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London, Brussels, France, Berner Oberland and Vienna (in 72 days)

London, Brussels, France, Berner Oberland and Vienna (in 72 days)

Old Jul 3rd, 2017, 07:27 AM
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London, Brussels, France, Berner Oberland and Vienna (in 72 days)

I want to start this trip report by thanking some of the many Fodorites who have answered my questions, or who have posted trip reports from which we have taken inspiration. This includes, but is not limited to: StCirq, with her wealth of information on the Dordogne; StuDudley, with his indispensable and detailed itineraries; and rhon’s envy-inducing trip reports on small villages in rural France.

This is going to be a different kind of trip report for me, as I'm starting this the day before our departure, for what is going to be a 10-week trip. I’ve never done a report on a trip in progress before, but I’m afraid that if I wait until we get back I may never do it. My hope is to post regularly throughout the duration, although I'm imagining that there could be two or three reports some weeks when I’m feeling particularly energetic, or a week or two between others when I’m feeling uninspired.

This will be our first extended trip (longer than two weeks) since slowly making our way back to the U.S., after living and working in Bologna, Italy from 1997 to 1999. Most recently, our travels have focused on Asia, Latin America and Australia, with our last trip to Europe being seven years ago, when we visited Paris, Lyon, Montpellier, and Aix-en-Provence (which you can find recounted among my previous trip reports).

This journey also marks a few milestones in our lives: our 34th anniversary, a 55th birthday (while we are in Paris!) and a career change for me upon our return. Of course the preparations for this trip were a little easier than when we had moved to Italy 20 years ago. Although I quit my job again, at least I didn't have to sell the cars, rent out the house or pack boxes for shipping overseas.

Looking ahead, what follows is the general outline of what we're planning, although when does anything ever go exactly as planned?

London - 5 nights
Brussels (day trips to Bruges, Ghent) - 4 nights
Paris - 14 nights
Bordeaux - 3 nights
Pick up car for duration of trip
Cenac-et-St-Julien, (Dordogne) - 6 nights
Figeac (Lot) - 4 nights
Toulouse - 4 nights
Millau - 1 nights
Mazan (Vaucluse) - 5 nights
Nuits-St-George (Cote d'Or) - 5 nights
Colmar (Alsace) - 3 nights
Wengen (Berner Oberland) - 4 nights
Annecy - 1 nights
Overnight stop enroute to Ramatuelle - 1 nights
Ramatuelle (Var) - 4 nights
Villefranche-sur-Mer (Alps-Maritimes) - 5 nights
Fly to Vienna - 3 nights

If this seems like a somewhat bizarre itinerary, it's because it is. The catalyst for this trip was a friend who moved to London 18 months ago, who we wanted to visit. We knew that we also wanted to stay in Paris for a couple weeks, and having never been to Belgium before, that seemed like an obvious stop to sandwich between. Although we have been to France a half dozen times, we have never been to Bordeaux or Toulouse, so on the list they went.

Now that the basic framework of our trip was taking shape, we wanted to round it out with smaller villages and country towns, the selection of which was informed by a lot of Fodorite input and trip reports. We also knew we wanted to spend time in the Cote d’Azur, but didn't want to go anywhere near it in August, hence some backtracking in our final weeks. Vienna was purely a function of award ticket availability, from which we were able to book a non-stop flight home on Austrian Air using United miles.

Finally, our itinerary has come into focus: a languid, winding river of a trip, meandering lazily across the map from London to Nice. We originally had 4 nights planned in each location, but then we added or subtracted, based on what appealed to our own particular interests. The few one-nighters we have serve only to break up what would have been a few very long travel days, as we have attempted to keep our drives to less than 3 hours a day, whenever possible.

Now that the planning is over and the bags are packed, it’s a mix of excitement and anxiety that we bring with us tomorrow - a kind of nervous energy, like being pulled up that first big hill on a roller coaster, at once exhilarating and terrifying. We are nearing the edge of the first drop, and really looking forward to the ride.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2017, 03:37 PM
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Awaiting instalments eagerly!

Lavandula
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Old Jul 8th, 2017, 10:09 PM
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So delighted to be able to meet up with you both during your time in London and very excited for you for the rest of your long trip not to mention the move and change of life / work when you get back!
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Old Jul 9th, 2017, 11:53 AM
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Signing on! Looking forward to reading about your adventures.
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Old Jul 10th, 2017, 05:30 AM
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Been far busier than I expected to be in the last five days but hoping to post my first trip report installment posted soon.

It was so great finally meeting you Kavey!
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Old Jul 10th, 2017, 07:40 AM
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Our flight from Los Angeles arrived about 7 AM and we went quickly through immigration control and picked up our luggage. After what seemed like a 2 mile walk to the Heathrow Express, we arrived in downtown London 15 minutes after our departure from the airport. Picking up a black cab at Paddington station, we were at our apartment rental in Chelsea 20 minutes later.

