Up at 06:30 today, quite a cool day in Paris. This morning we met up with our local guide Fabienne (sp?). She must have thought we were a very gormless bunch, last night was a late night and we were all still pretty sleepy when we got on the bus. She told us all sorts of interesting things as we drove around the city, but I’m afraid we didn’t take as much on board as we should have…
 

We went up the Eiffel tower, to the 2nd level. It was cold and windy up there, but oh the views! We had crepes and hot chocolate to warm us up.

After the tower we headed off to the Louvre where another guide, Nicole, took us to see the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory and the sphinx as well as many other beautiful paintings and a couple of Michaelangelo sculptures. I am surprised at how much I enjoyed the Louvre, becoming quite the art buff!!

We then left the group. Now you’ll have to excuse me, but I just have to tell you about the loo stop we made. We saw a queue of ladies coming out of a shop that sells loo paper (one roll had a sudoku game on each square!), room sprays etc and on closer inspection, we discovered that they were queuing for the toilets. We each paid our 1 Euro and joined the queue at what is without a doubt the most impressive public toilet I have ever been into in my life! As each lady exited a toilet, a cleaner went in and cleaned the loo and sprayed it. There were perfumed sticks in little glass bowls, the most luxurious loo paper and all in all the experience was unbelievably pleasant… Our trip to the loo made quite and impression on me!

We then tried to exchange the Paris Visite card vouchers, which I had cleverly, or so I though, bought online. We tried for a full hour ……unsuccessfully. We became so desperate that the girls and I resorted to singing “Gerry I want you, Gerry I need you, Gerry I love you” a la our Rome tour guide, Carlos. It’s amazing how much you come to depend on your tour guide on tour and how helpless you feel when he is not around! We eventually cut our losses and decided we needed a drink (urgently!) and some lunch.

We found a pub and had drinks and lunch and felt much better after that. I think Dad had pretty much had us in chunks by this point, so he decided to head back to the hotel with the group. We had things to do, places to go, so opted to stay in the city. We bought new Paris Visite cards and hopped on the metro.

First stop was Galleries LaFayette – Rox’s dream come true. What a gorgeous department store and they were having a sale! Rox found a couple of bargains.

We then got back on the metro and got off at Blanche station in Montmartre.

Right outside the metro station is the well-known windmill of the Moulin Rouge and right there is the stop for a little train that takes you around Montmartre. We paid our money and climbed on the train. The commentary is all in French and we had no cooking clue what it was all about, but it was lovely just to sit back and soak in the unique atmosphere of Montmartre. We got off at the stop near the Sacre Coeur and headed into the artist’s square in the Place de Teatre. We saw some lovely paintings and watched the artists at work. We even got the girls’ portrait done. We then had some of the most delicious hot chocolate I have ever tasted, topped with a great pile of whipped cream – heaven in a cup!

I loved Montmartre, I plan to oneday spend a lot more time there. We headed back to Sacre Coeur where there were singers doing what looked like an impromptu concert on the stairs – good voices and a lovely atmosphere. It was beautiful up there with the whole of Paris laid out before us!
  We then took the furnicular down the hill and headed right at the bottom, to the Place de Abbesses where we easily found the “I love you Wall” It is a huge wall with “I Love you” written on it in every conceivable language. This wall was the one thing that I most wanted to see in Paris and I had not been at all sure that we would be able to find it. I was thrilled to bits! We found "I love you" written in Zulu and in Afrikaans. Loved it! Loved the streets of Montmartre.

Then it was back on the Metro and off to our hotel. We saw a funny little dog travelling on the Metro, these city dogs are something else. We got back to our metro stop and then we weren’t sure which exit to take – we had to sing “Gerry I want you, Gerry I need you” again, but only the once and then we found our way, all by ourselves, so proud LOL! The 4 of us so enjoyed our afternoon, lovely happy family memories!

The drive into Paris was long, but we drove through some really beautiful countryside.

We went straight to our hotel - it seems a nice one. Once we were all refreshed and settled, we did an orientation tour on the bus. Paris is very, very beautiful, but unfortunately at this point we have seen so many beautiful buildings that we are getting a bit ho-hum about it, which is quite sad.

We then got on a boat for a cruise on the Seine, the boat was not nearly as nice as the other boats we have been on, but it was lovely to see Paris from the river. The bridges are so beautiful and I really loved seeing people dancing the tango in this one particular area near the river – apparently people gather there to do this every evening. How lovely.

