The Northern Trip
My passion for Europe and travel began in Brittany (North West France) in the summer of 2001 during a Québec-France exchange. I traveled France on weekends, and I was adopted by the people who hosted me in August 2001: Jacqueline and Yves. I remained friends with their children and grandkids as well.
This is my eighth visit to Brittany, and we will be visiting cities of character, Rennes and Nantes, for the Easter weekend.
Friday, March 31:
Jacqueline, Yves, and I love the morning visits in deep Brittany. This morning we visit Combourg and Dol de Bretagne. It’s spring in Brittany and what a pleasure to walk in a city of character as they call it in France 🤩
From Combourg, we travel to Dol de Bretagne to visit the oldest church in Brittany. The Cathedral is being renovated, but we can visit the interior with its bright stained-glass windows and the 11th century stone floor.
We are in Brittany, and we go to a crêperie for the egg and mushroom galette, the cider and the caramel crêpe for dessert. A classic for me and La Flambée restaurant meets all our expectations.
We stopped for a short hike and admired the view of the beautiful landscapes in the countryside.
Back in Rennes, the capital of Brittany with its pretty half-timbered houses, churches, and its relaxed atmosphere of a student town. A solo walk on memory lane.
Saturday 30 March:
I say goodbye to Rennes and leave for Nantes for Easter Saturday and Sunday. Pierrick lives in Rennes, and this will be my third visit to Loire Atlantique. We walk through the historic center and take free shuttle to visit the fishing village of Trentemoult.
It is always a pleasure to ride on the Loire. Trentemout is on the left bank of the Loire, and it is very picturesque with its colourful houses and vintage buildings. Also a good place to have a drink with views of the Loire.
We are going back to Nantes for dinner and tomorrow – Manchester!!!
Easter Monday in Manchester.
Manchester has always been a place I wanted to visit for its 19th century industrial architecture, canals and because I was a fan of Coronation Street.
My bed & breakfast is close to Piccadilly station and the centre. It is raining and the city is bucolic… I wander through the grandiose Victorian-style buildings to the only museum open: The Manchester Art Gallery. Free admission with, among other things, a beautiful exhibition on the city and English painters of the 19th century.
I walk through the canals the rest of the afternoon and visit the medieval quarter and the cathedral.
And then visit Canal Streel, epicenter of the gay village, but also an incredibly beautiful area on the canal with buildings of character.
In a bar, I meet a French expatriate and his two Francophile English friends, and we go from pub to pub. My only photo with a beer.
French night in Manchester. Tomorrow, York!
Tuesday, April 2, 2024: A scenic train that departs from Manchester to York, through the Pennines and small villages. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its Gothic churches, old houses, and fortifications. I will also be able to walk by the river.
The cathedral is closed for a private function but still the view outside is superb from all over the city. And then it is time for lunch and I see a Vietnamese restaurant with Phos and all the tables are full except for a table with a chair for me…
Shrimp spring rolls and braised beef pho are my favorite combination. A filling one.
The rest of the afternoon will be spent exploring the banks of the river, the Shambles pedestrian walkway, walking the fortifications and the Botanic Garden.
A beautiful day in the open air.
Back by train with the sun… Tomorrow Scotland
Scotland, April 3-7
Bye bye Manchester and another train in the Pennines, this time to Edinburgh. I love Scotland, I went in 2010 for a grand tour and extremely excited to come back to Edinburgh and Glasgow that i will visit with my friend Allan. Two different cities, impossible to compare. Here are my top five of each place:
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is one of the top prettiest cities that I have visited and also really compact and walkable. All my favorites are in walking distances from the center.
1) St-Cuthbert church and Garden: St-Cuthbert church situated within a large churchyard that bound Princess Street. The church is first recorded in 1198, but the present building is from the late 1890s. The church itself a beautiful building, but the most impressive for me is the view of the castle. Also nice to stroll around and the midway point for me between all the favorite areas of Edinburgh.
2) New Town: I am a lover of Georgian architecture (See my Dublin and Belfast post from 2023) and the area around Charlotte Square is a delight to walk around on a sunny morning. New Town is a UNESCO world site and a masterpiece of architectural planning. The garden is not open to the public, but I was able to enter on the garden to take my pictures. I even have my picture by a Scott who spoke French with me! Yipee
3) Royal miles: Edinburgh’s most famous street from the castle to Holyrood Palace. It close to 2km and touristy and…beautiful. Magnificent views, impressive architecture and no rain that day. Good hike to go uptown that remind me my hometown of Québec City. Alan and i walked for a good 2 hours.
4) Scottish National Gallery: My second visit in that museum that highlight Scottish art plus renaissance up to early 20th century. A bonus, the museum is free and provide splendid view of the city. Bagpipe music close by.
5) Distillery Scotland ; Destiny Scotland – Distillers House. The place that Allan and I stayed, a aparthotel close to the Haymarket train station and as well close to princess street. One of the best that I stayed. Our view:
Glasgow
Glasgow: A masterpiece of 19th century architecture and a zuper friendly city.
