I am now on the plane back to Hong Kong, which is about to take off. The two seats beside me seem to be vacant. If so I may lie down to sleep. But I am not tired for it is only 1:30 pm. This flight will last for 12.5 hours and the next one will take 3.5 hours. I thus will arrive in Hong Kong at 7:35 am on 21.9.95 in London time. I guess that is why people have jet lag.
I did not write in the past few days because there were so much to do in London. I had to rush for this and that. Besides, I was reading another novel by Maeve Binchy. So my time was taken up by sight-seeing, reading and sleeping.
I am already missing Europe (I have not even left it). Since I woke up this morning, this feeling has started to grow. While I was walking in the airport, I thought, what a pity that I had to return to work and leave all these beautiful places. How pathetic it was that a vacation should ever end while work never would. But life goes on and I just act according to my plans, as I always do.
The first day in London started quite awfully. I arrived at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof at 6:00 am. I could not possibly do anything at that hour. I was tired and there was little to see in Frankfurt. So I just waited and waited. When I got bored, I ate and drank.
Then I was lost in the maze of the great big airport in Frankfurt. Nobody would believe that I could not find the check-in counter which was numbered in 3 digits, meaning that there were hundreds of such counters in the airport. I was practically lost and somehow I left the departure hall and got into the arrival hall. I was very frustrated for I feared that I might need to go through the customs and the immigration in order to get back to the departure hall. What a joke! I was supposed to be leaving the country!
Of course, I managed to get on the plane at last. The food on the plane was awful. I have begun to believe that the food provided by all British airlines was awful. But then since I had boiled my tongue with hot chocolate that morning, I found that everything tasted awful.
Everything went quite smoothly upon my arrival in London. Well, with a lot of sweating as usual. I settled down in the Garden Court Hotel at around 3 pm. The room was, ah, I don't know. The facilities seemed OK, but not very good. There were everything, a bed, WC, shower, wash basin, hot water, desk/chair and a TV. But the room did not seem very clean, or clean enough. The bathroom was so small that I had to squeeze myself in. The shower was right above my head so as to ensure that I would get wet from head to toe. There were 19 channels set on the TV but only 5 worked. And there were stains on the bed sheet so I knew that it was not changed at all during my entire stay. Anyway.
Then I went to walk around the place. Unluckily it rained so I, as usual, felt uninterested in anything. But I managed to buy a ticket of the "Phantom" at Her Majesty's Theatre over the telephone. I also went to the Covent Garden. I liked the place quite a lot and I bought some souvenirs and a pair of socks there. Then I checked the train schedules for Cambridge and Bath from King's Cross and Paddington stations, respectively (how tiring). Then I went back to the hotel, ate, washed and slept.
Early next morning I went to Cambridge. It was a small town. I walked along the main streets and visited St John's and King's Colleges. St John's was a mistake because I went in thinking that it was Trinity. But its courtyards and lawns and buildings were beautiful enough. King's was of a much grandeur and more majestic look but I like St John's better.
The weather was very good that morning. Everything looked beautiful in the sunshine. As to the River Cam, it was just a very little green river. Since there are so many romantic elements attached to it, I supposed I should not feel anything less than romantic. And now I suppose I thought it was romantic. But the truth was that I did not feel anything special.
I returned to London to see the London Tower (magnificent), Tower Bridge (same), Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the Parliament. Then I walked a long way to the Buckingham Palace. What a tasteless palace. And it started to rain again. I hurried to see a movie "Bridges on Madison County" at 6:15 pm in a cinema near my hotel.
The Garden Court Hotel was in a fine location. The neighbourhood was quiet but the busy shopping street, Queensway, was just two blocks away. It was safe and convenient. There were 8 cinemas in a great shopping centre nearby and the shops there were open until very late.
That night I had some spaghetti in a restaurant.
The next morning I went to Bath. I had never thought that my rail pass did not cover Bath (what an idiot. I had thought that Bath was not shown on the map of the pass because there was not enough space.) so I had to pay an extra £11 as supplement.
Bath was an even smaller place. The Roman Bath, the Royal Crescent and the Avon River were worth a look. I took a 2-hour train to go there, spent 2.5 hours there and took another 2-hour train back to London.
Then I went to the British Museum. It was undoubtedly large and rich with its collections but in the haste of just 2 hours and after a morning trip to Bath, I found the place much less interesting than I had expected. I like the Louvre much more.
Then it was the "Phantom". I could only get the cheapest ticket (£16.5) with restricted view, which meant that there was a pillar right in front of my seat blocking the centre of my view and dividing the stage into two halves. I had to move my head so frequently that after Act 1 it almost fell off. I moved to a vacant seat one row behind during the intermission and it was much much better.
This "Phantom" was almost exactly the same as the one I had seen in Hong Kong (but the tickets were much cheaper. The highest price was only £30.). The actor playing the Phantom was tall and young (as shown in the programme) and had a clear and strong voice. However, sometimes I could not hear him when he lowered his voice. Unlike Peter Karrie, this actor acted much more naturally. Karrie acts too much, especially his hands, and his voice is old and rusty. I like clear voices. The actors playing Christine and Raoul were all right. So was La Carlotta. But the two Managers were not as good as those of the Hong Kong production.
The theatre was shabby.
The weather was very good this morning. I decided to take a walk before leaving for the airport. I walked on Kensington Road. Then I went to Green Park, which was really green. Because of the proximity, I also went to St James' Park. It was wonderful. I liked its water and lawns and birds very much. It was too bad that I could not spend more time there.
London was nice. I think I like it because I know the language and its systems are familiar to me. I felt easy there. It did not appear to be so foreign to me. Would it be too much if I say that it felt like home?
I also want to marked these -
- In Vienna, there were chestnuts, lots of them, on the road. In London, there were maple leaves, lots of them.
- Could "never as good as the first time" be true? I like the first European city I visited (Paris) most, and also the first grand museum (the Louvre), the first “Phantom” show I saw in Hong Kong.
20.9.95
17.9.95
17.9.95 (Sun)
I am now in the Hauptbahnhof of Frankfurt. It is now 6:40 am and I am kind of sleepy. I did not sleep well last night. Actually, I wonder if I slept at all. The facilities on the train were good but its movements annoyed me. Once, it stopped all of a sudden, making everything on the table fall on to the bed and the floor. But of course I appreciate the clean towels and bed linens. I had not been told when I purchased the ticket that breakfast would be included. It therefore seemed like a bonus. But I found it very difficult to rise at 5 am in the morning to get ready for the breakfast.
The weather was fine yesterday. I first walked around the Ring starting from the Opera House. I walked through the Volksgarten, Burggarten, past the Parliament, the museums, etc. It was quite a pleasant walk. After lunch, I joined a guided tour into the Opera House. The auditorium and the main staircase were gorgeous. Other parts were just ordinary. I wish I had visited the Opera House in Paris, too.
Then I visited the Art and History Museum at Neue Burg. The Egyptian collection was great. There was a little blue hippo which I particularly liked. I took a picture of it. The picture gallery was very large and I only have a faint idea of it. I managed to walk through all the open sections in the Museum. I found spending an afternoon in a museum quite meaningful, much better than just wandering on the streets and shopping. I stayed there until it was closed. Then I had nowhere to go.
It was painful to have three hours to kill but nothing to do. Going to a movie was out of the question because they were all in German. All shops were closed at 6 pm so I could not do any shopping either. Spending the hours in a coffee shop might be a good idea but it would take great patience to sit for such a long time alone over a cup of coffee. So I just walked. When I got tired, I ate. Then I walked again. Having had enough time-killing walking, I went to the Westbahnhof. Luckily I could get on the train at 9 pm, i.e. half hour before its departure. So finally I could sit down and rest.
It is only 7 am now, 4 hours before the departure of the flight to London.
The weather was fine yesterday. I first walked around the Ring starting from the Opera House. I walked through the Volksgarten, Burggarten, past the Parliament, the museums, etc. It was quite a pleasant walk. After lunch, I joined a guided tour into the Opera House. The auditorium and the main staircase were gorgeous. Other parts were just ordinary. I wish I had visited the Opera House in Paris, too.
Then I visited the Art and History Museum at Neue Burg. The Egyptian collection was great. There was a little blue hippo which I particularly liked. I took a picture of it. The picture gallery was very large and I only have a faint idea of it. I managed to walk through all the open sections in the Museum. I found spending an afternoon in a museum quite meaningful, much better than just wandering on the streets and shopping. I stayed there until it was closed. Then I had nowhere to go.
It was painful to have three hours to kill but nothing to do. Going to a movie was out of the question because they were all in German. All shops were closed at 6 pm so I could not do any shopping either. Spending the hours in a coffee shop might be a good idea but it would take great patience to sit for such a long time alone over a cup of coffee. So I just walked. When I got tired, I ate. Then I walked again. Having had enough time-killing walking, I went to the Westbahnhof. Luckily I could get on the train at 9 pm, i.e. half hour before its departure. So finally I could sit down and rest.
It is only 7 am now, 4 hours before the departure of the flight to London.
16.9.95
16.9.95 (Sat)
I am now in my room in Vienna. It is 8 am. I shall leave for the Westbahnhof in an hour to store my rucksack there. Then I will wander around the city. I will take a night train to Frankfurt tonight.
It was rainy and windy yesterday all the way through. It felt cold. Such weather was most discouraging to a tourist.
First I went to have a look at the Hundertwasser Haus. I don't think it was special or strange. A disappointment.
Then I went to see the Donau river. There were several branches of the river so I did not know really where to see. I got off the U-Bahn and walked around. I could not walk far because it was cold, wet and windy. The river was not scenic at all. Another disappointment.
Then I joined a guided tour in the Schloss Schonbrunn. It was quite good. I got to see the plain rooms of Franz Joseph I, the pictures of his very beautiful wife Empress Elisabeth, the many portraits of Empress Maria Theresa and her 16 (Whoa!) children, the richly decorated rooms, the Chinese influence and china collection in the Palace and listen to the stories. The garden behind the palace was also beautiful. I just saw the part closest to the palace but it should be very large.
After Schloss Schonbrunn, I returned to Stephansplatz and did window shopping. I thought of buying something but just did not feel like actually doing it. I could not carry too many things with me anyway.
Then by chance I discovered the entrance of the Stephan Dom (I usually missed the entrances of such places) so I went inside and had a look.
It appeared last night that this pension was also occupied by some others so I felt much easier.
The sky is clear and there is sunshine now. I hope the weather will be fine today.
I read the material about London in bed last night. I would have only about 2.5 days there yet I planned to tour around the city centre to see the major sights, go to the British Museum, visit Cambridge and Bath, and see "the Phantom of the Opera". There would be so little time and so much to do. I got anxious and nervous and almost could not sleep. I will try to work out a step-by-step detailed plan on my stay in London for easy and quick reference.
I have found out that I don't really need the British rail pass that I have. I just won't have the time to travel so much.
It was rainy and windy yesterday all the way through. It felt cold. Such weather was most discouraging to a tourist.
First I went to have a look at the Hundertwasser Haus. I don't think it was special or strange. A disappointment.
Then I went to see the Donau river. There were several branches of the river so I did not know really where to see. I got off the U-Bahn and walked around. I could not walk far because it was cold, wet and windy. The river was not scenic at all. Another disappointment.
Then I joined a guided tour in the Schloss Schonbrunn. It was quite good. I got to see the plain rooms of Franz Joseph I, the pictures of his very beautiful wife Empress Elisabeth, the many portraits of Empress Maria Theresa and her 16 (Whoa!) children, the richly decorated rooms, the Chinese influence and china collection in the Palace and listen to the stories. The garden behind the palace was also beautiful. I just saw the part closest to the palace but it should be very large.
After Schloss Schonbrunn, I returned to Stephansplatz and did window shopping. I thought of buying something but just did not feel like actually doing it. I could not carry too many things with me anyway.
Then by chance I discovered the entrance of the Stephan Dom (I usually missed the entrances of such places) so I went inside and had a look.
It appeared last night that this pension was also occupied by some others so I felt much easier.
The sky is clear and there is sunshine now. I hope the weather will be fine today.
I read the material about London in bed last night. I would have only about 2.5 days there yet I planned to tour around the city centre to see the major sights, go to the British Museum, visit Cambridge and Bath, and see "the Phantom of the Opera". There would be so little time and so much to do. I got anxious and nervous and almost could not sleep. I will try to work out a step-by-step detailed plan on my stay in London for easy and quick reference.
I have found out that I don't really need the British rail pass that I have. I just won't have the time to travel so much.
15.9.95
15.9.95 (Fri)
I am now at a coffee shop waiting for my cappuccino and cake. It is 4:10 pm. I suppose this is my lunch as I haven't had anything since breakfast.
I just phoned the hotel in London which I had written to earlier. I asked if I could have a room. The answer was "fully booked". Fine. I then phoned another hotel and made a reservation at £42 or £45 (don't remember) per night. Then I remembered that when I phoned the first hotel, I did not mentioned that I had written. So I phoned it again. It turned out that it was the only hotel which had actually reserved a room for me in response to my letters. I am not sure if this was good or bad luck. So I had to cancel the one and only successful "advance" reservation. The answer was OK. I hope it is really OK as I had given my credit card number to this one hotel.
I just phoned the hotel in London which I had written to earlier. I asked if I could have a room. The answer was "fully booked". Fine. I then phoned another hotel and made a reservation at £42 or £45 (don't remember) per night. Then I remembered that when I phoned the first hotel, I did not mentioned that I had written. So I phoned it again. It turned out that it was the only hotel which had actually reserved a room for me in response to my letters. I am not sure if this was good or bad luck. So I had to cancel the one and only successful "advance" reservation. The answer was OK. I hope it is really OK as I had given my credit card number to this one hotel.
14.9.95
14.9.95 (Thu)
It is now 8:35 am. I am on a train to Vienna. It will arrive there at 11:25 am.
I spent yesterday in Salzburg. The sights there were not impressive. I went to the castle up the hill but it was boring. Nor was I interested in Mozart's Birthplace (I did not even go in). I think I was kind of tired of museums. But generally speaking, Salzburg was beautiful. The narrow cobble-stone streets, the hills, the river and the houses. The place I liked most was the big chess grid at Kapitalgasse where local people really played chess there. I sat there several times to watch and rest.
I was much stronger yesterday. I could walk more and needed less rest. And I could eat much more.
When I strolled along Linzer Gazze, a beautiful old street where my hotel was located, I spotted this "Spaghetti Bolognaise" on a menu outside a cafe. Instantly I decided that I should have this as dinner. There was in fact an English menu in that cafe but I ordered the spaghetti anyway. The dish was so large that I could not finish it. And I remember that I had the very same food in Brugge as my one and only hot meal during my last trip in Europe. I hope this time I can have other hot meals, in London maybe. This meal was only AS 85, i.e. less than HKD 70.
