Europe Archives - Page 2 of 10

Perranporth, England

May 16, 2024 Newquay to Perranporth (Day 4)

Four options depended on the tide; we took the shorter distance and taxied to Crancok, a lookout carport. From there we followed the path that was mostly on dunes. When Dennis stopped to take photos, I veered left, and he continued forward. After waiting about 15 minutes at the top of the hill, I retraced my steps. I had to decide whether to go back down the slope to see if he was injured or ascend on the path. I chose the latter, asking everyone if they had seen an old man with a backpack. After about a half hour, someone said that Dennis was looking for me–I now knew to continue forward and hoped he would stop so I could catch up. Soon, I found him at a crosspath, where he figured I would catch up. Relief!

The dunes had many paths that crossed each other, making it difficult to stay on one path. Once again, the Gaia GPS kept us from going too far astray.

We walked on the beach for about a mile. Since we did not know the tidal schedule and it looked like the tide was coming in, we climbed the sandy dunes with much effort and followed that option into town. Had we known there was a staircase up to the town from the beach, continuing on the beach would have been much easier; the loose dune sands are hard to navigate.

I found it interesting that the Patron saint of Cornwall, St Piran, is said to have arrived at Parrenporth in the 6th century floating on a millstone from Ireland. This story is similar to how Saint James arrived in Northern Spain on a stone ship at about the same time.

Newquay, England

May 15, Porthcothan to Newquay (new-key). Day 3)

We followed the path along the coastline for about a mile. Today was cold, with on-off rain but little wind. We walked past mounds called barrows, bronze-age burial places.

Nature has created the most stunning coastline—the Atlantic, battering the coast, carving coves and inlets with jagged rocks, cliffs, and beautiful sandy beaches. I am privileged to see this wonder.

It is difficult for us to follow the path description that calls out the coves, inlets, etc, by name, which means nothing to us. This is where the PBS series Poldark was filmed, and I seem to recognize some of the areas, though, after a while, they all look similar.

Once we got to Trevone, a small coastal village, we lost the Path. Once we reached the road junction, we could go 1.5 miles back to Padstow or continue 3.5 miles to Newquay as planned. We chose to do as planned. We walked the narrow B3276 and arrived in time to meet our taxi in Newquay. It was harrowing. Though we walked facing traffic, we had to step off the road and into the briars/shrubbery to avoid getting hit. I am grateful for the attentive drivers. Like the Path, the road was undulating and did not save our legs from climbing.

Porthcothan England

May 14, 2024, Padstow to Porthcothan. (Day 2)

What a wonderful spread of fruit, yogurt, cereal, porridge, or warm breakfast! After filling up, we started our 13.5-mile walk to Porthcothan Bay from Padstow with a steep climb. It was a clear, chilly day, and the vistas were spectacular—just what we had come to see.

We could see a stone tower on Stepper Point, built in the 1830s as a day marker for navigational purposes. Today, it is known as the Stepper Point Daymark.

We walked through sheep fields, passed many coves and inlets, a few quarries, climbed down steep ravines, and back up the other side.

Today was cold, rainy, and windy (40-45 mph). At times, I turned my back to the wind, planted my hiking poles firmly into the ground, and leaned on them to keep from being blown off the cliffs. It was a bit scary at times, but we managed to arrive safely.

Porthcoton is a coastal village known for its sandy beaches and surfing. It has legends of smuggling where fishermen claimed goods from shipwrecks and sold them to augment their income.

Porthcothan Beach and the clifftop fields nearby were used to film Poldark, especially the shots of Ross riding his horse.

After a tiring walk, we returned to the B&B in Padstow via taxi.

Padstow, England

After breakfast in Exeter, Dennis researched the best way to Padstow, where we were to begin our hike on the South West Coast Path, while I traipsed in the rain to a cash machine to get the local currency.

After deliberating about traveling by bus (cheaper but longer and arriving at 9 PM) or by train (more expensive, same duration but better schedule), we rented an UBER. The cost was the same as the train, but the 90-mile ride only took 1.5 hours, and we did not have to port the backpacks to the station. No brainer! We were in Padstow around 12:30 p.m. to stay in a private B&B on Trevebyn Road for two nights.

