Quirky Traveller's Tales

Setting off on a journey from Carnforth Station is rather like being on a film set – the platform and Refreshment Room are very similar to how they looked on that classic 1940s movie ‘Brief Encounter’ – with an exciting journey into the unknown ahead.  This time I was going on a Railbookers holiday to Switzerland and the idea of travelling across Europe by train was most intriguing.

A few hours hours later I was comfortably settled in to The Montague, a luxuriously quirky hotel in Bloomsbury.  I had chosen to stay here as it is ideally suited for an early start from St Pancras Station and came highly recommended.  My lovely room (a mini-suite really) was delightful, with a big, comfy bed, some very good art work, a desk where I could write and some gorgeous Penhaligon toiletries – bliss.

Up early, after a quick breakfast of fresh fruit, I got a taxi to St Pancras station; highly recommend a glass of bubbly at their Champagne Bar – great way to start a holiday in my view … The station is very well laid out and there are plenty of places to shop, get something to read, buy last minute items you forgot to pack.

Boarding the Eurostar train I got the first real sense of excitement that comes when I’m off into the unknown. The check-in had been so easy and with pre-booked seats we were able to just get settled in and relax.  As well as it being my first time on Eurostar and train across France, it was my first trip to Switzerland so I spent some time reading my guide book and info provided. We were to stay in Interlaken for 2 nights with a trip on the Jungfrau train up to the highest railway station in Europe. Then we were catching the Glacier Express across the Alps to St Moritz for a couple of days of luxury at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains. What a treat.

Just over 2.5 hours later we arrived into Paris where we went across the city to the elegantly belle époque Gare de Lyon station.  It’s huge, but very well laid out; we found our platform without getting lost and in a matter of a few minutes.  As we had a bit of time before departure, we splintered off to get some lunch –  a fromage et ham baguette pour moi, of course.  Look up towards the ceiling – there are some wonderful pastel murals on the walls depicting scenes from the south of France and other places the trains go to.

If you’ve travelled through the French countryside on that route you’ll know the scenery is not especially interesting; mainly flat with mostly barren fields and the occasional town to create interest.  However, with good company and a glass or two of vin rouge the hours flew by.  As we got nearer the Swiss border we saw a few more villages and even some hills.  Arriving in Basel on the Swiss-French border, the air was noticeably cooler and I was sure I could hear a cuckoo somewhere in the distance …

The last leg of our journey took us from the border south to Interlaken.  Snapshots of wooden gables, dark green firs with a dusting of snow, toy-town church steeples and hazy peaks far off, hazily outlined in the dusky light …  Switzerland was finally coming into focus.  Getting off the train at Interlaken station, high above shone a brightly-lit star – a restaurant sign on top of a mountain.    As I took the short walk to the nearby Hotel Krebs I tried to imagine what Alpine view might greet me the next morning …

For a glimpse of the following day’s Jungfrau train trip and the stunning Eiger read here.

My thanks to Railbookers – they have an excellent choice of Swiss holidays or you can design your own – and all the people from the Swiss Tourist Board, hotels and attractions who created a truly memorable trip.

Skiing has long been the favoured pastime of many Brits, and this year is no different. With record snow fall in the Alps this season, conditions are perfect to throw yourself down a sumptuously covered slope and go on a ski holiday in France or anywhere else in Europe.  Although popular as a winter sport nowadays, the activity itself did not grow out of a need for exercise, as it is seen today, but was instead, an advanced method of hunting in the snow. The tradition emerged from the Alps, where locals favoured fixed bindings for their skis, compared to the Nordic method of having just your toes attached to the ski. Now skiing is popular across the world, but remains especially prevalent in the place it was born.

Europe has some of the best ski destinations including the famous St Anton, Courchevel, Chamonix and Verbier. These destinations offer, not just some of the best skiing in the world, but also the chance to taste some truly delicious alpine food. And with vin chaud, great steaks, and the best hot chocolate on offer you certainly won’t go hungry after a hard day on the slopes. .

