London Oct. 21st -22nd – London Calling and Homeward Bound

For the first time in 20 days I was heading west. I awoke early Tuesday morning, very early, for my flight from Budapest back to London. I’d seen so much over the course of this trip and while I was ready to sleep in my own bed and eat an American cheeseburger, I was sad to see my trip winding down.

I arrived early in London and took the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station. As I landed at Gatwick I realized that I’d flown into London eight separate times and had, upon this flight, managed to hit the four major London area airports, Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and Gatwick, in the last twelve months. No wonder I had so many frequent flier miles! The Gatwick Express was an easy way to get into London and put me a couple of blocks away from Theresa’s apartment.

After the early morning I decided to take a quick nap…well that turned into a much longer nap than I had planned for. I guess I was worn out from all this travel. I woke up mid-afternoon and put on some clothes to work out in. Given how my stomach sickness and sinus congestion I’d not worked out for the majority of this trip. I figured a fast walk would get my blood flowing. Theresa’s apartment being a two minute walk from Buckingham Palace puts it in a great place for some outdoor exercise. I did a quick loop of St. James Park checking out all of the birds that were being fed, and dodging large droppings that came from all of this feeding. I walked up to Trafalgar Square and then back down the mall to Green Park. Making my way up to Hyde Park Corner and then back to Theresa’s. It felt good to get out at a brisk pace with my iPhone blasting.

Theresa arrived back at her apartment and we decided to get dinner at a local pub called The Albert. It was great to eat a meal with someone after several weeks of eating alone! Theresa and I had a great time laughing and talking about my travels and her work.

Today, after a few errands around London, my call in London was over and I headed to the airport. Now jetting my way back to New York I’m re-reading some of the things I did and am thrilled to have had the opportunity to take this trip around Europe. I’ve seen a lot of museums, castles and churches. I’ve spoken a number of different languages, at least some basic words albeit poorly! It challenged my comfort zone but also allowed me to see many new things and learn much history.

I’m looking forward to a few weeks at home before I continue my world travels that will take me to see totally different things in Dubai, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. So for now I say Cheers, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen, Dobrý den, Viszontlátásra, and see you next in Dubai!

Budapest – Oct. 19th -21st - Sunny in Buda and Pest

Traveling from Vienna to Budapest I was surprised to see terrain that reminded me of California. The trees and the hills of Hungary were very reminiscent of a mix between Northern and Southern California. Once in Budapest there wasn’t much trace of California left. The train station was not very welcoming and gave the appearance of arriving in a small town in Latin America! Once out of the train station I quickly realized it was not a small town but in fact quite large and spread out.

My hotel in Budapest lay on the Buda side of the Danube river. The Danube cuts the city in two with the Buda on one side and Pest on the other. I was pleased to have a room with a view of the river and Margit Hid, a bridge spanning the Danube (http://www.panoramicearth.com/405/Budapest/Margaret_Bridge_(Margit_hid). After getting settled in the hotel I took advantage of a beautiful day of sun and warm temperatures. I’d seen the Parliament building (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Parliament_Building) from the hotel, the two were directly across from one another, and the view only improved as I walked along the river. I could see the castle hill high above in Buda. I walked across the Szechenyi Ianchid, or Chain Bridge (http://www.aviewoncities.com/budapest/chainbridge.htm), reminiscent of the Brooklyn Bridge, and entered the Pest section of the city. The center of Pest is cut by the Vaci Ut, a pedestrian street with shops, outdoor cafes and lots of people spending their Sunday afternoon. Taking in the sites of the Vaci Ut I made my way to the Central Market Hall, which I’d heard was a large market with crafts and food stalls. Unfortunately it was closed, as was much of Budapest I quickly discovered.

Walking back to the Chain Bridge along the water front I could see the funicular that heads up to Royal Palace (http://www.budapest.com/tours/budapest-Royal_Palace.htm) which houses the Hungarian National Gallery. I figured this was a good way to get the lay of the land. The funicular is a quick ride but goes steeply up the hill and brings you to a plateau of sorts. This high point of Buda gives great views across to the Parliament building, St. Stephens Basilica and many other sites around the Danube. Matyas Church (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthias_Church) is just down the road from the Royal Palace and is an enormous structure. It has a similar roof to that of the Stephansdom in Vienna with colored tiles making unique patterns that can be viewed from all over the city. Unfortunately for my photo album much of the church was ensconced in scaffolding with the off-season renovations taking place. From here I made my way down the hill and back to my hotel. All this touring was beginning to wear me out and I decided it was an evening of rest at the hotel.

I awoke on Monday to another beautiful day, though a bit more haze and smog. I’d been a bit lazy and slept in today. I again headed out on foot and crossed to the Pest side of the river. I quickly made my way to what is one of the major sites to see in Budapest, St. Stephens Basilica (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stephen's_Basilica). The inside of this church looks more like a place with ornate marble and gold décor. There were numerous frescos painted on the walls and a large dome topping it off…be careful the dome collapsed when it was built. My parents’ friend Bob and Carolyn Mills had traveled here early in the year and I’d seen a picture of Bob in the church where his choral group sang. What an incredible experience that must have been. One I’d love to have but I can’t sing and I hate being on stage so I live vicariously through Bob!

There was a lift to the top of the church that I took to see the view from this side of the river after seeing the reverse yesterday. The view was equally impressive with the ability to see the Royal Palace, the back of Parliament and Matyas Church. From here you could not tell much of the scaffolding on Matyas Church. After taking in the view for some time I decided it was time to have lunch. I made my way to the waterfront where I’d seen a number of outdoor cafes yesterday. Hungary is known for goulash so I felt I should try it. Ordering a beer and beef goulash I was a bit nervous about what it would taste like since it generally doesn’t have a very pleasant appearance. It was great! Beef, vegetables and mini dumplings are quite a good combination, especially when smothered by a delicious sauce. Topping it off with chocolate profiteroles and I’d managed to have one of the highest calorie meals I’d ever eaten!

I made it back to the Central Market (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Market_Hall_(Budapest). This place is huge. It appears as if it is an old train station and contains stalls of food and upstairs crafts. The crafts appeared very oriented towards the tourist so a quick wander through that and I’d kept myself from buying a number of things that I knew I’d question when I got home. I was now quite a distance from my hotel and decided I would walk on the Pest side of the river all the way to Margit Hid before crossing back to Buda. The walk was very long but well worth it. The sun began to set about halfway through the walk and made for a beautiful view over the Royal Place. I was able to get a close up view of the Parliament building and then walk across the bridge towards Buda.

Back in the hotel I am packing up for a very early flight back to London. I’ll get to see a few more things there and of course see Theresa before my European tour concludes.

