Trip to Europe

Jon and Jan relived the trip where they met 31 years ago. We met while on a concert tour with the California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo wind ensemble. Jon played french horn and Jan played alto sax. We are pleased to report the same conductor, Professor William Johnson, is still directing the band and offering incredible musical and life experiences for his students. The Cal Poly band took another tour in 2006 so we decided to meet up with them in Schladming, Austria after visiting Italy. We purchased a package tour from Globus for the Italian part of the tour. Globus made all of the hotel reservations, tour admissions and most of the meals. A package tour is an excellent choice, even though it seems somewhat rushed and one does pay for the convenience. Tour groups get in special lines for attractions, museums, etc. and don't have to wait. Even in early Summer, Italy was very, very crowded with tourists. O.K, that is exactly what we were. The tour guide, Elena, was excellent and our travel companions were compatible. Ages ranged from 9 to about 82. Several family groups went along including three sets of honeymooners. There were about 44 total in our group. The Italian part of our tour included Rome, Capri, Assisi, Venice, Montecatini and back to Rome. We extended our tour into Salzburg, Schladming and Bayreuth We flew back to the U.S. from Munich. Because of weather, it was a grueling 25 hour transit and was almost longer but we were the last two passengers on standby to board the last flight out of Atlanta. Summer travelers might be advised to avoid hubs that have a history of thunder storms in the Summer - mostly Southern states. Likewise Winter travelers should plan trips that avoid Northern states because of snow delays. One unfortunate detail was that the airlines lost about 25% of our tour groups luggage. Be careful how you pack. Take a carry on with provisions (toiletries, medications, unmentionables, a clean shirt or 2, etc.) to get you through a couple of days then check the rest with enough room for souvenirs and treasures. Luckily our luggage arrived with us but we certainly learned a thing or two!

Austria and Germany

Salzburg - Mozart's home town and happy 250th Wofgang!
We left early in the morning from the Visconti Palace Hotel taking a taxi (25 Euros) to the train station. We then took Eurail from Rome to Salzburg. Eurail is a great way to go. We had a 5 day / 3 adjoining country pass. We had first class reservations (an additional 10 Euros per person per trip) on most of the trains. The entire pass ran $804 and we still have one day of travel left. I learned that the single ticket from Rome to Salzburg ran about $275 per person so the pass is a good way to go. Let a travel agent help you with this. The Eurail web site does not list all of the options.
The train system is easy to use after a couple of trips and is very reliable. Be prepared to use taxis once you get to your town - somewhat pricey but well worth it if you are hauling all of your luggage around and not real sure of where to go - like we were. While going from Salzburg to Schladming, we had a private car and the scenery was gorgeous ...
One of Jon's must see sights was Bayreuth and the Wagner Festival. Above is the Festespielhaus and the town.

Going South - Capri and Pompeii

On the way from Rome to Sorrento we stopped and toured Pompeii, a Roman city that was destroyed by an eruption from Mt. Vesuvius in 69 A.D. This is a must. While crowded, it was very interesting and the ruins are very well preserved. I have heard that the nearby ruins of Herculean are even better.
A beautiful town, but crowded with tourists, Sorrento was our departure point for the Isle of Capri.
The isle of Capri. A pretty spot but very expensive. Consider it the Carmel of Italy. If you get to the Isle of Capri, be sure to go to another town, Anacapri, and visit the Villa St. Michele. Villa St. Michele was the home of Dr. Axel Munthe, a physician / renaissance man / humanitarian who built a gorgeous villa overlooking the ocean and has set up a philanthropic foundation.
	We really enjoyed the island of Capri
Walking around Capri, go ahead and get lost among the winding streets and enjoy the flowers.

