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Europe 2024
  • Danielle and Co travels
sep. – nov. 2024

Europe 2024

Heading off with my BFF to Scotland and then meeting Ian in France to make some wonderful memories. Læs mere
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  • Start på rejsen
    11. september 2024
    Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Melbourne airport
    View 4 hours inApproaching SingaporeChangi AirportDeparting SingaporeFinnair Business Class Cabin is very spaciousMy podArriving HelsinkiHelsinki airportDelicious lunchFinal destination of this first leg

    And we are off!

    11. september 2024, Finland ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Katie and I left Melbourne at noon. We flew to Singapore with Qantas where we then had a 3hour layover. Next stop Helsinki with Finnair - the business class “pods” are fabulous as is the service. Our flight time to Helsinki was about 13 hours ( I managed about 8 hours of sleep, Katie only a couple). On arrival in Helsinki we had about a 7 hour wait for our flight to Edinburgh. We amused ourselves by wandering around the airport, drinking coffee and eating cinnamon buns and also located the Hilton airport and did a reconnaissance over to it as Katie will spend a night there on her return trip to Australia in October.

    We then checked back in and went through security ( every airport has different rules and procedures which is very frustrating to say the least) to wait for our flight to Edinburgh (via Amsterdam). We were late leaving as there were thunderstorms in Amsterdam, this meant we didn’t have much time to make it to our next flight, but we made it! The flight to Edinburgh was uneventful and the Edinburgh airport underwhelming- it is very dated and quite small and wasn’t coping with the arrival of four international flights arriving in close succession. The taxi system here was also less than optimal.

    Finally, we made it to our Airbnb in Edinburgh and so the adventure begins (for real).    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Our street
    We are located at the top of the cul de sacOur home for the next 4 nightsLounge roomMy bedroom11Our LocalDanielle walking up our most interesting street

    The Hood

    12. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We finally arrived at our digs at about 6.30pm. It is a cute little apartment in Cowgate near the Old Town. Once we unpacked we headed out to explore as we needed to locate a supermarket and find a place for dinner. We aren’t far from Edinburgh University and there are many many many pubs and clubs and restaurants close by. Our little street is so very cute with so many interesting sites and quirky signs.

    We found the little supermarket and got a few supplies the most important being milk so that Katie could have a cuppa. We then shared a pizza at a local Italian restaurant before heading home for an early night    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    St Giles' Cathedral
    Mercat CrossUnicorn on top of Mercat CrossSouth Bridge - the vaults are built beneathInside the vault complexThe vault used by the witches for worshipAnother room containing a circle of rocks to ward off bad spiritsThe vault in which the Stains rehearsedBag pipe playerDavid Hume MemorialScott Monument (Victorian Gothic)The Balmoral HotelLovely streets in New Town

    Underground Walking Tour

    13. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We did a wonderful tour of the now defunct vaults that lay beneath South Bridge in Edinburgh. Our tour leader, Fraser, was very engaging and knowledgeable with a lovely accent and handsome to boot.

    We met in the middle of the Royal Mile and made our way down towards Cowgate (which is about 100 metres from our digs). On the way down we stopped at the Mercat Cross (Market Cross) where proclamations were made and 100’s of years ago people were executed (hanged, drowned, burnt or beheaded) and young boys who stole were nailed to the wooden door (they would tear their ear away to get away which is where the term “tear away” comes from). The actual top of the cross had been replaced with a unicorn which is the Scottish National animal, this mythical creature was chosen as it is the only animal that can beat the Lion (England’s national animal). We also passed through a close or wynd ( a narrow street that ran between the tall buildings.

    We made our way down to the vaults that were intended to be storage rooms for the stores and businesses that ran along south bridge, but they leaked and were damp and mouldy and so were basically abandoned. The vaults then became a place for the homeless and down and out people of Edinburgh to seek refuge. It wasn’t long before criminals and basically bad people arrived and preyed on the weak and vulnerable who had come to the vaults to seek shelter. They set up illegal gambling dens, brothels and bars and police chose not to attend to calls from the vaults because of the risk of catching one of the many diseases and illnesses going around. It was very unhygienic because of the water and mould but also because there were no toilets and so people would go in the corner of the vault which would seep through the many levels of the vaults where people lived spreading disease. In 1996 the vaults were reopened for tours to be run at this time a coven of witches set up a place of worship in one of the vaults which operated until the head witch died in 2014. A punk band called the Stains also rehearsed in one of the larger vaults.

    Following the tour we returned to the Royal mile for a bit of a wander, saw a bag pipe player and looked at some lovely tartan shops. We also walked over to the New Town to check out a jewellery store Katie had been told about.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Lovely building below the castle
    West Bow RoadColourful stores along Victoria StreetMore of Victoria StreetThe Hub Assembly HallVery green lawn at the Edinburgh LibraryFine young Scottish man in a kiltByers Close - one of the many narrow little allies around EdinburghThe Royal MileTron Kirk Market - full of local artists wares

    Exploring Edinburgh

    14. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Today we had a bit of a late start as we have a free day to just wander around Edinburgh. We headed off up Cowgate towards GrassMarket to check out all the bars, cafes and stores. We also went in search of a good coffee which we found at Zaza’s cafe. We met a lovely couple from NZ who have been travelling around Scotland for a couple of weeks - they have done the Jacobite train ride out of Fort William and said it was fabulous.

    There was a market open today in GrassMarket where there were some lovely hand made products for sale, everything from scarves and gloves to prints, bags and whiskey as well as a range of baked goods. I withstood the lure of these lovely local artisan wares but Katie succumbed.

    After the market we headed up Victoria Street where I couldn’t go past a lovely Christmas Shop, those who know me well would know I find it hard to resist a Christmas Decoration from a place I visit. I was restrained and only purchased 2 decorations, the damage could have been much worse but as we are only 4 days into our holiday, common sense prevailed (and I am sure Ian will be pleased to read this!)

    We then continued up Victoria street, which is full of very colourful shopfronts. We made our way up to the Royal Mile and explored more of the lovely Scottish stores full of gorgeous cashmere and lambs wool scarves as well as hats, kilts and pewter brooches.

    There were several weddings happening in a range of venues along the Royal Mile and so we could hear bagpipes and saw many guests in their finest kilts. We stopped for a late lunch at a lovely Italian restaurant and then headed back to our apartment to relax for a couple of hours before we head out tonight for the Edinburgh Dark Side Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends which we are looking forward to.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Starting point of our walking tour
    Ryan our fabulous guideSt Giles CathedralView across Edinburgh1Monument to where many Covenanters were hangedEntrance to the KirkyardRyan recounting a gruesome storyEdinburgh Castle from the cemetery

    Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour

    14. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    This evening we headed off to join the Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour: Mysteries, Murder and Legends. Our tour guide Ryan was fabulous, a Canadien social worker who had been a tour guide in Prague until early 2020 when he contracted meningitis and shingles. Once he was released from hospital he decided to move to the UK where he worked as a social worker as there was no work for tour guides. He moved to Edinburgh a couple of years later where he has been leading these tours.

