Bodrum and Ephesus, Turkey

Today we caught a 6 am flight out of Istanbul to Bodrum. Our cab driver to the airport was insane.  No regard for speed limits, stop signs, or even lights. Red doesn't mean stop here. It is insane. Organized chaos or something like that. The flight was uneventful besides the fact that we were the only females on the flight besides the stewardesses. It is a male country here. Getting to Bodrum! we picked up the car we have rented for the next five days to cover more of Turkey. It is easy to drive here if you are aggressive with a lead foot. I love driving here.

Bodrum is a quaint little port city that typically hosts the ferries to Greece. We will return here on the 5th to go to Kos, Greece. Driving around too pre-book our ferry tickets, we found an adorable little cafe on the sea/ocean/whatever for breakfast. They barely spoke English but a lot of pointing worked to get ourselves breakfast. Turkish pancakes are not breakfast food for anyone who decides to go to turkey. They are a mix between a crepe and a grilled cheese sandwich. Coffee here will knock your socks off it is so strong. You only need one a day else your stomach will burn a hole in them.

It pissed rain for part of the drive but nothing stopped us. The two hour drive from Bodrum to Ephesus was painless and filled with law school gossip. Upon arriving in Ephesus we dropped our bags at the Boomerang Bungalows. It is an amazing hotel run by this Australian Turk couple. It is clean and nice and super welcoming. Then we immediately walked to the ruins, which are part of the seven old wonders of the world. Incredible architecture that has been around since about 92 AD. It is in the process of being restored by the Amerindians. We walked the entire 8 km stretch both up and down it. My feet are burning from all of the walking. My nike step counter says I have done 67 km of walking since I left Canada. I believe it.

Ephesus is a bunch of ruins that we could have dine then headed off to Pumukkale and stayed the night there but we decided to keep it tame today.

Dinner was freshly chosen from the market across the street then cooked by our hotel owners for us. For a stir fry with baby corn, bamboo, Broccoli, red peppers, and chicken with orange juice and a bottle of water - it cost $7 total. Delicious and fresh. Tonight is an early night because we are driving to Pumukkale then to Antayla tomorrow. It will be amazing to sit in hot pools for a while the. Sit on the beach for a couple of days this trip so far has been very go go go. All of the history and ruins is done as of tomorrow until May 5 when we go to Santorini, Greece.

AFN

Istanbul, Turkey

A couple of girlfriends and I set out to the land of Turkish delight and mosques for the break between 1L and summer at the castle. It was a tremendous feat to finish exams on Thursday then pack my entire apartment on Friday then leave the country on Saturday morning at 5 AM. I wouldn't do it again.  Significantly too much stress but I have survived.

From Kingston to Toronto to Heathrwi by plane then by coach to Gatwick stayed overnight in Gatwick. At Gatwick, I plugged in my phone and electro-shocked myself. It actually hurts a ton to do that. My phone is fine. The castle came and got our luggage from the hotel in Gatwick which was amazing. Means we can travel with a little 35L backpack. Gatwick to Istanbul was the longest flight I have never slept on after barely sleeping the night before. At this point in the trip I have had about 6 hours of sleep. Nothing significant to be travelling across the world in. Brutal to be nice to those travelling with you.

Istanbul is a city that resides in both Europe and Asia. Old istanbul is in Europe and is obviously Roman influenced. The new Istanbul is in Asia and has feels of everything. As a city it is crowded and there are very few to no females on the roads ever. It is a definite Muslin country. No tank tops or shorts allowed outside. Mosques required full coverage of women skin. The men are blankly staring, cat calling, and permanently making you feel creeped out.

Upon arriving in Istanbul, we attempted to get through passport control. The IST airport is incredibly busy, no one speaks English, and they move people from one line to the other. We got through in under an hour which they tell us is amazing timing. I can believe it. The first thing we did upon getting to our hostel was to go eat. Food here is the classic kebab and rice or pita things. A lot of yoghurt and dill dip for bread as well. Not my cup if tea but I am slowly learning to eat it. We ventured out to the Aya Sofia square to see it and the Blue Mosque from the outside at night. Old Istanbul is super hilly and paved in cobble stone. Cars and buses do not stop for you to walk across the street and there is no cross walks either. The first night we went to bed to the sound of prayers at midnight.

