Svalbard, 2025



I took a Seabourn cruise to Svalbard in May-June, 2025. Svalbard is a territory of Norway and is north of the Arctic Circle, between Norway and the North Pole. Svalbard has 112 days of Polar Night, when the sun does not rise, and 125 days of Midnight Sun, when the sun does not set. During the cruise, the sun did not set at all. The cruise was roundtrip from Longyearbyen, but included an overnight stay in Edinburgh before and after the cruise, allowing us to fly to and from Edinburgh. A car picked me up from Edinburgh airport, and took me to the hotel, which was just off the Royal Mile, close to St Giles. I had been to Edinburgh several times before, so I just walked around the Royal Mile.

The next morning, after a complimentary breakfast, a bus picked up all the passengers and took us to the airport, where we boarded a charter flight to Longyearbyen, which has a population of about 2500-3000. We were driven around Longyearbyen. We stopped at the Global Seed Vault. We could not go inside. The actual vault is underground. Many countries store seeds in case crops get destroyed due to a natural disaster or war. The vault is climate controlled, but even if the climate control fails, the seeds will be fine, since Svalbard is below zero Centigrade, year round. Only countries that store seeds can withdraw seeds. Recently, Syria lost their crops due to war, and withdrew seeds. Once the crops grew again, they deposited the seeds back in the vault. We saw a couple of Svalbard reindeer. THese are smaller and don't have the antlers you see on traditional reindeer. The town has Avalanche guards above the town, to protect against an avalanche. Because of permafrost, bodies can't be buried in Longyearbyen. If you are a long time resident, you can get permission to have your ashes spread in the cemetery. There are signs on the town edges, warning people to carry rifles and flare guns beyond that point, to scare off Polar Bears.

Each day, we had a zodiac cruise or a landing, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. We saw Arctic Foxes, Beluga Whales, Seals and a few Polar Bear, a long way off. A small sail boat was anchored close to the shore, in one place. We took a zodiac cruise to the rock cliffs of Alkefjellet, where there were 60,000+ birds nesting. They were quite noisy. The ship sailed to Brasvellbreen glacier and stayed there for a while. We saw some walrus on ice floes. and took a zodiac cruise to the pack ice.

We reached almost 81 degrees north, not too far from the North Pole, which is 90 degrees north. The temperature was negative 3.2 degrees Centigrade. The captain drove the ship into the pack ice. The ship has a strengthened bow, which allows it to break ice up to 6-8 feet thick. Once the ship was in the ice, we were able to walk down the gangway, directly onto the ice, and walk around on the ice.

We then landed on Mollerhamna, which has great views and a smnall hut called Lloyd's Hotel. Originally, Zepellin planned on using this as a base to send balloons to the North Pole, but that did not work out. During WWII, Germany occupied Norway and decided to stake a claim to Svalbard. The shipping company Norddeutscher LLoyd put up this hut. People used to stay in the hut and sit outside on beach chairs and have a barbeque. That stopped after a Polar Bear killed one person. The ship served caviar and drinks on deck.

We spotted some walrus at the end of a gravel beach. We landed a little way off, and walked very quietly to take a closer look at the walrus. The beach was littered with logs that had apparently washed up from Siberia.

On the last day, we landed back on Longyearbyen, where we visited the Museum, then had a buffet lunch at a restaurant, before we were dropped off at the airport, for a charter flight back to Edinburgh. We flew back home the next day. The Museum had a replica of a trapper's log cabin (003-004), and a self triggered rifle trap (001-002). The trap consisted of a wooden box on legs, with an open space for bait, which was wired to the trigger of a sawn off rifle. When a bear takes the bait, it pulls the trigger and kills itself.

Amsterdam, 2025



I went to Amsterdam on May 1, 2025, after a cruise from Rome to Venice. Keukenhof tulip gardens is only open from mid-March to mid-May, so I had to go at this time of the year. I took the train from the airport to Amsterdam Centraal station. I had booked a hotel close to the station, so I was able to walk to the hotel.

The next day, I walked behind the station and took the free ferry to the north side. I walked along the side of the station, along Cuyperspassage. This passage has beautiful blue tiles with different painted images. I had purchased ‘This is Holland’ combination bus + Keukenhof entry tickets online. From the ferry landing, there were signs pointing to where ticket holders needed to check in, inside the ‘This is Holland’ building. The bus ride took about 45 minutes. I had booked the 8:30 bus and they advise arriving 15-20 minutes early, for the check in. They give you 2 bus tickets for the ride out and back, Keukenhof entry tickets and a map of Keukenhof. There is so much to see in Keukenhof. I stayed there till about 3:30, then took the next bus back. You can take any bus back, but the buses may get crowded after 4:00 and the last bus is at 6:30. It wasn’t clear what would happen if there were too many people and you miss the last bus back, but I didn’t want to risk it.

The next day, I bought a 2 day GVB pass that covers all trains, trams and metro in Amsterdam, from the GVB building right outside and to the left of Centraal Station. The pass has to be tapped on entry and exit. I walked to Dam Square, along Damrak Avenue. Along the way, I saw the Basilica of St Nicholas to the left. A little further on, there is a bridge, called Oudeburgsteeg, that gives you a great view of the station. On the left, are the Damrak houses, a row of pretty houses along the canal. A little further on the left, is the Beurs van Berlage, the historic stock exchange. Across from this is the Beurspassage, a beautiful covered gallery that leads to Nieuwendijk, a pedestrian only street that runs parallel to Damrak. Continue on along Damrak Avenue, and you come to Dam Square. This square has the National Monument, an obelisk, on the left. Straight ahead is the Koninglijk, the Royal Palace. I bought tickets to go inside. On the right is the Nieuwe Kerk, New Church. I then walked to Oude Kerk, Old Church. I paid to go inside, but I was not impressed. I then walked to Chinatown, where I saw the He Hua Buddhist Temple. I then went on to Nieuwmarkt Square and the De Waag, a castle like building that was once the city gate, and is now a restaurant. I took the metro towards Station Zuid and got off at De Pijp. The Albert Cuyp market is right outside the metro. It has a lot of street food and souvenirs. I took the metro back to Centraal. I had planned to see the ‘Our Lord in the Attic’ church, but decided to skip it. At night, I took tram #17 from outside Centraal Station, towards Osdorp Dijkgraafplein, and got off at Kinkerstraat. Get off the tram, walk straight, turn left, first right, and Foodhallen is on the left. This is a covered hall with a lot of different types of food stalls.

The next day, I walked to Centraal Station, and followed signs to the buses, on the upper level. I took bus 391 to Zaanse Schans. You just tap your credit or debit card when you enter and leave the bus. The bus takes about 40 minutes. When you get off the bus, you just walk towards the little village and the visitor center. There is a shop with a free demo of how wooden clogs are made. There are several windmills, and some of them are working models, that can be toured for a price. Tickets can be bought individually for the different windmills and museums, or the visitor center sells a combination pass that covers them all. I just went into the lumber windmill where you can see how lumber is cut. In the evening, I took tram #17 from outside Centraal, towards Osdorp Dijkgraafplein. I don’t remember which stop I got off at, but I accidentally found Bloemenmarkt, Floating Market. This is a set of boats moored on the Singel Canal, between Koningsplein and Muntplein. There are boats with flowers and bulbs on one side and shops on the other. At the end, there is an old tower with carillon bells, called Muntorren, Mint Tower. From there, I walked to De 9 Strastjes, 9 Streets. The 9 streets are 3 parallel streets between Raadhuistraat and Leidsestraat. Each street is divided into 3 by a canal that runs north to south. The canals are Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Singel. There are a lot of canal cruises that leave from Damrak Avenue and from the 9 Streets.

Tickets for Anne Frank House go on sale 6 weeks before and sell out very fast. Tickets can only be bought online. From Dam Square, keep Royal Palace to your left, and Nieuwe Kerk to your right, and walk down the street that ends at the Magna Plaza shopping mall. Cross the street towards the mall, turn left along the front of the mall, turn right around the mall, onto Raadhuistraat. Walk straight, crossing the bridges over canals Singel, Herengracht, Keizergracht. Westerkerk, West Church is on the right. Turn right along the side of the church and walk behind the church. The entrance to Anne Frank House is right there.

At night, I walked to the Red Light District. The Bulldog Café has an interesting exterior. After dark, the girls stand in windows. The windows have curtains. When the curtain is open, the girls are visible. Taking photos of the girls is not allowed.

Mediterranean Cruise, 2025



I took a Princess cruise to the Mediterranean, end April. The cruise was from Rome to Trieste. Large cruise ships are no longer allowed to dock in Venice, so they now dock in Trieste. I flew to Rome and took the ship’s transfer to the dock. This was a 10 day cruise, that had 2 sea days and stopped at 7 ports. At the end of the cruise, I took the ship’s transfer to Venice, where I flew to Amsterdam for a fea days, before flying back home.

The first port was Naples. In the morning, I took a shore excursion to Pompeii. I had been to Pompeii many years earlier, but it was still an enjoyable visit. It was a clear day, and we could see Mt Vesuvius. In the afternoon, I walked around the port area of Naples. I saw Castel Nuovo, the Royal Palace, the Cathedral, Teatro di San Carlo. Nearby, there was a lovely shopping center called Galleria Umberto.

The next day we stopped in Messina, Sicily. I took a shore excursion, where we drove around and then visited the Cathedral. At noon, we watched the elaborate display of the clock tower, striking Noon.

At the top, the crowned lion, the symbol of the Province of Messina, carries the flag of Messina. At noon, the lion waves the flag, moves its tail, turns its head, and roars 3 times.

Below are the figures of Dina and Clarenza, with a rooster between them. According to legend, Dina repels an attack on Messina by rolling rocks, while Clarenza rang the bells on the cathedral, to alert the city, during the Sicilian Vespers in 1282. At noon, the rooster flaps its wings, raises its head and crows 3 times.

Below is the Madonna of the Letter, the patron saint of Messina. According to legend, Messina's ambassadors were sent to Jerusalem to pay their respects to the Virgin Mary, and received a letter from her, granting the city her benediction. At noon, an angel hands the letter to the Madonna. St Paul and the ambassadors pass in front of the Madonna and bow their heads.

Below are biblical scenes. A different scene appears in each quarter of the year. Christmas to Epiphany, the shepherds bow before the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Epiphany to Easter, the 3 Kings and their servants adore the infant Jesus held by Mary. Easter to Pentecost, when I visited, 2 soldiers guard the tomb of Jesus. Pentecost to Christmas, the apostles surround the Virgin Mary, a dove flies over their heads and flames are on their heads.

Below that, the Sanctuary rises from the ground at noon.

Below, are one of 4 statues, representing the ages of Man, a child, a young man, a warrior and an old man. One statue appears every quarter.

At the bottom are scenes displaying the day of the week. Sunday, Apollo driving a horse. Monday, Diana driving a deer. Tuesday, Mars driving a horse. Wednesday, when I visited, Mercury driving a panther. Thursday, Jupiter driving a chimera. Friday, Venus driving a dove. Saturday, Saturn driving a chimera.

The next day we stopped in Vittoriosa, Malta. I took a shore excursion that went to the Inquisitor’s Palace. Then we visited the town of Medina.

Two days later, after a sea day, we reached Chania, Greece. I took a shore excursion that first went to the Suda Bay War Cemetery. Then we stopped at the Venezuela’a Tomb Viewpoint. We then went to the Venetian Harbor and the Cathedral.

Two days later, after another sea day, we reached Kotor, Montenegro. I picked up a city map, and walked around the city myself, entering through the Sea Gate, or West Gate. The Arms Square has a nice clock tower. The city has a lot of small winding cobblestone streets, where it is easy to get lost. The city is small, so eventually, you will find your way again. I saw St Nicholas Church and St Luke Church. I then walked to the River Gate, or North Gate. I saw a yellow post box. I then saw St Tryphon Church, Grgurina Palace, now the Maritime Museum, and Pima Palace. I then climbed the city walls and walked on them. I saw St John’s Fortress up in the hills, but I did not go there. I saw the Karampana Well. In the past, this was a place to gather and socialize. I then went to Gurdic Gate, or South Gate.

