greenbagjosh

[greenbagjosh]

[greenbagjosh]

Епізод четір (4) 12 Октябр 2009

Епізод четір (4) 12 Октябр 2009

Привет всем! Сегодня мы идем в Чернобыльский музей стихийных бедствий, пьем борщ и курицу по-киевски, идем в Национальный музей народной архитектуры и быта Украины в Пироговском районе и еще раз ужинаем на Вулицкой Крещатике.

🇺🇦 Привіт всім! Сьогодні ми заходимо до музею Чорнобильської катастрофи, перекусили борщ та курячі киї, вирушимо до Національного музею народної архітектури та побуту України в Пирогівському районі та ще раз насолоджуємось вечерею на Вулиці Крещатику.

🇧🇾 Прывітанне ўсім! Сёння мы заходзім у музей катастрофы на Чарнобыльскай АЭС, едзем у баршце і курыным кіеве, заходзім у Нацыянальны музей народнай архітэктуры і побыту Украіны ў Пярохаўскім раёне і яшчэ раз задавальняем вячэрай на Вуліцы Крэшчатык.

Monday 12th October 2009 was a sunny day, with a break from the rain of the previous day. The morning was upper 40s and warmed to the lower 60s / about 15 to 17 Celsius.

I did not want to go to the restaurant close to the hostel for breakfast, but wanted to try a place near the St. Michael’s monastery called “Double Coffee”. I took the trolleybus line 18 to Sofiiska Square close to Maidan Nezalezhnosti and found Double Coffee at the corner of Ryl’s’kyi Provylok and Vulitsa Volodimirs’ka. I had some coffee before deciding on one of their interesting egg dishes, called “pink eggs”. It was scrambled eggs with bell pepper and bacon, and a red pepper and sour cream sauce. I liked the place so I came back the next day before leaving for Korosten and eventually Minsk.

After breakfast I walked down Vulitsa Sofiivska to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, and caught the blue line metro to Kontraktova Ploshcha. The Ukrainian National Chernobyl Museum was a block away. It is easiest to access via Vulita Spas’ka to the south. If you pass the Budynok Petra 1 (Peter I castle), make sure you go counterclockwise and not down Vulitsa Khoryva. At least not yet, as I would go that way for lunch after the Chernobyl museum. When you get to the museum, you will notice three USSR-era service vehicles, one painted a very bright red.

What was the Chernobyl disaster? Chernobyl was an industrial town towards the border with Belarus and towards the Russian Federation. In April 1986, a severe meltdown and explosion occurred at the nuclear plant, resulting in nuclear radiation spilling mostly into Belarus. Much of the area had to be evacuated. The only current residents are the elderly, but there are no young people there. This disaster was attempted at the time to be covered up by the Soviet media, but eventually the western world found out days later. It was talked about for several months on the news and was in everyday conversations as well. So far the risk of radiation still exists, but those visiting the actual site may not experience adverse effects. The governments of Belarus and Ukraine do not want to take chances and they clearly mark the areas close to Chernobyl as “exclusion zones”.

It is still very controversial as to why the Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred. The museum offers a matter of fact approach.

What was there to see in the Chernobyl museum? When you enter, they give you an audio guide that looks like a Geiger counter. You play the audio bits by number as you go along. There is a miniature diorama, I think 1:1000, that will show the actual nuclear site and the explosion – kind of like a pop-up book from childhood. There were diagrams to show that the furthest extent of the radiation was Sweden and Germany, to lesser extents. From what I have heard, the actual Chernobyl nuclear site, has been covered up and the radiation may last for another thousand years. Going to the museum, was a relatively safer option, than spending hundreds of dollars for a private van to the actual site.

After the Chernobyl museum, I walked to Vulitsa Khoryva. That was where the Garbuzyk restaurant was located. Garbuzyk is the Ukrainian word for pumpkin. The restaurant serves traditional Ukrainian food, like borsht and chicken kiev. This is what I had ordered for lunch. The borsht was seasoned just right and had the proper amount of sour cream. The chicken kiev had a tasty mushroom sauce.

The National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine, in the Teremky district, where I would go next, was accessible by a bus line 507 from Lybidska as that was the terminus of the blue metro line in 2009. A bus would follow along Vulitsa Vasilkivska which the blue line was since extended, then on to Velykha Okruzhna Doroha to the park. The park is a complex of different types of architecture of various rural regions. Many of the homes have thatched roofs, and there are some Orthodox chapels. I think the park took around an hour and a half to properly walk through. About 5:50 PM the park was about to close and I caught the bus line 507 to Lybidska. Traffic was not so good around Demiyivka as there was construction and traffic started to get congested.

I took the blue line from Lybidska to Maidan Nezalezhnosti and walked down Vulitsa Kreshchatyk. I found some place for supper, at the Chateau Robert Doms. It looked like a good place for Ukrainian beer and food. After dinner I walked to Palats Sportu past the Bessarabskiy marketplace, then took the green line metro to Lukianivs’ka. I took the line 18 bus to the hostel, and bought a few bottles of kvass and Ukrainian beer for the train journey planned for Tuesday the 13th. Then I went to bed.

Tomorrow, the long train journey from 🇺🇦 Kiev to 🇧🇾 Minsk via Korosten, a surprise from the previous USSR visit in 1990, pizza lunch and sharing a compartment with a babushka. Do svidanya!

[greenbagjosh]

Епізод трі (3) Недели 11 Октябр 2009

Привет всем, сегодня мы идем в Лавру, к памятнику Родины и в Бабин Яр. Возможно, мы также получим железнодорожный пропуск в Минск.

Hi everyone, did you survive yesterday’s (10 October 2009) walk through Kiev? Today (11 October 2009) we may not need to do as much walking. We likely will be using public transit more than the previous two days. Which means we have to buy single fare tickets and blue chips.

The plan for Sunday the 11th of October 2009, was to visit the Lavra towards the west bank of the Dnieper, a bit south of where we went walking, then visit the Motherland Monument, the monument to the victims of WWII and maybe do some walking along Vulitsa Kreshchatyk and maybe find the location of the Bierstube that I read so much about (the actual address was previously mentioned). The day was mostly rainy, and the temperatures were about the mid 40s, so 6 to 8 degrees Celsius.

Sundays the restaurant next to the hostel was closed, so I had to find somewhere to eat on the way to the Lavra. Where is the Lavra? It is south of the metro station Arsenal’na, which was in 2009 the deepest metro station at about 700 feet below the street surface (gasp!) You would need two sets of escalators to get from the street to the station platform. At Arsenal’na, you would need to catch the bus line 24 to the Lavra entrance.

The first order of business was to try to buy a train ticket from Kyiv Passazhirsky to Minsk. Preferably I would want it for Monday evening on the 12th, so that I could take a direct night train. So I had to take the trolleybus from Vulitsa Poltavska Publichna biblioteka imeni Lesi Ukrainky to Teatral’na, and take the red line metro to Vokzal’na / Passazhirsky. For the long distance train office, you have to exit the metro station, walk to the northern end of the station, walk through the long hall with the little travel boutiques and such, then the office is at the south end. The people do not speak English well enough to be understood, so I had to rely on another customer who knew English – and he did not ask for any payment in return. I wanted to get a “Platskartniy” ticket from Kiev to Minsk for the 12th October, but they said that there were no more spaces. Also they took only cash as the credit card system was down. Otherwise I might have considered to pay extra for “Kupeniy” class. They had an opening for Tuesday morning at 11 AM, go west in the direction of L’viv, change at Korosten, and arrive Wednesday the 14th in Minsk about 5 AM. I accepted that offer.

I had to call the hotel in Minsk but I did not have a cellphone of my own at the time. In that case, I would need to buy a telephone card for a “taksofon” / таксофон, which is Russian for payphone. I called the hotel in Minsk, and luckily someone was able to speak in German to understand my situation. They were fine, that I would arrive a day later than originally planned, and my Belarus visa would not be affected in any way. I would receive a refund on the credit card that I prepaid the hotel’s stay. Then as a joke, after I ended that call, I called my home phone and left a message as if I were Borat. Yes, that same journalist who greets with “Yagshemash!”.

Well it was time for a late breakfast, as it was getting around 9:30 AM. I took the red line metro to Arsenal’na. I think it took about five minutes on both escalators. The first one went parallel to the station platforms for maybe 350 feet. Then I had to turn right for the second escalator to go up a further 350 feet. Imagine having to climb stairs if the escalators went out of service! There was a café just outside the Arsenal’na called the “Kav’yarnya” that had a decent food offering. It was not exactly the usual food I would eat for breakfast, but it was filling. For example a potato salad with peas. The coffee was fine. About 10:30 I took the bus 24 to the Lavra, passing the Monument to the Unknown Soldier. The Lavra is a campus of chapels and galleries. To take photographs inside, you have to pay about 100 Hryvnia for a day permit.

Inside the Lavra are three churches, the bell tower, and a gazebo with a huge layered stone. Inside the galleries looked nicer than the churches considering the weather, but I have recently seen Google Maps show the churches in sunny weather. The artworks were of liturgical subject matter, namely high concentration of Orthodox icons, and Cyrillic from the days of St. Cyril and Methodius. If you go to the courtyard of Refectory Church of Sts. Anthony and Theodosius Pechersky, you can see the large garden complex that leads to the Dnieper, including the Nativity of Our Lady church. Before leaving the upper part of the Lavra, there is a shop open, that will sell wooden icons, from anywhere between 50 UAH to maybe 200 UAH depending on the size.

I thought about, after leaving the Lavra, if I wanted to eat at Trapezna onsite or the Tsars’ke Selo about a quarter mile away from the entrance, but somehow I decided to go downhill to Dniprovskyi Descent and see if I could reach the Motherland Monument faster. I knew of a tram line that used to run along the Naberezhne shosse, so I boarded it at the stop closest to the Kyiv Founder’s Monument and rode it just one stop to the line’s end. It was a very rickety tram, as it was of the Tatra T3 type and most of the lines in general had fallen into disrepair that they could not go faster than 20 mph / 30 km/h. I ended up at an Indian restaurant called the New Bombay Palace. Since I came that far, and the place accepted credit cards, I decided to eat there. I had mutton with the creamed spinach and cheese chunks. And rice pudding. I think I had the Indian tea as well. It cost maybe 80 UAH altogether including tip.

Before going to the Motherland Monument, I took bus 55 from the New Bombay Palace to the Pecherska metro station, and I walked up and down Bulvar Lesi Ukrainky but it was mainly high rise apartments that I remembered from my prior visit to the USSR in July and August 1990. Maybe a few shops and grocery stores, but that was it. I took the metro to Vydubichi and Slavutich to cross the Dnieper. The metro comes out of tunnel on the green line from Vydubichi and goes back into tunnel prior to Slavutich. Eastward along Mykoly Bazhana Avenue was pretty much just apartments and the odd store or restaurant, and it was the same route I went on Friday the 9th October from the airport to the central rail station Passazhirskiy. So I went back on the green line to Pecherska, went back to the Bombay Palace on bus line 55, then I walked up the hill to the Motherland Monument. I had to walk uphill on Vulitsa Lavrs’ka and then Vulitsa Zapecherna and then I ended up at the monument.

The Motherland Monument is one of those statues, that came from an earlier era, namely the USSR. And it is controversial. It was completed when Lenoid Brezhnev was in power, years prior to Gorbachev. In particular this is a 300 foot stainless steel woman with a sword in her right hand, and the USSR shield in her left hand. From Wikipedia on that subject: “In April 2015, the parliament of Ukraine outlawed Soviet and Communist symbols, street names and monuments, in a decommunization attempt.[9] But World War II monuments are excluded from these laws.[10] Director of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance Volodymyr Viatrovych stated in February 2018 that the state emblem of the Soviet Union on the shield of the monument should be removed according to the decommunization laws. It is not removed, however, still by today. [11]”

The Motherland Monument was only an outside display for the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.

In the museum, there are many examples of propaganda, on both sides of the war, be it Axis or the Allies. The USSR was always of the opinion that it was doing the right thing. The top floor has a ceiling light in red that has “CCCP” and “Pobeda” Победа (victory) in Russian. Leaving the museum, the outside also has many tanks on display year round.

I took bus 24 back to Arsenal’na, so that I could at least try to see the Babyn Yar, namely the monument to the victims of WWII. This would require transferring at Teatral’na / Zoloti Vorota, and taking the green line to Dorohozhichi. There would be a park, where there actually used to be housing until it was bombed in WWII, and whatever was demolished was cleared away and was just a park to walk through. I spent maybe ten minutes reflecting and such. It was kind of emotionally draining to be there. I left and went to the Bonus Super Price grocery store for some snacks, and some Ukrainian beers to take home. It was slowly getting late but I was glad to make it to Babyn Yar, regardless of how it made me feel to see it.

After Babyn Yar, I took the green line to Teatral’na / Zoloti Vorota and the red line to Kreshchatyk to end up at Maidan Nezalezhnosti where I transferred to the blue line and go as far as Poshtova Ploshcha, maybe about twenty feet above the Dnieper river. Walking along the Borychiv Descent there were pedestrian bridges to the river walkway. I thought about taking a ride on the river boats but it was getting late. So I went back to Maidan Nezalezhnosti.

Kreshchatyk was cut off from vehicular traffic that evening. I went to look for the Bierstube and I found it. It was in an alley about a few hundred feet from the Ploshcha Lva Tolstoho station on Vulitsa Velyka Vasylkivska. The beer selection was not so good but it was delicious all the same. I ordered a beef stroganoff, that came with excellent mushroom sauce. The Bierstube also had the mugs of mustard and ketchup, complimentary with a meal – with beef stroganoff I am not sure it would go particularly well but no matter. What is the difference between the original Bierstube and Viola’s Bierstube that I visited Saturday the 10th October? The original one belonged to Viola’s ex-husband Erik, who originally came from the former East Germany. I guess their management styles clashed and Viola decided to open her own Bierstube a few blocks away near the Bessarabsky Market. Both have long since went out of business, but I am glad to have been to both when they were still open.

