Europe, part 1: Road trip!

Hello, blog. Did you miss me? Yes, I neglected you during several self-indulgent months -- I'm sorry.
Where have I been, you ask? Well, I continued my wanderings around the Southwest and over to coastal California. I visited more great places, some of which I may tell you about here. Eventually.

Right now, let's jump ahead to my unanticipated trip to...  Europe!

That's right! I traveled to Europe. For nearly three months. Because hey, why not? My base was Warsaw, and I got to see quite a bit of Poland (future post). I also enjoyed a fabulous trip to southern Greece (another future post). On this page I will tell you about last March's 11-day road trip adventure through five countries, from lowlands to mountains to sea, from winter to spring.

Dziękuję bardzo, Mara and Ela!

First, I want to thank my hosts, Ela and Mara. Ela inspired me to visit, was generous with her time and showed me all kinds of great stuff. My entire European adventure would not have been nearly so great without her travel experience, translating skills, companionship and patience.
Mara is the first Polish-speaking dog I've met. Luckily she also understands the international languages of food and fetch.
(Mara did not accompany us on this road trip.)
Dziękuję, Ela and Mara.

[You can click on any of the images in this post to see them larger. Click here to check out more photos from this multi-country trip.]

Highways, Highlands and History

Part 1: Ortler     One of the big adventures planned for my visit to Europe was a 6-day guided backcountry ski trip in the Ortler Alps of Italy's South Tyrol province. To get there, "we" drove west from Warsaw, through Poznan and onward into eastern Germany (country count = 2!). Near Berlin we turned south, passing Leipzig, Nuremburg and Munich. Now we were in Bavaria, and the scenery was much improved. Continuing south, we crossed into Austria (country count = 3!), enjoying big mountain views and excitingly windy roads. Our destination was the ski resort village of Solda in the heart of Italy's largest park, Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio (country count = 4!).

Polish ski tourers on the Ortler Traverse

In Solda we met up with the other good folks on ski tour crew. We were five Poles who speak pretty good English, plus one American visibly intimidated by Polish, in a region of Italy where most locals speak German. We caught a ski lift up into the steep and scenic highlands and were off, all packed for six days. The plan was to spend the next five nights in "huts" along the Ortler Traverse. These popular high country lodges, all in gorgeous settings, are a far cry from rustic cabins. Their amenities include electricity, homemade hot meals, a variety of beverages, and sleeping quarters. We needed only our day tripping gear. Sounded great to me -- the Alps are legendary, and I enjoy backcountry ski touring.

Sunshine and civilization in the Italian Alps

We quickly discovered that, as in other places I've skied, prolonged clear weather can mean crappy snow conditions: frozen, lumpy, crusty. The area had not received fresh snow in quite a while. The skiing was rough and challenging, giving me an excuse to pause frequently and take in the huge mountain vistas. These mountains and valleys were higher and seemed larger than the Cascades back "home." We made our way down to the Zufallhütte for a delicious lunch and refreshments in warm sunlight. Then we skinned up to the Marteller Hütte, where we had reservations to sleep above 8,500 feet. The dinner meal, served in courses, was surprisingly good. Our group bunk room was warm and cozy. I slept well.

The next morning we started out at dawn, as we had a big day ahead of us. Throughout the long and very windy morning we made our way up to a peak more than 12,000 feet above sea level. This summit, near Mount Cevedale, is known as "Zufallspitze," a name that perhaps presaged afternoon calamity. Our crew faced some steep terrain around the back side of this peak. We put our skis on our packs, put crampons on our boots, tied into our guide's rope, grabbed our ice axes and headed across the slope. Partway across we found ourselves on thin ice -- literally. One of our crew slipped, and the rest of us peeled off the mountain after them, one by one. We tumbled down the slope, a tangled and terrified ball of bodies, pointy metal bits and flailing skis. Long story short, we sustained collective injuries but were extremely lucky, considering what can happen in such accidents. There was some blood, some limping, and one broken arm that merited a helicopter evacuation. The five of us not on the helicopter had to ski down and out; it was stressful and exhausting, but we made it. If you want more details, drop me a line. Otherwise, I'll leave you with this link to a post-fall video of the helicopter arriving. Excitement in the Alps!

The crew retreated to the valley village of Silandro, where Spring was underway -- and where some of us received attention at the hospital. We found gracious lodging for the night, and hobbled around together in the morning. Then, with the tour prematurely ended, we bade each other "Arrivederci" and went our separate ways.

View from Cavalese, Trentino, Italy

Part 2: The Dolomites and Lago di Garda     Ela and I had planned to spend a few post-Alps days exploring. Now we found ourselves in Italy with extra time -- and with matching limps. So we headed south through the Bolzano and Trentino regions to Dolomite country. The mountains here were fantastic! I exclaimed frequently as new vistas revealed striking shapes. The narrow, windy roads crossed steep slopes through dozens of small, old villages. It struck me as a quintessential European experience. An auto tour was just what the doctor ordered, so to speak, as I was quite sore and stiff. We spent only one day cruising through this fantastic country, which left me wanting more. There's clearly much to see and do in the Dolomites.