Upon awaking to the 5 am prayers, we set out for breakfast. Turkey apparently has veggies, bread, some sort of fruit, and I think  it is cheese but I am not sure, and honey or Nutella for breakfast. Weird. We did the Blue Mosque, Bizentine Cistern, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Spice bazaar, Hippodrome, and the Turkish baths the next day. It was pissing ran so everything was not busy. The Blue Mosque is pretty but like all other mosques really. I wouldn't recommend it as a top 5 in Istanbul. The cisterns are amazing. They are these underground aqueducts that were only found recently to exist. The history is amazing and dates back got the 17th century. The Ottomans imported water from 19km away and stored it under the city. Amazing infrastructure and incredible detail on the marble pillars. There's a mysteriously two headed Medusa statute in this completely out of place with a detailed history I am sure of. The palace is not spectacular besides the views of Asian Istanbul.  The harem is located within this palace and I found the history amazing. Interestingly the harem was protected by Black Eunuchs. There is no windows in the harem besides in the elite harem room. It makes you feel very caged in. I am sure it was not a great life. We stumbled upon the grand bazaar by accident. Sierra read the map to go to the spice bazaar wrong. It is that classic money grab bargaining for lamps, Turkish delight, and other trinkets. The spice bazaar was an amazing site. It is the only place in Istanbul that smelled good. They sell all sorts of spices and teas. I bought a few teas and spice for Dad. The hippodrome is three random stolen Egyptian spears/statutes. I'm sure it was a big deal to steal and transport in one piece but feels very out of place. The hippodrome backs right onto the Blue Mosque. All of these sites were in a 5km range. Nothing is far from each other. It is like the old city was built on top of each other. The most amazing part of the day was having a Turkish bath. They strip you, soap you, wash and exfoliate everything, then wash your hair for you. We went to the oldest turkish bath in Istanbul. I also had an olive oil massage which I believe was well over due. Having a Turkish bath by a large large large women is very entertaining. My girl sang to me. The other two girls with me theirs didn't. We had Indian for dinner which was revolting but whatever. You travel with people and can't have it your way all the time.

Today we did Aya Sofya, Taksim Square, and a boat cruise on the Borphous. Aya Sofya is my favorite mosque. It was originally Christian church from 6500 BC until 400 AD. Multiple crosses have been painted over and other Christian figures were tiled into the roof. Due to the age of the building the painting by the Muslims has started to wear off so you can see both the Christian and Muslim works in the same space. It is the largest inside space I have ever seen. It only opened to the public in 2011. It is sad as they restore it that they are just repainting the Muslim things and not the Christian. It makes sense but is a little sad. One of the girls I am traveling with has zero street smarts. We all went into H&M to check out the clothes. Upon not finding us after one go through of the store, she decided to leave on her own and walk in Istanbul alone. I have never been so pissed in my life. You do not leave the group. You wait outside. It is a city where women are not equals and it is known for its missing persons/sex trade. Taksim square is where all of the riots are occurred this year. I can see how it gets violent quickly. The police were already setting up barricades for International Workers Day on May 1. I guess it becomes a bloodbath with riots and protests on that day in Istanbul in this square. I am so glad we are out of this city tomorrow. We did a boat cruise to see both the Europe and Asian side of Istanbul by water. Pretty but damn cold on the water after sunset. Dinner was uneventful at a pasta place. Have packed up the hostel for our 6 am flight to Bodrum tomorrow.

AFN

Date a Girl who Travels - http://stephabroad.com/date-girl-travels/

I think that this article is amazing and true (see below). Plus, I might be trying to justify traveling again.

Date a Girl who Travels

She is the one with the sun kissed skin and lightly scattered freckles. A sense of wellness radiates around her, paired with plump healthy skin and a twinkle in her eye.

