Travelogue

Day 1 - Arriving at and exploring Levanto

The colors of Levanto BeachCinque Terre is a very popular destination on U.S. tours of Italy, and several of my friends have posted Facebook photos of its picturesque, centuries-old villages tucked along the edges of its rugged, mountainous Italian Riviera coastline. Surprisingly, Europeans not so much so. Many whom I shared my list of stops with had never even heard of it. Strange, because it is a truly amazing place.

There are five of these villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore), so hence the name “Cinque Terre, which means “Five Lands” in Italian. I’m sure everyone has seen beautiful photos of these villages taken from the Sentiero Azzurro trail (blue trail) that runs above them along the cliffs. This trail and those photos were the reason we were here.

The towns along the trail are quite remote and isolated and can only be reached via train, boat, or foot. Our plan was to camp in the town of Levanto, so that we could take the train to Monterosso, where the Sentiero Azzurro trail began.

Our original intent was to camp at Camping Acqua Dolce, a small campground in the heart of Levanto, in walking distance to a sandy beach on the Mediterranean and the train station. Sounded perfect -- apparently everyone else thought so too, because by the time we got there it was totally full.

Surfers on Levanto BeachThe campground host gave us a list of four campgrounds a short distance outside of town, which we tried calling to see if they had room for us. Three didn’t answer (possibly Siesta time), but the one that did said they were full as well. We were in a little bit of a panic, as we had really driven quite far out of our way along some pretty winding roads to get here.

We decided to try Camping San Michele, because it was the furthest from town, which we figured would give us the best chance of having availability. As we pulled in, a woman (the proprietress) was just getting in her car to go pick up her son at school. She told us there was room, and suggested we take a walk around to pick a site while she was gone.

Levanto Beach on the Mediterranean SeaWhat a difference from the hustle and bustle we had encountered down at the other campground in town. This one was so peaceful and tranquil, set in an olive grove atop a hill overlooking the countryside. We picked the site that had the best view and waited for the campground owner to return. It seemed like she ran the entire place herself.

My main concern was how we would get to the train station in Levanto tomorrow, without moving the camper. The proprietress told us there was a dirt trail that started right outside the campground that would lead us to the road to the train station, about a mile away.

We decided to take the trail that afternoon and check out the town of Levanto. Our first stop was the train station, where we got a copy of the schedule and bought a two-day Cinque Terre Train Card for 29 euro each. This would give us unlimited train travel for 48 hours, starting with our first usage, and a pass to hike the Sentiero Azzurro trail.

More of lovely Levanto BeachAfterwards, we strolled down to Levanto’s long sandy beach on the Mediterranean and watched the surfers ride the waves. I so wished we had brought along our bathing suits, but since we didn’t, I did the next best thing - waded up to my knees in the warm water - my first dip in the Mediterranean Sea.

We continued along the lovely waterfront admiring the colorful houses and beach umbrellas. It’s amazing what a difference a bucket of paint can make. The Italians certainly know how to use a colorful palette to make things festive.

We stopped for dinner at a little restaurant called Caffe Roma on the Piazza Staglieno and sat on the outdoor patio watching people recreating and socializing in the park across the way. It was such a happy scene of locals enjoying everyday life.

We made the long walk back to our campground and set up our little rental table and chairs outside the camper to watch the sun set over the olive groves. Now this was the real Italy.

Day 2 - Hiking the Sentiero Azzurro Trail from Monterosso to Vernazza

Looking back at MonterossoWe were quite excited about hiking the beautiful Sentiero Azzurro trail today, so we got an early start, trekked down the path to the Levanto train station, and caught the 9:05 train to Monterosso, the first stop. From the Monterosso train station we walked up the hill to the Cinque Terre Visitor Center to get maps and information about trail conditions.

The Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail - marked # 2 on the maps) goes along the rugged mountainside, passing through each of the coastal towns - Monterosso (which we were in now), Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. It is supposed to be quite steep and challenging.

We would have loved to hike the whole stretch, but unfortunately the part from Corniglia on has been closed since 2011, due to a devastating flood that damaged the trails.

As an alternative, I asked the Ranger about returning from Corniglia via the inland Sentiero Rosso trail, which runs high above the Cinque Terre towns and is also supposed to be beautiful. She looked at me like I was a crazy tourist and said that not many people do that. I had no idea at this time just how hilly and rough all these trails were. We decided that we would make that decision when we got to Corniglia. If we didn’t want to do it, we could just take the train back to Levanto.

From Monterosso to Vernazza on the Sentiero AzzurroThe hike from Monterosso to Vernazza is the most challenging section of the trail. The trails, are steep, narrow, and rocky, and there are lots of steps. It was a rough 4 miles - felt much longer - and pretty much took us the estimated hour and a half.

Almost everyone we passed on the trail was speaking English, confirming my earlier statement that Cinque Terre is very popular with Americans.

As we approached Vernazza from the trail above, the views of the town were incredible - colorful old houses stacked haphazardly on top of each other, narrow crooked streets, and a small, sandy beach along the harbor. I think this is the vantage point from which the photos I have seen of Cinque Terre are taken. It looked very inviting.

Looking back at Vernazza on our way to CornigliaWe hiked the steep trail down into the town and sat on the beach for awhile. Afterwards we wandered through the narrow alleys of this very picturesque town before climbing back up to the Sentiero Azzurro and continuing on towards Corniglia.

This section of the hike was the wildest and greenest section along the coast. The previous section to Vernazza was supposed to be the most challenging, but this was not exactly a piece of cake either.

Corniglia was different from the other CInque Terre towns in that it was not at sea level. Rather, it sat atop a 300-foot high rocky promontory surrounded by vineyards. No ferries or cruise ships could reach it, so it was quieter and more tranquil than the other villages, but just as quaint.

We took advantage of the quiet, to have a nice lunch overlooking the water. I think there was a refreshing beer involved as well.

Approaching Corniglia on the Sentiero AzzurroThis was the end of the line in terms of hiking the Sentiero Azzurro trail since the next two sections were closed. We had already hiked 10 miles, counting the walk from the campground to the Levanto train station, and most of them had been quite challenging. Now I understood why the Ranger thought I was a crazy lady suggesting that we might want to hike back from Corniglia on the inland Sentiero Rosso trail.

The only hiking we were going to do now was to the Corniglia train station. Even this wasn’t easy, as the station is located down on the waterfront, and required walking down 365 steps. At least, we were going down and not up.

By the time we got back to the campground, we were exhausted. The thought of hiking these steep trails again tomorrow was not particularly appealing, especially since we had already seen the highlights.

Despite hating the thought of not using the second day on our Cinque Terre Cards, we decided that tomorrow morning we would move on to our next stop - Lake Maggiore in the Italian Lakes Region.

Description

Approaching Vernazza on the Sentiero AzzurroCinque Terre, which means “Five Lands”, is a series of five centuries-old seaside villages tucked away along an 11-mile stretch of rugged, mountainous Italian Riviera coastline.

The easiest way to reach and travel between the villages is via a train from the town of Levanto, just north of Cinque Terre. I highly recommend purchasing a Cinque Terre Train Card, which covers unlimited train travel as well as access to all hiking paths. A one-day card costs 16 euro and a two-day card costs 29 euro: http://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-card.

However, by far the best way to visit the villages is via the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail - marked #2 on the maps), which follows the edge of the hills between the villages. It involves steep climbing up rough stone stairs and walking on loose rocky surfaces, so sensible footwear is recommended. It requires a hiking pass (which can be part of the Cinque Terre Train Card). For an overview of the trail, see: https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/cinque-terre/hiking-trails

NOTE:
In October of 2011, the Cinque Terre region was hit hard by a devastating flood which has resulted in the closing of the section of the trail connecting Riomaggiore (on the southern end) to Manarola to Corniglia. However, the section from Manarola (northern end) to Vernazza (1.5 hours) to Corniglia (1.5 hours) is open. For current conditions, check with the Cinque Terre National Park office (parconazionale5terre.it).

The following is a brief description of the five villages (from north to south - the direction we took):

Exploring the back alleys of Corniglia
• Monterosso if the furthest north of the 5 villages and the only one with a sandy beach. A tunnel connects the “Old” town to the “New.” The Old Town is similar to the other villages, though larger and not quite as steep. While pretty, it is not quite as stunning as the other 4 villages and has a more beach resort feel to it. Monterosso is known for its lemon trees and anchovies served right off the boat.
• The hike from Monterosso to Vernazza is probably the most challenging section of the trail. The trails, are steep, narrow, and rocky, and there are lots of steps. Before descending to the town, make sure to take in a beautiful view of it from above. Its colorful old houses haphazardly stacked on top of each other, narrow crooked streets, numerous restaurants and cafes, eye-popping sea views, and small beach along the harbor make it a wonderful respite along the way.
• The hike from Vernazza to Corniglia is the wildest and greenest section of the coast. Like the previous section, it is quite steep and challenging. Sitting atop a 300-foot high rocky promontory surrounded by vineyards, is the only one of the five villages not near sea level - and therefore, not accessible by water. 365 steps lead down to its waterfront train station far below.Corniglia has a much quieter and more tranquil feel to it than the other villages, but is just as quaint.
• The hike from Corniglia to Manarola(45 minutes) is currently closed due to damage from a devastating 2011 flood. However, the town can still be reached via train, boat, or car. Manarola has a bustling main street and waterfront promenade, a nice swimming area off a cement pier, and lots of caves and coastline to explore.
• The hike from Manarola to Riomaggiore(20 minutes) is currently closed due to the above-mentioned flood. However, like Manarola, the town can still be reached via train, boat, or car. Riomaggiore is the southernmost of the five villages and its largest. It has a lovely harbor and pebbly beach, a botanical garden, and an ancient stone castello built in 800 to protect the citizens in case of an attack from the sea. There are numerous restaurants, cafes, and bars along the Via Colombo, Riomaggiore’s main street.

Besides the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail), there is another more challenging inland trail called the Sentiero Rosso (Red Trail), which runs high above the Cinque Terre villages for 22 miles from Levanto to Porto Venere. It’s mainly flat, with plenty of restaurants and bars along the way. It is far less populated than the Sentiero Azzurro.

Travelogue

The GardaseeBefore yesterday we had never heard of the Gardasee. I hadn’t come across it during my pre-trip research, so it never made it my proposed itinerary. Instead, we learned about it last night in our Venice campground, while doing dishes at the campground sinks -- which by the way, is a great way to not only get your dishes clean, but to socialize and learn from your fellow campers. We got to talking to the gentleman scrubbing away next to us about where we might be heading next. He was from Germany, like practically everyone else in the campground, and suggested that we might like the Gardasee, Italy’s largest lake, which was only a little more than 2 hours away along our intended route.

Not being locked into a set itinerary, which is a wonderful luxury, we did some research on our own as to campgrounds on the lake, and found Bella Italia, on the southern shore of the lake in the town of Peschiera del Garda. It had great Yelp reviews.

Day 1 - Drive to Bella Italia and walk to and explore Peschiera del Garda

Camping Bella ItaliaWhen we got to the campground, we were lucky enough to get an electric site just a short distance from the campground’s stone-covered beach. A friendly neighbor from Britain said that he and his wife were staying here for 3 weeks and used it as a base camp for taking various day trips throughout northern Italy. I’m glad we talked to him, because he told us about the picturesque village of Peschiera del Garda, which was just a mile-long stroll away, along the pedestrian walkway that ran alongside the lake. We would definitely have to check that out this evening.

Before going for a swim, we took a walk around the campground to check out the facilities. Like our Venice campground, there were five amazing pools, several great restaurants, numerous shops, and a full supermarket. Plus, a beach on the Gardasee. Now that the bar had been so dramatically raised as to what we expected in a campground, how were we going to go back to camping in the States?.

By the time we got back to our campsite, threatening clouds were moving across the lake, so instead of going to the beach for a swim, we hunkered down in the camper until it passed.