The next day we were in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The ship docks about 3 miles from the old town, so I took the ship’s transfer to Pile Gate, one of the entrances to the old town. I then bought the Dubrovnik Card for 40 Euros. Walking the city walls costs 40 Euros, but the city pass also includes the walls, Rector’s Palace, Franciscan Monastery and a few other museums I did not visit. I saw Big Onofrio Fountain and the Franciscan Monastery. I then walked down the main street, or Stradum, which runs from Pile Gate to Ploce Gate. I reached St Blaise’s Church, Sponza Palace and the Dubrovnik Bell Tower. Orlando’s Column seemed to be under renovation. I then walked right, to Rector’s Palace and the Dubrovnik Cathedral. The Gunduliceva Poljana Square on the right, has the Jesuit Stairs with 137 steps. I climbed that to St Ignatius Church. I retraced my steps to the bell tower, then walked left to Ploce Gate. Along the way, I passed the Dominican Monastery. The Church of Holy Annunciation, which was next to the Domincan Monastery, also seemed to be under renovation. There are a lot of steep stairs from the Stradum, that lead up to streets with restaurants. I went back to Pile Gate and climbed up to the city walls. There are several places where you can leave the city walls, but I did the full circuit, which is 1.2 miles and involves a lot of steps, and returned to Pile Gate. The highest point on the city walls is the Minceta Tower.

The next day, we were in Split, Croatia. I walked to the Diocletian’s Palace complex and bought tickets to the Cathedral, the Baptistery of St John the Baptist, the Crypt of St Lucy and the Treasury. I did not buy tickets to the Bell Tower. I then walked around town a little, seeing Prokurative Square and the National Theatre.

Churchill, 2024



I took a 5 day trip to Churchill, Canada, in Oct-Nov, 2024, through Frontiers North. Polar bears are not social animals, and Churchill may be the only place where they congregate, while they wait for Hudson Bay to freeze, so they can go out on the ice and hunt seals. They have been fasting all summer, so they generally lie around, conserving their energy.

I flew to Winnipeg and walked to the hotel they had booked us in, which was very close to the airport. My flight arrived late night, so I missed the ‘meet and greet’, but they had left all the documents and luggage tags, at the front desk. The next morning, after breakfast, I met the tour leader and the rest of the group of 20. We had to leave our luggage outside our room in the morning, and only take a small carryon with us. Our luggage would be taken straight to our next hotel. We were driven to the airport, where we took a small charter flight to Churchill. We drove around Churchill a little, seeing some of the sights.

We stopped to look at the Polar Bear Holding Facility, more commonly known as the Polar Bear Jail. Established in 1982, polar bears that are considered troublesome or dangerous, are isolated here, until they can be relocated. They are held for 2-30 days, longer for repeat offenders, with a little water and no food. The premise is that extended captivity will create a sense of danger, so the bear will be reluctant to approach the town. Since a bear’s natural life cycle involves long periods of fasting, their bodies are adapted to going without food for an extended time. When the Hudson Bay freezes, the bears are tranquilized and transported by helicopter, out of town, so they can go out on the ice and hunt seals. We then stopped at a few Bear Traps. The older models were made of logs of wood, and were not very reliable (Bear Trap-001). One of them was left open, so we could climb inside.

After lunch, we visited the Polar Bears International House and Parks Canada Visitor Center. One of the exhibits showed the maternity den (Museum-002). After feeding through summer and fall, and gaining as much weight as possible, the pregnant polar bear will go as far as 50 miles inland, and dig a den or find an old one. The den is a small snow cave in a snowdrift, just large enough for her to turn around. She then waits for the snow to close the entrance tunnel and hide the den under the snow. This chamber helps retain body heat and she gives birth in December to 1-3 cubs, with twins being the most common. The mother bear doesn’t eat or drink, and is devoted to nursing and caring for her cubs. In March or April, the mother and cubs will break out and trek to the sea, where she will break her fast and teach her cubs to hunt and survive.

The next two days we drove to the Tundra Buggy dock, early morning, in the Churchill Wildlife Management area, where we boarded a Tundra Buggy to drive out to see the polar bears. Only 20 vehicle permits are given, each day, and Frontiers North has 12 of these permits. Another company has 6, and a third company has 2. The rides were very bumpy (Churchill-004 shows the terrain). Each buggy has a heated interior that can seat 40. Since we were 20 in our group, we had plenty of space, and everyone got a window seat. There was a viewing platform at the back. The buggy was very high, with large snow tires. Even the largest polar bear standing on its hind legs, would not be able to reach us (polar bears don’t jump). At lunchtime, the buggy would stop somewhere where there was a polar bear just lazing around, and we had hot soup, sandwiches and soda, sitting in the buggy and watching the polar bears. We would spend all day driving around and seeing polar bears.

We saw two bears sparring (Polar Bear-020). We saw a mother and cub. The mother had clearly seen the buggies before and was not curious, but the cub was curious and kept standing up trying to see or get inside (Polar Bear-019). Some of the bears were just lying around, conserving their strength and waiting for the Hudson to freeze, so they could hunt seals and break their long summer fast. Some bears were curious and would come right up to the buggy and stare at us. The buggy drivers were careful not to approach the bears if they looked nervous. They were careful to avoid making the bears spend more energy trying to get away from us, or trying to get around us. They tried to anticipate where the bear was going, so they could get there ahead of time, stop the engine, and wait for the bear to approach us.

Frontiers North also operates a Tundra Buggy Lodge out in Churchill Wildlife Management area. This consists of several Tundra Buggies connected together by the viewing platforms. There are 2 accommodation units, with about 20 bunk beds, each with privacy curtains and individual windows. There is a lounge/café and staff quarters. You can stand on the viewing platforms, but you absolutely cannot step on the ground.

On the second day, we left our luggage outside our rooms and took only a small carryon with us. After our Tundra Buggy drive, we were driven straight to the airport, where we boarded another charter flight back to Winnipeg, and our hotel. The next day, we were free to fly back home at leisure.

Safari, 2024



In August, 2024, I took a 15 day Safari to Kenya and Tanzania, through Globus.

The tour had 18 people and we travelled in jeeps, 6 people to a jeep. The jeeps had roofs that could be raised, so we could stand up on the seats and get a good view of the animals. Every day, we would wake up early. If we were staying overnight, we would have an early breakfast, usually at 6:00, and then go on a 3-4 hour game drive at 7:00. After lunch, we would have another 3-4 hour game drive at 3:00. If we were leaving the lodge/tent, we had to leave our luggage out by 6:00, so they could be loaded into the jeeps, have an early breakfast at 6:00 and be on the way at 7:00. We would get to the next place in time for lunch, and have another 3-4 hour game drive at 3:00, before dinner.

The accommodations all had WiFi, but no TV, so after dinner, we usually just took a shower and went to bed. Most of the accommodations had electric fences so that big animals like lions and elephants could not come in. Water Buck, Antelope and Baboons could jump the fences. Some of the accommodations were lodges, but some were tents. They were all very nice. Even the tents had electricity, hot water, private toilets and showers, hair dryers, mosquito nets, etc. In Serengeti, there were no electric fences, so if it was dark, we had to be escorted by people with large bore rifles – going to breakfast early morning, and walking back after dinner. It was cool enough to require a sweater in the mornings and evenings. It was really cold in Ngorongoro Crater and they put hot water bottles in the bed under the blankets.

n Day 1, we arrived in Nairobi, where we were put up in a hotel. Since my flights arrived late night, I arrived 1 day early and paid for an extra night in Nairobi.

On Day 2, I took an optional day tour, where we visited the Nairobi Safari Walk and the Giraffe Center. At the Nairobi Safari Walk, we walked on raised boardwalks, where we saw pygmy hippos, zebras, rhinos, ostrich, cheetah, leopard, antelope and other animals. Then we went to the Giraffe Center, where they try to reintroduce the endangered Rothschild Giraffe back to the wild. The center has 1 male and 3 female Rothschild Giraffes, and babies born here are reintroduced into the wild. We were provided with pellets called Giraffe candy, that we could use to feed the Giraffes.

Day 3, we met the rest of the tour group and drove to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, the largest Rhino sanctuary in in East Africa. We stayed in tents that were right in front of a watering hole, where we could see animals all the time. We stayed 2 nights in Ol Pejeta. We did a game drive in the afternoon of Day 3, the morning of Day 4 and the afternoon of Day 4. We had a barbeque dinner in the bush on Day 3.

Day 5 we drove to see Thompson’s Falls and on to Lake Nakuru National Park. After lunch, we went on a game drive.

Day 6, we drove to Maasai Mara. After lunch, we went on an afternoon game drive, and visited a Maasai Village. We went to the river where the wildebeest and other animals cross during the annual migration. We saw crocodiles and hippos in the river. Some herds had crossed the week before, and some herds were slowly making their way to the river, but no animals crossed while we were there.

Day 7, we rose early to do an optional hot air balloon ride, followed by a hot breakfast in the bush, and then went on a morning game drive. In the afternoon, we went on another game drive. We did not see any animals on the hot air balloon ride, which was a waste of money.

Day 8, we had a hot breakfast in the bush, then a short game drive, followed by a flight to Amboseli National Park, in a small 10 seater plane. After lunch, we went on an afternoon game drive. We stayed overnight at Amboseli, and did a morning and afternoon game drive on Day 9, at Amboseli, followed by complimentary drinks and snacks before dinner.

Day 10, we crossed the border into Tanzania, and had lunch at Arusha. After lunch we went to our lodge in Lake Manyara. It was too late for a game drive.

Day 11, we went on a morning game drive to Lake Manyara Conservation Area and on to Ngorongoro Crater, where we had a late lunch.

Day 12, we descended into Ngorongoro Crater. Because of the time it takes to descend and ascend, we took a boxed lunch with us and had it under a grove of Acacia trees. This crater is the world’s largest unflooded caldera, more than 2000 ft deep, and most of the animals stay in this area year-round. The crater is thought to have been formed 2.5 million years ago, when an active volcano’s cone collapsed inward after a massive eruption. It is now a natural sanctuary for some of the densest populations of large mammals in Africa. Due to its enclosed area, it has effectively formed its own ecosystem.

Day 13, we drove to Serengeti National Park, doing a game drive when we got there. Because the park is so large, we took a boxed lunch with us, and continued on our game drive all day. We stayed overnight and enjoyed another morning and afternoon game drive on Day 14.

Day 15, we flew back to Arusha, this time in a larger 15-20 seater plane, and arrived at the hotel around noon, where rooms had been reserved for us. My flight back was at 9:00 PM that day.

Panama Canal, 2024



In January 2024, I took a partial transit Panama Canal cruise round trip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was a 10 day cruise, and every alternate day was a sea day.

The first port was Montego Bay, Jamaica. I took a shore excursion to see the Rose Hall Great House. Photos Jamaica-001 to Jamaica-009 The next port was Cartagena, Colombia. I took a shore excursion to the Castillo San Felipe Fortress. Photos Colombia-001 to Colombia-004. From there we visited the down town area, where we saw two churches and a museum. Photos Colombia-005 to Colombia-013

The next day we did a partial transit of the Panama Canal. We sailed through the three Aqua Clara locks to Gatun Lake, and then sailed back the way we came in. There are gates between each lock. At each lock, the ship waits for the water to be raised or lowered to be the same level, then the gate opens and the ship sails in. Then the gate is closed and the process is repeated and the ship sails into the next lock. Photos Panama Canal-001 to Panama Canal-007

The last port was Limon, Costa Rica. I took a shore excursion that took us to a National Park. We had a short walk through the jungle, then a short sail in a boat along the river. We saw an iguana, a well camouflaged heron, a blue heron, two sloths, a couple of birds and howler monkeys. Photos Costa Rica-001 to Costa Rica-007. The port also had a small free zoo with brightly colored birds, peacocks, monkeys and herons. Photos Cartagena-001 to Cartagena-005

We were also supposed to stop at Grand Cayman, but that was a tender port and we had to skip it because of high winds and swells.

