TravelStream™ news feed for member unbound on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/unbound en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:58:06 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1255285815/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1255285815/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1255285815/tpod.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:58:06 -0500 B&B Unbound

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

When we were in New Zealand we met a really great couple in a campsite kitchen, Robbert and Mijke. We sat next to them at the table and ended up talking to them for over an hour.  We kept in touch and they invited us to stay with them when we made it to Amsterdam.  We were pretty tired from our train ride.  We took an over night train and got a sleeper cabin again.  We were the last 2 to get into 6 person cabin.  We were happy to have the 2 bottom beds at least.  It was really difficult to make our beds in the dark and a room the size of a small bathroom.  We didn't get much sleep because our bunk mates got up at different times to get off the train.  Robbert had the week off luckily so he met us at the train station.  They have a great little apartment close to everything.Amsterdam has a lot to offer besides the Red Light District and the coffeeshops - although, that's what most people look forward to when they get here.  It is truly impossible to not encounter these though.  The coffeeshops are on every corner (where you can get anything from actual coffee and "space cakes" to...well...you know).  The Red Light District is right in the middle of town.  You can't avoid it.  By the end of the week, I recognized the women in the windows.  There really are red lights everywhere and the streets are lined with windows that open up onto the street.  In each window there is a woman, usually somewhat covered.  They rent the windows out for 8 hour shifts.  Some go as much as 750 EURO per shift.  Imagine how much work you'd have to do to break even.  But this is just how it is here.  Along with the red lights, there is pretty much anything else you can think of relating to sex.  I won't go into anymore detail then that.I didn't realize how confusing the city was laid out.  We truly got lost every single day (twice at night on bikes, in the rain).  Everyone in Amsterdam owns a bikes.  In fact, between Robbert and Mijke, there were 5 bikes!  And neither of them ride them to work.  There are 10 times more bikes then cars, in fact, we heard that 80,000+ bikes are stolen every year!!!  Robbert has gotten his bike stolen twice - and no, he didn't get them back.  Each bike has wheel locks, a key and a 5 pound, completely rusted out chain.  One of the best parts of the city?  Donors everywhere!  Those are the chicken, lamb, beef pita wraps.  Oh, they are soooo good!  There are an amazing amount of snack shops, pizza places, etc around town - I'm sure to cure the "munchies".Our first day Robbert showed us around downtown.  There is so much to see and so many museums.  In the main squares there are street performers all the time.  We saw one guy from Australia shallow a sword (a LONG one) and bend over and jungle!  He said he was one of 6 in the world that could do that.  Ahhh!  Robbert and Mijke made us an amazing Mexican dish our first night.  We went to the grocery store first and after talking with Brian about beer, Robbert got 1 of every kind of beer that the store had.  We walked out of there with 20-some bottles of beer.  All different kinds.  The guys were planning beer tasting for that night.  So Robbert and Mijke set up a very comfortable bed for us in there apartment.  So that night, we got some good sleep.  They also let us use 2 of their bikes for the next week.  So the next day we started off on our bikes.  It is kind of scary riding because this is no leisurely activity here.  People are serious about their bike riding.  We hit up a street market first and rode around town for awhile.  Later that day we checked out a couple of pubs and saw some live music.  The weather is fabulous here but that night it started raining and didn't let up.  We had to ride back to their apartment on the bikes, in the rain, and that was the first time we got lost.  On Saturday, Robbert and Mijke took us out to the beach and dunes with them.  It was near where their parents live and ended up seeing Robbert's parents at the dunes.  It was great to be back at the beach, just wish it was summer and we could swim.  After a couple hours we went back and had dinner together, but not before getting lost in the dunes (like in New Zealand).  That night they went out with Brian and I to a nearby pub.  We got to sleep in the next day and rode around on our bikes for a long time.  We checked out this huge park near the center of town.  Of course, it started raining on us again and we had to hide out under some trees and ended up having to eat our packed lunch under there in our ponchos.  Mmmm...  And again, we were riding our bikes in the rain.  That night we were supposed to go to a concert with Robbert but it was raining too hard.  We would have had to ride our bikes, plus I'd have to sit on the back of Robbert's bike.  I think that would be bad for everyone involved.  If you don't see the theme, we spent a lot of our time in Amsterdam just riding around on our bikes, checking out the pubs and eating!  We were told to go to this famous bakery for world famous apple pie.  There was also a huge street market near there, so we went to both.  The pie was so good, we went back the next day.  Oh, so good.  We rode all around the waterfront and saw how much they are expanding the land out into the water.  The next day, our final full day on our trip (!!!) we went to the Amsterdam Brewery and saw one of those famous windmills - very cool.  We went to another park and ate lunch.  We also got a couple beers from a market and enjoyed them on one of the countless canals that run through the city.  This is such a wonderful city.  It is so beautiful!  All the canals and houseboats and small shops and pubs, etc.  Such an amazing place.  We've had such a great time hanging out with Robbert and Mijke.  They are so fun to just sit and talk with.  Again, its so great to stay with locals.  They were such good hosts.  The time has gone way too fast.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254508291/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254508291/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254508291/tpod.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:05:52 -0500 B&B Unbound

