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Published: August 10th 2023
A journey to Turkey, France, Italy and the UAE.
Monday 13 May 2024 The journey begins !!
Megs kindly dropped us at the airport in Brisbane at about 11:30pm last night for our 01:55am flight from Brisbane to Dubai. All went well getting checked in - just the wait until the flight was called. The details indicate a 14 hour flight to Dubai (arriving 10am local), a 4 hour layover and then another 4 and half hours to Istanbul arriving there at 6:00pm local.
The times behind Brisbane are:
• Dubai - 6 hours
• Istanbul - 7 hours
• Paris and Milan - 8 hours
The Emirates service left on time and we eventually arrived in Istanbul close to 6pm local time. The journey was relatively comfortable - the worst lumps and bumps were over the landmass in Western Australia. We usually get some heavy turbulence approaching and departing India but that did not happen this time. Food onboard was reasonable (for airline food!!) and there was certainly plenty of it. Emirates cabin staff were their normal professional, friendly and polite selves.
Seating worked out well on the Boeing 777. For the
Brisbane to Dubai leg, I was able to book the two seat configuration in row 46 and it has very generous leg room.
Istanbul It is 9 years since we last visited Istanbul with our friends Peta and Paul Geisel in May 2015 and we are staying at the Adamar Hotel, right in the middle of the Old City. We have stayed there on the three previous occasions we have visited Istanbul. The hotel is olde world and dated but the staff have always been very helpful, it is so well located and the rooftop bar/restaurant has 360 views, particularly to the Blue Mosque, the Bosphorus and the Hagia Sophia.
The reception and assistance from the staff at the Adamar have been great - up to its previous standards, even though the staff has changed over the years. Still getting used to the accents but the reception desk is Furlan and the bell boy is Murat (I think !!). Both have been exceptionally helpful. We have been fortunate getting an upgrade to a slightly larger room compared to the standard double that we booked. It has an extra single bed in the room that gives us ample
space for suitcases etc. The rooms have received a massive renovation compared to our previous visit and are much better for it.
By the time we arrived at the hotel and got luggage to the room etc, it was getting close to 9pm. We took and orienting walk around the block and cannot get over the number of restaurants and cafes that have sprung up - and they all look well established. We were so full of airline food, we just wanted a light something so when one of the street greeters suggested a soup and toast, that just hit the mark.
Finally to bed around 10.30pm - tired and vowing never to do the straight through run Brisbane to European capital again. We will, in future, factor in a stop over at the mid point. That first 14 hours to Dubai is a killer.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - Istanbul Woke at about 5:30am after a comfortable night. The bed and pillows are good. No noise overnight in the immediate area.
Got advice that Helen had just arrived home from her hospitalisation so we connected by Whatsapp video and Roz had a good chat
with her. She looks well considering her 2 week stay in hospital and was getting ready to have her standard sandwich lunch! The staff at KG House have been very good during this period and have supported Helen throughout - and we thank them for their care and attention.
Breakfast is 8am to 10:30am so we will be well in time for that. Today is going to be a slow "get reoriented in Istanbul" day and will probably just have us walking the streets to the Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, Galata Bridge and poking around Sultanamet. We have hit the historic highlights on a couple of occasions previously - Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topaki Palace - and have taken a couple of guided tours as well. So no need to cover that ground again.
The hotel breakfast was very acceptable. Roz was particularly impressed with the flavours of the cherry tomatoes and cucumbers - apparently real flavour compared to our insipid Coles and Woollies offerings.
A short walk to Greens Supermarket, just up from the hotel, to pick up more bulk water and a coke (to ease the after dinner richness). Classic street pickup from one
of the local rug / pashmina merchants - he loves Australians and has a cousin in Bondi in Sydney who he is going to visit next year - of course he is. Despite that, the ubiquitous hospitality of a Turkish coffee or apple tea was extended and a deal was done for a silk scarf. Paid about half his asking price and I am assured by the good lady that it was "cheap" ....... I'm sure it was...... (happy wife, happy life)....
Then out and about for the day with our route taking us to a bag shop near Sultanamet Metro station which Meaghan had recommended. Prices established and moved on to the Grand Bazaar.
Interesting that there seemed to be few tourists compared to locals in the streets. Hoards of locals but few recognizable tourists. this was confirmed in a number of conversations we had through the day with the shop owners - they reported very low numbers. The streets were certainly not as crowded as we have seen them in past.
Another bag shop in the Grand Bazaar recommended by Meaghan visited (daughter.... you are dead when I get home !!) and a long bargaining
session ensued. This bloke honestly had about 5 different groups of people in a very small shop selling bags and watches and he was dealing with each group at the same time - very impressive - and making sales. I learned two very important profound phrases in life from this young fella:
• "Everything is possible"
• "How can I help you spend your money?"
This guy had his patter, negotiation skills and downright sh*t together!! Sales all round, happy days for everyone, targets down, patch out and move on to the next group of suckers .... Whoops.... Customers!!
We then took the long walk down the back streets from Gate No 1 at the Grand Bazaar to the Spice Market. The streets between the two are just filled with people, stock and chaotic movement of hand drawn carts, motor cycles, cars and did I say..people ? Where do they come from, why aren't they working, where are they all going ? And the amount of stock in all of the shops is just mind boggling. How can the merchants afford to have those amounts on the shelves and how many sales do they actually make
??!! It is what makes Istanbul and this area so vibrant and alive and is exactly what we came back here for - just to watch and be part of the it. Magic !!
No new surprises at the Spice Market - just the wonderful fragrances and the colours of the spices throughout the building - never fails to impress.
A walk toward the Istanbul Railway Museum (had to find it as we meet there at 7pm tomorrow for a Food Night and Rooftop Experience walking tour) with a light lunch on the way.
I am again impressed by the friendliness of Turks to mug tourists like us. I know it is their livelihood in food and sales but they constantly display a level of polite offering of their services and not taking offence if you fail to take up the offer. There does seem to be a genuine spirit of helpfulness and good will to others. The placing of the hand on their heart at the end of a conversation, whatever the outcome, and a handshake to basically say "Thanks for coming" is invariably offered. So refreshing and another reason to visit Turkiye.
Back to
the hotel to drop the goods and to get some advice on the Fish Market area, where we have previously enjoyed a pleasant evening meal - complete with whirling dervishes and belly dancers. On return to the hotel was very surprised and happy to see Mr Ilhan at the Reception Desk. Ilhan was here on each of our three previous visits and he claimed to recognise us too - which I doubt because I had hair then and how could he recognise me without my pony tail ..LOL !! So nice to see a familiar face and I do think the feeling was mutual.
Felt the need for further sustenance and dropped into the Ento Coffee shop just across from our hotel room. Ordered two serves of baclava (expecting two pieces for us to share with our coffee - ended up with two plates with three pieces and a small bowl of icecream...each ! Shows how out of practice we are at travelling at the moment ! But it really was great baclava - and no, it did not go back to the kitchen. Coffee only 100 Tl = about AUD$5 - reasonable.
The Fish Market is located
(on the water of course) in the Kumkapi area, about a 20 minute walk down some pretty ancient cobbled streets - which were hard on the feet. We found the streets which are blocked off at night for the fish restaurants and cafes to open but the fish markets themselves were located on the other side of a very busy expressway and the hike to a bridge to get over the expressway was a bridge too far. Left turn and walk along the shoreline back to the area of the Blue Mosque (Helen and John - passed the Mulan Hotel on the way very nice digs !!). A visit to a less crowded Arasta Bazaar with all the usual offerings but no purchases and back to the hotel after photos opportunities at the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.
