Our Trip Around Europe!!!

That's it!

2007-01-20T05:27:00.001-08:00

London - Sydney (20th Jan)
Felt like I would never write that... "London - Sydney". Alas, it also feels like I left home yesterday. Very sad about leaving London and my travels, cannot believe my trip is over. It went so unbelievably quickly, but of course I am thrilled about seeing everyone. Went to Portobello Markets this morning in Notting Hill and again was able to catch up with Sheryl and Justin. Making some fabulous last minute purchases and sipping on a yummy hot chocolate with marshmallows, it was a lovely morning. Sad to leave them but excited for them that their travels are continuing. It's such a great atmosphere out there at the markets. This is my 3rd time in London on this trip and I was so upset that the last two times I was here, I was always arriving late or leaving early on a Saturday and was never able to visit the markets. So when I noticed that my plane didn't leave until 9:30pm, I took the opportunity and I'm so glad I did. It's great fun. I wish I had more room in my suitcase though because it is a vintage lovers heaven! Great shopping and such cute jewellery!!! I had fun :) and again, so did my credit card :)

Off to the airport at about 3:30pm... quite early I know.... Then on the plane and I will be home on the 22nd in the morning... so this is my last post on this blog. Thank you everyone for listening and reading. I hope you have all enjoyed reading about my adventures. I've loved recalling them and sharing them with you all. See you all in a few days!

Lots of Love,
G xxx

Week 11 and 12: Vienna (contiki tour) & Zurich & Basel & London

2007-01-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

Day 8: Vienna
This morning our Contiki guide took us through the Hofburg palace and showed us a couple of extra sights. Beautiful weather.. although I am a little concerned about global warming. Still no snow :(
After the tour I went and had a look at the Opera House but we didn't go in so it wasn't too fab. Checked out St Stephen's Cathedral, which is stunning inside and out... so very detailed. Shopped... and shopped although didn't buy anything. Checked out Parliament, Town Hall and Sigmund park and then shopped some more. This afternoon we headed to the Schnaps Museum... well let me tell you... that was a fun afternoon ;) Plenty of free Schanps (yes, it is oone p not 2), absinth, chilli schnaps, schnaps with gold flakes! Excellent! Spent too much money in the gift shop, but oh well! This evening we had dinner at the Schonbrunn Palace and watched a Mozart concert... this is where Mozart performed for Maria Theresa. That was really nice. The boys were all frustrated though. Afterwards we went into town for some drinks... that is an interesting story in itself... hmm... not too late a night.

Day 9: Vienna - Zurich
Farewell to my tour group. Especially sad leaving Lou because we have spent the last 4 weeks together. Spent all day on the train today. 9 hours. Saw snow though, so that was nice :)

Zurich
Today it was very chilly in Zurich. I spent the day shopping along the Bahnhofstrasse :) Visited Lindt and Sprungli :) :) :) and went down to the Lake. It was beautiful... no ice, no snow... freezing but it was beautiful. Checked out the churches and I cannot spell them off the top of my head. Ok I'm updating now... there is the Fraumunster, which has the largest clock face in Europe, the Grossmunster (yes the name is hilarious hehe), which is famous for its stained glass windows, which were designed by someone famous... not famous to me incidentally... and then there is St Peter's... which kind of looks like a mini-Fraumunster. So that was my day today. Very cruisy. Off to Basel tomorrow.

Zurich - Basel
A quick train trip to Basel, less than an hour and because I stuffed up my accommodation, well I thought I booked it and I hadn't, I just HAD to stay at the Radisson. I must admit, it was nice to lap up the luxury, even if it was only for one evening. So I made it to the hotel very easily. Switzerland's rail and bus network is very easy. I must commend them. They really have it down pat. So the luggage might be 30kgs and the hand luggage I reckon is bordering on 15 - 20 kg :) but I am managing and I think my muscles have grown hehe because it is not as hard as it used to be to lug it all around. Next time I travel though, I'm definitely going for the back pack, and I'm sorry all, but the presents will be limited. Most of my luggage is filled with gifts!!! ANYWAY! So Basel is very cute. It's small but nice. There is a church and lots of museums... but there was also a pool and a gym and a lovely bed in my hotel hehe so I enjoyed the relaxation thoroughly.

Basel - London (17th Jan)
As most of you know, Amsterdam was supposed to be my last stop... the thing is... I have been missing London so much... it's the only place I have been that I have felt that I didn't spend enough time... and considering that I wasn't too fussed about going to Amsterdam, especially on my own, well I thought I would take the opportunity to go back to London. With a new found friend here from my Contiki tour in Italy too I am very much enjoying my return to this fabulous city. In fact, as I landed in London I actually felt like I had arrived home. Well, I will definitely be back to London, that is for sure. SO the next couple of days I have dedicated to shopping... FOR ME! YAY! Took me a little while to get from Stansted to Earl's Court. I caught the coach to Victoria Station and then the Underground. Then a lovely gentleman helped me with my luggage, just like 3 months ago when I first arrived. Settled in to my room, very nice little place directly opposite my last room in London. Headed to the supermarket for some fresh fruit and vegies and then just chilled out watching television in Elnglish for the first time in a long time, well let me re-phrase that... watching something other than CNN or BBC World because that is all I could get in English in every other country!

London (18th Jan)
Today I headed straight for Oxford Circus, shopped all along Regent St but was disappointed as I only made a few purchases. Was looking to spend big in all honesty. It feels great though to be back somewhere familiar. I feel like I'm shopping along Pitt St Mall... I know the underground back to front too... and remembering all the places I visited with DANIELLE! I went past this pub we had lunch at (The Glassblower) and that made me miss D! Then as I was having no luck finding some fabulous boots, I headed back to Harrods. Seriously, a kid in a candy store. As soon as I entered the Harrod's Arcade, I could not wipe the grin off my face! I love this place so much! Mum, wish you were here too because I know how much you love it! Oh I just wanted to spend hours in there, but after I touched and considered buying everything, I thought it was time to leave. A quick shop in Knightsbridge and then off back to Earl's Court. I was very fortunate the last time I was in London, I tell you that... the weather was beautiful. Um, well today it was typical London weather... drizzle... cold (although not really that cold)... WINDY! My goodness, I was being pushed backwards from the wind! So strong! Golly... anyway... it was time to find refuge in my £1 for as long as you like Internet cafe. Going to hit the streets of Kensington tomorrow :)

London (19th Jan)
Well, Kensington High St was fabulous! My credit card probably doesn't agree but I thought it was wonderful and my many new purchases will agree with me. A little concerned about weight allowances for my journey home, especially with the strict security regulations in place. Oh well, I'll deal with that at the airport. Had a lot of fun today. Walked up and down Hight St and finally got the new boots I've been searching Europe for. Then headed back to Regent St for some last minute gifts. Was lucky enough to be able to catch up with Sheryl and Justin tonight. We had a lovely dinner at a Thai restaurant in Earl's Court, where I have become a regular :) That was great. It was awesome to catch up with them, get a hug and swap stories.

Week 10: Berlin & Prague (& Vienna) Contiki Tour

2007-01-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

Day 1: Rome to Berlin
Today was a pretty long day. I had to get up very very early to get to the airport but I got there safely and the flight was very good. I slept the whole way. Before the plane took off, I was out like a light. Anyway, met Alice at the airport. So great to have a friend nearby. We made our way to the hotel together and met our new roomie. Very cool chickie from Melbourne. Explored Alexanderplatz this afternoon... have a curry steak thing... I think it is traditional, don´t know. But we just wandered the streets checking out some of the sights and stuff. It was nice. It was really quite cold though. So we did that then went back to the hotel and met up with Lou (from the Italian tour) and chilled out before meeting the rest of the group, who are great. Much like the spain tour, which is much better than the group on the Italian tour.

Day 2: Berlin
Berlin is an amzing city. I wish I had more of an opporutnity to explore the country but I definitely want to come back, so all in good time. We started the morning with a bus tour around the city. We saw the Berliner Dom (Cathedral), Brandenburg Gate, Largest remaining section of the Berlin wall, Reichstag, Victory column... amongst many other sights. It was great. We then made our way out to Sachsenhausen... let me just say it had an absolutely eerie feeling about it... but it was an amazing experience. I wish we had more time there because it was fascinating. I am so engrossed in the history of Germany at the moment... I want to learn more and more. It is just so fascinating. We checked out the jails, the bunkers, the towers, the infiremerary etc at the concentration camp and it was just ... woah! Brilliant. After exploring here for a little while we headed back into town. Alice and I grabbed a quick bite to eat and then made our way to the Berliner Dom. We went inside and it is stunning in there. We were able to climb to the top of the dome also and the view was beautiful. Very lovely. It was bombed and the bomb went straight through the top of the dome and down into the crypt, but the bomb was a dud... so it didn´t go off... it would have been devastating if it did because it is a beautiful cathedral. The top of the dome is still missing though.... After visiting the cathedral, we checked out a couple of the museums nearby on museum island and also walked over to the TV tower and went up to the top. It wasn´t that great up there... the windows were dirty etc but it was still good and I´m glad we went up. Heading back to the hotel, we got ready and went out with the group for dinner. An amazing meal! Beautiful! Then out for drinks on a good pub crawl... plenty of caprioska´s and free shots later I was very happy :) I also tried out Shisha... don´t worry mum and dad... it is harmless... it was apple flavoured and just a social thing. I´m not coming back with any new addictions... don´t you worry hehehehe...

