Tag Archives: tourism

Champagne Bucket trips, Finland, Latvia

Twenty-two things I learned on our epic Scandinavia/Baltic/cruise trip…

Hi ho, folks. I usually do a “ten things I learned” post after our trips. Since this was a comparatively massive trip that was divided into a few segments, I’ve decided to compose slightly more than double the usual list. I’ve found that the “things I learned” posts tend to get read more than the “blow by blow” posts. So, in the interest of engaging people, here’s my latest list of things I learned while traveling. Some of these things I mention will seem silly or irrelevant. Nevertheless, they are still things I learned on our trip. I hope some of you enjoy it!

Here goes…

22. In Northern Europe, you are encouraged or even obliged to forgo housekeeping for charitable purposes.

We stayed in four hotels. In three of them, there were signs encouraging or even requiring guests to skip having their rooms cleaned. In Oslo, it was a choice, which we did opt for, since we only stayed two nights. In Bergen, it was automatically skipped unless we requested it by 10 PM the night before. And in Copenhagen, it was encouraged. All three hotels claimed that they donated money saved by not cleaning rooms to environmental or women’s causes. I was actually surprised by how environmentally aware the hotels were. In Copenhagen, they even had a daily 6 AM jog sponsored by the hotel where people could jog together and pick up trash.

21. When you check into a hotel in Northern Europe, don’t be shocked if you’re asked to pay when you get your key, if you haven’t already prepaid.

We had to pay upfront for both Norway hotels and our hotel in Denmark. It didn’t really matter, in the grand scheme of things, but it was kind of surprising at the time.

20. At the moment, it’s hard to plan a land based trip up north. But that’s changing.

I had originally wanted this to be a land based trip because I like to stay at least a night or two in places I visit, especially when they are in countries I’ve never visited in the past. We ended up cruising on this trip, because it was simply more practical. I have a feeling that even though we were on a luxury cruise, it might have also been somewhat cheaper. The Rail Baltica project is making a land based trip to Baltic countries more feasible. I hope we’re still living here when it’s completed, or will be able to visit.

19. Sometimes, Norwegians are indistinguishable from Americans.

Or maybe we were just in places where Norwegians don’t have thick accents. I was often shocked by how much Norwegians reminded me of my countrymen! The one difference was that they tended to be taller, blonder, and a lot more beautiful. Especially the women.

18. Helsinki, Finland has an Armenian restaurant!

I noticed it on the bus ride from the port to the city center. No, we didn’t have a chance to visit it, but I did look it up. Apparently, it’s currently temporarily closed, as they are moving from their old location to a new one. I took a look at the menu and it appeared to be a great place to dine Armenian style. Maybe, if we go back to Helsinki, we can give it a try. As some of you know, Armenia is important to me, because I lived there for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

17. Most Finnish people have saunas, second homes, and boats… some women even give birth in saunas!

The ladies who did our harbor cruise tour told us that many Finnish people have their very own private saunas at home. They are considered very clean, so some women even have babies in their home saunas. That doesn’t seem appealing to me, but what do I know? The ladies also said that many people have their own boats and second homes, and that it doesn’t require a lot of money to have either. That’s just part of their culture. I clearly need to explore Finland more!

16. Estonia had a comparatively easy time during the pandemic, because people there naturally “social distance”.

Our tour guide, the hilarious Raul (Robin Williams come to visit in another life form), told us that most Estonians don’t have big families (same as in Finland). And when COVID-19 was especially terrible, it wasn’t so hard for the Estonians, because people up there are kind of solitary. He said the government would like to see more babies being made and is trying to encourage it, but Estonians aren’t so into the idea.

15. There’s an old AIDA cruise ship stuck at Tallinn’s harbor…

As we were entering and leaving Tallinn, Estonia, I couldn’t help but notice the loudly painted AIDAvita, docked at the pier. It looked a little rusty, but I paid it no mind until I got back on our ship and did some Googling. The AIDAvita was sold and is now known as Avitak. But it still looks like an AIDA ship, even though it flies the Liberian flag and has been stuck in Tallinn since November 2021.