Vienna – Oct 17th and 18th – Beating Expectations

Vienna was a bit of an afterthought to me. A convenient stop between Prague and Budapest on the train. I’d planned it so I would have only a day and a half in the city and as I read about things to do and see I was not overly excited about this stop. Boy was I proven wrong!

I pulled into the Wein Subbahnhof (south train station) in the early evening after going through some gorgeous countryside between Prague and Vienna. At points I’d thought it was like a scene from a movie. There were deer jumping and playing in a field with rolling hills behind them. Is that for real? I was listening to some classical music on my iPhone…I never listen to classical music and realized it was good timing considering where I was going. Vienna seemed, by literature I’d read, the center of all things classical music.

Arriving at the Hilton Stadtpark, I was impressed with what my Hilton Honors points had gotten me for a free stay. The hotel was quite nice and I was upgraded to the executive floor which meant I’d get some free food and drink in the executive lounge. My vantage point from my tenth floor room were out onto the city in the opposite direction from the center. I decided a bit of free food and maybe some wine were in order before I began my exploration of central Wien. The views from executive lounge were great! Looking down on Stadtpark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadtpark) and into the city center. I was able to get myself a bit oriented and filled my stomach.

Heading out into the central part of Vienna was very easy from the hotel. I crossed the edge of Stadtpark, which looked beautiful at night so I looked forward to a walk through it in the daylight. On the opposite side of the street was the MAK (http://www.mak.at/), a museum of applied and contemporary arts. Walking down Wollzeile towards the Stephanplatz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephansplatz), a main central square, I was stuck by how cold it had gotten and how festive the city seemed with Halloween and Christmas (I know a bit early) décor filling the windows of the numerous shops. The other thing I noticed was how clean it is here. The streets were practically sparkling and I’d never seen buildings, particularly of this age, that were so pristine.

I was awestruck by my first view of the Stephansdom ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stephen's_Cathedral,_Vienna) as I walked into the Stephansplatz. The Stephansdom is a gothic cathedral that that was lit up beautifully. This cathedral was completed in 1160! I figured it was closed but was pleasantly surprised to see people walking in. I followed and was blown away by the size and grandeur of this cathedral that I’d never heard of mentioned in the same breath as Notre Dame or St. Patricks in New York. They were setting some trees up and it smelled like Christmas inside which was warming given the temperature outside.

I continued walking through the center of the city without a clue where I was heading. I ended up in the midst of the Heldenplatz which is the center of the Hofburg (http://www.hofburg-wien.at/en/), home to the Hapsburgs for centuries. The lights of this city were brilliant with the Rathaus off in the distance across the Volksgarten. Walking back to my hotel I veered in different directions through the winding streets and was impressed by the number of unique little shops that remained scattered throughout Vienna.

This morning (Saturday) I woke up excited to see Vienna in the daylight hours. I got an early start so as to beat the throngs of tourists that would inevitably fill up the key sites around the central city. My first stop was the Stephansdom once again. This time by daylight I was able to go up to the bell tower and view things from above. The roof of the Stephansdom is as impressive as the rest of the building. It is colorful with 230,000 colored tiles and has almost a Bavarian charm to it. I stood taking pictures of the spires and roof with a three quarters moon still shining in the distance.

Arriving at the Hofburg I was a bit overwhelmed with where to go. This place is huge! There were museum entrances all over the place and each seemed to house something different. I hadn’t prepared myself well for this given that Vienna had not been as high on my list of places to visit as the others on this trip. I saw and entrance that peaked my interest. Ancient musical instruments. I figured Vienna being the center of music and the fact that I used to, long ago, play the piano, guitar and saxophone, I’d enjoy it. Plus housed in the same section, while and odd combination, was the section of the museum dedicated to armor and ancient weapons! The section of musical instruments was pretty cool. It housed many instruments used by the likes of Beethoven and Mozart. I had never realized what an art form the construction of musical instruments could be. Ornate to plain, these instruments were something that could be the center of a beautiful room. This visit also gave me some additional history on the musical history of Vienna which was at one point or another home to just about every major classical composer you can imagine Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms and the Johann Strausses (Jr. and Sr.).

The section of armor and weapons was equally impressive with full displays set up of knights on their horses attacking one another. There was armor from Maximilian II, who I remembered had built Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. I was struck with how the borders had either not existed as they do today or they were blurred by the control of an empire that spanned large areas of Europe. My favorite piece of armor was a dome shaped head piece that was topped with a decorative piece. This was used for practice in which two opponents would use a club with the objective of knocking off the decorative piece from the top of the dome in order to achieve victory. The theory was this would help hone the precision of a club toting knight in what they hit…I have a feeling there were numerous people wearing these domes that wished this precision was practiced on inanimate objects!

Lunch for me today was at an outdoor café on the Stephansplatz. A huge Weiselbuger Bier, an Austrian beer, some salmon, a whole lot of people watching and I was energized to see some more. Vienna is full of parks, Stadtpark by my hotel, Burggarten by the Hofburg, Volksgarten by the Hofburg and Rathauspark by the new and old town halls (Rathaus). Volksgarten was the most ornate with rose gardens and details not found in most city parks. Stadtpark was more of a city park with people running and a river cutting through its middle. The Rathauspark is impressive if only for the fact that the Rathaus building which is as grand as most buildings in Vienna but in a more gothic style than the other imperial looking buildings which were more reminiscent buildings such as you might find in Washington, DC.

After a rest and some food I left the hotel in the evening hours and made my way to Naschmarkt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naschmarkt). I didn’t really know anything about this except it was a different part of the city than I’d seen thus far and it was supposed to be an interesting site. By the time I arrived much of the market was shut down but I was surprised to learn that much of the market consisted of permanent buildings that housed restaurants. The really odd part to me was that most of them were Asian restaurants. I’d not come to Vienna expecting much but certainly not a large selection of Chinese food. Walking back through town I saw what appeared to be more of the local spots, all the while marveling at how friendly, clean and beautiful this city is. Another stop in Vienna would certainly include a musical venue. There are so many that it is almost dizzying and makes it difficult to determine which one will be the best experience. Proving that expectations can always be blown away, I will certainly put Vienna on my list of places to visit again and be more prepared to take advantage of all it has to offer.

Prague Oct 15th – 17th – Past the Iron Curtain

Prague has the allure of being a city that was once behind the iron curtain. It drives thoughts into my head of lines to get food and dreary government buildings. There was something very cool, having grown up during the height of the Cold War, that I was going to officially be on the other side of what was once the Iron Curtain. While there are remnants, still, of the communist rule I was pleased to see that the city is one in which history and culture survived this dark time in its history. Beautiful buildings and a lively culture abound.

