Category Archives: Europe

Next stop…Vienna with someone else’s luggage

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The day before this photograph was taken, my group of 11 travelers and myself took a tram and train from our hotel in Prague to the train station in Vienna.  When I purchased the tickets via the Czech Republic train system online (discovered through the amazing site covering world-wide train travel…The Man in Seat 61), I knew I had to wait until 60 days before the travel date to purchase all 12 of them.  Because I had budgeted a certain amount of money based on the least expensive train tickets, I also was aware that it was necessary for me to be online and ready to secure them as soon as the window opened up.  Although I was poised and ready when the window opened, I was forced to choose two different times for the group to depart, within an hour of each other, splitting us into two groups of six each.  I’m telling you all of this to lead up to my funny (although not at the time) train travel story and in case it helps you with your travels.

While still in Prague, I gave everyone their train ticket and their 72-hr. transport card that I had purchased online and that was mailed to me, for their use while in Vienna for all trains, metro, and buses.  The 72-hr. card is especially handy for travelers so that you don’t have to buy a ticket each time you want to use the metro, a bus or tram, and one only needs to validate it once (which entails sticking it into a machine that places a stamp on it).  When my group of six arrived to the train station in Vienna, we stopped at the ATM to withdraw money with our debit cards, and we found the next train we needed to take that would deposit us within a block of our hotel.  I had verbally told everyone and typed the information on the Itinerary, to remind ourselves to validate the card  once before use, to avoid a hefty fee if discovered without the validation.  So, of course we board the train and before we even sat down I remembered, so I loudly announced for everyone to get off NOW!  You may think that’s not a big deal, but when the trains are crowded and you’re heaving a large suitcase (like me), then it can be a hassle.  We all disembarked and one of the travelers took our tickets to the validation machine, brought them back, and since the train was still there, we all got back on!  But…that’s not the end of the story…

If my memory serves me, this particular train ride was only about 10-15 minutes long and just before getting off, one of the ladies says, “This isn’t my piece of luggage”.  I look at her as the blood is draining from her face and immediately reassured her that everything would be alright.  We emerged from the depths of the train tunnels and walked down the street to our hotel.  As soon as I told them my name at the front desk, the Reservations clerk informed us that the Manager from our last hotel in Prague was on his way driving the three hours to Vienna to pick up the piece of luggage that they had mistakenly given her and replace it with her piece.  Because we had to check out of the hotel in Prague before leaving for the train station, we left our luggage in their storage room and when she went to pick up her’s they gave her the wrong piece!  It all worked out though!  The mystery is…how did the hotel in Prague know where we were going to???

The following day we followed the Itinerary and walked to the Hofburg Palace Complex, which is the official residence of the President of Austria, and where the Spanish Riding School is located.

This photo was taken in the Complex area…

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Searching for Vrtbovska Zahrada

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During the five weeks I spent researching and planning this month-long 9 country European odyssey, I saw photos of an amazing garden called Vrtbovska Zahrada.  It was under $4 to gain entry and I was determined to find it.  In yesterday’s post, we walked down Petrin Hill in search of the gardens and found it!  As you can see, it’s absolutely gorgeous!

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The views were spectacular…

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Exploring Prague and the Funicular to Petrin Hill

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With the Charles Bridge and Prague in the background, this solitary row-boat appeared to be quite “solitary”!

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I left off yesterday having explored some of Wenceslas Square in New Town and Old Town Square.  When I presented this trip to my Travel Spirit Meetup.com, I stressed the point that we would be traveling together as independent travelers, meaning if you wanted to stay with the group you could, and if you wanted to divide off with someone else or a separate group, you could and should.  At various times during the tour, people would do that.  I enjoy solo traveling and believe it empowers people, so I encouraged others to take at least a few hours by themselves, exploring.

On our way walking to take the Funicular (Cog Railway) up Petrin Hill, we happened upon this interesting Memorial to Victims of Communism…

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Old Town vs. New Town in Prague

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The Astronomical Clock in the center of Old Town Square is on the tourist’s “must do” list, so we did it.  There were twelve of us traveling through Eastern Europe for 11 days.  Shifting from one leg to the other to take pressure off of my back, it was hard to believe I was finally there.  When the figures finally did their thing (I forget now what they did because I watched a clock in Munich also), it was a bit anti-climatic.  I was more interested in taking photographs of the amazing architecture and people!

