, someone will escort you to the door smiling all the way. Probably the best service we've ever had and it's interesting to note that tipping is not a thing here.

    I was skeptical of using the IC card for everything but it really is convenient. You don't have to buy tickets for any transportation, except a bullet train. You just tap your card on and tap off when you leave a station. They work in every city we've been to so far, so no need to get a new card for each city. We've been running all over town.

    We saw a poster in the subway for a Mucha museum. He's the Czech artist who kick-started the Art Nouveau movement, one of our favorites. The museum was great. They have a lot of his original work. They are doing a comparison to a Japanese artist, Takehisa Yumeji.

    We explored the shopping district in the Namba neighborhood and went to the lion headed temple of Namba Yasaka Jinja. After that, it was just exploring neighborhoods and streets including the Kuroman market.

    That night we tried an Okanimiyaki restaurant. It's an Osaka favorite. It's kind of like a big omelette with cabbage and seafood and meat inside. There's a grill in front of everyone. The chef grills it on the main grill and then puts it on the warmer grills in front of everyone. It's fun to watch and eat.

    On Monday, our last day, we didn't really have anything planned. In the morning we took in a housing museum which sounds odd. It is an 18th century recreation of an Edo era village on the 7th and 8th floor of a building. Deanne rented a kimono for the occasion. It was very informative and fun.

    Lunch was shabu-shabu, another first for us. It's a hot pot where you cook your own food in front of you. The owner couldn't have been nicer and taught us how to do it and when we were leaving, it started raining and he even offered to give us an umbrella. The rain stopped and we didn't need to take it, but what a kind gesture. We're seeing a lot of that.

    We had no agenda so we just wandered around different shopping streets, and there are a lot of them. There's a high-end street with a super expensive stores. They were mostly full. The Japanese are really fashion conscious and seem to spend an exorbitant amount of money on clothes. We went to the American trendy district called America Mura. Baggy jeans and baggy gray sweatpants are in. They are not cheap. And anything with English writing and especially an American University on it is pretty popular. What's cheaper are nonsensical words that are not copyrighted.

    We love the vibe of Osaka. They seem a bit more carefree and fun loving then in Tokyo, less business like. But talk about crass commercialism! These people spend money like it's going out of style on clothes and odd collectibles.

    Once again we could have used more time here. But tomorrow we check out and head to Kobe, just down Osaka bay.

    More photos and videos are here.

    Main Osaka album
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/H5ko8H2E5LpTkLvf8

    Osaka aquarium
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/DaGL6mfYM7is9SHG8

    Unagi Eel restaurant
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/nMTeMn3W4XNq1gT26    Read more

  • Dave HipplerJapan 2025Traveler
    Maruyama Park
    Mount Fuji from our bullet trainCoffee breakSchool kids at Kyoto stationThe shinkansen bullet trains have bidets in the bathroomNear the Kamo RiverGrey Heron on the banks of the Kamo RiverYasaka ShrineAt Chion-inChionin TempleChionin TempleMaruyama ParkIn GionGionNo thanks!Making Soba noodlesSanjūsangendō TempleAt the sake tastingFushimi Inari ShrineIn the bamboo forestGion at nightGion at nightFushimi Inari ShrineFushimi Inari ShrineCheap and delicious

    Kyoto

    Oct 29–Nov 1 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Kyoto is a city of temples (Buddhist) and shrines (Shinto). Along with Tokyo and Osaka it's on the "Golden Route" of must see sights in Japan. There's a lot of tourists but it's much more subdued than Tokyo.

    We stayed at another business hotel with amazing breakfasts. After checking in we hit the ground running and saw the nearby Yasaka Shrine and the Chionin Temple, both of which are inside a large park. Renting kimonos isa popular thing for tourists to do here so we see lots of women from all over the world wearing kimonos. And surprisingly there are lots of young Japanese women that rent them for the day also. There's not one babydoll maid outfit in sight. That's a tokyo thing. Deanne passed on renting a kimono since they don't look comfortable for long distance walking.

    We took a bus all the way across town to the famous bamboo forest. There was nothing serene about it with all the tourists and people renting rickshaws. We chose a random temple to visit and absolutely loved Jōjakkōji Temple. It had a great view from the top of the hill. On the way out we stopped by the popular Tenryu-ji temple but didn't like it as much. It's famous for their gardens but we were there before the leaf changing and after the flowers died.

    Then it was back across town to walk on the lovely philosopher's path which is a trail that follows a small river. The Ōtoyo Shrine was right there, so why not?

    Later, we walked through the Gion area which is famous for its tea houses and geishas. The thought of sitting through a 4-hour tea ceremony with my legs crossed on the floor is not appealing me in the least, so we skipped that. But we did manage to see a geisha walking home later at night. Taking pictures of them is taboo.

    The Nishiki Market is a lively market street near our hotel that's full of restaurants, food vendors, and tourists. As you can imagine the food here is absolutely amazing.

    That was all in one day! We've got three nights here but basically two and a half days so we're hitting it hard. After Osaka we're flying to the island of Kyushu where we hope to slow it down a bit.

    We ate twice at a nearby soba noodle restaurant. They make the buckwheat noodles by hand after milling the buckwheat at the restaurant. They are gluten free so I can eat them and they're delicious.

    On Friday we went to the Fushimi Inari Taiaha shrine. It's incredibly popular with the Instagram crowd because of its lovely orange toris, or gates. Afterwards we went to a sake museum for a tasting. That was perfect for a rainy day.

    We were going to call it a day and remembered another temple that was well worth the visit. Sanjūsangendō Temple is the home of the Big Buddha and it's surrounded by a thousand smaller statues. Too bad it doesn't allow photographs

    We could have easily spent another day or two here to do so this on a slower pace. But then again, after a few days, the temples and shrines begin to blur together.

    Next up is Osaka which is just south of here. It's the third largest city, after Yokohama and it has a reputation for great food and friendly people.

    More photos and videos are here.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/LKzRNdKR66dnQXEr7    Read more

  • Dave HipplerJapan 2025Traveler
    Senso Ji Temple
    Senso JiThe Shibuya ScrambleTokyo National museumUeno areaKita-no-maru ParkLive from Budokan, where Cheap Trick playedTokyo train stationThe Imperial PalaceWhat we've been eatingInfantalism is real hereAt the Kabuki TheaterIn the Kabuki MuseumAkihabaraGo Kart tours of AkihabaraThey have animal petting cafes here. Of course they doHarajukuYou can play the piano but only for 5 minutes. Exactly.HarajukuGachapon machines are ubiquitous. They sell little toys for 100 yen.Men at work

    Tokyo

    Oct 24–29 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    We took the Keisei Skyliner train from Tokyo Narita airport to the Ueno station. I booked a room in that neighborhood because it seemed so convenient coming direct after a long travel day. I had no idea that there were so many restaurants and bars in the neighborhood. We visited many other neighborhoods and we found ourselves wanting to go back to Ueno for dinner and drinks instead of overpriced tourist neighborhoods. It's next to a very large park full of museums and that was pretty convenient too.

