Europe Trip Sep/Oct 2024

Day 1: Saturday 14th September

Flew Auckland to Hong Kong then on to Frankfurt.
Walking: 10,300 steps and 7.5km walked.
Flying: 25 hrs

flew from Auckland to HK, for a few hours at Hong Kong Airport (Air NZ, 11:15hrs)
then a flight on to Frankfurt (Air NZ, 13:45hrs)

Day 2: Sunday 15th September

Arrived in Frankfurt, and drove to Gotha for 4 Nights at Matz & Beata’s place.
Driving: directions, 2:30hrs, 240km drive.
Walking: 6,900 steps and 7.2km walked.

arrived in Frankfurt Airport (location) early AM and hired a car at the airport (MG4 EV)
drove to Gotha (maps, wikipedia) to stay at our hosts Matz & Beata for 4 nights.
went to a cafe called Kafe Kanne (location) for afternoon tea with Beata.
viewed Schloss Friedenstein, a Baroque mid-17th century palace (maps, info) and the surroundings near Matz & Beata’s house. Their place was originally the hunter’s cottage for the palace.

Photos: Matz & Beata’s House, Gotha

Day 3: Monday 16th September

Walked and explored Gotha town further.
Walking: 11,800 steps and 8.9km walked.

explored Gotha (maps, wikipedia), the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, 20 kilometres west of Erfurt and 25 km (16 miles) east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. Gotha was part of the GDR/East Germany from 1949-1990. Thuringia state (wikipedia) is one of Germany’s 16 states. 2.1 million people, its 12th-largest state by population.

Day 4: Tuesday 17th September

Drove and visited areas in Thuringia State.
Driving: directions 2:30hrs, 140km total driving today.
Walking: 10,300 steps and 7.8km walked.

drove to Burgruine Brandenburg (Brandenburg Castle Ruins) (directions, info, info)
then to Wartburg (Wartburg, medieval castle). Toured inside Wartburg (directions, wikipedia)
then to Marienglas (gypsum) caves, Friedrichroda (directions , wikipedia)
then back to Gotha & Matz & Beata’s place (directions)

Day 5: Wednesday 18th September

Visited more places in Thuringia State.
Driving: directions 1:45hrs, 100km total driving today.
Walking: 18,100 steps and 13.6km walked.

drove to Erfurt (directions, wikipedia)
then Weimar (directions, wikipedia)
then back to Gotha and Matz & Beata’s place (directions)

Photos: Gotha and Thuringia State

Day 6: Thursday 19th September

Drove Gotha to Donaustauf with stops on the way.
Driving: directions, 5hrs, 360km total driving today.
Walking: 14,800 steps and 11.3km walked.

left Matz & Beata’s place and drove towards Regensburg via Schmalkalden (location, wikipedia), Bamberg (location, wikipedia) and Nuremberg (location, wikipedia)
overnight stay in a B&B in Donaustauf (location), which is near Regensburg and beside the Danube (wikipedia), the 2nd longest river in Europe.

Day 7: Friday 20th September

Drove to Regensburg and back.
Driving: directions, 45min, 30km total driving today.
Walking: 19,100 steps and 14.1km walked.

walked to and had a look around Walhalla,a hall of fame Monument on the Danube that honours laudable and distinguished people in German history (wikipedia)
drove to Regensburg and had a look around the city.
back for another night’s stay at Donaustauf.

Photos: Schmalkalden, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg

Video: Schmalkalden, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg

Day 8: Saturday 21st September

Drove to Munich Airport from Donaustauf, went to the opening day of Oktoberfest, the BMW Museum and then flew to Barcelona in the evening.
Driving: directions, 1:15min, 120km total driving today.
Walking: 18,100 steps and 13.7km walked.
Flying: 2hrs

drove to Munich Airport (directions). Dropped the rental car, stored our bigger luggage items.
took the train to central Munich and attended the opening parade and events of the first day of Oktoberfest.
also had a look around Marienplatz (main plaza, wikipedia)
the Viktualienmarkt (Farmers Market)
the Lego store in Munich
and the Asamkirche, a flamboyantly decorated catholic church from the 1700s (wikipedia).
visited the BMW Museum (wikipedia) in the afternoon
headed back to Munich airport in the evening by train.
flew to Barcelona in the evening (Vueling, 2hrs).
taxied to our Air B&B Accommodation, a small 2 bedroom apartment in Can Serra (location). (Stayed for 4 nights).

Photos: BMW Museum, Munich

Day 9: Sunday 22nd September

Looked around central Barcelona, the festivals and Sitges in the afternoon.
Walking: 11,800 steps and 8.9km walked.

this week in Barcelona is La Mercè festival (wikipedia) so there were many festival events on.
in the morning, Mollie stayed at the apartment to rest her leg and we took the train to the Gothic Quarter & St James Square.
Saw the building where Kim used to work (in 2001 for Citibank), off the Plaça de Catalunya (main square) (location).
The Parade of the Giants (info, wikipedia) and Castellers (Human Towers, (wikipedia) were happening as part of the festival.
went back to the accommodation in the afternoon and picked up Mollie with some food.
we all took a train to Sitges in the evening, a beach town… known for its tourists from the UK on hens nights etc (wikipedia) then back to our accommodation.

