Posted 6:14 AM by MelanieandSteve
Forgive the interposed z and y. The German kezboard interposes them, and it would take me a lot of time to correct everz one of them.

Now we are in Giessen, Germanz, north of Frankfurt.

Since our last web log:

In Corfu, Greece, the day of our last log, we rented scooters and found some gorgeous hidden away beaches and scenic expances inland. We stopped to watch a group of folks flying model airplanes and helicopters. Corfus beaches are a famed landing point in Homers Oddesy, and it did seem quite mystical.

Last thoughts on Greece:
Regrets: Sad that due to shortage of time (yes, time is limited, even on these long extended travel trips, hard to believe.) we were unable to go to San Torini island, Delphi, or to peak Mount Olzmpus as planned. Perhaps later, we will complete these items of unfinished business (pleasure).
We often get asked: - - ´What was your least favorite citz?´ (Nobody has asked what was our Most favorite.) Weäre usuallz at a loss for an answer (Steve says Barcelona, but because of our circumstances, not because of the citz. And Melanie just couldnt answer. Port towns are no good, but they arenät destinations, onlz transit locations) In Greece, we found our answer. As much as the sites in Athens should not be missed, the city was just a city, and a busy, trafficy, big city at that. Athens is the answer. But worth the Acropolys.
A question: Did Paul speak Greek? or was his letter to the Corynthians translated for him?

After an overnight ferry back to Italy, and an overnight train to Slovenia, we went to Slovenia´s capital, Ljubljana. One of the cleanest capitals seen. Seems like a very clean and a bit smaller version of Paris, but without the mobs of tourists, with less famous museums, and with great views of surrounding and alpine mountains. The city goes to great lengths to make itself beautiful and enjoyable. Shops along the river area are nice, the unique bridges frame colorful lighting on the river at night, the people are friendly, etc... We hiked to the top of the citys castle on a hill. There, a castle worker, who saw us enjoying the sunset, invited us to climb the cock tower without paying the usual museum charge as a gift from him since he said we appeared to be such a good couple. When we thanked him profusely afterward, he said ´ít was good for me too.´ The view was gorgeous, and the perfect, clean, uniform rust colored roofs glowed under the red sunset.

We took a day trip to Postojna, the second largest cave in the world. The stalagtites and stalagmites were better than weve seen in any other cave. Sometimes we had to remind ourselves that this was real, and not the product of a George Lucas vision at Disneyland. Here, we saw the worlds only Human Fishes, which are salamanders found only here, that have no eyes and can live without eating for 12 years. Very unique. Histoircally, nazzis stored petroleum in these caves.

We then went to nearby Bled lake, popular tourist destination of Slovenia for over 500 zears, yet it seemed nearly untouched. We rented bikes and rode around the lake. Theres a beautiful island in the middle of the lake just big enough for the church/castle on it, and overlooking the lake on a jutting steep mountain rock is the citys castle. In bled, we saw a trash man drive up a street and suddenly pull over to the side. We wondered why since there were no buildings there. He got out of his truck and picked up a single piece of paper that had been littered on the side of the road. He got back into his truck and proceded on. Now we knew why this was such a clean country.

We then stayed on a ´tourist farm´ for two nights in a town next to Bled called Zesip. The farm was walking distance from Vintgar gorge hike in the Triglav National Park, the first national park of all of Europe. (we wondered if Teddy Roosevelt started declaring U.S. national parks before or after Triglav, but it seems to be similar timing.) Melanie did the hike alone during a rain storm one day, and Steve jogged the hike during the dry weather the next day. Both loved the roaring river and falls and colorful lizards. Melanie also enjoyed getting ´lost´when the trail didnt match the maps and finding herself in a kilometer long train tunnel counting ties in the dark. Brought back memories of so many fiction stories - The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Stand By Me, Manhattan Hunt Club, etc... -- The beautuful terrains also brought back memories -- Sound of Music.

We took a day trip to Bohinj lake, a less touristed, less developed lake further into the national park with a more umpressive landscape. We hiked to the waterfall that inspired their national anthem and learned that nearby was the most deadly mountain battle in the history of the world, World War I, Soce. On our way back after swimming in the lake, three locals from Bohinj offered to buy us some drinks and we stopped and spoke for hours, missed our bus back to Bled. Nejc, one of the three, generously gave us a ride back and helped us arrange for our train out of Slovenia to Munich Germany. Nejc (Nick), like manz Europeans weve spoken with, was verz friendkly to us, made sure we knew he held nothing against us for being American, and proceded to vent his laundry list of frustrations at our country´s politic as well as some frustrations with his own countrz´s education system. Our conversation with him and other Slovenians was interesting, given that this country has only existed as an independent country since 1991. Important History, for them, isnt so distant.

