By this Author: MatthewMilde

Today was a long day as you might expect, but it was a nice long day. I woke up at around 6am and packed up the last of my things. I’m bringing home a lot more than I thought and I’m surprised I was able to fit everything.

All My Bags are Packed, I'm Ready to Go

Once I was done Deb and I walked around Strasbourg to run a few errands. We stopped in a outdoor café and enjoyed a cup of coffee together. It was very nice! Then, sadly, when our time was up….I had to leave. Deb walked me down to the train station and we said, “Au Revoir”.

Deb

Deb and I

Au Revoir

I had a quick train ride to Offenburg and then my last hurrah on a German ICE train. So, I actually left an hour an a half earlier to the airport just so I could ride the ICE train one last time. The train ride was 2-hours and it was immensely enjoyable! Once I stowed my bags it was off to the bar car for one last Franziskaner. I sat there in my comfy first-class seat and admired the scenery out the window. I must comment that the scenery out of the window on all my train rides since Spring came around has been beautiful; very green and with a giant array of wild flowers. Well, a couple of times in the journey the train attendants came around with little treats. The Germans sure know how to do train travel right!!!

I arrived at the airport and got checked in. I arrived at 1:30pm to find out that my plane was delayed and wouldn’t leave until after 6pm. I made the best use of my time. When they started allowing passengers to board the plane I was standing in line and the lady behind me kept bumping into me, on accident of course. At one point I turned around, laughed, and said “It’s okay, I’m excited to get home too” and she replied, “Oh, not me”. I thought that was an odd comment. Well, the flight was interesting and it was the most disorganized that I have ever seen United Airlines. They were really trying to rush everyone onto the plane. I was inside the plane and still waiting in line to stow my bag and get to my seat (as were many other people) when the captain made the announcement that everyone now needed to be buckled in their seat because he was going to “push back”. Anyway, I slept most of the flight, but the best part of the flight was when we were landing and a old man got out of his seat to use the bathroom. Anyway, I got through Customs without any problems. I walked down the hallway to a sign that read, “Welcome to San Francisco”. The doors swung open and there was most of my family holding a sign that said, “Milde” and cheering for me. My niece Lily kept saying, “Don’t ever go away for that long again!” It was good to be home to see everyone and surprisingly I wasn’t too travel fatigued.

On the ride home I talked to my cousin Jody on the phone. She said, “Have they told you?” and I knew right away, but I looked up at my mom make sure and when I saw her griming it was all confirmed. I said, “Congratulations!” and I think Jody was a little surprised that I figured it out before she could tell me. However, we all knew it was just a matter of time. Coincidently, not long after I got off the phone with Jody her and her new fiancé Brad were driving home from dinner. Jody waved and proudly showed off the new addition to her left hand as they passed by us on the freeway. I couldn’t be more excited for them!

When I got home there was one more exciting part to the evening. PupPup the Wonder Mutt hasn’t seen me in 3-months. Before, even going out to the store and back she would get so excited when I got home. I was excited to see how she would react. Well, she was overjoyed! When I sat on the couch she pounced on me and wouldn’t stop licking my face. I jokingly thought, “I hope my best friend Jimmy doesn’t have the same reaction when I see him”.

Well, there you have it! I had a very successful trip! I want to thank you all for reading and bearing my with unique and random sense of humor. I’ve shared many stories and I’m sure you can pick up on my exaggerations from time to time. I do this to compensate for the stories that I still have yet to share……

To close out my last blog I thought it would be fun to share a few little tidbits about the trip:

Place I'd Live: Edinbourgh, Scotland

Place I'd Retire: Dingle, Ireland

Favorite Small Town: Lucca, Italy

Place I'd go back to see more: Budapest, Hungary and all of Slovenia

Places I really wanted to see, but wasn’t able: Berlin, Germany; Bergen, Norway; and Istanbul, Turkey.

