European_Travels

Drone footage over Lucca, Italy

I made a short video of some of my favorite pizzas that I have had.

This is my video from Leonid and Friends first visit to the States. The show was at the Granada Theater in Dallas, Texas on January 20, 2019. Leonid & Friends, comprised of 11 of the finest musicians in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus, haven't seen Chicago perform live, yet replicates the band’s complex arrangements amazingly note for note. Hope you enjoy the video and hopefully they will be back soon.

This is Day 6 of my Italy and Switzerland vacation from 2019.

This is day 3 of my Swiss vacation from September 2018. I had spent the last 2 nights in Zermatt, but on this morning after another incredible breakfast buffet at the Parkhotel Beau Site it was time for me to pack-up and head to the train station to catch the famous "Glacier Express". Before I leave the Parkhotel Beau Site I took some photos of my room and some of the common areas. It is a great hotel that has everything you could want plus an incredible view of the Matterhorn (when clouds don't ruin videw). Some how I managed to book a classic single room for 2 nights for only CHF $214 on Booking.com. That in my opinion is a great deal. As you can see in my photos, I have a very large room with a tub and a shower. I did not have a chance to use the pool or hot tubs but they looked very inviting. There are no regular vehicles in Zermatt, all vehicles are electric so everyone pretty much walks or rides bikes to get around. I found it to be a very walkable town. I am looking forward to returning to Zermatt and I hope to stay at Parkhotel Beau Site again. Now I am off to catch the "Glacier Express" to head out across Switzerland on the world's slowest "express" train. When I was around 12 years old I caught a special on public television that featured the Glacier Express and after watching that special I thought that maybe someday I will ride that train, this is the day I get to ride it!!! Typically the Glacier Express travels between Zermatt and St Moritz, 2 of Switzerland's famous ski resort towns. I will only be taking the Glacier Express to Filisur, which is my next destination. Filisur is next to one of the major accomplishments connected to this railroad, the Landwasser Viaduct. The Landwasser Viaduct is a arched-bridge crossing a valley and then going directly into the face of a mountain. This bridge is over 100 years old. Hope you enjoy the video and thank you for taking time to watch it. Please like and share and feel free to ask questions or leave comments below. Thank you, Steve

This is Day 3 of my Italy and Switzerland vacation from 2019

Drone footage over Lucca, Italy. I flew my DJI Mavic over Lucca, Italy. I keep getting interference issues.

This is Day 7 of my Italy and Switzerland vacation from 2019.

I planned a trip to Switzerland to ride the 4 major scenic trains in the middle of winter, hoping for some amazing snowfalls. Hope you enjoy my trip almost as much as I did taking it.

2nd half of the Gotthard Panorama Express. Steamship from Fluelen to Lucerne, Switzerland

This is Day 1 of my Italy and Switzerland vacation from 2019

This is day 4 of my vacation to Switzerland in 2018. Started my morning off with a nice simple, filling breakfast at Hotel Rätia in Filisur, Switzerland. After breakfast I took the train past Bergün to Preda where I started my hike back to Bergün. The Albula railway trail from Preda to Bergün is about 7 km long and is considered moderate difficulty. They estimate 2 hrs 15 min to hike, it took me longer due to watching the trains. This trail follows the Rhaetian Railway where you will see the Red Swiss trains weaving through the amazing landscape. Along the trail they have placed information boards talking about some of history and the amazing engineering involved in building this railway thru this valley including the spirals inside of the mountains that allow the trains to gain height before reaching the Albula tunnel near Preda. You will also see some amazing bridges throughout this valley. After reaching Bergün I stopped at a local cafe for a little bite before catching the train back to Filisur. I understand there is a nice railroad museum at the train station in Bergün and you can also continue the hike all the way back to Filisur, they claim it is another 3 hrs, I might try this next time. After arriving back in Filisur, I did not have anything else planned and the day was extra nice so made the hike down to the base of the Landwasser Viaduct. On the previous day I saw a cut-off from the main trail that takes you across a cow pasture and on to the base, so I headed out. It was a good walk and getting to the base of this old landmark was incredible. I spent a little time wondering around and watched a couple trains cross before heading back to Filisur for dinner. Filisur is a very small town and the hotel is very small, but the service is great. The hosts are very attentive, and I believe with it being very close to the train station (5 min walk) this is a good base location for the local hikes. They have an indoor dining area, but I am thinking everyone pretty much enjoys having dinner on the terrace and staring at the mountains, I know I did. Tonight, I had a couple bottles of ice-cold water and a pizza. It seems that a large group of regulars stopped in for dinner tonight. I eventually headed up to my room thinking about hikes I made today and about my next day’s journey on the "Berninia Express". Hope you enjoy the video!!! Please subscribe and give me a rumble!!! I am starting a Patreon page to try and get a bigger following. Any questions or comments? Leave them in the comment section below and I will try and answer them. Thank you, Steve