Rome

Rome is a big city that is very crowded and very historic. A must see. On your first go round, we recommend the open air 110 bus. 13 Euros per person and you can ride it all day. Get on and get off when ever and where ever you want. Takes you to all of the sights and it is a good way to go. We stayed the first and last days in Rome and the 110 open air bus was just blocks away from our hotels - The Star Hotel Michaelangelo and the Visconti Palace.
	If you are wanting to see the Vatican be sure to get advanced tickets. Since that is a very famous sight and at the top of EVERYONE'S list, see about getting an organized tour so you can get in the guided tour entrance. The Sistine chapel is a must - words can't describe it and no photograph can do it justice. See it for yourself and with your own eyes - even if you are butt to elbow with 16,924 other tourists.
St. Peters
	The Tiber River - a view from the open air bus.
Rome is very, very crowded and busy but not with out scenes of serenity
"Nothing like being in Rome when Italia wins the world cup in soccer!"
On your last night in Rome, be sure to throw 3 coins in the Tevi fountain. 1 coin to return to the eternal city, 1 coin for your love and 1 coin for your own wish.

Tuscany and Assisi

Probably our favorite part of Italy. Beautiful. Everything you've heard about "The Tuscan Sun" is true. We stayed one night in Assisi, and two nights in the spa town of Montecatini with excursions to Florence. On the way from Venice to Montecatini, we made the obligatory photo stop in Pisa. One can by pass Pisa but we'll include some photos just to show we've been there. Enroute between these towns in North central Italy, we enjoyed a stop in Sienna. Sienna is a town with a history going back to the middle ages and lots of charm.
	Assisi was a must on Jan's list and one of the main reasons we chose this tour. That and Capri, which was on Jon's list of places to see. But Tuscany was a very pretty spot and if we get back, probably the place where we would spend more time. Pisa & the leaning tower complete with hordes of tourists.
Sienna...
Views of Assisi...
Under the Tuscan Sun (I had to read it after visiting).
Florence Be sure to see the art galleries but get pre arranged tours for shorter lines. Jan recommends the shopping
	From Florence we went to Montecatini, a very peaceful spot. From Montecatini we went to a Tuscan farm / winery / restaurant 15 minutes away. A great marketing scheme but unfortunately would not ship wine to the U.S. Probably the best food and wine we tasted on the trip. There were several tour buses parked in the vicinity but we did not really see or hear the groups.
Each group toured the farm and enjoyed the views and ambience. Then the group was escorted to a private tent with tables and musician (electronically sequenced stuff). Food was good and wine plentiful - a real party atmosphere. The senior member of our tour group (80+) entertained with a song & was quite good.
	Drinking vino....
Montecatini and an Italian farm along the way ... ...

Venice

Venice was one of the nice surprises. We had read a lot about the stinking canals, the heat and the crowds and the tourist traps. But it is a fascinating place. We did the tourist things; visited a glass blowing demonstration and sales pitch, took a gondola ride complete with musicians and strolled Piazza San Marco. We took a dinner cruise of the lagoon and got to sight see and stroll Venice by night. That is where the charm of Venice lies. At night. Our hotel was located on the mainland & took about 45 minutes to get into Venice by boat. Venice is built on many islands in a lagoon. The only way to get into the city is by boat. No cars are allowed - they won't fit in the streets. Even a SMART car won't fit. Scooters are not allowed either.
	Globus could have really enhanced their trip by having a hotel right in Venice. It would have raised the price of the trip, but would have been worth it. Enroute to Venice from Assisi, we had a chance to stop in Pomposa, a very small village with charming abbey. This stop was refreshing and gave a taste of what I believe true Italian ambience.
On to Venice ...
Views from a gondola.
	Views of the crowds.
One of the many churches
	Venice by night

Jon's Ramblings

June 29

Davis. We are getting packed and ready. Anticipation and excitement. Sleepless but may be a plus for plane napping. Just want to make sure all is confirmed & nothing of importance is left behind.

June 30

4:30 A.M. Airporter calls. Driver didn’t show. Sent a taxi. Driver played good music. Kind of Joe Satriani at half energy but same style only more laid back. Driver had problems with card. Lower functioning fellow, I believe. Check in was smooth and we did it in less than an hour. Arrival in Atlanta on time muggy and clear. Took a very long but badly needed walk. Felt good but luggage toting was a pain. May reconsider original plan and purchase larger bag in Rome. Very long flight at this point. 6 hours down 3 to go. Napped some but not much.