Germany, Austria, Budapest, Prague, 2023




DAY HOTEL ACTIVITY

9/11 Vienna Arrive Vienna, check in

9/12 Vienna Vienna city sightseeing

9/13 Vienna Schonnbrunn and Belvedere Palaces

9/14 Vienna Budapest

9/15 Salzburg Check out, train to Salzburg, check in, Salzburg city sightseeing

9/16 Salzburg Hallstat

9/17 Salzburg Berchtesgaden

9/18 Salzburg Salzburg city sightseeing

9/19 Munich Check out, train to Munich, check in, Nymphenburg Palace

9/20 Munich Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles

9/21 Munich Dachau

9/22 Munich City sightseeing

9/23 Munich Train to Rothenburg, city sightseeing, train to Munich

9/24 Berlin Check out, train to Berlin, check in, Berlin city sightseeing

9/25 Berlin Berlin city sightseeing

9/26 Berlin Prague

9/27 Check out, fly back

Trains Germany website is bahn.com. Austria website is oebb.at. Reserving a seat costs 4.50 per trip. ICE and IC trains are cheaper if bought earlier, but RE trains are a fixed price. LED above or on the seat side – GGF-Reserviert means the reservation system has not been updated, and seat may have been reserved, GGF-Freigeben means someone has reserved this seat, Bahn-Comfort means this seat is for passengers with a Bahncard, Schwerbehinderte means the seat is for disabled passengers, an itinerary means the seat was booked for that section, blank means the seat is free. Terms - Abfahrt means departure, Ankunft means arrival, Bahnhof means train station, Hauptbahnhof or Hbf means a city’s central train station, Bahnsteig means platform, Fahrkarte or Fahrscheine means tickets, Gleis means track, Haltestelle means stop, Nachste Haltestelle means next stop, Klasse means class, Reservierung means reservation, Verspatung means delay. Useful information www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-germany.htm

Vienna

Vienna airport station is called Flughafen Wien. Ticket to city is 3.90 and takes 15 minutes. There is a more expensive City Express, which is not needed, the regular regional train is good enough. Vienna Hbf, or Wien HBF is the main train station. Unlimited tram/bus/metro pass is 5.80 for 1 day (till 1:00 am) 8 for 24h, 14.10 for 48h. Single ticket is 2.40. Vienna Card is 17 for 24h, 25 for 48h. Ticket must be validated before use.

City Hall, Rathaus, tourd are on Mon, Wed Fri. Ticket may be free but has to be reserved at 8:00 the day of the tour. There are limited spots and they sell out fast.

Across the street is the Imperial Court Theatre, Burgtheater.

Just south is the Parliament building.

Maria Theresien Platz is across the street.

Cross the Burgring to Heroes’ Square, Heldenplatz. This contains a huge gateway over the road on the south side, called the Outer Castle Gate, or Auberes Burgtor, the remnants of the historical fortification walls. It also contains the statues of Archduke Charles of Austria and Prince Eugene of Savoy. This is also the location where Hitler announced the annexation of Austria.

Hofburg Palace. Part of the palace, Neue Burg, or New Royal Palace, flanks Heroes’ Square, but the majority of the palace is further down on Michealerplatz. Walk about 300m through the palace passages. Hunting Plateau is nice. Most popular attraction is the Imperial Apartments. Open 9:00-17:30, cost 17.50, Sisi Ticket for 44 includes Hofburg Palace, Imperial Furniture Collection and Schonnbrunn Grand Tour. The Vienna Plague Column, or Trinity Column, or Dreifaltigkeitssaule is through Graben, a premier shopping area. Halzburg emperor Leopold I is on the pedestal.

Ankeruhr, or Anchor Clock. In the front of the clock, a set of figurines, each representing an important personality in Vienna’s history, passes as time goes by. The clock chimes a little tune at each hour. At noon, there is a little show of all 12 figurines and tunes.

St Stephen’s Cathedral, Stephansdom, has beautiful interior. Open Mon-Sat 9:00-11:00 and 13:00-16:30. Haas House has glass walls with reflection of St Stephen’s Cathedral.

Vienna State Opera, Staatsoper, is along Karnterstrasse (Stock im Eisen, a tree trunk with nails driven through may be seen on the way).

People’s Garden, Volksgarten, Rose garden and replica of Greek temple of Hephaestus.

Votive Church, Votivkirche

St Ruprecht’s Church, Ruprerchtskirche

Viennese City Park, Stadtpark has gold statue of Johann Strauss playing violin.

St Charles Church, Karlskirche, with green dome and reflecting pool

St Peter’s Church (go inside) open Mon-Fri 7:00-20:00, weekends 9:00-21:00

Am Hof church

Austrian National Library, State Hall

Naschmarkt

Hundertwasserhaus

chonbrunn. U3 Herrengasse to Westbahnhof, U6 Westbahnhof to Langenfeldgasse, U4 Langenfeldgasse to Schonbrunn. Open from 9:00-17:00. State Apartments 20, Imperial Tour 24, Grand Tour (both ) 29, Sisi Ticket for 44 includes imperial Apartments of Hofburg Palace (17.50), Imperial Furniture Collection and Schonnbrunn Grand Tour (29). Museum of Carriages open from 9:00-18:00, cost 6.00. Belvedere Palace. Open from 10:00-18:00. Lower Palace is open till 21:00 on Wednesday. Outside grounds free, Upper Palace is 13.40, Lower Palace 10.90, combo Upper + Lower is 21.87.

Liechtenstein Castle. Take metro to Meidling train station, take local train to Modling. There are 10 trains per hour and ride is 15 minutes. Take bus #262 to entrance (siedlungsstrabe stop) then 6 minute walk to castle. 50 minute tour at top of each hour, open from 10:00-16:00, cost 9.00. Walk 1km from entrance to castle, to Seegrotte Hinterbruhl, open from 9:00-17:00, 45 minute tours every 20 minutes, cost 10.00 Franzensburg Castle. From Karlsplatz, take U1 subway to Hauptbahnhof station (2 stops, 3 minutes), take bus #200 to Laxenburg Franz-Joseph-Platz (13 stops, 30 minutes) and walk through castle park. Park is 1.50, bridge to castle is 1.00.

Budapest

Train from Vienna Hbf goes to Budapest. Metro connects to Budapest Keleti station. Danube runs north-south. Buda is on west side and Pest is on East side. Metro has 4 lines. Validate ticket before getting on. Single ticket is only valid for one uninterrupted ride. Buy another ticket if changing lines. Line 1, yellow, stops at Opera (for Opera House), Hosok (for Heroes’ Square and City Park), and close to Chain Bridge. Line 2, red, stops at Keleti (train station), Bajcsy-Zsilinszky (for St Stephen’s Basilica), Astoria (for Great Synagogue), Kossuth (for Parliament), Batthyany (for Fisherman’s Bastion). Line 3, blue, stops at Kalvin (for Great Market Hall). All three intersect at Deak Ferenc (for Vaci Utka street). Single ticket is 450, pack of 10 is 3000, 24 hour pass is 1650. Will need a minimum of 8 tickets, so buy a 24 hour pass.

Take metro from Keleti to Kossuth to Hungarian Parliament, which is on Pest side of river. Buy tour ticket online (45 minute tour). Walk around building and end on Kossuth Square, on east side. Leave the square from the southeast corner near the equestrian statue, walk past Imre Nagy statue (man standing on bridge), and follow the southeast diagonal street, Vecsey, to Liberty Square.

Leave square from southeast corner, walk south for a couple of blocks on Sas Street, to St Istvan’s Square, to St Istvan’s Basilica (St Stephen’s Basilica), with it’s extravagant interior. The Basilica and Parliament are the same height and signify the balance between church and state. No other building in Budapest can exceed that height. Entrance to church is free, but dome requires ticket. The small chapel to the left of the altar contains a glass case with St Stephen’s hand. For 100 HUF they will turn on the light in the case.

From the front steps, walk west, away from the church, across the square, into the pedestrian street, Zrinyi Utca, which connects St Istvan’s Square to Szechenyi Square and Chain Bridge. This street contains the Fat Policeman, an old time Hungarian police officer. Chain Bridge is a stone suspension bridge with stone lions that spans the Buda and Pest sides of the River Danube. The Shoes on the Danube Monument, along the Danube, is a memorial to the many Jews and other people who were murdered along the banks of the Danube in WWII after being forced to leave their shoes behind.

Walk along pedestrian pathway on north side of the Chain Bridge, from Pest to Buda, takes 20 minutes. From Chain Bridge, walk west, around the roundabout, to the entrance of Varhegy Tunnel, or Buda Castle Tunnel. In front of the tunnel is the Zero Kilometer Stone, the center point of Budapest, from which all distances in Budapest are measured. To the left of the tunnel, is the Buda Castle Funicular that goes to the top of Castle Hill. To the right of the tunnel are the Kiraly Lepcso stairs that lead up to Castle Hill.

At the top of the stairs, take a left on to Hunyadi Janos, then first right on to Disz Ter. Stay to right where road splits, passing the Statue of Independence War, and continue on Tarnok street, which is adorned with painted facades and balconies. Walk north and Tarnok street ends on Trinity Square. The Holy Trinity Column in the center of the square was built to ward off the Black Plague. When the plague returned 3 years later, a bigger and better column was built, and the plague never returned. On the east of the square is Matthais Church, where Hungarian Kings were coronated, until the Ottoman Turks took over and turned it into a mosque. Tickets are needed to enter, and shoulders and knees must be covered.

East of the church, at the edge of the hill, overlooking the Danube, is the white Fisherman’s Bastion. The arches offer great views of the Danube and Pest. The 7 pointed towers represent the 7 Magyar tribes that founded Hungary. In the center is St Istvan, the Hungarian King that brought Christianity to Hungary. Ticket is needed to go up to the top.

Walk west past the church, through Holy Trinity Square, on to Szentharomsag street. Walk west past Ruszwurm Café to west facing terrace Toth Arpad, and Buda Hills lookout point. There are stairs and elevator down to tour the Hospital in the Rock museum, which has tours every hour and requires a ticket. Walk north along Promenade to St Mary Magdalene Church. Find Vienna Gate. Go back to the funicular or steps.

To go to Sandor Palace, go to the Disz Square parking lot, near the top of the stairs, turn right and walk a few steps to the statue of the Old Hussar (Hungarian warrior holding a sword), turn left to walk along Szent Gyorgy, walk past the ruins, along the flag lined road to Sandor Palace, the residence of the President. Changing of the Guard takes place every hour. Opposite Sandor Palace is an ornate gate that leads to the front of Buda Castle Royal Palace, which houses several museums. Tickets are needed for the museums, but entry to palace grounds and courtyard are free. The King Mattias Fountain is on the exterior of the castle, towards the back, near the courtyard entrance, and resemble the Trevi Fountain of Rome, on a smaller scale. The equestrian statue of Eugene of Savoy sits in front of the palace, under a large green dome. The Turul Bird statue is a mythical creature of Magyar legend. From the castle, there are great views of the Basilica, Parliament, Danube and bridges, including the Chain Bridge.

Walk back to Pest side and take metro to Kalvin. Walk to the Great Market Hall. Walk west one block to the east end of the green Liberty Bridge, or Freedom Bridge, which is one of the prettiest bridges in Budapest.

Get on metro and go to City Park and see Vajdahunyad Castle, originally built out of cardboard.

West from City Park, is Heroes’ Square, also known as Hosok Tere. Statues in center make up Millennium Memorial, that commemorates past leaders and war heroes. Archangel Gabrielle is in center, flanked by the 7 leaders of the tribes that settled Hungary on one side, and important leaders and persons in Hungary’s history on the other.

On way back, get off at Opera and see Hungarian State Opera House, then get off at Deak Ferenc to see Vaci Utca, one of the most famous streets and the main pedestrian thoroughfare in Budapest.

