Apres Londee' Trip Report: featuring the Black Forest, the Swiss Alps, Florence, and London (with an opening guest appearance by the City of Leicester)
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Apres Londee' Trip Report: featuring the Black Forest, the Swiss Alps, Florence, and London (with an opening guest appearance by the City of Leicester)
I've been meaning to eek out a trip report for some time- this past April, my parents, sister and I took a 3 week trip to Europe, our first together as a family. We had an amazing time, in no small part due to the wonderful advice found here on these boards.
A sincere and hearty Thank You! to everyone who took the time to help me with my questions. In addition, I found so much valuable information searching through old posts, so Thank You! to all posters for making this forum what it is- a vertible embarrasment of travel-tip riches
I got a lot of enjoyment as well as good ideas from reading other people's trip reports, so I'm posting in the hopes that something here might be of use to others.
Besides, I've been so busy since getting back, it's going to be nice taking some time to relive the trip. And I'm already getting the gears in motion to plan the next one-(solo in January 2008)
A sincere and hearty Thank You! to everyone who took the time to help me with my questions. In addition, I found so much valuable information searching through old posts, so Thank You! to all posters for making this forum what it is- a vertible embarrasment of travel-tip riches
I got a lot of enjoyment as well as good ideas from reading other people's trip reports, so I'm posting in the hopes that something here might be of use to others.
Besides, I've been so busy since getting back, it's going to be nice taking some time to relive the trip. And I'm already getting the gears in motion to plan the next one-(solo in January 2008)
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How we Cobbled our Itinerary Together
This trip came about because my sister had the good grace to do her MA in England rather than here at home in Canada, thus providing my parents and I with the perfect excuse to enlarge our carbon footprints.
There was no question we wouldn't be going over to visit, as my Mom cannot last an entire year with not seeing one of her daughters, let alone being deprived of the opportunity of offering her opinion on the arrangemnt of the furniture in said daughter's new digs.
In addition, my parents spent a few years living in SW Germany, when Dad was stationed there as a captain in the Canadian military. I happened to be born over there. They always wanted to return someday and show us around, so Lahr, Germany became part of the itinerary.
London, of course, was a no-brainer, if prohibitively expensive for anything longer a very short stay.
And this is where things temporarily got sticky. I was not about to fly all the way across the Atlantic to see "only" London for a couple of days, Leicester, and Lahr. Instead, I looked that gift-horse straight in the mouth and what I saw was Italy.
It didn't take much to convice my parents- or least, my Mom. The one big grudge she holds against Dad is that the whole time they lived in Germany, with all the traveling they did, they never once went to Italy.
Mom had longed to behold the exquisite treasures of the Renaissance and soak in La Dolce Vita for as long as she could rememeber.
Dad, on the other hand, had a deep-rooted and irrational fear of laundry hanging on clothes-lines outside of upper story windows, of kamikazi drivers who pay no attention to stop signs or lane dividers, of men with large black mustashes waving their arms and screaming "Momma Mia!!!" at him, and of woman with large black mustaches waving their arms and screaming "Momma Mia!!!" at him.
He remained skeptical, but once I had a friendly chat with him about crushing Mom's one and only dream like a grape, and a few gentle reminders that they are getting old and will probably die soon, he came around. We decided on a week in Florence
Piecing these destinations was the next job. It was really imporant to Mom to see my sister in Leicester at the beginning of the trip, and she wanted to finish in England to "say goodbye", too. This made this a little difficult- the simplest thing would have been to fly into Frankfurt, stay in Lahr, continue south through Switzerland, stay in Florence, then fly over to the UK.
Instead we settled on an imperfect itinerary, a comprimise so that everyone could be happy. When you travel as a group of adults, you need to learn the meaning of the word comprimise. When you travel as 2 parents and 2 adult daughters, you *really* need to learn the meaning of the word comprimise
I've also learned that I really do not like to move around much while traveling. More time spent in fewer places is best for me. Regardless, we all really did have a great time, and I'm so glad we saw everything we did.
Our final itinerary:
Fly into London- picked up by car service-drive to Leicester
Leicester- 3 nights
train to Luton- fly Easyjet to Basel- get picked up by car service and drive to Lahr
Lahr- 3 nights with rental car
drive to Berne- 1 night
train to Florence
Florence- 7 nights
fly Meridiana to London
London- 4 nights
This trip came about because my sister had the good grace to do her MA in England rather than here at home in Canada, thus providing my parents and I with the perfect excuse to enlarge our carbon footprints.
There was no question we wouldn't be going over to visit, as my Mom cannot last an entire year with not seeing one of her daughters, let alone being deprived of the opportunity of offering her opinion on the arrangemnt of the furniture in said daughter's new digs.
In addition, my parents spent a few years living in SW Germany, when Dad was stationed there as a captain in the Canadian military. I happened to be born over there. They always wanted to return someday and show us around, so Lahr, Germany became part of the itinerary.
London, of course, was a no-brainer, if prohibitively expensive for anything longer a very short stay.
And this is where things temporarily got sticky. I was not about to fly all the way across the Atlantic to see "only" London for a couple of days, Leicester, and Lahr. Instead, I looked that gift-horse straight in the mouth and what I saw was Italy.
It didn't take much to convice my parents- or least, my Mom. The one big grudge she holds against Dad is that the whole time they lived in Germany, with all the traveling they did, they never once went to Italy.
Mom had longed to behold the exquisite treasures of the Renaissance and soak in La Dolce Vita for as long as she could rememeber.
Dad, on the other hand, had a deep-rooted and irrational fear of laundry hanging on clothes-lines outside of upper story windows, of kamikazi drivers who pay no attention to stop signs or lane dividers, of men with large black mustashes waving their arms and screaming "Momma Mia!!!" at him, and of woman with large black mustaches waving their arms and screaming "Momma Mia!!!" at him.
