Trip Day 57 – Louvre 2

Rain is what greets me today, but thankfully it is not long before the sun comes out, I have decided today is the day to go back and have another look at the Louvre and then climb the Arch de Triomphe to take in the view.

It is another quick trip on the Metro to get to the Louvre, and when I get to the priority entrance not a person to be seen, so straight in I go. A leisurely 3 hours is spent roaming the halls of the Louvre, there seems to be less people around today than when I came on Monday which is a little strange as the weekend is normally the busy time, but hey I'm not complaining.

After the Louvre it is another quick trip on the Metro back to the Arch de Triomphe and again the Museum pass gets me into the Arch. The Climb is in 3 stages the first is up a spiral stair case and then it another 2 short sets of stairs to get out on top of the Arch. The view is very impressive and you get a full 360 degree view as well. The climb is a leisurely 281 steps, with the bulk 194 being in the spiral stair case. Paris is nothing if not good for your health.

Trip Day 56 – E.H Ely - Lest we Forget

As I stick my head out of my window this morning I am meet with a brilliant red sunrise, the morning is cold and clear and hopefully the train strikes should be over. Today I am going to try to get to Longueval, this is a tiny little French village in the north of France located in the Somme. My Great Uncle is buried in the Deville Wood cemetery and I feel it would not be right coming all this way to France and not paying my respects.

The first part of my journey should be simple enough I just need to catch a train to Amiens, they are suppose to run every hour from Garde de Nord station, after 3 changes on the metro I arrive at the station only to find that several of my trains have been cancelled. I need to catch another train and then change 3 stops in to a train to Amiens. Due to the train cancellations this train is packed, standing room only, thankfully it is only a 30 min run to my stop. I find my train to Amiens but this to is delayed, welcome to the French train system.

Eventually we are on our way, it is a 1 hour journey through the rolling fields of northern France, the trees are all changing colour and I am meet with green, gold and red leaves, farmers are busy ploughing there fields for there winter crop.

Finally I arrive in Amiens, it is now time for the tricky part, how do I get to a small village 24 km north? Bus, hire a car, taxi, did I mention that no one speaks English this far north in France?  I decide that my only option is a taxi, so I find the taxi rank and wait. After a short while of waiting in the queue my taxi arrives and with my partial French I manage to convey where I want to go. Gerard, my taxi driver, is a nice man in his early 50’s who can’t speak a word of English but is very happy to take me to Longueval and back, and I negotiate a price of 80 euros for the trip.

The trip to Longueval takes about 30 minutes, again the farmers are preparing there fields and as we journey on we start to pass war cemetery after war cemetery, all immaculately kept, with there rows and rows of white head stones. Longueval is basically a town built on a T intersection, and it is the cross road for numerous cemeteries as signs point in many direction for different ones.    

Finally after a bit of looking we locate the sign to Deville Wood and travel the short drive to the cemetery. The moment of truth has arrived, so with my copy of the letter, sent to my great grand parents in 1923, I set off to find the head stone. After a short while I locate my great uncles grave, there etched in white stone is the name I have come to see, E.H Ely. He is located in the second last row on the right as you enter the cemetery, 5 headstones in from the road. It is now late afternoon, the clouds have come in and an icy breeze is blowing, as I stand at my Uncles grave and look out over the sea of headstones that lay before me, a feeling of sadness fills me, so many live cut short, all in the name of war, such a waste.
Lest We Forget.

Trip Day 55 – Monet’s Lillies

Well it is Thursday and another day of strike action is planed, thankfully the museums haven’t been majorly effected so today I am off to see Monet’s Lillies, these are housed at the Museum de Orangerie. To get there I catch the Metro to the gardened in front of the Louvre and it is a short stroll through the gardens to the museum. Monet’s paintings are housed in 2 oval rooms, each painting is about the size of a bus and are very interesting to look at. It is amazing how when you look at these paintings close up the heavy brush strokes and liberal use of colours almost look childish but back away and look at them from a distance and the colours blend to make the pictures look completely different, quite amazing.

After the Museum I head off to visit another museum, the Museum de L’Almee which is a museum for the armies of France. This museum also houses Napoleons tomb in the soldiers church. For anyone that has a passion for ancient weapons either swords or guns then this is the place for you. I have never seen such a collection of ancient weapons, there must be hundreds of weapons, very interesting.

Napoleons casket is housed in the church in the grounds of the Museum, and the museum is housed in the Hotel de Invalides, this hotel was built buy Frances king to take care of his injured soldiers and show them his appreciation for there service. The church was built with 2 entrances one for the King and on for his soldiers this way they could worship together.

Napoleons body was interned here and a special crypt built under the church. It is a tribute to napoleon in all its glory, there is a statue of him and marble scenes adorn the walls, and then his body is centre stage in cased in 5 different coffins.

Trip Day 54 – Notre Dame

It’s another crisp clear morning in Paris, today I am off to see dinosaurs at the National Gallery of Evolution. to do this I need to catch a couple of metro trains, unfortunately this gallery is not on the Museum Pass so I need to line up and then buy a ticket, the line is not to long and it doesn't take long to get inside. 

The exhibition is quite good but I was hoping for more dinosaurs, from here I go in to take a look at the evolution part of the gallery, they have animals from all parts of the world, many of which are now extinct. One of these is the Dodo, they have 2 which are interesting to look at. A nice surprise is one of Pompon’s polar bears, I first saw this sculpture in the Museum de Orsay but could not take a photo of it.

