Venezia!

Venice is the floating, sinking city. So you might want to find your way over there before it becomes a modern day Atlantis. This was the second time i had the privilege of visiting Venice. And before both visits i was warned of the odor the city is known for. There was none. It was winter during both visits and maybe that's why there was no special 'smell' that everyone was talking about. So if you don't like your cities to smell then perhaps visit in winter.

The other thing about Venice is the birds. The Giant mutant birds that dominate St Mark's square. Walk through that square with food  and prepare to be attacked. I'm speaking from experience here.

When you step out of the train station it's like a completely different world. A water world filled with Canal after canal, arching bridges, little (and expensive) cafes by the waters edge and gondolas, everywhere.  It's stunning. i could spend a lifetimes exploring all the little alleyways and hidden canals and never tire of it.

Like most places throughout Italy there are souvenir shops in abundance, in Venice, Venetian masks and Venetian glass ( murano glass) is the top stocked items. The sheer amount of them and the different kinds makes choosing a mask or a piece of Venetian glass almost impossible. So you may follow my path and just buy a suitcase full of everything that caught your eye. 
This may sound a little pretentious, however i love wearing one one of my Venetian glass necklaces or masks if i'm going to a fancy dress and being able to say "i got it in Venice" when asked. They are great mementos and lovely little talking pieces that can instantly take you back to your memories of this amazing city.

The other thing about Venice in the winter/later seasons is that the city has a slight tendency to flood and become completely covered in water, sometimes waist deep. So they have these platforms stacked up all over the city in case it does flood and they become raised walkways. This was the same during both of my visits, however this latest time the platforms had been tagged with these sayings; "You have never respected water, why should she respect you?" There were a few different ones in English and Italian in some kind of protest against tourism? the residents? the government? i have no idea, but they were pretty cool.   

If you have the time i would highly recommend seeing a glass blowing demonstration for the Venetian glass, it is an incredible sight to witness. 

Venice is probably one of the places i am most dying to get back to.

Roma!

No matter how many times you visit Rome, it is more beautiful then you could ever remember. I've been twice and am still hanging for a third trip. There is extraordinary amounts of history throughout Italy but it is especially prevalent in Rome, considering their is another country within the city, it's no surprise. 
The architecture is incredible, while there aren't any particularity high buildings in the city (not including St Paul's Basilica of course) the sheer amount of detail in the adornments is mesmerising.
The Colosseum is probably the first stop on everyone's sightseeing list. Unfortunately for us, it had scaffolding around the majority of it. (luckily for me, i had already seen it, sans scaffolding) 

late 2013

early 2012

Another iconic landmark is the Spanish steps. Unfortunately in winter you won't find them adorned with beautiful flowers. They are pretty lovely non the less, especially when running off from the steps are three alleyways containing all of the designer brands that normal people can't afford. On the right of the steps is a Mary Shelley and Keats museum and it was actually where Keats use to live, which is pretty amazing. On the left is a tea room, Babington's Tea Room, opened in 1893 and while it's a little pricey, it is an amazing experience

If you are interested in Ancient History then a visit to the Roman Forum is a must. See the ruins of the Roman Republic and the masterpieces that are still hanging on today.

Shopping, like everywhere, is abundant. And if you're like me and love to buy tacky souvenirs then you will never be in short supply of them. You see the most fashionable people walking around and all you want to do is go and buy some fancy clothes so people can look at you like that, and so you can feel more fashionable too. During both of my visits i don't think i saw one unfashionable local.Unfashionable tourists however are the norm.

You can't go to Rome without visiting the Vatican. Considering it's technically it's own country, the Pope lives there and it has it's own post office! it's a pretty amazing place. The Swiss guard are everywhere in their traditional (hilarious) uniforms and you have to go through security to enter the museum and all that. The Museum is extensive to say the least. Give yourself a couple of days if you want to see every single section. The painting by  Michelangelo on the roof of the Sistine Chapel is the must see. You aren't allowed to take photos and the Chapel itself is surprisingly dark, however it is incredible. A work of brilliance. If you have the time, the climb to the top of St Paul's Basilica Dome is an incredible experience. Terrifying for those that don't like heights to enclosed spaces...or risk of plummeting to your death, but still amazing and something really worth doing at least once in your life.

View from the top of St Paul's during my first time in the Vatican (i didn't climb it the most recent time)

Firenze!

The second time i went to Italy and Florence was with Contiki. The second experience there was filled with a lot more late nights, alcohol and harsh mornings. That, however, didn't stop me from soaking up as much culture as i physically could while there.  