Day 10: Monday 23rd September

Took a train into the main square to have a look around central Barcelona.
Walking: 20,100 steps and 15.8km walked.

trained back in the morning to the Plaça de Catalunya (Main square in central Barcelona) (location).
took an open top bus tour around Barcelona (bus routes).
- got off the bus at Poble Espanyol (wikipedia), an open air museum built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition as an exhibit of architecture/towns found in different places around Spain.
- then got off at America’s Cup Village. Only junior racing was on at that time as the main racing was in a break period, but we got to look around) (location)
went on the tube to Park Güell, (wikipedia), a World Heritage Site park under “Works of Antoni Gaudí” opened as a public park in 1926.
dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, Barcelona (location)
more looking around the Gothic Quarter and St James square (location) for La Mercè and the Parade of the Giants in the evening and back to our accommodation.

Day 11: Tuesday 24th September

Took a train back again in the morning to have a look around central Barcelona.
Walking: 23,100 steps and 17.5km walked.

morning tea in the forest and fairy themed El Bosc de Les Fades cafe (location)
more parade watching in the streets of Barcelona and a look at some of the architecture and shops on Passeig de Gràcia (most prestigious street in Barcelona, wikipedia)
a visit/tour of La Pedrera – Casa Milà, (wikipedia) the last private residence designed by architect Antoni Gaudí and built between 1906 and 1912
a visit to Mt Tibidabo located in the Collserola Ridge in Barcelona. Includes the Sagrat Cor church atop the hill (wikipedia), and an amusement park (wikipedia) built in 1899 by the entrepreneur Salvador Andreu and opened in 1905. The park is among the oldest in the world still functioning.
visited Kim’s apart-hotel that she lived in around 2001.
dinner (Tapas) nearby
a Fireworks Display in the evening around Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (National Art Museum) and standing watching from the Plaça d’Espanya (location). The display is to mark the end of La Mercè (info). It was a huge event packed with people and we got back around midnight on very packed trains.

Day 12: Wednesday 25th September

Visited various sights around Barcelona.
Walking: 20,300 steps and 15.3km walked.

Kim went for an early morning walk and organised the day’s tickets.
train to the Montserrat mountain (wikipedia).
cable car to Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey (wikipedia), founded in 1025 with a rocky history. (and Basilica of Montserrat, but didn’t go inside).
Sant Joan Funicular (wikipedia) which connects the monastery, and the upper terminus of the Montserrat Rack Railway, with the sacred sites, walking trails and viewpoints higher up the mountain
a walk further up the mountain to Ermita de Sant Onofre (Saint Onofre was a Hungarian hermit who, according to legend, did penance and life in this place) and higher views back across Barcelona and the Abbey.
back down on the Aeri de Montserrat (Cable car, wikipedia)
the Mercat de la Boqueria (wikipedia) a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona.
a self guided tour of Basílica de la Sagrada Família (wikipedia). Started in 1882 and still unfinished, designed by architect Antoni Gaudí. It is a Unesco World Heritage Site (works of Gaudi)
dinner at Els Quatre Gats (wikipedia), a restaurant that became a popular meeting place for famous artists throughout the modernist period in Catalonia (including Gaudi and Picasso)

Photos: La Merce, Barcelona

Videos: La Merce, Barcelona

Photos: Barcelona, Spain

Day 13: Thursday 26th September

Flew back from Barcelona to Munich, then drove to Bad Endorf.
Driving: directions, 2:15hrs, 130km driving.
Walking: 12,200 steps and 9.3km walked.
Flying: 2hrs

flight from Barcelona to Munich (Lufthansa, 2hrs)
picked up a rental car from Munich Airport (BYD Atto3 EV)
drove to Dachau Concentration Camp (wikipedia) and a self guided tour of the camp.
met Kim’s Friend Tanja at a restaurant in Dachau for lunch Alte Liebe an der Amper (location)
drove to accommodation at a farm house in the village Bad Endorf (location)

Photos: Dachau Concentration Camp

Day 14: Friday 27th September

Took a train from Bad Endorf to Munich for the day and then back.
Walking: 15,500 steps and 11.6km walked.

train from Bad Endorf to Munich for a day at Oktoberfest
a further look around Munich in the afternoon
watched the Rathaus-Glockenspiel (wikipedia), a famous large mechanical clock located in Marienplatz square (main plaza of Munich)
checked out the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl (wikipedia) the famous beer hall (and original brewery)
train back to our farm accommodation in Bad Endorf.

Photos: Munich and Oktoberfest

Videos: Munich and Oktoberfest

Day 15: Saturday 28th September

Drove from Bad Endorf to Austria and back.
Driving: directions, 4:15hrs, 290km total drive.
Walking: 19,000 steps and 14.2km walked.

drove to Hallstatt, Austria (directions, 2hrs)(wikipedia) in the morning. It is a famously picturesque town whereby tourism greatly increased after it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. It has the world’s oldest working salt mine.
checked out the Hallstatt Charnel House or ‘Bone House’ in St. Michael’s Chapel which dates back to the 12th century and has an unusual collection of over 600 artistically painted skulls.
drove to Salzburg, Austria (directions, 1:15hrs)
saw Mozart’s birthplace in Austria (wikipedia)
visited some of the filming locations for The Sound of Music (info)
drove back to Bad Endorf (directions, 1hr)