After the museum I figure I will check out the Notre Dame Cathedral. So it is a nice walk along the Seine to the church. I take my place in line and it turns out to be a 1 1/2 hour wait, but it turns out to be worth it. There are 2 stages to the tower climb, the first is to the entrance to the bell tower, the next is up onto the roof of the tower, if you fancy climbing to the roof then 384 steps are ahead of you, and yes I counted them on the way down. The view from either level is very spectacular and getting up close to the gargoyles is a nice bonus. 

After returning to ground level I line up to enter the Cathedral, the Stain glass windows are very pretty, coloured light dances on the plain walls of the cathedral, surprisingly the roof is not painted. After sitting for a while listening to the cathedral it is time to catch a train back to my hotel.

Trip Day 53 – Museum de Orsay

It is a sunny day that greats me as I head for the Metro, I am on my way the the Museum de Orsay today and to get there I am taking the metro to the Louvre station and then it is a short walk across the gardens, over the Seine and down the street to the Museum de Orsay. When I arrive as per usual there is a huge line stretching all the way up the street, but I am not fazed, I have the super powers of the museum pass, so I calmly walk pass the line and enter the museum on the other side of the forecourt.

I am disappointed to find that the Museum has changed its policy and you can no longer take any photos. The museum is located in what was a railway station and has a large collection of works. Statues adore the central isle where trains once stopped, on each side rooms have been created to house paintings and a collection of novel furniture. There is a room dedicated to Van Goch as well as Renoir, I really do like the paintings by Renoir they have a vibrancy that makes them jump out of the frame. There is about 10 Monet paintings on show but the museum has lent 50 paintings to the Monet exhibition at the Grand Palais. I also have a new found liking of Gerome, his paintings are extremely detailed and the colours are so vibrant. The museum as a large collection of his works I would estimate 50 paintings and some sculptures, all very impressive.  

After 3 hours of wandering I have completed my stay at the Museum, I decide I have enough time to see the Museum de Orangie, which is on my way back, unfortunately it is closed today, so a quick look at the map points me to the Church de Madeline, this is a a huge roman pantheonesc like building, which functions as a catholic church, it seems strange to me as I am use to churches being filled with light and this design doesn’t lend to this as there are only openings in the top of the domes in the roof, but this aside it is quite impressive.

Trip Day 52 – Museum de Louvre

Well today is Monday and time to set my museum pass into action, and what better way than to hit the biggest museum in town first. So off into the metro I go and 5 stops from my hotel I am at the Louvre, I head into the side entrance and head for the museum pass line, well it is more like a polite gathering and within 5 minutes I am inside, It is 11am and I head up to the top floor to see how many people are lined up outside, since I cant see the end of the line I expect these people will have an hours wait, so if you are coming to the Louvre my big tip is organise a museum pass.

I mentioned in one of my previous posts how big this place is from the outside, well let me tell you it isn’t any smaller once you get inside, all of the artwork is spread out over 4 floors. and each level has 30 foot high ceilings, there is so much gilding, marble and painting on both walls and ceilings that you could take out the artwork and it would still be impressive.

The good thing is the Museum allows photography just no flash, so at least I can get some pics to post. The museum has a great collection of Statues and Egyptian artefacts, and a huge collection of French paintings, there are not a lot of renaissance painting, it seems the Museum de Orsey has this covered.

After 4 1/2 hours of wondering from room to room I have only covered floors 2 and 1 and there is still 0 and –1 to go, looks like the Louvre will be a 2 day outing. I did get to see the Mona Lisa though, it unfortunately is roped off and behind glass, the crowd is 5 deep in part to get a look, as with all of these sort of things it is smaller than I had expected.      

Trip Day 51 – Pere Lachaise Cemetery

Well what a difference a day makes, the sun is out and the sky is clear, so off to the cemetery I go, it is a single metro line ride to the cemetery from the Arc de Triomphe.  After a short metro ride I depart the train and find myself emerging in front of the cemetery gate. 2.50 is the cost of the cemetery map and given the size of this cemetery it is definitely a must, it really is a city of the dead.

Wondering around the avenues I am amazed at the number of people that have been buried here, 300,000 people say the records and the number of elaborate head stones and monuments is mind boggling.

As is the case with most people that visit the cemetery Jim Morrison is a big draw card I decided to leave his grave to later in my trip and when I do get to see it, I felt a little let down, His grave is crammed in between some others and after seeing so many beautiful headstones and graves his paled in comparison. It is also the only grave that is barricaded off from the public which is disappointing.  

3 1/2 hours later and I have covered most of the cemetery, I definitely recommend a visit but set aside at least 1/2 a day, I think I could spend another day and still see graves I have missed.

Trip Day 50

Well today is my first wet day in Paris, I had planed to go to Pere Lachaise cemetery today but while making my way to the metro my umbrella started to disintegrate, and after finding that it would be 20 euro to buy another I decided to got back to my hotel room and repair this one.

With the rain getting heavier and the day looking more dreary I decide that today will be a rest day, this turns out to be a good decision as the rain turns into a full blown thunder storm. Oh well there is always tomorrow.

