I have a long-cherished wish to travel abroad after retirement, see different countries and appreciate different customs. Retirement procedures are still under examination and approval, and I can't wait to apply for a passport. No foreign experience, no language, suitable for group tours. According to the introduction of the travel agency, the classic route of overseas travel is of course European countries, so we chose the all-inclusive quality tour of France, Germany and Italy.
On the morning of September 6th, 20 19, I arrived at Jinan Yao Qiang Airport on time, and took the flight of China Southern Airlines directly to Paris.
There are 29 tourists from Shandong in the team, most of them are family groups, including a newly married couple and three couples, as well as relatives and friends. It can be said that the team is full of energy. The tour leader and tour guide is a handsome man surnamed Li, who is proficient in many languages. He has been leading tours in Europe for more than ten years, and he has rich business experience and profound knowledge. He has won praises from everyone along the way with his skillful and humorous explanations, especially the compact and reasonable schedule and orderly itinerary.
The time difference between France and China has been delayed by six hours. China Southern International Flight took off from Guangzhou Baiyun Airport that night and flew overnight, and landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on time the next morning.
The pick-up station is a luxury bus and hovercraft made in Europe, which is full of power, low noise and spacious and comfortable. Both drivers are Hungarian, skilled, polite, clean and tidy, with orderly luggage and a strong sense of time.
When they set foot on the land of Europe, the sky was clear, and the group guests felt the special air for a while, and took frequent deep breaths to enjoy the fresh air there. Looking at the blue sky, dozens of "smoke-pulling" roads formed at the tail of passenger planes cut through the sky, criss-crossing and flying in different directions around the world. When I first arrived in France, I was curious to see this rare landscape on weekdays.
When you travel to Europe, you should know something about the local architecture. The main architectural forms are Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. The triangular lintels and columns in Greek style are easy to identify. On this basis, the Roman style added arches, vaults and semi-domes. Byzantine transformed the semi-dome into an onion-shaped semi-dome, while Gothic replaced the former dome with towering spires. The Renaissance style is characterized by symmetrical and glittering baroque buildings.
Paris is one of the most popular tourist cities in the world, with the reputation of "Flower City", "City of Light" and "City of Romance", which is full of romance everywhere. From the airport to the center of Paris by car, the streets are clean and tidy, and the European-style buildings on both sides of the streets seem to be exactly the same, which is very distinctive. Tracing back to history, this is due to the thorough transformation of the old city by the mayor of Osman as the chief designer during the Second Empire. Since then, Paris has entered a "modern city" beyond tradition and become the most romantic "flower city" in the world.
The bus stopped near the Louvre and we walked into the largest museum in Europe. The Louvre was built at the end of 12 century and was originally used for defense. After expansion and renovation, it gradually evolved into a magnificent palace. /kloc-in the 6th century, Francois I began to collect various artworks on a large scale, and emperors of all dynasties continued this tradition. Most of the collection comes from the spoils of Napoleon's time, with a collection of 400,000 pieces, the highest in the world. Among them, the statue of Venus, the portrait of Mona Lisa and the stone carving of the goddess of victory are well-known "three treasures of the town palace".
Venus statue has the perfect figure and appearance of ancient Greek women, plump breasts, rounded shoulders and flexible waist. This mature beauty is considered to be the highest symbol of female physical beauty. No matter from which angle, it presents a unique feminine beauty, and the broken upper limbs also give people more imagination space.
The statue of the goddess of victory is perfect and vivid, with superb carving skills. The goddess guided the fleet through the wind and waves at the base of the warship, showing the theme of victory. Although the head and arms are gone, it is still regarded as a rare treasure by the world. Its strong, plump and graceful body and its wings make people feel its magnificent posture of spreading wings, which is amazing.
Mona Lisa, also known as Eternal Smile, is considered to be the first work that pays attention to psychological description in the history of western European painting. Dignified and handsome, with a deep and gentle smile on his face.
In the Louvre, I also saw many famous paintings I had seen before. Director Li introduced the historical origin of the Forbidden City before, and each person was given a guide map and an electronic reading pen for only one and a half hours. When I first arrived, it was difficult for the group members to get into the state and listen to the electronic explanation of the reading pen. It's like walking into a maze, only browsing some exhibition halls, and leaving the palace with some regrets.
