Europe

France 2018: Amiens

Getting from Rouen to Amiens was easy. There are frequent direct trains between these 2 cities. French trains ran almost empty; I saw 2-3 passengers per car. It’s no wonder that the railway operator SNCF, France’s national state-owned company, does not make enough profit to offset its debt. Earlier this year the current government announced […]

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France 2018: Rouen

The train left Cherbourg at 10.35 am and after a quick transfer in Caen, I arrived in Rouen at 2 pm. The hotel Astrid, shabby from the outside and quite nice inside, was right next to the train station. A single room was €50, breakfast not included, and I did not hesitate to take it.

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France 2018: Le Havre – Cherbourg

Thus, the first stage of my journey, crossing the Atlantic, was over. I was all by myself now which was good and bad at the same time. Good because I was my own master, bad because I could only rely on myself. As it says in the previous post, I had a bus ticket to go

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Transatlantic crossing 2018: Le Havre, France

Portland, UK It was my last day on board of “The Norwegian Jade”. I was required to leave before 4 pm. At 6 pm the ship was departing for the final destination, Southampton, UK. The first stage of my 2018 trip was over. It went very well, I could not wish for a better way

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Transatlantic crossing 2018: Portland, UK

Brest, France When I woke up we were in Portland. The morning was grey and rainy. The misty Albion, true to its name, greeted us shrouded in thick fog. My excursion to Salisbury and Stonehenge was scheduled for 8 am. The bad weather affected my mood and I thought about not going. On the other

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Transatlantic crossing 2018: Brest, France

The Azores After two days at sea, we were in Brest.  The “Norwegian Jade” and a small German boat were the only vessels in the port. As many other French cities, Brest suffered from bombing during the World War II. What was left from the medieval times should not take much time to see and

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Transatlantic crossing 2018: The Azores

Departure The weather was overcast with some breaks in the clouds, too cold for swimming, I found a spot protected from the wind on the aft deck with tables and chairs. Breathing in fresh ocean air was revitalizing.  A passenger sang accompanying himself with his guitar and others gathered around him to listen. The “Norwegian

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Transatlantic crossing 2018: Departure

Time to break the crust again! It had grown all over me, thick and hard, in the last 6 months when I did not travel. The past winter was a difficult time. I was plagued by all sorts of health issues from minor things like skin disorders to a virus infection that kept me in

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Europe 2017

September – October This trip to Europe was different from all my previous trips. Whether it was with my husband or by myself there always was a fixed route to follow. This time I had a return ticket Denver ‒ Munich and 7 weeks between my arrival and departure dates. It was up to me

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Graz, Austria 2017

Lake Balaton The train from Hungary arrived in Graz at noon. The night before leaving the Lake Balaton, I made a reservation at Comfort Appartementhaus Blümel which is between the railway station and the old town. At the station, I picked up a city map and a booklet with Graz attractions. I had no specific

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