Travel Snippets 7 of 9

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There are big tour buses in some campgrounds. We have seen this dozens of times in countries on both sides of the Iron Curtain. They each pull a huge trailer containing the luggage, tents, and the kitchen for 30 or 40 passengers, mostly college age kids. They sleep in tents that are lined up in straight lines, but we were assured they didn’t each sleep in the same tent every night. The bus takes them into town at night, and will take them sightseeing during the day. Sometimes a “crew” sets up the tents and does the cooking, and in other cases it seems the passengers do the work.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There are many sheep and goats in the area of the bridge in Píli, Greece, and it's easy to see they will continue to be there as there are sheep and goat “seeds” all over the narrow high-arch medieval stone bridge. Really a beautiful single arched bridge. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There are thousands of McDonald’s restaurants in all parts of Europe, each with clean restrooms. It soon became a euphemism to say, “I need to use the McDonald’s.” Can you imagine the billions of dollars spent at McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants each year by people who just stopped to use the “McDonald’s.” Of course in the RV we had our own private “McDonald’s,” but we did stop at McDonald’s restaurants in many different countries, usually for a Carmel Ice Cream Sundae, a Coke, and a handful of French Fries.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There are three ways to scale the cliff from the cruise ship, SS City of Rhodes, to the town of Thíra, on the Greek Island, Santoríni. Walk up the 587 steps zigzagging up the side of the cliff, ride one of the donkeys or horses that carry passengers up those same steps, or ride the cable car. Easy decision, and the cable car took us right into town. Thíra is a picturesque town with narrow streets, white buildings, beautiful churches, and tourist stores by the hundreds. There are ruins of ancient civilizations on other parts of the island, but we had no time to visit. When it was time to leave, Emmy decided we would walk down the 587 stairs to the Sea. After stepping in millions of donkey donuts she wouldn’t admit defeat and sit on the donkey donuts on the steps to rest, nor would she ride a donkey the rest of the way, but her knees were shaking long before we got to the SS City of Rhodes. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There has never been a civilization that was happy with just producing food, clothes, and shelter. Thousands of years ago they produced works of architectural enchantment, that appear to be beyond the abilities of today's engineers and architects, or at least beyond the ability of our financiers. The people who did the millions of man-years of work to build Stonehenge, the Cathedrals, city walls, castles, Egyptian pyramids, Roman amphitheaters, Greek temples and theaters, aqueducts, and fortifications, needed millions of other people producing the food, clothes, shelter, and other items needed for the workers to live and work. In the single century from 1170 to 1270, the French built eighty cathedrals, and nearly 500 churches of the cathedral class, which would have cost, according to an estimate made in 1840, more than a thousand million dollars to replace. That same scale of expenditure ($1,000,000,000 per century) went on for several centuries. What would a billion 1840 dollars be worth today?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There is a delicious loaf of bread we have purchased in Italy a dozen times — often the crust is hard, the loaf is hollow, and given some drum sticks, we could lead a parade. One day we watched as Grandma entertained her Grandkids by feeding bread to the pigeons. In Piazza Maggiore, in Bologna, Italy, right in front of Basilica of St. Petronius, Grandma had a large bag filled with dinner rolls that must have been more than a few days old. She would toss a roll into the air a few feet from where she stood, and as the roll landed on the cobblestones it would explode into a million pieces, and spread over a large area for the birds to eat. Amazing. We assumed Grandma knew exactly how old the rolls needed to be, to create this much entertainment. (1988)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There is a huge parking lot (no vehicles are permitted in Zermatt) and a campground, where we spent the night in two different years, at Tasch, Switzerland, a few miles from Zermatt. We rode the train from Tasch to Zermatt, at $4 per person, round trip. We walked around the town for quite a while, and stopped at an outside dining room for a hot chocolate, with the Matterhorn high in the distance. This was one of those extra clear days to see this area, things were almost magnified. One of the people at a store told us they get only a few days a year, this clear. Well, maybe this view of the Matterhorn reminded us just a little of Disneyland, but the view from most anywhere in Zermatt is fantastic. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There is a story told to us by a dozen former members of the German military (and confirmed by several Danes, including one who now lives in the USA), that it was unbelievably easy for the German Army to capture Denmark at the start of World War II. Several commented on the almost complete lack of concern or resistance, on the part of the Danes. When the war ended, there were many members of the German Military stranded in Norway. As these Germans tried to get home, dozens, or hundreds (depending on which story you want to believe), were shot and killed by the Danes, as they tried to cross Denmark, on the way to their home in Germany. Some Danes were very courageous and fearless, now that the war was over. (1940s)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There is a touch of modern in the Cathedral in Speyer, Germany, an ancient architectural jewel. We watched as a large battery-driven floor sweeper kept the floor clean in a manner not envisioned by the original builders. How do we describe these captivating, exceptional buildings? Words like Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and Rococo describe specific architecture styles, but we have yet to discover the words needed to define the beauty. The impressive belfries of the Speyer Cathedral, founded in 1030 AD, can be seen from miles away, and are particularly impressive when seen from the bridge over the nearby Rhine River. In 1529, this was the location of the Diet of Spires, a formal deliberative assembly at which Martin Luther’s “protesters” acquired the name Protestants. Just a couple of blocks down the main street from the cathedral, small discreet Golden Arches guarantee clean restrooms are readily available. (1985)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There is the “Champs Elysées” in Paris, “Threadneedle Street” in London, “Unter den Linden” in Berlin, “Via Del Corso” in Rome, and a thousand more, but the street name that really stuck in our mind was “Grand Parade” in Cork, Ireland. Best town name? Betws-y-coed, Wales, wins the Gold Metal Prize easily.