He remained skeptical, but once I had a friendly chat with him about crushing Mom's one and only dream like a grape, and a few gentle reminders that they are getting old and will probably die soon, he came around. We decided on a week in Florence
Piecing these destinations was the next job. It was really imporant to Mom to see my sister in Leicester at the beginning of the trip, and she wanted to finish in England to "say goodbye", too. This made this a little difficult- the simplest thing would have been to fly into Frankfurt, stay in Lahr, continue south through Switzerland, stay in Florence, then fly over to the UK.
Instead we settled on an imperfect itinerary, a comprimise so that everyone could be happy. When you travel as a group of adults, you need to learn the meaning of the word comprimise. When you travel as 2 parents and 2 adult daughters, you *really* need to learn the meaning of the word comprimise
I've also learned that I really do not like to move around much while traveling. More time spent in fewer places is best for me. Regardless, we all really did have a great time, and I'm so glad we saw everything we did.
Our final itinerary:
Fly into London- picked up by car service-drive to Leicester
Leicester- 3 nights
train to Luton- fly Easyjet to Basel- get picked up by car service and drive to Lahr
Lahr- 3 nights with rental car
drive to Berne- 1 night
train to Florence
Florence- 7 nights
fly Meridiana to London
London- 4 nights
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Whew.
Leicester, UK
3 nights (Sat 7th April – Tues 10th April)
Heathrow Airport: We landed at Terminal 3 on time, at about 6:30 am. We were tired and quite hot from the flight (the plane was really hot- the flight attendants explained couldn't figure out how to adjust the temperature control thingie- it was the first time that particular aircraft was being flown overseas and the system was different) it’s always a relief to get off the airplane after a long flight. It was a bit of a walk to immigration, where we stood in line for about 20-30 minutes on worn, shabby carpeting. It went smoothly, though the way they have it roped off, in one continuous, windy line, really does make you feel a bit like a war movie refugee, or part of a herd of agricultural livestock.
To first time travellers, I’d really recommend taking a few minutes and use the washrooms when you get off the plane, and before you line up for immigration, whether you “need” to or not. Heathrow is hot, stuffy, and crowded and there is not much sense in rushing to get in line. Take a minute to cool down, freshen up, and decompress in the washrooms before re-joining the crowds. Give your kids plenty of time to pee, even if they think they don’t need to.
(One poor couple behind us had a little boy who suddenly really, really, really needed to use the bathroom. He was hoping around bent at the waist, grimacing and looking a little panicked. They were too far in the line to turn back. Luckily things started speeding up, and as far as I know the little boy made it)
Oadham Express- airport taxi service: Immigration was smooth, customs not an issue, and all of our luggage arrived safe and sound. We met our driver from Oadham Express, and we were on our way north to Leicester in a comfortable Volvo station wagon (pre-arranged cost was about 72 gbp for the 3 of us, including our luggage-a much better value than going into London and taking the train) We were very happy with this service and I would recommend this company to anyone traveling to Leicester or the surrounding area.
Poster blightyboy was also kind enough to refer us to a driver he uses regularly for the same trip (thanks again, blighty!) , so there is another recommended option.
Because it was so early the roads were quite empty, but our driver explained they would be jammed with traffic later in the morning. Our timing had worked out well so far- by 9:30 am we pulled up to our B&B in Leicester.
Spindle Lodge Hotel: This was a very nice B&B in a great location close to the university and a very pleasant pedestrian-only walk downtown. It is on a little cul-de-sac in a beautiful, rambling, Victorian house. Everything was impeccably clean, if sometimes a little worn (but in a homey, cozy way). The showers are modern and have good pressure, and my room at least had the famous English carpeting on the bathroom floor.
Breakfast was wonderful- full English and, according to my parents, surprisingly non-greasy. For people like me who prefer something lighter, there are a variety of cereals, fresh yogourt (really delicious, fresh from a diary), from-the-can grapefruit slices, fruit juice, and of course plenty of tea and coffee. For about 6 gbp, you can have a guest (who is not staying at the B &B) join you for breakfast. This was wonderful for us, as my sister was able to eat with us one morning.
Leicester: It isn’t a tourist destination so I don’t want to take up too much space writing about it. It is university town, however, and people might do the occasional search looking for a bit of information. It has beautiful Victorian architecture, including magnificent old houses in the residential areas, and attractive shops downtown. I was actually quite surprised at how attractive Leicester was, as there is little indication of this on the city’s website. There is a large outdoor produce market (daily, I think, but I’m not positive) and an exceptionally good Marks & Spencer. Everyone we encountered was very friendly, and we had a really nice few days there with my sister showing us around.
CCTV: One thing that did startle me was the extreme degree of camera surveillance. I had no idea how ubiquitous this really was. Every few feet was a sign telling us we were being watched by CCTV. There was also an endless number of signs with a multitude of other warnings in an effort to curb “anti-social behaviour”, “Undercover police patrolling the area”, “alcohol-restricted zone”, “scaffolding is alarmed” at construction sites. “Anti-climb paint is in use” on at least one high brick wall.
Dad puzzled over what exactly anti-climb paint could mean, speculating that perhaps some sort of acidic chemicals would burn the skin off of the climber’s hands. Then he wondered if it would instead leave an indelible red dye on the climber’s skin and clothes, making the offender instantly recognizable to the police. My suggestion, that it probably only meant the paint was very slippery, was a little conventional after all that although we smiled some at the idea of some trespasser’s body laying mangled and broken behind a set of shrubs for hours on end, invisible to all passer-byes, after he slides and falls down.
Leicester, UK
3 nights (Sat 7th April – Tues 10th April)
Heathrow Airport: We landed at Terminal 3 on time, at about 6:30 am. We were tired and quite hot from the flight (the plane was really hot- the flight attendants explained couldn't figure out how to adjust the temperature control thingie- it was the first time that particular aircraft was being flown overseas and the system was different) it’s always a relief to get off the airplane after a long flight. It was a bit of a walk to immigration, where we stood in line for about 20-30 minutes on worn, shabby carpeting. It went smoothly, though the way they have it roped off, in one continuous, windy line, really does make you feel a bit like a war movie refugee, or part of a herd of agricultural livestock.
