Boxing Day 2010

Rome to Assisi, 26 December 2010 (Boxing Day)

The rain is gone as we leave Rome. The Tiber has risen several feet; initially there was a walking and jogging trail visible along the waterway, now they are completely gone.

Assisi is beautiful and peaceful, though this is really some place you need to share with another; Rome, Florence, Venice have an energy about them such that you can enjoy them as a solo traveller, but Assisi is much more tranquil and subdued. The Basilica of St. Francis, in my opinion, is actually far more beautiful and spiritual than the Sistine Chapel, with a true peace befitting of the man's legend.

St. Francis of Assisi spoke of the vow, the desire, for poverty, both as an individual as well as for the church. What a concept, especially after just having come from the Vatican, where you can see the immense wealth of the church's museum, while outside just a few feet away crippled people beg for charity. I don't mean to single out the Catholic church since most other religions do the same thing, namely preach of helping others while ignoring those who are--literally--on their doorsteps. Similarly, I have to question the US missionaries who venture halfway around the world to help others, while there are people in their US home city who are hungry, cold and homeless. I realize no single religion can solve hunger and poverty, but I would be so astonished, so pleased, if religious orders simply started helping those in their own neighborhoods.

On an entirely different chord, the Amazon Kindle works very well in Italy, both in Rome and Assisi. Any place I have tried to get a signal I have received one, checking email is no problem, neither is getting my blogs delivered. This is quite an ice-breaker, as I cannot count how many people have stopped me on this trip to ask about the device. Though it does not have a color screen, the (free!) 3G feature makes it one of the most exciting electronic devices I have ever owned. Yes, I can carry around a library of literally a few thousand books, and yes, I can check the Internet and email, and yes I get my blogs delivered anyplace in Europe or North America.

Hotel Windsor Savoia in Assisi

WiFi: 10 Euro for 24 hours, or 1 hour for 3 Euros or 4 hours for 6 Euros. That is reasonable, you can go for short time if that is all you need.

The odd thing is I don't mind paying 10 Euros, as long as I know I have other choices in the matter.

Overall, Assisi is much cheaper than Rome: Coffee + whiskey + bottle of water = 3 Euros. I thought it was a mistake, but the woman assured me that was the price for all three; it would have been well over twice that much in Rome.

Tomorrow, we are off to Florence where we will spend two nights before moving on to Venice, our final destination. It goes without saying, these trips always pass too quickly. I'm finally unwinding from work, regaining my sense of sanity, purpose and direction. I do have a trip to Paris on the books for this May, with the airline tickets already purchased, though at this moment I am tempted to get off the plane and get on a train back to Italy!

Starhotel Michelangelo, Rome

Globus selected Starhotel Michelangelo as our hotel in Rome. For the most part, it was a good choice, and I would opt to stay there again; here are the pluses and minus.

• While certainly not luxurious, the rooms are clean, showing a little wear here and there but overall comfortable with nothing terribly objectionable.

• The hotel is a bit hard-to-find, and to that end even the Resort Hopper shuttle service got lost. If you were to stay here, I'd recommend you print the driving directions (from the airport to the endpoint) and give them to the driver. Alternatively, you can try it own your own, using public transit, but just make sure that you realize the nearby train station is NOT the Metro but rather is the FM train. The Metro stops on the other side of the Vatican, which would be a very long walk with luggage, not to mention that the directions would be hard to follow. Having said that, once you know where the hotel is, this is very easy to access in that all you need to do is take transit or a taxi to the Vatican, and it is easy to get home from there.

• There are a couple of mini markets nearby, so you can get snacks/drinks (or even alcohol) rather than paying the full hotel price. A 750 ml bottle of whisky is 15 Euros in the mini mart, while a shot of whiskey in the hotel is 12 Euros. The math works in your favor very quickly.

• The (included) breakfast was very good, in fact a notch above most others, including meats, hot eggs and bacon. plus the normal continental items such as fruit and breads. I did not take lunch or dinner in the hotel. Room service has very limited hours (when the restaurant is open), so it really won't help any at all if you get the late night munchies (again, this is where stocking up with a few supplies from the local mini mart is a good idea).

• Staff was hit and miss. Most were helpful enough and understood English well, but occasionally you would find one who didn't want to talk, such as when I asked for a Metro map and she dismissed me with a "No." She was the exception, though unfortunately those are often the ones we remember while forgetting those who were helpful.