After dinner, I went to see the move "Don Juan de Marco", which was of course in German. I found it a little bit boring because I had seen it before.
I did not sleep well last night, kept waking up in the middle of the night. The duvet was too warm and there were strange noises from outside the window or the bathroom, or the bathroom next door. I am not sure.
I have got quite sick of hotel breakfasts. They were all the same.
* * *
It is about 7 pm and I am in my room in Vienna. It is unfortunately located outside the heart of Vienna so I needed to spend almost two hours to find the way here from the Westbahnhof. It is not a hotel, but a pension with several rooms. Mine is on the top floor, with a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen-cum-bathroom and a toilet outside. The price is just AS 550 per night, unbelievably cheap. But then this is in a very quiet quarter about 10 minutes away from the nearest tram line. I have to walk up a sloped street to here. And it is very quiet even during the day.
It has been raining since about 2 pm and the rain is quite heavy. I just walked around the city centre and did nothing special. I was stopped on the street and persuaded to go to a concert of waltz held in the Stadtpark and was sold a student ticket at AS 300. The concert will begin at 8:30 pm but I wonder if I should go. It will end at around 10:30 pm, which means that I will have to walk all the way up back here alone at around 11:00 pm. I don't feel very comfortable about this. I should have thought about this when I bought the ticket.
I also bought a novel by Maeve Binchy from the British Bookshop. I was so happy in there when I saw all the books in a language that I understand. But the novel is a bit expensive at AS 150. In Hong Kong, it should cost less than HKD 100.
I don't understand why there was no light at all in the hall downstairs. And I have no idea where the light switch is.
* * *
I was back to the pension a little before 11 pm. The way up here almost scared the hell out of me. It was so quiet. Luckily, there were these heaven sent mother-and-children trio walking in front of me. This made me feel a bit easier. If I were a man or had a companion, I would not have to suffer this shit.
It is still raining.
The concert was held in the Kursalon-Stadtpark. It was not a modern concert hall, but a traditional hall that looked rather like a ballroom. There was no stage. The audience were seated around the orchestra. Amazingly, I could see no microphones or amplifiers. The orchestra consisted of only about 20 musicians. The conductor was a good-looking young man with heavy beard shadow who smiled all the way through. There were dance performances. The first surprise was that the male dancers in suits/tuxedos and leather shoes danced polka, waltz and even ballet (!). The second surprise was that at the middle of a piece the percussion man blew a horn several times. It was so loud that even the conductor covered his ears (but this was probably also part of the performance). The third surprise was that at the middle of a quick piece, the conductor and other male musicians shouted "ha ha ha" and "ho ho ho" with the music. The fourth was that at the encore score, the Blue Donau, the conductor danced first with a female dancer and then some lady audience. Then many couples went out to waltz. The last was that at the end, the conductor and many musicians and staff stood at the hallway and said goodbye to the audience.
The music was good and rich. And I think the performance was intended to be light and funny, not serious. The conductor even led the people to clap hands. I like this concert a lot.
I had never claimed to be a student. But the guy who sold me the ticket, judging from my appearance and probably my shabby clothes, said "Since you are a student" and then sold me the cheapest student ticket at AS 300. It was of course not expensive. And I guess I was probably the most "casually" dressed person at the concert.
Do I really look that young to the westerners? Back home I feel old in my office attire.
This pension is deadly quiet. I suspect I am the only one here apart from the owner. My imagination is running wild.
The rain has turned very heavy. There have also been some thunders. Will it be fine tomorrow? If it is fine tomorrow, I will visit the Schloss Schonbrunn. If not, museums.
I spent yesterday in Salzburg. The sights there were not impressive. I went to the castle up the hill but it was boring. Nor was I interested in Mozart's Birthplace (I did not even go in). I think I was kind of tired of museums. But generally speaking, Salzburg was beautiful. The narrow cobble-stone streets, the hills, the river and the houses. The place I liked most was the big chess grid at Kapitalgasse where local people really played chess there. I sat there several times to watch and rest.
I was much stronger yesterday. I could walk more and needed less rest. And I could eat much more.
When I strolled along Linzer Gazze, a beautiful old street where my hotel was located, I spotted this "Spaghetti Bolognaise" on a menu outside a cafe. Instantly I decided that I should have this as dinner. There was in fact an English menu in that cafe but I ordered the spaghetti anyway. The dish was so large that I could not finish it. And I remember that I had the very same food in Brugge as my one and only hot meal during my last trip in Europe. I hope this time I can have other hot meals, in London maybe. This meal was only AS 85, i.e. less than HKD 70.
After dinner, I went to see the move "Don Juan de Marco", which was of course in German. I found it a little bit boring because I had seen it before.
I did not sleep well last night, kept waking up in the middle of the night. The duvet was too warm and there were strange noises from outside the window or the bathroom, or the bathroom next door. I am not sure.
I have got quite sick of hotel breakfasts. They were all the same.
* * *
It is about 7 pm and I am in my room in Vienna. It is unfortunately located outside the heart of Vienna so I needed to spend almost two hours to find the way here from the Westbahnhof. It is not a hotel, but a pension with several rooms. Mine is on the top floor, with a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen-cum-bathroom and a toilet outside. The price is just AS 550 per night, unbelievably cheap. But then this is in a very quiet quarter about 10 minutes away from the nearest tram line. I have to walk up a sloped street to here. And it is very quiet even during the day.
It has been raining since about 2 pm and the rain is quite heavy. I just walked around the city centre and did nothing special. I was stopped on the street and persuaded to go to a concert of waltz held in the Stadtpark and was sold a student ticket at AS 300. The concert will begin at 8:30 pm but I wonder if I should go. It will end at around 10:30 pm, which means that I will have to walk all the way up back here alone at around 11:00 pm. I don't feel very comfortable about this. I should have thought about this when I bought the ticket.
I also bought a novel by Maeve Binchy from the British Bookshop. I was so happy in there when I saw all the books in a language that I understand. But the novel is a bit expensive at AS 150. In Hong Kong, it should cost less than HKD 100.
I don't understand why there was no light at all in the hall downstairs. And I have no idea where the light switch is.
* * *
I was back to the pension a little before 11 pm. The way up here almost scared the hell out of me. It was so quiet. Luckily, there were these heaven sent mother-and-children trio walking in front of me. This made me feel a bit easier. If I were a man or had a companion, I would not have to suffer this shit.
It is still raining.
The concert was held in the Kursalon-Stadtpark. It was not a modern concert hall, but a traditional hall that looked rather like a ballroom. There was no stage. The audience were seated around the orchestra. Amazingly, I could see no microphones or amplifiers. The orchestra consisted of only about 20 musicians. The conductor was a good-looking young man with heavy beard shadow who smiled all the way through. There were dance performances. The first surprise was that the male dancers in suits/tuxedos and leather shoes danced polka, waltz and even ballet (!). The second surprise was that at the middle of a piece the percussion man blew a horn several times. It was so loud that even the conductor covered his ears (but this was probably also part of the performance). The third surprise was that at the middle of a quick piece, the conductor and other male musicians shouted "ha ha ha" and "ho ho ho" with the music. The fourth was that at the encore score, the Blue Donau, the conductor danced first with a female dancer and then some lady audience. Then many couples went out to waltz. The last was that at the end, the conductor and many musicians and staff stood at the hallway and said goodbye to the audience.
The music was good and rich. And I think the performance was intended to be light and funny, not serious. The conductor even led the people to clap hands. I like this concert a lot.
I had never claimed to be a student. But the guy who sold me the ticket, judging from my appearance and probably my shabby clothes, said "Since you are a student" and then sold me the cheapest student ticket at AS 300. It was of course not expensive. And I guess I was probably the most "casually" dressed person at the concert.
Do I really look that young to the westerners? Back home I feel old in my office attire.
This pension is deadly quiet. I suspect I am the only one here apart from the owner. My imagination is running wild.
The rain has turned very heavy. There have also been some thunders. Will it be fine tomorrow? If it is fine tomorrow, I will visit the Schloss Schonbrunn. If not, museums.
13.9.95
13.9.95 (Wed)
I am now on a train to Salzburg.
I spent most of yesterday sleeping. It was a waste of time but I could not help it. I left the hotel at around 9 am, wanting to go to the Residenz. I had to wear my shorts because I had washed my jeans (the vomit). It was cold and very soon I felt sick. I could not make it to the Residenz and so I returned to the hotel. I threw myself onto the bed and slept.
I then went to the Residenz again at around 1 pm. But when I finally found the entrance, I did not quite feel like going in. So instead I went to the Deutsches Museum. It was like a large-size Science Museum of Hong Kong. I had a hot chocolate at the restaurant, sat there for a while and then headed for the exhibits. But before long I had to sit down to rest. And I almost fell asleep at once. Since I took no real interest in the science exhibits, and since I felt tired and sick, I left the museum at around 3 pm. I hurried back to the hotel and slept again.
My stomach and the surrounding muscles ached. I felt hungry but had no appetite. And I was afraid of eating anything that might make me throw up again.
I still feel unwell but I am less weak now. At least I don't feel so desperately sleepy.
It was a shame that my trip to Fussen was tarnished by this food poisoning thing. The Schloss Newschwanstein was quite beautiful, though I had to walk for 30 minutes up to the castle and wait in line for another 30 minutes to join the obligatory guided tour. But it was good to have a guide to tell me stories, like those about the handsome Konig Ludwig II.
I spent most of yesterday sleeping. It was a waste of time but I could not help it. I left the hotel at around 9 am, wanting to go to the Residenz. I had to wear my shorts because I had washed my jeans (the vomit). It was cold and very soon I felt sick. I could not make it to the Residenz and so I returned to the hotel. I threw myself onto the bed and slept.
I then went to the Residenz again at around 1 pm. But when I finally found the entrance, I did not quite feel like going in. So instead I went to the Deutsches Museum. It was like a large-size Science Museum of Hong Kong. I had a hot chocolate at the restaurant, sat there for a while and then headed for the exhibits. But before long I had to sit down to rest. And I almost fell asleep at once. Since I took no real interest in the science exhibits, and since I felt tired and sick, I left the museum at around 3 pm. I hurried back to the hotel and slept again.
My stomach and the surrounding muscles ached. I felt hungry but had no appetite. And I was afraid of eating anything that might make me throw up again.
I still feel unwell but I am less weak now. At least I don't feel so desperately sleepy.
It was a shame that my trip to Fussen was tarnished by this food poisoning thing. The Schloss Newschwanstein was quite beautiful, though I had to walk for 30 minutes up to the castle and wait in line for another 30 minutes to join the obligatory guided tour. But it was good to have a guide to tell me stories, like those about the handsome Konig Ludwig II.
12.9.95
12.9.95 (Tue)
I am now in my hotel room in Munich. It is about 7:50 am.
Last night was horrible. I went to Fussen during the day and had a tasty cheeseburger and a coke at around 1:40 pm as lunch. Then I took the 3:05 pm train back to Munich. I felt very sick on the train. I could hardly breathe. Then I went to the toilet to throw up. Surprisingly there was no water in the toilet so it was kind of dirty. I then moved to another compartment where the window was opened so that I could breathe more easily. Then I felt sick again. I used the newspaper that someone had left behind and threw up again. But still it was all over my jeans and the floor. It was terrible. I returned to the hotel and vomited six times. I had never known that it would take so much strength to throw up. My stomach practically turned over. The cheeseburger, the coke, water, pills, everything came out. All my muscles ached. I could not drink or eat because I would throw up whenever anything reached my stomach. I think I was almost dehydrated. I was so exhausted that I went to bed before 8 pm. Yet I had to get up several times to vomit. At around 4 am this morning, I finally felt better and took some pills. Then when I woke up again, I felt hungry and ate a banana. It tasted wonderful. I do not feel nauseous any more now, but the muscles, especially those around the stomach, ache. And still I feel very tired.
Last night was horrible. I went to Fussen during the day and had a tasty cheeseburger and a coke at around 1:40 pm as lunch. Then I took the 3:05 pm train back to Munich. I felt very sick on the train. I could hardly breathe. Then I went to the toilet to throw up. Surprisingly there was no water in the toilet so it was kind of dirty. I then moved to another compartment where the window was opened so that I could breathe more easily. Then I felt sick again. I used the newspaper that someone had left behind and threw up again. But still it was all over my jeans and the floor. It was terrible. I returned to the hotel and vomited six times. I had never known that it would take so much strength to throw up. My stomach practically turned over. The cheeseburger, the coke, water, pills, everything came out. All my muscles ached. I could not drink or eat because I would throw up whenever anything reached my stomach. I think I was almost dehydrated. I was so exhausted that I went to bed before 8 pm. Yet I had to get up several times to vomit. At around 4 am this morning, I finally felt better and took some pills. Then when I woke up again, I felt hungry and ate a banana. It tasted wonderful. I do not feel nauseous any more now, but the muscles, especially those around the stomach, ache. And still I feel very tired.
10.9.95
10.9.95 (Sun)
I am now in a McDonald's in Munich eating my dinner. Since all shops are closed on Sunday, I do not have many othe choices.
Isn't it amazing that I have just watched a movie "While you were sleeping" here? The movie has been dubbed in German, yet I think I understand most of it. It is not that I have learnt any German. It is just that the story of the film is simple. Anyone can guess it. I think I have only missed the details. I plan to watch it again back home. Though it is not such an outstanding movie, I need to know all of the story.
Before going to the movie, I went to Schloss Nymphenberg. It was not a really old palace. The structure was beautiful but not impressive. Then I took a bus to the Olympic Stadium, which was now a park. The place was crowded with local people. The stadium was ugly. I took two pictures and left.
The Munich old town centre around Marienplatz was beautiful. I am going to visit that area again to get a clearer picture.
The hotel that I am staying in is next to a busy shopping street. It is called Hotel Arosa and the room costs me DM 110 per night. It seems quite all right.
I am going to Fussen tomorrow. I will take the 7:53 am train and arrive there before 10 am. I don't have other plans because all museums will be closed on Monday. On Tuesday, I plan to go to the Deutsches Museum and the Residenz. And I think I have to give up Dachau. But I don't really mind because visiting sad places like a concentration camp is not my cup of tea.
Isn't it amazing that I have just watched a movie "While you were sleeping" here? The movie has been dubbed in German, yet I think I understand most of it. It is not that I have learnt any German. It is just that the story of the film is simple. Anyone can guess it. I think I have only missed the details. I plan to watch it again back home. Though it is not such an outstanding movie, I need to know all of the story.
