A Rapid Tour of Europe : Jim Mohan

Friends, I just came across a report I wrote 14 years ago about the trip I made around several countries in Europe with an Argentine family I love several years ago. I am including several photos. 

Jim 

A Rapid Tour of Europe

I decided to start the New Year by doing something exciting and different. I invited an Argentine family, of which I am a very important part, to go on a rapid one month adventure trip through eight countries and 15 cities of Europe.

The total itinerary went something like this....Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan), France (Nice, Monaco, Paris), England (London), Ireland (Dublin, Kinsale, Dingle, Kildare), Holland (Amsterdam), Germany (Berlin, Munich), Czech Republic (Prague) and Austria (Innsbruck).

To get started it took some quick maneuvering. I had to go from Boston to New York to Buenos Aires to Rome in just 2 and $DF days !    

If you are interested or planning a trip to Europe, here are some highlights, comments and recommendations :

ITALY

Rome

There was great anxiety about our arrival in Rome. We had been warned that Argentines and other Latins would be subject at the airport to intensive questioning and assurances of support (lots of ready cash, medical insurance, confirmed hotels, travel tickets, etc.). Fortunately we were met with a happy Italian at Immigration who was celebrating the Holiday Season and just waved us through !

After quick nap to recover from the 14 hour flight from Buenos Aires, we went to the Spanish steps to celebrate New Year´s Eve with hundreds of other people. Great fun.

The first challenge of the next day was to drag ourselves out of bed. Given the limited amount of time available for our stay in Rome, the decision was made to first take a bus tour and see some of the major attractions of this historic city. Special time was spent exploring the Colosseum, the Forum, the area around St. Peter´s and Trastevere.

The Colosseum

Certainly there were crowds in many places. But much fewer than there would have been in summer. It was evident that the high value of the Euro and the weakness of the international economy were also having an effect on the level of tourism. However, the weather in Rome proved much milder than it was in northern Europe !

Florence

The trip to Florence provided us our first chance to use our one month Eurorail Pass.

However, getting the Pass validated at the Rome train station provided for an unexpected cultural experience. About one hundred people were standing in line just as the railroad clerks decided it was time to take their lunch break. It proved amusing at first. But chaos started to erupt when some particularly angry Italian travelers started banging on the windows of the ticket office demanding service. After several minutes of tension, authorities intervened and service was resumed. Clerks were not happy.

In Florence we spent a couple of wonderful days exploring the Uffizi Gallery, the Duomo Museum, various churches, the streets of this always fascinating city and the Tuscany countryside. It was also enjoyable for me to be warmly welcomed back to my favorite restaurants and cafes that I had frequented earlier while studying in Florence.

Venice

The "fast" train from Florence to Venice took less than 3 hours. There was one unexpected event on the trip. It snowed heavily ! It was a thrill for all of us.

Walking from the Venice train station to our hotel took much longer than expected. Finding any address in Venice in the dark is no easy task. We walked over countless bridges along many canals to eventually find the little Hotel dalla Mora (www.hoteldellamora.it), a restored old home with windows overlooking a canal with passing boats. It was certainly worth the effort and couldn't have been nicer.

We kept ourselves busy for 36 hours wandering around San Marcos Square, riding the local boat along the many stops of the Grand Canal, exploring the excellent Galleria Academic, the Museum Leonardo Di Vinci and eating in local restaurants off the beaten tourist track.

FRANCE

Nice

An unexpected tragic event occurred on the trip from Venice to Nice. Our train suddenly stopped near Genova. It soon became evident that we were not going to move. A person had committed suicide on the tracks in front of our train ! We had to get off the train and walk to another train, passed the sheet of the covered victim. Not a pleasant sight.

The arrival in Nice was much more enjoyable. This quaint city along the Riviera proved to be much more than expected. Thanks to my favorite travel book, "Lonely Planet", we found a perfect place to stay in the hills overlooking the city .....Villa Saint-Exupery (www.vsaint.com), a lovely old former nuns convent. Couldn't beat the price, service, hospitality and cleanliness.