Director Li has said many times that you can't see modern things in Europe, and there are not many high-rise buildings. What you really see are ancient European buildings, magnificent palaces, cathedrals in spiritual shrines, solid castles, and exquisite sculptures and paintings. Secondly, it has brought many inspirations to people.
Another stop is Place de la Concorde, a famous French scenic spot. /kloc-in the 0/8th century, King Louis XV ordered the construction of "Louis XV Square" to show the world the supreme imperial power. During the Great Revolution, it was called "Revolutionary Square" and was regarded by the French people as a stage to destroy the royal power. 1795 was renamed "Concorde Square", and 1840 was renovated, forming the present scale. After staying here for more than ten minutes, the members hurried to take pictures as a souvenir.
The Arc de Triomphe in Paris is located in the center of the starry sky square. It was built by Napoleon to commemorate the victory of 1805 in defeating the Russian-Austrian Coalition forces. It has a history of 100 years. With this as the center, there are 12 avenues radiating outward, which makes the urban traffic in Paris extend in all directions.
The famous scenic spots in Paris are concentrated on both sides of the beautiful Seine River, so it is a good choice to travel by boat. In the afternoon, members of the tour group visited the Louvre, Place de la Concorde, Notre Dame de Paris, Eiffel Tower ... Especially Notre Dame de Sinai, a typical gothic building, which is still solemn and sacred, even more distinctive than land visits. The group guests had dinner at the cruise restaurant on the Seine River and felt the romance of a foreign country. That night, I stayed at the Le restarturant hotel chain in a small French town. This hotel is located on the hillside with convenient transportation, with beautiful environment, unique wooden two-story building, neat bedding and rich western food in the morning.
At noon on the third day, I arrived in Frankfurt, the financial center city of Germany. The rainy weather in the city has greatly reduced the scenery here. The old city hall building, three conjoined buildings and a stepped herringbone roof on one side of the square are very distinctive and are symbols of Frankfurt. The nearby Emperor's Cathedral is also called the Emperor's Coronation Church, because ten emperors in Germany held coronation ceremonies here in Roman times.
On the fourth morning, I took a bus to the Austrian town of Fu Sen. The style of Fu Sen town is casual and free, which combines the modernity of the town with the randomness of the village. It is famous because there are two swan castles in the mountains, an old one and a new one. Overlooking the castle, the walls are strict and the world is invincible, which makes this small town exude endless charm of combining rigidity with softness.
It was Saturday, and the traffic increased obviously, and hundreds of RVs and trailer RVs were encountered along the way. Europeans like to travel during holidays and enjoy a leisure and romantic lifestyle, which is enviable.
In the afternoon, we arrived in Innsbruck, Austria. Located in the Alps Valley, this city has hosted two Winter Olympics in history, namely 1964 and 1976. Among them, in order to commemorate the engagement of maximilian I, the "golden roof" decorated with 3450 pieces of gold foil on the balcony of a building in the city is a landmark building in the city. I visited the city scenery, stayed in the Winter Olympics Village in the valley, and enjoyed the accommodation mobilized by the Winter Olympics that year.
On the fifth day, we set out on time early in the morning. When Director Li announced that he was going to Venice, the team members were full of joy and expectation.
Venice is the most beautiful water city in the world. There is a metaphor that God shed tears here, making this water city full of crystal and gentleness. The bus is near Shuicheng. According to local regulations, transfer to a local bus and arrange for a local tour guide to pick up the group. The sight of traffic shows the attraction of this water city, which attracts tourists from all over the world. After disembarking in Venice, the tour guide took the team to walk along the north bank of the Golden River to explain. The stone room, the bridge of sighs and the governor's office soon came to St. Kyle Square.
