Booked! We will be on the road again!

It’s been almost two years and it’s time to dust off the backpack and get out there.  Sheala and I will be headed to SE Asia this time… flying in and out of Bangkok, with plans to wander through Vietnam and Cambodia along with Thailand.  Paul will be with us for the first nine days as we visit northern Thailand.

The adventure begins May 7th, (Paul’s birthday!) as Sheala finishes med school in Iowa. She starts her residency in Salt Lake City on June 23rd, so we need to be back in time to pack her up and drive her to Utah. We will be back in the states June 8th… plenty of time!

Next we need to lay out a rough itinerary… starting with northern Thailand, then heading to Hanoi and spending about ten days exploring the coast of Vietnam, next, on to Cambodia for four or five days and ending in southern Thailand, hoping to try our hand at scuba diving.

Here we go!

Bratislava…greeted by a pirate ship, over night at a nunnery…

Our ferry ride was only an hour and fifteen minutes, but what a difference in cities on either end of the cruise. While Vienna was a feast for the eyes, Bratislava has a long way to go to catch up. Soviet era apartment buildings dot the skyline, similar to Budapest by without the beautiful historic areas found in Hungary. After being escorted to the dock by an enthusiastic ‘pirate’ speed boat, we trudged up the road to our lodgings for the night: Centrum Salvatore, an active nunnery just off the center of the city.

The first difference noted was the lack of flowers, or any coordinated landscaping. The center court of our lodgings was peaceful and well maintained but it ended outside of the well secured walls. After dropping off our backpacks, we headed to the city center to view some of the highlights. The skyline had several cranes working on new construction (always a good sign), and workers on the ground were painting and improving some of the older buildings.

Our first stop was the Blue church, which unfortunately, was locked for the day. We wandered around the old city, visited the main church, and then headed up to the castle overlooking the city. A small amount of tourists were wandering the grounds, seemingly trying to find their way around, as we were also. If we tried to enter a room, we were stopped by a guard who asked, “ticket?” But couldn’t tell us where purchase one… It seems that Bratislava has not learned how to manage their increasing number of tourists.

We headed down, back to the center of town, for a late afternoon beer and tourist gazing. First town where we were approached by beggars. For dinner, we had a wonderful meal at an outdoor cafe. Three men, employees of IBM, sat next to us and we struck up a bit of a conversation (our first in Slovakia..) they were from Siberia, England, and India. Most of the people seemed to be locals, and few tourists, especially as the evening wore on and the day visitors from Vienna had left.

Our noon train to Poprad allowed us time to sleep in a bit, eat the breakfast provided by the nuns, and wander through the capital grounds on our way to the train station.

Here we go!

Vienna…a little city, a little country

We arrived late morning and were pleased with several discoveries: our hotel was only three blocks from the train station, our room was available at 11am, and there was a bus stop only 4 blocks away where Paul would be able to catch an early morning ride to the the airport the next morning.

After luggage was dropped off, we headed off to find Paul’s bus stop and Explore Vienna, a local company offering bike tours to wineries in the country, for Sheala and me the next day. Then we headed into the heart of the old city for an 8 hour self-guided tour, with commentary provided by Sheala via Lonely Planet.

Ringstrassen Boulevard makes a 5.3 kilometer ring around the heart of Vienna, with historic buildings on either side. We slowly made our way around, pausing for burgers (delicious), Demel cake, (even better), and finished the evening sitting on a plaza, watching a live-stream of the Vienna Opera.

Denver Children’s Choir at Peterskirchen….

Demel cake and a nap… a mid afternoon break…

Incredible rose garden…

Gorgeous buildings and incredible flowers

Evening dance practice…

Live-stream opera enchanted the public on the plaza..

Farewell Vienna hot dog for Paul…

Paul left the next morning as Sheala and I made our way to Explore Vienna and our day long bike ride along the Danube, with timeouts for wine tasting at two wineries, a run up to some ruins, and lunch at a small cafe . Yolo, our tour guide, was from Wales, but currently is a professional guide (had to pass difficult Austrian tour guide test), who typically works with cruise ships on the Danube. On his day off, he accompanies bikers for Explore Vienna. Our group of 16 included visitors from the US, as well as Russia, Canada, Shanghai, and HongKong. We enjoyed meeting the other bikers as much as touring the countryside and sampling wine. Our favorite was ‘Rosecco.’