Place I'll never go back: Zagreb, Croatia

Thing I missed the most: Good Sushi

Times when I ordered a drink and ice was put in the glass: 6 (5 of which where in Spain…..the other was in Budapest)

Beers Drank: You don't want to know

Best Meal: Every meal in Innsbruck, Austria

Best Restaurant Meal: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Best Strudel: Mittenwald, Germany

Prettiest Train Ride: Mittenwald, Germany to Innsbruck, Austria

Prettiest Bus Ride: Tralee, Ireland to Dingle, Ireland

Coolest Hostel: The Stahleck Castle in Bacharach, Germany

Dirtiest Hostel: Tie between Copenhagen, Denmark & Florence, Italy

Worst Nights Sleep in a Hostel: Edinburgh, Scotland

Best Hotel: "Julian" in Prague, Czech

Best B&B: "La Mimosa" in Lucca, Italy

Worst Ambulance Siren: Italy

Most Pleasant Police Siren: Luxembourg

Worst "bell" noise before a train announcement: Beligum

Most annoying “bell” noise before a train announcement: France

Country with the most displays of public urination: Luxembourg (x2)

Most Photos Taken in a Single Day: Day 72 at Disneyland Paris - 387 Photos Taken

Most Read Blog: “My Name is Charlie” on 01/30/2011 at 542 views

Number of photos featured on the Travelers Point website: 26

What was going through my head when I got in a fight with Vincent over the internet passcode in Brussles: "I just want to get on the internet to figure out my travel schedule so I can go see the tulips in bloom tomorrow!"

Best Video of the Trip: Go Here: http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y143/mrmatt2282/?action=view¤t=Apr_21_2011.mp4

So, here we are, the last full day of my “European Vacation”. I had a nice relaxing day today. I mostly ran errands to prepare for the trip to Frankfurt, Germany and the flight to San Francisco. I went through all my gear and packed as best I could. I did have to retire a couple of pairs of underwear. Remember, this was our last hurrah together. I had little ceremony: said a few words, saluted them, and gave them a proper burial into Deb’s garbage can. I also gave Deb a few things that I wasn’t going to use like some books, maps, and some horrid French toothpaste I brought that tasted like Aloe Vera. Yuck!

Deb was at work most of the day. She invited me to a little work social in the evening, but I declined to prep my stuff and enjoy one last solo day. I walked around Strasbourg most of the morning and wandered the side streets.

Cool Building

Strasbourg

I bought myself lunch at a place Deb took me to a while back (Something Old), later in the evening I took myself out to dinner at a nice little tucked-away restaurant (Something New), and then sat there by myself thinking of how my trip has now come to a close (Something Blue).

I was the only person in the restaurant. There is a lot of Easter festivities going on in town so it might have been due to the busy weekend ahead. I treated myself to the Filet Mignon, a couple of nice wheat beers, and dessert. When the main course came out I got a plate of filets covered in a light gravy with chopped mushrooms. Also, it came with a giant bowl of plain pasta to mix with it. It was delicious! I sat there just thinking about my trip and many things in the room reminded me of things I had experience over the past several months in addition to people I’ve missed back home. It was silly. You know, there was a portrait that reminded me of a man I shared my first overnight train car with in Germany, a bottle of wine on the mantel that reminded me of that half liter of wine in Florence, the stylistic writing on the wall reminded me of that gypsy cave in Granada, a bottle of whisky nearby reminded me of the people I met in Wales, and so on. The more I think about it the more I realized that most everyday was a new adventure. Rarely there was a day where I said, “Not a whole lot happened today…..maybe tomorrow I get off Deb’s couch and turn off the television.”

My Restaurant

I just sat and thought to myself, “How lucky am I?” You know, I’m pretty proud for sticking to my personal philosophy of experiencing new things and getting out there into the unfamiliar…..at least the unfamiliar to me. It is funny that many people have mentioned along the way, “travel sure makes you appreciate home more”. I wish I could say that was totally true, but I think it goes far beyond that. It makes you not only appreciate home, but where you live, how you live, and who you experience life with. This trip has been one of the best things for me in many ways……except financially. Ha! But like I said, “It has been worth every penny!” The other thing that some people always say is, “Oh, you’ll travel an you’ll find yourself”, but also I don’t know if that has been true in my case. If anything, it sure reconfirmed many of my values. I’ve always said, “I don’t need to find myself…..I’m right here”. However, if there is anything I have found it would be knowledge. The knowledge of how and what other people think, value, and desire. The world is very small and yet we have so many differences among us. My niece Abby sent me an e-mail a while back and asked, “What has been your favorite country?” Honestly, I was dumbfounded by the question. I just couldn’t answer it simply. I told her that I’ve loved all the places I’ve visited for such different reasons; whether it be the scenery, the people, the architecture, the food, etc. Yes, there were times that I didn’t particularity care for one place or any other, but I’ve always known that experiences fluctuate. Maybe I’ll make my way back to Croatia and I’ll have a stellar time……maybe Naples won’t change much, but I digress.

