Family Eurotrip!

This posting was long overdue on my part, but luckily Mesh was nice enough to write down some memorable moments from our family eurotrip in may. The memories were so great and she was able to capture them so well in this email summary she sent me i figured i would post it….Thanks mesh!

EURO TRIP JOURNAL- 5/07

TUESDAY
- Wake up, 5am.. Mehri then Answering service
- 7:40am departure, breakfast: Bagel. Breakfast again on the plain- Newark: 1 hr delay
o 4 boys with PSP- 3 white, 1 pink. “Mike” contact irritation- keeps playing. Asks “David” if HE has drops- drops contact on floor. No backpack.
- Flight to Frankfurt: movie, video games, music, dinner, tried to sleep, no seats

WEDNESDAY
- Arrive Frankfurt - White hanging seats in airport
- “You can’t bring luggage here”- waitress in restaurant in airport
- Train to Hamburg. Reserved seats- at table
- Meet David at McDonalds, with chicken in a bag- Hauponhof
- Dinner: Rice, chicken stir fry, tea
- Walk- Sternschanze, riot, gelato
- SLEEP

THURSDAY
- RAIN
- Mom and Ramesh with David on train to work. Tried to exchange travelers checks/ dollars to Euros- unable-
- Bakery smells amazing!
- Dad ASLEEP
- Walk around- Find tour
- Lunch with David @ Italian Restaurant. Tap water?
- Double decker tour- private- harbor- 10 Euro returned to family
- Spices museum- Saffron- Persian/ Afghan rug
- XING- David’s German has improved since internship
- Harbor again. “We are almost there” Boat. Stairs. I’m looking for a special place. Turkish. Afghan. Turkish. Yum!

FRIDAY
- David work
- City Hall- LA reporter/ photographer- Rainydaytraveler.com- Golosangeles.about.com
- Brunch buffet- with a view- Shopping- Hair salon- Persian family
- Jochen made us dinner- Salmon trout- garlic-sabzi. Salad/ yogurt dressing. Potato. White asparagus. Stories. Stories.
- St. Pauli… Reeperbahn!

SATURDAY
- Depart Hamburg- waited until 11am for David and mom to come home. Only to learn that the car they wanted (Audi wagon- automatic) which can not be taken anywhere we want to go.
- Tom/tom … Navi… Khanoom Koocheek “Please observe the speed limit”, “Continue until further instructions”
- Bird vs windshield, windshield wins. David is a traumatized.
- Feri’s house- Persian store- is this carbonated? Let me check
- Konigs Alle- Champs de’lysse of Germany
- Pari’s brother- Ali- airport security
- Dinner- Sabzi- Bademjoon

SUNDAY
- Mothers Day
- Breakfast with Feri (Goly) and Mahmood
- Drive to Frankfurt to pick up Mike from airport. Changed car. Immediately before changing car: CLEAN car! spill cookies everywhere, clea AGAIN. Possible Tom-Tom not working.
- Festival of tall buildings,  street fair and sausuges!- Champagne with Vertu phones… $76,000
- Café- croissant sandwich/ tuna salad
- Goethe museum
- Drive to Munich
- Intern working at hotel
- Mom, Ramesh, Mike Falafel, Dave asleep - Tight Hotel

MONDAY
- Mom and Mike out to get bread, feta, tomato, muffins
- David and Ramesh tried to go to gym… non- existent
- English Garden- “Azizam!”
- Town Hall, fruit stand, city hall,. david cant resist fruit he is allergic to.
- Turkey, cheese sandwich, paprika Pringles, yogurt
- Drive toward Munich concentration camp- closed (Monday)- walked around- saw church. Went to other side—Entrance to camp
- Drive to Salzberg (Austria)- BEAUTIFUL drive- happened upon Ferrari show- pulled in- we thought it was a hotel…. or wedding?!
- Begin hotel search…- Found hotel. Room across from spa.
- Spa, steam room, sauna, relaxation room
- Pizza 12am

TUESDAY
- Organic breakfast buffet
- Sound of Music Tour bus o Chocolate banana cake o Strudel o Chocolate o Dad’s soup, with noodles al dente
- Bought sugar pourer/ Ramin’s keychain
- Church where Sound of Music was filmed
- Gazebo- closed because 80 year old woman broke her hip jumping from bench to bench
- Walked in rain- saw fountain from Sound of Music
- Mozart’s birth house
- Drum Festival
- Crazy Monkey for dinner
- Mike and Dave looked for Brewery (Monk) walked around

WEDNESDAY
- Organic Breakfast- Fresh OJ o Ricotta cheese croissant o Croissant Hot/ fresh out of oven!- Daf- left at hotel
- Festung Hitensalzberg - Fortress- Ramesh, Mike, Dave walked up stairs- Mom/ Dad took the train o 600 year construction
- Lunch at Indigo o Beef Curry o Tuna fish sushi o Spinach and feta/ Tomato mozzarella
- Modern Art exhibit (Ramesh, Mike, Dave) 9/11 exhibit
- Grocery shopping
- Drive to Vienna - Search for hotel… Congress/ club o Nh 2 rooms- OLD croissant 
- Park by Persian/French/ Italian embassy

THURSDAY
- Sun/ rain
- Police gave directions to Hopshlong (sp?) Palace— Schönbrun summer palace
- Call Jamshid- plan to meet for dinner
- Lunch (best of trip!)
- Dessert/drinks
- Gardens
- Appel Strudel show o Ramesh graduated!
- Train to Jamshid and Jewyandeh o Burned church- Jamshid found us hotel o 3 children?!
- Dinner at Kosher restaurant
- Ramesh, Mike, Dave back to embassy to pick up car- gelato on the way (David- “greatest Nougat ever”, Ramesh- raspberry)

FRIDAY
- Sunny!
- Breakfast buffet- left car in garage
- Hapsburg Art Collection o KISS by Klimt o Judah
- Belvedere- good view o Maria Teresa – 16 children - Garden
- Falafel- outside- Turkish owner
- Gelato
- Drive to Bratislava, Slovakia
- Hotel search  o No TV , 1st floor, no thank you
- Radisson - No dinner
- Mike and David casino- tripled $, saw fight,  hotel concierge offered drugs and women

SATURDAY

- Sunny!
- Breakfast outside
- Walked around- statues o Man at work
- Dad played $700 violin
- Mike, David, Dad took nap on park bench
- Mom and Ramesh bought lunch
- Boat ride/ lunch o River
- Bad Gelato 
- Mike/ Dad played chess- life size board
- Drive to Prague
- HOT restaurant

SUNDAY

- Breakfast at Café Liberty o Panini o Eggs o Crepes
- Jewish quarters o Spanish o Pincus (mom got lost here!) o Cemetery o Burial ceremony o Jewish traditions
- “Best chocolate ice cream in Prague”
- Ramesh, Michael, David- walked- pizza, chocolate
- Roohi, Mansoor- supermarket o Orange, cucumber, melon.  No weight… no purchase!
- Dad- Chinese to-go
- Mike/ Dave- appetizer
- Ramesh/ Roohi- Walked.. Italian dinner.. table next to us
- Mike/ Dave- Pizza—home @ 12am

MONDAY
- breakfast- pizza
- Persian mom with daughter from Irvine
- Gift shopping
- Drive to Frankfurt
- Depart 3pm
- Achieve global conversation… o Think beyond the moment o Lead by example o Focus on the issue, not the person o Maintain the confidence and esteem of those around you o Achievement o Order o Power o Recognition

TUESDAY
- Depart for home - luggage incident…