Monday 31 con't

Train got to Florence in about an hour, had directions from the Apartment manager to call him when we got there. Could not get the phone to work, again. He said to take bus c2. Could not find that bus. My guide book said the buses were right outside. They were,but not c2. After almost an hour, figured out my SIM card was British. Therefore I need to dial like I was in Britian to an European country. I added two zeros before the number, and it worked! The manager suggested I go back in and find information, on where to catch the bus. I apologized to the news stand person for wasting his time but I needed to know where the bus was for c2. He seemed to appreciate my approach. It is amazing that some train stations are equipped with information desks and tourist info and others have none. An the last. Two stations have no signs to the toliets, and they are in the furthest point in the station. Never did find the one in Florence. So across from the train station, and around the corner of the church is the C2 bus stop. We barley miss it, and I evidently do not read walk signs well, almost got hit in crosswalk by scooter. Waited 20 more minutes. Bus pulls up and is very full, people crowd on, we do not fit in! Went back to the taxi line at the train station and got a taxi. Now mind you this in the heat of the afternoon, and it was in the mid 90's today. Taxi winds through what look like people walk ways, through winding alleys, right to the apartment door.$11.80! Best money I've spent in a while!
Nice manager was waiting for us, checked us in to apartment, gave us tourist info, etc. Spent a nice evening drinking an apple spritzer and having dinner in front of a out of the way church.

Monday, 31 Cornilgia to Pisa to Florence

Well, rough day. Don't know what to think of the people. I have noticed many of the waiters are impatient, and almost rude. Try to at least say hello in Italian. The little Italian grandmas,would sit each afternoon in the small walkway between the house walkway and chat. As we walked by we tried to say hello,they seemed to warm up to us. Virg you would have loved them, in their house coats. They were what we think of when we think of Italian moms! The bus drivers seemed unhappy, but after one or two rides on the shuttle bus that were packed, in 90 degree heat, I guess I would not be happy either. I always tried to recognize them with hello, and thank them. I probably was the only one. We found one restaurant in Corniglia that the waitress encouraged us to see the menu and sit and eat. They even had some of the Italian dishes with photos. These pleased me, so I commented on it. She says oh, that is for the Chineese visitors. We got tired of bring out the food, and the saying "that is not what I ordered". Shocked me,  Very pretty area, lots of people however. Spring or fall would have been better. Up at 6:30 this morning to catch the 7:10 shuttle down to train station. Caught 7:19 train to La Spenza. Got on train to Pisa no problem. Train out of Pisa to Florence was a different story. We checked our luggage at the train station and went to see the leaning tower of Pisa. Took bus over and back, got back to station about 11:30. Nice young lady gave us hints on how to get tickets out of the machine. That done, it was an open ticket, so we went to find a train. First train we found left at 12:01. It never moved, and then had load excaping air noise. Got off and found another train that left at 12:34. The Italian lady that switch trains with us, mumbled something about Italian trains!

Sunday 30, Just hanging out Cornilgia

Just walked down to the train station to check on tickets for tomorrow, a lot of steps zigzagging down to the train. The automatic ticket machine may or may not be working according to the attendant. They must rotate people around as we bought tickets from the day before in Varensa. Anyway the tickets from Pisa to Florence are not sold here. He suggested buying them on site. So we have tickets I had printed out in the U.S., from here to Pisa. For some reason the next section of tickets never is available until within 10 days of your trip. Oh, well will find tickets tomorrow. Had breakfast in, lunch out. Lasagna and Brochetas for lunch. Made dinner reservations, and paid our apartment bill. Then took a well deserved nap. Been hot the last two days, high 80's. Plus higher humidity.
You know who had to get a picture of this plane cruising the coast. Steps down to the train station. And the name of our restaurant last night for our mullege friends and relatives. That is where I got the whole shrimp!

