First Trip to Europe...

[bvy]

This is a link to the Amsterdam Opera house. https://www.operaballet.nl/nl/programma Seems Schönbergs Gurrelieder is playing at the end of April.

Thanks. That could be interesting and it's certainly more affordable. It's under consideration.

If you'd like to explore and enjoy Milano you'd better find to sleep in the city. Going back and forth from Crema will be not ideal.

I agree, but this leg of the trip is business, and Crema is closest to our facilities.

No serious, if you only have one day, come to Antwerp, everything is on walkable distance, world class art, world class buildings, you don’t loose time in metro or walking 10km from one spot to another (Paris), you will not get high only by the air on the street (Amsterdam) and you will not be disappointed (Brussels)

My wife has already brought up Antwerp, so we'll see. Thanks for the details...

 

[macfred]

My wife has already brought up Antwerp, so we'll see ...

Just keep in mind, that diamonds are a girl's best friend ...

 

[bvy]

Just keep in mind, that diamonds are a girl's best friend ...

We don't need to go there, but...

Funny coincidence; at the exact time you posted this, my wife came bebopping downstairs, tour book, in hand, "Remember how I told you about Antwerp... ?"

 

[faberryman]

I do enjoy opera and actually participate in our local company's productions. La Scala is where it all began, and there is a show the week I'm there. Not sure if I can bring myself to spend almost $300 for a decent seat though.

Once in a lifetime opportunity for an opera aficionado.

 

[Ces1um]

My advice to you- don't be in any kind of a hurry. Paris is beautiful and it should be walked on foot whenever possible. There is so much to see. The louvre is not something you can see in a day. You owe it to yourself to walk along the Seine river. There are parks lined in sculptures and park benches. I did not go into the catacombs in Paris, and it's something I have regretted for 25 years. You could also go to the Musée Rodin and see "The Thinker". I'd go back to Paris in a heartbeat- don't be in a hurry to leave.

Amsterdam- well let's face it, you can't do the things you can do in amsterdam back home. You only live once and you'll likely never be there again. Nobody knows you there. That's not to say Amsterdam doesn't have other merits- it's beautiful in it's own right. I'm just saying this is your opportunity to live a little.

I haven't been to Milan- just Rome, Venice, and Florence. The Gelato there is amazing. The food there is amazing. The women are stunning. There is culture everywhere. Some of the newer buildings are older than the US.

I also agree with one of the other members here- dress up a little. I know I'm generalizing here but in my limited experience Europeans dress a little better than North Americans.

I'd also bring a wide variety of iso's, both in colour and black and white. 120 film is nice because you're only getting 12 shots so you aren't stuck with one iso/colour/blackwhite for very long. It keeps your shooting flexible. A flash would be very useful but be aware some places will not allow flash photography or tripods.

Enjoy yourself!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Nota Bene: This is the point in the thread when everyone jumps in adds new cities that the OP cannot squeeze into the trip. Therefore I will add Athens, Thera [Santorini], Heraklion [Crete] and Rhodes.

 

[AgX]

If you know Belgium you would know that it is only 30 min from Brussels to Antwerp. Similar for the dutch proposals.
And what to me seems a big distance for Americans typically is a stone's throw...

In general it is hard to advise a place to someone one does not know. In this case it is even two persons. We do not even know by what means they travel.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

It depends whose wife. Sounds like @MattKing 's wife could be fun.


I do enjoy opera and actually participate in our local company's productions. La Scala is where it all began, and there is a show the week I'm there. Not sure if I can bring myself to spend almost $300 for a decent seat though.

As for one camera, that can't happen -- simply because I'll be mixing business and pleasure. The TLR will be a must have on weekends, but when I'm out and about with business people during the week, I'll need something I can pocket. Also, most of my downtime during the week will be at night, and a flash will be handy. The T5 fits the bill for both of those criteria.


Thanks for that reminder. The place is legendary! I'd love to check out the free jazz scene while I'm there (Guus Janssen, Han Bennink, and the like) but don't know if my wife will tolerate that.


Grazie! Do you know Crema? Friendly town?

I completely understand about the ticket prices. They're a bit insane. On the flip side of the argument, when's the next time you'll be anywhere near La Scala while they're having a performance? In the grand scheme of things, $300 for a ticket for something you may never have a chance to do again is not THAT much - think about what the trip as a whole will cost! It's not that large a theater - the nosebleed seats aren't THAT far away from the stage.

