Canadian Buffoon European Vacation - 30/03 - Endings and Silver Linings

[mmeb144]

Alive and at Home Depot!

 

[pkondz]

Alive and at Home Depot!

These stores are huge!
How do I get out??????

 

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

These stores are huge!
How do I get out??????

Maybe the scarecrow can help you out...

 

[mmeb144]

These stores are huge!
How do I get out??????

Keep walking in the same direction. Eventually you will hit a wall. Follow the wall to a door. If you're lucky, it will be the exit door, otherwise enjoy the restroom and keep following the wall until it leads to the outside door. Good Luck! This message will self destruct in 5 seconds. 4.....3.....2.......1....

 

[pkondz]

Maybe the scarecrow can help you out...

At work. Must wait. Look later. O... kay?

Keep walking in the same direction. Eventually you will hit a wall. Follow the wall to a door. If you're lucky, it will be the exit door, otherwise enjoy the restroom and keep following the wall until it leads to the outside door. Good Luck! This message will self destruct in 5 seconds. 4.....3.....2.......1....

I think I'm in trouble.

I walked and walked and walked and came to a window.
Your instructions said nothing about a window, so after hesitating for a few hours, I turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
I finally hit a wall.

It hurt.

I didn't know which way to turn...
Left?
Right?

I flipped a coin.
I dropped it.
It rolled under a shelf.
I couldn't reach it.
I had to find something long to fish it out.
I tried to think what I could use.
I was in luck.
I was in Home Depot.
I found a length of pipe.
Actually, I found several... in varying lengths.
But I just took one.
I fished out the coin.
It was Tails.
I don't remember which direction I was supposed to go for tails.
I tossed the coin again.
An employee asked me if I was going to buy that pipe.
I said, "No."
He took the pipe away.
I didn't remember which way the coin had fallen.
I realized it didn't matter since I didn't remember which side of the coin was Right or Left.
I tossed the coin again.
Heads.
Heads was 'Right'.
But I'd turned around too much.
Was 'Right' this way? Or that way?
I decided to put my back to the wall and turn right.
I took two steps and hit another wall.
It hurt.
Again.
I was in the corner.
I decided that 'Left' probably would've been the better choice.
I turned around and followed the wall.
Eventually I came to a door.
I went through it.

And this is why I think I'm in trouble.
Exit door? No problem.
Restroom door? Keep going.

'Employees only past this point' door?
Apparently, management frowns on customers using that door.

I might be here a while longer.

Although one guy did promise me that security would show me to the door eventually.


So maybe it's not too bad?

 

[mmeb144]

I think I'm in trouble.

I walked and walked and walked and came to a window.
Your instructions said nothing about a window, so after hesitating for a few hours, I turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
I finally hit a wall.

It hurt.

I didn't know which way to turn...
Left?
Right?

I flipped a coin.
I dropped it.
It rolled under a shelf.
I couldn't reach it.
I had to find something long to fish it out.
I tried to think what I could use.
I was in luck.
I was in Home Depot.
I found a length of pipe.
Actually, I found several... in varying lengths.
But I just took one.
I fished out the coin.
It was Tails.
I don't remember which direction I was supposed to go for tails.
I tossed the coin again.
An employee asked me if I was going to buy that pipe.
I said, "No."
He took the pipe away.
I didn't remember which way the coin had fallen.
I realized it didn't matter since I didn't remember which side of the coin was Right or Left.
I tossed the coin again.
Heads.
Heads was 'Right'.
But I'd turned around too much.
Was 'Right' this way? Or that way?
I decided to put my back to the wall and turn right.
I took two steps and hit another wall.
It hurt.
Again.
I was in the corner.
I decided that 'Left' probably would've been the better choice.
I turned around and followed the wall.
Eventually I came to a door.
I went through it.

And this is why I think I'm in trouble.
Exit door? No problem.
Restroom door? Keep going.

'Employees only past this point' door?
Apparently, management frowns on customers using that door.

I might be here a while longer.

Although one guy did promise me that security would show me to the door eventually.


So maybe it's not too bad?

