We took a ferry called “Mont St. Michel” across the English Channel to Caen France. The ferry was named after the Normandy town of Mont St Michel. The ferry is quite large and can hold up to 2,200 passengers and has vehicle storage of over 2km long.
We were taking the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Caen.
Map of the trip across the English Channel
This was our first overnight ferry and didn’t know what to expect. We boarded the ferry around 8 pm and was surprised at the quality of the ship. We walked throughout the ship exploring the different areas. It was more like a cruise ship in some aspects with a games room for children, shops and a disco bar for the adults. There were even two cinema theaters on the ferry.
One of the lounge areas on the ferryLobby in front of one of the cinemas on the ferry
We went to the upper decks of the ship and explored the outside areas. We found an outside patio that provided a great view from the upper deck.
Outside patio area on the ferry
We went to the highest deck and admired the view.
Shelley, Anne, Jim and Ray on the top deck of the ferry
We watched the vehicles loading onto the ferry. It was astounding how many vehicles boarded the ferry.
Vehicles loading into the ferry
After exploring the ferry we headed back to our cabin. We were surprised at the cabin and how comfortable the room was.
Cabin accommodations on the ferry
There was an a la carte restaurant, called “Les Romantiques.”
Restaurant on the ferry
We enjoyed breakfast before disembarking in Caen, France.
We signed up for a WW I and WW II battlefield tour with a company called Trafalgar tours. The first two days of the tour were in London and it provided us with some time to explore some of the iconic sites.
We walked along the Thames River and enjoyed some of the iconic views.
View of Elizabeth Tower “known as Big Ben” in London
We walked for several kilometers along the path near the Thames River. Along the way, we saw the Westminster Palace, a beautiful building with great architecture.
Elizabeth Tower in LondonWestminster Palace in LondonAnother view of the Westminster Palace in London
All along the road that followed the Thames River, there were some great architectural buildings. Some of the buildings we recognized while other we did not.
View along the Thames River of some of the beautiful buildings
We walked for about an hour along the streets of London.
Wellington Arch in LondonThe Gates near Hyde Park in London
We went to Trafalgar Square and stopped there to admire the location and take a few pictures.
Trafalgar Square in LondonShelley and Ray in Trafalgar Square in LondonFountain in Trafalgar Square in London
We saw some interesting monuments on our tour through parts of London. There was a unique large bronze horse head statue.
Bronze horse head statue in LondonLion statue at Trafalgar Square
We went the Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards.
A view of Buckingham Palace from the garden area
There was a very large crowd of people gathered there to watch the changing of the guards.
Changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace in London
We walked along the Princess of Wales Memorial Walk and decided to take a picture of the plaque.
Ray and Shelley’s foot with the Princess of Wales Memorial Walk plaque
It was a very enjoyable day exploring parts of London. There were so many interesting things to see.
While we were in London, the four of us decided to look for a good Indian restaurant. We were told by our tour director to try the Masala Zone Covent Garden. We walked to the restaurant which was located not far from the Royal Opera House and the Covent Garden Market.
The front of the restaurant was unassuming and fairly normal looking, however, when you entered the restaurant it was uniquely decorated. Inside the restaurant, they had different types of dolls on display.
Dolls on display inside the Masala Zone Covent Garden Restaurant
Even on the ceiling and some of the walls, there were dolls on display.
Trapeze dolls on the ceiling of the restaurant
We did not have a reservation and the restaurant was fairly busy but we were fortunate that they had a table available.
Inside view of the busy Masala Zone Covent Garden restaurant
We sat at our table and enjoyed looking at the different dolls that were on display throughout the restaurant.
Dolls on display from the ceiling of the restaurantRay and Shelley at the Masala Zone Covent Garden RestaurantJim and Anne at the Masala Zone Covent Garden Restaurant
We ordered an Indian dish called “thalis” which is a traditional Indian dish you share. The thalis dish was a mix of different foods and included curry plus little bowls of varied dishes.
Thalis dish from the Masala Zone Covent Garden restaurant
The meal and atmosphere were excellent and we really enjoyed the thalis dish. Afterward, we decided to take a walk around the area before heading back to the hotel.
We went and looked around the Covent Garden Market which is a popular spot in London.
Inside the Covent Garden Market
We explored the market and then went to the central square at the market. We came across a street performer from Canada who was doing a show.
Street Performer at Covent Garden Market in London
We stopped to watch for a while before eventually heading back to the Hotel. Overall it was a very enjoyable evening out with friends.
We took a walking tour through Munich. The tour guide “Steve” was extremely knowledgeable on world war 2 history and the tour focused on WWII.
Our tour guide Steve explaining sites in Munich
We walked along the streets looking at some of the buildings which were used by the Nazi Regime. There were a few interesting ones that stood out.