On to the evening's activities and we are heading for a rooftop bar in the next street that Meg's has recommended (no handbags here) - the Deraliye Terrace Restaurant for an early evening heart starter and then to look for a restaurant nearby that does Sea Bass or Sea Bream - feeling like seafood and salad tonight to cleanse the system
of airline food.
The best laid plans ..... could not get into the Deraliye Terrace roof top bar - "Sorry Sir, a large group has booked the bar out tonight - unusual but...."
Circled the block and picked out the Enjoyer Cafe and Restaurant in the street behind us where we enjoyed a sea bass and a shepherd's salad, and a glass or two of local chardonnay and merlot. All very pleasant at a touch over AUD$100 - about what we pay at home.
It was interesting to watch our waiter carry out the breaking of the fired clay pot containing a lamb stew for another customer - it is quite an art to do so, just taking the top off without breaking the whole pot. We have had this dish a couple of times in the past but there is too much in it for just two people
Done and dusted by 9pm and back to the hotel - we are both feeling the long flights from and need a relatively early night.
16,400 steps recorded today.
Wednesday 15 May 2024 - Istanbul Happy birthday Paul Geisel !!
Woke late at
6am after eight and half hours good sleep. Beautiful looking day outside - 12 to 19 forecast.
Plan for today is to go by ferry to the Princes Islands, near Istanbul. There are 5 islands in the group but we will only visit one of them - Buyukada.
Took the Metro tram from Sultanahmet to Kabatas to the Asian side over the Galata Bridge to catch our ferry to the Islands - 18Tl each for any journey on the Metro. That is less than AUD$1.
Ferry from Kabatas to the Islands took about one and half hours to Buyukada after stopping at three of the other islands on the way. Obviously a commuter milk run done about every hour to service the island group. Fare is 60Tl per person each way - about AUD$3.
During the first half of the 20th century, the island was popular with prosperous
Greeks,
Jews and
Armenians as a refuge from the summer heat of Istanbul. Nowadays the island's demographics are more similar to a typical suburb of mainland Istanbul.
Historically, many residents of Büyükada were fishermen. However, by the late 2010s tourism to Büyükada swelled enormously as it became
a favourite day-trip destination for visitors from greenery-starved Arab countries in particular. The surge in tourism was a major factor in bringing to an end the tradition of using phaetons as the only transport on the island in 2020.
All of the vehicles are EVs. The island is very peaceful and full of day visitors strolling the laneways. Many restaurants and cafes - it must get very busy at some time for all of these restaurants to survive - today was not one of them. There were many vacant tables and chairs spread along the waterfront.
It is obviously an island retreat for vacationers and those with dollars. Some absolutely magnificent houses with million dollar views. and there are those falling into disrepair and tumbling down. But an interesting place to take a day visit and enjoy the peace and quiet. You only have to avoid the dogs lying in the street (also very placid and quiet) and the millions of cats trying to coax lunch out of mug tourists..... and they must be successful because none of them looked starved.
The trip from Istanbul to the Islands just reinforces how big Istanbul is. It has a
population over 16 million and the high rises and housing stretch for kilometres along the shores of the Marmara Sea and up onto the ridgelines behind the shoreline.
Back to the Old City by 4:30pm and a rest with feet up.
Out to dinner at the Deraliye Rooftop restaurant and a good meal of Lamb Tandoori was had.
Dinner completed and a cold breeze is blowing outside - chilly.
Hope you've had a good day Paul.
Thursday 16 May 2024 - Istanbul Happy birthday Adam Craven !!! Had a long text conversation at midnight his time - I knew he would still be working hard !!
Slept well again - almost 9 hours !! Have to move to Turkiye to keep managing these great hours of sleep - but I am doing without my morning walk. Must try to get back into the saddle in France.
Forgot to mention the great tram stuffing experience yesterday afternoon on the way back from the visit to the Islands. It was nearing peak hour and obviously schools and some businesses were closing up and everybody and their uncle needed to get home. I don't think
Tokyo rush hour railway carriage stuffing has anything on the crush we experienced yesterday afternoon. It was literally sardine country with more and more passengers getting on at each stop.
Another experience for Turkiye visitors is the daily call to prayer by the Imams, five times a day. The first one begins at 4:40am and is broadcast by loudspeaker to all of the locals. It can be disconcerting the first time you hear it. Various mosques have different versions by different Imams and sometimes both can be heard in the same area. Some of the Imams have quite the range of voice projection and can be very tuneful..... some others not so much. Just listening to the local Imam at the 5pm session.
Another fine day in Istanbul 11- 19 degrees. We have been lucky with the weather so far.
Took the tram to Kabatas station and then a funicular up the hill to Taksim Square. It is all very well signed and organised to transfer from one service to the other. Visitors only need one Istanbul card, keep it topped up and use it multiple times for multiple persons. There is only the requirement to touch
on arriving at the station - no requirement to touch off - it is a one time payment for each journey.
Taksim Square is situated in the
European part of
Istanbul, and is a major tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops, and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of the
Istanbul Metro network. Taksim Square is also the location of the
Republic Monument which was built in 1928. The monument commemorates the 5th anniversary of the foundation of the
Republic of Turkey in 1923, following the
Turkish War of Independence.
The Square leads onto a very long and commercialised street called Istiklal Cd (caddesi or street) with an innumerable number of clothing, footwear, food, cafes, restaurants, banks.... you name it, they have it. And there are many streets / laneways that run off the main street, many shopping centres and arcades. It is great for wandering and poking around and watching the world go by. Again, the main visitors there are obviously local Turks and not international visitors. In the past we have seen much greater numbers of tourists.
When the wander was satisfied (nothing bought !!!!!!) it was back to the Asian side
of the Old City and a look around for a prospective dinner location. It is great just to stop at each restaurant and have the tout outside make small talk about their fare and tell us how many cousins they have in Australia !! Always good for a chat.
Back to the hotel to start the packing process. We depart the hotel at 9am tomorrow morning for a 12:30pm flight to Paris.
The recon earlier for a place to have dinner has paid off !! Last Supper in Istanbul done and dusted with a nice Beef Fajita (not sure how Turkish that is) and a salad. We again had some local Turkish wine and it was very acceptable. Only issue was that the "busy" head waiter charged us for one extra glass of wine each (at about AUD$15 a glass = $30). Humble apologies made and some free baklava to sooth our souls !! But it was a nice dinner and the staff were as hospitable as ever.
Final goodbyes to the evening desk staff who we will not see tomorrow as we depart with Mr Furlan telling us tomorrow is his last day. He is heading
to Poland to make his mark in the world - we wished him good luck. He and Mr Murat have been excellent young men helping the old folks from Australia.
A meagre 9,262 steps today.
Friday 17 May 24 - Istanbul / Paris Up at 6am to do the final pack have breakfast and depart for the airport at 8:30am. Goodbye to Mr Ilhan who was the duty day manager.
Our transfer driver was on time. The trip from the Old City to the airport took about an hour in morning traffic. There is now a very good highway out of the immediate city environs to the airport. Cost AUD$46.
The totally new Istanbul airport (IST) is well out of the city and is a vast improvement on the old one. It is well up to standard and puts our airports into the shade in terms of space and presentation. Huge Duty Free area (although not so cheap - generally can buy the alcohol and cosmetics at the same price in Brisbane on specials) and restaurants / cafes. Signage is good. High level of security with three stages of baggage checks starting right at the
front door before getting into the air side - we were not arguing.