On this trip I’ve seen a lot of things, drank a lot of beer, eaten a lot of food, and been on a lot of trains, planes, and automobiles. However, one thing stands out among everything else and I noticed this very early on in Copenhagen; It’s the people. You meet so many people along the way and you share your experiences with each other. In many cases I didn’t even get peoples names, but I sure remember where they’ve traveled, where they were going to travel, and why it was important to them. These “temporary friends” impact you in certain ways that it is hard to describe, but for a brief moment in time you are able to get together, share your experiences, and enjoy a beer. The only difference is that they are on a different journey. Of course there are people who are less than welcoming, but I’ve been very lucky due to some great advise I got overhearing a conversation on a bus to Dingle, “I’m picky about who I’ll share a drink with.” Life IS short, and so it is important to surround yourself with good people and enjoy and appreciate what life has in store for you. I’ve always said that, “Life is a challenge and it’s how you overcome those challenges that displays what kind of a person you are”. There is no doubt that this trip has been similar to that of a rollercoaster. There has been ups, downs, twists, turns, anticipation, thrills, lulls, and some scary parts. Yet, when that ride is over you take a quick breath and then you say, “Let’s do that again!” The reason why is because of those people on the ride with you; whether physically or those who sit back and watch in support of your endeavors.

2011 January

2011 January

Sabine #2 and Sabine #1

Ghostbusters!

Sabine #1 and her Mom

Bee

Drinking

Sabine and I

Innsbruck Friends

Old Man

Margueritte & Emily

Irish Cider at O'Flaherty's

Me and The Germans

Edinburgh Group

Me and Camila

Jeff and I at the Train Station

The Band

Leia, Chloe and I

Sam and Jack

German Girls, US, and N. Ireland

S. Korea, Me, London Girls, and US

Me and Andrea

Erica & Andrea

Me and Jaceppi

Beware of the Cats!

The Hospitality Students

Nicole and Ella

Mickey

Good Times!

Me, Belinda, and Claudia

The Group

The Group

I'm in there somewhere

France

I’ve come to the reasonable conclusion that I’m rooming with the ghost of the crocodile from Peter Pan. Last night I swore I heard, “Thump, thump, thump, creeeeek, tick-toc, tick-toc, tick-toc, thump, thump, thump, clank, shuffle, shuffle, tick-toc, tick-toc, tick-toc, tick-toc, tick-toc”. My roommate left the door open again! I shut it not long after. I woke up in the morning at 6am and there was no one in the bunk. The blankets had been shuffled around this time though.

I put the last of my things together and headed for the metro. I made my way to the train station and walked around as much as I could. Today would be a LONG travel day. When my train was called I walked down the terminal, took one last look at the view, and boarded the train. I sat in my seat. Moments later a man walks up to me and motions to his seat which is next to me. He says in English (with a French accent), “you take the window, it’s a better seat.” He begins to chat with me. Small talk. His name was, “Pierre” and he was on his way home to France. He was a short man with a big round belly. We had a very interesting conversation about travel and so fourth. He had questions about why I was traveling, where I had gone, where I was from, and what I did back home. He said that when he travels in Europe that it is hard for him to find clothes that fit since he belly was so big. I said, “You probably wouldn’t have that problem in America.” He replies, “I love going to America, makes me feel skinny….like a Playboy!” We laughed for a while and then he says, “I love travel, I’m in the travel business you know” Turns out that Pierre is the Executive Director of his own travel company. He said he wanted to put me in touch with his lead travel operator in San Francisco. I was humbled. We talked a while longer. He then said, “let me buy you a drink”. He grabs the attention of a train personnel and asks for two glasses of wine. The man comes back with a manager and they talk in Spanish. Pierre didn’t look too happy, but he wasn’t overly angry. When the men left Pierre said to me, “He said that they are not serving drinks anymore and that I would have to go up to the bar myself.” Pierre got up and went into the bar car. He came back not long after with two bottles (single portion) of wine and a questionnaire. He said that he was going to complain about the way the train manager spoke to him. He said that he has never been turned down for bar service at his seat in all his years of traveling. Moreover, that he books this particular train for tours occasionally and was not happy about the service he got. We talked and joked about it for a few moments. Pierre had a terrific sense of humor!