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

One of my cousin's best friends, Juliet, happens to live in Heidelberg  - our next destination. She invited us to stay as long as we wanted, she probably didn't think we'd stay for almost a week though.  We walked from the train station to her place, which is on the US Army Base.  Her husband is in Afghanistan, so it is just her and her dog, Zoe (aka Sausage).  Juliet made us dinner when we arrived and gave us all the maps and info we could handle for Heidelberg.  The first day we were too tired to do anything.  There is only so many days in a row we could keep going, we needed a day to relax.  We did walk back and forth a few times to the grocery store though.  It's good we saved some energy for the next day.  We started with a 2+ hour hike through the woods/mountains near Juliet's.  We hiked into town and ended at the Heidelberg Castle.  Great views but you sure don't get much for your money with the castle ticket.  The highlight was the wine vat located in the cellars of the castle.  It holds 220,000 liters of wine - or 58,100 gallons!!!  It was created in 1751 with 130 pine trees.  It was rarely used and isn't anymore but there is a dance floor on the top of it.  The castle sits on a hilltop overlooking the city.  It is three quarters blown up from the war but it still has lots of character.  After the castle we walked through town and over the famous Old Bridge and had a beer at the student hall at the university.  Yes, they serve beer there.  Good idea.  We just spent the rest of the day wondering around town and seeing the squares.  We have a routine for seeing these German towns.  That night we made our famous NZ dish for Juliet.  We (I) was pretty tired from the hike this morning but I keep going the whole day.  Juliet drove us to the top of another lookout the next morning where there are numerous monuments.  The trail is called Philosophenweg or Philosopher's Way.  Over the course of history there have been monuments built from various times.   Hitler had a amphitheater that was used once and now is where the hippies hang out.  There was also the ruins of an old monastery, a tower lookout and a really deep well.After all this we hiked down the "mountain", stopping along the way to pick a sliver out of Brian's toe as people stared at us, and trying out a see-saw that had a huge spring on the bottom so you didn't just go up and down but side to side and in circles (not great for a man's anatomy).  The Neckar River runs through town and is beautiful.  The streets are just like the ones in other German towns - small, narrow with lots of shops and pubs.  Went into one gummy bear store and ate roughly a pound each  Gew.  Then we went to the old bar in town.  My dad had visited this bar 30-some years ago and told me all about it.  They still have the same tables and chairs.  They are about to fall apart from all the cravings in them.  I looked briefly for Dad's name on the tables but not luck.  Great place with lots of character.  Afterwords, we hiked back up to the castle and sat on a bench and watched the sunset.  Romantic city.  The next day was reserved for the naked spas in Baden Baden, a town a couple hours south by train.  We left early and had plenty of time to wonder around the ritzy, upper class town.  Watching our money, we just got a liter of ice cream for lunch and ate in the park.  Beautiful day and the leaves were just changing.  That afternoon we went to one of the spas.  They have 3 different ones in town.  One is completely nude and bathing suits are not allowed.  Hum...didn't feel completely comfortable with that.  Juliet told us that families go together.  Again, gew.  So we went to the ordinary one but they didn't tell us that all the "cool" things are on the top floor, which is nude only!  Damn.  The great saunas, etc were all up there. There were still great things downstairs.  We enjoyed downstairs but wanted to check it out upstairs.  I followed Brian up to see what it was like.  Everyone up there was wearing a towel at least...but...Brian and I each had brought a Sham-wow.  They are about the size of a hand towel.  So, I didn't want to deal with that, so I went back downstairs and Brian continued to undress and went into one of the saunas.  I went back downstairs and a few minutes later I saw Brian coming back downstairs too (with his suit on).  Turns out...you need a real towel to be up there.  His wasn't big enough, it was barely big enough for him to sit on.  After much awkwardness, he left.  We spent the rest of the week hanging out in Heidelberg, relaxing and eating ice cream.    We needed a lot of rest, afterall, our next and final stop, was Amsterdam.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254508211/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254508211/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254508211/tpod.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:09:31 -0500 B&B Unbound

