We were up early today (6 am!), had breakfast, and drove to Calais France. There we boarded a ferry to Dover England, a trip that took about 90 minutes. These ferries are so big. I can't count how many semi & cars drive in before the several hundred foot passengers.
It was sunny when we left France but gloomy & foggy before we were half away across the English Channel.
Our return hotel in London is near Heathrow, making it handy for my early morning flight home. I was glad to be able to talk to people who spoke English, but at dinner I said "Merci" instead of "thank you"!
It's been a grand time & I'm so glad I took this trip. What an experience! I'll be a few weeks sorting through all my photos and I'll upload some of them on my blog in the coming days. I hope you've enjoyed the blogging:)
Got an early wake up again tomorrow as I have to be at the airport at 5 am...thats 11 pm tonight for all of you.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Farewell Dinner
Wednesday might we had our farewell dinner. Some are staying in Paris while most of us returned to London today to then go our separate ways.
Our dinner was amazing as was the atmosphere. Two Frenchman played accordion & guitar & sang all evening while we dined.
For apertif, we were served a cherry champagne which is unique to this area apparently. Then there was a choice of shrimp cocktail, escargot or French Onion soup. I had the soup which was very good. Since we sampled each others, I was convinced to try the escargot. It was an ok but one bite was enough.
Main course was a choice of salmon, garlic shrimp or beef in burgundy sauce. I chose the beef but, as with other courses, we shared bites of each others.
Next course was a plate of several cheeses.
Dessert choices were peach Melba, chocolate mousse or creme brûlée. Mine was peach Melba.
The perfect topping for our last night was seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up. The lights go on @ dusk, then at the top of the hour the tower glitters for 5 minutes. You could hear the oohs & aahs for blocks.
Au Revoir Paris! Thank you for the cooperative weather.
Our dinner was amazing as was the atmosphere. Two Frenchman played accordion & guitar & sang all evening while we dined.
For apertif, we were served a cherry champagne which is unique to this area apparently. Then there was a choice of shrimp cocktail, escargot or French Onion soup. I had the soup which was very good. Since we sampled each others, I was convinced to try the escargot. It was an ok but one bite was enough.
Main course was a choice of salmon, garlic shrimp or beef in burgundy sauce. I chose the beef but, as with other courses, we shared bites of each others.
Next course was a plate of several cheeses.
Dessert choices were peach Melba, chocolate mousse or creme brûlée. Mine was peach Melba.
The perfect topping for our last night was seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up. The lights go on @ dusk, then at the top of the hour the tower glitters for 5 minutes. You could hear the oohs & aahs for blocks.
Au Revoir Paris! Thank you for the cooperative weather.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Paris Part Deaux
Wednesday the sun was shining! It was only about 45, but at least it wasn't raining. We took off on our riding tour around the city. Population/cars is over 3Million on a week day with all the commuters. I thought Rome's traffic was bad but at least it kept moving. Paris is one giant traffic jam.
Our first stop of the morning was the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. It's massive. It's impossible to take a photo of the whole facade because it's so enormous.
Eiffel Tower was next. There was a 2 hr wait to walk up the stairs! Can't imagine so many crazy people who are willing to stand in line to climb 300 stairs. This kid isn't one of them.
Can u see me in the picture - Lower left corner with my arms in the air. Talk about a speck! The Tower weighs 70,000 tons & takes 60,000 gals of paint. It's so much larger than one can imagine. I took pictures from all angles as we drove around the city.
From the Eiffel Tower, we drove down the Champs Élysées by the Arch de Trumphe. Unfortunately, there is no place for tour buses anywhere near so I got photos only in passing.
I wish I'd taken a tour extension in Paris. 48 hours isn't long enough. Guess I'll just have to make a trip back:)
After lunch, I opted to take the tour of the Palace of Versailles. Enroute we went through the tunnel where Princess Di was killed. That was a sad moment for me. I could visualize the accident as shown on the news.
The Palace is unlike anything I've seen. Talk about opulence! There was 18 karat gold everywhere! The art was amazing, the size of the rooms were enormous, frescos on the ceilings were gorgeous & then there were the majestic chandeliers.
