Road trips, mountain walks and holidays

This was the second day of our trip from Riga to London. On the first day, we were travelling by Ecolines coach from Riga to Warsaw and after midnight we continued our trip to Berlin. In the morning, around 5 am, just before crossing the German border, the bus stopped at a gas station and the passengers had an opportunity to leave the bus for at least 15 minutes and stretch their legs. We arrived at Berlin’s Am Funkturm on Masurenallee coach station almost according to the schedule. Quite a few other passengers also got off. After a short break, the bus went on to Braunschweig with its final destination in Stuttgart. Berlin After getting off the bus, we headed to the nearest underground station Kaiserdamm (only 300 metres walk to the station) to get to Berlin Central Railway Station. The underground single journey costs 3 euros and the boarding pass must be stamped before boarding. On the way, to the Berlin Zoo, we had to change from the U to the S line. Exiting the underground stati...

After a trip from Riga to Berlin by coach and from Berlin to Brussels by train on the second day of our trip, we woke up at the hotel in Brussels on the morning of the third day of our trip from Riga to London. We bought tickets for the Eurostar high-speed train well in advance, the departure was scheduled for early afternoon, so we had a relaxing breakfast without any hurry and then spent our time lazy on the ground floor of the hotel. The first two days of our trip were quite exhausting and we did not want to visit any city sites before leaving Brussels. Brussels Brussels is the capital of Belgium, although it often means the European Union and its institutions. It also houses other important institutions, such as the Benelux Secretariat and NATO headquarters. About 1.2 million people live in Brussels. It is interesting to note that, although the city is considered to be French-speaking, it is part of the Flemish part of Belgium, forming an enclave. Until the end of the 19th century,...

Sun, flowers, and spring The next morning, after the usual grey April day in Riga, we were awakened by the rays of the sun – our break in Germany had begun exceptionally well! From the window we had a fantastic view towards vineyards and all kinds of flowering shrubs and trees; we felt like on a real spring holiday! We planned to visit Baden–Baden and at the end of our trip visit Mainau Island. To enjoy these fantastic changes, immediately after breakfast we went for a walk around the town and without realizing it, reached the next town. The Easter morning service had just ended, the clock was approaching noon, and the local Germans were slowly gathering for family lunches at local pubs. Great tradition – in most cases, at least three generations of people gathered around the tables. Before moving on to Mainau Island in Germany, after visiting the thermal pools and sauna complex in Baden-Baden, we walked around the city, which has both its unique charm and something special, such as th...

Spring in Switzerland, where we arrived from France with a car rented at Baden-Baden airport, was in full swing. Geneva lake Lake Geneva is the English name of the lake, which we mostly use. In French, the lake is called Lac Léman, but in order not to make life boring, the lake also has a German name – Genfersee. The lake is one of the largest in Europe, about 60% of which belongs to Switzerland, and the remaining 40% to France. I was surprised to learn that one of France’s largest rivers, the Rhône, which begins high in the Alps, flows into Lake Geneva at its eastern end and flows out of it near Geneva to continue its journey to the Mediterranean. To maintain a constant water level in the lake, a dam (Seujet Dam) was completed in 1985. The dam provides that the area around the lake is protected against floods and fish paths have been created around it so that they can reach the lake upstream. Spring in Switzerland – Montreux One of the most important activities in this region, of cour...

Swiss chocolate This post is related to our trip to Switzerland in early spring. Who hasn’t dreamed of being in a chocolate factory? The Swiss chocolate industry is similar to fashion houses in Italy or champagne houses in France – there are chocolate houses in Switzerland. Our Swiss chocolate tour was booked at Cailler Chocolate House (Maison Cailler). This brand has been owned by the Nestle Group for a while now, however, it has managed to preserve its historical values and traditions. Like many interesting sights, the chocolate factory is a bit off the main road. The Cailler factory, which produces Swiss chocolate (one of many), is in a town called Broc. During the visit, it was possible to get acquainted with the history of making chocolate, which, as it turns out, is not so old, as well as to taste a variety of Swiss chocolate. Just to note that, although you can eat chocolate in huge quantities, it is not recommended to eat chocolate too for the benefit of your health. The exact...