No rest for us after the day’s ride though: a quick change of clothes and we headed back to Peterkirchen for a concert. Four strings (2 violins, a viola and a cello) playing classics for an hour. A quick bite to eat near our hotel, then crashing for the night.

We head to Bratislava in the morning on a ferry….

Here we go!

The Hills are Alive… and sometimes Treacherous…

What better way to see Salzburg but through a bike Fraulein Maria Tour? Shortly after our arrival (and a disappointing find of the over sized chess game) we started a 3 1/2 hour tour of the city and surrounding countryside. Our tour guide, Alan, was from Chili but has fallen in love with the Salzburg area and remains for the outdoor adventure. The tour included historical information on Salzburg, while also pedaling around to various locations where the filming of the movie took place.

Hungry and thirsty after our tour, we headed to the Austiner brau , established in 1621, that offered indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating alone seated 1400. Our tour guide likened the interior to settings in the Harry Potter movies. The beer is drawn from wooden barrels and served in steins. Food can be purchased from food stands in the ‘Schmankerlgang’ (delicatessen arcade) which is set up to resemble a traditional marketplace. With a full roasted chicken and a plate of fries, we settled into the only smoke-free room and enjoyed our meal.

Our second day was a series of resets: originally the plan was to drive a rented car to Hallstatt. That changed to heading towards the Eagle’s Nest, just across the border in Germany. Due to misunderstandings with the car rental agency and quick thinking on Sheala’s part, we took a bus, then another bus, to the start of the trail up to the Nest.

It started well, a good incline, some fallen trees, but all in all, very manageable. As we got deeper into it, we came across a young man on his way down. He was using trekking poles and mentioned that we would encounter snow along the path. Sure enough, a bit further up we did. At this time, it should be noted that Paul and Sheala were wearing tennis shoes, while I was wearing Keen ‘hiking’ sandals.

Noting an opportunity to take a ‘short cut’ up a rocky/mossy/grassy stretch, we jumped at the chance to avoid the snow. As I started to pray for guidance, I told God that I didn’t deserve help as we walked into this based on our own stupidity. Of course, even after we cleared this area, we continued up. As we crossed yet another snow field, with about 1/4 mile to the top, we came across two experienced young men with ice cleats on their hiking boots.

“You can’t go any further, it is too dangerous,” said one of the two ‘Angels of Doom’ (as Paul dubbed them. ) I was only too happy to immediately turn around and follow them back down. Shea and Paul took a moment before they finally turned. Yes, it was disappointing as we were so close, but we enjoyed a lovely hike down with Steve and Chris, and treated them a ‘thank you for saving my life’ beer when we returned.

Hot dogs off the street for dinner, then off to bed. 7am train to Vienna, hopefully a taxi shows up at our hotel by 6:15….

Here we go!

Two more days of biking

Our second day of biking brought us to the mountain adjacent to downtown Innsbruck, where a series of two gondolas offer rides to the top, providing views of the surrounding mountains and countryside. But why ride a gondola to the top of the Nordkette when biking is available?

Our bikes were powered almost fully, plus we carried one charger with us, for the trek. First, we climbed the paved roads through the city to the base of the hiking/biking trail. Generally, the bikes could be set at 1 or 2, along with pedal power, as we hoped to reserve battery power as we climbed upwards.

After climbing a considerable way, we came across a mountain restaurant. The gate up the mountain was closed, so we turned around and headed up an alternative route. Before too long, we were once again stopped, this time due to work on the trail.

A fellow biker informed us that the gate that was originally closed, was to be opened at noon, so we headed back to the original trail. As we headed up again, my battery was at 2 bars, from a start of 5 bars of power. When it dropped to one bar, I decided to head back on my own to the restaurant on the mountain. Paul and Sheala continued the arduous climb up, and I knew they were determined to reach the first gondola, even if it meant walking the bikes when their power ran out.

