Alaska Chat II

[Rance]

I'm hoping I'll be skidding logs through 2 or 3 feet of snow the end of the month.

[warptman]

Here is the day to day break down of the trip:

Day 0 - Anchorage
11:00 pm. Monday, May 5,
Meet at the Ted Steven’s Anchorage International Airport, North Terminal, Delta Airline Ticket Counter. (Don’t forget your passport!)

Day 1 – Anchorage to London
1:00 am, Tuesday, May 6
Take off to Salt Lake City and New York City and London.

Day 2 - London
6:25 am. Wednesday, May 7
We arrive at London’s Gatwick Airport.
Baggage, Immigration (Passport Control), and Customs.
We then take the Gatwick Express Train to Victoria Station, the subway (tube) to West Kensington stop, and walk to the Ace Hotel. Check-in, wash-up, but don’t sleep.
Morning:
Hop-on Hop-off Double Decker Bus Tour
Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace
Lunch at Harrods’s Department Store
Afternoon:
St. Pancras Station: Activate Eurail Pass & buy Eurostar Train ticket for our return on May 26 from Paris to London
British Library
British Museum
Evening:
Dinner
Walking Tour: Thames River Pub Crawl (optional)

Day 3 – London
Thursday, May 8
Morning:
Tower of London
Lunch: Covent Garden
Afternoon:
Tate Modern
Westminster Abby
Dinner
Evening:
Globe Theatre: King Lear

Day 4 – Cambridge & Night Ferry
Friday, May 9
Morning:
Check-out
Bus to Cambridge
Walking and Punting Tour of Cambridge
Lunch
Afternoon:
Fitzwilliam Museum
Scott Polar Institute
Dinner
Evening:
Train to Harwich International
Night Ferry to Hoek van Holland, Netherland
Sleep in 4-berth cabin on the ferry

Day 5 – Haarlem
Saturday, May 10
Morning:
Breakfast on the ferry
Train to Haarlem, Netherland (15 minutes by train from Amsterdam)
Check-in to Carillon Hotel
Grote Kerk (Church)
Frans Hals Museum
Lunch
Afternoon:
Zadvoot – A dip in the ocean.
Evening:
Saturday night: on your own in Haarlem.

Day 6 – Haarlem
Sunday, May 11
Morning:
Breakfast at hotel
Train to Amsterdam
Rijksmuseum Museum
Van Gogh Museum
Lunch
Afternoon:
Canal Boat Ride
Anne Frank House
Evening:
Train back to Haarlem
Dinner
Live music at Café 1900


Day 7 – Paris
Monday, May 12
Morning:
Breakfast at the hotel
Check-out
Train to Brussels
Lunch in Brussels
Afternoon:
Train to Paris:
Metro to St. Christopher’s Inn (Paris) Hostel
Welcome dinner at hostel
Evening:
Eiffel Tower at night (Let’s go to the top!)
Metro back to hostel

Day 8 – Paris
Tuesday, May 13
Morning:
Breakfast at hostel
Walking tour of historic Paris
Lunch
Afternoon:
Louvre Museum
Evening:
Dinner
Fat Mike’s Night Bike Tour and River Cruise of Paris (optional)
Metro back to hostel

Day 9 – Paris
Wednesday, May 14
Morning:
Breakfast at hostel
Metro to Arc de Triomphe
Walk d own the Champs-Elysees
Lunch
Afternoon:
Orsay Museum
Rodin Museum
Evening:
Dinner
Night Walking Tour of Montmartre & Sacre-Coeur Basilica
Metro back to hostel

Day 10 – Gimmelwald
Thursday, May 15
Morning:
Breakfast at hostel
Check-out
Train to Monteux, Switzerland
Passport Control (Switzerland is not a part of the European Union (EU)
Lunch
Afternoon:
Tour Chillon Castle
Train to Interlaken, Switzerland
Train to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Bus to Stechelberg
Cable-Car Lift to Gimmelwald
Evening:
Check-in to The Mountain Hostel

Day 11 – Gimmelwald
Friday, May 16
Morning:
Group breakfast or optional $$ cable-car lift to the top of the Schilthorn Mountain and the revolving Piz Gloria restaurant for the James Bond breakfast: Schilthornbahn AG: Schilthorn - Piz Gloria
Free day:
Suggestions:
(1) Walk up to Murren and shop.
(2) Take a hike.
(3) Purchase an adventure sport activity.
(4) Do nothing: relax, read, and snooze.

Day 12 – Bern & Night Train
Saturday, May 17
Morning:
Group breakfast
Check-out
Lift, bus, train to Interlaken.
Train to Bern, Switzerland (the capital)
Lunch:
Afternoon:
Free in Bern to shop, visit the bears, museums, etc.
Evening:
Night train to Florence, Italy

6-berth couchette: Couchette information

Day 13 – Florence & Rome
Sunday, May 18
Morning:
Arrive in Florence (Firenze) Santa Maria Novella Train Stations
Check bags at the station
Breakfast on your own
Renaissance Walk Through Florence:
Accademia (Galleria dell’Accademia): Michelangelo’s David and Prisoners.
Lunch
Afternoon:
Duomo
Uffizi Gallery
Ponte Vecchio
Train to Rome
Evening:
Arrive in Rome (Roma)
Walk to hotel.
Group dinner

Day 14 – Rome
Monday, May 19
Morning:
Breakfast at hotel
Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel
Lunch
Afternoon:
St. Peter’s Basilica (and climb to the top of the Dome)
Evening:
Dinner at Campo de’ Fiori
Night Walk Across Rome

Day 15 – Rome
Tuesday, May 20
Morning:
Breakfast at hotel
Colosseum
Roman Forman
Lunch
Afternoon:
Pantheon
Spanish Steeps
Evening:
Dinner
Back to hotel

Day 16 – Pisa & Manarola
Wednesday, May 21
Morning:
Breakfast at hotel
Train to Pisa & the Leaning Tower
Lunch
Afternoon:
Train to La Spezia & Manarola
Steep climb to our hostel
Evening:
Dinner at the hostel or on your own

Day 17 – Manarola
Thursday, May 22
Morning:
Buy breakfast at the hostel or on your own
Free day:
Swim, hike the Road of Love to Riomaggiore, hike to all the villages, ferry to the villages, explore, shop, etc.

