Day 31 - Last Day - Paris

The last week we've been able to get up when we felt like it, generally around 0830. Another beautiful day,  left the jackets behind and walked to the Louvre via the Opera. Walked along a street that had all the top brands and some so exclusive I'd never heard of them.  I had to peel Song off the windows of some of the jewellers, then we stopped for a (Starbucks again) coffee.
Didn't go into the Louvre, we've been a few times and it takes at least a day to do it justice, went on to the Palais Royale next door where there was a large garden with a fountain, trees, benches and seats with people reading or just sitting enjoying the weather - this is what I love about Paris, there are huge open spaces and gardens everywhere, it's not as cramped as London. I don't think I'll ever tire of coming to Paris - every time we have a great time, it's such a beautiful city, the buildings are imposing and decorative, the art galleries and museums extensive and the food out of this world.
Walked through the Louvre courtyard and onto the Pont D'Arts, then headed to a restaurant we visited last time we were here just near the Luxembourg Gardens called La Maison du Jardin. If you come to Paris I'd recommend it. It was full of old French people which I took as a good sign. I ordered snails in a garlic broth (how French is that?) because I can't remember having had snails before. Song ordered rabbit pate. The snails were nice, no real taste except of garlic, and a texture like calamari. Song didn't like her pate much. For main I ordered the lamb in filo pastry - the same thing I had 3 years ago. Song ordered - wait for it - cod. I also ordered a large glass of Bordeaux, which turned out to be about half a bottle so by the end of the meal I was a bit tipsy. The lamb was cooked for seven hours, and was fantastic. Song said her fish was nice. Song noticed someone had brought a dog into the restaurant, something we'd also seen in Nancy. I do like dogs, but I'm not too sure I'm keen on them in restaurants.
We decided against a dessert, so paid up and went walking again, round the corner to the Luxembourg Gardens. It felt like it was over 20C, and everywhere people were sitting in the sun, reading, eating lunch or chatting with friends, kids playing games, hundreds just enjoying life. So we joined them, sat on a bench for a while watching the world go by. I highly recommend it.
Carried on, looking for a patisserie because I fancied a cake but after a while just decided to go to a cafe and have a tea and coffee - they do like their coffee strong here.
Walked all the way back again, according to Google fit I walked just under 23000 steps and it certainly felt like it - my feet and calves were aching. We grabbed a couple of baguettes from a Paul's bakery for dinner, we didn't fancy a big meal.
Back to the hotel, packed up, we fly out tomorrow afternoon.
So that's it for the first leg of Andy and Song's epic journey around the world. A couple of weeks back in Melbourne and then off on the second leg to Canada and the US.

Day 30 - Paris

Woke up to a perfect day, sun shining and not a cloud in the sky, about 7C.
Grabbed a coffee from Starbucks (I know, sacrilege for a Melburnian, but local coffee is too strong), then walked 20 minutes to Sacre Coeur - another church. Climbed the 196 steps (I counted them) and arrived at the top next to the funicular station. Oh well, I needed the exercise. We weren't there for the church per se, but the view over Paris because it's at the top of a hill. Took photos and went into the church anyway. Walked around the corner to the square where we were accosted by several artists offering to sketch us but we declined. We called in at a cafe to have crepes - I had one with fruit and Song chose chocolate and banana which was a bit of a role reversal, but we swapped half each.
Carried on walking for a while then found a Paul's bakery so stopped for lunch. Song had a tuna roll (fish!) and I had a pizza slice that looked better than it tasted.
Walked back to the hotel for a pit stop then walked to Galleries Lafayette, a department store, but similar to Harrods in London. As soon as we entered we encountered a sea of Chinese people - literally hundreds. They were all there buying tax free goods and weighed down with Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci bags.
Bought some gear ourselves - we really went to town and bought 8 place mats from the souvenir shop!
Carried on, visited the Uniqlo shop where Song spent an hour picking up and trying every jumper there until deciding she didn't like any and they were cheaper in Australia anyway.
Took the metro to the Champs-Elysees, walked up one side and down the other, dodging all the other tourists. The weather was still perfect - sunny, and we'd left our jackets in the hotel because it was warm.
Song popped into a shop for a look and came out with 2 handbags.
Starting to feel tired, headed back to the hotel area to get dinner. Checked Tripadvisor and set off for a restaurant but couldn't find it so just went into one that looked ok and had a few people inside. We seem to have started a trend, because about 12 people came in within about 10 minutes.
We both ordered duck fois gras to start (very nice), I went for beef bourginion for main and Song had - shockingly - sausage. The beef bourginion was excellent. I had one in Iceland that was good and one in Brugges that was average but this one reminded me I was in France and they invented it. 2 large pieces of tender beef, a superb gravy with mushrooms and bacon in a pot , with a plate of creamy mashed potato.
Song said her sausage was good but I was too busy enjoying mine to listen. I also had a glass of red wine.
For dessert I had chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream, Song had ice cream with grand marnier but couldn't eat it all so I had to finish it off. What a terrible thing to have to do.
Total cost was about $100 and worth every cent. Luckily the restaurant had a small crane to help me get up out of my seat, then we waddled up the road to the hotel, each carrying a few extra kilos, and squeezed into the lift, collapsed on the bed and tried not to move.
Tomorrow is more walking and sight seeing around The Louvre area.

