TravelStream™ news feed for member travelingdiva on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/travelingdiva en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:35:03 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travelingdiva/11/1258616416/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travelingdiva/11/1258616416/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travelingdiva/11/1258616416/tpod.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:35:03 -0500 Life abroad

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Noiraigue, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Today I had the day off so I planned on going to see this: Creux du Van. But that is not where I ended up!Once I arrived in Noiraigue, I reconsulted my Lonely Planet guide. "From Noiraigue ... it is a short walk to ... Creux du Van". I took a good look at my surroundings and realized LP was way off on this one. I was surrounded by mountains and steep hills. The pictures of the abyss show it is surrounded by flat green pastures. So I walked a few metres to a signpost, which you find everywhere in Switzerland, with arrows pointing to different locations and an estimated walking time. I saw "La Ferme Robert" on the post, with a time of 50 minutes.On the linked page above, you will see it describes two paths you can take from Noiraigue, one of them the Single Path to Robert Farm. I decided to follow that route as I didn't see anything regarding 14 on the signs, and also the signs just had a vague direction for Creux du Van with no time associated. I walked about 5 minutes along the train tracks in the direction of Robert Farm and entered the Creux du Van park. Hence the lack of information on the walking trail signs. Now the trail signs didn't even mention Creux du Van, so I continued following them to Robert Farm.I hiked up a steep, rocky path hidden beneath a thick blanket of bright red, wet leaves. On either side there was a beautiful forest of trees still shedding their foliage for the winter. At one point I passed a large pasture where I could see a farmhouse in the distance, nestled amongst misty mountains.I was worried that it might be too slippery but because it is quite rocky beneath the leaves, going up wasn't a problem, but I did move a bit slowly because of the hidden protrusions. After almost an hour the path I was on intersected with a road. There was a homemade sign saying Robert Farm was only 500m away. I continued along the path, which ran more or less parallel to the road, and finally came to a parking lot. I was very excited to know I was at Robert Farm, and walked quickly across the blacktop to the nearest walking path signs to see where I go from here to Creux du Van.They were still along the same path. The path did split at the parking lot, but the other fork led back downhill towards a gorge I was also hoping to check out today. I would come back to that path later once I found the abyss.I walked past another parking lot and a restaurant, just above the first lot, and saw another split and more signs. Now the signs said Robert Farm was about 970m from where I stood, in the direction I had come from. So I wasn't at Robert Farm, and I had somehow missed it? But the signs still guided me to Creux du Van so I continued to follow them. They led up a single lane dirt road back into the forest.This entire time I had not run into a single person, so as I walked into the dark, damp forest and passed yet another sign telling me of the wildlife within, I started to worry. I thought about how I hadn't told anyone exactly where I was going, plus the fact that I didn't feel confident I was anywhere near my target destination, and I had Lincoln with me so if we did encounter a lynx or something he would probably aggravate it and he would lose the fight. I decided I would have to turn back around 2:30pm because I didn't want it to get dark while I was alone in the woods.Along one side of the path I could see I was fairly close to a high cliff wall. The sun was shining through this break in the trees. I headed down a less-used trail towards the wall to see if I could spot any ibex about. It was a beautiful moment in the day, when I could see the bright blue sky above and feel the sun on my face. But at this point I knew I should turn around so I would be back to civilization before darkness fell, so I turned around and headed back. On the way back I tried to find where I went wrong with Robert Farm, in case that is where I really should be, but I didn't see a missed turn or anything.When I did finally get back home a few hours later, and a lot dirtier, I did some more research and found that this trail is part of the multi-day Jura Ridgeway walk, and to get to the abyss, one way is about 2.25 hours! Man, was LP way off the mark on that one! Now that I know the right information I think I will go back and try again ... this time starting much earlier so I have time to get there, and this time using the route from SwitzerlandMobility.Even though I did somehow get off track or not walk far enough, or maybe both, I still enjoyed my day out in an autumn forest and a valley of lush green farms.
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Basel, Basel, Switzerland