Salzburg

Train from Vienna HBF goes to Salzburg HBF.

Mirabell Palace and Gardens. Southern entrance to the gardens has two large pairs of Greek fencing statues. Turn around for a great view of Hohensalzburg Fortress. The north-east corner has the Pegasus Statue Fountain, which, along with the nearby terrace steps were featured in Sound of Music (SOM). Climb the terrace steps for a great view of Salzburg. On the west side, opposite the palace, follow another set of steps guarded by lions, across a small footbridge, to the Dwarf Gnome Park, Zwergerigarten. The dwarf with the glasses was the one the Von Trapp kids patted on the head. Nearby is a long pergola, vine tunnel and hedge maze. Inside Mirabell Palace, there is a 3-level staircase with angel statues, open daily 8:00-18:00 and the Marble Ball Room, open Mon, Wed, Thu, 8:00-16:00, Tue, Fri, 13:00-16:00.

Leave Mirabell towards Markartplatz Square, you face Mozart’s residence. Turn right and cross Markartsteg, the love lock bridge of Salzburg. Find one of the passages between all the houses and go to Getreidegasse. The yellow building with the Austrian flag is Mozart’s birthplace.

Go through another passage and you are in front of University Church. Behind University Church is the Convert Hall where the Salzburg Festival takes place. From the concert hall, visit the Franciscan Church, Franziskanerkirche. Interior has a forest of columns holding up a vaulted canopy of a ceiling.

Head to St Peter’s Monastery. The narrow nave is lined with large painted canvases under a muraled ceiling. On the north side of St Peter’s Square is a vertical sundial on the archway leading to the Franciscan Church. At the corner, next to the entrance are two more entrances. The one with #803 is the restaurant. The entrance to the left is the cemetery, where the Von Trapp family supposedly hid from the Nazis after the concert.

Walk through the cemetery keeping to the right and you come to the funicular to Hohensalzburg Fortress. Take the funicular up and see at least the 3 viewpoints, Medieval Prince Apartments and Golden Fortress Room. Open May-Sep, 9:00-19:00, cost 15.50. From the fortress, go to Chapter Square, Kapitelplatz has wide angle views of the fortress. Featured in SOM where Maria catches the bus to visit the Von Trapp family. Contains giant oversized chess board, Sphaera, a 30ft yellow orb sculpture with a man standing on top and Horse Bath Fountain, Kapitelschwemme. Area around this also has great views of the fortress. There is a public restroom under archway separating Kapitelplatz and Cathedral Square.

Go to Salzburg Cathedral, Dom, open Mon-Sat 8:00-18:00, Sun 13:00-18:00. Organ performance, June-Sep, Wed and Sat, 11:15-12:15. Madonna statue is in front of the doors. The two statues outside are of St Rupert with the salt barrel on the pedestal and St Virgil with a church. The two statues on the inside are St Peter with the keys and St Paul with the sword. One floor up are the four evangelists. Another floor higher are Moses and Elijah. Jesus is all the way at the top on the roof gable. The three gates are left to right, the Gate of Faith (Tor des Glaubens), Gate of Love (Tor der Liebe), Gate of Hope (Tor der Hoffnung). The ceiling inside tells stories, the top left is Jesus coming to Jerusalem, the top right is the last supper, the story goes on to the crucifixion and the end of the story is the main altar, the resurrection. St Rupert was the founder of the city and his remains are in the black box underneath the altar. At the end of the church, to the left are stairs leading down to the crypt, where most archbishops were buried. Bronze baptismal font with lion statues is where Mozart was baptized. Cathedral has five organs. When you enter, go right past the first side altar, go past three more altars till you reach the transept, where you can see the four organs, two side altars and the black relic box. Stand in the middle of the transept and look up at the paintings and the dove.

The squares around the cathedral are the center of town. Residence Square houses the pink St Michael’s Church to the north, New Residenz, Neugebaude, to the east, Salzburg Cathedral to the south and old Residenz, Alte Residenz to the west. Residenz Square was featured in SOM, Maria enters through the Domplatzarches on the southwest corner and splashes in the Horse Fountain, Residenzbrunnen, which has a Triton, that matches the Triton Fountain in Rome.

Go inside the Old Residenz Palace, Wed-Mon, 10:00-17:00, closed on Tue, takes 30 minutes for staterooms.

Head over to Alter Markt Square, old market. In the northwest corner is Old Town Hall or Alter Rauthaus. #10a is Salzburg’s smallest house. #6 is the Old Royal Pharmacy, Hofapotheke.

Next to Residence Square is Mozart Square and Mozart’s statue.

Go down to the river and cross Mozartsteg, which was featured in SOM.

After the fortress, head over to Nonnberg Abbey, featured in SOM

Hallstatt

Bus #150 from the bus depot in front of Salzburg main train station to Bad Ischl, pronounced as badt ish-l. Takes 90 minutes. Bus #542 from Bad Ischl bus station toward Gosaumuhle/Hallstatt. Final destination will be marked as Gosausee, pronounced as go-zow-zee. Takes 20 minutes. There is a 20 minute layover. Bus #543 from Gosausee bus stop to bus stop Hallstatt Lahn (Seelande). Takes 10 minutes. There is a 4 minute layover. To go to Dachstein Ice Cave, stay on bus #543 through Obertraun to Dachstein Visitor Center. Takes 15 more minutes. Dachstein Visitor Center stop is called Obertraun Dachsteinseilbahn Talstation on website. Check bus schedule to get bus back to Hallstatt Lahn.

At Hallstatt Lahn, get off and explore the village or take a tour of the salt mine from the visitor center near the bus stop. Check bus schedule to bus back to Gosausee-Bad Ischl-Salzburg. Ruckfahrt is ‘arrival’ and Abfahrt is ‘departure’.

Dachstein cable car goes up to the first stop, where there is a 30 minute steep walk to the ice cave. Inside the ice cave the walk is about 800 metres and about 500 steps. The cable car then goes to the second stop, where there is another 30 minute steep walk to the 5 Fingers lookout. The cable car goes to the third stop where there are hiking trails. Runs daily every 15 minutes. Cost is 56.66 USD for ice cave + 5 Fingers. The view from 5 Fingers is mostly the same as what you see along the way to the ice cave.

Take funicular to skywalk and salt mines. Take elevator or stairs to viewpoint. Entrance to salt mines is about 20 minutes from top of funicular station. Salt mine tours last 90 minutes.

Buy day ticket from bus operator (may be cash only). This works on all 3 buses.

Berchtesgaden – Konigssee, Eagle’s Nest, Ramsau

Bus #840, Watzmann Express, goes from main Salzburg train station to Berchtesgaden train station, leaves every hour and takes 45 minutes. Bus doesn’t leave from the main terminal in front of the train station, it leaves from an alternate bus stop in Stall J, in front of Akakiko restaurant, across the street from where taxis are parked. Last bus back is at 18:15

Bus #841 from Berchtesgaden to Schonau am Konigssee, takes 15 minutes. When boarding bus #840, buy Tages-Ticket, day ticket which includes both buses, round trip.

Eagle’s Nest bus schedule at Deutsche Bahn, tourist office across from train station, or posted at bus stop. Tages-Ticket, day ticket is good for bus from Salzburg-Berchtesgaden-Obersalzberg, and discount on Eagle’s Nest bus.

Train and Bus station are about 10 minutes from the center of Berchtesgaden.

At Schonau, walk down the main street for 5 minutes to get to the dock. Ticket counters are on right. There are two tickets – first stop is Sankt Bartholoma, 35+35 minutes, and second stop is Salet/Obersee, 35+25+25+35 minutes, roundtrip cost 29.40 USD. Use restroom before buying ticket, because they will assign ticket to first available slot. Go to Salet first, then stop at Sankt Bartholoma on way back. Visit church in Sankt Bartholoma and old hunting lodge which is now a restaurant. In Salet, follow path through forest, and after about 15 minutes you get to Lake Obersee, and a hut.

Bus #838 from front of Berchtesgaden train station (Berchtesgaden Hbf) to Documentation Center parking lot (Dokumentation Obersalzberg), 10 minutes. From Documentation Center parking lot, go down steps at far right, to Eagle’s Nest bus ticket office. Bus goes from Documentation Center (Kehlstein Busabfahrt Berchtesgaden) to Eagles’s Nest elevator shaft (Kehlsteinparkplatz Berchtesgaden). Bus runs every 25 minutes between 8:30-16:00. Bus ticket includes entrance to Eagle’s Nest.

Bus #846 goes from Berchtesgaden station to Ramsau. Waterfalls are at 5th stop, Ramsau b Berchtesgaden Wimbachbrucke. St Sebastian Church is at 9th stop, Ramsau b Birchtesgaden Kirche. After getting off bus, cross street and walk across bridge into meadows to get great photo of church. Buy day ticket from bus operator (may be cash only).

Munich

Train from Salzburg HBF goes toMunich HBF. Train - Single ticket is 3.70, daily ticket is 8.80 in first zone, may be 11.20 for Dachau. Munchen Card, 16.90 for 24 hours, covers transport + discounts Munich XXL pass covers all tram, bus, subway, train (including RB and S2) for 8.90 per day (buy from MVV or Deustch Bahn ticket machines, if using Deustch machine, select MVV option). Bayern Ticket (after 9:00 on weekdays) includes Munich XXL + Neuschwanstein + Berchtesgaden + Salzburg + Rothenburg, as long as you use regional trains, not ICE trains is 26 per day

Marienplatz, home of neo-gothic New City Hall (Rathaus). Walk through the grand gates to the courtyard to get a different view of the building. To the East is the Old City Hall (Altes Rathaus). The Glockenspiel or carillon will activate each day at 11:00 and 12:00. 100 meters away is Alter Peter (old Pete) the clock tower of St Peter’s Church. Interior is quite noteworthy. Climb the tower to get the single best view of Munich. A short walk away from Marienplatz is Viktualienmarkt, a gourmet food market.

Head west from Marienplatz and you will come to Kaufingerstrabe, continue west to Neuhauser Strabe, continue west to Karlsplatz where you see the large city wall gates, Karlstor and the grand Palace of Justice, Justizpalast. Hofbrauhaus is a beer hall with authentic food and souvenir shops around it.

Not far from Hofbrauhaus is Residenz, Munich Residence Castle, former home of the Bavarian Kings, now a museum, with the crown jewels of the Bavarian Kings.

Maximillianstrabe is the avenue with high-end shopping, and at the end is the Maximilaneum, the seat of the Bavarian State Parliament.

Englische Garten is a landscaped park in the center of town.

Odeonsplatz was the site of Hitler’s failed first attempt to seize power. Nearby is Theatinerkirche, Theatine Church. Frauenkirche, Cathedral of Our Lady. Konigsplatz, has several museums.

Neuschwanstein Castle

From Munich, take train to Fussen, Monday-Friday leaves hourly, takes about 2 hours, earliest is at 9:41, depart 7:20, for 24.00 (train cars at front will be closest to station exit, sit on left). From Fussen, take bus #73 or #78 to Hohenschwangau, 10 minutes. Exit bus and walk up the hill on the right to ticketing center. Shuttle bus from Hohenschwangau parking P4, to goes to Neuschwanstein parking lot which is 0.4 miles uphill of castle, every 20 minutes, takes 10 minutes. Train ticket from Munich to Neuschwanstein will include train + first bus. Hours from 8:00 to 17:30. Backpacks not allowed.

Photo from Marienbrucke, a bridge a short walk from castle, right next to shuttle bus stop. View of Lake Alpsee from windows of Hohenschwangau Castle.

Tickets only at Hohenschwangau town, at base of mountain. Tickets to Neuschwanstein Castle, Neuschwanstein Castle + Hohenschwangau Castle, or both castles + Bavarian Kings Museum. Online reservation must be made before 15:00, 2 days before visit. If visiting both castles, leave 2.5 hours between start of each tour.

