PARIS - LUCERNE - FLORENCE
Hi all, i would have posted earlier in Lucerne but the website was down, and i would've posted earlier in Florence, but laws over here say you need ID for the internet cafe and at the time i was ID less.
PARIS
After my last remarks the three of us made our way to the hotel to pick-up our bags then headed to a busabout hostel where Kath would spend here remaining night in Paris. We walked up to Sacre Coeur, where the skies that had threatened us the hole day finally dropped its load. We sheltered down a side path, under a tree and ate our last meal. Kath had bought wine before we met up so we emptied the bottle and dined on bbq chicken (very parisian) and cheese, baguette and chocolate. Kath and Dani had a psuedo supermarket brand of rice pudding. It was all class.
Once the rain let up, we headed followed the small windy roads down the mountain toward the red-light district... really just up the road from Kath's hostel. Took a few photos of the Moulin Rouge and, to avoid anyone trying to entice us in for a show, we strolled down the glorified median strip until we reached the hostel. We had stowed our bags in what is affectionally known as the dungeon before Sacre Coeur, so after retrieving the bags we said goodbye to Kath and jumped onto the train that would take us to Gare de L'est.
The overnight train to Basil was a sleepless six hours. My alarm sounded half an hour before our stop. We jumped off at Basil, then onto another train that would take us to Lucerne. It was still early when we arrived, only 8ish, so we dropped our bags at reception, picked up a few tour maps and, still groggy, explored Lucerne.
LUCERNE
Lucerne is magnificant, to say the least. I've already worked out were i'd like to bulid the holiday house; i'm thinking enough bedrooms for a few visiting families, large living area with open fire place, the architecture needs to help hide the house since its on the side of a hill overlooking Lucerne Lake. Though the helipad will be hard to hide.
But i digress. Lucerne is clean, the air is crisp. The country side is amazing, the city is a fantastic mix of old world and 21st century modernism. There are swans in the water and bicycles everywhere, trees and parks around every other corner, The hotel room we stayed in was large and clean, the bathroom was small but much better than Paris. The only problem was the We didn't stay long enough in Lucerne. Our two days went by very quickly, we ate very nice breakfasts at the hotel buffet (eating enough not to be hungry for lunch), dinner was picturesque and a little on the expensive side, but well worth it.
Dani coaxed me into taking the tour to Mount Pilatus (part of the Alps). A boat ride from Lucerne to the steepest cogwheel train took 90 minutes. But we got heaps of scenic photos which we will be boring you with once we return. The cogwheel train took us up to the top of Pilatus, which was covered in white fog and cold. My shortness of breathe told me that we were higher than i'd expected. We looked around as much as possible, before jumping on the cable car back to Kreins, then a bus back to the hotel. We had left at 1 and were back by 6, (Pretty good for half a day) and found more than a dozen bicycle racing teams had taken residence along the roads of Lucerne. We explored the streets, dodging the spectators and musicians who had turned up for another festival. Can't go wrong with Lucerne.
FLORENCE
The 24th of August, my birthday (thats for the txt msgs guys), was spent on the train. Almost all day on the train, from Lucerne to Arth Goldau, then Milan, then finally Florence. We checking into the hotel strainght away. And it struck me pretty quickly how good Lucerne was.
Let me compare them; Paris is full of culture (but so is Sydney- just a different kind), fashion sucks balls, food is ok. The clothes were better in Lucerne and Florence than Paris. (i picked up a few things in Lucerne). We were spoilt for food in Lucerne, so neither Paris or Florence can compare. Though Florence does have numerous places selling gelato and cheap pizza. Florence has small streets covered in dirt, hawkers trying to sell you things; " my friend, my friend- leather jacket for you!". Paris had the gypsies asking for money (not fun gypsies like in snatch), Lucerne has swans.
Today is a Saturday, our second day in Florence. We explored the streets yesterday, past the Duomo, visited Ponte Vecchio and had pasta in a little restaurant near our hotel. Our hotel is rather good (though the breakfast buffet is meager), Large room with a bathroom that has a bath, shower hose, toilet and something that looks like a foot bath sitting next to the toilet... and its not a bidet.
This morning we got up early, endured another breakfast and beat the lines to see David (uppercase 'D'). The one thing with Florence is that it is the home to student artists. And piazza (place) has a couple of statues by students or the students themselves painting and drawing. So it is easy to spot a david (lowercase 'd'). But you havnt seen David until you see the real thing. It is very tall, but it is beautiful. (thats the last time i call a guy beautiful). And the crowds that are usually noisy all go quiet when they see David standing there and all his (meager) glory.
It has taken me 50 minutes to write, and i have ten minutes left. We found a laundromat and did out washing, since the hotel was charging multiple euros per garment.
One thing before i sign off; I've met coffee with mixed reactions, here in Europe. Mostly good, better than Australia, (Parisian take away comes in plastic cups?!) but coffee in Lucerne will need to be imported once i get the holiday house erected. Also, tv over here is different. Most shoes are dubbed and its only now i realise how much the sound of a voice makes a character... the italian simpsons is horrid, and the nanny has a soft sultary voice which would mean that half the jokes dont make sense. They do have MTV, american shows, not dubbed, though english pimp-my-ride was on an old camping bus, italian pimp-my-wheels was a motor bike and the german pimp-my-ride was on a bicycle.
Tonight is the last night here, we leave for Rome tomorrow where we join the Kamuka Tour that will takes us around central Europe.