14. Everybody up north celebrates Midsommar… It’s a big deal!

I didn’t know about this holiday, which is celebrated in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and other northerly countries. This year, it took place on Saturday, June 24th, and I noticed lots of women wearing flower crowns on their heads. Raul, our guide in Estonia, said that starting on Midsommar Eve (this year, the 23rd of June– the shortest night of the year) people party all night and spend the next day recovering. When we visited Tallinn, it was Sunday, June 25th, and Raul said we probably wouldn’t see too many locals, since people still needed to recuperate from the festivities. Summer doesn’t officially begin until June 21st… but, of course, they’re going by the Summer Solstice. Midsommar represents the time between planting crops and harvesting them.

13. People in Estonia and Latvia are GLAD to be running their own countries now.

I’m not totally surprised about this one, of course. It makes perfect sense that people would take pride in their cultures and want to run their countries the way they see fit. Still, as an American who grew up in the 1980s, it was very interesting to hear about the Soviet times from the locals and how, on the whole, they were very happy not to be part of the Soviet Union anymore. When I lived in Armenia, I think the sentiment was probably similar, although I was there in the mid 90s, when times were more difficult. I did hear some people say they missed the Soviet Union, but probably only because they were tearing pages from books to wipe their asses when they went to the toilet. I’m sure they no longer long for those days.

12. Riga, Latvia has many beautiful art deco buildings!

I hadn’t known much about Latvia before this trip, other than what Bill told me about visiting there. I didn’t know there were so many beautiful buildings in Riga that managed to survive the Soviet era. I do remember some nice buildings in Armenia, too, no doubt built before the Soviet Union existed and imported a lot of industrial tackiness and weird architecture. Still, it was a pleasant surprise to see that there are still many gorgeous old buildings there.

11. Visby, Sweden is a beautiful place, but I think I’d hate to own a home in the old town!

As we walked through Visby’s historic old town within its medieval walls, I couldn’t help but think I’d probably dislike living there. The local government is very strict about how locals can decorate or improve their properties, and as I saw and experienced firsthand, there are MANY tour groups coming through there. But I’m still really glad we visited. And luckily, we probably could never afford to live there, anyway. 😉

10. Liepaja and Karosta, Latvia, are still big military areas. But Liepaja has potential!

I had heard of Karosta before our visit there, to see the big naval military prison. I had not heard of Liepaja, which is one of Latvia’s biggest cities. I was surprised by how nice the town is. There are many trees there; music is a focus of the city; and the beach is surprisingly inviting. I hope we can visit again sometime.

9. I learned the tragic story of the Rose of Turaida…

And you can learn it too, by clicking here and reading up about it.

8. Religious people in northern Europe are typically Lutherans…

In 2023, I don’t expect *that* many people in Europe to be especially religious. Those who do practice religion tend to be Lutherans, although there are also Catholics. We visited several Russian Orthodox churches, too. There are still some Russians living in the Baltic areas.

Gutmana Cave

7. Latvians love their “biggest” cave, which isn’t very big at all, and is more like a grotto.

Our guide explained that Latvians love the largest cave in Latvia, which is not a big cave at all. Gutmana Cave is not very deep and lacks the typical exciting formations one tends to see in caves. What it does have is very pure water, which locals claim bestow eternal youth and good health. Also, on the sandstone walls, there are many carvings and inscriptions dating back hundreds of years.

Sorry about the window glare. Norway sure is beautiful!

6. Norway has many, many electric vehicles…

I was very surprised by the sheer volume of electric vehicles in Norway. The cabs we rode in were all electric. We actually rode in our very first Tesla there. The train from Oslo to Bergen is electric. The gas stations have places for people to recharge their vehicles. Gas is expensive, and Norway has many rules regarding emissions and pollution. I read that as of 2026, a lot of cruise ships won’t be able to explore the fjords anymore.

