European Tour
Thanks for sharing our adventure!
By the way........This blog is organized in a day by day format starting with the most recent entry. To view it in chronological order you need to scan down to the bottom of the page and work your way up.
and another thing...If you left click on a picture, controls pop-up!
Sights around Paris
Paris to London to LAX August 5th, Day 23
This was actually our travel day and the end to our wonderful adventure.
Paris Opera House
Paris sightseeing- August 4th Day 22
The Paris Opera House was constructed from 1860 to 1875. It's formal name is the
Palais Garnier after Charles Garnier the 35 year old architect who won the design competition. He also went on to design the Casino in Monte Carlo. The auditorium is horseshoe shaped and seats 1,900 seats.
Arc de Triomphe
Paris sightseeing August 3rd
The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 and it was completed in 1836. It stands on Paris’s main east-west axis. The sides have sculptures by 20 different artists. The climb up the spiral stairs was a good work out and the views from the roof terrace were incredible! Twelve different roads radiate out from the Arc de Triomphe. With that many roads connecting at the base, its fun to just watch the cars navigate their way around. It was also a thrill everytime we drove thru it!
Eiffel Tower
Paris sightseeing- August 2nd, Day 20
Today's sightseeing tour featured a drive along the Champs Elysées from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe and the ascent of the Eiffel Tower to the top. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution and was the world's tallest building until 1930. We also visited Notre Dame, the ornate pont Alexandre III bridge and enjoyed a walking tour in the Luxembourg gardens. That evening, we celebrated with our fellow traveling companions at a Parisian cabaret.
Versaille and the Louve
Lyon to Paris (4 nights) August 1st, Day 19
Today's drive takes us along the Rhône Valley on our way through the wine-producing Burgundy region to Paris. We first toured Versailles including the Hall of Mirrors and the Gardens. Built from 1661 by Louis XIV. The Royal Family was removed in 1789 after the French Revolution. Our visit to the
Biggest Museum in the World, the Louve included seeing Venus de Milo, Winged Victory and Leonardo de Vinci’s Mona Lisa among many other great works of art. The Louvre began as a fortress in 1190 and later became a royal residence. In 1793, it was transformed into a museum. I enjoyed seeing the glass pyramids which were added by architect, I.M. Pei. In Paris, we stayed at the- Sofitel La Grande Arche Hotel
Avignon, Beaune and Lyon
Nice to Avignon and Lyon July 31st, Day 18
Along the highway past Aix-en-Provence to arrive in the papal city of Avignon on the River Rhone. Time to admire the broken bridge as well as the Papal Palace. Avignon was the residence of the Popes of the Middle Ages. Construction was started in 1335 and completed in less than twenty years under the leadership of two builder popes. The legend of the broken bridge is that a young shepherd came to Avignon in 1177. He said that he was sent by God to build a bridge in Avignon. Our journey next went on to Lyon. Located at the intersection of the Saone and Rhone Rivers it's France’s most prominent college town. Lyon is well known for great food and wine and it's been a key trading hub dating back to Roman days in 43 BC. That night we enjoyed a great time with our travel companions in a small French restaurant. We stayed at in Lyon at the Park and Suites Part Dieu Hotel.
French Riveria
French Riveria – July 30th, Day 17
We drove along the sparkling Mediterranean coast to Cannes, Monaco and Monte Carlo. That evening we drove up into the hills where we visited St. Paul de Vence, a beautiful artist colony located in medieval hilltop town. We also visited a local perfumery on our way up the hills for a wonderful dinner. The restaurant was an old estate converted to serve private groups. The food and views were both fantastic! It was fun watching as the fog rolled-in below us. We were having such a nice time that when our tour director informed us that it was time to leave, we chanted “hell no, we won’t go!” He replied that
mutiny was a keel able offence. So….. even though we hated to, we reluctantly left.
Florence and Pisa
Florence to Pisa, Nice and Monte Carlo(2 nights)- July 29th Day 16
The Renaissance City of Florence. On our arrival a walking tour with a local guide, features the Duomo, Piazza Signoria and a visit to the Basilica of Santa Croce which was constructed in 1294. Tombs for Galileo, Michelangelo, Rossellino, Donatello and many others are located there. We also made a stop at Piazzale Michelangelo, for breathtaking views of this city. We also stop in Pisa to see its Leaning Tower. Then we pass the quarries of Carrara and drive along the Motorway of Flowers via Genoa, to Nice. Later, we drove on to the Principality of Monaco where we saw the Monte Carlo Casino and enjoyed dinner in a French restaurant. We stayed in Nice at the- Boscolo Park Hotel
Assisi
Assisi to Florence July 28th Day 15
Our morning tour showed us the Basilica of St. Francis with its frescoes by Giotto. It's actually a double Basilica with one constructed on top of the other. The upper Basilica's construction started in 1228 and completed in 1239. The Tomb of St. Francis is located here. Next, we're off to Florence where we stayed at the- Grand Hotel Mediterraneo Hotel.
