TravelStream™ news feed for member superg on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/superg en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:31:25 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/superg/2/1222097400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/superg/2/1222097400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/superg/2/1222097400/tpod.html Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:31:25 -0400 Lost at S.E.A. and Around the Block

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London, England, United Kingdom

I got accustomed to looking right first after the 50 or so consecutive days I spent in Thailand, Singapore and Japan but God help you when the white painted sign on the road says 'Look Both Ways'.  It's confusing enough as it is.  And then you try to cross a street and a car waits and you go then stop and he goes and you go then stop and the uptight-probably-banking-industry-employed-not-for-long-BMW-driving bastard bloody lays on the horn and scares the shit out of you and you yell at him to 'chill out'.  Just looking both ways all the time doesn't always work either.  Follow someone else.    Welcome to London, the most expensive city in the world.  Take a look at a menu from back home, remove the dollar sign and add a pound sign.  Yep, that's right, about double.  Ouch.  As my friend Nalini, a Londoner for some time now says, the prices are 'extortionate.'  The only things comparatively (and reasonably) priced, relatively speaking was the hostel and sometimes you could find pints for 2 pound 10. Palmer's Lodge had dorm beds for $32 on weeknights and $36 on weekends. Okay, that's enough about prices.   What happened to all the authentic English fish n chip places?  It seems to me 29 years ago there was one on just about every block.  Real fish.  Real chips.  Now the fries are of the frozen variety and the fish resembles something out of a Captain Highlander's box, you know, fish sticks and they're most often served up at the donar stands.  Alas, London isn't really a food town.  Not like New York.  There's that joke about the shortest book in the world.  And when will the Brits learn to serve beer properly chilled?  There's just no excuse for warm beer, period.  Let's face it, the warm beer thing is a throwback to the days before refrigeration and has little to do with what's proper.   London is big.  8.5 million big.  It has the easiest to use subway system in the world, if not the most reliable (and expensive, although a day pass for zones one and two isn't terribly unreasonable at about 10 bucks-in comparison a seven day pass unlimited for NYC is only $25.).  It is steeped in history.  It is gorgeous, absolutely.   On Friday I took another, you guessed it, free tour and again, I learned lots of cool things.  The current royal family isn't really English, they're German dating back a handful of centuries and changed their German name to 'Windsor'.  There's a gate across from the Buckingham Palace called 'Canada Gate'.  The queen only lives at Buckingham Palace for a couple of months a year.  Piccadilly Circus was underwhelming.  They have been feeding the pigeons contraceptives and that's why the numbers are pleasantly down now. You can't get anywhere near 10 Downing and either way it doesn't matter because the 60 room 10 Downing was too small for the Blair family so they moved to the larger 11 Downing next door.  Big Ben is the name of the bell, not the tower or its clock.  You can avoid the 12.50 pound admission to Westminster Abbey by entering through the attached free museum (but don't tell anyone, okay).  Supposedly if you sit in Trafalgar Square for at least a half an hour you will see someone you know.  The Canadian Embassy is on Trafalgar Square.  Nearby is Chandos Pub where you can get a pint of Lager for 2 pound 10.  I heard the story of Guy Faux.  All the museums are free!!    Apart from enjoying a bit a site seeing, London was a very social time.  On Friday after a tough day at work, I joined Nalini, a girl I met in Buenos Aires, for drinks on Fleet Street.  Among us were many young bankers quaffing 10 pound martinis or 5 pound pints and the mood seemed light despite the state of current affairs.  Maybe they are resigned.   On Saturday afternoon, I met up with Dave and Tiffany, two of the crew from the Laos days, for pints at the Oxford Arms in Camden Town.  On Sunday I rendezvoused with Fish a friend and former colleague from Edmonton who happened to be in town with his wife Dara who is attending a furniture trade fair.  This would not have been possible without facebook.  After a couple of Efes beers and some authentic fish and chips (found a place!), we were ready for the British Museum.  About an hour later we were joined by Alex and Chris, another Canadian connection and went to the Maple Leaf Pub.  You guessed it, a Canadian Pub.  What does a Canadian pub in London look like you ask?  Well, kinda like an Irish Pub in Canada.  There, the homesick can drink Canadian beer is Moosehead (?)(I was hoping for a 'Pil'.), eat the classically Canadian dish, poutine, and see hockey memorabilia adorning the walls, including an autographed jersey of a Raffe Torres Oilers Jersey.  What, no Flames Jersey?  I like this place.    Soho has changed a lot in 29 years.  Back then punk had just taken hold and the area was the epitome of alternative.  Gritty. Seedy.  Now it's filled with slick restos and bars and a well dressed and well heeled crowd.  I wandered the streets of Camden Town on another night out.  Think Whyte Ave. on a Saturday night. Hmmmm.  Hardly European.  I thought these guys would be a little more sophisticated than us colonists.    London is London, a multicultural Mecca, where things happen.   It's a great, great city. 
