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THE GRAND FINALE: A PERFECT DAY IN LUCERNE
My final post of this trip is a long one, but I hope you feel it was worth it in the end!
This was the view that greeted me as I stepped out on the balcony upon wakening on our last full day abroad. On our final day in Lucerne, we were scheduled for a group tour of the lake and Mt. Pilatus, so we were hoping for good weather. We had a wonderful lake cruise in a boat chartered just for our group of 40 Vantage Travelers. It turned out to be a gorgeous day, so the photographers opted for the top deck and enjoyed the fresh air and warm sun. The views were spectacular, including the top of Mt. Pilates, 7,000 feet up. There were beautiful white puffy clouds hanging about, however, so we were hoping they would stay put and not cause a white-out at the top of the mountain.
It was a day of experiencing many forms of transportation. Following our one-hour boat tour, we disembarked at the railway station and boarded rail cars for our 30 minute trip up to the top of Mt. Pilates. It was a steep ride, often at a 25-30% grade and I was fortunate enough to get the spot right behind the conductor where I could either shoot photos out the front window or out the open side window. In many cases, I stuck my camera out the side window and pointed straight ahead where I was able to get some dramatic wide-angle (24mm) shots. FABULOUS! The conductor was a sweet man, too, pointing out everything he thought I should capture with my camera.
The railway had quite an interesting history. We were amazed it was built 125 years ago and took 600 men four summers to build. They did a fabulous job!
When we arrived at the top of the mountain, we were in awe with the fabulous view. The facilities were quite nice at the top with a restaurant, self-serve takeaway, and wonderful walking paths with stairs leading up to view points or down through tunnels leading to the backside of the mountain. I hiked up the two main paths to the highest points of the mountain and down through two tunnels. In between, we were entertained by Swiss men playing haunting tunes on their traditional Swiss horns, as well as by three paragliders! Now, that wasn’t something I expected to see, but we sure were entertained, especially when one of the paragliders returned to buzz by the onlookers a couple of times, so we could get some good shots. I was so surprised at how close they came and how quick he flew by, I wasn’t able to get a good shot off. Instead, I cheered him on!
After almost an hour and a half we were given to explore the hiking trails at soak in the beautiful picture postcard scenery, we boarded a large cable car that took us part of the way down the mountain. While we were boarding, a cloud enveloped our car for a complete white-out! We all just laughed, because we knew how lucky we were to have enjoyed perfect weather up at the top of the mountain, so we would have been asking for too much to expect it to continue any longer; especially since white-outs are common up on the mountain.
As we descended, we were ecstatic to drop from the cloud, back into bright sunshine, again! My Vantage travel mates, Mom and I were back to snapping away…
On the way down, we took in the scenery of gorgeous trees and cows happily grazing on bright green grass. We loved hearing the bells around their neck, but I wondered if the cows ever get tired of hearing them…
The remainder of our 20 minute cable ride was spent in smaller cable cars that seated four people, after transferring from the larger car, part-way down the mountain. What a breathtaking experience it all was! Again, I felt like I had lived in the pages of a photo calendar or coffee table picture book; the kind I loved to pour over as a kid (and still do).
After being transported by bus (our final mode of transportation for the day) back into town, we visited the Lion Monument. The dying lion of Lucerne, carved into natural rock, was created in 1820/1821 in memory of the Swiss heroes who gave their lives at the Tuileries in Paris, in 1792. As you can see, it is quite the stone carving! We were all in awe…
We still had a few hours to enjoy the gorgeous weather, so Mom and I stayed in town to do some (more!!!) photography. Needing to cool off from the warm sun, we also popped into Denner to write down some grocery store prices and pick up some (more!!!) chocolate. Prices in Switzerland are steep. A lake-front home will set you back 3-9 million Swiss Francs (which is stronger than our dollar). A Big Mac will cost you 12 Francs; $15 in our currency. Dine in a restaurant and you will go broke in a hurry. Main courses start at 25 Francs and shoot on up from there- even at small, casual restaurants in the city. (Something as basic as a bratwurst at a cart is 6 Francs.)
In Denner, these are some of the prices I noted (all are in Swiss Francs):
Yogurt- 175 grams (about 6 ounces) = 1.25
Bag of four small oranges = 2.25
Baguette = 2.20
6pk cans of Coke = 3.95
1 kg (2.2 pounds) of sugar = 1.95
100 g (3+ ounces) of Denner store brand chocolate = .45 (Wooohooo; what a deal!)
