Apologies for the random additions to the story. I might be on holiday, but there is so much to see and do and it is surprising how time disappears and how often the Internet is not so easy to access,
Anyway, my last post finished on the 2nd June, so here's the next update. I hope you enjoy hearing about my adventure. I will try to add some more pictures, but the connection is pretty slow, so might have to work on them at a later date.
Hope everyone is going ok,
Cheers
Denece
Wednesday 3rd June
The train arrived on time to a cool and wet city of St. Petersburg. The City of the Czars. We couldn’t book into the hotel until after lunch, so did a bus tour of the city. The skyline has many golden domes and spires, and the rivers and canals criss-cross the town. There are many beautiful buildings and private palaces. Booked into the Shelforth Hotel after lunch. It is a small private hotel in a very old building with lots of antiques and a lovely ambience. In the evening, the weather had fined up, so a group of us went walking along the Neva River then stopped for a pre dinner ale in one of the local beer halls.
Thursday 4th.
This morning we toured the Hermitage Museum. The winter palace of the Czars. This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, The richness of the building, the collection and the artworks is beyond description. 3 hours was not long enough. 3 days might be better.
After the hermitage tour, we boarded a hydrofoil for a ½ hour trip to Peterhof. One of the Czars summer palaces famous for its water gardens and fountains. It is based on the Palace of Versailles and is extraordinary to say the least. We were very fortunate that the day was the exact opposite of yesterday and we had perfect spring weather in which to enjoy it.
In the evening we all went out to a Russian restaurant for a farewell dinner. There was some entertainment, singers and dancers but it wasn’t that great. We contributed to the festivities by singing Waltzing Matilda.
Friday 5th
The 1st leg of the journey is ending and the group members are now going their own way. I am heading to Vyborg on the afternoon train. I am being met by Yana, a representative of the local travel company, Apparently I am travelling on the local commuter train, and need to buy a special ticket.
Yana is very helpful and has good English. She helps buy the ticket, warns me about pickpockets and shows me where to catch the train. The adventure continues…
The train is very crowded, but I have managed to get a seat where I can keep my luggage with me. Lots of people are heading out of town for the weekend.
Arrived safely in Vyborg. It was the last station on the line so it was easy to know which stop was mine. Took a taxi to the hotel as I didn’t know where the hotel was. It cost me 400 rubles to go about 300 metres Oh well, you win some, you lose some! The hotel is very comfortable and one of the receptionists speaks English. She is training to be a translator, so is happy to practice on me. I went for a walk before dinner at the hotel. A few drunks on the street, but the town itself is a pleasant surprise. I have hired a guide 1:1 for a tour of the city in the morning, then I’ll catch the train to Helsinki in the late afternoon.
Anyway, my last post finished on the 2nd June, so here's the next update. I hope you enjoy hearing about my adventure. I will try to add some more pictures, but the connection is pretty slow, so might have to work on them at a later date.
Hope everyone is going ok,
Cheers
Denece
Wednesday 3rd June
The train arrived on time to a cool and wet city of St. Petersburg. The City of the Czars. We couldn’t book into the hotel until after lunch, so did a bus tour of the city. The skyline has many golden domes and spires, and the rivers and canals criss-cross the town. There are many beautiful buildings and private palaces. Booked into the Shelforth Hotel after lunch. It is a small private hotel in a very old building with lots of antiques and a lovely ambience. In the evening, the weather had fined up, so a group of us went walking along the Neva River then stopped for a pre dinner ale in one of the local beer halls.
Thursday 4th.
This morning we toured the Hermitage Museum. The winter palace of the Czars. This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, The richness of the building, the collection and the artworks is beyond description. 3 hours was not long enough. 3 days might be better.
After the hermitage tour, we boarded a hydrofoil for a ½ hour trip to Peterhof. One of the Czars summer palaces famous for its water gardens and fountains. It is based on the Palace of Versailles and is extraordinary to say the least. We were very fortunate that the day was the exact opposite of yesterday and we had perfect spring weather in which to enjoy it.
In the evening we all went out to a Russian restaurant for a farewell dinner. There was some entertainment, singers and dancers but it wasn’t that great. We contributed to the festivities by singing Waltzing Matilda.
