Europe Day 22 & 23 London Again

Yesterday morning we headed out to Camden Market and walked through the shops and stalls. It was interesting seeing how they had repurposed some of the old buildings and some of the stuff for sale. A lot of the food booths smelled pretty good but we had eaten a big breakfast at the hotel. 

Just before noon we took the Tube down to St Paul’s cathedral. It was over $20 to take a tour however, so we decided against it. We walked over the Millennium Bridge and looked at the Globe Theater then continued on down river to the Tower Bridge.

We then took the Tube to Freemason’s Hall. They weren’t offering tours, but we were able to look through the museum and library. We ate a late lunch at a nearby pub, then walked to Covent Garden. From there we took the Tube back to the hotel and started packing our bags for the flight home. 

This morning after breakfast we walked to the Imperial College, which I used to frequent during my college program. We then walked up to the park so Susan could see the Royal Albert Hall and Albert Memorial. From there we headed back to the hotel and called an Uber XL to take us to the airport for our flight home.

Europe Day 20 & 21 Glasgow and Train to London

On Sunday, since our plan to visit the Highlands died with our rental car, we spent the day on the hop on hop off bus, seeing and learning about Glasgow. If you like museums, Glasgow has several that don’t charge admission, and one could easily spend a day doing that. We also checked out some bookstores and other shops and had lunch at the Hard Rock (No 41).

After lunch we visited the cathedral, one of only two medieval cathedrals in Scotland to have survived the Reformation virtually intact. It had many beautiful stained glass windows.

This morning we got up early to catch the 7:15 train to Edinburgh. Once there we transferred to a train to London Kings Cross. It was about a half hour late. We arrived around 1:30 and took the Underground to our hotel. Around 2:30 we checked into the same Kensington hotel we stayed at on our first night.

We dropped off the bags we took to Scotland then traveled across town to grab the luggage we had left in London. While doing that, we learned something new about the Underground - you don’t have to buy tickets. A gate attendant told us that if each person in your party has a unique international credit card, you just tap it going in and going out and it charges less than buying a paper ticket. If only we had learned that at the beginning of the trip. By the time we got back it was almost 6 so we had dinner at the hotel and retired for the night.

Europe Day 18 & 19 Scotland

Once we arrived at the Edinburgh train station we made our way to the car rental area and picked up a car. The agent said we could leave our luggage in the car and walk around the city a bit, so that is what we did. Our first stop was at a nearby pub he suggested, the Brewdog, where we enjoyed burgers and drinks on the patio. From there we walked up the Royal Mile to the castle. Tours were sold out for the day so we started back down. 

We stopped at the Hard Rock for a drink (No. 40), then walked back to the rental car and drove to Glasgow and checked into our hotel. 

This morning after breakfast we drove about 45 minutes northeast to Doune. We toured Doune Castle, home to Duke Robert of Albany, a powerful lord in the 15th century. It was used to film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and the series Outlander. We spent about an hour touring the castle, and could have spent another hour if we wanted to hike the paths to the village and back.

When we went to leave the car wouldn’t shift out of reverse. We called the car rental company and they said they’d send someone out in an hour or two, so we sat in the car and worked on contingency plans. My plan had been to visit Stirling next then drive back to Glasgow to check out downtown. On Sunday we were going to drive along Loch Ness to Inverness, then stay the night in Aberdeen. All that went out the window. 

Instead we waited 3 hours for a tow truck to come and then he drove us to a lot in Falkirk. We did get to see the Kelpies and Stirling castle from the motorway as we drove to the lot. From there we had to take a taxi and a train and an Uber to get back to our hotel. By then it was after 5 o’clock. We were able to cancel our hotel in Aberdeen and extend our Glasgow hotel one day. We tried booking a day tour up to the Highlands for tomorrow but they were all sold out. We decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant and just check out Glasgow in the morning.

Europe Day 17 & 18 Trains to London & Scotland

We got up early yesterday and took the train to Disney, then boarded a high speed train to Lille Europe, where we transferred to the Eurostar for the trip back to London. The first leg of our journey from took about an hour, the second an hour and a half, but we gained an hour due to the time change, arriving in St Pancras London about 10 am. By the time we made it out of the station, called an Uber, and checked in at our hotel it was 11. Our hotel was on the north side of London, just northwest of Regents Park.

