Paris - Day 1

Today we caught the train from Frankfurt at 9.00am.  We arrived in Paris at 12.50pm - a fast and very comfortable trip.  Pam thinks we should be able to ride like that everywhere, plenty of leg room and the seats were very good too.  We were served a meal at about 10.30am.
 We found a taxi which brought us to the Novotel here in Paris.  It is OK but a bit squeezy and claustrophobic in the bath room.  Nowhere to hang all of the washing so there are unmentionables hanging from most things.
This afternoon we walked for 4 hours to the Eiffel Tower, the L'Arc to Triomphe and down the main shopping street where they sell ordinary things at very expensive prices.
The plan is to go to Versailles tomorrow for the day, then the next morning we are going to go up the Eiffel Tower.  Today the place was crawling with people all over the city as all the museums and attractions were free - some special day, so even walking was difficult, dodging and weaving people, bikes and cars, not to mention the odd dog dropping.
On Monday night we are going to Moulin Rouge.  We hope to get in lots of sight seeing on Monday before then and then again Tuesday before we meet up with the tour group at 5.00pm for drinks or something.

Pam taking photo of Herbie with the smallest bread rolls we haveever seen anywhere!  We escaped to a resteraunt out of the cold and rain.

Enjoying the music on our Prague river cruise.  It was freezing!  I never knew that wind blew through leather before.

Unfortunately it rained when we got to Prague making it wet and miserable.  The wind was so bitterly cold.  I wouldn't like to be there in winter.  We really didn't see Prague at its best.

This is a vehicle where 10 people sit at the 'bar' and pedal and drink beer as it meanders through the streets.  Looks like a lot of fun and they are very noisy!  I think it takes a lot of beer to keep it moving.

This is the view from the door of the Novotel where we are staying in Paris.

 

Under the Tower, working up enough courage to go to the top on Monday!!!!!!!!  I think Pam may have a job ahead of her to get me there, but I will be trying.!

 

Our last day of the Bohemian trip was mostly spent in travel and then a dinner at night with the people before we all went our separate ways.  We had been fortunate as the group was small and mostly very nice people from all walks of life.  Let's hope the next trip is the same.

Auschwitz

Tins which held the poisonous gas

Suitcases from detainees.  Victims have been identified by their cases.

Shoes - adults

Dormitories with double fence and barbed wire.

The front gate through which prisoners entered each day

On the way to Krakow we went to Auschwitz which was a very sobering experience.  It is amazing to hear and see what human beings can inflict upon one another.  For some the most moving display was the 2 tonnes of human hair, for others it was the children's toy, or the suitcases with the names on them.  There was a display of 40 000 shoes - adult ones and also another of children's shoes. 

Budapest

Well I have finally worked it out, I couldn't post as the site was in magyar, the Hungarian language!  We arrived in Budapest yesterday afternoon after travelling through Slovakia from Poland.  Slovakia is a very pretty country with only 5 million people.  It must look like a traditional Christmas Card when it snows.

On our last night in Poland we went to a dinner with folk dancing.  We were encouraged to join in and many of us did.  There were vodka shots all around, beer and wine.  The meal was very good and a great time was had by all.

Last night we went to a dinner cruise on the Danube.  The city of Budapest is very pretty by night with all of the old buildings lit up.  We had dinner on the way up the river and on the way back sat on the top deck and took in the sights.  Today we went on a trip around and had a look at those sights.  We went to Parliament house which is a fantastic building - huge and expensive.

At lunch time we ate in this small village of artists where we were then able to do some shopping with embroidery and ceramics etc.

Tonight it is a Be My Guest dinner where we go to a Hungarian vineyard and eat there - and I dare say there will be free wine again.  We have been very well fed on this leg of the trip, not having to buy one meal.  I am sure we have gained weight - thank goodness for stretchy pants!

One of the laides had a nasty fall today with the uneven cobblestones in the old sector of this city.  They called an ambulance and she went to hospital where they stitched her knee back together.  It was a very nasty cut - lots of blood.  It is so easy to trip on the cobblestones.  You either have to walk and watch where you are going or stop and take pictures or look at things - you can't do both together.

The Folk Dancers

Parliament House

The Palace

We are in the Ramada Hotel here.  It is very nice but Pam and I have managed to make it look like a Chinese laundry with wet clothes hanging from ever spot possible - even the floor lamp and the television!  I washed my socks and dried them with the hair dryer in the top.  They sure looked funny, something like a contraceptive I think!!!

Warsaw, Poland

What a busy couple of days it has been.  Yesterday was a travel day along the new highway from Berlin to Warsaw which has recently been finished for the World Cup Soccer.  It was a wonderful road.  Along the 500 km route we stopped at Poznan, a city of 800 000 people.  We had lunch in the old city square where there was a clock which had two little goats that came out and butted heads on the hour.

