Travelogues
Paris
The City of Lights
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Paris is such a big place, so much to do, so many places to go and see.
I usually go to the same little hotel in the same neighborhood in the 16th district near a wonderful pastry shop. It's near the large public park which has one tree that is very special-over 200 years old. |
When Marie Antoinette was going to the guillotine, the French Revolution
starting, this tree was a young sapling. Now it covers at least
one-half acre in full bloom. Kids, families, animals, old people, young
people converge here. There's a snow cone stand, just like back home,
only the conversations aren't in English. A nice Bistro in the 16th is
La Stella on Victor Hugo, many locals, not as many tourists. The best
months to visit for me are May and October-no kids, no tourists, weather
is nice. Another favorite pastry shop is Angelina at the Concorde
Lafayette. I've learned Paris with the help of friends. The Metro
(subway) is easy to learn. The Parisians are wonderful people if you get
to know them. The French class, style, and manners are important to
them and not practiced by many of us, but they will notice if you try.
London
The Financial Capital of Europe
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Again, so much to do and see and they speak the same language. (However,
the Queen's English is not to be confused with American English.) The people are wonderful. I've been going to the same hotel for years in the West End. The location is close to the airport transportation, tube station, British Rail, Eurostar, shopping, theater, restaurants, and business. |
London is a good launching point for anyone going into the
European Community-whether taking a working assignment or going on a
vacation. The British specialize in moving people. For all the
humanity that moves through this little country, the Brits do an
excellent job of keeping it all sorted out. Final bit of advice: don't
tell your British friend to "Have a nice day.: It's not part of their
pleasantries as it is a part of ours.
Heidelberg
This university town is a one hour drive on the Autobahn A5 south of the
Frankfurt airport. A good place to visit is the castle on the hill. I
was taken there by a friend who pointed down to the river near one of
the bridges. He said his father escaped the Gestapo during the war by
going into the river near the bridge, swimming to safety and working
with the French Underground during the war. Also, near the river is the
"poet's walk" a path used by scholars for contemplation. My employer in
college was a student at the University of Heidelberg and barely escaped
before the start of WWII. My friend shared a story about his mother.
The mother was a survivor of WWII and for years following the war
hoarded bars of soap. During the war there was none and she wasn't
going to be without ever again.
Greenwich
I met Admiral Sir Richard and Lady Fitch through Admiral Paul Mulloy
(USN Ret.). They had invited Paul and me to luncheon at the Royal Naval
College, Greenwich. We were given a tour of the buildings and grounds,
shown where Sir Francis Drake was knighted and where Lord Nelson was
laid out-a most memorable afternoon. I was intrigued by Sir Richard's
story of how he met Admiral Doenitz, leader of the German Submarine
Command during WWII. It seems Sir Richard had gone ashore at a German
port when serving one of his tours of duty and was informed that Admiral
Doenitz was living close by. Would he like to meet him? Sir Richard
called his superiors for approval of the visit which was granted. Sir
Richard knocked on the door and presented himself. Doenitz answered the
door and invited Sir Richard inside. The visit was initially stiff
until both men found they coincidentally had first met their respective
wives while abroad. That broke the ice, Doenitz broke out a bottle of
refreshment, and they had an interesting conversation. Two warriors
from different sides, but first of all warriors.
Bellagio
My favorite summer location in Europe
Bellagio has maintained its ancient character, its picturesque narrow
streets and corners, its low arcades, and the visitor will always remain
under the spell of its charm and serene beauty. It is situated at the
extreme end of the peninsula which divides one of Italy's largest lakes
in two branches (lake of Como and lake of Lecco) and is an historical
spot. Here the Gauls erected fortifications in bygone times and the
Romans established a naval school. On the site where the Villa
Serbelloni is situated, Pliny the Younger owned his famous Villa
Tragoedia. Villa Serbelloni was built in 1539 by the feudal Lord of
Bellagio, Count Francesco Sfondrati, and in 1788 was donated by the
family Sfondrati to the Duke Serbelloni. Bellagio was in all times a
much desired and appreciated resort. Personalities, artists, and great
statesmen called this home. For centuries, many a king and some of the
most famous people found hospitality here including the Gothic King
Teodoric, Emperor Maximilian I, Napoleon I, and King Leopold I of
Belgium (then owner of the beautiful Villa Giulia). Franz Liszt and
Marie d'Agoult spent a year here where their daughter Cosima, who later
became the wife of Richard Wagner, was born. Villa Serbelloni has
guided tours, lasting about two hours, almost every day. There is a
fine view of lakes Como and Lecco along with a breathtaking view of the
Alps.
