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Cruising the Rhine River and Romantic Road
Castles, castles and more castles. In hindsight, we should have packed a bottle of wine for the 8 hour cruise weaving its way down the Rhine River. The scenery was beautiful, but it was a leisurely pace. We started the cruise in Koblenz. The youth hostel was in a fortress high above the city. There was a great view of the Rhine River where it forks with the Mosel River. Unlike other hilltop youth hostels we stayed at, it was easy on the legs. We arrived by chairlift. The restful cruise ended in Mainz where we stayed for a couple nights. We explored around Mainz and nearby Wiesbaden. I have…
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Berlin in a day
It was a common scene. Sarah and I huddled over our trusty map of Europe on our dorm bed. The Let’s Go Europe within easy reach. A purple highlighted line marked our trip on the map. The line ended in Berlin. We did not yet know where it would continue. That evening in Berlin, I wrote in my journal “we planned out our trek through Germany”. But first, Berlin. The next morning, we locked our heavy backpacks in the train station and made full use of our 24 hour city pass. This was less than three years since the historic dismantling of the Berlin Wall. I had watched those scenes…
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A spirited bridge in Prague
It was our last night in Prague. We always seemed to end up on the lively Charles bridge at the end of the day. The bridge had a great energy. We would meet up with other travellers and soak in the vibrant scene of musicians, street artists and overall boisterous crowd. On this last evening another spirit was present in the air. A clairvoyant type of energy. The lines on my palm apparently stored clues to my future. I documented what the fortune teller told me in my travel journal. Prague was not on my radar when we planned our backpacking trip. In fact, I had removed the section for…
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Fun and joy in Vienna
Our travels had some highs and lows. “We were on such a high from Salzburg and Venice, I guess it could only go down”. Excerpt from my journal entry for Vienna That’s how we found ourselves upside down on a roller coaster in the Prater amusement park in Vienna. To cheer up. It worked. It’s a top notch amusement park. Despite my less than cheerful mood, I liked Vienna. I was impressed we could experience the city’s world renowned opera (Mozart’s Magic Flute) for $1.50 with standing room admission. I had one of my most memorable meals – a delicious Schnitzel the size of my plate with potatoes and sweet…
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Glamping in Salzburg
Sometimes it’s the people you meet that can really make a difference. That can turn a bad experience into a pleasant one. In Salzburg, it was the “super nice” couple that operated the campsite that was our home for three nights. We arrived in Salzburg late, unexpectedly late due to a train delay. All the hostels were fully booked. As a last resort we called a campsite. Fortunately they had space (and tents supplied). It was dark and pushing 11 pm when we trudged up the secluded gravel road. The kind owners stayed open late to greet us. They took the time to tell us about Salzburg, give us brochures…
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Aimless wandering in Venice
“It was another great day in Venice. We basically just spent the day walking aimlessly around and letting ourselves be seduced.” Excerpt from my journal entry for Venice Venice was alluring. I finally started to appreciate the delights of aimless wandering in a city oozing history and beauty around every corner (unlike my experience in Rome). After a birds eye view atop San Marco tower, we strolled around with no particular plan. We splurged on a gondola ride. Totally worth every lira. Gliding along the waterways and under the bridges was so relaxing; the peaceful ride accompanied by the gentle serenades of our gondolier. Our accommodation was also tranquil. Actually,…
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A relaxed pace in Greece
We roamed the islands for our two week stay in Greece. It was generally a more laid back pace compared to our average travelling days. When it was time to leave, I noted in my journal “It’s sad to leave the islands. We’re going back to the hustle and bustle of travelling.” Even at a relaxed pace, Sarah and I tended to explore as we were not “beach people”. Our touring included a good dose of greek mythology, getting acquainted with each island and plenty of tasty Greek food. I felt a sense of awe walking up the smooth worn marble steps of the Acropolis to the Parthenon. The rocky…
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A photo tour of Santorini
We travelled to Santorini long before Instagram. But we did take a lot of photos. This is one entry from my 1992 European backpacking trip with my friend Sarah. If you want to start at the beginning, please check out The journey starts in Nice.