Day 3: Berlin
We all woke up a little worse for wear today... but we headed back into town. We had a 3 hour walking tour with a local guide. He was brilliant. We started with a brief overview of Berlin. Were given the history of the Berliner Dom, the TV tower... amongst other sites we saw Brandenburg gate, the Reichstag again. We checked out the spot that is above Hitler´s bunker, where he committed suicide. That was a bizarre feeling. I find it hard to describe. It was quite fascinating though. We were briefed about many buildings and given many stories about Berlin. It is truly fascinating!!! We were told this amazing story about a man who got his family across the wall. He worked in this particular building we were standing at. He was an elevator engineer and he brought his wife and son in just to show them around his work. He locked them in a closet for the day. When everyone left, he took them out, got them to the roof through the elevator shaft and only had a hammer and some wire chord. He had friends on the West Berlin side and he threw the hammer attached to the chord to them. They secured it and he secured his end. All this was above a flood light so the guards were unable to see the family. Using a special harness he developed, his wife went over first. Then his 7 year old son. Then he did. All made it successfully over. The guards didn´t realise what had happened until the morning when they were able to see the chord in the daylight. This is just one of the many fascinating stores I learnt today. Following this, I went to the Checkpoint Charlie museum. Again, just amazing and fascinating. The history of this city... the resilience of the people and of the city... everything they have been through... it is so hard to comprehend. But so unbelievably fascinating. Spent a good few hours there. After indulging in some very yummy cake for a new friends birthday, 3 of us made our way to the Reichstag so go up the dome. Nice view in the evening. Quiet dinner tonight and off to a beer hall for some drinks. Off to Prague tomorrow. So excited!!!

Day 4: Berlin - Prague
A very long and windy bus trip. We stopped off in Dresden for a couple of hours - pretty... but besides that the day was spent on the bus. Stayed in a communist hotel so it had all the facilities we needed. Drinks in the hotel bar and a relatively early night.

Day 5: Prague
We had a local tour guide show us around Prague this morning. We first drove along the river and up to the Castle. This city is amaying and it really does look like it is straight out of a fairytale. It stole my heart immediately. We didn't visit any of the buildings in the complex but we walked past them all and learnt a little about them but not too much. The tour guide was trying to be cool and tailor the tour for younger people but in doing that she failed to give us a lot of information I would have enjoyed hearing. Anyway, from the castle we headed down past the war memorial and the jewish quarter into the old town. Immediately I was blown away. This has to be the prettiest city I have ever seen and I felt at home immediately. I love Prague so much - definitely in my top 3 cities :) I went up the astronomical clock tower in the town hall to get a view of the city. It was a perfect day. Like a spring / early winters day in Sydney... blue sky and you could see everything. Tears welled up in my eyes as soon as I stepped out onto the balcony. It took my breath away. I didn't expect anything like this and it just left me speechless. So amazing. So after that I headed down and watched the clock tick over at 12. It wasn't very astronomical in that sense, but it is a pretty damn cool clock. I spent some time working it all out... I think I did pretty well :) After a little bit of shopping we headed to the boat for our lunchtime cruise. My goodness... the food was delicious!!!!!!!!!! and the dessert was even better!!!! one of the highlights hehehehe. We cruised along the river for a couple of hours and it was just perfect... sipping on wine and getting to know the tour group even better. Great day. After the cruise finished I headed to the Charles Bridge with Amanda and Lou and we did a spot of local shopping... finally I bought stuff for myself!!! Rubbed the statue to make sure I come back :) and then we headed to Wenseclas Sq (I think I wrote that wrong... don't have my notes with me)... and had a walk around. Met up with the rest of the group for a dirnk... boring... so the three of us got a quick bite to eat then back to the hotel for another relatively quiet night.

Day 6: Prague
This morning we were dropped off in the old town area. Lou, Amanda and I headed to the Castle again and went into St George's Basillica, the old Royal Palace and the Golden Lanes... it was really nice to check it all out. Afterwards we did a little more shopping then met up with a couple of people for lunch. We checked out the Jewish cemetary, which is interesting... layers and layers and layers of people buried there... I forget the exact number though. Looks pretty... cool I guess. Didn't get to check out the museum though, which would have been interesting. Had a drink or two then we went to the bus to go home and get ready for a big night. A beautiful and traditional dinner at a restaurant in the old town accompanied by some interesting and entertaining folklore dancing. Afterwards we headed to the famous 5 story night club... and although it is a dive inside... and many of the levels were closed, it was still a very very very fun night.

Day 7: Prague to Vienna
A little Hungover and again a very windy trip... not a good combination! No sleep last night and none on the bus but I kept going! We stopped off in Kutna Hora to visit a bone church but besides that the day was spent on the bus. Had a bus tour of all the local sights... the Hofburg Palace, the museums, Parliament, Town Hall etc. All very grand. All very beautiful. Parliament was designed based on teh Parthenon... naturally of course ,) Stayed in a really nice hotel.

Week 8 - 9: Simply Italy Contiki Tour

2006-12-30T15:50:00.000-08:00

Day 2: Rome to Sorrento
This morning we left Rome on Christmas day and made our way to Sorrento. About a 4 hour drive I think. After a quick sob to dad, all was good and I wasn't sad at all. Met some nice people on my tour... they are all a bit older... the average age would be close to 30... and most are married or in couples. So a lot different from Spanish Spree. Still good nonetheless.

Sorrento is very pretty, although being Christmas day nearly all the shops were closed. So the day was spent wandering the pretty streets and then hitting up a local restaurant for some pizza... great pizza may I add. And there were about 10 or so of us, which was good. So I did have a Chrissie lunch in the end, which was nice. That night it was just a chilled out dinner at the hotel.

Day 3: Sorrento / Pompeii / Isle of Capri
Our first stop for the day was the spectacular Pompeii. One can quite easily spend one or many days here but unfortunately we only had a couple of hours. It was very interesting though and we had a great tour guide so that was even better. One highlight would have to be the brothel... hehehe... there were pictures, or should I say a 'menu'... yes that is right, on the wall for the men to choose their services. Hehehehe... quite funny. Anyway, the chariot tracks are still there and you can see kitchens and beautiful frescoes and just houses which are still standing etc. Absolutely beautiful. A lot is still being restored though. Oh that's right... there was an archeologist that figured out a way to create casts of the bodies that were trapped under the ash and rubble... he would find a hole and then fill it with plaster and there were some amazing casts, including a family huddled together... a pregnant woman and people's bones preserved in the thermal baths. Pretty spectacular.

We then made our way to the bay of Naples where we caught a ferry to the Isle of Capri. This playground for the rich and famous... oh my goodness... paradise! Eden! Phenomenally stunning. I could very easily take a holiday there although I probably will never be able to afford it. It was such a gorgeous day also, the sun was shining and the sea was sparkling. Interestingly, the sea floor is covered in limestone, which gives the water some amazing colours. I have plenty of photos!!! Whilst there I visited Anacapri and took a 24 minute single chair lift over the mountains to the best panoramic view of the islands. Breath-taking!!!!!!!!! One side, all you could see was the ocean. On another, you could see Sorrento and Naples and other islands. So absolutely stunning. We also had a pretty lame guided tour of Capri and we visited Augusts' Gardens. It was interesting but a bit boring and not that pretty, the view (again) was though.

A choppy ride back on the ferry to Sorrento this time and then off to the hotel and out again for our 6 course dinner. It was delicious, but oh my golly goodness... I need elastic in my pants I think... haha speaking of, there is this one lady who wears matching coloured tracksuits every day, like I used to wear when I was 2! Ok that was mean... sorry. I've had a few drinks, a dodgy cab ride and we've been ripped off tonight, so I might be a little narky!

Day 4: Sorrento - Florence
A very long 7 hour bus trip today! We arrived in Florence so late too, it was really disappointing. But the Tuscan region is just amazing and I would understand why anyone would move there, in an instant. I'm so tempted to. So yeah we made a stop at a beautiful Tuscan castle, where chianti is produced. So we saw all the barrels and were able to do some wine tasting - 3 wines... a rose, a red and a desert wine. We had some lovely cheese with the rose, bruschetta base (garlic and oil on the toasted bread) with the red and biscotti to dip in the desert wine. Let me just say that there was so much garlic on that bread that with one bite, the cold that had been developing over the last couple of days was totally wiped out. It was delicious though. And the setting was just amazing. Weddings are held there too and I can understand why people from all over the world go there to get married. The most beautiful setting I have ever seen and we arrived at dusk so the colour of the sky and the trees and the buildings... perfect!

