Breakfast in our apartment as usual and then downstairs for an espresso from the cafe on the corner.
We then made our way across Roma, through Piazza Navona and then over past the Pantheon finally making our way to the Roman Forum and Coliseum.
We used our tickets from yesterday and were able to get straight in bypassing the lineup for ticket purchase. The Coliseum is a hugely impressive example of what the Roman Empire was capable of building. Many parts are crumbling and in a state of semi ruin, but much of it is still in great shape for building that is almost two thousand years old. The history made within the walls of this building is varied, exciting and at times horrific. The structure itself is impressive and was massively advanced by exploiting all sorts of engineering principles.
I can only imaging what it must have looked like at its peak, all lined with marble and packed with Romans. It would likely have been frightening and wild place.
After a few hours inside we made our way back over to explore more of the amazing Roman Forum. This is a huge area where the Roman Rupublic, later to become the Roman Empire built their city. The buildings are now mostly ruin though there are still some standing, impressively decorated, and many are connected by amazing underground tunnels, some of which are accessible to visitors and many others are still being discovered. I'm not sure they really have an idea of the full extent of what still lays hidden underground.
The history that Roma holds is impressive, staggering and the lineage of where I come from originally. This ancient society shaped much of the life that is currently led in the western world.
After spending most of the rest of the day exploring this vast array of ruins and buildings we made our way back into the back streets of Roma, winding our way through lane after lane, one eye on the lookout for some stone sculptures we thought may be in this area. Not finding what we were looking for we made our way back towards the Pantheon and the restaurants and cafes that are all around that area of Roma. We settled on a restaurant, sat inside and ordered some food and drinks.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Day 42 - Roma, Italy
Breakfast in our apartment and then downstairs for espresso at the cafe on corner.
Ww then walked across to look around Piazza Navona during the day time. It's a large long elongated piazza rather than a square or circle like most. It is mostly full of tourists and hawkers selling artwork. The main fountain in the middle is quite impressive and has a large obilisk attached to the top of the statues.
We then headed further across the old town area of Roma to see the Pantheon. This is a stunning round old Roman temple. This building has been in continuous use since it was built and since the 7th century it has been used as a Catholic church/basilica. The marble marble interior is stunning, and the concrete dome is also impressive and almost two thousand years after it was built is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Even though there were plenty or visitors inside there was still a feeling of tranquility. This building is at the edge of yet another Piazza, Piazza della Rotonda which has the Fontana del Pantheon fountain in the middle. This Piazza has a really welcoming feel to it and seems to draw many people just relaxing or enjoying the many restaurants around it's perimeter up one of the many adjoining lane ways.
After some time in the Pantheon we made our way over to the Old Roman city area of the Roman Forum and Coliseum. There is some stunning archaeological buildings in this massive area of Roma. The Roman empire was certainly an impressive civilisation. These buildings when all erected and at the height of their dominance of over the city must have been stunningly impressive. We spent a few hours wandering around the old forum area exploring the ruins that have so far been excavated. We then made our way over to the Coliseum. This is yet another amazingly impressive building. It is now in a severe state of ruin compared to what it would have been at the height of it's use in Ancient Roman times, yet it is still amazing to stand in front of. Unfortunately, and unbeknown to us, we missed the entry cut off by 3 minutes so we couldn't venture inside to explore. Not a problem as our entry ticket to the old roman forum areas is valid for two days so we can return tomorrow.
We then made our way to Trevi fountain which is yet again stunningly impressive. This is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world, which is certainly confirmed by the hordes of people gathered in front of it. Still well worth the look, yet I am very happy we are not here in Roma during peak summer tourist season.
We continued our walk north and found yet another Italian restaurant for some very late lunch. Great pasta and bruschetta and a huge bottle of Italian mineral water to wash it down.
After the break and some food for sustenance we made our way to the famous Spanish steps. There were plenty of people relaxing on the steps and around the Piazza in front of the steps. Heading further north we made our way up to the Piazza del Popolo which is an enormous Piazza with a large obelisk and fountains in the middle, an arc on the north side and two almost identical churches on the Southern edge. This is another impressive place in Roma and seemed to be full of many locals, especially younger ones meeting up for the night.
We then ventured down Via del Corso which is one of three main roads that stretch out from the Piazza del Popolo. The road was blocked off to traffic and absolutely teeming with people. This seems to the one of the main shopping areas of central Roma as the road was lined with all sorts of brand name clothing stores. It was quite an unexpected vibe though. We're not sure if this is a regular Sunday evening in this part of Roma, after everyone has spent the day at church and with family or whether we stumbled on a once a year or once a month event. It was really a happening place and great to be a part of. Intermingled with the shops every so often was a door into a church. We stuck our heads into many of them as they seemed to have an area in the entry section at the front with a viewing window/chamber. All were amazingly stunning. Amazing roof murals and intricately decorated interiors that leave any church in Australia, even our biggest ones, for dead. We ventured into one just before 6:30pm and were treated to the 6:30 mass commencing. A bell was rung and then a procession of nuns/choir singers emerged from a doorway followed be senior clergy carrying candle sticks with lit candles, and finally the Priest. It was quite an experience. Peaceful, eerie and engaging all at once. I can see how people can get caught up in the Catholic religion. This was more like a performance than any church service I have seen. It made you feel happy and peaceful. Two things that are hard to come by in everyday life.
We then continued our walk down Via del Corso stopping into a few shops for a quick look, before making our way back across towards our apartment. We wound our way through some of the amazing Roma lane ways and after we found a great Gelato store with a massise range of flavours, including about 15 soya ice cream options we found another restaurant for our dinner and some well deserved red wine after a massive day of walking. Again the food was great and cheap.
We made our way back past the Pantheon and hung around in the Piazza enjoying the atmosphere for a while before heading back towards Piazza Navona and back to our apartment around 9pm.
Another fantastic day in Roma.
We then headed further across the old town area of Roma to see the Pantheon. This is a stunning round old Roman temple. This building has been in continuous use since it was built and since the 7th century it has been used as a Catholic church/basilica. The marble marble interior is stunning, and the concrete dome is also impressive and almost two thousand years after it was built is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Even though there were plenty or visitors inside there was still a feeling of tranquility. This building is at the edge of yet another Piazza, Piazza della Rotonda which has the Fontana del Pantheon fountain in the middle. This Piazza has a really welcoming feel to it and seems to draw many people just relaxing or enjoying the many restaurants around it's perimeter up one of the many adjoining lane ways.
