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27 April 2013

Germany 2013 - Day 9 / Regensburg

We were very impressed with Regensburg and would definitely recommend a day trip here. As a matter of fact, I'd consider it for a home-base city on a future visit instead of Munich - depending on the train connections.

Lots to see and do, my guide book was right when it said Regensburg is big on the historical wow factor. I especially liked the many many "platz"s and lots of pedestrian zones.

We lucked out with the weather too, it was supposed to rain, but as it happened it was barely overcast. Kind of annoying because I dragged my raincoat and our umbrellas around, plus I took it easy on the sunscreen! Still, that's not a complaint; we appreciate the dry days.

Lunch was especially atmospheric, in a Biergarten along the Danube, across the old stone bridge with views of the old town. Fantastic!

Here are 2 shots of the resto (Alte Linde), our meals, and views of the old bridge & old town.












25 April 2013

Germany 2013 - Day 7 / Ulm

We did it!!!

We went to Ulm and climbed the world's tallest steeple. 161.5 meters high (the viewing platform is 143m up), that's 768 steps! The steeple is gorgeous, almost delicate or lacy, especially near the top.

The Münster (Cathedral) is so unbelievably big, it takes your breath away! IT'S MASSIVE!! So huge you can't fit it all into one picture. We first noticed it in 2008 from the train on our way to Stuttgart, and said we HAD to visit it one day... 5 years later, here we are!

We made sure to get there early and do the climb first thing; I'd NEVER do it in summer, just too hot! The climb up was not too bad, just sweaty. I have more trouble on the way down from these things because I get dizzy.

After that workout, we rewarded ourselves with a great outdoor lunch along the Danube.

We finished our sightseeing around 3, it's always over for us when it gets too hot and sunny and muggy and all we're really doing is looking for shade instead of "enjoying the moment", so we took the train back to Munich.

Hope the next few days are not as hot!!









24 April 2013

Germany 2013 - Day 6 / Munich

Munich.... Aaaahhhhh so good to be back!

Our plan was to check into the hotel before exploring the town, but we changed our minds on route since that would have taken over an hour. Instead, we put our suitcases in lockers at the train station and hit the town running!

Good thing we've been here before because there is a lot of construction blocking some sights. We already took pictures of everything in 2008 so the disappointment-factor is null. Still, the city is just a beautiful as we remembered - so nice to be back!!

Lunch was a no-brainer: Hofbraühaus. It was too cold to sit outside last time, but it was 20C today so we took advantage.

I noticed a few additions to the menu too: red wine & white sausage. In 2008 it's what I wanted and they didn't have it. Plus, I've had bad luck with the wine here... I don't like it!! It's always some fruity sweet crap, and even though I order "dry" I am almost always disappointed. I've had many meals with only 2 or 3 sips of wine and just left the rest!

My patience was rewarded today; the wine was very satisfying. My husband discovered wheat-beer thanks to the help of our friends yesterday, so we left the Hofbraühaus with a decent buzz! HA!



Germany 2013 - Day 5 / Frankfurt

I woke up with a husky voice and a miiiiild chest discomfort. GAWD being sick on vacation is a pain! My energy is fine, and overall I have to say I feel good, so I hope these little symptoms are not a sign of things to come!

We went to Frankfurt with our friends today, and it was a bit rough going at the start. The ticket machines at the station in Würzburg would not allow us to by tickets to Frankfurt specifically, then it took forever to find the ticket office since the station is buried under heaps of construction.

Once we had the tickets and made it to the platform, an announcement was made saying that the train would be 10 minutes late. Ok fine... until another announcement saying it would be over an hour late!!

It was 10:15 by then and our train was support to leave at 9:55. It turns out that the 8:55 was also crazy late and it was just pulling up. We jumped on it!

Our return was not smooth either, we had trouble with the ticket machines because I was typing WUrzburg instead of WÜrzburg. So dumb. AND that train was late too due to "a police investigation"! No idea yet what it was, but the area in front of the train station was SWARMING with police.

Frankfurt was just ok. Like any other Big Modern City, but nothing like London or New York - really not much to do. The tiny old town is breathtaking, but the rest left us unimpressed. Still, no regrets because now we know!

