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Wine and Wienerschnitzel

November 26, 2017 by Ann Petronio Leave a Comment

I turned fifty this month, and had done a LOT of advance thinking about what I wanted to do to celebrate this milestone. The fact that it would involve travel was a given, but I just couldn’t decide where to go. Until I received an invitation from AmaWaterways for a wine-themed cruise on the Danube, departing a few days after my birthday! That was a no-brainer, because I’ve always wanted to try a river cruise; it visited three countries that were new to me; and…well….WINE 😊

Misconceptions About River Cruises

If you’ve not yet done a river cruise, you’ve probably got some of the same pre-conceptions that I did. I figured I’d be the youngest person on the ship, and that it would be a fairly quiet/relaxing experience. I downloaded a half-dozen books to bring with me, because I assumed there’d be nothing to do at night. All of which was fine. And all of which turned out to be incorrect!

This “old person’s” cruise kicked my fairly-active butt. We were seeing/doing things from dawn to dusk. With opportunities to hike, bike, and explore (independently and with a group). We ate fabulous multi-course meals, we drank lots of great wine and beer. And at the end of the very full days, all I wanted to do was fall into bed at 9:30/10:00 pm. They offered nightly entertainment, but I only made it to the lounge once to check it out! It also bears mentioning that I was NOT the youngest person on this sailing. There were definitely some couples in their 30s and 40s, and the majority were in their 50s and 60s. True “seniors” were probably the minority.

AmaWaterways blew me away. And what I now know is that their cruises are aimed at a more active demographic. They do attract more 40- and 50-somethings, with their easy 7-night itineraries, included wine/beer/internet, and onboard gyms, and bikes. The food and the service were far better than anything I’ve experienced on an ocean cruise. Plus,the more intimate size (approx. 160 people) makes it really easy to meet interesting people. I am a total convert, and am already planning my next river cruise!

If you want the details of this trip, scroll down. And if you want to skip ahead to the photos, here’s a link to the entire gallery, taken by my very talented husband.

Our cruise on the AmaSerena was a 7-day “Romantic Danube” itinerary. Sailing from Vilshofen to Budapest, with the added bonus of an onboard wine expert and a handful of special wine tasting experiences along the way. The dates (November 13 – 20) were just before the official beginning of Christmas Market season in Europe (this usually starts around the 20^th). But, because of the weather, a couple of cities/towns started their markets a week early and we were able to experience that as well. A totally unexpected bonus!

Munich

We flew into Munich a day early, arriving on Sunday morning. So that we could see a little bit of that city, and adjust to the time difference. Arrival in Munich was super easy. It’s a big, modern airport, and we had a private driver waiting for us in the arrivals hall. The ride into the city was about 45 minutes, and it would also be easy to take the train if you prefer.

Our hotel – the Sofitel Munich Bayerpost — was right next door to the main train station (the Hauptbahnhof). A very central location, walkable to just about everything you’d want to see/do. Service was very friendly, our room was ready and we were able to check in at 10 am! The rooms are modern, spacious and light, and the bed was fantastic. We crashed for a quick one-hour power nap, and then headed out in the rain to explore.

Munich overall was a very easy city to walk around, and we felt very safe. Because it was Sunday, a lot of things weren’t open, but we walked all through the Marienplatz and the Viktualenmarket. They were setting up for Christmas markets, but the stalls were not yet open. We stopped by the famous Hofbrauhaus beer hall. But we were overwhelmed, jet-lagged, and didn’t really want to squeeze into a table with strangers, so we ate across the plaza at an Augustiner restaurant instead. The beers were delicious (our first Hefeweizens!) and we shared a very German snack plate of sausages, cheese, brown bread, shredded horseradish and more. We had an early bed time that night, and twelve very necessary hours of sleep!

We got up bright and early on Monday, and had breakfast at one of the little coffee shops in the train station next door. Then we checked out, stored our bags with the front desk, and wandered back through the Marienplatz for a little more sightseeing. We rode up the tower at the town hall for the views, and explored the Munich Residence museum (an unexpected gem – like a smaller and less-crowded Versailles!)

When it was time, we collected our bags and strolled back into the train station. It was very easy to find the correct platform and our train car (they are marked on the outside to indicate 1st and 2nd class). The seats were comfy, the ride was about two hours, and it was very easy to navigate. They announce each upcoming station, and show it on a scrolling monitor as you approach. We hopped off in Vilshofen, consulted our Google maps, and walked to the river bank where the ship was docked.