Our departure point for the cruise was right next to the Eiffel tower and as we got back there at 10pm the tower was lit up with flashing lights. Oh my word, it was completely breath-taking!  After the cruise we took the Illumination drive – absolutely gorgeous… The view of the Eiffel tower from the Trocadero with the full moon behind it was one of the highlights of the tour for me, I’ll never forget it. This city is just too, too gorgeous at night!

Again my camera let me down..... buying a new one before our next holiday for sure!

I got very little sleep and woke up cranky again. Oh dear, I fear I have lost my sense of humour.

The girls and Grant headed off for their trip up Mount Pilatus, going up by cog rail-way and coming down by cable car (now you know why I am not going with!) It's a very grey day unfortunately, so not ideal for it. Dad and I set off to explore Lucerne on foot with Rehna (a lovely South African girl – her and Nicky have left their husbands and kids at home and come to Europe for a holiday). We wandered over the pretty wooden bridge (Kapellbrücke i.e Chapel Bridge) and back over another bridge. Then we ambled around the town, it’s very picturesque with lots of nice shops. I think I really like Switzerland actually. Eventually the three of us sat and had coffee (make mine hot chocolate... yum!) at a riverside café. It was a very pleasant morning.

Later on we joined the rest of the group at the folk show and fondue. The cheese fondue was very good! We also had rosti and sausage and a meringue/ice-cream dessert. Grant had the whole tour laughing when he got called up on stage (yes it was that kind of show) to blow the alpine horn and pretended to be Australian..... you had to be there!

Gerrie and Margaret, such a lovely couple from Randburg.

We shopped again after lunch and I found some really nice clogs.

Even big girls love Pinnocchio ;-)

The hotel is really messing with my sense of humour. Last night, on Gerry’s advice, I asked at reception for directions to the laundromat. The receptionist gave me the laundromat’s pamphlet, but then told me that the hotel could do my washing for the exact same price and deliver it back to my room if I dropped it off first thing in the morning. Bonus! Grant dropped it off bright and early. I get back to my room this afternoon and there is my washing all neatly folded on my bed, still damp!! Rox hoofed down to reception and was told that that is how it is always given back, they only tumble it dry for a limited time and it is then up to us to dry it in our room. Hello?! Where on earth we are supposed to dry an entire load of washing in our room I really don’t know! I’m not loving the staff in this hotel, really I am not!!

After supper Rox went out for drinks with the 2 Aussie couples, Nicky and Gerry. Although they weren’t gone for long they seemed to have a good time. Rox came back and the three of us got chatting and ended up having a really good giggling session. I think my sense of humour is back! Thankfully!

When we left Florence this morning I very nearly left some clothes in the cupboard! Thankfully Rox, purely by chance, opened the cupboard when we went back to the room to use the loo after breakfast!

I woke up this morning with opera songs in my head for the second day in a row – must be the effect Italy is having on me – I’m not complaining, it’s lovely having this soundtrack in my head! (fortunately no-one is talking in there just yet, that's when I'll get worried, giggle) When I get home I’m going to buy myself an Andrea Bocelli CD to remind myself of these glorious days.

As we left Florence for the hour long drive to Pisa we were again greeted by seas of sunflowers and also stunning topiary trees in an enormous nursery on the outskirts of Florence.

We arrived in Pisa at about 9am and, contrary to what I was expecting, it was very quiet and peaceful. We caught a little train to the leaning tour. Pisa is a truly lovely place, the leaning tower is obviously amazing, but the cathedral and baptistery are also very beautiful.


Of course we had to take the obligatory photos of the girls pushing the tower. Watching the people get into the poses for these photos was hilarious, really tickled my admittedly warped sense of humour! And the shouting back and forth between the photographers and the posees.... too funny.
 We then took a wander. I found a lovely little foodie shop and bought some souvenirs and a big bottle of Limoncello – I figure I’ll probably need some help getting over my post-holiday depression!! LOL!

The trip from Pisa to Lucerne felt never ending. Today was the day that we got to sit in the very front of the bus, towards the end of the journey I could acknowledge that this was a good thing, it was very picturesque, but the middle part of the journey was not good – I get really bad motion-sickness and being in the front of the bus on that twisty turny road…… We did however get to see Lake Como – SO gorgeous and not only because George Clooney has a pad there. Sadly we never got to have coffee with George.

We went through a number of tunnels, with the longest being 17 km long; it is currently the longest tunnel in Europe! And yes, the whole concept of driving under a mountain for 17kms, totally freaked me out.... I am such a wuss!

