Grand Tour of Europe - 2023

Finally! Our Grand Tour of Europe is here. 90 days travelling through the United Kingdom, France, (with a brief visit to Belgium) and then on to Italy, before finishing with a few days in Dubai. Read more

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Trip start
May 3, 2023
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Day 1
Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 10:57 AM
🌬 22 °C
Altitude: 5 m
Australia Alexandra Canal -33.936667, 151.16666733°56’12” S 151°10’0” E
Sydney International Terminal
May 3, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 22 °C
The big day is finally here and we are waiting for our flight to London - QF1 @3.10pm. We first booked this trip in 2019 for 2020 - then Covid came in 2020, so we rescheduled to 2021. There was still Covid, so we tried for 2022, but there was still Covid, so we tried for 2023 and here we are ready to go. We will be back in Sydney on 1st August. The added bonus of going this year though is that we will arrive in London in time to see all the Coronation celebrations - us and a million others, but it will be an experience for sure.Read more
TravelerHave a wonderful time and stay safe. Love from us.
5/2/23Reply
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Day 1
Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 11:10 PM
☁️ 28 °C
Altitude: 23 m
Singapore Beting Kusah 1.363609, 103.9930241°21’49” N 103°59’35” E
Singapore - Changi International Airport
May 3, 2023 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Our 2 hour layover in Singapore became a 1 hour layover as we were late leaving Sydney. But we had a smooth and comfortable flight.
TravelerGlad you made it!
5/4/23Reply
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Day 2
Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 12:38 PM
☁️ 16 °C
Altitude: 95 m
England Ingrave 51.598333, 0.33166751°35’54” N 0°19’54” E
London Heathrow
May 4, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
We arrived at Heathrow an hour late, but it was a really smooth flight. A lovely blue sky had earlier given us some great views of the Austrian Alps. We had a good view of London coming in and then used a London Black Cab to get to our hotel - Tower Suites at Tower Hill.Read more
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Day 2
Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 9:11 PM
🌙 15 °C
Altitude: 29 m
England Abbey of Saint Mary de Graces 51.510446, -0.07528851°30’38” N 0°4’31” W
London
May 4, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌙 15 °C
Our first day in London was a busy one - we walked 20,000 steps according to the Fitbit. So much so, we successfully managed a trip on the London Tube back from Westminster to Tower Hill using our Oyster cards instead of walking. We had had enough by then.

We saw Tower Bridge, went on the London Eye, walked around Westminster and through St. James Park to Buckingham Palace and then down The Mall to Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square.

Dinner was very English - a pub, a pint and cod & chips.

This is an amazing time to be in London to see the massive crowds and preparations for the Coronation on Saturday. Everywhere is decorated and security is very obvious. It seems every Bobby in England is in central London at the moment. We are very lucky to be a part of it.Read more
TravelerGreat weather and extraordinary time for you to be there. Loving the photos. Have a great day tomorrow.
5/4/23Reply
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Day 3
Friday, May 5, 2023 at 11:00 PM
🌙 13 °C
Altitude: 29 m
England Abbey of Saint Mary de Graces 51.510479, -0.07528851°30’38” N 0°4’31” W
London
May 5, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
London is teeming with visitors, security and Police. They are here in the thousands. We walked down through Westminster after the show and they had just closed it off ready for the procession. People had already straight away set up in their chairs for the coronation procession. This was at 11:00pm on Friday night.Read more
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Day 3
Friday, May 5, 2023
☁️ 19 °C
Altitude: 29 m
England Abbey of Saint Mary de Graces 51.510479, -0.07529751°30’38” N 0°4’31” W
London
May 5, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Today we spent the morning at the Tower of London. It was an amazing place and pretty special to be in a building that is over 1200 years old. Then we went to St. Pauls Cathedral and returned to our hotel on a river cruise down the Thames. Tonight we were off to Charing Cross to see a London theatre show - Oklahoma at the historic Wyndham Theatre.Read more
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Day 4
Saturday, May 6, 2023
🌧 14 °C
Altitude: 29 m
England Abbey of Saint Mary de Graces 51.51049, -0.07531551°30’38” N 0°4’31” W
The Coronation
May 6, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 14 °C
An amazing day to be in London. We went in to Westminster along with a million others. We were very lucky to be in the right place at the right time and saw the Kings Guards on their way to the ceremony. Then we went to Hyde Park and watched the King leave the Palace on the big screen. It was very wet and after soaking up the atmosphere it was back to our hotel and the bar to watch the rest. It sounds simple but we walked nearly 10km getting from the train to Hyde Park and back to the train along absolutely packed roads. We feel very lucky to have been here and to be able to have experienced it.Read more
TravelerEnjoying photos- memorable to be there for such a historic day- rain no problem here in lounge chair😂😂😂
5/6/23Reply
TravelerI’m so pleased for you to have experienced this historic event. I’m sure the highlights will just keep coming.
5/6/23Reply
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Day 5
Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 2:36 PM
☁️ 18 °C
Altitude: 42 m
England Wells 51.21, -2.64551°12’36” N 2°38’42” W
Wells
May 7, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
This morning we joined our tour group for our 7 day Corners of Cornwall Tour with Backroads Tours. There are 17 of us and mostly Aussies.