St. Kyle Square is the most famous scenic spot in Venice. At the entrance, there are two tall pillars. On the east pillar stands a bronze lion spreading its wings and flying. This is the symbol of Venice, which is famous for flying lions. Surrounded by European-style ancient buildings, the square is magnificent and shocking. /kloc-French emperor Napoleon praised it as "the most beautiful living room in Europe" in the 0/9th century. The magnificent St. Kyle's Cathedral to the east of the square is the most eye-catching. It was the largest church in medieval Europe. It combines the architectural features of the East and the West. After several renovations, an original Byzantine building was decorated with Gothic decorations, and then the Renaissance style appeared. The structure of the whole church presents a kind of Greek design, which is perfect and is a classic in Venetian architectural art. The St. Kyle Bell Tower, which is about 100 meters high, rises from the ground. Dozens of seagulls hover in the air, and hundreds of pigeons sometimes spread their wings and fly, and sometimes land to get along with tourists. Artists are playing relaxed and cheerful western music in the square. All this makes people intoxicated in the cheerful and romantic world. It is said that in the high tide season, the water will overflow the square and become a water field, where children, old and young, play in the water and enjoy themselves.
This water city is supported by wooden stakes and mud, and covered with a layer of Istrad stone. Its water buildings are very strong and well preserved after thousands of years of vicissitudes, which is a world architectural miracle.
The style of Venice is always inseparable from "water". It is also the only city in the world without a car. The main means of transportation has such a beautiful name as "gondola". This unique, light and slender black boat is a means of transportation for Venetians to live here for generations. In order to save time and see more scenery, Director Li changed the original arrangement of "gondola" to a yacht for ten people and visited the beautiful scenery on both sides of the canal. The Grand Canal with rippling blue waves, the "gondola" with winding water lanes, all kinds of ancient European buildings on both sides of the strait, and beautiful bridges over water ... Venice, a floating city, not only attracts tourists with its unique architectural structure, but also makes them linger with its profound historical accumulation.
Stay in Boston's four-star hotel at night (Embassy &；; Boston). In the lingering feelings of Shuicheng, staying in this extraordinary sea view room has a different artistic conception. On the balcony, the warm sea breeze blows your face, and the fatigue of the day goes with the wind.
The western-style breakfast in the hotel is varied and varied. Looking out of the restaurant window, a red sun is rising from the sea level in eastern Ran Ran. The beautiful scenery brings more reverie to people, who are reluctant to leave for a long time.
After breakfast, take a bus to Rome. Rome is the capital of Italy and the birthplace of the Roman Empire. With a history of more than 2,000 years, it is like a huge museum, subverting our understanding of history and reality from time to time. According to Director Li, when the United Nations World Heritage Organization arrived in Rome, it could not define the specific meaning, and only the whole of Rome could be rated as a world heritage.
Walking into the urban area of Rome, you can see many ancient Roman relics and well-preserved places of interest, from which you can see the prosperity of ancient Rome at that time, which is also an important symbol of ancient Roman civilization. There is the Arc de Triomphe in Constantine, which was built to commemorate Constantine the Great defeated Emperor Marcuse and unified the Roman Empire. It is also one of the three most famous and well-preserved Arc de Triomphe in the world. Next to it is the ancient Colosseum, which could accommodate 80 thousand spectators during the imperial period. It is specially designed for slave owners, nobles and freemen to watch the performances of fighting animals or slaves. In my imagination, the scene of a boxer facing honor and death must have been terrible.
In Rome, it passes through the Vatican in China. China is the smallest country with a population of less than 1000. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the center of Catholic faith in the world. It has the largest St. Peter's Church in the world and a magnificent square with a unique baroque architectural style. Here, you can feel the mysterious color of western religious culture, and you can go in and out at will after security check, and there are endless tourists.
This day is the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. Director Li specially added a bottle of red wine to each table for dinner, so that everyone could have a special holiday in a foreign country. At the dinner table, with the aid of the affinity of wine, everyone raised their glasses in succession, which enhanced the friendship between the group guests. After dinner, I hit the road. The sun didn't set on one side of the window, but the full moon was already in the sky on the other side. As the sky gets darker, the moonlight gets brighter and brighter. Please think twice about your relatives during the festival. At this moment, with the bright moonlight, I believe everyone is missing their relatives in their hometown.
The bus traveled along the mountain road to a small town in Italy and stopped at a Michelin chain store with a history of more than 400 years. Director Li has been in Europe for more than ten years, and it is the second time that he has come to such a shop with a long history. We are very lucky.