Day 29 - Nancy to Paris

Up, walk, train, metro, walk, hotel. Train journey was good, on the TGV which is the fast train, hurtling through the French countryside. Kept a close eye on the bags and pockets on the metro because last time some guy stuck his hand in my pocket, but luckily didn't get anything. Came out of the metro and the Moulin Rouge was in front of us. A short walk to the hotel which is the 4th most popular in Paris, not too expensive and really good - staff are really helpful and even played the Australian and English national anthem as we checked in. I kid you not. It's called Joke hotel. The room was small but very well designed and very trendy. We'll definitely stay again. The mini bar was free (although only had water and soft drinks) and they also had free food and drink in the lobby.
We dropped the bags and went out, intending to go shopping but it was Sunday and most are closed. Decided instead to walk around a cemetery. Not just any cemetery, but Père Lachaise, where loads of famous people are buried. We spent about 3 hours there and saw dead people. Moliere, Bizet, Pissaro, Chopin, many others and probably the most famous - Jim Morrison. It was quite busy, and is said to be the most visited cemetery in the world. We saw a crowd around one grave and had a look - it was one of the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists. The cemetery is not very well laid out and we looked for, but didn't find, a few others.
We'd walked a lot, so decided to head back to the hotel area and go to a restaurant we'd passed earlier, but when we got there it was closed, as we're all of them, and so we had to go back to the hotel and wait for about half an hour.
Wandered down to the restaurant where I had a lobster bisque for starter and then steak (I ordered it medium and it came out rare but I'm too timid to complain), Song had fois gras to start and *sigh* sea bass for main. I also had a glass of wine. Both meals were good, not great.
Walked up the road to the Moulin Rouge and took some photos, saw that it was 125 Euro per person to get in and decided against it. I'm sure it's a spectacle but I can download the movie for nothing.
Back to the hotel to relax.
Tomorrow is the Sacre Coeur and some more wandering with a bit of shopping thrown in. We're here for 3 nights, not 2, so 2 more full days in what I think is our favourite city.

Day 28 - Metz to Nancy

Another good sleep but woke up to a wet, cold day. Went for another walk around Metz, calling in on another church we passed, then to what is thought to be the oldest church in France, dating from the forth century. Stopped in at a Paul's for another non standard breakfast, I had coffee (I asked for white coffee and it just scraped by, it was very strong) and an apple tart, Song had a blueberry tart. We went back to the cathedral because Song did some reading and wanted to have another look. Reading this you may think we're on some religious pilgrimage, but we just find European churches interesting - some amazing architecture, paintings, carvings and history.
The rain stopped and the sun came out, took more photos then back to the hotel to pick up the bags, then onto the station to get the train to Nancy. I tried the machines but they rejected the credit cards which wasn't a good sign, and had to queue up in the world's slowest moving queue to buy the tickets. Probably just as well because I nearly bought tickets to Nantes which is on the west coast. It was while in the queue that I had another one of my (many) brilliant ideas. I call it Citypacks. Say you're travelling to Melbourne - you go on a website and you order a pack for the city that includes a map, a directory of things to do and places to eat, maybe vouchers, a Myki card loaded with credit, a local pre loaded sim card etc. Instructions on how the local travel works because everywhere is different - for example, in Melbourne, prepare to be held down by 5 ticket inspectors and beaten up if you don't have a Myki. In Romania and Russia don't hail a cab in the street unless you want to be driven to the middle of nowhere and robbed. In Marrakech don't take up the offer of kids who say they'll show you the way, unless you want to be taken to the middle of nowhere etc.
Anyway, hopped on the train to Nancy, and got told by the conductor that we should have validated the tickets in a machine before getting on. If only I'd ordered a Citypack, I would have known this.
Got to Nancy, walked about 15 minutes to the hotel then out and about again. It started to rain so I had to go back to the hotel to grab the umbrella. Wandered the streets, came across an impressive gate (took photos of course), then continued with no destination in mind. Found a pleasant park, then came across the main square - Place de Stanislaw. Each entrance was decorated with magnificent gates covered in gold paint, plus 2 had fountains. Carried on, found the main shopping street then went looking for somewhere to eat. We avoided the main square and headed back to the hotel area, but all the restaurants were closed - it appeared they only opened for lunch and dinner. Went back to the hotel for an hour or so and then back to a restaurant we passed earlier. I perused the menu, which was in French. Now I do speak a bit of French but I learnt it 40 years ago so I don't know how good it is, although I do seem to make myself understood. However, the menu had me a bit stumped, because I think the restaurant was geared around offal, and I am not a big fan. I think I saw head of veal and pig's trotters on the menu. I took a bit of a gamble and went for what I thought was lamb shank for me and smoked sausage with sauerkraut for Song. If mine turned up with eyes I may have decided to become a vegetarian on the spot. I asked if it came with potatoes and the waiter said yes, then added "pommes de terre sudhg griv frompf crudjus?" So I said yes please. I had no idea what he said. I later heard the waiter speaking English to another couple, so either my French was so good that I had him thinking I was a local, or he was amusing himself. Probably the latter.
Luckily the potatoes were very nice, as was the lamb. Song enjoyed her meal. For dessert we shared a plate of 5 local cheeses, again very good.
Meandered back to the hotel and relaxed.
Tomorrow we're off to Paris for 2 nights, then we fly home.

