World War 1

As part of our visits of historically significant sights we headed 300 miles north so that we could experience the region where the bloodiest battles of World War 1 took place.

Our first stop was Fort Douaumont which was a fortified underground base built by the French to protect their borders from Germany.  It was an impressive bunker but not robust enough for the newer military technology (bigger bombs delivered over longer distances) that was introduced during the war. Thus it was heavily damaged and of limited use during the trench warfare waged in the Verdun area.

The Verdun area has been left largely the way it was after the war,  except for the trees that have grown in the area.  The landscape is completely uneven from all the shell craters, and the partially filled trenches are still in place.  There were also some towns in the area completely destroyed by the shelling and left that way except for the markers that show the original locations of the buildings.

We also visited the Ossuary de Douaumont.  It's the location of the French military cemetery from WWI and at the memorial on site contains the unknown remains of over 120k soldiers, their skeletal remains can be seen through windows in the Ossuary.

Very old cave art

We headed 300 miles southeast to the Rhone-alps region.  Our destination was the L'Cavernes du Pont D'Arc. This is where some cave explorers back in 1994 discovered a cave with 30,000 year old cave paintings made by the earliest humans. The cave had been untouched as the opening was sealed by a landslide  20,000 years ago.  If this was just a trip for me I could have spent a week just visiting wineries as it was also in the middle of the region where Cotes d' Rhone is produced.

Getting a last minute inexpensive hotel was a challenge as it was peak season for the tourists in the area.  We managed to find two rooms in a hotel just outside one of the towns.  When we arrived we discovered the rooms were far from each other and when Crista used her broken French to see if we could find rooms closer together the receptionist showed us a third option, a gite.  A gite is like renting a home.  We've also seen them as cabins as well.  The hotel had two gites and the available one was a two bedroom with a/c, kitchen and washing machine for the same price.  We took the gite an did at least 4 loads of laundry and utilized the clothesline to dry in the hot sunny air.

With the caves,  the challenge was to preserve the 30,000 year old art but to share it with the public.  The solution was to build a complete reproduction of the caves with the art and keep the original cave sealed except for research. This museum had been open for less than a year. It felt a little Disney-like knowing what we were looking at was fake but they did an incredible job making it realistic.

Afterwards we drove down to the site where the original cave was located to see the other attraction next to the cave; a rock formation which creates a natural arch over the river called the Pont D'Arc. Kayaks go down the Ardeche river to go under the arch.  There is also beach access so we parked and the boys went swimming under the arch for a hour.

Bayeux tapestry

On our way out of Normandy we stopped in Bayeux to view the Bayeux Tapestry.  Note I used the singular form of Tapestry.  Tourists stop in this town to see this one piece of cloth which is 230 feet long and almost 1000 years old.  The tapestry tells the story of how William the Conqueror came into power though a set of embroidered pictures.

To view the tapestry you enter a dimly lit room and the tapestry is behind a glass case on your left.  You view it as you walk down a corridor, and halfway through it u-turns and you view the remaining tapestry.  The walk takes about 20 minutes if you follow the included audio guide. I was a little disappointed after viewing the tapestry as I thought there would be more but the museum also had additional artifacts on the different floors which provided additional information about this piece of history. 

On the way back to the car we stopped by the Bayeux cathedral which is also old.  The stained glass is amazing.

Châteaux of the Loire

Hundreds of years ago the French royals and the rich built Chateaux in the central part of France.  Our basecamp for visiting these châteaux is a town called Loches which also has its own Chateau.   Instead of getting two rooms at a budget hotel we ended up in a hotel that was also a time share resort.  We had a one room condo with a kitchen and deck that overlooked the river and the bell tower and a small view of the chateau.  It was the same price as the budget hotel but there was no housekeeping and we have to pay for WiFi.  It was nice to finally have cold drinks and to sit at a table!

We ended up visiting three châteaux including Cheverny,  Chambord an Chenonceau.   Cheverny which is pictured below is still owned by its long term family and it was furnished with rare antiques and tapestries and paintings. It's best known as the basis for the chateau depicted in the adventures of tin tin.  My favorite part was the area where the Hounds live.  They have 100 hunting Hounds which all live together in an open kennel on site.  These Hounds are still used for hunting the old fashioned noble way. 

Chambord was a huge château, it might be the biggest among the châteaus.  The best part were the double helix stone spiral staircases. Unfortunately since it's so large and hard to manage many visitors have carved their names into the stone walls.  Chenonceau is best known for its location.  It's built over a river, so the structure doubles as a bridge and a château. 

