Trains, Ferries, Trams and Buses
Afternoon train from London to Dover, booked into B&B Corann, 119 Folkstone Road, Dover at British Pound £4.50 each. Owners were very welcoming, white bay windowed typical coastal home, clean establishment, close to all amenities, walking distance throughout, we booked a two night stay.
31st August 1978 Went up to Dover Castle to spend the morning taking in the views and exploring.
Shopped in the afternoon for a few extra's possibly needed in Europe, rain for the first time on the trip explored the town not getting too wet in two hours before it let up. Found a delightful place where they served mash potato, mushy peas, steak with tea around 4 pm, believe you me by the end of our Europe Tour we earmarked this spot to return.
These Brits sure eat at odd hours with terms Afternoon Tea, High Tea, mid-day pub grubs at a reasonable price in London were a good go to for lunch, at least breakfast is breakfast nothing beats a good English start to any day.
Enjoyed tasting local brew at a local pub "The Engineer" how sad many of these pubs are no longer...
1st September EuroRail tickets now open to start travel, embarked onto the Prins Albert from Dover to Ostend which was referred to as Oostende at the time. Price £4.25 each. Shocked to see vehicles drive on-board, everything so different to what we have ever experienced.
Time Zone change we had not taken into account not something we do here in South Africa, we missed the train to Gent enroute to Holland. Traversed back to Brussels after getting lost on trams and spent a night in a grotty Youth Hostel fortunately was the worst first, out of money went to bed with no supper. Plans already going awry, wait to see what tomorrow brings....
Ha ha 2nd Sept. Saturday, We remembered our tipping packs (small amount to keep you going) big boo boo the banks were closed on Saturdays (unlike South Africa where banks open Saturday mornings).
Looked at options and decided on Luxembourg (other travelers mentioned a good hostel there), was on same currency Belgian Franc, opted to make a move after visiting a few sights around Brussels, via Mons to Luxembourg . First deviation from original plan, no hard and fast itineraries, via Mons, changed train lines to continue to Luxembourg until Sunday, then into Holland.
Mons was a very quaint town, we sat outside the church to take in the views not having much time to explore. Arriving in Luxembourg capital a small European nation same name, intriguing city built on an old city wall with deep gorges cut by two rivers, medieval to say the least in it's grandeur and beauty.
Youth Hostel Luxembourg City was neat and tidy, separated accommodation, sharing with a fellow traveler from Israel, after buying 4 bread rolls with sausage (no sauce), price Belgian Franc 100 (about ZAR5.00), rip off.
3rd September we moved up to Ettelbruck about 25 miles north of Luxembourg city, first ever ride on an omnibus-train - (included in EuroRail Ticket). (Now I regret we never took photographs of railway stations and trains, developing film was expensive, each photo counted!)
Ettelbruck, a charming village,as the hostel was almost empty we had a huge section open for us to use. Travel light pack only taking absolute essentials, wash clothing whenever opportunity presented itself. This was the first place able to do laundry while listening to the spirited bunch of locals screaming in the valley below for their football team. Heaters all around the room served great purpose in drying the clothing.
After washing and cleaning everything including ourselves, went to the town to buy food, bought ravioli, baked beans for lunch while sitting in the garden enjoying the view in garden with monument close to the bridge of General George S. Patton Jr,, US Army, who with US Army liberated Ettelbruck on 25 December 1944, still celebrated.
Supper was back to bread and cheese, appeared to becoming par for the course, each region had superb local variety, both breads and cheese.
Shopping list:
1 x Large tin Ravioli, 1 x small tine backed beans, 2 x bread rolls, 1 x block cheese = Belgian Franc 111. Better prices slightly out of main city.
4th September Monday - Traveled from Ettelbruck to Maastricht in Holland where we had lunch and got more money. Next was puzzling out rail system in Holland, then arriving late in Dordrecht missed hostel meal, planned a restaurant meal, will be a slight expense but a necessity, seeing as it's bread every day for breakfast (Continental Breakfasts?), if you lucky cheese, more often than not bread and cheese lunches (easiest to travel with).
5th September Enroute to Amsterdam will be passing through Rotterdam, Den Haag, Leiden, Delft, Amsterdam. Will try get to Hilversum to see town where other half-s Mom was born, travel onto Arnhem where we will spend the night. Train hopping, some trains in Holland announce the station name just before you arrive (helpful).