Lago di Garda from Castello Scaligero

Fortunately for me, there was nearby a perfect place to convalesce: Lago di Garda. This spectacular lake -- Italy's largest -- quickly become one of my favorites. We spent two days and nights here. The terrain around the northern part of this glacially-formed lake is mountainous; I was surprised by how high, steep and snowy the nearby peaks were. We stayed first in Malcesine, an enchanting village that inspired us to hobble around. We visited Castello Scaligero, the history of which apparently goes back more than 1,500 years. I was impressed by the natural history museum in this castle. Then we headed south to the town of Garda, where the mountains subside and the lake widens. Garda is a delightful place to walk, dine and relax on the waterfront.


Part 3: Padua and Venice     It is a short drive from Lago di Garda to historic Padua. This city was purportedly founded in 1183 BC, and is home to the 800-year-old University of Padua where Galileo Galilei taught. We stayed a couple of nights across the street from the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua, which attracts believers on pilgrimage from around the world. I thought Padua was a delightful place to walk around. It is full of grand old buildings, sculptures, parks, etc., but at a scale I found approachable. If you prefer to be overwhelmed, I suggest you walk to the north part of old Padua and catch an east-bound train to Venice.

Residential street, Venice style

We spent one day walking around Venice with thousands of other tourists. The city is amazing, as is its history and influence, which stretches far back in time and across vast regions to places we'd recently been and places we would soon go. Also, Venice is big. Visitors can try to follow signed routes through the maze of narrow canals and vehicle-free old streets; more likely you will simply follow the flow of tourists. I enjoyed wandering through this renowned city, my eyes usually drawn past the many shops to picturesque details. When at last we made it through the Piazza San Marco to the southern waterfront, I was even more amazed: so many impressive buildings built so long ago! We saw less than half of Venice that day. Wow.

Mozart and Schubert and Strauss - oh my!

Part 4: Vienna, and back to Warsaw     Our road to recovery now turned north, from the Adriatic to Austria. It was back to highways, though of course the drive through brand new terrain was a treat for me. After an en route overnight in the countryside, we made it to Vienna.

I spent less than 24 hours getting introduced to the City of Music. Like Venice, this great world city and tourist magnet can be overwhelming. There is enough grand architecture and history in the city center by the Danube River to keep one busy for many days. And of course, it is still very much a bustling European capital. I took advantage of the time I had to walk around on my improving leg and take photos. I witnessed culture and empire writ large, but missed out on most of the significance. (I wonder what would Freud have made of that?) As with the other great cities I'd visited, my experience would have been far richer if I'd known what I was seeing: Cathedrals, palaces, statues, monuments, parks, gardens, museums and more. But my visual adventure was enough to satisfy me this time around.

Czech-ing out the Polish border

From Vienna we traveled north into the Czech Republic (country count = 5!). As time was short, we drove straight through to the Polish border at Cieszyn. I did get to sample a Czech cola. And a Czech beer. And a smoky Czech pub. (Poland, like much of Europe, has banned smoking in public places.) But most of my attention for the final evening of this trip went to sites on the Polish side of the river. Cieszyn is a lovely old village -- and a reasonable size after the huge cities I'd seen. We stayed on the historic Castle Hill in an old Hapsburg summer palace building. Very nearby were remnant structures dating back to the 14th century and even earlier. As we were back in Poland, I finally got to eat some fresh pierogi after nearly two weeks of withdrawal. We enjoyed a peaceful night's sleep, freshly baked breakfast goodies, and an uneventful drive back to Warsaw in the heart of Poland.

A few Euro thoughts

Traveling through Europe left me, of course, with many impressions. For example, I was struck by how ubiquitous McDonald's is. Sure, I saw other American brands, like Starbucks and KFC, but McDonald's was everywhere!

Yum!

I now have an appreciation for what a "continental breakfast" can be. European style buffet breakfasts were included with many of our hotel stays. Amazing variety, generous quantities, good quality and local food pride. Sure it gets a little confusing, with tomatoes, cucumbers and strong cheeses next to a vat of Nutella. But they put so-called continental breakfasts in cheap American motels to shame.

Many Europeans enjoy espresso and cigarettes.

One can get by with hand gestures, a credit card, a fist full of Euros and a smile.

When you visit truly old places, there will always be repair work underway.

I liked the heated towel drying racks in the hotel bathrooms.

I liked seeing old castles on the hills, some kept up as attractions, others in ruin.

I liked the discrete, dense villages of the European countryside. Much of what we passed through was rural and pastoral, with small, old settlements exercising strict boundary discipline.

There are many more brands of cars in the world than just those I see in the U.S.

Euro road signs: more = better!

A word about driving in Europe: Don't! Well, it's probably not that bad. But I suspect that your average American driver would get the impression I did that a lot of European drivers are crazy. Many drive too fast, presumably burning away the efficiency advantages of their smaller cars in a region of higher fuel prices. Many tailgate aggressively; I attribute this to the influence of the Tour de France and other traditional events where "drafting" is encouraged (see my comment above re: efficiency). Most distressingly for me, many drivers in Europe pass irresponsibly, disregarding do-not-pass zones, speed limits and oncoming traffic. And then there are the the dreaded "Fotoradars." Plus, parking in cities is a real pain, and many roads are rough. Perhaps this helps explain the apparent popularity among most age groups of casual bike riding.

Would you like to see more pictures?
Click here to check out my photos from this sweeping Euro adventure. 

Did you miss me? Please leave a comment below! 


I welcome your Euro thoughts and questions.

   
Cheers!