Category: France Norway UK and Ireland Feb 2014

The Retirees go Abroad – France, Norway, UK and Ireland – London and Move It

Arrived in London smooth flight collected our baggage no trouble caught the Heathrow Express into Paddington Station without incident caught a cab to our hotel without faltering. So far so good but the Hotel is a letdown. We go to Earl’s Court underground and buy our oyster and get guidance on the best way to travel to Kensington Olympia and we are recommended to use the bus in Warwick Rd. We have now used up all our English currency and until we get the new credit/debit card we have no access to cash.

Travel to Olympia by bus to set up for the Move It show for Glitter and Dance UK – what a roundabout way to go. Frances our UK manager arrives shortly after us and we set up by 5.00pm, We decide to walk back to the hotel as it seemed that it was directly down the road despite the winding trip on the bus, Yes, 15 minutes’ walk and we were at the Hotel, Shower and change for the big dinner tonight at the Corinthia Hotel.

Caught the underground to Embankment station and walked through to Northumberland St and there it was in all its magnificence – it was truly magnificent. We went inside and took a seat at the cocktail bar ordered a drink and watched in awe as the barmen mixed exotic cocktails in front of us – we had sat down in front of the preparation area. We had arrived 10 mins early so we were teased by the variety of cocktails being served. David and Veronica arrived – we can never get together in Brisbane but they come to London to have dinner with us.

Dinner was a fixed menu for 30 quid a head. It started with a glass of champagne and fresh baked loaf then entrée, main and dessert. All very wonderful until you get the bill and find there is a 12.5% service charge on the bill. C’est la vie!

Go back

Your message has been sent

The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Paris to London

Before Diane and Svein went home, we enjoyed a night at the Lido – some very good artists and lots of boobs.  Please excuse my shaking hand when photographing the wild life at the Lido. We had planned to have dinner at a place that Diane recommended. Well not so. It was gone or her memory was gone – which ever. We found a pub in one of the back streets and had a nice inexpensive meal – difficult to do in Paris. The show finished about 11.00 pm so we caught taxis back to our hotel.

Next morning, we said farewell to Diane and Svein who returned to Bruges and we visited Sacre Cour and Montmartre. Inside Sacre Cour is quite amazing but Nerida was in 7th heaven with all the shops. Kerry and I relive a moment from an earleir trip with coffee at Monmarte.

Kerry and I then went off to the catacombs at Place du Denfert Rocheleau. To get there we passed on foot through the fabric district of Paris. There were a few imitators of Glitter and Dance there.

When we arrived at the entrance to the catacombs the line up was easily over two hundred people and it took two hours for us to get in. Whilst we waited we were visited by a rodent of Paris. So while Kerry held our place in the queue, I went for a walk to the Palais du Luxemburg and Jardin du Luxemburg. The picture of the Palais is the featured image.

The entrance to the catacombs is through a plain black door is a plain black building in a small park in the middle of a large intersection. Once inside and you have paid your €8 or in Kerry’s case as a senior over 60 €6 you walk down 132 stairs in a column to start a 2 klm walk under Paris. There is a variety of information on wall panels from history to geology but all you need to know is the tunnels were originally dug to quarry rock for building and later filled with the bones of bodies from unsanctified graves around Paris and graves that were being reclaimed for building. After a few cave ins and subsequent destruction of houses the Paris council decided to shore up the tunnels and later to arrange the bones which had been discarded into the tunnels to be stored in a tidy fashion – it is still happening today.

We leave the tunnels via 82 steps exiting into a part of Paris we had not seen before but using the Metro we returned to our hotel to ready ourselves for the next part of our trip and to farewell Doug and Nerida. Before we say farewell we have booked a wine tasting with a Sommelier but its his night off and we have the Vigneron take us through his wines and he did not skimp on the beverage. Great tasting with lots of information.

