Europe - Venture Magazine Issue #1 Pages 20-23
European Union
The beauty of travelling through Europe is that you can experience so much in a relatively short time. But, as Lisa Bradley discovered on the road to Rome, it's the people that inevitably put the real spark into travel.
All I knew about European Coach Tours, I had learned from my mother: you eat a lot of chicken and chips, you are shunted from pillar to post and at least one traveller sets her sights on bedding the bus driver.
Armed with this alarming information, I embarked on a 10-day coach tour of France, Switzerland, Monaco and Italy with Kumuka, the first leg of a journey which motors around Europe for 28 days. But my preconceptions were soon tossed to the roadside: the food was great, the itinerary provided ample free time and bus driver Martin kept his reputation, as he did the bus, spotlessly clean.
Instead, another picture emerged. As the 49 travellers bonded in the foyer of a London hotel before heading to France, it was obvious that travel by coach is an up-close and personal study of human relationships; Big Brother on wheels, if you like.
Fortunately, Australian guide Shana was more Mother Teresa than Big Brother host. A seasoned professional with an encyclopaedic knowledge of things European, Shana met with unswerving patience the needs of our diverse group. A few wise words about gossip – “what goes around comes around” – ensured the group was one big happy family, complete with a couple of eccentric relations, of course.
By the time the bus reached our Paris hotel, everybody had
at least met somebody to chum around with on day one, which
for most meant scooting into the city for their first look
at the Eiffel Tower and an overpriced bite to eat along
the Champs-Elysees.
Over the first of many shared meals, we gradually got a
handle on who was who and why they were there.
Mark: “I’ve always wanted to travel but got tied up with my career. I’m 35 now and thought I’d better get a move on. The years just waltz by.”
Or Tanya, a 24-year-old who joined the trip because of the age of its participants (mostly in their 20s and 30s, with a few over-45s), the price and “the fact it’s not a booze trip”. Correction Tanya: there are boozers if drinking is what you’re after, but if you want to be in bed by 9pm, that’s fine too.
For this is an uncomplicated journey on a well-trodden path. Hotels (mostly three-star with the odd four-star), travel, breakfasts and about half the evening meals are taken care of, so you can sit back and enjoy the sights.
Shana was always on hand with maps and tips as you entered a new city, which made it easy for the troops during their free afternoon in Paris. We rushed off in all directions: the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay for serious art buffs, the Catacombs and even Disneyland Paris, 32km out of town. There’s no way you can see it all, but Shana’s guiding hand makes you believe you’ve seen all you wanted.
As we left Paris, Andrea joined the tour. The group waited diligently for the 30-something Melburnian to get on the bus as she passionately farewelled a motorbike-riding Frenchman named Pierre, who she had met at a party the night before. Not for Andrea was Marianne Faithfull’s Ballad of Lucy Jordan; it was from the back of a motorbike, not a sports car, that she experienced the romance and warm Parisian air. But it was still deep and meaningful stuff... and she wasn’t surprised.
"I had Botox for the trip,” she told me days
later in Florence, Italy, while pining for Pierre. “I
knew this holiday would be memorable and change my life
forever.”
Not that love bloomed only for Andrea during the journey
(two other Australians on board made a discreet match),
but for most the love affair was with the sights. And, on
that score, Switzerland was the group favourite.
Ah, Switzerland. Land of the Swiss army knife and chocolate. The latter was chomped on by almost everybody as the bus wove its way past lakes and mountains to our Interlaken hotel, flanked by restaurants and the Swiss Alps.
Happy were those who paid extra for the day trip to the top of Europe via the Jungfrau railway. While the scenery to and from the peak was appropriately chocolate box (Heidi huts, remote villages, snowy mountains and the odd St Bernard dog), the view from the top was exceptional.
Interlaken also gave the tour its most memorable communal meal. When in Switzerland, do as the Swiss do... which for dinner means fondue. Just a short swagger from the hotel, at Bebbis restaurant, we were treated to cheese fondue (cheesy), macaroni cheese (very cheesy) and entertainment (total cheese). Owner Robert, who, as more than one person remarked, bore a passing resemblance to Freddie Mercury, dressed in a cow suit and sprayed punters with water while proclaiming we were in the midst of a bad storm. More like bad acting, but nonetheless he succeeded in letting two-thirds of the group join him in a conga around the restaurant; a surreal moment which awakened a sense of cameraderie in most of us.
The only other restaurant entertainment was provided by
Andrea eyeing up the waiters. All the eateries we visited
en masse, particularly those in Italy, served top-notch
nosh.