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Berlin, Germany

I had high expectations for Berlin.  Like New York, everyone talks about how amazing it is.  The rumours are true.  I took an overnight train from Krakow arriving at about 7:30 a.m., this time without incident.  I struggled initially with the metro system, S-Bahns and U-Bahns, what's the dif, and damn, I had to ask for help.  Over the course of this trip I've gotten to the point where I don't screw around and just ask.  The system is remarkably easy once you catch on to it. I think pretty much every European city has at least one company that offers 'free' walking tours.  I'd seen some here and there along the way, starting in Istanbul but because I don't really like the organized tour thing or being confined to a schedule I had never been inclined to try one.  These free tours work on a tipping system.  You like, you tip.  (I learned the guide pays the company a nominal fee, usually a couple of bucks, for each head on the tour and keeps the over and above-some people actually don't tip, it's 'free', so they loose.)   Joe, the fellow I met at my hostel in Krakow suggested I do one in Berlin soon after I arrived.  So I took the afternoon tour on the day I arrived.  What a great way to get oriented to a city!  The tour takes you to the major attractions in the core area and the guide gives you some interesting background delivered in a casual and funny style and if you like, you can go back to the stuff that really interested you later.  They also provide you with ideas on where to eat cheaply and where not to go.  Jeez, I wish I'd have done these in every city.  Typical tips are in the five to 10 dollar range, well worth it when you consider most of tours of this sort are 15 bucks or more and in most cases are not quite as long.  It's an opportunity to meet other budget travelers as well.   Berlin is like no other city in I'd been to in Europe.  It has had to rebuild itself almost entirely since WWII and has undergone a tremendous transformation since the wall came down.  I'm told the changes over the last 10 years are extraordinary.  Berlin offers almost everything that other major cosmopolitan international cities have except at about half the price.  The people are brilliant.  The sites are spectacular.  There's a great music and art scene, perhaps one of the best in all of Europe.  And there are loads of great eating and drinking spots.                                                Here's what to see, in no particular order.  Checkpoint Charlie, the main crossing point from east to west Berlin.  Today it is a replica of the original with out-of-work actors playing the part of the guards so it comes off as kinda cheesy.  You can even get an authentic passport stamp if you like, although Theo, our guide had heard a rumour that it is possible the stamp would void your passport.  The best part is the excellent photo display with a chronology of events on the fences that line the two vacant lots on the corners to the east.     Nearby is the Topography of Terror which is another historic photo gallery situated next to a section of the wall that had been preserved and covers much of the history involving the SS and its operations in the area.  Kitty corner to it is the Trabant Safari shop where you can see several of these fine East German automobiles and even drive them in a convoy through town.   There was something like 190 km's of wall and only a few chunks remain, including both the Wall Memorial which is worth a quick look and the East Side Gallery, a definite must see.  Some time not long after the wall came down, the city commissioned many local artists, prominent or otherwise to paint sections of a 2 km section of the wall that remained in the east side of the city, just across from the relatively new and magnificent O2 Centre, which is in itself a site worth seeing.  The art along with the graffiti on and around this piece of the wall is something to behold.   There's Museum island, featuring some of the world's best museums.  Nearby is Humbolt University where Einstein went to school, among others.  Across from it is the book burning square and its memorial, a glass window at the centre of the square that looks down on an underground library containing no books.  Near the memorial, embedded in the square is a plaque with a quote from Heinrich Heine (in English): "Where they burn books, they will also burn humans in the end".  The eerie thing is that he said this in 1834, almost 100 years before the Nazis took power and...   Not far from here is the magnificent building that is home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra flanked by the lookalike Freidrichstadtkirche on either side of Gendarmenmarkt.   Then there is the interesting and curious Jewish Memorial occupying a city block located adjacent to the area that housed Hitler's bunker.  Around the corner is the glorious (I'm trying to use words other than 'beautiful.') Brandenburg Gate and Unter de Linden, the street that extends to the east and is home to the embassies of the allies.  (Canada's is actually located on the posh and newly constructed Potsdam Square next to the stunning Sony Centre.)  One must also see Germany's parliament building, Reichstag, with its signature glass dome that provides stunning 360 degree views of Berlin.  Go early, cues are long.  Just to the west of Reichstag is the massive Tiergarten which offers a fresh-smelling respite from the pace of the city.   Further to the west is at the other end of Tiergarten is 'Zoo' Station, a central area in West Berlin known as much for its bad American 50's/60's architecture and the church with the bombed out dome that was left as such as a memorial.  Over there I took in the excellent Helmut Newton exhibit at the Museum of Photography.  West Berlin is decidedly not as impressive as East Berlin on many levels, apart from maybe hip Kruezberg, an area saturated with neat coffee shops and restos and interesting shops, like Core Tex, the music store.   One day, founder of Brewers Tours, Brit Terry Brewer, a former member of the Royal Navy who came to love Berlin when stationed here in the 60's, was having breakfast in my hostel.  He had nothing to do that day and asked me and John, an auzie who is even older than me, if we'd like to see some sites and then join him at this local pub deep in East Berlin later that evening.  All it would cost us was a couple of beers and maybe lunch.  We jumped at the opportunity.  He took us way out west to the fabulous, massive and storied Olympic Stadium.  Later it was over to the lovely little suburb of Spandau with a stop at the allied cemetery along the way.  Terry is 73 and a wealth of information and funny as hell.  We had a blast.  Later we hung out at his pub with his Eastern Berlin buddies, few of whom knew any English at all.   A few shots of a finer version of Jagermeister hit the table a couple of times that night.   I took in a movie at the Cine Max in the stellar Sony Centre.  The theatre there is known for showing the 'original version' of films, i.e. English soundtrack.  When I checked the website however, it was entirely in German.  When I inquired at the front desk of my hostel, explaining that I couldn't determine if the film I wanted to see was in English because the site was entirely in German, the thin blonde guy who was a character right out of a Bourne Identity movie says, 'Vell vee awr in cherminy'.    Berlin is safe, mature and confident.  Partiers do so with an air of sophistication and maturity.  Although much beer gets consumed and drinking on the streets or in public is permitted, I saw no signs of binge drinking and rowdy behavior.  I took in decent gigs at the renowned 'White Trash Fast Food Café' and the 'Bang Bang Club'.  I would have done more if I had had a buddy.      My quick search on kayak.com proved fruitful.  I was able to get a flight from Berlin to Amsterdam for $118 CDN, all in.  Last time I checked, a train would cost 69 Euro or about $105.  A no brainer.  And I booked it only a few days before departure. 