    Ryan was very engaging and a great storyteller who knows his history and was both serious and comedic. He first took us to the Town Hall and told us about “Black Death” and due to the unhygienic nature of the city the plague went through Edinburgh about 15 times over a 300 year period. In fact there were poor people living below Town Hall on one of these occasions and the powers that be just sealed them in to prevent the spread of the plague, where they all died and their bodies remain to this day.

    Ryan told us about King James VI (who also became James I of England following the death of Elizabeth I ). King James wrote a book called Daemonologie which was a guide on catching / identifying witches. He and his followers were responsible for the murder of 2000 women falsely accused of being witches - the Scottish parliament only apologised for this in 2021.

    Ryan also recounted the tale of Thomas Weir (1599 - 1670) a Scottish soldier and occultist who was executed for bestiality, incest and adultery. He was a Covenanter who professed a particularly strict form of Presbyterianism. He was an evil predator who was able to continue his despicable life because he was well connected. At his trial the powers that be tried to shut down his testimony but his sister (victim since she was 13) also testified so they executed them both, his sister because she announced she was his ‘witch’. The only reason he was on trial was because he fell ill and was expected to die and from his deathbed began to confess to a secret life of crime and vice. He recovered but wanted to be punished for his crimes ( even though the powers that be tried to cover it up initially). He was garrotted and burned at the stake in a public execution ( the locals enjoyed an execution and turned up in their 1,000’s).

    Another story we were told about was the Burke and Hare murders. William Burke and William Hare murdered sixteen people over a period of 10 months in 1828. Edinburgh was a leading European centre of anatomical study in the early 19th century, in a time when the demand for cadavers led to a shortfall in legal supply. Scottish law required that corpses used for medical research should only come from those who died in prison, suicide victims or from foundlings and orphans. This shortage led to an increase in body snatching. When a lodger in Hare’s house died, he and Burke sold the body to Dr Robert Knox for which they received £7 10s (a generous sum). Two months later another lodger fell ill with a fever and Hare thought she may deter others from lodging at his house and so he and Burke murdered her and sold her body to Knox. They went on to murder a further 15 people who they sold to Knox (who probably knew what they were doing).

    The police were alerted when lodgers found the body of their final victim, Margaret Docherty and contacted police. A forensic examination was inconclusive as to cause of death and so the police offered immunity from prosecution to Hare if her turned king’s evidence, which he did. He provided the details of Docherty’s murder and confessed to all sixteen murders. Burke was charged and found guilty of one murder and sentenced to death by hanging and his corpse dissected and his skeleton displayed at the Anatomical Museum of Edinburgh Medical School where it remains to this day. Hare walked away a free man.

    We were told several other gruesome stories and our tour concluded in the Greyfriars Kirkyard.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Some of the people re-enacting historical events
    Brass BandPart of a group - The Jacobites that entertained the crowdsOf course there was a Pipe bandSt Giles2John Knox is supposedly buried beneath car park 23Decorative entrance to a closeA section of the remaining city wallJohn Knox buildingWater pump - where town folk would come to collect waterA statue honouring Tom Gilzean a 99 year old war veteran who raised £1M for charityEntrance to Edinburgh CastleThe Royal CrestThe Governor's quartersHouses the royal jewelsMilitary museumViews across New TownBrass Band starting upPipe Band Warming Up

    Royal Mile Walking Tour

    15. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We had a relaxing start to the day as we were scheduled to do a walking tour along the Royal Mile ending at Edinburgh Castle that started at 1pm. The weather today is again fairly mild with some blue sky and sunshine. After getting a coffee from our local we headed up to the meeting place at the Merkat Cross.

    The Royal Mile was very busy today with barricades up along the road. Turns out today is the Riding of the Marches celebration which is a big deal here in Edinburgh. The term “riding of the marches” refers to a practice of the lord of the manor or a proxy riding the boundaries of their properties to ensure that the boundaries were intact. Each year riders from around the world apply to participate in a 26 mile ride in the countryside which finishes with the riders riding their horses up the Royal Mile. There are only 280 places and they sell out in a few minutes each year. Prior to the riders making their way up the Royal Mile there is a range of entertainment for everyone, including a brass bad, a pipe band, dancing, singing and some people dressed up in costumes re-enacting certain events involving past Kings and aspiring Kings and other historical people such as Douglas Stewart and Robert the Bruce. The celebrations go for about 4 hours.

    You can imagine with big crowds and barricades meeting our tour leader and other participants became a logistical nightmare, we were all finally present and accounted for by 1.15pm and headed off. Our guide Stephanie was very knowledgeable and had a lot of interesting anecdotes on key historical figures including David I, James IV and I (the first King of both England and Scotland), John Knox, Charles I, King Robert the Bruce and King James II, We visited the Scottish Supreme Court, St Giles Cathedral and the burial place of John Knox ( car park no. 23 outside St Giles),

    We then visited some of the narrow alleyways that run between buildings along the Royal Mile, these narrow passageways are known as Closes or Wynds. During this period people lived in cramped conditions in multi story buildings without running water or toilets. A bucket was used as a toilet, for scraps and other waste and as they lived up multiple floors instead of walking down to empty bucket, instead they would lean out the window, shout Garde L’eau ( French for watch out for the water) as French was the international language. This was adopted by the people of Edinburgh but was anglicised over time to “gardy-loo” and then to just loo.

    We also learnt about the origins of Whiskey. The Scottish Gaelic term for “water of life” was “uisge beathe”. It is a straightforward translation of the Latin “aqua vitae”. Over time and through common use in Scotland, “uisge beathe” was shortened to “uisge” and became known as whisky.

    The city of Edinburgh used to be a walled city but they proved to be not very effective as defensive structures as they were easily breached. The walls began to be demolished in the mid 18th century, but there are a number of sections of the walls that remain.

    We then made the long walk back up the Royal Mile to visit Edinburgh Castle. Just before the castle a stadium is erected each year for the Military Tattoo, it is currently being removed. It takes about 9 weeks to erect and 6 weeks to remove.

    Edinburgh Castle stands on Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of Malcolm III in the 11th century and continued to be a royal residence until 1633. By the 17th century it was principally used as a military garrison. The castle has served as a royal residence, an arsenal, a treasury, a national archive, a mint, a prison and as mentioned a military fortress.

    The castle, as one of the most important strongholds in Scotland, was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite risings of 1745. Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in its 1,100-year history. The castle stands upon the plug of an extinct volcano. The summit of the Castle Rock is 130 metres above sea level. It is quite an impressive site that affords lovely views of the surrounding area.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Breakfast venue
    Our carCallanderOn our way to Fort William1The Grange - our home for the next few daysMy bedroomThe Terrace Suite - my roomMy BathroomKatie's room the Garden SuiteView from the Garden SuiteGarden of the Grange

    Heading for the Highlands

    16. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today we leave wonderful Edinburgh to make our way North West to Fort William where we will base ourselves for the next four days. We left our AirBnb and made our way to GrassMarket square to have breakfast. Following breakfast we caught a cab out of town to pick up our rental car at Arnold Clarke. We were allocated a lovely Beamer and then headed off towards Fort William. The speed signs in Scotland are in miles which is very confusing when you are used to kilometres. Luckily Katie was able to change the car settings so I could drive with Kilometres displayed.