Our studio apartment is located on Chelsea Embankment, right across from the Thames, which we chose based on the fact that it was three blocks away from the friends that we came to visit. Although on a busy street, the apartment looks onto a central courtyard, which is thankfully very quiet at night, but with construction noise during the day, there will be no mid-day naps, unfortunately. Since we've been to London a couple times before, it was nice not to feel compelled to rush out and immediately start seeing the sights. Our goal for our first few days is just to slowly get acclimated to the time zone change.

After a quick power nap back at our friends' place, we had lunch and then made good use of our disoriented state by walking to Marks and Spencer to buy provisions for the apartment. It is always interesting to me to see the variations in the way that mundane tasks are carried out in other countries. M and S sells an interesting variety of items, so it's amusing to be standing in line with our milk and eggs, to find somebody else buying a shirt and a bottle of whiskey.

That evening we had dinner with our friends, M and M at Caraffini, an Italian restaurant on lower Sloane Street that they had been wanting to try. My linguini with fresh clams was probably the closest I've ever had to duplicating what we've enjoyed in Italy. We turned in early after a long and exhausting day.

The next day we made breakfast at our flat and then headed out to the Tate Britain museum with Michael, after which we strolled along the river, passed the Houses of Parliament and across the bridge to admire the iconic view of Big Ben.

We had a quick bite to eat and started heading back, but found that we were running low on time, since we had plans to meet Fodorite Kavey at 3 PM. So we decided to grab a black cab, which turned out to be a bittersweet experience.

The driver informed us that we were lucky, because we were going to be his last fare ever. When we asked why, he explained, through a thick Scottish brogue peppered with cursewords, that there were 18,000 black cabs in London but 80,000 Uber drivers, and that he was going to go back into the construction business, because it was becoming increasingly difficult to make a living. We really felt for him as he vented in a nonstop verbal barrage, but then just as suddenly as he began, he switched gears and started telling us about how he used to be a DJ and his favorite clubs to play in were gay clubs because he got more tips and the people were more fun. Even now, in his 50's, he said that he and his wife still prefer to go to gay clubs when they go out.

By the end of the ride we were best friends and he told us that he had something for us, although I couldn't imagine what that would be. Suddenly the song, "A Little Respect" by Erasure was blasting of the speakers, and he flung open his door and started dancing on the sidewalk. As we got out of the cab, he gave us all big hugs goodbye and we told him we were happy that his last fare had turned into a party, and that we were able to take part. I don't know what it is, but everywhere we go, we seem to have the best experiences in taxi cabs!

At 3 o'clock we met Kavey at a place called Plum and Spilled Milk, where we had tea and some sweets. I had "virtually" met Kavey about three or four years ago on the Fodors Japan forum, after which I started following her excellent food blog and we started following each other on Facebook and Instagram. It was so great to finally meet in person! We talked nonstop for about two hours about whatever subject popped into our heads, and I'm sure we could have gone on for a couple more. But we both had appointments to go to so we went our separate ways a bit after 5 PM.

At 5:30 we met our friend Andrew for drinks at Soho House where we had 7 o'clock dinner réservations. Andrew had transferred to London about four years ago for work, but we had not seen each other in about 15 years, after having first met while we lived in Bologna, Italy in the late 1990s.

Soho House is a beautiful private club in an old restored house with multiple rooms on several floors. We found a nice cozy, quiet room and began a very long and intense catch-up session. At 7 o'clock we moved to the dining room and had a delicious, casual but elegant dinner . I think if I were a member, I might eat there every night.

As much as we hated to tear away, we were still recovering from jet-lag, and I was starting to pass out, so we said our goodbyes. It is only the end of our second day and I already feel like we've been here a week!
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Old Jul 12th, 2017, 09:05 PM
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The next day after breakfast we decided to walk through the neighborhood in Chelsea. The streets are lined with beautiful townhouses about four stories high with colorfully painted front doors decorated with quirky door knockers in unique shapes, such as a dragonfly, a hand knocking or a dolphin.

We ended up having lunch in a cafe and oyster bar called Bibendum, which is housed in a beautiful art nouveau building that housed the first Michelin tire headquarters in England. The walls featured ceramic tiles painted with famous race car drivers who drove on Michelin tires in the early 1900s.

After lunch we walked up to the Victoria and Albert Museum where Sam enjoyed an exhibit on Balenciaga and I sat on a bench fighting a losing battle to stay awake.

Later that afternoon, we met our friends at the top of the Shard, a new modern building the looks like a giant shard of glass towering over London. We had an incredible view of the Tower Bridge from our table, and limited ourselves to one drink each, so that we wouldn't have to take out a second mortgage on the house to pay the bill.