Pompeii
Sorrento – Pompeii – Assisi July 27th Day 14
Off to Pompeii where a walking tour with a local guide took us around the excavations. Pompeii was first occupied in the 8th century BC. The Romans took control of Pompeii around 200 BC and retained control until the end... a fateful day in 79 AD when Mt Vesuvius unleashed its fury on the 20,000 inhabitants of this thriving Roman city. The ash that buried the town served as a sort of mummification for the entire city. The eruption captured a moment in time. Artwork and Buildings were preserved. We next passed the Abbey of Monte Cassino and onto the hills of the Umbria and Assisi, St. Francis' town. We stayed in Assisi at the II Castello Hotel.
Isle of Capri and Sorrento
Rome to the Isle of Capri and Sorrento July 26th Day 13
We headed out the next morning through the vineyards of Frascati and into the province of Campania. We drove to Naples and boarded on for a cruise to the Isle of Capri. Here we ascended the Capri town by funicular and enjoyed a guided tour of the lovely hilltop town. We visited a local hilltop restaurant for lunch, followed by a stop at the Piazzetta for some free time. We also visit some of the gardens and viewed the Faraglioni Rocks. We next took a ferry to Sorrento – a cliff top summer resort for the night. We stayed in Sorrento at the- Parco del Sole Hotel.
The Vatican
Rome sightseeing July 25th Day 12
Today we went sightseeing with a local guide. Our tour included a visit to the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel where we saw Michelangelo's incredible work and also St. Paul’s Basilica. We couldn't take photographs inside the Sistine Chapel but it was amazing to visit and realize that Michelangelo spent 7 years in the same space. We were the first group in the morning and had the Chapel all to our selves!
Rome
Venice to Rome (2 nights) July 24th Day 11
This morning we left the plains of the Veneto and drove into the Apennine hills past Bologna, into Tuscany and Umbria. Soon we were in the Latium en route to Rome, the 'Eternal City'. Our tour in Rome included a visit to St. Peter's Basilica and a walking tour with spectacular views of the Coliseum and the Forum. That evening we visited the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon before enjoying dinner outside at the artists square. We stayed in Rome at the Hotel Diana.
For additional information on Rome checkout; http://www.romereborn.virginia.edu
Venice
Venice sightseeing- July 23rd, Day 10
We enjoyed this Byzantine city on a canal cruise by private motor launch to St. Mark's Square. Venice was our favorite city on the tour. We enjoyed walking around and getting totally lost! We viewed the Bridge of Sighs, the Doges' Palace and visited a glass-blowing factory. Then we cruised to the fishermen's island of Burano for shopping and a wonderful lunch.
Innsbruck
Innsbruck – Venice (2 nights) July 22nd, Day 9
This morning we visited the Ski Jumping Stadium. They held the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics here and in 2002 the new Stadium was built. Designed by Zaha Hadid, the jump is used in both the winter and in the summer for training. We later drove over the 620 foot-high Europa Bridge and Brenner Pass into Italy. We traveled through the foothills of the Dolomites to Venice. In Venice, we stayed at the- Novotel Castellana Hotel.
Engelberg
Engelberg – Liechtenstein – Innsbruck July 21st, Day 8
We passed the Walensee to Liechtenstein, stopping in the capital – Vaduz. Then we crossed the border into Austria and followed the Arlberg route into the Tyrol and Innsbruck. We rode on a vintage cable car that's been chugging up the mountain since 1893. It took us part way up the mountain and then we transferred to a modern aerial cable car that took us the rest of the way to the top. At an altitude of 6,300 feet, we enjoyed the fresh air and views of the surrounding Alps. We stayed in Innsbruck at the- Grauer Bär Hotel.
Lucerne
Lucerne Excursion July 20th, Day 7
Next we enjoyed a boat ride across the Lucerne Lake while looking at the county estates and green hillsides while on our way to the city of Lucerne. Here, we visited the medieval town and the Lion Monument, which was built in memory of Louis XVI's Swiss Guard. We walked across the Chapel Bridge and visited the beautiful Lucerne Chapel. The Chapel was built by Jesuit's from 1666 to 1677 the onion domes were later added in 1893. We also enjoyed some “Milka” chocolates along with a little shopping.
