The alarm was set for early today. By 5am we had showered, coffeed, zipped up and weighed cases, and we slipped out of Luxembourg by the cover of darkness aboard the airport bus to Aeroport de Charleroi Bruxelles Sud. In other words, the airport on the outskirts of Brussels that the budget airlines use. We are on Ryan Air. We took off 20 minutes late, but the big plus for me was that I had a row of seats to myself; in Ryan Air speak, this is an upgrade to business class. My ears are experiencing that pressure pain that , for me at least, is usually reserved for landing at Tullamarine in Melbourne, and no where else. And never during a flight. That crackling of my eardrums will settle down soon or it will be ... read more

Today we had an unscheduled stop, in a remote area surrounded by cornfields and a small industrial area. We were on our way to Freiburg, and as can happen, an opportunity arose too good to pass on. It was the Maginot Line Museum, a small display centred around a WWII pillbox, or raised steel ‘blind bell ‘. After WWI, the French decided that a line of defence needed to be established in order to prevent a repeat of the easy capitulation that had occurred in previous wars. Several pillboxes were established to repel enemy advances. These defensive posts held 30 men and were completely self sufficient, except for showering, that took place outside when it was safe. It had a remarkable display of war weapons and was still maintained in original condition, showing sleeping quarters, cooking ... read more

As I opened the weathered, fading, flaking green shutters , the early morning light crept in slowly to reveal a scene from an impressionist painting. The mountains directly behind the house framed my first impression of a soft green canopy of plants trees and lush grass, highlighted by vivid gardens of orange, crimson, and yellow flowers. The backyard has a small well kept vegetable garden, a small shed, and random garden beds surrounded by chunky square stone borders. Evidence of children playing lies scattered in the yard, and a neat playhouse with a string of mini Tibetan flags draped across the door is tucked against the fence. On opening the double glazed windows at 7am, two things were immediately obvious. The crisp, cool morning air as it passed through the gaps in the old shutters was ... read more

.It’s 8.57am and no one is in a hurry here. Dijon Market, circa 1873, was inspired by the Paris Market and still operates from the same shed. This will be our breakfast venue when we get going. Hopefully within the next 30 minutes; I may be too optimistic. Well, we left at 10 but were soon on the tram to the Market, where we bought some cheese and salads for dinner, and some fresh local yoghurt for breakfast. This was eaten on a bench in the walkway separating a row of shops and the Notre-Dame Cathedral. A constant procession of tourists, locals hurrying past, and a conga line of very young children in costume being led by a teacher in a fairy outfit kept my attention, and after a coffee nearby, we followed the Owl Trail ... read more

Intended to sleep in today but for some reason- the high volume, high noise traffic through the night - we were both awake, reading, at 5.30 this morning. Enjoying an open window and fresh air does have its drawbacks. Our aim today was to catch up with the Eiffel Tower, take a river cruise up the Seine, and visit the Arc de Triomphe, leaving the smallest footprint possible. We achieved that by leaving the greatest carbon footprint possible; we caught the bus both ways. It was a five minute walk from here, the driver never took the money for the first trip, but it was packed; just a sign of things to come. There were at least 30 buses parked at the crossroads just near the Eiffel Tower, and that was a quick count. The crowds ... read more