Before going to the movie, I went to Schloss Nymphenberg. It was not a really old palace. The structure was beautiful but not impressive. Then I took a bus to the Olympic Stadium, which was now a park. The place was crowded with local people. The stadium was ugly. I took two pictures and left.
The Munich old town centre around Marienplatz was beautiful. I am going to visit that area again to get a clearer picture.
The hotel that I am staying in is next to a busy shopping street. It is called Hotel Arosa and the room costs me DM 110 per night. It seems quite all right.
I am going to Fussen tomorrow. I will take the 7:53 am train and arrive there before 10 am. I don't have other plans because all museums will be closed on Monday. On Tuesday, I plan to go to the Deutsches Museum and the Residenz. And I think I have to give up Dachau. But I don't really mind because visiting sad places like a concentration camp is not my cup of tea.
9.9.95
9.9.95 (Sat)
I am now on the Romantic Road. The tour has just left Wurzburg. We had stopped at the train station there for 15 minutes. But it was quite meaningless because one just could not see anything in 15 minutes, especially when the sights were not really around the station. I only had the time to walk around the square in front of the station and rush to the toilet. So I hardly have any impression on Wurzburg.
But it is comfortable to travel on a bus. I don't need to worry about train schedules and so on. I can even take a nap if I like. This is quite relaxing.
* * *
We have just stopped at a place called Weikersheim for about 20 minutes. There was a castle in the town which looked beautiful enough despite the rain. There were couples in wedding suits taking pictures in the castle. So I have learnt that people do the same thing all over the world. Having seen the castle, everyone seemed much more satisfied when they returned to the coach.
The shower has stopped and there is sunshine again. The weather is odd.
* * *
I am now in my hotel room in Rothenburg. It is 7:18 pm. I have just had some sausages on the street. But I plan to go out to the McDonald's later to have something more to eat and to see the Town Hall Tower strike the hour, which I think should worth a look. Isn't it great that there is practically a McDonald's everywhere? I don't need to worry about not knowing how to order in there. They are almost the same everywhere.
I arrived in Rothenburg at 12:40 pm. Then I tried to locate this hotel "Gasthof Butz" using the free tourist map. What is poor about the map is that not every street is labelled. So sometimes I did not even know where I was. With the direction of the tourist office, I finally found the hotel, which is very centrally located. There came another problem. I did not know how to enter the hotel. Going in from the entrance, I was in a dining hall. Going through the backyard, still people sat and ate there. There did not appear to be any reception area for me to check in. It turned out that the so-called reception was at the centre of the dining room, somewhere very unnoticeable. OK. I got to my room but then could not open the door with the great big key. With my rucksack on me, I sweated profusely. I ran downstairs to ask for help. The attendant listened to me in disbelief. He opened the door for me using the same key with just one "click", as easy as that. But I am always stupid with keys.
Rothenburg is beautiful. This weekend is a festival called "Reichsstadt Festtage", i.e. Imperial City Festival. A lot of local people were dressed in traditional clothes. They paraded on the streets, sang and shouted, and played historic scenes. The atmosphere was festive. The weather was odd. There was rain, then there was sunshine, then rain, then sunshine. Sometimes there were rain and sunshine at the same time. The people, mainly men, were in such a good spirit that they sang and shouted with drums and flutes in the heavy rain. They stood in the rain drinking black beers from barrels. Their spirit made me feel very cheerful. I felt so good that I even considered buying some souvenirs. But finally I did not buy any. I took many pictures. I hope the pictures will look good.
The one bad thing that happened was that I dropped my camera so hard that it bounced several times on the ground. The self-photo button was stuck inside the machine and all functions, including zooming and the most important photo-taking, failed. I was so sorry that I did not know what to do. I did not think that it was sensible to buy a camera here because it would be expensive and the choices would be limited. But it would be such a loss if I could not take any picture of these beautiful sights. In despair, I used my ball-pen to pick up the self-photo button. Magically, all the functions came back. I am grateful even if it is possible that the camera might have been damaged inside and the pictures ruined.
I walked through/around the town from north to south and east to west. It was a small place. Once I had got the idea, it was not necessary to use the map. Just as I said, the place was beautiful. So I've visited two very beautiful places so far, Heidelberg and Rothenburg.
As I have to check out the hotel before 10:30 am tomorrow and the town is so small, I went to the station to check the train schedule with a view to leaving early tomorrow. I cannot bring everything with me walking around waiting for the Europabus to depart at around 2 pm, can I? To my surprise, the station was closed, in broad daylight! The notices said that the station was only open in early morning and early afternoon. I could not even have a look at the timetable. So I went to the tourist office. It gave me the timetable on a nice printout. But when I said "thank you" and turned to leave, I was demanded to pay DM 2 for that sheet of paper. It was not even a reservation.
So I am leaving at 9:55 am tomorrow. It seems to be the first morning that I will not need to hurry off. I am going to enjoy the breakfast leisurely.
I did not really enjoy the tour on the Romantic Road. For most of the time, we were on highways. Otherwise, we just drove through the towns. One really could not see much that way. It will therefore be better for me to take a direct train to Munich tomorrow. I will arrive there before 1 pm, which is much, much earlier than if I take the bus, which will then be 8 pm. This way, I will have more time to spend on Munich, instead of sitting in a bus on highways.
It is strange that I don't like what others like so much, such as the cruise on the Rhine and the tour on the Romantic Road.
* * *
I went out at around 8 pm to see the Town Hall Tower strike the hour. It was funny that anyone would consider it interesting because there were just two dummies making limited movement, i.e. raising a mug or a bottle to the mouth.
After eating at the McDonald's, I had a little stroll. The streets were unbelievably full of people. It seemed that everyone was there. I took it that in a quiet town like this, people, especially tourists, really did not have many other activities at night. The streets were a little dark because there were not many street lamps. Yet I felt absolutely safe. Children were shouting and running on the streets. Local people, still in their costumes, sat together on the streets around a fire (!) drinking. It felt quiet, despite the kids' noises, and peaceful. It seemed that we were back to the middle age. The night was chilly but it was just the right feel.
I then returned to the hotel. While I was taking off my lenses, I heard loud boom-boom noises which sounded like gun shots. Not until I saw the smoke in the sky did I realize that it was a fireworks display. I practically ran to the street, carrying nothing with me. It was amazing to see the fireworks in so close a distance and under so dark a sky. The shooting was thunderous and the colours and patterns indescribably beautiful. It was such a surprise, such an unexpected treat to me. I was so happy. And I hugged myself (it was cold at night).
This day and this night in Rothenburg will make a very good memory.
But it is comfortable to travel on a bus. I don't need to worry about train schedules and so on. I can even take a nap if I like. This is quite relaxing.
* * *
We have just stopped at a place called Weikersheim for about 20 minutes. There was a castle in the town which looked beautiful enough despite the rain. There were couples in wedding suits taking pictures in the castle. So I have learnt that people do the same thing all over the world. Having seen the castle, everyone seemed much more satisfied when they returned to the coach.
The shower has stopped and there is sunshine again. The weather is odd.
* * *
I am now in my hotel room in Rothenburg. It is 7:18 pm. I have just had some sausages on the street. But I plan to go out to the McDonald's later to have something more to eat and to see the Town Hall Tower strike the hour, which I think should worth a look. Isn't it great that there is practically a McDonald's everywhere? I don't need to worry about not knowing how to order in there. They are almost the same everywhere.
I arrived in Rothenburg at 12:40 pm. Then I tried to locate this hotel "Gasthof Butz" using the free tourist map. What is poor about the map is that not every street is labelled. So sometimes I did not even know where I was. With the direction of the tourist office, I finally found the hotel, which is very centrally located. There came another problem. I did not know how to enter the hotel. Going in from the entrance, I was in a dining hall. Going through the backyard, still people sat and ate there. There did not appear to be any reception area for me to check in. It turned out that the so-called reception was at the centre of the dining room, somewhere very unnoticeable. OK. I got to my room but then could not open the door with the great big key. With my rucksack on me, I sweated profusely. I ran downstairs to ask for help. The attendant listened to me in disbelief. He opened the door for me using the same key with just one "click", as easy as that. But I am always stupid with keys.
Rothenburg is beautiful. This weekend is a festival called "Reichsstadt Festtage", i.e. Imperial City Festival. A lot of local people were dressed in traditional clothes. They paraded on the streets, sang and shouted, and played historic scenes. The atmosphere was festive. The weather was odd. There was rain, then there was sunshine, then rain, then sunshine. Sometimes there were rain and sunshine at the same time. The people, mainly men, were in such a good spirit that they sang and shouted with drums and flutes in the heavy rain. They stood in the rain drinking black beers from barrels. Their spirit made me feel very cheerful. I felt so good that I even considered buying some souvenirs. But finally I did not buy any. I took many pictures. I hope the pictures will look good.
The one bad thing that happened was that I dropped my camera so hard that it bounced several times on the ground. The self-photo button was stuck inside the machine and all functions, including zooming and the most important photo-taking, failed. I was so sorry that I did not know what to do. I did not think that it was sensible to buy a camera here because it would be expensive and the choices would be limited. But it would be such a loss if I could not take any picture of these beautiful sights. In despair, I used my ball-pen to pick up the self-photo button. Magically, all the functions came back. I am grateful even if it is possible that the camera might have been damaged inside and the pictures ruined.
I walked through/around the town from north to south and east to west. It was a small place. Once I had got the idea, it was not necessary to use the map. Just as I said, the place was beautiful. So I've visited two very beautiful places so far, Heidelberg and Rothenburg.
As I have to check out the hotel before 10:30 am tomorrow and the town is so small, I went to the station to check the train schedule with a view to leaving early tomorrow. I cannot bring everything with me walking around waiting for the Europabus to depart at around 2 pm, can I? To my surprise, the station was closed, in broad daylight! The notices said that the station was only open in early morning and early afternoon. I could not even have a look at the timetable. So I went to the tourist office. It gave me the timetable on a nice printout. But when I said "thank you" and turned to leave, I was demanded to pay DM 2 for that sheet of paper. It was not even a reservation.
So I am leaving at 9:55 am tomorrow. It seems to be the first morning that I will not need to hurry off. I am going to enjoy the breakfast leisurely.
I did not really enjoy the tour on the Romantic Road. For most of the time, we were on highways. Otherwise, we just drove through the towns. One really could not see much that way. It will therefore be better for me to take a direct train to Munich tomorrow. I will arrive there before 1 pm, which is much, much earlier than if I take the bus, which will then be 8 pm. This way, I will have more time to spend on Munich, instead of sitting in a bus on highways.
It is strange that I don't like what others like so much, such as the cruise on the Rhine and the tour on the Romantic Road.
* * *
I went out at around 8 pm to see the Town Hall Tower strike the hour. It was funny that anyone would consider it interesting because there were just two dummies making limited movement, i.e. raising a mug or a bottle to the mouth.
After eating at the McDonald's, I had a little stroll. The streets were unbelievably full of people. It seemed that everyone was there. I took it that in a quiet town like this, people, especially tourists, really did not have many other activities at night. The streets were a little dark because there were not many street lamps. Yet I felt absolutely safe. Children were shouting and running on the streets. Local people, still in their costumes, sat together on the streets around a fire (!) drinking. It felt quiet, despite the kids' noises, and peaceful. It seemed that we were back to the middle age. The night was chilly but it was just the right feel.
I then returned to the hotel. While I was taking off my lenses, I heard loud boom-boom noises which sounded like gun shots. Not until I saw the smoke in the sky did I realize that it was a fireworks display. I practically ran to the street, carrying nothing with me. It was amazing to see the fireworks in so close a distance and under so dark a sky. The shooting was thunderous and the colours and patterns indescribably beautiful. It was such a surprise, such an unexpected treat to me. I was so happy. And I hugged myself (it was cold at night).
This day and this night in Rothenburg will make a very good memory.
8.9.95
8.9.95 (Fri)
I am now on the KD boat. It is 8:40 am and the cruise will start at 9 am.
Thank God my eyes have by and large recovered and the weather today is quite fine, though cloudy. My prayers last night have been answered.
I am wearing my lenses now. My eyes are still a little bit red around the pupils. But it feels all right with the lenses on, just a little itchy because of the dryness I think.
* * *
Just when I was thinking that the weather was quite fine, it started to rain. It is 10:10 am now and still raining. I don't think it is going to stop during this journey. I sat on the deck at first. Then it rained and became chilly. I stayed up there for about an hour. Then it occurred to me that I could stand the coldness no longer. So I am now on the second level of the boat beside a big window. Here it is warm enough and I feel much more comfortable. The one bad thing here is that people smoke and I simply can't avoid the smoke.
* * *
I am now in a very old town called Bacherach. I am waiting alone on the platform for a train to Koblenz. Besides some staff, there is absolutely nobody else here in the station. It is now 12:06 pm and the train will be here at 12:19 pm.
I got off the boat because I found it very dull. I could not stay on the deck because of the weather, yet it was very suffocating inside the cabin with loads of Japanese tourists all around. I thought this would be a nice place to get off because, besides Mainz, it was the only place along the boat route that was singled out in Let's Go Europe. However, it seems to be a deserted town. I can see and hear nobody here in the station. It is kind of dreadful. Too quiet.
The boat trip from Mainz to Koblenz, which would last from 9 am to 14:55 pm, was too long. It would be fine if it lasted for two hours or so. The view on the Rhine was surely good but I just could not keep looking at these more or less the same views for hours.
* * *
I am now on the train to Koblenz. I think it is a pity that I did not enjoy the cruise very much. I think I might like it better if the weather was fine.
I really like riding on trains.
I think most of the towns in Germany look similar. There are the same old colourful buildings, castles and ruins. I am beginning to worry that I might find the Romantic Road boring. If I really do, I just might cut the second day and go straight from Rothenburg to Munich by train. This reminds me that I need to reserve a room in Munich. Oh yes, I also need to check the phone number of the British Midland Airways for booking reconfirmation.
This railway actually runs parallel to the Rhine. So I can see the river from here just as well.
It might not be normal for me to find so many things boring. There should be something other than novels that amuses me.
Thank God my eyes have by and large recovered and the weather today is quite fine, though cloudy. My prayers last night have been answered.
I am wearing my lenses now. My eyes are still a little bit red around the pupils. But it feels all right with the lenses on, just a little itchy because of the dryness I think.
* * *
Just when I was thinking that the weather was quite fine, it started to rain. It is 10:10 am now and still raining. I don't think it is going to stop during this journey. I sat on the deck at first. Then it rained and became chilly. I stayed up there for about an hour. Then it occurred to me that I could stand the coldness no longer. So I am now on the second level of the boat beside a big window. Here it is warm enough and I feel much more comfortable. The one bad thing here is that people smoke and I simply can't avoid the smoke.
