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diary...
 
Colin's European Trip 2007

Day 1 - 14th March - departed Australia at 5:15 pm on Qantas Flight 5 to Frankfurt via Singapore.  
 
Day 2 - 15th March - arrived Frankfurt at 5:15 am after a long but unevenful (including little to no sleep) flight, then train to Munich. All went according to plan - there were no hassels getting rail pass validated and finding the departure platform for the ICE to Munich.  Arrived Munich at 10:30 am and went straight to hotel and checked in. The room was available so I was able to clean up after the trip and feel ready for the rest of the day.
 
I went out and explored part of the central Munich area - Marienplatz - and onto the Hofbrauhaus for a couple of Dunkels (dark beer) and some ompha music - mandatory really.  I found some information brochures in the hotel and am planning a Dachau tour tomorrow.

Now on my previous 2005 trip to Europe, I managed to find some Irish Pubs and some Australian Pubs in several cities.  Well jackpot in Munich.  I found both and at the same address.  Downstairs, two separate bar areas, one Irish (Kilian's Irish Pub) and one Australian (Ned Kellys Australian Bar).  Both had the (it seems) mandatory VB and Fosters. When will these OS pubs learn!   There I met an Aussie from Canberra - a young guy, a barritone singer who has done opera work amongst other musical things, and is looking to progress his career in Europe. As well, he had worked in many and varied restaurants in Canberra so he is currently looking for a job in that area here in Munich for the time being.  His name is Mark Brooker. 

Day 3 - 16th March - Dachau tour.  Yes, today was Dachau, and yes, it requires much more time and consideration than I am able to give at 11:30pm after a magnificent night (I actually left before the end) at the Munich Lowenbrau (that's "Lou-ven-broy" for all the uninitiated).  I have taken a few pictures, but pictures do not do the evening much justice at all.  The videos will provide some indication of the events  of the night.

I went to the Lowenbrau not knowing what to expect.  Last time in Munich, I had visited the Lowenbrau Keller, had lunch and a couple of beers.  I did not find the beer hall on that occasion.  It is upstairs.  Tonight there was a charge to enter, 15.5 euro.  But it is Dark Beer Fest in Munich, the beer fest that Munich-ites have when the hords of foreign "piss pots" are not there at the other one, the Octoberfest.  Stark Bier Fest is a purely local event.  About six local brewers participate in this "local" event.  For those wishing more, Google "stark bier fest". 

The Lowenbrau Beer Hall is huge. (By the way, the Hofbrauhaus is actually the Hoof-broy-house - just in case you wanted to know).  A downstairs and an upstairs on one side.  Down one end is a stage.  All of the music is performed from there.  Up front typical German (not Australian-German) tunes.  This lasted for a few hours.  All the "Ein Prosits" included.  Excellent.  Then the second half.  A bit of American country, Johnny Cash, etc, "Duelling Violins", and much more.  Amazing Grace on trumpets, and under water for the second half, then swirling ropes, once again to Amazing Grace.  Then many other, the Stones, Robby Williams, etc,.  There was even guest appearances by "Andre Rieu" and "Pavaroti".  After returning to the hall, from the loo, about half the auditorium was standing on their seats.  The "band" was playing YMCA.  Not sure what that says for Munich-ites. Anyway, a great night, with some friendly people that I met.  Tomorrow, actually today, is the castles tour, Neuschwanstein and Liderhof.  Anyhow, tomorrow is another day, the castles await, and Dachau awaits a more thoughtful summary at the right time. 

Day 4 - 17th March - Bus trip to Neuschwanstein and Liderhof castles and the village Oberammergau.  The bus left from opposite the Munich Hbf at 8:30 am and returned at 6:30 pm.  A very full day.  First visit was to the Liderhof castle.  One of Ludwig II's many "building monuments", basically for himself.  This one is a small castle, meant for one person, Ludwig.  Next we called in to the village of Oberammergau, the village famous for its Passion Play, which dates back to a solemn pledge of the village inhabitants in 1633, and which is staged every 10 years.   Then on to Neuschwanstein castle.  Had lunch in the village below the castle before heading up to the castle.  You have three choices - either walk uphill for about half an hour, take a bus then walk for 15 minutes, or take the horse drawn carriages then walk for about 5 minutes.  I chose the horse and carriage on the way up, but walked down - about 20 minutes.  Ludwig sure knew how to live in style, whilst he did.  He died (speculation about foul means) at 41 years old.  Newschwanstein castle was never finished, and became a museum facility shortly after his death.

Day 5 - 18th March - Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Germany's highest mountain, Zugspritze.  Left Munich Hbf at 8:09 am and travelled towards the Bavarian Alps.  Arrived at Garmisch-Partenkirchen at 9:34 and quicly found the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn (the cog wheel train company) next to the Garmish Hbf.  The BZ train left at 10:15 (things like this are very precise in Germany, especially train arrivals and departures).

The train is not unlike the Ski Tube at Bullocks Flat outside Jindabyne.  Except that Garmish is like Jindabyne in that it is a town.  So a close but not precise comparison would be the cog train leaves Jindabyne, passes through several small villages, each with car parking, and evenually comes to the last of these, Eibsee (Bullocks Flat), before starting up the mountain side.  There is considerably much more external mountain traversing and more tunnel that at the Ski Tube.  And at the top is sort of like Blue Cow (but on steroids).  This is Zugspitzplatt (height 2600 m).  

From there, you take a cable car (the Gletscherbahn) to the top, Zugspitze (height 2962 m).  This terminal building also houses the other cable car, the Eibsee-Seilbahn, which decends (in my case) to Eibsee, the terminal being about 200 meters from the Eibsee BZ bahnhof.  From the top, which by the way also had another cable car and associated terminal building which seemed to merge into the other on the summit area externally but not internally as it was Austrian and ended up at the bottom in Austria rather than Germany, ...phew... from the top the view was spectacular.  Germany, Austria, Switzerland all merged into magnificent peaks of white and browny-black.  My description does it no justice.  The photos and videos hopefully will.

 Eventhough there were some gusts of wind, the weather there was cold but not bitter.  The weather here is unseasonal, but apparently that is about to change.  Snow in Munich on Tuesday.  From the top I took the Eibsee-Seilbahn cable car back down to Eibsee, where I caught the BZ back to Garmisch.  After a short wait, the Munich train arrived and I headed back to the hotel.

Day 6 - 19th March - Salzburg and another Bavarian Alps tour, this time taking in Hitler's mountain compound and view of Hitler's Eagles Nest.  Well, not quite.  I left Munich on the train for Salzburg, Austria, at 7:26am.  There was no snow in Munich, although it is coming tomorrow.  As the train passed through the south eastern area of Bavaria on the way to Salzburg, the snow that fell overnight became evident.

The train arrived in Salzburg at 9:00am, and it was snowing - rather sleaty snow.   After finding the Panorama office I confirmed my afternoon tour back into Bavaria and the Hitler connection.  But first, I took an hour city tour.  The tour guide/driver was an English lady Sue.  She was very good and the tour had only three people, me and a South African couple.  We drove around the new town (north of river) and the old town (south of river).  This gave me a reasonable idea of the area close by on both sides of the river.  After the tour, I went back over the river to the old town and took some more photos.  One place where you get a very good elevated perspective of the city is the Museum of Modern Art.  It is on top of a cliff and you go up through the cliff in elevators to reach the top.

The afternoon tour commenced at 2:00pm.  This time there were five of us.  The tour guide/driver was Peter.  He had lived in Australia many years ago and worked as a ski instructor at Thredbo and Mt Bulla.  He would have been now in his sixties.  The weather had not improved and any thought of seeing Hitler's Eagles Nest had gone.  The clouds were too low.  Anyway we set off and headed back into Bavaria.  There is no border check point any more.  You just pass from one country to the other.  Same on the train, no passport checks.

We headed up into the lower alps towards Obersaltberg near Berchtesgaden.  Obersaltberg was the place Hitler built his "impressive residence, the Berghof".  Of course, it is no longer there as the Allies bombed the whole area, which also had many other buildings and was an administrative area.  The only thing remaining from that time is the Eagles Nest and also the bunker complex (didn't see this either), which was saved from destruction.

From there we went on to Berchtesgaden and were able to walk around the old town area.  The whole area has many small villages throughout and with all of the snow, it was very picturesque.  After the stay in Berchtesgaden, we headed back to Salzburg.  I caught the 7:03pm EC (which surprisingly was late and actually came at 7:23 - it had come from Budapest) back to Munich and the hotel.

Day 7 - 20th March - last day in Munich.  Today is more of a rest day as it is now snowing in Munich and is about -3 degrees C.  There is none or little snow settling on the ground from what I can see from the hotel room.  This is a good opportunity to catch up on some administrative stuff.  I received an email from the owner of the B&B I was going to stay in in Brugge.  Had to go into hospital for a medical procedure and could not put it off any longer.  I had to find some new accommodation so have now organised that.  Would have been more difficult without wifi internet connection.

Also did a Skype connection with Matthew, Grace and Jacob.  Worked well.  Later, when Adam arrived home, we connected again.  Then later again when Carmel arrived home, we connected yet again.  Skype is a great facility to have, especially when you are so far away.

Having spent a good part of the day in the hotel doing admin stuff, I went for a final walk around the old town area.  This time I checked out a market place area, down past  Marienplatz and not far from the Hofbrauhaus.  An observation about Munich, which is probably true of some of the other German places I have been to.  First, there are very many great looking German women here, and second, there is a bloody lot of German food for sale. 

Day 8 - 21st March - Depart Munich arrive Berlin.  The ICE left Munich at 9:44am and arrived at 4:18pm (about 12 minutes late - some hold up at one of the stations it stopped at).  The trip through central Germany was varied with generally gentle undulating countryside but one section was through more mountainous and timbered (pines) country, where there was a fair bit of snow.  

Arrived in Berlin at the new Hbf - very impressive.  Found my way easily to the platform to catch the S-bahn to Ostbahnhof and my hotel.  After settling in at the hotel, I checked out the station precinct to see what food and drink was on offer.  I didn't want to go out into the Berlin night around here without first knowing the lay of the land.  I didn't come to the Ostbahnhof area when last in Berlin.  The station has many shops, including a dry cleaners which I was thankful for and promptly used.  After checking out the food shops, I went looking for a place to buy some bottle wine and found a supermarket in the lower ground area.  They had a good selection of beer and wine - yes Fosters again made an appearance.  But guess what I found amongst the wine on offer.  No, I didn't find and Australian wines, but did find Montana Sauvignon Blanc.  There were two bottles left on the shelf, which shows that others had been buying it when compared to the self stock of the other wines.  It cost 6.99 euro, or 11.66 AUD, cheaper than at home unless on special.

I further checked out the food shops and decided on some Chinese take away for a change from German food. I went back to the hotel, which is in the Ostbahnhof, and had dinner in my room.  Unfortunately all the TV channels at this hotel are in German - no BBC or CNN.  

Day 9 - 22nd March - out and about in Berlin.  Not a very good day weather-wise.  Raining and cold.  Not a day for getting out in the streets.  So the S-Bahn and U-Bahn got a workout.  Went back to the new Berlin Hbf for a good look around.  It certainly is a very fancy and modern railway station.  It is on five levels I think, two which are the platform levels and three which are shopping and entry/exit.  The lowest level has eight platforms and the top level has six platforms.  The top and bottom platform levels form a cross.  

After the Berlin Hbf, I headed back towards the Ostbahnhof.  I got off the S-Banh at Alexanderplatz.  Like Munich, Berlin has many platz which are shopping and working precincts.  Like the Ostbahnhof, Alexanderplatz is in the old East Berlin.  Both show their heritage, when compared to similar aged areas of the old West Berlin.  However, where redevelopment has occurred, the eastern side of Berlin is now modern and impressive, as are all parts of Berlin where development has occurred since reunification.

A point in case is Potsdamer Platz, my next destination.  Potsdamer is a major new area of the old East Berlin which was basically a waste area before redevelopment.  It is anything but that now.  Sony and Daimler Chrysler have major company office facilities there and the Potsdamer Platz precint has a Sony quarter and a Daimler Chrysler quarter, both with impressive and different (to the ordinary) building styles.

As I didn't really have a good look at the Sony Centre when I was last in Berlin, I headed there.  Basically, it is three or four buildings with a central atrium area with very a large canopy.  Photos will show more than I can describe.  And guess what!  Yes I discovered the Australian pub.  Not down in a darkish cellar like in Munich and smallish.  This was in one of the modern buildings and on two levels.  The Corroboree Australian Bar & Restaurant.  Being the worldwide release of the new Sony Playstation 3, Sony put on a major function in the central atrium.  This commenced at 8:00 pm, so, eventhough I waited for several hours to see the start (at the Corroboree of cause), I didn't stay long as tomorrow is another day and Kasia arrives from Poznan.


Day 10 - 23rd March - full day 2 in Berlin and Kasia arrives in Berlin at 1:15pm.  Today the sky is blue and sun is out, at least in the morning.  I took the opportunity to check out near and about the Ostbahnhof.  Went for a walk for a few blocks away from the Ostbahnhof.  Very much in the old communist style, large apartment blocks.  Came across Carl Marx Allee, a wide boulevard with reasonablely impressive buildings.  Apparantly a 1960s redevelopment by the "Party".

Still with a few hours before 1:15pm, I headed back to the Ostbahnhof and caught the S-Bahn back to Hackescher  Markt, which has a smallish platz on one side of the elevated  S-Bahn station.  This area has been redeveloped in an older style and fits in nicely with other existing structures in the area.  From there back to the S-Bahn and one station further on to Friedrichstr.  Had a quick look around the station end of Friedrichstr. Then back to the S-Bahn and on to Charlottenburg, this time in the old West Berlin.  Once again a quick look around the immediate station area.  Back to the S-Bahn and back to Friedrichstr and changed to the S1 and went one station to Unter den Linden station.  The street Unter den Linden has at one end the Brandenburg Gate.  In the 1905 diary of his trip to Germany and other European parts, my Grandfather (my father's father) made mention of walking down Unter den Linden so in case I didn't get the opportunity again, I had a quick look up and down the street and took a couple of photos.  Then S1 and S5 back to the Ostbahnhoff.

Kasia arrived at 1:15pm on the Warsaw Express from Poznan.  After she checked in at the hotel, we had a coffee and decided what we would do that afternoon.  We decided to go to Potsdam, at the end of the S-Bahn S5 line.  From the Potsdam Hbf, we caught a local bus to the Sanssouci Park and Palace area. We walked around and saw much of the area and various buildings.  Being early spring, many of the monuments, statues, etc, were still covered by their winter "coats", basically little timber huts. As well, the vines and flowers were not in leaf or blume.  And as we walked, the weather changed from overcast to overcast and light rain. We managed to see most of what was available, as nothing appeared to be open.  Once again we caught the local bus, this time back to the Potsdam Hbf.  From there we took the S-Bahn to Potsdamer Platz, and I took Kasia to the Corroberee, where we had dinner and a beer.  After that we headed back to Alexandra Platz to find a German bar and have a local beer.  After a bit of searching we found one, had a local ale, then headed back to the Ostbahnhof and the hotel.

