Contiki entry 1 - finally!!!
Trip Start
Jun 03, 2008
1
3
5
Trip End
Jul 09, 2008
Nice,
Provence,
France
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Well it's been ages I know, but I just haven't had the time to write earlier. It's taken over a week to find somewhere to do this. I still can't do the photo thing sorry, but hey you'll live.
So last time I wrote I was in Eng. I finished my stay there with a open top bus tour, a trip to some fresh markets in Borough and a wander round the Tower - now that was cool. A must do if you're ever over this way!
Contiki is awesome, very very very very tiring, lucky if you got 4 hours sleep a night and I can't sleep on the bus like some peopel. I don't know how they do it, drink all night and then get up the next day and not die! I've had a few drinks and late nights and a bit a boogie at this undeground bar in Wine Country - France - called the Cave, that was a good night :)
Anyway, the tour is 48 people I think and 90% are Aussie!!! Mostly girls, very clicky! There's 4 kiwis and 3 Amercians. I room with 2 of the other kiwis and 1 aussie girl. Very lovely, we're getting on each others' wicks a bit though and it doesn't help when you're tired - reminds me ot Outward Bound only with alcohol and in Europe and actually you don't have to do anything you don't want to - so not really ike Outward Bound, but the sleep deprivation thing is.
So far we've been to Paris - spectacular city, french countryside - loved this sooooo muhc, just a stunning place. It's where they make wine Beaujulos (i think I spelt that wrong - but it's red wine country), been to Barcelona - La Ramblas street markets were fantastic and now we're back in France in the French Riveria in Provence in Nice, going to Manco tonight to gamble (well not sure how much I'll be gambling, but a cheeky game of black jack might be fun). I've never been in a proper Casino before. We might even see famous people if we're lucky. I'm going to feel very underdressed, but some of the Aussie girls will fit right in, I've never seen so much makeup before!!! Jeez.
The campsite/hostels have been varied, some have good internet, others have none, some have showers with hot water, others don't, some have things that resemble pillows others dont. The food has been really good though. The bus trips not so much! The tour guide - Bruno - in French and I swear he's bipolar! One minute he's stripping off to You Can Leave Your Hat On and the next he's being super serious. Funny guy though. The bus driver Sandor - Hungarian - is awesome, he takes the piss out of Bruno and they obviously have very different personalities!
I'm super excited about tomorrow, we're heading off to Florence. Italy is the one place I really really really wanted to go.
I haven't spent too much so far. It's too hot to eat much during the day, I'm off to the beach after this. I't soooo nice in Nice (haha) today. I've bought a small souvenir in each major place we go too. A postcard in Paris, a small canvas in Barcelona and a handmade (in front of me) pic on glass here in Nice. we were at a perfumery this morning and that was cool, but my duty free in waiting for me in Auck so I gave it a miss, even with the discount we got offered it was expensive!
Hmmm, not sure what else to tell you. Thanks for your messages in Facebook, sorry I haven't responded. It's a bit hard when you don't know from one day to the next whether or not you're going to have internet access.
I've taken soooo many photos already. Took HEAPS in Paris and lots at a Flamenco show we were at 2 nights ago - that was a fantastic experience. Their footwork is just incredible. We all got up at the end and learnt a few moves, it's was very funny!
Can't believe a whole week has gone by already. The days go by so fast on the one hand and then so slowly on the other. I find the nights a bit hard cos some of the Aussies, no actually let me rephrase that, ALL of the Aussies are hard and I mean HARD drinkers and well you know me - I'm not!!! I don't seriously know how they do it. Lots of them are travelling around before and after their trips as well, no idea where the heck they're getting all their money from cos this trip alone is costing a fortune. Ah well I guess that's what credit cards are for right?! :)
One thing I will mention is the toliets as they vary in standard from ones with toilet seats and toliet paper to one's that are covered in urine, blood and god knows what else that you get the privilege of paying to use and they have no toilet paper. Hmmm...the phrase harden up comes to mind I'm sure, but seriously....
Well I don't want to go on too much cos I'm running out of time so I'll write again when I can and have more interesting stories to tell.
Lots of love
Ness
PS: Sorry if things come off funny cos the buttons aren'#t in the same place here!