The next day we went to the Hampton Court Flower Show, which was mildly disappointing. The one tent with the flower displays was lovely, but 90% of the show was allocated to vendors hawking BBQ grills and hot tubs, so it felt more like being at a trade show than a flower show.

We did however enjoy our tour of the Hampstead Court Palace. It was fascinating to see where Henry the VIII and his wives lived (or didn't live in some cases) as well as admire the architecture. Highly recommended to anyone looking for an easy day trip from London!

On our last day we took a spin through the Chelsea Physic Garden, which was our favorite activity of our stay in London. The garden was started as the Apothecaries' Garden in London, England, in 1673, and is the second oldest botanical garden in Britain, after the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, which was founded in 1621.

It was very interesting to see what plants have been (and continue to be) used for medicinal purposes. They also had a display of plants that are used to make various fabrics, as well as the examples of the fabrics made from these plants, such as cotton, flax, hemp, etc.

The garden has a unique microclimate which allows unusual plants to grow that can't grow elsewhere in the U.K. such as the only pomegranate tree in England, or the largest outdoor olive tree. This is the garden from which cotton was first introduced to a little colony across the pond named Georgia, launching an entire industry in the southern US (and unfortunately, prolonging the human oppression that said industry was built upon). Although we used audio guides as we wandered around, try to catch one of the free guided tours. Very worthwhile.

All and all, we spent a very enjoyable 5 nights in London, catching up with old friends and seeing some of the sights at a relaxed pace. Next up, Belgium and France!
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Old Jul 16th, 2017, 11:00 AM
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The next day we took the Eurostar from St Pancras station, arriving less than two hours later to Brussels-Midi. Twenty minutes later we were at our home for the next 4 nights, the Art de Séjour B&B. This goes into our short list of one of the best hotel experiences we have had. A five story townhouse, with only 4 rooms, one on each floor, it was meticulously and lovingly restored by its owner Mario. Add to this, amazing beds, super quiet rooms (we were on the top floor) and a cooked-to-order breakfast with eggs, bread, croissants, fruit, yoghurt, fresh squeezed juice, ham and cheese - well, you get the picture. Mario is also a font of info on the best places to eat and what to see in Brussels.

On our first evening we walked past the famous Mannekin Pis fountain. Each day he had on a variety of little outfits, such as a blue and white striped shirt and a beret for the French National Holiday on July 14. He was even holding a baguette. You can view many of the other outfits at a nearby museum.

We continued on to the Grand Place, which we saw in the final rays of a late sunset. It was stunning! Surrounded with the stair-stepped facades typical for the region, many of the details were highlighted in gold, which shimmered in the twilight. Surely among the most impressive squares in Europe. We came back again another day to look through the very interesting Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles and the Hôtel de Ville.

Our first full day was a bit drizzly, so we headed toward the Mont des Arts, where a complex of six museums is located in the upper part of the city. We spent a good deal of time in the Magritte museum, one of our favorite surrealists, and also took a spin through the modern art museum and some of the Flemish masters. Just outside the museum is a fantastic view of Brussels from the Place Royal.

For lunch we headed to the Park d'Egmont and a restaurant that Mario suggested called La Fabrique en Ville. It was a perfect place to duck out of the rain and enjoy a reasonably priced lunch in an attractive former orangerie. On a sunny day I'm sure the terrace would be wonderful.

On our way back to the hotel, we poked around the Sablon, with its picturesque triangular Place of the same name. A couple days later we came back to have an excellent dinner at Lola, with a Belgian/Asian fusion menu.

As a side note, I'm happy to report that I was able to practice my French everywhere we went, and that everyone replied in French, not English, which happens in some other places. I think my comprehension improved 10 times in the course of one taxi ride, with the driver's lightning fast staccato delivery.

Up next, Brugge and Gent (or Bruges and Ghent, if you prefer)
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Old Jul 16th, 2017, 11:45 AM
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Love your TR so far - looking forward to more as you go along!
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Old Jul 16th, 2017, 12:49 PM
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me too - great start. Loving the details but can you hurry up and get to Wengen please because we're going there in August!
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Old Jul 16th, 2017, 02:51 PM
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Very much enjoying your report Russ.
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Old Jul 16th, 2017, 09:05 PM
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Thanks for the encouraging words, everyone.

Annhig,

Since I'm writing this report in close to real time (usually about 3-5 days behind), it will be a while before Wengen. We've actually just arrived in Paris, and are enjoying the slow pace of having an apartment outside of the peak tourist zone. I'm afraid Wengan won't be until the end of August. Maybe we'll see you there? We can compare notes on Italy. At this point my Italian is "Fratalian", since I'm focusing on my French. À bientôt!
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Old Jul 17th, 2017, 06:14 AM
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I was all prepared to be completely overwhelmed by the tourist hoards in Brugge, and yet, counter to the dire warnings, we had a lovely day. It helped that the weather was stunning, 72 degrees F, with bright, blue sky and puffy clouds. It was so nice that most of our plans for museums went out the window, as it was just too enjoyable soaking in the atmosphere.