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I loved watching the giant bubble maker making his bubbles and children trying to pop them!

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A couple of us climbed to the top of the Powder Gate for a fantastic view of Prague…

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A Day Late to Prague

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I couldn’t believe my ears when I arrived to the Delta Airlines check-in desk at the Cincinnati airport and the Reservations Clerk said, in a cavalier tone, “Your flight to Newark, NJ has been cancelled due to weather.  Come back in the morning for the next flight.”  I explained I was leading a group of people through Europe and it was very important to arrive as soon as possible.  After checking some other options, he explained that was my only option.  My husband drove the 50 minutes back to the airport to pick me up and in the morning made the third trip to the airport to drop me off.  I’ve always liked Airports.  The anticipation of going somewhere new, the people watching, and even the photo ops.  Who knew restrooms can look “artsy”.

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On my overnight flight from Newark to Amsterdam, I was seated between two men traveling together.  I intended to get as much sleep as I could, but they were so funny and interesting, we talked and laughed for more than half of the flight!  I had arranged for an airport shuttle to pick up the 12 travelers in my group.  They arrived at various times, so there were a number of trips.  After notifying one of the travelers of my late arrival, they decided to wait the extra two hours for me to take them on Day 1’s list of activities:  Taking Tram 22 to the Prague Castle Complex, which includes St. Vitus Cathedral, the Powder Tower, Rosenberg Palace, and the Old Royal Palace; strolling down from the Castle area on Nerudova Street across the famous Charles Bridge.

After checking into the hotel and taking five minutes to freshen up, I joined the group in the lobby for the day’s activities.  The first photo I took in Prague was while we were waiting to hop on Tram 22.  When I requested permission to take this woman’s photo, she asked “why” with a puzzled look.  I responded, “Because I like your pants and your dog”.

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So, now we’ve arrived at the top of the hill where the Prague Castle Complex is situated, including St. Vitus Cathedral.

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European Vacation: 9 Countries, 10 Cities, 27 Days, 12,500 miles

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Having just returned a few days ago from my month-long European Vacation, I’d like to share a photo from each of the ten Cities I traveled through.  I’ll be going more in-depth in future posts about my experience of taking a group of travelers through Europe, my feelings and thoughts, challenges and delights!  The photos are in order of Cities visited…

Here’s most of the group (a couple of people’s flights were delayed or missed) (for the Eastern Europe portion) in front of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

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Within the Hofburg Palace Complex – Vienna, Austria…

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Let’s go to Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest!

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Planning a trip for yourself is one thing, but when you’re planning for a group of 12, the importance of a solid travel itinerary is essential!   I’ve spent over 100 hours planning an 11 night trip for May of this year to Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest, traveling from City to City via train.  I’m so excited!  I’ve longed to visit Eastern Europe and am giving a presentation to my travel meetup group next week, to see who would like to join me!  After checking how much other travel companies charge for a very similar trip, my group will be very pleased to discover how economical it will be…at almost half the cost.  I plan on staying an extra week to travel to Berlin and Amsterdam and hopefully Couchsurf!

With the weather so cold, its been the perfect time to get all of this planning finished!  I took these photos the other morning…

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You can barely see the sun peeking through the pine trees here…

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I’ll post the itinerary for everyone when we get closer! xoxoxo

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Interesting and Sexy (some) People of Italy, Spain, France and Croatia

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Continuing with my series on people around the world, I found the people of Italy, Spain, France, and Croatia to be very interesting and many of them…sexy!

For example, these Italian men in Venice…especially the one on the right…Mama Mia!

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Amazing People in Portugal

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Portugal is one of my favorite Countries in Europe!  And the people of Portugal are simply beautiful!!  I love people watching and of course…snapping photos of them!  Here are a few from my three-week trip (that you can read about here) back in 2010…

I saw this couple near Sintra, Portugal.  Aren’t they darling?

