Sienna, Italy (11/7&8/14)

Sienna, Italy

November 7 & 8, 2014

Another 14 hour train ride with too many changes to count. We did not have a sleeper train since we started traveling early in the afternoon. We arrived in Sienna around midnight dead tired. We do not have a hotel reservation. We had one in Sienna for the night before, but due to travel issues, we were unable to keep the reservation. So now it is midnight, everything is closed at the train station. The city is dark and no one is around. Thank goodness there is one taxi. He takes us to the hotel and lucky for us they have one room and it is a suite. A little more than we had hoped, but it was great and with two big rooms so we could decompress. We opened the windows and the night air was so cool. Also had a tiny bathtub, but not too tiny for me. Took a hot bubble bath and soaked for a long time. Enjoyed a wine from the mini bar. Expensive, but needed! What a day!

Our hotel. 

View from our hotel window. 

We did not set the alarm, because we needed some sleep.  After we woke up, went down for a yummy breakfast. Another hot bath for me, then we hit the streets. Sienna is a beautiful small town. The shops were amazing, and the town was buzzing with people. This is the first time we did not have an agenda. We leisurely strolled up and down the small brick streets. I think we both needed a day of nothing. We did need to do some shopping for some things we needed before we head home. One thing we needed was a big suitcase for Lee's backpack. Too heavy to carry, because we keep accumulating things along the way. Found one that was perfect. Now we think we need a smaller one for my backpack. We will not know how to act without being attached to our backpacks. We have been attached for over two months! Then more shopping. Having so much fun. 

Time for lunch. Found a great restaurant where everything is homemade. I settled for vegetarian pizza and lee had veggie pasta. We ordered chianti that was wonderful. Really nice staff too! We finished and then needed to take items we purchased to our room. I decided I wanted to take a nap. Lee wanted to do more shopping. I was still asleep when he returned three hours later. I really needed a nap to catch up on lost sleep. 

Then we walked around the backstreets of town. Shops were quaint and smaller. We were still not in a hurry. Also, started looking for a place to have dinner. We found a small restaurant owned and operated by a three generation family. From where I was sitting, I could see the family cooking in the kitchen. The food was delicious!

Then we returned home, needed to make better use of our time tomorrow. There is a lot to see and do in Sienna. 

November 8, 2014

Slept until almost 9:00am. Yea! Then we went down for breakfast. Love this service. Our hotel had no rooms available for today, so we had to change hotels. We found one the day before and it was right in the middle of town and less expensive.  So we moved our things and headed out to check out the sites.  

First stop,  Basilica of San Domenico also known as Basilica Cateriniana. The church was originally built in the early 1200's, with renovations being made in the 14th and 15th century. The church is named for St. Catherine of Sienna and contains many of her relics. The chapel also houses her decapitated head and thumb. From an early age she vowed to give her life to God and do good things to help other people. She did just that.  

Next stop, Sienna Opera Della Metropolitan Complex.  This complex includes The Cathederal, the Baptistry, The Crypt, The Opera and The Library. This cathedral is amazing from the mosaic flooring to the beautiful ceilings and yet different from any other we have seen. Every chapel and every room is adorned with masterpieces. The Cathederal was built with black and white striped marble. This is striking. The arched ceilings are painted blue with gold stars. The mosaic tile covered the entire cathedral. 

After viewing the entire complex, we climbed up thousands of stairs, well maybe not thousands, but it seemed like it. The stairs were spiral and very small. Only one way up and one way down. If someone needed to pass, you had to hug the wall so they could go up or down. The view of the town was definitely worth it. 

We had worked up an appetite and we were still craving some more Italian food. we found a restaurant with homemade lasagna. It was great. Then we went in search of some decadent dessert or gelato? We settled on almond cookies and hazelnut chocolates. Then we returned to our hotel. Now that we have new suitcases, time for some much needed re-organization. Then needed to make plans for tomorrow. Will it be Rome, Prussia or Salerno? What an adventure!!!

Genova to Milan to Siena, Italy (11/6/14)

Genova to Milan to Siena, Italy

Wednesday, November 6, 2014

Wow, yesterday was a little crazy. We were on trains for a little over 14 hours yesterday. Thankfully when we arrived in Genova, our hotel was right around the corner from the train station. It was after midnight before we got in bed.  Did not want to wake up when the alarm went off at 7:30. But we had places to go and people to see. We were going to Milan even in the rain. 

This was a city that was always on our list. Our first stop The Museum Cenacola Vinciano to see the famous painting by Leonardo Di Vinci "The Last Supper". We had a few hours to kill after we got our tickets, so it was off the the Duomo Di Milano Cathedral. 

