johna011's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member johna011 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/johna011 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:11:34 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Rome — Rome, Lazio, Italy http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220529600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220529600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220529600/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:11:34 -0400 Singapore, Egypt & Europe 08.
Rome, Lazio, Italy

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]]> Florence — Florence, Tuscany, Italy http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220331600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220331600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220331600/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:05:36 -0400 Singapore, Egypt & Europe 08.
Florence, Tuscany, Italy

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]]> Pisa — Pisa, Tuscany, Italy http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220371200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220371200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220371200/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:05:11 -0400 Singapore, Egypt & Europe 08.
Pisa, Tuscany, Italy

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]]> Singapore — Singapore, Singapore http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1219569000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1219569000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1219569000/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:15:42 -0400 Singapore, Egypt & Europe 08.
Singapore, Singapore

Singapore - touched done at 5am Friday 15th Aug local time, Changi airport. Walked past the armed guards with semi-automatic machine guns to immigration, then collected our luggage and looked around for customs. We asked a security guy and apparently we had already walked straight through customs without anyone asking us for our passports, a bag check or anything? Got our transfer to Park Royal on Kitchener Rd. Hotel was really clean and new. Checked into hotel and caught up on some sleep til lunchtime. Headed out to look at a few shops next door and caught a cab and Suntec area. Had some lunch at a noodle bar where we got in touch with the local cuisine. I had the laksa with chicken, liver, chewy gizzards and quail eggs. Sheree went for the vegetarian option. Walked around Suntecs new shopping malls and Wishing Fountain then headed down past the Festival Centre and over the bridge to the Merlion. Past Raffles Quay to the main part of the city which is a maze of new highrises. At 6pm we met our Red Lantern tour in China town. Took in the history of the area where all the Chinese and Indian immigrants settled and lived and worked in the many shops and as rickshaw drivers. It was also a social place for the men who drank whiskey and smoked opium. From 1880-1930 there were more than 3000 brothels. Today there are just a heap of markets, in amongst some of the oldest Chinese and Indian temples and the China Town underground train station MRT.

Sat 16th Aug- we took a city bus tour. Went from the Singapore Flyer through the cbd to a Chinese temple. Headed up through the public housing areas to a gem museum. This is where artists make these pictures by combining small gems. After that we went to the Botanical Gardens and had a walk through the orchid garden. Returned to hotel had a swim in the hotel pool, had some dinner and packed up our stuff. Onto Egypt!
]]> Annecy — Annecy, Rhône-Alpes, France http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1219838400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1219838400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1219838400/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:13:27 -0400 Singapore, Egypt & Europe 08.
Annecy, Rhône-Alpes, France

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]]> Monaco — Monte-Carlo, Monaco http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220133600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220133600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220133600/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:59:49 -0400 Singapore, Egypt & Europe 08.
Monte-Carlo, Monaco

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]]> Nice — Nice, Provence, France http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220011200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220011200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1220011200/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:17:23 -0400 Singapore, Egypt & Europe 08.
Nice, Provence, France

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]]> Interlaken — Interlaken, Swiss Alps, Switzerland http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1219752000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1219752000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1219752000/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:06:55 -0400 Singapore, Egypt & Europe 08.
Interlaken, Swiss Alps, Switzerland

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]]> Paris — Paris, Île-de-France, France http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1221065100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1221065100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1221065100/tpod.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:04:20 -0400 Singapore, Egypt & Europe 08.
Paris, Île-de-France, France

Paris - 27th Aug. London to Paris took less than 2 hrs on the Eurorail taking us through the Chunnel Tunnel under the sea. We were met by the bus at Paris station. Our city tour took us past Notre Dame, The Louvre , Arc De Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. After that we did a sunset Sane River cruise which started and finished at the base of the tower. When we returned the lights had come on and the tower was lit up blue with white stars for the European Union.

28th Aug. We went to The Louvre in the morning and saw the Venus Damilo, Mona Lisa a few of Leonardo DaVinci's other paintings including Madonna of the Rocks. Walked around for a couple of hrs through the 14th century French Renaissance area with paintings that take up the full length of walls. The people in the paintings look so real its amazing they seem like photographs. After lunch we walked through the city and took the tube out to Pere Lachaise cemetery in the afternoon. There we saw Jim Morrison and Edith Piaf's graves. Paris is so far the best city we have been too. It is easy to get around the sites are well preserved and there is so much history and culture. Somewhere we will definatley have to come back for a week at some stage.

]]> London — London, England, United Kingdom http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1221064860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1221064860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johna011/1/1221064860/tpod.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:02:53 -0400 Singapore, Egypt & Europe 08.
London, England, United Kingdom

London - 24th Aug. On our way to London we flew over the Swiss Alps covered in snow. Arrived at Heathrow airport at 9:30pm Sunday night. Took a transfer with dot2dot for half the price of a cab. Our driver asked if we were here for the carnival? Apparently today was the start of the Notting Hill Festival right near our hotel and tomorrow was a public holiday for Bank Day in the UK. No we weren't aware of this. There were people everywhere in the streets because of the carnival and we couldn't get close to our hotel as the roads were all blocked off. So we were dropped as close as possible and walked with our luggage from the main road down to Princes Square, Bayswater. It didn't end up being too far. Our hotel room was tiny.

Aug 25th - Walked down the main street of Bayswater at 9am remembered it was a public holiday so not much was open. We returned to the hotel and got in contact with friends and planned our trip to see them in Fulham. We caught the tube to Hammersmith which took about 15 mins with 3 changes. The Underground is unreal as soon as you get off one the next is waiting and off you go. We met up with Aaron and Michelle and went out for dinner at an Aussie pub. Fulham seems like a a great place. Had a good night drinking and catching up.

Aug 26th - Moved our luggage across to Kings Cross for the start of our tour the following day. This hotel was the best so far and should have been for $320 Aus a night!





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