Date a girl who travels. She is less materialistic. She doesn’t dote on possessions but rather treasured experiences. Expensive presents are unnecessary, rather give her photographs she can have with her at all times. She can see those that live with less, recognize the small fortunes of happiness.

Date a girl who travels for somewhere is always home. She values her time there and relishes hearing about normalcy even if it’s not long before her feet start to itch again. She is proud of her hometown for it is a new city for someone else to explore.

Date a girl who travels. She is the hardest workingwoman you will know. She will most likely hold down 2 or 3 jobs to fund her adventures. Not to mention an entrepreneur turning her travels into an income source. She is smart and knows that these days many employees find international travel favorable in future candidates.

Date a girl who travels for you will always been pleasantly surprised.  She navigates unknown cities with a great sense of direction but also enjoys the spontaneity of getting lost.

Date a girl who travels. After many missed flights, wrong turns, delays, bad street food and bad restrooms to deposit said food, she is easy going and adaptable. She is prepared for bumps in the road literally and metaphorically. Life throws curve balls and she smacks them right out of the park.

Date a girl who travels because she is supportive and understanding. She is conscious you may not ever be as travel orientated as her but she will always be fun, take what life has to offer and help you do the same. As a bonus she will put up with snoring and farting because she has shared a 20 bunk hostel room.

Date a girl who travels as she engages with worldly company learning the history, culture and behaviors of societies, which is sure to impress the parents. She is use to befriending strangers, thriving at conversation. She will always be open to meeting new people and impress at your work social engagements.

Date a girl who travels. She is independent, smart and strong. She will always be self-sufficient; never needy. She doesn’t believe in stage five clingers. She knows the rewards of good budgets and saving her money. She learns the ins and outs of how people live and has the kind of street smarts that will spot the sketchy looking guy a mile away before he pulls a “distract and go” scam.

Next time join her. Travel bonds you.

Travel Bug

Taken from, http://thoughtcatalog.com/matthew-kepnes/2013/09/18-life-lessons-learned-from-travel-the-world/

Here are a few life lessons I’ve learned from travel that I never would have learned otherwise and I wanted to share with you today.

1. It’s not that hard.

Every day, people get up, go out the door to travel the world, and survive and thrive. Kids as young as 18 make their way around the world without any problems. All that worrying and fear I had before my trip was for naught – this traveling thing is a lot easier than people make it out to be. You’re not the first person to do it and there is a well-worn trail that makes it easy for first times to find their way. If an 18 year can do it, so can you.

2. You learn a lot of life skills.

People who travel are better adjusted and less socially anxious people and traveling around the world has taught me to how to be more social, be adept and more flexible, and, most importantly, understand non-verbal communication a lot better. It has made me more independent, more open, and, overall, just a better person. There’s no reason to be scared that you might not have “it” in you. You’d be surprised how often you’ll surprise yourself.

3. You are never alone.

It may seem scary just throwing yourself out there and talking to strangers, but we are all strangers in a strange land. At the end of the day, everyone is very friendly. It took me a while to get used to just saying “hello” to strangers, but now it seems like second nature. Everyone is just like you – they are alone in a strange place and are looking for others to be with. People travel to meet other people and that means you. Don’t be afraid to approach other travelers and locals. You’ll find that when you travel alone, you’ll never really be alone.

4. You meet some of your closest friends traveling.

Whether it was in a restaurant in Vietnam, on a boat in Thailand, or walking into a hostel in Spain, when I least expected (or wanted) to meet people was when I met the best and developed the longest lasting relationships. And even though you may not see them for years, you still end up at their wedding, Christmas dinner, or family celebration. Distance and time cannot break the bond you formed.

5. Relationships come and go on the road.

I’ve met lots of people on the road, including members of the opposite sex I’ve found attractive. But the nature of travel doesn’t always lend itself to long-term romantic relationships. It’s hard to make something last when everyone moves in different directions and holidays end. If you get too attached too often, you’ll have nothing but heartache as people come and go. But I’ve realized you need to simply enjoy your time together and live in the moment. Dwelling on the future will only keep you from making that leap.