* * *
I am now in a very old town called Bacherach. I am waiting alone on the platform for a train to Koblenz. Besides some staff, there is absolutely nobody else here in the station. It is now 12:06 pm and the train will be here at 12:19 pm.
I got off the boat because I found it very dull. I could not stay on the deck because of the weather, yet it was very suffocating inside the cabin with loads of Japanese tourists all around. I thought this would be a nice place to get off because, besides Mainz, it was the only place along the boat route that was singled out in Let's Go Europe. However, it seems to be a deserted town. I can see and hear nobody here in the station. It is kind of dreadful. Too quiet.
The boat trip from Mainz to Koblenz, which would last from 9 am to 14:55 pm, was too long. It would be fine if it lasted for two hours or so. The view on the Rhine was surely good but I just could not keep looking at these more or less the same views for hours.
* * *
I am now on the train to Koblenz. I think it is a pity that I did not enjoy the cruise very much. I think I might like it better if the weather was fine.
I really like riding on trains.
I think most of the towns in Germany look similar. There are the same old colourful buildings, castles and ruins. I am beginning to worry that I might find the Romantic Road boring. If I really do, I just might cut the second day and go straight from Rothenburg to Munich by train. This reminds me that I need to reserve a room in Munich. Oh yes, I also need to check the phone number of the British Midland Airways for booking reconfirmation.
This railway actually runs parallel to the Rhine. So I can see the river from here just as well.
It might not be normal for me to find so many things boring. There should be something other than novels that amuses me.
7.9.95
7.9.95 (Thu)
I am now in my room in Frankfurt. It is 7:40 pm.
Somehow I don't really feel like writing these days. Maybe it is because I am reading an interesting novel and I want to keep on reading it whenever possible.
I arrived in Frankfurt before 2 pm yesterday. Before that, I took a train from Duisburg, which had arrived 30 minutes late. I shared a compartment with a tall middle-aged German. He was married (he wore a ring), unfortunately, and commonly good-looking, just like many other Germans. It was embarrassing to be in a compartment with a stranger for as long as three hours. I was stupid not to move to another compartment. The speechless air was heavy. The man got off at Koblenz and said goodbye to me. I murmured something in reply. I was relieved when he was gone.
The hotel I am in is called "Luxor". I had booked this room from Hong Kong at a price of HKD 620 per night. Here the price is DM 300 per night, i.e. over HKD 1,500. The difference is quite unimaginable. This is not a bad hotel, quite adequately equipped.
Yesterday was an exhausting day. After checking in the hotel, I went out to walk around the place. There was not much to see, just some old buildings around Romerberg. They were well restored but looked rather artificial. While I was reading my map with some difficulty on the street, a German woman offered to help. That was nice, though not necessary.
I think it is quite an achievement that I have made a reservation of the Europabus, sorted out the train timetable and made a hotel reservation at Rothenburg all by myself. Things have got quite difficult because I know nothing about German, not a word. And the information I have is unclear/insufficient. For instance, the guidebook says the Europabus office is on the right of the station, so did the tourist office. But I just could not find it. At last, after a laborious search, I found that it was on the very far end of the right side of the railway station.
I fell asleep very quickly last night. My tiredness was completely out of control. When I woke up, it was already 4 am and I had not applied the ointment to the eyes before sleeping.
The breakfast of this hotel was a buffet. Not bad. But unluckily, I did not and will not have much time to enjoy it during my stay.
I visited Heidelberg today. It was a beautiful city. Green on the surrounding hills, colourful along the streets. Clean and peaceful. The weather was agreeable with light stroking wind.
I walked around the town and got up to the castle. I crossed the Neckar river on the Alte Brucke. Then I made a very unwise decision to go to the Philosophenweg. I had to climb a very steep, narrow, long cobble-stone staircase/slope to the place only to find that it was just a trail uphill along the river. Sure the view of the old city was nice but I had not expected such an exhausting walk.
I was not sure what S-Bahn was. I thought that it was the tram. But now I know that S-Bahn are just slower or light trains that run local networks. With Eurail Pass I can take these S-Bahn free of charge. But before I found out this, I had taken the tram in Heidelberg without paying the fee. I had suspected that it was wrong but decided to take the risk simply because I was too tired to go on walking.
I then went to Mainz, mainly to inspect the route I have to take tomorrow to go from the Mainz Sud Station to the KD ferry pier. It started to rain when I arrived in Mainz and it lasted all the way through. Mainz was a small place. I took a picture of a beautiful red-brick building. But I don't know what exactly it is because its name on the map is in German.
I am going to take the boat trip from Mainz to Koblenz tomorrow. I hope that the weather will be fine and that my eyes have recovered by then.
Somehow I don't really feel like writing these days. Maybe it is because I am reading an interesting novel and I want to keep on reading it whenever possible.
I arrived in Frankfurt before 2 pm yesterday. Before that, I took a train from Duisburg, which had arrived 30 minutes late. I shared a compartment with a tall middle-aged German. He was married (he wore a ring), unfortunately, and commonly good-looking, just like many other Germans. It was embarrassing to be in a compartment with a stranger for as long as three hours. I was stupid not to move to another compartment. The speechless air was heavy. The man got off at Koblenz and said goodbye to me. I murmured something in reply. I was relieved when he was gone.
The hotel I am in is called "Luxor". I had booked this room from Hong Kong at a price of HKD 620 per night. Here the price is DM 300 per night, i.e. over HKD 1,500. The difference is quite unimaginable. This is not a bad hotel, quite adequately equipped.
Yesterday was an exhausting day. After checking in the hotel, I went out to walk around the place. There was not much to see, just some old buildings around Romerberg. They were well restored but looked rather artificial. While I was reading my map with some difficulty on the street, a German woman offered to help. That was nice, though not necessary.
I think it is quite an achievement that I have made a reservation of the Europabus, sorted out the train timetable and made a hotel reservation at Rothenburg all by myself. Things have got quite difficult because I know nothing about German, not a word. And the information I have is unclear/insufficient. For instance, the guidebook says the Europabus office is on the right of the station, so did the tourist office. But I just could not find it. At last, after a laborious search, I found that it was on the very far end of the right side of the railway station.
I fell asleep very quickly last night. My tiredness was completely out of control. When I woke up, it was already 4 am and I had not applied the ointment to the eyes before sleeping.
The breakfast of this hotel was a buffet. Not bad. But unluckily, I did not and will not have much time to enjoy it during my stay.
I visited Heidelberg today. It was a beautiful city. Green on the surrounding hills, colourful along the streets. Clean and peaceful. The weather was agreeable with light stroking wind.
I walked around the town and got up to the castle. I crossed the Neckar river on the Alte Brucke. Then I made a very unwise decision to go to the Philosophenweg. I had to climb a very steep, narrow, long cobble-stone staircase/slope to the place only to find that it was just a trail uphill along the river. Sure the view of the old city was nice but I had not expected such an exhausting walk.
I was not sure what S-Bahn was. I thought that it was the tram. But now I know that S-Bahn are just slower or light trains that run local networks. With Eurail Pass I can take these S-Bahn free of charge. But before I found out this, I had taken the tram in Heidelberg without paying the fee. I had suspected that it was wrong but decided to take the risk simply because I was too tired to go on walking.
I then went to Mainz, mainly to inspect the route I have to take tomorrow to go from the Mainz Sud Station to the KD ferry pier. It started to rain when I arrived in Mainz and it lasted all the way through. Mainz was a small place. I took a picture of a beautiful red-brick building. But I don't know what exactly it is because its name on the map is in German.
I am going to take the boat trip from Mainz to Koblenz tomorrow. I hope that the weather will be fine and that my eyes have recovered by then.
6.9.95
6.9.95 (Wed)
I am now on a train heading for Interlaken. I will take another train to Frankfurt at a place called Duisburg. The whole trip will last for five hours. I am thinking maybe I might get off at Koln or Bonn. But most probably I will not because I don't want to rush.
I have not written in the past two days mainly because of the fatigue and my eye infection. I was so tired on the first night in Amsterdam that I fell asleep right after shower and dinner when I was actually trying to do some calculation.
I am going to record things in chronological order.
First, I arrived in Schipol Airport of Amsterdam. The immigration officers examined my passport for quite a while. With a BNO passport, I did not need a visa to get into the Netherlands. But then they saw that I had a visa for Schengener States issued by the German Consulate in Hong Kong which was not yet valid (it would be valid from 6.9.95). I think it puzzled them. Finally they stamped the entry permission on that visa.
Then I went to make some train arrangement. Along the queue was an Asian man several places behind me. He started to chat with me in English with a good accent. He was a Korean. He asked me where I was from and stuff like that. Then I met him again on the platform while I was waiting for the train to Amsterdam Central Station. We talked again about general travel stuff. On the train I told him my name, written in both English and Chinese. Then he said his name was Lee Dong Ik. We parted at the Central Station.
I went to this Hotel von Onna which I had telephoned in the airport. I could not have the room until 1 pm. But the charge was really low, well, at least in my standard, only f60 per night, that was less than HKD 300 per night. The room was sparsely furnished but clean. I had a private shower and WC. The neighbourhood was quiet and nice (it was in the Jordaan area). Generally, it was not bad.
I then just walked around. I went to the Dam, Damrak and some shopping streets. The temperature was all right but I sweated when I walked in the sunshine. But then it would be chilly when there was wind. There were also some unexpected showers.
I also went past the Palace, into the Magna Plaza, and the Van Gogh Museum. The Museum was all right. The Magna Plaza was very much like the Western Market in Hong Kong, i.e. a restored old-building-turned-shopping-centre. According to Let's Go Europe, the National Museum should be closed on Monday. But it was open. But it was too late to get in when I discovered this.
The places I like most were the Spui, a shopping street, and the area around the Universitat von Amsterdam. I don't like Damrak much. But the Central Station was a pretty building, better than the Palace in my opinion.
On my way back to the hotel I found that I had lost my strippenkaart. I was very frustrated. Then I decided to walk and it took me almost an hour to reach the hotel (well I was lost on the way). I was worn out when I reached the hotel.
My eyes smarted and red, my legs and feet ached, I was not in a great shape that night.
The next morning I felt better. I had a nice long sleep for over ten hours and my eyes had recovered quite a bit with the ointment I had applied the previous night.
I went to Den Haag. I went to the Parliament but did not get inside, the Peace Palace (it was not open that day) and the Madurodam. The Madurodam was disappointing. I had no interest in the models at all. I had not expected that it was such a small place. It took me so long to get there but I left it in half an hour.
On my way back to Den Haag Central Station, I found that I had lost the strippenkaart which I had bought just that morning. Again!! I had only used it once in Den Haag and I lost it. I felt terrible and angry at myself. I bought a third strippenkaart in Den Haag Central Station and I promised myself that I would not lose it.
I then went to Zaanse Schaanz to see the windmills. Well, I did see several windmills and take some pictures. But the place was sort of too boring for me.
While I was waiting for the train back to Amsterdam, I met that Korean again, this time with a man from New Zealand. Anyway, we chatted on the platform and the train and said goodbye at the station.
I then rushed to the National Museum. I arrived there at 4:30 pm, half hour before closing time. The guard at the entrance, a kind-looking man, told me that the museum was about to close. I handed him the fee but he just waved me in, for free. Of course, it was impossible to see anything meaningful in 30 minutes. It was just having-been-there.
The Dutch people were generally kind, helpful and easy-going. The one thing I liked most was that many men cut their hair very short and trim it very close to the scalp, which made them look like ancient Roman sculptures. Feather-like hair. That is the style I like best.
I have not written in the past two days mainly because of the fatigue and my eye infection. I was so tired on the first night in Amsterdam that I fell asleep right after shower and dinner when I was actually trying to do some calculation.
I am going to record things in chronological order.
First, I arrived in Schipol Airport of Amsterdam. The immigration officers examined my passport for quite a while. With a BNO passport, I did not need a visa to get into the Netherlands. But then they saw that I had a visa for Schengener States issued by the German Consulate in Hong Kong which was not yet valid (it would be valid from 6.9.95). I think it puzzled them. Finally they stamped the entry permission on that visa.
Then I went to make some train arrangement. Along the queue was an Asian man several places behind me. He started to chat with me in English with a good accent. He was a Korean. He asked me where I was from and stuff like that. Then I met him again on the platform while I was waiting for the train to Amsterdam Central Station. We talked again about general travel stuff. On the train I told him my name, written in both English and Chinese. Then he said his name was Lee Dong Ik. We parted at the Central Station.
I went to this Hotel von Onna which I had telephoned in the airport. I could not have the room until 1 pm. But the charge was really low, well, at least in my standard, only f60 per night, that was less than HKD 300 per night. The room was sparsely furnished but clean. I had a private shower and WC. The neighbourhood was quiet and nice (it was in the Jordaan area). Generally, it was not bad.
I then just walked around. I went to the Dam, Damrak and some shopping streets. The temperature was all right but I sweated when I walked in the sunshine. But then it would be chilly when there was wind. There were also some unexpected showers.
I also went past the Palace, into the Magna Plaza, and the Van Gogh Museum. The Museum was all right. The Magna Plaza was very much like the Western Market in Hong Kong, i.e. a restored old-building-turned-shopping-centre. According to Let's Go Europe, the National Museum should be closed on Monday. But it was open. But it was too late to get in when I discovered this.
The places I like most were the Spui, a shopping street, and the area around the Universitat von Amsterdam. I don't like Damrak much. But the Central Station was a pretty building, better than the Palace in my opinion.
On my way back to the hotel I found that I had lost my strippenkaart. I was very frustrated. Then I decided to walk and it took me almost an hour to reach the hotel (well I was lost on the way). I was worn out when I reached the hotel.
My eyes smarted and red, my legs and feet ached, I was not in a great shape that night.
The next morning I felt better. I had a nice long sleep for over ten hours and my eyes had recovered quite a bit with the ointment I had applied the previous night.
I went to Den Haag. I went to the Parliament but did not get inside, the Peace Palace (it was not open that day) and the Madurodam. The Madurodam was disappointing. I had no interest in the models at all. I had not expected that it was such a small place. It took me so long to get there but I left it in half an hour.
On my way back to Den Haag Central Station, I found that I had lost the strippenkaart which I had bought just that morning. Again!! I had only used it once in Den Haag and I lost it. I felt terrible and angry at myself. I bought a third strippenkaart in Den Haag Central Station and I promised myself that I would not lose it.
I then went to Zaanse Schaanz to see the windmills. Well, I did see several windmills and take some pictures. But the place was sort of too boring for me.
While I was waiting for the train back to Amsterdam, I met that Korean again, this time with a man from New Zealand. Anyway, we chatted on the platform and the train and said goodbye at the station.