Besides an announcement before arriving in a station, the coaches are divided into smokers and non-smokers, the berths seat six in each then then are further divided into silent and talker sections for people commuting wishing to work on trains.
Arrived and booked into Arheim Hostel after enjoying a beer in Hilversum where Mom-in-law was born. Hostel has married quarieters, after extremely busy day, pleased to pay FL40,30 for dinner, bed and breakfast (approximately ZAR20.15).
6th September visited "Openligte Museum", an old town as is.
Bamboozled by Holland's railway system after waiting 2 hours for the train, after realizing 20h14 is not 14h14 haha, change of plan, take another train (EuroRail makes this easy) we ended up in Lubeck Germany.... to be continued.
Nothing straight forward, zig-zagging rail lines, stations, towns in foreign languages all good fun!
Next train/ferry travel to Germany, Denmark, Sweden, taking us on the next leg of the trip.
Travel Diary 1978 - Part 1 - Planning
Photographs originally from film camera, converted in early 2000's to digital so please excuse the age, memories are wrapped up here!
Thought for Today: "To travel is to see, to return is to talk." - African Proverb
Places to Enjoy On Hive: #lifestylelounge hive-114105, #qurator hive-102880, #featheredfriends @melinda010100 in hive-106444, #wednesdaywalk @tattoodjay in hive-155530, #amazingnature @adalger in hive-127788, #alwaysaflower @dswigle in hive-154065, #feelgood community @barbara-orenya in hive-19093, #theterminal learn Hive @thekittygirl @brittandjosie in hive-101265 and #ladiesofhive in hive-124452
What a great experience and such a lovely post here Lady Joan.
Certainly a lot of memories.
Blessings for the week.
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I'm a bad penny, I never get lost, but time keeping caught us a couple of times. Changes over borders in many cases dramatic in culture, food and oft times attitude toward travelers, other places people were straight up amazing!
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Oh yes, it must have been a nervy experience at some times.
But in the end you guys enjoyed it and that's all that counts.
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When you young not much phases you, only one station got 'that feeling', walked very quickly out of the area to catch a tram.
Oh yeah, nothing was impossible when we were young 🙂
Gladc that you took the tram and that is the invisble hand that always guides us.
Very glad we did it, an eye-opener to many things one never is aware of. Most opted to invest into homes, took our chances and never regretted it.
!BEER
In 1978 I was working in Namibia as had 3 kids to support and there was very little time for travel.
You guys did indeed choose the correct option and yes it must have been a great experience.
On my bucket list now to travel through Europe before I end my days.
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We married in '76 travel '78 moved to Durban '80 stated family two year later, itchy feet has me wanting to do Finland, Estonia, St Petersburg Russia, Poland, Hungary, Austria region.
On the other hand still want to amble up West Coast to Namibia, Botswana one day, we keep dreaming...
!LUV learning and seeing different regions of our beautiful world....
Same here and the thought is to start with a mobile home from Amsterdam. One day I am sure and if not, then so be it as then it wasn't meant for me.
Namibia and Botswana is fairly easy to do methinks.
#LUV also to you guys.
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The banks are still closed here on Saturday and Sunday 😉
"Continental breakfasts" are quite different from an English breakfast - no roasted sausages and no beans.
Plans are made to get changed as needed, and I think you might have had to change other planned things too in the next weeks, because Europe is different, and there are more differences than 20:14 is not 14:14 😉
Interesting 2nd part, Joan, I wonder how the places look nowadays. The impressive Dover castle certainly doesn't look that nice empty anymore as on your photo - tourists everywhere.
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We got a lot wrong, what was excellent was using the trains, having a rail pass with the Youth Hostels being everywhere. Not a problem once you got used to time zones changes things that we never experienced here.
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I believe you and I remember the Rail Pass - never used it, but a lot of young people have been traveling that way these days.
Yes, the time zones and the daylight saving time or summertime must be quite confusing - it is confusing for me too ;)
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Rail pass offered extreme ease of movement, trams, vernaculars in some countries, paddle boats.
I think it was relatively new in South Africa, don't know anyone else who used this way of travel. Contiki Tour Holidays had also started being recognized at the time, I preferred trains, you see more of nature gliding past the window, hop off when the mood takes you.