Photos: Hallstatt and Salzburg, Austria

Day 16: Sunday 29th September

Drove from Bad Endorf to Schopfheim via Switzerland.
Driving: directions, 6:30hrs, 440km total drive.
Walking: 7,000 steps and 5.5km walked.

found a flea market in Füssen (location)
went past Neuschwanstein castle (location, wikipedia) which is a global symbol of the era of Romanticism. The palace has appeared in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Spaceballs, The Great Escape (1963). It served as the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.
went via Lake Constance (wikipedia), where Germany, Switzerland and Austria meet
drove via Schaffhausen, Switzerland (wikipedia)
ending at Schopfheim, Germany for a one night stay at Kim’s friend Sissel’s Place (location) with her husband Daniel and kids Audrey and Silas. Sissel (who is Norwegian), was a fellow exchange intern (AIESEC) with Kim in Germany around 1999.

Photos: Bad Endorf to Schopfheim

Day 17: Monday 30th September

Drove from Schopfheim to Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
Driving: directions, total of 4:15hrs, 450km driving.
Walking: 12,300 steps and 9.5km walked.

stopped at Todtnau suspension bridge (location, info). Also called the Blackforestline, a recently built (2023) 450m modern suspension bridge (14th longest in the world) over the Todtnau Waterfall in the southern Black Forest in Germany.
then Triberg im Schwarzwald (location, wikipedia)
visited the House of 1000 Clocks in Triberg (location, info). As the name hints, the largest selection of Black Forest cuckoo clocks in the area.
visited the world’s largest cuckoo clock in Schonach im Schwarzwald (location, info, wikipedia)
visited Haus der Schwarzwalduhren Adolf Herr e.K. in Hornberg (location) Another big cuckoo clock (2nd Biggest?) and clock shop.
then Schiltach (location, wikipedia). The medieval inner city of Schiltach is under monument protection. The marketplace includes the town hall, which was designed by architect Heinrich Schickhardt and built during the Kingdom of Württemberg (1805 to 1918). Many half-timber houses scattered throughout the town date back to anywhere between the 16th and 19th centuries
then Gengenbach (location, wikipedia)
then Freiburg im Breisgau (location, wikipedia) to stay 4 nights at Waltraut‘s place (location). Waltraut was Kim’s host Mother when on exchange staying in Germany, 1992. We even stayed in Kim’s old room (the Attic with a view of the clock tower on one side and the Munster on the other).

Photos: Schopfheim to Freiburg

Day 18: Tuesday 1st October

Had a look around Freiburg.
Walking: 14,000 steps and 10.5km walked.

Mollie stayed at Waltraut’s place and we looked around the town of Freiburg.
had lunch at Sam’s Cafe (location) in the Münsterplatz (main town square) (wikipedia)
looked inside the Freiburger Münster (Freiburg Cathedral) (location, wikipedia). The last duke of Zähringen started the building around 1200 in romanesque style. The construction continued in 1230 in Gothic style. The building survived the bombing raids of November 1944, which destroyed all of the houses on the west and north side of the market.

Day 19: Wednesday 2nd October

Drove across the border to France to visit a few historic towns and back to Freiburg.
Driving: directions, 2:30hrs, 140km total driving.
Walking: 17,500 steps and 13.3km walked.

visited locations in Alsace and North East of France including Riquewihr (location, wikipedia)
then Kaysersberg (location, wikipedia)
and Colmar (location, wikipedia). Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the designer of the Statue of Liberty was from Colmar.
then drove back to Freiburg.

Photos: France

Day 20: Thursday 3rd October

Had more of a look around Freiburg.
Walking: 10,800 steps and 8.3km walked.

had a look at the markets at the Münsterplatz (main town square) (wikipedia) and had a hot dog from the hotdog stand.
went over the Wiwilí Bridge, or Blue Bridge (wikipedia). The bridge is named after the town of Wiwilí in Nicaragua, where Freiburg residents Berndt Koberstein and Albrecht “Tonio” Pflaum were murdered by the Contras during a humanitarian aid mission.
had coffee and cake with Kim’s friend Bettina and her daughter Paula at Greiffeneggschlössle (location, wikipedia). This restaurant has one of the most famous viewpoints in the city, with a view starting at the Black Forest across the entire city to the Vosges and the Kaiserstuhl. Bettina is a school friend of Kim’s (when she was at school in Germany).
stopped by the school that Kim went to in 1992, Friedrich-Gymnasium (location, wikipedia). It opened in 1904.
had dinner at a local pizza restaurant Zum Hirzberg (location, restaurantguru) with the Lange family. These are the kids (and now their kids) of Kim’s host Mother.

Photos: Freiburg

Day 21: Friday 4th October

More exploring around Freiburg, then got on a flight to Manchester.
Walking: 12,400 steps and 10km walked.
Flying: 2hrs

went up the tower in the Freiburger Münster (Freiburg Cathedral) (location, wikipedia).
flew to Manchester (location) early evening (on easyJet, 2hr flight). We flew out of Basel airport (EuroAirport) (location, wikipedia) which is located entirely within French territory but operated jointly by France and Switzerland (and Germany)
hired a car (petrol Skoda Karoq) from the airport when we arrived in Manchester in the evening.
drove to accommodation at Birtle’s Farm B&B (location, tripadvisor) for one night (directions, a quick 15m drive from the airport)

Day 22: Saturday 5th October

Drove from the Manchester B&B to Tom & Judith’s farm in Keighley.
Driving: directions, about 1:45 hrs, 104km total driving.
Walking: 7,200 steps and 5km walked.

stopped in Ramsbottom (location) and had a look around the town.
had lunch with Kim’s cousins (on her Dad’s side) at The Duckworth Arms (location)
drove to Colne (directions, 30mins) and went to Boundary Mill (An Outlet mall, tripadvisor) for some shopping.
drove on to Mollie’s Grandparents at Barnoldswick (location).
stayed at Judith and Tom’s Farm (directions, location) in Keighley for 3 nights.

