End of Summer

XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 LM OIS

As it's been a few weeks, I figured it was good time to check in.  After Norway, we've had several weeks off.  By off I mean we have been at home, not jumping on a train, on a plane, or in the car every weekend.  As awesome as traveling is, it is nice to have some down time living out of a dresser instead of a suitcase.  The cats are no longer confused about who their people are.  And, The Dog?  Well, I'm not sure if he's ever really pleased about anything, but at least he's getting regular hikes every week.

But, we haven't really been off with our feet up either.  Our evenings and weekends have been taken up with cycling.  We originally planned out that we would aim to do a 200km ride by the end of the summer.  We ended up biting off a little more than we could chew with the traveling this year and didn't allow enough training time.  So, we knocked it back to a 160km goal.  But, there was a sudden death in the family and I had to head back to Akron at the end of July.  Our training and fitness isn't where we wanted it to be when we laid down our goals at the beginning of the year, but it isn't a total wash.  This weekend we're going to attempt that 160km ride.  And, I'll be doing it on a new bike.  Upon returning home from Akron, I discovered my bottom bracket was starting to fail on my Raleigh.  It was actually easier to purchase a new bike instead of waiting for a shop to make the repairs (shops around here only repair by appointment and they have to be scheduled weeks in advance).  The new ride is a Fuji Roubaix 1.3LTD.  No, I didn't buy it because I'm obsessed with brands named after Mt. Fuji.  It was the only brand the shop stocked.  But, I'm really pleased with it.  It is another level up from the Raleigh, and, I gotta say, that upgrade makes quite a difference.  So, that's what's been going on.

As for photography, I've been going back to my roots a bit and have been shooting handheld when out and about.  The camera is always with me when we take The Dog on his hikes.  We've been hitting some local trails after our Sunday rides and I've kept my kit to the minimum, using just the 18-55mm or the 35mm.

XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 LM OIS

XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 LM OIS

The cycling regime definitely cuts into shooting time, however.  This hot summer meant the rides had to start early, right when the light was perfect.  While the X-E2 is pretty small, it's not small enough to fit in a cycling jersey.  One of the things I would like to add to my kit is a high end compact.  We pass by some incredible sights on our rides, and the iPhone camera is not doing them justice in the least.   I kinda hate opening up my portfolio from this time of year and only seeing flat iPhone exposures.  I'm really interested in the Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX100 range because they have features that no other compact has, but those price tags (and it always comes down to the price tags) are making an upcoming purchase unlikely.  The #1 gear purchase priority is still a second Fuijifilm X Series body.  Once they finally announce what the X-Pro2 is going to be packing I'll be making a decision on which camera to acquire next Spring (economy dependent, of course).  Losing shooting time and light for cycling is a frustrating situation, but I am compiling a great list of locations for later in the year.  Right now, after 4+ hours on the bike in high temperatures, the last thing I want to do is jump in the car and shoot somewhere.  On the weekends it takes a lot to stay awake past 8:00pm.

But, next week my parents are coming in for a visit and we'll be hitting the road to show them around Bavaria and the Alps.  It'll be the last major trip for 2015 before we head back to Akron for our home leave visit around Thanksgiving.  It'll be good to give the legs a bit of a break and get back behind the lens!

XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 LM OIS

Trip of the Year

About fifteen years ago I stepped off a plane into Oslo Airport.  It was the first time I had left the United States (sorry, Niagara Falls, you don't count).  The next two weeks in Norway changed my life.  After that trip, I was addicted to traveling.  In the next three years, before I graduated high school, I visited 9 other countries.  My love of travel was probably one of the main reasons I chose archaeology as my field of study.  It's why I didn't freak out when my husband came home one day and announced The Company wanted to move us to Luxembourg.  That first trip abroad gets credit for a lot in my life.  Why?  There is no place on earth like Norway.  Ever since I left, I was obsessed with getting back.

Last month I did.

A trip to Norway takes some planning.  It's wild.  It's a little unpredictable.  It's expensive.  The thing is, though, it is totally worth it.  I say this with complete sincerity, Norway must to be on your bucket list.  It must.

We had nine days and the goal was to get a full sampling of Norway's widest section.  Norway is one of the few countries in Europe where wild camping is permitted, meaning you pitch a tent pretty much wherever you want.  As much as we've been craving a proper backpacking trip that doesn't involve campgrounds, friteries, and Dutch RVs, we wanted to spend some time there first to get a feel for the terrain, the weather, and the people.  We didn't want our only visit to be spent entirely in the backcountry without getting to know the place a little bit. So, we rented a VW Golf and did a road trip circuit which started and ended in Oslo with pauses in Fossbergom, Bergen, Odda, Valle, and Kristiansand.

We didn't linger in Oslo on the first day.  We immediately hit the road, passing by Lillehammer, and began following the Otta River towards the mountains.  It didn't take long before we realized that this was, hands down, going to be our favorite trip of the year.

In Fossbergom
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The Lom Stave Church
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The first day ended in Fossbergom, home to the magnificent Lom Stave Church, the start of the Fylkesvei 55, and our second favorite restaurant in Europe (the Fossheim Turisthotell restaurant).  With the smell of the old tarred wooden church, the sound of the waterfall, the relaxed friendliness of the locals, and the warm ambiance of a 120 year old hotel, all the emotions from being in Norway the first time came flooding back.

I'm not going to go into a point by point description of our trip, I'll just pass along some of the highlights.  From Fossbergom we drove Rt. 55 over the Jotunheimen Mountains down into fjord country.

The most beautiful and longest roadway tunnel on earth
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Then it was on to Bergen, my favorite Norwegian city.  We spent an entire day above Bergen hiking the route from Mt. Ulriken to Fløyen, which was the most painful, challenging, and humbling hike of my life.  Dinner that night was in the old Bergen Fish Market, and, let me tell you, canned beer and fish & chips never tasted so good.

