Travelers: Joe Dell, Darce, Darce Jean, Mike
April 10th through the 26th, 2007
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April 10th through the 26th, 2007 |
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Our Europe Holiday began on April 10th, 2007, with Mama (Darce), Darce Jean, and Mike flying out from the Little Rock National Airport in Arkansas at 12:33 PM, landing at 3:01 PM at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia to meet Joe Dell. At 5:40 PM, the four of us flew from the Atlanta Airport on Flight 124 booked in the Business Elite Section for our eight and one half hour flight to Brussels, Belgium. Our flight was very comfortable with our reclining padded seats with foot rest. Each seat had its own TV monitor for watching our favorite shows or movies, playing games, or listening to the radio. Beverages were served instantly as we were seated. We had our choice of just about anything we desired. (Yes - Champaign, Wine, Coffee, Tea, Juices, and more!). As we were getting comfortable, the flight attendants began serving our six course dinner. After dinner we began to prepare for the rest of the night's flight. We had soft, gray plaid blankets, comfortable pillows, and a little bag equipped with rest socks, eye covers, ear plugs, and additional items to ensure a good rest. I think we were so excited, none of us got much sleep. Darce Jean made sure we all saw the first glimpse of Belgium! We were served a nice breakfast before our plane landed in Brussels at 8:30 AM. |
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Brussels, Belgium and Cologne, Germany | |
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Brussels, Belgium: Cologne, Germany: On our return to Brussels, Mike had a great experience on the train when he struck up a conversation with the conductor. In the conversation Mike shared that he worked for the Union Pacific Railroads in the US and the two exchanged some of the differences between the two systmes. The conductor asked Mike if he would like to ride up front! The conductor did not have to ask Mike twice! Mike found the cab of the Thalys European Train are like the cockpit of an airplane. The engineer sits in the center of the cab which is unlike the engineers in the cabs of the US trains. The engines are streamlined and aerodynamic to cut down on wind resistance. Mike found it very interesting to watch as the train, once out on the main line, accelerated to the different speeds as he pushed different buttons on the panel. We started at 100KPH (62MPH) for a while, then 220KPH(136MPH) where the scenery began to go by pretty fast! Then, the engineer pushed more buttons and the train accelerated to 300KPH(186MPH), our top speed. Then the scenery really began to fly by! The construction of the railroads are different from the US, such as the ties are closer together and they are made of concrete. This was definitely a memorable experience for a US railroad man! |
View our Brussels/Cologne Web Album |
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Paris: Champs-Élysées, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe |
”April in Paris!” And it was everything we anticipated. We arrived by train in Paris on the morning of April 13th at 9:16 am. Joe Dell had arranged for a driver and car to meet us. It was a neat experience as we arrived in each country to have a driver with his sign "Brasel" waiting for us. As we arrived in each new country, our excitement mounted as we anticipated yet another new adventure. When our driver turned onto the most famous street in Paris, De Champs-Élysées, where our Hotel was located, Paris Marriott Hotel Champs-Élysées, and we could see the Arc De Triomphe in the distance, we knew we really had arrived in Paris. After we checked into The Marriott, we enjoyed walking and shopping on De Champs-Élysées for several hours and eating lunch at one of the sidewalk cafes. Late in the afternoon we took a boat tour on The Seine River. From the boat, we were able to get our first close up views of Notre Dame, The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, and other French landmarks. Breakfast each morning at the Paris Marriott was a special event. Our waitresses, Johanne and Catherine, were especially helpful and delighted in helping us learn to “speak French.” The breakfast buffet, served by the Chef, included waffles, pancakes, fruits, breads, made-to-order omelets, and more. On our first morning, April 14, the Chef offered to prepare a special breakfast side dish for Darce Jean! Another morning, he made Mama his “special” omelet. On this morning we visited the Notre Dame De Paris. The Cathedral is as beautiful and interesting as we expected. After the free guided tour, we strolled through the Cathedral at our leisure. We learned that Napoleon crowned himself here in 1804, and later while on our visit in the Louvre, we viewed the painting depicting this event! As with most historical places in Europe, Notre Dame went through many alterations, tragedies, and restorations. In 1793 Notre Dame was even used as a warehouse for the storage of food! After touring the Cathedral we ate an early supper at one of the sidewalk cafes, located along the street next to the Notre Dame. We were pleasantly surprised when the bells started pealing! We left the Cathedral to visit the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower, designed by Gustave Eiffel, was completed in 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, or World's Fair, marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution. As we planned, we arrived at the Tower in the late afternoon so we could begin our tour in the daylight hours and stay until the Tower and city lights came on. It was well worth it. We ended our Eiffel visit by walking across the Seine River on the Iéna Bridge to the Trocadéro Square where we could see the Tower from a distance with all its sparkling lights. April 15th, we started our day with a visit to the Louvre.The history of The Louvre started in 1190, with Phillippe Auguste building a fortress to protect Paris, Europe's largest city at the time. Over the centuries the fortress was transformed many times by the different rulers that occupied the area. A lot of the original fortress was destroyed over the centuries.