    We headed North via the M9 and A84 as we passed the Falkirk turn off we went past “the Kelpies”, the largest Equine sculptures in the world. We passed Stirling and stopped in Callander for a coffee break. We then drove through some beautiful areas including Loch Lomond, the Trossachs National Park and Crieff and went past Ben Nevis (the tallest mountain in the UK) before arriving at our final destination Fort William and the Grange, our home for the next four nights. Our suites are absolutely gorgeous, so luxurious and well appointed.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Our tour guide Nathaniel
    Donald CameronThe Lychgate at St Andrew'sSt Andrew'sOrganInside St Andrew'sHigh street, Fort WilliamBronze Model T FordGorgeous hydrangeaArchie, the walkerRestaurant where we had a fabulous lunchDelicious musselsCullen SkinkSoleHaddock

    Exploring Fort William

    17. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    This morning we headed into town to meet up with our tour guide, Nathaniel, a 12 year old young man. Nathaniel is a lovely young man who takes small tour groups, with assistance from his mum Elizabeth around the town of Fort William. We had a lovely time learning about the origins of Fort William. This site was first known as the Garrison of Inverlochy, then became known as Fort William post 1688 after William of Orange. It was also called Maryburgh, Gordonsburgh and Duncansburgh before being renamed Fort William after Prince William, Duke of Cumberland.

    Fort William is located on Loch Linnhe and during World War II was used as a training base for 1,000’s of soldiers. It was also the first location in the UK to have electric street lighting. One of the largest and most important clans in the area was the Cameron clan.

    We walked down the High street and Nathaniel pointed out a number of interesting buildings including St Andrews, a Scottish Episcopal church built on the foundations of the oldest church in Fort William. The church has a small yard containing a number of grave stones that were from the mid 1800’s. There is also a lychgate which is where the family would deposit the coffin and wait for the minister to arrive to bless the body.

    There is also a Bronze Ford Model T in one of the squares that commemorates the ascent of Ben Nevis in a Model T Ford by Henry Alexander in 1911. The ascent took 9 days.

    Further down the high street there is a bronze statue of “Archie” who represents the walkers who complete the Western Highlands Walk (154km).

    After our tour we had a wonderful seafood lunch at Grannog at Garrison West.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Engine Driver1Glenfinnan viaductPeople at Glenfinnan viaduct waiting to photograph the Jacobite Steam TrainLochailortBrianLooking out to the Small IlesMallaig HarbourCruise boat Katie did the Wildlife tour onStreet art MallaigA statue commemorating those lost at seaCar ferry preparing to depart for SkyeWhere I had lunch in MallaigBen NevisCheers - on the Ben Nevis deck

    Jacobite Train

    18. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    This morning we headed down to the Fort William station to catch the Jacobite Steam Engine to Maillag. We found our seats in the First class carriage and departed at 10.15. It takes about 2 hours for the train to get to Maillag. The journey is about an 84 mile round trip and starts close to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Britain. We pass the village of Corpach which lies at the entrance to the Caledonian Canal, which opened in 1822 which connects the Scottish east coast with the west coast.

    We passed over the 21 arched Glenfinnan viaduct (made popular as it is used in a number of Harry Potter movies) which overlooks Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Monument (also known as the Jacobite monument) that was erected 70 years after the 1746 battle of Culloden, the last military battle to be fought on British soil. It pays tribute to the Jacobite clansmen who fought and died for the cause of Prince Charles Edward Stuart otherwise known as “Bonnie Prince Charlie”. It was on this site in 1745 that Charles raised his Royal standard after landing from France before marching South.

    We briefly stopped at the village of Glenfinnan for a leg stretch before continuing our journey. Beyond Glenfinnan are a number of lovely villages including Lochailort, Arisaig and Morar. Just out of Lochailort we passed Dumbledore’s island. As you pass Arisaig you can see the “Small Isles” of Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna and the southern tip of Skye. The train then continues on passing Morar, home to Britain’s deepest freshwater loch, the silvery beaches used in the films Highlander and Local Hero and home to Brian, an 82 year old gentleman who greets the passenger with a sign wishing them a nice day, he does this rain, hail or shine.

    The train trip terminates at Mallaig, which was founded during the 1840’s when the owner of the North Morar Estate, Lord Lovat, divided up the farm on the coast into a series of parcels of land and encouraged his tenants living around Loch Morar and Loch Nevis to resettle there. Mallaig grew slowly but also suffered due to a great storm destroying many of Mallaig’s boats and a number of houses in the village. The population reduced from 170 to 133 in 1891.

    Mallaig’s fortunes changed with the extension of the West Highland Line from Fort William. The line opened in 1901 and the transformation of Mallaig was immediate and lasting. The Jacobite Steam Train started in 1984 and continues to be a success. They also introduced a roll-on, roll-off ferry service to Armadale on Skye from Mallaig. Mallaig is a working port first and foremost and tourism is a secondary focus.

    Katie went on a 1-hour wildlife tour while I wandered around the port and town and had some lunch. When then had a 2-hour return journey back to Fort William. We decided to go to the Ben Nevis pub where we had drinks on the deck, where we met some lovely locals, an English hiker and a couple from Echuca.

    We then had dinner there, Katie had a chicken pie and I had steamed mussels, which were delicious.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Oban High Street
    I love that the Scots use the word 'wee'Beautiful building in the High streetHas been in operation for over 200 yearsLovely streets of ObanThis is Gypsy who we met this morning- her owner was surprised she sat for and a photographEnjoying the sun in ObanGorgeous pots of flowers everywhereOban foreshoreCaledonian Ferry about to dock after a trip to the islandsNeptunes Throne Oban ShorefrontDelicious ice-cream, perfect on a sunny dayKatie indulged in a waffle with Belgian chocolate, flake and vanilla ice cream1Not a bad moto - Katie thought it was very accurate for meThe Oban Inn - over 200 years oldColumba Hotel near the pier and foreshoreAnother aspect of Oban baySome views on the way back to Fort WilliamAnother view on the drive back to Fort William

    Daytrip to Oban

    19. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Today we have been blessed with another glorious day and so we are going to explore the town of Oban which means the little bay so as you might guess it is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It is about a 75 minute drive from Fort William. Close by you will find the island of Kerrera and the Isle of Mull.

    It is a lovely town to wander around and explore. It is full of tourists but everyone is very friendly, while having coffee we chatted to a lovely couple from Newcastle who have spent time in Melbourne. I also spoke to a couple of women from Falkirk who were having a girls break and Katie befriended a lovely Scottish couple who lived in Donvale, Melbourne for 7 years. It was great to swap tips and recommendations with them.

    The modern town of Oban grew around the distillery which was founded there in 1794. A royal charter raised the town to a burg of barony in 1811. Sir Walter Scott visited the area in 1814, the year he published the poem The Lord of the Isles. Interest in the poem brought many new visitors and the town was made a Parliamentary Burch in 1833.

    There is McCaig’s Tower which is a prominent attraction and is visible from much of the town. Construction began in 1897 funded by John Stuart McCaig as a way of providing work for local stonemasons and to serve as a lasting legacy for his family.