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany

Our train ride up to Bamberg, in Bavaria, was one of the most frustrating yet. We got on the train just fine in Munich and had to switch over in Nurnberg.  Our first train was running behind so we missed our connection by a few minutes.  So we waited for an hour on the correct platform (according to the computer) for the next connecting train.  That time came and went.  Ticked off, we went down to the service counter and they said the train was switched to a different platform.  I asked how people were supposed to know that and he drew us a picture on a scrap of paper.  He said up in the corner of the information board on the platform, there is a information bar and thats where it said it.  But this is only in German, yet English is printed everywhere else!  Ahhh!!!  So we had to spend 2 hours of a gorgeous afternoon standing on a train platform.  Luckily, the next train came to the correct spot and we got on.  We arrived in Bamberg in time to get a bus out to our hostel but only part way there, we would have to wait another hour for the other bus.  So, we didn't want wait after wasting so much time at the train station earlier.  Instead we took the first bus and walked a good 30 minutes with our bags to the hostel, but it was right on the river so it was worth it.  We walked into town that night - at least 40 minutes both ways because the buses weren't running anymore.  It was a great walk though through the woods- but not as much fun walking back in complete darkness.  We went to one of the 9 breweries that night for dinner.  In 1888 there was 65 breweries but now only 9.  But still, 9 is a lot for a small town.  We went to the Rauchbier Brewery that's specialty is smoked beer that tastes like bacon.  It sounds terrible but was actually really good.  We had potato pancakes with sauerkraut and sausages and it went really well with the beer.  Bamberg is awesome by the way.  Lonely Planet described it as one of the best towns in Germany and we HIGHLY agree with that.  Probably the best town in Germany (and that says a lot).  There are a bunch of canals that run through the town and that are lined with old buildings and lots of bridges.  It is definitely one of the most scenic and romantic towns we have been in.  There are a lot of parks, churches, a palace, a monastery and of course, the 9 breweries.  Our hostel let us take 2 bikes from their shed and we rode into town.  The first day we wondered all around town and saw the basics that we always start with and went to the monastery that looks over the city for some great views.  They have a neighborhood called Little Venice that is a bunch of colorful old homes right on the water front.  They each have their own boats docks but they are so old that they look like their going to fall into the water at any moment.  That night we rode back to the hostel (which was a 20 minute ride) through the woods and discovered our bike lights didn't work.  It was a little hard riding in complete darkness right next to the water but we made it.The second full day we went out to the shed to get two more bikes.  The one I rode the day before was really uncomfortable so I picked a different one that had no bike lock.  That day we rode into town and saw the few things we didn't see the day before.  Like climbing to the top of the town tower that was part of a castle to look over the city (again).  After all that, we went to some of the breweries so we could to try their famous beers.  We couldn't make it to all of them but the ones we did go to all had pretty good beer, were all in old traditional Bavarian buildings and were more like beer halls.  That night we rode back and I had my wonderful new bike that had a light - true happiness.  When we rode up to the hostel, the chef ran outside straight for us.  It was somewhat understood that the chef was the owner of the hostel and he was a pretty sarcastic guy, so when he came up to me and said "That's my bike", I took it as he was joking around and that he owns all the bikes.  I replied with a "Yeah, its a nice bike".  He said he couldn't go home that afternoon and was waiting for it.  Oh, his personal bike!  I quickly got off and said sorry, explaining that it was in the bike shed with all the other bikes and unlocked.  He seemed kind of mad but not at me.  He just wanted to go home.  How embarrassing.  We had to ride back into town to get dinner so again, we had to take the old uncomfortable one...and it was even darker, and know I had no light.  Damn!  My bum hurt the next day.  But that night we actually had to change hotels because the hostel was hosting about 50 8th graders!  They came the night before and made more noise then I thought possible.  We were happy to leave.  So we changed to another hotel just down the street.  The next morning we got the bus and were off to Heidelberg.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254508100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254508100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254508100/tpod.html Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:23:02 -0400 B&B Unbound

