Blast Furnace Park Lithgow in NSW comprises the ruins of the old blast furnace that used to operate on the site. What would otherwise have been a very bland and boring attraction has been developed into a great little place to walk around and learn about Lithgow’s industrial past.
Access around and through the buildings is by raised walkways. These are accompanied by information boards which give details about usage, design and development. There are gravel pathways further from the ruins and a lookout over the area from the top of a small hill.
Blast Furnace Park
Main Building Blast Furnace Park
Inside Ruins at Blast Furnace Park
Ruins at Blast Furnace Park
One of the areas nearby has warning signs for slippery surfaces and fall hazards, so don’t climb it. Anything you want to see there can be viewed from the lookout or raised walkways.
Parking at The Furnace is easy and there is plants of space. Be careful using your navigation system. Ours tried to take us through an industrial area and along some railway tracks. The actual entrance is the obvious one with the sign. If you do follow your navigation system then you will end up on the wrong side of a big fence. Not that we would know this.
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Paris and northern France was our first stop in a 30 day European holiday.
Our other destinations were Brussels, Amsterdam, a bus trip in Switzerland, Venice, Pisa and Rome. A lot to fit into the time available, so we planned to see as much as we could, without skipping through things and missing the details. Going somewhere just to take a picture and leave, isn’t our idea of a holiday. We like to see something very well. Even if it means missing out completely on something else.
Having only visited Paris once before, and then only briefly, we wanted to see the main attractions, while experiencing some of its more unusual aspects. We planned a total of nine days in this great city, about half of which would be spent on day trips to surrounding regions of France.
How Did We Get There?
Airfares were booked for Air France from Sydney to Paris, via Shanghai. These flights were code share and operated by China Eastern. This was a bit of a gamble, for although the airfares were cheap the reviews for the operating airline are mixed. We found that they comparable to the experience we had when we flew with Qantas and Cathay Pacific. The food was typical airline food, and as expected Chinese, although pizza for breakfast was a little hard to take.
Flying time Sydney to Shanghai was 10.5 hours. This was followed by a 4.5-hour stopover in Shanghai. We had to check-in for the onward leg, as Sydney could not allocate us seats. This meant a simple stop at the transit desk, where this was quickly done. Then came the wait to get through an immigration check point, with only one booth open to check IDs and tickets. This was followed by another wait at the security check, after which we made it into the departure terminal, found a coffee shop, bought some snacks and waited out the remaining time until our plane left at midnight.
The final leg to Paris was a very long 12.5 hours. We arrived at 6:30AM, clearing immigration with no problems and then looking for our booked transport to our hotel. After some inquiries, we found it near one of the departure lounges.
Where Did We Stay?
We planned to use the Metro, or walk to most places in Paris itself. To simplify this, we chose a centrally located hotel, near the Louvre and a Metro Station (Louvre Rivoli). The Best Western Premier Louvre Saint Honoré is a small boutique hotel, with only three rooms to a floor. The booking was made directly through the hotel as their rates were better than we could find through online booking sites.
The staff we all very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was served in a room downstairs, consisting of breads, pastries, cereals, hot food, cheeses and yogurt and some fresh fruit. Nice strong coffee was also provided. The room opened at 7:00AM, which was OK for half of the time we were there, but we often left earlier than this for some of the booked trips.
The room was small but comfortable. We expected this, and were very happy with it. The bathroom was also up to expectations. Most importantly, the bed was comfortable and the room was quiet at night. We heard little or no street noise while we were there. As there were only three rooms on our floor, noise from other guests was also minimal.
Due to size restrictions, the lift was extremely small, fitting only two people with a suitcase each. People with lots of luggage or families, made several trips to get to and from their rooms. This didn’t bother us as there was only the two of us.
Overall, we were very happy with our choice of hotel.
Getting Around
The Metro
Travelling around central Paris is very easy. If somewhere is a bit too far to walk, take the Metro. It is extremely easy and efficient to use. If you have been on the London Tube, New York Subway or any other underground system you will know how it works. We purchased a seven-day ticket from one of the main stations. These run from Monday to Sunday. As we arrived on the Sunday, we could use if from our second day onward. The ticketing staff showed us how to set it up. You need a photo on the card. You can use one of the photo booths, usually located in the stations, or as the staff member suggested, a photocopy of our passport photos.
