Latest posts
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The Battle of Waterloo
This looks like a fairly boring picture, but it is the actual site of the battle of Waterloo, where the Duke of Wellington finally defeated the French Emperor Napoleon. A week or so ago we visited the site of the battle of Agincourt, where King Henry V led a sick, starving English army to defeat…
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The Great War
This may be a slightly longer entry than usual. We have spent a very solemn and reflective few days in the north of France, and in particular the Somme region, following the “Remembrance Trail” and visiting monuments, memorials, museums and cemeteries dedicated to the soldiers who were killed or wounded during the catastrophic First World…
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The Museums of Amsterdam
Our short stay in Amsterdam was all about museums – Ann Frank’s House on Thursday and then on Friday the Rijksmuseum (home to a large collection of paintings by Rembrandt and lots of other amazing things like huge model ships built in the 1600s) and finally the Van Gogh museum. You could get so close…
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The Best Croissant In Paris?
This little place is just around the corner from out hotel. In 2018, it was awarded the trophy for the best croissant in Paris – and there is still a queue at the door all day long. Have to admit, they are pretty good! We have had a great time just walking and sightseeing and…
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Paris
You have to be up early to get a picture of the Notre Dame with no crowd in the foreground, or the river Seine looking like a mirror. Yesterday we were – 6 o’clock in the morning here still feels like 4 o’clock in the afternoon back home, so until we adjust, we will take…
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On The Road Again
It’s hard to believe that a year has gone by – what a year. It’s Monday morning and we are off on Friday. We changed our flights from Emirates to Singapore Airlines to avoid the Middle East conflict, so hopefully all will go smoothly. The new biometric screening protocols entering Europe are bound to make…
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La Cloche
Somehow it wouldn’t seem right to end our adventure without a final homage to the food of France. Last night, we went to a restaurant called La Cloche – it specialises only in dishes devoted to cheese (displayed under the enormous cloche in the picture). Needless to say, we barely made it home alive! We…
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Strasbourg
We arrived in Strasbourg yesterday afternoon and headed straight out to explore. This city is absolutely charming – distinctly Germanic in character – with ancient half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets. It’s built around the river Ill which winds picturesquely through the old town, adding to its storybook feel. The proportions of the cathedral are simply…
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Back to Beaune
We came to Beaune in 2023, and we had such a good time that we decided to stop here again for a couple of nights on our way to Strasbourg, staying at the same hotel – L’Hotel de Beaune. Beaune is right in the middle of the Burgundy wine region and L’Hotel de Beaune is…
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Mediterranean Beach Culture
It’s definitely not Bondi. To start with, there are no waves, and the water temperature is a brisk 18 degrees. So “Mediterranean surfing” (as we call it, and which seems to be the go here) involves walking out to about waist deep and just standing while you chat and enjoy the view. We can highly…