We set off from Paris on the west loop of the trip which is the one I have been looking forward to the most as it is mainly spent through Spain which is one of the places I have been dying to visit since I saw a friends photos about five years ago.
The first stop on the loop was Lauterbrunnen a small town at the bottle of the Swiss Alps. I had been there with Topdeck and had an absolute ball so I was looking forward to chilling out there for a couple of days. Turns out that we actually only booked one night (so we could fit everything in before Pampolona) and we didn`t get there until 7pm so I didn`t get much of a chance to hang out there. Once we dumped our bags in our cosy little cabins (cosy = cramped and tiny) and went for a quick walk around the area. One of my favourite things about Lauterbrunnen is that they have taps in the area that pour pure swiss alpine water out so you can fill up your waterbottles and the water is freezing cold and completely pure. We stocked up like crazy as the rest of Europes water can be a little bit funky. It was also a good time to be walking around as we found a little bench to sit and watch the sun set on the swiss alps. It made the snow turn a reddy orange colour which was really pretty but unfortuneately photos dont do it justice. That night we went to the `bunker`which was the bar that they had on site. The only thing was it was literally a basement and we felt a bit weird being in one of the most beautiful places in the world but underground. So we didn`t spend much time there and had a fairly early night.
The next day we set off from Lauterbrunnen and headed to Nice via Lake Como. The bus trip was another long one and having three big 8 or 9 hour bus days in four days was starting to take its toll. When we jumped off at Lake Como we got the chance to have a quick walk around the area and take a few piccies. It seemed like a beautiful place to stay but definately one I want to visit when I have the money to have a stunning villa on the the lake. We were walking along and saw this cute little cafe with a pond beside it before realising it had baby ducks, a turtle, massive gold fish and a high heel shoe floating in it. Definately the most random pond i`ve ever seen!
After another five or so hours on the bus we arrived in Nice. I had been really excited about this place because it was on the French Riviera which meant days at the beaches. Turns out Nice is actually pretty scummy. There is a really high theft rate so the tour guide had to guard the doors of the coach to make sure no one went on there to steal stuff while we were getting out bags off. He walked us down to a little hotel that was two stars and I would have to say it wasn`t even that. This was the first hostel that I had stayed at in the entire three months i`ve been away that I haven`t felt clean or safe. Considering it was only for three nights we figured we could manage but when your in an area that is famous for being glamourous its hard not to be disappointed.
We survived the first night fairly well because the hostels saving grace was that it had free internet facilities, kitchen facilities and a courtyard where we could sit and chill out away from the streets. The worst part was that it had no laundry facilities and me and Caroline couldn´t make our clothes last any longer. We had to wander through the streets of Nice to find a little hole in the wall launderette which was the most confusing thing I have ever used. We ended up having to get help from some french guys who didn´t speak English which was kind of awkward as we were putting our undies into the machine while they helped us work out the soap/money/setting situation all while miming and speaking french to us. Definately an interesting experience but our clothes got clean and we escaped the dodgy hostel for a few hours.
Our first day in Nice we decided to take the train over to Monaco. It was about a 20 min train ride that only cost €6 so it was well worth a visit. It is the second smallest country in the world and it takes the average person 56 minutes to walk from one side of the other. Once we arrived there we walked along the water front checking out all the beautiful old buildings, the luxury yachts and the flashy cars. Caroline was in car heaven randomly yelling ¨omg there is a ferrari" and "look a lambourgini" while I was just like "woooo a shiny black car". We passed the famous casino (that you have to pay €10 just to get in the door - we definately passed on that one) and saw all these people dressed up to the nines, chucking the keys to the ferrari at the valet and walking through the door. We thought the crowd must be for a wedding or something. Turns out it was a graduation ceremony. What a place to have a graduation! It makes where I had mine look like a crack den. It was fun doing a bit of people watching around this area but we soon got pretty hot and hungry so we headed down to the beach to check out somewhere to eat.
Their beaches are like pebbly beaches so many people hire beach chairs and umbrellas in private beaches to sit on all day. There are public beaches but they are packed full and dont have the added bonus of wait staff. Along the waterfront there are heaps of cafes that are actually out on the beach with the tables and chairs in the sand. We found a fairly cheap (well cheap for Monaco anyways) place to eat and sat down in the cool shade under an umbrella, took our shoes off and put our feet in the sand and basically relaxed. It was the perfect sunny day and there was a lot of stuff going on around out so it was the ideal place to veg out. It seemed appropriate to order a bottle of wine with lunch so we leisurely drank the chilled wine while we feasted on watermellon and just sat on the beach for three hours watching all the people around us.