What did I do after dinner? At the "Zemelʹnyy Kapital" bank, there was a musical setup with a dancefloor for breakdancing. I think there were about five men in their 20’s who were breakdancing and I stayed about twenty minutes for that before going back to the hostel. There was still more sightseeing to do in Kiev, and I would have an unexpected extra night at the hostel as opposed to being on the train and at the hotel in Minsk. At least arrangements were made so it was not much to worry about.

And what was the plan for Monday the 12th October 2009? Visit to the Ukrainian National Chernobyl Museum, National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine, and a real tasty chicken kiev.

Good night and be careful and don’t go to the real Chernobyl!!!!!

[greenbagjosh]

Day 2 and 3 - 10th and 11th October 2009 in Kyiv (original post)

Привет, как ты? Сегодня мы совершим пешеходную экскурсию по Киеву.

Привітання, як справи? Сьогодні ми здійснимо пішохідну екскурсію по Києву.

Прывітанне, як справы? Сёння мы зробім пешаходную экскурсію па Кіеву.

Today, Saturday the 10th October 2009, is the great walk day in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. The weather is supposed to be cloudy and cold, maybe in the upper 40s / around 8 or 9 Celsius. Rain is not forecast until Sunday the 11th.

What time zone is Ukraine in? In 2009, it was the same as in Bucharest, Athens, Istanbul, Sofia and Nikosia, as well as Kaliningrad and Minsk, using daylight savings time, so one hour ahead of most of Central Europe, and one hour behind Moscow and St. Petersburg. At that time of the year, the sun rises no earlier than 8 AM (go up north to about 60N latitude, it may not even rise until 8:45 AM!). So that makes waking up a bit difficult for those who came from lower latitudes. We will make it to breakfast time somehow! I showered and got dressed and put my camera in my day bag. Somehow I went the wrong way down the hall, and ended up with a view of an Orthodox church Микільський собор / Mykilʹsʹkyy Sobor, and I found the other USSR-era elevator that served the even floors, as opposed to the odd floors.

The hostel building itself did not have a specific breakfast room, so there was a restaurant close to Vulitsa Mykoly Pymonenka. I had some coffee with eggs, bacon and toast. I probably sat at the table for half an hour, thinking about the Lonely Planet walk route. I wondered if I would also have time to see the Пам'ятник жертвам нацизму / monument to victims of Nazism site, called “Babin Yar” and near the Dorohozhychi metro station.

After breakfast, I walked to a ticket kiosk and bought a ticket for the trolley bus. I caught the bus at Vulitsa Hoholivska and went to the Lukianivska metro station. Just like on the metro, the busses also had the “Обережно, двері закриваються.” announcement with next stop. I bought a few more turquoise tokens for the metro, and rode the green line to Zoloti Vorota, changed to the red line at Teatral’na (did not hear the Natalya Morozova song that time, but the next time I was not so lucky), rode one stop to Kreshchatyk and exited to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the central independence square, where the walk supposedly started. My only goal was to complete the walk before sunset and not get turkey-dropped, a common “lost-wallet” scam of some unscrupulous locals.

The walk started off, crossing the Vulitsa Kreshchatyk, which was blocked off to normal vehicular traffic for the weekend, and follow along Arkhitektora Horodetsko to the Mykola Yakovenko statue. That led to the Gorodetsky House that had chimera gargoyles sculpted on the outside, and also the presidential administration building. In the Ukraine you can take photos of the outside of the presidential administration building without the local police and secret service really caring too much, but if you do the same in Minsk, Belarus? You can get into big trouble, but more about that later.

After the presidential palace, I walked southwest on Vulitsa Bankova, to Vulitsa Liuteranska, and to the end of Vulitsa Shovkovychna, where the Ukrainian Parliament building is located, and has its own traffic signal (I think you may have seen the parliament building in the video). At that time, about maybe 11 AM was a demonstration at the Mariinsky Park next door. I spent maybe ten minutes listening and realizing I did not understand well enough what was going on, so I walked further towards the Dnieper.

Saturdays when the weather is good in Kiev, couples making their wedding photos like to go to the Mariinsky Park for example. I must have counted six or seven couples in total, having photo parties and such. Even at one stage, I saw a Chrysler 300C extended limo driving along the driveway. The park consists also of the grounds of the Dinamo soccer stadium, Park Bridge and Museum of Water, as well as the Friendship of Nations Arch. I think that is where I saw my final wedding couple, or so I thought.

After crossing the Congress Center at Vulitsa Mykhaila Hrushevskoho, I took a break at Volodymyrska Hill, I ate some beer nuts and drank one of my bottles of Kvass. I think I was at the halfway point, and it was around 1 PM. I did not run into any turkey droppers. Not yet anyway.

After the Volodymyrska Hill, I walked to the St. Michael’s monastery. Nearby is the funicular train, marked in Cyrillic as “Фунікулер”, that descends to almost the shore level of the Dnieper at the Metro station Poshtova Ploshcha. And it costs about 1.70 UAH per ride. The monastery chapel explicitly forbade the wedding parties to film at that spot, as there was a written sign in Ukrainian to that effect. I took some photos of the golden domed monastery before moving on to the bell tower of Saint Sophia. The clouds gave way at that moment and it must have warmed up to the mid 50s, or about 12 to 14 C.

After the Saint Sophia bell tower, I walked along Vulitsa Volodymyrska to the Golden Gate Park. I think this is where the first failed turkey drop happened. The turkey drop is some scam where a local has some money in a plastic bag and he drops it, and if someone picks it up, they are the turkey. That is how I understand it. If there is any money, it is best to leave it alone and nothing will happen. Until the next person anyway. Information on that scam at https://www.lonelyplanet.com/.../for-all-the-great-kiev.... The next one would be along the Булвар Tarasa Shevchenko after St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral. Don’t think anything of that turkey drop and then walk further to enjoy a bit of the Taras Shevchenko Park, before taking a break at the Shalena Mama café. I had a glass of Kvass there, though they served meals, and I was more in the mood for a bowl of borsht at the Viola’s Bierstube. Sadly since after my visit in October 2009, the Shalena Mama closed down years after, and was replaced by a Domino’s Pizza. Gosh, even Kiev is not immune to globalization.

I found the Viola’s Bierstube just at the intersection of Bulvar Tarasa Shevchenka and Vulitsa Khreshchatyk. There is, or rather, was, a statue of Lenin, at that intersection, but it was replaced with a big stone with Ukranian engraving. Across the road is an underground mall, connected to the Bessarabsky Market. In the Viola Bierstube I had a beer and a bowl of borsht – passing on the four ounces of complimentary mustard that they seem to freely give out, they do the same thing at the original Bierstube on Vulitsa Velyka Vasylkivska near the Ploshcha Lva Tolshtoho / Palats Sportu metro station. I was careful not to spend too much, as most places in Ukraine do not accept credit cards. After making it to the Bessarabsky Market, I had reached the end of the walk as stated in the Lonely Planet Guide. I think it was getting around 7 PM or so, and sunset was around 7:30 PM. I had other places I wanted to visit, but I was feeling worn out. Even the original Bierstube was a bit difficult to find but I think I found it on Monday the 13th.

I went back to the hostel, left my day bag in the room and went to Vino e Cucina on Sichovykh Striltsiv for pizza. The pizza was good. I went to bed after walking back home. At some point, I would have to get a train ticket for Minsk in Belarus for Monday evening arriving in Minsk on Tuesday the 14th. I would try my luck the next day at the Кіїв Пассажірскії rail station.

Tomorrow Sunday 11th October 2009 is the pilgrimage to the Lavra, a large campus of Ukrainian Orthodox chapels, near the Arsenal’na metro station. Also the city military museum (some content there can be disturbing) with the Motherland Monument, Indian food, rickety tram ride on a USSR-era Tatra unit, and the monument to WWII victims. To cap it off, a dinner on Khreshchatyk and breakdancing just like from the early to mid 1980s. Stay tuned for more!

Спокойной ночи и до завтра!

На добраніч, і до завтра!

Дабранач, і да заўтра!

[greenbagjosh]

Day 2 and 3 - 10th and 11th October 2009 in Kyiv - not the original post. Written in October 2014

Please note, some of the links are a bit old. This was written in October 2014, as opposed to October 2009.

Sorry this post is long, but it means a lot to me. Five years ago today, I went on possibly the longest airline flight since November 2003 when I flew directly from SFO to Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok airport on Lantau/Tung Chung. It was DFW to IAD (Washington Dulles), then to DME (Moscow Domodedovo), and finally to KIE (Kiev Borispol) on S7 Airlines. It beat the time it took flying directly from SFO to Hong Kong. I did not get to Kiev until about 7 PM local time. Were there direct flights from the USA to Kiev in October 2009? I was using some miles that time from an undisclosed major US air carrier, so that would not have been an option anyway. What did I have for supper? I went to a Czech restaurant near the US Consulate, had a pork chop with dumplings and gravy, and Staropramen beer plus a bottle of pasteurized non-alcoholic Kvass that I bought at an "outdoor 7 Eleven". Those outdoor 7 Elevens are as common as McDonald's, one of Kiev's greatest conveniences, plus the bus ticket sales and marshrutka cash-only minibuses. For the metro you have to go to a station to get the turquoise tokens for two hryvnias, approx $0.23 US apiece, good for one entry and "unlimited transfers" until you go up the escalator to the exit, and after that? Too bad, use another token to re-enter, comrade!— in Kyiv, Ukraine.Lots of cool stuff to see in Kiev. Saturday 10th I went on the Lonely Planet Guide walking tour, saw the parliament building and presidential building, the park where dozens and dozens of wedding photo parties going on, one with a Chrysler 300C limo. Then St. Michael's, St. Sophia's and St. Volodymyr's. Watch out for the "turkey droppers" who try to scam tourists with cash they drop. I don't fall for that nonsense. Sunday 11th I went to the Lavra, it's a complex of Orthodox chapels, south of downtown Kiev. I also went into the military museum about a mile away, had Indian for lunch - that place just stuck out but I had to try it anyway. Monday the 12th I went to the Chernobyl museum, much safer than the actual site itself - I bet most of you cannot remember the incident in 1986, one of the Soviet Union's most embarrassing moments, it's too depressing to describe, won't go on unless you really want to know. Had lunch at the Garbuzyk, had the best authentic Chicken Kiev. Visited the big complex way south of downtown Kiev, with about fifty different architectural styles seen across the Ukraine. For food, I recommend the Original "Bierstube" http://www.lonelyplanet.com/.../entertain.../other/bierstube for their excellent Stroganoff as well as "Viola's" http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lonelyplanet.com%2Fukraine%2Fkyiv%2Fentertainment-nightlife%2Fother%2Fviolas-bierstube&ei=sgg2VNWoNcGTyASa94DICA&usg=AFQjCNE9LTTofE_d3Kv0IIHTDwyZs6U_Kw&sig2=117lapTNVhSNjwUOewpSHg&bvm=bv.76943099,d.aWw, also "Shalena Mama" http://www.lonelyplanet.com/.../res.../european/shalena-mama. For breakfast, I recommend "Double Coffee", they make excellent egg and meat dishes. Lots of other good places are at Maidan Nezhaleznosti / Kreshchatyk.

Four days later, namely Tuesday the 13th I would take a long train ride from Kiev to Minsk via Korosten. Had an interesting adventure in a town that seemed to still be stuck in the Soviet times, ending up ordering pizza and hot tea. Hot tea with pizza? When it's raining cats and dogs in the Ukraine, and it's in the upper 40's, Coke, Pepsi and beer might not be the best thing to have. Soviet coffee has not really improved since I first visited July/August 1990. Also it's hard getting long-distance train tickets in the former Soviet Union, even in 2009, regardless of one's fluency in Russian. Despite computers, they did not have an online booking function with either Ukraine or Belarus. No such thing as a Eurail pass for that part of Europe. Your basic choices are "Platskartniy" or "Kupeniyi" classes. Platskartniy is sort of open seating and you might have to share an open compartment with a "babushka" Kupeniy class is the traditional four berth compartment, meals are included, tea is cheap by the glass. I ended up in Minsk, about Wednesday the 14th at 5:30 AM local time. McDonalds was open but they were serving lunch for breakfast. Photos from that time available on request - including the mug of mustard from the Bierstube! The Fitness Studio boat doesn't come for another week at least.

[greenbagjosh]

Day 1 - 7 October 2009

Привет, как ты? Сегодня мы полетим в Россию и Украину.

Привітання, як справи? Сьогодні ми полетимо до Росії та України.

Прывітанне, як справы? Сёння мы паляцім у Расію і Украіну.

Ten years ago today, I flew to Kiev, in the Ukraine. It was quite a long journey but I made it without any major delays or issues with luggage. How did I get to Kiev? I had to take three different air companies, American between DFW and Washington Dulles, United from Dulles to Moscow’s Domodedovo airport (DME), to the south of Moscow, and S7 Siberian airlines to Kiev Borispil airport.

I bought an open jaw ticket originally with American, from DFW to Dulles, and returning from New York La Guardia to DFW. Then I had redeemed miles from United, and found some good deals from S7, cheaper than what Аєрофлот /Aeroflot (Russia) or Аеросвіт / Aerosvit (Ukraine) was asking for. I had my passport already with the Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus visas ready for stamping.

On Thursday 8 October 2009, I flew from DFW to IAD. I flew into terminal B, which had the highest ceilings of the midfield terminals. That terminal usually had the best places to eat. I remember there once was a Sam Adams brew pub but that closed in 2006 or so. One other place I noted was City Wok, similar to the one in the South Park cartoon. They actually serve good flat noodles with beef, chicken, shrimp or pork. My flight from Dulles to Moscow Domodedovo flew out of Terminal C. That required a ride on the mobile lounge, as the underground train was not yet fully constructed – I first rode that in September 2010 when I went to Buenos Aires in Argentina.

