19 March
Johannesburg to Paris - Day 1 Meet Kim Opperman - our tourguide for the first couple of days Enjoy dinner at the Slow lounge (Dankie Hennie en Paul) Board Air France Flight AF 995 to Paris More photos |
20 March
Paris - Day 2 Early Arrival in Paris Figure out the huge transport system at Charles de Gaulle On the first bus of our tour Stop at Eiffel tower Lunch at Napoleon's tomb Book in Ibis La Defence (4 Boulevard de Neuilly - La Défense 1 - Pont de Neuilly) First time on a Paris Metro train - Etoile & Sortie Evening guided tour Sacre Couer Montemarte Moulin Rouge Drinks and dinner at an Irish Pub More photos |
21 March
Paris - Day 3 First European breakfast - Cold meats, cheeses, croissants gallore Morning guided tour Opera House Louvre Museum Meet Maryke Koekemoer - our tourguide for the remaining part of the tour Arc de Triomph Notre Dame Eiffel Tower Free afternoon after a big lunch which included frog's legs, crepes, snails etc Boat cruise on the Sein river Very expensive coffee at Cafe Kleber @ €7.20 per cup More photos |
22 March
Paris to Switzerland - Day 4 Meet Karel from Nederland, our bus driver for the next ten days or so Travel on the bus - We depart Paris (after Jakes had to go back and try and find his phone) and drive South through the Burgundy wine region of France. Get to know each other by spilling the beans in front of the bus with a microphone in hand The bus make regular 2 hour stops as it is compulsory for drivers to take a 15 minute break. Drive past Bern Drive past some spectacular lakes before we reach Interlaken in the heart of the Jungfrau region. Experience Karel parking a bus - Wow! Meet Urs! Book into Hotel Schonbuhl (Oberdorfstrasse 18, CH - 3812 Wilderswil) Have dinner with Urs! More photos |
23 March
Switzerland - Day 5 Free day Do a village walk down to the train station Miss a train Catch a couple of trains to Jungfraujoch, the highest point in Europe Experience a 5 second snow blizzard Enjoy chocolate at Lindt Relaxing journey back Strenuous walk back to Hotel Schonbuhl Cheese fondue with Urs Walk back down to the bus station Bus to Interlaken Beer at Hooters Miss the last train Walk 1000 kilometers from one bus station to another Catch the bus eventually Strenuous walk back up to Hotel Schonbuhl More photos |
24 March
Switzerland to Pisa - Day 6 We depart Switzerland and head South towards Italy. Major traffic jam on the highway We win a orange beanie - Yay We drive past Lake Como and Milan The leaning tower of Pisa - hit and run Book in at VILLA SAULINA RESORT HOTEL (Via Maremmana 11, 50055, Lastra a Signa - Florence, Italy) A Tuscan resort between the vineyards just outside of Florence. Dinner in a wine cellar More photos |
25 March
Florence to Rome - Day 7 Morning guided tour Cathedral of Duomo Bridge of Ponte Vecchio Piazza della Signoria (Copy of Michelangelo’s St David Statue) Find the bus - "Brug op jou rug, rivier regs" On the bus to Rome Book into out hotel Hotel American Palace (Via Laurentina, 554, 00143 Roma, Italy) Experience the Rome metro Late afternoon guided tour of Rome Trevi Fountain Spanish Steps Lots and lots of Italians Dinner at the hotel More photos |
26 March
Rome - Day 8 Free day - On Easter Saturday we try the Vatican City! Lost Lee Found Lee Guided tour of the Colloseum Walked around that evening trying to find a restaurant near our hotel, ended up having pizza and coffee in a yoghurt bottle More photos |
27 March
Rome to Venice - Day 9 On the bus, Rome to Venice Book into Hotel Venezia (Via Teatro Vecchio, 5, - Mestre Centro, Venezia (Italy)) Take the public bus to Venice Late afternoon guided tour Rialto Bridge St Mark Square Good Pizza on the steps of the Grand Canal with a very nice Gelato to finish it up More photos |
29 March
Venice to Munich - Day 11 On the bus to Germany Play in the snow at a lake Italian Dolomites See the ski village of Cortina D’Ampezzo. Drive through Austria Book into Hotel Atlas City (Paul-Heyse-straße 18, 80336, München, Germany) Evening guided tour with Don Experience the German Metro Marienplatz Hofbrau House Experience a German taxi More photos |
30 March
Munich to Boppard - Day 12 Bus drive to St. Goar Rhine Valley cruise to Boppard Book into Rheinlust hotel (Rheinallee 27-30,56154 Boppard, Germany) Walking tour to a wine tasting Nice dinner at the hotel More photos |
31 March
Boppard to Amsterdam - Day 13 Bus drive to Amsterdam Zaanse Schans windmill village Clogs Edam cheese Book into Lakelands hotel(Jachthaven 1, 1141 AV, Monnickendam.,Amsterdam, Netherlands) Experience the Dutch Bus system Evening guided tour Red Light District Coffee shops vs coffee houses More photos |
1 April
Amsterdam - Day 14 Free day - Keukenhof Gardens Back to Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum Rijksmuseum and Gardens Anne Frank house Canal cruise Walking through Monnickendam Drinking all the wine that's left so that we don't have to take it back to SA More photos |