Day Six:
Today is/was a travel day. Another experience with a budget
airline that I had never heard of, Pegasus. To be honest, my biggest concern
was not having an entry stamp in my passport. In the end, I really should not
have wasted my time worrying about it. The security and passport control
experience was one of he smoothest I have experienced recently; they did not
even notice or appear to notice the lack of an entry stamp.
Random Travellers Tip: Yesterday’s lunch, away from
the tourist areas, cost me 450TL (around 10 Euros), Coffee and a dessert at the
Holiday Inn cost me 380TL and a small can of Sprite and some biscuits on the
flight cost me 384TL. The tip is, eat and drink as far away from tourist areas
and hotels as possible, they tend to have a significant mark-up.
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| Beer!!! Ian Thompson, 5/5/25 |
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| Insider Augustiner Stammer, Ian Thompson, 5/5/25 |
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| Bavarian Dinner, Ian Thompson 5/5/25 |
Had a fantastic Bavarian dinner of sausages, sauerkraut,
pretzel and beer at Augustiner Stammer, one of the oldest breweries in Munich
although not in its original building, this one was only a few hundred years
old!!
Day Seven:
Although today was a travel day, the time travelling was
only an hour and ten minutes so…managed to get to the next hotel in Nurnberg
(or Nuremburg) before 1130 which meant I was out and about early enough to make
good use of the day. Since my primary focus for this stop was to visit a few
sites directly related to WW2 then my first stop was at Kongresshall. The
Kongresshalle (Congress Hall) in Nuremberg, Germany, is a striking example of
Nazi-era architecture and an enduring reminder of the past. Built between 1935
and 1939 as part of Adolf Hitler's grandiose plans for the Nazi Party Rally
Grounds, the hall was intended to host massive party congresses but was never
completed. Inspired by the Roman Colosseum, its massive horseshoe-shaped
structure is made of brick and stone, showcasing the regime's obsession with
power and permanence. Today, it houses the Dokumentationszentrum
Reichsparteitagsgelände (Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Grounds),
which offers powerful exhibitions on the history of the Nazi regime. The site
stands as both a warning from history and a place of reflection.
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| Inside Kongresshall, Nuremburg, Ian Thompson 7/5/25 |
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| Me at Kongresshall, Nuremburg, Ian Thompson, 7/5/25 |
Leaving Kongresshalle, I walked down the processional road
made up of over 60,000 slabs and aligned, per Albert Speer’s direction, with
the Nurnberg castle. I made my way to the Zeppelin Fields. The Zeppelin Field
in Nuremberg is one of the most haunting and historically charged sites of the
former Nazi Party Rally Grounds. Designed by Albert Speer and completed in the
1930s, this vast open-air arena could hold up to 200,000 people and served as
the stage for Adolf Hitler’s massive propaganda rallies. Its centerpiece was
the imposing grandstand, where Hitler delivered fiery speeches meant to
showcase Nazi power and unity. Though much of the structure has deteriorated,
parts still stand today, offering a stark reminder of how architecture was used
to manipulate and mobilize. Now a site of reflection and education, the
Zeppelin Field is a key stop for anyone seeking to understand the mechanisms of
totalitarian spectacle.
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| Rally Ground Podium, Nuremburg, Ian Thompson, 7/5/25 |
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| Me at Zeppelin Fields rally Ground, Nuremburg, Ian Thompson 7/5/25 |
Leaving the fields behind me, I headed back towards the ‘Old
Town’ about 4.5-5kms away. I have to say, I was really not expecting the ‘Old
Town’ to be quite so pretty and well kept. The ‘Old Town’ includes many sites
and churches. Some of the most notable are Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady). Standing
proudly on the eastern side of Nuremberg’s main market square, the Frauenkirche
(Church of Our Lady) is a stunning example of Gothic architecture and an
essential landmark in the city’s historic centre. Commissioned by Emperor
Charles IV and completed in 1362, the church is famed for its intricate facade,
its ornate mechanical clock—the Männleinlaufen—and its role in both
imperial and local religious history. Every day at noon, the clock comes to
life with a procession of prince-electors circling the Holy Roman Emperor,
drawing crowds of curious visitors. Another notable church is St Sebald. St.
Sebaldus Church (Sebalduskirche) is one of Nuremberg’s oldest and most revered
landmarks. Built between 1225 and 1273, this Romanesque-Gothic church is named
after the city’s patron saint, St. Sebald, whose ornate bronze shrine remains a
pilgrimage site to this day. The church's twin towers dominate the skyline, and
its interior is filled with historic art, medieval stained glass, and
impressive sculptures, including works by Veit Stoss and Adam Kraft. Heavily
damaged during World War II, the church was painstakingly restored, standing
today as a powerful symbol of resilience and faith in the heart of the old
town.
