Europe 2023

April - June 2023

2 month continuous first class senior Interrail pass Read more

90footprints
22countries
66days
1.5kphotos
36videos
21.6kkilometers
2.4kkilometers
363kilometers
172sea miles
55kilometers

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Traveler Europe 2023
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- Apr 6, 2023, 8:45am
- ☁️ 6 °C
- Altitude: 58 m
- Belgium Flanders Tervuren Vossem 50.831973, 4.55910550°49’55” N 4°33’33” E
Day 1
Zandvoort aan Zee & Amsterdam
April 6, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C
Pre trip visit to the Vermeer exhibition in Amsterdam.
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Traveler Europe 2023
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- Apr 6, 2023, 4:47pm
- 🌧 8 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Netherlands North Holland Gemeente Amsterdam Oud West Leidseplein 52.360789, 4.88649152°21’39” N 4°53’11” E
Day 1
Vermeer
April 6, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
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Traveler Europe 2023
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- Apr 6, 2023, 5:27pm
- 🌧 8 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Netherlands North Holland Gemeente Amsterdam De Pijp Rijksmuseum Amsterdam 52.359809, 4.88433152°21’35” N 4°53’4” E
Day 1
Vermeer 2
April 6, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
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Traveler Europe 2023
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- Apr 6, 2023, 5:37pm
- 🌧 8 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Netherlands North Holland Gemeente Amsterdam De Pijp Rijksmuseum Amsterdam 52.359604, 4.88437852°21’35” N 4°53’4” E
Day 1
Vermeer 3
April 6, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
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Traveler Europe 2023
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- Apr 9, 2023, 11:45am
- ☀️ 12 °C
- Altitude: 57 m
- Belgium Flanders Tervuren 50.8267, 4.522450°49’36” N 4°31’21” E
Day 4
Lille (Rijsel)
April 9, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
316 bus from Home to Leuven.
Train Leuven to Ghent St. Peters
Train Ghent to Kortrijk (Courtrai)
Train Kortrijk to Lille Flandres
Hotel Chagnot, Lille https://www.booking.com/Share-NUu1RF (Cheryl)

A fabulous, warm, sunny Easter Sunday. Perfect for starting an adventure. Bus was on time and the train to Ghent was already on the platform. Set off with free space but filled up in Brussels so didn't see Cheryl even though she was in the train. Met up in Ghent where our next train was 14 minutes late. No danger of missing our train in Kortrijk though as it turns out we were already on it. The train splits at Kortrijk for Lille.

Hotel is right outside the station. Did some sightseeing. The Grand Place, Vielle Bours, P&T bell tower, and Palace des Beaux Arts.

Had a beer in Café Peacock, dinner in l'Abbaye, and dessert in le Napoleon.Read more
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Traveler Europe 2023
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- Apr 10, 2023, 8:27am
- ☁️ 9 °C
- Altitude: 35 m
- France Hauts-de-France Lille La Madeleine Gare de Lille Europe 50.638932, 3.07600750°38’20” N 3°4’34” E
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Day 5
Penzance, Newlyn, and Mousehole
April 10, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
9:30 Eurostar Lille to London St. Pancras, and yes, I did book seat 61.
Arrived at St. Pancras in good time for a full English at Weathespoons. Then the gods of transport struck. Got to Farringdon to find the Elizabeth line wasn't running so had to double back on the Circle line. My easy 10 minute trip to Paddington turned into 30 minutes and had me running to catch my train.
Managed it with 3 minutes to go and had a first class table for 4 all to myself to Exeter when a man claimed the window seat ☹️ Luckily he turned out to be good company. On his way to the Scilly isles to visit his wife's ashes, shades of Last Bus.
Arrived at Youth Hostel at 5:30 and set off to walk to Mousehole via a chippy in Newlyn. Saw a seal! 🦭 Only one, just her head sticking out of the water about 25 meters offshore, but definitely a seal.
Walked on to Mousehole and caught the bus back to the YH.
Everything down here is so pretty.Read more
Traveler Destination Penzance but Lille Europe station? Bon voyage!
4/10/23Reply
Traveler How come you are on Day 5 already?
4/10/23Reply
Traveler Day 1 was Vermeer in Find Penguins.
4/10/23Reply
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Traveler Europe 2023
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- Apr 11, 2023, 9:00am
- 🌬 10 °C
- Altitude: 29 m
- England Penzance 50.118051, -5.55618450°7’5” N 5°33’22” W
Day 6
St. Michael's Mount, St. Ives
April 11, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 10 °C
Lovely start to the day but then weather rapidly downhill. Walked into Penzance but then abandoned any other walks for the day.
Took bus to St. Michael's Mount, but tide is in and the sea is too rough for boats to cross.
Land's End open top double decker cruiser bus to St. Ives. Front third of the top deck was covered so I could site up there despite the rain.
St. Ives very beautiful with narrow lanes but loads of tourists despite the weather.
Visited Barbara Hepworth studio. Wonderful garden full of her works.Read more
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Traveler Europe 2023
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- Apr 11, 2023, 1:07pm
- 🌧 10 °C
- Altitude: 27 m
- England St. Ives St Ives The Island 50.213157, -5.48089950°12’47” N 5°28’51” W
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Day 6
St. Ives, Land's End
April 11, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
After the Hepworth museum visited Tate St. Ives which was also hosting a temporary Hepworth exhibition.

