2 weeks "sola" visiting Germany, Vienna, and Budapest

2 weeks traveling SOLA (July 31-Aug 13^th)

Drew had made the choice to stay in Spain for the rest of our time in Europe; we only had 6 weeks left.  He was in the groove to surf and study Spanish, while I had restless feet and decided to travel on my own for 2 weeks.  Luckily Drew understands my wanderlust and is totally supportive. 

First stop Germany…

Trier, Germany

Trier, Germany

I paid a visit to my friends Diana and Helmut in the German Eiffel, the hilly volcanic part of Germany that few Americans know.  They took me to Luxembourg for a visit to the scenic medieval town of Vianden, crowned with a castle.  This area is really popular with the English and Dutch for doing motorcycle road trips.  They love the winding roads and scenic landscape.  Two English guys behind us in line for the chairlift up to the castle had an animated discussion about rugby vs football, instigated by Helmut…“did you know that rugby players have 2 less letters in their alphabet?” I and Q…and on it went. 

archeology museum Trier Germany

More fun…we paid a visit to the fabulous archeology museum in Trier that I had been begging Diana to take me to.  Trier, first a Celtic settlement, then a Roman city (and the seat of a Holy Roman Emperor) has a fascinating history. The museum has an incredible Roman exhibit.  In 1993 construction workers dug up 40 kilos of gold Roman coins; there must be so much still undiscovered!

Other highlights:  A sunset swim in a volcanic lake, gelato in historic and totally adorable Bernkastle, and of course, a tractor ride through the forest and fields…I loved it all! 

Diana and me

Eventually Diana delivered me to the Saarland/ Rhineland region, only a few miles from the borders of France and Luxembourg, to visit my 3^rd cousins, Peter and Martina who I met for the first time last December.  Diana and I “discovered” them in 2013 while doing genealogy research literally by bumping into a postman and knocking on doors…one contact leading to another.  Now they are both on board helping expand the connections, and fill in the blanks.  Together we have made great progress.  I was surprised to find that Martina lives on the El Camino de Santiago…along the walk of St. James.  I didn’t even know there was a route in Germany.  Of course the northern route passes through San Sebastian…the El Camino seems to be a recurring theme in my life this year. 

Saarburg, Germany

The landscape in this region is beautiful and would probably look fairly unchanged in the last few centuries if not for the nuclear power plant on the French side of the border, and the many wind turbines punctuating the fields these days. 

Kirf, Germany

Peter and I went to the site of a Roman Villa in Nennig; where there is a huge fabulously preserved Roman Mosaic.  We also visited the Mabilon bell factory, that functioned for almost 250 years in Saarburg from 1770-2002…it has been left in sort of a state of suspended animation, unchanged since the last workman turned of the lights, and closed the door behind him.

Misty morning in Kirf

hilltops showing through mist

Martina found a book in her collection that indicated that kirf, the village of our mutual great great grandfather, was no longer on the original site.  The original settlement was built by the Romans (a few kilometers away), and was abandoned in the 1600’s when the plague, which was spreading like wildfire across Europe, hit the village.  This was not the only time the village was abandoned.  Peter’s father Edmund told me that during the war in 1939 the Nazis evacuated the villagers and sent everyone to a camp in the north…well, almost everyone.  At one time there were 12 Jewish families living in Kirf.  There was a Catholic church and a Jewish synagogue and all got on well together.  One Jewish family sold everything and immigrated to America in 1937…he saw what was coming.  The other 11 families were also evacuated in 1939 with the rest of the town, but were sent to a different camp, and were never heard from again. 
Sleepy little Kirf, I left it shrowded in a veil of early morning mist, as I headed to the Trier train station with Franz Josef, Martina’s awesome husband. He took me to a sunny hilltop, above the mist…it was an incredible parting site to see the highest hilly peaks rising like islands out of the white mist that filled the valley.