Day 5: Florence
Easily a favourite city of mine so far. With such little time in this amazing city, I was running around like a headless chook! We had our group photo this morning and then I ditched the group and ran off to see david... the statue of David. I was fortunate enough to only have to wait 10 minutes because I got there early and as soon as I walked in, tears began welling up in my eyes. He is perfect. There are no flaws. So unbelievable and so much better than the casts. Words don't do it justice. No photos allowed but I tell you what, the image of that phenomenal statue will forever be engrained in my memory. You know what I actually thought of though, the Simpsons episode where marge and homer visit it... and you know what... it is pretty similar! So good work matt groening! After David I went to the Duomo and climed the cupola, which gave amazing views of the city and the bell tower. Following this I made my way to the Piazza della Signora, which is filled with statues and the Neptune Fountain... such a great atmoshpere. Was walking towards the Uffizi though because Boticelli is featured there and the Birth of Venus is my all time favourite piece of art. The line was so long though... I was so disappointed. I left and did some shopping at Ponte Vecchio and along the streets. Then I visited the tomb of MichelAngelo, and Dante, amongst others at Sante Croce. Because I was done with everything I headed back to the Uffizi and just waited because it meant so much to me. I only waited about 45 minutes, which was good. With little time left, I headed straight for the Boticelli room. I immediately saw the Birth of Venus and was scared to approach it because it held so much meaning for me. So I looked at every other painting in the room and then was just drawn to it... and again... the tears came. I couldn't help it. So much emotion. This painting means so much to me and has for so long. I spent a while just staring at it. It was brilliant. Pure genius.

Day 6: Florence to Milan
Today we headed to Milan... beautiful people and plenty of fur coats around... that is for sure!!! So expensive along that one street in particular where a girl can go absolutely crazy!!! But yeah it was ok in Milan, nothing too great. It was absolutely freezing though! and I missed out on seeing the Last Supper because you need to book 15 days ahead... crazy. So that is the only thing I'm really disappointed about. We checked out the Duomo, which was beautiful and it reminded me a lot of the Sagrida Familia in Barcelona. It was awesome. We headed back to the hotel, our first nice one in ages and it was so nice to have a hot shower! A great night out at a very classy bar and a nice dinner.

Day 7: Milan to Verona to Venice
Ok such a great day. I loved Verona more than I can even explain. First of all I went up on Juliet's balcony, so that was really cool. After wandering through the streets of Verona and celebrating Aussie New Year with my Aussie friends along the river we just took it pretty easy and then headed back on the bus to go to Venice for NYE!!! We arrived pretty late at the hotel but it was ok. We got ready and headed out to St Mark's Square prepared for a great evening. Our 7 course meal was absolutely shit!!! And I didn't even eat my last few courses because they served it so late so I grabbed my 2 bottles of wine and ran through the square. There were people absolutely everywhere! It was crazy but it was so much fun. Fireworks along the canal and just a great atmosphere. Best new years eve ever by far!!!

Day 8: Venice
SOrry these days are rather brief but it is hard to update on everything that happenend and it would probably get a but boring actually. Anyway, today was absolutely freezing and we had to get another ferry out to the island and being hungover (all of us)... well... yeah it was fun. Anyway we got there and went to a glass blowing demonstration. It is just a pity that the best pieces are so expensive cos I loved them so much. Oh well, no matter. After that I checked out the tower, although the cloud cover ruined that a bit and then I went in to St Mark's CHurch, which is phenomenal. The gold mosaics are everywhere and shimmer in the light and they really were stunning. Next was our Gondola Ride along the dirty canal. That was a tonne of fun. The gondolier...(?) was a lot of fun, tipping the boat, singing etc. So that was cool. Afterwards we checked out this church were the victims of the plague were thrown in the river... something like that. The floor is all uneven because it gets flooded... much like st mark's church. Thought that was pretty cool. Had time to do a spot of shopping along the Ponte Rialto and then back on the boat en route to the hotel.

Day 9: Venice to Rome
Today we literally spent the day on the bus. 7 hours... long day! When we arrived though we were taken on a walking tour around all the main sights. It was nice even though I had already seen them all, I was able to absorb them so I enjoyed that. I also got to see my Spain tour guide and that was so much fun!!! Made my night.

Days 10-11: Rome
TodaY I left the group cos they were all doing the Vatican stuff so I went shopping, chilled out and just relaxed. We went out for an awesome dinner tonight and I had a tonne of fun. We went to this bar last night which served 150 different beers! I had a 9.2% german beer that was really nice and smooth... a meal in itself though. It was half a litre, which is quite an effort for me! So that was a tonne of fun. Sad to say goodbye to everyone the next morning though. Oh well... that's life! Back in the hostel now and just chilling out for the next couple of days in Rome before meeting Alice in Berlin. 2 people from my Italian tour are also doing that tour, so I'm really looking forward to that. SHould be awesome!!!

Week 7: Rome

2006-12-23T01:48:00.000-08:00

Very frustrated because I just lost everything I wrote about my time in Rome. Damn foreign keyboards.

Anyway, lets start again, shall we.

Merry Christmas - Feliz Navidad - Buon Natale

For wherever you are in this big world, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope that you all rest and eat lots and enjoy your time with friends, family and loved ones.

Well let me just firstly say that Rome is spectacular. Currently, Rome and Paris are by far my two favourite cities. Rome has exceeded all my expectations. Everyone told me I would love it here and you were all right. This city has just blown me away!

So I arrived on the 20th after a very long 15 hour train trip from Paris. Slept most of the time although it was not very comfortable. SO I didn't see much of the French countryside but I woke up when the train was in Florence and the Italian countryside is very beautiful. Not as gorgeous as Scotland, but still beautiful in its own right.

Arrived safely though, dumped my stuff at the hostel, which is absolutely awesome (The Yellow - a must stay for anyone coming to Rome) and hit the streets! First stop was the Piazza Republique then the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. I first arrived at the top of the steps and just felt that I was approaching it. There were people everywhere,
covering every bit of the steps. It looked so beautiful. Unfortunately the monument up the top
was again pretty covered in scaffolding, like the rest of Europe but it was still lovely. A beautiful day too so I was very lucky. After walking around the piazza spagna a bit and checking out the
shops, the likes of Gucci, Prada, YSL, LV etc... oh beautiful! I then got some absolutely delicious gelati from this little store and the italian man serving me was so flirtaciously confident (read below for more encounters). The gelato was so delicious though. Oh my goodness, I haven't ever tasted anything like it. Walking to the trevi with my delicious gelato, I could hear the water pour
ing from a mile away and I knew I was close. I have never seen anything like it. I sat there for ages just soaking it up and eating my gelato. The sun was shining. I couldn't get one photo of it all though but I got heaps, so not to worry. I threw my pennies in too... one for a wish and one for my return to rome... but not the third, which is to marry a roman. Seriously though, this place was just gorgeous. I loved the fountain so much.
Then I walked through the streets and made my way up to the Piazza del Popolo, which was cool. Then headed back to the hostel cos I was so tired. Checked in and freshened up, determined to go out again, but I struggled so I just got some DELICIOUS pizza and chilled out for the rest of the evening.

Day 2 was all about the Vatican. This place is amazing. I started with the museums.
I've been really lucky - I tend to just walk in everywhere, the only place I've lined up in Europe is the Eiffel Tower. Anyway. I started at the Museums and spent hours there. So yeah the Italian men are crazy and they are so confident. In the Vatican for crying out loud these men were chasing after me asking me "Where are you from?" and saying things like "You are very beautiful", whilst kissing the top of my hands. Then this one guard would like follow me through most of the rooms, introducing me to his friends and they would try to get me to go out with them in ROme. It was crazy! Australian guys are nothing like this. I was so shy, but it was funny and they are just so in to it. Anyway, yeah it was funny. So back to the art. All the rooms were amazing of course and there is so much to see and take in.
The Sistine Chapel of course was just mind-blowing. I sat down and just tried to take it all in. You can't take photos but the image of his artwork is engrained in my memory, where I hope it will stay forever. I was just so blown away by it. And I didn't know it was only open for 3 hours
each day, so I was really lucky. Unless you visit the chapel, it is hard to describe just how beautiful it really is. I then walked around to St Peters Square and couldn't believe that I was there. I had to pinch myself. It was just incredible. So hard to describe. I checked out the tombs
before heading into the basillica. I saw Pope John Paul's tomb, which was kind of creepy... it was really surreal and just weird and the guards keep it all in order and everything. A very beautiful tomb though. Then I headed in to St Peter's Basillica. If you haven't been there... I don't know if I can explain the beauty of this place. I stood there in awe trying to grasp where I was and what I was seeing. It was truly unbelievably spectacular. So peaceful and I at times just didn't feel worthy enough kind of to be standing in that magnificent place. Oh my goodness and the Pieta - mum you were right - this is just so incredible... I saw casts in the museum. But it is behind a glass cabinet now because some moron went and smashed it! Idiot. But it looked so beautiful.
And it had this glow about it. Like there was some sort of light shining from it. Crazy. Spectacular. I checked out the treasury as well, which, would certainly hold items worth a very substantial sum of money. And then headed up to the Cupolla, where I was again stopped by the italian men working there, hehee...
I went right to the top of the dome and could see so much of Rome. It was beautiful. Cold. And a lot of steps (again!!!) but worth it. After walking through the square for a little longer I headed back to the hostel, absolutely exhausted!