This is the next part of the travel notes about our „Tour de France” trip. This part of the trip started on the Atlantic coast of France. Living on the Atlantic coast of France In the afternoon, we reached Cap Ferret which separates the Bay of Arcachon from the Atlantic Ocean. We had booked a bungalow in Camping les Viviers to stay three nights there (this is a large and very busy high-class 4-star camping resort and should be booked in advance; a deposit is required). The camping itself was very good and safe, and the bungalow was clean and comfortable. Cap Ferret was chosen as a destination for several reasons – to enjoy the beautiful beaches of France, to visit tourist sites nearby and to taste oysters produced in the Bay of Arcachon (the whole oyster region goes from the estuary of the Gironde River south to the border of Spain and covers about 15000 hectares in total). Oysters and Arcachon One of the good things about the Atlantic coast of France is seafood. Concerning oysters – ...

One of our most loved destinations – Iceland So far, we have only been in Iceland during the winter. And we love all about it – snow, ice, glaciers, wind, lava fields, geysers and especially sunny days and Northern Lights, which we have been lucky enough to enjoy. Along with Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Faroe Islands and Denmark, Iceland belongs to Europe’s Nordic region. Iceland is a volcanic island and lies on the border between Eurasian and North American Tectonic Plates; that makes Iceland a hotspot of many active volcanos. The total area of Iceland is 102,775 square kilometres (39,682 square miles) making it No. 106 on the list of world’s countries by territory. The population of Iceland is around 346 thousand people and it is 176th in the world with a very low density of population – only 3.5 people per square kilometre. Getting around If you travel to Iceland, you may recognise that many tourist attractions are located almost like bus stops on your route. Of course, getting ther...

Basilica of Montmartre and the Palace of Versailles We reached Paris before midnight and luckily found our hotel in Montmartre with a little stumble. Many visitors to Paris choose this area because of its location. However, after sunset, the surrounding area does not look very safe and tourists. We had booked Hotel Montmartrois (6 Bis, Rue Du Chevalier-De-La-Barre) because it offered a good price for double rooms (nothing special, but good enough to stay in a convenient location). The nearest site of interest within walking distance from the hotel we visited the next morning is the Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (la Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre). Just to mention that this Basilica is one of the most impressive buildings located on the top of the hill (afterwards we saw how magical it is even from the roof of Galleries Lafayette). While staying in Paris, we spent a whole day visiting the Palace of Versailles (Chateau de Versailles). It is located about 20 kilometres fr...

French Alps and Provence Everybody has some opinion about France. We have been to France many times, however most exciting was our three weeks long trips around the country in August of 2007. The first part of it was visiting the French Alps and Provence, afterwards continuing a trip to the exceptionally nice town of Rocamadour. This part of the trip (especially before arrival to the French Alps and Provence), apart from the mountains, was mostly related to food and fermented grape juice. The second part of the trip (the Atlantic coast and Paris) was mostly relaxing. It included camping near the Atlantic Ocean, and Disneyland in Paris and ended with champagne tasting near Reims. Our trip around France started with tasting in the capital of Burgundy – Beaune . We stayed at a pretty good hotel Stars Beaune – comfortable enough for the price we paid for it. The hotel was located not far away from the main road and it was especially convenient as we arrived late in the evening. Chamonix Mo...

We arrived at Baden-Baden Airport late in the evening to start enjoying our short break in Germany. A taxi took us to the Gasthaus Linde (address: Yburgstraße 79, 76534 Baden-Baden); it is located in one of the towns around Baden-Baden called Steinbach. We were greeted by the owner of the guest house; he knew about our late arrival and offered to postpone check-in until the next morning, so we went to relax immediately after arrival. Baden – Baden A short break in Germany would not be complete without special attractions. Baden-Baden is an international thermal spa town in the southwestern part of Germany, in the federal land of Baden-Württemberg, in the Karlsruhe region. The city and its surroundings have historically been a very prosperous region of Germany; people have been going there since ancient times to relax and enjoy thermal waters, drinks and nature. We recognised it by paying for taxis and meals at local restaurants and observing the locals. Prices in thermal spas on the o...

During spring, after a short rest in the Baden-Baden baths in Germany, we decided that it would be nice to spend part of Easter in France; we decided to visit one of the most famous cities in the Alsace region , Colmar . Alsace Alsace is the fifth smallest of the 27 regions of France, at the same time one of the most populous – 220 people per square kilometre. By comparison, the population density in Latvia according to 2020 data is less than 30 inhabitants per square kilometre, while in the United Kingdom, it is 270 inhabitants per square kilometre. The Alsace region has historically even had its Alsatian language, which could be a German dialect of French; about a third of the population is still able to communicate in Alsatian. As is common elsewhere in Europe, many settlements have German names alongside French names. Alsace’s largest city is Strasbourg, home to many European Union institutions, including the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the European Court of Huma...