• TV channels were limited, and most of the time I could not find anything in English. If you really need your daily dose of CNN, this place most likely will not work for you.

• Since there seems to have been some ambiguity online, I will say they do have in-room safes, large enough to hold even a reasonably sized laptop.

• No ice machine, which unfortunately is typical of European hotels. You can try to get some from the bartender for your room, of course this is a problem in that the quantity is limited, as well as the available times.

• I won't mention the excellent location in terms of the Vatican as that has been stated about 10,000 times by now, but I will point out how close the hotel is to Trastevere, a beautiful part of Rome most tourists never see. It is "quaint" without any true historical highlights, and for that reason tour buses do not venture there, yet it is a fantastic area to walk by foot, and it is easy to find from the hotel: Head towards the Vatican (you can't miss it as St. Peter's Dome is clearly visible), turn right at the Vatican, walk for about ten minutes (through the tunnel), then turn right at the Tiber River. Walk for 15 or so minutes along the Tiber, and you will be in the heart of Trastevere.

• The biggest rip-off and disappointment with the place: WiFi is 22.00 Euros for 24 hours in the hotel. Signage all over the hotel claims WiFi is only 11.50 Euros per day, but my check-out bill clearly charged me 22; there must be a secret such as buying it from the front desk or for multiple days rather than ordering it on your computer. It is too bad a hotel such as this has to go for the ripoff, spoiling what would otherwise be a very pleasant memory of the establishment. Here is the best advice I can give you, and you can save a great deal of money with it: Buy a 10 Euro dinner (or even just a drink) at one of the local bars, and get the WiFi for free. There were at least four places in the immediate area that offer free WiFi for customers.

One great place for food, drink and free Internet is:

All Brothers Cafe

Via Delle Fornaci n8/10

Christmas Day 2010

Christmas Day, 2010

Much to my surprise, the tour group had nothing planned for today, either as part of the package or as an option, save for a dinner later in the evening which I decided to pass on, so instead I spent the day solo. Rain was on and off, though not nearly as hard as the day before. It's a shame that yesterday's weather made it difficult to enjoy the walking tour of the old section of town, yet at least it was warm enough that the temperature was not an issue.

I was concerned that Rome would be "locked down" on Christmas, much as London which essentially goes entirely dark for the holidays, so to my pleasant surprise I found many places were open, including restaurants and bars of all styles and sizes, gift shops, the local food shop, and the Hard Rock Cafe.

I was debating between attending the Papal Blessing or taking another tour of the city since the hop-on/hop-off buses were running. I decided to take the bus tour, since I had already received the blessing from the Pope during the audience with him on the previous Wednesday. (Surely I don't need two Papal blessing a week, do I?) The Wednesday audience was much smaller and "more personal," compared to the attached picture from the media which shows St. Peter's Plaza to be packed.

Surprisingly, the Metro was closed and the tour bus did not stop anywhere near the Hard Rock, so for my "pilgrimage" there, I had to take a taxi both ways. Normally, I eschew taking taxis as I think public transit will serve the need for a far better price, not to mention it is more rewarding to figure out than simply taking a cab, but with the Metro shut down I did not have much of a choice. The classic cheeseburger was pure heaven for me, as I have not had a "regular" meal in several days now. Yes, this was definitely better than the "special" seafood dinner I had planned and tried a couple of days prior. In some regards, Hard Rock is always that oasis in a foreign city, a place an American can go and get known food, wait staff with flair, and a predictable decor.

I was very tired in the late afternoon, I guess the weather and dampness got to me, so I took a three hour nap until 8:30 PM then went back to see my waitress with an attitude friend. Surprisingly, many places were still open, so even in the late evening on Christmas Day it was quite possible to find whatever

My waitress with the attitude: Xhefka Fernanda (Turkish); she actually read the above and insisted on typing her name in for me…and she swears that is really the way it is spelled.

Christmas Eve, Group Day One

Christmas Eve 2010.

I found myself wide awake at 2:00 AM this morning, so I took a quick walk around the area, hoping to stroll through the Vatican during the peace and quiet, but, much to my surprise, the Vatican shuts down and--literally--locks its gates at night! Perhaps the "country" was open had I walked around to the other side (what a strange thing to say), but I didn't feel like venturing that far in the cold and drizzle.

