Wednesday 21-10-15
We were up early to make sure we wouldn't miss our train from Brussels to Charles de Gaulle Airport. We boarded our fast train and Rob said I was going a bit over the top with double checking that we were on the correct train. Another man on the train who came from Mexico but spoke english seemed to be even more concerned than me. We stopped at Lille and he went to get off but luckily another man reassured him he was on the correct train to the Airport. A bit later a group of customs officers came into our carriage and checked who was with which bag etc. Rob noticed they all had guns and flack jackets. Of course the poor Mexican fellow had to produce his passport and then the officers searched his luggage. I think the poor guy was beside himself by the time they finished. They just asked us which bags were ours and smiled and walked on.
We arrived safely at Charles de Gaulle Airport and had plenty of time to spare. Our only downer here was that Rob had bought a package of very small wine bottles in the Rhine Valley for David. He had been carefully carrying them around in his backpack and must have forgot they were there so they were taken away from him when we went through security. Oh well, things could have been alot worse. Our flight home was pretty uneventful and Jas picked us up from the Adelaide airport at the end of this wonderful adventure.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Last real day of our holiday
Tuesday 20-10-15
We spent the last day of our holidays successfully navigating our way around Brussels using the Metro system. We caught the Metro to a place called Atomium. Here there was a very large structure that looked like an atom. It was originally built for the 1958 world expo. It was the Brussels exhibit and was meant to be pulled down soon after the expo but quickly became popular and so was left. By 2006 it had fell into disrepair so was totally renovated with new coverings on the spheres etc. A lift took us up to one of the higher spheres and here we had great views all over Brussels. We went down an escalator and here was information and displays about the World Expo of 1958 and it included models and photos of other countries buildings. Quite interesting! Another section included information about the initial building of the structure and then videos of the upgrade. After this adventure we visited a magnificent park located next to Atomium. It was Kings Park and had once been the site of the Expo in 1958. It was now full of beautiful deciduous trees that were gently loosing their Autumn leaves. There were terraces and hedges, lakes and trees pruned to different shapes too.
From here we took the Metro back to the main city centre and checked out a few things we had missed the day before including a female version of the little boy taking a pee fountain and also the Grand Palace. We had been told about a famous Belgium beer house called Delerium cafe and that it had the most number of beers on tap, anywhere in the world. We had a drink there before having a quick bite for tea and heading back to our B&B to repack ready for our trip home. We are taking the train from Brussels to Charles de Gaulle Airport, tomorrow in the morning and start our flight home in the afternoon.
We spent the last day of our holidays successfully navigating our way around Brussels using the Metro system. We caught the Metro to a place called Atomium. Here there was a very large structure that looked like an atom. It was originally built for the 1958 world expo. It was the Brussels exhibit and was meant to be pulled down soon after the expo but quickly became popular and so was left. By 2006 it had fell into disrepair so was totally renovated with new coverings on the spheres etc. A lift took us up to one of the higher spheres and here we had great views all over Brussels. We went down an escalator and here was information and displays about the World Expo of 1958 and it included models and photos of other countries buildings. Quite interesting! Another section included information about the initial building of the structure and then videos of the upgrade. After this adventure we visited a magnificent park located next to Atomium. It was Kings Park and had once been the site of the Expo in 1958. It was now full of beautiful deciduous trees that were gently loosing their Autumn leaves. There were terraces and hedges, lakes and trees pruned to different shapes too.
From here we took the Metro back to the main city centre and checked out a few things we had missed the day before including a female version of the little boy taking a pee fountain and also the Grand Palace. We had been told about a famous Belgium beer house called Delerium cafe and that it had the most number of beers on tap, anywhere in the world. We had a drink there before having a quick bite for tea and heading back to our B&B to repack ready for our trip home. We are taking the train from Brussels to Charles de Gaulle Airport, tomorrow in the morning and start our flight home in the afternoon.
To Brussels by train
Monday 19-10-15
We were sad to leave Ypres as it is a very beautiful and moving place but we needed to move so we were closer to our departure place of Charles de Gaulle Airport. We also had been told that there was a possibility of a train strike so we felt a bit apprehensive. Luckily the train strike was not going to affect the regional lines, only lines in Brussels. We made it safely to Brussels and checked the station out and purchased our tickets on the super fast train, for the airport on Wednesday. We went back to using Air B&B and picked a property out due to it's location. It's less than a 5 minute walk to the railway station. Our host is a lovely French woman, Valerie and she is the single mum of a gorgeous 13 month old boy. Her house is made up of two huge open rooms, one for us and the other with a lovley little kitchen, a bathroom and then a divider for her and her son's bedroom. It is very unusual but very comfortable. Valerie showed explained that most of the Brussels city centre and sights can easily be done by walking and she then gave us a map to borrow. We set off and visited some interesting places. Our first stop was a little disappointing as the magnificent Justice building was covered with scaffolding and there was alot of graffiti everywhere, even on some of the War Memorials. Our view was also marred by thick smog. Things improved dramatically as we visited many other areas of the city with well maintained and architecturally stunning buildings, particularly those in the market square. We had a lovely dinner in a restaurant that served mussels and Rob had been told to make sure he tried these. I had a paella with seafood including mussels and it was delicious. We returned to the market square after dinner to see the beautiful buildings all lit up. They were spectacular. We then found the famous Brussels fountain of the Little boy peeing. It is tiny and around this many of the shops sell Belgium chocolates and also replicas of the fountain. Some of the replicas are actually larger than the statue. All very funny over a small statue. We probably walked about 8 kilometres this afternoon but it did us good!
We were sad to leave Ypres as it is a very beautiful and moving place but we needed to move so we were closer to our departure place of Charles de Gaulle Airport. We also had been told that there was a possibility of a train strike so we felt a bit apprehensive. Luckily the train strike was not going to affect the regional lines, only lines in Brussels. We made it safely to Brussels and checked the station out and purchased our tickets on the super fast train, for the airport on Wednesday. We went back to using Air B&B and picked a property out due to it's location. It's less than a 5 minute walk to the railway station. Our host is a lovely French woman, Valerie and she is the single mum of a gorgeous 13 month old boy. Her house is made up of two huge open rooms, one for us and the other with a lovley little kitchen, a bathroom and then a divider for her and her son's bedroom. It is very unusual but very comfortable. Valerie showed explained that most of the Brussels city centre and sights can easily be done by walking and she then gave us a map to borrow. We set off and visited some interesting places. Our first stop was a little disappointing as the magnificent Justice building was covered with scaffolding and there was alot of graffiti everywhere, even on some of the War Memorials. Our view was also marred by thick smog. Things improved dramatically as we visited many other areas of the city with well maintained and architecturally stunning buildings, particularly those in the market square. We had a lovely dinner in a restaurant that served mussels and Rob had been told to make sure he tried these. I had a paella with seafood including mussels and it was delicious. We returned to the market square after dinner to see the beautiful buildings all lit up. They were spectacular. We then found the famous Brussels fountain of the Little boy peeing. It is tiny and around this many of the shops sell Belgium chocolates and also replicas of the fountain. Some of the replicas are actually larger than the statue. All very funny over a small statue. We probably walked about 8 kilometres this afternoon but it did us good!
