Ein ringy-dingy....

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I set my alarm for 01:00 (yes, A.M.) so I could call München to make a reservation for the Euraide bus tour of Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Wieskirche. My first-ever international phone call! It wasn't any different from making a domestic call. My home phone didn't light up or play special music to celebrate or anything. 😉

I've come several full circles on bus tours catering to Americans... there was a lot to love about seeing Scotland that way, but there's no question that we ended up isolated from real people, real culture and authentic experiences. Being one of a gaggle of gawking, giggling tourists belched from one of a vast herd of lumbering buses at the appointed visitor centers and tchotchke shops doesn't feel in-country because it isn't intended to. Rick is quite right that these are carefully engineered bubbles of sameness and safeness designed to comfort those who don't want their travel interrupted by any adventures.

And yet... Neuschwanstein in particular is such an inherently tourist attraction that there's very little chance of an authentic local encounter during the closely-scheduled guided tours of its rooms. Going native in this case just spells a big transportation hassle with no particular benefits. I really like the look of the Euraide tour, with its extra stops at Wieskirche and Linderhof's Venus Grotto. And the Euraide folks are already delightful and accommodating (even if they do cater their services to us dreaded English-speakers). One normally reserves their tours and other products via fax, but I hate fax and they were happy to allow me to do it via phone. I'm --> <-- this close to offering to write them an ecommerce website... because, of course, I need more to do.

Euraide also offers a Prague Excursion Pass which one can pick up from their office in Berlin (or München, but I'll be coming from Berlin). I think it'll be just the ticket (har) for my trip in and out of Czechia. EBTD's rail consultant never even mentioned the existence of the Excursion Pass, even though it's referenced in Rick's Prague guidebook. EBTD doesn't sell it. I can't be too cynical, though, because the consultant did recommend against the more expensive 3-day Czech Flexipass, which they do sell, as overkill, and suggested that buying single tickets at the rail station would be a better deal.

My Aunt Jean, who was in Deutschland last year, sent me some gorgeous photo books of the country. They're wonderful previews and I think mom will appreciate being able to follow along in them while I'm there.

Finally, I field-tested one of my new travel outfits yesterday: Eddie Bauer featherweight tee and lightweight sweater over Lane Bryant short, swishy polyester skirt, with clunky practical walking shoes. 😊 I felt pretty good about how it looked, and more importantly, I was comfy all day. My only concern was I got quite cold, as I am wont to do, around dusk. That isn't too surprising given that it was intentionally a warm-weather outfit; I just hope the lightweight trousers and microfleece will work well enough to change into for evenings. I have to chance it, or else lug heavy coat and blankets all over Europe on my back. Nein, danke!

Noch 14 Tage!

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