    At the airport we bought our IC card and topped it off with money and grabbed cash at a 7-Eleven ATM. IC cards, or integrated circuit cards are debit cards that you have to buy and top up. It's a strange way of doing business but they're not really into credit cards as much here. You can use your card for transportation, snack machines, and most stores and museums will accept them also. There are IC machines at every bus and train station and you can check your balance or get your money back whenever you want.

     7-Elevens are everywhere and kind of an institution in Japan. What used to be an American company was purchased by the Japanese in the '80s and they really ran with it. If you're on a low budget you could get everything you need at 7-Eleven including hot meals.

    We experienced some jet lag and I found myself walking around from 3:30 to 5:30 a.m. the first morning. Obviously Tokyo is an incredibly safe city. Trains stop running at midnight and don't start until 5:00 so it was fun seeing the drunks stumble into the train station after waiting for the first train home. If you missed a midnight train while partying then you just stay out partying for 5 more hours!

    We stayed at a business Hotel chain. The room was ridiculously small but lodging is about the only expensive thing here. Food and drinks are really inexpensive and good value. The Dollar and Euro are really strong against the Yen right now.

    Over 5 days and nights we hit most of the major neighborhoods and sites. Obviously, we just scratched the surface. It's an amazing city and kind of mind-boggling. I've never seen such a clean and quiet city that's this big. By many standards it's the largest city in the world, but that depends on how you measure it and how far out you go.

    Here's a rundown of some of the major things we saw:

    The Imperial Palace area surrounded by a peaceful park. I had to see Budokan, the martial arts and concert venue nearby. It's where Cheap Trick recorded their live album in 1978.

    Tokyo National Museum - a fascinating collection of historical objects from Japan's history. I really love the exhibits on their sword making and the samurai armor.

    Senso Ji Temple - an Instagram "must see" temple. It wasn't too crowded when we went on a drizzly day. It was our first temple in Japan.

    Tsukiji Outer Market - this is the former main fish market in Tokyo. The fish auction market has since been moved farther away but the old market is now a tourist area for overpriced sushi and Wagyu beef. It's a lot of fun though.

    The Kabuki theater museum near the main Kabuki theater of Kabuki-za. It gave a great description of the Kabuki art form.

    Shibuya Scramble - Wow. We went to this world famous pedestrian intersection at night. It's the busiest pedestrian street crossing ever. We also went into a huge electronic store. It's s crazy how many people collect things here. There's floors and floors of collectibles: plush toys, plastic toys, manga characters, models and on and on. I don't get it but some people travel around the world to come here for this kind of thing.

    Harajuku - this is a trendy clothes shopping area. Clothes with English language on them are still pretty popular. Fashionistas galore....

    Shinjuku Golden-Gai and red light district of Kabuchiko - Golden Gai is a back Alley bar area. It used to be cool years ago but now it's an overpriced tourist trap. We thought we'd have a few drinks here but there's like a $10 cover charge to sit in a ridiculously small bar that holds five to seven people. Locals stopped coming here. 10 years ago Japan had 4 million tourists a year. Last year they had 40 million. I think they're sick of us, but we've experienced no negative interactions.

    We walked through the red light district to get a train and that was interesting to say the least. They have bars full of young men with lots of makeup to flirt with girls. I thought they were gay bars but maybe they're both? The bars in this area are run by the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia. We took our train back to Ueno for dinner and drinks for about 25% of the price.

    Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building - the city hall here is in 45 storey twin towers and they have free observation decks on top. On a clear day you can see Mount Fuji but unfortunately there was cloud cover in that direction. Views of the rest of the city were great.

    Akihabara - A trendy neighborhood for toy, manga and electronic stores. We stopped in Taito Station, a video arcade on steroids. Interactive games are popular where you dance or play a drum set, guitar or Japanese Taiko drums to a video game. This neighborhood is really popular with cosplay kids. It also has dozens of maid cafes. It's such a strange thing. Young women dress up in maid costumes at these cafes to serve you meals or just coffee and dessert. The customers range from perverted old men or moms taking their daughters out for a special treat. Prices are high and you get a Polaroid photo of you with a maid posing. Most of them will do a song and dance for your table also. We skipped it! Bored maid touts stand in the street handing out bills for their cafe.

    Street style food vendors or full restaurants and bars are everywhere. Vending machines are on almost every corner and you can buy all sorts of hot or cold drinks for about a dollar each. Cheap and delicious food like Yakitori skewers, sushi, wagyu skewers, Tonkatsu pork cutlets are what we've been eating. I just love that we don't have to carry water because there's a vending machine nearby at all times.

    We did a lot more sightseeing and those are just the highlights. We're averaging about 9 miles a day of walking. Everyone is pretty fit here because the food is healthy and you have to walk a lot to and from buses and trains and go up and down steps all the time. It's exhausting but fun. I definitely want to come back.

    More photos and videos are here.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/UQR7r4XSNtZeeCvD9    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    The Dom TowerThe first department store in the Netherlands is now a restaurantDrinks on a canalOur last hotel. It was a former monastery.Museum SpeelklokModern UtrechtAnother good use of a former church

    Last stop - 36 Hours in Utrecht

    May 12–13 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Well, 36 hours in Utrcht is better than zero hours in Utrecht. I love it. It's a fairly big city but the historical center is small enough to walk around and enjoy the canals.

    Yes, there's another Dutch city with lots of canals. The weather has been perfect. On our whole trip to the Netherlands, everybody seems so happy and out and about sitting in cafes enjoying the sun while they can.

    I snagged a room that's a little far from the center but is in a former monastery and that was interesting. The courtyard is absolutely beautiful and the room was really nice. The restaurant was pretty good too.

    By this point we've seen so many museums and churches and tourist things that we just kind of walked around and enjoyed the slower pace of Utrecht. We did however see one museum called the Speelklok. It's dedicated to musical instruments that are wind up mechanical devices. That's pretty weird I know, but it was kind of fascinating. They evolved out of watches and clocks. The same people who made these ended up making wind-up musical instruments, player pianos, barrel organs and so much more.

    We have a night flight tonight from Amsterdam Schipol airport to Istanbul (wrong direction, I know) and then back West to Chicago. So we had all day to kill walking around the canals and enjoying wine and coffee at cafes.