In 1527 Francois I demolished what was known as the Grosse Tower. The medieval Louvre gave way to a Renaissance palace and eventually became the art museum we know today. Late in the afternoon, we left the Louvre to visit The Arc de Triomphe (arch of triumph). The arch, which was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his victories, is located at the end of the Champs-Elysées, in the middle of the Place Charles De Gaulle. The Place Charles de Gaulle is a large circular square from which no less than 12 streets emanate. It is interesting to note that Napoleon was ousted before his arch was completed! No one should try to cross the traffic to the Arc. We reached the Arc via the tunnel. Once there, we took a very small elevator part way to the top, then walked the steps the rest of the way. From the top is yet another breathtaking view of Paris. We stayed until the lights of the City came on before leaving to return to our hotel. |
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England: Sawley, Our Day with David, Shardlow, London |
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Sawley, Our Day with David, Shardlow:April 16th we left Paris from the Paris Gare du Nord on the Eurostar for London. Our car service driver, Steve, was very helpful in navigating us through the maze of the train station and to the customs gates. Steve then turned us over to a colleague who personally took our passports through French and English customs, pushed us ahead of the long lines to our first class car, and helped store our luggage. Riding the "Chunnel Train" (Eurostar) through the tunnel that runs beneath the English Channel was a much anticipated part of our trip. There was an announcement when we approached the Tunnel, and then through the windows we saw absolute blackness, to the point the windows became mirrors. We entered and exited the Tunnel so far from the actually English Channel that we never saw the body of water we were going under. We arrived in London at the Waterloo Train Station and quickly located a taxi to St. Pancras Station for our train to Nottingham. From St. Pancas we took the BritRail to Nottingham, again booked in first class. Joe Dell had rented a car for us to pick up in Nottingham. Joe Dell had rented a car for us to pick up in Nottingham. Joe Dell and I left the train station to find National Car Rental while Mama and Mike stayed behind with our luggage. No one in the Nottingham Train Station knew where National was located, so we started walking. Joe Dell and I met a helpful lady who directed us to the right place. We signed the papers, made the unexpected, required $2,000 refundable deposit, and got in the car. Our first attempt to drive on the left side of the road is an experience we will never forget! We were extremely nervous as Joe Dell pulled out and the adventure began! It took us 3 1/2 hours to get back to the station for Mama and Mike and go the 11 miles to the Holiday Inn Express! We repeatedly got lost, got frustrated, and got upset. No street names, multi-lane roundabouts, and no pattern to the streets. We finally parked – illegally – near enough to the hotel for Darce Jean to get somebody to drive the car and park it for us. Kerry Brook of Holiday Inn Express was our savior! We checked into our hotel, enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Sinatra Restaurant, and rested that night. The next morning Kerry and the maintenance man assisted Joe Dell in returning the car to National Car Rental. The maintenance man did the driving! At least we can say that Joe Dell drove a car – once – in England! The next morning, April 17th, a helpful, friendly driver