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Europe 101

April - June 2016
A 60-day adventure by out and about Read more
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  • TravelerEurope 101
    1
    Day 26

    Nimes surrounds inc Uzes

    May 20, 2016 in France ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Thursday morning Matt Dreelin picked us up and took us to see the Pont du Gard .We then drove past a small medieval town on the way to his house in Uzes. We met Laura and Felix who is 4 and waited to see us before going back to school.We had a lovely lunch prepared by Laura & ice cream made by Pampalona & coconut mountains.Matt took us through the back streets near him to a neighbour's property which had sandstone rock formations like in Australia where bouldering and abseiling occurred.Some of the rocks were named because of their appearance- lion, rhinoceros, elephant , lovers kissing.We then drove into Uzes proper, a beautiful little town and wandered around to the Duke's castle .Next we walked to the school and Matt collected his daughter seven year old Pampolona and we went for coffee.Matt drove us back to our apartment and on the way Pampolona and I practised our spoken languages. Stephen and I went across town just beside the railway to a bar & ate a very nice pizza- goats cheese,smoked duck and honey with a delicious Italian salad which had artichoke,bocconcini,prosciutto and all the rest. Struggled back at home to book replacement bus ticket across Germany with poor internet.Read more

  • TravelerEurope 101
    Day 27

    Arles

    May 21, 2016 in France ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Train trip here. A bit lost finding direction at first until a young French guy showed us the way. Left packs at hotel and toured the town. Visited Fondation Vincent Van Gogh - great!! Also interesting artist from Britain Glenn Brown. Found the arena / amphitheatre they still have bullfights there.(21000 people) in time of Julius Caesar 46BC. Saw the Roman theatre(10000 people) still used today for outdoor theatre productions, near by the East park where we souped & watched a dog swim in the fountain. Bought some Nic nacs.came back to hotel- it has a king size bed in a tiny room!! But it has a little outdoor terrace with chairs and table to sit at later today.Read more

  • TravelerEurope 101
    Day 28

    Aix-en-Provence

    May 22, 2016 in France ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Travelled by regional train this morning through Marseille- with train change there . Aix is a small town in comparison to Arles and much cleaner. Arles had giant water street sprayers sending the rubbish all over the place & then men came with blowers after . The wet rubbish didn't go far & the place stank. With almost no parks the dogs poop and pee everywhere & only some French pick upafter their pets. Here in Aix , not so many pets. Market day in the Main Street which had plane trees forming an avenue, fountains in the middle where cars stop& get honked to move on. Lots of cafes and restaurants.Nice fountains and little streets. A bit of rain. Back in hotel watched Sandra a Bullock & Hugh Grant dubbed of course!!! Dinner in: rocquerfort tomatoes dates bread wine$ strawberries& Greek yoghurt. Off to Marseille for Monday.Read more

  • TravelerEurope 101
    Day 29

    ... in Marseille

    May 23, 2016 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Travelled from Aix today. It's very cool and windy. Bags stored at the hotel and off we went to see the old harbour. Open top bus trip was really windy but good. English audio commentary- & we went nearly twice around. It's a winding trip up narrow streets to the famous Notre Dame de la Garde. Cars are forced to back up for the buses to get around corners! Beautiful vistas of the harbour old and new, the old stone buildings. We then walked around to the MuCEM but didn't go in to Picasso exhibition.Read more

  • TravelerEurope 101
    Day 30

    Avignon

    May 24, 2016 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Well we came via TGV & local train( they don't tell you when a train has been cancelled so you have to watch carefully!). Walked around town took some snaps of significant buildings and churches , Pont and bought gifts and posted a box home . Ate dinner by the Pont which was lovely .Read more

  • TravelerEurope 101
    Day 32

    Lyon France

    May 26, 2016 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Just as well we were early for the train trip to Lyon. No train but there was going to be an earlier bus and we got that. The driver was a cold mid forties guy, very abrupt. Caught our connection TGV train.Our map of Lyon left a lot to be desired. We walked forever it seemed, luckily a lovely older French couple passing by gave us directions.After an hour we got there.A room across a small courtyard, It rained a bit but mostly when we were in the Musee des beaux arts. I guess we spent 3 hours in there!!! Lots of beautiful paintings, antiquities from Egypt, Greece. So tired of walking. However we searched for somewhere to eat dinner... Near the hotel I decided on one lovely pizza and a salmon salad and beer Grimmbergen. No internet at all .Read more

  • TravelerEurope 101
    Day 32

    Geneva To Montreaux

    May 26, 2016 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Regional train to Geneva. The lake is spectacular, with Mont Blanc in the far distance and many other peaks iced with the remnants of a winter snow. Walked along the waterside in a park toget to the Botanic Gardens . Decided to have our picnic lunch looking across the lake on a park seat . Amazing.... We saw squirrels running around us mostly on the oak tree in front. I threw some bread crumbs and they ate them on the tree! We then went to the gardens seeing beautiful protected Swiss plants and ventured into their glass houses. Many plants in them we have here some in our own garden at home. We had locked our big bags at the Geneva railway station.Read more

  • TravelerEurope 101
    Day 32

    Montreaux

    May 26, 2016 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Woke to a sunny day but the lake is misted over at the omens and on the waterfront there are stalls being set up..We went on the "paddle steamer" Vevey from Montreaux to Chateau Chillon 13C . We then travelled again on the boat across the lake to the French side but didn't get off . We got off again at the Swiss town of Vevey, where we had lunch with a great view.A really warm day 25C only cool in the shade of trees or on the middle of the lake .We were able to travel on & off all day so we went back to Chillon to walk along the lakefront to Montreaux our start point. We saw a funicular type train going up the Hillsong we investigated this: it was great we rose about 500m to a village of a few houses & a hotel. Took a snap& came back down to walk to the hotel.Read more

  • TravelerEurope 101
    Day 34

    Montreaux -Lausanne- Beaune

    May 28, 2016 in France ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Caught train to Lausanne at 10. Lausanne a large town by the lake which holds the Olympic museum. We walked up the hill to the old town, took photos of a cathedral and city scape views. We bought lunch food- tomatoes , lettuce, bread and a chicken ( was v expensive -12 Swiss francs. I spent all our cash. Had lunch in a park on the way yo the botanic gardens. Some pretty plants in a tiny garden but it did have cute green striped frogs! It was a really warm day after the rain had stopped when we left Montreaux. Now very warm as we found our way the the Olympic Museum. It was worth the money, a great interactive centre. Uniforms of old and new, history of Olympics, the torches and how the flame in them has changed - now butane gas fed. The medals of each country .Equipment samples eg luge, bicycle from velodrome. On way back up the hill ( from lakefront) we saw a group of protesters S photographed. We stopped in a cafe for a Swiss Pure Blonde beer( comes in a bottle with a stopper)& piece of berry crumble to share. We had used the railway locker for our big bags & now we needed them for the trip to Beaune, our destination for the next 2 days. Train change at Dijon from TGV, & passport checked by the Swiss, then regional train to Beaune.Arrived at9:20 & it began to pour!!! I helped a mum with a little baby in pram with all the ups and downs of the station stairs. Then we put on our wet weather gear & searched for the hotel which S had directions for asking a hotelier and shop keeper on the way. Arrived like drenched rats!! The streets were flooding.Stephen has hung a clothes line up for the wet stuff as there is an air conditioner we can use to dry them. Not sure what we will be able to do tomorrow!!! Maybe wine tasting!!!Read more

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