To first time travellers, I’d really recommend taking a few minutes and use the washrooms when you get off the plane, and before you line up for immigration, whether you “need” to or not. Heathrow is hot, stuffy, and crowded and there is not much sense in rushing to get in line. Take a minute to cool down, freshen up, and decompress in the washrooms before re-joining the crowds. Give your kids plenty of time to pee, even if they think they don’t need to.
(One poor couple behind us had a little boy who suddenly really, really, really needed to use the bathroom. He was hoping around bent at the waist, grimacing and looking a little panicked. They were too far in the line to turn back. Luckily things started speeding up, and as far as I know the little boy made it)
Oadham Express- airport taxi service: Immigration was smooth, customs not an issue, and all of our luggage arrived safe and sound. We met our driver from Oadham Express, and we were on our way north to Leicester in a comfortable Volvo station wagon (pre-arranged cost was about 72 gbp for the 3 of us, including our luggage-a much better value than going into London and taking the train) We were very happy with this service and I would recommend this company to anyone traveling to Leicester or the surrounding area.
Poster blightyboy was also kind enough to refer us to a driver he uses regularly for the same trip (thanks again, blighty!) , so there is another recommended option.
Because it was so early the roads were quite empty, but our driver explained they would be jammed with traffic later in the morning. Our timing had worked out well so far- by 9:30 am we pulled up to our B&B in Leicester.
Spindle Lodge Hotel: This was a very nice B&B in a great location close to the university and a very pleasant pedestrian-only walk downtown. It is on a little cul-de-sac in a beautiful, rambling, Victorian house. Everything was impeccably clean, if sometimes a little worn (but in a homey, cozy way). The showers are modern and have good pressure, and my room at least had the famous English carpeting on the bathroom floor.
Breakfast was wonderful- full English and, according to my parents, surprisingly non-greasy. For people like me who prefer something lighter, there are a variety of cereals, fresh yogourt (really delicious, fresh from a diary), from-the-can grapefruit slices, fruit juice, and of course plenty of tea and coffee. For about 6 gbp, you can have a guest (who is not staying at the B &B) join you for breakfast. This was wonderful for us, as my sister was able to eat with us one morning.
Leicester: It isn’t a tourist destination so I don’t want to take up too much space writing about it. It is university town, however, and people might do the occasional search looking for a bit of information. It has beautiful Victorian architecture, including magnificent old houses in the residential areas, and attractive shops downtown. I was actually quite surprised at how attractive Leicester was, as there is little indication of this on the city’s website. There is a large outdoor produce market (daily, I think, but I’m not positive) and an exceptionally good Marks & Spencer. Everyone we encountered was very friendly, and we had a really nice few days there with my sister showing us around.
CCTV: One thing that did startle me was the extreme degree of camera surveillance. I had no idea how ubiquitous this really was. Every few feet was a sign telling us we were being watched by CCTV. There was also an endless number of signs with a multitude of other warnings in an effort to curb “anti-social behaviour”, “Undercover police patrolling the area”, “alcohol-restricted zone”, “scaffolding is alarmed” at construction sites. “Anti-climb paint is in use” on at least one high brick wall.
Dad puzzled over what exactly anti-climb paint could mean, speculating that perhaps some sort of acidic chemicals would burn the skin off of the climber’s hands. Then he wondered if it would instead leave an indelible red dye on the climber’s skin and clothes, making the offender instantly recognizable to the police. My suggestion, that it probably only meant the paint was very slippery, was a little conventional after all that although we smiled some at the idea of some trespasser’s body laying mangled and broken behind a set of shrubs for hours on end, invisible to all passer-byes, after he slides and falls down.
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Luton, UK
Luton became an unexpected overnight destination for us. Our original plans had us taking the 15:05 train from Leicester to Luton Airport, where we would catch an 18:40 Easyjet flight to Basel. Unfortunately Mom came down with stomach flu (she later confessed to not feeling so hot for the previous couple of days), vomited on the train, and later on vomited again at the airport. She looked awful and felt even worse- there was no way she could fly in that condition.
At the Luton airport there is no help or information centre, only roving employees that you have to try and catch for yourself. It’s very much a self-serve airport in everyway. Luckily we found a very nice female agent who got my Mom a wheelchair and exclusive access to a disabled washroom, where she could change, freshen up, and be sick with a little privacy. Dad managed to rebooked our Easyjet tickets (we were charged for changing dates, but we didn’t have to pay a higher rate for the new tickets) and made phone calls to push back our hotel stay in Germany and airport pick-up in Basel by one day.
Once Mom was freshened up and not looking quite so green, we loaded into a taxi and, after being turned away by the Holiday Inn Express, booked ourselves into the
Ibis Luton Airpark hotel for the night. Twin beds, television, bathroom with tub and shower, 78 gpb, and bob’s your uncle. I’ve never stayed an Ibis, but it was perfectly serviceable hotel.
My sister and I spent our time at the Luton Ibis eating the surprisingly decent pizza from the restaurant downstairs, washing clothes in the sink, and reassuring Mom that everything was fine (poor Mom was feeling guilty and kept apologizing, she said she was afraid she was ruining the trip- though of course she wasn’t- We weren’t sure at that point if it was flu or food poisoning, but obviously wasn’t her fault either way, we were only sorry she was feeling so sick!)
Mom felt a lot better by the next morning, if a little weak, and said she was definitely up to carrying on to our nest destination. She did ask if we would mind if she used a wheelchair at the airport again- standing in the check-in line for over an hour, in another hot, stuffy, and extremely crowded airport, was *not* something she felt up to. Everything went smoothly, no vomiting, and Mom was definitely in higher spirits that than she had been for a couple of days.
