The wrap up!

45 days, 15 countries, hundreds of places, thousands of sights, and memories that will last a lifetime.

What a trip. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity and to have had everything go so well. I encountered no major issues, injuries, sickness, safety mishaps, etc--all of which I am very grateful for. Furthermore, mom, dad, and Andrew all had great trips as well. Now here is something a little fun... A few lists that I came up with!

Things I Will Miss:
5. Train travel
4. Using and improving my languages, particularly German
3. Meeting and interacting with people from around the world every day
2. The Food: Gelato, wurst, doner kebabs, good sauerkraut, salads, schnitzel, apfel strudel, italian pizza and pasta, chocolate (Belgian then German and Swiss), chocolate croissants, German pretzels, beer, wine, and so much more
1. Having the opportunity to craft a new and unlimited adventure each day. Exploring new places from sun up through late at night. Seeing more than I ever imagined, moving at a pace that I will probably never again match.

Things I Will Not Miss:
5. Inconsistent Internet and not knowing when I am going to be able to pull up my next round of train schedules, etc.
4. Money belts. Two of them.
3. Cold cuts, cheese, and dry rolls for breakfast
2. The smoking culture. There is smoke just about everywhere.
1. Pay toilets. Enough said.

Things I Thought I Would Miss, but Don't:
5. My phone, TV, and computer
4. My car and driving
3. American news and politics. I am usually very informed, and I have completely tuned out...which has been surprisingly refreshing!
2. American sports...same premise as above.
1. Clean clothes. I have about 2.5 outfits and haven't done any laundry since Geneva...over 5 weeks ago. Believe it or not, I survived.

Things I am Indifferent About:

5. Foreign currencies (I used 6)
4. The European way of keeping time.
3. Carrying my pack. I have kind of become used to it.
2. Tiny hotel rooms...and I have been in some real closets.
1. The time change.

Things I am Eager to Get Back to:
5. A workout consisting of something other than hauling around a 50-65lb pack.
4. Bacon, eggs, frosted flakes, Michigan fruits, oatmeal, and anything else associated with a good ole American breakfast
3. A steaming hot tub in the back yard and my own bed
2. Pure Michigan. Again, enough said.
1. Spending time with family and friends, new and old. I can't wait to enjoy the summer with family and friends.

For those of you who have stuck with this, all I can say is--Wow! I am very impressed. Thank you for your emails and messages! Like I said, I can't wait to see you all.

From Zurich, good night. I am looking forward to seeing East Lansing late tomorrow night!

Have a wonderful tomorrow! Signing off,

-David

From the Rhine, through the Black Forest, and on to Zurich!

Well, the end has come. All I can do is think of what an incredible trip this has been and be very grateful for it all. This has certainly been once in a lifetime opportunity, and it has been such a blessing to share it with loved ones. Prior to the trip, Andrew had never been to Europe, dad hadn't been years and had no desire to travel, and mom was dealing with a boatload of stress. I am so lucky to have been able to share this joy with them.

This trip has been among the biggest learning experiences of my life. After my first international trip, I have felt like one week of international travel is like one semester of learning. Having had the chance to spend almost 7 weeks trekking, I can't describe how many new things I have learned and experienced. From the cultural, artistic, historical, geographical, practical, and many other aspects, I can't begin to describe everything. (This was one of the original reasons for the blog, so that I could remember).

Today we were up early to enjoy the best of the Rhine. We hike up to the castle above Bacharach before heading out on a Rhine cruise. Unfortunately, mother nature didn't cooperate, and we cruised in the rain. While it was nowhere near as enjoyable as my last Rhine cruise, it still gave dad a great feeling for the beauty on the Rhine. After a little time exploring St. Goar, we got on a train and headed for Freiburg.