At the time of writing, United has discontinued the direct Dulles to Moscow Domodedovo flights, so that makes this story a unique opportunity.

Flying to Moscow was not much different than flying from New York to Istanbul. Instead of seven hours time difference, there were eight hours. Moscow in 2009 was still using daylight savings time, likewise the Ukraine and Belarus were doing the same. The plane I was on was a 767 and I had no one sitting next to me, so sleeping in coach was fairly comfortable with a bit of lateral space. I think the plane landed at Domodedovo Friday the 9th October 2009 around 9 AM. My flight to Kiev would not depart until about 4 PM. One thing to note, because I would not be leaving the Domodedovo airport other than by airplane, and that I would not be collecting my luggage there, I would not need to have my passport and Russian visa stamped.

What could I do in the meantime? Pretty much just shopping and eating. I managed to withdraw a few hundred rubles, noting the exchange rate of $1.00 = 32 Rubles at the time. At the part of the first floor (there is the ground floor, first floor and second floor), there was a Russian crepe restaurant. They had good beer and I ordered a salmon with cream cheese crepe with a glass of Weihenstephaner Hefe weizen. That kept me satisfied until I boarded the flight to Kiev.

The flight to Kiev was on the S7 Siberian airways, as opposed to Aeroflot which I flew on 2nd August 1990 during the time of the Soviet Union. Being on the Airbus 320 seemed a far cry from Aeroflot. Flying from Domodedovo to Kiev Borispil, was about like flying domestically from the east coast to Dallas. We were also served a “meal”, something chicken with potatoes and vegetables, as opposed to just snacks.

Landing at Borispil, I felt kind of like when I landed 2nd August 1990 in Moscow Shemetyevo, as if time stopped. I collected my luggage and received an entry stamp into the Ukraine. The entry stamp was a dark orange color and was in Ukranian Cyrillic of Borispil as Бориспіль. I withdrew maybe $50 worth of Ukranian Hryvnia, at the time it was $1 = UAH 8.00, so I would have withdrawn 400 UAH that time. I asked in Russian where the bus to the Пасажирський / Passazhirskiy rail station was, and the lady at the information desk said follow the signs. I passed by several taxi drivers who were in the habit of touting rides, with gouging prices to match, much like they do at Bucharest’s Gara de Nord rail station, but I declined.

I boarded the bus to Passazhirskiy, and I think half a mile after the bus was fully loaded, the driver stopped and asked for about 50 Hryvnia per person. Compared to a taxi ride, it was a bargain. The ride was about half an hour long, part of the way just above the Metro green line westward between Borispilska to Slavutych until the Dnieper river and along to Palats Ukraina / Protasiv Yar, then Korolenkivska and eventually the Polzunova side of Passazhirskiy station. Right on top of the building was the word “Vokzal” in Cyrillic as ВОКЗАЛ. At that station was also a metro station where I could reach my hostel. It would require a transfer at Zoloti Vorota / Teatral’na.

To get to the metro station, would require walking through the rail station, exit left at Vokzal’na square, get tokens at UAH 1.70 apiece (approx. 23 cents per ride), drop in a turquoise plastic tiddlywink of a token, and ride down the escalator to the train platform. The trains were like what I remembered from August 1990 and also when I visited Prague and Budapest. But they were so full. Even around 8 PM, the trains were quite full, and a nightmare if I had luggage – I managed to keep everything together. The train recording said “Обережно, двері закриваються.”, and the next station. At the Teatral’na station, I could hear Natalya Morozova’s song “Run”. Almost every time I stopped there, I heard “Run” being played.

Where I was staying, the youth hostel near the US consulate, there was supposed to be a metro stop called “Lvivska Brama” but it was not completed. I had to instead take the green line from Zoloti Vorota to Lukianivs’ka and take a yellow Marshrutka (Маршрутка) bus. Marshrutka’s are “para-official” to the regular bus lines. They accept only cash, they give change, and they pretty much follow the regular bus routes. They do not take the plastic metro tokens. For the trams and trolleybuses, you have to buy separately paper tickets for about 1.50 UAH at kiosks along the main streets. In particular along Січовики Стрілців / Sichovykh Striltsiv. Some places also have “outdoor” snack bars where you pay in advance and then collect from the refrigerator. They sold квасс / Kvass in bottles. Kvass kind of tastes like strongly brewed tea. It is also sold in Russia and I think also in Belarus.

My hostel room was in a shared building like from the old USSR era. The elevators did not stop at each floor, maybe every other odd floor. There was another elevator at the end of the building that stopped at even floors. Even if you could get the elevator, it would have room for maybe four people. I had to pay for my room in cash as they were not set up to accept payment with credit card. Breakfast was not included as there was no particular room set up for such. My room was shared with two other people. I had a slipshot wireless connection. At the time I did not have a CC Witness radio but I had a SanDisk player with an FM tuner and recorder. I could record some music live of Ukranian airwaves. The bathroom was shared with two other rooms. The door to the bathroom was difficult to close and made noise. I was as quiet as possible.

I tried to go for some Ukrainian food, but ended up having a Czech dinner at the Staromak (Старомак), which was fine as it was about half a mile from the hostel and easy to return from there. I had a pork chop, dumplings and steamed vegetables, with a Staropramen beer or two. It was quite tasty. I had the Kvass later on. For Ukranian food, you would need to go to the city center at Khreshchatyk / Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). I walked back to my hostel and went to bed, recording what FM radio broadcast I could.

Tomorrow (Saturday 10 October 2009) is the Kiev Lonely Planet Walk, as stated in the Lonely Planet Guide for the Ukraine. I think I covered pretty much all of the walk. If you wanted to see the companion videos for that week, they can be found in my videos section.

Спокойной ночи и до завтра!

На добраніч, і до завтра!

Дабранач, і да заўтра!

[greenbagjosh]

Preview of 8 October 2009 visit to The Ukraine, Belarus and Russia + Washington DC, Philadelphia and NYC

Originally written 8 October 2015

#TBT I think it was six years ago today that I crossed into the "other side of the iron curtain" for the second time since July/August 1990 when there actually existed a USSR. It was a long day, flying to Washington Dulles International Airport, then to Moscow Domodedovo (airport code DME), ending up in Kiev's Borispil airport in the Ukraine. I thought the Ukraine was somewhere on par with Hungary and Bulgaria, just a little better than Serbia, based on past visits a few years prior.

At Domodedovo, I had a salmon crepe lunch at one of the airport restaurants. That's when the test of my phrasebook Russian started. "Mozhno platits kartochki kreditnoi?"

[greenbagjosh]

9th and 10th August 2004, Munich and Rosenheim, Germany.

[greenbagjosh]

Salzburg, Austria, 9th August 2004

[greenbagjosh]

[greenbagjosh]

Days 15 to 17 08 August 2004

Sunday 08 August 2004

Hi everyone! The Street Parade 2004 was quite a long one for me. This was the first time that I made video of the parade. The previous two times, 1998 and 2003, I had only a 35 mm camera. It is now time to go to my final part of the vacation, namely Munich. This time I will go by Schaffhausen, the Black Forest, Stuttgart, Ulm, Augsburg and Munich-Pasing. I will stay in a pension, visit the Oktoberfest grounds at the Theresienwiese, buy a DVD player that will also work in the USA, and even spend a little time in Salzburg, Austria. I will fly home on 10th August, through Washington DC. Hopefully you will all join me for this three-day journey back to the USA.

Dia duit gach duine! Bhí Paráid na Sráide 2004 sách fada domsa. Ba é seo an chéad uair a rinne mé físeán den pharáid. An dá uair roimhe sin, 1998 agus 2003, ní raibh agam ach ceamara 35 mm. Tá sé in am anois dul chuig mo chuid deiridh den saoire, is é sin München. An uair seo rachaidh mé thar Schaffhausen, an Black Forest, Stuttgart, Ulm, Augsburg agus München-Pasing. Fanfaidh mé i bpinsean, tabharfaidh mé cuairt ar thailte Oktoberfest ag an Theresienwiese, ceannóidh mé seinnteoir DVD a bheidh ag obair i SAM freisin, agus fiú beagán ama a chaitheamh i Salzburg, an Ostair. Beidh mé ag eitilt abhaile ar an 10 Lúnasa, trí Washington DC. Tá súil agam go mbeidh sibh go léir in éineacht liom don turas trí lá seo ar ais go SAM.

Ciao a tutti! La Street Parade del 2004 è stata piuttosto lunga per me. Questa è stata la prima volta che ho girato un video della parata. Le due volte precedenti, nel 1998 e nel 2003, avevo solo una telecamera da 35 mm. Ora è il momento di andare alla parte finale della mia vacanza, ovvero Monaco. Questa volta passerò da Sciaffusa, Foresta Nera, Stoccarda, Ulm, Augusta e Monaco-Pasing. Soggiornerò in una pensione, visiterò il Theresienwiese, il luogo dell'Oktoberfest, comprerò un lettore DVD che funzionerà anche negli Stati Uniti e trascorrerò anche un po' di tempo a Salisburgo, in Austria. Tornerò a casa il 10 agosto, passando per Washington DC. Spero che vi unirete tutti a me per questo viaggio di tre giorni di ritorno negli Stati Uniti.

Bonjour à tous ! La Street Parade 2004 a été assez longue pour moi. C'était la première fois que je filmais la parade. Les deux fois précédentes, en 1998 et 2003, je n'avais qu'une caméra 35 mm. Il est maintenant temps de me rendre à la dernière partie de mes vacances, à savoir Munich. Cette fois, je passerai par Schaffhouse, la Forêt-Noire, Stuttgart, Ulm, Augsbourg et Munich-Pasing. Je logerai dans une pension, visiterai le terrain de l'Oktoberfest à la Theresienwiese, achèterai un lecteur DVD qui fonctionnera également aux États-Unis et passerai même un peu de temps à Salzbourg, en Autriche. Je prendrai l'avion pour rentrer chez moi le 10 août, via Washington DC. J'espère que vous me rejoindrez tous pour ce voyage de trois jours de retour aux États-Unis.

Hallo zusammen! Die Street Parade 2004 war für mich ziemlich lang. Dies war das erste Mal, dass ich ein Video von der Parade gemacht habe. Die beiden Male davor, 1998 und 2003, hatte ich nur eine 35-mm-Kamera. Jetzt ist es Zeit für meinen letzten Teil des Urlaubs, nämlich München. Diesmal werde ich Schaffhausen, den Schwarzwald, Stuttgart, Ulm, Augsburg und München-Pasing besuchen. Ich werde in einer Pension übernachten, das Oktoberfestgelände auf der Theresienwiese besuchen, einen DVD-Player kaufen, der auch in den USA funktioniert, und sogar ein wenig Zeit in Salzburg, Österreich, verbringen. Ich werde am 10. August über Washington DC nach Hause fliegen. Hoffentlich begleitet ihr mich alle auf dieser dreitägigen Reise zurück in die USA.

Sunday 08 August 2004 It was a bit difficult to wake up by 7 AM, but I managed. I went downstairs to have breakfast. There were not many people downstairs, most of the guests were trying to recover from the previous night.

I took a shower, packed my bags, and then checked out. I took bus 33 to Morgental, changed to the tram 7 for HB, and about 10 AM, I boarded the train for Stuttgart via Rafz, Schaffhausen, Tuttlingen, Horb and Rottweil. The train passed by Rafz and the Rheinfalls in Eglisau ZH close to the border. The train crossed into Germany only for a short time, particularly between Lottstetten and Jestetten. At Schaffhausen, the final station in Switzerland, there was a border control activity. I did not get either my bags checked, nor my passport, they were only picking people at random. I was trying to listen to DRS3 on my radio, but as we crossed into Germany at Singen, in the Bundesland of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the DRS3 signal was gone.

Most of the route between Tuttlingen and Horb was single tracked. I remember riding this route in November 2002, when there was a rainstorm and a tree fell on the tracks. On 8th August 2004, the weather was very nice. The Black Forest was very nice to see. After Horb and Boeblingen, the single tracks became double tracks. It was a long time until the Stuttgart 21 project started, so the infrastructure of 2004 was not quite what it was today.

The train made a hooklike approach passing the former rail station of Heslach, through a tunnel, and at Rosensteinstrasse, the train made its southbound approach to the head station at Stuttgart. I had been through that station several times, at present, too many to remember how many times exactly. I remember May 1998, when I was waiting for the train from Paris Gare de l'Est to Munich, stopping at Stuttgart to change directions. On the AFN American radio station, 102.3 FM, I remember hearing "Love's taken over" by Chante Moore, and a bit of a talk show based in the USA being simulcast to Europe, not taking the time difference into account. This was my terminus for the afternoon until I could take a train to Munich. The Bonatzbau was still in its original late 1920's condition, long before it was renovated as part of Stuttgart 21. I was able to put my wheeled bag in a locker, for about 3 Euro. I rode the S-Bahn, with my already-valid Eurail Pass, to Rotebuehlplatz / Stadtmitte. There, I knew of a Doener Kebab place that would be open. I bought a Doener, with lettuce, cabbage, onion, tomato and yogurt sauce. It was excellent. I walked to Schlossplatz, stood there for a few minutes and then walked back to Hauptbahnhof at Arnulf Klett Platz.

