I took my annual trip to Usedom. A mixture of clouds, cold, rain and sun made this tour a guessing game. For me it, walking along the long quiet empty beach for me is a mental battery charge.
When thinking of wine tasting, what comes to mind? Romance and sophistication enters the head. In the town of Ipsheim, Franconia, the occasion was more real. A local feel, sitting around a kitchen table with a Lazy Susan in the middle. As we were trying one bottle after another, more people came in, sat down to join. It was as if we were all friends meeting again after a long separation.
Over a few October days I wondered the Wine Country Franconia during some wine tasting while also enjoying the views.
I must admit, after tasting severals different wines, walking is the vineyards is not as easy as it looks.
A quick day trip to the Franconia town of Dettelbach. The hilly committee of 7.000 nestled in wine country dates back 1300 years. The Medieval aura is complete with a wall and guard towers, some converted to homes.
Touring Wine Country in Franconia Germany, even the entrances sparkle with the mood of the harvest season in October.
The difference is REAL! Lufthansa and Ryanair are completely different flying experiences. You pay a low fare to get to a destination. One is basically a cattle wagon while the other has a customer service dimension.
Don’t complain, sit back and tolerate what paying pennies can buy. I took a flight to Milan on Ryanair. High blood pressure angsts from the start. Yes, the airline is reliable to a point. A bearable bus with wings carrying passengers from point A to point B, no more, no less.
Boarding is always an adventure. I paid for speedy boarding, but in the chaos of the new Berlin airport (upcoming story) this did not make a difference. The mass chaos of trying to figure out a sibilance of an organized line got lost after the overwhelmed gate attendant turned his head away in fear. Getting on airlines stripped down standard Boeing 737 was all that matter. Boarding a train in Delhi left me with less trauma. The positive, Ryanair states on ticket: front or rear boarding.
While on board a Ryanair flight passengers are bombarded with announcements of one for or another to buy something. Relaxation is not an option built in this low coast flying model. Can anyone explain Ryanair’s Scratch Card lottery?
Contrast this with mega carrier Lufthansa. I took the German airline five days later from Milan. I paid more for the return ticket. What a difference a few euros make. The boarding experience is saner, not a mad dash. In Covid Times airlines boardings are made by sections. The regional Bombardier jet took me to Frankfurt for a transit to Berlin. The crew handed out water and small chocolates.
The second leg of my journey, off to Berlin on an Airbus 320 for a 55 minute flight. A bit of chaos getting onboard this time from the rear and back at the same time. The plane was parked on the tarmac.
Once again, water and chocolate handed out to passengers. The captain made two announcements before landing. I managed to grab a quick nap. I was even more amazed the airline used an air bridge to the terminal.
Will I take Ryanair over Lufthansa in the future? Ryanair’s advantage is point to point flights and price. How do you complain about a 19.99 euro ticket to Italy?
Lufthansa’s hub and spoke system carries a risk of getting stuck in a location.
More to come on the undedapprecicated Amalfi city. I had a two day then loved the coastal resort.
Haunting. Tragic. Inspiring. What can anyone write about Pompeii that has not been written before? The Roman city fell victim to the Mount Vesuvius. Mother Nature claimed the city one evening burying the ancient metropolis under levels of deadly ash almost 2000 years ago.
Visiting the site 2 times in August. I admit, Pompeii stirs the imagination. A real peak into the ancient world.
These are pictures from my first visit.
I am editing the images from my second visit, posted here soon.
A new series based on my cuisine experiences in Italy. The title comes from a conversation about who prepares the food in the kitchen. The guy replied, “My Mother Made It”. I had no more to say.
Of course pasta plays a role in the story. How much?
The saying, “What Happened in Baia Stayed in Baia”. It was once one of the most important ports in the western world. Connected to the capital, Baia and the connected water way supplied Rome with the riches from the empire.
The city’s reputation: decadent, hedonistic, the seeking of all pleasures. The extensive bathes provided a destination of human delight. Cesar and elites built grand houses on the hill. Caligula rode across the bay to fulfill a prophecy of him becoming emperor.
The remnants of an ancient culture, like all of Italy, are everywhere in the coastal municipality, even underwater.
