| April 25, 1996 -- San Francisco to Frankfurt, Germany | May 3, 1996 -- Genova City Tour |
| April 26, 1996 -- Frankfurt, Germany Rhine Valley Tour | May 4, 1996 -- Genova to Nice, France |
| April 27, 1996 -- Frankfurt, Germany to Munchen, Germany | May 5, 1996 -- Cannes, Grasse, and St. Paul Excursion |
| April 29, 1996 -- Munchen, Germany to Venice, Italy | May 6, 1996 -- Monaco |
| April 30, 1996 --Venice to Murano | May 7, 1996 -- Nice to Paris France |
| May 1, 1996 --- Venice to Genova | May 8, 1996 -- Paris France on Self Guided Foot Tour |
| May 2, 1996 --- Genova to Santa Margherita Ligure | May 9, 1996 -- Paris, France to San Francisco, California |
Our trip began from San Francisco International Airport. We departed for Germany by way of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. In Frankfurt we decided to take the subway train to our hotel. Everything was going well until we reached the end of the tracks. We had gone too far. We found a taxi outside the train station and tried to ask the non English speaking driver to bring us to our hotel. Finally we checked into our hotel (Hotel Monopol) which was directly across from the main train station in Frankfurt.
Once we settled in our room I confirmed our 4 p.m. city tour of Frankfurt. During the tour we visited old Frankfurt with cobblestone streets and old traditional buildings. We then drove through the city to view some of the major attractions stopping at one of the main shopping districts. We walked around but did not buy anything except German bier and espresso.
Note: Frankfurt is one of the financial centers of Europe. Tourists stay an average of 1.7 days in Frankfurt.
The journey began with a trip along the Rhine river coastline. The coastline is lined with many castles from centuries' past. We stopped in a small town name Wiesbaden. The town is well persevered and maintained in its original form. We walked up a famous street by the name of Drosselgasse that is lined with shops and restaurants. The streets are made of brick, granite or cobblestone.
We then embarked on our tour up the Rhine river on a ferry. The package included a traditional German lunch consisting of Bratwurst, Sauerkraut & Kartoffelpuree.
The Rhine is a major thoroughfare for merchants
and traders. On the return to Frankfurt we stopped at an old vineyard
Kauber Bluchertal where the wine cellar is carved into a mountain
of slate. We tasted three wines while the owner explained how
he makes wine. Most wines in Germany are white because the soil
is not adequate for the red grape. The only red wine he had was
very light almost like a rose`. Unlike most countries, Germany
will uncork wine just so they can check the quality.
Hotel Maritim - Goethestrabe 7 - 80336 Munchen
We departed Frankfurt by train non-stop to arrive in Munchen by
12 noon. As we got off the train we heard chanting. As we exited
the station we discovered there was a soccer game right next door
to the train station. Next we checked into the Maritim Hotel about
one block from the train station. After settling in we took a
walk and located our checkpoint for the next day's tour. Once
that was complete we began our self guided tour through downtown
Munchen. We discovered a large outdoor mall lined with shops and
with a festival type atmosphere most likely from the soccer game.
We noticed shops selling Bayern T-shirts, hats, etc. Later we
found out that Bayern is Munchens major soccer team. Only foot
traffic was allowed in the square. We walked around for a while
enjoying the sites and watching people. There seemed to be a political
demonstration of some sort going on with many people gathered
listening to some very animated speakers. We couldn't understand
any of it so we decided to stay far away from it. We stopped for
lunch at 5 p.m. at a McDonalds. Language was a problem, but Big
Mac seems to be an international language. The difficulty was
ordering French fries and drinks. The food tasted the same as
back home. After that we returned to our hotel exhausted.
We departed Munchen by tour bus on our way to Austria. We traveled south on Germany's first autobahn highway. Autobahn's were built during Hitter's rein to assist armies in traveling throughout Germany. On route to Austria we passed many castles and fortresses built in the 600-800's. Bavarians then were considered barbarians. Most priests trying to bring Christianity to Bavaria were killed. A gothic church where two priests are buried was pointed out to us.