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Shopping in Greece

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The Island of Corfu, Greece was the final destination of my 12 night Royal Caribbean Mediterranean cruise.  I spent the day shopping!  Actually, I’d only bought a few things up until this point…so I made up for lost time.  Most likely–compared to many women, I didn’t do much damage.

There was no sign of the civil unrest that had been publicized recently (this cruise was in June 2010).  I ran into a couple I had met on the ship and had lunch with them.  They were with a few of the cruise ship employees…one of whom was the Director of Entertainment on board.

I had an authentic Gyros and it was delicious.  And of course some Ouzo!

This photo is early in the morning as the shop keepers were preparing for the day…

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Photos of life in Corfu…

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 As I walked around the old town section of Corfu, I paid a small entrance fee to enter the old citadel…Palaio Frourio.  I didn’t tour the new citadel, which is called the Neo Frourio.

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  This was a view from within the Citadel’s walls.

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These little local boys were sooo cute!!

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The next two days were spent at sea cruising back to Barcelona.  It was quite an adjustment after the long days of walking and sight-seeing!  I almost felt bored, after rushing for almost three weeks, but there were always people to talk to.  I love to read…but for some reason I wasn’t in the mood on this trip and I also didn’t feel like sun bathing…I’d already had too much!

After disembarking in Barcelona, with luggage in tow, we made our way to the train station.  I have a “Heys” suitcase that when empty, only weighs 3 lbs.  It has held up nicely through 10 trips in the past 2-3 years.

On the train to the main train station in Barcelona, a girl in her 20’s got on and had a wire hanger with a paper mache banana that she hung from a handlebar on the train.  She also had a stuffed animal and a small step stool.  She stepped onto the stool and in Spanish, began belting out–what seemed to be a dramatic play or story, to the passengers on the train.  The other passengers seemed to be ignoring her.  I caught the eye of a fellow passenger and she smiled at me.  Since I don’t understand Spanish…I didn’t know what she was saying.  I wondered if she was practicing for a class in school…perhaps a drama student…or if it was political in nature.  But, at the end she walked around with a hat for money and a couple of men gave her a few coins.  We had encountered musicians on a few of the other train or subway rides.  I like being surprised…not knowing what type of entertainment could be around the corner!

We boarded our three hour reserved train ride to Madrid and were picked up by the free shuttle bus from the Hilton Hotel by the airport, where we stayed for the night before heading home the following day!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed your trip through Europe with me!

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Spirit Within Croatia

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I fell in love with Dubrovnik, Croatia during my 2010 visit!  Surrounded by a 2 km long wall, that was built for protection, over 40,000 people call it home!

Making my way to the top deck of the cruise ship as it was docking, I was surprised to see the modern and imposing Franjo Tuđman Bridge.

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Upon entering the stone town, I was captivated by the old world charm of Dubrovnik!  This gentleman is a fixture at Onofrio’s Fountain…

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Once you’ve climbed the steps up to the wall…there is a walkway enabling you to completely walk around the town…and the views were astounding!

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It was a hot day and I became very thirsty as I walked along the raised wall.  If I remember correctly, there were a couple of spots you could exit from the wall’s walkway.  Stopping at a vendor’s shop for a bottled water, I was informed that they didn’t take credit cards, so I waited until I finished walking around to make my way to a cafe for a quick drink.  I usually carry my own water, but I don’t recall why I didn’t have any with me that day.

It worked out well with my traveling companion, because some days we went our separate ways…did our own thing…and met up later.  Other days, we spent exploring together.  This was one of the days we were exploring on our own.

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Many of the roofs were damaged during the 1991 war…but have been repaired!

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The barbers allowed me to take a photo!  I love all of the things they have on display.

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When you turn a corner and find a fresh farmer’s market…you feel like you’ve discovered a gold mine!

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I love this guy’s smile!!

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There was a spirit and a tinge of sadness surrounding some of the people of Croatia!  Perhaps it is due to the recent War…

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The “Art” of asking directions in Rome

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Boarding the train in Civitavecchia, Italy, on my way to explore Rome for the first time, I was prepared for the long day ahead.  Having organized my own shore excursion to save money, in lieu of purchasing one through Royal Caribbean, I was aware of the strict timeline for my traveling companion and I.  Twelve hours to make our way to Rome, explore and return.  I had purchased train tickets in advance and the trip was approximately 1 1/2 hrs, each way.  The first stop was Vatican City and I was surprised by how quickly we were able to gain entry.  Unfortunately we weren’t able to see St. Peter’s Basilica because the Pope was going to speak.