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Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

August, 1979 was the last time I visited Amsterdam.&nbsp; The Melkweg (The Milky Way) and the original Bull Dog Café remain.&nbsp; Unlike the rest of the city, neither has changed much, although the Bull Dog isn't the biker bar it once was, replete with Hells Angels in full colours and I didn't get inside the Milky Way this time.&nbsp; I gather it's still a multi-media venue but more club oriented on the music side. &nbsp;Otherwise, the Dam has changed a lot.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Hotel Paradiso where Kevin and I stayed, just on the edge of the Red Light District is gone.&nbsp; I'm told it was there until about three or four years ago.&nbsp; Damn that place was cool, even if Kevin did have his camera stolen.&nbsp; Some other better, more modern hotel took the space.&nbsp; The Red Light District is much the same, although it seems there are more girls in windows.&nbsp; I don't remember things that clearly back that far and besides, I was just a kid.&nbsp; &nbsp;There are more restaurants and bars now and the Bull Dog has four locations along Oudezijds Voorburgwal street (and one more over in Leidseplein near the Melkweg).&nbsp; I think they have a spot in Utrecht now too.&nbsp; There's a long pedestrian shopping street, Nieuwendijk that runs parallel to Damrak and Rokin the main avenue that extends south from the Centraal Station.&nbsp; There you will find all the big-name shops.&nbsp; &nbsp;I remember the general look of the city well and it hasn't really changed.&nbsp; The population has changed quite a bit, now much more cultural diverse.&nbsp; Somehow back then it seemed more distinctly Dutch.&nbsp; Tourists are everywhere and it is exceedingly expensive.&nbsp; A bed in a dorm will run you around $50 unless you want to go well down market.&nbsp; Two of us had a double room with a shared bath in a boutique hotel in Manhattan for a hundred bucks.&nbsp; Mine, The Flying Pig, was an average hostel-with a great bar.&nbsp; The bar was so good I partied there on two consecutive evenings until the wee hours.&nbsp; Drinks were cheap, the tunes were as good as anywhere I'd been on this entire trip and the staff was a lot of fun.&nbsp; For some reason on Friday night they were in the mood to party and I wasn't complaining.&nbsp; I took my place up at the small bar and enjoyed many a complimentary shot of Bols (I thought I was in for a major hangover but came out unscathed.) and several reasonably priced pints, for Amsterdam (3.20 Euro).&nbsp; Out in the pubs and clubs around the hostel, pints were five Euro or more ($7.50).&nbsp; Ouch!&nbsp; That shoots the hell out of your $50 a day budget!&nbsp; Well okay, it went with the bed in the dorm.&nbsp; &nbsp;Then there's the other stuff, like say, food.&nbsp; Slices of pizza or sandwiches from the very tasty La Place fresh food market were around five bucks.&nbsp; There's always the fries with mayo for which Holland is known, nearly four bucks and speaking of change, no longer home made.&nbsp; A good burger would be pushing 10 bucks.&nbsp; I had to get out of there quickly.&nbsp; The Rembrandtplein and Leidesplein are significantly more developed in terms of cafes and bars which line both squares and their adjacent streets, offering all the foods the tourists love, like all you can eat spareribs for 12.50 Euro.&nbsp; Outta my price range.&nbsp; &nbsp;Vanessa came in from Hilversum one night and we had a really excellent vegetarian dinner at a place called Laitte just on the edge of the red light district and China town and then later, drinks at Rembrandtplein. &nbsp;I took another free tour on my first day in town and it was excellent.&nbsp; I saw the widest and the narrowest houses in Amsterdam and learned that the reason many of the homes are leaning forward is not a foundation issue.&nbsp; I learned about 'coffee shops'.&nbsp; I learned a bit about the Nazi occupation and what happened to the Jewish people and their community.&nbsp; I learned about some other random historical things, like the coldest winter ever and the royal family.&nbsp; The Netherlands was once maybe the richest and most powerful country in the world and might have had it all had they not traded New York City to the Brits for a place called Sardinia (sp?).&nbsp; Sardinia?&nbsp; Where the hell is that?&nbsp; And can you believe they call their monument to gay people the 'Homo Monument?&nbsp; &nbsp;Paul Williams and Friends were playing at the Bourbon Street Blues Bar-Paul William? From Alberta?&nbsp; I think.&nbsp; Couldn't get down to see him though (see, partying in hostel, above.)&nbsp; Sometimes it's just really hard to move.&nbsp; &nbsp;A couple of days later I revisited the Van Gogh Museum, along with hundreds of others who were willing to fork over 12.50 Euro for the pleasure.&nbsp; I don't really remember it from last time but I know I was there.&nbsp; I would have liked to have had another look at Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch' at the Rijkmuseum but I wasn't willing to fork over the asking price there when that's about all I wanted to see.&nbsp; I remember being really taken by it last time.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Red Light District is infinitely fascinating, day or night.&nbsp; It is tourist watching at its best.&nbsp; Don't try to take a photo of the girls or a big mean man will come and destroy your camera before unceremoniously dumping it in the nearest canal.&nbsp; Just so you know, this did <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">not happen to me but I was forewarned.&nbsp; &nbsp;One night while strolling the area and watching people I went into a pub in the Red Light District called Old Sailor (yes, the Old Sailor). The music wasn't bad so I thought I'd step in and order a pint.&nbsp; I turned to check out the crowd and didn't see a single female, (or a married one or any females is what I really meant.).&nbsp; Suddenly I began to wonder if I had unwittingly stepped into a gay bar (Old Sailor, har har, arrr Billy and all that.).&nbsp; There are a few in the area.&nbsp; I wandered over to the door to look for the telltale rainbow flag or sticker that I might have missed on the way in but couldn't find any, although there were some multi-coloured light bulbs wrapping the sign.&nbsp; When I turned to go back in, I could swear the guys sitting and standing near the door were checking me out.&nbsp; Then it occurred to me, duh, it's 10 o'clock on a Thursday night in one of the world's most infamous red light districts.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;One of the best things to do during the day is to wander off into the areas outside of the core central tourist spots.&nbsp; There you will see a much different and more appealing Amsterdam, where the people are friendlier too.&nbsp; I came across a little neighbourhood jazz festival one afternoon while walking in the vicinity of the big Vondelpark.&nbsp; All over town, there are local markets and all kinds of great cafes that sit along the streets on either side of many of the canals.&nbsp; I've got to go back when I have some serious money to spend.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Dam might just deserve a spot on the top 10 coolest cities of the world list.&nbsp; Five days was enough though.&nbsp; Let's just say it's not a place for the budget-minded traveler.&nbsp; I had to get out!&nbsp; It was now time for a quick look at small town Holland with a quick visit to Hilversum and Utrecht.