Day 2 cont.

After lunch we headed back into the love, via the lion gate


- much shorter lines than the main gate. After wandering around for about an hour, seeing a range of old things,


statues


and paintings, including the mona Lisa.


Then we headed to the meeting place, going out via the glass pyramid


and headed back to the campsite for dinner.
After dinner we headed back into the city, back to the eifel tower.


This time I went all the way up to the top.


The view there was gorgeous, bit not very photogenic.
I took the lift down to the second floor, and from there I took the stairs, to avoid the wait in line for the lift.


Tonight on the grass under the eifel tower, as it was flashing, Dan proposed to Gem, it was really romantic and a good start to our trip.

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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Paris

Day 2 cont

Past the square, there were beautiful gardens,


you could smell the lavender in the air, and interesting statues,


before we branched off to look at souvenirs for a bit, then the outside of the louve, and wandering thru back streets in search of lunch.
We found a place in the back streets, and shared a small bottle of rose. Unfourtunaly the main meal I ordered was not very good, but the wine and the blackcurrant ice-cream I had for desert was fantastic.


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Location:Paris

Day 2 cont

And went in under the roundabout,


we then saw it from underneath


before heading up the stairs for another stunning view of Paris, including one of the Eiffel tower.


The walk down just about made us dizzy,


and we headed down the most expensive road in paris, the champs de elisse and on into the square where the obelisk lives,


with statues of terrified horses,


representing the place where thousands were killed with the guillotine.


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Location:Paris

Day 2

This was the day we had free to explore Paris! Had a great day.
Started off at the eifel tower, it is huge, only went up to the second floor this morning, as we went back that night and I wanted to see Paris at night.
Here are some pics of the eifel tower, the view and proof I was up there:









The two girls with me up there are Jenna and Sarah, in that order. Not long after this we split up and Sarah and I went on our way at first with another girl, Kay and later alone.
After the eifle tower, we headed off to the arc d' triumph, encountering a few hawkers along the way. I grabbed a few cheap, small souvenirs here:



After the eifel tower, we walked to the arc de triumph,




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Location:Paris

Day 28

We left Greece early this morning, and drove through the border crossing, my passport is now two stamps and a visa more decorates. Once over the boarder we headed straight to our ferry over the Dardanelles. Stopping for lunch before we got onto the ferry. I had a cheese pied, and it was really tasty.
Once in the Asian part of Turkey (I've now been on 5 of the seven continents), we headed for the ancient city of Troy, once past the fake looking horse,


we wandered through a series of walls of differing ages, built on the same site over a period of a few thousand years


Ruins of towns outside the walls


And yet more roman ruins - they are everywhere.


After Troy we headed to our hotel, had an included four course meal for dinner, soup, a turkish veg pastry roll, reminiciant of a long spring roll, fried whiting, still with it's bones and rice pudding, not as good as the ones we make - too sweet.
I then took advantage of an early night to make up for all the late nights and early mornings, and crashed.
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Location:Greece to Turkey

Day 29

Today we travelled to Istanbul, and stopped at Gallipoli on the way.


It was very moving. The terrain at Anzac cove was steep and inhospitable, it was horrific to think what it must have been like landing on that beach and realising what they faced.


We also saw a Turkish memorial, a cemetery near Anzac cove



and the cemetery at lone pine.


The graves which had messages from families made the most impact on me. Those and the graves of the men younger than I am now. I'd like to come back here one Anzac day.

The rest of the day was anticlimactic, lunch at a service stop was a picnic assembled with Jenna, Witty and Kieren, from a supermarket in order to avoid eating a burger king.
Dinner was an included meal at the hotel in istanbul, not great, but edible.
Now crashing, in our tiny room, with four of us and no room for bags, and getting an early night, ready for Istanbul tomorrow.




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Location:Turkey

Day 5

It was a quiet recovery day today, so after a late breakfast, they gave us picnic baskets and a map to the roof of the world. We were assured that it was suited to our day of rest, it was only a 45min- 1hr walk, up a very steep hill carrying our picnic.


Thankfully due to foresight Jenna and I were in a group with four other guys, who took care of the carrying.
After the delightful stroll, up wonderfully steep mountains,


lunch was really good. Baguettes, Brie and ham, with water to drink, and oranges and mars bars for after. The view was really beautiful as well.



When we got back down the mountain, the afternoon really was relaxing. I sunbaked for a bit and had a nap. There was a meeting about Egypt, where we found out that we needed to acquire a husband for Egypt - it makes life easier, so I now need to track down a ring to use, and tops that cover my shoulders.
I crashed early tonight, needed the rest.


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Location:French chateau

Day 4

Today was a travel day, and after only 4.5 hr sleep I was grateful for the chance to relax a bit.
However, no day goes by without something even slightly mind blowing, and today it was a 14th century French chateau (sadly not the one we were staying in),


fonteguard. We didn't have time to go inside, but the gardens were beautiful,


and the lake had huge fish in it.


We stayed that night in a 15th century chateau.





Just after we got there there was a wine tasting,


we were in the smallest wine region in France, it started with B, the wine was not too bad, but nothing fantastic, I did buy a bottle, it was only 8 €, and that may or may not make it home.



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Location:Paris to French chateau

Day 3 night

Then we hit the meeting place at the Louve, and had to get ready for our Parisian diner and the novelle eve cabaret, in the bus and a carpark under the louve.


Dinner was breathtaking.


I had fish terrine for entree,


and duck a'la orange for main,


and they were sooooo good. I also tried the others quiche Lorraine, and mains of beef bourginion and cod with butter sauce, and they were stunning too. Sadly dessert didn't quite live up to the high standard of the meal, but it wasn't too bad.


The kir (wine mixed with blackcurrant juice) they gave us before the meal was good, but I didn't really enjoy the accomaning white and red wines.
After dinner we headed off to the Novelle Eve cabaret.


It was amazing the dancers were skilled and flexible, and the guys were very nicely muscled. We also got some nice French champagne to drink and the acts between the dancing were highly entertaining, two very skilled jugglers and a balancing guy, who was just amazing, they were funny too.
After the cabaret, we headed out to a bar, which was right next to the moulin rouge,


and partied for a few hours, before heading home for a scant few hours sleep.

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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Paris

Day 3

Went to Versailles this morning, it was rather impressive, with lots of gold and large impressive gardens.



The palace had beautiful architecture, gold guiding, statues, huge fireplaces, painted ceilings, chandeliers and a hall of mirrors.












Then i headed out into the gardens, they were beautiful, very carefully set out, and formal, but beautiful (well worth paying to get into them). I had lunch while wandering around, a panni with tomato and mozzarella, and it was very tasty.



There were formally set out gardens,



huge hedges with formal fountains hidden among them,



and a huge lake with parks below the formal gardens.



After Versailles we headed back into Paris, this time I saw the Notre Dame Cathedral.



It was spectacular, and the atmosphere inside was very church like, despite the hoards of tourists.



Then Sarah and I wandered through shops on our way to he meeting point. I managed to avoid buying anything but a few postcards - I was temped by a few scarves though, and an icecream, - pistachio, which also had a bit of a taste of white chocolate.

Location:Paris