Europe 1989
I grew up in an era when most items were “Made in England”, most of the books I read as a child were set in England, the electronics magazines to which I subscribed were published in England and my enjoyment of English folk music all provided me with the motivation to go overseas to explore this mythical land. In 1989, for the first time in my career, I had sufficient vacation leave and funds to do this.
It made sense for me to broaden the scope of my trip and see some of Europe at the same time. After much research, I decided to first do a 30 day Contiki tour of Europe followed by six weeks to explore Britain. I made all the necessary arrangements and on 17 July 1989, I boarded the SAA Boeing 747 for London. I was fortunate to be seated upstairs but the flight was delayed by 1½ hours due to a technical problem. The plane was half full so I had three seats to myself and had a good nights sleep.
I arrived at Heathrow the next morning to find that there was a heatwave and a tube strike! It took me an hour to find a bus that would take me to the Royal National Hotel near Russell Square in London where I was booked for the night and from where the tour would start the next morning. Arriving at the hotel, they had no record of the reservation but fortunately they were able to accommodate me.
There was a pre-tour meeting scheduled that evening in the Contiki Club Room in the basement of the hotel. We were informed that our tour group had only half the required number of people and that we would be sent to Amsterdam for two extra days, free of charge, while waiting for the next tour group to top up our numbers. This was at least some good news after a hot and frustrating day. I had a couple of beers in the Club Room then retired, exhausted, to bed.
Day 1 : 19 July 1989
London to Amsterdam
We had to be up early for breakfast and to load our luggage into the bus. We were taken to Harwich and boarded the ferry. The trip to the Hook of Holland took about seven hours. After disembarking and getting back onto the bus, we drove to Rijnders Huis, the Contiki accommodation in Amsterdam. We settled in and then had supper in the dining area. Around 10 pm we went for a walk to check out the night life in Amsterdam. After returning at about 1 am, I had a couple of drinks in the Rijnders bar before retiring.
Day 2 : 20 July 1989
Amsterdam
After breakfast we were introduced to our tour guide Karola and Stuart, the bus driver for the tour. He was South African and she was German but grew up in South Africa. She was also a student of European history and could speak many European languages which made her an excellent tour guide. We went to visit a diamond cutting factory then wandered around the city, visiting Anne Frank’s House which was very interesting. Later that afternoon, a few of us took a paddle boat tour of the canals followed by cheese and wine. After supper, we visited the Red Light District for some window shopping and a live show.
Day 3 : 21 July 1989
Amsterdam to Paris
Our extra time in Amsterdam was over and we boarded the bus heading for the ferry at Oostende in Belgium to pick up the next group to top up our numbers. We were all upset that some strangers would be joining our group as we were happy as we were! The newcomers disembarked from the ferry and loaded their baggage onto the bus. The bus was now full as we headed south into France en route to Paris. Arriving in Paris, we had a short tour of the city including the Golden Dome at Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. I climbed the stairs to the top of the tower then took the lift down. We then drove to the camp site and settled into our rooms before having supper in the large Contiki catering tent.
Day 4 : 22 July 1989
Paris
We spent the day seeing the sights of Paris. Starting with a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral, the bus then parked at the Arc de Triomphe and we were given free time to wander around and explore the area. We visited the Louvre and spent quite a time searching for the Mona Lisa. It is much smaller than I imagined. Just opposite the Louvre is the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, a smaller sibling of the more famous one. We returned to the camp site in the afternoon to shower and change in preparation for the evening. We went for supper in a French restaurant, followed by a cabaret in the Moulin Rouge tradition. On returning to the camp site, we went to the camp site bar and had a drink. Karen met a South African who was on another tour with his sister and a friend. Karen, Jeff and I ended up joining them to finish his bottle of KWV brandy and Cape Velvet under the trees near our rooms. It started to rain but we partied on, finally staggering to bed around 4 am. The next day we all had major hangovers!
Day 5 : 23 July 1989
Paris to Château de Cruix
After leaving Paris, our first stop was at the Château de Fontainebleau, the hunting lodge of King Louis XIV of France. We then continued through the wine region of Burgundy en route to the Château de Cruix, our accommodation for the next two nights, right in the heart of the Beaujolais wine region. We had a wine tasting before supper and I ordered a bottle of Beaujolais for the picnic that we would be having the next day.
