If there is anyone out there who still wonders if the posted answers on last weeks Travel Trivia from Ryan and Kat are correct, today is your answer: yes they are. They deserve our praise, and we are indebted to their service to this blog. Now we must change our focus and shift our attention to this weeks challenge.

Here is the image:

What is the name of this famous landmark and where is it located?

Good luck to everyone!
-Hans

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The city of Florence has a dangerous amount of art. Really, there is so much art that the city has been known to cause Stendhal syndrome in some of the people who visit there. It happens so much that the nickname for Stendhal’s syndrome is Florence syndrome. It is said to cause rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and even hallucinations amongst other things when a person is exposed to a large amount of beautiful art. Seriously, the city is so beautiful, that while your body may be walking around, your mind will expand into a colorful wonderland you never knew existed, kind of like being at a Grateful Dead show.

Florence has long been referred to as the “cradle of Renaissance” due to the number of its amazingly beautiful monuments, statues, and architecture. The most popular destination and most well known site in Florence is by far the Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as The Duomo. To be quite fair, the Duomo is far too beautiful for me to even begin to describe. Feel free to look it up, and try to imagine being there. It’s overwhelming, and that is only one of the many beautiful buildings in the city.

The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of the city of Florence, and is another building that will impress. There is a perfect replica of Michelangelo’s David in the front of the building. After checking out that, you can head on over the Academia Gallery and see the real thing! Also don’t forget to walk across the Ponte Vecchio which is an old bridge. The most incredible thing about the Ponte Vecchio is the stores that are built on its edges. They are held up over the river Arno by some very well designed stilts. It’s quite a sight.

Florence is a centrally located city. This is great, because once you’ve had your fill of the city, you can take advantage of the area with a rental car in Florence. In just an hour and a half drive, you may find yourself relaxing on a beach on the Adriatic Sea, near the city of Livorno. Maybe you will head south and find yourself cruising in a sailboat on Lake Trasimeno. Whatever you decide to do while on vacation, you can always see more with a car rental in Italy!

I could tell you more about Florence, but I’m beginning to get dizzy, so I must digress.

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It’s that time of the week again, and congratulations are in order not only to the Phillies, but more importantly to Damien, Robert, Kat and Ryan for knowing the answer to last weeks travel trivia.  The correct answer was the Neues Rathaus (or Glockenspiel tower) in Munich, with the Fraunkirche in the background.  Extra credit to Robert for knowing that the photo was taken from the Marienplatz!

This week’s question relates to the photo below:

What is the name of this famous Bavarian castle, and where is it located?

Best of luck to everyone and lets keep those guesses coming. Again, I won’t post any answers till Friday afternoon. Good Luck
-Hans Ericsson

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One of my favorite German cities is Stuttgart. Less than an hour from the Black Forest, vineyards once lined the entire lush valley where the city now lays, and some still function today. Fantastic castles and palaces still fill the area, and many are open to tour for your enjoyment and educational purposes. While in the Stuttgart region the sheer Gothic beauty of the city will entice you to take walks, cycle tours and boat trips up and down the Neckar River.

Fans of driving, history, automobiles, and engineering will love the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums. At both of these places visitors are treated on a chronological journey through time, all the way up to the cars of tomorrow. This pair of German car museums is a must see for car buffs.

Stuttgart is also home to the very unique Wilhelma Zoological and Botanical Garden. It is without a doubt, one of the finest gardens in the world, and you will want to make a day of it. Built from 1842 – 1853, the Wilhelma Gardens feature around 9,000 animals of almost 1,000 species, an aquarium with crocodile hall as well as a beautiful coral fish collection. There is also a monkey house, some wacky fun bears, and a petting zoo! Around 2 million people visit each year, making it a must see for any tourist. It’s so big; you will want to bring your GPS rental with you to navigate around!

Take your rental car in Stuttgart over to the Fernsehenturm, a giant television antenna. It has a delightful observation deck where viewers can snap photos of the entire city. It is open to the public and runs nearly all day. The Fernsehenturm is a pretty fun destination for those who are unafraid of heights. The reception should be pretty good too!

Right now however, the number one best reason to be in Stuttgart is the Christmas Fair. The Christmas Fair begins the second week of November, and runs through Christmas. Each year, the event attracts around 3.5 million visitors, who come to gaze at the cities beautiful decorations, peruse the 200 vendor stands selling various trinkets and homemade crafts, as well fill up on as delicious Christmas culinary delights. The Christmas Fair has been a world class festive celebration, since at least 1692, and the city keeps tradition alive and well during the season each and every year.