Day 11 - 24th March - today Kasia and I went to Hamburg. We left the Ostbahnhof for the Berlin Hbf at 7:30am and caught the 818am ICE to Hamburg.  We arrived in Hamburg at 9:55am.  We went out of the Hamburg Hbf and bought tickets for a Hamburg "get on get off" bus tour.  This commence at 10:30am.  After getting around about half way around the circuit, we got off at the harbour area and bought tickets for a Hamburg harbour tour.

The harbour tour lasted about an hour and a half.  The Hamburg habour  is the main port of Germany.  It is 100 km upstream from the sea on the River Elbe.  It is a hugh port with numerous container facilities.  Hamburg is the world's eight largest container shipping port, the largest being Singapore.

Hamburg was the port from which my great great grandfather left Europe (in 1875 - he was from Margonin, Posen, Prussia, now Margonin, Poznan, Poland).  The port of Hamburg was a port from which large numbers of emmigrants to UK, USA, Australia, etc. departed during the major emmigration phases during the 1800s.

After our harbour cruise, we headed back to the town centre area and walked around taking in various churches, monuments, buildings, etc.  We decided to find a suitable place to have lunch (at about 2:30pm).  We finally found one back in the Hamburg Hbf.  German chilli sausage, potato, salad and a beer.  Just what we were looking for.  After our late lunch, we headed out again and took in more of the sites of the central area.

We finally departed Hamburg, a little tired but happy that we saw a lot of what Hamburg has to offer tourists.  The ICE left Hamburg Hbf 6:10pm and arrived back at the Berlin Hbf at 7:50pm.  We changed over the S-Bahn and headed back to the Ostbahnhof and the hotel.  At this stage we called it a night.  Tomorrow is our last full day in Berlin, so we plan to get an early start.

Day 12 - 25th March - out an about in Berlin II.  Kasia and I left the Ostbahnhoff at
 7:30am and headed to Alexanderplatz Bahnhof to get a coffee and roll for breakfast and decide our plans for the day.  We decided to go to Charlottenburg Palace, which is in the north of Berlin, and is situated in a large parkland and gardens area. We took the S-Bahn to the Westend Bahnhof on the Circle line, a line which rings the city out towards the edges of Berlin.

We didn't realise when we arrived that we would spend so much time there.  We arrived at the Charlottenburg Palace about 9:45am, after walking from the Westend Bahnhof.  We bought our tickets and then went on a guided tour of the Palace.  The tour was in German, but English notes were provided.  The Palace had been extended and rooms remodelled over a period of time as various rulers and their wives, associates, etc. came and went.  The main Palace has had major wing extensions done, and various parts of the palace complex reflect the times and personality of the incumbent ruler.

We went for a walk through the parkland and gardens area and went into the "Neue Pavillion", a very small (when compared to the palace) building.  After that, we walked to another building, the "Mausoleum", but it was not open.  Next the "Neuer Flugel", the new wing of the palace.  Here we had our own audio guide to help us around the various areas of the new wing.  I found this very good, after initially not going to take the audio device.  I am glad I did.  Kasia didn't hesitate.  

After the new wing tour, which we didn't finish until after 2:30pm we decided it was lunch time and headed just down the street to a restaurant and bar, in fact a boutique brewery.  There are two of this type, Brauhaus Lemke in Berlin (web site is www.brauhaus-lemke.de).  We had a late lunch / early dinner and a glass of the local  offerings, the "Original", which was a dark beer.

After lunch, having already done a lot of walking, we set off to find the Victory monument in the Tiergarten.  After a two station U-Bahn trip and much walking, we came to the Victory momument.  This monument celebrates the German victory in the Franco-Prussian war.  The monument is probably the heigh of the Arc de Triumphe in Paris, and has an observation platform at the end of 285 steps.  Unlike the Arc de Triumphe, this is a round tower and has a narrow observation platform at the top.  Like the Arc de Triumphe, there are several streets radiating out from it, five in fact.

After the mandatory photo opportunity at the top, all 285 x 2 steps worth, we headed down one of the streets leading from the Victory monument.  This street leads to the
Brandenburg Gate, about 2km away through the Tiergarten.

Earlier, whilst eating and then walking, we noticed hightened police presence and activity.  During our post lunch walk, we saw several motorcades pass by with accompanying police escorts and presence.  Well, the reason for this activity is the celebration today of  the first fifty years of a united Europe, and the Europafest, which this year is in Berlin.  So the street we were walking down to the Brandenburg Gate quickly became a mass of people and activity.  The street was lined with stalls on both sides for the various European countries and other organisations to ply their wares, and there were a few bar facilities for good measure.  As we were thirsy from all of our walking (and stair climbing), Kasia bought us both a beer at one of the beer stands, a Berliner Pilsner I think.  At the Branbenburg Gate there was a stage and a music group was in full flight.  This was obviously the hardest part of the crowd to get through, as we were heading to the other side of the Brandenburg Gate, and Unter den Linden.

Once on Unter den Linden, we headed down the street (about 2km) towards Alexanderplatz and the S-Bahn.  There are several prominent buildings in this area, including St Nicholas church.  After arriving at the Alexanderplatz bahnhof, we caught the S-Bahn two stations to the Ostbahnhof and our hotel.

After a glass or two of the remaining Montana, we headed to an icecream shop in the Ostbahnhof and Kasia bought us both and icecream.  This brought us to the end of another very full day, one in which we saw the splender of the Charlottenburg Palace, enjoyed another German-style lunch, including a beer, took in the sights of Berlin from near the  top of the Victory monument, and walked many streets and saw many sights.

Tomorrow we leave Berlin for Griefswald and some genealogy research (and sight seeing).

Day 13 - 26th March - Berlin to Greifswald.  Kasia and I checked out of the hotel and headed to the Berlin Hbf on the S-Bahn.  Our IC train left Berlin Hbf at 9:45am and arrived in Greifswald at 12:15pm.  We caught a taxi from the bahnhof to the car rental place and got our car.  I expected to get a Golf or A Class Merc, but no, we got a Ford 7 seat people mover, a Galaxy MPV. After picking up the MPV, we went to the hotel which was close by and checked in.

After we put our luggage into our rooms, we headed out to do some sight seeing.  We drove out the a small village (Wieck) just outside Greifswald at the mouth of the Ryke River.  Wieck is a fishing village, and as we were walking about, several boats were unloading their catch and packing it in containers and ice.  We walked around for some time then decided on which restaurant we would eat at.  We both had fish of cause and it was excellent.

After lunch we walked over the old wooden single lane opening bridge  and checked out the larger residential area of the village.  By now it was close to 5:00pm so we headed back to Greifswald, parking the MPV and went for a walk into the old town square.  Here we had some coffee and apple strudel and ice cream.  From the old town square, we headed back to the MPV and back to the hotel.  We sat down in the bar and talked about our research that we would commence in the morning.  

Day 14 - 27th March - Landesarchiv Greifswald (records office).  Today we had breakfast at the hotel and then headed for the records office.  Here we spent much of the day going through rolls of microfilm looking for long lost relatives.  We located those we already knew about from our previous research.  But finding others proved very elusive.  We searched a period from late 1700s to mid 1800s.  It seems that Carl Heinrich and co. came, stayed a while, then left Muddelmow, where the records show the birth of (some of ?) his children.

We left the records office just before closing time at 5:00pm and headed back to the hotel.  We decided to go back to the old town centre for dinner, so after a little time to change, etc., we headed off for dinner.  There were not many people in the square as we approached it.  There were several restaurants to choose from and Kasia chose on which belonged to a boutique brewery, as we found out after we sat down inside.  Dinner was really good - German style - and so was the Dunkel (dark beer).  After dinner, we drove back to the hotel.  Tomorrow is our last day in the records office, trying to find elusive needles in myriads of haystacks.  We may not get any further relevant information, but this trip to Greifswald and meeting up with Kasia again has provided me with a better understanding of what the Muddelmow Heinrich family may have looked like.  It has been well worth the time and effort,  and especially the very pleasant company.

Day 15 - 28th March - Landesarchiv Greifswald (records office) day 2.  After breakfast, we left the hotel for the records office and arrived about 8:30am.  After getting the rolls of film, we set about four hours of trying to find the elusive Heinrichs.  We didn't have any luck again, so we went for lunch in the old town centre for a break.  After lunch we walked back to the records office and got some more rolls of film.  Kasia had been looking in parishes surrounding the original Zirkwitz parish, but now we moved further away south, south east around and past Greifenberg.  We finally found some of those elusive Heinrich people in the one parish on one of the rolls of film.  Kasia took down details and we also ordered copies of all of the relevant frames from the roll of film.  We spent all afternoon at the records office up until closing time (5:00pm).  

Having left the records office, we headed in the car back to the car rental company to drop the car back.  Before returning the car (Ford Galaxy MPV), I had a drive - my first in Europe and on the "wrong side of the road" with manual gear stick on the right.  The  area around the car rental company is also a new/used car dealer area.  There are many of the car brands there.  There was little traffic so I felt more confident.  There was no problem.  

Not having a car tonight, we had drinks and dinner at the hotel.  I also took the opportunity to upload the latest diary update.  After this, we called it a night.  Tomorrow we leave Greifswald and head back to Berlin.  I go on to Brugge via Koln and Brussels.  Kasia returns to Poznan, Poland.  Our time together has been really good, and I have a better understanding of the difficulties of tracking down stray ancestors.  But I also have a better appreciation of the possible Heinrich family structure around the Greifenberg area.  Thank you Kasia for your wonderful company and genealogy expertise.

Day 16 - 29th March - off to Brugge.  Kasia and I left the hotel about 8:15am for the little station of Sud Greifswald, about 10 minutes walk.  We caught an RE (regional express) train back to Berlin Hbf.  Kasia left Berlin on the Warsaw Express for Poznan about 12:30pm and I left Berlin on an ICE for Koln about 12:50pm.  After six days of Kasia's wonderful company, I am now on my own again, until I meet up with my friends Peter and Erica Staples at Birmingham airport next Monday.

At Koln, I changed to the Thayles train.  This took me to Brussels where I caught an IC  to Brugge, arriving there at 10:00pm.  I caught a taxi to the hotel and settled in.  Tomorow, I leave again, back to Brussels on an IC, then a TGV from Brussels to Lyon (France) for one night and the Andre Rieu concert.

Day 17 - 30th March - off to Lyon and the Andre Rieu concert.  I left the Hotel in Brugge and caught the 9:00am IC back to Brussels, then the 11:30am TGV to Lyon, arriving at Lyon Part Dieu station at 3:00pm.  The hotel I was staying at was just outside the station.  I checked in and then got ready to go to the concert.  When ready, I found the nearby Part Dieu metro station and caught the metro to the nearest station to the Halle Tony Garnier, the concert venu.

As I was there early I had a look around the area, had something to eat and took a few photos.  The venue was opened at 7:00pm and I found my seat.  Over the next hour the venue filled to the maximum seating available for the concert.  The Halle Tony Garnier is a multi-purpose venue which is a long building capable of staging various concerts and sporting events.  The seating is adjusted lenght ways and width ways to meet the specific requirement.  I am not sure of the numbers at this concert but there were a lot, mostly of the older variety it seemed.  I felt absolutely young.

The concert was fantastic.  It lasted 2 and a half hours with a 15 minute interval.  The one thing I could have done without was the New York Gospel Singers segments - too much screaming and carrying on!   A couple of their combined (NYGS and JSO) singing segments were good though.

After the concert finished I headed back to the local metro station, which was two large blocks away, then back to Lyon Part Dieu metro station and the hotel.

As I was leaving early the next morning, I repacked my backpack and went to bed.  Tomorrow back to Brugge.

Day 18 - 31st March - back to Brugge, via Brussels.  I checked out of the hotel at 6:45am and headed into the station to check on my train and which platform it was leaving from.  Having found that info. I bought a Lyon fridge magnet - one night at a concert hardly counts as a visit to Lyon, but I might not be here again.  The TGV arrived at 7:56am and I headed back to Brussels arriving at 11:30am.  The IC back to Brugge left at 12:15 and I arrived back in Brugge at 1:05pm.  I headed back to the hotel, about 10 minutes walk from the station.  

After unpacking, I was going to go and explore the old town centre, but was able to organise a Skype call back home with Carmel and Matthew.  This lasted about ten minutes - limited internet time left on my purchased card.  After that, Brugge.

I headed out to explore and take photos.  I spent the next 4 hours walking around the old town area, and also took out some time for a late lunch / early dinner and beer at one of the huge number of restaurants throughout the old town.

Brugge is a pretty place, as people who have been here had told me.  The canals do give a sense of Venice in parts.  But Brugge has traffic and horse drawn carriages, as well as pedestrians.  After walking around about a third of the town area, which included the major squares, I headed back to the hotel for an earlly night and some admin. tasks such as writing up the last two days diary.  Tomorrow, Brugge continued.  It is Sunday so not everything will be open, but all the tourist areas should be.

Day 19 - 1st April - Brugge day 2.  After breakfast at the hotel, I set off to the Markt (Market) Square.  There I waited until 10:00am for the City Tour bus.  The tour lasted for 50 minutes.  I saw some of the areas I discovered yesterday, but also some new ones.  Most importantly, I discovered where a local Brugge brewery was located.  Also,  I found out where the windmills were, four of them that now remain from earlier days.  And last, but not least, I found the Irish pub.  All in all, a city tour well worth the effort.  All three sites were to be revisited on foot.

After the tour bus returned to the Markt Square, I headed to the Burg Square next door and the Irish Pub and checked it out.  It is called the Celtic Ireland Irish Pub & Restaurant.  (It is a good pub and did serve Irish beer, unlike the one in Lyon at the Lyon Part Dieu station.  I didn't see Irish beer on their menu, but of cause there was Fosters.)  The Celtic Ireland was the nearest location of the three and would be revisited later.

From there, I headed to De Half Maan (the Half Moon) brewery.  On the way I passed a chocolate shop that I had seen yesterday and decided to buy some chocolate.  There are very many of several things here in Brugge, and chocolate shops are one of them.  They are large in number.  At this time of year Easter is in the air, and so it is in chocolate shops.  Chocolate Easter goodies abound.  At this particular chocolate shop there were chocolate eggs, chocolate rabbits and chocolate........What!.......there are chocolate.......I don't believe it........not chocolate........oh well, a picture is worth you know what.  You will just have to see for yourselves.  Just hope that I am able to put the pictures up.

                Chocolate eggs            Chocolate rabbits           Chocolate ???????

With all of this bountiful chocolate, my Melbourne acquaintance Sara would be in her element!

Anyway, on to the brewery.  After a bit more walking, I found the brewery, and went inside the tavern.  There were brewery tours, but I didn't take one.  Instead, I enjoyed their two offerings, a dark and a blond (beer that is!).  The refreshment at the brewery was needed as the next part involved a lot more walking.  

Next on the agenda were the windmills that I had seen earlier on the city bus tour.  I had a reasonable idea where they were, and after going the wrong way for about half a km and then back tracking, I was on the right course.  The walk to the windmills lead me around the right hand outside canal from the bottom right to the top right.  Brugge is basically surrounded by a roughly circular waterway with internal canals cutting through at various places.  Nothing like Venice, but still very effective.  In fact, Brugge  is not really like Venice at all.  There are some more things that there are many of in Brugge and that is bikes and bike riders, both peddle and motor bike/scooter.  Also, vehicles, cars, buses, etc. use the narrow streets, along with the bikes and pedestrians.  

