Before sitting down in a German Gasthaus (or in the Hofbrauhaus in Munich) watch out for the sign proclaiming that the table is permanently reserved for the locals. “Stammtisch” means local or frequent guest table. These tables are places where the locals (usually but not always men) gather to gossip, play cards, sing and of […]
From the Charles Bridge in Prague
Bob and Marlene Rokicki enjoy the sunshine in Prague. The famous Charles Bridge, built in the 14th century, attracts thousands of the more than 10,000,000 tourists who visit Prague each year. We wrapped up the day with a fun tour around the city in a vintage 1930 Skoda open-top car.
Budapest at Night
We took a cruise on the Danube the other evening. Don’t big cities always look better at night? Budapest is no exception. This is a shot of the castle on the Buda side of the river.
Postcard from Bavaria
A scene taken near the Wieskirche, near Steingaden, Germany.
All that Glitters Must be Swarovski
We visited the Swarovski Crystal World on this day, driving down from Schwangau where we’re currently homebased. The factory “outlet” has grown by half since I was there in July of 2007, with a brand new showroom adding to the space we saw last year. Bob and Marlene had a fun hour or so of […]
Schwaebisch Hall on Day 2
We stopped in this lovely riverside town on our way from Miltenberg am Main to Ulm. This town has “medieval” written all over it. The town derived its fortune from trade and from the mining of salt. It has been a place of residence for human beings since around 4000 BC but the modern-day history […]
Welcome Back Marlene and Bob
European Focus Private Tours owner James Derheim welcomed back Bob and Marlene Rokicki for their 2nd Grand Adventure since 2006 when we last traveled in Germany and Austria. This trip started with the couple’s arrival at Frankfurt’s International Airport. From there it was an easy hour to riverside Miltenberg am Main, where we stayed the […]
Fill up and feel the pain
Don’t even try and complain to me right now about gasoline approaching $4 per gallon in the USA. We Americans have been spoiled by artificially low energy prices for so long that we’re absolutely for the most part totally ignorant to what the rest of the civilized world pays, and has paid, for a long […]