One funny thing about the wheelchair: (a poster recently wrote about an incident at an airport where a couple of idiots took a wheelchair and one of them pretended to be physically and mentally disabled- that post reminded me of our time at Luton, and the fact I’ve been meaning to write a trip report!) - anyways - the scores of other people in line at the airport, a pushy, rude, line-butting lot for the most part, immediately and very graciously deferred to us when my Mom was in the ‘chair. They actually apologized to us if they got in our way, or bumped into any of us, but especially Mom. As soon as they noticed the ‘chair, their entire demeanour changed. When I pointed this out to Dad, he said he noticed it as well and that he was starting to feel like Homer Simpson, allowing the misperception to continue in order to reap the benefits of people’s good will.
Mom, however, was getting a little embarrassed. When we finally reached the check-in counter, the first thing the check-in lady did was kindly offer us special assistance and early boarding. Dad actually appeared to take a moment, as if to consider it. Mom got exasperated at that point.-She stood up, albeit weakly, leaned on the counter and said (a little loudly): “I’m not an invalid! I’m just a little tired and weak today, that’s all! It’s just the flu, I’m really perfectly fine!”
Then, out of breath and energy, she collapsed back into her ‘chair, and closed her eyes.
I think Dad was a little wistful when Mom decided it was time for her to ditch the ‘chair. He was starting to get attached to it.
Our Easyjet flight to Basel was blessedly uneventful, and we began the next leg of our trip in Germany and Switzerland.
Luton became an unexpected overnight destination for us. Our original plans had us taking the 15:05 train from Leicester to Luton Airport, where we would catch an 18:40 Easyjet flight to Basel. Unfortunately Mom came down with stomach flu (she later confessed to not feeling so hot for the previous couple of days), vomited on the train, and later on vomited again at the airport. She looked awful and felt even worse- there was no way she could fly in that condition.
At the Luton airport there is no help or information centre, only roving employees that you have to try and catch for yourself. It’s very much a self-serve airport in everyway. Luckily we found a very nice female agent who got my Mom a wheelchair and exclusive access to a disabled washroom, where she could change, freshen up, and be sick with a little privacy. Dad managed to rebooked our Easyjet tickets (we were charged for changing dates, but we didn’t have to pay a higher rate for the new tickets) and made phone calls to push back our hotel stay in Germany and airport pick-up in Basel by one day.
Once Mom was freshened up and not looking quite so green, we loaded into a taxi and, after being turned away by the Holiday Inn Express, booked ourselves into the
Ibis Luton Airpark hotel for the night. Twin beds, television, bathroom with tub and shower, 78 gpb, and bob’s your uncle. I’ve never stayed an Ibis, but it was perfectly serviceable hotel.
My sister and I spent our time at the Luton Ibis eating the surprisingly decent pizza from the restaurant downstairs, washing clothes in the sink, and reassuring Mom that everything was fine (poor Mom was feeling guilty and kept apologizing, she said she was afraid she was ruining the trip- though of course she wasn’t- We weren’t sure at that point if it was flu or food poisoning, but obviously wasn’t her fault either way, we were only sorry she was feeling so sick!)
Mom felt a lot better by the next morning, if a little weak, and said she was definitely up to carrying on to our nest destination. She did ask if we would mind if she used a wheelchair at the airport again- standing in the check-in line for over an hour, in another hot, stuffy, and extremely crowded airport, was *not* something she felt up to. Everything went smoothly, no vomiting, and Mom was definitely in higher spirits that than she had been for a couple of days.
One funny thing about the wheelchair: (a poster recently wrote about an incident at an airport where a couple of idiots took a wheelchair and one of them pretended to be physically and mentally disabled- that post reminded me of our time at Luton, and the fact I’ve been meaning to write a trip report!) - anyways - the scores of other people in line at the airport, a pushy, rude, line-butting lot for the most part, immediately and very graciously deferred to us when my Mom was in the ‘chair. They actually apologized to us if they got in our way, or bumped into any of us, but especially Mom. As soon as they noticed the ‘chair, their entire demeanour changed. When I pointed this out to Dad, he said he noticed it as well and that he was starting to feel like Homer Simpson, allowing the misperception to continue in order to reap the benefits of people’s good will.
Mom, however, was getting a little embarrassed. When we finally reached the check-in counter, the first thing the check-in lady did was kindly offer us special assistance and early boarding. Dad actually appeared to take a moment, as if to consider it. Mom got exasperated at that point.-She stood up, albeit weakly, leaned on the counter and said (a little loudly): “I’m not an invalid! I’m just a little tired and weak today, that’s all! It’s just the flu, I’m really perfectly fine!”
Then, out of breath and energy, she collapsed back into her ‘chair, and closed her eyes.
I think Dad was a little wistful when Mom decided it was time for her to ditch the ‘chair. He was starting to get attached to it.
Our Easyjet flight to Basel was blessedly uneventful, and we began the next leg of our trip in Germany and Switzerland.
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Lahr, Germany
3 nights (Wed 11th to Sat April 14)
We arrived at the Basel airport on time, at approx. 9:30pm on Wednesday the 11th. The airport looked quite modern from what we saw outside, and inside it felt newer and cleaner than Heathrow. The baggage claim section had rubberized flooring. I got a kick out of the exits signs- you follow one exit to France, and another to Switzerland or Germany. For me, it was the start of really feeling I was "away", and I got happier and happier by the minute.
Dad had made arrangements with a car service based in Baden-Baden to pick us up at the airport and take us to our hotel in Lahr, about an hour's drive north. This worked out well for us, and we were glad we didn't drive ourselves, as we were tired after everything the last couple of days. Mom and Dad had fun trying to recognize things we passed on the highway along the way. It had been about 30 years since they were last in Germany, as newlyweds.
