tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-335697852024-02-08T12:21:00.334-08:00Celebrating 25To celebrate 25 years of marriage, my wife and I have arranged to take European delivery of a new BMW 330. We are travelling with friends (also doing ED) and spending glorious time driving thru Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. The love of your life, a fine automobile, good friends, food and wine. A fitting celebration of life. We've created this blog for friends and family to follow along with us as we go.Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-2218153707646035412006-10-22T18:13:00.000-07:002006-10-12T18:24:07.544-07:00Goin' Home<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/going%20home-3.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/going%20home-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/going%20home-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/going%20home-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/going%20home-2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/going%20home-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Pictures:<br />1. LH434 - The torture rack<br />2. Happy Times<br />3. Happy Times<br /><br /><br /><strong>Munich to Chicago</strong><br /><br />Up bright and early for one last trip thru the Kings Hotel breakfast buffet and then its only a three block walk to the Lufthansa airport bus (one way direct 10 Euros). Despite the fact that this is a big, very modern, tour bus, the driver is shifting thru a 5-speed manual gearbox with a stubby little lever that would be right at home in an M3. For some reason this cracks us up. All the airports are paranoid these days and Munich is no exception. We go thru about 5 different security checks before we finally arrive at the gate. They are very subtle, each appearing to focus on a different aspect of our being with the last one accompanied by very intense questioning. It’s all OK by us.<br /><br />The ride home in the back of the plane is excruciating. We’re all in the same row and leg room is non-existent. Julie seems to have a bottomless supply of chocolate bars that she’s passing out. There can’t be much chocolate left in Bavaria! <br /><br />Not much to do now but fall back into your own thoughts and think about what we’ve just accomplished. Despite A&J’s late arrival, we were able to keep fairly well to our itinerary though we did run it in reverse. Falling in love with Verona on a 2nd day lunch stop, we had to ditch Cinque Terre. Also, we were never able to fit in Florence which would have been nice to see. We never failed to score decent, clean, economical hotels despite not having any reservations. The cell phone is a marvelous invention. This time I would not have left anything out, we enjoyed it all. Going back to Italy again, I would head right for Tuscany, find a suitable piazza with a comfy inn nearby and hangout. <br /><br />The cars were never a problem, despite having to leave them often in overnight car parks our out on the public road out of sight of whatever hotel we happened to be at. We took the precaution of never leaving anything in the cars overnight. Fuel cost were very high averaging about $8.00/gal in Italy. In retrospect we did not spend enough time on the secondary roads. Most of our travel between points of interest was on the high speed motorways. It was great rocketing along at 100+ mph but you don’t get to see much. Doing it again we would probably set the nav preference to ‘avoid motorways and tollroads’ and take it as it came. I think we’re all trying to figure a way to do this again. Money is a key deterrent as it is expensive. I made a mental promise to start playing the lottery a lot more.<br /><br />We arrived at O’Hare after 10.5 hours in the air to find absolute chaos. People were lying in the aisles and flights were being cancelled left and right, including ours. We said our goodbyes to A&J, promising to meet again soon. We then managed to score standby on the last flight to South Bend unaccompanied by our luggage which thankfully turned up the next day. We were home by midnight, dog tired, happy to be home, but deflated to realize that our grand adventure had come to an end. <br /><br />In a chocolate overdose haze on the flight, I would catnap and hallucinate that I would be driving the car has soon as we got home. The realization that I wouldn’t be seeing it for another 6 to 8 weeks was depressing. The wait begins.Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-71918733219269876362006-09-21T23:02:00.000-07:002006-10-10T18:17:19.029-07:00What goes up must come down - Munich<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-03.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-03.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-06.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-06.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-05.1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-05.1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-07.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-07.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-12.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-12.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-09.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-09.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-10.1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-10.1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-13.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-13.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Pictures:<br />1. Creeping down off the mountain from Castelrotto.<br />2. Finding my alter ego at the drop-off center.<br />3. The final tally, 1449 miles, 32 hours in the car and 26.4 mpg!<br />4. Ouch! It would appear that some folks don't get away as lucky.<br />5. One of my favorite street buskers. This guy was a fountain complete with water.<br />6. Don't you just love German food?<br />7. During Oktoberfest, many Deutchers wear traditional folk dress.<br />8. Ditto<br /><br /><strong>Munich</strong><br /><br />Leaving the thin, crisp mountain air of Castelrotto, we creep down the mountain and set sail for Munich, 167 miles and 2.5 hours away. Realizing that the final leg is upon us, the gloom begins to settle in. As we cross the border into Deutschland, we look for the classic ‘end of speed limit sign’. Unfortunately, each time we see it, we either encounter traffic or there is a temporary construction zone slow-down. With over 1,000 miles on the cars, we were looking forward to running flat-out but it serves as one more hint that the euphoria of our odyssey is coming to an end.<br /><br />We hit the outskirts of Munich and begin to work our way thru the labyrinth of a modern city. Here is where you appreciate the nav the most. Instead of streets running east-west and avenues running north-south as in the U.S., roads are coming at you from every conceivable direction. Like an old friend, the soothing voice of the nav, a lady you’ve lived with for the last week, gives you plenty of time to change lanes and you plan for turns well in advance. It’ll be great if she’s the same voice I’ll hear on the stateside version. We find the hotel straight-on and manage to secure parking in the rear.