London Bridge

A huge misconception in London is knowing the difference between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.  Many tourists actually believe that Tower bridge is London Bridge.  Below are the accurate bridges. 

 

London Bridge                                      Tower Bridge

Germany's Romantic Road

       Germany's Romantic road runs from Wurzburg(near Frankfurt) to Fussen in the South.  It is a lesser known travel destination in Germany, which is the reason I chose to write about it.  Typically, I would never recommend driving in Europe, but Germany's road system is quite similar to that of the U.S. (As long as you know how to drive manual transmission).  Wurzburg is the center of Germany's white wine growing region.  It is highlighted by open air restaurants, a gothic feel and phenomenal German Sausages.  I would spend only a few hours here if you want to drive the entire Romantic Road in only 1 day.  Along your trip South on the Autobahn, you will be able to take in the picturesque scenery.  This route is filled with mountains, lakes, and vineyards.  A truly pleasant drive, which has similar views to that of Northern California.
          The next stop on "the Road" I would suggest is the town of Rothenburg, which is straight out of the Middle Ages.  It is a walled town that brings you back to an age before the time of the hustle and bustle of the modern world.  It is filled with individually owned stores, avoiding the corporate chains we currently have.  My personal favorite anecdote is when we stopped in the town for lunch.  We had an older couple make us an authentic German meal from scratch!  The hospitality was unlike anything I have ever experienced.  The extra time waiting was worth it!  So if you are looking for a place that hasn't seen much change over the past 500 years and want to soak up history, this would be it. 
           The final stop on the Romantic Road must be Fussen.  It is the location of the famous Neuschwanstein Castle also known as King Ludwig's Castle.  The castle itself offers, in my opinion, some of the most spectacular views in Germany.  It gives you the opportunity to walk along the open air areas, instead of viewing through glass like many of our modern skyscrapers.  The castle itself actually inspired the building of Cinderella's castle at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.  One note to remember is that there is a steep incline to get up to the castle, but they to offer carriage rides to the top...how very castle of them! 
 After your journey down the Romantic Road, it is very easy to continue your trip, as it is closely located to Munich, Austria, And Switzerland.   

A Great Photograph But......

Ok, any tourist spot you visit in Italy, you will find locals dressed up in full Roman Empire Gear.  They will likely come up to you if you are standing in front of a well-known tourist attraction.  You say to yourself....How awesome would it be to get a photo with these guys!!!  However, there is always a catch.  The locals will take a few pictures with you and afterwards charge you an astronomical sum, around 10-20 Euros a photograph!  It's a really cool photo, but not worth that much.  I would suggest that if you want this done, barter with them before you hand over your camera.  




Stay tuned for a post tomorrow on the Romantic Road in Germany.

Prague for the Holidays

Before my first trip to Prague, I was very skeptical visiting a former Eastern Bloc country.  If you were to see this on television, you'll see many of the same dreary buildings, with no culture or vibrance.  I couldn't have been more wrong in my assessment!  When visiting Prague, it takes you back to the middle ages.  It's almost like a time warp!  It's a city that wasn't damaged during World War 2.  Surprisingly, it was left in pristine condition.  I would suggest going during the holidays because it simply has the best Christmas market, which is located in the Old Town Square.  My personal favorites were drinking hot wine, and sampling the many varietys of local cuisine, all located within the same area.  The photo I have as my icon for my blog is actually taken from the Christmas market back in 2008 when I was out there!!!

The Recipe for hot wine is-
Mulled wine from Eastern Europe is usually made with combinations of some of the following ingredients:

• Red wine (more typical) or white wine
• Spices, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and vanilla
• Citrus fruit (lemon or orange) or apples
• Honey or sugar

  

Chianti Classico-Tuscany

Love Chianti Classico?  Going to Florence?  If so then you have to make the short trip out to Tuscany, for the best quality.  My personal favorite is the Castello Vicchiomaggio vineyard.  The best part about it is you have the ability to stay in a renissance castle for a reasonable ammount of Euros.  Interested in the History aspect?  Leonardo Da Vinci stayed there while painting the Mona Lisa.

http://www.vicchiomaggio.it/eng/index.html

Want to visit the Vatican Museum?

If you are ever in Rome, one of the main attractions is the Vatican Museum.  Note of advice:  Buy tickets ahead of time!!! Typically is is a 2-3 hour wait to get in the door.  If you buy tickets ahead of time, you can walk right in.

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/index.html

Italy in 7 days

Ok, so many of us find it very hard to get away from work for extended periods of time.  Traveling to Italy is one country that is rich in history,culture, cuisine, etc.  This makes it nearly impossible to see the whole country, however there are a few ways to break it up.  I would suggest a North/South split.  Venice, Florence, and Rome...or Rome and the Amalfi Coast.  In future blogs I will go into further detail on what to see/do within these cities.  I would break it up by 2 days in Venice, 1 day in Florence and 4 days in Rome.  Taking high spped rail between each of the destinations.  If you wanted to do a Rome and South trip I would divide my time by 4 days in Rome and 3 days along the coast.        

Dirtiest cities in the U.S.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-dirtiest-cities-in-america-pg,0,5797469.photogallery


Not a shocker that New Orleans is the most disgusting city in the U.S.   However it is hard to beat their cooking.  Personal favorites are the Crawfish, Oysters, and Jamboliyah.

cajungrocers.com ships anywhere in U.S.