Sunday, September 5, 2010

Hi from Paris

1st September

Hi family and friends

We are now in Paris.  We spent the last night of our boat tour in Amsterdam.  The tour leader asked if anyone would like to go to the Red Light District after dinner.  Well, would you believe it but 80 wanted to go.  He had not had so many people going on any tour on the whole two weeks.  They walked for 15 mins to get to the area but Trevor and I along with our 6 'new'  friends and caught a taxi and went on our own.  It was something to see.  Sex shops everywhere and sleazy guys, a lot smoking dope.  We were all walking in a tight group with 100's of others.  We walked along the river and across a bridge and along the other side of the river.  Girls were wiggling their busts in the windows at the passing parade and the whole thing was very sleazy. 
We had to leave the boat at 8am the next morning, luggage out at 7am so it was an early start!!!  We drove by bus to Antwerp for lunch then on to Paris.  Antwerp had a music festival on and it was lovely in the old area. Then on to Paris.
We have stayed at the Sofitel in Paris the last three nights. (next to the American Embassy)  They said it was the safest place to be in Paris.  I am not sure, anyway the street was all blocked off at each end so was very quiet.
We have been very busy sightseeing and this morning took ourselves off to see the L'Opera.  Was a beautiful building.
We have now left the tour and are on our own for a week.
We have had a lovely afternoon walking around the Left Bank.  Our hotel is near the River Seine and the Pont Neuf Bridge.  There are all little streets to explore and French people walking around with their dogs or riding their bikes.  Very lovely.
Our hotel is small in the Latin Quarter, built from a convent many centuries old.  We are in a room in the very old part with wooden beams on the ceiling.  In the centre of the hotel is a lovely courtyard with geraniums and pots with box balls and lots of candles.  Ah, all lovely. 
Well must finished this email as we need to go and have some dinner.

Photos, dining at La Fermette Marbeuf, last night at the Eiffel Tower 10pm, today at L'Opera and the courtyard tonight at Hotel D'aubusson 

Au revoir


Jill and Trevor



Monday, August 23, 2010

Hi from Bamberg Germany

Hi to all family and friends

Today I am writing this email somewhere on the Main Danube Canal after we left Bamberg at lunchtime.  We were up early and  started a tour of Bamberg at 8.30!!!  It is a lovely UNESCO World Heritage town.  Tonight we have cocktail drinks at 7pm, dinner, followed by a Roaring Twenties Night.
I am sending some more photos. Three of them are of Bamberg today and the other is of a the lock we went through yesterday.  Note all the chairs, tables and umbrellas are lying flat on the deck and the wheelhouse has been lowered. We have been under many low bridges. There are I think 68 locks we have to go through.  Originally we went up in the locks and now we are in the main Danube we are going down in the locks till I suppose we reach sea level in Amsterdam.  All very impressive and a wonderful to experience.
We met some lovely people while we were in Prague and 8 of us have stayed noisy friends.  What fun.  
I don't know when we can send this email as the internet goes in and out on the river and as we are moving it is a problem also.

Cheers to everyone

Jill and Trevor


Danube River Cruise

23/8/2010

Hi All,
We are having a great time.
You could not fault the ship Amabella which is a new ship launched in May.
We were in Linz on the 20th and 21st in Regensburg.
Today the 22nd we are going thru the Main Danube Canal where you drop down in the 3 locks, it's amazing site to see the ship going down in the locks.
We will be in Nuremberg on the Continental Divide and will disembark and go on a tour of a Medieval city which first appeared in 1050 and during the 13th century developed into one of Europe's greatest trade towns.
The weather has been fantastic as it was raining before we came and the ships could not get under the bridges. Even today they had to lower the wheelhouse and all the railings on the top deck.

Having trouble with the wireless communication on the ship so you may receive only sometimes.

Just love to all,

Love Jill and Trevor
xxxx















Sunday, August 22, 2010

Way to Bamberg

23/8/2010
It's 6am and going though another lock but now they are going down. Go to Bamberg at 8.30am for a 2 hour tour.

Nuremberg

22/8/2010
Hope all is well. 31 degrees here today in Nuremberg. Alls well, good sleep and off to breaky.

Linz

20/8/2010
Just woke up. It's 7am here in Linz near Salzburg.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Yet another lock

19/08/2010
Just awake at 3am and in a lock right next to another big ship. Water now flowing into lock and rising so we can go further.

Up the Danube

19/8/2010
We will be sailing in 40 minutes. Still going up the Danube. Just been fantastic. Viannese concert with full orchestra and strings. Sailing though the night and docking at 8am.

Vienna

18/8/2010
Just berthed in Vienna. Off for breakfast then a tour of the city. Sunny weather. Sailed all night. We went though many locks.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Leaving Prague

Hi to you all. We have had a great time in Prague but now it's time to leave. We were up at 6.30am and the bus left at 8. With an 8 hours drive to Budapest and get on the boat. Full boat of 150 people.


Saturday, August 14, 2010

Arrival in Prague

14/8/2010

Hi to family and friends,

We have now been away a week and how the time flies. We had a long flight over to Prague, 28 hours in all.  Too long.  
Everywhere in the old town is cobblestones so if hard on the feet.  We have walked a long way everyday seeing as much as possible.
We bought a book on Prague from Melbourne and it had walking tracks to follow so we have walked many of them.  We are staying at the Imperial Hotel which is a restored Art Deco building.  Truly lovely.  The walls and ceiling are all tiled. Amazing.   
Everywhere in Prague there are so many lovely wonderful old buildings   We have near our hotel the Municipal Building. (which is really the opera house) It is a beautiful building which took three years to restore. Yesterday we did a guided tour which was interesting.
Today we walked for four hours around the Prague Castle.  We paid for headphones to see everything.  
We have walked to Lesser town, the Old Town square and Charles bridge to name a few.  We did a tour of the Jewish Quarter and was taken into St James Basilica on the way.  Out mouths dropped open it so beautiful inside.
We met 29 of the people from our trip last night.  I think the rest (121) must be joining us in Budapest.  We are going to have dinner together at the hotel tonight.

Till next instalment,

Love to everyone,

Jill and Trevor