Day 6 : 24 July 1989
Picnic in the Beaujolais Wine Region
A free day to explore the French countryside, walk through the vineyards and picnic in the hills above the Château. We divided into groups to share picnic baskets and I went with Clayton, Clint, Jeff, Coreena and Sue. On the way we met another group of girls from another tour who joined us. The weather was perfect and we had a most enjoyable day. We walked back to the Château via another route which took us through a small village.
Day 7 : 25 July 1989
Château de Cruix to the French Riviera
Leaving the Château, we continued driving southwards along the River Rhône, stopping for lunch in Avignon. It is a pretty little village and there was a band playing medieval music in front of the cathedral. We then headed for Camping le Mistral, the tented village in Antibes on the French Riviera. After supper we drove to Monte Carlo in Monaco to view the Royal Palace and strolled around the harbour. The Principality of Monaco is only 2 km² in size and is the second smallest and most densely populated country in the world. There was a very impressive fireworks display over the harbour that evening. Afterwards, we went to the casino and some of the richer Aussies tried their luck at the tables. On the bus trip returning to Antibes, casino winners were made to strip as a penalty (only to their underwear!).
Day 8 : 26 July 1989
Antibes and Cannes
Another free day and we decided to enjoy the perfect weather by spending it on the beach at Cannes. This was my first experience of a topless bach and also of avoiding a “floater” while swimming in the sea. By lunch time I had had enough of the sun and went to lie on the grass under a tree for a nap. After supper that evening, we went to an amusement park in Antibes and enjoyed some of the rides.
Day 9 : 27 July 1989
French Riviera to Florence
After a stop in Eze at the Fragonard Perfumery, home of the French perfume industry, we continued eastwards across the Italian border. We stopped at the Leaning Tower of Pisa which I climbed and took a photo from the top. We drove on to Florence for our stay at the Villa Torri di Gattaia. On our arrival we were greeted with watermelon, a welcome refreshment after the heat of the day.
Day 10 : 28 July 1989
Florence
In the morning we had a guided tour of Florence which included the Statue of David in the Accademia Gallery. Michelangelo studied anatomy for a year and took two years to complete the statue. We visited the Florence Cathedral and I climbed the dome and took some photos of the city. Giotto’s Campanile is a free standing bell tower that is part of the complex of buildings making up the Florence Cathedral. A replica of the Statue of David stands in the middle of the Piazzale Michelangelo, a square perched high on a hillside overlooking the city of Florence. This was the location for the group photo. That evening, we had a Tuscan meal at a local restaurant before returning to the Villa for a few drinks in the pub.
Day 11 : 29 July 1989
Florence to Rome
Leaving Florence, we headed south to Rome where we stayed at Seven Hills Camping. In the afternoon we did a guided tour of the sights including the Vatican City, Trevi Fountain, the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum. The Colosseum floor was originally made of wood sprinkled with sand. Below that was the hypogeum consisting of a two level subterranean network of tunnels and cages where gladiators and animals were held before contests began. That evening we had a braai at the camp site which made a welcome change.
Day 12 : 30 July 1989
Rome
We were given a free day to explore Rome or relax at the pool. We went into Rome in the morning to see the Vatican museum and climb the dome of St Peter’s Basilica. I took photos from the dome providing views of the Palace of the Governorate of Vatican City State and St Peter’s Square. The afternoon was spent relaxing at the camp site followed by supper in the camp site restaurant.
Day 13 : 31 July 1989
Rome to Brindisi
We left Rome early in the morning to be able to visit Pompeii en route to Brindisi. Unfortunately, there was a traffic accident along the route which caused a major delay to our journey. We had to give Pompeii a miss in order to reach Brindisi in time to catch the ferry. We boarded the overnight Adriatic ferry to Corfu and, after supper and a few drinks, retired to our cabins for an early night.
Day 14 : 1 August 1989
Corfu
We arrived in Corfu early in the morning and were driven the short distance to our hotel at Frini Beach. The weather was perfect and the sea was a beautiful blue. After twelve days of tiring travel, we looked forward to four days of fun and relaxation. Some of us were given rooms in a nearby building, a short walk down the road from the hotel. We settled into our rooms then some people went across the road to the beach while I joined those who chose to sit on the balcony of the hotel drinking beer. “Happy Hour” was from 2 to 5:30 pm during which they sold half price cocktails. My favourite was the Rusty Nail consisting of whisky and Drambuie. Needless to say, I was in bed by 9 pm.
Day 15 : 2 August 1989
Corfu
We had a free day to relax and enjoy the perfect weather and surroundings. I spent the day writing postcards on the hotel balcony, crossing the road to the beach for a swim and drinking the odd beer. That evening, we went out for a local meal with free retsina and Greek national dancing. We had a very enjoyable evening with good Greek food and, in my case, a bit too much free retsina.