Day 3 started with a walk to the Colosseum... this is just spectacular, like the rest of ROme and most of Europe, it has taken my breathe away. Loved it so much, just strolling through the inside and around the exterior. It was brilliant. Then I walked through Palatine Hill and the ruins there, which emporer Augustus built and lived in. Not much remains but it is still cool and you can still see a lot. It is just amazing to be able to stroll through a site like that. Then I walked around the Roman Forum for a while, which also was very amazing. I spent most of the afternoon wandering through the streets of Rome, seeing random sites. I saw the Piazza Navona, Palazzo Venezio, Campo d'Fiori, Piazza Farnesse, the Pantheon, Castel Sant Angelo (I apologise for incorrect spelling, I can't be bothered getting my map out though). The pantheon was pretty cool. There is a hole in the top of the dome and so rain comes in and there are 22 drainage holes in the tiles in the floor, which I thought was pretty cool. Also, Rafael, the artist, his body is there.
So it was a nice day, walking around, so exhausting though - walked absolutely everywhere! Spent the night in, had a little, ok, way too much wine but a fun night hanging out with everyone.

Due to the state of drunkedness (???) I was in, I chilled out for most of the next day, ringing mum to make sure she knew I was checked in and that I was safe despite being scared to death by the hostel who told her I didn't show up! Went out for drinks in Rome again that night with some new found friends and then home at about 5am and up at 9am to pack and head to the Contiki hostel.

Week 7: Paris and Rome

2006-12-18T09:43:00.001-08:00

Day 10 in Paris, 17th December
I met my second room mate properly today. He is very nice and we spent some time chatting. But he freaked me out with stories of people getting gassed and robbed on trains to Rome, but I'm travelling first class (of course) so it should be ok :) Sigh, so after being totally freaked out I headed to the Seine and got on a cruise that went up and down the river passing all the sights. It was nice to see them from this angle and just chill out on the boat for a bit. Got off at the Eiffel Tower and again made my way up tp the Champs Elysees, picked up some gifts for a few lucky people and then back to the Montmarte region. Relaxed in my room for a while and then went and had an early dinner at a local brasserie. A nice big steak (mum and dad, you'd be proud) and chocolate ice cream with whipped cream and an espresso for dessert! Diet? Pfft, what diet?! Actually spent a couple of hours there because I am currently so engrossed in my novel (Atlas Shrigged) that I couldn't put it down. But I thought I should head back to my room and I continued to read there. Not much on the cards for the evening. Spent the night in chatting to my room mate for a while.

Day 11 in Paris, 18th December
Today was my last full day in Paris. Took the day really easy. Heading to the Galleries Lafayette after breakkie to get a new luggage strap because I broke mine, then got home and stuffed it up because I didn't open it before resetting the combination, which meant I had no idea what the combination was and then had to try and crack a triple combination lock. Well, needless to say I was feeling a little overwhelmed, but yes you guessed it, I cracked it and in no time at all, which makes me question just how secure it actually is... hmmm. By this point there was again another bag in the room.... Anyway, off to the Laundromat. Well struggle number 2 for the day. Couldn't figure out what to do, no-one would change my 50 note. Sigh. Back to the hotel (nearby at least) for some change and then a kind German boy who spoke no English explained what I had to do... using sign language. Yes that is right. Well after finally getting everything going, the clothes were being washed and I went off for some lunch. Back to pick up my clothes, again took the day easy, re-packing etc. A couple of lmadies staying in my room tonight, which is a nice change from the smelly and snoring boys I have spent the last week with. Off to Rome tomorrow!

Week 6: Paris

2006-12-13T07:24:00.000-08:00

Paris is just beautiful! Straight out. I love this city. It definitely has a great atmosphere.

We arrived in Paris in the afternoon of the 8th December but there was so much traffic that we didn't get to our hotel until quite late so we put our stuff down, went to the supermarket for some very plain food because we still had the gastro and then just chilled for the evening because we had a jam packed 3 days to come!

Day 2 in Paris, 9th December.
Our first stop was the Louvre. Outisde is beautiful, the old buildings of the Louvre and the glass pyramids really complement each other and I was very excited as soon as I saw the pyramids! No line, straight in and got our tickets straight away. We headed straight to the Mona Lisa, which although is small and there are people around, is still very impressive... the way she holds your stare and just the subtlety of the background and everything about it is still pretty amazing. Same goes for the Venus de Milo... what a brilliant sculpture. The way the sheets are draped around her body make it seem so real and as if there is a light breeze blowing. We spent a few hours here, not enough, but we had to move on. We were both still feeling pretty averqge also. We also saw a Rembrandt / Hogarth exhibition and Rembrandt's sketches were just incredible. Unbelievable! After the Louvre, we wandered through the Jardins du Tuiliers (spelt wrong) up to the Champs-Elysees, which was all lit up... all the trees were covered in fairy lights and it was so pretty!!! We saw the obelisk first, which I think came from the tomb of Ramses II... I think! Strolling up the avenue, we stopped at the Petit Palais and had a look around; not overly impressive, but still nice. We didn't go through the Grand Palais because it was getting late and the lines were pretty long. So we continued our walk up the avenue and FINALLY reached the Arc de Triomphe, which took ages to get to. We almost didn't go over to it but we did and then we went all the way to the top and though that you could look out but it just had a museum there and just as we were about to leave, Chris suggested we have a quick squizz... lucky we did, because you can go to the terrace! It was freezing up there, but we got some beautiful photos... everything all lit up, including the Eiffel Tower. It was beautiful, the entire view. Back down and off home because we were freezing!!!

Day 3 in Paris, 10th December
The weather today was overcast and cold but that didn't stop us! We hit the streets and straight to the Eiffel Tower. Lines were pretty long... we probably lined up for about 45 minutes before getting in the elevator. We first hopped out at Level 2 and checked everything out and got some photos. The views were pretty damn good and it said Sydney was 16, 962 km away... I think... maybe. Then we made our way right to the top. The lines for the elevators were so ridiculously long, once you were inside the tower. Although, we found a little line and got to the top quite quickly. When they say the top... they really mean the top... but the views were spectacular! You could see everything!!! It was pretty cold up the top though. After heading back down and stopping off at the gift shop :) we walked through the Trocadero Gardens and we even stood in the same spot as HItler did once when we were taking photos of the tower. Because it was so damn cold we found refuge in a museum until we figured out what we wanted to do. We headed back across the Seine, under the tower and towards the Hotel Invalides, through the Military place thing : This is the hotel that Napoleon established and as a result you can find his tomb there. It was really cool and they have his clothes and other belongings of his on display there. Also at the site is the Army Museum, which was extremely interesting, but we really had no tile at all to explore, which was a huge pity. There was so much to see, and we didn't know about it until we go there; they should really advertise it more! It was getting a little late now, but we walked over to the Musee d'Orsay, and when we arrived, sigh, it was closed. But we got some pretty cool photos froml outside§ Heading back to the hotel now, we took the rest of the evening pretty easy.

Day 4 in Paris, 11th December
Today was Chris's last whole day in this beautiful city :(
We started the day by heading to Notre Dame. We walked. It was chilly but nice. We got there and as we were lining up for the towers it began to rain so we went inside instead and it is absolutely divine inside, just gorgeous. So we walked around and they let you take as many photos as you want so we did and I enjoyed that very much and they have a beautiful Christmas tree set up outside, which again was sad but beautiful. The rain eased up for just a moment so we went back to the towers and walked up the 427 stairs to the top. We were face to face with the gargoyles, saw the huge bell and were able to expereience another point in Paris with beautiful views of this gorgeous city. After a bite to eat we went to the coffee shop but realised it was closed and then made our way back to the Orsay but of course by the time we arrived there it was again... closed! So instead we trekked up to the beautiful and breath-taking Sacre Coeur in the rain and wind. My little umbrella not holding up too well. When we got there we were harassed by the many african street vendors who don't let you up or down the stairs until they get their 'art', ie, their string around your finger, literally. So waiting till they finished with Chris, I was getting very irate and impatient, we trkked up the top and made our way through the Basilica. There was a beautiful sense of calm and peace inside and the artwork on the dome is truly incredible. Unfortunately the dome and the crypt were closed, which I was quite disappointed about. Feeling rather overwhelmed and wet, we went home, packed up Chris's stuff and then had the best pepper steak! Just what we needed!

