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The people you meet while backpacking

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I recently reviewed the photos from my 1991 backpacking trip through Europe. It was the same kind of extended post-university trip that new graduates have been doing for decades.

Downtown Trier, Germany (June 2, 1991)

While I have posted about a portion of this trip before, I was struck by some of the people in the pictures and how clearly I remembered them nearly 30 years later. And not just their names…although I will refrain from using their names here. Since personal connections are an important part of travel too, I thought I’d talk about some of the events that I shared with people I have never seen (or heard from) since.

The Roman Amphitheatre (circa 100 A.D.) in Trier, Germany (June 2, 1991)

Virtually every night was spent in a youth hostel, so it was natural that I would meet others doing the same thing. My first hostel night was in Trier, Germany, where a nice young German couple joined me for dinner and gave me some tips on the sights in the area. This set the stage for some memorable experiences later in the trip.

Benny, my uncle’s Dachshund – Riehen, Switzerland (June 3, 1991)

By the time I got to Zug, Switzerland, I was getting good at the whole hostel thing. There, I met a couple from Vancouver, as well as a teacher from Australia, and we decided to hike together the next day. We walked on the newly established “Swiss Path” around the Vierwaldstättersee: we saw where Switzerland was born exactly 700 years before (see photo at the very top of this post).

Leading the cattle through downtown Zuoz, Switzerland (June 11, 1991)

But the defining moment with my new friends was eating in an Italian place in Zug. It wasn’t a traditional restaurant, it was more of a club for the local Italian community. Anyway, the menu was mostly in Italian with a few (all too brief) German translations. I couldn’t quite figure out one of the pasta dishes, but my friends told me they thought the main ingredient was wild mushrooms. Well, it was a wonderfully spicy tomato sauce, and the “mushrooms” sure were chewier than any mushrooms I’d had before. About halfway through, after some worried whispering between the couple, I was told “Sorry, I think those are clams”. Still, I guess that’s how you overcome unfamiliar food: don’t find out what it is until it’s too late!

View above St. Moritz, Switzerland (June 11, 1991)

Another interesting adventure was in Zell am See, Austria. After getting off the train from Innsbruck, I dutifully headed to the local hostel. Imagine my surprise when nothing remained except a charred pile of bricks: it had burned down a few days before. Now I was in a bit of pickle! However, a group of 5 Swedes arrived at that very moment. They were on the very same train, and wanted to stay at the very same non-existent hostel. We decided to tackle our problem together.

Swedish picnic at Areitalm, above Zell am See, Austria (June 16, 1991)

We managed to find a place that would rent a “suite” to the three Swedish young ladies, and another “suite” to me and the two Swedish young men (who both had the same first name). They were all active people, so I joined them the next day for tennis and a picnic on the mountainside above town. It was fun being Swedish for a day, and foreshadowed other positive Swedish experiences in the future. When I finally made it to Sweden 21 years later, I found the vibe very comfortable. Stockholm was one of those places where I said “I think I could live here”.

On the Kohlmarkt in Vienna, Austria (June 20, 1991)

I eventually made it to Vienna, where I met a backpacker from Vancouver with energy to spare. We decided to tackle Vienna together: dinner at a very famous Schnitzelhaus, and then we managed to get cheap standing room tickets for a performance at Vienna’s State Opera House (Wiener Staatsoper). For those keeping track, the opera was “Elektra”, by Richard Strauss. This was the kind of unique experience that you might not try on your own, but seems much easier when you’ve got company. I made it back to Vienna, albeit briefly, in 2014.

Street market on Rakoczi Blvd. in Budapest, Hungary (June 24, 1991)

Meeting other people on the road can really enhance a trip. We’ll never forget the personal connection we had many years later in Estonia! It takes more work if you’re not staying in hostels, but it’s worth the effort.

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Germany – always incidental?

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

I’ve recently posted quite a few blog entries about my 1999 trip to Bavaria and Bohemia. While most of the that trip was spent in the Czech Republic, it started and ended in Germany (today’s photos are primarily from Würzburg, our last stop before flying home from Frankfurt).

Würzburg, Germany: Haus zum Falken and Marienkapelle (1999)

This seems to be a common theme in my travel history. I’ve been to Germany six times, and changed planes there on a further five occasions. However, it had always been on the way to somewhere else. Three of those visits were with my family, when we were traveling between relatives in Switzerland and relatives in the Netherlands.

