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A lazy day after two days of Versailles
A lazy day after two days of tackling traffic to and from Versailles. We drove through some of the poorer high density suburbs around us, stopping in a park with a random ruin. Filled with families playing bocci, other ball games, and just enjoying life. Lunch options were difficult to find. We discovered that it was “All Saints Day”, with many businesses closed. We ate at a pub, still Halloween themed, including dismembered body parts. We opted for vegetarian 😉. Tomorrow we’re heading to Paris.
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Inside the Palace of Versailles
Back to the Palace of Versailles. We got to go inside this time, having finally snapped up tickets. Interior decorating overload. Amazing, ostentatious, a bit crowded. The stairs have a well worn groove from so many visitors. The traffic home seemed busier than yesterday. A long slow drive to get back. We later discovered that tomorrow is a public holiday “All Saints Day”. So, we were driving out of Paris suburbs in peak hour, just before a long weekend. We stopped by Best Wok again for dinner, and snapped a photo with the robot waiter.
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More Versailles mishaps, on the road south
Our Versailles string of mishaps continued. First the good news. We finally got out of Versailles and the busy night time suburbs of Paris, heading south east towards our accommodation. Overdue for some dinner, and the EV needing a charge, we looked on the Tesla’s navigation for a stop along the way for both. We picked one of several options along the way, a bank of “V4” Tesla superchargers. We parked, plugged in, and walked next door to “Best Wok” – an all you can eat buffet restaurant. Once we started talking, the designated English speaking staff member came over to help us. The staff were all lovely. Even the robot that collected the dirty plates and delivered drinks, had a smile. Marvin better lift his game 😉. So many food options. We were overjoyed to have fresh veggies. We plated a pile of ingredients, handed them to the wok cook, and watched him fry it up. Fun and delicious. We didn’t have escargot or frogs legs, but this was such a joyful meal to have in France. Returning to…
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Our second run-in with European police
Our second run in with police in Europe. This time in France. After exploring the gardens around the Palace of Versailles, in the evening we drove through the southern suburbs of Paris towards the accommodation we had booked earlier that day. The navigation said to take an exit in 300m, but there were two close together, and I mistakenly took the one, which took us back in the wrong direction, through a low clearance long tunnel with a €12 fee., adding another hour to our trip. This was not going well. We exited the tunnel, back in the suburbs, driving through Versailles. Slow traffic, single lane in each direction. We could hear a siren somewhere getting closer. Suddenly, there was a police car on the wrong side of the road heading straight for our rental Tesla. In addition to flashers and sirens, they started flashing high beams. We stopped, checked rear vision cameras and mirror, and slowly reversed to the side. Bang! We hit something. We felt and heard it. “Shit shit shit” I said…
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Sold out at Versailles, so we wandered the gardens
We arrived at at the Palace of Versailles, passed the golden gates and the armed guards, only to discover that tickets to the actual palace were completely sold out for today. So, we spent the afternoon wandering the magnificent gardens (which also required tickets). But first, lunch at one of the restaurants, which turned out to be big plate (and bill), small meal. Fancy and delicious, though. We bought tickets to the palace for tomorrow, which means another trip back here from our accommodation on the other side of Paris.
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Laundry, then folding while charging, in France
Having finished the laundry and exhausted our hour of parking, we shuffled our now clean clothes into the frunk, drove to the other end of town, plugged into a destination charger, and proceeded to fold our clothes and pack them into our suitcases. Life in Europe is so glamorous! Next to the charger is possibly Cluny’s main attraction: The Cluny Abbey. We felt obliged to visit it.
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Saint-Clement B&B and a regretted kebab
Inching closer to Paris, we stopped overnight at a B&B in Saint-Clement. Breakfast was a hamper delivery in the morning. Dinner was a regretted kebab from across the road. On the way to Saint Clement, we stopped at a patisserie for lunch, followed by Halloween themed cake.
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We stopped at a B&B in Cluny, France
October 27-29: Beautiful historic town. A few streets adorned with strings of bras, which we were told are in support of breast cancer research fund raising. Parking in the narrow cobblestone roads is a challenge. It took a couple of attempts to find somewhere that didn’t block a turning area or garage. On any road trip, the laundry eventually catches up with us. We started some machines going in the local laundrette while we enjoyed some lunch nearby. Then we laid the clean clothes in the Tesla’s frunk to sort out a bit later.
