Mythical People

29 June – Friday

And the rains came down! It absolutely poured during the morning on our drive to Cornwall, but fortunately had cleared by the time we reached Clovelly, although a “brisk” wind was blowing. Clovelly is a small (touristy) fishing village at the bottom of a 400 metre walk down a cliff on a very rough cobbled street. We discovered that this was where Charles Kingsley, poet and novelist, lived – his house is open to the public. Very pretty village, but very steep, plus the tide was out! Merlin is supposed to be buried in a cave on the beach. We chickened out on the walk back up (someone was having trouble with his knees!!!) and paid for the Landrover drive up the hill. Worth every penny.

Then it was in to Boscastle and Tingatel, where the ruins are supposedly King Arthur’s castle. They are situated on a narrow headland and as it was rather windy, we decided against a closer look. After that it was into Port Isaac, the setting for the television series “Doc Martin.” A beautiful fishing village, much easier to access, readily recognisable and LOTS of people.

Our accommodation tonight is at a B & B in the country, with squirrels running around and a beautiful stream at the bottom of the garden.

Salisbury Plains

28 June – Thursday

Headed out for Salisbury and Stonehenge, weather cloudy and cool. Soon discovered that we would be going through Midsomer, which turned out to be rather unlike the Midsomer we know from the television series. We avoided the main highways and kept to the small country lanes as much as possible (as we have always done) and travelled through the most beautiful and quaint villages, stone buildings, thatched roofs, roses, flowers – everything we imagine an English cottage to be! A stop at a small Norman church was a real delight, the door was unlocked and we could wander inside.

First major stop of the day was a Stonehenge, along with a large number of other tourists. Whilst the stone circle wasn’t as big as we had imagined, it was still a wonderful experience to see something we have seen so many times in the media. No one was allowed to walk among the stones, but the path was very well set out so that photos could be taken without crowds in the backgrounds.

Then it was on to Winton House, the private home of Lord Pembroke. A lovely house designed by Inigo Jones and with a magnificent art collection, especially van Dykes. The grounds were in keeping with the house. Whilst the earl was at home, we didn’t actually get to meet him.

In to Salisbury and the cathedral before travelling on to Old Sarum. This site dates from the Neolithic period and has the ruins of a 12th century castle on the top. Our journey back to Saltford was again through the backroads, with their wonderful villages, even a local pony club riding down the main street.

The British armed forces once again provided entertainment – during the drive across the Salisbury Plains we stopped to watch some tanks playing games, then a helicopter seemed to follow us for a couple of hours before the Air Force jets took to the air.

Family Ties

27 June – Wednesday

Off to Bristol and the Records Office to search for Joseph Barrett and his family. Success, with the discovery of another brother and sister, plus his parents. We found the marriage records for Joseph’s parents, as well as the baptism records of all seven children. Unfortunately, time restraints prevented further research into the family, especially Joseph’s siblings.

Late in the day we decided on a quick trip to Cardiff in Wales, only about 30 miles away. It was a rather unspectacular drive, with Bristol, Newport and Cardiff being very industrialised and with large ports. However, the bridge across the Severn was pretty remarkable, even if we found out once on the bridge, there was a toll of more than 5 pounds! At least it was a little warmer today (actually unzipped the jacket!!!) and we only had rain whilst in the car.

Bath Time

26 June – Tuesday

Woke to weak sunshine and to discover that many places in England had suffered major flooding, many districts that we had been in only days ago. The country is very flat and waterlogged already so it is easy to understand how quickly floods can occur. Today was mostly fine, with just a short shower mid-morning.

Discovered today that the long barrow we saw yesterday was a burial mound 3700 years old and what we thought was a hill fort is actually a mound nearly 5000 years old. Amazing to think they have survived development and bulldozers!

Bath was our first visit today, with the Roman Baths high on our list of “must sees.” Bath University were holding their graduation ceremonies in the Abbey today, so the city was full of students in full cap and gown, plus parents-in-tow. The Roman Baths were much more comprehensive than imagined – the actual swimming pool would be about the size of the Kingston pool. However, the excavations of the site are quite extensive, with parts of the temple (walls, altar, columns, steps, etc) and a number of pools, including the sacred pool (the actual hot spring) and various plunge pools. The drains and lead pipes are clearly visible and still in use draining the hot water from the spring to the main pool and then to the outside. The Romans even centrally heated their buildings! The spa water (warm) was available for us to try, but we did forego the pleasure.

A visit to the Jane Austen Centre was also very enjoyable and informative. Whilst not the actual house Jane lived in whilst in Bath, it was only a few doors away. Lunch was at the Regency Tearooms in this house, with Mr Darcy watching from above the fireplace. Following which we had a short walk to The Circus – a complete circle of terrace houses, all identical and with acorn decorations along the roof line – and the Royal Crescent. In fact, Bath architecture is all Georgian terrace houses, many of which are showing the ravages of coal fires. Bath would have to be the most difficult place we have found for driving and finding our way about. Not only are the streets narrow, the don’t seem to have been set out in any sort of order and signposting isn’t the best.

Decided to drive out to the southern Cotswold district, especially once we found out Prince Charles lived nearby at Tedbury. Took the scenic route through Badminton, home of the famous horse trials. Very pretty village and a large estate which we discovered belonged to the Duke of Beaufort. We couldn’t drive onto his property but could walk onto it, so had a little walk past his foxhound kennels and onto his parkland where the horse trials happen. Continued on through an obviously prosperous (and definitely horsy) region to Tedbury, passing a property with very high walls and notices warning about security, so perhaps this was Highgrove? Tedbury was a very old village with lots of small shops in the High Street, and the odd tourist bus! Returned to Saltford via many more similar villages, all made from Cotswold stone (similar colour to sandstone), many of the houses with the typical English cottage garden.

Blenheim Palace

25 June – Monday

The morning was spent in Woodstock at Blenheim Palace, a huge estate and palace given to the first Duke of Marlborough by Queen Anne and the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Such a magnificent building and grounds, privately owned and maintained by the current Duke. The gardens were designed by Capability Brown and contain a very large lake and the most enormous lawns, all weed free and looking like velvet! Of course, the rain came down!!!

Departed early afternoon for Bath, via the scenic route. Unfortunately, the rain just got heavier and then the fog came down as well, the temperature sitting on about 11 degrees. After a short time on a motorway, the weather cleared so it was back to the scenic route, just in time as it worked out. We came across the small village of Avebury, chock full of prehistoric stone circles, with a barrow (very large, long mound) on the outskirts, along with a large mound which we took to be a hill fort. Needless to say, the place was also full of tourists and cars. We also came across another chalk white horse carved into a hillside. This one we could see quite easily from the road.

Bath proved to be very frustrating looking for a B & B – no luck so continued towards Bristol, did a few about turns and finally found a nice house at Saltford. The bathroom is magnificent, certainly makes up for the last couple of nights. We will stay here at least three nights, maybe four.

White Horse

24 June – Sunday

Overcast and drizzling, so spent the morning wandering the village of Woodstock. Justin and Simon collected us at lunchtime and we drove on narrow, winding country lanes through the Oxfordshire Cotswalds to the White Horse, first for lunch in a local thatched inn, then for a look at the chalk horse carved into the hillside. Unfortunately, the rain absolutely bucketed down so our walk through the sheep paddock was curtailed somewhat. We returned to Woodstock via more villages – the Oxfordshire Cotswald houses are made from the local cream coloured stone, with local slate roofs.

After the boys left, the weather cleared somewhat so we decided to take Max for a drive through the northern Cotswalds, first to Stow-on-Wold then to the beautiful village of Lower Slaughter. The gardens in the area are gorgeous, typical English country gardens of hollyhocks, foxgloves and climbing roses.

It's Just Academic

23 June – Saturday

Left Stratford-on-Avon bound for Oxford, with a search for accommodation on the way (Oxford was very heavily booked for the weekend). Found a place at Woodstock, just around the corner from Blenheim Palace – a visit here is planned for Monday morning. Continued into Oxford and met Justin and Simon. Spent the remainder of the day on a personal walking tour of Oxford, courtesy of Justin. Unfortunately we were not able to actually enter any of the college buildings due to Commemoration Week activities, however Simon did get us entry into the quadrangle of Christ College and its cathedral. We were able to view the dining hall (aka Hogwarts dining hall) from the outside only. Then the rain came!!! We ended our tour at the Ashmolean Museum. What a surprise for me, as this museum contains the collection of John Tradescent, who I have recently read about. It was just wonderful to actually see some of his items, especially the cloak from America.

Woodstock is a lovely village, very old, lots of people obviously come here to stay and our B & B is in an 18th century townhouse – just right for Les to rest his weary legs!

Shakespeare in the Rain

22 June – Friday

Stratford-on-Avon, and it is pouring! At least it is not cold. After a short drive to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage – it is absolutely amazing to stand in a house 500 years old which still has the original furniture! The cottage also had the most beautiful garden, with flowers, vegetables and orchard. We then decided to give Maxwell (Smart) the day off and walked into the centre of the city and did all the touristy things like visiting Shakespeare’s birthplace and the house where he spent his final years. The city centre was lovely, all quaint old buildings, market square, canal with boats, and LOTS of tourists.

Decided to have a quiet afternoon, and we both found hairdressers and will probably live on bread rolls for the remainder of the holiday!

Wales & Wellington

21 June – Thursday

The longest day, and a long drive today. Left Chester and headed for Wales, with the first stop at Bangor. The tide was out and the mud just went on forever! It would have been at least 2 miles of mud from Bangor to the sea – incredible! Then through Caernarfon to the Snowdonia region and Mt Snowdon. How quickly the scenery changes from coastal farmlands to the most incredible slate mountain and then the bare grass and heather covered rocky mountains. Once through the pass, the countryside was much softer, very green and woodlands and lakes.

Back into England and on to Shrewsbury and then to Wellington, home of my great great great grandmother, Mary Dodd. Wellington dates back to the 1200s and was, and still is, a market town. We had a wander through the small, narrow and twisty streets, with many half timbered buildings and old public houses. (I’m sure Mary must have visited at least one of them!) The church was build c1790 and was probably where Mary was christened.

After this, it was the battle of the roundabouts, with a few circuits of some of them before finding the correct exit. Whilst we have found all the rounds to be well signed, for some reason this area wasn’t quite up to the national standard. Anyway, we arrived at Stratford-on-Avon and found a lovely B & B without any problems and will stay here for 2 nights.