Monday, October 19, 2015
Flanders Fields Experience...A day we won't forget
Sunday 18-10-15
We had booked into a small tour of the war cemeteries around the Ypres area. We met up with about another 10 people and joined our tour leader. We were split between 2 mini vans. There were 7 Australians and a family of 5 from UK. Our tour leader was both passionate and extremely interesting. He explained so much about WW1 in this area but I won't even attempt to summarize all that he told us. We visited an old clearing station, the site where John McCrae wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields" and of course many graves all at Essex Farm Cemetery. From there we went to a factory where in the middle of it they found trenches that once was the front line for the British and it's Allies. We visited a German Cemetery which had the graves of thousands of young German students who had been sent to the frontline with little training. We went to the Brooding soldier monument to the Canadians, many who were victims of the early gas attacks. We visited the largest Commonwealth Cemetery in the world, Tyne Cot Cemetery, at Passchendaele and once our guide knew he had quite a few Australians he took us to the monument for the Australian 5th Division and cemetary in Polygon Wood. This is the division my Great Uncle fought with. We saw thousands upon thousands of war grave of both the Allies and the Germans. It really was hard to comprehend and so many have not been identified although now with DNA technology more advances are being made in this area. We also visited a farm where our guide showed us the WW1 ammunition, artillery, guns, etc that are still coming to the surface as farmers plough their fields. We could not believe that 100 years on there is still so much here. When you consider that this area of Belgium saw 4 years of the most intense fighting I suppose it makes sense. When the farmers find something they call a special army number and depending on what has been discovered, it will be picked up in one hour, one day or one week. There are still fatalities each year as people find things and don't realise what they have found. Bones of soldiers are still being found too.
I think if you have the opportunity to visit this area you should do it because no matter what I write I cannot really describe accurately what has happened here. After this very moving and informative tour we went back to Ypres to visit the Flanders Field's Museum, in the magnificent Cloth Hall building. Most of this beautiful medieval building was destroyed in WW1 as was the whole town but it was faithfully rebuilt after the war. Again we were to experience a wonderful and moving time learning more about the war and viewing more interactive productions in this museum. We were also feeling fit and took the 231 extra steps up to the Belfry tower for a great view over Ypres and beyond.
We had booked into a small tour of the war cemeteries around the Ypres area. We met up with about another 10 people and joined our tour leader. We were split between 2 mini vans. There were 7 Australians and a family of 5 from UK. Our tour leader was both passionate and extremely interesting. He explained so much about WW1 in this area but I won't even attempt to summarize all that he told us. We visited an old clearing station, the site where John McCrae wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields" and of course many graves all at Essex Farm Cemetery. From there we went to a factory where in the middle of it they found trenches that once was the front line for the British and it's Allies. We visited a German Cemetery which had the graves of thousands of young German students who had been sent to the frontline with little training. We went to the Brooding soldier monument to the Canadians, many who were victims of the early gas attacks. We visited the largest Commonwealth Cemetery in the world, Tyne Cot Cemetery, at Passchendaele and once our guide knew he had quite a few Australians he took us to the monument for the Australian 5th Division and cemetary in Polygon Wood. This is the division my Great Uncle fought with. We saw thousands upon thousands of war grave of both the Allies and the Germans. It really was hard to comprehend and so many have not been identified although now with DNA technology more advances are being made in this area. We also visited a farm where our guide showed us the WW1 ammunition, artillery, guns, etc that are still coming to the surface as farmers plough their fields. We could not believe that 100 years on there is still so much here. When you consider that this area of Belgium saw 4 years of the most intense fighting I suppose it makes sense. When the farmers find something they call a special army number and depending on what has been discovered, it will be picked up in one hour, one day or one week. There are still fatalities each year as people find things and don't realise what they have found. Bones of soldiers are still being found too.
I think if you have the opportunity to visit this area you should do it because no matter what I write I cannot really describe accurately what has happened here. After this very moving and informative tour we went back to Ypres to visit the Flanders Field's Museum, in the magnificent Cloth Hall building. Most of this beautiful medieval building was destroyed in WW1 as was the whole town but it was faithfully rebuilt after the war. Again we were to experience a wonderful and moving time learning more about the war and viewing more interactive productions in this museum. We were also feeling fit and took the 231 extra steps up to the Belfry tower for a great view over Ypres and beyond.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Visit to Passchendaele 1917 Museum
Saturday 17-10-15
We had a sleep-in at our beautiful B&B and was greeted with a delicious sight for breakfast. Our host had made a compote of fresh berries crushed to a smooth consistency and yogurt. Rob even enjoyed this starter. It was followed by a pancake full of assorted berries. Freshly squeezed juice and coffee was also available. Besides all this, cheese, sliced meats, museli, different breads for toasting and jams were all set on the sideboard if you wanted. Rob and I managed a couple of slices of toast but we were quite full by the time we finished.
Every Saturday morning, the market square in Ypres comes alive with a variety of stalls and we walked down to explore these. Very large special trucks that turn into shops were everywhere. We'd never seen anything like them before. They included butcher, fish, cheese, fruit and veg shops etc. They had full refridgeration and display cabinets. Most of the local Ypres people do their weekly shopping here as food shops seem to be few and far between. There were also all the usual market stalls of jewelry, clothes, shoes and bags etc.
We were booked to take a mini bus to Zonnebeke to visit a museum dedicated to the many battles fought around this area from 1914 to 1918. We were so impressed with this museum and it took us a nearly 2 and 1/2 hours to go through all the displays. A large section was dedicated to the Passchendaele 1917 battles which my great Uncle was involved in. There was a whole section about the ANZACs and the battle of Menen Road, the battle he was killed in. We also were able to experience what the living conditions were like for the WW1 soldiers as they had constructed an underground bunker that you could walk through. We then found the trenches that once again you could walk through. Information about the different types of trenches built by different groups was shown and highlighted. Rob said it was one of the best museums he had been in so that is saying something. After this we had a quick bite to eat and then had to be back at the bus stop to once again be picked up by the mini bus. Once back in Ypres we decided to book a tour of the cemeteries and battlefields. We were lucky to get into one for tomorrow morning.
We had a sleep-in at our beautiful B&B and was greeted with a delicious sight for breakfast. Our host had made a compote of fresh berries crushed to a smooth consistency and yogurt. Rob even enjoyed this starter. It was followed by a pancake full of assorted berries. Freshly squeezed juice and coffee was also available. Besides all this, cheese, sliced meats, museli, different breads for toasting and jams were all set on the sideboard if you wanted. Rob and I managed a couple of slices of toast but we were quite full by the time we finished.
Every Saturday morning, the market square in Ypres comes alive with a variety of stalls and we walked down to explore these. Very large special trucks that turn into shops were everywhere. We'd never seen anything like them before. They included butcher, fish, cheese, fruit and veg shops etc. They had full refridgeration and display cabinets. Most of the local Ypres people do their weekly shopping here as food shops seem to be few and far between. There were also all the usual market stalls of jewelry, clothes, shoes and bags etc.
We were booked to take a mini bus to Zonnebeke to visit a museum dedicated to the many battles fought around this area from 1914 to 1918. We were so impressed with this museum and it took us a nearly 2 and 1/2 hours to go through all the displays. A large section was dedicated to the Passchendaele 1917 battles which my great Uncle was involved in. There was a whole section about the ANZACs and the battle of Menen Road, the battle he was killed in. We also were able to experience what the living conditions were like for the WW1 soldiers as they had constructed an underground bunker that you could walk through. We then found the trenches that once again you could walk through. Information about the different types of trenches built by different groups was shown and highlighted. Rob said it was one of the best museums he had been in so that is saying something. After this we had a quick bite to eat and then had to be back at the bus stop to once again be picked up by the mini bus. Once back in Ypres we decided to book a tour of the cemeteries and battlefields. We were lucky to get into one for tomorrow morning.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Saying goodbyes at Bruges and on our own now.
Friday 16-10-15
We had another early start leaving Amsterdam by 7 am on our way to Bruges in Belguim. Most of us managed a couple more hours sleep on the coach as we left the Netherlands and entered Belgium. We stopped at Bruges around11.15 am and we were given a couple of hours to have lunch and enjoy this beautiful medieval town, with more canals and churches. We couldn’t resist all the delicious Belgium chocolate shops and had to buy just a small amount of chocolate. Well our time had come to say goodbye to the many friends we'd made on this trip. It was sad as we had enjoyed an incredible 18 days with the group. As we headed for the Bruges railway station, the coach and the rest of the group headed back to London. We managed to purchase our tickets to get us to Ypres and found it easy to get a seat on the train even with our heavy cases. Unfortunately we had to change trains at a larger station and had 4 minutes to do this. We managed to quickly find the correct train and lug out suitcases up down and upstairs but when we got to the train it was completely full. It meant we had to wait an hour for the next train. Talking to a lovely Belarusian, he told us it was very busy because the Uni students all return from the bigger towns to their homes on Friday afternoons and that's what we struck. The next train arrived and we stormed on....our suitcases were a bit of a problem. Rob could fit his on the top rack but mine was too wide and so it took up isle space....oh well. I'm sure people thought silly Australians.