Day 23: Sunday 6th October

Drove from Keighley to Skipton and back.
Driving: directions, 1:45hrs, 75km total driving today.
Walking: 12,300 steps and 9.4km walked.

then Haworth (wikipedia), is a tourist destination village known for its association with the Brontë sisters (wikipedia)
then Saltaire (wikipedia) which is a World Heritage Site model village in West Yorkshire. Salt’s Mill and the houses were built by Titus Salt between 1851 and 1871 to allow his workers to live in better conditions than the slums of Bradford. The mill is now mainly Art galleries (mostly David Hockney art), a couple of cafes, books and design shops.
then Skipton (wikipedia), the “Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales”
and back to Judith and Tom’s Farm (location)

Photos: Ramsbottom to Skipton

Day 24: Monday 7th October

Drove from Keighley to York and back.
Driving: directions 3:20hrs, 200km driving today.
Walking: 10,300 steps and 7.7km walked.

saw Clifford’s Tower, the keep of York Castle (location, wikipedia).
and went into York Castle Museum (wikipedia), previously a Female prison building and now which among other things has an indoor replica of a Victorian Street.
had a walk around York and lunch at the Mannion and Co cafe (location)
saw the York Minster (location, wikipedia), a grade 1 listed cathedral dating back to 627 and the seat of the archbishop of York.
went to The Shambles (location, wikipedia), a medieval historic street, with a very Harry Potter feel (including ‘shops that shall not be named’)
had a look at the Micklegate Bar (location), a Stone gate dating back to the 12th century leading on to the York city Roman walls (wikipedia), built around the 13th-14th century, which we had a walk on. They are the longest town walls in England.
saw a sunset over the Yorkshire Dales (location)
and back to Judith and Tom’s Farm (location)

Photos: York

Day 25: Tuesday 8th October

Drove from Keighley to Edinburgh, Scotland.
Driving: directions, 5:30hrs, 410km drive.
Walking: 11,700 steps and 9km walked.

stopped at and visited inside Durham Cathedral (location, wikipedia). A grade I listed cathedral which has been seen in a number of Movies and TV programmes including the first two Harry Potter films, Snow White and the Huntsman and Avengers: Endgame.
stopped at The Angel of the North (location, wikipedia), a large contemporary steel sculpture located in Gateshead, England and completed in 1998.
drove the road to Holy Island, or Lindisfarne (location, wikipedia), which is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, and has a recorded history from the 6th century AD. The tidal causeway is generally open from about three hours after high tide until two hours before the next high tide.
arrived at our accommodation, IBIS (location) Edinburgh, near the airport, where we stayed 3 nights.

Photos: Keighley to Edinburgh

Day 26: Wednesday 9th October

Had a look around Edinburgh.
Walking: 16,500 steps and 12.5km walked.

took the train into Edinburgh from our accommodation and left the car at the hotel.
saw Victoria Street, a picturesque and winding cobblestone lane with coloured shop facades, one of Edinburgh’s most iconic thoroughfares and another UNESCO world heritage site. Rumoured to be the inspiration behind Diagon Alley, from the Harry Potter novels.
saw The Elephant House cafe. Author J.K. Rowling ,had her first book published while she was writing in the back room overlooking Edinburgh Castle, making The Elephant House the “birthplace” of the series of Harry Potter novels.
looked at some vintage clothing shops, including W Armstrong & Sons (location)
saw Tom Riddell’s Grave (location) in the Greyfriars Kirkyard (wikipedia), the possible inspiration for J. K. Rowling’s “fictional character who cannot be named”
saw the Greyfriers Bobby fountain (location, wikipedia), and John Grey’s grave (master of Bobby, location).
had coffee from a vendor outside Tolbooth Kirk (location, wikipedia), previously a Gothic revival church but now called The Hub, and is a public arts and events building in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland
had a self guided tour of Edinburgh Castle (location, wikipedia). Edinburgh Castle has played a prominent role in Scottish history, and has served variously as a royal residence, an arsenal, a treasury, a national archive, a mint, a prison, and a military fortress.
walked down the Royal Mile (location, wikipedia), the street connecting Edinburgh Castle with Holyrood Palace (wikipedia).
walked past the famous Camera Obscura (wikipedia) which now has a World of Illusions on the floors with the camera obscura at the top.
walked past the Tollbooth Tavern (location), which was originally the place used to collect tolls from travellers entering the burgh but has also served as a Council Chamber, Police Court and Prison. The Prison was tenanted by those who suffered in the cause of liberty and many of its captives were wrongly detained and brutally treated.
had an evening tour of The Real Mary King’s Close (location, website). A walking tour through the maze of hidden streets below the city, with tales by costumed guides.
train back to our accommodation near the airport.

