Back to Europe in 2022

In 1994 Susie and I took our first trip abroad as a couple. Our travel plan was pretty simple and, as it turned out, would define how we have travelled ever since: find a place to visit, rent an apartment and just be in that place, getting to know the neighborhood, the town. As a result we spent three weeks in June split between two home rentals in Italy. Bear in mind we didn't know Italian, had never been to Italy and didn't know anyone who had ever done such a thing -- so why we decided on such a way to see the country is beyond me. 

But we did. And a good thing we did.

Anyway, our first rental (pictured below) was for a week in Umbria. We then met up with Dick and Dorothy for two weeks in a small village just north of Siena.

While we have certainly stayed in our share of hotels during our various travels since, we have tended toward apartment rentals of a week or longer, often significantly longer. And, to repeat, we've almost always tended to stay in one place, using it as a home-away-from-home as it were.

Not this time. In the spring of 2022 our return to Europe will find us traveling in new and unique ways. Two months seeing parts of Europe we have never visited before, and pretty much all by train. 

If you're keen on knowing the details check out the itinerary below. . . 

a week in early June 1994, close to Niccone in Umbria, north of Umbertide

Susie and me, Fonte Gaia, Siena

with Dick and Dorothy in Siena

One of the very first things we did to prepare for the trip was renew our passports (due to expire in 2023) since we were going to be gone for some two months. We also applied for and received the Global Pass (part of the Trusted Traveler Program).

That done we could then begin to layout the specifics of our itinerary.

In broad terms we wanted to visit Scandinavia, we wanted to see the MacDs in Germany and we thought it would be nice to see Prague. That much we knew. 

As for getting around we ruled out renting/leasing a car (we did that back in 2005). Why? Well, for one thing our trip would entail visiting/spending our time in major cities where parking could be a major hassle. Plus, why have a car in a large city when public transport would do just fine? And taking the trains from city to city would be stress-free!

So we opted for a Eurail pass: we each have a two-month pass that allows us 15 days of unlimited train travel. One thing we learned early on was the necessity in some countries of having to make reservations, which I've already done for several of our longer travel legs.

Next was to lock down where we wanted to spend our time and how much of it in each location. This is how things ended up:

We leave Michigan 20 April and arrive in Munich the following day. 

After spending a week in Munich (with a side trip to Salzburg) we take the train to eastern Bavaria and spend a few days with the MacDs. We hope to do a couple of day trips, one to Regensburg and another to Nuremberg. 

From Germany its on to Prague for four nights followed by an overnight in Hamburg, on to Copenhagen for four nights and then train to Stockholm where we'll meet up with Richard and Pauline. 

After four nights in Sweden it's on to Oslo for five nights (end enjoy Norway's national Independence Day celebrations on May 17). Then Flåm (a popular part of the Norway in a Nutshell Tour) for two nights followed by four nights in Bergen.  

From Bergen we fly to Amsterdam and then train to Gouda for five nights. While in the Netherlands we hope to pop over to Delft and The Hague as well as Rotterdam. 

From Gouda we train to Paris for our final two weeks.

As for accommodations we have reserved apartments (through Air BnB) in Munich, Prague, Copenhagen, Oslo, Bergen and Paris where we return to the same apartment we rented in 2018. We'll be staying in hotels in Hamburg, Stockholm, Flåm and Gouda.

We fly out of Paris on 14 June.

I'll post a final itinerary update before we go and hope to post daily or nearly so while we're traveling. Note that because of the restrictions imposed by Mailchimp (my email program) notifications will probably be sent out infrequently. You can plan to bookmark the blog and visit at your convenience, of course.

Until next time, be well, be safe and happy travels wherever you'r going!

Day 13 - Corning, NY

leg 9: 203 miles.
total miles: 2,913.

Overcast and light drizzle this morning as we packed up and left our hotel in Gettysburg. We pulled right onto US 15 north and, except for a slight bypass in Harrisburg, PA, we remained on route 15 right into Corning, NY.

The drive was smooth, traffic light and although the speed limit fluctuated in Pennsylvania -- 55 to 65 to 55 then 45 and 35 through several small towns, we made good time. This was particularly true after Williamsport, PA, when we were informed that US 15 was the route of the future I-99, which meant the speed limit went up to 70 and stayed there until New York when it reverted to 65 again (sheesh).

About a half hour from Corning Susan called Dick and Dorothy who were going to meet us there. They were about half hour or so behind us.

After we checked into our hotel located right behind the museum we walked into the town, crossing the Chemung River on a lovely pedestrian bridge. Not long afterwards D&D arrived and we found a place for lunch, the Old World Cafe on Market Street in downtown Corning. Did I mention that it was prom night in Corning and there were nattily dressed couples with friends scattered around the cool Corning structures having their photos taken.

decorative entrance to the Corning corporate offices

After lunch the four of us walked back across the river to the Corning Glass Museum which we had visited last year in our trip out east. While D&D went to the museum Susie and I explored the museum shop (we were on the hunt for a birthday gift). We planned to meet up later at The Cellar on Market Street for dinner, the same place Susan and I had thoroughly enjoyed last year.

I'm happy to report that his time around we were not disappointed. We were even served by Carl, the same bartender who was on duty last April. Tasty food, perfect portions, broad wine list - all good.

Tomorrow the four of us head up to Watertown, New York, the final stop on our journey. Stay tuned!

The Boston Leg 12-13 September

color change in Grand Rapids - already!

