Venice, Italy June 27-30

The train ride to Venice did not require as many transfers and a shorter journey. We arrived with plenty of time to explore the city. This was our first introduction to Italian cuisine. It's expensive with multiple courses and large portions. I partook in a lot of pizza and tuna sandwiches. Josh was a little more adventurous. We had excellent, grilled squid one evening. It is quite possible gelato was consumed each evening. We toured St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace. Our cheap version of a gondola ride was taking the vaporetta (their version of a city bus) down the grand canal while listening to an audio guide. There was quite a change in the weather from our previous locales that siestas were taken daily.

Murren, Switzerland June 25-27

Our trip to Murren began in Munich with pouring rain on the way to the train station. Our rain coats and covers for our packs were sufficient to keep us dry. We transferred trains in Zurich, Interlaken Ost, and Lauterbrunnen. Then took a funicular up the mountainside to Grutschalp followed by a one car train to Murren. This train as acts as a courier service to bring goods and supplies to Murren. Technically Murren is car free but there are a few small utility vehicles. Our final destination landed us at 5380ft with spectacular views of Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrah. Unfortunately we only were able to take advantage of the view on the first and last morning of the trip. We decided to forego our trip to the "Top of Europe" because of the weather. The misty weather was just fine for hiking and this is what most people come to Murren to do. It felt like what a ski town would be in the middle of summer. Josh and I chose a hike that would be suitable for the footwear we had. The hike was a 3hr meandering trail down the mountain to the train station at Grutschalp. It then followed the tracks back to Murren. At the train station we were held up by the local wildlife (cows) moving to a new pasture. There were three people herding ~70 cows. I was impressed. We stayed behind the herders. I don't think cows are aggressive but they also did not always appear to be happy in the direction they were going. The clouds never cleared on our hike. But the next morning we awoke to a blue sky and tremendous views of all three peaks. Switzerland is not cheap but food is rich and filling.

Munich June 23-25

We arrived in Munich via bus. We again took a walking tour given by the same company as Prague. The tour did a nice job of mixing both the light and dark sides of Munich's history. We observed a plaque recently commemorated by the families of four policemen who had been wrongly identified as Nazi sympathizers. There names had not been exonerated until several years ago. Most of our trip to Munich was not actually spent in Munich but on a train trip southwest to see King Ludwig II's castles. Hohenschwangau was the summer home of King Ludwig II (yellow castle). He subsequently built another castle, Neuschwanstein, which we toured. We attempted to capture the beauty of the German Alps, clear, blue lakes and the castle itself. I suspect the pictures will not do it justice. King Ludwig II was an interesting character even in his time. Good people watching was had at the Augustina beer garden. It is a massive outdoor space under the shade of trees and flanked by various eateries. The food is rich and not a lot that does not include some sort of animal.

Prague June 21-23

We arrived in Prague via plane as the train ride is close to 15hrs. We stayed in an old family home now a B&B. The land originally housed a chapel dating back to 993. The first restaurant on the site dates 1899. Our introduction to the city of Prague was impressive. Our tram allowed for views from atop as it made its way into the city. We took advantage of a walking tour of the old city and then a castle tour in the afternoon. Our guide presented an intriguing history of WWII and the Nazi occupation. Prague boasts the largest ancient castle in the world. It took over a 1000 years to complete. Each ruling party left their mark. We were also privy to an outdoor showing of CR vs Portugal in Euro 2012 match. The clock pictured is in the middle of the old city center. The clock was first assembled in 1410 and many repairs and additions later it still draws large crowds especially on the hour. The two church pictures are from St. Vitus Cathedral inside the Prague castle. The first structure on the site was a rotunda in 925. It gets it's name from a relic (the arm) of St Vitus. The robed bronze statue is in memory of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni which opened in the Estates Theater in Prague. The peacock is a fixture in the Wallenstein Gardens. The headless, armless statue located in the Jewish Quarter is a memorial to Franz Kafka.

Amsterdam June 19-21

We arrived in Amsterdam via Inverness, Scotland. Beware of the bicyclist in Amsterdam. There are dedicated paths for pedestrians and cyclist and one will learn quickly. We much enjoyed the landscape (which involved lots of water) and architecture of the houses and warehouses. Nearly all homes have a pole with a hook at the top to unload and hoist goods from the canal boats and today for moving furniture. We enjoyed a rather touristy canal ride and several drinks canal side. Unfortunately, with mobile uploading I have not figured out how to label pics. We captured a shot of a claw apparatus attached to a barge fishing for lost bikes. Prior to their death by rust they were parked in the garage you see pictured. Just to give you an idea of the magnitude, there are 2500 spaces in this one garage and all are occupied. The bronze statue is a memorial to Anne Frank.

Edinburgh

Our trip from Nottingham to Edinburgh was by car and talented driver Jake. He maneuvered some tricky city driving from the left side. We walked from our B&B to Holyrood park which houses the highest point in Edinburgh.

We walked around the royal palace which sits at the end of the Royal Mile
We visited the perimeter of Edinburgh castle but ultimately decided not to take the formal tour. A highlight for some of us on this leg of the trip was haggis. Haggis is a Scottish dish of a sheep's or calf's offal, suet, oatmeal, and seasoning boiled in a bag. Haggis can be enjoyed at all meals but voted to be best in the form of a spring roll enjoyed at the Old Bell with good friends and fubol.