It is also my hope that any readers will be able to add to the documents in the form of comments which will add their experiences to my own and so provide a resource for those who are yet to enjoy the journeys that they will make.
Come with me to Europe and enjoy the experience.
Amsterdam 30 August 1979
Twenty seven and a half hour of flying later - arrival in Amsterdam - Schiphol airport. With landing in Singapore (1 hour), Colombo 1/2 hour, Dubai (2 searches in 1/2 hour), Zurich (1/2 hour.
The airport is as described in the literature - fast efficient and very modern. Also very cold.
Well, this is my very first trip back to Europe since migrating to Australia. I am excited and yet frightened. On exiting from the airport there was the feeling of being very alone and a little desperate in a strange land with a strange language where everything is alien. At the bus from the airport I bumped into a couple from Sydney who had travelled with me on the plane. More surprise to follow as I found that they were staying at the same hotel that I was - or at least I think they said they were. We decided that since all of us were in the same hotel it would be economical to travel together by taxi from the terminal to our hotel and split the fee.
Maude and Michael are Polish and Czech respectively and on tour. They enabled me to speak English and so feel a little better and less out of my depth. (Little did I known that most Dutch people speak at least four languages one of which happens to be English.).
Our cabbie was an absolute wonder. He gave us the grand tour around Amsterdam for a good price - or so it seemed at the time until we discovered later that our hotel was really just around the block from where the bus had dropped us. We had to lug our bags up a street or two as the street in which our hotel was placed had been closed for road and/or canal works. O
n arrival I was to learn that there was no reservation for me and no rooms left. Tired and very angry with my travel agent and ready to kill someone. I rang KLM only to find that my booking was in a hotel with a very similar name some distance away, but in the same street. So I said goodbye to my new found friends and wended my way along the Leidsgraacht to the Hotel de la Haye at the other end of the street. Here, I was finally expected and was shown to my room - in other words the owner pointed to a rickety set of spiral stairs which were so narrow that I was of the view that they could not be negotiated by anyone who had consumed a liberal amount of alcohol. I dragged my weary legs and my heavy bag up the stairs, turned the key and my delight was unbounded as I saw my room - all of 2 metres by one metre, four coat hangers, a wash basin, a bed and no cupboard space. Ah well, at least it had a fine view over a canal and for only 30 guilders or $15 per night.
I unpacked my things and then taking my trusty ammo pouch as a handbag I began my first explorat
ory trip of Amsterdam. Almost by accident I came upon the Leidesplein a wide boulevard with many restaurants and night clubs. (I later discovered that I was living in the Dutch equivalent of Kings Cross.)
I came to a paper shop and purchased a map of Amsterdam and then stood for a while getting my bearings. Standing was too tiring so I followed advice and sat in a coffee shop which had an open air (ie sidewalk) section and watched the world go by. I then rang Bernie's brother and he invited me for lunch the following day. Victor was not in the phone book so I resolved to walk to his address after an initial foray into the heartland of Amsterdam. A quick trip to the hostel at Vondelspark revealed that it was full until several days later so I knew that I would be stuck in the Hotel de La Haye for some time to come. During my walk around Amsterdam's centre I found it to be a bustling metropolis with people from all over the world. Everyone speaks at least 3 or 4 languages with varying degrees of fluency. Prices are outrageous, equal to the highest in Sydney. The coffee is fabulous, the beer very weak at 5% alcohol and is served in 10 oz glasses with some half being foam - this costs 1-2 gulden (.50 to $1.)
I followed my map to Victor's address and found that he was not at home. I know that Victor is a prodigious drinker so I visited the nearby local pubs and asked if anyone there knew him. Some six people responded that they did and when I asked where he was I was told he was in France with his current girl friend Maud. - Great! Some people were kind enough to tell me where he was staying in France so I phoned him there to tell him I was in Amsterdam and looking forward to seeing him when he came home. In the interim I left a message at his home with a card giving my address and phone number at the hotel and then continued with my walking tour. There are heaps of people in Amsterdam and all of them are willing to give you directions but almost none are willing to have chin wag. Hmm!
Back to the hotel, washed socks and shirt slipped into bed and hoped things would dry by the morning. Sunset at 9:30 pm.
31/8/79
A beautiful day - breakfast at 8:00 am on the road by 8:30. Autumn in Europe is like summer in Australia - I really should have bought some shorts and some more T shirts. I managed a trip to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum as a first stop
. All in all a magnificent adventure and not only because of Rembrandt's paintings. I was fascinated to note that when he was well paid Rembrandt painted well while at other times more carelessly. The hands are what give him away, delicate fine strokes when he was interested in his subjects and sloppy strokes when he was not.