5. If you visit Sigulda in Latvia, you might want to buy a walking stick… or jewelry.

I was surprised by the excellent handcrafts in Sigulda, especially given how reasonably priced they were. One of the items people typically buy there are ornate and colorfully painted walking sticks. We bought a small one for Bill’s granddaughter. I got myself some beautiful silver earrings. That reminds me… I need to look up the boutique online and see if I can order more. 😀

4. There is no more fishing in Bornholm, Denmark…

Bornholm is an island south of the Swedish coast. It belongs to Denmark. You’d think there would be many fish there, but the area has been overfished by humans, and lots of seals call the island home. So now, although there once were fish factories in Bornholm, they are now closed. The locals get their fish from other places. This trip really made me more aware of the environment and how our choices affect everything.

3. Only one restaurant on Bornholm still smokes fish the old fashioned way.

We visited Hasle Smokehouse, a “museum restaurant” in Bornholm, where the proprietor still smokes fish over an outdoor open fire. His establishment is the only one that still operates that way. It’s allowed because the place is also considered a museum, but he told us that the government sends him warning letters every year about public health/foodborne illness dangers. I can attest that the smoked herring is delicious, health risks notwithstanding!

2. Copenhagen, Denmark is fabulous…

I already had an idea that it was fabulous, as this was our third time in the city. But, we clearly need to go there and spend a few days. A couple of nights at the end of a long trip, a night on the way to Rostock, and a few hours as part of a cruise is not sufficient to really appreciate how cool that city is. We need to do a long weekend there. We also need more time in Stockholm and Helsinki… Hell, all of the places we went to were great! I wouldn’t change any aspect of our trip.

And finally, 1. It wasn’t a bad idea in 2023 to go to Northern Europe instead of Italy, France, England, or any of the biggest European hot spots.

Granted, it seemed like everyone was on vacation when we were, but I don’t think as many people came to Northern Europe as some of the most touristy European cities. I’ve been reading a lot about how many people have descended upon Europe this summer. It didn’t seem so bad where we were, with the exception of Bergen. But even Bergen wasn’t that bad… A bonus was that the weather, by and large, wasn’t that hot. However, we did encounter hot weather and a couple of chilly days. I read that the weather last week wasn’t so great, either. So, you take a risk… Still, we were very lucky on our trip, and got to see most everything we planned to see. I still want to see more of the fjords. Hopefully, we’ll get the chance.

Anyway… I could probably add even more to this list. You learn a lot when you go on two week trips to half a dozen countries! But I’ve got some other stuff to do. Noyzi needs a walk; I need to practice guitar; and I have at least one more blog post to write. So I’ll wrap up this post now… I’m glad our big trip worked out the way it did, hectic as it was. We had a good time.

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A whirlwind trip to Austria, Italy, and probably Switzerland, part 3

We decided to have lunch after we visited Crystal World.  Although we could have gone to the restaurant on site, we thought we might have a more peaceful meal in the town of Wattens.  Sadly, it was not to be…  But we did come away from our lunch at Pronto Pasta with a fun story.

I’m not sure what the restaurant scene is like in Wattens.  I do know that it was a Sunday and Pronto Pasta had lots of signs around town, advertising their restaurant.  I don’t usually like to go to restaurants that are so heavily promoted because they are usually tourist traps.  Indeed, Pronto Pasta has signs in five or six different languages… a sure sign that they cater to the clueless who visit the little Austrian town of Wattens.  We went anyway.

Now, usually when there are lots of signs attracting tourists, you’d expect a huge restaurant with lots of tables.  As it turned out, Pasta Pronto is a very small place with a menu in English and German.  We noticed that they’d set up a couple of large tables which took up most of their tiny dining room.  We were directed to a pub table near the front door.  I eyed the large tables nervously, figuring that a big tourbus was about to arrive.  Bill tried using his rudimentary German, but our waiter immediately switched to flawless English.  Just as well.