After some time in the Pantheon we made our way over to the Old Roman city area of the Roman Forum and Coliseum. There is some stunning archaeological buildings in this massive area of Roma. The Roman empire was certainly an impressive civilisation. These buildings when all erected and at the height of their dominance of over the city must have been stunningly impressive. We spent a few hours wandering around the old forum area exploring the ruins that have so far been excavated. We then made our way over to the Coliseum. This is yet another amazingly impressive building. It is now in a severe state of ruin compared to what it would have been at the height of it's use in Ancient Roman times, yet it is still amazing to stand in front of. Unfortunately, and unbeknown to us, we missed the entry cut off by 3 minutes so we couldn't venture inside to explore. Not a problem as our entry ticket to the old roman forum areas is valid for two days so we can return tomorrow.
We then made our way to Trevi fountain which is yet again stunningly impressive. This is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world, which is certainly confirmed by the hordes of people gathered in front of it. Still well worth the look, yet I am very happy we are not here in Roma during peak summer tourist season.
We continued our walk north and found yet another Italian restaurant for some very late lunch. Great pasta and bruschetta and a huge bottle of Italian mineral water to wash it down.
After the break and some food for sustenance we made our way to the famous Spanish steps. There were plenty of people relaxing on the steps and around the Piazza in front of the steps. Heading further north we made our way up to the Piazza del Popolo which is an enormous Piazza with a large obelisk and fountains in the middle, an arc on the north side and two almost identical churches on the Southern edge. This is another impressive place in Roma and seemed to be full of many locals, especially younger ones meeting up for the night.
We then ventured down Via del Corso which is one of three main roads that stretch out from the Piazza del Popolo. The road was blocked off to traffic and absolutely teeming with people. This seems to the one of the main shopping areas of central Roma as the road was lined with all sorts of brand name clothing stores. It was quite an unexpected vibe though. We're not sure if this is a regular Sunday evening in this part of Roma, after everyone has spent the day at church and with family or whether we stumbled on a once a year or once a month event. It was really a happening place and great to be a part of. Intermingled with the shops every so often was a door into a church. We stuck our heads into many of them as they seemed to have an area in the entry section at the front with a viewing window/chamber. All were amazingly stunning. Amazing roof murals and intricately decorated interiors that leave any church in Australia, even our biggest ones, for dead. We ventured into one just before 6:30pm and were treated to the 6:30 mass commencing. A bell was rung and then a procession of nuns/choir singers emerged from a doorway followed be senior clergy carrying candle sticks with lit candles, and finally the Priest. It was quite an experience. Peaceful, eerie and engaging all at once. I can see how people can get caught up in the Catholic religion. This was more like a performance than any church service I have seen. It made you feel happy and peaceful. Two things that are hard to come by in everyday life.
We then continued our walk down Via del Corso stopping into a few shops for a quick look, before making our way back across towards our apartment. We wound our way through some of the amazing Roma lane ways and after we found a great Gelato store with a massise range of flavours, including about 15 soya ice cream options we found another restaurant for our dinner and some well deserved red wine after a massive day of walking. Again the food was great and cheap.
We made our way back past the Pantheon and hung around in the Piazza enjoying the atmosphere for a while before heading back towards Piazza Navona and back to our apartment around 9pm.
Another fantastic day in Roma.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Day 41 - Roma, Italy
Our first full day in Roma. As usual it began with breakfast in our apartment.
We then headed out for Vatican City stopping by the cafe on the corner of our street for an espresso. We wandered the lane ways and streets of the old Roma area, where we're staying, making our way across the river to the Vatican.
Our luck was in today. There was no line up at all. We were prepared for a line up of anything up to 3 hours long. We were straight in after a simple security check. We explored the Musei Vaticani which has some amazing art in it's collection. Ancient Roman and ancient Egyptian antiquities, amazing artwork pieces and sculptures and even some Dali and Van Gogh paintings.
We also got to visit the Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel) which was smaller than I expected but stunningly decorated with Michelangelo paintings.
Once we had seen most of the Vatican museum, we headed out and back around to Piazza San Pietro (St Peters Square) to see this famous gathering place for Catholics all over the world. It is a very large piazza and must look amazing when it is packed with people. The Basilica Sancti Petri, officially known in Italian as Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica looms over the square and we'll be heading back over here to see inside it on another day.
We then walked back across the river to the area of our apartment, stopping to take a few photos over the river.
We were winding our way through the old cobble stoned lane ways and streets and found a restaurant for some dinner and wine. After dinner we made our way across to Piazza Navona and around some of the streets in this area where we are staying.
Roma is certainly a beautiful and old city. Amazing buildings, fantastic little cobble stoned streets, and more restaurants than you could probably visit in a lifetime of eating out every night.
We then headed out for Vatican City stopping by the cafe on the corner of our street for an espresso. We wandered the lane ways and streets of the old Roma area, where we're staying, making our way across the river to the Vatican.
Our luck was in today. There was no line up at all. We were prepared for a line up of anything up to 3 hours long. We were straight in after a simple security check. We explored the Musei Vaticani which has some amazing art in it's collection. Ancient Roman and ancient Egyptian antiquities, amazing artwork pieces and sculptures and even some Dali and Van Gogh paintings.
We also got to visit the Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel) which was smaller than I expected but stunningly decorated with Michelangelo paintings.
Once we had seen most of the Vatican museum, we headed out and back around to Piazza San Pietro (St Peters Square) to see this famous gathering place for Catholics all over the world. It is a very large piazza and must look amazing when it is packed with people. The Basilica Sancti Petri, officially known in Italian as Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica looms over the square and we'll be heading back over here to see inside it on another day.
We then walked back across the river to the area of our apartment, stopping to take a few photos over the river.
We were winding our way through the old cobble stoned lane ways and streets and found a restaurant for some dinner and wine. After dinner we made our way across to Piazza Navona and around some of the streets in this area where we are staying.
Roma is certainly a beautiful and old city. Amazing buildings, fantastic little cobble stoned streets, and more restaurants than you could probably visit in a lifetime of eating out every night.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Day 40 - Venice, Italy to Roma, Italy
Awoke and had breakfast, showered and then headed down to our local cafe for one last Venetian espresso. Still really cold out today (-3 to 0 C). Gloves, hats, thermal wear and jackets required.
Dropped by a shop to buy a couple of gifts and then back to the apartment to get our bags and head over to the train station.
Not the easiest of walks in Venice to get anywhere with loaded bags. Luckily we only had to negotiate our way back over the same three bridges we used to get to the apartment a few days ago. One small one near our apartment, then two bigger ones closer to the station. Bridges with steps just cannot be avoided in Venice. They are everywhere and we have certainly had our fair share of them during our short three day stay here.
Found our platform and loaded our bags up onto the train, found storage for them and sat down in our designated seats. We seemed to be surrounded by Australian families. Seems the company we booked with books everyone onto the same train.
