Fortresses and Fleas

(Monday, 9/26) Ernie and I are sitting in the Munich airport waiting for our flight to Berlin that is already 1-1 2 hours late.  Is it us?

Meanwhile, back to our chosen adventures . . .

The day after our train trip to the castles we once again boarded a train for Austria - Salzburg to be exact.  No problems with the trip this time -- just a little long (2 1/2 hours).  It was still better than driving a car; not only much cheaper but also more relaxing.  The train ride itself was like a tour through the Bavarian Alps.  We passed villages, farms, the rolling foothills with everything looking a rich green.  The mountains were impressive.  Nice ride.

View of Salzberg

  Old Salzburg is a walled city that survived intact through many wars until WWII.  Some of the buildings were destroyed but many were remaining.  Salzburg is Mozart's birthplace so the shops are all things Mozart, including Mozart square with a huge Mozart statue.  We ran into a festival that was going on in the square and local families were having a fun day.  The old church (also at the square) was having a flea market where the guys all found something to buy.  It was cool being with the town people.  I wish we could have taken pictures of the older men we saw dressed in fine quality Bavarian clothes and looking so classic (and classy).  There is a fortress overlooking the town.  We climbed a daunting number of steps to reach the fortress then decided we didn't want to pay to go in.  But the view from there was worth the climb.  Nick found the cutest sweater for Iliana with a big eidelweiss knit into the front.  Nick found a Bavarian hat for Collin just like grandpa's.   I was glad Nick got to see Salzburg because it really had the feeling of old Europe.

The train ride back was not as relaxing as the ride out.  There was an extremely loud group of Germans drinking beer and playing Uno, of all things.  It must have been the best game of Uno ever because they cheered and laughed at everything (with gusto).  It was kind of nice seeing people having such a good time, but not in our ears for two hours please.

Nick and Gnome



Flea market hats -- rejects (the hats not the men)



Climbing the many steep stairs to . . . .

. . .  this fortress

Princesses and Pizza

The church bells are tolling out the window.  The bells must be coming from several churches because it is a pleasant cacophony of sound.  We are about to set off to enjoy our last day in Munich.  Maybe I can get in a few words about previously seen sights before we leave.

The only thing on my don't miss list was a visit to a castle in the Bavarian Alps ... specifically, the Cinderella/Disneyland castle that is the epidomy of castles.  It was going to require a two hour train ride to get there and the guys graciously said they wanted to see it too.  The night before we found out which train to take & bought a special family discount ticket.  Early the next morning, we stopped at our now favorite pastry shop for coffee and pastries to go and headed to the station.  On the way we realized we never checked what TIME the train left.  We hurried to the station holding our hot coffee and bag of pastries, searched for the track, and discovered that the train was leaving NOW. We ran-- not just a little run but about two train lengths at full speed--holding our hot coffee as it shloshed out of the lid.  The conductor saw us running and took pity (the white hair has its advantages) so we actually got on board.  Breathless--at least me and Ernie--but we made it.  It was only 8something in the morning and after our heart rates returned to normal we decided we were off to a great start.  After traveling several miles on the train, drinking the 1/4 cup of coffee that was left, and getting pastry crumbs all over ourselves the conductor came by to punch our ticket.  It's wonderful to have our own translator in events like this.  Like when the conductor says your special discount ticket is not valid until 9 am and you can either pay 40euros each (the original ticket was 29 euros for all 4 of us) or get off the train at the next stop and wait for the next train which will come an hour later and therefore will be after 9 am.  Guess what choice we made?  Here is a picture of us after we got off, asking ourselves "whot happen?" (reference Christopher Guest). 

When we arrived at the little town below the castle we could see that our travel woes were worth it.  We could see Neuschwanstein Castle up on the mountain looking perfect.  The castle was built Ludwig II ("Mad" King Ludwig) over a period of 17 years, but he only lived in it 172 days before he mysteriously drowned in the lake.  He had been declared mentally unfit to rule, seemingly due to spending so much of the coffers on the castle and hobnobbing with artsy types -- particularly the composer Wagner.  Many of the rooms of the castle have themes relating to various Wagner operas.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_II_of_Bavaria.  It's all amazing to see.  Before we visited  Neuschwanstein, we visited a smaller castle built by Ludwig's father.  Also very cool and very different. 