River Mincio in Peschiera del GardaAfterwards, the skies cleared and we set off, as our neighbor suggested, to the little town of Peschiera del Garda. What a lovely walk it was -- lake on one side, restaurants, cafes, beautiful homes on the other.

After about a mile, we came to the village itself and crossed a bridge over the River Mincio, which flows into the lake. My phone rang, so while I was busy talking to one of our sons, Herb spent his time taking photographs of the houses and boats along the river in the evening light. I tend to get oblivious to my surroundings when talking on the phone, so when he showed me the photos afterwards, I was stunned with how beautiful it was, and a little sorry that I hadn’t paid more attention.

The bridge had brought us onto an island with old fortress walls dating back to the 16th century. These walls once enclosed a fortress that played a prominent role in the Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic War, and the War for northern Italy’s Independence from Austria.

Remains of a 1st century Roman settlement unearthed in 1974Crossing back over the bridge we wandered along the waterfront and then back into the pedestrian alleys where there were lots and lots of clothing and shoe shops - this is Italy after all and fashion plays a very important role. We had already noticed how Italian women love to dress up, much more than we had noticed in Germany. Most of the shops were quite chic and expensive, but I did find one outside rack of dresses where the prices were very reasonable - under 20 euro. It was closing now, but Herb promised we could come back tomorrow night.

We also stumbled upon a fenced off archeological dig, which we learned was the remains of a Roman settlement from the 1st century B.C. Peschiera del Garda, known as Acrilica in Roman times, was once a thriving trade community, and this site is where the important Roman road Verona-Brescia-Milano crossed the Mincio River. These ruins were discovered in 1974 by construction workers while excavating the area. Today the area is fenced off and protected for public viewing.

I love Italy. Where else can you go clothes shopping and Roman ruin viewing on the same block?

Day 2 - First run in Europe, Campground beach, and dinner and shopping in Peschiera del Garda

Rainy Run to along pedestrian way to Peschiera del GardaWe awoke to very cloudy skies and a bit cooler temperatures - the perfect conditions for a run. I love to run, but between the sightseeing and the hiking, there just hadn’t been the time or opportunity to even squeeze in a short one.

We set off on the pedestrian walkway back towards Peschiera, but kept on going through the town and up along the lake for another mile and a half before it started to rain. We turned around and headed back towards the campground. It wasn’t raining too hard, so we continued past the campground for another mile to the town of San Benedetto di Lugana. It felt so incredibly refreshing to run in the rain, especially after spending the last two weeks in a European heat wave,

We still hadn’t swam in the Gardasee, so after getting back from our run, we got on our bathing suits, hobbled across the stone-covered campground beach and jumped in the water. Now our visit to the Gardasee was official.

Peschiera del GardaLater that afternoon, we headed back into the town of Peschiera so that I could try on the dresses I saw last night. The store was somewhere in one of the back alleys off the waterfront, but fortunately Herb, who has a much better sense of direction than me was able to find it. I actually picked a different dress to try on than the one I had my eye on last night, and it was actually cheaper - only 14 euro! I couldn’t decide on sage or blue, so I got both.

Running to beat the stormAfterwards we had dinner at a restaurant on the Mincio River called Al Canal. Herb pointed out that this restaurant was in the photo he had taken the night before when I was too busy on the phone to notice. It was quite lovely.

Just as we were finishing our dinner, the wind picked up and the skies grew dark and ominous. We could hear thunder rumbling quite nearby. The waiters began scurrying around, closing umbrellas and removing tablecloths. Guess it was time to go.

As we headed back along the pedestrian walkway, the skies opened and it began to pour. The thunder and lightning was right upon us now. I had been suffering through the heat for the last few weeks, so this weather was really invigorating for me - so much so, that I clutched my bag of dresses and began to run, and pretty fast, if I must say so myself. Herb kept calling for me to slow down. I had on this really nice pair of Keen sandals from REI that have Vibram soles, so I could do this much better than the Italian ladies in their chic high heels. I made sure to point this out to Herb later, as I had caught him several times admiring those heeled shoes. I never realized he liked ladies’ shoes that much.

We were totally drenched by the time we got back to the camper, but it had been so much fun!

Description

The Gardasee, located in northern Italy, is Italy’s largest lake and a very popular holiday destination for Europeans. It is 32 miles long and 10 miles wide.

he picturesque town of Peschiera del Garda is situated on the lake’s southern shore at the mouth of the River Mincio. Its strategic location at the river’s mouth made it an important trading town for centuries. There is much history to discover here.

The town dates back to 1400 B.C., but had a flourishing Bronze Age community even before that. Its ancient Roman name was Acrilica, and in 1974 the remains of a Roman settlement were discovered here. This settlement was probably built around the 1st century B.C. in the place where the important Roman road Verona-Brescia-Milano crossed the Mincio River near the lake shores. These remains can be viewed today in a protected archeological area in the village.

Jumping forward several centuries, the town is surrounded by enormous fortress walls, in the shape of a five-pointed star, dating back to the 16th century. Originally built by the Scalgieri’s of Verona, over the years they have been added to by Venetians, Austrians, and Italians. The fortress played a prominent role in the late 18th century during the Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary War, in the early 19th centuries Napoleonic War, and in the First Italian War of Independence during the 1840s when it was finally taken from Austrian occupiers.

Near the fortress, is the 16th century Sanctuary of Madonna del Frassino, visited each year by thousands of pilgrims.

Today this picturesque old town on the lovely Gardasee is a very popular resort, with lots of wonderful cafes, restaurants, and shops to enjoy when not out having fun on the lake.

Travelogue

Camping Marina di Venezia beach on the Adriatic SeaComing from a country that takes multiple days to cross, it was pretty amazing to us how compact Europe is. Within five hours of leaving the snow-covered Bavarian Alps in Berchtesgaden, we were in Venice -- or at least in a campground on Punto Sabbioni just across the lagoon.

This was the campground that Herb had been dreaming of ever since he saw the giant aerial photograph of it in the McRent lounge. It’s called Camping Marina di Venezia and it’s the largest campground in Europe.

The facilities are beyond anything I have ever seen in the U.S. There is an Aquamarine Park with 5 pools, including an Olympic size lap pool, a wave pool, 3 large water slides, a play area with a giant tipping bucket that periodically dumps gallons of waters on heads below, and several jacuzzis. There are 3 restaurants, 2 bars; a supermarket, a hair salon (where you can even get your armpits done), all kinds of shops, a doctor’s office, a stage for performances, and on and on. Oh, and did I mention a sandy mile-long beach on the Adriatic Sea?

Not your everyday campground restaurantIt was like a closed ecosystem, a city unto itself. You could live there for years and never have to leave.

I was a bit fearful that Herb was thinking just that. Hopefully, the lure of Venice would be too much for him to resist.

We negotiated a plan that would incorporate some down time into our somewhat frantic schedule. We agreed to spend five nights in this incredible campground in order to allow us four full days here. On the first full day (tomorrow) we would just hang out at the campground, enjoying the pools and swimming in the Adriatic Sea from the campground beach. On days 2 and 3 we would play tourists and visit Venice and the outer islands (Murano, Torcello, and Burano). Then on day 4 we would relax at the campground once again, culminating with a fireworks display on the beach that night. It seemed like they scheduled it just for us.

Day 1 - Camping Marina di Venezia lap pool, first “shushy time”, and beach on the Adriatic Sea

Camping Marina di Venezia Aquamarina ParkWe learned two surprising things today. First, Germans really really like to camp. Although we were in Italy, 90% of the people camping here were Germans. After that probably about 5% were from the Netherlands. Except for the employees, there wasn’t an Italian in sight.

Second, Spain does not have a monopoly on siestas. Germany, Italy, and Switzerland seem to love their mid-day nappy time too. Maybe we didn’t notice it at our previous stops, because we were out during the day, but between noon and 2:00 each day (and even as long as between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm in other places we would visit), everything comes to a stop - supermarkets, campground offices, and shops close; German people disappear into their campers or loungers to nap; and a hush falls over the campground, as everyone is encouraged to enjoy some quiet downtime.

I was too hyper for this, but Herb thought it was great. He called it “Shushy Time.”

Herb enjoying Camping Marina di Venezia Aquamarina ParkWe spent pre-shushy time at the Aquamarina Park. This place truly is incredible. Herb loves to swim for exercise, and when we are home, he goes at least 3 or 4 days a week to our community pool to swim laps. He was in heaven at the thought of being able to do that here. I figured I would join in as well, although I am not the best of swimmers in that I hate putting my face underwater without holding my nose. At home, I use goggles and a snorkel, but here I was on my own.

I felt pretty at home here though, because I think European woman often swim with their heads above water as well. Herb’s mom, who was from Germany, used to do this, but I always thought it was to keep her perfectly coiffed hair in tact. For whatever reason, there were plenty of women doing this here as well.

Lolo frolicking in the Adriatic SeaWe set off in the pool with the intention of swimming a mile, which is 32 lengths of an Olympic pool. About half way through our workout, Herb’s lane turned into an aqua aerobics class, and he soon found himself surrounded by dozens of elderly bobbing German women, bouncing up and down while moving their arms in sync to the loud dance music coming from the large speakers that had been placed at the end of the pool. He looked confused. I found it hilarious.

So, we cut our workout short and headed back to the campsite to enjoy our first “shushy time.” I have to admit, it is kind of nice to just chill for awhile in the afternoon.

Afterwards, we walked the short distance to the beach to spend the remainder of the afternoon sunning on the sandy beach and periodically dipping in and out of the luxuriously warm water. It was quite lovely.

Day 2 - Venice

St. Mark's Square from or Vaporetto ride along the Grand CanalDescribing Venice in words is beyond my skills as a writer. Besides, I don’t think there is anyone that doesn’t have a pretty vivid image in their mind of the uniqueness and beauty of this incredible old city.

Since Venice is an island without roads, getting to and around it requires some form of water transport. There are basically three types: gondola (romantic, pricey, and great for selfies), water taxi (less romantic, less pricey, but convenient), and vaporetto (most economical).

For our needs, the vaporetto made the most sense. It is Venice’s public transit system and works like city buses with established schedules and fares. Single ride tickets are 7.50 euros, which can really add up, one-day Travel Passes are 20 euros, and the two-day Travel Pass is 30.

We decided on the two-day Travel Pass, which would allow us to take unlimited rides over a 48-hour period. It would pay for itself in just 4 rides. Plus, we wanted the freedom to feel we could just hop on and off the ferry as we pleased.

St. Mark's SquareThe Punto Sabbioni vaporetto dock was a 2-mile walk from the campground. There is a bus that runs between the campground and the dock, but rather than wait for it, we decided to just walk. At the dock we purchased our Travel Passes, and the 48 hour clock started ticking as soon as we validated them to board the boat.

It was a 30-minute boat ride, including one stop on the island of Lido, to the San Marco dock. From there it was just a brief walk to the famous Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), Venice’s religious and political center for centuries.

I’m glad we got an early start this morning, because the Piazza was still fairly quiet, allowing us to have it almost to ourselves to enjoy with the pigeons, before the inevitable stream of tourists began pouring in.

The Square is quite large - almost two football fields long -- and lined by a colonnaded arcade, which houses dozens of shops, restaurants, and cafes, many of which were getting ready for the day, setting up tables and chairs in the Piazza in anticipation of the crowds to come.

Four major historical buildings surround the Square: St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, the Campanile bell tower, and the Correr Museum.

Lolo of the Doge's PalaceWe decided to visit the Doge’s Palace first. Before leaving the campground this morning, we had purchased a museum combo pass that gave us admission to the Doge’s Palace as well as a few others we planned to visit, such as the Correr Museum and the Glass Museum on Murano island. Depending on what you want to visit, there are lots of different museum passes to choose from: http://www.venice-museum.com/venice-museum-pass

The Doge’s Palace, which was built in the 14th century, was once the official residence of Venice’s doges (dukes) and the seat of the Republic’s government. Unlike other European palaces of the time, it was less a fortress than an in-your-face display of wealth and power, which can be even more effective at keeping your enemies at bay.