    Once again, it's been a fantastic trip. Train travel in Europe is so easy. I just can't get enough of it. And the Netherlands is a great end to the trip.

    We're having a hard time picking our top 3 Dutch cities, but Amsterdam is not even in the running. For me, it might be Haarlem, Maastricht, and Utrecht. But then again, I loved Rotterdam, so I guess I'll have to go back to them all.

    More photos and videos are here.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/r5zSEfj2Yh62FbAg7    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    Charlemagne's throne
    Aachen RathausStatue of CharlemagneThe RathausAachen CathedralAachen CathedralCharlemagne's throne in the Aachen CathedralAachen CathedralAachen CathedralAachen CathedralThe RathausAachen Cathedral from the RathausThe RathausPonttorCharlemagne's remainsAachen CathedralSauerbraten

    Aachen, Germany and Charlemagne's throne

    May 10 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Aachen is only 50 minutes by train from Maastricht. Why not spend a day in Germany? It's another treaty town (War of Austrian Succession) but it's most famous for being the Royal seat of Charlemagne, the great King of the Franks and then about seven centuries of leaders of the Holy Roman Empire. They were all crowned here from the 700s until the 1500s.

    A lot of Aachen was destroyed in World War II, but the Rathaus and Cathedral were spared. You can always tell when a city in Europe was bombed in either of the great wars. The streets and sidewalks are wider and there are lots of newer buildings.

    We had just enough time to take a tour of the cathedral and the city hall, called the Rathaus. The must-see here is Charlemagne's throne, on the second story of the Aachen Cathedral. It's a simple throne made of reused Roman marble. There's even etchings on the side that Roman soldiers used to play a board game when it was part of a floor in a church in Jerusalem.

    The Rathaus was also spectacular. The great room on the second floor is actually where latter kings of the holy Roman empire were crowned.

    We had a wonderful German meal of sauerbraten and wienerschnitzel at a cafe nearl the church. It was warm and lots of people were out and about on a sunny Saturday in May.

    Aachen is a university town. We walked through the student district on the way back to the West train station. I just love the feel of these mid-size University towns. After about 5 hours of sightseeing, we were back in Maastricht.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/bZ1MY7m7G5EDKGMU7    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    On Wyker Brugstraat
    The first of 2 brass bands we stumbled upon. What's going on?Henric van Veldekeplein with a carnival ride in the background in the Vrijthof districtGrote Markt on a market dayTrain station clockThe MaasNice nameAnother brass band on the streetStolpersteins (stumbling stones) that mark where Jews lived before taken to a concentration campBouef Bourgignon - so damn good I went back 2 days later for the same thing.Basilica of Our LadyLooks real, doesn't it?A carnival in the VrijthofThe train stationAnother cafe dayDutch vraii, their apple pieBest use of a church - convert it to a bookstore!Inside the church - turned bookstoreOur hotel in Maastricht

    Maastricht, Netherlands

    May 9–12 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    I just love mid-sized European university towns. Maastricht ranks right up there with the best of them:
    Freiburg, Germany
    Aarhus, Denmark
    Uppsala, Sweden
    Wroclaw, Poland
    Tartu, Estonia

    The list goes on and on. What makes them so special is usually they are not tourist hotspots and they're more "real." They have a slower pace than the large cities but as much to do.

    Maastricht hits that sweet spot. It's on the Maas River, far upstream from Rotterdam where we saw it before it empties into the Atlantic. There are more outdoor cafes and restaurants then you can shake a stick at. Nightlife is active. And we stumbled on two different brass bands playing in the streets for free on two different days. We are music-starved and that was a nice treat.

    The trip is ending soon, so being in a fun city with fantastic weather is a great way to end our trip. We will visit Utrecht next and take a train to Schipol airport from there after just one night and two days of sightseeing.

    We did manage to sneak in a day trip to nearby Aachen, Germany so I could check out Charlemagne's throne in a church there.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/R5THqhzXTddtQeKu9    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
    The Tuschinski Theatre, blending art nouveau with art decoAre these babies making cigars?Yawn. Another canal?Those buildings really are leaning forward.WesterkerkThe RijksmuseumAmazing building outside of the Rijksmuseum. It's a tax law firm now. 😆Ugh. They're restoring Rembrandt's most famous work: The Night Watchmen.Another Vermeer classic: The MilkmaidA Funkhouser classic.An early self-portrait by Rembrandt.The library inside the RijksmuseumA self-portrait by Van GoghOur apartment in Amsterdam from 1650. Those stairs are steep! It's just like climbing a windmill.The Dutch put a sticker on their mail slot to determine which, if any, junk mail they want.We tried the genever. That's gin.

    Amsterdam

    May 7–9 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    Amsterdam is one of the most visited cities in Europe. It's liberalism and canals draw people in for a reason. We found an apartment built in 1650 not too far from Centraal station. This is the northernmost city we'll visit on this trip, and also the most expensive. Our room cost about $250 US/night, which is 5x more than the 2 BR apartment in Malta to start the trip. 😭 But it is amazing and we don't mind paying for the experience.

    If anyone wanted to save money, you could easily stay in Haarlem or even farther away and take trains in and out. They're cheap, quick and the lodging could be half-price.

    I've been here before and did the partying stint 23 years ago. We were a tad more subdued on this trip, especially after 10 weeks of travel. But we did sample some genever, the local gin.

    The highlight was a visit to the Rijksmuseum, full of Dutch Masters and a few Van Goghs. The 2 days here were spent mostly walking along canals and taking in the sights. We absolutely love the architecture.

    It wasn't possible to visit the Anne Frank Museum. It's a small house and that sells out weeks and months in advance now. Too bad Deanne couldn't see it. On my first trip, I just walked right in.

    We're going to end the trip with Maastricht and Utrecht, two cities known for treaties. Maastricht is at the farthest point away from Amsterdam and it's still under 2 1/2 hours away on a train. I thoroughly enjoy train travel here and find myself wishing the trips were longer.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/8xtZpdytgeEcpqch9

    The Rijksmuseum
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/jhjQyjPz9nF2CCuN8    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    Molen De Valk (Falcon Mill)
    Inside Molen De ValkMolen De PutA floating ship museumAt the site of Rembrandt's childhood home1Tolerant, my assPieterskerk, The Protestant church that was home church for the pilgrimsThe organ inside PieterskerkThe Mayflower bookstoreLeiden's canals2Molen De Valk at nightStreet scenesInside the windmill. The miller lived here with his family.The inner workings of Molen de ValkBeestenmaktHooglandse KerkIn the university district

    Rembrandt, Pilgrims, Leiden

    May 6–7 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Leiden is the home of the Netherlands first University and Rembrandt. It's also where the pilgrims took refuge from England and then about 12 years later sailed to Plymouth Rock.

