http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/AlTess/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from AlTess en-us Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:15:21 +0000 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:15:21 +0000 21 to 24 August 2009Our tour is quickly coming to an end and for the final four days we have set the insurmountable task of seeing London with a few side visits to some of the nearby counties. First thing to note the people not the variety the sheer volume of them. While it seems the rest of Europe was on a laid back summer vacation everyone is here and moving all at once. After a few deep br http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Westminster/blog-432360.html 18 19 August 2009We have made our return to the city of lights with our tour group and have been looking forward to the chance to catch a few other sights we didn't make during our previous visit.Without hesitation we set off again for St Michel for more gelati and then made our way to the Trocedaro to watch the Eiffel Tower light up and give the sparkle show.The next morning our intrepid tour gr http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-432345.html 17 August 2009The days are still warm sunny and dry. Even in Lucerne it is 31 degrees and the local pass time seems to revolve around the water with scores of people at lsquobeachesrsquo along the lake swimming and sunbaking and some sensational motor boats and small sail boats.Our day started early however getting out to catch the first gondolas to Mt Pilatus. These were gondolas of the air http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-West/Lucerne/blog-431041.html 16 August 2009Our last day in Italia everything will change again as we head into Switzerland.The first stop will be Pisa to see the Leaning Tower and thatrsquos about it really. The trip from Florence west to Pisa on the coast is 85 km according to my Michelin tour guide but 80 km according to Fabio the most stylish bus driver in the whole world must be a short cut known only to Italian bu http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-West/Lucerne/blog-431025.html 15 August 2009Wersquove gone as far south as this journey will take us and have now set course north again. Roman streets are quiet nigh deserted and the trip to Florence is very quick.Florence was the hotbed of the Italian renaissance at various stages the home of Leonardo da Vinci Michelangelo Galileo and it also became the resting place for many of these great minds. The one person that F http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-430868.html I have to apologise for the slow rate of these stories we've been having too much fun and with the limited internet access there isn't a lot of time to upload the stories. I'll try to catch up Al13 AugustTravelling now from Venice to Rome itrsquos a long day of over 500km. The country side is getting drier and hotter therersquos even eucalypts in the fields no koalas and it seems the loc http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-430863.html 12 August 2009Another fantastic day in the north Italian paradise of Lido Venice with warm dry weather good food and a good nightrsquos sleep. We woke to a very busy day starting at 7.40am to catch our private ferry to cross the Venetian Lagoon to land near St Marks Cathedral and make our way through the narrow streets to watch the glass blowing in the Murano Glass shopping outlet. Tess had a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-428470.html 10 August 2009We have continued to bring the good weather with us even to Vienna another 28 to 29 degree day calm and dry. We have met up with another Insight Tour group with some Aussies and they have been dragging the rain around with them.Vienna Wien to the locals is the home of classical music the Vienna Waltz Strauss and at various times Mozart and Bach the Vienna Boyrsquos Choir t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Austria/Vienna-State/Vienna/blog-428131.html 9 August 2009We have left Prague and are heading for Cesky Krumlov a quaint little medieval Czech village to the south in the region of Bohemia. We were amazed by the Krumlov Castle which looks as though it has been work in progress since the beginning of the 14th century on top of the hill overlooking the village. The village is in the crook of the river Vltava the same river that flows through http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Czech-Republic/South-Bohemian-Region/Cesky-Krumlov/blog-428122.html 7 August 2009Another beautiful day in Saxony clear blue skies an expected top of 25 degrees Celsius and very calm. A good day for touring again.The Hotel Berlin Berlin has been a great hotel and we have topped up with another great breakfast ahead of todayrsquos trip south to Dresden and then onto Prague for another two day stop.We are travelling through what was the former ldquoEast Germany http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Czech-Republic/Prague/Old-Town/blog-427926.html 6 August 2009Wersquove had an introduction to German culture with an evening of beer steins pork sauerkraut music and dancing at a fabulous little restaurant called Zikorsquos. Our little tour group has turned out to be lots of fun mainly Aussies with one couple from the USA.The evening bus tour after dinner was accompanied by an American expat who has spent 42 years in Berlin teaching th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/District-of-Berlin/Berlin/blog-427162.html Up bright and early to start our tour. The Mostyn lsquoFawltyrsquo Towers was very conveniently located directly across the lane from the departure hotel. Still didnrsquot prevent a cabbie asking us if we needed a lift.Fawlty Towers was true to its early form cold showers helped get the day going but at least they were again aghast and apologised.Wersquove set out under sunny skies trave http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/District-of-Berlin/Berlin/blog-425964.html With heavy heart we packed up our little apartment in Paris set for the next stage of our holiday.We used the EuroStar for another taste of travel. Train travel is certainly at a different pace and for the trip between Paris and London it is a lot more direct starting and finishing in the centre of town and avoiding the transit to and from the big airports. Only a half hour prearrival not two. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/London-City/blog-424778.html We spent the day at a steady pace targeting the arcades or passages to the French that during the early 19th century were the covered shopping malls for the social set.These proved to be a real treasure trove of exclusive designer boutiques shops for curiosities coin and stamp merchants beautiful hand made toys preloved fashions pastry shops and chocolatiers. Intermingled with these curi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-424248.html Today was the opportunity to answer one of the biggest mysteries in Australian social culture the ldquotrdquo in ldquoMoetrdquo CAN be heard.There my work is done. The day was more fulfilling than just this breakthrough in pronunciation. The Champagne region is to the north east of Paris on the border with Belgium and perhaps one of the most beautiful regions of the country.After a two http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Champagne-Ardenne/Reims/blog-423899.html Today was the first day that we hadnrsquot planned within an inch of its life so we thought we would have a sleep in and later a wander around our own little area. The Paris City Council had other plans though and they started with their jack hammers under our lounge room windows at 8 am nothing starts early in Paris. The double glazed windows and foot thick walls kept out a lot of the noise b http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-423573.html Well today we have decided to never coming home sorry Kids family and friends. We have officially fallen in love with Paris. Well we may come home for winter as we hear itrsquos bitterly cold here.We set off very early this morning for Versailles with a tour group the only way to not spend the day in the court yard for tickets and waiting to get in. I wonrsquot say much more and let the pi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Versailles/blog-423339.html Well today was epic we went on a day trip to the town of Chantilly on the train and walked from the train station to the Chateau. It rained today as well as a little thunder stormThe Chantilly estate began in 1484 when Chantilly came into the possession of the Montmorency family. The first mansion was built in 15281531 for the Constable Anne de Montmorency. The Petit Chteau was also built for http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Picardie/blog-423156.html In what resembled a pilgrimage I joined thousands of others descending upon the Champs Elysees and all the points around the 7 kilometre finishing circuit in Paris. There were cycling fanatics from all corners of the globe and all walks of life in a giant festival atmosphere.The lead up to the riders arriving is a bit like a footy grand final day. Therersquos a series of processions excited com http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-423137.html Well everything that we learnt in art class at St Ritarsquos was true the Louvre was incredible. Unfortunately I donrsquot have any pictures to prove it as all the information I read before leaving and at the entry of the museum said no camerarsquos but I now think they meant flashes it seems that I was the only one following the rules again. 85 of the people at the Louvre when I arriv http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-422527.html