The Internet

I took this photo in Nice, France. I spent the day exploring beautiful French Riviera. The day started from plain and simple breakfast like Croissant, a piece of French loaf and some drink. By the way, while I was exploring Nice aimlessly, I was spoken to by an Irish girl. She asked me if I happen to knew how to say 'Internet' in French. She was looking for a cyber cafe to check her e-mails or something, but no one informed her where it was. I had an electronic dictionary and tried to find a French term of 'Internet'. The result was 'Internet'. So why no one answered?

Nice Vieille Ville

The photo shows view of Nice, France. I took this photo next to Nice Cathedral in Nice Old Town (French: Nice Vieille Ville) while I was taking a stroll around the beautiful city. It was kinda long way to get there. First of all, I rode on a huge ferry from Dover, England to Calais, France then visited Paris by coach. I spent for a couple of nights in Paris, then further down south by coach via Fontainebleau, Lyon, Avignon, then finally there, Nice. The beautiful seashore and complicated old town were sort of juxtaposed to each other. I really loved the atmosphere and had a really great time.

Travel around Europe by coach

From March the 25th to April 15th in 2007, I joined Contiki's European Vista tour and visited England, France, Monaco, Italy, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Holland by coach. I took this photo on day 2 in Fontainebleau, France. Our coach departed from Paris in the morning and headed to Lyon. On the way to Lyon, the coach dropped by Fontainebleau to show us the beautiful Palace of Fontainebleau. I must admit, we didn't have plenty of time to see the city itself, but had enough time to see the featured site. This is a photo which I took right before backed to the coach.

Double-edged sword

I took this photo in Nice, France. An eye-catching sign of a Mediterranean wine bar. Cool. By the way, the night before I took this photo I spent some exiting time in Monaco, so in that morning I felt a little sluggish, but I had only 24 hours left in Nice, so after the brekkie, I started to bum around in Nice. The French-style brekkie was a little too simple for me, so every eateries on the streets looked so yummy at that moment. When I walked around Nice, a tourist came to me and asked if I knew where a cyber cafe was. I didn't know much about the lay of the land, so I had no idea, though. On the following day, I was headed to Pisa, Italy. Why am I so in a hurry? I was joining a bus tour and the coach took me around Europe on schedule. To be honest, it was very convenient, but I felt short on time. In my thought, a bus tour is something of a double-edged sword. There are pros and cons to both. Just my two cents.

It's up to you

I took this photo on a narrow street in Nice Old Town, France. I arrived in Nice from Lyon via Avignon by coach late afternoon. In the first evening in Nice, I went to Monaco to have a nightlife in the fancy city. It was fantastic, but I like to let loose, so I was a bit uncomfortable with my clothes which I chose for Monaco. Anyway, after taking stroll around the fancy streets, I returned to Nice by coach and spent a night there. I didn't drink much and didn't spend much in Monaco, so the next day I woke up early and had a fabulous fine day in Nice. Nice is known as its beautiful beach, but Nice Old Town is also very enjoyable. I'd say there are full of shopping streets. The streets are kinda narrow just like the photo shows, but it's intriguing to take a walk. You can easy to find a place to buy, place to eat or place for something else. It's up to you.

It's not anything to make ado about

The photo shows Paris and its beautiful river Seine. I've spent a couple of nights in Paris and I had time to walk along the river Seine aimlessly. While I was exploring, I saw a bunch of fascinating scenery something right out of a moving movie script or its scene. Of course I went to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame de Paris (a.k.a. Notre Dame Cathedral) and all, plus I visited the Arc de Triomphe at night. Those must see sites were outstanding, but I also loved my relaxing time along the river Seine. I just walked. It was not anything to make ado about.

Can't see the forest for the tree

This is my only one picture from my time at the Louvre (a.k.a. the Louvre Museum, French: Musée du Louvre) and its surrounding area in Paris, France. I don't know why I took a picture like this, though. The Louvre is considered the most visited museum in the world and around the Louvre was very beautiful, but I don't have any other pictures of the Louvre and its surrounding area. Probably at the moment I was worrying about memory thing or a rechargeable battery or something like that. It sounds like I couldn't see the forest for the tree. What a pity.

It won't happen again

When I headed to Nice, France from Lyon, my coach stopped by Avignon for lunch. I remember that there were a lot of people walked around with their dogs and I needed to be careful about doggy poop. Also, the city was easy to get lost. I love getting lost and usually can do so, but in Avignon was not the case. I went there by a coach, and the coach had a strict departure time, so I was distracted by time. However, the streets were complicated and it was really hard to find the coach again. Finally, I was late for the appointment. I'm really sorry about that.