<br /><br />A&J are thrilled to find that Lufthansa has located and finally forwarded their luggage to the hotel, just in time for the return trip! Julie thrilled to find fresh familiar duds available decides to treat herself to a local salon while Andy, Marcia and I head for the drop-off center in Garching, about 15 miles away. I find it amusing as our highway speed drops slower and slower as if we're doing everything in our power to prolong the trip. At the drop off center we’re amazed to see quite a few ‘red tourist plates’, the give-away clue of a euro delivery car, where as in all our time on the road we never saw a one. Like a mantra I keep repeating in my head ‘don’t forget to remove Beewang's Nav DVD, also figure a way to remove the front license plate, and take the first-aid kit and the warning triangle from the trunk to keep for souveneirs. I needn’t have worried about the plate as Thomas the Shipping Center mgr, pops over with a power screwdriver and zips off the front tag and hands it too me with a look that implies that he can't believe I'd actually want to stuff the bug infested hunk of metal in my suitcase. I walk away looking back at the car that I won't see for another 6-8 weeks. A car that's carried us safely, comfortably, economically and at sometimes very high speeds, halfway around Europe. I feel somewhat ashamed to leave her here bug encrusted and filthy. <br /><br />There is a German lady in front of us who is shipping a Mercedes and then Andy begins the paperwork process. When it's our turn, I look at Marcia for our paperwork, she glares back at me with that ”don’t look at me” message that tells me we are in trouble. In all the ending hysteria, we’ve forgotten our export permit, insurance papers and power of attorney that will allow us to ship the car home. I can feel the sweat begin to drip from my brow. Thomas, a young German with cowboy boots and a haircut that looks like he belongs on a ranch in Montana, tells us not to worry, we aren’t the first dumb yanks he’s run across (my words not his). He shows us what we need to fax him when we get back to the hotel and then he'll fax back papers that we need to sign and return to him. With that he calls us a cab and we’re off to the hotel. <br /><br />On the trip back to town, our cabbie (a Juan Pablo Montoya lookalike) was amazed to hear about the Euro delivery plan and couldn’t believe the economics involved. This is BMW’s best kept secret. He also amuses us with tales of the Oktoberfest and the joy of picking up drunks. He has made an art form out of trying to identify who is going to barf in his cab before he lets them in. This is followed by the thrill of trying to convince them that they need to pay for the ride as well. We decide to skip the Oktoberfest and close the trip with a quiet dinner in the old town.<br /><br />The hotel staff is very helpful and the fax operation goes well. We head for town to enjoy our ‘last supper’. It’s odd but, instead of replaying the trip and revisiting the high points, we all seem to be lost in our own thoughts. The night passes quickly and following a stop at the famous Hofbrauhaus for souveniers, we turn in for the last time in those ultra comfortable down filled Euro beds. After a brandy nightcap that is!<br /><br />Munich Images:<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-15.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-15.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-14.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-14.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-11.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-11.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-08.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-08.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-01.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-01.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munic%20Pics-04.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munic%20Pics-04.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-24619107812087947272006-09-20T22:00:00.000-07:002006-10-02T18:33:04.313-07:00Up, Up and Away - Castelrotto<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-01.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-01.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-03.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-03.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-02.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-02.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-16.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-16.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-12.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-12.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-09.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-09.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-10.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-10.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-11.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-11.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-06.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-06.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-07.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-07.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-20.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-20.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Pictues:<br />1. The nav knows all - leaving San Gimi at first light<br />2. Trailing a Maserati Quatroporte at 95, we get passed by a train! We are truly wimps.<br />3. Heading north, 1137 miles in.<br />4. Castelrotto - geraniums everywhere!<br />5. High Country<br />6. Andy and Julie - guess who's turning green?<br />7. Up top.<br />8. Great alpine meadows.<br />9. Wandering the village.<br />10. Eye Candy everywhere.<br />11. A nightcap in a cozy little haven.<br /><br /><strong>Castelrotto</strong><br /><br />To all good things must come an end. Its time to start heading back north. Our new plan is to get as close to Munich as possible without spending mega time in the cars. I hone in on a little alpine village called Kastelruth or Castelrotto depending on your language preference. Its high up in the Dolomites region of Italy. This is an area that used to belong to Austria but was granted to Italy following World War I as part of the spoils of war. The residents still speak German and most signs in the area are in both Italian and German. Its like having bratwurst with your pasta.<br /><br />The drive north was uneventful with good weather all the way. Once we hit our turn-off from the Autostrada, the road climbed quickly up into the mountains. Lots of switchbacks and hold your breath moments on the blind turns of the narrow road. The occasional bus or truck coming down the mountain would cause a bit of heart stoppage when you met them unexpectedly on the turns.