Of course, it was absolutely massive and amazing. You know I always wonder why they built such majestic and over-sized cathedrals, when it was so time consuming. Considering the  expense and the time involved, you might think they would build something smaller and less elaborate.  Don't get me wrong, I am glad that went to the extra trouble! Most cathedrals might charge an entrance fee and have a charge for the audio tour, but thy did not. As it should be!

After the cathedral, we jumped on a train and headed back to the museum. The painting was so beautiful and it really set off quite a few emotions because we know what happened next. It was painted between 1494 and 1498, not on canvas, but actually on the wall.  He was able to capture the emotions in the apostles facial expressions after Jesus made the statement about the betrayal to be made by one of his apostles. Leonardo de Vinci was truly a genius and was way ahead of his time with his artistic ability and the machines he created. I wanted to sit on the benches and absorb the beauty, but there was another group that wanted to see the painting too. The opposite wall from the of "The Last Supper", there is a painting of the crucifixion. Can you picture two artist hard at work on their painting of the before and after life of Jesus in his last days on earth. 

Wanted to do some window shopping since Milan is a mega city for fashion, but we had a train to catch... again. We were headed to Sienna.

First class on the train is nice. They offered free wine and snacks. Yum. I needed that since we had to run to the train with our backpacks to make the train. Now for a nice nap before we arrive in a Sienna. 

Genova, Italy (11/5/14)

Genova, Italy

November 5, 2014

This is one of the luxuries of no reservations while traveling. We were headed for Siena, Italy last night. We checked the weather and all was Ok! Then we woke up this morning and checked weather again. Rain for next three days! Cinque Terre... More rain. So we decided to go to Nice, Italy. Checked the weather and it is sunny and warmer. Just keep following the sun! (Did not make it to Nice because we missed our train.)

Lee had a wonderful breakfast at our hotel. I had my breakfast in my room while I packed. Hot tea and fruit. Love that Earl Grey.  Then back to the tracks. 

We got on our train and it was a short trip to Bern. We arrived and it was so cold and rainy outside and no place for cover while we await our next train. We still had a lot of Swiss money we did not spend, so Lee went in search of an umbrella to replace the one he lost or someone stole. We prefer to think someone stole it instead of losing anything else. He found an umbrella and he also got a hot dog and drink from a little mobile hot dog stand. Such a cute mobile kiosk, I would like to have one for my neighborhood at home. We have a lot of new home construction in our neighborhood and I could sell food to the workers. Would have to add salsa and jalapeños to my menu. 

 

We boarded the train to Genova, so glad to be out of the cold. While we were settling in, there was an announcement about a Starbucks train. Since we still had Swiss money we needed to spend, thought I could help with our dilemma and support Starbucks too! Yes? Poor Starbuck's!

So I headed to the Starbucks car. The prices were more outrageous than home, but people were lined up to pay those prices? I ordered my hot tea and then since I still had a lot of Swiss money, why not a blueberry muffin? This was the first train service for Starbucks in the world, but I am sure there will be others in no time. By the way, everything was Starbucks perfect.  

We reached Genova and had about 18 minutes between trains. We went down to find a bakery. We did, then headed for our track. It was not the usual track change and we were not sure if we were going the right direction and the clock was ticking. We were running at this point and no signs for "track 7" in sight. We stopped to make sure we were going the right way. We were still running with our back packs and hand bags. We reached the track just in time to see it pull away. Yikes!

We go to ticket office to see if we can fix our dilemma. Not an easy fix. Next train would put us there around 2:00am the next day. So we cancelled our hotel reservation and chose another location closer with less time on the train. It was costly, but it was the best choice. So now we are going to Genova, Italy. This was the first time we missed a train and hopefully the last. 

We got a hotel and spent the night, then left for Milan to see the famous Leonardo de Vinci painting, The Last Supper. 

Good night!

Chur, Switzerland (11/2-5/14)

Chur, Switzerland

Sunday, November 2nd-5th, 2014

We arrived in Switzerland. In less than 24 hours we have traveled from Budapest to Vienna then Switzerland. We checked into our hotel and we were off to train station. Getting tickets for our next adventure. We were taking a scenic train to Arosa. It was a spectacular ride with plenty of mountainous views. It is Fall and the trees still have their leaves. Lee and I agreed that the trees were not as pretty as Georgia or Missouri.

We arrive and there was just a little snow, but this time next month there will be plenty of snow and buzzing with people since Arosa is a small ski resort. We walked around the town and picked our restaurant by the garlic smells that were seeping from inside the restaurant to the nice cool air.  Hmmmm!  We ordered a ham and mushroom pizza. They delivered to our table a large vegetarian pizza and an extra large ham and mushroom calzone. Lee went to tell the waitress that she delivered the wrong food to our table, but she disagreed and said it was what we ordered? Oh, the language barrier. We thought the pointing to the menu also worked. Guess not! We also ordered a beer. Then Lee asked for water, but they brought mineral water which was more expensive than beer. Final cost for lunch... 63 francs? Oh well! Anyway, we enjoyed our lunch except for the expense. Guess tomorrow we will have pizza for breakfast. 