Friday 5th
The 1st leg of the journey is ending and the group members are now going their own way. I am heading to Vyborg on the afternoon train. I am being met by Yana, a representative of the local travel company, Apparently I am travelling on the local commuter train, and need to buy a special ticket.
Yana is very helpful and has good English. She helps buy the ticket, warns me about pickpockets and shows me where to catch the train. The adventure continues…
The train is very crowded, but I have managed to get a seat where I can keep my luggage with me. Lots of people are heading out of town for the weekend.
Arrived safely in Vyborg. It was the last station on the line so it was easy to know which stop was mine. Took a taxi to the hotel as I didn’t know where the hotel was. It cost me 400 rubles to go about 300 metres Oh well, you win some, you lose some! The hotel is very comfortable and one of the receptionists speaks English. She is training to be a translator, so is happy to practice on me. I went for a walk before dinner at the hotel. A few drunks on the street, but the town itself is a pleasant surprise. I have hired a guide 1:1 for a tour of the city in the morning, then I’ll catch the train to Helsinki in the late afternoon.
. I paid 1900 rubles for a 1.5 hour tour. Valentina had been told it was for 1 hour and she was paid 1000 rubles. In the end, we walked around for nearly 3 hours!! The town was originally a Finnish fortress and has a medieval centre
and a castle dating from the 11th century. 
It was also bombed in WW2 and there are still many bomb sites and bombed buildings around the town. 
It was really fascinating and a bit sad. In the afternoon I revisited some of the sites including the castle, which we’d only looked at from across the river, in the morning. There was a special exhibition and festival on, and in the castle there were many people dressed in medieval period costume, including chain mail, with musicians, potters and other craftsmen demonstrating their skills.
The castle is also a museum so I was able to tour that too.
I’m now on the train to Helsinki, The conductor has given me a 1st class cabin to myself and power for the computer, though once again no internet access. There is an accordionist playing in a cabin about 3 down from me. Lots of singing and laughter. I will go and introduce myself.
The conductor has stopped the playing. Bad luck, it was really good. I managed to get a photo in beforehand, though.
Sunday 7th
Arrived in Helsinki last night and walked to the hotel. I am staying at the Raddison Blu which is near the central station.
Went for a short walk around the block and found a café for dinner. This morning I had a bus tour of the city booked. As I approached the stop, I noticed Paul and Helen from the trans Siberian train tour were also there. We had travelled separately from St Petersburg and ended up on the same tour –they hadn’t pre booked just turned up…The tour took in the historical parts of town, City hall, Presidential Palace. After the tour, we had lunch at the waterfront market and of course purchased a few more souveniers. I am now back at the hotel to collect my luggage as I am off to Stockholm on the ferry tonight.
Monday 8th
The ferry “Silja Serenade” was huge. More like a cruise liner with about 10 stories, its own shopping strip about 6 restaurants and bars and a casino. I had my own very comfortable cabin and had a lovely overnight cruise down the Gulf of Finland. The white nights are continuing, so it was possible to see the scenery until bedtime as well as in the morning. The ferry docked at 9.30 – a very civilized time. Took a taxi to the Scandic Sergel Plaza Hotel to check in my luggage, but was able to access a room straight off, so that was a bonus. I then found my way to the Opera House, just a short walk away to do yet another city bus tour. Stockholm is one of my favourite cities so far. After the bus tour, I walked across to the Royal Palace and the old city of Gamla Stan This is a really special place dating back to the 11th century. The streets are very narrow and wind around in a very higgledy-piggledy way. You can touch the walls on both sides of some streets. There are also a no. of squares and lots of cafes, musicians and buskers about and of course many, many tourists. The city is in party mode at the moment as there is to be a royal wedding on the 19th June, so there are lots of pre wedding events such as music festivals, happening around the place. The Crown Princess is marrying a commoner, her personal trainer!!
Tuesday 9th
This morning I caught the train to Copenhagen, arriving here about 3.30 pm. I am staying at the Ascot Hotel which is really well located close to the station and the City Hall Square, the jumping off place for tours and the entrance to the old city. I am here for 2 nights so can catch up on some washing. I also have an apartment, so room to really spread out and relax. Once again, a city bus tour is on the agenda in the morning, but I have already been for a bit of an exploratory walk and managed to get myself lost for a while, so I really took the tourist route back to the hotel. However, I have seen parts of the city I might have otherwise missed.