<br /><br />The hotel we chose was the Lupo zum Wulf, a squeakly clean little place with about 14 rooms, geraniums hanging from the windows and a mural on the walls. It was smack in the middle of the village and had private parking. We took the last two spaces and the last two rooms. Down the road a few miles was a zeitbahn (cable car) that went up to one of the alps of the region. The hotel owner told us to grab the #3 bus which would transport us free to the lift and back. Negotiating with the driver was another story. I thought he couldn’t understand my limited German and wouldn’t let us on the bus until we realized that he didn’t want Andy or I to get on his bus with a beer in hand. Once we got that squared away, off we went. As you can see from the photos, the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. We also discovered that Andy has a severe fear of heights. He spent the entire gondola ride staring at the floor!<br /><br />Down in the village for the night, we went on a schnitzel hunt and not only found passable schnitzel but the absolute worst wine we had on the entire trip. As has become our custom, a brandy nightcap in one of the inviting little hotels in town was on order before we turned in. In the morning its off to Munich.<br /><br /><strong>Castelrotto Images</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-13.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-13.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-15.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-15.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-05.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-05.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-08.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-08.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-04.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-04.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-17.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-17.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-18.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-18.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Castelrotto%20Pics-19.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Castelrotto%20Pics-19.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-2776450227430574622006-09-19T20:45:00.000-07:002006-09-25T21:05:27.178-07:00Under The Tuscan Sun<strong>San Gimignano</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-01.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-01.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-02.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-02.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-66.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-66.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-08.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-08.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-18.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-18.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-12.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-12.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-09.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-09.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-67.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-67.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Pictures:<br />1. Leaving Lake Como with regret<br />2. Getting our groove, 105 near Bologna<br />3. We establish our new Tuscan base in the Hotel Leon Blanco in San Gimignano<br />4. San Gimi a village of towers<br />5. More of San Gimi's towers<br />6. Doors and more doors<br />7. A crafstman restores centuries old artwork<br />8. At times, the nav takes you down unpredictable streets<br /><br /><strong>San Gimignano</strong><br />We established a base to explore the Tuscan Hill Towns in San Gimignano, an awesome medieval town with 14 of its historic towers still standing. In ancient times the towers were a symbol of wealth as well as a defense mechanism. The town has sold its soul to tourism but you can't deny its beauty and at this time of the year was relatively peaceful. This was a long drive from Como so we spent the rest of the day recovering in the sidewalk cafes of the piazza. Once you've had an Italian expresso, all is right in the world. We had a great evening dinner in a tiny local trattoria. The owner seemed proud as all get out when we requested a bottle of Brunello from nearby Montalcino. The wine was a boomer and practically climbed out of the glass to assault your nose with aroma. It was quite an experience!<br /><br />On Tuesday we decided to tour the surrounding hill towns of Siena, Cortona, Montepulciano, Pienza, Montalcino and Montereggioni. Our plan was to start early and make the big loop, ending back at San Gimignano in the evening. An agressive schedule as we were to later find out.<br /><br /><strong>Siena</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-20.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-20.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-22.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-22.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-21.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-21.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-25.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-25.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-27.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-27.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-29.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-29.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-28.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-28.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-36.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-36.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Pictures:<br />1. The scooter is king!<br />2. The only Airedale in all of Europe<br />3. Can't remember who this guy was<br />4. Another wine lover<br />5. Piazza il Campo - the heart of Siena. They actually have a horse race around this piazza twice a year.<br />6. The city hall tower (Torre del Mangia)<br />7. A wedding (or christening perhaps?) we stumbled upon<br />8. Inside the duomo, we found this Michelangelo<br /><br /><strong>Siena</strong><br />Our first stop was Siena, a lifelong rival to Florence. We spent about two hours here with a cappucino on the piazza and a tour of the duomo (cathedral) which was loaded with great art and sculptures. A walk back to the parking lot via the old town and we were soon on our way to Cortona.<br /><br /><strong>Cortona</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-45.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-45.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-46.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-46.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-47.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-47.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-48.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-48.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-49.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-49.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-50.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-50.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-55.