Trip Day 49 – Notre Dame

So another day of wondering and organising, I started off the day by coming to grips with the Metro, I have got myself a Navigo card which is similar to the Oyster card in London as it is a recharge card and mine lasts 1 week, Monday to Sunday, I also got a 10 trip ticket to fill in any gaps if I want to use the metro outside of next week.

So with ticket in hand I descend into the bowls of the Metro and ride the train to the Chateau stop, from here it is a short walk to the Notre Dame Cathedral and the islands in the middle of the Seine. Before I get to the Cathedral I head to the St Michel or Saint Michael fountain, from here it is a small walk to Notre Dame. The thing that impresses me the most is the detail of the carving, unlike a lot of the carvings of the UK Cathedrals these are remarkable preserved and detailed.

I find there is a lovely park behind the Cathedral which only a handful of tourists have found, from here there is a bridge that crosses the Seine, one side of this bridge is covered with padlocks, it seems that all of these have written on them the names of lovers who then locked it to the bridge as a public display of there commitment to one another.

After doing a full lap of Notre Dame I decide that I shall walk back to the hotel along the Seine, and pass all of the sidewalk book sellers. the walk takes me past the Louvre and then onto the Museum de Orsay, here I stop to check out where the Museum Pass entrance is and then, to recharge my batteries, get an Apricot crepe.

After relaxing on the steps of the museum while eating my snack it is off once again towards the Grand Palais, I have to cross the Alexander Bridge, which is by far the most beautiful bridge I have seen so far, decorated in statues and carvings, a pair of golden statues marks each end of the bridge. 

Trip Day 48 Eiffel Tower Videos

I have taken a couple of short videos from the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, these almost give a 360 deg view and look out over the south and north of the tower. Because the day was so nice there was little pollution so the view is quite clear.

Eiffel Tower View from to the North from the 2nd Floor.

Eiffel Tower View from to the South from the 2nd Floor.

Trip Day 48 – Eiffel Tower

Chilly is the first thing that comes to mind as I step out of the door of my hotel and head out in search of breakfast, the day is sunny but I would guess at 5 deg to start, forecasted top of 10 deg today. I wonder the back streets and am rewarded with a local mini mart selling sandwiches and all sorts of grocery goods, I have a microwave in my hotel room so I will be back here for supplies but for now a sandwich, drink and a small pack of chips will do for lunch, total 5 euro much better.

I head of around the corner remembering that there is a Pomme de pain store, from memory Emily mentioned this store chain and it is here that I find freshly cooked crepes, so a coffee and a strawberry crepe hot from the hotplate will be breakfast. The store is right on the Champs-Elysees and they have tables on the sidewalk, so I find a seat in the sun and tuck into breakfast, as I am laconically lazing soaking up the warmth of the sun I notice that dozens of pigeons are calmly walking around under the tables greedily picking up what ever scraps they can find, they are not worried in the least by the people sitting at the table and if your clothes look edible then they to will receive a testing peck.

After finishing breakfast it is off to the Eiffel Tower I go, walking through the twisting streets it is not long before I am standing on the banks of the Seine, barges of all kinds are moored or plying up and down the river. The tower looms large now dominating the view, it is indeed a mighty structure and I can only wonder at how the Parisians of 1889 felt seeing this upon its completion. 

After a short walk I find myself standing at the base of the tower, tourists only slightly outnumber the souvenir salesmen but it is mid morning and most of the tourist are standing in line waiting for the lift, a ticket cost 14.50 euro. After taking some photos I decide to get a seat on a park bench and have some lunch, ravens out number pigeons looking for a feed, and after an enjoyable lunch I decide to lay on the bench an take in the tower, this action leads me to two conclusions. One laying down and looking up at the tower is I think the best way to view it. Two I could not be a homeless person and sleep on a park bench.

After readjusting my back, and considering the great day I decide to check out the option of climbing the stairs, it only cost 4.50 euro, which gets you access to the second floor, and a plus is that there is no line, surely the man who conquered the 275 steps of the York Minster should find this a walk in the park. So with ticket in hand it is off up the stairs I go. A third thing now is realised, because of the scale and shape of the tower the first and second floors, from the ground, don’t really look all that high. But, it turns out that there are 347 steps to the first floor and the height is the equivalent of a 21 story building, and then there is the little matter of getting to the second floor, from bottom to top 674 steps and that get you to what would be a 47 story building. The view is spectacular, there are stair to the top but these are closed going up, 1710 stairs in all. I will be making an early visit to get the lift to the top latter in my trip. So upon reflection of my day in total that works out to 1348 stairs for me today, so I don’t feel guilty about that strawberry crepe this morning at all. 

Trip Day 47 - Paris

It’s 6am dark, cold and damp as I make my way to the station to catch the TGV to Paris, the rain has eased up for me to make my way. It isn’t long before the chisel nosed TGV train slips into the platform and I make my way onboard to find my seat. A few minutes more and we are travelling through the darkness and Luxembourg is fading away behind us.

An hour later and the first rays of dawn start to colour the sky and Metz is the first town in France that I see in daylight. The train travels on through the countryside, white cows like beacons stand out in fields of green, the fields like waves on an ocean roll one after the other away to the tree lines hills, occasionally a church spire can be seen poking up above ploughed fields.