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There must be thousands of hillside and hilltop villages in Italy, we’ve seen them in every part of the country. Three different years we visited our favorite, Urbino, where the painter Raphaël was born. Whenever possible I park the RV in a place where the view from our dining table is as grandiose as can be imagined. During our second and third visits we stopped in the parking lot below the Palazzo Ducale, the Duke’s Palace, and had lunch with a fantastic view of the twin, slim round towers of the Palace high above our lunch spot. After a bountiful lunch, one year we chose to climb the many flights of stairs, the other year we wended our way up one steep street after another, to the Palace, the cathedral, and to Urbino’s Piazzale Roma. Why is it that steep streets always seem to be going up the direction we want to go, but never down? Kodak had a problem capturing the fantastic view of this city. (1995)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There was a terrible storm the night we camped near Lake Iseo, Italy. We expected this storm, so had parked the RV next to a huge stone wall, and away from any tree that could fall on us. We could hear doors slamming in the driving wind, the RV was shaking and moving, and the next morning we saw trees down, tents collapsed, building damage, fresh snow in the surrounding hills, but all was basically OK with us and our RV. Unlike others in Italy’s Lake District, Lake Iseo is not lined with luxury villas, but there’s an attractive setting of olive trees and high mountains in the background. With hand signals, smiles, and “just willing some communication,” we discussed the storm with the lady and her two daughters who ran the nearby store. When we said we were from California, they excitedly trilled, “California, Bella, Bella, Bella.” (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There was a toll booth as we got on the Italian Autostrada, near Torino, and as the man looked to see how big a toll to charge for our vehicle, I said little, little, and used my hands like measuring a fish. The man laughed and charged 1,000 L (maybe 75¢) much, much less than we have ever paid for any toll road, in any country, ever. But was that less, more, the standard price, or just the laughing Italian price, we’ll never know for sure. At a French Toll booth, I would have been charged double the normal price, because I tried to talk to the man, the Italian just laughed and charged much less. There is a difference. (1988)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There was near unanimous agreement among the people in Germany, who we asked about “Freedom from the neighbors.” As one lady said, “It wouldn’t be so bad if they were just nosy, but they are so judgmental.” Isn't it funny,we never met one German who admitted to be one of those “judgmental neighbors.” (1991)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There were several bus loads of school children visiting the Greek Temples at Paestum, Italy, and while we waited for the sun to come out from behind a cloud so we could take better photographs (what a difference it makes), we talked to an animated group of school children from Naples. The teacher and several children could speak enough English for us to communicate. We enjoyed our conversation, but carefully neglected asking about living conditions in their city — but later we wished we had asked. Even the Italians, including a lady from Naples who we talked with at length one day, admit that the standard of living — and maybe even more important, the style of living — in Naples is so very different from the rest of the country. Or should that be “the rest of the world,” or at least in the rest of Western Europe. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There were several vehicles in the line in front of us this morning, but we got on the 10:00 AM ferryboat from Kardeljevo, to the Island of Hvar, Yugoslavia. Cost was 225,900 dinar ($15.50), the inflation is unbelievable, and the ride took about 20 minutes. The drive to Jelsa and on to Starigard was unusual, but it won’t sound like it in this description. The road surface is fine, but the road is very narrow, and for much of the time, within six inches of the pavement there is a sharp drop-off and no (room for a) guard rail. When we met one of the very few vehicles, it was stop and go, slow, and slower. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
They anchored the Princesses Cruise Line ship, TSS Carla-C, our first cruise ship, a mile offshore, near the Guadalupe Islands, and loaded us into life boats for the trip to the island. As our little boat circled the TSS Carla-C and headed for the shore, Emmy looked around here and there, then said, “Oh! Where did that big ship come from?” Well, how did she think she got here! We don’t remember much except that the shore was just crowded with thousands and thousands of seals and walruses, or something like that. We spent the next day in Ensenada, Mexico, then sailed back to Los Angeles. (1969)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
They mentioned that people from the US always want to know what people do for a living, and many other things that Germans would never think to ask. Most of the time we not only ask people what they do and where they are from, but volunteer the same information about ourselves before they get a chance to ask us, or complain we have asked them. The couple, from Bayreuth, we were talking with at Potsdam, had recently taken a tour in Africa with other Germans, but not until the last day of the tour did anyone mention anything about what they did for a living. He was an electrical engineer, but if the tour members know nothing about each other, there can be no economic or occupational discrimination. What form that discrimination would embrace, we don’t know, but we have heard that more than once. (1991)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This is from my Letter To The Editor, printed in the LA Times in 1990, when a gallon of gasoline cost maybe $1.50 (a guess) in the USA: “The old story that high gasoline taxes and a good transportation system will get the cars off the streets, is a myth. Visit Paris (with the best subway system of any city, and $4 per gallon gasoline), or Rome (where gas is about $5 per gallon, but the subway system is not so great) and you will see that driving and parking in any city in the USA is a “Walk in the Park” by comparison.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This morning the man from the office of the campground in Horsens, Denmark, came over with some hot fresh baked bread for our breakfast. He told us that just as we arrived last night, he and his wife were ready to leave for their home, after closing the campground in Horsens for the season. They decided we looked too tired to look for another campground, so they changed their minds and stayed another night, just for us. Amazing what nice people we find in every country. Many years later, while in a senior center, conducting a discussion about travel in Europe, we asked a lady, who had been born in Europe, the name of her hometown. She said, “It’s a little town that you’ve never heard of, Horsens, Denmark.” We were thrilled we could deny that statement. We told the assembled group how friendly and helpful the citizens of Horsens had been. (1985)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This story developed during a tennis match. Henry was born and raised in Vienna, Austria. At a break in the game, we were talking about the magnificent Benedictine Abbey in Melk, Austria, near Vienna. I told him that Josef Munggenast, Emmy’s Cousin several generations removed, was the architect who completed the Abbey, in 1726. As Henry and I discussed the beauty of Melk, and of the City of Vienna, Bob, another tennis player asked, “Where exactly is Melk?” I told him it’s just 40 to 50 miles west of Vienna, right on the Danube, and asked if he had ever seen