Holland
A friend of mine from Europe was reading about our own "Dr. Death" in
the US-Dr. Kevorkian-and shared how our cultures were different in this
often-debated area. He said the wealthy in Europe had always practiced
the treatment very quietly. He told me about his grandmother who had
suffered from cancer, was dying and in terrible pain. His grandmother
decided she didn't want to live any longer and requested "the pill" from
her doctor. The family had a big reunion and each family member took
time to say good-bye to the matriarch who was ill in bed. When the
gathering was over, grandmother took the pill, went quietly to sleep,
and passed away. My European friend asked if this wasn't a more humane
way to handle the problem. After all, he said, we, the survivors,
weren't the ones being racked by the pain and suffering, notwithstanding
religious and cultural issues. Who's to say? Will the ways of European
culture find their way to our shores on this much-argued point?
Rome
I always stay at the Cavaliere Hilton, on the hill overlooking the
city. It is a little out of the way, but a wonderful part of town and
the hotel is great. On one of my most memorable evenings, I was sitting
in the hotel lobby waiting for a friend to gather me for a dinner
meeting when in walked more than 20 Catholic Cardinals from the
Vatican. I had never seen one Cardinal, let alone 20.
Another interesting visit was with a friend who was a professor of
ancient Roman history. He was collecting artifacts dug up from
Cleopatra's perfume factory near the Red Sea. This professor's
specialty was recreating the beauty aids of ancient Rome. In ancient
times, many of the natural ingredients used to make fragrances were
imported from India and China through the Indian Ocean up to
Alexandria. From there, they were taken by ship up to Rome and other
European cities. The professor said the beauty aids were also health
and medicinal aids to be either consumed or worn.
Berlin
I visited Berlin just after the fall of the Berlin Wall in November,
1989. While there, I took a cab to Check Point Charlie to get my piece
of the Wall. I still have it and also got a piece of the Wall for a
German friend who fought in the German army but later immigrated to the
US and became a citizen. He was very moved. He shared his personal
experience of the disaster at Stalingrad where the German advance was
stopped by the severe overnight drop in temperatureover 40ºF.
He
escaped that and also saw action at Monte Casino in Italy where the
Allies came into southern Italy. Coincidentally, my father was also in
this campaign.
Monte Carlo
An easy way to Monte Carlo if you don't like to drive is to fly to Nice
and take the helicopter (20 minutes), as there is no airport in Monaco.
The old PanAm flight from New York used to arrive around 8:00 am. One
half hour through customs, 20 minutes by chopper, and you're having
coffee at the Monte Carlo Yacht Club. The Yacht Club and Harbor have
some of the largest private yachts in the world. Monaco has its tourist
areas, but it also has the out-of-the-way spots not known to outsiders.
Take a cab up the hill to the little village of Ez. Wonderful
restaurants, wonderful view. On the road from Ez going to Cannes is a
small lane toward the sea on the left side. At the end of the lane, a
house is built almost into the cliff with a breathtaking view of the sea
below.
Luxembourg
A friend and his family own a farm twenty minutes from the center of
Luxembourg. It is a 200- year-old house with barn attached (when the
house was built, the theory was that the heat generated by the barn
animals would help keep the adjoining house warm). I was invited to
dinner and the ambiance was special-a great meal in a charming setting
with guests speaking five languages. Sorry, but I could only
communicate in English. On another occasion, I was driving with my
friend from Paris to Luxembourg and passed the city of Rheims in France
which has a famous cathedral. How ironic that my father brought home
with him after the war a small replica of this cathedral carved by a
local Frenchman. The cathedral brought back a number of memories of his
homecoming.
Capri
The island consists of Capri, the lower part of the mountain, and
Anacapri, the upper part. All fresh water on the Isle of Capri is piped
from the Italian mainland. The ride from the dock (where you get off
the hydrofoil from Naples) all the way up the mountain is a scary
journey indeed! The road is narrow with no guard rail. You hope the
driver knows what he's doing. After departing the cab, take the ski
lift to the very top. There are approximately 90 acres on the very top
of the mountain. You can look down to see the Blue Grotto below.
Geneva
When in Geneva and crossing the lake, take a walk across the bridge to
get to the old town (but not in winter). I was a speaker at a
conference at the Noga Hilton, right on the lake. Geneva is in the
French-speaking part of Switzerland with a somewhat different culture
than the German and Italian speaking parts. A nice train ride is to
take the TGV from Geneva to Paris, just over three hours. If you like
ice cream, double chocolate is a local favorite.
Zurich
If you fly into Zurich's (Klotin) airport, you can catch a train to
downtown there. I usually stay near the train station because the
business district is within walking distance. I watched the 1990 World
Soccer (football) match between Germany and Argentina with a friend and
his family at their home following a wonderful dinner. Zurich, being in
the German-speaking part of Switzerland, was mostly rooting for the
German team who won the match. A wonderful train trip is from Zurich to
Milan, through the Swiss valleys and countryside, up over Gotthard Pass,
down into Lugano, then to Milan. Get the Express train and not the
local milkrun.
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