The Big Trip

The Big Trip 2.0 - On The Road Again

We have started on the road again.  This trip is different in that we are being accompanied on the front end by our two adult children, Ashley and Christopher.  We are very excited to have them with us so we can show them some of the Europe we saw on the last trip plus experieince some parts of the world with them for the first time.  

For those of you new to this blog.  We have a wanderlust tied to all the wonderful experieinces that open to you on the road if you are open to the experiences.  We write this for several reasons, first of all, for ourselves.  We have found this is a wonderful way to keep a travel journal that helps us relive memories we would otherwise forget.  Last time they also resulted in a great Apple book when combined with images from the trip.  The second is to share our adventures with our friends and family.  The third is  to meet new friends that share an interest in travel experiences.

So don't expect daily posts about our visit to this cultural icon, or that statue.  We hope to focus on the travel and not the tourist aspects of this trip to, keep it lively, fun and full of good memories.  We hope those of you reading it wll enjoy.

So as they say here in Italy, where we arrived after a long 24 hour series of flights -- ANDIAMO (Let's Go)!

 

The Best of Europe

A while ago, Jan and I decided to compile our "best of" list, based on our extended travels. We had so much fun, this was not an easy list to compile (we've been working on it for a couple of weeks), but here goes:

Best Restaurant - Collile Emilaie in Rome.  Fabulous food in a homey setting that was one of Fellini’s haunts and includes his sketches on the wall. 

Best Steak - Pandimonio in Florence. Ok, we really feel these two restaurants are tied for the best restaurant, but the Tuscan steak was outrageously good, and "mama," the owner, takes great care of her guests. 

Best Pizza - Amalfi. . . Didn't get the café’s name, but here is a picture.

Best Hotel - Queen Mary 2- What can we say (ok - it's not a hotel in the traditional sense).  Beyond reproach and offers just about anything anyone could want or need, and then some.  The service is outstanding and exceeds expectations.  Considering this is all accomplished on the water . . .bravo!  If we have one “complaint” it would be the coffee.  We need some with a more “robust” taste, but they receive “E” for Effort.  FYI- even our British tablemate prefers coffee to tea. .  and complained.  Thank goodness it's not just us!

Next Best Hotel- Beau Rivage Hotel, Ouchy - stunning view, Beaux Arts design that conjures up its glorious past, outstanding room service (everything was hot and all delivered in 15 to 25 minutes), and of course, Swissly efficient.  However, while polite and courteous, the staff did not make an effort to “warm up” and one particular person (the young woman attending the hotel shop) bordered on rude.  The reservation desk attendant who handled our check out was also a bit snippy and had an “I am so put out” kind of attitude. Tsk, tsk.  They could also benefit from having a restaurant that offers more practical and familiar food.  Not all of them should serve Haute Cuisine and be gunning for Michelin Stars.

Best Cruise - Yachts of Seaborne, Italian Idyll - service beyond our expectations, new friends that made the trip more enjoyable, and destinations and tours that exceeded our expectations.   The staff was top notch, friendly and made every effort to get to “know” their passengers.  Well done!

Best Driver - Nino from Sorrento.  He drove us from Amalfi to Florence to Pompeii and rescued us from the Naples train station.   Thanks Nino!

Best Meal -Hands down, Mama Agata's in Ravello.  Nowhere else can you have a meal overlooking the Amalfi coastline from high above, drink wine made from grapes in their own garden and be taught how to cook the entire meal by a wonderful Italian mama and her delightful daughter. 

Best Relaxation - Hotel Santa Caterina in Amalfi.  Take an elevator down the side of the cliff to a location where you can watch the mega yachts (what does one have to do to afford one of those?), swim in the Med or a saltwater pool, or sip Granitas from the comfort of your chaise. 

Best Spa - The St. Regis in Rome. This little spa with Asian flair exceeded our expectations in terms of what a massage is really all about – delightful.

Best View - Tie between the Santa Catarina in Amalfi and the Beau Rivage in Lausanne. 