One thing that struck me, symbolically, was a single white dove flying over St. Peter's Basilica all by himself; he would soar into the wind, then float back a bit, all the while hovering over the dome of the basilica. In some ways, it felt very much as if the dove was doing the bird equivalent of my human stroll. Unfortunately, he was a bit too far off to photograph with my camera, but it would have been an incredible picture or video if I could have recorded it.

The group met in the morning, and we went through the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, the Forum and the Colosseum before lunch. Seeing the basilica, in particular, was amazing on Christmas Eve morning, as they were busily putting the finishing touches on it for that night's ceremony; we were there but a scant twelve hours before the show went live.

In the afternoon, we went on a walk to the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona (Christmas Market) and the Spanish Steps; unfortunately, it was raining, heavily, the whole time we were walking, so it was hard to take it in and enjoy. I certainly don't want to complain about something as wonderful as walking about Rome, and in fact the prior week the cold had been so severe that the fountains froze over, so in hindsight this was preferable, yet it did seem too bad that the days immediately before, and the days immediately after, were either dry, or worst case carried with them very light rain.

The Christmas market at Piazza Navona was a bit disappointing compared to, say, the markets in Germany. The German markets are more quaint and pleasantly decorated, while the Italian markets were more commercial, selling cheaper toys and trinkets than the German goods. As much as I hate the German Gluewein, I will drink a glass of it as part of the festivities, but there is no corresponding thing in Italy.

Our group dinner was held this evening (Christmas Eve), and I sat with a wonderful Catholic family of five: A husband, a wife, a son just starting college and majoring in Business, another son just starting high school, and a strikingly beautiful and brilliant young woman who was a senior in college, majoring in Math and Theology (along that line I recommended Bernard Haisch's "The Purpose-Guided Universe" to her). I have to ask: Where were these young women when I was in my early 20's? Seriously, it is a different crowd than when I was that age, much more urbane, cerebral and spiritual than what I knew in college and early adulthood.

After dinner, I walked over to the Vatican with a senior woman to watch (on an outside TV screen) the mass from St. Peter's Basilica. It was cool and damp, but the rain had subsided to the point I could easily tolerate it without a jacket or an umbrella, and I stood there for an hour with no discomfort.

This tour is pleasant, though the pace is, perhaps, a bit slow for me, in that I enjoyed the previous tempo of the trip five years prior: The drives were a bit longer, not to mention that in the same number of days we included a trip back down to Pompei, Naples and Capri, something we will not be seeing on this trip. Still, it is far, far better this time without the food poisoning or whatever it was that knocked me down five years ago!

Tweener Day

23 December 2010

Yesterday was devoted to the Vatican, namely the Papal audience and the Vatican Museums, so today (23 Dec 2010) I ventured out to the heart of Rome on the Hop On/Hop Off bus. As is typical, it is a great and easy way to get a quick overview of the city, even if the recorded narration leaves a great deal to be desired. It is odd, this was a two hour loop, yet for the entire trip I was the ONLY person on the bus…I'm not sure why, as other vehicles from other companies seemed to have people on board, but in any case I was able to get the top deck, front seat which is always highly coveted. The weather could not have been better, even to the point that I was perfectly comfortable in a simple long sleeve shirt, with no jacket.

In the evening, I met the group I would be touring with, and we received an overview of what to expect, starting with a tour of the Vatican the next morning.

For dinner, I went to one of the nearby restaurants and found what I can only label a waitress with a (fun) attitude…definitely not as spiritually and cerebrally exciting as the American woman last night, yet this one had "the attitude" that so many men (myself included) find intriguing---in limited doses Yes, it would get old very quickly if you had to deal with it regularly, yet for a fleeting encounter such as this, I always remember the waitress who just seems to know how to pull it off. And I saw her again a couple of days later, more in that day's entry.

Pope Day

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Today I had the audience with the Pope! Now, lest you think I am joking, please understand this was an audience of a couple of thousand people ("Pilgrims"), not a 1.1 with His Holiness. Nonetheless, it was incredible, literally bringing tears to my eyes a couple of times.