The Rijksmuseum is sometimes called Holland’s treasure trove. The largest museum for art and history in the Netherlands, it is world famous for its collection.THE COLLECTION
The Rijksmuseum has five departments: Paintings, Sculpture and Applied Arts, Print Cabinet, Asian Art and Dutch History. The centrepiece of the collection is the renowned paintings from Holland’s Golden Age. Here you will find works from Vermeer, Frans Hals, Jan Steen and Rembrandt. The jewel in the crown is of course Rembrandt’s masterpiece, the Night Watch. In the Rijksmuseum you will also find magnificent collections of silver, Delft Blue, dolls houses, prints, drawings, mysterious Asian art and a completely renewed presentation on the history of the Netherlands.
BUILDING AND GARDEN
The Rijksmuseum is located in a monumental building designed by the architect Cuijpers. The building dates from 1885 and has beautiful details such as tile tableaux, sculptures, proverbs and ornaments. The Rijksmuseum’s garden was also designed by Cuijpers and is certainly worth a visit.
VAN GOGH MUSEUM
A visit to the Van Gogh Museum is a unique experience. There is no other place in the world where you can see so many of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings under one roof. The Museum is situated on the Museumplein in Amsterdam, between the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum. The Museum's collection is in three parts. The Van Gogh collection, work from other artists and the collection concerning the Van Gogh Museum’s history.
VINCENT VAN GOGH
The Museum contains the largest collection of Van Gogh’s work. More than 200 exceptional canvases from the Master’s hand, as well as 500 drawings and 700 written documents. Together these provide a fantastic insight into his life and work. In the Museum, Van Gogh’s work is arranged in five chronological periods. These periods correspond with a certain phase in Van Gogh’s life and work. The phases in order are: the Netherlands, Paris, Arles, Saint-Rémy en Auvers-sur-Oise.
OTHER ARTISTS
An extensive permanent collection of other 19th century artists can also be viewed in the Museum. These were contemporaries and friends of Van Gogh, and include Paul Gauguin and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Van Gogh met these artists in Paris. Here he saw with his own eyes how the French artists created their Impressionist pictures.
Met Bernie's brother for lunch at the Beethoven straat and was given an interesting lecture tour about Amsterdam. He then took me around for a look at some of the houses and showed me where on the stoops were the letters "J" carved into the steps on houses where Jews had lived and a big cross + on houses frequented by Catholics who were hostile to the Germans during the second world war.
After thanking Bernie's brother I left for a quick spin around Vondelpark where to my amazement drug sellers were openly touting their wares. One guy was wandering around selling Hashish like ice cream yelling out at the top of his voice "Hashish, Hashish" - I was surprised he didn't have a bell. Back to the Museums.
I went to have dinner at what was called an "Israelishe Grill" run by a genuine Israeli. Had a free beer after some discussion with the owner and then went off to the Leidsplein and sat in an open air pub chatting with the locals two journalists who proved to be most interesting company. Finally got to bed - tired but happy.
1/9/1979
Decided that I simply had to see the Portuguese synagogue. In 1492 Jews had to flee inquisition from Spain. They thought they would be secure in Portugal, but, bad luck, they were compelled to convert. Hundred years later, some of their descendants, wanting to live as Jews, looked for shelter in Amsterdam, known for its tolerance. Bad luck again!! The Netherlands were at war with Spain! So the Jews preferred to say they were from Portuguese origin. Must read more about the history of this stuff when I get home again
On Mr. Vissersplein, in the centre of the square, is the splendid Portuguese Israelitische Synagoge (Portuguese synagogue). Built in 1675, it survived WWII and was then restored in the 1950’s. Its interior, with a lofty barrel-vaulted roof, was intended by its architect, Elias Bouman, to echo that emulated the Temple of Solomon. The huge space is lit by scores of arched windows and original 17th century brass chandeliers. Nothing has changed since centuries. I was surprised that the place was completely lit by candles - there did not appear to be any electricity at all.
The people in the synagogue were rather unfriendly. I stayed for the service, but no one came and said hello to welcome a fellow Jew in their midst.
I then decided to visit the "Flohmarkt" or flea market. The daily market held here, though colourful enough, I was told is a mere shadow of the original flea market. Its clutter of stalls, selling neo-hippie gear, cheap jewellery, junk, old clothes and perhaps the occasional original antique is duplicated in similar markets all over Europe. While there I purchased a small hand bag to carry all of my walking gear, much better than my ammo pouch. I then meandered back to the concourse where I met an American hippie painter who lives on a houseboat. He showed me his paintings and I found that he was a charming if eccentric host.
