Category Archives: Europe (outside of Italy)

Unknown's avatar

Belgium and Cologne Germany

by

Jim enjoys attending wine tasting events with Pasquale, our friend who owns our favorite restaurant in Lucca. They attend several in Italy each year, and this is the second time visiting ProWein in Düsseldorf, Germany. I decided to come along this year, not for the wine tasting but for the travel and adventure.

The plan started out simple… Jim and I would stay in Cologne, Germany while Pasquale stayed with friends in Düsseldorf. Cologne is less expensive during ProWein and far more interesting. Then the plan grew a bit… why not go someplace else before or afterwards? We looked at the map and quickly picked Brussels. Hotels are expensive there so we decided to use some of my remaining Marriott points (leftover from all the business travel). Reserve 4 nights, stay the 5th for free. What a deal! We now had time for a day trip to Bruges and one to Ghent.

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the administrative center of the European Union, giving the town two distinct flavors – historic/traditional versus international/modern. I liked the mix of the two…

My favorite in Brussels was the Grand-Place (their main piazza/square) at night. Magical! This large square is surrounded by beautiful buildings decorated with gold paint. The combination of the architecture, decor, gold, and lighting make it truly unique. The square was filled with people enjoying this special site. We returned during the day when we could see the buildings’ details and statues better, but the nighttime view couldn’t be beaten. The buildings were built, rebuilt, and restored several times, but are generally in the Baroque style. They were mostly built by the different guilds as well as the Town Hall and the King’s house (although he never lived there). One explanation for the highly decorated facades is that the guilds wanted to remind the King and the Town government that they were equally wealthy and needed to stay in line! The only thing better would be a visit at Christmastime for the Christmas market and beautiful festive decorations. Check out this blog post by our friends Ilene and Gary.

Here are a bunch of pictures – be sure to read the captions for a bit of context.

  • Enjoying our first Belgium waffle as we enter Parc du Cinquantenaire
  • Parc du Cinquantenaire, was built in 1880 for the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence. Today there are museums and lots of green space. We arrived to one of the early Springish days, so lots of people were simply enjoying the warmth of the sun.
  • Parc du Cinquantenaire, required touristy selfie!
  • Parc du Cinquantenaire is the home to a group of parakeets. I know that I shouldn’t be pleased to be seeing an invasive species, but I did enjoy watching these brightly colored birds soaring through the skies and trees.
  • Parc du Cinquantenaire with early spring daffodils and other wildflowers.
  • The Grand-Place of Brussels
  • The Grand-Place of Brussels
  • Mussels in Brussels is a must! Along with the ubiquitous French Fries, which Belgium claims they created.
  • The Manneken Pis, the most visited (and small) tourist site in Brussels. Many legends regarding why they built the statue of the little boy peeing…
  • New and modern buildings in the European Union quarter. We visited an EU museum and learned a lot about the history and purpose of the EU.

We took a 30-minute train through the Belgian countryside to the smallish city of Ghent, with one main objective – to see the Ghent Altarpiece. Many consider it one of the most important pieces of art in the world and was the first major oil painting. It represents the transition between Medieval art and the Renaissance in Belgium and the Netherlands. It was painted by Hubert and Jan van Eyck and was finished in 1432. It is also known as the most frequently stolen piece of art in the world, so there are lots of fascinating stories that go with the altarpiece. But the stories don’t compare to the beauty of the artwork – vivid colors, detailed faces, symbols, and depicted stories. I didn’t take a bunch of pictures because there are many high-quality pictures online that my phone’s camera can’t capture.

Oh, and we really liked Ghent. Parts of it are a bit seedy, industrial, and not beautiful – but the other parts have beautiful architecture. I especially liked one of its main squares that was filled with locals on this early Spring day. Check out this video I posted on YouTube.