HillWalk Tours prepared our hike and booked lodging, a taxi, and luggage transport. They were to leave a package in our room, but they delivered the wrong map and no printout describing the trail. Fortunately, we previously downloaded the 75-page PDF to our phones and are using the Gaia GPS app.

For supper, we headed into town down a very narrow and steep cobbled-stone hill. We had to tread carefully not to step in horse poop. Coming back was difficult, a harbinger of what was to come.

Exeter, England

It was easy to disembark in Southampton. We went to the train station from the docks to buy tickets to Exeter. We only waited about a half hour for the next train. I love traveling in Europe by train. The trains are so accommodating, with high-speed internet and comfy seats.

We hiked up a 450-ft. hill each of us carrying two backpacks—one for belongings that will be portaged from hotel to hotel, the other with our daily hiking needs. Near the top, my back spasmed, scaring Dennis. Not long after that, we arrived at the Queens Court Hotel, a beautifully converted townhouse that was very chic. Though they no longer offer dining to the public, they provide their guests with a plentiful breakfast. Dennis had a Full English breakfast while I enjoyed porridge.

After we settled into our room, we went for dinner. Unfortunately, most restaurants stop serving early on Sunday. We managed to get a takeaway from a new restaurant in the center of town.

We used the Miles Clock Tower to help us return to our motel.

Le Havre, France

Le Havre (The Harbor) is located at the mouth of the Seine in Normandy. After WWII, the city was completely rebuilt. Because of Auguste Perret’s unusual designs and concrete architecture, the city center became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

Coming off the ship, we faced a yard full of large cylindrical objects that Dennis soon identified as windmill blades. From the ground, these wind generator blades appear much smaller.

We walked around the city and up numerous steps to a viewing point. Then, we walked through Square Saint-Roch with its meandering paths, statues, and flowering plants and shrubs.

St. Joseph’s Church was designed by Auguste Perret. Sitting in a pew and looking up the spire, you can see the stained glass that decorates the building. The spire also serves as a lighthouse.

St. Joseph Church, Le Havre — St. Joseph Church

Zeebrugge, Belgium

We docked early in Zeebrugge, one of Belgium’s fast-expanding ports and busiest in Europe. We had planned to visit the city and beach without taking an excursion. We walked past the Cruise Port, along marinas, tram tracks, and apartment buildings, to the beach, where we saw a few memorials, families playing in the sand, and many cabanas. With the tide out, the water was far from the boardwalk. With so little to see, we returned to the ship.

Had we done more research before arriving here, we would have booked an excursion to Bruges, 15 kilometers away. The ship excursions were expensive, but fewer alternatives can be booked outside the Port Authorities building. It is only a 15-minute bus or train ride to Bruges.

To get to the train station, the tram costs 3€ per person, and tickets can be purchased from the driver. Take the tram toward “De Panne” and leave at the Blankenberg train station. Another alternative is to purchase the tram ticket on board the ship, but the price may be inflated.

The St. Georges Day commemorates The Zeebrugge Raid by the Allies to retake the harbor from the Germans. Of the 1,700 men involved in the operation, 300 men were wounded, while more than 200 were killed.

On our return to the ship, we stopped at an outdoor cafe to sample the local brews. My favorite was the Kasteel Donker—dark, rich, and with overtones of caramel, coffee, and chocolate. I hope to find it back home.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The capital of the Netherlands is the most populous city, with approximately 2.5 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area. It derives its name from the damming of the Amstel River in the 12th century. It was a leading port in the 17th century; it is now a leading center for finance and trade and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The oldest part of the city, Sloten, dates to the 9th century.

Because we had previously explored Amsterdam and had already seen the canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Ann Frank House, we visited several city neighborhoods, stopped for a beer and sandwich, and took in the ambiance.

Canal with houseboats — Canal with tourists

We spotted several stores selling yellow ducksas we went through the tulip market to the downtown area. Supposedly, Florentijn Hofman, a Dutch artist, placed large Rubber Ducks in various places around the world. He is famous, as are his Ducks .

My father had an awning company. He would have been interested in seeing these.

Of course, Amsterdam has bikes! Many of these fall into the canal: approximately 12,000 to 15,000 cycles annually. As a result, Amsterdam employs a practice called “bicycle fishing” to remove these sunken bikes and has set a Guinness World Record for “most bicycles recovered from [a city’s] waterways.”

