Our Last Evening in Munich

Well, Monday was our last day in Munich. The weather cooperated which was great - not as warm, as we'd have liked but sun, even if it was cool, trumps rain and cloud any day! We walked much of the route our bus tour took Sunday and this time we got to take pictures. What struck us most was that this city has lots of open space for parks, squares and gardens. The Englischer Garten here is about the same size as New York's Central Park even though the city is much smaller.  Also, there are so many pedestrian zones that, in spite of having to dodge and be aware of the many bicycles, it is a city that is great for walking.  As the day wound down, we returned to our hotel to get organized for Mena and Trev's departure - backing up photos, etc.  then, we headed over to Marienplatz for a glass of Prosecco in the sun.  Then, shunning the more touristy spots, we went to a small restaurant we had found not far from the Hofbrauhaus.  The Weinhaus Schneider was exactly what we wanted - cozy (sehr gut Gemutlichkeit), friendly service (freundlich) and good food (gut Geschmeck).  So, we dined on Wiener Schnitzel, spareribs and pork medaillons with white asparagus, salads and red wine.  The owners were lovely and it was a perfect way to spend our last evening together.

 
Bon voyage, Mena and Trevor!

Viel Spass and a Sacrilege in the Hofbrauhaus!

One thing Trevor really wanted to do here in Munich was go to the Hofbrauhaus for a "pint".  So, we wandered - or rather were swept along with the throng - into this very famous beer hall late Sunday afternoon.  As it is a holiday weekend, the place was packed although it probably is most of the time anyway. So, the first challenge was to find a place to sit and that is much easier said than done.  We really lucked out when we spotted some seats at a table where there was a couple dressed in traditional Bavarian costumes and four other guys. We asked if we could join them and the minute they found out we were Canadians, we were "in"!  Next, of course, we had to order something to drink. Well, apparently there are no "pints" at the Hofbrauhaus so Trevor got his beer in a 1 litre mug that was almost too heavy to lift. How our tiny waitress who could not have weighed more than 115 pounds managed to carry six or seven at a time was lost on us. Not being serious beer drinkers, Mena and I decided to order Radlers, something like a shandy made with beer and Sprite or 7Up. We asked for a small one and, well, that wasn't on.  Max, our new Bavarian friend, explained to me something like you can't order a small drink after 5 pm. It's against the law. I think I probably misunderstood him but was perfectly clear was that we'd have to order 1 litre ones. I couldn't imagine drinking that much and neither could Mena so we committed the ultimate sacrilege in this famous beer hall:  we ordered glasses of wine. Man, we were guffawed at by the Germans sitting with us!  However, as the hours went by (yes, hours!), we had so much fun singing, drinking, and talking with our new found friends (Max, his wife Paula and some guys from Sauerland up north) that they seemed to forgive us.  All seemed to be in awe of Canada so we were very popular!  And, Trevor saved Mena's and my reputations by having a second beer, German size!  Max whose dream it is to visit Whistler was almost moved to tears when Trevor gave him his Whistler Brewing Co. cap.  It was, as they say, viel Spass (lots of fun) in the Hofbrauhaus!

Winding Down

Well, the wonderful feeling of "three more sleeps, two more sleeps, one more sleep before I start my vacation" has been replaced by "one more sleep before I fly home". My inner gypsy is so NOT happy. Of course, for Mena and Trevor, that is not the case. Tonight they take the night train to Venice to continue their adventures.  I'm envious. Not sure if a crash course in blogging or future Internet connections will let them continue to tell their tales or not.

Yesterday we left Fussen, drove to Munich and dropped the car off. We'd logged nearly 3000 km!  The weather here was reminiscent of our first days in Berlin - very cool, windy and wet!  That didn't seem fair either. We did a two-hour bus tour of the city which at least kept us warmer and dry. Of course, it also provided zero opportunity for photos!  Through the foggy and drip-covered windows, we managed glimpses Olympic Park, the buildings of the BMW Museum, and Nymphenberg Castle, as well as many of the city's squares, parks and ornate buildings. It all looked interesting but would have been glorious in the sun. Hopefully, Monday will bring better weather!

Later, when the rain had stopped, we wandered into the Altstadt (old town), admired Marienplatz and went to the world-renowned Hofbrauhaus for a drink (more about that in another post).  Three hours later, we went for dinner and called it a day. Hopefully, we can get some good photos Monday.  Besides, it is my last full day - and a holiday in Germany - and we deserve it!