We finally arrived safely in Ypres. The people here are so helpful. While trying to find our B&B two different people came to our rescue without being asked. They both spoke perfect English. Our B&B here is beautiful and our host has been so helpful too. We walked to the Menin Gates and got there an hour and a quarter before the ceremony was due to begin. Our host had told us that it is always packed with people. Rob held our spot while I stated to try to find my Great Uncle's name on the gates. I thought I would probably need to come back in the daylight when I had more time as there are thousands of names to search through. Imagine my surprise when I looked at the wall opposite to where we were standing and saw Australian Infantry 5th Unit. In the last column of names, 2nd from the top under the list of privates, I saw Pelham, P. E. V. I was so excited to see his name, on the inside of the gates, high up above the area where the last post is performed every night. At 8pm the service began. 3 buglers played the last post and a young school girl then said the ode. Following this, the life story of an English soldier who was killed in this area in WW1 was read out. Students from about 6 schools went up in groups of about 4 and laid wreaths. It was a very moving ceremony. We are so pleased we have come to Ypres. It is another beautiful, medieval town that was rebuilt after WW1 to be exactly like it was before the war.
We had another early start leaving Amsterdam by 7 am on our way to Bruges in Belguim. Most of us managed a couple more hours sleep on the coach as we left the Netherlands and entered Belgium. We stopped at Bruges around11.15 am and we were given a couple of hours to have lunch and enjoy this beautiful medieval town, with more canals and churches. We couldn’t resist all the delicious Belgium chocolate shops and had to buy just a small amount of chocolate. Well our time had come to say goodbye to the many friends we'd made on this trip. It was sad as we had enjoyed an incredible 18 days with the group. As we headed for the Bruges railway station, the coach and the rest of the group headed back to London. We managed to purchase our tickets to get us to Ypres and found it easy to get a seat on the train even with our heavy cases. Unfortunately we had to change trains at a larger station and had 4 minutes to do this. We managed to quickly find the correct train and lug out suitcases up down and upstairs but when we got to the train it was completely full. It meant we had to wait an hour for the next train. Talking to a lovely Belarusian, he told us it was very busy because the Uni students all return from the bigger towns to their homes on Friday afternoons and that's what we struck. The next train arrived and we stormed on....our suitcases were a bit of a problem. Rob could fit his on the top rack but mine was too wide and so it took up isle space....oh well. I'm sure people thought silly Australians.
We finally arrived safely in Ypres. The people here are so helpful. While trying to find our B&B two different people came to our rescue without being asked. They both spoke perfect English. Our B&B here is beautiful and our host has been so helpful too. We walked to the Menin Gates and got there an hour and a quarter before the ceremony was due to begin. Our host had told us that it is always packed with people. Rob held our spot while I stated to try to find my Great Uncle's name on the gates. I thought I would probably need to come back in the daylight when I had more time as there are thousands of names to search through. Imagine my surprise when I looked at the wall opposite to where we were standing and saw Australian Infantry 5th Unit. In the last column of names, 2nd from the top under the list of privates, I saw Pelham, P. E. V. I was so excited to see his name, on the inside of the gates, high up above the area where the last post is performed every night. At 8pm the service began. 3 buglers played the last post and a young school girl then said the ode. Following this, the life story of an English soldier who was killed in this area in WW1 was read out. Students from about 6 schools went up in groups of about 4 and laid wreaths. It was a very moving ceremony. We are so pleased we have come to Ypres. It is another beautiful, medieval town that was rebuilt after WW1 to be exactly like it was before the war.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
More fun in Amsterdam
Thursday 15-10-15
We had a sleep-in and the coach took us back into the main part of Amsterdam. Some of the boys had booked a Heineken tour and some of the girls were doing the Van Gogh museum. We were dropped off at central station and then had to work out which tram to get to the area where the museums were. We managed to do this and as we had a little time to spare we visit the gardens outside the Rijks museum. We loved the having fun at the fountain. The boys thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Heineken tour and the girls loved the Van Gogh museum so everyone was happy. Unfortunately the rain continued in the afternoon but it didn’t stop us from doing a bit of shopping and doing a revisit of the red-light district to see what it was like during the day. When the rain got too much we could always stop for a drink or two. We had an early tea and returned on the train to dry out and prepare for our last day on the tour.
We had a sleep-in and the coach took us back into the main part of Amsterdam. Some of the boys had booked a Heineken tour and some of the girls were doing the Van Gogh museum. We were dropped off at central station and then had to work out which tram to get to the area where the museums were. We managed to do this and as we had a little time to spare we visit the gardens outside the Rijks museum. We loved the having fun at the fountain. The boys thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Heineken tour and the girls loved the Van Gogh museum so everyone was happy. Unfortunately the rain continued in the afternoon but it didn’t stop us from doing a bit of shopping and doing a revisit of the red-light district to see what it was like during the day. When the rain got too much we could always stop for a drink or two. We had an early tea and returned on the train to dry out and prepare for our last day on the tour.
Whatever the weather....to Amsterdam
Wednesday 14-10-15
It finally happened. After all our travelling in what has been beautiful weather, it finally deserted us today but in saying that there was a bonus. We left our Rhine Valley town in Germany early in the morning in light rain. It was also pretty cold but that did not worry us on the coach. After and hour or so the rain had changed to snow and we were driving through beautiful scenery of freshly fallen snow on trees and in nearby paddocks. It was so pretty!
On our journey to Amsterdam we stopped off at a farm and were treated to a great demonstration of clog making. These strange Dutch shoes used to be made by hand but now they are made by machine. The wood used is poplar. It was so entertaining as the farmer demonstrating was such a comedian and he had chosen one of the group to help him. The man chosen from our group was called Krishna and is 69 years old, from India. Think.....Indian Mr. Bean and you have the picture! The farmer's wife then took us into the cheese making room and went througt the processes used to make cheese and also explained what they added to make different varieties. We then could taste some of the cheeses. We really enjoyed both of these demonstrations. We purchased some cheese which was cryo wrapped and certified so it will get though customs.
On our way to our hotel we visited a 400 year old working windmill for some cheesey pictures. We are staying at a beautiful hotel for the next two nights. It's run by the Hilton group so it's the best we've been in all trip. Once we'd checked in and had a short break we were taken into the main part of Amsterdam for a canal cruise and dinner on board. This was wonderful and great fun. The cruise and dinner were included in our trip but most of us paid extra for a drinks package too. Everyone was ticking over pretty well and once the cruise was over Ben, our tour leader took most of us on a walking tour of the "red light" district. It was such a "eye-opener" for us but fun as well. The area is a huge tourist attraction and the streets were crowded with people. Ben was very entertaining and told us much about the history of the red light area. He also said that if we wanted a coffee not to go to a coffee shop as they sold different types of marijuana which is legal here. At a cafe we would get coffee. We could smell the marijuana in the air. After all this fun we took the train back to our hotel.
It finally happened. After all our travelling in what has been beautiful weather, it finally deserted us today but in saying that there was a bonus. We left our Rhine Valley town in Germany early in the morning in light rain. It was also pretty cold but that did not worry us on the coach. After and hour or so the rain had changed to snow and we were driving through beautiful scenery of freshly fallen snow on trees and in nearby paddocks. It was so pretty!