There was a crystal clear lake in the town below the castles and Nick and Chris were determined to jump in for a swim.  It was getting late and cool after we stopped and had pizza, but they decided to give it a try anyway.  We found a spot off the beaten path and they stripped down to their skivies and made a dash into the water -- promising each other they would actually go in and not chicken out.  They did it!  A swim in a Alpine Lake -- what a memory.

Chicken Strips and Carriages

Nick and Chris left us the day after our Salzburg trip.  They arrived in Berlin for a couple of days of brother time.

Ernie and I did what any good parents would do after spending so much time with their kidsBwe slept in.  It felt good and I could have easily given in to a day of reading and sleeping.  But, I can do that at home so we headed out to see another sight on our list.  We went to Nympemburg Palace.  It was in a more residential part of Berlin we had not yet seen. 

The palace itself was interesting, but not terribly exciting.  What was exciting were the grounds, gardens, and transportation museum.  The grounds and gardens were as impressive as Versailles and surrounded by a small fairy-tale forest.  I thought the transportation museum would be dull, but it was fascinating to see the amazingly ornate carriages used by King Ludwig.  Each was carved on every possible place on the carriage frame, the coaches and frames were gilded,  the cabs painted with scenes or portraits and topped with some kind of statue announcing the arrival of the important person inside, even the driver had a special place to sit and Aslippers@ to set his boots into.  The museum also had contained sleighs like nothing I=ve ever seen.  The sleighs were made for hunting or pleasure riding and were decorated with carvings of mythological characters so large I don=t know how the passenger saw around them.  We couldn’t use a flash so didn’t get the best pictures, but you can get an idea.  You must also picture the horses covered in silver embroided blankets and wearing headdresses!

Our last day in Munich brought us to the 20th century.  We took a trip to see the Olympia Park where the 1972 summer Olympics were held.  We stopped for some Kentucky Fried Chicken on the way and it was definitely finger-lickin= good after all that German food.  The park was huge and really gave us a feel for where the athletes compete during the games.  The venues are being used by the community B the pool was filled with pleasure and fitness swimmers and children.  The high dive looked HIGH and I will appreciate it, and the length of the laps, much more when the next Olympics come around.  On the lake kids were floating around in giant bubbles, trying to stand up and get them spinning.  Looked like fun!

We felt that we had to visit the famous Hofbrauhaus which was founded in the 1500's.  It was as full of happy beer drinkers as the Oktoberfest.  I guess when Oktoberfest is not in session, the Hofbrauhaus is the place to be.  It was a big, two story building with a center courtyard and several different large rooms. We didn=t want to sit in the boisterous courtyard and were happy we found a perfect seat on the second floor overlooking the courtyard.  The best part was that I was able to order a salad!  I=d eaten heavy food and potatoes in many forms throughout the week and my body was crying out for greens.  The salad was so good B full of healthy stuff.  But wouldn=t you know it B it came with a warm potato dressing.  I just couldn=t escape the almighty Bavarian potato.  I=ll admit that the dressing was good, and the apple strudel we ended our meal with was perfect.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Munich and surrounding areas.  Ernie was ready to come back and stay for a month or two.  That ain=t gonna happen, but it would be nice to see what the city is like when all the Oktoberfest tourists are gone.  I wonder if they wear the dirndls all year long? 

Bikes and Bratwurst

A few days later and it's already hard to remember what we did on Wednesday.  I think it was Wednesday?

We decided to go on a bike tour of Munich.  Mike's Bikes was just around the corner and the guys that ran the business all spoke English and wanted everybody to have a good time.  They also told me they had never lost a rider.  All these qualifications were good enough for me.  While we were waiting for our tour time we checked out the famous glockenspeil and managed to be there at one of the three daily chime times.  The king and queen watched the court entertainment while dancers twirled.  Just like you would imagine.

