October 15, 2025, Metz- Stately Hotel Escurial is probably the easiest to find, of any hotel that hasn’t been right next to the Train Station (only the hotel in Helsingor, Denmark has fit that description). It is bordered by a health food grocer, with bright green lettering and the Hotel Cecil, which once catered to the British upper crust, is prominently to the west of Escurial. Besides, it has a regal Spanish ring to it.
I arrived here in mid-afternoon, the first stop of three, on a Strasbourg-Luxembourg route, which I last took in the opposite direction, in 2014. At that time, Metz was more a place for regrouping my energy, as Strasbourg was this time. Today was more about giving Metz the limelight.
I got my laundry done in Strasbourg, for the most part figuring out the instructions, which were in French, and managing to get the clothes washed and dried within the allotted time and walked back to Hotel Strasbourg, in plenty of time to return to the main train station. I even helped a college student and a disabled woman, just a little.
Once in Metz and settled in at Hotel Escurial, it was off to look at two different areas of the Old City. First, though, I had to get a new mouse for my computer. A shop was located about four blocks from Hotel Escurial, and the task was quickly done.
Hotel Escurial. MetzGare Centrale (Main Train Station), MetzGare Centrale (Main Train Station), MetzColour matters in Metz, the year round.North Wall of Old City, with Water Tower in backgroundOld Water Tower, MetzGeneral Charles De Gaulle, at his squareInterior of Metz Cathedral (Above and below)Stretching towards the sky, Metz Cathedral exterior (above and below)Images of saints, Metz CathedralSpires on southwest corner of Metz CathedralWestern side of Metz CathedralAbraham de Faubert, Marshal of France under Henry IV and Louis XIII. Marshal De Faubert established new methods of siegecraft, during the constant wars between England and France during the 17th Century. He is considered a key figure in the survival of the French State, in that uncertain period.Arizona in Alsace-LorraineEast Gate of Old City, MetzMichel Ney, Napoleon’s sub-commander, who was from Lorraine. He was executed for treason, after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.Three corkscrew spirals, Parc de Ney
My exploration of Metz was complete, for now. Dinner followed, being a simple toasted bagel with cream cheese and minced onion-at a small, cozy place named simply “The Coffee Shop”. It was a fitting end to a day devoted to a blend of simplicity and grandeur.
October 12, 2025, Frankfurt-am-Main- It was suggested by a fellow hosteler in Salzburg that I take dinner at Vetter’s, an authentic Bavarian establishment in Old Town Heidelberg. Apparently, a lot of Vetter’s fans were telling their friends the same thing. There was no room to be had there this evening. The reservation list stretched into next week.
I found another fabulous spot for dinner-Joe Molese Burgers and Sandwiches. More about Joe’s and its fabulous staff later. First off, though, some words about my stroll down the hill and around Old Town, in areas both full of my fellow travelers and others with only a few locals going about their affairs.
As I bid farewell to Schloss Heidelberg, it was the foliage that stood out.
Foliage at south end of Schlosse HeidelbergHeiliggeistkirche (Holy Spirit Church), Heidelberger Alstadt
I continued looking for a place called the Red Church, wandering through the alleys near Heidelberg University.
University DistrictRosenkirche, Heidelberg
I found the Red Church at the north end of Old Town.
Rosenkirche, HeidelbergHeidelberg University, with Peterskirche in backgroundPeterskirche, Old Town Heidelberg
As I rounded a corner, there was an apartment courtyard, where a man was playing table tennis with his young daughter. Nearby was this gem of a mural.
Modernist mural, Old Town Heidelberg
and this:
Cubist leopard, Old Town Heidelberg
The girl’s favourites were these:
Pokemon characters, Old Town HeidelbergPlay space, Old Town HeidelbergBored face, Old Town HeidelbergGuard tower, east end of Old HeidelbergRiver Neckar, from Old Town Heidelberg (above and below)Good luck Monkey, Old Bridge, Heidelberg
It’s said that to rub the gold orb will bring good fortune. many visitors were doing just that, before I took this photo.
