17th April
Departure to Munich via Dubai. The travel time was 29 hour and 30 min with stops in Sydney and Dubai.
18th April
Arrival in Dubai after a 14 hour flight and I had an onward flight to Munich my final destinational. After a heavy rainfall the previous day, thousands of travellers were stranded in Dubai and waiting for connection flights. My flight had only a delay of 7 hours. I am here, but lost halve a day of sightseeing.
19th April
I joined a city walking tour for this morning. An extremely knowledgable guide walked us through Marienplatz, Townhall, Hofbräuhaus, Viktualienmarkt. There are 6 large breweries in Bavaria and Augustiner brewery is still owned privately owned. They doante 51% of their yearly profits to charities. So 51% of every beer you drink a donation. I can recommend www.guruwalk.com, these are free guides you can find a larger cities around the world. At the end of the tour you can give a tipp as a thank you.
20th April
Train trip to Vienna, my next place on the list, I need to mention that I have never been to Vienna before. It is all new to me. The train took just over 4 hours, sometimes the max travelling speed was 230 km/h. Unfortunately the visibility was not great as it was a rainy day with hail, which spoilt the view of the mountains. My accomodation is fabulous, a spacious 40 sqm apartment just 2km from the old city center, easy to reach by bike or bus.
21st April
Vienna, Austria’s capital, lies in the country’s east on the Danube River. Its artistic and intellectual legacy was shaped by residents including Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. The city is also known for its Imperial palaces, including Schönbrunn, the Habsburgs’ summer residence. In the MuseumsQuartier district, historic and contemporary buildings. This city has a charming and southern flair to offer. Population about 2 mio.
Today I had a good look around to get a feeling for city I will explore within the next week.
22nd April
Today I met with Magdalena a Vienna Greeter. Vienna Greeters taking visitors for free city walking tours. To my surprise it was the two of us. We visited the Naschmarkt – open air market groceries, Opera House, Musikverein – best place for Mozart, Brahms, Vivaldi concerts. Vienna is famous for cozy Gemütlichkeit. This may perhaps have even led to a very local architectually peculiarity the “Durchhaus” or passage. Small cafés and atmospheric bar gardens line the Durchhaus – “voluntary passage”. Built between 1848 and 1856, some buildings includes three courtyards and six Stiegenhaus -“staircase house”. You can find a greeter at 150 worldwide destinations click > International Greeters
23rd April
A day trip to Budapest, about 240km/2.5 hours away. Budapest is considered the most beautiful city in Eastern Europe. The unique Art Nouveau buildings, the blue Danube, the thermal springs and the coffee house culture: the Hungarian capital would like to be compared to Paris. We paid a visit to the Buda Castle District, Heroes’ Square, impressive Parliament Building and many more.
24th April
Another day in beautiful Vienna. The Kunst Haus (Art House) has displays of Hundertwasser artwork. Very impressive as the area around the Kunst Haus is dedicated to Hundertwasser who was born in Vienna and buried in New Zealand. An evening spend at a classical concert Mozart, Brahms and Strauss. The Vienna Musikverein is home to one of the best concert halls in the world, the famous Great Musikvereinsaal, known as the Golden Hall with a fantastic acoustic.
25th April
First sunny day and I took the advantage visiting the Burggarten and Hofburg. The Hofburg is the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty in Austria. Located in the centre of Vienna, it was built in the 13th century, it also served as the imperial winter residence.
For lunch Wiener Schnitzel, Apfelstrudel mit Oberschlag (whipped creme) and a Wiener Melange (Cappuccino). Next stop Schönbrunn Palace which was the summer residence, built id the 16th century. A vast 180ha palace park, with zoo, a maze, a Orangerie and kilometers of paths.
By the way, I love the public transport system here. Easy to use with a very frequent service and my 7 day pass gets me everywhere using trams, busses and subways. It seems very one is using it – locals as visitors. It blows me away the amount of international tourists and the international flare of this city.
26th April
A sunny day trip to Bratislava on the Danube River. By highspeed catamaran in 1 hour 45 minutes from Vienna to Bratislava. I love Europe. Everything is so close and cultures change straight after the border. As usual for a start a 2 hour city walking tour to get an overview, culture and different customs.
Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is set along the Danube River bordering Austria and Hungary. It’s surrounded by vineyards and the Little Carpathian mountains. The pedestrian-only, 18th-century old town is known for its lively bars and cafes. Perched atop a hill, the reconstructed Bratislava Castle overlooks old town and the Danube.
Population about 420,000. A very attractive and inviting township with a great flair and extremely welcoming people.
27th April
Sunny day 20C. My first day since my arrival in Europe I can wear shorts and T-Shirt and not being rugged up and still freezing cold. And my last day in Vienna. The Freihausviertel is one of Vienna’s hippest districts: exciting galleries, casual bars, classic taverns and exceptional second-hand shops. More click > FREIHAUSVIERTEL
I couldn’t leave without visiting The Prater. The Prater is home to one of the oldest amusement parks in the world.Its ferris wheel was erected in 1897 and is over 65 m tall and one of the symbols of Vienna.