    We only have one day and night here and wish we had more. The area near the university has some stunning streets that look like they came out of a fairy tale. There are lots of canals and the requisite shops, bars, and cafes that line them. We're not tired of that yet!

    We stumbled on the Pieterskerk, The large Church near the university that was the home base of the pilgrims. It's a museum and event space now. There was a large plaque on the wall commemorating John Robinson, the lead pilgrim minister and effectively the cult leader of the Calvinist pilgrims. It boasted how tolerant he was.

    And right next to it was a modern display. One of the panels explained how the pilgrims had stormed a bookmaker shop and destroyed the printing press plates for a book that they deemed sinful. They imprisoned the bookmaker for several months! John Robinson stayed behind as a group of the pilgrims later sailed to the new world.

    It's hard to find Dutch food in the Netherlands. Most restaurants are ethnic, selling a variety of food from around the world. That's not the worst thing, because traditional Dutch food was fairly basic: meat, potatoes, and cheese. We did have a delicious mustard soup though. That was new for us.

    The sun sets at 9:19 pm now and there's light for much longer. We wandered the city for hours enjoying the quiet, empty streets on a Tuesday night after Bevrijdingsdag, the national liberation day. Maybe everybody was nursing a hangover?

    There are two working windmills in town. We toured one of them and learned a lot. Windmills were used to grind flour, drain the land by pumping water, and used as sawmills to cut planks. If not for these windmills, a lot of the Netherlands would still be under water.

    Leiden is yet another great mid-sized Dutch town. We happened to be here for the Wednesday market. We bought 3 kinds of cheese for snacks later. Too bad we have to leave after just one night. Next stop is Amsterdam.

    More photos and videos are here.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/qimsYezzK5ZfS4tt8    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    Dutch cheese at the Saturday market
    The St. Bavo Church in Haarlem2She's got big shoes to fillKids on chocolate1Flowers for the 20th anniversary of our first date: 05/05/051Hanging out in our living room with a view of a canalHaarlem train station, built in Art Deco styleWindmill De Adriaan (1779). It still works.Our apartment for three nights.An Indonesian Warung, a cafeteria style restaurant. I just love them.At the Haarlem train stationGrote Markt afternoonKoepelgevangenis, the prison turned movie theater, bar, co-working space, escape room, university...1At the Tulip BarnAt the Tulip Barn in HillegomAround the Grote MarktPoffertjes cooking. They're tiny Dutch pancakes.Bikes everywhereLazy day on the Spaarne.

    Haarlem

    May 3–6 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Sometimes you get a good feel for a place immediately. And we immediately loved Haarlem. It's much smaller than the Hague. The center of the city is surrounded by canals. We arrived on a sunny Saturday which is Market Day- lucky for us.

    We had some problems with our apartment through booking.com. Our original apartment was overbooked according to the owner and he wanted to move us to a new place. I was pretty suspicious and worried if it was a scam. It wasn't. And like he said, the new apartment was much better.

    The building was built in 1450! That's a new record for oldest building I've spent the night in. The owner lovingly remodeled it in 2010. It's an awkward setup with stairs from the bedroom up to the kitchen and bathroom and with his son living on the third floor and walking through a shared stairwell that divides the apartment. But that's a minor tradeoff for the beautiful apartment and amazing location in the heart of the city.

    When we arrived, all the cafes and restaurants in front of the building were full of people basking in the sun and enjoying the view facing the Spaarne River. It's a view that we get for three full days.

    The Grote Markt (big market) was in full swing when we arrived. It reminded me of Madison's Saturday farmers market. We opted for kibbeling for lunch which is small pieces of cod, battered and fried. You can take the boy out of Wisconsin......

    Most Dutch cities have a central plaza with the Oude Kirke (old church) in the center with the Grote Markt next to it. Haarlem's is especially beautiful. There's not much modern development in the old town and the old buildings are lovingly cared for. There are some art nouveau treasures hidden in the streets also.

    Only in the Netherlands can you get a drink at a bar, watch a movie, or get a University education in a former prison. The dome-shaped Koepelgevangenis was built in 1899 and served as a prison until the '70s. About 10 years ago, a non-profit bought it and has made it into public working space and all the things I mentioned above. Each prison cell had a window and a fair amount of room. I've paid more for rooms that were smaller than a prison cell here.

    The Netherlands is known for tulips and cheese. Well we've already toured Gouda, so that means we had to find some tulips. It's the end of the season but we did go out to a place called the Tulip Barn 20 minutes south of town on a train to see what's left. They were charging $9.50 to enter an area to see see a tulip garden but you can see it from outside the fence. It just so happened that a bottle of wine at their cafe cost the same as two tickets to enter. Which option do you think we chose? Haha.

    Lodging in Amsterdam is really expensive so we only booked two nights there. Less than 20 years ago I paid $25 for a dorm room there. Today you pay about $100 to stay in an 8 bed dorm or $250 minimum for a small hotel room.

    Haarlem is close enough that we decided to go for a half-day trip to Amsterdam before we check in there in a couple days. It took only 1 5 minutes on the train to get there. Haarlem is just small enough that we've seen most of it already between all the walking we've done and a 1-hour canal boat tour we just took. What a contrast! Amsterdam is crazy busy at all times of the year now.

    May 5th is Bevrijdingsdag, or Liberation Day in the Netherlands. It celebrates the end of Nazi occupation from that day in 1945. It's a huge party with festivals all over the country. We had no idea. We're fortunate that the festival grounds here are only a 15 minute walk. May 5th is also the 20th anniversary of our first date. Even I can remember 05/05/05!

    Unfortunately the festival here was over crowded. Last year they claimed 130,000 attended. The fenced-in park could only hold less than half of that. There were long lines to get in, lines for tickets, lines for drinks, food, etc. and you couldn't see a stage, so we left early. Our 575 year old apartment on a canal is more our style.

    More photos and videos are here.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/8mH42wXv5bMuATbaA    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    Having fun with The Girl With A Pearl Earring in Delft, hometown of Vermeer
    1View from our apartmentThe Escher MuseumThe Escher MuseumOur hotel roomPoffertjes. You're not hallucinating. They're that good.Molen de Roos windmill in DelftStadspark Valkenberg in BredaGrote Market in BredaMy girl with a pearl earringDelftIn the Delft StadthuisA canal in DelftSand sculptures at the beachScheveningen strand1Probably in better shape than the VW van we used to haveScenes of The HagueA bar in Breda. It reminded me of the Rathskeller in Madison.The one, the only...Girl With A Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis Museum in Den HagueRembrandt's last self-portrait, painted the year he died. At the Mauritshuis Museum in Den HaguePeter Paul Rubens' "Old Woman and Boy With Candles" at the Mauritshuis Museum in Den Hague

    The Hague, Delft, and Breda, Netherlands

    Apr 29–May 3 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    For some reason I'm not that into the Hague. There's nothing wrong with it, but it seems a little too sterile and business like. We're staying in the business center and that may be why. It's clean, like all Dutch cities but my first impression is that it's lacking in soul.