I’m not sure how I managed to get a photo in Vatican City without a person in it…

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We quickly walked out of that Country and entered Rome!  Next…we crossed the Tiber River.  Side note:  I was using someone else’s camera…mine had broken!

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This is where the fun started.  Although we were equipped with three maps, locating the Pantheon was not happening.  I’m usually very good with maps.  I started asking people for directions.  My theory from years of traveling is that unless you get a gut feeling someone’s directions are really good…ask someone else…which I did…again and again…so we arrived at the Pantheon (which I didn’t post a picture of).

Multiple people were responsible for our arrival to the Trevi Fountain…which we tossed a coin into standing backwards.  That way you are assured you’ll return to Rome!

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 The following two pictures are obviously a street with lots of people and a street with very few!

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 We were guided by a few kind souls to the Spanish Steps…which we didn’t climb attempting to conserve energy for all of the walking!

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 I’m not sure what or where this was…but it had nice light!

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 Finally, armed with directions from the friendly locals, we headed towards the Coliseum.

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You can almost imagine yourself living back in the “hey day” of the Roman Empire!

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Rome was a City that surprised me for a variety of reasons.  I was surprised that you’re just walking along and then the Coliseum is…just there…I thought it would be farther outside of the City!   I did so much research on the flight, cruise, train travel and hotels that I didn’t research every City – I guess it’s nice to be surprised sometimes!

For some reason, I thought Rome would be a bit “dirty” and be more crowded, but it wasn’t!

 Tomorrow we skip over to Croatia…one of my favorite places!

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Bal Masque

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The evening that our cruise ship left Venice, there was a Masquerade Ball  aka Bal Masque.  It was fun to see all of the colorful and unusual masks!

Of course, Venice is famous for their masks…

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 “The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are.  You trade in your reality for a role.  You trade in your sense for an act.  You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange put on a mask.  There can’t be any large-scale revolution until there’s a personal revolution, on an individual level.  It’s got to happen inside first.”  ~Jim Morrison

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Here are some lovely girls!!

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My mask was quite simple!

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Another cutie!!

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Don’t miss Rome tomorrow!!

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Island of Capri

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I decided to pay Royal Caribbean the $150 to go on their organized shore excursion, since I had arranged all of my previous excursions.  Once the cruise ship docked in Naples, Italy, I boarded a small boat and was stepping onto the small island of Capri within 45 minutes.

We boarded a bus for a unique ride to Anacapri, that took us up skinny, winding roads, past lovely guesthouses/villas and finally dropped us at a chair lift that takes you to the top of the island.  During the chair lift ride, I was twisting and turning to take photos of the dramatic vistas!

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I love the excitement of being somewhere new and so very beautiful!  The views were spectacular!  You’ll notice these photos aren’t as clear and crisp as my others…there was a haze in the sky and I had borrowed someone’s camera, since mine mal-functioned.

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Island of Capri

Island of Capri

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Our tour guide was Italian.  I asked to take his photo and he insisted on one with both of us in the photo.

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Perhaps I am generalizing here…but it seems Italian men have an air of confidence and know when to take charge!  Or maybe, they try to take charge all of the time.

He led our group for a stroll through the exquisite and colorful “Gardens of Augustus“.

It was very soothing and almost like a retreat!

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Gardens of Augustus

After our tour of the gardens, it was fun window shopping and I eventually found a seat at a quaint sidewalk cafe, and ordered a deliciously chilled Limoncello!

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Don’t tell anyone, but I also bought a bottle of wine to sneak on the ship and I wasn’t the only one.  When on-board drinks are $8-9 each, it’s the smart thing to do.

One of my doctors has been there and said the hiking is great.  Although Capri is gorgeous, it was very crowded and touristy.  If I were to return, I would prefer to explore other areas of the Island and hopefully escape some of the crowds!

Tomorrow, we sail to Venice!

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