On our journey to Amsterdam we stopped off at a farm and were treated to a great demonstration of clog making. These strange Dutch shoes used to be made by hand but now they are made by machine. The wood used is poplar. It was so entertaining as the farmer demonstrating was such a comedian and he had chosen one of the group to help him. The man chosen from our group was called Krishna and is 69 years old, from India. Think.....Indian Mr. Bean and you have the picture! The farmer's wife then took us into the cheese making room and went througt the processes used to make cheese and also explained what they added to make different varieties. We then could taste some of the cheeses. We really enjoyed both of these demonstrations. We purchased some cheese which was cryo wrapped and certified so it will get though customs.
On our way to our hotel we visited a 400 year old working windmill for some cheesey pictures. We are staying at a beautiful hotel for the next two nights. It's run by the Hilton group so it's the best we've been in all trip. Once we'd checked in and had a short break we were taken into the main part of Amsterdam for a canal cruise and dinner on board. This was wonderful and great fun. The cruise and dinner were included in our trip but most of us paid extra for a drinks package too. Everyone was ticking over pretty well and once the cruise was over Ben, our tour leader took most of us on a walking tour of the "red light" district. It was such a "eye-opener" for us but fun as well. The area is a huge tourist attraction and the streets were crowded with people. Ben was very entertaining and told us much about the history of the red light area. He also said that if we wanted a coffee not to go to a coffee shop as they sold different types of marijuana which is legal here. At a cafe we would get coffee. We could smell the marijuana in the air. After all this fun we took the train back to our hotel.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Welcome to Germany
Tuesday 13-10-15
Today we were on the bus early once again and made good headway, leaving Switzerland and entering Germany. At our first services stop we noticed that things were a lot cheaper and we were now back to using eros. Things are pretty high tech in Germany.....at this stop the toilet seat is automatically cleaned after you use it. Rob was so impressed he recorded it on his phone! We had a stop at a lovely little town on the Rhine and went to a shop where we heard all about the history of the cuckoo clocks and saw many beautiful clocks that we could buy if we wanted to. We also went to a beer stein shop and learnt the history and manufacturing process. After this we had a wonderful boat cruise along the Rhine river. We passed so many castles and beautiful churches. We also saw many vineyards situated on very steep hills of up to 45 degrees which we thought was very unusual. The cruise went for an hour and was very enjoyable. After our cruise we had a wine-tasting session in a small shop and learnt about German wines in the Rhine valley region. From here it was on to our hotel in the quiet German village of Weiland. At dinner, we were again treated to a shared group meal and it was delicous.
Today we were on the bus early once again and made good headway, leaving Switzerland and entering Germany. At our first services stop we noticed that things were a lot cheaper and we were now back to using eros. Things are pretty high tech in Germany.....at this stop the toilet seat is automatically cleaned after you use it. Rob was so impressed he recorded it on his phone! We had a stop at a lovely little town on the Rhine and went to a shop where we heard all about the history of the cuckoo clocks and saw many beautiful clocks that we could buy if we wanted to. We also went to a beer stein shop and learnt the history and manufacturing process. After this we had a wonderful boat cruise along the Rhine river. We passed so many castles and beautiful churches. We also saw many vineyards situated on very steep hills of up to 45 degrees which we thought was very unusual. The cruise went for an hour and was very enjoyable. After our cruise we had a wine-tasting session in a small shop and learnt about German wines in the Rhine valley region. From here it was on to our hotel in the quiet German village of Weiland. At dinner, we were again treated to a shared group meal and it was delicous.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Unforgettable Day No. 2 Top day at the top of Europe
Monday 12-10-15
To be quite honest we didn't think anything could beat the spectacular scenery of yesterday but today topped it and it will be something that will stay with us. We had paid quite a bit to take a scenic train ride from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe but it was worth every cent and more. The train ride was stunning and we stopped several times to change trains and take pictures. Some in our group struggled a little with the altitude but we were fine. The facilities at the top were amazing and we tried to fit in as many as we could. We were 3454 metres above sea level. We visited the Sphinx which gave us a stunning view of the snow capped mountains and views to France, Germany and Italy. Again we were blessed with amazing weather, clear blue skies which doesn't happen that often so high up. We visited an ice cave cut in the glacier which had beautiful ice sculptures and also did a walk along an escalator which showed and interactive production about the building of the railway and the history of this area. There was a Lindt chocolate shop that had many interesting and again interactive displays and of course we had to buy some chocolates at the end. Rob was feeling very generous and I was in need of a new watch so he insisted I get a Swiss watch from the shop. I purchased a beautiful Tissot watch which had an engraving on the back to say it had been bought from Jungfrau.
After a quick bite to eat we headed out to the fun park where we both did some "tubing". Sitting in a big rubber tube and sliding down the slope. Great fun. Unfortunately our time at the top finished all to soon and we had to take the train back down to Interlaken. We were back in the town by 5.15pm, just in time for drinks!
Monday, October 12, 2015
An unforgettable day going through the Swiss Alps
Sunday 11-10-15
Each day we wake up thinking that nothing can beat the previous day's adventures but once again it has happened and on a day when we thought we'd be just driving from one place to another. We left Venice around 7.30 am and drove towards Switzerland. We had experienced the "Italian" way of efficiency eg when you want a particular dish at a road stop you go and look at what you might want then go to another place and tell the cashier who takes your money and gives you a ticket with the order that you then take back to the food counter and give to the first person you saw when you were choosing your food. They even do this for coffee! It was nice to know that the Swiss were far more normal and efficient at their very busy road stops! We had another change of currency to Swiss francs as Switzerland does not use the eros.
As we got closer to the Swiss border the scenery started to change. It became more mountainous with lush green valleys. We passed the beautiful Lake Como, apparently made famous by George Clooney because he likes to visit the area for holidays. Once we were in Switzerland the scenery became even more spectacular. We were very lucky as the storm is that I had mentioned about earlier, that flooded the French Riviera also had dumped alot of snow on the Swiss Alps. We were so lucky as we had a perfect day with clear skies and no wind. This meant that the Interlaken Pass was open for traffic and not blocked by snow. Our brilliant coach driver was happy to take us on this route. It is so difficult to describe the brilliant scenery from snow capped mountains, to fast flowing waterfalls, crystal clear lakes, trees in their beautiful Autumn colours etc etc. Hopefully you will get some idea from the photos. We had started the day in Venice at sea level and rose to 2,300 metres above sea level. Around every corner there was a postcard picture.....just stunning. We are staying in Interlaken for the next 2 nights and it is a delightful town, located between 2 lakes. Out of our room's window you can see the mountains with the snow capped peaks in the background. Out of the sitting room's window just near our room you can see a lake. We had another enjoyable, group meal at dinner time, with a Swiss flavour to it, topping off an unforgettable day.
Each day we wake up thinking that nothing can beat the previous day's adventures but once again it has happened and on a day when we thought we'd be just driving from one place to another. We left Venice around 7.30 am and drove towards Switzerland. We had experienced the "Italian" way of efficiency eg when you want a particular dish at a road stop you go and look at what you might want then go to another place and tell the cashier who takes your money and gives you a ticket with the order that you then take back to the food counter and give to the first person you saw when you were choosing your food. They even do this for coffee! It was nice to know that the Swiss were far more normal and efficient at their very busy road stops! We had another change of currency to Swiss francs as Switzerland does not use the eros.
As we got closer to the Swiss border the scenery started to change. It became more mountainous with lush green valleys. We passed the beautiful Lake Como, apparently made famous by George Clooney because he likes to visit the area for holidays. Once we were in Switzerland the scenery became even more spectacular. We were very lucky as the storm is that I had mentioned about earlier, that flooded the French Riviera also had dumped alot of snow on the Swiss Alps. We were so lucky as we had a perfect day with clear skies and no wind. This meant that the Interlaken Pass was open for traffic and not blocked by snow. Our brilliant coach driver was happy to take us on this route. It is so difficult to describe the brilliant scenery from snow capped mountains, to fast flowing waterfalls, crystal clear lakes, trees in their beautiful Autumn colours etc etc. Hopefully you will get some idea from the photos. We had started the day in Venice at sea level and rose to 2,300 metres above sea level. Around every corner there was a postcard picture.....just stunning. We are staying in Interlaken for the next 2 nights and it is a delightful town, located between 2 lakes. Out of our room's window you can see the mountains with the snow capped peaks in the background. Out of the sitting room's window just near our room you can see a lake. We had another enjoyable, group meal at dinner time, with a Swiss flavour to it, topping off an unforgettable day.