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An Australian-brand charger in central Lyon
A brief drive through Lyon, heading north west towards Cluny and Paris. Parking was at a premium. Then we thought to look on the Tesla navigation for an EV charger, which of course comes with parking. Great! We found one a few blocks away – an Australian brand “Tritium”. One bay way taken, so we parked in the spare bay and had a brief wander in the central park. Again, the toilets disappointed, so back to the car to get toilet paper. Again, EV chargers are easier to find than functioning toilets, in much of Europe.
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A postman's quirky palace, near Cluny
We left our B&B, detouring on our way to Paris, to check out this “palace” suggested by our hosts. What a quirky place. Built by a postman, over several decades, with no particular artistic or engineering skills. It’s kind of like a large sandcastle sculpture. Along the way, we snapped a photo next to a wind turbine. Notice how the crops are planted right up to the edge of it. A great way to keep agricultural land and still generate power.
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A day trip back into the French Alps
Day trip back towards the French Alps, along some sections of road carved into the side of a mountain. Beautiful hike along the stream to a waterfall. The restaurant on the map was not a functioning option when we arrived, so we made do with snacks we happened to have in the car. The toilet turned out to be BYO toilet paper, so we became popular with other hikers when we showed up with a spare roll. Be prepared.
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A lovely B&B in La Tour-du-Pin
October 25-27: We followed our usual pattern: at about 4pm we looked on Booking.com for somewhere to stay, generally in our direction of travel. The owner, her visiting daughter, and her young son looked after us, with breakfast and tips on local attractions. And music played on an old style record player. When we told a few locals we are from Australia, they each asked “why did you come here?” I don’t think they get many passing through 😉. For dinner, we were really needing some veggies. So, we bypassed the traditional French cuisine, and opted instead, both nights, for Asian style food from nearby “Marco Polo Cuisine du Monde”. The (French) manager was thrilled to put a second pin into Australia on his world map of visitors (pictured).
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A random afternoon-tea stop, with a waterfall
First stop (on the return northbound trip) in France. Time for a break and afternoon tea, so we just looked in our general direction on the navigation map for something random worth the stop. Waterfall and cafe – perfect! This cafe’s decorations showed that Halloween is surprisingly big in random places across Europe. Crepes with sugar frosting. Mum: I think your crepes are better 😋. We spotted another EV parked there too – a Porsche Taycan, which costs about three to four times our Tesla.
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Leaving Italy via a maze of toll booths
Leaving Italy. So many toll booths, with different systems. Some give you a ticket to insert at the other end, then pay. Some require payment up front with a tap on. Some don’t do tap on, so you have to use a physical card. Different booths for different payments. We reversed out of a few. Not a fan. After that, we turned on “Avoid Toll Roads” in the navigation. The most expensive toll of the whole trip was leaving Italy through a long tunnel to France. This toll booth was actually staffed. When he said “€55”, I asked “Is that just for this road?” Yes it was. The cafe had very little. We settled for a croissant and cuppa. We passed on the pokies. French/Italian alps along the way. Beautiful scenery.
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Six nights in a flat near Rome
October 17 - 22: Great view from the balcony. Our hosts Antonio and Roberta were lovely. They live in the flat on the ground floor. We had several conversations through the Google Translate app. For the first time, our accommodation included an adapter for Australian plugs. They even brought up their microwave for us to use. Dinners in our flat included: 1. The first night, when we arrived, we were a bit wrecked. So, cereal for dinner. 2. Francis cooked up a delicious veg pasta, which, thanks to the microwave, fed us two nights. 3. Tom tracked down a local pizza shop and ordered a dessert from the menu. The pizza was great. The “dessert” turned out to be spinach and chili something, which was inedible. Definitely failed with the translation there.
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A coastal stretch in Lerici
We headed north from Lucca, stopping on the coast at the little town of Lerici, for a cuppa and a stretch. The toilet at the cafe was just a seat over a hole in the floor, so we looked elsewhere. The public toilet required coins, but after coins failed, a local told just that you can just open the door. BYO toilet paper.