Leonid & Friends made a stop at The Orleans on August 9th, 2019 in Las Vegas on their second North American tour.

This is Day 8 of my Italy and Switzerland vacation from 2019.

Bernina Express day today, but first breakfast and packing before leaving Hotel Rätia and Filisur. I wanted to experience a entire route of the Bernina Express so I chose to take a short train ride to Davos, where the Bernina Express originates. The Bernina Express travels between Chur (or Davos) to Tirano (Italy). I got lucky on this day due to the excellent weather. Apparently on days that have nice weather Rhaetian Railway will add an open-air car to the end of the train. Once the conductor checks your ticket then you are welcome to ride in the open-air car except in the the Albula tunnel. The Bernina Express is a good compliment to the Glacier Express, they both have great scenery, and the trains are very nice with large picture windows. One of the main landmarks of the Bernina Express is the spiral Brusio Viaduct where the train crosses under itself to change elevation before crossing the Italian border and arrival at Tirano, Italy. During the warmer months, the Bernina Express offers a bus service to complete the journey from Tirano, Italy to Lugano, Switzerland. I reserved and purchased my bus ticket as soon as I could and ended up reserving the front seat on the aisle thinking I would have a good view outside the front windshield, like what the driver sees. After placing my bags underneath the bus, I stood by the door talking with one of the other riders thinking no worries, I have the front seat. When the bus was loaded, I decided to get on and to my surprise that there was a husband and wife seating on the front seat. The man in broken English asked if I would switch seats with him due to his wife being claustrophobic and unable to seat in the seats, they purchased...feeling bad I agreed and made my way to the back of the bus where I could not see a thing. Totally ruined my experience but I guess I am glad I was able to help the couple. Now I must go back and do the trip again. Lugano was way different then what I was expecting with the humid air and palm trees, hard to believe I was in Switzerland. Another thing I learn was that Lugano basically is on 2 levels, the train station is on the upper level and the waterfront is on the lower level (of course). I typically chose a hotel near the train station, so I am not dragging my suitcase all over town or on public transportation. The Continental Parkhotel was a perfect choice. You walk to the end of the train platform and then across the parking lot right to the front door of the hotel. This hotel was built in stages between 1870 and 1906 and then sold in 1912 to Josef Fassbind where it still remains in the Fassbind family and it went through total renovation in 2006 and 2010. I call the look Art Deco, but I am no architectural expert, it has a old feel and look but everything is very well taken care of and clean. It was a pleasure to stay and the breakfast buffet is incredible. After checking in to the hotel I took the Funicular down to the lower part of town and walked over to the Parco Ciani, lakefront park with gardens and views. After strolling through the park I found a nice place for dinner and then made my way back to the hotel, I realized how nice the Funicular is when I tried returning and finding it was down for cleaning and I had to climb the stairs. Every day on vacation is a busy day and this was no exception. Hope you enjoy the video!!! Please subscribe and give me a rumble!!! I am starting a Patreon page to try and get a bigger following. Any questions or comments? Leave them in the comment section below and I will try and answer them. Thank you, Steve

Mixing board that allows you to play with the "mix" on a couple of Queen songs.

I created a video from my Switzerland 2018 vacation. I flew in and out of Zurich and enjoyed taking various scenic train trips across Switzerland.