Melk. After a little thought, Bob said, “Yes, I saw Melk. In 1944 I flew my B-24 bomber 35,000 feet over Melk, on the way to bomb Vienna. Melk was one of many places marked on our map, that we were told to be sure we did not bomb!” (2002)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Though not nearly as formal as on a Matson Liner, on the SS Fairsea, our second cruise, a tie was required at dinner. (Well, maybe for only about half of us! Most of those did wear more than just a tie.) Some new friends we met had sailed on ships about 45 times, including on this same ship when it was called the Carinthia and was owned by the Cunard Line. I don’t remember the exact sequence of ports, but Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, and Zihuatanejo, located along Mexico’s west coast, were all visited on this trip. Two nights were spent in the harbor at Acapulco. The ship was used as our hotel and for all meals. We walked around in the city during the day, shopping, and strolling along the shoreline, visiting the luxurious hotels. (1972)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Three different years we have been to Naples, and each time were warned not to walk on the sidewalks, and not even drive on the streets. In 1970, we slowly rode through the city on a tour bus, on our way to Pompeii. There were crowds of people, heavy traffic, and a funeral procession with a huge, flower bedecked, glass-enclosed hearse, tipped with wood-carved golden angels. It was drawn by horses with harness decorated with silver ornaments and black plumes. Imagine this Neapolitan dichotomy — a very modern high-rise, glass-walled office building was surrounded on three sides by grimy, unkempt apartment buildings with balconies filled with laundry and the debris of living. Those office workers had an inalterable view of the poverty that seems to be so prevalent in parts of Naples. As the Neapolitans often jest, the laundry forever fluttering across the streets from balcony to balcony, is the flag of Naples. (1970)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Three different years we visited the magnificent and huge St. Vitus Cathedral, that towers over Prague, Czech Republic. Started in 1344, and consecrated in 1929, the Cathedral is situated inside the walls of the Prague Castle. The stained windows and the beauty of the columns and pillars, make St. Vitus an outstanding example of Gothic architecture. The outside eastern end presents an excellent view of Gothic flying buttresses, with gargoyles poking out grotesquely. At an archaeological dig near the Cathedral, we watched as college age students were finding both small items of interest, and items of small interest. Golden Lane (Zlata Ulicka), is just inside the walls of the Prague Castle, at the east end of the St. Vitus Cathedral. From time to time the diminutive houses in the Lane have been home to goldsmiths, Prague's poorest people, some famous Czech writers, and now are tourist shops. (1985)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To celebrate our 39th Wedding Anniversary (1990) we sailed for three nights on the SS Star Princess, from Los Angeles, to Vancouver, Canada, then flew back to Los Angeles. For our 50th Anniversary (2001) we sailed for seven nights on the SS Elation, from Long Beach, along the Mexican coast, then returned to Long Beach. On our 52nd Anniversary (2003) we sailed roundtrip on the SS Ecstasy, from Long Beach, to Ensenada.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To celebrate the signing of the Lateran Treaty in 1929 (the Pope officially recognized the state of Italy, the Government of Italy officially recognized the Pope, and the Vatican), Mussolini demolished the neighborhood, at that time called Borgo, and created Via Conciliazione as a spectacular entrance to the Vatican. Raphael’s studio, (the famous painter, and the chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica) which had survived four hundred years, was among the historical buildings lost by this reconstruction. The Italian street name Conciliazione, translates to “Settlement” in English, and it sure looks something like the English word “Conciliation.” We think that would certainly fit the signing of a treaty.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To describe the high quality of the equipment involved, the physical object used to hold my camera steady for telephoto time-exposures, was of the highest quality. Emmy stood very still and held her breath, while I steadied the camera on her shoulder. Among the many differences from the usual tripod — Emmy has only two legs, beautiful legs, but only two.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To kiss the Blarney Stone, at the Blarney Castle near Cork, Ireland, people lay on their back and stick their head in a hole, but that was not of interest for either of us. A long line of people were doing just that, one after another. Two men took the arms of each person and helped stick their heads into the hole under the Blarney Stone. One lady was so fat she couldn’t fit in the hole, so they pushed her a couple of times, then gave up and stood her up and sent her on her way. We are sure she’ll tell everyone she kissed the Blarney Stone. (1980)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To quote one brochure, “First smile of Brittany, Dinan, France, a city of history has an unrivaled charm; walls clinging to hard granite rocks; a cascade of roofs imprisoned by the ramparts; and bell towers with harmonious spires.” The first floor of some of the buildings at Dinan, are recessed as an arcade, with huge wooden pillars that seem to invalidate the law of gravity. It appeared to us the buildings are temporarily winning a losing battle to keep from lurching down the hill. (1985)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To see Paris from our RV we just drive and drive, and if we don’t cross or go under the Périphérique (the 21 mile freeway that encircles the city), we’ll never be far from the center of the city. We try not to be disappointed if we can’t find a parking place right next to something we want to see, we just enjoy the area where we have found a place to park. We like to drive and park and walk exploring as we go, then drive and park and walk again, and at times park and take the Metro. Sometimes we park and explore in more or less one direction as far as our bodies permit, then use the Metro or a taxi to get back to our RV for a snack and a rest right there, right where we are parked. (1988)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To successfully drive or walk in Paris, Rome, and most other cities, we must become aware of the eye movements of the drivers and pedestrians. They look straight ahead, and act as if we don’t exist. As the driver or the pedestrian proceeds, we can see him looking out of the corner of his eye, making sure we aren’t going to run over, or in front of him, but he will do anything except admit we are there. If we manage to “win” this battle of (half)-wits, we will have spoiled the “losers” whole day. And believe us, all those “he/him” apply as much to “she/her.” If we don’t drive or walk just as aggressively, if we wait for everyone who wants to get ahead of us, no progress will be made — at least until the people behind us get involved.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To the European traveler, the beautiful little towns and villages, the shopping centers, flea markets, and street markets, are truly living museums. For us, an hour is better spent in a supermarket or a furniture store, than in any nightclub or fancy restaurant. By browsing in a hardware or department store we learn so much about the people and how they live.