I didn't even take any iPod pictures! But since I have to include a pictures in the posts (due to the fact what when I share the posts to Facebook the app wants a picture) here's one of I took of the crowded train..

23 April 2013

Germany 2013 - Day 4 / Old Friends

What fun it is to get together with old friends!!!

They are almost at the end of their vacation are we were able to intersect our plans to spend a few days together.

Tonight, we went out to the Old Bridge for drinks, then the Ratskeller for supper. We all noticed that restos here in Würzburg are deserted!!! My husband and I first noticed this yesterday but just thought it was due to the fact it was Sunday. Nope. All the places we saw tonight were just as empty and we were alone in the resto aside from another table just having drinks. Weird.

They decided to join us tomorrow for a day trip to Frankfurt - looking forward to it!!

Here's a picture I took of them (and my husband) on the Old Bridge before diner; I told them to act natural! HA!

Germany 2013 - Day 4 / Rothenburg

Rothenburg ... OH MY GOD!

Take all the worn clichés (the good ones) and multiply them by a billion and you might come close to understanding how nice this place is!! THIS is what people come to Europe for!!

Just amazing! Impossibly charming; our heads were on swivels all day. Yes, it's a little over the top, yes it's a little "too perfect", and yes by default it's crazy-touristy but so what! It's magnificent! It was a great day!

None of my iPod pictures can do it justice, you'll have to wait for the "official Picasa pictures" but here are a few anyway.

I hope to come back someday (in a few years).

Tonight, we're meeting up with our Chicago-Friends who are also on vacation in Germany. It'll be fun to see them again!







Germany 2013 - Day 3 / Würzburg

Made it to Würzburg!

Very nice, itty bitty, we saw all there was to see in one afternoon!

No (free) wi-fi at the hotel so I will keep my updates brief in the hopes that maybe I can update in café somewhere!

By the time we arrived and checked into the hotel, it was after 1PM. The hotel is just ok so far... I'm a little underwhelmed.

We had a nice lunch at a resto built into the Old Bridge, it was very picturesque eating along the Main River - outside on the terrace! Views of the bridge & River & The Fortress, all gorgeous.

We enjoyed it but my main course was forgettable: CRAZY SWEET sausages. Bleh. My husband had trout and loved it - we should have stopped after the app!

We aren't sure if we'll do supper tonight... To be continued...

Here are some pictures from lunch, the views and the tasty app..





20 April 2013

Germany 2013 - Day 2 / Dresden

Bye Bye Dresden!

Dresden was very nice; I'm glad it was small and that we started here considering our colds. I think you could "do" Dresden in less than a day and since we had a day and a half, it meant no rushing and not worrying about leaving something undone.

We puttered around most of the day, did one museum. The weather was nice, not too cold but I'm glad I thought to pack my scarf at the very last minute. I needed it today to keep my throat warm.

We called it an early day today too (7PM and I'm already in bed), but I really want to make sure my cold goes away, plus we have an early start tomorrow. Leaving the hotel at 6:30AM, train to Wurzburg is at 7:45.

At the risk of jinxing it, I think my cold is almost over. I woke up with a very soar throat but it's practically gone now. I drank lots of tea and OJ today!! Here's a shot from our loungy café stop around 10AM:



19 April 2013

Germany 2013 - Day 1 / Dresden

6PM, I'm scrubbed & showered & in bed - my husband is snoring away beside me.

We had a great day; Dresden really is an attractive place! We could have kept going, but since neither of us are in ideal health we concluded it's not worth the risk. We called it a day around 5.

The flight from Montreal to Frankfurt was so empty, we were each able to grab a row of seats for ourselves and sleep flat. Makes a HUGE difference to your energy levels when you can sleep on the plane!

The hotel is great so far, leaps and bounds better compared to the room in London!! Roomy, comfy, satellite TV & big pillows... Great!

The weather was just warm enough to eat outside, so we did! We had lunch at "Dresden 1900", a touristy place right in tha shadow of the Frauenkirche - the attraction that brought me to Dresden in the first place. I have to admit that this might have been a bit of a mistake because the wind picked up and it became a little uncomfortable. Stupid move for people who are fighting colds!! Nevertheless, it was a delicious lunch with a fantastic view!

