Berlin

We took off for a quick trip to Berlin due to the budget airlines cheap, cheap offers. We found a hotel through an Italian website. It was nicely located with restaurants and the metro just a couple of blocks away, but the beds were unreal with a hollow in the middle. They must have know something was wrong, they added another bed during the time we were out on the first day. The other issue was that everytime we turned on the water in the room, the pipes SCREAMED and not from the water running, but from the water draining. It did not matter if it were hot, cold, or coffee being poured down, there was a groan and howl like someone was being killed. The breakfast was good and the room large, but the rest of the guests kept to themselves. No one spoke to anyone outside of their own group. Our smiles did not get us anywhere. Just some highlights, we bought the Berlin card, which includes transportation and admission to some attractions. Right after we bought it we booked the four hour walking tour for the next day, then went to the zoo. There was no charge for the zoo that day since it was an anniversary. The admission on our card was useless. The walking tour was great and the guide was very knowledgeable, but four hours is four hours. He mentioned a great deli like in the States if anyone needed a deli fix. We knew that was where we were going to head when we broke for lunch. As we walked, he kept talking up this deli. I had corned beef on rye with mustard, a side of cole slaw, and a large dill pickle already ordered in my head. My mental images were drooling, it had been so long since I had this. When we did break from lunch, 3 and one half hours into the four hour tour, Ron and I practically ran in the direction of the restaurant. As we entered, something struck us as different. Perhaps it was the menu? There was nothing deli-ish on it. No corned beef, no roast beef, no pickles. We ordered some sandwiches, but nothing like we had dreamt about. When we sat down, I happened to look at the small print on the napkin. This was a chain franchise operation out of Austin, Texas. What does Austin know for Jewish delis? We never continued with the last half hour of the tour. The highlight was the Jewish Museum. It was/is magnificent. We did not get there until late, but we stayed until closing. This is a must do again when we return. We also want to see the Holocaust Memorial. It was just being put up. During the day and at night, there was a festival in the main area by Zoogarten station. People were performing on high wires. There were beer and food booths around. We sat with a bunch of young tough guys who wanted to know all about California. They were fun.

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Stockholm

Okay, this will most likely be short since September is creeping up and I need to start preparing for my courses. I have been very lazy this summer. Living in Budapest has quickly become a perk for budget travelers. We not have 7 budget airlines that fly out of here. Taking advantage of this, I booked my partner and I on Snowflake Airlines to Stockholm. Before you snicker, this is the low cost off-shoot of the better known SAS Airlines. We were able to get tickets for 45 Euros each way, per person. When taxes were added, it was a total of 305 Euros round trip for two. Still not a bad deal. Since we had heard and read how expensive Stockholm is, we decided to limit our stay to four nights. My thinking was that at this airfare, this was just enough time to sample and we could always return again. We arrived in Stockholm and found we had a few choices to get to the city center. We could take the Express train for 180 SEK one way and it would take 20 minutes. There was an airport bus that was 150 SEK and would take 40 minutes and of course there were taxis which would have been prohibitive for budget travelers. We chose the Express train and were pleasantly surprised that there was a "Summer Special" until August 30th. Two tickets were 200 SEK. The express train is a modern, sleek, clean and fast subway type train. The end point is the Central Train Station in Stockholm. From there, we took a subway (one one-way ticket was about $7.00) to our hotel, which was a boat. From the subway, we had to walk three blocks down a hill to the water and our boat hotel was easy to find. There are many boat hotels there. We stayed at the Rygerfjord www.rygerfjord.se. This is listed as a hostel/hotel and they actually have two boats next to each other. I strongly recommend a regular room if you are claustrophobic. The 'hostel' rooms were without windows and looked smaller than some submarines that I have been in. Our room had a porthole, but it was small. There was a double bed and a second bed that came down from the wall. The bathroom was inclusive. The shower was right across from the toilet, so everything was cleaned when we showered. We had to negotiate our moves in the room with each other due to such a small space. Fortunately, we each had only a carry-on suitcase or we would have needed another room. The room was about $50.00 a night and well worth it for the comfortable bed and the view of the city hall from our porthole. Breakfast in the mornings were an additional $8.00. We paid for the first morning and decided to see what it was like before paying for the remaining mornings. As it turned out, the breakfast was a major bargain. There was a large buffet with six different breads and toppings, four different cheeses, five meats, three kinds of fish, juices, coffee, tea, and other things that I am not remembering. It was all you could eat and the dining room was very pleasant. They also have many tables with umbrellas outside and you are invited to sit there and eat if you wish. Our first morning, walking away from the subway stop we arrived at, about three long blocks and a staircase away, there is another subway station. We went here to purchase our Stockholm Cards. http://www.stockholmtown.com/templates/TwoColumnSPListing___6456__EN.aspx Usually, I am not a fan of city cards since my experience is that they are not worth the value unless you rush through places. Due to the free transportation included on all buses, trams, subways, and commuter train, it was a no brainer. We chose the 72 hour card for SEK 540. Not only is the transportation free, but it includes free parking (we did not need this), free entrance to more museums than one would have time to see in a two week vacation, and TWO boat rides. On their website, they list the normal price of admissions so you can make an educated decision on the cost effectiveness. Just for the free transportation, it is well worth the price. You receive a very nice book with all of the attractions offered and it is in Swedish, German, and English. I did not realize that Stockholm was a city of 14 islands with 51 bridges connecting them. As they say, there are only three islands that are usually of interest to tourists. I must admit that I am not a seafaring person. I am not all that enthralled with ships and boats and their riggings, etc. I wanted to see the city and taste the culture, but I did not expect much thinking it would all be focused on boats and shipping history. This is where the Stockholm Card was an added bonus. Since I did not have to pay for admissions, I was willing to give museums a try that I would not have ordinarily gone to. One example of this is the Vasa Museum. This is a ship that set sail in 1628 and sunk before leaving the harbor. It was a masterpiece of workmanship for its time, but it stayed under water for 333 years before it was rescued and restored. After watching the movie in English, I was enthralled and we spent two hours in the museum. On the same 'campus' there is the National Museum, a real treasure, and a museum dedicated to Swedish Children's Literature. Being an educator, I had to see all three. It was wonderful. We took both boat rides. One was impressive, the other was just nice to be on the water and see the views. We went to all of the Royal buildings, many other museums, and sights. We estimated that on admissions alone, we saved over $150.00 each with the card. With the cost of transportation, it was a huge savings. We were told that 95% of the Swedish people speak English as well as another foreign language. They could not have been kinder. People would offer assistance when they saw us looking at our map. The museums are open long enough hours that you do not have to rush through to get to more than two in a day. We took our time and enjoyed what we saw. Food prices were comparable to San Francisco. Once we got over the sticker shock coming from Hungary, we felt more comfortable with the cost of things. It was shockingly hot there, some days reaching into the 90's F. Many told us this was their hottest summer in memory. Would I return? No doubt about it and with Snowflake Airlines here, even a short get-away is worthwhile. If you are traveling there from the US, you need at least a full week to get a good taste of the city. It is incredibly beautiful. I will send a link to my online photo album at Ofoto.com and those whose want to may see them there.

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