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-55.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Pictures:<br />1. The City Hall (Palazzo della Comune) on the Piazza della Repubblica<br />2. Piazza della Repubblica<br />3. Piazza della Repubblica<br />4. Lunch overlooking the piazza<br />5. The best pasta I've ever had (center bottom)! Orecchiette al Fumo - 6 Euros!<br />6. The menu<br />7. Where's Marcia??<br /><br /><strong>Cortona</strong><br />Cortona blew any chance we had of staying on schedule. This was one of the highlites of our trip and we all fell in love with this sleepy little hillside town with awesome views of the Tuscan countryside. We had a fantastic lunch overlooking the piazza and we're all still talking about it. I've never had pasta like this in my life. I'm determined to find the recipe for this. There was a great leather goods store where the girls bought handmade purses and Andy bought a dynamite overnight bag in buttery leather. Cortona has been made famous recently by the Francis Mayes books and the subsequent movie 'Under the Tuscan Sun'. No one wanted to leave and the pictures just don't do it justice.<br /><br /><strong>Montepulciano</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-61.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-61.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-60.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-60.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-59.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-59.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Pictures:<br />1. On the Piazza Grande<br />2. View of the Tuscan countryside<br />3. Palazzo Comunale on the Piazza Grande<br /><br /><strong>Montepulciano</strong><br />We were late getting here after our euphoric visit to Cortona but just had to stop as a result of a fine Nobile de Montepulciano wine we had back in Como (thanks Keith, a spendid recommendation). The town has become famous as a result of its wines but it sure was a tough hike up the top of the mountain from the parking lot (they don't call them hill towns for nothing). A highlite was a classic opera singer who decided to practice just as we were walking down this cobblestone street by her window. The sound was eerily bouncing off the walls and was a joy to hear.<br /><br /><strong>Pienza</strong><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-63.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-63.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-64.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-64.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Pictures:<br />1. The narrow town lanes of Pienza<br />2. Dinner at the Ristorante dal Falco<br /><br /><strong>Pienza</strong><br />Pienza always had to be a must stop. My good friend Keith in England claimed to have the best meal of his life in a little restaurant called Latte di Luna. The restaurant is famous for its roast suckling pig and homemade ice cream. We arrived just after dark with everyone primed for a fantastic meal. As luck would have it, the restaurant was closed on the one night we managed to stop by. A quick walk thru town found us a great value meal at the Ristorante dal Falco. Our waitress was an absolute twin of the Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova complete with Russian accent which made it even more enjoyable for the guys.<br /><br />With time running late we could no longer afford Montalcino and Montereggioni and will have to save them for another visit. The drive back to San Gimi, roaring thru the switchbacks of the Tuscan countryside, the cypress trees silhouetted against the nighttime sky, with a million stars overhead and the cars truly in their element just begging to be pushed, was pure magic. This entire day will stay in my heart forever. I am in love with Tuscany. Tuscana, mio amore nuovo. <br /><br />Back in San Gimi around 11 PM left us just enough time for a brandy at the one outdoor cafe still open. We reflected on how fortunate we are to share this experience. Tomorrow we're off to the Dolomites and the Italian Alps as we try to get as close to Munich as possible. There is sorrow in the sense that our trip is coming to an end.Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-55544978869658251572006-09-19T16:00:00.000-07:002006-09-25T22:24:17.101-07:00Tuscan Images<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-39.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-39.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-38.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-38.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-44.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-44.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-40.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-40.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-43.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-43.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-33.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-33.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-32.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-32.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-35.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-35.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-30.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-30.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-31.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-31.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-14.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-14.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-15.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-15.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-11.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-11.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-16.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-16.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-23.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-23.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-10.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-10.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-06.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-06.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-03.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-03.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-04.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-04.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Tuscany%20Pics-07.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Tuscany%20Pics-07.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-47039802110237206502006-09-17T22:00:00.000-07:002006-09-24T16:06:07.153-07:00Lake Como - Heaven on Earth<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-01.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-01.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-02.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-02.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-04.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-04.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-05.