About 2 PM, I boarded the ICE train to Munich Hbf. Until then, I was listening to country music (usually I do not) on the 102.3 FM AFN station. I found a first class seat somewhere in the first part of the train. Like the Stuttgart Hbf station, Munich Hbf is also a head station, and it is better to end up towards the front of the station, although with some trains ending up at different platforms, this is not always possible. The train went on its pre-Stuttgart 21 route of Bad Canstatt, Untertuerkheim, Goeppingen, Esslingen, Plochingen, Gingen an der Fils, Geislingen, Amstetten, Ulm, Guenzburg, Augsburg, Munich Pasing and Munich Hbf.

It was about 3:30 PM, when I arrived in Munich Hbf. My hotel was somewhere near St. Martins Platz near Giesing. I took the S Bahn to Ostbahnhof, and had to transfer to another line going towards Neuperlach and Holzkirchen. I just had to walk to close to the tram tracks for line 18 ran. I checked into my hotel. This hotel had an elevator, in comparison with the place where I stayed the previous year. For those trying to find where this is located, it has turned into a Servus Apartments along St. Martin Strasse, near the St. Martins Platz tram stop.

I wanted to go into the city center. I walked to the St Martin Platz tram stop. I waited for the line 18 to Giesing Bahnhof. Giesing Bahnhof is the station I used almost every day in Summer 1997 when going from home to work and back. At Giesing Bahnhof is the connection to the U-Bahn lines 2 and 8. At St Martins Platz is the south entrance to Ostfriedhof, or, East Cemetery. I was able to see a hearse, parked in the driveway. The line 18 tram arrived, and I rode two stops to Giesing, and transferred to the U Bahn. I had to wait only five minutes until a U2 would arrive. I changed to the U3 / U6 at Sendlinger Tor, and ended up at Marienplatz, the city hall location. I managed to visit the Frauenkirche, went as far as Lenbachplatz where in January 2002, I saw the new BMW 7 series (E65), but cannot remember where I ate supper. Back in August 2004, despite having lived in Munich during the summers of 1997 and 1998, I never had much appreciation for Bavarian food, so I might have likely ordered a Döner Kebab. In August 2003 I did eat supper at the Hofbräuhaus.

About 10 PM, I took the U Bahn back to Giesing, took the tram 18 to St Martins Platz, and went back to my hotel. I went to bed about 11 PM.

Monday 09 August 2004 I woke up about 7:30 AM. I took a shower and went to breakfast. After breakfast, I left the hotel, boarded the line 18 tram to Ostfriedhof, changed to the line 15 tram and rode to Silberhornstraße. In Summer 1997, that was my closest U-Bahn station, as St. Quirin Platz was only under construction. The U-Bahn platform for Silberhornstraße did not look much different from that of Giesing.

I took the U Bahn to Hbf, changed to the U4, and went to Theresienwiese. Theresienwiese happens to be the closest U Bahn station to the Oktoberfest grounds, also called "Wies'n". I was watching the Oktoberfest tents being prepared for that year's Oktoberfest, due to open on the third Friday of September of that year. As long as I stayed away from the heavy machinery, I was okay. I went to a Döner Kebab stand and ordered a Lahmacun. It was much less expensive than the one I ordered days earlier in Bern.

At Saturn Hansa, I wanted to buy a DVD player, one that would play DVDs, regardless of zone. I found a no-name player for about 400 Euro. It came with a rechargable battery, video cables and a remote control. I had asked for a tax refund receipt and I was told I could receive about 30 Euros as a rebate, that I had to ask for at the Franz Josef Strauß airport prior to leaving Germany. I also remembered to buy an adapter plug for use in the USA, our "Type A", as opposed to the "Type C" round pin plug, aka "Europlug" that the DVD player came with. As a first DVD, I bought "Das Superweib" starring Veronica Ferres. I remember it being released in 1997. I've also seen her in "Rossini", in January 1998, at a movie theater in San Francisco's Castro district, and there was a cocktail party thereafter.

Leaving Saturn Hansa, I walked to the Hermann-Lingg-Straße tram stop, and took a line 18 tram to Karlsplatz-Stachus. I walked as far as Marienplatz. I was not particularly thirsty at the time, so I did not stop at the Augustiner Stammhaus pub across Neuhauser Straße from the St Michael's church. After seeing all I wanted to see, I took the U Bahn back to Giesing and the tram line 18 back to the hotel, and left my new DVD player in my room. Then I went back to St Martins Platz and took the tram to Giesing, stopping at a local Grosso grocery store. I bought a few items, including a pint of Müllermilch in chocolate flavor.

I had at least a few hours left in the day to decide if I wanted to visit Salzburg or not. I took the S Bahn at Giesing to Munich Ostbahnhof, and took the InterCity train to Rosenheim. It arrived about 5:40 PM, according to the train destination sign. I rode it only as far as Rosenheim Hbf, because it would eventually go to Innsbruck and Bolzano/Bozen in Italy. I ordered a Döner Kebab at the local kebab shop close to Rosenheim Hbf. At 6:38 PM, I would catch the Regional Express to Salzburg, which stopped also at Bad Endorf, Prien, Übersee, Traunstein and Freilassing before crossing into Salzburg. After Freilassing, across the Saalach, there is a pile of wooden logs, and those belong to the Kaindl company that makes wooden flooring. The train skipped the local S Bahn stations between Taxham and Salzburg Hbf.

At the time, August 2004, Salzburg Hbf looked little different than June 1998, after Austria had joined the EU and had ascended to the group of nations participating in the Schengen scheme as early as December 1997. The old passport inspection station was still standing, but no passport checks happened on 9th August 2004. I bought a day pass for the Salzburg busses, though I did not have a need to ride the Lokalbahn, now the "S1" as part of the S Bahn network for Salzburg. I had already visited Lamprechtshausen and Trimmelkam OÖ back in June 1998, on the first day of summer for that year.

I think I walked along Haunsperger Straße towards the Salzach which flows to the north into the Inn, and eventually the Danube. One thing I saw was a monument dedicated to servicemen from Salzburg who fought and died in World War I. The sign even had an Edelweiss flower engraved. About 8 PM, it was time to head back to Munich. I went to the ÖBB traveler's lounge for a coffee and snacks. I remember June 1998 when I visited, I was able to order an actual meal there, when the lounge was an actual restaurant. I think it was chicken with cayenne pepper, and Liptauer cheese on toast.

About 9 PM, I took the Euro City train back to Munich Ostbahnhof, the S Bahn to Giesing and the tram 18 to St Martin Straße. I was tired and went to bed. I would have to wake up by 6 AM to be able to take the S Bahn to the airport, and fly home.

Tuesday 10 August 2004 Today would be the day when I would return home after two and a half weeks away. I had to wake up at 6 AM, take a shower, pack up and be ready to leave the hotel by 7 AM. I did that, and went to breakfast before checking out. I checked out, took tram 18 to Giesing and the S Bahn to Ostbahnhof, where I would change to S8 for the airport. I passed by my old neighborhood of Englschalking and Johanniskirchen, where I lived in Summer 1998. The train went underground at Ismaning, and remained at ground level until the Besucherterasse station, when it went back underground for the airport terminus.

I think I was at the airport at 8:30 AM, enough time to check in. I did not order a Döner Kebab at the time, but I took a photo of the big rotating stack. I had to find the flight for Dallas Fort Worth. It would depart about 11:30 AM. It was not particularly hot that day. I wanted to spend time at the Lufthansa lounge, but was there for maybe a half hour. I had to obtain my tax refund for the DVD player, so that would take some time. After going through security, I was able to board the plane. At the time, I was in economy class, and a "premium economy" option was not available back in August 2004. I managed just fine.

The flight was long, but I was able to ask for red wine to help me relax during the flight. I had some with my inflight meal. The inflight entertainment was as good as could be expected for a Boeing 767, with individual video channels.

About 3:30 PM that day, with a time change of seven hours, I landed at DFW airport, the "D" terminal on the Tarrant County side of DFW airport. I had to go through passport control, pick up my luggage and customs. I went to the ground transportation exit at Terminal D, and took a Super Shuttle bus back home. I think I arrived home by 5 PM. I had my keys so I could get back into my apartment. The next day, Wednesday 11 August 2004, I went back to work. I did not go back on vacation until 10 November 2004, when I would visit the Benelux, Trier and Cologne-Bonn.

Thank you for joining me in July/August 2004! Please join me again, when I visit The Benelux, Trier, Cologne and Bonn!

[greenbagjosh]

Days 13 to 15 06 August 2004 - not so hot day for Street Parade 2004 unlike the previous time (08/2003) - short visit to Bern

Friday 06 August 2004

Hi everyone! After a couple of days in Zug, it is time to move a bit north, to Zurich, for the 2004 Street Parade. As I cannot check into the hostel before 2 PM, I thought it would be a good idea to go visit Bern. My last visit to Bern was November 2002. I go see the Zytglogge and Federal Assembly buildings and get a sneak peak at the Street Parade in the meantime. I spend most of Saturday afternoon walking through the parade route, which will seem a daunting task, as will be explained later on. Sunday the 8th August, I go to Munich via Schaffhausen, Stuttgart, Ulm and Augsburg. Hope you will join me.

Dia duit gach duine! Tar éis cúpla lá i Zug, tá sé in am bogadh beagán ó thuaidh, go Zurich, le haghaidh Paráid Sráide 2004. Toisc nach féidir liom seiceáil isteach sa bhrú roimh 2 pm, shíl mé gur smaoineamh maith a bheadh ​���ann dul ar cuairt chuig Bern. Ba í Samhain 2002 an chuairt dheireanach a thug mé ar Bern. Téim a fheiceáil ar fhoirgnimh Zytglogge agus an Tionól Feidearálach agus faighim buaicphointe ag Paráid na Sráide idir an dá linn. Caithim an chuid is mó de thráthnóna Dé Sathairn ag siúl trí bhealach na paráide, rud a bheidh cosúil le tasc scanrúil, mar a mhíneofar níos déanaí. Dé Domhnaigh an 8 Lúnasa, téim go München trí Schaffhausen, Stuttgart, Ulm agus Augsburg. Tá súil agam go mbeidh tú páirteach liom.

Ciao a tutti! Dopo un paio di giorni a Zug, è tempo di spostarsi un po' a nord, a Zurigo, per la Street Parade del 2004. Poiché non posso fare il check-in all'ostello prima delle 14:00, ho pensato che sarebbe stata una buona idea andare a visitare Berna. La mia ultima visita a Berna è stata a novembre 2002. Nel frattempo, vado a vedere gli edifici dello Zytglogge e dell'Assemblea federale e do un'occhiata in anteprima alla Street Parade. Trascorro la maggior parte del sabato pomeriggio a camminare lungo il percorso della parata, il che sembrerà un compito arduo, come verrà spiegato più avanti. Domenica 8 agosto, andrò a Monaco passando per Sciaffusa, Stoccarda, Ulm e Augusta. Spero che vi unirete a me.

Bonjour à tous ! Après quelques jours à Zoug, il est temps de se déplacer un peu plus au nord, à Zurich, pour la Street Parade 2004. Comme je ne peux pas m'enregistrer à l'auberge avant 14 heures, j'ai pensé que ce serait une bonne idée d'aller visiter Berne. Ma dernière visite à Berne remonte à novembre 2002. Je vais voir la Zytglogge et les bâtiments de l'Assemblée fédérale et je jette un œil à la Street Parade en attendant. Je passe la majeure partie de l'après-midi du samedi à parcourir le parcours du défilé, ce qui me semble une tâche ardue, comme je l'expliquerai plus tard. Le dimanche 8 août, je vais à Munich via Schaffhouse, Stuttgart, Ulm et Augsbourg. J'espère que vous me rejoindrez.

Hallo zusammen! Nach ein paar Tagen in Zug ist es Zeit, etwas weiter nach Norden zu ziehen, nach Zürich, zur Street Parade 2004. Da ich nicht vor 14 Uhr im Hostel einchecken kann, dachte ich, es wäre eine gute Idee, Bern zu besuchen. Mein letzter Besuch in Bern war im November 2002. Ich schaue mir das Zytglogge und die Bundesversammlung an und bekomme in der Zwischenzeit einen kleinen Vorgeschmack auf die Street Parade. Den größten Teil des Samstagnachmittags verbringe ich damit, die Paradestrecke abzulaufen, was eine gewaltige Aufgabe sein wird, wie später erklärt wird. Am Sonntag, dem 8. August, fahre ich über Schaffhausen, Stuttgart, Ulm und Augsburg nach München. Ich hoffe, Sie begleiten mich.

Friday 06 August 2004 I woke up about 6:30 AM, hoping to have a quiet breakfast. The Ichthus Reizen group had not come down to breakfast yet. I had breakfast, then took a shower and checked out of the hostel. I went to the bus stop, was able to buy a short trip ticket to the rail station, and was there in time for the 8 AM train to Zurich HB. About 9 AM, the train arrived at Zurich HB, I was able to put my wheeled bag in a large locker, and then took the 9:20 train to Bern. The train arrived in Bern about 10:40 AM. I alighted and walked towards Kaefigturm, and subsequently Zytglogge. I was there in time for the noontime chimes. I walked back to the Bundesplatz, and there was an exhibition, including barnyard animals. I distinctly remember there being at least two dairy cows in their own pens. I did not go inside the Bundeshaus at the time.

About 1 PM I was getting hungry. I remember from my previous visit to Bern, that along Bubenbergplatz, there was a place that sold Doener Kebab and Lahmacun. I ordered a lahmacun, served similar to a burrito. I had one with lettuce, tomato, onion and yogurt sauce. Also I bought a small container of ayran, an unsweetened yogurt drink. It cost more than in Germany by about 40 %, so maybe 10 CHF, as compared with 6 Euro in Germany for both items.

About 1:30 PM, I returned to the SBB rail station and returned to Zurich about 2:50 PM. I had collected my wheeled bag, bought a day pass for the next day, and boarded the line 7 tram at Bahnhofstrasse / HB, and rode it to Morgental to catch the line 33 to the hostel stop. I think it was 3:30 PM when I checked into the hostel. It's the mauve - dull purple - 5 story building on Mutschellenstrasse. I had a room on the north side, facing Uetliberg. It was a four person dorm room, with a shared sink. The showers and toilets were down the hall. I had a bunk on the bottom, close to the window.