Freiburg was last minute addition to the plans, as many Germans recommended it, it was perfectly on the way to Zurich, and I had not stopped their earlier on my trip. It was a very pretty town, and it was hopping with life from its large university. The streets were all lined with shops and cafes, and this seemed to be one of the main draws. The city was quite beautiful, but we found it to be lacking in the major attraction area. None the less, it was worth a quick stop, and it gave dad a feeling for the Black Forest region.

We made it out of Freiburg earlier than expected, so we had some extra time in Zurich. While I sent all of my Switzerland information home with mom and Andrew, dad and I still took a nice walk around town. It was a gorgeous night, and it was great to walk along the river and down to the lake. Dad REALLY wants to do the Alps now...mom take note! I don't think you would mind going back to the Alps!

Tonight we are staying right at the airport, courtesy of hotel points. Tomorrow we leave at 10, and go Zurich to JFK to Cincinnati to Chicafo to Kalamazoo. One more post will follow...

Here are a few photos of today!

Back to Bacharach and enjoying more Apfelwein

Like I have started started so many other posts, today was another delightful day! We really enjoyed our time in Stadtallendorf with the Finks. I have been the beneficiary of incredible hospitality from the Finks and the Westricks.

I have reported how much dad is enjoying the German food. I can also say that he enjoys German breakfasts, with dried meats, cheeses, and hard bread. Once again, if he is happy, then I am happy. We attended Mass with the Finks and afterwards got a full tour of Stadtallendorf. One of the interesting things was the memorial to the people of the town lost during the world wars. The names included many we are familiar with: Feldpausch, Huhn, Schneider, Schafer, and multiple Theis' listed. After another scrumptious German meal, we met both of the Finks grown children and their significant others. We visited both of their nearby homes, including their son Constantine who is remodeling Alfred's childhood home for his residence. Another very interesting thing that we were able to see were the remnants of Stadtallendorf's huge munitions factory from WWII. This was evidently the biggest munitions factory in all of Europe, camouflaged in bunkers with trees and such growing on the roofs. A good chunk of the town is still covered by the factory buildings, and only a fraction survive. Along with the factory came workers--in the form of slave labor. Stadtallendorf was home to a satellite concentration camp under the Buchenwald umbrella. It was very interesting to see this, as at each of the camps I have visited, I have heard and learned a great deal about the satellite camps. Alfred and Carola also showed us other historic places such as where a number of German generals lived. It was really fun to spend time in a small town and see what life is like in this kind of community. The Finks seem to be like Grandma and Grandpa are in Westphalia; they know everybody and everything about Stadtallendorf. They are very proud of their town.

As I mentioned yesterday, for the most part, the communication went as well as I could have asked for. Holding a conversation in German for 20 minutes is one thing. Having an ongoing two day discussion is a completely different ball game, plus add in that I was acting as translator for dad. I quite glad to say that I am at the point where my brain is simultaneously thinking in both languages. I have accidentally responded to some of dad's questions tonight in German or with some German mixed in with my answer. Oops! Overall though, it was another once in a lifetime experience using my German in this capacity.

I will add, the Finks kept saying that Fred and Marie should visit again...or that I should come back on my honeymoon (no intentions or plans in my foreseeable future in case you were wondering).

From Stadtallendorf we headed to Frankfurt, because that is essentially where all trains head. Since we were there, I figured I had to get dad some of the Apfelwein. Dad was in Frankfurt in 1979, and he is still talking about the Apfelwein. We did the walking tour first (something I couldn't do during my very brief visit to Frankfurt a few weeks back due to the mammoth protests). Frankfurt probably has more contrast than any other city I have been to, perhaps worldwide. Banks next to drug districts next to the gorgeous town square next to a huge shopping center next to residential areas next to the famous Apfelwein houses. It is really pretty interesting. Instead of stay in Frankfurt, I have brought dad to one of my favorites in nearby Bacharach.