The 30 Euro cost was good for us, as we made several long train trips that cost over ten Euros each (to Provins). Depending on how many trips you intend to take, purchasing individual tickets might be better.
Be aware that pick pockets operate in the metro system. There are constant warnings in multiple languages over the PA system to remind people to be careful. Keep your bags closed and where you can see them. Don’t keep your wallet or phone in your pocket.
Museum Pass and Skip the Line
The
Museum Pass and Skip the Line tickets are a must if you travel during the busy
season. Lines in Paris to see popular (and also not so popular) sites can takes
hours to negotiate. If you don’t have time to waste waiting in queues (and
really who does when they are on holidays?), skip the line will save you hours.
The museum pass may seem expensive, but is valid over a number days, so can be great value if you plan wisely. Not only does it access many popular sites but for most is also a skip the line. So no waiting for tickets in the slow lane. That said though at some attractions there was a skip the line and although is moved much faster than the standard line it was still long. To get around this, you can opt for the more expensive option of a private tour. We did this for the Paris Catacombs where the waiting time was posted as 3 hours.
Walking
Depending on the weather, this is a great way to see more of Paris as you move between attractions. Again, be careful of pick pockets. Despite warnings and being aware of the danger, we had a phone stolen on the first day. Fortunately, the thief discarded it, as it was pass locked. Someone saw this and returned it to us. Lesson learned.
Nearly everywhere you go there are street hawkers trying to sell everything from selfie sticks, water, sunglasses, hats and other cheap items. They are generally more annoying than a hazard. Just ignore them. After a day, they blend into the back ground. Their main impact is to make Paris and its attractions look cheap and degrade their appeal.
Organised Trips in Paris
Why pay for an organised trip, when you can visit many of the attractions yourself and not pay for a guide to escort you around? For us there were several reasons, although they varied by attraction.
Firstly, many of the Paris attractions have huge (and I mean hours long) queues to get in. You can get skip the line tickets, but these are becoming popular, so it means that instead of the very long line you go to the not so long line. Guided tours mean you have a specific entrance time and do not have to wait.
Secondly, despite access to audio guides in many places, walking and talking with an expert who shows you specific items and areas along with their personal interaction, provides a far greater understanding of what you are experiencing. A guide can be organised in your own language, so communication is easy.
Thirdly, there were trips too far from Paris for us to attempt in a day. A bus trip seemed like the best way to do them. See our detailed review of these trips to see what we thought.
Finally, some of the experiences simply are not available without a guide.
We found that all the drivers and guides we organised in France were excellent. Their knowledge was first-rate and they were friendly and cheerful. Each trip is listed below, with a brief description. Click on the link for the larger review.
The queue for the catacombs often stretches for several hours. We chose a guided tour, as this both bypassed the queue as well as enabling us to visit areas off-limits to general visitors. Click on the link above for the full story.
This tour can only be done as a guided tour. Absolutely brilliant experience and highly recommended, as you see Paris from a whole new perspective. Click on the link above for the full story.
We took a small mini-van trip to the Loire Valley. There were six of us and the driver/guide. The guides experience and knowledge meant that we travelled to each château quickly and had a full briefing on its history as well as where to go to see it at its best. Click on the link above for the full story.
Normandy seemed too far for us to travel without a car, but in hindsight we should have combined it with Mont Saint Michel and spent several days here on our own. The guide was excellent, but we were often rushed and missed much that we would have liked to see in more depth. Click on the link above for the full story.
Mont Saint Michel itself was amazing, but not worth a 14-hour day travelling to and from Paris. This should have been combined into a multi-day stay in the area, to have a greater feel for Normandy. Click on the link above for the full story.
We visited the Champagne region as a small group mini-van trip. With six of us in the van and a very friendly driver/guide we had a great time. As we planned to sample the local produce, a driver was essential. We were able to visit several Champagne houses as well as some minor ones. Click on the link above for the full story.