Elector Karl-Theodor of Heidelberg
Karl-Theodor became Elector of the Palatinate in 1742 and united it with Bavaria in 1777, setting upon a program of economic modernization of this realm. He built the English garden in Munich and was an avid patron of the arts. In the long run, however, Karl-Theodor showed little interest in his realm, leaving it to Austrian and French invaders, in the 1790s. This statue shows that it was his earlier programs that matter most to posterity.
South Gate, Old Bridge, Heidelberg
Now, back to Joe Molese.
Joe Molese Burgers and Sandwiches, Old Town Heidelberg
This establishment provided the absolute best burger I have ever had-and that’s after a lot of hamburgers over 70 +years. It was not overly messy, such as I normally enjoy. It was simply flavourful and was not overshadowed by a mound of French fries. The lovely server and the effusive manager made everyone feels at home, despite the fact that the place was as packed as every other restaurant in Old Town, on Saturday night. When I went to pay, furthermore, it turned out that the young couple sitting to my right had already covered my tab! We had not spoken a word to one another, but there it was. I would go back to Joe Molese’s again, in a heartbeat.
Finally, this is the shop whose clerk helped me locate Lotte-The Backpackers Hostel. I bought a couple of items from her. It would be nice if more people patronized her little place.
My favourite souvenir shop, Old Town Heidelberg
It was not easy to say farewell to this enchanting place, but there was more joy waiting for me here in Frankfurt, and at the Baha’i House of Worship in Langenhain.
October 10, 2025, Munich- I went down the 327 steps this time, bidding farewell to the paradise called Monchsberg and its shining star, Stadtalm Naturfreund. I would gladly walk up the steps again and stay there for three or four days.
It was time to have at least a brief look at Munich and see how that city is adapting to the changes that surely would have shocked the reactionary forces who caused such mayhem there, nearly one hundred years ago.
First, though, here is a bit more of Salzburg’s centrum.
Ancient German god of natureInformation about Gherkins sculpture (seen below)Gherkins Sculpture, with Friedrich Schiller in the background. Schiller was one of Germany’s greatest Classical playwrights.
My breakfast companions had urged me to make mention of Sanktfranciskirche. It is the one church in Salzburg where anyone can find a safe haven, even if being pursued by police. It has not been put to the test recently, but there are many past examples of this.
Sankfranzikirche, Salzburg
Notice the open door below.
Salzburg Cathedral, my last stop before the Hauptbanhof and on to Munich.
The journey to the heart of Bavaria was uneventful. I had a bit of confusion, again because of WiFi loss, but finding The 4You Hostel was not hard, once I got bearings after stopping in a store for a couple of necessities. I even found a nice nearby hotel restaurant and enjoyed a good Bavarian dinner.
From what I have seen so far, Munich is every bit a multicultural and tolerant city-pretty much the opposite of what its leaders in the 1930s hoped to achieve. I will enjoy more of it tomorrow morning.
October 8, 2025, Salzburg- “No taxi driver will go there”, the young driver said, referring to Monsbach, the area around Stadtalm Naturfreund, “it’s too dangerous”. Hmm, having not heard anything about crime in Salzburg, I decided to talk to the older gentleman in the next taxi, who had been listening. “It is a dark area, and the road is narrow. THAT is the only danger.” He then asked me how far I had come today. After hearing that my day had started in Zagreb, “Ibrahim” decided to drive me to the flat portion of the route to the hostel. He eliminated 323 steps-for the night. He was paid handsomely for his effort.