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

We've been waiting for this day for a long time now. We found a place to stay...for free (when even the cheapest hostel in town is 99 Euros per person). We made it Munich for OKTOBERFEST!!!! Getting off at the train station it hit us...this was going to be great. We were probably the 0.01% of people not wearing traditional Bavarian clothing. We found an awesome person, Sonja, to Couchsurf with and were so lucky she said we could stay with her. She was getting 15-20 requests per DAY. It was like we were back in college, sleeping on the floor and loving it. She met us at the train station and took us back to her apartment. We chatted for awhile and she showed us how to get around Munich. We were going to save Oktoberfest for the next day because we were tired and it was already late afternoon. Instead, we saw some of the city. We were really surprised by what we saw. We didn't know Munich had so much to offer the traveler, even if there was no Oktoberfest. First we saw the regular stuff: palaces, churches, river, parks, etc. We were walking into the huge English Garden Park in the center of town and saw a group of people watching something in the trees so we went over to see what it was. There was an underground canal that flowed out into the park there, but there was so much force behind it that it formed some major waves, prefect for surfing.     So the locals take advantage of it. There were about 15 young guys in wet suits and holding their surf boards. Really cool to watch. Later Sonja told us that one or two of them die every year because of the under toe. Luckily no one was hurt while we were watching. The park itself was huge. Tons of people out laying in the sun and by the water. In the summer everyone lays out naked. People go there on their lunch breaks, strip down and get their vitamin D. I wonder how many go with co-workers? There is a big lake in the center and 3 different beer gardens around the park. We enjoyed our first Munich beer at the beer garden on the lake. Also, while downtown the first night we checked out the famous Hofbrauhaus!. It is one of the biggest and oldest breweries in all the world. It was a royal brewery back in the day and was also a favorite of the Nazi party. It is about the size of a city block and holds hundreds and hundreds of people, a live band and dancing - everything Bavarian. They had a huge beer garden as well. We got our first Hofbrauhaus liters that night to get us ready. So good.  The next morning Sonja made us a traditional Bavarian breakfast of white sausages and pretzel bread. She was leaving that morning to go up north to visit her boyfriend 7 hours away, but planned it so her friend Niklas would stay at her place. So we said our goodbyes and Brian and I got on the train to Oktoberfest. We walked into the fest about 1:30pm and were surprised it wasn't too busy - for Oktoberfest standards. We did a huge loop around the area. Its set up just like a carnival with lots of rides and food, etc but there are these HUGE tents that look like permanent buildings. One for each different kind of beer. Some beer had 2 tents. In each tent there is a big band in the middle on a stage and it is surrounded by tables all the way around. The entire place is completely decorated inside and out. They each have a big beer garden as well. We wanted to experience being in the tents with the music. That day we went to 4 or 5 different tents and got a liter at each one, we split them to save time and our blood/alcohol levels. This way we also got into a lot of tents and got to see the different German bands. The beer was good and the atmosphere was even better. It was great sitting with all these people dressed to the 9's in Bavarian clothing, singing and drinking. It was amazing to see the waitresses (some little old ladies) carrying up to 7 glass liter steins. No wonder a lot of them had to wear wrist guards. About 5pm the tents really started to fill up and we no longer could find a table. If we had found a table, people would be dancing on it. Once the sun is about to go down, the dancing begins. We walked around some more but decided we needed one more day here and would stay another night (if it was cool with Sonja). We left the fest and went back to the Hofbrauhaus again! One last beer and some amazing German food (well, I should say some "interesting" meat loaf and awesome potato dumplings). After that we went to see the Olympic grounds from the 1972 games. Very cool architecture and stadiums. We went to the top of the tower and got a birds eye view over Munich. It was night and we could see Oktoberfest reflecting off the sky. The next morning we went straight to Oktoberfest after breakfast. It was Friday so we wanted to see the tents we didn't get into yesterday before they filled up. We arrived at 11:30am and all the tents were full!!! But, lucky for us, the beer gardens had space. You could still hear the music outside too. We weren't getting any service at first, then the waiter walked by with a really confused look on his face and holding a liter. He looked at us, shrugged his shoulders and put the beer in front of us and walked away. Could it be? A free 8.60 Euro worth of beer? No...5 minutes later another waitress came over looking for her money. She may have bitten our heads off it we were any slower paying her. Yikes. After a few minutes a group of three guys asked to sit at our table. There are huge picnic tables that can hold 10-12 people so the more, the merrier. So these guys sat across from us and said hello...and 7 hours later we all got up to leave. That was our day, but one of the best.  The next day we got up and quickly got ready to leave. We still needed to find a place to stay in Bamberg, our next stop. We couldn't find anything online, so when Niklas woke up he called some places for us. About an hour later we had gotten nowhere, nothing was available. So the three of us went to the train station to try and get a refund on our train ticket that we already had bought. When that didn't work, I just started asking people that were standing by the ticket booth if they wanted to buy our ticket and on the 5th try, someone took it!!! Yippee. So that was a long and stressful morning, but it met we had one more day in Munich. Niklas took us downtown with him and showed us a few things around town that we hadn't seen yet. He even bought us ice cream. What nice guy, to spend his weekend helping us out.  So that day we walked along the riverfront for awhile and saw some more sites. We went out again that night and stopped in at our favorite place (Hofbrauhaus) for one last liter before we left town the next morning. But before we did that we went back to Oktoberfest to walk through it one more time, mainly to see what its like on a Saturday night. We are so glad we went that Thursday and Friday. For one, all the tents were closed and just packed with people. And two, it was unbelievable how many drunk people were wondering about. I knew it would be a lot but not this many! I can say, the ambulance was busy. We either had to watch where we were walking because of all the broken glass or look up and make sure no one would run into us. I did have one run-in though. We didn't stay long, but interesting to see what it is like at night. I would have to say, everyone should experience Oktoberfest at least once, but there is an awful lot more to see in Munich than just that. I would go during the week only, as all the tents fill up in the mornings on the weekends. You cannot get a beer if you are not sitting down (except for in one tent). You must have a table and they only take cash - which we couldn't believe they didn't have a ticket system. Those waitresses carrying around all that money. They say during Oktoberfest, they go through 6 MILLION liters of beer. I cant even imagine. That is almost 52 million Euros!  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253207050/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253207050/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253207050/tpod.html Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:38:50 -0400 B&B Unbound

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Prague, Bohemia, Czech Republic