The House of Art in Munich
This Art Museum was originally Hitler’s personal shrine that condemned “Degenerate art” and he held an exhibition in July 1937 called “The Great German Art Exhibition”.
The corridor along the exterior of the Museum with large pillars
This building was designed by Paul Ludwig Troost and it is considered to be the first monumental example of Nazi architecture.
This is the only building in Munich which still has swastikas visible on the building.
Ceiling on exterior corridor of the Museum
At first, they are not noticeable but after a closer look, they are clearly visible.
Tiles in ceiling corridor of Museum with swastika pattern
We walked through several areas where the Nazi Regime confiscated buildings and converted them for their own use.
Munich GermanyMunich GermanyNational Opera House in Munich
The Gestapo headquarters was destroyed during WWII. The new building on that location has a small monument and display identifying the history of the building location.
Location of original Gestapo headquarters in Munich
We walked a fair amount during the tour and eventually arrived in the Marienplatz in the center of Munich at the Rathaus-Glockenspiel.
The Rathaus-Glockenspiel in Marienplatz Munich
Our final stop was near the Hofbrauhaus, a beer hall. This was where Hitler started speaking in October of 1919 and eventually founded the SS in the basement.
The Hofbrauhaus Beer Hall in MunichHofbrauhaus in Munich
The tour was enjoyable and we saw some historic buildings and monuments along the way.
We took a tour bus from Munich to go and see the “Kehlsteinhaus” known as theEagles Nest in Berchtesgaden Germany.
Anne, Jim, Shelley, and Ray getting ready to board the tour bus.
The two-hour drive from Munich to Berchtesgaden was very enjoyable with great views of the countryside.
View from the tour bus on the way to Berchtesgaden
We arrived near the base of the mountain and exited the bus. At this point, only designated special buses are used to shuttle people to the entrance of the Eagles Nest.
Special bus used for going to the entrance of Eagles Nest
We boarded the special bus and began our trip up the steep treacherous road which was cut into the mountain. The road was very narrow with many winding turns near the edge of deep gorges.
Edge of the roadway with steep gorges on the way to the Eagles Nest
When we reached the entrance area of the Eagles Nest we could see a large tunnel opening.
Tunnel opening at the base of the Eagles Nest entrance area.
We headed into the tunnel which is 131 meters (430 feet) into the mountain before reaching the base of the elevator shaft.
Tunnel leading to the elevator inside the mountain
When we reached the elevator we were amazed at the size of the elevator. It could hold up to 40 people and was the original elevator when the Eagles Nest was built.
Entrance into elevator at Eagles Nest
The inside of the elevator was very large and ornate with polished brass and gold throughout. The original phone and clock were still in the elevator and functional.
Inside of the elevator of the Eagles NestOriginal clock and phone from the Eagles Nest elevator
The elevator ascends a total of 140 meters (460 feet) to the inside of the Eagles Nest. When we stepped out of the elevator it felt like stepping into a different world.
The Eagles Nest is located near the summit of the Kehlstein mountain and is 1,834 m (6,017 ft) high. The building which was constructed as a gift for Hitler’s 50th birthday was made to impress and represent power.
Today the Eagles Nest is a restaurant with beautiful views of the mountains and a great outdoor patio. We went into the reception hall which has a large marble fireplace.
The reception hall, with marble fireplaceThe reception hall, with marble fireplace
The marble fireplace was a birthday gift to Hitler from the dictator Benito Mussolini.
Italian Marble fireplace in the Eagles Nest
After the war, some of the marble was chipped off the fireplace by souvenir seekers. You can see damage where the marble was chipped away.
Damaged section of the marble fireplace
The large windows provided great views of the surrounding mountains.
A view from one of the windows in the Eagles Nest
There was a set of stairs which lead to a wooden paneled room off of the main conference room.
Panel room off of the main conference room
The panel room had two large windows which gave great views of the mountains as well.
Panel room in Eagles Nestview from the panel room window
We then headed outside to the patio area to explore the outside area. The views were breathtaking, everywhere you looked the views were spectacular.
There was a path that went to the peak of the mountain. We walked up the trail admiring the views along the way. We stopped quite often to just take in the views.
Ray at Eagles NestShelley at Eagles NestRay and Shelley admiring the views at the Eagles Nest
We went to the top of the mountain and looked back at the Eagles Nest.
View of the Eagles Nest from the top of the mountain
To say that the Eagles Nest was amazing would be an understatement. The views were spectacular and our pictures do not do it justice. We enjoyed the experience however it is hard to express the emotions we felt while there. The idea that this was a symbol of power for the Nazi regime and decisions were made here that caused mass murder is disturbing.
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