As we left London we drove through Westminster and it was if yesterday hadn't happened. The city was clean and all the barricades etc were gone.

Our destination today was the city of Wells and then on to Dartmoor National Park for the night.

We drove through the green farmlands and villages of Wiltshire (famous for its pork) and across the Salisbury Plains.

Wells is the smallest city in England but has a magnificent Cathedral. When we were there they were celebrating the coronation with a community fair on the cathedral green, which added to the atmosphere. A highlight here was Vicar's Close, said to be the oldest continuously inhabited street in the world.

After leaving Wells, we drove through Glastonbury, saw some gypsy caravans and made our way on the back roads and country lanes through the picturesque countryside and villages of Somerset and Devon to Dartmoor.Read more
TravelerDid you find the Olympic record on the footpath?
5/9/23Reply
TravelerNo we couldn't but there were lots of people there.
5/9/23Reply
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Day 5
Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 5:11 PM
☁️ 15 °C
Altitude: 357 m
England Two Bridges 50.558333, -3.96550°33’30” N 3°57’54” W
Dartmoor
May 7, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Dartmoor National Park was quite a spectacular place to visit. There were the expanses of the moors and the farmhouses, the dry stone walls and the Dartmoor ponies, which have lived here since the bronze age and around 3000 live on the moors.

Our first night was spent at the Two Bridges Hotel, an isolated 18th century coaching inn in the Dartmoor Park. It had great beer and food and was exactly how you would imagine an old English pub in the country would be.Read more
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Day 6
Monday, May 8, 2023 at 6:12 AM
🌧 10 °C
Altitude: 357 m
England Two Bridges 50.558333, -3.96550°33’30” N 3°57’54” W
Dartmoor
May 8, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
Day 5 - Dartmoor Ramble
We woke up early this morning so we went for a ramble on the moors near our hotel. It was foggy and drizzling which made it very English and probably even prettier.

Today we are moving into Cornwall and the Ccrnish coast and will spend the next two nights at Falmouth.Read more
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Day 6
Monday, May 8, 2023 at 12:09 PM
🌧 15 °C
Altitude: 15 m
England Port Isaac 50.591667, -4.83166750°35’30” N 4°49’54” W
Port Isaac
May 8, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
Typical English weather today with plenty of drizzle, but luckily it stopped both times we stopped - at Port Isaac and Padstow.

Port Isaac is a pretty fishing village and home of the Doc Martin TV series. It was low tide which can be seen in the photos.Read more
TravelerThat is one seriously low tide…
5/8/23Reply
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Day 6
Monday, May 8, 2023 at 2:03 PM
🌧 15 °C
Altitude: 9 m
England Padstow 50.541667, -4.93833350°32’30” N 4°56’18” W
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Padstow
May 8, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
Padstow is another scenic and very old Cornish fishing village. It is also referred to as Padstein, given it is home to chef Rick Steins original seafood restaurant, as well as numerous other shops owned by him.