Würzburg, Germany: across the River Main (1999)

On my extended 1991 backpacking trip, I flew in and out of the Netherlands. I made it to Budapest (Hungary) and back, passing through Germany on both legs of the trip. However, it wasn’t the focus of my trip: I only spent a handful of nights there. It was even more fleeting in my 2014 travel odyssey: I walked into Germany from Luxembourg, but I was probably never more than a mile inside the country.

Würzburg, Germany: the Residenz (built in 1720, photo from 1999)

So, other than two nights in each of Erlangen and Trier in 1991, one night in Bad Honnef, and two nights in each of Würzburg and Munich in 1999, I haven’t had too much to report about this large country in the heart of Europe.

Würzburg, Germany: Flower and sausage vendors in the Marktplatz (1999)

In a fine example of synchronicity, I picked up a library book this weekend that I had reserved some time ago. It was about road trips in the German-speaking countries, and I signed it out to see what it said about driving in Switzerland. But when I started reading other parts of the book, I realized that there was a lot about Germany that I had never seen…and that I wanted to see.

Würzburg, Germany: a very old (from 1319!) restaurant

In particular, the extreme north and south parts of the former East Germany (DDR) are piquing my curiosity. I had never really thought about them as destinations, and they tend to be ignored by North American travel resources. But if I ever travel to Europe in the warmer times of the year again, I’m going to have to give serious consideration to one or both of those regions.

Plzeň, Czech Republic. We saw this hitchhiker on one of the platforms at the railway station (1999).

From visiting the location of the legendary East German beach movie Heißer Sommer, to exploring the natural wonders of “Saxon Switzerland” (Sächsische Schweiz), to museums documenting the oppressive East German Stasi (secret police), this could be a really unique trip. It just goes to show: even if you’ve been to a country many times, there is always something else waiting to be discovered.

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Travel Flashback: Bavaria and Bohemia 1999 (Part 4)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Today’s post takes us off to two off-the-beaten-path destinations in the Czech Republic. Our first adventure was a day trip to the town of Mělník, located 33 km north of Prague.

Náměstí Míru, Mělník – the main square

We took a very local bus from Prague and were dropped off in Mělník’s main square. Our main destination for the day was the town’s castle, which is also home to one of Europe’s most northerly wineries. You can see the castle in the photo at the very top of this post: the vineyards are on the terraced slopes below. We had a very enjoyable tour and tasting session at the winery, and emerged ready for some hearty Czech food.

Finding my way around Mělník – we’re going to the Zámek!

There didn’t seem to be a lot of dining options in the historic centre of the town, so we settled on the Hospoda u Beníšků (see photo below). This was no tourist trap: it was clearly a local restaurant. It was so dark inside that none of my photos turned out…but I do not think the decor had changed since the early days of Communism. Unlike every restaurant in Prague, there was a unilingual menu. No problem: I knew the basics like brambory (potatoes), knedlíky (dumplings) and palačinky (crepes)…what could possible go wrong?

Outside the Hospoda u Beníšků, in Mělník

Alas, even after a week in the Czech Republic, we saw absolutely no familiar words on the one-page menu. Attempting to get an explanation in German didn’t help. Somebody’s friend apparently spoke some “French”, but we didn’t recognize a word of whatever language she actually spoke. So, we ordered blind: pointing confidently to items in the middle of the menu, we prayed that we hadn’t selected anything too dodgy. For me, at least, it turned out okay: gravy, non-specific meat, a greenish selection of vegetables.

The long hike to Hrubá Skála

Our unusual day continued with a trip to the ossuary. Here, the bones of 15,000 people had been artfully arranged into various sculptures and displays. At one point, thousands of bones spell out the words Ecce Mors, which I believe is Latin for “Look, Death!” (You can’t make this stuff up!)

Finally – we make it to (slightly above) Hrubá Skála!

We returned to Prague for dinner, and two days later left for our second “off-the-beaten path” destination: Hrubá Skála. The “village” of Hrubá Skála (which is little more than a large castle) is situated near the top of a small mountain ridge in the Český ráj (“Czech Paradise”). It is a national park with extensive and often bizarre sandstone formations. Our hotel was located in the castle…it promised to be a unique adventure.