Unlike our previous trips abroad to Europe where we flew out an international gateway -- typically Boston or New York -- direct to London or Paris, this year is different. Two factors were at work in forcing us to stretch our travel time to Paris: one was British Airways and the other simple geography.

In order to use our large number of BA air miles we had to fly out of one of a handful of international gateways. The other is, of course, that we now live in the midwest, a thousand miles from the nearest usable airport.

So, yesterday we flew from Grand Rapids to Boston by way of Newark. Leg One of our journey to France for 2016.

We were up before dawn to finish packing and getting the house ready. We loaded my mother-in-law's car and the three of us drove to the airport.

It was a gorgeous day for travel. About 70 degrees F when we drove to the airport in Grand Rapids where we found ourselves in line -- by ourselves!

All quiet on the B Concourse

We checked in, dropped our one bag off to security-- the TSA handler turned out to be a young woman we knew from another business in Grand Rapids -- and made our way through security. Even though we had TSA Precheck (creatively called "TSA Pre") there were only four of us in the security line so there was no wait there either.

Once through security we relaxed at the gate until our plane pulled in, offloaded it's cargo of passengers, and loaded up a new group -- ours.

One hour thirty minutes later were were gliding down to Newark, giving us superb views of the Manhattan skyline. Once on the ground we made our way from Terminal C, the tiny plane terminal, to Terminal A the BIG plane terminal - hey, that's how our flight attendant described them.

Since we had a bit of a layover and it was lunchtime we grabbed a bite to eat. Most of the eateries in Terminal C, at least down the C112 corridor, were fixed with iPads at each dining station for ordering (and more); and there were plenty of tables with stuffed chairs also loaded with iPads and charging stations mixed in with gate seating.

Anyway, we found a spot at the Vanguard Kitchen. We ordered right off the iPad, swiped our card on the device fixed to the table top, which initiated the food preparation. Fifteen minutes later we had our food and it was pretty tasty, I must admit, although quite pricey. During the meal we simply turned the iPads face down on the table although we noticed lots of folks were using them to check email, surf the web, play games, etc., while eating. That didn't appeal to us -- we believe connectivity goes just so far. . .  One thing we thought interesting: you could pay with a credit card or United air miles.

We boarded our Boston leg flight at a little after 2pm (1400) and after a quick 39-minute flight ending in a spectacular glide down over Boston Harbor, landed at Logan Airport. It was just about a 15-minute wait to get our checkin bag, and another 10-minute wait for the Logan Express bus to Framingham where Susie's brother Dick would pick us up.

And so it all worked as planned. Or hoped. Anyway, the travel weather was perfect, and flights on time (actually both arrived at their destinations a bit early). While commuter traffic getting through and out of Boston was lousy we were on the bus and really quite unconcerned. Fifty minutes later we pulled into the Logan Express terminal at Framingham near Shopper's World Mall where Dick loaded us up and the three of us were soon cruising down I-90 to Route 146 south and Douglas, Massachusetts.

We sat outside in their garden, sipping sparkling wine and enjoying the last light of the evening. Dorothy had a tasty meal ready for us. After an evening of good wine and even better food we headed upstairs to bed.

After a good night's sleep we felt refreshed and ready for another long day of travel. The upside to all this is we don't feel rushed or harried; we just take our time. Time is what we have plenty of, right now anyway.

Our British Airways flight out of Boston doesn't leave until nearly 10pm (2200) this evening so . . . . .  our plan will be to hang out in Douglas and then Dorothy will drop us off at the Framingham shuttle about 4pm (1600). One tiny curious glitch so far has been that we are unable to checkin online -- the message from BA when I try to do so simply says "Proceed to the airport to pickup your boarding passes." Hmmmm. That sounds a tad ominous.

Whatever may come of that small mystery, since we used our air miles to upgrade to Business class we'll at least be able to spend time relaxing in the BA lounge with wine and food before boarding the plane for our red-eye to London. More about that in the next post!

Update from Grand Rapids

Life is pretty good -- in fact, it's damn good.

The Tarte has several irons in the fire (and they're getting hotter by the minute), I'm very close to wrapping up my four-volume series of guidebooks to the sculptures in Paris Cemeteries, our trip to France is inching ever closer (cannot wait), the family here is all well, and Dick and Dorothy spent a few days last week to visit family, friends and just enjoy being in Western Michigan.

Good? I'd say it's great! and I've got the photos to prove it. . .

the French Tarte plotting her next move

this is quite probably the only palm tree on a beach in Michigan (Grand Haven State Beach)

part of the Victorian Garden at Meijer Gardens

waterfall at Meijer Gardens

Dick and Dorothy on their 34th anniversary at Meijer Gardens

Van Halsema cousins at Clear Lake: Melissa Ten Have Loaney, Jennifer Galloway and Susan VandenBereg

Clear Lake: a place of refuge

Goodbye to Siena and D & D

 [24-25 June 1994, photos with date-stamp courtesy of Dick VandenBerg]

Our time in Tuscany came to an end way too soon. 

For our last night the four of us drove into Siena to savor one final meal on the Piazza del Campo. Walking onto the piazza we got to see the preliminary setup for the July Palio. Fortunately, they hadn't started putting down the sand yet. . . Even though it was late even by local standards by the time we finished eating, there were still plenty of folks out enjoying a stroll on the Campo. 

why was I confused?

a damn fine time was had by all

The following day we drove Dick and Dorothy to the Siena train station for their return trip south to Rome. Susie and headed the other direction, north to Lake Como and Bellagio.