Jun***Imelda***René***Heidi***Elvie***Luz***Caloy MAY 19 - June 4, 2007: GERMANY, ITALY, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND [Please note that words in pink are links to other sites while words in light blue are just highlights or refers to nearby pictures.]
MAY 19, 2007On my way to JFK for my 6:10 pm Delta flight to London where I'll meet up with Luz Bascos-Capinpin and continue on to Munich, Germany to meet up with our U.P. friends!
MAY 20, 2007Transfer at Heathrow was hectic. Had to take a bus to another terminal, check-in again, then rush to the gate. Luz came a few minutes after and boarded the plane to take us to
Munich, the capital of Bavaria.
GERMANY
Arrived at Munich's Franz Josef Strauss airport, took the Munich S-Bahn train to Marienplatz.

We checked in at the
Hotel Bayerischerhof on Promenadeplatz. My room had a beautiful view of the city and its bathroom was equipped with a rain shower!
We went out and walked to the Marienplatz and saw the famous
Glockenspiel at the
Rathaus (City Hall) and the
Theatinerkirche with its twin bell towers.

Back at the hotel, I went swimming at the
Blue Spa which has a retractable glass roof; the shower feels like rain; the chaise lounges were in the terrace overlooking the roofs of Munich; there was a bar and a fireplace.

Dinner was at the hotel's beautiful
Garden-Restaurant. I had
Campari und soda with my marinated foie gras with pumpkin and pear. Luz had a salad of veal with cipollini onions and scallops.

Then I had venison with marinated elderberries and thyme and a glass of zinfandel while Luz had butter roasted whole sole with leaf spinach and butter potatoes.
For dessert I had Pear Helene and she had baked chocolate pudding served with apples, figs and fennel ice cream. What a wonderful meal!
After dinner and a short stroll, we arrived at the
Bayerische Staatsoper for Gluck's
Orphée et Eurydice, which we enjoyed immensely. After the opera, we wandered in the area, looked in a store's display of Meissen porcelain, before going back to the hotel.

MAY 21, 2007
We had champagne breakfast buffet at the rooftop
Dachgarten breakfast room and enjoyed the magnificent view of the city including the
Frauenkirche with its twin bell towers.

Then we headed to the spa and I enjoyed a swim and steam again while
Luz read and relaxed at the outdoor terrace by the pool.

After we checked out, we went to the
Viktualienmarkt, Munich's outdoor food market where we had weisswurst and bratwurst and beer! We even met some colorful
traditionally dressed Bavarians.

Then we went to the
Alter Peter which is Munich's oldest church and went up the tower for an incredible view of the city and the
Column of St. Mary.
Continued our stroll to see more of Munich before we picked up our luggage and took a taxi to go to the Holiday Inn to meet up with René, Imelda, and Heidi. Contacted Elvie and Caloy who were staying at a different hotel outside Munich.
MAY 22, 2007Elvie and Caloy arrived at our hotel this morning and René, Caloy, and I went to the airport to pick up the Mercedes Benz van. After a few problems were ironed out, we drove back to the hotel to pick up the ladies and soon we were on our way.
ITALY
Drove on the autobahn through Innsbruch, Austria where we stopped for lunch and then into Italy through the picturesque Brenner Pass with our first stop at Bolzano.

We checked in at the
Hotel Kaufmann, went out and had dinner at a local restaurant.

Then back at the hotel we had beers at René and Imelda's
balcony, enjoyed the cool alpine air.
MAY 23, 2007
After breakfast at the hotel, I took a picture of
René, Caloy, Luz, Imelda, Elvie, and Heidi on my balcony overlooking the alpine mountains of
Bolzano.

Then we drove on towards the city, stopping and hiking up to the
Messner Mountain Museum Firmian, but decided not to go in. I would have wanted to see Bolzano's ice-mummy "Ötzi" at the
South Tyrol Museum.
We drove on towards our next destination, Lake Como, with a short stop in
Verona, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site and the capital of the Veneto region of Italy.