Of course, there's all the famous artwork & the portraits of Louis 14th, 15th & 16th who all ruled from this palace. Did u know they all 3 had wives named Mary?
There were a total of 800 rooms in the palace covering 2000 acres. Of course, we only were able to see 10-12 rooms. The gardens were beautiful also.
The end of this tour was timed perfectly with the change in the weather as the skies opened up as we boarded the bus. It took forever to return to our hotel because of the traffic jams. Unbelievable!
Our first stop of the morning was the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. It's massive. It's impossible to take a photo of the whole facade because it's so enormous.
Eiffel Tower was next. There was a 2 hr wait to walk up the stairs! Can't imagine so many crazy people who are willing to stand in line to climb 300 stairs. This kid isn't one of them.
Can u see me in the picture - Lower left corner with my arms in the air. Talk about a speck! The Tower weighs 70,000 tons & takes 60,000 gals of paint. It's so much larger than one can imagine. I took pictures from all angles as we drove around the city.
From the Eiffel Tower, we drove down the Champs Élysées by the Arch de Trumphe. Unfortunately, there is no place for tour buses anywhere near so I got photos only in passing.
I wish I'd taken a tour extension in Paris. 48 hours isn't long enough. Guess I'll just have to make a trip back:)
After lunch, I opted to take the tour of the Palace of Versailles. Enroute we went through the tunnel where Princess Di was killed. That was a sad moment for me. I could visualize the accident as shown on the news.
The Palace is unlike anything I've seen. Talk about opulence! There was 18 karat gold everywhere! The art was amazing, the size of the rooms were enormous, frescos on the ceilings were gorgeous & then there were the majestic chandeliers.
Of course, there's all the famous artwork & the portraits of Louis 14th, 15th & 16th who all ruled from this palace. Did u know they all 3 had wives named Mary?
There were a total of 800 rooms in the palace covering 2000 acres. Of course, we only were able to see 10-12 rooms. The gardens were beautiful also.
The end of this tour was timed perfectly with the change in the weather as the skies opened up as we boarded the bus. It took forever to return to our hotel because of the traffic jams. Unbelievable!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Ahhh Paris
I have been looking forward to getting to Paris, but it is not going to be as much fun as I'd hoped. Firstly, the observation deck in the Eiffel Tower is not reachable because the elevators are being repaired. Well, it is reachable if one wants to climb over 400 stairs but this one is not!!! Secondly, the Louvre is closed. To top it off, its rsining & cold! So...may not see as much of Paris on my own as I'd planned:(
We do have a guided tour 2moro morning, then some of us signed up for the excursion to Versailles. We'll see the palace of Louis XIV. I'm looking forward to that!
Before I left home, I went online to locate a UPS or DHL office near the hotel to send home all my purchases. My suitcase alone was pushing the 50 lb limit before I left so I knew I'd not be able to carry souvenirs home. As it is, I bought a larger carry-on bag to put some fragile items in. I may have lucked out as the subway has a stop at our hotel & near the DHL office.
We do have a guided tour 2moro morning, then some of us signed up for the excursion to Versailles. We'll see the palace of Louis XIV. I'm looking forward to that!
Before I left home, I went online to locate a UPS or DHL office near the hotel to send home all my purchases. My suitcase alone was pushing the 50 lb limit before I left so I knew I'd not be able to carry souvenirs home. As it is, I bought a larger carry-on bag to put some fragile items in. I may have lucked out as the subway has a stop at our hotel & near the DHL office.
Orleans France
Today we began our journey towards Paris. Our first stop was in Ambroise where there is a magnificent castle that was home to Leonardo da Vinci. In fact, he is buried on the grounds.
It was a bitter cold windy day in Ambroise, certainly not what we expected this time of year.
Next stop was for lunch in Orleans, pronounced or-lay-on. Orleans is the Sister City to New Orleans...that's where NOLA got its name. After Katrina, this French city sent money to help the residents. They also invited students to come study in Orleans at the expense of the French city.
Orleans was the home of Joan of Arc & there is a large statue dedicated to her.
It was no fun trotting around this city as it was pouring rain:(. It would've been very pretty in more cooperative weather!
This cathedral, one of many on our trip, is St Croix.
