BIG END..?

Remember that last scene from Crazy History of the World when Mel Brooks says...

I see a big end coming up... ?

Well, today is that big end... but not really, because once I get back I have to edit my pictures, and write my traveling through Italy.

In all, I was in: Berlin, Potsdam, Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover, Amsterdam, Bonn, Cologne, Stuttgart, Munich, Fussen, Prague, Vienna, Rome, Ostia Lido, Ostia Antica, Florence, Pissa, Venecia, Napoly, Sorrento, Pompeii, Herculeim, Maenza, Vatican City, and the city of Terminal 5 in London...

Met a lot of people, and made good friends... best of all I got to know my extended family better... when they were all in Canada, I was working all the time, so that Mario could take the time to spend with his family...

I really want to thank Mario and my Mom for their points, and my sister for her Hotel deals... and then Maru, Sabrina, Ida, Zia Pia, Sara, Gulia, the Antonellas and Ricardina... and of course all the guys... Stefano, Massimo, Claudio, Maurizio, Pascual & Eligio... You'll be in my heart for ever..!

I'll have to check how many Gb of pictures... but I'm sure I took over 5K pictures.

Maru & Ida... THANKS a million..!

Oh, I fell in love with the kids... Filipo is like Tyler... a little devil..! Gini is such an adult child, Kiara is a doll, and the Gemili... wow... it's Mario all over again..! I can't wait to meet the one that is on the way..!

Right now, I am in the BA's North Lounge at Terminal 5 in London's LHR... wow the lounge is bigger than the Regina International Airport..! and BA has two of them here...!

Anyway, I am about to take a nap, and come back to this blog a little later... ciao tuttie, c'e videamos dopo

2.11.4 - Vienna 4

Vienna - Day Four
I didn't do much today, I am exhausted of all this travelling...I need to slow down some.
I did pack my backpack, had breakfast and checked out of the Marriott.

I did some last minute shopping at the touristy area close to the Opera, and then took the train to the CAT station (City Airport Train) and the ticket agent spoke perfect Spanish...
Since I had the Vienna Card, I only paid half price for the CAT ticket.It takes 15 min to get to the airport from the CAT station, and it drops you at the gates.

Seems like EVERYTHING is having some work done... the airport is also having some renovations made.
Airberlin / Niki is the same company, and they are on a different terminal, just like it is at San Jose International Airport.

Anyway, no problem checking in, by the way, it is very nice to see good looking women in airline uniforms... seems like you have to be young and good looking to work in the airline industry here in Europe.

While I was waiting at the gate to take the bus to the plane... there were two small children running around... very cute too, one spoke English and the other spoke German... and they had no problem playing with each other...

The flight was short and... wait, why am I talking about the plane when this is supposed to be about the city...

OK VIENNA - RECAP
The city is big and beautiful, but it looks crowded...
There are way too many big and I mean BIG buildings one on top of each other.

If you are going to tour around Eastern Europe, start here and then go to Prague... otherwise you'll be too tired to see this city.

Come in the Fall, and come for four or five days...
It's supposed to be THE greenest city of Eastern Europe, so not a good thing to visit in the Winter, the flowers, monuments and fountains were all covered... so I couldn't see much.

Reasons to come in the fall; everything is here...
the Symphony is in town and playing...
the Boys Choirs is performing everywhere and not only on Sundays at the 9:00 hrs mas...
the Spanish Riding School is in town and not touring...
the flowers are gorgeous, the trees are in bloom, the fountains are open, and the monuments uncover...
Oh, and Everyone is at the Island between the old and new Danube Rivers;
there are festivals, big parties, beergardens, and the weather is supposed to be great too...

by the way, how original are the people here, old Danube River, the Danube River, and the Danube Canal...

Makes sure when you come you go to the Operas...
you can go an hour or an hour and a half before the performance starts, and get same day tickets usually for 30% off, or if you want to pay 3€ or 4€ only, you can get on line (also 60-90 min before hand) for the standing tickets.
I did that on the second night and I had better view of the performance than the night before; besides, you are going to be on your feet all the time while on vacation, so why not do it at the opera.
The Staatsoper has shows Tues-Sun at 19:00 hrs and everyday is a different opera..!most of the musicians that play there have been or are playing with the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra too.
Oh, one more thing... there are men dressed in costumes walking everywhere touristy, selling you tickets to their show... don't go there... just do the same day tickets or the standing tickets... way cheaper..!
If you get the Vienna Card, which I recommend you do at almost every city you visit.... you can get on the trams and go from place to place, plus you can see more of the city... don't take the u/s bahn, although much faster, you'll spend all the time underground.
There are a few festivals other times of the year...
Vienna Festival - mid May to mid June
Vienna Spring Marathon - April/ May, there are tons of people all over the World, and parties everywhere too
Summer's Music Festival
Opera and Film Festivals
and the Christmas Market - from November to Christmas Eve

2.11.1 - Vienna 1

Vienna - Day 1

I arrived to Vienna at 6:30 hrs and headed to the hotel right way.
The room was avialable and I had a chance to take a nap, a shower and have breakfast before I headed out.