Bayern Regional ticket covers train from Munich-Fussen and bus from Fussen-Hohenschwangau

Fussen – Stadt Fussen (city hall), Benedictine Monastery of St Mang, Basilika St Mang, Hohes Schloss.

Dachau

S2 train from Munich main station, Karlsplatz, Marienplatz or Isator subway stops to Dachau station (direction Petershausen) in 25 minutes. Bus #726 from bus depot in front of Dachau train station (Westside) to Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Bus Stop (towards Saubachsiedlung, to KZ-Gedenkstatte) leaves every 20 minutes and takes 7 minutes. Visitor center has maps, audio guides for rent and tours at 11:00, 13:00, (12:15 on weekends only). Average visit 3-4 hours.


Nymphenburg Palace

Tram #17 fom Karlsplatz to Schloss Nymphenburg, then walk 720m.Open 9:00-18:00, cost 8-15. Marstall Museum with carriages. Four park palaces on grounds. Amalienburg with hall of mirrors, Badenburg, Pagodenburg, Magdalenenklause.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Train from Munich HBF to Rothenburg.

The entire wall is about 2.9 miles, so just do a small portion. The city walking tour is 1.1 miles.

Start at Old Town Square, Marktplatz. Council Drinking Hall, Ratstrinkstube. In front of the hall is a modern clock, a calendar date clock and a sundial above the black double eagle coat of arms. At the top of every hour, from 10:00-22:00, the small windows flanking the sides of the clock open, to reveal hidden mechanical figures that re-enact a famous story from Rothenburg’s history called legendary Master Draught.

Town Hall, Rathaus. Town Hall Tower, Rathausturm.

The entrance to the tower is on the front of the building complex, facing Market Square. Fountain of St George, Sankt Georgsbrunnen, sits over Herterich’s Well. Meat & Dance House, Fleisch und Tanzhaus with the Romanesque Royal Fountain, Hofbrunnen at the back. Mayor Jagstheimer’s House, Jagstheimerhaus. Imperial Dungeons. Lords Alley & Fountain, Herrngasse & Brunnen. Franciscan church, Franziskanerkirche with a fountain outside, is on this street. Cross street Herring Washing Street, Heringsbronnengabchen has a large ivy covered mansion.

Castle Road, Burggasse, is at the bottom of the hill. Enter Furbringer Barn Gate, Scheunenturm, to see the former grounds of the Royal Castle. King Conrad Hohenstaufen’s Castle ruins & garden, Burggarten. Castle Gate & Tower, Burgtor & Turm. Two small gatehouses in front of the Castle Gate helped funnel in traffic, control customs and thwart attackers. After entering, you see a decorative Pitch Nose Mask, pechnase, with a mouth hole, the guards used, to pour hot tar on attackers. On each side of the mask are two large vertical slots, where chains were fastened, to raise the gate’s drawbridge. There is a special ‘manhole’ a miniature door only big enough for one person at a time.
\
Feuerlein’s Oriel Window, Feuerleinserker has a 2nd floor corner bay window with a pointy roof sticking out of the house like a balcony.

St Jacob’s Church, Sankt Jacobkirche is dedicated to St James, has a statue of St James holding a shell. There are many shell icons on the ground, marking the Way of St James (pilgrimage to Spain’s Santiago de Compostela. Inside, upstairs on the west side of the church, is the Franciscan Altar, or the Altar of the Holy Blood. The center panel shows the Last Supper, the left panel shows Jesus entering Jerusalem, the right panel shows Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Above is the Relic of the Holy Blood, a crystal said to hold a drop of Jesus’ blood. The lower level of the church has other small carved altars. St the eastern end is the High Altar with stained glass windows above.

Plonlein Corner.

Down the hill to the right is Kobolzeller Tower & Gate.

Up the hill to the left is Sifter Maker’s Tower, Siebersturm.

Marcus Tower and Arch, Markusturm, is part of the original town wall. This gateway and stubby clock tower was the outer edge of the first city wall, with access through Woodsman Archway, Roderbogen.

Best photo viewpoint is near the flower laden Woodman’s Well, Roderbrunnen. Blacksmith House was built on a triangle corner lot. See this house from ground level, before climbing the stairs up the wall. In front of the Roder Tower, Roderturm, is the Roder Gate, Rodertor. As you exit the multi-stage gate, two stone bridges, formerly drawbridges, lead over the town’s dry moat, past armed curtain walls, guardhouses, an elevated gatekeeper’s cottage and through three archways. The twin huts with pointed roofs at the end were used as a toll booth and customs house. At the end, back track through the gate system and climb the wall at Roder Tower. Walk along the city wall, below Rotten Tower. This is the only round wall tower and was used to house serious criminals.

Infirmary Quarter, Spital. Hospital Tower and Bastion, Spitalturm. Hegereiter House. Little Flushing Tower, Stoberleinsturm. Old Horse Mill, Rossmuhle. Panorama Trail Viewpoint. St John’s Church and Fountain, Sankt Johannis. Rothenburg’s Western Towers. St Wolfgang Church, Wolfgangskirche. Narrow Gorge Tower, Kilengentor. Northern Wall Walk. Gallow’s Tower & Dry Moat, Galgentor. White Tower & Jewish Quarter, Weiberturm.

Berlin

Train from Munich HBF to Berlin HBF.

Pariser Platz or Paris Square is flanked by Brandenburg Gate or Brandenburger Tor. This is the best place to get a photo of Brandenburg Gate. It is also the beginning of Unter den Linden. During the cold war this stood in no-man’s land between East and West Germany. Lit up at night and is less busy at night.

One block north is the Reichstag. Tickets are free but have to be reserved ahead of time, either online or in a building across the street. Take elevator to top floor and wander around the dome, and see the working parliament below.

Holocaust Memorial.

Unter den Linden runs east-west, between Brandenburg Gate and Berlin Cathedral and Alexanderplatz.

Nearby are Berlin Opera House and equestrian statue of Frederick the Great. Gendarmenmarkt is a square that houses the Franzosischer Dom (French Cathedral), the Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral) and, in between, the Konzerthaus Berlin (Berlin Concert Hall). In the center is a fountain with a statue of poet Friedrich Schiller. Deutsche Dom was a cathedral that is now a museum. Can walk part way up the tower, where the landings provide some good views of the red brick tower topped by the dome. The stairwell is on the right of the cash register, and the stairs run around the outside of the tower. Open 10:00-18:00, free.

Alexanderplatz- World clock, Fernesehturm tower, with lift to the top, open 9:00-midnight, the square right behind the tower has a fountain layout where you can get a good photo of the reflection of Marienkirche, or St Mary’s Church in the water.

Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), follow signs to walk around all the halls, climb to the roof terrace and go down to the crypt. Night illumination is beautiful. Open Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-20:00.

Friedrichstrasse or Frederick Street is a 3.3 km street with high-end stores and theatres. It also contains a replica of Checkpoint Charlie.

Pergamon Museum includes the Pergamon Zeus Altar, Gate of Miletus, façade of 8th century castle from Jordan, Ishtar Gate. Victory Column in Tiergarten Park (park has free bathrooms)

Prague

Train from Vienna or Berlin HBF to Prague. Vienna is closer.

Prague Castle, or Castle Quarter. From Malostranska metro station, catch tram #22 Open 6:00-22:00, but monuments don’t open till 9:00. Buy the Circuit ticket with the discount for seniors and add photo. Opt for the shorter ticket which includes the four main sites St George’s Basilica, St Vitus Cathedral (see St Wenceslas Chapel with a hidden coronation chamber that holds the Crown Jewels of the Czech Republic and take 287 steps up to the top of the Great South Tower which has seven massive bells, including Zikmund, the largest bell in the country), the Old Royal Palace (see Vladislav Hall and Bohemian Chancellery) , Golden Lane with colorful houses lining the street in the north east corner, Daliborka Tower, a round tower at the eastern end of Golden Lane, Rosenberg Palace (skip if no time), Royal Gardens with the bronze Singing Fountain. Head to the first courtyard at noon to see the Changing of the Guard.

Petrin Tower, go to the top to see view of Lawrence Cathedral and Charles Bridge. Lawrence Cathedral. Infant Jesus of Prague statue in Our Lady of Victorious church. Vysehrad National Cultural Monument, Franz Kafka statue in New Town.

Walking tour – start in Wenceslas Square, go down Vaclavske Namesti street, to where it meets Melantrichova, which is Old Town Square, with Old Town City Hall and Church of Our Lady before Tyn. The city hall has a tower that can be climbed for great views and a clock on the side, that marks each hour with a procession of the 12 Apostles. Walk straight to Charles Bridge. Cross the bridge to Lesser Town or Mala Strana, and the Lesser Town Bridge Tower. Continue over the bridge to Klarov Street. Follow the road around the gardens to the left, to Prague Castle. Go back to Vaclavske Namesti street where you find the John Lennon wall. Head down the river bank, past Kampa Island and Kampa Museum, to Most Legii Street, and cross the river. Continue heading down the river on Masarykovo Nabr Street to Dancing House, go through New Town and back up to Wenceslas Square. Or, after crossing the river, continue on Narodni Street back to Wenceslas Square.

Vienna

Heldenplatz is where Hitler announced the merger of Germany and Austria

Karlskirche – can climb steps to dome

Plague Column or Trinity Column or Pestsaule was erected after the great plague epidemic of 1679

Salzburg

St Peter’s Cemetery – Cemetery in Sound of Music

Basilika St Michael – Church in Mondsee, used for wedding ceremony in Sound of Music

Leopoldskron Palace – Lake terrace scenes in Sound of Music

Wolfgangsee – lake and village of St Gilgen

Schloss Hellbrunn – gazebo used in Sound of Music

Hallstat

1-7 town 8-12 Five Fingers viewpoint (30 minute steep trail from cable car) 13-18 Dachstein Ice Cave (30 minute steep trail from cable car. Cave length about 800m, with about 500 steps inside cave. Budapest Shoe Memorial – Memorial of shoes along the Danube, to remember the Jews and other people killed by the Nazis, in WWII. They were forced to remove their shoes before being killed. My feet are small, I wear a women’s size 5.5, but you can see how small this shoe is compared to mine – a small child! St Stephen’s Basilica-006 is the Harvest Wreath of all Hungarians. The Bread of Hungarians, 15 Million Seeds of Grain program is a charity initiative of Hungarian farmers. Farmers from all across Hungary donate wheat to organizations that provide assistance to Hungarian children. The wheat collected is ground by nearby mills and used to provide fresh Hungarian bread to thousands of Hungarian children. To commemorate the initiative, the Carpathian Basin Harvest Wreath, commonly called ‘rain snail’, is made from wheat spikes from the Hungarian counties, as a symbol of and hope for bountiful rains. Munich Nymphenburg Palace Nymphenburg 001-013 Schloss Nymphenburg Amalienburg 001-003 Amalienburg Palace Badenburg Palace Marstall Museum 001-006 Marstallmuseum Pagodenburg 001-003 Pagodenburg Palace Magdalenenklause 001-003 Magdalenenklause Palace Marienplatz 001-006 New Town hall 007 Mariensaule column 008 Old Town Hall 009-012 Church 013-014 Alter Peter Dachau 001 Guard Tower 002 Gate 003 bunkbeds 004-005 showers and toilets 006-007 crematorium 008 gas chamber 009-010 badges 011-013 memorials

Berlin

Cathedral dome has 227 circular steps – one way, once started can’t go back

Greenland, 2023



In 2023, I took a cruise to Greenland, on Seabourn. We went out on Zodiacs every day and landed on some little islands on some days.

001-023 Icebergs

024-040 Sea Ice

027-029 Landing on a piece of sea ice

041 Black Ice

042-047 Glacier

050-054 Skjoldungen Fjord. Landed on an uninhabited island for a hike. There were no established trails. Not much elevation gain, but the ground was springy. Each time you put your foot down, it would sind down a few inches before you got to solid ground. In some places your foot would sink into a hole filled with water. The crew were keeping watch with flare guns and rifles for Polar Bears. You had to walk in groups, not alone. If you wanted to stop the hike and turn back you had to do it in a group, accompanied by a crew member with a rifle.

