We arrived in Cannes 2 days before the 2011 G-20 Cannes Summit was scheduled to begin. The G-20 is a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 20 major economies (currently 19 countries plus the European Union) which has been in existence since 1999. The G-20 was proposed Continue Reading
Europe
Impressions of Italy
We spent the last 3 weeks in northern and central Italy, arriving in the south of France a couple of days ago. Here are some of our impressions of Italy. Much of the landscape appears dry and rocky, but it’s still green. Not the rich, dark, rainforest green of British Continue Reading
The Dom of Bautzen
In the city of Bautzen in the Saxony region of Germany stands St. Peter’s Cathedral. It was built between 1456 and 1463, and had major restorations in 1634 after much of the town was destroyed by fire. What I find most intriguing about this church is that it is shared Continue Reading
Storm in Tuscany
We arrived in the city of La Spezia last evening. It’s on the west coast of Italy, a couple of hours north of Pisa in the region of Tuscany. Last night, this area was hit by a huge storm. Nine people are confirmed dead and six more are missing. Several Continue Reading
Oktoberfest!
Welcome to the home of the $8 pretzel and beers big enough to sprain your wrist. The ultimate getaway for the beer lover, Oktoberfest is a huge spectacle. It wasn’t what I had expected — it was better! Oktoberfest is a dynamic blend of beer gardens, dinner theatre, a costume Continue Reading
Dachau
There are many memorials of war in Europe, monuments to its long and often violent history. Dachau is the site of a former Nazi concentration camp which we visited with some trepidation. It is located just 20 kilometers from the beer drinking revelry of Munich, but it is a very Continue Reading
Bavarian Beer Halls and Beer Gardens
Bavaria is all the stereotypical images of Germany rolled into one. Lederhosen, oom-pah-pah-bands, sausage eating, and especially beer-drinking. They say when in Rome… The Czech Republic drinks the most beer per capita in the world (159 litres per year) with Germany a respectable third (110 litres per year) after Ireland. Continue Reading
Elisabeth
Elisabeth was born in Hungary but moved to Germany when she was 4 years old. At the age of 14 she married Ludwig, a wealthy and powerful man. Despite this, she lived a simple life and spent her time helping the poor and the sick. She donated a lot of Continue Reading
Berlin Marathon
If you’re looking for a fast marathon in a foreign land, I can recommend Berlin. It’s one of the 5 major world marathons in addition to London, New York, Chicago, and Boston. And, since we were planning to come to Europe at this time anyhow, we couldn’t pass it up. Continue Reading
The Bonehouse of Hallstatt
The prettiest graveyard I’ve ever seen is located outside the Catholic church in the village of Hallstatt in the Salzkammergut lake region of Austria. This village of about one thousand people is sandwiched between the Hallstatter See (lake) and the steep hillsides that ring the lake. Sandwiched into this space Continue Reading