We took the underground to Oxford Street to look at the Disney Store, then headed to Piccadilly Circus to check out the Waterstone book store and eat dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe there (Number 39). 

This morning we were again up early, this time to head to Kings Cross to board a train to Scotland. We probably should have used Uber to get to the train station, since buying three underground tickets cost about the same as the Uber ride would have, and took a little longer. We left most of bags at the hotel in London, which made it easier to get to the train as well as store our luggage on the train. Because we didn’t decide to go to Scotland until we were already in Europe, the seats I purchased weren’t together, although they were in the same car.

The train made a fair number of stops, so took almost 5 hours to arrive in Edinburgh.

Europe Day 15 & 16 Disney Paris Resort

Yesterday and today the parks opened at 9:30 so we slept in a bit and left the hotel around 9. The Paris resort consists of two parks, a retail area with some restaurants and a cinema, and a half dozen hotels. Our tickets allowed us to hop between parks so that’s what we did. Of course we spent most of our time in the Disneyland Park, since it has more attractions and more we wanted to experience. 

 

The Disneyland park is truly beautiful with lots of great details. It’s also well laid out. Frontierland and Adventureland are swapped from where they are in the American castle parks, and instead of Tomorrowland it has a Discoveryland, which has a steam punk vibe. Several of the classic rides are really well done here but with slight differences. Their version of the Haunted Mansion, Phantom Manor, is cool because it’s set in Frontierland. 

The Walt Disney Studios Park is still fairly light on attractions. They are currently working on a Frozen expansion and supposedly are planning more. The Toy Story area at the Studio park is just flat rides, so we just walked through it. The old “backstage” tram tour is now a Cars Route 66 ride. It’s kind of lame. Two of the most popular rides at the Studios are Ratatouille and the Crush Coaster, and we didn’t care about doing those. Crush Coaster is a spinning mouse we had done in 2014, and it was a one and done for us.

Just recently they revamped their black lot area into an Avengers Campus. The Spider-Man ride was similar to Midway Mania and the Avengers coaster was a bit dark and rough. We didn’t eat at any table service restaurants in the parks; there weren’t many reservations available and the menus didn’t appeal to us. It was fairly cool both yesterday and today, with highs in the mid 60’s. Crowds weren’t too bad, most waits were in the 30 to 60 minute range and some were walk on. There was a fair amount of construction walls up and several attractions were closed. I would have liked to watched the fireworks show, but it wasn’t until 11 o’clock.

At Disney and in Europe generally, people aren’t allowed to smoke inside anymore but make up for it by smoking near building entrances and at outside tables. We saw several nice beer gardens and sidewalk bistros that would have been nice to stop at but they all had smokers at them. At Disney most smokers stuck to the designated areas, but they were often near restrooms so we had to pass through a gauntlet to use them. This afternoon we walked through Disney Village and checked out some of the hotels. They were nice but not as grand as those in Orlando or Anaheim. I did enjoy the Art of Marvel at the New York Hotel. We had dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe, then headed back to our hotel.

Europe Day 14 Disneyland Paris

After breakfast today we took an Uber to a hotel in Val d’Europe. I wanted to stay at a Disney hotel but in order to get a cast rate I had to call France to book it and there was almost no discount. It was very frustrating. We ended up booking a couple of rooms at a hotel one train stop away from the Disney resort.

We stayed at the Moxy, a fairly new hotel. The rooms were fairly small but we had two. They would be fine rooms for a single business traveler but not so much for family on vacation. There was no mini fridge, no breakfast, and not much storage room. Not even a coffee maker. We dropped our bags and headed to the RER station, where we bought a book of 10 tickets to go back and forth from the parks.

We went to guest relations and showed our blue IDs and maingate passes and were issued tickets. We entered Disneyland Park just after noon. We had a snack and rode Phantom Manor, Pirates, and Small World, but mostly my two former merchandise cast members wanted to check out the shops. The park was still celebrating its 30th anniversary so they had stuff for that. We had some pizza for dinner then headed out.