The wildflowers have been absolutely lovely the entire trip. The fields are incredibly green (something to do with rain!), some are covered with buttercups, boggy areas have yellow irises growing in them, the hawthorn hedges have briar roses and honeysuckle, fox gloves, rhododendrons, the heather is starting to flower and the red (Flanders) poppies are just gorgeous. Whilst they are probably considered a weed, great swathes of red poppies across the fields is breathtaking – no wonder Monet painted them!

20 Degrees

20 June – Wednesday

At last, we reached the magical 20 degrees! A frustrating day, traffic wise, with the final 30 miles taking 2 hours. First stop today was at Sherwood Forest, home of Robin Hood, although he decided to stay hidden. However, we did see an old, big oak tree. Sherwood Forest seemed to be mainly composed of birch trees, not the oaks as expected.

Next, it was to Bosnover (or something like that) Castle, which was really interesting despite being partly in ruins. The inside of the castle was decorated with painted ceilings and wall panels – really beautiful, and a fountain in the grounds, whilst innocent looking above ground, was rather rude below ground. Les went away with his ego rather deflated! In fact, we spent over 2 hours there. We passed a number of large coal-fired electricity plants, at one time we could see 3 at once. Following the castle, it was a slow drive to Chester, via Chesterfield, with its twisted, leaning church spire, and the Peak District – wooded hills on one side and moors on the other.

We arrived at Chester about 6.00pm, much later than planned and couldn’t find a B & B on any of the main roads. So, as soon as we spotted a couple of Best Western hotels, decided to treat ourselves. The first, at 65 pounds, was full and they sent us across the road to their sister hotel. Being 4 star, they wanted 89 pounds but when I asked if they could give us a better rate, it dropped to 75 including full English breakfasts. Internet was also included! Chester city centre is all half-timbered (black and white buildings) surrounded by a city wall. Very pretty, but felt a bit uncomfortable at 7.00pm, with beggars about.

Fog

19 June – Tuesday

The best bed and breakfast so far, I wish I had the bathroom at home! Breakfast was wonderful as well, fresh strawberries and blueberries were only part of the menu.

Fog, and plenty of it! The sea fog was still thick and masked the whole coast. A short drive to the promenade revealed nothing but more fog, so a quick visit to James Cook and the whalebone jaws before moving on to Whitby Abbey, also shrouded in fog. An amazing place, even though in ruins. The view would have been absolutely stunning, if it wasn’t for the fog! Continued to Robin Hoods Bay, supposedly the most beautiful fishing village in Yorkshire. Unfortunately – fog!!! However, we did park the car and walk down the very steep hill to the village and all its tiny, narrow and twisting streets – very picturesque.

Next stop, Scarborough, and our first real impression of the British public on holiday at the seaside. Unbelievable, just like the movies!!! A very long promenade lined with mainly amusement arcades of pinball machines, fish and chip shops, fairy floss shops and the occasional souvenir shop with t-shirts. The holiday makers were all dressed in their coats, with the toddlers in their pushchairs wrapped up against the cold (and the compulsory dummy in the mouth!), but at least there wasn’t a hanky covered head in sight! The beach was sand, although it was only visible when the tide was out. Of course, there were people everyone on the beach, children with their pails and spades building sandcastles, people sitting on rugs or in chairs and even some hardy souls were swimming (the temperature was about 14 degrees). Of course, there were also the donkeys and the small amusement parks with their merry-go-rounds and boat swings (just like in Girls Own). But wait, there’s more! The chalets for hire at 8 pounds per day, so one could have a little hut complete with table, electric kettle (to mek a coop of tee) and deck chairs, so one could enjoy the seaside (definitely not the beach) without getting wet or sandy feet.

On to York for the night and a walk around the medieval city centre, a climb to the top of Clifford’s Tower (first built by William the Conqueror), a look at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and, of course, York Minster.

Make Believe

18 June – Monday

Time to visit Peter Rabbit and the home of his author, Beatrix Potter. Fortunately we arrived at Hill Top Farm before opening time as the number of visitors has increased dramatically since the release of the film Miss Potter. The house and surrounding countryside were used in a number of her illustrations and were highlighted throughout the house. The nearby gallery in Hawkshead is situated in the offices of Beatrix’s husband and contains a number of her original artworks.

Then it was off to the Yorkshire Dales via the town of Thirsk, the Darrowby in James Herriott’s All Creatures Great and Small television series. The Dales were very different from the Lake District, bare hills, lots of shaggy sheep with black faces and houses and farm buildings constructed of the local stone – a browny grey colour. Much drabber than the drystone, slate and white buildings of the previous day. The really interesting Dales were the second ones, closer to the coast, much more like the ones we see on television programmes. Speaking of which, a detour to the village of Goathland, otherwise known as Aidensfield, brought back many memories of Heartbeat. Skripp’s Garage, the Aidensfield Arms and the village shop were all there, as was the station. The station also featured as Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter films. The railway viaduct was spotted from a distance as well. The weather had cleared to be sunny and warm, which just made the village look even better, even the sheep grazing in the High Street!