A car rental in Stuttgart is a great way to get around, and see all that this marvelous city has to offer. Don’t forget to check out the Opera House!

For more about what’s happening in Germany, check out our events calendar. If you have a suggestion on something I missed, please leave a comment!

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Congratulations Patty!  You had the correct answer to last weeks Travel Trivia.  Robert the Bruce allegedly brought the Blarney Stone over to Ireland from Scotland.  And yes Patty, my pumpkin gabs with the best of them over pints of ale!  Now, on to this weeks photo.

The building with the large tower in this photo has over 400 rooms.

Q. What city was this photo taken in, and what is the name of the building?
Bonus: What are the towers in the background with the green tops?

Good luck to everyone!
-Hans

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Wembley Stadium is an English institution. It ranks as one of the largest stadiums in the world, and is home to the England national soccer team. Recently rebuilt, Wembley has 90,000 covered seats, and can hold over 130,000 for concerts. Wembley has showcased many major events and concerts throughout its prestigious history. This tradition continues this Sunday, when the San Diego Chargers meet the New Orleans Saints in front of English fans at Wembley Stadium.

There has only been one regular season NFL game in the UK, which was held last year and featured the New York Giants versus the Miami Dolphins. There were many concerns going into the first NFL game on English soil. Would English fans be able to warm up to American football? Would the pace be to slow for a crowd used to watching soccer? Would anyone show up? Well, as anyone who was there will tell you, it was a great success. The first block of 40,000 tickets for the game sold-out in just 90 minutes. The second and third blocks of tickets went just as fast, and it was clear getting people into the stadium would not be a problem.

Truckloads of merchandise were brought in and jerseys from every team were purchased by fans. Images of the crowd showed all NFL teams represented. “God Save the Queen”, the British national anthem was played before the game, as that is the tradition in England. English fans don’t just sing along, they belt it out at the top of their lungs, something you don’t normally see in the US. It is quite intense, and the roar of the crowd must get every player ready. By kick off, it was clear that these fans were ready for some (American) football. Even though the weather was a cold wet drizzle, they stuck in there, cheering whenever possible. Granted, not all the cheering was at the proper moments (all punts got huge ovations, regardless of circumstance), but the spirit of the NFL was alive and well in these English fans. Overall, it was a complete success, despite the fact that the rain had turned the field into a slippery mud bowl.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodel has publicly discussed the idea of possibly holding the Super Bowl at Wembley Stadium. There is also talk of extending the NFL season by one game, specifically for international play. This would be a treat for fans in Europe, as well as the die hards; who would make the trip across the pond, body paint and all. Given the state of things now, the travel industry would be more than willing to accommodate a few extra passengers.

Major cities that could potentially host games include: Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Edinburgh Barcelona, Berlin, Frankfurt, London, Paris and Dublin just to name a few. Where in Europe would you like to see your favorite NFL team play?

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I don’t know who Damien or Todd are, but congratulations on knowing the answer to last weeks travel trivia. Everyone else had good guesses, but the building is Saint Basil’s Cathedral in the Red Square.

In the spirit of Halloween, we are going to take a break from our traditional trivia, and present you with something a little different.

The photo featured below is an illuminated carved pumpkin (fashioned by yours truly), which has a nickname you are probably familiar with. The nickname comes from a country in Europe that has a famous castle, with an even more famous stone.

Q. Who brought said stone to this famous castle?

Any questions? Good luck!
-Hans

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Congratulations to Kat for getting the last weeks travel trivia question.  The correct answer was Kensington Gardens in London (which does lie to the next to Hyde Park).  Ryan’s second guess was also correct.  Here’s another easy one, so I will wait to publish the correct answers until next week.

What is the name and location of the building, and the colorful city center in the photo above?

Good luck!

-H

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Nice job Damien and Ryan for knowing last weeks Travel Trivia! The correct answer was The Staatstheater (Stuttgart National Theater), known locally as the Grosses Haus.

This weeks travel trivia is below, and it’s pretty easy, so there won’t be a hint!

What is the name and location of the image pictured above?