Go back

Your message has been sent

 

The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Canal St Martin

Sunday, breakfast was most needed. Doug and Nerida will go to the Louvre (its free every first Sunday of the month) and we will walk to Pont D’Ilema then along the Seine hopefully as far as Pont Tolbiac and the National Library but the camera dies around Pont Alexandra III, so we cross over to the right bank and go on down to the Louvre for coffee at Cafe Marley. Along the way we saw life on the Seine and the Parisians exercising there and the Parisians living in boats and in cardboard there. Left the cafe and went out to Rue de Rivoli along past St Germaine Eglise and back to Quai du Louvre and walked onto Pont Neuf checking out “les Bouquinistes” the booksellers along the Seine – very quiet with many of them closed. Returned to the Louvre entering via Quai du Louvre (the queue for the pyramid commenced from that entrance and ran through that courtyard through the archway and into the main courtyard up to the crowd controlling zigzag lines and then into the Pryamid – a 45 to 60 minutes wait to get in). After waiting 10 minutes Doug and Nerida appeared.

We planned to meet our friends Dianne and Svein Koningen from Bruges here in Paris. Diane had rung to confirm they would be somewhere along canal St. Martin and Kerry worked out this was near Place de Republic and close to Temple – we had been here before but still had no idea where along the canal they would be. Caught the Metro to Republic and then got the call with vague instructions that they were in a restaurant near a carpark in Rue Eugene Varlin. We’ll take a cab. Found the cab rank and asked the driver who had no idea where it was. Kerry is already in the cab and I’m headed for # 2 on the rank when he says “I have gps”. So we all pile in and he realises for the first time there are 4 of us and I want the front seat so he has to move all his belongings so we can all get in. Then we get to where he wants to turn and the street is closed and the next one and the next one (it would have cost us €3 but he had to find a street that was not closed or at least close enough for us to walk) €6 later we land in a street and walk three blocks to find Le Robinet d’Or a nice bistro in the back streets. We had a fun lunch catching up and when it came time to leave Doug and Nerida travelled with Diane and Svein back to Rue de Passy while Kerry and I walked the canal back to Republic (well not quite that far but the Metro before it) caught the metro changed trains and caught another Metro to La Muette and walked back to the hotel before the others could drive there.

 

Go back

Your message has been sent

The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Lunch in the Tour Eiffel

Next day – time for a haircut and Kerry and Nerida make great fun of Doug and me in the barber’s chair. After that the pressure is too great – we are surrounded by shops and the girls give in. I decide to walk down to Jardin au Ranleigh and spot the Monet museum – queue from one corner to next. I must be looking European as I am stopped by French people for directions to the museum – which I give in perfect “Ausnch” or “Frenaussie”. Back to the shops without any luck as the girls are still shopping.

We are going to Jules Verne at the Tour Eiffel for lunch to day so back to the hotel to smarten up and then the metro to travel to the Tour Eiffel. Buy the tickets following the instructions given the day before (or so I thought) then jumped the Metro at La Muette travelled to Trocadero to change metro and Nerida saw some signs to Tour Eiffel but when we exited we were at Trocadero (as you would expect) across the river and Pont D’Ilema to the Tour. No good we must travel to Bir Hakiem to get to the left bank. So back on the Metro and exit at Bir Hakiem (there is still 4 blocks to walk to the Tour and we have 10 minutes before our booking at 13.30. Raced down the stairs into the arms of the train police checking tickets. Of course I had stuffed up the selection of tickets buying “jeune” tickets instead of “adult” tickets and they jumped on us with on the spot fines of €33 each. Of course our HSBC credit card had expired on March 1, 2014(heh that is today). 15 minutes later I am rushing the 4 blocks to the Tour where the doorman is talking to a swarthy Arab looking fellow without a booking and saying there was 4 no shows when I pipe up and the doorman expresses regret to the Arab and sends him packing. Not very happy about our Metro experience but jubilant about the lunch we were about to have and the queues of people waiting to go up the Tour and we jumped in ahead of them.