Day 5 in Paris, 12th December
Worst day ever!
Chris left this morning at the horrible hour of 4:30am.
So tough.
So I didn't really feel up to doing anything at all today.
Made my way to my new hotel, which was a little difficult because the taxi had to stop 3/4 of the journey because the police and ambulance had blocked off the roads, but I walked the rest of the way and it wasn't too bad.
Made it to the new hotel, which is nice and there is heaps around and really close to the metro. It is a family run business, which is nice and the daughters do most of the work, all around my age and they are really nice. There is also a dog called Carmel, cutie and a couple of cats, which are lovely despite my distaste for them. The room is pink and there is currently no-one else in the room but I'm told to expect someone tomorrow night. Chilled out in the room for most of the afternoon, did a bit of exploring, but mainly just relaxed. Took advantage of having the room to myself also for one night.

Day 6 in Paris, 13th December
Straight to the Musee d'Orsay this morning, for the third attempt. Yay, just open and no lines at all. Straight in to explore. Was very excited about this visit because some of my favourite artists have their works exhibited here, including the likes of Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Van Gough, Cezanne.... I was absolutely blown away. In all honesty, I don't care if the Mona Lisa is the world's most famous painting, the sensation I felt when stepping into the room with walls covered in Monet's work was just inbelievable. No words to describe the admiration I felt and how in awe I was. Spent much time exploring here.
The Pantheon was the next stop for the day and it looks rather impressive from the outside and it certainly is from the inside, although the interior was covered in this buzarre art exhibition, so from all parts of the criling were these sacks of sorts dropping right to the ground, filled with sand... can't really describe it but I got a good many photos... it looks like the ceiling is melting in a way. So I really couldn't appreciate its full beauty. Also because the crypt and the upper levels were closed. So really not much to report there. Walked through the streets of Paris, a rather trendy area full of markets and locals to make my way to a yummy coffee shop known as Brulerie de Gobelins I think... with a purchase under my belt for George I made my way to the tourist office for some info on day trips, a bit more shopping and visits to the Hard Rock Cafe and Moulin Rouge (which really is not impressive from the outside... also because I have to walk by about 1000 sex shops to get there and I felt well a little uncomfortable... and yes my hotel is a 2 minute walk from the Moulin Rouge).

Day 7 in Paris, 14th December
Up early today to avoid my stinky room mate who got home at 7:40am, and I got out of bed at 8... straight to the Pere-Lachaise Cemetary, which was not very easy to get around. Everyone else seemed to have maps, but I didn't, so I took a photo of the map on the board and used that. A bit creepy, with some shady characters making le feel uneasy, but I made my way around and saw the tombs of Jim Morisson, James Rothschilds, Frederic Chopin, Balzac, Bizet, Oscar Wilde, Gay-Lussac, amongst many others. It was so upsetting... the one I went to see the most was Oscar Wilde's and it was a beautiful tomb stonse, so unique and grande... but so terribly defaced... graffiti everywhere. I was so upset. I can't understand how people can do that. You could barely make out his name :( I then walked down to the Musee Picasso, which I was expecting a lot from and I am afraid I was not very satisfied. I think after being to the Orsay and the Louvre and seeing Picasso's work in Malaga, Spain, it just didn't live up to my expectations. Still a worthwhile visit nonetheless. This was followed by a brief trip to Bastille and then off for some shopping along the Champs-Elysees again, making some purchases :D

Day 8 in Paris, 15th December
I SPENT THE DAY WITH DANIELLE TODAY!!!! I had been wiating for this day for so long and I hav been so lonely the last couple of days that all I needed was a hug. I swear, everyone is out to get me, every cafe, shop, gallery, whatever, all playing soppy songs that remind me off home! So I desperately needed a hug. When I found Danielle, we leaped into the biggest hug ever and both just started crying before we even said anything! The best feeling ever, so comforted (D - missing you heaps... again!). So we spent the day doing what Danu wanted... the Louvre, Notre Dame, St Chapelle, Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Shopping (I bought my Chanel sunnies - they are hot!!!!), the Moulin Rouge and just spending time together. We also managed to fit in some chocolate eclairs and strawberry tarts :) After over 12 hours together we had to say goodbye, again :( But on the 23rd (or maybe the 24th of Jan, another hug is on the way D!)

Day 9 in Paris, 16th December
Today it was a miserable day in Paris. Cold and wet. So I rugged up, ate breakkie and then headed off to Versailles. This is a great day trip and I recommend it! Although, best to pick a day when it isn't wet so you can fully explore the gardens etc. Spent many hours walking through the palace and the apartments and the rooms are very elegant and not over the top at all and they were just beautiful. The grounds are gorgeous but as I said it was freezing so I didn't walk all the way down. Instead I caught the 'petit train' around the grounds, which took me to the petit trianon, the grand trianon, the grand canal and the Queen's Hamlet, ie, the apartments of Mary Antoinette. As I said, the chateau is beautiful and I think I liked it a little more than the palace in Madrid, opnly because it was not as over the top.

Day 10 in Paris, 17th December
I met my second room mate properly today. He is very nice and we spent some time chatting. But he freaked me out with stories of people getting gassed and robbed on trains to Rome, but I'm travelling first class (of course) so it should be ok :)
Sigh, so after being totally freaked out I headed to the Seine and got on a cruise that went up and down the river passing all the sights. It was nice to see them from this angle and just chill out on the boat for a bit. I think I saw the bridge that Big and Carrie were on in Sex and the City! Yay I was so excited, although I didn't get to find the patisserie she ate at :( Got off at the Eiffel Tower and again made my way up tp the Champs Elysees, picked up some gifts for a few lucky people and then back to the Montmarte region. Relaxed in my room for a while and then went and had an early dinner at a local brasserie. A nice big steak (mum and dad, you'd be proud) and chocolate ice cream with whipped cream and an espresso for dessert! Diet? Pfft, what diet?! Actually spent a couple of hours there because I am currently so engrossed in my novel (Atlas Shrigged) that I couldn't put it down. But I thought I should head back to my room and I continued to read there. Not much on the cards for the evening. Spent the night in chatting to my room mate for a while.

Day 11 in Paris, 18th December
Today was my last full day in Paris. Took the day really easy. Heading to the Galleries Lafayette after breakkie to get a new luggage strap because I broke mine, then got home and stuffed it up because I didn't open it before resetting the combination, which meant I had no idea what the combination was and then had to try and crack a triple combination lock. Well, needless to say I was feeling a little overwhelmed, but yes you guessed it, I cracked it and in no time at all, which makes me question just how secure it actually is... hmmm. By this point there was again another bag in the room.... Anyway, off to the Laundromat. Well struggle number 2 for the day. Couldn't figure out what to do, no-one would change my 50 note. Sigh. Back to the hotel (nearby at least) for some change and then a kind German boy who spoke no English explained what I had to do... using sign language. Yes that is right. Well after finally getting everything going, the clothes were being washed and I went off for some lunch. Back to pick up my clothes, again took the day easy, re-packing etc. A couple of lmadies staying in my room tonight, which is a nice change from the smelly and snoring boys I have spent the last week with. Off to Rome tomorrow!

Weeks 4 & 5: Contiki Tour in Spain

2006-12-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

Ok all I'm using a French keyboard and the keys are everywhere so if some words seem jumbled, I'm sorry.

Anyway! So we arrived in Madrid on the 27th November to begin our tour around Spain. The first night of the tour was spent meeting everyone and doing paperwork etc. Met some nice people. Most of the group were from Australia, which was great! The next day we were off touring around Madrid and we saw the Royal Palace first off, which is very elaborate... some would say just a tad over the top, nonetheless it was still beautiful and there were some spectacular views. The palace had such a lix of different cultures, oriental rooms and every room had a different chandellier; all were gorgeous. Next stop was the Valley of the Fallen. This was spectacular!!! It was a little cloudy as we were driving up... but the bus driver stopped on a bridge and you got this amazing view of it and the cathedral beneath it. What you see is a giant Cross that General Franco built, standing 150m high, mqde of concrete to commemorate all those who had fallen. It was an amazing sight and a must see when in Madrid. Beneath the cross in the mountain is a cathedral... the interior is so simple that it resembles a bomb shelter almost... but for me this has definitely been one of my favourite cathedrals and that is due to its simplicity. Inside there is not much except for some tombs, which are rather hidden, a crucifix beneath the dome and an amazing mosaic, which covers the dome. The centre of the mosaic, the crucifix and the cross outside are all perfectly aligned... and when you are standing at the altar, there is 200 000 tonnes above you!!!!!!!!! There are also these 2 huge gaurdian angels as you walk into the cathedral. This afternoon we walked around town for a bit and had some Churos, which is a bowl of melted chocolate with donut stick things for dipping. The serviettes became transperant, that is how fattening they were, but so yummy. Chris and I then did a spot of shopping and then ,ade our way to the Prado Museum. We didn't stay very late there but I really enjoyed what we saw, especially the works by Rembrandt and Rubens. After a brief rest at the hotel we headed off to the Plaza Mayor for dinner at Los Galyos, an amazing restaurant! Brilliant tapas (including fried onion) and Ox Steak as the main! After dinner we went to a local Irissh pub for some drinks before heading off to a local salsa club and it was so much fun. These locals can really dance! I was so jealous. But it was a great night of Mojitos and Salsa!!!