We got home early, but needed to wash clothes. It happens even when you are in Switzerland. Lee volunteered to do the laundry. He assigned me to checking train schedules and finding a hotel for the next day. I think he gave me the hard job? Believe it or not, I did good. The next day we got up early. We had booked another scenic train ride. This was one  was really amazing, The Bernina Express. It is the highest altitude railway and is 5000 feet above sea level. Hope you enjoy the pics, but they do not show the breathtaking view from our train. Everyone was oohhhhing and ahhhhing. So funny!m

Back on the train to our next destination. 

Interlaken, Switzerland

Hotel Banhof

Today was another day of train riding. We started at 9:00am this morning with our scenic train and we have changed trains eight times.  Most of the changes required immediate boarding the for next train. Once we had a 15 minute break.  Just enough time to grab lunch... Goldfish, dark chocolate for Lee, light chocolate with nuts for me, Peach Nestea and we had left over cold pizza from our lunch yesterday. Life is good.  One train we were on from Zurich to Bern was entirely full and we barely made the connection. Lee did not even have a real seat and thankfully it was a one hour ride.  Europeans really take advantage of the buses, trams and trains. 

We arrived at our hotel around 8:00pm, so we headed out to find dinner. Most of the town was closed except for a few restaurants. Luckily we found one that served brats and Lee was happy. Then back to hotel for some much needed sleep, will have to catch an early train tomorrow. 

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

Hotel Jungfrau

We picked this city so that we could take the Jungfrau Express to the top of the highest point in Europe. The brochure was unbelieveable.  Could not wait. But when we arrived it was cloudy and rainy. So the Express was closed for the day., not so much the rain, but the clouds created zero visibility at the top. Also, the wind gusts were about 80mph. So we went to store and picked up some lunch and wine. Did I also mention it was freezing in this town. When we got to our hotel, the view was amazing. We were surrounded by the alps. Beautiful, even though you could not see the tops because of the clouds. We stepped out on the patio and our neighbors were outside enjoying the view too. We started chatting and chatted outside in the cold for over an hour. So nice to have a conversation with fellow Americans. Dinner was served at 5:00pm, so we decided to continue chatting in the dining room downstairs and have some dinner. Earlier the outside menu listed  Chinese meals (owner was Chinese), but they serve a different culture everyday. So we settled for a Swiss menu. I had some wonderful spaghetti with tomatoes, zucchini and garlic. Great white wine. Lee had Swiss cuisine. Delicious. Enjoyed dining with Dave and Deb from Indiana. 

Nothing like a full stomach to make you sleep like a baby.  Phone rang during the night and it was Jason. He was at Dallas/Fort Worth airport waiting on his flight back home. So glad that we got to talk and catch up on the little ones.  Then back to sleep! Yep, you got ut... Up for an early train to... Italy. Yea!!!

Vienna, Austria (11/1/14)

Vienna, Austria

November 1, 2014

Arrived in Vienna. Placed backpacks in locker and headed to town to take in a few sites. It was a holiday and all of the shops were closed, but restaurants were open. Yea! Checked out the Museum District. Passed a Turkish restaurant and everything looked great. Had been trying to get Lee to try a gyro. The food reminded me of Alex... She is always making hummus and they had stuffed grape leaves and gnocchi. Yum! Suprise, Lee liked the gyro. 

It was getting cold, so we headed back to the station. We had about three hours to waste before our train arrived. Now to find a Starbuck's and WiFi. Time to catch up with family, email, Facebook, etc. then we will sleep on the train all the way to Chur, Switzerland. 

Can't wait to see the majestic mountains!

Budapest, Hungary (10/31-11/1/14)

Budapest, Hungary

October 31 - November 1, 2014

Today is Halloween. Stayed at the Ibis and when we arrived, our room was ready. Yea! Penthouse level. :-) Very nice. We hit the streets running. This is our daily routine. 

 

As we were walking we spotted this funny vehicle. It is powered by 8 people pedaling and they are drinking beer too. Saw these in Amsterdam also. A lot harder than it looks, but they were enjoying and quenching their thirst at the same time. Cool!

Took subway to downtown area. Several things to see. First was the Matthias Church, Our Lady of Buda located in the old Buda Castle District. Originally constructed in 1015, although today no archeological remains exist. Went through complete renovations in the late 14th century and then extensively reconstructed in the 1900's. By far, this is my favorite cathedral. The colors throughout the cathedral are amazing. I thought they were hand painted, but later they showed that the painters used stencils. No wonder they were so perfect. Still so warm and exquisite. We also toured the grounds and all of the castle area. Then we set at a cafe and had gluehwein while overlooking the Danube River. What a view. 