There is yet another fair in Basel right now, the Herbstmesse (Autumn Fair). It is huge! Carnival rides, food stalls, and booths selling trinkets are spread throughout the city. We went out at night to the Münsterplatz to see the action. Beforehand we visited Petersplatz to get raclette over potatoes and steaming Gluwein. Delicious! We also stopped in at the Barfüsserplatz fairgrounds to check things out.In Münsterplatz we rode the big wheel and got a nice view of the city lights reflecting on the Rhine. After our ride we just hung around a stall selling gluwein, drinking and chatting. Everywhere we went was crowded with people in good spirits and children full of sugar and excitement. Herbstmesse is a fun time in Basel!
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Strasbourg, Alsace, France

I started the week in Geneva because of work. During my weekly Skype call with my parents, they mentioned my brother would be leaving for Paris the next morning. Nice of him to tell me! I called him but couldn't get a hold of him, so tried again in the morning. By the time I was awake on Monday, he was in bed for the night, but luckily he woke up and answered the phone. He told me he had a free day on Wednesday with no plans so this would be a good day for us to meet up. I had a computer in front of me while we were chatting so I looked up train schedules from to Strasbourg for him and for me, and we agreed to meet in the station around the time his train arrives.On the train from Basel, I learned the hard way that dogs do not travel for free on TV trains. I was charged a large fine on top of the fare for a small dog. His one-way fare was more than half my round trip fare! Luckily I had found a good seat sale for myself so the combined train fare wasn't so astonishing.I arrived in Strasbourg a few minutes before my brother's train so I went there to meet him. He was already there, looking around lost and confused. He spotted me and came over excitedly, and then spotted Lincoln. He made such a big scene over seeing my dog that some girls nearby laughed. He told me he had really hoped I would bring Lincoln. Of course Lincoln comes everywhere with me now!We spent the rest of the day in Strasbourg, eating at the same restaurant I ate at last time so he could experience tarte flambee. We also tried some Alsatian wine, which was excellent.He went in the cathedral while I waited in the sunshine with Lincoln, so I still haven't seen the interior or gone up the tower. We also went on a mini train tour of the city which was pretty fun, being a serious tourist.We headed back to the train station after a quick dinner and bought our train tickets home. Mine was round trip but I had to get a ticket for Lincoln. Without the fine attached, it was only 5 Euros. I really wish I had known ahead of time!I had a really nice day visiting with my brother. I haven't seen him since I left Canada back in October, so it was almost a full year. Wow, time flies! He headed back to Paris and will continue on to Barcelona in a few days so I am a bit jealous - I absolutely love Barcelona!
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Basel, Basel, Switzerland

We got back in Basel late yesterday afternoon. We had lots of time to sort out our luggage and for mom and dad to repack for their journey today. Today it was time to say good-bye. They are driving back to Paris and flying home midday tomorrow. I had parked their rental car in an underground garage right by my apartment. We all walked down to the garage together, Lincoln included, with their assortment of suitcases and carry-ons. Once we managed to squeeze everything in the trunk and backseat, we said goodbye. It was a bit sad for me but mom had a really hard time. This is somewhat amusing as when I moved here, she didn't shed a tear when I left, but cried like a baby when Lincoln left later when my sister came to visit.Anyway, finally they got in the car and I joined the man by the exit so we could wave them along the way. The entire trip mom and dad joked about how happy they are I was with them because without me they just get lost and are less adventurous. So as we were standing by the exit waiting for them to drive past, I heard my mom shout "Laura!". I turned around and there they were, going deeper into the parking garage instead of towards the exit. We all laughed and I joked about how it's already begun.Finally they drove past us out the exit and we waved goodbye. I felt a bit sad the rest of the day. It was such a great visit with my parents and a wonderful road trip through Austria!
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Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Back on the River Danube, we are at our final stop of the road trip. We thought it would be nice for my parents (an me!) to see the tallest church in the world. We parked a bit of a distance but with a clear view of the cathedral tower and navigated our way towards the massive beacon. We stopped at a cafe for a drink before heading into the church. I knew that Lincoln could not go into the cathedral but I was hoping he could go up the tower. Unfortunately this was not so. Mom was very happy about this and offered to stay in the square outside with Lincoln. I guess climbing 768 steps for a nice view isn't her thing. More her thing is the little booths in the market square outside the cathedral.It was a long and tedious climb to the top of the 162m high spire. We finally reached a platform I was sure that was the end and stopped to walk around the diameter of the platform and see the view. The spire was in the centre of the platform and it wasn't until we had walked around 3/4 of it that I noticed the stairs up the spire. So we climbed the narrow, winding steps to the very, very top. It was quite windy up there but wow what a spectacular view! A platform about half way up contains windows below to the bells for your viewing pleasure. In this room there are also pictures of other cathedrals around the world, with their name, place, and height. I was surprised to see I have visited a few of the tallest churches. However, my suspicions were confirmed that Cologne was (until today) the tallest church I have ever visited at 157m. We decided to count the steps on the way down, because by the time we got to the top we couldn't remember how many we were told to expect. I counted 767 and my boyfriend had 769. When we returned to the entrance we were reminded by a sign that there are actually 768. But after that workout I think a deviation of 1 is not too bad. I have to admit, when we stepped outside into the sunny square, it felt like I was walking on legs of jello. It seemed very strange walking on flat ground again. I thought to myself it would be nice to live in Ulm because you could get a great workout every day and rewarded with a fantastic view, and only for a few euro.
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Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany

