Europe
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Day 63 – 65: Barolo and Barbaresco (Italy)
Ah Italia.. a trip to Europe just wouldn’t be the same without a stopover in Italy. Initially we didn’t plan for Italy for our trip but when Brigitte’s dad and Samira suggested we visit Barolo for 3 days, we accepted with exuberance. They wanted to show us the area they fell in love with over 10 years ago, and also celebrate James’ birthday in the heart of North Italy’s wine country.
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Day 58 – 60: Ripaille, Yvoire, Geneva and Annecy (France/Switzerland)
The last time we were in Evian we wanted to see Chateau Ripaille (a lovely 14th century castle located in the nearby town of Thonon surrounded by vineyards), but unfortunately we didn’t. This time around we got to tour the chateau which belonged to the Duchy of Savoy (the rulers of this area from the 15th to the 19th century). The Savoyards flexed their muscles throughout northern Italy as well as parts of Switzerland and France – they seemed to enjoy castle life, wine culture and torturing enemies.
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Day 56 – 57: Les Lindarets, Chateau Chillon & Gruyères (France/Switzerland)
Back in Evian after nearly 7 weeks on the road. We’re planning to spend a couple of weeks in this area which means we’ll be doing a few day trips in France and Switzerland. This area is beautiful beyond description and we’re lucky to have James and Samira to shack up with and enjoy fine meals.
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Day 53 – 54: Zurich (Switzerland)
We decided to stop in Zurich for a couple of nights and see my childhood best friend (Adi), who lives there with his wife and their son. Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city and sits at the end of the beautiful Zurichsee or Lake Zurich. It’s located in the German speaking region of the country (with Zurich German being the main language).
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Day 49 – 52: Baden-Baden and Frankfurt (Germany)
The next stop on the Germany leg of our trip was the Southwest region where we stayed with family (the Schwarzwald or Black Forest region to be exact). We were welcomed by Mirela and Nicu who were overly hospitable and made sure we didn’t go hungry even for a mere half hour. On our first day Nicu and Mirela drove us to the nearby town of Baden-Baden for a visit.
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Day 46 – 48 : Berlin (Germany)
We had high hopes that Berlin would give us a break from the rain that seemed to follow us for about a week, so we were happy when we landed at Schoenefeld Airport on a sunny evening. We took it easy that evening and walked around the area near our hotel (Mitte) and grabbed a bite at Altberliner Weißbierstube (an authentic German restaurant) where it was all about a hardy meal consisting of meat, cabbage and potatoes – washed down with a glass of Riesling and one of the local pilsners.
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Day 43 – 45: Amsterdam (Holland)
Ah, Amsterdam.. a city I had heard so much about and always wanted to see. We planned to stay for two and a half days and take city by storm, literally! It actually rained every day and night while we were there (at times with ferocity). But again, we didn’t let this affect us too much so we made the best of it thanks in part to our friends Hind and Edwin.
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Day 40 – 42: Delft and The Hague (Holland)
Our next destination was Holland so we continued north by train (from Brussels) to The Hague where one of Brigitte’s good friends (Hind) lives. We had arranged to stay with Hind for 3 days to catch up, see the city and its nearby areas. The first day, we had planned to go visit The Hague but unfortunately torrential rain (for the entire day) kept us at home.
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Day 39: Brussels (Belgium) – Part 2
Day 2 in Brussels looked very promising for more sightseeing with a forecast of 79 degrees and sunny skies. So we decided to continue with the Art Nouveau circuit we had started a couple of days earlier. But unfortunately about an hour into our walk the weather turned cloudy and cool with that dreaded feel of imminent rain – still, we remained undeterred and got a couple of hours in before it actually started to rain.
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Day 38: Bruges (Belgium)
We decided on a day trip to Bruges on our second day in Belgium (about an hour away by train going west from Brussels). Bruges is the largest city in the region of West Flanders (within Belgium) and is inhabited by over 110,000+ people. It is also called “The Venice of The North” and for good reasons!