Rather than being heavy and impenetrable, it is light and open, full of windows and pointed arcades, with lavish moldings and decorative quatrefoils. The upper story, which rests on a double arcade of slender marble columns, is ornamented with lacy patterns of pink Verona marble. It is a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic architecture that should be on every traveler’s bucket list.

Courtyard of the Doge's PalaceThe interior of the Palace was even more incredible. We entered the Palace through the Foscari Arch, which was decorated with alternate bands of white stone and red marble, and found ourselves in a large central courtyard, ornamented with columns, niches, and turrets. On the far end of the courtyard, is the Scala dei Giganti, or Staircase of the Giants, which leads up to the State Apartments on the upper floor. The top of the stairs is flanked by two colossal statues of Mars and Neptune to represent Venice’s power by land and by sea.

We, however, began our self-guided tour by ascending another grand staircase called the Scala d’Oro, or Stairs of Gold, to the Doge’s apartment on the first floor (which is actually the second floor in Europe, with the ground floor being the first). The apartment has no furnishings, because they were partly stolen by Napolean’s army, but there are some masterpieces painted on the ceilings, which gave us an idea of its past opulence.

The staircase continued up to the incredibly lavish government offices on the second floor. Rather than just wandering aimlessly from room to room, signs directed us sequentially from one room to the next. This way I didn’t have to worry about missing one, which I usually obsess over when left to my own devices.

Sala del Maggiore Consiglio in the Doge's PalaceThe most breathtaking and over-the-top room was the Sala del Maggiore Consiglio, or Hall of the Grand Council. The room was huge, 175 feet by 80 feet, and the place where up to 2,000 members of the aristocracy met to discuss the business of the Republic. In this room, all the Republic’s power and glory were on display and meant to impress, not only for its immense size, but also for the inestimable value of its wall and ceiling decorations.

The paintings on the walls in the Hall were originally done by artists such as Bellini and Titian. However, a fire in 1577 destroyed their work, and Tintoretto and Veronese were commissioned to paint this room as well as the other rooms damaged by the fire.

Tintoretto chose to go big and paint a massive 72 by 23-foot painting of Jesus Christ and Mary in heaven surrounded by 500 saints on the wall over the Doge’s throne. Called “Paradise”, it is the largest oil painting in the world. Being in that room was a very poignant and humbling and experience.

Prisoner's Eye View from the Bridge of SighsBesides being the Doge’s residence and the seat of the Republic’s government, the Doge Palace also housed a prison, linked to the Palace by the infamous Bridge of Sighs. Built in 1614, the bridge and the New Prisons were meant to be an upgrade from the bleak, inhospitable original prison on the ground floor of the Palace.

Unlike the other bridges in Venice, the Bridge of Sighs is totally enclosed and covered on all sides, to prevent any possibility of escape, with a few small windows with stone bars. As we walked across the bridge, I, as thousands of tourists before me, tried to imagine myself as a prisoner, looking out at their beloved city of Venice for possibly the last time. I let out a sigh, and continued on into the prisons. If the New Prison was meant to be an improvement in conditions, I would hate to see what the old one was like.

From opulence, wealth, and power to despair and hopelessness, our incredible tour of the Doge’s Palace had taken us on a fascinating journey through the extreme ends of Venetian society, the most fortunate and the least, with no stops in the middle.

Although Herb and I are history buffs -- just ask me a question about the American Revolution -- we are admittedly weak, despite our attempts at preparation, in Italian history. The Museo Correr, on the opposite side of St. Mark’s Square from the Basilica, was the perfect place to correct that.

Correr MuseumThe Museo Correr originated in 1830, when Teodoro Correr, a passionate collector of everything Venice, bequeathed to the city his entire collection of art, documents, and objects charting the history of Venice from the Medieval 13th century up until his death.

Wandering its rooms is like taking a journey through Italian history, art, and culture. The museum is laid out in several sections. The Napoleonic Wing, which was originally a 19th century palace, houses a remarkable collection of works by the great late 18th, early 19th century, sculptor Antonio Canova.

The next set of rooms, the Procuratie Nuove designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi in the 16th century, contains collections documenting Venetian history - from military battles, politics, to daily life.

Beyond these rooms is the Art Collection from the earliest days of Venetian painting to the 16th century, with works by artists such as Bellini, Messina, and Carpaccio.

Correr Museum - closeup of Farsi calligraphy on “The Home of My Eyes” exhibitThere are also special exhibits with contemporary prints, photographs, and paintings. One which we found particularly interesting was “The Home of My Eyes” by Shirin Neshat. The work consisted of 55 close-up, photographic portraits of diverse people from Azerbaijan, each staged in similar clothing and posed against a dark background. Across their faces is Farsi calligraphy, so small that we only noticed it when we stood up close. The writing is text composed by Neshat from both the sitters’ responses to the notion of homeland and from poems by a 12th century Iranian poet, who lived in what is present-day Azerbaijan.

From the windows on the upper floor of the museum, we had a tremendous view of the entire Piazza San Marco. I think this has to be the best view of the Square you can get, because from its location on the west end of the Piazza, you get to see all the good stuff on the east end - St. Mark’s Basilica, The Campanile, and the Doge’s Palace, all in one visual sweep.

From here, we could see that the line to enter the Basilica was already huge. Rather than join it, we stopped in a tour ticket office near the museum, and purchased "skip the line" tickets for 2 euro each. If your willing to wait on line, admission is free.

A little background first about this amazing church whose ornate domes, intricate arches and spires, lavish marble work, and gold mosaics dominate the east end of the square. I had seen enough of Venice already to understand that they liked to show off their wealth and power, so it was no surprise that St. Mark’s Basilica was the largest and most lavishly decorated church of its time.

This was not the first church to be built on this site. The original 9th-century basilica was built to house the remains of St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice. It burnt down in 932, and the construction of the present-day church began in 1063, just nine years after the schism between the Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) churches.

St. Mark's BasilicaIts architectural style very much reflects its ties to the Byzantine Empire, which had ruled Venice for many centuries. Unlike the rectangular structure of Western basilicas, it has a Greek-cross plan, with each cross having its own dome - plus one more in the center, making five in total.

Before entering the church, we had to check our backpacks at the nearby Ateneo San Basso church, just 30 yards to the left of the basilica. Checking was free for up to one hour. Only afterwards did I learn that checking a bag automatically gives you "skip the line" privileges. Oh well.

Catholic churches do not like bare shoulders, so I had to purchase a plastic, orange shapeless sheet to cover them for 1 euro. I didn’t realized that bare knees was an issue as well. Fortunately, my dress was long enough to cover mine, but some poor woman had to buy two sheets and wrap herself up like a mummy. Finally, sans backpack, but with mini-tarp, we were ready to enter the church.

The interior of the church is as spectacular as its exterior, but unfortunately photography is not allowed. Its spacious interior, covered with over 40,000 square feet of gold mosaics, was another example of Venice flexing its muscles and letting the world know that this was a wealthy and powerful city. To ensure that continued, in 1075 the Doge passed a law requiring that all returning ships bring something precious back to decorate the basilica.

Tympanum over St. Mark's Basilica entranceWe were herded a little bit like cattle along one aisle up towards the altar and then across and back down the other side. Although we were restricted from straying from the aisle, the views of the mosaics, columns, altar, etc. were pretty amazing. Along the way, there were several roped-off sections that required an extra fee to visit, such as the Pala d’Oro (Altarpiece of Gold), beneath which St. Mark is interred.

After we got outside again, I noticed people looking down on the Square from a balcony that ran the length of the church above the door and arches. How did they get up there, and why hadn’t we? I only learned afterwards that there is a staircase, just inside the front doors of the church, that leads up to this balcony, known as the Galleria. It costs extra, of course, but who cares. It looked phenomenal. I was so mad that I almost- but not quite - wanted to get in line again.

We retrieved our backpacks within our allotted hour and set off to explore the back alleyways of Venice, hoping to leave some of the crowds that now filled the Square behind. We had no idea where we were going, but it was an island after all, so we couldn’t get too lost, at least for long. It was so much fun zigging and zagging through the pedestrian alleyways. I especially enjoyed strolling through the quieter, less touristy sections where Venetians actually live.

Gondola on the Grand CanalOur route wasn’t totally random though, as I had an objective in mind - to end our ramble at the far end of the Grand Canal by Piazzale Roma and then cruise the Grand Canal via vaporetto all the way back to San Marco, under its bridges and past its palaces.

Equally attention getting to the sights alongside the canal was the controlled chaos of the boat traffic in the canal - gondolas, water taxis, vaporettos, kayaks, rowing skulls - all zigging and zagging within inches of each other. I kept expecting a collision at any moment, but these people were professionals and dealt with it day after day.

From San Marco, we took the vaporetto back to Punta Sabbioni and walked the two miles back to the campground.

What a magical day it had been!

Day 3 - Venetian outer islands (Murano, Torcello, and Burano)

The colors of BuranoToday we would continue our tour of Venice and visit three of its outer islands - Murano, Torcello, and Burano.

As we did yesterday morning, we walked the two miles to the Punto Sabbioni vaporetto dock, but this time we took the #12 line to the outer islands rather than the one to San Marco.

As we approached the first island, Burano, we got a glimpse of the famous brightly-colored fishermen’s houses we had read about. They were so picturesque that we were tempted to get off, but we stuck to our original plan of going to the island furthest out first, Murano, and then working our way back.

We stayed on through the Torcello stop as well, and got off at Murano. It had taken us about 50 minutes from Punta Sabbioni.

MuranoMurano is famous for its glassware shops and factories, having been the center of a thriving glasswork industry since 1291, when all the glass artisans in Venice were forced to move to the island because of the risk of fires in crowded Venice. Wow, so Venice was even crowded back then.

When we got off the vaporetto, we headed in the direction of the Murano Glass Museum to learn about the history of glassmaking and see samples of works created over the centuries. Murano is made up of seven islands (Venice was only two), so we found ourselves constantly crossing bridges over canals -- I think sometimes even more than once. As we had learned during our meandering through the pedestrian alleys of Venice, it is not always that easy here to get from point A to B, even with a GPS.

Everywhere we looked there were shops selling glasswork - beads, jewelry, vases, bowls, figurines, you name it. There were also several factories open to the public where you could step in and watch glass blowers performing their craft.

Lolo and her glass headdressFinally, we saw a large, brilliant blue glass starburst sculpture in the middle of a square in front of an old clock tower. Herb took my picture in front of it, posed in such a way that it looked like I was wearing a giant headdress.

The museum itself is located in an old Gothic style palace in the Palazzo Giustinian, which was once the residence of the bishops of nearby Torcello island. It opened as a museum in 1861.

Wandering through its rooms, we were treated to a century-by-century tour of Venetian glassmaking, with displays showing how the art and manufacture of glass has developed and changed over time. There were lovely samples of works from Egyptian times through the present day.

We had to pick up the pace a bit, as we wanted to explore all three islands, so we headed back to the vaporetto dock. As we approached, we noticed a huge line of people and wondered what was going on. To our dismay, we learned that this was the line for the vaporetto, and from the size of it, we realized we weren’t getting off this island anytime soon.

After close to an hour and a half, we finally boarded a vaporetto back towards Torcello and Burano. We were so disgusted at the thought of spending over an hour to get off each of the next two islands that we decided to bag it and just go back to Punta Sabbioni. I tried not to be too overly disappointed, but I kept picturing those colorful fishermen’s houses on Burano in the evening light.

Torcello CanalWhen the vaporetto stopped at Torcello, there were only a few people on the dock to board. Hmm...Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. We quickly hopped off the boat.

The island was small and most importantly, not crowded. As we walked along the canal leading from the boat dock, we stopped at an outdoor restaurant to have a beer. We were practically glowing from the realization that our day had been brought back from the depths of despair - well, perhaps that is a bit overly dramatic. Let’s just say we were very happy to be here.

It was hard to believe that this island was once the most populated of all the islands in the Venetian lagoon. Settled in 453 (the earliest settlement on the Venetian islands), it even had a cathedral long before Saint Mark’s was even a glimmer in an architect’s mind.