    I find it incredibly dangerous to walk in. Bicycles rule here and they ride on the sidewalk, the bike paths, the tramways and then park their bikes across the sidewalks. I'm a bike enthusiast, but this is crazy. There are no clear pedestrian street crossings in many places, so it's like in SE Asia where you just try not to get hit. I haven't seen this in any other European city but somehow it works.

    We went to Delft for the day. It's the hometown of the painter Johannes Vermeer, who did most of his work there.

    His most famous piece "Girl With A Pearl Earring" is here in The Hague at the Mauritshuis Museum. Delft is a great little town just down the tracks with lots of canals, a fair amount of tourists, and a free windmill museum that we toured. They still grind flour with it!

    On a whim, we decided to visit Breda, which is south of Rotterdam, near Belgium. It was just another 37 minutes away in comfy seats and bathroom access onboard. I joked with Deanne that we could just take short train rides instead of paying a euro to pee. Intercity trains in the Netherlands leave every 10 - 30 minutes. That's faster than trying to catch a bus across town in Madison! I think I'm in heaven.

    Of these three cities, we liked Breda the best. It was the warmest day of the trip, and so that might be why. No tourists, an amazing central park, a charming square full of smiling people in cafes, beautiful architecture.... that's our idea of fun. We're 9 weeks into an 11-week trip and at this point enjoying the local culture is more interesting than museums.

    "Den Haag" did redeem itself over the next few days. It was another 75+ degree (24 C) day yesterday and everyone and their mother went to the beach. We met a couple from Cologne Germany that drove 3 hours just for the beach.

    Scheveningen strand is just north of town at the end of a tram line. It's a fantastic soft sand beach rivaling the world's best, and I've seen quit a few. Nobody will rob you here like in South American or South Asian beaches. It goes on for miles and has a Coney Island like atmosphere, with ziplining, bungy jumping, and a huge ferris wheel. The nearby dunes are a national park and remind me of Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan or even Grand Sable Dunes on Lake Superior in Michigan's UP. If you don't want the crowds, just walk away from the tourist traps and towards the dunes. As busy as it was, there was plenty of room on the never-ending beach.

    We've had 4 nights here, which might have been too much but the nice weather, train pass, and great hotel room made it a good stay. Next up is Haarlem. The last time I took a train to Harlem, I accidentally got on an express train from midtown. 😁

    More photos and videos are here.

    The Hague
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/gjuecH2R9bpbJfiV6

    Delft
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Swiuq1rGGWqJcQs9

    Breda
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZmbGN6JfPUgyvRgx7    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    Rotterdam 's central station points to the center of town.
    Lunch in GoudaThe cube houses in RotterdamAt the Gouda cheese experienceThe historic tram in RotterdamThe Market Hall in RotterdamHmmmm. It's known as the Buttplug Gnome.A canal in RotterdamThe Stadhuis van GoudaThe Art Depot museumGouda cheese experienceCentral GoudaOur first windmill of the trip.Art in RotterdamA Rotterdam canalIn GoudaHeemraadsparkDrinks at Café de Oude Sluis

    Rotterdam and Gouda, Netherlands

    Apr 27–29 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    We're noticing that people are more respectful and courteous as we go north. Now that we're in the Netherlands, it's glaringly obvious just how nice Dutch people are.

    Rotterdam is a fascinating place. It was bombed and destroyed by the Nazis almost 85 years ago because it's a large port city. Today, it's the largest port in Europe, the second largest city in the country, and one of the few European cities with skyscrapers in the center. It's one of the reasons I wanted to come here. It has wide streets and boulevards and such an open, airy feeling. The buildings are so innovative, like in Scandinavia. We especially loved the cube houses, an experimental apartment complex in the center.

    We finally have some really warm sunny weather, and that helps our mood. The central train station is a modern marvel and literally points toward the center of town to help foreigners like us get our bearings. In the west of the Netherlands, the cities are fairly close together and trains between them are literally every 10- 30 minutes.

    Rotterdam is on the Maas river as it empties into to the North sea. In a week or so, we will visit Maastricht in the far southeast of the country. Maastricht means "the crossing over the Maas" so the river spans the whole country.

    We took a day trip to Gouda (pronounced HOWda) and went to the Gouda Cheese Experience, an interactive Museum. That was fun and delicious. The town is small and scenic, with canals just like Rotterdam and most other Dutch cities in the west.

    What's also refreshing is that everyone speaks English and we can just have random conversations with people. We've already had several with total strangers and it just makes traveling that much more fun. Two nights here was enough to see the major sites and take that day trip. Now we're going to spend four nights in The Hague.

    More photos and videos are here.
    Rotterdam
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/sYo1ZqVt7V6GuWDTA

    Gouda
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/QJnN9gY7dbBfjavt6    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    In the Metro
    Big crowds attending mass at Notre Dame, after the death of Pope FrancisOur trip so farThe SeinePont NeufThe Palais Garnier Opera House from Galeries Lafayette Haussmann viewing platformInside Galeries Lafayette HaussmannAt Bassin de la Villette, part of Canal St. MartinFresh MackerelCimetière du Père-LachaiseCimetière du Père-LachaiseThe tomb of Edith Piaf, famed singer.Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de MontmartreCrowds gather at Van Gaugh's Starry Night. We've been to the spot where it was painted in Arles.Self portraitBow Wow Wow album cover, or Manet's Luncheon on the Grass?At a festival at Bassin de la VilletteLine 2 Porte Dauphine Metro stop

    Paris

    Apr 23–27 in France ⋅ 🌧 48 °F

    Paris is pretty busy any time of the year. That's why we stayed a little farther out from the center in the 19th arrondissement. That, and the high rents they're getting here.

    We loved our neighborhood. It was safe, had lots of action, but it was liveable and breathable, unlike the tourist neighborhoods. We'd make trips in to see the main sights and breathe a sigh of relief when we went back in the 19th. At times, it was hard to find a seat in a cafe for a quick bathroom break and espresso anywhere near the Seine.

    But Paris is always fantastic, no matter what. We arrived at Gare Austerlitz to a cold rain. The bus stop we wanted was closed for construction, but we'd have never known until a kind young woman told us. So, it was another day of trudging through rain with bags to the next stop.

