More Europe Pics

I have finally gotten around to posting some of our pics from Europe. We took over 1100 pics and I've narrowed it down to about 130... so I thought that was good. Anyway, the link is here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/caviness.michael/Europe

July 18 - Home and lessons learned

Well, we did get home about 7:00pm. Had an absolute blast! We would recommend it to anyone... but we were very glad to be back!

Things we learned and discovered:
You can't get around Europe without a GPS.
It's nice to have a couple friends who do a European crash course.
Nude beaches aren't really attractive.
Dawn gets a little tipsy at 2 glasses of wine.
You really need to be able to get along with someone if you are going to be with them for 18 straight days. Luckily, we didn't have a problem with this.
The Euro kicked our tail!
Driving in Paris sucks!

July 17 - back to Germany

Left Paris and headed back to Germany for our trip back home. Took a very indirect route to Travis' place. Got to talk to him about our experiences and then he took us to the Snitzelhaus. Shnitzel is a fantastic pork dish. The place that Travis took us to served 12" diameter shnitzel! It was huge and it was good! Many thanks to Travis for taking us to our best two meals in Europe! Also, it should be said that I don't think we could have made it around Europe had it not been for Travis' crash course on European driving rules and etiquette. Very helpful!

From Travis' we headed back to Neustadt and stayed with Dawn's friend Viviana. We stayed up too long drinking and talking but we had a good time.

July 16 - More Paris

While most people would say that you can't see all of Paris in a couple days, especially by walking, we gave it our best effort. Today, we set off for the Arc de Triumph... we stopped to eat like three times on the way there. From there, we went back to the Eiffel Tower to try and go to the top. Again, the signs said the top floor were closed so I resigned myself to just go to the second stage. While standing in the huge line, just before we got to the ticket counter, the sign changed and they allowed us to go to the top! You have to walk about half the way up, but then take an elevator from there to the top. Incredible view! It was well worth the stairs.

Came down and was ready to tackle the Louvre... at least, we were going to see whatever we could within the hour and a half before it closed. Ran around inside and finally found the Mona Lisa... it's much smaller than I had pictured in my mind and it is very crowded there. We took a couple pics from a distance and then headed to other parts. We found the ancient artifacts to be the most fascinating. Seeing stuff from the ancient egyptians and pheonicians was pretty cool... I found Hammarrabi's code of ethics and that too me was the coolest. I'm weird like that though. Finished there and went and ate at one of the many cafes near the Louvre. Had the most expensive ham and cheese sandwich ever... they made it sound all fancy but really, that's what it was. Anyway, finished it off with a beer and wine!

videos to aiden and adia

July 15 - Paris

Finally made it to Paris. We're starting to feel like we're winding down our trip (and we miss Adia and Aiden). Anyway, Paris wins the award for the CRAZIEST driving in Europe. Seriously, would any road markings be too much to ask? There are no defined lanes and apparently motorcycles and bikes are allowed to do anything they want. I actually can't wait to run over a biker of some sort!

Paris is a beautiful city though. Today we got to see Notre Dame, Seine River, Pont Neuf (oldest bridge), and the Eiffel Tower. All were absolutely gorgeous! We decided to wait to go up the tower because there weren't letting people go all the way to the top tonight, so we'll do that tomorrow.

July 14 - Normandy

Headed to the beaches of Normandy. Me being the WWII history lover couldn't wait. On the way, we almost ran out of gas because we didn't realize it was a holiday and that most gas stations would be closed! We did a lot of praying from our little car and just barely made it to an open station. Spent most of the day at the American Cemetery that is located above the Omaha beachhead. The cemetery is located at the point where the Americans finally breached the German fortifications. We were there during low tide just like them that day and it was a LOT of open ground. Trying to imagine what kind of hell those guys went through... very touching. The museum that opened last year was great. Had a lot of interactive videos and stuff. Told a lot of personal stories of bravery and sacrifice. It had one section where survivors retold stories from that day... tough stuff to hear. We witnessed a veteran returning to Normandy and were unable to hold our tears back as he began to cry remembering. Walked around the cemetery, over 9000 graves are there. The Americans lost 3600 just on Omaha beach that one day. Just amazing to think about.

Later that day, we went and found our hotel in Arromanches. This small seaside town was the site of Gold beach and later was made into an artificial harbor by sinking some ships and constructing bridges. We walked around the town and had a lovely supper by the seashore. Since it was France's independence day, they had a fireworks show and some live music. Just a wonderful time. We didn't get to celebrate the American independence day but learning about the sacrifices of our forefathers and being able to witness France's independence day was a decent substitute.

