Vacation to Corfu, Greece

After last year's smashing success with a last-minute EasyJet vacation, we had to try it again. So we did. And it was almost as awesome.

That might not sound like a ringing endorsement, but it is. It's just that Ischia was a once-of-a-lifetime vacation. That place is as close to perfect as I can ever hope to visit and this time was different. We're dragging a kid around now and real-life worries like searching for an apartment infringed on paradise.

And, yet - my memories of it (we went last August) are still sterling clear and glowing. It was beautiful. We ate and swam like kings. Rarely have we felt richer vacationing and more at peace in spirit.

Corfu Ratings:

Ratings will be done in Greek salad. We had so many delicious Greek salads.

The Ideal Island Vacation: Ischia, Italy

In early June, we realized Ian had some vacation days and sometime - sometime soon - I was going to be far too big and uncomfortable to travel. Thus, our usual brand of spontaneous/half-planned travel was born. But where?

There are few place we won't go. Bucharest in August? Why not. Copenhagen just for a day to pick up a parent? Or course. Idaho? Let's do it!

But given our poor trip planning, flights to just about anywhere were more then we hoped to pay. So I got creative. Thought outside the box. I looked at packages. Rarely the best deal for us bargain-basement globetrotters, I found that easyjet delivers some pretty enticing cheapo deals. I found one such combo (just over 400 euro for a flights & hotel for 2 for 4 nights) to the island of Ischia, Italy. After we fell in love with the area during a trip to Naples and the island of Procida two years earlier - we couldn't resist going back.

The U2 UBlau

Once again, we took to Berlin's UBahn to drink and rate our way through an entire line's stations, simultaneously horrifying and amusing our fellow passengers. It's fun for everyone.

Offbeat Northwest: Silverwood Theme Park

Silverwood entrance

As much as visiting home is about seeing family and friends (and eating Mexican food), we also want to use our vacation time to see things we've never seen before. So off we went from Seattle & Washington to the great yonder of Montana, stopping at Spokane, Coeur d'Alene, and Silverwood theme park on the way.

Our 4th amusement park in 4 years doesn't sound like much - but theme parks are becoming an addiction. Following our visit to Disneyland in California during Halloween., we've visited Disneyland Paris at Christmas, Europapark (2nd biggest park in Europe), and now Silverwood.

Riding Berlin's UBlau

The UBlau. Where we ride a line of the U-Bahn from start to finish, getting off on every stop to discuss, rate, take a pic, and drink. Don't worry, this has been tested on humans. We're not barbarians.

Why would we do this to ourselves again? Haven't I said we're crazy? (Exhibit 1, exhibit 2, exhibit 3...or just read the whole blog). We've done this before, so how bad can it be?

Testing Out the U-Blau

What to do on a Saturday night? 

What to do?

What to do?

What to do?

What about a drinking tour of the U-Bahn? OK! Let's call this an art project so it doesn't sound so...alcoholic.

I am skeptical about how this day will go

A Base in Basel

One of the few downsides of living in Berlin is that it is located waaay up in the corner of the country and it takes a little more time, money and effort to travel than our friends in the south. Luckily, we are adapting as we discover more discount airfares and alternate ways to travel. We still love train travel, but when I can fly to Naples, Italy for less time and money than I can get to Munich by train - my love for trains wains.

For my birthday this year, I wanted what I always want - travel. And I had an especially silly idea - roller coasters. Much to my surprise, I found the second largest park in Europe was in Southwestern Germany (after Disneyland Paris). How does this get us to Basel? After some dedicated internet searching, we found that flying into Basel was not only affordable from Berlin, it made more sense for the time & money than any of the other options. To the dreiländereck (three countries' corner) we go!

Bern, Switzerland - City of Fountains

A Swiss friend just told me that Bern is not actually the capital of Switzerland. What!? It is actually the Bundesstadt - a federal city or de facto capital. This was apparently the diplomatic answer to Swiss cities asking what city is the fairest of them all.