&nbsp; &nbsp;August, 1979 was the last time I visited Amsterdam.&nbsp; The Melkweg (The Milky Way) and the original Bull Dog Café remain.&nbsp; Unlike the rest of the city, neither has changed much, although the Bull Dog isn't the biker bar it once was, replete with Hells Angels in full colours and I didn't get inside the Milky Way this time.&nbsp; I gather it's still a multi-media venue but more club oriented on the music side. &nbsp;Otherwise, the Dam has changed a lot.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Hotel Paradiso where Kevin and I stayed, just on the edge of the Red Light District is gone.&nbsp; I'm told it was there until about three or four years ago.&nbsp; Damn that place was cool, even if Kevin did have his camera stolen.&nbsp; Some other better, more modern hotel took the space.&nbsp; The Red Light District is much the same, although it seems there are more girls in windows.&nbsp; I don't remember things that clearly back that far and besides, I was just a kid.&nbsp; &nbsp;There are more restaurants and bars now and the Bull Dog has four locations along Oudezijds Voorburgwal street (and one more over in Leidseplein near the Melkweg).&nbsp; I think they have a spot in Utrecht now too.&nbsp; There's a long pedestrian shopping street, Nieuwendijk that runs parallel to Damrak and Rokin the main avenue that extends south from the Centraal Station.&nbsp; There you will find all the big-name shops.&nbsp; &nbsp;I remember the general look of the city well and it hasn't really changed.&nbsp; The population has changed quite a bit, now much more cultural diverse.&nbsp; Somehow back then it seemed more distinctly Dutch.&nbsp; Tourists are everywhere and it is exceedingly expensive.&nbsp; A bed in a dorm will run you around $50 unless you want to go well down market.&nbsp; Two of us had a double room with a shared bath in a boutique hotel in Manhattan for a hundred bucks.&nbsp; Mine, The Flying Pig, was an average hostel-with a great bar.&nbsp; The bar was so good I partied there on two consecutive evenings until the wee hours.&nbsp; Drinks were cheap, the tunes were as good as anywhere I'd been on this entire trip and the staff was a lot of fun.&nbsp; For some reason on Friday night they were in the mood to party and I wasn't complaining.&nbsp; I took my place up at the small bar and enjoyed many a complimentary shot of Bols (I thought I was in for a major hangover but came out unscathed.) and several reasonably priced pints, for Amsterdam (3.20 Euro).&nbsp; Out in the pubs and clubs around the hostel, pints were five Euro or more ($7.50).&nbsp; Ouch!&nbsp; That shoots the hell out of your $50 a day budget!&nbsp; Well okay, it went with the bed in the dorm.&nbsp; &nbsp;Then there's the other stuff, like say, food.&nbsp; Slices of pizza or sandwiches from the very tasty La Place fresh food market were around five bucks.&nbsp; There's always the fries with mayo for which Holland is known, nearly four bucks and speaking of change, no longer home made.&nbsp; A good burger would be pushing 10 bucks.&nbsp; I had to get out of there quickly.&nbsp; The Rembrandtplein and Leidesplein are significantly more developed in terms of cafes and bars which line both squares and their adjacent streets, offering all the foods the tourists love, like all you can eat spareribs for 12.50 Euro.&nbsp; Outta my price range.&nbsp; &nbsp;Vanessa came in from Hilversum one night and we had a really excellent vegetarian dinner at a place called Laitte just on the edge of the red light district and China town and then later, drinks at Rembrandtplein. &nbsp;I took another free tour on my first day in town and it was excellent.&nbsp; I saw the widest and the narrowest houses in Amsterdam and learned that the reason many of the homes are leaning forward is not a foundation issue.&nbsp; I learned about 'coffee shops'.&nbsp; I learned a bit about the Nazi occupation and what happened to the Jewish people and their community.&nbsp; I learned about some other random historical things, like the coldest winter ever and the royal family.&nbsp; The Netherlands was once maybe the richest and most powerful country in the world and might have had it all had they not traded New York City to the Brits for a place called Sardinia (sp?).&nbsp; Sardinia?&nbsp; Where the hell is that?&nbsp; And can you believe they call their monument to gay people the 'Homo Monument?&nbsp; &nbsp;Paul Williams and Friends were playing at the Bourbon Street Blues Bar-Paul William? From Alberta?&nbsp; I think.&nbsp; Couldn't get down to see him though (see, partying in hostel, above.)&nbsp; Sometimes it's just really hard to move.&nbsp; &nbsp;A couple of days later I revisited the Van Gogh Museum, along with hundreds of others who were willing to fork over 12.50 Euro for the pleasure.&nbsp; I don't really remember it from last time but I know I was there.&nbsp; I would have liked to have had another look at Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch' at the Rijkmuseum but I wasn't willing to fork over the asking price there when that's about all I wanted to see.&nbsp; I remember being really taken by it last time.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Red Light District is infinitely fascinating, day or night.&nbsp; It is tourist watching at its best.&nbsp; Don't try to take a photo of the girls or a big mean man will come and destroy your camera before unceremoniously dumping it in the nearest canal.&nbsp; Just so you know, this did <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">not happen to me but I was forewarned.&nbsp; &nbsp;One night while strolling the area and watching people I went into a pub in the Red Light District called Old Sailor (yes, the Old Sailor). The music wasn't bad so I thought I'd step in and order a pint.&nbsp; I turned to check out the crowd and didn't see a single female, (or a married one or any females is what I really meant.).&nbsp; Suddenly I began to wonder if I had unwittingly stepped into a gay bar (Old Sailor, har har, arrr Billy and all that.).&nbsp; There are a few in the area.&nbsp; I wandered over to the door to look for the telltale rainbow flag or sticker that I might have missed on the way in but couldn't find any, although there were some multi-coloured light bulbs wrapping the sign.&nbsp; When I turned to go back in, I could swear the guys sitting and standing near the door were checking me out.&nbsp; Then it occurred to me, duh, it's 10 o'clock on a Thursday night in one of the world's most infamous red light districts.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;One of the best things to do during the day is to wander off into the areas outside of the core central tourist spots.&nbsp; There you will see a much different and more appealing Amsterdam, where the people are friendlier too.&nbsp; I came across a little neighbourhood jazz festival one afternoon while walking in the vicinity of the big Vondelpark.&nbsp; All over town, there are local markets and all kinds of great cafes that sit along the streets on either side of many of the canals.&nbsp; I've got to go back when I have some serious money to spend.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Dam might just deserve a spot on the top 10 coolest cities of the world list.&nbsp; Five days was enough though.&nbsp; Let's just say it's not a place for the budget-minded traveler.&nbsp; I had to get out!&nbsp; It was now time for a quick look at small town Holland with a quick visit to Hilversum and Utrecht.&nbsp;