The man who was sitting in front of us walks into the bar and comes back. He stands in front of Pierre and they begin to talk in Spanish. While Pierre is talking to the man he occasionally nudges me with his arm and says, “señor”. They talk some more and then begin to laugh. The man then picks up his coat and walks into the next car. Pierre then turns to me and says, “Apparently the guy sitting in front of us is one of the executives for this train line. I told him that my American friend was shocked at the level of service that they have here in Europe on this train and that he was overly offended.” I laughed! Next, one of the train personnel comes over with a reimbursement for the wine, two additional bottles of wine, and four bags of mixed nuts. Pierre pours us the wine and says, “Cheers” and I say, “Salute” as I look him in the eye.

Pierre turns to me and says, “You know, I bet we can ask for whatever we want and they will bring for us.” He laughs and continues, “Maybe I should ask for a bottle for the road?” We continue to talk about this and that. As his stop is approaching he goes into the bar. He comes back and says, “I asked for one for the road”. The train attendant comes over with two bottles of wine, two bags of mixed nuts, and two bottles of whisky. When he leaves Pierre turns to me and says, “All of this is for you, if I go home tipsy I’ll have to explain what happened.” I was speechless.

When we got to Pierre’s stop he said that I’d be hearing from him. I shook his hand and he exited the train. I sat back in my seat and started to laugh as I said to myself, “What the hell just happened?”

The next stop was mine and I switched trains. I had a all the seats around me to myself and a large table. I spread out and got some stuff done. I loaded photos, charged my iPod with their power outlet, and took some notes about what I need to do to prepare for my flight. After an hour a family of four boards the train and they come up as if I was in their seat. I was! I was in the wrong train car. This is another reason why the trains in France suck. They numbers on the outside of the train car indicate the number of the car just before it. So when you board the train the number on the side of the train car says “#12”, but the car you are getting into is #13. The number on each train car appears on a separate car. It’s annoying! At least with the AVE trains in Spain they have the number of the car posted inside each car. In France, not so much! At least the bar cars are always appropriately labeled so at least they know their priorities.

Well, I move into the correct car and now I’m sitting with three elderly ladies from France: One was very old, snored, kept kicking me under the seat, and would occasionally hic-up very load without warning. It was scary! One lady spoke only French and she seemed very pleasant, but she didn’t talk much. The other lady spoke a little English and was traveling with her mother around Europe. I think she might have had Parkinson’s because she kept shaking whenever she talked. They had just gotten back from the UK and she was eager to show me photos. She said that she absolutely loved the town of Bath. I made the mistake of telling her that my photos from Bath got deleted. She said, “Here look through my photos and I’d be happy to e-mail you mine.” Yep, she was serious. I was laughing inside. She showed me her photos of Bath and even funnier is that she was in all of the photos. Ha! As polite as I could I told her that I was fine. Thankfully, she didn’t seem bothered by me not taking her up on her offer. We chatted for quiet a while and she told me about how she used to hitchhike in the US. Nice group of ladies.

When I got to my stop I had a little wait before boarding a train to Strasbourg. The train to Strasbourg was nice. I just popped in my iPod and was just dandy. The train stopped at a station and got a little delayed. Once we started moving you could tell that we were going faster to compensate for time. The train shakes a bit more and the turns are a little sharp. Well, I turning the trip I get up to grab something out of my bag in the overhead. As I’m doing this the train makes a sharp turn and all of the wine and whisky come stumbling out of my bag. The people next to me look at me as if I was a drunkard. It was funny!