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| Part of Imperial Castle, Nuremburg, Ian Thompson, 7/5/25 |
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| Part of old city walls, Nuremburg, Ian Thompson, 7/5/25 |
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| Me at Henkersteg, Ian Thompson, 7/5/25 |
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| Clock-Old Town, Nuremburg, Ian Thompson, 7/5/25 |
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| Old Town Street, Nuremburg, Ian Thompson, 7/5/25 |
There are, also, a
fair share of other buildings to interest those who love history. The most
prominent is Kaiserburg although, personally, I think it palls in comparison to
many of the other sites in the ‘Old Town’. Perched high above Nuremberg’s Old
Town, the Kaiserburg (Imperial Castle) is one of the city's most iconic
landmarks and a symbol of its medieval power. Once a residence for Holy Roman
Emperors, the castle complex dates back to the 11th century and played a
crucial role in imperial politics. Visitors can explore the impressive Imperial
Chapel, residential quarters, and the Deep Well, as well as enjoy sweeping
panoramic views from the Sinwell Tower. With its mix of Romanesque and Gothic
architecture, the Kaiserburg offers a vivid glimpse into the grandeur and grit
of medieval Germany.
I spent a few hours strolling around the ‘Old Town’,
marvelling in the amount of history and beauty to be seen. After a while, I
succumbed to hunger and just happened to find a rather nice, slightly dark and
tad odd restaurant called ‘Trodelstuben’ where I partook of yet more beer and
sausage. I have to say, as surprising as it sounds, I am about done with beer
and sausage. I actually need something green! Never mind, I will survive 😊.
Tomorrow is another travel day. I am going to a place better known for its
beauty rather than its history even though it does have a little history to
speak of.
Day Eight-Nine:
I decided to combine the two days as it just seemed more
efficient and logical. Day eight (8/5/25) was mainly a travel day, moving from
Nuremburg to Zell Am See in Austria. Now, for those not in the know, and haven’t
read my other blog posts, I am a follower of 2/506 during World War 2. The
significance of that, and my deciding to visit Zell Am see, is that it is where
Easy Company were billeted after the end of the war. The US Army requisitioned the
Grand Hotel in Zell Am See and soldiers were billeted there for almost ten
years.
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| Zell Am See, Ian Thompson, 8/5/25 |
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| The Grand Hotel, Zell Am See, Ian Thompson, 8/5/25 |
Besides the reason noted above, this stop was more of a rest
stop for me. I have, now, been travelling for 9 days and, as I am older than
dirt, I am getting a bit tired. The nice thing is that the area is quiet and
beautiful. I really enjoy going out for a long walk, helps me clear my head.
Unfortunately, my lack of fitness restricts me to mainly flat walking which is
a bit of shame as there are loads of proper mountain hiking trails in the area,
and a number of 2500 meter hills. So, the ninth day saw me up at 7 am, skipping
breakfast and walking around the lake which is 12-13 kilometres.
Part two of yet another busy day…decided to jump on a bus
(perk of staying in Zell Am See is you get a free pass on busses) and head to
the nearby town of Kaprun. It seems as if every town in Austria is beautiful,
and Kaprun was no exception. However, I didn’t go for the aesthetics, I went for
its link to 2/506 ‘Band of Brothers’. The town is known as being the location
of the famous ‘Last Assembly’ photo of the remaining members of easy company.
The photo was taken just opposite of the castle in Kaprun. I have included a
copy of the original photo and what it looks like today plus a photo of the
castle itself.
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| Field where 'Final Assembly' photo taken 80 years later, Ian Thompson 9/5/25 |
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| Kaprun Castle, Ian Thompson, 9/5/25 |
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| 3/506 Final Assembly |
Day Ten:
Wow doesn’t seem like it has been ten days! I think that the
longest I’ve been away solo has been 4 days so 10 is like a major escalation. Today
was/is another travel day…up early to catch the 0703 train from Zell Am See to
Woegl. Now I could have caught the 0735 and had a little more time to sleep but…that
would have meant a quick change and the paranoid part of me was too worried
about missing my train to Zurich!
I really enjoyed the trip from Zell to Zurich, made the
decision to get an Interrail pass worthwhile. The scenery was spectacular, I
could most definitely live in this part of the world!
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| Austrian Scenary 1, Ian Thompson, 10/5/25 |
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Austrian Scenary 3, Ian Thompson, 10/5/25
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| Austrian Scenary 4, Ian Thompson, 10/5/25 |
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| Austrian Scenary 5, Ian Thompson, 10/5/25 |
Day Eleven:
The focus for today was to visit CERN, which was my only
reason for visiting Geneva. In fairness, I have been to the city previously and
I consider it the least attractive of the major Swiss cities. I would,
certainly, put Zurich above Geneva. I find Geneva to be a bit crowded, dirty
(surprising for a Swiss city) and expensive.
Back to CERN…what a great place! It certainly did not disappoint
me at all. I used the free travel pass that the city provides to many hotel
patrons to get the tram (#18-40 minutes from my hotel which, unfortunately, is
next to Geneva stadium in a les than aesthetically pleasing location) to CERN
which is on the outskirts of the city. The actual site straddles Switzerland
and France both above and underground. Things got even better when I found out
admission was free including the guided tours. Travellers Tip: You have
to book the guided tours using the CERN Wifi and webite and you can only do so
from 2 hours prior to the tour. Beware, the tours are limited to 24-25 people,
so they book up fast!
