Europe, with an Arctic cruise, a Balkan tour and bits of France and Malta

[TheRealTMA]

Up at a chipper 5AM for a 7:05 flight to Dubrovnik via Vienna, on Austrian.

Again, the wonder that is T1 at CDG

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Ah those sily long rubber belts are very weird.

 

[RooFlyer]

Ah those sily long rubber belts are very weird.

That's what I was expecting, but they are metal now - regular travellator material. Must weigh tons - the energy required to move Vs rubber??

 

[RooFlyer]

Flight down over Bosnia was quite scenic and then we crossed over and started following the Adriatic coast.











Got a great view of Dubrovnik old town



and a bit further on, my hotel for the night before I join my tour of Bosnia and Montenegro, the Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera. Its the three sided place.



Very shortly after that, about a minute or so from landing out, we started getting some turbulence which suddenly got quite severe. They did a go-around which the pilot later said was due to a wind shear warning. My first go-around and my first wind shear (or announced, at least) and it wasn't a pleasant experience. We did a loop and went past Dubrovnik again, and landed without incident. The topography around the airport is very severe, even close in, so its not surprising that some strong air disturbance can occur.

Busses to gate, no immigration as Croatia is in Schengen, collected bags, and called an Uber. My hotel is about half way to the Old Town, abt 15 mins from the airport.

 

[RooFlyer]

The Sheraton is very nice. I don't usually stay in a 'resort' type of place like this but it was a good choice. I was on L3, the top floor with a 'partial sea view' and that's exactly what I got.









The walls were solid, the air con worked very well and the staff were all good to excellent.

I took an orientation walk around which was diverted by the need for a beer - Czech in this case.





The beach was shingles and shells



Found the pool bar.

 

[RooFlyer]

Dinner. 10% discount for being a Bonvoy member at the restaurant down by the water. Why not?

Local beer this time





Local cheese and charcutarie plate



Sea Bass. It was all quite filling. Glass of something unpronounceable was the closes they could come to a Riesling and it was nice.



After dinner, a walk in the balmy evening.







This was around the point - obviously seen better days!

 

[RooFlyer]

Breakfast this morning was very good - a large, well presented buffet and tons of tables. Pleasant view!



So that's me up to date. Just in my hotel room waiting to head to the airport in an hour or so to meet the main tour group who are flying EasyJet down from London. Its a tour by Exodus, who are UK based. Ten days, going anti-clockwise. Today is a three-country day.

Bosnia & Beyond

Experience the culture and beauty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro

www.exodustravels.com

I've ben a bit stressed about successfully meeting the tour group when they arrive, in fact I slept very poorly, worrying about the meet-up. They expect everyone to be on the flight from London, so the 'joining instructions' were quite vague. Very annoyed that they wouldn't give me a WhatsApp number for the tour leader - there will be a Wasp group for the tour group anyway. Currently following the flight on FR24.

 

[FlyingFiona]

Amenity kit a little disappointing the usual balms, socks, earplugs and Eau d’toilette

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but it's Diptique!!! It's my favourite amenities kit.

 

[FlyingFiona]

With a couple of hours to spare, I walked the short distance to Eglise St Julien de Pauvre

Good to hear you visited. I have never managed to get in. There's always been a concert on each time I'm passing. Apparently it has wonderful acoustics.

 

[FlyingFiona]

The reputed Crown of Thorns of Jesus Christ is housed at Notre Dame and was saved from the fire. The reliquary of the Crown of Thorns is below, but the actual crown is not visible today - otherwise in the centre of the golden circle.

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Only displayed on the first Friday of the month for a couple of hours. Cannot imagine what the crowds must be like at that time.

 

[FlyingFiona]

The organ

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If you can go on a Sunday while the organist is practicing it's really something. I was treated once to a visit to the organ loft for Sunday evening Mass. It was AH-MAZ-ING! There are so many stops it requires two people to help the organist push and pull them.

 

[FlyingFiona]

Glad to be onboard for this trip report! Sorry I'm so late to the game. Loved your photo tours, you pick interesting and worthy subjects. If you're looking for any more church recommendations in Paris, let me know. I'll send you some suggestions of those lesser known to tourists, but very worthy of visiting.