Our ride from Vienna to Prague was completely gorgeous. I had no idea how beautiful the Czech Republic countryside is. We went through a bunch of small villages I wish we could have gotten out at. And when we drove over the bridge into Prague we were blown away by how awesome and exciting it looked. We saw the Prague Castle up on the hill overlooking the city. All the buildings have red roof tops and are beautiful and old. The river runs right through the city and there is a lot of parks and green space.When we arrived we had to walk a good 20 minutes to get to our hostel. It is overwhelming how great this city is (and how heavy our bags are after walking that far). We checked into our little room that looked over a courtyard. That afternoon we took a long (3 hour!) walk around the Old Town. We only had 2 whole days in Prague so this was our chance to get some stuff in so we could take our time the next couple days. It was exhausting, but well worth the walk. The city streets are laid out like a plate of spaghetti - its so hard to find your way around. All the streets are really small and narrow, all one-ways. There are so many different town squares to see and cool passages to walk through. We walked by the river, some churches, the clock tower and the astronomical clock. Tonight was another night we had no dinner. Sometimes its just too much work to go get food, and I had a bad headache so I didn't feel like going out. I think my body was telling me to slow down some. After going and going nonstop in Vienna and very little sleep, plus a 3+ hour walk around Prague that afternoon, I was done for. That night we slept for 12 hours, no problem, so we must have needed it. When we did finally get going, we went to Charles Bridge - the most famous and oldest bridge in Prague. It was built in 1357 and was the only way to cross the river. It is filled with artists and musicians, so once we finally got across, we came into another square that took us up to the Castle. It was a lot of steps up, but I made it! We saw the changing of the guards when we got there, which was pretty cool. Still its your basic foot stomping and pivoting. We also bought tickets to get access into the castle grounds. The guy that sold us our tickets wouldn't take no for an answer, when he kept asking us if we wanted to get the audio guide. He kept repeating that there were no explanations throughout the castle and how confused we'd be. For some reason, I just didn't believe him. Glad we stuck with our gut - there were explanations all over the place - we didn't even have time to read them all. We went through the Emperor's living areas, main halls, offices, etc. We also got to see Golden Lane, which is where select skilled locals used to live and work. On our way out we saw what looked like a dungeon and went down. It was. There were a bunch of torture devices. They had iron body suits that they would put prisoners in and hang them from the ceilings. Small cages to put people in and a stretcher. I don't want to think about the stretcher. Ouch to say the least. You could also see down into the pits where they "stored" people. Creepy. On our way back that evening to the other side of the river we came across a beer hall and went in. We came out about an hour later with our tummies full of good beer and AWESOME potato dumplings! The food here is so great! This is such a romantic city. On the way back across the bridge, there were multiple people playing music. That night we sat in the main pedmall area of the city and had sausages while sitting in front of a beautiful old building. As we were sitting there looking at it a guy walked in front of us down a small path into some bushes. he was just standing there, we could see him from the waist up and sure he was peeing. We were sitting right in front of a major intersection and I'm sure everyone knew what he was doing. Then a group of kids next to us started passing a dobbie around, so I guess the laws here are a little relaxed if all this is possible in the town square.The next day we went to a park and hiked to the top of a lookout (well, an old fortress). It had great views over the city and the river. After that we walked down by the river and got a paddle boat at sunset. I forgot how great paddle boats are. We paddled down and got to watch the sun set behind the castle. So peaceful and wonderful here. We also went out to dinner after that at a really great family place right by our hostel. I got chicken-schnitzel and Brian got pork-potato pancakes. Both were unbelievable, and the beer is so cheap.We also went to a few interesting museums and spent endless amounts of time wondering through the cities small streets (and getting lost). It's easy to say, Prague is one of our favorite cities yet on our entire trip. Its very magical.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254507920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254507920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254507920/tpod.html Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:37:48 -0400 B&B Unbound