The view from the train was mostly of farmland. There was an interesting farming technique I’d not seen before. Hay was bailed and then wrapped in plastic, usually white. The effect was the appearance of fields of mozzarella! Made me hungry. I had two trains on this trip, one from Munich to Neurenberg and then from Neurenberg to Prague. The first train was quite German. Sleek, clean and high speed. We sped alongside the Autobahn at 250 kilometers per hour, just slightly faster than I’d driven! I noticed there were several cars nearly keeping up with us. I love it!

The train from Neurenberg was old and a bit dirty. The train station itself was not the likes of the glamorous stations in Paris and London. It was quite dingy and dark. The images of a darker time came back into my head. I had looked on the map while on the train and it appeared my hotel was just a short walk from the station. As I walked I could see more lights and I came into Vaclavske Namesti or Wenceslas Square (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenceslas_Square). My hotel was right of this square which is a huge square that is reminiscent of Times Square with lights and shops and throngs of people (plus casinos). The K&K Hotel Fenix was on a seedy street with “cabaret” spots (read peep show locations) but ended up being quite a nice hotel. Within walking distance of all major attractions in Stare Mesto (Old Town).

I arrived around 7:30 at night and given that most of the day had been on the train I wanted to go out and see the town. Unfortunately, I’d come down with a horrible cold and my body decided that sleep was more important. So the next morning, waking early from the pain of sinus congestion, I started my viewing of Prague. I got out of the hotel around 7 AM and walked to the Staromestske Namesti,or Old Town Square (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Town_Square). Free of tourists at this hour I was able to see the buildings and take in the main square in the city which boasts buildings spanning 700 years. The St. Nicholas is a church on the square which has an astronomical clock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Astronomical_Clock) with which rings each hour with a show (similar but smaller than Munich) in which a skeleton, I believe representing death, rings the bell.

Next stop for me was the Karluv Most (Charles Bridge). This is the most famous bridge in Prague, though there are many. I was looking forward to rubbing the statue of St John Nepomuk which supposedly brings good luck, in hopes that it might help me rid myself of this horrible cold (though with the number of people that have rubbed this statue I would probably end up with something much worse!). Unfortunately the statue wasn’t reachable as a large portion of the bridge was under renovation. Key to note here that if traveling in the shoulder or off season you will often find that things are being worked on since it isn’t high tourist season. The bridge provides beautiful views of the Vltava River and the castle on the hill (as well as the mini-Eiffel Tower called Petrin Tower).

Walking further I aimed to reach the Prague Castle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague_Castle) and St. Vitus Cathedral (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Vitus_Cathedral) at the top of the hill. The walk up the stairs should have been under normal circumstances quite easy given all the days on the stairmaster at the gym, however I wasn’t able to breath from my cold so by the time I reached the top I was huffing and puffing. The vantage point at the top made up for it with views of the entire city. The rain began at this point and I quickly made my way into the castle and on to St. Vitus Cathedral. This cathedral was built over the course of 600 years and finished in 1929. The stain glass rivals that of Notre Dame in Paris. The tower was not climbable since it was closed due to “technical reasons.” I wondered what was technical about the tower but didn’t ever find out. As I exited the castle it was really starting to rain and I’d of course left my umbrella in the hotel. I stopped to buy a cheap umbrella and then had the chance to watch the changing of the guard (I guess this is not just British tradition).

After a quick rest at the hotel I ate lunch at the U Prince Café on the Old Town Square. Here I was able to watch the astronomical clock and the square now teeming with tourists. It was an outdoor café with cover and heaters which was a great way to enjoy being outdoors while the rain came down. I had a few more stops to make including the Jewish quarter and wandered through the narrow, and very winding streets! I’d been told that the Four Seasons hotel had a great view of the river and also of castle hill. Given the rain and my worsening cold I thought I nice warm hot chocolate was in order. After warming up I walked along the river to, new umbrella still in hand and open, and arrived in front a Frank Gehry building knows as the Dancing Buildings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_House). These buildings remind me of several of the Gaudi buildings of Barcelona with a twisting shape that makes it look as though two buildings are intertwined. They are often referred to as Ginger and Fred.

A few weeks neighbors and friends of Sophia and Antonio had been in Prague and written up a list of recommendations for me. Lisa and Dave had given me a wonderful list of places in which I could tap into a pilsner (apparently the word originated here) but I opted to avoid that so that I wouldn’t set myself back on health. I decided to take their recommendation for dinner at a restaurant called Bellevue (http://www.bellevuerestaurant.cz/en/bellevuerestaurant/). I made a reservation and arrived at 8 PM for what ended up being a delicious dinner that rivaled many restaurants in New York. The beauty of Bellevue is that much of the food is organic and besides it has views of castle hill all lit up at night. The only disconcerting thing was that the semi-domed ceiling had the strangest acoustics in which I found myself listening quite clearly to a conversation of several American business people that were sitting clear across the restaurant. I guess it is a mini-version of the Capital Building in Washington, DC which has the same acoustics with several of its domes. I’d come back to this restaurant anytime, but bring your wallet. This was a splurge.

This morning I started the day off with another hot chocolate. This time in a café on the edge of the Old Town Square. The rain had left Prague but the temperature had now dropped dramatically. I’d grown used to sunny 70 degree days. It was now around 48 and windy. I count myself lucky that so far I’ve only had two days of rain and have had such wonderful temperatures with which to see Europe. I was also happy to wake up having gotten past the hump of my cold which was starting to subside.

It was here at this cafe that I thought about some interesting observations I’d been making the past few days. There were a number of exchange students milling about, a lot of Asian tour groups and a lot of retirees. As I looked around there was really no one in my age bracket. I was beginning to realize that those in their mid-thirties were all at home working! Along the course of this trip I’d see many young backpackers who I came to realize looked at me as an old man, which I don’t agree with but it is all in perception. I’d also met a number of older couples, including a nice couple from MA, who were in Europe because their children were there studying or working. This was a bit disconcerting to me as I realized this was, and would continue to be, a reason that it had been hard for me to meet people. I imagine most of the people in my age bracket had been here during the summer when holidays abound throughout Europe and the US.

After some retail therapy I headed back to the hotel to gather my things and jump on my next train that would take me to Vienna.

Munich Oct. 12th – 15th – Prost!

After the beautiful train ride through the Swiss and German countryside I was excited to see what my first visit to Germany would offer. The Fleming’s Hotel in Munich City is right across from the train station. It is a great hotel within walking distance of the main city attractions. Thankfully I was not traveling with any friends as this hotel is clearly for single travelers or couples. The bathroom is entirely glass open into the room.