No matter - Bern is fair. Beautiful, fairytale, romantic, charming, and ridiculously good-looking. We spent a day trip here while staying in Basel, an easy flight away from Berlin, and were enthralled.

East German Loving: Dresden

Wanting to simply go anywhere, but lacking the important element of money, we stumbled on neighboring city Dresden. It's always been a bit embarrassing that we haven't gotten there, and what better time than now.

Dresden, capital of Saxony and home to many of it's princes and kings, is famous for its picture-perfect riverfront and majestic Old Town (Altstadt). Most public buildings have been impeccably rebuilt following the annihilation of the 1945 bombings. It is estimated that 75% of the historic center was destroyed during WWII and about 30,000 people died in the bombing.

A former city of Eastern Germany, it's unique geography once totally isolated it from the outside world, creating an unusually insular community. Today the city hosts around 10 million visitors a year and has a growing reputation as a must-see. What follows are observations form our visit.

Naples - When the Moon Hits Your Eye

As Berlin summer weather continues to prevail, (RAIN...lots of rain) we are brought back to a sunnier time, just a month ago, when we were in Naples with my nephew.

Naples & Vesuvious

Ian suggested titles for this post that were both apt and ridiculous.

*Naples, a lovely place to wa- WATCH out for the vespa!*

*Rome wasn't dirty enough for you? Ben venuto a Nopli*

*Buffalo Mozzerella and the Mystery of the Stolen Passports*

*Dr. Palm Tree - or How I Stopped Worrying about the Heat and Love the Camora*

*Naples - We came for the pizza, we stayed for the dirty-ass fountain*

*Don't want to siesta? Go for a walk with the tourists and Indians*
 *Naples - where the majority of people are Fat*

Our visit to the Museums of Paris

During our trip to Paris in December, we got all cultured. We did this (primarily) through buying the Museum Pass and going museum crazy.

We are museum lovers and prefer to visit a museum over & over, slowly absorbing the incomprehensible displays of grace and beauty BUT a week long trip to Paris only affords a precious hour or two in each place. Even then we missed some must-sees. We're sorry. This action packed museum itinerary was exhaustively carried out over 2 days and was so incredibly worth it.

Foucault pendulum

A glimpse at some greatness.

First stop:

Panthéon

This was the major landmark by our airbnb apartment. Located in the Latin Quarter in Paris, it is a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens such as Marie Curie, Victor Hugo, Voltaire, Rousseau, etc. Modeled on the Pantheon in Rome, the building is known for Foucault's pendulum a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the first simple proof of the rotation in an easy-to-see experiment.

Vienna: Much more than a little Sausage

Ian & I were excited to return to Vienna as we have been there several time and indulged in the cafe culture, oohhhed & ahhed at Stephansdom, and ate and ate and ate. But returning with the parents this time, we realized we actually hadn't spent much time in this Austrian wonder. In our usual whirlwind fashion of travel we had been here on our way elsewhere, but only actually stayed for 1 or 2 nights. This was an egregious error that needed correcting and we couldn't have been happier with our latest experience.

As always, what follows are our highly unscientific, capricious ratings of "The City of Dreams" (home to Sigmund Freud).

Vienna Ratings:

 

Bratislava - Not as Bad as People Say!

We continue on our tour of central Europe with the p's & give our biased, unprofessional opinions of Bratislava, Slovakia.

Buda Love

Once again, we have decided to rate the cities we are visiting with the parental units. The first leg of our mini- central European tour, we start with breath-taking Budapest.

Bologna by Towers

Ratings of our  trip through Italy continue, from Bergamo to Venice to.... 

Bologna

Transportation in Bologna

Greg

4 Towers - My feet were the transportation, but after a fine new pair of Italian sandals they enjoyed it much more.

Ian 
3 Towers - Very walkable city. Can’t say I used the transportation. Buses seemed convenient and frequent. Vespas abound- ciao!