So, while they not only pushed their bikes to the destination, they carried part way back down on a goat trail due to renewed work along the trail. Meanwhile, I enjoyed a beer and the view from the restaurant. We enjoyed lunch (except for the gray cheese) when they returned and finally made our way back down.

A quick nap before heading back down….

The third, and final day, we headed a new direction out of town. Sheala had a goal of riding to a glacier ( I don’t know how far), and I had a goal of returning our bikes by 6pm. We had a wonderful time, biking the roads and forest trails through several villages, taking time out for an amazing lunch with outstanding views. A few pictures of the day:

Tomorrow we head to Salzburg. Here we go!

Shea-perbole

The waitress raised her eyebrows when Sheala commented that we were biking to Lake Anchensee after lunch. “Today? By bike?” She inquired. That was my first clue that I had been a bit misled. (Shea-perbole works in two ways… either over or under exaggeration)

Back to the beginning of the day. Our overnight train from Budapest deposited us in the central train station in Innsbruck at 4:23am. Not quite overnight and way too early to take our boisterous trio through the silent streets. We had to kill an hour, dodging security and eating cake muffins, before we made the 1 mile trek to our Airbnb.

While Paul and I snoozed, Sheala set her alarm for 8am and headed into town to find ebikes to rent. She had us at the rental shop by 10 and on the road by 10:30. My understanding of the day was a 20 mile bike ride to the base of the road to the lake, then 30 minutes up to the lake, looping back for our return. Although our day ended up including over 80 miles, and approximately 4500 feet of climb, it was a priceless, not to be missed, adventure.

Rather than follow the easy (flat) route along the river, we ventured into the hills and pedaled through villages along the way. A scenic lunch at a cafe/pension in Gnadenwald (which included the waitress mentioned above) was a lovely start. While trying to stay in the hilly region, the roads were getting a bit narrow so we headed down to the river path and toward Jenbach. At this point, we pedaled pretty much straight up to Lake Achensee. (At this time, let’s pause and thank whoever invented ebikes.) Our batteries were nearing empty, so we ate enough dessert that the restaurant allowed us to charge our bikes before the 35 mile bike ride back to Innsbruck. The sun was setting behind the mountain as we hit the outskirts of Innsbruck and almost dark by the time Paul and Sheala carried all three bikes up to our second floor lodging.

We did all manage to shower before falling into bed, not sure what the next day would bring. Here we go!

Count the Memories, Not the Calories

It’s been a busy start to travel tour 2019, so our first stop will be summarized in one post. Paul and I flew to Budapest on June 1, arriving June 2. Sheala’s plane was due within 15 minutes of ours, but she enjoyed a side adventure in Stuttgart before meeting up with us that evening.

Paul and I arrived at our hostel in the early afternoon. We dropped our backpacks and headed into the busy neighborhood in search of local currency and food. The exchange rate from dollars to florints is 1 to 300 (or 230 if exchanged at the airport). It takes an adjustment to realize that 100 florints for a packet of ketchup is not too exorbitant.

We ordered burgers and grabbed seats at a table just in time to watch the weather change: sprinkle, rain, downpour, rain, sprinkle… burgers were great (or we were just very hungry) and French fries were hollow… weird, but who needs all that potato anyway?

Gresham Palace is now the 4 Seasons Hotel. We were surprised and thrilled that the doorman opened the door for us and spent a few minutes admiring the interior. As evening set in, the buildings around the Danube were illuminated in a beautiful golden light. The parliament building was the highlight. The bronzed shoes (Shoes on the Danube)along the riverfront boardwalk were a solemn reminder of Budapest’s tragic past.

Exploring the riverfront around Budapest occupied our evening (with a nap thrown in at one point) until Sheala arrived at 10pm. Her goal was to have us up by 6am, scurry around the sights until 2, take a nap, then head out again for the evening. So, off to bed we went.

Headed out by 6:38am. First stop, cross the Danube and hike up to the Citadel. Beautiful views and quiet paths, this early. Next stop, Central Market Mall. Beautiful building with plenty of fruit and bread options. Plus coffee! At this point, Meat Stick joined our group.