Then on to Whitby for the night. A lovely fishing village and the home of James Cook. Unfortunately, a sea fog came in and shrouded the ancient abbey on the cliffs, but hopefully it will have cleared by tomorrow.

Lake District

17 June – Sunday

Started the day with a visit to the Gretna Green Blacksmith, the site is still used for weddings and there are three different style rooms available, each with the Gretna Green blacksmith’s anvil! Evidently, Gretna Green is still very popular for weddings. Then it was off to the Lake District via the long route. Just when we were starting to think we would be seeing nothing but farming land, the countryside changed to mountains and windy, narrow roads. It was the most amazing country – and road. I think every car in a 100 km radius suddenly decided to travel on this one lane, stone fenced lined “highway” and those who weren’t actually driving were parked in every nook and cranny they could find. I have never seen so many hikers (or are they trekkers in England?), the majority would have been over 55 and I’m sure they were having a jolly good time trudging along with their walking poles through the rain. The hills/mountains were very similar to Scotland, very steep, covered with bracken and grass, and quite rocky in places. We even watched, for a short while, a mountain rescue actually taking place quite high up. The poor little car had quite a struggle to get up over the mountain in the pouring rain and the gradient on the down side was 25%.

Keswick, for lunch in the middle of the afternoon, was really buzzing with people and all the shops were open. Again, I have never seen so many outdoor gear shops! In the summer season the District would be absolutely crawling with walkers.

Then it was on to Windermere to the night. What a beautiful village! A cruise on Lake Windermere completed the day, along with our walk in the Lake District – from Windermere to Bowness and return.

Stone Circles

16 June – Saturday

Breakfast, and Les was convinced to try haggis – vegetarian haggis, which isn’t haggis at all! Haggis is the sheep’s stomach stuffed with the offal (heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, brains, etc), oatmeal, onions and spices.

A short drive and we came across some standing stones in a field beside the road, then a walk through the field of sheep, sheep poo, midges and mud to another field containing two stone circles – one a standing circle, the other even older. It was absolutely wonderful, even if Jamie didn’t appear! It was a very cold, wet and dreary day, which added to the mysticism. Then on to Loch Lomond in the rain and mist before driving around the outskirts of Glasgow and on to Ayr for lunch. Ayrshire is very different to the highlands – is very prosperous looking dairy and sheep country.

We had a short detour to Stair, the place Douglas Downie lived before emigrating to Launceston. Not very much in Stair, a few very old, little houses, a nice looking pub and a very old church and graveyard. As we were driving along we came across another castle sign and just decided to have a look (getting to the stage of seen one, seen them all!). What a surprise, not a ruined castle but more like a palace and definitely lived in. The nice lady at the gate wanted 7 pounds each, so we took a photo and left. The gatekeepers lodge was on the banks of a beautiful trout stream. Then it was on to Gretna Green for the night and a nice B & B one block from the Blacksmith!

Bonnie Prince Charlie

14 June – Thursday

First stop this morning was the battlefield of Culloden and a history lesson on Bonnie Prince Charlie. Discovered that my ancestors, the Downie family, are part of the clan Lindsay – bit spooky, given my father’s name. Then it was of to the Isle of Skye with a stop at the Glen Ord Whiskey Distillery for a guided tour (we were the only people on the tour!) and a “free” sample of a wee dram. Evidently the whiskey passed the taste test. Some spectacular highland scenery on the way, with the green, bare mountains, lochs, burns, old stone buildings and some forest, with lots of wild rhododendrons foxgloves. A fly fisherman would absolutely love this country!!! A bit of entertainment was provided by the Royal Air Force practising their low level flying through the valleys and over the hills. The Isle of Skye was very similar and the weather was glorious – sunny and clear, with the temperature reaching about 17 degrees today. Returned to Inverness, with a magnificent view of the Castle of Eilean Donan and then drove along the bank of Loch Ness, which is much larger than I imagined. Despite all the road signs warning of deer, we have not seen a single one.

15 June – Friday

Left Inverness, bound for Oban. First stop was at Loch Ness for a boat ride and hopefully a glimpse of the monster. Unfortunately, Nessie decided to sleep in this morning. We had a short stop at Fort Augustus (at the end of Loch Ness) and watched a yacht move through the series of locks. Then on to Fort William at the base of Ben Nevis. This town was really buzzing with tourists, and is also a winter base for skiers. A short detour to Glencoe, the sight of a MacDonald massacre, and the most amazing highland scenery imaginable. A film crew were filming while we were there – a gentlemen in full highland dress was walking through the grass followed closely by his piper, piping. The area is obviously well used, as there was a helipad at the end of the car park.

After this, the day went downhill slightly. The coastal scenery on the way to Oban was just beautiful and Oban was the most marvellous old harbourside town, but the traffic! All the B & Bs were full (at 4.00pm!) except for those in terrace houses along the edge of a road with no parking on the street or at the rear. Thinking we may find something on the other edge of town, we kept driving (didn’t even get a photo) for nearly 2 hours before we found somewhere at a place called Kilmartin. Kilmartin is evidently the stone (circle, standing and cup) capital of Europe.

I saw two folds of heiland coos today, but HE wouldn’t stop the car for me to take a photo – kept mumbling something about cars behind us and no where to pull over!!! There is also a big brown owl flying around outside the house we are staying in.