We arrived about 11:00 and headed on foot directly to the gorgeous market square, before working our way to what was billed as the most photographed spot in Brugge, Rozenhoedkaai en Brugge reine, with a gorgeous view of the canals and the cityscape above. Since there were only a few people there, we hopped on a canal boat for a 30 minute tour which was scenic and relaxed.

We had lunch in a quaint nearby square called Hunden-vettersplein, before setting out to see the windmills by the Kruisport gate. We then worked our way back to the train station via the canal along side the St Johns Hospital, where we finally went inside, in order to see the interesting exhibits on the original hospital and the Hans Memling master pieces.

By 4pm the thick crowds were finally starting to coalesce on the route south of St Johns Hospital, but we managed to escape them along the canals by the Poertorenpark, where a few couples were lounging on the grass along the shore, and we walked back toward the train station under the canopy of trees. All in all, a very nice day.
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Old Jul 17th, 2017, 10:44 PM
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oh dear, Russ, we are due to be in Wengen in the middle of August so I think that if we get there we'll have been and gone before you arrive! So I'll have to post my TR at double-quick time in order to help you!

We visited Bruges for a long weekend about 30 years ago and it was touristy then. I dread to think what it much be like now. Glad the hordes didn't interfere with your enjoyment!
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Old Jul 18th, 2017, 02:38 AM
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Enjoying your report .
Good to see you enjoying Belgium . I was there about 15 years ago doing post grad studies in Leuven and loved the country.
. The trick with Bruges is to stay overnight at least and not on a weekend or a holiday - just love it.
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Old Jul 19th, 2017, 04:11 AM
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"We talked nonstop for about two hours about whatever subject popped into our heads, and I'm sure we could have gone on for a couple more."

Easily. HOURS.
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Old Jul 21st, 2017, 07:13 AM
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In many ways, Gent feels like the antithesis of Brugge. While the center is just as beautiful, it feels like a living, breathing city, compared to the twee, albeit beautiful, tourist town of Brugge.

We got off the train at the main station and promptly jumped on a tram going in the wrong direction. Once we realized our error, we hopped on the train going the other direction and made our way to the center.

Everywhere we went there was a flurry of activity, as they were setting up for a large music festival at the end of July that seemed to encompass the entire center of town. We took in the main sites such as the cathedral, The Royal Dutch theater, the Hotel de Ville , and St. Nicholas church, as well as just wandered aimlessly along canals and down streets, admiring the architecture and the beautiful flowers everywhere.

We spent the bulk of our time in three locations: 1) viewing the triptych produced by Flemish primitive artists in the Cathedral, which also had a very good audio commentary that came with the price of admission; 2) taking a tour of the Castle of the Counts, in which you can walk along the ramparts,from which there are fantastic views of the city; and 3) having lunch at a canal side cafe.

At the cafe we were seated inside at a large communal table up against the window with a view of the canal below. We enjoyed watching the canal boats go by with tourists, similar to the one that we had taken in Brugge. Not long after we sat down, a French gentleman and his wife and his mother sat down at the table with us, and it wasn't long before were all chatting animatedly in French. We must have talked nonstop for an hour after our meals and through to coffee. They seem just as interested in us as we were in them and we covered topics ranging from Los Angeles, to travel to politics (I kindly offered to exchange presidents for the next three or four years but they respect fully declined), to the city of Gent, where the couple were now living. The last place I was expecting to be able to work on my French was in Flemish speaking Gent!

Overall the city left me feeling like it was the place where I could spend a longer period of time just living. Maybe because it's a university town, it reminded me a bit in feel, if not in look, of when we lived in Bologna in the 90s. Although we were very happy with where we stayed in Brussels, I would say that Gent would be an excellent place to base yourself if your plan is to see Brussels and Brugge, since it's midway between the two, as well as being lively and beautiful.

So that and is our Belgian experience. It was a good one, but we are looking forward to France, the main event of our trip.
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Old Jul 21st, 2017, 12:11 PM
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Just found this, signing on.

Enjoyed the taxi tale, but sad that all that knowledge will no longer be used.
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Old Jul 21st, 2017, 01:52 PM
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The last place I was expecting to be able to work on my French was in Flemish speaking Gent!>>

it's those things that stay with us, isn't it, Russ? not necessarily the sights and the art, but the people.

I'm looking forward to France too.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2017, 10:01 AM
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This report continues at:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-and-more.cfm
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