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European Whirl Tour 2024
  • MacKs go Traveling
  • MacKs go Traveling

European Whirl Tour 2024

A 17-day adventure by MacKs go Traveling Read more
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  • Trip start
    August 21, 2024
    MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    4 Countries in 1 Day

    August 21, 2024 in Belgium ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Our Europe trip started bright and early with us meeting at the Tower Hotel London by 6:15 am. We checked in and met our tour guide Brek. He's an Aussie that's been doing this for 25 years. Seems a good friendly guy, well organised. Then on a bus to St Pancreas train station where we caught the Eurostar.

    What an amazing train traveling at over 300ks per hr and so smooth. In no time we were in France and then continued on to Brussels, Belgium.

    At Brussels we hopped on our coach which will be our traveling home for the next 12 days. We traveled then into Netherlands for our evening in Amsterdam.

    Each day there's a seating plan so that all 39 on the trip get to sit in the front seats at some point. And it just so happened that we were first in the front today.    Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler
    Anne Frank's HouseMemorial to Anne Frank

    Amsterdam Walk About

    August 21, 2024 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Having sorted out the hotel and our rooms in Amsterdam we then headed off into the centre of town. We had about an hour and half to go for a walk about and explore.

    So we walked beside the canals to Anne Frank's house.

    One thing we learned very quickly is that there are so many cyclists and they have right of way to pedestrians. We became a little paranoid as they zoomed along. And not a Bionic ebike in sight.    Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    Rhine Cruise

    August 22, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Up early and headed off after breakfast to Germany. Stopped off at the Rhine River where we went for an hour and half cruise. So very interesting with a number of small towns on the banks of the river. As well as 7 medieval castles, why so many such a short distance apart?Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    Heidelberg Walk About

    August 22, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Stopped off at Heidelburg which was one of the few cities not bombed in the war. Wonderful old streets by the river with a castle over looking the town.

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    Munich

    August 23, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Up early again and drove to Munich. Two of the famous spots in Munich are;

    1️⃣ Rathaus-Glockenspiel. The Rathaus-Glockenspiel is a large mechanical clock. Famous for its life-size characters, the clock twice daily re-enacts scenes from Munich's history.

    2️⃣ Oktoberfest. Where lots of beer is consumed. Hofbräuhaus is one of the most famous beer halls.

    We forsook the beer and instead walked through Viktaulienmarkt, a market place, where we had an authentic German pork roll for lunch.    Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    Drive from Austria to Italy

    August 24, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    It should have only been a 4 hour drive, however it’s August school holidays and everyone was on the road. Snail pace for large periods of time, blame all the Motorhomes and caravans on the road.

    Interestingly, we saw lots of caravans but all tended to be 16 to 18 footers, single axel towed by small cars. Didn't see one Jayco caravan! Seen a few Dethleff motorhomes.

    Anyway, the driver diverted us off the main motorway and we went a back way through a gorge to save time, which turned out to be very picturesque. But it did become a 6 hour drive. Which meant a later than expected arrival in Venice. However wonders of our travel guide Brek, he’d reorganised it all, the water taxi, gondola ride, glass blowing.

    The real advantage of the trip is we don’t have to organise or worry about anything, other than being on time.

    In some ways today it was good having the long drive as outside it was 31 degrees. Thankful for a beautiful air conditioned coach.    Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    Venice Gondola Ride

    August 24, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Not quite as romantic as the movies and pictures make out, but still a great experience. There were so many of them, and bottle necks with the Italian oarsman jabbering away to one another.

    Still very interesting going through the canals between all these buildings built on stilts.Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler
    1

    Venice City and Glass Blowing

    August 24, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    The trip included a demonstration of the world famous Vechia Murano Glass Blowing. Each item individually blown, hand painted with gold or platinum coverings. Absolutely stunning, but oh so expensive. But we did buy a glass angel for the Christmas tree.

    Had some good margharita pizza (but still not as good as Jord's home made in the pizza oven) and some of the softest tiramisu. Ohhh that was good.

    Walked around the city square, still amazed as to its construction. Beautiful buildings.    Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler
    Getting a Coffee

    All Roads lead to Rome

    August 25, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Traveled to Rome through some mountains but very impressive roads with a number of long tunnels and bridges.