Balmoral Castle

13 June – Wednesday

The day did not start at all well; our hire car had been booked nearly nine months ago (and been paid for!) to be picked up at 9.00am. Our plan was to collect the car, return to our hotel for the luggage and check out, then proceed north to Inverness via Balmoral Castle. Europcar did their best to make sure that didn’t happen – our car was in the process of being brought in from the airport and would be available in 40 minutes. TWO HOURS later, we took delivery of our car – a Smart Car which absolutely reeked of cigarette smoke. Not happy Jan!!! Europcar customer service centre will definitely be contacted tomorrow!

Anyway, it was off to Balmoral Castle via Perth and Scone, a lovely little village. Braemar was also quaint and obviously a centre for hikers, as we saw plenty in this area – all aged about 60 and most suitably dresses, the men wearing deerstalkers! We had some Scottish sunshine (mizzle) at Balmoral and it was freezing cold, about 8 degrees – didn’t get above 10 all day. Balmoral was lovely, the grounds were beautiful and we were allowed into the ballroom. The River Dee looked like it was just waiting for a fly fisherman!

Then it was over the Craigorm Mountains to Inverness. These mountains were typical of what we think of Scottish mountains, heather covered and no trees. The heather is just starting to flower in sheltered places and will look marvellous in a couple of weeks. Lots of sheep with shaggy wool, black faces and horns. I got so excited at seeing some heiland coos (Scottish for highland cows) that Les thought something was wrong and nearly ran off the road. The poor little car really struggled over the hills.

We found a lovely bed and breakfast in Inverness – very clean, smells wonderful (not like Edinburgh!) and a very friendly couple of owners. We have decided to stay two nights here. Went for a walk after dinner and there were a couple of fishermen standing in the middle of the Ness River, and it was bitterly cold even though the sun was shining. The sun sets about 10.15pm and rises 4.15am.

Scotland the Brave

12 June – Tuesday

Haggis was on the breakfast menu, but we both declined! A definite change in the weather from Paris – it is FREEZING!!! Once again, another medieval city and also part built about the 16th – 17th centuries. The Castle was amazing, perched on its big rock, although the Tattoo Parade Ground probably wasn’t as big in real life! After a few hours at the Castle, it was another “stroll” down the Royal Mile, with all its souvenir shops, to Holyroodhouse Palace, the official Scottish residence of the Queen. The gardens were really lovely and was hard to imagine that one was in the middle of a large city.

Walking back to our hotel and commenting how similar to Sussex Gardens (in London) the street was, when we met a lady and her granddaughter who had been on our European tour and were now doing a tour of the UK. They had just arrived in Edinburgh and their tour was staying at a hotel three doors away from ours! We sat at talked to them for about an hour – it was great to meet someone we actually knew.

Au Revoir, Paris

11 June – Monday

Final day in Paris was spent strolling around the local streets before revisiting the Eiffel Tower and climbing the 300 steps to the first level. The weather was still hot and a bit hazy, but not as bad as the first visit to the Tower. By now, the gypsies were quite obvious to us and it was interesting to watch them working the crowds. The shuttle ride to the airport was fascinating, especially as the driver became held up in peak hour traffic and to make up time, drove at 140 km/h along the motorway, weaving in and out of the traffic! The most exciting part of waiting at Charles de Gaulle Airport was watching a small mouse run around among the passengers. An uneventful flight on a 50 seater jet and we arrived in Edinburgh about 9.40pm and then bus and taxi to our hotel. An “appealing” little place, with a large bedroom, smallish bathroom and lots and lots of air freshener sprayed about.

Last day in Paris

10 June – Sunday
Another hot day in Paris, and another day spent walking. Today it was a long, slow walk to Notre Dame, inspecting the souvenirs and artworks along the banks of the Seine. Some of the paintings were very touristy, while others were not exactly unfamiliar! Notre Dame Cathedral was quite plain inside, but the outside was beautifully carved, especially the flying buttresses. The return walk was through the Left Bank district to the Luxemberg Gardens – what an amazing place. Beautiful lawns that no one is allowed to walk on!!! Everyone sat on chairs along the edges of the paths and lovely round pond on which children sailed yachts. Then it was a long, hot and slow walk through the back streets and main boulevards to return to our hotel. One would never starve in Paris (although may become bankrupt!), there are sidewalk cafes everywhere.

Paris under our own steam

8 June – Friday
Waved goodbye to our fellow coach travellers and set out on our own to conquer the city of Paris. Found our way to the Opera House without trouble (it was just around the corner!) and then discovered the most beautiful department store called Gallerie Lafayette. The inside of the building was simply fantastic – a huge stained glass cupola and all the floors had balconies overlooking the main floor, each one beautifully decorated. Myer may need to refurbish their stores! My French (together with a bit of miming) stood up to a bit of shopping and asking for a garment in a different size – I actually made myself understood. A change of hotels from the Ambassador to the Tourisme, and a very pleasant surprise. Our room is bigger than the 4 star hotel room in Nice, and recently refurbished.

The best part of the day – a visit to Monet’s Garden at Giverny. A longtime ambition finally fulfilled and definitely worth the wait. The weather was slightly overcast so the light was wonderful, the warm air heightened the perfume of the flowers, the place wasn’t overrun with tourists and the lily pond was just glorious. With the climate being very similar to Tasmania, the plants were very recognisable, with lots of roses, day lilies, pansies and lady’s mantel, plus many others.