We arrived at the border and stopped for a short break. Our first stop in Austria was the beautiful town of Salzburg. Hills throughout Austria (Salzburg) appear so very green, lush and beautiful. We walked into old Salzburg and visited churches and galleries. The biggest attraction to us was Mozart's birthplace. We visited Mozart's apartment where his pianos, music, furniture and other personal belongings are on display. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the main square where there is a monument to Mozart, just like you see in the movies. No, even better! We loved eating and drinking caffe and enjoying life in Salzburg. Well, on our way back to the tour bus we discovered that Jacques Villeneuve had just won his first Formula One Grand Prix in Germany. We also met a person on our tour who was from San Jose, CA.
Our next stop was Gilten, the birthplace of Mozart's mother and sister. Old Austrian houses are well preserved and restored. It is admirable to see the government trying to maintain the past in todays world.
We departed Munchen by train and arrived in Venice 7 hours later via a quick stop in Verona where we just made the train. Once we arrived in Venice we embarked on a vista voyage through the Grand Canal to our hotel. Of course we didn't get off the boat at our stop because some Italians give poor directions (They say, sempre di rito always straight ahead). Our hotel, Savoia & Jolanda was located directly in front of Saint Mark's Church and right next to the Bridge of Sigh. Our room was smaller than we expected, but it did display some nice traditional Venetian glass.
Once settled we began our stroll around Piazza di San Marco. Domenic's first caffe was most enjoyable. Next was gelato time. Domenic had pistachio & caffe flavor and Mary had vanilla & nociolla. About 1/2 hour later we had our second gelato stop. Mary had bacio & caffe and Domenic had strawberry & chocolate. The piazza is filled with pigeons (beware when looking up). You must look up to enjoy the beautiful architecture that lines the piazza & of course San Marco's cathedral. Each column of the cathedral is a different marble color, very impressive design.images/pmarco.jpg" ALIGN="LEFT" BORDER="2" ALT="Piazza San Marco">
Well, by 6 p.m. it was still a little early for dinner which usually begins at 7 or 8, but since we had a long travel day we decided to eat early. We found a Trattoria and were seated outside so we could enjoy the scenery and watch people taking their afternoon passegatta (walk). Mary had pizza with prosciutto and Domenic had one with artichokes, mushrooms and prosciutto. Dinner was delicious but service was so very slow. It took forever to pay our bill. After our meal we walked to the famous Rialto Bridge. The shops on the bridge had already closed for the day. The view from the bridge is extraordinary. Canal lights, their version of street lamps, glowed in the dusk sky to give the city a romantic ambiance. On the way back to our hotel the sky opened up and rain started to pour as we began crossing the piazza di San Marco. We were mesmerized by the sounds of traditional Italian music several bands were playing while under cover from the rain. The only problem was we were not under cover. We got very wet, but it was worth it. After listening to the concerto we called it a day.
Our first stop was the Cathedral of San Marco. Mary held our place in line while I went for my caffe. I joined Mary, and we waited about 20 minutes before entering. Gold parquet tile lined the walls and ceiling. It has traditional old style architecture with a lot of marble.. We've seen so many cathedrals throughout Europe I think were becoming un-sensitized to their beauty.
Our next stop was the Island of Murano, famous for Venetian glass. We arrived just in time to view a glass blowing and sculpting exhibition. The process of glass blowing and sculpting is fascinating. One artist sculpted a glass horse in less than one minute. Artists would make pieces in less than a minute because the glass cools so fast. We returned to the mainland and bought a glass fish made in Murano. We walked around a little and decided to have dinner. Then we decided to do more shopping. We found a nice shop full of wine glasses. We bought some glasses and had them shipped home. On our way back to our hotel we stopped for gelato.
Hotel Bristol Palace - 16121 Genova - Via XX Settembre,
35
(Ask for a large corner room with a balcony view of Via XX Settembre)
We departed San Marco via (boat) Vaporre up the Grand Canal. It
was a slow and peaceful ride as it was early morning. Mary took
one last photo just before crossing under the Rialto bridge. By
train we traveled the short distance to Santa Lucia where we switched
to a train that would take us to Genova. We were about half way
to Genova when our train was stopped for about an hour and a half
because of an incident on the tracks. We arrived in Genova at
2:30 p.m. that day. As we disembarked we realized that buses were
not running today because of a holiday similar to our labor day.