Saturday part 2

Still have not figured out how to continue writing after posting pictures. Anyway, first picture is at Portovenere. We did laundry, the wash machine was hidden behind a door next to the sink. Next to it under the stove is what we think is an oven, below that the tiniest dish washer we have ever seen. Does anyone know  the symbols mean? We figured out the key symbol means the door is locked. The line in and down in a circle? A full looking tub, and the letter e. Then there is the problem of three liquid dispensers! Second load just put the soap on an article of clothing and stuck it in. A smart person probably would have looked up Phillips/ whirlpool and looked for information.
The food is what was described as Shrimp with pence. The pasta tasted okay, a little tough, probably over cook my pasta. But what on earth are these? Look like a cross between a lobster and a shrimp or crawdad? Weird tried to eat them, but not much white meat. And I am sorry, not eating guts!

Saturday, 29, Cinque Terre

Got on the train to Verneazza, no ferry service in Corniglia. Walked directly to sea for the ferry. Immediately forgot what we were about as we meet a couple from Tempe, Arizona. Jerry's Arizona hat attracts a lot of attention. Discovered the ferry was coming in, and rushed back to the card tables with ladies selling ferry tickets. Odd, but they were nice enough to circle the last return times so we would not get stranded. Boarded the boat, and stayed on through the various stops all the way to Portovenere. Nice fort/ castle there, but we quickly grabbed cups of water Mellon and drinks. Got back on what we thought was the same boat, several tour groups were getting on. It was the correct time for the return trip, but this boat did not make all the stops. It ended in Monterosso, and the two speakers spoke in German and Italian, no English. Must have to pay for that!

Friday, 28 Venice to Cornlgia

Woke up before our alarm ,walked to the Vaporetto (water taxi). Interesting route back to the train station. Could see the early traffic. A boat at the train station was full of cases of water and pop. A person forgets everything must come in by boat. Because it was early,we did not get breakfast.  So we arrived at the station, but evidently the Italians have small coffees and pastries for breakfast? That is all we could find. Grabbed a premodern sandwich at the first stop. Next stop we only had minutes.

Fairly flat pasture like farm ground.

ok the non tourist taxi, we saw more of the day to day stuff. Like a small boat loaded with battled water and drinks. Evidently breakfast for these Italians is pastry and small capacitors. The man from Chilling had commented they kept giving him little cups, he was used to our large travel mugs to wake him up! Any way that was what we had at the train station for breakfast. Not that we had missed much by the way of the free breakfast at the small hotel. Yesterday it was hard rolls, thin sliced ham, and two kinds of cold cereal with warm milk. This train back to Milan, yes it is the third time we saw the train station, as Jerry pointed out. Probably the tour guys fault, oh wait we don't have one of those. Small problem when we sat down. The train seats are set up as sets of four, two facing one direction, two the other. A woman and a small child where already there. One in our seat. No problem we just sat across, and asked where they were from. Englan, and traveling home. Along comes another two women, one of which tells Jerry he has mad a mistake as we are in their seats. This of course upset Jerry, as we had been very careful. The cars are numbered, but the seats are exactly the same numbers. We had figured this out on the way to Venice. So he knew he was right. However the woman had assumed all four of us were together. The English woman across from us did not have her ticket, as it was with her husband. Finally the husband came along, and told her of his mistKe. Big pain to move seats on a now moving car with your luggage.  The next train from Milan to the coast, was set up with 6 seats in little rooms. Three couples with us. One from Australia, and one from Holland. All going somewhere along the coast. Switched to a local train, and 6stops later we were in Corniglia. Lots of times we have not seen conductors. Today on this last train we did. I felt sorry for the young gentleman standing near us at the car doors. He had not stamped his ticket in the machine. Long lecture. I jokes I could not get mine in the machine, ours was a full page  printed of the computer at home. Mind you the whole conversation was inItalian with the young  man, and with her hand gestures we knew what she was saying.
Took the shuttle bus up, way up to the town. Worthwhile $1.50!

Thrus, 27th Venice

Cannot believe we are here. Figured out right away to stay away from the main square. Lots of Cruise Tourists. Today we had breakfast at our hotel and headed right to the square . We bought tickets for Doge Palace. It was quite large, part of which is still used. The ceilings had frames on them with paints inset. Like there were paintings hanging  all over. The paintings were very complex and well done. Part of the building was a prison. After viewing the palace we went next door to the church and stood in line for about 15minutes to get inside. We paid nothing to get inside but the museum which was the aces to the balcony, and upstairs was 5 e each. After that there ere getting to be too many people so we headed out to the lagoon islands. Only actually stopped at the famous glass blowing one. Figured we had to see that for one son in law.