The Ponte Vecchio is my favorite landmark of Florence. While i can't afford the luxury jewelry that adorns the minuscule shops along each side of the bridge, i sure love to stare at them longingly. The view off the arches is also breathtaking. 

The duomo Cathedral probably the most dominating feature among the Florence landscape. Seen standing high among the throng of red roofs. 

The Palazzo Vecchio runs off the Piazza della Signoria and are both pretty spectacular squares, full of ancient architecture, sculptures, little cafes and more. inside the Palazzo Vecchio stands a replica of Michelangelo's David, however the real David resides in The Uffizi Gallery also in Florence. 

One of the most intriguing clubs that i went to was called 'Space' and it was incredible. three levels, great music, reasonably priced alcohol with a card system for their drinks. Every time you buy a drink, your card gets a hole punched in it and before you leave you must go and hand your card over and pay, they then give you a ticket that allows you to leave. If you don't have the ticket then the bouncers won't let you leave. Now while its a solid system, probably not the best considering you can wrack up quite the bill that you might not be able to pay for. 

The French Riviera! -Monaco

Monaco is a sovereign city-sate on the French Rivera. So essentially Monaco is it's own country with it's own Royal family, King, Queen and all that good stuff.

To become a citizen of Monaco you are forced through a rigorous and lengthy process where only those rich enough can afford to live there. The home of Grace Kelly and know for being a 'tax heaven' Monaco is a draw for the rich and famous.

The main attraction is with out a doubt the Monte Carlo Casino. Before i entered the country i had grand fantasies about the Monte Carlo Casino. While entering the country our tour manager warned us not to get our hopes up. Too late. My hopes had been sky high the second i saw 'Monaco' on the tour map, sitting in my lounge room months before we even booked the tour.

I was disappointed.

While there were million dollar cars parked out front and the building itself was magnificent and the architecture and detail was breathtaking, everything else kind of fell flat for me. Maybe it was because it was the first casino, high class fancy one at that, that i had ever been to. Maybe my expectations were just too high. 

I suppose i imagined it to be like an episode of Las Vegas but more elite. There was a small selection of poker machines as you walk in that we couldn't get to take our money and four card tables (beautifully sculptured card tables) in the center of a massive room. That's was it. Everything was a myriad of golds, reds and crisp whites. The bar was was extremely overpriced. I couldn't afford coke.

At least that was all we had access to. I have to believe that the rest of the casino is some beyond exclusive exclusive members only access with gambling stations up the wazoo and gold fountains filled with champagne, hidden from commoners such as myself. Because that was basically the image i originally had in my head. 

The French Riviera! -Nice

Back into France my Contiki family and i go.

When you're on a Contiki tour the group of people you are travelling with become close very quickly. Bonding tends to start on about the second long coach trip. Little friendship groups form and like High School, everyone tends to break off into groups and exclude that one creepy man that doesn't quite know his boundaries. While getting to know everyone on the tour is your best option, forming a small group of people that you just click with is kind of amazing.
Especially when you have a free day to go exploring the city of Nice, France. It can be difficult to coordinate with everyone when you are staying in a hotel room with one other person and there is no specific 'wake up' times that dictates the other 99% of the tour. Like me you might end up rising super early to take in the day and realise you have no idea when anyone else will get up or if they are already out and about. So you head off with a lovely but awkward Asian boy on a mission to find the Castle Hill and set an uncomfortable 'getting to know one another' conversation while taking in the magnificent seaside town you have the privilege of travelling to.

Castle Hill was not easy to fine, even though it was right beside us the entire time. On one side of the hill is a never ending zigg-zagging trail of stairs buried along the face, hidden within the foliage and on the other...an elevator. A self automated, no pushing of any buttons, elevator. Of course we took the never ending stairs.

 The pay off was worth it though. We got a spectacular view and worked off last nights alcohol. While i was completely expecting an actual castle all we found were castle runes. We probably should have read the brochure.
There is also a breathtaking waterfall that appears more transcendent when looking at it from the streets below.

It was around this time that i lost my exploration partner. I still have no idea how. I turn around and poof! i was by myself. But this tale is not a sad one because not five minutes later i heard a slightly american "CONTIKI"! being shouted at my back. I had found a new friend. A friend that hadn't learnt my name yet.

Across Europe during the festive season of Christmas you are able to find Christmas markets. Everywhere. And it's magnificent.
I love Christmas and finally having the opportunity to have another, my second, 'white Christmas' was a dream come true, But what made it even better was the markets. Rows and rows of winter cabin style booths, red and green smothering every inch. It was like heaven, if heaven was Christmas all day everyday to the end of eternity. 

