Florence 9 & 10 May

Left Lugano really early in the morning. These early ,opening starts do hurt a little bit, but it is a different tiredness than compared with the usual stress tiredness. Am feeling a little more relaxed now than compared with the start of this second tour. Luckily, after all the drinks I had at night in Lugano (I think I had about 12 glasses of wine, but wasn't drunk) I thought that I would feel really crap in the morning, but didn't. Nothing really much happened during the day; we had a few stops along the way for morning tea and lunch at the fancy service stations (you were so right about them Ang, they're awesome!). I am trying not to spend too much on things to buy to eat on the bus as I have lost some weight since being away. Been buying a coffee and a large bottle of water at morning tea and usually either a salad or toasted sandwich at lunch when we stop at these service stations; I am however, surprised at the amount of junk food, chips and lollies the Amerians on board are buying at morning tea and at lunch, as I know that would be something (not so much the chips, but the lollies) I would normally buy when I am home.. Have been speaking with a ew more people on board the bus, and am continually asked heaps of questions about Australia. I had to explain about how our constitutional monarchy worked and how big our cities are. One lady didn't know that we had a capital city and struggled to pronounce it. Told a few of the women about my large Parisian purchase and they want to see it, but a few of them have said that the $US has been that weak lately that though it would have been feasible a while back, it's very expensive in Europe for them now. Got to Florence at about 5pm and had a short while before we had an included dinner down in the Piazza of the Holy Cross, where there is the church where Dante is buried. It was quite a nice meal, antipasti with different salamis / proscuittos and olives, pesto pasta (which was a little too cheesy for me), braised beef with salad and potatoes and panna cotta for dessert. Was quite full from after the pasta and could hardly eat much afterwards. Went outside a few times and saw a communist (well, I saw the USSR flag and red banners, so assumed it was a communist)protest going around the Piazza. Was more interested in that compared with my dinner. We got back to the hotel around 9:30pm and I went to do my laundry. The couple from Melbourne on my tour had beaten me to the washing machine - the laundry facilities closes at 11pm - and they offered to do it for me. Said no, as knew it would take a while for the cycle to be finished, so instead had another chat. The husband was interested in my shrapnel from Polygon Wood and also the pictures from my Western Front tour, so brought my iPad and shrapnel down to the basement / laundry to show them and chat. Left them and ended back in the room around 12pm and did some work emails - shouldn't be thinking of work, but couldn't miss an opportunity for the kids to have the historian from my last tour talk to them free of charge. Couldn't get to sleep well and ended up dozing off around 1:30am, as I knew I had to be up at 6:15am in the morning. Got up at that ungodly hour of 6:15am and by the time I meandered my way downstairs to breakfast, it was just on 7am. I had to have my bags out of the room at 6:45am and it seems earlier and earlier every day. Got onto the bus and went straight to the museum where Michaelangelo's David is located. We had a local tour guide and those headsets to listen to his commentary. I was surprised that I struggled to keep up with his thick accent and couldn't get much out of the tour of the museum. Had a look and admired David, but couldn't take any photos. He was so massive in height! Had to be content with the replica to take photos of in the square. Our tour guide also took us to the cathedral Bruschelli designed and then up to the square where there were replicas of sme of the museum's works, including David. Ended back in the square where we had dinner last night; and, instead of going to the gold sellers (one was a Greek - Australian from Melbourne), I ended up and going to have a long lunch at the end of the square. Had some quiet time to myself, but then some of the US ladies came and sat with me and we had a good chat and was able to order food for them with my Italian. Had a nice time. Left Florence about 12:45pm and slept right the way through to the service station pit stop at 2pm. Most people on the bus were dozing anyway. Got into Rome at about 4pm with the intent of doing my own laundry (over a week's worth!) in the hotel laundry, so didn't go out with the others for an optional dinner. Found out later that they send the laundry away and will now have to pay the exorbitant costs for that - my clothes were laundered in Paris, but they still have traces of Somme mud on them, which doesn't seem to want to come off! Will now spend the evening on the net and sorting my laundry into bags to bring down to reception, as it will be the only opportunity until I get to Amsterdam late. Ext week to have anything cleaned.