Vineyards in the Champagne District
Versailles
We found a guided tour at Versailles that enabled us to ski the line, have breakfast there as well as see the King’s private apartments that are off-limits to unescorted visitors. There were around 20 of us on the tour. The driver took us there and then handed us over to our guide for the palace who was exceptional in her knowledge. The palace is breath-taking and the gardens magnificent. The tour and the palace all exceeded expectations.
We visited Provins on our own, as there is a train that runs from Gare de l’Est to the town. The train takes about 90 minutes with return trains roughly every hour. We found it very easy to get around the town on foot and visited most of the attractions there. The big advantage of travelling by ourselves was that if something interested us, we could stay and explore longer and once finished we could leave. Click on the link above for the full story.
Provins City Walls
Major Attractions Visited
The Louvre Museum
The Louvre is very busy during the day, making it difficult to see some of the famous exhibits. We went in the evening, when the crowds were much smaller. We could walk around at our leisure and enjoy the museum, without being crushed by fellow tourists.
During the day, hawkers and pick pockets infest the approaches to the museum, so be careful.
Pyramids at the Louvre
Babylonian Statues
Caryatid Columns
Arc de Triomphe
We caught the Metro to travel here. There is a walk way under the road, so that you do not have to brave the eight lanes of insane traffic that travel around it. As well as walking around the base of the monument, take the trip to the roof. There are fantastic views from the top. The museum pass gets you free access inside.
View From the Roof
Paris From The top of the Arc de Triomphe
Musee d’Orsay
Again, we used the metro to get here. Not really being art experts, we walked around looking for the famous works that are on display. Unlike many people, we did not spend long here. Some art lovers can spend days browsing the masterpieces on display.
Notre Dame Cathedral and Bell Towers
One of the iconic must-see destinations in Paris. Entry to the Cathedral is free. There is usually a line outside, which gets longer during the day. It moves very quickly, so don’t be put off if it seems long. The interior of the cathedral is immense, so no matter how big the queue might be, the crowds inside don’t seem as big.
Entry to the Bell Towers has an entry fee. The Museum Pass does not cover this. There used to be a huge queue here, but this has now been replaced by a ticket and time system, so you know when you can get in. There is an App that you can download to get your time. The climb to the top is quite steep and can be a little confining. The views at the top, the gargoyles and the bells of course are amazing.
Gargoyle on the Bell Towers
Basilica du Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre
When we got off the Metro here, we found out that the lift was not working. The climb to the top seemed worse than the Bell Towers or Arc de Triomphe. We used the funicular to travel the last hill to the top. A fun experience itself and covered by the Metro Pass. Entry to the Basilica is free. The interior is breath-taking. The views from the steps over the city are worth the trip there.
Basilica du Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre
Curie Museum
We use the Metro travel to the Curie Museum (Musée Curie – Institut du radium) and walk from the closest metro station (Luxembourg) to the site. The institute itself consists of the old work rooms set up as Madam Curie used them.
It was interesting to find out that some of the laboratories had become so contaminated with radiation that they were only decontaminated in 1981 and only then deemed suitable to be open to the public. On display are instruments from the early 1900s and an excellent history of the Curie family and their scientific discoveries. With five Nobel Prizes, the Curie family must rank as one of the highest achieving families in history.
A great place to visit and learn about the early days of scientific investigation into radioactivity.
Marie Curie’s Laboratory
Army Museum and Napoleon’s Tomb
As with most major museums, the Museum Pass gives free entry here. The main reason for our visit was to see Napoleon’s Tomb, which is gigantic and a fitting tribute to the Little General. The interior, especially the altar is spectacular. Only a brief look at the remainder of the museum was made. Several hours at least would be needed to do it justice.
Napoleon’s Tomb
Pantheon
Originally a church, this amazing building is now the final resting place of many famous French men and women, including Victor Hugo and Marie Curie. The Museum Pass covers the entry fee.
Pantheon
As well as these major attractions, we visited, passed through or passed by many others. Each worth a quick visit. Paris was many gardens, statues, fountains, buildings, districts and streets deserving of a visit.
We have visited Copenhagen twice during trips to Europe. The first was a very short trip because our flight was delayed and we lost over a day before we had to fly to Bergen. The second trip was for four days, when we were able to see a lot more of the Danish capital as well as some of the surrounding area. We flew into Copenhagen from Tromso in Norway on our second visit.