 

Bill ordered a nice glass of red…  I had white.

Bill had penne pasta with truffles, cream sauce, and ham.  I had a salmon filet with cherry tomatoes and a side of tagliatelle.

Another shot of the food.  It was very good.

 

Just as we were about a third of the way into our meals, a large tourbus full of Chinese people showed up.  A small, nervous looking little Chinese guy who spoke English hustled into the restaurant.  He had a large plastic bag full of individual packets of spicy Hunt’s brand ketchup.  Bill overheard him explain that a number of the tourists with him were “addicted” to the stuff.  The Italian bus driver took the table next to Bill’s and mine, meaning he shared a bench seat with me.  He seemed a bit “over it”.  I couldn’t blame him for that.  The tourists all sat down at the tables that had been prepared for them.

The little tour guide approached one of the waiters and started asking about the menu.  He wanted pizza.  The restaurant doesn’t serve pizza, though they do apparently have a pizzeria in a separate location.  Then the guy was asking about sausages.  The waiter seemed to be doing a good job maintaining his cool as he explained to the tour guide that they had ordered a set menu, so they were all going to be served the same thing.  It looked like they were having some kind of soup with a dollop of cream on top (sprayed into a decorative etoile), Wiener schnitzel, and tiramisu for dessert.  From what I could see, the food looked good and everybody was reasonably happy.  The two waiters were hustling and Bill overheard one of them complaining about their boss, a plain clothesed man who dropped off a couple of plates and claimed to have been helpful in the process.

 

The waiter deals with the tourists.  Bill and I were, of course, no trouble at all…

I got up to go to the bathroom, but it was occupied.  I stood and waited, feeling more and more intrusive.  I wasn’t sure what was going on in there, but the lady ahead of me had some issues.  At one point, I figured maybe I shouldn’t try to use the toilet at that time, but then she came out…  It was a tiny girl, looked no older than fifteen and no bigger than a size zero, apologizing profusely.  It was no big deal at that point.  Poor thing.

A shot of the outside of the restaurant.

The above signs were all over Wattens.

 

Finally, after more wine, Bill paid the check.  We headed back to the car, bypassing the tiny little Christmas market going on.  As Bill paid for the parking, I noticed a ladies room.  I ducked in and waited again.  I didn’t really have to go so badly, but I remembered the arduous mountain drive and didn’t want to have to pee while Bill was stressing over the drive up the 16 degree grade.

Christmas market in Wattens.

Graffiti on the bathroom door.

We stopped by Spar for more wine, which we didn’t end up drinking.  I took a photo of the Williams pear schnapps because Bill has a funny college story about it.  He and a buddy were once held hostage in a DC bar by a mischievous bartender who wouldn’t let them leave until they could explain how the pear got in the bottle…

Beer tubs at Hotel Diana.  I didn’t have a chance to get a shot of Bill and me this time.  If you want to see us in a beer tub, I recommend checking out my Moorhof writeup.  

 

Our appointment for our beer bath was set for 5:00 pm.  I had Bill go ask at the reception if the bath would be with or without bathing suits.  When we were at the Moorhof, we did it with suits.  While that preserved our modesty somewhat, it also got hops and other debris in our suits.  I would have been fine doing the bath naked.  But the guy at the front desk either didn’t understand the question or didn’t care one way or the other.  Bill came up and told me we should wear our suits.  I had brought my “spa robe”(which I like so much that I wear it around the house, too).  Bill only brought his bathing suit.  Since I also brought a cover up, I let Bill borrow my robe (Santa will bring him a spa robe for Christmas).  I wore the cover up.

We showed up at the beer bath and the lady from the video I posted in the first of this series said we should bathe naked.  I was game, but I think Bill was a bit bashful.  The whole thing was kind of awkward because she was telling us to get undressed and we’re typical Americans who aren’t used to being nude in front of strangers.  Finally, she told us to just get in the tub.  I think the tubs at Hotel Diana are a little smaller than the one we used at the Moorhof.

