Old Savage: The question was
what did you do this year, not
WHO did you do this year.
As for my year, we finally fulfilled a plan that was almost four years in the making -- took a vacation in Europe and visited with a former exchange student we had hosted. We did two weeks and saw Lisbon, Portugal; Seville, Spain; the general area around Recklinghausen (north of Duesseldorf) and Cologne, Germany, with a side trip to Cochem and Trier, Germany on the way to Luxembourg; Luxembourg City; Paris, France, and Rome, Italy. We did the backpack thing, anything we took fit into a carry-on sized backpack. Traveled light like the locals and it was a huge success. A bar of Dial and a 25 ft length of paracord took care of laundry every three days or so. I took five button-down nylon fishing shirts, three trousers (zip-off leg fishing pants), five pairs of underwear and five pairs of socks. One pair of Ecco leather shoes, and one pair of lightweight flip-flops for evening wear around the hotels. One thin Gore-tex rain jacket. My pack weighed 14 lbs, including a small netbook computer and toiletries. I could have made do with three shirts, two trousers, and will do so next time.
We got Eurail passes and used them hard; got a heck of a value in train travel for the $$$ spent on the pass. When in Europe, rail is the way to go for trips of 6-8 hrs or less. We loved it, especially the high-speed TGV (tay-zhay-vay) from Luxembourg City to Paris Gare Est. 221 MILES per hour on the line from Metz to Paris, the same line where the TGV set the world speed record for a train in 2007 - 348 MPH. The TGV cost us an 11-Euro "reservation" fee in addition to our Eurail Passes, for a trip that took 2:08 that would take an auto about 4.5 hrs.
It was great seeing our exchange student and meeting his family. They treated us to a musical in Bochum, Germany; "Starlight Express," written by Andrew Lloyd Webber has been running for 20 years and is the most popular musical in Germany. The also took us to Cologne where we saw the Dom (Cathedral) that Eisenhower ordered the Air Corps to not hit during bombing missions. They didn't. Toured the Lindt chocolate museum, took a boat ride on the Rhine, and did some shopping in a commercial section that reminded me of Times Square for all the people. Ate in some awesome outdoor cafes and restaurants. Although I spoke German, most Germans would respond in English. Some clerks were of Spanish descent, and my daughter spoke spanish to them.
In Paris, we saw the usual suspects: Notre Dame, Tour Eiffel, Louvre, Arc d' Trionphe, Pompidou Center (art museum), the site of the Bastille, Trocadero, and the Palais Versailles. After seeing Versailles, I can understand why the people revolted. Note: The Paris Metro system is WONDERFUL and LOW COST. The best subway I've ever rode on for ease of getting around,
definitely beating the Washington, DC Metro and the NYC MTA. NOTE: I will never allow anyone to bash the French people in my presence. The Parisian French were WONDERFUL. I'd always speak French, and in most cases they would respond in English. Restaurants were fantastic.
In Rome, we saw the Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, Coleseum, Victor Emmanuel 1 memorial, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and of course the Vatican Museum and St. Peters. As it timed out, we entered St. Peters with about 10 mins to spare before 17:00 Daily Mass, and being Catholics we attended Mass and Communion. The actual seating area in the Cathedral is not much more than in a medium sized church in the US. We stayed near the Opera and the Main Train Station and ate at terrific restaurants. Romans were outstanding; even though I spoke Italian to them, most would respond in English.
Everything else this year paled by comparison.
Noah
Might as well face it, you're addicted to guns . . .
Lots of health issues this year. Always something.
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