Day 1. Tuesday
Hong Kong Holiday Inn, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.
Wet all day after a good Flight from Sydney. Walked some markets on the way to Science Museum. Very good, lot of hands
on displays. History Museum next door was closed for the day.

Wednesday
Walking in the rain. Peking Road to Ferries Harbour area, Canton Road, Kowloon Park, Temple Street and train back to hotel
from Jordan Road to Tsim Sha Tsui Station.  Afternoon drying out.

Thursday
Would you believe raining again. Hong Kong History Museum today. Very well done, impressive and informative. Managed to
avoid shopping centers, but there several Jewelry shops in close proximity. I dont know if I have managed to avoid them yet.
Well I mean Frances that is. But be positive though, buy on day 3 and no more worries for the next 56. I am happy really!

Friday
We leave the Hotel today at 5:30pm to fly to Paris departing 10:40. In the meantime the rain has stopped and so we get in
some real time touristing. We walk our side of the harbour and marvel at the spectacular high rise architecture on
Hong Kong Island. Walked the Avenue of Stars along the Harbour shore.
We get away on time with Air France. This was the most uncomfortable flight I have ever experienced.
(the Seat was like sitting on a bench and narrow).

Paris France:  Saturday
We were met by our friend Catherine at a City Train Station, and were whisked off to her apartment in an Electric Car. These cars are
hired on an hourly or daily basis and are cheaper than Taxis. A bit like the bicycle hire in Brisbane. Pre book the car, pick up within 30 minutes and park at a predetermined booked park.   Catherine  lives only a ten minute  walk from the river Seine and ten from the Eiffel tower. How good is that?  Lots of side walk Cafe’s.

Sunday
A quiet day to end the week. Catherine took us to a local Farmers market very close to here and stocked up with fruit,
vegetables, meat and bread. A nap in the afternoon before a short walk to watch a section of the final day of the
Tour de France.

Day 7. Monday
Our Hostess is at work today. We visit the Eiffel Tower up close this time, a thousand people cueing for tickets to climb
or take a lift to the top. Certainly a huge structure. I made do with photos. We finished the day with an enjoyable meal
at a local Restaurant.

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Week Two

Last day in Paris. Long walk. Arc de Triomphe, Avenue Des Champs Elysees, Place De Concord, Musee du Louvre, and many
other beautiful, majestic buildings.

Next stop 4 days in Prague, the City of 100 Spires. Easy walking, convenient Trams and Metro.

Top Spots include: Old Town Square – Prague Castle – Charles Bridge – Jewish Town.
A beautiful City full of history.

A quiet street in Prague

The Viking River Cruise 
Our next phase is to join Viking ‘Beyla’ to sail to Berlin on the Elbe river at Dresden. Bad news is that the river is too low due to lack of rain, so three nights here then a bus to another boat conveniently stranded downstream.
Excursions include the Jewish Town of Zidovske Mestro, Bastei Rock Formations, walking tour of Dresdin City.  Another historic city with the old, the new, and with restoration still going on after the devastation of war.

A long bus trip to Wittenberg to join Viking ‘Astrid’ on the Elbe river. Still no Water in the river. Excursion to the interesting town of Meissen and visit a porcelain factory on the way.

Three days of 37C degree heat. Visits to towns of Torgau, Worlitz, where the Soviet and American Armies met and shook hands on the banks of the Elbe River before the end of the war, and Potsdam where the treaty was signed by the Soviet,  British and Americans Representatives after the war ended.

On to Berlin.  A lot of war WW2 history like the Brandenburg
Gate, Check Point Charlie and the Berlin Wall which remained until 1989. Berlin is a new modern City, much of it built in the last 20 years, unlike many of the Cities like Dresden which were rebuilt and restored in the old original style of Architecture.

Here we end the Viking Cruise/Bus trip. Disappointing that the ship went no-where and all our travelling had to be done by bus. Viking did their best with good food and good fellowship and good guides. But it can never be the same, particularly for first time River Cruising passengers. Compensation?  Well $1000.00 off our next cruise, if booked before August 2016. It is pathetic!  Really, we may never be able to do that.

Next stop is Hamburg.
The train from Berlin is a very smooth ride and takes about 1 hour 45 minutes with speeds up to 225 klm/hr.
Hamburg is beautiful City with a huge harbour. Germany still has a very large manufacturing industry and Hamburg is the trading
City and the reason for such a large port. The very friendly people are easy to talk to and they enquire about Australia.  All
would like to travel to Australia but say we are too far away. We think the same way, but we are here and it is well worth the
effort.

Another train to Copenhagen. This takes about fives hours, through flat rich rural country and small towns, and involves the
train driving onto a ferry along with cars and trucks. The crossing takes 45 minutes and drives off in Denmark. Another hour and a
half and we are in Copenhagen. We spend a day on the streets and canals, after a ride into town on the metro. The metro has a
network of rail lines traversing the city. The network is entirely automatic, ie no drivers, and they run ever 5 minutes.
Highlights include the streets and canals of cause, the Castles and Museums and then there is Tivoli Gardens in the city center where
its on for young and old well into the night.