Then I took the S-Bahn to the Opera, and then headed to the Tourist Office.
There they told me everything I needed to see...

I was able to get into a tour of the Opera House, and get tickets to a show at the VolksOpera House.

I have to get back to this later, because I can't find my notes.

2.10.5 - Prague 5

Prague - Day 5

Went to pick up my laundry
Did more shopping
Gave Petr somethings to ship home
Went to the top of the Atomic Clock
Went with Petr to the Church of Bones

Then came to the old hotel to crash in their computer room while the photos upload, my train leaves at 1am

I heard my dad got his US Residency back too

PRAGUE RECAP:
LOVE the city...
Stay for a week... and stay in the hotel where I stayed... great location, great staff
Take the 6 hour tour... and then spend one day up by the castle, make sure you are there at noon, when the big changing of the guard takes place.
Take the night cruise tour... and / or take the night walking tour... the buildings look great at night too
There is no Red Light District here... and no street walkers, although prostitution is legal, but indoors - not that I know... actually a coworker of my sister told me so.
Go to the church of bones... creepy!
Go to the place where Clinton played the sax.
Go on top of the atomic clock
Make sure you do comeback, again and again..!

2.10.4 - Prague 4

Prague - Day 4

Did Laundry...
Went to the other side of the city to see how it is outside the tourist side.
Coming back I saw the two Mexican girls that I met at the tour... they were heading to the train station.

Did more shopping..! Freaking boys, you have no idea how hard it was to find that German Jersey in Prague..!


Met with Petr
Went to get the freshest beer in town
Went to the place where the first Pilsner Urquell was served
Went to the Jazz place where Bill Clinton played his sax
Went back to the first pub, ate... and got hammered with Petr.

2.10.3 - Prague 3

Prague - Day 3

What a day today, it wasnt cold, it wasnt hot, it was just perfect..!

What a grea city this is...
breakfast all to myself...

9:20 hrs - 17:00 hrs Tour

didn't made my room, because i didnt ask for it

shipped some postcards...

Talked to Petr...

Two new friends from Mexico...
Dinner with them, dancing with them...
asked about drugs on the street

2.10.2 - Prague 2

Prague - Day 2 (first full day)

I had an OK breakfast... the eggs were cold tho.

As soon as I was done with breakfast, I checked out of the hotel... left my backpack there and went out for a walk.

My first stop was a cyber cafe... I had to download 1.5 Gb worth of pictures.

Then, map on hand, I walked all over the place... made it to the National Museum, then to the Atomic Clock, from what I've heard from the Italian Tourist Guide, is that the building was damaged during the war, but not the tower nor the clock... and in all this time, it had to be fixed just once.

Then I made it to the Tourist Information Office... the one at the train station was closed last night remember..?

The lady had no idea about anything, very different from Germany.

So, I decided to walk some more and see what I like...

I came up to this road, just after the Market Place area... and I see this very nice hotel...
I walked in, asked how much the rooms were for a night... and a very pretty woman said... 70€ with breakfast... and I said, that I have been paying much less at the Marriott's in Germany... so she said how about 50€ a night, with breakfast, free wi-fi, and a double room instead of a single..? deal, I said.

I went up, took all my crap out of my camera backpack, and headed downstairs to ask about a tour of the city.
She helped me find one... she called 3 companies and they were sold out... but she found a 4th one, and they had plenty of room on their English tour... included buffet style dinner, a free drink, pick up and drop off at your hotel... and the bus and boat tour.

So, I had time to go out, walk some more, and then go pick up my backpack... that has no more room for anything... I have to ship some stuff to my sister...
And maybe give some clothes to the poor here.

And now, time for the night tour...
The bus tour was OK, the boat tour was not bad, the food was good, and there I met this couple from Pennsylvania...
He works with the military somehow... and she travels all over the World, they are not married to each other, and they have kids my age... oh, and she told me to go to Budapest for sure..!

Then, I came to the hotel room and decided to take a walk on this beautiful city at night...
Tons of people were still on the streets... I was following a group of 15-20 Italians, that were singling and dancing on the streets... then I stopped and took lots of pictures... walked all over the place again...

They have this cabaret promoters on the street, they invite you to their cabaret for 300€ and a free drink, then you tell them no, and they say, how about 200€ and 5 drinks... and you say no, and their final offer is 200€ and all the drinks you want... and I told them I wasn't drinking because I have to be up at 8:00 hrs and then they said... but you can see the show, and then ask the girls for sex... Still, I have to be up by 8:00 hrs, so here I am at 1:00 hrs, typing my blog. No shows, no alcohol, no girls for me tonight..!

On that note...
Good night, tomorrow morning I am taking a 6 hr walking tour starting at 9:30 hrs.

By the way...
this city is like a Hollywood back lot... but for reals..!
Wait till you see the night pictures..!