I tried this spot on S Washington Ave on Wednesday at lunch after swimming at the beach at Cape Canaveral NP because I awoke so early from jet lag and had a rental car for the day. Sand mites chased me away though. I also drove to stop 13 that they say has nudists. Yeah they do. Franks and beans! I had a fried bay scallop basket with fries for $13. I know it was just frozen food fried up, but, it was good. Fifty scallops! Pretty fresh. I didn't love the starched fries, but, they were fried well. A soda with unlimited refills was $2.29. The menu has 11 fried baskets, 7 rice bowls, 3 salads, 11 apps, 5 tacos, 9 sandwiches, 4 wraps, 5 burgers, dinners, sides, milkshakes and a kid's menu. Costliest item is $20. A slight Indian influence (ie tikka taco and bowl). Gyro, BLT, Cheesesteak, pulled pork, cod, shrimp, wings, falafel, salmon, Cuban. Lots of ethnicities. Basic decor. Seats about thirty. Four cops were the other customers. Order at a counter. Fine basic diner/fast food option.
*Travel Notes - Germany and Poland: I flew Delta to Berlin through JFK for $665. Took the FEX train to the Hauptbanhof for 4.70E. Bought from kiosk. Station on bottom floor of airport. It took around 40 minutes. Stayed at the Ibis (Expedia 8.8) across the street for $90 plus 5E tax due in cash. Walked past the Cube, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Grosser Tiergarten, Victory Column (Siegessaule), Bismarck Statue, President's Residence (Bellevue) and back along the Spree River because the room wasn't ready. I had done three of the first four before. Bought a ticket (71E) from the ticket office to Gdansk thru Poznan for the next day. Made some hotel reservations. Got some food and wine at Rewe at the station. Crashed. I should say at this point that I had been to Berlin before. Euro was 1.16 to USD. It was over 90 degrees. Trains were too expensive as always unless you got a regional all day ticket (in some areas). I did at some points. You have to pay extra to guarantee a seat! Trains to foreign countries were a pain. Not all available on machines and (I was told) in poor condition (ie you would need to get on a bus in points) in certain regions. I was maybe going to fit in Czechia (that's what they call it now) and Austria. Couldn't get where I wanted to go in Czechia easily. Salzburg was too expensive for Austria. Plus I may do them two trips from now. Had been to the bigger cities in Poland before.
The next day the train to Gdansk was bullshit. They made me transfer at another Berlin station minutes away (but not on return?). The train had a brake problem and couldn't go fast. The AC didn't work. Missed two transfers in Poznan. They had one info person! Four hours late. Seats barely available. Got into Gdansk at 9pm. Stayed at the So Stay Hotel (Booking 9.0) for $97. Poland doesn't use the Euro. Ate a candy bar I had left over. I found out after I had booked the ticket that the next day/weekend was one of their bigger holidays. They claimed things would be closed (weren't here). Prices were 4x. This is why I only spent two days in Poland.
The next day I walked through Gdansk. This is where Lech Welesa started Solidarity. It was Danzig. A port town that gets lots of ferry visitors from Scandinavia. Modern with on old town look. Walked in from Uplands Gate and Golden Gate. Dluga St past Town Hall, Neptune Statue, Farenheit Thermometer to the Stara Moltawa (canal) "center". Past Green Gate and Milk Can Gate to Nowa Moltawa canal. Up past MS Soldek and then over the drawbridge towards the train station (Glowny). Past St Catherines Church. I took the train south to Poznan for 90E. I booked this in Berlin. It included the next trip to Leipzig through Berlin. I saw this town on Curious Traveler. Checked into the Platinum Residence Boutique Hotel (Booking 8.7) outside the old town (because of the holiday) for $163. Walked to the old town. Past Wolnosci Plaza to to the Ratusz (Town Hall) Plaza. Past Archeological Museum and Church of St Stanislaus and Teatr Polski and Centrum Syzfrow (WWII Enigma Program) and Zamek Cesarski (Kaiser's Castle). It was getting dark. I went back to the hotel and ate the fruit plate they gave me. I should have walked to the Cathedral. It was a bit far.
The next day I walked through Park (Woodrow) Wilsona and the MTP Poznan Expo Complex. Took the train to Leipzig in Saxony. Checked into the Premium Inn Hahnekamm (Expedia 9.0) for two nights at $158 plus 6E tax due. Got some food and wine and beer at Rewe in the station.