Anyway, after much walking, I came to the first of the four windmills.  After a few photos, I continued on and saw each in succession.  After the windmills were "been and seen",  I continued on around the outside to a point where I could head back into the town centre.  During this time, I revisited, more by accident than good judgement, some other sites that had been seen on the earlier city bus tour.

Finally, I made my way back to the Burge Square and my intended destination, the Celtic Ireland.  There I had a another local brew, a Brugge Tripel.  After the long walk, it went down very well, as did the sitting down and relaxing.   From there, I headed back to the Markt Square and though about a late lunch / early dinner.  After looking around the offerings of the various restaurants, cafes and tea houses - another of the things in Brugge of which there are very, very many - I decided to head back to the hotel and get the diary stuff done, then think about dinner later.  

Over the last day and a half, I have seen quite a lot of Brugge and have taken a lot of photos.  It is a very pretty, place, in the context of old buildings, squares both large and small, restaurants, cafes, tea houses, chocolate shops, gardens and canals.  It is full of tourists, but this would be the lower end of the tourist season.  All in all, a great place to visit.  Thanks to all those who recommended that Brugge should be on my visit list.

Tomorrow, I leave Brugge, and head back to Brussels by IC train, and then on to Birmingham by plane.


Day 20 - 2nd April - Birmingham, then on to Shrewsbury with Peter and Erica Staples.  I left the Brugge hotel at 8:15am and headed to the Brugge railway station, about 10 minutes walk.  The IC for Brussels left at 8:35am and arrived in Brussels at 9:25am.  I wasn't sure where I had to go to catch the train to Brussels airport so I headed down the stairs from the platform, right into the connecting corridor leading to the station main hall, where those details could be obtained.  Passing the next set of steps  leading up to the adjacent platform to the one I arrived at, I looked up at the monitor.  Wow!  Brussels Airport Express leaving at 9:35am.  It could not have been easier.

This train was an IR train, intra regional I think.  It was a 3 carriage train, and pretty grotty.  Anyhow, it got me to the Brussels airport in about 20 miniutes.   The station was underground and the departures were about 5 or 6 levels above - many escalators.  Once in the departure hall, it could not have been easier.  Brussels Airlines was the first obvious one there, and with self check-in, I had my boarding pass in no time.  Then straight next to the self check in terminals was the luggage drop off.  Once again, too easy.   So luggage-free, except for cabin luggage, I went through border control and then the scanning station.   Departure gate B33 was a long way down a very long gate corridor.  At this point I was intending to get onto the internet and do some updates, but to no avail.  The internet provider, whose card I had,  was not available here.  Then, I could not get the one that was available to open in my browser, although I had wifi connection to it.  Something about the Apple MacBook setup I think as I also had this problem previously but somehow stumbled over the solution.  Not sure what that was.  So no internet from Brussels airport.  So diary update time instead.  Next stop Birmingham.

The flight to Birmingham was about 1 hour.  After arriving, clearing customs and collecting lugggage, I headed out.  Peter and Erica were there as I came into the gerneral terminal area.  We had a coffee, then headed for the car and Shrewsbury and Bayston Hill.  The trip took about an hour.  

Peter and Erica have a lovely 2 story house which backs onto a green paddock and has views over to Shrewsbury.  Very rural in context.  They also have a border collie called Sweep.

After settling in to my bedroom, we (including Sweep) went by car a sortish disitance to an public common area where we walked and Peter played "fetch the ball" with Sweep.  We all had a good walk and Sweep obviously enjoyed it.  Then back home and a lovely dinner and a good chat.  We made plans for the remainder of the week.  Peter had taken the week off work, and Erica was on school holidays from her job, so we have the time I am here together.  I really appreciated that.

Day 21 - 3rd April - 3 weeks down, and 5 to go.  Today we went for a drive from Shrewsbury in a big circle into mid Wales.  We headed firstly to Llyn Efyrnwy, otherwise known as Lake Vyrnwy (don't you just love Welsh).  On the way we took a brief detour to see a very old wooden church circa 1430.  It certainly was different and wasn't just ABC (another bloody church).  

Then onto Lake Vyrnwy.  This is a man-made lake and has a large dam holding back the waters.  The dam is Victorian in age and looks a bit like a medieval castle.  Nothing like this in Oz, to my knowledge.  It serves as the water supply for Birmingham, which is a fair distance away - we are in Wales, west of Shrewsbury, and Birmingham is about a hour to the east of Shrewsbury.

At the dam location is the small village of Llanwddyn.  The British RSPB, the Royal Society fo the Protection of Birds, has a shop and hide there.  Also, the RSPB is in partnership with the Severn Trent Water company and the Forestry Commission in managing the nature area around Lake Vyrnwy.  My friend Graeme O'Connor from Newcastle (Oz), an avid bird person, would be very impressed with the RSPB and what they are doing in UK.

After the shop and hide, where Peter took many photos of the birds fluttering about, we got Sweep out of the car and went for a walk around a park area at the foot of the dam wall.  Whilst walking back across the dam road to the car, Erica slipped over and hit her head on the gutter.  She was stunned for a litte while, had a few scratches and (eventually) bruises, and a headache.  Peter went and got the car and, with Eria safely inside we headed off.

From the dam at Lake Vyrnwy, we headed along the shoreline to a teahouse/restaurant where we had a light lunch, and some time for Erica to recover.  As the day was cold and overcast, the warm teahouse and the soup and hot chocolate and coffee helped us all to revive.

After our lovely lunch, we continued with our adventure, and from the end of the lake headed up on a single lane (but sealed) road into the moors to the west of Lake Vyrnwy.  The road climbed out of the valley where the lake lay, along a narrow gorge with a creek running through it.  As we climbed, the country changed from green to more browny/grey and heather abounded, albeit not in blume and looking rather dull.  Upon reaching a hight point on the moors, we parked in a car park and went for a walk.  Sweep loved this.  The ground was spongey under foot, and in a couple of places you could see the peat, where part of a small incline had been dug into.  It was cold and windy, and reminded me of part of the Scottish Highlands area I visited in 2005 on the bus trip to Loch Ness.  

After we felt that we had had enough and Sweep had had enough exercise, we headed back to the car.  I had been taking photos but as we reached the car I put my camera in my pocket.  Pity, because I missed a great photo opportunity.  Out from behind the hills  that we had just walk down, and over the valley just to our right where the road climbed sleeply up to where we were parked came this noise.  One of the lads was gunning his fighter about 100 metres above the ground over the moors.  From the time I first heard him, then saw him, and then he was gone was only a few seconds.  Not something you would expect to see above the moors of Wales.  But to Peter and Erica, this was nothing new.  Apparently, the lads do this kind of thing fairly often.

From the heights of the moors car park, we headed down the side of another valley, from moors to valley floor.  The road was steep and long as we decended carefully on the narrow road.  And as we their approached the valley floor, the greenery returned, as did the myriad of sheep - ewes and lambs grazing contently.

We followed the country roads through various little hamlets and villages until we came to more familiar flatter country and two lane roads which took us onto Welshpool.  We stopped in Welshpool briefly and then went on to Powis  Castle just outside Welshpool.  The castle was closed today, but we took some photos and had a coffee from the thermos Erica had brought.  Then, back onto the road home to Shrewsbury.  We briefly stopped at the local centre near Bayston Hill for some supplies.  The supermarket is huge, one of the biggest I have seen.  You really need a travellator to go from one end to the other.  It was big!  Then home to a wonderful dinner, drinks and chat.  The perfect end of a lovely day.


Day 22 - 4th April - Today was a lovely sunny day, unlike previous days.  And today, Sweep didn't come with us.  We went for a drive to Ironbridge, famous for its iron bridge, as well as being the "birthplace" of the industrial revolution.  Following that, we went on to the air museum at RAF Base Cosford.  That evening we went out to dinner with a couple from across the street from Peter and Erica.  Noel and Margaret are long time neighbours and friends, and were celebrating their 48th wedding anniversary.

On the way to Ironbridge, we stopped at an old Roman city ruin at Wroxeter.  There was also a winery nearby which is known to be built over part of the Roman city ruins.  Also, the remains of a columned forum were present in an excavated "ditch" running along side the country lane.  This is a work in progress as further excavation is occurring but over a lenghty period of time.

From Wroxeter, we headed to Ironbridge.  The town, which is actually a part of Telford, is nestled into the sides of the River Severn valley, which is narrow at this point, and is actually a gorge.  We parked the car on the far side of town near the ruins of the Bedlum Furnaces.  The word "bedlum" was used to name the furances as there was bedlum in their operation - sort of fire and brimstone, hell on earth.  The walk from the Bedlum Furnaces to the Iron Bridge, along side the River Severn, was anything but!  

We reached the Iron Bridge, which crosses the River Severn about mid town, taking many photos as we walked.  The bridge is facinating as it is built of iron, but using traditional carpentry methods, such as joints including dovetails, wedges and mortises and tenons.  The little lanes and pathways of the town looked inviting, so we headed up the into the  residential area of the village above the through road level for a look around.

After having lunch outside the local pub, having bought pasties and pork pies from the butcher next to the pub, and pints of bitter from the pub, we headed up out of the Ironbridge towards RAF Base Cosford, and the air museum.

RAF Base Cosford is a base with an uncertain future.  Defence rationalisation is on the cards and this base may close.  The air museum commenced in 1938 and has grown up over the intervening period of time from little more than a few aircraft in a hanger.  It now has an information building and four hanger/building display areas, as well as outside displays.  An ill-fated TRS2 is on display in one of the buildings.  This aircraft was scrapped by the government of the day during the development phase in favour of the US F111.

From Cosford, we headed back to Bayston Hill, then on to our dinner appointment with Noel and Margaret at a lovely pub called The Pound, about 20 minutes drive south of Bayston Hill.  As well as a lovely dinner, we also had a Geoff Merrill Shiraz, an unexpected find amongst the French, Spanish and Californian offerings.  


Day 23 - 5th April - Today off to Liverpool and a little history hunting.  As well as my great grandfather leaving Prussia in 1875 to emmigrate to Australia, his brother emmigrated to England, and ended up in Liverpool.  I have some records of the family there, as well as some addresses, so we checked out some of them.  

The trip from Bayston Hill to Liverpool takes about an hour and a half.  As it turns out, Bryony, Peter and Erica's eldest daughter is at university in Liverpool.  She is living in a small flat that Peter and Erica bought about two years ago.  So we headed for the flat first.  Bryony was at university so we didn't see her then.  After a coffee and some hunting through the Liverpool telephone book, and some information Peter obtained over the phone from the Liverpool History Section of the Liverpool Library, we went address hunting.  

Unfortunately, two hundred years is a long time in a city's development, and our hunt for the German Church, whose two (long ago) inner city locations we had obtained by Peter's phone call were non existant.  So too was one residential address I had from my previous research, 7 Belgrave Street, but we knew that because our Tom-Tom navigator didn't find it.  It had disappeared some time after the 1960's as we were later to find in photographic evidence.  One other address didn't exist, 29 Lambert Street, but the street still did.  A small car park now existed where houses once stood.  One more nearby address, 1 Dykes Street, Everton  did provide an exisiting residential street and house numbers, but the houses were much more recent, so redevelopment had taken place.  However, an old red brick water tower/reservoir did survive, but was no longer in use.  Also, an oldish two story building remained, The Whitefield.  It may have been a pub, but we are not certain as we didn't go close enough and check it out.  

From there we headed to the city centre and parked the car.  We walked down the city mall and found a pub for lunch.  It was a beer and burger pub, but the food was traditional pub food, not just burgers.  However, the beer and burger meal deal poster, complete with a Fosters, looked like something straight out of McDonalds.

After lunch, we headed to the Liverpool Library and the Liverpool History Section, that Peter had phoned earlier.  The man there was expecting us and had some information on the German Church.  Also, he provided two folders with some old photos.  On contained photos of Belgrave Street, and the other Lambert Street.  So whilst we didn't see these streets today, we were able to obtain images of them as they were before redevelopment took place, and they disappeared.  

Having accomplished more than I thought we would earlier today, we set off for the Liverpool docks area, an old dock precinct that has been / is being redeveloped.  We had a look around and took photos.  We stopped at a cafe for a hot chocolate before heading back to the car, and then back to Bayston Hill.  About an hour and a half later, we arrived back at Peter and Erica's place to find that their eldest daughter Bryony had also arrived from Liverpool.  She was staying for the Easter weekend.  

After dinner, we sat around for a while talking and sipping scotch (Peter and I).  Then off to bed as tomorrow we are going for a walk around Shrewsbury.


Day 24 - 6th April - Shrewsbury today.  Today we were going to have a quieter day.  A visit to Shrewsbury about 10 minutes drive from Bayston Hill, and we did eventually.  It was a bit later than we had planned, but none-the-less very good.  Peter made comment that he tends to forget to show visitors Shrewsbury.  Anyway, I got up and had a shower in the upstairs bathroom.

There is an Australian connection to the next problem that occurred.  It has happened before when other Australian guests were present.  My shower caused a problem leak that had not been a problem for a while to resurface.  And the downstairs lounge room is the victim.  Both ceiling and floor were treated to my shower water.  Anyway, to cut a long story short, the gas man came, saw, diagnosed and went.  Lights were turned off at the meter for a while.  The lounge room light fitting was undone from the ceiling and left suspended to dry.  The ceiling plaster, complete with some more water marks, was left to dry.  The floor was OK.  

This adventure delayed our departure for Shrewsbury until after lunch.  Into Shrewsbury we drove, found a parking place just outside the central town area, and then walked beside the river for a while and then crossed over a walking bridge into the central town area.  We walked all round and many photos were taken.  There are many facinating buildings here, such as the oldest wooden building in England.  The weather was lovely and many people were out and about.  After several hours of sightseeing, we headed back to the car and Bayston Hill.

On arriving home, we found Bryony's "friend of long standing" Richard had arrived.  He was also staying the weekend.  It turns out that Richard is a chemical engineer, and works for Glaxo Smith Klein, GSK, the same company that Daniel (Henry) works for in Melbourne as a product manager.  They are both close in age as well.  Small world!

We had a very lovely dinner, my last with Peter and Erica on this trip.  Good news is that they are beginning to plan for another Australian trip August 2008, and they will be coming to Canberra again.  I can then return some of their fantastic hospitality.  After dinner, we sat for a while and chatted again, scotch in hand (Peter and I).  Then upstairs to pack for tomorrow's flight to Paris.  The end of a fantastic time with Peter and Erica in Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, UK.  Also I should not forget to thank Sweep for her company and persistance with me to play ball.  And also the other member of the Staples family, Rabbit the Bruce.  Goodbye dear friends, until next time.


Day 25 - 7th April - off to Paris.  Peter, Erica and I left Bayston Hill for Birmingham and the international airport about 9:15am and arrived at the airport about 10:15am.  After checking my luggage in, I wanted to find a nice chocolate shop to buy Peter and Erica a small thank you gift.  We walked around but could only find news and book type shops but they did sell some confectionary.  I bought some chocolates for Peter and Erica, then we said our good byes.....for now.  

