Best of Europe Awards

Time for a blog hiatus. But before taking a break from the blog, Jen and I wanted to throw together our best (and worst) of Europe list. So here we go!

Best hidden gem:
Greg: "Gotta be Murren (see pix to the right). This is a town high in the Swiss Alps that was stunning. I remember opening up my window in my hotel room and having a panoramic view of Jungfrau mountain. The next day Reagan and I hiked the entire day through this charming area. A close second would have to be St. Wolfgang in the Austrian Lakes District (Salzgammergut). On a smaller scale, Frankfurt's Palmengarten is a place that I will never forget and is awesome on a freezing day in Germany"
Jen: "Lakes region in Austria. Also, the entire country of Belgium. Belgian people were very friendly and the food was great. This is quintessential europe. Finally, Lucca in Tuscany. It seemed unaffected by the tourists. Primarily locals in this place"

Best Food:
Greg: "Loved the jaegerschnitzel anywhere in Germany. Zum Storchenest, our town restaurant, made the very best. I've tried the dish here in the US and no one so far has come close to what they serve in Germany. I also had goulash in Hungary and loved it. Not too spicy, not too bland...perfect"
Jen: "Chocolate croissants at Netto (our neighborhood store). They melted in your mouth...flaky and soft in your mouth all at the same time"

Biggest surprise:
Greg: "The Italian food in Germany was wonderful! Without exception it was made by Italian immigrants/expats who were probably looking to escape some of the insanity of Italy."
Jen: "How much Germans are like Americans culturally. After visiting places like Spain, France, Greece, it was clear that Germans (and somewhat the Irish) are like us. We eat meals at the same time, don't take siestas, like fireworks, etc.
Also, naked people. Europeans in general are not prude. It's not sexual to them...it seems normal. In America, they would be arrested.
Finally, I was surprised that cops didn't issue tickets. Speed cameras gave out all the tickets"

Place that lived up to the hype:
Greg: "Venice. It was even better than I imagined. Touristy? Absolutely...but for good reason. The canals, the confluence of architectural styles, Dogges Palace, and Saint Mark's Square; not one thing disappointed. I recently got back to Vegas and went to the Venitian trying to relive the authentic Venice experience and it wasn't even close.
A close second would have to be Capri. A lot of travel writers now urge their readers to skip this touristy mecca but they're doing their readers a disservice. So long as you go in the shoulder season and stay away from the high season, Capri is perfect; otherwise, you're screwed."
Jen: "Amsterdam. 24-7 energy plus the sheer beauty of the city. Also, Brugges in Belgium is lot in time. Definitely up to the hype"

Biggest "Glad I did it but won't be doing that again" Moment:
Greg: "Running with the Bulls in Pamplona. Chance of a freaking lifetime. Especially since I ran with my dad and cousin, it's an experience that would be impossible to top."
Jen: "Riding the trains...not for pleasure but just for basic transportation. Also, using Italian pit toilets"

If I had to live somewhere in Europe, it would be:
Jen: "Vernazza in Cinque Terre or anywhere in Ireland (see pix to the right) or Amsterdam"
Greg: "Bann. But Southern Italy would be nice too"

Biggest disappointment:
Greg: "Oktoberfest (the second time). Bringing your family to Oktoberfest is a recipe for disaster. Mix in some rain and a lot of obnoxious drunks you can see why this was not a trip for the ages. That being said, I had a good time the first time I went with a colleague from work. We had better weather and since it was on opening day, no one was drunk (yet). Still, it was croweded and I was really lucky to even get inside one of the bierhalls.
Much like Oktoberfest, Naples was a big disappointment with the family. The place seemed very sketchy and dirty. A year later I returned to Naples and ventured past the area around the train station and did have a much better time.
Finally, the Autobahn is overrated. Much of it is speed restricted and is often riddled with traffic. But when it's unrestricted, it's great"
Jen: "Torino. Not picturesque. Full of immigrants. Also, Disneyland Paris (Greg disagrees). Employees were rude/characters left with kids still waiting for them/not well maintained..."

Worth the splurge:
Greg: "The London Eye. We'll probably be paying interest on the amount we shelled out to ride but the view was awesome. Hey, it's London! Everything is expensive."
Jen: "Stockholm. Expensive but worth it. Also, the room in Vernazza that overlooked the main square/church/marina"

Biggest cultural struggle:
Jen: "Nothing open on Sunday and no one takes credit"
Greg: (See previous post)

Best Souvenier:
Greg: "Our German gummi bear, Luke. We also came home with a ton of wine and beer"
Jen: "Luke."

What would you change about the time we spent in Europe:
Jen: "Spent more time in Italy and learned a foreign language so we could have chatted with the locals more"
Greg: "I would have liked to visit Calabria (more than from the deck of a ship), the French Riviera and Denmark."

Best advice to other travels:
Jen: "Get outside of the cities and go to the smaller villages. Get to interact with the locals."
Greg: "Jen's right. The cities are overrated. As for meeting people, act as if you are a temporary local"

What I miss most about living in Europe:
Greg: "British TV, Netto, good jaegerschitzel, ryanair, our village and neighbors, the crew at TPMRC, Christmas markets."
Jen: "Chocolate croissants, slower pace, drinking wine in a public park, fests, pretzels"

Pictures from top to bottom: Swiss Alps, Jen in Dublin, and our backyard in Bann

Culture Shock Moments

Looking back on our time in Europe, we always get a chuckle out of the culture shock moments we endured/suffered/enjoyed. Hey, we're American! We're bound to commit and occasional cultural faux pas. For example, when Jen and I were in England in early 1997, we were aghast at the slow and inattentive service. I mean, what was it going to take for our waiter to pay attention to us! We were fuming. Come to find out that Europeans generally believe it's rude for their waiters and waitresses to "hover" over you. To a couple of nineteen year old Yanks, we thought they were snotty and rude. Joke was on us. Truth be told--customer service expectations are WAY different in Germany and the rest of Europe compared to that in the states. I wonder what they think when they come to the US.