Day 27: Thursday 10th October

Did some more looking around Edinburgh.
Walking: 17,500 steps and 13.2km walked.

took the train into Edinburgh from our accommodation, and left the car at the hotel.
the train went past Murrayfield Stadium (location, wikipedia) the national stadium of the Scotland national rugby union team.
went to Ocean Terminal shopping mall (location).
This is also the permanent home of the The Royal Yacht Britannia (location, wikipedia) but unfortunately it was under renovation and we couldn’t go on board.
there was a place at the mall called the Wee Museum of Memory (location, website). It is a tiny interactive and community run museum with lots of vintage and antique goodies to look at, including clothing, household goods, electronics, toys, posters, and more from various eras.
visited Carlton Hill (location, wikipedia). Great views of the city from here. Also various monuments such as the unfinished National Monument of Scotland (location, wikipedia) and the old City Observatory (location) which is now a gift shop and gallery.
coffee at Black Sheep coffee (location)
walked Cockburn Street (location) and on to to High Street on the Royal Mile
past St Giles Cathedral (location)
went on an evening Ghost themed Free Walking tour. That took us to Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery (location) (again, but at night), past Deacon Brodies Tavern (location, wikipedia), Parliament Square (location, wikipedia), the Heart of Midlothian Mosaic (location) and more.

Photos: Edinburgh

Day 28: Friday 11th October

Drove back to Manchester via a few stops and then flew to Dublin, Ireland.
Driving: directions, 5:45hrs, 410km drive.
Walking: 9,000 steps and 6.5km walked.
Flying: 1hr

drove to St Mary’s Loch (location, wikipedia)
stopped by the location and memorial in Sherwood Crescent, Lockerbie (location, wikipedia) where wreckage of Pan Am Flight 103 crashed and 7 residents were killed, following a terrorist bomb attack aboard the flight in 1988.
stopped at Gretna Green (wikipedia) and the famous blacksmiths shop (location) which is famous for its “runaway marriages” when Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act came into force in England as it is near the English border.
drove to Ribblehead Viaduct (location, wikipedia) a 400m long railway viaduct made of stone with construction completed in 1874. Over 100 men lost their lives during its 15 year construction.
stopped at Mollie’s Grandparents again in Barnoldswick (location) and left Mollie there for the next 12 nights.
drove back to Manchester Airport, dropped our car and Flew to Dublin (Ryanair, 1hr flight)
hired a car at the airport (Hyundai i20)
drove to our accommodation which was an Airbnb portable cabin style outside a house in Foxhill, Donaghmede, Dublin (location) and got there pretty late (directions, 15min drive)

Photos: Edinburgh to Manchester

Day 29: Saturday 12th

Walked around Dublin city.
Walking: 18,500 steps and 14km walked.

walked to the nearby bus stop through Donahies Field (location) and took a bus in to Dublin
saw the Spire of Dublin (location, wikipedia) or the “Monument of Light” which is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument 120 metres in height. It is located on the site of the former Nelson’s Pillar, which was bombed in 1966 by the IRA.
went to the Dublin General Post Office (location, wikipedia). One of Ireland’s most famous buildings, not least because it served as the headquarters of the leaders of the Easter Rising against British rule in Ireland in 1916. There is a museum in there but we didn’t have time for the visit.
Visited the statue of Molly Malone (location, wikipedia), the famous name in the ‘Cockles and Mussels’ song that tells the fictional tale of a fishwife who plied her trade on the streets of Dublin and died young, of fever.
Lunch (for about 4 hours!) at Cafe en Seine (location, website) with some former work colleagues of Kim’s when she lived there and worked for Barclaycard in 2002-4.
went on to O’Neills Pub & Kitchen (location) for a Guinness with a few of the friends of Kim’s from lunch.
a visit to Trinity College (location) and Old Library (which is under redevelopment and books are being cleaned) and a self guided tour of the exhibition of the Book of Kells (wikipedia), a famous 9th-century gospel manuscript.
Saw the Oscar Wilde Monument (location, wikipedia). Set in Merrion park square, this memorial sculpture was erected in 1997.
walked past the Department of the Taoiseach (office of the Prime Minister) (location)
Milano for a pizza dinner (location)
went to O’ Shea’s Merchant bar (location) for another Guinness and we found some trad musicians.
walked back across the Ha’penny Bridge (location, wikipedia), a refurbished 19th-century cast-iron bridge across the river Liffey.
bussed back to our accommodation in Foxhill.

Day 30: Sunday 13th October

Drove to a few places around wider Dublin.
Driving: directions, 3:30hrs, 180km drive today.
Walking: 14,500 steps and 11km walked.

drove to Howth (location, wikipedia 15min drive) an Irish village on the Howth Peninsula, east of central Dublin.
stopped at the Howth Market, but they were just getting set up for the day (location)
looked at the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey and the accompanying cemetery (location, wikipedia). Great views from this location of the water, marina and over to Howth Lighthouse (location)
drove on to Glendalough (location, wikipedia 1:45hr drive) in the Wicklow mountains (wikipedia). It is renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin (wikipedia). Met some of Kim’s old work colleagues again, went for a walk around the Glendalough Lower Lake (location) and had lunch at The Glendalough Hotel (location)
drove on via the Old Military Road (streetview) which looked a bit like the central NZ desert road.
stopped at the Glencree German Military Cemetery (location, wikipedia). Beautiful peaceful location dedicated to the German servicemen and civilians who lost their lives in WW1 & 2.
went to Johnny Foxes Pub (location, website) in Glencullen for dinner, which is the ‘highest pub in Ireland’ and over 200 years old.
drove back to our accommodation in Foxhill.

