Europe 2010 Coventry to Singapore, Day 30 Saturday, 26 June 2010 Singapore stopover Day 31 Sunday, 27 June 2010 and Day 32 Monday 28 June 2010

Saturday, 26 June 2010 Day 30


On Saturday 26 June we took the fast Virgin Service train from Coventry back to Saint Pancras Station in London and then took the tube to Heathrow. We boarded our flight around 6.30 in the evening and arrived in Singapore around 14.40 on Sunday, 27 June 2010.

Sunday, 27 June 2010 Day 31


After checking in at our hotel,Swisshotel The Stamford, located in the heart of Singapore's CBD and opposite Raffles, we organised tours for the next day and went shopping for a new lap top. We ended up in Little India which was overwhelming even for me. We had an early dinner and an early night as I was suffering from a cold that I woke up with during the flight from London.

Monday 28 June 2010 Day 32

We organised a trip to Sentosa Island for a morning of fun in the Underwater World, Butterfly Park which also contained beautiful macaws, the sky tower and beautiful gardens with a new large Merlion. We also experienced a 3D pirate movie.

After lunch and some shopping we headed out for dinner down by Singapore River, a bumboat ride past the Merlion, a trip to the night markets in Bugis Street, and a Singapore Sling at Raffles.

Tuesday 29 June 2010 Day 33

This was the end of our wonderful adventure. We headed for Changi Airport and our flight home to Sydney at the end our our European River Cruise

Europe 22010, Day 29, Coventry, England Friday 25 June 2010

We spent Friday 25 June exploring the museums and galleries in Coventry. We started at 'The Herbert' museum and gallery named after Industrialist, Sir Alfred Herbert, who donated $100,000 for it construction. We viewed the history gallery, Discover Godiva, Peace and Reconciliation ( a recurring theme in Coventry which was so damaged by bombing in WW2) , visual arts and elements gallery.

After lunch we made our way to the nearby Coventry Transport Museum for an entertaining afternoon looking at Coventry's role in car making.

Europe 2010 England, Coventry Day 27, Wednesday 23 June and England Warwick Day 28 Thursday 28 June10

Wednesday, 23 June 2010

We spent Wednesday, 23 June having an easy day at home with Diane and John minding Matilda as Vicky was at her conference in Canada and David had work to complete at the university.It was a happy day catching up with a beloved cousin and getting to know Matilda who entertained us all day.

In the evening we had dinner at another lovely English Pub and looked at some of the canal system that Diane and John had travelled.

Thursday, 24 June 2010

John drove us to the town of Warwick and dropped us at Warwick Castle, a great tourist attraction. We spent the day enjoying the attractions such as the dungeon, the birds of prey show,the trebuchet, the grand halls and staterooms. Warwick Castle is well worth the visit and provides an enjoyable day out for everyone from children to adults.

Europe 2010 England, Stratford upon Avon Day 26 Tuesday 22 June 2010

We visited Stratford upon Avon today. Stratford is a very pretty little town with canals going through it. A monument to Shakespeare who was born at Stratford can be found in the picturesque park by the canal. Swans wonder freely through the park.

We visited Shakespeare's birth place, which is well maintained. Even though he came from a relatively affluent family, living conditions were very cramped and there is an obvious lack of a bathroom. The gardens are beautiful and full of atmosphere with actors wondering about quoting the bard.

We then visited the equally delightful Anne Hathaway's cottage with its beautiful gardens and thatched roof.

Europe 2010 England, Coventry Day 25 Monday , 21 June 2010

We explored Coventry today with Diane and John. We walked through the city and saw the Lady Godiva monument and the Peeping Tom clock.

We visited Holy Trinity Church and spent time admiring the Doom painting of the Last Judgement, a relatively recently rediscovered early 15th century wall painting.

We then visited both the modern new Coventry Cathedral, a beautiful and surprising building, where we were lucky enough to attend a weekly organ recital, and the ruins of the old cathedral, a place of beauty and tranquillity. The charred cross formed as the cathedral burned in 1940 as two of the charred roof beams fell, the Altar of Reconciliation and the view of Coventry from the top of the spire which still stands were highlights. There is also a plaque where King George V1 stood to survey the wartime damage.

Europe 2010 England, Coventry Day 24 Sunday, 20 June 2010

We were exhausted from the trip so far and as we were with family, we took the chance to sleep in, have a leisurely brunch and catch up with Diane and John. In the afternoon we went to visit Vicky, David and Matilda to meet Matilda and catch up with Vicky who was leaving for a conference in Canada the next day.

Europe 2010 Paris, France Day 22 Friday, 18 July 2010

Our last day in Paris which we spent taking a tour of the Opera Garnier a magnificently opulent structure which amazed us with its magnificent fittings and fixtures.

We viewed the main hall from one of the boxes as the crew were setting up for an evening performance. An atmosphere of grandeur, history and romance is everywhere from the grand staircase, foyer and bar to the grand main hall. This is the building of the 'Phantom of the Opera'. At the end of the tour we enjoyed coffee and cake at the opera coffee shop.

In the afternoon we headed to the Louvre and spent the time looking at the Egyptian exhibit and of course heading to the main gallery and the Mona Lisa.

Our last evening in Paris was very special and we headed to the Moulin Rouge to watch the current production 'Feerie' accompanied by a bottle of Champagne. It was a wonderful spectacle of colour, costumes and dancing. Many of the dancers are Australian. It was a highlight when the stage retracted to reveal a pool and one of the dancers swam with the snakes in the pool. The whole experience was unforgettable.

Europe 2010, Paris, France, Day 21, Thursday 17 July

Today we took the open top bus to explore Paris. We first headed on the Montmartre-Grands Boulevards route exploring the streets of Montmatre and spending time taking the funicular to the top of the hill and the beautiful Sacre-Cour Basilique. We had breathtaking views over the city from this location. Sacre-Cour is another beautiful basilica, but not as ornate as many churchs in Europe which gives the feeling of being able to worship without feeling overwhelmed by the grandeur of the surroundings.

When we descended the hill we had photo opportunities for the Moulin Rouge during the day and time to browse the many souvenir shops.We continued on this route ending at Eglise de la Madeleine.

We then took the Bastille- Bercy line: highlights being the Bastille-Opera, Place de la Bastille and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France.

In the evening we took a cruise and illuminations tour. The cruise down the Seine at night is spectacular with many of the well known monuments illuminated. It ended at the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the night. Our enjoyment of our cruise was somewhat hampered by school children on excursion and the heavy metal music played on the boat, but the sights were unforgettable.

After the cruise, we were taken by mini bus around many of the sights of Paris. We drove down the Champs-Elysees where crowds were gathering to watch France in a World Cup soccer match, through the Arc de Triomphe, past Concord Square, the Invalides , Notre Dane cathedral,Vendome Square the Trocadero, the Lido, the Opera, Orsay Museum, Madeleine Church and through the grounds of the Louvre where what we believe was some sort of peace conference/celebration was being held and people had set up tables and were enjoying dinner in the grounds. Everyone was dressed in white and enjoying themselves eating good food and drinking good French wine.

Europe 2010 Paris France Day 20 Post 5