For background, I emphasize what I have said earlier, namely that I am not Catholic. For that matter, I am not religious in the dogmatic sense, preferring what I consider a scientific approach to the subject of creation, which actually does lead me in a spiritual direction, but that is a different discussion for a different day. In any case, to continue with the audience, every Wednesday the Pope holds a general audience to which anybody may be invited, simply by asking in advance for a free admittance ticket. The attendance at this week's event was very low (about 3000 people by my estimate, or a tad over half of what the capacity appeared to be). The clergy in the audience were surprised at the low numbers, but that notwithstanding, it was an incredible event for many reasons:

• I was 150 feet away from the Pope, closer than I ever imagined I would be.

• The Audience Hall was a bright and cheery environment, not the dark, drab, cold chamber I had feared.

• There are two types of Swiss guards, the colorful Michelangelo uniforms we all know so well, and the Secret Service types, complete with the ear tubes and speaking into their shirt sleeves! The second type was clearly visible before and during the ceremony, and I was told by a priest in the audience they carry guns.

• Nigeria was there and rocking! When the English speaking bishop introduced his pilgrims, he introduced, among others a group of about 300 Nigerians who burst out in a unified song. It was odd in that I never considered Nigeria an English speaking nation, but to my surprise that is their official language, and the song carried by so many was incredibly moving, literally bringing me to tears.

• As is usually done, the audience included a special place for Newlyweds, with most of them dressed in their wedding attire. One young couple, who actually were brought up to meet the Pope after the ceremony consisted of a woman in a street type dress and a man in jeans. I thought that incredibly tacky, until a woman next to me explained this was unexpected for them: One of the guards heard them mention that they were newlyweds (presumably lamenting they did not know about the possible special seating arrangement), and as such he invited them into the special section and to meet the Pope. I'm assuming this sort of directive came from Benedict himself, and if so I do consider that impressive: Some guy in jeans is unexpectedely meeting the Pope!

• Afterwards, I quickly saw the Vatican Museums, with the Sistine Chapel as the highlight as a "warm-up" to the group visit which would be held the next day.

My special dinner sucked!! I had decided some months back that I wanted one very nice dinner in Rome, and for some reason I felt seafood would be appropriate, so I tried the outdoor area of one of the places near the Vatican. The prawns were way overdone, tough, and essentially inedible as in Paris a bit back. Additionally, rather than asking about the wine price, I let the waiter bring me a bottle of mediocre white, only to find out later it was 25 Euros. Oh well, if every dinner risk were to turn out perfectly, it would be boring.

Unlike five years ago, this trip there are no titties on Italian TV! My last trip, it seemed that late at night most stations turned to the equivalent of US paid programming, and it usually always consisted of one or more young women topless, accompanied by a toll free number of some sort. I must not have the equivalent of cable that I had last time!

Oddly, as for the language, I often find myself defaulting to German, asking, for example, for a "vodka und tonic. or saying "bitte" rather than "per favore." Part of it, I think, is my belief that another continental language is perhaps a bit more widely used and understood than is English, and part of it is simply a feeling that speaking English everyplace in the world is just wrong. Even if I don't know the Italian phrase, or if it does not come to me immediately, trying in German seems a bit more altruistic. Then again, it might be nothing more than jet lag and confusion...

At dinner time, I met an Asian couple and their daughter in one of the restaurants, and we chatted about our military histories (the husband too had been in the service, as had I many years ago). They had a young daughter, college aged, and the three of us encouraged her to try out her operatic voice (it actually did not require much pressuring---she seemed to be longing for an audience). She did extremely well, with her voice filling the entire restaurant, They left, I had a few more drinks, and the owner went so far as to go next door to get more ice for my vodka tonic. (Ice is still treated as scarce in Europe--go figure!) By that time, I was feeling very generous, so I gave the owner 100 Euros for my 20 Euro dinner and asked him to apply the balance to a young couple who were dining there; I'm sure it covered their bill and left him a tidy tip as well. When I went back a couple of days later, he remembered me and greeted me fondly!

After dinner, I went back to the "All Brothers" cafe, and had a few drinks. One should not get drunk in public in Italy as open intoxication is not welcome, and I was certainly pressing the limit, but it seemed OK in this particular environment, with the shopkeepers appreciative of my patronage (and tips!). After I was a bit too tipsy to remember everything clearly, an incredible college-aged American woman who was studying in Rome walked in the cafe; she knew the owners and the regulars very well, she befriended me, and she chatted with me for quite some time, discussing questions about the language, religion, and the Middle East with me. I was unbelievably impressed with her maturity yet also her warmth and intelligence. I told her as I left, and still believe at this moment, that she needs to be in charge of the UN in 30 years--if only we had that caliber of clear-headed, reasonable leaders. And, to be totally honest, if I were still in my 20's, I seriously doubt I would have left the cafe without proposing to her!