Good Luck!
-Hans Ericsson

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It rained last weekend. It was pouring harder than a Boston based bartender on St. Patrick’s Day, and the clouds showed no sign of letting up. Tired of being trapped inside, I braved my way to a local brewpub here in Portland, Maine. I was working on my second pint of ale, when a strong gust of wind tore through the establishment. The air was cold, as was the hand I felt placed on my shoulder. When I turned from my seat, I saw that it was my old longtime traveling companion W. Phillips. I smiled as I greeted him.
      “Hurrah, Phillips, what brings you here?”
      “Hans Ericsson, you are a scoundrel!” His glare was piercing; like a needle through teenage earlobe at the mall.
      “Scoundrel?” I thought of the many things I have done to warrant such a name. “I should think that I do my best to avoid such a title.  What reason have you for such obscenities?”
      ”I’ve been reading your blog, and in all your writings, you have never once mentioned my homeland, her royal majesties country of England!” With that he fled through the door and into the night.
      I was left dumbfounded. How could I have missed such an opportunity to write about one of my favorite destinations? I could write all day about the UK, but I have narrowed down this entry to the top 5 places I would recommend visiting. In no particular order I present to you my favorite cities in the UK.

If you go to the UK, you must see London. There’s no reason not to. You’re most likely flying into Heathrow, so stay a couple of days and walk around a bit. The public transportation is ample, but it can get crowded, so you may want to think about a car rental in London if you are leaving the city limits. If not, grab your umbrella and see famous sights such as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London. London is also hosting the Olympic Games in 2012, so the city is already preparing, by cleaning the streets and painting old buildings, as well as updating transportation. If you are a fan of American football, you can see the San Diego Chargers take on the New Orleans Saints at the world famous Wembley Stadium on October 26th. Let’s face it; you don’t need convincing to come to London. It’s a world class city with world class people, and you will find whatever you need in this global epicenter.

A car rental in Birmingham is a good Idea, as the city has so much to offer. For fans of art, there are many galleries to keep you busy all day, museums showcasing the some of England’s finest artists, sculptures, and historical landmarks. Birmingham has over 8,000 acres of parkland, which you will find ample space for picnics, walks or just general relaxation. For eating, the city is home to many restaurants, pubs and bars. This goes hand in hand with the music scene. After dinner you have a large variety of places to go for entertainment, and there is lot’s of it. Although Birmingham is considered the birthplace of heavy metal, the city has very active jazz, rock, blues, and hip hop music scenes. Did I mention the money that the city has spent revamping old theaters and stages for classical music, ballets, and operas? Without a doubt, Birmingham is worthy of praise and thanks, for putting so much effort into the music and art scene.

Manchester is a very fun place to visit. There is a lot to do for many kinds of people, but it has a smaller feel to it. It kind of reminds me of Boston in this respect.  A car rental in Manchester can get you to where you need to be. A great sports city, you are lucky if you can get a ticket to any of the major sporting events held there as the fans are die hard. The Manchester Evening News Arena is the busiest indoor arena in the world, so there is no shortage of international music acts. There are many restaurants, pubs and bars (which I notice is a common theme in England). During the day, Manchester has several museums worth seeing, as well as scattered parks throughout the city.

Edinburgh attracts a million tourists per year, and it really is not hard to understand why. No place really blends ancient culture with modern culture like Edinburgh. For example, you can go to a club for live music, in a castle that is over 500 years old. It’s a pretty neat experience. Nearby Arthur’s Seat offers a great place to relax while viewing the city. Fantastic food is available everywhere, and there are (surprise) ample pubs to keep you jolly. You can check out Scottish parliament, the building not the funk tribute, or have a nice walk on the Water of Leith, and enjoy the sound of the rushing river. It’s hard to describe the magic that makes me love this city.  A rental car in Edinburgh is a great way to see more of what the area has to offer.

Glasgow will welcome you, and you will like it. How could you not like a city that keeps an orange traffic cone on the head of the statue of the Duke of Wellington? Glasgow is home to many museums, theaters, restaurants, pubs and bars, but this city seems to have a sense of humor that I haven’t found anywhere else in the UK. The light hearted spirit of the individuals who make up this cities population make this destination one of my favorite in the UK. The architecture of the city is impressive. Buildings like the Armadillo, Buchanan Street, Clyde Arch and the Mitchell Library are just some of the examples of structures that make this city unique.

A car rental in the UK will help you get to all of these cities, and give you the freedom you deserve to see more of the sights.

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