Travel From the Airport to the City
On both occasions, we caught a taxi to our hotel because we chose convenience over the cheaper option of a train.
Accommodation
We chose hotels in the centre of the city on both occasions. The Alexandra Copenhagen for our first trip and First Hotel Twentyseven for the second, because they were close to most attractions and Central Station. Neither hotel had a restaurant, but did provide breakfast and there were plenty of options for meals close by.
Once checked in at our hotel , we walked around town for the remainder of the afternoon and into the evening.
Copenhagen Card
As our second stay was four days long, we purchased Copenhagen Cards before leaving Australia. these were available for collection at the Tivoli Gardens booking office so we dropped in to collect them.
The Copenhagen card provides free entry into most of Copenhagen’s attractions. As a great bonus it includes free public transport around the city as far as Roskilde and Helsingør. Ours were for 72 hours and were used extensively. Before you buy one make sure you will get value out of it by working out where you will go and what tbe would have cost without the card.
Hans Christian Andersen Statue
National Museet
A short walk down the Hans Christian Anderson Boulevard was the National Museet (museum). This is one of the world’s great museums with excellent exhibits illustrating Denmark’s history. Extremely well laid out, you start at the pre-historical section, and then make our way through Viking times, the coming of Christianity through to modern-day.
There is an excellent collection of Viking artifacts, ranging from swords and shields to boats and rune stones. Some of the best-preserved bog bodies are also on display. Gruesome but captivating at the same time.
Bog Body – National Museet – Copenhagen
Swords – National Museet – Copenhagen
Hindsgavl Dagger – National Museet Copenhagen
On the second floor is a very nice café where we stopped for a hot chocolate and snack, before pressing on. We spend around two hours here and could have taken longer if not pressed for time.
Viking Reconstruction National Museum
Viking Sword National Museum
Rune Stone National Museum
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace at Night
Reception Rooms
The reception rooms are all beautifully laid out and decorated. T
The banquet hall is decorated Bjørn Nørgaard’s colourful tapestries, Venetian glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and the walls are decorated with yellow marbling.
The throne room, where the Queen receives kings, presidents and ambassadors is also open to inspect. The king’s throne is adorned with two golden lions and the queen’s throne features two gilded griffons.
Christiansborg Palace Reception Rooms
Christiansborg Palace Throne Room
Reception Rooms Tapestry in Christiansborg Palace
The Royal Stables
Still operating as the royal stables with resident horses this building also preserves the history by displaying and conserving carriages. The stable’s finest vehicle is the Golden State Coach. It was built in 1840 and is coated with 24-carat gold leaf. The oldest coach in the stables is Queen Dowager Juliane Marie’s state coach which dates from 1778.
Golden State Coach
Ruins under Christiansborg Palace
The ruins under Christiansborg Castle, date back to 1167 and the original Bishop Absalon’s Castle. Walking around this underground site, you will get an idea of how the castle was continually renewed and developed.
Christiansborg Palace Ruins
Tivoli Gardens
We went to the Tivoli Gardens in the evening, because many other attractions were closed and we were able to see the rides lit up. The gardens are very popular with locals and tourists and were very busy. We found them to be more crowded than expected and difficult to get through at times. Certainly very pretty, with everything lit up, but we found it quite boring, and apart from a coffee and a walk around, did not stay more than an hour.
Tivoli Gardens at Night
Strøget
Christmas Tree – Stroget – Copenhagen
Christmas Tree – Stroget – Copenhagen
Round Tower
Located in the centre of town not far from Storget the Round Tower provides a magnificent view of the city. Access is via a spiral walkway that takes up the full width of the tower. The final part consists of some short one way ladders where you need to make way for other visitors. The viewing platform circles the full roof of the tower and there are signs indicating the location of important buildings.
The Round Tower
Inside the Round Tower
Rosenborg Palace and Crown Jewels
Walking through town to the Rosenborg Palace in the early morning allowed us to experience the sights and sounds of Copenhagen. The grounds approaching the palace were beautiful, even in winter and were enjoyable to walk around.
The interior of the palace is furnished in its medieval style and is very dark. This contrasts with Christiansborg Palace which we saw later which is very bright and decorated in a modern style.