    After checking into our apartment, we found an amazing restaurant with great plats du jour and all was well. Our super friendly Turkish waiter helped. My saying "teshurkeler" (Turkish hello) put us in his good graces.

    We've been here twice before and have seen the Must See sites. That gave is freedom to explore neighborhoods and markets. The 20th arrondissement is full of immigrants, great graffiti, and good vibes.

    After the first day, we had great weather and enjoyed our week-long transportation pass by jumping on countless metros and buses. What a great system! Subways come every 3-4 minutes.

    The only museum we saw this time was the amazing Musée d' Orsay, our favorite in Paris. They have a great Impressionist wing on the 5th floor.

    On our last day, Deanne found the lovely Parc Monceau somewhere between the 8th and 17th arrondissements. It was so nice out, we took a nap in the park while families picnicked.

    Four nights was not enough but we want to spend a lot of time in the Netherlands, the last country on this trip. Next stop, Rotterdam!

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/BCXcihVzLGBjCrGd9

    Musée d'Orsay
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/4MxgvQKiDNbbc2Y68

    2 minute video (horizontal)
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/a53cVNRyWtPTLEpS9

    Paris Graffiti
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/fmirJEvFDrJneKeL7    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    The Royal Château of Blois
    The Royal Château of BloisHad a horrible time in Ouarzazate once....The chateau as seen from the outsideOur 500+ year old apartmentThe stairs and hallway of the apartmentThe front of the buildingThe origin of the word "minions."

    Blois, France

    Apr 22–24 in France ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    It's pronounced Blwa. Say that 3 times fast.

    Blois is a good base to see several chateaus in the Loire valley. There's one right in the center of town even. We've been traveling pretty hard and decided that it's such a nice little city that we don't need to to run around and catch inopportune buses to and from Chateau Chambord. It's one of those "must see" chateaus but we decided we didn't need to see it. It's always going to be there, right? Our apartment host told us that Chambord didn't really have much to see inside but the outside was beautiful. That was enough for us to take a day off and enjoy the town we're in.

    Instead, we enjoyed hanging out in our 500 plus year old spacious apartment. If those walls could talk.....It's a block from the chateau in the center of the old town. When we did get around to visiting it, we were so happy that we didn't try to do two of these in one of day.

    The Royal Château of Blois has lots of history and the museum was incredibly well done. Everyone got a tablet with interactive software that made it so interesting. It was the Royal Palace of French Kings Louis XII, Francis I, and Henry III from the 1500's. They were the last of the House of Valois (never heard of 'em either). The next Royal house was the more well known House of Bourbon. Louis XIV, the Sun King came 3 generations later.

    We enjoyed our last small town experience in France and cooked dinner at home on our last night. Tomorrow we're off to Paris for our 3rd visit. I have no plans and no expectations. I wouldn't mind visiting the Musée d'Orsay again, but other than that I'd be happy to just walk around and check out neighborhood life.

    More photos and videos are here.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/ciNRhVQdKrbnX62G6    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    Chateau Chenonceau on the Cher River
    Coq a vinAmboiseAmboiseHalf-timbered houses in Ambois1Hungry, hungry hippeaus

    Chateau Chenonceau and Amboise, France

    April 21 in France ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    It was a mighty struggle to find information on getting here from Tours on the day after Easter, but we found bus transportation. It was well worth it. The pictures speak for themselves. The Loire River valley is full of chateaus from former kings and dukes, and this is one of the best.

    We had to carry our luggage with us though. Luckily, they had lockers at the chateau. The addition to the chateau across a specially-designed bridge across the Cher River is what makes this one so special.

    Afterwards, a bus took us to nearby Amboise for lunch. Lots of folks use that as a base. I chose Blois instead, so it was a short train ride there after lunch. It was a rough couple of travel days for us: cold, rainy, transportation missteps ... It's rare for us, but it happens. We're looking forward to our cenruries-old lodging in Blois next.

    More photos and videos are here.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/27SdHN1SRL6SAG2d7    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    Tours Cathedral - Cathédrale Saint-Gatien
    Tours CathedralTours Hotel de VilleJoan of Arc slept here. She had to report to women in Tours and they verified she was a virgin.Half- timbered architecture in ToursWood carvings on a doorwayHalf- timbered architecture in ToursHalf- timbered architecture in ToursThe Loire is pretty high right nowWhen you don't have a liquor license.Tours Cathedral - Cathédrale Saint-GatienTours CathedralTours GareA Boules parlor. It's a lawn bowling game popular in France

    Tours, France

    Apr 20–21 in France ⋅ 🌧 48 °F

    We were due for a bad travel day, and this was it. It was cold and rainy and we were out in it with our luggage too often. But after we checked in to our apartment, we did have a few hours to enjoy Tours. The Cathedral was impressive, especially the stained glass.

    This is a university town with about 30,000 students but most of them are probably home on spring break.

    It's's where Joan of Arc visited, maybe not by choice. I saw a plaque on a wall that she had slept in the building. On Wikipedia, it said she was required to come here to be examined by women to prove she was a virgin. Whew. She passed. And the rest is history.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/UiC92RYckwRk9azT8    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    Place de la Bourse
    Tour Pey BerlandAlien ArtTrying a Lillet in front of Cathédrale Saint-André de BordeauxRue Sainte-CatherinePlace Camille JullianPorte CailhauPlace de la BourseSt. EmilionSt. EmilionGrosse ClocheBassins des Lumières. That pool used to hold a Nazi submarine.Fontaine du Char du Triomphe de la RépubliqueA gallete and cidre for lunchDarwin Eco-systèmeAcross the GarroneI was feeling brave. Beef Tartare with bone marrow, served in the bone. Delicious!

    Bordeaux, France

    Apr 16–20 in France ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    I've yet to find a city in France that I don't like. People come to Bordeaux for wine tasting but there's so much more. Bordeaux is probably the easiest city to get around. There's no subway but there are tram lines that take priority over all traffic and fortunately our aparthotel is next to a tram stop.

    We bought a 7 day transportation pass and that included the trams and buses and the ferries that ply across the Garonne river. That river empties into the Atlantic just north of town. And that's why there's a former Nazi-built submarine base that was converted into an art and light installation.

    We spent a lot of time just walking around and soaking up the sights and gawking at beautiful buildings. The Bourse is especially wonderful . Cafe culture is king here and we've been doing our best. We found a front row seat at a cafe across from the Gothic Cathedral on a sunny day. And we're just stopping for coffee and the occasional wine in different neighborhoods. It's absolutely wonderful.

    Because it's Easter week, we're seeing a lot of Spanish tourists. Probably every other person I hear on the street is speaking Spanish. But it's not too crowded like Paris.