Well, my train arrived well after midnight into Strasbourg and was only about 15 minutes late. Not bad, considering I’m was on the French rail system. I grabbed my bag and headed out of the station. I walked through the plaza, down the busy street filled with kebab shops, and crossed the river. As I was on the bridge I realized that this was my last trip into Strasbourg. I remember at the beginning of my trip thinking about this moment when I’d be here for the last and wondered how I’d feel when that time came. I arrived at Deb’s and walked in the door. Deb said, “So, how was your trip?” and I replied, “You know Deb, I never thought this day would come. The trip has gone by so fast.” Deb was nice enough to feed me some soup and salad. After, I had to get some serious sleep. Sadly, tomorrow is my last full day in Europe.

Madrid Train Station

Sunset from Train

More to report on my new roommate. I think it’s a girl, but I’m not quite sure. Very late last night I heard the door open and someone entered the room. I heard some rustling around and then heard someone climb up on the top bunk. Whomever it is he/she left the door open. I was waiting for them to shut it and all I heard was silence followed by a “tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock”. They must of brought a clock in with them. I turn over to look into the room to ensure that my bags are fine. They are. I don’t see any other bags in the room. I then hear snoring. I just reach over and shut the door…..a little loudly. Well, just enough to wake up whoever was sleeping above me so they can get the hint. In the morning I heard my roommate climb off the bunk and leave right away. He/she left the door open again when they left. I reached over, shut the door, and go back to sleep. When I awoke I stood up and looked on the top bunk. It didn’t look like anyone slept in the bed. It might be a ghost although I don’t hear the ticking noise anymore.

I got up and went in search for some breakfast. I heard that while I was in Spain I needed to try something called a, “Spanish Omelette”. It was kind of late in the morning so I was hoping to find a place still serving breakfast. I slept for about 11 hours last night and not counting the 4-hour siesta nap I took yesterday. I found a café and ask if they were serving Spanish Omelettes, but they weren’t serving breakfast. I did notice people drinking beer in the place; a little early at 11am. I asked for a place that might be serving and he pointed me in the right direction.

I found myself in front of a place called, “El Rincon”. I asked if they were serving Spanish Omelettes and the lady behind the counter who owned the café said, “We serve the best Spanish Omelette in Madrid.” I said, “Perfect!” and she continues, “No, seriously, people seek out this place”. She was very nice and very confident. She brings me a coffee and then a slice of apple pie. I looked at the odd apple pie and thought, “Okay, pie for breakfast….sure! It must come with my omelette.” I look closer and noticed that it’s not an apple pie at all. It was egg and potatoes. The egg formed the apple pie-like crust and it was filled with potatoes. I swear, it looked like a piece of apple pie. I then recalled people eating apple pie two days earlier near Plaza Mayor and just stuffed it in the back of my mind. It must have been the omelette I‘d been looking for while in Spain. I took a bite. Delicious! Very very delicious! So much so, I ordered another piece. I didn’t want to offend her by ordering another because I didn’t know the etiquette. I would either offend because it didn’t fill me up or flatter because I wanted another. I think she was flattered. She said, “Once you try others in the area, you’ll know why this one is the best.”

While I’m sitting in the café I’m looking around at the photos on the wall. They were of half naked women. I noticed that one of the girls looked familiar. Yep, it was the owner of the café. Ha! Also in the café were two young girls. The oldest was about 8-years old and the other looked a little younger. They were helping their mother in the restaurant. They were talking back and fourth as to which one got to take the next order. They helped clear dishes and serve people too. They were climbing up on the counter and just being kids. The other adults in the café didn’t seem to mind them getting in the way. It was great to see that! The younger girl came over to clear my plate and I said, “Oh, Quenta por favor”.
Girl: Quenta?
Matt: Si
The girl walks over to one of the adults behind the counter and probably said in Spanish, “That man needs his check now”. To which (I’m guessing) the lady said, “Well, you’ll have to give it to him then”. The girl walks over to me and says in English, “What did you have?”
Matt: Dos, Español….(points to Spanish Omelette)
Girl: Pie?
Matt: Si. And una café con…..(thinks)
Girl: Café con leche?
Matt: Si
The girl smiles and goes up to the counter and the lady helps her write the total on a slip of paper. The girl comes back over and hands it to me. “Gracias” I say. “Gracias” she replies.
I walk out after thanking the owner.

