Monaco, St Tropez, Le Lavandou - France

Let’s Go France and Monaco… For those who have never been to the French Riviera, it’s impossible to describe and truly must be seen with one’s own eyes.  There is no picture we could take, or words I could write that would do it justice. 

As we crossed over from Italy through the many coastal towns and made our way into France and Monaco, I was surprised to see that there is barely a sign between the two countries.   While the Italian side of the Riviera is also beautiful, nothing compares to the luxury and amazing views of the French side.  As I write, we are parked high on a mountain-side looking out over Monaco with ocean as far as the eye can see.  Our home on wheels provides yet another stunning view and amazing writing space.  While I write (and drink white wine and snack on Olives) Stijn is reading his book up top in bed, being caressed with cool ocean air- life truly does not get better! 

We are constantly reminded of just how fortunate we are and reflect upon it almost daily.  We are proud of ourselves for taking this opportunity and making it happen and truly seizing every moment.  Every experience, both good and bad, and mostly good has been such a treasure thus far.  The memories that we are making on this adventure are going to keep us going for many years to come and we couldn’t be happier about our decision to take it.

The next few days we spent exploring a bit of Monte Carlo but to be honest, our hearts weren’t really in it. Regardless we wanted to take in the town and especially the famed casino and while our 40 Euro’s didn’t last long, we still had a great time; just seeing the luxury cars in the parking lot was worth the visit.  Everything from Bentley’s to Ferrari’s-there is certainly no shortage of wealth in this place- it was quite a show!  None the less, it is a very big place and we’ve been in so many big cities as of late, we just weren’t feeling it as much as we might have thought, so we decided to get back on the road and head for Saint Tropez. 

We decided to hit the toll highway so we could make use of the great rest stops and settled in for the night.  Unfortunately it wouldn’t be a good one.  At around 4:30 a.m., Stijn woke up to what he thought was me going to the bathroom but what was actually a guy breaking in to our camper while we were in it.  He had cut through the window and was just about to reach in a grab our camera and lap top when Stijn gave the biggest roar I’ve ever heard and scared the would-be thief away.  He ran off and hopped into what was an already started car and hit the highway.  Shaken at the desperation and brazenness of the thieves, Stijn got out and looked around at the camper to check for other damage.  To our surprise they had previously broken into the driving compartment of the camper and had actually been inside long enough to rummage through the dash board and look for technological gadgets before even trying to enter through the window.   I was completely freaked out by the idea that he was inside our little home, while we were sleeping- my mind reeled at the ‘what if’s’ and I wasn’t able to get back to sleep for the rest of the night- luckily Stijn didn’t mind keeping me company… and sane!

Fed up with thieves and attempted robbery- this one being a whole other level of violation considering we were inside at the time- Stijn started playing around with what we thought was our broken alarm system.  It had been disabled when we bought the camper and we thought the wiring was bad- luckily for us though, Stijn was able to fix it and we are happy to say we now have an active alarm system.  We consider this another win for us over the petty thieves of Europe.  The passenger door is a little worse for wear and clearly it is an easy target so with any luck, this will do the trick and we will not reporting anymore attempted, or otherwise, robberies.  We’ve heard a lot of talk about the influx of immigrants from one country or another and the continuing frustrations the EU is with regards to crime.  We’re not sure if that is the case or not, but we certainly have our guard up now and have learned a lot from the last week in the Mediterranean and hope that we are a bit wiser for it.

After getting off the toll road early this morning, we found a great little campground only about six kilometers from Saint Tropez.  After settling in and regaining our peace of mind, we unloaded the bikes and headed into town but not before a little wine tasting en route.  This area is famous for their local wine and while the particular blends weren’t to our liking, it was still a great way to take in some of the local flavour.  We are constantly impressed with the local food and wine of almost every place we’ve been in Europe so far- it seems as though everyone is growing their own produce which means the fruit and vegetable stands are plenty- and a favourite of ours.  When we do have to hit the grocery stores, they are very near in quality and certainly much more reasonable in price- in particular cheese and other dairy products.  A large log of goat cheese, a wedge of brie or one of our favourites from back home Boursin, are all only a Euro or two- needless to say we eat a lot of cheese.  Equally the wine is as delicious and as reasonable- most bottles at the grocery stores are under five Euro but taste like something you would pay $20 Canadian Dollars for at home.  Clearly we are enjoying the local food and beverage in each place we stop in.

As we entered the harbour we were amazed to see heaps of racing sail boats for a Rolex race with boats from all over the world.  Sadly we had missed the race but it was still so neat to see all of the boats and the teams gathered around the harbour so we grabbed an ice cream and walked around town to soak up the ambiance.  I am delighted that Saint Tropez is a much smaller, more manageable town, surrounded by beautiful waters, wineries and great little bistros and shops.