When dad decided to come over, he expressed interest in seeing the Rhein, and given the close proximity and my affinity for the region, it all worked out well! Already this evening, dad has gained a full grasp for why I love this place. We did a quick walk through the beautiful and historic town up to the hills overlooking the Rhine and vineyard covered hills. Picturesque, romantic, historic, quaint, charming, cheap, and tourist free on a Sunday night! Unfortunately, the iPad spent much of the day in the pack, so I don't have many photos to put up today.

Tomorrow we will hike a bit, do a Rhine cruise, and head to Freiburg. I have talked with numerous Germans who have said Freiburg is their favorite town in Germany. My Rick Steve's book also has a chapter on Freiburg complete with walking tour, so I figured we would check it out! I am always up for exploring a new place, and it is perectly in the train line to the Zurich Airport (where we head tomorrow night).

I can't believe that we only have one more day! It is incredible how time flies when you are having fun. Believe it or not, while I do miss family and friends terribly, I really can't say I have been homesick at all on the trip. As documented, if it weren't for seeing much missed friends and having the annual Pokagon bash this coming week, I would be continuing to the likes of Scandinavia and Spain. Had dad not come, I was going to toss in a high octane trip to Mont St. Michaels in France. I guess now I have a list started for next time...whenever that may be!

Have a great start to your week! I am looking forward to seeing many of you soon!

Weimar, Buchenwald, Erfurt, und Allendorf: EuroCup edition

Our first day with the Fink's went about as well as it could! We had a great time and our hosts treated us like kings. Furthermore, my German was more than sufficient to navigate everything, have good communication, and to serve as a translator for dad. The Finks are distant cousins, and they speak no English. I told dad that this may be the one and only time in my life when I am a 100% translator between to groups of people who understand none of the others language. It was a lot of fun for me, but it also kept me on my toes all day.

We started by touring the town of Weimar. Once again, it was a great reminder of why I love getting to these small towns. Dad really noticed it as well and enjoyed it. Weimar was full of picturesque squares lines with cafes and shops and with few tourists--which I love.

Next was over to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. For dad, a camp was the one thing he told me he really wanted to see on this trip. Buchenwald had some very interesting exhibitions, and like the other camps I have seen was again mind boggling with its sheer size. Another thing that stood out were the preserved execution rooms where the Nazis barbarically killed thousands. I bought dad the audio guide, which really helped him get the most out of it. We spent a few hours there and also visited the memorials. It was another chilling and sickening experience, but certainly something we must remember.

From there it was off to Erfurt. Erfurt is high on charm and on quaintness, partially due to very little damage during WWII. It worked well for dad and I, as my guidebook has a chapter on Erfurt. We more or less saw all of the sights the book recommended, and it gave dad a great insight into the town. This was exceptionally beautiful in a similar way to Weimar, but a bit bigger. The place was again full of life, and it was great to take it in on a beautiful day. We had a fantastic Thuringer lunch full of traditional regional specialties and the scrumptious in season asparagus. All trip long, dad has been shocked and raving about how good the food is. In trying to show dad the best of Europe and knowing his tastes, I am intentionally feeding dad lots of new foods that I know he will like. The easiest way to make him happy has to be to keep his belly full, right? He also got his now daily gelato...

Tonight we headed to Stadtallendorf to the Fink's home. The smallest of the three towns we have been in today, Stadtallendorf housed what I guess was the biggest munitions factory in the world during WWII. It was concealed in bunkers and not found by the allies until capture from what I understood. The Fink's have a very nice home, and were again incredibly hospitable to us welcoming us. We are staying in a B&B right down the road, and we are in the exact room that Fred and Marie stayed in (according to Alfred). Alfred and Carola both grew up here, and they are very proud of their city. This too goes in the category of least touristy places I have been on the trip, and I love getting the glimpse of real life for the average person.

We were able to enjoy a real treat tonight in being present for Germany's first EuroCup match. The way the country shuts down, prepares, and celebrates is something I can only compare to the Super Bowl. The streets empty and then flood with honking cars after a victory. Keep in mind, this is an entire country we are talking about. We watched the game with Alfred and Carola and cheered on the Germans to an exciting victory! Naturally, we washed it down with a tasty dinner and German refreshments.