Wednesday 10th
Woke up to a rainy city for my Grand bus Tour of Copenhagen. I didn’t know it was possible for a city to have so many museums. There seems to be one on every block. Also lots of palaces, churches, squares, statues and fountains. I was surprised at the no. of canals that run through the city.
The guided tour was in Dutch and French, with only a little English, but it was still marvelous. I then went on a boat cruise up the river, visited the cathedral Notre Dame de Dinant and walked… a great day, but if I keep up this pace, I will never get to Brittany.
Thursday 18
Dinant to Compeigne
Today I decided to visit my Uncle’s grave at Bourguignon-sous-Coucy. His plane was shot down over France during WW2 and the crew is buried in a churchyard near the site of the crash.
I travelled from Dinant along the Route Charlemagne and at one point crossed the Marginout line and memorial in St Michel forest..jpg)
I then used the rural back roads,to circle around Laon ( My GPS is THE best bit of technology I have and my new best friend!) The country is very pretty and absolutely lush farming land. There are lovely little villages every couple of km’s. I think I am finally getting used to the architecture and the age of everything. I even managed to pass through several without stopping to explore.
I stopped for lunch at Chauncy where I visited a local Art Show (I was actually looking for a loo) but the art was really worth seeing. I practiced my French conversation with the lady at the door, who was interested to hear of my pilgrimage. Amongst other things, she told me that this area was severely damaged during the war and everyone has great respect for the allies.
Bourguiginon-Sous-Coucy is a very tiny rural commune. There are lots of Flanders poppies growing along the roadsides, so I picked a bunch to lay on the grave. After visiting and taking some photos I was about to leave when one of the parishioners showed up. Unfortunately my French was not up to the speed of her conversation; however she opened the church for me to visit as well.
and a castle dating from the 11th century. It was also bombed in WW2 and there are still many bomb sites and bombed buildings around the town. It was really fascinating and a bit sad. In the afternoon I revisited some of the sites including the castle, which we’d only looked at from across the river, in the morning. There was a special exhibition and festival on, and in the castle there were many people dressed in medieval period costume, including chain mail, with musicians, potters and other craftsmen demonstrating their skills. The castle is also a museum so I was able to tour that too.I’m now on the train to Helsinki, The conductor has given me a 1st class cabin to myself and power for the computer, though once again no internet access. There is an accordionist playing in a cabin about 3 down from me. Lots of singing and laughter. I will go and introduce myself.
The conductor has stopped the playing. Bad luck, it was really good. I managed to get a photo in beforehand, though.
Sunday 7th
Arrived in Helsinki last night and walked to the hotel. I am staying at the Raddison Blu which is near the central station.
Went for a short walk around the block and found a café for dinner. This morning I had a bus tour of the city booked. As I approached the stop, I noticed Paul and Helen from the trans Siberian train tour were also there. We had travelled separately from St Petersburg and ended up on the same tour –they hadn’t pre booked just turned up…The tour took in the historical parts of town, City hall, Presidential Palace. After the tour, we had lunch at the waterfront market and of course purchased a few more souveniers. I am now back at the hotel to collect my luggage as I am off to Stockholm on the ferry tonight.
Monday 8th
The ferry “Silja Serenade” was huge. More like a cruise liner with about 10 stories, its own shopping strip about 6 restaurants and bars and a casino. I had my own very comfortable cabin and had a lovely overnight cruise down the Gulf of Finland. The white nights are continuing, so it was possible to see the scenery until bedtime as well as in the morning. The ferry docked at 9.30 – a very civilized time. Took a taxi to the Scandic Sergel Plaza Hotel to check in my luggage, but was able to access a room straight off, so that was a bonus. I then found my way to the Opera House, just a short walk away to do yet another city bus tour. Stockholm is one of my favourite cities so far. After the bus tour, I walked across to the Royal Palace and the old city of Gamla Stan This is a really special place dating back to the 11th century. The streets are very narrow and wind around in a very higgledy-piggledy way. You can touch the walls on both sides of some streets. There are also a no. of squares and lots of cafes, musicians and buskers about and of course many, many tourists. The city is in party mode at the moment as there is to be a royal wedding on the 19th June, so there are lots of pre wedding events such as music festivals, happening around the place. The Crown Princess is marrying a commoner, her personal trainer!!