I was now off to a park called, “Parque del Buen Retiro”. Keep in mind that I woke up very drowsy today from sleeping too much. It could have also been the Benadryl I took before I went to bed last night. I wasn’t up for doing a whole lot. I got on the metro and arrived at the park. I strolled around in the shade. The weather in Madrid has been gorgeous! People have been out and enjoying it. There are many people taking their siesta in the park by sleeping, reading, paddling in the lake, and just walking around. A very nice day! I admired the lake for a while and then headed over to a place called the, “Crystal Palace”. I heard that this was a cool place to see. When I got there it looked like a giant green house. I walked inside and looked around. Nice! I continued on around the park.

The Park

The Lake

The Lake

Crystal Palace

I eventually made my way to Plaza Mayor and find a spot for some lunch. I had a chorizo sandwich which was basically bread and chorizo….that’s it! It tasted good though! I walked around a bit more and hopped on the metro to go back to the hostel. I still wasn’t felling too well.

At the hostel I was able to Skype Ma and wish her a happy birthday. She filled me in on everything at home and so fourth. After our chat I just laid low and talked with some of the people who were staying at the hostel. Around dinner time I walked down the block and found a little tapas bar. I got my last Patatas Bravas while in Spain. I’m going to miss that! After, still not feeling up to par I ventured back to the hostel where I packed up for tomorrow. I wish my last night in Spain was more exciting, but I just haven’t been feeling up for a whole lot. I’m pretty tried!

Symbol of Madrid: Bear and the Madroño Tree

Today I slept in a little before heading out for the day. I was on my way to the metro when I was blocked by an event. It was a race. I could see the metro station on the other side of the street, but there were too many runners to be able to cross. Also, the police were standing by and I didn’t know if I could cross the race without getting stopped. I saw a girl standing near me who was looking at a map. I asked, “Do you know how to cross this?” She said, “I’m trying to figure out an alternate way.” She then gets on her phone and talks in Spanish for a while. She then hangs up and bolts for the metro nearly crashing into some of the runners. The police either didn’t see her or they didn’t care. I decided to try myself because I had no idea how to get around this thing. So I wait for an opening and I took it. No problem!

The Race

I get to my stop where I followed the crowd to the El Rastro. The El Rastro is one of the largest markets in Europe and takes up over an entire square block. When I heard about it I thought it would be fun to check-out. It was! The place is huge, but you have to fight the crowds while watching out for pickpockets which I heard frequent the area. The market was a mix between new items and used junk. I think most of the stuff in that entire market used to be in my parents garage at one time or another. I recognized a lot of crap! The good news is that it is really cheap to buy things in the market so I bringing home some of my family’s old heirlooms, I’m sure.

Cool Stuff in Madrid

The El Rastro

The El Rastro

I spent most of the morning and early afternoon wandering the market before heading back to the hostel for a siesta. Again, I’m still not feeling up for doing a whole lot more. I think the reason that I’m not up for doing too much is because of a mix of things. I know I’m coming home soon and so I’m a little anxious, a little travel fatigued, and the food in Spain is not the most healthy and energizing. I haven’t been feeling too guilty about taking it easy this weekend so that is good.

Well, that is all I have to report about today. I think someone will be joining me in my room today. While I was taking a siesta I heard the door open and then close after a while. Then I hear rollie bag wheels go down the stairs. I just wish whomever it was would please lock the door behind them. Since my stuff is in the room without a security locker it is a little disconcerting that the door was just left open.

Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention. I did have one other cool thing planned for today. I was going to go to a bullfight today. Now, I was really excited about it and I was ready to put on a white shirt and a red scarf to root for the matador. However, while I have been in Spain I have met other people who have gone to the bullfights. They said it was pretty brutal. They apparently wound the bull quiet a bit before it faces the matador. Also, the matador had knives in his hand to help him. No matter what happens to the matador (whether he lives or dies) they kill the bull at the end of the fight. One Spanish girl I talked to said it had to do with “Man versus Beast” and that man always wins. I’m all for new experiences and getting out of the routine to see different customs, but the more I thought about it I just couldn’t stomach it. I’m not going to stand out front with a banner yelling, “Fur is Murder!” or anything, but I just think there are some things I’m fine with not experiencing.