 

[lisaviolet]

I think I'm in trouble.

I walked and walked and walked and came to a window.
Your instructions said nothing about a window, so after hesitating for a few hours, I turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
I finally hit a wall.

It hurt.

I didn't know which way to turn...
Left?
Right?

I flipped a coin.
I dropped it.
It rolled under a shelf.
I couldn't reach it.
I had to find something long to fish it out.
I tried to think what I could use.
I was in luck.
I was in Home Depot.
I found a length of pipe.
Actually, I found several... in varying lengths.
But I just took one.
I fished out the coin.
It was Tails.
I don't remember which direction I was supposed to go for tails.
I tossed the coin again.
An employee asked me if I was going to buy that pipe.
I said, "No."
He took the pipe away.
I didn't remember which way the coin had fallen.
I realized it didn't matter since I didn't remember which side of the coin was Right or Left.
I tossed the coin again.
Heads.
Heads was 'Right'.
But I'd turned around too much.
Was 'Right' this way? Or that way?
I decided to put my back to the wall and turn right.
I took two steps and hit another wall.
It hurt.
Again.
I was in the corner.
I decided that 'Left' probably would've been the better choice.
I turned around and followed the wall.
Eventually I came to a door.
I went through it.

And this is why I think I'm in trouble.
Exit door? No problem.
Restroom door? Keep going.

'Employees only past this point' door?
Apparently, management frowns on customers using that door.

I might be here a while longer.

Although one guy did promise me that security would show me to the door eventually.


So maybe it's not too bad?

Medication.

 

[lisaviolet]

Big news!



.

Total synchronicity. (took me a good two minutes to spell it properly!)


Venice! Boy do I need it.

 

[pkondz]

Medication.

Sorry, you'll have to ask Nebo. He's got the good stuff.
I've got some Tylenol if that'll help.

Total synchronicity. (took me a good two minutes to spell it properly!)

Sycophant?
I didn't think so... but maybe you're right.

Venice! Boy do I need it.

I got a good chunk of the chapter done last night, but it'll be a bit still before it's done.

But to appease the sycophants' need for synchronicity, here's a synopsis.

We leave Germany.
We get to Venice.
We see water.

Done!
Now you can skip reading all the fluff in the middle.

 

[lisaviolet]

Sorry, you'll have to ask Nebo. He's got the good stuff.
I've got some Tylenol if that'll help.

No, that will not suffice with what ails me.

Sycophant?
I didn't think so... but maybe you're right.

Would you like to be one? Come on, tell me. I'm curious.

Or did you mean me?

I got a good chunk of the chapter done last night, but it'll be a bit still before it's done.

But to appease the sycophants' need for synchronicity, here's a synopsis.

We leave Germany.
We get to Venice.
We see water.

Done!
Now you can skip reading all the fluff in the middle.

I just can't wait to see the water - at your feet - or your ankles. I'm so sorry for being such a intense groupie, but I really can't wait.

Hey, does that make ME a sycophant , but that would make you some kind of bigwig.

EDIT: OH NO I just caught your words above IT IS ME. OH no.

 

[pkondz]

No, that will not suffice with what ails me.

Right.
PM me for Nebo's address and pharmaceutical rates.

Would you like to be one? Come on, tell me. I'm curious.

Or did you mean me?

Nope. I meant me.
I already am one.

Don't I suck up to my readers enough????

I just can't wait to see the water - at your feet - or your ankles. I'm so sorry for being such a intense groupie, but I really can't wait.

Water?
Water?
Don't recall there being any water.

Maybe I was at the wrong Venice...

And for the love of Pete! Don't apologize!
People posting is the only thing that keeps me going!


Oh, shoot.
I just guaranteed to never see anyone post anything ever again, haven't I.

Hey, does that make ME a sycophant , but that would make you some kind of bigwig.

Bigwig?

Yes.
That is I.

And in the future... It's Mister Bigwig.
And don't forget to genuflect.

EDIT: OH NO I just caught your words above IT IS ME. OH no.

Nah.
It was the Royal you.
I find you more charming, not so much of a flunky.

