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Post by racechick on Jul 2, 2017 19:57:14 GMT
Not updated my travels for ages...been too busy travelling! Lol. So...since the Far Eastern travels ( China, Thailand & Laos) end of May, I've done the following ( might have to do this in a few posts otherwise I'll end up losing stuff. June 1st wedding of a very good friend...two friends actually!
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Post by racechick on Jul 2, 2017 20:10:21 GMT
June 4th:- went to Belfast and then Dublin. Dublin is like an old friend. I've been there many times and love it. Belfast, was the first time. Loved that too! Much less commercial than Dublin, way cheaper hotels, but still the same culture, of lovely old pubs and live music. At Belfast, went to the Titanic museum, Titanic was built in Belfast and uts won the award of best museum in the WORLD! Heres a pic of outside the museum. That pic is the exact same height as the Titanic was. There are five hulls like this representing the five star line who commissioned the Titanic. The museaum is built just by the slip way where the Titanic was built and then launched. i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii169/racechick/IMG_5498_zpskocvtx0k.jpg
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Post by racechick on Jul 2, 2017 20:20:11 GMT
Had the most amazing gin and tonic is Belfast in a little pub called the Biddle. They specialised inbeers and gin. Here's my gin and tonic.... i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii169/racechick/IMG_5488_zpsbbnub8oi.jpgFor me, one of the amazing things was travelling round the iconic names from the news during the troubles, Falls road, Shanklin rd. the walls dividing the communities are still there,about forty or more of them . The largest is called a 'peace wall' , bug it's not a peace wall really. The communities just aren't ready yet to have the walls removes. This one wall is over 20 ft high and has a wire wall on top of that. There are gates through which the traffic passes through. Next time I go I definately want to go on a specific Falls rd and Shanklin rd tour.its like being in history that's still there a bit. All round the areas, on both sides of the wall are political art works . On shops, houses, inside pubs, everywhere, with the political message varying depending which side of the wall you are. The following picture is inefrominside that gin and tonic pub. i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii169/racechick/IMG_5486_zpse8jfywru.jpg
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Post by racechick on Jul 2, 2017 20:23:39 GMT
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Post by racechick on Jul 2, 2017 20:28:29 GMT
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Post by racechick on Jul 2, 2017 20:37:54 GMT
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Post by racechick on Jul 2, 2017 20:45:16 GMT
So , next. Tomorrow I go to Pembrokeshire to finish the coastal walk, done two thirds of it, do the last bit this next week. I get home a week on Wednesday , go to Silverstone the day after that. SILVERSTONE!!!!! Monday after Silverstone I have a funeral, day after that go to Lisbon for five days. After Lisbon about four days at home then France for the summer. Exhausting......but wonderful.
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Post by Wß on Jul 3, 2017 1:20:06 GMT
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Post by racechick on Jul 9, 2017 20:23:12 GMT
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Post by racechick on Jul 18, 2017 6:12:04 GMT
Just off to Lisbon. Mustn't forget inter picks! Only a few days there, so should be fine.
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Post by racechick on Jul 30, 2017 23:36:39 GMT
I'm off to France early tomorrow. Stopping on the way at Versailles .
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Post by racechick on Aug 1, 2017 21:19:56 GMT
VERSAILLES
Well, went to Versailles today. It definately has to be on your bucket list. The building is magnificent, the hall of mirrors ( which was the bit I really wanted to see) was stunning, but.......there are a few buts.........It was massively busy, despite getting there with precbooked tickets befit do if opened we queued about an hour to get in. The queue snaked back and forth about five times along the huge forecourt.( about 200metres long) . Parking was €4 an hour, so the first €4 was spent queuing. Once in, the signs and facilities weren't good. Difficult to find toilets, big queues again, difficult to buy snacks and drinks.
I think for me the main thing was that I got no feeling from the place. I like the personal touches, the stories of who lived there, the clothes they wore. It felt like a beautiful sterile shell. I think maybe we're spoilt in the UK because we have many stately homes open to the public and they still have many original features and the rooms are set up as they would have been. During the revolution all the furniture was sold from Versailles. There were some reproductions but many rooms bare. Nothing about the balls they held, the feasts they had, how the servanst lived, no visits to the kitchens. Nothing about what happened when the revolution took the occupants and beheaded them.
In the UK Families continued living in stately homes until they were crippled with debts from death duties and inheritance taxes. Some the fell to ruin but most were bought and preserved with all their contents by either 'The National Trust' or 'English Heritage' . Some still have the descendants living in part of the house and the rest open to the public. Some owners have run the house as an enterprise themselves, like Chatsworth house. The Duchess died in 2004 but was active running the house before that. She could often be seen chatting to visitors in the gift shop or helping in the farm shop.
But Versailles is still a must see. It was packed with Chinese, coach loads. Many tour parties going round, so very crowded. I guess if you attract that may visitors you really don't have to do much else. I'll try to post a couple of pictures.
EDIT: photos will have to wait till tomorrow because they haven't yet made their way from my phone to my iPad.
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Post by racechick on Aug 5, 2017 16:42:31 GMT
Hall of mirrors Versailles
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Post by racechick on Aug 5, 2017 17:05:05 GMT
I'm in the Alps now , at the chalet. Did a big walk today. Very very steep and about five hours round trip. Drinking wine now whilst recovering. At the top of the walk before coming back..... And yes, of course I went in!!
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Post by racechick on Aug 5, 2017 17:07:04 GMT
My goodness! Don't donkeys have big willies!!!!
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Post by Wß on Aug 6, 2017 15:44:04 GMT
The picture in the hall of mirrors looks otherworldly, I want to see that place. My bucket list is getting longer and longer. I will go drink a glass of wine with you at the chalet some day racechick I promise. Can I bring my wife?
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Post by racechick on Aug 6, 2017 16:24:33 GMT
The picture in the hall of mirrors looks otherworldly, I want to see that place. My bucket list is getting longer and longer. I will go drink a glass of wine with you at the chalet some day racechick I promise. Can I bring my wife? Of course you can! You and your wife are more than welcome! Would love to have you here! Also would love to help organise that European bucket list. I've not seen everything by a long shot, but I've seen some gems. The chalet is ideally placed to tackle France and Italy. Let's do this!
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Post by Frontrunner on Aug 8, 2017 14:41:24 GMT
Is there anywhere you haven't been RC... I'm very jealous of you, someday I will definitely trek around Europe and see what it has offer myself. Nice pics BTW, some beautiful scenery there for sure.
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Post by Wß on Aug 8, 2017 15:18:01 GMT
My daughter and her boyfriend are traveling through Spain currently. Landed in Barcelona and were spending the bulk of their trip in San Sebastian. Hadn't even heard of it until she mentioned that's where she was headed. Says she's in love. San Sebastian
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Post by Hammer on Aug 8, 2017 16:52:04 GMT
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