While Susan and Jenn looked at the stores in Disney Village I went over to the Studio park and rode Avengers Assemble Flight Force, a revamp of Hollywood Studios Rock n Roller coaster. The girls then headed back to hotel to rest and I went back into Disneyland to ride Star Tours and Hyperspace Mountain, which is their version of Space Mountain with a Star Wars overlay.

Europe Day 12 & 13 Paris

 

While Jenn attended her con, Susan and I walked to the Metro and headed into the city. We walked around Norte Dame, which we hadn’t done when we came in 2014, and took photos of stuff along the Seine. Of course Norte Dame was being reconstructed from the fire, so we couldn’t go in. There was bread festival going on in the square in front.

 

From there we headed up to the Hard Rock Cafe (No 38), stopping to shop a bit on the way. There were a ton of people lined up outside waiting to get into the Grevin Museum next door. Since it was a Saturday there was a 45 minute wait for a table, but we were able to sit and eat lunch at the bar.

After lunch we took the Metro to the École Militaire and took photos of it then walked up the Champ de Mars and took photos of the Eiffel Tower. We hadn’t really seen it from the south side when we came in 2014.

Then we walked to the Hôtel des Invalides, where the Tomb of Napoleon is located, then to the closest Metro Station. We made our way back to our hotel, stopping to grab some food for dinner, then went up to our room to rest our feet. According to our watches we had walked almost 20,000 steps and 18 flights of stairs.

This morning we headed out again, this time starting at the Place de la Bastille. There wasn’t much to see there besides the column.

 

From there we headed up to the Pantheon, which sits on Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, the hill at the heart of the Latin quarter. This building started construction in the 18th century as a church but was converted to a monument and resting place for prominent French citizens. Looking around inside at the art and crypts and stuff was well worth the entrance fee. I had read that the views from the top are spectacular but I decided not to pay extra and wait to do that.

We then walked down to the Luxembourg Gardens and by the Luxembourg palace. From there we hopped on the Metro and rode to the Place du Concorde. We walked through the Jardins des Champs-Élysées, stopping to eat panini sandwiches on a park bench, then looked at the shops including, of course, the Disney store. After that we headed back to the hotel.

Europe Day 10 & 11 Lyon to Paris

In Geneva, we boarded a train to Lyon. It was crowded, but we were able to store our luggage and find seats in the same car. Around 2 hours later we arrived at the Lyon station and caught a cab. After some confusion with the cab driver about whether our credit card would work, we arrived at the hotel ten minutes later and our card worked fine. Our hotel was right on the Rhône river north of downtown, near a large park, and like Frankfort, a convention center and concert venue.

After dropping our bags we took an Uber to the Hard Rock for dinner. (No 37), then walked around a bit looking at the shops and buildings. The Hard Rock was also near the Rhône, but on the other bank and a couple miles downstream. 

After a bit it started to sprinkle and it was getting late so we headed back to our hotel. With the trouble we had with the taxi and the ease of using Uber, we vowed to use Uber whenever possible for the rest of our journey. If we ever make it back to Lyon, hopefully we’ll have more time so we can explore the old town more.

Yesterday morning we headed to the train station and boarded a high speed train to Paris. Two and a quarter hours later we arrived at the Gare de Lyon station in Paris. We then took an Uber van to our hotel.

In Paris we stayed at the Novotel East, near the Gallieni Metro station. Jenn was attending a convention there. It was an okay hotel - the rooms were small and dated, so there weren’t enough plugs to charge all our stuff. The neighborhood wasn’t great either, but we expected that. When we went to check in, somehow they had lost our reservation, even though we had prepaid months ago. It took about an hour to work things out. Once Susan and I got to our room, however, we began to discover things wrong. The AC didn’t cool the room down, the toilet leaked, and the next morning we discovered the shower didn’t work. After breakfast we went to the front desk, and they moved us into a room where everything appeared to be working. Although later we found the AC still didn’t cool the room down much.

Europe Day 9 & 10 Switzerland

Yesterday we checked out of our hotel in Munich and made our way to the train station, where we boarded a train to Switzerland. It was a nice, fairly new Swiss train, and we were able to store our luggage without much trouble and sit together.  