From Switzerland we rolled on to the lakeside town of Annecy
in France. One would think that all this time on the bus
would test most people’s mettle, but there are enough
comfort stops to ensure the journey passes without bad humour.
The highlights were a French perfumery and tasting the local
chiantis in Tuscany; the lowlights were the bears cooped
up in a crumbling pit in the Swiss capital of Berne. All
agreed it was a disgraceful way to treat bears; all took
photographs of them.
In the coach there’s the odd video to keep your mind
off the road and, if you’re lucky, you may have a
Mike on board.
"Big Mike” from Melbourne (who seemed to want
everyone to know he was the front row forward for the Eastern
Suburbs Tigers from 1988 to 1997) turned out to be the brains
of the group and was up until 3am compiling a quiz which,
during a particularly long leg of the trip, saw the bus
split into groups battling for a bottle of wine. If this
was a reality TV show, some would say Mike was vying for
public votes, and doing a fine job at it.
When it comes to coach-trip clothing, casual is the order of the day. But while you’re in Nice you’ll be pleased you’ve packed a decent outfit for an evening sojourn to the principality of Monaco, where the rich pay big money just to be considered suitable enough to become a citizen of this lavish Mediterranean country. Only about 5000 people of the 30,000-strong population hold such an honour.
The group rose to the challenge. Gone were the trainers, jeans and t-shirts and out came the heels and evening wear. But, I'm sad to say, not many could compete with the threads worn by the wealthy strolling around Monte Carlo. I’m talking serious bling.
This chip off Monaco’s solid-gold block is renowned for its gambling houses and there’s none more famous than the Grand Casino. Our lot passed not only muster but two Ferraris and a Rolls Royce parked outside to join the high rollers around a roulette wheel, where they unashamedly placed their $10 bets alongside a woman who put up a $5000 chip. (She lost and, no, she didn’t even flinch.) But there was good news for our honeymooners Shelly and Jason, who had timed their trip to fit between the footie season and Munich beerfest. They won $550 on Black 29. Everybody else seemed satisfied with just getting a look in at the casino’s flash bathrooms and self-cleaning toilets.
Day eight, and the tour left for Italy. Andrea, winding up her tour de France, was safely on board having momentarily forgotten Pierre to spend the evening with two Frenchmen she met in Nice, a lapse in judgement that put Big Mike into a lather: “I’ve searched all the beaches and she’s not on any of them.”
Rain fell when the group stopped to take snaps of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and out came the emergency plastic raincoats (the organisation of some of these people is astounding). The weather suited the mood; the trip was winding up for many and there was a realisation that newly-minted friendships were about to be severed.
A day trip to Florence from our hotels in Montecatini, about two hours away, jollied everybody’s spirits, but it was the purchases, not Michelangelo’s David, that delivered the smiles: everybody got a bargain in the form of Gucci or leather. The group’s big spender, “Shopping Matilda”, brought up the rear with another souvenir.
Overlooking Florence in the Piazza Michelangelo, the group
posed for a panoramic photograph, a copy of which cost $22.
But it was a perfect keepsake; the big sky, hills and vineyards
of Tuscany that the tour passed on that final push to Rome
were unfamiliar to many, but the faces in that picture were
recognised as mates.
Not surprising, then, that Rome was a rude awakening for
some. Those leaving were replaced by a new batch of travellers
waiting nervously at the hotel. It was a blunt and solemn
end for a group of people who only 10 days before had been
unsure about sharing rooms with strangers.
All agreed that it had been a momentous journey. For Mark, it had strengthened his resolve to travel and he was already planning a trip around Australia; Andrea scored an Italian waiter the night before she left, but Pierre had stolen her heart and she planned to hook up with him in Thailand next year; and Big Mike... well, if this was Big Brother he’d be my pick to win, especially since rumours were rife that he was compiling another quiz.
But who knows? As the bus drove off towards such places as Venice, Munich, Prague and Amsterdam, it was still anybody’s game. Among the new arrivals were fresh characters to get to know, and, with them, new opportunities to make long-lasting friendships.
TOP TIPS
- The majority of tour activities are covered in the cost but some call for extra cash. The Jungfrau railway trip from Interlaken is the most expensive, but well worth the extra spend.
- Take a good pair of shoes for sightseeing, some warm clothes for the mountains and something a bit snazzy to wear in Monaco.
- Make an effort to speak the local languages when venturing out solo for food. It pays in good service and the odd free drink.
- Take earplugs; there were no snorers on our trip but you never know. If the thought of sharing a room doesn’t appeal, pay extra and get a room of your own.
- Mix with the group. The sights are great but your companions you are travelling with leave an even longer-lasting impression.