We finally made into Lahr, and after a bit of circling (our driver had a little difficulty finding our hotel, he was very apologetic about it and luckily got some directions from a local pedestrian) we arrived at our hotel, checked-in, and hit the sack.
Hotel Sonne Post, Lahr:
this turned out to be a fantastic hotel, located in a very attractive town. The hotel faces right onto the market square, in a pedestrian-only zone. We reserved two "category A" double rooms, each with a modern, private bath and cable television. The rooms were freshly painted, and attractively furnished. The bathrooms were spottlessly clean with plenty of towels, and came with a radiant heater attached to one wall. They cost in the neighbourhood of 75 euros per room (low season price, high season about 90 euros), and this included breakfast.
Breakfast deserves its own paragraph. It was a self-serve buffet, served in what can only be described as a small ballroom- they must cater weddings and other events here. Food selection included a variety of cold cut meats, cheeses, several types of breads and buns, several types of cereal, hard-boiled eggs, jam, honey, nutella, fresh fruits, yogourt, coffee, tea, juice, and probably several other things I can't remember. Breakfast was a feast.
Martin, the onsight manager (and possibly owner, I am not sure) is English, and an excellent host. The staff were all wonderful. One night, the man at the front desk accompanied my sister and I to find the all-night apothocary when my father came down with the dreaded stomach flu (same as my Mom's) in the middle of the night. He came to translate for us, and to make sure we would be safe. Luckily, it turned out the apothocary on the market square was open that night, so we didn't have to venture far. I should add he did without us asking, and we really appreciated this kind gesture.
Lahr itself was a friendly, attractive, and affluent place, with an old town, market square, beautiful flowers, and a pedestrianized shopping street. For such a small town, the stores were very good- great clothing, shoes, athletic wear, books, handbags. There were several nice cafes, including a great gelato place.
My favourite thing in Lahr was watching the town come alive from my window every morning before breakfast. Especially on saturday morning, when the market takes place. Such a transformation, from sleepy quite and empty, to bustling, full of people and flowers and merchants and children.
We enjoyed an absolutely delicious dinner at a place Martin recommended. It was one of those places that don't look like much- somewhat smokey, a little worn, and tired, eccentric decor- but which serves fantastic food at a startlingly low price.
We started with huge, fresh salads with sides of cabbage, corn, and cucumbers marninated in a delicious vinegrette. We then all had schnitzel, they offer a few different kinds, with either noodles or pommes frites. We had 2 glasses of house wine each, and my sister and I also an Oranginas to drink. We finished off with ice cream, the only dessert on the menu, 3 scopes in each of our bowls, with whipped cream and chocolate sauce and cherries with kirsch. Mom ordered a child's ice-cream, thinking it would be smaller, but no- it only meant her dessert was non-alcoholic.
All this for us 4 adults cost exactly 66 euros.
Lahr is right outside of the Black Forest, and is something of a stopping place for mainly European tourists on vacations to the Forest. It is definately off the beaten trail of North American tourists. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, beyond our personal family history there, and I really recommend it to any vistors to the area who are looking for a nice place to spend a night or two. Although it doesn't have any major tourist sites, Lahr is wonderful place to stay en-route to bigger destinations.
3 nights (Wed 11th to Sat April 14)
We arrived at the Basel airport on time, at approx. 9:30pm on Wednesday the 11th. The airport looked quite modern from what we saw outside, and inside it felt newer and cleaner than Heathrow. The baggage claim section had rubberized flooring. I got a kick out of the exits signs- you follow one exit to France, and another to Switzerland or Germany. For me, it was the start of really feeling I was "away", and I got happier and happier by the minute.
Dad had made arrangements with a car service based in Baden-Baden to pick us up at the airport and take us to our hotel in Lahr, about an hour's drive north. This worked out well for us, and we were glad we didn't drive ourselves, as we were tired after everything the last couple of days. Mom and Dad had fun trying to recognize things we passed on the highway along the way. It had been about 30 years since they were last in Germany, as newlyweds.
We finally made into Lahr, and after a bit of circling (our driver had a little difficulty finding our hotel, he was very apologetic about it and luckily got some directions from a local pedestrian) we arrived at our hotel, checked-in, and hit the sack.
Hotel Sonne Post, Lahr:
this turned out to be a fantastic hotel, located in a very attractive town. The hotel faces right onto the market square, in a pedestrian-only zone. We reserved two "category A" double rooms, each with a modern, private bath and cable television. The rooms were freshly painted, and attractively furnished. The bathrooms were spottlessly clean with plenty of towels, and came with a radiant heater attached to one wall. They cost in the neighbourhood of 75 euros per room (low season price, high season about 90 euros), and this included breakfast.
Breakfast deserves its own paragraph. It was a self-serve buffet, served in what can only be described as a small ballroom- they must cater weddings and other events here. Food selection included a variety of cold cut meats, cheeses, several types of breads and buns, several types of cereal, hard-boiled eggs, jam, honey, nutella, fresh fruits, yogourt, coffee, tea, juice, and probably several other things I can't remember. Breakfast was a feast.
Martin, the onsight manager (and possibly owner, I am not sure) is English, and an excellent host. The staff were all wonderful. One night, the man at the front desk accompanied my sister and I to find the all-night apothocary when my father came down with the dreaded stomach flu (same as my Mom's) in the middle of the night. He came to translate for us, and to make sure we would be safe. Luckily, it turned out the apothocary on the market square was open that night, so we didn't have to venture far. I should add he did without us asking, and we really appreciated this kind gesture.
Lahr itself was a friendly, attractive, and affluent place, with an old town, market square, beautiful flowers, and a pedestrianized shopping street. For such a small town, the stores were very good- great clothing, shoes, athletic wear, books, handbags. There were several nice cafes, including a great gelato place.
My favourite thing in Lahr was watching the town come alive from my window every morning before breakfast. Especially on saturday morning, when the market takes place. Such a transformation, from sleepy quite and empty, to bustling, full of people and flowers and merchants and children.
