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  • Matthew Archer
  • Matthew Archer

UK and Europe

En 38-dags äventyr från Matthew Läs mer
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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    From the outside...From the inside...Entry to 395 Oxford StreetUp 3 flights of stairs to Apartment 6Excuse me...I'm talking to you...The Lego version of Hagrid @ Hamleys

    W1C 2JY and Surrounds

    18 juli 2023, England ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Late last night we found out that the overground train drivers were taking industrial action for the remainder of this week.

    This meant we needed to rethink our plans for the week. The late change in plans limited our accommodation options and we have ended up in an apartment in the middle of Oxford Street. Plenty of action even if prices are a bit crazy.Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Knightsbridge RoadThe Atrium at HarrodsFood Hall @ HarrodsGreat cheesecake...well you can't visit Harrods and buy nothing!!! Or maybe you can...Shoes for prize giving? Not when they are 1,100 quid per pairHomeless or in need of a rest in KnightsbridgeOver crowding at the British MuseumWalking to Covent GardenCovent Garden

    Exploring London Day 2

    19 juli 2023, England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today was a big day. 12 hours of adventuring including a visit to Harrods, The Churchill War Rooms and Westminster, The British Museum and Coventry Garden.

    Matt & Leah set out for Knightsbridge and Harrods whilst Abby & Toby set out for a life of austerity visiting The Churchill War Rooms.

    At South Kensington we came out of the Tube Station into a residential area where you could get a coffee, a new Lamborghini and then visit the chemist...

    After lunch on the pavement of Knightsbridge (very unclassy), we headed to the British Museum and then walked over to Covent Garden and home via Leicester Square.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Semi-State Landau
    Queen Alexandra's State CoachIrish State CoachThe Rolls my good manThe bridle roomThe Jubilee Coach - designed and built in AustraliaTraining Centre for new horsesBuckingham Palace back lawn

    Buckingham Palace State Rooms

    20 juli 2023, England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Back on the underground and one stop to Green Park and then off to the Royal Mews and the State Rooms in Buckingham Palace.

    The Royal Mews is where they keep the horses, carriages and cars used in royal duties. It has 200 live-in staff.

    The state rooms in Buckingham Palace are off limits for photos. They give you an audio player to listen to so you can go through at your own pace. Not surprisingly one thing the Brits do well is manage large crowds efficiently and politely.

    Once you are out of the palace you exit via the palace gardens where you can take photos.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    By tube...
    Inside St Paul'sPeak hour @ WaterlooMemorial to the 227,000 who died from covidBuskers add a lot of colour to London

    Walking the Streets of London

    20 juli 2023, England ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    St Paul's, Waterloo, The Thames, Westminster and back to Leicester Square.

    We caught the underground from Bond Street to St Paul's to see St Paul's Cathedral. From there we caught the underground to Waterloo where we switched to foot and walked down to Westminster. The plan was to then walk to Trafalgar Square however tired legs meant we got back on the underground to Leicester Square and the Lego Store!! What a great way to spend our last night in London!!!Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Inside St John's chapel inside the White TowerToby in the armoury inside the White Tower

    Tower of London

    21 juli 2023, England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Last, but not least. A visit to one of London's best tourist attractions - The Tower of London. Anything dating back to 1066 and still in good condition is worth visiting.

    A great way to finish an eventful few days in London. Also a great location to see the contrast between the old and the new.Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Ticket for the real underground. This one is more a case of "Mind the roof"Getting ready to head underground1The lift cage

    Big Pit Trip

    23 juli 2023, Wales ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    After the meeting Abby and Mel headed off to celebrate their 50th and 40th birthdays in peace and quiet whilst the dads took the kids to Big Pit.

    Once a working coal mine Big Pit is now a museum that preserves the history of the Welsh coal industry.

    The tour includes a visit 90 metres underground to experience what life in the mines was really like.

    On one part of the tour they turn off all the lights and get you to touch your eyebrows. Despite your hands being so close to your face you can't see them. Children aged 5 and upwards used to work in these conditions!

    Unfortunately you can't take cameras down the mine so there are no photos of underground.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Dating back to 1739Searching for that illusive bookThe Royal Crescent1Making new friendsBath Humbug!!The weather didn't seem to affect the desire for an ice creamThe home town of Jane AustenBath AbbeyYou had to pay to go in unless you were going to the Abbey for prayers

    Day Trip to Bath Spa (aka Bath)

    24 juli 2023, England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Up early and on the 8:55 train from Llandaf to Bath, being a journey of just under 90 minutes in total each way.