Luzern - Monday 7 May & Lugano Tuesday 8 May

Ate all the excitement of Paris, I had to get really early Monday morning at about 5:45am in order to have my bags out the door to be collected by 6:30am and leave by 7:15am. Left Paris at around7:20am, a little later than scheduled and dozed on and off for the whole trip throughout the day. I know that I passed through the Burgandy region and through southern France. Apart from the pit stops, I didn't see much of the countryside. We got to the Switzerland border at about 3:30pm and arrived into Luzern around 5:00pm, where we had a look at the local Jesuit Cjurch and a brief walk along the wooden bridge that was burned down several years ago and rebuilt. On Tuesday, took the carriage up to the top of Mount Pilatus and admired the view. Didn't go straight to the top as it was a little bit of a strain on the old legs, they're a little worn and tired after 3 and a half weeks on the go and I wanted to have a break. I admired the view and sat by myself and had a couple of cups of coffee there and bought some (expensive) souvenirs. Wanted to admire the view quietly in the cable car, but have met up with several Australian women and an US lady on the tour that constantly want to chat and make inane comments about the countryside. There are 7 Australians (including myself), 2 New Zealanders and the rest (there are 37 of us) are Americans. The Americans talk in exclamation marks constantly and there is one lady, in particular, that grinds against my grain and is very needy - both physically and emotionally from her husband - "I love you honey. I loved you since the first time we met. I want you to smile for the camera! SMILE! I said, SMILE!" He is very patient and explains everything to her after she makes some stupid comment, "No Honey, we're in Sitzerland, not Holland"; etc. After mount Pilatus, we had a little bit of time in the town of Luzern. Spent time with the Australian women and US lady for lunch and then walked around having a look at the shops. Nothing much that I couldn't buy back in Australia. A few good deals on clothes and shoes, but it would mean having to cart it around until I get to the next longer stop, which I think, is Rome at the end of the week, before I can try and post anything home. Left Luzern at 2:00pm and drove towards Lugano. Fell asleep on the bus, particularly through the long 17km tunnel that I had wanted to see and had briefly opened my eyes for at the start and at the end for. Got to Lugano at about 440pm, got the room key, unpacked and then went off and tried my, limited (but better than French) Italian. I didn't want to go with the rest of the tour group on the dinner in the lake as I am finding that I am a good traveller, but not a great tourist and don't find the touristy stuff interesting; I am doing some of the the optional activities on the tour more so because to meet the people from the tour than to experience things. I was able to find the bank and ATM and took myself off to the restaurant the concierge had recommended. Wasn't too great and they wanted me to speak English, gave me a glass of wine and didn't give me the dinner menu, so ended up down by the lake and had an awesome waiter - Daoud - who spoke perfect English and Italian and was Egyptian. Awesome meal of tomato and buffalo cheese salad and a mozzarella, salami and chilli oil (which I added) pizza. Daoud offered to take me on a bicycle ride around the lake, but I had to decline as by then I had had at least 7 glasses of wine; tipsy, but not drunk. Ended back up at the hotel, where I spent the rest of the evening talking to people, updating my photos and also updating. Y blog.