Most people woke up feeling a little sketchy today after a few too many mojitos and spirits because they free pour their spirits in Spain, which was AWESOME! In a high-ball, 3/4 was vodka and 1/4 Sprite :) Anyway, back on track now. This morning we left Madrid and headed for Toledo, which is a gorgeous town, absolutely stunning. Unfortunately we weren't here for very long. We went to a sword shop though, where they make them, and saw some being made and we also saw some inlaid jewellery being made... the two things Toledo is really fanous for. We headed into the centre of the town and went for a little walk through the streets, very much like a rabbit's warren... very easy to get lost. We checked out the cathedral, alcazar and El Greco's (supposed) house, which was closed. Then we had some lunch and wandered around the streets, looking at the shops etc. Very nice town. Back on the bus and off to Cordoba. Straight to the hotel, had dinner and I stayed in tonight while Chris and the others went out for a drink.

The next day we started with a walking tour of Cordoba. Walking through the streets we arrived at the jewish quarter, seeing a few imlportant statues, which I have actually forgotten the meanings of... one was of an influential Jewish man who was one of the last Jews in town before Catholicism was introduced. Wer also walkezd past the Alcazar and also to a very large statue of St Raphael, who ridded the city of the plague and the statue is at the entrance of the city to try and keep the plague out. Then we went to the amazing cathedral, I'm not sure what it is called, buit it used to be a mosque and they gutted the inside and put a cathedral right in the middle. It was amazing inside though, as soon as you walk in... I was lost for words and in awe at it's beauty. It wasn't typical either, which I found very intriguing. There was a mass on when we visited so there was beautiful music playing and filling the building. After leaving we spent most our ti,e walking through the shops, checking out the souvenirs etc. Back on the bus and off to Seville for couple of nights.

Our first morning in Seville started with a walking tour. First we were taken to the bull ring and taught about bull fighting, which was really interesting. We were then guided through the streets up to the Plaza Santa Cruz where we had some tapas for lunch. After lunch, Chris and I explored the Alcazar and the Cathedral. The Alcazar was superb! Such a mix of different cultures and with some truly beautiful gardens aznd a maze. I felt like I was in 'The Secret Garden'. When we went to the cathedral, it was closed for a private function, which was disappointing, but it doesn't matter. Instead we went to the post office and then did so,e shopping before heading back to the hotel. Chris played some poker with the boys then we went out for dinner to a local restaurant, whiwh was pretty cool. For 4 Euros we got this massive meal!!! We went out for some drinks after dinner... it wasn't looking promising but then we found this really cool bar... with some seedy stalker men though....

We were straight off to Gibraltar today when one of the girls from Canada had her bag stolen from her chair at breakfast! Couldn't belive it... she had to cancel everything, including her passport. It also meant she couldn't go to Gibraltar and see the monkeys because it is actaully in England so she needed her passport. The tour manager wouldn't even wait at the hotel to let her cancel everything... so Chris and I leant her our mobile phones so she could do it on the bus and then just as she had cancelled everything, the hotel rang and a construction worker had found her bag and handed it in to the police... all the money was gone but the passport was there. So she had to go all the way back to Seville by herself and retrieve her stuff from the police station... we didn't see her for a couple of days... Anyway...we spent most of the day at Gibraltar and were taken on a taxi tour up the rock and we had the monkeys sit on us and all... it was a bit scary but cool and it was different from the normal sightseeing so that was cool. They have some caves there also, kind of like our jenolan caves but ours are heaps cooler. After that we wandered round town for a bit and had some lunch then we were" back on the bus and off to Toremollinos on the Costa Del Sol. I went to sleep when we got back to the hotel so I didnùt see any of the town, but it is just a tourist location... a beach town... reminded me of Surfer's Paradise.

On day 7 we first stopped at Malaga, which is the birthplace of Picasso and we saw an exhibition at the Picasso Museum of some of his work, it was great! Not much time here so we quickly checked out the Alcazar and the Cathedral and were back on the bus en route to Granada. When we arrived in Granada, we took advantage of the siesta. We had a nap and dinner at the hotel before heading off for a night of Flamenco dancing, gypsy style. They took us on this walking tour and showed us the Jewish and Gypsy quarters and the Alhambra at night and then we finally got to the cave... dragged on so much... and then the dancing dragged on... we were all so tired and the Sangria was so potent! It was a lot of fun though.

Day 8 in Granada started with a walking tour with a different guide but happened to be the exact same tour the gypsy took us on, which was a bit frustrating, but good nonetheless. We saw the smallest street... 42 INches wide... and then we visited the cathedral where Isabella and Ferdinand are buried. They ordered this cathedral to be built for that purpose. So we saw the cathedral, the tombs and their coffins and walked through a museum with their belongngs, which are amazing. We had somle lunch and then did some more shopping :) After spending some time at an Internet cafe we went back to the hotel for our tour of the Alhambra. As soon as we arrived I began to feel unwell... a migraine was on its way. SUch bad timing!!! The Alhambra though is gorgeous! It took 157 years to build and is simply amazing!!!After checking out the gardens we were back on the bus and I went straight to bed.

Up early today, still with a fever. A long trip to Valencia and I really saw none of it. A really nice place and it would have been good to see more of it. Really. We went on a very short walking tour when we arrived. The highlight would have to be visiting the cathedral and seeing the Holy Grail. Now, I (amongst others) have my doubts about this. I've never heard of the Holy Grail being in Valencia, or being found for that matter. Furthermore, there were no queues, no tourists... you'd think it would be packed! There was no security and it really was not impressive. Admittedly I have not done any research in to this... YET, but I still have my reservations. After this we headed back to the hotel for an evening of rest because the migraine, fever and gastro were all in full swing. Off early for a travel day to Barcelona. Oh yeah and this monstrous woman on our tour, known as the Shoosher absolutely abused me in the lift! Psychopath!!!!

Another long day driving from Valencia to Barcelona but we finally arrived. We started with a short bus tour around the city. At this stage my migraine was clearing up but my tummy was a little woozy. Chris was feeling unwell too. First we saw the Olympic Stqdiuum from the 1992 Olympics although they were closed because they are not in use anymore and they were covered by scaffolding (much like the rest of Spain). We saw the pool though, which was cool because it was outdoors but the poor divers.. it is like you are diving off a cliff! We also saw this fortress thingy, not sure what it was but it had great views! Our main stop was the Sagrida Familia (Sacred Family). This was Gaudi's life work and his side is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen. His work is truly beautiful and spectacular. So inspiring. Then you go around the back and the additions that have been made since Gaudi's tragic and untimely death are also tragic! It is beautiful in its own right. Very modern but Gaudi never used straight lines and the new stuff is pretty much all cubist work. It doesn't fit with the original and it seems there has been no effort made to incorporate Gaudi's work into the additions. Now, Gaudi's death... he used to step back and look at his work because he was a perfectionist etc and one day he stepped out on to the road in front of a tram! So... look both ways before you cross kids! They also think it will take another hundred years to complete but I think it'll take longer than that. We didn't go out with everyone that night cos we were still unwell so we just tried to eat some dinner and off to bed.

Unfortunately our second day in Barcelona was spent in bed in the hotel... all day... by this stage the gastroenteritis was in full swing for us both... so we missed out on a tour of the Barri Gotic and shopping along Las Ramblas... as well as missing out on seeing Gaudi's apartments, but I guess that is just more of a reason to head back to Barcelona one day soon. So many people have expressed their love for this city and I'm a little disappointed we didn't experience it... oh well, that's the way the cookie crumbles. I was determined to go out though during the evening because we had paid for dinner with Flamenco dancers... I was feeling a little better so I perservered and went. Chris didn't come though :( It was a great night and everyone really missed Chris. The dancers were great. Far better than the gypsies!!! So everyone else went out from there and I headed back to the hotel. The next day (8th) was our last day in Spain so we went to the breakfast room to say goodbye to our new friends... it was a little sad but we'll definitely catch up with a good few when we get home.

Now... off to PARIS :)

Week 3: Athens and Budapest

2006-11-30T08:38:00.000-08:00

So I'm a bit of a loser because I changed the computer to English and now the keyboard doesn't correspond because it's a Spanish keyboard, so this will really test my touch typing skills :)

GREECE - ATHENS
I arrived in Greece on a Friday by myself... got my luggage and headed to the bus stop to hop on the express to Syntagma Square, where we were staying. First of all, the Greek women in particular are so rude in the city, I was putting my suitcase on the bus, which by now I think weighs nearly as much as me (well that's what it feels like) and they literally shove me out of the way saying all this stuff in Greek thinking I can't understand them. Fine, I let that pass but then, I realised that their idea of an express bus is somewhat different to ours, their's makes stops along the way. Ok... no problem, but when the bus decides to end it's voyage mid-route, I was starting to get frustrated! I had no idea where to go. Fortunately I Somalian man living in Greece helped me and another tourist get on the metro and to where we needed to go. So I made it in to the hotel in one piece, fortunately.

I was a bit disheveled at this point and didn't really feel like exploring much. So had a good rant with mum and just stuck out the night until Chris arrived.