It was a bitter cold windy day in Ambroise, certainly not what we expected this time of year.
Next stop was for lunch in Orleans, pronounced or-lay-on. Orleans is the Sister City to New Orleans...that's where NOLA got its name. After Katrina, this French city sent money to help the residents. They also invited students to come study in Orleans at the expense of the French city.
Orleans was the home of Joan of Arc & there is a large statue dedicated to her.
It was no fun trotting around this city as it was pouring rain:(. It would've been very pretty in more cooperative weather!
This cathedral, one of many on our trip, is St Croix.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Trip Trivia
Things I've learned on this trip:
1) None of the hotels provide washcloths!
2) Hotel rooms do not have temperature control. This time of year the heat is on so rooms are quite warm. Aircon, as it's called, isn't turned on until May.
3) in Italy, there is far too much food served -minimum 3 courses, usually 4! For dessert, usually "gelato" It's not as firm as ice cream & its pnot frozen.It's just good & comes in many flavors.
4) Hotel laundry service is VERY expensive. They charge by the piece &, for example, it costs 4€ to launder a bra - thats over $5!
Public laundry in Monaco was costly, too. $US13 for washer & approx $US4 for 15 min drying.
5) No such thing as free wifi in hotels in UK, Italy or Germany. Average cost is 3€ per hour. Wifi free in France & Spain.
6) Gasoline averages US$8 gallon but cars are small & get better mileage. I've seen very few American vehicles on this trip. Lots of BMW, Audi, VW, Alfa Romao, Peugeot, Mercedes & even Bentley. Then there's those cute little cars in England that are the taxis.
7) Many ride Vespas or other bikes. Most cars aren't larger than the Smart Car. Lots of public buses. If you saw the traffic & the way they park you'd know why the cars are so small!
8) The US$ isn't worth much compared to Euro, everything is quite expensive. Currently, 1€ = $1.34 while 1£ (British Pound) = $1.53. So for every Euro I spend, it actually costs me $1.32.
9) The water is not served with ice. I have to go to bar & practically beg to get ice.
10) in France, they don't believe in toilet seats. The bowl is there but no seat. This may be TMI, but I line the bowl with tissue before I'll use it!!
11) April may not be the best month to come to Europe. Days are still quite cool. I thought April in Paris was supposed to be great. It was in 60's when we were in Lucerne Switzerland . Today they have 2' snow!
1) None of the hotels provide washcloths!
2) Hotel rooms do not have temperature control. This time of year the heat is on so rooms are quite warm. Aircon, as it's called, isn't turned on until May.
3) in Italy, there is far too much food served -minimum 3 courses, usually 4! For dessert, usually "gelato" It's not as firm as ice cream & its pnot frozen.It's just good & comes in many flavors.
4) Hotel laundry service is VERY expensive. They charge by the piece &, for example, it costs 4€ to launder a bra - thats over $5!
Public laundry in Monaco was costly, too. $US13 for washer & approx $US4 for 15 min drying.
5) No such thing as free wifi in hotels in UK, Italy or Germany. Average cost is 3€ per hour. Wifi free in France & Spain.
6) Gasoline averages US$8 gallon but cars are small & get better mileage. I've seen very few American vehicles on this trip. Lots of BMW, Audi, VW, Alfa Romao, Peugeot, Mercedes & even Bentley. Then there's those cute little cars in England that are the taxis.
7) Many ride Vespas or other bikes. Most cars aren't larger than the Smart Car. Lots of public buses. If you saw the traffic & the way they park you'd know why the cars are so small!
8) The US$ isn't worth much compared to Euro, everything is quite expensive. Currently, 1€ = $1.34 while 1£ (British Pound) = $1.53. So for every Euro I spend, it actually costs me $1.32.
9) The water is not served with ice. I have to go to bar & practically beg to get ice.
10) in France, they don't believe in toilet seats. The bowl is there but no seat. This may be TMI, but I line the bowl with tissue before I'll use it!!
11) April may not be the best month to come to Europe. Days are still quite cool. I thought April in Paris was supposed to be great. It was in 60's when we were in Lucerne Switzerland . Today they have 2' snow!
Bonjour France!
