Studies indicate that people like to plan their
vacations as much as they like to take them. I'm not so sure that's
true for everyone, but I am one of those people that likes to plan.
In fact, I'm probably guilty of overplanning, and I have a great time
doing it. Years ago we traveled to Europe with no reservations, a
Eurail pass, and one guidebook; we bounced from city to city.
However, this vintage traveler now seems to need a plan that includes
reservations and leisurely stops for a week or longer.
Six
months ago I secured free flights using our United Mileage Plus
points. We fly into Ljubljana, Slovenia, and depart from Zürich,
Switzerland. The apartments and hotels were reserved through
booking.com, except for one. I like to use booking.com because the
reservations are cancelable, and I'm familiar with their website
which also means that I am less likely to make a mistake. Ron likes
the flexibility of hopping on and off trains as he pleases, so we
purchased ($424) the five-day Switzerland/Austria Eurail pass when
they were offering an extra day for free.
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| PAINTED BEE HOUSES SLOVENIA |
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| HAY BATHS - FIEALLO SCILLAR |
From
here, we are planning to take a ferry across the Adriatic Sea to
Venice, then transfer to a train, and head to the Dolomites in
Northern Italy. We have a reservation for one week at an apartment
with a mountain view in Castelrotto, Italy. We are anticipating
leisurely walks through the alpine meadows with views of the jagged
gray spires of the Dolomites. Many years ago we passed through this
area, and have always wanted to return. There are many small villages
to explore, and I'm anxious to find out about traditional hay
baths in nearby Fieallo Scillar. Fortunately, we will also be there
during the annual Oswald-on-Wolkenstein Riding Tournament, a
three-day celebration and parade.
When
we leave this area, we're heading north to Interlaken for two nights
before traveling by train to Gunten, Switzerland. Gunten is a small
village on Lake Thun with two restaurants, one bakery and a fancy
hotel. We have a ground floor apartment on a hillside overlooking the
lake—rented through Airbnb. It looks lovely, but it may be a bit
isolated for us. There is a free bus to the town of Thun (pop.
43,763), six miles away. In addition to the nearby mountain hikes,
I'm looking forward to gentle walks along the lake with the Bernese
Alps in the distance. I was pleased to discover that the Way of St.
James, a pilgrimage route to the grave of St. James in Santiago de
Compostela, Spain, actually transverses Switzerland where it is
called Via Jacobi. It happens to pass right by our apartment in
Gunten. Perhaps, I will finally get my chance to be a pilgrim for a
day.
Our
final three nights will be in Constance (Konstanz), Germany, located
on the scenic Lake Constance (Bodensee), the third largest lake in
central Europe. It also borders Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In
2012 we stayed at in Wasserburg, which is at the opposite end of the
lake and a much smaller town. (See April 27, 2012 post.) The
university city of Constance (Konstanz), with a population of 80,000,
is the largest city on the lake. It has colorful painted frescoes
adorning the buildings that date back to the tenth century. Just a
short ferry boat ride away are the spectacular gardens of Mainau
Island that I will try not to miss this time. Another benefit of
staying here is the direct train service to the Zürich Airport for
our return to the US.
I expect we will be tired and ready to come home as
usual. However, all of this anticipation makes me wonder if I could
ever be ready to head back.
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| SWITZERLAND |
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| PAINTED BUILDINGS - LAKE KONSTANZ |
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