Tuesday 9th
This morning I caught the train to Copenhagen, arriving here about 3.30 pm. I am staying at the Ascot Hotel which is really well located close to the station and the City Hall Square, the jumping off place for tours and the entrance to the old city. I am here for 2 nights so can catch up on some washing. I also have an apartment, so room to really spread out and relax. Once again, a city bus tour is on the agenda in the morning, but I have already been for a bit of an exploratory walk and managed to get myself lost for a while, so I really took the tourist route back to the hotel. However, I have seen parts of the city I might have otherwise missed.
Wednesday 10th
Woke up to a rainy city for my Grand bus Tour of Copenhagen. I didn’t know it was possible for a city to have so many museums. There seems to be one on every block. Also lots of palaces, churches, squares, statues and fountains. I was surprised at the no. of canals that run through the city.
We visited the Amalienborg Palace where the royal family live and watched the changing of the guard.
We also went to visit the little Mermaid but unfortunately she is in Shanghai for the world expo and we could only see a video of her.
In the afternoon the weather fined up so I wandered around again, passed the Tivoli gardens, saw the Black Diamond Library then went back into the old city. There was a political rally outside the Christiansborg Palace, lots and lots of people. No idea what they were on about, but it seemed pretty intense.
Thursday 11
Checked out of the hotel, stored my luggage and spent this morning back in the old city. I had missed out on visiting the round tower, but decided I had time to find it before heading to the airport and my flight to Amsterdam. I wasn’t disappointed. Another amazing building! Also managed to fit in a visit to the church where Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederick were married.
Friday 12
Arrived Amsterdam last night and booked into the Nicholas Witsen Hotel. A boutique hotel near Rembrandt’s Plein and the Museum district. Phoned Bec and we are catching up on Saturday.
Today, I have been on a canal cruise, and visited Ann Frank’s house (now a museum) and a very moving experience. I’ve also walked my legs off exploring this very pretty city. The architecture is amazing. There ar so many houses and buildings that date back to the 16th and 17th century. Some are leaning at crazy angles as their foundations sink into the swamp that the city is built on and there are countless canals and pretty houseboats… and once again, so many museums. I’ve also learnt that a coffee shop is NOT where you go to drink coffee. You need to go to a café for that.
Saturday 13
Amsterdam. Visit the flower market and the Delft shop in the morning and then meet Bec and Max in the city at 1.00. We then caught the bus back to their place where I spent the afternoon catching up with Bec and Scott and playing with baby Max. Had dinner at their place then Bec and I returned to the city, walking through Amsterdam’s Red Light District (now that is an experience), before returning to the hotel.
Sunday 14
Amsterdam to Groningen. I collected my car in the morning and headed for the coast before turning north to explore that part of the country
Drove to Zandvoort, Alkemaar, across the Zuiderzee dyke, then spent the night in Groningen.
Monday 15
Groningen to Velden
Spent the morning exploring Groningen. It is a university town and reminds me of Carlton. Everyone here is in party mode as Holland is playing in the World Cup today.
On the way to Velden, I stopped off to check out some historic Windmills and to explore the old towns of Hasselt and Grubbenvorst. Here I checked the GPS for local lodgings, the nearest being the Hostelliere de Mourinan in Velden. I had to take a car ferry across the river and the ferryman was quite amused that not only was an Australian was using the ferry but also that I was driving a car registered in France.
The receptionist at the hotel had spent a working holiday in Australia, and was very happy to practice her English. Went for a long walk after dinner and explored the town. It is quite small, very tidy and has some lovely gardens and interesting statuary in the market square as well as the obligatory and spectacular local church.
Tuesday 16
Velden to Dinant
First stop for the day was a tour of Hoensbroek Castle which was first established in 1250. The oldest part of the existing castle dates from 14th century but most is 17th century. It was surrounded by a moat and was really interesting. I climbed the towers, visited the attic and the dungeon cell and every floor in between including the ‘secret room’. It was an absolute maze. There was also a fantastic sand sculpture exhibition in the grounds representing medieval scenes.