Boarding the Ship

Boarding the ship was very casual and easy. There’s no real check-in; you just walk onboard, give the front desk your name, and then relax and have a snack in the lounge until they escort you to your cabin. We were in one of the least expensive cabin categories, which was below the waterline on deck one. It’s worth noting that this deck is down a spiral staircase, with no elevator access, and it would be tough for anyone with mobility issues. The cabin was very “cozy”, but had more than enough storage space. The bathroom was modern, and the shower was bigger than on an ocean cruise. There were two small windows high on wall, right at water level, and we jokingly called it “duck view”. The cabin was stocked with bottled water, and had free wifi, and a nice Apple TV with Internet and movies. Higher level cabins have French balconies, or twin balconies (part French balcony and part full sit-down balcony), but in the cool/wet fall weather that we experienced all week, we really didn’t miss having the outdoor space.

There was time to stroll around town that afternoon, and then we were officially welcomed with a dockside Oktoberfest celebration hosted by the village of Vilshofen. We enjoyed local beer and pretzels, live music, and even some polka lessons! It could have been hokey, but was actually quite fun and festive, and was a great way to kick off the cruise. Dinner followed, in the main restaurant, with free-flowing local wine and beer. They really did a nice job of tailoring each night’s menu to the surrounding area, and we enjoyed some very nice German and Austrian wines along the way. Meals were all open-seating, which was good for meeting people, and the food and the service were top notch.

We did not sleep all that well that night, partially due to the time difference and partially due to the noise we could hear. Our location (next to the kitchen and more or less underneath the gangway) was not ideal, and I would choose something further down the hallway next time. Because this was a turnaround night (they were clearly offloading some things from the previous cruise and taking on new provisions, etc. ) there was a lot of foot traffic overhead.

Tuesday morning we were again up bright and early, and enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the main restaurant. Breakfast and lunch onboard was always buffet, with a few additional a la carte items you could order from the waiter. Every morning, outside of the main breakfast hours, they also offered “early” and “late” continental breakfast options in the lounge. It would be impossible to go hungry!

That first morning they had an information session in the lounge to explain the shore excursion options. The cruise director walked us through all the available (included) sightseeing options in each port, and provided details about the variations (i.e. “active walkers”, “slow walkers”, etc.) He also filled us in on a couple of optional ticketed excursions (such as a night at the Vienna concert hall) that were available – at added cost – for anyone who was interested. It was very helpful, and was a great overview of the days to come.

Passau

After that, we enjoyed a scenic sail down the river to Passau, arriving just after lunch. Although it was cold/breezy, we ventured up to the “sun deck” to see the scenery and take some photos. Unlike some river cruise lines, all AmaWaterways ships have a small pool and lounge chairs up on that deck, and it would be very inviting in the warmer months.

In Passau, we chose to do a hiking tour up to the castle that overlooks the city. The hike was really not difficult, just lots of steps, and we had some interesting commentary/history along the way. NOTE: For all the guided tours, we had “quiet vox” ear pieces to wear, so that we could hear our guide without having to be right next to him/her. The view from the castle was fabulous, and it would be even better on a sunny day. Afterwards, we had some free time to wander around Passau on our own, and we visited their beautiful cathedral.

We ate dinner that evening at the Chefs Table, which is a lovely room at the stern of the ship, with wraparound windows. It seats about 28 people, and everyone can make reservations at least once during a one-week cruise. The meal includes a special tasting menu, with wine pairings, great service, and some very interesting and unique dishes. They also brought me a cake and sang Happy Birthday 😊

The entertainment in the lounge that evening was a singer from the UK (she had spent several years in the West End playing Fantine, Evita, etc) and she was great. Unlike on ocean cruises, where an entertainer stays on board for the duration, the river cruises have local talent that get on and off each evening. Once she was done with her set, off she went, and we set sail down the river again.