    We took a day trip to nearby St. Emilion, for a wine tasting in town. It's a charming village sitting on top of limestone caves used to store the wines. And for miles and miles around it's surrounded by vineyards.

    Today is our last full day and it's a cooler, rainy day so it's good thing we opted use our 24 hour museum pass today. We'll go to that art and light installation and two wine museums.

    More photos and videos are here.

    Bordeaux
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/VyvaS5Y2NVtbwjvq8

    St. Emilion
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/j6sstsqPeZxkMTEe9    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    A view of the museum and cathedral from another photo
    The oldest known painting of Toulouse LautrecAn early self- portraitA young Lautrec in the centerThe Garden of the Lautrec museumSainte-Cecile Cathedral of Albi1Sainte-Cecile Cathedral of AlbiSainte-Cecile Cathedral of Albi. It's unique because they used bricks throughout.Sainte-Cecile Cathedral of AlbiSainte-Cecile Cathedral of AlbiSainte-Cecile Cathedral of AlbiAcross the TarnHalf- timbered houses in AlbiThe Pont VieuxThe old market, refurbished as a food hall1

    Albi, Home of Toulouse Lautrec

    Apr 15–16 in France ⋅ 🌧 54 °F

    We came to Albi just to see the museum of the hometown hero, Henri Toulouse Lautrec. He was born here in 1864. But we got so much more. It's yet another charming small town in France. And we had no idea that the Cathedral is a UNESCO world heritage site. It was amazing, and that's saying something from someone who is "churched out."

    The Musée Toulouse-Lautrec included mostly early works that his mother collected and saved. It was nice seeing his style progress to what he became famous for. The building itself was fantastic, a former Bishop's palace from the middle ages.

    There was no mention of the genocide of the Cathars, the plans of which probably originated in these walls. The Cathars were a Christan sect deemed heretics in the middle ages. They lived throughout Occitania, this southern region of France. Historians think about one million were tortured and killed.

    But enough of the fun stuff! The town today is clean and friendly, with lots of pedestrian streets. It's on the river Tarn and there's an old bridge that only pedestrians use now. Many of the older buildings are made in the half-timbered style.

    For lunch, we found a local restaurant offering a plat de jour. Fantastic meals for two that we couldn't finish cost less than $40 without wine. Mine included 3 types of seafood in a wine sauce, and a delicious appetizer of an Arancini in a mushroom duxelle (mince). I discovered Arancinis in Sicily, where they are from. They're deep fried rice balls stuffed with the chef's choice. They're absolutely delicious and gluten free.

    One night wasn't really enough but we did see the major sights. Bordeaux beckons!

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZKi339AFbEkhZL4b7    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    The Garrone River from the Rive Droite (Right Bank)
    The Hall of Machines!My first Kir (black currant liqueur with white wine.) Pinkies up.Our apartment in the center of the Old TownCassoulet, a southern France classicArt installation on the Pont Neuf across the Garonne River. I thought it was a dude!Street signs in the historic center are in French and Occitan, an almost forgotten languageAt the Bemberg art museum.Inside Le Capitole, the Hotel de Ville (city hall) in Toulouse. Wow!Ricard is the most popular brand of Pernod in France. Add some ice and water, sit back, and relax.I don't think anyone wore this armor into battle.There were some amazing impressionist pieces at the Bemberg.At Le Capitole, The City Hall of ToulouseA Concorde at the Musee AeroscopiaA picnic on the left bank of the River Garonne.Inside the Concorde. Flights ended in 2003.Hall of MachinesHall of Machines

    Toulouse, France

    Apr 12–15 in France ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    We had no expectations about visiting Toulouse and ended up just loving it. It's a great city. This is France's fourth largest and was voted by Lonely Planet as one of the best place to visit in 2025. It's France's tech hub, home of Airbus and the largest national space center in Europe.

    We arrived early Saturday afternoon. A lot of restaurants close at 2:30 or so, but we found a Thai restaurant nearby. We kept hearing a bass drum in the background while eating. After lunch we walked through a huge techno festival in the street. A lot of different groups had massive speakers on trucks and just cranked out their favorite music to large crowds.

    We scored a remodeled apartment right smack dab in the middle of things in the old city. The pedestrian streets were so crowded! And this was after the festival area. I guess Saturday is shopping day, because stores were packed. It was worse than Black Friday. The warm weather brought people out.

    There were so many highlights, I'll list only our favorites:

    - Fine dining. Food is great and not too expensive. Local wine is great value also. Cassoulet is the local dish. It's a hearty bean stew with a duck leg and a sausage.

    Museums - the Bemberg has wonderful impressionists and an interesting jewelry collection. The best museum was the Hall of Machines. It's hard to describe, so check out the movies. That's not AI! Imagine a group of artsy engineers who are also musicians created a museum about machinery, and your have the Hall of Machines. We didn't have time for about 5 other museums.

    - The airplane museum (Aeroscopia) We got to walk through a Concorde plane and several others in the suburb that hosts the Airbus factory. That was fun.

    - A stroll and picnic along the Rive Garonne. This is as romantic and exciting as a walk along the Seine in Paris. On Saturday night, it was party central with the younger set. They don't allow that in Paris.

    Le Capitole - the Hotel DeVille, or city hall. Wow. It's a shrine to civic government with fantastic murals adorning the ceiling and walls in in what can only be described as a palace. I wince when thinking of Madison's city/ county building

    There's so much more. We're glad we had 3 nights but could have used more. I can't recommend a visit here enough.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZWQBHyWdvY5se5yC9

    Hall of Machines
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/LLCfSnkXzSD5TTWT6

    Musée Aeroscopia
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/xVcGNuaNZ1z58EY26    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    Delgres playing at Parenthes
    Found a poster for the showOur BnBOne Man Swamp Boogie warmed up the crowdSigning slbumsThis is the venue where we saw the showThe largest winery I've ever seen! This is where our box wine comes from, huh?The backyard of our BnBThe church in ServianThe hotel DeVille, or town hall of Servian

    Servian, France

    Apr 11–12 in France ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    It's so rare that we get to see live music when we're traveling. Very few cities of their size do live music better than Madison! But Deanne is a music sleuth and found that Delgres was playing in this small town. Delgres is a French band with roots in Louisiana and the island of Guadalupe. We've seen them a few times in the states.

    The show was at an art space near the HUGEST winery I've ever seen. The 3 story fermentation tanks took up a few blocks. This is not Napa. It looks like the AE Staley and ADM factories in Decatur, Il. where I grew up. So that's where the box wine comes from. 😂 This southern region of Languedoc produces the most wine in France.