Hrubá Skála – Hotel Zámek

But getting to Hrubá Skála took quite a bit of effort. We tried to take a train to a nearby town called Turnov, but there was some kind of accident or washout (we didn’t want to know too many details). So, somewhere around Mladá Boleslav, we had to get off the train and take a bus for a while. Then, in Turnov, we had to catch another train to Hrubá Skála. The detour had cost us some time, so we were quite keen to arrive at our destination. Alas, Hrubá Skála (the train station) is a few kilometers from Hrubá Skála (the actual place). After a long walk, and then a steep hike through the woods, we finally arrived at our impressively rustic castle.

Main entrance to Hotel Zámek – Hrubá Skála

Sadly, the overcast skies and the disappearing daylight conspired against me in those pre-digital days of photography. I don’t have any impressive, or even half-impressive, photos of our hikes through the forest and the sandstone. But still – we stayed (and ate our meals) in a castle! And with it being late October, there were very few other people in the castle.

The pool was about to close for the winter (Hotel Zámek – Hrubá Skála)

After leaving the castle, we began to make our way to Frankfurt, Germany, and our flight back to Canada. You can expect to see some pictures from the final portion of the trip soon!

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Travel Flashback: Skiing in Wengen (Switzerland) 2005

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

While tentatively musing about post-pandemic travel, I came across some photos from a highly enjoyable 2005 ski trip to Wengen, Switzerland. I’ve posted photos from other trips to the Wengen area (here’s a post featuring 1999-2002 photos; and here’s the start of a series of posts from a 2018 trip), but the 2005 trip was a special one.

The “James Bond 007” restaurant and cable car station at the top of the Schilthorn, high above the village of Mürren.

The linked resorts of Grindelwald, Wengen, and Mürren form a large and spectacular ski area in the shadow of three famous peaks: the Eiger, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau: these appear in the “cover” photo at the top of this post. As a base, I find Grindelwald a little busy: in addition to being the end of the railway line, you can actually drive to the resort…so there is a lot of car traffic. But both Wengen and Mürren are car-free: you can only get there by mountain train (for Wengen) or by a combination of lifts and trains (for Mürren). Both sit on impossibly remote alpine ledges, and there is no tourism sprawl.

Part of our group at the top of the Schilthorn (not sure why I opted for a headband)

As with all of my Swiss winter trips between 1992 and 2012, I was in Wengen for a ski camp organized by the Youth Division of the Auslandschweizer–Organisation (ASO – or “Organization of the Swiss Abroad”). 40 of us from around the world took over a youth hostel and spent a huge amount of time skiing and (in the evenings) participating in other Swiss activities.

The Birg cable car station, as seen from the Schilthorn

This trip was notable for two main reasons. Firstly, it marked my recovery from a complex concussion suffered the previous summer during a soccer game. I had to skip that hockey season and was only cleared for strenuous sports shortly before the trip. Being able to do “normal things” again (shades of the current pandemic situation!) was a long-awaited and very much appreciated development.

Wengen, seen from the cablecar on the way to Männlichen. Skating rink (and adjacent curling hall) at top left.

Secondly, our group leader Simon W. introduced us to the joys of off-piste skiing. Simon expertly assessed our capabilities, found us some amazing skiing, and taught us how to enjoy the “steep and deep” without unduly endangering ourselves. Not only did it make for an unforgettable 2005 experience, it prepared us for similar adventures in the future. One of my 2018 posts describes how some of us met Simon W. again in Wengen.

Our off-piste group “somewhere above Wengen”. Our guide at front right, in yellow jacket.

Many of the pictures in today’s post are from those off-piste adventures. I remember the first time I truly found the proper rhythm of skiing in very deep snow. It was both exhausting and exhilarating. Bouncing in and out of the powder was so much fun that a photo from that very run remains my Facebook avatar to this day.

I’m so glad there’s a picture of me enjoying one of my favourite ski runs ever! This is off-piste on the lower slopes of the mighty Eiger, which rises up to 3,967 metres (13,015 feet) right behind me.

However, one of my fondest memories was off the slopes. My very first time on skates for at least 6 months (since before the soccer injury) was on a snowy evening on an outdoor rink in Wengen. Even though I had to borrow skates and a hockey stick, I felt like a little kid again…giddy about being able to skate and stickhandle once again with no real rules or restrictions.

More off-piste adventures above Wengen

That evening on the ice, with dramatic mountains towering above me in every direction, made a profound impression on me. It was so memorable that it became the subject of an essay I submitted to the organizers of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Torch Relay. You can imagine my joy at being selected to run a portion of that Olympic Torch Relay in December 2009 (here’s a link to my post about that special day).