Bergen Harbor

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Mountain trail.

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From Bergen we headed back to the mountains (because we're obsessed) towards the old industrial city of Odda.  This is when we also turned away from the tourist area of Norway.  Odda ended up being the most surprising place we visited.  Despite its prime location at the southern end of Sørfjorden and its proximity to one of Norway's most famous natural wonders, the Trolltunga, Odda looks and feels like it was transplanted from West Virginia mining country.  The paint is peeling, the shops are all abandoned, the locals don't seem to have any zest for life, and the only place to eat in town is a disturbingly raucous and sticky buffet/carry out place.  It was fascinating to find a spot untouched by Norway's recent oil prosperity.  It was like stepping back in time, a time that I'm sure the country isn't keen on returning to.  That night, while I slowly digested the rubbery pizza from the town's one restaurant, I watched the light fade over the fjord.  Netflix's Lillehammer fittingly flickered on TV (with the English subtitles unfortunately missing).  It was well past midnight and the sky was still quite bright.  I laughed, remembering how this troubled my friends and I on that first trip.  We had all felt a little zombie like thanks to restless nights caused by the excitement and the midnight sun.

Midnight in Odda
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Then it was south towards Valle.  There were more mountain passes, tunnels, ferries, and waterfalls.  Oh, the waterfalls!  I was constantly asking my husband to pull the car over all week so I could shoot the mirror clear fjords and the graceful falls.  But, while it was the hardest place to shoot, the Låtefossen blew all the other falls away.

Låtefossen
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I mean, look at that place!  I have a lot of favorite shots from this trip, but I think this one takes the prize of number one.  Norway is absolutely dripping with waterfalls.  But, as you can see, this one is massive and pours out below the road.  You end up right under the thing.  This made shooting rather challenging because of all the water.  Norway had a pretty wet month, so the falls were roaring.  The narrow spots other photographers have used to get down to the river were completely submerged.  One false move would have you in the midst of the tumult, never to surface again.  And, of course, the mist coming off the falls covered the lens pretty quick.  I only had a short period of time to get the exposures I wanted before I'd have to wipe it down.  Thankfully, I've been practicing with my ND filters quite a bit and was able to get the exposures on the first attempt.  Also, mercifully, no one stepped in my frame.  I'm satisfied with how this turned out, but it taught me that if I want to shoot in conditions like this regularly I should definitely invest in a weather-sealed system!

Fjord Ferry
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Our drive south ended in the shipping city of Kristiansand.  After a day spent in the tiny hamlet of Valle, where dinner was a gas station burger and the most exciting thing to do was watch people park their RVs, the relatively small city of Kristiansand felt like a bustling metropolis.  We had also left the mountains and fjords far behind and the flat expanse of the harbor prickling with masts felt oddly disquieting.

Kristiansand

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Then it was on to Oslo and the final days.  I could honestly could have skipped Oslo all together.  Its current revitalization/destruction projects make it more difficult to navigate by car than Rome and it has taken on a steady undercurrent of social unrest, like many European cities.  But, it is home to some of the best museums I've ever been to and archaeologists go to a lot of museums.  Of course, the Viking Ship Museum is a bit archaic in its presentation, but the ships themselves are unmissable.  However it is the Folk Museum and the Fram Museum that make the museum district worth a day in Oslo.  Norway is dotted in old farms,with big red barns, and turf roofed outbuildings.  The Folk Museum gives you the chance to step inside them.  You can see what it like to live on a modern farm or a 15th century one, and anything in between.  For me, this was a fabulous photography experience.  Instead of sweeping landscapes, I was getting the chance to capture the details of rural Norwegian life from the present and past.

15th Century cowshed loft

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 So, Norway?  I'm still coming down from that trip.  I was concerned that the imagination of my youth would create unrealistic expectations, but Scandinavia's most beautiful country (at least in my opinion) didn't disappoint.  It has changed some in 15 years, yes.  There's more development in the countryside.  It is definitely more expensive.  But, it still stops me in my tracks.  The fjords, the falls, the jumbles of rocks thrown from some unknown height, the endless tunnels, the relaxed and personable locals, the food, the leisurely speed limits, the lifeless peaks, and the lush valleys, every single bit of Norway seized me yet again.  Guys, I'm totally and hopelessly in love.  I fell hard in high school I don't think I'm ever going to shake the place.  It's in me.  It's way more fun exploring with a Golf and my husband than it was on a bus with a bunch of high school students and teachers.  I think we got a great sense of the country on this trip, and we're hoping we can go again sometime with some backpacks and a tent.  So, yeah, I'm still obsessed with getting back.


Unsurprisingly, I have a ton of shots from Norway.  You can see my countryside shots in the Norwegian Countryside gallery and a handful of city shots in the Norwegian Cities gallery.  I'll be revisiting some of these photos in later posts.  There's a ton to write about from the drive on Rt. 55 and that day on Mt. Ulriken deserves its own post.

TAHERA Part III: Vienna

Burgtheater

We have finally come to the final part of The Austro-Hungarian Empire Rail Adventure.  Having miraculously escaped Slovakia, we arrived at Wien Hauptbahnhof on schedule, hopped on the metro, and checked into our hotel where we would be staying for two nights.  The sun sets earlier in this region than at home in Germany, so we were out the door shortly after dropping off our bag.  Dinner arrangements hadn't been made since our schedule was open that day, but the large lunch in Bratislava held us over for the rest of the day.  We spent our first night wandering from building to building shooting the incredible Viennese architecture.  Let me tell you, if you're an architectural photographer, Vienna is your playground.

