Krystal's Krazy Life

Sinkie Terrie

Wednesday on the train, we're listening to an English woman, who says she's a professor, talk about the Cinque Terre but she says it as "sinkie terrie". We laughed our butts off. Check in finds us at a beach front hotel with an ocean view room for 2 nights in Monterosso. We walked the beach for a while, had dinner, met a couple from Colorado, had good conversation and called it a night.

Ocean views from window

Thursday found us on the hiking trail between 2 of the 5 communities that make up the Cinque Terre. It was a 3k hike that should have taken about 2 hours. Prayers were answered and we thank whoever it was that offered them because it d#mn near killed these 2 pudgy girls ! We looked closer at the topigraphical chart and determined AFTER that we hiked the hardest trail of all the cities.

Char on natural(?) bridge durning hike

Krystal enjoying her idea of hiking...sitting!

How much higher!?!

We then went swimming in the Mediterrainean Sea and later watched a lady change her swim suit right there on the beach - you read between the lines for that one. Dinner was an american steak at a nice resturante cuz most of the menue was sea food. We're heading to Pisa next.

Char basking in the sea

Krystal's first time swimming in fish pee :)

From Milan to Venice

Monday mid-day arrive in Venice. Actually, we've learned from other travelers that staying just outside major cities is often cheaper so that's what we did. We found a hotel in Venezia Mestre, and rode the bus to Venice. Spent rest of afternoon in search of crepes - unsuccessful. Found
St Marks square and the Rialto Bridge but the crepes remained illusive. Feet were howling like wild dogs by nights end.

Char on Rialto Bridge

Tuesday morning spent 20£ on 2 loads of laundry then back to Venice. Still after those darn crepes. Took a ferry to Murano island, known for their glass. Watched a glass blowing demo for 15 min, picked up some souveniers and headed back to Venice - you guessed it - crepes. June 2nd is a Nat'l holiday in Italy so shops were closing early. Somewhere around 5:00pm Krystal's prayers were answered and she found the crepe shop ! It would have been a wasted trip if she hadn't found them.

Finally....Crepes!

Back to St Marks square to watch the gondolier's drum up business. We found some other girls to share a gondola ride with us, cheaper because they charge for the boat not by the person. Umberto, our gondolier was a hottie, too old for all the girls except Char, how fortunate. He made the ride fun and informative. Got to the hotel late and crashed. Wednesday check out and head for Cinque Terre, the Italian Riviera.

Goodnight St. Mark's Square

From Switzerland to Milan

We just switched trains and are on our way to Milan. If ever there were a ghetto train on rails - we are on it for 1.5 hours - arghhh ! Give us a tick dip when we get off. Stayed in Milan at Alberts Hotel, nice place. Had pizza delivery to our room since everything else was closed. No time for shopping, need to get on to Venice (Venezia)

From Germany to Switzerland

Saturday, off to Zermatt, Switzerland by way of 7 different trains and a bazillion little stops elapsing 9 hours. Got a text last night from Char's neighbor. Someone busted out window on front of house. Lisa, Steve, Donita, and Gilbert PD got things taken care of. Thanks to all who helped out.

Our backpacks are getting heavier but they pale in comparison to some we have seen here. Today lost 2 hours of travel - they split the train and unbeknownst to us we were on the end going south, not north. The trains truely 'do' whistle stops, soooo cool. We got turned back around - found another bobsled ride (no time to take it) and arrived in Zermatt around 8:30pm. Walked to several hotels, all closed, until finding one with "last available room" for a whopping.. .don't ask. Suffice it to say Switzerland is VERY expensive. Dinner for 2 that night in their traditional Switzerland resturante setting was about 100 franc, including dessert. There was a 5 piece band playing foot stompin, table slappin toons.

Swiss Band

Sunday morning found us on a train going even higher up to see the world (Disney) famous Matterhorn. Elevation was like 3136 m above sea level. Took pictures, played in the snow, had lunch for a combined 58 franc, saw the clouds start rolling in and decided to get down off that mountain. Sunday afternoon found us leaving Switzerland with 6.50 franc in our pockets. Since it was Sunday there were no banks open - Char so wanted to open that Swiss bank account!