The concept of Europeans is to advocate ancient and historic things. The older they are, the more valuable they are. For example, they don't care about the new BMW Benz, but the classic cars are more valuable than these luxury cars, and so are the houses. Under the hint of director Li, everyone can feel the quaint atmosphere emitted by a century-old shop. Oil paintings with golden borders are hung on the walls in proper positions, and several pieces of ancient European furniture are placed just right. A European chandelier in the center of the roof makes this century-old shop look magnificent at night.
I had the same rich western breakfast in the old shop, and then I went to Florence by bus.
Florence has the reputation of "Flower City" and is the birthplace of the Renaissance. Many famous cultural figures were born here in history. There are many museums, art galleries, palaces and churches here, which have a large collection of precious cultural relics. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Flowers is one of the most beautiful churches in the world. It has the largest dome in the world and has become an important landmark of this city. Opposite the church is the Sangiovani Baptistery, which was built in the 7th century. It was transformed into a white octagonal building in the 1 1 century. Giotto Bell Tower is located next to the church, and its exquisite relief and harmonious color matching complement each other with the church. The nearby City Hall Square, also known as Medici Square, is like a magnificent open-air sculpture art museum, where sculptures from different historical periods abound. The whole pure white marble statue of David in front of the city hall is regarded as a model of classical works of art, but what you see is a replica of the same scale.
I visited the scenic spots in a hurry and arrived at a three-star hotel in the suburbs by bus. Because there is a supermarket nearby, Li Dao specially changed the group meal to self-care, and promised to go back to Paris to invite everyone to taste the traditional French dishes of snail and foie gras. Everyone agreed. Then I went to the supermarket to buy food, where I experienced the dignity of China people.
On the eighth day of my trip, I went to Switzerland early in the morning. Switzerland is known as the "hometown of mountains and lakes", and its natural scenery is the most beautiful among the countries it has been to.
In Switzerland, we first went to the central city of Lucerne, also known as Lucerne. This is a beautiful city, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with lakes and mountains. Medieval churches and towers can be seen everywhere in this city. There are ancient narrow street squares, century-old shops that make people stop, and traditional goods are dazzling. The most famous are Swiss clocks, sabers and exquisite handmade lace and embroidery.
In Lucerne, I visited the Lion Monument. The Lion Monument is a symbol of Swiss loyalty and perseverance. It was set up to commemorate the 786 Swiss mercenaries who died in August 1792 to protect the family of Louis XVI in Paris. The statue of the "dying lion of Lucerne" fell to the ground in pain, with a broken spear on his shoulder and a shield with the Swiss national emblem next to it. It was carved on natural rocks by Danish sculptors in 182 1 year, and it is known as "the most tragic and touching statue in the world". Since then, Switzerland has ended the history of exporting mercenaries except the Vatican.
In the square next to Lake Lucerne, the group members walked freely, some enjoyed the beautiful scenery here, some went into the store to choose their favorite traditional products, and various Swiss watches were placed everywhere in the transparent window cabinets in the store. Whether you buy them or not, people think it's nice to see you in your country of origin.
After the whole team gathers, cross the expressway, arrive at the Golden Pass Express Station, and take the sightseeing express train to Staade. When I arrived at the railway station, I found that there was no ticket gate and no security channel. The platform is open, there are only a few ticket vending machines, and occasionally a few staff members can be seen. Passengers buy tickets by themselves. This shows that the integrity of Europeans is quite high, and there is no need to strictly supervise public behavior. However, the credit mechanism is very perfect. Once the untrustworthy person is investigated, the credit rating plummets, which is not worth the loss. As far as staying in a hotel is concerned, there is no need for a deposit at all, so check out and leave after paying your card.
Europeans also have a strong sense of rules. Judging from the traffic situation, it is no longer a problem for pedestrians to have priority in crosswalks. Vehicles can follow the car in congested sections of urban areas and expressways, and there has never been a traffic jam. The traffic rules are somewhat different from those in China. German highways do not limit the speed of passenger cars, and they turn on the lights in broad daylight. Vehicles travel freely between EU countries, and the journey is very pleasant. Only Switzerland, a non-EU country, has a border checkpoint.