Once it was bike time, I got off to a more wobbly start than I normally would after a year off two-wheelers because I had a cool touring bike with wide handlebars which felt like I was steering a chopper.  We followed the leader stopping at various points of interest 1) the plaza where Hitler was almost shot early in his "career", 2) a beautiful church with more plasterwork than I've ever seen, 3) a park that had a few very out-of-place naked male sunbathers, 4) a fun beer garden where they ran out of the chicken Ernie was eyeing just before he ordered, and various other historical spots.  Other than almost veering into a serious rider coming in the opposit direction, all was well.




Plaza

 
  

Church

 

Chubby Naked Guys

 

After the ride we all came back and had a little rest.  I continued to have a little rest while Ernie, Nick and Chris went back to Oktoberfest.  One crowded night was enough for me so I stayed behind and tried to watch BBC news because that was the only program in English.  I actually ventured to the little market to get something for dinner.  After about 30 minutes in the store I was able to understand enough labels to come home with a can of tomato soup, a yogurt, and of course a candy bar (which needs no translation).  I was so proud of myself.  The guys came home after having had a great time.  They actually were able to sit at a great table and were joined by a couple of other men that were good company. 

I think they got the sense of the camaraderie behind the beer garden concept.  It is a community atmosphere with all ages coming together and celebrating their heritage.  I know my guys had fun because Ernie came home wearing a Tyrolean hat, feather and all.

Some Catching Up Needed

 

 

So tired.  We've had three days of walking, biking, and running (literally).  By the time we get back to the apartment all four of us want to use the one computer that doesn't pick up the internet half the time - even though we are paying extra for it.  Grrr.  So, blogging has not been fitting in as planned.  I'll catch up on this blur of touristing later today (I hope).

Nick and Chris left today for Berlin.  We planned the schedule so they could have brother time alone.  And, it turns out that Ernie and I are ready for old folks time.  Having our "boys" with us on this trip has added a level of pleasure that makes this trip extra-special.  It's a throw-back to the old days before all the major life changes.  And though I would never want us to have remained stuck in a little foursome family, it's a comfortable feeling to re-visit that place.  We've done well together.  I like the adults my sons have become and they are people I just like to hang around with.  I'm so proud of them.

We'll join them in a few days.  The next apartment is in east Berlin up six flights of stairs.  No elevator.  Dang Communists.

Pig Knuckles and Stinky Cheese

Nick, Ernie and I met up with Chris at the apartment we rented in Munich  So good to see him.  He had beer and pretzles awaiting and it was a little bit of heaven.  The apartment is quite large but not exactly the cleanest place on we've stayed.  The beds and bathroon are fine, but the carpet and couches could use some Woolite.  The bathroom is huge. Almost twice the size of the kitchen.  Must have been designed by a man.  The kitchen is sparsely equipped. Among the supplies are four non-matching glasses, three dinner plates, one pan big enough to fry an egg, and one entire two shelf cupboard containing nothing but an ashtray.  Rental prices were pretty high due to Oktoberfest.  Whenever we complain, we remind ourselves that the place is gigantic and in a great location.  We'll be fine, and we won't be hanging around much.

It was getting late so we decided to just eat and crash for the night.  Body clock is nutty.  We found a homey-looking restaurant that seemed authentically German.  (we by-passed Kentucky Fried).  Chris talked Nick into trying pig knuckles.  They both chowed down on the bony, crusty knuckle and prounced it good.  Ernie had the sausage plate with about six different kinds of sausage.  Yes, about as healthy as it sounds but also good.  I had a hearty bowl of a great potato soup and a side of some kind of marinated cheese that not only tasted was too strong, but was so smelly that Nick asked me to move it off of the table before he lost his pig knuckle.  Yeah, like his choice didn't gross me out.

Today we slept in then caught a train to Dachau Concentration Camp.  Not your every day tourist attraction, but something we all felt was important to see.  It is now a museum and memorial.  We spent a couple of hours with our listening guides learning about the details of the camp.  As I touched window sills and trees, I thought about the people who had touched those same spots and what they must have gone through.  There is one part of a memorial that says "Never Again" and I guess that is why we went. 