    Languedoc means the language of the Oc, or Occidentals. That's an almost lost language from this region. On the bus ride to Servian, we saw miles and miles of vineyards, yet wine tourists don't come here. They need some serious marketing!

    The show was amazing. Deanne bought a shirt from the lead singer and he was shocked when we told him we'd seen them in Madison and Lafayette, Louisiana. He knew Madison. He replied with "We know where the good people live."

    The BnB we stayed at couldn't have been more perfect. If only we had more time there. We met a French guy at the restaurant where we ate dinner and he mentioned he was staying nearby. He is a chef and lives in the Philippines but has kids in both countries. He was hit by a car while visiting his sister and was receiving medical care here. At breakfast the next morning, he was eating when we came down, so we got to know him even better.

    Earlier, we got off the train at Beziers, an absolutely wonderful town with a world class Central Park, complete with a pond and fountains. We walked to a bus stop and paid a whopping 1 Euro each to go 10 miles to the village of Servian where the concert was.

    Small town folks are so friendly here. These towns are so vibrant. There are hardly any empty shops, people smile at strangers., and are happy to help me find the bus stop. Why are we spending so much time in cities? But even in cities, the stereotype of the snobbish French is so wrong. I think that was based on a prior generation of French and Americans.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/F7xQgv3TJK5A7Pg37    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    2
    The fish market on the harborUnder the L'Ombrière de Norman Foster. It's no Chicago BeanMarseilles Opera HouseAt the fish marketMarseilles HarborAt a different fish market.View of the city from Basilica Notre-Dame de la GardeChateau d'If, the island castle location of Alexander Dumas' the Count of Monte CristoInside the BasilicaWandering around Le Panier neighborhoodLe PanierLe PanierLe Panier graffitiShop signsOld Charity CenterPlace CastellaneAt Place Castellane at duskFresh oysters and shrimp for dinnerThe harbor at night

    Marseille, France

    Apr 10–11 in France ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Marseilles is France's 2nd largest city and deserves more than one day and night, but that's all the time we had for it, so we made the most of it.

    We checked into a cheap hotel in the historic center near the old port and hit the ground running. We walked all along the port, checked out the fish market, did some cafe culture, trying to stretch our coffees as long as a Frenchman. Impossible!

    Then we bought 24 hour transportation passes and took a bus up to the Basilica on the huge hill overlooking town. Great views. It also overlooks the Chateau d'If on a small island in the bay. It's the place where the count of Monte Cristo action takes place Alexander Dumas' book.

    Lunch was at a seafood restaurant near the harbor. We spent way too much time trying to find a place that wasn't too touristy yet had good seafood. We lucked out. The plot du jour was excellent. Unfortunately, you have to make a 3-day reservation if you want good Bouillabaisse, the local specialty.

    Then it was off to Le Panier, the "breadbasket" neighborhood on a large hill. It's narrow streets are fun to walk through. There's lots of graffiti and trendy shops and cafes up there now. Not long ago it was a very poor neighborhood.

    After a nap we took a subway two stops away and we were in a different world away from the port and tourists. Deanne found a nice seafood restaurant. Dinner was fresh oysters and langistinos with a bottle of wine.

    We had time in the morning for coffee at a cafe and a stroll in the sun. We're on a train right now heading west from Marseille towards the small town of Servian to see Delgres, a band we like. We've seen them at the Fete de Marquette in Madison a couple times and the Festival Internacional in Lafayette, Louisiana.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/c1gmtaVo8cgMmpfu8    Read more

  • Dave HipplerEurope 2025Traveler
    The harbor at sunset
    Just arrivingJust Foi Gras. 😂Annik showing us around our lovely apartmentMy first French Cidre and Gallette (Buckwheat crepe) of the tripLeaving Toulon in our wakeSablettes beach - not quite warm enough to swim thoughEspresso timeSea Bass plat du jour for 15 EurosPlace de la Liberté in front of Théâtre LibertéIn the arty neighborhoodPinkies up, bitches!We bought some delicious chevreThe telepherique Mont Faron, above the cityHey, sailorAt the naval museum next to the largest French Naval baseMenu at Restaurant Le Saint GabrielThe rugby stadium. It's big here. Also the site of one of Bob Marley's last concertsThe harbor from the south end

    Toulon, France

    Apr 8–11 in France ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    We were leaving Italy and were going to head to a university town called Aix en Provence, north of Marseille. We had heard good things about this university town. But then Deanne realized that we're leaving the sea for good on this trip. Toulon seems like a perfect alternative to spend just a couple more days on the water. It's in Provence, on the sea, another university town, and not on the tourist trail, at least this time of year. We couldn't be happier.

    And a lot of that has to do with the lodging we found. We're in a newly remodeled, spacious apartment on the 6th floor of a building with an actual elevator that holds us and luggage! The views are spectacular. What a rare treat! We were met by Annik, a charming elderly French woman who owned the apartment. She gave us The Grand Tour and told us what sites we should see. If not for her, we probably wouldn't have taken the ferry to nearby Sablettes Beach.

    This city is lacking in a lot of the historic old buildings that we've been seeing because it was bombed extensively in world War II. The historic center is mostly a pedestrian area and is chock full of quaint shops. Annik said there's been an effort over the last 20 years to revitalize the city and especially in the last 3 or 4 years. It really shows. This is a lovely town and the center is a short distance from our apartment.

    There's a fruit and vegetable market that sets up and takes down 6 days a week on the main pedestrian street. And the harbor is full of amazing and inexpensive (for an American Midwesterner) seafood restaurants. Hundreds of sailboats and motorboats are moored here and this is the home of the largest French naval base.

    In 1793 a young artillery officer named Napoleon Bonaparte gained fame and promotion when he captured a fort here and forced Royalist, Spanish, and British forces to leave.

    Today, Toulon is a beach destination in the summer. In the spring, it's a pleasant mid-size town to hang out. We each bought a 10 euro all day transportation pass yesterday so we could take a ferry to the nearby beach and back. It also got us on the telepherique, a gondola that goes to the top of the nearby mountain.

    We booked an extra day here since we liked the apartment and town so much. We spent it walking around a different part of the city and harbor. Lunch was on the harbor at one of the better restaurants in town. We were lucky to get in without a reservation. Yes, in France, you need reservations for lunch at nice places, even on a weekday. For both of us, it was one of the best meals of the trip, and still cost under $80 with wine. Dinner was salad, cheese, and salami at the apartment.

    Because we booked and extra night here, we've only got one night to see Marseilles, our next stop. We're moving quickly now because we want to see a band we like in the small town of Servian on Friday.

    More photos and videos are here.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZTTrcXBPjXZ1npNz9    Read more

Get your own travel profile

Free

QR code

FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android

  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Help Center
  • Legal notice