Eurotour part 2

So, back on with the show!

Following on from SanRemo, we headed over the Italian/French border, still continuing along the coast and entered into the Principality of Monaco and it was here that I realised something I probably should have a while back. The reigning monarch of Monaco is Prince Albert who recently got married and I was a tad confused as to why he wasn't a king, and it seems to have just clicked that it's because its a principality rather than a kingdom - for all my love of monarchy, I should have known that one.

Monaco -(I should let you know that my 'e' key is being very tempremental so some may be missing - mind you in the scheme of things my spelling is still terrible so it won't add much)

The royal palace is on top of that land mass in front of your
eyes - I would say mountain but it's not the right word..can't
think of it.

Getting down into the centre of the city was pretty hectic - narrow, windy roads in every direction and on top of everything, we arrived 2 or 3 days between the Grand Prix, so all the trucks carrying cars and whatnot for the stands were also blocking up the city.
We managed to somehow find a big enough park for the bus, and headed off in small groups and after a few coordination mishaps, myself and my American mate found ourselves in the heart of the grandprix area, where all the car fanatics wer busy preparing all the beasts for the race - by beasts, I refer to the Ferrari's, Lamborghini's and various other pretty cars. No doubt my brothers would be there drooling but I was on a mission to see the sights of Monaco and 2 hours goes very fast.

We continued around the harbour, which was filled with ginormous, very expensive yachts and other sea faring things, and made our way up to the Belle Epoch style Monte Carlo Casino, which I believe features in James Bond at some point, and various other movies.

Big pretty boats owned by people with too much money

I'll chuck in some facts about Monaco because to me at least, it's quite interesting.

• The small city state(second smallest following the Vatican in the world) is made up of ten wards (small divided areas)
• The official language is French but the traditional one, spoken by a minority, is Monegasque
• The house of Grimaldi have ruled since 1297
• It has the highest life expectancy and lowest unemployment rate in the world
• Citizens of Monaco are not allowed to gamble at any of the casinoes......What!?!?!?
• Monaco levies no income tax on citizens

Due to that last 'fun fact' - beats me if you actually find it fun, perhaps it becomes more interesting when you've actually been there... but yeh, onwards - Most of the citizens are very rich 'tax refugees' from European countries who are living out their life savings in an incredibly luxurious setting, buying from only the most exclusive shops - How splendid old chap. Or perhaps that is a saying better suited for the Brits.

And I don't know if I could live in that atmosphere for ever - maybe a bit to stifling, but for one day at least, walking around a crazy expensive shopping mall with stairways taken straight out of the Titanic and many a chandelier, in somewhat daggy clothes in comparison, and eating marvellous macaron's with a swell coffee, was most delightful- The temperature was pretty warm so we tended to look in all the air conditioned places, stay out of the sun, and after the mistake of hugging a bronze bear statue, steer clear of any type of metal - you'd think after 18 years of life, I would have learnt not to touch metal thats been chilling in the sun!

Titanic style shopping mall

Even though we didn't see any museums or palaces, seeing the Monte Carlo, and a few little markets, and two of the big harbours was enough so afterwards, we headed yet again, back to the sweet old bus (which in fact, no bus can ever be - I ramble a lot dont I ? - sorry...) We ended up spending more time waiting for one of the other exchange students who had strayed off and become lost - 50+ students, relativly tired from the heat, and no air conditioning was not very pleasant. Overall though, I quite enjoyed Monaco and would go back again.

the Monte-Carlo casino

Natalie(Minnesota) and I

Macaroons and coffee in Monaco!

The Parisian Opera House

France

Avignon

About an hour outside of Monaco center, we stopped alongside the riviera at a perfumery called Fragonard where we were taken on a tour of how they make perfume, and soap and various other beauty products - for us females at least, it was awesome. Actually seeing all the equipment for creating the essential oils, and smelling the pure oils was quite enjoyable- and the view overlooking the French Riviera was fantastic! And then of course, we had the opportunity to buy the essential perfumes (by essential oil, thats the most pure form without added alcohol so the smell (one drop) can last up to 24hours) and I managed to walk out of there having spent around 2 days allowance - totally worth it though
.

Feeling very French in one of the main streets

We hit the town of Avignon a former papal city around 8pm, after travelling through Nice, and had a pretty bland dinner where the cranky French lady kept telling us off for being too loud and spent the rest of the evening, chilling out, realising that many of the beds had broken slats and trying to ignore the ongoing alarm, which I think was set of by the tweeny French kids who couldn't speak english.