After a 3 hour trip we arrive in Gare de l’Est train station, I decide it is prudent to get my reservation for the Euro rail train back to London sorted before I go anywhere, 84 euros get me a place in second class. From here it is a decision as to whether to try my luck on the Metro or get a Taxi, I decide the Taxi is a better choice this morning and I am not the only one, a wait of an hour to get a taxi ensues, then the fun task of sitting back and watching the drama that is driving in Paris unfold before me, I will say one thing Parisians love there horns. 14 Euros is all it take to get me to my hotel, the time is 11am and checking is 3pm, I can leave my bags and go exploring while my room is readied.

There is only one way to fill in my wait and that is to walk the Champs-Elysees. So it is out of the hotel, turn left at the corner and in 1 minute I am standing on the Champs-Elysees looking up to the Arc de Triomphe. The sun is out but it is official, with the wind factor it is cold enough to freeze the walls of a bark humpy!

After walking up to the Arc de Triomphe, I do a lap around and under, it seems I can use my museum pass to get free access to climb up to the top, so this will be for another day, it is then off to the Louvre, the walk is a long one but every block yields something new and amazing to look at. The Louvre is amazingly large, I was expecting big but not quite this big, I am able to locate the Museum Pass entry another job sorted, as there is a long queue waiting to get in and the pass entry is pretty much straight in. It soon becomes apparent to me that Paris is under heightened security measures as soldiers with automatic weapons stroll amongst tourists at all of the major attractions.   

After a coffee and a Bickie it is time to head back and see if my hotel room is ready, after a 5 am start I could use a nice lie down. Checking out the cafe’s as I go it seems everything is expensive, even by Brussels standards, I see even McDonalds is expensive, a fillet a fish is 5.70 euro that's roughly $8 AUD a burger. Well tomorrow will be a day to come up with a plan on what is the best days to use my museum pass and what to see in the other days, but first a good early nights sleep is needed.

Trip Day 46 - Luxembourg

Well the trains are back on so out into the chilly 6 deg morning I go, when I woke it was raining heavily but now at 10.30 it has stopped. I have time for breakfast as I wait for the 11.37 train, this will get me to Luxembourg by 2.45 pm.

The train trip is a pretty one climbing through low mountain passes, forests of pine, birch and elm line the route, there leaves changing colour and already a carpet of leaves covers the forest floor. Breaking through the forests I am meet with pastures filled with cows, mainly dairy, the green grass covering the rolling fields.

Arriving in Luxembourg my first task is to see if I can get on a train to Paris tomorrow, the only trains to Paris are the TGV fast trains, the only spots available are on the 6.45am trains, otherwise they are booked solid for 2 days, nothing like an early morning start, this will get me into Paris by 8.30am. gives me all day to get to my hotel.

I head off to find my hotel, and once checked in it is off to explore the city, it is a 10 min walk to the city centre and it doesn’t take long to wish I had my 2 nights instead of one as Luxembourg is a pretty place, I get most of my photos done and am walking back towards my hotel when it starts to rain and then hail, so here am I walking the streets with my green umbrella in the hail, apparently this is common for this time of year, another month and the snow will be falling I am told.

Trip Day 45 – Train Strike in Belgium

Well I wake to find a cold but fine day and after checking out of my hotel i head to the train station to catch my train to Luxembourg, arriving at the station I am stopped in my tracks with it closed, It has slipped my notice that there is a 24 hour train strike in Belgium, so back to my hotel I go and luckily my room is still available. Looks like I will be having another night in Brussels.

Luckily I am able to contract my hotel in Luxembourg and they are happy to alter my reservations for just tomorrow night, hopefully the trains will be running tomorrow as promised, my Brussels friends are not so sure. 

Trip Day 44 – Last day in Brussels or is It?

Today is my last day in Brussels, tomorrow I head to Luxembourg, if the forecast is correct it will be 7 deg and rain showers, a good day for a 3 hour train trip. so today is another day to do Laundry and then a bit of tourist shopping, I need to have a look for a good Brussels fridge magnet to commemorate my trip.

The wind is very chilly and my scarf is my appreciated as I head off to do laundry, It is 9.30 and only a handful of shops are open, even the beggars are not out, so it must be cold. Luckily the laundry mat is open and is already humming to the sound of spinning washing machines, and above all is warm.

After a few beers at my favourite pub and some goodbyes I head back to the hotel for a good night sleep.   

Trip Day 43 – EU and Autoworld

Well the day is cold again as I walk out of my hotel, there is a street market setup in the small square in front of the hotel, it seems that there are different stall owners for each day of the week.

Today I decide to head off to the Shuemann district and check out the EU, being a Saturday there are no meetings on but the buildings should be interesting to have a look at, I have to catch the Luxembourg train to get there which is interesting as I will be catching this on Monday. The EU buildings are all shiny interestingly shaped buildings, lots of glass formed into interesting shapes. After a quick look around I make my way to the park where Brussels held its world trade fair, the park is laid out in a geometric pattern and is smattered with many statues. The main gate is a huge 3 arch structure with a chariot perched on top. The main exhibition halls are joined to the gate by a column fronted wall which houses a mosaic that runs as a frieze around the top of the wall on both sides. the carvings are very impressive. One of the halls still houses Autoworld a museum of 300 cars starting in the 1890’s to present day, for 6 euros you can wander around the 2 levels looking at cars, bikes, trucks and even coaches. There are a lot of European makers that i have never heard of it makes for an interesting afternoon. 