If you're still not going to take in a performance, go take the theater tour if you can. I've been doing that on most of my recent trips - I toured the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, the Opera Garnier in Paris, and the Palau de la Musica Catalan in Barcelona. I'm going to try to tour the Royal Albert Hall in London when I'm there in August. The backstage tours are fascinating - my tour of the Palau inspired me to get tickets to see a concert there - I got to see Sir Neville Marriner conducting the Academy of St. Martins In the Fields. My seats were on the side, about halfway down, on the first tier. I had NO complaints about the view or the acoustics.

 

[bvy]

I completely understand about the ticket prices. They're a bit insane. On the flip side of the argument, when's the next time you'll be anywhere near La Scala while they're having a performance? In the grand scheme of things, $300 for a ticket for something you may never have a chance to do again is not THAT much - think about what the trip as a whole will cost! It's not that large a theater - the nosebleed seats aren't THAT far away from the stage.

You're making the same argument my wife is (she won't be there for that leg of the trip). You're both very happy to spend my money (!). But you're right, of course. As far as the nosebleed seats, there are some available for less money, but the "view from this seat" seemed to indicate I'd be able to see only half the stage. So maybe I'll reconsider based on your experience.

In general it is hard to advise a place to someone one does not know. In this case it is even two persons. We do not even know by what means they travel.

Train from Paris to Amsterdam, so no car in Brussels (though I guess we could get one). We do plan to get a car in Amsterdam.

I'd also bring a wide variety of iso's, both in colour and black and white. 120 film is nice because you're only getting 12 shots so you aren't stuck with one iso/colour/blackwhite for very long. It keeps your shooting flexible. A flash would be very useful but be aware some places will not allow flash photography or tripods.

That's more or less the plan, though I'm trying to stick with one camera per format -- MF and 35mm.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

You're making the same argument my wife is (she won't be there for that leg of the trip). You're both very happy to spend my money (!). But you're right, of course. As far as the nosebleed seats, there are some available for less money, but the "view from this seat" seemed to indicate I'd be able to see only half the stage. So maybe I'll reconsider based on your experience.

There are concert halls and then there are concert halls. La Scala is the latter. I think you'd regret not doing it after the fact. I felt like that about my hotel when I went to Iguazu Falls - I booked a room at the Sheraton, which is inside the park. It was quite a bit more than staying in town would have cost. But I got a room on the side of the falls, and woke up to look out my balcony at the sun rising through the cloud of mist thrown up by the falls. That, and the fact that I had a good half-hour/45 minute head-start on all the tourists coming in from town to go see the falls without ravening hordes made it worth every last penny.

 

[Peter Schrager]

I would bring the film you think you need. It's expensive in Europe, especially compared to the US. As for photography, don't get weighed down by gear, and have fun exploring the streets.

Correct less is more...brings lots of film

 

[twelvetone12]

You're making the same argument my wife is (she won't be there for that leg of the trip). You're both very happy to spend my money (!). But you're right, of course. As far as the nosebleed seats, there are some available for less money, but the "view from this seat" seemed to indicate I'd be able to see only half the stage. So maybe I'll reconsider based on your experience.

I wouldn't completely disregard the upper nosebleed galleries (the "loggione"). You won't see anything but you can get it very cheap, and besides, there is a whole culture of "loggionisti" (people passionate about opera that seek out these places) that you will encounter. Sometimes people line up at 5 in the morning to get loggione tickets! Maybe seeing a whole opera from there is a bit extreme, but a concert is more than doable and I recommend the experience, at least once.

 

[bvy]

I wouldn't completely disregard the upper nosebleed galleries (the "loggione"). You won't see anything but you can get it very cheap, and besides, there is a whole culture of "loggionisti" (people passionate about opera that seek out these places) that you will encounter. Sometimes people line up at 5 in the morning to get loggione tickets! Maybe seeing a whole opera from there is a bit extreme, but a concert is more than doable and I recommend the experience, at least once.

Thanks Given your user name, I would have expected you to recommend the Schonberg opera playing in Amsterdam (mentioned above).

 

[bunip]

I’ve been many times to La Scala when I was youger and always in different places with different costs. I can tell that for listening music there is a difference in what you perceive from each point but I’d never tell one better then another, just different ways to listen to the same music. if you’re very high there will be no difference being central or on one side, as music will reach you from below and all instruments will be at the same distance from you ( similar to listening to a record) and you’ll see better what’s going on the stage. if you are in the platea you’ll hear as near the front instruments and far the rear ( more as a live performance) and you’ll see better the front instruments. prices could change even +/- 200% according to location but in my experience this is not reflected by sound quality you’ll perceive (I’d say +/- 20%). So if you like to be there I’d choose to be even in a “bad place” better then not being there, as I can insure you that at the La Scala you’ll never find a bad place.