    About 8% of the population can speak Gaelic and an annual Highland Games, known as the Argyllshire Gathering is held in the town. During the tourist season, the town can swell to over 24,000 people (normally 8,140).

    It was a perfect day to visit Oban.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    1In front of the Grange
    Our wonderful hosts, Jenni and NeilOur hosts felt like friends by the end of our stayThe area of Glasgow we are staying in tonightOur hotel is the building on the leftMy Lounge roomMy bedroomBathroomThe Tron TheatreThe ClocktowerStreet Art1Some lovely old buildings in Glasgow

    Farewell Fort William

    20. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    This morning we begrudgingly left our wonderful accommodation, The Grange and hosts, Jenni and Neil to make our way to Glasgow. The drive takes about 2.5 hours and we made our way along the A82 past Ben Nevis and Glencoe and then onto the A898 through some beautiful country past Crianlarich and along Loch Lomond, the scenery is quite different from the Highlands, with large wooded areas and more dense vegetation. We also passed Dumbarton and Erskine as we then made our way into the centre of Glasgow on the M8 and M77. We dropped off our hire car and then Brian the shuttle bus driver took us to our hotel, the Fraser Suites. We were able to check in early which was handy.

    For our tour to Skye which starts in the morning we have luggage restrictions, so we had to take our large cases to Central Station to store them for the next 3 days. This is not cheap but we don’t have a choice.

    After getting our luggage sorted we went to the post office to ship a few things back to Australia, this took a while to do but was much easier than when I have done it in France in previous years. Administrative jobs complete we walked around Glasgow for a bit, stopped at Mòr Bakery, which has become a favourite whilst in Scotland and had a late lunch.

    We made our way back towards our hotel which is located in the Merchant City area. We also had a look at the lovely old clock tower in High street and the Tron Theatre, which was formerly known as the Tron Kirk. The building is now home to the Tron Theatre Company and serves as a producing house for contemporary theatrical work.

    We will be having a quiet night relaxing in our rooms as it has been go, go, go all week.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    John street, Merchant City, Glasgow
    Street Art, Glasgow2Lovely statue at Buchanan Bus StationOur bus for the next three daysArrochar - Tarbet on the shore of Loch Lomond3Tarbet HotelBridge of OrchyBusker at the Three SistersThree Sisters, Ballachulish, GlencoeCommando Memorial - Spean Bridge, KilmonivaigEilean DonnanEilean DonnanThe meeting of Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh at Eilean Donan CastleThe crest of Eilean DonnanRowan BerriesPier house our B&B for the next few daysIsle of Skye, BroadfordAmazing moon tonight

    Heading to the Isle of Skye

    21. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    This morning we walked up to Buchanan Bus Station through Merchant City, to meet up with our tour group and head to the Isle of Skye. The route we are taking means there is a bit of back tracking as we head back up into the Highlands. Our bus driver and tour guide is a lovely man named Gary, he is very informative, lots of fun and has some great Scottish music to play as we head through various areas of the Highlands. We are a group of eight, a German couple and an Indian family.

    Our first stop was Loch Loman, we then passed Ben Loman followed by Loch Tulla, Glencoe and the Three Sisters. Gary told us about a terrible massacre that occurred in the original Glencoe on 13 February 1692. Thirty-eight members of the MacDonalds clan - men, women and children - were murdered by the Campbells at the behest of the English King William III for failing to swear allegiance to him by the due date.

    We stopped at the Bridge of Orchy for a photo opportunity before arriving at
    the Three Sisters where there was a piper, McClusker the Busker who entertained us. We stopped for lunch at Fort William, before continuing our journey north. We then stopped at Spean Bridge where we were afforded wonderful views of the large mountain ranges and visited the Commandos memorial. We then passed Loch Gary and Loch Cluanie and stopped at Glenshiel for a delicious hot chocolate.

    We then made our way to Eilean Donan castle. The castle was destroyed as a result of a Jacobite uprising.There were a number of Jacobite uprisings, Jacobites were loyal to King James Stuart who was trying to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland. In 1719 the castle was garrisoned by 46 Spanish soldiers who were supporting the Jacobites. They had established a magazine of gunpowder, and were awaiting the delivery of weapons and cannon from Spain. The English became aware of this and sent three heavily armed frigates to quell matters after attacking the castle for three days with little impact. The captain sent his men ashore and they were able to overwhelm the Spanish soldiers. They then discovered the 343 barrels of gunpowder which they used to destroy the castle. The castle remained in ruins for 200 years. The castle was bought by Lt ColonelJohn Macrae-Gilstrap who dedicated the next 20 years of his life to the reconstruction of Eilean Donan, to her former glory. The castle is definitely impressive and imposing and the family is still in residence.

    We then had a short drive to Skye. We crossed over to the island via the bridge and drove around to Broadford and our Bed and Breakfast for the next few days. Katie and I went to a local Italian restaurant for wood fired pizzas, which were delicious.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Sligachan Bridge
    Fairy PoolsLocated some heather still in bloom2GlenbrittleGlenbrittle BeachChurch in PortreeHaddock sandwichLovely old Citron in PortreePortree HabourA cooKilt RockMealt FallsScottish Black FaceQuiraingQuiraingFairy GlenLooking down from Castle Ewen at Fairy GlenFairy GlenCastle Ewen at Fairy Glen

    Isle of Skye

    22. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Today we left our B & B at 9am as we have a full day of sightseeing ahead of us. We drove north past the red and black coolings- the red coolings are rose granite that is from the outer area of the volcano and the black coolings which is black shist emanates from the centre of the volcano. We then headed to Sligachan where we visited the Cuillin, Britain’s most dramatic mountain range. For over 200 years, these peaks have attracted geologists, tourists, and climbers from around the world. Fire and ice shaped this unique landscape, but local people - like John Mackenzie- helped make Skye the mountaineering destination it remains today.

    Two mountain ranges make up the Cuillin. The jagged peaks of the Black Cuillin and contrast sharply with the smooth Red Hills. Both formed deep in a volcano about 60 million years ago. Among the first outsiders to climb in the Cuillin were geologists. Many important theories in geology have been developed or tested in these mountains. Geologists discovered that the insides of extinct volcanoes appear on the surface here. This makes Skye one of the best places in the world to study how volcanoes form.

    We then headed off to the Fairy Pools near the village of Carbost in Glenbrittle. Many tributaries of the River Brittle run down from the Cuillin into the glen including a stream with waterfalls known as the Fairy Pools. The Fairy Pools are beautiful rock pools of translucent mountain spring water fed by a series of waterfalls. After that we walked to Glenbrittle beach which is a popular camping spot.

    Our next stop was to Portree, the capital of Skye and the largest town on the island. It is a beautiful and picturesque town with a lovely harbour, town square and a number of beautifully restored buildings. We had lunch at the Portree hotel and then did a bit of a wander down to the harbour which was glorious on such a sunny day.

    We then headed out of town to the Old Man of Storr which is situated in the north of Skye in the Trotternish area and is famous for its magnificent scenery and views, we just admired it from a distance and did not do the walk due to time. We next went to Kilt Rock, a 90-metre-high wall of multi-coloured hexagonal columns of basalt rock and dole rite sills which resemble the pleats of a tartan kilt. There is also a large waterfall called Mealt Falls in the foreground which is fed by the fresh waters of Loch Mealt near Ellishadder and has a drop of 60 metres down to the rocky coastline.