Linz & Salzburg

Wednesday morning, we were docked in Linz, Austria. We enjoyed a morning walking tour of the city, which is a UNESCO city of “culture and music”, with lots of interesting museums, sculptures, public art installations, etc. After returning to the ship for a quick lunch, we headed off to Salzburg (the other option would have been the medieval village of Cesky Krumlov, in the Czech Republic, which I also would have loved to have seen)

The bus ride to Salzburg from Linz was about two hours, and we made a pitstop at Lake Mondsee for bathrooms and photos. (NOTE: those who chose the full-day Salzburg tour spent more time here to see the Sound of Music wedding chapel, which overlooks the lake). At Salzburg, the bus let us off on the edge of the city center, and we did about a 90-minute guided walking tour of Mirabell Gardens, the “Love Locks” bridge, the pedestrian-only city center, and the Cathedral, and then had about 90 minutes on our own, which was perfect. We did some Christmas shopping, and then sat and had coffee and strudel in a cute little café. I would definitely go back to Salzburg if I had the opportunity, as we did not even scratch the surface. There are museums, churches, a fortress overlooking the city, and more.

Durnstein

Thursday was a nice respite from the busy days prior. We were able to sleep in, as the morning schedule was just “scenic cruising in the Wachau Valley”, and we would not be in port until 2 pm. I appreciated that change in pace, and had my first restful night’s sleep of this trip. We had a nice breakfast and then spent some time up on the sun deck in the cold. We were the only ones up there, because it was chilly and windy, but we got to watch as we went through one of many locks, and take pictures of cute little villages, churches and castles along the river banks. The hot chocolate/latte machine in the lounge was much appreciated after that. We did later hear that some fellow passengers had braved the (heated) pool!!

Later that morning, while we cruised down the river, we enjoyed an interesting wine tasting taught by our onboard wine host, and learned about some different California blends. When we eventually docked in Weissenkirchen, we enjoyed an afternoon tour to Durnstein (a short bus ride away). This was a charming Medieval town, surrounded by vineyards, with castle ruins looming above them. Because it was so late in the season, a lot of the shops weren’t open, but we did manage to pick up some locally-made apricot liqueur!

That evening, we did a really nice winetasting tour in Weissenkirchen. We were sorted into small groups, with guides, for a scenic stroll through this wine-making village. Our group ended up at a really cool old wine cellar, where we tasted several different Austrian white wines. For me, the Gruner Veltliner was the clear winner (I didn’t really care for the Austrian Reisling or Chardonnay).

Melk

Friday morning, we were up bright and early (again) for breakfast and a 9 am departure (by bus) for Melk. This is a gorgeous baroque abbey/fortress/church overlooking the river, which has been continuously occupied by monks for 900 years. Monks still live there now, and run a small and prestigious private school (which our guide had attended!) We learned a lot about the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, and the Hapsburgs.

After lunch, we enjoyed a scenic sail down past Durnstein, to leave the Wachau Valley. When we tied up in Krems, Austria we actually decided to skip the afternoon winetasting excursion (shocking, I know!) in favor of wandering around town on our own. It turned out to be one of my favorite stops. We walked into the pedestrian-only city center, where everything was decorated for Christmas, and we window-shopped our way down every block. There were outdoor kiosks selling mulled wine, and families enjoying a late-afternoon stroll, and the whole thing was picture-postcard-perfect.

Vienna

On Saturday, we arrived in Vienna. With so much to see and do in such a big city, the cruise line had given us a lot of options, and we packed our day very full. We started with a morning walking tour, to get an overview of the city and its history. We saw the famous Lipizzaner Stallions outside the Spanish Riding School, we marveled at St Stephen’s Cathedral, and we learned about Vienna’s café culture. When the tour was over, we stayed in town (rather than riding back to the ship for lunch) and explored a bit on our own. We ate bratwursts at an open-air kiosk, wandered down cobblestone streets, and soaked up the atmosphere. That afternoon, we met back up with the guide for a tour of Schonbrunn Palace, the grand summer residence of the Hapsburg Emperors. The Christmas Market outside the palace had already opened for the season, so we were able to sneak in some souvenir shopping (and some gluhwein sampling 😊 )

Because the Christmas Markets were open, we opted to forego the usual evening tours — a Mozart and Strauss Concert or an evening at a traditional Austrian Heuriger (tavern) — and instead took advantage of a shuttle ride back into the city to spend a few hours at the Christmas Market at the Rathausplatz. There was music, twinkling lights, an open-air skating rink, and lots and lots of stalls selling all sorts of holiday treasures. We picked up some souvenirs for the kids, and thoroughly enjoyed the festive atmosphere.

