Europe 2022: planes, trains and automobiles

So, as the character Tom Haverford would say in the TV show "Parks and Rec", here are the deets (as in "deetails") from our 2022 trip to Europe:  

Using 19 trains, 3 airplanes and a handful of automobiles we traveled to 8 countries, visited 19 places in 55 days. Tiring to be sure but what an experience! 

Countries and major cities visited: 

Austria: Salzburg
Czech Republic: Prague
Denmark: Copenhagen, Roskilde
France: Paris
Germany: Hamburg, Hohenfels, Munich, Nurnberg, Regensburg
Netherlands: Delft, Gouda, Utrecht
Norway: Oslo, Flåm, Bergen
Sweden: Stockholm

Transportation:

Air Travel: We used British Airways and their partner American Airlines for flights between the US and Europe and KLM for our one-way flight from Bergen to Amsterdam.

Automobiles: We rarely used automobiles but did rely on Uber four times: twice in Grand Rapids to and from the local airport, once in Munich and once in Prague. Uber was not available in Denmark. We did use a taxi to get to our AirBnB from the train station in Munich. Oh, and our host in Bergen kindly picked us up in his car at the train station (it was raining which precluded our walking to the apartment).

Trains: This was our primary source of travel between countries and cities. We both had senior Eurail passes (15 days in two months) and arranged for our required seat reservations well before the trip. We used the mobile passes which allowed us to upload tickets with the QR code directly to our phone.

Local transportation: We relied on local public transportation nearly everywhere we traveled, including getting to and from airports and train stations. And getting from one town to another by train, especially in the Netherlands, was easy, simple and inexpensive.

Accommodation: 

We used Air BnB for apartments, and Expedia, Hilton and The New York Times for finding hotels.

Four hotels: Hamburg, Stockholm,  Flåm and Gouda. Reichshof Hotel in Hamburg was very nice, Hotel Slussen in Stockholm wonderful, Weeshuis R & C in Gouda less so.
Six apartments (Munich, Prague, Copenhagen, Oslo, Bergen, and Paris). The shortest stay was in Copenhagen (4 days) and the longest in Paris (14 days). The quality was generally good with some relatively minor issues (see notes for Munich and Prague). 

Communication: 

Nearly everywhere in Czech and Scandinavia the preferred language was English. Curiously, nearly everyone we came across assumed by looking at us we were locals and began by speaking their language until we looked blankly at them and said "English please".

Food: 

We ate quite a few meals in our apartments -- we love going to local grocery stores and small markets; for us it's always been part of the experience of traveling. Also, eating out for nearly two months straight would have been prohibitively expensive and not great for our health.

Transportation.

Eurail passes. Slick interface and with two exceptions worked surprisingly well. Customer service virtually non-existent, however. No way to get immediate help while on the road. 

Also, a question remains for us regarding reservations. Eurail drives you to another part of their website and many reservations can only be mailed. In any case, all require some cost, ranging from $3 or $4 up to $30 and higher per. When we had to make reservations at the station in Oslo for our next leg (to Myrdahl) the ticket agent informed us that because we had 1st class Eurail passes reservations were free! 

Our few Uber experiences generally worked fine where available, but the company is not allowed in Denmark. We didn't use Uber in Sweden or Norway.

German local train service was fine and very useful.

Czech metro was nice with pretty much all escalators and/or elevators but it was the tram system that won us over: widespread through the city, very accessible and free to everyone over 65!

Copenhagen metro also nearly all escalators and elevators, very modern and fast.

Stockholm metro showed its age compared to the other previously visited cities but very extensive. Plenty of escalators and elevators available at the stops we used.

Download local city metro apps (free and in English), allowing you to see station locations, plot our journeys, etc.

Trains and stations.

German train system is DB
Czech system is CD
Danish is DSB -- app COPENHAGEN CARD
Swedish is SJ and metro is SL - apps
Norwegian is Vy - app OSLO PASS
Dutch train system is NS
French system is SNCF

German and Czech trains ran on time and were generally clean and comfortable. The Munich station was largely a mess with new construction. Hamburg station was huge with massive crowds of travelers but easily navigable with lots of facilities and amenities.

The Czech station was large and we thought oddly laid out, with no taxi stands, and little or no signage assisting the traveler in finding the tram stops. In fact, one had to walk several hundred meters to get to the tram system. Alternatively, the metro was clearly marked within the terminal.

Danish train from Hamburg was a half hour late getting into Copenhagen but quite comfortable and only one so far to provide snacks and coffee in 1st class.

Copenhagen station easy to navigate at first glance but the relationship to the metro system was awkward and it took us some on-the-ground research to find our way from the underground into the station without wandering around outside aimlessly.

