In the meantime, check out all the trip photos by clicking here.
All's well.
I'm not sure when the next entry will be posted. We'll be out and about in Bern today and taking a sleeper train tonight from here to Barcelona, Spain. So it could be a day or two before the next post but definitely don't expect anything on Tuesday.
In the meantime, check out all the trip photos by clicking here. All's well.
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Today's big activity was taking a train to the alpine village of Grindelwald. It took us about an hour to get there and the trip involved switching trains a couple of times on the way up. There was incredible scenery along the way and especially after we left Interlaken. It was nice to see so many of our boys snapping photos - yes, the scenery was that fantastic. Ice cream treat after dinner in Bern. Even though Grindelwald is only about 4,000 feet above sea level, it appears much taller because of mountains surrounding it. They are incredible. The boys roamed the shops of this alpine town and found a place to eat in small groups. A few bought souvenirs. We had a rest hour after we got back into town from our excursion. Boys were invited to come to a meeting at 5 PM to discuss the days after Barcelona. About five boys showed up (out of 17). Those there had very definite opinions about where they wanted to go next and that led to some good discussions.It's still going to be impossible to get to but a handful of places and I hope, in the end, boys will be pleased with the choices made by the other boys. The adult leaders do offer suggestions, but the boys want to make this "their" trip. All we know at this moment is we're going to Barcelona tomorrow afternoon. The trip will involve a couple of short trains in the late afternoon and then around 9 P.M. we'll get onto our overnight sleeper train which will arrive in Barcelona on Wednesday morning. We do have reservations there for two nights. Please know that there will be no blog posts for sure tomorrow night unless the train has wi-fi. I'm not counting on that. Supposedly the hotel where we're headed will have wi-fi, but that's never really known until we attempt to log in. Tomorrow (Tuesday) we'll be exploring Bern's cultural side. Click to check out some photos from out trip.
Dinner outdoors.
We had a very restful train ride on a hi-speed ICE train from Frankfurt into beautiful Bern, Switzerland. We found a nice hotel right across from the station and just minutes from the heart of Bern. We had actually stayed at this hotel four years ago so knew it would be a good place to call home if we could get the rooms. After checking in and some downtime for laundry and rest, we headed out to dinner and many boys enjoyed trying local cuisine while others wanted something more familiar. We explored a little more of Bern before heading back to the hotel for sleep and another big day ahead. Check out some photos. These were two street musicians we discovered on our way to dinner and the Anne Frank House. Leader Chuck Bryan originally hails from Kentucky and he asked these guys if they could play "Kentucky." They obliged. Here's a short video clip. By the way, these two musicians are from Europe...you would have thought they were part of an Appalachian bluegrass band. We dedicate this video to Chuck.
A view of Frankfurt's "old city" section of town.
Ray & I went to the train station early to pay for the Eurail passes with all the money I had collected out of the machine last night. The new people on duty were expecting us and it wasn’t long before we had our passes and reserved seats for our next destination – Frankfurt, Germany. We had had a lot of discussion where our next stop would be and the only consensus (or even some common ground) we found was in making our way to Barcelona, Spain. Paris had been in the talking stages a few days ago but we were warned of tremendous crowds because of Bastille Day and the Tour de France so decided to hold off on France until later in the trip. However, keep in mind that we know we’re ending in Munich and the trip days are flying by…so trying to get to everyone’s top choices would never be possible. At this point most boys seem perfectly satisfied with all of our plans. We figured out that Bern, Switzerland would be a good stop for two nights before heading to Barcelona. But since it was a Saturday and we had no place to stay, we decided to stop somewhere closer than Bern so we could find a hotel for just one night. Frankfurt looked like a good stop. We did have time before leaving our Amsterdam hotel to scour some Internet sites dedicated to finding group hotel rooms and found one that looked like it might work. Three stars and just a five minute walk from the train station. I wrote down the phone number and called from our high-speed ICE train. Apparently the guy understood me because he had our rooms ready to go when we arrived around 4:30 P.M. The hotel is a fairly non-descript typical small European hotel with breakfast. I’m not quite sure how it got its three-stars but you could see the look of “fear” in some boys’ eyes as they spied the façade. They had been a bit spoiled by our Amsterdam hotel which had tiny rooms but was more typical of what an American hotel might be. Our Frankfurt Hotel, Hotel Munchner Hof is a little more, let’s say quaint. It’s actually quite adequate and the boys and leaders will manage. It as, after all, an “adventure.” That’s a phrase we use over and over when any little challenge comes our way. This is really a stopover city and we didn’t have plans for this afternoon or evening. The boys did explore a few blocks of our neighborhood. We walked to an Asian restaurant around the corner and enjoyed dining outside. After that we walked to the “old city” part of town which was a very typical European city center surrounded by quaint buildings and in the shadow of a very tall church steeple. The boys did enjoy the old city but many were more impressed with all the fancy cars that people around here drive. Frankfurt is one of the finance capitals of Europe and is the home to the central bank of the European Union. This group helped us with the train decisions. A side note, we did take a small group of guys to the train station to let them observe and help with the ticketing process. I think they didn’t believe the leaders that we sometimes had to stand in line for 45 minutes to get to see someone to ask a three second question or to buy a few tickets. In any case, the ticket office in Frankfurt was super efficient and the guys definitely thought Ray & I had exaggerated how hard it is to get tickets for any place since we were at the head of the line in just a few seconds and the ticket agent was being very helpful. The boys helped us get reserved seats for tomorrow’s ride from here to Bern, Switzerland where we’ll stay two nights. And, while we were at it…they made the arrangements to take a night train from Bern to Barcelona, Spain where we’ll arrive on the morning of July 17. I mention this now just because that would mark the “just over the half-way” point of the trip. There’s still a lot of places these kids have mentioned wanting to see…and who knows what will come after Barcelona. Again, as I write this (offline), Internet service continues to be spotty. So when you do read this, it could be two days or so after the blog was written. And I doubt I’ll be doing any posting from the overnight train…so just know we’re doing well and seeing a lot of wonderful places. Don't forget to check out the photos.
Waiting in line for the Anne Frank Huis.
It was another long day…but a nice day to spend it. We were able to do a little splitting up with one group and leader going one direction and another leader and boys going in another…meeting up in the end. In the morning a small group (say two boys and one leader) went to the world-famous Rijks Museum which houses original Dutch art work from the 1100s to present day. Those culturally-minded guys met up with the other group at a rather large flea market not too far away which they enjoyed. Small groups divided up for our standard street-food lunch. After a short rest period (mostly for the leaders) at the hotel we headed out for our evening program which included stops to take some photos of the canals, canals with houseboats, canals bridges with street musicians, all the while trying to avoid being run over by bicycles…thousands of them. We had dinner at the train station while Mark started the process of picking up the replacement Eurail passes. Mark stayed at the station while the boys took their 30-minute stroll through one of Amsterdam’s most famous attractions, the “Red Light District.” I don’t think anyone was particularly impressed and we were early enough that the streets were relatively tame. The final stop was at the Anne Frank House for a self-guiding tour of the rooms in the attic hiding place of Anne Frank and her family and a family of friends. This was an Amsterdam Pancake I ate. Yum! Post Script to the Lost Items Saga We picked up the replacement passports in the afternoon. That was easy. The evening chore of buying new eurail passes proved to be quite the challenge. After waiting in the queue for about 45 minutes my turn came to purchase the passes. All went well until the moment it was time to pay and then started a very memorable period of sheer panic. I handed the agent my usual trip credit card and she said, “Sorry, but we can’t take that card. It has to have a microchip on the front.” There was a sign clearly stating that, but I just assumed the hologram you see on all the US cards was the microchip. So, I went through the other four cards I was carrying and of course none had the microchip. She said I would have to go find the cash somehow, somewhere and come back. They closed at 9. At this stage I was only in a mild panic figuring I could handle this…after all my cards had plenty of credit limit on them. I knew I couldn’t get that kind of money from the ATM machines (looking for 3186 euros). I thought, okay…no problem I’ll just go to the Western Union office which dispenses all kinds of currencies and loans, etc. and see what they could do. They said, no problem…they could