July 1

Arrived in Rome and went through customs easily. The tour hosts were readily available and the bus that we will spend many hours on took us to the Star Hotel Michaengelo where I discovered my glasses were left on the plane. Our tour guide, Elena, made several phone calls to no avail.

Went sight seeing as St. Peters is 2 blocks from hotel. The 110 bus, an open air contraption, was pretty good. 13 Euros and saw pretty much all of Rome on a hot muggy day. Also extensive tour of the coliseum with a witty and politically astute guide. Dinner with musicians was included. 4 courses anti pasti, a bean soup, pasta, salad with main course of beef and chicken. Exhausted and sweating. To the showers and bed.

July 2

Bus to Pompeii via Napoli. Nice drive along main highway. Stop at massive refueling super mart type of store. They sold nearly everything toys, groceries, reading material, toiletries, fast food, etc. You name, it they sold it. Excellent marketing for the traveler. Tour of Pompeii was real good. We, in the 21st century are not the epitome of civilzation. Pompeii had astute city planning, streets, neighborhoods, waste and sewer systems. They also had commodity trading systems and judicial systems - criminals were sold as slaves. Very impressive site. Have heard that Hurcucleum is even more impressive. Our 9 and 11 year old traveling companions will offer an outstanding response to a writing prompt “I was getting my photo taken with a plaster cast of a dead body” or an intriguing “what I did on my summer vacation” essay. Was quite hot, dusty and very crowded.

Went then to Sorrento. A pretty town but crowded and quite touristy. Went by boat to Capri. Boat rides are always fun but there was no outside seating and experiencing the ocean in the cabin is 2nd rate.

Got into Capri late after noon. As the topography is a mountain, one takes a funicular from the marina section up to the town where the hotels, restaurants, bars and tourist shops are. High end and over priced. The hotel we stayed at, La Residenza had a beautiful location with a view of the bay. The room was very nice with tile everywhere and 2 bathrooms. Downside was it was in the basement. Dinner at the hotel was mediocre. Pasta with ragu sauce, dry salmon, undistinguished wine and stuffy waiter. Have become familiar with some of the tour. 9 report lost luggage. Capri is no place to have to replace clothing. Tee shirts running 35 euros. Worse news for Ernie, a honeymooning high school teacher and football coach whom at 6 foot plus and 300 pounds, nothing will fit.

Slept fitfully body hasn’t adjusted yet.

July 3

Capri HAPPY ANNIVERSAY. We are very happy contented and satisfied with our situation. We received toasts, congratulations and wonder at our tale.

Took a tour of Anacapri, a small town even higher than Capri, an enchanting village of 1400. Here we took a tour of Villa San Michele. Built by a Dr. / musician / archeologist / engineer / philanthropist. Villa San Michele

The road up to Anacapri was very narrow and winding. There are the remains of 737 steps cut into the cliff from the sea to the village. This stairway was constructed in Roman times.

After returning to Capri we got a slice of pizza and Jan had lunch in a garden area of the hotel. Early afternoon we took a boat tour around the entire island. A very nice, enjoyable cruise. Elena suggested a restaurant much better than the hotel. After that, went with traveling companions for cappuccino. 8 coffees 46 euros, however money well spent

Slept much better with an amazing thunderstorm.

July 4

Left Capri on ferry to Naples, a busy port town. About 30 minute ride. 9 celebrants finally get long lost luggage. Bus drove to Assisi. About 5 hours including lunch and pit stops. Italian pit stops are quite unique. “Autogrill” has large well-maintained wc - be sure to tip the attendant. “Auto Grill” also has multiple eating areas menus as well as shopping – hams, salamis, cheeses, toys books, pharmacy, etc., etc.

Arrive in Assisi and toured this beautiful ancient town. Saw monks and nuns as well as young (13 – 15 years old) campers. Their chatter and enthusiasm spread melodically as a sonata along the narrow streets.