The group had pasta and sandwiches at a small restaurant not too far from the
Verona Coliseum where operas and ballet are performed in the
Arena di Verona on warm summer evenings.


While admiring the medieval architecture of Verona, we arrived at the Villa Capuleti on via Cappello. The passageway, covered with love notes, led to a bronze statue of Juliet, one breast polished by those touching it for luck, and above it "
Juliet's balcony", a tourist attraction for lovers.

Driving on the
autostrada, we passed Brescia and Milan on our way to
Lake Como. After checking in at the Tre Re Hotel on via Boldoni, we went out to dinner at a
restaurant along the lake.
MAY 24, 2007
After breakfast at the hotel we went to the
Piazza Cavour and took the ferry to see the sights along the lake.

The beautiful towns or villages we passed by were Argento,
Cernobbio, and Tremezzo, among others.

We passed impressive
lakeside mansions with well-tended lawns owned by people who live
la dolce vita, as the ferry glided along the lake.

We got off the ferry at
Lenno and strolled along the lake. We admired the beautiful scenery before we embarked again on the ferry.

We got off at beautiful
Bellagio on the eastern shore of the lake and enjoyed the relaxing views of the area.

Then we decided to have lunch at a
lakeside restaurant which was covered up with shade trees. What a wonderful way to have a meal, beautiful views and great company.

After lunch we all went back to the shops and bought souvenirs. I bought these two jumping jacks, a
Carabinieri and
Pulcinello.

We then took the ferry again, passing Menaggio, and got off at Varenna and after some sightseeing we decided to go back to
Bellagio. Did more picture-taking and shopping before taking the hydrofoil back to Como. Had pizza party in our room.



MAY 25, 2007
After breakfast we set out to drive to
Lake Lugano and
Lake Maggiore. Heidi met some
German bikers on our way to get the van.

We had to cross the border to Switzerland to get to
Lake Lugano. Took pictures along the lake.

Here's a rare photo with everyone in the picture on the banks of Lake Lugano. After Lugano we drove on to Lake Maggiore.

Driving south along the eastern bank of
Lake Maggiore was just so beautiful and romantic. Stopped a few times to admire incredible views.

We came upon a very nice
ristorante terrazza sul lago with great food and gorgeous lake views at the Camin Hotel Colmegna.
The Camin Hotel Colmegna turned out to be an eighteenth century villa situated in the sunny bay of Colmegna just outside the town of Luino.


Isola Bella and Stressa were the next sights-to-see but the ferry was no longer plying tourists to the island that afternoon so we continued on to the
Hermitage of St. Catherine which can be reached by walking down several stairways along the cliff. It was built by a 12th-century wealthy local merchant, having been saved from a violent thunderstorm on the lake.
Being tired from the day's excursion, we ended the day by having dinner at our hotel's restaurant, which turned out to be an anticlimax for such a wonderful day.
FRANCE
MAY 26, 2007We're on our way to the
Côte d’Azur!

Arrived in
Monte Carlo in time for its annual Grand Prix auto races. After watching the race a little bit and taking pictures we drove on to
Mougins, passing through Nice, Antibes, Juan les Pins, and
Cannes.

After a few problems locating the
Citea Mougins, an apartment villa, we settled in before going out again for dinner at a nearby restaurant.
MAY 27, 2007Had hot, rich, buttery croissants and café au lait for breakfast at
Café-Terrasse near the church in Mougins. Took pictures in front of the
Hotel de Ville and environs. Finding out there was no more mass at the church, we proceeded to Grasse.



We visited the
Parfumerie Fragonard where we all bought soaps and fragrances, made from various exotic floral essences imported all over the world.



Drove to the French Riviera and found the
Cannes Film Festival in full swing. Lunch at a nice seafood restaurant, lots of mussels and bouillabaise! Walked around town and the seaside. Must come back to the French Riviera and spend some more time here.


