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Europe 2026
  • The Rushs Adventures
  • The Rushs Adventures

Europe 2026

A 5 week trip to Greece, Italy, Belgium and England with David . Weiterlesen
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    Day 26 Bardolino to Ghent, Belgium.

    1. Juli in Belgien ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Not much to write about as our travelling day has been so exhausting. Am thinking that surely I’ve lost a couple of the kilos piled on from eating pasta and pasta for days, as have hardly eaten today and it feels like we’ve run a marathon! 6 45am we walked to Bardolino bus, 7am took 30 minute bus to Peoshera Del Garda railway station, 5 minutes later boarded train for Milan station, 9 am taxi to Milan Linate airport, 10 am check in for 1pm flight to Brussels, plane arrived in Brussels 1 and half hour later, collected bags, went downstairs to catch regional train to Gent (very helpful staff again to assist with getting the ticket), left 5 minutes later. Just reading that makes me tired let alone the fact we were also hungry, thirsty, lugging bags and not losing things or eachother. But wait there is more- got taxi from Gent station to our accomodation to find the air conditioning has broken down and we are entitled to full refund. We therefore spent 30 minutes finding another hotel nearby. Well there is a silver lining. We dragged the suitcases yet another 10 minutes over uneven cobblestones to check in at a much nicer hotel. A little bit more expensive but worth every cent after today. Always knew today would be challenging but the end result truly is being in a lovely city now for the next three days.Weiterlesen

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    Day 27 Ghent

    2. Juli in Belgien ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    A very relaxed day exploring Ghent. We got up late for a delicious breakfast at this lovely hotel. We then headed off to the historic centre of town where we boarded an open top boat for a 50 minute tour of the river and canals. There were several boats out and the tour took us down some beautiful parts of the city and under several bridges. The day was actually very grey and at times there was light drizzle until 1pm when the sun came out. While we have managed the heat of the last three weeks this was a welcome relief and we loved the 20-24 degree day. Ghent is also a lot quieter and less touristy than other places we have visited and very easy to get around. We stopped for a delicious wine and cheese board lunch before carrying on our sight seeing which included the most interesting and beautiful church yet. Saint Bavo's Cathedral, also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral. The 89-metre-tall Gothic building is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent and is named for Saint Bavo of Ghent. It contains the well-known Ghent Altarpiece, also called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb painted by Hubert van Eyck, We had paid for a digital augmented reality tour which really was amazing as it explained the masterpiece in detail using holograms. The artwork was truly spectacular when we finally saw it for real as was its history which had involved it being removed from the cathedral several times and it neatly being destroyed on occasions. We left the church and after a short break started our own beer tour. This wasn’t as easy as it seemed as we had wanted to have food at each stop but to our surprise found that most beer bars or houses only sell potato chips - if that. There were lots of people out having a drink but very few eating. As well three Belgium beers in three different bars was enough and by 7 30 we really were looking for something more substantial to eat. We settled on a little restaurant where we ordered a delicious Belgium pork dish to share. We then walked back to our hotel for a relaxing last drink in the bar there. It really is a cool hotel with a great vibe downstairs and very friendly staff. We are loving Ghent, and its similarity to Brugge is one of the reasons we are here as both are truly beautiful places to visit.Weiterlesen

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    Day 28 Ghent

    3. Juli in Belgien ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    A fantastic day exploring Ghent and relaxing. First off the maximum temperature was 25 degrees so very very pleasant. We again ate at the hotel before heading for the Belfry of Ghent. Rising 91 meters above the city center, the Belfry of Ghent is the tallest belfry in Belgium and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located between St. Nicholas' Church and St. Bavo's Cathedral, it is famous for its 54-bell carillon and its iconic golden dragon mascot on the roof. The golden clock at the top is also beautiful and the ride up in the elevator takes you to the balcony just below it. After viewing the city from all sides we had to walk down a very narrow tricky spiral staircase. (350 steps). We then looked around the shops, many of which had sales on, before a light lunch on the banks of the river. After lunch we continued wandering the streets before going back for a rest and to organise our trip to London tomorrow. We then headed to the 6th floor of our hotel to the roof top bar which was very lively and packed, and we enjoyed a pre- dinner drink. Tonight’s dinner was a lovely Belgium meal- meatballs and chicken croquettes, at a quaint little restaurant on the banks of the river. The walk back took us along some streets we had not seen and again there were many people out socialising. We have found the food in Ghent to be a little unusual and like everything here- very expensive. It is however a truly beautiful city and we would highly recommended the Yala hotel.Weiterlesen