Courchevel in particular is a great place to experience the sheer thrill of skiing, with the connected Three Valleys offering great skiing for all abilities in the largest ski area in Europe. With well-run lifts, connected regions and more five star restaurants than any other ski resort, the region certainly has a competitive edge.

www.courcheval.com

Chamonix, another French resort, offers not only amazing skiing, but intense views and the chance to ski on a glacier. This quaint resort is a favourite with many skiers, although it has a lower profile than nearby Courchevel.  St Anton is the new kid on the block, and has been gaining popularity over the last few years. The resort is well-known for its party atmosphere, and great food. It too offers excellent lift systems and challenging skiing.

So, this winter head to the birthplace of modern day skiing and practice what is, in essence a quirky sport, which was never really intended for anything else other than hunting.

This article is brought to you by Inghams.co.uk – ski holiday specialists

Opening the door of the engine driver’s cabin, the snowscape came as a complete surprise.  From the carriage behind we’d had no idea we were this close to the Eiger, nor how impressively austere it was.  To be trundling uphill towards it full on was quite simply breath-taking. You know how often superlatives, metaphors, similes and other words are used to describe the Swiss Alps – and then you see a sight like this and words can’t do it justice

I was on a railway trip to Switzerland with Railbookers and this train journey to the top of the Jungfrau was to be the highlight – in all senses of the word. We’d travelled on the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris and on to Interlaken and were now trundling up this mountain range, conscious of the air getting thinner and the scenery becoming more impressive every metre we went up.  From the open cabin window, I could feel the cold, sharp air as it thinned and became pin-bright.  The sound of the cogs clanking rattle out across the valley, causing skiers and tobagganists to look up and wave, as people must have done since the day 100 years ago that this impressive engineering was finally opened.  The skis in front told of the skilled athletes who were planning to zoom back downhill from the Jungfraujoch – the Top of Europe, at 3454 metres Europe’s highest-altitude railway station in a world of rock, ice and snow.

Watching the mountains loom larger and glitter brighter in the winter sun, it was impossible not to be impressed by the vision that those engineers must have had to even consider attempting to conquer these peaks … I was so very glad they had.

Many thanks to Railbookers who organise magical railway trips to Switzerland and around the world and all the wonderful people I met on this wonderfully luxurious and enjoyable trip to Switzerland.  For more on the Jungfrau adventure read my article for Wandering Educators - hope you enjoyed the ride!

Jutting out into the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean, the famous rocky port of Gibraltar has been a haven for many a tired ship for centuries. Greek sailors saw it as the end of their known world, while today’s tourist knows it as a tax haven making its stores really popular.  Gib, as it’s affectionately known, has been British since being captured by British and Dutch Marines in 1704, but has a history of Moorish, Arab, and Spanish occupation, explaining the multicultural society and building styles that prevail today.

Photo by sylvia@intrigue

Top 5 things to do on the Rock

1. Top of the Rock

A trip up to the heights of the rock itself is an absolute must. Local tourist guides in their ubiquitous minibuses will negotiate the roads that go right along the narrow spine of land at the very top, where the rock falls away on one side to the Mediterranean and to the Atlantic on the other. Expect breathtaking views of Morocco and Spain from the summit. 

2. The Barbary Apes

The taxi drivers will know the best places to see groups of the Barbary apes, which roam free on the rock in their hundreds. These are the most entertaining creatures, often seen with young clinging to them, but it should be remembered that they are wild animals and should not be touched or fed. They can cause horrific injuries if provoked!

Photo by Dianne Pike

3. Great Siege Tunnels

Dug out by the British in the late 18^th century when France and Spain held Gibraltar to siege for 4 long years. The tunnels were dug to allow the guns to fire sideways at the forces entrenched too close to be hit from exterior locations. These tunnels were extended in 1940 to create a great fortress under Churchill’s orders. Both sets of tunnels, an amazing 50 km of passages, are now open to the public and audio tours are available.