The day indeed started in Zagreb. I checked out of Mickey Mouse Apartment at the designated hour, and left the key in the black mailbox, as requested. When I got to the Train Station, my inquiry about getting to Salzburg was met with: “Go through Ljubljana. Maribor and Graz are out of the way. Ljubljana is more direct, then go through Villach!” This I did. The train was late leaving the Slovenian capital and even later going from the Austrian border to Vollach- a distance of 5 kilometers. Enough of a lag had been created that even the cleaning man at Villach Hauptbanhof (Central Train Station) shook his head at “the bureaucrats, always making an unnecessary mess for people.” Slovenia’s capital is a rather lovely place (it’s Lee-oob-lee-ahna), and I had a small lunch there, near the train station. I would grab another supper item in Salzburg, but it was a while later-eight hours later.
Near Catez, SloveniaSava River, outside Catez, SloveniaDinaric Alps, through a dirty windshield, north of Bled, SloveniaDinaric Alps, near Jesenice, Slovenia
As luck would have it, the picture postcard views of Ljubljana were not to be found around the Train Station and I did not dare venture far afield, in the uncertain time frame presented us. So, the dirty windshield of the train was my only vantage point for Slovenia’s beauty.
Once we could view Worthersee, hopes went up for a quick arrival in Villach. There was an unexplained stop, though, just inside Austria-and it was not due to the Border Police. Something else led to about seven of us sitting in Villach Hauptbanhof for an extra ninety minutes. The silver lining, though, was that the young conductor showed me, at long last, how to access the heretofore elusive QR Code on the Rail Planner application. Now, I will not be the sore thumb senior, the only one who doesn’t get it.
At the end of the day, I was at Stadtalm Naturfreund, had climbed only six steps-to my dorm room and savoured the chance to get another decent night’s sleep. Salzburg’s wonders and some business in Vienna awaited.
October 7, 2025, Zagreb- The bus conductor pretended to be livid, shouting in Serbian: “Five minutes means five minutes!”, as I came back from seven minutes in a supermarket queue. Some things are more essential than others, and as he well knew, no one cuts in front of a mother and two children, with a modest basket of groceries. No one does that, anywhere in the world.
The driver shrugged his shoulders and made up the two lost minutes, once we were back on the highway. We didn’t stop again until the Croatian border. There, with two buses ahead of us, we sat for ten minutes. Then, we go out, and were exited by the Bosnian border police, got back on the bus, waited until our time to re-enter Croatia, and got back off the bus. We retrieved our luggage from the storage bins and fell in line again.
A pleasant, business-like young woman stamped everyone’s passport, checked to see that the bins were empty then joined her two colleagues in the baggage inspection room. We were especially selected for the spot check, because there were a few people on board from countries which were being watched by Europol. The U. S. is not among those countries, but I have nothing to hide, regardless. The passport stamper checked my bags, educating herself about American dietary supplements in the process. I was glad to oblige. I would proudly claim that woman as a daughter, the way she dove into her tasks and joined her teammates without being told.
The rest of the way was quiet, the conductor, who was now the driver, maneuvered his way through Zagreb’s rush hour traffic-hardly Los Angeles or Berlin, but a slowdown nonetheless. The first driver got off the bus at a truck stop and the rest of us went to the now familiar West Zagreb Terminal. From there, I caught a tram to near the Mickey Mouse Apartment-a variation on Alora-Heart of Zagreb, except the apartment was on the fourth floor, instead of in the basement. It was of similar size to Alora, and was across the hall from Mini-Suite, which had Madame Mouse on the front door. This start-up apartment business seems to be unique to Zagreb, but it’s a nice idea, even if it wouldn’t work for all travelers.
The day had started a bit less organized. Sarajevo is a larger city than one might think, and there is a world of difference between the Old Town and the modern downtown, which looks pretty standard. No one near the Miljacka River bank knew where the bus station was, but a bartender (open at 8:30 a.m.) said it was too far to walk. I caught a tram, advised by a university student, and a woman who had just taken her kids to school, that it was eight stops ahead. A young woman from Germany joined me in the luggage pile section, and we power-walked together to the bus terminal, doing a 10-minute walk in 7. She sat and waited for her bus, and I caught mine outside, leaving my Bosnian Mark coins with a destitute young man who stood, forlorn, on the platform.