Day 27 - Metz

Had a good sleep, then out to look around Metz. Weather was chilly and threatened to rain. We found a cafe and had the standard French breakfast of coffee, croissant and orange juice but had hot chocolate instead of coffee because their machine was broken and had yoghurt instead of orange juice so it wasn't very standard after all.
Walked around the old city which was very pretty, lots of large buildings with ornate carvings, and then went into the cathedral. One of the most impressive ones we've visited (and we tend to go into churches and cathedrals because they tend to be very spectacular), it had amazing stained glass windows, including some by famous artists like Marc Chagall and Jacques Villon.
It was massive inside, and has one of the highest naves in the world.
Went out of the cathedral and into a market next door. Had a wander looking at all the tempting food, and then came out into the rain and I'd forgotten to bring the umbrella so went back in again. Once it had stopped went walking again and took more photos, then on to lunch. We happened to stumble upon the 5th best restaurant in the city. I had the set menu of salmon fritters and salad to start, cod on mashed potatoes and a cake pudding for dessert. Song had braised piglet cheeks on mash and the cheese platter for dessert - yes, I had fish and Song had meat. I also swapped my usual beer for a glass of wine - a merlot.
Both dishes were excellent, although a tad pricey for lunch. Still, we're now in France so want to eat well.
Staggered out of the restaurant and continued to wander - the sun had come out so we went back to the cathedral to take more photos. There was a guy standing outside the cathedral begging, and he had a better jacket than mine. Maybe I'm in the wrong business.
Carried walking around, the streets were very pretty, lots of alleys and imposing buildings. We ended up on the street we had breakfast on and it was getting a very busy, it appeared to be the main shopping street.
Feeling a bit tired, decided to head back to the hotel where we just relaxed, decided not to have dinner because of the large lunch.
Tomorrow we're off to Nantes.

Day 26 - Brugges to Metz

Got up, had breakfast then out for a bit of a walk. Song had remembered that there was a Michaelangelo sculpture in the cathedral around the corner so we went to see it - Madonna and Child.
Carried on walking, bought some chocolates and the streets were beginning to fill up again so we took the bus to the train station and settled in for the trip to Luxembourg - with a change at Lieges. The trip was pleasant, we followed a river most of the way and were in a valley. Song wanted to stop at Luxembourg - after the Panama papers were revealed we thought we'd better check on the mountains of cash we'd squirreled away. Not really - Song just wanted to see it, plus it's a country I'd been to that she hadn't and she's trying to catch up.
Pulling into Luxembourg was spectacular - the city is built on a hill and there were bridges and old city walls and castles all around. Dumped the bags at the station and went for a walk along the old walls with great views. The weather was nice, overcast but not cold. Followed a tour group because they seemed to know where they were going and ended up in the main square with lots of restaurants, so found one that looked decent and each had a pizza. I was going to have a beer but decided against it as I didn't want to exceed the weight allowance of the plane.
The pizzas were ok, quite nice. We headed back to the station to pick up the bags and on to Metz.

Day 25 - Dublin to Brugges

Up at 0445, on the bus to the airport and short flight to Amsterdam. I was impressed that we could change our flight so easily just the afternoon before.
The train from Amsterdam to Brugges  took about 3 hours with a change at Brussels. I like travelling by train - seats are comfortable, most have wifi and power points, toilets and food and drink, plus you get to see the country.
Arrived at the hotel and the room was very small, but most European city hotels are like that so we didn’t mind.
Dropped the bags and headed out. I'd been to Brugges about 30 years ago and as we walked around I started to remember it. It's a very pretty town, the main square has some impressive buildings and the whole place was delightful - lots of old buildings, very clean, quaint alleyways, and more chocolate shops than I have ever seen. We decided to wait until after dinner before buying chocolates but they were definitely on the agenda. We walked along the streets, a nice change of pace after the driving of the last few days. The weather was perfect - sunny and warm  -  Google said it was 17C but it felt warmer, probably after the wintry conditions in Ireland. It was hard to believe that just a few days ago we were  walking in a howling gale being pelted with freezing rain. We wandered around the streets, lots of tourists about, just enjoying the environment. We stopped at a restaurant around the corner from the main square. I had Flemish beef stew with apple sauce, salad and chips, Song had mussels. I also had a beer because I was no longer driving - a Leffe Bruin, which I think was the nicest I've had on this trip so far.
Left the restaurant and suddenly found the streets empty - we guessed all of the tourists were on day trips and were heading home because there were very few people around. We stopped for an ice cream despite the temperature dropping as the sun went down and went back to the hotel.
Tomorrow we're going to Luxembourg, then onto Metz in France.

Impressions of Ireland

Cold, wet and windy. Wet. Rainy. Lots of wind. Did I say cold?
I was very surprised that the weather in Ireland was worse than Iceland. I suspect if the sun ever came out the Irish people would wonder what it was and would probably start worshipping it.
Dublin was very busy, awful traffic and not really a lot to see. The drive through the countryside lived up to expectations - rolling hills, green fields with sheep, old abandoned buildings covered in ivy which fit with the landscape. I expected to see small villages, but there were lots of places with a few houses but no cafes or shops.
Galway was lovely - a real buzzing place, lots of people having fun, buskers, lots of cafes and restaurants.
Also liked Cork, we didn’t stay long but felt it had a nice atmosphere.
Some fantastic scenery that we discovered by accident, really amazing.
Overall a pleasant experience except for the appalling weather most of the time.