Eventually headed off to find somewhere for the night. Once again choose a town from the map, set the GPS and headed off for Namur. This was a stunning town, however even with the GPS I found it difficult to navigate the very narrow lanes. Kept missing the turns as many just look like footpaths!! Eventually gave up and headed for Dinant. Well this turned out to be a bonus… the road followed the Muese River and the scenery and villages along the way were beautiful.
At Dinant, I booked into the Ibis Hotel, right on the river. There is a citadelle (old fort) above the town which dates back to 900 b.c., a 13th century Gothic style cathedral and numerous other places of interest.
Wednesday 17
Dinant. Decided to spend an extra day here and wasn’t disappointed. Once again have walked my legs off, and have to keep picking my jaw up from the footpath. Will I ever get used to the age of these towns.
There are 483 steps up to the Citadell, so I chose to take the cable car. This is a glass gondola that rises almost vertically from beside the cathedral. What a ride… you wouldn’t want to suffer from vertigo.
In the afternoon the weather fined up so I wandered around again, passed the Tivoli gardens, saw the Black Diamond Library then went back into the old city. There was a political rally outside the Christiansborg Palace, lots and lots of people. No idea what they were on about, but it seemed pretty intense.
Thursday 11
Checked out of the hotel, stored my luggage and spent this morning back in the old city. I had missed out on visiting the round tower, but decided I had time to find it before heading to the airport and my flight to Amsterdam. I wasn’t disappointed. Another amazing building! Also managed to fit in a visit to the church where Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederick were married.
Friday 12
Arrived Amsterdam last night and booked into the Nicholas Witsen Hotel. A boutique hotel near Rembrandt’s Plein and the Museum district. Phoned Bec and we are catching up on Saturday.
Today, I have been on a canal cruise, and visited Ann Frank’s house (now a museum) and a very moving experience. I’ve also walked my legs off exploring this very pretty city. The architecture is amazing. There ar so many houses and buildings that date back to the 16th and 17th century. Some are leaning at crazy angles as their foundations sink into the swamp that the city is built on and there are countless canals and pretty houseboats… and once again, so many museums. I’ve also learnt that a coffee shop is NOT where you go to drink coffee. You need to go to a café for that.
Saturday 13
Amsterdam. Visit the flower market and the Delft shop in the morning and then meet Bec and Max in the city at 1.00. We then caught the bus back to their place where I spent the afternoon catching up with Bec and Scott and playing with baby Max. Had dinner at their place then Bec and I returned to the city, walking through Amsterdam’s Red Light District (now that is an experience), before returning to the hotel.
Sunday 14
Amsterdam to Groningen. I collected my car in the morning and headed for the coast before turning north to explore that part of the country
Drove to Zandvoort, Alkemaar, across the Zuiderzee dyke, then spent the night in Groningen.
Monday 15
Groningen to Velden
Spent the morning exploring Groningen. It is a university town and reminds me of Carlton. Everyone here is in party mode as Holland is playing in the World Cup today.
On the way to Velden, I stopped off to check out some historic Windmills and to explore the old towns of Hasselt and Grubbenvorst. Here I checked the GPS for local lodgings, the nearest being the Hostelliere de Mourinan in Velden. I had to take a car ferry across the river and the ferryman was quite amused that not only was an Australian was using the ferry but also that I was driving a car registered in France.
The receptionist at the hotel had spent a working holiday in Australia, and was very happy to practice her English. Went for a long walk after dinner and explored the town. It is quite small, very tidy and has some lovely gardens and interesting statuary in the market square as well as the obligatory and spectacular local church.
Tuesday 16
Velden to Dinant
First stop for the day was a tour of Hoensbroek Castle which was first established in 1250. The oldest part of the existing castle dates from 14th century but most is 17th century. It was surrounded by a moat and was really interesting. I climbed the towers, visited the attic and the dungeon cell and every floor in between including the ‘secret room’. It was an absolute maze. There was also a fantastic sand sculpture exhibition in the grounds representing medieval scenes.
