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Europe - August 2023Europe - August 2023
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Europe - August 2023

August - September 2023
Activating a trip to visit friends that was planned pre-COVID and finally activated now. Read more
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  • TravelerEurope - August 2023
    Day 1

    Arrival to the UK Lake District

    August 1, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    It was not a user-friendly time to go flying but at least we had a confirmed seat. EK021 from DXB-MAN left at 3am with us on it, and so our Europe holiday started. A pleasant flight with a bit of sleep along the way.
    On arrival into Manchester we were met with the lovely UK summer - rain!! It’s been the wettest July for 130 years in the UK and it lived up to the records today. Fortunately we not planning to a sit out in the sun but instead had a car hire booked and headed off further north to the Lake District, all the way driving in the rain.
    We settled into the Woodlands Hotel in Windermere in the penthouse suite - well that is what we called it as it was on the top floor of the hotel with no lift. It’s best to have a positive attitude as we carried our bags up the stairs. A comfortable room but with a tiny bathroom and shower. Windermere is a lovely town located in the banks of Lake Windermere. The rain cleared up a little so we walked around town and had a typical fish and chips lunch.
    We got back to the room around 3pm for a quick siesta to catch up on our sleep, and work up at 5am the next day!!!! Wow, we obviously needed the rest!
    That next day Wed 2 August was raining again and the mist and low cloud added an eerie atmosphere to the mountains and hills surrounding the lakes. We decided to spend the wet day in the car investigating the Lakes area and took a lovely scenic route up through the mountains ending in Keswick, and then came back to Windermere along the lower lakeside. A really nice relaxing day despite the rain.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope - August 2023
    Day 3

    Dad’s (and Mum’s) final resting place

    August 3, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    A somber day.
    12 years ago Peter’s mum passed away and requested that her ashes be spread in Lake Windermere where she and his Dad spent their honeymoon some 60 years earlier. So Peter and his Dad went to the Lake District and found a very nice quiet location in Lake Windermere that meant something to them and spread Mum’s ashes over the water. At the time Peter made a promise to his Dad to spread his ashes there too when he passed away so his Mum & Dad could be together again forever.
    Dad passed away during COVID so today was that day. It was lovely weather and early in the morning that we drove to the same place overlooking the lake and after a few emotional words quietly spread Dad’s ashes in the same water as Mum’s ashes. A very peaceful and meaningful final resting place for Mum & Dad to spend the rest of eternity together.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope - August 2023
    Day 4

    The High Passes

    August 4, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    The weather continued to improve so today we decided to head out into the western Lakes District to see the countryside. Our drive would also head up the mountains and take us into the steepest roads in the UK through the narrow and winding Hardknott and Wrynose Passes.
    A really nice full day of driving through some lovely scenery and very picturesque villages. Mandatory coffee stops, a long stop at the Wast Water lake which is the deepest lake in the UK, and a late lunch up in a small village not far from top of the passes. The roads everywhere were very narrow and in many cases did not allow opposite direction vehicles to pass, requiring one of them to back down the road to a wider section. Carolina was freaking out at times but we made it through the high passes and hairpin turns when climbing and descending from the passes. We had been warning that the roads could be “dangerous” but this was an exaggeration and instead only a bit of car and sensible car handling was required.
    We finally ended up in Bowness-on-Windermere for dinner. A very nice interesting and scenic day.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope - August 2023
    Day 5

    Experiencing the UK train system

    August 5, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Today had been planned long ago. We were travelling from the Lake District down to West Sussex near Surrey to catch up with our good friends Helen & John who live there. There were several travel options - car, flights, and train - and as Carolina loves trains this was the mode of transport we decided to use. So the train bookings were made long ago between Manchester and Haslemere.
    The day started with heavy rain for the 90 mins drive back to Manchester to return our rental car. We then boarded the train and all looked good for an uneventful trip down to Surrey. However the UK train system had other plans for us….
    Having arrived at Manchester Piccadilly station we found out that the train drivers had decided to go on strike and we could not go beyond Banbury. Instead the train company was in the midst of organising bus services to get passengers further south.
    To cut a long story short, 10 hours after leaving the Lake District, and 5 train and bus connections later, we finally rolled into Haslemere to be met by our friend Helen for the short drive to their house. A bit of a marathon day.
    Helen and John now live and work in the UK where they own a menswear store. They had arranged a roast chicken dinner at home for us which was a nice ending to what had been a long day.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope - August 2023
    Day 7

    A Cathedral, and a Castle

    August 7, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    What a lovely part of the world! The southern part of the UK at this time of year, and especially after all the rain in July, is very green and scenic. Helen took us for several drives through the beautiful countryside, very rural but very pretty. The famous Goodwood polo fields are close by with lots of polo games taking place. It was the first time we had attended a polo game and were surprised when we were told that in 4 x 7 min quarters it was not uncommon for riders to use up to 6 different horses!! Definitely a rich man’s sport! It was somewhat intimidating for the horses to be at full gallop chasing the small white ball heading directly towards the spectator crowd near the edge of the field and just before the crowd ducked for cover the horses would be pulled up at the last minute. It’s no wonder the horses are changed so often!
    Goodwood of course is also famous for its historic car racing track, but this was not operating during our visit.
    We visited the city of Winchester, home of the Cathedral immortalised by The New Vaudeville Band in 1966, and looked around the huge building. And of course Carolina and Helen went off shopping while Peter was left alone to split his time between any comfortable coffee shop he could find and being bored out of his brain.
    At nights we all caught up the latest and funny Jeremy Clarkson series called The Farm, all about his farming endeavours on his 1000 acre farm in The Cotswolds. In the mornings we would wake up and look outside the window and watch for the deer that come in from the woods in the Commons nearby.
    These days were very enjoyable relaxing with friends while seeing some of sights of southern England.
    On our last day in this area John and Helen took us to the medieval town of Arundel and the castle. A very relaxing day with them including lunch.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope - August 2023
    Day 10

