We had a couple of months to prepare and as at the time I had a Travel Bag shop, we decided on Hiking Back Packs as we were to be travelling on buses and they didn't like Hard Suitcases,the soft sided Packs were easier to store & to handle.We chose 60litre packs with zip off day packs and as our trip was for 7 weeks We packed and unpacked numerous times trying to get enough gear in & not being too heavy.
Had to Haves:
Good Quality walking boots, ( walking everyday)
Sleeping Bag ( Not knowing the hostels where we were staying )
Coat ( I had my Dri-za--bone )
Towel ( microfibre the way to go )
Summer & Winter clothes
Personels, etc,etc
TRAVELLING
DAYS 1 - 7
We Left Brisbane,Australia in September after the local Grand Final in Rugby which Noosa won of course. I was the eldest at 53y, time for a bit of Adventure. Arrived at Heathrow, England after stopover in Singapore. OMG people everywhere, luckily a friend pointed us in direction of the Tube and from there we found our destination for the night.Coming out of the station big signs everywhere. “ Beware of pickpocketers” That took me back to an earlier visit to Manila with my sister-in-law where she had purchased a lovely gold bracelet and asked me to wear it back to our hotel, No bracelet when we arrrived. Boy did I feel bad.!!!
We were booked on a Busabout tour of Europe so we only had 1 day to have a look around London.
Checked out Harrod's, St Pauls Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, had a ride on a Double Decker Bus,back on the Tube, got lost for an hour after we had called into pub for a couple of well earned drinks.
Off to Paris the next day, We joined our Busabout tour and down to the White Cliffs of Dover to board the Ferry.We arrived in Calais, bus to Paris and stayed at the Hotel Avenir, down the road from Moulin Rouge. As it was about 5.30pm we went walking around the area checking all the cafe's & restaurants and decided that crepes & wine would be dinner.
Girls said they were kept awake by my snoring, but the coffee, croissants,warm rolls & jam that was brought to our room rallied them for the day ahead.
Touring with Busabout meant you were able to do your own thing until the Bus left town,which was great.
Onto the Metro ( underground rail in paris )to Charles De Gaulle Station,walked to Arc de Triomphe which is where 12 avenues come into 1 roundabout.Then down Champs-Elysees to the Obelisk and onto the Grand Louvre. Said hello to Mona Lisa and then took time out sitting around the water fountain.Off to the Museum,back to Tube and onto the Eiffel Tower where we took in all the sights from the top of Tower.
After our big day out we grabbed some beer,bread & cheese and sat on steps of Montmartre and did some people watching.
Girls were too stuffed to complain about my snoring that night,but my husband woke us all at 1.15 in morning with phone call, he had time zones wrong.Oops!
Next stop Amsterdam.
Had a brief stop at Brugge ( well known for Belgium Chocolates & lace )Would have been nice to stay a little longer to explore here.
To be Continued:
