Week Two

Koblenz

This gorgeous town is set at the spot where the Mosel joins the Rhine. There are some lovely gardens here.

Frankfurt

Finally 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.

Berlin

Big. Historic. Imposing. Impersonal. But some very interesting 24 hour pubs.

Prague/Praha

The 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.

Brno

Sleepy.

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.

Vienna/Wien

Gorgeous 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.

Innsbruck

The 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.

Go Home

Week One

	Koblenz This gorgeous town is set at the spot where the Mosel joins the Rhine. There are some lovely gardens here.
	Frankfurt Finally 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.
	Berlin Big. Historic. Imposing. Impersonal. But some very interesting 24 hour pubs.
	Prague/Praha The 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.
	Brno Sleepy. 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.
	Vienna/Wien Gorgeous 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.
	Innsbruck The 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.