After an overnight train, spent a day and night in Munich and Fussen Germany. We walked all of Munich, enjoyed an audio guided tour through the Alte Pinakothek museum of art full of name droppers like Rembrandt and Leonadro De Vinci ..., had lunch in one of their famous beer gardens, walked through the English Gardens park complete with an artificially propelled river (no naked sun bathers on this cold day.) Then, in Fussen, we enjozed the Neuchwanstein Castle, of Disney fame. The castle was fine, and ferry tale idylic, but the best part was the surrounding Alpine views, adjacent waterfall, and five surrounding lakes. Mad King Ludwig, its builder, was found drowned in a nearby lake before the castle was finished. No one knows why, or whether he was really insane, but documents suggest that his uncle really wanted his power over Bavaria (he ended up ruling for 40 years after Ludwigs successor brother was also sent to an insane assylum. Hmmm.)

Then, we met our first American Friend abroad. We took a train to Frankfurt where Jim and Maryna C. took us in, fed us, gave us a comfortable place to stay, and their generosity gave us a rest and boost we needed in the middle of all this ´hard work travel.´ Jim married Maryna while here in Europe, so this was our first chance to meet her, and it was a great pleasure. We all took a day trip to Rothenberg, a medival town in the middle of Germany which was spared from all the wars. Its quaint old buildings still stand undamaged and they sweetly remind us of the tales of the brothers Grimm. We looked for Hansel and Grettle´s crumbs of bread as we walked on the tall wall that surounded the city. Jim, Maryna, and Steve humored Melanie by accompanzing her to the museum of Crime and Punishment, with interests right up her alley.

We also enjoyed a good-bye party for Jim from his work. Ironic that Jim has lived here in Germany for 3 years but now that we finally come to visit, he and Maryna are moving back to the states this week. Glad we got here in time. We all went to Matrix reloaded, which Steve was afraid he´d miss.

Next we went to Darmstadt, just south of Frankfurt to meet some German friends, Bianca and Vanessa, whom we´d met in London. They picked us up at the train station and showed us around. We saw a modern building bz local architect, Hundardvasser. They cooked us a typical German specialty called Kartopfel Puffe, and then we all went to Giessen, North of Frankfurt, where they grew up. There, their mother gave us some homemade Goulash. Homemade meals are few and far between on our travels, and it was great. Then, we left for the Czek republic, but with a promise that we´d return by Friday to see Bianca, a singer, perform.

Czek Republic was Fantastic, Full of Rich and often depressing history, Beautifully Architected, and most of all ... now FREE. Denisa, from whom we rented a room, said life has been hard since Czek stopped being communist since it caused her to lose her job, but she still thinks things are better now for her children. We walked the whole city, saw the sprawling castle/town on a hill (world record larges castle), with its gorgeous cathedral of St. Vitus, we crossed their famous St. Charles bridge , walked the old town including the old jewish ghetto with a synagogue and an erie graveyard with so many more burried bodies than space for them that there were twelve layers of graves under the surface. The grave stones keep rising to the surface, and they can be seen standing side by side, one in front of another, tipping and twisting etc... Havent seen anything like this. We took a day trip to Terazin, a nearby Nazi concentration camp. Theres a town that was a jewish ghetto where 115,000 jewish people were kept in or transited through ´the wall-less´encampment on their waz to other concentration camps during WWII. By it, we saw an old Czek fort that got converted to a prison and concentration/death camp during WWII. To walk through it was worse than the movies, and gave us an empathy we had only imagined before. We ended the day at Prague´s Museum of Communism. Melanie was surprised by how much capitalistic thinking still controlled the actions of people in society during that time (even if illegal.) The video footage of riots and tanks in Wencislas square (that we also visited) helped to complete a day of dark memorial and history and a day of appreciating what we have, and now they have. Its good to travel.

On a fun side: Apparently, break dancing is making a come back with Prague youth. A large group of them were break dancing in the metro station on our last day there. Steve couldnt help but take the opportunity to jump in. A loud applause erupted at when Steve did the windmill, and after Steve was done, several of the teens came up to him to shake his hand.

Today we are back in Germany after a night train. We returned to Giessen to meet our friends Bianca and Vanessa. Bianca is a singer in a band celebrating its 10th anniversary tonight with an open air performance in a castle/monastery on a hill nearby. She was so excited, we didnt want to miss it. Their family is being so kind as to take us in tonight for eats, and then driving us to the concert. Their generisity and warmth is so special

And we feel good that we´ ve finally made it back to the internet to make an update. Time always flies, and we can never believe how long its been since we have logged on. We think of our family and friends all the time. We send best wishes.

Happy late birthdays to

Rude Dog
H, Steve
Jen F.
Annika C.
Colin H.
Bill F.
and Maryna C.

And Happy Late MOTHERS days to:

both our awesome MOMs. We Love You so much and miss you both.