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Dave Hippler

Dave Hippler

traveled in 38 countries Read more🇺🇸Madison
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    • Dave HipplerTravelerEurope 2025
      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 HipplerTravelerEurope 2025
      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 HipplerTravelerEurope 2025
      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 HipplerTravelerEurope 2025
      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 HipplerTravelerEurope 2025
      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 HipplerTravelerEurope 2025
      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 HipplerTravelerEurope 2025
      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 HipplerTravelerEurope 2025
      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

    • Dave HipplerTravelerEurope 2025
      Vernazza
      Leaving MonterossoApproaching VernazzaVernazzaAnother one...VernazzaOk. Does that say Dave Hippie? Dave Hippler? WTF!After leaving VernazzaNo grapes on the vine yetPit stop with a lemon slushieTakin' a breakThe Ligurian SeaThis bus lists all the towns. Some tourists drive to them instead of doing the arduous hike.The train station down below at Corniglia

      Cinque Terre, Italy

      April 4 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

      I had all but given up on seeing this area of Italy. I just wasn't finding decent lodging on short notice. Most people book months in advance to stay in one of the five villages that make up Cinque Terre. So we gave up on it. That is, until I realized we could do it on a long day trip from Genoa.

      It took 2 1/2 hours each way of travel time, but it was worth it. We arrived at 9:00 or so in Monterosso, the first of "5 lands ". From there, we hiked southeast along the Ligurian coast. This region is known as Liguria and this part of the Mediterranean is the Ligurian Sea.

      We had lots of sun and the trails weren't crowded in early April and this early in the morning. It wasn't long until it came upon the stunning views of Vernazza. Once in town we ate our packed lunch. It's kind of hard to find gluten-free options so we knew this would be easier and faster.

      The next segment to Corniglia was a bit harder, but so rewarding. We were hoping to take a ferry back so we took a train to Manarola to catch the ferry. But their port was not in service so we couldn't take the ferry. Drag.

      Manarola was was so full of tour groups, construction, and fishing boats parked in the streets that we couldn't wait to leave. From land, it's the least attractive of the villages we saw. From the water it looks much better apparently. That was enough hiking for us. The trail between the next villages is closed because of landslides and we didn't feel like doing the last stretch.

      We caught a train home from Manarola and made it back to our comfortable apartment and ate at home that night. After almost 12 miles of up and down hiking we were too tired to go out.

      This trip is on a lot of people's bucket list. It is pretty beautiful. I wouldn't recommend going May through September. We met an American guy on the trail who was here last September and he said it was unbearably crowded on the trails. The trails are generally narrow, so going early in the morning and in shoulder or in the off season is your best bet.

      More photos and videos are here.
      https://photos.app.goo.gl/8XJxtPhNUMsHnEAcA      Read more

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