This morning we left Bilbao Spain bright & early on our drive to Poitiers France, about 350 miles. In a car it would go much faster but buses can only go 62 mph & we need to make "pee-pee" stop (thats what our guide calls them) every couple of hours.
Our first stop was in San Sebastian. What a pretty town! The views of the Pyranees Mountains were stunning with the sun rising over them. As we crossed into France, the clouds rolled in. It's not cold but gloomy. Geez, I coulda stayed in Michigan for that :( I was hoping for warm spring days in France.
We stopped for lunch in Bordeaux - wine country. It was a very pretty city but most everything was closed on Easter Monday. Most of us ended up at McD's!
Our drive continued through cognac country where fields were filled with yellow canola flowers, used in the making of cognac.
OMG our bus driver is a miracle worker driving through the narrow streets of Poitiers! If anyone opened a car door they would lose it! He has made some pretty tight turns in some of the cities but these have to be the hardest. I don't know how we'll get out of here because ahead the road is under construction. Gennaro will work his magic, I'm sure.
Tonight we have a quiet dinner in our hotel and tomorrow we'll be Paris! It's the last major city on our tour.
It's been a wonderful journey but I'm on major cultural overload & ready for American food, English speaking TV & my own bed!!
Our first stop was in San Sebastian. What a pretty town! The views of the Pyranees Mountains were stunning with the sun rising over them. As we crossed into France, the clouds rolled in. It's not cold but gloomy. Geez, I coulda stayed in Michigan for that :( I was hoping for warm spring days in France.
We stopped for lunch in Bordeaux - wine country. It was a very pretty city but most everything was closed on Easter Monday. Most of us ended up at McD's!
Our drive continued through cognac country where fields were filled with yellow canola flowers, used in the making of cognac.
OMG our bus driver is a miracle worker driving through the narrow streets of Poitiers! If anyone opened a car door they would lose it! He has made some pretty tight turns in some of the cities but these have to be the hardest. I don't know how we'll get out of here because ahead the road is under construction. Gennaro will work his magic, I'm sure.
Tonight we have a quiet dinner in our hotel and tomorrow we'll be Paris! It's the last major city on our tour.
It's been a wonderful journey but I'm on major cultural overload & ready for American food, English speaking TV & my own bed!!
A movie in the works?
Sunday night over dinner, it was decided we should write a movie script of our experiences on this trip. First thing, of course, was choosing who should play each of us. Being the only American on this trip, it was unanimous that Meryl Streep should play me. LOL! Now keep in mind, this discussion began after several glasses of Sangria.
Other stars would be J Lo, Helen Mirren, Sigourney Weaver, & Justin Timberlake. Lucy Liu, Jet Li & Jackie Chan would play the roles of our Indonesia friends:)
We have had lots of fun & some very funny things have happened, but there has been a couple not so good moments which must also be included. In Spain, the beds are notoriously hard so most everyone complained of backaches & poor sleep in Spain.
Personally, my trip experiences will be memorialized by scrapbooking everything. It'll be a big scrapbook even if I only use a third of the over 2300 photos I've taken to date & the keepsakes I've collected.
I have made several new friends & we'll stay in touch via Facebook & email. Hopefully someday we'll meet again.
Other stars would be J Lo, Helen Mirren, Sigourney Weaver, & Justin Timberlake. Lucy Liu, Jet Li & Jackie Chan would play the roles of our Indonesia friends:)
We have had lots of fun & some very funny things have happened, but there has been a couple not so good moments which must also be included. In Spain, the beds are notoriously hard so most everyone complained of backaches & poor sleep in Spain.
Personally, my trip experiences will be memorialized by scrapbooking everything. It'll be a big scrapbook even if I only use a third of the over 2300 photos I've taken to date & the keepsakes I've collected.
I have made several new friends & we'll stay in touch via Facebook & email. Hopefully someday we'll meet again.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Adios Madrid
Easter Sunday
A beautiful Easter Sunday here. I hope it is for all of you as well. The scenery driving North from Madrid to Burgos has been lovely. We climbed high in the Cantabria mountains & there was lots of clouds & snow. Once we went down the other side, it was warmer & a very pretty day.