The train was great with some very interesting sights. Plenty of snow, frost and fog for the first hour as we made our way across Italy to the opposite coast. We seemed to also spend quite a bit of time in long tunnels under some mountainous areas.
We arrived in Roma without any issues this time and were greeted at the head of the train by our car service driver which we had booked prior to leaving Sydney. This was a nice change from trying to find a cab or making our own way to our accommodation. The drivers in Roma are pretty insane so I was certainly happy I was not having to drive around the winding streets. It also gave us a chance to take in the views, the ancient buildings, everyday buildings, people and the great little cobble stones streets.
We were greeted at our apartment by the owner and shown around. We settled in briefly and then headed out to a nearby supermarket to grab some supplies for our 5 days here in Roma. It's always a great experience to go to a supermarket in a new city, especially when you don't speak the language. We managed to get most of what we wanted and took it back to our apartment with a quick wander down to Piazza Navonna on the way back. We unpacked the groceries and had a small snack seeing as we hadn't really eaten since breakfast; just a small snack on the train.
Around 6pm we headed back out to find a restaurant for dinner. No issues there as we have about 50 of them within a 5 minute walk of our apartment, including one right outside the front door to our apartment block. We settles on one just down the raod and enjoyed yet again some great Italian food and red wine and even a complimentary glass of Champagne.
We had a walk around after dinner and then headed back to our apartment for showers and bed.
Dropped by a shop to buy a couple of gifts and then back to the apartment to get our bags and head over to the train station.
Not the easiest of walks in Venice to get anywhere with loaded bags. Luckily we only had to negotiate our way back over the same three bridges we used to get to the apartment a few days ago. One small one near our apartment, then two bigger ones closer to the station. Bridges with steps just cannot be avoided in Venice. They are everywhere and we have certainly had our fair share of them during our short three day stay here.
Found our platform and loaded our bags up onto the train, found storage for them and sat down in our designated seats. We seemed to be surrounded by Australian families. Seems the company we booked with books everyone onto the same train.
The train was great with some very interesting sights. Plenty of snow, frost and fog for the first hour as we made our way across Italy to the opposite coast. We seemed to also spend quite a bit of time in long tunnels under some mountainous areas.
We arrived in Roma without any issues this time and were greeted at the head of the train by our car service driver which we had booked prior to leaving Sydney. This was a nice change from trying to find a cab or making our own way to our accommodation. The drivers in Roma are pretty insane so I was certainly happy I was not having to drive around the winding streets. It also gave us a chance to take in the views, the ancient buildings, everyday buildings, people and the great little cobble stones streets.
We were greeted at our apartment by the owner and shown around. We settled in briefly and then headed out to a nearby supermarket to grab some supplies for our 5 days here in Roma. It's always a great experience to go to a supermarket in a new city, especially when you don't speak the language. We managed to get most of what we wanted and took it back to our apartment with a quick wander down to Piazza Navonna on the way back. We unpacked the groceries and had a small snack seeing as we hadn't really eaten since breakfast; just a small snack on the train.
Around 6pm we headed back out to find a restaurant for dinner. No issues there as we have about 50 of them within a 5 minute walk of our apartment, including one right outside the front door to our apartment block. We settles on one just down the raod and enjoyed yet again some great Italian food and red wine and even a complimentary glass of Champagne.
We had a walk around after dinner and then headed back to our apartment for showers and bed.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Day 39 - Venice, Italy
Awoke, showered and then Sharon cooked some breakfast in our apartment. We headed out for espresso at our nearby cafe on the canal and then again walked over towards the Rialto bridge. We stopped into an amazing church (name to to posted later). This is one of the most amazing churches I have ever been in. Stunning detail, stunning marble and amazing artwork. We then headed off again across the Rialto bridge towards San Marco square to explore some more of Venice.
We admired some of the local artisan products, especially the Murano glass. We went to an Italian restaurant we'd found yesterday and settled in for some lunch. Arrabiata, salad, and bruschetta. The food has been great so far.
After lunch we headed over to the Jewish 'Ghetto' island. This is a small island with a square in it, one or two shops and mostly residential apartments. The term ghetto originates from this particular island in Venice.
We then made our way back across Venice to our apartment for a quick stop off and wash, then headed off to buy tickets to a performance by a classical string group (with Harpsichord player) performing in a church. We purchased tickets and had an hour to get some dinner before the performance started.
We found a nearby Italian restaurant for dinner. Great food again. Spaghetti pomodoro with a salad and small half sized bottle of Chianti. Italian is a great option for vegetarians as there is always several options for us to choose from. We finished dinner and made our way back across to the church for the classical musical performance. Fantastic musicians performing Vavaldi and Mozart pieces and it was great to see and hear the performance in a church. A very different atmosphere.
We then made our way back to our apartment to pack ready to leave tomorrow morning for Roma. Venice has been a great city to visit and it's a shame we didn't have longer. A city I will be returning to soon enough.
We admired some of the local artisan products, especially the Murano glass. We went to an Italian restaurant we'd found yesterday and settled in for some lunch. Arrabiata, salad, and bruschetta. The food has been great so far.
After lunch we headed over to the Jewish 'Ghetto' island. This is a small island with a square in it, one or two shops and mostly residential apartments. The term ghetto originates from this particular island in Venice.
We then made our way back across Venice to our apartment for a quick stop off and wash, then headed off to buy tickets to a performance by a classical string group (with Harpsichord player) performing in a church. We purchased tickets and had an hour to get some dinner before the performance started.
We found a nearby Italian restaurant for dinner. Great food again. Spaghetti pomodoro with a salad and small half sized bottle of Chianti. Italian is a great option for vegetarians as there is always several options for us to choose from. We finished dinner and made our way back across to the church for the classical musical performance. Fantastic musicians performing Vavaldi and Mozart pieces and it was great to see and hear the performance in a church. A very different atmosphere.
We then made our way back to our apartment to pack ready to leave tomorrow morning for Roma. Venice has been a great city to visit and it's a shame we didn't have longer. A city I will be returning to soon enough.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Day 38 - Venice, Italy
Awoke around 8:30am, up for breakfast and showers and then headed out for breakfast and coffee at a cafe nearby.
We spent the day wandering around the amazing lane ways and canals that make up Venice. This is such a peaceful, stunning and inspiring city to be in. It is so different to the reality of my everyday life. I loved it.
We bought some fresh vegetables in the food markets near the Rialto bridge then stopped in a nearby restaurant for some Italian pasta for lunch. We then made our way slowly over to San Marco square, stopping in many of the local stores, mostly the ones with local artisan products; amazing glass, pens, paper. It was my first time back in Venice since 1985 and I had some memories of places like San Marco Square and the canals.