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Hilversum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Hilversum is a quiet little city of about 80,000 about a 20 minute train ride out of Amsterdam that doesn't have much going on, despite its being the home to the television network studios.&nbsp; Having a friend and free accommodation there prompted a visit.&nbsp; It's pretty and clean with are lots of people riding bicycles around.&nbsp; There are many more elderly people than you might find in say, Amsterdam.&nbsp; &nbsp;I zipped over to Utrecht for a quick visit.&nbsp; I'd been there in '79 as well but couldn't remember a thing about it.&nbsp; Nice spot.&nbsp; I might prefer it over Amsterdam as a place to live.&nbsp; The people there were really friendly. One must have one of the famed Boodje Marios (submarine sandwich).&nbsp; I did and it was good.&nbsp; One must also have a nap after such a trip, and I did.&nbsp; Later I think we found the only good restaurant in Hilversum where a meal was under $15.&nbsp; &nbsp;The next day, Vanessa took a day off and we got on some bicycles and road through the countryside like good dutch people do, to a place called Lauren. There we had the second best Kroquets I've ever had.&nbsp; First best are house-made from Ben's Meats in Edmonton, a Dutch butcher shop I've patronized for many years.&nbsp; &nbsp;The next day is was off on my early morning, very expensive last minute purchased flight to London Stasted on the so called budget airline, EasyJet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Krakow, Poland

Krakow (or Crakov) was a last minute addition to my itinerary.&nbsp; And what a great choice.&nbsp; There's a lot to do.&nbsp; It's cheap.&nbsp; It's beautiful ($493.00 and counting).&nbsp; And I can tell you it is right behind Belgrade in the 'best looking women in the world' race.&nbsp; Although I'm told L'viv, Ukraine will give both of them a run.&nbsp; The Poles are friendly and funny.&nbsp; They get sarcasm.&nbsp; &nbsp;They like to drink vodka but alas, although the beer is good, it appears they are not fussy about getting it properly chilled.&nbsp; Their draught beers taste good and are most often served reasonably cold.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I would stay here five nights at what is more my kind of hostel, a place called ARS Hostel, small-only four dorms-with a large and comfortable common room conducive to meeting people.&nbsp; Anna on the dayshift was a great hostess and knew the answer to every stupid tourist question.&nbsp; Every evening Vojtek would come in with numerous free shots of very fine Polish Vodka.&nbsp; The hostel was priced in the same range as the rest of the Eastern European places and included an all you can eat breakfast with excellent fresh bread and boiled eggs and yoghurt and honey and peanut butter! &nbsp;God it's been so long since I had a peanut butter and honey sandwich.&nbsp; One morning I had three.&nbsp; &nbsp;I met a load of people there.&nbsp; There was Joe, the auzzie who was studying in France-lucky bastard is so smart he doesn't have to work very hard; Nick and Anthony who went to Uni together, Anthony now back in Hong Kong; Lennie and Lise the two very cool auzie girls who kept trying to get me to go clubbing; Raquel with the most amazing 'bonne chance' tattoo who's family owns a bodega in Mendoza and residences in Brazil; and Glen, the absent minded bobby.&nbsp; Glen is a copper in the upscale Kensington precinct of London.&nbsp; We had dinner and a couple of beers together one night.&nbsp; The next morning I awoke to the sound of him frantically scouring through his luggage and pockets.&nbsp; He couldn't find his wallet or his camera which he thought he'd left in the pockets of his shorts next to the bed.&nbsp; One other fellow in our six bed dorm room had checked out earlier.&nbsp; No, couldn't be, but you never know.&nbsp; Glen was supposed to head off to the mountains on a day trip organized by the hostel but wouldn't be going if those two items had been lost or stolen.&nbsp; So off he went to cancel his daytrip and report his stolen goods to the hostel staff and police.&nbsp; I got up and went into the living room where while I was chatting with the others about what happened, I looked over and saw his wallet and camera sitting on the buffet next to the breakfast table, cash intact.&nbsp; Glen was elated but asked me to keep quiet about this.&nbsp; Sorry Glen. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It was a very good time to be in Krakow.&nbsp; The weather was great.&nbsp; The place is full of tourists but very relaxed.&nbsp; On Saturday they would be attempting to set a new world record for the largest number of people dancing within a confined space in the town square, which incidentally is considered as the largest central square in all of Europe.&nbsp; (They ended up setting the new world record.)&nbsp; There was a big country fair also going on in the square during the week.&nbsp; It featured traditional Polish arts and crafts, food, music and dancing.&nbsp; Delicious kielbasa and perogies, fried and a little pricey were on order.&nbsp; &nbsp;I spent a day out at Aushwitz, the largest of the Nazi concentration camps.&nbsp; I'd been to Dachau, near Munich many years ago but it was nothing like this.&nbsp; Sobering.&nbsp; Shocking.&nbsp; Moving.&nbsp; Anger.&nbsp; What is with guys like Jim Keegstra?&nbsp; Doing the tour on your own cuts the cost in about half.&nbsp; You grab a bus at the station for about five bucks each way and $16 admission will get you a guided tour.&nbsp; You could do it on your own for less but the guided tour was fantastic.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A couple of days later and I would take the Salt mine tour at Wieliczka. &nbsp;The bus was less than three dollars both ways but the tour was a rather steep 64 sl-around 30 bucks.&nbsp; As it turns out it was pretty interesting and informative and unlike anything I'd seen before, so worth it.&nbsp; &nbsp;The hostel organized activities every day.&nbsp; One night they took a few of us out for some of the city's best potato pancakes from a kiosk in the old Jewish town centre and beers at the Alchemia Pub, a place that is dripping with history and character. &nbsp;Two bucks got you two big potato pancakes of greasy goodness. &nbsp;&nbsp;On another evening I hit a nearby blues music pub, Mechanoff, just me and a bunch of Poles and good, good tunes in a tiny place.&nbsp;Krakow is a great looking city, untouched by WWII bombing and the benefactor of significant restoration work.&nbsp; Cafes and buskers are everywhere.&nbsp; So is Wifi.&nbsp; They even have free Wifi in the town square. &nbsp;Half litre beers cost around $2.50, depending on where you were.&nbsp; Cappuccinos were about the same.&nbsp;Krakow was an excellent introduction to Poland.&nbsp; I would like to check out more of this country.&nbsp;
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Krakow, Southern Poland, Poland