In the Alps

Thursday, we left Hallstatt in Austria and headed for Bavaria (Bayern) and the Deutsche Alpenstrasse (German Alpine Road). Our first stop was Bertschesgaden which is mostly known for its proximity to where Hitler had Eagle's Nest in nearby Kehlstein.  Putting that aside, however, this is a pretty little town and a perfect place to start driving west on the German Alpine Road which takes you through some very amazing scenery on winding mountain roads. My mistake was thinking that our beautiful sunny day would be followed by similar weather the next so I didn't take enough pictures of the clear, snow-capped mountains, lush green valleys and charming Bavarian houses.  I could write my own description of this breathtaking drive but there is already a good one at www.germany.travel/en/leisure-and-recreation/scenic-routes/german-alpine-road.html. 
It is well worth reading. As we were running out of time, we left the route early and took a shorter way to Fussen which took us back into Austria near Innsbruck and through Fernpass to Reutte (A) and Schwangau near Fussen. We had an amazing view of the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany.  Both of our rooms at the Hotel Helmerhof have views of King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein Castle (perhaps as famous in North America for being the model for the Fantasyland Castle in Disneyland as anything else) and the surrounding mountains.  Unfortunately, both were completely lost in the low cloud by Friday morning!  So, we walked the 3.9 km to Fussen in the drizzle, visited a friend at Optik-Niebler (and scored some Sekt - sparkling wine - as his business was celebrating its 65 anniversary), then parted.  Mena and Trevor took the bus to visit Neuschwanstein castle and I walked back to the hotel to get caught up on "my chores".  Today was glorious so we drove to Oberammergau of Passion Play fame and we got to see lots more of the German Alpine Road. On the way back, we drove back through some of Fernpass again and this time stopped at a Gasthaus with an amazing view of Zugspitze.  We had lunch sitting on the terrace in the sun.  I had my new favourite treat, Kaiserschmerrn, a crispy fried pancake cut up and served with apple sauce.  Yum yum!  Not a bad way to end our stay in the mountains before heading to Munich tomorrow.

Who Says You Can't Go Back?

In the early 80's, I bought a book published by Sunset called Discovery Trips in Europe.  On its cover was a beautiful photo of a lake with a small village and a chapel. The photo was of Hallstatt, Austria and that photo has become almost iconic in that it has been featured on Austrian travel posters for years. Anyway, when I was in Europe back in 1984 I wanted to go to Hallstatt and replicate that photo myself. While I did go there, for some reason I didn't get to take that shot. I can't remember exactly why. Maybe, it was the weather or maybe it was just I couldn't find where it was taken; I just don't know. What I clearly remember was thinking that Hallstatt was beautiful. When I planned this vacation, I worked this village in the Salzkammergut Region not far from Salzburg and Bad Ischl into our itinerary. When I did that I wondered if it was as lovely as I thought it was. You know how sometimes your memory can play tricks on you and when you go back to somewhere you've been before, it just isn't as good as you remember? Well, in this case, yes, you can go back and it is even more stunning than I thought. We arrived here in this now UNESCO designated site midday yesterday when the sky was almost perfectly clear and the temperature was about 26'. We had a lovely lunch on the lakeside terrace at the Hotel Grunen Baum. Later, we just wandered around this little village enjoying is quaintness including all the wooden houses perched on the mountainside like, as someone said in the 1800's, little swallows birdhouses. We had a lovely dinner in the Brau-Gasthof, a building that has stood for hundreds of years and was a former brewery, hence its name.  And, oh yes, I got that photo!  It is the first one of the four below.  The others are of the setting on the lake and mountains, the market square and dinner at Brau-Gasthof.