Around 5 PM I went into downtown. I wanted to see the spot, where on 24th July 1998, I had stood at the place where there was a webcam from a building along Limmatquai, where my father also stood, some months earlier on a visit. I did not know about the Bierhalle Wolf at the time, so I did not go in. Also I saw a few interesting cars, that normally would not be driven in Europe, due to their size. One was a Chevrolet C/K series shortbed, with the Adidas logo, with German registration. In order to comply with ECE regulations, it was required to have yellow rear indicators fitted.

I am not sure what I did or where I went after doing a bit of window shopping, but I may have gone somewhere along Niederdorferstrasse and had a snack. About 7 PM, I took the tram to Stadelhofen rail station to catch an S-18 train, one that uses meter gauge and the city's direct current all the way to Esslingen ZH. I rode only to Waldburg station in Zollikon to see the interesting street lamp along Bergstrasse near Forchstrasse, which was both a mercury vapor at one end and low pressure sodium on the other. In 2006 or so, those were replaced with high pressure sodium lights. I went back to the hostel on the S-18, changed to an S Bahn, then at Bahnhofstrasse / HB, I changed to the tram line 7, and rode the trolleybus line 33 to the hostel. It was about 10 PM, and there were still people around, a couple sleeping in their bunks, but another where they checked in but had not returned for the night - I think the last person came in about 11:30 PM or so.

Saturday 07 August 2004 This was the day of the 2004 Energy Street Parade. I woke up about 6:30 AM, took a shower, and had breakfast. The Zurich youth hostel on Mutschellenstrasse 114 has the best coffee machine for breakfast. You can make regular coffee, cappuccino, espresso, just about anything, even hot cocoa and tea, but you have to put the ingredients in your cup, unlike the coffee. Breads, jams, cold cuts and cheeses were available. I think they also had rice and miso soup, for the Asian guests.

I took the bus 33 to Morgental, changed to a tram line 7, and rode into downtown. Slowly but surely, Zurich HB was trickling in with Street Parade visitors. I walked along the Limmatquai up to Rudolf Brun Brucke, back to Bahnhofstrasse by Uraniastrasse. At Uraniastrasse and Bahnhofquai, there was the police station that had a unique ceiling, designed by Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti. At that time, Alberto Giacometti was featured on the 8th series 100 CHF banknote. 100 CHF was worth around 105 US Dollars, or 97.5 Euro. I wanted to be sure I was well provisioned, so I took an S-Bahn train to Baden in Argovia, called Aargau in German. In Baden at the rail station, was a Migros grocery store, with prices a little cheaper than in Zurich. I was able to find some grapefruit fizzy drink, as well as some film for my 35 mm camera. The year 2004 would be the last time I would use a 35 mm camera for Street Parade, as I was in a transition to digital photography, hence my Sony Handycam that had about a 640 kilopixel resolution. I did not need to buy any more Digital 8 tapes, I had probably one or two in reserve. About 1:30 PM, I took the train back to Zuerich HB, and walked along the Limmatquai all the way down to Faerberstrasse. This was on the east bank of Lake Zurich. This would be the start of the parade, starting around 2:30 PM. The parade route was basically Utoquai from Hoeschgasse to Bellevue, left on the Bellevuebruecke, past Buerkliplatz and the Schanzengraben canal, westward along the General Guisan Quai to somewhere around Bahnhof Enge and the FIFA World Cup Museum, ending somewhere around the Swiss Life building on Mythenquai on the west bank of Lake Zurich. A memorial stone to Dr. Arnold Buerkli is located close to the lake bank in the Rentenwiese park. A competitor to Lake Geneva's Jet d'Eau is about a few hundred feet south, on the northwest corner of Lake Zurich, close to the Seebad Enge waterfront bar. It has a few jets but it does not go as high as the Jet d'Eau in Geneva.

At 2:30 PM, the parade started its anticlockwise journey. On the parade route, big flatbed trucks with floats, called "Lovemobiles", are flanked by security guards, and their main purpose is to keep the spectators a safe distance from the trucks, so that they won't get trampled. Usually Lovemobiles are punctuated by a few spectators dancing, and it can be difficult to cross from one side of the parade route to the other. The worst chokepoint is around Bellevue, where the sidewalks are barricaded and the crowds are horrendous. Another chokepoint is Buerkliplatz. It is a good thing, that VBZ decided to suspend service for most of its central city routes up to 9 PM that night. Central and HB are not affected, but the routes using Bahnhofstrasse are suspended, and curtailed around Enge and passing by the south exit for Selnau rail station and the Boerse / stock exchange building, home of the SSMI, comparable to the CAC 40, DAX, Dow Jones, FTSE, Hang Seng and Straits Times. It can get very crazy, considering that there are a six-digit count of visitors. There are food stalls here and there, and the Street Parade staff ask, that each visitor buys maybe one or two drinks at 6 CHF apiece, including the 1 CHF deposit (not refundable during the Street Parade). The soap bubble machine was working, and I think it was somehwere around Stockerstrasse and General Guisan Quai. Everyone seems to walk through the bubbles that end up on the street. At least the soap bubbles smell nice. Buerkliplatz was quite the nasty chokepoint, trying to cross General Guisan Quai would take maybe two minutes, because so many people want to dance. This is the major challenge of the Street Parade. The Love Parade I went to in July 1998 in Berlin, was similarly crowded.

I managed to walk back to Bellevue, and walk north of the Limmatquai. I think it was about 4 PM by then. On the Muensterbruecke next to the Helmhaus, there were many food stalls. It was a bit quieter, but the closer to Bellevueplatz, for example, the Sardonabrunnen at Wiener Platz, there was much activity. I think I saw two dance stages with professional dancers on stage, and the general public dancing along. It was as crowded as could be expected.

The afternoon turned into evening, and even at 7 PM, there were still more Lovemobiles on the route. I was not particularly hungry at the time, but I had my grapefruit soda bottles with me. Now and again I was feeling a bit tired, and found some place along Bahnhofstrasse to sit and have a drink of grapefruit soda. Bahnhofstrasse a bit north of Buerkliplatz was relatively quiet. I went for maybe another hour before the sun started to set. Slowly I made my way back to HB, I went underground to the S4 platform, what is now platforms 21 and 22 (used to be 1 and 2 before the Loewenstrasse underground platforms were constructed years later). I took the S4 to Manegg, and then took line 70 to Morgental, and a line 33 to the hostel to go to sleep. I have no idea, what I ate for supper that night, I don't think it was either at the Brasserie Johanniter or the Bierhalle Wolf. I went to bed, maybe about 11 PM or somewhat later. I was only one of two in the room.

Please join me tomorrow, when I take a train ride to Munich through the Black Forest and Stuttgart. I'll also go to downtown Munich to explore around. Gute Nacht!

[greenbagjosh]

Days 11 to 13 04 August 2004 - across the Polentagraben to Zug and across the Roestigraben to Geneva, and back in time for the Street Parade 2004

Wednesday

04 August 2004

Hi everyone! Today we leave the Ticino and cross the "Polentagraben" for Zug, going through Lucerne, changing at Arth-Goldau. We explore Zug for a bit, do the laundry at the hostel, take a ride to Geneva by crossing the "Roestigraben" between Bern and Fribourg, a tram to Moillesullaz and walk to Gaillard in France, and eat in Zurich before returning to Zug for the night. Hope you will join me.

Dia duit gach duine! Sa lá atá inniu ann fágann muid an Ticino agus trasnaímid an "polentagraben" do Zug, ag dul trí Lucerne, ag athrú ag Arth-Goldau. Déanaimid iniúchadh ar Zug ar feadh tamaill, déanaimid an níocháin ag an mbrú, tóg turas go dtí an Ghinéiv trí thrasnú an "roestigraben" idir Bern agus Friborg, tram go Millesullaz agus siúl go Gaillard sa Fhrainc, agus ithe i Zurich sula bhfillfidh tú ar Zug le haghaidh Zug le haghaidh an oíche. Tá súil agam go dtiocfaidh tú liom.

Ciao a tutti! Oggi lasciamo il Ticino e attraversiamo il "Polentagraben" per Zug, attraversando Lucerna, cambiando ad Arth-GoldAu. Esploriamo Zug per un po ', facciamo il lavanderia all'ostello, facciamo un giro a Ginevra attraversando il "roestigraben" tra Bern e Friborg, un tram per Moillesullaz e cammina per Gaillard in Francia la notte. Spero che ti unirai a me.

Salut tout le monde! Aujourd'hui, nous quittons le Ticino et traversons le "Polentagraben" pour Zug, passant par Lucerne, changeant à Arth-Goldau. Nous explorons un peu Zug, faisons la lessive à l'auberge, faisons un tour à Genève en traversant le "roestigraben" entre Bern et Friborg, un tram la nuit. J'espère que vous vous rejoindrez.

Hallo allerseits! Heute verlassen wir den Ticino und überqueren das "Polentagraben" für Zug, durch Luzern und wechseln in Arth-Goldau. Wir erforschen Zug für ein bisschen, waschen im Hostel, fahren nach Genf, indem wir das "Roestigraben" zwischen Bern und Friborg überqueren, eine Straßenbahn nach Moillesullaz und gehen nach Gaillard in Frankreich, bevor sie nach Zug zurückkehren die Nacht. Ich hoffe, Sie werden sich mir anschließen.

Wednesday 4th August 2004, I woke up about 6:30 AM, checked my essential remaining clean clothes, and they were dry enough for the day. I took a shower and packed up before going down for breakfast. I checked out and took bus line 2 to the rail station. I boarded a 10 AM train for Arth Goldau via Bellinzona. It was another Cisalpino train. The train did not go through the Gotthard base tunnel, as in 2004 it was only under construction at the time. The only intermediate stop was Bellinzona, and at the time, there was no Ceneri base tunnel, so the train went along the steeper decline near Cadenazzo. We went through the corkscrew at Viadotto della Biaschina, and as high as Airolo and went through the St. Gotthard tunnel to Goeschenen, on the other side of the Polentagraben, which is the boundary between the Italian and the German-speaking parts of Switzerland. The train went down the mountain to Erstfeld, Altdorf, Flueelen, Brunnen, Schwyz and stopped only in Arth-Goldau. The Arth-Goldau station is like a triangle, the trains going to the right going to Zug and eventually Zurich, the left going to Luzern.

Leaving Arth-Goldau, the train went along the west bank of the Zuger See to Kussnacht. It turned southwest to Luzern, passing the Verkehrshaus, otherwise known as the Transit Museum of Switzerland. I alighted from the train, put my wheeled bag in a locker and walked around the Kapellbruecke and SBB rail station. I did not walk very far. I was waiting for a train to Zug. About 2:30 PM, I took the train from Luzern to Zug, passing Root and Cham. Zug is a triangle station, similar to Arth-Goldau.

I took a local bus from the rail station to the hostel. I did not know at the time, that the hostel was located close to the Schutzengel commuter rail station. At the hostel, I asked for the laundry, and I was able to have my laundry washed there. All my dirty laundry would finally be washed, and dried, for a single price. After I had finished the wash and rinse cycle, I put my laundry in the dryer, and went off to Wirtschaft Brandenberg nearby, on Allmendstrasse. I had at least a glass of Eichhof and some food. I got a headache and went back to my room after collecting the dried laundry. I lied down for an hour after taking aspirin. Then I took a bus ride, and ended up in neighboring Baar to the northeast. I was a bit lost, but found my way back to the bus stop going back to Zug. Along the way, I saw a Mitsubishi dealership, that was selling compact cars. One of them was the Colt of the "Z30" series, that appeared to share components from the second generation Fiat Punto. Locally it was built in the Netherlands.

I came back in the direction of Metalli before heading back to the hostel to sleep. When I was trying to sleep, I heard some fireworks. Those were leftover fireworks from the previous days' Nationaltag.

On Thursday, 5th August 2004, I woke up about 6:30 AM, took a shower and went for breakfast. In the breakfast room, was a large group of disabled people from the Netherlands coming to visit Switzerland. They happened to pick the 4th and 5th August of that year to stop in Zug. They had a big bus with Dutch registration. I am not sure where they were going that day. All I know, is that everyone was happy to be able to leave the Netherlands and have a nice time in Switzerland.

Breakfast included toast, butter, cheese, cold cuts, jam, coffee and orange juice. I was done about 8 AM, and was ready to take the bus to Zug station and on to Geneva via Zurich and Bern. That was the fastest way at the time. I had a bit of a challenge with the ticket machine at the hostel bus stop, though I could have walked to Schutzengel, and rode with my Eurail Pass and not bought a bus pass at all. Once the bus came, I told the driver that the ticket machine was not working. That helped, because after Aabachstrasse, the bus inspectors boarded. The bus driver told the inspector that I was okay, and they let me ride to the rail station without incident.

At Zug, I boarded the Intercity train to Zurich HB, making no stops in between, even at Thalwil. The train passed through Baar and Thalwil, and went all the way through the Zimmerberg tunnel, and I could not see Wollishofen or Lake Zurich as a result. The train emerged at Enge and again at Wiedikon, before ending at Zurich HB. I saw the big "ZURICH" sign and clock. I think it was around 10 AM when the train arrived. I was able to catch the connecting train to Geneva, stopping at Bern, Fribourg and Lausanne.

The train for Geneva left about 10:30 AM. It passed through Lenzburg, Aarau, Daeniken, Dulliken, stopped at Bern, crossed the Roestigraben after Duedingen, stopped at Fribourg, then Lausanne and Geneva CFF. The Roestigraben is the linguistic boundary between the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland. Between Neyruz FR and Oron VD, the countryside is very nice. I had been there as early as September 2000, and maybe three more times, in April 2001, November 2002 and August 2003. The train went through a tunnel, and emerged at Puidoux VD. There, the train ha a nice view of Lake Geneva. The train descended west-northwest to Pully and Lausanne.