About a half hour after departing from Amsterdam, I noticed a strange formation in the water: Eldye Island. Dennis was thrilled to see it.

Monday, June 9, 2014 Cherbourg, FR

There was no breakfast at the hotel this morning, on Monday’s they do not open until 9 am and we had to catch the 8:43 bus. We were not informed about this when we paid in advance, but we were able to get reimbursed. After leaving 12 frantic messages at the bike shop yesterday, we were glad when the proprietor met us there around 8:00 AM to exchange the helmets and bike for our deposit.

We waited an hour at the bus stop, but the bus never showed up. Thinking we missed it, we went to the Post Office to mail a package home, but that was closed. Back at the hotel we found out that it was Pentecost Day and that everything was closed.

To take a cab to Cherbourg FR (port city in Normandy, above) where we were to take the 5 PM ferry would cost 120€ (about $170) so we decided to hitch. As Dennis was writing a sign a British couple arrived and they offered to take us to Carentan FR, but Dennis would have to sit in the back of a box truck with no light or windows and with a stuffed fox, deer head, and cow skins, along with other items they were purchasing to take back to England. We jumped at their offer. They even offered to mail our box for us—such angels!

In Carentan, we took the train (running on holiday schedule) to Cherbourg. Last year this town was buzzing with activity…this time, the streets were deserted (picture left). We found an open café and sat there munching on a Croque Monsieur and talking to patrons. We spoke with Air Force captains who flew over Normandy yesterday dropping the parachutists. One, Capt. Jake Fuchs, flew the third C-130 troop transport plane in the group. He was enjoying this event very much. The other Captain is the doctor that was in the drop zone on the ground. He was on hand to deal with any medical emergencies or injuries, but he was pleased to report it was an uneventful day, thank goodness. They were both thrilled that the day went so well.

From town, we walked about a mile to the port. On the way there while watching a man outrun bicyclists, I jammed my foot into a post and re-injured my foot. I hope my blackened toe will not prevent me from hiking.

We are now on British time, now only 5 hours difference from the US.

Sunday, June 8, 2014 Utah Beach

The little Peugeot. struggled up the hills as we made our way to Utah Beach. At one point the sparrows were flying faster than we were moving. Our top speed going down hill was 35 mph. But the little engine took us about 55 miles round trip, in about 2 hours. It looked so tiny compared to the “big boys” though we were never the envy of the other riders.

We were lucky to see a herd of about 40 horses running through the fields, enjoying the cool weather and early morning. We also saw 900 parachutists jump with the old-style chutes using a static line. They came, wave after wave, in groups of 5 to 20 jumpers.

For miles around the jump site, people lined the streets and it was difficult to get around, even with the small scooter. In Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, depicted in the television series Band of Brothers, was the first village to be liberated during the D-Day disembarkment at Utah Beach. There, the re-enactors erected a bivouac. There were a variety of army vehicles and people clad in the old-style uniforms. We even saw a parade of locals dressed in 40s garb and pushing baby buggies and riding old bikes. Lots of polka-dotted dresses. All the stores and cafés were full. We managed to buy a drink in the grocery store, and then sit on the commons to watch the people.

From there we proceeded to Utah Beach. The beach is lovely and at low tides revealed the long approach.

Unlike 70 years ago, there is aquaculture on the beaches. We could see the large tables, but could not tell what was being farmed.

There are a few monuments and statues and a museum. As we walked around the beach, there was a flyover and Dennis managed to capture one of the planes. Later during the day, he also captured the C47 in full battle paint for D-Day. It wore these colors so it wouldn’t be attacked by the allies.

We returned to Sainte-Mère-Église to identify a few buildings that were mentioned in a book we bought that captures eye-witness statements about that night. Though written in French, I hope to translate it for Dennis and help him better understand what his father experienced.

Again today we saw a biking club–all wearing the same red, blue, white shirts. A police motorcycle preceded the 1000 or more riders. This was not a race, but folks out for a pleasure ride.

We arrived back in La Haye-du-Puits in the late afternoon and everything in town is quite…all the stores and restaurants, except for a kebab/pizzeria are closed. Luckily I overheard heard someone mention it in the hotel, and we grabbed fair food in Sainte-Mère-Église,