Trip Day 42

It is raining heavily in Brussels tonight, as I look out onto the little square located in front of my hotel from the restaurant, the market stalls from this afternoon have gone and are replaced with the reflections of neon signs off the glistening cobblestones. But this is Friday night and even the rain will not deter the tourist from venturing out into the cold evening, with umbrellas held high and clothed in coats and scarfs, they scurry across the square and into the dry warm environment of waiting restaurants.

Today was a preparation day with accommodation booked for Luxembourg and Paris, I now feel a bit easier that at least I will have a place to sleep for the rest of my trip. I also took the opportunity to post home some of my growing collection of trip memorabilia, 4 post packs and 56 euros later my bag is 6 kilos lighter.

Today also saw the 2 halves of the Gothard rain tunnel becoming one, the 57 km long tunnel is now officially the longest in the world and sees the moving of goods to rain between Milan and Zurich almost a reality, at a cost of 7.5 billion euro and 15 years in the making, it will not be until 2017 that the rail will be running cutting about 90min of the trip.

Trip Day 41 – Laundry day

The morning finds we a little weary from all of my travelling so I decide to have a day in and on one of wandering I noticed a laundry mat, this is a good thing as to get laundry done in the hotel will cost me over 30 euro’s and that is just for the smalls.

It is another cold morning and there seems little chance of the sun appearing today, so with backpack full of clothes it is off to the laundry mat I head, finding it again is pretty easy as it is around the corner from my favourite bar the Mannaken Pis, the fun starts when I arrive and there are no English instructions, and the only other person in the place doesn’t speak English. It is with much fun and games that I work my way through getting a token, buying powder, working out which is the powder compartment and not the pre wash and then getting the machine to work, finally I get it all worked out and 30 minutes later clean clothes, now how does that dryer work……

After all of the fun it is back to my favourite bar for a coffee a Lait Resser, this is half coffee and half milk and is closer to how I I like my coffee order a cafe au lait here and you will get swill, and then back to the hotel for some lunch, I find out while drinking my coffee that if you are over 21 you can get a licence for a motorcycle and there is no power restriction, under 21 and 125cc is imposed, this comes about because one of the bar men is thinking of buying a 750 Kawasaki, I think he will be sorry as he has never ridden a bike before. After further conversation I find out to get you licence here it is 390 euros for 3 days training, then practical and then 19 euros for licence. The licence will also never expire so no more payment for renewal is required.    

On my way back to the bar to say goodbye to Jose, my favourite barman has the next 3 days off and I will not see him again before I leave, I notice some chocolate shops and knowing that my friend LaVerne’s grandchildren have been following my trip I have taken some photos for them, the first is a chocolate fountain, which has delicious chocolate flowing down its sides, and the second is a 2 foot high chocolate Mickey Mouse, mmm chocolate Mickey yum.

My evening at the bar is eventful as we are visited by some Spanish mistrals decked out to the nines in full Spanish costume, it is not long before the drinking turn to singing and the whole bar is serenaded in true Spanish style, I find out that they are music students from Madrid and they are here for a concert. It was a perfect photo op so there is a picture of me and my new amigos enjoying a song.   

Trip Day 40 - Amsterdam

It is another cold and overcast day, a day to break the scarf that I bought on Islay and head out to the station to catch the train to Amsterdam, I have decided to day is an inside day and what better way to spend it that heading to the Vincent Van Gogh  Museum in Amsterdam. The trip is 2 1/2 hours so with a light lunch packed it is off to the Netherlands we go.

The trip is predominantly spent passing field after field, when we get to the Dutch low lands the farming continues but the crops change and the appearance of lots and lots of glass houses, i am assuming these are for the tulips as we are near Rotterdam the tulip area.

The Amsterdam central station is large and with everything written in Dutch, i am totally out of my depth, luckily there are many English speakers here and I soon find out that the trams are the way to get about, since my guide book was written the tram system has changed to electronic charge card with 2.60 getting you an hour of travel, this is more than enough time to get to the museum district and the tram ride through the Amsterdam streets and over the canals is very pleasant.  

The Van Gogh museum cost 14 euro to enter and 5 euro for a recorded tour, the recorded tour is very good and explains Van Gogh’s early life and his work and the change to his later more colourful work. The museum has over 170 of his paintings and a lot of his letters and on some of the pictures you can hear extracts from his own letters about them, very insightful. The museum has a lot of his sunflower paintings but to my disappointment have none of his night time starry sky paintings, apparently they are all in the New York Museum.

All in all thought it is a wonderful day spent wondering among Van Gogh’s paintings and those of his personal collection. It is 6pm by the time i catch the train back to Brussels. arriving at 8.30 there is good time for a light tea and then some sleep.

Trip Day 39 - Antwerp

A heavy fog covered the city of Brussels as I venture out into the day, My first task is to switch hotels as my former hotel is now full and I find myself with out a room, luckily I located alternative lodging just around the corner, so fortunately I don’t have far to drag my bags. After checking in and dropping off my bags it is a brisk stroll in the cold air to the station to find a train to Antwerp.