Tomorrow: I go for the hop on/hop off bus tour, then a walking tour (if I am up to it), then I meet the "group" at 6:00 PM.

When in Rome..

Arrival, Tuesday afternoon, 21 December 2010.

Hello Rome, I am back for the Mulligan from 2005. This time, no food poisoning, or whatever it was you did to me five years ago!

There's a bit of time dilation going on with the blog; I meant to fill in the story as I flew over, but travel inconveniences got in the way so I miraculously went from "six days before" to "here I am." Actually, the trip from Seattle to Rome was fairly uneventful, simply the typical pains that go along with a three leg trip. (Damn, I miss living in the Bay Area where most of the world was a non-stop away!) The Air Canada flight on an Embraer (Brazilian) jet was the only real "highlight," with the passenger entertainment system indicating we had traveled over 24,000 miles in four hours. That, if true, would have made us better than twice as fast as the publicly claimed speed of the SR-71, but the flight attendant admitted it was a known software bug, and they were waiting for the patch. Thankfully the cockpit software seems to have been better tested and more accurate.

The only other point worth mentioning during the trip was my leg in Copenhagen, where snow had been extremely pervasive these last few days. When I arrived, three and a half hours before the connecting flight into Rome, I went to the transfer desk to get my boarding pass for the last leg, only to find out I was customer 171 while they were on number 76…understandable, except that they only had two (2) agents working the backlog; somehow, I (and others) thought SAS would have thrown more meat into the problem given all the publicity about the weather those prior days. In any case, I ignored that queue, went to the indicated gate for my flight into Rome, and was boarded in time for the flight without any drama. So, all in all, a rather monotonous, and lengthy, flight from SEA to YYZ (Toronto) to CPH (Copenhagen) to FCO (Rome).

Having said all that, I have just arrived in Rome, and I am in one of the local "bars" with free WiFi. I'm tired, and it is approaching 9:00 PM local time (which would mean I have been up for well over 24 hours in SEA time). I took a quick pass by the Vatican to pick up my ticket for tomorrow's audience with the Pope, and I also made a quick run through the Trastevere district to see what it had to offer. More thoughts on both of those tomorrow, when I have a chance to regrow a few of the missing braincells.

(Almost) On The Road Again

It's 14 December 2010, and in less than six days I am off, again, to Italy. For those who have known me for a bit, this is a Mulligan, a do over, of the trip I took five years ago, the one I became very sick on during the first few days. This is essentially the same thing, namely Christmas in the Vatican, New Year's in Venice (rather than Naples in 2005/2006), with Assisi and Florence in between. Full details can be found on my itinerary page by clicking the title link above. More updates as I get closer, but for now I just wanted to set the upcoming stage!!

Future Travel Thoughts

I've been home for 48 hours now, and am over the jet lag finally...It's odd in that I virtually never suffer from it, but for some reason with this trip it did hit me. Perhaps it has something to do with the cold, and not being able to walk around but rather spending more time indoors than I normally would on a vacation. In any case, after one more good night's rest I should be entirely back on the right clock.

I've already started daydreaming about my next trip, though I am not sure where to go. I do have a few ideas, as well as a few things I want to remember the next time I plan a vacation, so more or less as a reminder to myself I am going to paste them below. The list is pretty much self-explanatory:

Places you have not been but would like to see:

• New York
• Greece
• Spain
• Middle East, say Israel?
• Egypt---especially Nile River cruise
• Antarctica combined with someplace in South America
• Ocean cruise

Places you have been and would like to see again:

• London
• Paris
• Monaco
• Italy

Things to look for in a Hotel:

• Check easyHotel
• Check Novotel
• Free internet
• Guest Laundry for longer trips

Remember:

• Take seasonal weather into account: Freezing is no fun, even if you get the trip at a bargain in a place you like. Same with too hot. It's easy to say cold is "no problem" when booking a vacation in July, but look at the actual temperature you will be facing and decide objectively if you want to take the risk. Upon arriving in Berlin, for example, it was literally -9C (about 16F) and snowing...if you decide to travel next December, Egypt or Australia probably should go towards the top of the list. BTW, a really cool place to check archived weather is: http://www.eurometeo.com/english/. You can search by city and by day/hour!
  