I then rushed to the National Museum. I arrived there at 4:30 pm, half hour before closing time. The guard at the entrance, a kind-looking man, told me that the museum was about to close. I handed him the fee but he just waved me in, for free. Of course, it was impossible to see anything meaningful in 30 minutes. It was just having-been-there.
The Dutch people were generally kind, helpful and easy-going. The one thing I liked most was that many men cut their hair very short and trim it very close to the scalp, which made them look like ancient Roman sculptures. Feather-like hair. That is the style I like best.
3.9.95
3.9.95 (Sun)
I am now on my second flight to Amsterdam. It takes over 13 hours to get there and there are still 11 hours to go. It is awful. My infected eyes are as red as a rabbit's and I dare not even look at myself in the mirror. I am given a window seat but there is, of course, nothing to see at such a height in the sky and also in the middle of the night. The lady sitting beside me seems to be badly in need of sleep so it would be rude for me to disturb her to even get to the toilet. I am practically confined to this damn seat. It is truly awful. I don't know how to get through this ordeal. It is too bright to sleep. I have nothing to cover my eyes. The only good thing is that the seats here on a 747 seem much more comfortable than those of the MD11 which I have just taken to fly to Kuala Lumpur. Plus, this airline provides warm bread. It is disgusting just to think of the cold, hard bread of the British Airways.
I wish I had someone to chat with. I have just realized that I will have no conversation in the coming three weeks. I think, if I had a choice, I would not have chosen to be a lone traveller. It is hard to bear just imagining it. I thought I would be free. But it appears that I will be too free.
Must sleep.
I wish I had someone to chat with. I have just realized that I will have no conversation in the coming three weeks. I think, if I had a choice, I would not have chosen to be a lone traveller. It is hard to bear just imagining it. I thought I would be free. But it appears that I will be too free.
Must sleep.
27.5.95
27.5.95 (Sat)
It is 7:45 am and I am in my hotel room having a huge breakfast with croissants, baguette and tea, portion for two. The room can accommodate up to three persons as there are a double and a single beds here.
I left Geneve at around 10 am yesterday and took the TGV to Paris. I have not seen much in Geneve, or before that in Bern. It seems to me that 25.5.95 was just a day for me to move from one place to another and to check into yet another hotel.
I arrived in Paris in the afternoon. While looking for a telephone, I was stopped by a black man who asked me to sign on something for a campaign for Rwanda. Only after I had signed it did I realize that I had to donate some money too. I could not get away with it so I gave him 50 FF (should have given him 20 FF instead). He asked for a hundred but I refused. I hope the money really goes to Rwanda as he claimed. Another unpleasant experience.
I called a total of four hotels introduced by "Let's Go Europe" but all were full. No joking. I turned to the Tourist Office and its staff made no fewer than five or six calls but all of those hotels were full. Just as she was about to give up, this hotel "Suez" had a room for me at 435 FF. I took it without hesitation. I was really grateful to the Tourist Office. Looking back, I was very lucky to have found a room right away on the first day the I had arrived in Paris. Maybe it was because I had arrived very early that day.
I then went to see l'Opera de la Bastille. It was just a common modern building. Then I went to Bd. Haussman and walked a little in the giant department stores. I busied myself with buying a T-shirt and my dinner. Around 7 pm, the street was filled with crowds. People rushed into shops for last-minute shopping. I think the early closing time makes life considerably less easy here. But then the shops here open as early as at 8:30 am, a time too early for shopping.
I treated myself to a three-course dinner last night. The appetizer was a prawn salad from Marks & Spencer (15 FF). The main course was a baguette sandwich with ham/tomato/lettuce (22 FF). The dessert was a yoghurt with fruit. On the side were sparkling mineral water and CNN news. This was what abundance meant. Actually, I swallowed the yoghurt not without difficulty.
This is the last day of my vacation. I am going to take a flight to London tonight and from there fly back home.
Though the days so far have been somewhat boring (but with moments of happiness and excitement), having a vacation is something to be happy about.
I will just walk around Paris again today. Then I will take a train from Gare du Nord to the CDG Airport. The flying has already begun to frighten me. I hope there will be good movies on the flight.
* * *
I am now in the waiting area of Heathrow Airport Terminal 4, waiting to board the flight back to Hong Kong. What could be better than actually flying in the sky on a weekend? This is what I am going to do. The only difference is that I will be locked in a steel big bird for about 13 hours. I will be busy to see four movies and sleep occasionally. I will be back home for a real dinner on Sunday night and back to work on Monday. Simply thinking about working makes me sort of sick. One is bound to grow to hate working after a vacation.
* * *
I am now on the plane and feeling very very hungry. I get hungry very easily these days. I have just eaten on the previous flight.
I have been given a window seat which I at first did not like. But it turned out that the other two seats on the same row were free. So I have three seats to myself and can now lie down. Seems great.
I spent the last day of my vacation in Paris. I checked out of the hotel after 9 am in order to avoid the morning traffic, not realizing that it was a Saturday. First I locked my luggage at the Gare du Nord. Then I went to see le Grand Arc de la Defence. The building looked huge and grand in a blue-sky-white-cloud background. But I did not quite feel like going up there. That area was filled with new and tall buildings, a commercial centre like Hong Kong. I liked that place instantly because it was clean and modern.
The day was hot. After the Grand Arc, I strolled a little at Champs-Elysees and had a milk shake at Haagen Daz again. Then I had a little walk in the complex of the Louvre, the Tuilleries, pretty much like the first day. And I walked to Bd Haussman again to sort of continue last evening's shopping. But the place was impossibly crowded and all department stores swarmed with shoppers because it was Saturday. More terrible was that there did not seem to be enough ventilation so it was warm like hell inside. The heat robbed me of my appetite for shopping. I found it so hard to breathe in the crowd that I lifted my head for some more air. That is how I discovered the dome of the Galaries of Lafayette and it was beautiful. Otherwise, it was no different from other department stores to me.
At about 4:30 pm I was starving and so I had a fast-food lunch (late this time) at the "Quick" near the Gare St Lazare. Then I started off for the Gare du Nord where my luggage was. I was so exhausted by that time that I took a wrong metro line. I had spent minutes waiting on the wrong platform yet I had not realized it. I was that exhausted.
There must be something wrong with my Eurail Pass as it kept failing me with rides connected with the RER. The SNCF has trains, operated jointly with the RER, to Roissy Airport. But the SNCF staff told me that I could not take those trains free with my Eurail Pass after checking it, though another staff told me the previous day that I certainly could. So I had to pay 39.5 FF for the RER train fair. Having paid that fare, I found myself almost franc-less. So I rushed to Thomas Cook to exchange a Traveller Cheque as I just remembered that I had to pay the airport tax. The exchange rate was not good and I was charged a service charge of 10 FF, i.e. over 10 % of the total amount exchanged. Alas, it turned out that I did not need to pay the tax because it was already included in the air ticket.
I left Geneve at around 10 am yesterday and took the TGV to Paris. I have not seen much in Geneve, or before that in Bern. It seems to me that 25.5.95 was just a day for me to move from one place to another and to check into yet another hotel.
I arrived in Paris in the afternoon. While looking for a telephone, I was stopped by a black man who asked me to sign on something for a campaign for Rwanda. Only after I had signed it did I realize that I had to donate some money too. I could not get away with it so I gave him 50 FF (should have given him 20 FF instead). He asked for a hundred but I refused. I hope the money really goes to Rwanda as he claimed. Another unpleasant experience.
I called a total of four hotels introduced by "Let's Go Europe" but all were full. No joking. I turned to the Tourist Office and its staff made no fewer than five or six calls but all of those hotels were full. Just as she was about to give up, this hotel "Suez" had a room for me at 435 FF. I took it without hesitation. I was really grateful to the Tourist Office. Looking back, I was very lucky to have found a room right away on the first day the I had arrived in Paris. Maybe it was because I had arrived very early that day.
I then went to see l'Opera de la Bastille. It was just a common modern building. Then I went to Bd. Haussman and walked a little in the giant department stores. I busied myself with buying a T-shirt and my dinner. Around 7 pm, the street was filled with crowds. People rushed into shops for last-minute shopping. I think the early closing time makes life considerably less easy here. But then the shops here open as early as at 8:30 am, a time too early for shopping.
I treated myself to a three-course dinner last night. The appetizer was a prawn salad from Marks & Spencer (15 FF). The main course was a baguette sandwich with ham/tomato/lettuce (22 FF). The dessert was a yoghurt with fruit. On the side were sparkling mineral water and CNN news. This was what abundance meant. Actually, I swallowed the yoghurt not without difficulty.
This is the last day of my vacation. I am going to take a flight to London tonight and from there fly back home.
Though the days so far have been somewhat boring (but with moments of happiness and excitement), having a vacation is something to be happy about.
I will just walk around Paris again today. Then I will take a train from Gare du Nord to the CDG Airport. The flying has already begun to frighten me. I hope there will be good movies on the flight.
* * *
I am now in the waiting area of Heathrow Airport Terminal 4, waiting to board the flight back to Hong Kong. What could be better than actually flying in the sky on a weekend? This is what I am going to do. The only difference is that I will be locked in a steel big bird for about 13 hours. I will be busy to see four movies and sleep occasionally. I will be back home for a real dinner on Sunday night and back to work on Monday. Simply thinking about working makes me sort of sick. One is bound to grow to hate working after a vacation.
* * *
I am now on the plane and feeling very very hungry. I get hungry very easily these days. I have just eaten on the previous flight.
I have been given a window seat which I at first did not like. But it turned out that the other two seats on the same row were free. So I have three seats to myself and can now lie down. Seems great.
I spent the last day of my vacation in Paris. I checked out of the hotel after 9 am in order to avoid the morning traffic, not realizing that it was a Saturday. First I locked my luggage at the Gare du Nord. Then I went to see le Grand Arc de la Defence. The building looked huge and grand in a blue-sky-white-cloud background. But I did not quite feel like going up there. That area was filled with new and tall buildings, a commercial centre like Hong Kong. I liked that place instantly because it was clean and modern.
The day was hot. After the Grand Arc, I strolled a little at Champs-Elysees and had a milk shake at Haagen Daz again. Then I had a little walk in the complex of the Louvre, the Tuilleries, pretty much like the first day. And I walked to Bd Haussman again to sort of continue last evening's shopping. But the place was impossibly crowded and all department stores swarmed with shoppers because it was Saturday. More terrible was that there did not seem to be enough ventilation so it was warm like hell inside. The heat robbed me of my appetite for shopping. I found it so hard to breathe in the crowd that I lifted my head for some more air. That is how I discovered the dome of the Galaries of Lafayette and it was beautiful. Otherwise, it was no different from other department stores to me.
At about 4:30 pm I was starving and so I had a fast-food lunch (late this time) at the "Quick" near the Gare St Lazare. Then I started off for the Gare du Nord where my luggage was. I was so exhausted by that time that I took a wrong metro line. I had spent minutes waiting on the wrong platform yet I had not realized it. I was that exhausted.
There must be something wrong with my Eurail Pass as it kept failing me with rides connected with the RER. The SNCF has trains, operated jointly with the RER, to Roissy Airport. But the SNCF staff told me that I could not take those trains free with my Eurail Pass after checking it, though another staff told me the previous day that I certainly could. So I had to pay 39.5 FF for the RER train fair. Having paid that fare, I found myself almost franc-less. So I rushed to Thomas Cook to exchange a Traveller Cheque as I just remembered that I had to pay the airport tax. The exchange rate was not good and I was charged a service charge of 10 FF, i.e. over 10 % of the total amount exchanged. Alas, it turned out that I did not need to pay the tax because it was already included in the air ticket.
25.5.95
25.5.95 (Thu)
I am now on a train heading for Bern. The train will depart at 8:13 am and arrive in Bern before 9:30 am. I plan to spend two to three hours touring around and then catch the train to Geneve. From there, I will take the TGV back to Paris tomorrow.
Yesterday was an exhausting day. I went up Mt Pilatus, which was covered with dirty melting snow. The trip up the top in the cogwheel train was exciting. The view up there was majestic. I could see a range of snow mountains which, I guess, were the Alps. I got hold of my first handful of snow. It felt cold and was just like ordinary ice I saw everywhere else. It was hot up on the top. I brought almost all jackets with me but it turned out that I kept sweating all the way in my short-sleeved T-shirt. And I was sunburnt, my face, my arms and my hands in particular. I took many pictures. Since I am a photo-idiot, I can't guarantee the quality of the pictures. But pictures are nothing. Having been there is what matters.
After the mountain trip (the downhill cable-car trip was boring), I spent a little more than one hour to walk around the town. I saw many Chinese on the streets, obviously from Hong Kong. The place was small and shops were already closed around 5 pm. I hunted for food in fear of starving and now I have with me plenty of food I could not consume last night. But it is all right as today is a holiday.
The hotel I was in last night cost me 112 SF, plus 10 SF booking fee. It was a nice room with a particularly satisfying shower, i.e. I could really adjust the temperature of the water, and many towels. The room looked down to a narrow street perpendicular to the river side. Since today is a holiday, it sounded like a carnival last night. I enjoyed free music flowing in from the river side and occasional uproar of cheers. Too bad that I could not join the crowd because I was alone.
* * *
It is 4:35 pm. I am sitting in Cathedrale St Pierre in Geneve because it is raining outside after the hot morning and afternoon. I will wait here till the rain stops.
I went to Bern this morning, thinking that maybe I would stay there for the night, but left there in less than two hours and came to Geneve. Since it is a holiday today, both places seem to have lost their glamour. It was very, very quiet in Bern and quite quiet over here with 90% of the shops closed.
While I strolled by the lake of Geneve this afternoon, a middle-aged man approached me and asked, with an accent, for my map. I let him look at it. He asked where a place was and to his surprise, and to my own too, I was able to point at the place on the map really fast. He asked me if I had been in Geneve long and I told him that I was leaving tomorrow. He asked if I was a Japanese and I said no. Then I hurried away. Only then did I realize that he didn't really want to look at the map. He told me that he had been in Geneve for two weeks for business so it would be quite impossible that he did not know where he was. It was the LAKEside after all. He was just trying to have a conversation, and then maybe something more. This was not a very pleasant encounter.
I have checked into a hotel called "Montana" near the station. It is a three-star hotel charging 110 SF per night. When I checked in, I asked the lady at the reception to give me a good room because I was kind of tired of shabby hotels (it is unfair to say that the hotels that I have stayed in were shabby. But I need more comfort now that I have travelled for so long.) So she gave me a really nice room that is worth, as she claimed, 130 SF. It is clean, large, with full facilities and an acceptable view. I am really grateful for this.