We went inside and explored the Basilica di San Marco on the edge of the square and then headed out to the edge of the island where it was now very foggy and freezing cold. You could only just make out the vague shapes of the buildings across the water which are not that far away.
We wandered around the little lanes some more making our way back towards the area of our apartment. We realised we were lost when we passed the same little square with a well in it the second time. Time to consult the map. It is certainly easy to get lost. SOmetimes the signs take you down an alley that is barely wide enough for a person, yet it's the way to some main sight on the island. Getting lost in these lane ways is one of the best parts of being in Venice. An amazing experience for anyone who lives in a normal run of the mill, predictable and monotonous city like I do.
We eventually found our way back to the Rialto bridge and continued winding our way semi lost down lane way after lane way. We stumbled on an Italian restaurant that looked great so we stopped in for dinner and drinks.
Once we had finished dinner we headed back to our apartment which turned out was not far away at all, so we had managed to stumble our way along the lane ways generally in direction we were aiming for.
We spent the day wandering around the amazing lane ways and canals that make up Venice. This is such a peaceful, stunning and inspiring city to be in. It is so different to the reality of my everyday life. I loved it.
We bought some fresh vegetables in the food markets near the Rialto bridge then stopped in a nearby restaurant for some Italian pasta for lunch. We then made our way slowly over to San Marco square, stopping in many of the local stores, mostly the ones with local artisan products; amazing glass, pens, paper. It was my first time back in Venice since 1985 and I had some memories of places like San Marco Square and the canals.
We went inside and explored the Basilica di San Marco on the edge of the square and then headed out to the edge of the island where it was now very foggy and freezing cold. You could only just make out the vague shapes of the buildings across the water which are not that far away.
We wandered around the little lanes some more making our way back towards the area of our apartment. We realised we were lost when we passed the same little square with a well in it the second time. Time to consult the map. It is certainly easy to get lost. SOmetimes the signs take you down an alley that is barely wide enough for a person, yet it's the way to some main sight on the island. Getting lost in these lane ways is one of the best parts of being in Venice. An amazing experience for anyone who lives in a normal run of the mill, predictable and monotonous city like I do.
We eventually found our way back to the Rialto bridge and continued winding our way semi lost down lane way after lane way. We stumbled on an Italian restaurant that looked great so we stopped in for dinner and drinks.
Once we had finished dinner we headed back to our apartment which turned out was not far away at all, so we had managed to stumble our way along the lane ways generally in direction we were aiming for.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Day 37 - Zurich, Switzerland to Venice, Italy
Awoke, showered, dressed and checked out of our hotel and made our way down to the train station for the next leg of our journey. It was not the easiest walk even though only about 15 minutes long, it was around -5 C so our hands, even in gloves, were being exposed to the cold whilst we where wheeling our bags.
We made it the station without incident and were happy to be able to warm our hands up in our pockets.
Checked tickets at the ticket window and then found a small kiosk to buy some pastries for breakfast. For some reason they wouldn't let Sharon buy what we wanted with the coins we had even though we had more than we had calculated the total should be. They turned her away with the change minus the two extra croissants we wanted for the train journey. Oddly the change was over €3.00 and the cost of one croissant was only €1.30. So I went back to the counter with the same coins they had handed back to Sharon stating that it wasn't enough to buy the croissants and yet I was able to purchase the two croissants and even be given change. The interesting experiences that can occur when there are language barriers.
We waited for our trains platform to be posted on the board and when it was we made our way to the platform and boarded the train, found seats and were moving away soon after. There was some great scenery, including quite a lot of snow. The journey was about 4.5 hours to Milan where we had to change trains to go on to Venice.
Our first train was 15 minutes late arriving into Milan which meant our connecting train was about to leave as our agency had booked trains only 15 minutes apart. We dashed from train one with our bags and checked the board for the platform of our next train. Luckily it was only 3 platforms away. We raced over to the next train and just as we started down the platform it started pulling away. There were several other people who had the same problem.
We made our way to the customer service information office and received an authorisation stamp that allowed us to get on the next train to Venice. We just had to wait for another hour. When it arrived we had to see the customer service attendants 'colleague' and they would sort out seats for us. This was all quite vague. We saw another little booth at the end where all platforms join the station so went up to ask who one of the colleagues may be and where we would find them. To my surprise the guy that served me at this little booth was the same guy who had given us the authorisation stamp in the main customer service office on the other side of the station. After another 2 or 3 minute conversation I was finally able to work out where this 'colleague' would be once our train arrived.
We waited in the main station area for the next 45 minutes until our new train arrived. We found the platform, spoke to the 'colleague' and were told to get on and find any empty seats and that the conductor would sort it out for us once he came around. As we didn't actually have booked seats for this train we had to move when someone got on who had the seat booked that we had been sitting in. We found two more empty seats and luckily they were not taken and the train headed off from the platform.
The conductor eventually came around and after checking advised we could stay in the seats we were in. Finally we were on our way to Venice, an hour later than planned.
After around 3 hours we arrived into Venice into the dark with a serious fog hanging over the city. It was quite eerie and really suited the vibe of a city that is made up of small lane ways and canals and has no cars on it. The walk to the apartment was a little gruelling lugging our bags up and down three different bridges all with plenty of steps both up and down. Not fun, and I suggest packing light if you come to Venice.
Still it was beautiful to hear the canals and the footsteps around and no traffic noise, just a few little boats and canal taxis passing from time to time.
We finally got to our apartment and were let in by the owner Sebastiano who was extremely helpful in explaining the apartment and more so how to get the most out of our time in Venice. He had little tips on good areas for restaurants, other insights into some interesting parts of the island and even had guide books and maps all there for us to use. The apartment was fantastic, the best one we have had on this trip. Amazing views right over the canals and a very modern and well equipped apartment inside, with great classic Venice character from the outside. We could not have picked a better apartment or person to deal with.
As it was now after 8pm settled in briefly and then headed out for a walk and to find a restaurant for dinner. It was freezing cold outside around -2 and the fog making feel much colder. Even with gloves, hats, jackets and thermals the cold was biting through to our skin. FIngers and feet were numb within 5 minutes outside. We found a little Italian restaurant not far away and quickly headed inside, where it was actually only slightly warmer. It seems Venice restaurants and shops don't overheat like they do elsewhere. THis could be due to the fact that households and businesses have limits on how much power they can draw at any one time. The owner of apartment had warned us of this and that you can only run one appliance at a time or the power regulator switches cuts in and shuts power off.
We enjoyed our pasta dinner with some great Italian red wine and then made our way back to our apartment around 10:30 for showers, some unpacking and then off to bed.