  • Here I am contemplating (ok… perhaps gawking at) this great work of art.
  • Ghent Altarpiece, closer view of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb panel
  • I saw lots of sarcophagus’ with the guy in this position. Just chillin… In Italy, they are usually laying all of the way down.
  • The stained glass windows in both Belgium and Germany were gorgeous. We don’t have a lot of windows like this in our Romanesque churches.
  • Italian churches usually have marble pulpits, but the ones in Belgium and Germany were mostly made of beautifully carved wood. So beautiful!
  • OK, this pulpit is a combination of wood and marble and looks like they were going for some prize in the fanciest pulpit!
  • I loved the architecture in Ghent!
  • The Taco sign caught my attention – so out of place. But check out those sculptures at the top of the building! Apparently this is the Masons Guild House on Sint-Niklaasstraat and those are dancing figures leaping through the air. And O’Tacos is a French fast food chain!
  • Korenmarkt (Wheat Market), one of the main squares of Ghent. Again, I love the architecture and the tangle of bicycles!
  • Belgium is serious about their beer. Lots of different kinds AND each one has their own glass. This was a fun stop for lunch, which did include a beer!
  • Selfie in front of Gravensteen Castle from around 1180. Right in the middle of Ghent!
  • Every castle needs a moat and we spotted this European Coot on a nest. Soon the male came up with a fresh fish lunch for mama. Fun to spot a bit of nature in the middle of this city!

Bruges is home to the Bruges Madonna, a beautiful sculpture of Mary and Jesus created by Michelangelo. It was his only sculpture to leave Italy during his lifetime and I was eager to see it. It did not disappoint… 

Both the Bruges Madonna and the Ghent Altarpiece are highlighted in the movie The Monuments Men. If you’ve never seen the movie or read the book, I highly recommend doing so. It’s a great story about how some art scholars were recruited into the Army near the end of WWII to find and return stolen art. And it’s based on a true story.

In addition to being the home of the Bruges Madonna, Bruges is a very cute town, but a bit touristy. The architecture is beautiful, lots of canals and waterways with bridges with cute squares. The one-hour train ride from Brussels was well worth it.

  • Madonna of Bruges by Michelangelo
  • Another one of those crazy wooden pulpits!
  • Colorful and cute town square, with everyone enjoying the early Spring sunshine
  • JoAn on a bridge over a canal
  • Jim enjoying the nice weather during our daytrip to Bruges

And our final stop was in Germany…

Jim’s wine event was in Düsseldorf but it is very expensive to stay there during the event and there is very little for me to do or see there. So, we decided to stay in Cologne (Köln), a 30 minute train trip from Dusseldorf. Jim would go back and forth each day and I would enjoy the sights of Cologne. I had heard that it was a beautiful city… quaint, fun, and the home to the most gorgeous Cathedral. We stepped out of the train station and there it was! We splurged on a hotel that was just a few minutes from the Cathedral and the train station. I was really looking forward to exploring this city. I had a list of things I wanted to see and do, but I also made time for wandering the city.

Our first morning I attended the church service at the Cathedral but couldn’t understand a word. But I enjoyed the beauty of the cathedral, watched the procession of priests and others with their candles, incense (lots of incense), staffs, etc. There was a choir made of young boys and men; they made beautiful music – a cappella, so I did not get to hear the church organs. Afterwards I crossed a bridge over the River Rhine and enjoyed the Sunday afternoon with many locals and tourists. It was delightful start for my time in Cologne.

Then it started to rain and frankly my visit went downhill from there…  I tried and failed two times to go on a English-language tour of the Cathedral. I went inside one other time, but much of it was inaccessible due to another service. A bathroom attendant tricked me out of some money… I confronted him, but he denied it. It was just a few euros, but it was so annoying… I wandered up and down the main shopping street while getting slightly soggy despite having bought an umbrella.

Then we learned about the train strike planned for the last day of the wine event – Jim planned to take the train to and from Dusseldorf, and then we would both take a train to the Frankfurt airport for our early morning flight the next day. Some trains continued to run, so Jim made it to Dusseldorf but then decided to take a bus to Frankfurt instead of trying to get a train. I went to the train station early and planned to get on the next available train. One was supposed to come at 1:55, but was delayed 30 minutes, but then never came??? So, I got on one about an hour later.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Lufthansa was also striking and we had bought tickets through Lufthansa. Thankfully, the flight itself was provided by Air Dolomiti so we were fine.

Postscript… German precision was in play after the train strike. We returned to Lucca on Wednesday morning and I requested a refund from unused train tickets on Thursday. The money was in our bank account on Friday.

  • Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Cologne
  • Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Cologne, at night

Overall, I really enjoyed Belgium, struggled in Cologne and was glad to get home to Lucca after 10 days of travel. So how do they compare – a simple (over simple, for sure) chart:

 BrusselsCologneLucca
Languages spokenFrench, Flemish and everything elseGerman and English for the touristsItalian and English for the tourists
General attitudeNeat and tidy. Near EU: confident, busy, importantCompliant by day, boisterous in the eveningRelaxed
FoodsChocolate, waffles, French friesPub foodTordelli pasta
DrinksBottled Belgium Beer with matching glassLocal beer on tapItalian wine

I hope that you enjoyed reading my blog post and looking through my pictures. Have you ever been to Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, or Cologne? How were your experiences similar or different? Leave a comment!