• I love cities which have ancient history, not large bedroom communities such as Munich or Berlin. Perhaps, as you get older, this is because you appreciate the importance of something which has permanence rather than fleeting in time. Whatever the reason, keep in mind that you want to see what mankind has brought forth in this world; sitting under a palm tree and sipping a beer would be fun for 15 minutes, but you would be going bonkers after that.
  
• Maybe it is time to try an escorted tour again rather than going solo. Escorted tours are hit or miss, depending on the tour guide and your fellow travelers, so consider it but do not decide right now.
  
• Check into Boingo for Internet access...I was amazed at how much I had to pay for access in the hotels, and Boingo seems to have fairly good coverage at a decent price. Short of that, consider leaving the netbook home and checking email, etc., in Internet cafes. Gotta think this one through, as the idea of being without a computer for a couple of weeks is a bit hard to imagine!
  
• Cut back on the drinks in hotel bars: Nurse one or two at most, or buy a bottle in a supermarket if you want more (or, even sneak it in to the bar and replenish the drink you ordered!). Drink prices, with a couple of snacks thrown in, can come close to doubling the hotel bill....ouch!
  

Travel as a Political Act

I once attended a talk by Rick Steves, the travel guru, and he suggested that we think of travel as a political act, a way to broaden our minds with new ideas and experiences. Since that talk, I have considered travel a way to expand what we know and think, a way to look at things differently and to question the status quo.

To that end, there were, of course, homeless people in all of the cities I visited (save for Monte Carlo). In all cases, the picture was the same: A homeless man or woman sitting on the ground, draped in a blanket, more often than not with a dog as his or her only companion. They would often be reading, or writing, or in some cases staring at the ground, but never aggressive or troublesome to those of us passing by. Often I would drop in some change, with a feeling of powerlessness to change what was just in front of me.

In London, I walked by a man, a typical homeless person, who was sitting on the ground, reading a book, with his dog cuddled up with him, blanket over both of them. I did not give this particular scene any special thought, until I was returning back and passed him again a few minutes later. This time, a female bobbie was standing over him, talking with him. I could not help but wonder what she was discussing, since he had not been causing any trouble so I could not fathom why she would be bothering him. To my surprise, a little eavesdropping revealed that rather than harassing, she was suggesting alternatives to him over sitting on the street. She appeared to be offering places he could go to be warm, and she most certainly was not doing this in a threatening manner, but rather one of empathy. I didn't stay long a it was a very strong scene, though I did manage to snap a picture.

I should point out that I do not follow any one political party line, but I instead make my decision on any single issue based on the merits of that particular case. In some situations I am very conservative, in others very liberal, but when it comes to social matters I firmly believe it is a travesty that we have people starving on the streets, cold, homeless, alone, when we squander our taxes (10% sales tax in WA state alone) on bullshit such as ensuring that salmon can spawn. I don't care to hear about the sustainability theory: That argument is meritless when you compare it to the need to a person--not a salmon, but a person--who is in crisis and in urgent need. I have nothing but disdain for our politicians of either party who turn their backs on people while grandstanding for politically correct environmental issues. Let people starve while spending taxpayer money to ensure that fish can f*@k...yes, it is nothing short of disdain that I feel for that sort of lunacy. In that sense, I can say that this one street scene was, indeed, travel as a political act for me.

Overall Trip Thoughts

Berlin--

• In hindsight, Berlin was probably not the greatest choice I could have made, as it really feels more like a flat city than a true historical spot. I thought that with it being the 20th anniversary of the fall of The Wall that there might be a special spirit in the city, but it was not there. Berlin, and Munich for that matter, are not really cities you can dislike, but they are rather boring in that they lack the excitement of Rome, Paris, London, Tokyo, Hamburg or Koeln. Berlin felt like a large bedroom community, nothing wrong with it per se, but just not as vibrant as I had been led to believe.
• The Crowne Plaza City Center hotel was actually overpriced for what it offered, and the absurd practice of nickel and diming to death was irritating: They charged me, as a hotel guest, 8 euros to use the 8x10" sauna in the basement, while you could alternatively go to a local neighborhood sauna and pay a little over 20 euros for an all day pass in a full spa facility. I've had good luck with other Crowne Plaza hotels (the Rome St. Peters is a gem!), but the Berlin City Center was a disappointment, especially as I spent six nights there.