We stopped in Burgos Spain which is a beautiful city. Timing was perfect as they were just beginning Mass in the courtyard of St Maria Church, a huge 13th century cathedral. It was Catholic service in Spanish but I knew of course what it was about.
We traveled on to Bilbao Spain which is near the border of France & on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. We visited the Googenheim Museum-one of several in the world.
I guess this puppy serves no special significance but it is made entirely of flowers.
Our hotel is here in Bilbao, also. Tonight we are staying in a Novotel which is one of the nicest on our journey. Our ride is long tomorrow - Poitiers France. We will stop in Bordeaux to break up the day.
A beautiful Easter Sunday here. I hope it is for all of you as well. The scenery driving North from Madrid to Burgos has been lovely. We climbed high in the Cantabria mountains & there was lots of clouds & snow. Once we went down the other side, it was warmer & a very pretty day.
We stopped in Burgos Spain which is a beautiful city. Timing was perfect as they were just beginning Mass in the courtyard of St Maria Church, a huge 13th century cathedral. It was Catholic service in Spanish but I knew of course what it was about.
We traveled on to Bilbao Spain which is near the border of France & on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. We visited the Googenheim Museum-one of several in the world.
I guess this puppy serves no special significance but it is made entirely of flowers.
Our hotel is here in Bilbao, also. Tonight we are staying in a Novotel which is one of the nicest on our journey. Our ride is long tomorrow - Poitiers France. We will stop in Bordeaux to break up the day.
Madrid -Saturday part 2
One final note on Madrid....
The Aussie girls & I went looking for a place for dinner. We passed a sign & Giselle got excited & said "look they have stike! I asked what stike was. Its steak with the Aussie accent. Another big laugh for us! We found a nice restaurant only a block away but no one spoke English & the menu was all in Spanish. One gal must have gluten-free so she was trying to ask what various items were. One was "lomo" so she went "baaaa" & he said "si" so she took a chance on that. She got her lamb dinner. Another wanted steak & she made her "bull" gesture but what she got was beef stew. Another wanted fish so she made faces like a fish & got it. Hamburger was obvious so thats what I ordered, not taking any chances! All in a, lots of laughs. Of course, a pitcher of sangria helped us along LOL!
We wanted butter for our bread so one gal pointed to her yellow sweater, gestured like she was spreading it & we finally made him understand.
It was a fun evening. This morning we are off to Bilbao Spain!
Happy Easter to everyone!
The Aussie girls & I went looking for a place for dinner. We passed a sign & Giselle got excited & said "look they have stike! I asked what stike was. Its steak with the Aussie accent. Another big laugh for us! We found a nice restaurant only a block away but no one spoke English & the menu was all in Spanish. One gal must have gluten-free so she was trying to ask what various items were. One was "lomo" so she went "baaaa" & he said "si" so she took a chance on that. She got her lamb dinner. Another wanted steak & she made her "bull" gesture but what she got was beef stew. Another wanted fish so she made faces like a fish & got it. Hamburger was obvious so thats what I ordered, not taking any chances! All in a, lots of laughs. Of course, a pitcher of sangria helped us along LOL!
We wanted butter for our bread so one gal pointed to her yellow sweater, gestured like she was spreading it & we finally made him understand.
It was a fun evening. This morning we are off to Bilbao Spain!
Happy Easter to everyone!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Madrid-Saturday
Spaniards say Madrid is nearest thing to heaven.
My son may disagree as he prefers Sevilla. In fact, after a couple weeks to rest up, I'm going to stay with Cody. Rich & Tasha are taking their delayed honeymoon in Sevilla Spain.
Our bus tour of the city began @ 9 am. Our Madrid guide took us all over the city & turned us loose in Plaza del Sol in city center. There were 6 of us girls who didn't know each other prior to this trip & we've had a ball together. It happens the others are all from different parts of Australia.
After an afternoon of shopping, 4 of us tried to tell a taxi driver the name of the hotel. That didn't work so one of the gals made horns & said "el toro". He understood then & we all had a good laugh. Our hotel is only a block from the bull ring.
We were disappointed that we couldn't see a bullfight tonite. Wouldn't ya know, it's tomorrow. We leave in the morning for Burgos and Bilbao Spain.