Talk about a 180 -- from there we went to Oktoberfest.  Beer "tents" were overflowing with happy people.  The tables in every tent we looked in were full to capacity with people standing in any extra floor space.  The servers carrying multiple mugs of beer were merciless in pushing their way throught the crowds.  I don't see how they could have done it otherwise.  When I had beer splashed on my glasses I decided that I had truly experienced Oktoberfest.  For a short time we watched people standing on tables, or not, and singing along with the band to songs that sounded like fun though we had not idea what they were saying.  We found out later that people get to the tents, or halls, around 10 am to mark out their spot.  It was a fun experience and if I was 40 years younger . . .   People were just happy, not problematically rowdy and most were dressed in dirdls and lederhosen -- for real.  It's only Tuesday night and I can only imaging how insane it will be on the weekend. 

Tomorrow?  Still deciding.

TSA and Paris Indifference

I know it is just too easy to criticize security at the airport, but who the heck wrote the TSA operations manual?  Michael Scott?  There were two lines at CVG heading to the scanners.  One was a regular line and one was a "priority line".  We were in the priority line because we have a Delta Credit card.  Woo hoo. The only priority I get in life and I'm going to take it.  Our line was parallel with the "little people" line and I was feeling mighty superior.  But wait, what is this?  There was only ONE AGENT (hightly trained, no doubt) for both lines to check tickets and scrutinize passports under their little magic light.  I watched him look at the passport, looked at the passenger, then look at the passport again. (It reminded me of being taught how to cross the street when I was six.  Left, right, left again.)  Well, Americans being the generally polite people that they are alternated with the first person in each line so that the "priority" passengers could feel good about their treatment of the little people.  The little people had a look of awe and respect.  While we all headed for the scanners, we noticed that the dreaded body scanner was being used for each passenger which of course slowed the entire process.  Well, OK.  I'll give up a little more privacy in the name of keeping our country safe.  Almost my turn when I notice that TSA has opened a new scanner and is pulling over the little people that have not yet merged.  They are sure moving through security quickly.  Why?  No body scanning happening there.  After my scan, in which they actually say "hands above your head, don't move", I just had to know.  I asked the TSA agent first and then asked some official looking supervisor agent that sat at a high desk overlooking the scene why everybody in one line was being scanned and nobody in the other line.  I mean, it only made sense to me that if it was important enought to do it, it must be important enough to be consistent about it.  Their reason was that they didn't have enough available agents to run the other body scanner.  So, you mean half the people are being scanned?  No, it's random.  Not really, since all in one line are being scanned and and none in the other line.  Somehow it made sense to TSA (who looked at me like I should go in for some water-boarding so I gave up.  I just asked if I could have a seat in the plane that only contained passengers who had body scans.

If at all possible, never make a connection in Paris DeGaulle airport.  When we went to get our boarding pass for our connecting flight to Munich from Air France (about two hours from flight time), they discovered we were not on their passenger list.  The fact that we had a confirmation number and a sort-of boarding pass given to us in Cincinnati for Munich did not help at all.  They told us to go to the Delta desk to get it figured out.  Just a short 10-15 minute walk.  They actually said that.  After a good 15 minutes (the French must be very fast walkers), the Delta agent apologized and said it could have been resolved if they had just called.  The agent "fixed" it and we drug our carry-on back for another brisk 15 minute walk.  Air France agents tell us they still can not find us in the computer, and join in groups of three around the computer, make phone calls, switching out agents periodically so there are never the same three agents, and always confiring in French.  Of course, they never look at us or tell us what is happening.  And when we ask they hold up a wait finger like we are interupting the signing of the Treaty of Versaille.  The two hours we had to make our connection was rapidly dwindling.  After what must have been harder than brain surgery, they get our names on the list only to tell us that the doors of the plane have just closed we will have to go on a later flight.  Not just a little later flight -- a 5 1/2 hour later flight.  That's OK, we'd only flown for 9 hours and hung around an airport for 2 1/2 hours.  Didn't they know I belonged in the PRIORITY LINE????