We made it the station without incident and were happy to be able to warm our hands up in our pockets.
Checked tickets at the ticket window and then found a small kiosk to buy some pastries for breakfast. For some reason they wouldn't let Sharon buy what we wanted with the coins we had even though we had more than we had calculated the total should be. They turned her away with the change minus the two extra croissants we wanted for the train journey. Oddly the change was over €3.00 and the cost of one croissant was only €1.30. So I went back to the counter with the same coins they had handed back to Sharon stating that it wasn't enough to buy the croissants and yet I was able to purchase the two croissants and even be given change. The interesting experiences that can occur when there are language barriers.
We waited for our trains platform to be posted on the board and when it was we made our way to the platform and boarded the train, found seats and were moving away soon after. There was some great scenery, including quite a lot of snow. The journey was about 4.5 hours to Milan where we had to change trains to go on to Venice.
Our first train was 15 minutes late arriving into Milan which meant our connecting train was about to leave as our agency had booked trains only 15 minutes apart. We dashed from train one with our bags and checked the board for the platform of our next train. Luckily it was only 3 platforms away. We raced over to the next train and just as we started down the platform it started pulling away. There were several other people who had the same problem.
We made our way to the customer service information office and received an authorisation stamp that allowed us to get on the next train to Venice. We just had to wait for another hour. When it arrived we had to see the customer service attendants 'colleague' and they would sort out seats for us. This was all quite vague. We saw another little booth at the end where all platforms join the station so went up to ask who one of the colleagues may be and where we would find them. To my surprise the guy that served me at this little booth was the same guy who had given us the authorisation stamp in the main customer service office on the other side of the station. After another 2 or 3 minute conversation I was finally able to work out where this 'colleague' would be once our train arrived.
We waited in the main station area for the next 45 minutes until our new train arrived. We found the platform, spoke to the 'colleague' and were told to get on and find any empty seats and that the conductor would sort it out for us once he came around. As we didn't actually have booked seats for this train we had to move when someone got on who had the seat booked that we had been sitting in. We found two more empty seats and luckily they were not taken and the train headed off from the platform.
The conductor eventually came around and after checking advised we could stay in the seats we were in. Finally we were on our way to Venice, an hour later than planned.
After around 3 hours we arrived into Venice into the dark with a serious fog hanging over the city. It was quite eerie and really suited the vibe of a city that is made up of small lane ways and canals and has no cars on it. The walk to the apartment was a little gruelling lugging our bags up and down three different bridges all with plenty of steps both up and down. Not fun, and I suggest packing light if you come to Venice.
Still it was beautiful to hear the canals and the footsteps around and no traffic noise, just a few little boats and canal taxis passing from time to time.
We finally got to our apartment and were let in by the owner Sebastiano who was extremely helpful in explaining the apartment and more so how to get the most out of our time in Venice. He had little tips on good areas for restaurants, other insights into some interesting parts of the island and even had guide books and maps all there for us to use. The apartment was fantastic, the best one we have had on this trip. Amazing views right over the canals and a very modern and well equipped apartment inside, with great classic Venice character from the outside. We could not have picked a better apartment or person to deal with.
As it was now after 8pm settled in briefly and then headed out for a walk and to find a restaurant for dinner. It was freezing cold outside around -2 and the fog making feel much colder. Even with gloves, hats, jackets and thermals the cold was biting through to our skin. FIngers and feet were numb within 5 minutes outside. We found a little Italian restaurant not far away and quickly headed inside, where it was actually only slightly warmer. It seems Venice restaurants and shops don't overheat like they do elsewhere. THis could be due to the fact that households and businesses have limits on how much power they can draw at any one time. The owner of apartment had warned us of this and that you can only run one appliance at a time or the power regulator switches cuts in and shuts power off.
We enjoyed our pasta dinner with some great Italian red wine and then made our way back to our apartment around 10:30 for showers, some unpacking and then off to bed.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Jour 36 - Paris, France to Zurich, Switzerland
Awoke early this morning around 6:30am. It was still dark outside. We showered and and got our things together and after one more check of the apartment we headed out the door with our bags. Into the elevator in two shifts as this building has the smallest elevator I've ever been in. It can just fit two people into it, and you certainly wouldn't want to be fat.
I handed the keys back in to the owner and we were now officially homeless in Paris. We wandered around the corner and down the street and were lucky to flag down the first taxi that passed us. Bags loaded we were off to Gare de Lyon train station for our journey to Zurich in Switzerland.
We were a few hours early so had plenty of time to find a cafe and get some breakfast. There is a famous restaurant/cafe in the station called Le Train Bleu that is absolutely stunning. Ornate, decadent in the style of a palace. Unfortunately it was up a flight of stairs so we could only wander up one at a time to have a look inside, but it is well worth the look and even eating in if you are in Paris. It is very pricey, but this is probably one of the most amazingly decorated restaurants you would find anywhere in the world. We'll definately have to head there on our next visit to Paris.
The time for our train departure approached so we headed down and made our way to the platform, found our carriage on the TGV high speed train and climbed aboard. We located our seats and settled in. We were traveling first class and the seats were large and comfortable with plenty of room to stretch out. About ten minutes later the train departed and we were treated to some amazing French and Swiss countryside scenery during the journey, with snow starting to appear as we got closer to Zurich. The trip took around four and half hours so we arrived in Zurich early afternoon. Made our way from the train station to our hotel which was about a 15 minute walk away, although up a few steep hills. We were happy to have luggage on wheels.
We checked into our hotel and made our way up to the room. Nothing fancy, but certainly comfortable and fit for our night stopover here in Zurich. After a brief rest we headed back down the hill to explore Zurich. We walked around the great old town area that is a collection of great cobble stoned lanes of bars, restaurants, shops, strip clubs and some very old churches. It has a great feel to it and a very relaxed vibe. It was very cold outside though, around -5 C so even with gloves, hats, jackets, and scarves it was still very cold. After walking around for almost two hours Sharon was starting to feel very cold and numb so a stop in a Tea Cafe was in order to warm ourselves back up.
We managed to find a great little tea cafe that had a huge selection of different teas, coffees, hot chocolates and a few pastries. We ordered some warm drinks and settled in for the next 45 minutes.
We then headed back out into the now dark and very cold early evening and started to wander back along the lanes we had come down. We found soon found a bar/restaurant that looked great and some some good vegetarian food options so we decided this was a good stop for dinner and some drinks. We ordered a vege burger with salad and fries and some vegetarian spring rolls. I had a local weiss beer and Sharon ordered some red wine. We stayed for almost two hours enjoying the atmosphere. This particular bar seemed to be a local place for the younger people to hang in and was playing some great music and just had a really cool vibe about it so it seems it was a good find.