Exploring the city was easy on an excellent tram service. The Matisse Museum and the nearby San Francisco church and gardens were especially impressive. Some of our best meals in Europe were eaten in the Old Town section of the city and couldn't have been more enjoyable. Even a waiter joined us !

Monaco

A visit to Monaco meant only a 30 minute bus trip from Nice along the Riviera.
As expected, the entire area of little Monaco was very upscale. The architecture, exquisite shops and array of modern expensive cars were impressive. But finding an inexpensive place to have lunch proved almost impossible. However, not to be missed were opportunities to enter (and leave quickly !) the restaurant and casino of the Café de Paris and to take pictures in front of the Casino de Monaco.

Paris

Getting from Nice to Paris via Marseille proved much longer than expected, with a few unscheduled events.

First, we were stopped for one hour due to a bomb scare in the Cannes train station. Then the very fast super modern train from Marseille had to reduce speed because of a very heavy snow storm en route. The total trip from Nice took 11 hours, more than the customary 6 hours. Upon arrival in Paris the train was covered in snow and ice. It certainly wasn't "April in Paris ! "

The quaint Port Royal Hotel (www.hotelportroyal.fr), run for many years by a 83 year old charming lady and her family, proved to be a good place to stay for a few days. However, the task of using a coin to run a metered shower for 5 minutes soon lost its charm !

An open bus tour gave us a quick overview of the wonders of Paris. But it was freezing cold. I quickly huddled close to the only heater in the back of the lower level of the bus!

We explored the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral and wandered around the narrow streets of the Latin Quarter. We were tempted to try to spend the night huddled among the books in the upper level of the ancient Shakespeare Company Bookstore. No luck.

Because of the very cold and snowy weather, we were allowed only up to the first of four levels of the Eiffel Tour. But the view of snow covered Paris below was spectacular.

Winter sales were on in the local stores. The variety of clothes and special items available were much greater than in Argentina. This resulted in spending a lot of time in Galeries Lafayette and the need to quickly buy additional travel bags !

Of course being in Paris and not visiting some of the many great museums would have been ridiculous. So on we went to explore at least some of the wonders of the Denon wing of the Louvre (Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo, Winged Victory), the huge collection at the d'Orsay (impressionists Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas, Manet and the post impressionists Van Gogh, Cezanne, Surat and Matisse), the Rodin (the Thinker, the Kiss), and the l'Orangerie (especially the 8 panels of Water Lilies by Monet), adjacent to the Tuileries Garden on the Concourse.

From Montmartre-Pigalle we took the cable car up to Sacre Coeur to appreciate the Basilica and the view of Paris below. A walk around the nearby Place du Tertre was colorful with its local charm and painters busy practicing their art....with almost nobody there in the winter cold to appreciate their efforts!

Place de Teatre, Montmartre

With so much left to be seen in Paris, we realized that it would be difficult the next morning to leave this absolutely magnificent city. So to lift our spirits we spent our last evening enjoying some excellent jazz music at the Taverne de Cluny on the Left Bank, where spectators joined in to show their talents. I declined the invitation !

ENGLAND

London

The French and British border guard procedures were all done quickly at Gare du Nord in Paris. From there it was a fast 2 and $DF ride on a new Eurostar train through the beautiful snow covered French countryside. There was some apprehension in the 20 minute tunnel ride under the British Channel, given the serious problems there a few weeks earlier. But we all arrived happily on schedule in London.

From our base at the "boutique" (at least it claimed to be!) Mayflower Hotel (www.mayflowerhotel.co.uk) in the Earl´s Court area, we explored London by metro, bus and on foot.

The British Museum was high on our list of must place to visit. We weren't disappointed. It lived up to its reputation of being one of the world´s oldest and finest museums. Even the entrance to the massive museum through the Great Court, the largest covered public square in Europe, leaves one spellbound. Time allowed for only a chance to see a few of the 7 million items in the many galleries devoted to Egypt, Greece, Africa, Italy and the orient. We made a special point of not missing the celebrated Rosetta Stone, that was discovered in 1799 and is written in two forms of ancient Egyptian and Greek and was the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics.