That would be Thumper_man, of course.

 

[pkondz]

I feel the need! The need for...

You know the rest.

So. Just another glorious morning in Paradise.
Massive breakfast.
Eat too much.
Cart my bloated self back to the room.
Lather, rinse, repeat.

Oh, and wine and whine.


We were leaving our wonderful hosts in Wallgau today and making our way down to Venice.
Our train was leaving from Munich at 11:30am and we had a ninety minute drive ahead of us.
Plus I had to return the car to the rental place.
I don't remember what time we had to leave the hotel by, but it was probably around 8:30am or 9:00am.

Sorry, Kay. No sleeping in today.

We went down for one last magnificent breakfast.

When we went down for breakfast, we thanked our hostess and presented her with a bottle of wine.
She was quite surprised... and pleased.

She really was amazingly friendly and courteous.
The perfect hostess.


As we left the dining room for the last time... I cried a little.

Oh, how I'll miss that breakfast spread!


We packed up our bags and stuffed them in the car for one last drive back up to Munich.



Parking in that spot was always fun.
The car's onboard radar would trill and turn red as it got closer and closer to the bushes at the front of the parking spot.
I think it turned red 'cause it was embarrassed to be seen in a country setting and not in some expensive, big-city, hi-rise parking garage.

I could be wrong.

It would go something like this.
"Okay, you're parking now? Fine. All clear."
"Uh, no big deal, but there's something up ahead over there."
"Heh. Heh. You're getting a little close, aren't you? Not to worry, still plenty of room."
"Getting a little tight around here, big fella."
"Umm... You do know that there's something there, right?"
"Better back off now."
"You're too close! Pull up! Pull up!"
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"

A leaf gently kisses the front bumper.


Did I mention that the area is fairly scenic?
Ruby snapped a few more shots as we made our way to the autobahn.
(what's an autobahn you ask? hang on, I'll get to it in a bit.
But if you're a driving or racing enthusiast, you're pulse and breath rate just went up.)



In this next shot, you can just make out a concrete ski jump.
I don't know if this is the same one they used in the Olympics or even if it's the one they use for World Cup ski jumping...
but I think it is.





After about half an hour... we merge onto the autobahn.

The autobahn (officially Bundesautobahn... but nobody calls it that) is the German Freeway or Highway system.
It is one of the most dense and longest highway systems in the world.
There are longer systems, such as the U.S. Freeway system, but all of Germany is about the same size as Texas.

There is one slight difference between an Autobahn and most other freeways in the world.


There's no speed limit.


Oh, when there's construction, or poor weather, etc. the speed is reduced... but otherwise?

The sky's the limit!

There is an advisory speed limit of 130 kmh (81 mph), but it's not a mandated limit.
So... are people zooming around Germany at two hundred miles an hour in their Formula One race cars?

Well, no.

Apart from the cost of around one point five million dollars for the race car...
They're not street legal.

There are reasonably affordable cars that have the power to travel at high rates of speed,
but the large automakers (especially German ones) electronically limit the cars to 250 kmh (155 mph).

Still pretty durned fast.


You might think that this would translate into a higher amount of serious accidents...
But Germany has one of the lowest rates of fatalities in the World (on Highways at least, I don't know about other roads).

Why? I have a theory about that.
The first thing I noticed is that cars on the autobahn are being driven with much more skill than I've seen anywhere else.
You don't see cars traveling at slow speeds in the left hand lane.
It seems that everybody uses signals and are aware of what's going on around them.
They have to. When things move that much faster, you have to be aware of what's going on and what you're doing.

Just a theory. But I suspect I'm right.


When I was a kid, too young to drive, I always used to say that some day, I would buy a Porsche and drive a hundred miles an hour on the German autobahn.
As I got older, the little kid in me never quite went away.
The dream morphed with the times and one hundred miles an hour became two hundred kilometers an hour (125 mph).

Still wanted the Porsche, though.
Still do.


The last time I drove on the autobahn was in 1994.
My mom was in the back seat.
I got it up to about 150 kmh (95 mph) before she got too nervous and I had to slow down.
That and I was doing it in a station wagon.