One of the most Romantic Cities in the World...with your Father-in-Law

Just the side of Saint mark's is lovely

The ratings continue as our amateur testers- us- run around Italy and give scores that reflect our views. And just to once again confirm that these ratings are just personal perceptions, the porn proprietor Larry Flint:

Opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one.

Venice

Transportation in Venice

Greg
4 Gondolas - Water taxis (vaporetto) aka water buses. What a novel concept! Lovely way to see the city and surrounding area.

Ian 
4 Gondolas - Everything was very accessible. Only drawback was that vaporettos were very expensive. But who needs that when you can walk everywhere?

ebe
3.5 Gondolas - Train station is a bit far from things, but the vaporettos make moving around easy. They are a pricy option, but entirely necessary to truly see the city. Plus they take your out to islands which gives a unique look at the place and a brief respite from the crowds. Walking is the best way to get to know a  city and walking through alleys, along canals, and over arched bridges..."È una bella città"!

Accommodation in Venice

Map in the lobby

Greg
4 Gondolas - Accommodations were wonderful. Intriguing decor, fascinating building. Only drawback was night clerk was rather snotty.

Ian 

4.5 Gondolas - Awesome building with antique furniture. Air conditioner was a bit weak, wifi only on main floor, and lack of common room were the only shitty thing.

ebe
4.5 Gondolas -  The Pensione Guerrato was right off the Realto and fish market, this was one of the best locations I have ever stayed. Paired with true antique decor and lovey Italian breakfast (chocolate & coffee) I see why rick Steves recommends. Down-side is that Rick Steves recommends so there are many a Steves book around and it's like mini-America. Also, air conditioner & wi-fi could use a boost.

Sights in Venice

Doge's Palace

Greg
4.5 Gondolas -  From alley to bridge, to Grand Canal- stunning with every step.

Ian 
5 Gondolas - Everywhere you turn is a postcard. The actual sights themselves are absolutely amazing.

ebe

4 Gondolas -  As romantic, decadent, and rotting as one could hope. Even as a motley crew of Porters, it's magic. The Doge's Palace was overpriced, but Ian helped by talking them into giving one of us a student price- well done Ian!

Also- great Steve's tip: Check your bag at the Ateneo San Basso, a former church just around the corner and down the Calle San Basso from the Basilica's main entrance. and you can skip the line.

The only thing that hides it's loveliness is the throngs of us tourists.

These guys own the city & know it

 Dining in Venice

Greg

4 Gondolas - Highlight for dining was lunch on Murano. Welcoming owner, very attentive, hands-on.  Many tidbits of Venice flavors. Quite delightful

Ian 
3 Gondolas - Overall, a culinary disappointment. There was however, a lovely lunch in Murano. We sat next to Keith Richards- a little more salt on that salad?

ebe
4.5 Gondolas -  Tourist menus are always enticing, but dissuading. But what is the real Venice for cuisine? We chickened out and had lots of groceries and little meals, which I think did us a dis-service. Should have got our hands dirty and gone in for a big splurgy meal. Still, gelato greasing every meal and snack time helps. And Ian forced us to eat a bunch of little squids (video coming) which was a highlight.

And Murano's lunch was perfect!  Wandering in when most things were shut for siesta, we were warmly welcomed by the owner who charmed us all through lunch and served cuttlefish & Bolognase on spaghetti, wine, and we even tried Grappa (Fermented from the peels, seed and stems of grapes, it is clear in color and of high alcoholic gradation. This beverage is very popular in northern Italy and is normally consumed as an after dinner digestive drink).

Overall

Greg
4.75 Gondolas - Beautiful city, extra bonus Murano. Getting Murano glass ornament from Keith Richard’s shop- priceless.

Ian 
5 Gondolas - It’s Venice. It truly lives up to it’s expectations, even in the middle of July. 