The Air France flight left on time at 12:20pm and arrived in Paris around 2:30pm - an hour's flight but an hour later because of the one hour time difference.  After getting through immigration and customs, I headed for the pickup point of the shuttle vehicle taking me to the Hotel Lyon Bastille in Paris, near the Gare de Lyon.  The trip took over a hour as we had another family on board and they were dropped off first.  And the driver, a very nice guy, drew on a map all the areas by day that I needed to visit.  And he went out of his way a little to pass some of the things he had marked on the map.  Finally we arrived at the hotel.  I checked in and found that YES, free internet.  So diary update first, then out and about, on the loose, in Paris.  Can't call it gay any more!

I checked out the area around the Gare de Lyon.  I had a beer at the Maitre Kantor brasserie, but they didn't seem too friendly when I started walking around inside and having a look.  So after finishing the beer I left, never to return.  After checking out a few more brasseries, I found one away from the station's immediate surrounding area.  It  had a reasonable selection and price.  After dinner I headed back to the hotel.

Day 26 - 8th April - Out and about in Paris.  First up today, I checked out the Bastille monument, just up one of the streets leading from Gare de Lyon.  The Paris Opera Bastille is one of the buildings surrounding Place de la Bastille.  Unlike the Opera Garnier at Place de l'Opera, which is the one from Phantom of the Opera, and is old world, this one is a modern building.  I didn't see inside as it was closed today.  

From the Bastille, I headed towards the Seine and over to the Pantheon.  I took many photos here as last time I was in Paris, I passed it by.  Later this week, I hope to go back and look around inside, after I get my museum pass.  From there, I headed towards Rue du Cherche Midi and the Polaine Boulangerie (bakery for the "not so French").  On the way, I passed through the Jardin du Luxemburg and saw the Palace du Luxemburg.  The gardens are quite large and there were many people enjoying a "Sunday in the park".  There were many photo opportunities.  Then on to the Polaine Boulangerie which I thought would be closed and it was.  Polaine is a famous Paris baker who sells his bread to many overseas "well-to-do" people such as Holleywood stars.  Polaine and his bread was famous in France before the stars thing.  A bit like "make it and they will come".  

From Rue du Cherche Midi I headed to the one of the main boulevards in this quarter, the Boulevard Saint German.  As elsewhere in Paris, there are many, many brasseries and the like along Boulevard Saint German.  I was thinking of having lunch somewhere here, so I looked down several little side streets off Boulevard Saint German.  In the end, as I was heading in the direction of Gare de Lyon and the hotel, I continued on, taking photos as I walked.  And it had been quite a walk.  On the way over the Seine and back again, Notre Dame was of cause in sight.  As were many of the sight seeing boats which ply up and down the Seine in this area of Paris.

Back in the hotel vacinity, I bought some lunch and took it back to the hotel.  As well, I bought a bottle of wine, and as I didn't have a cork screw with me - big mistake here - I needed to find a wine with a screw cap if possible.  I must have found the only one in this little "convenience store", a nice 2005 Ziegler Gewurztraminer from Alsace, and it was "Appelation Alsace Controlee".  At 12.70 euro, it was not cheap.  Back in the hotel I had the salad and tuna "thingy wrap" and some wine.  By now it was mid afternoon, so it was siesta time, especially as I was feeling a little tired from today's walk and probably previous activity over the last weeks beginning to catch up.  Around six, I headed over to the Gare de Lyon and purchased a 5 day metro pass.  Tomorrow I intend going further afield, and will need to use the metro.  Also, I booked a Giverny half day tour for Tuesday afternoon online.  Having the laptop and internet connection is tremendous.  

After a light dinner of spring rolls (from one of three local Chinese establishments nearby), some fruit (from one of several local convenience shops nearby) and Gewurtztramminer, I updated the diary.  I also did a quick Skype (internet video conference) call to Carmel just before she headed to the Canberra airport on her way to Paris via two days in Hong Kong.  Tomorrow full day 2 in Paris.


Day 27 - 9th April - Out and about in Paris - the adventure continues.  Today I set out after brerakfast at the hotel and went back to Gare de Lyon.  A little habit I have.  Check out "the escape route".  We leave next Sunday for Nice, and this time I have Carmel in tow.  Have to ensure all works and we know procedures and timing for catching the TGV to Nice.  Unless you have caught trains in Europe, you might not appreciate the information that is provided at the stations to make your trip extremely easy.  You just have to get it.  And I do.  All that project management I guess.

After seeing the 9:34am TGV to Nice off, I headed to the Gare de Lyon metro and line 1 to La Defense.  First up today is the main business district - modern tower blocks, which are a distinct different to the "old Paris".  La Defense - no idea why the name - is due west of the "old city" across the Seine, which winds through Paris.  It is due west of the Arch de Triumph, on the same street axis as the Avenue Champs Elysees. 

A new arch has been built in La Defense on that street axis.  It is the Grande Arch.  It is huge.  It is not an arch in the context of the Arch de Triumph and the like.  This is two office buildings joined together at the top by floor and roof area.  Looks like a picture frame, a bloody big one mind you, with corner mitre joints and bevelled inwards. It is not quite square.

There are four lifts which rise from the plaza beneath the connecting floor area to the first floor area of that building segment.  These lifts are exposed in the modern "exposed look" way.  You see all of the workings of these circular lifts.  So onward and up.

From the top, the view is, or would be excellent, if it wasn't for the sun and haze.  So after many photos and purchasing a souvenir cork screw - not too many screw caps here - I headed back to the La Defense metro station and on to the Opera metro station.  From there, I headed to the "Paris Story", a model and movie presentation of Paris and her history.  The movie lasted 50 minutes and was good.

Next on to the metro again, and across Paris and the Seine to Montparnasse, and the tallest office building in Paris, and at the southern edge of the "old Paris" area.  The lift takes you to the 56th floor, which has an enclosed viewing area, restaurant and shop, and then you can climb two floors via steps to the top at floor 58.  Once again, an excellent view would be had from here, but haze further out prevented this.  Nonetheless, a good view of old and newer Paris is to be had.

From Montparnasse, I headed back to Gare de Lyon, took the wrong exit - there are many, and ended up a fair way away from where I wanted to be. It took a little time to sort out the map and streets and get back on track.  Some of these metro stations are worse than rabbit warrens.  Many long winding passage ways which could pop up anywhere.  

Back on home soil,  I had a rest as I had once again done a lot of walking, climbing, etc., regardless of the metro trips.  As it was around 6:00pm I decided that dinner was on the menu.  Tonight I revisited the Chinese just across the street from the hotel and got a full take away meal.  Together with wine previously purchased, I had a good feed.

Tomorrow is a bus trip to Giverny in the afternoon to the Gardens of Monet.  Tomorrow morning will be as it may, out and about in Paris.

Day 28 - 10th April - Out and about in Paris in the morning, Giverny and Monet's gardens in the pm.  I set out from the hotel about 9:00am and headed to the Cityrama office near the Louvre.  I wanted to confirm my online booking and make sure I knew where the coach was leaving from.  Having sorted out the afternoon trip, I walked from the vicinity of the Louvre across the Seine to the Musee d'Orsey, where I hope to go on Friday.  The lines and crowds generaly are far greater than when I was in Paris last in late March 2005.  The colder weather then kept them at bay.  Not now though.

The line up at the Musee d'Orsey was big, although the special entry one (Paris Museum Pass, etc.) was not.  Way to go!  After taking a few photos and buying a 2 day Paris Museum Pass, I went to the nearby Musee d'Orsey RER (Ile de France - the Paris region trains) station and travelled two stations to the RER station at the Eiffel Tower.

Musee d'Orsey was almost vacant in comparison to the crowds at the Tower.  Once again, in 2005 the line up was something like 10 minutes.  I am glad I am not lining up today.  I estimated an hour if not more there today.  Whilst there the opportunities for a few photos presented themselves - some more unusual shots, down lanes, through trees, etc.

But the reason I came there was not for the Tower, but rather the Paris Musee du Vin, which one reference said "a stones throw from the Eiffel Tower".  Well, look as I might, at maps and street map boards, it was nowhere to be found.  After walking around the Tower, I gave up and decided to walk 350 metres further on the metro station, rather than go back on the RER.  That is where I found the next area street map board which showed the street that I had been seeking around the Tower.  So now I knew where I needed to go to find the Musee du Vin.

As I approached the elevated (rather than subterranian) metro station, there was a traffic hold up.  On reaching the point of interest, a two car accident became evident.  There were police managing the vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow around the scene.  And there, pride of place, sitting nose to nose with a small hatchback, was another small sedan, a small police sedan.  There was a lot of consternation.  And a photo opportunity didn't go astray, very carefully and quickly I must admit.

After having the "photo in the can", I headed over the combined car, walk and rail (on an upper level) bridge to the other side of the Seine and on to the Musee du Vin.  As I had been held up trying to find the Musee du Vin at the Tower, I didn't have enough time to visit on this occasion.  But now I knew where it was.  I shall return!

The quickest way back to the Cityrama office was by metro, so I decided to go the long way around.  Arriving back at the Cityrama office, I picked up my "boarding pass" and waited in line until boarding time.  The half day tour commenced at 1:45pm.  The bus headed out of Paris via the Arc de Triumphe.  It was soon on divided four lane roads and motorways.

It took a good hour and 20 minutes to reach Giverny.  Once there, we listened to the two lady guides' instructions, and followed them into one of the two garden areas.  There we were told about Monet and the gardens and house.  Then we were on our own to look through the gardens and the house.  As we were in the garden in front of the house, I took a few photos before heading to the Japanese Garden, where the famous pond and water lillies are to be found.  This garden is on the other side of the main road at the edge of Giverny.  It is accessed via a tunnel from the house-side gardens.  

This time of year, early spring, the gardens are not in full bloom, especially the Japanese Garden.  So no water lillies or mauve flowers on the bridges, as is typically seen in post cards and the like.  However, it was still very good.

After more photos, many more, I walked back through the tunnel to the house garden and wandered around, more photos naturally.  Then the house.  It is a two story one, and each room has its fill of Monet's paintings and drawings.  Very impressive.

Lastly, the souvenir shop.  There were very many things to tempt you, but I bought only four small items, including the mandatory fridge magnet.  Then out into the small village of Giverny and a walk around the area immediately near the Monet Gardens.  Soon it was time to head back to the bus and leave for Paris, an hour twenty minutes away.

Back in Paris, I left the Cityrama bus and caught the metro back to Gare de Lyon and the hotel.  After a quick clean up, I sought out a local place to have dinner and chose the Italian pizza and pasta restaurant.  After a good seafood pizza, chianti and tiramissu, I retired to the hotel.  Tomorrow is my last full day in Paris before Carmel arrives.  So I intend to catch up on with an area I really liked last time in Paris,  Montmartre.  


Day 29 - 11th April - Out and about in Paris again.  Today I left the hotel about 9:00am and headed for Montmartre on the metro.  It is very easy to get around Paris on the metro or RER.  Once you know the main link stations, those where you go to to catch another train elsewhere, it is easy.  The only problem is the "rats nest" of interconnecting tunnels within these stations.  But they are well signed and it is usually not easy to get lost.  However, I still managed that a couple of times at Gare de Lyon.

At Anvers on line 2, I left the metro and walked up the narrow street leading up to the Faniculaire de Montmartre, only to find it closed for maintenance.  So up those stairs, those very many stairs, leading up to the top of Montmartre near to the Sacre Coeur church.  This time, as well as some more outside photos, I joined the throngs of people - last time in March 2005 only I and two others from memory were there - and had a look inside.  The unseasonal warmer weather now is certainly bringing out the hords.

From Sacre Coeur, I walked around the side street and onto a another small street which headed into the square at Montmartre where the artists ply their trade and restaurants and the like abound.  But the first restaurant I saw as I walked I had not seen last time, and had obviously missed it.  Most unlike me.  An Irish Pub restaurant.  There in sight of and very close proximity to Sacre Coeur, the Irish have their presence, including Guinness.

Most people see Sacre Coeur like this - the popular view,    I saw it like this - my newly found view.

I wandered around the Montmatre square - it would have a name but I didn't get it - for a while, watching all of the activity.  People at the restaurants, walking about, looking at post cards and art works from the local artisans, and of cause, the local artisans themselves.  A scene of artistic activity and creativity.  There were those seated at their small spot, displaying their works, and in many cases, creating their new "master pieces".  Others, the wandering artisans, were trying, and some succeeding, in enticing the passers-by to become their latest  "master piece".  All in all, very artisan, and very Paris.

Last time in Montmartre, I visited, from outside the boundary fence, the only remaining vineyard in Paris.  I did likewise this time, and was determined to find the only winery in Paris - as far as I know - right here in Montmartre.  It is located in the basement of the Town Hall.  I asked at the Montmartre information centre, but was told that it was private and not open to the public.  I was told the general location.  Over the  back of Montmatre, down the stairs - lots of stairs.  Anyway, it proved too elusive, and I didn't find it, although I saw another part of Paris that I had not seen before.  Next time I look up the address and know where it is before I set out - too late for that this visit.

From "the other side of Montmartre", down in suburbia, I climbed all those stairs again back to the top and on again through the square.  I didn't linger and continued down the winding streets, this time heading for the bottom of the mount - on the Paris side this time - the Boulevard de Clichy and a certain "red windmill".  

Like in Berlin and Munich before it, Paris is alive with food.  Food everywhere.  Brasseries, cafes and food shops - bakers, dellies, greengrocers/grocers, seafood - who eats it all!  Very much like that on the way down to the Moulin Rouge.  There was also a street vendor, with his small cart, its grinding wheel and seat, and his hand carried and rang bell, walking the streets and plying his trade to the locals.  Ah Paris, magnifique.

I had a quick look at the entry to the Moulin Rouge, with its artistic billboards which changed picture with changing viewer location.  And had a look in the Moulin Rouge shop to see what was on offer.  From amongst the many high priced offerings I chose my usual purchase, a fridge magnet.  See you again Friday night Moulin Rouge.

Next I was going to head for the Seine and a river cruise later in the day, but found I had forgotten the discount vouchers.  So time to head back to Gare de Lyon and the hotel.  After a quick refresh, a bit like a web page really, I set off again for the Eiffel Tower and the river cruises.  I headed back to the metro and on to Alma Marceau, near the Pont de l'Alma and Eiffel Tower.  There are several river cruise companies here and mine was at the wharves near the Tower.  So I walked from the Pont de l'Alma, along the east bank of the Seine to the double deck bridge near the scene of the police car accident (on one side) and the Musee de Vin (on the other).  This bridge carries a metro line over the Seine on its higher level.  Along the way there were many photo opportunities, but that is usual here in Paris.

I once again headed to the Musee du Vin, having found it yesterday.  There I looked through the museum and the restaurant, and sampled some cheese and wine that I was offered.  I also made a lunch appointment for the following day, when Carmel arrives in Paris.

After the Musee du Vin, I headed back to the other side of the Seine and along past the Eiffel Tower to the river cruise wharf.  At the wharf, I lined up like the rest of the river cruise tourists, and waited to board.  The boat was a large one, capable of holding several hundred people.  It was a long way from being full.  The cruise lasted one hour and went from the Eiffel Tower to the far end of the Ile St-Louis, the smaller Seine island next to the Ile de la Cite.  During the cruise I took many photos - again.  On return to the wharf, I walked to the nearby RER station and headed back to Gare d'Austerlitz, just across the Seine from the Gare de Lyon.  A ten minute walk back over the Seine, past the Gare de Lyon and I was home again at the hotel.  