Wonderful day in Venice
Saturday 10-10-15
Today we set off on the tram around 9.15 am for a day in Venice. Ben took us on a 2 hour walk around Venice and its beautiful canals. We had so many highligts it's difficult to remember them all. We visited St Marks Basilica, Rialto Bridge, Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore and explored the canals and shopping areas, down the tiny narrow streets. Our group met up again at 12 midday to go on a fantastic gondola ride through some of the canals. There were six of us on our gondola and we were the more senior group and may have been the more weightier group too.....so I don’t think our gondalier was too happy. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves but the gondalier didn't say a word so no tip for him. By the time we had finished this we were ready for some lunch. We were really keen to find the great pizza place Ben took us to last night as we were so happy with the €5 meal deal. Well if you know anything about Venice, every canal and lane-way looks the same but we were determined. After about 40 minutes of walking and back-tracking and a bit of shopping, we rejoiced when we found our pizza man. Once again a huge slice of delicious pizza, a drink and 2 scoops of gelati was consumed with smiles on our face. The owner thought we'd done a great job finding our way back to his shop.
After lunch we decided to by a 24 water-bus pass to see more of the area around Venice. Our first stop was the island of Murano, famous for the elegant glass-blown products. Well the women in the group went mad with excitement at the beautiful glass. More shopping! We took the water bus back to the main part of Venice and spent the rest of the late afternoon walking and shopping. After a late, light dinner we walked back to the tram terminal to head back to the hotel. It was an amazing and beautiful day and one we won't forget.
Today we set off on the tram around 9.15 am for a day in Venice. Ben took us on a 2 hour walk around Venice and its beautiful canals. We had so many highligts it's difficult to remember them all. We visited St Marks Basilica, Rialto Bridge, Basilica San Giorgio Maggiore and explored the canals and shopping areas, down the tiny narrow streets. Our group met up again at 12 midday to go on a fantastic gondola ride through some of the canals. There were six of us on our gondola and we were the more senior group and may have been the more weightier group too.....so I don’t think our gondalier was too happy. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves but the gondalier didn't say a word so no tip for him. By the time we had finished this we were ready for some lunch. We were really keen to find the great pizza place Ben took us to last night as we were so happy with the €5 meal deal. Well if you know anything about Venice, every canal and lane-way looks the same but we were determined. After about 40 minutes of walking and back-tracking and a bit of shopping, we rejoiced when we found our pizza man. Once again a huge slice of delicious pizza, a drink and 2 scoops of gelati was consumed with smiles on our face. The owner thought we'd done a great job finding our way back to his shop.
After lunch we decided to by a 24 water-bus pass to see more of the area around Venice. Our first stop was the island of Murano, famous for the elegant glass-blown products. Well the women in the group went mad with excitement at the beautiful glass. More shopping! We took the water bus back to the main part of Venice and spent the rest of the late afternoon walking and shopping. After a late, light dinner we walked back to the tram terminal to head back to the hotel. It was an amazing and beautiful day and one we won't forget.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
To Venice via beautiful Siena
Friday 9-10-15
We had a lazy start to the morning as our driver was not allowed to start driving until he'd had his required 45 hour break so we left at 9.45am. Everyone appreciated it and it meant we could have a bit of a sleep in. We drove on to the beautiful stop at Siena. Unfortunately in Italy, whenever you stop in a town you must pay a tax. Ben thinks it's run by the Mafia but Rob saw it as a parking payment. We had real difficulty finding the place to pay but finally we did. We walked into the heart of Siena and it took about 15 minutes. It is stunningly, beautiful renaissance town with old buildings and a magnificent square in the centre that occasionally hosts a horse race. ( The square is paved so they would have to truck in loads of sand for the race but we did see some photos.) Siena is another place I would love to go back to and spend a few days exploring. Still we were lucky to have seen what we did. We had lunch as we walked around and fimished with gelarti...a speciality of Italy.
We were back on the bus at 4pm ready to continue on to Venice. We made it into Venice around 8.15pm and dropped our bags into our room. Our tour guide had offered to take us into Venice for a pizza dinner and introduction to the city, in the evening. We were more than happy to do this. We took a tram into Venice and although it was dark it was just as beautiful as I had imagined. It was a perfect still night with very few tourists around and the canals and lighting was such a treat. Ben took us to the pizza place and we had the most delicious pizza slice, a drink (soft drink or beer) and 2 scoops of gelati ice-cream. All for €5. It was one of the best pizzas we'd had in our lives. It was great to walk around the islands and canals with absolutely no traffic, including bikes. Everything is that is in the town is bought in by boat on the canals and then carted on hand carts. Of course everything has to be taken off like that too.
We had a lazy start to the morning as our driver was not allowed to start driving until he'd had his required 45 hour break so we left at 9.45am. Everyone appreciated it and it meant we could have a bit of a sleep in. We drove on to the beautiful stop at Siena. Unfortunately in Italy, whenever you stop in a town you must pay a tax. Ben thinks it's run by the Mafia but Rob saw it as a parking payment. We had real difficulty finding the place to pay but finally we did. We walked into the heart of Siena and it took about 15 minutes. It is stunningly, beautiful renaissance town with old buildings and a magnificent square in the centre that occasionally hosts a horse race. ( The square is paved so they would have to truck in loads of sand for the race but we did see some photos.) Siena is another place I would love to go back to and spend a few days exploring. Still we were lucky to have seen what we did. We had lunch as we walked around and fimished with gelarti...a speciality of Italy.
We were back on the bus at 4pm ready to continue on to Venice. We made it into Venice around 8.15pm and dropped our bags into our room. Our tour guide had offered to take us into Venice for a pizza dinner and introduction to the city, in the evening. We were more than happy to do this. We took a tram into Venice and although it was dark it was just as beautiful as I had imagined. It was a perfect still night with very few tourists around and the canals and lighting was such a treat. Ben took us to the pizza place and we had the most delicious pizza slice, a drink (soft drink or beer) and 2 scoops of gelati ice-cream. All for €5. It was one of the best pizzas we'd had in our lives. It was great to walk around the islands and canals with absolutely no traffic, including bikes. Everything is that is in the town is bought in by boat on the canals and then carted on hand carts. Of course everything has to be taken off like that too.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Roaming around Rome
Thursday 8-10-15
We were up early today for a 7am meeting with the group and Ben. We were heading to the Vatican for a guided tour and an early start meant the crowds would not be so bad. It did mean we were in peak hour for the public transport but Ben was confident it would be fine. We caught a bus to the train terminal. When the bus pulled up it already looked full. Well another 30 of us had to squeeze on. We were packed on with no room to move. There was no way you could validate your ticket . Luckily the train ride, although busy was not quite so bad. The Vatican tour was brilliant. Our tour guide took us to areas that the general public didn't go into as well as helping us by-pass the long queues. She gave us special insight into some of the great artists and the masterpieces housed in the Vatican. I think like everyone, the Sistine chapel was the highlight but it really was hard to pick.
Following our tour we met Ben in St Peters and hopped on a train to the Spanish Steps. Here we had time to shop and stop for a bite to eat before meeting our walking tour guide for the city of Rome. She was an Italian woman and very passionate about her job but unfortunately although she could speak English she had a very heavy accent and you had to really concentrate to understand her. She also went into too much detail about everything. Still we did manage to see all the highlights including the Spanish Steps (under renovation), the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain (under renovation), Roman forum and many others finishing up at the Colosseum.