Good Morning Lugano!!! The Continental Parkhotel is another great hotel with a great breakfast buffet. I like a good breakfast buffet and it is nice when you have a long day of walking to do. After filling up at the buffet, I ventured out to see the sights in Lugano. This another city that has a great waterfront promenade walkway. You can find people strolling down it, roller blading down it, biking or jogging. The locals seem to like, and I very much understand why. It also is a good place to camp out on a bench and just watch the people. I made my way down to a boat dock and decided to take a boat ride around Lake Lugano. The weather was not very good and actually started sprinkling while I was out on the boat. I am guessing I rode the boat for about 2 hours going to all the docks in the area and then when we got back to the dock I started at I went ahead and got off and headed over to the San Salvatore Funicular. I rode the funicular up to the summit and had lunch and enjoyed the view even though the weather again was not working with me. After my San Salvatore visit, I did the long stroll back to main square with all the shops and did some window shopping. Later in the day I went to the Lugano casino and tried my luck but did not win anything. With it getting late I decided to find a late-night dinner and then headed back to my hotel and call it a night. Hope you enjoy the video!!! Please subscribe and give me a rumble!!! I am starting a Patreon page to try and get a bigger following. Any questions or comments? Leave them in the comment section below and I will try and answer them. Thank you, Steve

Old video I found on my phone

This is Day 2 of my Italian vacation from 2018. Early Morning pick-up for a Hotel Minerva recommended tour. Tour company picked me up at my hotel and took me to the boat dock where I boarded my waiting boat for the trip out to the Isle of Capri. After circling the island and being shown some incredible sights we were dropped off in Capri's main harbor. I spent several hours touring the Island before returning to the boat and returning to the mainland. After being dropped off at my hotel I stayed nearby until time for dinner where I was again treated to another amazing view of Sorrento with another incredible dinner at Hotel Minerva.

This is Day 5 of my Italy and Switzerland vacation from 2019

This is Day 1 of my Swiss vacation from September of 2018.

This is a video of my trip to Italy and Switzerland in 2019.

Last full day in Switzerland, leaving Lugano on the "Gotthard Panorama Express" heading for Lucerne. I am going to go down and have another great breakfast here at the Continental Parkhotel and then pack for the trip to Lucerne. After breakfast I had a little time to go and explore the Continental Parkhotel grounds a little more. I wish I had a couple more days here where I could just kick back and relax, but it is time to head to the train station. First part of this trip is taking another scenic train from Lugano to Flüelen and transferring to a restore steam paddleboat for the rest of the journey to Lucerne. The steam ship was originally built in 1901 and I believe it was restored in 1998. The ship looks amazing and with the open observation area to watch the engine run was truly fascinating. The ship glided across the turquoise water so peacefully. We made several stops along the way, but I had no worries because the beautiful scenery had my full attention. We finally made it to Lucerne where I exited the boat and made my way directly to the Old Town area of Lucerne so that I could check into Boutique Hotel Weisses Kreuz. I made impromptu plans to meet a friend at restaurant near Berneck for dinner. I had to take a couple trains and a bus to get there and eat and then get back and still get some rest for an early morning flight home from Zurich. My final full day in Europe for this trip sure was a busy day. I was a little disappointed with my hotel's air conditioning, it was warm and the area the hotel is in does not allow them to make the modifications to add air conditioning to the building. They supplied a portable unit that really did not do much because the vent hose needs to blow out the window, but the window opened from the top. More air was leaving the room than what was coming in. Miserable night’s sleep. After only a couple hours of sleep I got up and grabbed my suitcase and headed for the train station again. I believe I was on the first train to Zurich International Airport for my return flight home. Great trip!!! Hope you enjoy the video!!! Please subscribe and give me a rumble!!! I am starting a Patreon page to try and get a bigger following. Any questions or comments? Leave them in the comment section below and I will try and answer them. Thank you, Steve

This is Day 2 of my 2018 trip to Switzerland. I arrived in Zermatt the previous day after a long flight and a nice little train ride. I checked in to the Parkhotel Beau Site and then set out to explore the resort town of Zermatt. On this day I am venturing out further, taking multiple lifts to get to the summit of Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. After spending some time up there I came back down to Zermatt then rode the Gornergrat Railroad to the summit of Gornergrat. It was a great day with the exception of the clouds. The clouds can really ruin a day of site-seeing if you like to see mountains. The Parkhotel Beau Site is an amazing hotel, I included some photos of my room and common areas on the day 3 video. I also very much enjoyed and encourage going up to the mountain tops. One of the things I would do when I return is to hike down from the Gornergrat summit. I have read a pretty good review of someone's experience on the hike. Hope you enjoy the video and Thank you for watching. If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comments. Like and subscribe Thank you, Steve