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-05.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-10.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-10.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-11.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-11.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-14.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-14.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-21.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-21.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20PicsA-2.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20PicsA-2.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20PicsA-3.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20PicsA-3.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Pictures:<br />1. Leaving Verona – was that a left or a right at the alley?<br />2. Loafing at 80 per near Brescia<br />3. Lake Como, paradise on earth<br />4. The Villa Cipressi<br />5. Varenna’s tiny harbor and the Albergo Olivedo<br />6. Leaving Varenna for Bellagio<br />7. A lakeside lunch in Bellagio<br />8. A moonlight dinner at the Villa Cipressi<br />9. Breakfast on the terrace<br />10. Peeking out the hotel window<br />Heaven On Earth – Lake Como<br />My new favorite place in the world. Lake Como is filled with 19th century villas, lanterns in the moonlight, snowcapped mountains reaching for the sky, hanging wisteria and romantic little lakeside restaurants that are just perfect for a dreamy nightcap. With a desire to spend as much time out of the car as we were doing in, we set the navs for Varenna, a drive of 108 miles.<br /><br />Varenna, a small lakeside hamlet, made a great base to explore the Como area. Its got a tiny little harbor, a romantic lakeside promenade and is just a ferry ride away from Bellagio, one of the prettiest towns in Europe. Our first choice for a hotel, the Albergo Olivedo, was filled up a long time ago and we wound up in the Villa Cipressi, a sprawling, centuries old lakeside mansion set in huge terraced garden. It was a fantastic old place where we had dinner in the moonlight and breakfast on a roof top terrace with a great view of the lake. In the evening we walked back down to the harbor and the Olivedo for a fantastic nightcap and a visit with Laura, the owner who in the midst of serving us double cognacs, advised us that if we were looking for rooms in September, we should have reserved in May. We marked it down for a future visit.<br /><br />I should mention that the road to Varenna was not the nightmare that everyone writes about but parking certainly was. We wound up parking about a mile away from the hotel on the public road and worried all night about the safety of the cars. Thankfully it wasn’t a problem other than the long, healthy walk to the cars.<br /><br />During the day we took the ferry over to Bellagio where we kept on the lookout for George Clooney who is rumored to have a villa in the area. Failing to find George, the girls power shopped while the guys soaked up the atmosphere. Andy and Julie were ecstatic to learn that Lufthansa had located their luggage and agreed to send it on to Kings Hotel in Munic where they would pick it up in time to carry back on to the aircraft (giving LH another shot at losing it). Tomorrow—Tuscany.Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-44842745290319689932006-09-17T16:24:00.000-07:002006-09-24T16:35:19.280-07:00Lake Como Images<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-25.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-25.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20PicsA-4.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20PicsA-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20PicsA-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20PicsA-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20PicsA-5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20PicsA-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-24.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-24.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-22.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-22.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-18.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-18.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-19.0.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-19.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-20.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-20.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-23.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-23.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-15.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-15.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-13.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-13.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-18.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-18.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-16.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-16.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-08.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-08.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-09.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-09.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-07.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-07.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-06.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-06.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Como%20Pics-03.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Como%20Pics-03.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-1587828062921683942006-09-16T22:00:00.000-07:002006-09-23T15:49:12.764-07:00Out of Touch in Verona<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-01.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-01.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-04.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-04.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-05.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-05.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-14.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-14.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-13.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-13.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-09.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-09.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-10.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-10.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-15.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-15.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Pictures:<br />1. Leaving our Salzburg hotel<br />2. Andy and Julie - Photo op at a rest stop in the Dolomites<br />3. Even the Italian Police have taste - a 330ix with Sport Pkg<br />4. With no luggage in sight, A&J say 'who needs it' as they hit the stores<br />5. Marcia says wait for me...