 

[twelvetone12]

Ah! I missed the Schonberg opera!
BTW I too strongly recommend Antwerp (next time I go I must take the tram to Agfa...)

 

[bunip]

If you like classical music and its history you could find of some interest to visit the town of Cremona, not far from Crema, where you can see, and sometime hear playing, the biggest ensemble of Stradivari’s instruments in the world. If you’re lucky you could find some concerts at the town’s theathre where those instruments are played.

 

[mrosenlof]

it sounds like a bunch of people here would like to go with you! Have a nice trip.

I'm an opera liker (vs. lover) but Prague was great for opera on a budget, for good seats. Like 1/4 the price of Vienna.

 

[AgX]

bvy, will there be a résumé of your trip?

 

[bvy]

bvy, will there be a résumé of your trip?

The trip was overall a success. Some of my mishaps along the way are discussed elsewhere here. In the end, I shot about 15 rolls of film, but I've only developed two so far, so I don't have a lot of pictures to share. The trip started in Italy. I flew into Milan but never really got back there except on the way out (got to see Il Duomo). But that was okay. Crema proved to have enough charm to pacify me for the one jetlagged Sunday and four weeknights I was in Italy -- even when it was raining, which it did a lot.

(Straight scan. Crema. Yashica T5, Superia 400)

Paris was next, and it was unseasonably warm. But it was comfortable at night and I took advantage of it. The triangle formed by my hotel, the office, and train station couldn't have been more than half a mile -- er, one kilomter -- around. So I bought a three day transit pass and went into Paris after work, for dinner and shooting. Eventually I overpaid for a GorillaPod at Fnac, but I was happy to have it. The tripod I brought wasn't fun to carry around on the subway. I took the stairs up the Eiffel Tower but was disappointed that I could only go halfway.

(Straight scan. Paris. Yashica Mat 124G, Acros)

From Paris we went to Brussels where we spent the night. We decided to skip Antwerp, because by this point we just wanted to get somewhere and stay there for the balance of the trip. So we went straight to the Netherlands. There we did the tulip festival in Keukenhof and spent some time in downtown Amsterdam. We stayed at a high rise in Zaandvoort (on the North Sea) -- nice but still chilly there. Unfortunately I never made it to an opera or jazz club. I was happy just to be out and about talking to people and taking pictures.

(Meet and greet at a street festival in Amsterdam. iPhone.)

 

[Sirius Glass]

The trip started in Italy. I flew into Milan but never really got back there except on the way out (got to see Il Duomo).

I have been in Milan several times, by train and by plane, seen Il Duomo twice, but never saw the Last Supper.

 

[mooseontheloose]

I have been in Milan several times, by train and by plane, seen Il Duomo twice, but never saw the Last Supper.

I’ve only been once, saw Il Duomo, but missed The Last Supper, despite having bought a ticket well in advance, because I was so jet lagged after arriving in Milan my little nap went on for much longer than planned, having slept past both alarms I set. Maybe next time.

 

[Steve Roberts]

If you go to the Netherlands (aka Holland) this is well worth a look: https://kalden.home.xs4all.nl/verm/tour-k-cruquiusENG.html
The cylinder for this engine is 12 feet in diameter and was cast in Cornwall. Three friends and I made the trip 30+ years ago just to see the engine, which was one of my two visits to Europe. You'll be seeing far more of the Continent than I ever have!
Steve

 

[NJH]

I think you did the right thing taking it easy. Pretty much every European town or city that I like, is best explored on foot and by public transport.

 

[Frank53]

If you go to the Netherlands (aka Holland) this is well worth a look: https://kalden.home.xs4all.nl/verm/tour-k-cruquiusENG.html
The cylinder for this engine is 12 feet in diameter and was cast in Cornwall. Three friends and I made the trip 30+ years ago just to see the engine, which was one of my two visits to Europe. You'll be seeing far more of the Continent than I ever have!
Steve

If you’re interested in this kind of stuff, we also have the biggest working steam pumping station in the world. It is still workinga few times each year to help keeping our feet dry in this country below sea level. It’s not a museum, but can be visited.

 

[PaulQ]

If you’re interested in this kind of stuff, we also have the biggest working steam pumping station in the world. It is still workinga few times each year to help keeping our feet dry in this country below sea level. It’s not a museum, but can be visited.

There's a 1000 tonnes triple expansion steam engine (the world's biggest working one) in west London. They run it about 7 times a year (Kempton steam museum).