During its heyday, some estimates say that as many as 20,000 people lived here. However, malaria, the arrival of the plague, and the gradual silting up of Torcello’s canals pretty much destroyed their flourishing economy, forcing its inhabitants to flee to the city of Venice.

7th century Cathedral of Santa Maria AssuntaToday, Torcello is mostly farmland and has barely 100 residents. However, visitors still flock to the island to see the beautiful old 7th century Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the 12th century Church of Santa Fosca, located next to each other in a grassy square.

We only went into the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. If I remember correctly, the entrance fee for the church (plus audio guide) and the campanile was about 9 euro. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed.

Although the church dates back to the 7th century, most of what you see today was rebuilt in the 11th and 12th century in the Byzantine style. The exterior brick facade of the Cathedral is quite plain, and the interior is quite austere as well, especially when compared to St. Mark’s. However, what it does share with St. Mark’s are its golden, Byzantine-style mosaics.

The two most famous mosaics in the Cathedral are the “Madonna and Child” in the apse and the “Last Judgment” on the west wall. I highly recommend the audio guide, which gives a very detailed description of the mosaics. We would have missed so much without it.

View of Burano from Santa Maria Assunta CampanileI know enough about Christian art during this time period to expect that a depiction of the Last Judgment would be either the first or the last image parishioners would see when attending mass -- a not so subtle reminder that they should behave.

The "Last Judgment" mosaic was huge and occupied the entire counter facade of the church. We probably spent a good half hour pouring over its many details, thanks to our audio guide - the weighing and judgment of the souls, the separation of the blessed from the damned, lots of writhing and suffering on the damned side, etc. I can see how these images left a lasting impression on people as they departed the church.

Afterwards, we climbed the bell tower behind the church for a spectacular view of Torcello, the Venetian lagoon, and the islands.

With more time, we would have visited the 12th century Church of Santa Fosca as well, but we were pretty anxious to get to Burano. Fortunately, there was no Murano-sized line at the dock.

Burano Lace ShopBurano is to lace, what Murano is to glass, so like Murano, it has countless shops selling everything from tablecloths to doilies to baby booties and wedding gowns; and a museum focused on the history of lacemaking on the island.

The women of Burano have been stitching lace since the 16th century. Back then the work was extremely exacting. Each woman would specialize in a single stitch (there are seven in total), so completing a piece was a group project passed from one woman to the next. It is extremely time consuming and expensive to make handmade lace, so most of what is being sold in the shops today is made by machine.

However, you can still see samples of handmade lace and even watch how it’s done in some of the shops as well as in the Scuola del Merlotto (Lace Museum) on Burano’s main piazza.

Don't mess with that Burano girlUnfortunately, by the time we got to Burano, the museum was closed. Herb tried to pretend he was disappointed, but I knew he would much rather be photographing the beautiful colors of Burano than learning how a doily is made.

So we spent the next few hours wandering along its canals and through its quaint pedestrian alleys. It was like Venice without the crowds, and felt a lot less touristy and more real. It was, after all, still an active fishing village.

We watched fishing boats coming in at the end of the day with their catch, women hanging their laundry out their windows for all to see, old men sitting on the stoops of their homes watching tourists stroll by, children laughing and playing in the alleys and boats along the canal -- it was pretty enchanting.

Dinner at Ristorante Pizzeria Principe on BuranoTo us, the brightly colored houses were the real draw of this island. Each house in a row is painted a distinct color. The colors are not random nor even decided by the owner, but rather they follow a specific system that originated back when the island was first developed. The government controls what colors are allowed for each lot. Two houses next to each other are never allowed to be painted the same color. This helps designate where one family’s quarters ends and a neighbor’s begins, as well as makes them visible from the sea.

We had a nice dinner of pizza and wine at the Ristorante Pizzeria Principe, right alongside a canal, with the Church of San Martino’s leaning campanile in the background.

Let’s just say that on a scale of 1 to 10, today had been an 11.

Day 4 - More campground fun and fireworks over the Adriatic

Camping Marina di Venezia Olympic PoolThe last two days had been a whirlwind of activity, so as I had promised Herb, today would be a down day, where we wouldn’t leave the campground - not exactly a hardship as everything anyone could possibly need was there.

We spent the morning swimming laps in the Olympic pool, this time timing it not to swim amongst the aqua aerobics. After 32 lengths (1600m), we were ready for Herb’s favorite new European tradition -- siesta (“shushy”) time.

Then it was a lovely afternoon swimming in the Adriatic Sea from the campground beach, followed by pizza at one of the campground restaurants.

What a place!

Fireworks at Camping Marina di VeneziaThat evening, the campground put on a fireworks display on the beach that had to be one of the best shows I have ever seen. Italians certainly do know how to do fireworks!

I thought they would be shot off from a barge over the water, like we were used to in the States, but instead they were set off right from the beach. They felt so close that I found myself putting up my hands to protect myself from them falling on me. They didn’t of course - these people were professionals.

It was an appropriately spectacular end to what had been a magical time in Venice.

Description

Lolo and the Bridge of SighsWhile I will not attempt to do an in-depth description of all Venice has to offer -- there are numerous guidebooks to do just that -- the following is a list of interesting sites that we enjoyed:

Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square)

This beautiful Square is the heart and soul of Venice. Nearly two football fields long, it is lined by a colonnaded arcade, which houses dozens of shops, restaurants, and cafes. Four major historical buildings surround the Square:

• St. Mark’s Basilica - Venice’s signature church, built in the 11th century to replace the original chapel which was destroyed by fire in 932. Its architecture - exterior domes, arches, and spangled spires; gold mosaics covering both the exterior and interior space, and lavish colored marble - illustrates Venice’s strong connection with Byzantium. Admission to the church is free, but you can pay a small fee to jump the long lines.
• Campanile - bell tower in front of St. Mark’s Basilica. An elevator takes visitors 325 feet to the top for the best views of Venice.
• Doge’s Palace - built in the 14th century, this building served as the official residence of the doges (dukes) and the seat of the Republic’s government for four centuries. A masterpiece of Venetian Gothic architecture, it was built to show off the power and wealth of the Republic. The palace walls are covered with masterpieces by Tintoretto and Veronese. A one-way tour takes visitors through the doges’ apartments on the first floor, up a grand staircase to the incredibly lavish government offices on the 2nd, and finishes with the Bridge of Sighs and the prison.
• Correr Museum - small museum on the west side of the Piazza that has a large collection of art, documents, and objects charting the history and culture of Venice from the Medieval 13th century through the 19th.

Outer Islands

Strolling the alleys of BuranoIn total there are over a hundred of islands in the Venetian Lagoon. The most popular ones to visit, besides the main one of course, are Murano, Burano, and Torcello:

• Murano
  Island about a mile north of Venice that is famous for its glassware shops and factories. The island has been the center of a thriving glasswork industry since 1291, when the risk of fires in crowded Venice forced glass artisans to move to Murano. The main attraction on the island is, of course, glass, with countless shops selling Murano glass beads and souvenirs, factories to watch master glass makers performing their craft, and the Murano Glass Museum in the Palazzo Guistinian to learn about the history of glass making.
• Torcello
  First settled in 452, Torcello was the earliest center of civilization in the Venetian lagoon and had its own cathedral long before Saint Mark’s was built. Once the most populated of all the islands, with estimates as high as 20,000 people, today it is a quiet place with only about 10 permanent residents. Visitors do come, however, to visit the beautiful 7th century Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the 12th century Church of Santa Fosca.
• Burano
  Island known for its fine, handmade lace and picturesque, pastel-colored fishermen’s houses. The main attraction on this island are related to lace: numerous shops to purchase handmade lace items and the Museum and School of Lace Making to learn about its history. Visitors should also spend an hour or two wandering along its canals and through its pedestrian alleys, photographing the brightly colored houses, especially in evening light.

For information on ticket options for visiting museums in Venice and on the outer islands, see: http://www.venice-museum.com/venice-museum-pass

Travelogue

Day 1 - Konigsee Ferry to Salat and St. Bartholomew

Ferry on KonigseeWe had spent the past few days exploring cities and castles, which had been wonderful, but we were about ready to explore some natural beauty. Berchtesgaden National Park was very high on our list of places we wanted to see, so we left Salzburg a day early to get there before the bad weather that was forecasted moved in. This would be our first opportunity to hike in the Alps, and we were quite excited about it.

Although there are no campgrounds in the national park itself, a small, family-run campground called Campingplatz Grafenlehen is right nearby. From there, it’s just a ¾-mile walk on a lovely path alongside a river to the northern end of Konigsee Lake and boat docks from which the lake ferry departs. Perfect!

Fortunately, the campground had room for us and by noon, we were nicely tucked into a site with very pretty views of the mountains. Like the other campgrounds we had been to so far, this one had a beer garden and restaurant on site - a wonderful amenity that you almost never find in campgrounds in the States.

St. BartholomewSince the forecast was a little questionable for tomorrow, we wanted to make the most of today, so we packed lunch and set off immediately on the path to the Konigsee.

The lake is stunning. No wonder Bavarian and Austrian royalty spent centuries recreating here. It was also one of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun’s favorite vacation spots. They used to go boating on its waters and sunbathe on its shores - not a very pleasant image.

The lake is about 5 miles long, crystal clear, and narrow, like a fjord. It is surrounded on all sides by steep, vertical walls, so there is no path around the lake. The only way to get anwhere is by ferry.

The ferry makes only two scheduled stops: St. Bartholomew and Salat. It also stops on request at a backpacker’s dock on the eastern side of the lake. We purchased two round-trip tickets (17.80 euro each) that would allow us to get off at both stops. The whole round-trip takes about 2 hours.

Salat to Obersee to Rothbachfalls HikeThe ferry was a beautiful wooden boat that was electrically powered and extremely quiet. About 20 minutes into our trip, the captain shut off the engine and a crewman reached under the seat next to us and extracted a musical instrument case. He then rather dramatically pulled out a trumpet and began to play a duet with the echo that reverberated off the surrounding rock walls. Actually, it was more of a quintet the way the sound kept bouncing around.

About half way up the lake, the boat stopped to let people off at St. Bartholomew, where there is a beautiful, baroque, onion-domed chapel that was built in the late 1600s. We decided to stay on the boat for now and go to Salat on the southernmost end of the lake first. Then we could stop here on the way back.

Friendly German cows lounging near the RothbachfallFrom the boat dock in Salat it was only a quarter mile walk to the Obersee, a pristine alpine lake, much smaller than the Konigsee. At the far end of the Obersee, there is a solitary alpine hut called the Fischunkelalm, which serves refreshments to hikers. From the Fischunkelalm, two paths lead up through an alpine meadow towards Rothbachfall, the highest waterfall in Germany, which we could now see in the distance.

It was fun hiking up through the meadow, weaving in and out of a dozen or so very mellow cows. They were so docile you could practically pet them. To my delight, cows in the Alps really do wear huge cowbells, the sound of which I found very quaint, but must drive the cows themselves crazy after awhile. I guess someone must live up here, because someone had to milk them.

We continued along a bit further, but didn’t go all the way to the base of the falls, as the view from a bit further away was good enough. Plus, we wanted to get back to the ferry to have enough time to spend at St. Bartholomew, from which the last ferry of the day departed at 6:00 pm.

St. Bartholomew ChapelThe entire hike from the Salat boat dock to and from our vantage point of Rothbachfall was only about 2 miles, but what a satisfying two miles it was - pristine alpine lake and meadow, a cowbell symphony by a troupe of friendly cows, beautiful waterfall, and mountain views. Our first hike in the Alps!! They say you never forget your first, and I think in this case, it will be true.

We got to St. Bartholomew with about an hour to spare. This small onion-domed pilgrimage church, with Watzmann mountain looming behind it, is one of the most visited and photographed places in Berchtesgaden. It is easy to see why.