 The next few days we spent lounging around and soaking up the sun- but that’s not to say it weren’t earned.  Every day since we arrived at our little sanctuary of a campground, we have taken the bikes either in to town or used them as a mode to explore the neighbouring villages.  But these were no casual bike rides… this is a mountainous terrain and we do NOT have mountain bikes!  Our 3 gears make for a great work out, which is often followed by a few hours pool-side recovering and then wine and cheese- or champagne if the mood strikes us!  We are still trying out the various champagnes we bought earlier in Riems, France when the moms’ were with us, and while all have been enjoyable none have come close to our ’99 Bollinger that we bought when we sold our last house project in Garneau.  None the less, we continue the hunt… a tough job that we take very seriously!

From St. Tropez we headed west to Le Levandou- a place only about 30 kilometres away where Stijn and his family used to spend their summers when he was a child.  Though close in distance, the road was not without its traps- the windy mountainous roads were high and somewhat treacherous- a fact that seemed to go unnoticed by the French.  So narrow that if a small animal had strayed across there was no room to swerve or manoeuvre around it without launching yourself over the steep cliff of which there were no railings or boundaries as such- a fact the French motorists seem not to notice and race by at 100 kilometers per hour or more.  It would seem impossible if there were not piles of cars far below the roads at each corner.

Le Levandou,  a less flashy and seemingly more ‘real’ of a place than St. Tropez where people are often openly flaunting every penny they have, we quickly settled in at a fantastic little campground mere minutes from the beach.  This little town is full of charm and character with backstreets full of tasty restaurants and a boulevard that is hopping with eateries and shops both day and night. 

Continuing on our much slower pace, our sole goal for the little town of Le Levandou was merely to enjoy as much beach time as we could possibly fit into each and every day- and that we did.  Each morning we would wake slowly and usually a bit on the later side, take our time drinking a few cups of coffee while reading a book or playing Yahtzee, before slowly making breakfast and then making our way to the beach.  The beaches here are seemingly endless with one quaint town running into the next- all entirely lined with fabulous beaches.  We quickly found our favourite spot and after purchasing a much needed umbrella for the late afternoon shade settled in day-after-day of constant cloudless blue skies and amazing turquoise waters.

Each day after returning from the beach to our little campground- home to hoards of Dutch people once again who, like Stijn’s family once did, all stay for weeks and even months at a time.  Our early evenings entailed more local wine, cheese and often more reading or Yahtzee- oh the hard life!  Rose wines are the local flavour here in Le Levandou- being quite literally surrounded by wineries on all sides- we’ve taken to them quite nicely but I must say, they are particularly potent for some reason and often one glass is enough to take you to the tipsy point.  Yet the locals seem to be impervious to its strength and order it at restaurants and cafes as if it were water.

We gleefully spent our evening riding our bikes to the boulevard and walking around or dinning on Moules et Frites- the local specialty.  I can’t say that I’ve ever tasted mussels so delicious or fresh as we tasted here- nearly each on still wearing the barnacle of the sea to prove their freshness, provided a salty and sumptuous delight.  The merry-go-round that endlessly entertained Stijn and his siblings as children is still present on the boardwalk –though I’m sure with some upgrades complete with batman mobiles and alien space crafts!  It was thrilling to spend time in a place that filled Stijn with so many amazing memories- even if their favourite fishing grounds have since been transformed into a huge harbour!

With no sense of time or date- quite literally we were off by a day or two and often our internal clocks betrayed us by a few hours or more- we decided that our week here was nearing an end and that it was time to once again hit the open road so that we can make the Running with the Bulls Festival in Pamplona in a weeks-time.  But first we will make the trek to Marseilles to fill our Dutch gas tanks for cooking which is a much more difficult task than one would think.  We plan on slowly making our way to Spain and are already excited for the Paella and Sangria and more local flavours of the next destination!

Venice, Rome, Florence - Italy

Let’s Go Italy… Our journey from Austria south into Italy was a long one but the scenery couldn’t have been more beautiful.  In total it took us two days to reach Venice but the first day of driving provided us with a taste of home as it felt as though we were in the Rockies, complete with glacier streams and dense, lush forests’.  The weather turned on us though and by the time we reached Venice the skies had pretty much closed in.  We decided to give it a try in hopes that it might clear up and made the trek into the floating city anyway.  You cannot drive into Venice as there are no roads, so we parked our beast and headed for the fairy.  Their fairies work just like a metro system in any other European city complete with various lines and in a few stops in we were in San Marco Platz, the hub of Venice.  We managed to walk a few of the tiny winding blocks but were soon after hit with torrential rains.  After attempting to wait it out, and emptying our shoes, we decided to find our way back to our ferry stop.  Sadly this is not a city that you can take in when it’s raining- quite literally everything closed and so we decided we would move on and perhaps come back this way later on and give it another try.  Regardless of the rain, I am so happy to have been able to see this iconic city, it is certainly one of the best places I could imagine to have a great bottle of wine and take in the city… weather permitting that is!

Back on the road and heading for Rome in hopes of better weather, we once again set out for what was a two day drive.  We are so fortunate to be travelling in our camper and be able to change our itinerary and be as flexible as we want.  We really couldn’t be happier that we decided to travel this way!