Austrian Parliament

Speaking of architecture, this is a good time to bring up a rather disconcerting turn of events here in Europe.  As I've written about in the past, candid street photography (in which a private citizen can be recognized) is technically illegal in most European nations.  It's completely acceptable to take the photos, unless the subject sees you do it and objects.  However, it is illegal to display the photos in a public forum, meaning the internet or a location open to the public.  More and more cases are being brought to court against street photographers and fewer people are pursuing the art in Europe because of it.  In my opinion, this is a huge problem not only for photographers (professional or amateur), but also for the public.  Without photographic documentation of the world as it is, we are at a huge risk of losing cultural heritage and identity.  If these laws stay in place, candid photos in Europe may be completely lost to future generations.  Candid travel photos are at risk as well.  All that will be left are scenic photos or, worse, wedding photos.  What if this had always been the case and we didn't have the likes of Maier or Cartier-Bresson?

Well, architectural photography is at risk of becoming regulated in Europe as well.  If the current change to copyright legislation is passed in the European Parliament, buildings designed by living architects will no longer be allowed to be photographed without prior approval of the architect.  As it is now, some buildings fall under various copyrights in Europe already.  For example, posting or publishing a photo of the Eiffel Tower at night is technically illegal because the lighting design is trademarked.  It is ok to photograph the tower during the day and sell the photograph, but you can't legally sell one of it lit up at night.  Other landmark buildings can also be trademarked to prevent professionals from photographing them, but private citizens can still snap away.  It is one of those frustrating things photographers in Europe have to deal with.  Before this trip, I had to do research into photography laws for each country and plan accordingly.  This proposed law is even worse.  Not only will it regulate professional photos of modern buildings, it will regulate private photos as well.  Take a selfie in front of the London Eye?  Well, you can forget posting it to Facebook if these lawmakers get their way.  Once again, I find this absolutely ridiculous.  Photography should not be regulated to the degrees it already is in Europe, restricting it further is a crime.  Please, please, please, sign the petition at Change.org and if you are a European citizen take the time to contact your MEP.  Folks in the USA, you think this doesn't matter for you?  You're wrong.  If you ever take a trip to Europe, your photos are at risk of being regulated.  Also, these sorts of laws are springing up at home too.  Arkansas, I'm pointing at you!  Ok, I'm sorry for the aside.  This is a really sore subject and one that I believe is more important than most people think.

Anyway, back to Vienna.  Since we had two days in the city we decided to do more of the sightseeing things than we did in the past two stops.  The whole region was experiencing an incredible heatwave, but Vienna was the hottest.  The highs for both days were in the upper 90's Fahrenheit.  In order to beat the heat a little and dip our toes into Imperial history, we opted to visit a few indoor attractions- the colder the better.  Our first stop was the Imperial Crypt, or Kaisergruft, where a good portion of the Habsburgs rest in peace.  If you're really into Austro Imperial history, this is a must see.  We're not, but it was still a fascinating place to descend into since the coffins and sarcophagi are fascinating works of art.  It isn't a huge tourist attraction, so we were able to take our time and I took many shots of the interior and its contents.

From there, another cold subterranean location sounded nice so we headed to St. Michael's church.  At 11:00 and 13:00 they have guided tours of the church crypt.  The attraction for the crypt tour borders on macabre, but for the archaeologist in me it couldn't be passed up.  The crypt doesn't house the remains of anyone particularly famous (unless you're a baroque opera fan), but the condition of several of the remains is quite remarkable.  Down below St. Michael's you can view mummies from the 17th and 18th centuries, up close, in all their moth-eaten finery.  It's also quite cool down there, so well worth the visit for the overheated, but non-squeamish.  We were really impressed with the tour.  Usually, these types of attractions only permit visits with a guide who will only speak in the native language or give the briefest of brief synopsizes in English.  Not so with this tour.  It would have been a huge letdown to miss all the information provided by our guide, but he graciously gave each spiel in its entirety in both German and English, even though my husband and I were the only non-German speakers on the tour.  The guide not only gave us the history of the crypt, but also of the church, the area, and burial practices of the time.  We were also able to examine the mummies very closely.  It was a well spent, fascinating hour, which I heartily recommend.  Photos are not permitted, so you'll just have to use your imagination.

From there we headed to another cool location, the Imperial treasury located in the Hofburg Palace, the city residence of the Habsburgs.  This building is the main tourist hub of the city and houses several museums and the famous Lippizaner stallions that everyone makes a big deal of.

Interior dome of the Hofburg Michaelplatz Gate

Michaelplatz entrance of the Hofburg

Detail of the Master of the Sea fountain on the Hofburg 

This area is also the place to hire your carriage tour

I adored the expressive sculptures on the Hofburg.  This is detail from the Master of
the Land fountain.  The palace is also adorned with sculptures of the trials of Hercules

The stallions weren't performing during our visit, so we kept our tour to the treasury.  After spending the morning amongst the dead of Vienna, the gems and finery they couldn't take with them provided us with a stark reminder that wealth, in the end, is meaningless.  The people buried in the Imperial crypt are just as rotten as the ones we saw beneath St. Michaels.  All the things they acquired in their lives sit behind glass, unable to spare their previous owners from mortality.

As the sun began to sink a little in the sky it was time to head to the one thing we scheduled ahead of time, a live performance of Mozart.  Mozart's Requiem is one of my absolute favorite compositions.  Introitus, is probably my absolute favorite piece of all.  I couldn't pass up a chance to hear it live in Vienna, and there just happens to be a performance every Saturday evening in the summer at Karlskirche.

Karlskirche and its reflecting pool at blue hour, after the concert.