So, my conclusion was that some prices were comparable to prices in our stores (cereal and several other items were priced the same), however, others were steep. Basically, if you do all of your own cooking and avoid dining out, you would be ok in Switzerland. But, their standard of living and income is one of the highest in the world, so it is all relative. The lowest annual salary anyone makes there is 30,000 Swiss Francs.
As for how the prices affected me, I quickly learned to only photograph the chocolate in the chocolatier displays and admire their artistry. At US $60 per pound, on average, purchasing any was not an option. Instead, I stocked up at the three grocery store chains, mostly buying their store brand at bargain prices.
“Dining” on our own was stopping for to enjoy Gelati for lunch or eating a bratwurst at a cart in the square. One night for dinner, we found a back street takeaway and picked up a couple of falafels that we ate at the little café table outside. It wasn’t a bargain at 8 Swiss Francs, but it sure beat the ridiculously high price of dining.
Mom was determined to dine by the river just once, though, so she treated us to a shared Tarte Flambe and main course-sized Swiss salad (with Swiss cheese, sausage and mixed greens). Thanks Mom!
Our last night was lovely, dining at the Palace Hotel with a view of the lake. It was our included farewell dinner and we dined in style. What a wonderful way to end a spectacular trip on a high note! And, to cap it off, Mom and I took the funicular to the hotel up the hill from ours, so we could soak in this gorgeous view:
And, on that note, I will wrap up this marathon post by saying this trip was no less than PERFECT.
Nico was a wonderful program manager (our guide for the 44 of us in the yellow group) and Vantage Travel was excellent. I feel completely comfortable highly recommending them, so please let me know if you are interested, so I can provide them your contact information to receive a catalog. Disclaimer: I do receive a $100 discount on future travel if somebody I recommend books a trip; however, that is not my motivation. Besides, whomever I refer ALSO gets $100 credit! Vantage Travel is fantastic, and, from what I hear from other passengers, a better deal than competitors and (almost) everything is included in the price.
Thank you for sticking with me and reading my posts; I hope you enjoyed them!
LOVELY LUCERNE
We were supposed to spend all three nights of our post-extension in Lucerne; however, there were no hotels available in Lucerne for the first night, because of a huge music festival. So, our first night was spent in Bern. Nobody was disappointed, because we all fell in love with Bern during our walking tour, before we even checked into the hotel. And, as an extra bonus, Vantage Travel booked us into the top five star hotel; the same place where heads of state stay, as well as the rich and famous. It was THE hotel in Switzerland’s capitol. We sure were spoiled…
Lucerne, however, was fabulous. The Palace Hotel wasn’t quite at the level of the Bellevue, but it was a top hotel located right on the lake and close to the city center. (I mean, when you are used to staying at Microtel Inns like I am, how could I complain? Don’t get me wrong; Microtels are the top-rated chain for their price, but they are far from the 4-5 star hotels we stayed at during our pre-extension and post-extension!) And, the weather was fabulous, once we got past the few drizzles we encountered our first day. Yesterday, however, the sun was shining and temperatures reached the mid-70’s; quite a bit above normal for this time of year.
The Palace Hotel
The Place Hotel in the distance.
The view from our hotel.
The first day, we had a walking tour after we arrived and free time on our own for the remainder of the day. It was very enjoyable, because Lucerne is such a great city for walking!
Lucerne is a gorgeous city, located on the lake and surrounded by mountains; Mt. Pilates being the most famous one. Since the city was built on both sides of the lake, there are several bridges connecting each side. But, the bridge that draws the most visitors (and photographs) is the famous Chapel Bridge, built in 1333. All along the bridge are beautifully painted gables. And, hanging along the exterior of each side of the bridge are loads of flowers of every color, in perfect bloom. It was so colorful and picturesque! And, since many of the locals and tourists come there with scraps of bread to feed the swans, the water was full of snow white swans hoping for a free handout. There were a few ducks though; outnumbered but a lot quicker, so they fought for their share- and won.
The (very) old city center was quite attractive and interesting, because of the numerous buildings with beautifully painted facades. And, there were many outdoor cafes; a typically European feature. Along the lake front, there was one right after another; most with only outdoor seating.
After returning to the hotel to unpack and kick up our feet to rest for a short time, we were back at it, walking into town for a light dinner and some night photography. Most of the buildings were not lit up enough to photograph, but I did get one shot of this church, as well as one of our hotel.
