Interrail Trail 2023

A 81-day adventure by Interrail Trail 2023 Read more

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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Entrevaux
September 18, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
Scenic 🚉 # 1 today out of Nice to Entrevaux!

The line, known as the Train des Pignes (Pine Train), tollows a scenic route through the alps. My clips do not do it justice.

I alighted at Entrevaux to visit the Citidel built in 1695, constructed more than 400 meters on the side of a mountain with a half mile steep path to climb to get to the top. Thankfully, it was a cloudy day 😌 The views were definitely worth it!

Interesting fact: it was last used in WWI to house German prisoners of war...Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Milan
September 19, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
🚉 # 13 and 14 meant au revoir to 🇫🇷 and ciao 🇮🇹 !

It is Fashion Week👗 in Milan this week... who knew?! It is good then that I am making a quick escape tomorrow but not before seeing the highlights... I completed another self-guided walking tour using the mycity app... a very pretty city indeed.

I absolutely love the different transport types. The old-fashioned trams are my favourite 😍 ... oh, and the Bon Jovi over my salad Tea by the Catherdral went down a treat!

Interesting fact: the Duomo di Milano (Milan Catherdral) is the 4th largest in the world. The foundation stone was laid in 1402 but was not completed until the 20th century due to funding, with its inauguration in 1965!Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Torre dei Lamberti
September 20, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Whistle stop in Milan before 🚉 # 15 to Verona!

Synonymous with Romeo and Juliet, and steeped in history, another very beautiful city. The Torre dei Lamberti stairs lead to a spectacular view! Had to view the balcony, too ❤️

My first evening was lovely, a wander alongside the Adige River, with another picnic tea listening to local musicians play 🎶

Bliss 😊Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Walking Verona
September 21, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Verona, I know why Shakespeare fell for you ❤️

The walking tour was excellent to bring her history to life. The views from the hill were amazing! The lovely ladies from Glasgow who asked me to join them for lunch was an unexpected bonus.

Interesting Fact: Italy only became a united in 1861 after independence from Austria 🇦🇹 who occupied Verona. Also loved the Post Van!

After stopping to write a postcard for the Little Rays, it was time to get ready for my evening out for 🍕😋

Pizza perfect end to a fabulous day!Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Brenner Pass
September 22, 2023 in Austria ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
Arrived safely into 🇦🇹 🥰

It was a perfect day for a combined 7.5-hour journey on 🚉 # 16 and 17 but not so good for viewing the Dolomites in all their glory. It 🌧 non-stop!

And, the train was crowded due to Oktoberfest 🎃 (which happens largely in September, as I have now found out!). * Reminder to get an Events 📅 so I can avoid future travels around these very, very commercialised activities!!

The best shared dorm so far, with 2 lovely American girls who joined me in the hostel cocktail making class, with a generous helping of social philosophy... Great chat 😚Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Naschmarkt
September 23, 2023 in Austria ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
The Naschmarkt for breakfast...fully clothed for the first time 😁

Vienna's most popular market, with 16th-century origins, with more than 100 food & vintage stalls, plus restaurants, stretching 1.5 kms... so much food 😋 Manner chocolate is delicious, and I discovered it's not only Blackpool that have back scratchers!

Majolikahaus of Otto Wagner is an example of Vienna's Art Nouveau architecture 🤓Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
3
Building Safari
September 23, 2023 in Austria ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
Guru Guide was right... the walking tour was definitely a building safari! My highlights:

The copy of the last supper (as I didn't view the original in Milan). It is a mosaic of 20,000 individual tiles... impressive!

Parliament buildings, designed to reflect Greek neoclassical architecture as the birthplace of democracy... the mural located outside government buildings reads...Democracy must be renewed everday 💛Read more
Traveler “Democracy must be renewed every day”
10/1/23Reply
TravelerAlright, put the red pen away 😆... Thank you 😘
10/1/23Reply
Traveler😂
10/1/23Reply
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Vienna State Opera
September 23, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Opera in an Opera House:
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA

I watched the Barber of Seville, more enjoyable due to individual translation screens...Danke Staatsoper!

Fully enjoyed it...❤️
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
House of Austrian History
September 24, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
A hundred years after the founding of the First Republic, the House of Austrian History on Heldenplatz casts light on our country's eventful history after 1918. The balcony where Adolf Hilter addressed the Austrian People in 1938.

🇦🇹 supported the Nazi regime as it believed that it would provide for the people, which was needed after the Austria-Hungarian empire fell after WWI. The exhibition included an example of the 1930 Karl Marx Hof, the longest single social housing complex for 5,000 people, still used today.
https://www.visitingvienna.com/mapsgeography/wa…

My take away... Equity towards Equality as a principle!