Weds, 26th, Lake Cosmo to Venice if they were

Got on the train to Milan at 8:40. Spence we had been the same route the day before it was familiar. We're surprised at the new train the previous two regional trains were really old, but this one was new. The lady seated across from us just smiled at our amazement and said this train varied throughout the day. They never knew which route or time it would be on. In Milan we had a two hour layover which was good spence it took forever to get the Rail Pass activated. We have 30 day flex passes, which directions say to activate. So to the ticketing area we went. Lots of automated machines, which we did not need, and an information line which determined which line we needed and the lady there gave us a number. Some Italian man was really fusing at the ladies at the counter and no one was being helped. Started to worry after about 10 minutes event by, and no new numbers. We were of course two floors down from the trains. Convient, right? Finally got up to the counter, gave her our passports, and she slowly wrote numbers down on the passes. Anyway, all went well from there, we had assigned seats, found the car and seats. A nice couple from Chili sat next to us for the 2.5 hour ride. Boring flat country and lots of trees along the track so it was hard to see anything.
Train crossed the causeway to the island of Venice at 2:10. Got 48 hour boat passes and made our way to Saint Marc's square. Now you can go right or left off the boat platform. We went right and spent an hour wandering around narrow alleys. Went back to where we started and turned left and found it in less than 10 minutes.

Tuesday con't

Still cannot scroll down past second picture. After this church we went to the Opera, Opera House that is. Then the tour went to a castle, largest we have seen so far. Part of which has been reconstructed. Got a history lesson on which families/Countries controlled Milan over the years.
Then we went to see the Last supper painting by Leonardo DaVenchi. Only 15 minutes are allowed after going through air locks. Very cool to see it in person and imagine the monks sitting in the room eating in front of the painting. We finished our tour at 1pm, and for some reason Jerry wanted back to the lake! Now he understands why we did not stay in Milan. In my opinion, too large and too many people. We were back here by 2:30. Had a great dinner watching the sun going down.

View from where we ate dinner.

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Tuesday the 25, Milan

Rained off and on yesterday, no sunshine. Wore our raincoats quite a it. Last night rained really hard several times. Some of the boats with out covers were close to the engine submerging because of water inside them. Got off to an early start, had to be at the train station by 7:37am to go into Milan for tour. Cut it pretty close on time, was only ten minutes early. Tour went into this large church.

Monday, 24, Lake Como

Today we took at easy. Went on ferries arround the lake to two other towns. Just walked around and had lunch across the lake. Food here is different. Tonight we bought a bottle of wine at the market, for $11, and sat on our tiny terrace and drank it. Found an out of the way restaurant. I had soup devoir, today it was vegetable. That was my first course, second course was lake fish with potatoes. The potatoes looked like Virginia's, fish was mild. Jerry had eggplant ravioli, and a pork chop with potatoes. Three two inch square ravioli, and a thin pounded and breaded pork chop. Portions are small, and usual no extras.

Last night we each had a crepe(not sweet type) with cheese and asparagus for one, and the other spinach and cheese. Lunch today was salid mixta (lettuce, tomato, carrot, corn), really varies. Jerry had Lazana, thin square 3 by 3. That was lunch with tea and a small beer for $23. I don't think we will get fat. Italians must like to eat, but in small portions!

Oh, saw another small train, Jerry wouldn't take it.

Sunday 23, Chur to Varenna, Italy

Walked down to train station and boarded Panaramic train over the Swiss Alps. Absolute beautiful. Keep thinking of the book and movie Heidi. Has to be we past the high pastures! Raining when we arrived in Italy, but not cold. Our room opens out over the lake. Wonderful, feel like the rich and famous!
 Train was finished in 1910, has one tunnel 3 .7 miles long!

Saturday,22, Lucerne and Chur

I added more to yesterday's post. Noises through the night even after the fireworks. Fortunately the church stopped chiming, so that helped. Got on the train at 8:18 this morning and headed back to Zuerich, changed trains and ended up in Lucerne. Took a short 1 hour ride around the lake, ate a cheap lunch. We split a Cesar salad with chicken on it, and one ice tea for $23!