The train arrived about 12:15 PM at Geneva CFF. Geneva CFF is a large rail station, about as large as Zurich HB. I had to buy a day pass for the tram, as the RER did not go to either Gaillard or Annemasse at the time. I took a tram to Plainpalais, then another to Moillesullaz. At the time, the tram terminated at Moillesullaz, but has since been extended to the Annemasse SNCF rail station. At the border with France, I had my passport handy, then walked to the SPAR grocery store at 118 Rue de Geneve, close to what would eventually be the Gaillard Liberation tram stop. I bought some andouille sausage, goat cheese, baguette bread and vanilla waffles. I would eat those later in the day.

Returning to Switzerland at the Moillesullaz tram stop, I took the tram to Molard, then walked to the Pont du Mont Blanc to see the Jardin Anglais and the Horologe Fleurie, the flower clock. Every year, the layout is different. I walked also to the Promenade du Lac to see the Jet d'Eau. That is the big water fountain at the end of Lake Geneva. I was watching the top of the water, and zoomed in with my camera watching how the water at the top started to fall. Before going back to the rail station, I ate a sandwich made with the andouille, goat cheese and baguette. I had some of my vanilla waffles, but had to put them away after eating one, because I got a severe sugar rush from them. Otherwise they were good.

About 5 PM I arrived back at the Geneva CFF rail station. I was about ready to return to Geneva. I saw the RER train, and its final destination was La Plaine, just a mile away from the international border with France. The train to Zurich would be leaving about 5:45 PM. The journey to Zurich took about two and a half hours. The train arrived in Zurich about 8:15 PM, and the sun was still shining.

I walked to Central and went on the Niederdorferstrasse. I went to my favorite restaurant (the Bierhalle Wolf is my other favorite restaurant, which has more of a Hofbrauhaus kind of vibe), for a large Feldschloesschen beer and a Zurcher G'Schnetzeltes, pork chunks in mushroom gravy, with Roesti. Roesti are shredded potatoes. The Roestigraben is sort of a boundary where Roesti is not served, generally not served in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, but is a staple in the German-speaking part. I enjoyed my G'Schnetzeltes with Roesti and beer, paid and left for Zug. The bus was still running at Zug. I took the bus to the hostel, went to my room and went to sleep.

Please join me for tomorrow's journey, when I visit Bern, and then be part of the Street Parade 2004 in Zurich for most of the day. Eventually we will go to Germany, so it's about two more days away. Hope you will join me then!

[greenbagjosh]

Days 9 - 11 Lugano TI + Campione - View from San Salvatore and visit to SwissMiniatur and Campione without border check

Monday 2nd August 2004

Hi everyone! Today I leave Milan, Italy, for Lugano, Switzerland. It may not seem like a far journey between cities, but this will include a visit to a few sites in Lugano that I had never yet visited, in my previous visits. This will include Monte San Salvatore, the Miniature Museum of Melide, Fox Town and Campione d'Italia - an exclave of Italy using the Swiss Franc as local currency. Before leaving, I will go one clockwise journey around the southwest and northwest part of Milan, kind of near the San Siro football stadium, home of AC Milan, Inter Milan and the Italian national soccer team. We will also witness the perils of nonexistent public laundry facilities, at least of the so-called "Polentagraben". Hope you will join me for the next couple of days.

Dia duit gach duine! Sa lá atá inniu ann fágann mé Milano, an Iodáil, le haghaidh Lugano, an Eilvéis. B'fhéidir nach bhfuil sé cosúil le turas fada idir cathracha, ach áireofar leis seo cuairt a thabhairt ar roinnt suíomhanna i Lugano nár thug mé cuairt orthu riamh, i mo chuairteanna roimhe seo. Áireofar leis seo Monte San Salvatore, Músaem Miniature Melide, Fox Town agus Campione d'Italia - exclave na hIodáile ag baint úsáide as franc na hEilvéise mar airgeadra áitiúil. Sula bhfágfaidh mé, rachaidh mé ar thuras deiseal amháin timpeall an iardheiscirt agus an iarthuaiscirt de Milano, cineál in aice le staidiam peile San Siro, baile AC Milan, Inter Milan agus foireann sacair náisiúnta na hIodáile. Fiafróidh muid freisin na contúirtí a bhaineann le háiseanna níocháin poiblí nach bhfuil ann, ar a laghad de na "Polentagraben" mar a thugtar air. Tá súil agam go dtiocfaidh tú liom sa chéad chúpla lá eile.

Ciao a tutti! Oggi lascio Milano, in Italia, per Lugano, Svizzera. Potrebbe non sembrare un viaggio lontano tra le città, ma questo includerà una visita a alcuni siti di Lugano che non avevo mai visitato, nelle mie precedenti visite. Ciò includerà Monte San Salvatore, il Museo in miniatura di Melide, Fox Town e Campione d'Italia - un'esclava d'Italia che utilizza il franco svizzero come valuta locale. Prima di partire, farò un viaggio in senso orario intorno alla parte sud -ovest e nord -occidentale di Milano, un po 'vicino allo stadio di calcio di San Siro, sede di AC Milan, Inter Milano e della squadra di calcio nazionale italiana. Assisteremo anche ai pericoli di strutture di lavanderia pubblica inesistenti, almeno delle cosiddette "Polentagraben". Spero che ti unirai a me per i prossimi due giorni.

Salut tout le monde! Aujourd'hui, je quitte Milan, en Italie, pour Lugano, en Suisse. Cela peut ne pas sembler un voyage loin entre les villes, mais cela comprendra une visite dans quelques sites de Lugano que je n'avais jamais visité, lors de mes visites précédentes. Cela comprendra Monte San Salvatore, le musée miniature de Melide, Fox Town et Campione d'Italia - une exclave d'Italie utilisant le franc suisse comme monnaie locale. Avant de partir, je ferai un voyage dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre dans le sud-ouest et le nord-ouest de Milan, en quelque sorte près du stade de football de San Siro, qui abrite l'AC Milan, l'Inter Milan et l'équipe nationale de football italienne. Nous assisterons également aux dangers des installations de lessive publiques inexistantes, du moins de la soi-disant "Polentagraben". J'espère que vous vous rejoindrez pour les prochains jours.

Hallo allerseits! Heute verlasse ich Mailand, Italien, für Lugano, Schweiz. Es mag keine weitaus große Reise zwischen den Städten erscheinen, aber dies wird bei meinen vorherigen Besuchen einen Besuch an einigen Websites in Lugano beinhalten, die ich noch nie besucht hatte. Dazu gehören Monte San Salvatore, das Miniaturmuseum von Melide, Fox Town und Campione d'Italia - eine Exklave Italiens, die den Schweizer Franken als lokale Währung nutzt. Bevor ich abreist, werde ich eine Reise im Uhrzeigersinn im Südwesten und im Nordwesten von Mailand in der Nähe des San Siro Football Stadium, der Heimat von AC Mailand, Inter Mailand und der italienischen Nationalfußballmannschaft, fahren. Wir werden auch die Gefahren nicht vorhandener öffentlicher Wäschereien erleben, zumindest der sogenannten "Polentagraben". Ich hoffe, Sie werden sich mir für die nächsten Tage anschließen.

About 7 AM, I woke up, took a shower, packed my bags and brough them downstairs to the lobby. I had breakfast in the breakfast room, the room immediately behind the lobby. Instead of a "Full British Isles" breakfast, I had just ham, cheese (I think something of a mix of Emmenthaler and Gouda), toast bread, hazelnut spread, a glass of orange juice and coffee. Afterwards I checked out, took the bus line 55 at Piazza Aspromonte to Loreto, connected to the M2 (it was quite difficult as there were no downward escalators to the M2 platform, one level below that of M1, at least not in August 2004). I took the M2 to Centrale FS, went up the escalators to the left luggage department, that charged about 3.50 Euro per luggage piece, then I took the M3 to Sondrio station, to board a 90's line "filobus", or electric trolleybus. I was on the 92, that went along Via Tonale, to Piazza Loreto, south on Viale Abruzzi, Dateo Passante (suburban rail) station, southwest on Viale Umbria towards Lodi TIBB, then as line 90 it went past the Romolo M2 station, Piazza Napoli, Piazza Stuparich for Lotto and San Siro stadium, Certosa, Bovisa, and exiting at Sondrio. It was an interesting trolleybus ride. Along the way, I did see a billboard for Only Yo "morsi senza rimorsi" frozen yogurt. I also saw the "Bar Simpson" restaurant, somewhere near Piazzale Zavattari. I don't think, twenty years on, that this restaurant is still around, but it was interesting to see it back then.

It was about 11 AM, and it was time for me to go back to the rail station, collect my rolling bag, and take the train to Lugano. I was on, what was the former Cisalpino train. The train left about 11:30 AM, stopped at Monza, Como San Giovanni, Chiasso and Lugano. It did not stop at Balerna, Mendrisio or Melide. I alighted at Lugano FFS. At the time, the trolleybusses that used to run through Lugano, had been withdrawn in June 2001, and they had been replaced by Mercedes Benz Citaro busses equipped with air conditioning, where the previous series was not. I bought a day pass for about 5 Swiss Francs, valid for 24 hours after purchasing from the vending machine, then I took bus line 2 to Paradiso, along Via Silvio Calloni to Via Geretta. My hotel was on a nearby street, Vicolo Geretta. I checked in about 1:30 PM.

My room was a double bedroom, with a private shower/bath. I was offered a fan for a couple of francs extra. I asked about a laundromat in Lugano, and the hotel staff were unable to tell me anywhere. Most people in the Ticino have their own washer and dryer, and no one had thought about setting up a laundromat within Lugano. I had to decide to wait another day and wash only the essential clothes I would need for the next couple of days. In Zug, there would be a laundry facility that I could use.

I decided to take the funicular to San Salvatore, the mountain immediately south of Lugano. There were two funiculars in one, so I had to buy the upper and lower fare, return trip, about 24 Francs at the time. I also had to make sure I did not miss the return funicular that would descend about 10 PM. The funicular went up in two parts, as the mountain incline was not exactly uniform. The first part was a moderate incline, and the second part was a bit more steep. It is similar to the system used for the Heidelberg castle, the lower part operating more frequently than the upper part.

At the top of the funicular, was a mockup of the system. There was also a chapel that one could walk up to and climb the stairs to the roof. It also had an antenna for broadcasting. I did that and was able to see into Campione and about as far as Como, the Lugano airport to the northwest, and also Monte Bre, the mountain immediately east of downtown Lugano.

After being at the top of the chapel, I went down to the restaurant. I don't remember what I ate, but it was really good. There was also a nice view of Lugano and Monte Bre. About 9:30 PM, as the sun was setting, I had queued up to take the funicular down to Lugano. The ride took about 20 minutes to get to the lower funicular, and an additional 10 minutes later, I was at the Ristorante Schmid, and I walked back to the hotel. I was very tired, and I went to sleep. It was a good thing that I borrowed the fan, otherwise I would have been very miserable that night.

Tuesday, 3rd August 2004, about 6:30 AM, I woke up, took a shower, and picked a few clothes to wash. I used the tub to wash two days of clothing, and I planned to hang it out to dry until I could properly wash my clothes in Zug, the next day. Breakfast at the hotel was more or less like the one in Milan, but a hard boiled egg was included. I did not know the Loriot skit about the hard boiled egg, so I did not complain that it was hard. I had left the hotel on bus line 2 to the rail station. I took the local train to Melide and entered the Swiss Miniatur museum. It was similar to the Madurodam in The Hague that I had visited in October 1983. The park showed miniature repicas of buildings located across Switzerland. There were many miniature trains running, as well as a mockup of Zurich airport. There even was a replica of Monte San Salvatore, and the funicular that I rode the previous night. I could even see the chapel and broadcast antenna. I spent about an hour at the SwissMiniatur, before returning to the Melide FFS station and taking the next local train to Melide.

At Melide, I took a postal bus to Fox Town, looked around the mall, and had a snack at the food court. I don't think there was a music store, like Musik Hug or CityDisc, like I would find in Lugano. After shopping at Fox Town, I took the bus back to Melide FFS station, and then boarded a bus for Campione, which would pass by Bissone and enter Campione d'Italia, without any border checks. Entering Campione d'Italia from Switzerland is about the same as crossing from one state in the USA to another. The same currency is used, namely the Swiss Franc. Campione is sort of southeast of Lugano and is completely surrounded by the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The streets and alleys of Campione resemble those of small towns in Tuscany and Ligura. One thing I noticed, was a Lupin III sticker. Lupin III is a popular cartoon enjoyed by young and old. Its origins come from Japan, but is dubbed in Italian.

I left Campione by bus, took the train at Melide to Lugano. I decided to have a pizza at Manora, located around the corner from the Manor department store at Piazza Alighieri Dante. I had been careful not to put too much oil on the pizza, remembering my experience from September 2000 when I first visited. After supper, I walked along Piazza Manzoni, and I managed to see the Trenino Turistico Lugano pass by on Riva Giocondo Albertolli. I took the next bus back to Paradiso, then went to bed.

My essential clothes were not quite dry enough to wear, so I decided not to pack those yet. I let those out to dry until the next morning.

Please join me tomorrow, when I will go to Zug passing through Arth-Goldau and Lucerne, exploring Zug, and spending a day in Geneva and Gaillard in France. Hope to have you along!