Vianden Luxembo

cows and turbines

Wind turbines and cows, Rhineland

Bernkastle, Germany

Trier, Germany 

Bell museum Saarburg, Germany

Vianden, Luxembourg

Second Stop Vienna…

Hapsburg Palace, Vienna

Vienna beach bars

Vienna for me was about catching up with old friends, and absorbing a little art and architecture in this incredibly beautiful city, once the powerful seat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  One train, one plane, and one more train/metro ride later I was in downtown Vienna getting my museum fix at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.  Later that evening my pal Peter picked me up at the train station in his village.  It was an almost tropical balmy night and we walked and talked non-stop as we made our way through the forest and vineyards behind his house with Noua, his giant Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Vienna

The next day back in Vienna, I met my lovely friend Geraldine at the United Nations Center for lunch for a nice little catch up session. The cafeterias food selection was as international as the people eating it.  I know both Peter and Geraldine from my trip to East Timor in 2006/7 when they were both on UN missions posts at a precarious post war period in the newly formed country.

Vienna

Later that day Peter and I rendezvoused in the city center and he gave me a little tour…and pointed out places to see and be seen in Vienna (so “not my world”). The channel of the Danube that runs through town is lined with bold, colorful, graffiti and funky little bars with “giant sand boxes,” complete with beach chairs (more “my world”).  He took me to his favorite gelato place where I had my first ever scoop of poppy seed gelato, before heading off to pick up Keanu, his incredibly adorable “almost 5 year old” son.

But our fun was just beginning…did I mention it was 40C in the shade in Vienna (104 F), so Peter planned a day trip to a little sand island on the 

Me, Peter and Keanu

Geraldine and me, UN Vienna

Danube near the village of Greifenstein.  We had an air mattress to transport Keanu, and our few belongings we wanted to keep dry.  Noua joined us as we swam to the island. The tiny island was enjoyed by swimmers (like us), and boaters…it was pristine.  No litter, and no trash cans.  People knew the right thing to do, and did the right thing (cleaned up after themselves) without needing to be policed.  We left our duffle with clothing, shoes etc on the shore; Peter said, “no one will touch it in Austria.”  We had plans to swim back to shore and go to a funky restaurant that we could see from the island, called the African Queen.  It was a floating restaurant attached to the shore by a gangplank.  It was so kitchy-cool; every square inch was decorated with large figures of gorillas, elephants, colorful birds, tiki torches etc.  I lamented that it was a shame we hadn’t planned to camp…it was another perfect balmy starry night.  Peter got a twinkle in his eye. “Really, you want to? It means swimming back in the dark after dinner and we don’t have proper camping gear.”  I was 100% on board…after dinner we swam back in the dark.  Keanu never complained.  Peter (aka MacGyver) rigged the sun-shelter with an old sheet, and we shared a thin blanket scrounged from his van (I’m pretty sure it was Noua’s dog blanket, but I chose not to ask!).  While the boys slept I stayed up identifying constellations and listening to the rhythm and blues music being played by a band on shore upstream.  Was I really in Austria?  This was not what I had imagined.  Pink light and bird songs enticed me out of the shelter at dawn the next morning.  After more swimming, and hours of playing on the beach (including a rambunctious game of tag with ever changing rules dictated by Keanu) we made our way back to Vienna. 

In the afternoon Peter dropped me at the train station…next stop Budapest!

Third stop Budapest…

Parliament building, Budapest

Parliament at might

I made myself comfortable sitting cross-legged, leaning against the concrete wall of the platform in the Vienna train station, where I was to catch my now very late train to Budapest.  Occasional indecipherable announcements were blared over the loud speaker in German and English.  Oliver, a young Austrian guy sitting next to me who was meeting his girlfriend in Budapest, took me under his wing.  Using an app on his phone, he informed me as to what was going on with the train and where; it was now 2 hours late…now cancelled…now putting together 2 trains…etc.  When it finally came, I followed him into a train car.  The whole train was packed to the gills.  He told me it was the weekend of the Sziget Music Festival in Budapest, held on an island in the Danube.  It is one of the biggest music festivals in Europe.  Many people boarded the train with full backpacks strapped with camping gear.  Budapest is known in general as a cheap place to party; I was told that many English people come to celebrate bachelor parties in Budapest because even with flights and hotel, it’s cheaper than partying in London.  Oliver and I parked ourselves, and our luggage in the space between 2 train cars with 2 French fem

Hero Square, Budapest

ale backpackers.  Each time the door opened we had to squoosh to the side to allow people to pass between cars.  The ticket agents did not seem to mind at all, and would smile reassuringly as they passed.  I have to admit, it was all good fun for me.  I grabbed a sandwich in the café car for myself, and a beer for Oliver.  For the first time, I was wishing I were 21 instead of 51!!! 