Budapest

Sunday was our last full day, and unfortunately it was not only cold but rainy. Because of the distance we needed to cover from Vienna to Budapest, the ship actually dropped us all off in Esztergom (about an hour’s drive from the city) so we could board buses and start our tour while the ship continued along the meandering river to eventually catch up with us in the late afternoon. We did a “panoramic” tour of the city. From the bus, and then a drizzly walk through Buda to the Fisherman’s Bastion and the Matthias Church. We had some free time to shop and explore nearby, and then we continued our panoramic tour into the Pest side of the city. We ended up at Heroes Square, where we learned more about the 1956 Uprising, the Cold War, and the modern history of this fascinating city.

That night, the final evening of the cruise, was a definite highlight. We enjoyed the Captain’s cocktail party, and a special farewell dinner, and then the ship left the dock to do a leisurely cruise through the heart of Budapest. With amazing illuminated buildings/palaces/castles/monuments on each side. Everyone was up on the top deck, marveling at the sights. I actually had tears in my eyes, and it was only partially due to all the wine 😊

Final Thoughts

Disembarkation on Monday was handled exceptionally well. We had all been assigned to specific shuttle times, based on our onward plans. So, we were able to sleep in, have some breakfast, and relax in the lounge until called. They loaded us (and our luggage) onto a shuttle and drove us to the airport. There we were met by someone from Amawaterways to hold our hands for the airport check-in, and make sure we were safely on our way. The whole thing, from beginning to end, was top notch.

These are a few of my favorite things..

September 28, 2017 by Ann Petronio Leave a Comment

Mother/daughter getaways….Surprises….Italy…The Sound of Music….need I go on? When Katrina contacted me to help put together a fabulous Italian adventure, and told me she wanted to surprise her mom Lori (a lifelong Sound of Music fan) with a stop in Salzburg at the end, I was all in! We managed to keep the secret until the very end, and the girls had an amazing and — as Katrina describes it — “life-changing” experience. I will be smiling for weeks 🙂

Hey Ann,

We had an absolutely phenomenal trip!! I feel like the order of things was perfect as we were thrown into the craziness right away in Rome and it only “lightened up” from there. All the hotels were great and very helpful in helping us get our bearings.

Rome was wonderful and we loved the history of everything. It truly made everything back home seem so inferior. The hotel (River Palace) was cozy and nice. The HOHO bus stop was a little further than expected, but once we figured it out we were all good. I did like that it was so close to the Piazza del Popolo which made it very easy to tell the (sometimes scary) taxi drivers where to take us. I also think the extra walking there sort of broke us both in. We could not believe the drivers there and how there were not more accidents. Also made me realize how bad our drivers here actually are 🙂

Florence was my mom’s favorite in Italy. The Bernini Palace hotel was absolutely perfect and we really didn’t want to leave. We had figured out the city and felt sort of at home by the end. I mentioned previously that the only hiccup in the itinerary was the thunderstorms, along with my mom being in some pain, kept us from taking the Pisa excursion. That ended up being a good rejuvenation day, so we don’t feel like we lost out on much. One complaint is the guide that we had for the Accademia. While he was knowledgeable and obviously passionate about art, he came off as extremely bitter and patronizing towards tourists. He belittled people for taking photos of a “naked man’s ass” after going on a rather lengthy rant about how this wasn’t a naked man. His name was Angelo, so I don’t know if you want to avoid that tour company or just him in the future, but definitely wanted to mention that. Our Vatican breakfast was such a cool experience and we truly felt like VIPs since we were in before the doors opened and got to eat out on this beautiful rooftop Plaza. We LOVED our guide, Gio.

Venice was my favorite as I love its charm and uniqueness. It was a challenge to find anything twice because there were many similar street names, but we had a blast getting lost in the streets. I would say fair warning that people should be careful of the porters at that train station. That was the first time they seemed a little aggressive and wanted to charge 10 Euros for carrying out bag down the stairs. The water taxi was very nice and was like a tour in itself. Perfect for arrival and dropped us off steps away from our hotel entrance (Hotel Bisanzio). It was pricey, so we took the water bus back to train station on the way out and it was pretty easy to navigate. Loved learning all of that! We preferred getting lost on the “back roads” and alleyways to the main thoroughfare to avoid the large crowds. It was always easy to find our way back to either San Marco or Rialto Bridge. The Murano/Burano trip was wonderful and I wish we could spend more time in either of those places.