    Our next stop was to The Quiraing. It is a landform on the eastern face of Meall na Suiramach, the northernmost summit of the Trotternish escarpment. It has a range of landforms and other distinctive features. It is another popular walk but due to time some of us did a short walk of about 45 minutes along some of the pathways. The Quiraing was formed when a thick layer of flood basalt spread over the peninsula and destabilised the weak sedimentary rocks below, causing a succession of landslides. The views were amazing and I can only image how spectacular they would be from the summit.

    Our final destination before heading back to Pier House was the Fairy Glen which is located in the hills above the village of Uig. It is quite a strange landscape which was created by a land slip. It is a short walk over small mounds and paths towards a rocky and gnarly hill called Castle Ewen. I climbed up about 90% of the way but the last little bit had some large steps that were uneven and a bit slippery so I chose not to climb to the summit. I still got beautiful views of the surrounding area and it is quite magical.

    Over the day we drove over 250kms and saw some wonderful sites on this magnificent part of Scotland, I will definitely have to return with Ian as this is where his ancestors came from.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Waiting for the ferry in Glenelg
    Road to Glenelg for the ferry crossingMainland ScotlandThe ferryman's houseThe turntable ferry heading to pick us upLow cloud and mist on the mountainsLovely house in Fort AugustusStaircase of locks looking down to Loch NessOne of the locksFort Augustus, currently a hotel, has been a fort, monastery & schoolKatie and I on the banks of Loch NessThe banks of Loch NessSpean BridgeThe whole groupLovely Inn - PitlochryMain drag PitlochryBeautiful hotel - PitlochryAutumn coloursBeautiful buildings in PitlochryFisher Hotel, PitlochryFerry approachingFerry unloading - the dog is a deckhand and loves crossing

    Glasgow bound

    23. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We were off again by 9am to make our way back to Glasgow. Today is the first day that we have woken to a cloudy sky, so we are now experiencing the ‘real’ Scotland according to everyone. We headed to Glenelg to catch the ferry across to the mainland which is about 600 metres away! We decided to take this option instead of the bridge as the ferry is the last “turntable” ferry left in Scotland. As we waited for the ferryman, we saw some seals swimming about. We also got nipped by the midges which is bloody annoying. Finally we boarded the ferry which only has capacity for our smallish bus and two cars and before you could whistle Dixie we arrived in Kylerhea.

    After a quick toilet stop we headed back down through the highlands to Fort Augustus and Loch Ness. Today the landscape is quite different with the low hanging clouds, mist and grey skies but still very beautiful.

    Fort Augustus was very busy with tourists, luckily we arrived before noon and so before the big influx of tourists busses at 12.30. We found a lovely little pub to have a light lunch before heading out to explore the town and down to the banks of Loch Ness. We also walked along the staircase of the five locks which are part of a larger lock system that goes across to Fort William and Neptune’s Staircase.

    As we head south towards Glasgow we made two more stops, the first at the small town of Spean Bridge and the last at the most beautiful town called Pitlochry, will definitely have to revisit at some stage as we only had an hour here. As we left the highlands and crossed over to the lowlands we passed Stirling Castle, which looked quite impressive from afar.

    For the entire trip our bus driver and tour guide Gary played some wonderful music that had some connection to Scotland, so we heard the Proclaimers, Rod Stewart, Lewis Capaldi, Bay City Rollers, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Annie Lennox, Mark Knopfler and a whole lot more which really added to the experience. As we said our good byes and bid everyone farewell the rain began to fall, only lightly but still by the time we walked to pick up the keys for our Airbnb, our suitcases from the station and made our way back to our apartment we were knackered. The apartment is lovely and comfortable and centrally located. We went out to a local Italian restaurant for dinner and had an early night.    Læs mere

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    George Square looking towards the City Council Chambers
    Our guide HopeRobert BurnsThomas Graham (Chemist)George SquareGeorge SquareWar memorial George SquareStreet Art at University of StrathClydeTeneu Mural by SmugSaint Mungo mural by SmugChurch, StrathClyde UniversityThe Royal InfirmaryThe Glasgow CathedralStreets of GlasgowOne of the oldest houses in GlasgowStatue of Dr Livingstone (I presume)More Glaswegian architectureMuseum of Modern Art, was previously a wealthy merchant's home (William Cunninghame) built in 1778Statue of Wellington adorned with traffic cone

    Glasgow - getting to know you!

    24. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We left our apartment about 10am to head to George Square to meet up for a walking tour of Glasgow. Once again the weather is looking great - blue sky and sunshine and quite mild, although rain is forecast. We met up with our guide Hope and about a dozen or so other travellers from Naples, US, Canada and London. Hope was an excellent guide and provided some history about the city and its beginning. There is definitely a rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh (not unlike the Melbourne Sydney rivalry).

    Glasgow grew from a small rural settlement near the Glasgow Cathedral and grew to be the largest seaport in Scotland and from the 18th century trade with North America and West Indies grew and soon trade with the Orient and India followed. Much of the city’s wealth came from trading ( tobacco, people and cloth).

    With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the population and economy of Glasgow and the surrounding regions expanded rapidly to become one of the world’s centres of chemicals, textiles and engineering, most notably in the ship building and marine engineering industries.

    The coat of arms of the city of Glasgow incorporates a number of symbols and emblems associated with the life of Glasgow’s patron saint, Mungo. The emblems represent “miracles” supposedly performed by Mungo. There is a little poem that explains the emblems: the bird that never flew, the tree that never grew, the bell that never rang, the fish that never swam.

    We saw George Square and the many buildings surrounding the square and heard some of the history associated with them, the City Council Chambers, Glasgow Cathedral, The Royal Infirmary, the Glasgow Necropolis and the Gallery of Modern Art, including the statue of Wellington that has a traffic cone on his head, in fact a number of statues have these adornments and as quickly as the City Council remove them, they are back the next day. According to Hope, the Glaswegians find this humorous and so after a few drinks at the pub they make sure the traffic cone is placed back on the statue.

