KoblenzThis gorgeous town is set at the spot where the Mosel joins the Rhine. There are some lovely gardens here. |
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FrankfurtFinally I struggled into Frankfurt late at night and crashed in a hotel near the station. Its clientele were decidedly strange. The next day I moved to a hotel which was within a block of 15 gay pubs and shops! Not to mention the main town square, which is where the CSD parade ended up. As you can see, people here were having a good time. The beer tents were open all day, and the local snacks were tasty. I tried the apple wine as well. |
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BerlinBig. Historic. Imposing. Impersonal. But some very interesting 24 hour pubs. |
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Prague/PrahaThe gun-toting security guards added a bit of a Wild West atmosphere to the place, as did the hordes of Americans. A camera crew on the street had a difficult time trying to find someone local to interview! Lunch was nice, but interrupted by someone filming a chat show at the table next to me. Many Russian military uniforms were on offer at the open air stalls. |
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BrnoSleepy. The girl at the Bureau de Change told me I couldn't change my money back into Western currency unless I was a Czech citizen; a remnant of the iron curtain perhaps. This meant good business for the little market next to the station. Oh well, I needed some more T-shirts anyway. |
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Vienna/WienGorgeous architecture. Delicious food. I was shocked on the U-bahn near Karlsplatz to see a group of three boys who looked 15 or 16 years old choosing a spot on one of their arms. The owner of the arm had a needle hidden in his sock. I had never seen this before, and was surprised to see it in young well-dressed kids. |
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InnsbruckThe mountains here are beautiful. I took the cable car up the Hafalekar, and walked to the top - it was a beautiful day. The Aldstadt (Old Town) is very nice too. The "Golden Adler" has a shingled copper roof. My hotel had a plaque on the front boasting that Mozart had stayed there once. |