We arrived in Rome after another long few days of driving but Italy really does provide some of the most beautiful and varied landscapes in which to drive across- from the most amazing agricultural golds and greens to steep valleys and of course wineries.  Upon entering the massive city, were lead to a few campgrounds by Mio, some of which existed and some of which we believe were only a figment of her imagination.  We eventually made our way to a campground just outside of town.  We were pretty exhausted from all the driving so we set up camp and settled in for the night.  Luckily for us we ended up in a campground full of Dutch people, all of who had great advice for us not only for Rome but other parts of Italy and the French Riviera as well.  None of our neighbours could believe that we took a year off from work and the more people we meet, the more grateful we become- some people aren’t even allowed two weeks off consecutively. 

The next day we opted to forgo heading into Rome and instead get ourselves situated at the campground and get organized after having been on the road for a few days.  Forgoing Rome for one day is one thing, but forgoing our regular patio sessions is never an option, so we set up our own patio outside our camper complete with wine and cheese.  We would have opted for a dip in the amazing pool at the campground but they required everyone to wear a head cap, along with a few other ridiculous rules, we decided to give it a pass and just enjoy the quietness of the campsite and the amazing weather.

The next day we took on Rome- or shall I say it took on us!  We had a pretty attainable list of things to see and do for the first day, or so we thought!  We started off by taking the shuttle bus to the train station and then took the metro to the Colosseum.  It is quite literally the first thing you see as you come out of the station.  We were so taken aback- no matter how many times you’ve seen the imposing structure in movies or pictures, nothing prepares you for the real thing!  We hiked up the hill to get a full vantage point so to really take it all in, and of course get some great pictures as well!  Luckily for us we had done our research and opted to buy a Roma Pass at the metro station which provides you two free museum entrances of our choice and a discounted rate at the rest of the sites in the city.  More importantly, and unbeknownst to us, it meant we didn’t have to wait in line and were able to bypass the hundreds of people and go right inside.  Clearly the pass paid for itself right then and there!

As you walk in to the Colosseum, you are right away struck by the sheer size of it.  From outside, while massive, it doesn’t seem as big as it does as soon as you step in- it is truly colossal.  A labyrinth of walkways, cells and secret passages, you can almost picture the gladiators preparing for battle and the thousands of people cheering in the stands. 

The Colosseum had many uses in its day and while perhaps most well-known for the gladiator battles that entertained the ancient Romans, there were also many plays, executions of both prisoner and martyr, religious ceremonies, festivals and much more.  The ancient Romans believed that as long as the Colosseum stood, Rome would stand.  But through many centuries and many hard times, the toll is evident on the historic structure.  At one point during a Roman Empire battle, iron was so precious and hard to come by, the Romans removed all of the iron from the outside of the building and today the outside of the structure is left pock-marked with thousands of holes.

Much of the space of the upper level of the building has been converted into a museum space with all kinds of ancient Roman artefacts.  It is amazing to see everything that they were able to accomplish with so little.  Tools, the blueprints of which are still utilized today for farming and other trades, originated here and while most of Europe is filled with all kinds of important and amazing history, this kind of history is hard to beat. 

Just outside of the Colosseum is Mount Palintino- the archaeological remains of ancient Roman society.  From various palaces, to sporting fields, and churches- you can easily spend a whole day wandering these amazing grounds.  En route, we passed through the Arch Di Constantino and I of course took a picture of my Constantijn (Stijn’s full name) before heading to a Panini stand for a sandwich before heading into the archaeological site.   Luckily for us, we didn’t have to stand in line here either thanks to our Roma Passes! 

We explored the various sites and were amazed at how much has been discovered- and at the same time, how much they are still discovering.  The whole area is an active dig site with new discoveries happening all the time.  Our favourite site was the Forum- or the centre of ancient Roman society.  This is the place where all things political, religious, academic and otherwise took place.  Oh to be able to go back in time and not only see these discussions and lively debates, but to be able to hear the woes of these ancient people. 

With ancient Roma discovered we decided to take in some of the more contemporary sites and headed back onto the metro and over to the Trevi Fountain.  An amazing sight to see, this fountain is an artistic wonder.  Literally hundreds of people were gathered around taking pictures and of course tossing their coins into the lucky water.  It is believed that the tossing of a coin ensures your return to Rome- sadly we couldn’t get close enough to toss our coin, but we did manage to get some great pictures.  I’m fairly certain Stijn was more interested in how they would have pumped the water to make the fountain flow in earlier days than he was in what luck the fountain may or may not bring, so with that we headed down the street to the nearest gelateria.  We never miss a chance to have an authentic food experience so gelato was a must!  Cones in hand we strolled down the tiny curving streets and eventually made our way to the Pantheon- Rome’s oldest and best preserved building.  The church is quite an amazing structure from both the inside and the out, especially when you consider the domed ceiling complete with a round window at the very top.  I’m not sure how they managed such amazing feats at that time but it sure is great to be able to see and enjoy them now!

With our feet extremely worn out from all the walking on cobble stone, we decided that day one would soon come to an end- but not before we walked the Spanish Steps.  Meandering our way to the Spanish Quarter took us through the heart of the shopping district with all the couture fashion houses- sadly for me these price tags are not a part of our reality but we enjoyed window shopping just the same!  As we reached the Spanish Steps we were greeted with heaps of locals and tourists taking a moment or two to have a beer and enjoy the sunshine on their faces.  Local musicians provided just the right touch of ambiance to make it the perfect end to our first day of exploration. 

