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Grand Tour of Europe - 2023
  • Stephen and Debbie
  • Stephen and Debbie

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. Czytaj więcej
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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    2Wells Abbey and on the right hand side, the entrance to the Baths.Part of the Bath shopping area.Parade Gardens beside the River Avon.Pulteney BridgeThe Royal Crescent

    Bath

    5 czerwca 2023, Anglia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Today we drove back into England, with the town of Bath, in the county of Somerset, our first stop. Bath is a UNESCO world heritage site on the River Avon.
    It is famous for its Roman Baths, built by the Romans, of course, with artefacts found on the site dating it back to at least 76AD.

    The Royal Crescent in Bath is also a famous photo stop. It is a row of Georgian townhouses and was used extensively in the TV series 'Bridgerton'.

    The Pulteney Bridge on the River Avon is also another well recognised construction from Roman times.

    After Bath we had a stop in Wells. We were here a few weeks ago on our 'Backroads Corners of Cornwall' tour, so didn't need to visit the cathedral again. Instead, we walked the town and had an ice cream. But we did get a good photo of the cathedral, as last time we were here the village green in front of it was being used for the kings coronation party, so it was full of people.

    Our destination for the next two nights is Plymouth, in Devon.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    Railway viaduct at Calstock
    Tamar RiverTamar RiverCalstock2CalstockTamar InnCalstockCalstockCalstockTamar Inn and CalstockThe Tamar Valley is classed as an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' on the way to Calstock

    Calstock

    5 czerwca 2023, Anglia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Our first night in Plymouth featured a dinner at the Tamar Inn, an old pub on the Tamar River at Calstock.

    Calstock is 20 miles from Plymouth and to get there we crossed the Tamar River and headed into Cornwall. The bus then stopped a few miles up the hill from Calstock and taxis took us down the narrow country lanes to the pub, as the bus cannot turn around in the town.

    Calstock features a huge railway viaduct that connects Cornwall to Plymouth and its harbour.

    The dinner was terrific and Calstock is a picture book town, right beside the river and with narrow winding streets.

    The night in Calstock was a certainly a highlight of the trip.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    Plymouth
    Smeaton Tower (lighthouse) and the military citadel - datesfrom the 1600's, used as a military base.Nuclear sub at Plymouth naval base. 2/3 of sub is below water.Plymouth Barbican - area around the harbour.Mayflower Steps - where the Mayflower left from.Military CitadelSmeaton TowerSir Francis Drake statue

    Plymouth

    6 czerwca 2023, Anglia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We spent today in Plymouth, which traces its history back to Saxon times. It lies between the River Ply and the Tamar River. Its name means the 'mouth of the Ply'. The Tamar River is the border between Devon and Cornwall.

    Plymouth has been an important port for shipping since the Elizabethan times. The Spanish Armada were defeated by the English led by Sir Francis Drake in the waters off Plymouth in 1588.

    Any convicts or emigrants leaving England for Australia sailed from Plymouth.

    The Mayflower sailed from Plymouth in 1620 for America. 30 million Americans can trace their lineage back to the 130 Mayflower pilgrims.

    Plymouth has been a naval base since the Elizabethan times and remains so with HMS Devenport their nuclear submarine base.

    We went on a cruise around Plymouth Harbour, which was terrific.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik

    Heskyn Mill

    6 czerwca 2023, Anglia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Our last night in Plymouth and also with the tour group ended with a celebration dinner at Heskyn Mill, a restaurant near Saltash on the Tamar River in Cornwall. It is a historic Grade 2 listed 18th-century mill.

    Inside are many of the original gear workings and the mill stones that were last used to grind corn in the 1960s.

    We had a really good night with great food.

    Tomorrow we return to London, which will be our last day in the U.K before we go to France.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik

    Stonehenge

    7 czerwca 2023, Anglia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Our last day with the tour group began with the obligatory visit to Stonehenge.