Best People - Wherever you are. . .practically everyone we met (ok with the exception of the woman in the Alps that would not let Jan use the bathroom), was pleasant, warm and welcoming.  From the street vendor who sold us kebabs in Montreaux, to the dining room manager at the St Regis. Fantastic people, and every one of them have a story.  And, we were all ears.

Best Pasta - St. Regis in Rome. Perfectly cooked, sauce (carbonara or pecorino with pepper) -  just outstanding. 

Best Wine - Europe.  Everywhere we went, wine was inexpensive, and wonderful.  We always went for the local production or house wine, and were never disappointed.

Best place to sit and watch the world go by- It’s a triple play.  Our first choice should logically be the QM2, but honestly, we were so busy on board, we did not have time!  The views of the Amalfi Coast and Lake Geneva in Lausanne were absolutely stunning and peaceful.

Best Transatlantic Cruise - The Queen Mary 2 (truthfully the only one we tried), but everyone going to Europe should try it once. You can book a cabin for about the same price as a business class ticket and in many instances, less.  

 

Land

We are back on solid ground and missed all of the real ugliness of Earl. We have more posts to put up about the trip, but wanted to let everyone know that we are back safe.

Queen Mary 2 Position at 9AM today (our time)

As a follow-up to Jan's last post, I have tracked our course on Google Maps.  We are the yellow push pins at the top of the page.  It is overlaid with weather data and you can see Earl on the lower part of the image.

  

Batten Down The Hatches

On the heels of Hurricane Danielle and in the face of Hurricane Earl, the turbulent day we posted about recently was only the beginning.

The day started out great; a good workout at the gym, a leisurely morning around the ship, life is good. Jordan and I played a little Blackjack, (Lady Luck was not with us) so we retreated to the slots for a short time. Jordan entered a poker tournament that lasted even a shorter amount of time; we won’t go into the details, but let’s just say Lady Luck was a no show again!

After our mutual lackluster performances, a light lunch at the pub and two rousing games of darts (I won!), we decided to visit the game tables (not gaming) and play some Yahtzee. No sooner had we arrived, than we both observed the quick change in motion and highflying waves. I said “I can’t do this” and Jordan suggested we “run for the bands”- motion sickness bands that is. Good idea, as my head started throbbing and we both parked ourselves with Dramamine, a blanket and a nap (nap is a loose term as we really just dozed due to the ships’ motion).

There was no point in even considering putting on our game face and dressing up for semi-formal night. The seas (which are displayed on our TV) were now listed as “rough” with near gale force winds and waves up to twelve feet. Fortunately, we were well stocked with the supplies we needed to keep everything “in-check”, however, many others had not so well planned and the ship’s public areas were mostly deserted. The ship’s movement and the fatigue from the meds (along with my pounding head) sidelined us more than anything.

Waking this morning found the wave situation improved to “moderate” waves (ok, if you say so) and we can feel slightly less movement, although we are still shifting from side to side. We are all keeping a watch on the weather, and not anticipating danger so much as inconvenience. Seems like we are on an hour-by-hour march with Hurricane Earl to see who arrives in New York first (and where). The last thing QM2 wants is to be docked if there is a hurricane, so should we be on a collision course with the storm, we would hold out at sea to avoid the rush. Of course, this impacts many connecting travel plans for current passengers, as well as those expecting to embark in New York. But better safe than sorry. . .

Well, we will keep our fingers crossed and begin organizing and packing up some of our luggage to avoid any delays or disembarkation mishaps. We are almost home!

The Best Of Switzerland - Pix

We have now edited and posted our top shots from Switzerland.  They can be viewed here on Flickr.

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

With all the fabulous experiences and good fortune we have had we were due for some realism, and it has arrived.  When we awoke yesterday, the ship was swaying a bit, something we rarely noticed either previously on the QM2 or Seabourn Spirit (except for the LAST night-see blog post from WAY long ago).  This is a big ship (with stabilizers), designed specifically to cross the ocean.  However, my mind was stuck on the comments of my mother and father-in-law (Kim and Dot, this means you) and their return voyage to the U.S. on the QM2 in mid-July.  They commented about experiencing three days of motion that pretty much kept everyone in their cabins.

Sometimes you wonder if your mind is playing tricks on you, telling you that you should not feel well because the ship is rocking.  However as, the ship continued to sway I opted for Dramamine, and Jordan was not far behind.  This kept our queasiness at bay, but I was battling a low, dull headache that would not go away.  The movement of the ship continued, so we headed to the shop to purchase the wristbands (designed to eliminate sea-sickness, but make your wrists hurt,), and then to the Purser’s Office for our ration of Dramamine, not knowing how long our own personal supply would last.

My headache persisted and the Dramamine lived up to its’ “may cause drowsiness” side effect, so we opted to forego formal night, have dinner in our cabin and watch a movie.  Much better…

In case you are wondering, the wristbands work (even if it is all in our heads), the Dramamine works (for me, and always has) but even after a rough night at sea and little sleep, we are feeling better this morning.  The ship is rolling (the crew says this is “nothing” so I guess we are wimps) and we are definitely in the throes of some storm (the effects of Hurricane Danielle perhaps?) Even though we may have to catch our balance from time to time, we will carry on today.  By the way, Victor, our cabin butler says we look like tennis players with our wristbands.  I don’t think so, but thanks for the compliment.

We Hit the Upgrade Jackpot!

Sometimes you are lucky in life, and today was one of those days.  We arrived at the dock in Hamburg for
our trip back to the US.  When traveling on a cruise, you are provided luggage tags to put on your bags to ensure they arrive at your stateroom.  I glanced at the boarding ticket we had just printed out, and noticed that the stateroom referenced for us, was different than the stateroom we had originally selected and been assigned.  Since the new stateroom number was on the same deck, we just assumed there was a bit of a snafu and all would be settled.

When we checked in we were given a red card that read “Queen Mary Suite”, and we were told to present it when embarking the ship.  The moment we boarded we realized we had been upgraded.  I know cruise lines do this, but it had not happened to us before.  Not only had we been upgraded, the suite we were upgraded to was one of two Royal Suites on the ship.

As we entered, one of the two Cunard crewmembers that were helping us with our bags said this “instead of going to the cabin along the usual route, we can simply take your private elevator”.  Wow! The suite is massive, with two living room areas, two bathrooms, a large outdoor veranda, a closet/dressing room the size of most rooms, a small dining area and bar, and of course a doorway to our private glass enclosed elevator.  We are situated directly below the Bridge, with one part of the cabin shaped like a flying bridge providing a wonderful view forward. We also have two very large windows (one complete with a built in seat) that look aft and to the starboard side of the ship.

The rooms are very tastefully decorated, and come complete with three televisions (including a large plasma in one of the living rooms), multiple DVD systems, surround sound (a VCR – not sure why), and a small library area.

What can I say?  The surroundings are fit for a king (or queen), and actually were designed for one.  We have been good Cunard customers, but this upgrade iced the cake for us – we are ready to book our next cruise (note to Cunard – if this is how you get customers to come back – it works).  Just when we thought the trip could not get any better – it did!  If you would like to see some pictures of the suite, I have posted them here.

 

Leaving Geneva and the pain of VAT

We just took off from Geneva airport headed to Hamburg to board our ship back to the United States. The view from the plane as we left and took off toward the Alps was indescribably beautiful. As we turned slowly towards the Jura Mountains, we could see Geneva with it's famous jet d'eau and Mont Blanc In the background.

One interesting factoid we picked up about the Geneva airport is that when taking off, the runway crosses through two countries. It seems some years back Geneva needed to expand the runway, however, there was nowhere to build, except by extending into France. An agreement was worked out (knowing the Swiss and the French. . .that took some doing), and today it even has it's own custom's office.  Fortunately, they don't stop you as you cross into the other country.

Customs is something that you do have to deal with. Not so much to get into the country, but to get out. . . with the money owed back to you by the government for the value added tax (VAT) you have paid when making purchases.  Most of the goods bought in Europe include a VAT.  I guess the theory is that since as a foreigner you don't benefit from the tax, you should get it back.  This however is not an easy feat.