Detail of Karlskirche

Karlskirche is a masterpiece of baroque architecture, and one of the most popular spots in the city to photograph because of the reflecting pool.  The concert itself was not nearly as moving as I expected (alas for expectations unmet), a fact I blame on poor acoustics caused by a ton of renovation scaffolding in the dome.  However, spending time afterwards shooting the church made up for it.  It was probably the most satisfying location in the city, albeit a bit difficult to maneuver because of the crowds.  From there, we headed off to find dinner and then grab a coffee and a famous Sacher-Torte.

We picked up on something during our hunts for food and beverage in Vienna.  It is perhaps the most non-service minded city in western Europe.  We have all heard the stereotypes about Parisians and the its rude servers.  However, I can without a doubt in my mind, say that this is not true of the City of Lights.  At no time in all our travels in Paris have we encountered a rude restauranteur, server, or shopkeeper.  We have dined in fine restaurants, cafes, and everywhere in between and the staff have always been just as friendly as ones found anywhere else.  If a mistake was made (which is rare), they always rectify it with plenty of apologies.  If you want to have an unpleasant dining experience worthy of the Paris rumors, go to Vienna.  You will not be disappointed.  First of all, there is a weird law in Vienna that all outdoor seating areas have to be closed at 22:00.  So, if you arrive an hour before that time, you will be rushed, even if you're just having drinks.  One restaurant manager made quite the embarrassing scene when we arrived for dinner around 20:30, making a huge deal about how important it was that we hurry before the patio closed.  When we asked our waiter if we would be permitted to move indoors, the manager returned to make another fuss in which he asked us if we were accusing him of lying about the closing time.  We weren't the only ones to be made fools of by the staff.  It seemed everyone around us was having just as miserable of a time. Then, they spaced out our dinners a full half hour from each other.  I was finishing up my incredibly tough and unpleasant roast beef when my husband finally received his food, with no apologies from the staff.  Instead they pointed fingers at each other for the fault.  The waiter then had the audacity to request a tip at the end of the meal.  It is my firm belief that this was the worst dining experience we've ever had on the entire continent.  From there, thinking that must have been a fluke, we went to the Sacher Cafe for the famous coffee and torte.  Guys, the coffee comes out of the same machine that most European hotels have in their breakfast rooms.  The torte is the most overrated thing I've ever eaten.  It tasted like jam.  The chocolate cake was completely flavorless.  I wish I could say that evening was a weird one, but not matter where we went the service was inattentive.  We practically had to jump up and down to be waited on at cafes and the servers all had this attitude that we were inconveniencing them.  Dining in Vienna was surreal.  We've been traveling all over the continent for 3.5 years now and have become pretty used to the idiosyncrasies of the European service industry, but we have never experienced that level of rudeness anywhere.  We did have one nice meal, a lunch at Chamäleon.  The food was pretty good and, for once, the staff was attentive and respectful.  So, my recommendation?  Eat at your own risk in Vienna.  This might be the only place I recommend avoiding the local cuisine if possible.  Heck, the goulash is better in Hungary, the beef is better in Czech Republic or Slovakia, and you can get Wiener Schnitzel anywhere.

A scene from the one place we ate at in Vienna that wasn't dreadful

On Sunday, we took the metro out to the Schloss Schönbrunn, Austria's Versailles.  This is a location where unauthorized professional photography (and to the staff that means a tripod) is not permitted anywhere, even in the gardens.  No photography is permitted inside the palace at all.  So, we left the tripod in a locker at the train station and I shot a little bit on the grounds by hand.

You have to book your tour time online if you want to be guaranteed a visit to the interior, it is so popular.  We booked an afternoon slot, hoping to miss the tour bus crowd, and walked in what shade we could find in the gardens.  It was the hottest day of the trip so far and we were positively melting.  Climbing up to the Gloriette monument in the blazing sun was out of the question, so we dipped into the cafe near the palace zoo (the oldest in Europe) and waved and jumped around for a bit before we could order some drinks before our tour.  On a less hellish day, I would have enjoyed further grounds exploration and shooting, but with the temperatures near 100, the only thing that sounded manageable was a beverage in the shade.  Our tour of the interior was interesting, but very crowded, thanks to the holiday weekend.  We were happy to jump back on the metro back to the city for an afternoon in the park before catching the night train back to Frankfurt.

Volksgarten

National Library

However, despite its disappointing dining offerings and tourist crowds, Vienna is worth a visit.  It's definitely snooty and snobbish, far beyond Parisian standards, but it is a beautiful city to look at.  The sights are top notch and majority of the city looks like it is constructed of wedding cakes.  The photographic opportunities are endless.  I would go back to shoot more if given the opportunity, I'd just eat at Chinese or döner places instead.

Being Sunday evening, we headed to the station early since nothing else was open to do.  Wein Hauptbahnhof is the newest station in Europe, having just opened in October 2014.  The construction which continues in the area is incredible.  It is certainly the nicest station we've ever been in.  There is plenty of clean restrooms, lockers, and a wide variety of dining options for travelers.  We enjoyed people watching for a while from a comfortable waiting area and had another interesting chat with a fellow traveller.  This time we met a Romanian man who enlightened us on how itinerant workers like himself get around Europe.  At first we were concerned that he was a panhandler who just wanted to hit us up for money, but instead he just wanted to talk.  He said he had a pack of cigarettes and a can of soda and that was all he needed to be happy.  He told us how he travels by train without a ticket (baksheesh), what countries he can visit without a passport, and how he makes money on his travels when he can't find work.  That man has donated a lot of blood!  It was a fascinating conversation, and a part of the trip that will always stick clearly in my mind.  You never know who you will meet while on a train or waiting for one.