9 June – Saturday
A full day on our feet – 7 hours of walking. First stop today was the Musee d’Orsy, the museum famous for its impressionist paintings. Be warned, not only was I very fond of Monet’s Garden, I also loved the Musee d’Orsy – photographs were allowed! How wonderful to stand in front of original Monet’s, Van Gogh’s, Degas’ and Renoir’s paintings and drawings, as well as Whistler’s Mother. I would have been quite happy to bring a few home, but what a decision that would have been!

After a few hours at d’Orsy, it was a slow stroll back to the hotel via the grounds of Le Louvre and the crowds along the Rue de Rivoli, with its souvenir shops and gypsies. The gypsies were very obvious today, their main ploy being the "found wedding ring" or "Do you speak English?" with the second gypsy coming from behind while the first one talks. The really infuriating (and sad) beggars are the women who sit on the ground holding a baby or young child who are obviously drugged. We also came across these types of beggars in Nice. One feels so sorry for the children – where are the authorities who should be caring for their welfare!

Today the sun finally broke through the fog and the clouds cleared – how much better the Eiffel Tower looks in the sun. Paris does have a nice feel to it. There is a fabulous florist shop near our hotel and the range of cut flowers is amazing. Not only the usual roses, but peony roses, white astilbe, scabia and ageratum plus many more I can’t remember. There is also a Haagen Dasz icecream shop right next door! The day finished with a short stroll to the Eiffel Tower to watch the lights display at 10.00pm. Although the sun had only just set, it was still quite spectacular, especially with the darkening sky and all the jets buzzing about.

Do the Can Can Can!

Le Moulin Rouge – not as big as we expected, but they certainly pack the patrons in! Fortunately we were on a tour package and didn’t have to pay the normal prices – drinks would have been €99 regardless of whether it was softdrink or wine! The meal wasn’t especially out of the ordinary, but served very quickly and efficiently. The wine was placed on the table by one waiter and then another waiter came along and opened it (we actually had to pour our own!).

We were also extremely lucky in having a table one row back from the stage – wonderful view, especially for the men!!!The show – how can one describe the spectacular? The scenery and the scenery changes, the music, the dancing, the singing and particularly the costumes – lots of glitter, sparkly beads, feathers, fluff, fishnet stockings and g-strings, and not much else! The show lasted for 2 continuous hours and the highlight would definitely have been the Can Can – such energy! And the snakes – how could a girl (wearing only a sparkly g-string) dive into a large glass tank of water containing very large pythons and swim among them?Definitely a great way to finish the tour.

Ah, Paris...

6 June – Wednesday

Departed Lucerne very early for the long drive to Paris. The French countryside was very flat and mainly grazing, with a few crops. The weather was again warm, about 25o. The traffic in Rome was nothing compared to Paris! No lines on the roads and no road rules – the junctions are particularly “interesting.” Certainly not a place one would drive through voluntarily!!!

Dinner was at a restaurant in the Latin Quarter with a wide selection of dishes. Les decided to give the snails a miss and have frog legs instead, Pauline stuck with avocado and prawns, followed by a very nice piece of lamb. For the first time on the tour, we were actually given decent wine – a VERY nice Bordeaux. What with the champagne aperitif, wine and schnapps provided and the very enjoyable duo of accordion and guitar, it was a very enjoyable meal (if a little rowdy!). There was also a group of middle aged Eastern European people present who were expressionless and watched us with very dour looks, but when we left they all clapped and cheered us – I’m sure they must have thought the Aussies were the evening’s entertainment!

Following dinner it was a boat trip on the Seine to view the illuminations, although at 10.30pm it was still light! However, we did see the Eiffel Tower do its sparkling trick on the hour – just fantastic. We were all amazed at how many people were sitting, having picnic dinners, walking and dancing along the banks of the river.

7 June – Thursday

We all know that Paris sizzles in the summer and freezes in the winter, but no one ever says that Paris can be foggy!!! Today was foggy. I think it is time for the tour to end, people are getting tired and grumpy. First visit this morning was to Le Invalides and the tomb of Napoleon, following which was the Eiffel Tower in the fog. After queuing for over 30 minutes (evidently we were very lucky that it was foggy!), it was a ride to the second level for a quick look through the mist at Paris spread out below. Then the best part – a local patisserie for a baguette and vanilla slice.

After lunch it was the massive crowds of people at Le Louvre, pushing and shoving to see the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and a few other famous works. Whilst it would have been lovely to spend more time with the old masters, the crowds were pretty unbearable. However, we did see where some of the Da Vince Code took place. Tonight: Le Moulin Rouge!

Yodelling in Switzerland!

4 June – Monday
Breakfast in France, morning tea in Italy and lunch in Switzerland. Just another day!!! Left balmy Nice for Switzerland, via Italy. The Italians cultivate every possible piece of land, nothing is left unplanted! The valley around Milan contained lots of paddy fields with rice, quite a change from the usual wheat and sunflowers. The road climbed into the Alps through the usual tunnels and over viaducts until we came to a tunnel in Switzerland which was 17 kms long, closely followed by another which was a mere 9 kms. It is amazing how quickly the scenery and architecture changes from one country to the next – the wide plains and terracotta coloured houses of Italy to the wooded snowcapped mountains of Switzerland with the typical Swiss villages. Lucerne was still very warm and it was really pleasant to sit outside during our sail around Lake Lucerne – the water was so clear and calm we could see the bottom and fish!