Bill and I were not as cramped in the one at the Moorhof as we were at Hotel Diana.  It was ultimately okay for us, but Bill and I are short people with short legs.  If this writeup makes you want to try a beer bath at Hotel Diana with your partner and you have long legs, you may want to go for separate baths.  Also, I recommend this treatment without bathing suits.  The barley they use in the tub gets stuck in your suit, plus you have to undress for the straw bed, anyway.

So anyway, we got in the tub…  this time, unlike at the Moorhof, the beer spigot was not purely for decoration.  We were allowed to drink as much as we wanted.  The water was a little too cool for me at first, but I had access to the tap, so I was able to heat it up.  The hotel owner was kind enough to light candles and dim the overhead lights.

Later, we told her that we booked Hotel Diana because of the beer bath.  We explained that hers was the fourth beer spa experience we’ve had.  She then told us that Moorhof was the first hotel to offer the beer spa experience in Austria.  The family that owns Hotel Diana went there to check it out and decided to offer it at their hotel, too.

After the lights were turned down.

 

After about thirty minutes in the tub, we lost our bathing suits and got in the straw bed.  I mentioned in my review of Moorhof’s beer spa that the oat straw seems like it would be itchy, but it’s really not.  In fact, it’s very relaxing to lie there next to your loved one and enjoy the smell… and the softness.  But remember, I grew up in a barn with horses, so it makes sense that this experience would especially appeal to me.  Overall, it was a nice experience, though it seemed like Hotel Diana hasn’t done as many beer baths as Moorhof has, so things were a little less smoothly run.  Still, we managed to leave the beer baths very relaxed and contented.

Bill in the straw bed.  I shared it with him until I needed to use the potty.

 

After our beer bath, we went up to the room, showered, and dressed for dinner.  I was feeling a little nervous that the militant waitress would be helping us, but she was off that night.  Instead, we were waited on by the guy who had checked us in.  He told us to pick one of the first three tables, all of which had been set for two.  I liked that.

Bill enjoys the pleasantly decorated restaurant.

And orders us a nice bottle of Austrian red…

 

Our waiter apologized for the menu in German.  We said it was okay because we live in Germany and can speak menu somewhat.  We started with the same salad as we had the night before…

Then a very nice cold tuna appetizer, followed up a cup of chicken noodle soup.

I had the Cordon Bleu which came with cranberry sauce and parsleyed potatoes.

Bill had pork with a pepper cream sauce and a baked potato with sour cream.  

And for dessert, we had rice pudding…  It was very good!

 

The same two ladies who had snickered at us the previous night showed up when we were halfway through our dinner.  Fortunately, they sat two tables down from us, so we were spared having to serve as their source of entertainment.  After dinner, we went to bed and slept well until morning.

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Chasing waterfalls in touristy Triberg…

I don’t know how we missed it last time we lived in Germany, but somehow Bill and I never made it to Triberg before today.  Triberg is notable for being very cute, having lots of cuckoo clocks, and being home to the highest waterfalls in Germany.  The falls have an overall drop of 163 meters over seven cascades.  I happen to love a good waterfall, so I talked Bill into taking me there today.

A cow passed us as we headed into town…

From Unterjettingen, the drive was maybe 90 minutes southwest through some very scenic country.  Though clouds threatened to spoil our fun, the rain held off.  We pulled off at one scenic location on the way into town so I could get a few photos and Bill could duck behind a tree.  Luck being as it is, a woman pulled up with her little white dog while Bill was whizzing, causing him to abort abruptly.  I would have finished.  It’s not like it’s uncommon to see guys peeing in the woods in these parts.

The picturesque field where we took a short rest…

A map of the area…

We arrived in adorable and very touristy Triberg at about 1:00pm.  Lots of people were there today.  Parking was somewhat scarce and we were impatient to find it, since we both needed to pee and we were stuck at world’s longest stoplight.   I mean, seriously, that thing was red for several minutes.