Doge's Palace

ebe
4 Gondolas -  We counted how many mask/glass stores Greg went in before buying something. I think it was 15. BUT it was fun to see the city, every nook & cranny. We had serious fears about prices & crowds at this time of year and both were manageable. I like to get away from the crowds, but this was a city I was glad to see with the guys.

Looking out from the Square

Photo Post
Complete Venice photo album

Rate the Danes

Along with more pics of beautiful Copenhagen...

Copenhagen Crest

Tivoli Gardens

Porters!

Porters in flight

Porters on the prowl

Rathaus

...we have some ratings from 3, awesome independent visitors - us. A bit about your reviewers:

Greg recently turned 50, Father/-in-law from Eastern Washington. He likes gardening, fine wine, and demon dog named Fritz.

Ian is a 28-year-old lover of the German language, kitty cats, manly beers, and manly beards. He likes making up new words in German that Germans claim to not understand and landing safely.

ebe is an expat writer, beverage connoisseur, and increasingly technology dependent individual. I miss my cats Bellatrix & Sternburg, my horse Houston, Seattle...and oh yeah- my family. (Just kidding mum!)



Ratings will be done in herring. These are the opinions of our fine raters in not any official capacity.

Transportation in Copenhagen

Greg
3 Herrings - Compared to Berlin, not as user friendly.

Ian 
3 Herrings - Very walkable city with transportation there when you need it. Only drawback is that pricy ticket. And only one hour?! Wooooooo!

ebe
3 Herrings - A single 1 hour ticket was about 4 euros- ouch! We came in through a bizarre entrance, but system seems quite clean and spans the area nicely. Also - a point for having a train station that is located in the center of town.

Accommodations in Copenhagen

Greg

3 Herrings - Lovely pool & sauna. Nice buffet. Room was a tad small and shower and bathroom light were hard to figure out.

Ian 
4 Herrings - Nice room, klein aber fein. Awesome pool area & access to central station. I thought it was a nice hotel, considering I didn't pay for it!

ebe
4 Herrings - Lots of options for ok prices considering the cost of living. Tivoli Hotel had a fancy pool, ok view of waterfront, an expensive but delicious breakfast buffet, and an avante garde theme. BUT a bunch of tourists and the awful Harlequin boy & girl dressed up like the mascot- not so awesome. Also- further from station & Tivoli Gardens then I thought it would be.

Sights in Copenhagen

Greg
4.5  Herrings - Incredible gardens at Palace. lovely way to spend your 50th, with someone you love. 

Ian 
3.5 Herrings - Absolutely love the architecture- spires are something from Super Mario.Not a lot of must-sees, but the town is the sight.

ebe
4 Herrings - Quaint. And expensive. Like everything there. Christiana was pretty sick, but I think you need to know someone to make it truly enjoyable.

Dining in Copenhagen

Greg

2 Herrings - Didn't experience a lot of Denmark's cuisine, as time was short and prices were tall.

Ian 
1 Herrings - 15 euros for half a sandwich? Methinks not.

ebe
2 Herrings - (Once again) Dammmmmmmmmmmmmn- Look at those prices! And while fish is not my fav, the mandatory herring dishes were excellent. But beer prices & quality were not. I did dig the 7-11 slurpee, but how is 7-11 big in Scandanavia?

Overall

Greg

3.5 Herrings - Enjoyed the visit, be it brief. Beautiful green spaces and mix of architecture. Not for the budget conscious.

Ian 
3.5 Herrings - Awesome city to stroll around in and I imagine an amazing place to live, but visiting...next time I see a Dane visiting Berlin I'll make sure to charge them 1.5 times normal price.

ebe
3 Herrings - Lovely city that I think is probably awesome to live in. However, on a visitors level it only gets mid-herring.

More pictures of Copenhagen
& rando video of Denmark

To find out about more cities we've visited and how they rate, click on the ratings tab below the post.