get me money from each of my cards. I pulled out that wad of cards and he said, “Sorry sir, but without the microchip I can only give you 500 euros on each card.” That sounded closer to being doable so I handed him my cards and then he asked for my passport. “Sorry sir, but this isn’t you!” “What do you mean it’s not me, yes it is,” was my reply. He said, “Well sir, your passport says you’re David Mark Levin but all of these cards say you’re Mark Levin so I can only give you 500 euros for the card with David Mark Levin and nothing for the other cards.” I tried to explain that in the good old USA we usually just go by two of our names and use the other one for formal purposes only. He wasn’t humored and said, “Sorry….he couldn’t help me – perhaps I had a relative or something in Amsterdam or that I could wait until Monday to go to the bank.” I asked if he would like to adopt me on the spot, but he was not in a joke-making mood by this time and the line behind me was getting impatient.” My panic had moved up to a more appropriate severe level by now and a usually calm and collected trip director was starting to think Donner Party! (You’ll have to look that up.) This story is getting long, but I whipped out my trusty International Phone (which I’ve never carried before) and started calling the two banks back home I was using for this trip. And within a few minutes I had upped the withdrawal limits on my two main debit cards. It would take a few minutes for everything to be reset and by this time the Eurail office would be closed and I needed to meet the group at the Anne Frank House. I wasn’t about to go to the ATMs and see if would dispense that kind of money without back-up behind me and then walk home with a pocket full of bills after people had witnessed me hitting what would look like a Las Vegas jackpot. I walked the twenty minutes or so to the group, many of whom were still inside the house, and started to retell my story. I will say it got better and better with each version. And then, before retiring for the evening…we took the tram back to the station and put in the card for the first withdrawal. I tried 2000 euros first and the transaction was declined. A minor panic started to return, as I figured one of two things: either the resetting of limits hadn’t worked by my bank or the ATM machine had limits. I’m happy to report it was the latter and after three consecutive withdrawals of 1000 euros each (all in twenty euro bills) and with another small transaction…I had more than a pocketful of euros and more than enough to pay for the tickets though that would have to wait until the next day. But, I was feeling much better about all of this working. I still didn’t have the passes in hand but was tasting success. Internet and email connections all have been spotty in Europe so far. So please don't think a lack of communication on our part has anything to do with what kind of time we're having. At times I can post here and otherwise, not. Many times I can receive email but can't send...and then it will send duplicates. We're trying to keep you updated on our whereabouts. Thanks.
So what might you say or wonder about these six smart looking people standing in front of the U.S. Consulate Office in Amsterdam? Without getting into too much detail I will just say that they all held their own under a pretty intensive couple of hours. We've just experienced the first major "loss" of belonging on any MTA trip when somehow or other a bag containing 1/3 of the passports and 1/3 of the Eurail passes got stolen. Lesson learned. BIG lesson learned, but things like this do happen and we're handling it very well. These boys all thought it was a grand adventure and in this photo they've just come out of the office after swearing an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America so they could complete the process of getting an emergency passport. Everyone passed which means they'll get to come home...but not before we have dozens more slightly milder adventures. Zach and David hanging around a sculpture that reads, "I AM Sterdam." So about 36 hours after this misstep took place, we'll have new passports and Eurail passes to replace those that went missing. It's just a good thing it was the work week and not the weekend, and also a good thing we had planned to stay here for three nights. After taking care of the above business we went into the Museum District which is almost across the street from our hotel. The boys enjoyed looking and playing around the outdoor sculptures in this district but weren't all that keen on going inside. That will change on Friday with some planned activities. They all did enjoy their tour of the Heineken Experience and many bought souvenirs I'm sure you'll see at home. We had dinner near our hotel and watched some street performers and then it was time to walk what must have been another mile and a half to see the comedy improv show called "Boom Chicago." We all enjoyed that and it was certainly some good therapy to get to laugh after a pretty stressful day. Click to see some photos.
Our Amsterdam hotel for three nights.