* * *
I left the Cathedral but it was still raining. Finding shelter on the way, I walked back to the lakeside. Then I stopped at a cinema and studied the poster of "Little Women" (because there were no better things to do). Then an elderly lady by my side started asking me if the movie was good, first in French, then in English. I replied that I had no idea as I had not yet seen it, but recommended another movie "Priest". The lady said she had seen it already and that it was a good movie. We chatted for a little while and then she went to buy her ticket for the 5 pm show. I skipped away. I feel all right talking to strangers but deep down I am an introvert who avoids personal contacts, especially with strangers.
It is very boring here in Geneve. All the shops except a few are closed. People have nowhere to go and nothing to do. Even an old lady would start chatting with a stranger like me. People here, no matter young or old, just stroll on the streets, quite aimlessly as it seems to me, and eat ice-cream. Otherwise they sit in a cafe, have a drink and then chat endlessly.
Yesterday was an exhausting day. I went up Mt Pilatus, which was covered with dirty melting snow. The trip up the top in the cogwheel train was exciting. The view up there was majestic. I could see a range of snow mountains which, I guess, were the Alps. I got hold of my first handful of snow. It felt cold and was just like ordinary ice I saw everywhere else. It was hot up on the top. I brought almost all jackets with me but it turned out that I kept sweating all the way in my short-sleeved T-shirt. And I was sunburnt, my face, my arms and my hands in particular. I took many pictures. Since I am a photo-idiot, I can't guarantee the quality of the pictures. But pictures are nothing. Having been there is what matters.
After the mountain trip (the downhill cable-car trip was boring), I spent a little more than one hour to walk around the town. I saw many Chinese on the streets, obviously from Hong Kong. The place was small and shops were already closed around 5 pm. I hunted for food in fear of starving and now I have with me plenty of food I could not consume last night. But it is all right as today is a holiday.
The hotel I was in last night cost me 112 SF, plus 10 SF booking fee. It was a nice room with a particularly satisfying shower, i.e. I could really adjust the temperature of the water, and many towels. The room looked down to a narrow street perpendicular to the river side. Since today is a holiday, it sounded like a carnival last night. I enjoyed free music flowing in from the river side and occasional uproar of cheers. Too bad that I could not join the crowd because I was alone.
* * *
It is 4:35 pm. I am sitting in Cathedrale St Pierre in Geneve because it is raining outside after the hot morning and afternoon. I will wait here till the rain stops.
I went to Bern this morning, thinking that maybe I would stay there for the night, but left there in less than two hours and came to Geneve. Since it is a holiday today, both places seem to have lost their glamour. It was very, very quiet in Bern and quite quiet over here with 90% of the shops closed.
While I strolled by the lake of Geneve this afternoon, a middle-aged man approached me and asked, with an accent, for my map. I let him look at it. He asked where a place was and to his surprise, and to my own too, I was able to point at the place on the map really fast. He asked me if I had been in Geneve long and I told him that I was leaving tomorrow. He asked if I was a Japanese and I said no. Then I hurried away. Only then did I realize that he didn't really want to look at the map. He told me that he had been in Geneve for two weeks for business so it would be quite impossible that he did not know where he was. It was the LAKEside after all. He was just trying to have a conversation, and then maybe something more. This was not a very pleasant encounter.
I have checked into a hotel called "Montana" near the station. It is a three-star hotel charging 110 SF per night. When I checked in, I asked the lady at the reception to give me a good room because I was kind of tired of shabby hotels (it is unfair to say that the hotels that I have stayed in were shabby. But I need more comfort now that I have travelled for so long.) So she gave me a really nice room that is worth, as she claimed, 130 SF. It is clean, large, with full facilities and an acceptable view. I am really grateful for this.
* * *
I left the Cathedral but it was still raining. Finding shelter on the way, I walked back to the lakeside. Then I stopped at a cinema and studied the poster of "Little Women" (because there were no better things to do). Then an elderly lady by my side started asking me if the movie was good, first in French, then in English. I replied that I had no idea as I had not yet seen it, but recommended another movie "Priest". The lady said she had seen it already and that it was a good movie. We chatted for a little while and then she went to buy her ticket for the 5 pm show. I skipped away. I feel all right talking to strangers but deep down I am an introvert who avoids personal contacts, especially with strangers.
It is very boring here in Geneve. All the shops except a few are closed. People have nowhere to go and nothing to do. Even an old lady would start chatting with a stranger like me. People here, no matter young or old, just stroll on the streets, quite aimlessly as it seems to me, and eat ice-cream. Otherwise they sit in a cafe, have a drink and then chat endlessly.
24.5.95
24.5.95 (Wed)
I am now in my hotel room in Zurich. It is 6:40 in the morning. I have planned to take the 7:07 train to Luzern but it is impossible now. The reception downstairs is still closed so I cannot check out. This seems ridiculous. I now must take the 8:07 train instead.
I arrived here at about 10:30 am yesterday and spent about an hour locating the Tourist Office, exchanging money, getting information and making hotel reservation. I could not settle down in this hotel until around noon. The service of the Tourist Office was good, though I had to pay for it.
This hotel is not really close to the city centre but is convenient enough with the tram. It is located near the University of Zurich. I have a cosy room fitted with matching green wooden furniture. There are pictures on the wall, TV, radio, and most of all, a terrace on which I can take a good breath.
I started a walk in Zurich city centre at about 1 pm and finished it in no more than three hours. Then I thought of visiting Liechtenstein but found that it would take quite some time to get there, i.e. 1.5 hours by train plus some 1 hour by bus. As it appeared to be too late to start this trip, I turned to the Zurich Zoo. I had a nice time there. I saw many animals which I had not actually seen before, rhinos, zebras, ostrich, emus, asian tigers, india lions, goats, deers, etc. The list is long. I know it sounds stupid to visit a zoo during an overseas trip. I mean people would think that I was not spending my time properly, i.e. to see the historical monuments, churches or go shopping etc. But then I always like zoos. The one in Hong Kong is one of my favourite place. Plus I am having a vacation. I should have some leisure time. It is too tiring to keep visiting tourist attractions.
Now that I must take a later train, I might as well go downstairs to have breakfast.
* * *
I am now having breakfast. Zurich is in a way more friendly than Paris because people here are willing to communicate in English, even those who don't speak it well. It was different in Paris. There, even those who could understand me refuse to speak in English. They insisted on speaking in French. So they understood me, but not I them. They would repeat and repeat their words, in French of course, and I would seem so stupid not to understand a word they said.
* * *
I am now on a boat in the lake of Luzern. I have joined a sort of packaged tour for just 38 SF, which includes the boat trip, the cogwheel train up to Mt Pilatus and the cable car down the mountain. I will have to pay an extra 2 SF for the bus back to Luzern. I think this is a good deal, which is only for Eurail Pass holders. Otherwise it will cost more.
The boat trip will last for 1.5 hours, which I think is a bit too long. But the view is unbeatable, like that in pictures/postcards sold in souvenir shops. And the weather is fine. Warm (it is now very warm in late May) with breezes. I only hope that I will not be sunburnt.I will have a walk around the city when I return to Luzern. It is also certainly a beautiful place. The Chapel Bridge is magnificent. It is a shame that it was mostly burnt down in August 1993.
I called the British Airways this morning to reconfirm my flight booking. The phone kept ringing because the lines were busy and about 4 SF were gone to putting me through the lines. It was too expensive, I think.
I arrived here at about 10:30 am yesterday and spent about an hour locating the Tourist Office, exchanging money, getting information and making hotel reservation. I could not settle down in this hotel until around noon. The service of the Tourist Office was good, though I had to pay for it.
This hotel is not really close to the city centre but is convenient enough with the tram. It is located near the University of Zurich. I have a cosy room fitted with matching green wooden furniture. There are pictures on the wall, TV, radio, and most of all, a terrace on which I can take a good breath.
I started a walk in Zurich city centre at about 1 pm and finished it in no more than three hours. Then I thought of visiting Liechtenstein but found that it would take quite some time to get there, i.e. 1.5 hours by train plus some 1 hour by bus. As it appeared to be too late to start this trip, I turned to the Zurich Zoo. I had a nice time there. I saw many animals which I had not actually seen before, rhinos, zebras, ostrich, emus, asian tigers, india lions, goats, deers, etc. The list is long. I know it sounds stupid to visit a zoo during an overseas trip. I mean people would think that I was not spending my time properly, i.e. to see the historical monuments, churches or go shopping etc. But then I always like zoos. The one in Hong Kong is one of my favourite place. Plus I am having a vacation. I should have some leisure time. It is too tiring to keep visiting tourist attractions.
Now that I must take a later train, I might as well go downstairs to have breakfast.
* * *
I am now having breakfast. Zurich is in a way more friendly than Paris because people here are willing to communicate in English, even those who don't speak it well. It was different in Paris. There, even those who could understand me refuse to speak in English. They insisted on speaking in French. So they understood me, but not I them. They would repeat and repeat their words, in French of course, and I would seem so stupid not to understand a word they said.
* * *
I am now on a boat in the lake of Luzern. I have joined a sort of packaged tour for just 38 SF, which includes the boat trip, the cogwheel train up to Mt Pilatus and the cable car down the mountain. I will have to pay an extra 2 SF for the bus back to Luzern. I think this is a good deal, which is only for Eurail Pass holders. Otherwise it will cost more.
The boat trip will last for 1.5 hours, which I think is a bit too long. But the view is unbeatable, like that in pictures/postcards sold in souvenir shops. And the weather is fine. Warm (it is now very warm in late May) with breezes. I only hope that I will not be sunburnt.I will have a walk around the city when I return to Luzern. It is also certainly a beautiful place. The Chapel Bridge is magnificent. It is a shame that it was mostly burnt down in August 1993.
I called the British Airways this morning to reconfirm my flight booking. The phone kept ringing because the lines were busy and about 4 SF were gone to putting me through the lines. It was too expensive, I think.
22.5.95
22.5.95 (Mon)
I am now on a train heading for Milano. It will stop at Strasbourg, my destination, at around noon. Finding a seat in the first class compartments was again difficult. Though I have the ticket, I have not made a reservation, like most other passengers. I have decided that I will make reservation of train seats for the rest of my journey.
Ah. Luxembourg. It was green and very green. Yesterday was a Sunday so almost all shops were closed. There was this parade on rue de Notre-Dame at 3 pm. The Tourist Office said it was to celebrate a festival called "Octave". People from villages all over the country marched around the city centre. It was however not a spectacular or exciting parade.
I took the walk introduced in the leaflet obtained from the Tourist Office. I took the longer trail, i.e. 7.5 km, but again it was not as enjoyable as I had expected. I was scared while I was walking alone in a park. I also went to the Casemates, which was in fact a restored ruin. The original castle must have been huge but all the guidance and information at the place were in language(s) beyond my comprehension. I could not even guess what they were about. This is another piece of evidence of the poor popularity of English on the Continent.
What made me angry/sick was that at the tourist attractions in Paris, there were all kinds of information in Japanese, but not any in Chinese. People took it for granted that an asian face like mine is Japanese. Though I actually can speak some Japanese, these were not very nice experiences.
Last night, I checked into a hotel called "Carlton", just a minute of two from the train station. The price was astonishingly low, just 1100 BF. The lady at the Tourist Office told me that the toilets of this hotel were down the hall and asked if it was fine by me. I said no problem. But it turned out that the bathroom was also detached and shared by all. That required some getting used to. I of course managed to be the first one to use the bathroom. But the hotel was decent enough at that price, though the floor kept creaking with every step I took and every move I made, even while I was in bed.
* * *
It is warm today, except a little chilly with wind or when in the shade. Most of the time I was just wearing a short-sleeves T-shirt and still sweating.
I spent about three hours walking around Strasbourg. Well, not as beautiful as the guidebooks describe. At least it could not be compared with Brugge. The city maps, i.e. both the one I got from Hong Kong and the one I bought here, were impossibly HORRIBLE. Many street names were missing, some were in abbreviations. I don't know how the tourism authority expects tourists/strangers to use them. I myself was lost in the streets several times.
The Cathedral of Strasbourg was truly impressive and I could go inside for free. Other buildings were nothing special. They could not be compared with those in Paris, at least. The "Petit France" was a pretty place, but Brugge's waters surely were better than it.
The one good thing of Strasbourg is the hotel I am in. It is right opposite the station. As usual, I looked among the hotels nearest to the station so as to unload my baggage as soon as possible. The Place de la Gare was surrounded by hotels and this one looked newest and most modern. so I checked in. The room I have, which has no view unfortunately, has a private shower and toilet!! Bravo!! And it is only for 290 FF per night, which is curiously cheaper than the one-star "Guy Lussac" in Paris (this one is a two-star hotel). The room is clean, pleasant and installed with a TV. I am delighted even though I don't watch much TV, especially French ones.
Having got tired of Strasbourg, I then went to Colmar, which is only half an hour from Strasbourg. The experience there was awful. I didn't have any meaningful information with me, not even a map, and there was no Tourist Office at the station. Roadsigns with the pictogram "i" were everywhere but all pointing to different directions. I could only refer to the maps along the roads and at the bus stops. A vending machine selling city maps just shamelessly ate the 2 FF I put in. The map it produced was trapped on its way out so there was no way of getting it. It seemed impossible to get to anywhere just by following the road maps, especially under the hot sunshine. Yes, so hot that it was discouraging. I eventually got very tired and hungry and gave up. So what I did during this trip were mainly walking back and forth on the busy and dusty rue de la Republic, trying to get to the centre Ville or returning to the station. It was exhausting.
I had a donar kebab for dinner and watched an old American musical movie on the TV. Having been to Colmar, Strasbourg appeared to be a much nicer place to be when I took the little walk to buy my dinner. At least I felt safe and much more at ease here. I saw the tram here which was really impressive. It looked like a space shuttle or something.
I am going to get a 7:47 am train to Zurich tomorrow. I hope Switzerland won't let me down.
Ah. Luxembourg. It was green and very green. Yesterday was a Sunday so almost all shops were closed. There was this parade on rue de Notre-Dame at 3 pm. The Tourist Office said it was to celebrate a festival called "Octave". People from villages all over the country marched around the city centre. It was however not a spectacular or exciting parade.
I took the walk introduced in the leaflet obtained from the Tourist Office. I took the longer trail, i.e. 7.5 km, but again it was not as enjoyable as I had expected. I was scared while I was walking alone in a park. I also went to the Casemates, which was in fact a restored ruin. The original castle must have been huge but all the guidance and information at the place were in language(s) beyond my comprehension. I could not even guess what they were about. This is another piece of evidence of the poor popularity of English on the Continent.
What made me angry/sick was that at the tourist attractions in Paris, there were all kinds of information in Japanese, but not any in Chinese. People took it for granted that an asian face like mine is Japanese. Though I actually can speak some Japanese, these were not very nice experiences.