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany

We took a bus from Salzburg over to Berchtesgaden, Germany which is only about 45 minutes. It's nestled in the Bavarian Alps. We stayed on the outside of the city in a little Bed and Breakfast. It is usually cheaper to stay in a B&B then in a hostel (if the town has a hostel). We thought it would be much easier to find cheap hostels here but in Austria and Germany we're finding it harder and harder. But this place was great. Very cozy and German. Because it is surrounded by mountains we went for a long hike the first day. There is a lot to see in this area. Lots of little villages off the beaten path and the highlight is the Eagle's Nest. Hitler spent a third of his time in Berchtesgaden. He had a small compound made here and it became the second seat of government next to Berlin. It was called the Bergoh and was his home. All the buildings were up in the mountains and on his 50th birthday the Nazi gave him the Eagle's Nest as a present. It was a retreat for him and was built on the peak of one of the highest mountains. To get there we had to take a special bus up a one lane road straight up the side of the mountain. When we got to the top we walked through a tunnel that went straight into the side of the mountain for 124 meters (406 feet) then we came to a huge brass elevator the took us right up through the mountain to the top. An elevator in the middle of the mountain! It was made of such good brass and the engineering was so good, it has ever been serviced. But it also caused the deaths of 12 construction workers when it was made. Or thats what we were told. After the war, the UK and USA blew up most of his buildings in this area but Germany managed to save the Eagle's Nest because it was so amazing and actually had little attachment with Hitler (he only visited it maybe 10 times).We went on a sunny day but at the top it was cloudy. It was like we were in a cloud, everything was white all around us. We could only see a few meters ahead of us at some points. Too bad because there are usually unbelievable views at the peak of this mountain. The Eagle's Nest is now a restaurant but there is an interesting trail you can hike. Its a big loop but takes you to another peak and it is all on the top edge of the mountain. We went on part of it, but it was pretty dangerous. We stayed up there as long as we could and the clouds parted a few times but still not much for the views. It was really great to see this though, its amazing how they built this, the elevator, and the access road (which is famous on its own) in only 13 months! Hitler only went to the top of the Eagle's Nest a couple of times because he was afraid of heights. Our last day in Berchtesgaden was beautiful so we went to the nearby lake Konigssee. It is a little too touristy for us but good to see. We hiked up part of the mountain and looked back down on the lake. They have lots of boat rides on the lake but all our electric boats so it was very quite and peaceful. Overall we really enjoyed being in the mountains and staying at our B&B, although the lady running it was kind of strange. She did let us use their grill though and gave us good breakfasts. And when we left she gave us a big bag of salt. There is a huge salt mine right down the road, so we are guessing it has something to do with that. We met a nice older couple from England while we were here and they even gave us a ride to the train station when we left. The good comes with the bad usually.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253207375/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253207375/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253207375/tpod.html Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:08:27 -0400 B&B Unbound

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Bad Ischl, Upper Austria, Austria

We took a train back into Austria and headed for the Lakes District, another area we were told we must visit! We based ourselves in the town of Bad Ischl. Or as Brian says, Bad Ischl my N-ischl.  There are 4 huge lakes completely surrounded by mountains. It really is beautiful!!! We arrived about 2:30pm and went to the information center where they tried to help us find a place to stay. Usually it doesn't take very long, but we had some major problems. We realized as soon as we arrived that this is no backpacker town and nothing is cheap. She must have called 10 places for us. Most were full or too expensive. So again, we ended up at a little old woman's house - but it was really nice. It was a big, traditional Austrian mountain home. We had quite a hike there but once there we could finally relax on our balcony overlooking the mountains. Very stressful day. It was another case of not being able to communicate with our hosts. The lady and her husband couldn't speak English - which is fine, they were pretty laid back. They served us breakfast everyday which was nice.  It was basically bread and spreads. Where's the omelets and bacon? Oh we miss that!  Nice breakfast though and the table looked like it was set for a king.  When we sat down, she left and we could hear footsteps upstairs (in our room). We kept wondering what she was doing.  Turns out she was remaking the bed and hanging towels outside, etc.  First time ever someone has cleaned our room, besides being in a hotel.  Actually, I don't think that's normal in a B&B either.That day we went to Hallstatt.  A famously beautiful town on the water.  We went to the Beinhaus - Bone House. It was a little building behind the main church.  There is a small graveyard, and because of the size they have been digging up bodies since 1600. They let the body stay in the ground for about 20 years, then get the biggest parts out (head and leg bones). They wash and bleach them, then paint the skulls as a way to show respect and stack them all together in this building.  The building is basically full and the last one was added in 1984 I think. It is a very important place to the community and it was a huge honor to get buried in there. As my dad would say, "People are dying to get in there"!After that we went on a long hike up to a lookout and the salt mine. Really nice climb but I'm getting worn out. Once to the top we had great views of the region and the lake. We also hiked down the mountain - thats probably worse then going up.Before we had left for Hallstatt I had done a little wash in the sink - underwear and socks, and put them outside to dry. When we returned that evening my underwear was ALL over the room. Our little old lady friend had come into our room again (!) and brought in my stuff from outside. She put them on 2 different radiators, hung them in the bathroom, behind the door, in the closet, everywhere. Brian said it was like an Easter egg hunt. What was she doing in our room again and with my underwear? Best part was I couldn't find one of my socks. The next morning after breakfast I asked her where it might be (in broken German and using my hands) and she left, and came back 15 minutes later with it. Still don't know where exactly she got it from.For breakfast I decided to have coffee. Austrians know how to make coffee, that is for sure. After yesterday I had to tell her I would just be having tea from then on. I was bouncing off the walls and my heart was racing for hours afterwords. It reminded me of Starbucks Christmas Blend. If you've ever had that, you know what I'm talking about - WAY too much caffeine! But regardless of the racing heart, we still relaxed on our balcony that morning. We also discovered Bad Ischl that day. We hiked up to a church and through some trails in the woods. We spent a lot of time along the river - beautiful, totally clear water coming straight from the mountains. We enjoyed a couple of beers in the park and tried to go see this afternoon concert that kept being advertising. It was supposed to be free but it was inside a really fancy restaurant and I'm sure you had to buy something - I mean 5 Euros for a bite of chocolate! So we passed on that and spent more time on our awesome balcony.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254507682/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254507682/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1254507682/tpod.html Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:08:00 -0400 B&B Unbound