Around 9:30pm we headed back up to our hotel, showered and got our bags mostly packed up ready for the next part of our train journey tomorrow. Photos to follow later.
I handed the keys back in to the owner and we were now officially homeless in Paris. We wandered around the corner and down the street and were lucky to flag down the first taxi that passed us. Bags loaded we were off to Gare de Lyon train station for our journey to Zurich in Switzerland.
We were a few hours early so had plenty of time to find a cafe and get some breakfast. There is a famous restaurant/cafe in the station called Le Train Bleu that is absolutely stunning. Ornate, decadent in the style of a palace. Unfortunately it was up a flight of stairs so we could only wander up one at a time to have a look inside, but it is well worth the look and even eating in if you are in Paris. It is very pricey, but this is probably one of the most amazingly decorated restaurants you would find anywhere in the world. We'll definately have to head there on our next visit to Paris.
The time for our train departure approached so we headed down and made our way to the platform, found our carriage on the TGV high speed train and climbed aboard. We located our seats and settled in. We were traveling first class and the seats were large and comfortable with plenty of room to stretch out. About ten minutes later the train departed and we were treated to some amazing French and Swiss countryside scenery during the journey, with snow starting to appear as we got closer to Zurich. The trip took around four and half hours so we arrived in Zurich early afternoon. Made our way from the train station to our hotel which was about a 15 minute walk away, although up a few steep hills. We were happy to have luggage on wheels.
We checked into our hotel and made our way up to the room. Nothing fancy, but certainly comfortable and fit for our night stopover here in Zurich. After a brief rest we headed back down the hill to explore Zurich. We walked around the great old town area that is a collection of great cobble stoned lanes of bars, restaurants, shops, strip clubs and some very old churches. It has a great feel to it and a very relaxed vibe. It was very cold outside though, around -5 C so even with gloves, hats, jackets, and scarves it was still very cold. After walking around for almost two hours Sharon was starting to feel very cold and numb so a stop in a Tea Cafe was in order to warm ourselves back up.
We managed to find a great little tea cafe that had a huge selection of different teas, coffees, hot chocolates and a few pastries. We ordered some warm drinks and settled in for the next 45 minutes.
We then headed back out into the now dark and very cold early evening and started to wander back along the lanes we had come down. We found soon found a bar/restaurant that looked great and some some good vegetarian food options so we decided this was a good stop for dinner and some drinks. We ordered a vege burger with salad and fries and some vegetarian spring rolls. I had a local weiss beer and Sharon ordered some red wine. We stayed for almost two hours enjoying the atmosphere. This particular bar seemed to be a local place for the younger people to hang in and was playing some great music and just had a really cool vibe about it so it seems it was a good find.
Around 9:30pm we headed back up to our hotel, showered and got our bags mostly packed up ready for the next part of our train journey tomorrow. Photos to follow later.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Jour 35 - Paris, France
Our last full day in Paris today. Breakfast in our apartment as usual, followed by coffee in yet another nearby cafe. We have now tried morning coffee in around 15 different cafes all within a 5 minute walk of our apartment and yet there are probably another 30 or more we still haven't visited.
After our cafe stop we headed back to our apartment to start packing our bags ready to leave tomorrow for Zurick, Switzerland. Afew hours later we were mostly packed up and headed for the metro to catch the subway one last time into the Marais area. We were headed for a jewish felafel restaurant that had been recommended to us by friends. We arrived to the area to find it teeming with people and with many of the felafel restaurants with huge queues waiting to get in. This was obviously a Parisian instituion to head to this mainly jewish area on Sundays for both the food and the shopping. This is probably made worse by the fact that most of the Jewish stores would be closed on Saturdays being their day of sabbath.
We joined the take-away queue after assistance from one of the staff when we found ourselves initially on the eat in queue. There were probably close to 50 people in line in front of us, but it seemed to be the thing to be doing so we decided to stick it out. It wasn't too gruelling as the people watching and the atmosphere in this area of Paris on the day was great to be a part of. It took about thirty minues until we were able to buy our falafel rolls and make away along the streets eating them.
They were great, but as the weather had really turned very cold over the last few days our food got cold quickly, but worse was our hands becoming near numb from the exposure to cold for so long. The last few days had seen us with our gloves on and our hands in our pockets whenever possible, today was no different and actually even a little colder.
We made our way back the Place des Vosges and finished our food there and soaked up a little bit of sunshine whilst enjoying a sunday afternoon in a great little park in Paris.
...to be continued...
After our cafe stop we headed back to our apartment to start packing our bags ready to leave tomorrow for Zurick, Switzerland. Afew hours later we were mostly packed up and headed for the metro to catch the subway one last time into the Marais area. We were headed for a jewish felafel restaurant that had been recommended to us by friends. We arrived to the area to find it teeming with people and with many of the felafel restaurants with huge queues waiting to get in. This was obviously a Parisian instituion to head to this mainly jewish area on Sundays for both the food and the shopping. This is probably made worse by the fact that most of the Jewish stores would be closed on Saturdays being their day of sabbath.
We joined the take-away queue after assistance from one of the staff when we found ourselves initially on the eat in queue. There were probably close to 50 people in line in front of us, but it seemed to be the thing to be doing so we decided to stick it out. It wasn't too gruelling as the people watching and the atmosphere in this area of Paris on the day was great to be a part of. It took about thirty minues until we were able to buy our falafel rolls and make away along the streets eating them.
They were great, but as the weather had really turned very cold over the last few days our food got cold quickly, but worse was our hands becoming near numb from the exposure to cold for so long. The last few days had seen us with our gloves on and our hands in our pockets whenever possible, today was no different and actually even a little colder.
We made our way back the Place des Vosges and finished our food there and soaked up a little bit of sunshine whilst enjoying a sunday afternoon in a great little park in Paris.
...to be continued...
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Jour 34 - Paris, France
Our last weekend in Paris during this trip. We awoke to a great sunny day, but very cold somewhere around 2 or 3 C. We had some breakfast in our apartment and then headed out for coffee at a local cafe. After coffee we dropped into the Boulangerie (bakery) across the road and bought some fresh baguettes. One more stop at the supermarket to stock on a few items for our last few days in Paris and then back to our apartment to drop it all off before heading out for the day.
Back in our apartment we dropped off the groceries, I grabbed my camera and we headed off for the Trocadéro metro station and walked across to La Tour Eiffel, something we had pretty much avoided during our time in Paris so far. We wanted to walk around Champ de Mars (the park that stretches from La Tour Eiffel to the École Militaire building). The crowd was not unbearable at the tour but still busy enough. We had no desires to go up the tower as we have both previously done this so we enjoyed the rare sunny and bright conditions of the day and wandered fairly aimlessly around the Champ de Mars.