We however had a traditional Cornish pastie and a Cornish ice cream.Read more
TravelerWhat a lot of choices you had…which pasty and ice-cream did you have? I notice they even had ones I could eat!
5/8/23Reply
TravelerWe thought we had better start with the traditional one - vegies and meat. Ice cream was yummy - thick and creamy.
5/9/23Reply
Traveler Oh! Yummy lunch.
5/9/23Reply
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Day 6
Monday, May 8, 2023 at 7:30 PM
🌧 14 °C
Altitude: 6 m
England Flushing 50.16, -5.07333350°9’36” N 5°4’24” W
Falmouth
May 8, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 14 °C
Falmouth is our home for two nights. It is on the River Fal and is also yet another pretty place. The Greenbank Hotel where we are staying has pretty good food and drink.
TravelerAhhh…two nights in the same place.
5/8/23Reply
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Day 7
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 9:41 AM
🌧 13 °C
Altitude: Sea level
England The Island 50.211667, -5.4850°12’42” N 5°28’48” W
St. Ives & Lands End
May 9, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
England's weather reared its head today - heavy rain and fog played havoc with our plans and meant our views of the rugged Cornish Coast and the remains of the abandoned tin mines which dot the coast were non-existent which was a real pity. Even heavier rain at Lands End, the western most point of England meant we couldn't walk to the actual lands end.

But we were lucky, as we had gotten our visit to St. Ives in before the rain started. An old Cornish fishing village with narrow cobblestone streets and quirky shops and bakeries, it was a place we really enjoyed.Read more
TravelerWhat a shame about the weather. Lots of visits to warm aromatic bakeries will be required. Think I would pass on the baked crown…
5/10/23Reply
TravelerWe did too.
5/10/23Reply
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Day 7
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at 9:53 PM
🌬 11 °C
Altitude: 10 m
England Flushing 50.161107, -5.07427950°9’40” N 5°4’27” W
Falmouth
May 9, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 11 °C
An earlier than planned return to Falmouth gave us the chance to explore this pretty place on the River Fal inlet.
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Day 8
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 10:00 AM
⛅ 14 °C
Altitude: 30 m
England Old Kea 50.231667, -5.0350°13’54” N 5°1’48” W
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Tregothnan Estate
May 10, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
After yesterdays rain, the weather was perfect today and we had a fantastic day.

We went to Tregothnan Estate, home of the Lords Falmouth for 700 years. It has the U.K's only tea plantation and tea production was explained to us. We started in the village of Coombe and walked through woodlands, past farm cottages and on tracks that have been used by villagers and farmers since the Norman times. The scenery was superb.Read more
TravelerExcellent…Sea and Tea…blue sky bonus!
5/10/23Reply
Traveler So much natural beauty!
5/11/23Reply
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Day 8
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 1:40 PM
🌬 13 °C
Altitude: 42 m
England St Michaels Mount Castle 50.116667, -5.47833350°7’0” N 5°28’42” W
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St. Michaels Mount
May 10, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 13 °C
After leaving Tregothnan, we went to the historic tidal island of St. Michael's Mount near Penzance and Marazion. It has been a monastery since the 8th century and then since the 1600's, home of the St. Aubyn family, who still live there. The current Lord is the 12th generation.Read more
Traveler It is bluebell season…are there lots about?
5/12/23Reply
TravelerThey are everywhere in Cornwall.
5/12/23Reply
TravelerLooks amazing.
5/12/23Reply
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Day 9
Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 8:41 AM
⛅ 11 °C
Altitude: 47 m
England Charlestown Harbour 50.333333, -4.75166750°19’60” N 4°45’6” W
Charlestown
May 11, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
Charlestown is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is privately owned by the film company that produced the most recent Poldark TV series. It is a quaint and ancient fishing village and sea port that always has some tall ships moored in its harbour. We walked there (30 mins) from our hotel in St. Austell along the coastal path. It has a shipwreck museum and lots of craft shops.Read more
TravelerI am enjoying the Poldark part of your trip.
5/12/23Reply
TravelerWe had never heard of it but will watch it when we get home. It's on Britbox.
5/12/23Reply
TravelerWinston Graham wrote a series of 12 books about the Poldarks. The TV series covers the first 7 books.
5/12/23Reply
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Day 9
Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 1:14 PM
⛅ 14 °C
Altitude: 110 m
England St Austell Railway Station 50.341667, -4.78833350°20’30” N 4°47’18” W
St. Austell Brewery
May 11, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
We caught a bus from Charlestown back to St. Austell and went on a tour of the St. Austell brewery. It first began brewing in 1850 and is family owned with the original family still involved. The tour was really interesting and it finished with a very generous tasting session and either a pint of beer or a bottle to takeaway. Their bottles are 500ml. We chose the takeaway and after drinking it will endeavour to get the empty bottles safely home as a souvenir.Read more
TravelerRight up your alley! The bottles sound like a good souvenir of a memorable experience.
5/12/23Reply
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Day 10
Friday, May 12, 2023 at 9:35 AM
☁️ 13 °C
Altitude: 50 m
England Buckfast Abbey 50.491667, -3.77666750°29’30” N 3°46’36” W
Buckfast Abbey
May 12, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
We left Cornwall today and headed through Devon and Dorset until we reached Salisbury in Wiltshire, a very scenic drive.