BEAUTIFUL BERN
This will be a rushed post, because I will be walking back into town with my mom for dinner soon. We are in Lucern, now, but I have fallen behind with my posts, now that we are off the boat and are spending our evenings walking around these beautiful Swiss cities!
Yesterday, we were in beautiful Bern and got our first glimpse of the snow-covered Swiss Alps. This was the view from our hotel; not a good shot, I know, but I have no time to do any editing, so I am just throwing some photos up here for now as a teaser!
When I get the chance (perhaps not even until I return home), I will go back and edit this post to include more (or better) shots and tell you a little more about our last two stops: Bern and Lucerne.
For now, I will give you just a quick impression of our day and night in Bern. It’s a very unique city with the city center filled with 4 miles of covered arcades with arches, rather than just open sidewalks. They are full of one-of-a-kind shops and boutiques; all quite stylish and unique.
Since Bern dates back to 1191, it is VERY old and interesting! the architecture is fantastic and the coblestone streets are filled with interesting fountains, right in the middle of the street.
Bern is a great walking city and we enjoyed our day and evening there very much, before retiring to our gorgeous hotel for the night. The city is named after the bear and they are proud to have the bear as their symbol on their flag (and everything else). We visited the Bear Pit; a huge enclosure open to the public 24/7. It was located up on a hill overlooking the city and had three bears roaming the pit. This was the view from the stair way leading down from the pit to the river:
The view from our hotel was fantastic!
Here are more scenes from our day…
I wanted to swim in that awesome pool!
IS IT “BAAASEL” OR “BaSEL”? NO, BASEL IS “BAHHSEL”!
We have left France and Germany behind (sort of) and are now in Basel, Switzerland, for the last day aboard ship, before departing for our post-extension in Bern and Lucerne. I say “sort of”, because Basel is in the northwest corner of the country, just across the river from France and next door to Germany. Each day, 30,000 commuters come from France and Germany to work in Switzerland, then return to their countries in the evening.
Although Basel, the third largest city in Switzerland has a population of only 90,000, it is quite a cultural mecca, with 30 museums, a symphony, and a large theater. It is also home to Switzerland’s oldest university.
In addition to being an important banking center, Basel is also known for its chemical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as publishing.
I found it interesting that Basel has three railway stations; one French, one German, and one Swiss!
What I wasn’t surprised about and definitely expected was the high cost of EVERYTHING. The Swiss Frey chocolate bars I bought at Migos, yesterday, in Germany, were actually cheaper than at the Migos, in Basel! And, a Toblerone bar that was on sale for 5.49 Euros (regularly 10 Euros) at the German Migos was priced at anywhere from 16-19 Swiss Francs (CHF), in Basel. Keep in mind that the exchange rate was 1 Euro = 1.20 Swiss Francs.
The small chocolatiers were outrageous, so I passed on making any purchases. One chocolatier was charging 26 CHF for 250 grams of chocolates; about one half pound. The exchange rate for U.S. $1 = .75 CHF, so do the math and those are some expensive chocolate!
How about paying 5.90 CHF for 100g of salmon? 100 grams is only 3oz.!
Rather than return to the boat for lunch, following our walking tour, Mom and I stayed in town to do more exploring, then took the shuttle back later in the afternoon. But, we passed on dining at one of the cafes. Instead, we split a bratwurst at the Market Square; a 6 CHF purchase.
After lunch, we continued our exploring of the downtown streets. The following are pictures taken during our morning walking tour, as well as during our free time.
Although we enjoyed our day (and it was a beautiful one at that), Basel doesn’t rate at the top of my list for favorites on this cruise. The highlight, by far, was our day spent exploring the Alsace wine region’s quaint villages. My next favorite would be Bernkastel-Kuse, in Germany.
Overall, this was a fabulous cruise and we were lucky to have mostly terrific weather. The food was excellent on board and the service and friendliness of the staff was fabulous. Where else would the Executive Chef pick up special chocolates for a passenger, just because we had a conversation about it and he knew I was crazy about chocolate? I returned the favor by sharing my Bernkastel truffles with Chef and my mom, two nights ago, in a makeshift tasting session in the lounge, after he was finished with his dinner duties. And, during our tasting, he couldn’t say enough good things about Vantage Travel, their management, and the staff; his “family”. I agree! I will always choose Vantage Travel for my river cruises. There were several people on board who have traveled with Grand Circle, Uniworld, and Viking, however, they all preferred Vantage Travel by a long shot. And, in the end, it is less expensive. Everything is included with Vantage, however, the others nickel and dime you to death, so we were told. In the end, although the cruise was less expensive at booking time, by the time they were done, it had cost them more per day.