One more coffee and cake at the “Vollpension” Facts 100,000 eaten Oma Cakes – 50 grannies and poppa’s working here– at least 50% of the staff are over 60. More info click > VOLLPENSION
For now good bye Vienna, I will be back as there is so much more to see and discover.
28th April
The train trip Vienna to Hamburg took 10 hours and was very relaxing as we traveled with a max speed of 230km/h. In Hamburg I was picked up by my friends Alex and Erk who I will be staying with fro the next few days.
29th April
Nature walk in Boberger Deich and afterwards coffee and cake Elbe river view.
Back home at St. Pauli the Bunker (second WW air raid shelter) has been transform to Green Bunker. This is a fascinating project. I am looking forward to the progress. For more click >> Green Bunker
30th April
Bike Tour through the city of Hamburg with Ise-Markt a huge produce, flower and other things market. Evening spent “Tanz in den Mai” Dance into the month of May a old German tradition.
1st May
Another bike city tour to Landesbruecken, City Süd and Speicherstadt. a new part of the harbour here, with lots of promenades along the waterfront and new apartment buildings. It is very impressive.
2nd May
Another day in Hamburg with family and friends
3rd May
Travel to the Island of Foehr. Click here
The island population is 8,000 locals plus 50,000 tourists. 12km of golden sandy beaches and 24km of dike, 1 town, 13 villages. Two languages (German and Friesian) and one dialect (low German) are spoken on the island.
4th & 5th May
Sailing to the neighbour island called Amrum. Foehr and Amrum are that close one can walk from one to the other island at low tide.
6th May
Another sailing day in Wadden Sea National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the German federal states of Schleswig-Holstein. It covers a vast area of tidal flats, salt marshes, dunes, and islands along the North Sea coast. The park is renowned for its unique ecosystem and rich biodiversity, including numerous bird species, marine life, and plants. It serves as an important breeding and resting ground for migratory birds and supports various rare and endangered species.
The Wadden Sea is characterized by its dynamic interplay of tides, with vast areas of mudflats being exposed during low tide and submerged during high tide. This dynamic environment supports a diverse array of life forms adapted to the extreme conditions, making it a significant area for scientific research and ecological conservation efforts.
7th, 8th, 9th, 10th May
Finally golfing on Foehr. This a one of the top 10 German Golf Courses. A very picturesque 27 hole course. Also catching up with friends and family, bike rides, lots of cream cakes, currywurst/pommes.
Today I played in a local golf tournament, unfortunately not very successful.
11th May
47th years school reunion. Beautiful sunny day, meeting old friends and cycling to “Adventure Golf”. Fun evening, excahngig memories form old days.
12th & 13th May
Returning back to Hamburg for the night.
Taking over the motorhome and driving to Luxembourg to catch up with my former banking college and friends.
14th May
Luxembourg my old stomping ground 1987-1989. City tour with Gary, absolute fantastic. We walked over the bridge at Langsur/Germany to catch the bus to Luxembourg City. All public transport is free in Luxembourg! I realised that lots has change since my last visit. Kirchberg which was just paddocks is now plastered with new office buildings.The “Grund” (bottom), old city, remains the same, but is nowadays very popular.
15th May
On the road again. Getting some supply in Luxembourg, I was hitting south, Burgundy was my next stop – Morey Saint Denis a small village. Morey-Saint-Denis is a village in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, France, renowned for its exceptional vineyards and wine production. I found myself a parking with vineyard view and had a good look around in the old village.
16th May
Early start with a very yummy almond croissant from the local bakery. On recommendation of my friend Gerd I stopped at La Roque sur Ceze ( I can’t pronouce it) La Roque-sur-Cèze is a picturesque village located in the Gard department in the Occitanie region of southern France. Nestled on a rocky hill overlooking the Cèze River, it is renowned for its scenic beauty and historical charm. The village is characterized by its narrow, cobbled streets, stone houses, and historical buildings, many of which date back to the medieval period. The remains of a feudal castle add to the village’s historic charm.
I finished my day in Le Gray du Roi. Le Grau-du-Roi is a charming seaside resort in southern France, known for its beautiful beaches, lively marina, and rich cultural heritage. For the night, I parked the van at Port Camargue, which is one of the largest marinas in Europe. I strolled around the marina, admired the yachts.
17th May
Bike ride along the vast marina to the old town of Le Grau. It was about 2.5km along the waterfront, there must be at least a 1000 yachts in the marina and they are all huge. In the old town beautiful old buildings and a very vibrant atmosphere.
Late afternoon I arrived in Spain, staying at a campground in Capmany a small village just a few k’s behind the border.