The site has a number of informative exhibitions, and the
guided tours cover different areas. I opted for the tour that let you see the
first accelerator/collider and the Atlas project control room. The tours are 90
minutes with just a little bit of walking.
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| CERN #1, Ian Thompson, 11/5/25 |
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| Me with Spectrometer CERN, Ian Thompson, 11/5/25 |
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| CERN, Ian Thompson, 11/5/25 |
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| Me at CERN sign, Ian Thompson, 11/5/25 |
I decided to not do any sightseeing after CERN as, to be
honest, getting very tired as I have been trying to squeeze a lot into my short
stays.
Tomorrow is my penultimate travel day when I head from
Geneva to Caen to get in some last minute WW22 history before heading back to
the UK.
Day Twelve-Thirteen:
How I missed travelling in France and France in general, not. I have to honestly say that things went pretty smoothly for most of my trip until I crossed the border between Switzerland and into France. Would you believe it, 30 minute delay just like that. Of all my train trips so far, the longest delay has been 10 minutes! So, thankfully I still managed to make it from Paris Gare De Lyon, which is a pretty nice and modern station across town to Gare St Lazare which is another nice station about 6 km from Gare De Lyon. The problem is that things became stressful, again, at the station as it was extremely difficult to figure out, in the maze that is Gare St Lazare, just which platform I needed to go to for my train to Caen. Well, a few minutes on my phone helped with the number but it still took a good 15 minutes of wandering around aimlessly to find the train which I did with 10 minutes to spare!
The trip to Caen was straightforward and relatively
comfortable and only took 2 hours. A quick bus trip, 25 minutes, from Caen had
me in Ouistreham by 4pm. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that a lot of places
don’t start serving food until 6pm but I managed to find one fairly decent
restaurant across from the sea front casino. For those who know D-day history,
and have watched the longest day, you’ll know this as the place where 4
Commando battled the Germans. FYI, the depiction in ‘The Longest Day’ is
incorrect, the actual casino was torn down by the Germans in 1942 leaving the
basement and foundation where they had 4 gun mounts. I guess it was just
another example of Hollywood making things up as they go.
Tuesday is/was he last actual day of the trip, I am not
counting the overnight ferry back to the UK. Given my absolutely dire state of
fitness, I decided it would be best to get some steps/kms in. My cunning plan
was to walk from my hotel, the wonderful Ibis next to the ferry port to the Churchill
ARVE display which was 6.5 km away and back taking in as many monuments as
possible and, at the end, have lunch then hit the two museums in Ouistreham. I
took off at 0900 and walked along the promenade, bit warm in the sun but it was
a beautiful day to be honest. One thing about this stretch of the D-day beaches
is that there isn’t the number of bunkers and pillboxes that you’ll find at he
other beaches. The number of pillboxes and casemates on Omaha beach, for
example, many of the Widerstandsnesters (from the original WN-60 to
WN-74) remain. However, with regards to Sword beach WN24 remains at Luc-sur-mer
and WN21 at Lion-sur-mer. There are other sites, such as WN17, that are further
in land which, without a car, I couldn’t visit. They seem to include WN26 as
part of Swords defences, but I was under the impression it falls under Juno (Happy
to be corrected).
The following pictures with captions cover most of my walk.
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| Centaur Dozer tank in CS markings, Ian Thompson, 13/5/25 |
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| Le Matelot Statue, Ian Thompson, 13/5/25 |
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| Me with the Churchill, Ian Thompson, 13/5/25 |
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| 3rd Infantry Memorial, Ian Thompson, 13/5/25 |
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| Piper Bill Millin Memorial, Ian Thompson 13/5/25 |
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| Sur Le Pas, Ian Thompson, 13/5/25 |
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| Momument a la Liberte de Lion, Ian Thompson 13/5/25 |
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| Sword Memorial, Ian Thompson 13/5/25 |
After my trek along the beach, it was time to do my
compulsory museum tours. This time is was the 4 Commando Museum and the Grand
Bunker Museum. The former is a small museum dedicated to the French Commandos
known as the Kieffer brigade. It is really small but does contain a lot of
artifacts including a significant number of weapons in very good condition.
Unfortunately, photography was not allowed so you’ll have to check out their
website (https://www.musee-4commando.fr)
or take my word for it. The later was the Grand Bunker Museum. What a fantastic
museum (https://museegrandbunker.com/en/)
with an amazing number of artifacts on display including a landing craft right
in front of the museum! This place is definitely worth the visit to Ouistreham!
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| Observation floor-Grand Bunker, Ian Thompson 13/5/25 |
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| The Grand Bunker, Ian Thompson 13/5/25 |
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| Landing Craft-Grand Bunker, Ian Thompson 13/5/25 |
So, that is the end of my Trip. In summary…
13 days
6 Countries (Including 1 new one-Turkey)
6 Big Cities
2936 km by train
1610 km by plane
183 km by ferry
Not too shabby and, probably one of my longest trips distance and time. 😀