    We also heard about Teneu, mother of Saint Mungo, the patron Saint of Glasgow. She was a princess and she was attacked by a young man and fell pregnant. Her father King Lleuddun blamed Teneu and ordered she be killed by being thrown off a cliff. She survived the fall as did the baby. She was then set adrift in a boat but was rescued by monks who took her in and in this community she gave birth to Mungo and lived out the rest of her life. There is a wonderful piece of art that portrays this story which was done by Smug (aka Sam Bates) an Australian contemporary street-artist who has lived in Glasgow for the past 20 years. He portrays Teneu in modern dress as the issue of sexual assault and victim blaming is still a real issue in this day and age. We also got to see another painting Smug has done of Saint Mungo. Both are just brilliant and show what a talented artist he is. His murals are photo-realistic and are done completely freehand, using aerosol cans alone and he completes these huge murals in a week or two.    Læs mere

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    Wind power by Rogue Oner (2014)
    Stencil - Not Dead Yet by Tony TrobridgeHoney I Shrunk the Kids by SmugMost Economical Taxi by Rogue Oner - private commission (2011)Dr Connolly I Presume by Jack VitrianiExperimental area for street artCouldn't resist including this as it was my dad's nameExperimental areaExperimental area, this one is a collaboration between Froderick and Box VincentSecond Billy Connolly painting by John Byrne, a close friendThomas Muir, a private commission done by Rogue OnerThis was done by the Fearless Collective, a SE Asian female groupThe Pride Flag, Merchant CityFalling in Love by the Rebel Bear (a private commission)Part of the four seasons mural by SmugPart of the four seasons mural by SmugPart of the four seasons by SmugPart of the four seasons mural by SmugPart of the four seasons mural by SmugPart of the four seasons mural by Smug

    Glasgow Street Art walking tour

    24. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    This afternoon I went on a street art tour which was wonderful but a bit wet. Liz our guide gave us a bit of history about graffiti and street art. She introduced us to the work of some very talented street artists including Smug, whose work I had seen on the morning tour, Rogue Oner, Froderick, The Rebel Bear (who was inspired by Banksy) the Fearless Collective and Tony Trobridge.

    Through the pouring rain we walked down towards the Clyde and on the way saw some amazing street art and murals. Unfortunately, some of the murals are at risk of being lost as neighbouring land at a number of locations has been sold to developers, who when they build will possibly cover up or destroy some of these murals.

    There is an area down near the river Clyde that is an “experiment”. A large area has been allocated for artists to come and do their work. It has some amazing work and hopefully will stop being a trial and become a permanent area for street artists to share their work.

    Our last stop was at an amazing mural representing the four seasons and done by Smug. It is huge and so detailed and it took Smug two weeks to complete. It is one of the murals with an uncertain future due to adjacent land being purchased by developers.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Doune Castle
    Inner courtyardLarge dining roomThe Great HallView from Doune CastleOur fabulous tour guide KaitlinFalkland PalaceThe Covenanter Hotel, FalklandBruce Fountain, FalklandOriginal information regarding a house in FalklandMidhope Castle, known as Lallybroch in OutlanderAnother view of Midhope Castle, Lallybroch in OutlanderBlackness Castle which was Fort William in OutlanderThe walkway at Blackness CastleThe Three Bridges that cross the River ForthLookout at Blackness CastleMeerkat in Culross

    Outlander Tour

    25. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    We dropped into my favourite place in Glasgow, Riverhill Coffee Bar, for a coffee and snack before heading to Buchanan Bus Station to join the Rabbies Outlander Tour. I declare upfront there were no sightings of Jamie, Claire or other members of the cast of the show. The tour takes you to a range of locations that were used in the series. There were 11 of us on the tour and there were probably 50% who were avid or serious fans and the rest of us were interested. The locations were all lovely and it was a very enjoyable day.

    Our first stop was Castle Doune, a lovely Castle in Stirling whose exterior was used as the fictional Castle Leoch, home to Clan Mackenzie in Outlander. It is a stunning castle with a tall gate house, an impressive great hall and lovely views of the river Teith. Much of this 14th century castle is still accessible and gives you some insight into how the well to do lived in this time. Castle Doune was heavily featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and was also used for the castle known as Winterfell in the pilot of the Game of Thrones series.

    Our next stop was a beautiful village called Falkland which represented 1940’s Inverness where the first episode of the show was shot. We saw Mrs Baird’s guesthouse which in real life is the Covenanter Hotel and the Bruce Fountain where Claire’s husband Frank sees the ghost of Jamie. We had time to explore this lovely village, grab lunch and do some shopping.

    Our next stop was Midhope Castle, Jaime’s family home Lallybroch. Only the external of this castle is used as the interior has deteriorated and is no longer safe. Midhope Castle is a 15th century tower house and is situated in the hamlet of Abercorn on the Hopetoun estate, about 4kms to the west of South Queensferry on the outskirts of Edinburgh. I think most of the group enjoyed this stop the most.

    On our way to our next location we crossed over the Forth river on one of the three bridges that cross the mighty Forth river that connects Fife and Edinburgh. The first bridge was built in 1890 and is a train bridge, the second bridge was built in 1964 and was used by all other traffic u til the most recent bridge was built in 2017. Now the middle bridge is only available to buses and taxis. Towering side by side over the Forth River, these structures represent the pinnacle of engineering across three centuries.

    Our next castle was Blackness Castle, an impressive 15th century fortress. It was used in Outlander to represent Fort William, where Jamie had received lashes from Captain Jack Randall. It is also where Jamie’s father died, having to endure watching his son being punished. This is also where Jamie breaks into the castle, rescuing Claire from the hands of Black Jack.

    Built by the Crichton family in the 15th century, Blackness Castle is one of Scotland’s most impressive strongholds. It has been used as a royal castle, prison and weapons store as well as a location for filming a variety of shows including Outlander and Hamlet. Shaped like a ship the castle is often referred to as “the ship that never sailed”.

    Our last stop was to the 16th century village of Culross, in Fife, which poses as Cranesmuir in Outlander. The town is owned by the National Trust of Scotland who have been instrumental in helping preserve the town’s historical buildings, many dating to the 18th century.This location includes the home of Geillis Duncan, and is used for outdoor scenes during and after the witch trial. There was further filming of Outlander season 4 at this location.    Læs mere

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    Our final evening in Glasgow
    Wonderful GlasgowThe light in Glasgow has been superbSome final street art we discovered on our final dayAnd anotherNot a bad mottoOff to Edinburgh for the flight to ParisOur home whilst in ParisOur streetFirst view of the Eiffel TowerWe had a few meals here at our localLovely redDelicious Brûlée

    Farewell Glasgow Bonjour Paris

    26. september 2024, Skotland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    After a big day on the Outlander Tour we headed out for an early dinner before heading back to the apartment to pack and be ready for an early start as we have to catch a bus back to Edinburgh for our flight to Paris. We were up early and ready to go at the planned time. I had to take the apartment key back to the place we collected it from which was a couple of blocks away. The weather this morning is chilly with a light rain falling but not too bad. On the way to Buchanan Bus Depot we stopped for a coffee and a snack before making our way to the bus depot to await our departure.

    The bus left on time and the traffic wasn’t too bad considering the weather was deteriorating as the morning went on. We arrived at Edinburgh airport, checked in our bags and found a nice restaurant to have some breakfast as we awaited our plane’s departure. We got away on time and the flight was uneventful. We landed at Charles de Gaulle on time and we were bused over to the terminal to go through customs and collect our bags. The weather in Paris is shocking, absolutely pouring. We joined the taxi line and after about 30 minutes we were in a taxi making our way very slowly to our hotel. The traffic was terrible, but what you would expect in such bad weather. We finally arrived at our hotel just before 6pm, so the trip took about 90-100 minutes and our driver kept apologising and we kept telling him it wasn’t his fault. Luckily taxis have set tariffs in Paris now, so the long ride didn’t change the cost of the trip.