055-057 Uunartoq Island. A mostly uninhabited island with a few structures used for drying seal skin. The island has 3 natural springs. Locals from neighboring islands come here to use the hot springs. Someone even built 2 changing cabins. 1 mile roundtrip hike from the zodiac landing site to the hot springs.

058-064 Hvalsey Church, a catholic church in the abandoned Greenlandic Norse settlement of Hvalsey, now modern day Qaqortoq. The best preserved Norse ruins in Greenland. The church was also the location of the last written record of the Greenland Norse, a wedding in September 1408.

065-074 Itilleq, a small settlement on the west coast of Greenland, 2 km north of the Arctic Circle.

075-092 Brattahlid

075-078 remains of Eric the Red’s settlement

080-083 reconstruction of Thorhildur’s first Christian chapel of the Americas

084-090 replica of a Norse longhouse with museum

093-098 Aappilattoq

099-106 Qaqortok

107-117 Nuuk

107 Mother of the Sea sculpture. Myth about getting mad at the Inuit and taking all the animals they hunt to the bottom of the sea

108 Sculpture of the orphan boy Kaassassuk. Myth of an orphan boy who was treated badly and was sometimes hung up by his nostrils as punished, causing him to develop large nostrils.

118-122 Paamiut

123 Arctic Fox

Amazon, 2023



In 2023, I took a cruise down the Amazon river, on Seabourn. We went out on zodiacs every day and landed on some small settlemets on one day. We had a full day in Manaus, to tour the city. We saw the meeting of the waters and visited

Ajura, Ipixuna, Santa Sofia, Copea, Badajos, Manaus, Rio Urubu, Ressaca, Boca Dos Botos, Limao, Canacari

1-14 Giant Lily pads with Victoria flower

15 Squirrel monkey

16-17 Black Howler monkey

18 Wasp nest

19 Termite nest

20 Sloth

21 Iguana

22 Festive parrot

23-36 Birds of Amazon

37-42 Flooded rain forest

43-47 Rain Forest (46 Cannonball Nut tree)

48 Zodiac tours

49 Caiman on night Zodiac tour

50-52 Settlements along river

53-54 Meeting of the Waters. Confluence between the dark (blackwater) Rio Negro and the pale sandy-colored (whitewater) Amazon River, which is known as the Rio Solimoes in Brazil, upriver of this confluence. The two rivers run without much mixing for about 6 km, because of the difference in temperature, speed and composition. The Rio Negro flows slower, is warmer and is sediment-free and colored by decayed leaf and plant matter from the Columbian jungle. The Rio Solimoes flows faster, is colder and contains sediment from the Andes mountains.

55-63 Settlement of Sao Sebastian

56-58 School

59-61 Church

64-68 Settlement of San Francisco da Boca da Capivara (66 school, 67 church, 68 interior of house)

70-88 Teatro Amazonas

89-90 High Court

92-98 Igreja Sao Sebastiao

99-103 Market

Portugal, Morocco, Spain, 2022



When I visited Lisbon, SIntra, Seville and Granada as part of a cruise, I realized that I needed a lot more time to really see these places. In September, 2022, I took a trip to Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

I flew to Lisbon and picked up the one day Lisboa Card I had bought online, from the tourist office at the airport. I went to the metro station at the airport, and purchased a Viva Viagem card, for 0.50. Each Viva Viagem card can be loaded with one type of ticket only - single, return, 24 hour pass, zapping, or set of 10 journeys. With Zapping, you load the card with a minimum of 3.00, in multiples of 5 and it can be re-loaded when empty. I loaded the card with a 24 hour pass for 6.45. This pass is good for all metro, tram, bus, funicular and lifts. I took the metro to Anjos station, which was the closest to my hotel. It was drizzling when I came out of the metro station, so I got a little wet as I walked to the hotel. I reached the hotel around 10:30, which was too early to check in. I left my luggage there, took my umbrella out of my checked bag, and went sightseeing.

Lisbon is a very hilly city, with steep, narrow roads. There are stairs, funiculars and lifts that connect the lower parts of the city with the upper parts. Trams are a part of public transportation. I walked around a little, trying to find Igreja Anjos which was supposed to be on the same street, but I did not find it. I turned right on Rua Maria Andrade, then left on Rua Maria. The bus stop for 13B was on the left. I took it to the National Pantheon. I bought the entrance ticket for 4.00. There is a lovely view of the floor from the upper floors. There are also great views of the city from the terrace at the top.

I then walked to Igreja Sao Vicente de Fora and went inside for free. Then I walked to Lisbon Cathedral and had lunch at a small café. The ticket for the cathedral is 5.00. After visiting the Cathedral, I walked to Praca do Comercio. I walked through the Augusta Arch, along Rua Augusta with its many outdoor restaurants, to the Santa Justa Lift. The viewpoint at the top was closed, but I took the lift to the top and back down again.

I walked to Pink Street and then to the Bica Lift. There are two funiculars. One is kept inside and is free of graffiti. The other is covered in graffiti. I took the funicular to the top, took a few photos and came back down. I then walked to Time Out Market, where I had dinner. After dinner, I walked to the Cais do Sodre metro station, and took the metro back to my hotel.

The second day, my 24 hour pass was still valid, so I used it to take the metro to Rossio. Outside the metro station, I crossed the square to the Rossio train station. The 24 hour pass doesn’t cover the train to Sintra, so I bought another Viva Viagem card for 0.50. This time I loaded it with a Zapping ticket for 10.00. Metro, tram and train tickets are cheaper when the Zapping card is used. I took the train to Sintra. I got off at Sintra, not Portela de Sintra which is just before. Right outside the station is the stop for Bus 434 which provides a loop between the station, Moorish Castle, Pena Palace and National Palace. After I purchased the bus ticket, I realized I had bought a hop on hop off ticket that was valid for all buses in Sintra for the day. I think there was another cheaper ticket for a single loop, but maybe that has been discontinued.

I got off at Moorish Castle. I had purchased the ticket online. I walked along the ramparts and to the top of the 3 towers. There is a beautiful view of Pena Palace. When I was done, I thought of walking to Pena Palace, but when I got back to the main road, the 434 bus was just pulling up, so I took that to Pena Palace. I had bought the Pena Palace ticket online. The ticket covers the park grounds and the palace. Entry to the palace is for a specific time. I had picked a time of 3:30, to make sure I would have enough time to visit Moorish Castle. I wanted to have lunch at the cafeteria, but they would not let me in to the buildings until 3:30. I decided to skip lunch and walked in the park grounds till it was time to enter the palace. My ticket also included the tram from the entrance to the palace and back.

I took bus 434 back to the station and then took the train back to Rossio. I walked to Rua Augusta and had dinner at one of the restaurants there. I then took the metro back to my hotel.

The third day, I activated my one day Lisboa card, and took the metro to Cais do Sodre, followed the signs for the trains, and took the train towards Cascais. The Lisboa card covers all metro, bus, tram, train, lifts, and funiculars. I got off the train at Alges and walked back in the direction of Lisbon. In the distance, I could see the Belem Tower. This was a long walk. In retrospect, I think it would have been better to take the tram, even though the train is quicker. The Lisboa Card covered the entrance ticket to Belem Tower. There wasn’t a line so I was able to get into Belem Tower quickly.

From Belem Tower, I followed the paved path to the right, towards the Monument of Discoveries. Jeronimos is across the street. The Lisboa Card covers the entrance ticket to the Monastery, but there was a long line to enter. When I came out of the Monastery, I thought I would be able to go into the Church, which is free, but there was another long line. After leaving the church, I had planned on going to the Coach Museum and then to St George’s Castle. Since I was had to wait a long time to enter the Monastery and then the church, and I had already seen the Royal coaches in London, I decided to skip lunch and the Coach Museum. As it turns out, I may have had enough time to see the Coach Museum and St George’s!

I crossed the street and walked left, in the direction of Lisbon, to the tram stop. Tram 15 and 15E both go to Praca da Figueira. I got off at Praca da Figueira and took bus 737 right to the gates of St George’s Castle.

I had purchased the ticket online. After leaving St George’s I had an ice cream, then took bus 737 back to Praca da Figueira. I then took the metro to Praca dos Restauradores and walked to the Gloria Funicular. I took that up to the view point Miradouro de Sao Pedro Alcantera for a great view of St George’s. I took the funicular back down, took the metro to Rossio, then had dinner at another restaurant in Rua Augusta, and took the metro back to my hotel. I used the Lisboa Card the entire day.

The fourth day, I again used my Lisboa card to take the metro to Rossio and the train to Sintra. When I tried to swipe the Lisboa card on exiting the Sintra station, it had already expired, so I had to use my Zapping card. This time, I bought a 5.00 ticket on the bus 435, which is a loop between the station, Quinta de Regaleira and Monserrate.

I got off at Quinta de Regaleira and bought a ticket for 5.00. After spending a couple of hours there, I took bus 435 to Monserrate. I had bought the ticket to Monserrate online. After leaving Monserrate, I took bus 435 thinking it would take me to the National Palace. But, it took me back to the station. I asked if I could use that same ticket to go to the National Palace. The driver said he would drop me off at the National Palace, but he dropped me off a little further away and showed me the way to walk to the National Palace.

After leaving the National Palace, since I had skipped lunch again, I bought an ice cream as I waited for bus 434 to take me back to the station. I’m not sure if the bus 435 ticket is valid on bus 434, but the driver did not pay attention. I took the train back to Rossio, using my Zapping card. At Rossio metro station, my Zapping card only had 1.00 left, so I re-loaded my original 24 hour pass card with another 24 hour pass. I again ate at a restaurant on Rua Augusta, then took the metro back to my hotel.

The fifth day, I used my 24 hour pass to take the metro to Martim Moniz. I waited in the line for the famous Tram 28. I had to wait for the next tram, in order to be able to get a seat. I got off at Basilica Estrela and went inside, which was free. I then took Tram 28 back to Martim Moniz, and took the metro to my hotel. I checked out, took the metro to the airport and flew to Marrakech.

In Marrakech, I stayed at a Riad in the old Medina. Riads are old homes that have been converted to hotels. Rooms overlook an inner courtyard. The hotel sent a taxi to pick me up for 15.00 Euros. After checking in, I went out to find the main square, Jamaa el Fnaa, to exchange currency and have dinner. The Medina is a labyrinth of narrow streets that all look alike. The streets are too narrow for cars. They have a lot of pedestrians, motor cycles and a few tuk tuks. There are very few street signs. The hotel had warned against asking locals for directions, because they will accompany you and then ask for a lot of money. I was not able to find the square, and since it was getting dark, I decided to go back to the hotel. After a few wrong turns, I eventually got back to the hotel. I changed currency at the front desk, then went out again, to have dinner.

The sixth day, I made another attempt to find the main square. After a few wrong turns I got there. I realized that it would take me too long to find all the places I wanted to see, so I hired a guide in the square. For 10 Euros, to be paid at the end, he agreed to take me on foot, to all the places I wanted to see. He spoke a little English and French. At each place, he waited outside while I bought the entrance ticket and went inside. He was not a real guide, so he could not explain anything about the history. Since I was not going to pay till the end, I knew he would be waiting for me.

He took me to Bahia Palace, El Badi Palace, Saadian Tombs, Koutoubia Mosque, and Dar Si Said Museum, He asked a few times if I wanted to take a massage or ride a camel. He probably gets a commission on those things. I declined, and after about 5 hours, we came back to the square, where I paid him, then had lunch.

I had forgotten to tell him about Bab Agnaou Gate, so I went there by myself after lunch, then came back to the square. There are a lot of streets that lead off the square and I could not remember which one I had come in by, so I did not know how to get back to the hotel. I finally took a tuk tuk from the square to the hotel for 5 Euros.

