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Winter in Europe
  • Dr Morbius
  • Nicola Dietz
  • Dr Morbius
  • Nicola Dietz

Winter in Europe

Christmas is over and it's time to explore... Read more
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  • Trip start
    January 4, 2024
    Winter in Europe

    A Weekend in Wales

    January 5, 2024 in Wales ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    We jumped the channel to visit family in Wales. We were only here for the weekend to attend the funeral of Nicky's aunty Eileen, who passed away last month.

    While a sombre occasion, it was a chance to catch up with family and celebrate the life of a remarkable woman.

    Heading back to the continent tomorrow to continue the adventure.    Read more

  • Winter in Europe
    A very impressive shopping mallThe Milan Arc d' Triumph

    Milano

    January 10, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    We arrived in Milan, where we caught up again with Jarrod and catch our train to Switzerland in a few days.

    But in the meantime we wandered around the centre of Milan to see the old castle and the 4th largest cathedral in the world.

    The castle was more an old fort, but was very interesting as many of the old drawbridges were still there and you could see how they worked.

    The cathedral was very impressive, but I can't help but think the church could spend their money on better things to help people    Read more

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    Tirano

    January 11, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    From Milan we jumped on a train to Tirano for the next leg of our trip. Tirano is in the lower part of the Alps and the train passes by Lake Como on the way up. Beautiful!

    It was a beautiful, albeit cold, day and snow on the mountain peaks made for a beautiful backdrop.

    Tirano itself is a relatively small town, but has a great atmosphere. We were hungry by the time we arrived at 1, only to remember that Italy all but shuts down between 2 and 6 for those all important Nanna naps. Luckily found some food and drink before exploring this pretty little town    Read more

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    The Bernina Express

    January 12, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ -3 °C

    Today was the start of our Swiss rail adventure, the Bernina Express running from Tirano to St. Moritz. What a stunning trip.

    And today was Jarrod's birthday... Aren't we good parents... 😁

    I'll let the photos speak for themselves.Read more

  • Winter in Europe
    11Walking in water...1Snowmobile for use on the lake... Hence the pontoons in case the ice breaks1

    St. Moritz

    January 12, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ -5 °C

    The got off the Bernina Express at the famous ski town of St. Moritz. This is where all the glamorous people come to be seen, so the perfect place for us.

    And it's the perfect place to be if you like really cold weather... like -13° cold weather. The sun was out and the sky was blue, but it was bloody cold.Read more

  • Winter in Europe

    The Glacier Express

    January 14, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ -10 °C

    After a day in St. Moritz, we boarded the Glacier Express, which is considered one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world.

    We had spectacular weather and were not disappointed. The train was very comfortable with large windows. You just sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery with a bottle of Prosecco... and maybe a bottle of red. It was a long day, leaving at 9 and arriving at 5.

    Forgive my photos... it's hard to take a picture through the train windows at speed...    Read more

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    Zermatt

    January 14, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C

    The Glacier Express ended in Zermatt, which is a quaint little ski town next to the Matterhorn.

    It was cloudy the first day, but cleared up enough to get a glimpse of the famous mountain.

  • Winter in Europe
    That table was taken...4Europe SOOOOO has it's act together...1

    Interlaken

    January 17, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Next stop was Interlaken, a relatively quick train trip under the Alps. It seemed quick, but the tunnel is 18kms long and the train is doing 200kms an hour. Love Swiss engineering.

    Interlaken is in the middle of 2 massive lakes and the photo ops just kept coming.Read more

  • Winter in Europe
    2The baby-eating ogre...1Had to try fondue before leaving Switzerland... Yum 😋

    Bern

    January 18, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    The last stop of our Swiss adventure was Bern. Another interesting town with lots of history.

    We were surprised to wake up to a beautiful blanket of snow from an overnight storm.

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    Lyon

    January 21, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Stopped at Lyon on our way to warmer climes to see what was there. A nice city, but didn't have the same vibe as many of the others.

    Mind you, didn't help that I booked accommodation 3kms from anything of interest. Lots of exercise. Speaking of which, we walked to the top of the hill to see the Basilica... Very impressive and great views of the city, but a sh*tload of steps.

    But that was a good excuse to justify some authentic French food at a small cafe in Old Town. French onion soup and fillet mignon... Creme brulee for dessert... Yum!    Read more

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    11What it will look like when completed

    La Familia Sagrada

    January 24, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Continued our trip south with a quick stopover in Barcelona. We were here last year, but couldn't get in to see La Familia Sagrada. So we booked tickets way ahead this time.