A Gem in the Slovenian Mountains

I had never heard of Bled until a couple of people back home told me I had to go there if I was going to Slovenia. Both said it was one of their favourite places in the world. I thought they must be exaggerating but added it to our itinerary. So, yesterday, we drove about 3/4 hour north of Ljubljana to this small town in the Slovenian mountains. At first, I wondered what all the fuss was about. The  first buildings we saw were quite modern concrete affairs and the hotels were big with no charm.  Then, we drove around a corner and in front of us was the lake, the castle on the hill, and the little island in the lake. WOW!  It was breathtakingly beautiful. Our little penzion called Pletna has only five rooms all with balconies facing the lake. We walked the 2 km along the lakeshore into the small town.  We were amused along the way by a mother duck pushing her 9 very little ducklings into the water for likely their first swimming lesson.  Sitting on the terrace of a restaurant called Vila Preseren (yes, after my new favourite poet) the lake's edge, we enjoyed a lunch which included Blejska Kremsnita, Bled's delicious version of a vanilla slice.  Did we feel guilty about that?  Absolutely not because after it, we walked, or rather climbed, all the way up to the castle and later walked the 6 km around the lake. The path up to this castle is very steep and included about 250 stairs. We were rewarded with stunning views which made it totally worthwhile.  Our only thought was that we should have been given the €8 entrance fee as a reward rather than have to pay it!  The castle grounds include several cafes, restaurants and wine bars as well as a small but very informative museum. We then went back down to the lake - so much easier - and continued around it. I kept telling myself to quit taking pictures along the way but I couldn't stop myself.  This is truly "eye candy"!  Now, is Lake Bled the most beautiful place I've ever seen?  Probably not but, man, it sure is up there!

Ljubljana - A Paradigm Shift

I want to start this blog by talking about the Slovenian national anthem. Unlike many national anthems (not that I am an expert!) which celebrate a nation's battles (the American Star Spangled Banner), its monarchies (Britain's God Save the Queen), or an uprising (France's La Marseillaise), Slovenia's takes a different slant. Consider the words from one of its verses:

God's blessings on all nations

Who long and work for that bright day,

When o'er earth's habitation

No war, no strife shall hold its sway;

Who long to see

That all man free

No more shall foes, but . . .

No more shall foes, but neighbours be. 

The reason I am raising this, aside from the fact the words resonated with me, is that the man who wrote it, France Preseren (1800 - 1849), was from Ljubljana. As we walked around this town with our private guide, Marijan (a very informative and talented guy who works for Rick Steves) made the point to us that this city's statues and memorials don't celebrate wars or conquests but rather the arts with most statues being of poets, musicians and such.  It seemed an interesting shift in the usual paradigm to me.  I could also go on about the huge influence the architect, Josef Plecnik, had on enhancing this city's beauty but that would take far too long and, besides, there are books about it!

We spent two and a half days exploring Ljubljana.  The overview Marijan gave us and the fact that it is very manageable in terms of size made our experience here very enjoyable.  It is a university town with many faculties focused on the arts. Naturally, this also makes it a lively town filled with young people.  We took the funicular up to the castle, walked along the river, visited the cathedral, went to the market and spent time relaxing in bars and restaurants. The people were always helpful and friendly.  For example, on Saturday when I asked a server at a restaurant where we could watch the FA Cup final, he pointed to a bar down the way (Casablanca) and then gave me three vouchers for free drinks there. We had lots of fun and the fact that Wigan beat Manchester City was a bonus!  Later we ate at a charming little restaurant called Marley and Me and, again, there was nothing to complain about.  The food, service and prices were great,  The next evening we returned, as much to get out of the rain as anything, and watched the Canada - Czech hockey game.  It was another good time - a different but again very good waiter (Zdani replaced by Alan) and our team won again!  One  place I would recommend to go is a restaurant/bar/club called Neboticnik on the rooftop of one of the buildings. From it you get spectacular views of the city and its surroundings mountains.  Monday we moved on to Bled in the Slovenian countryside but took with us great memories of this gentle and architecturally-rich town.

Lost in Translation

As I was, back on my first trip to Europe in 1979, I am in awe of how many Europeans (I'm guessing the majority outside of small villages and rural areas) speak more than one language. Our tour guide in Ljubljana speaks 6, for example, and most hotel and restaurant employees understand English, German or both.  So, for the most part, we have been doing fine without speaking the official language of any of country we've visited. Who speaks Czech other than the Czechs anyway? We have, however, had some amusing moments that can only be explained by the language barrier.