The way people dressed there was incredible. There were designer clothes, bags, sandles and sunnies everywhere. Even the men were impeccibly dressed (and Ive got to admit quite fun to look at). The girls were dripping in jewellery and wealth and it was just incredible how many people just lay there, ordering bottles upon bottles of wine, beer and several courses of food while they sunbaked and swam. It is definatley something that I would love to spend my days doing. While we werent exactly dressed in our bummiest clothes we werent exactly fitting in. Caroline when to the bathroom and while she was in there ran into a girl in a bikini, flip flops and carrying a Hermes handbag. So basically while the girl was wearing less then Caroline, it was Caroline who was underdressed.
After a lazy day at the cafe we had another mosey along the waterfront before heading back to Nice. It was pretty much one of the most perfect days I have had while I have been on this trip. It doesnt take much more then a nice meal, a cold drink, beautiful view and good company to make me happy and for some reason the stars aligned and I had one of those incredibly perfect days. Ive had a couple of those this trip and sometimes I wonder how long it will be until the next perfect day. The best part is that every few days or so there is a new city to discover and a new experience to be had so hopefully these days arent too far in between.
The next day we headed down to the beach at Nice to check it out. It wasnt as nice as the one at Monaco because instead of pebbles this one was completely rocky. It was €14 to hire a beach chair and umbrella so we decided to pass considering we were not going to be down there all day. Caroline had a pretty uncomfy sit on the beach while I had a quick dip in the water. First swim in the meditteranian sea was a pretty cold one. It was a very nice contrast to the heat of the day though and since the water was flat it was good to just bob around for a bit. After awhile though I thought Id be nice to Caroline and stop her sitting on those uncomfy rocks so I got out and we went for a wander around old town.
The old town in Nice is similar to that of many old towns around Europe. The streets are tiny little alleyways with cute buildings with verandas and windows sprouting flowers while washing is hung from the wires over head. There are lots of little shops along the side of the street selling anything from summery clothes to tacky souveniers. Many of the shops had some decent clothes and shoes in them and it was hard to resist all the cute things to buy especially all the kaftans and beach wear as 10 out of the next 20 days I plan on being at the beach. After all the window shopping we worked up an appetite and headed to a pub for lunch.
Later that afternoon after a rest back at the hostel we headed up to the top of Castle Hill. Which is pretty much as the name says the hill on the edge of the city that has the castle on it. You can walk up about 500 stairs or you can pay €1.20 for a ride up in an elevator. Unless you have a deathwish and want to die of heat exhaustion the elevator is the way to go. Its slightly scary as it has two sets of doors, goes really slowly and is at the end of a pretty shifty tunnel. For someone who is intensly claustrophic like me it wasnt the best experience but when you toss up walking up stairs to about a minute in the elevator its not so bad.
We had taken up a bagette, bottle of wine and a block of cheese as our tour guide had told us it was a really cool place to get a good view of the city while having a picnic. Unluckily for us there seemed to be a festival or something going on that meant the place was crazy crowded full of people and there were no good possies to have a picnic. It wouldnt have been so bad if it was a music or food festival but it seemed to be some sort of activist gathering. All the stalls were either protesting something or asking you to sign a petition. After a quick walk around we decided we would be better off having our picnic on the beach.
Once we got down to the beach we found a spot along the board walk and just chilled there for a little while. By this time the sun had gone behind the clouds and there was a nice breeze so we didnt die of heat. The weirdest part of the whole arvo was when we noticed that the lady in front of us had a basket next to her towel. Caroline pointed to it and told me there was something moving so we were trying to work out what it was for a little bit. The lady then opened up a can of tuna and put it at the edge of it and the next second a big white fluffy cat walked out. Who brings a cat to the beach!!!!! Needless to say we were slightly freaked out and started laughing and staring. Then I swear the cat heard us and gave us an evil look. It just stared at us for ages without blinking. We got a little unnerved by this. Luckily for us the crazy cat lady (as she will forever be called) packed up and headed off with her cat back in its little carry basket.