    Passed the site of a WW2 Memorial outside of Florence where a number of New Zealanders lost their lives.

    Learning the different ways to buy a coffee in the different countries is nothing but interesting. Italy you pay at one counter, receive a docket then go line up at the barrista to get your coffee. Disorganised chaos.

    Hot day heading into Rome.    Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    Be my Guest - Tuscan Villa

    August 25, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    'Be my Guest' is where the tour visits someone's private residence.

    We stopped off at the Villa Il Leccio in Tuscany. It's a beautiful rural property that's been in the family for 9 generations and first built in the 1200s. The family matriarch welcomed us and showed us around and explained the history of the huge property with its vineyards and olive trees. We were able to walk through the gardens and then they served us a 4 course lunch with food all grown on the property. It was a fantastic place and a stunning day.Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    The Colosseum

    August 25, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Highlight was visiting the Colosseum. We had a local guide take us through it. Amazing history and to think that we walked through a place that has been there for nearly 2000 years!

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    Dinner in a Roman Storeroom

    August 25, 2024 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    Dinner was organised for us in an underground Roman Storeroom. Not sure if this was originally for the Gladiators or not. Actually it was a restaurant called 'Le Trena Del Colosseum' only a few hundred meters from the Colosseum. It was wonderfully refurbished blending the old and new.

    A fantastic 4 course Italian meal with some very entertaining operatic singers.

    After dinner we walked back past the Colossum all lit up for some great evening photos.    Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    Vatican City

    August 26, 2024 in Vatican City ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Got to the Vatican City at 8 in the morning to find queues of people, but we already had our tickets organised for us, so basically got straight in after very little waiting.

    We started in the Pigna Courtyard and went through the Vatican Museum, which was one very long corridor of paintings, art, tapestry, sculptures and paintings on the walls and ceilings. Incredibly interesting and spectacular.Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler

    Sistine Chapel

    August 26, 2024 in Vatican City ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    So this was special to see Michelangelo's 16th century painted ceiling and wall painting of the second coming. To see what’s considered as some of the most significant art work ever created.

    Note: Photography not permitted in the chapel, so the photos are from the Internet.Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler
    3

    St Peter's Basilica

    August 26, 2024 in Vatican City ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Overwhelmed by the grandeur and size of St Peter's Basilica. It took 110 years to build, completed in 1626. Apparently built on the site where Peter was crucified upside down and then buried.

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler
    Villa BorgheseTrevi FountainVespers everywherePiazza ColonnaPantheonAperol spritz

    Rome Walk About

    August 26, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 36 °C

    After visiting St Peter’s Basilica we had a local guide then take us for a walk around Rome. Got to see:

    🏛️ St Peter’s Square
    🏛️ Villa Borghese with its umbrella trees
    🏛️ Trevi Fountain
    🏛️ Vespers
    🏛️ Piazza Colonna
    🏛️ Pantheon
    🏛️ Aperol spritz with new friends

    Incredibly hot day so we headed back to the hotel mid afternoon and had some free time before dinner. Dinner was just the two of us at the hotel's restaurant, shared some good Italian pasta.    Read more

  • MacKs go TravelingEuropean Whirl Tour 2024Traveler
    Michelangelo's DavidAbduction of Sabine WomanPerseus with the head of MedusaBaptistery of San GiovanniBaptistery of San Giovanni

    Florence

    August 27, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Walked around the historical district of Florence.

    Incredible to think that such influential people as Michelangelo and
    Leonardo da Vinci walked these streets back in the 1500s.

    We saw a number of significant sculptures in the Piazza Della Signoria and wished we knew a little bit more about art history. But we do know of Michelangelo’s statue of David. What we didn’t appreciate was the attention to detail of the sculpture and the significance to the birth of the Renaissance period. The statue in Florence is an exact copy but stands in the original position. The original is in a museum to help preserve it.

    Florence is also home to what was once the world’s largest Church ‘Santa Maria del Fiore’.

    Some of the most world renown fashion houses such as Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Valentino, were founded here.    Read more

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