A quick walk around Munich (Munchen in German) and I got a sense of the history and focus of this Bavarian city. Historically speaking it has been largely re-built since the War but it was re-built in a fashion that gives it the appearance of never having been destroyed. The focus is clearly on enjoying life, and beer! There are beer gardens all over the place.

Just off of the Marienplatz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marienplatz) was a Haagen Dazs. All of a sudden it dawned on me that this might indeed be where Haagen Dazs originated. So of course I had to stop and partake in some ice cream where it was created. The ice cream was great but I have since found that I was completely wrong. I looked up the history of Haagen Dazs and it actually started in the Bronx! Not only that but the founder is Polish. I guess my international studies degree didn’t serve me too well on this account as it appears I am closer to the original when I’m in my apartment in New York City than here in Germany. Well either way I enjoyed that stop!

After a good nights rest I woke up this morning ready to see all that Munich has to offer. First stop…the car rental desk. Now that is not a great site to see but I had big plans to drive to Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Bavaria tomorrow. After securing my ride for tomorrow I raced over to the Marienplatz, the most central plaza in Munich with the new and old Munchen city halls (Neues Rathaus and Altes Rathaus) located on sides of the square. The Neues Rathaus is by far the more beautiful building and at 11 AM and 5 PM there is a show of sorts. Up on the façade of the building is the Rathaus Glockenspiel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathaus-Glockenspiel) which has numerous life size figures which act out a fight and a dance while the bells ring a tune. An amazing number of people stood to watch the show. After it ended I turned to the next site that was just off the Marienplatz, St. Peters church. I had read that this was the place that provided the best views of the city. I always enjoy going to a high spot in each place I visit so I can truly get the best vantage point of where things are. The bad part is that this was a very tall tower and there were only stairs. One narrow staircase was both the up and the down directions. More than three hundred stairs later I arrived at the top which held amazing views of all of Munich and off into the distance the Alps. Well worth the climb. And from here I could see my next stop, the Viktualien-markt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktualienmarkt).

There were two reasons for the visit to this farmer’s market that had begun in 1807. One was because it was supposed to have some very interesting food and craft and the second reason was that it has a beer garden. What an amazing market. It is there on a daily basis and has seafood, meat, bread, cheese, produce and crafts. While it was only 11 AM I saw that there were a number of people with beer in hand…and I’d been in Germany for 15 hours and had not yet imbibed. I sat down with what was the largest beer I’ve ever had and was amazed to see how many people were ordering beer. I had also ordered the largest pretzel I’d ever seen and sat and enjoyed my beer and pretzel for a while. At that point I thought I’d see a few more sites.

As I walked to the Residenz, I realized I was quite tipsy from my gigantic 11 AM beer. When in Germany! So I walked/stumbled to the Residenz which was home to the ruling familes of Bavaria for many years beginning in 1385 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Residence). Unfortunately I didn’t get to see much or take any pictures as it was being set up for a concert of some sort that had overtaken the entire courtyard. Still feeling a bit hazy I decided maybe it was a good time for a quick sit-down in the Englische Garten. I walked through the Hofgarten which is the royal garden and entered the Enlische Garten which is apparently one of the largest city parks in all of Europe. It is absolutely beautiful. It didn’t hurt that the leaves were turning and that it was probably quiet given it was Monday so it was not overrun with people. It reminded me of Central Park but with rivers running through it. Oh yeah there were also lots of naked people since nude sunbathing is quite normal. Naked people in Central Park is not welcomed by most New Yorkers so I’m glad that phenomenon hasn’t started at home!

After a nice time in the park I stopped in Max-Joseph Platz on the other side of the Residenz. This plaza is home to the city’s theaters and opera and stands at one end of Maximilianstrasse which is clearly the expensive shopping street of Munich. Nearby is the Odeonplatz which has the Commander’s Hall on the edge. This is where Hitler was arrested before the War. It is amazing to think of the years of history from Maximilian I forward and how much went on in all of these years, good and bad.

All this history wore me out so it was time for another German beer. I headed back to my now familiar beer garden and got myself some food and a beer. Sitting at communal tables I was greeted by several old time Munich residents and gave a Prost (cheers) and enjoyed my late lunch and beer. Time to head to the hotel to sleep off the time in the sun and the beer.

Today (Tuesday) I woke up ready to conquer the autobahn! I had originally thought I’d try to rent a Porsche and drive on the autobahn. Unfortunately I didn’t plan ahead (for once) and the prices had gone up significantly and I could not bring myself to spend the money to do this. Remember I was shocked in London when the Dow had gone below 10,000? It is now at 8,500! So, while not a Porsche I went for German perfection in a Mercedes. This car would certainly handle the autobahn quite well, right? Ends up that all they had left for me was a huge Mercedes SUV even though I’d really wanted something sportier. I know, I know…rough isn’t it.

Well, when in Germany, although driving a Mercedes, one must stop at the BMW museum and BMW world (http://www.bmw-museum.de/). I can still remember the Frederick’s old BMW from our childhood in Walnut Creek (which strangely is where I remember being when the news of Reagan being shot came on the radio) and of course Ingrid had a great BMW for years. Now both cars probably collectors items I thought I’d see if they were featured at the museum. This museum delivers great bang for the buck for a car lover like myself. The buildings are sleek and the exhibits even sleeker. The cars were so cool to see including the Z8 featured in a James Bond movie (license plate on it…007) and my favorite, a 1959 BMW 507 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_507). I also found the BMW that everyone should buy now that gasoline is so expensive. It is used but I think you’ll like the 2004 H2R, a hydrogen concept car that broke speed records. I believe this is where I say Price Upon Request. I think even non-car lovers would have found this museum interesting…though I am biased. After the BMW museum I was able to visit the site of the 1972 Munich Olympic games. I noted to myself that these games took place the year I was born. A few months after they ended I arrived in the world. The site lies empty now but this was the site of an Olympic games tainted with the massacre of the Israeli Olympic team.

I think most have a specific image in mind when thinking of the Autobahn. My vision was sort of like a race track full of Porsches and other high performance cars and cars. There'd be cars littering the side as they’ve blown out their engines or need a “pit stop”. Actually, the Autobahn is really just a highway. One on which there are clear rules of the road. Only use the left to pass and make sure you get the heck out of the way fast! I hit the Autobahn and felt a little sheepish about opening the Mercedes up. Then I got passed by a BMW that must have been going easily 100 miles per hour. So I joined in…mom don’t read this part. I punched it and hit 220 KM per hour (roughly 135 miles per hour) quite easily and yet continued to have to move over for some other cars that were going faster. It was amazing to go that fast. While it wasn’t a sports car this was a fun drive. With only around 25 miles of my trip on the Autobahn, at this speed it was a short drive. I then exited to drive through the countryside to Neuschwanstein Castle.

