http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Luwee/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Luwee en-us Fri, 25 Dec 2009 20:20:36 +0000 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 20:20:36 +0000 Wow it has been a long time since I posted any travels. I have done lots of cool trips since I have been back in the States. I recently started my International MBA at UMSL. So that is taking up a lot of my time. I am taking five classes this semester. Then I finish with two next semester and then I guess I am done. I get to start looking for a real job. Well I have had a fantastic time http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Cape-Canaveral/blog-438981.html Well I completed my first class at UMSL in my quest to complete my IMBA. I did well got an A and decided since I had really nothing to do after class to take my mom and my nephew Nick for a little drive across the country to see the sights and to visit my sister Kathy and my brother Tim in California. Our first stop was Meramec Caverns where the floods ahd hit. Nick had never been there. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Missouri/St-Louis/blog-414192.html I went to Chicago Illinois and rode the famous Bike the Drive with my sister Sharon and her boyfriend Jerry. As always I beat her to the finish and we had a great time. Unfortunately for me I missed connections with a couple friends. My buddy from college Greek and old comrade from work http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Illinois/Chicago/blog-414189.html We did a bus tour one day to a salt mine. It is the largest still operating mine of its kind in the world. We did lots of walking. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lesser-Poland/Krakow/blog-404571.html Here we are in Krakow Poland. Had a great time..saw Wawel Castle and ate in the Jewish quarter. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lesser-Poland/Krakow/blog-404563.html These are pictures from our trip from Garmisch Germany to Tarnow Poland. WOW What a day of travel this turned out to be. We had a nice breakfast in Garmisch at the Army resort...and what a nice place that was We took off for Poland..... We figured the GPS would take us through the Czech Republic since it looked like a direct route. But we were not surprised when it took us North http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lesser-Poland/Tarnow/blog-403686.html Once we got back to the base we were still restless. We had seen a monastery on the way and decided to go back and check it out. On the way we found a cool cemetery and took some pictures. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Bavaria/Garmisch-Partenkirchen/blog-395871.html The second day at the base we took a tour to Neuschwanstein probably the most famous castle in the world. It was great until we walked all the way to the Mary Bridge and saw all the scaffolding on the castle. C'est dommage We had a great time nonetheless... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Bavaria/Neuschwanstein/blog-395865.html Wow...I wish I hade joinrf the Army and retired What a resort Once again justa few pictures. I will add when I get home. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Bavaria/Garmisch-Partenkirchen/blog-395864.html Once again I guess I took most of the pictures with my mom's camera. When I get home I will try to get her camera and do a further update on at least Paris. Hope you get the idea http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-395860.html Well after the ride up and down Rigi Kulm which was soooo much better than the last time I was here...snowy cold and foggy we toured around the city of Lucerne...one of MY favorite places. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-West/Lucerne/blog-395853.html I have been to Montreux twice now and I still cannot pronunce the name right Everytime I say the name the locals correct. I need to get my moms camera to fill in more pictures...Guess I did not use my very much there.. I hope she will let me use it... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/South-West/Montreux/blog-395857.html Today Aunt Lien felt a lot better or said she did and so we decided to head back into Lucerne and hit Rigi Kulm. We had a very nice hearty Swiss breakfast and we were back to the car and more fun. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-West/Lucerne/blog-394840.html Well my mom finally made it to Europe. This visit included my Uncle Joe and Aunt Lien as well. These are just a few pictures I took of the various places we traveled. I met them in Frankfurt at about 9 am in the airport. They of course had a long flight and were beat. Unfortunately Aunt Lien was feeling a bit under the weather. So we did what we had to do. We went to pick up the car an http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-West/Lucerne/blog-394567.html Last night I caught on the internet what I had failed to see in person. I actually spent a good deal of time yesterday trying to get to wherever the protests were. However no matter which street I went down no matter what alleyway I took I could not not get anywhere near the action. there were cops amd military everywhere. Personally I think that is a bunch of crap http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Alsace/Strasbourg/blog-387885.html For those of who you doubted I really had a ticket Andrew Well tomorrow I get to go to a Town Hall meeting here in Strasbourg France hosted by the President of the United States of America. Incredible. Talk about lucky Well I have to be at Cine Cite to catch a bus which will take us all to the Rhenus Sports Hall. I have never been there. I guess we then sit around for 2.5 ho http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Alsace/Strasbourg/blog-387143.html I almost did not go to Versailles. After I awoke in Rouen I decided I had plenty of time to catch my train back to Paris and then Metro it to Gare Austerlitz where I would catch a train to Versailles. Well as I walked up the boulevard to get to Gare Rouen I looked up at the huge clock on the station tower. Hmmmm that is odd. The clocktower says 905...My watch has 805. How can that be http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Versailles/blog-387051.html Well I remember being told the stories about Joan of Arc when I was just a kid in grade school. That was back when the nuns thought they could motivate the kids by giving them balloons and gold stars. Thank goodness todays employers of high quality professionals would never insult their employees with such a tactic in todays highly competitive work place. But as usual I digress. Rouen is e http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Upper-Normandie/Rouen/blog-386116.html One of the trips I wanted to take my mom my Uncle Joe and my Aunt Lien on while they are in Switzerland is the Golden Pass Line train ride from Lucerne to Montreux. I was not really sure how to work this deal. But I did eventually find out. Okay here it is. In the winter there are only two real Golden Pass Line trains per day. I missed them both I guess. Now you can still do the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-West/Lucerne/blog-384429.html Chateau du Chillon is a magnificent Chateau or castle built in the early Middle Ages. It is also the most preserved examples of this typ of architecture in the world. It is a castle on Lake Geneva slighly north of Montreux. It is maybe 2 kilometers from the city center. The walk is all along the city boardwalk so it is a wonderful walk to take. You can take a bus but why bother. You can http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/South-West/Montreux/blog-384296.html