<br />6. Via Mazzini where all the action is<br />7. Roman Arena - 1st Century BC<br />8. Walking in the rain, Verona at night<br /><br />It was always going to be a stretch as we left Salzburg for the Chianti region of Italy. Around lunch time we got as far as Verona and felt it was so interesting that we decided to stay for a night. This is the joy of having a very loose itinerary. You can stop wherever and whenever you want.<br /><br />As we were driving to Verona, we hit some traffic on the autostrada and killing time I decided to play around with the Nav and the variety of auto setup info you have available (not something you want to be doing at 100 mph). I got to the bluetooth section and decided to see if I could synch with my cell phone. I reached for the carrier on my hip and had a cardiac moment. No cell phone! After 25 years of marriage, this is the part where you say 'I gave it to you' 'No you didn't, I would have remembered'. You bat accusations back and forth until you resign yourselves to the fact that its gone. Of course with not having any hotel reservations, this was a minor disaster. Andy also had a problem. Notifying Nextel (his carrier) to turn on International roaming so that is cell would work in Europe, he arrived only to find that his phone wouldn't work at all! Our solution was to walk into an Italian phone retailer and buy the cheapest throw away cell phones they had (2 phones - 49 Euros!) We loaded them up with 25 Euros worth of minutes and we were back in business. We started calling hotels and wound up in the Hotel Milano (us) and the Hotel Romeo & Guiletto (them). Both very nice hotels.<br /><br />Most inner-city Euro towns have closed all the streets for pedastrian use only. If you're driving, you can often get the hotels permission to drive down these streets that are often no wider than the car. This can be a real experience when pedestrians are also on the prowl. Usually the Nav would warn us when the address we were seeking was in a pedestrian zone.<br /><br />Throughout the day, a lot of young people were hanging out by the Roman arena. We could hear occasional screaming and a band working up. It turned out that Pearl Jam was in concert that very evening. We didn't get tickets but it was a very bizarre experience to hear American Rock pouring out of a 1st Century BC ampitheater as we sipped wine at a sidewalk cafe 10 meters away.<br /><br />That night we experience a torrential downpour. It didn't stop the Italians from doing the passegiata (stroll) which is evening sport for the locals as they stroll arm in arm up and down the streets. Of course we joined them and got soaked in the process. Later that night we had a fantastic meal in a tiny restaurant with only 4-5 tables. We had some caramari that was excellent and accompanied it with the finest Chianti Classico we could ever remember having. It was to remain a highlite of our trip.<br /><br />In the morning equipped with my new Italian phone, I called my US number to see who would answer only to find it ringing under the passenger seat of the car. I win.<br /><em></em>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-81128778602623592792006-09-16T16:42:00.000-07:002006-09-23T16:47:27.543-07:00Verona Images<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-11.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-11.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-12.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-12.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-03.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-03.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-08.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-08.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-07.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-07.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-06.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-06.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Verona%20Images-02.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Verona%20Images-02.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-75592875903574262102006-09-15T23:59:00.000-07:002006-09-23T11:40:53.513-07:00Salzburg and the Sound of Beer Glasses<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-1.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-4.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-5.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-3.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-7.1.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-7.1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-8.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-8.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Pictures:<br />1. Cruising at 90 on the autobahn, still easing into it.<br />2. St. Ruperts Fest - Pretzels in S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL!<br />3. Looking up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress<br />4. Andy - E46 Piloto at the Hotel Weisses Kreuz<br />5. How's a fat guy get out of his car? He folds up his mirrors.<br />6. Hangin' out with the politicos (glasses and balding, center rear...)<br />7. The magic of Salzburg at night.<br /><br />After a quick call to Lufthansa to check on A&J's luggage (still nowhere in sight) we set sail for Salzburg. Easing on to the Autobahn we were rolling along at 90 still a little squeamish and not at all tempted by the burgers flying by at 155 in their big Bimmers and Mercs.<br /><br />Despite the stormy weather, the sights of onion dome churches, nestled in the alpine meadows and mountains strenghtened the realization that we were no longer in the corn fields of Indiana.<br /><br />With the Nav providing faultless directions, we pulled into town only to get trapped in the middle of a parade in honor of St. Rupert, Salzburg's annual mini-Oktoberfest. With a tip of the hat to the cell phone god and Rick Steves, we quickly made reservations on the fly and got A&J installed in the Hotel Weisses Kreuz, a family run place on a cobbled back street under the fortress. We took a slot at the Hotel Weisse Taube, a comfy place a block off of Mozartplatz.<br /><br />We quickly clicked with hotel matron Andrea, who when I asked where I could park, produced a map and a magic marker and directed me to an underground lot 'just around the corner'. Once there, I had to make a 33-point turn to get backed into the space and then sucked in my breath to get out the door, folding in my mirrors to squeeze out of the slot. On the walk back, feeling 'manly' I got lost and found myself wandering the back streets of the old town. Thinking I could cut across town, Andrea neglected to tell me that I had to walk around the mountain to return. I finally slogged in soaking wet, to see the worried look on Marcia's face and the silly smirk on Andrea, that told me she enjoys doing this to all her visitors!<br /><br />With no sign of A&J's luggage, Julie decided we needed to find a <em><strong>mall</strong></em> (I know...)to stock up on clothing necessities. Somehow the Salzburgers managed to produce a mall and following a 15 minute wild cab ride (Disney's wild mouse ride had nothing on this guy in his VW minivan)we found ourselves in a genuine US style mall. Marcia and I (suffering from the mall hives) decided to sit down at a cafe and have a cappucino while we waited. We were quickly surrounded by passers by taking cell phone pictures of us. We thought my god, we really stick out as oddities here, when we realized that some politico who was running for chancellor or major domo of all Austria was doing a photo op next to us!