Neuschwanstein Castle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein) has been something I’ve long wanted to visit. It is a castle most of us know at least by image. For most of my life I knew it was in Europe but had no idea exactly where. Well now I knew it was in Germany but after at least an extra hour of turning around and around and around I still didn’t know exactly where it was. There seem to be no road signs in Germany. Then I saw a few tour buses going by and decided to follow. The countryside was amazingly beautiful with rolling hills leading up to the Alps. The leaves were turning and giving Vermont and New Hampshire a run for their money. Upon arrival I could see the castle on the hillside. It was just as I’d envisioned it, basically built into the side of the mountain. A cute little town at the foot of the mountains was the jumping off point for the walk to the castle. It was around a 30-minute walk up the hill to get to the castle. The walk reminded me of being in Yosemite with the rocks and cliffs and sound of a waterfall. The castle is extraordinary. While Ludwig may have been deemed insane (though that story is questionable) he had quite a vision to create this place. I walked past the castle to the Marienbrucke, a bridge that looks down on the castle and hangs over a huge waterfall. The bridge was a bit wobbly and my fear of heights was not helping but the view was worth it. Words can’t do justice to how beautiful the scenery of this entire day trip was. Certainly one place I would recommend all to visit if given the opportunity.

After an early dinner (bratwurst) in the village I began my drive back to Munich on a different route than I’d taken to get there. I drove through quaint Bavarian towns and then a blast onto the Autobahn once again. Once back in Munich I drove around town for a bit to see what some of the non-tourist areas looked like. Tonight, with the beginnings of a cold brewing in my head, I decided to take it easy and get myself packed up to leave for Prague in the morning.

Zurich Oct. 11th and 12th – Greuzi!

After a long 4 hour train ride I arrived in Zurich last night at 10:45. I headed to the hotel right away to get some rest. I had two days ahead in which to see a lot of things in Zurich. Theresa had been planning on meeting me here but unfortunately is sick (probably from hosting so many of us from the States over the past several months) so I’d have to navigate on my own.

Unfortunately I wouldn’t get to the hotel as quickly as hoped. After a taxi ride dropped me off at the Leonick hotel instead of the Leonardo hotel I was told I could walk to my hotel. I was a bit peeved about the fact that the no more than five minute taxi ride had dropped me at the wrong hotel at midnight and had cost 20 Swiss Francs (which is roughly $24). So I took off on foot and walked about 15 minutes up what may very well have been a mountain in the Swiss Alps. My hotel was in the university district. It was comfortable and an easy 5-10 tram ride to the central part of Zurich. The trams, reminding me of the Muni in San Francisco, was so convenient and ran quite frequently.

I woke up Saturday morning with a few key things to see. Should I buy that watch I’ve always wanted? Not in this economy and even while the Euro is at a low against the dollar it is still more expensive. Should I buy chocolate…of course. I went into Central Zurich and began walking the Bahnhof Strasse. This street is the main thoroughfare with shops and no cars. As I walked through town I realized that Zurich has several things en-mass. There are banks, watch stores and chocolate and more banks and more watch stores and more chocolate. I couldn’t believe how many banks there were in such a small area. I had this urge to open a Swiss bank account, or at least see if I could get access to someone’s Swiss bank account. I thought of my friend David who is spending a good deal of time in Zurich and thought he must have interesting secrets about peoples’ money!

Zurich is a beautiful town with church spires and many historic buildings and sites. It is situated at one end of Lake Zurich and as you stand at the foot of the lake you can see the Alps off in the distance. The town is very small with two sides separated by the Limmat river. I wandered up to the Lindenhof park and took in the view of the entire city. Once back in the streets of the old town I was reminded very much of Gamla Stan, the old town of Sweden. Small little car-less cobblestone streets with lots of shops of all sorts. I had been told that Zurich is very expensive. Let me tell you, listen to anyone that tells you it is expensive. They aren’t lying. I heard that a good meal could be found at the top floor of the Manor department store for a reasonable price. The food was great with a number of choices and I was able to secure a seat with a view on the terrace (70 degree weather). I’d hate to know what the expensive places for lunch charge as this lunch cost me roughly 25 Swiss Francs ($30) for pasta, salad and a bottle of water. Youch!

In the afternoon I wanted to make one important stop. Café Schober. The oldest café in Zurich with supposedly the best hot chocolate in all the city. Walking in old town is a bit confusing so I didn’t find it right away. The main street Munster Strasse has a million little streets off of it. After an hour of looking, which wasn’t a horrible way to see other shops and sites, I found it. Closed! It was being renovated and wouldn’t be open for quite some time. What a bummer.

I made my way to the Grossmunster Platz to see the famous church and saw many of the Platz and churches the city is famous for. I headed off to dinner at a small café in the old town section. Then back to the hotel for a rest which turned into a night in with horrible stomach sickness. I guess par for the course when you are traveling and eating different things. This morning I awoke and decided that since I still wasn’t feeling well and had seen so much of Zurich in one day that I would head to Munich early. Off to the train station and onto the train…but not before a stop at Sprungli, the most famous chocolate shop in Zurich for some treats for when my stomach is feeling better. My original train to Munich was scheduled for night and I was now excited at the opportunity to see the countryside of Switzerland and Germany during the day with the leaves turning and the Alps it is one of the most beautiful train rides I’ve experienced. I now know where all the Swiss cheese comes from. Lots of cows in Switzerland!

Paris – Oct. 8-10th – Se Habla Espanol?

Waking up this morning I was excited, sad and nervous. I was really excited to get back to Paris for another visit, I was sad to be leaving London and more importantly Theresa, and I was really nervous to be on my own in a country where everyone speaks French. I don’t speak French (6 years of Spanish and living in Ecuador and the Dominican Republic were not going to help here). I headed by tube to St. Pancras station early in the morning. I was really excited to be on the EuroStar and to go in the Chunnel. I’d always wanted to do that and thankfully the fire that took place in one of the tubes of the Chunnel a few weeks ago had not stopped my ability to do this. I have to say, while interesting and nice…it is a long dark tunnel! You don’t see much but none-the-less my inner geek was happy and I did enjoy the French countryside as well as a quick nap.

Arriving in Paris Gard Du Nord I hopped a taxi so I could head first to the hotel and drop luggage and then wanted to be on my way quickly to see some sites. My hotel in the 8th Arindonsement was perfectly located (though it took me a while to realize where the heck I was compared to other things), comfortable and I had a nice little balcony. I wasn’t here for the hotel, though, so I quickly headed for the Champs Elysees and decided to have a quick bite so I’d have the energy to go around town. I sat at an outdoor café and the waiter came up to me…first time I got to try my French. I said bonjour and he launched into something and then saw the look of terror on my face. At this point he said something about English and brought me a different menu to which I said “Gracias.” He came back and I ordered by pointing. Throughout my meal I continued to respond to his French in Spanish with a Si and a Gracias. I couldn’t seem to get myself to stop. I found myself chuckling as I knew that Sophia and Antonio would get a kick out of my trying to use Spanish since a year and a half ago we went to Spain for Alex’s baptism and they couldn’t get me to speak Spanish at all! It now seemed if I heard anything other than English I assumed Spanish was an appropriate response.

