Last stop: Sinnheim Technikmuseum

A great way to end the road trip was our (last) stop at Sinnheim Technikmuseum, a fabulous technical museum with a multitude of cars, planes, tanks and lots of other stuff on display. Among the top items are these two, the Concorde and the Russian version called the Concordski. It's the sister museum of the one in Speyer, which we saw on the way south, so this one was the right place to finish off a great trip.

From tomorrow and the next few days Ricco Scheepers will be guest writing on the blog.

Besancon

On a road trip like this you sometimes decide just to find a hotel in a convenient town on the way to another place. And when you get there you realize that you should have allowed for more time as it's actually an interesting place. Besancon in France was one of those times and places. We arrived late in the afternoon so the Citadel was closing, it was raining and we were only thinking about our next stop in Germany. They did have a nice restaurant though so it wasn't a waste of time.

A beautiful view

Driving through the Alps calls for stops to enjoy views like this of the lake Lac de Serre-Poncon.

Driving through the Alps

The drive through the Alps was an interesting one with narrow roads, tunnels and cliffs on both sides. The goal was to reach the ski resort Saint Jean Montclar where a very nice and very cheap hotel awaited.

On the way to the Alps

When driving around in unknown territory so to speak, you often come around something that you hadn't expected. This is such a case. On the way to the Alps we suddenly passed these stone formations at Les Mées and had to stop to get a few shots of them.

Avignon

On our way from Sanary-sur-Mer we stopped for a few hours in Avignon. As luck would it, it was during the theatre festival so performances and ticket-touts roamed the streets. At the square in front of the papal palace this group made a performance of dance. A few hours was way too short a time to spend here, so that is a town that begs for a revisit.

Le Castellet

Just outside of Sanary-sur-Mer is the little Medieval town of Le Castellet. Perched on top of a hill and a maze of narrow and twisting streets this is a perfect place to stroll around, enjoy the calm atmosphere and take a lot of photos.

What a view

The view from the guest house just outside Sanary-sur-Mer where we stayed, had a spectacular view over the sea. We stayed at a friends house, or rather at the mother of a friend, and had a splendid time there.

Sanary-sur-Mer

After the glamour of Cannes it was time to go to a more quiet place and Sanary-sur-Mer certainly fit that description with its small and picturesque harbour and town center. There were tourists but it was the relaxed and down to earth ones.

For the rich and famous

Walking along the Boulevard de la Croisette in Cannes is a glimpse into the (holiday) lives of the rich and famous as the big hotels here are not for the ones without a lot of means. Luxury cars park outside the right shops and the stylish air their latest acquisitions. This is truly a town of glitter. But staying at hotels on the fringe of town is not expensive so there's a lot of ordinary people here as well.

Going to the beach

A great many of the people visiting Cannes do it for the beaches and they sure are nice. On some of the beaches, especially the ones closest to the town, it's obvious that here you are to be seen. Others outside the town are for locals and families and seems much more relaxed.

Welcome to Movie Town - Welcome to Cannes

Cannes on the southern coast of France was our next stop. And it was well worth the time. Famous for its film festival and its glamour it is a town full of contrasts; movie murals, glitter and a nice old town with narrow streets and small cafés. And a fabulous beach if you want to be burned to a crisp. Here you are to see and be seen.

A short stop in Monaco

On our way from Florence to Cannes we stopped for a few hours in Monaco, the tiny state surrounded by France. It might have been the heavy clouds that day or maybe the plastic feel of everything, but we soon decided that it was not a place for us to stay. The time was spend having a look at the harbour with the mighty yachts and a quick trip up the hill to the palace, before we drove on.

High Above Florence - Fiesole

In the hills just outside of Florence there's a little nice town called Fiesole, where you can spend a few hours when the crowds and heat of Florence becomes too much. There's a cathedral, a monastery, some Roman ruins, some Villas and this nice little square if you want to see something other than the view over Florence.

David

High above Florence stands Michelangelo's David, or rather one of the two replicas in the city. The original is at the Accademia Galleria and the other replica is at the original place just outside the Palazzo Vechio. Numerous other replicas exists around the world and we even got one in Copenhagen at the harbour.

The City of the Renaissance

Our trip round Europe took us to the beautiful city of Florence (Firenze in Italian), the city that is synonymous with the Renaissance. A couple of days there is not nearly enough to get more than a superficial view of the city with its many museums, palaces, churches and sculptures. The bridge Ponte Vecchio here is one of the most iconic places with its row of jewellery stores and other shops.

A Big Garden

The Royal Palace in Caserta is not only a really big building and museum. It's also a very big park, 120ha, with numerous fountains in a long cascade. Walking to the end will take most people an hour or two, while getting back is made easier by a bus.

A Royal Palace

A real gem to visit just east of Napoli is the Royal Palace in Caserta. Called the Swan song of Baroque it's a huge building, once the largest in Europe and today a great museum to visit. It's also a UN World Heritage site. With 1.200 rooms there's enough to see to last the whole day.

Pompeii

In AD 79 the volcano Vesuvius erupted, covering the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum in up to 25 meters of ash and pumice and killing scores of people. In 1749 Pompeii was rediscovered and excavations where started, excavations that are still ongoing to this day. A visit there is an absolutely must if you're in the area but expect crowds as it's one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy.

Amalfi Coast

Driving along the Amalfi Coast can be quite a challenge if heights, narrow roads and tight bends are not your thing but it is beautiful. Make a stop in one of the picturesque towns that cling to the cliffs and enjoy a meal or just a coffee with a view.