Back at the campground and completely exhausted, I half- heartedly made dinner before crawling into bed even before the 3 and 5 year-old German kids behind us!  What can we say but Rome kicked our butts- in the most fabulous of ways of course!

The next morning we were slow to stir but still wanted to try and make the 9 a.m. shuttle bus from the campground.  With a far less ambitious day planned ahead of us, we made our way to the centrum in search of Piazza Navona, one of the more popular Piazza’s in town.  When we arrived we were greeted with three amazing fountains and a square filled with local artists.  While we love walking around looking at all the art work on display, we’re slowly becoming convinced that these too are mass produced in China.  It seems as though the style and imagery is the same in every city we go and more often than not, the person selling the artwork isn’t even the artist.  None the less, original art or copies, it still provides for great ambiance and a nice way to spend a morning!

Continuing on our journey of authentic and local food, we headed to the next Piazza over- Campo de’ Fiori- to take in the local farmers’ market.  We have been so amazed with the quality and affordability of all of the food in Europe thus far, and so far Rome is no exception.  Stall after stall of fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh bread and cheese and seafood too.  We stocked up on fresh veggies, pasta, cheese, pesto and of course olives before sitting down at a neighbouring wine bar for a little break.  There is no better way to really take in a city and soak up its vibe than sitting at a café looking out over a busy square.  Cleary this is one of our favourite past times and not too many days pass by without us sitting down for a glass of vino or two at some square or another!

With our fresh purchases in hand we walked around town for a while longer before heading back up the Spanish Steps to the nearest metro station and headed back to the camper to cook up yet another delicious meal- thanks to the lovely old Italian ladies at the farmers’ market!

Our last day in Rome would end up being one of our favourites.  We had saved Vatican City for the last day, where we hoped after a more restful day yesterday, we would be able to take in all the sights effortlessly.  As we entered the massive stone walls to the City, we were amazed to walk into San Pietro Square and see and hear the Pope giving his Sunday blessing.  Though neither Stijn or I are Catholic, or particularly religious, it is still amazing to be witnessing the Pope address his many adoring followers.  He spoke of peace and tolerance and addressed the many groups of people holding their various national flags- religious or not, his message is an appropriate and much needed one. 

Following the Pope’s address, we made our way along the square where Stijn was amazed by a Farari exhibition, seemingly an odd place for such a display, but he was delighted none the less.  Making our way down the main street of the Vatican City, we were amazed to see just how freely people can come and go.  There were of course police and other security, but there has been no shortage of that ever since we entered Italy, and this was no different.  The street was lined with cafes and various souvenir shops and people going about enjoying a beautiful Sunday.  It wasn’t at all what I had expected and I was pleasantly surprised. 

Out of sheer luck we happened to be walking down a side street when we saw a band preparing to serenade someone of importance- it turned out to be one of the Cardinals of the Vatican which was really quite neat to see.  He had just given Sunday Mass and was leaving out a side door along with some other VIPs.  Luckily we weren’t the only ones snapping pictures of the religious figure- we were joined by a whole row of nuns doing exactly the same thing!  Perhaps I’ll have to see if I can find out just which Cardinal this was, after all, if the nuns are impressed perhaps we should be too!

We continued our exploration of the Vatican in hopes of being able to go into the Basilico di San Pietro, home to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museum but sadly for us everything was closed today.  We should have realized as such, it being a Sunday and all, and disappointed not to be able to see the Sistine Chapel, but none the less we were pretty happy with our Pope sighting and decided to head for lunch.

We found ourselves a fabulous little ristorante and enjoyed a long lunch on the patio complete with a litre of white wine, a funghi pizza, spinach and ricotta ravioli, bread and salad- delicious!  It’s not hard to taste why the Italians eat for hours- I’d be hard pressed to choose just one item from any of the given menu’s we’ve seen so far!

After our Italian feast we headed back to the campground again to get ready to make our way to our next destination the following morning.  On our way to the French Riviera, we stopped in Florence for a day.  There are quite a number of amazing things to see and do in Florence, aside from the just experiencing the beautiful city itself.  We found a parking spot along the river and grabbed our bikes and hit the road for a full day of exploration. 

Our first stop was the Santa Croce- the resting place of Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante and Machiavelli among others.  The church itself was spectacular and to be able to see the tombs of so many great thinkers’ and artisans’ all in one place was truly amazing- and affordable… it only cost five euro’s!  Also inside was an amazing and famous leather shop, where for centuries they have been teaching the various leather crafting techniques and churning out much-sought after products. 

The building seemed to go on forever- on the other side of the courtyard was an Al Fresco exhibition that was on loan from a museum in Serbia, as well as a permanent exhibition showcasing some of the great art that Florence is known for. 