Last night we drove, and drove, and drove. We were hoping to stop in Munich so we could do a brief sightseeing tour in the morning, but it was impossible to find a hotel. We were told to drive far out of the city if we wanted to get a room. So we continued on until we finally got to Augsburg, where we managed to get two rooms in one of the two Ibis hotels. This morning we walked to the Old Town after having breakfast in McDonald's. It's a very nice city with beautiful palaces and fun stores. Mom and I had a good time shopping. We only spent a couple of hours in Augsburg before moving on, but it was a great place to stop. I was actually here before a few years ago when my hotel in Munich canceled my reservation two days before Oktoberfest and remembered that it was a nice place to visit.
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Hallstatt, Upper Austria, Austria

Our original Austrian itinerary included a day in Graz, but we are really running out of precious time so we decided to skip it so we could see the salt mine in Hallstatt. And having missed Graz only gives me a very good excuse to come back!We spent a lot of time on the road today trying to get to Graz. The GPS got confused once we were off the main highway. The steep and winding roads to the top of the mountain are also a bit on the narrow side. A large section was also a bit scary because there was construction work being done that closed one lane so there was only one skinny shared lane remaining, and at times I wondered how a car any bigger than ours could squeeze along. We figured there must be another way to the top that our GPS failed to use because there were some large tour buses at the top of the mountain when we finally got there.Mom was already freaked out from the hairpin turns alongside steep drop off cliffs, so she decided to skip the mines. Instead she got to relax in the beautiful sunshine beside the glistening water of the large lake. We, on the other hand, managed to get on the funicular to the mines just in time to catch the last tour.It was really cool, and I think a good change from all the castles, at least for my boyfriend. The tour takes you through various sections of a working salt mine and at the end we were given a small shaker of salt from Hallstatt. The funnest part was definitely the slides. They are quite long and we could go in groups of three so of course we did. On the last slide the tour group had a speed competition. Maybe this was a good time to go alone but we stuck with our group and did pretty good, but the singles definitely kicked our butts in speed.All together we spent about three hours in and around the mines before going back down the funicular to find mom and Lincoln. They enjoyed their relaxing time so in the end it was a nice day for everyone.And now, back to the highway!
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Bruck an der Mur, Styria, Austria