We had a morning stop at Buckfast Abbey in Buckfastleigh, which has been home to a Benedictine monastery since 1050. Monks still live on site and practice there.

We drove through some towns with great names - Newtown Poppleford, Wobbly Weel, Cat and Fiddle and also Beer!Read more
TravelerBrewery sounds perfect-😂😂enjoying tour commentary very much- it’s like being there , from my lounge chair😆😆
5/12/23Reply
TravelerIs Wobbly Weel before or after Beer?
5/12/23Reply
TravelerDepends on your direction!
5/13/23Reply
Traveler🤣🤣
5/13/23Reply
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Day 10
Friday, May 12, 2023 at 11:08 AM
☁️ 14 °C
Altitude: 3 m
England Lyme Regis Pier 50.72, -2.93833350°43’12” N 2°56’18” W
1 1
Lyme Regis & Abbotsbury
May 12, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Lyme Regis was our lunch stop and is a well known sea port on what is known as the Jurassic Coast, due to the amount of dinosaur fossils that have been discovered there. Many of these were found by a poor local woman, Mary Anning, in the early 1800's, who sold them on the beach to help make ends meet, hence the rhyme "She sells seashells by the seashore", which was written about her.

The village of Abbotsbury in Dorset was full of thatched cottages. It was also adjacent to an area on the coast known as the Fleet, which was where Barnes Wallis first tested his bouncing bombs used in the Dambusters in 1943. Next week is the 80th anniversary of the raid.Read more
TravelerFind any fossils?
5/12/23Reply
TravelerNo, but we found some nice ice cream!
5/12/23Reply
TravelerEven better
5/12/23Reply
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Day 10
Friday, May 12, 2023 at 4:45 PM
🌬 15 °C
Altitude: 48 m
England Salisbury Cathedral 51.065, -1.79833351°3’54” N 1°47’54” W
1 1
Salisbury
May 12, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 15 °C
After arriving in Salisbury we visited Salisbury Cathedral. It has the tallest spire in England and was built in 1310-1330. It was a stunning building.

Tonight is the last night of the Cornwall Tour. Tomorrow we head back to London.Read more
TravelerThat Spire is amazing- staggering how it was built in the 1300’s👍👍
5/12/23Reply
Traveler Love the reflection of the windows.
5/12/23Reply
Traveler And again…
5/12/23Reply
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Day 11
Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 10:00 AM
⛅ 11 °C
Altitude: 47 m
England Winchester Cathedral 51.061287, -1.31316951°3’41” N 1°18’47” W
Winchester
May 13, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
Today was the last day of our Corners of Cornwall Tour and Cornwall gets a big tick from us.

We headed back to London where we will be for the next 4 nights. On the way we stopped at Winchester which was the home of King Alfred the Great and it was a pretty medieval town.Read more
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Day 11
Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 3:00 PM
⛅ 15 °C
Altitude: 19 m
England Kensington Palace 51.505109, -0.18763351°30’18” N 0°11’15” W
Kensington (London)
May 13, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
After leaving Winchester it was back to London where we walked around Kensington and Hyde Park before heading off on the Tube to see ABBA in the purpose built arena at Pudding Mill Lane (what a great name!).Read more
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Day 11
Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 7:30 PM
☀️ 13 °C
Altitude: 7 m
England Bow 51.533033, -0.01293651°31’59” N 0°0’47” W
ABBA - Voyage (London)
May 13, 2023 in England ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
We are at the ABBA Arena tonight in Pudding Mill Lane at the purpose built ABBA Arena and ABBA are in the building, or at least their ABBA-tars are!

It was a fantastic show. It was as if ABBA was there performing. It is amazing what you can do with technology.Read more
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