Last night, I checked into a hotel called "Carlton", just a minute of two from the train station. The price was astonishingly low, just 1100 BF. The lady at the Tourist Office told me that the toilets of this hotel were down the hall and asked if it was fine by me. I said no problem. But it turned out that the bathroom was also detached and shared by all. That required some getting used to. I of course managed to be the first one to use the bathroom. But the hotel was decent enough at that price, though the floor kept creaking with every step I took and every move I made, even while I was in bed.
* * *
It is warm today, except a little chilly with wind or when in the shade. Most of the time I was just wearing a short-sleeves T-shirt and still sweating.
I spent about three hours walking around Strasbourg. Well, not as beautiful as the guidebooks describe. At least it could not be compared with Brugge. The city maps, i.e. both the one I got from Hong Kong and the one I bought here, were impossibly HORRIBLE. Many street names were missing, some were in abbreviations. I don't know how the tourism authority expects tourists/strangers to use them. I myself was lost in the streets several times.
The Cathedral of Strasbourg was truly impressive and I could go inside for free. Other buildings were nothing special. They could not be compared with those in Paris, at least. The "Petit France" was a pretty place, but Brugge's waters surely were better than it.
The one good thing of Strasbourg is the hotel I am in. It is right opposite the station. As usual, I looked among the hotels nearest to the station so as to unload my baggage as soon as possible. The Place de la Gare was surrounded by hotels and this one looked newest and most modern. so I checked in. The room I have, which has no view unfortunately, has a private shower and toilet!! Bravo!! And it is only for 290 FF per night, which is curiously cheaper than the one-star "Guy Lussac" in Paris (this one is a two-star hotel). The room is clean, pleasant and installed with a TV. I am delighted even though I don't watch much TV, especially French ones.
Having got tired of Strasbourg, I then went to Colmar, which is only half an hour from Strasbourg. The experience there was awful. I didn't have any meaningful information with me, not even a map, and there was no Tourist Office at the station. Roadsigns with the pictogram "i" were everywhere but all pointing to different directions. I could only refer to the maps along the roads and at the bus stops. A vending machine selling city maps just shamelessly ate the 2 FF I put in. The map it produced was trapped on its way out so there was no way of getting it. It seemed impossible to get to anywhere just by following the road maps, especially under the hot sunshine. Yes, so hot that it was discouraging. I eventually got very tired and hungry and gave up. So what I did during this trip were mainly walking back and forth on the busy and dusty rue de la Republic, trying to get to the centre Ville or returning to the station. It was exhausting.
I had a donar kebab for dinner and watched an old American musical movie on the TV. Having been to Colmar, Strasbourg appeared to be a much nicer place to be when I took the little walk to buy my dinner. At least I felt safe and much more at ease here. I saw the tram here which was really impressive. It looked like a space shuttle or something.
I am going to get a 7:47 am train to Zurich tomorrow. I hope Switzerland won't let me down.
21.5.95
21.5.95 (Sun)
I am now on a train to Luxembourg. The trip takes about three hours and there is one more hour to go.
I went to Ghent yesterday. I think that the city was dismal and unattractive, at least to me. There were medieval buildings, rivers, cobblestone streets, same as Brugge. But it did not have the charm of Brugge. I however found the service of the Tourist Office there very helpful and friendly. When you are alone on a journey, every friendly smile counts.
After an evening walk in Brussels, i.e. the Grand Place to be exact, I returned to the hotel and asked for the bill. To my surprise, the hotel charged me 3550 BF for two nights, not 4700 BF as I had expected. Though it was posted in the room that the price was 1950 BF for the room and 2350 BF with shower, I think my slight bargaining during check-in worked and the rate became 1775 BF for a single person with private bathroom and WC. Nice price. But I could not enjoy the breakfast today because of the early train.
Once again, taking all the luggage with me nearly killed me. I think I will just check in the nearest decent hotel when I arrive in Luxembourg.
I went to Ghent yesterday. I think that the city was dismal and unattractive, at least to me. There were medieval buildings, rivers, cobblestone streets, same as Brugge. But it did not have the charm of Brugge. I however found the service of the Tourist Office there very helpful and friendly. When you are alone on a journey, every friendly smile counts.
After an evening walk in Brussels, i.e. the Grand Place to be exact, I returned to the hotel and asked for the bill. To my surprise, the hotel charged me 3550 BF for two nights, not 4700 BF as I had expected. Though it was posted in the room that the price was 1950 BF for the room and 2350 BF with shower, I think my slight bargaining during check-in worked and the rate became 1775 BF for a single person with private bathroom and WC. Nice price. But I could not enjoy the breakfast today because of the early train.
Once again, taking all the luggage with me nearly killed me. I think I will just check in the nearest decent hotel when I arrive in Luxembourg.
20.5.95
20.5.95 (Sat)
I am now in a cafe in Brugge. For the first time in this trip I can have a hot meal, a spaghetti! Not bread, not salad, not cookies. It is a hot dish they call snack, for 195 BF only, i.e. about 55 HKD, which is absolutely affordable. Plus this cafe is neat.
I am always having early lunch or early dinner. I guess it is because I start off very early everyday, i.e. 7 am to 7:30 am, and for most of the time I keep walking.
I like Brugge much better than Brussels. The place is beautiful and the ambience is lively. It is old, clean and picturesque. Maybe it feels lively because it is Saturday today. But the place is lovely and the weather is fine. Everything is wonderful and neat.
But I am kind of tired of walking and searching for museums and les hotels.
I will go to Ghent by train at around 1 pm.
I am always having early lunch or early dinner. I guess it is because I start off very early everyday, i.e. 7 am to 7:30 am, and for most of the time I keep walking.
I like Brugge much better than Brussels. The place is beautiful and the ambience is lively. It is old, clean and picturesque. Maybe it feels lively because it is Saturday today. But the place is lovely and the weather is fine. Everything is wonderful and neat.
But I am kind of tired of walking and searching for museums and les hotels.
I will go to Ghent by train at around 1 pm.
19.5.95
19.5.95 (Fri)
I am now in a hotel called "Windsor" in Brussels. It is 7:35 pm and it is raining outside.
I saw the movie "Pretre" (i.e. "Priest") for the second time last evening at a cinema on av des Champs-Elysees. I had seen it once at the Hong Kong Film Festival. After that, I got in the underground to get the RER back to my hotel. The train was very crowded and the doors were about to close and I could not decide whether to get on. Then, an indecisive step and I fell off the platform gap. Well, just my left leg, actually. Someone pulled me up and luckily I was not hurt except for two colourful bruises. But it was dead embarrassing. What was worse was that this was not the first time that I had part of my body "fallen" off the platform gap. It had happened before in Hong Kong. Mon Dieu! (I learnt this from the subtitles of the movie.)
I took the TGV to Brussels early this morning so I missed the breakfast for which I had paid 25 FF. I could not find my seat on the train. The main reason was that I could not fully understand my ticket : it was all in French. What was worse was that I got very frustrated when I discovered that I could not just take any seat for all the seats had to be reserved. The staff pointed to different directions and I, taking all my luggage with me, walked from car to car in search of my seat. Finally, I had to ask one staff to personally take me to my seat, which I had apparently missed. I was so exhausted when I finally sat down.
Then there was the breakfast served by an attendant who had not been very helpful to my search of seat. She served the others but not me. I of course got angry. But I did not complain for I was sick of non-communication between French/English. And lucky that I had not complained because I later found that those breakfasts had all been ordered and paid for in advance at the time of seat reservation. But then I had not been told that I could order breakfast. Anyway, it costs over 60 FF and I think it is outrageously expensive.
Talking about non-communication, I must write this down. After the platform gap incident, my jeans became visibly dirty. I did not care to wash them so I went to Bd St Michel, hoping to buy a new pair, and also to kill some time. But it was already after 7 pm and most shops were closed. There was this shop selling denims that was still open. I went in to have a look but was not really preparing to buy anything. A male staff approached me and greeted me in English. I was pleased by the language. He let me try on 501's, which of course did not fit me, and then a pair of Liberto, French label I was told, which fitted me perfectly. The salesperson was friendly and, most importantly, we could communicate. I bought the jeans without much thought partly because of my need and partly because of the pleasant way I was served.
Back to Brussels. I arrived here at around 9:40 am. I called the hotel in "Let's Go Europe" but it was full. I then tried to walk to the Grand Place hoping to get some information from the Tourist Office there and, if possible, find a hotel as soon as possible so that I could unload the luggage. On the way I saw a decent hotel which charged a decent price. The next hotel I saw, which was literally next to the first one, was this Windsor, a three-star hotel. Nice room, nice service. The room is spacious and has a sink in it. The bathroom is separated. I am not sure if it is for my sole use. The WC is as usual detached. This room will cost me 2375 BF per night maximum. I am not sure about the charge because the price posted in the room is not the same as what the receptionist told me. Anyway, I can afford it.
Brussels, or the Brussels I see, is more like a town than a city. There is not much modern development. Cobblestones, churches, old medieval buildings, etc., are everywhere. Wandering around here made me miss Paris. Besides, I don't know why, it is easy to lose my way in this place. The boulevards and avenues are, even in Hong Kong standard, just streets. They are not even good enough to be called roads. I find them a bit disappointing and boring. The Grand Place was beautiful. But this was about all. The Mannekin-Pis was just a very little statue pissing towards everyone looking at it.
I ate an early lunch at a McDonald's. It was expensive. A set meal with McChicken, medium fries and a coke cost 179 BF, i.e. 52 HKD. The price here is three times the Hong Kong price. Having finished the food, I sat reading the map and information. A man at the next table started talking to me and then moved to my table. He said he was a Dane working for the EC. He had been to Hong Kong 12 years before when he was 18 playing football for his country. He then flipped through my information trying to introduce to me places to visit and then offered to drive me around during his lunch break. I politely declined, bien sur, and rushed to the toilet for escape. He was nice, but I had to be careful. And his hair was thinning (this is sad for men). As I always say, I never attract the right kind of people, i.e. I don't attract the people whom I find attractive.
(Isn't it strange that there is still sunlight outside at 8:15 pm?)
That Danish man told me that Leuvan was a beautiful place. As it was just 25 minutes away from Brussels by train, I decided to go there as there was not much to see in Brussels. All the guide books said I could go there by train, not mentioning at which station. I decided to try the Central Station. I was lost in the streets and got to the station half an hour later. I learnt how to read the train schedules which were in unidentified languages. (Just kidding. They should be French and Flemish.) When I got to Leuvan, ALAS, it was raining. I hate rain when I am on vacation. With the rain it became chilly and I had not brought my raincoat as it had been fine back in Brussels. I decided, almost instantly, to return to Brussels. So I did. What a waste of time.
I am going to Brugge tomorrow morning and then I will stop at Ghent on my way back and return to Brussels in the late afternoon.
One more thing. So far I have met nice/helpful people and the not-so-nice on the trip. I am very grateful to the nice ones as now I know how frustrated it can be being a tourist or new comer, and how much a kind word matters. I myself being the not-so-nice should perhaps consider changing.
I saw the movie "Pretre" (i.e. "Priest") for the second time last evening at a cinema on av des Champs-Elysees. I had seen it once at the Hong Kong Film Festival. After that, I got in the underground to get the RER back to my hotel. The train was very crowded and the doors were about to close and I could not decide whether to get on. Then, an indecisive step and I fell off the platform gap. Well, just my left leg, actually. Someone pulled me up and luckily I was not hurt except for two colourful bruises. But it was dead embarrassing. What was worse was that this was not the first time that I had part of my body "fallen" off the platform gap. It had happened before in Hong Kong. Mon Dieu! (I learnt this from the subtitles of the movie.)
I took the TGV to Brussels early this morning so I missed the breakfast for which I had paid 25 FF. I could not find my seat on the train. The main reason was that I could not fully understand my ticket : it was all in French. What was worse was that I got very frustrated when I discovered that I could not just take any seat for all the seats had to be reserved. The staff pointed to different directions and I, taking all my luggage with me, walked from car to car in search of my seat. Finally, I had to ask one staff to personally take me to my seat, which I had apparently missed. I was so exhausted when I finally sat down.
Then there was the breakfast served by an attendant who had not been very helpful to my search of seat. She served the others but not me. I of course got angry. But I did not complain for I was sick of non-communication between French/English. And lucky that I had not complained because I later found that those breakfasts had all been ordered and paid for in advance at the time of seat reservation. But then I had not been told that I could order breakfast. Anyway, it costs over 60 FF and I think it is outrageously expensive.
Talking about non-communication, I must write this down. After the platform gap incident, my jeans became visibly dirty. I did not care to wash them so I went to Bd St Michel, hoping to buy a new pair, and also to kill some time. But it was already after 7 pm and most shops were closed. There was this shop selling denims that was still open. I went in to have a look but was not really preparing to buy anything. A male staff approached me and greeted me in English. I was pleased by the language. He let me try on 501's, which of course did not fit me, and then a pair of Liberto, French label I was told, which fitted me perfectly. The salesperson was friendly and, most importantly, we could communicate. I bought the jeans without much thought partly because of my need and partly because of the pleasant way I was served.
Back to Brussels. I arrived here at around 9:40 am. I called the hotel in "Let's Go Europe" but it was full. I then tried to walk to the Grand Place hoping to get some information from the Tourist Office there and, if possible, find a hotel as soon as possible so that I could unload the luggage. On the way I saw a decent hotel which charged a decent price. The next hotel I saw, which was literally next to the first one, was this Windsor, a three-star hotel. Nice room, nice service. The room is spacious and has a sink in it. The bathroom is separated. I am not sure if it is for my sole use. The WC is as usual detached. This room will cost me 2375 BF per night maximum. I am not sure about the charge because the price posted in the room is not the same as what the receptionist told me. Anyway, I can afford it.
Brussels, or the Brussels I see, is more like a town than a city. There is not much modern development. Cobblestones, churches, old medieval buildings, etc., are everywhere. Wandering around here made me miss Paris. Besides, I don't know why, it is easy to lose my way in this place. The boulevards and avenues are, even in Hong Kong standard, just streets. They are not even good enough to be called roads. I find them a bit disappointing and boring. The Grand Place was beautiful. But this was about all. The Mannekin-Pis was just a very little statue pissing towards everyone looking at it.
I ate an early lunch at a McDonald's. It was expensive. A set meal with McChicken, medium fries and a coke cost 179 BF, i.e. 52 HKD. The price here is three times the Hong Kong price. Having finished the food, I sat reading the map and information. A man at the next table started talking to me and then moved to my table. He said he was a Dane working for the EC. He had been to Hong Kong 12 years before when he was 18 playing football for his country. He then flipped through my information trying to introduce to me places to visit and then offered to drive me around during his lunch break. I politely declined, bien sur, and rushed to the toilet for escape. He was nice, but I had to be careful. And his hair was thinning (this is sad for men). As I always say, I never attract the right kind of people, i.e. I don't attract the people whom I find attractive.