Originally built in the 12th century in the Gothic style, it was remodeled in the 16th century into its current baroque appearance. It has two onion domes, one octagonal and one round, on a red domed roof. After Berchtesgaden joined Bavaria in 1810, the church became a hunting lodge for the Bavarian Kings.

There is a restaurant and beer garden outside the church. During the summer, they serve fresh fish right from the lake. No other fishing is allowed on the lake.

This was one of the few places along the lake that you could stroll along the shoreline, so we did just that before returning to the ferry back home.

What a wonderful day it had been. Even if it did rain all day tomorrow, I think Berchtesgaden would live on as one of our favorite stops.

Day 2 - Hike to summit of Mt. Jenner

Glimpses of the Konigsee at the start of our Jenner hikeWe awoke to a very pleasant surprise - no rain. In fact, the sun was shining. Herb suggested that we take the Jennerbahn (cable car) to the top of Mt. Jenner and then hike the 6 miles back down. The views from the summit down to the Konigsee were supposed to be spectacular. It sounded like a great plan.

According to Google Maps the Visitor Center to buy Jennerbahn tickets was near where we bought the ferry tickets yesterday, so we set off once again along the river path into Konigsee village. I remember thinking to myself that it was funny that we hadn’t noticed the cable cars passing overhead on our boat tour yesterday, which should have been a forewarning of what was to come.

The girl at the Visitor Center didn’t speak English very well, but I soon got the gist - the Jennerbahn was under construction and wouldn’t reopen until 2018. So that’s why we didn’t see any cable cars. After exchanging some concerned looks, Herb and I decided that we would hike instead, at least up part of it. We asked the girl for a trail map.

While reviewing the map with her, I noticed that there were several huts along the way, which from my brief exposure to the German culture, I suspected meant beer garden. I asked her about them, but did not really understand her answer. I was only able to decipher the word “Schnapps.” In retrospect, I think I can now approximate a translation of what she was trying to say - “all the beer gardens are closed as well, so I hope you’ve brought along your own schnapps.”

Herb playing with the cows on Konigsbach AlmArmed with a map and good attitudes, we walked passed the valley cable car(less) station and up the steep Jennerbahnstrasse through a lovely residential area with picture perfect Bavarian-style houses.

After turning onto the Richard-Voss-Strasse, we came upon our first trail marker, a series of yellow arrow-shaped signs atop a pole, indicating destinations and times (rather than distances) to get to them - a much more meaningful measure in steep terrain. Unbeknownst to us at the time, this system of marking trails was used at every trail junction throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. Herb said he read somewhere that in Switzerland they have the local senior citizens walk the trails and establish the times. If so, I am impressed, because they were pretty dead on with our hiking times -- but then again, we are not too far from being senior citizens ourselves.

Konigsbach Alm on hike up to Jenner summitWe made a right onto the Hochbahnweg towards Konigsbach Alm (alpine meadow), two hours away, thinking that might be a good destination for the day. The trail led us up a forested slope with occasional views of the Konigsee, somewhat obscured by the trees. Hopefully, they would get better when we got more out in the open in the meadow.

Pretty much on time (2 hours), we arrived at the Konigsbach Alm, where there was a restaurant/beer garden that was quite obviously closed. I guess without the Jennerbahn running, there weren’t enough customers to make it worth opening. We sat on a rock and ate our peanut butter sandwiches and water. I wish I had brought schnapps.

Herb had been hoping that Konigsbach Alm would be a lovely meadow to just spend time relaxing in and taking in the view, but although very pretty, it really wasn’t very conducive to that. It was more of a pasture for cows to hang out in.

Coping with Peanut Butter when the Beer Gardens are closedNow what? The trail marker showed that it was another two hours to Jenner summit. We didn’t want to just turn around and do an out and back, so we decided to forge on.

This part of the hike was much more open, with long vistas as far as the eye could see. It seemed like it went on forever. Finally, after 6 miles and a 4,800-foot elevation gain, over a 3 hour period, we arrived at the upper station of the Jennerbahn.

It was eerily deserted. I am sure this place is bustling in winter time and in summers as well when the cable car can transport people to the top. For now, it was all ours, and we had earned it.

From the lodge, which was also under reconstruction, we hiked another 10 minutes up to the viewpoint on Mt. Jenner’s summit (1874 meters), where a large cross stood atop a rocky pile, marking its highest point. Of course, we had to scramble up to it. We didn’t come this far to not get to the official summit.

View from Jenner summitThe views were worth every step of the way. The crystal blue waters of the Konigsee lay below us, surrounded by over a 100 German and Austrian snow-covered mountain peaks. It was utterly breathtaking. We could just make out the tiny ferries scooting silently across the water below us.

Rather than hike down the same way we came up, we followed the trail signs to the Jennerbahn Mittelstation. While the hike was nice at first, the trail eventually brought us onto a ski resort road that was undergoing construction. It was horrible - no pristine forests or mountain vistas; just noisy trucks kicking up clouds of dirt, and ruts to twist your ankle in. If we had come up this way first, we never would have continued on to the summit.

Ominous storm clouds were starting to build - perhaps that anticipated bad weather was finally on its way. Despite being quite tired, we picked up the pace to try to beat out the storm.

Hiking down always sounds better on paper, but I often find it harder on my legs and feet. We limped back into the campground, just as the skies opened up and the rain began to fall.

All in all we had hiked 13 ½ miles that day, with almost a mile of elevation gain. Most of it had been truly spectacular.

Description

Start of the descent from Jenner summitBerchtesgaden National Park, in southeastern Germany near the Austrian border, is one of the oldest protected areas in the Alps. The park, which was established in 1978, encompasses 218 square kilometers of lakes, mountains, forests of dwarf pines, and alpine meadows.

The gem of the park is the beautiful Konigssee, a 5-mile long, crystal clear, fjordlike lake,
surrounded on all sides by steep, vertical walls, including the Watzmann, Germany’s second highest mountain.

An electrically driven boat ferry is the only way to access points around the lake. The ferry makes only two scheduled stops:

• St. Bartholomew, where there is a beautiful baroque, onion domed chapel, as well as a restaurant and beer garden
• Salat, on the southern shore where there are hikes to the Obersee and Rothbachfalls, the highest waterfall in Germany.

The Jennerbahn (cable car) scoots visitors to the summit of Mt. Jenner for fantastic views of the Konigsee, surrounded by over a 100 German and Austrian snow-covered mountain peaks, including Mount Watzmann.

Note:

When we were there in June 2017, the Jennerbahn was closed with plans to reopen in 2018. We hiked to the top instead

Travelogue

Camping Nord-SumSalzburg, the city of Mozart and the Sound of Music, came highly recommended by Rick Steves and practically every other European travel guide I picked up during my planning. Plus, its proximity to Chiemsee (only 45 minutes) and Berchtesgaden (less than 45 minutes) - two planned stops on our itinerary - confirmed our decision to visit this lovely old city.

However, before entering Austria we had to stop at a gas station before crossing the border to buy a vignette to display on our windshield to allow us to travel on the Austrian highways without receiving a large fine. While the German highways are free, most of the other countries in the European Union have some sort of toll system. A 10-day vignette cost us 8.90 euros.

As we had hoped, there was a choice of two campgrounds less than 4 bike path miles from the Altstadt (Old City) that rented bicycles. Somewhat randomly, we chose Camping Nord-Sum, a small, family run campground with grassy sites separated by trees and shrubs, and a heated swimming pool. The office was located in a beautiful Bavarian-style home, complete with flower boxes on the wood balconies and a nice dining area in front that could be used by campers.

Biking to SalzburgAfter getting the camper van situated, we rented a pair of bikes and headed out on the bike path that led to the Aldstadt. In about a mile and a half, the path made a left and we rode for the rest of the way along the Salzach River, where we had wonderful views of the Aldstadt.

Salzburg’s Altstadt, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a charmingly preserved old town with splendid gardens, Baroque churches, cobblestone streets, and Europe’s largest intact Medieval fortress. Coming from a land where history goes back only 300 years or so, it was still a novelty for us to wander through so many more centuries of history.

We crossed the Salzach River on the Makartsteg Bridge, Salzburg’s newest pedestrian bridge, where there was a sea of “Lover’s Locks” covering almost every inch of the fence just below the railing. I have seen these in several locations in the U.S., but never this dense. They looked like colorful jewels glinting in the sunlight.

Lover's Locks on Makartsteg BridgeIt added a bit of romance to what was already a romantic city. There are many stories as to how this tradition started, but most people credit this phenomenon to a 2006 novel by Federico Moccia called “I Want You,” in which two lovers fix a lock to the Ponte Milvio bridge in Rome to express their unbreakable love for each other. Typically, the lovers’ names or initials are inscribed on the lock, and the key is thrown away - hence, the unbreakable part of the symbolism. From there, the tradition has spread around the world to mixed reviews. Some cities treat the locks as vandalism and remove them, while others embrace them as art and a way to attract tourists. Salzburg was definitely the latter and I think it really added charm to the city.

Having only rental bike locks at our disposal, we sadly had to miss declaring our eternal love for each other in Salzburg. Instead, we rather pragmatically used our locks to secure our bikes to a rack at the other end of the bridge, so that we could continue on foot.

Museum der Moderne SalzburgWherever you are in Salzburg, it’s hard not to feel the presence of the Monchsberg, a cliff face that rises 400 feet above the city. There is a funicular connecting the Aldstadt to the Hohensalburg Castle atop the cliff, but we decided that we would walk to the Museum of Modern Art on top instead.

It was a lovely walk mostly through a forest, until we arrived at the restaurant terrace of the museum, which had a wonderful view of the Salzach River winding its way through the old town.

We probably should have stuck with gazing at the view, because I would have to say that the museum itself was pretty disappointing. Now, we are not art connoisseurs, so maybe we just weren’t getting it. However, we felt somewhat vindicated in our feelings after reading the reviews on Trip Advisor. Still, it did bring us to a great spot atop the Monchsberg.

Salzach River flowing through the AldstadtRather than hike back down to street level, we followed the path along the top of the cliff for about a mile and descended behind the legendary Augustiner Braustubel, Austria’s largest beer inn and garden. It was founded by Augustinian monks in 1605.

The beer garden didn’t open until 2:30 on Sundays, but a line was already forming on its steps when we arrived at 2:00. We didn’t have to worry about getting a seat though, as the beer garden alone sits 1,400 people. There are also several indoor dining halls as well.

As with the other beer gardens we had been to so far, the tables were set in the shade of old chestnut trees. Herb was convinced that the purpose of the lids on German beer steins is to prevent the droppings from these trees getting in one’s beer. Perhaps he was right, because we noticed that many people were placing their coasters on top of the mugs between sips.

Lolo enjoying the Augustiner BraustublBeer gardens are self serve, so Herb went off to forage for beer, which was a multi-step process. First he first went to a cashier and purchased two tokens. He then used these tokens to select two stone-made “Maß” (one-liter) mugs off a shelf. These mugs were then filled with beer from a wooden barrel.

Next it was my turn to find lunch. I ascended a series of steps leading into into an arcade lined with small shops and market stalls, called the “Schmankerlgang”. There were so many choices. Everything looked so good, that I couldn’t go wrong. I finally selected a stall near a statue of St. Augustine, the namesake of our beer, and purchased two orders of bratwurst, sauerkraut, and potatoes.

The lunch and the meal were wonderful, but what I really like about beer gardens is the atmosphere of conviviality - families and friends gathered together on a Sunday afternoon to enjoy each other’s company, enhanced by some great food and beer.

Herb showing the younguns how it's doneWe couldn’t leave Salzburg without visiting Mozart, so we strolled along the Salzach River back towards the Aldstadt. Along the way we passed a park with exercise stations, where shirtless, jacked twenty-somethings were working out. Despite being at least twice their age, Herb jumped in and did as many dips as they were doing. The old man’s still got it - even after some wurst and a Maß beer.

Continuing along, we got off the main drag and wandered through the narrow pedestrian alleys that we have come to love in Europe. In the Mozartplatz we stopped to admire the Mozart statue and the beautiful old pink Church of St. Michael, built in the 800s.