On the sightseeing express train, all along the way, the lakes and mountains are full of green, and the cabins or dots or clusters with local characteristics form a beautiful picture, which is amazing. Get off at Gestede Station, a small town in the valley. Due to the rising altitude and cold, group guests entered the store and took an early rest.
On the morning of the ninth day, take a bus to the Piyongshankou cableway station at the foot of the glacier 3000 snow mountain, and take the cable car in several sections to the top of the mountain at an altitude of 3000 meters. It is famous for its glaciers, snow-capped mountains and ice cracks, and skiers from all over the world flock to it in winter. In our season, no matter where we go, most of the snow will melt. We can only see Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, Matterhorn, the landmark peak in Switzerland, and the famous Jungfrau from the observation deck. Unfortunately, due to limited time and group travel, I can't get close to these famous European peaks, and I can't experience the excitement of glacier express and gear train, let alone enjoy the mood of free travelers.
At the third stop of the cable car, some group guests went down to cliff plank road, glass plank road, tightrope walking and cage climbing to drill, so that tourists could enjoy the excitement.
Chiyong Castle is located in the east of Montreux, Vaud. It is built on the rocks beside Lake Geneva, just like floating on the lake, and is known as "the top ten castles in Europe". This castle was once a military fortress with a special geographical position here. The defense facilities in the castle are complete and the overall layout is reasonable and perfect. Because it is strong and beautiful, it is called a strange pearl in the history of architecture.
Arrived in the French town in the evening, returned to Paris at noon the next day, and visited Versailles, the largest palace in Europe and one of the five largest palaces in the world in the afternoon. Versailles shows the most powerful history of the French kingdom 400 years ago. The palace is magnificent and luxurious, with French classical style on the outside and baroque decoration on the inside, supplemented by Rococo design. The mirror hall, the war hall, the Apollo hall, the king's bedroom and other rooms are beautifully decorated. The back garden of Versailles is a model of French gardens, with exquisite sculptures, symmetrical patterns, beautiful patterns, bright flowers and trees, showing the ingenuity of the French everywhere.
On the eleventh day, I took a bus to the last scenic spot in my trip-the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower, 324 meters high, stands in the Ares Square on the south bank of the Seine River. It was built to commemorate the 0/00th anniversary of the French Revolution/KLOC. It was named after the designer and completed in 1889. It is a symbol of French culture and a landmark of Paris. For 45 years, it has been the tallest building in the world. Known by the French as the "Iron Lady", it has stood proudly for more than a century. It shows the whimsical romantic interest, artistic taste, innovative spirit and sense of humor of the French. On the first day, I took a boat along the Seine River and watched the magnificent appearance of the tower from many angles, which had a lingering visual impact. 10 days later, I stood at the foot of the iron tower again and looked up at this masterpiece in the history of world architecture again. I was filled with emotion and glory.
France is not only a romantic city, but also a gourmet paradise. The French people's pursuit of perfection is also reflected in the food culture. The trip to Europe is coming to an end, and everyone is still looking forward to the feast of French snails and foie gras promised by Director Li. Snail is a national dish in France, and foie gras is also one of the top delicacies in France. There is a saying that "you can't go to France without eating snail foie gras". In a restaurant near the Paris Opera House, Director Li specially gave this gift to every group guest to show their friendship for these ten days. A small dish of delicate foie gras melts slowly in your mouth and feels beautiful. Another small dish with five snails is more delicious with olive sauce. This is not only the beauty of taste, but also the beauty of the soul. As a traditional French dish, it can definitely stimulate everyone's taste buds. Thanks to Director Li's thoughtful arrangement, so that everyone can taste the national cuisine in Paris. Let this beauty draw a successful conclusion for the trip to Europe.
Everywhere I went in Europe, I deeply felt the long history of the West and the leisurely and romantic life atmosphere brought by this historical culture. Generally speaking: eat well, live clean, walk far, swim in a hurry, look around and have fun. It is satisfactory to complete the trip to many European countries in such a short time. If I have to travel to a distant place again, I will choose Europe, because it is a heavy and vivid textbook of western history and culture, and the customs and habits brought to Europeans by western history and culture, such as green ecology, leisure and romance, rigor and trustworthiness.