Day 24 - Wexford to Dublin

Filled up with the included breakfast and back into the car for the last time to drive back to Dublin.
Although Wexford is in the south and Dublin the north, it only takes about 2 hours to drive via the freeway, and since we'd seen Dublin decided to use the back roads to see more of the country. We stopped for a coffee in a small town that had a castle then continued on.
After about half an hour we were both a bit bored of the same hedges and fields and were still going to get to Dublin early so I looked at the map and decided to cut across the country through some hills.
This turned out to be a great idea because the scenery was amazing - almost like Iceland.
We drove along the top of the hills on a small road which I think was the most isolated I've ever been on. We saw a few cars but for the most part we were the only ones on the road. The landscape was as if it were another country - similar to moorland and vast, with hills all around.
We stopped for another coffee and scones in a small town, I checked the map again and set off along another minor road. We soon came across a waterfall pouring into a valley. Truly spectacular. I think we saw the best scenery in Ireland just by chance.
Finally drove out of the hills and headed to the airport to drop off the car, then went to get the Aer Lingus desk to see if we could change our flight. Brussels airport was running a limited service so we couldn't change the time, but we were able to switch the flight to Amsterdam and leave in the morning. This would save us having to spend another day in Dublin and get the train to Bruges from Amsterdam, giving us some time in Bruges.
Got to the bus station and saw our courtesy bus waiting so hopped on and got to the hotel in 5 minutes. Looked at the hotel name, then at the booking and realised it was the wrong hotel. Ours was Clayton, we were at the Carlton. Close but no cigar. Got back on the bus to the airport then got on the right one.
Song wasn't hungry so didn't want dinner but I was so went to the hotel restaurant and had a burger plus a pint of Guinness - trying to bring Australia up in the rankings.
Getting up very early tomorrow to fly to Amsterdam, then on a train to Bruges.

Day 23 - Cork to Wexford

Woke up refreshed, packed up and headed to Cork city (we stayed just outside), stopped for a very nice breakfast in a small trendy cafe. I had porridge with honey and banana and Song had Granola, whatever the hell that is. We were heading for the English market, one of the sights of Cork. We came across a small group of people who were clearly agitated and were pointing at the sky. There was a blue area amid the grey, and an old man said "I remember the great blue patch of 1965. It lasted for nearly 10 minutes. I didn’t think I'd live to see it again. Many witches were burned that day".
Carried on around the town, found it very nice, small alleys full of cafes and shops, clean and friendly. Found the market which was also nice but small.
Walked back to the car then on to Blarney Castle. I liked Cork, even though we didn't stay long it seemed pleasant.
Blarney Castle was nice, there were gardens with rivers and the setting was wonderful. We climbed up the narrow spiral stairs up to the top and had a great view of the area. We decided not to kiss the blarney stone, and climbed back down. As we walked through the gardens a miracle happened - the sun came out! I even took off my jacket. The locals were cheering and hugging each other.
Back in the car and did a bit of a backtrack to the Rock of Cashel, another castle. Only took about 40 minutes up the freeway, but as we got closer the clouds came in and the rain started.
Got to the castle which was impressive, but unfortunately there were renovations going on and a lot of it was covered in scaffolding. Took photos then found a place for a sandwich for lunch. Passed through Tipperary on the way to Waterford - I didn’t know it was a long way to Tipperary - and arrived in Waterford. Walked up and down the high street, not a lot to see, then back to the car and onto Wexford where we stopped for the night. Drove into town for dinner around some back roads and saw some magnificent homes - long, tree lined driveways, large grounds and huge houses - I'd noticed this before, on the outskirts of towns there tended to be these large properties. We parked in the city and found the 3rd best place in Wexford, called The Yard. I had cod with ratatouille and roast potatoes, Song had Monkish with cous cous. I'm beginning to worry that she'll develop gills.
Went back to the hotel, back to Dublin tomorrow.

Day 22 - Galway to Cork

We were staying at one of those corporate hotel chains that cater for travelling business people so it was pretty average. However, the one saving grace is that they usually have a good breakfast spread, and this one did. I had bacon, sausage and baked beans. Then toast. Then yogurt. Then a fruit smoothie. Then a croissant. And orange juice. And coffee. As I was drinking the frankly diabolically crap coffee I had one of my (many) brilliant ideas - these hotels should buy a proper cafe coffee machine and train some staff to be barristas. No more of the drip, filtered rubbish, but a cup made properly.
We popped back into Galway to see the famous Bay (and took photos of course), then hit the road to the Cliffs of Moher.
It wasn't far, but it was along country roads and the coast road so took a bit of time. The weather was typical of the Irish weather we've come to expect - cold, raining and windy. The scenery was very nice, we stopped off at a small castle, and followed the narrow coast road, Song taking photos out of the window and me driving and trying to avoid being collected by one of the many tourist coaches.
Eventually arrived, parked the car and stepped out into a howling wind and light rain. Song opened the car door and a bag blew out and I had to chase it across the car park, which wasn't too bad with the wind behind me, but turning round and heading back to the car was hard work.
We walked over to the cliffs, the wind pushing us along, and onto the path along the cliff. The wind was so strong that the rain felt like needles against the face, and it was bloody freezing. The car said the temperature was 4C, but with the wind I'm certain it was below zero. We struggled along the path, taking photos, but I had to stop after a few minutes because my hands got numb. We turned around and headed off along another path, braving the elements. We got to the top of the other side and took photos but I'd had enough so we went back to the visitors centre. This time we were walking into the wind, and we had to struggle - head down, hands in pockets, fighting the wind. We passed an old guy who I think was insane - he was busking with an accordion. He was huddled against the wall, his instrument covered in a plastic bag trying to be heard over the wind. Song gave him some money for his sheer bravery.
The cliffs were impressive, very imposing, but as with the Giant's Causeway, I think I would have enjoyed it more if the weather was better.
We carried on to the centre, and I was thinking if the coffee machine was broken I'd cry.
Staggered into the warmth and quiet of the centre, found a seat and had a nice hot drink and an apple pie for good measure. After preparing for the epic journey back to the car, we set off again.
We both agreed these were the worst weather conditions we've ever experienced.
Back in the car with the heater turned up full, we thawed out and carried on to Cork, passing through Limerick with a quick look at King James Castle. We continued along the country roads, the scenery as I expected and delightful - stone walls, green fields and the occasional abandoned house covered in ivy. At one stage we turned a corner and saw 3 snow capped mountains. We eventually got to Cork at around 1730.
We're usually quite hardy and don't let the weather get in the way of what we want to do, but after dropping the bags in the hotel room and looking outside at the rain, and listening to the wind, we didn’t fancy going out, driving to the city, parking and trying to find somewhere to eat, so just went to the hotel restaurant. I had beef brisket followed by pork belly with mash, pureed carrot and gravy, and then apple crumble. Song had a caesar salad, the pork belly, and cheesecake for dessert. It was reasonably priced for a hotel and very  nice. I also decided that since I wasn't driving I would have a beer, and finally succumbed and ordered a pint of Guinness. It was a lot nicer than I remembered. Here's a trivia question - which country is the second largest consumer of Guinness? No. No. Nope. Nigeria. Ireland is number 3. UK is number 1 (yay for the alcoholic Brits).
Suitably stuffed, went back to the room without having to step outside and relaxed. Off to Wexford via the Rock of Cashel tomorrow. Let's hope the weather improves, because I don't think it could be worse.