In the restaurant (Jules Verne) we take our seats beside the window and smirk about our view and what is too come. The menu is handed to us and the waitress is already trying to sell us champagne – (“Is the champagne part of our package” I ask but get no answer – Kerry has the maître de’s attention and notices the same time as I did the menu is for 5 or 6 courses not 3 and the price is double our package deal. “Oh no says the maître de the €90 menu is only available on week days”) So after arguing the point with the maître de he politely says “the choice is yours whether you stay or leave” as the waitress pours the champagne for Nerida and puts some nibbles on the table which Nerida has already put in her mouth. S***t! what to do – we all agree it is not something we will ever do again so we decide to stay and live on bread and water for the rest of the trip. Lovely lunch for 3 hours thereafter – now stuffed like Xmas turkeys we go down to the viewing platform (being diners we saved €15 each to go to the viewing platform) and see the sights of Paris along with a throng of the unwashed of Paris (warnings about pickpocket blaring over the intercom).

Feeling chasten by our financial misfortunes we decide we will walk back to the hotel. From Pier Sud to Pont D’Ilema over the Seine into Avenue Delessert and then Rue de Passy (stopping at Le Passy for a reviving refreshment) along Rue de Passy to Place Passy shopping centre through the centre into Rue de L”Anonciation (in all under half an hour) and we are back to our hotel – we did not even have to catch the Metro after all. Very quiet night and no dinner.

DSC03209

Go back

Your message has been sent

The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Bergen to Paris

We have received our disembarkation lecture and guess what the tour director is German – that explains a lot. We call in at Trondheim, and have a lovely walk around the town. Farewell dinner tonight because many people leaving here.

Last day and we really just sit around awaiting to arrive at Bergen. Big hug from Ms Hendrieksen fare welling us (Kerry has a headache so she misses out). Arrive at Bergen and we get a cab to the hotel in the heart of the city. Just down the road is the funicular to the top of the hill behind Bergen CBD and we take the trip to the top. Wow and the wind is just as amazing. A hot chocolate, a visit to the souvenir shop and we head to the 17th century fish market a UNESCO world heritage site. Very interesting and it is bitterly cold. Time for dinner and Pepe’s Pizza is in sight. A couple of pizzas 2 cokes and a bottle of red Krona 1160 about $240.00 – Norway is expensive when it comes to dining out.

Back to the hotel and some real room and a nice shower – boat trip was wonderful but 12 days is enough. Awoken by a severe shake of my leg. Kerry is up and I have slept through the alarm. Ablutions, dress, breakfast and the cab arrives. It is too small for 4 people and 7 pieces of luggage despite being told when booking the cab. In fact, he had a trainee with him so could not even fit 4 passengers. Order a new cab – we learn that there is an excess baggage fee and our cab ride hiked up to almost double the cost to travel in from the airport (krona 714 or $103.00). Kerry is most upset. Still we arrive in time to catch the plane which we do and fly to Oslo where we catch another plane to Paris CDG (Oslo – got off the plane went by bus to the terminal and then walked all the way back to the international terminal to catch our next flight – one way to ensure we get enough exercise).

Arrive in Paris and travel from CDG to 16th arrondissement (it took a considerable time and only cost euro 61 (including baggage fee). The cabbie had no idea where to find the hotel but got us there very directly once he found it in his Referdex – Yes Referdex. The hotel is down a mall (part of Rue de l’Anonciation) and it is just another door off the side walk. The room is small but manageable (we are back to finding which hotel can have the smallest bathroom). Wandered around locating ourselves and the metros. Found “Susan’s Place” a neat little “cafe de the” but no bookings available tonight then find Le Passy a bar and restaurant and had a drink (they had not heard of Kahlua and milk and were quite amused by it). Doug not feeling well, stays home while we trip into Champs Elysee and we walk down to Rue de Rivoli and around to Place Vendome and into Rue Marche du Honore where we find a superb spaghetti restaurant Fuxia and have dinner before going home.