In my opinion, was the best hotel so far. Our room had a terrace with a wonderful view of the valley and hills in the distance. A modern facility with a congenial staff. After dinner watched world cup. Got tired went up to the room for shave and shower. Not 10 seconds after drying off, Italy scores, then scores again for the win.

July 5

Drove to Venice. A long drive. No walking today. Stopped in the small village of Pomposa. Visited an abbey with gorgeous mosaics. Got lunch and a beer from merchants set up at the roadside rest stop. Continued to Venice. 1st stop was for the gondola ride complete with an accordion and tenor. Both young bucks who probably listen to American pop. Nice experience - better than I had anticipated. Got to the hotel and checked in. I then went out to correct a packing mistake. Should have brought larger bag. Got it right around the corner from hotel. Great store run by Asians. Sold vegetables, personal grooming, books, luggage and beer.

Later - Went on a boat cruise with dinner and wine. Very nice dinner. Unusual conversation in that some of the companions bemoaned and missed American things ice, bigger showers, etc. Venice is going past at sunset and you talk hamburgers?? Come on, we traveled 8,500 miles and spent in excess of $6,000 to get away! Beautiful evening strolling piazza San Marco. Some crowds but not bad. Romantic, magical and inspiring. Will go back tomorrow.

July 6

Tour left early to go to Murano one of the many islands that make up Venice. Murano is famous for glass blowing. Saw an interesting demonstration and an annoying sales pitch. Went through sales room & resisted the $11,000 chandelier. Took boat back to main area with Doges palace San Marco, etc. Guided tour of both places was too quick and perfunctory. Guide pleasant & knowledgeable. A Japanese tourist got mixed up with our group, which resulted in a comical international incident. The poor Asian tourist was really lost & separated from her companions. The crowds were huge. Extremely dense hoards everywhere.

Venice is a fascinating & beautiful city with charm & character. 100s of twisted meandering streets. Some dead ending, some going over a canal, some ending in a bizarre, out of kilter intersection that spreads like an amoeba in 3 new & different directions.

Jan’s ankle is quite swollen. Lots of walking & marathon plane ride did her in. We did meander a long time seeing an opera house, buying 2 etchings & enjoying refreshment of tomatoes, mozzarella, beer & ice cream. People & boat watching at a side walk cafe. Dinner at the hotel then sleep. Tomorrow we are off to Montecatini and the Tuscany district.

July 7

Left hotel at 0800 for a long drive to Pisa. Very pretty countryside & scenery. Arrive Pisa 1245. The entire town is set up for touristas. Hoards of tour busses park in a parking lot and a Disneyland / Mickey/ Minnie train thing takes you to the plaza where a grave yard, baptistery, church & infamous tower are surrounded by bazillions of hawkers preying on bazillions of touristas. The piazza & historical buildings are fascinating & truly gorgeous as well as significant and worthy of admiration. Way too many tee shirts & crowds. However, the piazza is among the 1,000 things to see before you die & one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Later we went to a working farm / restaurant / winery / olive oil place. Great marketing plan. Nice tour of the farm facility and the food was quite good. Anti pasta, pasta and main course of grilled meats. Lots of wine – quite good. The best so far. Dancing and music followed. An octogenarian travel companion sang a song and the musician actually accompanied her. He usually did pre-sequenced stuff on a keyboard. All had a great time. Wished they shipped wine to the U.S. Farms in Italy are much smaller & more diverse. A few rows of this & a couple of rows of that. Back to Montecatini & bed.

July 8

Expedition to Florence. Tour of city, art gallery and Medici palace then saw “David” in academy. Then did optional tour of Uffizi gallery went with Lewis ... saw “Birth Of Venus” & “Springtime” by Bottecelli. Both spectacular. Leonardo da Vinci was well represented as an inventor & engineer. Jan went shopping. Long drive from Florence to Rome. Italy defeats France to win world cup. Bedlam & celebration erupt. Rome is absolutely the place to be tonight as Italians erupt with passion and fervor, which will be repeated tomorrow as the President greets the team and a parade is planned.