We drove west from Vienna towards tomorrow's destination and consulted the GPS and Lonely Planet guide to find a good place to stop in between. We ended up here, in Bruck an der Mur, an adorable and charming small town in Austria. We all loved it as soon as we got to the centre, where the hotel we were seeking out is located. However, it was full, and the reception there told us we could get a much better rate than the other LP-recommended hotel if we just went down the pedestrian street a ways, and the hotel we would find there was just as nice. So we took his advice and ended up here, which is exactly as he described. The pedestrian street is long and full of interesting shops and restaurants, leading to the centre square. Our hotel is at the far end, where the pedestrian street meets the car-friendly roads. Just above us is a castle. It is illuminated with colourful lights at night.We had another nice dinner and then decided to walk around and check out the town. We walked back along the pedestrian street to the main square and then down the road back to our hotel, doing a little window shopping and photographing along the way.This morning we had breakfast at the hotel then decided to go into the shops we peaked into last night. We didn't buy much but had an enjoyable morning exploring Bruck an der Mur in the daylight.
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Vienna, Vienna, Austria

We are a long way from home and didn't have a lot of time to spend in Vienna, but everyone seems to love it so we thought we better give it a shot.We did a drive-by of the cathedral, Stephansdom, parking illegally (with several other vehicles) for a few minutes to take some photos. Then we headed to the presidential palace and parked in what may have been an illegal spot but it was not at all clear what the street signs were trying to tell us.There were several horse-drawn carriages lining the streets around the complex. We walked around the exterior a bit and then got into one of the carriages.Our driver/guide was very enthusiastic and full of information. He had a thick accent so at times was difficult to understand but we still got a very interesting tour nonetheless.We passed some things only a local would know, like the oldest coffee shop in Vienna (and the most beautiful). We also went past the big hits and got to see Stephansdom once again. Vienna really is a beautiful city when you get to see it from the small, crowded streets of Old Town and around. We were all really glad that we came back to Vienna and got a small taste of its charm.At the end of our tour we were back where we started at the parliament building. We really didn't have time to do much more exploring if we wanted to get my parents back to Paris before their flight left without them, so we got back in the car and drove until darkness came.
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Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia

The highway to Slovakia is very large and very empty of other cars. The surrounding landscape contains a lot of flat fields and some very large windmills. There wasn't far to go on the highway before we reached Bratislava. Once we got there, I drove from one highway to another, then back again, before we figured out how to get off the highway and into the city centre.We also did some driving around once we were on the city streets, trying to figure out where we should be. We had no guide book or GPS to help us (the map stopped at the border) so we were really roughing it.Finally, we somehow managed to find and navigate our way to an underground parking garage. We noticed a sketchy guy check out all our belongings in the trunk of the car while we were getting organized, so after leaving my parents in a bank we went back down to check on the car (only minutes after leaving it) and found the guy still eyeballing the car. Since he could see we were on to him he came over and talked to us and asked about Lincoln. He claimed he was waiting for a friend who was meeting him there. Right. Finally he went away and then we alerted a security guard to the troublemaker before returning to my parents.We wandered around and found that the city had a few tourist signs that helped us locate some interesting sights: the presidential palace, a castle, and the beautiful old town.The palace was just across the street from where we parked, but there was no way to actually cross the street. The roads are too crammed with fast-moving vehicles to jaywalk across, so we went a block or two out of our way and then a block or two back to where the palace stands, right next to the stairs leading up from the pedestrian passage under the road we just crossed. At least that passage was useful on the way back to the car.My boyfriend had already had enough of castles but I managed to convince him that it would be worth the climb up the steep streets for the view of the city. Of course my parents were just as happy as me to check out another castle, so up we went, and luckily there was a really clear view of Bratislava from the top! We also checked out a few shops along the way.We walked back downhill then over to the Old Town. This is a really nice area of Bratislava. There are a lot of run-down buildings between the beautiful palaces and cobblestone streets, but these crumbling facades only added to the appearance. A large area is pedestrian only, full of restaurants and tourist shops. My mom was in paradise.We stopped at a Mexican restaurant that was not great, and then carried on with our sightseeing. We came into a large square with lots of little booths selling junk. Now mom was really happy and looked at every little knick knack for sale in every single booth before we were allowed to leave.We headed back to the car and were happy to find it still contained our belongings. Now it was time to turn around and slowly make our way back to Switzerland. It was not too late in the day so we decided to give Vienna one more try.
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