    Heading east on a low cost carrier

    August 10, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    After 4 very nice days with Helen and John relaxing in their lovely home, it was time for some adventure and take the risk of flying on a low cost carrier to get to Dusseldorf in Germany. So after a last pleasant coffee with Helen & John and a final relax on the balcony of their house we headed to LHR and our airline flight. We stayed overnight at the Sheraton Heathrow Hotel as we had an early departure the next day, and Carolina was fascinated by the large picture on the bathroom wall of a DC-3.
    We were very pleasantly surprised the next day that EuroWings was a very easy and enjoyable experience! A simple hi-tech check-in process, easy boarding onto the A220, and a pleasant one hour flight to DUS. No dramas at all!
    On arrival we were met by our friend David (“Frostie”) Frost who picked us up to drive us back to his house in the city of Herne. This was supposed to be. 35 mins drive but turned into 1:30 hours due to a huge buildup of traffic on the autobahn.
    David and his wife Lisa live in a lovely huge house a short walk away from the city centre of Herne and they made us feel very welcome. Lisa used to run a high-end café/delicatessen called LISA, but has closed this down recently. So she used her amazing culinary skills to prepare a fantastic meal for dinner and a plate of beautiful cakes for dessert - just for the diet. Lots of chatting and catching up over this lovely food and a few vinos before heading for bed.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope - August 2023
    Day 11

    Herne, a Schloss, and Bochum

    August 11, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    David & Lisa are wonderful hosts! Not only are they super nice people and good friends, but they love cooking and can put on a fantastic meal. Lisa is a qualified chef, and David has picked up many hints of the trade and has developed her passion for cooking. So our stay with them has been a wonderful experience of gourmet delights! Our thanks go out to them for making us feel so welcome!
    Today we were taken around their home city of Herne and the stately Schloss Strünkede castle surrounded by a moat, and then by train to the neighbouring city of Bochum. Both are typical European cities full of historical buildings and atmosphere. The weather has been great with sunny days and temps in the high 20s. That evening in Bochum had a food festival with masses of people enjoying the fine food and wine. We enjoyed some succulent beef cheeks and tasty wine while having a nice chat before heading back to Herne by train after a very pleasant day.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope - August 2023
    Day 12

    A Münster day of shopping

    August 12, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today is the story of two guys, David & Peter, who spent the day traipsing behind our wives as they moved from shop to shop in the large city of Münster. It is a testimony to the love and dedication we feel for our respective spouses that we can exercise such patience and understanding, and wait outside shops holding bags while our better halves move from counter to counter. And at the end of the day they are happy even if they have not bought much despite the hours of shopping.
    After the main city centre shopping it was off to the markets and some more informal shopping and street food.
    For the guys some of the day was boring hanging around the shops, but overall it was interesting to see a new city and spend time with our friends.
    Once home David fired up the BBQ for some steaks and salads on the balcony to finish off a great day.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope - August 2023
    Day 13

    Barbie goes to Oppenheimer

    August 13, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We have been out and about every day so far during our visit to Germany. So today was planned to be a more restful day with Dave & Lisa lazing about in the garden of their house. Brunch consisted of leftover steaks, chicken, and salads from the previous nights gourmet delights, a relaxing afternoon in the sun, before we decided to go out in the evening to see the new Christopher Nolan movie Oppenheimer.
    But the IMAX version of the movie was starting late so Lisa prepared some dinner first. But not just your average dinner; this one consisted of a whole octopus served on a lemon based risotto, with white fish and vegetables. Absolutely Delicious!!!
    Then it was off to the movies where in the foyer the girls were able to act and be photographed like Barbie before we entered the cinema.
    Oppenheimer was an intense experience that was very well presented and thoroughly enjoyed even though it’s content had a serious side.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope - August 2023
    Day 14

    Eau de Cologne

    August 14, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Today was a full day in David’s favourite German city - Cologne. He lived there some years ago and today acted as tour guide for us. We went by car and parked near the Philemonica which is a huge underground musical performance centre. While performances are taking place people are prohibited from walking on the lawns outside on top of the centre because the sounds echo down to the theatre and can disrupt the performance.
    First stop was the large Cologne Cathedral where the bones of the Three Wise Men are allegedly buried. We suspect this might be a myth (like the Shroud of Tourin), but it does get the tourists coming in large numbers. An impressive building with a large number of huge beautiful stained glass windows. At the beginning of WW2 the priests removed all these windows in case of bombing and stored them underground (a big job!) and incurred the wrath of Hitler because he believed no parts of Germany would ever be bombed. Most of Cologne was reduced to rubble but the Cathedral survived.
    Then it was off to a local pub for some German beer and food where Carolina has her favourite pork knuckle.
    After lunch several hours were spent wandering through the many streets of shops before heading down to the Rhine river and finally back to the car. The weather has been very nice and Cologne is certainly a lovely city.
    We drive back to Herne by early evening to be met by Lisa who was preparing one of her famous lamb curries for us to have out on the balcony overlooking the gardens.
    A fitting end to what had a been a very enjoyable 5 days in Germany with our friends.    Read more

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