We took a taxi to the Hotel Bristol Palace. We checked in and
went to our room only to discover it had 2 separate beds and its
rate was less than we paid. Domenic had a few words with the management
and we ended up with a large room almost the size of our condo.
After settling in we walked around the city. Most of the businesses were closed due to their holiday. We got a caffe and ended up with a picnic dinner we returned to our room to eat.
Approximately 20 minutes south of Genova is the small coastal
town of Santa Margherita Ligure with its northern neighbor Portofino.
Santa Margherita Ligure is a small waterfront resort town with
beautiful vistas, streets, buildings and sidewalks. We arrived
by train and it started to rain very hard. As we walked though
the small coastal town we found a small caffe where I had my daily
caffe, it was very good. It was still raining very hard so we
decided to have an early lunch under a covered patio restaurant.
It seemed as if all we were doing was eating, oh well, why not
were on vacation.
Mary
had their prosciutto pizza and I had one with cheese, olives,
anchovies and capers, for dessert we shared a Tiramisu and I had
another caffe. The service and food were both very good. While
eating we saw a car spin in the street right in front of our patio
but luckily it didn't hit our lunch or us for that matter. By
now you must have realized that I love food & caffe.
When the rain tapered off we began a walk to Portofino. The walk along the coastline is breathtaking with villas overseeing the waterfront. We walked for about 2 miles only to reach a pedestrian dead-end. The sidewalk ended at a tunnel. We could not go any further without walking on the highway so we decided to head back to Santa Margherita. We really wanted to see Portofino but realized it would be very similar to Santa Margherita only with more tourists. Once we arrived back in town we walked around the wharf and decided to buy our afternoon gelato. Mary had tiramisu & vanilla and I had caffe & crema. We ate our gelato as we walked back to the train station. We decided to take a different route back to the station and discovered a hidden part of town. A beautiful piazza and street blocked from auto traffic opened up in front of us. A beautifully decorated church with black and white stones carefully placed on the sidewalk to create an impressive design drew our attention. It must have taken a long time to carefully place each stone, very impressive. We continued our relaxing walk down the street toward the station. Many traditional shops not too touristy lined the street. We arrive at the station and caught the 4:34 p.m. train back to Genova. On the way back to our hotel we stopped at an outdoor market to buy food. Oh yeah, I had my afternoon caffe as well. We finally arrived back at our hotel with aching feet, at least mine were. We ate our food while watching Bay Watch and Mr. Cooper in Italian. At 8:20 p.m. we crashed so we would be ready for our next day.
This day would consist of our self guided tour through the city of Genova, and yes we walked the whole way. We walked along the marina to the main train station to check the departure schedule to Nice, France. Outside the station is the statue of Christopher Columbus who was born in Genova. We returned downtown to search for a place to eat lunch. Unknown to us we found a famous Italian restaurant, Zeffirino. Mary was given a book of the restaurant by the host. Many famous people go to this restaurant like Frank Sinatra, Presidents, and other celebrities. We were very fortunate to find it and the food is exceptional. We finished lunch by about 4 p.m.. Then it was time for Domenic's caffe. By now you must think I've been wired on caffeine the whole trip, well you're right but it tastes so good. We returned to our hotel to prepare for our next days' journey and in the lobby ran into Tracy Chapman a famous singer, that was kind of neat. We packed and decided to have one last gelato in Italy and then retired to bed.
Holiday Inn - 20, BD Victor Hugo - F - 06000 Nice
Our train departed for Nice at 8:52 a.m. heading along the Italian
riviera. As we traveled along the coast we saw many beautiful
towns. We were fortunate to see these sites in spring when flowers
are blooming and there is SUN. It would be nice to have a summer
home here. Before passing into France we went through Monaco which
is a country in itself. Monaco spans 1 square mile in size. As
we passed into France we noticed that everything seemed to be
cleaner than Italy. We arrived at the Nice train station at 2:30
p.m.. Again we noticed how clean it was. I would normally not
mention this but the difference was amazing. We walked from the
station to our hotel.
After checking in and setting up our tours we decided to go for a stroll along the beach. On the way we exchanged Italian Lira for French Francs. We stopped by a caffe so I could have my afternoon caffe. The bartender started to speak to me in Italian. His mother was from Palermo so our dialects were very similar. The coffee was just okay, not as good as in Italy. You MUST order a short espresso if you are accustomed to Italian caffe otherwise you might as well drink brown water.