Luckily the trains to Antwerp run pretty regularly and it is not long that I have boarded and found a seat for the 30 minute trip. Antwerp is the second largest city in Belgium and is in the Dutch speaking half, so my French wont be welcomed here. Antwerp is a busy city that is known for its diamonds. I arrive at the station and it is a magnificent building, it has 22 platforms over 3 levels and it is only a 20 minute walk from the old centre of town. As soon as I leave the station I find shop after shop selling diamond jewellery, a lot of the streets are closed to traffic and the bike seems to be the main way to get around, also the prices seem to be a little cheaper than Brussels.

The clouds have all burnt away but the wind is still chilly as I walk along the avenue to the market square. Greeting me as I enter the square is the Antwerp cathedral, a highly decorated building that dominates the square. 

Trip Day 39 - Brugge

A cold wind is blowing and even though the sun is out there is an icy chill in the air. After finding accommodation for this week it is off to Brugge which is a 1 hour train ride.

The train station is a 20 minute walk from the city centre along cobbled stone streets and after buying a map it is off to the centre we go. There are lots of tourist about as I make my way and it is not long before I have found the market square, a short stroll is the canal and the boat trips are very popular, 6.90 for a 30 min ride. The ride twist and turn past 13 century buildings, with the sun shinning it is a nice way to see the city. After 3 hours of exploring it is back to the train station to catch a train back to Brussels, along the way I find a wonderful fountain in a large square with some amazing sculptures.

Day end finds me having eaten a pizza and a waffle for tea planning my next train trip, I think Antwerp could be nice.

Trip Day 38 – Sunday in Brussels

Well it is Sunday and a nice sunny day in Brussels, there is a fun run on around the city and square, and it is nice having breakfast in the sun and watching the runners go by, most of the track is on cobble stones so I don’t envy there ankles.

After something to eat I set off for the Belgium Museum of Money, it is an exposition of the first Belgium bank and the story money has played in the world, it is interesting to see the wood lined rooms that were where the first bank meetings were held.

The afternoon is a relaxing one as I try and decide what next week will hold, so it is reading and a nice beer or three, the afternoon passes quickly and the evening finds me partying in a Cuban bar with some girls from Prague and a kilt wearing Austrian soccer team, only in Brussels. Anyway it is not a late night as tomorrow I need to rebook accommodation and then it is off to Brugge.

Trip Day 37 - Ypres

Another fine day in Brussels and after a slow start, I ended up at my favourite bar, drinking le Choffe and barracking for Portugal with Joseph, my Portuguese bar tender, till 1am. Happily Portugal won the soccer, and a good night was had, interestingly tourists are still taking photos of the Manneken Pis at 1am.

After getting some breakfast I decide another day trip is needed so today I am off to Ypres, this is a 2 hour trip almost to the French border and towards the coast, again like Gent I have no clue what to expect when I get there and I have discovered that the further you go into the country side the increased need for some French is a must as English speakers drop off. The trip also takes me into the edge of the western front and the train passes by several war cemeteries, it is a funny feeling seeing all the headstones set against the backdrop of fields of corn and happy cows.

Arriving at the station I am happy to find that it is a 10 minute walk into the centre of town and the market square, which is dominated by a huge cathedral. I also have another reason for coming to Ypres and that is my Grand Uncle came here during the first world war, Ypres is surrounded on 3 sides by a huge wall and deep moat, and there are only a couple of bridges to enter the city. On the main bridge at the market square there is a memorial to the Australian, New Zealand and English soldiers who died, the archway that covers with bridge is covered, inside and out, in the names, thousands of names, of the soldiers who laid down there lives. Walking around it is a very moving experience, to be honest the idea of trying to get across a 50-100m wide moat and then be faced with 30-40m walls that have German gun emplacements just waiting for you, well it is just suicidal, I can’t image how they could have taken the city and broken the western front stalemate, but they did, and luckily my great uncle survived it.        

Trip Day 36 - Gent

Today I have decided to validate my euro rail pass and set it to work with a trip to Gent, this is a leisurely 1 hour train ride through the rolling hills of the Belgium country side, after getting the hang of the train system it is not long before I find my platform and have boarded the train and am riding towards Gent. The country side is very farm intensive, fields of corn are everywhere, cows, sheep, deer, chickens and pheasants are seen in various numbers, the fields are an emerald green of lush grass, and even the cows are so content they lie about enjoying the sunshine.

After an hour I arrive at Gent station and if you haven’t been to Gent and think that the station is near the old town well like me you are in for a surprise, it is 2km from the station to the old city so here are my tips to get there.
You can get a free map of Gent from the travel information centre in the train station. You need to get the number 4 or 22 tram, I got the 4. You can’t buy a tram ticket in the train station, there is a tin shed, and I'm not being smart here it is a tin shed outside in the end of the bus car park. If you get the number 4 tram you stay on it till it terminates, about a 20 minute trip. then you need to walk left around the corner and straight down the street and you will get to the castle, from here it is a short walk to the square.

After getting to the old city it is mandatory to get a feed of frits (Chips) with mayonnaise and then take a canal ride to get a good layout of the land, a boat trip cost 6 Euros for about 1 hour ride with commentary, a lovely way to see Gent.   

Trip Day 35 - Brussels

Brussels is a city which wakes up late, I think this is due to the fact that the sun is not up until 8.30 so by 9.30 when I venture out into the cool, overcast day the shop keepers are still opening there shops. I find a local coffee shop and breakfast is, in true Belgium style, chocolate and almond croissant, kreikflap (cheery pastry) and a coffee. it all works out at about 6 euro which is cheaper the 26 euro at the hotel. I suppose it is because of Brussels and its eu nations standing but there are a lot of Romanian gypsy's begging on the street, in fact they walk up to you while you are sitting having your coffee and shake there cup in your face, I was talking to a local over a beer and he told me that they can apply for money from the Belgium state and they will get assistance but the catch is once they get settled and have a job they have to pay the money back, all I can say is begging must pay well.