We skipped supper since lunch was so filling and just went to a café instead. As we were discussing the virtues of the hotel room, my husband asked me: "did you bring you iPod plug?"

SHIIIIIIT!!! I forgot.

It was bound to happen; too many trips going off without a hitch, we were destined to forget something "important" eventually.

This is a big deal for me; I need my iPod!! Email, blogs, Facebook check ins, weather updates, books etc... I need the freaking plug!!!

So, yes, I went to the mall. This should show you the extent of my desperation!!! I WENT SHOPPING ON VACATION!! I found the Apple Store, but they only had European plugs... so what!! it works, and I'm in Europe often enough to make it worth the 19€!

So there is a quick look at day one, time to recoup!

Goodnight!










5 April 2013

London 2013 - Day 7

The last full day! I feel melancholic about it. London is great, so much more we could do!

We started off the morning by going to Canary Wharf: the Manhattan of London. It took forever to get there because there was a "person under the train" so our line was down all morning. We tried to take a bus part of the way instead, but 3 went by without stopping because they were too full!!

We got there eventually, took a few pictures, had breakfast then turned around; it was just too cold to linger.

We made it to HMS Belfast, but it was a half ass visit because again, the cold wind mean it was too difficult to stand on the deck and hold an audioguide in your hands!! So, we stuck to the inside parts.

We had lunch nearby and my husband went downhill fast, he plummeted into a full sweaty shaky cold, so he went back to the hotel to sleep which meant I had the afternoon and evening to myself.

I was tempted to go to Mme Tussaud's, but a little ashamed or embarrassed too! It's such a "touristy" thing to do... yet, I am a tourist after all no?

I decided I had to EARN it and do something more cultural first, so I went to the British Library to see the Magna Carta, Guttenburg Bible, Handel's Music Sheets, and Da Vinci's notes etc first -THEN I took the bus over to Mme T's. The line ups were so long I just skipped it - I'm secretly relieved!

So what to do? Too early for supper... I decided on The London Eye, what the Hell!! (I say that because I rode it already in 2005). When I got there, the line up looked DAYS long! When I asked a guard just how long, she told me 25 to 30 minutes!! HOW??? This was extra incentive to do it. Just to see how this could possibly not take hours!

I'm stunned by how quick it went! Less than 10 mins in line to buy the ticket, and you would NEVER believe that if you saw the line!

Waiting in line was ok, the wind died down and the sun came out - I took this as a sign. The line never stopped moving and she was right!! It only took 30 minutes!! Unbelievable. I'm glad I did it again, it was fun.

It was 4 o'clock by the time I was done, too early to eat right away, so I decided to walk to the Indian Resto I spotted in soho for diner. A last walk through of London.

No idea what I ate for my appetiser because I told the waiter I'm a wimp and don't like spicy food. I showed him what I thought I might like on the menu, and he told me I'd find it too spicy. Ok fine, I went with his suggestion instead - no problem! He did not steer me wrong, it was DELICIOUS!
Same thing for the main course, I wanted some Spinach & Lamb dish but he told me I'd prefer the Lamb Korma. DID I EVER!!! So good! The sauce was so delicious, I ordered a second naan bread to have more!! (and I noticed the next two tables ordered Lamb Korma too. Either we are all wimps, or it's a local favourite... I think I was the only tourist).

So that's it, vacation over. If my husband is up for it we'll go see the Peter Pan Statue in Hyde Park tomorrow morning, but he was so sick today I think all he'll want to do tomorrow is "go home".








4 April 2013

London 2013 - Day 6

This was a pretty miserable day weather wise: it SNOWED!!!

Our trip to Highgate Cemetery ended up taking all day, so we didn't do anything else. By the time we got to Highgate Station, it was about 9:45AM and we hadn't yet had any breakfast! It took us a lot of time to find Highgate Village, and when we finally got to the cemetery, we were told we had to book an appointment in advance! ARGH.

Because of the lousy weather, we were lucky and 2 spots were still left on the 1:45PM tour. My guide book touted this cemetery as "over the top Victorian Splendour" so we decided to do it. We noticed a nice French restaurant in the village so we though we'd lounge around there for a few hours then take the tour.