Heidelberg and Strasbourg
Frankfurt– Heidelberg– Strasbourg– Engelberg (2 nights) July 19th, Day 6
Our first stop was at Heidelberg to view the castle. Next we made our way to the medieval city of Strasbourg where we visited the town and it’s Cathedral. Strasbourg was founded by the Romans in 12 BC. Construction on the cathedral began in 1176 and the cathedral’s spire was completed in 1439. We next enjoyed scenic drives through Alsace vineyards on to the Swiss border at Basel and the resort city of Engelberg. We stayed 2 nights in Engelberg at the Schweizerhof Hotel.
Cologne and Rhine River
Amsterdam– Cologne– Rhine Cruise– Frankfurt July 18th, Day 5
We started off the next morning with a visit to a diamond-polishing factory. Next, we headed off into Germany, stopping at Cologne to see its gothic Cathedral. In 1167 the bones of the three Wisemen, or Magi, were relocated here from Milan. The Cathedral began construction later in 1261. It was constructed in phases and was completed in 1880. We traveled via Bonn to Boppard for our Rhine cruise past castles and vineyards to St. Goar. Finally, on to our hotel, the Dorint Novotel Am Main Taunus, for dinner and overnight stay in Frankfurt.
Amsterdam
London – Amsterdam July 17th, Day 4
Our wake up call came as scheduled at 4:30 the next morning. We had a nice breakfast and left London by 6:00 am. We enjoyed a scenic drive to the coast viewing the White Cliffs of Dover before taking the channel- crossing over to Calais, France. We crossed World War battlefields in France and Belgium en route to Amsterdam. Our tour included a canal-cruise in a glass topped boat where we enjoyed an Indonesian dinner and drinks. This was a nice introduction to a very interesting city. The dining experience was wonderful and the boat ride was the perfect way to see the town. We were escorted through the "red light" district. It was interesting to see the “coffee” shops and the prostitutes offering their wares in the shop windows. We stayed in Amsterdam at the Mercure an der Amstel Novetel for the night.
London
London sightseeing and at leisure July 16th, Day 3
The next morning we went on a tour of London. Our local guide pointed out many interesting buildings as we drove through town. She also told us all the local gossip of who did what where. It was like living in one of the local tabloids. She pointed out the best places to shop and enjoy tea. Our first stop was at Buckingham Palace where we saw the changing of the guards. She had us running around to get the best views. We also went to Westminster Abbey and the Parliament Building. We saw Big Ben, the Tower Bridges and many other sites. When the tour was over Linda and I walked to the National Museum. We enjoy viewing the beautiful works of art. Paintings from 1250 to 1900 including works by Monet, Seurat , Cezanne, Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Degas. Next, we bought a metro pass and jumped on a bus to St. Paul’s Cathedral. This is a wonderful structure! It's the 5th church built on the site over a 1,400 year period. The architect was Sir Christopher Wren, and its was built in only 35 years. The Crypt holds tombs for Wren, William Blake, Florence Nightingale, Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington in addition to many others. Charles and Diana were married here. We toured the entire cathedral from the crypt to the crows nest! We huffed and puffed up some 434 steps all the way to the top. The views were worth the climb! Next, we walked across the River Thames on the “Millennium Bridge” to visit the Tate Modern. They had an interesting exposition on the growth patterns of major city’s world wide. We tried to get to the London Tower next but ended up at London Bridge by accident. Just a little lost, we decided to take the London Tube back to our Hotel. Exhausted, we enjoyed a nice dinner and called it a day.
London
Arrive London (2 nights) July 15th, Day 2
We arrived in England to typical London weather, a little cloudy and rainy, but nice never the less. What a thrill was to be in Europe! We stayed two nights at the Hilton Olympia. Our Hotel was located just outside of town, but with-in walking distance of many points of interest. After checking in we were excited about seeing the sights. We headed out to Kensington Palace, which is where Prince Charles and Lady Dianna lived. It's been the private residence for Royal Family’s since 1689. Queen Victoria and Queen Mary were both born there. We visited the gardens, saw Albert Hall, did a little shopping and enjoyed an early dinner before heading back to the hotel. The city reminded us in many ways of San Francisco. Nice, old Victorian buildings. The time change was catching up with us and we conked out back at the hotel.
Map of European Tour
July 14th, Day 1
Linda and I departed for London to start our tour of Europe. Russell drove us to LAX and we flew non stop to Heathrow. The flight was non eventful but 11 hours in a plane is a
very long time.