Chris's plane of course was delayed - re-routed to some island, but anyway, he finally arrived! Things seemed much easier from that point on. We went back to the hotel and rest for a little and then headed to the terrible Omonia Sq to visit the National Archaeological Museum. After having a bite to eat, they informed us that they weren't letting anyone else in! Grrr! So we just took it easy for the rest of the day, visited the Roman Stadium, which was pretty cool and the National Gardens, which were beautiful.

On day 2 we made our way to teh Acropolis, which is about a 5 minute walk from our hotel, but we took the most round about way! Anyway, we got their quite early and the people selling tickets were late so we were let in for free. I loved the Acropolis, particularly the Parthenon, but I was somewhat disappointed because there was scaffolding everywhere... and the temple of athena nike and the propolayia were closed. Nonetheless, it was still amazing and overlooked the entire city. The views were amazing! It was then that we realised how close we were staying. The museum was also very interesting. The afternoon was spent having lunch at a local taverna, visiting Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which was the largest of its kind boasting 104 pillars, now less than 15 remain. That night we found a little noodle bar (asian I know, but oh well) and had some dinner.

Day 3 - we hopped on a bus (well a couple) to get to Ancient Corinth. First we visited (well attempted to vist) the tourist information office, which we found did not exist. So we hopped on the metro to go to another one and they informed us that it was at a different address. Anyway! After much effort we found ourselves on a coah en route to Corinth... we did make it but then we were stuck... no idea where we were or how to get to Ancient Corinth... and my Greek not strong enough with the locals' English also not strong enough, we made a decision to head back to Athens - not very adventurous I know, but it was extremely overwhelming. So we also decided that the 3 hour journey both ways to Delphi, would have to wait until the next time we are in Greece. By the time we got back to Athens, it was dinner time, so we found a fabulous local taverna! It was amazing - the food was ahhhh melt in your mouth!!!! and the little men were so cute and the atmosphere just beautiful - this was really the Greece I wanted to see... it was so close to our place too... we found some local markets and walked through them and then walked close to the Acropolis and got an amazing view of the Parthenon in the night, lit up just beautifully. I in fact prefer it at night... so peaceful.

Day 4 saw us back at Omonia Sq to visit the museum again... it was amazing with such spectacular artifacts... truly a must see when in Athens! It amazed me that these sculptures and statues were created so many years ago and with such primitive tools... phenomenal. There were some very excellent pieces that really stood out to me - a GIGANTIC Zeus - ok well we only saw his head and arm but his heard would have been the length of my legs! Pretty amazing. There was also a statue of Poseidon and a bronze statue of a boy riding a horse... really beautiful. We did however spend about 4.5 hours there, so I was a little tired. We headed back to teh Plaka for lunch at another taverna and then to the markets again to get some token Greece souvenirs. It was really good, a very nice day. That night we had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Greece, with Cocktails too... that was cool.

Day 5 was our last day so we took it pretty easy. We had breakkie at the hotel, then walked through the markets again. Came back to the hotel picked up our bags and headed off to the airport early. Luckily we did also because there was a strike, so there was reduced security, so it took us AGES to get through! But we did and our flight to Berlin for the overnight stay en route to Budapest was good. And it was so nice to stay in a nice hotel for a night. We had dinner in the hotel (which was crap) and went to bed quite early.

HUNGARY - BUDAPEST
Up early to get the shuttle to the airport for our flight to Budapest - again, we were there early. So a bite to eat and then checked-in. The narky idiot at the check in charged me for a couple of lousy kilos - loser! Anyway! We made it to Budapest in one piece, although the flight was about 15 minutes late. Chris's Godmother, Marta met us at the airport and had a taxi ready to take us back to her place, and she took us on a nice round about way through the city so we could see some sites. We arrived back to Marta's apartment, where we were met by Marta's mum Elizabeth, who cooked us a delicious feast! It was very very very yummy. No time to rest - straight out the door! We first trekked up this massive mountain on the Buda sie of the Danude. Now I think it is Gallierd Hill... I don't think that's how you spell it though. At the top stood a Citadella and their Statue of Liberty, which stood 14m tall and can be seen from all points in Budapest. It was very nice. We got some amazing photos up there too. Such spectacular views. The sun was setting, so it made a nice backdrop. Down the hill again. We had a quick poke in some very lavish thermal baths and were off again. We checked out the Great Market Hall, and then we spent some time walking through the streets. There were some Christmas markets being set up and I was a little sad, but oh well. We also got to see a little statue called the Little Princess, which sits on the boulevard of the Danube - Prince Charles loved this statue so much that he invited the sculptor to exhibit his works in London! Then we headed to Roosevalt Sq and saw the amazing 4 seasons hotel, the entrance is exactly aligned with the Chain Bridge - I think this has to be one iof the most elaborate hotels I have ever seen! We then had a very traditional Hungarian dinner at a lovely restaurant, a little more walking and then called it a night.

Sorry there isn't much detail here but I'm trying to get through this as quickly as possible.

Our second day in Budapest started with a tour of Parliament - very grand! It houses St Stephens Crown, Sceptor and Orb and houses the largest chandellier in Budapest I think... it is also the 3rd largest in the world, after Romania and Argentina, and it beats London by 2 metres. But uit is spectacular inside! Then we headed up to the castle region. We saw the changing of the guards which was pretty cook and then walked around the grounds of the castle. Again, very beautiful. We also visited Fisherman's Bastion and the Mattihus Church. Both superb and some lovely views again. Headed back home for a quick rest and then got ready for a night out at a Hungarian musical - very funny!

We finally got to sleep in a little today - we started with a trip to St Stephen's Basillica. It is simply superb and we got to see his right hand, which was a little freaky but it is preserved because he did such wonderful things with his right hand. We headed home for a bit while Chris set up a webcam for Marta and then off to Heroes' Sq, which has some fabulous statues, especially the one of the Archangel Gabriel, whcih stands so high above them all. All the kings and Saints of Hungary and there I think... then we also got to see this awesome time wheel and a 1956 memorial - both very cool and very modern, yet they fit in really nicely with the old style of Budapest. A quick walk through City Park and then Chris and I were able to relax for a couple of hours at the thermal baths... very nice. The night was spent at the Opera - in Hungarian - Mozart's Magic Flute. A great night out! And that's it, the next day we were off to Berlin again for another night's stay en route to Madrid.

It would have been nice to see more of Budapest - it is an amazing city.

Week 2: London

2006-11-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

Well my 2nd week is now almost over... a fabulous week spent in London! I'm absolutely in love with this city, and will without a doubt be back very soon!!!

I started the week exploring the little Earl's Court, making sure I knew what was around, where I could eat, wash my clothes etc. There certainly is plenty to do around here, and plenty of pubs too. Although due to my shy nature, I'm not the sort to go down to the pub and have a few drinks and see who I meet... so I haven't really met anyone... and no-one in my hotel speaks English... oh well.

Then I went off to the fabulous Harrods!!!, which is just superb!!! Loved it so much. It wasn't opne when I arrived... in fact I had nearly 3 hours to kill because I went on a Sunday. Stupid me. Anyway, it was well worth the wait. I bought the usual Harrods stuff, including the bag :) but of course, I can't afford the likes of Escada and Valentino so I didn't indluge much. However, the pet store was so adorable and there was so much I wanted to buy! I also checked out Harvey Nicols, but it wasn't nearly as impressive. Did a bit more shopping then headed down to the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was good but by this point I don't think I had eaten im a long time, so I was feeling a little faint, but there were some nice exhibitions. There was a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition which I waited ages for. I was quite excited about this but it was so poorly planned on behalf of the museum that it was such a let down. Very disappointing.

The next day, Danielle arrived!!!!! This had to be one of the best days ever! I started the day though by visiting the British Museum, which was simply amazing, definitely my favourite gallery/museum exhibition so far. They had Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece exhibtions, all of which were just unbelievable! I had such a great time here. I then found the Contiki Basement, thanks to Ness and Mum, got my documents and walked Euston Rd and Marylbone Rd to get to Madame Tussauds, where I waited for Danielle.

After a long awaited hug, we headed out for lunch before going into the museum. The Museum was awesome! We took photos with so many statues! But there was this Chamber of Horros thing, it was soooo scary, we were screaming and screaming so hard but I started laughing so hard at ourselves that I almost couldn't breath. But it was so much fun. We checked out Picadilly Circus again then headed home.