After having seen so much in one place we were back on the bikes and headed for perhaps one of the most famous area’s in Florence- Palazzo d Signora- home to the replica statues of Michelangelo’s David, Neptune, and many other famous statues by the likes of Donatello and Raphael.  It is in this amazing square where we decided to park the bikes, grab a Panini and walk around for a bit.  We stumbled into so many amazing places including the Piazza della Replublica, the amazing Biblioteca Laurenziana and the Battistero.  There is so much crammed into a relatively small area, it seems there’s something amazing around every corner!

The magic would soon wear off though… as we returned to our bikes we found that the straps for my bike rack had been stolen- and while minor left a bad taste in my mouth none the less.  Annoyed but not too deterred… yet… we headed for the famed Ponte Vecchio Bridge.  This amazing bridge is the only one that survived World War II and is so unique it is a must see.  Each side of the bridge is line with shops that appear to have been at one time homes for the local Florentines’.    Now most of the shops are jewellery stores and provide some really unique pieces and of course amazing views of the city.  Knowing our parking meter was nearly running out we decided to make out way back to our camper, plug the meter and grab a bottle of champagne from and head to a park to enjoy it.  Unfortunately we returned to find that our camper had been broken into but luckily we had taken most of our valuables with us, as we always do, but had only hidden our computer.  Luckily the thieves didn’t find that or anything else of value but they still managed to leave us feeling quite violated.  I was relieved to find out that they hadn’t stolen our collection of parking change or our champagne (PHEW!) so we put our little home back together and then sat outside in the park with our bottle of champagne to toast our victory (or somewhat) over the thieves!  We later realized that they did manage to steal Stijn’s Rayban sunglasses but luckily I have quite an assortment of sunglasses from both Thailand and Indonesia to more than make up for it… even if they are floral!

Feeling sour about being robbed twice in three or so hours, we decided to get back on the road and out of Florence (or robbery row as we now call it)!  We made our way into the Mediterranean and closer to the French Riviera.  Along the way, we managed to find an amazing parking space looking right over the beach and just above a bike path, so we grabbed it and called it home for the night.  Before grabbing the bikes and hitting the beach I made some bruschetta with the amazing fresh tomatoes we had bought earlier and left the flavours to mix while we explored. 

The bike paths are really amazing in this part of Italy- they stretch right across the coast line and provide a great way to get to and from all of the many coastal towns in this part of the Riviera.  We hit the trails amongst the many Italian road bike racers and enjoyed the scenic view and the coastal breeze before hitting the beach for our first official Mediterranean swim! 

Back at the camper we enjoyed the fresh baguette and the bruschetta for a light dinner before grabbing a bottle of wine and hitting the beach to take in the lovely scenery and an even lovelier evening!  It’s been a few weeks now since we’ve been at the beach and it’s nice to be back!  The amazing breeze provided a cooler camper to sleep in and we even had an ocean view!

Germany, Czech Republic and Austria

Let’s Go Germany… This morning we woke up bright and early thanks to more construction happening on the pathways around the campsite- there is no need to set an alarm around here as they start work at 7 a.m. on the dot- no exceptions!  After a quick breakfast we unhitched the bikes and headed into town.  Still unable to get Stijn’s bike fixed we stopped at a few bike shops along the way.  Our Dutch bikes seem to be incompatible with the German ones but we did manage to find someone who will look at it later this week and try and sort something out!  From there we began exploring more of the city but were surprised to see that the downtown is actually quite compact and that we had actually covered the majority of it with the moms’ earlier in the week.  So we shopped… or at least I did… before heading back to our camper to check out of the campsite.  Because we’re so self-sufficient in the camper, we only need to stay at a site every once in a while to get water or plug in so tonight we’re parked next to a canal in Munich, surrounded by trees and in relative privacy.  It is much more quiet without the moms’ and we miss the company already but as always we are appreciative of the time we had with them and look forward to the next stage of our journey.

Tomorrow we head to the concentration camp at Dachau to wrap up our time here in Munich before moving onto the next destination.  We have a few more bigger cities to hit along the way before we start to make our way south for the hotter months and explore much more of Europe!

Today we headed out relatively early… what seemed like a quiet park road turned into something of a free way for most of the night.  Each time a car ripped by in true German fashion, our entire home on wheels shook keeping us both awake for the majority of the night.  Ear plugs don’t really help in this case! 

We made it to Dachau, located about 25 km outside of Munich, relatively early but not early enough to beat the school crowds.  I found it very strange to enter the town and wonder what it must be like to live in a town of such infamy.  For all intense and purposes, it is a town just like any other which out of necessity has had to move on as best it can but of course can never really escape its past.  The concentration camp is located on the edge of town and is surrounded by trees that seem to try and hide the horror.  The site now is relatively intact from the time of its liberation in May of 1945.  As you enter through the gate that told its prisoners “Arbeit macht frei” (or Work will set you free)- of course this couldn’t have been further from the truth.  The two remaining prisoner barracks show the extreme living conditions that all those that passed before the unfortunate gates would have to endure or succumb to.  On first inspection, the camp and the barracks look large but when you read that building made to house 600 people were over stuffed with 6,000 the reality quickly sets in.  At the time of liberation, over 60,000 people were contained in the relatively small area.