    Stonehenge, on the Salisbury Plains, is older than the pyramids, believed to be from 3000B.C. Much of its origins and original uses are unknown.

    After our time at Stonehenge, we hit the motorway to return to London, which ended our 22-day Insight tour. Tomorrow we are off on the Eurostar to Paris.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    Eurostar trains lined up ready to leave from St. Pancras.The queue for a photo at Platform 9 3/4.One hour later!

    St. Pancras Station

    7 czerwca 2023, Anglia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We are back in London and staying near St. Pancras station, so we are ready for our Eurostar to Paris in the morning.

    St. Pancras was built in 1868 and is now the international terminal for rail services to Europe through the Channel Tunnel.

    It is a grand building and nearby is Kings Cross Station, which features a well-known and popular platform, well at least for Harry Potter fans it does.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    8:01am - time to go.Our first French village. According to Google Maps, it is Noordpeene.

    London to Paris

    8 czerwca 2023, Anglia ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    This morning we left London bound for Paris, aboard the Eurostar. We were scheduled to leave at 8:01am and at exactly that time we started moving. The journey took 2.5 hours and was quiet, smooth and fast. Australian trains have a very long way to go to match this.

    The train goes through the Channel Tunnel (the chunnel), which is 50.45km long and at its deepest is 75m below the English Channel. It can reach a top speed of 334kmh - the highest speed we got to today that I noticed was 270kmh. It certainly didn't feel like it.

    We arrived on time in Paris and were only five minutes from the station when the train stopped because of technical issues with the track and we sat there for two hours before arriving at Gare du Nord!! Luckily we had nothing planned until 3:00pm.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    Paris trafficNotre DameThe Champs Elysee and Arc de TriompheNicholas and the Citroen 2 CV

    Paris - Citroen Tour

    8 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After arriving in Paris and checking in to our hotel, we were picked up for a Paris sightseeing tour - in an original 1960 Citroen 2CV - and not just any Citroen 2CV - it was the one used in the 1981 James Bond movie, 'For Your Eyes Only', starring Roger Moore, which was a real bonus.

    Our driver, Nicholas, drove us around the major sites and showed us how to negotiate the Paris traffic. All the stories you hear about it are true. Cars going everywhere and all over the place. It would be a brave tourist to tackle these streets.

    After two hours with Nicholas and the 2CV, we were taken back to the hotel, where to celebrate our first day in France, we had French Chablis and then some pastries for dessert.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    The kings bedThe Hall of MirrorsMarie Antoinette's bedMarie Antoinette's palaceThe Chapel of LoveLe Petite Trianon

    Versaille

    9 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today we went to the Palace of Versaille. It was a busy day. We left the hotel at 7:30am and returned at 6:30pm.

    We had booked a guided tour and return train journey and it was definitely the right move. Versaille gets 39 million visitors each year and you can see why.

    Our guide was brilliant and he guided us through the palace, where we saw the Hall of Mirrors and the royal apartments where the three kings, Louis XIV, Louis XV and the ill-fated Louis XVI and his queen Marie Antoinette lived, before they both lost their heads in the revolution.

    We were also guided through the gardens and the Chateau Trianon where Marie Antoinette lived for a number of years, as well as Petite Trianon, the rural village built in the grounds of the palace purely for the amusement of Marie Antoinette.

    It was a special day and everything there was amazing. Words and pictures do not do it justice in any way. This is just a small selection of the 100s of photos we took.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik

    Paris

    10 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Today was another very busy day, a very hot day, which although it didn't go as we planned, still turned out well and probably may have been better.

    We started the day with the guided tour of the Eiffel Tower we had booked for 9:15am, with the tower due to open at 9:30am. At 10:30am it was still not open and we were in a queue 150m from the first security gate. Our guide was told there was a 'technical issue' and it could be up to 2 hours before it was resolved.

    We figured we could wait and potentially not do anything else today, or give going up the tower a miss and still do everything else we wanted to do. We decided to go, rather than risk queuing for hours. We think we made the right decision but have no idea when the tower opened.

