World Tour: Fourth stop South of France

Activity: South of France wedding with stops at Rothschild Mansion and Monte Carlo, Monaco

Rating:  5 of 5 stars

Website: Rothschild Mansion and Monte Carlo

Description:  I was very fortunate to attend a wedding in the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France which is approximately half way between Nice and Monaco ( 20-30 minute drive from the Nice airport). The wedding guests stayed at the Hotel Royal Riviera which was walking distance to the Rothschild Mansion. Before the rehearsal dinner we walked over to see the mansion. The house itself was quite nice, but the real selling point is the garden. The garden(s) were gorgeous and included a large fountain with a water show to classical music. The entrance fee was no more than 20 Euros to be generous and I think it was worth the cost of admittance (if you can't tell from the pictures above).

On the night before the wedding we took a taxi to Monte Carlo Casino. I have been to the casino in Vegas and I have always wanted to go to the real thing. Also, Monaco counted as a country I hadn't visited and I am trying to increase the tally over 30. The casino was nice, but much smaller than I expected. I could feel the pressure trying to learn the slot machine strategy without any luck. Fortunately, my friends were luckier and came home with some extra euros.

Two thumbs up for South of France in October!

World Tour: Third stop Berlin

low:Activity: Touring Berlin- Hop on, hop off bus tour. Berlin Wall- Eastside Gallery, and Berlinische Art Gallery

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Website  Bus Tours,  East Side Gallery, and Berlinische Gallery

Description: Berlin was my favorite city in Germany. It is artistic, fun, and full of things to see. The first day we did another bus tour to make sure we hit all the major sites. We were able to see all of the below: 

Stop 1 - Tauentzienstrasse 16
Stop 2 - KaDeWe
Stop 3 - Potsdamer Platz
Stop 4 - Martin-Gropius-Bau (Mauerreste)
Stop 5 - Checkpoint Charlie
Stop 6 - Gendarmenmarkt
Stop 7 - Mühlendamm
Stop 8 - Alexanderplatz (Park Inn Hotel)
Stop 9 - Alexanderplatz (Alexa)
Stop 10 - Rotes Rathaus / Neptunbrunnen
Stop 11 - Lustgarten/Musemsinsel/Altes Museum
Stop 12 - Brandenburger Tor
Stop 13 - Hauptbahnhof (Washingtonplatz)
Stop 14 - Siegessäule (Großer Stern)

After the bus tour we went to the Eastside Gallery of the Berlin wall. This was one of my favorite sites to see all the famous murals.  

The next day was rainy and chilly so we went to a lovely brunch and then to the art museum (listed above). The museum was in the top 5 of Berlin art. There were more galleries near Checkpoint Charlie that were recommended as well.

We also wanted to go to the top of the Reichstag Building with a glass dome, but the lines for the same day were very long and advance tickets require time to process personal details. After the art museums we went to KaDeWe to shelter the rain and had some snacks at the fish and cheese bars.  For dinner we tried this Asian inspired burger place that was delicious--Shisho Burger.

Overall, Berlin is a must see city to add to the Bucket list!

World Tour: Second stop Hamburg

Activity: hop on, hop off bus tour of Hamburg

Rating 3.5 of 5 stars

Website: http://www.hamburg-travel.com/experience/events/sightseeing-tours-tours/

Description: We chose to go to Hamburg to experience a city in Germany that is not on the traditional tourist route. It is a relatively wealthy city that is on the water with canals running through parts of it. The canals are do not run throughout the city as they do in Venice, so do not expect any gondola rides.

In order to see the majority of the city on our quick trip we did a city bus tour. We also had a quest for the best Hamburger (assuming Hamburg would be the perfect location) but we were unsuccessful. Instead, I did extensive research on the best waffles and found a delicious local spot that allowed you to pick your favorite toppings and flavors! 

World Tour: First stop Munich Oktoberfest & Neuschwanstein Castle

Activity: Traveling to Munich, Germany-- Oktoberfest and Neuschwanstein Castle

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Website: Viator tours of Munich

Description: I had never been to Germany so I thought a great place to start was Munich. My friend and I were able to make it for the last day of the iconic Oktoberfest. I had always wanted to experience this tradition first hand. I knew the last day would be very busy and from internet research is was mostly for locals, so I decided to book a tour package. Typically, you can get a reservation for a time slot as long as you purchase two beers and some chicken, however reservations are hard to come by and often passed down to those that have been for many years in a row. I do recommend confirming reservations well in advance, but beware of expensive tours in the $400 range. Any tour should be less than $200 for the day all inclusive. 

The Oktoberfest tour was a full day event. First, we had a tour of the area where the guide pointed out German traditions. I did not expect Oktoberfest to include a carnival, but that is mostly for children in the day. As it gets later the men often go on rides after some beers and it can be quite a show. After the tour of the area and main tents, we arrived at our tent. The tables were very tightly packed, just as I had imagined. Water is quite expensive so I highly recommend brining your own if possible. A fun fact we learned is that waitressing for the event is a job that is handed down through lineage and a waitress in the two week period can make over 50,000 Euros!

The next tour was of the Neuschwanstein Castle. This castle was the inspiration for sleeping beauty and it lives up to the reputation. We arrived for our tour at a train station where we had tickets ready. The train took about 2 hours. When we arrived we had time to describe the options to get to the top of the castle for the tour. You could walk which is approximately 45 minutes up a paved incline, you could take a bus for 10 minutes and 1.60 Euros, or you could take a carriage ride. At the bottom of the town you could also see the Hohenschwangau Royal Castle. The tour described the elaborate decor as well as the innovation in running water at the Castle. The only let down was the sparse food selection- schnitzel/pretzel/etc. There were a couple restaurants, but the timing of the tour did not allow for a sit down meal. Overall, it was worth the trip to see the castle in person as it is more picturesque than in photos.