For once our train arrived on time, but it would be over an hour before we left the station (we would arrive 3 hours late in Frankfurt the next morning).  It was no matter to us.  We were able to purchase carryout at the station, so no need for microwaved hotdogs that evening.  We were once again in a private sleeping compartment and were quite comfortable for the remainder of our journey.  We ate our dinner sitting on the lower bunk and watched the rail workers outside the window while we waited to pull out.  With a rather early arrival expected in Frankfurt we turned in early.  I finished out the evening reading a chapter from The Great Railway Bazaar, fitting reading for the trip.

All in all, I think TAHERA will go down in the books as one of the most memorable trips we had in Europe.  It certainly wasn't smooth sailing nor did our destinations meet our expectations all the time, but it was a unique and fascinating way to see that part of Europe.  There are things we would do differently for sure.  We'd try to allow an hour between trains in Germany since DB is chronically behind schedule.  We would have preferred more time in Budapest, and would bypass Bratislava completely.  We'd skip the Viennese cuisine.  I'd shoot such a trip very differently too.  In hindsight, I wish I'd shot the trains and travel experience.  Because of our constant state of being rushed and overheated, photography was the furthest thing from my mind, but it would be nice to have captured the experience for posterity.  I tend to avoid shooting in train stations since they are high crime areas, but not having anything from a huge aspect of our trip is something I regret.  If we did another train tour, I'd shoot more of a documentary style and not focus as much on scenery as I normally do.  I'd bring with one prime to save space and weight, especially if the weather was the same.  One thing we definitely don't regret is booking the sleeping berths.  That saved a lot of time and effort.  It was nice to be traveling while sleeping, with a cup of coffee hot and waiting in the morning.  I'd never travel overnight in a regular seat again as we did to Prague, but I wouldn't hesitate if there were private compartments available.  On that trip it was more comfortable than the hotels because the trains are air conditioned. A train tour in Europe is something I've always had a hankering to do and I'm incredibly grateful we had the opportunity.  With the knowledge we've gained through the experience, I'd happily plan another rail adventure.

Photos from TAHERA can be purchased at capturedglimpses.com from the Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna galleries!

TAHERA Part II: Bratislava

It's not the destination, it's the journey that is important, right?  Right.

When last you left us we were heading to the Keleti Station in Budapest to continue The Austro-Hungarian Empire Rail Adventure.  You can't reserve a seat from Keleti to Bratislava hl.st. ahead of time, so we went to the international ticket office and quickly scored a couple of seats on the next train.  When the train rolled in we discovered that the majority of the cars were reserved for sleeping berths or private compartments.  Apparently this train was on a long route from somewhere to the south up to Prague.  We asked the conductor where lowly folks without a seat reservation could sit and were directed to the last car of the train.  We settled into some comfy seats, pulled out the headphones and reading material, and prepared for a couple hours journey into Slovakia.

Then, about 30 minutes into the journey the conductor came through to check our tickets and informed us that when he said our seats were in the last car he meant the second to last car and that we had to move.  So we did, only to discover that any open seats were in locked compartments and everything else was occupied.  We ended up in a "young families only" table in between the bicycle storage and the WCs with an elderly German couple and their luggage.  The entire time we were expecting to be relocated again when we changed conductors.  We probably couldn't convince them that the Germans were our parents or something.

And then, one of those unexpected travel experiences happened.  When something was announced over the PA, none of us at the table could understand Hungarian and the Germans couldn't understand the mumbled English (we only got the gist ourselves), so we translated for them and ended up bonding.  I'm pretty sure they would have posed as our parents if we were at risk of being relocated again (which thankfully never occurred).  They happened to hail from the north of Germany where people speak perfectly clear German and, thanks to a sister that lives in the States, they also spoke perfect English.  So, we chatted all the way to Bratislava about all sorts of things.  They were on their way to Prague after a few days in Budapest and were pretty excited about their trip.  They hadn't been in this part of Europe since the 1960's and things were, obviously, very different.  One thing we've noticed after 1.5 years of living in Germany is that German retirees are incredibly friendly.  They're always eager for a chat and usually happy to speak English when our limited German begins to fail us.  While young people seem to be more standoffish, the older folks are usually happy to talk to strange, clueless foreigners.  By the time we approached Bratislava we were a little sad about parting ways with our new friends.

Michael's Gate, the only surviving part of
the medieval wall.

But, part we did.  The train stopped for 2 minutes in Bratislava and we leapt off into a completely different world from the one we left from.  Bratislava has a rich and storied past.  It served as the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1536 to the end of the 1700's.  The Peace of Pressburg was signed there in 1805.  It was annexed to Czechoslovakia in 1919.  It quickly fell to the Nazis in 1939, was bombed during the war, and finally "liberated" by the Soviets in April of 1945.  The city was added to the Eastern Bloc with the rest of the country in 1948.  It saw a great deal of social unrest under soviet rule.  Warsaw Pact troops occupied the city in 1968, and it became a strong seat of anti-communism by 1989.  It finally became the capital of Slovakia after the Velvet Divorce in 1993.

Stepping off the train into the chaos of Bratislava hl.st. was like stepping off into one of the sets of xXx .  While Budapest and Prague have shed their East Bloc pall in favor of rampant capitalism or the memories of the glorious old days, Bratislava is still working on it.  It was only recently that guidebooks recommended it as a stop.  I skimmed through an old book from the late '90's and they basically said if you value your life, best to stay on the train.  Bratislava was hit hard by the communists.  They came through with their plows of cultural disrespect, ripped up the old city, stomped on its soul, and left a tired, dried up shell.  For a long time the old town was populated derelicts and criminals.  Tourists didn't dare tread there.

One of Bratislava's whimsical statues, this is a satirical nod to the Napoleonic occupation. 

Today, though the city is entering a renaissance.  The old town has been cleaned up, the cobbles stones have been replaced, and the empty, decaying buildings now house souvenir shops and cafes.  The rest of the city is following suit and new glass skyscrapers can be seen rising up on the west side of own.