    We arrived at our hotel, checked in and then went for an early dinner to Café Dupleix. We seem to be in a fairly central and lively area.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    On the metro
    Delicious snack before our pastry tourApple tart - deliciousFound a great coffee spotFabulous flat white - felt like I was in MelbourneLove Parisian buildingsRat catching business window!Fun decorations on a building- we weren't sure what went on thereRue de RivoliInteresting sculptures

    Good Morning Paris

    27. september 2024, Frankrig ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    This morning we headed off to meet our guide who will be taking us on a pastry tour around the Marais (4th Arrondissment). We went to our local metro station which is literally across the street from our hotel and bought ourselves a carnet which is 10 metro tickets. We then caught the metro to Charles de Gaulle-Etoile to get on the number one line and go to Châtelet. Travel on the metro in Paris is just wonderful, so quick and easy to use. In Châtelet we had a snack and a coffee before heading to our meeting point. We had time to just wander about and soak up the city.Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Sam our guide
    Croissant to start the pastry journeyLovely street art all around usPassage Bourg L'abbéLemon Madeleine was divineGrand Cerf after who the passageway is namedBeautiful Grand Cerf PassagewayPurple umbrellas in the 1stDelicious ChouSo many wonderful food stores on this rueFou de PatissiereSelection from Fou de PatissiereThe fruit is just so goodOldest patisserie in ParisSome of the options at StohrerFig tart

    Paris Pastry Tour

    27. september 2024, Frankrig ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    This morning I arranged for us to do a pastry tour. We met our guide Sam at the allotted time and headed off. Sam is a warm and interesting American from Missouri who has lived in Paris for about 10 years. She initially moved to Paris for film school but then shifted to cooking and specifically pastry. Sam is multi lingual- she speaks French, Spanish, German and Mandarin.

    Our tour was done predominantly in the Marais (4th Arrondissement) but we did crowd over into the 1st, 2nd & 3rd as well. The tour was a great combination of history and tasting pastries (and even some chocolate). We started our adventure at Saint-Merri church, where she told us where pastries, specifically the croissant originated. The croissant can be traced back to 13th century Austria, where it was called the kipferl, the German word for crescent. It was an Austrian artillery officer August Zhang who founded a bakery, which inspired imitators and the French version became known as the croissant, which is French for crescent. Croissants are part of the category of pastries that the French call Viennoiseries, a nod to their origins in Vienna. The rest of the products created by bakers are referred to as Pattisseries which don’t require yeast.

    While learning about the history of Viennoiseries Sam gave us a croissant from one of the most popular Boulangerie called Bo & Mie which were so good. We then moved on to Rue Quincampoix where you can visit one of the covered passages of Paris, this one is called Passage Molière and is full of beautiful stores filled with paper products, writing journals, cards and pens. By 1867 there were approximately 183 covered passages in Paris but many were demolished during Haussmann’s renovation of Paris. Only 25 have survived into the 21st century, all but one are in the arrondissements on the Right Bank.

    Our next pastry was a lemon madeleine that was from Bo &Mie and we ate it as we entered another covered passage, Bourg L’abbé which runs between Saint-Denis street and Palestro street and is named after an old village formerly located in the same place. We then walked through the Grand-Cerf covered passageway. It was built in 1825 and at 12 metres high, it is one of the tallest in Paris. Its metal and wrought-iron structure lets in a lot of light due to the glass roof. It is full of beautiful craft stores selling jewellery, furniture, clothes, lighting and a host of other artisan products. We returned there after the tour and Katie purchased a few things.

    Our next stop was Odette, which is all about the Chou, I tried a raspberry one and Katie Hazelnut. We then went to Fou De Patisserie, an enterprise that partners with prominent French pastry chefs to bring their creations together under a single roof - on the day we visited there were pastries from Angelina, Pierre Hermé, Vincent Guerlais, Cédric Grolet, Pierre Marcolini and the French Bastards. The biggest challenge was choosing a pastry. Our next stop was Patissier Stohrer, established in 1730, it is the oldest patisserie in Paris and was founded by King Louis XV’s pastry chef, Nicolas Stohrer. The store is elegant and has a beautiful fit out. Here we tasted their macrons and they were amazing. We then went to François Pralus a Chocolatier who also invented the famous Prauline brioche with candied pralines. Our last stop was in Rue du Nil, where we visited a chocolate shop called Plaq for a chocolate tasting. This business was started by a couple during COVID and has been very successful.

    This experience was wonderful, we saw so much, ate too much and learnt some lovely stories about Paris.    Læs mere

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    The Seine flowing very quickly
    Approaching the Tour Eiffel before the rain hitLa France Renaissante statue from a distanceDiver statueTaking refuge under a tree as the rain came down - still had a nice view!Cafe where we sought refuge from the rainMy steak tartare was very goodIan's Auvergne SausageArmagnacIan enjoying his ArmagnacPartial view of the Tour Eiffel aglowTour Eiffel aglow at night

    Ian arrives

    27. september 2024, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Unlike our experience travelling from CDG Airport Ian’s ride was about 45 minutes. After he freshened up we headed out for a promenade to check out our arrondissement. We walked up to the Seine and had stared walking towards the Tour Eiffel when the rain started. We took shelter under a tree but the rain got heavier and didn’t look like it would let up, so we decided to head back in the direction of our hotel and find a nice place to have dinner.

    We stumbled across Cafe Ribe; they had a table inside and so we stopped for dinner. The staff here were very friendly and welcoming. I finally satisfied my need for a Steak Tartare which was very good, Ian chose a pork sausage from the Auvergne, and Katie had an omelette with potatoes, bacon and onion. All the meals looked and tasted delicious.

    In Parisian restaurants all the tables are often very close together and so inevitably we start up a conversation with our neighbours. First of all we spoke with a lovely couple from California. It was her first time in France and he had been a student at the Sorbonne but had not been back for forty years. We chatted with them for a while, but they had to leave as they had an early flight home in the morning.

    Then another couple was seated near us and they were excited to hear Aussie accents. They were a lovely couple from Brisbane and this was their first trip to Europe. Interestingly, like Danielle and Katie, they had just spent two weeks in Scotland and had visited many of the same places. They were off to the Moulin Rouge for the late show. We recommended what we had eaten for dinner and they went with the sausage and the omelette. After France, they were heading up to Norway to ride the Flåm railway and see the Northern lights.

    We were too full for dessert as we still had pastries from our tour to be consumed. Ian did have a digestive (Armagnac) which pleased the waiter (and Ian) and meant he fell asleep as soon as he hit the pillow.

    Our walk home was rain free and we had a lovely view of the Tour Eiffel all aglow.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Hôtel Sully
    Hôtel SullyCour des Voges, where we had breakfastIan and I in Place des VogesSelfie in Place des VogesMuseum CarnavaletOld sign for a butcherAnother lovely old business signFashionista in Place de RepubliqueAnother FashionistaAnother FashionistaCanal Saint-MartinFab focaccia at Café LinoDrink at Café MiaWalking the Coulée VerteDelicious Berthillon SorbetMore Berthillon sorbetBeautiful flower shop on Île Saint-LouisFront of Notre DameSide view of Notre Dame - still some work to do

    Paris on foot

    28. september 2024, Frankrig ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Today we had a full but organic itinerary planned. We hopped onto the metro and made our way to Place Des Voges for a lovely breakfast in the sunshine at Café Cour Des Vosges. We then wandered through Place Des Vosges for some obligatory snaps.