The next day we had free in the city so we went on a little bus tour within the walls, and around the church and then just going in and out of the little, typically French shops, filled with fresh olive oil, or lavender soap, or cute little tidbits. We managed to find a store selling sugared fruit which we bought (pineapple) but it had little taste, and felt like you were eating pure sugar - I ended up swallowing it, in the sweltering heat, with the help of a mint flavoured mineral water which took some getting used to - seemed like I was swallowing mouthwash straight.

Sugared nothingness

My minty mouthwash that they labelled
as a drink

But it was a very peaceful day, if not a bit warm and although we didn't spend the day running around trying to see everything (not that there was heaps) it was good, especially given it was southern France, to see all the little things - like little balcony's covered in flowers, and laced iron chairs, a dog lying in the window of a old book store and three men playing violins in the town square.

Paris ftw!!

Arc De Triomphe

We arrived in Paris at about 6pm after a pretty hectic drive through the center and a sort of bus/car scrape which we were given the night off to explore Paris!
During the two days there, I managed to fulfil many a dream.  I climbed the Eiffel Tower, right up to the 3rd storey - technically I took the lift to level two and then walked. The line took about an hour but seeing the hagglers scamper when the police were near provided enough entertainment as well as the couple in front who I think were on a first date - He wasn't such a great english speaker and I sort of got the vibe that she didn't want to be there, but he bought a big eiffel tower statue which he said to give to her mum - I love the funny stories. Being able to get a feel for Paris and it's layout was pretty helpful I must say, and eating the chocolate croissant on the top was a nice moment - but then again, anything with chocolate is bound to make a nice moment. Oh, and waking up Mum and also Chanelle, even though it was 2am in Adelaide made me happy :D

The glass pyramid of the Lóuvre

I also went to the Louvre and may I say, it is a massive gallery - has everything from famous paintings (especially ceiling size Jaques Louis David's and Delacroix) to sculptures, and Napoleans apartments, and of course, the somewhat pitiful Mona Lisa, which is very small and much less impressive that you would expect. I only had about 3 hours there, so with a lot of running and getting lost, I saw most of the stuff that I wanted - doing it alone was much better as well, I could go at my own pace, see what I want and babble to myself about the background of some of the paintings - not literally ...

David's 'Death of Marat'

I also went to Musee d'Orsay which had a lot of impressionist art like Monet and Renoir as well as Van Gogh - its all the art work that really appeals to me, that makes me feel relaxed and can transport me to another time and place, where my feet don't hurt after all the running around, or where I don't have to worry about getting in to the hotel by curfew. Seeing some of the Van Gogh work, and the exact brush strokes, of paintings that I have studied or that even featured in Dr Who, was swell indeed.

The hall of mirrors

Chateau Versailles

Without doubt, my highlight of France was Chateau Versailles!!! and was it amazing!! After having studied the French revolution - twice, being at the place where all this crazy history went down was phenomenal. We had to wake up early to be in time to get the train there (16km out of Paris) and by the time we got there (the palace not even open at this stage) the line was already about 500m - and after not reading the instructions right, by the time we were admitted, it turned out we had to have tickets , when in fact we didn't need them, being EU citizens- anyway, nice complicated mess led to us finally getting in after about an hour.
My goodness, passages filled with statues of king and queens, bedrooms lined in beautiful fabric, frescoes covering every bare inch, luxurious and often excessive ornaments and furniture, intricately detailed bedspreads - it was like an even more elaborate Schonnbrunn Palace. Walking through the Hall of Mirrors which looks out onto the amazing gardens, and seeing all the chandaliers reflect was very ..sparkly, which could not appeal to my feminine glitter and sparkle side any more. I also went for a jog round the gardens - to the Petit Trianon, where Marie Antoinette had her own little village built - sadly I was in bit of a mad rush so I didn't get to take in the beauty of the gardens but they seemed very grand, as did the mini village. Just being there, the former hub of Paris, where the aristocracy used to party down, and to an extent, uneffectively run France was mind boggling - a true pleasure and highlight.

One of the many intricately detailed bedchambers

Petit Trianon

On a bus tour, we also went down the Champs Elysees and up to the Arc De Triomphe in all its splendour, and past the Pompidou centre, and where the Bastille once stood and of course, past the magnificent Notre Dame - unfortunatly I didn't have to time to go there but it looked very beautiful. One night, following an Ikea style dinner, we headed up to Montmartre (the arty district) to Sacre Coeur (a famous church) which overlooked Paris. That was an excptionally good evening - after snooping through all the shops, listening to the yells of an American mother looking for her daughter who had run off after a dinner argument - the daughter being 21, we made our way to a glittering Eiffel tower to yet again take pictures and eat what was my 5th or 6th cheese crepe - they tasted so good! also nutella with banana/strawberry and cream made a good combo :p