We enjoyed an absolutely delicious dinner at a place Martin recommended. It was one of those places that don't look like much- somewhat smokey, a little worn, and tired, eccentric decor- but which serves fantastic food at a startlingly low price.
We started with huge, fresh salads with sides of cabbage, corn, and cucumbers marninated in a delicious vinegrette. We then all had schnitzel, they offer a few different kinds, with either noodles or pommes frites. We had 2 glasses of house wine each, and my sister and I also an Oranginas to drink. We finished off with ice cream, the only dessert on the menu, 3 scopes in each of our bowls, with whipped cream and chocolate sauce and cherries with kirsch. Mom ordered a child's ice-cream, thinking it would be smaller, but no- it only meant her dessert was non-alcoholic.
All this for us 4 adults cost exactly 66 euros.
Lahr is right outside of the Black Forest, and is something of a stopping place for mainly European tourists on vacations to the Forest. It is definately off the beaten trail of North American tourists. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, beyond our personal family history there, and I really recommend it to any vistors to the area who are looking for a nice place to spend a night or two. Although it doesn't have any major tourist sites, Lahr is wonderful place to stay en-route to bigger destinations.
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Thanks guys
audere: I can't wait to tell my Dad that he was right re: the anit-climb paint! Now we finally have an answer...
PatrickLondon: that sign is so funny, on so many levels!
Since my very brief visit to London and Leicester, I want to re-visit the English (and Irish) poetry and novels sitting on my bookshelves, certain authors in particular. I must confess a new fascination (and horror?) with English society and culture. Now I want to study it as though it were an insect, through its literature- which itself is remarkable- what is it about Great Britain that has made it consistantly produce the best writers to ever live?
p.s: I feel the same sort of horror at my own canadian society, and the US- I suppose it's the same thing as being horrified by one's own family and relatives at a wedding or reunion. It's much easier to say "it's just different here" about countries that really feel foreign.
audere: I can't wait to tell my Dad that he was right re: the anit-climb paint! Now we finally have an answer...
PatrickLondon: that sign is so funny, on so many levels!
Since my very brief visit to London and Leicester, I want to re-visit the English (and Irish) poetry and novels sitting on my bookshelves, certain authors in particular. I must confess a new fascination (and horror?) with English society and culture. Now I want to study it as though it were an insect, through its literature- which itself is remarkable- what is it about Great Britain that has made it consistantly produce the best writers to ever live?
p.s: I feel the same sort of horror at my own canadian society, and the US- I suppose it's the same thing as being horrified by one's own family and relatives at a wedding or reunion. It's much easier to say "it's just different here" about countries that really feel foreign.
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Lahr, Germany Continued
3 nights (Wed 11th ¡V Sat 14th April)
Car Rental:
We arranged for a car rental through Gemut, which I learned of on the forum. According to Dad, Andy at Gemut was very professional and a nice guy. Everything regarding our car rental went off without a hitch.
We picked up the car at the Europe Car office in Lahr and used it during our 2 days there (cut short from 4 nights/ 3 days due to that dang stomach flu)
Black Forest drive:
One late afternoon, we took a short drive around the Black Forest. It was lush and green and beautiful at that time of year. Perfectly manicured fields of grass surrounded traditional farmhouses, which reminded me of Asterix comics or even, for some strange reason, the Smurf cartoons I used to watch as a kid- something about the forest, and the vivid greenery.
We stopped in a small turn-around off the road, where we had a beautiful view of the ruins of Hohengeroldsecker castle- Dad thinks this may in fact be a 19th folly, like most ¡§castle ruins¡¨ in Germany. Either way, it was really fun to gaze up, and out on the hilly landscape. We watched a nun take some jars of food to a neighbouring farm. We watched a young man speeding on his motorcycle, negotiating a sharp, wide hilly turn at a near 90 degree angle, his shoulder nearly touching the pavement. We watched the sunset over the hill. All of this made us happy ƒº
Strasbourg daytrip:
On Friday, we took a daytrip to Strasbourg. We took advantage of the ¡§Park and Ride¡¨ system, whereby you can park your car at one of the designated tram stations outside the city centre for 2-3 euros- included in that price is a return tram ticket for every passenger. This is a fantastic deal and really makes sense- you do not want to be driving in central Strasbourg, period.
The trams are incredibly modern and well run, and run more like a train than a traditional tram (fellow Torontonians will understand what I mean when I say these trams are about 1,000,000 % more efficient than our TTC streetcars)
Strasbourg itself is an incredible city, I loved every minute of it. The cathedral is magnificent- I adore visiting cathedrals and churches, because you can almost always count on them to be cool and relatively quiet. We visited over the lunch hour, which was perfect- there was a lot of construction going on in Strasbourg (everywhere we went on the entire trip, in fact, just like home) which was audible from inside the church, but of course the workers stopped for lunch so it was very peaceful while we wandered around inside. Also, there was live music played on the organ over lunch, that stopped about the same time the workers returned to their project on one of the exterior walls of the cathedral. So our visit couldn¡¦t have been better timed.
A question: does anyone know if the graffiti on the pillars in cathedral (near the astronomical clock) is authentic? I love graffiti, and took several pictures of the names, images, and verse carved into the pillars, most with a 17th date carved in beside it. I should look into that myself, really, whether or not it is genuine.
Europe was bursting with spring blossoms while we were there, and Strasbourg was no exception. Lilacs, daffodils, tulips, it was beautiful, especially our walk along the riverside. The entire city was beautiful, and it is a wonderful place to just walk around in and get lost. I loved everything about it, even the stalls of tacky tourist trinkets hugging the square outside the cathedral, even the gangs of roving teenagers, hanging out on the sidewalks and smoking while continually flipping their hair. Strasbourg isn¡¦t what I would call a ¡§glossy¡¨ city- although there are obvious tourist areas, it is not a tourist trap frozen in time, nor is it what my sister calls ¡§so cute you could puke¡¨. I would return to Strasbourg in a heartbeat. It is beautiful and vibrant.