We again headed out of Munich through the German countryside, but this time to the southwest. We passed south of Lake Constance, briefly traveling though Austria, and after about three and a half hours we arrived in Zurich. We were hoping we could see the Alps from the train, but we couldn’t. The parts of Switzerland we traveled through looked a lot like Germany and Austria. After grabbing a quick lunch we boarded another train, which was a bit more crowded and could only accommodate about half our bags on racks, so we had to go the final hour with bags at our feet. 

When we arrived in Bern, we considered trying to figure out how to use the light rail but decided to take a taxi to our hotel, which was located in a fairly new commercial area north of downtown. However our room included a pass to use public transportation so after dropping our bags in the room we jumped on the light rail back to the main train station.

From there we walked east a little over a mile through the Old Town and across the River Aare to the Bear Gardens, stopping in a few stores to purchase souvenirs. After watching the bears and taking in the view of Old Town, we decided to try to take the city bus back to the train station, as it was getting late and we were getting cold and tired. No one ever checked our pass and everyone seemed to just get on and off the light rail and buses without paying or showing passes. We ate some dinner then grabbed the train back to the hotel and had a drink at the bar before getting ready for bed.

This morning we continued our journey southwest through Switzerland. The train between Bern and Geneva was a double decker and there was no place to store luggage and very few seats so we stood for twenty minutes until we got to the first stop, when we got off and waited for the next train. It was also a double decker and all the bag storage was full but at least there were seats for Susan and Jenn. I stood with the luggage until the first stop then dragged much of it up the stairs to the rack there. 

When we got to Lucerne some people got off and we were able to sit together as we traveled along Lake Geneva. We got off at Geneva about two and a half hours after we departed Bern, and after a brief wait boarded a train to France.

Europe Day 8 Salzburg

We were up early again this morning but this time we walked to the train station to head southeast for Salzburg. Thankfully this train wasn’t full like the last couple, and we enjoyed a quiet ride through the German countryside.

After about an hour and a half we arrived in Salzburg. The area around the Salzburg train station was much nicer than that around Munich. We walked down to Mirabellplatz and bought tickets for the hop on hop off bus and walked through the gardens.

After about a half hour of driving south through town, we arrived at the Schloss Hellbrunn, where we hopped off. We walked around the gardens and saw the palace and the Sound of Music gazebo, then hopped on the next bus. A light rain started as we walked around.

We then headed north back toward the city, learning a bit more about the history of Salzburg and the life of Mozart on the way. The rain impaired our ability to take photos from the bus.

Our plan was to get off at the Old Town and have a late lunch and look around, but the rain started falling harder so we decided instead to head back to the train station, where we looked around the shops and grabbed some food, and then an earlier train. When we got back to the Munich train station, we stopped in the ticket office to ask about upgrading to reserved seats. After waiting around 20 minutes, we learned that upgrades to first class aren’t a thing; instead we’d just have to buy new tickets, which were very expensive. We could reserve second class seats, but only online. When we got back to the hotel we figured out how to reserve the seats and what the costs would be. We decided to take our chances on the trains we would be taking through Switzerland to Lyon, but reserved seats on the high speed train from Lyon to Paris.

Europe Day 7 Neuschwanstein

This morning we got up early and headed to Karlsplatz, where we boarded a tour bus. We headed south into the Bavarian mountains and about an hour and a half later arrived at Castle Linderhof, our first stop. 

We walked up to the castle and toured the rooms. It was fairly small, and more of a palace than a castle. Linderhof was the only castle Mad King Ludwig completed in his lifetime.

After a little over an hour we boarded the bus again and drove about 15 minutes to the village of Oberammergau, where every ten years they put on a Passion Play. We had about a half hour to look in some of the gift shops. The village is also well known for wood carving and coo-coo clocks. While we were there a light rain fell.

 

We then drove almost an hour along the Romantic Road through rolling hills and small villages until we arrived at the main stop on our tour, Neuschwanstein castle.  

We had lunch in Hohenschwangau, the village below the castle. After lunch we took the village bus to the bridge above the castle, took some photos there, then walked down to the front of the castle to start our tour. The tour took about a half hour. I wish it was longer and we got to see more of castle after all the work to get there, but I imagine most areas of the castle weren’t conducive to tour groups. There were a lot of steps up and then down.

 

When we came out the drizzle had started again, but stopped briefly while we walked down to the village and boarded the bus for our ride back to Munich.