Rosenborg’s big draw card is the Crown Jewels which are displayed in the palace’s dungeon. They are very well set out and you are able to get quite close to view them. The crowns even have steps next to them so that you can get a better view.
Rosenborg Palace Copenhagen Denmark
The Danish Crown Jewels Rosenborg Palace
Throne Room Rosenborg Palace
Jen Olsen’s Clock
Located in the Town Hall this amazing clock was undergoing maintenance when we visited. Access was still available enabling to to view it but not see it operate.
Copenhagen Town Hall
Jens Olsen’s World Clock
Friederik’s Church
The Marble Church with the characteristic copper green dome is one of the most impressive churches of the city. There is a magnificent view from the dome, which can be visited at 1 pm every day during the summer months and the same hours in the weekends of the rest of the year.
The church is open daily to the public, with restricted hours on Friday and Sunday.
Friederik’s Church
Nyhavn and Amalienborg Palace
Getting to Nyhavn, most of the usual crowds were yet to arrive, so we could see all of the docks and buildings without other people around. The same went for the Amalienborg Palace. There was only a few people there. We took it as an excellent opportunity to take pictures of the palace and guards.
Nyhavn
Buildings and Boats in Nyhavn – Copenhagen
Nyhavn – Copenhagen
The Canal at Nyhavn – Copenhagen
Nyhavn – Copenhagen
Amalienborg Palace – Copenhagen
Guard at Amalienborg Palace – Copenhagen
The Little Mermaid Statue
One of the big attractions in Copenhagen is the Little Mermaid Statue. Its biggest criticism though is the size of the crowds of people gathered there. Not early in the morning though. There were less than ten of us, and could get photos of just us by the statue. Nearby is the Geflion Fountain. In winter the water is turned off, so it was not as spectacular as when operating, but still a very nice sculpture.
The Little Mermaid – Copenhagen
Geflion Fountain – Copenhagen
Canal Cruise
A canal cruise is a great way to see the highlights of Copenhagen giving different perspective to that seen from the streets. Taking about and hour the cruise enable to to see Nyhavn the Opera House and many other landmarks from the canals. A commentary provides a good overview of the history of the sights as you go. We sat in the open area at the rear of the boat. This gave us a great view in all directions, without the windows or roof of the boat getting in the way.
Copenhagen Opera House from The Canal
Roskilde
Travel to Roskilde by train was covered by the Copenhagen Card, as was entry to the attractions there. We caught the train at central station and it was a short 20 minute trip to Roskilde. We walked into town from the train station taking in the main street and lovely gardens as we went.
Viking Boat Museum
Located on Roskilde Harbour this museum houses five preserved viking boats. The displays are well presented with viewing platforms enabling excellent views of the displays.
If you have children, there is an interactive area for them, where they are able to go onto a replica ship.
Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
Main Display Hall Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral is the traditional resting place of Danish monarchs. As such there is a huge amount of history present there as well as the magnificent building itself. We spent two hours making our way around the tombs and interior of the cathedral before heading towards to Viking Boat Museum
Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral
Interior of Christian IV’s Chapel.
Sarcophagus of Scandinavian Queen Margrethe I
Helsingør
We caught the 45 minute traIn ride from Copenhagen Central and again used our Copenhagen Card. The main reason for visiting this city, was Kronborg Castle, located only a short walk from the train station. As we walked to the castle, we found some interesting statues along with a male version of the little mermaid.
The Workers
Han Estatua
Kronborg Castle is famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The castle interior is furnished in places as it was in the middle ages. We found the highlight to be the dungeon level which had limited lighting making it very atmospheric. As you wander around this level you are able to visualise how guards in medieval Denmark would have felt.
Kronborg Castle
Main Hall Kronborg Castle
Kronborg Castle Dungeons
What Did We Think?
We found Copenhagen very easy to find your way around and we felt very safe. People were very friendly and helpful and the city centre is full of great attractions. We visited in December the first time and the city was full of festive decorations, with most shops having candles in their doorways, as well as decorations. Travel using the Copenhagen Card was easy and cheap which made the trips to Roskilde and Helsingor simple.
For other stories about our trips around Europe, click here
