Hyde Park Running.

 

It’s funny that of the times that I have been to London over the past 23 years, I hadn’t actually been running in Hyde park, until this years trip. There had been different factors why I hadn’t done so in the past. But after finally doing it, it lived up to its reputation of being a great place to exercise.

I headed from Earls Court where we were staying and went down Cromwell Rd until Gloucester Rd and then headed into Hyde Park at the Broad Walk. I headed across passed Kensington Palace.  Despite being early in the morning it was a hive of activity.

Why I loved it? Well it had something for everyone. You had sealed paths to run on, but if you wanted there are plenty of grass tracks to lessen the vibration on the old knees. You could even run on sand along North Carriage Drive.  With a wide variety of runners getting about you could bring out the competitive beast inside and try to catch runners ahead as you went along. If you were wanting a more relaxing run then you could criss-cross through the park where is was less populated with runners.

The Serpentine was quiet on this morning and quite pretty, although you did have to weave around the duck poo. As a tourist you could run with your phone and stop for a quick pic of some of the sight around the park including Kensington Palace, Marble Arch and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.

If you are staying a bit away from Hyde Park then catch to tube to one of the many nearby stations. Oh one thing I did notice was that I looked out of place with my blue running shorts and bright red top, everyone seemed to be wearing Black.

London Calling

London has long been my favourite city in the world to visit. I'm not sure if I'm just being sentimental because it was my first overseas destination or the fact on another few trips it's been the last port of call after being in non English countries so it was easy. It's just always had this vibe about it that I've loved. Whilst it was still there, it seemed to have lost it's appeal, only slightly. 

I'm not sure if it was the fact that we had had such a great time and when we hit London we came to the realisation that it was coming to an end. Nether the less it was still great. We had some nice weather to walk around and look at the sights.

We started with the London Eye. The kids had been looking forward to going up in it. It gives nice views especially up to Buckingham Palace. The kids loved the fact that the queen was home. Trafalgar Square was our next venture and I was devastated that they have banned you from climbing on the lions. It was a bit of a tradition to jump on the lions back and get a photo. I was going to do it but they had people patrolling and it looked as if one of them wrote out a ticket for someone who attempted it.

Our walk up to Buckingham Palace was well timed as they changing of the guards started. Kylie was a bit shocked at the pomp and ceremony that went into it. It was also Bank Holiday weekend and they had lots of things getting organised up at the Palace and it was crowded. It was a bit of a shame as they didn't get to look at it in detail. Of course one morning when I went running it was deserted so I got to have good gander. 

Portobello Road markets were great and Kylie and Milana bought a few things. It was a great afternoon so the crowds were out and there was a really good atmosphere. We got to see the Travel Book Shop from Nottinghill movie. Of course it isn't a travel book shop but a souvenir shop. at the markets there was a fantastic performer, you could have sworn it was Ed Sheeran himself.

My favourite tourist attraction in London has always been Tower Bridge. I think it looks cool. Every time I have been to London I have always put off going up the walkways. This time Sebastian and I did it. They have a couple of glass bottom floor panels and we timed it perfectly as they opened it when we were up there. It was pretty good to watch from atop.

We shopped a bit at M&M world. It was funny as Kylie had turned her nose up when I said that we should go there. But she enjoyed it. It is spread over 4 levels. It's expensive but oh well. We did get to see a huge bust up between a mum and her 7 year old. It was pretty horrific. 

On the last morning I ran 13km around the city. It is always the best way to see the city.

The Netherlands

We had a fantastic 5 nights in the Holten, The Netherlands.  It was great to see Roy and Anita again and the kids have really grown up since last visit. We got straight into the typical Dutch lifestyle and jumped on bikes and rode down to the town square where they had a festival going on. We had dinner there and swerved, I mean, rode home at 9.30 when it was still daylight.

The kids sweet breakfasts continued. A new addition to what they had been previously having was was the chocolate sprinkles on their toast. Mmm.

We went to a Dutch Open Aired Museum on the Sunday. I guess the best way to describe it is a bit like Sovereign Hill in Victoria. You can walk around and look at old buildings including farmhouses, windmills, a brewery and even trams. The kids enjoyed it, almost as much as the flying fox that was there.

As a family we got into the Dutch tradition of riding everywhere around town. On the Monday we all rode the kids to school. We also rode and did the groceries and things like that. I really liked this side of the culture. The Dutch motto is - There isn't bad weather, just bad clothing. So even if it is raining you still ride. Of course, they didn't wear helmets.