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Salzburg, Austria

Before we left for Salzburg we had to say goodbye to our Austrian hosts. What a great couple - even though we know very little about them. We got on a bus and went to Salzburg. Things went fairly smoothly getting our next accommodation. We were only staying one night so it didn't really matter where we stayed - as long as it was cheap. Found a good place and I am fairly confident it was run by a witch - but a nice witch. She wore all black, had black hair and black stockings. Her hair was a crazy mess and she smoked...a lot! I think she was drinking by 11am too. Anyway, nice lady that let us use her kitchen. Our room was pretty sweet too. We had a sink and a shower "cabin". It really was just a portable shower. It was plugged in and sitting on the carpet. So weird but really cool. We spent the day wandering around Salzburg. Much smaller that we thought it would be. Very manageable to see in one day if you don't want to shop much or sit at cafes. The castle is beautiful that sits at the top of a cliff hovering over the city.  We saw the church where the Sound of Music filmed at.  We spent a lot of time sitting on the riverbank. And, its okay here to buy a liter of ice cream and eat it with plastic forks within 10 minutes - no one looks at you weird. Again, this city has lots of little allies and cobble-stone streets, fairly easy to get lost in. We only stayed one night and the next morning we spent time in one of the palace's gardens where we saw 4 different wedding parties - all in the same garden. But the true highlight of Salzburg was the shower cabin in our room. You can't beat that. This is a city for people on a slightly larger budget then Brian and I. But still worth the visit.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253207093/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253207093/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253207093/tpod.html Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:47:56 -0400 B&B Unbound

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Ceske Budejovice, Bohemia, Czech Republic

From Prague we headed back down to Austria. It route was really the only way we could fit Prague in. A little out of the way but 100% worth it. Before we left the Czech Republic we stopped in a town called Ceske Budejovice for 4 nights. At first we were just going to be there for one night but it turned out to be a good base for day trips. The region is Bohemia and it has a lot to offer the traveler.We had a bit of a hard time finding a place to stay when we arrived, we went straight for the information site and got set up in a little old woman's house. The only problem was it was at least a 30 walk to her house and with our bags that wasn't the most fun. Nice little house with kitchen for us to use and everything. She had 7 rooms and they were just a little bigger then a closet, but clean and cozy. At that point we weren't sure if we'd be staying 2, 3, or 4 nights. It was quite assuming trying to explain to her that we would pay as we go. She didn't speak any English at all so Brian ended up having to call her daughter-in-law to explain it. This Czech lady was so funny. She'd alway look nice, but also walk around in her bathrobe and curlers in her hair. Every night she would come in when we were making dinner to remind us it was quite time after 10pm. We spent very little time in Ceske Budejovice actually. The fist day there we took a bus to Cesky Krumlov. Everyone told us we had to go there. A small castle town (Little Prague is how it's described). Cute place with awesome buildings a tiny cobble-stone streets. We walked through the castle grounds, gardens, city streets and little shops. Its actually hard for me to find good souvenirs - nothing really strikes me as interesting. We found a great place for beer and brats on a terrace overlooking the river. The city is completely surrounded by the river that runs through it like an "S". It was a good visit to Cesky Krumlov, but one day is plenty.Today is also September 11th. We kept that in our minds and just can't believe it has already been 8 years.The following day we took another bus to the town of Tabor. This is one of those towns you have to pronounce EXACTLY right or no one will have any clue what you are talking about. Its amusing how locals don't understand our pronunciation. We've just been writing where we are going on paper so they know - especially after the yelling match in Poland.So Tabor is another small town with a castle and while we were there they were having their annul town festival. Lots of food, beer, music, etc. They were already tearing the stage down when we arrived though. This always happens to us. But luckily there were a few other small groups playing in different parts of the town. Also today all the town attractions were free! We went to the castle and the tower, to some little museums and finally to the underground tunnels. We didn't realize the only way to see the tunnels is to be on a tour and they were filled up for the rest of the day. So...we did what has proven to work for us the most - pretend we have no idea whats going on and look really sad when it doesn't work out. We walked in with the group and when we went to put on our hard hats they stopped us because we didn't have tickets. We both looked pretty upset and kept asking them why we couldn't go. After a few moments, the lady got out two extra helmets and down we went. Probably didn't need to go on this tour though. The guide talked only in German and she talked A LOT! One km later, we came out in a different part of town - underneath a restaurant. Cool history behind the tunnels - very old and used for protection, storage, etc. They were forgot about and filled in for a few hundred years, but early 1900's they started using them again. The town and festival were well worth a visit. Brian found a lady in a little shack selling beer for the equivalent of $0.90 for 1/2 a litter. We ate more brats and watched some good music trios. Our last day in the region we stayed in Ceske Budejovice...they have a brewery. It is the Budweiser Budvar Brewery. It is the original. The Budweiser in the USA took the name because it is associated with good beer. They are still having legal problems because of it. But this Budweiser is MUCH better! The tour was great and our guide was so fun AND spoke English! We went into the locker where they store their more beloved yeast beer. They only sell it in the brewery restaurant because it goes bad so fast. She gave all of us samples and it was delish! After the tour, Brian and I had lunch in their restaurant which was just okay but again, the beer was good!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253206978/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253206978/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/unbound/1/1253206978/tpod.html Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:40:18 -0400 B&B Unbound