Day 31: Monday 14th October

More looking around Dublin then flew to London.
Driving: directions, 1:45hrs, 66km drive today.
Walking: 16,500 steps and 12.5km walked.
Flying: 2:30hrs

drove to a couple of places Kim used to live in the early 2000s including 45 Grangebrook Ave, Rathfarnham (streetview) and 572 Woodview Cottages, Rathfarnham (streetview)
drove to and had a self guided tour of the Guinness Factory, St James’s Gate (location, wikipedia)
visited Dubh Linn gardens (location) were a monument to the 2003 Special Olympics is, in which Kim was a volunteer (streetview)
walked past Dublin Castle (location, wikipedia)
walked back across the Grattan Bridge (streetview, wikipedia), a road bridge across the river Liffey.
drove to Ashdown Castle (location, wikipedia) in the 700ha Phoenix Park (location). It was found hidden within the walls of a much larger and more recent Georgian building, the Under Secretary’s Lodge also known as Ashtown Lodge.
drove to Dublin airport and flew to London Gatwick Airport (Ryanair, 2.5hrs)
took an Uber (directions, 45mins) from the Airport to Anna and Bob’s place, some friend’s of Kim’s in West Norwood, London (location) and arrived pretty late, staying 3 nights.

Photos: Dublin

Day 32: Tuesday 15th October

Had a look around London tourist spots.
Walking: 20,700 steps and 15.5km walked.

took a train from West Norwood Station (location) in to Central London, Victoria Station (location)
saw Westminster Abbey (location, wikipedia)
Big Ben (location) and Westminster Hall (location)
walked across Westminster Bridge (location, wikipedia)
stopped outside all the armed police at Downing Street (location)
saw the Royal Horse Guards (location) and the horse guard parade grounds.
walked down The Mall to Trafalgar Square (location) to see Nelson’s Column, the Fountain of Trafalgar and continued up Strand
down to the River Thames and the Victoria Embankment (wikipedia), and saw Cleopatra’s Needle (location, wikipedia) which was moved here from Egypt in 1878 and has damage from WW2.
had lunch at Hobson’s Fish & Chips Charing Cross (location)
saw Eros, the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain (location) at Piccadilly Circus (location)
walked back to Piccadilly, past the Ritz Hotel (location) which is opposite Lotus London (location)
had a look inside Fortnum & Mason Department Store (location) and bought an expensive coffee
up to the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk (location) and Constitution Hill
looked at the Queen Victoria Memorial (location)
stood outside Buckingham Palace (location)
took the tube from Victoria Station (location) and quickly back to Piccadilly Circus (location)
took the train back to West Norwood Station (location)
had dinner at Anna and Bob’s place with their kids Zoe and Sophie.

Day 33: Wednesday 16th October

Had more of a look around London.
Walking: 22,700 steps and 17km walked.

took a train from West Norwood Station (location) in to Central London, London Bridge (location)
saw The Shard (location)
caught the underground to Camden Town (location)
walked around Camden Market (location) and Camden Lock Market (location)
caught the underground to Ladbroke Grove (location)
saw a memorial wall to the Grenfell Tower Fire (streetview, wikipedia). In 2017, a high-rise fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats near here and burned for 60 hours. The building was designed in 1967 in the Brutalist style. Seventy people died at the scene and two people died later in hospital.
walked over to Notting Hill, and Portobello Road (location, wikipedia) including the famous Travel Book Shop (location, website) from the movie. Also Alice’s antique shop (location, tripadvisor)
took the tube from Notting Hill Gate (location) to Hammersmith (location)
went to Primark in Hammersmith (location)
looked at the building where Kim used to work in 1999-2000 for Citibank (streetview)
took the tube from Hammersmith (location) to Knightsbridge (location)
went to Harrods (location)
took the tube from Knightsbridge (location) to Piccadilly Circus (location)
went into Hamleys Toy Shop (location, wikipedia) in Regent Street
walked past Liberty, Regent St (location, wikipedia) department store
saw the Swiss Clock and Glockenspiel (location) in Leicester Square
had dinner at the Shake Shack Leicester Square (location)
saw the Book of Mormon show (website) at Prince of Wales Theatre (location)
took the underground back to Brixton Station (location) as the overground trains had stopped
took a bus to see Anna who was rehearsing for a show at her local South London Theatre (location)
bussed back from there with Anna to their place in West Norwood.

