Adventures in travel

View from the breakfast table, near San Gimignano

We recently returned from a long trip visiting family in Switzerland and hanging out like Eurotrash in Tuscany. There’s too much to tell, but I’ll try to hit a few highlights.

Turns out renting a GPS from Hertz at the Zürich airport costs a completely ridiculous 30 euros a day. In retrospect, that would have been cheaper than the divorce that would have been imminent had we traveled with only a map. Thankfully, my cousin ripped his GPS off his dashboard and handed it over just as he was dropping us off at the train station the evening before we left.

We named her Inge. It was a love-hate relationship from the start. Her best lines included, “Sie befinden sich in einer Sackgasse,” (You are in a dead end.) while we barreled happily down the Autobahn. Also, she regularly chirped “Achtung! Gefahrstelle!” (Careful! Dangerous area!) for no discernible reason. And you haven't lived until you hear Inge say, “Poggibonsi,” which is a small Italian town.

Lastly, here's some very old artwork (1500s? Maybe earlier.) we saw at Florence's Duomo.

Apparently this Disney shit is much older than I thought.

Traveling to Springfield with kids

Note: I’m stealing a lot of this content from my old buddy, old pal Suzanne, of book club fame.

Illinois State Capitol Dome, with welcoming statue

For those of you in Illinois with some long weekends on the horizon, may I suggest Springfield? It's very kid-friendly, teaches them about their civic duties, and most of it is being paid for by your tax dollars. Might as well go see what they are doing for us.

On the way down, assuming you start in Chicago, you can hit Pontiac, IL. Cute Route 66 museum (free!) and a good diner called Baby Bull's. 

In Springfield, visit:

• Illinois State Capitol (free tours!) See portraits of all the former Illinois governors, both currently jailed and dead.
• Old State Capitol (free tours!) 
• Lincoln Museum Come for the history, but stay for the bizarre future-o-rama theater productions.
• Lincoln’s home (free tours!) Be amazed by the air conditioning! Part of a whole Colonial Williamsburg-like neighborhood.
• Illinois State Museum (also freeeeee!) 
• Prairie Archives Old books piled high to the ceiling. Right around the corner from the Feed Store, which is across from the Old State Capital building.
• The Feed Store for lunch (soup even in July!).
• Charlie Parker’s for breakfast – home of the 16” pancake.
• Washington Park and its playground. It was 105 degrees when we were there, but we played anyway. Truly a sign of a good playground. 

And, if you feel like going on to St. Louis from there, I've heard very good things. I haven't been there (Except for a job interview once. Don't know what I was thinking, exactly.), so I have no advice, but Suzanne can set you up!

The portrait of John Peter Altgeld, best known for being Illinois only governor with any moral fiber

Nea telling John Wilkes Booth that he's a bad, bad man

Where in the world?

OK, round 2 of where was I when taking these photos? C'mon, take a guess. Just name a state.

The statue of liberty and machine guns

Perhaps I’m overly sensitive to these things, but I found it in very poor taste that these three machine-gun toting men were posing for photos with our Lady Liberty this past Monday.

Is it for some pathetic flag-waving rah rah calendar? Look for it in stores soon -- "2009 Calendar - Liberty means never having to say you're sorry"

Send word if you hear about this exciting new product.