After our 3 hour afternoon walk we were feeling pretty tried and so we found a great little cafe where the boys had 1 litre glasses of beer. They were very happy. We met up with some of the rest of the group who had been doing their own thing for the day and they joined us for dinner. More beer was consumed. After dinner we walked around the Colosseum as it was lit up. We went for a short walk back to the Forum as our guide had told us it was lit up at night but it wasn't. Time to go home. A trip on train and bus with some people who were desperate for a loo was quite entertaining.
We were up early today for a 7am meeting with the group and Ben. We were heading to the Vatican for a guided tour and an early start meant the crowds would not be so bad. It did mean we were in peak hour for the public transport but Ben was confident it would be fine. We caught a bus to the train terminal. When the bus pulled up it already looked full. Well another 30 of us had to squeeze on. We were packed on with no room to move. There was no way you could validate your ticket . Luckily the train ride, although busy was not quite so bad. The Vatican tour was brilliant. Our tour guide took us to areas that the general public didn't go into as well as helping us by-pass the long queues. She gave us special insight into some of the great artists and the masterpieces housed in the Vatican. I think like everyone, the Sistine chapel was the highlight but it really was hard to pick.
Following our tour we met Ben in St Peters and hopped on a train to the Spanish Steps. Here we had time to shop and stop for a bite to eat before meeting our walking tour guide for the city of Rome. She was an Italian woman and very passionate about her job but unfortunately although she could speak English she had a very heavy accent and you had to really concentrate to understand her. She also went into too much detail about everything. Still we did manage to see all the highlights including the Spanish Steps (under renovation), the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain (under renovation), Roman forum and many others finishing up at the Colosseum.
After our 3 hour afternoon walk we were feeling pretty tried and so we found a great little cafe where the boys had 1 litre glasses of beer. They were very happy. We met up with some of the rest of the group who had been doing their own thing for the day and they joined us for dinner. More beer was consumed. After dinner we walked around the Colosseum as it was lit up. We went for a short walk back to the Forum as our guide had told us it was lit up at night but it wasn't. Time to go home. A trip on train and bus with some people who were desperate for a loo was quite entertaining.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Rome and rain!
Wednesday 7-10-15
We left Montebello early in the morning and were hoping for about 4 hours of driving to get to Rome. Unfortunately we were delayed due to our lovely tour leader, Ben loosing or having had stolen, a large amount of money and his bank cards. The coach driver did some backtracking to a place where Ben had to pay a tax for all of us to enter Italy in the vein hope the money may have been there but unfortunately it was not to be. There had been a thunderstorm during the night and the rain started following us to Rome. We stopped for a break and was treated to a lightning and thunderstorm show while having coffee. When we arrived at our hotel around 1pm the thunderstorms continued and unloading our suitcases from the bus had to be done in the pouring rain. We were to do a walking tour of Rome in afternoon but it was canceled due to the rain. We were lucky though as our hotel is very nice and right next door to a large shopping centre with a great food court and many high end Italian shops. Most of us spent the afternoon here before returning to the hotel for a magnificent group Italian dinner. We will be doing both a Vatican City tour tomorrow, followed by our Rome walking tour.
We left Montebello early in the morning and were hoping for about 4 hours of driving to get to Rome. Unfortunately we were delayed due to our lovely tour leader, Ben loosing or having had stolen, a large amount of money and his bank cards. The coach driver did some backtracking to a place where Ben had to pay a tax for all of us to enter Italy in the vein hope the money may have been there but unfortunately it was not to be. There had been a thunderstorm during the night and the rain started following us to Rome. We stopped for a break and was treated to a lightning and thunderstorm show while having coffee. When we arrived at our hotel around 1pm the thunderstorms continued and unloading our suitcases from the bus had to be done in the pouring rain. We were to do a walking tour of Rome in afternoon but it was canceled due to the rain. We were lucky though as our hotel is very nice and right next door to a large shopping centre with a great food court and many high end Italian shops. Most of us spent the afternoon here before returning to the hotel for a magnificent group Italian dinner. We will be doing both a Vatican City tour tomorrow, followed by our Rome walking tour.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Tuscany, Pisa, Florence
Tuesday 6-10-15
I haven't written much about our tour group but I think we have been so lucky with all the people on tour. Our tour leader is a young (31) man from Australia. He is doing his last tour before returning to Australia to settle down after spending the last 8 years traveling the world. He's been working with this tour group for about 2 years. We have about 35 people in our group and from all over the world, New Zealand, South Africa, USA, Cuba, UK, Dubai, Philippines, India, 
Our accommodation has been in Ibis budget hotels and has been very comfortable. The only thing people have complained about is that there are no kettles in the rooms but to be honest for 3 star it's fine. All the dinners that have been included in the trip (and we've had 3 out 7) have been excellent. Most other nights we've been able to buy nice meals close-by to our hotel.
Today we've driven from Cannes through to Tuscany. We followed the coastline line down and I didn't realise how mountainous this area was. We went through many tunnels, through mountains and over bridges that spanned the valleys. In many of the valleys were towns. We stopped off at the leaning tower of Pisa and took the very touristy photos.
We travelled on to the beautiful city of Florence in the Tuscan region of Italy. Here we were met by a lovely Italian lady who was to be our guide on a walking tour of Florence. What a beautiful city this is and it's history as being the centre of the Renaissance makes it even more interesting. To see places where Michaelangelo trained and lived as well as Leonardo da Vinci was astounding. We learnt much from our guide as we walked around the main pedestrian area of Florence and I really would love to return here one day and stay longer. After our walk we returned to the coach and took a 45 minute journey to our accommodation at Hotel Montebello in Tuscany arriving at 8.15pm. We had booked in to have a 5 course Tuscan feast at the hotel and were not disappointed! We started as soon as we had checked in. A delicious way to finish a busy day.
Fun day in Cannes and a trip to Monaco
Monday 5-10-15
Today was a free day in Cannes with a free bus trip offered to Monaco in the late afternoon. We set off around 10am to walk into the centre of Cannes. It took about 45 minutes at a fairly easy pace and a bonus was that it was all downhill. On the way we saw evidence of the terrible flooding with some shop - keepers busy cleaning out the mud and water from their shops. We walked down to the water front and harbour area and saw the most amazing aray of very expensive yachts and cruising boats.
The Cannes film festival was still going on and the centre where they screen all the new movie releases is down near this area right at the harbour. It was packed with people, many dressed very smartly and of course there was the odd celebrity. We found the "red carpet" which ran along a path next to the beach and then up to the buildings. We also discoved pavers that had the hand prints and signatures of famous actors. We had a quick bite to eat and tried to find an ATM that was working. We didn’t need any money but a couple in our group did. Many ATMs were not working due to the floods and there were long cues near those that were. After successfully completing this task we went on an open carriage tour of all of the Cannes area. This was only €10 and well worth the money as it had a great audio about the history of Cannes including where the celebrities had stayed etc and took us high up a hill to get a great view. We had to return to our hotel in time to take the free tour to Monaco so we headed back and decided to take a bus. We went to pay but the bus driver waved us through as due the state of emergency caused by the floods (and no rail service) all the buses were free. We saw one street that had been blocked off that had obviously been flooded because the had beeen cars all pushed up against each other and were all arranged higgledy-piggledy.
Back at the hotel we freshend up and the boarded the coach for our trip to Monaco. Monaco is
the 2nd to smallest country with the Vatican being the smallest. Our tour leader said Monaco is 2 square miles and 38,000 people live there. Monte-Carlo, the capital seems to take all the space. So much wealth in such a small country. Beautiful high-rise buildings, amazing coastline and hills, fantastic sports cars everywhere. Our coach driver, Stuart is from Scotland and does an amazing job of manouvreing our coach around the narrow steep roads. Stuart took us on the scenic route through Nice and along the coastline. It was a wonderful trip. Once we arrived in Monte-Carlo we headed for the famous casino. Sports cars lined the entrance! We paid €10 to go inside as tourists have to do this. I don't
understand how they thought we were tourists and not high rollers. The inside of the casino is very luxurious with gold everywhere and chandeliers hanging. We spent €10 on the pokies just to say we had! We had to be back on the coach to
head back to Cannes by 8.30pm and seeing we didn't have a big win we didn't venture to the very expensive restaurant near-by but went to McDonald's instead. Saying that, the McDonald's was on the ocean front and as we sat down for our meal, fireworks were being let off over the ocean. It was stunning and our meal satisfied us.