Dinner tonight was at the brasserie four shops down the street from the hotel.  A very nice rump steak with sause de poivre, french fries and a garden salad, all washed down with a glass of good French red - yes there are some it seems!  Then home to diary and bed.  Tomorrow, Carmel arrives from Hong Kong via Heathrow


Day 30 - 12th April - Out and about in Paris again, with Carmel.  Today is the start of my second month abroard.  I am at the half way mark.  And what a half it was!!

I suspect that this diary is going to be reduced in content from now on as the opportunities to undertake writing it reduce, and the availability of internet connections, free or otherwise, become less frequent.  We shall see.

After a long flight from Hong Kong into Heathrow (after a business class upgrade - some people have it easy), and delays in the Heathrow to CDG flight - sat on the tarmac for a hour due to French traffic controllers strike - Carmel arrived in Paris.  Her shuttle trip from CDG to the hotel was reasonably quick, because she arrived ahead of my expectation.  

After a quick freshen up - she had a shower, etc. at Heathrow - we headed out for lunch.  She didn't know where we were going, except that it was near the Eiffel Tower.  It was in fact the Musee de Vin, and the lovely restaurant there.  So after a metro ride to "where she had no idea", she was pleasantly surprised.  Julie, the lady from my previous visit, was waiting (coincidently) at the front door, and recognised me as soon as I took off my sunglasses.  She ushered us in and to our table.  

The three course lunch was magnificent, as was the glass of champagne and bottle of house red.  After lunch, I showed Carmel around the museum.  Now, lunch and museum behind us, Carmel had some more pressing business elsewhere in Paris.

Galleries Lafayette was calling.  So off to the nearby metro and the "shrine to consuming".  The immediate goal was the purchase of eye pencils not available in Oz.  Not a "me thing" really.  But just seeing this "shrine" was worthwhile, and also a photo opportunity.  And just across the road was Sephora, the up market perfumery.  However, this time, I was the culprite.  I wanted to get some more of my Eau de Toilette (Cristobal Pour Homme by Balenciaga), which also is not available in Oz.  So we were both suitably satisfied with our purchases.  

By this time Carmel was beginning to fade.  So back to the metro, Gare de Lyon and the hotel.  Although still about 6:00pm Carmel crashed.  I had a little lie down also, but  this is far too early for me.  And the diary was calling, having been interrupted by Carmel's arrival this morning.

So, diary is up to date, Carmel is asleep, but God knows when she will wake up.  Long before I am due to, I am sure.  Tomorrow is a museum day, and Moulin Rouge night - a big day!


Day 31 - 13th April - Museums and Moulin Rouge.  So a report from Carmel. Love to you all, I miss you. As Colin said, I crashed last night but feel so much better for it. Breakfast in the holel was quite good really, cereal, croissant, juice and strong coffee and hot milk.

We decided to go to Musee d'Orsey first as Colin hadn't been there and I was very keen to have some more time there. We had museum passes so we didn't need to line up which was great as the line was quite long. We headed for the Impressionists section where we marvelled at magnificient paintings by artists such as Monet, Renoir, Manet, Van Gogh, Degas, Matisse, Cezanne, Sisley etc. It is truly mind boggling to actually see them all! We didn't need to rush which was great.

What I didn't mention earlier was that it was very hot! It was really unseasonal weather and I had planned very badly for things to wear in Paris! It was hotter than Hong Kong! After queueing for water we headed off to Musee de L'orangerie which had just been reopened after renovations which had taken quite a few years. I was very excited to go there as it had not been open at my two previous visits to Paris. The highlight was the Monet room. Monet had designed his painting 'The Water Lilies' to be continuous as a wall panel but it had not been possible to display it that way before the renovations, where it was on the lower floor and not in natural light. Now the whole top floor is dedicated to this and is flooded with natural light. It was a sight to behold! The walls of two large rooms are all the waterlilies i.e. eight large panels 10-20 meters long. After having seen his home in Giverny it means so much more. We lingered here for quite a while and took lots of pictures. The rest of the museum is also excellent with many of the favourite masters  to revel over.

As we were going to Moulin Rouge this evening we didn't go to the Louvre this time as we would have been rushed so we purchased a tasty baguette and headed to a small museum called Musee de Pupee or doll museum. Obviously Colin wasn't enthusiastic to see this one so he headed off to the nearby Pompidou Centre and I enjoyed very much the dolls from the 19th and  20th centuries. It was the history of dolls and how they changed till now. It was a fabulous collection.

We then headed back to the hotel to get ready for our big night out. We arrived early so the queue wasn't too long and eventually we were escorted to our seats. They were perfect unlike last time, when I was here with my friend Barbara in 2006. Right in the middle and elevated so we had a perfect view of the stage. The meal was very delectible.  Entree- Fois Gras, Main- Crab and Desert- Macaroon. Yum!  Colin had a different entree and desert.

We had a lovely couple sitting with us from London. They were belatedly celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary delayed due to serious illness so this was a big treat.

The show was the same as I had seen with Barbara and is called 'Feerie'. It was magnificient. Totally enjoyable. Colin certainly enjoyed the beautiful topless women!  I find it very tasteful and really glamorous. They are not large girls!     The costuming and sets are stunning. This was a most enjoyable treat and I am very grateful to Colin for organising it.        


Day 32 - 14th April - Last full day in Paris. I had read in the Qantas magazine and also in the book on Paris about the Marchee du Puces de Montreiul so I headed off to explore these, Colin in tow.  At first we couldn't find them but we were at the wrong metro station.  Had a similar name but three stations too far.  So after finding the right station we were OK.

It was a typical market with a lot of junk and cheap merchandise but a few good finds. It was an experience! 

From there, we headed off to St Germaine de Pres for lunch.  I love this area. It was very hot and we were actually getting sunburnt so a lovely salade et vin was a good choice.

We decided to go to the Pantheon as it was close by and we had our museum passes so may as well get our money's worth. It is such an impressive building! I hadn't seen it before so it was worth the visit.

I wanted to go to St Chappele so Colin took me the long way round via Luxemberg Gardens. I love these gardens. As I said it was very hot so they were out in droves. I thought they said 'only mad dogs and Englishmen lay out in the midday sun'! Well, they should have included the French in that or else they were all English tourists! There would have been some serious sunburn.  I love to watch the children sailing their little boats on the small lake.

We then headed off, once again the long way round, torwards St Chappelle. The shops were beautiful and I could have done some serious shopping except for Colin! Then, there it was! a delightful French Provincial shop. Colin relented and the air conditioning beckoned so we went in and I made a couple of small purchases. It was a lovely shop.

And then before I realised where we were, we were at the Polaine Bakery. He had tricked me. I love that area anyway, very upmarket.

We eventually found St Chappelle and once again needed our museum pass so it was good we had one. We also had to put our bags through a security check as we had at the major museums. The stained glass windows are very impressive.  I had been recommended to see this particular church but I think Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur are more impressive and awe inspiring. Colin had already seen these as had I so we didn't go again. I was very tired and aching by this time from all the walking and the heat so we found a bar and crepery and had the obligatory Grand Manier crepe and a Belgian Beer!  
              
It was time then to head back to the hotel to pack our bags. I have enjoyed immensely my brief stay in Paris.  Colin's comment.  Vive la Paris!  Seven wonderful days.  Until next time, au revoir.


Day 33 - 15th April - Reluctantly we leave Paris, but a Provencial adventure awaits far to the south.  The TGV left Gare de Lyon at 9:34am.  The trip to Nice takes about 5 hours 40 minutes, so we arrived in Nice at 3:13pm.  We took a taxi from the station to the hotel, down on the Mediterranian Coast.

The above was written on the train to Nice.  All didn't go quite that smoothly.  We arrived in Nice as scheduled, collected all our luggage and left the train.  Someway down the platform I suddenly I remembered we had coats.  Especially me, as I only have one coat, and Switzerland and the Alps await.  So, this mad Australian, suddenly stops mid platform, realising something was missing.  Two coats were still hanging behind our seats on the TGV.  So, down the platform I sprint to the 1st class carriage that we were in and race onboard.  Down the train, missing the seats we were sitting at.  Some French train workman challenges me in French. I say in French/English/sign language I have left coats on board.  He yells something about seeing some monsiuer further down the train.  I run through the carriage trying to find the monsieur.  He hears my "frantic" call for help.  But to no avail.  He replies, but no English to be heard and no appreciation of my plight in sight.  So, realizing I was on my own, I headed back through the carriage.  I then saw the missing coats, hanging behind my seat where I had hung them in Paris.  I grabbed them and fired something totally unintellible at the two French train workers who, through their extremely raised voices and body language, were saying something in French like "bloody wanker!".

Coats recovered, we sought out a taxi to take us to the Suisse Hotel, where we checked in, went to our room, and took in the magnificent view.  One look was enough at this time for me as, after being a pack horse with some of the luggage, I had but one desire.  A shower.  I was sweating like a "roasting spit pig" at a Woden Valley Wine Club function.

After a little settling down time in a calming bath, I emerged to the beautiful world of the French Riviera, in particular, Nice, and the classic beach view, which we had from our hotel balcony.  MAGNIFIQUE!

That evening, we went down to the "tourist strip", one building width back from the Boulevade d'Anglaise which runs along the beach front, in the "old town area".  We checked out the very many restaurants.  After chosing a very promising Italian Pizza / Pasta restaurant, we sat down to a really good meal. Because this area of the French Riveria is very close to Italy, and maybe other historical reasons, there is a very big Italian influence in the restaurant fare in this area.  After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and sat on the small balcony and took in the sights of the "magic Mediterranian" and the Cote d'Azure.

Tomorrow we pick up the car and then head to Monaco.  Today has been an eventful, but in the end geat day.


Day 34 - 16th April - Today is car pick up day.  We left the hotel and headed back to the same area where the restaurants were the previous night. We were going to have some breakfast at a boulangerie (bakery) we saw the night before.  Buildings each side line a long open area covered by twin A frame awnings, which were the outside areas for restaurant patrons.  Only thing was, there were more of these things than restaurants along the length of the "strip".  The reason for this was soon to be made very clear.

Walking down from the hotel and through one of the archways leading to "the strip", we rounded a corner and were at the end of the strip.  Disaster!  Ultra disaster!  The reason for the multitude of A frame awnings was very clear.  A MARKET!!  But not just any market, an antique market!!  And not just any antique market.  This one, unlike the Paris one, was really good!  Carmel was in her heaven.  I was, well, pissed off.  This should not be happening.  

Anyhow, after some browsing, we finally had breakfast and then one more quick look and buy.  Then we headed off to Hertz at the Nice Gare to pick up the car.  We finally took delivery of a manual Renault Scenic manual.  We tried for an automatic, but failed.  Would you believe that we were offered a Jeep Cherokee automatic, but Carmel refused "point blank".  Too "bloody big" for Provence.  Barbara would appreciate why.

Well, if I thought that the antique markets were a disaster, I was in for a surprise.  Let me say upfront that Carmel has done a marvelous job, in some trying circumstances such as road works that our Tom Tom navigator didn't know about, and Colin, who is a terrible "driver's seat passenger" - think about it.  Also, many routes, roads, whatever that we travelled are not the widest.  I was probably an "A grade" maniac, but getting from Nice station to Monaco and back to the Nice hotel was an experience.  Through all of my "sh.ts and f..ks" and quite a few other exclamations, Carmel managed to get us safely through  a mixture of normal, very narrow, some with road works, autoroutes, and winding French Riviera roads.  I was, and so was Carmel, happy to get the car parked for the night in the car park under the "market strip". We happenned to find the closest parking to the Markets on our return from Monaco - underneath.  At which point, Carmel went back to the markets for about one hour before closing, and I headed for the Irish Pub.....as you do!

Monaco, and Monte Carlo was an eye opener.  Money, lots of money, in the buildings, the infrastructure, the boats, the casino.  Another world!  And guess what.  We saw the setting up works in progress for the Monaco Grand Prix, which is run in May.

All in all, a very eventfull day.  After the markets and the Irish Pub, we found, once again, an Italian "influenced" restaurant and had a wonderful meal and wine.  This time we were out of the immediate tourist area, in a square where more locals would frequent, rather than the "tourist strip".  Carmel was still "upset" with my "carrying on" during the driving sessions.  I can't blame her.  She did very well in very trying circumstances.  Right hand side of the car tolerances were sometimes wafer thin!  She is also very forgiving.

Tomorrow, we head for Sisteron, via the French "Grand Canyon".  A day travelling through the Alps Haute area of Provence.  


Day 35 - 17th April - Gorge Verdon, Moustiers de St. Marie and Sisteron.  Today we packed up at the Nice hotel and left our wonderful view.  We walked back to the area where the markets / restaurants are.  Surprise, surprise.  Markets again, only this time not antique markets.  These were your usual fruit/veg/clothes etc.  After a quick coffee, we went down under the markets area to the car park, finally found the car, and left.  We drove back past the hotel, did a U-turn around the other side of the hotel headland and parked in one of the two car parks in front of the hotel.  All went to plan.

Having checked out and packed the car, we set Tom (Tom-Tom navigator for the uninitiated) to take us to Sisteron, north west of Nice.  Getting out of Nice was easy.  Along the beach side (not sand but river pebbles) boulevade until a turn to the motorway west.  Then after some distance on the motorway, Tom tooks us inland and up and up and over the inland range that runs behind Nice and the Mediterranian coast.  We travelled on all sorts of roads.  Tom has a habit of taking you sight seeing through some of the areas with way less than motorway standard roads, in several cases, one lane roads.  Luckily these were not that well  travelled by others so passing in most cases was not an issue.  One time though, following another car, on an uphill grade we met a tractor coming down.  No choice.  We had to reverse down the road some distance to a bend.  Not one of Carmel's most favoured occasions.  She did very well though.

After a couple of hours travel, now on better two lane roads, we came to a left turn to the Gorge Verdon.  We were a little uncertain about this way but Carmel was determined.  So off we went.  As it turned out, it was a very good call.  We finally managed, through Carmel's good judgement rather than mine, to come to a point on the Verdon River not far from the gorge area.  We pulled up for a look and photo opportunities.  Carmel got taking to some other travellers who had a good knowledge of the area.  We were on the right track, and they were able to fill in the gaps and provided us with the directions we needed.  Tom didn't have a clue.  He was still programmed to take us to Sisteron on the original track he had plotted.  The Verdon Gorge didn't figure in his considerations, nor did any other option but "to turn around at the next opportunity".  So we turned him off.

Continuing on, we soon came to Sublime Point, where we once again checked out the views and took photos.  This time we were in Verdon Gorge country.  The full name of the Verdon Gorge is called also the Grand Canyon du Verdon, and is considered France's Grand Canyon, and for good reason.

From Sublime Point, we continued west and out of Verdon Gorge country to the village of Moustiers de St. Marie.  This is a very old village, nestled into the side of cliffs.  There is a chapel set high on the cliffs above the village.  Too many steps.  We didn't go up there.  But we did explore the village.  It is a typical French village, old and charming, with restaurants/cafes, etc. to cater to the tourist trade.

Leaving Moustiers de St. Marie, we headed now for our final destination for today, Sisteron.  I soon realised why Tom didn't find a route through the Verdon/Moustiers area to Sisteron initially when I tried earlier.  He probably didn't want to take us on some of the roads he finally did.  We turned Tom back on at Moustiers and he did his job well.  We had a very scenic trip up hill and down dale, up mountain and down mountain, mostly on narrow country roads.  Finally, we came to Sisteron and civilisation again.