drove us to our destination, Sawley Marina, where we would stay on a narrowboat, Spirit of Debdale, for the next five days. Our boat was 7 ft. wide x 55 ft. long. Yep -- SEVEN FEET WIDE! The boats are designed to float the British Waterways. After we settled in, Darce Jean made contact with David Henderson, A CoffeeCup Web Software colleague. All CoffeeCup work is done via email and chat by an international team. David Henderson had made arrangements for us to have dinner in a real English pub, The Red Lion Inn in Little Compton,located in his home area of the Cotswold region. Jim Cantrell, also a CoffeeCup colleague, drove from Derbyshire to join us. David and his cousin, Peter, picked us up in a large van for an hour and a half drive to the tavern. But, it took longer, because they took us on a side trip to some most unexpected places, especially Stratford-Upon-Avon. We saw Shakespeare's Birthplace, The Guild Chapel, and the Old Grammar School where Shakespeare attended classes. David was most excited about taking us to his home to meet his wife Jenny, who joined us for dinner, and his Mother. Mrs. Henderson, who is also 90 years old, was so thrilled to meet Mama. We had difficulty leaving for dinner! The view from their front door and windows was beautiful and so typical of our expectations of an English country side. David had planned a great evening. The Red Lion Inn had made up a special menu with "David Henderson's party" at the top and his name was on the marquee. We were joined by several of his family which also included Peter's wife, Pauline. At the pub we met Jules, also a CoffeeCup Software Ambassador. Jules made a pod cast while we there. On our return to our Marina, Peter drove us past Warwick Castle. Our evening in our first real English pub with friends met via the Internet was delightful! The next day we slept late and then spent some time strolling around the Marina. Although Sawley is a working marina, the grounds were most attractive. While admiring the pretty garden, we were surprised to find a swan sitting on her nest! Later in the afternoon, we called a taxi to take us to Long Eaton to shop at Tesco and Asda. Asda is owned by Wal-Mart! Yes, we shopped at "Wal-Mart" in Europe! Even on great trips there are unexpected problems. Mama's suitcase broke, and we had to purchase a new piece. Darce Jean was running out of space with the souvenirs we were buying to bring home, so she bought a couple of small carry on bags. The day ended with dinner we prepared on our boat. On April 19th, David and his wife offered to take us to see more of England and more of "The Cotswolds". David picked us up for the 2 1/2 hour drive to his house to pick up Jenny. On the way we saw "Cob" (sandwich) stands on the sides of the motorway. This area of England does not have Rest Stops separated from the main traffic as we know them along US Interstates. Instead, they have extra wide “pull offs” to the side of the motorway. These little Cob stands are parked so that people can pull up, buy a cob and drink, and pull back into traffic. We soon left the motorway and drove down narrow country roads and through tiny quaint villages. We saw stone houses, thatched roofs, houses built against the wall of palaces and castles, and the famous hedge row fences. On the road to David's house, we saw a group of gypsies with an actual gypsy wagon!
After picking up Jenny, we went to Oxford. There we took a tour on top of a double decked bus to see the city highlights and Oxford University. The bus was equipped with earphones for listening to the narrated tour. After the tour, we walked along the sidewalks of Oxford and the University.