Stretching before a long day of skiing: Männlichen (above Wengen)

Alas, one of the conditions of the Olympic Torch Relay was that I had to more or less relinquish the rights to my essay. So I can’t share the actual essay with you, but I think you get the basic idea.

More “sick” off-piste terrain above Wengen

I’ve also included some group photos. I’m still in touch with many of the other participants, with several of us still organizing an annual ski trip together even though we are technically no longer “young Swiss Abroad”. We won’t be able to do that this winter, but I’m sure we will in early 2022. I’m already thinking about where I would like to go!

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The light at the end of the tunnel?

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

That may seem like a strange thing to say in a travel blog, as my part of the world enters another extended pandemic lockdown. But even if the quantities are extremely limited so far, the arrival of the first vaccines certainly fills me with some hope. Enough hope that I actually signed out some travel-related books during a recent trip to the library.

Our curanto in Puerto Varas!

My first travel book? A guide to the Netherlands! We really enjoyed our 2014 trip, and we’d like to explore some different corners of the country the next time. As for *when* that might happen, it’s far too early to say. But after not reading a travel book for almost a year, I think it’s significant that I actually picked one up this month.

Waiting for the boat at Puerto Frias, Argentina

In fact, I also checked out a website for the small-group tour company I used for my Latin American trips in 2014, 2014 (again!) and 2016. It’s still far too early to think about when something like that might happen…but the fact that I looked is encouraging.

The German Shepherd “sat” on the bench with his owner for at least 15 minutes (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

As I begin to consider the possibility of travelling again, my next step will be refreshing my memory on the details of some of my recent trips. While broad impressions always stay with me, some of the finer details can get lost in the shuffle. Once again, this blog makes that task pretty easy. I’m looking forward to rediscovering some of those experiences. Today’s post contains some favourite photos from Chile (the one at the very top is Volcán Osorno, taken from Puerto Varas) and Argentina!

Another picture of El Ateneo bookstore (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

I’m also about to embark on some language training. It may not be strictly essential, but it definitely makes great travel experiences easier to have. This time, I won’t be relying on free apps to learn! I’m a little apprehensive about being in a language classroom again, after more then 30 years, but it might provide the structure necessary to truly progress.

One of our friends prepares to dig in (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

In the meantime, there may be some very dark months ahead. Quite apart from the serious health crisis we are facing, there will be a lot of “everyday” personal disappointments for all of us. For example, although it was only going to be for three nights, I still had to cancel our planned winter getaway due to the latest lockdown. I’m going to do my best to keep looking forward, knowing this current state of affairs won’t last forever.

The main “street” of Recoleta Cemetery (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Stay tuned – in addition to some general travel stuff, I’ll be sharing some previously unpublished photos and stories from my 1999 adventures in Bavaria and Bohemia!

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Travel Flashback: Bavaria and Bohemia 1999 (Part 3)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Prague is one of Europe’s most magnificent cities. And in the 1990s, it was still one of the cheapest. So, looking back from 2020, I still can’t believe how we found our accommodation.

We arrived by train in the middle of the day. A former colleague had given me the name and phone number of a good local hotel. We walked off the train, and paused to organize ourselves. We must have looked like tourists, because a 40-ish fellow eventually walked up to us and casually asked if we needed a place to stay.

Not our landlord (actually, the guards from Prague Castle)

To this day, I don’t know why we agreed. I guess it was just a gut feeling that we could trust him. I mean, this guy could have taken us anywhere…and we could have been in very serious trouble. I don’t remember the price…maybe the equivalent of $10.00/night. Anyway, we went.

On the Charles Bridge, with Prague Castle in the background

He owned a sprawling old apartment on a street called Sokolovská (near the “Florenc” metro station). It had really high ceilings, and it had been chopped up into a sort of Bed & Breakfast, without the “Breakfast”. The elevator was microscopic. The room layout was unusual, to say the least, but we each had our own space and we could walk downtown. Was it legal? No idea. But it worked out well in the end, and much better than a similar prior experience in Budapest.

Me, with laundry, by our Sokolovská Street accommodation (Prague, Czech Republic)

Nothing can really prepare you for your first glimpse of the Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) in Prague. It is huge. And the buildings are on a scale that dwarfs similar main squares in other Czech cities and towns. But it’s even more spectacular if you arrive at night, from the southeast, without looking up too much. We looked back and saw the absolutely stunning cathedral. In Czech, it’s called Chrám Matky Boží před Týnem (“Church of Our Lady before Týn”). My 1999 photos didn’t turn out very well, but my 2014 photos of the same location come close to capturing how impressive it was. Except that I was right under the church when I first saw it, and the light rain made it look even darker and more ominous.