Photo by woto

4. St Michael’s Cave

These stunning caverns, caused by natural hollowing of the limestone rock by rainwater, with their towering stalactites and stalagmites, an underground lake, and even a concert hall, are an incredible sight.  Photography is allowed so the journey inside the rock can be remembered. Tickets can be purchased as part of the rock tours or at the caves.

Photo by Greenshed

5. Main Street

This is the shopping street stretching from the famous Casemates Square up to the Governors Residence. The street is stacked to the brim with jewellers, liquor stores, souvenir shops, electronics stores and perfumeries. A great place to pick up bargains galore. Taxi drivers will obligingly drop you here after your rock tour if requested!

The 6.5 square kilometres of Gibraltar is a unique experience, which really must be experienced while you travel Europe.  If you are backpacking around Spain don’t forget that car hire comparison sites can offer competitive prices to get from one area to another. This can allow you to get around areas less well served by public transport.

Linda is a freelance writer and bookseller who, following 19 years in IT for a large airline, loves to write about the places she has visited. She also adores her other job as a bookseller in a local bookstore.

Guest blogger Alvina Labsvirs attended one of The Quirky Traveller Blogging Workshops.  As a result she is now pursuing her love of writing and travel on ‘Reasons To Go North‘ site.  In her very first guest post, she shares her enjoyment of one of Europe’s most vibrant and exciting cities.

Where would you choose to meet up with a Texan, a New Yorker, two from the UK and a Berliner?  Berlin is the ideal place! With our friend and guide Linda in charge, we had a weekend packed with interesting history, fantastic entertainment and wonderful food.  Seeing everything in three days was to prove impossible but with little sleep and Linda’s help we packed in a lot of the main tourist attractions and sampled some slightly off the beaten track.

The Wall is high on the agenda for any tourist.  But little remains, with only a line of bricks snaking through the city at ground level. The East side gallery is a stretch of 1.3k along Muhlenstrasse, decorated by artists from around the world.  The images resonate with the message that the division of East and West should never reoccur.

 East – West history is abundant and being of partial Eastern European descent, this was something I was keen to see.  The Topogrphie Des Terrors was the site of the former headquarters of the Secret State Police, now a harrowing information centre on the persecution and terror of the ‘Third Reich’.  The grey sarcophagi of the Holocaust Memorial are a perfect representation of coffins of those who had had their dignity stolen, even in death.

At the Brandenburg Gate, the symbolic end to the cold war when the wall came down, Linda recounted was how scared she was on that day. Two days after the crossing was opened she ventured to the west, but was terrified.  In her world no one had left the East and returned.

So from the sobriety of the SS, Check Point Charlie, an altogether lighter experience.  No longer manned by armed guards willing to shoot at the slightest misdemeanour, actors man the post in somewhat questionable, period uniforms and will invite you to pose with them, for a fee, of course. 

Berlin is a melting pot of cultures and so eating can be as diverse.  If you don’t mind queuing for your supper and enjoy the company of others, the long wooden tables at the Cafe am Neuen See, in the Tiergarten, are a good place to relax and meet other travellers.   After a sobering glimpse into all too recent history of the city, the option of beer and pizza can be a perfect antidote.   Alternatively Oraienburger Strasse is an area of restored communists’ residential blocks.  Previously run down and dilapidated inner city housing; now expensive apartments, with wonderful gardens and seductive restaurants.  We ate in a Turkish cafe, Hasir, which did delicious lamb and not so delicious chardonnay.

Less known are the ‘beach bars’ along the Spree, complete with sand and deckchairs.  A place to linger over a beer on a hot summer’s afternoon, or sample the bohemian nightlife.

A trip out to The Potsdam palaces and gardens, left by the Kissers of Germany, and now the summer playground of Berliners, is worth a day.  Try a bike trip with Fat Bike Tours.  A bike on trains and escalators has its challenges but the charm and beauty of the gardens will overcome that problem, and the hunky guides are adept and carrying a couple of bikes at a time up and down stairs.