We drove on to Woodstock, where Peter joined us for 4:00 P.M. Cotswold Cream Tea at Harriet's Tea Room. Cream Tea refers to the rich clotted cream that is spread on the scones. After relaxing and enjoying our tea, Peter took us to see glimpses of Sir Winston Churchill's birthplace, Blenheim Palace. We did not tour the Palace, but stopped outside the Palace gates for pictures. On our last day at Sawley we called a cab to take us to Shardlow. There we visited the Clock Warehouse, a Mansfield Brewery house, built in 1780 and located adjacent to the Shardlow Locks. The name comes from a clock that once adorned the front of the building. Joe Dell, Mike, and Darce Jean walked through the village while Mama rested in the restaurant at the Clock Warehouse. When we returned, we watched narrowboats locking through the Shardlow Locks. We enjoyed a typical English meal in the family owned Clock Warehouse restaurant before returning to Sawley. London: We left Sawley Marina on the morning of April 21st to take the train to London from The Nottingham Train Station. We have enjoyed each of our train trips as we traveled to the different countries and towns. We really enjoyed traveling between countries and towns by rail, the common mode of travel that is not available in the United States. We checked into the "The Trafalgar London," a Hilton Hotel that is, located across the street from Trafalgar Square. Our previous hotels reflected the elegance and atmosphere of the country and city we were visiting. The Trafalgar London was completely different. The exterior had the facade that was expected of historic London and the Square. But the interior had been reinterpreted to have the look and feel of a modern night club, decorated in chrome, black, red, and white, and contemporary furniture. The huge lobby and restaurant were combined into a big party and bar area, with music to match! Not what we expected! Darce Jean invited another CoffeeCup Ambassador colleague, Inger Eik from Norway, to join us for our visit in London. Inger, who was staying at another hotel, joined us around 5:30 PM. Following dinner at the highly recommended nearby Italian restaurant, our first evening was a night at the Opera! We had booked tickets before leaving home to see "The Phantom of the Opera" at Her Majesty's Theatre. The evening was wonderful with the Opera being all we dreamed and expected. Bus Tour I-April 22nd - Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, Bath: The next day, we book a bus tour that included Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and The Roman Baths in Bath. Windsor Castle: Windsor Castle is a working Castle, occupied by the Sovereign for nearly 1,000 years. It was quite an experience to walk through the expansive halls and rooms in which Queen Elizabeth, as have Monarchs before her, resides and holds audiences for world dignitaries. Queen Elizabeth spends most of her weekends at Windsor Castle and was “in residence” on the Sunday we were there. We knew that, because as our guide explained, her Royal Standard was flying over the Round Tower. Stonehenge: The very name evokes mystery and wonder! The original “henge” was an earthenwork, built about 3100 BC. The Stonehenge we see today was completed about 1500 BC. Researchers are still speculating about how stones weighing anywhere from 4 tons (first stage) to 50 tons (final stage) could have been transported from as far away as 240 miles. An even greater mystery surrounds the purpose of the ancient circle with stones aligned with the summer sunrise. We marveled at the size and purpose of this prehistoric site as we walked the great circle around the Stones. The Great Roman Bath: The Roman Baths in Bath, England is one of the best preserved Roman sites north of the Alps. At the very center of the city is the Sacred Spring. The water is 46C and rises at a rate of 240,000 gallons everyday which has been happening for thousands of years. The Romans believed that this was the work of the gods. They built a great temple next to the Spring, dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, a deity with healing powers. Bus Tour II-April 23rd -London Tower, St. Peter, River Thames: The Tower of London: On our third day in London, our bus tour began at 7:30 a.m. As we drove through the streets of London,our guide described many historical facts about the city. We saw the area that was rebuilt after almost three quarters of London burned. We rode across the Tower of London Bridge to our first stop, The Tower itself, located beside the River Thames. One thousand years of British history has been played out within the walls of The Tower. It is the nation’s leading historic visitor attraction. We saw within the walls where three English queens were beheaded, where two young brothers who were Princes were incarcerated and disappeared without a trace, and where the Crown Jewels are displayed. Our tour guide within The Tower was one of the famous Beefeater guards. Westminster Abbey: Our next stop was Westminster Abbey or its correct name, The collegiate