Continued on to
Arles.
Bruno and Patricia, our hosts at the
Hotel Porte de Camargue were nice and gracious. We later crossed the Rhône to the center of town for dinner.

Along the way we saw the
hospital where
Vincent van Gogh was treated when he cut off part of his left ear. Took cabs back to the hotel after dinner since it started to rain hard.
MAY 28, 2007
Today we drove all over beautiful Provence.
Les Baux-de-Provence, a spectacular village atop the Alpilles mountains with dramatic rocks and cliffs was our first stop.

The parking lot was below the village so we had to climb several staircases to get there. The entire village was made up of picturesque ruins and shops. On top was the ruined castle, Château des Baux, where I saw a
villager in Middle Ages costume.

Next stop was
St. Rémy where we saw the asylum where Van Gogh was confined. A short distance from there was an old Roman city named
Glanum, where we saw ruins of a forum, baths, a triumphal arch, and temples.

We next drove to the city of
Avignon, well known for its
Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes), where the popes lived for much of the 14th century after Pope Clement V chose the city as his residence.

After lunch we went to the
Pont du Gard, a 1st century Roman aqueduct. It was constructed entirely without mortar, the stones were cut precisely to fit perfectly. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Back in Arles they decided to have dinner near the
Roman Arena. I went my own way, took pictures, while it was still light, of the Arena, the St. Trophimus Church, amphitheatre, triumphal arch.


Later at the Place du Forum, I ate dinner by myself at the
Brasserie Le café la nuit, made famous by
van Gogh in his painting Cafe Terrace at Night.
MAY 29, 2007
After a nice breakfast served by our gracious hosts, Patricia and Bruno, we reluctantly left Provence. Next stop:
Carcassonne, a fortified French town in the province of Languedoc, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We continued on toward
Lourdes, arriving there early evening. After checking in at the Hotel Notre Dame de la Sarte, we walked towards the
cathedral for the evening procession.

The nightly
procession was packed with thousands of worshippers and people with obvious ailments. It was very heart-rending to see so many suffering people.
MAY 30, 2007
This morning we attended mass at the
grotto, officiated by a Filipino priest especially for a group of Filipino pilgrims on their way to Rome.

After a quick breakfast, we checked out and started our long drive to
Lyon where we will have our much-awaited dinner at
Restaurant Bocuse (L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges). Checked in at the Hotel Metropole and got ready.
We arrived a little early at the restaurant so we took pictures outside. Inside the elegant restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised when
Chef Paul Bocuse came to our table and started posing for pictures with us!

Heidi and I started with a
Cocktail de Champagne, René ordered a glass of
Beaune 1er Cru Marconnets - Boucha 2001. Luz and Elvie had
Evian, Caloy had
jus de tomates, and Imelda had
the.

For appetizers, René and Elvie had
Cassolette de homard à l'Armoricaine. Caloy had
Escargots en coquilles, beurre persillé.

Imelda, Luz, Heidi, and I ordered
Dodine de canard à l'ancienne pistachiée.

Heidi, Luz, and Elvie ordered the
Fricassée de volaille de Bresse à la creme aux morilles; Caloy ordered
Risotto aux écrevisses Nantua; and René ordered the
Filet de boeuf Rossini, sauce Périgueux.

Imelda and I ordered
Carré d'agneau "Côtes Premières" rôti à la fleur de thym; René and I shared a very nice demi-bouteille of
Crozes Hermitage Combier 2005 with dinner.


Everyone had the
Sélection de fromages frais et affinés "Mère Richard" and we chose mostly cheeses from the region. For dessert we all had the
Oeufs à la neige Grand-Mère Bocuse.
All was unanimous in declaring that this was indeed a wonderful dinner, and no doubt the best dinner we ever had together.
MAY 31, 2007After a nice breakfast at the Hotel Metropole, which by the way was a very nice hotel, we left Lyon and we were on our way to Switzerland.
SWITZERLAND

First stop was
Montreux. We parked the van in front of the
Grand Hotel Suisse and admired the scenery along Lake Geneva. Amazing how beautiful the park by the lake was! Took lots of pictures before we jumped on the van to continue to our next stop,
Interlaken.