Once we arrived in Lucerne we got on our optional lake cruise. Very pretty! Although there was a great big storm headed our way which made me quite nervous! I made the biggest faux pas of my life on the boat when I thought I had dropped Rox's camera into Lake Lucerne. Long story. Thankfully the camera lives on.

We then went to the poignant Lion Monument. That was very sad-making.

Okay, now I have to apologise in advance if you are Swiss, have friends or relatives who are Swiss, or love all things Swiss - if this is the case, maybe you don't want to read this blog again until I leave Switzerland...... I had issues with Switzerland. Before the tour I assumed that Switzerland would be my favourite place. I love all things clean, pretty and organised and I had heard that Switzerland was all that and more. And it was. My problem was with the people. Maybe I just met and dealt with the handful of Swiss who are blunt, rude and patronising? I don't know, but nearly all the Swiss people I came into contact with were just that. Or maybe it was the contrast - coming from Italy where the people are passionate and vibrant and fun (if a little chaotic and disorganised) to a country where they are so overly efficient and organised... and cold and annoying.... Anyway, whatever it was, be prepared, because this is the bit where I moan a lot....

We finally headed to our hotel. I was very disappointed in this hotel, I rate it a close 2nd to Ludwigshafen in the "worst hotel of the tour" stakes. I found the staff extremely rude. The receptionist at the hotel accused me of trying to use the internet without paying - I had paid - 5 euro for 20 minutes. Then the woman in charge of the dining-room wouldn't allow our tour group to enter and sit down, even though the room was clearly ready - it was 19:55 and not the appointed time of 20:00! Irritating, not what I needed at the end of a long day. Supper was potato soup, beef goulash and chocolate mousse. It was nice, but with 52 of us, plus another Italian tour group in a crowded hot room – it got a tad noisy and unpleasant.

Let’s just say I am feeling quite tired and grumpy at the end of today! And the lovely Italian soundtrack in my head has dried up, all I hear now is yodelling....

We left Rome and headed for Florence, making a quick service stop along the way where we bought some Bellinis to take home. When we got to Florence we stopped on top of a hill, at the Piazzale Michelangelo, for our group photo. Beautiful views of Florence spread out below us.

Then it was into Florence where we met our local guide for the optional walking tour. First stop was the statue of David. Incredible! I had no idea it would be so impressive, you see pictures and you think “Yes, a lovely statue of a gorgeous man”; but, oh boy (pardon the pun), in the “flesh” it is so much more than that. The statue is huge and has such a presence and the detail! Wow!
Unfortunately, but understandably, you can't take photos of the real David.

Then we walked through medieval streets to the the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore also known as the Duomo. Yet another amazing building, really something to behold.

After that we walked to the Piazza della Signoria, a square that houses many, many beautiful sculptures, including a replica of David.

We finally met Gerry and the others, by which point it was stinking hot again, so we opted to sit at a conveniently located sidewalk café, for a lunch of meats, cheeses and pickles with bread. Delicious. I got it into my head to try a Limoncello – kick like a donkey I tell you!! The girls and I would come and go, leaving the men and various other members of our tour group at the café, for an amble to various stalls and little shops scattered about.

We bought various bits and pieces. Rox and Amanda (lovely girl, one half of an Aussie couple on our tour) had a little foray into the shops and Rox bought a couple of gorgeous dresses. It was here in Florence that I had the best gelato in Italy! Deeeelicious!

We are staying in the Hotel Miro Art, it’s quite a nice hotel, apart from the fact that the shower tried to kill me. As is the case in most of Europe, the shower is located in the bath. In this hotel the shower head is also located quite low down, so you have to do some contortions to get the water to fall on any area above the waist – you bend your knees quite significantly to get your head under the shower; and it all becomes quite complicated when you need to rinse your face – you have to bend your knees and simultaneously twist your upper body to just the right angle to get your face under the spray. I thought I was doing quite well until I managed to inhale a whole lung full of water! I sprang back, gasping for air and in doing so managed to hit the (very large) protruding lever which regulates the stream of hot water….unfortunately instead of hitting it into the “off” position I hit it into the “full on and freaking hot” position, so apart from the fact that I had soap in my eyes and lungs full of water I was being simultaneously incinerated by a blast of very hot water hitting me squarely in the chest. The flow of descriptive language from my mouth was enough to bring Rox and Paula into the bathroom in a state of horror……. Oh the fun you can have on tour!

Today as we headed off we got to see the extent of the damage from last night's storm . Trees down all over the place and a couple of crushed cars!

We had a brief, but mind-blowing orientation tour and then met Carlos, our local guide, who was waiting for us at the entrance to the Vatican museums.