Tomorrow we are onward and upward. I don't have the plan finalized, but I know we are going back to one of my favorite areas: The Rhine. When dad decided to come, I had to cut out my last few days of creativity and instead pick some places to keep us nearby for our flight home. So, back to the Rhine to spend our last bit of the trip, which is perfectly fine with me!

Enjoy the weekend! Last but not least: HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA FRED!!! And also, happy 50th wedding anniversary Jim and Judy!

Chuck Theis: Bach aficionado

Another fun day as we wind down the trip. We started the morning off by touring the historical and famous Frauenkirche in Dresden. This unique church sat in ruins from WWII bombings until enough money was raised in the mid 90's to rebuild it. The church is now restored in a remarkably beautiful fashion. We also climbed the dome. For those of you who have climbed to the top of European churches, you are probably questioning my reasoning for taking a 6ft 4in blind man up the normally steep spiraling staircases with cramped ceilings at the top of a dome. The answer is that as a result of the modern reconstruction, the Frauenkirche had the easiest, least cramped and most well designed done climb I have ever seen. Much of it was ramps, and there were no low ceilings or two way traffic on scarily steep steps. It was the perfect dome to take dad up for all of these reasons.

MC would be very happy: today I fed dad a chocolate croissant for breakfast. Following the pattern, initial complaints and protest followed by asking if we could get another one. This repeated itself later in the day with a traditional German pretzel.

We were also going to go to Dresden's top art museum, but someone was too slow getting out of bed...plus then he needed time to stretch... :)

We catch some lunch and then hopped one the ICE bullet train to Leipzig. Dad got a real kick out of being on a bullet train, which is about 10 more comfortable and easy going than a plane. He chuckled as the monitor on the end of the car showed our speed going up to 200km/hr. Upon getting to Leipzig, we took a little walking tour of the old town. Once again, it is amazing to see the changes that have taken place, especially since the fall of communism in the last 20 or so years. Downtown was alive with people, shops, cafes, and gelato. Noting the pattern cited in previous days, today dad simply asked when we were having gelato and was exceptionally content.

After walking through the city, we went to the Stasi Museum. The Stasi were the East German domestic police and spy force. To see the level that they invaded privacy, denied rights, and committed heinous crimes such as murder. Lots of interesting exhibits about secret cameras, wire taps, scent tracking dogs, hidden weapons, secret home invasions, and everything else you can imagine about a communist spy agency. Dad especially liked the museum, so I was very glad!

Next we headed over to Thomaskirche, the home of JS Bach. Bach worked here for years and was the organist and music director. I knew long in advance that the (world famous for classical musicians) Bach Festival would be going on during this time. This attracts people from all over the world, and they even broadcast the events on big screens in the public squares. The plan was for dad and I to take in a concert of the Thomaskirche boys choir, but instead we caught part of the Bach Festival. Still in the Thomaskirche, we caught a great and packed concert featuring a top notch choir, the master organist of Thomaskirche, and some continuo instruments. The music was naturally Bach, Schein, Kuhnau, and more Bach. The choir was very good, with a nice warm tone and many musical elements to their singing. You early music friends take note: it wasn't all straight tone. The organist was also spectacular with his use of the instrument. In America, we hear bad organ music so often making this a real treat.

Dad actually enjoyed the concert, which I chalked up to an artistic and cultural experience for him. Prior to him deciding to come, I was planning in staying in Leipzig longer to take in more of the Festival. However, taking dad around has been a blast. His favorite part of the concert was a little group hymn sing. After the concert, he was proclaiming that he has now made his international singing premier at the Bach Festival with his participation in the group hymn! I will let him keep living the dream...hence we have a self proclaimed Bach aficionado (see picture below)!!!