Stijn and I were both surprised to learn just how many concentration camps there were scattered across occupied Europe and the terror that was being dished out at each one.  We were also interested to read in detail about the events post World War I and the internal German political situation that lead up to and allowed such a horrific reality to occur.  After taking in the video that provides a quick history as well as many haunting images of large piles of corpses, disease and torture it was time for us to leave.  It is such an important site and such an important part of history that is a must, but it by no means is an easy one.

In need of a mood change we headed to what continues to be our favourite stop… the grocery store!  WE once again stocked up on bread, cheese and all of the staples of our European diet and proceeded to eat our lunch in the parking lot in the comfort of our camper before hitting the road in search of a gas station that would fill our propane tanks.  Unlike back in Canada, this is no easy feat.  After stopping at several places and being redirected a number of times we were finally able to fill our tank which has luckily lasted us since we left Holland over three weeks ago.  En route we also happened across a bike store as we are still in search of someone who can fix peg leg.  Luckily we met a guy who had spent some time in Whistler and was able to recommend a handicap pedal extension, and while they didn’t have one in stock, we now know of a suitable solution to our bike woes so the hunt will continue.

After being on the highway, and with a potential bike solution in mind, there was no reason o return to Munich so instead we hit the road in the direction of Salzburg, Austria- our next destination.  We once again utilized the road side rest stop, complete with mountain views, for our resting place for the night.  It wasn’t long before it was pouring rain so we bunked in for the night with perhaps a few too many bottles of wine and a dice tournament in hand.

Let’s Go Austria…The next morning was not an early one.  Still raining, we were in no hurry to hit the road knowing full well rain awaited us in Salzburg which was only about 100 kms from where we had stopped the night before.  As we pulled into the campground Mio had taken us to, we set up camp for the day and took advantage of the poor weather and internet access.  I had been plugging away at the blog update from when the moms’ were with us and finally finished it in time for Stijn to add the photos and post the update.  It is equally as great to be out of touch technologically speaking as it is to be back in touch!  This particular campground would not be our favourite, despite the mountain- view and meeting a Calgarian mother of four- a much more ambitious tour than our own- we found the owners’ of the campground extremely arrogant and cold.  Let’s hope that will not continue to be our experience here in Austria.

That day we took our time packing up our ‘camp’ and slowly made our way into the city- with the weather being still questionable we weren’t in a huge hurry!  When we arrived downtown and finally found parking we realized that our parking ticket was valid for the entire weekend- all for only 3 Euro!  As we headed into town to check things out and try to determine what we would see and do the next day.  Many of the sights, unsurprisingly are centered around Mozart and his life in Salzburg, every gift shop or corner store is playing (and selling Mozart’s music) and of course everything “Sound of Music”- I can still hear Maria and my mom singing the theme song! 

Rather than trying to rush through the sites we opted for a patio session complete with Stiegler Beer (my new favourite) and see the sights tomorrow.  Besides patio’s, our next favourite adventure is finding grocery stores which can sometimes be difficult in the centrums and even more desperate on a Saturday evening  as everything shuts down early in the evening and doesn’t open again until Monday or Tuesday.  After mistakenly walking into make apothecary stores, which are seemingly everywhere, we finally managed to find one en route back to the camper.  Since our parking ticket was valid until Sunday we decided to make good use of it and camp right there for the evening!  Despite a few loud groups of bar goers knocking on our door, we had a relatively good sleep considering we were downtown!   

The next morning we started early in order to see the list of places we had decided on the night before!  Starting with Mozart’s Residence- an 8 room apartment in the heart of the city where Mozart, his older sister and parents moved to after some of Mozart’s concert success.  The history of his career and of course his music echoed in each of the exhibits or rooms of the apartment.  Across the river, in the older part of the city was Mozart’s Birthplace, a much smaller but much more charming home once again detailed the life and career of the Mozart family.  Though this was the second of the Mozart museums, both Stijn and I enjoyed it much more and enjoyed the stories each room told.  Though this was considered to be a much more modest apartment, it was still quite large and we weren’t sure why the family of 4 (for the most part- younger siblings were born but none of them lived through infancy) needed more space.

Our next destination on the tourist map was the castle high a-top the mountain overlooking the city.  Yesterday we had made the climb almost the whole way on foot just to check out the view but today we opted for the funicular.  As has been the case with most of the castles and to some extent the churches we’ve seen thus far, the outside architecture is far more stunning than is the inside.  Inside this particular castle was a marionette museum which to be honest was a tad on the creepy side.  For the rest, there were little shops and cafes that utilized the view.

  Judging from our map we thought we could walk to our next destination, and certainly gave it a good effort, but once we realized we were over 8 km away we opted to take the bus to what ended up being our favourite stop on our tour- the Stiegler Beer Wart (World)!  Upon entry we were given directions to go through the museum- the first part explained how the beer is made and the second gave more of an history on the company itself… clearly Stijn and I were more interested in the tastings that would follow so we quickly made our way to the patio where three mugs were quickly given to us to try.  My personal favourite was the Radler- which I had tried before in Germany and several of the patios since- but this one was mixed with grapefruit rather than lemon and was really tasty!  The other two beers were more standard and for me, not as tasty!  We enjoyed our 6 pints with a pretzel  and then merrily headed back to the bus for one more destination- the 2000 and some foot cable car to the top of the alps.