The eSim I used with
airlo in Turkey worked a treat.
Paris Turkish Air TK1825 at 12:25pm on a Boeing 321 (3-3 across) had a French crew and was a smooth three and half hour flight to Paris, arriving at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) at about 4pm local. Pleasant surprise for Australians arriving at Immigration - special lane for clearance along with a number of other English speaking nations. The other lines were horrendously long - we sailed straight through with no delays !! And that is a wonder given the submarine issue !!
Then came the shemozzle with baggage claim......... The baggage hall is relatively small with poor space provided for passenger circulation around the carousels. It was a battle to find a place where you could stand still without being in the way of moving people with their bags and carts. And to top it off, we had to wait almost half an hour for our baggage to appear - same for everyone off the Istanbul flight. Paris is really going to have to pick up its game for the Olympics
and the huge influx of flights and passengers.
We had made a transfer booking (through Booking.com - this system is working well) from CDG to our apartment. The driver was again on time and communicated via Whatsapp throughout the waiting period. Journey took one and half hours in Friday afternoon peak hour traffic - cost AUD$53.
The system to get our key to the apartment was a bit different. The apartment was managed by a group called
Habitat Parisien - not a front desk operation - rather a back room holiday property management organisation but I had been given very good pictorial and text instructions.
I left Roz undercover (threatening clouds - but no rain eventuated) with the luggage and had to walk about 500 metres to an address. An email was sent just prior to arrival with some codes included. Code 1 to get into a front door off the street, Code 2 to get through an inner door, take a lift to Floor 2, walk down a down a dim corridor and locate a cupboard on a wall, Code 3 to open the key safe located therein. Viola - the keys !! All sounding dodgy
but actually the communication and system worked well. Again, Whatsapp was the preferred method of chatting and the responses were almost immediate.
The apartment is located at 99 Rue Saint Lazare, near Gare Saint Lazare and the Galleries Lafayette precinct. Metro access straight across the street. (Cost about AUD$500 a night)
Note - a very good Monoprix supermarket is just around the corner and a Carrefour supermarket located within the Gare Saint Lazare complex. Monoprix preferred and much better stocked.
Access to the 2nd floor apartment -
Appartement Caumartin Lafayette - was by a two person lift - at least there is a lift !! I could only fit in the lift with one suitcase at a time so three trips required to get two large suitcases and Roz upstairs ! The apartment is spacious with separate lounge/dining, kitchen, bedroom and shower / toilet / laundry. It is not as modern as it appears on the website but it is more than adequate for a Paris stay. No airconditioning and bit stuffy on arrival but have used fans and opened windows to refresh. Cannot keep all the windows open all the time as there is a busy
street outside. We will manage.
Getting later in the day and we were tired so did some supermarket shopping to top up the essentials for breakfasts and light meals - a ham cheese and tomato toasted sandwich and coffee for dinner and to bed around 10:30pm.
Saturday 18 May 2024 - Paris Quiet neighborhood overnight, bed comfortable. 11-19 forecast with possible showers this afternoon.
Up at 6am. Roz managed a sleep in until 8am. Breakfast and a lesson in trying to get the washing / dryer to do what we want it to.
We are very near Galleries Lafayette so I think Roz wants to start there. Then might head in the direction of Notre Dame to see what progress has been made on the repairs.
Have also been working out the best Metro ticket purchase. Looks like the Navigo Easy card is best for us. €2 purchase then 10 tickets at €17.30 (ten journeys) is the cheapest - otherwise a lot of walking.
We have been repeatedly advised (already) to watch out for pickpockets in the tourist areas and on the Metro.
The day did start at Galleries Lafayette - in
its many forms across numerous buildings - but not until a load of washing was washed and dried. So it was a late start out of the blocks at 11:00am. Many clothes and cosmetics investigated .......and then a visit to Le Maison Gourmet - much like Harrods food Hall. We had a very good experience here last time we visited (2011 ?) when we sat at a counter and sampled jambon ham with a glass of bubbly. This time we settled for a hamburger with a glass of red and a white. Nice Galleries Lafayette experience.....again.
We then set out on a walk to Boulevard des Capucines where we stayed that last time in 2011 and then onto Eglise de la Madeleine - a very impressive cathedral.
The Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine or L'église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, or even less formally, La Madeleine, is a
Catholic parish church on Place de la Madeleine in the
8th arrondissement of Paris. It was planned by Louis XV as the focal point of the new Rue Royal, leading to the new Place Louis XV, the present
Place de la Concorde. It was dedicated in 1764 by
Louis XV.
The inside of the church is stunning in its size, detail and
presentation.
On to Place de la Concorde.
The Place de la Concorde is renowned for several reasons:
- During the French Revolution, it witnessed numerous public executions, including those of King Louis XVI and Queen Mari- Antoinette.
- It is the largest public square in Paris at 7.6 Hectares.
- The square features a 3,300 year old Egyptian obelisk, known as the Luxor Obelisk. It was gifted to France by Egypt in the 19th century.
The Fontaines de la Concorde are two monumental fountains located in the Place de la Concorde in the center of Paris. They were completed in 1840 during the reign of King Louis- Philippe. The south fountain commemorates the maritime commerce and industry of France, and the north fountain commemorates navigation and commerce on the rivers of France.
There are significant temporary seating stands being built in and around Place de la Concorde - obviously in preparation for the Olympics. There was no signage but it looks like two court type events with seating on three sides of each. Watch this space in about 70 days !!
On to Place Vendome which was begun in 1698 as a
monument to the glory of the armies of Louis XIV. The original Vendome Column at the centre of the square was erected by Napolean to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz; it was torn down on 16 May 1871 but was subsequently re-erected and remains a prominent feature on the square today.
The hard surfaces of Europe are being felt by both Roz and I. We prepare for it but the cobbled roads and footpaths and uneven surfaces get us every time. We are a little footsore. Just over 10,000 steps.
The amount of people who smoke here is a shock to the system - particularly young people - but we do not remember it being this bad. The cafe culture contributes to this and you cannot walk down any street without being affected by smokers on the footpaths. And the number of them who are smoking while walking about is incredible as well. We forget how fortunate we are in Australia now, pretty much living in a smoke free environment.
After our lunch with a glass of vino, we both felt relatively full for the day so just had a light dinner at a nearby cafe and
retired to the apartment for a coffee and a shared a walnut slice from Galleries Lafayette.
Another load of washing done tonight - the heavy stuff - jeans and coloured clothes. We have just about caught up.
Showers were forecast for the afternoon but they have not eventuated and it has been a nice warm day.
Long day - bedtime at 9:30pm
Sunday 19 May 2024 - Paris 6:30am - cool 13 now forecast today up to 21. Still no rain :-)) I can see patches of rain around Paris but none so far in the city. Lets hope it stays that way.
It didn't quite stay dry - we did have a downpour in the middle of the day but we were safe in a bakery for lunch.
What a good day out !!
The object of the day was to visit Sacre Couer Cathedral and Notre Dame Cathedral - mission accomplished.
We decided to walk up to Sacre Couer through Montmartre. It was a fairly significant push up the hills and long stairs. Roz is hurting in her hip and did very well getting up the stairs
(only to find there was a funicular that would have saved the pain !!).
We did find a half way morning tea spot run by a Portuguese couple - delicious Portuguese Tart and an apple something. coffee was good too ! Roz said the pastry on both was spot on.