So, tonight, we spend our last night docked in Basel, and then depart for Bern in the morning. We will spend one night in Bern, followed by two nights in Lucerne. Originally, we were supposed to spend all three nights in Lucerne, however, there is a huge music festival, so none of the hotels were available for the 40 of us doing the post-extension.
I sure hope this gorgeous weather holds out!
FROM GERMANY TO FRANCE TO GERMANY: MONDAY IN FREIBURG
Since one side of the Rhine is France and the other is Germany, it’s quite understandable that we would jump back and forth between the two countries. Tomorrow, we will be in Basal, Switzerland, very close to both France and Germany! Thankfully, everybody in this area of Europe speaks French and German, because I’m having a hard time remembering which language to greet the locals in and thank them! Everybody has been so friendly, though; they just smile and appreciate the effort. Besides, a smile means the same in any language and I am finding that my smile has gotten me far. The locals have been wonderful!
So, how amazing is it that in Switzerland, there are four official languages? French, German, Italy, and a local dialect are all official! Geez; in America, I know plenty of people who are illiterate in the only language they speak! Writing is another story, entirely…
Today, we were in Freiburg, Germany, a city that dates back to the 12th century. Their university dates back to 1457!
Geographically, Freiburg is situated at the foot of the Black Forest. And, one thing quite unique about Freiburg is their gutter system; quite different from anything I have ever seen. The purpose is unique, as well. Since Freiburg is the warmest city in Germany, the gutters were constructed to allow water to flow through and cool down the city.
The legend associated with this gutter system is interesting, as well. If you fall into one of these gutters, legend says you will marry a Frieburger! Hmmm… I made sure to steer clear; I’m already happily married, thank you very much!
A charming feature of the streets throughout the city were the designs made with stones.
How is this for a beautiful street feature?
Our visit in Freiburg began with a walking tour through the old city center, followed by free time, before our return to the ship. I bailed on the walking tour early, so I could spend more time at the open air market; a great decision, because the photo opportunities were wonderful and the vendors were so friendly and accommodating.
After a leisurely stroll through the open-air market, I popped into the local department store to buy some chocolate bars in their supermarket, which was located in the basement; a common configuration in European department stores. On the way down, I passed by the men’s clothing department and couldn’t resist photographing this:
For 148 Euros, you could have a pair of these, too! They were suede and quite beautifully stitched.
Here are some other scenes around Freiburg:
SUNDAY IN STRASBOURG
Having docked in Strasbourg, France, again for the night, it was a convenient walk up the canal to meet our glass covered canal boat for our one hour ride through the canal that winds through the city.
Like Brugge, Strasbourg is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Half-timbered houses are the typical architecture, however, there was one interesting addition not noticed on the half-timbered houses in other towns. In Strasbourg, some of the houses had beams that had numbers carved into them, because the houses either have been moved or will be moved to another location. The numbers help in reassembling the house correctly.
The city center of Strasbourg has a population of 274,000 and the wealthiest live in 1 million Euro homes along the canal. In addition, there are 70 consulates in Strasbourg along the canals, since Strasbourg is the seat of the Council of Europe, a human rights assembly linking 43 countries from Russia to the Atlantic. Since 1992, it has been the seat of the European Parliament.
Patricia was our guide again today and we learned from her what the meaning was behind the blue European Union flag. The blue represents hope and the circle of gold stars represents the circle of harmony of the people living together within the union. The stars are for perfection; the goal of the European Union.
After our canal tour, we had a leisurely walking tour through the Petite France, the picturesque old quarter, where we saw beautiful half-timbered buildings dating back to the 16th and 17th century. Again, there were cobblestone streets full of quaint charm; very photogenic.
Since it was Sunday, mass was taking place at the Cathedrale de Notre Dame, however, we were able to slip into the back of the cathedral individually, unguided, during our free time. What a magnificent cathedral- and massive!
The rest of our free time was spent exploring the old quarter of the city, before returning to the ship for the afternoon.