<br /><br />Returning to town, we asked the cabbie where the best Wiener Schnitzel in Salzburg could be found. He dropped us off at a restaurant that didn't have anything resembling Schnitzel. We had a brandy and decided it was his brother-in-law's place. Walking back to the hotels through the majesty of Salzburg at nite was a joy. The thought of getting back behind the wheel tomorrow was tugging like a bow string.Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-87443858680826545212006-09-15T23:30:00.000-07:002006-09-23T14:20:34.310-07:00Salzburg Images<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg%20pics2-2.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg%20pics2-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg%20pics2-1.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg%20pics2-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-pics-7.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-pics-7.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-pics-6.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-pics-6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-pics-8.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-pics-8.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-pics-5.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-pics-5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-pics-3.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-pics-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-pics-4.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-pics-4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-pics-1.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-pics-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/salzburg-pics-2.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/salzburg-pics-2.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div></div>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-26726241522526662122006-09-15T23:00:00.000-07:002006-09-21T10:25:43.855-07:00Delivery!! The dream is realized.<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Delivery-1.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Delivery-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Delivery-2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Delivery-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Delivery-3.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Delivery-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Delivery-4.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Delivery-4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Delivery-6.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Delivery-6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Pictures:<br />1. Our 1st Euro Breakfast at the fantastic Kings Hotel Munich<br />2. The very unauspicious gate in the fence where paradise lay...<br />3. Marcia, Pia and M 6180Z - 3 beauties!!!<br />4. A & J's E46 Cabriolet - still a classicly beautiful bodystyle<br />5. Ready to hit the road.<br /><br /><div>Unable to contact A&J we walked around Munich all day and half the night. The town is filling up with folks headed for Octoberfest this weekend. We had a fantastic meal at an outside cafe in the old town accompanied by some great Augustiner weis bier served with a head like whipped cream. <br /><br />Up bright and early to a fantastic spread for brekkie and off to Freimann via the Ubahn, humping our luggage up and down the escalators and then a 15 minute ride by train. Somewhat strange that for a premium auto you hop off the train in little more than a field. You follow instructions that send you down a dirt path to a gate in a fence where you ring a bell and someone comes out to greet you. Inside you're treated like royalty while they process your paperwork. Champagne while you wait, assorted pastries, etc. Then the moment arrives, Pia our delivery specialist, comes up the stairs our passports in hand and, recognizing our photos, has a few papers for us to sign before we're escorted to the garage area where there she sits! A quick run through of the features (I didn't hear any of it), instructions to keep it under 4000 rpm for the first 1000 miles and then we're turned loose. <br /><br />A&J called us last evening to let us know they were on a flight from <strong><em>Charlotte </em></strong>and would meet us at the delivery center. It was torture waiting for them as the impulse to drive was severe. Finally about 11 am they rolled in to go through the same process we completed 2 hours earlier. The big moment arrives and we plug a local BMW dealer's location into the nav and head off to purchase vignettes (required for driving thru Austria and Switzerland, and safety vests which are required for you to wear in the event of an accident and you have to get out of the car on the motorway). About noon, errands run we are finally on our way to Salzburg.<br /></div>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-91254994811960869822006-09-14T23:00:00.000-07:002006-09-14T09:32:40.015-07:00Munich<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munich2-4.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munich2-4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munich2-3.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munich2-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munich2-2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munich2-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munich2-5.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munich2-5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/Munich2-1.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/Munich2-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Off to a rocky start, but we have arrived!!<br /><br />Despite a few months worth of planning, no one bothered to count on the weather. The incredibly bad weather in the Midwest on Tue and Wed through Chicago's flight schedule into disarray. Fortunately, although our flight was 3 hours late in leaving South Bend, we were able to just make our LH connection on time. Intending to meet A & J, we waited until the last minute before boarding the plane. We never saw them as they arrived late to O'Hare to learn that the plane had already departed. To make matters worse, they were then informed that all flights out of O’Hare that week were overbooked. No one wanted to take responsibility, Lufthansa pointing the finger at United and vice versa. They tried to reach Munich by way of Frankfurt, Paris, New York, all to no avail. As of this writing they are now sitting in Charlotte hoping to get out this evening.