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Vienna, Vienna, Austria

When we arrived in Vienna it was raining. We had to find another suburban train to get us to our Couch Surfers house. Okay, so couchsurfing is a program for travelers. You sign up and you can search for people that are willing to host you for free. In return you offer your couch when you can. Brian and I don't have a home, which means no couch, but people are still willing to host us. We found a GREAT couple in Vienna. Ilse and Harry. They live about 20 minutes outside of the city center by train but not too bad of a commute. Ilse was going to pick us up from the train but our bus was late. I tried calling her but had the wrong number. I was freaking out that she wouldn't be there and we didn't have her address or the correct phone number. Ahh!!! But bless her soul she had waited for us for over an hour in the rain. What a lady! So we all went back to her flat and met her partner Harry. He is taller then Brian, so that was a shock. The first night, they took us to a neighborhood wine bar. When I hear the words Wine Bar I think expensive, but this was not at all - and we were in Vienna. It is completely a locals place so that's probably why. They have a big selection of local wines. Vienna is the only city in the WORLD that has wineries in the city limits. There really were wineries everywhere. Just walking to the wine bar we saw some - in the middle of a neighborhood. So cool. I finally got to enjoy wine again. I hadn't had any since Mom and Susan left us in Australia! Too long. At this bar they also have homemade Austrian food. They have small selection of dips and some hot food but all really fresh. You order like at a deli. Brian and I both got meatloaf with potato dumplings, sauerkraut and green beans. Delicious! Ilse paid for it too. With couchsurfing, the host is never expected to do anything like that. Some hosts don't even have blankets for you. So we picked up the wine tab. Great start to Vienna and great people to stay with.The next morning we got up early and had a long breakfast with Ilse and Harry. It was a Saturday so they didn't have to work. We had a good Austrian breakfast of eggs, in egg cups (never used egg cups before) and lots of bread with tons of toppings, and wonderful coffee! After breakfast they took us to a park where there is a lookout over the city. It had grown pretty wild since the last time they had been there, but still good views...in the vineyard. We then hopped on a tram that took us to the Schonbrunn Palace.  This was one of the Hapsburg's summer castles. Beautiful gardens and palace. We spent a couple hours here and took a tour of the inside. Really magnificent. Other things we did in Vienna: visited a Clock Museum (for free), found a good brewery (1516 Brewery), saw St. Stephan's church - huge church in the middle of the town square, saw some monuments, went to Mozart's apartment, went to Beethoven's apartment, toured City Hall, saw the Hundertwassershaus Gallery building - the same artist that designed the famous bathrooms in New Zealand that are so popular, saw the Hofburg Imperial Palace (the Hapsburg's Hofburg blah blah) and gardens, spent A LOT of time wondering around the small streets and markets. We probably would do things a little different if we could. There is so much to see, its very overwhelming. Instead of trying to see everything, we would have slowed down a little. Every night we were completely exhausted. The palaces were unbelievable though. There are lots and lots of parks in Vienna, they are everywhere, very green space. The people are nice and helpful for the most part and there is great food! We really lucked out with Ilse and Harry though. The first night was the wine bar, two mornings of delicious breakfasts, the second night they made us beef goulash that is crazy wonderful with flour/egg type noddles but not dumpling or pasta, the 3rd night they made us veggie soup with dumplings and after we had homemade crepes with lots of jams and powered sugar. After dinner every night we sat together and drank some wine. They introduced us to a lot of great Austrian things, like Sturm, which is young wine basically. Very refreshing and tasty - like a fruity gingerale but with alcohol. The last night we were there, Brian and I made dinner. We made empanadas. You think we would make something from the USA but what is there to make besides hot dogs and cheeseburgers? Most of my family recipes are originally from Germany anyway. Besides, empanadas are tasty...but I forgot how time consuming they are. We ate around 10pm...on a work night. Oops. I thought dinner turned out great, hope they did too. Harry sure ate a lot of it, so that's a good sign. Next time, Ill definitely keep it more simple when I cook though!
]]>