After pulling into a full parking garage and having to back out disappointed, we ended up parking for free at the Netto Supermarket.  Since it was Sunday, the store was closed.  We weren’t the only ones using the lot, which has lots of signs threatening to tow people who stay too long.  Our car was unmolested, though, and we managed to enjoy a nice little visit.  If you visit Triberg on a Sunday or a holiday and can’t find a place to park, try the Netto.

The first order of business was to find a WC.  There is a public one right on the main drag, but we avoided it because we also wanted lunch.  We ended up at Pizzeria Pinnochio, an Italian place that also offers Black Forest cake… just like every other cafe, konditorei, and restaurant in town.  It wasn’t packed when we sat down, but the service was very slow.  It took several minutes to get menus, several more minutes for drinks, and quite a long time to get our food.

Pizzeria Pinocchio

 

Pinnochio is in the house!

 

Bill waits patiently for food and wine.

The food at Pizzeria Pinnochio wasn’t bad.  Bill had the Rigatoni Pinnochio, which was rigatoni pasta served with a cream sauce, ham, mushrooms, and peas.  I had grilled salmon, which came with a salad.  Bill’s dish came out much sooner than mine did, so I had to watch him eat.

I had Montepulciano and he had Bardolino… They took awhile to get to us, but at least the pours were generous.

I wasn’t impressed by Bill’s dish, though he seemed to like it.  

 

My salmon was nice, though.  It was a good choice and worth waiting for.

I have heard that in Europe, they bring the food out when it’s ready, but this was the first time it had ever happened that way to me.  My entree took a noticeably long time… as in, Bill was about halfway done before I got my food and that was because he waited for me.  Fortunately, I enjoyed the salmon very much.  We thought about getting dessert, but the service was just way too slow and neither waitress seemed to have any sense of urgency.  We wanted to see the town and check out the falls.  So we paid our 28 euro check and got out of there.

We saw two Ferraris in Triberg.  I took a picture of one of them.

Main drag…

Complete with water…

It was four euros per person to see the waterfalls.  Word to the wise; the climb up is strenuous and there may be a lot of crowds.  You can take a tram to the top of the falls, which may be a better option for those who have mobility issues.  There are several entrances to the park and you can buy peanuts at the cashier’s station.  I’m not sure if the peanuts are for you or the squirrels.

Main entrance to the waterfalls.

First view of the falls.

 

Standing here at the first level will net you a refreshing spray from the rushing water…

First level… there’s a ways to go…

 

Bill gazes at all the watery splendor… 

 

Bill and I walked up the waterfalls and it was a challenge for both of us.  I’d say the walk up took about twenty minutes or so, but we were moving fairly fast to get past the throngs of people.  The rewards at the top of the falls are worth it, though, since there’s a beautiful view from the top cascade.

I wonder if anyone heard this tree fall…

View from the very top…

 

On the way out…

There are a number of ways to leave the falls; we simply decided to walk down the way we came.  I recommend good walking shoes.  You might want to bring a jacket, though we didn’t really need one today.  It was noticeably chillier at that field where Bill peed than it was at the falls.  Speaking of peeing, there is a WC right by the main entrance should the need arise.

Walking down took longer than walking up did, mainly because I forced myself to go slow.  I have a feeling my thighs are going to complain tomorrow.  Walking down the falls is almost as challenging as walking up is because you don’t want to fall on your keister.  I’ve done that before– when we went to El Yunque in Puerto Rico, I fell hard on a large boulder and my tailbone wasn’t the same for weeks.

Once we were finished with the falls, we headed to a little konditorei for coffee and Black Forest Cake.  It was a very nice way to cap off our short visit to this cute little town.

I might stay in Triberg to try the many different authentic Black Forest cakes there…

Nice konditorei… not so touristy and fast and friendly service.  I’d go back!