Day 16 : 3 August 1989
Corfu
The day was dedicated to exploring Corfu. We formed groups and hired jeeps. I joined the group consisting of Lauren and Darice and the two New Zealanders, John and Pete. We drove along the coast on our side of the island then, after lunch, we crossed to the other side of the island. It was windier there and as the afternoon progressed it became chilly. We took an evening drive up the coast before returning the jeep.
Day 17 : 4 August 1989
Corfu
The best event was saved for our last day on Corfu – the day cruise up the east coast on George’s boat. The day started with a cruise to the launch dock where we could do parasailing. We had to run along the launch dock as the towing boat pulled away to become airborne. At the end of the ride, the towing boat would slow down and deposit us in the sea. It would then pick us up and take us back to the launch dock. We continued with the cruise and had a number of swimming stops along the way. George provided a good lunch and free ouzo until lunch time. After lunch we stopped at a spot where we could swim through tunnels in the cliff face and do cliff jumping. That evening we had a braai on the beach opposite the hotel and enjoyed our last hours on Corfu.
Day 18 : 5 August 1989
Corfu to Casalbordino
We caught an early morning ferry to Brindisi. The bus took us up the east coast of Italy to Casalbordino with a break for lunch. The overnight stop in Casalbordino was the Motel Mobil which was the worst accommodation of the entire trip. Even the supper was terrible. All in all, this day was not worth remembering.
Day 19 : 6 August 1989
Casalbordino to Venice
It was a long drive from Casalbordino to Venice and we arrived at the Palazzo Alberoni on the Lido Island in time for supper. After supper, we walked along the beach then I had an early night – the flu bug had finally got me as it already had to others in the group.
Day 20 : 7 August 1989
Venice
We caught the waterbus from the Lido to the Piazza San Marco from where we visited a glass factory and had a glass blowing demonstration. We then visited St Mark’s Basilica and fed the pigeons on St Mark’s Square. The Campanile of St Mark’s Square is leaning due to the corrosive effect of the salt water brought in by Venice’s high tides and this is taking its toll on the wooden foundations of the tower. It previously collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt, identical to the original, taking almost 10 years to complete. We left St Mark’s Square and wandered around the shops, looking but not buying as most things were well outside my budget. Dave, Clint and I took the opportunity to find a chemist and buy antibiotics to treat our flu bugs (“largo spectro antibiotico”). We bought them over the counter without prescription and I only paid about R9 for 12 capsules. We all met up at the agreed time to go to a lace making demonstration. I then wandered around some more looking at the buildings, bridges and canals. Early in the evening we took a gondola ride that took us under the Bridge of Sighs and past a few other interesting sights including a couple of dead rats floating by. After the gondola ride, Clayton asked me if I would accompany him, Coreena and Sue and have a glass of wine at a pavement cafe on the square. We had been warned that the cost of everything was higher the closer you sat to the pavement but I agreed to split the bill for the hell of it. We caught the waterbus back to the Lido and had a couple of beers before turning in.
Day 21 : 8 August 1989
Venice to Vienna
We travelled north and crossed the border into Austria. After a long day on the road, we arrived a Schloss Herberge and moved into our rooms. We had supper, a few beers and then went to bed.
Day 22 : 9 August 1989
Vienna
We had a free morning to explore Vienna in the rain. Later, the rain stopped and we had a tour of the Summer Palace and wandered through the gardens. We went to the Spanish Riding School to see a rehearsal of the Lipizzaner stallions performance, but it was closed.
That night we went to a restaurant in the Vienna Woods. The evening started quietly with the meal being served. Then the games started and along with them, the challenge for the group to beat the schnapps drinking record. They were selling little bottles of apple schnapps that most people could enjoy and the record at that stage was 300 bottles. Everyone was involved in one or more of the games/activities. I was blindfolded and told to eat a plate of pudding. Meanwhile, the chef stood behind me and poured salt onto the pudding as I was eating it. It was worth the free schnapps I received as a reward. Other activities included a “balloon” blowing contest and a kissing contest for consenting couples to name just two. By the end of the evening, most of us were very intoxicated but we beat the record by consuming 421 bottles of schnapps. We staggered to the bus and headed for home. A few people on the bus started to feel a bit sick. Karola handed out sick bags to those who required them and made everyone do breathing exercises to try and overcome their nausea. There were a number of mishaps but fortunately I was fine.