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Greta's B&B, past Alessandria
We found this lovely B&B in the Italian countryside, just past Alessandria. Our host, Greta, was equally lovely, making our breakfast and having a good chat. She confessed that part of this was procrastination over study 😉.
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Exploring the walled town of Lucca
We explored the walled town of Lucca.
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Spot the European icon
Can you spot the European icon nearby?
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Watching everyone hold up the Leaning Tower
Possibly the best thing about visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa is seeing how many people pose for a photo to hold it up.
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A countryside cafe on the road from Rome
Starting our return northward journey, from Rome towards Lucca, near Pisa. We turned on “Avoid Toll Roads” and took some rural roads near the west coast of Italy. We stumbled across this cute little cafe in the middle of nowhere, with a family of welcoming cats.
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Glimpses of the Mediterranean, north to Lucca
We grabbed a few glimpses of the Mediterranean Sea as we drove north along the Italian Coast, towards Lucca, near Pisa.
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We're staying in Lucca
October 22-24: We live on the second floor. We live upstairs from you. Yes, I think you’ve seen us before. 🎼 If you hear something late at night Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight Just don't ask me what it was Ok, throwback song lyrics aside, “something late at night” was me trying to find some nearby food outlet. First was Asian. Second night was getting pizza from across the road in the pouring rain, after waiting under an awning for the pizza shop to open. When I returned, drenched, our host Maria had given us some snacks and wine for our movie night in. Very kind. When we arrived, carrying Fran’s pillow, Maria laughed that we’d brought a pillow all the way from Australia and asked if her pillows weren’t good enough. We stayed in the Kind Arthur room, complete with a mural of him on the wall. Breakfast on site, prepared by the lovely Nadia. The hearts on the coffee were the virtual icing in the cake.
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A fruit drink, a QR code, and a Roman toilet
At the Pantheon. And recovering nearby with a fruit drink, in part to gain a QR code to use a toilet 🤪. The walk through Rome continues…
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An unmarked, unmissable church in Rome
Stop two, on our wander through Rome. No line. No fee. No reconstruction barriers. Probably the most spectacularly decorated church (or building in general) I have ever seen.
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Rome in a day, part one
We noted that the Trevi fountain was undergoing renovations, so we instead headed for the Plaza Navona… which was also obscured by renovations. Walking through the streets is an adventure of its own. Grabbed some lunch. Now, onward through the streets of Rome. Hopefully we can find the Tesla on our return, parked in a station, almost under the Vatican.
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One last church before The Vatican
One last church before the walk towards the Vatican.
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An EV charger in St Peter's Square
We ended our walk through Rome with a visit to St Peter’s Basilica, at The Vatican. We found an EV charge point tucked away behind security in St Peter’s Square (see photo). It wasn’t open to the public, so perhaps it’s used by the Pope Mobile or the several police cars that patrol the square (fume free – yay!). Dinner at a nearby restaurant. Then a walk through a few tunnels to try to find the car park.
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On the Everybody Loves Raymond set, 20 years on
We’re on the set of Everybody Loves Raymond, in Italy, 20 years after filming. Francis is a big fan, and we both loved that Season 5 double episode. We found the location for where they stayed, where Robert met Stephania, at the gelato shop, where Ray bought the best pizza he’d ever eaten (which is no longer a pizza shop). We couldn’t find Robert’s wallet next to the wharf.
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Florence chaos, after a Tuscan villa
We left the serenity of our Tuscan villa and headed into the chaos of Florence alleyways. We tried to park in a small parking lot, but they needed a key (or card) in case they need to move it. Our UFODRIVE rental doesn’t provide us with the Tesla car card, so we couldn’t park there. Fortunately, we were able to squeeze into a street parking spot, 10m further down the alleyway. We grabbed some breakfast at the cafe next to us, mainly so we had access to a toilet. I tried to order a ham and cheese toastie, but ended up with a ham and cheese omelette. One of the waitresses smiled at me (Tom) and blew me a kiss. I won’t spoil the story by revealing more details. We walked for a while to the basilica, figured out where the line started, and grabbed a gelato to eat while we waited. We managed to finish it off just in time. Total queuing was about 30 minutes. All roads lead to Rome. Back into the Tesla, we headed south.