A less dramatic daytime view of Staroměstské náměstí in Prague, without the huge church

I could fill pages and pages with descriptions of Prague’s cultural and architectural sights. But one of the most memorable things was watching a hockey game between archrivals Slavia and Sparta. These were the top two teams in Prague (and the Czech Republic), but we managed to get standing room tickets on the day of the game.

The Charles Bridge (with Prague Castle behind and to the left), Prague. Czech Republic

Hockey in Europe can be scary. Not the game itself, usually, but the ferocious rivalries and the aggression that plays out in the crowd. When you don’t speak the language, and everybody starts chanting and saluting in an “authoritarian” manner, you just hope that you remain unnoticed. It was all very different from when I played hockey there in 2014. I wonder if any of the players I played against in 2014 (some of whom played for the national team at one time or another) were playing in the game I watched in 1999.

October 15, 1999: Slavia beats Sparta 3-1. Former NHL player Vladimír Růžička was playing for Slavia.

Stay tuned for more Czech adventures!

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Back on the K&P Trail…AND A WINTER TRAVEL PLAN!

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(Cole Lake, Ontario, Canada)

As the leaves have suddenly become very colourful, we decided to resume our ongoing hike of the K&P Trail between Kingston and Sharbot Lake. Today’s segment started at the (former) village of Cole Lake, which is just north of Godfrey.

One of the roads that crosses the K&P Trail north of Cole Lake

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about the trail (here’s one from 2016, and here’s one from 2014), which follows a rail line that used to run between Kingston and Renfrew. As we complete more of it, we have to drive farther and farther to hike a section that we haven’t done before. Even though the skies were overcast today, I brought my camera to capture the fall colours….if not the blue skies. While we encountered a handful of people on the trail, it was *very* quiet. Almost too quiet: more than once, we were startled by a sudden noise.

View from the K&P Trail, north of Cole Lake

After walking the trail, we took an indirect route home. We passed through Bellrock, where I found a couple of very imposing swans beside the historic Bellrock mill. We also passed through places such as Chippewa (which I had somehow never seen before), Enterprise, Moscow, and Yarker.

K&P Trail near Cole Lake

In these COVID-19 times, travel plans remain almost impossible to execute. However, I recently made arrangements to rent a winterized cottage near Haliburton, Ontario, for a few days this winter We’ve never done that kind of a holiday before: my winter travel usually consists of a ski trip or a big city cultural (usually food!) getaway.

Heading north on the K&P Trail

Renting a cottage within a resort is kind of the ultimate COVID-19 holiday. Help is never far away, if needed, but you also don’t have to worry about crowded indoor spaces. And we are not limited to the cottage: there is a host of outdoor activities both onsite and within a short drive of the resort.

View from the K&P Trail, north of Cole Lake

The big adventure is going to be a half-day of dogsledding! But we also hope to skate on the lake outside the cottage, cross-country ski at the trails across the road, and do some snowshoeing in the Haliburton Highlands…outdoor winter activities that pose a very low health risk even if no COVID-19 vaccine is yet available. There’s even a small downhill skiing area nearby, but I think I’ll focus on other activities for this particular trip.

One of the swans at the Bellrock Mill (Bellrock, Ontario)

In the meantime, we will continue to “train” for our upcoming holiday by regular extended walks in the local area. By the way, Tom the Wild Turkey is *still* living a couple of blocks away: I hope he made it past Thanksgiving without any close calls.

Another swan at the Bellrock Mill (Bellrock, Ontario)

Even when we walk locally, we can still talk about prior trips. I may eventually post some of those ruminations on this blog. Our walks are also a time to think about what will be important when we are able to travel again in the future. So much has changed since 2014, when I started this blog. Not just politically, but also in our motivations for travel. I also hope certain over-touristed places will emerge with a more sustainable model for future travel.

Entering Moscow from the north (Moscow, Ontario)

Hoping to read about Prague? I will return to my 1999 Bavaria and Bohemia trip in my next post!