If you want to see lots of Western European paintings through every period up until 1900, the National Gallery is your destination. Almost five million people visit there each year. You name the artist, and you will find his works. They include Michelangelo, Titan, El Greco, Correggio, Van Gogh, Renoir, Titan, Velazquez, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Monet, Botticelli, Bronzino, Rubens, Rembrandt, Degas, Caravaggio, Gauguin and Cezanne. Had enough ? There are more. Just don´t get lost in the huge size and confusing layout of the place !

Next to be seen was the Tate Modern, supposedly the world´s most popular contemporary art gallery. The building itself is very impressive, having won the most prestigious prize of international architecture, the Pritzker. Then of course there are the more than 60,000 works inside. After seeing some by Klee, Miro, Picasso, Matisse, Rodin, Warhol, Calder, and Dali, I had enough. However, enjoying the wonderful views of the nearby Thames River and St. Paul´s Cathedral was a pleasure.

To get a glimpse of the history of London, there was just enough time to squeeze in a tour of the Tower of London. The "Tower" is actually an ancient fortress or castle full of tales about the lives and wars of British kings and queens. It is one of London's four UNESCO World Heritage sites (the others are Westminster Abbey, Kew Gardens, and Maritime Greenwich).

It was a pity to leave London, but it was time to head for Ireland. That involved a train ride across England to Holyhead and a 3 hour boat trip across the Irish Sea to Dublin.

IRELAND

Dublin

The official at the Immigration Office said to me ...."welcome home...you certainly look Irish." Umm, it was a great way to get started.

We quickly settled into my customary place, the Central Hotel on Exchequer St. (ww.centralhotel.ie). Can´t beat the location and rates, with a "Library Bar" that is a great gathering place for locals who want to chat over a late night drink among books.

After a walk along the lovely landscape and ponds of St. Stephen´s Green, it was time for a pint at Dawson Lounge, Dublin´s smallest pub. Having been there before, I knew what "small" meant...barely enough room to stand ! But I didn't expect the comment of the bartender. He thought that I was a member of an Irish music group from the 80´s !

A walk around Dublin´s most prestigious and beautiful university, Trinity College,is always a pleasure. The 16th century site in the center of the city was founded by Elizabeth I in 1592. Although it was exclusively for Protestant students until 1793, Catholics were forbidden to attend by their own church until 1970. However, today most of its 13,000 students are Catholic.

About 250,000 of Trinity´s oldest volumes are kept in the extremely impressive Long Room of the library. Among these is the famous Book of Kells, which is one of the oldest books in the world and was probably produced by monks at St. Colmcille Monastery on the island of Iona. Of the 680 pages in Latin, only 2 wonderful pages are on display- one showing an illustration, the other text. I have probably visited the Long Room maybe 4 or 5 times in my life. I have always been overwhelmed by its size and magnificence.

After wandering around the bohemian Temple Bar area and having a pint a the Gravity Bar on the top floor of the Guinness Storehouse/St. James Gate Brewery, it was time to explore more of Ireland.

Kinsale

It is about a 5 hour trip southwest from Dublin to Kinsale (Cioon t´Sale) via Cork in County Kerry. Being one of my most favorite places in Ireland, it was well worth the effort. On a small scale it has a little bit of everything.... lovely narrow winding streets, tiny houses, small fishing boats in the picturesque harbour, excellent restaurants and the nearby huge 17th century Charles Fort, one of the best-preserved in Europe.

Jim Edwards Restaurant, Kinsdale, County Cork

In September 1601, at the request of the Irish army from the north, a Spanish fleet came to Kinsale to help them against the English. Unfortunately that ended in defeat on Christmas Eve and historians now cite 1601 as the end of Gaelic Ireland. As a consequence, Catholics were banned from Kinsale for 100 years.

Legend has it that in the early 18th century Alexander Selkirk departed on a voyage from Kinsale that eventually left him stranded on a desert island and provided the author Daniel Defoe with the basis for the book ¨Robinson Crusoe¨.

Dingle

An attempt was made to go from Kinsale and Tralee to Dingle via the mountainous and beautiful Connor Pass. Unfortunately we had to return half way up the Pass due to damage to the road caused by a heavy snow storm the previous week. Not to be discouraged, we found an alternative route to Dingle via Annascaul. It was certainly worth the effort.