First of all, it seems that shop owners don't have a common way of handling this process.  Some fill out paperwork requiring that you get it stamped by customs as you leave, and a private company returns your money (minus a handling charge). Others require that you give them your credit card, which they imprint but don't charge, but require you get the paperwork stamped and returned to them.  At this point, your charge form will be destroyed.   If you fail to return the document within 30 days, they charge your card.

Jan is convinced the entire scheme has been worked out to provide jobs to a large number of people who deal with processing the paperwork. All I know is that it makes for a real hassle, and of course, the customs officer wants to see the goods purchased, so you have to open suitcases to get the items out. Even though Jan had this relatively organized with all the purchases packed in one location, Swiss customs is different (since they are not a member of the EU) so we will have to go through the process one more time when we dock in South Hampton for our purchases made in Italy and France.. Since the tax is around 7% of the total purchased, where the seller was willing to deal with the paperwork, it makes sense to undergo the hassle.   Now, all we have to do is wait for our refund.  Tick, tock . . .

 

Wa, wa, wa. . . The Party is Over

Today is the last day of our soiree with Europe.  After 37 days on the ground, and a total trip time of 59 days, we are heading back to Chicago (including the last 8 days of this travel time back to Chicago on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2).  We will have spent 22 days on the water in addition to our “ground time”, and we can say it went fast and slow, all at the same time.

Jordan and I have chatted about the pros and cons, our top ten lists, disappointments as well as favorites.  At some point, we will articulate those thoughts and hope they will not only help others who travel, but also guide us in refining our own game plan.  All in all, we have had the trip of a lifetime and this has not been lost on us.  We are indeed grateful and fortunate to have had such an experience.

Today was a tough call between traveling to Mont Blanc (who would not want to see this?) and staying close to “home” in order to pick up a few last items, walk the streets of Lausanne and pack up. Not an easy task with a number of gift purchases having been made along the way.  We opted to stay close by, knowing the lure of Mont Blanc will bring us back here again.

Our final day here was a delight.  The weather was glorious; sunny, clear and moderate in temperature.  We browsed and shopped for things for those we love (Christmas is not too far off!), had a simple lunch of fondue in a local joint and did not feel rushed or pressured.  We just got to “be” which was refreshing after some of the chaos and time constraints we have experienced during some of our travels.

With eight days left before we return to the U.S, this is not the end of the trip, but we certainly feel a bit of melancholy as this chapter closes.  We, of course, eagerly anticipate getting back to our kids.  Jordan and I have traversed a lot of ground here in Europe, as well as two ocean (or sea) voyages (one more to go) without a single regret.  Sure, there are some things we would change, but all of our experiences have provided food for thought.  We have more to write, more to consider and people to remember.  Stay tuned, this is not our blog’s swan song.

I HEART Switzerland!

If you have not read Jordan’s post about our time here in Lausanne and his days at boarding school, stop!  Read his comments before venturing any further with my counterpoint, um, perspective.

I am not weary of Jordan’s sharing of the places that provide him with such fond memories.  In fact, that is why we are here at all.  When we were planning this trip, I remarked that we were going to be so close to this place he remembered, how could we not go?  So, voila, here we are. 

My fatigue comes more from the eight weeks of glamour shots (Ashley & Christopher, you know what I mean. . .).  For all of the beauty Jordan’s skills as a photographer bring us, sometimes it is just a little, well, much.    From my perspective not everything has to be captured through a camera lens.  Sometimes our own memories suffice.  But, I know when at some point we return to my roots in Southern California, he will do the same for me. 

Jordan’s love of this area is what helped make our day so pleasant as we drove around the lake (as in Lake Geneva).  He recalled ski trips, field trips and his memories served as our tour guide to the “don’t miss” sights along the way.

After a late and pleasant lunch having found a little snack shop of Turkish kebobs, we decided to venture over to Evian, France, a jaunt around the lake of only another 34 kilometers.  What a good idea!  It is odd to travel back and forth between countries so easily, as if they were states.  Not once has our passport been stamped (very disappointing) and only looked at in a cursory manner.  As we drove to Switzerland from France and back again, we were essentially waived on through the border, and all within the space of about three hours.  Such a lack of interest!  I imagine we do not look as if we have a stash of contraband tucked into our pockets.