After breakfast I head over to the grand place which is the old market place of Brussels, the buildings are elaborately decorated with gold gilding and stone carvings, it is a large square, next it is off to St Michaels Cathedral, it is a short walk from the square and is an impressive building, it has some of the best wooden carvings I have seen so far, and the stone work is excellent as well, after a busy morning walking around it is nice to sit in such a large peaceful space and listen to the way the sound echoes off the stone pillars and arches.

After the grandeur off the cathedral it is off to find Brussels most well know statue, the manneken pis, which is surrounded by crowds, luckily there is a bar across from the statue so I decide it is time to acquaint myself with some of the fine Belgium beers, after getting a taste for these new brews I can say that the manneken pis had a crowd all after noon. I am finding I have a taste for Kriek beer, very refreshing, but you need to set a steady pace as most of the beers are 8% or higher.

After a nice afternoon of beer tasting and friend making I head out in search of the famous Brussels Moules, or Mussels, armed with the local knowledge of which area had the best mussels it is a short walk to find my meal, The chief mussels that I order are served in a cream sauce with onions and baby prawns with fries on the side, and they are delicious.     

Trip Day 34 – Road to Brussels

Well no photos for today, after returning my rental car at the airport, having done a full tour as there are no signs to tell you where the rental cars are, it is off to the terminal to do a reverse run so as I have an idea of what I need to do when I fly home.

The trip from Heathrow to St Pancreas takes about 1 hour on the Piccadilly line, upon arriving I find the euro rail ticket office and by my ticket to Brussels, I had the choice of a rush to catch the 12:54 or get on the 2:45 so I take the later giving me time to book some accommodation before getting on the train.

The train is pretty empty which is surprising, you get a high back comfy seat and there is a food car on the train, a salmon sandwich and Pellegrino is purchased and I settle down to watching the countryside fly by. The ride is very smooth considering how fast we are going and it isn’t long before we hit the Dover coast and drop down into the tunnel to Calais. Just like a plane trip the pressure starts making my ears pop and the world outside goes black for quite awhile, as I sip on my Pellegrino I suppose I can now say I have drunk water under water.

We emerge into the French countryside, rolling fields of corn and cows fly by outside my window, dark storm clouds float by only barely staying above the ground. It isn’t long before Brussels is reached and it is now that I find out that the train pulls into the Midi station and I need to get to the central station for my hotel, It is when I depart the train that the realisation that I am really in a foreign county is apparent, as there is no clear directions on how to get from one station too the other to be found, and there are no information desk either. Fortunately I find some locals who put me on the right track and after a short train trip and some more direction asking I finally make it to my hotel. So tomorrow I will be exploring the center square and the Cathedral so i will definitely have photos to post tomorrow.

Trip Day 33 - Duxford

After taking one last stroll around the Ely Cathedral it is back in the car for my second last day of touring the UK, and today has the promise of being a great day, no rain, warmish and Duxford, yes it is one for the boys, Duxford is the premier aviation museum, so it is planes, planes, and even more planes. In fact the place is so big you could easily spend 2 days here. The main plane that I was wanting to see was the Lancaster Bomber, and Duxford has 1 of the 4 in Britain, and the display is amazing, the only criticism is that there are to many planes in the huge hangers, and some are so big you have trouble getting a full photo. Not only did they have my Lancaster but they had the American copy the Liberator, a B52 bomber and a Concorde which you were able to walk through. The Concorde was one of the prototypes and still had some of the original instruments, they had fitted some seats and it would have been very cramped to fly and don’t think of a view the windows are tiny. There were so many planes to look at it was amazing, well worth the visit.

The evening saw me trying to find a place close to Heathrow as tomorrow I have to return my hire car, it has been a faithful companion for my trip and it will be sad to see it go. After a lot of trying I finally find a hotel in Windsor, this gives me a brief chance to see the castle. Message to self book ahead on Tuesdays. Tomorrow will see me tackling the train system to Europe, sure to be fun and games here.

Trip Day 32 - Stonehenge

It is a sunny day that sees me venture off towards the midlands, in anticipation of visiting Stonehenge. The road out of Bath winds into the hills and it is not long before the farmland fields open around me. After about 1 1/2 hours of driving I have reached my destination with Stonehenge looming large in the field on my right as I make my way into the packed car park. The entry fee give me access to a free audio guide which is very informative, the first pearl of wisdom is that henge in old english means hanging so really Stonehenge is the hanging stones.

Unfortunately the crowd is now no longer able to walk up and touch the stones, but despite this there if you still want to touch the stones there is a sarson and blue stone positioned at the exit. The crowds keep coming all day as I stop to have a bit to eat for lunch, which includes a delicious cheese scone.

The afternoon sees me driving across the midlands, the countryside is very similar to Victoria with rolling field of grassing country and evening finds me completing the circle with a stay back in Ely

Trip Day 31 – Bath Buskers

Below is a video of some buskers i came across in the bath mall, they are playing hang’s there flyer was portraying them as ancient instruments but a little bit of investigation reveals they they were developed in 2000 in Switzerland and there main influence is the kettle drum. Anyway enjoy i found them very intriguing and had to take a video.