Day 23 : 10 August 1989
Vienna to Munich via Salzburg
Early the next morning, we sat on the steps of Schloss Herberge with severe hangovers and waited for the bus. Heading west from Vienna, our first stop was at the Mauthaussen concentration camp. This was a labour camp, mostly used for the extermination through labour of the intelligentsia. Prisoners worked in the quarry and had to carry granite boulders up the 186 step “Stairs of Death”. Our next stop was in Salzburg before we crossed the border from Austria into West Germany. We arrived at the Munich camp site in time for a shower and supper. After supper we went to a Bavarian beer hall.
Day 24 : 11 August 1989
Munich to Club Tyrol, Hopfgarten
We had a free morning to explore Munich. I saw the Glochenspiel then visited the Munich Olympic Stadium (1972 Olympics) and went up the telecommunication tower to take a few pictures. This provided a good view of the Olympic Complex athlete housing area, the Olympic soccer field and the BMW Museum. I visited the BMW Museum before going to the famous Hofbräuhaus for lunch. In the afternoon, we crossed back into Austria and headed for Contiki Club Tyrol, the Gasthof Schöneck in Hopfgarten. That night we had an “Upside Down” party but I have no memory or photos of this!
Day 25 : 12 August 1989
Club Tyrol, Hopfgarten
We were given the day to explore the beautiful countryside. We hired bicycles and rode along the picturesque roads. When I had had enough of the riding, I went to the trout farm where you could pay to catch a fish in the dam and then have it cooked for your lunch. After lunch, I took the chairlift ride to the top of the Hohe Salve mountain. That evening, we all went to the Silver Bullet pub for a few drinks.
Day 26 : 13 August 1989
Club Tyrol to the Swiss Alps
We started the day with white water rafting down a river of melting snow. We wore wet suits and were first made to fall into the freezing cold river to practice climbing back into the raft. We then headed for Liechtenstein and had lunch in Vaduz, it’s capital, before continuing on to Lucerne for some shopping. Some people bought watches but I limited my purchases to a couple of Swiss army knives. We arrived at the Chalet Jungfrau in Lauterbrunnen in time for supper.
Day 27 : 14 August 1989
Swiss Alps
We took the cog railway up to the top of the Jungfrau, stopping half way up for a period to allow passengers to acclimatise to the altitude. The weather was perfect and the view magnificent. We visited the Ice Palace which consists of tunnels in the ice of the glacier containing elaborate ice sculptures. It was a short walk to the beginners ski training slope where I had my first taste of snow skiing. That evening we had a traditional fondue meal.
Day 28 : 15 August 1989
Swiss Alps to Heidelberg
I was up early to explore a bit before we left. The river running past the Chalet Jungfrau was a torrent of water from the melting snow from the mountains. We headed north to the city of Heidelberg. A number of us were still suffering from the flu bug and we were happy to sit in the bus and sleep the journey away. Our accommodation that night was in cabins next to the river. After supper, we took a stroll to view the city and had a couple of drinks.
Day 29 : 16 August 1989
Heidelberg to the Rhine Cruiser
We hit the road early and headed for St Goar where we met the Rhine Cruiser. We were given time to look around the town before boarding. We set off down the Rhine and were treated to a special lunch. After lunch, we relaxed on deck enjoying the views of castles and vineyards along the banks of the river. Supper was followed by an end of tour party. Two of the Aussies dressed up and compered the evening which included the handing out of awards to each member of the group.
Day 30 : 17 August 1989
Rhine Cruiser to Amsterdam
We disembarked from the Rhine Cruiser and drove on to Amsterdam. On arrival, we first went for our souvenir photo in Dutch costume. We then went to a Dutch cheese farm and clog factory. We were now back staying at Rijnders Huis and the evening activity was to visit the Red Light District. Those of us who had already done that at the start of the tour and who were still suffering from the flu bug decided that an early night would be preferable. My flu had evolved into tonsilitis.
Day 31 : 18 August 1989
Amsterdam
We had a free day so I caught a tram into the city and browsed the shops. I walked back to Rijnders Huis and had a siesta. That evening, we went out for an Indonesian meal.
Day 32 : 19 August 1989
Amsterdam to London
We set off for the last leg of our trip to the Hook of Holland and boarded the ferry for Harwich. On arrival, the bus drove us back to the Royal National Hotel where I had booked a room for the night. That evening, the South Africans in the group went out for a final supper together.