Well, we finally made our way to the beach along the Riviera.
The sidewalk is lined for miles in terra-cotta tile. The color
of the water is extraordinary with dark and light tones along
the coastline. 
We were told that the drastic color changes are due
to algae and minerals in the water & not by the depth difference.
It is very pretty. On the way back to the hotel we walked through
part of the old town. The old town is right next to the waterfront.
Its where many people lived years ago because of all the sea trading.
The old town is restricted to foot traffic only. Its lined
with a large flower market, restaurants and bars. It almost seemed
as though the buildings were freshly painted with beautiful colors
of yellow, green and rustic tones. 
We tried to have lunch but all
the restaurants stopped serving lunch at 3 p.m. Because of our
arrival time in Nice we missed lunch. When we returned to the
hotel we ordered room service that consisted of large delicious
French salads, sandwiches and a bottle of Beaujolais wine that
was very good with the variety of French cheeses they gave us
with our meal. Our next day would begin with a tour to Cannes,
Grasse, and St. Paul.
We had a good night sleep and were now ready to see more of
the riviera. We began our day with our continental breakfast at
the hotel. 
Our tour
group was small, only consisting of about 6 people. After picking
up the passengers we began our journey along the coastline. Most
beaches are rocky until Cannes.
Cannes is where the International Film Festival is held every year. We were dropped off at the point where the main festivities would be. Our tour guide locked the keys to the van inside the van, but he found someone to help open the door.
We walked around and noticed lots of hand prints in cement
around the main building. The hand prints belong to various famous
actors, which was neat to see. Cities along the riviera were preparing
for the International Film Festival that began May 9, and the
Grand Prix of Monaco that was from the 16th - 19th.Our next stop
was Grasse. Grasse is where most of the perfume is made in France
and distributed throughout the world. During our stay we visited
a perfume factory. A representative explained to us the process
of making perfume. They explained how the fragrance from flowers
was extracted and mixed with alcohol to create various perfumes.
The people that test the perfumes' fragrance are called Noses.
There are only about 256 noses in the world. These people are
normally family members that have acquired the gift of the Nose
passed down through many generations. Noses must follow strict
guidelines. They cannot eat spicy food, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes
or anything else that may affect their sense of smell. There are
only a handful of schools throughout the world that teach this
art but as I stated it is normally passed down generation by generations.
Most flowers used in perfume today are imported from Asia. The
coastline of France is protected by the government to maintain
its beauty so they are unable to use it for growing crops of flowers.
Developing land is also very difficult because of government restriction.
Or next stop was St. Paul de Vence. St. Paul was built in the
1400's. There is only one road that goes through the town and
its for pedestrians only. This town is where famous painters used
to meet. Now it still maintains its past by displaying art work
in shops along the pedestrian walk. There are many small shops
and restaurants along the walkway. We stopped into a Caffe so
I could have an espresso. It was good.
Our next stop was Grasse. Grasse is where most of the perfume is made in France and distributed throughout the world. During our stay we visited a perfume factory. A representative explained to us the process of making perfume. They explained how the fragrance from flowers is extracted and mixed with alcohol to create various perfumes. The people that test the perfumes fragrance are called Noses. There are only about 256 noses in the world. These people are normally family members that have acquired the gift of the Nose passed down through many generations. Noses must follow strict guidelines. They cannot eat spicy food, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or anything else that may affect their sense of smell. There is only a handful of schools throughout the world that teach this art, but as I stated it is normally passed down generation by generation. Most flowers used in perfume today are imported from Asia. The coastline of France is protected by the government to maintain its beauty so they are unable to use it for growing crops of flowers. Developing land is also very difficult because of government restriction.
Our next stop was St. Paul de Vence. St. Paul was built in the 1400's. There is only one road through the town and its for pedestrians only. Famous painters used to meet in St. Paul de Vence. Now it still maintains its past by displaying art work in shops along the pedestrian walk. There are many small shops and restaurants along the walkway. We stopped at a caffe so I could have an espresso. It was good.