Just for my grandson & great granddaughters, I had my picture taken with their favorite characters.
My son may disagree as he prefers Sevilla. In fact, after a couple weeks to rest up, I'm going to stay with Cody. Rich & Tasha are taking their delayed honeymoon in Sevilla Spain.
Our bus tour of the city began @ 9 am. Our Madrid guide took us all over the city & turned us loose in Plaza del Sol in city center. There were 6 of us girls who didn't know each other prior to this trip & we've had a ball together. It happens the others are all from different parts of Australia.
After an afternoon of shopping, 4 of us tried to tell a taxi driver the name of the hotel. That didn't work so one of the gals made horns & said "el toro". He understood then & we all had a good laugh. Our hotel is only a block from the bull ring.
We were disappointed that we couldn't see a bullfight tonite. Wouldn't ya know, it's tomorrow. We leave in the morning for Burgos and Bilbao Spain.
Just for my grandson & great granddaughters, I had my picture taken with their favorite characters.
Buenos Dias, Madrid
Today we were on the bus & headed for Madrid @ 7:45. About 2 hours after we left Barcelona, we crossed the meridian for Greenwich Meantime. Hope the picture turns out I snapped as we passed under the arch.
We stopped in Zaragoza for our lunch break. Timing was bad because as we stepped off the bus, the skies opened up. Luckily the main town square is all enclosed with shops & restaurants but it was a cold rain. The main point of interest is the Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar built in 1681. There are 2 bombs inside the church that were dropped in 1936 during the Spanish War in an attempt to destroy the church. They were unsuccessful & these undetonated bombs remain in the church!
Since we were there on Good Friday, there were 7 processions throughout the day. Not being Catholic I don't understand the significance, but the popes/priests wore different colors in each procession. In the one we observed they were wearing green. The "scary" part was that their cloaks & pointy hoods looked like those worn by KKK! I didn't get any pictures because it rained so hard that I went for cover. Then the hail started & the ground turned white. Unbelievable weather.
The bus ride got to be a little boring because I had finished the book I was reading. I couldn't find a thing in English in Barcelona. One can only play so many games of Solitaire or Bejeweled on the iPhone:)
I'm looking forward to a day touring & shopping in Madrid but I hope it warms up. It's only supposed to be in the 50's!
We stopped in Zaragoza for our lunch break. Timing was bad because as we stepped off the bus, the skies opened up. Luckily the main town square is all enclosed with shops & restaurants but it was a cold rain. The main point of interest is the Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar built in 1681. There are 2 bombs inside the church that were dropped in 1936 during the Spanish War in an attempt to destroy the church. They were unsuccessful & these undetonated bombs remain in the church!
Since we were there on Good Friday, there were 7 processions throughout the day. Not being Catholic I don't understand the significance, but the popes/priests wore different colors in each procession. In the one we observed they were wearing green. The "scary" part was that their cloaks & pointy hoods looked like those worn by KKK! I didn't get any pictures because it rained so hard that I went for cover. Then the hail started & the ground turned white. Unbelievable weather.
The bus ride got to be a little boring because I had finished the book I was reading. I couldn't find a thing in English in Barcelona. One can only play so many games of Solitaire or Bejeweled on the iPhone:)
I'm looking forward to a day touring & shopping in Madrid but I hope it warms up. It's only supposed to be in the 50's!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Barcelona by Day
This morning a local guide, Carlos Picasso, took us on a city tour. We got to see Sagrada Familia from all 4 sides, each side telling a different story.
We took a riding tour then & saw the stadium where the Olympics were held in 1992, then on to the top of a hill with magnificent view of Barcelona & the Mediterranean.
After this, we traveled about one hour to the top of Mount Monserrat where there is a monastery. Too bad it was such a gloomy day because the vistas would have been magnificent.
Our guide said it only rains about 85 days a year & wouldn't you know 2 of those days are while we are here:( Shouldn't complain though as these are the only ugly days we've had.
We took a riding tour then & saw the stadium where the Olympics were held in 1992, then on to the top of a hill with magnificent view of Barcelona & the Mediterranean.