The school had just over 200 students. They are getting a new school soon. There current school is looking a bit old. There were a few noticeable differences from our schools. One was that they didn't have uniforms. Their day is structured differently, they started at 8.30 and finished at 3.15 but they had a longer lunch. In fact parents choose if they come home for lunch or stay. If they stay the parents can choose to send lunch or pay to have it provided. They all have there own bag that that hangs at school that they put their coats in so that lice don't spread. On Wednesday they finish by 12.30pm. Most of the kids ride or get a dink to school. It is funny to watch the parents come in and and stand around the courtyard in the afternoon. They back their bikes in and stand there lined up and wait. It was a shame I couldn't understand what they were saying, it would have been interesting to see if they were just paying out on the school and teachers, which is often the case in Australia. It's very orderly. When the bell went the kids came out and grabbed their bikes. Many of them raced around the school yard on their bikes before leaving. I didn't see a teacher on yard duty, if there was then they didn't have the fluro vest which is common in our schools.

One day my kids got to go to school for a few hours. They really enjoyed it and Viggo and Elin did the interpreting for the kids. On the day they went one of the classes was having a birthday party for the teacher which was basically going for the whole morning.

We did a day trip to Amsterdam. Despite leaving after peak hour it still took over 1.5 hours to do the 110km trip, then negotiating the city traffic took a bit more time out of the day. The number of trucks on the highways is amazing. Apparently they are only allowed to do 80kmh and the engine is restricted to 90kmh. For most part it is ok until they decide to pass someone, which they aren't meant to do. This then takes considerable time and it banks up the rest of the traffic as they can't put their foot down and pass quickly. When you have cars doing the allowed 130kmh speed limit it doesn't take long for a bottle neck to occur.

Amsterdam is an interesting city and most would know some of the famous things about Amsterdam, but having the family their we kept away from those famous sights and indulgences. It doesn't matter how many times you visit Amsterdam it amazes you how they crooked buildings don't topple over. It is a must do location!

We are so grateful to our friends for their amazing Dutch hospitality. You can often hear that the Dutch are rude, but the times I've been I have found the opposite, warm and friendly, especially in the city.

Related - Holten

Holten

As the Dutch countryside passes you by on the train to Holten, it is hard to believe that The Netherlands is the second most densely populated country in Europe(behind Malta). Most of the time when I have been been in the Netherlands I have been in Holten, a town surrounded by beautiful countryside.

Holten is a town of 10,000. As someone from Australia it would be hard to believe that there are 10,000 people living there as you pass by. But there are and most of the houses in the town are joined duplexes, meaning it is a compact,but beautiful town.

Holten is a very popular town in the summer months because for the Holterberg and the surrounding Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park, which is stunning. I do have a giggle when the locals talk about going up the mountain as it tops out at 65 metres, never the less, it is beautiful.

In the summer months Holten's numbers swell with holidaymakers. The town is well serviced by camping parks.  It is popular with hikers, runners, cyclists and nature lovers.  As a runner it is sensational. You have a beautiful mix of running  and cycling paths that go through the beautiful forest. You can choose whether you want to stick to the narrow, asphalt tracks or the dirt ones that often run parallel with them. The main paths are very well marked out with signposts and a lot of the paths are intersect like a grid. Of course you can take the winding walking and mountain bike paths. These eventually wind their way back to the main tracks, so you don't get too lost.

Related - Running Levo

Holten is also famous for the Canadian War Cemetery which is situated in the forest just out of the town centre. Over 1800 soldiers, mainly Canadian soldiers are buried there. Canadian soldiers helped liberate the Netherlands in World War II. Two Australian soldiers are buried here. There are a number of ceremonies at the cemetery during the year and locals take part in looking after the tombstones.

Oh and the locals are extremely friendly. I have visited 3 times now and the last 2 times I have stayed with a very generous family who looked after me on my first trip there when I did the Holten Triathlon in 2002.

Paris to Amsterdam on Thalys Train

Travelling between cities in Europe by train is a pleasant experience compared with the ridiculously slow speeds that Australian trains go. By booking early I got us a seat in 1st class of the Thalys train for not much more more than a regular ticket. Was it worth it, yes. Heaps more room, unless you were the angry Australian that was across from us who refused to put is luggage in the storage area. He sat with his suitcase between his legs for the 3 and 1/2 hours. The seats were comfortable and we got served quite a lot of food and drinks. Much more than the Business class on the Frecciarossa 1000.

Many European countries have spent a lot of money on renewable energy and you could see this as the train whizzed along at 330kmh between Paris and Amsterdam. There were wind farms everywhere. Yes I think they are ugly and take away from the beautiful landscape, but they are necessary for the environment. Come on Australian government. 