Day 34: Thursday 17th October

Even more looking around London.
Walking: 23,700 steps and 17.9km walked.

took a train from West Norwood Station (location) in to Grenwich (location) (9 mins)
went to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich (location)
stood on the Prime Meridian (location, wikipedia), the geographic coordinate system at which longitude is defined to be 0°
had a quick look in the National Maritime Museum (location, wikipedia) which was free entry…
saw in the museum the images from the Astronomy Photographer of the Year (info) which NZ photographers did quite well.
walked to the River Thames past the Cutty Sark (location, wikipedia), the last British tea clipper.
walked under the river to the North side via the Greenwich Foot Tunnel (location, wikipedia)
took the DLR from Island Gardens (location) to Fenchurch Street (location)
walked over the Tower Bridge (location, wikipedia)
took photos of various building on the London Skyline including the The Shard, the Walkie Talkie, The Gerkin (wikipedia)
went and did a full self-guided tour of the Tower of London (location, wikipedia)
walked to Brick Lane (wikipedia) and went to a large Vintage Market (location)
went to Aladin Indian Restaurant in Brick Lane (location) for dinner
went on a Jack the Ripper Walking tour (info) starting outside Tower Hill station (location) and on to a Roman Wall (location), Vine Street (wikipedia), St Botolph without Aldgate (location), the location where the body of Catherine Eddowes was discovered (location), The Ten Bells Pub (location, wikipedia), and more.
walked past the Herd of Hope Elephant sculpture (location)
walked past St Paul’s Cathedral (location, wikipedia)
caught a bus from St Paul’s back to West Norwood (25 mins)
(finally!) saw an urban fox walking back to Anna and Bob’s place.

Photos: London

Day 35: Friday 18th October

Drove to Canterbury then on to Hastings.
Driving: directions, 3:45hrs, 260km drive today.
Walking: 11,600 steps and 10.7km walked.

walked to norstorelondon (location, website) in West Norwood and bought a couple of things.
got a lift to Brixton Station (location) from Bob.
took the underground from Brixton to Heathrow Airport (location)
picked up a rental car from the airport (Hyundai i20)
drove to Canterbury (1:45hrs, 88 miles) and had a look around the town and St Peter’s Street
saw The Canterbury Cathedral (location, wikipedia) but didn’t go in
saw the Geoffrey Chaucer Statue (location)
drove to Dover (location) and walked to the White Cliffs of Dover.
drove to our ‘caravan’ Air B&B at Combe Haven Holiday Park (location) in Hastings (1 night)

Day 36: Saturday 19th October

Drove from Hastings to Brighton.
Driving: directions, 2:30hrs, 90km drive today.
Walking: 24,000 steps and 18km walked.

drove to Hastings and had a look around Hastings Old Town (location)
drove to Battle (wikipedia) and had a self guided tour of Battle Abbey (location, wikipedia) which was built on the site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings. Also had a 1hr long history lesson from one of the English Heritage volunteers.
drove to Eastbourne (location, wikipedia) on the South Coast. Parked at, and walked through The Beacon (location) shopping mall.
walked down Eastbourne Pier (location) and had afternoon tea & scones at the Victorian Tea Rooms (location) on the pier.
drove to the Seven Sisters Country Park (location), Brighton. Walked down to the beach top see the Seven Sister Cliffs (location, wikipedia) which was an easy walk of about 3kms/30mins but we were pushed to get there before sunset. The Seven Sisters cliffs are occasionally used in filmmaking and television production as a stand-in for the more famous White Cliffs of Dover, since they are relatively free of anachronistic modern development and are also allowed to erode naturally.
drove to our Air B&B accommodation at 57 Keymer Ave Peacehaven (streetview) which was attached to a house (likely a nicely converted garage).
dropped off our bags and continued on to Brighton (location) and Brighton Beach (location). It was night by this time so we got to see the beach and pier all lit up.
walked past the Royal Pavilion (location, wikipedia). Built in three stages as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, who became the Prince Regent in 1811, and King George IV in 1820.
saw the Victoria Fountain lit up in the Old Steine Gardens (location, wikipedia).
walked down the Brighton Palace Pier (location, wikipedia). We had fish and chips (location) on the pier. Had a look inside the Palace of Fun (location) and played some 2p coin pusher machines.
had an icecream further down the beach near Volk’s electric Railway Pier Station (location)
drove back to our accommodation (just one night) in Peacehaven (streetview)

Day 37: Sunday 20th October

Drove from Windsor then on to Wales.
Driving: directions, 6hrs, 470km drive today.
Walking: 6,000 steps and 4.5km walked.

left Peacehaven and drove towards Surrey, stopping at a food court Cobham Services (location).
drove to Windsor Castle (location, wikipedia) and parked nearby. Did a self guided tour of the castle and grounds. Had a look through the The State Apartments (wikipedia), where apparently Jacinda Ardern stayed the previous week. St George’s Chapel (wikipedia) was closed for renovations.
drove to Kim’s friend Lisa & Brendon’s place (Lisa is Kim’s sister Kelly’s best friend). Their house is called Paddock House in North Leigh (location). Had lunch there with their family.
drove on to Wales, to a hotel for the night called Raven Inn (location). It was a pretty horrible stormy night, with trees down in a bunch of places. We were also arriving pretty late and running low on petrol and dinner was snacks and a drink at the hotel.

Photos: Canterbury to Windsor

Day 38: Monday 21st October

Drove from Llangollen to Barnoldswick.
Driving: directions, 3hrs, 200km drive today.
Walking: 10,000 steps and 7.5km walked.

drove from the hotel to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (location, wikipedia). Had a look at the canal boats and walked across the aqueduct.
drove on to Llangollen (location, wikipedia) and met up with Duncan and wife Alison (and his mum, also Alison). Duncan is a travelling acquaintance of Kim’s (who she met in China in 1997). Duncan is English, but they were staying there on holiday.
had lunch with Duncan and family at the cafe at Llangollen Wharf (location). Saw some white water rafters from the Llangollen Bridge (location) which crosses the River Dee (wikipedia)
drove back to Colne for a quick stop at Boundary Mill to buy a few things.
drove to our accommodation (for two nights) at the Hare and Hounds Inn, Foulridge (location, tripadvisor)
had a takeaway Chinese dinner with the extended family at Mollie’s Grandparents at Barnoldswick (location) and headed back to the Hare and Hounds Inn.