July 9 and 10

Up very early to go to tour Vatican. Extremely crowded. Vatican museum was rushed but fascinating. The Sistine chapel was gorgeous. More than I imagined, somewhat smaller as well. Butt to elbow crowds. Same with St. Peters basilica. The basilica was much larger than I imagined. All in all the Vatican is worth the trip. Actually on the go straight from 0700 to 1400. Rested up at the hotel then did the on and off topless bus tour again. Missed our stop but found our way back easily. Nice farewell dinner with wine & music. The bus ride back was fantastic!! After throwing 3 coins in the Tevi fountain, we had to walk a good 40 minutes out of our way because of world cup victory celebrations. Not only did the coach get stuck in exuberant traffic, we got to be in the middle of it with the best seats of all! We were above the crowd in an air-conditioned bus with Antonio driving. What a celebration! What passion! What enthusiasm! What an experience! Very peaceful but exuberant crowds – no drunkenness, no over turned cars, just joy for their team and country.

July 11

Left Rome at the crack of dawn. Taxi left hotel 0630 train left 0742. Nearly 12 hours on 2 different trains. Rome to Innsbruck then Innsbruck to Salzburg. Arrived at the hotel via taxi. Had dinner at a local beer garden recommended by Rick Steves. Jan even drank a beer! The beer garden was pretty good with generous full mugs and typical German fare – dumplings anyone? In the morning got up & strolled. Salzburg, like any other place on the planet has grown but I remember many things from the 1975 visit. Revisited river and main square with statue of Mozart & fountain. There is a modern art piece in the square - an upside down, crashed helicopter. Doesn’t quite fit the baroque atmosphere. Best part of all I was able to buy clean shirts as previous laundry attempts failed. Lucky for me because 6 shirts 2 jockey shorts & 1 pair of socks would have run 60 euros.

July 12

Train left Salzburg for Schladming at 1109. Got into Schladming 1255. Gorgeous alpine scenery albeit somewhat overcast. Really felt like Carnegie or John D. Rockefeller as we had a private car from Salzburg all the way to Schladming. Taxi to hotel and a band was playing as we arrived. Older hotel in the heart of town. Checked in early & got info regarding concerts from the friendly proprietor & call to festival headquarters. Saw another band in the square then watched a funeral coming from the church where the Poly band was to perform at 1800. Arrived at the church & greeted Bill Johnson. He introduced us to the entire band as contributors / patrons / former participants. "We said a few words and were treated to a sincere and genuine round of applause from the entire group". Very gratifying & heartfelt. Went back to hotel 1 block from concert site. Very nice German cuisine & beer for dinner. A terrific night indeed.

July 13

Up kind of early for 0900 train. Smooth connections Schladming - Salzburg Munich - Nuremberg. Fortuitous connection to Bayreuth with minutes to spare. Hot and sweaty 2nd class to Bayreuth. Hotel ended up being 1 block from train station. Checked in walked to Festespeilhaus. Jan was really dragging. Greatly disappointed there are no tours during their rehearsal period. Walked even more - Jan was cranky but felt better after dinner. Very late so will turn in. Very busy street & lots of noise - even for one who is half deaf.

July 14

Upon entering the breakfast room, a large, friendly, albeit elderly mastiff greeted us. Went to both the Wagner & Liszt museums. Bought tee shirts & other souvenirs. Red suitcase is getting heavier & heavier. Odd CD of Wagner redone with with Latin flavor. Will be interesting to hear. At this moment we are on a crowded train to Nuremberg. Arrived Munich in a rainstorm. Took taxi for 60 euros but well worth the expense. Subway / bus would have been 20 & that leaves a shuttle ride to hotel for another 20. Got some dinner & repacked. VERY glad to reduce weight on the red suitcase. Hope Jan sells it at garage sale. To bed then flight home.

July 15

Long flight home. Shuttle & finding our way around airport pretty easy. Customs made me turn cameras on. Jan got through with no fuss.