Here are some scenes of the day.
Sacred Heart Cathedral, downtown Sarajevo Miljacka River, SarajevoOutside Visoko, BosniaBosna Bucha River, north of Visoko Bosna Bucha River, near Zenica (Zeneesa). That town had the supermarket at the bus station.
Safely in Mickey Mouse Apartment, I bid all a good night. Tomorrow, it’s off to Salzburg, probably via Slovenia.
October 5, 2025, Sarajevo- The bus driver had a long face, as we all boarded his vehicle, in Split. I don’t think the man’s demeanour changed much, even after he had a sit-down meal at a nice roadside restaurant. The weather was equally gloomy, but I felt a comfort that transcended both the driver and the skies.
We went down the coastal highway, very close to tourist haven Dubrovnik, and then turned inland towards Mostar and Sarajevo. Here is a view of the Adriatic from Jesenice, the first major town south of Split.
View from cliffs near Omis, Dalmatia
At Brela, the wonders shifted to the mountains above the southern Dalmatian coast.
Limestone mountains above Brela, CroatiaHeading inland, near Ljubuski (Lee-oo-boo-skee)These lakes are near the well-known Kravica (Kra-VEET-sa) waterfall .
Passing through Mostar, a worthy stop in its own right (for me, maybe on a future Mediterranean visit), the weather was really getting nasty, but the mountains are always stunning.
Prenj Range (Pren-yeh), outside MostarNeretva River, near Donja Jablanica (Donya Yablanitsa), Hercegovina. It was near here that we stopped and the driver had his lunch. I opted to wait until Sarajevo. Below, are the rotating barbecue wheels at Lamb House.Old-style roasting spits, Lamb house, Donja Jablonica
About an hour later, we were in Sarajevo. I caught a taxi in short order, and that driver, from Libya, was determined to find Guesthouse Yildiz. He was very close, but it took asking around the immediate Old Town neighbourhood to get the exact spot. Now, he has another hard-to-find address on his phone.
I found a gem of a place, with a dear young couple from Turkiye, the owners. (Since we’re on a pronunciation binge- it’s Tur-kee-yuh). Here is how to spot Guesthouse Yildiz, on a short alley way off Old Town Sarajevo’s main road.
Guest House Yildiz, Old Town Sarajevo
Here is the junction of Yildiz’s street, with the main road through Old Town.
Intersection near Guesthouse Yildiz
I was in a comfortable place for the evening, and after a well-prepared dinner of Chicken Stir Fry and rice, settled in to get ready for tomorrow’s visit to Srebrenica.
September 28, 2025, Krakow– “Where do I get the train to Krakow?”, I asked a conductor, after getting off the train that had brought me from Berlin to Poznan, in western Poland. “Go downstairs to Platform 10.”, was all she said. Many European train platforms have two tracks, which go in directions opposite each other. This reduces the need for multiple platforms, each with a track that only goes one way. I knew this, but looking at my watch, seeing it was close to departure for the Krakow train and seeing a train that lots of people were getting off and on, I put two and two together and got…five.
When I got to the cabin which had my seat number, I found it was occupied by a family of four, with the younger son in “my” seat. I went out of the cabin and was met by an older Polish woman, who “knew” that was my seat “by rights”. We got underway, with me in standage, where I was chatted up by a couple, who were happy that someone from Arizona was visiting Poland. The husband asked to look at my ticket, and gasped. “You go north now, instead of south! You must get off at next station, and catch train back to Poznan, then good luck getting to Krakow!” That explained the young boy sitting in his rightful seat.