Insider knowledge produced an unexpected last night.  The Berlin summer music festival builds a temporary concert hall between the two cathedrals and this was the last night with the London philharmonic playing.  By a stroke of luck, for us, the wind blew the rain off a canopy and caused a table’s occupants to flee and we secured a restaurant table.  A somewhat expensive meal, but with the opera thrown in who could complain?  Even for an uneducated non-opera listener this was an exquisite treat.

The Berlin experience is one of juxtapositions.  Glass bridges across the Spree sit uneasily with communist blocks and magnificent museums.  Outside a brightly lit synagogue you will find hookers legally plying their trade, and on the next street eat the best ice cream in town.  You can dance most of the night on riverside dance floors and drink cocktails till dawn.  Don’t worry too much about your hotel.  You won’t be there for long …

Alvina Labsvirs says, “With my photographs and blog site Reasons to go North developed from my love of The Lakes, walking and travel,  I hope to  inspire visitor and residents to enjoy the Lakes, to get out and appreciate all that it has to offer.”

You can also find Alvina on Face Book

Gazing out across the bleak container base alongside which we’d berthed an hour earlier, looking at the sheeting rain against mist-shrouded mountains, I was not the least bit tempted to go ashore …

I’d had a sleepless night being bounced up and down and side to side as we sailed south from the stunning Sognefjord & Geiranger – most definitely not in the throes of a passionate encounter.  The good ship ‘Queen Elizabeth’ had encountered a quite awesome storm and been deftly steered through it to arrive unscathed in Bergen – but too late for our tour of the old town & surrounding area.  Looking at the weather outside, I decided to snuggle up in a cosy corner with a book and simply enjoy a bit of peace and recover from the previous night’s excitement …

After an hour or so, I had relaxed enough and decided it was silly not to go ashore; after all, I live in NW England and Bergen has been likened to Manchester, because it rains so often.  A short coach ride out of the container port and … a step back in history.  Although it’s Norway’s second largest city, Bergen has the feel of a provincial town, with all the sights, shops and attractions within easy walking distance.  Because of the mist and limited time, I reluctantly decided not to go on the Funicular up to Mount Fløyen, where apparently you can enjoy “a spectacular view of the city and fabled seven mountains” – weather permitting. (How come cities are always surrounded by SEVEN hills, not six or eight?)

So I headed off to the harbour area of Bryggen, a collection of colourful old wooden warehouses. The Hanseatic merchants used to live and trade here but in 1702 a major fire (always a hazard in Norway) destroyed most of the building so these are the newer 18^th century ones,  now tastefully restored.  There are plenty of inviting restaurants and quirky little boutiques selling chunky Norwegian sweaters, hats, scarves, gloves and other knitted paraphernalia and slightly less tacky than usual souvenirs.  My favourite was The Moose Shop, which is a bit funkier – got son socks decorated with blue moose (mooses … moosie?) and a couple of sturdy little notebooks for my journey jottings.

At the end of the wharf was an absolutely gorgeous 3-masted ship, with a beautiful gilded prow and complicated rigging. It’s the ‘Statsraad Lehmkuhl’, originally built as a training ship for the German merchant marine and now chartered by the Royal Norwegian Navy for the same purpose.

Opposite is the sternly imposing 12^th century St Mary’s Church, the oldest stone building in Bergen.  Wandering back past the shops I found a little alleyway – by just going off the main street you suddenly feel as if you are in a time long gone and can almost hear the cries of the fishermen as they unloaded their catch to sell in the nearby fishmarket – another fascinating place to visit.

The rain started to come down heavier as I returned to the ship, but I stopped to admire a large statue of a musician playing his violin beside a carved pool.  It’s of one of Norway’s most famous musicians – Ole Bull (should’ve been a matador …) – and as he played, oblivious to the rain, he seemed to epitomise the brief glimpse I’d had of this maritime city.  A charming and evocative place – whatever the weather …

Many thanks to all the wonderful crew aboard Queen Elizabeth and the team at Cunard for a memorably wonderful Norwegian cruise.