3 nights (Wed 11th ¡V Sat 14th April)
Car Rental:
We arranged for a car rental through Gemut, which I learned of on the forum. According to Dad, Andy at Gemut was very professional and a nice guy. Everything regarding our car rental went off without a hitch.
We picked up the car at the Europe Car office in Lahr and used it during our 2 days there (cut short from 4 nights/ 3 days due to that dang stomach flu)
Black Forest drive:
One late afternoon, we took a short drive around the Black Forest. It was lush and green and beautiful at that time of year. Perfectly manicured fields of grass surrounded traditional farmhouses, which reminded me of Asterix comics or even, for some strange reason, the Smurf cartoons I used to watch as a kid- something about the forest, and the vivid greenery.
We stopped in a small turn-around off the road, where we had a beautiful view of the ruins of Hohengeroldsecker castle- Dad thinks this may in fact be a 19th folly, like most ¡§castle ruins¡¨ in Germany. Either way, it was really fun to gaze up, and out on the hilly landscape. We watched a nun take some jars of food to a neighbouring farm. We watched a young man speeding on his motorcycle, negotiating a sharp, wide hilly turn at a near 90 degree angle, his shoulder nearly touching the pavement. We watched the sunset over the hill. All of this made us happy ƒº
Strasbourg daytrip:
On Friday, we took a daytrip to Strasbourg. We took advantage of the ¡§Park and Ride¡¨ system, whereby you can park your car at one of the designated tram stations outside the city centre for 2-3 euros- included in that price is a return tram ticket for every passenger. This is a fantastic deal and really makes sense- you do not want to be driving in central Strasbourg, period.
The trams are incredibly modern and well run, and run more like a train than a traditional tram (fellow Torontonians will understand what I mean when I say these trams are about 1,000,000 % more efficient than our TTC streetcars)
Strasbourg itself is an incredible city, I loved every minute of it. The cathedral is magnificent- I adore visiting cathedrals and churches, because you can almost always count on them to be cool and relatively quiet. We visited over the lunch hour, which was perfect- there was a lot of construction going on in Strasbourg (everywhere we went on the entire trip, in fact, just like home) which was audible from inside the church, but of course the workers stopped for lunch so it was very peaceful while we wandered around inside. Also, there was live music played on the organ over lunch, that stopped about the same time the workers returned to their project on one of the exterior walls of the cathedral. So our visit couldn¡¦t have been better timed.
A question: does anyone know if the graffiti on the pillars in cathedral (near the astronomical clock) is authentic? I love graffiti, and took several pictures of the names, images, and verse carved into the pillars, most with a 17th date carved in beside it. I should look into that myself, really, whether or not it is genuine.
Europe was bursting with spring blossoms while we were there, and Strasbourg was no exception. Lilacs, daffodils, tulips, it was beautiful, especially our walk along the riverside. The entire city was beautiful, and it is a wonderful place to just walk around in and get lost. I loved everything about it, even the stalls of tacky tourist trinkets hugging the square outside the cathedral, even the gangs of roving teenagers, hanging out on the sidewalks and smoking while continually flipping their hair. Strasbourg isn¡¦t what I would call a ¡§glossy¡¨ city- although there are obvious tourist areas, it is not a tourist trap frozen in time, nor is it what my sister calls ¡§so cute you could puke¡¨. I would return to Strasbourg in a heartbeat. It is beautiful and vibrant.
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Lahr continued- The town freak:
Even a sleepy middle-class commuter town like Lahr has its resident weirdo- perhaps inevitable given that Lahr appear to be home to psychiatric hospital.
He is an older gentleman (perhaps older than he looks), extremely thin with a reddish –gray beard, who wears ladies clothing. The first day we say him he had a vaguely 1940’s style, clingy leopard-skin dress, fairly racy to tell the truth. He wears huge galoshes, and some sort of alpine military hat. He occasionally drinks from a large brown-glass bottle.
The first time we spotted in, we were sitting on a bench in a public square, eating sausages with mustard on a bun and drinking Fanta ( we got a kick out of the fact that the sausage man told us to return our empty cans to him for a 15 cent rebate). The sight of this straggly man in the leopard-skin dress initially made me a bit wary- I kept expecting him to approach us for change, or even worse, begin doing something uncontrollably loud and bizarre. There goes our peaceful lunch outside, I thought.
“Hey, I know him!” my Dad said.
We all turned around to look at Dad, waiting for him to explain.
“I just saw him in a book!” he said.
Turned out that that morning, while we were browsing in the bookstore, Dad came across a book on Lahr that included a photograph of the man in the leopard-skin dress. It was in German, so he didn’t know what it read.
“Obviously he’s famous as some sort of town freak,” Dad said. I couldn’t help but wonder why he sounded so impressed.
A few minutes later, Dad poked me in the arm. “Look- see what he’s doing?” I looked over to see the man in the dress bend down to pick up an empty pop can. Big deal, I thought. I come home every evening to the sight of people rummaging through the garbage bins in my subway station, looking for returnables to make some change. But I had judged the man in the dress too soon.
He picked up the pop can and carried it across the street, then deposited it in a recycling bin. Next, he scoped up a few small bits of stray paper (rolling papers?) and put them in the garbage.
People greeted him as they walked passed, and he waved hello back, nodding and smiling at the folks he apparently knew. He never asked anyone for change, or a bus ticket. Even children seemed to know him, and said hi. Although he sometimes appeared to be drinking, it didn’t seem to negatively affect his behaviour (well, negatively affect it any more than the fact that he was wearing a leopard-skin dress with a beard and galoshes).
He almost seemed like he was “on watch”- doing rounds, picking up any garbage, making sure the kids that ran around over lunch-time weren’t taking off to far from their mothers. The whole thing was really bizarre and really kind of sweet.