That night in true Contiki style we got ready for a big night out, walked and drank our way through bottles of wine before we danced on tabletops in an 'Australian' style bar until the wee hours. And as our tour manager instructed, turned left at the giant Christmas bauble to find your drunken way back to the hotel...if you can find the giant bauble that is. 

Lucerne!

Long, tedious Coach trips can be brutal, But when point B is Lucerne, Switzerland you just don't seem to mind as much. Especially when everything slowly starts to become blanketed by a white substance called snow!
Living on the South Coast of Australia means i have had very little opportunity to see a town covered in snow. Skiing doesn't really cut it for me. I mean actually living surrounded by snow, your roof covered by it and your driveway needing to be shoveled because of it. Lucerne gave me a portion of that experience and i'll be forever grateful.

We stayed at the Swiss Mountain Hotel, aptly named as it is literally half way up the mountain. After a terrifying trip in the coach, winding around too narrow one lane roads with a mountain on one side and air on the other.

When people talk about snow they gush about the softness and the fluffyness of snow, but what they always seem to forget to mention is all the frozen ice that comes with it. And when you're lugging a backpacking backpack across ice and up stairs it becomes an issue. I almost lost myself more than once.

 Lucerne is famous for its scenery and buildings, notably the Wooden Chapel Bridge, Harry's Shop and the Lion Monument. But probably most notably for Mt Rigi.

It takes three stages of cable cars to reach the peak. And for someone who isn't the greatest fan of heights it can be a challenge to get in that last group cable car. Though let me say, going up is a hell of a lot easier than coming back down.

The end result is however worth every second of unease. But again, watch out for that ice because it's Everywhere.

The Wooden Chapel Bridge, or The Kapellbrücke, is another spectacular monument. The bridge runs diagonally across the Reuss River and was named after St. Peter's Chapel which is nearby. The bridge has become such a landmark because of the interior paintings which date back to around the 17th Century. Though the old bridge and many of the paintings were destroyed in a fire in 1933 and were subsequently restored.
It's incredible. I end up saying that about most everything i saw while overseas, but that doesn't subtract from the fact that's it's beyond true. Especially when you live in an essentially 'new' town. that has maybe three or four historical buildings or landmarks.

Harry's Shop Is actually two shops across from one another. A souvenir shop and a Swiss watch and army knife shop. While admittedly i have no need for a Swiss army knife i couldn't go past the Novelty of owning a Swiss army knife. Especially a white army knife as the white knifes are only sold in Switzerland making it, for me, even more special.

And lastly The Lion Monument. This monument is dedicated Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti or "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss" and sits in a semi-secluded area and at night is very poorly lit, however the majesty of the lion is undeniable.

Top it all off with an extreme overload of genuine Swiss chocolate and you have the perfect couple of days.

Paris!

It's a sad day when you have to consult your travel journal to refresh your memory about a trip that you, at one point couldn't stop thinking about and reliving. Constantly.
Reading back over a journal of any kind, whether travel or personal is always a bit of a daunting task for me. I never know what to expect from my past self. Generally i'm horrified by the things i thought completely ration to preserve in ink or the completely appropriate sketch of the cute guy opposite me in the coach. I wasn't quite prepared for that. 
They call Paris the city of Lights and Love for a very good reason. I always thought it was a tad clique but after being there and seeing it, i completely understand why.

The hotel we were staying at was a ways out of the center and the coach took us on a 'Paris by night' bus tour around the city. There was a lot of stretched necks swiveling every which way trying to take in the sights out of both sides of the bus at the same time, which never quite works and you always end up missing something. 
Driving around the Arc De Triomphe was actually frightening. I just don't understand how there wasn't a major accident every two seconds with the way the drive!

Our full day in Paris saw our group visit the Eiffel Tower. Completely breathtaking, but again i wasn't too sure about how stable those elevators were, especially the elevator which takes you to the highest level. I swear i thought it was going to do a Willy Wonka and propel itself right out of the top. 

Like a true tourist i couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit every tourist attraction, standing under the dominating presence of the Arc De Triomphe for example or taking a leisurely stroll down The Avenue des Champs-Élysées towards the Louvre and Notre Dame. Admittedly we power walked through the Louver to the Mona Lisa and back but it was still an experience dripping with culture. 

The day was finished off with a spectacular  show at the Moulin Rouge and a visit to O'Sullivan's pub. While it can be defined as a 'glorified titty show' it was a must see and something i will never forget. I mean there was a tank of water filled with Boa-constrictors which rose up from the stage! And ponies! Freaking ponies! 

Paris was unforgettable.