On the 14th, Danielle and I did the hop-on-hop-off tour around London. Keep in mind that it was pouring and windy today but we did it anyway. We saw Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Sq. Westminster Abbey was just amazing. We saw the tombs of so many amazing kings and queens - the Edwards, Henrys, Elizabeths, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots etc. and they had a memorial for Shakespeare. It was truly beautiful. Big Ben - well I was expecting a little more... don't get me wrong, it was gorgeous but I don't know. It's actually called Steven's Clock and the bell is Big Ben. I thought that was interesting. By this point is was too miserable to go on the London Eye, so we made our way up to Trafalgar Sq, which I thought was fascinating... and the National Gallery was both beautiful and interesting! We got back on the bus and sat up the top... absolutely freezing and drenched... not to mention absolutely in stitches from laughing so much. It was the funniest thing and the most fun I've had since I left home!!!! Thanks D!!!! We stayed on the bus for AGES, cos it went the opposite way that we thought it was going, so we finally made it to the amazing St Paul's Cathdral (my camera battery conveniently died!) and then across the diappointing London Bridge and the absolutely amazing Tower Bridge. Couldn't see SHakespeare's Globe Theatre though and I was quite disappointed about that. Off the bus and on to the Tower of London... CLOSED! So we headed home and I headed off to the SOCCER!!! That's right, Kelvin took me to the Australia Vs Ghana game!! It was awesome - Aloisi, Emerton, Bresciano! Oh my goodness I had so much fun. One of the highlights of my trip top date! Not only that, we were sitting right at one of the goals, in the second row! I was 2 metres from Schwarzer!!!! Excellent evening!

On the 15th, Danielle and I started the day with a trip on the London Eye! It was perfect weather first thing in the morning and the viwes are just amazing - you can see everything!!! I really enjoyed it. When we got of the eye, we got some yummy chocolate and we went over to Trafalgar Sq because this woman had told us about the Queen visiting Parliament today. So we stood there for a little while and THE QUEEN DROVE BY IN HER GOLD CARRIAGE! WE SAW THE QUEEN!!! This happens once a year and we saw it!!! So exciting! We then hopped on a cruise along the Thames. It was dirty, but nice. We got off at the Tower of London and had a walk around. Very fascinating. We also got to see Shakespeare's Globe! I headed over to Natural History museum after that. It was good, but more for kids cos it was all fossils and stuff. I then saw the amaxing Royal Albert Hall and Memorial and Princess Diana's Fountain - all spectacular.

Today, the 16th, I headed over to Kensington Palace... got there early, as per usual.. but it was lovely and there was a Diana exhibition, which was just spectacular - I love Diana... so I loved it. Then found Danielle, did a spot of shopping and had a traditional (umm kind of) Pub Lunch! Yummo. And now here I am. Off to Greece tomorrow to meet my dear Chris!!!

Week 1

2006-11-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

Well it hasn't been easy finding internet access when on a tour, well cheap internet access that is. But I am now in Earl's Court for a week and have found an Internet Cafe, where the charge is £1 for the session :) I hope I understood it correctly. But I'll give you a run down now on what I've been up to!

All in all, the Globus tour was very good, even though every other passenger was either retired, a grandparent, or both! But they were sweet, and looked after me and made sure I rang home a lot!

London - Bath
First stop on the tour was Hampton Court. The gardens here are absolutely amazing!!! Simply gorgeous. The gardens were donated to King William and Queen Mary and the gardens are shaped in a W! There are dedications to them all over the place. Unfortunately there were not many flowers and such because of the season, but the grass and trees etc were still breath-taking. So green! We don't get that sort of green grass back home! Oh and they have a maze there! But we weren't allowed to go in there because it is so easy to get lost.

After Hampton Court, we headed to Salisbury for lunch. Salisbury is quite small, but like so many of the English towns, just beautiful. I sound very repetitive, well I will sound repetitive, but the streets and the buildings, all so old and unique! They had already begun setting up their Christmas lights in the streets so it was a bit sad, but lovely nonetheless.

From Salisbury, we moved on to the unbelievably amazing Stonhenge! We spent about an hour here I think and you just stand there marvelling at its beauty. The stories about its history were very interesting. Also interesting is that people began taking the rocks for their own personal use! But no-one really knows what it was built for, but it is truly amazing, it just has such a presence and you stand there in awe. It's a pity that it no longer stands as it used to, in a full circle... still remaining, amongst the stones are the altar table and the slaughter table... and you can see how the people who built it created peaks and troughs, type thing, so that the stones would fit together like a puzzle. Very interesting! Would love to spend hours there just staring at it and absorbing it.

From Stonehenge, it was a short drive to Bath. As I mentioned in one of my emails, Bath is an unbelievable city. The architecture has gothic and of course roman influences and just magnificent. So magical! Walking through the streets at about 5pm, it was pitch black and the mist was covering the buildings, very bizarre feeling! But I was sipping on a hot chocolate from the Cadbury Chocolate house ( JEM / SHEZ - you would love this shop!)! But the baths themselves, also very fascinating. So much history there. It's just amazing to be walking through those ruins after they have stood for so many years!

Bath - Wales
Our first stop today was Stow-on-the-wold, this tiny little town in the Cotswolds. The scenery and the hills and the trees are all so lush and just amazing, I have never seen anything like it! Leaving Stow we headed through several small towns en route to Stratford-upon-avon, which I was particularly excited about visiting (Shakespeare's home town)! We were able to walk through his birthplace and the town was so pleasant, all these black and white cottages, not to mention the thatched roofs, which are amazing!!! I love Shakespeare's work, so to be walking through the streets he lived and walked through was particularly inspiring for me. We stopped here for lunch, and I had Subway - Crap! Crap! Crap! Also in Stratford we were able to see Anne Hathaway's cottage (Shakespeare's wife).

Next stop was Llangollen in wales, pronounced Clangothlen! Weird little town. I felt somewhat uncomfortable here, and it was the first place I had to pay to use the rest room! We then stayed the evening in Chester, which is near the England - Wales border. They had manuered the garden that day, so it stunk at our hotel!

Chester - Edinburgh
Spent some time in Chester this morning - the first day it has rained! It poured in fact!!! But it was ok, we still went on a walking tour around town! For some stupid reason! But I enjoyed it. Plenty of old and cute cottages around.

However! The Lakes District was just unbelievable!!! The surroundings were breath-taking and just left me in awe! and silence! Just gorgeous! Rolling hills and pine trees that would equate to the height of a 4 story house! Just amazing! I bought some 'world-famous' ginger bread here... it was damn good!!!

Next stop - Gretna Green! I was really excited about this, cos mum had told me about it! It was great! This is the place were couples used to elope to and get married at the Blacksmith! I loved it, and it was funny hearing about how the government would try and create laws against it, but they neevr really succeeded! I loved it here!

We next arrived in Edinburgh! One of my favourite cities so far! I loved it here, and the Scottish accent - I love it! Pamela, you were right! After arriving at the hotel, we headed straight off for a night of dancing, dinner and bagpipes... and HAGGIS! Yes, I had Haggis! I think though it was tourist-friendly, made from Lamb, Oats, Pepper, Herbs and Onion. No heart or brains etc! A fun night...! Late night though. The next day we went on a sightseeing tour around the city, and learnt a lot about its history. We made stops at Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle. Both were phenomenal! Holyrood palace is where the Queen stays every June on her visit to Edinburgh. I think they said William Wordsworth built it... can't remember, oops! But he died the year before it was built.... We got to see many of the rooms, which were divine! We heard the story of Mary Queen of Scots also... such a tragic story, but somewhat amusing.... Poor lady though. Off next to the castle, which I could see from my hotel room! Such an amazing structure... high up on the mountains, so dominating. So appropriate. Apart from seeing the castle, I saw the prisons of war and the National War Museum - which commemorates the ANZACs, it was quite moving, reading through the names of the Australians.... Oh and lets not forget the view from the castle! I think it was North, South, East. Might have been west. But you could see EVERYTHING! I got plenty of photos :). This afternoon, I went shopping :) and went on a tour of some underground closes... The real Mary King's Close. Very interesting. The city chambers built on top of these closes so many levels were knocked down and it stands about 1/3 in length now also. Too many stories to tell here though!

Edinburgh - York
First stop today was Sir Walter Scott's country estate. This was beautiful and we had such great access to everything! The library was impressive, thousands of books he referenced for his works and books that are still used by students today! They also have this thing called a 'Speak-a-word' room... it's when you want to have a private word with someone; very cute. The armoury was also very impressive!

On the way to York, I got a photo on the England/Scotland border - each side! But the wind was so amazingly strong I struggled to walk there! And the people on the bus were giggling! Pfft! It was awesome though, very invigorating!

Next was York, where we stayed the night. Beautiful town. The minster was impressive, although, its full beauty was not appreciated because it was very overcast, so I was unable to see the light coming through the stained glass windows. The crypt was cool though too... no photos were allowed, but I snuck a few in ;)

York - London
Very excited to be back in London!!! We stopped first at Belvoir Castle (pronounced Beaver), where the Duke and Duchess of Rutland reside with their 5 children... seeing the toys lying around was good because it was real and normal. I liked it. Also, we passed through Nottingham and the Sherwood Forest... AKA ROBIN HOOD! Yay! Although, interestingly, all the characters from Robin Hood, although real, lived during different times. Also, Maid Marion didn't exist and they believe she was named after the Virgin Mary, because the Virgin Mary was the only woman Robin ever loved... mmm.... Stopped off next in Stamford. Couldn't see the Uni really and besides that - small town with 4 churches, that was it.

AND now here I am in London!!!