Looming 400 feet above the square atop a rock called Festungsberg is the imposing Hohensalzburg Fortress, built in the 11th century as a show of the Catholic Church’s power.

Strolling through the AldstadtIf we had the time and energy, we would have climbed back up the cliff to take a tour, but instead we continued through the Aldstadt to Mozart’s Geburtshaus (birthplace) and the place where he composed most of his works as a young protege. It is the most visited sight in the city.

On our bike ride back to the campground, we stopped at a climbing gym right alongside the bike path to take a peek. It was a really nice gym, but surprisingly empty. When we asked why, the girl at the counter said that on nice days, everyone climbs outdoors. This would be something fun to do tomorrow we decided. As we were hopping back on our bikes, the girl ran out with one of those large Bavarian pretzels. “Hungry?” she asked. “I have lots of these left over because no one came today.” I rode the rest of the way back, with a pretzel strapped to my backpack.

That evening we swam in the campground pool and lounged around, discussing plans for the next day. Our original intention was to spend another day in Salzburg, but a quick check on the weather showed that rain would be moving into the Alps in a few days. We really had our hearts set on hiking in Berchtesgaden National Park, so we decided to cut our visit to Salzburg short and get there before the weather changed.

Description

View from the Museum der Moderne SalzburgSalzburg has a charmingly preserved old town with splendid gardens, Baroque churches, cobblestone streets, Europe’s largest intact Medieval fortress. It is famous for being the birthplace of Mozart and the location for the Sound of Music, around which many guided tours are centered.

Saltzburg’s Aldstadt (Old Town) is a Unesco World Heritage Site

• connected to the top of the Monchsberg mountain (great views) via funicular and elevator
• Funicular brings you to imposing Hohensalzburg Castle
• Elevator brings you to cafes, the Museum of Modern Art, wooded paths, and great views
• You can also walk up to the top from several points in town – behind the cathedral, Toscaninihof, and the Augustiner Braustubl beer garden

Walking tours of Salzburg

• One-hour guided walk without a reservation – just meet at the TI on Mozartplatz
• Or do on our own with Rick’s Steve audio tour (which can be downloaded for free)
  • Mozartplatz
  • Residenzplatz
  • New Residenz and Glockenspiel
  • Mozart’s birthplace
  • Old Residenz
  • Salzburg Cathedral
  • Kapitelplatz
  • St. Peter’s Cemetery
  • St. Peter’s Church
  • Toscaninihof
  • Universitatsplatz
  • Monchsberg Cliff Face
  • Getreidegasse
  • Alter Market

Salzburg Card (26 euro for one day)

• Entrance to all the major sights and attractions
• Free river cruise
• Unlimited use of public transport (including cable cars)

Travelogue

Herb enjoying his first day in the camperHow exciting! Our first of 27 days touring Europe in our little camper van. We are very accustomed to motorhome life and have criss crossed the U.S. over a dozen times in our 27-foot Lazy Daze, but we knew we would be faced with unfamiliar challenges, such as road signs we could not understand and roads that were much narrower than we are used to.

In my planning for this tip, I had used a rather old (2004) European Camping Guide to find campgrounds near places on our itinerary. Europeans seem to be much more camping-friendly than Americans. Everywhere we wanted to visit - whether it be city or village - was accessible, either on foot or by public transportation, from a campground. And the campgrounds themselves far exceeded our expectations - clean, great facilities, and most of them even had a restaurant or beer garden on site.

Chiemsee sunsetFor Lake Chiemsee, I had found two campgrounds on different sections of the lake, each within walking distance to a boat ferry to the islands we wanted to visit. The woman who gave us the instructional on the camper told us that at this time of year (late May - early June), we should have no problem getting a campsite anywhere. So we headed to the first one (Panorama Camping Harras, on a peninsula jutting into the lake), without a care in the world, only to find that it was totally booked. The owner, who fortunately spoke English very well, told us that many people were making a long weekend out of the Thursday Father’s Day holiday. He told us we could probably park behind the hotel down the road and come back in the morning to see if anyone checked out. This was not exactly how we wanted to spend our first night in the camper.

We made a quick call to the second campground I had on my itinerary, Chiemsee-Camping Rödlgries, which was also on the lake about 10 miles east. They said they had room for us, so we set off immediately to ensure that we had a place to land for the night.

Chiemsee Schifffahrt (boat ferry) from FraueninselIt was a lovely campground with shady, grassy sites, a beer garden, and very clean and ample bathroom / shower facilities. Plus, the walk to a boat ferry that would take us to the islands was only 1 km rather than the 2.5 km walk that we would have had to make from the previous campground. We both were quite glad that the last campground didn’t work out, because this one seemed much nicer and more convenient.

It was already quite late in the day by the time we settled in, so we relaxed and got to know the camper better and then took a sunset walk along the campground beach. Tomorrow we would take the ferry to visit the islands of Herreninsel and Fraueninsel. Kind of an interesting concept - Man Island and Woman Island.

Early the next morning, we walked to the boat dock for the Chiemsee Schifffahrt (boat ferry), where we were the first on line for the first ferry of the day from Ubersee. The tickets for a trip to both islands were 9.70 euro each.

The ferry stopped first at Fraueninsel, but we stayed on the boat because we were more interested in seeing Schloss Herrenchiemsee, King Ludwig II’s castle on Herreninsel. Hopefully, by being early we would beat most of the crowds. We could stop at Fraueninsel on the way back.

Gardens at Schloss HerrenchiemseeUpon disembarking on Herreninsel, we purchased our tickets to tour the castle for 8 euros each and walked about a half mile to get to the palace. We were assigned a specific tour time, so we didn’t have much time to wander about and photograph the beautiful gardens - we would do that afterwards. As luck would have it, we were part of an English-speaking tour.

Unfortunately, no photographs were allowed inside the castle, so it’s difficult for me to portray what an amazing place this is. Let’s just say that you have to see it to believe it.

Herrenchiemsee is the least famous of Ludwig II’s three castles. He is most well known for Neuschwanstein, his fairy tale castle immortalized by Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, and Linderhof, his jewel-box palace. However, Schloss Herrenchiemsee cost more than the other two combined and pretty much depleted nine centuries of Wittelsbach wealth.

Gardens at Schloss HerrenchiemseeThe castle was never intended to be inhabited. In fact, Ludwig only spent 10 days in the palace. Rather, it is a replica of the Palace of Versaille, meant to be a sort of museum where he could transport himself in his imagination back to the court of Louis XIV of France, whom he seemed to have a man crush on. There is even a Hall of Mirrors modeled on the one in Versailles, but even larger. As a result, the replica ceiling paintings had to be resized to fit the bigger room.

Only 20 of the planned 70 rooms were finished before Ludwig’s mysterious death in 1886 and construction was stopped. Each of those 20 rooms is more magnificent and opulent than the next.

After the palace tour, we took our time wandering through the formal gardens, also modeled on Versailles; however, now we were allowed to take photos. The gardens are filled with fountains and statues both in the classical style of Versaille and the fantastic romanticism that Ludwig loved.

There is also a baroque Augustinian monastery on the island built in the 1600s. Between the monks and Ludwig wandering around alone in his castle, there wasn't much of a female presence on the island - hence the name Herreninsel.

Idyllic FraueninselThe next stop on our boat tour was Fraueninsel, which had a much different feel to it than Herreninsel - much more idyllic and peaceful. Most of the island's inhabitants are either fishermen or artists. There has been an artists' colony on the island since the late 19th century.

The island’s best-known attraction is Frauenworth, an 8th century Benedictine convent with a beautiful campanile that can be seen from far away across the lake. Although the nunnery is closed to the public, the Klosterkirche, nunnery's church, which dates back to the 11th century, is not. It is well worth a visit. While we were there, a wedding was just about to get under way. What a wondeful place for a wedding.

We wandered around the island for a bit before taking the ferry back to Ubersee. From there it was just a short stroll back to our campground.

Description

Fountains at Schloss HerrenchiemseeChiemsee, which is only an hour and a half from Munich, is the largest lake in Bavaria. It has three islands, which can be reached by ferry:

• Herreninsel - major attraction is Schloss Herrenchiemsee, a neo-Baroque royal palace built in 1878 by “Mad” King Ludwig II. It was meant to be a replica of the Palace of Versailles in honor of the Sun King Louis XIV of France, whom Ludwig admired almost obsessively. There is even a great Hall of Mirrors modeled on the one in Versailles, but even larger. Ludwig died in 1886 before the building could be completed. Tours of the palace and its gardens are conducted throughout the summer.
• Fraueninsel - fishing village and site of an 8th century Benedictine convent
• Krautinsel - uninhabited

Trips to the islands, which cost less than 10 euro per person, run from several docks around the lake and are operated by the Chiemsee Schifffahrt:
http://www.chiemsee-schifffahrt.de/en/preise/preise-bis-31122015/

Travelogue

Our sweet little PosslThis was it. The big day where we'd pick up our camper van and begin our European road trip. Herb had spent a good portion of last Fall researching motorhome rental places and vehicles and come to the conclusion that McRent was the best place (largest motorhome rental company in Europe) and that the smaller the vehicle the better to manage the narrow roads in Europe. Herb originally thought that I would prefer a larger one, because I was spoiled by our 27-foot Lazy Daze, but I too wanted as little stress as possible navigating our way around.

We decided on a Compact Standard Van with a bath and shower that would sleep 2 - more specifically, a Possl 2Win. It was pretty perfect for our needs:

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=https://www.poessl-...

The Munich McRent is not actually located in Munich, but rather in the town of Sulzemoos about 20 miles northwest of Munich. There really were no good public transportation options to get there from our hotel, so we paid $65 for an Uber.

The Campground of Herb's dreamsOne more trip-changing discovery we made while wandering the showroom was a huge advertisement in their lounge for Camping Marina di Venezia. The photo showed a huge campground on the Adriatic Sea with half a dozen gorgeous pools. "Is this the campground you have on our itinerary for our time in Venice?" Herb asked. Oops. We took a picture of the ad for future reference. Spoiler alert - it was the best campground we ever stayed in.

At 2:00, we returned to the rental office and began the very thorough pickup process. A woman spent about 45 minutes with us going over every detail of the vehicle. Fortunately, Herb is an engineer and also the owner of a much larger motorhome, so understanding how to work this one was not a big deal for him. I can, however, imagine how it would be a bit overwhelming for people driving a motorhome for the first time.

Excited, we set out in our new home for the next four weeks towards the first destination on our itinerary - Lake Chiemsee, about an hour and a half to the east.

Aldi Sud - Our favorite German supermarketHowever, our first order of business upon hitting the road was stocking up the motorhome, so we stopped at Aldi Sud, a German discount supermarket recommended to us by McRent. Although we had difficulty finding what we wanted, we made due with the choices they had. Breakfast and lunch items were fairly easy, but we still hadn’t figured out what and how we would be cooking dinner in the camper. There was only a 2-burner stove - no microwave or oven like I was used to in our Lazy Daze, so we would have to figure out what worked best. We found some tortellini packages that we thought would get us started, but I was kind of freaked out by the fact that they weren’t refrigerated, as I was accustomed to. However, the prices were unbelievably low - a 6-pack of German beer for 3 euros and wine for only a little more. However, I reminded Herb that we could not live on beer alone.

Description

A motorhome rental service operating throughout Europe that offers all kinds of motorhomes. In fact, it is Europe's largest motorhome rental company.

Here is a link to their fleet, which ranges from small camper vans to larger Class C and Class A RVs:

https://www.mcrent.eu/motorhome-rv/

You can currently find McRent motorhome rental in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, Estonia, Poland and Iceland.

In Germany, where we rented, they have locations in Aalen, Berlin, Berlin-Ost, Bremen, Dettingen, Dortmund, Düsseldorf/Mülheim, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg, Hamburg-Süd, Hannover, Isny, Karlsruhe, Konstanz, Köln/Bonn, Leipzig, Limburg, Mannheim, München, Nuremberg, Potsdam, Regensburg, Rheine, Rheinfelden, Stuttgart and Warendorf.