The next day I walked to the Stasi Museum (East German KGB). Cost 5E. Onto St Thomas Church (where Bach is buried and was a Cantor/Choir Master and Organist and many of his pieces were debuted and many famous Classicists played). Across was the Bach Museum. Over to the Altes Rathaus and Markt Platz. Past the statue that is half Commie and half Facist. Over to the Neues Rathaus and through a park to Mendelessohn's (last) House where he composed Elijah. The city is compact. Inside a circular grid. Back up to Augustus Platz and Gewandhaus and University and First Gewandhaus (Oldest Civic Orchestra in 1781 in which Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Wagner, Brahms, etc premiered works) and St Nikolai Church (helped end Communism) to the Opera House. More food and wine and beer at Rewe. Bought some train tickets from the machines at the station. I really liked Leipzig. Very clean and compact. There is also a memorial to a battle over Napoleon at the outskirts that I didn't get to and big skyscraper you can get good views from.
The next day I took the train (47E) to Erfurt. A total rip off for this short jaunt. This is Luther town. Stayed at the Prize by Radissson (Expedia 8.6) for $91 with 4E due that they wouldn't allow cash for. Room wasn't ready. Walked into the old town to Michaelis Kirche. This is where the first Protestant Sermon (not Luther) was given. Across the street is Luther's College (Collegium Maius). Up the street and right to his dorm (Georgenburse) and on to where he became a monk (Augustiner Kloster). Back to the Dom Platz and up to the Zitadelle Petersberg (Citadel) and back down and around the Marien Dom and Severi Kirche. Back towards the hotel and the Rathaus and Kaufmanns Kirche St Gregos and Luther Statue. Got some food and wine at Tegut.
The next day I took a train to Nurnberg for 35E. This was one of those regional tickets. It seems that you can use it as an unlimited day pass on all RE trains in the region. I did this because I was going to try and get south to Berchetsgarden through Salzburg and tickets to there or Munich were crazy. It turned out to be a waste of a day. Especially since I went there last year. I checked into the Premier Inn Opernhaus (Expedia 8.6) for $78 no tax. I walked into the center and the Executioner's House (Henker) and the Bratwurst Museum and Deutsches Museum Turnberg and Spieltraume (Toy) Museum. Just browsed the free areas. Back to the hotel and some food and wine from Aldi. To the train station to buy a ticket to Passau after I looked at the hotel prices in Salzburg. Regional for 32E.
The next day I got off the train at Regensburg. It is a cute town on the Danube. Lots of river cruise tourists here (and Passau). To the river. Past Dom St Peter. To the bridge. Across the bridge. Back. Past the Rathaus. Had a Regensburger (pickles, horseradish and kraut) on Semmel (roll) at Wurstbraterei Reisinger for 4E. Back to the train. I'll add here that the train situation isn't great. Most trains are late or cancelled. Lots of track work. You will miss a tight connection. They were thirty minutes late to here on a thirty minute journey. Why I had to rush. Back on the train to Passau. Walked into the peninsula town. Past the Pfarrkirche St Paul and Dom and Dom Platz and this head statue called Passeur Tolpel. To the Hange Brucke (Bridge) where you can see the Veste Oberhaus (Fortress). Down to the tip where the Danube and Inn converge. Up the Inn side to the bridge and over to my hotel (they were scarce) on the other side. Not too bad of a walk. Hotel Innsento (Expedia 8.8) for $91 no tax. Had some food and wine and beer from the Edeka next door.
The next day I took the train back through Nurnberg (cluster fuck of cancelled and SRO only replacement trains) to Bayreuth for 32E Regional. I was trying to get as close to Dresden as possible on one of these tickets and the train lady told me this was Wagner territory as well. I stayed at the B&B Hotel (Expedia 8.6) for $90 no tax. I was late because of the train, so, I walked to his grave and house and museum and garden and Franz Liszt Museum. There were these little man statues throughout the city of Wagner. It seems to be a city for musicians. To city center and Neues Schloss at Residenz Platz. Back and on past Schloss Kirche and a May Pole. Onto the Stadt Kirche. Got some food and wine and beer at Netto. Bought another regional ticket for 49E to Dresden.