Perhaps it was the beer or just sheer naiveté but I hadn’t given any thought to just how high this cable car really was- and even when I saw it, thought nothing of it.  I guess that’s because you can only see the first level that it reaches- the second and highest point is hidden by the edge of the cliff and frankly is just far too high to see from the bottom.  I only realized just how high we were as we were on the tiny little car, as it swayed and jerked its way up the giant mountain hundreds of feet above the tree tops.  I was pretty happy to get off of the car, and while the way down was much better, I was pretty happy when we reached the ground!  While at the top we had to take a quick look around as the last cable car down was scheduled to leave only 15 minutes after we arrived at the top but we did manage to take in the stunning view, albeit with wobbly knees, and even see a few base jumpers take off.  Despite being a little unnerving, it was well worth the ride to see just how spectacular Salzburg and the Alps really are!

With our list of tourist stops completed it was time to hit the road again- this time we were taking a detour out of Austria and heading north to Prague before coming back to Austria to see Vienna.  While geographically it perhaps didn’t make the most sense, Prague has long since been on my list of places so despite some eventual back tracking, we were en route!

Let’s go Czech Republic… Sadly, of the 42 countries that are programmed into Mio- our loveable GPS system, the Czech Republic is not one of them and we quickly learned that life without Mio isn’t a happy one!  After being able to navigate the highways without too much difficult,y and being able to take in the changing scenery including counting the hookers and brothels as we entered the eastern European country, we finally hit the city itself.  This seems to be somewhat of a theme in a few of the countries we’ve been too- quite literally the women stand on the side of the road waiting for truck drivers and other people passing by to stop with interest and then presumably head into what is usually a forested area to go about their business .

Driving into the city, we thought we were right on track as we found a campground sign right of the highway and relatively close to centrum- we foolishly followed it… and the next one, only to realize that there were only two signs and they weren’t leading us anywhere!  After crossing the entire city we stopped and asked a police officer if she knew where the nearest campground was and she directed us to one that is located on an island on the river that crosses between new and old Prague.  This sounded great so we headed to centrum… not a smart move when you consider we are driving a motorhome!  We ended up driving not only on cobble stone roads (charming to look at but not particularly functional in this tank!) all the way to a road meant only for trams!  Stijn quickly made a u-turn, or as quickly as one does in a motorhome, and took the first road that appeared to lead us out of the city!  Luckily we ended up back on a highway and even managed to find a great little campground outside of the city and only about half an hour by bus and metro back into the city.  Funnily enough as we made our desperate escape from the city’s downtown, we drove past the island where we could have camped… but we now know that just because you can see something in Prague… doesn’t mean you can get to it!

A lot stressed out over life without Mio, we started to set up at the campground and I quickly set out to make vodka tonics making full use of the extremely large Duvel Beer glasses we bought in Belgium!  From there we moved onto red wine with dinner which oddly enough lead to us attempting to Skype my Mom a few times (or twelve so we’re told!).  We’re slowly getting used to life without the Moms’ and clearly we miss our ‘Delores’ as we’ve now nicknamed her!  Maria has since signed up for Skype so she’ll be getting her calls as soon as we find internet!  After a lot of laughs and yet another camper party we headed to bed and I’m sure everyone camping around us were happy that we did!

The next morning was a slow start on account of the vodka tonics and red wine- perhaps not a brilliant mix!  Nevertheless, we made good use of time at the campground and managed to get the laundry done and the camper cleaned out- not so glamorous but even on vacation the laundry needs to get done!  With our hangovers behind us, we headed into town to meet up with Irek, a friend from home who now lives in Prague with his wife Klara and two adorable little girls Evi and Mati.  We met Irek at the metro station outside his office which happened to be only three stops from where we got on- very surprising in a city this large!  We met Klara and the girls, complete with tutu’s, for dinner at an Italian restaurant and had a great time getting to catch up with Irek and meet the lovely ladies of his life!  It’s so nice to be able to meet up with people along our journey and we are always glad to be able to share some time with new and old friends!

The next morning we dropped our camper off early at the mechanics to have a little electrical work done and our new water pump installed.  The public transportation, while easy, is filled with a variety of people, none of which appear to be very happy.  Stijn and I were hard pressed to find anyone who was smiling, laughing or even just sitting pleasantly.  As we transferred onto the metro from the bus, this would continue to be our impression.  Passing through the various suburbs filled with a sea of communist style ghetto apartments, it was easy to see the imprint that communism has left on this country and its people.  The divide between rich and poor is a very large one and even the buildings themselves reflect this seemingly widening gap. 

