Tag Archives: 2002

Europe Journal 2002 – Paris

Posted on March 13, 2011 by petergsimmons

The 21 hours from Lisbon to Paris were very comfortable. The Sud Express runs from Lisbon to Hendaye in Southern France and links up with the TGV Atlantic that runs to Paris. I splurged and stayed in a cabin on … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Europe Journal 2002 – Portugal

Posted on March 13, 2011 by petergsimmons

Portugal – the unsung corner of Europe. We had little idea about what to expect here, except that we knew the pastries would be very good. And they were! Initially, we were expecting Portugal to be similar to Spain but … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Europe Journal 2002 – Spain Madrid

Posted on March 13, 2011 by petergsimmons

Madrid is located right in the centre of Spain, and has been capital for about 400 years after King Felipe 2 decided to relocate the capital from Toledo. The main sites that we saw were the Royal Palace, the Prado … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Europe Journal 2002 – Spain Andalucia

Posted on March 13, 2011 by petergsimmons

Andalucia is the Provence and Tuscany of Spain. This southern region is the most varied in topography and history of any area I have visited on this trip. I knew this would be a different experience right from the moment … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Europe Journal 2002 – Spain Barcelona

Posted on March 13, 2011 by petergsimmons

Another 8 hours of slow trains through south-western France and north-eastern Spain and I was in Barcelona, capital of Catalunya province. This is one hopping place! I stayed along the Ramblas which is an old waterway that is now a … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Europe Journal 2002 – Italy Rome

Posted on March 13, 2011 by petergsimmons

If Venice is serene, romantic, peaceful, and fragile, Rome is just the opposite, noisy, bustling, and strong. The traffic of Rome is legendary. And how about those double parked cars in front of the Police station that never get ticketed … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Europe Journal 2002 – Switzerland

Posted on March 13, 2011 by petergsimmons

Basel is located in the NW corner of Switzerland near France and Germany. The airport is actually in France and is shared with Mulhouse a French town about 30 minutes north. The airport has two sets of immigration and customs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Travelogs | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Europe Journal 2002 – Italy

Posted on March 13, 2011 by petergsimmons

8 pm. I decide to go for a walk to St. Mark’s Square. The night is cool and foggy. I set out from the hotel near the Academia. Following the signs ‘per S. Marco’, I navigate through the maze of … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Travelogs | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Europe Journal 2002 – UK

Posted on March 13, 2011 by petergsimmons

The flight over from Canada was jam packed. I sat next to a South African returning home on the first leg of his journey and an American doctor going to Nepal to do some volunteer work. Quite an interesting conversation … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Travelogs | Tagged , , | Leave a comment