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Shopping observations in Italy
For even mild drugs like paracetamol, you have to go to a pharmacy, and queue. Some have a dispenser chute from upstairs, as pictured. When we start speaking English, they will usually laugh, say “no”, and call over their designated English speaking staff. In an earlier town, while trying to buy a lactose intolerance pill, I nearly bought a lactose pill. That could have been nasty. You have to be very careful with translations. We bought some fruit, veg and snacks at a local “Coop” grocery store. At the checkout, the operator had to take our fruit back to the fruit section, weigh them, choose the price per kg, print a sticker, bring it back to the checkout. We were apparently supposed to do that, but she was forgiving. Rubbish is sorted into several bins. One of our hosts told us that government contracts to properly dispose of waste are fraudulently controlled by the mafia who transport it to other countries to dump it 😧.
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A coding morning with a Tuscan view
A pretty chilled day in Tuscany. Early morning work meeting for Tom in the Tesla and some work (coding) overlooking the valley. Pretty great office view. Breakfast provided on site. There was no “or” on the menu, but they did request no waste. Francis had an afternoon nap to recover from not feeling well, only to be suddenly woken by the cleaner who missed the “do not disturb” sign. Whoops! While we enjoyed the view, Marvin’s (our home mower) Italian cousins scurried around, keeping the lawn trim. I only ventured out in the Tesla to grab some pizza for dinner. I tried the parking spots until I found one where the car fit. Only to then see that the Land Rover next to me had taken three spots at once. (It’s much bigger than the photo perspective suggests).
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A high-tide gondola ride out of Venice
Time to leave Venice, but not before the famed gondola ride. It was high tide, so the bridge clearance was tight. That required some tilting of the gondola and movement of the ballast (us passengers) to navigate through some places. The angled view of the water and impending gravitational pull did not make the ride as relaxing as we had imagined. But, it was a lot of fun (all thrills, thankfully no spills). Next: all roads lead to Rome. On our way, we stopped just off the highway for a late lunch at a restaurant. We had missed their lunch window, so it was down to having some snacks in the car.
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A Tuscan villa near Buggiano
We’re spending a couple of nights in Tuscany at this gorgeous villa, in Buggiano, part way between Florence and Pisa. More stairs, and tiny entrance (while carrying bags), but great views. Dinner at the nearby restaurant (Ristaurante Pizzeria S Elena) included cat cuddles. Francis is missing Archie back at home. The villa has three robot mowers, to help Tom, missing Marvin at home.
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A whole day in Venice
Exploring the laneways. Watching staff sweep the water from the hotel porch. Navigating the crowds near the cathedral and square. Chilling with fruit salad and a quartet paying Ed Sheeren, the Titanic theme, and classical music. Love the violin and cello.
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Arriving in Venice
We arrived in Venice! I’ll let the photos speak to the beauty and hustle bustle of the place. Best to view them in landscape, full screen, and zoom in. It’s gorgeous. The chaos and fumes of narrow roads is gone – replaced with similar in canals. The walks through town are delightful. So many shops and things going on. It was supposed to be an easy transition for us today, with a one hour drive from our previous night’s stay near Verona. But it ended up being a big day. Here’s a list of our challenges and goofs today: 1. The police escort through Verona. That deserves its own post. Stay tuned. 2. We searched Booking.com for accommodation in Venice that included parking. We were aware that you can drive to Venice but not into Venice. We hoped to find accommodation that provided some parking so we wouldn’t have to arrange a shuttle, repack and lug bags too far. It was a long shot, but we found a match. It wasn’t until after we booked it that communication with the coordinator revealed…
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Parking, parking, where for art thou parking?
We planned to visit the historical part of Verona again, as we passed through this morning. We drove towards Juliet’s Balcony, hoping to get a park nearby. The usual chaotic traffic and tiny lanes reached a new level, as we emerged in small streets covered with pedestrians. Nowhere to go. One person looked at us and said good morning in Dutch “goedemorgen”, recognising our Netherland licence plates. Another person politely asked if we were okay and told us we couldn’t drive through there. We sat at the intersection for a few minutes, with another clueless motorist behind us, so we couldn’t reverse out. In front of us, as luck would have it, was a police car. One officer eventually came over, and kindly offered to have us follow them out of the bedlam. Francis probably would have followed him and his accent anywhere. Police escort through Verona! We looked for a parking option along the way, but in the end just laughed and headed towards Venice.