Paris--

• As I mentioned before, my one and only previous trip to Paris was disappointing, so I was very surprised that I enjoyed this trip so much. My biggest complaint would be the cold, which of course should be expected when traveling to Europe in winter. The Parisians, while still rude, did not really bother me. The beauty, the history, and the novelty of the city, however, stuck me much more than the last time. I feel I would like to return again, to spend a longer time when the weather is warmer.
• The Paris hotel, Hotel du Square d'Anvers, was indeed spartan, but it was clean enough, and the location superb. I might stay there again, though it would be tempting to look for a hotel which is a bit nicer, assuming price is not an overriding concern. It was two stars, but price and location were superb.

Monte Carlo--

• The highlight of the trip. As much as I enjoyed it (and the relative warmth), I am not sure that I would spend much more than three nights there at a stint, at least not without expanding the exploration to include Nice or Western Italy. The overwhelming oppulence is mind-boggling, yet after a bit feels almost like a prolonged stay at Disneyland: Incredible for a short while, but not enough diveristy for a long vacation. Still, nothing compares with living out the Bond fantasy....
• I can't say enough for the Monte Carlo Novotel hotel. It was moderately priced (about $200 per night if you pre-purchase and agree to the no cancellation/no refund risk), yet it was also very clean, bright, modern and well-located. The only complaint is that the techno music in the bar is a bit much if you listen to it for too long (as in taking all your meals there), but that notwithstanding it was a great environment. You don't get the oppulence you would at, say, the Le Meridien, but at one-third the price, and at a better location, I highly recommend the Novotel---and the sauna was free!!

London--

• I won't bother saying anything about London because I could go on non-stop about this town! That has been many vacations in and of itself for me, and it will be one again relatively soon. Let me simply say it truly is a homecoming for me. To paraphrase the saying, a man who is tired of London is tired of life.

In short:--

• While I don't regret the experience, if I had known awhile back what I know now, I would have skipped Berlin and extended the stays in Paris and Monaco, or I would have substituted Rome for Berlin. Still, it was an incredible trip. Also, if my situation were to permit, I would like to return to Europe in Spring or Fall rather than in winter; should my professional career continue to restrict my vacations to the Christmas season, then perhaps I should consider a Nile cruise or a return to Australia for the next one. All in all, though, weather complaints are relatively minor in the course of memories.

BTW, for hotels in the Heathrow area, I should point out the National Express "Hotel Hoppa" bus which runs from the terminals to all the nearby hotels. If you stay in Central London, transit from LHR to Zone 1 is easy via the tube, the Heathrow Express, or numerous other options, but you don't have these choices if you are staying in the immediate Heathrow area. I paid 20 pounds for a taxi (one way) only to find out later that afternoon that the Hotel Hoppa provides service for 4 pounds. It is a bargain to keep in mind for any LHR area hotel, and it is not well-publicized on any of the hotel websites.

Special mention to the Doubletree Airport in Seattle for a $39 upgrade to a suite on my first night! Granted, it was an opportunistic chance, and it was not guaranteed save for availability at check-in, yet for the cost of three drinks it was an amazing way to start the trip.

Also, while I did not try it on this trip, I heard of and will check out easyHotel for future vacations. This is along the line of easyJet, easyEverything (Internet cafe) and all the related serial entrepreneur attempts: Clean, cheap, no-frills. The handful of hotels they have look incredibly well-priced for their locations, so I am making a note to myself to try them at my earliest chance.

Internet access throughout Europe was very expensive, and spotty in two of the hotels (Crowne Plaza and Hotel du Square d'Anvers) even when paying over $20 per day. What is most annoying is that in many hotels in the US---including the cheapo places I care not to admit having patronized, wireless access is free. while Europe seems to have done a much better job settling on phone cell standards than have we in the US, broadband access, at least for tourists, is a letdown.