    Next we made our way to the Musée Histoire De Paris Carnavalet, a free museum that is dedicated to the history of the city. The museum occupies two neighbouring mansions: the Hôtel Carnavalet and the former Hôtel Le Pelerier de Saint Fargeau. The 16th century building contains furnished rooms from different periods of Paris history, historic objects and a large collection of paintings of Paris life. They depict the city’s history and development and its notable characters. There was an exhibition recently in Bendigo with artefacts and paintings on loan from the Musée Carnavalet. I saw this in June, but it is only a fraction of what is displayed here in Paris.

    After visiting the museum, we walked about 2 kms to Place de Republique where we happened upon a fashion event. There were well dressed young people all over the place, there were photographers, there were people being interviewed and there was a real buzz in the air. After taking snaps of some of the more interesting people, we headed on towards our destination, Canal Saint-Martin, an area we haven’t been to previously. Here we found a great place for lunch. Café Lino was run by a lovely Italian couple who made their own focaccia which they used to make the most delicious toasted focaccias. Katie had a cheese one and Ian and I opted for the focaccia du jour which was speck, champignon and scamorza fumé cheese, and for 2 euro more it came with a salad that had the most delicious tomatoes. After lunch, Katie decided she had done enough walking and made her way back to our hotel.

    Ian and I stayed at café Lino to finish our wine and have an expresso before heading off on a walk along canal Saint-Martin and then back towards the Bastille. This was about a 3.5 kms walk along the canal, including where it ran underground and was covered by a linear park adjacent to some lovely streets. From Bastille we made our way towards the Coulée Verte René-Dumont walk. This has been established on a viaduct and was the inspiration for the High Line in NYC. Before climbing up and strolling above Paris we decided refreshments were in order. We stopped at a lovely bar where I had a G&T and Ian a glass of red.

    The Coulée Verte is a 4.7 km elevated linear park built on top of an obsolete railway bridge in the 12th arrondissement. It is the end of summer here and so the flowers are fading but the gardens are still green and lush. We walked about half of it before descending and making our way to Île Saint-Louis for a Berthillon ice-cream (we both ended up choosing sorbet). We then walked to Notre-Dame to check out the progress on repairing the roof. A lot has been done in the last year but there is still some work to be completed. It is now expected that the doors will reopen on 7 & 8 December.

    We then headed back to the hotel and had dinner at Café Dupleix. We covered over 18 kms walking around this beautiful city today.    Læs mere

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    The colours and fragrances are delightful
    Setting upHydrangeas were divineThe crowd started to buildAmazing radishesMax, seller of fried chicken covered in cornflakesEnjoying the atmosphereWonderful DahliasThe mushroom menDelicious range of breadHomemade tartsDelicious fruitAvenues within the cemetery you can stroll alongLiked the look of the moss coating on this graveFrederick ChopinResting place for Delacroix was well maintainedBalzac's grave was also well kept

    Grenell Market and Père-Lachaise

    29. september 2024, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    When we left the hotel to get breakfast we discovered a huge market set up under the above ground metro rail line. We decided to have a bit of a wander through the market before breakfast. It was an amazing market, full of colour, delicious smells and people. They were selling everything from fruit and veg, bread, meat and poultry, seafood, pastries, clothes, toys and much much more. I bought a scarf and a cushion cover, Katie got a cushion cover and a top.

    After breakfast we headed off on the metro to Père Lachaise to spend some time wandering around this amazing cemetery. We found the graves of Balzac, Chopin, and Delacroix to name a few.

    We then headed out of the cemetery and started walking towards the meeting place for our street art tour and stopped at a nice brasserie for lunch.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Mr Byste's rat has remained on this letterbox for over 3 years
    Mr Byste's RabbitA couple of examples of stencil workSome of the tools (nozzles) of the tradeA private commision that they wouldn't pay for because they felt it was unfinishedJaber was a much loved street artist who was homeless and died from COVIDThe council invites artist to complete a piece - it is changed every 6 monthsCollaboration between two teachersThis piece is 25 years oldWe came across a brass band who were pretty goodThese pieces of street art are appearing all over Paris the artist is anonymousAnother one by the anonymous artist - I spotted at least 15 whilst in ParisDone for the Olympics - baguette replacing a javelinThis mural was done by a couple, the wife died of cancer and her husband committed suicideBaby Hedgehog in Parc de BellevilleMore fabulous art.Red Riding Hood with ceramic heads of KISS beneath herThe start of Mr Byste's collaboration

    Urban Art Tour with Mr Byste

    29. september 2024, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    This afternoon we have a street art tour in the 20th Arrondissement. We met our guide at the allotted time and he introduced himself as Mr Byste. We don’t know his real name and he asked us not to post any photos of him as street art is illegal in Paris and can attract big fines (doesn’t stop him, but he doesn’t want to make it easy for the police, to date he has not been fined). It was great to have a tour with an authentic street artist who had so much insider knowledge of artists and their backgrounds stories. Mr Byste had studied law and engineering but made his way towards urban art. He is particularly interested in the skeleton of animals and much of his work is focused on rats and rabbits. He is scheduled to shadow an artist from the National Museum of Natural History shortly to help him develop his knowledge and technique.

    He also assists many of his friends with their work and he recently completed a commission for the Sorbonne that took four of them six days (working pretty much around the clock) for which they were paid 80,000 euro. We saw council commissioned murals and private commissions, we also saw lots of unlawful art. At the conclusion of the tour Mr Byste invited us to stay and watch a collaboration he was doing with a friend, we saw the initial rabbit stencil, but I will need to check his Insta feed to see the completed work. We saw so much incredible urban art it was difficult to choose only twenty photos. My favourite pieces will be in this instalment but there may be a second instalment to follow.    Læs mere

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  • Danielle and Co travelsEurope 2024Rejsende
    Such talented artists
    So colourfulLovely ceramics - also street artThis lovely hidden street held a few lovely pieces of artAnother artist who has done wonderful workThere were many pieces in the Red Riding hood seriesThis piece has had the writing on the jacket added recently due to what has gone on in GAZAUse your words carefully - the literal translation is "you have to be wary of words"Another anonymous artistCommissioned MuralAnother invader/space invader pieceLove a stencilThis piece is by a friend of Mr Byste who has experienced some success since doing his art full timeInvader/Space Invader install these tile mosaics all over the world - there are even a few in Melb

    More Urban Art

    29. september 2024, Frankrig ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We saw so much fabulous art I couldn’t resist posting more. I have included a couple from invader / space invader, he is a French street artist who is constantly travelling the world, installing his tile mosaic 8 bit, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s electronic game characters in strategically high places observing the observers. There are a number of imitators out there but there is an Ap called FlashInvaders which you use to scan the piece and if it is an authentic piece you get points. I have downloaded it and already have 240 points. When you scan the piece a message goes to the artist and there was one I scanned that had a number of tiles missing - this is reported through the ap and someone will come and repair it which is pretty cool.Læs mere

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