Going 60 in Vegas

It's just a number.  Just a large number.  And I just can't figure out how it happened.  I know when it happened (last week).  But, I keep waiting for these 60 years to make themselves known outside of the time warp that brought me here.  They've made themselves know in the drooping neck, the white hair, and the overcoming.  They've made themselves known in wrinkles, waist and some wisdom -- and thank God not in whiskers.  I just can't grasp the passage of time.  Where in the H-E DOUBLE TOOTHPICKS did the time go?  I wish I could have banked what I wasted and now hit the ATM.  There's not even a bank to rob.  It is really happening.  I am continuing to age.

 So that I would have a memorable celebration -- and I did -- Ernie took me to Las Vegas for a week.  (Nothing like being around scores of young women in skin-tight dresses and spike heals to take your mind off aging.  I admit I took satisfaction in seeing them hobbling in pain as the night wore on)  I had a week of me.  I was the focus and I made the most of it.  We went to four shows of my choosing.  Two were amazing Cirque de Soleil events.  I don't know what to call them except for an "event".  They are a saturating experience of colors, gravity-defying sets, costumes, music, acrobatics, lights, sounds and fantasy.  We went to a musical (if you know Ernie, you know that was a me choice) called Jersey Boys.  Story of the Four Seasons told with music, humor and drama.  I loved it (Ernie liked it).  Big Girls Don't Cry.  I wanted the t-shirt , but not $30 worth of want.  Final night was a so-so comedian.  It was a small venue and I was in the closest seat so had to laugh at everything.  As far as the overcoming -- I still have a few issues, like co-dependency.  Not only did I not want to hurt his feelings, but I wanted him to like me.  Our family in Las Vegas (best ex-sister-in-law ever Dixie, beautiful nieces Veronica and Denise, nephew-in-law Paul, and good ol' Joe) took us to the beautiful Wynn hotel/casino for a birthday dinner.  I didn't realize they were paying when I greedily ordered.  At least I didn't get the $280 caviar appetizer.  Actually, I wouldn't get it if it was $10 -- which actually was the cost of a side of french fries.  Really - do you know how much a potato cost these days?  That's quite a profit.  Maybe it's hard to grow potatoes in the desert.  I had the best martini EVER and might have had another but I figured there would be no interest in dinner on my part after all those olives.  The food was excellent, the company better, and I did have a night to remember.  Also to remember: Ernie accompanied me to the outlet mall.  Whoa.  Like I said, it was all about me.  Even the free stuff was good: the vintage car collection, the dancing fountains and art glass-flower ceiling at the Bellagio, almost free two-for-one Haagen Daz, dueling pianos, exploding volcano at the Mirage, Hoover Dam, conservatory at the Bellagio, and more.  We were so busy going and seeing that we only had a chance to lose about $45 each.  Actually, it gets boring quickly when you always lose so we left that to those who wanted to support the casinos.

We hiked in Red Rock Canyon.  How can rocks be so colorful and textural?  The area was scrub and cactus and treeless, but was beautiful even to a girl who loves the Sierras.  I was reminded of my age when I did a belly flop in the ice near a waterfall.  However, I was not discouraged and set my mind on climbing the rocks to get behind the waterfall.  Success.  It is called a waterfall by desert standards considering the area usually gets 4" of annual rainfall.  It was water and it was falling, though don't look for it 90 % of the year.

And we had sunshine.  Not get in the pool sunshine.  But, better than Ohio sunshine.  Having warmed up will help us endure tonight's coming snow.

So, I head into my 60th year with a satisfying start.  Hoping I will embrace my age with grace and find the beauty like I did in the canyon.  Hoping I will no longer look in the mirror and whine but will wonder at the hope of the years to come.  Hoping I will rejoice in the wisdom I've acquired and expectantly wait for more as I broaden my experiences.  Hoping I will appreciate my fully functioning body  and joyfully work to make it the best it can be.  Hoping I will ------- oh, what a bunch of crap.  It sucks getting old.