6. But chase the ones you like.

Yet once in a while, you’ll find someone you really connect with. Meaningful romance on the road does happen. And when you have nowhere to be and no place to go other than where you want, sometimes there is no reason not to follow. Don’t force yourself to say another good-bye if you don’t have to. Pursue it even if the distance seems too vast and the circumstances not right, because you never know where it could lead or how long it might last because, once in a while you meet the one and when you do, you should do everything you can to stay with them.

7. It’s good to try new things.

I used to be a very rigid person, but traveling has helped me loosen up and expand my worldview. I’ve pushed myself to the limit, eaten new food, taken cooking classes, learned magic tricks, new languages, tried to conquer my fear of heights, and challenged my established views. Travel is all about breaking out of your comfort zone and enjoying all the world has to offer.

8. Be adventurous.

Doing the canyon swing was tough. So was jumping off the boat in the Galapagos. As was eating the maggots in Thailand and caterpillars in Africa. Then I got my butt kicked in Thai boxing. And, while I won’t do most of those ever again, I don’t regret trying new things. Scare yourself once in a while. It makes life less dull.

9. There is no such thing as a mistake.

No matter what happens on the road, it’s never a mistake. As was once said, “your choices are half chance, and so are everybody else’s.” When you go with the flow and let the road just unfold ahead of you, there’s no reason to have regrets or think you made a mistake. You make the best decisions you can and, in the end, the journey is the adventure.

10. Don’t be cheap.

When you travel on a budget and need to make your money last, it’s easy to be cheap. But why live like a pauper at home while you save so you can skip the food in Italy, the wine in France, or a sushi meal in Japan? While it is good to be frugal, it’s also important to splurge and not miss out on doing once-in-a-lifetime things. Who knows when you will get another chance to dive in Fiji?! Take every opportunity.

11. That being said, don’t be wasteful.

But remember you aren’t made of money, so don’t always feel like you need to party with your new friends every night or do every activity in a new place. Sometimes it’s OK just to sit around and relax or cook your own meal. Be frugal, but not cheap.

12. Drop the guidebook.

Don’t be so glued to a book. You can travel fine without it, especially with so many good alternatives on the Internet these days. You’ll buy it and hardly use it anyway. Just ask people for tips and information. That will be your best source of information, especially for those off-the-beaten track destinations and hole-in-the-wall restaurants that no one’s ever heard of but serve the best food you can imagine.

13. It’s never too late to change.

Even if you aren’t the traveler or person you want to be in your head, it’s never too late to change. Travel is all about change. The more you say “tomorrow,” the less likely it is that tomorrow will ever come. Traveling has shown me aspects of my personality I wish I didn’t have and also shown me I’m really lazy. I’ve always lived by the phrase “Carpe Diem” but sometimes I don’t really do it. It’s never too late though and realizing that has made being more pro-active a lot easier.

14. Relax.

Life is amazing. There’s no reason to worry. The universe unfolds as it should. Relax and just go with it. You can’t change the future – it hasn’t happened yet. Just make the best decisions you can today and enjoy the moment. Don’t get caught up trying to see all the “must sees.” There’s nothing wrong with spending a day playing games, reading a book, or lounging by the pool.

15. Learn more languages (seriously).

There’re some great benefits to not knowing the local language – like miming out “chicken” to let the lady know you want eggs for breakfast – but learning languages is very helpful when you travel, and works out great when you meet other travelers. There’s also nothing like surprising people by speaking their language. Moreover, knowing basic phrases will endear you to locals who will appreciate the fact you went the extra mile. You’ll find people will be much more helpful, even if you struggle to say hello.

16. Wear more sunscreen.

Seriously. Science has proven it helps, and with all that beach time you do when you travel, you could always use a little more. Being tan is great. Having skin cancer is not. SPF up.

17. People are good.

All over the world, I have encountered amazing people who have not only changed my life but have gone out of their way to help me. It’s taught me that the old saying is true – you can always depend on the kindness of strangers. My friend Greg taught me long ago not to be guarded against strangers. That experience when I first started traveling changed everything and when you travel with an open heart, unexpected goodness will happen. 99.9999% of the people in the world aren’t murders, rapists, or thieves. There’s no reason to assume someone is one. Sometimes people are just trying to be friendly.

