Author: Hugh Maclean

How to plan 18 Months

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The question gets asked regularly. “how/when/why did you decide on this trip” “Why 18 months?” “Are you retiring?” “Will you go back to work?” “How do you pay for this?” etc, etc. Good questions, no real rational answers, except that we could, we wanted to, and covid gave the excuse to extend the trip from 12 to 18 months. Planning this trip has been a long-time fermenting, countless French lessons, and a large white board with things to add & subtract. Insurances to cover and cancel, visa’s to be organised, subscriptions to be halted/cancelled, and ridiculously too many streaming services to be terminated…since when did these take over our lives? Camera gear to be upgraded, both bought and sold, plus a shiny new MacBook Air2. Money to be saved, then spent on flights, accommodation, car hires, etc. A house to pack up and store for 18 months, excess thrown out, donated or gifted. Farewells to be made, God so many people to be missed! Saying goodbye to family and friends, dear friends, that we won’t …

Grampians Peak Trail 3 Day Walk (with No Roads Expeditions).

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The last year has been pretty tough for everyone in Australia and especially those in the travel industry. International travel is no longer an option for most, so Australians have to look for alternatives closer to home. This is where innovative operators such as No Roads Expeditions comes in, offering a variety of experiences within Australia and especially here in Victoria, from where they are based. From more upmarket glamping experiences, wine themed walking/ biking events and for those slightly more adventurous the opportunity to discover the great outdoors, of which there is no better place to visit than the Grampians about 250km West of Melbourne. One of the most exciting opportunities for the region is the substantial funding the Victorian government has committed to updating and extending the Grampians Peaks Trail which when completed will cover a distance of approximately 144 kilometres from Mount Zero in the North, with its massive sandstone outcrops, all the way down to the Township of Dunkeld in the south and the surrounding volcanic Plains. The creation for the Grampians …

How to walk Mont Blanc and put on weight!

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Can someone explain to me how I managed to walk for 9 days, traveling about 160 kms, ascending(and descending) 10000 metres and STILL managed to put on weight?! Was it the food, the wine, the beer…or all of the above? Maybe? Um, perhaps? Oh, ok…yep! Oh, and brilliant company in spectacular surroundings! The appetite is wet the moment you enter this wonderland, attacking all the senses relentlessly. Before we even start our long walk we’re settling into leisurely lunches in Chamonix, watching the passing parade on the streets of this beautiful alpine ski town, filled with adventure pursuits, designer shopping and restaurants galore. Whom ever said omelettes where only for breakfast has never stopped at the Refuge de Miage for lunch after a solid mornings workout getting there! Perching on benchs looking up the valley of lush fields, backdropped by soaring peaks, the omelette and accompanying salad were a sight for sore eyes and hungry stomachs. Washed down with a coffee, wouldn’t be dead for quids! Picture this if you will…lunch on day two, perched …

and finally…Amsterdam.

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We arrived in Amsterdam at about 4pm after an eventful train trip from Bruges which was delayed by almost an hour due, sadly, to a suicide on the system, and a mad dash to catch our connecting train in Brussels which thankfully waited for us! The trip from there was super quick courtesy of the brilliant fast trains that run throughout Europe, thundering along at breakneck speeds. Mmm, any thoughts Australia? Welcome to Amsterdam for the next three days… Dope capital, and proud of it! How convenient, 20 metres from our apartment is a bar! We did the Heineken tour and got a special bottle for Specks, who was always calling out for “UNE HEINEKEN” on the TMB! The weather was diabolical, cold windy and pouring rain, but that didn’t deter the brave souls for experiencing the Heineken Experience. On to the Rikjmuseum, the most famous museum in the Netherlands, and one of the finest in the world, cataloguing the history of Dutch art. The most famous piece, ‘the night watch’, by Rembrandt wasn’t hard …

Two days In Bruge

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Our time in Paris is up, on to Bruges…but not before one last look out the window, then down 4 flights of stairs for the last time! Metro to Gare du Nord and off via Arras & Brussels to Bruges, a trip of about 3 hours. Bruges is a beautiful medieval town, some may say a reproduction as most of it was flattened during WW2, but hey, it’s still very lovely. We are staying in an outstanding B&B about 10 minutes from the centre of town, and it’s there we set off from after downing suitcases. Surprisingly, we found a brewhouse, and partook of said products! The belfry is the most obvious landmark, and site of the most memorable scene in the movie, In Bruges. Dinner at a hamburger joint, then maybe a G&T or two in a fantastic gin & whiskey bar. They have over 230 gins to choose from, and when you do, they are presented in the most unique way. Rachael loved the glasses so much we bought two for home, plus …

Last day in Paris

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Our last full day in Paris started with Rachael running along the Seine, and me not! Only because my runners passed away a few weeks ago, of course?! I spent my time looking out the window. Breakfast done we headed off by metro to the Canal St Martin, which runs for about 2kms, with a series of locks holding water levels stable, as it drops quite a bit as it heads downstream. It’s a pretty cool spot, with a different feel to the rest of town. From there we metro’d(?) over to the swish side, the 6th and the boulevard St Germain with high end boutiques galore, and overpriced Parisian cafes dotted everywhere. Stupidly, we thought this was a good place to do a bit of shopping!! Mind you, we found a great bookshop and bought a TinTin & Asterix comic book in French, of course. Time for a final walk around, and what better area than across to the Louvre, through the Jardin des Tuileries with its multitude of street hagglers… Trinkets everywhere… Then …

Light and Colour in Paris

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Some months ago I read, in a French blog I follow, about an impressive new visual arts show and subsequently saw some initial, glowing, reviews for it…so today we get to judge it for ourselves. Atelier des Lumières is an immersive exhibition of the works of Gustav Klimt plus a shorter exhibition by an artist working under the pseudonym, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and an even shorter contemporary work called Poetic_AI. Images are splashed onto the walls and floors of a huge old warehouse, with a soundtrack mix of classic and contemporary music thundering in the background. The whole experience is mesmerising, images flashing before you, changing shape and form, swirling to the music. Light and shade. Washing over and around you. The room is so large the crowds seem to just blend in, people standing, leaning on walls, or just sitting on the floor letting the scenes before you play out. It really was incredible, lasting about 45 minutes, on a continual loop. Stunning Back in the light we caught the train back into the centre …

Street art and The Panthéon

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It’s another beautiful day in Paris, perfect to finally visit one of Frances most revered sites, Temple of the Nation, the Pantheon. Once a Christian basilica, Napoleon 1 decided to honour the great servants of the state in the crypt, while the nave was reserved for worship. Victor Hugo was the first interned upon his death in 1885, the huge basilica seeming to be the only place worthy of holding his remains. Honours were thus granted according to criteria that has evolved with changes in the regimes. Nowadays, French men and women are honoured here depending on the desires of the President of the French Republic: politicians, authors, scientists, Resistance fighters, etc. With many having been moved here from their original place of burial. Its quite humbling to be walking amongst some of the most important members of France’s history; Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, Alexandre Dumas, Louis Braille, and Emile Zola amongst the many. Even the heart of Leon Cambetta gets a special mention! A local street artist, Christian Guemy, who goes by the …