Up yet another set of stairs and arrived at the mayhem of a Sunday crowd at Sacre Couer Cathedral. The number of people was insane. We lined up for over an hour to get into the cathedral but I think there may have been a Mass going on and they stopped the parade of tourists - quite rightly too. The line was easily half a kilometre long and after an hour, we chose to depart. We had seen the cathedral on a previous visit so all was not lost. followed a path back down to Montmartre that we had taken with a tour guide years ago. Got most of it right including passing the Bust of Dalida.
Place Dalida is a square in Montmartre named after the French music icon Dalida.
Dalida loved the neighbourhood of Montmartre, where she lived. To honour her, by decree on
December 5, 1996, Paris City Hall created the "Place Dalida". A bronze bust of the singer was added on 24 April 1997, to mark the 10th anniversary of her death.
Stopped for lunch at a bakery and we were engaged in a pleasant conversation by an American lady - Diana - at the next table who had not heard of an americano coffee.........!!!!! She was from Maryland and we had pleasure letting her know were in fact in Maryland 12 months ago visiting Adrian and family. Our lunch stop was fortuitous because it bucketed down while we were at lunch, easing off just as we were departing the bakery.
A walk from there to the Barbes - Rochechouart Metro Station where we experienced the purchasing of a Metro Billet (ticket) for a train journey to Cite on Ile de France to visit Notre Dame Cathedral - about a 25 minute journey. all very easy....once you know how !! 2.15 Euros per journey, per person.
Metro travel can be cheaper by buying a Navigo Easy Card and 10 tickets at a cost of 17.30 Euros - but we do not anticipate doing that many Metro journeys in our
sho. t time here.
On arrival at the Cite Metro Station, the Queen Elizabeth II nursery gardens were at street level and we spent some time looking at the beautiful displays. Incredible size and colours of the hydrangeas in particular, but many other varieties there as well.
On to Notre Dame Cathedral where reconstruction works are well underway. A temporary public viewing stand has been built, such is the interest in the project. The roof does not appear to be on yet and the spire is nowhere to be seen. A huge and costly project to bring this icon back to life.
Now in search of sustenance, we happened by a side street with an interesting cafe. In an old priest's house (apparently), built in 1512, (apparently) was a bar cum cafe run by an absolutely entertaining bloke by the name of Frederico - from Sardinia. He appeared mad as a cut snake but, in fact, he was well on top of his trade as a influencer of tourists. His patter was tailored to whichever country you came from and the only language we did not hear him speak was Chinese. Every now and then, he would
break out into a rich baritone song (good voice too) and serenade the customers sitting in the street.
Doing the right thing, I took the wine glasses back inside when I went to pay - Old Mate blesses me profusely, kisses my hand and fills up our glasses again at no cost. This bloke seemed to really enjoy his job and it was great to see a professional in action keeping the peasants happy !!
Back to Saint Lazare by Mero - well experienced in the art of Metro rides, even including a platform change at Chatelet. The complexity and size of the Paris Metro equals Tokyo !
A short recovery from the day's activities at the apartment and then out to dinner at a typical Paris corner cafe / restaurant. Nothing to write home about but the presence of smokers immediately outside on the footpath on those outward facing chairs and tables was annoying as the smoke still permeated into the inside part of the cafe. Nice dinner though.
Home and to bed by 10 pm - just getting dark now.
We have booked a tour to Monet's Garden tomorrow - early start. Have
to be at the pickup point by 8am.
Big walking day - 15,787 steps.
Monday 20 May 2024 - Paris Up at 5:30am to get ready for an early departure.
Today is a public holiday in France with many stores closed but others open. It is Whit Monday, the day after Pentecost Sunday.
On the road at 7am to get to Havre Metro to travel to Alma-Marceau Metro, the closest point to our nominated meeting point. Booked with
Paris Trip. Passing over the Pont de l'Alma gives the first view of the Eiffel Tower in all its glory. It is an impressive structure.
There were 8 of us in the tour group - all Americans except us Aussies. Matthew was the driver and guide.
The trip to Giverny took about an hour, most of it on fast highways (up to 130kph allowed in some areas) in a 9 person minivan. Roz and I collared the front seat for the forward journey and we were the only ones who spoke with the driver the whole way.
Arrived at Giverny just after 9am and we were one of the early groups, which was great
as it was not as crowded as it became by the time we left. Two hours were allocated for the visit, and that was more than enough. We saw everything in the gardens and the house in about an hour and a half, giving us time for a delicious morning tea before departing.
I am not a gardener, as most know, but you cannot help but be impressed by the sheer size, colour and complexity of the gardens. It is split into two areas - the Japanese gardens containing the Lily Pond and the more formal house gardens. Roz could not believe how packed the plantings were throughout. The whole area is very well presented, signed and gated to keep the tourists on the straight and narrow and are only open in the summer months, from March to November.
A large gardening team was present, working in the gardens as we strolled.
Monet's house is not a mansion but you would think it was a comfortable residence for a small French village back in the day.
The Fondation Claude Monet is a nonprofit organisation that runs and preserves the house and gardens of Claude Monet in Giverny where Monet lived and painted for 43 years. Monet was inspired by his gardens, and spent years transforming them, planting thousands of flowers. He believed that it was important to surround himself with nature and paint outdoors. He created many paintings of his house and gardens, especially of Water lillies in the pond, the Japanese bridge, and a weeping willow tree.
Claude Monet lived and painted in Giverny from 1883 to his death in 1926, and directed the renovation of the house, retaining its pink-painted walls. Colours from the painter's own palette were used for the interior -green for the doors and shutters, yellow in the dining room, complete with Japanese Prints from the 18th and 19th centuries, and blue for the kitchen. The standard of furnishings in the house were far from palatial and you would have to think that Monet lived fairly simply.
Monet's gardens and home were a pleasure to visit. The peace and tranquility were palpable.
Morning tea was had at the nearby resident tea house -
Les Nympheas - where we had quite the best pear tart we have ever had. Good end to the tour !!
An hour
back to Paris - Aussies in the front seat again although we did offer the place to the others - no takers. Again, not a peep from the back seats !!
We sought out a Patisserie / bakery near the Eiffel Tower for lunch. These outlets generally have a good range of baguettes and sandwiches not available in the corner cafes.
A trip to the Tower to get some more photos - tourist crowds insane in and around the Tower. Lines to enter the tower stretching into the distance.
Back onto the Metro for the trip back to Saint Lazare by mid afternoon - both of us feeling the pinch with the touring and walking so having a lazy afternoon to pace ourselves.
Disaster for dinner !! Tried to be smart - we had bought some nice looking quiches at the bakery to have for dinner with salad. Put the oven on and the selector knob came off........ should have stopped there..... but we thought we had the right cycle to heat the quiches........famous last words.
The oven door locked up and the quiches were trapped inside, burning to a crisp. Visions of ovens catching
fire (no fire blanket or fire extinguisher in sight), smoke alarms going off, sapeurs-pompier (firefighters) appearing at our front door, axes in hand, fire units with extended ladders appearing at our second story window with foam ready to flood the apartment...........but that didn't happen :-))
We eventually selected something that turned the oven off but it had to cool before the oven door would release. A swift prayer over the burnt bodies of quiche, which were beyond redemption, and they were given a consecrated burial in the garbage bin.
And to top it all off - we have had a magnificent Paris day weatherwise - see the photos - but right on dinner time, it has been absolutely pouring down rain. Not being too brave about getting wet, one of us had to dash around the corner the local Maccas store and get
two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onion on a sesame seed bun.... and a large fries. I can confirm these abominations to the notion of a decent feed and flavour are as bad in Paris as they are in Australia.
