====== Europe 2026 ======

Flights: https://www.google.com/travel/flights/s/cA5QG4LiuP5ycy2Q9

===== Madrid =====

  - 22 April (Wedesday)
    * ✈️ flight to Madrid
  - 23
    * 🏨 Hotel [[https://ca.hotels.com/trips/73407070161622]]
      * [[https://ca.hotels.com/trips/73407070161622|Reservation]]
    * ☀️ **Weather:** Pleasant spring, 18°C highs, 7°C lows, occasional light rain 🌦️
    * ☕ Coffee 
      * [[https://theworlds100bestcoffeeshops.com/locales/hola-coffee-lagasca/|Hola]]
      * [[https://maps.app.goo.gl/LACTKxQgzxG4gHdy6]]
    * Pre-wedding dinner
  - 24
    * relax
  - 25
    * wedding
  - 26 **__(Sunday)__**
    * recover

===== Marseille =====

  - 27
    * 🚆 train to Marseille
      * https://maps.app.goo.gl/HbozoJ1KnStPGgWn7
    * 🏨 Hotel [[https://maps.app.goo.gl/jgE6ouHmo1PNhmvi8]]
      * [[https://www.agoda.com/en-ca/account/editbooking.html?bookingId=UdrA5AWtK2EXFOEcStWVWQ%3D%3D|Reservation]]
    * 🌤️ **Weather:** Mild spring, 17-19°C highs, 9-11°C lows, some showers ☔
  - 28
    * ☕ Coffee [[https://beany.app/city/marseille]]
    * relax
  - 29
    * relax

===== Zurich =====

  - 30
    * 🚆 Marseille to Zurich
      * https://maps.app.goo.gl/Xevz6J662mQW6YTc8
    * 🏨 Hotel [[https://maps.app.goo.gl/Aa24jKXuE9CoPToLA]]
      * [[https://www.simplebooking.it/ibe/hotelbooking/search?hid=8357&lang=en&cur=CHF&bookingSource=GoogleCPC#summary&rezid=47223191&rezguid=50FA2D52-356D-40B8-BE6B-F44CEAC7C079|Reservation]]
    * 🌦️ **Weather:** Cool spring, 14-16°C highs, 5-7°C lows, frequent rain 🌧️
  - 1 May
    * ☕ Coffee [[https://www.thewaytocoffee.com/best-cafes-zurich/]]
    * CHOCOLATE FOR SPENCER
      * https://jacotchocolaterie.ch/#/
      * Get the "Nuances" box
    * 🚆 Zurich to Vienna (overnight)
      * https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp/?language=de_DE&ulVersion=1.1&context=TP&method=storageRecon&storageId=12d6fdab-9e6d-402e-b4a1-b06c2fb914ed

===== Vienna =====


  - 2
    * 🏨 Hotel [[https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZSbX9uMsfzqLbLUA6]]
      * [[https://ca.hotels.com/trips/73407094317043|Reservation]]
    * ☀️ **Weather:** Pleasant spring, 19-21°C highs, 9-10°C lows, occasional showers ☔
    * ☕ Coffee 
      * [[https://theworlds100bestcoffeeshops.com/locales/gota-coffee-experts/|Gota]]
      * [[https://beany.app/city/vienna]]
      * **[[https://www.khm.at/en/|Kunsthistorisches Museum]]** - **World-class Habsburg collection** with Bruegel, Dürer, Titian, Vermeer, Velázquez. Also houses **Roman/Greek antiquities** collection with finds from Vindobona
      * **[[https://www.belvedere.at/en|Belvedere]]** - Houses Klimt's "The Kiss" and strong Schiele collection in Baroque palace
  - 3 **__(Sunday)__**
    * opera @ 1100

===== Warsaw =====

  - 4
    * 🚆 Vienna to Warsaw
      * https://maps.app.goo.gl/nfN7FHNTVCSFkgqL8
    * 🏨 Hotel (just in case) [[https://maps.app.goo.gl/akQ9sz6xgmVoqobr9]]
    * 🌤️ **Weather:** Mild spring, 17-20°C highs, 8-9°C lows, some rain 🌦️
  - 5
    * ☕ Coffee [[https://beany.app/city/warsaw]]
    * relax
  - 6
    * relax