Day 21 - Dublin to Galway

Had a bit of a lie in till 0800, then out to get the car. She said it was a BMW X1,  then said that wasn't available so would upgrade me to the next class for free and I had visions of a Mercedes, BMW 5 or something but it was a Hyundai i40 which had 115k on the clock and was a bit of a clunker.
Drove back to the hotel to pick Song up, then set off for Galway. According to Google it was about 2 hours 45 minutes by freeway or 3.5 by the other road, so decided to go the slower way to see the countryside. It turned out that the roads were basically country roads and narrow, with tall hedges either side, so it was difficult to see anything. There were no towns or villages, just the odd clump of houses. The weather was alternating between sun and rain, about 7C.
Feeling hungry, stopped at the first town we came to, called Edenderry, and what a dump it was, but we'd paid for parking and the thought of giving away 1.5 euro was too much to bear. There were boarded up and derelict shops, and more betting shops than cafes. We found a pub that looked ok, and there were no fights going on inside so we risked it. Song had the full Irish breakfast and I had cottage pie and chips, both were ok but I was just happy we weren't mugged.
Set off again along the country roads, passing some nice houses as well as some old abandoned stone ones, and headed for a town called Mullingar because it had a cathedral and looked nice. The weather turned and it started to hail and then snow and dropped to 2C. It was colder than most of Iceland. Parked and walked to the cathedral, turned round and walked back when we saw we had to pay to get in. It's not that we're tight, but we've seen plenty of cathedrals and weren't really in the mood.
Wandered up the main street, it was reasonably pleasant despite the weather, then back to the car and on to Athlone, another place that Google says is nice. The sun came out again for about 30 minutes, then it started raining as soon as we got to Athlone. Stopped for a coffee but decided to just get going to Galway, about an hour away. We passed pleasant countryside, stone walls, old stone houses that had been abandoned but didn't look ugly, they gave the fields character. We also passed fields of sheep with lots of lambs - tiny, cute, white, and just delightful.
Arrived at the hotel in Galway and dropped the bags and went into the town.
It was buzzing - lots of people milling around plenty of cafes and restaurants (and pubs of course). Found a restaurant and tried to decide what to have, and chose lamb. I had braised lamb with lamb sausage on goats cheese mash, cranberries and apricots - it was very nice. Song had - guess, go on. Yes, fish again - cod ling.
We decided not to have dessert and just went back to the hotel, it was getting a bit late. Walking up the road we saw a band of buskers, and still lots of people around, the place had a nice vibe.
Tomorrow we're going to Limerick via a couple of sights.

Day 20 - Giant's Causeway

Up at 0515, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm actually on holiday, taxi to the city to get a coach to the Giant's Causeway which is actually in Northern Ireland. The drive took about 3 hours and the driver was one of those people who thinks he is funny because foreigners laugh at his jokes just because they think they should. He also insisted on not only talking all the way there but also burst into the odd song, and regaled us with a couple of verses of traditional Irish songs a couple of times. I half expected him to stop and perform Riverdance. Consequently I didn't get much of a chance to sleep.
We stopped off at an avenue of trees called the dark bushes which featured in Game of Thrones, although I can't remember it.
We stopped for lunch at a cafe that was probably paying kickbacks to the coach company so Song and I were a bit dubious but the food was surprisingly good and reasonably priced. I had beef and Guinness pie and Song had leek and potato soup.
The coach carried on and stopped at an old rope bridge which we walked across to a small island, then onto the Giant's Causeway. The weather was pretty awful - cold, a light rain, windy and about 5C. Wandered around the thing, taking pictures and trying not to get blown into the sea, then went and sat in a pub to wait for the coach. It was interesting, and I think I would have enjoyed it more had the weather been better and my cold gone.
Back on the coach, a quick look at an ancient castle and then a stop off in Belfast which as far as I could tell had no redeeming features and the hour we spent there is an hour of my life I'll never get back. We just sat in a cafe, watched the rain and miserable people and waited for the coach to leave.
On the way back the driver decided to play some traditional Irish music which was bad enough, but then he insisted on singing along. What was a long day seemed to go on forever.
Got back, it was still raining, walked to the bus stop then crashed in the hotel once again, neither of us fancied eating.
The icing on the cake for the day was the flight to Belgium in a few days had been changed from 0640 to 1830, which stuffed up our plans a bit but could have been worse, at least we didn't have a connecting flight. We'd have to call the airline to see if they could get us on an earlier one.
Tomorrow we pick up the hire car and drive around Ireland for a few days.