Details, details...

So here I am.
In a BMW. (Close enough! So leave it alone!)
On the autobahn.
Bucket list, prepare to surrender.

The car picks up speed.
Little to no traffic.

The car approaches 150 kmh (95mph), no biggie. Been here before.
I edge it up to 160... then 170. (105 mph! The toddler in me rejoices.)

This car is smooth as glass.

180 (110 mph)

190 (120 mph)

A car is in front of me going a snail like 120 kmh (75 mph).
I slow down.

He sees me coming, finishes passing an even slower vehicle and merges back to the right.

I resume my quest.

Faster.... faster... faster...

I ask Ruby to take a picture for me:



YES!!!

I do not do a fist pump or spin the wheel in celebration.

I did smile.
That bucket feels just a little lighter, now.

A few things to note on the above picture.
There's a little red light on the speedometer at 170.
I have no idea what it means. Possibly it's a "What on earth are you doing???" light.
Also, just to the right of the speedometer are two red lines.
I believe they're symbolic of the car reaching (imaginary) arms to heaven while simultaneously chanting hosannas... or... "Oh Gawd! Oh Gawd! Oh Gawd! We're all gonna die!!!!"

Seriously, though. For those of you more car tech inclined (and no... I'm not really one of those);
the tach, even at 200 kmh (125 mph), is still only at 3000 RPM.

One more thing, before we get to Munich and have to <sigh> slow down.
Shortly after that picture was taken?
I got it up to 220kmh. (137 freaking miles per hour! On a highway!)

I have no desire to top that...
at least not on a highway.

<pkondz's mother breathes a sigh of relief>


Arriving in Munich, I drop off the kids and the old bag
and Ruby and the new bags (what?)
at the train station.
I am tempted to get back on the autobahn, but only slightly.
That bucket has not grown heavier in the past hour.

All I have to do now is drive a couple of blocks, fill up the car with gas at the gas station and drop it off at the garage next to it.

Simple.

Welllll.......

The GPS is telling me that in order to go two blocks east...
I first have to drive six blocks south,
one block east,
seven blocks north,
one block east
and one block south.

Stupid car. What does it know?
Oddly enough, the fact that I'd trusted it implicitly for the last four days does not cross my mind.

I can't make a U-turn on this busy street, so I'll go up to the corner, turn right and be on my way.

Except there's a train station on the right and I can only turn left.
No problem, a couple of lefts is as good as a couple of rights, right?

I turn left at the corner, uh... the next street is a one way.
No problem, I'll turn left at the next one.
I do.
And run straight into a gated building with armed guards patrolling out front.

Whoopsie!

Left turn.
Left turn onto the one way.
Left turn again...
Pass the boys with guns. (Resist the urge to wave.)
Pass another one way.
Pass a street with no turns allowed.
Pass another one way.
Turn left.

See? Easy!
Six blocks south, just like the GPS said.
I knew I could count on it!

Eventually, I get close to the car rental return... and I'm not too sure where I should turn.
I turn down an alley... and it turns out to be the wrong one for the garage, but the right one for the gas station.
Yes!
I thought I faintly heard cheering.

Once the car is filled, I have to loop around the block to get back to the garage.
This time, it's straight forward and within minutes I've dropped off the car and am sashaying back to the train station.


What can I say about the seven hour train ride down to Venice?

The train itself was more like what you'd see in the movies.
A narrow passageway on the left (as you face the rear of the train)
and compartments with doors on the right.
Each compartment had six seats, three facing across from the other three.

I had booked us first class again, but I didn't see what the difference was between first and second class.
I did walk through a few other cars to visit the dining car and they were all the same.
It is possible, though, that all the cars I passed through were first class cars.
Perhaps the second class cars were beyond the dining car.
In any event, I had booked the two window seats and adjoining middle seats.
After we had settled ourselves, another couple joined us and took the last two seats.
We didn't get to know them as they didn't speak English. (Japanese, maybe?)

Around noon, Kay mentioned that she was getting hungry
(she's not a big breakfast eater).