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The tiniest lift, near Verona
One night stay, by the river, in a suburb of Verona. Our host, Ariana, helped us reset our booking, since we’d somehow picked the wrong date in Booking.com. We squeezed into possibly the smallest lift we’ve ever seen. Fortunately, we had grabbed only our next day’s clothes from our large suitcases, in the back of the Tesla. Breakfast included, which was delightful, along with interaction with friendly staff and a three generation Italian family of guests. On our drive here from Lake Como, we stopped at a shopping center along the highway. It’s amazingly just like the ones at home in Australia, except, of course, everything is in Italian. The Tesla Autopilot driver monitoring is over cautious. Even with my hands on the wheel and eyes ahead, it often complains that I’m not paying attention, until I wiggle the steering. On this trip, it counted three strikes and disabled Autopilot until I parked 🖕.
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Hunting for Asian food in Verona
After checking into our accommodation near Verona, Italy, we discovered that there aren’t many dinner options, other than pizza, open before 7pm. So, we ventured into a Verona to find some Asian cuisine. The roads are still pretty crazy. After doing a few laps of busy roads and one way alleyways, dodging pedestrians and motorists, we found a park (I think it was a park). Takeaway noodles on the river overlooking the castle bridge turned out to be a romantic location.
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Settling into Dervio, on Lake Como
Late yesterday, we arrived in the small town of Dervio, Italy, after crossing the border, uneventfully, from Switzerland. Our host, Eleen, was delightful, and walked us through our small flat at Residence Antico Torchio. Road space and parking are tight. We had to move the car to a tiny roadside parking spot between poles, which took some careful seven point turn reversing. The best way to walk through town is via the many alleyways between buildings. At the train crossing that bisects the town, a sign asks motorists to turn off their engines while waiting. Like most rules in Italy, the locals seem to ignore them, so the street often fills with car fumes, punctuated by cigarette smoke. But away from the traffic, the walks are beautiful. We grabbed some local pizza for dinner, after translating the menu. We bought a couple of things in the local store, via communication with the staff that was mostly laughs, but not many understood words in either direction. Whenever we tell someone…
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A Lake Como walk, and Urban Fish lunch
A beautiful walk around Lake Como (well, a fraction of it, near Dervio, Italy). Fancy lunch at the Urban Fish restaurant, as recommended by our host, Ariana. Not so fancy heated supermarket dinner, served by Tom. Resorted to using pots and a stove, since there’s no microwave over here, or in many places we’ve stayed so far.
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The best eggplant parmigiana, on Lake Lugano
Stopped for lunch just before the border, in a very Italian part of Switzerland, on Lake Lugano. The best eggplant parmigiana I’ve ever had. The textures and flavours were amazing. I tried to thank the chef through the language barrier. Parking in the car park took a few attempts. This average size Australian car feels big here. We eventually found out that these particular spaces, marked in pink, are reserved for women, for safety at night.
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Up to 3000 m by gondola, in the Swiss Alps
As we enjoyed our last breakfast at The Alpina Hotel, we noticed that the weather had fined up again. So, let’s go climb some mountains, to 3000m above see level… with the aid of a series of four gondola rides. On the ride up, we wondered why there were almost no seats in the gondola. On the way back, it was standing room only. Lots of construction going on. Pretty challenging worksite. Half of the existing facility is closed off. The top station, at Schilthorn, featured in a 1968 Bond film. They promote it a lot, with half the place dedicated to a range of multimedia exhibits. On the return trip, we explored a couple of the other stations, including a sky walk and a mostly car free town. Beautiful.
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A full day exploring the Swiss Alps, then a night closer to Italy
October 9-10: Beautiful location, nice food, a chance to chill.
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What to do in the Swiss Alps in the rain
Our luck with sunny weather ran out. Go for a drive around the beautiful lakes. Far across the other side, we spotted a long waterfall near a big building. We found it on Maps as including a restaurant, so we drove over, up a windy mountain road. We missed the turn and soon came head to head with a bus that wasn’t about to yield the too narrow road. After some hurried reversing down the hill, and a seven point U turn, we then found the car park for the waterfall. The road to the restaurant required a pin code, only given to hotel guests. So, off we trekked, through the forest, past the beautiful falls, with the hope of lunch at the end. We looked a bit like a couple of drowned rats, by the time we found the restaurant, but they let us in. The meal and veggie soup were well earned and enjoyed. They charged €8.50 (about AU$14) for a bottle of water. It cost more than the cappuccino or soup! Fresh water is the one thing that they have in abundance here 🙃.