The saving grace was the Mille-Feuille (known to commoners, Colonials and
the peasants as the humble
vanilla slice) that we also bought at the bakery, made up for the foul McDonalds creation.
Then came the problem of finding something other than Frog TV to fill in the evening. No such luck - everything in French. Have they no pity on the English speaking world !!??
Oh - the joys of travel - but the memories never cease !!!
We have a 3.5 hour food tour of Le Marais tomorrow starting at 10am. As long as snails and frogs legs are not on the menu, I think I can cope. Then we will have to start thinking of repacking the bags and getting ready for the train trip to Basel in Switzerland on Wednesday - where we will hire a car, drive back into France to a town called Eguisheim in Alsace and spend 8 days radiating from there.
A good day out in and from Paris, great weather (until dinnertime), excitement at dinner, bed at a reasonable hour with no TV corrupting us - how good does it get ??
Tuesday 21 May 2024 - Paris Up at 5:30am - grey and overcast. We had
a big storm overnight at about 2am with the gutters on the streets running like rivers but it was not raining early in the morning.....so far.
Out at 9am to catch a metro from Havre- Caumartin Metro to Republique Metro (about 20 minutes) and then walk to a meeting place in Le Marias. Those present divided into two groups - one of ten and the other of just 6 of us (joy and happiness !!). Alice was our guide - in her late 20s, French (born in New Caledonia and moved back to France when she was 17). ?she was very good all day.
Our travelling companions were two couples, friends, from Charlotte North Carolina. Alan and Kimberley and Carl and Donna. They were recent retirees about 10 years younger than us and were great company - could not have been a better tour group.
There were 8 stops in the tour - all within easy walking distance.
• The Poilane Croissant shop where we sampled a traditional croissant and a chocolate version
• The Marche des Enfants Rouge Market in Rue de Bretagne where we tasted an omelet style dish with spiced ingredients inside and
a mint tea
• Jean-Paul Hevin Choclate shop where a light and dark chocolate square and a macaroon were tasted
• A visit to the stately National Archives building
• A cafe for a goats cheese quiche and salad
• Chez Hanna Fallafel shop for fallafels
• A bakery for an almond, butter and egg slice
• Laurent Dubois cheese shop for samples of Comte, blue, brie and goats cheese
• Le Cave Saint-Paul for a glass (or two) of wine.
The tour is not cheap - about AUD$150 each but we did feel we got good value for money from the guiding, the history Alice provided along the way and the food and wine. The value of the shared experience with the fellow travellers was also why we travel and meet people in this type of environment. They were thoroughly entertaining and good companions. Both groups were heading to Normandie to visit the D Day beaches in coming days.
We did a bit more exploration of the streets of the Marais before boarding a Metro and heading back to our apartment.
Started the tedious task of repacking in preparation for our departure tomorrow.
Dinner at a local cafe, home and bed
by 10pm.
Wednesday 22 May 2024 - Paris / Eguisheim Up at 5:30am - overcast and considerably cooler this morning. Someone enjoyed a well deserved sleep in until 8am after our two early starts this week.
Breakfast, cleanup, final pack and out the door by 11am. I had organised a transfer from Saint Lazare to Gare du Lyon where our train was due to leave at 12:22pm.
The taxi arrived about 15 minutes late and traffic to the station was horrendous. Stop / start all the way and it took 45 minutes rather than the expected 30 minutes. No problem though - we had over 20 minutes up our sleeve and the platform for the train was not announced until 10 minutes before departure.
We had booked First Class to ensure we got seats where we wanted them - and so it happened. A double decker TGV train from Paris to Basel leaving precisely at 12:22pm. A very smooth ride at a fast pace - no speedometer but has to be near 200 kph. Our seats were on the upper level. Good wide seats and plenty of storage for baggage both upstairs and on the
first level. Left our large bags downstairs and checked them at the three stops between Paris and Basel.....just to make sure no one liked our luggage better than theirs!!
Arrived in Basel on time and proceed to the Europcar desk to hire the car we had booked. We chose Basel because it is the change point for trains into Italy and if we had stopped nearer Eguisheim, we would have had to transfer at Basel when we head to Milan on 30 May. It also makes the car hire easier taking it from one place and returning it to the same base.
The car is a VW Golf Hybrid which has all the bells and whistles electronically - need a Masters Degree to figure out the display. The car drives very well.
The drive from Basel to Eguisheim was about 60km and it was interesting getting back into the saddle driving on the right of the road and on the left of the car again. However, my brain seems to adjust OK and our biggest issue was getting out of Basel and navigating our way out of the City. Once we were on the open roads, the
driving was relatively easy - no problem managing the 130kph speed limit.
Even though it was about 5:00pm in the afternoon, there was plenty of light to drive to our destination, which took longer than expected (Still light at 10pm).
How many 5 Rue du Traminer's do you think would be in the area - LOTS !!! Because this is wine country, everyone and his uncle has a Rue du Traminer in it and, unfortunately, the wrong town was selected and we ended up 30km north of where we were supposed to be. So the hour drive took over two hours !! Good driving practice, I guess !
Next challenge was picking the right house in Eguisheim and using the right codes to open the safe locked boxes with keys in them. All worked well and we got entry to our Chez Ambre and Jade at 19 Rue de Remparts.
Next surprise - Chez Jade and Ambre is in fact two separate apartments - that was not clear from the website.
Next surprise - Chez Ambre, which is ours is, of course, on the second level. Jim did not need his gym session this week
getting the two large bags up the narrow staircase.
The apartment is part of the older houses in the township and has all of those old features you would expect - lowish ceilings, creaky floors, "quaint" decor - but the plumbing seems to be good ! We are worried about the people in the apartment below us, wondering how much of our creaky floor movement is transmitting to them. Can't be helped but we are trying to tread lightly.
Getting on for 7:30pm and out for dinner which we found in one of the laneways. It looks like there are plenty of cafes, restaurants and wine bars locally - not all of which were open at 7:30pm.
Had to make a dash into nearby Colmar to find a supermarket which was still open after 8pm to get enough bits and pieces for breakfast.
That done it was shower and bed by 10:30pm.
Thursday 23 May 2024 - Eguisheim Happy 17th birthday, Lucy !!
May is one of our usual travelling months and Lucy always comments that we are never home for her birthday ! Sorry about that grand daughter !
Up at
6am. 10 -18 forecast for the day and there is certainly rain around us at the moment but the sun is presently shining locally.
Plan for today is to stay local and investigate Eguisheim to see what it has to offer. It certainly has the old town charm about it.
Late start - someone needed a sleep in - finally got on the road around 11:30am.
We wandered the streets of Eguisheim on the various concentric circles of the layout of the village. Some places are well maintained - others need a fair bit of work and there were many places currently under renovation. Many busloads of visitors arrived in town as we were walking around - a lot of Americans, Germans and Asians.
In early historic times, Eguisheim was inhabited by the Gauls; the Romans conquered the village and developed here the cultivation of wine.
In the early Middle Ages, the Dukes of Alsace built a castle (11th century) around which the current settlement developed.
The village is a popular tourist destination, in part because the Alsace Wine Route passes the village. The village is close to sseren- les- Chateaux and is in
the middle of vineyards. The village is connected to Husseren-les-Châteaux by the Route du Vin (D14). Around the Route du Vin is a wine trail through the vineyards called
Sentier viticole Eguisheim, which tries to explain the different grape varieties and the way wine is made in Alsace.