That night at they had a free champagne party in the neighboring hotel so we went there for a quick drink. The champagne wasnt the best but it was free so we thought we would give it at go. After one however we decided it would be better to have an early night because the next day was a bus day. Unfortuneatley for us our roomies didnt want an early night and we ended up being woken up at about 2am by them coming home drunk and bringing randoms into the room with them. We then got treated to 3 or 4 hours of them talking, having showers, getting up to be sick and snoring. It was the worst night in a hostel I have had since I´ve been away. You hear some horror stories about hostels and I knew we had been lucky but I was hoping to get away without having to deal with inconsiderate and rude people. After having only a couple of hours sleep we got up cranky and tired and made as much noise as we could to wake up the rest of them. I know it was petty but I was sooooooo not in the mood. The worst part was that two of them were on our bus the next day so we had another 10 hours in their presence which did nothing to improve our moods.
Its weird how one bad experience can change your whole perception of a place. Im sure that Nice is actually a decent place (I mean the french riveria is famous for being amazing) but I definately wont be rushing back there. Next stop is Barcelona which I have been looking forward to for ages! Hopefully the next post is more about fun things, good hostels and better experiences.
We survived the first night fairly well because the hostels saving grace was that it had free internet facilities, kitchen facilities and a courtyard where we could sit and chill out away from the streets. The worst part was that it had no laundry facilities and me and Caroline couldn´t make our clothes last any longer. We had to wander through the streets of Nice to find a little hole in the wall launderette which was the most confusing thing I have ever used. We ended up having to get help from some french guys who didn´t speak English which was kind of awkward as we were putting our undies into the machine while they helped us work out the soap/money/setting situation all while miming and speaking french to us. Definately an interesting experience but our clothes got clean and we escaped the dodgy hostel for a few hours.
Our first day in Nice we decided to take the train over to Monaco. It was about a 20 min train ride that only cost €6 so it was well worth a visit. It is the second smallest country in the world and it takes the average person 56 minutes to walk from one side of the other. Once we arrived there we walked along the water front checking out all the beautiful old buildings, the luxury yachts and the flashy cars. Caroline was in car heaven randomly yelling ¨omg there is a ferrari" and "look a lambourgini" while I was just like "woooo a shiny black car". We passed the famous casino (that you have to pay €10 just to get in the door - we definately passed on that one) and saw all these people dressed up to the nines, chucking the keys to the ferrari at the valet and walking through the door. We thought the crowd must be for a wedding or something. Turns out it was a graduation ceremony. What a place to have a graduation! It makes where I had mine look like a crack den. It was fun doing a bit of people watching around this area but we soon got pretty hot and hungry so we headed down to the beach to check out somewhere to eat.
Their beaches are like pebbly beaches so many people hire beach chairs and umbrellas in private beaches to sit on all day. There are public beaches but they are packed full and dont have the added bonus of wait staff. Along the waterfront there are heaps of cafes that are actually out on the beach with the tables and chairs in the sand. We found a fairly cheap (well cheap for Monaco anyways) place to eat and sat down in the cool shade under an umbrella, took our shoes off and put our feet in the sand and basically relaxed. It was the perfect sunny day and there was a lot of stuff going on around out so it was the ideal place to veg out. It seemed appropriate to order a bottle of wine with lunch so we leisurely drank the chilled wine while we feasted on watermellon and just sat on the beach for three hours watching all the people around us.
The way people dressed there was incredible. There were designer clothes, bags, sandles and sunnies everywhere. Even the men were impeccibly dressed (and Ive got to admit quite fun to look at). The girls were dripping in jewellery and wealth and it was just incredible how many people just lay there, ordering bottles upon bottles of wine, beer and several courses of food while they sunbaked and swam. It is definatley something that I would love to spend my days doing. While we werent exactly dressed in our bummiest clothes we werent exactly fitting in. Caroline when to the bathroom and while she was in there ran into a girl in a bikini, flip flops and carrying a Hermes handbag. So basically while the girl was wearing less then Caroline, it was Caroline who was underdressed.