Swedish train system sent me an email the day before our journey explaining how to find our high-speed train for Stockholm -- pointing out that it was on a track not easily discovered through the existing track layout.

Stockholm station is easy to navigate and well-connected to the metro system.

Oslo station is perhaps the most modern and well-appointed station so far. Very helpful TI office, plenty of restaurants in a lovely indoor courtyard environment as well as a grocery store (COOP)! Location is ideal and very close the waterfront attractions. Check out the SKYSS APP.

Norwegian trains ran a bit slow off and on but generally arrived at their destinations on time. Clean and lots of room in 1st class; 2nd class (Myrdal to Bergen) would be quite cramped when full.

Bergen station is small but centrally located to the waterfront. 

Dutch train stations very modern and well-run, most using the turnstile method for checking tickets in (and out). All well-located to the center of the city.

Generally, the trains were very busy and mostly full in 1st class.

A good reason  going 1st class is the use of the various station lounges, managed by that country's national train system. Clean, comfortable with free drinks and snacks they also have departure boards and are easily accessible and provide wifi. There is always an attendant to ask questions (which we often had to do). Note that general seating in most stations is often severely limited if not nonexistent.

City passes.

Most provided discounts for seniors (typically over 65).
Copenhagen City Card. Cannot revisit an attraction.
Stockholm transport pass.
Oslo Pass. Can revisit attractions.
Bergen card. We opted to "pass" on this. You get free transport but only discounted admissions to most of the key attractions.

Masking and vaccination.

Germany required masking on trains and public transportation.
Austrian border patrol only ones to check proof of vaccination.
Czech seemed indifferent.
Denmark also seemed indifferent.
Sweden and Norway generally indifferent to masking.
Except for Austria no one asked to see proof of vaccination.

Currency and money.

Each Scandinavian country and the Czech Republic each had there own currency. Credit cards widely used in all countries but AMEX not so much. 
Used ATMs infrequently for incidental cash.

Language and translation programs.

Czech and Scandinavian languages challenging but Google translate helped in certain circumstances. English widely spoken through Scandinavia.

Odds and ends.

Bathroom facilities - requires a nominal fee to use; one even took a credit card (contactless).
Grocery carts - a nominal fee to use but coin is returned upon returning the cart

Overall:

This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience notwithstanding my getting Covid and almost not getting to return home with my wife. It was made even more special being able to reconnect with old friends and spend quality time with family. Even so, it was tiring to be sure. Until we got to Paris we were never anywhere long enough to really get into a rhythm, a genuine feel for a particular place. But we did go and see and do. Time to catch one's breath now.

If we had to chose a favorite, it would have to be Norway. It was stunningly gorgeous.

cruising the fjord, Bergen to Mostraumen

After we returned home we we given the wonderful opportunity of seeing Bob and Carol, our familiar Sandhill cranes, with their newborn, Teddie. Seeing those three and finally getting to sit out with our neighbors for a warm conversation to catch up on the local news is something worth writing about.

Now it's your turn to go and have an adventure. . . big or small, it doesn't matter just go. Life is short.

Meeting an old friend in Père-Lachaise and leaving France

13-15 June 2022.

It is nearly 3pm Wednesday, 15 June and we're back in scorching Michigan.

Our last full day, Monday, in Paris was low-key. Susie worked on prepping us for departure Tuesday and early that afternoon I met up with Marie. B in Père-Lachaise Cemetery.  Marie and I first met back in 2006 when I was beginning my project of photo-documenting  the cemetery's artwork. Marie was one of of the co-founders of the Friends of Père-Lachaise and an incredible fount of information about the cemetery in general and so many of the stories buried there.

Anyway, we strolled and chatted for a while -- it was a gorgeous day -- afterwards we sat and chatted over a glass of beer It was four years since we had last met up and so there was lots of catching up to do.

Eventually we had to say adieu and off I went back on the metro and home. That evening I tested negative. No longer critical now, it was nevertheless good to know that I still would have the flight home with Susie.

Both of us woke up at a little after 1:00 am to appreciate the beautiful moon that was wishing us bon voyage. 

Tuesday dawned sunny and warm. We showered, dressed, took out the trash and off we went to the metro. We hopped on line 6 at Nationale and got off at Denfert-Rochereau where we had our only schlepping up stairs to get to the RER. From there it was just a short train ride through the industrial heartland of Paris suburbs to the airport. 

We got off the train at terminal 2 and began to make our way to 2A where we checked in for our 16:05 flight. 

After going through a maze of security and passport controls we found our gate A38 located so far away that I'd swear it was close to the Belgian border-- and settled in to wait for the flight.

