by David McGuffin | Mar 30, 2014 | Blog, Destinations, Experiencing Europe
From early in my life, I had heard stories about The Cold War, East Germany, and the East and West Berlin separation. I recall my uncle, a U.S. Army officer, telling stories about his adventures while stationed in Germany in the 1950’s. Later, his son (my cousin Bobby) was stationed in Berlin at the time the wall fell in 1989. I remember talking with Bobby at one of our reunions about the simultaneous jubilation and discord in those early November days in 1989. But I had always had this sense of trepidation and unease when it came to traveling to former Communist countries. So, I never took the opportunity to explore to the “east.”
Even with all my travels, I had never visited Berlin… until today. I boarded the ICE high-speed train in Hamburg. At speeds up to 218 kph, was transported to Berlin in just over one hour and thirty minutes. Not being in a rush, I took my time in the Hauptbanhof train station. I even sat down with a Starbucks coffee and my guidebook to get a feel for the city. After walking out the wrong side of the station, checking my bearings with “Google Maps”, and readjusting my course, I struck off down Invaliden Strasse into the former East Berlin. I was immediately faced with detours and construction on the street and sidewalks causing me to cross from one side of the street to the other. However, with a little persistence, I managed to navigate the stretch to my hotel in about thirty minutes.
Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof
My hotel is wonderful! Recently, I’ve been using booking.com to research and book my hotels. The “Hotel i-31Botique Hotel” has 113 brand new and modern rooms with all the perks.
After chatting with the front desk clerk, I learned the “Berlin Wall Memorial” was just 200 meters behind the hotel. So, after settling in to my room, I ditched my bags and went out to explore the “Berlin Wall” all of which I will share with you in my next blog entry.
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by David McGuffin | Aug 4, 2013 | Destinations, Experiencing Europe
In the past few months I’ve visited Paris on three occasions with three very diverse groups. With each visit, we stayed for three nights and packed in all the sights into two and a half days. Although it is possible to see Paris’ major sights in that short timeframe, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is not sufficient enough to “experience” the city.
Paris can be grueling even on the best of days. Walking to see the sights, climbing up and down subway stairs, standing in museums, fighting the crowds, and trying to pack two or three major activities into a ten hour day will wear out even the most avid traveler. Believe me, I’ve done it this summer with folks ranging from 13 to 80 years of age and all of them wanted to slow it down.
When in Paris, there is quite a list of “must-see/do” activities. A visit would not be complete without including: an ascent up the Eiffel Tower, visiting the Louvre Museum, a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral and Latin Quarter, relaxing in a park such as the Tullieries or Luxembourg, cruising on the Seine River, going up to the Sacré Coeur and Montmartre, doing some shopping on the Champs-Élysées, experiencing a picnic on the Champs du Mars, and enjoying a couple of traditional fine dining experiences. That’s what I include on my tours, but there is so much more!
Consequently, on many of my 2014 tours I am going to extend the stay in Paris to four nights, provide more transportation options (such as the Hop-On-Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus) and limit the number of “must see/do” sights per day. Hopefully, this will allow individual time to slow down and experience Paris. I’d like to know what you think. If you want to make a comment, please leave your reply below.
by David McGuffin | Jul 31, 2013 | Destinations, Experiencing Europe
Today we explore St. Nicholas Cathedral in Galway, Ireland. The Cathedral was constructed approximately fifty years ago and blends Roman and Gothic styles. Its architectural blend and the inclusion of American Red Wood and contemporary stain glass make it a unique European wonder. A stroll around Galway is not complete without a visit to this city landmark.
by David McGuffin | Jul 24, 2013 | Destinations
In Galway, the River Corrib is famous for its salmon ladders. I decided to stop and watch a few anglers try their luck at bringing in dinner. You never know what you'll stumble across when you take just a few moments to explore off the beaten path.
Here is this week’s “60 Seconds in Galway” feature:
by David McGuffin | Jul 17, 2013 | Adventures in Tour Guiding, Destinations, Eating & Drinking
My friend Asa Jernigan told me some years ago about a beautiful lake near Salzburg he had visited. I tucked that tid-bit of info away in my noggin’ and somehow recalled it earlier this summer. I was scheduled to stay in Salzburg for two nights but a week before the tour commenced we had two additions making our group larger than expected. Short by one room in Salzburg, I decided to look for accommodations in the countryside.