    So we jumped on our 'hop on hop off bus' tour and did a lap of Paris. It is probably not looking its best at the moment as many buildings and monuments are covered in scaffolding as they are being 'tarted up' for the Olympics next year.

    Halfway around we got off and climbed the Arc de Triomphe, which was very special. We were glad we didn't miss this. It gave us great views of Paris, so the only thing we missed with the Eiffel was the experience of going up it. Never mind.

    After finishing a lap of Paris we went on our cruise up and down the River Seine, which was a highlight.

    Tonight we join our 22 day Insight tour of France with a welcome dinner.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    The different champagne bottle sizes

    Troyes

    11 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Today we left behind the crowds of Paris and headed into the farmlands and vineyards of the Champagne region. The villages and wheat fields were picture perfect and looked just like the Tour de France. We made good progress - parts of the road had a speed limit of 130kmh.

    Our first stop was the ancient town of Troyes. The town dates from Roman times, but a fire in 1524 destroyed the town and it was rebuilt over the next century.

    The central and old part of Troyes was what you would imagine an old French village to look like. As we were in Champagne, there was only one drink that would make sense for lunch, so of course we had one. The chocolate lshops and bakeries were also pretty special as well.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    Darcy Park
    The view from our hotel room.The Grand Hotel La Cloche - our hotel in Dijon.3Our room is below the French flag on the first floor. My car is the yellow one.A McLaren 12C Spider (approx $400,000). The Porsche Cayman was only approx $180,000 when new.Of course, there is mustard in Dijon. This brand is the only family owned Burgundy made mustard.

    Dijon

    11 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    After lunch we left Troyes and travelled into the Burgundy region, home of some of the best and most expensive wines in the world, primarily pinot noir and chardonnay.

    Our destination was Dijon, the capital of Burgundy, a town from the Middle Ages, famous for its mustard making. Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    Church of Notre-Dame
    Church of Notre-DameChurch of Notre-DameChurch of Notre-DameStatue of Joan of Arc in Church of Notre-DameCarving of the devil trying to get in to the Church of Notre-DamePalace of the Dukes of NormandyPalace of the Dukes of NormandyPalace of the Dukes of NormandyPalace of the Dukes of NormandyPalace of the Dukes of NormandyPalace of the Dukes of NormandyDijon has some amazing old shops and houses

    Dijon

    12 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    This morning we went on a walking tour of Dijon. It is a place we really enjoyed and it was not full of tourists.

    The highlights were the Catholic Church of Notre-Dame, considered a masterpiece of 13th-century Gothic architecture. Next to the church is the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy (Palais des ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne), a 15th and 16th century building. The Dukes were the richest men in the world in the Middle Ages. Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik

    Route des Grand Cru

    12 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    After looking around Dijon, we enjoyed a fantastic drive along the famous Route des Grand Cru on the Cote-D'or to the town of Beaune. This is a route through the historic wineries of the Burgundy region, many of which are Grand Cru, the top classification. These wineries produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and are some of the best and most expensive wines in the world. Lining the road are vineyards, villages and chateaus. Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    The medicine room

    Beaune

    12 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Once in Beaune we visited the fascinating Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune, a former charitable hospital. It was founded in 1443 by the chancellor of Burgundy as a hospital for the poor and run by an order of Catholic nuns and monks.

    Elderly, disabled and sick people, orphans, women about to give birth and the destitute were all been welcomed for treatment and refuge from the Middle Ages until today, but now in a modern hospital.

    It had displays of old medical equipment from the 1800's which made the stomach churn.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    Phillip and his awards.We tasted these.We bought one of these - a 2018 pinot noir.

    Clos St. Louis

    12 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Our day finished with one of the highlights of the tour so far. We visited a Premier Cru winery in the village of Fixin - the Clos St. Louis. The owner and winemaker Phillip Bernard took us on a tour of the vineyard and the winery, followed by a tasting in his 17th century cellar. His family has owned the winery since the 1800's. The wines were great. We then had dinner (and wine) in his house and it was sensational.