Takeoff was prompt and we were off the runway and in the air just a little after 4pm.

For the next 8 hours plus we were treated to the good old days when airplane food was really crappy but now with the added benefit of being wedged into a space designed for animals used in cosmetic research. 

Still, I kept reminding myself how fortunate I was to be going home with my wife and not having to cool my heels for God knows how long or where. And the flight was uneventful with little turbulence.

Once in Chicago we truly appreciated having Global Entry passes and zipped right through the chaos that is so often passport control. We did have a little wait for our luggage, which we had to retrieve and then immediately recheck (goofy) before we could make our way to the connecting gate. That required us to find the train for getting us to terminal 3 (we had landed at terminal 5) and then wait for the final leg of our return home.

Our Grand Rapids flight left more or less on time and within 25 minutes we were touching down in west Michigan. Once we had our luggage I ordered an Uber and we were home a little after 11pm, or just about 5am Paris time.

Before leaving Chicago Susie had turned the AC on at home -- Nest does have its advantages -- and it was a good thing, too. 

Our first day back home we went through the mail, Susie started laundry, we went out for groceries, and generally reacquainted ourselves with our home. 

As promised I hope to post a short summary of our trip later this week. Numbers and basic details, of course, but also a few broad conclusions from the past two months shuttling around a large chunk of northern Europe.

Stay safe!

Sunday afternoon in Montparnasse with an old friend

12 June 2022.

Sunday was a very low-key day for us. The weather was lovely but we stayed close to home, catching up on our blog notes. 

We had originally planned to join our friend Val and her family for a celebration of their son's first communion at their home here in Paris, but we had to cancel our participation due to Covid. Fortunately, we were able to catch up with Val later today for an outside cafe visit. Although we missed seeing her two children and husband Hubert, it was good to meet up again after some four years. 

(For those of you who have come to the blog late, Susie and Val met when they were both in the Basic course at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 2006. Read more.)

So, Val texted Susie and we arranged to meet at the Edgar Quinet metro stop in Montparnasse. Exiting the metro we were immediately confronted by the Tour Montparnasse just a short distance away.

Although it was Sunday afternoon we were pleasantly shocked at how many folks were out and about in this part of the Montparnasse neighborhood. There was a large artisan festival underway in the middle of the boulevard which stretched down as far as the cemetery so that certainly accounted for some of the crowds.

 

Anyway, the three of us found a place to sit and chat and so we did.  While you couldn't be there with us, you can still catch a glimpse of people watching. . .

After saying goodbye to Val Susie and I returned to the metro and home.

Notre Dame, Gelato, Musicians on the Bridge and the Tuileries

 11 June 2022.

There are always so many things to see and do in Paris, but our most favorite thing, truth be told, is just to BE in Paris. Strolling the city as les flâneurs is in fact what we enjoy most, I suppose. So off we went back on the Metro. This time we headed for line 6 just down the street. 

In planning our departure on Tuesday we wanted to see if we could get away with using public transport while schlepping our bags. A long escalator took us right to the metro platform. When we got off at Denfert-Rochereau, where we would catch the RER train out to the airport, we discovered one escalator off the platform but then a large flight of stairs to get to the RER platform. No problem. 

We got off the RER at Saint-Michel and walked over to see the construction project on Notre Dame. We were joined by hundreds of other like-minded folks as we walked past the barricaded structure to the bridge over to the Ile Saint-Louis.

the rear of the church

looking from the bridge to the tip of Ile de la Cité and the Memorial to Deportation

It came as no surprise that there was a musical group playing on the bridge since this is a favorite location for buskers and performers of all types.

Once on the Ile Saint-Louis we strolled down the central artery in search of a particular gelato shop (passing the crowds at Berthillon). One can't help but feel comfortable about this place where life seems to move differently than anywhere else. . .

At last we found our quarry: Amorino Gelato.

a shwarma sandwich shop across from the gelato store

We strolled along the island for a short while before cross the Pont Marie to the right bank where we hopped on the no. 7 to Palais-Royale Louvre stop. 

The day had warmed up considerably and it was quite hot in the sun so we kept to the shade as we strolled past the crowds waiting to get into the museum and on into the Tuileries gardens.

Anne Hathaway shilling for Bulgari

looking back to the Louvre

away from the crowds

Having quite enough of the heat we left the Tuileries and walked across rue de Rivoli to Smith & Son bookstore. We browsed for a bit before going back across rue to the Tuileries, the no. 12 metro stop and home.

Grocery shopping on Place Monge and the Mouff, meeting an old friend for tea and BIG NEWS

10 June 2022.

We started our last bit of grocery shopping at the Place Monge open-air market. Located just around the corner from Pascal Pinaud's pastry shop where Susie did her two stages 15 years ago, this market is small but compact and with wonderful vendors.