Paris 30 April - 5 May

I know that I haven't blogged for quite a fair while and need to catch up. Just haven't had the time to sit down and put thoughts down as have been trying to cram as much in as possible. Had an awesome time in Paris after the disaster of a day that was Euro Disney. Spent a lot of time getting up late (about 9:30am) and walking around Montparnasse and getting to know the area. Started to become friendly with some of the local shop owners - particularly Le Petite Sommelier - which was a restaurant and the end of the street where I stayed. The first evening I went there, which was before the western front tour, I asked them to speak to me in French only so I had to speak to them in French. When I came back from Belgium and the Somme, one of the waiters remembered me and we got along quite well and he knows to speak to me in French only. By the end of the week, I was able to ordered my food quite well in French! Also went to another local brassiere, went there on my first day (straight off the plane!) in Paris, and he looked after me when I returned to Paris - always giving me a few extra items from the menu that I could try. Went to a variety of different places - tried to spend at my day at least visiting two places of interest. I went to Pigalle, where it was recommended to me that I visit the Museum of Erotica - wasn't smutty at all and they had some very good art exhibitions in the top levels of the Museum. Also went to Moulin Rouge! Not too sure as to how to describe it. I likened it to something that crossed Circ d'solei and also the Ballet. Had a great night - the food and wine was good. The performances were outstanding and very well presented. What amazed me were the colours and the vibrancy of the performance - all the performers, including the acrobats and jugglers, seemed to enjoy what they were doing and hot the crowd really involved. I didn't get the storyline so much, but the general gist was that it was based around a circus theme. There were ponies and, of course, the can-can routine. Went to the louvre museum. Love museums and art galleries, but hate crowds and people that push and shove. The Louvre was just that. Even though I got there close to closing time, I had enough time to quickly walk around the Egyptian artefacts (didn't take any photos though!). Appreciated how big the artefacts were and how insignificant I felt in the scheme of history. Had a quick look at the Mona Lisa and the Venus De Milo, but the crowds were really shocking and couldn't see much. Got about 20 metres away and the photos I have posted on my Facebook actually show that I was closer than I actually was. Got really not and bothered, and annoyed with the while experience. Had a Citroen 2CV tour around Paris with my own local guide on Thursday. He was a biology student studying at the Sorbonne and was very knowledgeable about the history of Paris. Took me to quite a few places that I hadn't been to and pointed out historical markers of interest and even apologised that he didn't point out a particular church. Wasn't really too fazed by it that, was more interested in chatting with him about French revolutionary history, Napoleon and also the upcoming elections on Sunday. He had hoped that Sarkozy didn't win! Went to the the Musse d'orlangerie which is located in the Jardin de Tuileries. It used to be the hothouse for the King's gardens and now houses works by Rodin, Cezanne and Picasso. The most amazing things on display were Monet's way lilies that were in a panaroma in two rooms. Just amazing and could have sat there for hours! Wasn't too crowded, compared with the other places I visited, but there were quite a few school groups there. Took a bicycle ride / rickshaw ride from the Louvre to Rue Cambon on Friday afternoon and visited the Chanel flagship store. Had always wanted to visit there a draw, briefly, the mirrored staircase Coco Chanel used. Went into the store and blew €1150 on a handbag (about $1450 AU) - over a week's worth of wages on something I would normally not buy in Australia. Good thing is that I can claim some tax back once I leave the EU. Also got some other goodies for people back home and posted them off as soon as possible. On the Saturday, moved hotels and took myself off to Versailles for the day. Wasn't too bad on the train, but once I got there, it was a different story. The massive queues and crowds really got to me! Had to rush through the Palace; it was one of the places I really did want to see, but everyone was everywhere. As a Napoleon painting exhibition (I intend on going to the NGV one when I return to Melbourne) and saw some familiar pictures - his Egyptian campaign, in particular. I suppose the one of him on the horse has already been shipped to Australia in preparation for the exhibition. After a train delay, got back to my new hotel and went out for an ordinary dinner with the. Em tour group down along the Seine. Wasn't great food, so took myself back to Pigalle and had some better food. By Sunday was a little tied, but had to go on an orientation tour around Paris, which took me to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Had left this until last as I knew that this would be the case. Ended up having some lunch with some of the people from the tour and left them and went to a Boulengerie to have a crossaint and an eclair. Ended up going and meeting people in the evening at Gare Du Nord and having a good time, when I left, I passed through Place De Concorde and saw people riding on motorbikes waving placards and blaring their horns as Francois Hollande had just been elected President about half an hour before. Loved Paris, didn't want to leave!