Snow Fight!

Highest Shopping Mall...Char's in heaven

It's da Matterhorn

Munich to Fussen

Thursday, left Munich on train with a guided tour for the Neuschwanstein Castle toting all our belongings. Unlike rest of group, we were not returning to Munich. Arrived in Fussen, Germany, left bags in train station locker, rode bus through town, saw our hotel smack in middle of town center. Fell in love with Fussen, decided to book room for second night so we could explore.

Fabulous hotel in Fussen

Awesome fountain in city center...uh, right next door!

Toured castle Thursday, rode bobsled (twice it was so much fun) and took tram to peak of Tegelbahn Alp on Friday. Froze butts off on top of mountain. Route bus also doubles as school bus for the little kids there. Kindergartners with bus passes - no fear. So beautiful and scenic.

Aerial view of Tegelbahn Luge

Krystal being taken to top

Char's trip up

Neuschwanstein Castle-wind blows like crazy at top of hill!

Had to change floor/room for 2nd night in Fussen hotel, found out later why. Decided to celebrate Krystal's birthday (late) with dinner in our nice hotel resturante. Had bread and first course of soup before the Italian Hell's Angels bikers came in. They had booked the whole floor of rooms we were on the night before. Italian bikers are not much different than AZ bikers. Lot's of kisses, groping, and cheap cologne in that resturante. Atmosphere changed dramatically but food was still great. Left before dessert and walked downtown for gelato.

Krystal out for Gelato after B-day dinner

Munich

Tuesday, left Vienna traveled to Munich 4.0 hrs on train. Shared table with father & son. Father professor at Bellmont Univ in Nashville (?) Tenn, son going to law school in Paris - they were nice to chat with. They left train in Salzburg we continued on to Munich. Found hostel within a block of train station, dropped bags and headed off tho the town square, Marienplatz. Munich not as easy to manuver as Vienna, hopped on tram and must have looked pretty lost. Elder woman on train motioned for us to follow her - so we did. She took us to the subway and got on the orange line with us. One stop later she motioned us to get off with her then she waved goodbye and we were right where we needed to be. Only one word exchanged between us - Marienplatz. Town center is where the Glochenspiel clock is. We missed the 5:00 show on the clock but mother nature gave us one heck of a show with lightening and a downpour of rain. Stranded us for about an hour but we made it back to hostel, moist but safe.

Storm coming in

Wet Square at Marienplatz

Our hostel found us in a room with 6 beds, 4 beds had young men in them - squirm - but we survived, barely. Krystal on top bunk of wooden beds. Char lay on bottom bunk listening to every creak all night. Next day did tour of former concerntration camp, Dachau. Awesome tour guide, Gordon, from Ireland. Very passionate that whole spectrum be given about concentration camps. This tour changed our understanding of these camps.

Camp Remains-all bunkers were destroyed

Made it back for the 5;00 show on the clock today, whoopee! 12 minutes of hell. Moved to another ghetto hotel (Litty) walked 2 blocks to laundrymat, fought over when soap got dumped in and what temp to use, but clothes smelled better when done. Krystal going European on us, wore same clothes 2 days in a row. What next, hairy armpits ? Krystal's, actual birthday today but she thought Munich stunk so we'll celebrate elsewhere. Hotel room had 3 beds but the toilet was down the hall and the shower was elsewhere also, thankfully they were on the same floor.

Monks walking around the square

Clock Tower

Vienna Bus Tour and Palace

Sorry for the lengthly delay but we'll pick back up now. Leaving Prater Square we were overrun with the crowd from the AC/DC concert - just let out. Guess the line for the WC was too long for the guy leaning against the tree relieving himself. Heading back inside the subway there is a guy passed out against the wall and before we made it to the stairs there is yet another guy relieving himself in the ashtray. Aren't women the one's with weak bladders ? Two more encounters with the intoxicated before we made it home, but safe and sound we were.

Monday in Vienna - 11:00 am started our hop on hop off self guided tour at the opera house. Spent most of our time at the Schoenbrunn(sp?) Palace, enjoy the pictures.