    Bath is very unusual in that all the houses are built from Bath stone which gives it a unique look of being similar but different at the same time.Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Too much shopping requires last minute repackingTurning back time with the tomato sauce bottle...very 80'sChecking the tent for any airleaksA last minute cousinly play with water (in lieu of a full-on water fight 🥳)To update my diary or not update it? That is the question

    Hwyl Fawr I Cymru (Goodbye to Wales)

    25 juli 2023, Wales ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    A massive thanks to Tim & Mel, Gethin and friends for a happy time in Wales, and to the UK in general for such a great holiday. So nice to reacquaint and refresh friendships that have lasted over the course of time and to see and experience so many new things.

    We finished our visit at the very eclectic Fino Lounge to belatedly celebrate Mum's 80th birthday.

    It's now back to London before the European adventure starts tomorrow.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Bike lock up @ Paddington
    Our suitcases have really good wheels...not so good on the tube as it sways from side to side!!You never know who you will see in the big smoke. We ran into Harry and RonNelson's ColumnThis is what we had for dinnerRiding backwards in a black cab

    Last Night in London

    25 juli 2023, England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    After arriving at our accommodation at 7.30pm we decided to walk to Soho for dinner at Wong Kei's (pronounced Wonky's).

    We walked over the Jubilee Bridge, through Trafalgar Square and arrived at Soho only to discover that Wonky's only takes cash!! This seemed to be the norm in the neighbourhood and we soon rectified the problem and were seated for a really delicious meal that more than compensated for the lack of service.

    On the way home the tube station that we wanted to get off at was closed (we only discovered this was the case once we were on the tube). So due to the lateness of the hour we completed the third part of our London Transport experience and caught a black cab.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Waiting for our Uber
    St Pancras StationIn the queueAll checked in with nowhere to goTrains are every 60 mins. Bit like AdelaideAll aboardSit back and enjoy the journey

    Farewell to Ole London

    26 juli 2023, England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Our day started with a mad panic. We slept in until 9am!!

    Gone were our plans to catch the underground to St Pancras. We hurriedly got up, raced down for breakfast, back upstairs for showers, booked an Uber to the station ... it's amazing what you do when you need to.

    We got to St Pancras and joined the snaking queue through immigration and security, and then suddenly had plenty of spare time as we waited for our train to leave for Paris.

    The train trip was 2.5 hours. Very uneventful and easy so far. However this post is written from the train and we have yet to experience navigating Paris Gare du Nord 🥸🗼🚄    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Taxi queueThe slanting stairwellOur apartment living roomThe piano in our apartment is nearly as well loved as the prospect of Nutella crepes2Our local boulangerie (bakery)11Mulling over pizza flavours1Not bad for €2.50Place de la Bastille - site of the former Bastille PrisonStill using pavers to make footpathsOur local Metro Station

    Notre Quartier Parisien

    26 juli 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    The arrival into Gare du Nord was very underwhelming but reasonably efficient. We caught a taxi to our apartment. The driver spoke good English but wanted to charge us €55 as "the meter wasn't working" and we had to cross the river. When I queried this with him, he quickly dropped the tariff to €40 as we didn't need to cross the river (bother passengers who have Google maps on their phone!) Tariff was still expensive but from now on we can walk and catch the metro.

    Our apartment in Bastile is the owners home. So we are in "suburbia" but will get a good taste for everyday life. The best thing is it has a piano which Leah has wasted no time getting to know🥰.

    Once we arrived at our apartment block 3 flights of sloping wooden stairs provided a good cardiac workout!!

    The best way to get to sample the culture is to walk the streets and eat like the locals do. Most people we have run into either speak english or enough english to compensate for our minimalist french vocab.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Leah doing Sunday School revision using stained glass windows
    Paper train ticket!On the way to Sainte ChapelleThe court house. Notice the liberty, the equality and the fraternityAt the gateThe cellarThe glass on the right is the genealogy of JesusThe stories in the exterior were easier to decipher.

    Sainte Chapelle

    27 juli 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    After a breakfast of fresh baguettes and jam we headed out to the Metro to travel to Sainte Chapelle.

    The Metro maps make it really easy to work out which train you need to catch. The first train we caught was really old and if you didn't know how many stops you needed to travel then you could've been stuck. The second train was a lot more modern and had signs letting you know what the next stop was. However, the trainline name on the train was in the opposite direction which had some people quite confused!!

    What was quite amusing is the use of paper train tickets! Not even ole Adelaide is this antiquated. In saying that the Metro was very easy to travel on.

    Our first stop for the day was Sainte Chapelle which was commissioned by St Louis in the 1300's.