Church of St. Peter. This site has been a place of worship for over 1,000 years. The church is a “Royal Peculiar,” meaning it is under the jurisdiction and ownership of the crown and not within any diocese. We saw many of the tombs, sculptures, and plaques of the over three thousand people buried or memorialized in Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and Princess Diana's funeral were here. Buckingham Palace: It would not be a trip to London if we did not see Buckingham Palace! The Monarch is the oldest institution of government in the United Kingdom. The English and Scottish Crowns were separate until 1603, after which, one monarch reigned in the United Kingdom. Our tour included a float on the River Thames followed by lunch at a historical riverside English pub, Old Thameside Inn. From the boat we saw The Old Scotland Yard Offices, The London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament, Shakespeare's Theater, and other historical places. On our grand European Holiday, we experienced three of the world’s great rivers: Lunch at a sidewalk café by the Rhine River in Germany and boat rides on the Seine River in France and the River Thames in England. The London Eye: Our day ended with a ride on British Airways London Eye, the tallest observation wheel in the world. From our capsule, we had an aerial view of many of the buildings and landmarks we had seen from the bus or the riverboat. |
        
View our England Web Album I |
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Switzerland: Zurich, Lucerene, Mt. Titlus |
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Zurich, Lucerene, Mt. Titlis Switzerland felt magical – chalets decorated traditionally with flower-filled window boxes and perfectly set on sloping hillsides, cows ringing bells hanging from their necks as they grazed in the meadows under the snow-capped Alps. Darce Jean and Deb Lebford, who lives in Germany, have been Internet friends since 1994, but had never met face-to-face. Deb and her friend Teresa arranged to meet Darce Jean and the rest of the family for dinner on our first night in Zurich. Upon our arrival in Zurich in the early afternoon, we quickly obtained tickets for a Gray Line Trolley Tour of Zurich. Half way through the tour, a “stranger” asked Darce Jean where she was from. It was Deb! Deb and Teresa had also arrived early in Zurich and had scheduled for the same tour. Needless to say, the rest of the trip was a mixture of sightseeing and joyful conversation as Deb and Darce Jean became better acquainted. We did follow the original plans with a delicious Cheese Fondue dinner at the Walliser Keller Restaurant in Zurich. Lucerne and Mt. Titlis:The next morning we booked a full day bus tour that included Lucerne and Mt. Titlis. The oldest wooden bridge in Europe, The Chapel Bridge, is in Lucerne. The bridge, which crosses the Reuss River, was built in the early 14th century. A unique, octagonal water tower stands beside the bridge and has been used as a treasury, prison, torture chamber, and now a small souvenir shop. The medieval buildings and houses with narrow cobblestone streets gave the feeling of a historic Swiss Village. We left Lucerne for Engelberg and Mt. Titlis. The bus ride took us through quaint villages and past green slopes dotted with chalets and farm houses, making for a truly memorable “Swiss experience.” We were fortunate to be there in April to see the buildings and houses adorned with typical windows boxes filled with brightly colored flowers and the village streets bordered with stone walls draped with different colors of flowers. To reach the top of the 10,000 foot Mt. Titlis, we road three different type cable cars. The third car to the top was in the famous Titlis Rotair, the world’s first rotating cable car. After we arrived, we took a ski lift to very tip of the mountain. As we approached the station, we could hear Swiss music echoing over the mountain, greatly enhancing our experience of being on a snow capped mountain in Switzerland. But the highlight of being on the mountain was our walk into the glacier! A lighted tunnel with side niches built through part of the glacier made it possible to experience its cold temperature and touch its iced walls.
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Back to the United States |
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From Zurich, Switzerland, Europe - to Atlanta - to Little Rock, USA April 26, 2007 - Our grand Europe Holiday had to come to an end. We left Zurich April 26 on Delta flight #67 at 11:10 A.M. to return to Atlanta and on to Little Rock. We were tired, but ecstatic about all we had experienced in such a short time. We are delighted that you have chosen to share in our experience by visiting our site and viewing our pictures. We hope these pages will also be a resource for you as you plan your own Europe Holiday. Darce Jean is still working on editing the hours and hours of video and will eventually add those to these pages. |
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