Photos: Wales

Day 39: Tuesday 22nd October

Drove across the Yorkshire Dales to Malham Cove.
Driving: directions, 2:15hrs, 95km drive today.
Walking: 11,700 steps and 8.8km walked.

popped in to say Hi and have coffee with Judith on the Farm (location). We went and said Hi to her sheep also.
went for a drive and looked at the remains of Wycoller Hall (wikipedia), a late sixteenth-century manor house in the village of Wycoller, Lancashire. Wycoller Hall is thought to be the inspiration for Ferndean Manor in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. It is located in Wycoller Country Park (location).
drove to Malham Cove (location, wikipedia) which is a large curved limestone formation in North Yorkshire. It was formed by a waterfall carrying meltwater from glaciers more than 12,000 years ago. Today it is a well-known beauty spot and rock climbing crag within the Yorkshire Dales National Park (wikipedia). We walked up to the top of the cove rock formation.
had lunch and a Guinness 0.0 at The Lister Arms in Malham (location, tripadvisor)
attempted a drive via the backroads to Grassington (location, wikipedia) but the roads ended up very narrow, and we would have had to ford a stream (which we decided against in the rental car). Grassington is used as the set of the 2020 remake of All Creatures Great and Small.
drove down to the river at Foulridge (location) and had a walk along the canal and looked at the canal boats.
went back and had dinner at the Hare and Hounds Inn (location, tripadvisor).

Photos: Yorkshire Dales

Day 40: Wednesday 23rd October

Flew to Singapore.
Driving: directions, 1:15hrs, 100km drive today.
Walking: 3,000 steps and 2.3km walked.
Flying: 13hrs

drove to Mollie’s auntie’s place in Earby (location) to pick up Mollie.
the 3 of us drove to Manchester Airport to drop off the rental car and get on a flight to Singapore (Singapore Airlines, 13 hours)

Day 41: Thursday 24th October

Walked around Singapore River and Gardens.
Walking: 14,600 steps and 11km walked.

arrived in Singapore in the morning, and took the MRT to our accommodation, the Galaxy Pods Capsule Hotel on Boat Quay (location, tripadvisor). We dropped our bags as we couldn’t check in until the afternoon.
took the MRT again and walked to the Gardens by the Bay and looked around the conservatories (wikipedia) (near Marina Bay Sands Resort (wikipedia)
checked in to the Galaxy Pods
had dinner at Wild Coco on Boat Quay (location) (opposite our hotel)
walked down Boat Quay (wikipedia) and went on a River Cruise in the evening (website) on the Singapore River (wikipedia)

Day 42: Friday 25th October

Went to Sentosa in Singapore, and Universal Studios.
Walking: 26,000 steps and 19.5km walked.

took the Singapore Cable Car (wikipedia) from the Harbourfront Station (location) to Sentosa Island (wikipedia)
it is the 50th Anniversary of Hello Kitty (wikipedia) so there were lots of Hello Kitty pictures and themed items around including some of the cable cars with Hello Kitty graphics on them (straitstimes 50 Hello Kitty Facts)
went to Universal Studios, Singapore (location, wikipedia)
back to the Galaxy Pods hotel in the late afternoon and left Mollie there
went to Chinatown region (wikipedia) and looked at the markets
had dinner in the Maxwell Food Centre (location) in Chinatown, a hawker center with stands selling street food.
walked back down to the Gardens by the Bay to look at the Supertree Grove (location, wikipedia) at night then back to the Galaxy Pods hotel

Day 43: Saturday 26th October

Went Shopping in Singapore.
Walking: 15,300 steps and 11.6km walked.
Flying: 10hrs

Kim wandered around the CBD and river in the early morning to look at places like Merlion Park (wikipedia)
went shopping at Funan mall (location, wikipedia). Mostly a coworking mall space now, but has various tech shops and even has an indoor cycle path.
bussed over to Sim Lim Square (location, wikipedia), a multi level IT shopping mall (and markets around the area)
went to the famous Raffles Hotel (wikipedia). Sat in at the Long Bar (location) and had a famous Singapore Sling (wikipedia) (well the mocktail version of) and ate peanuts (which is what you do there…)
got the MRT back to to Changi Airport (location)
visited, and had lunch in Jewel at Changi airport (location, wikipedia) which is a 10-floor retail complex with hundreds of shops & eateries, indoor gardens & the largest indoor waterfall in the world at 40m.
Flew from Singapore to Auckland (AirNZ, 10hrs)

Photos: Singapore

Day 44: Sunday 27th October

Arrived Home.

arrived home early afternoon

Trip Totals

	Hours Driven	km Driven	Flight Time	Steps Taken	km Walked
TOTALS	75:35	5,100	52:30	623,000	473
Average per day	01:43	116		14,159	10.7
Max in a day	06:30	470		26,000	19.5

Categories:Family PhotosHolidaysSubtleTravel