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Travel Flashback: Bavaria and Bohemia 1999 (Part 2)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

In 1999, Klatovy was not the most obvious choice for our first destination in the Czech Republic. Even now, with a population of just 22,000, not too many people have it on their travel radar. But I thought it might make a gentle introduction, as it was not very far from the German border. It wasn’t just close to Germany…it is also known as Klattau, and many of the surnames in the area are clearly German in origin (our inn was run by the Hauptmann family).

The Municipal Building in Klatovy, Czech Republic

I took a LOT of pictures of Klatovy’s main square (náměstí Míru), because it was just so photogenic. One of those appears at the very top of this post. But we enjoyed other aspects of the town too. Klatovy was where we first enjoyed Knedlíky (boiled dumplings), and also hosted the first store in which I saw Ukrainian champagne. After a couple of days here, we were ready to move deeper into the Czech Republic.

Katedrála svatého Bartoloměje, in Plzeň, Czech Republic. Note tourists on the deck above the clock. That’s where I took my photos

Our next destination was Plzeň, a considerably larger city on the way to Prague. LIke Klatovy, Plzeň also has a German name (Pilsen)…after which Pilsener beer was named. The highly respected Pilsner Urquell beer is from here. Alas, our accommodation in Plzeň (a cross between a hostel and a budget hotel) won a different kind of recognition from us: due to the openly hostile service and lack of cleaning, we declared it the inaugural winner of the Anti-Tourist Awards (a shortened form of the actual name!). It really was a letdown after our fine accommodations in Klatovy,

Climbing the Katedrála svatého Bartoloměje in Plzeň, Czech Republic.

Many of my photographs in Plzeň were taken from the top of Katedrála svatého Bartoloměje (St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral), located in the absolute centre of the city. As you can see from the photo above, it required a steep and narrow ascent with very low ceilings. It was worth it in the end, however, as the 46 m high tower afforded some great views.

View from the top of Katedrála svatého Bartoloměje, in Plzeň, Czech Republic.

Although parts of Plzeň were a little rough around the edges back then, we still found some cool places to visit. I stumbled across the hockey arena, which foreshadowed a subsequent part of our trip, and my friend found a spectacular wine shop. Although it has a fine history of beermaking, the Czech Republic also takes winemaking very seriously. Once again, this foreshadowed something we would return to later.

Another vertiginous view from the top of Katedrála svatého Bartoloměje, in Plzeň, Czech Republic

We also found a very ornate synagogue, which turned out to be the second largest one in Europe. It had been restored only in 1998, after being closed in 1973. The Plzeň Jewish community had numbered about 2,000 when the synagogue was completed in 1892, but now numbers only about 70. Part of the synagogue is once again used for worship.

Velká synagoga (Great Synagogue) in Plzeň, Czech Republic…it’s the second largest in Europe.

After Plzeň, we were ready for our biggest challenge yet: Prague, the legendary capital of both Bohemia and the Czech Republic. Would it live up to its advance billing? Stay tuned!

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Travel Flashback: Bavaria and Bohemia 1999 (Part 1)

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Yesterday, I discovered a long-lost treasure: a photo album I assembled right after returning from my October 1999 trip to Bavaria (Germany) and Bohemia (Czech Republic). I’ve decided to prepare a few “Travel Flashback” posts for this special trip from a very different time.

Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) on the Marienplatz in Munich, Germany

I wasn’t alone: my friend Trevor was willing to join me on this exciting adventure. As flights to and from Germany were considerably cheaper than flying direct to Prague, we decided to fly into Munich…and back home from Frankfurt. In between, the focus of the trip would be the newly independent Czech Republic. This would be my first sustained trip behind the former Iron Curtain: other than 3 days in Hungary in 1991 (and a couple of hours in Yugoslavia on that same 1991 trip), Eastern Europe was still largely unknown to me.

Munich’s Olympiastadion, as seen from Olympiapark (there’s a soccer game between Germany and Turkey in the stadium)

To begin, however, we had a couple of days in Germany to acclimatize ourselves. In retrospect, this was a great idea: when stepping outside of your comfort zone, it’s a good idea to take baby steps at the beginning. I could survive in the German language, and I had been in Germany many times before. It seems strange to talk about culture shock in the Czech Republic now (here’s a link to the start of my posts from a 2014 trip), but back then it was still emerging as a travel destination and few of my friends and family had been there.