18. There’s no such thing as must-see.

This is your trip. No one else’s. Everyone’s journey is their own. Do what you want, when you want, and for how long you want. Don’t let anyone tell you aren’t a real traveler for skipping the Louvre, avoiding some little town in Peru, or deciding to party in Thailand. This your journey. You owe no one an explanation. I’ve learned more about the world and myself in the last seven years of travel than I had in the previous 25 years of my life. No matter what happens in the future, I know that travel has taught me life lessons I never would have learned had I stayed in my cubicle job. Find a way to travel as often has you can to all the destinations you dream about.  They will change your life.

Law School Studying

Ode to SNAILS,

Oh how life would be swell, if I could crush your shell. Ain't you undergrads know, you gotta stick to CoGro?

On this place we have dibs, after all it’s our libs. Please don't forget: you are not a law student yet.

Lederman is for the wise, us kids with intellectual size, and though your work ethic is nil, our tables you still fill.

Although we are both Gaels, your mind much more frail. Bother us no more you shall, when we invoke promissory estopPAL.

So condemning you we shall keep, til Lord Denning makes you weep. Little children its best that you scat, at least until you LSAT.

Heed this word slimy SNAILS, such behaviour must you curtail, and of yourself should you be weary, stop studying in our library, for while you may think you are old and cool, please remember: you are STUDENTS NOT ACTUALLY IN LAW SCHOOL.

Judiciously yours,

Brittany 

Oprah

Hello all,

Photo of Mum and I

Last night was an adventure. Having the quickest dinner possible at Earls, we raced to the Saddledome to see Oprah for 7pm. 

Oprah came out in a spectacular emerald dress embellished with a tad bit of sparkle with a white cowboy hat. Albeit, the cowboy hat did nothing for her appearance, she still looked spectacular and skinny.

The premise of this was motivation in combination with her life story. Her life story starts out with a whisper from god that her being had sensed something bigger than being a maid/housekeeper for white folk. As described, "her being was bigger than her personality, life situation, or even what others thought of her". She started out speaking to her church at age 3 then eventually recited spectacular monologues and religious novellas. When speaking about her early years, the undertone of the South came out loud and clear. She knew she was destined to be on the radio/TV even though her family did not have one. Upon winning Miss Fire Safety, the radio that hosted that pageant hired her to be a radio host.

The biggest motivational technique she employed was the image of a thread. The thread weaves together your life - all success, failures, marriages, divorces, and the greatness in life you possess. According to Oprah, if you are struggling in life, whether emotionally, not knowing your greater purpose, or knowing what to do next, you should look to what the thread of your life has been and, consequently, some greater power will lead you to your bigger purpose. Her speech was very laden with religious undertones, which was unexpected in my opinion. To find the thread in your life you must find inner stillness. Inner stillness is the ability to recognize the whispers, gut feelings, and inner sensations that something is not right/wrong/indifferent.

With all motivational speakers, she employed words such as "You become what you believe. What ever follows "I am" will become truth." For example, if you say I am exhausted then you will become more exhausted. The trick to this analogy is that you cannot go from extreme to extreme (exhaustion to hyperactive) but to take small steps like I am getting my second wind. This technique came from Pastor Joel Osteen who I presume is someone close to Oprah.

Success in her opinion is having more rights in your life than not. It is not measured by financial, personal, or emotional stones separately but the entirety of life in combination. It is a little hard to hear her speak about saying that financial stability and wealth do not matter in life for happiness but the point was well delivered. Everyone should find inner happiness and stability before they can transfer this out in your personal energy space.