After this, we traveled about one hour to the top of Mount Monserrat where there is a monastery. Too bad it was such a gloomy day because the vistas would have been magnificent.
Our guide said it only rains about 85 days a year & wouldn't you know 2 of those days are while we are here:( Shouldn't complain though as these are the only ugly days we've had.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Barcelona evening out
Tonight we went out to dinner @ Tablea Cordobes in the Ramblas Square. What a buffet! The Sangria was flowing, too:)
After dinner, we saw a flamenco show which was interesting to watch. It's amazing how they can move their feet so fast. There was a story being told but it was in Catalan & Spanish so didn't have a clue what it was about. Luckily there is a Mexican couple in our group so afterward they told us the jest of it. Here are a couple of pictures.
Time to say good night. We are going to Monserrat tomorrow.
After dinner, we saw a flamenco show which was interesting to watch. It's amazing how they can move their feet so fast. There was a story being told but it was in Catalan & Spanish so didn't have a clue what it was about. Luckily there is a Mexican couple in our group so afterward they told us the jest of it. Here are a couple of pictures.
Time to say good night. We are going to Monserrat tomorrow.
Hola Barcelona!
Today we drove to Barcelona, crossing into Spain @ 1 pm. It was 7 am for you @ home. It was raining today so it was a dreary day. Tonight we are going to dinner & flamenco show.
Tomorrow we'll have a city tour then a drive to Monserrat in the Catalonia Mountains. After we returned to the city we will be free to roam Barcelona. I plan to ride the subway...no city buses as I don't want to repeat my experience in Rome!
Tomorrow we'll have a city tour then a drive to Monserrat in the Catalonia Mountains. After we returned to the city we will be free to roam Barcelona. I plan to ride the subway...no city buses as I don't want to repeat my experience in Rome!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Eze, Avignon and Carcassone France
Today, Tuesday the 3rd, we traveled from our hotel in Menton through Monaco. I'd have thought it would be quite warm along the French Riviera but got up to clouds & the coolest weather so far, ie, in the 50's. In fact, we had rain from Avignon to Carcassone. Luckily it's a day spent on the road, then dinner @ hotel so the rain is not effecting our day.
First stop was a perfume factory in Eze. It is Fragonard perfume which is apparently well known and quite expensive. We were, however, given a tiny sample bottle.
From Eze we headed west to Avignon, "City of the Popes" so named because in 1300's, certain popes wanted this to be the home of the popes. However, the ruling came down that it should continue to be the Vatican. The popes in Avignon rebelled and they were excommunicated.
From Avignon, we traveled to Carcassone, a medieval city, where we spent the night. It was raining so I didnt get a good picture on arrival. 2nd photo taken Wed morn. Both photos taken from balcony of my room in our 4 star hotel!
First stop was a perfume factory in Eze. It is Fragonard perfume which is apparently well known and quite expensive. We were, however, given a tiny sample bottle.
From Eze we headed west to Avignon, "City of the Popes" so named because in 1300's, certain popes wanted this to be the home of the popes. However, the ruling came down that it should continue to be the Vatican. The popes in Avignon rebelled and they were excommunicated.
From Avignon, we traveled to Carcassone, a medieval city, where we spent the night. It was raining so I didnt get a good picture on arrival. 2nd photo taken Wed morn. Both photos taken from balcony of my room in our 4 star hotel!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Monte Carlo
I'm sooo tired that I wrote in earlier blog that we were on the coast of Adriatic Sea. LOL It's the Mediterranean! We were having a contest on the bus today & I wanted to play so I didn't get to nap. We had to count the # of tunnels we went through between Florence Italy & the French border. My guess was 164. We won't know who won til breakfast.
Tonight we went into Monaco for dinner & then saw the Royal Palace & Monte Carlo casino. I didn't go inside as they charged 10€ admission! Those who did go in said the big Vegas casinos are more plush. This place caters to the famous & royalty such as sheiks, etc. There were Porsches & Bentleys in front!
Tomorrow we're visiting a perfume shop. I hope our hotel tomorrow has wifi too.
Till then, Bonjour!