Followed the pedestrian path along the Danube, and crossed at the Széchenyi Chain bridge, first stone bridge across the Danube in Budapest. We had been staying on the Pest side of the city, and now headed to the Buda side. Climbed up Castle hill to the museums, churches and castle at the top. In retrospect, it was fortunate that the museums were closed on Mondays, as we had many more stops to go and miles to walk.

The Fisherman’s Bastion and St. Matthias were open and beautiful.

St. Stephen’s (St. Istvan’s) basilica was closed for a concert but we were able to climb the tower and enjoy views of Budapest from the Pest side.

The evening started with a hike to Street Food Karavan. An assortment of Hungarian dishes were ordered and devoured. It started to rain during our outdoor meal, and a group of women joined us under a tarp in the courtyard. They introduced us to Chimney Cones…

Next, we headed to the riverfront to find an evening cruise option. As beautiful as the riverfront is in Budapest, the illumination of the buildings at night is gorgeous. We enjoyed a glass of wine at the base of the Chain Bridge, then headed out for our one hour cruise.

The evening was not finished yet. Budapest’s night culture includes ‘ruin bars,’ old, abandoned buildings that have been converted into massive dance/drinking/gaming parties. We went to Szimpla, about a mile from our hostel. Monday night is ‘traditional music dance’ night and we all enjoyed (attempting) to follow the instructor in the various steps.

Tuesday, our final day, was not as rushed. We rented lime scooters, an adventure in itself, and headed to Széchenyi Baths, the most famous of the thermal baths in Budapest. A variety of pools, both indoors and outdoors, varied in temperature. Water bubbled and spouted throughout the pools, with people setting themselves over the water shooting up from the bottom, or standing under the water pumping out of pipes overhead.

Our famished threesome devoured delicious gyros, and made our way to the House of Terror Museum, dedicated to sharing the story of Hungary’s past abuse at the hands of first the Nazi’s, and then the Soviet Union. Finally, we made our way to St. Istvan’s Basilica (again) after pausing at a local laundry for Sheala. The church was beautiful and we were treated to a choir practice during our stay. Paul napped in the plaza outside while Sheala returned to the laundry to finish the load.

With more florint to spend, we stopped for Chimney cones and finally the day ended with a hike to the Keleti train station for our overnight ride to Innsbruck. Here we go!

Kevin would carry the Poo

Third and final country on this adventure: Scotland! Plans involve landing in Edinburgh, wander around for two days, then rent a car and brave the countryside in search of hikes and a sighting of Nessie.

The name Edinburgh comes from ancient Gaelic ‘Dun Eidyn’ meaning the ‘hill fort on the sloping ridge.’ It is one end of the Royal Mile which runs from the gates of the Edinburgh Castle, east down the slope of the old volcano, to the gates of Holyrood Palace.

Our visit focused on three locations: King Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh Castle and Mary King’s Close. Our first evening, we set off to conquer King Arthur’s Seat, a hill rising 250 meters above the city, just past Holyrood Palace. We unintentionally hiked a closer crag first, which proved to be our warmup to the real thing. The view of Edinburgh from the seat allowed us our first real view of Scotland. Not only was the city at our feet, but the surrounding countryside where we would head in a couple of days.

Wednesday was spent traipsing around Edinburgh. The first big stop was at the Edinburgh castle. Built on top of an extinct volcano, it was a royal castle since the 12th century. A few interesting tidbits we learned from our audio tour: there have been inhabitants on this location since the Bronze Age, St. Margaret’s Chapel is the oldest surviving building in Scotland and still hosts weddings and baptisms. Witches were burned at the stake just outside the castle walls, leading many to believe that the castle is haunted. Students at the University of Edinburgh are unwilling to visit the castle until after they have passed their final exams as legend has it that any student who enters the castle before their exams will fail.

We enjoyed several hours touring the museums with the castle, detailing its history and recognizing the Royal Guard. Just prior to one o’clock, we secured a spot along the wall to view the shooting of the One O’clock gun… The firing dates back to 1861 when it was used to coordinate exact time of day with ships in the Firth of Forth. They could then set the maritime clocks they needed to navigate the world’s oceans. Why one o’clock? Because 12:00 would require an 11 additional shots.