Parliament Square, Budapest

View of Parliament building from Buda side of Danube

Just another relaxing day in the Park, Budapest

I arrived at 8pm and leisurely walked a km to my AirBnB apt.  My host, Karcsi, met me, showed me the ropes, gave me excellent tips…all I wanted to do was sprawl out on the bed and read in complete peace.  I had not yet gone to a cash machine.  I was no longer in the Eurozone.  300Huff=1euro. And it just didn’t seem worth the effort to pursue dinner.  Somehow I managed to forget about food till supper the next day when I met up with Katja and Gabor, who live in Budapest.  Drew and I met them on our trip in January to Sorrento, Italy.  They were so enthusiastic about their hometown I vowed to visit.  They insisted on buying my dinner despite my protests, gave me a mini-walking tour of the center, and some good tips.  The best nightlife is found in the old Jewish quarter on the Pest side of Budapest.  It is thick with trendy ruin-pubs, established in the “gaps” between buildings.  I was immediately in love with Budapest.  It has the gorgeous architecture and history of Vienna, with more of an edgy eclectic artsy feel.  As an English-speaking visitor, Budapest is totally a breeze; most people speak English, and often signage is in English.  The Hungarian language is so unique and difficult that no locals seem to expect anyone else to speak it.  It has 42 letters, with vowels that are nearly impossible for a native English speaker to discern from each other, much less pronounce.

synogogue, Budapest

I did a free walking tour the next day, which was totally awesome.  These are becoming trendy in Europe (maybe elsewhere?).  This was a 3 hour tour; guides get all their pay through tips.  Our guide was just great.  After the tour I did the usual “touristy things”, all of which I enjoyed and would recommend.  I visited St. Matthias Cathedral in the Fisherman’s Bastian. I toured the “Hospital in the Rock”, once a WWII hospital, and later a nuclear bomb shelter in Soviet times.  It was built by modifying a natural cave system. Budapest is known for its vast cave networks, and healthy mineral springs and spas.  

A trip to the Budapest museum gave me the history lesson I was looking for.  Budapest was a Celtic settlement, before the Romans arrived.  It seemed to have major players (like Atilla the Hun and Charlemagne) and other Germanic and Slavic tribes fighting for a foothold from the time of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, around 400AD till about 900AD when it ultimately became ruled by the Maygar tribes (the original Hungarians).  In 1000AD King Stephen (St. Stephen) Christianized it, and even changed the alphabet to a Latin alphabet.  The kingdom of Hungary became officially part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire as part of an agreement with the Hapsburg Emperor Francis Joseph in 1867.  As a result of its role in WWI Hungary lost 2/3 of its land, and 50% of its population.  The Hapsburgs were stripped of all power and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was no more.  Hungary’s role in WWII is really complicated…the government ultimately sided with the Nazi’s and lost.  It became part of the Soviet block 1949-1989.  In 1956 there was a student uprising that escalated into a national movement for democracy (sound familiar?) and independence from the soviet block.  It failed.  It was not until the end of the Soviet Union that Hungary transitioned to democratic rule.

St. Matthias (per locals)

A spontaneous decision that ended up being the perfect way to end a perfect day was attending a concert in the awe inspiring St. Stephen’s Basilica.  There are concerts all over town on any given night in Budapest, just like Vienna, so it’s easy to just wing it without planning ahead. 

My last day was spent on the Pest side of town.  I visited Hero’s square and the gorgeous adjacent city park, the stunning Parliament Building, and the Terror museum, which is a powerful high tech museum that covers the period from WWII thru the time under heavy-handed communist rule.  It is both enlightening and sobering.  I’m glad I went. It is housed in the building once used as a prison, torture/interrogation chamber by the Hungarian equivalent of the KGB.