Tonight we went into Monaco for dinner & then saw the Royal Palace & Monte Carlo casino. I didn't go inside as they charged 10€ admission! Those who did go in said the big Vegas casinos are more plush. This place caters to the famous & royalty such as sheiks, etc. There were Porsches & Bentleys in front!
Tomorrow we're visiting a perfume shop. I hope our hotel tomorrow has wifi too.
Till then, Bonjour!
Menton France
As I write this I am in a laundromat in Menton France on the French Riviera. Never would've dreamed I'd ever be here, let alone do my laundry here.
They promised we would have a place along the way to do laundry but no indication how much it cost! The smaller front load washer is 10€ ($13)! To dry, it is 2.4€ for 15 min. I'm glad this will be the only time on this trip that I'll have to do this!
The good news is the wifi is free so I can get y'all got up.
Several of us came to do laundry so we took turns watching over each others laundry while the others scoped out the streets & nearby beach.
They promised we would have a place along the way to do laundry but no indication how much it cost! The smaller front load washer is 10€ ($13)! To dry, it is 2.4€ for 15 min. I'm glad this will be the only time on this trip that I'll have to do this!
The good news is the wifi is free so I can get y'all got up.
Several of us came to do laundry so we took turns watching over each others laundry while the others scoped out the streets & nearby beach.
Florence (Firenze) Italy-Palm Sunday
This is a beautiful city on the Arno River. Our 1st evening we were taken to a great Italian restaurant that seems to cater to tours as they were all groups of 20-30, about 300 total in the restaurant. There was one bus load from California. First course, cotto and bruschetta. 2nd course spinach & risotto stuffed ravioli and square of lasagna. 3rd course was choice of fish, chkn or T-bone with potatoes. I had steak! 4th course was gelato. That seems to be the typical dessert. The wine flowed quite freely, too, as it has at all of our meals:)
Out tour guide suggested we not buy leather until we got here. There are many leather shops and we got a tour of Pecuzzi, who is apparently the largest leather tailor in Italy. We were told how to identify genuine leather, very helpful as many shops say theirs is genuine Italian leather when, in fact,the goods are made in China. When it arrives in Italy, they put on buttons or some other adornment and it becomes legal to say "made in Italy" or "genuine leather". Buyer Beware!!
After touring many famous landmarks, we were free to wander the streets of Florence for 4 hrs. As in any tourist destination, if you've seen one shop you've seen them all! But I wandered around on the 2000 yr old cobblestone streets until my back couldn't take another step.
I went to an outdoor cafe & had an
order of garlic bread & Coke. I ate & watched the people....people of all nationalities. Of course, it cost me 9€ ($12) for lunch but I will have the sights & smells as a memory.
Today is Palm Sunday so all the church bells in town are ringing. It is really magical! The church in this photo is Santa Croce.
To give you an idea how tiny cars are,
look @ this tiny car. It's about the size of the kids' Barbie car!
Tonight we are having dinner @ our hotel, then tomorrow we go to Monaco on the French Riviera. We are having dinner near the Monte Carlo casino! Ooo Lala!
Out tour guide suggested we not buy leather until we got here. There are many leather shops and we got a tour of Pecuzzi, who is apparently the largest leather tailor in Italy. We were told how to identify genuine leather, very helpful as many shops say theirs is genuine Italian leather when, in fact,the goods are made in China. When it arrives in Italy, they put on buttons or some other adornment and it becomes legal to say "made in Italy" or "genuine leather". Buyer Beware!!
After touring many famous landmarks, we were free to wander the streets of Florence for 4 hrs. As in any tourist destination, if you've seen one shop you've seen them all! But I wandered around on the 2000 yr old cobblestone streets until my back couldn't take another step.
I went to an outdoor cafe & had an
order of garlic bread & Coke. I ate & watched the people....people of all nationalities. Of course, it cost me 9€ ($12) for lunch but I will have the sights & smells as a memory.
Today is Palm Sunday so all the church bells in town are ringing. It is really magical! The church in this photo is Santa Croce.
To give you an idea how tiny cars are,
look @ this tiny car. It's about the size of the kids' Barbie car!
Tonight we are having dinner @ our hotel, then tomorrow we go to Monaco on the French Riviera. We are having dinner near the Monte Carlo casino! Ooo Lala!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)