Our trip began by visiting a Beverly Hills style town. Beautiful expensive houses and villas lined narrow roads as we climbed to a vista point. The view overlooking Nice is breathtaking. The water with its significant change in color is amazing. It looks as though someone carefully painted dark and light blue patterns in the sea. Along the coastline we noticed many large houses on mountain peaks where monarchs from centuries ago lived. Most of these houses today are owned by the government so they can be maintained as historic monuments.
We stopped at the border of France and Monaco to take in the view of one of the smallest countries in the world, Monaco. Monaco is only one square mile in size. It uses French currency, there are no passports required when entering, they use the French police force, the language is French, and the children go to the French schools. The border is interesting because it actually passes through the city, so one side of the street could be Monaco and the other France. This is significant because taxes differ greatly from country to country. There are no taxes in Monaco. The only way to become a citizen of Monaco is if both parents are citizens or if you are the third generation living there. As we drove through the streets we noticed the preparation for the Grand Prix that is held each year. The streets are resurfaced each year for this event.
We stopped in front of two of the main attractions in Monaco,
the Casino and the Hotel de Paris. Apparently Michael Jackson
and Jean Claued Van Damme were in the hotel then, but we didn't
see them. We did see Jean Claued Van Damme's yellow Mercedes.
We went into the foyer of the casino to buy some postcards and
a Grand Prix poster. At this point I was craving a caffe. I spotted
a Caffe just up the street called Tip Top Bar.
The caffe was very good. Mary noticed many signed race driver photos displayed on the walls of the Caffe. Some of the photos were of drivers visiting the Caffe. One that stood out was of Jacques Villeneuve's 1995 Indy triumph displayed next to his father Gilles who used to race for Ferrari. Jacques actually lives in Monaco. For me it was a privilege to be in the same Caffe where so many great drivers have been.
When back home watching the grand prix on TV I saw that same Caffe on the side of the race track. This was truly an unforgettable moment for me. Next we traveled to the palace to view the changing of the guard. 1996 was Monaco's 700th anniversary at which time Rainier was supposed to hand over the thrown to his son prince Albert. We saw princess Stephanie driving by with her body guard escorting her. While driving on the streets that were also the track for the race, we saw prince Albert in his limousine. We were told that it is very common to see the family out and about throughout the city. We walked to the church where princess Grace was buried and then departed.
Leaving Monaco we took the lower coastal route that goes through tunnels carved out of the mountain about 2 miles long. The drive along the coast is beautiful. There are old well-maintained homes and buildings pastel in color with ivy and flowering vines growing along terraces and walls, a clean surrounding. This is a wonderful place to visit.
We returned to our hotel and then went to have lunch at a restaurant across from our hotel. The setting was typical of a traditional European middle class restaurant. Tables were setup outside along the sidewalk under an awning. We both decided to see what French style pizza is like. Mary selected, Pizza Rhine (cheese, prosciutto, mushrooms & tomatoes) and for dessert coffee ice cream. I had a Pizza Napolitana (cheese, anchovies, olives & herbs) and for dessert coffee ice cream and a caffe.
We decided to go for one last walk along the beach. It turned out to be a very beautiful day along the coast. There were not many people out. Wind surfers were competing for spots on the Olympic team for Atlanta. We finished our walk. Mary prepared our belongings for the next day which she does so well. I always offer to help but she likes to do it herself so I gladly stay out of her way. Looking out our hotel room window down the street that leads to the beach I realized that life along the Riviera seems peaceful for a large city. Everyone seems very relaxed and not in a hurry even in rush hour traffic. Nothing like Italy or the US where things are very hectic in large cities.
Hotel Moderne St. Germain
Well, we are off to Paris, the city of lights. We left our hotel
in Nice and walked to the train station that was about 10 minutes
away. We waited in the station for about one hour before we departed
on the French version of the bullet train, the TGV, that reaches
speeds beyond 200 miles per hour. The view of the countryside
was spectacular even though it was passing by very fast. At one
point we noticed miles upon miles of mustard fields. We must have
been traveling through Dijon, France. All we could see is miles
of yellow. Very spectacular! The trip to Paris took 6 hours. As
we disembarked the train we noticed people waiting at the gate
as you would see people waiting for someone in the US at an airport.
I should not have been so surprised since train travel in Europe
is much like air travel in the US. Train travel in Europe is so
easy and convenient although I always recommend first class, its
not as crowed as second class. This makes for a more peaceful
vacation. We walked to our hotel which was farther than we expected.