The Dingle Peninsula also seems to have a little bit of everything....lovely mountains, curving bays, long empty beaches, deep forests, old forts, beehive stone huts, burial chambers, and sheep roaming on beautiful landscape. The views of the Blasket Island along the scenic Slea Head road of the Peninsula are truly spectacular.

The pubs in Dingle also really jump at night with traditional music and dancing. When it was finally time to go, the old Benner Hotel (www.dinglebenners.com) with its modern conveniences (and low winter prices !) proved to be a good place to get some sleep.

Kildare

The primary reason to spend the night in Kildare was to avoid an early morning dash for a flight to Amsterdam from Dublin airport, which seems constantly under construction. It was a pity that we didn´t have more time there. It has several interesting attractions that include the Irish Horse Museum and the Irish National Stud, which was founded by Colonel Hall Walker(of Johnnie Walker whiskey fame).

It was also here in the fifth century that St. Brigid founded a monastery for both nuns and monks. She was one of the three main saints of Ireland, the others being Patrick and Colmcille. She was somewhat of an early feminist known for her compassion, beauty and miracles. She is remembered by a simple reed cross that is still found in most rural homes and was first woven by her to explain the redemption.

HOLLAND

Amsterdam

Flying from Dublin to Amsterdam proved expensive. But it avoided spending two days on the train via London. Besides, arriving in this extraordinary city in a light snow storm added some extra drama !

The streets along the canals were still bright with the colored lights of the Holiday Season. The winter scenery of boats along the canals with hundreds of snow covered bicycles parked everywhere was breathtaking. It was like moving around in dreamland.

We found a perfect place to stay on a canal, the Hotel Brouwer (www.hotelbrouwer.nl). It has just 8 rooms, each named for a Dutch painter, in a house dating from 1652. The well furnished rooms have an intriguing slight incline. But that fact and probably the world´s narrowest elevator only add to the charm of the place !

A trip along the canals in the morning helped to point out the many museums, buildings and interesting sites of this fascinating and unique city. Unfortunately, before we realized it, it was time to rush for a train to Berlin !

GERMANY

Berlin

The overnight trip from Amsterdam to Berlin proved to be a bit of an adventure. On the first attempt, we had to return to Amsterdam. Twenty minutes outside of Amsterdam, we realized that a bag had been left behind in the hotel. After a quick successful return, the next challenge was getting in the correct sleeping compartment of the very long train that was headed for not only Berlin but also Moscow and Prague.

Sneaking into the first class section of the train to purchase something to eat and using hand signs with a Dutch speaking conductor only added to the drama. But after 9 hours of stopping and going to dismantle cars for other destinations, we arrived early in the morning in Berlin. We expected it would be cold....but minus 15 degrees centigrade below zero with snow and ice everywhere ??!!

Friends had highly recommended the stylish yet inexpensive Circus Hotel (www.circus-berlin.de) in East Berlin as the place to stay. It couldn't have been better.

To avoid plodding through the snow and ice, a trip in a warm bus proved to be the best way to explore Berlin which seems to be exploding everywhere with construction and innovation, but especially around Alexanderplatz.

Having been to Berlin in the Cold War period, I was keen to revisit Checkpoint Charlie, which was the gateway for foreigners between the two Berlins from 1961 and 1990. A replica of the guardhouse still stands. The other Cold War remnant that attracted my interest was the famous 155 kilometer long Berlin Wall, which was built after midnight on August 13, 1961 by thousands of East German soldiers and divided not only the city but the world for nearly 28 years. Now only about 1.5 kilometers of the Wall remain in various colored portions scattered throughout the city.

A late night approach to the historic Brandenburg Gate provided some unexpected drama. We were greeted by police tanks and hundreds of security staff who were there to provide protection for an official visit by Shimon Peres of Israel and an ongoing UN International Conference on Afghanistan. Being somewhat intimidated and scared, we politely slipped away into the cold dark night to get ready for our trip early the next morning for Prague.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Prague

The 5 hour trip from Berlin through the Czech countryside and along meandering rivers couldn't have been more lovely. A local passenger even offered us fresh fruit to eat !