From the Eiffel Tower looking towards the Trocadero

Paris was in all, amazing and took the place as the best European city, London not included. Catching the metro by myself and not getting mugged, getting around a very crazy city, not being squished by the drivers who follow no road rules- simply because I don't think they exist - ah I love the feeling of travelling, not knowing what will surprise you next, or who you might meet, the adventures you could have - it's such a freeing feeling, and I didn't feel it anymore strongly than in the city of love....or shall I just stick with Paris?     :D

Looking down the Champs de Mars

Tintin, Captain Haddock and Snowy being a little bit sneaky
in Belgium

Belgium
So, driving from such a big city into such a small one, was a bit of an odd feeling but not such a bad one - we arrived late afternoon and only had the evening there. It's a very small capital and by this stage, I at least, was feeling the tiredness of two weeks on the road, running around Europe flatout. So my friends and I spent the night seeing Manneken pis - a small stautue of a male...eating waffels and chocolate, and taking a break. The town center was under renovations so it wasn't such a spectacular sight but it was very busy!!
After Paris, this seems like a very short entry but I simply was not as impressed by it and I guess thats what happens when you just seen Paris - all the other places seem a tad more boring. But thats not to say I didn't enjoy the down time. 

Holland
We got into Amsterdam midday and the first thing I noticed were the houseboat - fully functioning houses, some double storey and very modern, only 10m wide, just bobbing along the large canals- anyway, we were taken in a boat tour, down some of the main canals and the little side ones, and also past Anne Franks house. It was strange to think that at one stage, Amsterdam had been one of the busiest European ports for trade and industry, especially with the East India companies, yet now I struggle to imagine all that business there. Saying that, it was a lovely city, very quaint and peaceful - I thought it was swell that the main transport is either bikes or boats - while we sat on the bank of some random canal blissfully letting our last eurotour moments drift by, a group of teenagers sailed their little boat right by, which for them is totally normal. I didn't really get into the heart of the city but seeing some of the souvenir shops and the various products they sold, showed how open the country really is to the drug culture, if it can be called that. 

The Canals of Amsterdam

We spent the night in a town called Arnheim, about an hour out of Amsterdam in the middle of a wooded area - the rain was lightly falling and on our last night, a couple of us went for a nice stroll down through a beautiful park and through a farm - unfortunatly one person had the mishap of rolling in dog doodoo which was of course, smelly, but hey, another memory for the box! It was a comfortable ending to a long 2 and a half weeks, a good dinner, nice hostel (shared with scotsfolk - just to add some more coolness) and relaxed atmosphere spent with my newly made friends!

Thats all for Eurotour folks.  I know it was a bit of an essay, with far too much rambling on my part but maybe, just maybe, you have a better feeling for Europe and all the adventures we lived, and dreams reached!
One thing that I did do was find a movie for each country so here they are

• Germany -  Caberet I felt like I understood the setting to the movie much better after getting a feel for the pre WWII culture 
• Prague - Dirty Dancing It was the song the played during the water light show and since then, every time that I've heard it, I'm instantly taken back to that night. Also Life is Beautiful is very fitting for the experience of Theresienstadt concentration camp - I will never fully comprehend life in those camps, but seeing one makes it that little bit more real.
• Vienna - Does the Sound of Music ring any bells, the hotel was taken right out of the film
• Italy - We have a couple here. The Italian Job shows a robbery in Venice at the start so its a given, as is Brideshead Revisted when they go to Venice, and also Casanova - the one with David Tennant.  Likewise the visit to Verona makes Baz Lurhmans Romeo and Juliet an obvious
• Monaco - Let's get Skase reminded me of Monaco, even though its set in Majorca - must have something to do with the whole tax thingy. Also 007's Casino Royale for what more than the Casino's, and Perfume: The story of a murderer. My main thoughts while being taught how to make the essential oils were that of Grenouille making 'perfume' - little bit creepy, don't get me wrong. 
• France - We have a few contenders here. Amalie - for all the Parisian quirkiness. Chocolat - for the time in Avignon. Je t'aime Paris - because I do! Phantom of the Opera - not only because it was set in Paris, but we went past the Opera house on all days. Marie Antoinette - as much as I disliked Kirsten Dunst's portrayal, the props and settings were perfectly matched to Versailles, and finally, Ratatouille for the escargot, foie gras and baguette that I didn't get to eat.
• Brussels and Amsterdam fail in movie thoughts - my brain had stopped functioning by then. Although any movie with reference to drugs will do for Amsterdam I guess! :p

I apologise for the essay length - I think, and I hope it will be my largest! Now I'm keen to get cracking on what exchange life is like, and getting through summer break with my sanity intact. Anywho, hope all is well wherever you live in this crazy world and vi ses chums! 

xx