About 3 weeks after my return from Bucharest, Romania, I was given another wonderful chance to go back to Europe. My business plan called for a 4-week trip, including a short break in the middle. Well before my departure day, the professional people at the travel department of my company got news of a possible strike by the employees of Lufthansa. Acting on this news, they provided me with alternate flights. Their professionalism made my journey safe and pleasant.
My flights from Phoenix to Munich, via Washington DC, were routine and uneventful. The airport in Munich, however, was much quieter than normal, as a great number of passengers were not there due to the strike by the personnel of Lufthansa. Going through passport control was quicker; the cafes and restaurants and the duty-free shops were emptier than normal. The courtyard of the airport had more ground workers, enjoying longer breaks due to the lighter traffic. The alternate air carrier took me from Munich to Düsseldorf then onto Dresden, my final destination.
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| Courtyard of Munich airport with more ground workers than usual. |
The historic city of Dresden welcomed me with thick cloud and rainy weather, as winter fought back the advancement of spring. Local people were still in their winter gears. Regardless of the weather condition, Dresden is still a very beautiful city with its historic center rebuilt after a controversial and devastating bombing campaign by the allies.
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| Central Dresden, Germany. |
As in my previous trips to Europe, I spent most of my time in Dresden at the customer. The thick clouds broke a few times to let the sun shined through. In spite of the cold evening temperatures, the people of Dresden sat at tables set on the plaza around the Frauenkirche to enjoy drinks and dinners outdoors.
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| Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, Germany, at cloudless sunset. |
I had hope to visit Königstein and its castle during this trip. But the weather had its own plan as it shrouded the
Festung Königstein in thick fog. Touring this locale under these conditions would not be good. So with the hope that I will have another chance later, I returned to Dresden.
The weather of Dresden calmed down enough for a visit to one of its large public park, the Großer Garten. In spite of the occasional rain drops, the park was full of people, young and old, enjoying all kinds of leisure activities.
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| Sommerpalais in Großer Garten (Great Garden), Dresden, Germany. |
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| Sommerpalais in Großer Garten (Great Garden), Dresden, Germany. |
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| The start of Spring in Dresden, Germany. |
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| Dinner in Dresden: half-portion of roasted pork knuckle in beer sauce with sauerkraut and mustard. |
After a few more days at work, I had the opportunity to go to Paris, France, to spend time with my aunt and my cousins. I was joined by my lovely wife. In spite of the colder than normal temperatures, Paris and its suburbs were filled with beautiful flowers in full bloom. The charming Jardin du Luxembourg was a joy to visit. We also went to Château de Versailles, but the huge number of visitors discouraged us from going inside. We opted to enjoy the park around it. We also visited the Avenue des Champs-Élysées as well as other touristy destinations. But most delightful was our time spent with my aunt and my cousins.
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| Tulips at the Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France. |
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| Palais du Luxembourg |
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| An elderly couple helping one another to savor a beautiful day at the Parc de Versailles. |
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| Tour Eiffel at night. |
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| Musée du Louvre, with the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the distance. |
With my heart full of delightful memory, I left Paris for work in Bucharest, as my wife returned home. The capital of Romania welcomed me with warm and pleasant weather. My first week in Bucharest was used up by work. Saturday saw me on a tour bus going around the city. On Sunday, I took the train to the city of Sinaia. The 1-hour ride was very nice and relaxing. In Sinaia, my walk from the train station to and my visit of the historic
Mănăstirea (Monastery) Sinaia and the Castelul (Castle) Peleș were very enjoyable.
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| Biserica (Basilica) Kretzulescu in Bucharest, Romania. |
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| Mănăstirea (Monastery) Sinaia. |
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| Castelul (Castle) Peleș in Sinaia, Romania. |
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| Sărmăluţe cu mămăligă, the national dish of Romania. |
My second week in Bucharest, Romania, was spent at work. As I returned home, I remained thankful for all the hard work of my coworkers to bring about this opportunity. A few more pictures are available at
https://picasaweb.google.com/108013863525571472697/130421EuropeScenic.
As always, I solicit your comments and critiques in hope of improving my photographic and blogging skills. And thank you for visiting.
Enjoy.
Paul