The area around Eguisheim is popular with hikers and cyclists.
Found a nice bar / cafe in the street next to ours in a laneway and had coffee and a charcuterie board. too much food - but....it is a holiday.
Needed to top up the hasty shopping we did last night to last us the week we will be here so drove 7kms into Colmar to LeClerc Hypermarket and purchased a few more items.
The chef decided lamb casserole was on the menu tonight so the ingredients were in the mix for shopping. Home and the makings were made and the chef did her magic.
Casserole done - time for a predinner wine. Bar St Leo Wine bar is literally within 50 metres of our front door - so a visit there for the first round of the evening. Interesting - they did not have any reds
heavier than a Pinot Noir.
Thought we would chance another round at the place we had lunch, just around the corner (they are everywhere !!). On arrival, we saw a couple in the corner and we were heading to a tale near then when the lady asked Roz "Do you speak English ?". Obviously up for a chat !!
Bill and Catherine from Colorado USA were very personable, well travelled and it turned out, Catherine was born a Scot, became a ten pound POM with her family about 1952 and lived in Sydney most of her life before moving to the USA where she met Bill. They visit family at Burleigh Heads every November !! The people you meet and the coincidences are incredible.
Two drinks before dinner was enough so it was back to the barn and the delicious lamb casserole was demolished with veges and a slice of toast to wipe up the gravy.
Still haven't worked out how to get the TV working so it was a night of reading.
Tomorrow's activity is an 8 hour Alsace 4 Wonders Small-Group Day Trip in which we visit four of the wine towns in
the area, get some history and drink some wine. We are being picked up and dropped off in Eguisheim.
Bed at 10pm.
Friday 24 May 24 - Eguisheim Up at 6am - looking fine outside - 9 to 19 forecast.
Breakfast done and off to the meeting point in the village for our tour.
Didier from Alsace Original Experiences was our driver and guide. Yvette from Singapore and Joan and Bruce from Tauranga in NZ were our travelling companions for the day. The group again turned out to be communicative and friendly. Didier was a knowledgeable, personable and funny man who kept us entertained for the 8 hours we were with him.
We started in Eguisheim and we learned more of the history of the village than our own walk arounds. There was a presence as early as the 8th century and it was developed as a walled city with concentric houses being built within its walls. Current population is about 1300.
We then joined the Alsace Wine Trail and made our way to Ribeauville in the north. Quite a large town with a population of 4000. Got sprinkled on but it was
not too heavy.
Next was Riquewirh, a considerably smaller village than the last built on a sloping path up a hill to the usual clock tower at the top. This was also a lunch stop and we were given an hour and a half free time to have lunch and investigate the town on our own.
Final village was Keysersberg whose claim to fame was that the Pied Piper was born here as was Albert Schwietzer. Images of the Piper are all over town and there is a museum for Schweitzer.
The history in all of these villages harks back centuries with most development in the 16th and 17th centuries. As can be seen from the pictures, the architecture is similar in each town but we were advised there were subtle difference from one village to the next. It is overwhelming to be in these places and realise how much they achieved back in those days.
Equally amazing were the kilometre upon kilometre of grape vineyards, up hill and down dale, all of which are picked by hand, not machines. Apparently, the locals make up the majority of the workforce when picking begins in late August
through to late November.
Last stop was at Stoeckle winery where we sampled the 8 wine varieties of the Alsace Region. All are white wines except for one red, a pinot noir. The lighter whites are very palatable. Neither Roz or I went for the sweeter ones.
Tour done just after 5pm and we were dropped back in Eguishem by 5:30pm. Light dinner was the order of the day so a pizza place just up our laneway was found and the pizza and a salad were had.
Back home after a full day - my Samsung Health app tells me we walked over 14,000 steps today.
Saturday 25 May 24 - Eguisheim Up at 6am - bright and sunny day but a little chilly.
Someone needed a sleep in so it was another slow start to the day and 11am before we got out the door - but others of us have to remember - it is a holiday and there are no time limits on us - except for impatient old blokes !!! :-)))
In view of the time of the day, the decision was to visit Colmar, just 5 kilometres up
the road.
Colmar has been French for most of its modern history, however its population used to be predominantly German. It was annexed to France after Germany lost WWI and during WWII Hitler reclaimed it. The first mention of Colmar dates back to the chronicles of Charlemagne during the Saxon wars in the 9th century. During the Thirty Years’ War, Colmar was occupied by the Swedish army in 1632 for two years. As of 2021, Colmar had a population of approximately 67,730 people. It is the third-largest commune in Alsace.
We drove to Colmar and parked at the underground Colmar RAPP which is very conveniently in the middle of the tow n. Very easy to find and within walking distance of the Old City and Little Venice. Cost for 4 hours parking was AUD$10.
While looking a lot like all of the other nearby villages, the buildings in Colmar were considerably larger and more grand in their appearance. Being a Saturday, the streets were packed with families and young couples - not many old Aussie tourists obvious on the streets !!
The cafes and restaurants must outnumber the dogs and cats in the city - could
not believe every second shop seemed to be in the food business - and most were full around 12 noon. We stopped off at La Boudoir Cafe in Le Grand Rue and indulged in a La Boudoir burger and Croque Monsieur - both of which were much larger than we thought they would be. However, we soldiered on and had a slice of really delicious Alsace Red Plum tart with our coffees - Good decision !!
We ventured into Rue Des Clefs which had retail shopping outlets left right and centre for about a kilometre, on both sides of the street. You really do have to wonder how they all make a living. And that was only one main street - there were parallel streets with shops filled to the brim too. All of these outlets occupy space in historic old buildings.
As it was in the nearby villages, in the past, the colour of the front of the buildings denoted what industry had been carried out in them. I cannot remember the colour coding (after the briefing from Didier yesterday) but apparently the stores are required to keep those colours on their fronts, even though the link
to the past industry has long gone. It certainly makes for a colourful presentation of the streetscape.
We then moved to the area known as Le Pettie Venise - Little Venice - named that way for the canal system that runs through that part of the town. It has been very well developed and presented as a Venice like environment. The only thing missing were the dudes in the black straw hats, striped shirts and black strides singing "Ol Sol Mio" with oar in hand from the back deck of a gondola. Instead, there were long wooden barges with a quiet outboard motor on them taking tourists for a ride (literally and figurately) along the canal. there were a couple of places where the barges go under very low bridges and everyone had to bow to the water god to get under the bridge... or lose their head.
There is a large covered market (Marche Couvert Colmar) where meats, cheeses, fruit and vegetables, and seafood are sold from individual traders. We found some nice cheeses at one of them and got a sample each of a blue cheese, a cheese with cumin and a Munster cheese.
The
bog standard gelati was had on a bridge and we headed back to the parking station - getting on for 4:30pm. A quick trip to the Leclerc supermarket to pick up some salmon for dinner.
Home by 5:30pm and a late 5 O'clock Wine O'clock was had with the cheeses and some bubbly. Alsace is not allowed to call its bubbly champagne so it is called Cremant. We had bought two bottles of the Stoeckle Cremant after our wine tasting yesterday and it is proving to be a very drinkable wine.....but then, it is a cold white wine and it is wet,isn't it ??? Ergo, it is drinkable.
Dinner at 7:pm was the Norwegian salmon and some vegetables - very pleasant and as good as we would have had at any of the local restaurants.