July 13 - Travel day and Mont St. Michel

Woke up early because we knew we had a long day ahead of us. Today, we left Spain and drove most of the way across France to a small town called Saint James. After nine hours of driving we were pretty tired and Dawn was hoarse because she had been reading To Kill a Mockingbird out loud to entertain ourselves (beats french radio anyday!). When almost to the hotel, we caught a small glimpse of Mont Saint Michel and that was enough to recharge us. Found the hotel and then headed out. Just happened to drive by an American WWII cemetary... very somber and it really makes you think about the sacrifice these men made. Anyway, paid our respects and then went to the Mont.

The Mont is incredible as it rises out of the bay. You can see it from miles away but up close... wow! Walked around and then chose of the restaurants to have supper. I ordered something safe but Dawn on the other hand, wanted to try something from this area. She tried the soup of the day, called the Normandy soup... when it arrived, she realized it was a combination of cow intestines and cow tongue soup! The smell was exactly the same as a dairy farm... cow poop! It was almost bad enough that I lost my appetite. Luckily, her dessert was pretty good and covered up the poop breath smell! We made a fun video for Aiden and Adia. Hope to post when we have a better internet connection. Tomorrow, Normandy!

July 12 - Hecho all day

Woke up to find it threatening rain. Decided to eat breakfast and then try and make a go of an ancient Roman road that cuts across some of the mountains and ends at the Boca de Infierno (mouth of hell). Started out onto the trail and got about half way when the bottom fell out! It was worth it, because the view from the trail was breathtaking! After continuing and getting soaked we decided to head back to the car. Along the way, we found a spanish couple who were also soaked but lost. We showed them a way out of the trail and gave them a ride back to their campground. They were cruising around Spain on a motorcycle and this excited Michael a lot! They decided they needed to repay us and bought our food and drinks for lunch. Had a great time talking with them. Dawn got lots of practice with her spanish!

With the day rained out, we decided to head back to the hotel and made reservations for supper. Cleaned up and went to a gourmet meal prepared by the chef of the hotel... fantastic! Said our goodbyes and crawled into bed!

July 11 - Hecho and the Pyrenees

We said our goodbyes to Sam this morning and headed back north, across the interior of Spain. This area is really rocky and hilly, kind of like the Dakota badlands. As we drove, the Pyrenees came into our view and it was breathtaking! We stopped at various locations within the Sierra section and took pictures. Our pictures really don't do it any justice. Dawn is becoming quite the picture taker from a moving vehicle.

We drove to our remote village of Hecho, Spain and found our hotel which is extremely nice. We had lunch and then took a nap. We are in a valley between huge mountains!

July 10 - Sam and Madrid

The drive from Barcelona to Madrid was beautiful this morning. We arrived in Madrid around 2 this afternoon, and Sam took us to the city center. We had a great time just walking around and seeing all of the beautiful old buildings. We went to the Museo de Prado and saw lots of classic spanish artwork. The museum is open for free the last 2 hours of the day so we got to see this incredible famous artwork for free. We got to see the most beautiful post office in the world. We ate in a small sidewalk cafe and where I ate the traditional spanish food and Michael and Sam got pizza. Hey, even the pizza is good in Madrid! It is an incredible city! We had a great time just walking about and Madrid. Sam was an excellent tour guide! Tomorrow we are off to the Pyrenes mountains in northern Spain!

July 9 - Barcelona

Today, we left Cannes, France, and headed to Barcelona, Spain! We're so excited to finally be in Spain! We left early in the morning and hit what seemed like a thousand toll booths. When we got to Barcelona, we decided we wanted to take a cable car over the city and up to Montjuic. Unfortunately, we walked everywhere trying to find where to get on the thing. Ended up walking up most of the mountain when we ran into another couple and asked directions to the lift. They too were looking for the lift. They told us that the one lift wasn't working due to winds and we told them they weren't close to getting on the other one (we had covered that whole area). Instead, we decided just to finish walking up the mountain. Beautiful view of the city! We did walk down Las Ramblas, the main street and saw a lot of street performers and vendors. Crazy but cool.

We got tired of walking and decided to go find our place for the night. We were again scared that we had gotten a little too far off the beaten path. Drove through some remote regions and farmland... didn't expect to find a bed and breakfast out here and I thought the GPS had messed up. Luckily, we turned a corner and found a thriving little community. Found the B&B on the only street, and happened to run into the owner's daughter. We got to meet the family and they were great! Dawn and I had wine and crackers by moonlight! Gets no better than that!!!

July 8 - Cannes all day

We spent all day in Cannes today. We first awoke and went to the market. Food in Europe is crazy expensive! We decided that buying bread and fruit in the market was cheaper and can get us through the first two meals of the day, so we only eat out at supper.

Anyway, we took our goods down to the beach and had a brunch by the sea. Then Dawn picked out a spot on the beach, next to a TOPLESS sunbather!!!! Unfortunately, of all the topless people, she choose an 80 year old woman who was about as big as both of us combined. That's okay, we used her for shade. Adia, Aunt Dawn thought you'd think that was funny!
We played there for a while and then went back, freshened up and went for a tour of the city. Took a little train around and looked at the sites. Went out for supper and then went and sat on some rocks by the Mediterranean for a while and watched the sunset. All in all, a relaxed and much enjoyed rest day. Tomorrow, we're off to Spain!

