And a terri▐c trip to Europe it was (from September 1st to the 21st)! I╒m pleasantly amazed at the things I could do on the trip. And all the people I met. My feelings were very mixed about coming back. The only time I reserved a room more than twelve hours ahead was for the ▐rst 2 nights in K┐benhavn at the Vandrenjem Youth Hostel in Amager. I recommend any hostel if you╒d like to meet other travelers. Warning! The Amager hostel was the only hostel I stayed at that rented towels! Take a towel and strap it to the outside of your pack to dry.
My favorites: Most shades of blond, Denmark. The most interesting city-to-be: Berlin. There╒s a part of Berlin╒s Museum Island that has rows of statues and other items waiting to be put back into bombed out buildings that haven╒t been restored since WWII! In ▐ve to ten years it will be a great place to visit. More of place will be ▐xed and the East Berliners will be more used to non-German speaking people with all the government of▐ces moving there.
Most interesting city now: Paris. Most beautiful countryside: Switzerland, they know it and charge accordingly. Even though it╒s expensive don╒t skip it for anything! I took the train from Montreux to Spiez and took the funicular up to Mƒrren. From my room I watched the sun rise over the Eiger. Beautiful.
Most photogenic city: Brugge, Belgium. Where ürhus, Denmark, has a wonderful open air museum called ╥Den Gamle By╙ with local or transported old buildings, Brugge is an impeccable, old, excellently kept city with canals, breweries, lace and waf▀e shops.
Best meal Vernazza, Italy. Worst meal: Vernazza, Italy. Interesting how this was in the same little town. Go to the restaurant at the NE corner of the square. The food╒s great and waiter╒s funny and friendly. Another good meal was at residential restaurant in Berlin a 20 minute walk to the right from the Wannsee hostel, past the train station and on the intersection of the major street. Excellent potatoes au graten! Sorry, I don╒t remember any of the names.
Strangest coincidence: the German woman at the next table (in the good restaurant) in Vernazza that works in the Munich of▐ce of the same company my brother works for in Alabama. He recognized her name. A close sencond is meeting the same guy, three days apart, at the K┐benhavn and Berlin hostels.
Most painful conversation: talking to Paola on the train from Milan to Genoa. I don╒t speak Italian except for music notation and she spoke a tiny bit of English. After 2 hours we laughed and agreed we both had a headache just above our eyebrows from straining to ▐nd the right words.
Part of my reason for travel was to get over debilitating shyness, besides seeing stuff for real instead in a book. I met so many great people and had a blast. On the trip three years ago, I was too intimidated by not speaking the local language and hardly ever having used public transportation. This time there was no problem. The Rick Steve╒s book ETBD was great encouragement for this time around! Not bad for some one who used to hide in his cardigan sweater in high school.
My two small mistakes: getting on the wrong train in Milan and going toward Venice instead of Vernazza. The second mistake: I should have just stayed on that train! The Thomas Cook Europe rail guide was great for planning rail time for most of Europe but there were a lot of errors in the Italian portion, mostly stuff missing from the schedule.
My two regrets: not getting the addresses of two women I met. One was 8 year old Katreese (sp) from the Bronx. Her father lives in L.A. and she was ▀ying back home alone to her mother. She kept singing ╥I can see clearly now, the rain is gone╙ with terri▐c style! Neither of us could remember the rest of the song. She decided I had to move in with her and that her mother did have an extra room. I╒d love to have sent her a card or something, but in a time where people are worried about child molesters, this didn╒t seem like a good thing to do. I think I worry too much.
And Angelique, the waitress/college student (arts management major) at the Italian restaurant around the block behind ╥Het Concertgebouw╙ in Amsterdam. Sometimes some one just strikes you a certain way and you get stupid. I would have liked to have talked to her a little more. I _did_ get other addresses.
Well, there is a third regret: that I started so late taking people photo╒s that I╒d met.
Next summer the choir I╒m in is touring and singing in the UK for two weeks. We land in Glasgow and work our way to London. I╒m, like most others in the choir, delaying my return from London for a week. Most are going to Ireland. We╒ll see who else I meet, if I can go. Work has suddenly slowed down.