Then we wandered down to a restaurant we had seen earlier serving Hungarian food. Hot soup, salad and chicken breast and Lee's fav dessert ice cream with whip cream and wafer cookies. Yum!

Then headed downtown to the square. Heard some country music and we walked in that direction. Someone was playing a country CD and the people were line dancing in their Halloween costumes. Too funny. Strolled around and took a few picks of some carved pumpkins. Then it was getting cold, so we headed back to our hotel. Lee fell asleep and I watched more of Shindler's List. Fell asleep, but still not finished. 

Next morning we slept in (8:00am).  We were heading to Vienna at 2:00 for the day. Then to Chur, Switzerland. So we needed to go on line and find a hotel and do some research on what we wanted to see and do. 

Krakow, Poland (10/29/14)

Krakow, Poland

October 29, 2014

Took a night train to Krakow, Poland. Our bunk mates for the overnight trip were two young Japanese girls who had the middle bunks and two young men from Spain who had the top bunks. Not much chatter because everyone climbed in and went to sleep. The train arrived almost two hours late so we had time to talk and learn a little about their travels. Always interesting. Then we arrived at the new train station and were very surprised.  Attached to the train station was a very modern Galleria Mall which would rival any in the US.

A young Polish girl at the information office helped us get signed up for our trip to Auschwitz which we scheduled for 2 pm. We then found our room (The Fresh Apartments) only a short walk from the station. Wow-it was decorated very modern and with a kitchen.  We decompressed. Seemed huge after our tiny train accommodations. Showered and set out to get acquainted with the city.  We were so close to the square we did not need a train to get to the square. While we were out we grabbed some snacks for our long ride to Auschwitz. Our driver was picking us up at 1:15. 

There were 8 of us in the mini van. The ride took about one and one half hours. Once we arrived, we were required to stay with our tour group of about 25. We were given head phones, so we could hear our guide. The guide was ok, but he hardly took a breath for the next three hours. 

All of the buildings were brick and still standing. Was very sad to hear the stories and see how the people lived. We had just visited Ann Franks home in Amsterdam the week before. She and her sister and her parents were finally discovered in 1943 or 44 and then were sent directly to Auschwitz. Her family did not survive long after arriving. She was just 15. Her father was the only one of her family members to survive. He later found her diary when he returned to Amsterdam and had it published. 

The hardest part of Krakow was at the end of the trip. They show real pics of things that had been confiscated when they arrived at the camp... shoes, clothes, suitcases, hair, combs and brushes, things that belonged to the children, pictures of the Jews that entered the camp, and many other personal things. They left home with these items not knowing they would never need them because they would never return. 

By the time we arrived in Birkenau it was almost dark...it is 30 times bigger than Auschwitz. Think our tour guide forgot to factor in the end of daylight savings time. We only had lights from our phones which made the scene more sad and even scarier. After about 45 minutes, we were back on our way to Krakow.

We got home and were very hungry, and needed a pick me up after all of the sadness we witnessed at both Auschwitz and Birkenau. The square or center Of every town is always where the action is.  Krakow is no exception. All of the restaurants have outside dining and there are people eating outside even in the cold. They have heaters and blankets for the diners.  Too cold for us. We opted for a Russian/Polish restaurant with inside dining.  It was very warm and friendly. The table was set very elegantly with white tablecloths and gold trimmed china. It was also very reasonable. We had delicious soup, salad and then shared a plate of potato perogies. The wine and beer were also delicious. Then we went home and started watching Shindler's List until we fell asleep. 

Next morning, it was a real treat for us to have a kitchen to make our tea and  coffee while we were still in our PJ's. Lee also made him some breakfast. It is funny the things you miss about home. 

After checking out, we took our backpacks to the station and put them in lockers, then headed on the subway to visit Schindlers factory ( Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List). The museum was away from the city center and was a little difficult to find, but was well worth it.  Not too much about Oskar Schindler, the but exhibits combined artifacts, photos, documents, and multimedia. It was an amazing museum. As you were walking thru you could hear live audio with sounds of wartime artillery and bombs. Also voices giving commands as you viewed visually the way the Jews were treated. A very somber experience while creating a full-immersion experience. 

On the way back we went thru the old Jewish Quarters of Krakow, went thru an outdoor market and walked thru a very old Jewish cemetery. Had lunch at a small Russian restaurant which had been in the same family for four generations. They really have a knack for making soup in this area of Europe. We had cream of broccoli soup and a potato pancake with sour cream. Yum. 

Then we made our way back to the mall at the train station for a little shopping. Then caught the overnight train to Budapest at around 11pm. We had upgraded our sleeping berth to a four person instead of six. This allows you a place to sit up as well as sleep. We needed a good nights sleep after today! Good night.