Day 19 - Dublin

Up early again, still battling the cold and cough. Taxi then train to the airport then the shortest flight I think I've ever been on, about 30 minutes.
Taxi to the hotel which was very impressive - an old castle (I don't think there are any new ones actually).
The room wasn't ready so we dumped the bags and took a bus into Dublin and wandered around trying to find something to eat, most places seemed to serve fried breakfasts or pub food but we found a cafe that did rolls and bagels. The weather was cold and a bit overcast, around 7C.
Every second shop is a pub - drinking appears to be the national pastime.
The weather got worse and started to rain heavily and I'd decided to leave the umbrella at the hotel so got a bit wet, not doing my cold any good. Walked over the Ha'penny Bridge and into the main part of Dublin, through some alleys and back streets heading to Dublin Castle. It wasn't that impressive to be honest, so we carried on to St Patrick's Cathedral. Paid our 6 Euro to get in and heard what I thought was recorded music but it turned out to be a choir of teenagers performing, so we sat and listened for a while. Very pleasant and relaxing. Wandered around inside, found out that Jonathan Swift was buried there and took some photos of the inside of the cathedral.
Left to go to another church but when we got there it was shut so continued back to the main part of the city. We were both tired from the early start so stopped off for a coffee, then found ourselves outside The Temple Bar which Song said was famous. Unable to resist any longer, we went in for a beer. I was going to have a Guinness for appearance, but I don't really like it so had a Murphy's, and Song had a Beamish - both stout. Song had a couple of mouthfuls and told me to finish it - gee, the things I have to do.
We were still tired and debated whether to go back to the hotel and come back later  or to keep going and eat, although I wasn't hungry. We decided to keep going and found a restaurant serving traditional Irish food. I like to try the local food, although I drew the line in Iceland because theirs consisted of shark, whale, puffin and horse. I had a beef and Guinness stew, Song had corned beef. Mine was ok, not great. Song said hers was not bad. Struggling to keep awake, got the bus back to the hotel and crashed. Another early day tomorrow, heading to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, taking a coach tour that leaves at 0630. Oh joy. Still, we can sleep on the bus.

Day 18 - Manchester

Got the flight time wrong, it was 0800, not  0640, that's the flight from Dublin, so we only had to get up at 0530 instead of 0330.
Flight was uneventful although the landing was a bit bumpy.
Got the train to the main station then a cab to the hotel, then went out to eat. The weather was worse than Iceland - overcast, rainy, windy and about 5C. It's grim up north. Song decided we needed new walking shoes so we bought some.
Later found out they only charged us for 1 pair. Free shoes!
Just had a pizza for dinner, relieved to be paying less than $100 for a meal.
Went back to the hotel and crashed, another early start tomorrow to get the flight to Dublin.

Impressions of Iceland

Iceland, or Land of Ice as I like to call it, is truly spectacular. You quickly run out of superlatives when trying to describe the landscape. Song and I both agree it's the best scenery we have seen. The photos don't do it justice - the vistas are too wide to capture on camera, and I tried using the panorama setting but it just doesn't show it as it is in reality.
Reykjavik is where you need to stay - it has all the best restaurants, all the tours,  and is within easy reach of the Golden Circle.
One bad thing about Iceland is that most things are expensive - coffee was between $5 and $7, a decent meal (and an average one) costs around $30-$50 a head. The bus to the Blue Lagoon was about $85 for 2. So if you go, be prepared.
Another bad thing is that the drivers are rubbish - most of them never signal and cut across lanes and in front of you without warning. Half of them drive 20 kmh above the speed limit and the other half 20 kmh below the limit. So you are either being tail-gated or have to drive too close to the car in front or drop to a crawl. However, because the landscape is generally flat where the roads are, you can see for miles and can overtake. Sometimes we drove for ages without seeing another car.
Song wants to come back, so we're thinking about when - we didn't explore South of Reykjavik so maybe we'll do that next time.
If you are travelling to Europe, I'd highly recommend adding Iceland to the itinerary - it's less than 3 hours from London. We spent 6 days and we felt that was enough time to see everything and not be rushed. I'd also recommend hiring a car - it gives you flexibility and isn't too much more expensive than taking the coaches.

Day 17 - The Blue Lagoon again

We got up in the middle of the night, around midnight, to see if we could see the Northern Lights again, but although the sky was clear we didn’t spot them so went back to sleep.
Halfway through the Europe trip, still got Ireland and France to go.
Woke up around 0800, still not feeling 100%, had breakfast and went into the city.
Wandered around a bit, into the cathedral  where someone was playing the organ, and it was very peaceful. Then down to the waterfront and stopped off in a cafe for what I think is the most expensive coffee we've ever had, about $7.
Walked back to the car and then headed out to the Blue Lagoon again, stopping on the way to visit a Viking village but it was just a hotel so carried on to the Blue Lagoon. It was Song's idea to go twice and what a great idea it was. We spent another 2.5 hours there just floating in the hot water, standing under a waterfall that was like having a massage, and visiting the not too hot sauna, the hotter steam room and the 'holy crap I can hardly breath this is hot' steam room.
I've put on a bit of weight because of all the eating out, but I didn't realise how much until I went back to the Blue Lagoon. A whale watching bus stopped and people took photos, and some people from Greenpeace tried to drag me back into the water.
The steam and saunas did me the world of good, I felt a lot better.
Drove straight to the restaurant, the French one, where I had baked salmon with spinach and asparagus and Song had mussels, continuing her unbroken run of eating seafood. I didn't have alcohol because I had a thought - the drink driving laws might be different here. Turns out I was right, you can't have any alcohol and drive.
Went back to the hotel and packed up, we have an early flight and have to get up at 0330. We're flying to Manchester, staying overnight then onto Dublin.