===== Wrocław =====

  - 7
    * 🚆 Warsaw to Wrocław
      * https://maps.app.goo.gl/5v1zRVkaN956qtip7
    * 🏨 Hotel [[https://maps.app.goo.gl/daRyvAnzVdHTVmnK7]]
      * [[https://www.agoda.com/en-ca/account/editbooking.html?bookingId=MZECemlElum86xul4WsgNw%3D%3D|Reservation]]
    * ☀️ **Weather:** Pleasant spring, 18-20°C highs, 8-9°C lows, partly cloudy 🌥️
  - 8
    * ☕ Coffee [[https://beany.app/city/wroc%C5%82aw]]
    * relax
  - 9
    * relax
  - 10 **__(Sunday)__**
    * ✈️ flight from Wroclaw
===== Claude Travel Guide =====

==== Madrid ====

**Note:** You've already visited Madrid and will focus on the wedding. Madrid has limited visible Roman/medieval remains compared to other European capitals.

=== Quick Historical Sites ===

  - **[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walls_of_Madrid|Moorish Walls]]** - 9th-century fragments near Royal Palace (Madrid's oldest structures)
  - **[[https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/temple-debod|Temple of Debod]]** - Authentic 2nd-century BCE Egyptian temple, gift from Egypt (1968) for Spain's help preserving monuments threatened by Aswan Dam. Reconstructed stone-by-stone in Parque del Oeste. Free entry, book online in advance. Best at sunset
  - **[[https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/madrid/plaza-mayor-royal-madrid/attractions/iglesia-de-san-nicolas-de-los-servitas/a/poi-sig/1094796/1324669|San Nicolás de los Servitas]]** - Madrid's oldest church with 12th-century Mudéjar tower (possibly built on former mosque site). Located in La Latina neighborhood
==== Marseille ====

=== Must-See Historical Sites ===

  - **[[https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/discover-marseille/culture-heritage/saint-victor-abbey-marseille-7eme-en-2799573/|Abbaye Saint-Victor]]** - 11th-century fortified abbey with **5th-century crypts** - one of France's oldest Christian sites, built over ancient catacombs and martyrs' tombs
  - **[[https://musees.marseille.fr/musee-des-docks-romains-0|Musée des Docks Romains]]** - **Actual Roman warehouse foundations** preserved in situ - walk through 1st-century commercial docks where ancient merchants stored wine and grain
  - **[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardin_des_Vestiges|Jardin des Vestiges]]** - **Exposed Greek port walls and fortifications** (3rd-2nd century BCE) near Centre Bourse - remnants of the original Massalia harbor
  - **[[https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/discover-marseille/culture-heritage/memorial-of-the-deportations-marseille-2eme-en-2791896/|Mémorial des Déportations]]** - **German WW2 bunker** converted to memorial museum about the January 1943 Nazi roundup and destruction - 30,000 residents forcibly evacuated, entire Vieux-Port district dynamited
  - **[[https://www.mucem.org/en/fort-saint-jean|Fort Saint-Jean]]** - Medieval Knights Hospitaller tower and **17th-century fortifications by Louis XIV** at harbor entrance - free access, walk the ramparts (part of MuCEM complex)

=== Additional Historical Architecture ===

  - **[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_la_Garde|Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde]]** - Romano-Byzantine basilica (1853-1864) dominating the skyline, built on medieval fortification site
  - **[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vieille_Charit%C3%A9|Vieille Charité]]** - 17th-century baroque hospice with arcaded courtyard in Le Panier district, reflecting Marseille's role as major port dealing with plague and immigration

=== Museums (If Time Permits) ===

  - **[[https://www.mucem.org/en|MuCEM]]** - Modern museum (2013) on Fort Saint-Jean site, focused on Mediterranean cultures

=== Unique Experience ===

  - **Bouillabaisse at the Vieux-Port** - Marseille's signature fish stew at the **reconstructed Old Port** (south side dynamited 1943, rebuilt 1950s)
  - **Plage des Catalans** - City beach near Vieux-Port, named after 19th-century Catalan fishermen
==== Zurich ====