Today was a free day in Cannes with a free bus trip offered to Monaco in the late afternoon. We set off around 10am to walk into the centre of Cannes. It took about 45 minutes at a fairly easy pace and a bonus was that it was all downhill. On the way we saw evidence of the terrible flooding with some shop - keepers busy cleaning out the mud and water from their shops. We walked down to the water front and harbour area and saw the most amazing aray of very expensive yachts and cruising boats. 
Back at the hotel we freshend up and the boarded the coach for our trip to Monaco. Monaco is
Barcelona to French Riviera
Sunday 4-10-15
We were up pretty early to board the coach but it was pretty easy leaving Barcelona as it appeared not many people were up at 7am on a Sunday morning. We travelled back into France heading for Cannes. We stopped at a beautiful little town on the way called Arles. This city like many we have visited had quite a few remnants from the Roman empire, including a beautiful amphitheatre. We were able to go in this amphitheatre and explore. Although bull fighting is banned in Spain it is still going on in France and in fact, there was to be a bull fight next Sunday. The amphitheatre is still used for concerts and bull-fighting. We wandered around the lovely narrow streets of this town with many people sitting out at cafés. Van Gogh spent alot of time in this area painting and you were able to buy many souvenirs in the little shops. I couldn’t resist and bought another t-shirt......as the warm weather continues.
We continued on towards Cannes. On the way our tour leader, Ben told us that there had been some very bad storms in this area the previous night with flash flooding. A state of emergency was declared and people were missing and at least 7 were dead. We were lucky however that we could still get into Cannes without too much trouble although we did see evidence of the flooding. Before checking into our hotel we visited a French perfumery where we had a wonderful presenter who explained to us all the processes it takes to craft finr French perfume. Of course at the end we could sample some of the perfumes and some of us bought some.....well most of the women on the bus and some of the men! The fun did not end there. We were all given a little bottle and then 10 different fragrance bottles eg vanilla, lemon grass, jasmine etc. We then could "create" our own perfume. Well some smelt like toilet deodoriser but some creations were quite nice.
We were up pretty early to board the coach but it was pretty easy leaving Barcelona as it appeared not many people were up at 7am on a Sunday morning. We travelled back into France heading for Cannes. We stopped at a beautiful little town on the way called Arles. This city like many we have visited had quite a few remnants from the Roman empire, including a beautiful amphitheatre. We were able to go in this amphitheatre and explore. Although bull fighting is banned in Spain it is still going on in France and in fact, there was to be a bull fight next Sunday. The amphitheatre is still used for concerts and bull-fighting. We wandered around the lovely narrow streets of this town with many people sitting out at cafés. Van Gogh spent alot of time in this area painting and you were able to buy many souvenirs in the little shops. I couldn’t resist and bought another t-shirt......as the warm weather continues.
We continued on towards Cannes. On the way our tour leader, Ben told us that there had been some very bad storms in this area the previous night with flash flooding. A state of emergency was declared and people were missing and at least 7 were dead. We were lucky however that we could still get into Cannes without too much trouble although we did see evidence of the flooding. Before checking into our hotel we visited a French perfumery where we had a wonderful presenter who explained to us all the processes it takes to craft finr French perfume. Of course at the end we could sample some of the perfumes and some of us bought some.....well most of the women on the bus and some of the men! The fun did not end there. We were all given a little bottle and then 10 different fragrance bottles eg vanilla, lemon grass, jasmine etc. We then could "create" our own perfume. Well some smelt like toilet deodoriser but some creations were quite nice.
Saturday 3-10-15
We had a slow start to the day which may have been a result of one too many beers and sangrias. We had bought a multi-ticket for the trains and took a trip down to the beach front and harbour area. We spent some time looking at the huge boats and ships and then decided to take the Funicular over the harbour and to a high point of the city. In hindsight we may not have done this as it took so long. First we had to line up to buy a ticket. Then we had to line up to take the lift up to the Funicular and then we had to line up again to get on the Funicular. There were only 2 gondolas running so it was quite a wait. The views were spectacular but we took the trip over and then returned straight away rather than go on up to the second Funicular. We walked back along the water front and then found a place for lunch. We had delicious tapas. We then did a quick walk along the main shopping street of Barcelona. We have had beautiful warm weather and we did not pack enough t-shirts so we both needed to buy one. Barcelona is a lovely city with wide streets and it also has the architecture and symmetry of Paris. It also is cleaner than Paris.
After our purchases we headed back to our accommodation to find a laundromat. We had done some washing the pervious night and it was not dry. We found one close to the hotel. When we went in we put our things in a dryer and a lovely man came up to try to explain that the machine would not do our washing. Unfortunately he could not speak english and we could not speak Spanish. The only way we could explain we only needed the dryer was to get him to feel our wet washing. He then smiled and understood. The Spanish people seem to be much happier, friendlier and a bit more lay back than the French. After finishing the drying we headed off to the "Font Magica de Montjuic " or magic fountain. We took a train to the fountain and arrived around 7.45pm. There were many people gathering around, taking up vantage points so we thought the display would start soon. The crowd kept growing but we had a great spot right in front of the fountain. Finally the show started at 8.50pm but it was well worth the wait. The fountain was lit up in a ray of beautiful ever-changing colours while the streams of water were forced up in different patterns at an incredible rate. This was all done to music. It was like the music and fireworks shows we've seen but much better. We've never seen anything like this in our lives. The show went for about 20 minutes and it was free. We returned back to our hotel around 11 pm after stopping for a lovely dinner (tapas again)
We had a slow start to the day which may have been a result of one too many beers and sangrias. We had bought a multi-ticket for the trains and took a trip down to the beach front and harbour area. We spent some time looking at the huge boats and ships and then decided to take the Funicular over the harbour and to a high point of the city. In hindsight we may not have done this as it took so long. First we had to line up to buy a ticket. Then we had to line up to take the lift up to the Funicular and then we had to line up again to get on the Funicular. There were only 2 gondolas running so it was quite a wait. The views were spectacular but we took the trip over and then returned straight away rather than go on up to the second Funicular. We walked back along the water front and then found a place for lunch. We had delicious tapas. We then did a quick walk along the main shopping street of Barcelona. We have had beautiful warm weather and we did not pack enough t-shirts so we both needed to buy one. Barcelona is a lovely city with wide streets and it also has the architecture and symmetry of Paris. It also is cleaner than Paris.
After our purchases we headed back to our accommodation to find a laundromat. We had done some washing the pervious night and it was not dry. We found one close to the hotel. When we went in we put our things in a dryer and a lovely man came up to try to explain that the machine would not do our washing. Unfortunately he could not speak english and we could not speak Spanish. The only way we could explain we only needed the dryer was to get him to feel our wet washing. He then smiled and understood. The Spanish people seem to be much happier, friendlier and a bit more lay back than the French. After finishing the drying we headed off to the "Font Magica de Montjuic " or magic fountain. We took a train to the fountain and arrived around 7.45pm. There were many people gathering around, taking up vantage points so we thought the display would start soon. The crowd kept growing but we had a great spot right in front of the fountain. Finally the show started at 8.50pm but it was well worth the wait. The fountain was lit up in a ray of beautiful ever-changing colours while the streams of water were forced up in different patterns at an incredible rate. This was all done to music. It was like the music and fireworks shows we've seen but much better. We've never seen anything like this in our lives. The show went for about 20 minutes and it was free. We returned back to our hotel around 11 pm after stopping for a lovely dinner (tapas again)
Saturday, October 3, 2015
To Spain
Friday 2-10-15
Today we left Avignon heading for Barcelona. After about half an hour we stopped at a beautiful place where the Romans had built a very impressive aqua duct across a ravine about 2,000 years ago. We had plenty of time here to take photos and explore the area. From here we continued on for a few hours to Spain and the city of Barcelona. We arrived here with plenty of time to do
a tour of the city before checking in to our hotel. Barcelona is a lovely city and has been modeled on Paris. It has gardens and buildings similar to Paris as well as the symmetry. We stopped and visited the amazing Basilica de La Sagrada Familia. This cathedral is like a mix of Disneyland and church. It was started in the 1880's and has yet to be completed. The architect died in the 1920's but other architects have continued with his work. It is predicted to be completed in 2026. We continued on our drive taking in the sites. We saw a large bull-fighting ring that had been converted into a shopping mall as bull-fighting is frowned upon now. We stopped and looked at the Olympic stadium from the 1992 Olympics. It is now used for soccer and we thought that Adelaide oval looks better. From here we went to an area high up that gave us a great view of Barcelona including the port and mariner area. We saw several large cruise ships in the harbour. Our coach took us to our accommodation for the night and we checked in. We freshened up and then went out for a group dinner at 8pm. This was considered early for Spain. We had a lovely 3 course meal including paella and it was
delicious. Sangria and beer was also consumed.