After a few hours we reached the end of the park at the École Militaire building and headed off to find ourselves a cafe for a break. We stumbled on yet another great little lane lined with all sorts of cafes, brasseries and shops. We stopped into a a brasserie for a break and afterwards bought some fantastic looking, and extortionately expensive tomatoes (photos to be posted soon).
We then walked towards Les Invalides and then back towards the Seine across the ornate Pont Alexandre III and back across the Avenue des Champs-Élysées towards our apartment. We again stopped off at the boulangerie to grab a few more baguettes as many shops will again be closed tomorrow. Weekend are much quieter in Paris, with many shops being closed. We also stopped at a chocaltier to buy some boutique chocolat.
Back to our apartment before sunset for the first time during our three week visit.
We had some of our baguettes with some dip, olives and the amazing tasting tomatoes we had purchased earlier in the day. It seems you do get quality for a price. They were easily the best tasting tomatoes I've ever eaten.
Today's Weather
Sunny and very cold. Temperature 0 to 3 C (with windchill -3 to -5 C)
Back in our apartment we dropped off the groceries, I grabbed my camera and we headed off for the Trocadéro metro station and walked across to La Tour Eiffel, something we had pretty much avoided during our time in Paris so far. We wanted to walk around Champ de Mars (the park that stretches from La Tour Eiffel to the École Militaire building). The crowd was not unbearable at the tour but still busy enough. We had no desires to go up the tower as we have both previously done this so we enjoyed the rare sunny and bright conditions of the day and wandered fairly aimlessly around the Champ de Mars.
After a few hours we reached the end of the park at the École Militaire building and headed off to find ourselves a cafe for a break. We stumbled on yet another great little lane lined with all sorts of cafes, brasseries and shops. We stopped into a a brasserie for a break and afterwards bought some fantastic looking, and extortionately expensive tomatoes (photos to be posted soon).
We then walked towards Les Invalides and then back towards the Seine across the ornate Pont Alexandre III and back across the Avenue des Champs-Élysées towards our apartment. We again stopped off at the boulangerie to grab a few more baguettes as many shops will again be closed tomorrow. Weekend are much quieter in Paris, with many shops being closed. We also stopped at a chocaltier to buy some boutique chocolat.
Back to our apartment before sunset for the first time during our three week visit.
We had some of our baguettes with some dip, olives and the amazing tasting tomatoes we had purchased earlier in the day. It seems you do get quality for a price. They were easily the best tasting tomatoes I've ever eaten.
Today's Weather
Sunny and very cold. Temperature 0 to 3 C (with windchill -3 to -5 C)
Friday, January 13, 2012
Jour 33 - Paris, France
We walked through the Catacombes de Paris today - longer written update later
Weather: Sunny and very cold. Temperature Day: 5 C; Night: below 0 C.
Weather: Sunny and very cold. Temperature Day: 5 C; Night: below 0 C.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Jour 32 - Paris, France
Breakfast in our apartment as usual, then off for the Metro subway headed for Musée du Louvre.
I'd been to this museum/gallery a few times on my last trip to Paris in early 2007, but wanted to explore it some more. Sharon had not been there before and was also keen to explore. It's a massive museum and in my opinion by far the best in the world, certainly the best I've ever been to. It holds a massive collection of artworks, is held in an amazing building that was once the royal residence of the French monarchy, and is simply enormous. There are amazing paintings by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci (including the most famous painting of all, La Joconde aka The Mona Lisa), Pannini (who has some amazingly detailed paintings), Raphael and Michelangelo (as well as some sculptures). The size of some of the paintings is overwhelming.
There is also a great section on African art that was very impressive and the as always impressive Egyptian art and antiquities. We also got to see the excavation of the amazing remaining foundations and dungeon area of the original medieval fortress that was on the site where the Musée du Louvre now stands. There was also a great section of some of Napoleon III apartment suites that have been recreated. Hugely extrvagant, as decadent as the rooms and halls at the Château de Versailles.
We stayed exploring inside for over five hours and I could easily have stayed much longer. When I return to Paris further exploration is in order. Today's Weather
Slightly overcast most of the day, sunny at times. Temperature around 8 to 11 C
I'd been to this museum/gallery a few times on my last trip to Paris in early 2007, but wanted to explore it some more. Sharon had not been there before and was also keen to explore. It's a massive museum and in my opinion by far the best in the world, certainly the best I've ever been to. It holds a massive collection of artworks, is held in an amazing building that was once the royal residence of the French monarchy, and is simply enormous. There are amazing paintings by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci (including the most famous painting of all, La Joconde aka The Mona Lisa), Pannini (who has some amazingly detailed paintings), Raphael and Michelangelo (as well as some sculptures). The size of some of the paintings is overwhelming.
There is also a great section on African art that was very impressive and the as always impressive Egyptian art and antiquities. We also got to see the excavation of the amazing remaining foundations and dungeon area of the original medieval fortress that was on the site where the Musée du Louvre now stands. There was also a great section of some of Napoleon III apartment suites that have been recreated. Hugely extrvagant, as decadent as the rooms and halls at the Château de Versailles.
We stayed exploring inside for over five hours and I could easily have stayed much longer. When I return to Paris further exploration is in order. Today's Weather
Slightly overcast most of the day, sunny at times. Temperature around 8 to 11 C
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Jour 31 - Paris, France
Finally we made our way to Gare St. Lazarre for a day trip out of Paris. Admittedly it was not far as we were only headed down to the town of Versailles on the edge of Paris.
It's a great little town with some great older buildings, although it is also clearly influenced by the inner Parisian style of apartment buildings. Once we arrived on the train we walked the one kilometre to the Château de Versailles. This is certainly an impressive Château and no expense was spared on creating this amazing and hugely decadent home for the King and his court at the time.
we explored the inside of the palace, including the famous Hall of Mirrors and 'bedchamber' areas. It certainly diplayed an almost excessive amount of opulence on the part of the King and must surely have infuriated the common people. Extravagance at this level is not lightly tolerated by the public. It was nonetheless impressive and interesting. The lifestykle that went with being the King of France sounds stifling and suffocating. Not something I would wish to be born into. There is no such thing as anonymity.
We also explored the impressive and majestic gardens around the palace and this was such a nice break from the city life we have been absorbed in back in Paris. The gardens were beautiful and relaxing, especially the less tendered areas that felt more like a tamed French forest. It really was nice to be out in nature again.
after strolling lazily through the gardens we made our way down to the Grand Trianon area, which is a smaller building that they sometimes used. It's really just a smaller Château, smaller being used to describe this building relative to the main Château. It's still a massively decadent and impressive building which also has some beautiful gardens.