<br /><br />Our flight went as planned but I can’t say that it was enjoyable. The aircraft was a Airbus 330-300 and it was extremely uncomfortable for someone with my 6’5” height, at least the way Lufthansa has it configured. I got very little sleep and was a knot of cramps when we deplaned. The FREE WARSTEINER went a long way towards making the pain at least livable. We took the Lufthansa Airport bus (which was a joy after the plane, oodles of leg room), a 40 minute direct shot to the central train station which was 500 yards from our hotel. I have to say that Munich Airport was a joy. Ultra clean, clearly marked, lots of people movers and surprisingly, no one around. It was obviously built to handle a lot more people it currently experiences. Oh, the hotel is great (King’s Hotel).<br /><br />Because of Andy and Julies problems, we’ll now run our itinerary in reverse, so for tomorrow its pick up the car, meet Andy and Julie at the delivery center, and then off to Salzburg.<br /><br />Pictures:<br />1. Munich street scene at the Marianplatz, Munich's central square.</div><div>2. Alternative transportation - German style</div><div>3. Window shopping</div><div>4. Like most US big cities, Munich as a bevy of painted lions scattered about.</div><div>5. Free Warsteiner! No comment necessary!</div>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-11502421146115275912006-09-14T13:01:00.000-07:002006-09-23T13:09:20.243-07:00Munich Images<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich%20tbl-1.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich%20tbl-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-08.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-08.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-13.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-13.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-09.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-09.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-12.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-12.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-11.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-10.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-10.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-03.0.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-03.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-02.0.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-02.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-06.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-06.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-04.0.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-04.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-images2-1.1.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-images2-1.1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/munich-pics-01.0.jpg"><img style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/munich-pics-01.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-69402366914974366562006-09-12T11:34:00.000-07:002006-09-12T11:39:10.594-07:00All systems go…D -1OK, mail stopped, check. Papers stopped, check. Dog boarded, check. Daughter off to be a live-in sister with her very best friend. Driving routes all worked out. Navigation DVD arrived in the mail -- you would think that BMW would loan you a navigation disk for the time you’re in Europe but no. Thankfully there is a cottage industry of industrious Bimmer freaks who have the euro delivery process down to an art. Tons of advice, what to do, what to avoid as well as one very considerate bloke who services the ED community by renting Nav disks at a very affordable rate. At his price, he can’t be making any money on it and how he keeps them all current is beyond me – thanks Beewang! Isn’t the internet a wonderful thing!<br /><br />Next stop O’Hare, for a meetup with Andy and Julie who are flying in to join our adventure from somewhere in darkest Ohio.Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-29010799625654719692006-09-11T17:59:00.000-07:002006-09-11T18:05:53.772-07:00Time, time, time, slipping away from me...<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/PlanED-1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/PlanED-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The agony of days passing by so slow but each day brings us closer to liftoff. You strain with the task of trying to cram the most into 8 days. I’d be happy just to drive the car everyday but I’m sure that Marcia, Andy and Julie would like to see something while we’re there. And, we’re talking about great wine, fantastic food and the thrill of being abroad and experiencing the culture. We’ve changed the itinerary about as many times as I’ve changed the color of the car.<br /><br />We’ve finally settled on a nite in Munich to get rid of the jet lag, picking the cars up bright and early on Friday and then hitting the road for Italy. First up, Lake Como, the idyllic scenery of mountain lakes and villages. Followed by Cinque Terre, the tiny villages that you see hanging off the side of the Mediterranean cliffs that you see on the cover of every Italian photo book. Then three days in the Chianti area, lounging about, experiencing the wine, food and the surrounding hill towns of Tuscany. We’ll try to squeeze in Siena, San Gimignano, Montepulciano and as many as we have time for. Oh yeah and a day in Florence to relive Room With A View. With time up we’ll head north to Salzburg, stopping on the way in Maranello for some Ferrari souvenirs.<br /><br />Our last night will be in Munich to put a final cap on our adventures and toast the whole shemoggle with some fine German beer. If it all goes as planned, we should be logging some 1400 miles on the cars before we have to say goodbye.</div>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33569785.post-1156909288274094842006-08-29T20:29:00.000-07:002006-08-29T20:43:40.743-07:00Waiting, Planning, Waiting...<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/1600/DSCF0253.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7161/4097/200/DSCF0253.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Time is winding down for our departure to Munich. The big day is September 13 and we've spent the last few weeks mulling over itineraries and locking in the myriad of details involved with the car purchase.<br /><br />For those not familiar with Euro Delivery, BMW really has an excellent program and if you've got you're heart set on a BMW, what better way to experience the car than to drive it in the land and roads it was designed to deal with. Plus, the savings you negotiate help to cover the cost of your vacation. Also available to program participants, is a Lufthansa 2 for 1 deal where your spouse flies free in either coach or business class, depending on the size of your wallet.<br /><br />From time to time while you're waiting, BMW sends you little goodies...an alarm clock to remind you of your upcoming adventure, meal vouchers for use in the corporate cafe while you're waiting for your car to be delivered to you, and an assortment of information you'll need, from walking maps of Munich, to open/close hours of the distribution center and various drop-off points scattered in major European cities.</div><div><br />So for now we continue with the wait.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div>Indyrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14032528926512904471noreply@blogger.com0