The lunch was worth it, the tour was not. I think we are just spoiled by Père La Chaise in Paris and Monumentale in Milan... by comparison this one was pretty ordinary.

While we were having lunch, we noticed looking out on the terrace that a few flurries were falling!!! By the time we were half way done with the tour, it felt like a blizzard. Big heavy flakes that accumulate on everything!! My feet were freezing, I wish I had my winter boots!!

We got back to Central London by about 3:30 and my husband was not well, all this cold weather is taking its toll, despite the fact he brought his heavy arctic parka.

We wanted comfort food and an early night so we went out for Italian and were back at the hotel by 7PM. (It was the first bad meal I had all week! We went to a chain we knew from our trip to Scotland. We had a great lunch at the outlet in Inverness, this one in Leister Square sucked big time!)

Last full day tomorrow. If he's in shape we'll go to the Docklands in the morning, then try again for the HMS Belfast and Indian Food for lunch. If I'm on my own, I'll do something indoorsy like a museum or something... we'll see!






London 2013 - Day 5 part 2

Have to make this one brief, it's almost Day 6!!

You know how we spent the morning: at St Paul's. I enjoyed it very much... but is it ever expensive!! In 2005 it was 8£ and I baulked. This year it's 16£!!! At least the audio guide is included in that price.

I was impressed with it, it was a iPod concealed in a black plastic case - I wonder how many get stolen??

I took my time at that price; we stayed an hour and a half - I was please since in 2005 I felt like I rushed through it.

After that, it was lunch at the OXO Tower: amazing.

Then we went to the Clockmakers Museum. It was informative and small- good mix.

After that, the British Museum. UGH HATED IT!!!! so many people! Worse than the Louvre in Paris. I think it's due to a combination of it being free and the cold weather, but it was so packed that you could not really see anything properly. We essentially just went in, saw the Elgin Marbles and left. I was underwhelmed.

Supper was fish & chips in Leister Square, delicious but I have trouble digesting that much fried food in one sitting!!

After supper we went to see a play QUARTERMAINE'S TERM staring Rowan Atkinson (a.k.a. Mr Bean). I got a kick out if seeing him live, but the play was not as funny as advertised so in the end it was just OK.

Only 2 full days left I can't believe it!! Kew Gardens is off the list because its just too cold for that kind of activity... I'm not dissapointed, now we have something to come back to!

Tomorrow we have Highgate Cemetery, HMS Belfast and lunch in an Indian Restaurant planned. After that, we'll see!!


3 April 2013

London 2013 - Day 5 part 1

Having lunch at the OXO Tower Bar, it's so great I have to share with you!

We spent the morning at St Paul's Cathedral, and now I am busy admiring it from afar while I have some delicious bites of meat & cheese along with some excellent wine.

The perfect activity on a cold day!!







London 2013 - Day 4 part 2

Pictures of Day 4:

This app does not let me post and label pictures individually, I hope doing it this way makes sense!

• 1 Buckingham Palace
• 2 & 3 Lunch at Café Florian at Harrods
• 4 & 5 Random shots of "the City"
• 6 Repelling down The Shard
• 7 Resto by the Thames
• 8 View from our table
• 9 Our shared app.


















London 2013 - Day 4 part 1

Yet another busy, productive day! I think to say we walked for about 8 hours today is a reasonable estimate.

We started with Westminster Abbey as planned - very nice, but it annoys me that its all "no pictures allowed" especially since we all know the reason is because they want to make money off the books!!!

After that, we walked down Pall Mall to see St James Palace and Buckingham Palace again.

The plan was to have lunch in the Food Hall at Harrods, specifically at the cheese counter, but it does not exist anymore!! BOOO! So we went to Café Florian instead and it was delicious!! No regrets! (I was told that there are something like 20 restos at Harrods)

After lunch, we explored the financial district and the area around St Paul's, but because we had nice blue skies today I wanted to take advantage and stay outside. It was still insanely cold with the wind, but we did have a few moments of actually feeling the heat!!!

I did not particularly want to go up to the visiting platform in The Shard because its too expensive, but we wanted a sit down break by then, so we decided to go over anyways to see if there was a bar or a restaurant up there; that would make it more worthwhile. Turns out they don't yet.