I walked along the Champs to the Garden Tuileries which took me past the exhibit of the 100th year of aviation being coordinated by the Paris Air and Space museum. The planes lined up on the side of the Champs was totally cool. They had everything from old to new. One plane in particular made me think of my mother’s book about the Wright Brothers. It was an old plane that was the first ever to do the Loop d’ loop. As I approached the Louvre I decided to ask someone to take a picture of me (another thing of traveling alone is that a lot of your pictures are of things/places and not people). I saw a kind looking woman and held my camera indicating I wanted her to take a picture. As she took it I heard her speaking Spanish to the two other women with her. Bingo! I could talk to these people. I took their photo and we talked a bit in Spanish. They were visiting from Spain and the eldest was very excited that I spoke Spanish.

That afternoon I must have walked half the city. The Champs, the Louvre, to Pont Neuf and then to Notre Dame. Unfortunately I didn’t get to climb Notre Dame as by the time I arrived they had let the last group up for the climb. I decided to walk back to my hotel now that I had my bearings. Up the Rue St. Honore (clearly a shopping mecca) and then up the Rue Royal to the intersection of Blvd. Malesherbes and Blvd. Haussmann which my hotel was just off of at the Place St. Augustin. As I got close to my hotel my feet were screaming at me and just in the knick of time I saw a crepe stand. A nutella crepe and an orangina were all I needed to finish the trek and put my feet up.

Thursday morning I woke up and had an immediate feeling of being overwhelmed. How was I going to get through an entire day of speaking only in my very poor, and quite limited, French? I have traveled very little on my own and the thought of an entire day with no conversations was also going to be a challenge. I figured what other choice did I have. I could stay in the hotel and watch CNN and BBC all day and get depressed over the economy or I could brave it and see the things I’d come to see. So I headed out on foot and walked the 10 or 15 minutes to the Seine and crossed the Pont de la Concorde to head towards one of my favorite activities in Paris, a visit to the Musee D’Orsay. A woman came up to me and started asking something in French. When I responded I don’t know French she said “oh even better, English.” She and her husband and their two friends were in from Toronto and had just arrived that morning. We stood on the edge of the Seine and I impressed myself by giving them the visual tour of where things were in relation to our spot.

I arrived at the Musee D’Orsay and took it all in. It is a great museum that is in an old train station so it has soaring ceilings and several clocks, one of which you can look through and see the Sacre Coeur. They had a Picasso and Manet exhibit going on so I made sure to check that out. I walked up the stairs to take in the view from the top. As I walked up the stairs I saw a girl that I thought I knew. I couldn’t place her…more on that later. I wandered through taking in the art and then decided I was hungry. I looked at the museum map and saw that they had a restaurant. I headed over expecting a cafeteria and was very surprised to see one of the most beautiful rooms ever. I sat by the window and ate lunch looking out at the river (again with Spaniards next to me so I could eavesdrop since it wasn’t French). I immediately realized why people have told me to bring something to read when dining alone. I didn’t really didn’t know what to do with myself. If I’d been at home I’d have been on my blackberry or phone or something. Here I was with nothing to do but take in the moment. I did manage to read the museum literature several times!

Next stop the Rodin sculpture museum and gardens. I’d not seen this last time I was in Paris so it was a must see. I could walk quite easily from the D’Orsay. The gardens here are amazing. So pristine with sculptures such as Man Thinking and the Gates of Hell scattered throughout. Even a peak at the top of the Eiffel Tower as you wander through. A wonderful place to sit and do your own thinking (or drawing as many were doing).

In the middle of the gardens is a villa full of Rodin sculptures. I stopped on a landing on the stairs and took a picture of one of the pieces that had been replicated from the top portion of the Gates of Hell. As I turned to walk up the stairs I saw the same girl from the Musee D’Orsay. Again I thought, how do I know her? Did she go to American University? Had I worked with her in some capacity? I was staring a bit and she smiled at me. We walked past each other (she with her boyfriend) and then it struck me. She looked exactly like Barbara Bush (no not the silver haired Barbara Bush but one of the twins). I thought that there was no way it could be her. She would have secret service. That was when I noticed the two men staring at me staring at her…her secret service. Hopefully I’m not on the secret services most wanted list now. Very strange to see the daughter of the President of the United States in France up close and personal. Now on seemed to even notice her and she was clearly just being a tourist with no major entourage or motorcade.

The remainder of my day had me wandering the streets looking for the Paris Catacombs. These catacombs were created when masses of people were dying of various “plagues.” Ultimately I found them, with some help from both Sophia and Maribel back in New York (internet access should be everywhere). Unfortunately closed for the day after nearly two hours of searching. I hopped the subway (very useful but makes New York’s subway seem almost nice – careful of the doors that you can open when still traveling at quite some speed). I exited in Marais which is an area of very artsy residents. Wandered around a bit peeking in windows and galleries and then, again on foot, back to the hotel. On the way back I picked up a baguette (from a great boulangerie on Rue St. Honore) and some amazing pate (from a shop just down from my hotel called Albert Menes Boutique (www.albertmenes.fr) located on Blvd. Malesherbes) to eat for dinner.

That evening I planned to head to the Arc du Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower to see the lights of Paris (isn’t this the city of lights?). What an amazing thing to do, though I hear the French think that this light show is just awful. The tower was blue with gold stars for the European Union and I sat in front to see the show. The lights are so dramatic but I can understand why the French don’t like it. It would be like putting flashing lights all over the Statue of Liberty I suppose. Walking back to the hotel I was again exhausted and knew that I would sleep like a baby.

This Friday morning I woke up with the same feeling of being overwhelmed. I’d made it through one day without much hassle. How would I get through this last day in Paris on my French? What was I going to do in all these other non-English speaking countries? My French had improved and my confidence in it had improved but last night I had said bonjour to the shop-keeper where I got my pate…as I was leaving the store! I again mustered the courage to step out into this foreign city and as usual was glad I did. I was bound and determined to make it to the catacombs this morning. I headed there on the subway now knowing exactly where it was. There are certain things you should do when you travel alone and certain things you shouldn’t do while you travel alone. The catacombs is certainly on the latter side of the equation. It is creepy and dark and you walk through piles of bones on either side of you in tunnels so low that you have to duck your head to get through. I’m glad I went but the tour sign said it would take forty-five minutes and it took me twenty! One thing I learned there is that while I am giving thought to so many career concepts there is one I won’t take…guarding the bones in the catacombs. There were attendants all through the tunnels and I can’t think of a much more horrible job than sitting in the dark all day with a bunch of bones telling people not to use their flash!