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    Day 29 Ghent to London

    4. Juli in England ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    A very busy day with lots of travelling challenges but we made it! We left our lovely hotel by taxi to catch the train to Brussels. We then checked in for our Brussels to London Eurostar trip. And had a couple of hours to wait. We arrived in London at 1 30 and walked 7 minutes to our smallest accomodation yet- St Pancreas Inn. Lucky it was only for one night. We headed off by tube to Covent Garden where we met up with James, Laura and George McFarlane for a drink. That was lovely but we were all a bit overcome with the heat and how many people were there. Every spot was crowded and even walking around was a bit challenging especially with wee George in the pram. There seems to be lots on in London this weekend and everyone is enjoying the fine weather. We left Covent Garden to catch two different trains to the ABBA Arena for the show we had booked. ABBA Voyage is a groundbreaking virtual concert in London where digital avatars perform the band's greatest hits. The digital band members are accompanied by a 10-piece live band and perform in a custom-built, immersive venue known as the ABBA Arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It was truly spectacular and very hard to explain as you really would think you had been at a live ABBA show. The lighting was a show in itself and the live band and singers were fantastic. Unfortunately they had a very strict policy about no photos and were policing that very vigilantly. The whole stadium which was packed was dancing during the songs and the show finished with ABBA as they are today. Our reverse trip back was easy but required three changes of train so we felt very pleased with ourselves to have mastered that. However one of the trains was so packed we could hardly squeeze in and it was dreadful having to be that close to lots of hot people as we really were packed in like sardines. It was a relief when the doors opened and we collapsed onto the platform. Obviously by the time we got to bed at 11 we were well ready to be there and didn’t realise we were sleeping in a shoebox- just happy to be off our feet!!Weiterlesen

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    Day 30 London to Broadway, The Cotswolds

    5. Juli in England ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We holidayed n the Cotswolds in 2015 and have always wanted to come back and we know we have made the right decision. Our trip from London (underground) to Stansted Airport (express train) went very smoothly, as did picking up our rental car ( Enterprise). The drive was then 2 1/2 hours first on a huge busy motorway going around London and gradually moving to narrow country roads with the occasional village popping up. At 3 pm we stopped at Chipping Norton for a drink and really tasty snacks before buying some supplies at M and S Food Hall - much better quality food than what we saw in Greek, Italian and Belgian supermarkets. I even managed to find some decent kiwi fruit - product of NZ !!! The house is beautiful and close to the village. We wandered down for a lovely fish dinner in a courtyard outside a hotel which was very relaxed and we loved that there were few people around us and it was only 25 degrees. It was a beautiful night and we wandered off through the village and around the little walking tracks behind the shops. We even spotted a little grey squirrel. Just magical and this will be a relaxing end to our holiday.Weiterlesen

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    Day 31 Broadway

    6. Juli in England ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    How we love The Cotswolds. This morning we set off before it got too hot for a walk to Broadway Tower. Broadway Tower, renowned as one of England's most outstanding viewpoints, stands at 1024 feet above sea level, making it the second highest point on the Cotswold ridge. Built on an ancient beacon site, with views in a 62-mile radius, the vistas are breathtaking reaching across sixteen counties and encompassing the vast expanse from the peaks of the Welsh mountains to High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. The walk up took about an hour and was gorgeous and we climbed the tower for even better views. After our first scone of the trip at the cafe we walked down and got in the car for a drive to Evesham which is reasonably close by and not at all a typical Cotswolds village, even though it has plenty of historic buildings and a lovely wide river. We left there and detoured to Snowshill, which is 4 kms from Broadway. We had to park the car in a carpark up on the road as it was pedestrian access only. The village was absolutely beautiful especially with all the flowers on bloom. We stopped in at the only pub for a beer and wine. It too was full of character. When we got back to Broadway we visited the deli shop to gather food for our dinner as the rest of the day was spent at the house catching up on news, watching Wimbledon and relaxing.Weiterlesen

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    Day 32

    7. Juli in England ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    A beautiful day rambling and road tripping around the Cotswolds. After a lovely walk exploring the gorgeous wee shops here in Broadway we meandered down some back roads and then onto a track on the Cotswolds Way ( walking tracks through farm land and bush which are completely accessible to the public) we ended up amongst some stunning country homes and estates just outside of Broadway. On our return we stopped at at very cute tearooms for ham and cheese sandwiches. We then carried on by car. We headed to Blockley, Stow-on-the-Wold and finally Bourton-on-the-Water. All three villages were just beautiful but the third one, which has a lovely shallow river running through it was very busy. Parking in all of these places requires using car parks and then wandering down into the main village. The villages are full of tearooms, ice cream shops, pubs and local food and crafts. We took so many photos as there were so many picturesque scenes. On our return to Broadway we relaxed before heading out for one of the best meals we have had at The Swan Hotel. The weather continues to be very warm with 30 degrees all afternoon and into the evening.Weiterlesen

