Tag Archives: france

Nice and Monaco – Day 9

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Bonjour,

Today started with a sleep in until 7am. Breakfast was not until 8am. Breakfast was little more than cereal, bread or a croissant. This is called a buffet. anyhow after breakfast Rhian and I took our washing to the laundry behind the hotel. After working out how the system worked we quickly ot two loads of washing underway which only took twenty minutes. After the wash four turns in the dryer at one euro each and we were in and out of the laundry in an hour.

After dropping the clean washing back to our room it was off to the main strip of Nice wherre Rhian dragged me into every womens clothes shop. After spending more than an hour in a single H&M store waiting for her I was fed up and pissed off. I had not come half way around the world just to follow Rhian clothes shopping. After me cracking the shits and Rhian cracking the shits at my lack of enthesium for clothes shopping we walked down the main strip to the beach boardwalk.

We found a kiosk to buy three more fridge magnets to this leg of the tour by. Next we climbed to the top of the fort which is perched on top of the hill over looking Nice. We got some great photos from this vantage point. Time was short so we did not spend a long tme admiring the view. We proceeded back down the stairs to the markets. Turned out we were a little too late for the markets as most were packing up and the many restraunts were taking over the same area.

WE stopped for lunch at a small restraunt. I had a nice onion soup and we both had steak, The meat was very good. An old french couple came sat next to us and when we were ready to leave they started to talk to us. They were French but now lived in America. They had returned for a visit. They were lovely and interested in where we had come from, visited and where we were heading too. I am glad we got to meet them.

Once lunch was finished Rhian wanted to do more shopping so I took the key and headed back to the hotel. Tried to rest before going to Monaco but couldn’t. We had to be ready for the bus to Monaco by 5:15pm. Was a little bit of a rush because we have not been able to withdraw cash using our travel cards.

We stopped on the way for a quick photo oppertunity on top of a cliff. After our photo stop we proceeded down the hill to Monaco where our tour guide played another trick on us. She told us we all needed our passports for border control. As we neared Monaco she told us to all hold our passports open to the photo page agaist the window because it would be scanned as we drove past. The whole bus did this. We were had. The concrete walls of the road are not border protection as we were all had again.

Our first stop in Monaco was for the Princes Palace. We got to see the guard pacing forwards and backwards at the front door with his gun equipped with bayonett. After being told about another statute it was time for another photo oppertunity overlooking Monaco. From this point you could look down on the final corner of the formula 1 track. The pit entrance as well as the La Rascasse. Next we went back down to the car park where the bus was. This carpark below the palace cost $160 euro per hour for the bus to park at.

We then took a short trip to a car park near turn eight of the f1 circut Portier which costs $140 euro per hour for the bus to park in. From this point we had a couple hours free time to get dinner and explore Monaco. A group of us went to an Itlalian restraunt called Tip Top located along the straight after turn 4 (Casino) just after the bump in the road. This restraunt cost us just under $50 euro so was not too expensive and the food was good.

After dinner we quickly explored the Grand Casino of Monaco. Was little disappointed that the game floor was so small. However it was still a casino and the house always win. I didn’t make a bet. I don’t gamble. The room was very extravigant. Would have been great to take some photos but your not allowed to pull a phone or camera out. Google it. I am sure there are pictures online.

Next we went to the Sun Casino. This had a bigger game floor and the minimum bet was lower. Some of the tour group had a bet here. Some won some lost. No one declared bankruptcy though.

At 10pm we all got back on the bus and departed Monaco for Nice again. My only regret was we did not have time to walk the F1 circut. That is all I really wanted to do in Monaco. I got to see some of the famous roads but I can not really tick it off my bucket list.

Upon arrival back in Nice everyone filed into the hotel and passed out. I know I was exhausted. Until tomorrow when we head for the Swiss Alps Bye Bye.

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Barcelona to Nice – Day 8

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Hola,

Currently at a laundry mat in Nice as we are runnng out of clothes. Yesterday we had to get up early at 6 am start. We went to breakfast which wasn’t open so we waited with some other people. At 7am it opened, after we went back to our room and packed our stuff and hoped on the bus. We departed by 8am.

Long bus day. Rhain slept most of it as she wasn’t feeling well. Everyone on our bus is having a cold either a sore throat and cough. I have managed not to catch it yet. Touch wood!

Once we arrived to Nice we stopped off at Parfumerie Fragonard Rhain bought some. They showed us around and explained the process of making there purfume and soap. They explained the levels of concentration of the different types of bottles. If you have a glass bottle it only lasts 1 year and if you have a metal bottle it lasts up to 7 years., either by colour, smell.

It was a short bus ride to our hotel “Hotel De Berne” in Nice’s city centre. Great location, close to the shops and a short walk to the beach. Our hotel is a shoe box I can only fit in the shower and I still bump into the taps, we have to shuffel to get int the bed, our bags are on the dresser.

Went to dinner dinner at Le Ligure Resturant, entree was sitting at our tables when we arrived. It was cured meat and tuna salad, For main we had organised previously on the bus and Kristi phoned a head our order. I had veal and Rhian had the fish. It was served with carrots and fried potato. After dinner we went to a place called “King’s Pub” we all got drinks. Since were a big group we all got a free shot. It was a caramel flavor, Rhian didn’t have hers so we gave it to Kelvin. The place was a bit pricey (8.50 euros a small beer) so we only had one drink, then left to go back to the hotel.

Adeu

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Paris to Bordeaux

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Bonjour,

Not a lot to tell about yesterday. We spent most of it on the bus travelling between Paris and Bordeaux.

We got up at 6 am and got our bags packed and organised for what we wanted to carry with us on the bus. We spent the first two hours of the bus ride writing yesterdays blog posts.

After our lunch stop for a toilet break and service station food we got back onto the bus. However half of this jorney to Bordeaux was spent with every person getting up at the front of the bus introducing themselves. The points to talk about were

– Your Name
– Where you are from
– What traffic light you are (GREEN available, ORANGE not looking or RED with someone)
– What you do for work
– Obsessions (what you do in your spare time, hobbies)
– And who you would like to mudwrestle with (a celeb you would like to date if you had the chance)

This was fun and allowed us to find out a little about everyone on the bus. Turns out a lot of us are from Perth so it has unofficially been named the Perth tour.

On our way we stopped at the 16th Century Chateau Chambord. It is a HUGE castle that was a hunting lodge for King Loius XVI. It is absoultly stunning place. You could imagine being back in the 16th century. Some of the history of the Chateau is it was origionally for the Louis XVI then a married mistress (not sure which one and for which king) lived in it and was abandond for many years during the World War.

After arriving in Bordeaux and checking into the hotel we had 10 minutes to meet downstairs and head to dinner. Dinner was at a nice restraunt in the city. Tyler and I finally got to have our first two pints of descent beer.

Dinner was really nice. What we had for our entree was, goat cheese salad, for main was duck Confe and sliced fried poatoes and desserts was 2 protifita rolls with chocolate sauce. The food was really good except the dessert, the chocolate tasted a bit burnt. Rhian had a wine (don’t know the name, all the menu was all in french so Rhian asked the waiter for the recommendation) all the girls on the table, Jessica and Kim had a sip and liked it too.

After dinner we headed out to a pub with a large group from our tour. The pub was great and had entertainment. A couple of dancers and a barman pulling tricks mixing drinks. Rhian and I only stayed for a couple of drinks. I decided I wanted to go after just a couple of drinks. I knew if I stayed longer it would turn out to be a messy night and not the best way to be when the following day is a bus day.

We caught the light rail back to the hotel with two other couples and went to bed.

Au Revoir

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