The contact information for the Munchen location where we rented ours is:

Ohmstraße 16
85254 Sulzemoos
Phone: +49 8135 6234020
Fax: +49 8135 6234021
info@wohnmobil-muenchen.de

Travelogue

Day 1 - Viktualienmarkt, Marienplatz, churches and more churches, English Gardens, Chinesischer Turm, Isartor Gate, and Hofbrau Haus

Hotel Lux BarGetting to Munich from our hotel involved a shuttle back to the airport and then a train, which dropped us off smack under the Marienplatz. Since our luggage was not exactly conducive to sight-seeing, after a quick glance around this beautiful square, we headed directly to our hotel, which fortunately was right near by. In fact, its proximity to the Marienplatz, which is the heart of Munich's Altstadt, is why we chose the Hotel Lux for our 3-day sojourn in the city.

From the moment I stepped into the quaint old Hotel Bar, which also serves as the Reception area, I knew I would love this place. The hotel clerk was extremely friendly and helpful and spoke perfect English - in fact, he was actually from Portugal. It was much too early to check in, so he took our bags and suggested we wander over to the Viktualienmark to get a bite to eat. He would have our room ready for us by 2:00 pm.

We took his advice and walked the short distance to what was familiar to us as a farmers’ market in the states, but much larger and more permanent (open every day but Sunday). We didn’t know where to start - there were well over a hundred stalls and shops selling flowers, poultry, fish, exotic fruits, fresh produce, cheese, bread, wine, and all sorts of Bavarian specialties. There were wursts as far as the eye could see.

MarienplatzIn the center of the Viktualienmarkt is a beer garden, which sits over 600 people, shaded by hundred-year old chestnut trees. Every six weeks or so they offer a different beer from one of the legendary breweries - Augustiner, Paulaner, Spaten, Hofbrau, Lowenbrau, etc. We weren’t quite ready for the beer portion of the day yet (still a bit jetlagged), so we just got panini sandwiches at one of the stalls and ate them on a bench, while watching the activity around us. The sandwiches were reasonably priced and delicious.

Check-in time at our hotel was still awhile away, so we decided to do some sightseeing, beginning at the nearby Marienplatz, Munich’s vibrant city square since 1158. After only traveling in the U.S. up until now, and thinking that Independence Hall was old, it was mindblowing to contemplate just how much history there is here.

Frauenkirche from atop the Neues RathausThe Marienplatz is dominated by the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), which was built in the late 1800s. However, its neo-Gothic style makes it look much older than the Altes Rathaus on the other end of the square, which was built in the 1300s.

The most striking feature of the building is its 85-meter (255 foot) tower, which is home to the famous Glockenspiel. For 2 Euros, we took the lift to the top of the tower for a wonderful view of the city.

Glockenspiel in the MarienplatzAfterwards we made sure we were well positioned in the Marienplatz for the 11:00 am Glockenspiel show (there are only three shows a day in summer: 11:00 am, noon, and 5:00 pm). As the hour approached, we and about a hundred other tourists gazed anxiously upwards towards the balcony in the tower where the 32 figurines stood poised for action. Pretty close to the hour, the 43 bells started ringing and the upper balcony began spinning - sort of like a lazy Susan - while the figures also spun, acting out a 1568 knight’s tournament. When they were done, the lower balcony began to spin while barrel makers took their turn, performing a ritual dance to celebrate the end of the plague around 1500. I was glad that our timing worked out so that we could see it. After all, you can’t come to Munich and not experience the Glockenspiel.

Munich is a very Catholic city and it served as the center of the German counter reformation. As a result, there are numerous cathedrals, each vying for the faithful’s attention with their spirituality and ornateness.

AsamkircheWe visited four that day, and I hate to admit it, but with the exception of one, they kind of blend together in my memory. I am going to start with the one that I didn’t forget, because it was the most amazing church I have ever seen.

It’s called the Asamkirche and it is on Sendlinger Strasse about 600 meters southwest of the Marienplatz. We almost missed it, because from the outside it doesn’t even look like a church - but once we stepped inside, Wow! It was a baroque extravaganza, with every inch of its walls and ceilings covered with gold, Putti, frescoes, and stucco flourishes. It is the epitome of religious opulence and ostentatiousness. The church is tiny - only 30 feet wide and can fit only one pew across its nave.

It was built by two brothers in 1740 and meant to be their personal place of worship and eventually their burial place. However, higher-ups in the church hierarchy demanded that it be opened to the public, which thankfully for us, it still is today. Be sure to say hello to the gilded grim reaper on your left when leaving.

The other three cathedrals we visited that day were much more typical of what we expected, and each of them was beautiful and impressive in its own right. I will try to do them justice.

Frauenkirche - Van Dyck’s “Christ on the Cross”The Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), with its 99m high onion-domed towers, is the spiritual heart and symbol of Munich. This lovely Gothic church built in the 1400s is located just a few hundred yards northwest of the Marienplatz - in fact, we looked down on it from atop the observation deck of the Neues Rathaus. For a few Euros we could have ridden a lift to the top of the south tower and looked back at the Neues Rathaus, but we figured one aerial view of the city was sufficient.

This church is huge and can seat 4,000 people - such a different feel than tiny little Asamkirche. However, like the Asamkirche, much of its interior was remodeled in the baroque style - but in a much more subtle manner. Van Dyck’s “Christ on the Cross” hangs impressively from the vaulted ceiling near the end of the nave.

One of the more interesting legends surrounding this church is that of the Devil Footprint. According to one version (and there are many), the Devil made a deal to finance the construction of the church if it was built without windows so that he could wander around in it as he pleased. However, the builders tricked the Devil with an architectural illusion by building windows that couldn’t be seen from the foyer. When the Devil realized he was duped, he stomped his foot, leaving a black mark on the floor that still remains today. I wish I had done my research before rather than after visiting this church, because I missed it. Hopefully, now my readers won’t.

St. Peterskirche - Jeweled skeleton of a female martyrJust south of the Marienplatz is another one of Munich’s spiritual landmarks, St. Peterskirche, the oldest parish church in the city, known affectionately by locals as Alter Peter (“Old Peter”). Its interior is a virtual textbook of art through the centuries with an eclectic mix of Gothic, Baroque, and Rococo features. I thought the baroque ceiling fresco by Johann Baptist Zimmerman was absolutely stunning. However, I would have to say that my personal favorite was a jeweled skeleton of a female martyr in a glass coffin, located in a chapel on the left side of the church. It felt a bit like something you would find in a Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Kept hidden away in a wooden box since her beheading in 310 AD, Saint Munditia, the patron saint of spinsters, was put back on display in 1883. She was a beaut.

MichaelskircheAfter so many beautiful churches, it was hard to keep up the same level of awe. It was exhausting. Our last church of the day was Michaelskirche, just west of the Frauenkirche. At the time of its completion in 1597, it was the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps. With so many huge churches in such close proximity, I wonder just how full the pews could be on a Sunday morning - except in tiny Asamkirche. What stands out most for me in this church was its impressive unsupported barrel-vaulted ceiling. Also, it is the final resting place of “Mad” King Ludwig II, prolific builder of castles. For 2 Euro one can visit his humble tomb in the crypt - assuredly the only humble dwelling he ever spent time in.

Hotel Lux - 4th FloorIt was nearing check-in time, so we walked backed to the Hotel Lux, and as promised, our room was ready and our bags had been brought upstairs. Thank God, because our room was on the fourth floor, which in Germany is really the fifth floor, because they call the street level one the ground floor and the second floor the first. Fortunately, we are still fit, but I can see how this could be a real problem for those that are less so. The wooden spiral staircase was beautiful though with artwork on the walls along the way to distract you. Our floor had a painting of a young bare-breasted mythological nymph at the top of the landing that over the next few days would inspire Herb to keep on climbing. We took a picture down from our floor to the bottom -- it looked like a wooden snail.

The room was small, but very neat and comfy. Like the Arcadia Hotel, the bed had two down duvets rather than a single comforter - to prevent “tucking and rolling” your partner’s blanket away. It really was a smart concept. We were pretty exhausted from our morning sightseeing and a bit of remaining jetlag, so we took a nap before heading out again.

We set off on foot to the English Gardens, Munich’s version of Central Park, about a mile and a half from our hotel. It was absolutely lovely, with miles and miles of paths winding along a lovely stream which flows the length of the park.

English Gardens SurfersShortly after entering the park, next to the Haus der Kunst, we came upon a crowd gathered on a bridge watching a group of surfers below -- that’s right, surfers in the middle of Munich. We had heard about this, but weren’t exactly sure where it was done, so I’m glad we stumbled upon it. The source of the wave was the Eisbach, an artificial stream that runs through the park. With a little help from some planks of wood hanging from the bridge arches, surfers have shaped and stabilized the flowing water in such a way as to create a continuous wave, about 1 meter high and 12 meters wide, flowing about about 5 meters per second. The better surfers were able to ride the wave back and forth across the stream for several minutes. It was really quite amazing to watch.

English Gardens MonopterosA little ways further in the park, we came upon an Ancient Greek style temple called the Monopteros. set atop a man-made hill. Monopteros is a Greek architectural term for a structure with a circular colonnade supporting a roof, but without any walls. It was quite lovely, and that hill just needed to be climbed. Apparently, the youth of Munich thought so too, as many of them were hanging out on its steps, socializing and having a few beers. From atop the hill, there were wonderful views of the city.

From there, we continued through the park to the Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower) where there is a huge beer garden with room to seat 7,000 people. We got in line and bought two one-liter mugs of beer, leaving a euro deposit for each of the mugs. When we first got there, it was relatively empty and we were able to easily find a seat at one of its green picnic tables. However, after about 5:30 or so (I assume the end of the German workday), people started arriving in droves on their bicycles, still dressed in the their work cloths, meeting up with friends and family. This was definitely not a tourist trap, but the real deal. What a wonderful custom to see families and friends talking and laughing together over a beer and a pretzel or some bratwurst.

Herb enjoying the Chinesischer Turm beer gardenAfter finishing our beers - Herb had some of mine -- we walked the 2 ½ miles back to our hotel stopping along the way at the Isartor Gate, one of the four main gates of the old Medieval city wall (only three still remain). Completed in 1337, the gate has a 40-meter tower and was the main gate of Munich’s Salt Road. Murals of the Wittelsbachs’ past military victories adorn the walls over the arches. It is one of the most photographed landmarks in Munich.

I’m not sure why, but we felt like we just had to have dinner at the Hofbrauhaus, the famous three-floor beer hall dating back to the 16th century located right near our hotel. It is a bit of a tourist trap - you won’t find many locals here - but still a lot of fun. However, it wasn’t long before we we were clapping along with the oom pah band, raising our mugs, and yelling “Zicke zacke, zicke zacke, hoi hoi hoi!”

It was hard to believe that we had only arrived in Munich that morning, as we had already covered so much ground and seen so much of the city. We were going to have to slow down the pace a bit if we were going to survive four weeks of this.

Day 2 - Munich's Art Museums (Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek, and Pinakothek der Moderne)

Hotel Lux breakfastOur stay at the Hotel Lux included a wonderful hot buffet breakfast with eggs, bacon, various other meats, fruit, fresh bread, etc. We helped ourselves to a heaping plate and sat in one of the booths in the very cozy bar. It was a great way to start our day.

Munich has a wonderful art district called the Kunstereal, just west of the southern end of the English Gardens, and a little over a mile walk from our hotel. Since we couldn’t decide whether we were in the mood for Old Masters, baroque, impressionism, or modern, we figured we would try to do it all -- so much for slowing down the pace.

My sense of order required that we move sequentially from old to new, so we started our day at the Alte Pinakothek, which holds one of the most famous collections of Old Master paintings from the 14th through the 18th century. Since we planned to visit several museums that day, we purchased a combo ticket for 12 euros each.

