Arrived in Caen on Boxing day (our recent dramas in Paris just a distant memory). We've spent a couple of days just relaxing with the odd bit of sight seeing. Caen has proved to be a real gem. A city which is a mixture of old and new, with most of the new built after the 2nd world war. There are the usual sights to see in Caen - churches which are over a thousand years old, castle in the middle of the town built by William the Conqueror, as well as archaeologic...

Today is our last day in Paris and its turned out to be a not nice day. First up, we returned to the Apple store to get a sales tax refund docket - no big deal, it was an easy drive in, found a parking space right where we need to be, got attended to in the store straight away, and then we were off. We headed for the Champs Elysees Avenue to go to a tax refund store. No problem, the GPS landed us right outside the store. Pulled in behind another vehicle parked on...

First of all, Merry Christmas to all. Hope you are all having a great day with family and friends. Being so far from home at this time of the year makes you realize how important family and friends are. Anyway, cheers to all. So, Paris. This is our third visit to this great city. And it never ceases to amaze us. The sights, the people, the food, the wine, the shopping (especially perfumeries). We've decided to forgo most of the attractions this time (The Louvre,...

Spent last night in Luxembourg. We didn't get to see too much of the place. By the time we found our hotel (the GPS got all confused because of the new roads around the hotel), and settled in, neither of us felt inclined to do any sightseeing. So we opted for a casual stroll around the city when we went in for dinner. Not quite what we were expecting. It is older than you would imagine (earliest recordings date back to 963AD). Definitely a city of interest. H...

Almost finished in Germany. Our last stop is Stuttgart for a one night stop. We haven't done much research on Stuttgart so we are not sure what to expect (we have read that it is well known for its Christmas markets). Our stay doesn't start well. When we got to the hotel, there was a note on the door: "Message for Julie Browning - Reception is closed, book yourselves into the hotel. Your room is number 19, key is under the doormat". Great start. No info about t...