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    Day 33 Broadway

    8. Juli in England ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Another glorious day exploring the Cotswolds. Today’s road trip, after a morning of clothes shopping in Broadway, was in search of Clarksons Farm. The 40 minute drive took us on a variety of roads, some very very narrow but all with spectacular views of the forests or farm land along each side. Careful driving was required as the roads are so narrow and there were several very interesting narrow bridges. When we finally arrived at The Farmers Dog we saw the pub he had made famous, but were unable to eat there as it has been booked for months. Instead we parked with hundreds of other cars in a carpark across the road and joined crowds of people at the open air restaurant, bar and shop and ate a very ordinary hamburger out on the grass battling at least 30 degrees. The area, called The Farmers Puppy was a little underwhelming but an experience no less. We then drove up the road a bit more to view the farm shop and the farm itself. Again the carpark was busy and a queue of people were at the shop. Our drive back took us to a beautiful village called Burford, with all the Cotswold buildings and shops perched on a steep street. Every village has its own character usually created by where it is. We enjoyed walking around there and drove back to Broadway for a drink at a bar before another local produce dinner in the garden. Definitely starting to think about our trip home now.Weiterlesen

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    Day 34 Broadway.

    9. Juli in England ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Today was one of the best walks we have ever done. A beautiful 3 hour walk taking us from a tiny old village called Coln st Aldwyns to one of the most beautiful villages in England, Bibury and then returning to Coln. The walk included farm tracks, forest walks, old villages, a beautiful river and the famous Arlington Row of weavers cottages. After leaving Broadway at 9 30 we drove 40 minutes through narrow roads and small villages with the occasional mannor house. We parked at Coln St Aldwyns and following our very specific down loaded instructions we mainly walked on public walkways, not roads, which were signposted. The scenery was spectacular and straight out of an English painting. We met very few people but did stop to chat to an English couple doing the same walk in reverse. Bibury was reasonably busy and it seemed a tourist bus had pulled in but it was reasonably spread out. We stopped at a cafe for a much needed cold drink and slice.
    It was easy to see why Bibury was described as the most beautiful village in England. Located on the banks of River Coln, the village is truly picturesque. Bibury is best known for Arlington Row, one of the most iconic and most photographed Cotswold scenes. The buildings of Arlington Row were built in the 14th century as a wool store and were converted into weavers' cottages in the late 17th century. The buildings of Arlington Row are now owned by the National Trust, but they are not open to the public, as there are residents living in the cottages. The walk from Bibury to Coln St Aldwyns was exceptionally pretty, leading through beautiful natural scenery of woods and water meadows. We stopped in at the Inn at Coln for a much needed drink as again it was a very hot day, and we arrived back in Broadway at 3 30. After a much needed rest we dressed ourselves up a bit tonight ( that is some make up on! ) and headed off for a fine dining experience in a beautiful hotel in town which really was lovely. Our last day in the Cotswolds is tomorrow.    Weiterlesen

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    Day 35 Broadway

    10. Juli in England ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    Our last full day in the Cotswolds. After a slow start and time spend organising our trip home, we drove to Chipping Campden where we had stayed in 2015. We wandered around the village and had a nice scone and coffee in some quaint tearooms. There were cars everywhere but the streets were surprisingly quiet. We then drove to Upper Slaughter which was yet another beautiful village. Driving was challenging as again we were faced with very narrow roads and no room for passing. All very beautiful though and as planned we came back to Broadway for a rest and some tennis watching. Our dinner tonight was back in town where we ate the first night. Our second fish and chips of the trip. Lovely. We leave here tomorrow on our long journey home.Weiterlesen

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    Day 36 Broadway to Christchurch

    12. Juli in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    The final post of the trip. We left Broadway at 9am and drove 40 minutes to Stratford-Upon-Avon. We found a park easily and headed to a quirky 1940s Cafe for coffee and a scone. We then did a quick look in some shops before getting on the Hop On Hop Off bus. We sat on the top which was open and while avoiding low tree branches and holding on tight during the rickety ride we travelled around Stratford, as well as into the countryside looking mainly at sights related to Shakespeare. When we left the bus we bought a sandwich for lunch and sat by the beautiful river eating it and watching all the river boats coming and going. We decided to do a half hour river cruise which was absolutely beautiful. We enjoyed looking at all the beautiful homes along the river banks as well as studying the house boats that were parked up. There were also lots of swans, as well as lots of other river boats going by. Stratford- Upon- Avon is a beautiful and very interesting town and we would like to spend more time exploring it. We left there to drive 2 and a half hours on busy motorways to get to Stansted Airport (outside of London) where we dropped off the car and flew out at 9 pm. In 36 days we have seen rain only one night during a thunder storm so we are bracing ourselves for our arrival back in Christchurch where it will be at least 20 degrees colder. We can’t help but also feel some relief at getting through Dubai and arriving safely back in Christchurch.Weiterlesen

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    Ende der Reise
    13. Juli 2026