It is a bit of a walk to Old Town from the train station so we could see that the revitalization still has a way to go in the rest of the city.  However, it is happening.  We found a great brewpub on the way that served the best burgers we've had outside of the States and some incredible beers.  Czech and Slovak beer should never be pooh-poohed, by the way.  When we arrived into the center of the old town is was a bit of a letdown.  The center was packed, absolutely packed with tourists straight off of buses and river cruises.  There was also a large population of guys in from the UK on stag parties, who were creating quite the ruckus at two in the afternoon.  Perhaps this or the extreme heat was why the locals all acted like they'd rather stick a fork in their eyes then be at work.  Except for the waiter at the pub, everyone else we encountered seemed to believe that living and interacting with other people was an overwhelming burden.  The old town was nice enough, but rather sterile, lacking the charm we normally encounter in smaller cities.

We wandered over to the Most SNP, also known as the New Bridge.  It was built in 1972, during the height of the communist regime.  It is a garish, soviet monstrocity with a weird disc construction that contains a restaurant.  Its access ramp is so close to St. Martin's Cathedral (where more Hungarian kings have been crowned than in Budapest) that the church is suffering extreme structural problems because of the traffic vibration.  As I said, the Soviets really did a number on Bratislava.

The Most SNP bridge in all its funky, East Bloc glory.

Crossing the Most SNP.  I loved this moment of shadow and sharp angles as we crossed
the Danube to the south bank of the river.

St. Martin's.  The onramp to the bridge is on the other side of the stairway.

When we ended up on the other side of the river we were alone, having left the tourists halfway across the bridge.  We were met with an incredible view of the city, which its massive castle towering over the old town and the Most SNP cutting a sharp contrast.

We sighed.  The castle is big, but was reconstructed from ruins in the 1950's by the communist government, while they were ripping up the cobbled streets below to ship off to East Germany.  Our takeaway feeling from Bratislava was that it is a testament to the damage wrought by the communist governments of the east bloc.  Even though it's been 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the pall cast by communism can still be felt.  We couldn't help but think of the recent turn of events in the news with a feeling of trepidation.  I have hopes for the city of Bratislava.  We probably won't go back again, but I can't help but think that maybe we were there on an off day.  It is a shame to see that it is becoming a mini-Prague, with too many stag parties and not a lot of refuges for the rest of us.  But, the place has potential.

After spending half the day there, it was time to head back to the station to catch our train to Vienna.  That's when the adventure began.  If we never come back to Slovakia the blame can firmly rest on SlovakRail.

We purchased our tickets to Vienna right after we arrived at the Bratislava station that morning.  We asked the clerk if the schedule posted on the wall was right (a train every hour).  We were told that it was and were promptly sold the tickets.  Well.  We arrived back at the station with plenty of time before the train was supposed to arrive.  It was up on the electronic schedule.  We bought some drinks and watched the people come and go inside the station.  As the time ticked down for the train's arrival we noticed an odd discrepancy.  No platform was listed on the departures board.  Two minutes before the train was set to leave, there was no platform nor was there a train.  The train disappeared from the board on schedule, but the train never arrived at the station.  Nothing was posted anywhere in the station about the missing train and the only announcements being made in the station were in Slovak.  We went to the information desk, which was called "Information Desk" in English, believing that the clerk working at such a labeled location in the main international rail hub for the capital city would be able to help.  Ha.  I give you the following conversation,

"Hello. Please, we need some information about the Vienna train.  We're really sorry, but we only speak English."

"Ok."

"Thank you.  Has the train been cancelled?"

"Yes.  No trains leaving from this station to Vienna."

"Uh, ok.  Then why were we able to purchase these tickets today?"

"I don't know."

"Ok.  Is there another way to get to Vienna from here?"

"Yes.  Take bus."

"Do you have the information about the buses?"

"No."

"No?  Do you know where we can get the information about the buses?"

"No.  It is a yellow bus.  Go outside and look for yellow bus.  It say P------ on it."

"I'm really sorry, I didn't understand the name.  Would you be able to write it for us?"

"No.  Go outside and get on yellow bus."

I swear that is exactly how the conversation went.  So, we went outside to look for the yellow bus.  Folks, there were at least a half a dozen yellow buses parked out at the bus terminal.  None of them were labeled with anything that looked like whatever town name the clerk rattled off to us.  No schedules were posted either.  Panic rose.  The thought that we may be stranded there started to settle on us.  We went back in to try a different information desk.  There are about 15 in the station.  Odds were one of them could supply helpful information about how to get to Vienna.  This time we decided to try finding one that was manned by someone under the age of 40.  Chances were we would be more successful communicating with each other.  Our eyes landed on a young person.  We waited in line and tried again,

"Hello, we're really sorry.  We only speak English.  Is that ok?"

"Yes, I speak a little."

"Great, thank you so much.  We purchased these tickets today for the Vienna train, but they are all cancelled, yes?"

"Yes, no trains run out of this station to Vienna today.  Normally they do, but not today.  You understand?"

"Yes.  Is there another way to get to Vienna today?"

"Yes.  You can take a bus."

"Ok, good.  Can you please tell us which bus?"

"No, I don't have the schedule.  But, the list here says that it leaves at 20:00."

"Oh, that is not good."

"Is there any other route we could take?"

"A train is leaving from Petržalka station to Vienna in 20 minutes."

"Oh, that's much better!  How do we get to that station from here?"

"Take a bus."

"Do you know which bus?"

"No, I don't have bus information here, but you can go to the Bus terminal information desk and they will tell you."

"Thank you.  Can you please write down the name of the station so we show them which bus we need?"

"Yes, no problem."

"Thank you so much!"