Interesting fact: between 1945 and 1955, Austria was annexed into 4, with 🇬🇧, 🇫🇷, 🇺🇸 and 🇷🇺 ruling until the Austrian State Treaty, making the Republic a neutral State.Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Sigmund Freud Museum
September 24, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Hungry after history, I headed for a hot dog at St Stephensplatz before making my way to the next museum.... History and Food Day 😋

Sigmund lived here in Vienna for 47 years. As a Jew he fled with family to London and died in exhile in 1939. I discovered more about his work and has prompted me to look into his thoughts on civilisation 💭

Interesting fact: there is a Sigmund Freud Museum in London... now listed to visit!Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Prater Amusement Park
September 24, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Vienesse Caffè first for a slice of cake then off to the famous Wiener Riesenrad...🎡

🇬🇧 designed the 64.75-metre (212 ft) tall Ferris Wheel constructed in 1897 and was the world's tallest until 1985, until the construction of the 85-metre (279 ft) Technostar in Japan. That is definitely on the list!

Pictured a few favourites to end week 3...admittedly not as much fun solo at the fair 😔... Next time...

Week 3 👣 136, 675Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Croatia Bus Zagreb
September 25, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
International 🚍 # 1

Arrived safely into Zagreb, and despite crossing another border, my passport has yet to be checked... a Sex Shop at the Bus Depot, though, so all the essentials covered 🤣

Alittle admin at the Laundrette and note taken of the hostel rules 😆... now on to my Walking Tour!Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Walking Zagreb
September 25, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
In 1851, the medieval Gradec and Kaptol joined, naming it Zagreb and making it Hrvatska's (Croatia's) 🇭🇷capital.

In 2020, earthquakes hit Zagreb, killing 1, injuring 27, and damaging 1900 buildings, including medieval structures. Restoration work is still ongoing 🔨

Interesting fact: the Cravat (tie) was invented in Croatia; the French made it fashionable!Read more
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Museum of Broken Relationships
September 25, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Our societies acknowledge marriages, funerals, and even graduation farewells but deny us any formal recognition of the demise of a relationship despite its strong emotional effect 💔

The concept: Museum offers the chance to overcome an emotional collapse through creation by contributing to the collection.
https://brokenships.com

Not knowing what to expect, but it was exceptionally done (just difficult to photograph), I snapped some of my favourite brokenships 😍...Read more
TravelerWhat a great idea for a museum.
10/1/23Reply
TravelerYes, I thought so! They take the concept on tour, which I think they put on the website locations where they are holding exhibitions 💔
10/1/23Reply
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Museum of Yugoslavia
September 26, 2023 in Serbia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Well, who knew that such a thing as a trolley 🚎 existed?!

I caught #41 to the museum to begin my education in the history of this region. In summary, it is extremely complex, with cruelty and controversy. Way too much to digest all at once, but the key takeaways were:

Yugosalvian territories were occupied by the Ottomans. The First Balkan War (1912-1913) united the Balkan nations in the liberation fight against the Ottoman Empire (another one to find out more about!) They were also occupied by Nazi Germany in WWII.

During WWII, there were more than 100,000 women fighters in Yugoslavia, and created Women's Antifascist Front (AFŽ) organisation to mobilize women in the fight against the occupiers. After the war, AFZ dealt with clearing the ruins, regulation of hospitals and children's homes, care for orphans, donations of food and money and with the political and cultural emancipation of women through literacy, health and other courses ✊️

WWII ended, capitalism was replaced by socialism, and the monarchy was replaced by the federation of six republics. On March 7, 1945, in Belgrade, under the chairmanship of Josip Broz Tito, a new interim government of the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (DFJ) was formed, recognized by the USSR, USA, UK, and other allied and neutral countries.

😶 Communist ruling after WWII... the search continues 🤓Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Walking Belgrade
September 27, 2023 in Serbia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Belgrade, having been destroyed and rebuilt 40 times, is socially, politically and architecturally very mixed. Brutalist architecture was the most interesting part for me! 😁

Emerged in the UK in the post WWII era, brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the bare building materials and structural elements over decoration. The design of utilitarian, low-cost social housing influenced by socialist principles and spread, most notably Eastern Europe... Definitely going to read up on this more!

Still 😶 on Communism... the hunt continues in Bulgaria 🇧🇬Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Serbia to Sofia 🚍
September 28, 2023 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
International 🚍 #3... and 9 hours later... my journey from Serbia to Sofia is complete!

This is by far the nicest and homely hostel I have stayed in, even if it was like Crystal Maze to complete a self check in 😆

Met a lovely American lady who is staying in the same apartment who took me out for a drink... a great way to end the day 💛Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Walking Sofia
September 29, 2023 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
Free Sofia Tours guide Tommy did an excellent job trimming 7000 years worth of history into 2 hours!