One of the main reasons Stijn and I discussed wanting to explore this country was because so much of the history was still in-tact since none of it has been destroyed in World War II- and that is true but that isn’t to say that they have been well taken care of, or even preserved in some cases.  There are lots of old buildings that are similar to those you will find in the majority of Europe but what they lack is charm and authenticity.  Block after block of buildings are filled with tacky tourist souvenirs, even tackier jewellery shops and liquor stores.  None the less we wanted to give the city that so many people have raved about a fair shot and still headed out for the sights. 

Prague is divided into the new and the old part of the city, though new is still quite old even by European standards.  The metro stop was close to the centre of new Prague so we decided to start there with the National Museum, the old train station and the square itself.  From there we wandered across the river and over to the Castle that is built high up on a hill over- looking Prague and from there made our way back down and across the Charles’ Bridge and back through the new side of the city.  Many of these sights were impressive, while some of them were so in need of reparations you weren’t sure if it was even safe to walk on the floors.  It is very easy to see that this city is struggling to keep up with the rest of the European Union and has a long way to go until it can compete with many of the great cities we’ve seen so far.

Upon reflection our impression was heavily impacted by the people that we saw so unhappily going about their daily lives.  Perhaps it is a cultural thing but the city itself has many of the components that could make it really great but it’s the lack of vibe that didn’t seem to work for us or get us excited about exploring further.  Or perhaps it had more to do with our stressful entry into the city, either way we leave Prague wanting to shake the sense of depression that seems to loom over the city and get back onto the open road in search of brighter skies (and faces).  Regardless we are always happy to have been to a place and have been able to explore it for ourselves and of course we couldn’t have been happier to meet up with Irek and his family- they were certainly the highlight of this portion of our trip!

Let’s Go Austria… Again!  Delighted to be back on Austrian soil, we left Prague and headed for Vienna.  For this part of the trip we had done little research and instead decided we wanted to take in more of the local experience and meet up with an old university friend of Stijn’s.  With Lucian’s address programmed into Mio, we made the long trek back through the mountainous country.  We were once again fortunate to find an amazing rest stop to call home for the night.  The rest stops in Austria are particularly quiet and often have a sound barrier to dampen the sound of traffic through the night. They are nothing like the rest stops we have in Canada and in most of Europe are complete with showers, restaurants and cafes, and in Austria they even provide fresh drinking water straight from the Alps!  Apparently this is the supply that provides Vienna with the cleanest drinking water in the world, straight from the tap!  We took full advantage of the deliciousness and filled up our camper and our spare gerry cans! Never one to sit still, I think Stijn is happy to have the camper and some of the little projects it’s provided for him! 

The next morning we made the rest of the trek to Lucian’s place and managed to find parking just around the corner from his flat which was very centrally located.  After saying hello and getting a tour of his place, we headed out for downtown to grab some lunch.  We opted for a great little sushi place and while I’m not sure everyone else was thrilled with their meals; my sushi platter was outstanding and hit the spot!  After lunch we strolled around what is one of the major shopping streets after lunch before heading back to Luke’s for a couple of drinks before making our way to a house party.  I have to say it’s pretty outstanding to be able to go to a house party in another country, something we wouldn’t have been able to experience without meeting up with Luke and it was pretty great.  We were able to meet lots of people and just enjoy a different side of night life in Europe!  That being said, we paid in all kinds of ways the next day!  Both Stijn and I were a little under the weather to say the least but none the less made the trek for lunch with Luke and one of his friends. 

After lunch we spent the day at the river where there is a wake boarding cable line that takes people up and down the river on their wakeboards similar to how a boat would.  It was really neat to see something so simple and yet so creative.  The whole place was filled with people as there was also a great café all within the surrounding park and trails- I wish Edmonton would take advantage of the river valley in this way.  Though Stijn and I didn’t feel up to partaking in the wakeboarding, we enjoyed watching all of the people, both good and bad, give it a go.  It was a great way to spend a sunny day in the city surrounded by the locals and just breathe in the city.

The next day we wanted to ensure we saw some of the highlights of the city- while Luke had already taken us downtown and shown us some of the old churches, the opera house and a few other attractions we also wanted to take in the famed grounds of the Schonnbrunn Palace.  Though the palace itself is smaller than the Palace of Versailles, it far surpasses it in charm.  Stijn and I climbed up to the Gloriette, located on top of the back garden and had tea and apple strudel while a violinist and a pianist played beautiful classical music.  One of the nice things about this palace is that it is still very functional today- it is often utilized for concerts, of course the great restaurant and café but it is also home to the world’s famous Vienna zoo that is over a hundred years old.  There are also several gardens and other facilities within the property but for us it was the view of the city and being able to enjoy a fabulous Sunday stroll that made our visit memorable. 

Before heading back to the camper we hopped on our bikes to take in some of the ambiance of the city, which always a bit difficult on a Sunday in Europe as everything is closed… everything that is expect the vendors of ethnic markets and grocery stores.  Luckily we stumbled across a great Turkish grocer complete with some of my all-time favourites; home- made tzatziki, olives and fresh Balkan bread; needless to say, lunch was delicious! 

With the majority of the city closed we decided that it was time to head for Italy- our next destination is Venice and we cannot wait to see what it offers us.  The journey is a long one and will likely take us two days, but will mark the start of our journey in Southern Europe!