New Argentinian friends

I had a “hankering” for Thai food that night…something I have not been able to find in San Sebastian (Spain).  I had eyed a restaurant earlier in the day that I went back to for dinner.  As I waited for my food I overheard the maître di having difficulty communicating with an older Spanish speaking couple, so jumped in to help interpret.  In the end they sat next to me, and I helped them choose what to order (they were so cute…86 and 81yo, from Argentina having Thai food for the first time ever).  We discovered we would be on the same flight the next day from Budapest to Madrid!  Her family’s roots were in northern Spain.  This coincidence was doubled when I boarded the plane, only to find that we were randomly seated next to each other! 

San Sebastian, "Big Week" Fiesta

Drew surprised me late that evening by being there to greet me when I finally arrived at the airport in Hondarribia.  Together we took the bus back to San Sebastian, arriving just in time for the fireworks competition that goes on during San Sebastian’s famous “Big Week”.  We sat at an outdoor café, enjoying the spectacle.  It was the perfect ending to my perfect little adventure.

Central Market, Budapest

A few insights I gained planning this group trip to Madrid and Andalucia

1.  Don’t injure your friends 

No brainer, right?  I just about “crippled” my friend who is 13 years my senior and lives a more sedentary lifestyle by taking her up to Mt. Urgul (topped by the Jesus statue, and a fun little museum) here in San Sebastian.  To be fair, it was the descent, not the uphill part that did her legs in.  It never occurred to me that this might be too physically challenging for her, and had originally planned on taking her on a really cool, much longer steeper hike over a bigger mountain, to Pasaia.  Note to self:  Get a realistic picture of the physical capacity of travel companions before trip planning. 

2.  Technology purgatory:  Be prepared in case of technology failure

Technology and I seem to be at constant odds…sometimes I feel like I’m trapped in an old “I Love Lucy” episode.  What else could go wrong?

Best laid plans…I had been insistent that we all had WhatsApp for “easy” communicating because I though that we would want to separate at times.  My friend had free data with no roaming charges with her T-Mobile business plan! (who knew that was possible?) She was onboard with WhatsApp.  We got a SIM for my sister-in-law in Spain for about 10EU, good for a month with Vodafone.  WhatsApp is not tied to the SIM, so setting up Whatsapp at home and “test driving” it there is a good idea. We were all set.

I had bought a external battery (accessory power supply) in case my cell phone battery croaked at an inopportune moment (lesson learned from our Morocco trip in April)…but what I didn’t count on was that my own WhatsApp would stop functioning on my phone!  Luckily my e-mail still worked so we could split up and access each other that way…sort of.

My sister-in-law found out that her local e-mail server in Wisconsin did not allow her to view her email while she was overseas (of course she only found this out while overseas), It was a good thing that she had a Gmail account to fall back on (which she normally never uses).  When she finally figured out the problem she had to have my brother forward her flight e-mails to her new account!   I’m a believer in having 2 email addresses each from different service providers…it has saved me more than once.

Because of my propensity for technology failure, I had a plan A and B for meeting my sister-in-law at the airport neither of which involved technology.  I’m in the habit of checking airport terminal maps online in advance.  The Madrid terminals are very spread out (same in Barcelona), and there is a rather long bus ride or metro ride between them, if you find yourself at the wrong one and pressed for time it can be bummer. 

3.  What floats your boat?  Get a sense of your travel companions priorities and interests early on

When I thought about what to see and do in these places I didn’t give “shopping time” a first thought, much less a second thought.  Shopping shares that same exhausting “museum pace” that does a number on the feet and back.  Had it occurred to me I could have figured that into the plan and it would have made for less tiring days.  I personally will gladly physically “suffer” my way through any art museum or history museum, or cathedral on the planet, but am less enthusiastic to suffer my way through souvenir shops and stores.  Of course others feel exactly the opposite.  Lesson:  know your companion’s priorities, to find a balance that pleases everyone.  To me this means encouraging autonomy rather than compromise.  “Meet me at this café after you get out of the cathedral or the souvenir shop, I’ll be enjoying a vino blanco.” 