• In Krakow, when we inquired about eating at a cute cafe, we were told, "The restaurant is open but the kitchen is closed."  Guess that turned the place into a bar.  Who knows. 
• The other night in Szentendre, the hotel manager said something in German while flapping his arms like a bird. I heard the words for "closed" and "flying" so I stupidly thought he was saying the airport was closed. I told him, Keine Problem.  Wir haben ein Auto (No problem. We have a car.) After that, he looked a bit frustrated and got the guy on the desk who did speak English. Turns out what I thought was airport (Flughafen) was actually window (Fenster) and he was telling us to close our windows because of the bugs flying around outside.  He must have thought I was nuts!  
• Best of all, however, are the menu translations. I ask you if you would order cucumber with acid creme (apparently the Slavic words for sour and acid are the same), Mum's Pan Cakes with Smashed Chestnuts, the Caprese salad that had Mozzarella, Basil and Cherry Potatoes, Baby Poussin (whatever that is, it was the same word in Slovakian, German, French, and English!), Fallow-dear Steak, or Grilled Spicy Winglets (okay, maybe not so funny now but after some wine, it sounded amusing!). Then there was the "Specials" menu placed on every table in one restaurant. As it wasn't in English, we asked about it. We were told "Sorry. All finished."  Probably just finished for people who couldn't read it as the prices on it were better! 

 It isn't lost on us, however, that, for the most part, we are the problem. These people wouldn't expect us to speak German, Polish, Slovakian, Hungarian or Slovenian if they visited Canada.  So, we will continue to muddle along at times making fools of ourselves but always amazed by the almost perfect English spoken by so many!  Below is a picture with Trevor of the guy tending the bar where we watched the FA Cup game yesterday in Ljubljana and, oh yes, he spoke perfect English!

Underrated Budapest - by Me!

When I planned this trip, I knew I wanted to visit Budapest but, having been there once before, I allowed us one full day staying outside of it for two nights in the small town of Szentendre on the Danube.  I honestly thought one day there would be enough but, man, was I wrong!  We caught the train just before 9 am arriving in Budapest about 40 minutes later. Our plan was to take the Big Bus hop on - hop off tour for a couple of hours, wander the streets for a bit, enjoy a late afternoon river cruise and have happy hour on the terrace up at the castle.  As they say, the best laid plans of mice and men . . . . . !  First, the bus was an hour late, then because of the traffic congestion the tour took much longer than planned, the late afternoon river cruises were cancelled leaving us only the 2 pm option and the last bus was leaving the castle area at 5:30. Hmmm!  None of this was in our plan but, as I've learned so well from my friend Sue, you have to "reframe" things!  So, we saw lots of the major sights on the first 1 1/2 hours of the tour, had a lovely lunch on a boat where the river cruise boat moors enjoying the view of the Chain Bridge and castle on the hill, took the 2 pm river cruise which lasted another 1 1/2 hours and gave us a different perspective on the city, then we caught the last part of the Big Bus tour up the hill on the Buda side of Budapest and saw the Gellert Hotel, the Citadel and Castle Hill including the Fisherman Bastion. Then well, it was after 5 and time for "happy hour", of course.  There is a fabulous terrace along the top of the castle with the most amazing views of the Pest side including the Parliament and the Basicilia of St. Stephen. We expected to pay a lot for drinks here but our two "fizzantes" (each) and Trevor's two beers cost only €42. However, even better was the gypsy violinist and viola player who serenaded us - a hauntingly beautiful romantic piece celebrating Mena and Trevor's 37+ years of marriage and, for me, an upbeat gypsy number acknowledging my free, independent spirit. We gave them Canada pins when they were finished and they immediately put them on. If you look closely at the photo of them below, the little dots on their lapels are the pins.  Of course, I was sucked into buying a CD but it will forever be a good memory of the afternoon. However, I'm not finished with this city. We missed so much - Andrassy street with its lovely buildings and shops, the basilica, the House of Terror (too soon for us after Auschwitz), Heros Square, and the Ethnography Museum to mention a few. So, don't make my mistake. It will mean, like me, you will have to return to this fabulous city.

What happens at 5 pm, could happen earlier or later!