5 June – Tuesday
What a perfect place Switzerland seems to be – everything runs to clockwork, everything is so clean, neat and tidy, the countryside is just like the pictures in the travel magazines and on chocolate boxes! A quiet morning with some retail therapy (different souvenirs in Switzerland!) and a walk around the centre of Lucerne – more flower and vegetable markets as well as shops. Then off to Mt Pilatus (Pontius Pilot supposedly drowned in a lake on the mountain) for a 4 person cable car ride to about 4,000 feet then into a 40 person car for the remainder of the ride to 7,000 feet. Fairly cloudy on the way up but the summit was in sunshine with the Alps shining through the cloud in the distance. How exhilarating! Then it was a ride down the mountainside on the world’s steepest funicular railway for more stunning views of the mountains, meadows and forests.

Following this, a short drive in the coach (definitely NOT a bus) to a normal Swiss village (no other tourists!!!) then it was into horse drawn carriages for an hour’s drive through the Swiss countryside, villages, farms, meadows and woods before being taken to the farmer’s house for a homemade afternoon tea in his backyard. It was so peaceful – and warm. It was just wonderful, the only noises being the bells on the horses’ harnesses, the cow bells and the birds. Just beautiful.

Corniches, dinner, sunset and pure alcohol!

Before dinner tonight we drove qlong the three corniches - roads carved out of the mountains, with the most spectacular views of Nice, Cap Ferrat and surrounding areas. Dinner was served on the terrace of a restaurant over 500 metres high - it was just amazing to sit and watch the sun go down over the Meditterean Sea. The drive back was just as amazing, especially as the tour director had partaken of the local liquor of pure alcohol and lemons.

Nice is nice!

3 June – Sunday
Nice, Mother’s Day and sunshine! A beautiful morning beside the blue Mediterranean, wandering through the Sunday flower market and having an icecream. The icecreams are very nice!!! The French also seem to have a great fondness for Nutella!

A short drive past the Nice Airport (and about a kilometre of private jets!) to the hillside town of St Paul de Vence (another medieval hillside town) but much more beautiful than the one in Tuscany. Lots of art shops, with some beautiful artworks, beautiful herb smells, plus lots of very rich tourists. Nice just breathes "money" and the women especially are soooo stylish. Lots of makeup, very high heels to totter about on and beautiful clothes.

Last stops in Italy

1 June – Friday
Another full day with a photo stop for a group photo overlooking Florence, then on to a gold jewellery shop and then one of many leather stores for talks and little demonstrations. Then we were let loose for two whole hours to shop for leather and gold. Whilst the leather jackets were beautiful and very fine quality, the gold jewellery was far more appealing, also much easier to pack! A pair of earrings did find their way into the Mary Poppins handbag. The majority of shops were leathergoods of some description, either clothes, handbags or shoes.

Following the retail therapy we became all cultural and were guided around some of the more well-known statues and buildings before arriving at the museum containing David. What a magnificent sculpture. All the copies we have seen certainly don’t do justice to the original. It is just breathtaking to stand and look at this figure carved from a solid block of marble.

A drive through another thunderstorm to the Tuscan countryside for a walk up a hill to another walled medieval town full of souvenir shops (which are all starting to look the same!) but the most superb views of the countryside after the rain cleared. All terracotta coloured villas, vineyards, olive groves and cypress trees.

2 June – Saturday
Left Florence for Pisa and that famous tower – but what a surprise to discover not only the tower but a cathedral and baptistery, all built out of beautiful marble. It is amazing that people are once again permitted to climb to the top of the leaning tower. Then a long drive through 130 tunnels (and over as many viaducts) to say farewell to Italy and bonjour France. Hopefully now we are in France the weather may improve – a week of wet weather is starting to become a little boring. A quick visit to Monte Carlo and Monaco to look at the casino (I think this must have been the first time the security guard had come across Rivers and Black Pepper designer gear, as we only got as far as the foyer!) and drool by Les when he saw all the 2 door Bentleys (rather common actually, and not a Mazda 323 to be seen!!!), Ferraris, Maseratis, Jaguars and Porsches parked around the small square. On arrival in Nice we were ushered on board a boat (unfortunately, nothing like the yachts moored all around the harbour) for a cruise along the coast and be told once again that it never rains here and the sea is azure blue when the sun shines. Maybe tomorrow.

Rome and then onto Ostia!

30 May – Wednesday
Very early start at 7.00am to "beat" the crowds! Our group had a reservation for the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel for 8.00am and the crowds waiting at that hour were unbelievable. The galleries of the museum were just fantastic, containing many ancient Roman artefacts and carvings, especially the maps which were unbelievable. The paintings on the ceilings were incredible, in fact, one could nearly be a Philistine and say they were more spectacular than the Sistine Chapel. The Chapel itself was just mindboggling, the colour so bright and strong, much more so than I had ever imagined.