Salzburg. Let’s start at the very beginning… (see what I did there?) I surprised my mom by sneaking in the bathroom while she was in the shower and playing the prelude to the Sound of Music. She jumped out and nearly ran out naked exclaiming “We’re going to Salzburg??” She was ecstatic. The train ride was absolutely breathtaking and you picked us the perfect seats. We sat next to a crazy man who refused to admit that he was in my mom’s seat. There were other empty seats so it was not a problem and we ended up going and sitting in the restaurant car for a while anyway. The only challenge ended up being a great learning experience. The train that we had booked only had about 10 minutes to catch the connection in Rosenheim, which would have been totally fine, but of course the train arrived 10 minutes late and by the time we got a few stops down it was saying 25 minutes delayed. I looked up other connecting trains in Rosenheim and was comforted knowing there were other options, however when we made it to Rosenheim we didn’t have time to get our luggage and get to the door before the train started moving again. We now know that one of us should have gone ahead and hit the button on the door (lesson learned). We ended up riding all the way into Munich and then getting a day ticket on their metro train (only 26 Euros for both) and it got us back to Salzburg. It was sort of like the Amazing Race 🙂 The Sound of Music tour was really great for fans of the movie and really the scenery would have been enjoyable to anyone. I have attached a photo that we took only from memory and only when we got back to the hotel/wifi did we look it up and see how close we got. Freaky!

Munich was great and it was wonderful to see our friends. The hotel (Pullman Munich) was very nice and in a perfect location. Also, two days at Oktoberfest was plenty 🙂

We seriously cannot thank you enough. While I mentioned the few challenges, I want you to know it was a perfect and frankly life-changing trip. Could not have been better.

Thanks so much for your help! I would recommend you to anyone planning a European adventure and now that we have the travel bug, I might reach out to you down the road for our next adventure.

I hope this helps!

Thanks,

Katrina

If only I had the right shoes…

August 9, 2017 by Ann Petronio Leave a Comment

Admittedly, I am biased, but I have to say that my clients are the BEST! Poor Lori was exhausted and sick after she came back from her European honeymoon, but she took the time to send me an amazingly detailed trip report, with all sorts of tips and information for other couples who might be visiting Scotland and Ireland in the future. I love her selflessness (and her honesty!) and I am excited to share her insights with you:

Hi Ann,

Again, the trip was wonderful! I included some notes below – let me know if you have any questions/anything I missed! Thank you again for EVERYTHING! You’re the best and we’re so grateful.

Lori

Notes:

Overall, I LOVED Edinburgh and it was by far our favorite part of the trip. I think next time if we go back we would want to spend more time traveling around Scotland. It was just beautiful and we loved all of the historical stuff. The Balmoral was a beautiful hotel (as you said it would be 🙂 ) and the included breakfast in the morning was really fantastic. The first day we slept in a little bit and they even brought it to our room for us with no extra charge. When we first got in, it was too early to check-in, so we had coffee on the balcony there to wake up and it was maybe the best cup of coffee and shortbread I’ve ever had. The only things I would maybe say was the room was a bit small (but fine) and I was a little disappointed I found the concierge our first day rude to me after I watched them spend like 25 minutes help a family plan what to do, give them maps, restaurant names, etc. He just gave me a map and told me to try the bus tour — I’ll give him I looked a bit ragged since we were just off the plane so who knows. They were very nice in holding our baggage, etc.

Our first day we went to Edinburgh Castle, which I thought was great. I would give people the tip to book tickets and print them in advance, because I did that and thought it saved us a lot of time in standing on a long line. We walked up and down the Royal Mile and around all the parks, etc. which was great. Unfortunately, the Queen was in residence so we weren’t able to go into the palace but oh well! The other thing I would prep people for maybe is to make sure to have the right shoes if they want to do the Arthur’s Seat thing – we walked through that park and probably about half way up, but I wasn’t in the right shoes once I got to a part that looked like steeps stairs straight up 🙂 I asked someone how long it would take and they said “no more than an hour” — but maybe I’m just too out of shape, even though I go to the gym, but that didn’t look like a leisurely walk the way they made it sound! haha. I would have needed sneakers/looser clothing and it was getting late so we didn’t go all the way up (we went far enough to see lovely scenery though, so it was great). I just found it funny they made it sound like a leisurely stroll when it definitely was a little bit more than that. Another place we stumbled upon, that I didn’t see listed in books I had, was Calton Hill – which also had some nice views and was a nice place to walk around for a bit.