Then followed a two and a half hour trip again on the open topped double decker. The road was crazy! Barely wide enough for the bus to get down with traffic coming in the opposite direction! No wonder it takes so long. Can't imagine it in summer!
I think we went through some stunning scenery between St. Ives and Lands End. Unfortunately it was teeming down with 66 kph gusts. The covered top seats were taken but you couldn't see anything anyway.
At Land's End the bus stopped for 10 minutes. Just time to rush through the gale and take a photo at the sign post before rushing to get back on the bus.

Then on to Plymouth.Read more
Traveler Barbara Hepworth's garden - I love it!
4/11/23Reply
Traveler 🤩
4/11/23Reply
Traveler 😍
4/11/23Reply
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Traveler Europe 2023
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- Apr 11, 2023, 6:55pm
- 🌬 10 °C
- Altitude: 28 m
- England Truro 50.268924, -5.05097250°16’8” N 5°3’3” W
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Day 6
Plymouth to Glasgow
April 11, 2023 in England ⋅ 🌬 10 °C
The reason I overnighted in Plymouth instead of staying in Penzance? I got up at 7:45 and had a delicious Full English before catching the 9:27 instead of having to get up at 6 am and rush off to catch the 7:10 hungry.
Beautiful ride from Plymouth to Exeter along the sea shore and rivers Teign and Ex.
A basic Cross Country train from Plymouth to Birmingham. Then 2 wonderful Avanti West Coast trains to Preston and Glasgow. On the Preston train I got braised beef and dessert. On the Glasgow train I got braised beef and alcohol!
Arrived Glasgow at 7 pm. Hostel only 5 minutes walk from station. A shower and an early night. Got to take a train, ferry, and bus tomorrow.Read more
Traveler I like how one of your priorities is a full English every day 😊
4/12/23Reply
Traveler Lively building & not turned into a bingo hall, casino or Laser Quest! Yet.
4/12/23Reply
Traveler Has been closed down for 20 years after being busted for class A drugs.
4/12/23Reply
Traveler Ah. What a pity. There is a similar theatre building in Halifax (minus the nautical theme) that is thriving
4/12/23Reply
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Traveler Europe 2023
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- Apr 13, 2023, 5:22pm
- ☁️ 7 °C
- Altitude: Sea level
- Scotland Highland Portree 57.411667, -6.1957°24’42” N 6°11’24” W
Day 8
To the Isle of Skye
April 13, 2023 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
8:21 train from Glasgow Queen Street to Mallaig to catch the ferry to Skye. An old 4 coach train with only 2nd class seating for a 5 hour ride ☹️
Supposed to be a trolley but only came through occasionally.
Still the sceinary was wonderful with bleak moorland, snow capped Munroe's and wide still lochs.
We even went over the Harry Potter viaduct.
The 40 minute ferry trip was smooth and calm. In arrival discovered that the bus wasn't running due to school holidays so had to hitch! Got a ride off a friendly local to a bus stop in the main road where a long distance bus was running.Read more
Traveler Locals are used to hitching due to lack of public transport
4/14/23Reply
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