Day 16 - The Golden Circle (Part 2)

Had a restless night and woke up feeling rough but felt better after breakfast. Pottered around the hotel for a while then hit the road at around 1115, heading back to the waterfall via the tectonic plates we skipped yesterday.
Sun was shining, temperature around 10c, almost perfect. Once again we were in awe of the landscape.
Got to the tectonic plates and parked, no signs around but soon found a small trail up a hill. Got to the top, and yet another amazing view - a small gorge with vertical walls. One side Europe, the other America.
The lack of safety was again apparent - we were hopping across fissures in the rock to get photos, and a slip into one would mean serious injury. On one hand it's good to be able to get so close, but on the other I wonder if anyone has fallen in.
Took lots of photos and then decided to stop off at the geyser again on the way to the waterfall. It was just as well because some idiot forgot to charge the camera battery yesterday and it packed up half way through.
Got more good photos, but Song's were better, she seemed to know when it was about to erupt.
Took off again for the waterfall and this time decided not to go down to the edge because despite the sun it was very cold and windy.
Drove back, deciding to head straight to the city and go back to the French restaurant we went to before but it was full of painters and decoraters - not eating, but renovating. We found it difficult to park, and as we were walking looking for somewhere else to eat noticed the city was full of people, all going in the opposite direction. We found a restaurant and asked what was happening - it was a protest against the government, because it had just been revealed that there was corruption and a lot of the cabinet had offshore accounts.
I had a burger, Song had fish, which meant she had eaten fish every day so far.
I was still feeling a bit under the weather so we just went back to the hotel. The sky was clear and the chance of Northern Light activity was moderate so we may get up to have another look.

Day 15 - The Golden Circle (Part 1)

Woke up around 0700 despite the late night and watched a movie while Song continued to sleep, then attacked the breakfast. Left the hotel at about 1045 and set off for The Golden Circle - a route that goes past the major Icelandic sights. These are the Geyser, the Gullfoss  waterfall and the tectonic plates. Once again the scenery was amazing - driving through snow fields surrounded by the mountains. The landscape changes as you go - volcanic rocks covered in snow slowly gives way to grassy fields. After about an hour we saw a full car park and decided to pull in to see what all the fuss was about. It was Kerid, a place I had read about that was on the way - an extinct volcano which has a lake in the crater. Pictures were taken.
Hopped back in the car then pushed on to the Geyser. It erupts to about 20 metres about every 10 minutes but you don't get much warning, so everyone is standing around pointing cameras and trying to anticipate when it will go. Song was much better than me and got some great photos.
As we drove along I noticed my throat was a bit sore, and later on began to cough - obviously standing by the waterfall in the rain and snow and outside looking at the Northern Lights was going to take its toll - I was going to be ill soon.
Next stop was Gullfoss, the waterfall.
It didn't disappoint - magnificent. I won't try to describe it, look at the photos.
One thing I have noticed is that the Icelandic people are not very health and safety conscious - the crater had no ropes or guides, you just walk around the rim, and are free to fall 50 metres into the freezing water below. Likewise the Geyser area - it did have ropes but they were knee high and you were welcome to hop over and play in the 100c bubbling superheated water and steam.
Same with the huge, powerful Gullfoss waterfall. A thin rope separated us from certain death were we to slip or try to get a closer look. The path down to the edge of the waterfall was closed off with a chain that said there were falling rocks so it was closed. But everyone simply hopped over the chain and happily wandered along the path to get better photos. Including us.
We decided to skip the tectonic plates and  visit the waterfall again tomorrow and call in on the way.
Drove back into Reykjavik and went back to the Icelandic restaurant we visited before. We decided that if we were going to have to spend a lot on dinner we'd go somewhere we liked and not spend it on something like fish and chips.
I had cured Icelandic beef with mushrooms and cranberry on toast, Song had a seafood soup. Both were good. I then had confit of goose leg on mash, Song had char, which the waiter said was like salmon, and he wasn't wrong, it was indistinguishable from salmon.
Again, both meals were good. I decided to forgo the beer and went for a gin and tonic for a change.
Throat and cough getting worse, went back to the hotel to await the inevitable cold.