4.  Why can’t I use my credit card to buy this?   Chip and pin/ verified by visa issues

When my local bank’s credit/debit card repeatedly didn’t work for online transactions I just walked across the street to the bank and asked the teller (who  probably knows us as the “clueless Americans”) why it didn’t work.  I learned that to use my credit card on line it had to be validated by “verified by visa.”   While on line, waiting for the transaction to go through on certain websites, I was sent a code on my cell phone to enter on the website.  When completed and entered, I got a confirmation that my transaction went through.

Despite having a chip in my American credit card, I don’t have a pin…at least not the “right kind” of pin to be able to use my card to buy train and bus tickets from machines in stations.  There is always cash!  Be prepared.

5.  Overcoming the confusion of the Alhambra experience

First of all buy tickets well in advance…The website tells you how many days in advance they will go on sale.  It’s July now, and I see some days in October are already sold out!  I learned that when you order tickets for the Alhambra in Granada online you better check and recheck on the dates.  I had some major frustrations, and glitches navigating the website.  (Sometimes I get glitches when I click “translate” on my ipad, such as the calendar fails to translate or switches months and I don’t notice).  Alhambra tickets are purchased through Ticket Master (ugh!) and they give you NO opportunity to change or cancel your ticket after you press the “buy” button.  Their contact number is just a recording that hangs up on you after first informing you that you basically called for nothing.  Get tickets from Caixa Bank ATM in town using the same credit card that you used for the online purchase to avoid long lines.  We chose to enter the Alhambra grounds about 1.5-2 hours before our appointed palace entry time (the time on the ticket) and walked all the gardens and outdoor areas first.  We walked downhill back home…no need to get on a bus. 

(I was a bit worried about whether I would be able to retrieve my tickets as planned because of the original ticket debacle online and what I had to go through to resolve it.  I knew that we had to be at the palace gate, not the Alhambra entrance, at the exact time I signed up for online when I originally bought the ticket.  At home on your printer you are really only printing out your code to retrieve your actual tickets "entradas."  I read that we could avoid long lines by printing out our “entradas” at a local La Caixa Bank ATM by entering our ticket number, and using the original credit card used for the online purchase.  This actually worked great, and saved us a lot of hassle and time once we arrived at the Alhambra.  Apparently most of the crowd didn’t know this trick.) 

Toilet Culture

Toilet Culture

Techno potty

I’ve come across the whole gamut of toilets during my years of globe-trotting; I can hover, or squat with the best of them…but technology has done me in. Drew and I were relaxing in a park when nature called.  I remembered there was one of those self contained high tech, self-cleaning toilet units that have the classic green yellow and red indicator lights at the door.  The nearest “techno potty” was out of service…darn it.  So I ran to another at the park entrance, where a Spanish couple was having an animated discussion about it, as the guy was exiting…his wife went in next; then it was my turn.  She held the door open for me, which I reluctantly accepted, knowing the usual protocol requires the door to close to clean between users.  I figured this toilet must have been broken as well, since other “techno potties” won’t even let you just hold the door open for another person.  Well, as soon as the door closed behind me the toilet made a sudden loud flushing “WOOSH,” and I knew I was in big trouble.  Then everything went pitch black.  I was trapped inside.  The self-cleaning feature was engaged when the door shut; this triggered disinfectant to be sprayed from 3 sprayers located at floor and ceiling level.  I stood on tiptoes seeking higher ground, and pressed myself against a wall attempting to avoid being “sanitized” as the cleaning fluid covered the floor. In complete blackness I visualized the green escape button to the right of the door that I had seen in previous “techno-potties”…eureka I found it by “Braille” and pressed!  As the door opened, I made my undignified exit, smelling a bit “cleaner and fresher.”  

Urinals

Ok guys, here is the version of portable urinals that I have seen here in Spain.  Note that they are often placed in places that get a lot of foot traffic, and being circular, they maximize efficient use of space, if not privacy.    