 

[RooFlyer]

If you're looking for any more church recommendations in Paris, let me know. I'll send you some suggestions of those lesser known to tourists, but very worthy of visiting

I only have one more day in Paris and it’s sort of fully booked but please do suggest interesting churches to visit another time

 

[RooFlyer]

My anxiety about the meeting point was somewhat justified. Of course arrival halls are always crowded and busy. I got there 15 minutes early and there was no sign of the Tour person. I ended up wandering around with Exodus on my phone and as it happens, I gathered up about eight others who also flown in on earlier flight and were similarly puzzled by there being no Exodus person there.

Anyway, she arrived and then we just had to wait another 20 minutes for the people who came off the tour flight from LGW.

It's a full tour with 18 pax. But we also have a 36 seater coach to get around in so plenty of space.

The chances of it being a good tour group are very good. We’ve just stopped for our first lunch and those I spoke to so far were veteran smallgroup tour people such as 5-10 with Exodus. So very like minded.

also like-minded in their beverages. Half had red wine, most others had white wine and just the one with water.

Most of us probably over 60 and a couple between 50 and 50 I would guess. Probably 9 English people, 2 Scots, 5 Aussies and I think 2 Finns.

Lunch - grilled trout. this was probably one of the smaller portions that the group got. Many were far far too big for lunch. I probably ate less than half of mine.



The vineyard behind lunch restaurant



A shot out of the bus window on our drive up towards the Bosnian border



Our wheels

 

[RooFlyer]

There’s some rule about not being able to go from Croatia into Montenegro with an empty bus one way and then returning with a full bus. So we have to go firstly north from Croatia into Bosnia, do the dual border thing there - that’s where we had lunch - and now we’re going south again into Montenegro so another dual Border.

The first border crossings weren't too bad, but this looks like it’s going to be a long wait.

Fortunately, buses have their own priority lane

 

[Pushka]

but it's Diptique!!! It's my favourite amenities kit.

Was just thinking today I need another Qatar flight as supplies running low.

 

[FlyingFiona]

I only have one more day in Paris and it’s sort of fully booked but please do suggest interesting churches to visit another time

A lot depends on which area one is in (there are over 160 operating Catholic churches in Paris proper, and a good half to three quarters are worth visiting), but here are five notable mentions with a couple of points of note for each:
St Etienne du Mont (5e) - last rood screen in Paris, "tomb" of St Genevieve (her body was destroyed during the Choppy Choppy period, so her tomb is actually just the stone she was once lain upon)
St Elisabeth de Hongrie (3e) - gorgeous altarpiece unlike anything else in Paris, beautifully carved choir stalls, stunning painting of St E
St Nicholas des Champs (3e) - one of the only retables in Paris (and a beauty at that)
St Francois Xavier (7e) - interesting design for Paris, beautiful cupola
St Thomas d'Aquin (5e) - chapel of St Louis (once the friars' chapel) which depicts the bringing of the Crown of Thorns to Paris (by two Dominicans)

 

[Lat34]

Dinner. 10% discount for being a Bonvoy member at the restaurant down by the water. Why not?

Local beer this time

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Local cheese and charcutarie plate

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Sea Bass. It was all quite filling. Glass of something unpronounceable was the closes they could come to a Riesling and it was nice.

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After dinner, a walk in the balmy evening.

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This was around the point - obviously seen better days!

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Ozujsko or Karlovacko both are YUM! Zivjeli

 

[VPS]

Was just thinking today I need another Qatar flight as supplies running low.

I'll swap mine when I come home for a coffee at the market

 

[RooFlyer]

After lunch and crossing from Bosnia to Montenegro (country #107) we drove across the mountains and then descended to the Adriatic coast, which we followed to Kotor and then onwards to our hotel for 2 nights Hotel Spendido.

We had to take the circuitous route because of taking empty and full busses from Croatia to Montenegro.



The Adriatic coast and the Bay of Kotor (a glacial fjord - the largest in Europe, I think) was stunning - think Lake Como meets Milford Sound. No photo stops, so just a few taken through the bus window which does the scenery no justice at all.

Starting the drive down to the coast



And driving around the Bay of Kotor. At the waters edge, all the way around.







We drove past Kotor Old Town, where we will be returning for dinner tonight, and a tour tomorrow (plus a boat ride on the Bay) then to the Hotel Splendido. Not a bad hotel, stunning location.

Room






My view

 

[RooFlyer]

A stroll outside gives a better idea of the location





There is a good chance a G&T will be consumed here later








Kotor old town city wall, across the bay. Apparently you can walk up it ... ?2,000 steps IIRC.





A church across the bay. We are in Orthodox Christian territory.