August 2014 - Europe

Photo of poppies at Tower of London and God on Rainbow/Heaven Arc by Carl Milles in Stockholm

Quite a challenge using my new Nexus 7 to type this blog....am glad that I got a small keyboard but it is still taking a bit of work!

31 August 2014 Sunday France
Early morning walk at Cap Blanc-Nez.
All is closed on Sunday...and some on Monday! Decided to park myself near Calais to prepare for train ride to Luxembourg....the Gare TGV is out in a cornfield in the middle of nowhere!

30 August 2014 Saturday Quend to Cap Gris-Nez France
Traveling la Cote d'Opale/grand site des deux-caps...moulles(mussels) and frites and mousse au chocolat for lunch then room with view of the cap lighthouse and white cliffs of Dover.

29 August 2014 Friday Hourdel to Quend France
Wonderful 6km walk in sunshine through the Parc Ornitologique Du Marquenterre and viewing heaps more birds...

28 August 2014 Thursday Veules-sur-Roses to Hourdel France
Fog and rain for morning coastal drive and now bright sunshine for walk on pebble beach of Bay of Somme...heaps of birds and seals.

27 August 2014 Wednesday Fecamp to Veules-sur-Roses France
Continued driving along alabaster coast with beautiful beaches and white cliffs...overnight in village where Victor Hugo hung out with Paul Meurice and slept to sounds of the babbling brook, the smallest in France, and from which they have been harvesting watercress since 14th century.

26 August 2014 Tuesday Blangy to Fecamp France
Beautiful white cliffs of Alabaster Coast....room right on the sea listening to the waves rolling the pebbles on the shore...gorgeous sunset.

25 August 2014 Monday Calais to Blangy sur Bresle France
Visiting Gaye, with whom I worked in Oz in 1995!

24 August 2014 Sunday Dover UK to Calais France
Very busy ferry, Pride of Kent, due to English bank holiday and the French holiday during month of August.

23 August 2014 Saturday Dover UK
Arrive Dover at 7am...walked to The Park for overnight stay before ferry to Calais tomorrow.

20 August 2014 Wednesday - at sea
Stockholm Sweden to Arhus Denmark

19 August 2014 Tuesday - Stockholm Sweden
Washed clothes in the very busy laundry room....the hours stated 8-10 and I saw the door was open at 6 but opted to wait until 8 due to noise in adjacent rooms.....but when I arrived at 745, the three washers and dryers were busy! Interesting washers that also dispense soap!
Walked in opposite direction of the city towards water sculpture by Carl Milles, God on the Rainbow, intended for the United Nations and is now located at entrance to Stockholm harbor....stopped at Elite Hotel to use their computer for internet.....nice to have a real keyboard! The hotel is a beautiful old brick building in former mill Saltsjoqvarn.

18 August 2014 Monday - Stockholm Sweden for two days
A very full day of walking in the city with short walking tour with Amelia of Free Tours then wandered down to Vasa Museum (which I had done on my last visit) and Abba Museum (new as of May 2013) but not worth paying over 30 dollars for....this is a very expensive city!

17 August 2014 Sunday - Helsinki Finland (8-5)
Another sunny arrival at 8am....about forty minute walk to downtown.....for wander through Sunday morning markets and tour of beautiful avenues....rode the tram for one hour loop of the city.

16-17 August 2014 St Petersburg
wonderful two days.....first day city tour and evening at Hermitage....second day visit to Peterhof and Church of Spilled Blood.

11 August 2014 Monday Copenhagen Denmark
Arrival in Copenhagen Denmark at 10am...walked to City Hall to use free internet....a beautiful sunny day!

10 August 2014 Sunday - at sea
Day at sea with many activities...lectures on the Baltic countries, wildlife viewing with naturalist, heaps of wonderful music, and of course, Garrison Keillor!

9 August 2014 Saturday - on a cruise through the Baltics for two weeks onboard the Ryndam...
http://www.aphccruise-eminj.com/BalticCapitals2014/Itinerary.html

August 9	Dover (London), England		4:00 pm
August 10	At Sea (North Sea)
August 11	Copenhagen, Denmark	10:00 AM	8:00 PM
August 12	Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany	6:00 AM	10:00 PM
August 13	At Sea (Baltic Sea)
August 14	Tallinn, Estonia	10:00 AM	5:00 PM
August 15	Saint Petersburg, Russia	7:00 AM	Overnight
August 16	Saint Petersburg, Russia		6:00 PM
August 17	Helsinki, Finland	6:00 AM	5:00 PM
August 18	Stockholm, Sweden	8:00 AM	Overnight
August 19	Stockholm, Sweden		5:00 PM
August 20	At Sea (Baltic Sea)
August 21	Arhus, Denmark	8:00 AM	2:00 PM
August 22	At Sea (North Sea)
August 23	Dover (London), England	7:00 AM

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8 August 2014 Friday - National Express bus London to Dover 930am until 12noon...overnight at the Park Inn pub with loud music until midnight!

6 August 2014 Wednesday - Brixton to Westminister London UK
Met Gail at St Matthews House for two nights accommodation.....great quiet room on courtyard with free wifi and kitchen access.

5 August 2014 Tuesday - Brixton London UK
Happy Birthday Julian!
William and Kate and Harry are scheduled to be at the Tower of London today so missed them by a day, oh well, not worth going back to join the cast of thousands!
And rain is predicted for the next few days......the warm sunshine has been wonderful!

4 August 2014 Monday - Brixton London UK
Bus #3 to the city for walk on Thames River to Tower of London to view the ceramic poppies in the moat in recognition of 100 years since start of WWI, and the lights of the city were turned off last eve to commemorate. Also visited Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, St Pauls Cathedral and gardens...and great views of the city from the water.
Evening dinner at the Lounge with Julian and Mike and Marc.
And not much sleep.....the mouse from my van has followed me to London! Julian and I managed to scare him back to the cellar!

3 August 2014 Sunday - Brixton London UK
Morning tube to the city while Julian cooked brunch....returned at 2 for wonderful afternoon in the garden with Peter and Simon and Megs!

2 August 2014 Saturday - Brixton London UK
Still adjusting to time change (9 hours forward of Juneau) so finally got to sleep after midnight and awoke at 8am! Tube to Farmers Market in former graveyard of St Marks Church and return on the double decker bus (sat upstairs in front!). Julian made great salad for lunch then he went off to jujitsu and me for long walk in Brixton....Brixton market, Windrush Square, Brockwell Park.....

1 August 2014 Friday - Juneau via Seattle/Frankfurt to London
Staying with Julian in Brixton...visited the Shard and great dinner at french restaurant Cote.