[greenbagjosh]

Days 7 to 9 - and now we go to the Schengen zone 31 July 2004 - Linate before the M4

Hi everyone, Welcome to Day 7 of my visit to Europe in Summer 2004. It is now Saturday 31st July 2004, and I am ready to go back to the continent. I will go through London Heathrow, fly to Milan's Linate Airport by British Midland Airlines, take a bus to San Babila, then a metro to Loreto, near my hotel. I will also dare to eat at Biffi, as well as somewhere near Duomo - note, those are notorious tourist traps. In the meantime I will at least try to take the train to Switzerland and see if the Foxtown mall in Mendrisio is even open. Hope you will join me.

Dia daoibh, Fáilte go Lá 7 de mo chuairt ar an Eoraip i Samhradh 2004. Is é an Satharn 31 Iúil 2004 anois, agus táim réidh le dul ar ais chuig an mór-roinn. Rachaidh mé trí London Heathrow, eitilt go hAerfort Linate Milan ag British Midland Airlines, tógfaidh mé bus go San Babila, ansin meitreo go Loreto, in aice le m'óstán. Beidh leomh agam freisin ithe ag Biffi, chomh maith le áit éigin in aice le Duomo - tabhair faoi deara, is gaistí iomráiteach turasóireachta iad sin. Idir an dá linn déanfaidh mé iarracht ar a laghad an traein a thógáil go dtí an Eilvéis agus féachaint an bhfuil ionad Foxtown i Mendrisio oscailte fiú. Tá súil agam go mbeidh tú páirteach liom.

Ciao a tutti, Benvenuti al settimo giorno della mia visita in Europa nell'estate del 2004. Ora è sabato 31 luglio 2004 e sono pronto a tornare nel continente. Attraverserò Londra Heathrow, volerò all'aeroporto di Milano Linate con la British Midland Airlines, prenderò un autobus per San Babila, poi una metropolitana per Loreto, vicino al mio hotel. Oserò anche mangiare al Biffi, così come da qualche parte vicino al Duomo - nota, quelle sono famigerate trappole per turisti. Nel frattempo proverò almeno a prendere il treno per la Svizzera e vedere se il centro commerciale Foxtown a Mendrisio è aperto. Spero che vi unirete a me.

Bonjour à tous, Bienvenue au septième jour de ma visite en Europe cet été 2004. Nous sommes le samedi 31 juillet 2004 et je suis prête à retourner sur le continent. Je passerai par Heathrow à Londres, je prendrai l'avion pour l'aéroport de Milan Linate avec British Midland Airlines, je prendrai un bus jusqu'à San Babila, puis un métro jusqu'à Loreto, près de mon hôtel. J'oserai aussi manger au Biffi, ainsi que quelque part près du Duomo - attention, ce sont des pièges à touristes notoires. En attendant, je vais au moins essayer de prendre le train pour la Suisse et voir si le centre commercial Foxtown à Mendrisio est même ouvert. J'espère que vous me rejoindrez.

Hallo zusammen, Willkommen zu Tag 7 meiner Europareise im Sommer 2004. Es ist jetzt Samstag, der 31. Juli 2004, und ich bin bereit, auf den Kontinent zurückzukehren. Ich werde über London Heathrow fliegen, mit British Midland Airlines zum Mailänder Flughafen Linate, einen Bus nach San Babila nehmen und dann mit der U-Bahn nach Loreto, in der Nähe meines Hotels. Ich werde mich auch trauen, bei Biffi zu essen, sowie irgendwo in der Nähe des Doms – wohlgemerkt, das sind berüchtigte Touristenfallen. In der Zwischenzeit werde ich zumindest versuchen, mit dem Zug in die Schweiz zu fahren und zu sehen, ob das Einkaufszentrum Foxtown in Mendrisio überhaupt geöffnet hat.

Ich hoffe, Sie begleiten mich.

Very early Saturday morning the 31st July 2004, I was sleeping in my bed inside a dorm room meant for 6 males. At the time, I was the only person in the room. About 5 AM, there were a couple of young men who entered, and one complained about me being in their bed. Some people are so rigid, that they must have the same exact bed, as they are assigned. It was about time for me to leave the room anyway, since I had a flight to catch about 9 AM that morning, from the Dublin International Airport. I took a shower and took all my belongings down with me, and checked out of the hostel. Then I walked to the bus stop that had a direct route to the airport, passing by Parnell Square and Drumcondra rail station. It was basically a north-northeast bus ride. For part of the route, the bus went along the M-50 and eventually became the M-1 to Belfast.

The bus turned left at the next interchange, and I think I was dropped off at the first terminal. I checked in my bag to Milano Linate, and then had some proper Full Irish breakfast at a cafe before the security gates. I had ordered one or two fried eggs, two strips of bacon, two slices of regular sausage, two slices of black and white pudding, a tomato and baked beans. I also had tea, coffee and a breadroll. The breadroll was extra. The sugar packets had English and Irish Gaelic quotes written on them. I believe I still have a few of them remaining.

I went through security and then to the gate where my plane to London Heathrow would take off from. The plane took off about 9:30 AM. It did its prerecorded safety announcement. The safety card had a cartoon of a smoking woman that reminded me of Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones. The plane was serving sandwiches, either egg and mushroom or ham and cheese. About 11:10 AM, the plane landed at Heathrow. Everyone entered the terminal, I think it was Terminal 2. No one had their passports checked, as far as I remember. The reason for this, is that the Republic of Ireland and the UK have a customs union, independent of Schengen, so they do not perform passport checks. This is in spite of the fact that both countries were, at the time, members of the European Union. The passport check union still exists to this day, absent to an act of either countries' respective parliaments.

At Heathrow, I had a layover until about 1 PM. I went outside to find the Underground station for the Pickadilly line, that I had walked to as early as March 2000 when I had the unexpected layover while trying to go to Paris CDG. I went back about 11:45 AM and spent a half hour in the BMI lounge. I had my radio and was recording BBC Radio 1.

About 12:30 PM, it was time to board the flight. I boarded an Airbus A321, for Milan's Linate airport. The distance to Linate is greater than the distance to Dublin, almost twice the distance. The safety announcement was slightly different, there were more exits to think about. Everything else was the same, as with the flights within the UK and Ireland.

The flight touched down about 3:30 PM at Linate. Linate is due east of Milan, as opposed to Malpensa which is northwest, and significantly farther away. After I landed, using a staircar, I had to go into the non-Schengen line in the terminal, to have my passport stamped. This would be my first Schengen entry for 2004, as opposed to Heathrow airport. From then on, I would be subject to the 90 day rule, making 30th October 2004 my last day to leave the EU Schengen area. I went into the terminal to pick up my wheeled bag, then I exited the terminal. At the time, there was no M4, and there would be no rail connection until at least 2023. I had to take a local bus from Linate to San Babila to connect to M1 for Loreto. The bus left Linate about 4:30 PM and arrived at San Babila around 5:15 PM. At San Babila, I bought a 48 hour metro card for around 4.50 Euro. I took the M1 north to Loreto, four stops away. I followed the line 55 bus to Piazza Aspromonte, and I checked into my hotel. It was on the second floor, and had a ductless air conditioning system controlled by remote control. It was basically the same kind as I had the previous year (6th to 8th August 2003). I sat in the room for half an hour enjoying the air conditioning, then it was time to get out of the hotel and then ride the metro to Maciachini station.

For those who don't know about the M3, it uses trains that were, at the time, compatible with each other's lines, but the appearance of the trains is significantly different from those of the M1 and M2. Most, but not all, stations have side platforms. Some towards San Donato have a single central platform, and the ones from Duomo to Turati have platforms stacked one on top of the other. The stations also have more "friendly" lighting on the M3 than the M1 and M2 stations of the 1960s and 1970s, which appear darker and have that "creepy" feeling. Loreto in recent years had been upgraded and no longer looks quite so creepy. This is based on a visit I had between 13th and 15th September 2011.

To get to Maciachini station, I would have to follow the tram tracks to Loreto station, take the M2 to Centrale FS, then transfer to the M3. The last time I rode the M3, it was August 2003, it went only from San Donato up to Zara. Since then, one station had been constructed to the north, resulting in Maciachini. In later years, the train would be extended to Comasina. Maciachini intersects with a few tram lines, some going as far north as Bicocca and Niguarda. The station itself is little different from Sondrio or Zara, namely, with side platforms similar to that of the M1.

I took the M3 to Duomo, to walk around the cathedral, and maybe a place to eat. I found a place that served spaghetti alla carbonara. I had a glass of Peroni with that, but avoided the chianti, as it would be much more expensive. For dessert, I had some coffee ice cream with a little bit of coffee. I was disappointed to see that the Virgin Megastore, across the Piazza del Duomo from the Vittorio Emanuele II building, had closed down. I would have only one place to buy CDs, namely Ricordimedia.

I rode the metro for a little while, then went back to my hotel to sleep with air conditioning. The next morning, Sunday 1st August 2004, I wanted to wash my clothes, but I could not as the OndaBlu that I went to in April 2001, had gone out of business. I then decided to take a train to Mendrisio, in Switzerland. I had my Eurail pass with me. I took the M2 to Centrale FS, and boarded a local train that had limited stops in Italy, but ran as an S-Bahn in Switzerland. The train went to Monza and Como. I did not have my passport checked until Chiasso, and then, the border guards just passed by. The train left Chiasso about 11 AM and went north to Balerna, and then Mendrisio. The bus to the Foxtown mall was not running, so I had to walk all the way there. The mall was closed because it was a public holiday, being the 1st of August and National Day. There was only one thing I could do, and that was to call the hotel I would be staying in Lugano. I told them I would be coming the next day, Monday the 2nd August. They said my room would be ready the 2nd at about 1 PM to check in.

I took the train back to Chiasso, and went for lunch. At Chiasso station, there is a statue of Svizzera e Italia, created by Margherita Oswald-Toppi. I saw a few things in Chiasso, for one, a display of all the cantonal flags of the different cantons of Switzerland. The Swiss national flag was seen pretty much all across Chiasso. I tried to find the pizza place that I ate at in late June 1987 when I was with family the first time I visited Chiasso, but it was a lost cause. I can't remember what I ate in Chiasso that day, but it was good. At Chiasso, I took a DMU train to Greco Pirelli and then a tram back to Duomo and Cordusio. Somewhere, I found an ice cream machine, that served me a "straciatella" ice cream on a sugar cone, sort of a swirl of vanilla and chocolate. It was very good. That would get me until supper, where I decided to eat at Biffi. I had heard about Biffi from my Italian textbook while at university. Biffi is located in the Vittorio Emanuele II building, close to the middle section of the mall.

After my ice cream cone, I took the M1 to Duomo and transferred to the M3 for a train to San Donato. I had been to San Donato in July 1998 and April 2001. The station itself has three platforms, one with a side and the other with an island platform for northbound trains. San Donato is also the location of the M3 train maintenance yard to the northeast. Unfortunately San Donato Milanese FS station does not have a direct connection to the M3, and a connection at Rogoredo is necessary. I walked along Via Caviaga around the sports center, before turning right at Viale Alcide de Gasperi, then back by Via Fabiani. At that time, I was starting to get hungry, so I rode the M3 back to Duomo.

There was nothing interesting at RicordiMedia, so I decided not to buy anything there. I did go outside to see the Teatro Alla Scala. There is another similar venue in the Bicocca district, namely Teatro di Arcimboldi, close to the Bicocca university towards Sesto San Giovanni. About 8 PM it was time to have supper. I went to the Biffi in the Galeria Vittorio Emanuele II. I ordered a glass of Carlsberg pilsener. It came in a nonic glass with the Carlsberg logo on it. I also ordered a spaghetti alla carbonara as a first course, and a steak about 5 ounces or 130 grams, as a second course. There was a service charge that included a basket of sliced bread and butter, about 3.50 Euro at the time. Both the spaghetti and beef steak tasted really good. I think it cost around 39 Euro with tip. Biffi is a higher end restaurant, that I would not visit on a regular basis. In 2011 I would have a glass of chianti at a nearby restaurant costing 14 Euro, so the Duomo area is not exactly the best place to eat, if one is on a tight budget. Fast food may be less of a concern.

I walked over to an ice cream parlor after supper. It was on the west side of the Duomo. I bought an ice cream cup with three flavors. It was good, maybe a little better than the ice cream cone I had earlier. About 10 PM I went back to the hotel to sleep.

Please join me tomorrow, as I take one trolleybus ride around the Porta Romana, Bocconi university, Navigli district, San Siro, Bovisa and Ca' Granda districts, before checking out, taking the train north to Lugano, riding the San Salvatore cable car system, having supper at the restaurant on top, visiting the Swiss Miniatur museum in Melide, shopping at the Fox Town mall, a visit to Campione d'Italia and supper at the Manora. Hope you will come along.

[greenbagjosh]

[greenbagjosh]

Days 5 - 7: Belfast - Dublin, the start of a tram system, Grafton Street and an excellent bacon sandwich to go with my Guinness pint.

Hi everyone, Welcome to Day 5 of my visit to Europe in Summer 2004. It is now Thursday 29th July 2004, and I had stayed two nights in Belfast, and had gone up and down that part of the UK. It is time now to go to Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. I have breakfast at the rail station, called "Ulster fry", take the international train to Dublin, stopping only at Portadown, and arriving about 10:30 AM in Dublin Connolly. I went on a walking tour from the central post office on to Grafton Street, also viewing the Book of Kells at Trinity College. I took a ride on the LUAS from St. Stephen's Green down to Sandyford and back. The next day I went on a clockwise bus tour of Dublin, walked to Drumcondra, rode the train to Dublin Connolly, took the train to Howth and back, ate supper in Howth, then took a bus back to the hostel to sleep for my next journey on 31st July. Hope you will join me.