Body clock shift

The photo shows a part of Lyon, France. I spent a night in this city and headed to Nice via Avignon. After a long coach ride from Paris, I arrived this city and checked in to my hotel. Then, I walked around the city to get some beer. My hotel was located in the outskirts of the heart of the city, so I was able to see a lot of places while I was walking. Time-wise, it was around 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., but I felt like it was around 5:00 p.m. or a bit earlier, because it wasn't dark. I needed to reset my body clock, but my stomach sent a signal to brain. It said "Starving".

Daddy's little princess

This is the oldest bridge over the river Seine in Paris, France. It's named Pont Neuf. Back when I was five years old, I was daddy's little princess. He went on a business trip to Paris and sent me several postcards from there. One of them shows the Pont Neuf. It's an old postcard, but I still have it on my shelf. When I planned to visit Paris, I really wanted to see the bridge, so I was in Paris I walked along the river Seine and found out the nostalgic bridge. When I walked around there, the wheel of our history had come a full circle.

Not a coffee person

There were a lot of cafés in Nice, France and also there were a lot of tables and chairs outside of cafés and those looked so nice. I wanted to sit there and enjoy a cup of coffee or something like that to make a memory in Nice, but I didn't. Two reasons, actually. First, it was at the end of March, and it was a little nippy out. When I walked, it was okay, but when I stop, it wasn't okay in a way. Second, I'm not a coffee person. Of course, I drink coffee sometimes, but it's for a change of pace or to kill time. I didn't want to kill time in fabulous Nice old town.

The Palace of Fontainebleau

The photo shows the Palace of Fontainebleau (French: Château de Fontainebleau). People able to get there from Paris as a one-day round trip or like that, but I'd say it's not very close. I spent a couple of nights in Paris, and after that headed to Lyon via this beautiful place. Generally, I don't prepare a lot of things before I visit somewhere, so sometimes I knew some historic facts after I left the place. The Palace of Fontainebleau was one of them. When I took this picture, I didn't know that this is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

It wasn't a so-called "plastic meal"

On the second day in Paris, France, I took this Kebab for a dinner. I looked around the city all day long, and realized that everything there was a bit more expensive than I expected. Food, beer, entrance fees, and such. After exploring the ever-popular city, I found a Turkish place near my hotel. The Kebab didn't cost a fortune, so I chose it for my dinner in Paris. I ordered a to-go Kebab, so this picture looks like a plastic meal, but it was actually smoking hot and the taste was pretty nice.

I think I need an elephantine memory

On the way to Monaco from Nice, France, I had a quick stop and took this picture. I don't know exactly where it was, but a stunning place. I've traveled to 15 countries in Europe, but I don't have all country's passport stamps. For example, I have a French passport stamp, but I don't have a Monacan stamp. I think Schengen agreement is very convenient to travel around Europe, but sometimes I can't find any believable records to find out I was where from when to when or stuff like that. I don't have a memory like an elephant.

Receive rave reviews

This is my very first photo of Europe; Notre Dame de Paris. I got to Paris via London. I took a ferry across the English channel from Dover, the UK to Calais, France. I spent a night in London near King's Cross station, then the next morning I took a coach and was headed for Dover. I saw the white cliffs of Dover as well, but there are no photos. I don't know why. Probably it was freezing out there and I didn't want to take my hands out of my pockets. With that, Notre Dame de Paris came to officially my first photo of Europe. I'm no expert, but this Gothic cathedral has been earning rave reviews from all over the world and is a part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of France; Paris, Banks of the Seine. Sounds like my first photo of Europe.

The color pops out at me

When I was taking a stroll around Nice old town, France, I found a greengrocery next to a cafe. I was there as a short-stay vacationer, so I didn't buy anything, but the colour of the greengrocery pop out at me, so I took a photo of it. I love vegetables and fruits. Nice old town was really unique place. If I took the first right or took the second left, I would find totally different scenery which attracted me a lot. I couldn't stop walking to see something new, something different, and something unforgettable.

Half the fun is getting there

I've been to France via Dover by a huge ferry, so my passport stamp of France has a cute ship symbol in it. First, I arrived in Calais and went to Paris. It was my first time to get to the beautiful old continent, so I was really excited to be there. Paris was fantastic, but I was more into Nice. The photo shows a narrow alley of Nice old town. I was happy to get lost in the attractive town. There were so many cool cafes, eateries, souvenir shops and so on. I spent a long time alone to take a stroll around, but I was not able to know whole lay of the land. It was beautifully complicated. The point was the beach. If I got lost, I would be able to find the beach easily without a bulky map or something like that. For a lunch, I had a really nice French style sandwich, but I don't remember where the shop was. Half the fun was getting there.