Saturday Night in London

Since my trip to Monaco required that I fly in and out of Nice, a rather small airport, flights were not available for an early morning return home, so instead I arranged to travel from Nice to Heathrow on the second to the last day of my vacation. In addition to the pragmatic consideration, this also had the advantage of allowing me a short afternoon/evening in London, my favorite city in the world. Make no mistake about it, when I first planned this vacation I had initially booked two solid weeks in London, but upon further reflection I thought it best to try to branch out a bit, so instead I did the Berlin/Paris/Monaco route instead. Nonetheless, even though this afternoon was just for a few short hours, landing in Heathrow truly felt as if I had come home.

Since I had such a short time in London, I felt it best just to touch upon my sentimental favorites, and they were, of course, as I remembered them: The Strand Hotel looked unchanged; my favorite pub, the Lyceum, was unchanged save for a a new sign out front; my favorite restaurant, Little Italy, had changed names to "La Piazza," but otherwise appeared to have the same menu; the street performers in Covent Garden were still perfomring the same act; the Upper Crust in Charing Cross was still open; and the Adelphi was of course still providing theater, with "Chicago" having moved on to a different venue and "Ratpack" playing in its stead. All in all, home seemed to be unchanged.

I chuckled at myself when I stepped off the Picadilly Line in Covent Garden, and immediately felt that I knew the area far better than Seattle, where I have lived for over five years now. A couple of young women, noticing my "Hard Rock" jacket asked me if the establishment was in the neighborhood, to which I was able to reply quickly, that no, it was near Hyde Park. An elderly man asked me where the Adelphi was, and to my joy and amazement I knew and remembered quite well where it was. If you were to ask me where the Act Theater is in Seattle, I would be reaching for the GPS, but in London I just remembered the location.

While Monaco had been far warmer than either Paris or Berlin, London had the same numbing, bone-chilling cold, so I was only able to walk about for a short bit. In a way, I was glad the weather in London was no warmer than other parts of my trip, else I might have regretted not spending more time in the city. As it is, this is a good time to head back home and to plan on returning when the weather is more conducive to walking and admiring this incredible place.

So it is now my final night, and I am spending it at the Crowne Plaza near Heathrow. The terminal conversions are still in progress, but I believe I fly out of terminal one tomorrow morning. Vacations are always bittersweet at the end, and this is no exception. At some point, I really would like to make Europe a part of my daily life rather than a vacation spot. For now, though, I should be turning in shortly rather than dreading my return home.

Blue Moon New Year's Eve

So I did manage to pull off the James Bond fantasy on New Year's Eve...the tuxedo, the Grand Casino, a Cuban cigar, and far too many vodkas. But enough about the fantasy (at least for a public blog)...

The Grand Casino was different than the other, surrounding casinos. This one consists of three different "levels" if you will: A free area which is slots, a 10 euro surcharge area with card game and slots, and an additional 10 euro surcharge area for those who are willing to don a jacket and live in the most secluded region.

I arrived at the casino just before 8:00 PM and immediately headed into the "middle" level, paying my 10 euros to have a vodka rocks in the bar. The casino was very nearly deserted at this early hour, but it did give me a chance to walk about and get familiar with the layout. In the front of this middle area is a bar, a (very expensive) buffet, and a restaurant. There were, of course, table games, and a large slot area off to the side, only this slot area was far different than what I had seen the night before. Imagine a cathedral full of slot machines, with the noise there but turned way down. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed, but it truly did seem to be a very incongruous blend, with vegas style slots in what would otherwise have been pure opulence.

I had to try the more exclusive area as quickly as possible, so I paid my extra 10 euros and entered the innermost sanctum. In this area were more tables and a bar, but virtually no patrons, just numerous employees dressed in tuxedos.

Throughout the evening I vacillated between the two areas, and though the crowds did pick up as the evening went on, neither ever become terribly crowded--in fact, the inner sanctum was virtually deserted even when I left at 11:30. I lost a couple hundred euros playing roulette (unfortunately, playing "7" in that sense did not pay off at all). I did get to witness an older Japanese businessman playing thousands of euros at the table, and though I could not tell whether he came out ahead or behind, it certainly did not matter to him: He was the consummate high roller, and was treated as such.

As the mood in the casino was somber and quiet, at 11:30 I decided to leave and see what the outside was like. This was far more in line with what you would expect for NYE: Large, noisy crowd, champagne bottles, "Bonne Annee" in the air. I spent the next half hour there, enjoying the intensity with the crowd. Though not as intense as, say, NYE in Naples, there was in any case an excitement and hope as the new year rolled in. Bonne Annee!