A small boat cruise around the islands here a few years ago was my first introduction to a spritz. Something about the orange and blue seas and skies and everything pops. It really is a stunning part of the world.A stroll outside gives a better idea of the location
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There is a good chance a G&T will be consumed here later
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Kotor old town city wall, across the bay. Apparently you can walk up it ... ?2,000 steps IIRC.
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A church across the bay. We are in Orthodox Christian territory.
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Thanks for the photos of Notre Dame @RooFlyerMore of the Choir screen, SW side
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The nave is incredibly light and bright
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Good on you @RooFlyer for hoofing it up the steps, I was happy to pay the few € to squash in with the masses on the funicular!No fabulous food photos, sorry. I self catered that night from a supermarket type store in the railway station. Brekky also at the station coffee shop.
Today didn't start as expected. I was planning to go to the Catacombs but discovered this was also ticketed, bookings available for the next 7 days and ... totally sold out! I'll have to jump on a week before my last day in Paris, at the end of this month. I echo your sentiments @Seat0B !
But the first stop was always going to be Basilica Sacre Coeur at Montmartre. Missed doing this on two previous visits and I wasn't going to miss out this time! Vor those who don't know it, and its controversial history
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Sacré-Cœur, Paris - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur
La Basilique du Sacré-Cœur est un édifice religieux situé au sommet de la butte Montmartre à Paris.www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com
The metro deposits you a few hundred metres away, whereupon you take a funicular up to the church which is, as noted, on a hill the highest point in Paris.
Or not. My two day transport pass needed a supplement to be paid, and there was a long queue, so I hoofed it up the steps.
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From the top, there arr fantastic views over Paris
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Notre Dame
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Pompidou Centre
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Louis XIV
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There was a very cursory bag check before going in. Oh, that reminds me - there was NO security going into Notre Dame. Zilch. I thought that very odd.
My recollection from using the funicular a few years ago is that I was able to use a Metro ticket. Is that not possible any more?Good on you @RooFlyer for hoofing it up the steps, I was happy to pay the few € to squash in with the masses on the funicular!
My recollection from using the funicular a few years ago is that I was able to use a Metro ticket. Is that not possible any more?
In preparation for our recent trip in Paris, my research showed they had recently changed how the metro tickets work, including the tourist passes. So perhaps it was enchanced during this change.My recollection from using the funicular a few years ago is that I was able to use a Metro ticket. Is that not possible any more?
Ok off to research Paris public transport tickets if things have changed. Thanks for the heads upIn preparation for our recent trip in Paris, my research showed they had recently changed how the metro tickets work, including the tourist passes. So perhaps it was enchanced during this change.
The tourist passes isn’t much value except if you are travelling to the airports, which seems RooFlyer is, so he’s probably getting the best use of it.
We just stuck with individual bus/tram tickets most days, and occasionally the day pass made more sense if we thought we might use a mix of bus and metro/RER. The new tickets cover all zones 1-5 for a flat fare.
We had no plans to visit Sacre Coure, so I didn’t do any research about the funicular.
Fantastic!And now the highlight - the six 'Lady and the Unicorn' tapestries from the end of the 15th centuries. Unfortunately, the museum's English page for these doesn't seem to exist, but here's the French
La Dame à la licorne | Musée de Cluny
Le Toucher, le Goût, l’Odorat, l’Ouïe et la Vue… et une sixième pièce, avec une tente bleue et l’inscription mon seul désir : immédiatement reconnaissableswww.musee-moyenage.fr
or Wikipedia - you really do ned to have a read to understand the collection & its significance.
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The Lady and the Unicorn - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
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À Mon Seul Désir (to my only desire)
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Detail:
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'Hearing'
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'Sight'
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there are two apps for Ile de France that I could find.Ok off to research Paris public transport tickets if things have changed. Thanks for the heads up
I am staying at the airport too (Residence Inn) so will need the three day pass. About $110 AUD - ouch, these have jumped massively over the past few years.there are two apps for Ile de France that I could find.
One I think called Ile de France Mobilities you can only register once you’re in France. I got that confirmed from their help email. I got the impression that it would be the better app though..
The one I got Bonjour RATP is perhaps a third-party app for the same services that the other one uses.
And yes, €44 for two days would not be worth it unless you made trips back-and-forth from the airport I did
The city has been fortified since the early Middle Ages, when Emperor Justinian built a fortress above Ascrivium in 535, after expelling the Ostrogoths. Ascrivium was plundered by the Saracens in 840. It was one of the more influential Dalmatian city-states, initially with a Romance-speaking population, as throughout the early Middle Ages, and until the 11th century the Dalmatian language was still spoken in Kotor. The city was part of Byzantine Dalmatia in that period, and the modern name of Kotor probably originated in the Byzantine name for the city: Dekatera or Dekaderon.
In 1002, the city suffered damage under the occupation of the First Bulgarian Empire, and in the following year it was ceded to Duklja by the Bulgarian Tsar Samuil. Duklja, or Dioclea, was a vassal duchy of the Bulgarian Empire at the time. The local population resisted the pact and, taking advantage of its alliance with Dubrovnik, maintained its high autonomy. Duklja, the biggest Serb duchy at the time, gradually became more powerful under Vojislavljević dynasty and eventually independent from Byzantium in 1040. The city remained autonomous up until Duklja was once again subdued by Byzantium in 1143.
The city was conquered in 1185 by Stefan Nemanja, the ruler of the Grand Principality of Serbia and founder of the Nemanjić dynasty. In the 14th century the commerce of Cattaro, as named in Latin scripts (in Serbian Kotor, city of the King), rivalled that of Republic of Ragusa, and caused the Republic of Venice to be envious. Kotor remained the most important trading port of subsequent Serb states – Kingdom of Serbia and Serbian Empire, up to its downfall in 1371.
After the fracturing of the Serbian Empire, the city was taken by the Kingdom of Hungary, only to change hands repeatedly between them and the Republic of Venice in the period between 1371 and 1384. After that, Kotor was held by the Kingdom of Bosnia under Tvrtko I Kotromanić between 1384 and 1391. The king of Bosnia, who claimed the Serbian throne, minted his coins in Kotor.
After the death of Tvrtko in 1391, Kotor became fully independent, until the administration, wary of the looming Ottoman danger, asked Venice for protection. The city acknowledged the suzerainty of Venice in 1420.
The city was part of the Venetian Albania province of the Venetian Republic from 1420 to 1797.
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The downside of group travel. The upside is hopefully you’ll meet, as you said, likeminded people. We’ve only done one group tour before and encountered ones as you described, but we also met some great people who we’re still in contact with 6 years later.but we do have a couple of “let’s have another cup of coffee“ just as we are about to leave lunch or dinner. And the usual two or three who only decide to go to the loo once we are boarding the bus. That’s inevitable and it isn't too much for a problem I think.
Points to the group being too big. A slightly smaller group and they probably wouldn't dare/easier to call them out on it.but we do have a couple of “let’s have another cup of coffee“ just as we are about to leave lunch or dinner.
Points to the group being too big. A slightly smaller group and they probably wouldn't dare/easier to call them out on it.