And with a few minutes left, i bid you Ciao.
PARIS
After my last remarks the three of us made our way to the hotel to pick-up our bags then headed to a busabout hostel where Kath would spend here remaining night in Paris. We walked up to Sacre Coeur, where the skies that had threatened us the hole day finally dropped its load. We sheltered down a side path, under a tree and ate our last meal. Kath had bought wine before we met up so we emptied the bottle and dined on bbq chicken (very parisian) and cheese, baguette and chocolate. Kath and Dani had a psuedo supermarket brand of rice pudding. It was all class.
Once the rain let up, we headed followed the small windy roads down the mountain toward the red-light district... really just up the road from Kath's hostel. Took a few photos of the Moulin Rouge and, to avoid anyone trying to entice us in for a show, we strolled down the glorified median strip until we reached the hostel. We had stowed our bags in what is affectionally known as the dungeon before Sacre Coeur, so after retrieving the bags we said goodbye to Kath and jumped onto the train that would take us to Gare de L'est.
The overnight train to Basil was a sleepless six hours. My alarm sounded half an hour before our stop. We jumped off at Basil, then onto another train that would take us to Lucerne. It was still early when we arrived, only 8ish, so we dropped our bags at reception, picked up a few tour maps and, still groggy, explored Lucerne.
LUCERNE
Lucerne is magnificant, to say the least. I've already worked out were i'd like to bulid the holiday house; i'm thinking enough bedrooms for a few visiting families, large living area with open fire place, the architecture needs to help hide the house since its on the side of a hill overlooking Lucerne Lake. Though the helipad will be hard to hide.
But i digress. Lucerne is clean, the air is crisp. The country side is amazing, the city is a fantastic mix of old world and 21st century modernism. There are swans in the water and bicycles everywhere, trees and parks around every other corner, The hotel room we stayed in was large and clean, the bathroom was small but much better than Paris. The only problem was the We didn't stay long enough in Lucerne. Our two days went by very quickly, we ate very nice breakfasts at the hotel buffet (eating enough not to be hungry for lunch), dinner was picturesque and a little on the expensive side, but well worth it.
Dani coaxed me into taking the tour to Mount Pilatus (part of the Alps). A boat ride from Lucerne to the steepest cogwheel train took 90 minutes. But we got heaps of scenic photos which we will be boring you with once we return. The cogwheel train took us up to the top of Pilatus, which was covered in white fog and cold. My shortness of breathe told me that we were higher than i'd expected. We looked around as much as possible, before jumping on the cable car back to Kreins, then a bus back to the hotel. We had left at 1 and were back by 6, (Pretty good for half a day) and found more than a dozen bicycle racing teams had taken residence along the roads of Lucerne. We explored the streets, dodging the spectators and musicians who had turned up for another festival. Can't go wrong with Lucerne.
FLORENCE
The 24th of August, my birthday (thats for the txt msgs guys), was spent on the train. Almost all day on the train, from Lucerne to Arth Goldau, then Milan, then finally Florence. We checking into the hotel strainght away. And it struck me pretty quickly how good Lucerne was.
Let me compare them; Paris is full of culture (but so is Sydney- just a different kind), fashion sucks balls, food is ok. The clothes were better in Lucerne and Florence than Paris. (i picked up a few things in Lucerne). We were spoilt for food in Lucerne, so neither Paris or Florence can compare. Though Florence does have numerous places selling gelato and cheap pizza. Florence has small streets covered in dirt, hawkers trying to sell you things; " my friend, my friend- leather jacket for you!". Paris had the gypsies asking for money (not fun gypsies like in snatch), Lucerne has swans.
Today is a Saturday, our second day in Florence. We explored the streets yesterday, past the Duomo, visited Ponte Vecchio and had pasta in a little restaurant near our hotel. Our hotel is rather good (though the breakfast buffet is meager), Large room with a bathroom that has a bath, shower hose, toilet and something that looks like a foot bath sitting next to the toilet... and its not a bidet.
This morning we got up early, endured another breakfast and beat the lines to see David (uppercase 'D'). The one thing with Florence is that it is the home to student artists. And piazza (place) has a couple of statues by students or the students themselves painting and drawing. So it is easy to spot a david (lowercase 'd'). But you havnt seen David until you see the real thing. It is very tall, but it is beautiful. (thats the last time i call a guy beautiful). And the crowds that are usually noisy all go quiet when they see David standing there and all his (meager) glory.
It has taken me 50 minutes to write, and i have ten minutes left. We found a laundromat and did out washing, since the hotel was charging multiple euros per garment.
One thing before i sign off; I've met coffee with mixed reactions, here in Europe. Mostly good, better than Australia, (Parisian take away comes in plastic cups?!) but coffee in Lucerne will need to be imported once i get the holiday house erected. Also, tv over here is different. Most shoes are dubbed and its only now i realise how much the sound of a voice makes a character... the italian simpsons is horrid, and the nanny has a soft sultary voice which would mean that half the jokes dont make sense. They do have MTV, american shows, not dubbed, though english pimp-my-ride was on an old camping bus, italian pimp-my-wheels was a motor bike and the german pimp-my-ride was on a bicycle.
Tonight is the last night here, we leave for Rome tomorrow where we join the Kamuka Tour that will takes us around central Europe.
And with a few minutes left, i bid you Ciao.
posted by Steve at 3:13 am
0 comments