I got off at the next station, reversed course, got on a Krakow-bound train from Poznan, and took my place among university students and poorer older adults, in Standage, all the way to Krakow, five hours south. Of course, I didn’t stand the whole way. I had my rolling suitcase, and a relatively clean section of floor on which to sit. When people needed to get on or off, at the ensuing stations, we in Standage had to make room for them. This made a few of the students quite surly-but surely they know this is part of the deal. Most, though, seemed concerned for one another, on a couple of occasions consoling those who were openly distraught. Not speaking Polish,I kept my mouth shut, the whole way, and was “welcomed” by the conductors, none of whom were concerned with why I was there.
I got to Krakow around 11 p.m. and caught a taxi to Meininger Hostel, part of a chain of hotels and hostels across central Europe. It is a lovely establishment, and while the city itself is rather tired of mass tourism, I was cheerfully welcomed by those I encountered on the street and at the hostel. I had the room to myself for the night, as the young man who was to be my roommate had his own tale of train woe and would not be arriving until early tomorrow morning. Thus, another decent end was found, to a strange day.
September 25, 2025, Aarhus- The gathering was much larger than I had anticipated-and the kitchen manager apologetically told me there was no more room in the dining area during the Communal Dining session. I had come here to see how Danes manage their Slow Food movement.
Staying for the presentation afterward, all in Danish, of course, but worth watching for the dynamics, I enjoyed Miso Lasagna, with the healthful Japanese paste taking the place of cheese. There were organic ground beef and squash lasagna noodles, to round out the dish.
Here is a photo of one of the breakout groups, who discussed the benefits of communal food preparation and dining.
Communal Dining Presentation, at Roberta’s Society Hostel, Aarhus
We have similar gatherings, from time to time, in Prescott and this weekend, in Sacramento, there is a Slow Food Americas festival, with dozens of breakout groups and presentations, celebrating the benefits of healthful food production, sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry and careful composting.
Roberta’s Society Hostel, Aarhus
Roberta was not a person, as such, but a name attached to a concept: The Kalpin brothers, Danish entrepreneurs, established the hostel in a former library. The idea was to get away from the standard “locals shall not stay in hostels” policy that has been in place around the world for many decades, and bring people together in community, thus communal dining and other positive gatherings are regularly held at Roberta’s Society.
ARoS Aarhus Art Museum
The museum with a rainbow roof was designed by Danish/Icelandic artist, Olafur Eliasson. It is one of the reasons that Roberta’s is fairly easy to find, being just to the west of ARoS, near the northern portion of Aarhus’ tree-lined park. The city is fairly bustling,as any second-largest city would have to be, but Roberta’s is actually within walking distance of the train station.
I found that out, only after catching a bus and learning Aarhus’ unique phone-app based bus fare payment system. That involved going to three different 7-11 stores (The chain is big in Denmark) and finally getting a clerk to sell me a card that is affiliated with the phone app.
Walking close to Roberta’s, I captured a few of Aarhu’s older buildings, including this stately bank building.
Old Bank building, Central Aarhus
Aarhus embraces the new, in sculpture, as well as in cuisine. Here is Phil Price’s “Snake, Aarhus, 2253”.
Arhus is another fascinating place that would be worth 2-3 more days. Alas, I have promises to keep……..Next up, Berlin.
September 22, 2025, Helsingor, Sjaelland, Denmark- When I got to the Long-Distance trains, in Stockholm, accompanied by my friend from Nynashamn, two tings were obvious: The Rail App that I got for my iPhone, specifically to make catching trains easier, was not doing so AND I had oversimplified the booking process in my head. This led to learning curve #2 on this journey: Every leg of the process is different and every leg has to be set in motion, before showing up at the gate. I learned that it is best to go to the ticket office at the station, well before the desired time of departure-not 1/2 hour prior. The well-oiled team is what has got me this far, and given me a road map for the rest of the journey (no pun intended).
It all worked out; I got to say farewell to the kids and their father at the station in Nynasgard; I was able to purchase a ticket at the Central Station Billeting Office and friend was able to tend to an important matter of her own, after I boarded the train with time to spare, after all.