We went to the dining car, but all the tables were full.
We tried again at 1:15pm (remember that time) and found a table.

Kay picked up a menu and decided what she wanted.
I told Kay what to order, should the waitress come by, and returned to our compartment to see if Ruby or Elle would like to join us.
Neither was very hungry, so they declined the invitation.

Returning to the dining car, Kay informed me that the waitress had not yet been by.

At the end of the dining car was a little kitchen and a counter where you could order drinks.
I wasn't quite sure if we were supposed to wait, or go up and order.
After half an hour, I decided that I'd better go and ask.

I was told, "I can come to you."

Okay.
When?

'When' turned out to be 2:45pm.

We placed our orders. Kay ordered a ham and cheese croissant.
I ordered the same with a side soup and salad.

At least we had a window to look out of as we waited.

If I thought the scenery was beautiful in Germany, it was spectacular in Austria.
I did take a few pictures while we waited, but mostly I just looked.
(In my defence, I kept thinking, "She's gotta be coming by any second now, right?")



Fifteen minutes after we'd placed our order, the waitress came by to tell us that we were approaching a station
and while we were stopped, the kitchen would have no power...
so they couldn't make my soup for twenty minutes.
"We're going to be stopped for twenty minutes?"
Most of the stops had been five to ten minutes in duration.
"No." She replied. "The train is stopped for ten minutes, then the soup takes ten minutes to make."

At 3:45pm (well after having left the last stop) our waitress walks by our table with what looked like my salad.
She neither looked at us nor paused as she walked by.

Must be someone else's salad.

Nope.
She walked to the end of the car, asked a few people if they'd ordered a salad, and then hurried back to the kitchen with it.

I couldn't catch her eye as she hurried by so I watched my salad disappear.

A few minutes later she walked by again with what looked to be our croissants.
Again she walked to the back of the car, asked a few people if they'd ordered croissants, and then started back for the kitchen.

This time I was more forceful and got her attention and told her the sandwiches were ours.
Also we were waiting for a soup and salad.
Five minutes later, she brought the soup and salad and we were able to eat.

There were only about a dozen tables in the dining car.
And they were all numbered.
How hard exactly would it be to write down the table number after you've taken an order?

Apparently. Very hard.

From the time we first set out to eat until the time we finally did... almost four hours had gone by.
Although to be fair, it only took two and a half hours from the time we found a table and sat down...
For a soup, salad and sandwich.


I'm still not sure how it's possible for dining on a train to take longer than the actual train ride.


After crossing the Alps and entering northern Italy, the countryside began to look very different.



Rolling hills and everywhere you looked were rows and rows of vines with grapes growing, waiting to be turned into wine.



In the next shot, while the buildings in the foreground are ugly, I loved the houses nestled into the hillside.







What? You thought I was kidding?
It was like every flat surface available had grapes growing on it.


Eventually, the train comes to the Venice Railroad Bridge which parallels the Ponte della Libertà (Freedom Bridge).
The two bridges are the only connection from the mainland to historical Venice.
We catch our first glimpse of Venice.



You can see at least two cruise ships, docked. These affect the tourist crowds quite a bit.
There was a noticeable difference in crowds when the ships were in during the day,
versus at night when they were gone.

There are several ways to get around in Venice.
The cheapest, and one of the most fun, is to simply walk.
Venice is actually a group of islands connected by waterways, narrow streets and bridges.
While we technically could have walked to our hotel, in reality it would've been difficult.

First of all, it's about one and a half miles from the train station to the hotel.
Thank you, but I learned my lesson in Cologne.
Secondly, Venice's streets are mazelike.
Wrong turns are not only likely, but inevitable.

You can take a water taxi to the dock nearest your hotel, but it's expensive.

Gondola?
Very romantic.
Very unpractical.
Possibly impossible, with all our suitcases.
It would take a long time for our gondolier to pole us to our destination.

Or you can take a vaporetto. Or water bus.

The vaporettos are relatively inexpensive, and there are ways of reducing the costs even further.