Unknown's avatar

Two weeks in the Republic of Ireland

by

Our Ireland trip by the numbers: 13 days, 5 hotels, 2198 pictures and 22 videos, 1500 KM/1000 miles driven, 2 beer breweries, 2 whiskey distilleries, 33 birds identified and many of them photographed, and countless ruins. Rather than providing a comprehensive description of our vacation, I will share my highlights along with some random observations that surprised us. Click left or right on each photo to see others from that location. At the end of this post, I provide a description of our itinerary and changes made during the trip.

Random Observation: I forgot some of my medicine. ☹ I printed my two prescriptions from my Italian doctor (who sends these via email) and took it to a pharmacy in a small town. One of them was filled quickly and at a reasonable cost. The second was not available anywhere in Ireland, so I couldn’t get it filled at any pharmacy. I was able to stretch that medicine out and all was fine, but I was very impressed how the EU medical systems work together so easily across country boundaries.

My favorite location was the Cliffs of Moher – the ocean, the green land, the birds and of course the cliffs. Together they were magical! The cliffs are 200 meters high and they run for 14 KM/9 miles. The scene in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” in which Harry and Dumbledore venture to a cave in order to destroy a horcrux was filmed here!

  • The Cliffs of Moher. The tiny dots on the green land are cows. Lots of cows everywhere!
  • Closeup of one of the cliffs. Each of those dots is a nesting bird. The ones near the top and bottom are Gillimontes which are related to Puffins. And lots of seagulls in between.
  • A zoomed in version of one of the cliff areas and we found puffins! A first time ever spotting for Jim and I.
  • It was cold and windy, but the wind died down for this selfie.

Random Observation: The food is so hot! About half of the food served was so hot that we couldn’t eat it for five minutes or more. I like my food hot, but this seemed excessive. I burned my tongue twice.

One of the touristy things to do in Ireland is to participate in a falcon or hawk walk. We choose a Private Hawk Walk with Kingdom Falconry in Dingle, Ireland. We spent an hour with Emily, a very experienced birder and falconer, talking all things birds. We spent most of the time with one Harris Hawk then had a walk through their aviary to see their other birds of prey. Click on this link to see a video of “our” hawk flying to me.

  • Closeup of “our” Harris Hawk. These are not native to Ireland but are brought here and bred here for hunting. They are very trainable and well-behaved.
  • It was a delight to spend time with Emily and she clearly cares for the birds here and enjoys educating people about birds of prey.
  • Harris Hawk in flight

Random Observation: We drove on many tiny roads, often for long distances. They typically have only one lane (but two-way traffic) with no space on the left between the vehicle and the stone wall, bush, trees, or signs. But speed limits are high; the most common speed limit was 80 KM/hour or 50 MPH. I didn’t get used to it – I learned to look away from the obstacles on the left.

The Dingle Peninsula, on Ireland’s southwest Atlantic coast, is ringed by sandy beaches and craggy cliffs. Inland are rolling hills and mountains populated with interesting historic points, tourist stops, farms, many cows and many many sheep. The Slea Head Loop goes around the peninsula and is only 50 KM / 30 miles but the idea is to stop lots of times at beautiful vistas, ruins from prior civilizations, and everywhere in between. Most people take 3 hours… after 4 hours, we decided to skip the last few stops that I planned. Star Wars – The Last Jedi was partially filmed on this peninsula.

  • One of the many beautiful views of Dingle Peninsula. The Blasket Islands are in the background. Cows and sheep were everywhere!
  • Loved this beach and the fog in the distance.
  • Wild flowers everywhere!
  • We enjoyed some of the local cheeses for our Italian-style picnic.
  • Rock with ancient carvings

Random Observation: They had laundry machines at some gas stations! You just pulled up your car, loaded the washing machine, moved it to the dryer and drove off within the hour with clean clothes. So easy and fast but not cheap…

There are numerous ruins across the Irish countryside, including cathedrals, monasteries, castles, small churches, round towers, and many unidentifiable buildings. Some of the biggest, such as the Rock of Cashel, are considered national treasures with pre-booked timed tickets, guided tours, and souvenirs galore. Others simply have signs that describe what you are seeing and provide brief histories. And then there are the unmarked but still striking ruins that you can wander through with only your own imagination. We stopped at so many that we skipped one of our planned stops – another ruined monastery, no thanks!