Day 14 - Akureyri to Reykjavik

The hotel booking had the magic words 'breakfast included', so filled up on toast, cereal, yoghurt and coffee, then went on a walk around town to take photos. Grabbed a map of the area and saw there was a waterfall nearby and the receptionist said it was about 30 minutes away so headed out. After about 10 minutes we hit snow and limited visibility, but it didn't last long, and carried on. Came across a frozen lake and stopped to take photos, then continued on and found the waterfall. Parked and walked about 200 meters in the snow and it was spectacular - again took lots of photos, the camera is getting a good workout. The weather wasn't great, cold and wet, but this is Iceland, not Sunnyland. The viewing platform was very close to the waterfall with no barriers, a recipe for disaster if you ask me.
We had a very expensive coffee in the cafe nearby then started back to Reykjavik.
The drive back was probably the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen - it was raining on the way up, but now the sun came out and the mountains looked incredible. The wide plains and valleys were flat with rivers running through them with snow and ice all around, and mountains on either side. We wanted to stop every couple of minutes to take photos, around every corner was an amazing sight.
Arrived at the hotel, unpacked and then went out to eat. Lots of places to eat and there were loads of people around, we saw a place that was packed and had Icelandic fish and chips so decided on that. I think they must have been caught by Iceland's best fisherman because it cost $60 for 2.
Went back to the hotel then decided to go and look for the Northern Lights. It was cloudy and raining in Reykjavik so we checked a website that tells the chance of seeing the lights and where the cloud cover is.
I drove for about an hour, through the rain, in the dark, after already having driven for 8 hours back from Akureyri. But the chance was high and it was worth a try.
Pulled off the road where there were no street lights and away from the highway and stood outside in the freezing cold. The sky was clear except for a thin band of cloud. Song said that was the Northern Lights, I said it was a cloud. Song said it was the Northern Lights, I said it was a cloud. Song said it was the Northern Lights, I said she was right, it was the Northern Lights. I have to admit, it wasn't as spectacular as I had hoped. It was like a ribbon or curtain of greyish cloud that moved and shimmered, and occasionally there were tinges of green. We watched for about 20 minutes then they disappeared. I set the camera up on the heavy tripod I carried all the way from Australia for this specific purpose and took loads of photos, none of which came out, unless you consider a black square to be a true representation.
Feeling cold and tired, but very happy that we got to see them, drove back to the hotel and arrived at around 0100. This was a long, but excellent day.

Day 13 - Reykjavik to Akureyri

Had another smelly shower and packed up, then waited in the rain for 30 minutes for the bus to pick us up and take us to the hire car. I'd made a bit of a mistake when booking the car and picked a manual - I can drive one but haven't for ages and would have preferred an auto but to change would cost 30 Euro a day extra so we decided against it. I told Song to be prepared to kangaroo along the road for a while till I got used to it. Got in the car and there was no steering wheel or pedals - Iceland has driverless cars! Then Song pointed out it was a left hand drive. It also turned out it was an auto, so the guy either gave us the wrong car or they didn't have the one we booked.
We did pay for the gps - I had pre loaded Google maps but wasn't sure to trust it and didn't want to be lost in the middle of Iceland - even though there is basically one main road.
We headed out, the weather was not great - about 6c, raining and very windy, and it wasn't long before we pulled over to take photos, the scenery was amazing. Carried on for a while but had to stop again, and I could see us stopping every 5 minutes, it is spectacular. Photos will be uploaded.
We stopped off for a coffee at a roadside cafe chain and tried some of the local cakes and I think it's the last time - very sweet.
Continued on, stopping frequently to take photos, the scenery is spectacular. There are also fields with the famous Icelandic horses, which I'd never heard of. Song took some photos, including a selfie.
Drove up a hill that turned into a mountain and it started to snow as the temperature dropped to 0, and the road was covered in snow and visibility dropped dramatically. I was glad the car had heated seats. After about 10 minutes we started to go downhill, visibility improved and the snow turned to rain. Arrived at the hotel at about 16:45, the drive took about 7.5 hours.
Headed out to the town centre, walked for 10 minutes and came out the other side - it's not a big place. Looked around for something to eat but it was mostly fast food. Found a place and happened upon the 3rd best restaurant in Akureyri - not our intention and to be honest we would rather have had a cheap meal but they didn't have the menu outside and it wasn't until we sat down that we saw the prices - about 30-40 aud for a main. I was prepared to get up and leave, it's unlikely we'll be back and it wouldn't have bothered me but Song didn’t fancy going out into the cold and rain again so we ordered. I had a hamburger and Song had tempura prawns. I also ordered a beer (again). Both meals were very good, cost about $70.
Went back to the hotel - the Northern Lights activity was supposed to be good but it was cloudy so unsure if we would see them.
We kept an eye on the sky but it was completely cloudy so went to sleep.

Day 12 - The Blue Lagoon

Slept well, had a shower in water that smells slightly of sulphur because it's geothermally heated.
Got picked up by the bus to take us to the Blue Lagoon, a large heated lake about 45 minutes outside Reykjavik.
The landscape is amazing - the ground is covered with volcanic rocks which are green with lichen. There are mountains covered in snow in the distance but the land is flat. It really looks like an alien planet.
The Blue Lagoon is a man made lake heated by geothermal power. It was quite busy and you had to go out of a door into the cold wind and down a ramp into the lake. The short distance between the door and the lake seemed like miles because it was freezing. Once in the lake it was wonderful, heated mineral water at about 35c. We spent about 3 hours in the water with a short break for a drink. They also had saunas and steam rooms which we used. There was also a place where you could get some silica mud to plaster over your face and naturally we did that, photos will be uploaded.
It was relaxing and great fun, and we've also booked it again for our last day.
Took the coach back and rested for a while before heading out for dinner.
Went to a French restaurant called Snaps. We ordered a charcuterie plate (meats, cheese, pickles etc) to share which was very good. Song ordered a Bouillabaisse - a seafood stew, and I ordered the beef bourguignon. It was fabulous. Beef chunks on mash with onions, bacon and mushrooms in a beautiful gravy. I also had the obligatory beer. The meal cost about $140. Eating out in Iceland is expensive.
Tomorrow we pick up a hire car and drive to Akuyeri in the North, it should take about 4 hours but we'll be stopping on the way to take photos. We hope to see the Northern Lights, the chances are better up there. We're only staying one night, then driving back to Reykjavik, but keeping the car to drive around The Golden Circle.