I knew that we would take the vaporetto a minimum of 6 times during our stay.
That would cost 42 Euros per person if we paid for each trip separately.
A 72 hour travel card costs 35 Euros.
So it made more sense to get travel cards.
Plus, if you visited a kiosk at the train station, you could buy discount cards.
The total savings would be 26 Euro (about $35).

I parked the girls in some shade and got in line at the kiosk.
After several long minutes, the line had not moved. at. all.

It had been a long day already and it was just getting longer.

I asked Ruby if waiting another half hour to an hour was worth it.
We decided to skip it and just get the travel cards.

On the train, I had tried to memorize a few phrases in Italian,
but the one that I made sure to learn was, "parla inglese?".
(Speak english?)

Of course I wouldn't need it in the train station, or at the hotel.
But everywhere else was going to be a challenge.

I march confidently up to the ticket booth and ask, "parla inglese"?

"No."

Oh.... Prac.

I need a seventy two hour pass.
I had learned some numbers, but my mind goes absolutely blank.

So I start to fumble and mumble and try to figure out how I'm going to ask for a seventy two hour pass.
Seven is... is... uh...
I show him seven fingers.
Two, that's, umm... duo? due?
I need four, okay. Four. Quattro. I remembered that one.

The clerk says, "Just say it."

!

"Four Seventy two hour passes."

He hands me the passes and I pay him.

Feeling a little perplexed and properly chastened I gather up our little group and we head out for our first look at historic Venice.


It does not disappoint.



It's difficult to see in this picture, but all those buildings are on the other side of Venice's Grand Canal.
Venice is in the shape of a fish; the Grand Canal splits it in two, roughly down the middle.

I knew from prior research which vaporetto we needed to take and where the stop was.
In only a few short minutes, we are all on board and heading off.

This vaporetto terminates at the biggest tourist draw in Venice; Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square).
We won't be going that far tonight, but we will be getting off at another major tourist draw; the Rialto Bridge.



The bridge was originally built out of wood in 1255.
It was the first bridge to cross the Grand Canal (there are still only four bridges).
The bridge collapsed in 1444 and again in 1524.
The current stone bridge was completed in 1591.
The bridge is lined on both sides of the central walkway with shops.
I think I have a picture of the inside of it. If I do, I'll post it in a later chapter.

Oh, and I mentioned it was a tourist draw?
See for yourself.



The hotel we are staying at is the Hotel Canaletto.
Here are the directions to the hotel, taken from their website.

At Rialto stop ask for the street Salizzada San Lio , and we are half way on the right hand-side,
you will see a tunnel with written above an indication for Hotel Canaletto.

I love directions that tell you the first thing you have to do is ask for directions.

Using some very detailed maps that I downloaded in conjunction with the directions from the hotel and Google maps,
I managed to figure out how to get there on my own.

From the vaporetto stop, head towards the Rialto Bridge and turn right.
Head east on Salita Pio X until you reach Campo San Bartolomeo.
Turn left and take the third tunnel on the right.
Follow the alley until you cross the Rio de la Fava canal and reach Salisada San Lio.
From there, follow the hotel's directions.

It sounds fairly daunting... and it was.
But we managed, okay.

The time it took to walk from the vaporetto stop to the hotel was only about five or ten minutes.
We did have one spot that was a bit of a pain.
The bridge crossing the canal was steps, not ramps,
so we had to carry all the suitcases up and over the bridge.

And by "we", I mean "I".

I was SO looking forward to never having to lift the suitcase from hell ever again.

It wasn't all bad, though.
The view from the bridge was terrific.
Our first view of a typical Venetian canal, complete with bridge, colourful striped mooring poles and gondolas!



We reach our hotel and check in.
Just as we shared a room at the start of our trip, we will end it the same way.
I let our TA find this hotel for us.
I sometimes wonder if I could've done better.
Don't get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with our hotel...
It's just....
But I don't care enough to do several hours of research on it to find out.

Here's our room.
(Note evil suitcase of death in bottom left of both photos. How does it do that?
Notice in second picture how it's sporting a Disney tag in an attempt to look innocent.
But we know better, don't we?)





It's a little dated... but then again, so is all of Venice.
And that's its charm.