Mont St Michel

Mont St. Michel is 900+ year old abbey built on a rock off the coast of Normandy.   It's a beautiful and a popular tourist destination so it was on our list of places to visit. 

Unfortunately for us the French farmers had been on strike this week by blocking various roadways with their tractors and trucks.  We were blocked earlier in the week but figured out a detour courtesy of our our Garmin and by following a few locals.  The road blocks were more challenging on our trip to Mont Saint-Michel as they blocked the only two ways into the site which required us to park on the side of the road three miles away and walk in.  We were able to catch a shuttle bus after walking a mile past the roadblocks. 

D-day

We spent the day going to the three American D-day landing locations.  Omaha,  Point du Hoc and Utah.  We started the morning at Omaha where the American cemetery is also located.

There is also a visitors center at Omaha.  I don't recall seeing it when I last visited 17 years ago.  It was well done with videos,  photos and stories from the soldiers who were there and background info on some soldiers that did not make it home after the war.  We walked down to the beach and walked the cemetery.

Afterwards we went to Point du Hoc,  the location of where the Army Rangers had to scale 100 foot cliffs in order to capture the big guns that were defending the beaches.  That area has also been developed with a boardwalk for easier access to the site. The old concrete bunkers are still intact at this location as are the craters in the ground where the artillery hit.

Finally we drove the Utah beach.  That was a little disappointing as it was commercialized compared to the other two locations.  There were some memorials at the location but it was also a location where the locals play at the beach.  Probably why there were cafes and ice cream shops right next to the site.

On the way back we also stopped by the German cemetery.  This location was the main American cemetery until they developed the current location. 

I hope the boys realize the importance of our stops at the landing beaches and at the WWII museum in Caen.

Finally in France

We left Bruges and made it to the city of Caen which is in Normandie.  Along with way we stopped at a few towns along the water including Honfleur.  We walked along the old town and port and had a seafood dinner that would never be served at restaurant in the US.  For one thing the servings of shellfish were huge.  The mussels appetizer for one person came in a 3 quart pot, and Ians mixed seafood plate had items I had never seen before.  I'm glad everyone else was enjoying their mysteries from the sea. 

As dinners in France are very leisurely we didn't arrive into Caen till 9p and the reception desk at our budget hotel had closed.  I had to do a self check-in at an atm like machine outside the gates to the parking lot.  That what you get when trying to save on the hotel.  At least our rooms are nicer than the last hotel. 

Bruges, Belgium

We spent the day visiting the town of Bruges.  It's a popular destination with lots of tourists, and overpriced sidewalk cafes and restaurants.  There are a lot of old churches here (seems like every town in Europe has old churches) but what makes it stand apart are the canals that runs through the town.  It's like a small Venice of the North.  We acted just like the other tourists and walked the cobblestone streets, took a boat ride of the waterways and ate overpriced food at a sidewalk cafe.  The price of the waffle we had in the morning was worth it. It was the best waffle I have ever had.  They use a bread like dough in a waffle iron,  I'll have to work on it when I get home.

We may have skimped a bit too far on our accommodation this time.  We stayed at the Ibis hotel which is a huge chain in Europe.  What I didn't notice was that this was part of their "budget" line of properties.  The rooms were clean but they were tiny.  The shower and sink were in the room and the toilet was tucked in a corner closet with a bathroom stall door.  You'll really get to know your roommate with this room configuration.

Petra!

Paderborn is not on the list of stops in most tour guides.  It's just another town in the middle of Germany but it's also where Petra our old Aupair lives so we made sure we included Paderborn on our trip plans.

The town also has stuff to see with lots of old churches, a pedestrian only downtown area and a castle just south of town.  We spent the day with Petra and her boyfriend Sebastian where they took us to the major landmarks.  The castle was an interesting stop as it contained a SS museum from WW II.  Turns out that the castle was the headquarters for the SS.

Petra and Sebastian hosted dinner at their apartment last that evening.  It was fun to see a real Weber kettle grill on the deck and of course Sebastian manned the grill.  Just like home.

We spent our two nights in Paderborn at a budget hotel next to the main train station.  I was skeptical when making reservations but it received stellar reviews and was cheap.  Even though we had to book two rooms,  it was still significantly less than the apartments on Airbnb so we took a chance.  There were no amenities but it was clean and comfy.  I hope the other cheap places we booked later on our trip will be this nice.

