Summertime brings traveling and vacations, which remind me of that old song with the lyrics, “Far away places with strange sounding names.” So, I asked my neighbor, Barbara Jeffers, professional tour manager, retired, to join in reminiscing about visits overseas. She traveled the world for 16 years, 260 tours.
Barbara said her favorite tour was of the Alpine countries of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and a bit of Italy’s Lake District. “From Frankfort, Germany, we embarked on the famous ‘Romantic Road’ through the countryside to the Alps. It was a trade route through the Danube Valley during the middle ages and retains its medieval character of walled towns with arched gateways, gothic cathedrals and fairytale castles like Neuschwanstein,” Barbara explained.
“Attractions in the city of Munich included the famous Hofbrauhaus brewery and Marienplatz (square) where crowds were amused by the Glockenspeil clock’s chimes and re-enactments of stories from the 16th century with life sized figures. Our sightseeing included museums and the Nymphenburg Palace, former home of Bavarian rulers,” she said.
“We visited Salzburg, Austria, birthplace of Mozart, where the movie ‘Sound of Music’ was filmed. Salzburg sightseeing included the Mirabell Gardens, St. Peter’s Church, Domplatz (cathedral), and Salzkammergut (Lakeland). Next was the lovely, historic Vienna on the beautiful blue Danube River, the city world famous for its classical music, art, and architecture. Its three imperial palaces, Belvedere, Hofburg, and Schoenbrunn, housed rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for centuries. Other landmarks visited in Salzburg were the Johann Strauss Monument, St. Stephens Cathedral, and the State Opera House. Interestingly, our local tour guide was named Maria Theresa. [Editors note: The original Maria Theresa was the ruler of the Hapsburg empire, including Austria, from 1740 until 1780. She is still revered my many Austrians.]
“We drove across the Semmering Pass in the Alps into Carinthia Province to Austria’s second largest city, Villach. After cruising famous Lake Worth we continued to Innsbruck and through the Brenner Pass along the border between Italy and Austria. Innsbruck, the old provincial capital of Tyrol, has twice hosted winter Olympic Games, 1964 and 1976. The spectacular scenery of the Brenner Pass includes cattle summer grazing on high Alpine pastures,” Barbara said. “We had a carriage ride to Roseg Glacier.”
The tour passed the majestic Italian Dolomites and through the Iselseberg Pass to Lienz, Lugano, Lake Misurina and Lake Como. “In Switzerland, we boarded a train to rustic Zermatt, at the foot of the great Matterhorn Mountain. The Swiss picture perfect town of Pontregina, near St. Moritz, was the setting of the “Heidi” movie and TV story,” Barbara explained. The trip’s final stage back to Frankfort was through the Rhone Valley, Lake Geneva, Berne, Interlaken, Rhine Falls, the Black Forest, and Heidelberg, the setting for the famous “Student Prince” movie.
Sunset on Manila Bay in the Philippines has been the most spectacular scene of the heavens I’ve witnessed. While working late on military business at the U. S. Embassy on the brink of the bay, I saw the golden glow of the setting sun transform colorfully against the darkening sky and the sea. When night falls, the broad Roxas Boulevard that runs along the shoreline past the embassy glitters from the lights of countless casinos, restaurants, nightclubs, and hotels. Makati, the financial district across town, has upscale restaurants, fashionable stores, luxurious hotels, high rise buildings, and cavernous malls.
The Philippines is a scenic, tropical country rimmed with bays, soft beaches, quaint villages, and swaying bamboos in the countryside. It has 7,100 islands and hundreds of natural wonders. Metropolitan Manila, the capital, consists of 14 cities and three municipalities with a population of more than 11.5 million. My two year military advisory tour was in Quezon City in Manila Metro. All U. S. bases in the Philippines have been closed, according to a Filipino business associate living in Manila. The popular, flamboyantly decorated Jeepneys continue carrying passengers.
It’s interesting to explore the old walled city of Intramuros, the seat of government for centuries. Construction of Intramuros was begun by the Spanish in 1571. It was almost destroyed by WW II bombing, but has been partially restored making it one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Metro Manila. Starbucks and McDonalds thrive inside its walls, according to my contact. The many landmarks of Metro Manila include Malacanang Palace, residence of the Philippine president; The University of Santa Tomas, centuries old, and a concentration camp during WW II; San Agustin Church inside Intramuros with an 18th century pipe organ. Horse carriages, called “kalesas,” are available inside Intramuros.
The popular Rizal Park (formerly Luneta Park) just outside Intramurous offers a magnificent view of Manila Bay. You’ve never been to Manila if you don’t bring home a picture of you in Rizal Park, according to my contact. The park was renamed in honor of Dr. Jose Rizal, national hero of the Philippines. The park is the largest in South East Asia at 143-acres. Every Sunday a free concert is held in the park’s open air auditorium, my contact says. Rizal Park in Manila seemed comparable to Central Park in New York City. My family enjoyed our tour in the Philippines, especially the sightseeing, and we had a photo taken in Rizal Park. We also sailed across Manila Bay to Corregidor Island one weekend, but that’s another story.
The most exotic city I’ve visited was Bangkok, Thailand. It was fascinating to see the vast array of Buddhist temples, monks in saffron robes, snake-handlers toying with cobras on the street, and elephants performing tricks not in a zoo or circus. Also, snake farms in the area have shows featuring cobras, banded kraits and other different species of serpents. One handler held a pit viper with his teeth. Spectators were invited to have a python draped over them for a small donation. Not I. Elephant shows were held in small parks or zoo like settings with poor conditions sometimes. The tricks varied but usually included walking on three legs, standing on two legs, dancing, elephant massage, walking over elephant handlers and sitting down. Further I saw the abject poverty of the natives living on the banks of Bangkok’s main river during a cruise to the Grand Palace. My sightseeing included the famous temple of Wat Pho and the huge reclining Buddha.
The U. S. Embassy flight we boarded at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines for Bangkok stopped in Saigon at Tan Son Nhut air base for an embassy delivery and to let off American contractors as the Vietnam War was winding down. I had served a year in Vietnam and wanted to deplane for a brief period, which the pilot permitted. My late wife said, “No way,” so we stayed aboard,
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Hayden Evans
W. Hayden Evans is a journalist, author and free-lance writer, a retired U.S. Army officer and a former banker who lives in Clinton. He currently serves as Director of Public Relations/Communications for Temp Systems, Inc. and TSI Industrial, Inc. In addition to his many other activities (such as Tennessee Mountain Writers - of which he is one of the founding members) Hayden has been an active supporter and member of the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce for decades - and also a member of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. |
Hayden Evans
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