Neuschwanstein and more

Top view is of the castle from a vantage that calls for a hike.

The bottom photo  is of the gift shop at the base of the hill where some folks get their view.

 

Bolzano Italy -Iceman

This is a street scene from Bolzano Italy.

 It was take a few yards from the museum which holds the body of Otzi.

A man of the Ice Age his body was frozen and then discovered in 1991.

The museum is very interesting as is the story.

However, the way Otzi is displayed does not allow for good photos.

I suggest you log on to iceman.it.

By the way, Bolzano is a lovely city.

 

There are many reasons not to travel

        This unsavory character on the train platform in Italy could be a criminal. No one wants to get mugged. That is just one reasons not to travel.

          We are about ready to leave on a trip to Costa Rica. Someone reminded us that just recently a boy had died of food poisoning there. We are going to risk it.

         Paris has pickpockets. I encountered one. Rome has fast drivers.  We rode with one. The mountain roads of Austria are dangerous. We spent ten days in a car driving there.  In London ...

        Okay. There are lots of risks. There are also risks to walking down the street in a small town in Central California. There are reasons not to walk there.

        You can find any number of reasons to stay home, but there is a big world out there. Elephants run wild in Africa and not in my neighborhood. I like to see animals in their native environment.  You can not talk to a Swiss Guard at the Vatican by visiting a neighbor.

        It is true that you only die once, but you only live once too.

        

 

Sick in London? No problem.

Speaking from experience, medical systems are good all over Europe.

The counties of the European Union are not third world countries.

I had  cough in London and found out that the pharmacy is the first place to go.

The Pharmacist took my blood pressure, checked my symptoms and gave me what I needed.

I went to Urgent Care in Munich. Often on a long air trip I get a sinus infection.

Doctor in English checked me out and gave me a prescription. Total cost: $8 US.

They have medicine for all.

I have needed other help in Florence and Verona -easy.

I do not suggest you will need medical help, but most European are state of the art.

 

Brussels - Notes from a pligrim

This is a fountain and water feature in the middle of the street in Brussels.

It was very close to our hotel and a good place to stop in a day of sightseeing.

Brussels is the home of the European Union and a busy city.

Often people don't think of it as a destination - I suggest you include it in a trip to France.

It is very close by train and it has waffles.

 

Monasteries In Europe

    This photo is of the old gate to a monastery near the Seine in France. We were encouraged to visit and to hear the monks sing Georgian chants. We have visited a number of monasteries like this. One especially stands out and it one atop the hill overlooking Florence Italy.  We attended it with a local who claimed to be a Catholic and said it was his first time in a church in a long while. During a mass before the service we sat together, He explained what was said in Italian and I explained the religious symbols. We have also been to others.

  

 

Arriving and Leaving Venice

Looking at the mainland from Venice.

There are several ways to get to Venice (and back again). One way is a water taxi.

Water taxis are fast cruisers often like a Chris Craft.

Cruise ships have hurt the island.

The way we chose was the train. These fast trains come all the way in to the northern part of Venice.

Coming from Florence the trains are fast and comfortable.

Ours topped out at 127 miles per hour.

When leaving Venice we took a slower train to see the sights from the island to Verona.