Autobahn is overhyped

No I thought driving the Autobahn would be an exciting experience with the unlimited speed limits.  Once you start driving it you realize it's not that exciting. There is always a lot of road construction or random places where the speed suddenly drops to 80mph. It's such a pain to be cruising at 110 mph then having to slow down, and then getting back up to speed.  You have to pay attention when the speed limit drops as there is the possibility of a speed camera at that location.  And getting back up to speed and crusing at over 100mph is hard of the fuel mileage.   Now that we drove 300 miles on the Autobahn our fuel mileage has dropped to 30mpg.

What I really liked on the Autobahn are the orderly drivers.  No one passes on the right and everyone follows the rule about keeping the left lane open for passing. Once in a while you will be stuck in the left lane behind a slow car passing a slower car but they move back to the right as soon as they can.

Now that our journey has taken us out of Germany and to Belgium and France,  I don't mind the 80mph speed limit but I do miss the more predictable German drivers.

Stopping in Rothenburg

We stopped in Rothenburg on our way to Paderborn.  It's an city founded in the 13th century with its original wall surrounding the old part of town.  It's a popular tourist destination, while waiting in the city centre WC Crista talked with some Americans that were visiting as part of the river cruise they were on. Tourists like to buy snow globes and all the Christmas accessories the vendors offer in the village.

We went to the criminal museum.  It was a history on how punishment and torture was conducted in Germany hundreds of years ago.  They had the various torture devices on display and instructions on how to properly use the devices.  The boys were not that impressed.  Therefore we didn't try to bore them with other spots in the medieval town so we got back in the car and continued our drive to Paderborn.

Mercedes museum

Our next day in Stuttgart was at the Mercedes Benz museum.  As with the previous day we left the apartment at 8a.  Traffic was a lot lighter going to the neighborhood of Stuttgart where the museum was located.  So we ended up arriving with lots of time to kill before the opening at 9a.

In the lower lobby there were some pre-owned MB some which must have been restored by the MB classic center.  It was nice to see some models from the 60s and 70s in nice condition.

We all received a headset to use at each display when we paid (children under 15 were free).  I think USA museums usually charge extra for the audio tour.  There were a lot of cars and extensive history of the company to see as MB has been in existence since the 1890s. 

From a historical perspective the MB museum was better than the Porsche museum but I enjoyed my time more at Porsche.

Laundry is expensive

After 5 days we were pretty much out of clothes.  We did one load of laundry at the apartment in Stuttgart but it was a small machine without a dryer.  Before leaving Paderborn we stopped at a coin operated laundry to wash the rest of our clothes.  Finding a self service place was a challenge.  The first few locations we stopped at were laundry service with dry cleaning.  We finally figured out the difference between a Wäscherei vs a waschsalon.

The only place in town was on a busy street without a parking lot. After finding street parking we hauled the clothes in and then had to figure out how to use the machines.  They are all connected to a central control panel where you pay your money then press the button number to the machine you plan to use.  I was surprised at the prices of laundry but it's been a few decades since I have been in a laundromat. It's 4eur per load of wash so we stuffed everything into one machine.

The time went fast as we met and talked with a couple from Spain. Anna was originally from Mexico and even lived in Indiana for a few years. Once we started talking about food, she sounded homesick for either Spain or America and was just tolerating her time in Paderborn.  She did warn us not to have Mexican food in Germany. I have seen Asian and middle eastern restaurants but no Mexican places yet.

Porsche factory!

Our trip departure date centered around the availability of the special Porsche factory tour.  There are two tours a day with a max of 15 each so I was pretty excited when they confirmed our tour a few months ago.  

I got up early to make sure that we would get to the factory on time.  We had to leave by 8am anyhow as our neighborhood requires paid parking after 8am.  Good thing we left early as Stuttgart has a lot of traffic! 

The factory tour was excellent!  They took us to the production floor and we were right next to the workers.  It's amazing how close we were.  I could have grabbed parts off the cart and messed up the assembly station.  We walked all over the factory in two hours.  The only areas we didn't see were the initial body/frame welding and the paint. 

After the tour we had lunch in the museum cafeteria.  It was a sit down affair with good food.  They also have a separate 4-star restaurant in the museum but I didn't feel like paying 4 star prices. 

After lunch we went back to the museum to look at the cars.  The museum had examples of most Porsches that were important in the companys history.  Ian is seen admiring Porsche #1.