Well, only a few weeks left and the adventures never stop.&nbsp; Praha was one of the few cities in which I had frequently and comfortably availed myself of the services of the public transit system, mostly because of my hostel's location and it was easy and cheap getting around on the trams.&nbsp; Anytime I leave a hostel for a bus or a train, I usually allow plenty of time, arriving at the station at least a half an hour before departure.&nbsp; This time, given what I thought was a simple deal; I left the bare minimum, a little over an hour.&nbsp; I was going to hop the number 3 tram which would take me across the river in about 15 minutes and then I'd have to walk about five blocks.&nbsp; I'd leave at about 8:15 and be on my train with about a half hour to spare.&nbsp;&nbsp; I double checked things with Kerri at the front desk and she suggested the number 5 tram because it would drop me off at the park right in front of the station and save me a bit of a walk.&nbsp; Well, I got on the number 5 tram at the designated stop and as far as I could tell it didn't go anywhere near the train station.&nbsp; I had a feeling I was in trouble when the tram crossed Libensky Most (bridge), heading due east.&nbsp; The train station was straight south of the hostel.&nbsp; It went nowhere near the train station.&nbsp; &nbsp;And so it went that one of my worst traveling fears (apart from being robbed at knife or gunpoint) finally came true.&nbsp; I road that goddamn tram until there was nobody else on it and it came to the end of the line, somewhere just off some kind of six lane highway-like road surrounded by nothingness and where there are no people.&nbsp; I tried in vain to tell the guy that he couldn't leave me there, pointing frantically at the train station on the map.&nbsp; It was about 20:40.&nbsp; He pointed at the tram 19 schedule on the post at the stop where he dumped me, motioning that I should take this tram.&nbsp; I looked at the stops on the list and saw nothing that resembled the name of the central train station, Hlavni Nadrazi, and thought better of aimlessly jumping on that tram to nowhere.&nbsp;Hmmm.&nbsp; Heart racing.&nbsp; Think.&nbsp; What to do?&nbsp; In the distance I could see a gas station.&nbsp; The guy there doesn't speak English but when I say the word 'metro', he says, 'Yeah, 300 metres', pointing down the road.&nbsp; Now imagine me running wearing a 20 kg pack and carrying a shoulder bag and it was pretty hot out too.&nbsp; I think it was about 20:50 when I got on the subway.&nbsp; It was at that point that I figured out that tram had taken me out as far as the second last stop on that line!&nbsp; How the hell did this happen?&nbsp; Was this an alternate route?&nbsp; Had it changed?&nbsp; Is it different at night?&nbsp; Or did I just miss my stop?&nbsp; In any case, I made it to the metro and would have to change lines just one stop before the train station.&nbsp; By my estimation at this point, I just might make it.&nbsp; Great, it turns out it's a good 300 metres between platforms for the two lines.&nbsp; I sprint.&nbsp; Fortunately the colour coding is easy to follow.&nbsp; &nbsp;I make my change and hit the train station at about 21:18.&nbsp; I have six minutes.&nbsp; I can't see a 'to trains' sign anywhere.&nbsp; I panic.&nbsp; I ask someone who doesn't know but points that away.&nbsp; I go.&nbsp; There's a big sign.&nbsp; My train is on line six (of course).&nbsp; I see the sign.&nbsp; It's 21:20.&nbsp; I have four minutes.&nbsp; I run.&nbsp; I make it to my train.&nbsp; Of course, my car is at the end furthest from where I am standing at that moment.&nbsp; I run.&nbsp; I make it and I get in, dripping in sweat and it's 9:22.&nbsp; Wholly shit!&nbsp; The conductor laughs and asks me for my ticket.&nbsp; Yes, I have one.&nbsp; &nbsp;Well, it doesn't stop here.&nbsp; It turns out I only have a ticket for the sleeper.&nbsp; The ticket agent had assumed I was an Interrail pass holder and only needed to book and pay the surcharge for a sleeper.&nbsp; Let's just say that I sort of snapped at this point and leave it at that.&nbsp; Okay, I apologized to conductor dude later.&nbsp; Anyway, after I had come to my senses and realized that jumping off in order to resolve things (I'm wondering if he's trying to scam me...) might not be a good idea and besides, the train started moving, I'm told I need another 50 bucks.&nbsp; I have no Czech Krowns!&nbsp; AND, he doesn't take credit cards.&nbsp; Wait, I have an emergency supply of US Dollars.&nbsp; I have enough.&nbsp; Phew.&nbsp; I confirmed with the fellow in my cabin that indeed the price buddy is asking is about right.&nbsp; I calm down and then I have the first shower I have ever had on a (moving) train and after, a cold beer and settle in for what would be an excellent night's sleep.&nbsp; Definitely the way to take those long night trains, that is, sans all the preflight drama. &nbsp;&nbsp;I wish I had just taken the number 3.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
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Prague, Bohemia, Czech Republic

Why is it that the English do not use the native spellings for other countries, cities and towns anyway?&nbsp; How hard is it to say Praha?&nbsp; Prada is easy enough.&nbsp; &nbsp;Okay, Praha or Prague as we call it.&nbsp; I realized as I sat down to write about this wonderful city that if all four people who are reading this blog/thing gave me a buck for every time I used the word&nbsp; 'beautiful', I'd have a pretty sizeable chunk of cash.&nbsp; That's what it is.&nbsp; Beautiful.&nbsp; In every sense of the word.&nbsp; &nbsp;Its increasing popularity as a tourist destination over the past couple of decades has had the result that prices in the central area are now pretty much the same as those in Western Europe.&nbsp; Throngs of tourists converge on the picturesque old town square its surrounding streets and the Charles Bridge.&nbsp; Art and music,&nbsp;clubs and buskers&nbsp;are everywhere.&nbsp; Small galleries with free exhibits featuring all sorts of modern visual arts are everywhere.&nbsp; &nbsp;In a successful attempt to get away from the high prices and crowds I booked at the highly rated Sir Toby's Hostel in district VII just across the Vltava River from the Old Town (Stare Mesto).&nbsp; No kidding, the prices in this working class neighbourhood were about half what they were downtown. &nbsp;I ran into Rachel who I'd met in Olympos in Turkey and again in Brasov, Romania.&nbsp; It's always neat when that happens.&nbsp; &nbsp;I had five excellent days here.&nbsp; On day one I caught one of the very easy to use trams over to the base of Praha's famous flimsy version of the Eiffel Tower, the Petrin Tower.&nbsp; After it was a very reasonably priced and delicious lunch of roasted pork knee and Staropramen Beer.&nbsp; Later that night I got an opportunity to see some live indy rock at small campus club about the size of a rumpus room called 007 Straven.&nbsp; &nbsp;On day two it was more mondo site seeing, the castle (don't call it a 'palace'), the cathedral (simply awesome) and the old town (beautiful!).&nbsp; Later I met a fellow I'd met in Novi Sad, John.&nbsp; He has lived in Praha for the past two and a half years.&nbsp; We went for dinner and then he showed me a few interesting drinking spots.&nbsp; Funny, there were no open tables in one of the authentic Czech pubs we hit so John asked a fellow (in fluent Czech) if we could join him and the girl accompanying him at their table.&nbsp; No way.&nbsp; After repeated attempts he finally gave up, asking the guy to at least smile as we left.&nbsp; &nbsp;Be careful when you hit a Czech pub because they'll keep bringing beer even if you don't order more.&nbsp; You have to tell them not to bring anymore when you are done.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Days three and four were spent enjoying more good food and excellent Czech beer, not customer service, and more sites and the city at a very casual pace.&nbsp; &nbsp;Restos right around the hostel served up some great local cuisine.&nbsp; Big meals were always less than 10 dollars.&nbsp; Roasted pork knee was the best! &nbsp;The hostel offered an all you can eat breakfast in its cellar bar complete with cook your own eggs and pancakes stations and loads of fruits, breads and cheeses, all for about five bucks. &nbsp;I got five dollars worth of organic free trade coffee every morning. &nbsp;It was a great spot to linger and chat with other travelers from all over.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Sir Toby's was one of the finest&nbsp;hostels I've stayed at in all my travels, maybe even number two.&nbsp; Nothing has beat Hostel Lao in Mendoza yet.&nbsp; Next up it would be a night train to Krakow, $20 for a three berth sleeper, departing 21:24 and arriving at around 06:30.&nbsp;