  • Kilmacduagh Abbey, near the Burren National Park. The cemetery included both old and new graves. The round tower was used by the monks for protection during attacks. The medieval days were violent!
  • While I was photographing Kilmacduagh Abbey, this cow decided to check me out. She was a friendly cow!
  • Jim welcoming me to the Rock of Cashel. “Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by Saint Patrick in the 5th century. The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion.” http://www.wikipedia.org
  • Interior of the Rock of Cashel
  • I spotted this ruin from the Rock of Cashel. Neighboring ruins?

Random observation: We stayed at five different hotels (yuck!) but I was surprised at the ease of check in and check out. Mostly I just said my name and they gave me a key. No forms, no passport checks, no receipts on checkout. I asked one person about it and they said “Well, you said your name and the name is on my list, so it seems likely that it is you!” So different from Italy where a passport is always required along with receipts and papers galore!

Throughout the trip Jim and I were on the lookout for birds. We didn’t have any specific birding activities, but took our binoculars and my “birding” lens whenever we wandered into birdy areas. We discovered several new species for us as well as many that we were already familiar with. It’s been a while since I did any bird photography so this was a fun additional activity for me.

  • European Robin: Much smaller than the American version. They have little fear of humans.
  • Great Cormorant: Similar to the Double-crested Cormorant in America. These are bigger and have a different color beak.
  • Mistle Thrush: This is a pretty large bird that can be found scurrying along the ground. Love those markings!
  • Mute Swan: Flying in a park. I seldom see them fly, they mostly seem to bob in the water!
  • White Wagtail: Love this black and white birds that can be seen in the grasses!
  • Eurasian Treecreeper: There are similar treecreepers in America. So much fun to watch… they creep up a tree then fly down and start over again.

Random Observation: Very few crosswalks in larger city, smaller towns, and the countryside! So, people crossed wherever they wanted to, whenever they wanted to. In Italy, the crosswalks are frequent and well-marked; people can cross at anytime and drivers are required to always stop.

We saved Dublin for last. Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and is well known for pubs, the Temple Bar area, breweries, and whiskey distilleries. We did all of that, but also learned more about Ireland’s difficult history during walking tours and museum visits.

  • Trinity College’s Old Library was filled with precious and old books. They are currently undergoing a restoration project that includes removing all of the books – you can see some empty stacks in this photo.
  • Oh, the smell and sight of old leather-bound books!
  • The Republic of Ireland uses a harp as a symbol for the country; this is the original! BTW, Guinness Brewery uses a different harp and even faces the opposite direction to prevent copyright issues.
  • Interior of Kilmainham Gaol where many Irish revolutionaries, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, were imprisoned and executed in the prison.
  • One of the many cells in the Kilmainham Gaol.
  • Jim enjoying the beautiful weather we had in Dublin – the locals were all surprised to have several consecutive blue sky days!
  • No longer an active church, the Pearse Lyons Whiskey company restored and renovated this beautiful local church and its cemetery. Check out the crystal spire – the original could not be restored. Now used as a distillery!
  • Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery interior. The copper stills were imported from Kentucky!
  • St Patrick’s Cathedral exterior (taken with an ultra wide lens that makes you feel like you are falling backwards!)
  • St Patrick’s Cathedral interior. This is the National Cathedral so it has items such as flags to remember past battles and losses.
  • St Patrick’s Cathedral interior.

Random observation: Water pressure in the showers was great! The owner of one of the B&Bs we stayed at had the perfect explanation: “We have lots of water.”  With all that rain, they don’t feel the need to limit it for showers and other usages. In fact, they have pumps in their plumbing system to increase the water pressure. I’m going to miss this!

Trip Itinerary and more

Here’s the day-by-day high-level plan:

DateFocus of the DayActivities
Tuesday, 16 May 2023Welcome to IrelandFly from Pisa to Dublin (17:30 to 19:20). Rent car at Dublin airport and head to Slane, close to Bru na Boinne for our first night.
Wednesday, 17 May 2023Prehistory and first castleVisit Bru na Boinne, one of the world’s most important prehistoric landscapes. Visit Trim Castle, the largest, best-preserved & most impressive Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. Drive to Doolin, close to the Cliffs of Moher.
Thursday, 18 May 2023Cliffs of Moher and BurrenDrive to the dramatic Cliffs of Moher. Then explore the rocky moonscape of the Burren to learn about its unique ecosystem and hardy prehistoric residents.
Friday, 19 May 2023Heading to the Dingle PeninsulaDrive towards Dingle Peninsula. Along the way, stop to visit County Limerick’s lovely village of Adare, brimming with thatched cottages and flower gardens. Stay in Tralee, central to all of the nearby attractions.
Saturday, 20 May 2023The Dingle PeninsulaExperience some of Europe’s wildest natural beauty and most ancient Christian sites. Start the day in Dingle, the pastel-painted, quintessentially Irish harbor town. In Dingle, visit Kingdom Falconry for their private bird of prey activity. Then take the driving tour of the famous Slea Head Drive, one the most beautiful road in Ireland. Stop to tour the strikingly situated Great Blasket Centre, to get a close-up look at the language, literature, and daily life of a traditional Gaelic Blasket community.
Sunday, 21 May 2023Killarney National ParkVisit Killarney National Park to see forests (Ireland’s largest), mountains, and lakes. At the Slane Sheep Farm, watch sheepdog demonstrations, where sheepdogs gather the sheep in the mountainous terrain of the farm and herd them into a sheep yard – if demonstrations are offered this day.
Monday, 22 May 2023The Rock of CashelDrive from Tralee to Kilkenny. Stop to tour one of Ireland’s most historic and evocative sights: the Rock of Cashel. St. Patrick himself was here more than 1,500 years ago, and ever since, the Rock has been the spiritual heart of Ireland. Arrive at our beautiful country estate for two relaxing nights.
Tuesday, 23 May 2023KilkennyTake an orientation walk through the medieval town center and visit Kilkenny Castle, a symbol of Norman occupation since the 12th century. Take a walk through its restored Victorian interiors and extensive parklands.
Wednesday, 24 May 2023Glendalough and Powerscourt gardensVisit Glendalough, Ireland’s most impressive monastic settlement with the iconic Round Tower, ruined churches, and the lakes that give Glendalough its name. Then visit Ireland’s best aristocratic gardens at the Powerscourt Estate and see the nearby waterfull. Return car to Dublin airport and head into Dublin.
Thursday, 25 May 2023Dublin Day 1 – History and CultureStart our Dublin visit at Trinity College for an illuminating look at the remarkable Book of Kells, a beautiful illustrated copy of the Bible’s Gospel books and see the college’s Old Library. Take a historical walking tour through Dublin learning about the city’s often-calamitous history, from the days of Viking raids to the hard centuries of British occupation to its remarkable literary legacy to the modern city of today. Then visit Dublin Castle, the seat of British power in Ireland for 700 years.
Friday, 26 May 2023Dublin Day 2 – The Gaol and DrinksStart the day at Killmainham Gaol, where many of the leaders of independence rebellions were detained and executed in the jail, but many ordinary citizens, including children, were incarcerated here, too. Then shift our focus for a visit to the Guinness Storehouse then the Pearse Lyons distillery. In the evening we visit the famous Temple Bar area.
Saturday, 27 May 2023Dublin Day 3 – MuseumsWe will start at the National Archaeological Museum which specializes in Irish and other antiquities dating from the Stone Age to the Late Middle Ages. Then visit EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, a highly interactive museum that covers the history of the Irish diaspora and emigration to other countries. Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the national cathedral of Ireland.
Sunday, 28 May 2023Return to beautiful LuccaWe have time in Dublin in the morning to squeeze in any other activities, then start our journey home to Lucca. Fly from Dublin to Pisa. We arrive late in the evening so a driver picks us up and bring us to Lucca.

My goal was to not be rushed… I generally planned two or three activities for each day. And then we cut out some activities (indicated with strikethrough above). It was nice to have activities that we could easily drop out of the plan; I wished that we didn’t have to pre-book so many reservations because this decreased our flexibility. And we moved around some of the activities in Dublin so that we could visit a second whiskey distillery.

We want to return to see the northern parts of the island and will likely visit Scotland on that trip as well.

Overall, we had a fabulous time – spending time in nature, learning so much history, being surrounded by people speaking English, and just enjoying the differences between Ireland and Italy. Before our trip I dug into my genealogy and learned about my Irish ancestors, including their names, when they traveled to America and some other tidbits. This added another dimension to the history – my ancestors emigrated to America due to the potato famine, along with millions of others.

Then we traveled home to Lucca and have re-started our day-to-day life here. A great trip, but this is “Home, Sweet Home”!