Having done first trip with my Mother and younger sister found we had seen so many cathedrals inside and out, wanted more freedom of choice and direction. Mum took the same attitude later doing two NORWEGIAN MAIL BOAT CRUISES on her own. I looked into the possibly doing this about five years ago, our currency..... Damn, wait for crypto 😂
I think I have told you before that I never liked to travel by train, going by bus is even worse in my eyes ... at least in a train they have real toilets 🙄
I would also prefer to have more freedom to go where I want and change my mind sometimes ... cathedrals are beautiful, but there are a lot of other things to see, even better ones 😉
I know these cruises in the Scandinavian area - beautiful views, fjords and landscapes for sure.
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Train offered an opportunity to meet more people, at the time we would never have driven in Europe not knowing roads nor areas, yes you had toilets, most important!
Touring by bus I found you were falling over the same people daily even though from different parts of the world, ushered through planned sites at speed.
Each has unique taste when traveling, my Mom went North, my Aunt a spinster traveled Asia in bus tours, she loved sights and sounds of the East,
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!PIZZA to snack later....
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Yes, that's true, when you use such a touring bus you have the same people around you for the whole tour and there's a fixed plan what to visit and when and where to eat - always in a rush.
I prefer to travel with my car and one day hopefully with a camper van 😀
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BEER.Oh sweet Joan
Besides an announcement before arriving in a station, the coaches are divided into smokers and non-smokers, the berths seat six in each then then are further divided into silent and talker sections for people commuting wishing to work on trains.
You had my laughing so hard, that darn train system we have. And indeed they say the city name to late. But my country is fun right. Love this, reminiscing about old times is great
Have a great Sunday
Oh boy @brittandjosie your trains had us lost, but lots of fun, very difficult to say which part I enjoyed most.
Having done quite a lot with my Mom in 1974 by bus tour, this time trains was much more entertaining, getting a know a lot more about the local people and history as well.
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BEER.What awesome memories Joan, but how times have changed!
You were really on the ball converting your photos from film as all my old pics have discoloured!
Wonderful to have your travel memories here on the blockchain, and feel very privileged that you're sharing it with us Silvers, but then most of us can identify with travel as it was back then! Looove your blog @joanstewart 🤗
People thought I was crazy since money spent was sizable deposit toward home purchase those days, you only live once and now so glad we did travel when young, looking at the world right now one could never afford it.
I really believe memories like this are way more precious than possessions, it's something you'll always remember and treasure, an awesome life experience Joan, and buying the house could wait.👌
Buying a house waited till after moving from Johannesburg to Durban (quieter life) many years later, those memories live on forever.
This was fabulous, Joan! @jaonstewart! So much fun when we are young and fearless. I never worried about getting lost or where I was going to sleep. :)) How things change.
This was a trip of a lifetime, with no set plans and happening upon the adventure. I admit that before the digital age, every picture had to have meaning or why bother. Paying for each click was a huge factor! Your pictures are fine and get the message across, but, it is your words that really pull me in.
I love traveling with you and your commentary is fun! Thank you! ❤️
Encountered some very strange reactions from people in some countries being South African, actually quite a giggle most thought we were from New Zealand not being able to recognize accent.
Not knowing was all the fun, meeting people traveling from all over the world, only two hostels deemed it fitting to place African persons into rooms together, we learned amazing stories even about our neighbours residing further North.
All in all, educational!
Oh, yes. Some people thought I was British!!!!! What?
I agree with you, traveling while I was young really was a great experience! I am glad you thought so too!
No backaches, no teeth problems, no need to worry in bell bottom jeans, just go and have fun. Youth is amazing, I want a rebate to have more! 😂
Yes!!! Stand in line!!❤
Hello dear friend @joanstewart good night
What a beautiful travel experience, these things are never forgotten, I was delighted that you showed us these beautiful photographs of your stay.
I take this opportunity to wish you a splendid night and a well-deserved rest
Sometimes in life we are given an opportunity that becomes a once in a lifetime trip, memories to enjoy and now share with so many years gone by.
Wishing you a lovely day @jlufer
Going back in time with photos generate such memorable memories, it has to be one of my all time favourites @joanstewart. Lovely photos.
Actually enjoy putting them up onto the blockchain, I have never released them anywhere previously, really a wonderful walk down memory lane.... Thanks for visiting @angiemitchell
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