Later I took one of the canal tours and had pointed out to me all of the tourist sites as we cruised along the canals including the smallest house in Amsterdam 1 metre wide. Later I was to discover that it is only a frontage and purely for the show for the tourists.
Mailed some postcards and then spent the rest of the day wandering around looking at things. Upon my return to the hotel I found a note from Hans she had been told that I was in town and had made arrangements to contact me. I rang her and we arranged to meet that night for a chat. I went to her place and we chatted for about three hours until around 1 am I then went home and arranged to see her for dinner the next day.
2/9/79
Another day spent wandering around the town seeing the sights. This time even the zoo did not escape my zealous attention. I managed the trams and the buses everywhere with a 'tag kaarte' or day card. Had dinner with Hans but only after we ran into a festival on one of the canals. Students were performing many of the musical pieces from medieval days on period instruments in period costume. Dinner with Hans was an experience in an old brownstone pub where the food was delicious and where we ran into Victor and Maude. Following dinner we managed to find some night life and then for me - home to bed.
3/9/79
Travelled through Holland by train stopping here and there to see the sights and then off to Brussels. The Delft area is specially nice. I managed to get off at the wrong station in Brussels and had a damned long walk to the hostel, but at least I got orientated on the way. During the evening meal I met Marco and Italian guy from Milan and Carlos fro
m Queens in New York. After a rap session we agreed to paint the town red the following night. I retired, hit the sack and slept like a log.
4/9/97
Explored Brussels with Carlos. The Grand Place is fabulous. Built in the 16 hundreds I think. A marvellous museum and art centre with lots of paintings by Bruegel on display. Generally a modern metropolis now celebrating its thousandth anniversary (how fortunate) with many tourist celebrations being held. Shopping again, fabulous for food. You have the fabulous Belgian waffles for only 20 Belgian francs, not to mention 'pistolets' and their untold number of fillings. They bake three times a day and bread is FRESH
H. Fabulous fruit buys as well. Saw my first bit of rain here in Brussels and as a result hadto figure out a cheap way to avoid it. (Not very well prepared for this trip.) Found a jean shop that was selling cheap plastic rain jackets with a hood and bought it - white with a wildcat emblem. People stare at you, but it is light, protective and a good windcheater. Returned to the hostel after the explorations for dinner and then went with Carlos and Marco out on the town.
I had found a gypsy tavern during my wanderings with genuine Hungarian gypsies. Naturally I had engaged with them in conversation and had suggested that I would return with company that evening. I also made sure that I looked up a place called La Lunette described in one of my guide books. The place has a glass like a champagne glass only much bigger which contains 2 litres of beer. Holding such glass is quite a chore consuming the contents even more so. I took the lads there and on the basis of nothing ventured nothing gained we attempted to drink a glass of this. Since the beer is 8% alcohol by volume it is quite a chore. Refreshed and somewhat worse for wear we then left La Lunette and wandered across to meet the gypsies. We had managed to lose Carlos by this stage as he only came for a farewell drink because he was flying back to New York. The evening went well even to the extent of us picking up a couple of the local girls through the time honoured technique of buying them a drink. Alas our language skills with French were so bad that we could not really get into a meaningful conversation. Still the evening was pleasant enough. We staggered back to the hostel and to bed and slept ready for another day.
5/9/79 - 6/9/79
Decided to head down to Zurich so went down to the station and boarded a train for that locale. As we were nearing Luxembourg I thought it might be a good idea to stop and over and have a look. Did so. A fabulous decision. A really lovely picturesque town. 16 miles of tunnels and battlements built so long ago making it into the Gibraltar of the north. Beautiful houses, castles and scenery.
Having done my tours I noted that I was actually quite close to the Rhine and Moselle valleys and thought that it might be nice to go to Trier and then catch the boat to Koblenz from there to Mainz and then Frankfurt, since this trip was covered on the Euro Rail and hence did not cost anything extra.