And then we were off to the bus information desk, grasping the paper with the name of the rail station we were looking to get to.  We arrived, painfully aware that we only had about 18 minutes to get to this station before we missed the only way out of Bratislava.

"Hello.  We're sorry, we only speak English.  Is that ok?"

"Ok, I don't speak much."

"Ok, we need to know which bus goes to Petržalka."  She took our paper and wrote "93" on it and handed it back.

"Do you have the schedule?"

"No, I don't have bus times here."

We glanced up at the sign that said "Bus Information Desk" above her, and accepted the inane situation.  We didn't have time to argue.  At least we knew which bus went to the other train station.  Thanking her, we dashed out hoping that, unlike the Vienna train, bus 93 existed and would be arriving soon.  It did, just as we arrived at the terminal.  We desperately tried to purchase tickets for the bus, but none of the machines were working.  So, with our fingers crossed, we leapt onto 93 with a pack of teenagers, hoping we wouldn't be caught (though satisfied we had a little revenge on Slovak transit).  The bus did indeed go to the correct station and the train was just getting ready to pull out when we jumped on.  We settled down (I think I went through my swearing quota for the year), and went back over how that turned into such a cluster.  The only reason we came up with was that SlovakRail is being run by a room full of chimpanzees somewhere.  Selling tickets for a train that didn't exist, not posting anything about cancellations, and having people working at "Information Desks" that either don't have information or aren't willing to provide it is pretty ridiculous.  The whole incident was a classic failed bureaucracy experience, one which we definitely don't want to go through again.  If we were to get stranded anywhere on this trip, we didn't want it to be Bratislava.

But, we weren't stranded.  We were safely on a train to Vienna, and all was well.  So, next week tune in for the final chapter of TAHERA...

More photos can be found of Bratislava for print or download here!

TAHERA Part I: Budapest

A lot of us in the U.S. lament the loss of the extensive rail system that we once had, but no longer do.  I mean, the railroad basically built modern America, but today a good portion of the population hasn't been on a train, ever.  Subways and trams still exist in large cities, but most of us have to drive or take a bus, gah.  There's Amtrak, but it really only runs out of major cities.  For example, in the State of Ohio it only passes through the very northern and very southern border.  Ironically, the great western states of South Dakota and Wyoming don't have a single station.  When people travel long distances in America they usually hop in their cars or take a plane.  Train travel is a novel, old timey way to get from Point A to Point B.  People do it for fun.  Flying is the faster way to get around that vast nation.

So, when we, two kids from a non-train serviced city (the lack of which is actually mentioned in The Pretenders song My City is Gone), arrived in Europe we started taking trains as much as possible.  We had been kicking the idea of a train tour around for a while.  Even after the less than pleasant overnight train to Prague last month, the lure of an old fashioned rail tour was undiminished.  We chose a route that would hit Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna in 4 days and the trip became known as the The Austro-Hungarian Empire Rail Adventure (TAHERA).  Adventure it was.  It turns out, rail travel in Europe isn't as cut and dry as you'd think.

It all started innocently enough.  We had an overnight berth booked from Munich to Budapest.  There was the promise of a nice little private compartment with a sink and two bunks, a dining car, and the peace of mind that comes with no transfers.  Then, a week or so before the trip we received an email informing us that the train was cancelled.  They didn't provide a reason, but my suspicion falls on that G7 Summit.  World leaders are always complicating everything.  No alternative routes were provided.  No worries, we found one on our own that ended up being the same price with upgraded tickets.  The only downside was that instead of a non-stop train, we had two transfers through Leipzig and Dresden.  It was risky but we thought we'd be ok.  All we had to do was get to Budapest.

The train to Leipzig was lovely.  It left on time.  We had a 1st class compartment which we shared with two awkwardly silent Germans.  We ended up conversing via text message before heading down to the dining car for a celebratory drink and auditory conversation.  I'd never been in a dining car before.  On our Prague trip we intended to breakfast in the dining car but it was disconnected somewhere and we almost stepped out into rapidly moving nothingness.  Anyway, this time there was a dining car and they had beer, tables,  and commuters in various stages of drunkenness.  Slurred German is hilarious, by the way.  Our spirits were high.  This was going to be fun.  Then, we got to Leipzig and learned the train to Dresden was going to be 30 minutes late.  That was unfortunate since the train we going to board in Dresden for Budapest was scheduled to leave 30 minutes after we arrived.  So, instead of grabbing dinner in Leipzig we stood in line at the information desk waiting for our number to be called in order to learn whether or not we should book a hotel in Dresden.  They weren't sure, but believed that if the conductor on the Dresden>Budapest train was a decent person they would hold the train.  The conductor on the Dresden>Budapest train was a decent person and did hold the train, so we collapsed into our sleeping compartment rather frazzled and very hungry finally bound for Budapest 5 hours after leaving Frankfurt.  Dinner ended up being microwaved hotdogs and two slices of bread, but it was food and at that point it was all we needed.  Thus ended the first day of AHERA.

The next morning we woke up a few hours out of Budapest and had a packaged croissant and coffee for breakfast.  One of the silver linings of the reschedule was that we scored a luxury compartment with a private toilet and shower.  It was basically a tiny hotel room that started in Dresden and ended up Budapest.  It was a great deal.  I was a little groggy from the night before.  I woke up at every station thinking I had overslept the alarm and then once more when some confused passenger had a shouting argument with the porter in the gangway at 2am.  Nevertheless, when we pulled into the station I was ready to hit the town.

From the train station we got on the subway (the oldest one in Europe) and popped out into Heroes Square with its massive monument to Hungarian history.  From there it was a walk around City Park, through the architectural hodgepodge of Vajdahunyad Castle with its creepy dry moat and Anonymous Statue, and past the famous thermal baths. From there is was a walk through the streets of Pest with a brief stop for obligatory chicken paprikash.