Go back

Your message has been sent

The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Trondheim

Next morning, we cross the Arctic circle going south. The ship holds its crossing the circle presentation which is a memorial spoon off which you take cod liver oil followed by a schnapps chaser. I still have the spoon. For the statistics buffs the Arctic Circle is at 66 degrees 33 minutes 39 seconds north latitude and we travelled to 70 degrees north (69 miles or 111 klm per degree means we travelled over 300 klm north of the Arctic circle). Caught up on my emails and continued reading a book from the library until we came to Bronnoysund where we walked through the town had a hot chocolate in the shopping centre and wandered back to the ship. Not much to see really until we got back to the wharf where I noticed the water was so clear you could see the fish swimming in it. Not just fish but clouds of fish and then for no reason that I could see many of them started jumping. Others stopped including a Dutch couple with a telescope and they consider that this was salmon. The gulls were also interested and we watched until the jumping ceased and re-boarded the boat

February 26 and we land in Trondheim again. We have made friends with the female tour guide “Ms Heindreksen”. We caught her smoking in the bus shelter the first time we landed in Trondheim and used this to leverage her help in calling a cab (city centre 20mins walk) so when the cab came the driver was looking for Heindreksen and would not take us so we caught the bus. On returning to the ship I checked her family name and sure enough it was Heindreksen and from that date forward she has been “Ms Heindreksen” and I have been “Gwen”. This time Kerry and I relished the walk but our friend gave us a few tips and we found a renovated dry dock area similar in concept to dockside. After that we walked down the old streets to “Dromadarie” (Camel) a tiny coffee shop where we enjoy a “kaffe choc” coffee and chocolate combined. Back to the ship and we set sail with our disembarkation instruction lecture shortly (Norwegians are a bit anal like the Germans about precision).

While walking through the village I came across the village notice board where some local girls were displaying their argument for renting of space. Very Scandinavian!

Go back

Your message has been sent

The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Sortland via Harstad

Rise and shine we are off to Sortland via Harstad – more bus travel. Our first stop is a medieval church. Very hard to date this church as it started life as a place of worship for a Viking chieftain and was added to with Romanesque construction and completed in Gothic style. It seems to be accepted as a 12th century church which appears to me to have been decorated in Russian orthodox style but is now Lutheran. The church is right on the fjord with the cemetery of 9 centuries surrounding it. Alongside the church is a museum which explores the history of the area and particularly the church.

After that it is just a bus trip through the country side to catch up with the ship in Sortland. We beat the ship into port and that extended the bus travel (meaningless). Lunch was much needed and I settled down to write these few words but suddenly we are docking at Stokmarnes, the home of Hurtigruten. We only have an hour but we get off to see the Hurtigruten museum which includes the MS Finmarkken an early Hurtigruten ship. It is interesting to see the similarities with today’s ship and to learn that the coastal express started in 1890’s offering the world’s first 24-hour service. Back on board the boat I collect tomorrows programme and there is a lot of sea and not much to do.

Go back

Your message has been sent

The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Hammerfest then the Arctic Cathedral Tromso

Next morning, we enjoy a lie in and a peaceful preparation for breakfast. Today we go to Hammerfest at 10.15 and then Tromso at 23.45 for the midnight concert. Hammerfest is a really pleasant town but shame about the weather. The tour manager recommends we buy spikes for this visit due to the icy conditions. The best advice. They stretch over your shoe and provide a very efficient set of spikes for walking on ice and icy surfaces. As I said earlier I spotted two outstanding churches in this town as we departed going North so I have the opportunity to see them. They are certainly remarkable but there are churches everywhere in this town including the Seventh Day Adventists. The Polar Bear Club is located in the tourist info centre and to see the display is free but you can join the club for what purpose I don’t know.

Home for lunch a walk in the gym (the decks are still icy – we are in the Arctic circle) on the treadmill. Whilst I had a nanna nap to prepare for tonight, the boat moves on to Tromsø, a city in Norway, which is a major cultural hub above the Arctic Circle. It’s famed as a viewing point for colorful Northern Lights that sometimes light up the nighttime sky. The city’s historic center, on the island of Tromsø, is distinguished by its centuries-old wooden houses. The 1965 Arctic Cathedral, with its distinctive peaked roof and soaring stained-glass windows, dominates the skyline. Dinner, read my book then at 2345 we join the rush to the concert. The obligatory bus ride to the Arctic Cathedral.