Trier is the oldest town in Germany. It has some incredible buildings and scenery as you come into it by train. There are old roman ruins, the oldest church in Germany. The youth hostel here is very strict - run by a German militarist. He wanted everyone in bed by 9:30 pm. There were over 200 school children at the hostel accompanied by their teachers. The teachers and I convinced the manager to come and drink some fine Moselle wine with us. Eventually, mellowed by the wine and our company and conversation we remained talking until 4 am. After waking the next morning I met two Americans and an Australian called Dominic and the four of us walked around Trier. During the walk we came across Jenny and Australian school teacher who proved to be very pleasant company. I broke my watch in the shower that morning so I was forced to take it to a watch maker who then proceeded to fix it in one hour flat for the princely sum of 14 Deutsch Marks. Meanwhile we climbed up to the statue of Mary on the hill top picking apples from the trees by the side of the road. Once we arrived at our destination the city lay spread out at our feet. I bought a post card as my camera is now officially 'kaput'. For now I will simply have to lug it around. I will find out in Zurich what happened to it and whether it is fixable or not. I am taking the opportunity to sample the fine Moselle wines which though expensive are nice. Since I am in the area it behoves me to take the boat along the river along to Frankfurt via Mainz and Koblenz. Incidentally there seems to be a NATO exercise in full swing with tanks, APCs and large troop movements taking place and jets flying overhead exemplified the point.
7/9/79
My resolution to travel by boat has come to nil. I awoke to a very foggy day. So I gave up and instead caught the train from Trier to Koblenz, Mainz Heidelberg. I stopped at Heidelberg to look at the city. Some incredible places and people. Met an Israeli couple on the mountain railway which goes up into the hills overlooking the city. I had a very pleasant morning with them enjoying the stroll the views and looking through the Schloss. Later that morning I met an Australian Swiss and with him we encountered two Irish women who appeared to be looking for fun and adventure. Spent lunch with them all and then some more sight seeing. Decided to push on to Heilbronn however on arrival found that the hostel was full. I was told that the hostel in Bad Wimpfen - a stop or two back on the line had some vacancies. Dennis and I then caught the appropriate train back a few stops and arrived at Bad Wimpfen. This is proving to be one of the surprise stops of this trip.
Totally unknown, totally unexpected this town was built around 1200 and people still appear to be living in buildings that are six or seven hundred years old. Staying there at the youth hostel was a fantastic stroke of luck. It is only 3 years old and set in total history. Bad Wimpfen also hosts some thermal baths which provide a cure for a number of ailments. There is a spectacular old castle and some wonderful ancient churches and above all else some really lovely unspoilt people. Dennis also turns out to be a surprise - he owns a pub in Queensland. He has leased it out for the last five years and has been on the road travelling on the proceeds. Along the way he has learnt about rubies and precious stones and has been making a business buying and selling them to supplement his income. He is very knowledgeable about France. Through him I learnt how to get to the fairytale castle of Ludwig 1st of Bavaria - Neuschwanstein at Füssen. We had a very pleasant stay at Bad Wimpfen and then off to Munich the next day.
8/9/79 - 9/9/79
Arrived in Munich after stopping off at Stuttgart where I tried to ring Sándor Konya but he was not at home. That's life. München is the city of bier kellers and the early seat of Nazism. Perhaps the most unfriendly city so far encountered. The people are rough, rude and generally unbelievably impatient.. I made sure to book into the hostel and then took a turn around the palace. Ludwig certainly knew how to spend money. A fabulous rococo palace with sumptuous sculptured gardens and ponds filled with fish. Absolutely busloads of tourists from France and Italy were there at the same time so I had a free tour in French. Upon returning to hostel I met three gorgeous English women struggling with their luggage. Ever the gentleman I offered to assist them and to provide directions. Sceptical at first they warmed up and following dinner we all went to a disco where we spent a very swinging and pleasant evening until 12:45 rushed (or more accurately lurched) back to our beds.
The second day in Munich. was again beautiful and hot. I seem to be having fabulous luck with the weather. Today I met some Australians and we toured the English gardens and the Deutsche Museum. All in all a fabulous experience. They have there a complete Messerschmidt 109, 163, 262 the last two being the first and second of Germany's jet aircraft. Originally developed in 1934, but not flown until 1944 by which time it was too late. A very bad miscalculation on the part of Mr Hitler. It may have just cost him the war. The Deutsches Museum is the largest technical museum in the world. Seven floor of it are and a whole island in the middle of Munich. There are also a fabulous selection of paintings here including many of the old masters. I really dislike the Germans in this town. While touring the two Aussies and I met a girl from New York that is working in Garmisch with the American troops and also another American English couple as well as two girls from Canada. We all went to dinner together and then off to the disco again. Really a fabulous evening. The Canadians really know how to dance. I was totally exhausted by the time we wended our way home at 1:00 am. In case I forgot to mention it - the hostel is open 24 hours a day.