July 15 is STILL going on! After cruising at 34,000 feet for nearly 10 hours, we are over Georgia, circling the entire state several times as there are severe thunderstorms over the airport. Captain informs that the tower wants us to keep circling but after a long flight bucking headwinds, the plane must refuel. We head for Knoxville, Tennessee. Refuel and wait for an hour while storms pass Atlanta. By this time, our flight to Sacramento has left. We finally arrive in Atlanta wondering if we will have an unauthorized extra night of vacation at an airport hotel and need to launder the micro fiber jockey shorts once more. After a few trips the entire length of the ABCD and E concourses, we finally get accurate information as to where an 8:12 flight will depart. Needless to say, many passengers have had delays and need to catch later flights. Including Jan and I there are at least eight passengers who want the 8:12 flight to Sacramento. There is a family with very young children who can’t be accommodated, are angered and leave. The same scenario takes place with a single traveler. The poor ticket station attendant has had more than her share of abuse and there is absolutely nothing she can do about it. She has to sit there and take it. I just hang out very near the desk making sure Jan and I are on the standby list. Jan is resting and levitating her swollen ankle. As all “zones” and classes are called and board, I stay by the desk. A few late people run frantically to the desk and board the aircraft. Another attendant comes out and signals to the desk attendant. The desk attendant grins and says, “Fair is fair … Mounts?” We are the last two people who get the last two seats to Sacramento. Another four hours in the air and we arrive in Sacramento about 10:30. By the time we get our red suitcase, the Airporter shuttle has left for the evening. Another taxi ride to Davis gets us to 606 Isla Pl. Shower and crash heavily after a 25-hour transit from Munich to Davis.

July 16

I’m up after the usual seven and a half hours. We are starving and go to a wonderful new restaurant “Bistro 33”. Delicious, hearty breakfast and Bloody Mary's. Kind of pricey but breakfast al fresco in Davis is great and we are glad to be home. A fabulous trip and worth every penny!

After thoughts and impressions: "Once I traveled about in an old bakery wagon, double-doored rattler with a mattress on the floor, I stopped where people stopped or gathered, I listened and looked and felt, and in the process had a picture of my country the accuracy of which was impaired only by my own shortcomings." ... John Stienbeck

This voyage in 2006 relived my personal memories, dreams and contributions to the world community. It was in 1975 that I had an opportunity, thanks to the patrons of California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo; Professor William Johnson; the state of California and my parents, Billy and Ruth Mounts, to perform in Europe. I also met my life partner, Janet. This summer sojourn was also an opportunity to return to these people my appreciation in allowing me to experience, look, listen and feel then revel in the moment.

This brief voyage, where I had a chance to see things dating to ancient times, brought to the forefront the realization that today is not the end all and be all. We have a past and future to consider. The various civilizations that have gone before are now gone and our current society will be a bunch of bricks, stones, timbers, statues and paintings left to grace the halls of museums, galleries and archeological sites that future generations will gawk at.

Can we, today, wonder in amazement at these past triumphs and think we are the epitome of achievement and civility? Are our habits and customs superior to those in other places? We must not judge for better or for worse; we must consider how others go through life, dream their dreams and pursue their goals as merely different or accomplished in another way. The same as it is with our partners, colleagues and companions. If our children, the next generation, are to be successful they will become non judgmental and keep an eye to the past as well as the future. It was quite a pleasure to travel with people of various ages and backgrounds then witness their reactions to our travels and experiences.

Regarding the practical matters of traveling more than 12,000 miles in 15 days, a little help is always welcome. Travel agents and the web can be your friends. However, I was gratified to know that my own initiatives were successful and worthwhile. Be bold and try some different foods, a different way of sleeping and a different way of getting from point A to point B. Try to find the winding street that ends up down an alley with a 45 foot geranium planter and go ahead and treat your companions to conversation, laughter and $65 worth of coffee. Enjoy and empathize in your colleagues pickles – how can anyone get caught 6,500 miles away from home with only the shirt on their backs, their passport and a few dollars and they can't even acquire, at any cost, clean underwear that fits?

All in all, Janet and I wish you the best of adventures and the best of vision to see and revel in your past as well as look to the future and welcome it.