Hotels might be better

We arrived to Stuttgart an hour past the time I had originally told the owner so there was a challenge in getting the key.  The cleaning person was scheduled to wait for us but since we were late we ended going across town to her place to pick up the key.  Again having the Garmin really saved us again.  We finally made it to the apartment around 7:45 and realized that we didn't have any basics such as shampoo, paper towels or food.  Yelp helped locate a grocery store nearby and we went on a quick trip.  We also later discovered that the apartment doesn't have air conditioning as described.  It's not super hot yet but the forecast is for more heat later this week.

After looking at different hotel sites it would have been cheaper to get two rooms in Stuttgart for all of us vs the airbnb.  So for the rest of our trip till Paris we are looking at our hotel options before using a site like homeaway or airbnb.

Heidelberg

Our first touristy stop on our trip was in Heidelberg.  Its claim to fame is its old castle on a hill above the old part of town.  It was on our itinerary as it was on our way to Stuttgart.  The castle grounds were pretty interesting and the boys were amazed the age of the structure. The train (funicular) you take up the steep hill was also entertaining.   I was glad that I wasn't relying on my old paper maps as the roads are not in a grid pattern and the German street names are hard to remember.

We trusted the directions provided by our Garmin unit to get us out of Frankfurt and to our destinations.  Our upgraded rental car ended up with built navigation but I had pre programed our destinations before we left on this trip. The device also had warnings of known speed camera locations which is super helpful as they have them all over Germany.  Even though the Autobahn is without speed limits their are sections where there are limits and often a camera at the slower sections.  I might have buzzed by at least one of the cameras before I noticed the warnings from the Garmin later on the trip. 

It was pretty easy to drive at 150-160km/hr which is about 90-100mph.  That's about the speed of most cars.  You do pass trucks pretty quickly but you still need to keep your eye on the Porsches and Mercedes which will blow by pretty fast on your left. 

Rental car savings

While researching rental cars i discovered there was a 20% surcharge on rentals originating from the airport. Since were renting for almost three weeks 20% is a lot of money. I found a Hertz rental office a few S-bahn (regional train) stops from the airport. And when i called and spoke to a different hertz representative to change the reservation they gave me a better rate of less than 19eur per day for the same midsize car.

Only downside is that the remote Hertz location didn't have the car class we reserved so we have to wait about an hour for a car to be delivered. They did upgrade us to a wagon and to a diesel. Diesel fuel is 30 cents a liter cheaper gets better mpg and we are saving 500eur from the original reservations.

Second red-eye is better

That redeye to Chicago was brutal. Packed plane,  tight seats, sleeping less than 30 minutes made it tough to drive around town and to visit with family during our 11 hour layover. 
Fifteen years out of business travel has made me a travel wimp.  At least technology has made travel in an unfamiliar town easier.  We used Yelp to find a popular breakfast place that was open at 7am on Sunday and the smartphone navigation got us to the near west side of town and a little restaurant called Whisk.  Food was good but I think a more traditional diner would have been better for the boys.
Afterwards we went downtown for a quick driving tour and I was hoping to take a few goofy travel photos around Buckingham fountain.  But all of Grant Park was surrounded by a cyclone fence for I think was the Taste of Chicago that had just ended.
We eventually made it to the south burbs and visited for a few hours with family before heading back to the airport for our 6:30pm flight to Frankfurt.
Fortunately our plane wasn't at capacity and my strategy of reserving asile and window seats worked.  We each have the middle seat empty to spread out.  Even though it's more comfy on this second redeye,  I still can't sleep despite the meds and wine.

It's been a while

The last time I was in a airplane was for Russ and Renay's wedding about 7 years ago.  I was about to comment that the seats seemed to have gotten way smaller but the real problems are that I have gotten wider and I no longer sit with the special travellers at the front of the plane. 

When I originally made the seat selections I thought I could outsmart the system and selected two asile and three window seats at the very back of the plane.  I was betting that the middle seats at the rear of the plane would be selected last. I'm sure those seats were selected last but our flight ended up oversubscribed and now my arm is constantly getting bumped by the passengers going to the lavatory. 

So much for sleeping on this red-eye.

Maybe some electronics...

We arrived early to the airport and headed to the lounge.  So much for limiting electronics on this trip.  I was almost impressed that #1 packed his rig so well. I never brought a mouse pad or wireless mouse when I travelled for work and he spotted the electrical outlet right away. We'll see over the next few weeks if he did such a good job packing the more important gear for the trip.