This blog is being posted late, but I'll fill you in on how July 10 unfolded. Posting blogs and photos comes at the end of some very long days, and by the time I sent down either the hotel Internet is out of steam or I am. In any case, if you don't find photos and info here, you can also check the MindStretch Travel Adventures Facebook page. Photos seem to load faster there. On Tuesday the boys had gathered and discussed and voted to move from Belgium to Amsterdam and so we left out hotel around 9 AM on Wednesday to start the first part of our "no reservations-no itinerary" plan. One never knows how these things might turn out and it's "kind of" fun being part of this big mystery. It took us three local trains to get from Bruges to Amsterdam. We changed trains in Antwerp and then again at a border town between the two countries called Roosendaal. The trains were relatively crowded but we managed to find seats arrived in Amsterdam around 4:25 P.M. Chuck stayed with the guys at the train station while Ray & I went looking for lodging. Our goal is something nearby, clean, and convenient to other things. But beggers can't be choosey all the time. We made it to the tourist information center about 25 minutes before closing time. Who would have ever thought the center in city so busy as Amsterdam would close at 5 P.M. The helpful employee really worked hard to find a place for us and ended up at a really nice hotel called Apollo Museum Hotel. The name comes from its proximity to many famous museums in the neighborhood. It was a bit of a walk - probably a mile and a half but that didn't seem to bother the boys. Of course I was feeling the pain. Alex enjoying his "all-you-can-eat" rib dinner. We decided we would stay here three nights so after checking in and settling in, we gathered to go to dinner and found a place we remembered from four years ago. What I didn't remember from that trip was the all-you-can-eat rib dinner for 9.95 euros. A bunch of boys ordered that. We watched some street entertainers and then headed up for some needed sleep. Click to photos.
Boys meeting and planning next city.
First, do know that I’m trying to post photos and blog entries on a timely basis. I have been handicapped by extremely spotty, slow, or non-existent Internet service in our first hotel. I hope future hotels will be better. So please understand that no posting of news doesn’t mean we didn’t do anything…it just means I couldn’t get online. It also could mean that I’m just too tired and will post as soon as I can. This entry was written on July 9. The boys in my room are all asleep (it’s 11:15 PM) and I’m headed that way in just a few minutes. I’m going to try posting once more tonight, but if no luck I’ll see if it will work in the morning. Otherwise you should understand that many of the posts will be late in coming, but that all photos will eventually be uploaded for you to see what we’ve been up to. We started the day with a late wake-up call letting the guys sleep in a bit from the jetlag. They all met at 10 to start our day of exploring Bruges after a hearty continental breakfast in the hotel’s dining room. But our first order of business after breakfast was to gather in the hotel courtyard (actually the hotel pub, but it’s not open on Tuesdays) to let the boys meet, discuss, and vote on where they would like to go next. They really did a nice job of looking at the map and voicing their opinions. Some boys have definite ideas, some have a handful of ideas, and others are happy with anything. In the end they voted to go to Amsterdam next. So we called the meeting to a close and walked over to the train station to see about train reservations to get us to the Netherlands. Since we’ll be taking local trains and have first-class passes, we were told no reservations were needed and so we’ll leave here tomorrow around 10:30 A.M. (that’s Wednesday but no telling when you’ll see this) for Amsterdam. Even with switching trains we should arrive about 2:30 P.M. While we’ve been having adventures, tomorrow will be our first night without hotel reservations so I’m hoping to report in that we had no problems finding beds. You’ll have to be in suspense until then. From the train station we took a canal boat tour through Bruges and our guide pointed out lots of historic sites of which you’ll see in some of the photos. The kids enjoyed the leisurely trip and were awestruck at the age of many of the buildings that date back four or five hundred years or more. After all, Bruges is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We had “street food” for lunch today which is our usual lunch time fare and after a short break at our hotel took a fairly long walk to one end of the city where they had a couple of windmills overlooking a grand canal. A few boys climbed the stairs to see some exhibits and to get a bird’s eye view of the city.
From here we meandered back to the Market Square taking in various sites along the way. Amazingly we passed the “French Fry Museum.” We didn’t go in, but were indeed amazed they could figure out how to devote a museum to that! Market Square is their favorite hangout. It’s a vibrant open area surrounded by shops, restaurants, museums, and the belfry (which houses those carillons we hear around the clock) and it’s all just a minute from our hotel. We then gave the boys free time to explore this area before having them get back for dinner. Dinner was in the hotel’s restaurant and we took orders ahead of time to help the kitchen staff. Some boys went out for ice cream afterwards and others headed back to the hotel. A few people caught several minutes of a street performer’s one-man-show. It was a very good day with perfect weather – mild temperatures, low humidity, sunny skies. Click to see photos. |
Mark LevinI never imagined that when I started taking kids on travel trips in 1978 that I would still be taking trips today! It has been a great ride and I'm looking forward to more. Archives
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