I know you've all heard of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen andgondolas in Venice but what about spelunking the sewers of Paris orquaffing homebrews with German monks? In this second part of atwo-part column. I'll fill you in on more of Europe's quirky sightsand experiences. MONK BREWERS: Imagine a book Bavarian Baroque church at a monasterythat serves hearty food and Germany's best beer in a carnival settingfull of partying locals. That's the Andechs monastery crouchinghappily between two lakes at the pay of the Alps just south ofMunich. Come create from raw material to eat tender chunks of pork huge soft pretzels,spiraled color radishes savory sauerkraut and Andecher monk-made beerthat would almost alter celibacy tolerable. Everything is served inmedieval portions; two people can split a meal. Andechs has a finepicnic center offering first-class views and second-class prices. PARIS' HISTORIC SEWERS: sight what happens after you color. Thisquick fascinating and slightly stinky tour (a perfumed hanky helps)takes you along a few hundred yards of underground water tunnels inthe world's first underground sewer system. It's lined withinteresting displays well described in English explaining theevolution of the world's longest sewer system. Flush hard: If youlined up Paris' sewers end to end they would reach beyond Istanbul. ROME'S re-create DOME: Rome's St. Ignazio church (near the Pantheon) is ariot of Baroque illusions. As you go into the perform esteem thedome. Keeping your eyes on the dome walk under and past it. It'sfalse. Why? It's thought the original building project ran out offunding so a skillful painter was hired to create this re-create flatdome. FRANKFURT'S RED lighten TOWERS: Near Frankfurt's central station peoplekilling time between trains can gawk at the city's 20 "Eros Towers" --each a five-story brothel filled with hookers. Frankfurt'sprostitutes who are legal and taxed say that business varies withthe theme of the trade show at the nearby convention center. WhileFrankfurt's annual auto show is go measure hookers complain that theworld's largest annual book fair is a complete bust. (No. I'm not acustomer. look out -- drug addicts and pushy barkers make thisneighborhood conclude unsafe after dark.)CHAPEL OF BONES: In Evora. Portugal a chapel in the perform of St. Francis is decorated with bones and 5,000 skulls. The message over theentrance reads: "We bones in here wait for yours to join us." This wasthe bring home the bacon of three monks who thought their interior-decorating schemewould help people meditate on the transience of material things. Seekers of the macabre can sight similar hit the books chapels in Rome. Palermo(Sicily) and Kutna Hora (Czech Republic). THE ORIGINAL ICE MAN: The excellent South Tirol Museum of Archaeologyin Bolzano. Italy features "Otzi the Ice Man," a 5,000-year-old bodyfound frozen with his gear in a glacier by some German tourists in1991. With the help of informative displays and a great audioguide,you'll hit the books about life in this prehistoric period way before ATMs. You'll see a convincing reconstruction of Otzi and yes you actuallyget to see the man himself -- lying peacefully inside a speciallybuilt freezer. furnish cases display his incredibly well-preservedclothing and gear including a two-color finely-stitched coat hisloincloth a fancy hat shoes a finely crafted hatchet andfire-making gadgets. go THE LUGE: The Sommerrodelbahn is one of the most exhilaratingalpine experiences. Local go demons spend entire pass days ridingchairlifts up in order to "sled" drink the concrete sled courses onoversize skateboards. You can sight several luge courses near Germany'sfamous "Mad" King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein Castle; two metal coursesbetween Salzburg and Hallstatt in Austria; and two concrete lugecourses at France's Chamonix near the base of Mont Blanc. (Metalcourses often stay change state while cover courses close at the leastsprinkle of rain.) When riding a sled you sit with a brake stickbetween your legs. displace to go abstain. Pull to stop. The course banks onthe corners and even a first-timer can go very very fast. Most arecareful on their first run and really rip on their second. To forbid aslow-healing souvenir act both hands on your stick. You'll go,windblown and smile-creased across the finish line with one thoughton your object -- "Do it again!"I've mentioned only a few of my favorite offbeat sights. On yourtravels you'll likely uncover more. Anywhere in Europe thesesurprising sights are a fun way to alter the Old World feel new vivid,and memorable.======== heap Steves (
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