The next day, I checked out and left my luggage at the hotel, then went to see the Ben Youssef Madrasa. Again, I took a few wrong turns before I found it. I then went back to the hotel, then continued on to the square to have lunch. This time, I took a photo of the street I used to enter the square, so I would be able to find it to go back to the hotel. I still took a few wrong turns before I got back to the hotel. I had about an hour before I had to leave for the airport. I sat in the hotel till my taxi arrived to take me to the airport and my flight to Seville.

I arrived in Seville at 10:15 at night. I followed the signs to the airport bus. The signs start out at the top, then continue on the ground. There is a ticket machine to buy the bus ticket for 4.00. The ticket can also be bought from the driver on the bus, for cash. The round-trip ticket is only valid for a few hours, so I bought a one-way ticket. I needed to get off at the Torre del Oro. I knew what it looked like, so I was able to tell when it was my stop. From there, it was a short walk to my hotel. There were a lot of people walking around in Seville, even at that late hour, so I felt safe walking to the hotel.

Early next morning, I walked to Torre del Oro, took a photo, then walked to Plaza Espana. After taking a few photos, I walked to Alcazar. The ticket lets you in at any time, but the entrance to the Royal Apartments is for a specific time slot. They only let a few people to the Royal Apartments, in each time slot, and are very strict about the entrance time on your ticket. After seeing a little of the rest of Alcazar, I started looking for the entrance to the Royal Apartments, because you have to be in line 10 minutes early. The Royal Apartments are very beautiful, but photography is not allowed. They have lockers to store your backpacks just outside the entrance. After leaving the Royal Apartments, I continued seeing the rest of Alcazar.

After leaving Alcazar, I grabbed a quick lunch and ate it sitting on the steps of the Cathedral. I then went into the Cathedral. I had bought the ticket to the Cathedral and the Giralda. The Giralda is a series of about 35 ramps inside the bell tower, that take you all the way to the top. There is no access to the roof, but there are windows all along the way. I then walked through the interior of the impressive Cathedral. After leaving the Cathedral.

I walked to Casa de Pilatos. It was a little confusing, but I eventually found it without taking any wrong turns. My phone battery was almost dead, so I had to rush through, then walk back to the hotel to charge my phone. I then walked back to the Cathedral, as I had booked the Roof Top tour for 7:30. After that, I had dinner, then walked back to my hotel.

I had booked train tickets to Granada for 7:30 in the morning with the return at 5:30. I booked a taxi to the train station, through the hotel. I reached Granada at about 10:00. I had planned on taking a taxi from the station to Alhambra, but there were no taxis waiting, and there was a long line of people waiting for a taxi. I started to walk, and after some time, I came to a roundabout. I looked at all the bus stops around the roundabout, and found one that went to Alhambra, so I took that bus.

At Alhambra, my ticket was good all day, but the ticket to Nasrid Palace is for a specific time slot. I started with the Generalife Gardens. When I came to the Generalife Palace, I realized that I may not have time to see the palace and get to Nasrid Palace on time, so I skipped the Generalife Palace and went to Nasrid Palace. When I was finished with Nasrid Palace, I walked back to the Generalife Palace. From there I went to Alcazaba and the palace of Carlos V. I took the same bus back and got off at the roundabout. As I walked back to the train station, I saw a taxi, and was able to flag it down.

Lisbon

Augusta Arch 001-002: Augusta Arch looking towards the waterfront and towards Baixa

Basilica Estrela 001-007: Basilica Estrela

Belem Tower 001-005: Torre de Belem, Belem Tower, a fortification that served as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. It was the point of embarkation and disembarkation for Vasco de Gama and other Portuguese explorers. It was built on a small island on the Tagus river. Bica Lift 001-002: Bica Lift Funicular goes from waterfront to Barrio Alto. It was initially built in 1892 and worked with the rack, rail and water counter balance system. Later, it worked with steam. It was electrified in 1927

Cathedral 001-006: Lisbon Cathedral, the oldest church in Lisbon.

Gloria Funicular 001: Ascensor da Gloria, Gloria Funicular goes from downtown and Praco dos Restauradores metro station, to Barrio Alto and the Miradoura de Sao Pedro Alcantera viewpoint

Jeronimos 001-020: Jeronimos Monastery and Church. Built on the site of a hermitage, founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, it was where Vasco de Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal, in prayer, before leaving for India. The church contains the tomb of Vasco de Gama, whose remains were brought to Lisbon from Kochi, India where he died.

Lisbon 001-005: Photos of Lisbon. 003 is right outside the cathedral, 004 is a movie theatre, 005 is the a Cristo Rei statue, inspired by the Christ the Redeemer status in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and representing Portugal’s religious gratitude for avoiding the horrors of WWII. Monument of Discoveries: This commemorates the Age of Discoveries in Portugal. It represents the prow of a caravel, a small sailing ship. Leading the ship is Prince Henry the Navigator followed by other great Portuguese discoverers like Vasco de Gama and Ferdinand Magellan.

National Pantheon 001-008: Panteao Nacional, National Pantheon. Built on an octagonal floor plan centered on a Greek Cross, it holds the tombs and cenotaphs of famous figures like Vasco de Gama.

Pink Street 001:

Praca do Comercio 001:

Rossio Square 001-003: Has the column of Pedro IV in the center, with two fountains. It is paved with a waved mosaic that looks uneven, but is perfectly even.

Rua Augusta 001:

Santa Justa Lift 001: Connects Baixa to Barrio Alto. There is a view point at the top, that was temporarily closed.

St George 001-011: Castelo de Sao Jorge, St George’s Castle, remains of an 11th century fortification, with access to the ramparts and towers. Has great views of the city. 001 was taken from the Miradoura de Sao Pedro Alcantera viewpoint.

Time Out Market 001: Food hall with a large variety of food options. Cash is not accepted, only credit cards. The food is not necessarily cheap, but there are a lot of selections.

Tram 28 001: Perhaps the most famous tram in Lisbon. Starts in Martim Moniz. There is usually a long line of people waiting to board it. If you don’t get a seat, it is not possible to look out through the windows.

Vicente de Fora 001-003: Igreja e Mosteiro de Sao Vicente de Fora, church and monastery of Vicente de Fora, built in the 17th century. Sintra

Monserrate 001-015: Palace and extensive grounds. I had purchased tickets online.

Moorish Castle 001-009: Castelo dos Mouros, Castle of the Moors. Built during the Moorish era, 8th to 12th century, this castle defended the entire region. The Christian Crusaders stormed and took the castle. Visitors can climb the battlements and 3 defensive towers, I had purchased tickets online.

National Palace 001-013: Located in the historic center of Sintra, a 10 minute walk from the train station. Bus 434 also goes there from the station. I had purchased tickets online.

Pena Palace 001-029: Palacio de Pena, Pena Palace, consists of a palace and an extensive park. The ticket covers the park and the palace, but entry to the palace is for specific time slots. Tickets can also be bought for a tram from the entrance to the palace. The exterior of the palace is beautiful with vibrant colors. I had purchased tickets online. I reached here at about 1:00 and my palace entrance was for 3:30. I did not have time to see the entire park. 001 was taken from the Moorish Castle.

Quinta da Regaleira 001-019: I was not able to buy tickets online, but there wasn’t much of a line to buy tickets. There is a romantic palace, a chapel, and a park that features lakes, grottoes, fountains and a well.

Marrakech

Bab Agnaou Gate 001: One of the best known gates of Marrakech

Bahia Palace 001-011: A 19th century palace with rooms decorated with stuccos, paintings, and mosaics.

Ben Youssef Madrasa 001-007: At its height, it was the largest Islamic college in Morocco. It served as a center for learning, worship and community interaction. It was able to accommodate upwards of 800 students.

El Badi Palace 001-004: It is the ruins of a palace. 004 is the Minbar of the Kutubiyya Mosque, similar to a pulpit, which is displayed here, and cannot be photographed.

Koutoubia Mosque 001-003: Largest mosque in Marrakech. The minbar, similar to a pulpit is displayed in El Badi Palace and cannot be photographed.

Saadian Tombs 001-012: A historical royal necropolis.

Seville

Real Alcazar 001-025 : This is the Royal Palace of Seville, built by Castilian Christians for Christian king, Peter of Castille. It was built on the site of an Abbadid Muslim Alcazar or residential fortress that was destroyed after the Christian conquest of Seville. The Spanish Royal family still uses this when they come to Seville. This is incredible. The Royal Apartments are beautiful but cannot be photographed.

Casa de Pilatos 001-010 : This is the second most beautiful place in Seville. The owner made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem while the house was being built. On his return, he replicated the ‘Way of the Cross’ from this house to a spot outside the city walls. The original Way of the Cross was from Pilate’s house to Calvary, so this house started to be known as Pilate’s House.

Cathedral Ext 001-019 : Exterior shots of Seville Cathedral

Cathedral Giralda 001-008 : Seville Cathedral used to be a mosque. The minaret of the mosque is now the bell tower of the cathedral. When this was a mosque, they needed to go to the top of the minaret, several times a day, to issue the call to prayer. They built about 35 ramps inside the minaret, in the shape of a square and rode up on horseback. Today, tourists can climb these ramps, which are steep and long, all the way to top, approximately 10 floors. There is no access to the roof, but there are windows all along the way, with great views.

Cathedral Int 001-022 : Interior of the cathedral

Cathedral Roof Top 001-020 : There are a few daily Roof Top Tours, in English and Spanish, for those who want to walk on the roof top. You climb a spiral staircase, all the way to the roof. You also walk in passages in the upper parts of the cathedral, behind the altars. The entire climb is about 10 floors, but it’s done in 3 stages, at a reasonable pace, so it’s not so bad. After each stage, you walk along a section of the roof, catch your breath, take photos, then resume your climb.

Plaza Espana 001-006 : Plaza Espana is a square built for the Ibero-American exposition of 1929

Seville 001-006 : 001 is the Parroquia de Santa Cruz, 002 is the Bullring, 003 is the Palacio Arzobispal, residence of the archbishop, 004 is the Palacio de San Telmo, formerly the University for Navigators, now the seat of the presidency of the Andalusian Autonomous Government Torre del Oro : A dodecagonal military watchtower built to control access to Seville. It served as a prison during the Middle Ages. The name is from the golden shine it projects on the river, due to its building materials, a mix of mortar, lime and hay Granada

Alhambra 001-017 : Alhambra is an Islamic fortress and palace complex. 001 is the Puerta de las Granadas or Gate of the Pomegranates. 004 is the Palace of Carlos V. 005 is the inner courtyard of the palace of Carlos V. 013-015 are the ruins of the Alcazaba, the military fortress. Generalife 001-014 : Gardens of Alhambra

Granada 001-006 : 001 is the Monumento a Isabel la Catolica, a monument depicting a meeting between Queen Isabella the Catholic Queen and Christopher Columbus. 002 is the Corral del Carbon, the oldest monument left by the Arabs. Used as a warehouse, then adapted by Christians for stage performances. 003 is a street that was once an ancient Arab marketplace. 004 is the Town Hall. 005 is the Justice of Andalusia. 006 is the Parroquia de San Gil y Santa Ana the parish church of San Gil and Santa Ana.

Nasrid Palace 001-031 : A complex of palaces and the royal residence of the kings of Granada

Royal Chapel 001-005 : The burial place of the Spanish Monarchs, Queen Isabelle I and King Ferdinand, the Catholic Monarchs

Europe Cruise, 2022



I took this cruise on Sky Princess, in April, 2022. It started and ended in Southampton. I was booked on this cruise in 2020, but the cruise got cancelled because of the Covid pandemic. The cruise went to France, Portugal, Spain and Gibraltar.