Lots of souvenir shops were open today.  If I didn’t already own a cuckoo clock (which is in storage in Texas), I might have gone ahead and picked one up at one of Triberg’s many cuckoo clock shops.

Cuckoo clocks!

Touristy hotel with cafe…

There is a clinic in Triberg and we passed it as we were leaving the trail to and from the waterfalls.  The sign asks for quiet.

A front shot of the hotel where we had dessert and coffee.

 

Lots of cute hotels are in Triberg.  I know they must have a lot of tourist business, but I’m not sure I’d want to stay longer than a day or two.  The area is very pretty, though…

We had a good time in Triberg and would definitely recommend it as a day trip to others living in the Stuttgart area.  It’s well worth a visit, even if the town is very touristy.  Triberg is also very kid friendly; we saw plenty of kids burning off energy climbing the falls.

Bill also pronounced today a fun day, though I think he enjoyed yesterday’s outing a little more.  We’ll see where we end up next…  I think I can get into these staycation trips.

Peanut gas for sale.

The drive is pretty, too…

Lots of crowds!

Sheep!

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The French learn how to become more “Touriste” friendly…

Just read an interesting article about French tourism.  It’s basically about how the people of France are learning to embrace the many tourists that flock to their homeland every year.  Though people love France, apparently, they don’t spend that much money there.  And the folks in charge of French tourism  have figured out it’s because some people may not feel comfortable there.

Things have changed in France over the past few years.  Some stores in Paris, located in “tourist zones”, have started staying open on Sunday to accommodate tourists who may only have a day or two to stay in town.  And the French are starting to realize that tourism can be a great source of jobs in an economy that is lagging due to a recession.

I know my first impression of France wasn’t very good.  It was June 1st 1995 and I was stuck at Charles De Gaulle’s very noisy and confusing airport for about twelve hours.  I found the people who worked in that airport to be singularly unhelpful and unpleasant.  Though I had heard about how “rude” the French were– and we had hosted a couple of teenaged French boys when I was in high school who also gave me that impression– that first experience in the airport turned me against France.

But then I went there in 1997.  I arrived by train and had a delightful time, starting with a stop in Nice and continuing with visits to the Loire Valley, Tours, Amboise, and of course, Paris.  I got to see the countryside and met some people who were very nice and friendly.  Indeed, I visited several countries during that trip and did not think the French were particularly rude or unpleasant.  I’ve been back to France several times since then and can honestly say I love France.  My husband, Bill, who used to disparage France’s military, loves it even more than I do.  We may be visiting France next, when we have the chance to vacation again.

I will say that CDG is still a pretty unpleasant airport.  Bill and I flew there in 2009 for a whirlwind trip to Paris and found it very hard to navigate and quite uncomfortable.  Just finding the bus into the city was hard and then once we got on the bus to the city, the trip into Paris took longer than the flight from Germany. Word to the wise.  The train is a lot more efficient.  We took the train from Paris back to the airport and it was a lot quicker and more pleasant.  We even had some fun accordion music from a traveling busker.

Besides Paris, Bill and I visited Strasbourg, Briancon, Nancy, and Marckolsheim.  We’ve enjoyed every visit and plan to go spend a nice “proper” vacation in France sooner rather than later.  I’m hoping for the Champagne region or perhaps Burgundy.

Anyway, I think it makes sense for France to accommodate tourists more.  However, I hope that doesn’t mean France starts adopting habits that alter their national character.  I doubt that would ever happen, but one never knows.  I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing that most businesses are closed on Sundays.  I don’t know that businesspeople should feel forced to be closed, but it’s not a bad thing to have a day of rest.  And I think the whole point of travel is for people to experience new cultures and learn how to adapt.  It’s good when cultures accommodate visitors, but not to the point at which the visitor doesn’t get an authentic experience.

As I’m writing this, I was inspired to take another look at European Waterways’ Website and Bill said the more he sees of the videos posted there, the more he wants to barge.  I don’t know if or when we will, but it’s now officially on the bucket list.

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