Day 18 – Venice (Venezia)
Friday, May 23
Morning:
Buy breakfast at the hostel
Train to La Spezia
Train to Venice
Lunch (on train)
Afternoon:
Arrive Venice
Boat taxi (vaporetto) to hostel
Evening:
Dinner at hostel

Day 19 – Venice
Saturday, May 24
Morning:
Breakfast at hostel
Free day to explore Venice on your own (or tag along with Joli or Reyne):
St. Mark’s Square
St. Mark’s Basilica
Doge’s Palace
Get lost!
Evening:
Organize a group and share the expense of an evening gondola ride (A worthwhile memory: after all, you are in Venice!).

Day 20 – Venice & Night Train
Sunday, May 25
Morning:
Breakfast at hostel
Take bags to train station & check bags
Free day to explore Venice on your own (or tag along with Joli or Reyne):
Cruise the Grand Canal
Take a ferry to the island of Murano (glass blowing)
Take a ferry to the Lido and go swimming
Visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (museum)
Visit the Accademia Museum
Late Afternoon:
Meet at the train station
Get bags
Evening:
Night Train to Paris

Day 21 - Paris & London
Monday, May 26
Morning:
Arrive Paris: Gare de Lyon
Breakfast at the station
Metro to Gare du Nord
Eurostar Train to London
Lunch (on the train)
Afternoon:
Arrive London: St. Pancras Station:
Underground to Ace Hotel
Free time:
Evening:
Group Dinner

Day 22 – Anchorage
Tuesday, May 27
Morning: UP EARLY!
Breakfast at hotel (if we have time)
Underground to Victoria Station
Gatwick Express to Gatwick Airport
Check in at Delta Counter
Depart London
Afternoon:
Arrive Cincinnati
Depart Cincinnati
Evening:
Arrive Anchorage (kiss the ground)

[Arcticthaw]

Finially some snow!!! We have about 8" this morning. Very nice to see.

Well now out to plow the yard with the 4 wheeler, need to let it warm up for about 15 minutes to get everything workings.

[cobolt]

Ahhhhh Florence!!!! Brilliant!!! Oh Warpt...you are going to have SO MUCH FUN!!!!

I flew into Gatwick Airport when I was in England. You will dig the British Museum. HOpefully you can hit the National Gallery too...I was really impressed by that. Didn't care for the Tower of London..thought it was kinda touristy....but...punting on the backs (what they call the waterways there) in Cambridge is wonderful!!! You lucky dog!
They had just opened the new Tate when I was there but I didn't go!! Oh and the Globe!!! And KING LEAR?! OMG.....Let me tell you...there is NOTHING like seeing Shakespearean players who KNOW how to do it right. I'm not talking about stupid Mel GIbson playing Hamlet. Shakespeare's language is quick, fast, and relies alot on playing with the language itself. All this long, drawn out stuff you see...the over acting is not the real deal. Theatre there is like a cult and very addictive and seeing it well-done just really changes you. It will make anything else you see pale beyond compare. You will really dig the Globe...it's a theatre in the round and when I was attending classes, we did an interactive study at the Globe (they had just renovated the stage). Hopefully you will be a "groundling" (standing room on the floor) as it is much more fun than sitting in the "box" seats because you get involved in the play. Anyway...I also saw the Royal Shakespearean Company play in Stratford-Upon-Avon. I saw "A Midsummers Dream" and the players did the whole play with NO PROPS...it was so minimalist and you were so engaged and into it the whole time that you didn't even realize or care if they had props or not. Brilliant!!! Oh I am SO HAPPY and EXCITED for you!!!! Have fun and take lots and lots of pics!!!

[warptman]

It seems like such a long wait. The class starts next Thursday, I can't make that one, they have a repeat on Saturday which I'll take. Can't wait either to go. I need to figure out where I put my passport.

[cobolt]

I know...just keep yourself occupied and think about how awesome and cool it will be once all the jet-setting stuff comes about. It gives you something to look forward to, especially in the dead of the winter when you start getting that "gloom" thing going on. Well...maybe not you...but anyway...start saving your dollars b/c you'll be converting them to Euros.. I'm really excited for you! Bravo. Good move.

[warptman]

I'm sure they take Master Cards and Visa there. I'm with Triple A, no charges on travelers checks. I'm sure I'll get Euros though. First thing tomorrow after work is to go sign up for the class and get the required books. The class is called "The Humanities: A Cultural Perspective." Books required are Rick Steve's Best Of Europe 2008, Europe 101: History & Art For Travelers and some Yup'ik books to compare arts from here and there. Interesting subject thats for sure.

[cobolt]

Yes, sort of like comparative cultural studies. I like the comparative aspect (incorporating the Yup'ik). That's progressive. Yea. credit cards are the way to go when you're talking exchange rates. Rick Steeves annoys me...but I like travel shows so I put up with him. I really like the Globe Trekker Lonely Planet series.

Gotta run. Good night guys. Chat with you in the morrow.

[Karla with a K]

warptman

I want to go !!!!

[Rance]

I know. Now I want to go back to Sweden. Your gonna love it. Throw a paper airplane off the Eiffle Tower for me.