A narrow alley is referred to as a ‘close’ and these were often named after prominent men of the time, so the fact that Mary King had a close named after her speaks to her importance of the era. Located under buildings on the Royal Mile, Mary was a merchant burgess who lived on the Close in the 17th century. Originally, the street was filled with tenement houses on either side, stretching up to eight stories high. The close was later buried and new construction built on top of it. Today, it is possible to go underground and tour what housing and life was like during that period. Our tour was set for 6pm which allowed a few hours of wander in the New Town (from the 1800’s) and enjoy the Princess Street Gardens that separate the New Town from the Old Town.

Our favorite takeaway from the tour: the youngest member in the family was in charge of the family poo bucket so if my family lived there, Kevin would be responsible to dump the poo down the close every evening. A wooden ‘throne’ was called a Thunderbox. Up to 20 people may have shared a room in the tenement building. Spiral staircases on the close led to the housing up to 8 floors above. Our biggest giggle of the tour however was when one woman made a request to our fast-speaking tour guide, “Could you slow down? I speak American…”

On our 3rd day, after a horrendous experience with Hertz car rental, we headed north towards Inverness…

Here we go!

Thank you, Copenhagen

Time was limited to experience Copenhagen, so we hit the ground running when we arrived at 4pm on Sunday. 40 hours later, we are packing up again and heading to Scotland. But first, a recap of a lovely city.

Although Copenhagen is the city of bikes, we decided to walk and put in 24 miles over the two days. Sunday was spent exploring part of the old city but the main attraction of the evening was Christiania. A 10 minute walk from the Danish Parliament building, the abandoned military barracks were established by a group of squatters in 1971 as a colony, separate from rule of Denmark and Copenhagen. Now home to about 600 adults and 200 children, the community is the second most visited place in Copenhagen, after Tivoli Gardens (more on that later.)

There are 9 rules in Christiania: no hard drugs, no guns, no cars, no explosives, etc. The community pays the government around $1 million per year for utilities and another $1 million for local affairs. The ground was poisoned in its years as a military base so nothing can be grown, but the community raises money through restaurants and shops open to visitors. We did see pot being sold openly on the street, but otherwise we enjoyed a walk through a ramshackle community of housing, parks and villas. And the free concert was pretty good too.

Not far away, but on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we strolled down Nyhavn canal, lined with boats, restaurants, and visitors willing to pay the highest price in town for a view while they dined. We ducked around a corner and had a bite at a burger place in the alley.

The next morning we joined a walking tour, to learn about and see more of the city. Our guide, Simon, a native of London, has spent 5 years in Copenhagen, during which time he received a masters from the University as all education is free in this small country where the tax rate STARTS at 44%. As a native speaker of English, Simon was confused by some of the Danish words when he first arrived. Why do signs on the road state, ‘Farts?’ Why at a movie’s conclusion does the word, ‘Sluts,’ appear? Does the word, ‘marriage,’ mean the same in Danish as in English?? The answers, in the same order, would be speed, the end, and poison. Ok, marriage also means ‘gift.’ So there’s that.

We wandered around the city for close to 3 hours, learning about the government, the love affair with the chill Royal family, and a bit of history. Copenhagen burned down a couple of times (1728, 1795) before the locals decided to invest in the expense of masonry and erect the beautiful buildings that still stand today. Harbors, canals and lakes abound. (Although as a native Minnesotan, the lakes are really slimy ponds)

Unfortunate for our timing, (probably to Ben’s relief) many museums and palaces are closed on Mondays, so our viewing was limited to the exterior of sights. Our final stop of the day was Tivoli Gardens. Celebrating 175 years of existence, the park in the center of the city has evolved over the years but maintained it’s roots as a destination for locals and visitors alike. Modern day has brought more exciting rides and even an arcade and game area, but the stages filled with musicians and the green spaces filled with flowers, remain. Several years ago, while teaching 5th grade, we read a novel about Copenhagen and their amazing protection of local Jews during WWII. Tivoli Gardens was referred to again and again, therefore piquing my interest in the city.

Remember, when in Denmark, eat hot dogs… and danish. Thank you, Ben, for joining me on this brief visit and Thank you, Copenhagen, for a fine visit to your beautiful city.

Next: Scotland!

Here we go!