Speaking of Jolly olde England culture shock, open a newspaper and turn to page 3. You'll thank me later. If you're a guy--

I also remember the first time I saw a dog in a restaurant in Germany. Perfectly acceptable! Wasn't prepared for that one. Back in the states, I remember getting kicked out of an El Pollo Loco in Encino one time when I was holding our dog Reagan and ordering food to go. Maybe we can find a middle ground and achieve perfection!

Public urination is the easily the biggest culture shock moment I had in Europe. A couple years ago we headed over to Annweiler near Burg Trifels for New Years Day and I was so shocked by this hung over guy relieving himself in a parking lot. I had to take a picture because no one would believe me otherwise. Back home, taking a leak in the bushes is a thing of last resort. In Germany, not a big deal. After living there for a while you realize they HAVE to do this because there are so few public restrooms. And if you do find them, be prepared to to shell out a euro for the privilege.

The culture shock in Germany was nothing compared to that we experienced in Italy. I won't go into detail but that place is insane--wonderful, but insane. Germany, of all the places, was most like America in my opinion.

Fall 2006 Rewind: Latin Livin!

Trieste

So our first attempt to get to Italy didn't turn out so well. In fact, it didn't happen at all. We were scheduled to fly into Milan, tour around, and then head over to our friends' place in the Veneto. Didn't happen. To say that we "missed our plane" is factually incorrect. Not to get too longwinded but after we were halfway to Hahn airport (about 30 minutes into our drive), we pulled a dumb American and realized we forgot our passports. Now you can't really blame us...we were still in the America state of mind where you don't need a passport to fly around.

What kills me is that we SHOULD have made that flight. Even after hauling ass back to our house and getting our passports, we made it back to Hahn with about a half hour to spare. "Sorry, sir. We cannot let you on." What! "Yes, we closed the gate with 45 minutes of takeoff" But the plane hasn't left! People are just now starting to board! "You will have to buy a ticket on the next flight...at full price." This was one of my first experiences with crappy treatment on Ryanair. Don't get me wrong, it's a great airline so long as you play by their rules. By the time we left there, we had it down to a science. We had it timed down to the minute and used the hotel parking lot saving us time and money. Not this time.

Not to be denied my Italian immersion, I told Jen that we were going to visit our friend for Thanksgiving. My friend Brent from Aviano had floated the invitation and we took full advantage. Not to bore you with the details but it was about as good as any holiday gets. I'll write about the actual holiday some other time but Italy itself was incredible. Northern Italy is magical in the fall. Since it is on the sunny side of the Alps, it provided us a welcomed respite from the gloom in Germany. Sure, there was some snow on the Dolomite Mountains down in Aviano, the weather was perfect.

View of Aviano from Brent and Maria's house

Italy has a funny effect on one's memory. Ten years prior, Jen and I visited Rome and Florence and we definitely made some wonderful memories then. Sure, I have some faint memories the hassle of Italy such as abundant graffiti, disorganization, etc. But lookin back, it's the fond memories of gelato, Rennaisance architecture, and fun loving people really stand out. So once we arrived in Italy, all these memories came rushing back and I was thinking to myself, "What too you so damn long to get back here?"

Much like Italy, Spain had a lasting impact on our family. The pace is very much the same and one couldn't escape the feeling that this place was so "Un-German". In the fall season, this is definitely a good thing. What really struck me about Spain was how much it reminded me of California. I returned to Spain three times (a different region each time) and these trips reinforced this impression. Let's face it, the temperature is nearly identical, everyone speaks Spanish, and it looks so much So Cal.


Calella

Unlike Italy, Spain was simply a place to kick back and enjoy the good life. Italy has so much to see and do while the big attraction in Spain was chillin' on the beach. After seeing a different city each weekend for four months straight, this was a welcomed relief. Travel author Rick Steves reminds his readers to take it slow. "Remember, you WILL be back. No sense in trying to see it all in one take," he says. So true! Finally, we slowed down, ordered some sangria on the beach, and took it all in for the next few days. This is what Spain is all about.

Summer 2006 Rewind Pt 2: Encountering Teutonic Charm

Charming isn't a word that many people would use to describe Germany. In the fall and winter, this is VERY true. However, once the sun shines and the flowers bloom, this place really is breathtaking. Even the people seem to get out of their six month rut during this time of year.

Fortunately for us, we arrived in Europe just in time for this amazing transformation. We wasted no time and logged some serious kilometers on the Autobahn. We were literally going every single weekend. In August alone, our family visited Munich, Salzburg, St. Gilgan, Rhein and Mosel Valleys, Vianden, Heidelberg, Paris, and a few others. Of course Jen's folks were in town who were just as eager to see Europe as us. Here are some of the photographic highlights:

Prost! -Heard many times in Munich's legendary Hofbrauhaus

Triumphant at Paris' Arc d' Triumph

Hamming it up on the way up to Cochem Castle...Amazingly I made it through my 3 years without ever passing out from too much hefeweisen and pils

Ginger-hair Jen in the Mosel Valley: Enjoying the best part of Europe!