I found myself seated next to a very interesting person, who is writing historical novels, accenting the achievements of the Swedish people, rather than dwelling on the hardships and deprivations the country has faced, over the centuries. She is also a rather skilled photographer, and showed me some of her portfolio. I shared with her my philosophy of education and the basic teachings of Baha’i. After a time, we reverted to our own spaces and enjoyed the quiet ride through the heart of central and southern Sweden. When she met her partner, at Malmo, she told him of her interest in what I had shared. He seemed to be favourable to her comments.
With help from a train conductor in Malmo, I reverted to my initial plan of taking the train to Helsingborg, then the ferry to Helsingor-as opposed to following the Stockholm ticket agent’s idea of going to Copenhagen and then up to my destination. That would have likely added a good hour to the journey. I had just enough time in Helsingborg to take photos of the interesting Centrum.
Helsingborg Centrum from the Ferry terminalHelsingborg Centrum (above and below)South Side of HelsingborgOld Harbour House, Helsingborg
We left Helsingborg, and Sweden, on time. My seatmate on the train from Stockholm to Malmo remarked that today was the first time she had seen that train leave on schedule, in nearly two years of back and forth. I have a different impression of Swedish punctuality, but maybe that is my luck-everything has been on the button, during my time here.
So far, I can only say I have experienced 90 % kindness, in both Iceland and Sweden. Certainly, the expectation is that the visitor will put forth effort to observe how things are done, and follow suit, but there is also a goodly measure of grace and forthright correction, when needed. I am used to taking life lessons in stride and not making the same mistake twice. This fits nicely with how people expect visitors to go about their time in both countries.
I expect it will be much the same in Denmark. Helsingor, for starters is compact. Hotel Skania, where I am tonight, is right across the tracks from the Train Station and Ferry Terminal. A short two blocks to the west and south is a row of restaurants and shops, with no cars allowed. Rib House, where I dined this evening, is a fun place, where each patron gets to check off the items chosen for the meal. There is a one-trip, or unlimited salad bar, in the style of American steak houses. How well meat is to be cooked is a choice item as are the type of potatoes one wants, and the sauces, if any, that are desired. Of course, one checks off what drink is desired.
Rib House, Helsingor Centrum
I will share more of Helsingor tomorrow. Now, it’s time for rest.
September 21, 2025, Nynashamn- It was quite windy atop the water tower that served this small city on its own, for several decades-until a larger one was built across town. The tower on which my friend, Mattias, and I stood was had burned down in 2018 and was rebuilt as an observation point, a year later. The taller and larger tower that replaced it may be seen from the top, as may a large area of the southern Stockholm Archipelago, of which Nynashamn (NEE-nahs-hahmn) is an anchor.
Here are some scenes from that vantage point.
View of Stockholm Archipelago, and south side of NynanshamnView of Grondalsviken, to the southwest of Nynashamn. View of Nynashamn Centrum (downtown)On top of Trehorningen Water Tower
Afterward, we went back to find the rest of the crew, Sarah and the kids, at Nynashamn Harbour. We had begun the day with a satisfying breakfast and had gone over to Choklad Huset (Chocolate House), which serves up the finest of hot chocolate and a full variety of solid treats. This establishment provides dessert items for the Nobel Prize Dinner, among other accomplishments. We enjoyed our delights at a playground near the harbour (The “ship playground”, say the kids.
Choklad Huset
It was soon time to go back to the cozy apartment. I spent a blissful afternoon, just soaking in all that being with a little family entails. After a well-crafted dinner of “Fresh Rolls” (spring rolls, in clear rice wraps, with “Chinese Rice” (fried rice), I took in one more Nynashamn sunset.
Sunset from Grondalsviken
Tomorrow, I double back to Stockholm’s Central Station, and take the train southward to Helsingborg and over the water, to Helsingor-the site of Elsinore Castle. It has been a truly lovely visit with my Swedish family. Now, to make more friends, in Denmark.
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A Sagittarian Seeker 