In Warsaw we are staying at the Mecure Hotel which is quite comfortable.  We have been well fed - way to much to be quite honest.  Today we went on a tour to the Wilanow Palace which has furniture and artifacts from a Polish king from the late 1600s.  It has been lovingly care for and restored with many original pieces after the war being returned to their rightful place.  The parquetry floors were quite beautiful and intricate.

Around lunch time we came back to the Old Town part of Warsaw which was completely obliterated by the Germans in retribution for and uprising by the Polish people in 1944.  It has been completely rebuilt by the Polish people from the rubble of the demolished buildings.

In the old section Pam and I found a neat little cafe where we had toasted sandwiches and HOT coffee for approx $5 each!  The ice-cream was good too!!Tonight we were taken to the grounds of a church where we had a 3 course meal and drinks.  Too much food - just as well the jeans are stretchy.

The people on the trip seem to be very nice 11 Aussies, 4 New Zealanders, 8 Yanks and 6 Canadians. 

The side garden of the palace

Notice the red begonias in bloom.

Yesterday morning as Pam and I were coming down in the lift at the Hilton a lady went to get in.  I was completely blown away.  It was Louise from my trip last year to Morocco, Spain and Portugal.  We had a short catch up but unfortunately I was going one way as she was coming the other on another trip - but we did get to exchange details again.  An amazing coincidence.

 Wilanow Palace from the rear, a couple having their wedding photos taken, 

apparently a very poplar place to do this.

Linda and Louise at the Hilton in Berlin

Tomorrow it is on to Krakow, 17 degrees which will be much more chilly that the lovely weather we have had to date.

Another day in Berlin - solo

Yesterday we went on the Hop on Hop off bus again.  We went for a cruise on the Spree River through the city.  very pretty, lots of people with families yesterday, Saturday.  Afterwards we went to the Reichstag and looked from the outside as we would have to wait for an hour so decided to give that a miss.  We went to the Charlottenburg Palace which was a beautiful old building.  Some of it had been destroyed during the war and has been restored.  The rooms were completely in the style of the first Queen of Prussia, tapestries, furniture and porcelain intact - very beautiful.
We also went to the Brandenbug Gate, watched some street performers and had sausage there as well.  Food is here is both good, fresh and inexpensive, which is good as we seem to be consuming quite a bit of it.  Of course we are walking it off!!!
Today we have been to the Zoo and seen the polar bears who put on a lovely display for us.  We haven't even been lost once yet that we couldn't find our way home.  This afternoon we met the people on the bus tour, 29 will be all that there is.  mostly our age, some Aussies.  Had free wine and eaties late this afternoon.  We also visited the best choclate shop in the world which is half a block from us.  Bought some chocolates to eat with our coffee each night of the tour.  We have convinced ourselves that we definately couldn't take it back through customs in Australia and definately had to contribute to the German economy.

Tomorrow we go to Checkpoint Charlie and its museum plus other places.

Berlin - First Solo Day

We arrived in Berlin after approx 30 hours in transit - not really sure we want to go on another plane ride just yet!  I went to sleep on Pam as she was reading and telling me our plans for today and woke up approximately 10 hours later.  I'm sure she did a great job of that planning. 
Today we started with breakfast looking out of our Hotel Hilton window into a classy street below - a dress shop.  We went on the Hop on-Hop Off bus around Berlin, enjoyed it very much and have made plans to revisit many attractions tomorrow.  We stopped at the Berlin Central railway station which has a huge shopping complex and had lunch - yummo!
This afternoon we went shoe shopping, found the largest shoe shop that either of us has ever seen in our lives.  Our eyes almost popped out of their sockets.  Talk about shoe heaven.  Lucky we were at the beginning of the tour and are conserving our Euro and suitcase space or the credit card could have been smoking.
This morning it was raining when we left so we borrowed a couple of umbrellas with hooked handles for the day.  I am a bit worried about Pam who managed to hook herself a really nice looking gentleman off the street with her umbrella handle!  He managed to escape her clutches with a laugh as he resumed his daily affairs.  The next thing that happened as she walked along the street she was almost swept off her feet bny another man.  This one was in a street sweeper and I had to pull her back from his clutches as he swept the kerb in front of her.  Oh dear will I be able to bring her home safely!
Tonight we are going to a small restaurant which we can see from our window in our room to have dinner.  I am going to avail myself of the free beer with the meal.  Pam has promised not to take her umbrella to hook any other gentlemen. 
Photos tomorrow - not completely organized today.

Preparation for New 2012 trip to Europe

This the test message for the new trip.