However, the difference between our departure from Berlin and arrival in Prague was quite dramatic. Berlin´s ultramodern Hauptbahnhof is a spectacular five floor train station with a huge glass roof. However, the Holesovice station in Prague only manifested the least attractive elements of a country that is clearly struggling with its communist past and first prolonged economic slowdown since the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

First, we were aggressively approached by a man requesting a handout. Then we were surrounded by clearly dishonest taxi drivers who were demanding exaggerated fares to the city. After climbing into a tiny slow elevator, the efficient and inexpensive metro system was clearly a better option.

Once again the recommendation of a friend for a place to stay proved very helpful. Miss Sophie´s (www.miss-sophies.com), a modern contemporary style hostel, was only walking distance from the many attractions of New Town Square.

A well organized bus tour provided an overview of the impressive and charming architecture of this historic Slavic city that was also once the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. The trip across the Charles Bridge over the Vitava River to explore the immense Prague Castle overlooking the city with its magnificent cathedral and basilica was clearly a highlight.

On the positive side, the cost of large plates of food and excellent national beer in restaurants was about half as much in the local Czech Crown currency as in the Euros of Berlin.

Having been in Prague in 1993 on an official UNICEF visit, I was pleased to be back, Certainly conditions had improved. But there was still an anxiety and indifference I felt in the faces and manners of many local people that left me concerned. Some were even slightly rude and cold, perhaps due to a feeling of unhappiness with their current struggles or envy of foreigners whose lifestyle provided greater benefits.

After finally finding the correct one of Prague´s three train stations, it was time to move on to go on to Germany once again.

GERMANY

Munich

Again the difference in tourist services between Germany and the Czech Republic was self evident. The modern and efficient tourism office at the train station in Munich quickly found a place for us in the nearby inexpensive and more than adequate Easy Palace Station Hotel. It was only a short walk to the historic Marienplatz with its clocktower of rotating colorful figures.

Having studied in Munich in the mid 80´s, I couldn't leave the city the next morning for Milan without a return visit to the Hofbrauhaus behind Marienplatz for an evening of huge glasses of beer, good food, loud music and local dancing. The place is a classic.

BACK TO ITALY

Milan

The 8 hour trip from Munich to Milan via Innsbruck, Austria on an Italian train couldn't have been more enjoyable with the magnificent scenery of the Alps, snow covered ski areas and good pasta in the upscale restaurant car of the train.

However, the arrival at the chaotic train station in Milan was another story. Unlike in Munich, there was no tourist office to help us with finding a hotel for the night. I also had to wander the streets around the station to find a cash machine that was functioning so that at least we could get something to eat !

We eventually settled into the nearby 4 star Madison Hotel, which I would not recommend. Even the coffee was bad......unheard of in Italy !

In the morning we explored the impressive 14th century Duomo Cathedral with its huge interior that holds 40,000 people and doors that are slightly damaged by bombs from World War II. I couldn't help reminiscing about the fact that my great grandparents on my mother's side had been married in a chapel here in the late 1800's.

Duomo di Milano

A walk through the magnificent Galleria Vittorio Emanuele beside the Duomo led to the Piazza della Scala with its statue of Leonardo da Vinci with pigeons perched happily on his head. In front of the Piazza is the famous opera house Teatro alla Scala which was first inaugurated in 1778 and later reopened by Toscanini 1946, after having been damaged during the Second World War. A tour of the Scala with its 6 levels was time well spent.

Before long it was time to rush to the train station for the trip back to our original arrival point in Europe.

Rome

The trip from Milan to Rome via Bologna and Florence only took 3 hours. A transfer at Rome Termini brought us to Fiumicino airport in only 30 minutes. Our rapid tour of Europe was sadly coming to an end.

The long 14 hour Alitalia flight back to Buenos Aires was not exactly pleasant. The plane was packed full with Europeans heading for warmer climate in the southern hemisphere. There was also very rough turbulence, especially over the Sahara in Africa and along the Atlantic coast of Brazil.

Most important, we all arrived safely back from a great adventure that I suspect will prove to have been an extraordinary opportunity in the lives of all of us.