From here I decided to head back the Louvre and see some art and get some lunch. I had such a good experience at the Musee D’Orsay restaurant why not test the Louvre. Unfortunately it was more like what I’d originally envisioned. A cafeteria (though in fairness there are a lot of restaurants there). I then wandered through some of the halls of the museum. It is so gigantic and crowded and my feet where worn out from so many days of walking in London and Paris. I decided to rest in the Gardens Tuileries. I passed the many beggars that were trying to catch people’s attention by pretending they’d found a gold ring, which they’d conveniently dropped as they bent to pick it up for you and walked into the gardens. I found a great spot on what was turning out to be an unseasonably warm day for Paris (even the Parisians were parting ways with their Hermes scarves and Channel jackets). A lounge chair had my name on it (they are all over the Gardens) and I spent the next hour and a half watching tourists and Parisians alike walking by and warming myself in the sun.

One last walk to the hotel and a quick stop at the crepe stand and it was time to leave Paris. After a long delay at the Gard de L’Est train station I’m now speeding across the dark countryside of France (though I did get to see a beautiful sunset over the rolling hills). Next stop Zurich!

London Oct. 6th and 7th – Two Days About Town

Theresa had to go off to work so today I was on my own in London. While I’ve had a small list of required purchases for some folks back home I had no real plan. The Tate? The Portrait Gallery? Harrods? Who knew where the day would take me. I just knew it would again be fun to spend some time seeing the London beyond Big Ben and Parliament.

I headed off to Knightsbridge, with a quick stop at Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard, to poke around some shops (no buying going on with the pound making it so expensive here). I had been given a very important request to buy a handbag by my friend Rosemary. She asked that if in the area I stop into Harvey Nichols. I went and scoured the store for the non-existent handbag which hopefully is a good thing given the continual economic crisis in which the Dow dropped below 10,000 for the first time in 4 years.

Being in Knightsbridge did give me the opportunity to head to the food halls of Harrods and have lunch and some indulge in some of the amazing desserts they have there. After getting some shopping in I needed to balance it with some culture so I quickly headed to the tube and made my way to the National Portrait Gallery (http://www.npg.org.uk/live/index.asp). I highly recommend a stop here as it is an interesting, manageable museum which had many interesting portraits labeled with fascinating bits of history. I even saw Earl James Balfour’s (http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/people/famousfirst5.html) portrait which for those of you at NASDAQ may know is an ancestor of one of our former colleagues, Charles Balfour. The Earl was at one point Prime Minister of England.

Today I took the opportunity to walk over to The City and see one of the inspirations for my book…yes book. Some of you know I come from a long line of authors including my mother, grandfather and great grandfather (amongst many other creative relatives). I decided a while back that it would be fun to begin writing a mystery. I’ve always enjoyed reading them and given that writing should somehow be incorporated in my blood it has become a recent activity of mine. The big joke of course is that I will skip publishing the book and take it right to the movies so I can support the current life I'm leading of running around the world. So in my book I’ve incorporated a portion in London which surrounds an office in the Gherkin building (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe). The Gherkin is shaped like a bullet and soars above the skyline. With a murder mystery a bullet shaped building couldn’t be anymore appealing.

Tuesday took me to a completely different cultural locale than the National Portrait Gallery. I decided to settle my eyes on some modern art at the Tate Modern (http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/) on the other side of the Thames. I took the tube over and entered the massive building with a bit of trepidation. I thought about how I didn’t really understand modern art and questioned why I was going there. It ends up that I have an affinity for much more modern art than I had thought. I greatly enjoyed portions of the museum and came to realize that I like Cubism (I didn’t even really know what that was until this visit). I came to the conclusion that modern art, just like more traditional, really holds beauty in the eye of the beholder.

Of course there was still a heck of a lot that I didn’t “get” as I wandered around. There was a room with a sign that warned that the contents had sexually explicit material in it…so of course when you see a sign like that you have to dare to go in. I did and quickly exited after seeing a video displayed on the wall in which an old man was dancing with, as the Brits say, his wanker tucked between his legs. There were large pieces that were just one solid color that I thought I could paint and other rooms in which I couldn’t figure out what was art vs. not. At one point I paused to stare at a door thinking that it was art until I realized with some embarrassment that it was truly a door to another room.

All in-all the museum brought back some pleasant memories. With many students and their sketch books I was reminded of my grandmother. The genre of art reminded me of talking with my great aunt Gloria Brobeck, an avid and talented modern artist. And then my a great memory came back of our old family Volkswagen van…you know the predecessor to the mini-van and home to many a hippie. We took many fun family trips in it during my childhood and one in particular with our friends Bea, Bob and Nancy where we drove to Baja California for a whale watching expedition. You might ask what made me think of this…it was the art installation by Joseph Beuys called The Pack from 1969 (http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/beuys/room6.shtmin) which there was an actual VW van. The van had a number of sleds, torches and blankets coming out the back which represented the fact that while modern advances moved people around well in an emergency you sometimes had to go back to the basics. Our green VW van got us all over the place but certainly we had our moments of pushing and pulling to get it through places it wasn’t meant to travel!

Now I’m back at Theresa’s and packing up to head to Paris first thing in the morning on the EuroStar through the chunnel!

October 4th & 5th London – Fond Memories of Friends

Since I’ve traveled to London a number of times it was wonderful to wake up and pretend as though I live in London. Theresa and I headed to Burrough Market near the London Bridge where we’d visited a month or two ago and had amazing foods and seen amazing sites. We got our brownie and carrot cake and only then headed to eat a meal at a fun Spanish Tapas restaurant with sidewalk seating to watch the throngs of locals cramming into the pubs and market.

One of my favorite things to do in London is take a walk along the Thames. It is one of the best ways to see the sites of London. Each time it brings back fond memories of past trips with my friend including Bos and Sophia as well as remembering a particularly fun, and cold walk with my colleagues Ed and Doug while here on business. So Theresa and I stretched our legs and walked back to her apartment on the South side of the river. A good enough walk to get us ready for our next meal that evening at the Guinea Grill, a restaurant that was opened in 1645 in Mayfair. We had a wonderful time with the exception of the white pepper that we thought was salt and continued to put on all of our food until our throats were burning!