After a lazy day at the cafe we had another mosey along the waterfront before heading back to Nice. It was pretty much one of the most perfect days I have had while I have been on this trip. It doesnt take much more then a nice meal, a cold drink, beautiful view and good company to make me happy and for some reason the stars aligned and I had one of those incredibly perfect days. Ive had a couple of those this trip and sometimes I wonder how long it will be until the next perfect day. The best part is that every few days or so there is a new city to discover and a new experience to be had so hopefully these days arent too far in between.
The next day we headed down to the beach at Nice to check it out. It wasnt as nice as the one at Monaco because instead of pebbles this one was completely rocky. It was €14 to hire a beach chair and umbrella so we decided to pass considering we were not going to be down there all day. Caroline had a pretty uncomfy sit on the beach while I had a quick dip in the water. First swim in the meditteranian sea was a pretty cold one. It was a very nice contrast to the heat of the day though and since the water was flat it was good to just bob around for a bit. After awhile though I thought Id be nice to Caroline and stop her sitting on those uncomfy rocks so I got out and we went for a wander around old town.
The old town in Nice is similar to that of many old towns around Europe. The streets are tiny little alleyways with cute buildings with verandas and windows sprouting flowers while washing is hung from the wires over head. There are lots of little shops along the side of the street selling anything from summery clothes to tacky souveniers. Many of the shops had some decent clothes and shoes in them and it was hard to resist all the cute things to buy especially all the kaftans and beach wear as 10 out of the next 20 days I plan on being at the beach. After all the window shopping we worked up an appetite and headed to a pub for lunch.
Later that afternoon after a rest back at the hostel we headed up to the top of Castle Hill. Which is pretty much as the name says the hill on the edge of the city that has the castle on it. You can walk up about 500 stairs or you can pay €1.20 for a ride up in an elevator. Unless you have a deathwish and want to die of heat exhaustion the elevator is the way to go. Its slightly scary as it has two sets of doors, goes really slowly and is at the end of a pretty shifty tunnel. For someone who is intensly claustrophic like me it wasnt the best experience but when you toss up walking up stairs to about a minute in the elevator its not so bad.
We had taken up a bagette, bottle of wine and a block of cheese as our tour guide had told us it was a really cool place to get a good view of the city while having a picnic. Unluckily for us there seemed to be a festival or something going on that meant the place was crazy crowded full of people and there were no good possies to have a picnic. It wouldnt have been so bad if it was a music or food festival but it seemed to be some sort of activist gathering. All the stalls were either protesting something or asking you to sign a petition. After a quick walk around we decided we would be better off having our picnic on the beach.
Once we got down to the beach we found a spot along the board walk and just chilled there for a little while. By this time the sun had gone behind the clouds and there was a nice breeze so we didnt die of heat. The weirdest part of the whole arvo was when we noticed that the lady in front of us had a basket next to her towel. Caroline pointed to it and told me there was something moving so we were trying to work out what it was for a little bit. The lady then opened up a can of tuna and put it at the edge of it and the next second a big white fluffy cat walked out. Who brings a cat to the beach!!!!! Needless to say we were slightly freaked out and started laughing and staring. Then I swear the cat heard us and gave us an evil look. It just stared at us for ages without blinking. We got a little unnerved by this. Luckily for us the crazy cat lady (as she will forever be called) packed up and headed off with her cat back in its little carry basket.
That night at they had a free champagne party in the neighboring hotel so we went there for a quick drink. The champagne wasnt the best but it was free so we thought we would give it at go. After one however we decided it would be better to have an early night because the next day was a bus day. Unfortuneatley for us our roomies didnt want an early night and we ended up being woken up at about 2am by them coming home drunk and bringing randoms into the room with them. We then got treated to 3 or 4 hours of them talking, having showers, getting up to be sick and snoring. It was the worst night in a hostel I have had since I´ve been away. You hear some horror stories about hostels and I knew we had been lucky but I was hoping to get away without having to deal with inconsiderate and rude people. After having only a couple of hours sleep we got up cranky and tired and made as much noise as we could to wake up the rest of them. I know it was petty but I was sooooooo not in the mood. The worst part was that two of them were on our bus the next day so we had another 10 hours in their presence which did nothing to improve our moods.
Its weird how one bad experience can change your whole perception of a place. Im sure that Nice is actually a decent place (I mean the french riveria is famous for being amazing) but I definately wont be rushing back there. Next stop is Barcelona which I have been looking forward to for ages! Hopefully the next post is more about fun things, good hostels and better experiences.
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