Tomorrow is forecast to be a cracker of a day - 14 to 24 degrees and sun shining so might try and urge others to start the day earlier and get out there while the good conditions last.
Sunday 26 May 2024 - Eguisheim The day did not live up to the hype - weatherwise. While it stayed relatively warm
above 20 degrees (think it hit 24 at some stage), the day was overcast and tending to showers later in the day.
But...we got away with it again being able to get out and about without getting wet.
Up at 5:30am and Roz followed at 6:30am so that we could get an early getaway to a WWI battlefield site I have wanted to see in this area. It is known as
Le Linge. It was about 30km from Equisheim and took about 45 minutes to drive there. It is at the top of a mountain and the road is twisting and winding with hairpin bends. And, of course, things don't change - all of the mongrel cyclists were out for their Sunday ride, taking up narrow roadspace, chatting away and having a wonderful time !!
The drive up the mountain was through large forest areas - all very green and full of foliage.
The struggle for Le Linge, a hilltop located fourteen miles west of Colmar in the Vosges Mountains, was one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War. Between 20 July and 15 October 1915, the Germans organised their defence here in order
to prevent French troops advancing on Colmar.
In 1915 this area was part of the Alsace, which Germany considered its own. The fighting was extremely violent, with 17,000 killed counting both the French and the German losses. Gas and flamethrowers were used here. Subsequently, as both sides came to realize that a major breakthrough in the Vosges was unfeasible, the hill was the site of some of the closest, most intense trench fighting of the Great War.
The memorial for this battle is set up in a very well presented museum, entry to which was 6 Euro per person, which I paid online. An older French couple appear to be the custodians and doorkeepers - no English - and only schoolboy French from me. I indicated "Anglais" and that was the language the video was played in for us. It runs for 20 minutes, providing an explanation and a visual history of the battle.
A tour of the museum followed and then it was, literally, out into the trenches.
Given it is now almost 110 years since the battle took place, there is an expectation that the remains of the trenches themselves and blockhouses would not
be in terrific nick - and so it was. There are very identifiable areas of the trench lines and the outer shells of the block houses, machine gun and observation posts still exist. The best maintained sections are on the ridgeline where the Germans defended against French attacks.
But you can just imagine the soldiers dug in and living the life in the trenches. In some locations, the French and the German trenches are only metres apart.
The sobering part of the sit are the black (German) and white (French) crosses indicating where the remains of soldiers have been found in recent years as the site was developed and investigated. Some are "Unknown", others are named. In most cases, the soldiers were discovered from the battlefield burials that took place. Some just "disappeared" until they were found.
There is a German cemetery nearby with 2650 graves in it, most named. The site was put in place in cooperation with the German Government, under much the same arrangements as we have with our Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Roz did very well navigating the pathways and steps, up hill and down dale.
We spent a good hour
and half in the trenches before calling it a day (I could have stayed all day getting into every section of the line - but pragmatism took over - happy wife, happy life !!).
For anyone in the area and interested in military history, this location and tour is well worth it.
About to leave the site and the cavalry turned up. About 8 ladies on horses arrived in the carpark, seemingly complete with bedrolls and tentage so I think they may have been out for a camping weekend. More polite than the cyclists, they made way on the roadside and indicated safe to pass when I was approaching.
Down the other side of the mountain to change our view and headed to Munster for lunch. On the way down, came across a field with many cows in it - most with bells attached. Very noisy cacophony of bell ringing - the neighbors would be pleased trying to watch Dallas or Days of Our Lives on midday TV..
Arrived in Munster and we were somewhat underwhelmed after our introduction on Friday to the "pretty" villages. Munster is obviously much younger and more of a working village
and did not have the atmosphere or photo opportunities of the other places. That aside, an enjoyable lunch in yet another
Salon de The and then on our way.
It being only 2:30pm, we decided we would try a run into Germany to one of the villages recommended by our Friday guide, Didier. He suggested we go to Breisach about 30km over the border. Driving was easy but the journey again could have been saved. Perhaps it was because it was a Sunday afternoon and virtually everything except cafes and restaurants were closed, but the place lacked any sense of history and presence. As it was located near the Rhein River and the border, I think it may have got a pasting in WWII and the housing and facilities reflected that era of post war reconstruction. Modern (50s) block houses abounded with no historical or aged architecture.
Stopped off for an obligatory coffee and a piece of walnut cake and headed back home.
Dinner in the hotel just behind our street in a nice dining room with good service. I tried the local favourite - Tarte Flambee - basically a thin crust pizza. It was good and
light but the amount of cheese on it made it pretty rich. Tarte Flambee done and dusted - might have to try the other local favourite one night - sauerkraut with five meats on it.........
We were going to head to Zurich tomorrow but the weather forecast all over the region is foul. Looks like there is going to be 10mm of rain in most areas and we thought it not worth going that far to Zurich (150km) and having to get around under an umbrella. The Zurich forecast for Wednesday is considerably improved so that may be the day we get there.
Best choice is to go to Strasbourg - either drive the distance (about an hour - 75 km) or train it from Colmar. If the rain is heavy, we will go by train and park the car at the station in Colmar (about AUD$50 return per person). Strasbourg is a largish city with plenty of shops and malls so if push comes to shove to get out of the rain, we can stay pretty dry by making our way into and out of them. Photo opportunities may have to suffer though.
Despite treading the
trenches, a measly 8,000 steps today.
Monday 27 May 2024 - Strasbourg The day started better than expected with blue sky and sunshine around Eguisheim - but the radar showed rain in Strasbourg and Zurich. Committed to the plan to visit Strasbourg in the event of rain, we soldiered on and got away at 9:15am, heading about 80km North. As luck would have it, we got away with it again (almost - but more of that later) for our walk around Strasbourg without getting wet.
The drive North was a breeze on the A35 freeway. Speeds ranged from 90kmph to 130kmph and I was able to drive with the traffic at those speeds without difficulty. The road surfaces are great. The journey took just over the hour but by the time we were parked and ready to move on, it was after 11am.
Arrived in Strasbourg at a previously researched Park & Ride station at Baggersee - about 5 km from the CBD. A very efficient, modern tram service passed right the P&R site with the Baggersee tram station conveniently located adjacent to the P&R.
And what a deal they have for users of the
Park & Ride !!! Tell the Head Clown in the Queensland Labor Circus he's dreaming with his 6 month, 50 cent pre-election bribe. Strasbourg offers a
€4.20 parking fee for 24 hours or 7am the next morning (whichever is sooner) and the
€4.20 parking ticket is also a public transport ticket that up to 7 people on the same ticket can use, all day, as often as you like, on all public trams and buses, at no extra cost, provided you all travel together. And that is the ongoing arrangement - not a greasy temporary election three card trick !!! It worked very well all day for us.
Arriving in Strasbourg CBD right near Place Kleber, the centre of the city, we located the Strasbourg Notre Dame Cathedral - easy to do by the spire that towers over the city. Before heading in that direction, a visit to the local Galleries Lafayette for a coffee and an energy improving sticky bun.
The intention was to visit the Cathedral first but as we often find in France, the 12 - 12:45pm or to 1pm time slot, many businesses and attractions close - presumably to have a baguette with jambon
and emmental cheese and a cafe. The Cathedral did not open again until 1245pm and when it did the line up was stretched across the forecourt in front. No matter, the line moved quickly. In the meantime, we found a small lunch stop around the corner.