Despite stopping at a few more stations than the regular Paris - Amsterdam train, it still only takes 3.5hrs to make the journey. A change at Amsterdam Schipol and we were on the way to Holten, a small village around 100kms east of Amsterdam. We had to take 3 regional trains to get there. Each train was easy as you just hopped off and walked across the platform to the waiting train.

Holten's population, according to Wikipedia is around 10000 people and is famous for the Holterberg, but more on that another time.  

More On Paris

The Louvre Carrousel and the Passage Richelieu are two lesser known entrances to the Louvre. To avoid long delays these are better alternatives than lining up at the glass pyramid entrance. If you arrive just before opening time you will be inside the Louvre extremely quickly. The Louvre Carrousel entrance is directly off the Louvre Royal Palais metro stop. If it's a day like the one we had (wet) this entrance was a saviour as we stayed nice and dry.

If you want to get a peaceful look at the MONA LISA then head straight to it. It's in the Denon wing, floor 1 room 6. Both times I have been there we have been able to get great photos and soak it up before the crowds arrived. 

We spent a few hours at the Louvre looking at the artwork but the kids started to get a bit bored, especially Sebastian, although he sparked up when we saw some suits of armour. The Lourve is huge and it would take many visits the even come close to seeing most of the exhibits.

We made our way up to Montmarte, my favourite place in Paris. I like the small cobbled streets with the coffee and crepe shops. The square with the artists has a good vibe to it. There are also a few delicious looking pastry shops. The views from up there are quite good to. 

We walked around to Sacre Coeur which dominates the landscape and has a nice view down into Paris. Unfortunately when you get down to the bottom of the hill it is just souvenir shop after souvenir shop, although we did the Griswalds family Paris thing and bought Berets! I did like seeing the older lady with her scooter, especially when I cop a little flack for riding one around at home.

We walked along to Moulin Rouge which was a huge disappointment. The whole area is just sex shop after sex shop. Not the best walk with young kids. I did expect it but not to the extent.

The next day we headed off to Notre Dame. We prepared the kids by letting them watch The Hunchback Of Notre Dame the night before. Sebastian was enthralled and it was amazing how much he had taken in from the movie. As we were walking along passed the Palace of Justice he started saying how that fitted into the story. It was actually packed that day as they were trying the survivor from the terrorist cell that was allegedly involved in the Paris bombing. I was surprised by Kylies interest in the building. In fact it was her favourite thing in Paris. We didn't get to go inside as the line was extremely long, I was a bit shocked. 

We wandered the Latin quarter and had some delicious cakes. Lunch was at a restaurant overlooking the Seine River. Then we headed for the Galleries Layette which has a tremendous rooftop terrace on Level 7. On the first trip to Paris it was an undiscovered hidden gem, which you only ever found out about with some local knowledge. Nowadays it is a bit better known.

Our last excursion for the day was back to the lawns around the Eiffel Tower so the kids could run around a bit. They had fun and accidentally photobombed Gregor Dimitriovs photo shoot. He laughed and said it was fine.

Now we are on the train to Holten, The Netherlands. I'm looking forward to seeing Roy and Anita and the kids are looking forward to having some kids to play with.  

How To Avoid Eiffel Tower Queues.

How to avoid a queue at the Eiffel Tower - simple, get in early. I know, a lot of people want to see the sun go down whilst on the Eiffel Tower or watch the lights come on in Paris from their. If that's the case, book online but just remember that you have to arrive within 30 minutes of your nominated time.

We arrived nice and early in the morning and got took some photos of the tower from Trocadero. The kids were hyperactive, this was the thing they have been looking to the most over the past 6 months. Our arrival time was just after opening time, I haven't pre booked but it didn't matter as it took less than 5 minutes and it wasn't much longer and we were on the top level of the 324metre tower. Milana and Sebastian were in awe of the tower, wanting to know how many bolts and beams are in it. The views from the top are great, it is amazing that Gustav Eiffel had an apartment up there. 

Whilst the views are amazing I was glad we're there when we were as it wasn't too crowded. Even with small crowds it is amazing how many people will just crawl over the top of you to try to get a picture. And don't even get me started on Selfie Sticks. I wonder how IOT's upcoming roam-e flying selfie will fair up there. We made our way down to level two, the kids had some Macaroons and Kylie and I had a champagne - from the kiosk. We had been there a while and when we come across 58 Tour Eiffel. We had a table near the window with a nice view across the river. We wondered from the tower to Champs-Élysées and to the Arc De Triomphe. Kylie jwas a little underwhelmed with the famous shopping strip, in fact she was surprised and saddened by the amount of beggars. My highlight was the Renault F1 car.