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Torino, Italy, is the worse city (for traffic and drivers) we have driven through. Emmy was almost in a panic, and at one point almost screamed, “Forget it, let’s just get out of here.” Of course with the traffic jam, that was impossible. What makes the traffic problems somewhat implausible, is that although founded long enough ago to have been destroyed by Hannibal in 218 BC, most of Turin was rebuilt in a formal street plan in the sixteen and seventeen hundreds. Traffic problems are the fault of the drivers, not the streets. Torino’s problem starts with the automobile, then its driver, then the traffic, then the smog produced when those three get together . (1988)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Traffic on the Island of Barbados, in the Caribbean, drives on the left, as in England. We had a nice couple of days, and enjoyed the city of Bridgetown, and in general found this to be a delightful island — both the beach area, and the shopping and market part of town. This is the first place we saw so many people walking with huge bundles on their head. (1978)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tried to find the Paris campground where we stayed in 1970, but found nothing. We saw a French family, complete with dog and kids, starting out for a drive somewhere. We asked if they could direct us to the Paris campground. The son was happy to use his High School English, the father signaled, “Follow me,” and drove to the campground on the Marne River, just before it merges with the Seine. There are two rivers in this part of Paris, I knew we were on the right street and knew the campground was on a river bank, we were just at the wrong river. When we got to where we were going, the whole family, including the dog, got out of the car and shook our hands (yes, including the dog, that was cute) and wished us good luck. So much for the myth of the unfriendly Frenchman (1979)
. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Try to imagine the buildings of Venice lining streets filled with automobiles. Try to imagine the boat-filled canals of Venice replacing the streets in any other city. It just doesn’t work, your imagination will sputter and misfire. Venice is a fascinating city of islands, bridges, and canals, with hundreds of ancient buildings, all assembled with the look of an artificial, tragicomic city. The very existence of Venice is threatened by the nature of its geographic location, and the topography on which it was built. The islands are continuously but slowly sinking, while the surrounding water is constantly but slowly rising. Combined with the high tides that occur, flooding most every year is the expected result. But they are working to stop the floods.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Twice we loaded the RV for the 20 minute $5.60 ferry ride to cross the Gulf of Corinth, at Rio, Greece. Vehicles must be loaded from one end, no room for vehicles to turn around on deck. Men were directing traffic, and told this one to back on, and that one to drive on, and if they had a reason to do one or the other, it sure wasn’t obvious. We had to back on once, drive on the other, no problem. Huge trailer trucks, tourist buses and cars were jammed together. No way we could have opened any door, or even climbed out a window, in an emergency. Wow, that was real scary. I measured, and there was room for my finger between our rearview mirror and the bus next door. While the ferryboat was moving, both vehicles were swaying. I was no longer curious, I wasn’t measuring, my finger would be smashed. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Two different years we climbed the 305 steps of the seemingly endless, interleaved, precarious one-way staircase, to the lantern at the very tip of the dome at the Basilica of St. Peter’s, in the Vatican. The steps are built between the outer and inner domes, and since the dome curves, we must lean at that same angle. Don’t miss it. The view from the very pinnacle of the dome is spectacular, with a panoramic view of St. Peter’s Square, the gardens of the Vatican behind St. Peter’s, the curves of the Tiber river, and across the city of Rome to the marble monument to Victor Emmanuel II, and on to the Coliseum. (1985)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Two different years we visited Acapulco, Mexico, while on a cruise ship (SS Fairsea in 1972, M/S Golden Odyssey in 1979). Both times we spent the night on the ship, walked around the city during the daytime, then we rented a taxi with other people, to visit the Acapulco Princess hotel, a few miles outside of the city. We have never had a hotel as a vacation destination, but if we did, this is about as beautiful and interesting as a hotel gets. We didn’t care for the location, Acapulco is certainly not a vacation destination for us, but the hotel is beautiful. There are huge palm trees and flowing brooks in the lobby/atrium. Among other reasons this hotel is famous, Howard Hughes spent the last few years of his life hiding in a suite in this hotel — if you can call that life.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Two different years we visited inside the Pompidou Center in Paris. Makes less sense inside than out. It had been reported by the Office of Tourism that the Pompidou is the most popular tourist attraction in the city of Paris. I found that hard to believe, so on three different visits (we’ve visited Paris eight times since the Pompidou opened) I conducted a poll of my own. The people I talked to, members of tour groups from several countries, said they were not here by choice, but since this is where the tour bus dropped them, what option did they have. The tour guides figured that people are reluctant to complain when they have been dropped at an art museum that has been (mis)represented as a top tourist destination. (1988)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Two different years, from Mettlach, Germany, we toured nearby France, and for a few hours toured the underground fort of the Maginot Line at Hackenberg, France. Local clubs at several locations along the border with Germany, have been permitted to renovate a portion of their fort and conduct weekend tours. Guides spoke only German or French, no English. A train took us through a couple of miles of tunnels where we saw the huge diesel engines that generated electricity, and the living quarters. There were twice as many men as beds, they slept in shifts. We toured displays of WW II uniforms and equipment, kitchens, and the hospital and dental clinic. Still underground we climbed stairs and rode elevators to the turrets where the large cannons had been installed. When we went outside near the gun emplacements, we could see trees and bushes now blocked the view of what ever they had expected to shoot at, 55 years earlier. (1995)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Two times we had our RV broken into in Europe, both times we were carefully parked in a safe place, we thought. First time was in the church yard at our favorite Alsace town of Eguisheim, just outside Colmar, France. The door lock was broken, a few traveler’s checks, photographs, and an old briefcase were stolen. American Express enthusiastically replaced the checks; we still had the negatives; the briefcase was old; the door lock easily repaired. Another year we were parked with dozens of others on a street named Quai Louis Pasteur, right next to a canal, the Port de la Porte de