Next was the Colosseum and the absolute hordes of people. What a great building and to think we walked up stairs and over cobbled floors which were 2,000 years old. A long walk through the streets of Rome, and the traffic, led to the Pantheon. This church was built 1,900 years ago and has not been changed, except for some frescoes which had been added at a later date. The marble lining the walls had never been removed by the Popes to build/decorate the Vatican (as happened to all the other ancient buildings) and the original marble floor still has the drainage holes in the marble – the centre of the dome is actually open and the rain comes in. The hole also acts as a sundial (we all remember the Da Vinci Code!). Another decent walk back to our bus and on the St. Peter’s Square and an horrendously long queue. Some of us returned to the hotel by taxi (we had already been on our feet for 8 hours by this) while the hardier decided to stay and queue for about an hour before getting into the basilica. It took another 1¼ hours before Les actually got into St. Peters – evidently the problem was the Pope had an audience in the square during the morning and a mass was being conducted during the afternoon as the statue from Lourdes had been brought to Rome.

The "highlight dinner" of the tour, held in Rome, was one of those dinners probably best forgotten. Held in a large barn of a place, the atmosphere was comparable to a K-Mart cafeteria with similar acoustics. One really had to feel sorry for the two singers trying to make themselves heard.

The traffic in Rome is "deficiano" according to our Italian bus driver! The chaos is unbelievable, with cars going in all directions, horns blaring and cars just parking wherever they stop. It is nothing to see cars parked literally around a street corner, even two deep!


31 May – Thursday
Departed Rome for the ancient Roman port city of Ostia, ruins which have been excavated to show a working town of the Roman Empire. The excavations were just amazing, especially the open air theatre. The acoustics were so good that a person talking naturally on the stage area could be heard quite clearly at the top of the seats. The mosaics on the public baths were still intact, as were the public toilets, sewered of course. The weather was superb and as we were so early arriving, there were NO CROWDS, just our group! Such luxury.

On then to the medieval city of Sienna, famous for its horse races around the piazza. Each town or city is so different, but all beautiful in their own way.

Dinner this evening was in a Palace – absolutely sumptuous with frescoed ceilings, many huge, gold and crystal chandeliers, gold plasterwork, medieval musicians and dancers, okay food and lousy wine. In fact, the wine so far has been pretty ordinary; our Australian reds leave the European wine for dead!

Venice! And onto Rome...

28 May – Monday
The sun came out, as did the magic and charm of Venice. What a difference sunlight makes! During the night the main island of Venice was flooded owing to a very high tide, but by the time we arrived in San Marco Piazza the water had receded and the shops were pushing the remaining water out. A quick visit to the Murano glass blowing factory for a demonstration and exit via a mind-blowing shop. The glass in Venice is just superb, with prices to match of course.
The crowds and pigeons soon started to build up, and it was very easy to spend 30 minutes sitting on the steps of the piazza (can’t afford to sit at a table!) listening to the music and watching the crowd. I’m afraid some Australians can make one cringe, especially the man who sat at a table, shouted "Garcon" and after he received the menu (and saw the prices) loudly stated they would go to McDonalds to eat.

The gondola ride through the small canals was wonderful, and being so close to the buildings really reinforces the problems that Venice has with the water rising and the land subsiding. Unfortunately, the gondoliers no longer sing. The hustle and bustle of all the different types of boats is the most amazing disorganised chaos imaginable, however, they all seem to know where they are going and just "push and shove" until they can get to a landing.

Then another boat ride to the island of Burano, famous for hand made lace, for a typical Italian meal. Enough said. The thunder and lightning started, as did the torrential rain, which really marred this beautiful island with its unique architecture, a combination of Greek and Maltese, with all the houses painted in bright colours. A leaning tower (not Pisa!) was the major landmark. All went well until it was time to leave and two of the American ladies failed to show up. We waited an hour for them, before having to leave. I don’t think the tour director is having a good evening.

29 May – Tuesday
Well, the ladies turned up later the previous evening. Evidently they didn’t take any notice of the tour director when she stood with us in front of the restaurant and pointed the way to the boat. They just set off they way they thought it would be, "didn’t realise the island had another side to it!" Anyway, they had to get a water taxi back to Lido and came to no harm.

Today was spent travelling from Venice to Rome, through mainly rural areas growing corn, wheat and sunflowers. Whilst we were crossing the Apennines our Italian coach driver suddenly realised he was in Italy and should be driving like an Italian. We were all very pleased to actually arrive at our lunch stop. This was an interesting place as instead of having a roadside restaurant on either side of the highway, it was built over the top of the highway and accessed from either end.

Dinner was at a small restaurant directly across the road from the Colosseum! A pleasant Italian meal with the first European red wine that I have actually enjoyed. The entertainment was an accordion player and two fabulous trained singers (certainly put the baritone in Vienna to shame) who sang a combination of operation and well-known Italian songs. This was followed with a bus tour of Rome after dark and a visit to Trevi Fountain to throw our coins. Such an immense fountain, and such a crowd of people and hawkers. One kept attempting to give me a red rose, just to make me happy, and despite me giving it back a number of times, insisted I keep the rose. When I took it and started to walk away, the rose was immediately snatched back!

Much cooler today, with snow on the mountains behind Venice and some rain before reaching Rome.