Dia daoibh, Fáilte go Lá 5 de mo chuairt ar an Eoraip i Samhradh 2004. Is é Déardaoin an 29 Iúil 2004 anois, agus d'fhan mé dhá oíche i mBéal Feirste, agus chuaigh mé suas agus síos an chuid sin den RA. Tá sé in am anois dul go Baile Átha Cliath, i bPoblacht na hÉireann. Tá bricfeasta agam ag an stáisiún traenach, ar a dtugtar “Ulster fry”, tóg an traein idirnáisiúnta go Baile Átha Cliath, ag stopadh ag Port an Dúnáin amháin, agus ag teacht timpeall 10:30 AM go Baile Átha Cliath Uí Chonghaile. Chuaigh mé ar thuras siúlóide ón oifig phoist lárnach go Sráid Grafton, ag féachaint ar Leabhar Cheanannais i gColáiste na Tríonóide freisin. Thug mé turas ar an LUAS ó Fhaiche Stiabhna síos go Áth an Ghainimh agus ar ais. An lá dár gcionn chuaigh mé ar thuras bus deiseal go Baile Átha Cliath, shiúil mé go Droim Conrach, mharcaigh mé ar an traein go Baile Átha Cliath Connolly, thóg mé an traein go Binn Éadair agus ar ais, d'ith mé suipéar i mBinn Éadair, ansin thóg mé bus ar ais go dtí an brú chun codladh do mo chéad lá eile. turas ar 31 Iúil. Tá súil agam go mbeidh tú páirteach liom.

Ciao a tutti, Benvenuti al 5o. giorno della mia visita in Europa nell'estate del 2004. È giovedì 29 luglio 2004, e sono rimasto due notti a Belfast, e ho viaggiato su e giù per quella parte del Regno Unito. Ora è il momento di andare a Dublino, nella Repubblica d'Irlanda. Faccio colazione alla stazione ferroviaria, chiamata "Ulster fry", prendo il treno internazionale per Dublino, fermandomi solo a Portadown, e arrivo verso le 10:30 a Dublino Connolly. Ho fatto un giro a piedi dall'ufficio postale centrale a Grafton Street, visitando anche il Book of Kells al Trinity College. Ho fatto un giro sulla LUAS da St. Stephen's Green fino a Sandyford e ritorno. Il giorno dopo ho fatto un giro in autobus in senso orario di Dublino, ho camminato fino a Drumcondra, ho preso il treno per Dublino Connolly, ho preso il treno per Howth e ritorno, ho cenato a Howth, poi ho preso un autobus per tornare all'ostello per dormire per il mio prossimo viaggio il 31 luglio. Spero che vi unirete a me.

Bonjour à tous, Bienvenue au cinquième jour de ma visite en Europe cet été 2004. Nous sommes le jeudi 29 juillet 2004 et j'ai passé deux nuits à Belfast et j'ai parcouru cette partie du Royaume-Uni de long en large. Il est temps maintenant d'aller à Dublin, en République d'Irlande. Je prends mon petit-déjeuner à la gare ferroviaire, appelée "Ulster fry", je prends le train international pour Dublin, je m'arrête seulement à Portadown et j'arrive vers 10h30 à Dublin Connolly. J'ai fait une visite à pied depuis la poste centrale jusqu'à Grafton Street, et j'ai également visité le Livre de Kells au Trinity College. J'ai fait un tour en LUAS de St. Stephen's Green jusqu'à Sandyford et retour. Le lendemain, j'ai fait un tour en bus dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre à travers Dublin, j'ai marché jusqu'à Drumcondra, j'ai pris le train jusqu'à Dublin Connolly, j'ai pris le train jusqu'à Howth et retour, j'ai dîné à Howth, puis j'ai pris un bus pour retourner à l'auberge pour dormir avant mon prochain voyage le 31 juillet. J'espère que vous vous joindrez à moi.

Hallo zusammen, Willkommen zu Tag 5 meiner Europareise im Sommer 2004. Es ist jetzt Donnerstag, der 29. Juli 2004, und ich habe zwei Nächte in Belfast verbracht und bin durch diesen Teil des Vereinigten Königreichs gereist. Jetzt ist es Zeit, nach Dublin in der Republik Irland zu fahren. Ich frühstücke am Bahnhof, das „Ulster Fry“ heißt, nehme den internationalen Zug nach Dublin, halte nur in Portadown und komme gegen 10:30 Uhr in Dublin Connolly an. Ich habe einen Spaziergang vom Hauptpostamt zur Grafton Street gemacht und mir dabei auch das Book of Kells im Trinity College angesehen. Ich bin mit der LUAS von St. Stephen’s Green nach Sandyford und zurück gefahren. Am nächsten Tag machte ich eine Bustour im Uhrzeigersinn durch Dublin, ging zu Fuß nach Drumcondra, fuhr mit dem Zug nach Dublin Connolly, nahm den Zug nach Howth und zurück, aß in Howth zu Abend und nahm dann einen Bus zurück zum Hostel, um dort für meine nächste Reise am 31. Juli zu schlafen. Ich hoffe, Sie begleiten mich.

On Thursday 29 July 2004, I had been staying at the Belfast YHA hostel. It was time to check out, and go south to Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. I would take the international train from Belfast Lanyon Place, then called Belfast Central, and ride in first class to Dublin Connolly. The train would stop only in Portadown, just north of the border. I checked out, with my luggage, walked to the Botanic rail station, took a 80 class train to Lanyon Place station, and went upstairs to the cafe for "Ulster Fry". Ulster Fry is not much different from Full English breakfast, except that it has a few more fried items. I had egg, bacon, sausage, a "potato farl", kind of like a hash brown patty, and a fried mushroom. I had one cup of tea, and another of coffee. About 7:50 AM, I went downstairs to the platform where the train to Dublin would depart from. I found my seat in First Class. Somehow I ended up in the dining car, but did not order anything.

The train left about 8 AM. I had my radio with me, on one of the local FM stations, they played "Ninety Miles from Dublin" by Christy Moore. The train made a prerecorded announcement of the train arrival in Dublin Connolly in the middle of the song. Later on, I heard "Lola's Theme" by the Shapeshifters as well as "Inner Smile" by Texas (a Scottish band that started in the late 1980s but did not achieve fame until at least their "White on Blonde" LP in 1997 / 1998). It seemed, from Belfast to Dublin, that it would be impossible to notice the difference between Northern Ireland and the Republic. It was only after the train passed through Drogheda (pronounced "Draw-dah"), that I would notice that I was in the Republic of Ireland. The train did not make any stops between Portadown and Dublin Connolly. The weather was a bit on-and-off rainy.

Most of the Irish railway system is unelectrified. Only from Howth to Bray was there any electrification on the main line, when I last read an article about the Irish railway system. I was surprised, already at Malahide there was electrification. The train was not very far from Connolly station. The train arrived about 10:30 AM on its own track. The exit was gated, so I had to go through the gates to exit the station for the bus to the hostel. I did not see any left luggage area in that station, though I have been told that there is one at the Heuston station due west of Connolly.

Leaving Connolly station, the statin building itself looks like something I might have seen in Northern Italy, kind of like from the Sforza family of Milan. Across the street from Connolly Station is the Busaras, or the central bus station. I asked about how to get to the hostel, but I was told to go to O'Connell Street by Abbey Street Lower and get a city bus from there. Although the LUAS red line tracks were being tested, that line would not go into operation until at least September or October that same year (2004). I had to walk along the sidewalk following the tracks to O'Connell Street. I saw a few light rail vehicles pass by. I knew of the green line, but it would not go farther north than St. Stephen's Green for many years (in 2024 it goes as far as Broombridge).

The Central Post office is at 47 O'Connell Street Lower. In at least one of the six Ionian columns, bulletts were shot into them in the 1920's struggle for independence from Great Britain. Nearby is an obelisque and on the opposite side of the road, towards Connolly Rail Station, is a statue of the writer James Joyce, who wrote "Ulysses". Incidentally, James Joyce was buried in Zurich, Switzerland, which I would visit on 7th August that same year. Only in the early 2020's, did the LUAS green line start operating along O'Connell Street Lower.

When I arrived at the post office bus stop, I found the bus route that went right to the hostel. It was about the corner of Dorset and Wellington Streets. Some time in the 2010s the actual building had been torn down, and has been replaced by university housing. I bought a day pass for the bus, which I think was 4 Euro back then. The bus went past Parnell Square before it made its stop on Dorset Street. I checked into a room with six beds. At the time, I did not see that an actual bed assignment would make any difference. Most of the time, no one minds if the wrong one might be accidentally taken. I would find out very early Saturday morning, that people would make a fuss. But for now, I would charge up my phone and my video camera, and in about an hour's time, walk to the bus stop at Blessington and Dorset, to go into downtown.

After I alighted from the bus at the post office, I walked along O'Connell Street. I made sure I had a good photo of the James Joyce statue. Then I walked past Middle Abbey Street, then along the Liffey to The Famine Memorial, at the Talbot Memorial Bridge. Many of the statues of the Famine Memorial looked lifelike. Then I went back to the O'Connell bridge, crossed the Liffey and stopped by the Mr. Screen cinema. There was nothing playing that I wanted to particularly see, so I walked farther south to College Street and on to Grafton Street. I entered the university at Nassau Street and went north to the library past Fellow's Square. The Book of Kells did not allow any photography. I was able to notice the pages of the bible, written on calfskin using various pigmentations.

Leaving the library, I went along Grafton Street to the St. Stephen's Green rail station. In general, Grafton Street is a pedestrian only passage. I passed by the Bewley's Cafe. They make good toffee sweets. At the time, the LUAS green line did not operate anywhere north of St. Stephen's Green. I walked to FitzWilliam Street Lower, along to Merrion Square. At the northwest end of the park, there was the Oscar Wilde statue. He was sitting, more like lying, on a rock, as if it were a bean bag. I walked by the Leinster House, the current seat of government for the Republic of Ireland, and also one of the ministries, probably for health and human services or similar.

At St. Stephen's Green, I bought a two ride ticket for LUAS. LUAS at the time, did not accept the bus pass, so I had to pay about 5 Euro for a day pass. I validated it, and boarded the next green line LUAS to Sandyford. The train went straight down Harcourt Street, before turning left on Adelaide Road, and turning right onto its own right of way. The LUAS went past Beechwood but somehow I had drifted off to sleep. I think it was still the jet lag. I was inspected by a fare inspector, and they said my ticket was fine. I alighted at Sandyford, the current southern terminus of the LUAS green line, and waited for the next one back to St. Stephen's Green. Once the LUAS arrived at St Stephens Green, I walked up Grafton Street, past the O'Connell Bridge to the post office, took the bus to Dorset Street, then went to the hostel. I think I went to sleep after that. I don't remember doing much else, other than listen to the radio and record local station broadcasts, some in English, some in Irish Gaelic.

On Friday 30th July 2004, it was a much nicer day than Thursday the 29th. I woke up, took a shower, and went downstairs to eat breakfast. The "Full Irish Breakfast" was at an extra charge, where the continental one was included in my stay. I went for the Full Irish breakfast, but it did not contain any black and white pudding, which is like a blood sausage, or a morcillo for those who know about Spanish sausages. I would hope to go into town and maybe have some black and white pudding, but I eventually waited for the next day.

I took the bus to the post office on O'Connell Street Upper, buying a day pass. There was a hop on hop off bus stop, where I could buy a ticket, good for all day transit on the hop on hop off bus. I had to wait until 10:20 AM until the bus departed. The bus went along the route past Parnell Square, the Obelisque, and back again south of the Liffey. The bus went past Trinity College, the house that Bram Stoker of "Dracula" fame once lived, the Molly Malone statue, St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. James Hospital, the Guinness Brewery, Magazine Fort, Heuston Station, and Ha'Penny Bridge. I alighted at Ha'Penny Bridge, and looked for some place to eat. On Anglesea Street just off Fleet Street, I found the Oliver St. John Gogarty pub. It also operated a hostel next door. I ordered a pint of Guinness and a bacon sandwich with fries. It was very good.

I went down the Grafton Street walkway before turning back and taking a bus to the post office. I bought some stamps for postcards at the office. Somehow there after I ended up walking east on Cathal Brugha Street past the Five Lamps to Clonliffe Road. I walked past the GAA Museum at Croke Park. Eventually I would end up at Drumcondra rail station. I could use my Eurail pass to gain access to the train platform for Connolly Station. The section between Drumcondra and Connolly was not electrified in 2004. I was feeling tired after walking so much. I think it was about 4 PM when I caught the train from Drumcondra to Connolly. Instead of the 80 class NIR DMU unit, I was riding on a nice commuter rail train. About where the train crossed Newcomen Bridge, the train came onto the electrified section to Bray/Greystones. At Connolly I transferred to the DART, which also recognized the Eurail Pass. It would be about 4:30 PM when I would board the train for Howth, called Binn Eadair in Irish.

The train to Howth arrived about 4:30 PM. It made about 9 stops before arriving at Howth. Howth is on a peninsula, and on the north side there is a harbor. There is also a shopping area and park close by. I had supper at the Fish Market. I think I had cod and chips along with a salad, and a pint of Guinness. It was really good, cost maybe 15 Euro. About 7 PM I went back to the Howth station to wait for the train back to downtown Dublin. Entering the station, I asked the guard if they would like to see my Eurail Pass, but he said "not particularly" instead of "No". He let me on to the platform. The train did not arrive until 7:30 PM. It departed about 7:40 PM. I stayed on the train until I arrived at Pearse Street. Pearse Street is an elevated commuter rail station. If you look eastward on Westland Row, you might think that you would be seeing a scene of "Glengarry Glenn Ross", where they say "Coffee is for closers". I took the bus back to the post office, and another one of the hostel. Then I went to sleep, at least for a while. Then I was woken up about 5 AM or so. But that's a story for another day.

I hope you will join me in my next journey, from Dublin to Milan. Question: at what airport do I get my passport checked? If you know Ireland's customs union with the UK, it may likely not be at Heathrow, but please stay tuned anyway. See you then!