Today we left Avignon heading for Barcelona. After about half an hour we stopped at a beautiful place where the Romans had built a very impressive aqua duct across a ravine about 2,000 years ago. We had plenty of time here to take photos and explore the area. From here we continued on for a few hours to Spain and the city of Barcelona. We arrived here with plenty of time to do
Friday, October 2, 2015
Traveling to Avignon and light up the night
Thursday 1/10/15
Today we had to be up early to try to avoid the Paris traffic. We left Paris at 7.30am and had a comfortable trip down to Avignon with a couple of rest stops and a lunch stop. We saw the famous french vineyards and quite a few Chateaux and a famous fort built at the top of a rocky outcrop on a hill. We arrived in Avignon at 5.15pm and headed out for a guided walk at 6pm.
The main part of Avignon is surrounded by a huge wall that is about 1 km long on each side. It was built to protect the castle of course. We walked to a beautiful but uncompleted bridge that had been built many centuries ago. Unfortunately following a bad flood much of it had been washed away. The story goes that the town started to rebuild it but ran out of money so it stops in the middle of the river. From here we went to see the le Palais des Papes. For about 60 years, this castle/palace once had Popes living there until they moved to the Vatican. It was another impressive castle. We then went to a lovely restaurant where the whole group had dinner together. This was another dinner that was
included. After dinner we walked back to the palace as there was going to be a special light show on and we had tickets for the 9.15 session. We all gathered in the large courtyard of the palace with about 500 others. The lighting show was spectacular with the projections being done on all the four walls surrounding us. The music was great as was the visuals and the floor even vibrated at appropriate times. The commentary was in French so we struggled a little but we worked out that it was about the history of France. After this wonderful night we returned to our accommodation around 10.30.
Today we had to be up early to try to avoid the Paris traffic. We left Paris at 7.30am and had a comfortable trip down to Avignon with a couple of rest stops and a lunch stop. We saw the famous french vineyards and quite a few Chateaux and a famous fort built at the top of a rocky outcrop on a hill. We arrived in Avignon at 5.15pm and headed out for a guided walk at 6pm. 
Thursday, October 1, 2015
A day in gay Parieeeee
Wednesday 30-9-15
After a nice breakfast we were off around 8.15 am for a trip along the Seine River which runs through the centre of the main tourist area of Paris. We took the subway a spot near the Eiffel tower and then joined the 1 hour cruise. It was a relaxing way to see the famous sights. From here we took a train to the famous Notre-Dame gothic and we walked around it admiring the architecture. We stopped for a quick and cheap lunch in the student area before continuing on walking to the Lourve. We walked all around this area
but didn’t line up for hours to see famous Mona-Lisa but some other
people from the group did but said that people were 2 or 3 deep and they couldn't get close to the painting. We enjoyed walking around here and felt vey safe. We had been warned about pick-pockets and scammers but there were plenty of police and security everywhere. We saw a funny but sensible sight of 2 police officers on roller blades. They moved very quickly among the crowds. From here we walked
down through the beautiful and symmetrical Jardin Des Tuileries gardens. The statues, ponds, gardens, trees seating, kiosks even bins were all arranged symmetrically. The weather was lovely and warm so we stopped and enjoyed the scenery with a shared ice-cream. We then walked past (not into) the
high end shops on the Champs Elysees. We made it to the Arc de Triomphe. We wanted to visit this round-about because it was so much fun just watching the traffic with 12 roads entering and the memorial is quite spectacular. We went underground and came up in the middle. It was lots of fun. After this we took 2 trains to get to a very tall building, the "Montparnasse" tower. We successfully made it here and took a lift to the 56 floor of this building to get a spectacular view of Paris. We enjoyed the view and had a drink as the sun was setting. We walked up some more stairs to the open air observation deck. At 8pm the "twinkling" lights came on the Eiffel tower. It was quite beautiful as were the lights all around Paris.
Another 2 trains back to a stop near our hotel and we found a little
place to have tea in. We were back in our hotel soon after 10pm after a brilliant day and evening.
After a nice breakfast we were off around 8.15 am for a trip along the Seine River which runs through the centre of the main tourist area of Paris. We took the subway a spot near the Eiffel tower and then joined the 1 hour cruise. It was a relaxing way to see the famous sights. From here we took a train to the famous Notre-Dame gothic and we walked around it admiring the architecture. We stopped for a quick and cheap lunch in the student area before continuing on walking to the Lourve. We walked all around this area 
Another 2 trains back to a stop near our hotel and we found a little
London to Paris
Tuesday 29/9/15
We were up very early today to be at our group meeting place by 7am. We made it with plenty of time to spare and while waiting for the coach we started chatting to a South African couple who were also joining the tour. They were about our age and from similar backgrounds. We hopped on our coach and met some of the other people traveling with us. We have a range of ages and there are several other couples around our age, some newly retired. Another good thing is that the tour is not completely full and there are plenty of spare seats. We enjoyed the ferry ride over and it was so good to see the famous white cliffs of Dover as we left. We had lunch on the ferry and after about 1 1/2 hours we arrived in Calais. It was interesting to note the new and extra high fences that had been put up all around the loading areas to keep the refugees out. A small distance away from this was a large refugee camp with many tarps and make-shift tents. It was very sad to see. Our trip to Paris was uneventful and we have again been blessed with amazing weather. Once in Paris we checked in to our hotel and then it was back on the bus for a tour of all the famous sights of Paris. Following this we all went to a restaurant up on the only hill in Paris and had a lovely dinner. After dinner we were able to view the amazing "twinkling lights" on the Eiffel tower which come on for a few minutes at night on the hour. We returned to our hotel after this via the metro train just so we had some practice ready for our free day tomorrow.
We were up very early today to be at our group meeting place by 7am. We made it with plenty of time to spare and while waiting for the coach we started chatting to a South African couple who were also joining the tour. They were about our age and from similar backgrounds. We hopped on our coach and met some of the other people traveling with us. We have a range of ages and there are several other couples around our age, some newly retired. Another good thing is that the tour is not completely full and there are plenty of spare seats. We enjoyed the ferry ride over and it was so good to see the famous white cliffs of Dover as we left. We had lunch on the ferry and after about 1 1/2 hours we arrived in Calais. It was interesting to note the new and extra high fences that had been put up all around the loading areas to keep the refugees out. A small distance away from this was a large refugee camp with many tarps and make-shift tents. It was very sad to see. Our trip to Paris was uneventful and we have again been blessed with amazing weather. Once in Paris we checked in to our hotel and then it was back on the bus for a tour of all the famous sights of Paris. Following this we all went to a restaurant up on the only hill in Paris and had a lovely dinner. After dinner we were able to view the amazing "twinkling lights" on the Eiffel tower which come on for a few minutes at night on the hour. We returned to our hotel after this via the metro train just so we had some practice ready for our free day tomorrow.
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