One of the things I've always admired about Europeans is their love of just sitting, sipping a coffee, beer or glass of wine, and people watching. Whether it has been on the banks of the Speer river in Berlin, the Old Market Square in Krakow or a little courtyard in a small Slovakian town, we are managing to emulate the Europeans very successfully!  Each day around 5 pm - although it has been as early as 4 and as late as 7 - we tend to just sit, have a beverage and enjoy our surroundings. Of course, this has other advantages. Trevor has become very familiar with German, Czech, Polish, Slovakian and now Hungarian beers while Mena and I have sampled wines from all those countries as well.  More importantly, it gives us a chance to "people watch" and get a sense of the local culture. Luckily for us, the prices in Eastern Europe for beer and wine as well as food have been amazing even in places where the location should dictate higher ones.  For example, yesterday we sat on a terrace with a spectacular view of Budapest (more about that city later) where a glass of "frizzante" wine was less than €6.  You've got to love that!  Below are some evidentiary photos that we are enjoying the European tradition.  Here's to good times and good friends!

Slovakia - an Unexpected Surprise

Twenty or so years ago when I visited Eastern Europe for the first time, I skipped Slovakia for two reasons:  a Visa cost about $50 (we'd already paid that for one to the Czech Republic and were reluctant to spend that again) and I'd heard or read that Slovakia was industrial and not very scenic. So, I was pleasantly surprised as we crossed Slovakia from Poland to Hungary a couple of days ago at how picturesque the landscape was. Much of the area where we travelled was covered with dense forests, beautiful mountainsides (some of them ski areas), and farmlands glowing yellow with canola.  We overnighted in Banska Stiavnica, a UNESCO World Heritage site although we never found the church which gives it that designation. While the town could use some restoration, where we stayed was lovely, the food was good, and the beer and wine prices continued to make us happy.  There was also something to be said for sitting in a restaurant where the TV was showing an IIHF World Hockey game when so many NHL players come from this country. One thing for sure, however, the Slovakians need to work on their roads. Whether we were on a highway or a secondary road, there are potholes that you could lose a small child in!  It is one thing to be driving at 30 km when they are easy to miss but it is much trickier when the speed in more like 80 km. Luckily, we managed to avoid nearly all of them!

On a Lighter Note

Despite the so many sad and tragic aspects of Krakow's history (the proximity to Auschwitz, the former wall around the Jewish ghetto, and the occupation of the Russians during the communist era being just a few, there is a much lighter side to Krakow. It is a university town thriving with lots of young people. The economy appears quite strong and there are lots of new buildings and shopping centres outside the centre.  Cafes, restaurants and clubs everywhere and they are busy. On a personal note, we have loved sitting outside enjoying our food, beer or wine whether it be in Kazimierz (the Jewish quarter) or on the Old Market Square, even if sometimes we were wrapped in blankets or huddled under patio heaters. The food and drink prices have been very reasonable. There is something to be said for sipping a glass (okay, more than a glass!) of Prosecco when the bottle costs only PLN 40 or about €10 or $13 including tax and service!  Trevor wanted me to be sure to mention he is also loving the beer prices, about $3 for a .5 l of  Zywiec!  And, we've been doing this while enjoying the view of hundreds-year old buildings; listening to the trumpet played on the hour from a window in the tower of the church; or, watching the comings and goings of horses and open-air carriages, many of them carrying little girls probably dreaming of princesses, knights and fairy tale endings.  Speaking of endings, we left Krakow yesterday and made our way to the middle of Slovakia.  However, I am determined to be back one day as we've only scratched the surface of this amazing city.

Men of the Deep

Okay, I know there is a Nova Scotia men's choral group of that name but Poland has sort of its own kind of renowned "men of the deep". They are the Wieliczka miners who, since about the 17th century  have been creating fabulous carvings in this salt mine not far from Krakow. The mine opened in the 13th century and was active until 2007. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The mine's attractions include dozens of statues, several chapels and a cathedral that is used today.  Visiting the mine, you descend down stairs to a depth of 64 metres. The guided tour takes you through about 3 km of tunnels and stairs to a final depth of 130 m. During the tour, in addition to the statues and chapels, you see two underground lakes, salt "cauliflowers" on the walls and salt "spaghetti" or stalactites.  There is also a large ballroom that is used for conferences, weddings and other special events. Visitors to the mine have included Copernicus hundreds of years ago to Pope John II and Bill Clinton much more recently. Thankfully, there is an elevator that takes you back to the surface in about 50 seconds. I cannot imagine trying to walk back up all those stairs!  Here are some of the photos I took during our tour.