We drove into Sisteron, into a small car park in the town centre, not knowing where the hotel was.  We neen't have worried though.  It was straight out the front window, across the street.  After checking in, we had a drink at the hotel, then after a quick walk around the immediate area, we had a very lovely dinner at the hotel.  The Grand Hotel du Cours is a very nice 3 star hotel, and the staff are very friendly and helpful.  You could not have asked for anything better.

Tomorrow, before we leave Sisteron, a climb up to the Citadel overlooking Sisteron.  Then on to St-Maximin-la-Ste-Baume to the south, back towards the Mediterranian.


Day 36 - 18th April - Sisteron and St-Maximin-la-Ste-Baume.  After breakfast, we paid the hotel bill but didn't have to vacate the room until noon.  So we set off through the village, following the signs through narrow streets and steps to the Citadel, pearched high on a rocky peak overlooking Sisteron and the surrounding area.

The climb to the Citadel ticket office was a mixture of steps and streets, so it was not exhausting.  Once at the ticket office, we could see the extent of the Citadel in a map of the facility.  It was a series of lower court yards and terraces, joined by steps and ramps.  There were passage ways and lower building structures, some built into the peak and some free standing.  The whole structure was a rambling one, with many passages and stairs leading up and down.  

The way we went, we wound upwards through the external court yards, terraces and building(s).  It was a very successful fortified position and protected this area of France from invaders many times.  The history is worth checking out on Google.

We finally ended up on a narrow upward battlement - narrow walkway - leading to the  top bell tower structure and the chapel.  At the highest point - the bell tower - the view  all around was really good.  Many photos were taken during our ascent from the village and at the top.  After a look at the tourist offerings in the chapel, we headed back down and to the hotel.  After parking the car, we said our goodbyes to the two  lovely hotel staff who were so helpful.  Tom was then programmed for St Maximin, down the autoroute to the south.

Tom took us mainly on the autoroute(s) this time, but the last 50 km or so was on a mix of narrow and good two lane roads.  The problems started when we got into the centre of St Maximin.  The hotel was once a monastery and, together with the basilica next  to it, was in the centre of the village.  And guess what Wednesday mornings are.  Yes, market mornings until 1:00pm.  We arrived just before 1:00pm in the centre of the village to many people, cars, narrow streets and market pack up time.  And just like last time Carmel was here with Barbara, we could not find the entry to the hotel yard.  So around and around we went, until we got caught up down a dead end lane with other vehicles trying to come in and go out.  This was, looking back now, an interesting time.  Wasn't so at the time.  

After extracting ourselves and the car from the markets, we stumbled upon the back gates to the hotel.  And after getting them opened by the hotel staff, we escaped the frenzy of the streets and lanes of St Maximin and finally had sanctuary in the hotel grounds.  Sanity returned.

We booked in and went to our room and unpacked, then we had a drink in the bar area of the restaurant.  The old world charm of the place was evident everywhere.  The large central court and garden is so peaceful.  

But we had to make the most of the time available, so we set off to see some of the close by sights.  The basilica next to the hotel was first.  We spent some time there looking around.  This is the place where some historical texts say that some remains of Mary Magdalene were found and are now contained in a crypt under the basilica.

After the basilica, we visited the information centre and found some information about a local winery, about 300 metres distant.  It took us a few wrong streets and turn, but finally we found the winery.  One of the owner brothers was there in the front tasting area.  We tried a selection of his offerings and they were all pretty good.  I must say that from here and other places where we have had French wine, my opinion of French wine has changed somewhat.  It has been mostly good and relatively cheap.  We bought two bottles, one white and one rose.

Back at the hotel, we got ready for dinner, which we were having at the hotel restaurant.  The restaurant is a one star Michelan restaurant.  It was very good.  After dinner we retired to get a reasonably early night.  Tomorrow we head for Avignon and our wonderful B&B mini castle.  On the way, we are visiting Les Baux and the Pont du Gard, both historic places Carmel and Barbara visited last year.


Day 37 - 19th April - St-Maximin-la-Ste-Baume to Avignon - Les Baux and the Pont du Gard.  We had breakfast at the hotel then checked out, programmed Tom, then headed towards Les Baux, south of Avignon.  Once again, Tom was kind to us and we took motorway or nearly equivalent roads for most of the trip.  The last 30km or so were on narrower but still good two lane roads.  Les Baux is a village perched into and on top of a hill.  There seems to be many such villages in this part of the world.  In times now distant in the past, there was a need for protection of villages, etc.  and the terrain here certainly offered that.  

We parked the car outside the village, as you could not drive into it.  Narrow pedestrian cobbled lanes and steps prevail, as do the usual tourist restaurants, clothing, lolly and general souvenir shops selling a variety of goods.   Many photos were also taken.  Once again, this is a place that Carmel and Barbara had visited last year, and I wanted to see it for myself.  I wasn't disappointed.  

After having a light lunch at one of those myriad of restaurant/cafes, we headed back to the car to move it a little closer to another fascinating attraction just down the road.  Carmel and Barbara had seen this last time also.  It is a cavern or several caverns left over from the mining of blocks of limestone for building materials used around this area.  One such cavern, with very high ceilings and several side caverns, sort of T shaped, with two cavern pockets across the top of the T and the way in up the stem of the T, is set up as a video and sound "theatre". It is called "Cathedrale d'Images, and on this occasion, a Venice spectacular was being presented.  Scenes from Venice, external and internal, were being projected on the 20 metre high walls around the various parts of the T shaped cavern, all accompanied by various classical and some more contemporary musical pieces.  The cavern was naturally dark, and the video and sound show in the large "auditorium" was spectacular.

After the video and sound show, we set off again, heading to Pont du Gard, to the north west of Avignon.  Tom did his thing again, and we arrived with no problems experienced about an hour later.  Pont du Gard is a massive Roman viaduct, which carried water from the highlands north of Avignon, to Avignon and surrounding areas.  The viaduct is one of the best preserved examples of Roman engineering in the world.  It is a three level viaduct, a wide base bridge, a narrower second bridge on that, and the top level viaduct on top of the second level.  Worth a Google.

From the Pont du Gard, we set Tom for Avignon.  We had one problem.  We needed to be at Saint Pierre la Vernede, outside of Avignon.  Problem was, Tom didn't know this place.  And I didn't have the map from the B&B web site.  Too trusting of Tom's knowledge base.  So we headed to Avignon, hoping to either see a signpost or find a petrol station to get directions.  Firstly, no sign posts.  Secondly, no petrol stations.  We ended up driving around various parts of Avignon until we did find a petrol station. To no avail.  The man there didn't speak English, but I did manage to get an idea from him as to where we should be.  So last port of call.  I phoned the B&B.  First time I got a recorded message and hung up.  After more failed attempts to get Tom to find the location, I phoned again and this time an answer.  A male voice, and when I spoke English, he replied in English.  Thank goodness!  After explaining our problem, Greg (the voice on the phone) gave us the name of a nearby town and Tom did know about it.  So, with intructions provided, and Tom now programmed, we headed off.  Within 15 minutes, we were pulling into the grounds of Chateau de la Vernede (definitely worth a Google - the one near Avignon), our magnificent home for the next two nights.  Pity we hadn't arrived an hour or more earlier as we would have had we known initially where we needed to go.  A lesson for me (and Tom) for the future.

Madam Francoise Grassiot met us at the door.  She is a very lovely and charming French lady who, with her husband Christian, owns the chateau and runs the B&B.  Also, the voice on the phone, Greg her son was there, as was his wife-to-be, Cecile.  We were warmly welcomed.  Francoise took us to our room, rather suite, and showed us in.  We won't have this luxury and grandeur again, I expect.  After unpacking the car,  Francoise provided us with a lovely savoury cake and white wine to relax after our travels and travails.

Francoise offered to book a restaurant for us for dinner.  So, after a little rest with savoury cake and wine, we headed off to the restaurant at Villeneuve les Avignon, which is a village across on the west side of the Rhone from Avignon, and not far from the B&B chateau.  It was an Italian influenced restaurant once again, but very good.  Lots of locals, who seem to arrive at restaurants about 8:30-9:00pm.  After dinner, we found our way back to the chateau, this time without crossing the Rhone several times whilst trying to find the lane we needed to be in (Sur le Pont, Avignon).  Barbara would be well aware of these experiences in Avignon from last time, so Carmel tells me.

So then to sleep in a beautiful chateau, to be serenaded by the French frogs (those little creatures in the garden pond that is).


Day 38 - 20th April - Loumarin.  We decided that it would be nice to mingle with the local people and the best way to do this was to attend the local marche, i.e., the local fruit and vegetable and produce markets. These are held weekly and Friday was Loumarin markets. This was where Barbara and I (Carmel's diary turn again) had stayed last year and I was keen to see it again anyway so off we set. It was a picturesque journey through the Petit Luberon. We were lucky to find a parking space (a little local knowledge helps) and now to enjoy the local delicacies.

We tasted such things as wild boar sausage, duck sausage and goodness knows what but it all tasted tres bon. The cheeses are just amazing with so many choices. They all tasted good though I don't really know what they were. There is also the wonderful provencal fabrics available, tableclothes etc. and clothing including a wonderful selection of Pashminas.

Colin was growing in impatience until he discovered a wine tasting, and this occupied him for a while. The local wines are very good. We purchased some local cheese, pistou de tomate and bagette and found a nice park to enjoy our repas. We then wandered down through the village to La Cordiere where Barbara and I had stayed and there was Walter, the owner. He remembered me with some prompting. It was nice to see him again.

We decided to head back to St Pierre (the chateau) and a rest and wander in the lovely grounds. The property is a dream with beautiful gardens to relax in.  Francoise recommended a restaurant for dinner, Aubertin,  booked a table, and off we headed to Villeneuve again.  It was a more upmarket restaurant with local cuisine which was what I was wanting. The whole dinner was a gastonomic delight!  The strong flavours were sensational.  We chose a white wine from Macon in Burgundy to accompany our meal. It was a real treat!  After dinner, back to the car, parked in one of those little lanes, and set off for home.  And guess what!!  Over that darn bridge again by mistake!  We eventually made it home safe and sound.


Day 39 - 21st April - We were tossing up whether to go to Orange to see the Roman Theatre when the decision was made for us as we could only pay in cash so had to head for Villeneuve to the bank, and guess what, the local antique and bric-a-brac markets were on. These are very highly regarded and have good merchandise at very good prices. What a treat for me. Once again Colin was pretty bored with this! I found a beautiful French doll in perfect condition from the 1930's. The price was very cheap so I weakened. You may not know I have a weakness for old dolls.  And Colin has a weakness for young "dolls"! (Ed).

So once again, I satisfied my "market mania" (Colin's comment). We then headed back to pay for the B&B and pack the car. The good thing was we had a Renault Scenic so all our luggage fitted in the boot out of site. This is very important as they recognise the hire cars from the number plates and check for visible luggage, the crooks that is!

We explored a little of the local region then headed back to Villeneuve for lunch. We found a local cafe bar where they served Plat De Jour. It is very good food and we had a leisurely lunch as the French do. You can't go to France without expecting to enjoy the local food. Then, it was time to head for the station, take the car back to Hertz unscathed, and catch the TGV to Geneva.  

So au revoir to Provence and France, until next time.  It has been fun and a real adventure.  Now it is time for Switzerland and a Swiss adventure, and a little bit cooler hopefully.  As it turned out this was wishful thinking, at least in Geneva.

We arrived in Geneva about 8:00pm, got all of our luggage of the train, unlike last time, and headed out into the station from the platform.  This time we had to go through immigration/customs, out through French in through Swiss.  For all the checking they did of us they may as well have not been there.  

The hotel is across the street from the station, so there was no drama in getting to the hotel, checking in and settling into our room.   We then went to a brasserie just beside our hotel and had a light meal as we had had a good lunch in France.   After that, we retired for the night.  Tomorrow out and about in Geneva.               

Day 40 - 22nd April - Geneva.  After breakfast, we headed to the city centre which is across the Rhone and to the south of Cornavin Place and the railway station.   Along the lake front, where the Rhone starts, are wharves where the lake cruises operate from.  We booked an 11:12am cruise.  They last about 55 minutes and go around the southern section of the lake where Geneva is situated.  

After the cruise, we headed further into the city, away from the lake and into the old town which is located on and around a hill, as with many of the old towns we have seen.  After strolling around for a while, we found a small cafe which specialises in chicken meals and had a lovely lunch.   We certainly have found that the price of things here in Geneva is higher that we would pay for equivalent items, in the main.  For example, we checked the price of a Big Mac and it was 10.50 Swiss Francs.  The Swiss Franc and the Oz dollar are on par, 1 CHF = 1 AUD within a cent or two.  

After we had eaten, we continued exploring the old town area.  Carmel was looking for the Catholic cathedral, but we only found the opposition.  However, a church is a church - a relief after markets - so we checked it out.  A good thing to.  As it turned out, we were able to go up one of the bell towers to the top.  This church had two side towers, one a bit smaller that the other.  In between, there was a copper covered spire, which was higher than the two towers.  Any way, the view from the top was tremendous and well worth the 158 steps to the top.  It wasn't too bad, as there were several levels on the way to the top which provided a break from climbing and also a view.  

After many photos, we carefully went back down the narrow spiral staircase to the bottom.  Then on to exploring more of the old town.  As it was getting late in the afternoon, we decided to go back to the hotel, have a rest, then see about having a drink and something light to eat.   Back at the hotel we enquired about fondue restaurants.  The girl at the desk was helpful and provided us with the name and location of one such restaurant, within 10-12 minutes walk of the hotel.  

We arrived at the restaurant about 8:00pm and ordered a cheese fondue, salad and wine.  Deja vu nineteen seventies, complete with orange pot and burner.  We saw a few other fondue pots and they were all the same, orange.  Anyway, the meal was good, as was the wine.  The owner, very nice young lady, spoke to us as the waiter didn't speak English when we asked.  So she took our order, and checked on how we were going during the meal.  After telling her we were from Oz, she provided us with a free dessert, which was really nice.

 We asked her about the restaurant the we had seen on the Samantha Brown Passport to Europe program on Foxtel.  We had forgotten the name, but she knew what it must have been.  As it turned out, the Eidelweiss Restaurant was just a little further down the street in a small square and part of the Eidelweiss Hotel.  So after finishing our "light" dinner, we walked down the street and into the Eidelweiss Restaurant for a look.  As we had not had coffee/tea, we asked if we could.  There was no problem so we sat on the upper level that we had walked off the street and into.  There was a lower level where others were eating, and the two man band was located.  

After coffee/tea and a small "polish remover" (schnapps) each, and listening to the band for a while, we booked for tomorrow night at 8:00pm for dinner and then left to head back to the hotel and a good nights sleep.  Poor Carmel, pity about the schnapps induced snoring!


Day 41 - 23rd April - Geneva.  Today, after breakfast, and after some early morning shopping on my part, we set off in the tram for the area where the United Nations is located and the nearby botanical gardens.  We walked  through the gardens for a couple of hours and had a light lunch there.  Then we walked a short distance to the lake shore and followed the parkland foreshores back towards the Rhone and the station area to the immediate north of the river.  Once back in the building area again, we passed the two restaurants from last night on our way back to the hotel.