Strasbourg Cathedral de Notre-Dame is known as one of the most beautiful gothic cathedrals in Europe. The Cathedral stands on the exact site of a Roman temple built on a little hill above the muddy ground. The first version of the church was starting to be built during 1015 by proposal of Bishop Werner von Habsburg, but fire destroyed most of the original Romanesque building. By the time that cathedral was being renovated (at the end of the 12th century, this time with red stones carried from the nearby mountains of Vosges), the gothic architectural style had reached Alsace and the future Cathedral was starting to develop all the characteristics of gothic aesthetics.
For the next four centuries, due to the height of its tower (142 m), the Strasbourg Cathedral was considered the tallest building in modern world ! Furthermore, it was unique because it was one of the few gothic churches
equipped with only one tower. Under the Reformation, in 1521, the Cathedral became a Protestant church. After the incorporation of Strasburg into France in 1681, the Cathedral was returned to the Catholics and dedicated to the Virgin.
The Cathedral also houses a remarkable astronomical clock, built between 1571 and 1574.
The sheer size of the Cathedral and the height of the ceilings is astounding. Not as expensively decorated as some Catholic cathedrals we have seen, but the stained glass windows and the rose above the front door are just amazing.
The platform that forms the base of the spire is some 66 metres above the ground and it can be accessed by 330 steps - however, caution prevailed and we passed the opportunity to climb to that height.
On from the Cathedral back into the city streets. The buildings in Strasbourg are very grand in scale and there is street after street with these older buildings above and acres of retail outlets below- laneways left and right - many cafes and restaurants.
We headed for an area called Little France . The CBD of Strasbourg is actually located on an island in the middle of
the L'ill River so there are plenty of canals and bridges to be seen. Little Paris is an attractive, quieter area with its unique architectural heritage, located on its own finger of land in the river. It also leads to what is known as the Ponts Couverte (covered bridge) - or the Barrage Vauban. The bridge acts as a dam and was constructed between 1685 and completed in 1700. The bridge also has accessible roadway across the top of it which forms a very good viewing platform. Unfortunately it is only accessible by stairs, the lift being out of action. The stair climbing proved to be Roz's undoing this afternoon and by the time we got to the top, she was in quite some pain. A short stay to take the obligatory photos and we headed for the nearest tram stop to get us back into the city.
My intention was to support the good lady and offer her retail therapy at one of the (apparently) extensive shopping malls but her hip was hurting so bad, Roz decided to head for the barn. Another tram ride back to Baggersee tram stop, into the car and on our way. All
of that and not a drop of rain !!!
The bane of my life raised the ugly heads again - cyclists.!!! They were everywhere in the city - on footpaths, in bicycle lanes on the roads, on the tram tracks. No regard for pedestrians and I was nearly run over two or three times. Looks like my next crusade will have to be "Ban the Bikes".
I had looked at the radar just before departing and there was a band of rain between Strasbourg and Eguisheim that we would have to negotiate - on the130kph highway !! And when it did arrive, it was the heaviest rain I have ever driven through - scary !! To their credit, all the motorists formed one line of traffic in the right hand lane nearest the edge of the road, turned on their hazard lights and reduced speed to about 40kph. The only thing that kept us moving was to follow the hazard lights in front - you literally could not see beyond those lights. Pulling to the side of the road was not an option as there was not enough lane space and to stop would have caused a nose
to tail. As I said, scary stuff that lasted about 10 minutes. We survived and made it back to Eguisheim in one piece.
Ate in tonight. We have been using the facilities of the apartment for cooking on alternate nights. First time we did so was a lamb casserole, the next was salmon and vegetables and tonight crumbed chicken and vegetables. This has been working out well to keep the richness of the food down, the vegetable count up and has been cheaper. The Cremant wine and cheeses we bought a few days ago have been getting a thrashing at the notional 5 O'clock Wine O'clock session - but that didn't happen until 6pm tonight due to the late return.
Going to play the plans by ear tomorrow morning, depending on how Roz's hip feels. Might make it an easier day to give it a rest as we do want to visit Zurich on Wednesday and that will involve some walking. Will probably just revisit one of the wine villages for lunch - and we will have to start the repack again. If we are out all day in Zurich on Wednesday, we have to get ahead of
the game for departure on Thursday by train to Milan.
Just over 10,000 steps today.
Bed at 10pm
Tuesday 28 May 2024 - Eguisheim The weather continues not to live up to its forecast hype. Beautiful morning outside with a forecast 11-21 for the day. We can't pick it !! Sun shining, birds tweeting.
Up at 6am and others had a good sleep in until 8:30am - wish I could do the same.
Slow morning while we waited to see how the hip was reacting and the decision made late morning to take a drive to Freiburg in Germany for lunch - 60km over the border, an hour's drive.
Again, the country roads are easy driving and traffic did not thicken up until about 5 km outside of Freiburg. We negotiated the city driving and got into a recommended car park near the old city to reduce the walking. Car park for 4 hours was €6.40.
The old city in Freiburg was not as large as some of the nearby French villages. Again, the reason is probably due to the treatment the city got in WWII from both German and Allied air
attacks. The Germans mistakenly bombed the city in 1940 and a large air raid by the Allies in 1944 killed over 3,000 residents - miraculously, the Freiberg Minster Cathedral survived the bombings.
Yes - I know - another European city, another cathedral - but they are so impressive in terms of their size and the detail of the construction.
Freiburg Minster is the cathedral of Freiburg im Breisgau. The last duke of Zähringen had started the building around 1200 in romanesque style. The construction continued in 1230 in Gothic style. The minster was partly built on the foundations of an original church that had been there from the beginning of Freiburg, in 1120.
The soaring ceilings, the intricate stained glass windows and the Gothic towers are the stand out features of this building.
A farmer's market was just wrapping up when we arrived there at 1pm. It was obviously a popular event with large crowds in attendance.
We did a slow walk around the old city streets and found a place for lunch in the back streets. The remaining buildings are large and well presented with offices and residential above and retail in the street
level shops. An incredible number of shoe shops in Freiburg. Fortunately, nothing attracted Roz's attention in the shoe department but some make up was found in another store. One purchase of skin lotion was half the price we pay in Australia.
Unfortunately, the hip did not last long so we made our way back to the carpark and left around 4pm. Traffic was light and we made good progress arriving back in Eguisheim at 5:15pm. Roz did not want to go out so we satisfied ourselves with another home cooked meal of crumbed veal - but will eat out on our last night in Dodge City tomorrow night.
We have booked the train from Basel to Zurich for tomorrow as our last hurrah in this region - 9:45am departure and 5:30pm return. There is an hour's drive each way from Eguisheim to Basel to start and finish the day.
Although not as intense as other days we have had, the weather was a cracker (check the blue skies in the photos) and it was relatively gentle and stress free. We enjoyed the day out.
We have managed to explore North, South, East and West of Eguisheim
in the time we have been here and will have ventured into Germany and Switzerland, as well as France during our travels. We have enjoyed the food we have had but the menus in most cafes and restaurants look very similar. Tarte Flambee is big on the lists as are steaks, pizzas, veal and sauerkraut. The salads have been varied and good with a good lashing of goat's cheese. Of course, le fromage (cheese) is big in this region and there are many shops where a wide range of cheeses can be sampled - and they are good. The wines of the Alsace are everywhere - all whites except for one variety of pinot noir. Good gutsy reds (shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlots) are virtually non existent in the Alsace (I've seen one restaurant offering a good solid red).
It has been an enjoyable stay in Alsace.
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Barb
non-member comment
Blog working well
Glad all going according to plan.