Those of us going on the optional tour with Carlos got presented with headsets - quite a brilliant innovation, they consist of a little receiver that you hang around your neck, with earphones that plug into it; the tour guide then talks into a small microphone and you can hear him, even if you wander a little way off. No more shouting tour guides, great!

As soon as we were all "plugged in" off we went through the Vatican museums, seeing artworks, tapestries and maps. All very beautiful and the building is amazing too, particularly the ceilings - by the time we had walked throught the museums I already had a stiff neck from "ceiling gazing"!

We then visited the Sistine Chapel, it is very beautiful indeed, but didn't blow me away like I thought it would, I've since wondered why and I think it comes down to the fact that it was very crowded - I think you needed to be quiet and reflective to take it all in and there was no way you could be quiet and reflective when you were being jostled about at every turn.

Then we headed off to St Peter’s Basilica. We had to queue for quite a while to get in and it was exceedingly hot, but SO worth it. Even queuing in the square is an experience.

The basilica is absolutely awe-inspiring! In hind-sight I rate this as the most beautiful building I saw on tour. I will always remember the moment I stepped into the basilica – literally jaw-dropping! Photos in general and my photos in particular (they came out so badly, but it's a miracle they came out at all, I went into a bit of a trance in there!) just don't do the magnificence of the place justice.

It was almost too much to take in, sensory over-load. Don't go there expecting quiet and restrained.... that it's not, it's way OTT, almost gaudy, but beyond beautiful. It's a place I have to go back to, I need more time to wander around and absorb it all. Personally I think you need to spend a couple of hours a day in there for about a week to really get your fill of it.

We then headed off for more sight-seeing before arriving in the vicinity of the Colosseum, where we had free time to go and grab some lunch. We thought we'd be clever and go looking for a restaurant off the beaten track - it worked for us everywhere else we went, but on this day, unfortunately not! We ended up at a lousy restaurant and had a lousy pizza - I suppose you win some, you lose some.

After lunch we met up with Carlos again and those of us on the optional got to go inside the Colosseum with him. Again, I was so glad we did the optional, I had no idea that there were lifts inside the colosseum and that you could go up the lift and walk around on the upper storey of this ancient structure – but there are, you can and we did! Wow! I really enjoyed hearing about how the colosseum was built and to walk inside it was amazing. I have always wondered how the colossuem has remained standing in an area so prone to earthquakes and now I know it comes down to simple engineering. Amazing.

Carlos was such a sweet guide, a portly, white bearded, little Roman man, he looked rather like Father Christmas. When he wanted to call our group closer to him he would say “Come closer, I waaant you, I neeed you, I looove you, let me feel your warmth around me” Hilarious! And this saying stuck with the girls and me for the entire trip - you'll hear more about it when we get to Paris...

By this point we were all cooking. Believe me, Rome gets HOT! It's the kind of heat we experience on the South coast of South Africa in February, brutal I tell you! The drive back to our hotel was long, hot and torturous. I was wishing we hadn’t booked the evening optional, but surprisingly, after a cool shower I was ready to get going again.

First stop on the evening optional was the Pantheon – I loved it, totally different to St Peter’s, far more restrained and somehow gracious and oh so beautiful.

Then we headed to Piazza Navona - possibly my favourite place in Rome. A totally charming square and the paintings, wow I could have done some money there!

Such a sweet thing happened while we were in Piazza Navona - Rox was standing in front of a sidewalk cafe in the square, watching the people passing by, and she absent-mindedly stretched her arms out in front of her; I was watching a young (gorgeous) waiter who was watching Rox when he spontaneously came up to her and lifted her arms above her head, twirled her around and gave her a big hug! Oh to be young and in Italy, there is just something about those Italian men..... sigh.

After a short time in the Piazza, we headed to our dinner at a restaurant where 4 opera singers entertained us. We are not opera fans by any stretch of the imagination, but the show was very light-hearted and a good introduction to that genre.

Sitting opposite Paula and me are Rehna and Nicky, fellow South Africans, we had some good times with them.

Finally we headed back to our hotel for some much needed sleep after a very big, very hot day!

I loved Rome so much and would love the opportunity to see more of it.

Unforgettable moments in Rome:
*First view of the Colosseum
*Turning the corner and seeing the Trevi fountain all lit up
*Walking into St Peters
*Standing inside the Colosseum
*Standing in the Pantheon and looking up at the hole in the roof
*Piazza Navona
*The view of St Peters at night from the bus
*Brilliant fields of sunflowers on the outskirts of the city