Our day ended at a little restaurant that we walked to just a short distance from our hotel.  Typical for us, we struck up a conversation with a young man seated alone, next to us.  He was here on business from Portugal (working for Philip Morris) and admired our curiosity in all things “non-touristy” as we admired his well-traveled perspective, and seemingly fond memories of the places he had seen, especially from someone so young.  He kind of reminded me of someone else I know. . . Jordan.

Does Anything Stay the Same?

To me it seems like yesterday, but about forty years ago (that makes me feel really old), my parents sent me to boarding school in Switzerland.  The school was an all-boys school in a small town on the shore of Lake Geneva called Pully.  The school was named Lycee Jaccard.  For the past couple of days, we have been staying near the school, and visited it on two occasions.  It has been a nice experience, being here again and seeing things that were so important to me at one point in my life.  It has also been wonderful for me to share some of these places with Jan (who I think may be a bit tired of me pointing out things and remembering “the good old days).”
The one thing that has occurred to me are some basic life truths about being young and growing up that I think they are universal:

• The older you are the shorter the distance from one place to the other.  The drive to Geneva used to take forever.  It is actually very close and the drive takes about an hour.
• The younger you are, the bigger things seem.  The school used to seem like a massive, towering, structure – it is in fact quite small.
• Troubles fade over time – it was difficult and troubling being away from home as a child; I remember being homesick and lonely.  As I walked around again, most of what I remembered were the good things, the friends, the fun, the mischief.
• The older you are, the closer yesterday seems.  I was only at the school for a few years, however, at the time it seemed like forever.  I was at the school decades ago; today it seems like a few years.
• Hills grow steeper over time (I don’t actually even remember them being here when I was young – not the alps, but the hilly streets).
• A second language is like a gold bracelet no one can take away (this is what my father told me when I was living here and learning to speak French).  Over time, I thought I lost my French due to lack of practice.  My father will be happy to know, I still have the bracelet – everyone here understands me.
• Some things never change – I remember Switzerland as a stunningly beautiful place with massive mountains, nice people and good wine (at my age back then, any wine was good wine).  Today Switzerland is a stunningly beautiful place with massive mountains, nice people and good wine.

It’s nice to see some things actually do remain the same.

Provence - Best Shots Posted

I have fallen a bit behind on the photo editing front, but I just posted some of the best shots from Provence.

I Have to Write More About the Toilettes

When traveling, most people (us for example) seem to have at least a passing curiosity in the WC (toilette).  This is probably because we all are interested in understanding things that are different from what are “familiar.”

By now you have probably read Jordan’s post about the drive through the Alps and the lack of friendly “facilities”(if you haven’t, click here before reading on), so after this twenty minute layover and completion of the legal paperwork, we were on our way again and anxious to find some type of rest stop.  Winding through the Alps is not necessarily known for its amenities, but after about another 90 (long) minutes, we reached our goal. I bounded in, waited (due to WC traffic), opened the stall door and stood in shock and awe.  What I found could best be described as a stainless steel sink set into the floor with two foot outlines on each side (you can view a new similar one for sale on the excellent European decorating site, decofinder).  This was it.  I turned, planted my feet in the appropriate spot, and grabbed the handles and did what Jordan describes as “hang on for dear life”.  

I can now say I have experienced my first Turkish toilet!  I have now been hazed into one more meaningful bathroom experience that could only be topped by a tree stump in the woods.  Perhaps this is reserved for a future visit to the Black Forrest.

Adding to my toilette firsts, the shower in our current hotel comes complete with a footrest to aid in leg   shaving.  I suppose this makes up for the phone booth size shower (not really).

By the way, is anyone else grossed out by the fact that in the hotel bathroom there is a phone AND ashtray (matches included) next to the commode?   Ick.

Thunderstorm rolls in on Lac Léman