ALSACE WINE REGION: PAGES FROM A PHOTO CALENDAR COME ALIVE
When I was a young girl, I remember my father, a doctor, bringing home beautiful photo wall calendars from the office, given to him by the pharmaceutical company reps., during the holidays. This was my first introduction to places far away that I hoped to see one day in my lifetime. In addition to Switzerland, a country I have wanted to see ever since then, the French countryside was depicted on the pages of those gorgeous calendars. Would I ever really see towns that quaint and picturesque?
Well, Saturday, my question was answered. It felt like déjà vu; I was walking through the pages of those calendars.
Our day was spent on a full-day tour of the Alsace region; the smallest of the 22 regions in France. Our guide, Patricia, briefed us on the history of this region, on our way to the wine road. I felt fortunate to have had the opportunity to get the front row on the bus (for fairness, we can only take the front row once), because Patricia was fascinating to listen to and watch. (Besides, I was able to get some fantastic photos out the front window of the bus, shooting in “sport” mode at a fast shutter speed.)
Patricia’s story of the Alsace region was quite personal, as her grandmother had been forced to change nationalities four times, as the region was fought over by the French and German; the last time being in World War II. One day she was French, the next day she was German. Her children were born different nationalities, even though they were born in the same house- in the same bed! But, the Alsace region changed hands a total of eight times in history. Fortunately, now, the two countries are part of the European Union, there is only one currency, and no passport has to be shown; the borders are open and free. And, even more fortunate is how the Germans and French now work together in harmony and speak both languages. As a matter of fact, preschool (which is free), is taught in German by a German teacher who comes from Germany two days each week. Then, on two other days, classes are taught in French by a French teacher. So, children grow up speaking both languages fluently, as well as the dialect that combines both languages. This dialect grew out of resistance by those who resented having their language and nationality changed so abruptly. If the region was controlled by the Germans, French was the forbidden language. When the French were in control of the region, it was forbidden to speak German. Today, with children being taught both languages, they can grow up and attend University in either Germany or France and be completely comfortable in either country.
As we made our way to Colmar, a one hour drive from Strasbourg where the River Navigator was docked, we also learned some interesting facts about our first stop of the day. Colmar has a small Statue of Liberty in the center of the roundabout leading to the town, because the sculptor of the statue was born in there.
Colmar, the capitol of Alsace, also has the distinction of being the location of France’s annual wine judging convention where medals are awarded to the top winemakers. We had a walking tour of the old city center and time on our own, before we continued down the wine road. At this point, I thought this was the best stop of the cruise (once we left Brugge). It was loaded with charm and there were scenes worth photographing everywhere we turned.
During our free time, I did take a break from photography and found a supermarket, so I could pick up some French chocolate bars and some bakery. For .60 Euro, I picked up a delicious Bavarian soft pretzel to munch on during our bus ride along the wine road.
Driving through all the little towns along the Alsace wine road was like being at the Tour de France. It was Saturday, so several cyclists were passing by; many in matching club jerseys. The day was absolutely gorgeous; clear blue sky and sunny. We couldn’t have planned the day any better!
After passing through several adorable little towns with flower boxes lining the sidewalks and mounted at every window, we arrived at our lunch destination, Riquewihr.
We were given money to enjoy lunch on our own, so it was nice to spend our two hours in Riquewihr at our own pace, in our own chosen way. 90% of the grapes grown in Alsace are for white wine, so this is the most popular drink for the locals to enjoy, along with a tarte flambé, one of the local culinary favorites. Mom and I split one at an adorably quaint little restaurant on one of the side streets of Riquewihr, along with a glass of the local pinot gris. DELICIOUS! A traditional tarte flambé is made of dough that is rolled out very thin and topped with crème fraiche, ham and onions, and served hot on a wood board.
Before and after our light lunch, Mom and I explored the cobblestone streets, turning every which way to shoot one photo that seemed better than the last. Everywhere we turned, there were colorfully painted half-timbered houses with baskets over flowing with beautifully blooming bright flowers. And, every business had a beautifully made sign posted on the façade; some quite cute and humorous, but, all, well-made and interesting. It made me realize just how ugly and boring signs are in front of businesses back in the U.S.A.!
The symbol of the Alsace region is the stork, so it was common to see storks on everything from pottery motifs to doll clothes to adorable stuffed storks, hanging on displays in the boutiques. By the way, the stork has been the symbol of this region for so long, I think this is where the idea of storks bringing babies got started. I wonder what age the children of the Alsace region learn that storks don’t deliver babies after all…
Riquewihr was quite small, but I could have easily gone AWOL and holed up at one of their B&B’s for a few more days. But, it was time to move on to Domaine Klipfel, for our afternoon wine tasting.
