Central Europe
Lynn and I flew to Berlin in mid June to start a month long trip through parts of central Europe. We didn't start out the year planning for another trip, as we went to Italy for a month last year, but with the death of two friends over the last year, along with the death of my father, we decided we should do things when we could. So with the help of our local travel agent to arrange the flights and the Internet and my retirement time to make it possible for me to arrange all of the hotel bookings, we took off.
We visited seven cities: Berlin, Prague, Krakow, Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich. Each were very worthwhile in different ways. Berlin's turbulent and rich history was fascinating to get a sense of, and it was a privilege to walk through the streets of Prague as it hadn't been bombed during the second world was, so unlike some European cities, all of the buildings were original. Krakow gave us a taste of another rich culture and wonderful old city and not far out of town, one of the most infamous places on earth: Auschwitz.
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| I enjoy a beer or two in a Salzburg beer garden. |
Another long train ride took us to Budapest which was a very large city with a long history. It was unlucky to have supported the Nazis during WWII, then the back luck to have been "liberated" by the Russians. Like the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary, it had not tasted freedom until 1989 when the USSR fell apart. Budapest was great. Wonderful people, food, and sights.
A three hour train ride took us to Vienna. The House of Hapsburg ruled over Austria for over six hundred years! With that kind of longevity, and accompanying power and wealth, theHofburg palace complex is an incredible collection of riches gathered over many years from far and wide. Then there is the opera house, ... the list of worthwhile sights goes on. And the beer!
A short train ride takes you to Salzburg on the Salzach river. Salzburg used to be on the salt transportation route, but now it seems that its wealth comes from tourist pockets. Don't get me wrong. It's well worth visiting. It's a beautiful town in a beautiful location if it's a nice day. We arrived by train on a dreary rainy day, and the town didn't seem that attractive, but when we woke up the next day, the sun was shining and we had an absolutely great day touring a town packed with interesting sights, not the least of which was Mozart's home. And the beer garden!
Our last stop was Munich. As with all of the cities we visited on this trip, I knew enough about them that I knew they were worthwhile to visit, but I had not built up great expectations. I think because of that, I enjoyed the places more. Munich was no exception. Although it was bombed all to hell during WWII, the older part of town has been rebuilt to look much like it did before the war. Our walking tour of Munich was very interesting and entertaining, and our tour of Dachau, well, how do you put that into words? How do you describe a gas chamber and ovens where thousands of humans were murdered and turned to ash? Suffice it to say that there was more than once all I could do was not cry. Germany is evidently doing a very good job of trying to educate its citizens about what happened during the third reich and to try to make sure nothing like that ever happens again.
I have been lucky to have visited western Europe a number of times. I have visited various parts of western Europe in 1974, 1975, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008, and now in 2009. This trip had a different flavour as both the land and its people have had a different history. I feel extremely fortunate to have made this trip. Did I mention how good the beer was? :-)
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Lynn relishes the last rays in Kraków
- For more images from our trip, go to my flickr site, click on the "Europe" album, and view away.
Sherdan Lake Retreat
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| Anna, Ken, Terri, Lynn, Chuck at Sheridan |
Ken and Anna kindly invited the McCaffertys and Rajalas up to the cabin on Sheridan Lake at the end of July and we had a great time relaxing. Needless to say we had good drinks and food, and oh yes, a little exercise. :-)
The Icefields Parkway Bicycle Tour - Well Not Quite
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| Dave, Chuck(by the tent), & Ken |
The ride to the Jonas Creek campground was great. The weather was warm and dry, and the scenery was wonderful.The next day's early morning ride up to the ice field center was typically stimulating - cold and clear with the hill climb just as steep as it always was. :-) Breakfast at the icefield center has taken on a decidedly oriental flavor. Unless you can get into the actual restaurant you have to use the cafeteria. Don't get me wrong, the food is good if not expensive, but you won't find bacon and eggs on the menu.(a picture of Mt. Kitchener taken from the base of the Wilcox Pass hill.) (a picture of the Sunwapta River taken just south of the Jonas Creek campsite. )
The run down to Saskatchewan Crossing is always enjoyable as it is almost all down hill, with gentle rolling sections thrown in for good measure. We had reservations at The Crossing and enjoyed the pub meal and the ice cream at the store. The weather forecast was not good. Rain, low temperatures, and wind were in the forecast. (a picture at the ice field center from our 1998 ride)
The next morning we got up at 6:00 am to look outside. What we saw was a very low ceiling. Bow Summit was likely in the clouds. Temperatures had dropped and rain looked very likely. It didn't take long to attach all the bikes to the CRV and drive back to Sunwapta Falls for a nice breakfast. :-)
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