l’Hôpital, across from Strasbourg’s Hôpital Civil. While the RV door lock was broken and everything inside was disturbed, nothing was stolen. Perhaps the thief was scared away. No fun, but neither instance was disastrous, no plane tickets, cash, or passports were stolen. (1980)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Until the Saar River was transformed into a canal in recent years, there were huge trucks either barreling through town on the narrow main street, or blocking traffic as they unloaded their cargo at one of the stores in Mettlach, Germany. Most important and almost unbelievable, the new street, built along the river, bypasses downtown Mettlach, and the original main street has been rejuvenated with paving stones. Now, instead of traffic-jams or speeding trucks, there are people-jams at the 100 tables at a half-dozen restaurants and ice cream parlors, in what is now a pedestrian promenade. Who says they can’t teach an old German town new tricks. Hundreds of people visit Mettlach each week to shop for china and crystal in the several Villeroy and Boch company stores. (1995)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Use your shopping opportunities to buy products you need and will use and enjoy, rather than just buying “tourist gadgets.” You know the rule: “Take half the clothes and twice the money.” Remember the man who filled his suitcase with clothes from the Salvation Army and the local Goodwill store. When something became dirty, he left it, and used that suitcase space to carry items home. If you like this idea, plan carefully.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Usually we returned to California before winter arrives in Germany, but on Sunday December the 4th, 1988, we joined a couple dozen people who gathered at the Post Restaurant in Mettlach, Germany, for the 49th wedding anniversary of Cousin Hugo and Maria, and Cousin Fina and Köbus. Unbeknownst to the other couple, they were married on the very same day in 1939, just as the war was starting. Due to the war, and stays in various prisoner-of-war camps, several years passed before they could celebrate the occasion together. Köbus was checked out of a hospital for a couple of hours for this celebration, Fina died before the 50th anniversary, one year later.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Usually when Italians do paint a building, they do it with what must be “faded” paint, so the building looks like it was last painted many years ago. They paint beautiful artwork on the buildings using Trompe-l’œil, made to deceive the eye, and it does. When Italians paint shutters and decorations around the windows, and even more, when they “create” windows on a blank wall complete with shutters and with curtains blowing in the wind, it’s a work of art. (1988)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Usually when we start out in the morning we have no idea where we are going to be that night, many times we don’t even know the country where we will sleep, but we do know it will be a glorious day. We do look at the map by early afternoon to determine our options long before it gets too late.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Water sports was never our favorite. On the beach in Kauai, Hawaii, on a beautiful day, there were small waves lapping the beach, we got on an inflated rubber pad and drifted a few yards off shore. We were afraid to go much farther, but all of a sudden it seemed each wave took us further from shore. We paddled and paddled with little result, so I waved to the Life Guard, and he smiled and waved back. We struggled for several minutes, when we reached the shore I asked why he didn’t help. He had a shocked look on his face as he said, “Two healthy adults on a rubber raft, a few yards from shore. How was I to know there was a problem?” (1980)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We accidentally drove through Amsterdam’s famous red-light district. They really do use red lights, and they really do sit in the windows to advertise the goodies. As we passed one large window, Linda S. said, “That looks just like my Aunt.” Emmy was not impressed with our tour of Amsterdam’s “red-light” district. (1970)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We approached Todi, Italy, by driving up a very steep hill, but before we could find a place to park, found ourselves going down an 18% grade, on our way out of town, so we turned around and drove up again. It was their lunch/nap time, so when we found the parking lot there was room for the RV. After their lunchtime, we had eaten, and rested, and had a good parking place. There are three palaces, a Lapidary Museum, a picture Gallery, museums, and the Romanesque Duomo, the Cathedral, was built in the 1100s. Todi is a charming town on a pretty site, and has preserved portions of three sets of walls: the Mediaeval, the Roman, and the Etruscan. To the west of Todi is the Santa Maria della Consolazione (Temple of Consolation), built in the 1500s. There is a large dome in the center, and four half-domes that are half the height of the center dome, hunkered at four “sides” of the central dome. (1980)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We are not “professional” campers, we are tourists and sightseers and the RV is an especially convenient way for us to travel and see the most for the least amount of money, and in the least amount of time. The camping and the RV equipment are not important, the convenience and the sightseeing are all important.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We are not Pollyannish about our travels, but there is really no place where we have visited in 70 countries and Islands that we would not be happy to revisit tomorrow. Of course some are more interesting than others, but when we travel we know it is their home, if we don’t like it we can leave. We have never been mistreated, we have never rushed to get away from anywhere. We are there to learn about their home and way of life, and we try not to tell everyone that our home and our culture is best, even though we are positive that it is. We have been asked a thousand time, what is your favorite country, what is the best place to visit. My answer, “There is no best, each is unique, there are many differences.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We arrive at the campground in late afternoon or in the early evening, fix an easy supper, perhaps pop some popcorn, read novels, study guide books and maps of the area, sleep in a familiar bed with our own covers, then continue on our way after a good night’s sleep. Compare that with “Find a restaurant for dinner, find a hotel room, unpack your suitcase, try to read a book, sleep in an unfamiliar bed, without the right amount of covers, pack your suitcase, find a restaurant for breakfast.” That takes half the day, and just doesn’t work for us, when we have the choice of an RV.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We arrived at the archeological “dig” at Glanum, France, at “nap time,” just like we did the other three times we were here, or maybe that’s lunch hour(s). We have visited inside a time or two. Glanum dates from 500 BC, and they have been excavating since 1921. Glanum is larger than Pompeii. The Phoenicians were here in 600 BC, the Teutons in 102 BC, the Romans in 49 BC, the Barbarians invaded in 200 AD, the Californians were here in 1980, ‘83, ‘88 and ‘95. The old Roman Monuments nearby — The Mausoleum, and the Commemorative Arch — a couple of miles from St. Remy, required an amazing amount of work to design, and to carve the artwork, all those centuries ago — the underside of the arch is carved in intricate detail. The town was built about 500 BC, the Arch and Mausoleum in the early AD’s, and the town was destroyed in 200 AD.