1) Buchanan Street: The main shopping street of Glasgow with upscale shops, musicians in the street, impressive Victorian architecture and the main point if you are lost in Glasgow.
2) Kelvingrove museum: The Kelvingrove Art gallery and Museum is a must see in Glasgow. First for his impressive collection of Scottish and European pieces, but also for the history of the city itself. Second for the building itself which is grand as a church. The last but not the least, it is free!!!!
3) Ronnie Mackintosh tea room: Mackintosh At The Willow – the Original Willow Tea Rooms Building: Art nouveau setting by the famous architect Ronnie Mackintosh in 1903. Great place for a tea and a Scottish version of Québec Tarte au sucre. I guess the opposite as the Scotts brought their tarts in pudding in Québec…how well, it satisfied my sweet tooth, and the lady grey was a nice complement to the sugar rush. Thanks Alan for the suggestion!!
4) Hiking around the Clyde: A walk around the Clyde, Scotland biggest river, give you a different perspective on the city rich industrial past and also style of architecture. It is sunny and Spring is in the air.
5) Glasgow university Campus: Founded in 1451, one of the oldest universities in Scotland and remarkable example of Victorian architecture and Gothic revival. My style and also not far from the Kelvingrove.
Gratitude intense in Bergen, Norway-April7-10
How to describe Bergen? The fjord, the cute houses, the mountain, the architecture, the food, my bed and breakfast from 1668…and also the new friends that I meet on a cruise. A picture is worth a thousand words as the expression goes. In that case I could write an entire post on Bergen…my happy place. Here is day 1 in Bergen
Day 2 – Hiking, church and fortress visit. I don’t want to leave!
The Fjord cruise. One of the highlights of my trip as the fjords were magnificent and i met two new travel companions from America
Train Bergen to Oslo: April 10
A train in the mountain that take seven hours of beautiful landscapes including a snowstorm…. The most scenic train that I took, and we had a power outage 60km from Oslo…It was worth the annoyance since it gave us more time to appreciate the wonder of nature. In time in Oslo for the evening!!!!
Oslo: the discovery
April 10: I arrived at the ultra efficient Oslo train station and direction to the Toyen neighborhood to meet my host Jon at a local beer bar. Jon is also a city councillor for the city of Oslo. I love the neighborhood close to the tram, with several groceries, bakeries, pub, kebabby. A nice introduction.
I woke up early and walk Oslo as the city is compact and flat. Oslo does not remind me of any other city that I have visited. I stroll around the parliament, the palace, the embassy district in the morning. The city is clean, peaceful and colorful. The weather is grey and the city looks even cleaner in the diffuse light.
It is getting sunny in the afternoon and I am going to walk around the fjord (Oslo have also a fjord) and the Akhersus fortress (free of charges). I love the grounds and the view. After that, back downtown for an ice cream and a visit to the botanical garden. It is sunny and that patio are pack. Oslo is beautiful.
April 12- Morning in Oslo.
Jon is kind enough to let me stay at his place until 2pm as I have a train to Oslo at 230. That give me enough time to visit the Munsch Museum as I am a fan of Edvard Munsch’s work and there also others exhibits and great view. A bonus as I will meet my two friends from my Bergen cruise, Deborah and Maud, for coffee and cake at the museum
I am leaving Oslo and Norway a bit emotional as I enjoyed every minute of my last 5 days, but excited to see Stockholm.
April 12-14-Grand Stockholm.
My train arrived late in Stockholm, and I am looking forward to my free stay at Elite Stockholm Plaza hotel. I have enough points with booking.com to have a free stay with breakfast buffet. The hotel is in the posh area that reminds me of Vienna and Paris at night. Professional service and I sleep like a baby. The breakfast have wide selection of bread, cheeses, meat, yogurt, fruits, Swedish meet balls, lingonberry….
My hotel is walking distance from the old town Gamla Stan (town between the bridges) and I have the city for myself in the morning for 10 minutes as few tourists are braving the rain and the wind. But a delight for me.
Sweden has several island with pedestrian bridges and also the Stockholm transit card allow the ferry to go to the Djurgarden island to the ABBA museum. Stockholm has a museum island like Berlin. As a full Gen X, I was raised with the music of ABBA. The music and atmosphere put me in happy and energised mood for the day. The costumes, stories, memorabilia and friendly staff complete the experience. A must see in Stockholm and the ferry back provided great pictures of the old town.
I meet Parisians from Versailles in the ferry and they suggest lunch at Slingerbulten for traditional Swedish cooking at reasonable price. It packed and cozy and I had to sit at the bar. I like to do that when I travelled. I had a herring fillet in a tempura-like batter, with buttery mash potatoes, veggies and lingonberry that are soo sweet. A glass of German Riesling with my meal. One of my best lunches of the trip. Wonderful service!!!!