We then walked over and explored the Petit Trianon, yet another smaller building often used by Marie Antionette. Again very impressive, but definately much less garishly decadent than the other buildings. We walked out rhough the gradens close to the Petit Trianon and found ourselves wandering great meandering dirt pathways through beautiful French countryside with trees, birds, and streams. Without having read what was down this way too closely we stumbled on an amazing old style little village, The Queen's Hamlet. It was stunning - the best part of our entire Château de Versailles experience. I would love to come back and just explore this village and the surrounding gardens for a day.
The sun was now setting so we made the now lengthy walk back into Versailles to the train station and made our way back to Paris around 7pm. We stopped by a brasserie/bar close to our apartment for a few glasses of vin rouge (red wine). As seems to be common, other guests finished there drinks and then began lighting up their cigarettes. As I may have mentioned, pretty much everyone smokes cigarettes, cigars or pipes in Paris and it can get a bit overbearing in an enclosed section of a bar/cafe so we decided it was time to leave rather than having another drink.
Today's Weather
Slightly overcast. Some sun in the morning. Great sunny afternoon in Versailles. Maximum temperature around 12 to 14 C.
we explored the inside of the palace, including the famous Hall of Mirrors and 'bedchamber' areas. It certainly diplayed an almost excessive amount of opulence on the part of the King and must surely have infuriated the common people. Extravagance at this level is not lightly tolerated by the public. It was nonetheless impressive and interesting. The lifestykle that went with being the King of France sounds stifling and suffocating. Not something I would wish to be born into. There is no such thing as anonymity.
We also explored the impressive and majestic gardens around the palace and this was such a nice break from the city life we have been absorbed in back in Paris. The gardens were beautiful and relaxing, especially the less tendered areas that felt more like a tamed French forest. It really was nice to be out in nature again.
after strolling lazily through the gardens we made our way down to the Grand Trianon area, which is a smaller building that they sometimes used. It's really just a smaller Château, smaller being used to describe this building relative to the main Château. It's still a massively decadent and impressive building which also has some beautiful gardens.
We then walked over and explored the Petit Trianon, yet another smaller building often used by Marie Antionette. Again very impressive, but definately much less garishly decadent than the other buildings. We walked out rhough the gradens close to the Petit Trianon and found ourselves wandering great meandering dirt pathways through beautiful French countryside with trees, birds, and streams. Without having read what was down this way too closely we stumbled on an amazing old style little village, The Queen's Hamlet. It was stunning - the best part of our entire Château de Versailles experience. I would love to come back and just explore this village and the surrounding gardens for a day.
The sun was now setting so we made the now lengthy walk back into Versailles to the train station and made our way back to Paris around 7pm. We stopped by a brasserie/bar close to our apartment for a few glasses of vin rouge (red wine). As seems to be common, other guests finished there drinks and then began lighting up their cigarettes. As I may have mentioned, pretty much everyone smokes cigarettes, cigars or pipes in Paris and it can get a bit overbearing in an enclosed section of a bar/cafe so we decided it was time to leave rather than having another drink.
Today's Weather
Slightly overcast. Some sun in the morning. Great sunny afternoon in Versailles. Maximum temperature around 12 to 14 C.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Jour 30 - Paris, France
After breakfast in our apartment, a stop at a café for our mid morning 'café' (coffee), and a walk along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, across Place de la Concorde and through Jardin des Tuileries we arrived at the Musée du Louvre only to be reminded that the museum is closed on Merdi (Tuesday)
Not to fear, backup plan instigated, we headed across the Seine for the Musée D'Orsay, yet another fantastic Parisian museum. Musée D'Orsay houses a great collection of Vincent van Gogh paintings including some of the most famous pieces of his. It was amazing to see these well known paintings so closely and to be able to see the thickness of his paint strokes, his technique and experience the three dimensional aspect of how he painted his paintings. It is really a shame that Vincent was not recognised for the genius he was as an artist whilst he was alive. Such can be the cost of a mental illness.
AFter 4 hours in the museum we headed back home and made some vegan tacos for dinner which we enjoyed with a bottle a great Bordeaux vin rouge.
Not to fear, backup plan instigated, we headed across the Seine for the Musée D'Orsay, yet another fantastic Parisian museum. Musée D'Orsay houses a great collection of Vincent van Gogh paintings including some of the most famous pieces of his. It was amazing to see these well known paintings so closely and to be able to see the thickness of his paint strokes, his technique and experience the three dimensional aspect of how he painted his paintings. It is really a shame that Vincent was not recognised for the genius he was as an artist whilst he was alive. Such can be the cost of a mental illness.
AFter 4 hours in the museum we headed back home and made some vegan tacos for dinner which we enjoyed with a bottle a great Bordeaux vin rouge.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Jour 29 - Paris, France
Today we headed out on the subway to the end of the 1 metro line to the Château de Vincennes.
This is a great medieval building that is only 7km from the centre of Paris. It is in remarkably good condition for its age and was fantastic to explore. There was hardly any other people inside the dungeon (keep) so we were really able to explore without feeling rushed.
I always find it so interesting to explore buildings of this age over in Europe, which is the real history of the society I live in. In Australia seeing as the British invaded and took it over from the indigenous people quite recently (relatively in history), we do not have any of the medieval history that Europe has. It is interesting to think how the Australian Aborigines were living at the same time as the European medieval period. Vastly different lifestyles, yet each successful in their own way. Debatable as to which is the more successful or more sustainable, and arguably we will never know seeing as the European way of life has now taken over much of the world, especially Australia.
We dropped by the supermarket on the way home and picked up some food to make dinner back in our apartment. I also finally got around to booking accommodation for our upcoming single night in Zurich.
Today's Weather
Sunny with some cloud. Temperature around 13 C.
This is a great medieval building that is only 7km from the centre of Paris. It is in remarkably good condition for its age and was fantastic to explore. There was hardly any other people inside the dungeon (keep) so we were really able to explore without feeling rushed.
I always find it so interesting to explore buildings of this age over in Europe, which is the real history of the society I live in. In Australia seeing as the British invaded and took it over from the indigenous people quite recently (relatively in history), we do not have any of the medieval history that Europe has. It is interesting to think how the Australian Aborigines were living at the same time as the European medieval period. Vastly different lifestyles, yet each successful in their own way. Debatable as to which is the more successful or more sustainable, and arguably we will never know seeing as the European way of life has now taken over much of the world, especially Australia.
We dropped by the supermarket on the way home and picked up some food to make dinner back in our apartment. I also finally got around to booking accommodation for our upcoming single night in Zurich.
Today's Weather
Sunny with some cloud. Temperature around 13 C.
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