After the concert, we hopped on the bullet train again and headed to Weimar. We are staying here tonight and meeting the Fink's here in the morning. We caught another fantastic dinner, with more local German beer for dad. As you can tell, I am making sure he enjoys the finest that Germany has to offer!!! He has also been very impressed with how cheap I am keeping the trip. For example, our total food bill for the day was just under 40€, or 20 per person. For traveling, and especially European travel, I find this to be pretty darn good.

Tomorrow is Weimar, Buchenwald Concentration Camp, Erfurt (Martin Luther fame), and staying in Stadtallendorf. This sounds busier than it is, as Buchenwald is only 3 miles from where we are currently in Weimar.

Having dad here has been a blast, and in a lot of ways it has reintroduced me back to reality. It has been such a treat to share the joy of traveling and exploring with him. I think you all know how much fun I was having going as fast as I could and seeing as much as possible. I even mentioned that I very seriously considered extending my trip, especially since I have more time in my railpass. However, dad being here has reminded me of how much I do miss home and that it is time to come home. It has reminded me that in a lot of ways, I have kind of been living outside of reality. This has been the trip of lifetime, but having dad here has reminded me of how wonderful a summer of Pure Michigan will be! I am so grateful to have traveled with mom, Andrew, and now dad!

Looking forward to seeing so many friends and family in the next few weeks! Have a great weekend.

Dresden

Another good day in the books, and I think dad is whooped! We are in our hotel with the lights on, and he has fallen asleep anyway. We are without internet, so I have no idea when this post or the previous will get put up.

Today we journeyed to Dresden from Berlin, as detailed in the previous and overdue Berlin post. In Dresden, we put down our bags and quickly headed off to Saxon Switzerland National Park to do some hiking (and to clarify, not anywhere near Switzerland). Although the weather was sunny when we left Dresden, we did run into quite a bit of rain during our hike. It was a fantastic hike around the Elbe River, and we climbed about 1,000ft atop cliffs overlooking the river. Even with the bad weather, it was clear to see the beauty of the region. We hiked around some old castle ruins before heading back to the ferry across the Elbe and train back to Dresden. Overall, a great little hike, and the villages we went through along the Elbe were some of the most charming I have seen in former East Germany.

Back in Dresden, we did the guided walking tour as well as walked through a number of other areas. The old city of Dresden is really pretty fantastic, and it is incredible to see how they have recovered from both the WWII firebombing and then communism. There were far fewer remaining communist scars visible here than what I have witnessed in several of the other cities over the past few weeks. We were really impressed with the Zwinger, Semperoper, Royal Palace, monstrous Frauenkirche, and the many other finely restored buildings. The riverfront might not be as nice as some of the others I have seen on the trip, but when combined with the old town skyline, it was right at the top.

Today we had more of the same from yesterday, a complaint when I bought a German chocolate bar stuffed with berry filling. After eating his half, dad suddenly thought it was pretty good! We did have an improvement today--no complaint when I stopped for Gelato. Dad thoroughly enjoyed his strawberry chocolate and kiwi flavors!

We again finished the day off right--with a fantastic sunset dinner on the Elbe. Dad had a traditional Saxony wurst plate (Andrew would have been jealous) as well an unfiltered Saxon beer. I departed from the normal choice and instead went with a hearty salad.

Tomorrow we will see a few more sights in Dresden before heading to Leipzig. With Leipzig's limited sights, we will not spend a lot of time there. Our main reason for going is to catch a Bach concert in Bach's original church, Thomaskirche. After the concert, we are on a late night train to Weimar, where our hotel is right next to the train station.

Congrats to MC and all of those finishing school!

Berlin

Forst and foremost, let me give a huge thanks to Scott Sebastian for the wonderful gift of an opera ticket at another world class opera house. I am sitting and writing during intermission at Deutsche Opera Berlin, seeing there concert premiere of Verdi's Il Trovatore. I will finish with an opera review later, but for now let me run down what we did today and yesterday.

