Monday, October 24th, 2005
Austria simply can’t be beat when it comes to beauty. You’ve seen the country in the Sound of Music, but the cities of Vienna, Salzburg and the alpine town of Halstatt are just as nice.
Vienna
Vienna is a city with a ridiculous amount of history. The home of the waltz, Habsburg Palaces and an unrivaled musical past. Walk for an evening through the cobblestone streets in the center city and you can almost hear a famous composer at work. In fact, many of the walking areas are lined with small orchestral ensembles playing their way through the evening. Elbowing in on their act, of course, are those unique artist who dress in a period piece and then stand in one position for what seems time eternal. Buddhist monks would be envious if they believed in envy.
The only downside to Vienna is the expense. It is very expensive. If you are going to spend some time in the city, be ready to pay for the privilege.
Salzburg
Salzburg is one of my favorite cities and I always try to hit it when I am traveling through Europe. The real home of Mozart, Salzburg is Vienna without less of the hustle and bustle. A walk through the shopping district will leave you breathless and, sometimes, penniless, but it is a worthwhile go. Salzburg is a city where you can drink bear with monks, take in an opera or just walk through exquisite rose gardens. Unfortunately, it gives Vienna a run for its money when it comes to being expensive. Yes, pun intended.
Halstatt
Halstatt is the little town in the Alps that puts the Sound of Music to shame. Located roughly an hour outside of Salzburg, the easiest way to reach it is by train. The train travels well up into the Alps and drops you off by the side of a lake. You plop down in a little hut and wait for the ferry from Halstatt to appear. The ferry then halls you across the lake to a Alpine town with no cars – Halstatt. It is like stepping into the past. People are friendly, prices are reasonable and romance is on the hoof. Swans swim along the outdoor cafes dotting the lake and, well, it is pretty dang nice. If you are looking for a little romance, Halstatt is definitely worth your consideration.
For many travelers, Austria gets scratched off the “must visit†list because it is so expensive. Still, you should try to visit it at least once in your life to take in the splendor.
About The Author
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com – makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues.
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Monday, October 24th, 2005
Lagos is a small town in Portugal built on a large hill overlooking the Mediterranean Ocean. While its old world charm is evident during the day, it can be a real pain at night.
Upon arriving by train in Lagos, I quickly booked a bed in a private home with a local family. I was loaded in a car and driven to the home that was just over the crest of the hill on which Lagos is built. From the home, it was about a mile down to the beaches and water. Ah, good old exercise.
Being from San Diego, I immediately put on my trunks, flip flops and headed for a swim. As I came over the top of the hill, I looked around to get my bearing and admire the view of the sleepy town of Lagos. It reminded me of home and I stomped on down to the water with a smile on my face.
While swimming and catching a tan [okay, sunburn], I met some fellow travelers from London. From the beach, they took me to see cultural sites such as museums and so on. Okay, we went to a couple of bars. As evening turned into night, I endeavored to turn in early as I was burnt out from the long train ride from Lisbon. We agreed to meet the next day and I congratulated myself on my restraint as I walked out of the drinking establishment.
As I walked along, it dawned on me that I didn’t know the name of the street I lived on. No reason for alarm. I was at the bottom of the hill and a mile or so up on the top was my room. Figuring I would see something familiar, I started huffing it up the hill.
Many of us non-Europeans go to Europe for the historic effect. Tiny winding streets with cobblestones are a personal favorite, but not when you’re wearing flip flops and there is practically no lighting. I fell on my butt at least twice on dew covered cobblestones. As I neared the top of the hill, I managed to crack my right foot on one of those owe so cute half curbs that seem to appear throughout Europe.
Making matters worse, I was lost. I stopped to get my bearings and tried to avoid thinking about the sticky, wet feeling on my right flip flop. It was useless. There wasn’t enough light to make out much and what I could see was completely unfamiliar. There were people walking around, but I couldn’t ask them for help since I had been to stupid to write down the address of my host.
Being a typical male, I took the only logical option available to me. I walked up and down streets for roughly two hours, got chased by two dogs, cracked my right foot AGAIN on curb and generally developed a bad mood.
Just as I was contemplating sleeping in the bushes, I rounded the corner and there it was. The most beautiful little white house with a $6 room in Lagos. Delusional and tired, I staggered up to the door. It was locked. I gathered my wits and knocked. The lady of the house opened the door, looked me up and down and started giggling.
Like a wayward son, she took me into the kitchen and made some tea. I had scrapes on my knees and the toenail on the big toes of my right foot was an international disaster zone. She and her husband kept asking me if I had been in a fight!
Lagos is a great town if you’re looking for a little beach time. Just make absolutely sure you write down the address of where you are staying.
About The Author
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com – makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues.
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Monday, October 24th, 2005
The Gellert Hotel Spa is renowned as the ultimate spa destination in Hungary. Here’s a first hand account of the Gellert experience.
Gellert Hotel Spa
While in Budapest, everyone kept saying I hadn’t experience Hungary until I had a spa. According to my newfound friends, “a spa†meant the Gellert Hotel Spa.
Being a macho American male, I had dragged an American girl I met on the train with me to the spa. The purported purpose, of course, was chivalry and introducing her to an experience she would never forget. After paying $2 each, my bluff was called. Women and men were separated for the treatments. I was alone and didn’t speak a word of the language!
Once separated, I was sent into a large room with what appeared to be a few hundred dressing rooms. An attendant looked up from a desk, said something in Hungarian, slapped a piece of cloth in my hand and pointed to a dressing room.