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Walking the Aare Gorge, then donkeys
We spent the afternoon exploring the Aare Gorge, along the elevated board walk. Beautiful. Lunch on site. We couldn’t leave the area without patting a donkey and Shetland pony. So much beauty all around. Delivered spaghetti and pizza for dinner, back at our hotel. We’re in training for Italy in a few days 😉.
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72 waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen
First stop on our day trip out, in Lauterbrunnen. Wow. And again, wow. 72 waterfalls plummeting down into the valley. An overwhelming feast for the eyes. I blame this distraction for my taking five minutes to figure out the parking payment system 😉. We saw evidence (the sign) of what happens if you don’t provide public toilets 😉, although this town does provide them. Beautiful simple church. I chatted with the lady sweeping up the thousands of leaves and asked her if it was a big job. She said, looking at the scenery “no, this is meditation. My big job has been looking after my children and husband”. Fair call. We popped over to Grindelwald, but there was some annual market going on which blocked through traffic and filled the town with people. So, we opted for a more quiet view from the edge of town.
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A balcony view of the Swiss mountains
We checked in last night to our accommodation. It is just stunning here. Our balcony and the breakfast dining room both overlook the lake and towering mountains. You don’t fully appreciate the scale of them until you notice how small the cars are on the other side. Our hosts, Richard and his wife, have been lovely. When we realised that, like their own currency, Switzerland has its own power point socket, different to the rest of Europe, Richard loaned us an adapter. So, now we can plug the iPhone Lightning cable into the USB-C into the power brick, into the Australian socket, into the Europe adapter, into the Swiss adapter, into the wall 🤪. Our UFODRIVE Tesla car rental doesn’t give us access to the Tesla app, which we’re really missing. We had a drama this morning when Tom left the car to go back to our room, leaving Francis in the car. A few minutes later, the Tesla’s car alarm went off, half deafening Francis with the noise from the horn and some loud heavy metal music playing…
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A coffee pedaler in the home of Omega watches
We began our quest for coffee, walking a kilometre towards the lake, finding a coffee “pedaler”. Sofia, at the reception of our hotel, told us that this town is the birthplace of Omega watches, which also adorn the foyer. We opted for a quick and cheap breakfast from our road trip kit, using our cereal, bowls, milk and… I forgot to buy spoons. We shared a takeaway spoon we had collected along the way. Next, on to Interlaken, a Swiss town that, as the name suggests, sits between two lakes. We will stay a few nights at a small family run hotel that looks over one of the lakes. The scenery from the highway looks increasingly spectacular, as we approach the Swiss Alps.
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Spinach soup at Schnäggli, Ringgenberg
Late lunch at Schnäggli GmbH Bistro-Konditorei, up the road, before we check into our accommodation, in Ringgenberg, Switzerland, near Interlaken. Today’s hot meal was spinach soup which was delicious. And, of course, coffee. Friendly lady running the bistro. Beautiful town. Narrow streets again, so you take your life in your hands as a pedestrian. But there is a public toilet, with no cost! Civilisation!
Formerly: Tesla Tripping
Come along on our EV road trips around Australia and Europe, and follow as we progressively electrify our home in Emerald, Victoria.
Join us on the road. We set off in late 2022 and drove eastern Australia in our Tesla Model 3 — Sydney, Dubbo, Armidale, Brisbane, Cape Tribulation, then down through Queensland and back. We've since upgraded to a Model Y.
We've kept exploring — Uluru, the Snowy Mountains and Gippsland, and a longer run through Europe in 2024. There's plenty more on the map, so come along for the next leg.
At home in Emerald, in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges, we're progressively electrifying everything: rooftop solar, a home battery, a hot water heat pump, air conditioned heating and cooling, and EV charging straight from the sun. We're going fully electric, off the gas.
Got questions, or insights of your own? We'd love to hear them — please drop a comment on any post.