Lisa Bradley,
Journalist
Building Sites
Stunning architecture shadows you around Europe. We select
four buildings we reckon you have to see in your lifetime...
- Rome The Pantheon
Cliché it may be, but the Pantheon truly has to be seen to be appreciated. It is the oldest building with its roof still intact, and is remarkable for its size, construction and design. Work was initiated in 27 BC by the statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, but it was completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian sometime between AD 118 and 128. Some alterations were then made in the early 3rd-century. The body of the building, an immense circular space lit solely by the light that floods through the 27-foot oculus, or "eye", opening at the centre of the dome, was revolutionary; possibly this was the first of several great buildings of antiquity that were designed to favour the interior rather than the exterior. - Florence The Duomo, Santa Maria
del Fiore
Florence is one of the world's top attractions for lovers of art. The famous Duomo, or Cathedral, is the result of over six centuries of work. Its basic architectural structure was designed at the end of the 13th-century; the imposing dome was created by Filippo Brunelleschi, while the facade that completed it was carried out as recently as the late 19th-century. A series of structural and decorative interventions to both the exterior and the interior were carried out during this time. The third and last Florentine cathedral, it was built on top of the second cathedral, which was demolished in 1375. - Berlin The Reichstag
If you're looking for an edifice that reflects the power and stature of government, the Reichstag Building is about as imposing as they come. After the founding of the German Empire in 1872, there was a need for a large parliamentary home in Berlin. Construction took place between 1884 and 1894, mainly funded with wartime reparation money from France. Much of it was destroyed by a fire in 1933 and the central dome and most of the ornamentation were removed during reconstruction after the war. After re-unification the decision was made to move the Bundestag from Bonn back to Berlin, resulting in the latest reconstruction which was completed in 1999. The design by Sir Norman Foster added a remarkable glass dome over the plenary hall, now one of the city's most recognised landmarks. - Vienna The Vienna Opera House
Even if you're not crazy about opera, you'll be hard pushed not to be impressed by the Vienna Opera House. Witnessing a performance is amazing, but even when empty it it oozes music, passion and drama. Built at the southern end of the Kärtnerstrasse between 1861 and 1869, it's erection was initially criticised. One of its designers, Eduard van der Nüll, killed himself because he couldn't handle the negative reaction, and the other, August von Sicardsburg, died soon after. Much of the building was destroyed in World War II, but it was rebuilt to the original plans and reopened in 1955.
KUMUKA’S
WINTER TOURS
Kumuka coach tours of Europe run all year round, but many
visitors find the winter welcome rather warmer. The cities
are less crowded – something you’ll certainly
appreciate in the major museums of Paris or Florence –
but the street-cafés and outdoor life continues,
so you can still people-watch. The run up to Christmas and
New Year and the festivals at this time of year add a different
colour and warmth, and with snow falling on Europe’s
mountains the landscapes are, if anything, even more spectacular.
The culture, food, wine and beer are the same but re-inforced
with seasonal fare. Indeed, winter is perhaps the most magical
time to explore Europe.
All Kumuka’s European tours include quality accommodation in three-star hotels, with en suite rooms and breakfast included, and in most major cities we stay two nights, giving you a full day to explore. Entrance fees for many of the most significant attractions are included, while others are optional. Some evening meals are included – socialising with the group is a major part of the Kumuka experience – while others are not, giving you the freedom to explore on your own or with a few friends. Kumuka’s 21-day winter route is shown on the map, but shorter routes are also available.
Travel to Paris is by Eurostar (included in the cost) but on the continent transport is by air-conditioned coach.
- Days 1–2 England – France, Paris
- Days 3–4 Switzerland, Interlaken
- Days 5–6 Italy, Florence
- Day 7 Italy, Rome
- Days 1–5 Italy, Rome, Venice
- Days 6–7 Austria, Vienna
- Days 8–9 Czech Republic, Prague
- Days 10–12 Germany, Berlin
- Days 13–14 The Netherlands, Amsterdam
- Day 15 France, Paris – London
- Days 1–2 London – France, Paris
- Days 3–4 Switzerland, Interlaken
- Days 5–11 Italy, Florence, Rome, Venice
- Day 12 Vienna
- Days 1–2 London – France, Paris
- Days 3–4 Switzerland, Interlaken
- Days 5–6 Italy, Florence
- Days 7–11 Italy, Rome, Venice
- Days 12–13 Austria, Vienna
- Days 14–15 Czech Republic, Prague
- Days 16–18 Germany, Berlin
- Days 19–20 The Netherlands, Amsterdam
- Day 21 France, Paris – London