The next day I walked past the Opera House, big Wagner Statue, bus station and around the train station. Train through Hof to Dresden. Stayed at Occidental Dresden (Expedia 8.6) for two nights at $230 plus 10E tax. Great views. I had been to Dresden before for an hour or so on a bus tour twenty years ago. I totally mis-remembered it. And it must of grown. Lots of Chinese tourists. I walked to the Altmarkt. Had some cheese samples at Henri Willig. Past through the adjacent buildings and murals of the Residenz Schloss (Royal "Saxon" Palace). It has a museum inside called the Grunes Gewolbe (Green Vault). 17E. Didn't go in. To the Elbe. Past the Kathedrale SS Trinitats Katholische Hof Kirche and Semperoper (Opera House) and into the Orangerie (Zwinger). That was cool. It has a porcelain museum (5E)+. Didn't go. Past the Kunste (Art) Museum and Albertinum (Modern Art Museum) and Rathaus and the rebuilt Frauen Kirche (go to the top). Just went to public areas. Bought some food and wine and beer at Rewe. Tried to recall Slaughterhouse-Five.
The next day I retraced those steps and went across the river to Albert Platz in the area called Neustadt. Markthalle and Augustus I Goldener Reiter (Golden Rider statue). There are more things to see. Back to other side and Standehus and up on the Bruhlsche Terasse and museums and Frauen Kirche again and over to the Schauspielhaus (music hall) and Kreuz Kirche. Rewe for food and wine. Bought a ticket to Berlin for 60E. It shouldn't have cost that much. I was going to try and go to a town on the Polish border called Gorlitz on a day trip. They have filmed movies like Inglorious Basterds there. Couldn't muster the energy. I liked Dresden more that I thought I would.
The next day I took a too slow moving ICE train to Berlin. Checked in at the Motel One (Booking 8.6) for two nights at $175 no tax. I bought a 24 hour S train pass for 12.30E. I went to Potsdam. It is called their Versailles and the Allies met here for the conference breaking up Germany and fighting Japan. It takes about 35 minutes. A must do. I walked to the Potsdam museum and St Nikolai Kirche. Then up through the Neuer Garten to the Marmor Palais (Marble Palace) and the Cecilien Hof (where they had the conference). I saw this on Joseph Rosendo. It is full of lakes (sees) and canals I walked back (two km or so) through some Dutch and Russian enclaves to Park San Souci. It has three big palaces (Sans Souci, Neues and Charlotten) and an Orangerie with a Windmill. Big park. I walked back to the train station by Garnison Kirche and some other buildings. Got some food and wine at Rewe in Berlin.
The next day I took the S train on the Spandau route. Stopped at the Olympic Stadium stop. It is still there. Cost 11E. Didn't go in. To Spandau. Didn't find the ballet. Found out it means the jerking of legs of Nazi war criminals while being hanged at their prison that looked like the jerking of dying soldiers on barb wire in WWI. Past the Rathaus to St Nikolai Kirche and back. They love them some Nikolai don't they? Was running out of time on the 24 hour pass. Should have seen the Fort. Didn't research Spandau before I went. Back to train station. Walked along the Spree past the Reichstag to Bode Museum. Pergamon was closed for repairs. Over to the Dom and Altes Museum and Humboldt Forum. Up to the Rotes Rathaus and the Fernsehturm Tower. Over to the Hackesher Market and Monbijou Park and back to the hotel. Food and wine at Rewe. I had done some of these sites before.
The next day I bought a 4.70E FEX train (not S) ticket to the airport from one of the hard to find machines and flew home.
I wish I had done Gorlitz and Wittenburg. Some odd things I ate were: Frankendammer cheese, Krater Rolle and a Ritter with cashews. I saw kraut in hummus. They mess with hummus. They put a spicy ketchup on the chicken sandwich at McDs. Bottles of beer were under 1E. The German wine was mostly bad. But, I bought the supermarket middle tier stuff (5E). Weather was very hot until the last two days. Some of these itineraries were inspired by Tricky Ricky Steves. Spent $1264 on hotels. 24E on extra hotel tax. 438E on transportation. 175E on food. 18E on Misc. That is $760. $163 on rental cars to and from the airport. Total in USD = $2852. Ouch. I guess it aligns with two one week trips. Actually spent less because I used some credits on the airfare and hotels. Really $2690. And I am going to get a refund on some of those train journeys.
*The German rail system fought every dispute over dealys and offered no compensation.
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