Carmel was keen to go shopping, so after returning to the hotel, she went out again, whilst I undertook diary duty.  The early morning shopping I undertook was at a small jeweller's shop just around the corner from the hotel.  I had seen a watch the night before that I wanted to buy, so back there this morning.  It is a Swiss Military Watch, of which there seems to be many and various.  Not sure of the significance but will find out.  However, it was 50% off because of discontinued line.  But I liked the shape, etc.  so it was perfect.
  
(Carmel) Shopping was not great as we were in the equivalent of Broadway (Sydney that is, not New York - that is yet to occur) and I wanted to be in Double Bay! But there were many Jewellers and eventually I found something like what I was looking for so made a purchase. I now possess two Swiss watches.

Tonight we are going back to the Eidelweiss Restaurant for our last dinner in Geneva.   We booked for 8:00pm and arrived about that time.  We were shown to our seats, this time downstairs and to the left of the band.  Tonight, there was a different two man band.  They were playing when we arrived.  Also, there were a lot of people in the restaurant tonight.  There seemed to be a couple of large groups.

We ordered two fondues tonight, one meat with an oil burner, and one cheese, once again in an orange pot.  We also had french fries, a salad and a bottle of the house wine.  It was very good.  

The band played most of the time we were there.  As happened last night, one of the band members played the large alpine horn.  And as happened last night, several diners  had a go also.  Both Carmel and I did it tonight.  I also did it last night.  We have some video evidence.  We both were able to make noises.

So after a lovely but expensive night (most things here are expensive as mentioned earlier, but this was overboard), we headed back to the hotel.  I guess we paid for the location, the presentation and the band as well as the food. Samantha Brown obviously has a larger budget than we do!  

Tomorrow we head for Zermatt and the Matterhorn.


Day 42 - 24th April - Zermatt.  We caught the 9:36am IR from Geneva to Visp, which is east of Geneva in the lower Alps.  To get there, the train travelled north along side Lake Geneva to the northern most point, then followed the shore around as it headed east like a tail of a tadpole at right angles to its body.  The mountains became more pronounced as we headed east.  At Visp, we changed from the Swiss railways company to a private rail company, the Matterhorn Gornergrat Railway, which services the area from Visp up into the alpine area leading up to Zermatt and the Matterhorn.  The same company also runs the Glacier Express, which we are travelling on from Zermatt to St Moritz on Thursday.

We arrived at Zermatt about 12:30pm and set off with all of our luggage in tow to find the hotel.  After a brief false start, we found the hotel and settled in.  It is still warm, even here in Zermatt.  The temperature mid afternoon was 22 degrees C, with a light cooling breeze.  There is no snow in the village.  Even the higher areas surrounding Zermatt - a bit like at Thredbo with the village surrounded by mountains either side, only here much higher - were snowless.  Looking further to the Matterhorn, there is snow at that level, so when we go up further in the cog railway tomorrow, we will come to the current snow line.

We had a mid afternoon snack of soup and a beer at a nice cafe, one of many here in Zermatt.  After that, and more browsing the shops, we headed back to the hotel for a rest.  As I didn't sleep as well last night as I have been most other nights, I was tired and had a snooze.  After that, at about 7:00pm we decided to find somewhere for dinner.  We cruised the restaurants to find something less pricey and found one where we had a soup, German sausage with potato rosti, and salad, washed down with the house wine, a nice French blanc.

After a little more shop cruising, this time on the outside as they were closed, we called  it a night.  Tomorrow, the Gornergrat railway and the Matterhorn.


Day 43 - 25th April (Anzac Day) - Zermatt.  We can see the Matterhorn from our hotel balcony.  Up there above the snow line.  Like a tall, narrow craggy pyramid, reaching for the sky.  Well today, we went up to met it.  From a close distance.  But still remote.  Gornergratt is the closest that a railway goes in these Swiss Alps to the Matterhorn.  There, high in the Alps at 3136 metres, Gornergratt is a railway station, an astronomical observatory, a ski and tourist station, and a cable car station.  Apart from that, Gornergratt is pretty isolated.  Apart from its company, its overseer, the Matterhorn.  Of course there are other peaks and troughs, valleys and ridges, snow and rock and earth.  But the Matterhorn is prominant here.  It is the attraction.

We took the Gornergratt Matterhorn Railway from Zermatt.   The train is a cog train, and the gradients are step most of the way from Zermatt to Gornergratt.  There are several stops on the way, but on this trip, the vast majority of punters were going for one thing.  The Matterhorn, up close and personal.  And personal is was.  I over heard many comments whilst at Gornergratt along the lines that this was akin to a religious experience for some.  And I guess it was in some ways.   It was pretty awesome!

After we arrived at the Gornergratt station, we continued taking photos, as we had been doing most of the way from Zermatt.  The train took about 35-40 minutes to climb up from Zermatt.  The train travels at 30km on the uphill journey, and 20km on the downhill journey.  The station is located at a lower level to the Gornergratt main buildings, the combined ski/tourist and observatory building.  The ramped walkway is easy to climb, however, for those who need other ways, a lift will take you from the station level to the ski/tourist centre (station) level.

Above the main building, a steepish walkway made its way up to a higher platform area which was a lookout, with several location boards showing the surrounding peaks.  This was the highest point you could reach at the Gornergratt station.   From the station, a cable car went to a higher peak from where skiers no doubt traversed the slopes to other locations further down the mountains.  

We had a coffee and cake break at the tourist centre cafe.  There was also a more up market restaurant, but it was not open.  The official ski season finished here on April 22nd.  After several more photo opportunities, we decided to skip the next train back down and wait for the one after, at 1:11pm.   This gave us time to have a beer and sit outside on the terrace and take in the surrounding beauty and magic.  Just like some of those others I mentioned earlier, whose comments I overheard.

The trip back down to Zermatt was a little slower, as I previously indicated.  The little train does a magnificent job, climbing up and climbing down on the cog rail beneath it.

Back at Zermatt, we headed back to the hotel to drop off coats, etc.  It was not cold at the top.  It is not cold in Zermatt.  The higher than normal temperatures here in Europe are also playing out their unwelcome outcomes here in Zermatt.  There don't seem to be as many people here as would be the case in previous "normal" years.  We are nearly alone at the Hotel Continental, which is in the centre of Zermatt, close to the railway station, and is very good.

After, buying some more souvenirs, we found the local supermarket and bought some items to have a late lunch / early dinner.  We also found a little deli with some good ham, etc. and also (cool) wine.  One of the local bakeries provided some rolls.  So back to the hotel, out on the balcony, and cheese, ham, etc. tomato, pickled vegies (from a bottle)  and of course wine.  A pleasant interlude.  A McDonalds dessert, which we discovered last night, is in the offering a little later.

Tonight we pack again, for tomorrow we leave Zermatt for St Moritz on the Glacier Express, a train trip through the alpine area of southern Switzerland.


Day 44 - 26th April - Zermatt to St Moritz on the Glacier Express.  Tonight in St Moritz, sitting on the balcony of our 4th floor room, glass of local Swiss white wine, and ... RUGGED UP.  Finally, we are having some cold weather.  It must be about zero with the light wind chill factor.  But hey, who's complaining.  After all the unseasonal  hot weather, St Moritz is suddenly a pleasure.  Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but right now, at 9:00pm, it is refreshing.  A nice warm room is just through the glass door.

But now for the rest of today.  Backing up a bit, we left the hotel in Zermatt at about 9:00am and headed to the station.  The Glacier Express was leaving Zermatt at 9:48am.  It travels across the bottom of Switzerland though alpine areas.  The trip to St Moritz takes nearly eight hours.  We arrived just on 6:00pm.  The small bus from the hotel was waiting for us.  We checked in, then went down to the bar and had a drink.  Then a light dinner and then to our room with the rest of the bottle of white.  But I digress again.

The Glacier Express headed off from Zermatt back down to Visp, where we arrived from Geneva two days earlier.  The trip down, as it is up, as mentioned in an earlier diary entry, is by cog train.  The Glassier Express is a number of carriages, some normal 2nd class, some panorama 2nd class, and some pamorama 1st class.  Naturally, we were the latter.  The engines are then attached to suit the conditions.  Two were cog equiped, the other traction only.  Not sure if this is something Samantha Brown has done, but if so (or even if not),  so have we.

From Visp, the train travelled for another seven hours.  There were three engine changes, many station stops, and great, great views.  Without going into detail about every place the train goes through, it is sufficient to say that the trip, including a lovely lunch served at our seats, is one of the great train trips of the world.  For those who want more, Google Glacier Express.  Worth the visit, both by web and in person.

As per usual, many photo opportunities presented themselves.  And they don't really do the actual visual experience any justice.  They do however provide memory joggers for us, and contribute to our ever growing "slide night" presentations.

Tomorrow we explore St Moritz.  There is no snow in the town.  It is certainly visible on the mountains around St Moritz.  As well, tomorrow is our last full day in Switzerland, as on Saturday, we travel from St Moritz to Tirano, Italy, on another scenic train, the Bernina Express.  And from Tirano, it is on to Rome.  But for now, that is getting ahead of the project plan.

(Carmel) I thoroughly enjoyed the train trip today. The panoramic views were ever changing and thoroughly breathtaking.  It was a most relaxing day and a pleasing surprise to have cold weather in St Moritz.  At last I can wear the winter clothes that I packed including the lovely jacket I bought in New Zealand for this trip!  I am looking forward to exploring the shops tomorrow.


Day 45 - 27th April - St Moritz.  Today we had a quiet day just walking around the area of St Moritz close by our hotel, the Hotel Hauser, which has an Australian connection.  One or both of the owners are/were Australian.  As well as the Swiss flag flying outside the reception level entry, there is also an Australian flag flying.  Also, the main bar area is called the Roo Bar.  And of cause, there is Fosters!  

From our balcony we look up at a snow covered mountain which rises on the other side of the lake. It is so large it appears so close. the lake is obscured by nearby buildings.  We also look down on the hotel's sun terrace area, the largest one in St Moritz.  There is a small round-a-bout in the middle of an area where five small streets converge.  Set around this area are three hotels, one being the Hauser, and some shops.   This is also part of our view from the balcony.  

We finished off some last minute Swiss shopping, souvenirs, etc.  Carmel can talk about her purchase.

Switzerland is the place to buy watches and I very much enjoy oggling at the various styles available. On our journey today I was doing just that as they were very expensive when I spied a magnificent one that was within the budget. Maybe it was mispriced so I'd better check. It was the latest Guess watch, very stylish, gold with G's on the band and quite chuncky, and yes, the price was right, so another watch was purchased. Oh well, I don't buy shoes! - Yeh! there is no space left in her luggage to do that!

We are now savouring our last hours in Switzerland, sitting on our balcony sipping our local white wine. You don't need a fridge as the outside temperature is sufficient to keep it cold! Tomorrow is my last day before departing for America. My time in Europe seems to have flown by but I have had the most fabulous time. I look forward to my new adventure in the USA.    

Yes we have had a fabulous time.  When Carmel "hijacked" part of my trip I wasn't so sure.  But she wanted to do the Switzerland train thing and we have nearly done that. But we did a lot more.  France, especially Provence, was excellent, and I could not have done that on my own, especially all of the driving!!

One more day of train trips remaining.  Tomorow we travel from St Moritz to Tirano in northern Italy on the Bernina Express, another panoramic carriage train.  The Bernina Pass is spectacular from all accounts.  So, Bernina Express to Tirano, local train from Tirano to Milan, then the Italian Eurostar to Rome.  We arrive in Rome at 10:30pm, all connections willing!  Our Rome hotel is just across from the Rome central train station, as I do!  Good thing too, as we need to get up early to get Carmel to the airport for her US flight.  

Then, free again.  Rome here I come!


Day 46 - 28th April - St Moritz to Tirano, Tirano to Milan, Milan to Rome.  Today we left St Moritz on the Bernina Express.  This train crosses the Bernina Pass in the Swiss Alps at about 2200 metres.  The rail line that the Bernina Express follows is not a cog railway, but a standard traction one, albeit at the most extreme and maximum gradients at many (if not most) sections of the line.

The trip from St Moritz to Tirano takes over 2 hours.  But as the crow flies, the distance between the two locations is about 22 km.  I don't know the actual distance travelled by the railway, but there are many loops and zig zags.  The trip over the Bernina Pass through the Swiss Alps from St Moritz is the only one above ground, ie. no tunnels.  Once over the Bernina Pass, the downhill run to Tirano does have tunnels.  

 Only the last part of the downhill run into Tirano is in Italy.  The majority of the train trip is through Switzerland.  However, the last several towns and villages we went through are Italian speaking.  And in parts of some of these, including Tirano, the rail line is actually on the roadway.  Vehicles and trains share the same real estate. Basically, the train becomes a tram! A bloody big one.

The scenery throughout the trip was superb.  I had heard / seen comments before leaving Oz comparing the Glacier Express trip and the Bernina Express trip.  There was a preference for the Bernina Express, although it lasts 2 hours approx. versus 8 hours approx.   The scenery in the alpine areas is more spectacular, I think, on the Bernina Express.  However, both trips are fantastic.

When we arrived in Tirano, we had to go through Italian customs / immigration.  There was a more intensive check of Carmel and my passports than when we entered Switzerland in Geneva.  It only took a couple of minutes or less, but the Italian officials at least looked through the passports.  All EU residents just flash some Id card and pass right through.

As we had an hour and a half wait before our IR train to Milan, we had lunch at a trattoria just near the station.  We had pizza and I also had vegetable soup.  Don't think they know "minestronie".  Maybe this is an Oz interpretation.  Found the same in Rome.  The food was simple, but very good.  The white wine seemed a little "rough" on first sip, but it got much better with the second and subsequent ones!

The trip to Milan was through northern Italy, at one part passing some large lakes and it seems that one was Lake Como.  Before the lakes area we travelled through river vallies very similar to the ones I travelled through in 2005 when going from Munich to Venice, via Insbrook (Austria) and Verona (Italy).  Those northern Italy valleys are magnificent, with very high  mountains on either side.  We don't know mountains in Oz.  In comparison to the alps area in France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, ours look like pimples!

We arrived in Milan after a 2 hour trip.  We had about 20 minutes to get to the Italian Eurostar train.  Not a problem.  The train started from Milan, so we found our carriage and lugged all our luggage on board and stored it.  The trip from Milan to Rome took about 6 hours.  We arrived in Rome at 10:30pm.  It was a long day with three trains.  

When we arrived at the hotel, just near the Rome Termini (as I do), we were told that the hotel had suffered electrical problems and many rooms were affected.  This hotel has  several floors with a "rats nest" of corridors and many rooms.  We were offered a small room in this hotel, but if we were not satisfied, we could go to another "sister" hotel about 200 meters away.  At 10:45pm after a long day, you don't want to hear that.  Carmel had an early departure from central Rome to the airport and all we wanted to do was sleep.  So we accepted the "small room", and moved in, rather squeezed in, as you could not even open the door past about half way to get in, as a single bed was in the way.  The other bed was about a single and a half matress on a single base.  Not a good look.  Anyhow, at 11:00pm you take what you can get.  Tomorrow, after Carmel has caught her flight, I will get another room.