    The amazing thing about this church is the stained glass windows with each column dipicting stories from a different book of the bible. There is a column which depicts the lineage of the house of Jesse as St Louis saw himself as a rightful descendent of that family!!    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    On the top deck in the front row you get a good view and are sheltered from the rainStatue of Charlemagne"soaking up" information re the sights of ParisOpera Garnier

    Toot Bus

    27 juli 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We had originally booked a five-hour walking tour of Paris, however our guide broke their wrist earlier in the week and we couldn't reschedule. So our alternate plan was a Hop on Hop off bus trip. This was a blessing in disguise as it rained heavily (as opposed to showers) for most of the afternoon and a walk would not have been much fun, especially as we had forgotten our cheap brollies).

    Whilst the rain damped things, we were still able to visit Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, The Champs Elysee and the Eiffel Tower.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Our very informative guideThe gardens from insideMarie Antoinette's bedroom

    A Toutes Les Gloires De La France

    28 juli 2023, Frankrike ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    A really full-on day, so this is being written as we cruise along at 300km per hour on our way to Germany.

    Up early and on the road to Versailles. We left our apartment at 7.30 and had to catch two metros and then the RER to reach our destination.

    As we pulled into Chateau Versailles station it started raining and raining. Our first port of call was Macca's for coffee (shameful but it was the only option). Then off to add to our brolly collection as the two we had were never going to suffice.

    From there it was a short walk of 10 mins to Versailles. Versailles is unreal. We had a really great guide take us through. She was very informative and also relayed some really funny anecdotes about the times of Louie xiv to Louie xvi, also known as Louie the sun (because he thought the sun shone out of him), Louie the fun (because he lived a life of affluence based on his father's grandiose ego), and then Louie the done as he lost his life in the French Revolution.

    In 1677 Louis XIV made known his decision to make Versailles his principal residence. The Sun King, sovereign by divine right and with absolute power was intent on dazzling other nations....    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär

    The Gardens of Versailles

    28 juli 2023, Frankrike ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    The gardens are magnificent. You could spend an entire day in them.

    Louis XIV had the largest collection of exotic fruit trees in Europe. The trees were planted in planter boxes so that in winter they could be moved into the greenhouses!!

    Due to time constraints, we visited the Orangery Parterre, Queen's Grove, Latona's Fountain and Parterre, Neptune Fountain and Water Theatre Grove.    Läs mer

  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Inside Galeries LafayetteLearning from a french pastry chefEating cheap after Matt misplaced his walletA familiar faceGood night ParisThe incentive to get up and on the roadOn our way to Paris Gare de l'Est

    Relaxing in Paris

    28 juli 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    I'm not sure that you can really say this afternoon was relaxed. The rain was determined to drench us, and it won the battle but didn't stop us enjoying ourselves even if we were soaked through. Judging by the look on people's faces we got the impression that this was not the norm.

    After visiting Versailles Toby and Abby returned to our apartment for some downtime whilst Leah and Dad got drenched going to see (but not paying to go inside) Opera Garnier. After this we went to learn tips on making macarons from a French pastry chef. A great afternoon if you don't mind navigating the traffic in pouring rain.

    The macaron making class was held in a kitchen inside Galeries Lafayette which is the Paris version of Harrods.

    By the time we finished, the rain had cleared and we caught up with Andy & Bron and Greg & Mishael along with Sam and Jemima for ice cream and an opportunity to see the Eiffel Tower by night. Another late finish but a great way to end our time in Paris.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Even has reclining seats!!
    Arriving in KarlsruheOur first night's stay in GermanyA good hearty European style brekkieUp 66 steps to the ecclesial hallA weekly reminder of our true hopeToby and Leah with Chris & Bronwyn McQueenSometimes we need to travel to the other side of the world for a catch up 😃

    Weekend in Germany - One Faith, One Hope

    29 juli 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We left Paris bang on 10:55 on ICE9573 bound for Karlsruhe, a journey of 2.5 hours. It didn't take long to hit 300km/h.

    Karlsruhe is a great place to pick up a rental car. Apparently Stuttgart is like "driving straight onto a racetrack". We picked up our car and drove an hour east to our first night's place of stay which was literally in the middle of nowhere. A good place to grab an early night and only 45 mins from the Esslingen ecclesial hall.

    On Sunday we had a great day. We went to the meeting in Esslingen where we were made to feel very welcome. This especially was the case for Abby who lots of brothers and sisters knew from her previous visits even though the last visit was some 20 years ago.

    Lots of brothers and sisters have a good grasp of conversational English or better as most people have either a spouse or a parent from an English speaking background. However, the meeting was in German which was a really good experience for all of us to understand how it feels to benefit from fellowship even if we can't understand the language, and how important it is to make visitors feel welcome.

    After the meeting we had an extension of fellowship at the home of Bro Neil & Sis Ilona McQueen and their family followed by a trip to the ruins of an old castle with amazing views.