This hostel also appears to be a meeting place for those who ferry cars to the near east. 1000 marks for a Mercedes to Turkey or Iran. Apparently you need a foreign passport to take the car in, have your passport stamped that you have taken in the car and then of course you should have your passport stamped when you take the car out. These clever fellows have their passports 'cleaned' in Turkey or Iran and the slip back out of the country, return to Munich and do the trip again. Meanwhile in the country of delivery the lucky new owner has a brand new car - almost without having had to pay the expensive import duty. All in all a very illegal and dicey operation. Quite a few young willing Americans in Munich seem willing to take the risks. I guess it has not as yet occurred to the local constabulary that the youth hostels are a terrific transit point for these smugglers.
10/9/79
From Munich to Zurich in one bold leap - a great train journey. The people on the train only spoke German. So I tried to speak German. My vocabulary is deplorable, but I tried. On arrival in Zurich I met Neil - another Aussie and together we found our way to the hostel. Fabulous hostel, clean and with (would you believe it) decent meals. After registering I left again with a booking for a tour of the city. Bought lunch from a fabulous deli and then headed for the Limmat Quai. Here I took a boat ride around the lake and met two Swiss girls on board with a resident Australian who had just come from a conference on ophthalmology in Berne. They proved to be very pleasant company around the lake as did some Koreans who were on a business trip. One of them was the leader of the YMCA in Seoul. He invited me to stay there anytime I visited the city and to remember me he took a picture. My camera has been busted for days. I took it to a photo dealer in Zurich and I should have it back in the morning. Returned to the hostel and chatted up some Canadians from the same conference as the people on the boat. Neil and I decided to visit the CASA a pub that has jazz. On the way I bumped into two girls from Colorado - Heidi and Suzie who either liked the idea of jazz or our company because they came with us and made it a fabulous evening. Tired but happy I returned to the hostel to sleep.
11/7/79
Got and planned today. Got out the tour book and looked up the most scenic rides in the Swiss Alps. This suggested that I go to Brig via Fiesch-Kühboden where there is a hostel. Picked up the camera, caught the train just in time and I was off to a place called Disentis. Here is where I descended from the train and dissented with the conductor. Apparently there is a private railway that is NOT covered by the EuroRail ticket and costs 38 francs for a few miles of line. Bloody cheek! I was committed so off I went paying through the nose. It was worth it. Over the two highest alpine passes the Oberalpshöhe and Furka passes with the Rhone glacier passing by. At Fiesch there is an aerial skyway for another 15 francs (Luftseilbahn) which goes 2280 metres up the mountain in 2.5 minutes for one of the most spectacular views that I have ever seen. I went to the booking office for the hostel as I had booked a room only to be met by a curious smile. I was given a key and told to take the Luftseilbahn to the top as that is where the hostel is. When I asked about the key I was told it was to let me into the hostel.
Guess what, I am the ONLY person in the Youth Hostel. It is brand spanking new and I have peace and quiet for a change - with only my own snores to wake me up. This is a 220 bed hostel and once the last cable car gondola leaves the motors are shut off and you are completely alone on the mountain.
12/9/79
What an absolutely glorious way to wake up. The sound of the motors of the cable car starting up again. The hostel is located at around 2500 metres up in the reception area for the cable car. The sunrise over the mountains is absolutely incredible. I took the cable car up top the top of the Eggishorn and there spread out in front of my eyes for all to see was the Matterhorn, Mt Blanc and some marvellous glaciers. In winter the skiing must be absolutely incredible. There are so many chairs pommers and T bars as to be unbelievable.
I went down to the station to catch my train to Berne and then Basel. Both towns are quite nice especially Basle. Stopped over at Interlaken but having been already up in the mountains I felt that 106 francs to go up to the Jungfraujoch just to see the same mountain peaks was a bit much. Firstly arrived in Basel. Rushed around looking at the sights and since there was an overnight train to Vienna I decided to catch it at 20:30 hours.
Once on board I could simply not believe my luck. No other passengers in my compartment. The seats folded down in to a bed - fantastic. Then an Italian gent comes into the compartment - not to worry it is only one man - he sits in the seats near the door and we can both have a bed. We nod to each other and then he starts his reading and I do some of mine. In the middle of my reverie in comes a really drunk, smelly German speaking Swiss. He is a poet. I have no idea how he managed to get the fare for first class. He tries to engage everyone in conversation and I simply tell him in English that I do not speak German. This was a mistake. So frustrated was he by this fact that he then decided to explain his philosophy of life to me in his halting broken English. This went on for some time. He decided to sleep
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