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We arrived in Greece on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, and were camped on the shore of the Gulf of Corinth near the town of Galaxídi. We had talked to the people camped nearby, and more people arrived later. We were surprised at the activity near midnight. People gather in the churches for the Easter services. Large white candles, lampáda, are carried by the faithful. The people light their candles from the priest’s ‘holy flame’ until everything is illuminated with flickering light. If people can get back home without their flame going out it is said they will have a good year. The people leave the churches and make their ways to homes of friends and relatives. What was so interesting was that several cars arrived, with passengers holding lit candles. They went to each camper and lit a candle for the people there. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We arrived in Greece the day before Greek Easter Sunday. The next day, in several small towns we watched dozens of lambs being turned on spits over open fires in the middle of the street. When we stopped to watch, the friendly Greeks would come to the RV with food and bottles of wine. As we climbed the mountain toward Delfi, we were soon above the “Sea of Olive Trees.” And it almost looked like a sea, with olive trees from the mountain to the sea. We drove through Delfi (the ancient ruin was closed Easter Sunday), stopped to visit several towns and cities, including the monastery Ossios Loukás (Holy Luke), a few miles off the highway, then on to Athens. We turned right on the road to Kórinthos (Corinth), and found Camping Athens. Later that evening the floodlit Parthenon, gloriously displayed on the summit of the Acropolis, was visible from the campground. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We arrived in Paris, found that an omelet, onion soup and salad cost about $15 for the two of us at the Cafe de la Paix (Cafe of Peace), on the Rue de la Paix (Street of Peace). Then we toured the Opera Building and Notre Dame Cathedral, and looked over the city from the 58th floor of the Montparnasse Tower. From the top of the Arc de Triomphe we watched the traffic that circumnavigates Place Charles de Gaulle, the 20 lane wide traffic circle joined by twelve streets, with a total of over 50 lanes. A very nice way to spend our first day in Paris, on our 1979 visit.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We arrived in Vasa, Finland, to visit with the family of the sister of our daughter-in-law, Hagar, who was born in that country. We arranged for Kaj to meet us at the railroad station parking lot. We felt he could recognize a Dodge RV from the US easier than we could recognize a certain house in Finland. They had recently remodeled their house and added an indoor sauna that I enjoyed very much. Kaj learned his English by watching TV. They show programs from the US, leave the English voice alone, and add Swedish subtitles. Margaretta, a delightful lady, is a nurse and did not get home from work until 8:45 PM. She bounded into the house with a big smile and a huge bouquet of flowers. Certainly wished we could speak Swedish, or that Margaretta had watched more TV. They have visited in our home in California. (1979)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We ate lunch at a little restaurant in Amstelveen, The Netherlands. The waitress had lived in the US for awhile, a few years ago, and said she couldn’t stand the Phoenix heat. When she received a letter from her mother she would hold it to her face, hoping to feel the cool Dutch weather. (1979)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We ate lunch at the Sheraton Hotel, in Stockholm, Sweden. A variety of herring for Emmy, and a hamburger for me. The waiter was very unhappy that Americans visiting Stockholm, expected to be served a glass of ice water at no extra cost. The restaurant manager, with my prompting, told him, “No charge for ice water.” (1985)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We attended the flea market, held at the Stadion Dziesieciolecia, in Warsaw, Poland. That is like being at a professional football game — not as a spectator, but as a player down on the field. Such pushing and shoving, we have never seen. Funny thing is, we fought our way around Warsaw's stadium two times, and found not one “flea” for sale. There were mostly clothes, radios, video tapes, suitcases, and on and on, but nothing that we cared for. Not even one cane or stick for my collection, but Emmy bought a Polish sausage sandwich for her lunch. We have heard this is the largest, regularly scheduled Flea Market in Eastern Europe. (1991)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We bought a hot dog at a lunch-stand in the park in Nancy, France, in Prague, Czech Republic, and other places. They have a pointed piece of metal, the size and shape of a hot dog, that is kept hot. They push the bun down over this heater, making a warm hole for the “dog.” Different, but not too practical for in the US where people want to pile a lot of various condiments on their hot dog. (1980)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We bought tourist subway tickets for the day, and toured Stockholm, Sweden. Their National election was to be held soon, and there are election rallies at street corners and in the downtown shopping district. At many places there were temporary buildings, about the size of a single-car garage, used as the office of a political party. We got off the subway at Stockholm University and talked to some students about their political ideas. One man, who was getting his doctorate in economics, repeated time after time, “Do you realize how lucky you are to be living in America?” Yes, we truly do. (1979-1985)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We bought train tickets (cost a dollar or two to see all five of the Cinque Terre towns), then rode the train for 15 minutes to Riomaggiore, Italy, the most southern of these towns. We looked and walked up and down the steep hillsides lined with houses and apartment buildings, some very old, and some quite new. This town is in two parts, with a steep, high hill dividing the town. An English speaking gentleman, Giovanni (John in English), was tending the garden in front of his home. He told us he was born in Riomaggiore and rides the train for 10 minutes to get to the next large town, La Spezia, where he works. Giovanni parks his car in a parking lot across the next hill, high above town, but doesn’t use the car very often. What a fascinating place for these people to live. What a fascinating place for us to visit. (1988)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We camped at a farm campground just west of Innsbruck, Austria. Large bowls of something were being served in the restaurant at the campground. There were many people at tables both inside and out, and everyone just sat there as a bowl was placed in front of the dozens of diners. Someone finally gave a signal, and when everyone started to eat whatever it was, at exactly the same moment in time, they made a very loud clatter with the knives and forks and bowls. It was a real clamor, sounded almost like a well rehearsed symphony orchestra in concert. We have never heard anything like this elsewhere. (1980)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We camped near the town of Lindau, Germany, located on