=== Must-See Historical Sites ===

  - **[[https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/attractions/lindenhof|Lindenhof Hill]]** - **Roman fort foundations and Carolingian palace ruins** - Built on Celtic oppidum (1st century BCE), became Roman castellum "Turicum" (4th century CE), medieval royal palace site. Access underground Roman/medieval walls via free tours (keys from Baugeschichtliches Archiv). Peaceful hilltop park with panoramic views and giant chess boards
  - **[[https://www.newlyswissed.com/guide-to-discovering-zurichs-roman-history/|Thermengasse Roman Baths]]** - **Exposed Roman hypocaust heating system** (1st century CE) - Walk over metal grating above ancient bath pillars, free 24/7 access. Steep alley between Weinplatz and St. Peter's Church
  - **[[https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/attractions/grossmunster|Grossmünster]]** - Romanesque Protestant church (built 1100-1220) on **Carolingian foundations** - Legendary site where Charlemagne discovered graves of Zurich's patron saints Felix and Regula (3rd century martyrs). Climb 187 steps in Karlsturm tower for panoramic views. Reformation Museum in 12th-century cloister with medieval capitals

=== Additional Medieval Architecture ===

  - **[[https://www.fraumuenster.ch/en/|Fraumünster]]** - Church founded 853 CE, famous for Marc Chagall's stained glass windows (1970)
  - **[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter,_Z%C3%BCrich|St. Peter's Church]]** - Oldest parish church (9th century origins, rebuilt 13th century), Europe's largest clock face (8.7m diameter)

=== Nature Escape - Uetliberg Mountain ===

  - **[[https://www.utokulm.ch/en/uetliberg|Uetliberg Summit Hike]]** (871m elevation) - Zurich's "house mountain" with panoramic views of city, Lake Zurich, and Alps. Accessible via S10 train from Zurich HB (30 min). Multiple hiking options: easy Planetenweg ridge trail (5.5km, 2 hours, stroller-friendly) or steeper forest trails from city (1 hour climb). Restaurant and observation tower at summit

=== Museums (If Time Permits) ===

  - **[[https://www.kunsthaus.ch/en/|Kunsthaus Zürich]]** - Switzerland's largest art museum with medieval to contemporary works (Giacometti, Munch, Monet). Free admission to collection on Wednesdays

=== Unique Experience ===

  - **Alpine Spring Water** - Drink from 1,200+ public fountains fed by gravity from alpine springs - some of Europe's best tap water
==== Vienna ====

=== Must-See Roman & Medieval Sites ===

  - **[[https://www.wien.info/en/see-do/sights-from-a-to-z/roman-museum-356904|Römermuseum]]** (Hoher Markt) - **Actual Roman officer houses** (2nd-3rd century CE) preserved in situ beneath square - walk through heated rooms with hypocaust system from Roman fortress Vindobona. Emperor Marcus Aurelius died here 180 CE. Combined with 300+ artifacts from daily Roman life
  - **[[https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ausgrabungen-michaelerplatz|Michaelerplatz Roman Ruins]]** - **Open-air excavation site** at Hofburg entrance showing 1,500 years of layers: Roman canabae (military settlement), medieval foundations, Renaissance palace walls - free to view 24/7
  - **[[https://www.wien.info/en/see-do/sights-from-a-to-z/st-stephens-cathedral-359690|Stephansdom]]** - **Gothic masterpiece** built 1304-1450 on **Romanesque foundations** (1147). Climb 343 steps in 136m South Tower for panoramic views. Catacombs with 10,000+ burials beneath. Survived 1945 fire, rebuilt as symbol of Austrian reconstruction

=== Additional Medieval/Habsburg Architecture ===

  - **[[https://www.hofburg-wien.at/en/|Hofburg Palace]]** - Massive imperial complex spanning 13th-20th centuries - Habsburg residence for 640 years, now houses Imperial Treasury with crown jewels
  - **[[https://www.karlskirche.at/|Karlskirche]]** - Stunning Baroque church (1716-1737) with unique Trajan's Column-inspired twin columns

=== Museums (World-Class) ===

  - **[[https://www.khm.at/en/|Kunsthistorisches Museum]]** - **World-class Habsburg collection** with Bruegel, Dürer, Titian, Vermeer, Velázquez. Also houses **Roman/Greek antiquities** collection with finds from Vindobona
  - **[[https://www.belvedere.at/en|Belvedere]]** - Houses Klimt's "The Kiss" and strong Schiele collection in Baroque palace