    Our weekend ended with a drive down to Trossingen where we are stayed the night.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Our accommodation in Trossingen
    The eclectic dining roomEnjoying the sunshine1Burning off surplus energyThe gate to Villingen

    Trossingen and Villingen

    31 juli 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    The reality of life has hit and this is being written from the laundromat in Karlsruhe. Karlsruhe is a university town however it's summer holidays so the laundromat seems quite vibrant compared to the rest of the place.

    Last night we stayed in Trossingen. The place we stayed in gets 5 stars for how comfortable the beds were, so it was a shame that we couldn't sleep in. However the day's activities more than compensated for this, starting with a magnificent European style brekkie in quite an eclectic dining room.

    Once we were on the road our first stop was Villingen which was a really nice old village dating back to the Middle Ages. It was quite quiet but apparently that is normal for a Monday.

    We enquired about cuckoo clocks and were advised to go to Triberg which was 30 minutes drive and is the "cuckoo clock town". So after a look around Villingen we headed off to Triberg.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    On the road to Triberg
    Maybe not this one

    Triberg and Der Schwarzwald

    31 juli 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Off we went to Triberg which is located in the heart of the Black Forest. Photos do the scenery in Triberg a huge injustice. It is a stunning place. Thankfully we elected to drive to the bottom of the town and had no problems finding a park as the top of town was jam packed.

    Leah struck gold and got her beloved cuckoo clock (thankfully it is well packaged for the onward journey). Any missed German lessons at school were compensated for by a belated coffee and torte for Mum's 50th birthday.

    Our time in Germany is drawing to a close. However we are in unanimous agreement that if the opportunity arose we would love to visit again and stay for longer, especially as we have experienced so much warmth from the ecclesia and also mastered the skills needed to drive on the Autobahn!! 🚘    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Do you like green egg(s) and ham?
    Spreads with bio-degradable containersNo its not brownie. It's Swiss ChocolateEnjoying Swiss Rail at a leisurely 120 km/hArriving in Lucerne1Coffee anyone?A somewhat unfortunate name for a street...The cloud is liftingSunset

    Karlsruhe to Lucerne

    1 augusti 2023, Schweiz ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    An observation about Germany ...

    We stayed in a overnight hotel last night. At breakfast the spreads were served in edible bio-degradable wafer containers as recycling is really promoted in Germany. Then you go into the foyer and can buy cigarettes or beer from a vending machine which is such a foreign concept to us.

    Train travel has proved to be a really efficient and easy way to travel and also good downtime to catch up on diaries etc. However even trains can be delayed and we missed our connection from Basel to Lucerne.

    We arrived in Basel to find the delay was no problem and we caught the next train to Lucerne. The only thing we had to watch was that Leah got off the train with us as its final destination was Milan 😍, the shopping mecca of Italy.

    Travelling on German Railways was good, but the Swiss take it to another level. Our train to Lucerne was very modern, comfy and spacious and included complimentary free wifi! Heaps better than flying.

    One of the first things we noticed was that prices are all in Swiss francs and not euros and that Swiss power points are a different fitting to the rest of Europe!!

    Lucerne is known as one of Europe's most beautiful city. But the combination of rain and mist and things being closed as its the Swiss National holiday meant that pizza and kebabs were on the menu as it was one thing that was close by and open.

    We knew Switzerland is expensive, but the cost of pizza seemed very expensive. However when the pizza materialised we soon worked out that whilst Switzerland is expensive, the size of the pizza was also a contributing factor 🍕😊.

    It was meant to be an early night here ready for a big day tomorrow, but fireworks have just started...    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    Starting the day with a good brekkie
    On the road to InterlakenLake BrienzerseeInterlaken - a great place for paragliding @ 250 Francs per go

    The Road to Interlaken

    2 augusti 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    If Germany is gorgeous then Switzerland is superb, stunning and spectacular all in one.

    Today was a long day with lots of pictures taken. So this is instalment no 1.

    We left Lucerne at 9.30am and it was overcast but not raining and the weather forecast was promising.

    The scenery was spectacular and you sensed it couldn't get better, but it probably would as we travelled through 7km long tunnels and wound our way through hairpin bends as we climbed up into the mountains on our way to Interlaken. On arrival in Interlaken we had a 40 minute break whilst our guide organised tickets for the remainder of the day.    Läs mer

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  • Matthew ArcherUK and EuropeResenär
    1

    Cog Train to Kleine Scheidegg

    2 augusti 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    After a short bus trip from Interlaken we arrived at Lauterbrunnen station where we caught the local train (a cog railway) to Kleine Scheidegg which is 6,700 ft above sea level. There we changed trains to head to the Top of Europe.

    Our guide's name was Kid. He was quite eccentric but an excellent guide and knew all the best photo spots and how to navigate all the queues. Kid has been doing this trip 5x per week for 20 years and he never ceases to be amazed at the scenery.    Läs mer

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