After checking in we decided to have dinner at a family restaurant
near by which happened to serve an Italian food. There was no
language problem since the owner spoke Italian. We both had pasta.
That evening we had a pre-scheduled tour of the city at night
so we could see the famous lights of Paris. The distance to the
meeting point again was longer than we expected. The tour showed
us most of the main site at night, and the lights we truly spectacular.
Once the tour was over we began the walk back to our hotel. At
this point it was 12:00 a.m. and we had a long misguided tour..
Even though we didn't know exactly where were we felt safe because
there was such an active night life it seemed like midday. We
finally made it back to our hotel around 2 a.m. and Domenic collapsed
with aching feet. The next day we planned to tour Paris on foot
by ourselves.
Well, getting out of bed was difficult to say the least but
we finally did it. Before our journey began we had a typical continental
breakfast at the hotel. We left the hotel and located the Metro
Station for our departure the next day. We asked a taxi driver
how much it would cost to drive us to the airport & decided
to use the Metro instead. Walking along the Seine river we could
see the Eiffel Tower in front of us and the cathedral of Notre
Dame behind us. There are so many magnificent sights to see in
such close vicinity.
We crossed the Seine river by way of a foot bridge. We walked toward the entrance of the Louve and notice a glass pyramid in the center courtyard. The pyramid is from this century and apparently is the source of great controversy whether it should be located right in the middle of the Louves courtyard. The pyramid has been transformed into the entrance to the Louve. To me the pyramid seems out of place.
We toured the Louve for several hours noticing masterpieces
from Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and many more. One
of the major attractions is Leonardo's Mona Lisa. We've seen it
in television, books, newspapers and magazines, but nothing compares
to seeing it in person. Mona is stored in a glass case set back
about 6 feet so it cannot be touched by tourists. She does seem
to follow you wherever you go.
We continued our tour through the Louve finding more masterpieces
like the Venus di Milo and the Crown Jewels from the Luis the
16th era. Mary noticed that not only are there masterpieces from
famous people in the Louve but the Louve itself is a masterpiece.
It is very ornate, very old and very well preserved. Our next
journey was down Les Champs-Elysees to the Arch de Triumph. As
we walked down Les Champs-Elysees we noticed many 20th century
pieces of art. didn't care for them too much. We reached the Arch
and noticed soldiers guarding a memorial to the fallen soldiers.
This was a very poignant moment. The Arch stands for peace and
recognition of our fallen brothers and sisters and should never
be forgotten.
On our way back to our hotel again we passed more art work from the 20th century along the street. There was one sculpture that was very familiar to us, the Statue of Liberty. SO many people were gathered around this particular piece. As we looked closer we notice that it moved, it was alive. A young man had dressed up as the Statue of Liberty. You wouldn't know it was a live person if it hadn't blinked. He had a box by his feet with the word Merci (Thank you) written on it. Each time someone put Francs in the box he would saw, Merci." I prefer this over panhandling any day.
We returned to our hotel, decided to get ready for the next day and had our last dinner in Europe.
Good-bye Paris. We got up and prepared for our long journey home. We checked out of the hotel and took the Metro to Charles de Degaulle International Airport. On the way the metro stopped. There was a problem unknown to us. Over the loud speaker an explanation was given to all us passengers, but only in French. We waited on the stopped metro train for an hour, good thing we left early. Here we were halfway to the airport. The train began to roll again but only for a short distance. The conductor said something we didn't understand so we just followed everyone else as they got off the train. I stayed close to Mary as we were being pushed and shoved like a herd of cattle toward a new train. We almost missed the new train. We jumped into an open door and were pressed up against the door of the train packed like sardines, and we weren't even sure if this was the train going our way. I noticed a map above us that marked the route this train normally followed, and we finally passed one of the stops listed on the map confirming for us that we were heading toward the airport. Thank goodness! Guess we should have taken a taxi, oh well.
We finally made it to the airport. We had to take a shuttle to the terminal that was about 2 miles away. It wasn't so bad. While on the shuttle Mary noticed that the person standing next to us was from Cupertino, California by the address on the luggage tag. What a small world.
After waiting about an hour for our plane we left Paris at 11:40 a.m.
Fini