If you're looking for modern accomodations with ultra high end furnishings...
You're probably in the wrong city.
When people ask me what I thought of Venice,
I usually use the phrase, "Elegant decay".
Hopefully, in the next chapter, I'll be able to explain what I mean by that.

After we unpacked and freshened up, we headed back to the Rialto Bridge.
Our hotel had a coupon for a discount at a restaurant with a view of the bridge.

I was too tired to take note of what everyone ate, but I recall that everything was quite good.

We strolled around for a bit, checking out all the little shops.
There are two main things that people want to buy when in Venice.
In no particular order;
One is glass, the other Carnival masks.
They're everywhere!



We were too tired to do any shopping, so we decided we'd had enough for one day and headed back to the hotel.

Next up. Getting our feet wet in Venice!
(that one was just for you, LisaV.)

 

[jedijill]

I miss driving on the Autobahn! My little Chevy Cavalier kicked some booty....not really. The Germans do take their driving rules seriously. When I first arrived in country, we had a class on how to drive on the autobahn. I wish it was mandatory in every other county including the US!

Crazy about the 2 1/2 hour "lunch." The Germans tend to be a bit more prompt.

Ah Venice. What a fantastic city! I love it and want to go back some of these days.

Jill in CO

 

[LSmith]

If you aren't a professional writer, you should be.

Your trip report is by leaps and bounds the best one I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Thanks!

 

[mmeb144]

I'm enjoying the trip report, but my family wishes I would stop. I keep sharing the pics with them, whether they like it or not. Europe looks very cool. I wanted to visit before this report, but now I really want to go. I don't want to drive on the autobahn, but maybe I could take you and let you drive me....

 

[Backstage_Gal]

As Jill said already, the secret to driving on the autobahn is that people follow rules! (how German, right? ) Not that I have any desire to do that anymore, I am very happy with a maximum speed of 70.

Question: what nationality was the train server? Does not seem like a German way of doing things, but then again, maybe I am prejudiced?

Love the pictures. One day we will make it to Italy too, retirement is right around the corner

Oh, and I have news! I too will be take a European trip this summer, to Prague and Budapest (I think) and I don't know where else, hubby is in charge, I'm just going along for the ride (provided I can get all my documents updated by then). I will not be doing a trip report though, writing is not my forte

 

[smidgy]

what a great chapter! and I mean the home depot "chapter"! just kidding, I loved them both. I was laughing "right out loud" (just like Wally Cox in that one D.i.c.k. van D.y.k.e. episode) at the coin flip incident!

boy, those pictures are great. I probably will never get to see Europe in person, but you have brought us along with you and that is great. those houses and buildings nestled in thsoe mountatins. I can't imagin waking up to that view every morning.

It could even turn me into a morning person! .. nah, never happen. besides, the mountains are probably just as beautiful at the crack of 10 am.

I had to laugh at the directions to get directions. when we exited the interstate during tropical storm Lee we went to a gas station to get direction to get to state route 27. the guy gave us some directions, then actually told us at that point we should pull into the gas station there for further directions! I felt like we we the griswolds in St. Louis!


oh yeah! I cracked up totally at the waitress on the train. even though I am an over tipper, I probably would have thought twice about tipping her. well, I guess it's a moot point, as they don't tip in Europe, do they? anyway, I can't believe you waited that long.I would've burst, and been up there a few times asking where my food was (and nebo would have been embarrassed and anxious) and we probably would go back to the compartment and eat cheetos for lunch.

speaking of nebo:
nebo says to tell you he is sorry for his absence and has every intention of joining us soon.

 

[pkondz]

I miss driving on the Autobahn! My little Chevy Cavalier kicked some booty....not really.

I can see you now. Rocking back and forth. Trying to coax more speed.

The Germans do take their driving rules seriously. When I first arrived in country, we had a class on how to drive on the autobahn. I wish it was mandatory in every other county including the US!

That would be such a good idea.
I remember when I first got my licence... I thought I knew all there was to know about driving.
I think I got in an accident later that week.

Crazy about the 2 1/2 hour "lunch." The Germans tend to be a bit more prompt.