Bath Hang Buskers

Trip Day 31 - Bath

Well after another rainy night and morning the sun has come out and allowed me to stroll the sandstone streets of Bath, the afternoon has warmed to about 14 deg and with the sun breaking through the clouds it is perfect weather for exploring. So with map in hand I head out and navigate my way to the central mall area, being Sunday lots of people are about and buskers line the corners all trying to out do each other, the quality is really good and most are trying to sell you there CD’s. Turning the corner I am confronted with the magnificent Bath Abbey, this is a very impressive building with a high steeple and flying buttresses. I am surprised to find that it is built right next to the roman bathes, it is 11 pounds entry to the bathes and this gets you a free audio guide which is very informative, being a Sunday there are a lot of people touring and it is hard to find a space between the crowds where you can take in all of the sights.  

After seeing the roman bathes I head off down to the river Avon to have a look, the parade gardens are in full bloom and look very pretty, the river is flowing fast and there certainly is no shortage of water here as it cascades over the horse shoe water fall. All of the streets are lined with 3 – 4 storey sandstone building which all look very impressive, even the post office is a masterpiece in sandstone. One thing is for sure though if you don’t like the colour of cream sandstone then you should not come to bath, as the city is a clean cut mono colour of cream, with not a protruding neon sign to be seen. 

Tomorrow it is on the road again and off to hug some stones at Stonehenge, the weather is looking promising so here's fingers crossed for sunny weather.  

Trip Day 30 – Cardiff - Bristol

A sunny day greats me as I head out to explore Cardiff, as I am staying directly opposite the castle it is here that I go first, the castle has been changed multiple times and has become a bit of a folly but it is still an interesting building to walk around. It backs on the Byte park which is a lovely expanse of open grassy spaces and tall trees, this park use to belong to the castle and it is nice to see that it has been retained. It is lovely walking around looking at the changing colours of the trees and flower beds as squirrels scamper about hiding acorns.

After a short drive down the A4 over the Severn bridge it is on to Bristol. Bristol is a larger place than I expected and has a nice feel to it. After a bit of searching I manage to find the SS Great Britain and I find that there is a walking trail to the Clifton Suspension bridge, what's more I get to park all day for 1.10 bargain. The SS Great Britain is 11 pounds to see and I was thinking this was a little steep, that is until I started to look around, the ship is in full dry dock and you can walk down into the dock to see the underneath of the ship. They have sealed the ship at the water line and dry dock with glass, this has water on it and make it feel like you are under water when down in the dock.

The walk to the Clifton Suspension bridge is all up hill and I am knackered by the time I arrive, it was a half hour walk but the pains in my calves leave me as the bridge stretches out before me. I am surprised to see there is a 50 pence toll for cars on the bridge, but pedestrians are free so a lap across the bridge is called for.

Bristol hotels all seem to think they are in Wales as they have doubled the prices of there rooms while the Ryder Cup is on so I decide that the 18 miles to Bath is the best bet for a better hotel. Bath is a maze of streets and finding a hotel is quite hard but I manage to find one, so hopefully tomorrow the rain will allow me to have a look around before settling in.   

Trip Day 29 - Tenby

Today is the first of October, it started raining yesterday and hasn’t slowed up all night, this is a pity as Tenby is a pretty place and would be lovely with the sun out. The hotel I am staying at has been flat out with bus tours of German tourists proving the popularity of this seaside town. Tenby has a wall that was built by the Normans to keep the Welsh at bay, it is a very impressive wall and has 5 entrances into the town which is a typical medieval layout of small twisting streets, the town is laid out around a beautiful harbour. So with raincoat and brolly I head out into the windy wet weather and attempt to get some photos.

Next it is off on the road to Cardiff, so off into the Carmarthenshire countryside I go, the road is covered with water and there are traffic warnings of flooding on the M4 for Cardiff, the day is not going well. I drive through Carmarthen and Swansea but it is to wet to get any photos, by 3pm I stop for a bit to eat and finally the rain eases, By the time I make it to Cardiff the rain has stopped but now I am faced with trying to find a room as the Ryders Cup is on and every room seems to be taken by American tourists, to add to this the prices are being raised in an attempt to cash in, I finally find a room 103 pounds for a single, I question the price only to be told that last night the same room was going for 280 pounds, oh well at least I am directly opposite the Castle.

Day 28 – Drive in the countryside

A sunny start to the day as i head out into the Snowdonia national park, as I climb into the mount though the clouds roll in and the showers become intermittent. The countryside is very spectacular though the valleys are lined with pines, elm and oak and the mountain tops are windswept and covered in grass and ferns, the steep sides are the playground of fluffy white sheep who appear on every exposed slope. 

Today's drive is long and passes through many towns whose names I will never be able to pronounce, there is castles and picturesque seaside towns and green fields full of sheep and dairy cows. If you fell like giving your tongue a workout here are a list of the towns i went through. Harlech, Barmouth, Dolgellau, Machynlleth, Aberystwyth, Aberaeron, Tan-y-goes, Cardigan, Abergwaun, hwlffordd, Aberdaugleddau and lastly, and my personal favourite,  Dinbych-y-pysgod.