Sunday Theresa and I saw that London weather was continuing with rain and a cold wind but we decided to not let that keep us in and decided to go visit Windsor Castle. A friend and I had recently spoken about the fact that once you’ve been to a castle they all start to look quite similar. The coat of arms, the turrets, the tapestries and the plethora of portraits of old royals. This trip proved my thought process wrong.

Windsor Castle was amazing! We took the train from Paddington Station in London to Windsor and walked up the hill in the rain. The audio tour took us around the property and into the castle. It was truly a site to see with all of the items mentioned prior but in absolutely amazing splendor. I suppose the fact that the Windsors still occupy the castle makes it a special example of a castle.

The town of Windsor is a magical little English town. I thought a lot of my friend and boss Marcia who passed away a year ago. She and her husband Joseph had spent time living and working in Windsor and it added to the visit to know that the two of them spent many happy days in the same places. Though her portrait wasn’t hanging in the castle I could certainly picture her smiling face enjoying where her life had taken her.

Unfortunately I was also thinking of Marcia for other reasons. I’d received word that a colleague and friend Ann Sullivan had been killed in the early morning on Saturday in New York when she and a friend, who also died, were struck by a taxi. Ann, was a wonderful person who never was too busy to stop and ask how you were, always with a smile on her face. I gave much thought to her passion for life and how she’d spent much time in other parts of the world. I asked Marcia to welcome Ann. Theresa and I continued to talk about the fact that this was again reason to live life to its fullest, as both Marcia and Ann clearly had.

October 3rd - Arriving in London

I woke up as we landed in London and saw that it was a classically gray London morning…and I couldn’t have been more excited. While I’ve been in London many times I was excited to start this new adventure and to see my friend Theresa. Theresa is London’s current hostess with the most. She is here working on an international assignment with Goldman Sachs. She has been hostess to many guests this year so I was glad she would put up with me one more time! I’ve been able to see her a few times this year while on business travel in Europe and now I’d get to visit her with no work agenda surrounding the trip.

At customs the agent asked me a number of questions including what I do for a living. I proudly declared “I am not working right now.” Probably not the best thing to say as she then grilled me on what I was doing here, who I was visiting and then the toughest question…”what are you going to do for a job next?” I’ve heard this question from many people over the past weeks but did not expect this from the customs agent. The question made me realize two things…one I have no idea what I’m going to do next and two this trip comes without the traditional thought of going back to a daily grind when it is over. The latter made me relax and realize I can, and should, truly live in the moment.

Since I will be traveling a great deal on my own, Theresa helped me to launch right in talking to strangers. Tonight, after a welcome champagne in the courtyard of her building, we had dinner at The Pheonix, a local pub in Theresa’s Westminster City neighborhood. We spent time talking to someone sitting next to us who was visiting from of all places London…London Ontario in Canada! Theresa may have re-thought the notion of speaking to a stranger when he told her he could see himself dating her after five minutes of conversation. In the meantime the waiter and I broke into deep conversation about Sunday lunch at the pub in which he told me not to get the bread pudding as it gives him gas. Not the best salesman for the restaurant but all in both these conversations helped to prepare me for interesting and unique conversations to come while traveling on my own.

October 2nd - Leaving New York to “Backpack” through Europe

I decided to start my travels as most backpackers do by taking the subway to the airport. After years of business travel in which I traveled to the airport by taxi or car service this was a new experience. I left with considerable time and hour and a half later I arrived at the airport spending only $7 to get there. What a bargain! I spoke with friends and family along the way and joked about the start of my “backpacking” trip in which I lugged a tumi bag on the subway and checked into my business class seat (all those frequent flyer miles finally paid off).

Then I encountered my first fellow backpackers, except they were actually backpacking. They looked like they might have been on the road for a while and I gave thought to saying hello to them. Then I realized that they were not looking at me with the same comrade in arms method as I was them. I hadn’t quite achieved the “throw caution to the wind” traveler look. I was reading reading a copy of Traveler Magazine on top hotels around the world (none of which I’d be able to afford staying in but it is fun to look) and they were likely carrying a worn copy of Jack Keroauc’s On The Road.

While I’m not in my twenties and I’m not carrying a backpack on my back I hope to have some of the same experiences that a traditional backpacker has. I hope that I’ll indeed meet some of the interesting travelers, whether like those two on the subway or others traveling more luxuriously, who are ultimately seeking much the same…to see and experience new things.

Preparing to Leave

Over the course of the last two weeks I’ve been mostly getting ready for this trip, catching up on some much needed sleep and being a bit of a schadenfreude watching the stresses of life in the working world. Of course I did pause every once in a while to freak out about the diminishing balance of my 401k and the prospects of future employment as the economic crisis snowballed.

One thing I continue to struggle with is how completely out of my comfort zone it is to not have a plan. I’ve always had a plan. To the point that people make fun of me for spreadsheets and organization overkill. So not to have a job or so much as a plan for a job is a bit out of the norm from me. I have been continually re-convincing myself that this opportunity to take time off and travel is the best decision, and in fact will help me in the future to step out of my comfort zone and think creatively. Of course I did fill my need to have a plan with making arrangements for planes, trains and hotels as well as beginning to learn about some of the locals to which I’d be traveling.

I also started to plan for leaving New York for more than a week or two which had previously been the most I’d been gone at one point. I have no plants or pets to take care of but the litany of items to prepare was greater than anticipated. Who would collect the mail, who would I call/call me if there was a problem in my apartment, how do I get my bills paid so my power would still be on when I arrived back?

Once these things were done I was ready to leave and attempt this first of two major trips that would help alleviate some of my overzealous need to plan everything to the last detail.

Breaking News!

Have you ever noticed that the term “breaking news” is completely over-used by today’s television news networks? This has struck me many times over the past years and my friend Katie and I have often commented on it coming back into the office from lunch and walking by the television to see one of the many not so breaking “breaking news” stories.

It was the day after congress had voted down the bailout package and the Dow had plummeted 777 points. I’d been out of work for two weeks at this point and as my dad has kindly stated to people the financial markets collapsed as soon as I’d left NASDAQ. I went to the gym very early in the morning and as I watched CNN I saw that there was breaking news. I turned up the volume and heard that the breaking news was that congress had voted down the bailout package…15 hours after the actual vote. Not exactly breaking and one of the worst miss-uses of this term I’d ever seen.

So with that…here is my breaking news! I’ve left NASDAQ and am traveling to Europe, the Gulf Region, Asia and Australia over the course of the next several months. I’ll bring many breaking stories to you through this blog. I’ve never kept a journal (and certainly not a blog) and never chronicled any portions of my life and thought it would be a good time to capture some of my adventures. I hope one day I’ll be able to read this and look back fondly on the memories and breaking stories of this unique opportunity.