Then back on the train to Zuerich again, changed trains and direct to Chur. I had this quote hotel picked out just out of town. I had sent them an email, but no response. The tourist bureau gal told us to take a bus. We get on the bus and no one around us knows where to get off the bus. Finally the one lady calls her husband and he tells her. The bus climbs this narrow road up a canyon and drops us off. There is a sign for the hotel, 250 meters. Those people cannot measure, and it was straight up. We find it, no one around. Another couple and their child were there. Our key was on the desk. No phone at desk, no phone in room, no restaurant. The other people's phone did not work either. We could not figure out how to call a taxi for in the morning. We just simply turned around and walked do wn the hill. The restaurant at the bottom of the hill we could have ate at and hiked back to our room! We had the owner call a taxi, pulled out my Rick Stevens book and had the taxi take us to a hotel near the train station. Almost did not get a room, but they found us one.

The owner warned us it will not be quiet tonight, as the is a kids going back to school festival. Lots of music, people, bands, food and beer. Had a great dinner at the hotel for $68. Cordon blu chicken for me with Salid, and pork cordon blu and vegetables for Jerry. Two beers and an ice tea for $68. Got to get out of this country.
Fun to watch people, and music was a lot of it American.

Friday, Switzerland Part 2

Crazy posting. I can only see part of what I post. So here is part 2. The cute little train crosses the Rhine on a one lane bridge. Now I know for a fact the Hotel is now on the other side of the river! We discuss this, but cannot see what to do, but ride it out. He might return to the falls. Nope, he crosses the Rhine again, and stops by the river. Another couple is confused, but can speak German or Swiss and English. They say we must get off. We ask if we are in Schaufhausen? Yes! Then we ask some else how to get to the train station, knowing we can find our way to the hotel from there! Then we recognize where we are and pull the map up on the iPad. Back at the hotel we have a drink at the pub , then dinner then dinner at the hotel. One bottle of local beer and a large Malibu cost $18. Dinner is $32 for solid and pasta. We do an after dinner stroll by a McDonnalds. A number one, Big Mac meal is $11.90 Swiss!  About 1.1 U.S. To one Swiss frank! All of Switzerland is supposed to be really expensive according to the cruise director. Well on to tomorrow's adventures!

P.S. 9:20, Big Bang. Thought a bomb exploded. Thought we were ready for bed,signed off the internet, then bang!  Fireworks and lots of them over the castle. Very pretty, this is the last weekend before students/kids go back to school. We did not realize this until the next morning.

Firday, the 21st ,part 1

Left the ship this morning to go to a ATM, and find the tram to the train station. We are now docked at Basel, Switzerland. This country does not us Eoros like many of the other countries, so we needed an ATM. Got that done, got change so we could buy tickets for the tram. Went back to the ship to get our suitcases. We could have used a credit card for the ticket machine, but made me nervous. Could not figure out which ticket to buy. Everyone seems so helpful, but the buy a yearly pass. So they do not know anymore than us. Gave up a nd just bought us each a ticket for the zone. Go on train, but no where to activate our ticket. Asked someone which stop was the train station, she was getting off there, so we just followed. Then we could not figure out how to activate our ticket or read the schedule. Ticket guy was not much help, but he did give us the track number of the next Zuerick train .  Trains have two fronts. The engineer just switches ends when he puts into a dead end station. Not a through track like we are used to. Followed people onto the train. Whoops, we were on first class. Conductor stamped the tickets and sent us back three cars to second class. Settled in for the hour ride.
Got to Zuerich, to switch trains. Figured out at that point how to read the schedule boards, and the reader/changing board. Then we were confused because the train was not labeled right. A young man told us it was a subsitute train, so our seat numbers did not work! All worked out anyway. Got here in Schauffausen about 1 pm. Checked in at hotel, then found a bus to Rhine Falls. Again the person we asked did not know which ticket we needed. Just picked one and got on the bus we had been told was correct.

So we go to the falls, walked down to them, a long ways. So there is this cute city train pulled by a small tractor. The driver speaks no English. So we go to gift shop and ask the lady there. She says it goes up to the upper parking lots. Sounds good to us. We get on. It passes the parking lots and does not stop.