Inside Vajdahunyad Castle

Creepy Anonymous Statue

Creepy dry moat

Thermal baths

Hungarian Parliament with its guard.

One of the remaining Soviet era monuments

St. Stephen's Basilica

We were operating out of one backpack and shoulder bag for the trip so I had to be very conservative on the equipment packing.  I decided to go with the kit lens and the wide-angle and leave it at that.  It didn't end up being the best call.  I found myself wanting a long lens way more than I expected.  For instance, we came upon a folk dance performance and it would have been nice to shoot beyond the audience since I couldn't physically get closer.  The long lens and the wide-angle would have been a better combo.   I packed for doing architecture and scapes, but repeatedly and unexpectedly wanted some tighter shots.  But, so it goes.  Travel photography can be pretty tricky, especially when you only get 24 hours in a place.  I want to get everything possible, but that means carrying a lot of equipment.  That won't work on a trip when we live out of train station lockers.

From Pest we wandered across the Chain Bridge over to Buda for a stroll around Castle Hill.  We came upon the folk dancing at the Fishermans' Bastion.

Crossing the Chain Bridge 

Fisherman's Bastion

When the folk dancing was through it was time to head down to the Danube to do some sunset and blue hour stuff.

I used a 10 stop ND filter for the top shot.  The area across the river from parliament is a narrow concrete embankment just wide enough to walk behind a tripod, which a lot of people did.  It was a little tricky protecting the tripod and I was glad to move on.  The parliament building is incredible, though.  I think it wins for my favorite government building in Europe.  The second shot is taken closer to the Chain Bridge and was a more comfortable spot to shoot from, but a bit dangerous to get to.  Budapest isn't as pedestrian friendly as other cities.  There are traffic free zones in several spots, but the rest of the city is short of things like crosswalks and sidewalks in the most inconvenient locations, like to the docks on the Danube.  So, we ran across several lanes of heavy traffic to set up at this spot near the bridge.  There was also a strange insect infestation under the bridge.  It took about 7 tries before I got a shot without a bug on the lens.

The Chain Bridge

As blue hour began we shifted attention to the Chain Bridge itself.  Budapest has a few photogenic bridges, but this one is the most famous and the only one we had time to shoot.  On the Buda side of the bridge there is a magnificent tunnel that goes under the castle.  I would have loved to shoot it, but there was a massive construction project right in front of it.  However, at the Pest side there was a great traffic island from which to get this shot.  So, we dashed across traffic again and this shot ended our all too brief Budapest photo session.

But, that wasn't the end of the night.  Down the road when I think back on Budapest I will think most fondly of their unique nightlife spots- the ruin pubs.  Ruin pubs are vacant lots, abandoned warehouses, factories, or tenements that have been invaded with secondhand furniture, junked cars, random decorations, and at least one beer tap.  They're the place to be.  We worried a bit that it would only be for kids, but people of every age were hanging out at the one we hit, Szimpla Kert.  It's a place that's hard to explain.  A burned out car is in the center with booths, tv's are mounted randomly on a wall with fishnets, airplane bits, and all sorts of other weird stuff.  The beer was really good and the taco's looked pretty tasty.  Except for that awkward moment when my husband wandered off for drinks and a highly inebriated Hungarian tried to woo me with his Kung-Fo moves, the vibe was excellent.  By the time we left, it was standing room only.

Before it filled up.  I shot this handheld at 4000 ISO, 1/60, f/4.  At that ISO level
it's a little noisy, but still better than a phone camera. 

After squeezing our way out of Szimpla Kert, we headed to our hotel.  It was this great old place with a gorgeous spiral staircase, free tasty mini bar snacks, rooms with enormous windows and doors, and a restaurant that made breakfast to order instead of the usual tired buffet.  If we ever make it back to Budapest, we'd definitely stay there again.  So, make a note- GERLÓCZY CAFE & ROOMS de LUX is the place to stay if you're in Budapest.

Although we only had 24 hours there, here are our first impressions on Budapest.  Just like Prague, Budapest was full of surprises.  Despite a few remaining Soviet era monuments here and there, the cloud of the Iron Curtain seems to be fully lifted from the capital.  In fact, the city seems to cling more to the further past of the old empire.  Ancient restaurants where the waiters wear waistcoats and bow their heads ever so slightly still serve the same menu they had during the time of Franz Josef.  The architecture is magnificent, but some places look like they've been stored in mothballs.  It's a wonderful city for urban exploration, for peaking around corners into a mummified time.  However, it also embraces the now.  Unlike its Czech neighbor, it hasn't completely fallen tacky touristic mayhem just yet.  While it has plenty of shopping options, it took us quite a while to locate a shop to buy a postcard.  Except for the project in front of the Buda tunnel, very little scaffolding encompassed landmarks and no cranes blemished the skyline.  For the moment, it is a rewarding city to photograph.  The only downside is how difficult it is to get around because of the lack of pedestrian infrastructure.  Risking our lives a few times for a shot isn't so great, but it's worth it when the subject is stunning and untouched.  And, of course, the nightlife is incredible.  We live in an area in Germany where the bars close at 11pm, so it was nice to be able to stay out into the early hours surrounded by people enjoying life.  Budapest is a city that attracts a young crowd, there's a lot of American college students who flock there desperate to spread their wings in the "exotic east," but still crave the reassurance of the west.  It's a vibrant city which is very proud of its past and culture, that dances very carefully on the line of progress and preservation.  I'd happily return on an overnight train from Dresden.

So, the next morning after a lovely breakfast in the hotel restaurant, it was time to check out and head back to the train station...

Tune in next week for TAHERA Part II:  Bratislava.

For purchasable shots of Budapest head on over to the Budapest Gallery!