Staring Into Evil

Horror, terror, misery and pure evil!  There just aren't enough words to convey how dreadfully depressing and sad Auschwitz-Birkenau is. We spent nearly four hours there yesterday and, in spite of having visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, the Memorial to the Deportation in Paris, and various other tributes to the victims of the Nazis as well as seeing documentaries on the place, none of that prepared me for actually standing in one of places where the atrocities actually occurred.  Seeing the "Arbeit Macht Frei" gate, walking along the railway lines into the camps, standing on the "sorting" platform where, with the flick of a finger, a Nazi doctor sent thousands to their death (apparently as quickly as 40 minutes after stepping out of the railway car), and seeing the dreadful living conditions experienced by those who had a less immediate death were too overwhelming to put into words.  The numbers and facts are chilling: women with children immediately condemned; thousands upon thousands gassed; average life span in the camp for a woman was 2 months and for healthy men about 6. Our hearts broke for the terror and fear all those people (primarily Jews but also gypsies, disabled people, gays, political dissidents and the intelligentsia) must have felt.  Hopefully, the following few pictures will convey the evilness of this place. And, we must never forget!  In the words of George Santayana, displayed prominently here, "The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again."  Let us pray the lesson has been learned!  It was a gorgeous sunny day when the three of us were here and we almost felt guilty seeing this mind-numbing place on a beautiful day.

Why Are We Drinking with the Mayor of Krelov?

Many will agree that travelling the way I prefer (not doing a bus tour, joining a tour group, or staying at big chain hotels) may bring about challenges and put more pressure on you but it also provides the opportunity to get closer to the local cultures and make personal connections.  Our visit to Krelov, just outside Olomouc, is a good example..

Eleven years ago, I was travelling in CZ exploring the vineyards and villages of Moravia.  It was getting late and dark and we had no idea where to stay. Olomouc is big and, as we drove around, saw no options. We headed out on a secondary highway and, in the village of Krelov, found a pension.  At first, the owner wasn't sure he had a room but, when we switched to English from the German we'd been using, he asked us where we were from. When we said from the Vancouver area in Canada, he told us his son was at a hockey camp there and immediately gave us a room. Fast forward to now.  As we were going to be in the same area this trip, I emailed the pension. The reply came from the son, now 25 and back in CZ from playing hockey in Australia. We stayed at Penzion Krelov Friday evening, met Jaroslav, and had drinks with him and his father who is now the mayor.  So, that is how we ended to drinking with the mayor of Krelov!  It was a fun evening.

In the CZ Countryside

During the 3 hour drive today from Prague to Kutna Hora and then on to Telc, we were struck by how much open space there was, both farmlands and forests. Kutna Hora and Telc are UNESCO World Heritage sites. I had visited both of them 11 years ago and they still look the same - of course they haven't changed much in hundreds of years so why should I be surprised!  The main square in Telc is visually stunning with its colourful facades (see picture) and arcaded shops.  The prices of CZ food and wines are amazing us.  For example, tonight we had dinner for about $15 each and that included a bottle of very good CZ wine, a big beer for Trevor, one soup and three main courses.  Needless to say, we are eating and drinking well!  Now, if only the weather (which has been mainly to date, cool, cloudy and sometimes rainy) could be as good as the food and wine prices!  Friday, we will start heading east toward Krakow in Poland overnighting just outside Olomouc on the way.

The Magic of Prague

For the last day and a half, we've been exploring the lovely city of Prague. Our B&B is a little way from the centre so we've used the convenient tram system for the 15 minute ride to the centre. We needed to save our feet for all the walking we did when we got there!  Prague is a jewellery box for the eye. Everywhere you look there are visual gems, whether they are from medieval, Renaissance or other eras. We started our first afternoon by walking by around the Old Town and marvelling at the buildings on the square. The Jewish quarter was our next destination and you cannot not think about what happened here during WWII as you wander around. Oh, if these streets could only talk!  We finished the afternoon with a stroll across the Charles Bridge although with all the people it was hardly a relaxing one. So many people, so many cameras!  Why not, everywhere you look is a photo op. Yesterday, we started the day by taking the #22 tram up to Hradcany castle then spent the rest of the day working our way down - and back up - the hill. We lunched by the river with a view of the bridge, had dinner at a lovely little fish restaurant on Kampe, the island at one end of the bridge and finished our day with another stroll across the bridge which, at dusk, is nothing short of magical!  Thursday we leave here for the Czech countryside with the feeling we have hardly started to touch this city.