Alsace wine region is the only region in France that has the name of the varietal on their wine labels. The bottles are always tall with long necks and mostly green in color. Alsace is best known for their rieslings and gewürztraminers, however, there are seven varietals grown in this region with pinot noir being the only red. Since 1818, Domaine Klipfel has been making wines from each of the seven varietals without any blends. We tasted four different white wines, and, for the first time, I found a riesling I liked. So, for 7.80 Euros, I bought a bottle to take back and enjoy on the ship during the next few dinners. For a corkage fee of $7.50, I thought it was worth reliving the memory of a wonderful day!
After nice pours of a dry Riesling, a dry muscat, pinot gris, and gewürztraminer (too sweet for my taste), we were quite relaxed for our ride back to Strasbourg, to the River Navigator.
Seen on the road back to the River Navigator:
LOVIN’, LOVIN’ BADEN-BADEN
As you can see by my previous post, I got my day off to the right start! I was full of energy and ready to embark on our day in Baden-Baden. And, what a day it was! After a brief period of light rain, the skies cleared and we had a beautifully sunny day of around 80 degrees.
After a stop at the Rose Gardens of Baden-Baden, we continued to the city center. Baden-Baden is located at the foot of the Black Forest, near the border of France. It is a posh, ritzy, or wealthy city; choose you adjective, because they all apply. There is no industry or University here; it is mostly a retirement place for the very wealthy. Homes range in price from 3-27 million- EUROS. I have never seen so many Porsches, Audis, BMW’s or Mercedes in one place in all my life!
The city center was quite nice (of course) and charming with a narrow canal running through.
Baden-Baden has a casino, however, coat and tie is required- and, there is a charge of 5 Euros just to enter. We took a pass, but the scene out in front was starting to get festive. Baden-Baden has big horse races each year, along the lines of the Kentucky Derby. It lasts six days, however, so there are a lot of festivities to go along with the races. This weekend starts the festivities, so they were getting ready for the crowds.
After our walking tour, we had some free time to explore the town. They had a lovely outdoor pedestrian street with posh shops lining each side. I found a (very) nice market and scored on some chocolate that I had on my list to hunt down, but had not been able to find. Great timing; it was our last day in Germany! The boat left Germany while we were in Baden-Baden and sailed to Strasbourg, in France, where we joined back up with it, this evening.
So, now we are in France and will be saying “Bonjour!” and “Merci!”, along with a few other necessary French words and phrases.
Upon our arrival, Mom and I were greeted, again, by swans at our cabin window. Like ducks, they sure are curious! I think they were looking for handouts, too…
In the morning, we’re off to the Alsace wine region for wine tasting. This is a dream come true…
“SWIMMING” ON THE RHINE RIVER
This post is for my U.S. Masters Swimming friends…
While cruising the Rhine on the river boat, my current home away from home, I didn’t want to miss out on the scenery by working out in the gym. So, I killed two birds with one stone by “swimming” the Rhine while up on the top deck. I, of course, can’t swim the Rhine; the current runs too fast and the water is too cold. Besides, we’re cruising…
Warm-up:
Walk laps around the deck for 15 minutes, followed by my favorite Swimmer Magazine shoulder stabilization and dynamic stretching exercises. Finish by setting up my circuit training; attach my stretch cords to the railing on deck.
Main Set:
Walk 2 laps; fast pace, about 5mph speed.
Stop and “swim” a 50yd freestyle, 50yd fly and 50yd breaststroke on stretch cords; count strokes to match a typical swimming 50.
Walk 2 laps fast, stopping on the second lap to grab my Hammer Nutrition water bottle (from Summer Nationals) for sips of water while I walk.
Stop and drop for 10 military pushups
Walk 2 laps fast, stopping along the way to grab my camera and snap a shot of the castle.
Stop and “swim” (same as above)
Walk 2 laps fast
Stop and drop for 50 stomach crunches
Walk 2 laps fast
Rinse. Repeat.
Continue routine for desired time period; one hour for me, so I wouldn’t miss my favorite breakfast from the buffet: Muesli with tiny flat squares for bittersweet chocolate, topped with fresh fruit and yogurt. 
This was my favorite dryland travel workout yet. How about you? What was your favorite dryland workout, when swimming was not an option?
Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools... and CHOCOLATE! 