More on that in a bit when I answer Marita's query.

Ah Venice. What a fantastic city! I love it and want to go back some of these days.

You have my permission.

If you aren't a professional writer, you should be.

Your trip report is by leaps and bounds the best one I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Thanks!

Whoa.
I think you're my new best friend.

If you're going to post things like that, you should post more often.


Much more.

Glad you're enjoying it... And Welcome!
But a word of warning.
Once you get mixed in with this bunch, the insanity rubs off.
Lisaviolet used to be just a normal, laid back person... and now? Well...

I'm enjoying the trip report, but my family wishes I would stop. I keep sharing the pics with them, whether they like it or not.

Well, then show them this picture instead.
Apparently just before this was taken the horse had just spit on her

Europe looks very cool.

Actually, it was quite nice and warm.
It was only cool on the mountain top.

I wanted to visit before this report, but now I really want to go. I don't want to drive on the autobahn, but maybe I could take you and let you drive me....

I understand that travel isn't in everyone's blood.
But if it is, then I strongly encourage anyone to visit Europe if they get the chance.

And you can completely avoid the autobahn if you want.
Remember in the chapter where I took a wrong turn?
I was aiming for the autobahn but had way more fun on the winding road.



I'm running late so I'll finish shout-outs later.
But thanks for commenting Smidgy and Marita!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Last thing I remember, I was
Driving, my foot on the floor
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
"Sich entspannen, " said the German,
"Wir sind so programmiert, erhalten.
Sie können jederzeit die Sie mögen,
Aber es wird 3 euro kosten lassen! "

"Huh?" <massive guitar solo>

Yep. What you said!

Heights? Or confined spaces?
If it's confined spaces, he can always walk up.
(Might be a while, though)

confined spaces. Probably a really long walk - do they have a hotel on the way up?

True. If you turn the fan on the car all the way to full, it's so cold that you quickly suck all the heat out of the engine, unless the RPMs are high enough (i.e. not idling).
It's a dance between keeping the revs up and the fan low.

Brrr I remember those days. Had to go out and run the car at lunch, even though it was plugged in - in order to be able to start it at the end of the day.

21F? Suntan weather! Sweet!

You do not want to know how warm it is this weekend. Pretend I didn't tell you this.


I think I'm in trouble.

I walked and walked and walked and came to a window.
Your instructions said nothing about a window, so after hesitating for a few hours, I turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
I finally hit a wall.

It hurt.

I didn't know which way to turn...
Left?
Right?

I flipped a coin.
I dropped it.
It rolled under a shelf.
I couldn't reach it.
I had to find something long to fish it out.
I tried to think what I could use.
I was in luck.
I was in Home Depot.
I found a length of pipe.
Actually, I found several... in varying lengths.
But I just took one.
I fished out the coin.
It was Tails.
I don't remember which direction I was supposed to go for tails.
I tossed the coin again.
An employee asked me if I was going to buy that pipe.
I said, "No."
He took the pipe away.
I didn't remember which way the coin had fallen.
I realized it didn't matter since I didn't remember which side of the coin was Right or Left.
I tossed the coin again.
Heads.
Heads was 'Right'.
But I'd turned around too much.
Was 'Right' this way? Or that way?
I decided to put my back to the wall and turn right.
I took two steps and hit another wall.
It hurt.
Again.
I was in the corner.
I decided that 'Left' probably would've been the better choice.
I turned around and followed the wall.
Eventually I came to a door.
I went through it.

And this is why I think I'm in trouble.
Exit door? No problem.
Restroom door? Keep going.

'Employees only past this point' door?
Apparently, management frowns on customers using that door.

I might be here a while longer.

Although one guy did promise me that security would show me to the door eventually.


So maybe it's not too bad?

While you're there, could you pick up some sandpaper and some varnish for me, I've been meaning to start on a project....

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Again, such beautiful pictures! It seems you aren't supposed to be bringing many clothes when in Venice! The pic of the canal was another surreal shot - I would be pinching myself to be sure I was really there. I'm looking forward to more of your tour - Thanks for the chapter!