Roman 'Serdika' was central to the empire as the mid-point between Rome and Instanbul, and since Bulgaria's founding in 631 has had many conflicts associated with its strategic position. Bulgaria has been under occupation, imperialism, authoritarianism, and now capitalism... PwC footprint, of course 🙄

Tolerance Square, a Catholic Church, Mosque, Orthodox Church, and a Synagogue all within viewing distance is an unusal sight, as were Boris IIIs actions during WWII. No Bulgarian Jews were deported as requested by the Nazi Regime due to his ability to create reasons accepted by the Regime to keep them in the country 🙏Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Museum of Socialist Art
September 29, 2023 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
The star symbolises protection, while the ☭ as the union of workers and peasants. By 1924, it became part of the Soviet flag and the official emblem of the Soviet Union.

Interesting fact: it was rumoured the Red Star, which was mounted on the Communist Party Headquarters, was made of Ruby! It was airlifted off only for disappointment 🫢

Imposing statues, incredible artwork. In retrospect, the Communist Tour brought this to lift more. It's a shame the current government doesn't embrace this heritage, but as I begin to understand Communism, I think I can guess why...✊️Read more
TravelerJealous of this one!
10/1/23Reply
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Walking Communism
September 29, 2023 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Unfortunately, as the Red Flat Museum was busy, I went to get 🍦and sit in the ☀️ until it was time to start the walking tour...😁

This tour was about narrative, not 📸 and has left me with lots and lots of questions to find out more. A clip of Lenin himself summarises the sentiment of Communist ideology: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Lenin

☭

But what did Leninism leave out, alter or add which Marxism did not? How did this impact this ideology? How do you stop power abuses to achieve its aims? Is it democracy or an alternative? Should we stop at Socialism?...alot more to read and ponder...Read more
TravelerI always thought that the Mensheviks would have been a better option than the Bolsheviks.
10/1/23Reply
TravelerI am inclined to agree, but then to a degree, isn't that the approach we take under democracy... and where is that getting us?
10/1/23Reply
TravelerMight have developed differently though? I feel that there might not have been the absolutism and genocide under Stalin, but as ever those who shout loudest…
10/1/23Reply
TravelerSo true!
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Museum of Photography
September 30, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Final (for now!) International 🚍 #4 to Thessaloniki, Greece...

I definitely made the most of the half day here with the Museum of Photography and a free walking tour organised by the Hostel, meeting new people and getting my first exchange of contact details with a lovely 🇺🇸 lady, we will definitely be keeping in touch ❤️

Yannis Behrakis was born in Athens in 1960 and worked for Reuters as a photojournalist from 1987. He reported on some of the most important global stories of the last three decades. The exhibition there was extracts of his work. An eyewitness of our era and its unresolved conflicts, his "mission is to ensure that no one can say 'I didn't know!" ✊️Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Piraeus
October 1, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Domestic 🚍 # 1 to complete week 4 travels to Port Piraeus. I wandered to find the Ferry Gate for tomorrow's journey; the event of the day! 😆

It was a long, practical day, but a little rest and 😋 food made it all better...

Week 4 👣 149, 264Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Ermoupoli Port, Syros
October 2, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 24 °C
I have arrived safely to Syros on ⛴️ #1

Apano Meria SCE my home for the next 3 weeks, and I am so excited to get started. After a walk of the island this evening, I am now just as excited to explore the island too!

www.apanomeria.org/

I think the first thing I should do is speak to the local municipality about the disabled access provisions?! 🤣Read more
TravelerMeanwhile, back here, Stoke-on-Trent Live have reported that today is “National Michelle Day”. I’m not making this up - they actually did post that. So… happy day…
10/2/23Reply
Traveler😆 brilliant.... there is actually a day for everything! Will add it to 02/10 in the calendar so Mike can treat me next year 🤣
10/2/23Reply
TravelerPoor Mike…
10/2/23Reply
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Which Development?
October 3, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 22 °C
Apano Meria SCE 👩‍💻 aims to influence municipality development plans for Syros.

The 2007-2009 Greek Financial Crisis hit Syros hard; infrastructure hinting at a place that had at one time had more opportunity. Municipality debate focuses on whether to develop Syros as a typical tourist destination, just like neighbour Mykonos. Yet Apano Meria (Syros upper part) has been designated a Natura 2000 site.

The question is how to protect this site whilst at the same time providing development opportunities for the people living here? 🤔

The SCE is working to understand more sustainable development possibilities....Read more
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Interrail Trail 2023 Traveler
Hiking Kini Failure
October 4, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 23 °C
Local Greek 🚌 # 1

Waiting at a stop that was temporarily closed meant a 2.5-hour wait... then 2.15pm, school kid chaos! I managed to get on at the central bus station, which could be mistaken for a car park 🫢 It was almost 3 pm by the time I arrived at Kini; I decided to sunbathe with my audiobook.

Relax, the hike will wait for me 😌Read more
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