Iceland – France

Finally, I made it to Iceland, although it wasn’t easy given the lack of direct flights. For tourists like me who don’t drive, the only option is to take a tour. The scenery on the south coast was simply beautiful. Under the clear sky, there were mossy lava plateaus, waterfalls and glaciers. My impression is that water is eroding the land. Unfortunately, there were no forests.

BTW, I know the reason, but prices are high; especially, I was hesitant to buy food. Hot dogs were the best dinner. *13/04/24

As a geophysics major, it’s no exaggeration to say that I visited to see the cracks in the earth. So I dove snorkelling into the fissure between Eurasia and the North American plate. The water clarity was excellent and could see deep into the lake bed and enjoyed the emerald underwater view with a water temperature of 2°C.

BTW, two days was too short, wasn’t it? No, I was very satisfied to witness the dynamic energy of nature. From a picture-perfect perspective, Bruarfoss Waterfall is probably the best. *14/04/24

I arrived in Paris on a red-eye flight, my first spring visit for all the times of my frequent trips. The street trees were lush green and the scenery was stunning. I was pleased to stroll around Paris just on foot, to the fullest. On my last trip in 2018, I had intended to try something new next time, but I ended up at a café and the Eiffel Tower again, and “confit de canard” at La Petite Périgourdine.

BTW, the charming emerald buses have been replaced by electric buses. The new colour is a dull blue and not pleasing. *15/04/24

I tried to buy a ticket to Bruges, Belgium, with stopovers in Amiens and Lille, but was told in Gare de Paris-Nord that the French rail system only sells tickets for the earliest arriving train combination. Something less flexible than Germany. Cathédrale Notre-Dame in the small city of Amiens stood majestically with high ceilings, feeling more spacious than it appeared. La Grand’Place in Lille, surrounded by Flemish buildings, surprised me with its charm.

BTW, evening arrival, Bruges is too lovely for words. *16/04/24

The combination of architecture and canals is perfect. Better than Amsterdam? All the streets are extraordinarily delightful to walk on. The north side of Grote Markt is also relaxing, with triangular jagged-roofed buildings and small, lovely canals.

BTW, I planned to take the Eurostar in Brussels, but I accidentally boarded a train heading in the opposite direction and ended up in Blankenberghe. Although I could catch a follow-up TGV to Dijon, I was disappointed by a mistake I hadn’t made before. *17/04/24

As the arrival in Dijon was eventually in the evening, I just had a quick walk around the old town, but in the evening I had a nice dinner in La Brasserie des loges. The highlight of the last day was the railway museum in Toulouse. Although I was happy to to see the orange TGVs on display but for the effort taken to get there, it was just ok. I misunderstood Germany was over the river that runs through Basel’s old town, where I stopped on my way to Zurich.

BTW, the trip didn’t finish in Zurich, it still continues. *18/04/24