In terms of the tours, the second one we did (to Stirling Castle, etc.) was the best of the whole trip – the tour guide was awesome (funny, engaging, etc.) and it was a small group because half of the group cancelled last minute. We really liked all the stops and I would definitely recommend it. The first tour in Scotland was nice too (Highland Lochs, Glens and Whiskey), although our group had some rude people in it that took away from it a bit (you can’t plan for those things though!) It was a little slower-paced but nice sites to see and we enjoyed the whiskey tour a lot. The only thing I would say is they again should have given a shoe warning! She said we were stopping for a leisurely forest walk (she added an extra stop not on the description) and although I did it fine, we were climbing up jagged rock steps for a solid 10 minutes and I felt like I was going to fall. Some of the older women on the tour looked like they struggled with it a bit, so I was a little surprised she would just add a stop and not give a heads up, “hey this one may be a little more of a strenuous hike than the last walk if you don’t feel dressed appropriately”, etc. Maybe just me though – no one else complained or seemed overly concerned so maybe I just need to get into the gym more haha.

To get out of the rain, we also popped into the National Gallery which had some great paintings and was free, so I would recommend that to others. We did the Edinburgh city bus tour the first day only because we were exhausted and it was raining so figured it was a place to sit and get a lay of the land while we were still waiting for our room and we stumbled into the Scottish Whiskey Experience, which was incredibly touristy and cheesy but I actually liked it 🙂 A friend had told me not to waste my money but i enjoyed the whiskey tasting!

If people want some recommendations for restaurants, etc., here are some I had a good meal/would go back to:

http://www.whiskibar.co.uk/

http://www.royalmiletavern.com/

http://drakeandmorgan.co.uk/the-refinery-st-andrew-square/

Most nights we stopped for one last drink at the Whiskey Bar in the hotel and I enjoyed it there :)—

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186525-d4590441-Reviews-Scotch_Whisky_Bar_at_The_Balmoral-Edinburgh_Scotland.html

Another bar recommended: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g186525-d796842-Reviews-The_Last_Drop-Edinburgh_Scotland.html

In terms of travel, the train was great – I thought it worked out way better than flying because it was right next door, we didn’t have to worry about checking our bags and it was a nice ride, comfortable seats, they brought food, etc. Definitely would recommend that route! All of our transfers and things worked out great, with the exception of a little bit of a hiccup when we first got in that was mostly my fault because i didn’t realize we somehow landed really early and I got anxious when I didn’t see the driver — after waiting a while we walked around to the other arrivals waiting area to see if he was there. We then tried calling and then went back and he was finally there but seemed a little annoyed we kept him waiting — again, completely my fault for not just staying put. He was super nice though and even gave me a hug goodbye, lol – they were so nice in Scotland!

In Ireland, we enjoyed it but found we didn’t really like the very large group tours as much. I found our drivers to be very unfriendly. We got there in plenty of time in the mornings, but they were incredibly disorganized and pretty much just loaded people on buses randomly and made people wait off to the side – to the point a few people got on the wrong tour our first day and the driver was not nice to them about it at all. In any case, I really enjoyed Kylemore Abbey and Gardens, and the views were incredible! Seeing those roads, regardless of whether we liked the big buses or not, I definitely don’t think we could have navigated it or driven ourselves, so it was definitely the way to go. It may have just been a little too much organized full-day tours but I think we knew that and had decided it was the best way to do it going in, so no regrets there; might just want to spread them out a little more next time.

Our Galway hotel (Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa) was nice and they even brought us a tray of chocolates to congratulate us! I would say though it was one of those hotels that looks a little nicer than I think it actually is – the elevators had a lot of problems, as did the sink and toilet in our bathroom. Overall it was good though. We were a bit tired by that point, so we ended up eating twice in the hotel and it was good.