Wolfgangsee is a glacial lake situated about thirty miles south of Salzburg in the region known as Salzkammergut. It is about five miles in length and 370 feet at its deepest point. The settlements around the lake, especially St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen, are popular resort towns, mainly in summer.
WOLFGANGSEE
view from my balcony
I used bookings.com to locate rooms for my group at a little community outside of St. Wolfgang known as Reid. HAUS WINDHANGER was a wonderful choice! Hemmed in by the lake, the mountains, meadows, and cows, this proved to be a comfortable and peaceful place to stay.
HAUS WINDHANGER
Upon arrival, owner Annemarie met us at the door, showed us our rooms (with balconies and beautiful lake views) and provided a brief introduction to the village, dining options, and walking activities. As we had been driving most of the day, we were ready for some food. Annemarie suggested two guesthouses with restaurants about 500 meters up the road. We donned our jackets and struck off up the road. This pleasant walk took us along the lake with endless views of pastures and cows all framed by the soaring mountains in the distance.
We stopped at the first place we came upon. LEOPOLDHAUS looked like a charming old-styled guesthouse done up in the typical fashion with lots of wood and a clean, spic-and-span atmosphere. We were greeted by the owner, who at first thought we were looking for rooms, which she was ready to put us in! Explaining we’d like dinner, not rooms, our group was seated in a private dining room and served by the owner’s charming daughter. We made an evening of our dining experience! Being carefully guided through the local menu choices by our waitress, we feasted on fresh-caught fish, rich beef, and venison. All this was complemented by traditional salads, local cheeses, potatoes, and of course, local wine. By the end of the evening we had our waitress sitting with us at the table filling us in on her life and what it’s like living out here in this beautiful countryside.
FRESH LAKE CHAR FISH
our waitress and the crew
Crunch-crunch-crunch… the sound of our group walking back up the gravel road to our guesthouse. After that hearty meal, we needed a short “stretch of our legs”to get us moving again. Crunch-crunch-crunch… a dog barks in the distance, a low-pitched horn is heard from a boat on the lake, a cow shakes her head and moos, bells from the goat herd tinkle on the distant hills. We walk in silence taking in the pleasant smells and sounds. Stopping to look at the moon’s reflection off the water, we see the twinkling lights from St. Gilgen on the distant lake shore. Crickets chirp and a wise old owl lets out a series of “hoots”. Crunch-crunch-crunch… off we go to throw open the windows, throw on the down comforters, and listen to the sounds of the night. zzzzzzzz……
-David
by David McGuffin | Jul 17, 2013 | Destinations, Essential Travel Resources
PLACE SORBONNE – PARIS
Last Thursday morning, I walked out the doors of my Paris Sorbonne area hotel to temperatures in the 50’s F. With only one carry-on sized suitcase and a small drawstring backpack, the walk to the Luxembourg RER station was short and pleasant. The Paris Métro is infamous for its lack of elevators and escalators, so walking down the steps to the tracks was relatively easy with my light load. Catching the train at LUXEMBOURG was a good idea because this stop proceeds the busier two stops down the line (St. Michel and Châtelet les Halles). To make the trip even better, a local gentleman advised me to skip the first RER B train and take the next one because it was an “express” which skips all the stops north of Gare Du Nord. So, with my luggage stowed and a seat, I enjoyed a relatively stress-free 35 minute ride to the airport.
PARIS BY TRAIN BLOG
Doing my research, I ran across a blog by Ben Lam called http://parisbytrain.com. Ben does a nice job detailing the RER and Métro systems in and around Paris. From now on, I’ll go here first to seek answers to my Paris transportation questions.
From early in my life, I had heard stories about The Cold War, East Germany, and the East and West Berlin separation. I recall my uncle, a U.S. Army officer, telling stories about his adventures while stationed in Germany in the 1950’s. Later, his son (my cousin Bobby) was stationed in Berlin at the time the wall fell in 1989. I remember talking with Bobby at one of our reunions about the simultaneous jubilation and discord in those early November days in 1989. But I had always had this sense of trepidation and unease when it came to traveling to former Communist countries. So, I never took the opportunity to explore to the “east.”