July 7 - Monaco and Cannes, France

Today, we left Italy and headed to the French Riviera. Drove along the Mediterranean Coast for most of the trip and it was awesome! Stopped over in Monaco and picked out our yacht. See pictures for detail.
We had to be the poorest people in the entire country (which, it is it's own country). From there, we headed on to Cannes, France. Again, our hotel was a little off the beaten path. Walked to the beach... yes, there were topless people. Dawn didn't let me look! Also, we finally found a place with an internet connection and have been able to update the past three days. Take care all! We miss you Aiden and Adia!

July 6 - Lake Como Area

We woke the next morning to a breathtaking view of Lake Como and the terra cotta roofs scattered along the edge of the lake and up the steep mountains. We rested and "napped" the entire morning because of rain storms. In the afternoon it cleared and we were able to hop on a ferry in Menaggio (the town down the mountain from Plesio). We rode the ferry to some of the nearby villages around the lake and admired the beauty of it all. Today was our cheap day, we decided to have REAL italian food. So we ate canned ravioli in the car and then found a restaurant by the lake that served FROZEN pasta dishes. It was cheap and the view was incredible so we didn't care.

July 5

Today was a full day of breathtaking sites. We went into the town center to the market in Neustadt, Germany that was full of fresh fruits, vegtables and plants. Then we had lunch at the top of a mountain overlooking the vineyards of the area. After saying our goodbyes to Johen, Viviana, and Sabastian we left for Italy.






On the way to Italy we drove through Switzerland and stopped at Lucern which is located at the foot of the Swiss Alps. Incredible! We ate at a sidewalk cafe along the river. Then we continued on.















On the last half of the drive to Northern Italy we drove through a beautiful section of the Alps. Complete with waterfalls, picturesque little houses on the sides of the hills, and Bluegrass music!!!! Seriously we found a bluegrass/country station in the middle of the Swiss Alps! I am talking music from Rhonda Vincent and Ricky Skaggs! Michael was so overjoyed (he is suffering from bluegrass withdrawal) that he almost cried. Our goal for this trip was to go to places that are "off the beaten path." Well, as we drove up a road that appeared to just be a one way and met a lot of other cars (it was a two way street) our GPS went crazy and was no longer any help. At this point, we thought we may have gotten a little too far off the beaten path! Got lost a couple times and stopped to ask directions of an italian woman who may or may not have cussed Dawn out, we found our hotel. It was dark at the time so we couldn't appreciate what was to come the next morning.

Day 4 with Vivi in Neustadt

Today, we drove back from Munich to meet up with Dawn's good friend Viviana and her husband and child. We got here a little early and just walked around the town, eventually stopping in a coffee shop. This is a beautiful town. This is the Europe we came to see. Small town life. Viviana's husband's family owns a vineyard and so we got to meet with them and then just kind of hang out. Then later, the town was having a wine festival... unbelievable! We got to see true small town happenings. We have had a blast so far. The only troubling aspect so far as been trying to get used to not speaking the language. German is hard.




Wine from a donkey!!

A Day in Munich

Today we spent the entire day in Munich with Kari.  We walked all over the city and Michael and Kari got into all sorts of trouble (like old times).  For example, we walked into this beautiful old catholic cathedral and Michael and Carrie thought it was the best of ideas for us to get into the confessional.  I wish you could of heard michael's confession!  As you can see I laughed so hard I cried. Between the two of them I laughed pretty much the whole day. Other highlights from the day were eating fancy icecream at a sidewalk cafe, watching surfers surf on river rapids (we have video), and eating supper at the Hofbräuhaus.  

Day 2

We arrived! Doesn't feel real to be in Europe. Germany is so pretty! The car is great... and I think I may marry my Garmin GPS (that we rented) unit if something happens to Dawn. Greatest thing ever! We've got a Nissan car... not sure the model. We'll post pics later today. Anyway, just letting everyone know that we got here safe.

We met up with Travis. He has a great place here in Landstuhl. He took us out to see a couple different castles and we were going to eat supper at one but a storm came up and he decided to take us to a rib place. It was the most awesome ribs ever! Of course, we ate way too much meat. Great stuff though. Today, we're going to head off to Munich to see Kari Jones. We may stop off at a concentration camp.

Airport

Well, we made it to the airport in Charlotte despite a traffic jam and Ashley's bad advice!!! We were able to witness a husband and wife fight on the bus over from the parking lot(hopefully, we don't end up like that). As you can see, we are still smiling. We're about to board the plane and then we'll be in the air for 8 and a half hours. We'll try and make updates whenever we have internet service. We love you Aiden and Adia!

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