La Rochelle, France. I took a tour to the Chateau de la Roche Courbon. The gardens are modelled off Versailles. The gardens are laid out on marshland, which keeps sinking, so they had to be supported on piles. From there, we drove to the town of Saintes, We walked around the town and saw the Arch of Germanicus, an ancient Roman arch dedicated to Emperor Tiberius, his son Julius Caesar and his adoptive son Germanicus. After the tour, I had lunch, then took the shuttle from the pier to the town of La Rochelle. The town has two towers, Tour Saint Nicolas and Tour de la Chaine, that acted as the gateway to the port, and were part of the town’s fortifications. A chain used to be strung between the two towers. These towers were used as a place of residence for ship’s captains and as a prison. A 3rd tower, Tour de la Lanterne, had a glass lantern and served as a lighthouse as well as a prison.

La Rochelle 001 : Arch of Germanicus.

La-Rochelle 002-004 : Tour Saint-Nicolas and Tour de la Chaine.

La Rochelle 005-006 : Tour de la Lanterne.

La Rochelle Cathedrale Saint-Pierre de Saintes 001-006 :

La Rochelle Chateau de la Roche 001-008 :
G
ibraltar. I took a tour where we drove to the cable car station and took the cable car to the top of the Rock. There were great views from the top. We could see Morocco, which is just about 9 miles away. We walked through the Nature Reserve. We saw a lot of the famous tailless Barbary Macaque monkeys. We were warned to not keep any food in our backpacks, because these monkeys are very adept at opening zippers and throwing out everything in the backpack, to get to the food. We went into St Michael’s Cave, where we saw the sound and light show. From there, we drove to the Siege Tunnels. These tunnels were carved out of the rock by Merchant Marines, to defend Gibraltar against France and Spain during the Great Siege of 1779-1783. After the tour, I had lunch, then walked from the pier to the town. I took a bus to Europa Point, the southernmost point of Gibraltar. I saw the famous lighthouse, and the Sikorski Memorial. I also saw the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim mosque, also known as King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud mosque or Mosque of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. I came back to town and walked through Main Street. I saw the Moorish Castle in the distance, but did not have time to go there. I saw the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned, the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Franciscan Convent, which is now the Governor’s residence. Gibraltar takes British Pounds and Euros, but you have to be careful to avoid getting change back in Gibraltar pounds. I saw the very British red Telephone box, where the telephone actually works.

Gibraltar Rock 001-002 : Top of Rock of Gibraltar

Gibraltar Rock 003 : Prince Philip’s Arch

Gibraltar Rock 004-017 : Barbary Macaque

Gibraltar St Michael’s Cave 001-005 : St Michael’s Cave

Gibraltar Siege Tunnels 001-006 :

Gibraltar Europa Point 001-004

001 Lighthouse

002 Harding’s Battery

003 Sikorski Memorial
004 Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim mosque

Gibraltar City 001-004

001 Moorish Castle

002 Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned

003 Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

004 Franciscan Convent

Cartagena, Spain. We did not have a lot of time here. I took a tour that drove around town, then came right back to the pier, where we walked around. I could have just walked around myself! We went inside the Museum, then inside the well preserved ruins of the Roman Theatre. This had a capacity of 6000 and was dedicated to Gaius and Lucius Caesar, grandsons of Augustus Caesar. We saw the remnants of a fortress wall, some lovely buildings, and the City Hall. I went inside the City Hall. I’m not sure if it was closed, but the guard was explaining something to a couple, and did not notice me till I had reached the top of the stairs. By then I had already taken a picture of the grand staircase inside.

Cartagena City Hall 001-008 : Exterior and interior of Town Hall

Cartagena Roman Theatre 001-006 :

Cartagena Museum 001-004 : Museum

Cartagena City 001-007

001 Monument in front of City Hall

002 Remnants of fortress wall

003-007 Buildings

Malaga, Spain. I decided to take the tour to Granada, which was about 2 hours away. It was a 15 minute walk from where the bus parked, to the Granada Royal Chapel. The guide pointed out a few things, told us what time to be back and then we were on our own. I went inside the Royal Chapel. Photos are not allowed, but I managed to sneak a few in. This chapel contains the burial place of the Spanish monarchs, Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand, the Catholic Monarchs. They were second cousins, but the Pope gave special permission for them to be married, and their marriage united Spain. I saw the Corral del Carbon, the oldest monument left by the Arabs. It was used as a warehouse, then adapted by the Christians for stage performances. I walked along a narrow street that was once an ancient Arab marketplace. I saw the statue depicting the meeting between Queen Isabella I and Christopher Columbus. I saw the Town Hall, the High Court of Justice of Andalusia, the parish church of San Gil and Santa Ana. I saw a sign to the Alhambra, so I walked up the steep road. Tickets to the Alhambra were sold out. I had not thought of buying tickets online, ahead of time. Even if I had bought tickets earlier, I probably would not have had time to see it, because it takes about 3 or 4 hours. I saw what I could from the outside, then walked back to the meeting point and returned to the ship.

Granada City 001-006

001 Monumento a Isabel la Catolica.

002 Corral del Carbon.

003 Street that was once an ancient Arab marketplace

004 Town Hall

005 High Court of Justice of Andalusia

006 Parroquia de San Gil y Santa Ana

Granada Royal Chapel 001-005 :

Granada Alhambra 001-010

001 Puerta de las Granadas or Gate of the Pomegranates is one of the gates to the Alhambra complex

003-005 Palacio Carlos V, the palace of Carlos V

006 Inner Courtyard of the Palace of Carlos V

007-010 other buildings

Lisbon, Portugal. I had heard a lot about Sintra, so I took the tour to Sintra and Cascais. That was a mistake. We had about an hour in each place. I was not very impressed with Cascais. An hour in Sintra is not enough to see anything. We did not even see the exterior of any of the famous monuments in Sintra. We only saw the outside of the National Palace. The guide suggested we walk around the town center and did not even recommend we go inside the National Palace. By the time we returned to Lisbon, there wasn’t enough time to go to Geronimos Monastery, or St George’s Castle. All I could do was walk around a little and see a few of the lesser known churches. When the ship sailed out of Lisbon, I went to the upper deck, and I managed to see the Monument to the Discoveries, the Belem Tower, and the Christo Rei statue. The Monument to the Discoveries is made up of a group of sculptures that represent the prow of a caravel, a small sailing ship constructed by the Portuguese, to explore the Atlantic. Leading the shop are Prince Henry the Navigator and behind him are other explorers like Vasco de Gama, and Ferdinand Magellan. The Belem Tower, or Tower of St Vincent, is a fortification that served as the ceremonial gateway to Lisbon and was the point of embarkation and disembarkation for Vasco de Gama and other Portuguese explorers. It is built on a small island in the Tagus River. The Christo Rei statue was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, and represents Portugal’s gratitude for avoiding the horrors of WWII.

Lisbon 001-008

001 Church of Santa Engracia

002-004 Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora

005 Monument to the Discoveries.

006-007 Belem Tower

008 Christo Rei statue

Cascais 001-006

Sintra 001-006

001 Palacio Nacional de Sintra

002-003 St Martin’s Church

004-006 Buildings

Bilbao, Spain. I took a walking tour of Bilbao. It was interesting and included a stop at a restaurant, where we got Tapas and a drink. The Tapas was really tasty. One of the stops was the Cathedral de Santiago Apostol, consecrated in honor of Saint James the Great. This is a point of transit for the pilgrims that followed the Northern Branch of the Way of Saint James, to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where St James is believed to be buried. The guide pointed out a small tile embedded in the pavement outside the cathedral, that marks the Way of St James. We went to Bilbao before going to Santiago de Compostela, so I did not understand what this was and did not take a photo of it. The last stop was the Guggenheim Museum, where a floral monument of a Scottish terrier called ‘Puppy’ guards the doors of the museum. This monument has a changing mantle of tens of thousands of flowers.

001 Church of San Nicolas

002 Train Station

003 Cathedral de Santiago Apostol.

007 Teatro Arriaga, opera house

011 Floral monument in front of the Guggenheim Museum

012 Spider sculpture in front of the Guggenheim Museum

013-019 Guggenheim Museum

Cadiz, Spain. I took a tour to Seville, which was about 2 hours away. The famous cathedral of Seville was a short walk from where the bus parked. We were provided with a map of the city and told what time to get back to the bus, then we were on our own. The cathedral was huge and very beautiful. I spent way too much time admiring it. It was Easter Sunday, and Easter Mass was in progress, so we could not walk around inside the cathedral. I was able to step in and take photos just inside the door. The Semana Santa parade takes place the week of Easter. A statue of the Virgin Mary is carried around and there are people dressed in white robes, wearing conical hats. There were several beautiful buildings near the cathedral, like the residence of the archbishop and the church of Santa Cruz. From the cathedral, I walked to the bullring, and then to the Palace of San Telmo, formerly the University for Navigators, and now the seat of the Presidency of the Andalusian Autonomous Government. I then walked to the Torre del Oro. This is a dodecagonal (12-sided star polygon) military watchtower. It once served as a prison. The name comes from the golden shine it projects on the river, due to its building materials, a mix of mortar, lime and pressed hay. I then walked to the Real Alcazar, a royal palace built by Castilian Christians for the Christian king, Peter of Castile. It was built on the site of an Abbadid Muslim Alcazar or residential fortress that was destroyed after the Christian conquest of Seville. The next ticket for Alcazar was at 5:00 and our bus left at 3:00, so I was not able to go inside. I did not think of buying tickets online, earlier. Even if I had tickets, I probably would not have been able to see much of it, because of the limited time we had in Seville.

Seville Cathedral 001-019

Seville City 001-011

001 Torre del Oro

002 Real Alcazar. Puerto del Leon, or Gate of the Lion.

003 Parroquia de Santa Cruz.

004 Bullring.

005 Palacio Arzobispal, residence of the archbishop.

006 Palacio de San Telmo

009-011 Semana Santa Parade.

Vigo, Spain. I took a tour to Santiago de Compostela, which is about 2 hours away. It was about a 10 minute walk from where the bus parked to the Cathedral. The guide told us what time to be back there and left us on our own. The guide told us that if we wanted to go inside the cathedral we should do so right away, because once Mass started, we would not be allowed in. I went in right away, and was able to take photos. Inside, I saw the Botafumeiro, the larger-than-life silver censer, used to burn incense during mass. It is swung at 40mph from one end of the transept to the other. The cathedral is believed to contain the tomb of the Apostle St James, the Elder. The main entrance used to be the Portico de la Gloria, which is now kept closed. I was able to walk in through the Holy Door. This door is opened every 6, 5, 6 and 11 years, when the Feast of the Apostle St James falls on a Sunday. It was supposed to be open in 2021, but because of the Covid pandemic, the Pope gave special permission to open it in 2022 instead. In ancient times, pilgrims used to come here, by foot or horseback, along what is called the Way of St James. This is actually a number of routes, that come from England, France, Portugal and Spain. Pilgrims used to get a scallop shell as proof they had completed the pilgrimage. Modern pilgrims come on foot or bicycle, and get a certificate if they complete 100 km on foot, or 200 km on bicycle. Across the cathedral, is the Hostal dos Reis Catolicos, a 5-star hotel that was originally constructed by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, as a hospice and hospital for the pilgrims. From the cathedral, I walked around the town seeing some lovely old buildings. The town looks very medieval, and you almost expect to see knights on horseback riding around.

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral Interior 001-011

001-010 : Cathedral interior.

001-003 show the Botafumeiro

011 : Tomb of the Apostle St James, the Elder

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral Exterior 001-020

001-005 : Praza de Obradoira, west façade, the Portico de la Gloria entrance.

006 : Puerta Santa, Holy Door

007 Inside the Holy Door

008 : Plaza de Praterias, south façade. Fountain of the Horses with the Casa do Cabido in the background

009-010 : Plaza de Praterias, south façade. Fountain of the Horses with the Cathedral in the background

Santiago de Compostela City 001-013

001-002 : Palacio de Rajoy or Pazo de Raxoi, the Town Hall

003 : Monasterio de San Martin Pinario

004 : Igrexa San Bieito

005 Iglesia de San Augustin

006 : Praza de San Fiz de Solovio

007 : Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Maria Salome

008 : Convento San Francisco

009 : Hostal dos Reis Catolicos