Wow it is surprising. My first impression was a mini Sydney Opera House. It is made up of a series of inverted concrete “Vs” with the ends closed off with stained glass windows. Very simple design with stunning effect. The concert turned out to be a presentation by a soprano, female flautist and male pianist presenting Norwegian instrumental and vocal pieces, and Sami folk music called “yoiks”. They started off at the organ on the mezzanine (a 26-piece pipe organ) and progressed to the temporary platform at the front. Very pleasant and the musicians superbly accomplished. To bed as we are off again in the morning at 0800.

Go back

Your message has been sent

The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Vadso

An hour in the gym and then Kerry wanted to get off at the next stop – that’s now! Shower, dress for the snow (still – 10 degrees but now the wind is gusting to 20 knots) and out into the wilds of Vadso. Not heard of it? Vadsø is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vadsø, which is also the administrative centre of Finnmark county. Apart from a memorial (which was covered in snow and we could not see it) and a fort which was treacherous due to wind and ice there was not much to see.

Back to the boat share an orange whilst the ship leaves port.

DSC02895

After dinner they show a DVD on Pomor trading which showed that Vadso was the most important centre in this trade with the Russians from around the White Sea. The Russians were traditional orthodox and were being persecuted by the new order in Moscow. So they commenced trade with the Norwegians to buy fish which helped the Norwegians who were very poor.

Pomor trade, is the trade carried out between the Pomors of Northwest Russia and the people along the coast of Northern Norway, as far south as Bodø. The trade went on from 1740 and until the Russian revolution in 1917.

The pomor trade began as a barter trade between people in the area, trading grain products from Russia with fish from North Norway as the main trade. With time it developed into a regular trade against money: in fact the ruble was used as currency in several places in North Norway. The pomor trade was of major importance both to Russians and Norwegians. The trade was carried out by Russian pomors from the White Sea area and the Kola peninsula who came sailing to settlements and places of trade along the coast of North Norway. The pomors were skilled traders and sailors, and they did also explore the areas around the White sea. In addition to their trade westwards, they established a trade route east across the Ural mountains to North Siberia.

Bloody shame they did not show this before we arrived at Vadso.

Off to bed. I am buggered but just able to finish my book before tumbling into sleep. A disturbance during the night woke me at 1.30am. Out of one eye I saw Kerry go out the door – meeting her boyfriend? No the northern lights – Kerry is off for some photos and I fall straight back to sleep.

Go back

Your message has been sent

 

The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Hammerfest, and Honnisvag

When I arose this morning we were just leaving Hammerfest. It was 0615 and -8 degrees. An hour walk around the deck and it had dropped to -10 degrees. I saw two most spectacular churches this morning and look forward to seeing them on our return journey south.

We visit Honnisvag this morning. It is on an island which claims to be the most northern settled island in Europe. I visit our neighbours who are just arising. We have decided we don’t need a bus trip to see another monument, so we have tramped the town and found a wonderful little museum on the history of the island and other things. Pictures of life for the Sami residents were fascinating. We found the statue of a local hero -a gnome of giant proportions who befriended Kerry.There was a moving story about a St. Bernard dog which served in the Norwegian navy in the Second World War called “Bamse”. It ended up on a mine sweeper working off Montrose in Scotland and died there with a monument erected to its memory and duplicated here in Honnisvag where the story started. This really felt and looked Arctic. I think it’s -10 degrees today. We continued to look around the town with the black ice making it interesting.

There was a seafarers’ church made in timber and surrounded by ice but worth the trip to see inside.

On board the ship we were tempted onto the back deck to see some King Crabs. These crabs originate from Russian seas to the east but the Russians transplanted them in an experiment and they have grown in numbers so that the Norwegians now harvest them. Have a guess what was on the menu for dinner. Stopped long enough to get some photos but with the temperature dropping to minus 14 degrees a short spell was all I wanted. Of course on the coldest night we receive the call for more lights. I poked the camera out and got one good photo.

Go back

Your message has been sent