(Isn't it strange that there is still sunlight outside at 8:15 pm?)
That Danish man told me that Leuvan was a beautiful place. As it was just 25 minutes away from Brussels by train, I decided to go there as there was not much to see in Brussels. All the guide books said I could go there by train, not mentioning at which station. I decided to try the Central Station. I was lost in the streets and got to the station half an hour later. I learnt how to read the train schedules which were in unidentified languages. (Just kidding. They should be French and Flemish.) When I got to Leuvan, ALAS, it was raining. I hate rain when I am on vacation. With the rain it became chilly and I had not brought my raincoat as it had been fine back in Brussels. I decided, almost instantly, to return to Brussels. So I did. What a waste of time.
I am going to Brugge tomorrow morning and then I will stop at Ghent on my way back and return to Brussels in the late afternoon.
One more thing. So far I have met nice/helpful people and the not-so-nice on the trip. I am very grateful to the nice ones as now I know how frustrated it can be being a tourist or new comer, and how much a kind word matters. I myself being the not-so-nice should perhaps consider changing.
18.5.95
18.5.95 (Thu)
I am now on a train to Dieppe, Normandy, which will stop at Rouen, my destination. It is raining outside.
I hesitated this morning about what to do today so I started off late. When I finally got to Gare St Lazare, I had missed the earlier trains and had not many choices. I would have liked to go to the D-Day Beach and Cherbourg as recommended by Fiona but they were too far away and I was afraid of returning late for I would have some packing to do tonight. I am leaving at 7:07 am tomorrow by TGV to Brussels. I don't know how Rouen will be like. But I can always wander around.
* * *
I am now, again, on a train back to Paris. Rouen was nothing special to me except that the place was full of old buildings with brown lines drawn on their facades. Well, I think it was a nice place, mainly because of the fine weather there. I really hope that the rain has stopped in Paris.
I seem to have forgotten that I can't stand long-haul train rides. I will easily throw up. That is how I feel now. Eurrr.....h!
I must record this : I had a very delicious sandwich of chicken/egg mayonnaise/vegetable in Rouen. It only cost 17 FF. I chose it because "poulet"was the only word I could recognise.
I hesitated this morning about what to do today so I started off late. When I finally got to Gare St Lazare, I had missed the earlier trains and had not many choices. I would have liked to go to the D-Day Beach and Cherbourg as recommended by Fiona but they were too far away and I was afraid of returning late for I would have some packing to do tonight. I am leaving at 7:07 am tomorrow by TGV to Brussels. I don't know how Rouen will be like. But I can always wander around.
* * *
I am now, again, on a train back to Paris. Rouen was nothing special to me except that the place was full of old buildings with brown lines drawn on their facades. Well, I think it was a nice place, mainly because of the fine weather there. I really hope that the rain has stopped in Paris.
I seem to have forgotten that I can't stand long-haul train rides. I will easily throw up. That is how I feel now. Eurrr.....h!
I must record this : I had a very delicious sandwich of chicken/egg mayonnaise/vegetable in Rouen. It only cost 17 FF. I chose it because "poulet"was the only word I could recognise.
17.5.95
17.5.95 (Wed)
I am now in Montmartre, sitting in a cafe on the street. I don't enjoy it much because it is windy and dusty.
I went to Versailles, Musee Rodin, Hotel des Invalides and the Church of Sacred Heart. The weather was weird today. It rained all the morning with occasional sunshine while I was in Versailles. It has been fine back in Paris. The Palace was beautiful and majestic. But that was all. I don't really like rain.
I came to Montmartre and caught the tram to the peak. There was a service going on inside the church. I just strolled around and when I saw the souvenir counter, a sudden anger struck me and I started to cry right inside the Church. Luckily it was dark inside. I cried because they were so busy doing business in church even during a service. Those people had learnt nothing from Jesus' teaching. And I couldn't stop crying on my way back to the Metro, where this cafe is. I don't know why on earth I was so emotional. It is, after all, so common for people to do business on religious premises all around the world. But I felt really sad.
I am thinking about changing my plan tomorrow. Instead of going to Fontainebleau, I think I will go the Normandy. I will see.
I think I am now all covered with dust.
* * *
I am now in a restaurant near av des Champs-Elysees which charges over 65 FF for a chef salad and over 20 FF for an orange juice. It is expensive enough but I don't think I am enjoying it. I am afraid that the salad will come late as I still have to rush for the movie "Alerte" (i.e. "Outbreak"). The movie costs me 45 FF. I feel that there is not much difference between spending French Francs and spending Hong Kong Dollars. I did not think that the ticket was expensive until I came across another cinema on av des Champs-Elysees showing the same movie but charged only 38 FF for a ticket. It was not much cheaper, but it was CHEAPER. So I am a not-so-smart tourist!
I went to Versailles, Musee Rodin, Hotel des Invalides and the Church of Sacred Heart. The weather was weird today. It rained all the morning with occasional sunshine while I was in Versailles. It has been fine back in Paris. The Palace was beautiful and majestic. But that was all. I don't really like rain.
I came to Montmartre and caught the tram to the peak. There was a service going on inside the church. I just strolled around and when I saw the souvenir counter, a sudden anger struck me and I started to cry right inside the Church. Luckily it was dark inside. I cried because they were so busy doing business in church even during a service. Those people had learnt nothing from Jesus' teaching. And I couldn't stop crying on my way back to the Metro, where this cafe is. I don't know why on earth I was so emotional. It is, after all, so common for people to do business on religious premises all around the world. But I felt really sad.
I am thinking about changing my plan tomorrow. Instead of going to Fontainebleau, I think I will go the Normandy. I will see.
I think I am now all covered with dust.
* * *
I am now in a restaurant near av des Champs-Elysees which charges over 65 FF for a chef salad and over 20 FF for an orange juice. It is expensive enough but I don't think I am enjoying it. I am afraid that the salad will come late as I still have to rush for the movie "Alerte" (i.e. "Outbreak"). The movie costs me 45 FF. I feel that there is not much difference between spending French Francs and spending Hong Kong Dollars. I did not think that the ticket was expensive until I came across another cinema on av des Champs-Elysees showing the same movie but charged only 38 FF for a ticket. It was not much cheaper, but it was CHEAPER. So I am a not-so-smart tourist!
16.5.95
16.5.95 (Tue)
It is almost 10 pm now and I am in the hotel. It is raining outside. It has been raining since around 2 pm while I was playing the “Big Thunder Mountain” in the Disneyland. And I have stayed in the hotel since 6 pm.
I started off early for the Disneyland today, planning to buy a passeport for the park before going there and redeem an RER return ticket to Disneyland with my Eurail Pass, just as taught by the guidebooks. I bought the passeport from the Tourist Office at the Gare de Lyon, a shabby little room at a corner of the station. But when I asked for the RER tickets, the RER staff said no. I don't know if it was because of a failure of communication or a change of policy. Just "no". So I spent 74 FF for the RER tickets and was almost exhausted when I finally got on the right train.
The Disneyland was not as enjoyable as I had expected. It was partly because of the rain, partly because it was very similar to the one in Tokyo, and partly because some of the staff were being unhelpful or even rude. Somehow the wonder of the park had faded. I hope it had nothing to do with my age. Anyway, it was cold and wet there so I left at about 4 pm, quite early I must say, and dozed off on the train all my way back to Paris, with a headache upon arrival.
I have exchanged 5 traveller's cheques for 1 USD to 4.75 FF and got 475 FF in total. I don't know if the rate was good but the service at the Tourist Office at the av des Champs-Elysees was definitely satisfactory and, most importantly, welcoming.
My eyes seemed to have resumed normal today as a result of the eyedrops I bought from a pharmacy near Pompidou Centre and I wore lenses today.
I hope the rain will stop tonight as I plan to go the Versailles tomorrow.
I started off early for the Disneyland today, planning to buy a passeport for the park before going there and redeem an RER return ticket to Disneyland with my Eurail Pass, just as taught by the guidebooks. I bought the passeport from the Tourist Office at the Gare de Lyon, a shabby little room at a corner of the station. But when I asked for the RER tickets, the RER staff said no. I don't know if it was because of a failure of communication or a change of policy. Just "no". So I spent 74 FF for the RER tickets and was almost exhausted when I finally got on the right train.
The Disneyland was not as enjoyable as I had expected. It was partly because of the rain, partly because it was very similar to the one in Tokyo, and partly because some of the staff were being unhelpful or even rude. Somehow the wonder of the park had faded. I hope it had nothing to do with my age. Anyway, it was cold and wet there so I left at about 4 pm, quite early I must say, and dozed off on the train all my way back to Paris, with a headache upon arrival.
I have exchanged 5 traveller's cheques for 1 USD to 4.75 FF and got 475 FF in total. I don't know if the rate was good but the service at the Tourist Office at the av des Champs-Elysees was definitely satisfactory and, most importantly, welcoming.
My eyes seemed to have resumed normal today as a result of the eyedrops I bought from a pharmacy near Pompidou Centre and I wore lenses today.
I hope the rain will stop tonight as I plan to go the Versailles tomorrow.
15.5.95
15.5.95 (Mon)
It is about 1:45 pm and I am now in the Louvre.
Here are where I went to yesterday : Jardin des Tuileries, Place de le Concorde, av des Champs-Elysees and then I walked all the way up to le Arc de Triomphe. There was nothing special except that I no longer felt that my legs and feet were mine. I went to the top of the Arc, very easily by means of an elevator, but had to walk down to the street level through a round-and-round staircase. I turned and turned and it made me very dizzy. The Arc could never be taller to me!
Then I went to the Pompidou Centre. I felt so very helpless and misplaced inside (didn't know where to go, what to see/expect, and had no assistance, etc.) that I left there in 10 minutes.
I woke up at about 5 am this morning to find that I could not open my eyes. My right eye hurt very badly and the tears kept pouring out. I could not wear my lenses and am now afraid of light. But it hurts less now and the tears have stopped. I hope it well get better tomorrow because I am going to the Disneyland and I need my sunglasses. I really can't stand sunlight straight into my eyes.
I came to the Louvre at 9 am and started strolling around. I haven't had much guidance or information but that is fine as I can concentrate on the works of art themselves. I am not good at art but this is also fine by me. I can still feel the beauty. The most famous pieces attract crowds and I didn't care to get near. I love a painting by Raffelle portraying St Michel beating up the demon, a marble sculpture of a nymph bitten by a scorpion and the Roman sculptures. I feel tired, naturally, but quite happy. The Louvre is really worth a visit.
I had lunch at a cafe in the museum. It cost me 62 FF for a baguette, as usual, and two drinks. It was expensive but I enjoyed it.
It is still cold in the morning. Local people wear gloves and coat. I still don't have enough to wear. I called mom at 8 am telling her this and she told me to buy some clothes. I was just preparing to do so but I find it absurd to by winter clothes in mid-May.
Here are where I went to yesterday : Jardin des Tuileries, Place de le Concorde, av des Champs-Elysees and then I walked all the way up to le Arc de Triomphe. There was nothing special except that I no longer felt that my legs and feet were mine. I went to the top of the Arc, very easily by means of an elevator, but had to walk down to the street level through a round-and-round staircase. I turned and turned and it made me very dizzy. The Arc could never be taller to me!
Then I went to the Pompidou Centre. I felt so very helpless and misplaced inside (didn't know where to go, what to see/expect, and had no assistance, etc.) that I left there in 10 minutes.
I woke up at about 5 am this morning to find that I could not open my eyes. My right eye hurt very badly and the tears kept pouring out. I could not wear my lenses and am now afraid of light. But it hurts less now and the tears have stopped. I hope it well get better tomorrow because I am going to the Disneyland and I need my sunglasses. I really can't stand sunlight straight into my eyes.
I came to the Louvre at 9 am and started strolling around. I haven't had much guidance or information but that is fine as I can concentrate on the works of art themselves. I am not good at art but this is also fine by me. I can still feel the beauty. The most famous pieces attract crowds and I didn't care to get near. I love a painting by Raffelle portraying St Michel beating up the demon, a marble sculpture of a nymph bitten by a scorpion and the Roman sculptures. I feel tired, naturally, but quite happy. The Louvre is really worth a visit.
I had lunch at a cafe in the museum. It cost me 62 FF for a baguette, as usual, and two drinks. It was expensive but I enjoyed it.
It is still cold in the morning. Local people wear gloves and coat. I still don't have enough to wear. I called mom at 8 am telling her this and she told me to buy some clothes. I was just preparing to do so but I find it absurd to by winter clothes in mid-May.
14.5.95
14.5.95 (Sun)
I am now sitting in le Jardin du Luxembourg, bathing in sunshine. This is a lovely park.
After over 14 hours of torture on a plane, I arrived at Paris Orly early this morning. Finding the way to Paris was not without panic. Since I could not find the way to the train station at the airport, I took an Air France bus for 32 FF to Montparnasse. But I did not know where to get off. Luckily there was a stop at the Metro station Duroc, so I just jumped off there. More panic when I actually looked up the route map of the Metro. It was almost impossible to find the way to the hotel that I planned to move in. Though recommended by "Let's Go Europe", the hotel is somewhat disappointing, and not cheap at all for it costs me 325 FF per night for a single room. There is a bathroom inside, but no toilet. It is really weird. But the room has a huge ceiling-height window which provides quite a good view.
The weather is fine and dry, but cold. There is sunshine, but it must be below 10 degrees when in the shade. Because of the wind, I think. I have not enough to wear and there are signs of a cold.
I am prepared to just stroll around today and see what I will find. Just to try to take in Paris, or the other way around.
After over 14 hours of torture on a plane, I arrived at Paris Orly early this morning. Finding the way to Paris was not without panic. Since I could not find the way to the train station at the airport, I took an Air France bus for 32 FF to Montparnasse. But I did not know where to get off. Luckily there was a stop at the Metro station Duroc, so I just jumped off there. More panic when I actually looked up the route map of the Metro. It was almost impossible to find the way to the hotel that I planned to move in. Though recommended by "Let's Go Europe", the hotel is somewhat disappointing, and not cheap at all for it costs me 325 FF per night for a single room. There is a bathroom inside, but no toilet. It is really weird. But the room has a huge ceiling-height window which provides quite a good view.
The weather is fine and dry, but cold. There is sunshine, but it must be below 10 degrees when in the shade. Because of the wind, I think. I have not enough to wear and there are signs of a cold.
I am prepared to just stroll around today and see what I will find. Just to try to take in Paris, or the other way around.
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