Day 47 - 29th April - In Rome alone.  We got up early and prepared to go to the airport so Carmel could get her American Airlines flight to the US.  We caught the Leonardo Express airport train and arrived at the airport about 8:10am.  After a few problems trying to find the AA check in, Carmel finally got her luggage booked through to Jacksonville, Florida.  ( On her arrival, her smaller case was missing - but later found).  Then it was time for her to go through the usual checks before boarding, so we said our goodbyes.

After catching the train back to Rome Termini, I went back to the hotel to sort out my room for the next three days. I was told that my new room would be available at 1200 and that I could stay in the current one until then.  So, as I had just missed the hotel breakfast, I headed back into the station and to McDonalds for a coffee and muffin.  

After deciding what to do whilst waiting for 1200, I set off to the metro underneath the Rome Termini complex.  I sorted out the automatic ticket machines (doesn't seen to be any railway staff operated ticket selling facilities here).  All do it yourself.  Anyhow, I sorted out what I wanted, a metro rail pass.  There was one that suited me to a tee.  A three day ticket for 11 euro.  Very reasonable in comparison to Paris.

Still not 1200, so I tried out the metro.  I decided to go to the next station down the track, Repubblica.  The Piazza della Repubblica is the ground area above the metro.  No problem at all.  I went, found and had a look around.  How easy was that.  As it was now approaching 1200, I headed back to Termini on the metro.  

Back at the hotel, I changed rooms.  The new one was a single room and about twice as big as the one the night before.  It is very good.  Now all is in place for a Roman adventure.

I purchased an open bus tour ticket at the hotel and headed off to the starting point at Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore, a few blocks from the Termini station.  The tour commenced at 1:30pm and lasted two hours.  The tour did a circuit around the city, passing or stopping at the major attractions.  This gave me a reasonable idea where things were in relation to each other.  After the tour, I headed back to the hotel to get my mobile, and the name of a restaurant recommended by Fred Wensing in an SMS text to me.  

Back to the metro, and this time a little more adventurous.  Two stations further on from Repubblica is Spagna. And from there, it is just around the corner to the Spanish Steps.  This time I had my camera so it was photo opportunity time.  The crowds in Rome are huge.  The Spanish Steps were packed, as was the Piazza di Spagna.  

From the Spanish Steps, I followed the map to the Piazza di Trevi and the Trevi Fountain.  Once again, crowds everywhere, especially noticeable in the smaller Piazza di Trevi.  And once again, another photo opportunity.  However, trying to get a front row seat to do the "usual thing" here at this time was not on.  Note to self.  Another visit at an earlier time is needed to do the deed.  This is on the agenda for tomorrow.  

As time was getting on, about 6:30pm, I decided it was time to find Fred's restaurant.  So from the Trevi Fountain, I followed the map to Piazza Barberini, where Via Veneto is.  Number 13 Via Veneto was where Fred's SMS lead me.  But the restaurant's name did not agree.  I pondered for a while, then decided that there was nothing to loose.  It was a good decision.  Dinner was excellent.  After dinner, I caught the metro from the nearby station back to Termini and the hotel and a good night's sleep.  

Tomorrow is another Roman adventure waiting to happen!


Day 48 - 30th April - In Rome alone II.  Today I got an earlier start and headed out about 8:30am.  Up first was a metro trip to Ottaviano, the nearest metro station to The Vatican.   The walk from the station takes about 12 minutes to Piazza Poi XII, in front of the Basillica Santa Pietro, and its large open "square", which is more circular.  There would have had to be many thousands lined up down the streets, around corners, leading up to the entrance to the Basillica.  No way this little grey duck was going to join that frenzy.

So, from the Piazza Poi XII, and looking straight down the "square" to the front of the Basillica, I took many photos.  There were also many people in the square, but once again all lined up for some hopeful experience.

One thing was different today. It was raining.  Not hard, just constant and light rain, but enough to be a nuisance.  I had my rain jacket on, so it wasn't too bad.  Had to wipe glasses every so often.  

So, on from Piazza Poi XII, this time more walking as the next stops were not near any metro station.  After crossing the Fiume Tevere (river), I followed the map for a fair distance on the way to the Pantheon.  On the way, I stopped in at the Piazza Navona, a large rectangular piazza.  Then on to the Pantheon.  Once again, there were many people there, although the light rain may have dampened some people's enthusiasm.

Unlike the Paris Pantheon, the Rome one has no entry fee.  But it did have many people.  After another set of photos, it was time to head a little further on, but in the same general area, to something I had found on the map I got at the hotel.  It is an attraction called the Time Elevator.  It is basically a theme park simulator ride come movie theatre cross, with groups of six seats set up to move in time to the movie being shown.  The Time Elevator is the main feature, and is a history of Rome from the beginning.  It is sort of Dr Who meets Sliders.  No Tardis, just a few worm holes through which this version of Dr Who takes the audience to many of the important events in Rome's history.  It was very good.

When I came out of the Time Elevator, the sky was clearing and was blue in many parts.  The rain for today had been and gone.  Next on the agenda was a return visit to the Trevi Fountain and hopefully not as many people.  So, following the map again, I arrived at the Piazza di Trevi, and more crowds.  However, not as many as yesterday, it seemed.  I was able to get down to the bottom level, find a suitable place to sit, back to the fountain, and did the deed.  A couple of "small" coins, one for me and one for Carmel (by proxy), went over the shoulder.  And of cause a photo opportunity.

Leaving the crowds, or at least some, behind, I headed for Piazza Barberini  and the metro to go back to Termini and the hotel.  It was now sunny, and the "sunnys" were back in my room.  Didn't see the need earlier.  

Walked to Piazza del Repubblica and restaurant for dinner. Once again very good.

Back to the  hotel for an early night.


Day 49 - 1st May - In Rome alone III.  Today I set aside the morning for the Colosseum.  A big venue, a big historical piece of Roman excellence!  These Romans were amazing.  Pont du Gard  in Provence, the Colosseum in Rome.  And many other large and small engineering marvels in between, and elsewhere across the Roman Empire.  Ancient Rome, the Romans, were incredible in their abilities to build "monuments to their memory".  Across the Roman world, they were magnificent.

After the experience of the Colosseum, I decided to check out the area that Carmel and Barbara stayed, not far from the Colosseum.  I determined that I would find the Villa Rosa convent that they stayed at in 2006, as I had booked it on line.  It is near Circo Massimo, so with map in hand, I set out.  Trying to find some street names was a bit problematic, but I came across an unexpected area, a small park behind a church, high above the river that runs through Rome.  It may well have been one of the seven hills of Rome.  It was high enough.  The whole area here seemed to have a Christian history, background, continuing presence.  Churches, monestries. nuns, etc. seemed to be a natural part of this environment.

And from the high point above the river, the views to St Peters and elsewhere in Rome were magnificent.  The parkland surrounding the church was peaceful and quiet, whilst being full of families, parents, kids, and tourists like me.  I am not sure Carmel and Barbara actually found this place, although they stayed in a convent not far away.

With a mind picture of the street layout around the convent where they stayed, and with a map to help, I finally found Villa Rosa.  I would not have stayed there .... too far from the central railway station.  But it is a lovely area of Rome.

After Villa Rosa, I headed back to the nearby main road and  followed it towards Piramide.  There is a small pryamid here, but I didn't check out the significance, apart from what Dan Brown wrote about in his book Angels and Demons.

From there, I caught the metro back to Termini and the hotel for a rest before having my last dinner in Rome.  Initially, I was going to stay near Termini and find something reasonable, but after having a look in a couple of places, I decided to go a bit further and ended up at the Flamino metro station and Piazza del Popolo.  I had not been here before and I am glad I decided to check out Flamino.  The Piazza del Popolo is a large piazza and there were many people there.  One thing I hadn't seen before were some people riding Segways, the personal people mover.  

Above the piazza is another of Rome's hills and parkland,  I climed up the stairs and pathways to the piazza at the top.  Once again, there were many people, and some were riding in dual and quad person four wheel bikes.  

On the way back down to the Piazza del Popolo, I spied the Leonado Da Vinci museum and decided to have a look inside.  There were many of Leonado's devices, built of timber in the main, and were working models, except for the flying devices.  It was interesting.
 
As the cafes in the Piazza del Popolo were full (and fairly expensive), I decided to go back to the Piazza di Spagna and then down a small street off the piazza.  Tonight a pizza was on the menu.  Nothing flash but good and tastey.  Then one more chance to get another fridge magnet from a souvenir stand in the piazza.  

Back at the hotel, I packed, ready for my departure in the morning, then an early night.


Day 50 - 2nd May - Leaving Rome for Hong Kong.  I checked out of the hotel at 8:00am and headed to the Leonardo Express (airport train) at the Termini station. After arriving at the airport, I checked my luggage in.  Suitcase weighed in at 26.5Kg, but nothing was said.  This flight was a Cathy Pacific one, code shared with Qantas.  

I left Rome around 12:00pm - goodbye Europe for this year.  Next stop Hong Kong.  Flight time is about ten and a half hours.  


Day 51 - 3rd May - Hong Kong.  The plane arrived in Hong Kong a little earlier than scheduled at 5:30am local time.  After collecting my luggage and clearing immigration, I found the shuttle bus desk and organised the transfer to the Kowloon Hotel.  The bus was probably about a 24 seater, and quite plush with comfortable padded leather reclining seats.  There were three passengers.   The trip from the new Hong Kong airport to the Kowloon Hotel took about 35 minutes.

When Carmel was here at the Kowloon Hotel on her way to France mid April, she changed my standard booking to a Harbour Club booking.  This gives you many perks, including 17th floor private check in, free breakfast, free 2 hour afternoon tea and free 2 hour happy hour being the most welcome.  So, after going straight to the 17th floor, and private check in, I entered my 17th floor room.  Getting my room at 7:00am in the morning, after a ten and a half hour flight, and missing a night's sleep, was very welcome.

After settling in, and a welcome shower and a couple of hours rest, I ventured out into Kowloon.  I checked out some of the Nathan Road area, then went down to the harbour front near the Star Ferry terminal.  But after a couple of hours, I was feeling tired and decided to go back to my 17th floor pad and take it easy for a while.  

At about 5:00pm I decided to check out Afternoon Tea.  And of course, Afternoon Tea ran into Happy Hour.  So about 8:15pm, after a couple of cups of tea and Afternoon Tea finger food, then several white wines and Happy Hour finger food and nibbles, I didn't require dinner so I retired to my room and some diary catch up.  Then a good night's sleep.


Day 52 - 4th May - Hong Kong.  When I returned to my room last night, I had a note under my door.  It was from the hotel's Sales Manager, Ms Connie Ho.  She welcomed me to the Kowloon Hotel and invited me to have breakfast with her today.  So I did.  This hasn't happened to me anywhere else.  But I guess that the Harbour Club has some degree of prestige, and you must be important, or a potential source of more bookings in the future.   The second of these probably applies in my case.

Anyway, Connie was a pleasant young lady, and we had a pleasant breakfast together.

After breakfast, I walked back down to the harbour front and checked out the Harbour City, which is an up market plaza/mall on three levels, and is part of the overseas shipping terminal complex.  Unfortunately, it is raining today.  Just light rain, but annoying none-the-less.  And visability is not all that flash, especially to The Peak, which is not visible.  So no trip up there today, as intended.

Instead, I got the Star Ferry across to Hong Kong island and the Central district.  After having a look around for a couple of hours, I got the metro back to the station near to the Kowloon Hotel and came back to my room.  Time to catch up and bring diary up to date.  Also had a Skype session with Matthew, Cheryle, Jake and Grace at 4:30pm so needed to organise internet connection from my room.  This is for 24 hours from time of activation so tomorrow, 5th May around 4:30pm will be my last internet connection with the Apple MacBook until I get home.

Because it is raining, it is not a good day to be out in the streets and walking around.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be better and I can see a bit more of Hong Kong, especially from The Peak.

After my Skype session, I went down to Afternoon Tea.  Had to keep up appearances!  This was about 5:30pm.  So after two cups of tea, English of course, I slipped quietly into Happy (two) Hour(s) with a few white wines, Australian of course.  And the nibbles and finger food all went down very well!  No need for dinner now (again - isn't this convenient).  So off to my room and to light Hong Kong culture on TV.


Day 53 - 5th May - Hong Kong.  If I was hoping that today I would awake, and the sun would be shinning and the birds tweeting, I was in for a big disapointment.  No sun and definitely no birds, at least where I am.  So, after breakfast, I walked a good length of Nathan Road, one of the main drags in this part of Kowloon.  By the time I got back near the hotel, the light rain had stopped. However, Hong Kong Island, and especially The Peak, were clothed in mist, cloud, smog; probably a combo of all three.  

Anyway, not to be put off, I decided today had to be The Peak, regardless of conditions.  So off to the Star Ferry terminal and ferry across to HK Central.  Then the number 15C  bus to the Lower Peak Tram Terminal.  All too easy.  HK$2.20 buys the bus ticket, and HK$33.0 buys a return tram ticket - that's about AUD 5.10 on current exchange rates.  

The trip to The Peak takes about 10 minutes, and the closer we got to the top, the more enclosing the MCS combo was.  After arriving at the top terminal, I was surprised to find that it was a multi-floor (six) shopping mall complete with shops, of various types (clothing, watches, nik naks, etc.),  restaurants/cafes, souvenirs and entertainment venues.   None of this out of the tram, down the path, across the grass, and into the Tea House.  Probably was once upon a time, but no longer.  Just like everything else in Hong Kong, it is done on a BIG scale.

So, up the myriad of escalators to the top observation deck.  As feared, there was a total "white out", as well as some light rain.  Oh well, maybe next time!  At least I have been up in the tram and seen The Peak Tower, as the facility is called.  So after buying what should be my last fridge magnet for this trip, I caught the tram back down again, and you sit the same way going down as going up, facing up hill.  Back at the bottom terminal station, I caught the number 15C bus back to the Star Ferry terminal, then the Star Ferry back to Kowloon.  The fare on the Star Ferry is HK$2.20, or AUD 0.34.  Cheap transport.

Back at the hotel, I updated the diary.  This posting on my web site will be the last until I return home.

Later today, as usual, Afternoon Tea time will come around, followed by Happy (two) Hour(s).  And as usual, or as per the last three days, I will make an appearance.  Mustn't disappoint the fans! or at least my stomach.

Tonight at 8:00pm there is a free multimedia show "A symphony of Lights" with rooftop pyrotechnics at the habour waterfront, or so the message on my mobile says.  So, an earlier than usual departure from Happy Hour will be necessary.  I will walk across to the harbour front, which is only a few minutes from the hotel, and join the  multitude of punters "there for the ride".  Then back to the room and some re-packing maybe.  Tomorrow, I will have a late room departure. Not sure yet how late, but Carmel had 4:00pm when she was here in April.

Not sure at this time what else I will do tomorrow.  This HK R&R is easy to take.  Not to much effort required, and not any "over doing it".   Just what I need to wind down after two fairly "full on", but wonderful, months in Europe.


Day 54 - 6th May - Hong Kong.   What ever will be will be.  Then leave the hotel at 5:15pm in the Airport Shuttle bus for a 9:10pm departure for Sydney.



Postscript - I know, I have been a bit slack with new photos, but it takes a fair bit of time to get it all together.   The full trip album will be available on the web site eventually.  

And now a year later, maybe......and maybe not!
 

Posted by Colin Henry