    Phillip is a member of The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (Fraternity of Knights of the Wine-Tasters' Cup), an exclusive fraternity of Burgundy wine connoisseurs. And he's proud of it!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    Chamonix
    Arve RiverOur hotelThe view from our room.

    Chamonix - Mont Blanc

    13 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today we enjoyed a simply stunning drive into and through the French Alps, with our destination being Chamonix, where the 1924 winter Olympics were held.

    On the drive we were very close to Switzerland and had some good views of Lake Geneva.

    Chamonix lies beneath Mont-Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe, 4810m high. Mt. Kosciusko is only 2228m.

    The Arve River runs through it and is fed by the glaciers of the Mont-Blanc valley, but mainly from the Mer de Glace (glacier).

    When we arrived, Mont-Blanc was covered in clouds, so we abandoned plans to go up in the gondola to the Aguille du Midi, a viewpoint only 1000m lower, not that Debbie seemed overly disappointed. Instead, we went up in the train to the Mer de Glace, which gave us great views.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik

    La Cabane des Praz

    13 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    For dinner tonight, we drove into the nearby hills to the La Cabane des Praz, a log cabin restaurant with great views of the golf course and mountain peaks. The dinner was pretty good - you were given sauces and thin slices of duck, beef and chicken, which you cooked on a grill plate. Dessert was a creme broulee (of course) and I chose snails with garlic butter for entree. First time I had tried them and they were surprisingly good! Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    1
    The view from our room when we opened the curtains

    Mont-Blanc

    14 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We woke up this morning, opened the curtains and there it was - Mont-Blanc had appeared in beautiful sunshine!! It was a 'wow' moment.

    Spectacular is an understatement. We weren't leaving until 11:00am so we had plenty of time to walk around Chamonix and enjoy the sights. Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik

    Annecy

    14 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    If yesterdays drive was stunningly spectacular, then today's was even more so, as we made our way through the valleys of the French Alps to Annecy. A cloudless blue sky made it very special. It is a beautiful part of the world.

    Lying beneath the Alps and beside Lake Annecy, Annecy features cobblestone streets and numerous canals running through the old part of the town. It is a spectacular place.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    Chapel Saint-Anthelme ChigninGrenobleHolocaust memorialResistance memorial

    Grenoble

    14 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We spent the night in Grenoble as we make our way towards Nice and Monaco. Once again, this was a spectacular drive.

    Grenoble was the venue for the 1968 winter Olympics. It was
    heavily bombed by the Germans in WWII, so much of it has been rebuilt since the 1950's.

    The park opposite our hotel had war memorials and also memorials for members of the French Resistance in WWII as well as French victims of the holocaust.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik

    Napoleonic Road

    15 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Ww left Grenoble and travelled to Nice on the 200 mile long Napoleonic Road.

    This is the route Napoleon and his supporters took as they marched from his landing point near Cannes to Grenoble, on his way back to Paris after his escape from exile on Elba in 1815.

    It is yet another spectacular drive through the alps and valleys, with many hilltop towns along the way.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Stephen and DebbieGrand Tour of Europe - 2023Podróżnik
    8This is where we had dinner.

    Nice

    15 czerwca 2023, Francja ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We arrived in Nice, on the Cote d'Azur this afternoon. Our hotel faces the beach and the Mediterranean.

    There has been a settlement at Nice since 400B.C. It is the second oldest town in France, with Marseille the oldest. Much of the 'old town' of Nice dates from the 14th-16th centuries.

    Nice was part of Italy until 1860, when it was ceded to France. It retains a predominantly Italian feel, or 'nicoise', the name given to its local culture.

    We went for a walk in the old town where we had tea and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the narrow streets and squares which were crammed with people.     Czytaj więcej

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