    This is by far the best cathedral I've ever seen. The architecture is absolutely marvellous. Antoni Gaudi was the architect and his ideas have resulted in an absolutely stunning building.

    His use of space and light is awe inspiring. He modelled the interior pillars after trees, and they support the entire structure. Which allowed him to have massive stained glass windows.

    The building is still years away from completion, but all the architects and artists have held firmly to Gaudi's vision. I found it interesting that he would model his ideas ahead of time in plaster and stone, a practice continued to this day using 3D printing.

    Anyone with an interest in architecture has got to see this building.    Read more

  • Winter in Europe

    Arriving in Valencia

    January 25, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Next stop was Valencia, a popular tourist sport on the south coast of Spain.

    Arrived in the afternoon and had a quick wander off the streets before checking in.

  • Winter in Europe

    Valencia Markets (and gargoyles)

    January 26, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Spent our first full day wandering the streets of Valencia. I really like it here. Lots of streets to explore and not much traffic.

    We visited the main markets and it was a hive of activity. Everything looked so fresh... and the tomatoes. They were huge! Check out the photo.

    We also went through the old mercantile exchange from back when Valencia was one of the main trading hubs in Europe hundreds of years ago. I have to say I'm partial to gargoyles... 👿🤪    Read more

  • Winter in Europe

    Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias

    January 27, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Last day in Valencia and we explored Turia Park, a 7km park that runs through the city along the old course of the Turia River.

    After the great flood in 1957 the Spanish government planned to reroute the river and create a park. It's a nice walk that culminates in the fabulous Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences).

    There are 4 major buildings being an iMax, performing arts centre, city gardens and an aquarium. The architecture is stunning and the buildings are massive. Loved it    Read more

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    Alicante

    January 29, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Took the train down to Alicante. It's a beach town, so I expect it's very busy here in the summer.

    When we got off the train we stopped at a small cafe tucked away in a corner. Our off the tourist area, we were in with the locals and the food was fantastic... and cheap.

    After dropping off our bags, we went for a walk along the beachfront. The town is dominated by a large hill crowned with Castell de Santa Barbara, an old fort that's been there since Roman times. Looks like a bit of a hike, but looking forward to paying a visit.    Read more

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    Castell de Santa Barbara

    January 30, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Today was the day to climb the mountain to Santa Barbara Castle. It was a bit of a climb, but well worth it. The views from the top are stunning.

    The castle itself has been around a couple thousand years in various forms... built, destroyed, rebuilt, knocked down, etc.

    After all that exercise, we rewarded ourselves with tapas and caña (cervesa)... 😋    Read more

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    Hello Cordoba

    February 1, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    Long train today to get to Cordoba, arriving late in the evening. Still bustling though... Restaurants, cafes and bars are packed. Good to see a bit of life.

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    1View from our room

    A Day in Cordoba

    February 2, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Jarrod will be joining us later in the afternoon, so we went for a walk to explore the old parts of Cordoba down towards the river.

    It's a lovely city with a lot of history and we really like it.

    And it's warm... Nice to not to have to wear layers    Read more

  • Winter in Europe
    Equestrian stables1

    Explore Córdoba

    February 3, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Visited the roman bridge and the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, an old mosque that was converted into a church back in the dream time. Fantastico!

  • Winter in Europe
    1Old roman masoleum...

    Last Day in Córdoba

    February 4, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    One final day... taking it easy... exploring the different parts of Córdoba and experiencing the culture. Check out the video with the local's reaction when some musicians rocked up for an afternoon jam... I could live here, I thinkRead more

  • Winter in Europe

    Catedral de Sevilla

    February 6, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Today we visited Iglesia Colegial del Divino Salvador
    and the Catedral de Sevilla. But first, a stop at the iconic Setas de Sevilla... a large, impressive timber structure.

    Walked up to the Alameda de Hércules, an ancient Roman square dedicated to Hercules.Read more

  • Winter in Europe

    Real Alcázar de Seville

    February 7, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Today we walked through the royal palace to see the beautiful architecture and gardens.

    This is our final day with Jarrod before he jets off to Tunis. It was really enjoyable sharing our adventure with him.

    And this is the end of the European leg of our adventure before we head to Morocco.    Read more

    Trip end
    February 8, 2024
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