In the dressing room, I prepared to change only to realize the cloth was no more than a string and a 2 x 2 inch square of cotton. For those anatomically challenged, the string went around your waste and the cloth hung in front. At this point, there was only one thing to do. Chant the traveler mantra, “Ah, what the heck. I’ll never see any of these people again.â€
Outside the dressing room, I proceeded to immediately stand around, try to look casual and see what the locals were doing. This was a bit difficult as I was the only person in the room. Eventually a local showed up, changed and headed down a hall. I followed and hoped he didn’t notice.
At the end of the hall, we walked through two giant pools. The walls were painted in baroque styles, the steps into the pools were marble and the whole place was impressive. I nearly let my loincloth slide up.
After the pools, we approached a room that looked remarkably more industrial. There was a line out the door and I dutifully joined it behind my guide. After a few moments, we rounded the door and I saw something I did not expect. Eight loincloth clad men like myself were lying on metal tables. Large male masseuses were standing over them. They would slap them about, spray them with garden hoses, slap them about and repeat as necessary. This wasn’t the massage I was anticipating, but I sure as heck wasn’t getting out of line. That would be to embarrassing!
After a few moments, it was my turn to jump up on a table. My “masseuse†looked at me and said, “Americanski?†I nodded. He grinned. And the beating began. A Hungarian/Turkish massage reminded me of the movie “Rocky.†In Rocky, the lead character pounds on sides of meat to get ready for his fight. In the case of the massage, I was the side of meat. It didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t exactly relaxing.
After a few moments of tenderizing, I was lifted off the table and sent flying through the air. As time slowly passed, I noted this hadn’t happened to any of the men who went before me. I also noted the limestone and marble material used in the walls. Just as I started panicking, I splashed down into a pool to the sound of laughter. While I was trying to decide if I should laugh or be enraged, my body started sending its own signals. I was in a pool of what had to be the coldest water on the planet earth. I am talking Antarctica kind of cold.
Leaping out of the pool, the men in the room gave me a standing ovation accompanied by hunched over, gasping laughter. Now I knew Hungary.
Well, when in Rome!err, Budapest.
About The Author
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com – makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues.
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Monday, October 24th, 2005
From beaches to the alps, France has a little of something for everyone. In this article, we take a look at Paris and the beach city of Nice.
Paris
It is hard to know where to start when discussing Paris. Take a boat down the Seine River and you will pass Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and so many other notable spots it is easy to get overwhelmed. The city is simply that dramatic.
Long considered the most glamorous city in Europe, Paris has a little of everything. For the romantic, one can visit the haunts of famous writers, historical sites of just about every nature and the Moulin Rouge.
On the other hand, art lovers can spend weeks visiting the 100 plus museums in the city with, of course, the Louvre being the crown jewel. Personally, I found the Rodin Museum just as interesting, particularly since there was a much smaller crowd.
Perhaps the best way to experience Paris is just to wander around. Yes, take a few days to visit the notable tourist traps!err, destinations. Once you get tired of standing in crowds, walk out of your hotel and just keep on going. You will find little neighborhoods with eccentric characteristics to make you smile. As you plod along, real cafes and gathering places will become apparent. Make sure you visit them as the locals in these neighborhoods are very friendly and funny.
Nice
Nice is a small beach city just to the east of Cannes in the south of France. It is an odd mix of old world charm and beach culture. In and of itself, there is nothing particular about Nice when compared to Cannes with the exception of the prices. They are significantly cheaper and you get pretty much the same thing.
One extremely positive thing about Nice is the launching factor. Nice is close to everything and a natural launching point to go practically anywhere in the general region. You can hop on a train to the east and be in Monaco in 15 minutes. You can take a 20 minute minivan trip inland to learn how to make cheese and soap. Thankfully, this isn’t the same location.
France is a diverse country with a rich history. It can be easy to overdose on the volume of things to see, but you can’t do much worse than just walking out your door and exploring. Remember, those boots were made for walking.
About The Author
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com – makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues.
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Monday, October 24th, 2005
Where does one begin to start when discussing Italy. Well, if you intend to travel there, Rome and Venice are good places to start.
Rome
Perhaps you’ve heard of it? It goes without saying that Rome has a rather prominent past. Lets see, in Rome you will find![deep breath]!the Vatican, Coliseum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Church of Saint Agnese, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and a guy name Allassandro. Just making sure you’re paying attention. Indeed, Rome is filthy with historically significant attractions. It seems you can’t turn around without bumping into something an Emperor built, captured or destroyed. For those willing to risk potential wrath, there are also the new Divinci Code tours, which take you to the locations found in the book.
In all serious, Rome is a city you should visit at least once in your life. No article could ever do it justice, so I’ll just stop here.
Venice
I fondly refer to Venice as the floating city even though it is apparently sinking. If you’ve seen Venice is movies or televisions shows, the depictions are accurate. Piazza San Marco looks exactly the same, birds and all. The Grande Canal is, well, a grand canal with incredible houses lining it and boats putting up down this water way. Built on mudflats in a lagoon, the city doesn’t really have much room to grow. It just seems paralyzed in time.
Once you’ve conquered the tourist attractions, it will be time to get serious about Venice. The best way to do this is stand in front of your hotel or hostel, determine which direction the tourist attractions lie and start walking in the opposite direction. While you may feel like you’re driving the wrong way on a freeway for a few minutes, you’ll eventually start getting into real Venice.
An entirely different side of Venice will appear and you’ll love it. You’ll find little cafes with locals happy to talk to you [and non-tourist prices]. In fact, the Venetians will tend to hold you in high regard since you’re a tourist who is bypassing the tourist areas. This, of course, will logically lead to a whirl of introductions to this nephew, that son of a brother and so on. Next thing you know, you’ll be complaining about Italian politicians and how things used to be better in the past.
While Rome and Venice are excellent travel destinations, you can’t really go wrong in Italy. For the adventurous, set your itinerary with the old map on a wall and dart technique.
About The Author
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com – makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues.
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