=== Day Trip - Roman City Carnuntum ===

  - **[[https://www.carnuntum.at/en|Carnuntum]]** (40km east, 30 min by train) - **Reconstructed Roman city** - capital of Pannonia province, 50,000 inhabitants. Only site worldwide with full-scale Roman buildings reconstructed on original foundations. Functioning Roman baths, heated villas, amphitheater

=== Unique Experiences ===

  - **Graben Street** - Walk the pedestrian boulevard whose name means "ditch" - follows line of **Roman fortress defensive moat**
  - **Traditional Viennese Coffeehouse** - Café Central or Café Sacher for legendary coffeehouse culture where patrons linger for hours


==== Warsaw ====

=== Historical Context: 1944 Warsaw Uprising & Systematic Destruction ===

Warsaw suffered **85% destruction** - the most systematic destruction of any major European city in WW2. Unlike accidental war damage, this was **deliberate annihilation as revenge** for the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. After crushing the 63-day uprising (August-October 1944), **Germans systematically burned and dynamited the remaining city block by block** through winter 1944-45. Special Vernichtungskommandos (destruction squads) used flamethrowers and explosives to erase Warsaw from existence - Hitler ordered "not one stone left standing."

The **Old Town is 100% reconstruction (1945-1964)**, rebuilt using 18th-century paintings by Canaletto, architectural drawings, and pre-war photographs. Warsaw is the **only UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed for reconstruction rather than original structures** - UNESCO recognized the unprecedented achievement of citizens rebuilding their destroyed capital. Every Polish worker paid 0.5% of salary to the Social Fund for Reconstruction.

Key difference from Wrocław: Warsaw preserves authentic late 18th-century appearance using historical sources. Wrocław's Old Town was given a more Baroque look than it actually had pre-war.

=== Must-See Historical Sites & Museums ===

  - **[[https://www.1944.pl/en|Warsaw Rising Museum]]** - **Essential WW2 museum**, world-class multimedia exhibits on the 63-day 1944 Uprising. 200,000 civilians killed, city systematically destroyed afterward. Allow 2-3 hours
  - **[[https://www.polin.pl/en|POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews]]** - **World-class modern museum** (won European Museum of Year Award 2016). Located on former Warsaw Ghetto site. Architecturally stunning, covers 1000 years of Polish Jewish history from arrival through Holocaust to present
  - **[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Town,_Warsaw|Old Town (Stare Miasto)]]** - **UNESCO World Heritage Site for extraordinary reconstruction**. Every building 1950s-60s reconstruction of 13th-18th century originals. Market Square (Rynek Starego Miasta), St. John's Cathedral (where Constitution of May 3, 1791 was sworn), medieval city walls & Barbican
  - **[[https://www.zamek-krolewski.pl/en|Royal Castle]]** - **Completely rebuilt 1971-1984** from ruins (dynamited September 1944). Now houses royal apartments, Rembrandt paintings, throne rooms. Reconstruction funded largely by citizen donations. Last major structure rebuilt
  - **Warsaw Ghetto Sites** - Largest Nazi ghetto in Europe (450,000 Jews). Walk Ghetto Wall remnants (ul. Sienna 55, ul. Złota 62), Monument to Ghetto Heroes (faces POLIN Museum), Umschlagplatz memorial (deportation point to Treblinka)

=== Architecture & Parks ===

  - **[[https://www.wilanow-palac.pl/en|Wilanów Palace]]** - Baroque royal palace (1677-1696), the "Polish Versailles." **Survived WW2 intact** - one of few original historic structures. King Jan III Sobieski's summer residence, formal French gardens
  - **[[https://www.pkin.pl/en|Palace of Culture and Science]]** - Stalinist "gift" from USSR (completed 1955), tallest building in Poland (237m). Controversial symbol - some see Soviet oppression, others Warsaw landmark. Observation deck on 30th floor
  - **[[https://www.lazienki-krolewskie.pl/en|Łazienki Park and Palace]]** - Neoclassical "Palace on the Water" in 76-hectare park. Free Chopin concerts at monument every Sunday (May-September, noon & 4pm)