The walk there was still enjoyable, and my husband was blown away watching the (we presume) window washers repelling down the side!

From there, we made our way to the waterfront near the HMS Belfast and City Hall. There was a really nice looking resto there with a panoramic view over the Thames of the Tower of London & Tower Bridge. GORGEOUS!! I suggested stopping there for a drink and sharing an app to tie us over until supper which we planned to have at a pub.

We loved the view so much, we ended up staying for supper!

We still made it to a pub for a nightcap, and not just any pub! An old Victorian era bank turned into a pub... it was awesome.

Sadly, since my iPod takes such lousy pictures, you'll have to wait until the "official" pictures are done!

Tomorrow, we have St Paul's Cathedral and the Clockmakers Museum on the agenda. The rest will depend on the sky conditions!! There is a resto in the OXO Tower I'd like to try for lunch... We'll see!!

2 April 2013

London 2013 - Day 3

It's so cold!!! It's the wind making it bad, 6 - 7 - 8 degrees can be nice, but not with wind like this. BRRRRR

Today we went to Hampton Court (home of Henry VIII about 30 mins away by train) in the morning and The Museum of London in the afternoon; a very nice day!

Supper tonight was at Hard Rock Café. I have mixed feelings about it: a little tourist cheesy but I reconcile it with the fact that we're here for a week so it's not forcing something better off the list AND its a bit of a tradition since we've done it in 6 other cities.

I don't hate the hotel as much as I did yesterday. The guys next door are gone and it's much quieter. I wanted an apartment hotel because I like having breakfast in the room in the morning while watching the news etc. but you can't do that here. I mentioned before that this is a room for one, and so the eating area is a little space at the end of the counter, but since there is not enough room in the bathroom for all our supplies, that space has turned into our only flat surface to dump anything! ... meaning no room to eat. So really, it defeats the entire purpose of an apartment hotel! Plus, the way they've set it up, the TV would be to your back.

Ah well. Win some lose some. We've fallen into a pattern so we're not in each others way!

We both decided we are sleeping in too much. We're on the road by about 9:30 which is late for us. The first morning was ok because we were getting over the jet lag, and the second morning was making sure I got enough sleep with my cold, but that's it now. No more jet lag, no more cold = no more burning daylight. The alarm is set for 7:30.

Tomorrow, the plan is Westminster Abbey, then lunch at Harrods food hall that we could not do on Sunday, in the afternoon we hit the financial district and the area around St Paul's.

I leave you with a tiny glimpse of a tiny portion of the lovely gardens at Hampton Court.





1 April 2013

London 2013 - Day 2

Another great day! If you don't consider the time it took to eat and drink, we were on our feet about 7 hours if not more.

We walked our feet off! We retraced some of our steps from yesterday, but also took in Covent Garden, Soho, Buckingham Palace & The Mall, Hyde Park & the Diana Memorial Fountain which was closed for maintenance last time we were here. Knightsbridge area, Royal Mews, and also tracked down the location of the CBC studio to take a picture of the view we see behind the London correspondents.

After all that walking, my left knee if killing me now! I hope it does not linger into tomorrow!

On the bright side, my cold seems to be gone for good, thank God, because it's SO FREAKING COLD!!! I'm sure with the wind it was below 0 today. Yesterday I had to buy a hat, today I had to buy a scarf. Thankfully it's nice & dry so far.

Our first "sleep" was not the greatest. The guy next to us is SO LOUD that not only did I need Niquil to help me sleep, but I also took a sleeping pill. I asked the receptionist when they would be checking out, and she told me tomorrow. Good.

Good day food-wise. We wanted to have lunch at Harrods but it was closed so we tried an Iraqi restaurant. The food was good; middle eastern, like Turkish or Lebanese or Greek. I had lamb (see pictures below)

For supper, it was Italian; across the street from Bouji, a club known for its celebrity clientele, like Princes William & Harry in their bachelor days.

We did have a drink at a pub today, so don't worry we did have something local, but really, I can't do fish & chips every day! I need to alternate- maybe tomorrow.

Tomorrow: Hampton Court in the AM, after that we'll just see where the wind blows.

Good night!