As the pastry shop gofer Susie would have to go to the market and stand in this same line at the same vendor. And there was always a line because they had the best produce.

Leaving the market we made our way a couple of short blocks over to rue Mouffetard to finish our grocery shopping. 

As we were about to turn a corner Susie grabbed my arm and pointed to a nearby street sign: rue Pestalozzi. Now for those of you who have followed our travels so far, you might recall our very first apartment was in Munich on Pestalozzistrasse. . . A coincidence? I think not. . . 

On the Mouff we stopped by our favorite produce vendor from so many years ago where Susie bought -- that's right -- strawberries. We also stopped and bought wine at another vendor that had been a favorite as well. To finish things off Susie popped into a nearby Franprix grocery store to pick up a few basic items for our larder. With several large bags and four bottles of wine we took the metro home. I know, the walk wasn't that far but I was feeling lazy. . . 

After unpacking our purchases we hung around the apartment relaxing until it was time to go back out to the metro. This time we had a very specific goal in mind: we were off to meet an old friend, Diane, for afternoon tea at the Hôtel de Crillon. 

While the conversation was warm and the three of us spent the afternoon catching up, the food was underwhelming. Indeed, when compared to other afternoon teas we'd experienced in the UK back in 2019, this one left us unimpressed.

But the really BIG NEWS, for us at any rate was during our tea Diane's husband called her from Oregon saying he had just sent a link through her email to a breaking news story. The US government had that day decided to remove its mandatory negative test requirement for international travelers entering the US! It would go into effect this coming Sunday morning!

Since I had tested positive three times (two home and one official tests) I was almost certainly going to test positive on Monday when we had to test for our flight on Tuesday. The options for me staying behind were not terribly appealing and were in fact going to prove complicating to say the least.

But all that gone with one quick signature on a dotted line. The stress we had both been feeling for some days evaporated in the blink of an eye. We ordered two glasses of champagne (Diane doesn't drink alcohol) to toast the moment.

 

top to bottom: scone/brioche, sweets, savories

Diane and Susie

From the Crillon we all got on the no. 12, Diane heading north and Susie and I heading south to catch the no. 6 back home.

We were back "home" and relieved knowing that we would both be traveling HOME together on Tuesday.

Out and about in Paris

9 June 2022.

While we continued to talk about the short-term future -- mostly through discussion of how little we could do until we tested next Monday and then how much would need to be done if I tested positive -- we decided to go for a walk in Père-Lachaise Cemetery.

Always masking on the metro, from the Campo Formio stop we rode the no. 5 to Republique and changed to the no. 3 getting off at the Père-Lachaise stop. It was such a gorgeous day it was easy to just wander around this wonderful green space, taking in the history of Paris and France in tiny increments. For me it was also an opportunity to document  a handful of the many graves I still needed to locate. 

Susie admiring Chopin while Dominique Denon admires her 

the cemetery chapel, standing on the spot where the Jesuit retreat stood some three centuries ago

On leaving the cemetery I suggested we expand our Navigos' range and take a bus to our next objective, the Les Halles area. Failing to find the right bus stop we walked a few blocks to a stop that included the number 69, our bus for the day. After waiting nearly 20 minutes the bus arrived and we stopped and started our way across Paris. Reaching the Bastille nexus of roads, the traffic was a snarled mess and we soon came to regret (my) suggestion of bus over Metro.

But even traffic eventually moves in Paris and we finally left the bus at the Châtelet stop. From there we walked to Les Halles passing the Holy Innocents' fountain. 

Once the location of the largest cemetery in Paris, the fountain is all that remains of the church and burial ground that eventually became the famous city market of Les Halles. In the lat 1960s the market was moved to Rungis, in the Paris suburbs and the space became rather desolate with developers pushing for an underground indoor mall. The area has recently undergone another makeover and is a magnet for tourists and locals alike (to what end is open to question). 

There was a street market going on next to the Saint Eustache church and we strolled through that to Boulevard Etienne Marcel where we sat outside at a familiar cafe to have lunch.

Cafes are wonderful places to just sit and watch people while sipping a glass of chilled white wine, which is what I did while Susie checked out her favorite baking supply shop, Mora, located just across the street. If you'd like to pull up a up a chair and join me for a couple of minutes, here's your chance:

v

After lunch we strolled back through the market and down a side street to Saint Eustache.

the side entrance

Back outside the church we crossed the grounds once occupied by a dozen or more steel and glass buildings that housed the culinary heart of the city of Paris. Now a park full of fun and whimsy. . .

the old Bourse

We made our way back to the metro and back home.