The end of our stint as "tour guides" in San Sebastian (our favorite day trips)

The end of our stint as tour guides

We saw the last of our visitors leave July 21^st …we enjoyed playing tour guide, but were ready for a little R and R.  I think we had a total of 14 visitors between May 1 and July 21^st.   We took the opportunity to do 2 more little local day trips and I would add them to my list of recommended day trips less than an hour from San Sebastian. 

1.    San Sebastian to “Pasaia” hike

Hike 2.5 hours on trails from SS (start in neighborhood of Gros, ascending trails up Mount Ullia) along ocean bluffs with jaw dropping coastal views and through lush ferny forests, ultimately dropping down into San Pedro (follow signs to Pasaia with red/white trail markers).  Don’t miss the Abaola boat building “museum” to see a classic Basque ship being built in San Pedro. Take the .70 water taxi across the river to San Juan for lunch (my favorite place is to the left toward the mouth of the river…walk through town, and go to the end of road).  Hop on a local bus from San Pedro for 2.35eu and you are back in San Sebastian in 20 min.

2.    Hendaye to Hondarribia

Take the Topo train (also known as the Euskotren) from SS to Hendaye, France (about 35 min).  Exit the little train station and walk towards the river.  It looks industrial and unappealing but don’t worry.  There is an oddly placed elevator down to the water and a river walk of several km. that you follow to the ocean…it will take you to a nice expansive beach (yes, you are in France).  Notice where the marina is…after a visit to the beach, hop on a water taxi in the marina that will take you across the river to the little medieval town of Hondarribia (now you are in Spain).  Heading straight inland off the dock, go to the area with the colorfully trimmed “fisherman’s houses” and have a fabulous pintxo at Bar Gran Sol.  My favorite is the Jaizkibel.  Then walk up to the medieval walled part of the town to Plaza de Armas for a café con leche, or cerveza.  Walk the little narrow streets and find cool hotels like the Obispo, and secret little restaurants and bars.  If you have a coffee at the Parador in Plaza de Armas, you can see the inside of this historic medieval fortress that is now a hotel.  The last time I was there a movie crew was filming inside the parador courtyard.  A cool outdoor elevator behind the parador takes you down and out of the medieval part of town.  Turn right and you hit the bus stop that takes you back to San Sebastian, about 30 minutes. 

3.    Walk from Zauratz to Getaria

This is such a pretty walk.  Take the Topo train to Zauratz…it’s only about 40 minutes or so.  Walk around town a bit, have an ice cream or a café con leche, and then start walking out of town along the coast.  There is a sidewalk and stainless steal railing that goes about 6km to Getaria.  As you near Getaria you will see a monument to a Basque sailor Juan Sebastian Elcano, the first person to circumnavigate the world (google it if you are convinced it was Magellan).  Getaria is also a cute little medieval town with hidden corners to explore.  There are lots of places to eat around the church and by the waterfront.  You can take a bus back to SS, or just walk back to Zauratz like we did because it is such a nice walk…oh, check out how the local version of a pool…check out the tree trunk, and height these kids are jumping from. 

4.    St. Jean de Luz

Probably the best way to go to this cute town is to take a direct bus from SS to St. Jean de Luz.  An alternative way is to take the Topo train from SS to Hendaye (35 min), and then hop on a local French bus just in front of the train station.  I think they come every 40 min, but I don’t remember exactly.  It drops you off at the train station in San Jean de Luz.  Or you can take the Topo train from SS and hop on an even less frequent train to SJL…look up schedules online ahead of time for best use of time and mode of transport.  St. Jean de Luz was historically a really important whaling port, and also was a base for the famous French Corsairs who worked under the protection of the French crown.  The rest of the world thought of them as privateers or  pirates (think Johnny Depp).  They were meant to attack English and Spanish vessels and shared the spoils with the French crown.  It’s a bit touristic, but still charming, and I personally like it better than Biarritz (which has a bit more upscale feel).  We visited the church where Louis XIV married his double first cousin Maria Theresa of Spain (negotiated to create peace between France and Spain).