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Cesky Krumlov, Bohemia, Czech Republic

Centred in the heart of Bohemia, Cesky Krumlov is by far and away the most beautiful and charming medieval town I've ever seen.&nbsp;&nbsp; I'll let the accompanying photos try and do the talking.&nbsp; The old town, with its classic narrow, winding and contoured cobble-stoned roads is split by the River Vltava, the same one that runs through Prague.&nbsp; There's a fantastic and superlative Renaissance castle sitting up on one side and the Latran quarter with a big cathedral sitting on high on the other.&nbsp; &nbsp;It was funny changing from an Austrian OBB train to Czech Rail at the border.&nbsp; The former departed and arrived exactly on schedule; the latter,&nbsp;of inferior quality shall we say, left about on time, but then went back to pick up some people who must have been late.&nbsp; Then it waited and waited.&nbsp; We finally left about half an hour later, give or take.&nbsp; So much for my 20 minute window to change trains in Ceske Budejovice.&nbsp; &nbsp;You may have heard that Czech customer service is generally bad.&nbsp;&nbsp; It's true.&nbsp;You could describe it&nbsp;as what I look to call&nbsp; 'surly and indifferent'.&nbsp; Czech Rep. is home to the delicious Pilsner Urquell and the original Budweiser Budvar, $2 or less.&nbsp; Full meals in a restaurant were around 10 bucks, half that at stands.&nbsp; Potatoe pancakes, pork knuckle, roast chicken and (unfortunately) not long on vegetables.&nbsp; Hostel Merlin was the poorest hostel I'd seen in a long time.&nbsp; Cramped quarters, no common area and no service.&nbsp; Just a place to crash.&nbsp; A full day is all you need here anyway.&nbsp; I was up early and on an 8:30 train to Prague.&nbsp;
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Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Vienna was not on my itinerary.&nbsp; I had been corresponding with Sadie for a few weeks &nbsp;about where it might be best to courier my laptop.&nbsp; Formerly of UPS, she is a wily veteran of the industry.&nbsp; I thought it might be a good idea to get it sent over when only a few weeks remained in my journey so I could get a head start on prepping my CV, finishing this blog, dealing with photos, and job hunting, not to mention general fun on the internet. &nbsp;The hostels the rest of the way through my journey will almost always have lockers and otherwise excellent security so traveling with a laptop is less of an issue.&nbsp; &nbsp;Vienna is expensive.&nbsp; Western Europe is expensive.&nbsp; That's why I've been avoiding it.&nbsp; But the difference in courier costs between western and eastern Europe is substantial.&nbsp; For example, cost to courier a 2 kg package to Budapest or Prague is in the $230 range.&nbsp; For Vienna, $127, and it didn't really cost me anything extra to swing through.&nbsp; As soon as I checked in I went to the Mailboxes Etc store where Sadie had arranged to have my package sent.&nbsp; It was only about six blocks from the hostel!&nbsp; My package was there waiting and the guy at the counter was expecting me.&nbsp; Everything went off without a hitch.&nbsp; In the box was my laptop and assorted cables, recent copies of the Journal and See Magazine, my much needed light jacket and some lip stuff that I can't get abroad.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;I booked myself into the highly rated and reasonably priced ($55 for two nights) Wombats-The Base.&nbsp; There are two Wombats in Vienna.&nbsp; The other is The Lounge.&nbsp; They also have locations in Berlin and Amsterdam.&nbsp; They are clean and well run.&nbsp; These are what I call institutional or corporate hostels.&nbsp; In order to keep the cost per bed night down in the more expensive cities these operators must run huge operations, like dormitory hotels, complete with a bar that also offers a simple menu.&nbsp; My dorm was spacious with only six beds and an ensuite bathroom.&nbsp; The staff was fabulous.&nbsp; But I just don't like the big hostel, especially in pop cities like Vienna where they tend to attract guests with an average age of about 19 and quarter.&nbsp; They travel in packs, some of which are of the organized variety, like Contiki.&nbsp; They are loud and obnoxious.&nbsp; Cheap shitty draught beer (one euro for a small glass) that causes severe headaches facilitates the debauchery. Two Contiki groups came though during my two night stint. &nbsp;Imagine the fun.&nbsp; &nbsp;My first day was interesting.&nbsp; After picking up my laptop and getting sorted, I sat down in the lounge and started messing around on it.&nbsp; I chatted with a fellow who was sitting nearby for a while and then asked him if he'd watch my stuff while I ran upstairs to get a notebook. I continued working and some time later he came up and asked if I was going to dinner soon.&nbsp; I told him I had eaten. Then he gave me some kind of sob story about not having any money in his account and that he was busy trying to contact his brother to wire some into his account (on his expensive iBook and what was he using to pay for his room anyway?) and could he borrow some money.&nbsp; I gave him five euro.&nbsp; He said he'd pay me tomorrow.&nbsp; I never saw him again nor did I expect to.&nbsp; Does he travel this way?&nbsp; &nbsp;Later in the pub, traveling with the Contiki group was one of those punks who always bumps you when he walks by but doesn't turn and smile and apologize, you know, with a 'sorry man' or something along those lines.&nbsp; It happened three or four times.&nbsp; He was a real charmer, swillin' beer like it was water.&nbsp; He figures he does much better socially when he's absolutely blotto.&nbsp; I was sitting at the bar and watched him, with one hand full of money, take a euro out of the tip jar with the other to pay for one of the four beers he just order.&nbsp; He looked over just then and knew I'd busted him.&nbsp; I narked him out to the bartender who said he had ways of dealing with guys like that.&nbsp; Something about spit.&nbsp; In the morning there was a young fellow woozily flopped down on the sidewalk next to the front door, head bobbing and just after I walked by him on my way next door to get my laundry I heard a 'ralph' type sound.&nbsp; When I returned there was a gargantuan puke stain on the sidewalk. I then notice a couple more stains where messes had been recently cleaned.&nbsp; &nbsp;Night two blessed me with the worst dorm mates I've ever had.&nbsp; I went to bed at around 11:00 p.m.&nbsp; At around 12:30 I was awakened by a hell of a racket.&nbsp; The light was on and my five roommates were showering, running their computers, downloading pics, talking and laughing, apparently oblivious at my presence.&nbsp; I was I think the word is incredulous. &nbsp;Yuko and Rumi who I'd met in Sopron were staying at the other Wombats.&nbsp; We had drinks one night and dinner the following evening.