“So, off you go!”

Usually, I search reviews of tours prior to booking them, but time got away from us so we booked without doing much research.

The tour required a 7:25am departure from the central bus station in Bergen, so we kissed Paul goodbye by 6:45 and headed across the bay. He had a flight home so couldn’t join us.

The day included a 90 minute bus ride followed by a 30 minute ferry ride to Utne. We were a group of enthusiastic bikers, looking forward to a gentle ride along the Hardangerfjord, visiting adorable villages and quaint farms along the 25km route back to Herand. When the boat’s captain announced that the bikers should disembark, Ben, Sheala and I were the only ones to depart. Unbeknownst to us, the other passengers on the ferry were not fellow bikers but part of a tour that stayed on the boat all day, exploring the full length of the fjord. An employee of the boat company (which organized the ‘bike excursion’) shoved three bikes in our direction, pointed to the road and announced, “Get on this road, take the U turn at the end of town, and we will see you in Herand. Oh, and this is the only place to get food for the ride.”

What?? No tour guide? No sag wagon for flat tires or exhausted bikers? “So, off you go!” And the gate was slammed and the ferry raced away. Ben’s front tire was flat but fortunately, the only place to get food also had a manual bike pump.

Utne is the start of Sorfjorden and hosts the Hardanger Folkemuseum, established in 1911. The open air museum offers a walk lined with old timber homes that have been relocated to the site and furnished with household items from the period it was originally used.

Ben’s ‘map-me’ app said it was a 4 1/2 hour bike ride to Herand, and I thought we had 5 hours to get there. (Actually, it is a 2 hour bike ride and we had 7 hours.) Sheala wanted to start in the opposite direction so we could view the turn in the fjord as it narrowed to its end further down. So, we started by biking in the opposite direction. It seemed a never-ending ride down hill, which meant we had the climb on the return, so I was hesitant to continue too far down this path. It did provide a beautiful view of the narrowing fjord but after two miles, I put on the brakes and refused to go further.

We pedaled back to Utne, paused for supplies at the only grocery store on our route, then climbed out of town to the road above the fjord. Did I mention that this was supposed to be a leisurely ride along the fjord, enjoying adorable villages and quaint farms?? My heart was racing, my quads were screaming, and my head was dripping with sweat. And we hadn’t ascended the first hill yet.

Eventually, we did bike past adorable villages and quaint farms, along with occasionally riding alongside the fjord, where families were floating and frolicking along the water’s edge. We paused for lunch at a picnic table high above the fjord.

The final climb involved a number of switchbacks. I was happy to escort my bike up the mountain at this point, and looked forward to the cooling rush of the ride down the other side. We pedaled into Herand by 2pm… a two hour ride, rather than 4 1/2. Maybe Ben had looked at the time to walk there, rather than bike??

The next few hours were spent at the local beach, hanging out with families from the village of Herand. The ferry picked us up at 5:15, exactly as promised, and we were back in Bergen by 7. We then put together my favorite dinner of the trip: chicken wrap sandwiches with lots of veggies, eaten along the pier down the street from our apartment. As the sun set (or at least got lower in the sky… not sure it ever sets this time of year) we took time to appreciate what a wonderful time we had in Norway. Beautiful landscape, clean, friendly, easy to get around… the only downside was the prices, which are exorbitant.

Tomorrow, we all fly out.. Sheala back to Salt Lake City and Ben and I move onto Copenhagen.

Here we go!

Back to Bergen

Sheala lamented this morning that she brought along several pair of pants for the week but hasn’t had a need to use them. I consider it a victory that I brought pants and never pulled them out to use. Norway is having a very unusual stretch of warm and sunny weather which made the hikes a little warmer, us a little stinkier, and trails a lot drier. All in all, a very good thing.

Friday morning was spent wandering around old Stavanger. Admiring the historic section of well maintained old timber homes, watching fishermen negotiate sales of their fresh catch along the harbor, wandering through shop areas that have been painted in an array of colorful hues.

Stavanger is a lovely city but it’s the surrounding region that is the real star. Paul returns home on Saturday afternoon while Ben, Sheala and I catch an early bus for a biking adventure in the Hardanger region.

Here we go!