an island in the Bodensee, in a campground with many apple trees. We saw some apples fall from the trees, so made sure we didn’t park under one, just in case an apple would fall on the roof and wake us. Palm trees were growing in this area. One year we were here on a Monday when most of the stores were closed, and another year when the town was crowded to overflowing with tourists. In the latter case, be prepared to park on the mainland and walk to Lindau on the island. No, you are not required to walk on water to get there, Lindau is located on an island close to the mainland, and is connected with the mainland by a bridge and a railway. (1985)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We can’t imagine that 500 or 1,000 years ago the buildings in Dinan, France, were designed and built to lean and bend and hang over here and there, but they do, and there is no indication they will not continue to lean and bend and hang over, and do so in a delightful manner. (1980)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We celebrated our 29th Wedding Anniversary by spending a night in Hotel Mirabeau (OK) in Monte Carlo, Monaco, and having dinner (not OK) in the Loews Hotel. The nights and the meals in our RV were much better. The 30th Wedding Anniversary dinner, at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Island of Hawaii, was the best meal of the 54. A few hours after our 29th Anniversary dinner in Monaco, in honor of our anniversary (or could that just have been a coincidence), there was a massive fireworks display. Perhaps the large explosion was an accident. It was as if a one hour fireworks show lasted a minute. It was spectacular, proving Monaco really does or does not know how to put on a fireworks show. (1980)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We celebrated our 38th Anniversary in the Marriott Hotel in Athens, Greece. I told the doorman we had lived at Marriott’s Rancho Las Palmas Resort, in Rancho Mirage, he told a taxi to move, then let us park the RV in front of the hotel. From our dining table we could see the Parthenon at the top of the Acropolis. The Parthenon, as with many of these old buildings, was partially covered with scaffolding, and looked like it could be under construction, under renovation, or under demolition. We asked our waiter when he last visited the Parthenon. He laughed and said as a school child he was bussed to the Acropolis one day, the one and only time he's been there. We visited a half dozen times, during our month in Greece. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We celebrated our 44th anniversary at the “Strasbourg Cafeteria.” An order of French Fries here, a piece of fruit there, a very special loaf of bread from a Tunisian bakery in Strasbourg, France, topped by an ice cream cone for desert, all eaten while we walked and walked the beautiful streets of this major European city. Earlier that day we were parked on a street named Quai Louis Pasteur, right next to a canal, across the street from Strasbourg’s Hôpital Civil. When we returned, we found someone had broken into the RV, and on the first day of our travels in Europe this year! The RV door lock was broken and everything inside was disturbed, but nothing was stolen. Perhaps the thief was scared away. We’ve visited the Alsace, which includes Strasbourg, several times, and we will return. The Alsace is an uncommon area, unique, the most picturesque that we have seen anywhere. (1995)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We checked into the very nice hotel in Reykjavik, Iceland, and since there was a sauna available, that’s where I went immediately, while Emmy rested in the room. There were several people in the sauna, a captain and crew (but no stewardess) from Icelandic Airlines, and I almost had to laugh when I heard them talking in the Icelandic language. The sounds of this language, and of Finnish (our daughter-law’s native language), are so different from the other “strange” sounds we hear while visiting Europe. Come to think of it, I don’t really know the language they were talking, I could understand nothing, but I could name a few languages it wasn’t. (1983)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We could not find the advertised campground in Huelva, Spain, so decided to stay in a hotel in Seville. Hotel garages were not large enough to get the RV inside, and we had been warned about parking on the street, especially in Seville, so we stopped at a gas station, to ask for directions to the campground. We found it amazing that a man who spoke no English could make a few notations on a piece of paper that I could understand, and the directions would be so accurate. We found the campground, way across Seville from his station. We got there about 10:00 PM, and were happy to get to bed. We awoke the next morning in a lovely campground with flowers and the smell of orange blossoms in the air — no hotel could match that. (1979)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We crossed the St. Bernard pass on the border between Switzerland, and Italy, and visited the kennel at the hospice established by St. Bernard, at the mountain top. We found several large St. Bernard dogs on display, and enclosures that held a half dozen puppies. The atmosphere, the surroundings and the equipment were incongruous, not quite what one would expect at this ancient, storied mountain top. The unexpected? In this centurys-old monastery, the pans containing the puppy food were Coca-Cola trays. How’s that for a piece of trivia. (1988)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We decided to ride to the 33th floor to see the view from the top of the 767 feet high Palace of Culture in Warsaw, Poland. This was a gift from Stalin to the Polish people in the 1950s. The Poles we talked to did not think much of the giver, but liked the gift. In front of us was a man with two young daughters. We had seen them earlier, and could tell they were on an outing and were having a lot of fun, fun that is until the father was given the bad news that admission to the observation floor would cost 10,000 Zloties ($1) for each ticket. His face fell, we could tell he was explaining to his daughters that tickets to the top were just too expensive. So guess who bought the tickets and enjoyed the smiles of the girls and the thanks from the father, and more smiles when we met at the top. (1991)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We decided to visit Ada, Yugoslavia, near the border with Albania, where there was supposed to be a campground. Well, there was a campground, but since it was a nudist campground, a certain member of our party decided we weren't going to spend the night. Had there been a nude beauty contest in Ada that night, there is no more room in Emmy’s trophy case, so why enter the pageant. She was guaranteed to win. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We discovered that bakeries in Tangiers, Morocco, sell heat as well as baked goods. Once they have the oven heated, they might as well make use of the heat. We would see little children taking unbaked dough to the bakery, and baked bread home with them. Makes good sense. We saw little old Berber women carrying huge loads of wood — branches and twigs — on their backs to sell to bakeries and other places in Tangiers. We bought a four by six foot Berber rug made of lambs wool and trimmed with camel hair. It’s very heavy and according to the people involved, each rug is registered with the Moroccan government so the tourist can be sure of getting what they think they are getting. (1979)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We docked at a port in the country of El Salvador, a few miles from the city of San Salvador. We made arrangements to rent two taxis with several other people, then we explored the countryside, and the city of San Salvador. At several places roadside stands were selling a colored drink in a plastic bag, that people were drinking with a straw. The main road seemed in good condition, but hundreds of people walked along the road, carrying bundles of various kinds and sizes. We visited the largest Mayan temple in El Salvador, just north of Santa Ana, and climbed to the top. About now our taxi had a flat tire, so we all got out and stood along the side of the road until they found a replacement in a nearby town. We had visions of still being there when our ship, M/S Golden Odyssey, sailed on its way. (1978)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We don’t even look for my ancestors. Over the years I have heard a number of stories about them, but mainly it seems no two arrived here on the same boat. I always say they did not follow the immigration laws of the USA — they arrived long before there was a USA to make immigration laws. A few years ago one Cousin looked up the family tree, and determined that a couple of those ancestors were wounded in the Revolution War.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We don’t go inside many castles, but the massive Châteaux du Haut-Koenigsbourg, situated at the top of a cone-shaped hill, is too imposing to resist. It is located just west of Selestat, France, and unlike most Châteaux that are large stately mansions, Haut-Koenigsbourg really looks like a castle. The second time we were at the top of this hill, it was so crowded no parking was available. A couple of years later we arrived a few minutes after they had closed for the lunch hour. We easily found a parking place just outside the entrance, prepared lunch, then rested until they opened again after their nap/lunch hour(s). When others arrived after lunch and looked for a good parking place, we already had ours. Another wonderful advantage of travel in an RV. (1985)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We don’t worship meal time like the French and some travelers do, so it’s easy for us to walk past the many expensive restaurants in Honfleur, France, as well as others, where ever they may be. We remember tables for two that were set with more glass, silver, more dishes and linen than needed for a large family. The cost to set the table, wash and put all this stuff away, would be more than we would like to pay for a meal. (1980)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We drove along the coast to Leonidio, Greece, but stopped along the water in Paralia Tirou to rest for awhile. There are a lot of religious shrines along the road. Many are small (maybe 20 inches high) replicas of a church, complete with domes. A few miles past Leonidio, high up the side of the mountain, we could see the Elóna Monastery, huddled against the rocks in a niche in the side of the cliff, overlooking this narrow valley. By now the road was even worse, so bad we thought we missed a turn somewhere, as this didn’t look at all like a main road. We thought maybe we were on a side road to the Elóna Monastery, and we sure didn’t want that in this weather. From what we could see, the Elóna Monastery is an extremely wonderful piece of architecture that was built starting in 1809. (1989)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We drove along the south lake shore, near Konstanz, Germany, then onto a ferryboat to cross Lake Constance (Bodensee) to Meersburg, Germany, — we've done that two different years. The main market place sits high above the lake, and is reached by walking up the 176-step staircase, a very steep sidewalk, or by driving on a street complete with a lot of sharp switch-backs. We drove into the little streets in the delightful town, and found they were having some kind of festival, complete with a band and crowds of people. We were able to back around a corner into a one-way street, and parked in an almost legal place. Sometimes it’s a parking place, more often than not it’s just a space large enough to park. (1985)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We drove part way up Mt. Vesuvius to a parking lot, and walked the zigzag path the rest of the way to the top. The path was rough bare black lava rock. How many people do you know who have done it? (The answer is most likely two — us.) We would have taken the chair lift, but it was out of order that day. It took about a half hour to make it to the top where it was cold, windy, and too foggy to see the advertised beautiful scenery of the city of Naples, and the Gulf of Naples with the Isle of Capri. We picked up a large piece of lava and wanted to take it home with us. The guard (he let us know it was OK with him), and the other people standing nearby were surprised anyone wanted a sample. They didn’t know us, did they. (1980)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We drove on a wide street in Madrid, Spain, looking for a store where Emmy hoped to have her hair “done.” We made a wide U-turn in a big intersection, then double-parked and Emmy went in the store to ask if they had time for a shampoo and set. In the rear view mirror, I could see a couple of Madrid policemen strolling down the street toward us, pointing their finger in our direction — I was sure it was the U-turn they didn’t like. Emmy hurried into the RV, but with the traffic jam we could see the police were gaining on us. Just in case it would work, I smiled, shook their hand and thanked them, then drove off with no other comment from the police. I think it is because the beautiful lady with me, smiled and charmed the policemen. She is irresistible. (1979)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We drove from Villach toward Salzburg, Austria, following snowplows over the Alps. Two tunnels — the Tauern and the Katschberg tunnel — had one toll booth. I handed the man a 100 Schilling note ($8), waited for change. He said, “No change.” I said, “I didn’t want to buy your tunnel, I just wanted to rent it for a few minutes.” He laughed. In the Tauern Tunnel fire in May 1999, twelve people died, dozens of vehicles were damaged or destroyed. We headed north toward Salzburg the following year, going from Yugoslavia, through Graz, and we went through Gleinalm Tunnel and paid a 120 Schilling toll, more than the price for the tunnels the previous year. In August 2001, five people were killed, others injured after a car crash sparked a fire in this tunnel. More than 160 people had been killed in Europe in such fires, over the previous few years, (1988)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We drove south across France, and on to Spain, and in Madrid we loved not only the Prado Museum with its Van Dyke, Rubens, Goya, and El Greco paintings, but ate donuts at the only Winchell’s Donut Shop, and visited the only Sears Roebuck Store we found in Europe. We saw the Madrid flea market, but could find no place nearby where we could park, and we hate to park the RV very far out of sight. Traffic and parking are worse here than in Paris, Rome, etc., especially the parking. They normally double and triple park in Madrid, and park along the curb in the crosswalks. We saw vehicles parked at the curb, with the driver sitting there, waiting for the double parked vehicle to be moved, hopefully within the next hour, or at least by lunchtime. (1979)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
We drove to Brussels, Belgium, and Emmy was disappointed