Skinny-dipping and the super-soaker prince
No one planning a trip to Europe needs to be reminded to see Big Ben and the Leaning Tower. But it's the unusual experiences that are often the most memorable part of a trip. Study up in advance and you can enjoy places and experiences like these: with breaks too short to brew a proper pot of tea -- required a faster hot drink. In came the horrible English instant coffee. The tea industry countered with minced leaves in tea bags, and "it's gone downhill ever since." quite a spectacle to most Americans (they're the ones riding their rental bikes into the river and trees). And here, buried far from the nearest stretch of coast, surfers "hang ten" in the rapids of the city's little river. While seeking their thrills, they provide great entertainment for the ever-present little crowd that gathers to watch from the bridge. startclickprintexclude--> digits dislocated when people fall and get tangled in the brush. home to traditional fishing villages -- were stranded high and dry and today stand in the middle of Dutch farmland. The fishing village of Schotlan, once on an island in the Zuider Zee, is one such village. The village has a now-useless lighthouse, and you can walk right up to a buoy that once bobbed in the harbor. A bent and rusty propeller from a World War II English bomber ornaments the village square, a reminder that when farmers first tilled their new soil, they uncovered more than just muck and mollusks. Roman pyramid You don't need to go to Egypt to see an ancient pyramid. Standing 90 feet tall, Rome's pyramid was built in 12 B.C. as a tomb for the Roman Gaius Cestius, after the Cleopatra and Mark Antony scandal brought exotic Egyptian styles into vogue. Later the pyramid was incorporated into Rome's city wall. Choco-sightseeing Along with its rich culture, Europe is loved for its delicious chocolate. All day long, rivers of molten chocolate work their way through factories into small foil packages. While chocolate factory tours are rare, many welcome visitors with museums, showrooms, video presentations and free tasting rooms. Chocoholics love the Imhoff-Stollwerck Chocolate Museum in Koln, Germany. Their self-proclaimed "Mmmuseum" takes you on a tour from the origin of the cocoa bean to the finished product. You can see displays on the culture of chocolate and watch treats trundle down the conveyor belt in the functioning chocolate factory, the museum's highlight. In my next column, I'll cover more of offbeat Europe. Whether sipping a hot beverage with a tea-vangelist or jogging with Parisians, anywhere in Europe, the unusual sights are a fun way to get some distance from the crowds and lighten up a museum-heavy itinerary. |