Alte Pinakothek - The Great Last Judgment by RubensThe Alte Pinakothek, which has a neo-classical exterior, was ordered to be built by King Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1826 to hold the Wittelsbach collection. At the time of its completion in 1836, it was the largest museum in the world and well ahead of its time in terms of skylights and room layout for displaying art. Up until then, art had pretty much been displayed on the interior walls of castles. The building became the model for new galleries throughout Europe. As with many old buildings, this one was in the midst of some construction work so parts of the museum were closed.

The list of artists whose works are on display is a veritable “Who’s Who of Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo Art”: Albert Durer, Rogier van der Weyden, Hieronymus Bosch, Rembrandt, Frans Hal, Rubens, van Dyck, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (my personal favorite), Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto, El Greco, Velaquez, and on and on. No wonder this museum is featured in “1,000 Places to See Before you Die.”

Lolo's new friend breaking it to her that there is no TitianWhile wandering through the gallery rooms, I don’t know what possessed me to ask a museum security guard where the Titian’s were. He did not speak a word of English, and no matter how many times I slowly said “Titian” in a German accent, he had no clue what I was looking for. He was so sweet though. He directed me to sit on a bench and quickly returned with a catalog of the museum’s collection. Herb looked a little confused when he found me and the elderly guard, sitting like old friends on a park bench, flipping through the pages of a catalog together. I never did find out if there were any Titians on display, but I did make a friend.

Moving along our timeline of art history, we continued on to the nearby Neue Pinakothek, which has an impressive collection of 19th and 20th century paintings and sculpture: Realism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Art Noveau. It too has an all-star lineup: Delacroix, Courbet, Millet, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Pisarro, Cezanne, Degas, Van Gogh, Munch, Klimt, Turner, and more.

Lolo enjoying MonetImpressionism and Post Impressionism are my favorite types of art, so I felt quite at home wandering through the rooms, recognizing most of the artists before reading the plaques besides the paintings. It was like visiting old friends and family, and identifying distant cousins from their similar characteristics.

Although our combo pass was good for five museums, we concluded our museum tour with the Pinakothek der Moderne, one of the world’s largest museums for modern and contemporary art. It too was just a short walk away. The Museum is divided into four major collections.

Pinakothek der Moderne - Mens RoomThe State Gallery of Modern Art contains works from artists such as Picasso, Braque, Matisse, Magritte, Klee, Dali, Kandinsky, Andy Warhol, and more. This is pretty much the collection we focused on. There is also the New Collection, which focuses on applied design, with such pieces as VW Beetles, Eames chairs, early Apple macs, etc. This was pretty interesting as well. We were pretty worn out by now and starting to glaze over, so we really did not give much attention to the Architectural collection, which focuses on the history of baroque and Bauhaus architecture, and the State Graphics Collection, which has drawings, prints, and engravings, from artists such as da Vinci, and Cezanne.

We really enjoyed the paintings, especially those by Magritte and Dali, but I am embarrassed to say that our favorite pieces of art (and ones that I only saw second hand) were the shiny silver sinks and creatively shaped urinals in the men’s room. Herb was kind enough to photograph them for my enjoyment.

Day 3 - Boulderwelt Climbing Gym, Orleansplatz Beer Garden, and English Gardens again

Herb at BoulderweltToday was an official public holiday in Germany. In fact, it was two - Ascension Day to mark Jesus’s ascension to heaven and Father’s Day, or Mannertag. I’m not sure how Ascension Day is celebrated but we certainly got a look at how Father’s Day is.

The first thing that surprised me is that in Bavaria men really do wear Lederhosen and those cute little hats with feathers in them, especially when out hiking or drinking beer, which is basically what Father’s Day is all about. Unlike in the States where fathers spend this day with their children, it is customary in Germany for groups of men, both young and old - excluding pre-teenage boys, I guess because of the beer drinking - to go on a hike together. In the old days, they used to pull a Bollerwagen behind them, full of wine, beer, and food. I’m not sure if this is still done today.

Lolo at BoulderweltI do know, however, that they do seem to pre-load for their hike, because by 10:00 am in the morning, the beer gardens were full of Lederhosen-clad men raising their mugs in celebration of their “fatherness.”

Poor Herb didn’t have his sons along to drink beer and hike with, so he was stuck with me, but I was after all the one that helped make him a father. I spent most of the rest of that day trying to convince him that he would look cute in Lederhosen, but he wasn’t buying it.

Since we had spent the last two days sightseeing, we decided to spend the day doing things that we would normally do at home, like going to a rock climbing gym. A quick internet search revealed that there was a bouldering gym about a mile and a half away on the eastern side of the Isar River. We have found on our travels, that visiting local climbing gyms is a great way to get some exercise, while spending time with locals rather than fellow tourists.

Herb enjoying German Father's Day in the OrleansplatzSo we headed off on foot to Boulderwelt, which turned out to be a very impressive bouldering gym. Normally, Herb and I like to top-rope, where you are tied in while climbing and your partner belays you to stop your falls. Bouldering is a little different in that there are no ropes involved. Rather, the climbs are short enough that falling onto the padded floors is not a problem. I still don’t particularly like falling through free space, even if it is only for a few feet. That tends to keep us on climbs graded easy enough where we feel pretty confident that we won’t fall. The younger people in the gym (which basically means all of them) had no problem dropping 6 to 10 feet onto the mats.

Father's Day in the English GardensOn the walk back to the hotel, quite by accident, we stumbled upon a crowded beer garden in the Orleansplatz, complete with oom-pah band, food stalls, and of course, very large mugs of beer. It looked so festive that we just had to stop. We spent a very pleasant hour drinking beer, eating some kind of fried fish on a stick, and watching people, quite uninhibitedly, dancing in the square. It was so unexpected and so much fun. These people really knew how to celebrate Father’s Day.

Later that afternoon, we took another walk to the English Gardens, just to sit by the river and share in the festive mood of the people of Munich. It seemed like the whole city was out recreating. We really felt an affinity for the people of this wonderful city.

Description

While I will not attempt to do an in-depth description of all Munich has to offer -- there are numerous guidebooks to do just that -- the following is a list of interesting sites that we enjoyed:

MarienplatzMarienplatz- city’s main square since 1158

• Anchored by Mary’s Column built in 1838 to celebrate victory over Swedish forces during the Thirty Years’ War - topped by golden statue of the Virgin Mary balancing on a crescent moon
• Neues Rathaus - square is dominated by this neo-Gothic New Town Hall
  • Take the lift up the 85m-tower for views of Munich ($1)
  • Glockenspiel - 43 bells and 32 figures perform two actual historic events
  • Top - story of a knight’s tournament in 1568
  • Bottom - portrays the Schafflertanz - ritual dance by barrel makers to celebrate the end of the plague around 1500
• Altes Rathaus (eastern side of Marienplatz)
  • Where Joseph Goebbels gave a hate-filled speech that launched Kristallnacht pogroms - today a toy museum

Viktualienmarkt (just south of St. Peterskirche)

Vicktualienmarkt
• Munich’s famous farmers’ market (open every day but Sunday) with over a hundred stalls and shops selling flowers, poultry, fish, exotic fruits, fresh produce, cheese, bread, wine, and all sorts of Bavarian specialties.
• Blue and white striped Maypole
• Centerpiece – beer garden with picnic tables in shade of chestnut trees

Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) - Frauenplatz 1 (just a few hundred yards NW of Marienplatz)

• Gothic style – build in 1400s
• Spiritual heart of Munich
• 99m high with onion-domed twin towers – symbol of the city
• Panoramic views from south tower (2 euro)

St. PeterskircheSt. Peterskirche (Church of St. Peter)- Rindemarkt 1 (just south of Marienplatz)

• Munich’s oldest church (1136)
• 92-meter tower (300 steps) with best view of central Munich
• Virtual textbook of art through the centuries
  • 2nd chapel on left – skeleton of female martyr in a box
  • Nave lined with bronze statues of apostles
  • Gothic St-Martin altar
  • Johann Baptist Zimmermann’s baroque ceiling
  • Ignaz Gunther’s rococo sculptures

Michaelskirche (Church of St. Michael) - Kaufingerstrasse 52 (just a little west of Frauenkirche)

Asamkirche
• Completed in 1597 - then largest Renaissance church north of Alps
• Ornate baroque interior
• Impressive unsupported barrel-vaulted ceiling
• Most famous as final resting place of King Ludwig II - humble tomb in crypt (2 euro)

Asamkirche – 62 Sendlinger Strasse (just 600 yards SW of Marienplatz)

• Built in 1740 Pocket-sized (just 30 feet wide) late baroque created by two brothers
• Every inch of wall space covered with paintings, Putti, gold leaf, and stucco flourishes
• Dome – actually painting on a flat ceiling
• Marble columns – actually made of wood
• Gilded grim reaper – on left side as you are leaving

English Gardens (starts about 1 mile NE of Marienplatz)

• Bigger than Central Park
• Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower) - at the heart of Munich’s oldest beer garden
• Monopteros - small Greek temple with view of Munich skyline

Isartor GateIsartor (Isar Gate) - about ¼ mile SE of Marienplatz

• One of the most photographed Munich landmarks,
• Only tower left from the wall that once encircled Munich

Hofbrauhaus - Am Platzl 9 (½ mile east of Marienplatz

• world’s most celebrated beer hall – 5000 seat
• very touristy but lots of fun

Marienhof (behind new Town Hall)

• Dallmayr Delicatessan – most aristocratic deli in all of Germany

Kunstereal (Art District)

• Alte Pinakothek - Barer Strasse 27 - (just 1 mile north of Marienplatz) - $7
  • featured in 1,000 Places to See Before you Die
  • Old World Masters between 14th and 18th centuries - Cranach the Elder, Durer, Rubens, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, El Greco, Velazquez
• Neue Pinakothek - Barer Strasse 29 (near Alte Pinakothek) - $7
  • 19th and 20th century paintings and sculpture from rococo to art nouveau - Monet, Cezanne, Degas, and Van Gogh
• Pinakothek der Moderne - Barer Strasse 40 (near Neue Pinakothek - $10
  • Spectacular four-storey interior centered on an eye-like dome which spreads soft natural light throughout white galleries
  • Four collections:
    • State Gallery of Modern Art - Picasso, Klee, Dali, Kandinsky, Andy Warhol
    • New Collection - focuses on applied design - VW Beetles, Eames chairs, early Apple macs
    • State Graphics Collection - drawings, prints, engravings - da Vinci, Cezanne
    • Architecture Museum - baroque architect and Bauhaus

Travelogue

MaypoleKnowing we would be exhausted, confused, and jetlagged upon our arrival, we had reserved a room ahead of time at a hotel that had a shuttle from the airport. Despite some bad reviews about their unreliable shuttle, there it was as soon as we exited the Baggage Claim area.

The hotel was fine, clean and comfortable and in walking distance to a good Italian restaurant - that’s right, it was my first night in Germany and I was going to have a pizza.

The room looked like a typical American hotel room with the exception of the bed. Rather than a single comforter on the double bed, there were two twin-sized duvets folded in half, laid side-by-side on the bed. Herb loved the concept as he often accused me of “tucking and rolling,” leaving him uncovered on many a cold night. Also, there was no flat sheet between the fitted sheet and the duvet. We would find this same setup in our Munich hotel as well.

After a quick nap, we took a walk around the small, but quaint town of Oberding, my very first German village. I just couldn’t resist posing beside the maypole. I wonder if the villagers could tell I was a tourist.

There weren’t very many restaurants in town, but fortunately there was Il Casale, a reasonably priced and highly rated Italian restaurant with a lovely outdoor dining area. I had fully expected to have bratwurst and beer on my first night in Germany, but instead we had a very tasty artisan pizza and a beer. There would be plenty of time for bratwurst later.

The next morning we took the hotel shuttle back to the airport, so we could catch a train into Munich where we would be staying for the next three nights.

Description

The Arcadia is a 3-star hotel located in Oberding, Germany close to the Munich Airport, which offers a shuttle (charge) to and from the airport.