Neuhauserstrasse (Munich, Germany)

Alas, our brief stay in Munich was plagued by fairly grim weather. The old city is beautiful, as you would expect, and not even the wet/overcast weather could obscure that. You’d think that October would be a great time to visit, given that Munich is the home of Oktoberfest. Well, Oktoberfest actually ended the week before we arrived. The various pavilions (and they are indeed massive) were still there, but they were empty and abandoned. On the plus side, this explains why the accommodation costs were quite low and the various other attractions in the city were not very busy.

The Paulaner pavilion, on the Oktoberfest grounds in Munich, Germany

In addition to the medieval city centre and the Oktoberfest site at Theresienwiese, we saw the impressive Deutsches Museum, the Olympiaturm (Olympic Tower), the BMW headquarters…all the things one should properly see when visiting Munich. But we also knew this was only an amuse-bouche.

Another Oktoberfest pavilion in Munich, Germany.

On the morning of October 11, 1999, we took a regional train from Munich to Plattling, in deepest Bavaria. In Plattling, we hopped on an even more regional train to Bayerisch Eisenstein: a small village right on the Czech border. In fact, the border runs right through the train station. We walked across the border, technically now in the Czech village of Železná Ruda, and hopped on the “regionalest” of all trains to our first Czech destination: Klatovy.

This was the train that we took to Klatovy, Czech Republic. Taken at Klatovy’s train station (October 11, 1999).

Stay tuned for my first immersion into the Czech Republic!

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Quinte Road Trip

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(Belleville/Trenton/Picton, Ontario, Canada)

Going on a road trip for my birthday…it’s the kind of thing that I always took for granted. This year, however, the situation was just a little different. I first had to ask myself if this was the right thing to do.

Enchiladas Verdes (with Horchata), from Chilangos (Belleville, Ontario)

I compared the COVID-19 numbers for Kingston and my proposed Quinte region destinations of Belleville, Trenton, and Prince Edward County. There was very little, if any, active infection in any of those places. That was essential, because I wouldn’t want to be exporting or importing anything. After loading up on masks and beverages, we headed down Highway 2 to Belleville. Or was it Mexico, en route to the Netherlands?

Chilangos (Belleville, Ontario)

For lunch, we ate on the back patio of Chilangos, a Mexican restaurant that’s been open for a couple of years. Much to my delight, they now offered horchata. It’s a milky rice-based beverage with vanilla and cinnamon, and it’s really good when the weather is warm. It was the perfect accompaniment to my spicy enchiladas.

Trenton Delicatessen (Trenton, Ontario)

After some shopping in Belleville, we moved on to Trenton. Right now, the main attraction for me there is the Trenton Delicatessen. It is a treasure trove of European specialties…especially Dutch ones. I stocked up on kroketten, atjar tjampoer, interesting varieties of true Dutch gouda, and salty black licorice (dropjes), to name a few. Although I have never spent more than a couple of weeks at a time in the Netherlands, all of these foods remain special for me. Some were introduced to me as a child at home, while others I really got to know when visiting relatives across the sea.

View from the waterfront park in Wellington, Ontario

From Trenton, it is a very short drive to Prince Edward County…also known simply as “the County”. It is “almost” an island jutting out into Lake Ontario. While I remember it as a primarily agricultural area with a famous beach (the Sandbanks), it has really gentrified in recent years. It’s now filled with wineries, cideries, and B&Bs.

Wellington, Ontario

Wellington, in particular, seemed to be totally transformed. There were sprawling new homes on the outskirts, and signs for artisanal lemonade in the newly bustling downtown. We saw many cars with Quebec license plates, even though Wellington (see photo at the top of this post) is about 4 hours from the Quebec border. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, I doubt that many visitors to the County lived more than an hour away.

Home of Crimson Cider (Picton, Ontario)

After leaving Wellington, I thought it would be cool to bring home some cider from the “County”. I had no plan; I just envisioned stopping at some quaint little cidery in the middle of nowhere. Sure enough, we found Crimson Cider just before arriving in Picton. I had never heard of it before but, after a quick outdoor tasting, we had a bottle to bring home.

Glenora, Ontario (taken from the Glenora Ferry)

Rather than rush home via the bridge at Deseronto, we decided to take the ferry from Glenora to Adolphustown. The ferry (it only takes about 10 minutes) is free, as it is considered part of the provincial highway system. After another 30 minutes of driving, we were home just in time for dinner. Overall, it wasn’t an epic trip. But I think we appreciated it far more than other pre-pandemic local trips. If the conditions are right, we hope to embark on another area road trip before too long.