So much happen on a Contiki I am going to try and keep this from turning into a novel.

Day 1. Meet and Greet At the crack of dawn we were up to load onto the bus. Our Tour Guide Sara gave us a run down on what’s to come and instantly I could sense a great vibe from everyone and a lot of excitement. Pretty standard get to know you games were always going to come in…How will I ever remember 50 names was constantly in my mind. Our bus drove past the White Cliffs of Dover and then we caught the ferry over to France to head to Paris. That evening we went on a “Paris by night” tour and drove past the Lourve, Champs-Elysees, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc De Triomphe and enjoyed a cheeky champagne toast under the beautiful Eiffel Tower ending with us in a lovely French restaurant trying escargot for those daring enough and another glass of champagne… we are in France after all.

Eiffel Tower

Day 2. Paris We only had 1 full day in Paris so we had to make the most of it. The day started from the Arc de Triomphe and a near death experience of running across the roundabout before later being told there in an underground tunnel to the Arc and that the roundabout is one of the most dangerous in the world. A leisurely stroll down the Champs-Elysees window shopping with a quick stop for a coffee and Macaroon. We walked down the river, past authentic French pop up market stalls selling little books, painting and other items to the Lourve where we were told about a side entrance that has no line… it was a completely different museum, we realised this after walking around for an hour, we did however get to see a fashion exhibition on Hussan Challalyan which made up for our silly mistake. Notre Dame is very stunning, beware of the swooping birds everywhere! Just near Notre Dame there is an ice cream place that is supposed to be the tastiest in the world and oh gosh it was! Natural delicious ice cream, can it get any better.. it did. We had a Parisian Cabaret Dinner in Sacre Coeur then headed to a bar next to Moulin Rouge to enjoy a night of dancing a drinking.

Day 3. Paris to Beaujolaris Wine Region We stopped at a 16^th century Chateau Fontainebleau and got to walk around massive amazing gardens followed by some wine tasting and a quick history lesson on wine in France. Staying in a 16^th century Chateau is a lovely experience almost tainted by one of the wildest parties I have ever been to in the “cave” with the theme “Tight, White and Bright”. Not many memories by anyone on the bus and a lot of unwell people the following morning.

Lourve

Day 4. Beaujolaris Wine Region A breakfast of anything fried and fatty was needed to help us start our day, lunch was a walk through the countryside and into the town Theize where we sat on picnic tables and had a baguette while enjoying the views.

Day 5. Beaujolaris Wine Region to French Riviera I tried Nougat for the first time today on the scenic drive to our camp site, then surprising even myself I tried frog legs. Tasted like sea water chicken, quite nice but awful to see a bunch of cooked legs sitting on a plate. In the evening we dressed in our nicest outfits and enjoyed a glamorous night in Monaco starting at the Royal Palace. Monaco is extremely hilly so high heels aren’t the most appropriate shoes to be wearing as we did have to walk a lot and up the hill sides and long stair ways. Once at the top you will very quickly appreciate the views making the walk completely worth it. Our evening ended at Monte Carlo casino, the building is gorgeous but it was strange inside. You have to remain silent and the tables have a minimum bet of 50 Euros. Out the front, you will see 100’s of the most expensive cars to exist. I even saw an older guy smoking inside his Bentley.

Day 6. French Riviera This was a day of complete relaxation. A train ride into Nice, a walk through the shops and then hours relaxing on the beach and extreme sunburn. You would think growing up in Australia with pale skin I would have learnt proper skin care by now.

French Riveria

Day 7. French Rivera to Florence We had a stop at a French perfumery called Fragonard Perfumery to learn how perfume is made and the different ingredients used and left with a couple samples of the perfumes. Next, Leaning Tower of Pisa. Italy. I was so shocked at how over crowded it was there. A guy on our tour caught a gypsy with her hand in a girls bag about to steal her wallet so it is important to be careful here. I liken it to a large amount of cattle herding, that’s how crowded it was. It’s sometimes so strange when you get to these hugely famous places you see in movies all the time and the item itself looks exactly like what you expect but everything surround it is such a tourist trap it can take away the beauty of it. We also saw Duomo Cathedral a beautiful sight and market stalls then in the evening after dinner we had a stroll along River Arno and a relaxing glass of Chianti wine.

Day 8. Florence This day was crammed with so much to see. An open aired museum, lots of endless walking around markets, a lesson on the history of Michelangelo and other famous artworks, Florence Cathedrial, Ponte Vecchio, Plaza Della Signoria, Basilicia Santa Croce and the most important stop of Gelato. We took a group photo at Piazzale Michelangelo then enjoyed a Tuscan dinner and ended up at a place called Space Electronic Disco. One of the strangest clubs I have been to, they don’t let you pay per drink, when you enter you get a drink card like a tab so it is easy to end up spending a lot more then you intend to, dangerous for someone like me.

Day 9. Florence to Rome The bus drove us through the centre of Rome to view the sights before dropping us off to see Pizza Venezia and the Colosseum. The Colosseum was much more spectacular then I could have imagined which is hard to believe. Walking through the streets and seeing ancient ruins everywhere is so crazy from me coming from a country only just over 200 years old. We then saw the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. We also stopped at the Trevi Fountain and had a gelato, there is a long standing tradition with the fountain, you throw a coin with your back to the fountain with your right hand over your left shoulder and you will be return to Rome again one day, two coins bring a new romance and three marriage. I threw in two coins and there was no romance… maybe I did it wrong but tradition shouldn’t lie to me surely.

Tivoli Fountain

…….TO BE CONTINUED