Last thoughts on Lahr:
I was impressed with the order, cleanliness, and standard of living evident in this part of Germany. Homes and commercial building were kept so neat and tidy, sidewalks were sweep, even empty houses bordering on dereliction were kept tidy. People on the whole seemed very healthy and outdoorsy, with kids of all ages up to senior citizens out roller- blading, bike-riding, hiking, etc.
We enjoyed our time there, our only regret that our time was cut a bit short. Mom was a little slowed down because she was recuperating. Poor Dad, on the night before our drive to Berne, got sick and was vomiting in the middle of the night. Now we knew that stomach flu was amoungst us. My sister and I began keeping our distance, taking extra vitamin c, and hoped that we would be spared. Luckily, the drive to Berne was smooth going.
Even a sleepy middle-class commuter town like Lahr has its resident weirdo- perhaps inevitable given that Lahr appear to be home to psychiatric hospital.
He is an older gentleman (perhaps older than he looks), extremely thin with a reddish –gray beard, who wears ladies clothing. The first day we say him he had a vaguely 1940’s style, clingy leopard-skin dress, fairly racy to tell the truth. He wears huge galoshes, and some sort of alpine military hat. He occasionally drinks from a large brown-glass bottle.
The first time we spotted in, we were sitting on a bench in a public square, eating sausages with mustard on a bun and drinking Fanta ( we got a kick out of the fact that the sausage man told us to return our empty cans to him for a 15 cent rebate). The sight of this straggly man in the leopard-skin dress initially made me a bit wary- I kept expecting him to approach us for change, or even worse, begin doing something uncontrollably loud and bizarre. There goes our peaceful lunch outside, I thought.
“Hey, I know him!” my Dad said.
We all turned around to look at Dad, waiting for him to explain.
“I just saw him in a book!” he said.
Turned out that that morning, while we were browsing in the bookstore, Dad came across a book on Lahr that included a photograph of the man in the leopard-skin dress. It was in German, so he didn’t know what it read.
“Obviously he’s famous as some sort of town freak,” Dad said. I couldn’t help but wonder why he sounded so impressed.
A few minutes later, Dad poked me in the arm. “Look- see what he’s doing?” I looked over to see the man in the dress bend down to pick up an empty pop can. Big deal, I thought. I come home every evening to the sight of people rummaging through the garbage bins in my subway station, looking for returnables to make some change. But I had judged the man in the dress too soon.
He picked up the pop can and carried it across the street, then deposited it in a recycling bin. Next, he scoped up a few small bits of stray paper (rolling papers?) and put them in the garbage.
People greeted him as they walked passed, and he waved hello back, nodding and smiling at the folks he apparently knew. He never asked anyone for change, or a bus ticket. Even children seemed to know him, and said hi. Although he sometimes appeared to be drinking, it didn’t seem to negatively affect his behaviour (well, negatively affect it any more than the fact that he was wearing a leopard-skin dress with a beard and galoshes).
He almost seemed like he was “on watch”- doing rounds, picking up any garbage, making sure the kids that ran around over lunch-time weren’t taking off to far from their mothers. The whole thing was really bizarre and really kind of sweet.
Last thoughts on Lahr:
I was impressed with the order, cleanliness, and standard of living evident in this part of Germany. Homes and commercial building were kept so neat and tidy, sidewalks were sweep, even empty houses bordering on dereliction were kept tidy. People on the whole seemed very healthy and outdoorsy, with kids of all ages up to senior citizens out roller- blading, bike-riding, hiking, etc.
We enjoyed our time there, our only regret that our time was cut a bit short. Mom was a little slowed down because she was recuperating. Poor Dad, on the night before our drive to Berne, got sick and was vomiting in the middle of the night. Now we knew that stomach flu was amoungst us. My sister and I began keeping our distance, taking extra vitamin c, and hoped that we would be spared. Luckily, the drive to Berne was smooth going.
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Berne, Switzerland
1 night- Sat, April 14th
Berne is a lovely city, and we all wished we had more time to explore it. The drive there was easy, but we had a bit of adventure driving on the city.
Dad, his judgment impaired by the flu (at least that's what he blamed it on) decided it would be fun to drive through town, drop us off at our hotel, then backtrack through town to return the car at the Europe Car office.
Our original and *good* plan was to drop off the car first, then take a taxi to the hotel. Instead we got lost.
After that, Dad learned to respect the "blue bible"- a blue binder of maps, directions, information, and other goodies I printed off, much of it from the boards.
Hotel Belle Epoque
The Hotel Belle Epoque was a beautiful place, where we enjoyed the most fabulous bathrooms of our trip. The rooms have a huge bowl of hard fruit candies. The windows have automatic blinds that you can raise or lower with the push of a button. There is a mini-bar, and the wardrobe unit is faux-finished to look like an old fashioned travel trunk. You can't help but feel a little glamorous in your room- like Cleo de Merode, perhaps.
1 night- Sat, April 14th
Berne is a lovely city, and we all wished we had more time to explore it. The drive there was easy, but we had a bit of adventure driving on the city.
Dad, his judgment impaired by the flu (at least that's what he blamed it on) decided it would be fun to drive through town, drop us off at our hotel, then backtrack through town to return the car at the Europe Car office.
Our original and *good* plan was to drop off the car first, then take a taxi to the hotel. Instead we got lost.
After that, Dad learned to respect the "blue bible"- a blue binder of maps, directions, information, and other goodies I printed off, much of it from the boards.
Hotel Belle Epoque
The Hotel Belle Epoque was a beautiful place, where we enjoyed the most fabulous bathrooms of our trip. The rooms have a huge bowl of hard fruit candies. The windows have automatic blinds that you can raise or lower with the push of a button. There is a mini-bar, and the wardrobe unit is faux-finished to look like an old fashioned travel trunk. You can't help but feel a little glamorous in your room- like Cleo de Merode, perhaps.
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