Some other places some friends had recommended that I would too:

Shopping – the Treasure Chest

Food that we went to- McSwiggans Pub: http://www.mcswiggans.com/

Other recommendations we were given, but didn’t get to, in case it’s helpful:

Park House Hotel (next to our hotel) http://www.parkhousehotel.ie/restaurant.html

McDonagh’s Fish and Chips http://www.mcdonaghs.net/

McCambridge’s https://mccambridges.com/

Bars: The Quays, The King’s Head Tavern

We were happy to head to Dromoland Castle at the end – where we did almost nothing all day and it was lovely. They greeted us with a congratulations and upgraded our room and everyone we walked past congratulated us. It was so lovely. It was raining but we walked around the grounds a little bit, sat on couches and drank wine, went to the spa (WHICH WAS AWESOME – THE best facial I’ve ever had and I thought i had some good ones), had a fancy dinner (which I would recommend because it was delicious but probably a little fancier than we’re typically used to/our style) and then just drank more wine on couches and went to bed relatively early 🙂 Beautiful place to stay and awesome recommendation. I’m glad we splurged and had that day there – it was a nice way to rest up and relax after so many tours!

Paris is always a good idea

May 25, 2016 by Ann Petronio Leave a Comment

Longtime clients Linda, Fred, Marcia and Bill had a fabulous trip planned to Paris and London … and then the Paris and Brussels terror attacks made them question their plans. We talked about the pros/cons of postponing their “escape”, and I am so glad that they decided to forge ahead. As you can see, they had an amazing time!

Hi Ann — another fantastic trip!

Paris was fabulous. The hotel staff (Hotel Edouard 7) was extremely helpful in giving us restaurant suggestions and reservations. Hop on hop tour off was about 3 blocks from the hotel, and the Champs-Elysee was within walking distance, along with shopping and Notre Dame. We used the bus for 3 days — we were very late arriving on the first day (plane delayed for 3 hours) so by the time we got on the bus they gave us an additional day. Ate in some great restaurants — Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower, the boat cruise was fabulous, lot of cafes – the food everywhere was wonderful. The last night we ate in a traditional small French restaurant close to the Eiffel Tower suggested by the hotel, and it was awesome. Bill and Marcia had not seen the Eiffel Tower at night when the lights blink, so when we got out of the restaurant we were just in time to see the light. Then we went to the Champs-Elysee for chocolate crepes (MMMM!!!)

Another great place was the Capucine Café on Rue de Capucine. We had fabulous onion soup and good wine too!

In case you weren’t aware the lights on the Eiffel Tower blink for 5 minutes starting at 9 pm ( the first night was 10 pm) it is an awesome sight to see. If you want any more specifics of the trip would be happy to provide them for you. The guide at the Louvre was unbelievable; he was so knowledgeable in history and art, and with a great sense of humor. He was amazing. For us the half day tour in Versailles was enough, and was very beautiful.

FYI — for the boat cruise we dressed up but there were people in jeans sneakers and shorts – we were happy to dress up though. It made it more special and it just seemed appropriate. Our Parisian haircuts were a very interesting and fun experience (we did not come out with punk pink haircuts)

There was a lot of security around – military and police walking the streets and also around the attractions – security was evident at all attractions, with bag checks and some metal detectors. At first it was a little unsettling, but then it was somewhat reassuring that they were around. The only place I felt a little uncomfortable was the Eiffel Tower. There were just so many people around and the security walking around seemed to be more focused.

The Chunnel was a nice trip – but a little confusing finding our way in the train station as the signs were not always pointing you in the right direction. We decided on the Tube after we got to London because of the marathon – we found our way just fine, however it was not an easy trek with 4 suitcases and 4 carry-ons and no escalators up and down. The stairs were a real task.

Again, the hotel (St Ermins) was perfectly situated, a 5 minute walk from Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. We rode the London Eye, took a boat down the Thames ( hop on hop off) again found some great pubs and ended our London trip with a traditional pub for fish and chips. We ate at a great steakhouse called Hawksmoor in Langley. It was amazing — highly recommend it.

Our transfers were always there on time and waiting for us. Unfortunately the weather was not as cooperative. It was very cold the entire time in London (had so many layers I looked like the Pillsbury dough boy). It even snowed in London on our last day. The first few days in Paris were beautiful but the last day got cold there as well.
Thank you again for another fabulous vacation with wonderful memories.

Linda