Eventually headed off to find somewhere for the night. Once again choose a town from the map, set the GPS and headed off for Namur. This was a stunning town, however even with the GPS I found it difficult to navigate the very narrow lanes. Kept missing the turns as many just look like footpaths!! Eventually gave up and headed for Dinant. Well this turned out to be a bonus… the road followed the Muese River and the scenery and villages along the way were beautiful.
At Dinant, I booked into the Ibis Hotel, right on the river. There is a citadelle (old fort) above the town which dates back to 900 b.c., a 13th century Gothic style cathedral and numerous other places of interest.
Wednesday 17
Dinant. Decided to spend an extra day here and wasn’t disappointed. Once again have walked my legs off, and have to keep picking my jaw up from the footpath. Will I ever get used to the age of these towns.
There are 483 steps up to the Citadell, so I chose to take the cable car. This is a glass gondola that rises almost vertically from beside the cathedral. What a ride… you wouldn’t want to suffer from vertigo.
The guided tour was in Dutch and French, with only a little English, but it was still marvelous. I then went on a boat cruise up the river, visited the cathedral Notre Dame de Dinant and walked… a great day, but if I keep up this pace, I will never get to Brittany.Thursday 18
Dinant to Compeigne
Today I decided to visit my Uncle’s grave at Bourguignon-sous-Coucy. His plane was shot down over France during WW2 and the crew is buried in a churchyard near the site of the crash.
I travelled from Dinant along the Route Charlemagne and at one point crossed the Marginout line and memorial in St Michel forest.
I then used the rural back roads,to circle around Laon ( My GPS is THE best bit of technology I have and my new best friend!) The country is very pretty and absolutely lush farming land. There are lovely little villages every couple of km’s. I think I am finally getting used to the architecture and the age of everything. I even managed to pass through several without stopping to explore.I stopped for lunch at Chauncy where I visited a local Art Show (I was actually looking for a loo) but the art was really worth seeing. I practiced my French conversation with the lady at the door, who was interested to hear of my pilgrimage. Amongst other things, she told me that this area was severely damaged during the war and everyone has great respect for the allies.
Bourguiginon-Sous-Coucy is a very tiny rural commune. There are lots of Flanders poppies growing along the roadsides, so I picked a bunch to lay on the grave. After visiting and taking some photos I was about to leave when one of the parishioners showed up. Unfortunately my French was not up to the speed of her conversation; however she opened the church for me to visit as well.
Tonight I’m at the Mecure Hotel in Compeigne where once again I’ve managed to amuse the staff with my command of the French language. Well, at least I’m trying.
Friday 19th
Another fantastic day. The weather has been a bit overcast, but still good for travelling. There have been severe flash floods in the South of France resulting in serious loss of life. However, we haven’t been affected here. I spent the morning exploring around the town of Chantilly and though it was very tempting I decided I didn’t have time to visit the chateau,. Could easily spend more time here. I then set a course for Giverny and Claude Monet’s garden. Passed through some spectacular country villages on rural roads as well as using the motorways. I am only about an hour from Paris and the traffic is quite heavy on the motorways. The back roads are much more pleasant and interesting.
The visit to Giverny was really special. I visited Monet’s house and garden and the Museum of Impressionism which includes a collection of spectacular impressionist art. Also walked around the village and visited some of the local hangouts and the churchyard where Monet it buried.
Friday 19th
Another fantastic day. The weather has been a bit overcast, but still good for travelling. There have been severe flash floods in the South of France resulting in serious loss of life. However, we haven’t been affected here. I spent the morning exploring around the town of Chantilly and though it was very tempting I decided I didn’t have time to visit the chateau,. Could easily spend more time here. I then set a course for Giverny and Claude Monet’s garden. Passed through some spectacular country villages on rural roads as well as using the motorways. I am only about an hour from Paris and the traffic is quite heavy on the motorways. The back roads are much more pleasant and interesting.
The visit to Giverny was really special. I visited Monet’s house and garden and the Museum of Impressionism which includes a collection of spectacular impressionist art. Also walked around the village and visited some of the local hangouts and the churchyard where Monet it buried.
Tonight I am staying at Evereux about 30 km from Giverny. I crossed the River Seine at Vernon and was surprised at how lovely it is.
Tomorrow, I am off to Bayeaux to see the famous tapestry.
Tomorrow, I am off to Bayeaux to see the famous tapestry.
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