Dad and I connected easily yesterday at Tegel Airport, and we then journeyed to our hotel taking about an hour. Our hotel is a bit out from the center, but it is right on a tram line. In that hour, I don't think dad said more than 5 words, and I have never seen him more tired. So, after checking in, I let him sleep for a few hours. In the afternoon, I got him up and we did a thorough guided walking tour of the city. We hit just about all the big places, from Alexander Platz down Unter den Linden through the Tiergarten and Potsdamer Platz. We walked through the memorials scattered around Berlin and also visited the wall, Brandenburg Gate, and other sights. I introduced him to the finest of German fast food: Doner Kababs and Currywurst. He loved both. He highlight was probably our sunset/night tour of the Reichstag and its shining new dome. This is basically where the German parliament meets, and it has a lot of historical significance from around WWII.

Today we really took an in depth look at some of the museums and sights around Berlin. (Opera resumes, rest written on the next morning train to Dresden). We spent significant time visiting The Topography of Terror Museum complex, Checkpoint Charlie and its museum, and Museum Island (like a German Smithsonian). Dad seemed to really enjoy it all. For me, i have had 4 weeks of German history, so I had to remind myself that it was all new to dad. The pace has been rather leisurely thus far with dad, rather than the "do and see as much as possible from sun up to midnight" pace that I have had for the past 3.5 weeks. He didn't really want to do the opera, and while I would have made Andrew or mom go see this "cultural experience", I took it easy on dad as he preferred to back to the hotel and rest. No worries, he is going to a Bach concert tomorrow for a little cultural experience!

I introduced him to a few more essential foods. Yesterday we had gelato. He protested it at first, but then he was blown away by it. He couldn't believe how real the fruit flavors tasted. I also got him some fantastic German chocolates...again with a protest. Again he loved it. We had our first nice meal at a great place serving up traditional Berlin food. I had a Berlin wurst, sauerkraut, potatoes, and Vegetables, while dad had a heaping smoked salmon salad washed down with apple wine.

Dad seems to be having a great time, which means I am having a great time. One of my main goals is to show dad how easy it is to do European travel, and to show him how much cheaper it can be doing it outside of a tour. The hope is that he will be encouraged to travel more in retirement. (You probably guessed, mom is a big proponent of this and of dads time over here with me for these reasons). A few of the things that he has done that would normally be intimidating are:
He has successfully navigated the Berlin U-bahn (subways), s-bahn (commuter trains), trams, and busses. These are some of the most complex transit systems I have used over here. I even put him on a tram last night and let him get himself back to the hotel. Now, he is seeing how easy it is to navigate the trains, although this is possibly the most full train I have been on. This morning brought more learning experiences for him, as we bought breakfast at a German grocery store (cheap and healthy). He also was great getting around Berlin on foot, and now I have him reading the guidebook on how to see Dresden. He is taking ownership of the trip, which is great!

We ended our time in Berlin in a great way; by eating Berliners--famous from President Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech. This can mean two things: the obvious or "I am a jelly doughnut". Once again, dad protested the jelly doughnut, but then really liked it. You can probably see the trend... :)

Here is the opera review, and the normal rules apply. Skip it if you really don't care about opera! This was the concert premiere of Il Trovatore at Deutsche Oper, and it was a VERY high demand ticket. There were lots of folks looking to buy, and not anyone selling. Together, it was some finest collective singing I have ever heard. The principle soprano, mezzo, tenor, and baritone were all just fabulous, and I had a ticket where I could just bask in the glory of their voices. It was a concert version, which further allowed you to hear just how magnificent the singing was. Much of it was fantastically musical and tender, and the singers did plenty of acting. I have never seen a conductor jump so much or awkwardly contort himself more. Constantly jumping and doing terrible dances on the podium. While the audience went ballistic for the singers, they booed the conductor!!!! I was astonished! Welcome to European opera...

We are just arriving in Dresden! Much to do, about a day to do it!