Thursday, World War 2 Memorial

Last day aboard Viking. Did not go on Black Forest tour, instead wandered around a small town, Breisach, Germany. There was a old church on a hill in town, walked up to it. Then in the afternoon took a tour of the comer pocket in Alanse France. We were shown where the American, French, and German troops were. Some of towns were totally flattened. The only place for the Americans and the villagers were the underground wine cellars. The actor Audie Murphy held off the Germans in this area. We visited a well done museum in a wine cellar.

All that was left of this church was tihis wally

So it became a memorial to civilians. And local soldiers. On top is a storks nest. 

Day 7, Weds, Strausburg

Looked around this town built on  an island in the river I'll. Had lunch on the ship, then went to the Mercedes Factory. It was really interesting the way parts were routed and everything assembled. 1000  preordered cars a day!

Ornate clock with moving parts in church.

Inside church pipi organ.

Day 5, Marksburg Castle, koblenz

Started the day with a coach ride to Marksburg Castle. Steps into castle carved into the slate rock. To let dumped directly outside, down hill! The ship meet us upstream. Slow going for ship, as there is very little water in the river. At times there was as little as a foot of water underneath. Lots of barges for the captain to work around. Spent the afternoon onthetop deck looking at towns and castles along the shore. In the evening we went into Rudesheim for a dinner program and dancing. Sat with 6 women from the U.S.

Day 4, arrived at cologne Germany

Arrived at Cologne, we had a walking tour of old downtown and church. Yes it is the home to two cologne perfumes. 

In the afternoon we went to a palace built by the arch bishop, with a hunting lodge.

  

As we left the fog made the church look right out of batman!

Day 2 ship

Here is the ship in AmsterdamO

Day Three Windmills

Woke up docked at kinder duke windmills. Took a guided walk to pump station and windmills.

Had a great tour of new pump stations, and the old windmills that used to pump water out. a lot of
The Netherlands, holland, is below sea level.

Day two on cruise

Yesterday went for a great breakfast of crepes stuffed with strawberries and Nutella. Really rich! Jerry had a waffle covered in chocolate, whipped cream & bananas. Very rich. After breakfast we went to ride the tram to A doctors office. Decided to walk when we found the tram was against a small truck. I needed a doctors RV for nasal spray. Found expat medical, got docs Rex and found farm any. Cost $15 for a nasal spray that similar costs $175 in U.S.
We retrieved our luggage, and went to find our shuttle bus to the cruise. None to be found where we were told it would be. Found a bus that had Vikings name on it. The driver was driving for another company, but he was ahead of schedule. So he drove us t he 16 km to our ship. So very helpful!
We ate, took a nap and had a great dinner. The ship left the dock in the night. Woke up at 1am again! Prepared with a new sleep aide and it worked.

Arrived safe in europe

Arrived in Amsterdam today. Awake at 1am due to thunder storm, and body thinks it is 6pm. Cannot figure out how to post pictures.okay after 2hours, got it!

Arrived at the airport with Kim driving us over. Went right through security without any beeps or hassles.bording pass said we were pre screened, didn't even have to take our shoes off! Got on the plane and discovered I had forgot something. The smokey the bear wings Alice m. Had gave me where still in the vehicle In Klamath falls. So far that is The OnLy thing missing. Sure needed my wings to fit in with the flight crew! Did not need to check in through international security like I thought. Alaska airlines got us to Portland behind security, and there was not another check. We were hours ahead of our Iceland air flight at 3pm! I did sit there worried I had over weight suitcases sense I  never even saw Iceland air employees until we boarded. No one said anything about our luggage. Got to Iceland after 7 hours in air. Had breakast there, spinach omelette. Of course stairs everywhere,
down to the toilets, up to airport walkways.i about tripped twice, too much stuff and no hand to grab a
handrail. Our plane in Iceland was not at the main building, so we took a shuttle to it. You talk about cold, rain and wind. Did not expect that. Three hours later we were in Amsterdam. Bought train ticket as planned at tourist booth, got on train and off a central Amsterdam. Walked right up to the hotel using maps on iPad, with no internet. Absolutely the no problems at all, some signage was poor, but got around that.
We were so tired when we got here at 1' we had a drink down by a canal, and got a canal boat tour, had dinner, and went to bed.

Here it is!

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