=== Unique Experience ===

  - **Chopin Benches** - 15 multimedia benches citywide that play Chopin's music at button press, marking significant locations in composer's life. Part of Royal Route walking trail
==== Wrocław ====

=== Historical Context: 1945 Siege & Reconstruction ===

Wrocław (German: Breslau until 1945) suffered **70% destruction** during the 82-day Siege of Breslau (Feb-May 1945) - one of WW2's last major battles. The Old Town you'll see is **1950s-1980s reconstruction**, not original medieval buildings. Architects gave it a deliberately Baroque appearance (not its pre-war look) and removed all German architectural elements. Unlike Vienna's restoration of damaged originals, Wrocław was rebuilt from archival sources after near-total destruction.

=== Must-See Historical Sites ===

  - **[[https://visitwroclaw.eu/en/atrakcje/ostrow-tumski-and-the-cathedral/|Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island)]]** - **Medieval heart of Wrocław** (9th century Slavic settlement). **Cathedral of St. John the Baptist** - Gothic cathedral (built 1244-1341, first brick building in Poland), **70% destroyed 1945, reconstructed 1946-1991**. Climb tower for panoramic views. Surrounding medieval churches: St. Giles (13th century, oldest continuously functioning building), Church of the Holy Cross (unique two-level Gothic church)
  - **[[https://www.inyourpocket.com/wroclaw/wroclaw-market-square_19378v|Market Square (Rynek)]]** - **Gothic Old Town Hall** and colorful townhouses - **reconstructed 1953-1962** after 50% destruction. Architects refused to rebuild 19th/20th century German buildings, creating idealized Polish Baroque appearance different from pre-war reality
  - **[[https://visitwroclaw.eu/en/atrakcje/aula-leopoldina-university-of-wroclaw-museum/|Aula Leopoldina]]** - **Stunning Baroque ceremonial hall** (1728-1732) at University of Wrocław - one of most beautiful Baroque rooms in world. Part of university museum with Oratorium Marianum and Mathematical Tower viewpoint. Open to public with audioguides

=== WW2 & Communist History ===

  - **[[https://www.inyourpocket.com/wroclaw/Festung-Breslau:-The-Siege-of-1945_70304f|Festung Breslau Sites]]** - **Above-ground air-raid shelter** at ul. Ładna (now houses Wrocław Contemporary Museum), Soviet military cemeteries. City center demolished by Germans in 1945 to create airfield
  - **Hunting for Krasnale (Dwarf Statues)** - 600+ small bronze dwarfs scattered citywide - **originally symbol of Orange Alternative anti-communist resistance movement** (1980s), now beloved city symbol

=== Museums ===

  - **[[https://mnwr.pl/en/|National Museum]]** - Strong medieval Silesian art collection, some pieces relocated from Lviv (Ukraine) after 1945 population transfer
  - **[[https://halastulecia.pl/en/|Centennial Hall]]** - UNESCO modernist structure (1913) - survived WW2, largest dome in world when built

=== Unique Experiences ===

  - **Evening Gas Lamp Lighting** - Ostrów Tumski has dozens of gas lamps manually lit at dusk by lamplighter - atmospheric evening walk through cobbled medieval streets
  - **Your Friend's University** - Your friend teaches at University of Wrocław - excellent local insider for recommendations

===== Preparation =====

  * suit
  * shirt
  * socks
  * tie
  * pocket square
  * hair
  * beard
  * shoes

==== Suit ====

This grey looks nice.  I like the colour and rough texture.  The shirt and tie are too similar in colour to the suit.  I want something that pops.

{{:simon_space:jack_black_grey_suit_profile.jpg|}}

{{:simon_space:jack_black_grey_suit_rear.jpg|}}

I like the silver print interior of this suit.  The exterior is a bit too shiny.

{{:simon_space:jack_black_suit_interior.jpg|}}

{{:simon_space:jack_black_suit_quarter_rear.jpg|}}

==== Shirt ====

==== Socks ====

==== Tie ====

==== Pocket Square ====

==== Hair ====

==== Beard ====

{{:simon_space:jack_black_beard.jpg|}}

==== Shoes ====

{{ :simon_space:fluevog_administratrix.webp |}}

https://www.fluevog.com/shop/8232-administratrix-silver-jf-floral-emboss?anchor=true