It is sunny afternoon and I stroll again after my walk in the island next to the old town and later on visit to the Stockholm national museum. They have a discounted price (50%) if you booked for 1.15 hours before the closing time.
I especially love the exhibit in Sweden in the 18th century and of course the 18th and 19th century art. The building itself is grand.
It nice to be by the water and I am walking in another area Sodermalm, across the old town for a drink a bite with the locals before I head back to my hotel as I have an early train tomorrow morning.
I will definitively go back to that friendly city.
Copenhagen: Hygge at his best.
Early train to Copenhagen. I am going to meet a new friend in Copenhagen for coffee and cake at La Glace, the oldest confectionery in Copenhagen(1870). I have to thank my colleague and friend Marina that used to live in Copenhagen. She put me in contact with a dear friend of her Liudmilla that still live in Copenhagen.
There a huge lineup mid afternoon at La Glace, but I mentioned that I travelled from Canada and I have read about La Glace, I am able to cut the line up and have a table for two in 5 minutes.
I am in heaven as they many choices of cake. We share two one of the cakes have 5 layers of cream and the other one is chocolate and hazelnut. I love that place. We are chatting about life in Denmark. I love to meet locals!!!
The coffee is quite good and time for me to leave Liudmilla and La Glace for my bed & breakfast. Tomorrow a full day of sightseeing. Yum
Monday April 15
Time to get acquainted with Copenhagen. A city that I already love with great coffee, Danishes pastries , friendly people, efficient transit and perfect grey weather.
I walked in direction of the post pictures perfect symbol of the city: Nyhavn with his colorful houses. Also, a good point of references in the city. A nice place to stroll as it is quiet on a early morning.
Mostly all the museum and castles but I have researched and the Rosenborg castle, a renaissance Dutch inspired is open on Monday. I love the 16th hundred and the surrounding are impressive and the garden in full bloom. There are soldiers on training next to it. The king in in town. The lifeguard guard the castle.
Time for lunch after all the walk and I am going to have a hygge lunch: smorrebrod at hviids vinstue (engelsk) the oldest pub in town.
Smorrebrod is a open sandwich on rye bread and you can have limitless amount of toping. For 19$, you get 3 sandwich and a beer. A bargain for me!!!!
I love walking in Copenhagen with its pretty canals, grand architecture and beautiful churches. I am going to visit the 18th century baroque church of our savior and climb the 400 stairs to the top of the tower. The view is divine and worth the climb.
I found a museum that it opens on Monday: The museum of Copenhagen. If you want to know more about his people, his history, his plagues…From the Viking age until now. I love it especially the part in Copenhagen rebuilds after fires and epidemic in the 19th century.
Time to leave the center to meet my friend and discover another town outside of Copenhagen: Frederiksberg.
We walked by the Carlberg brewery area to go the Frederiberg: Rich in architecture and character. Then we climb a small hill and arrived at the Palace and the garden. It sunny and warm: joggers, sunbathers, dads with strollers…
Soren is a good guide and love his city. A afternoon close to Copenhagen. We are back to Soren area for a drink and a kebab later.
April 16-Fire in Copenhaguen.
I was planning to visit the old Stock Exchange from 1700 first thing on April 16. When we arrived close to the site, I saw billowing smoke. I witnessed the fire and talked to the locals. That was their Notre-Dame de Paris…sad morning with a beautiful blue sky. Today I will visit one palace and 2 museums at least
First stop is Amalienborg, the royal residence of Denmark King Frederick and the palace complex that has four identical classical buildings. Beautiful Square and despite the main building being on renovation, I am able to visit the main building and the exhibition on the new prince of Denmark. We don’t hear much about them in North America and it was all new for me. I walked around and stop at Marmokirken church to admire the green and gold dome.
Lunch time as I am going to have French-Danish traditional food at restaurant Dansk restaurant i København Centrum – Book bord her (restaurantpuk.dk)
This is my last lunch in fancy Copenhagen and I was looking for Danish with a French twist. I found that place that since 1750 accepts reservations. I have their signature Herring with tempura egg and veggies for appetizer and the Danish pork roast with warm salad for a main. They were both good, but I prefer the herring. I had white sauvignon Blanc and the server was from Argentina. I spoke Spanish all the way – mas rico 😉 My last lunch was delicioso
The rest of the afternoon is a visit to the two museum that were closed on Monday: the national museum with Viking stone age to contemporary issues and as the colonial role of Denmark. Beautiful building as well.
The last one to visit is the NY Carlsberg Glyptotek the private collection of the beer Magnate Carl Jacobsen. Mostly sculptures (Rodin) and French a Danish 19th century art. Really green and spacious.
There is still smoke near the stock exchange, bof. My last stop before my bed & breakfast is a coffee on a patio with a friend that I meet in Dubrovnik. A French expat who loves the Danish way of living, as do i
Tomorrow, Back to Toronto. I don’t want to leave Scandinavia….I will be back soon.
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