&nbsp; I spent an afternoon strolling around and seeing how different Vienna looks when the Fanzone and other related Eurocuppification is removed.&nbsp; That shit really made a mess of what is a very fine looking city-one of the most beautiful in this leg of my trip.&nbsp; I took in an excellent exhibition, 'Punk - No One Is Innocent' at the Kunsthalle Wien, contemporary art museum, featuring a phenomenal display of early Sex Pistols, Ramones and Clash paraphernalia.&nbsp; TV's played early concert footage from those bands as well as the likes of Television and Patti Smith.&nbsp; Check out Amos Poe, Ivan Kral - Blank Generation, 1976.&nbsp; This type of thing beats hell out of classic art museums any day. &nbsp;There's good news on the food and coffee front.&nbsp; You can eat excellent local cuisine or kabobs for well under 10 bucks a meal.&nbsp; And cappuccinos were under three dollars.&nbsp; Beers of course are very, very good here and cheap also.&nbsp; If you keep your admissions to museums and other attractions down you can get out of here for under $50 a day.&nbsp; The walk down to the centre from my hostel along shopping Mariahilfer Strasse is excellent.&nbsp; The weather was fabulous.&nbsp; I returned to the Naschmarkt where I had been during Euro for some people watching and a beverage.&nbsp; &nbsp;I bought my ticket to the much talked about small town of Cesky Krumlov from Westbahnhof, Vienna's second largest train station just around the corner from my hostel.&nbsp; &nbsp;On the morning of my departure, my roommates from hell left early (Which was a pisser because I was going to get up and make a helluva racket.) so I thought I'd relax and catch up on some stuff.&nbsp; I double-checked my train ticket for times and that's when I noticed I had to go to a different station some distance away.&nbsp; Christ.&nbsp; The fun never stops.&nbsp; I had just enough time to finish packing, check out and get over to whatever bahnhof it was 20 some minutes away on the tram.&nbsp; 10:30 a.m. and I was back on track and on my way to Czech Republic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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Sopron, Hungary

My sister was born in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan.&nbsp; We spent five very important years there.&nbsp; I knew the town was named after some nobleman or other from somewhere in this part of the world.&nbsp; I found him.&nbsp; Near the charming and scenic town of Sopron, home to one of Hungary's better beers, Soproni, in the village of Fertod, is the monument to the country's most famous dynasty, the Esterhazy Palace.&nbsp; &nbsp;Sopron wasn't easy.&nbsp; Getting there was but getting a place to stay was not, nor was communicating.&nbsp; No hostels are listed on hostelworld.com.&nbsp; Only one is listed in my guidebook.&nbsp; It is four km. out of town and I'd prefer to stay in town.&nbsp; I stopped in at the tourist information office where the girl's English was decent and got a listing of accommodations and a map.&nbsp; Turns out her's was about the only decent English in this town.&nbsp; I walked to three guesthouses where doorbells went unanswered.&nbsp; I walked back to the tourist office to find out about busses to the hostel listed out of town.&nbsp; The directions were poor and I could not find the number 3 bus.&nbsp; By this time I had walked five or six kms. and my shoulders and back were killing me and I was sweating buckets.&nbsp; I found a nice little pension near the bus station but it was far too expensive. Strangely this place was not particularly foreign-tourist friendly.&nbsp; (There is only one internet café in town.)&nbsp; Little English is spoken, which is fine.&nbsp; I don't expect everyone to speak my language but I could not get direction.&nbsp; Exasperated, exhausted and frustrated, I was ready to get on the train and go straight on to Vienna.&nbsp;&nbsp; But my resolve to continue my pilgrimage to Esterhazy Palace was too strong.&nbsp; I went back to the information office and told the girl that maybe I shouldn't have come to Sopron.&nbsp; She picked up the phone and got me a room at the local HI Hostel about a 10 minute walk away.&nbsp; Why didn't she do that in the first place?&nbsp; At the front desk of the hostel was the only other person I came across during two days in there who could speak English.&nbsp; Finally, over three hours after arriving, I could put my pack down.&nbsp; This was actually one of the worst travel days I had had in all these months on the road.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sopron is another of many quaint and picturesque towns with gorgeous old town centres dotting the countryside.&nbsp; There is more English spoken in Laos.&nbsp; German is the number two language here as it is only a few kms. from the border of Austria and most tourists originate there. &nbsp;&nbsp;Most of the time they assumed I was Austrian and would start off with German or they'd ask, 'Duetch?'&nbsp; Only the occasional menu was available in English, otherwise menus were surprisingly difficult to decifer.&nbsp; It's not a big deal.&nbsp; I've been through plenty of that sort of thing.&nbsp; It's easy enough to get by.&nbsp; It's like a strange cultural experience, the language barrier without the accompanying foreign feel.&nbsp; Apart from the old town, it felt kinda like suburban 'anywhere'.&nbsp; The people weren't particularly smiley or friendly. &nbsp;&nbsp;I had an early night. &nbsp;A fresh new day and it was off the Esterhazy Palace.&nbsp; By asking very direct questions during my last of three visits to the tourist office yesterday, I got clear and concise directions.&nbsp; Still, reading the bus schedules was no easy task.&nbsp; Two smart Japanese women now living in Chicago, Yuko and Rumi, also had trouble. The three of us got it figured and by somewhere around noon we were at the palace and ready to start our tour-in Hungarian.&nbsp; The English tour was two hours away.&nbsp; It was a bluebird day and although the palace looked great, it was really just another palace.&nbsp; &nbsp;Of interest though is that originally the Esterhazy family was only minor nobility and rose in status when Miklos Esterhazy (1583-1645) married a couple of rich widows (at the same time?) who were with the Hadsburgs, a powerful Hungarian family and this resulted in his being elevated to a count.&nbsp; He was a benevolent and spent huge sums on the arts.&nbsp; Haydn was the resident maestro at the palace for many years.&nbsp; The family's art collection was massive. Eventually the place was abandoned and left empty, I think round about the end of the 19th century.&nbsp; During the WWII it was used as a military outpost and command centre by the Germans.&nbsp; Before and after photographs illustrate what a remarkable restoration took place.&nbsp;&nbsp; Prince Albert, another well known and much loved Saskatchewan city was named after the prince of Hungary during the Miklos' time.&nbsp; And that was it.&nbsp; &nbsp;After the tour I enjoyed a delicious lunch of fried cauliflower and salad at the surprisingly reasonably priced restaurant across the street.&nbsp; (In fact, prices were lower here than they had typically been in Budapest.)&nbsp; I spent the remainder of the day back in Sopron's old town.&nbsp; Really it's a nice spot.&nbsp; There's a lake nearby and many excellent bike paths.&nbsp; One could easily spend a couple of days out of here cycling around the countryside and enjoying the scenery.&nbsp; &nbsp;Next up-Vienna and a rendezvous with my laptop.&nbsp;
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