René, Imelda, and I checked in at Hotel Toscana while Caloy, Elvie, Luz, and Heidi took the train to Wengen to go up the next morning to
Jungfraujoch. On our
nice little balcony we could see the city and the mountains.
Went out later and had
cocktails at a sidewalk cafe by the park, talked to an American couple, later dinner at a Thai restaurant. Had some beers later in our balcony.
June 1, 2007
At breakfast we met a
Filipino couple and their son, touring Europe. We later went shopping and a little sightseeing in the neighborhood. Due to dense fog only Caloy went to Junfraujoch.

After Elvie, Heidi, Luz, and Caloy got back to Interlaken, René treated the whole group to a nice Italian lunch at the
Hotel Toscana Restaurant. And then it was time to check out, pack the van, and drive on to
Zürich.

We have a reservation at the Swissotel am Marktplatz in Oerlikon, discounted courtesy of Imelda's relative who is married to a manager of the hotel. We bought sandwiches and drinks and had a little party at
René and Imelda's room.

I decided to take the train to the city to see some nightlife in
Zürich. Walked around, had a beer each at a couple of bars then wound my way to the train station. I almost missed the last train going back towards Oerlikon.
June 2, 2007Woke up early and talked Luz, Elvie and Caloy to go with me back to the city. Took some pics. Caloy went back ahead while we enjoyed the view. Back at the hotel, the array of breakfast treats was just tremendous. Even had a glass of champagne!


GERMANY
Drove back to Munich, checked in again at the Holiday Inn, returned the van, went swimming at the spa.

Elvie and Caloy chose to stay in so Luz, Heidi, René, Imelda, and I got ready to go to town.

Did some sightseeing, dinner, and the opera. Tonight's opera was Verdi's La Traviata.




After the wonderful opera, which everyone enjoyed, we went to Marienplatz and had drinks at a sidewalk cafe, soaked the ambience of Munich at night.
June 3, 2007

Today Luz, Elvie and Caloy took a day trip to mad Bavarian King Ludwig's
Neuschwanstein Castle and picturesque Bavarian villages like
Oberammergau.
The rest of the group went back to the center of the city. Lunch was at
Viktualienmarkt and the
de riguer bratwurst, weisswurst, and Bavarian beer.


Schloss Nymphenburg


After lunch we took a bus to the baroque palace
Schloss Nymphenburg, the summer residence of the Bavarian rulers. Its ceiling frescoes and decorations were impressive. One room houses
King Ludwig I's Gallery of Beauties, one of them was the famous
Lola Montez.


Our last night's dinner was at the famous
Hofbräuhaus am Platzl with the "Oompah band" and we sampled different dishes like roasted pork with potato and bread dumpling, pork knuckles, suckling pig, and a lot of brew. Elvie, Caloy, and Luz also had dinner there later that night.
June 4, 2007Elvie, Caloy, Heidi, and René left for the airport very early this morning. After we checked out, Imelda, Luz and I hauled our luggage and went to Marienplatz once more for last minute shopping and lunch since our flights were not till late afternoon. A nice ending for a nice trip: pictures of
beautiful flowers from Muenchen's Victualienmarkt!




Auf Wiedersehen***Arrivederci***Au Revoir***Goodbye
René***Imelda***Caloy***Elvie***Heidi***Luz***JunTo see more pictures from the trip, please click on
Munich,
Italy,
France, or
Switzerland. Thanks to Elvie & Caloy, Rene & Imelda, and Luz for the use of some of their pictures for this blog. Thank you for viewing my blog!
To check my other travel blogs, please click on any trip listed on the uppermost right hand box above. Thank you for viewing my travel blog.