Life speaks in the whispers of your body. Sensations or gut feelings should never be ignored. Life speaks first in whispers which is symbolism of a message, then pebbles - lesson, brick - problem, brick wall - crisis, and the falling brick wall/earthquake - disaster. You should learn to be internally still to recognize these symbols in their lives. Everyone should find an hour (more like twenty minutes) to just focus on yourself a day to maintain inner stillness to recognize the experiences in life or something to that extent. Everything you do is already done to you - higher power has a divine path for you in life. Even if you do not understand why something is occurring take the lesson and let is pass through.

With regards to attitude, gratuity is the greatest changer of your attitude. If you are thankful or gracious, life will go your way. Issues (trials and tribulations) are just the manifestation of knowing who you are in life. This statement does not make sense at first, I understand that. However, take a think about it and soon you will come to your own interpretation of what it means.

Children do not want you to criticize them, all they want to see is your eyes light up. Criticism in children slowly kills their souls. Your children can only be under your energy influence for so long that when they start to create their own energies/destinies, you have lost that connection. Take away point - stop criticizing and just embrace your children, we are wonderful people who will make our own paths in life.

Overall, Oprah is hilarious and spoke continuously for just over two hours. I would recommend seeing her.

Just a side not, books she mentioned:

- Leadership from the Inside Out by Kevin Cashman

- Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker

AFN

Brittany

Florence, France and Rome, Italy

Pisa to Florence then Rome (July 16-17) 

Bonsoir France and Ciao Italia! 

Day 1: Today, we crossed over into Italy. I had actual Italian pizza for our lunch stop. Delicious but oh so fattening.  Coffee here is quite tasty and potent. The scenery is bath taking along the coastline. Bright blue and royal blue waters along mountains. It looks exactly like everything I was expecting of Italy. 

The first thing we did in Italy was go visit the leaning tower of Pisa. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. The heat was atrocious so the visit was short lived. I have the classic tourist photo of me holding the tower. 

Upon arriving in Florence, we did a bus tour of the city. Nothing stood out as very important. Florence is a city of artists and history. Van Gogh, Machivelli, and Dontatello are all famous from Florence. We saw most of the major landmarks that Florence has to offer. 

We drove to Florence to the camp site. A quick turn around and back on the bus for the dinner in Florence. A seven course meal awaited us. The first course was a meat and cheese plate. Second was three types of pasta (pesto, spaghetti, and spinach and cheese ravioli). Third was chicken and salad. Four was mash potatoes with meat balls. Fifth was tiramisu. Sixth was espresso. Seventh was lemon cello. I have never been so full in my life. I discovered I really like pesto pasta. I didn't eat the fourth course. 

After dinner, the crew ventured to the Red Garter. It is a karaoke place in the midst of Florence. I had a lot of fun singing along with everyone. Public signing scares the living day lights out of me. 

Day 2: After a very early start, the crew did a walk around your of Florence. It has a lot of history to which I didn't pay huge attention to. It had a lot to do with famous artists and sculptures. In a nutshell, the church is famous for being the first dome in Europe. The sculptures are famous for the artists. The bridge is famous for its goldsmiths. The city was built on another Roman city which sits 3 feet under the ground. 

It was about 30 C outside and just glorious. I am starting to fall in love with Italy. 

After the tour, we went to a leather shop and learnt about leather. The difference between real and fake leather is that real leather burns. Leather should not actually smell like the classic leather smell. I bought a black leather jacket. It took quite a few shops to find the right jacket for me. 

For lunch a couple if us went to go eat at the place where the cast of Jersey Shore worked whilst in Italy. It had incredible 60 second fire grilled pizza. I had a four cheese pizza. Brodie and myself then got a dark chocolate gelato. I died in heaven from the richness of  the gelato I can now say I had gelato in Italy. One more of my bucket list items crossed off. 

Back onto the bus meant a trip to Rome. I think I am getting a tan from sitting near the window. 

AFN  

Nice, France

Nice (July 14-15)

Day 1: This morning was an early start to a long travel day. Literally spent 10 hours on the bus due to the high volume of traffic. Holidays tend to drive people to the highways which made our journey significantly longer than it needed to be. I really hate long bus rides. 

I slept most of the afternoon as I was so bored of staring at sunflower and jasmine fields. It is very beautiful countryside but I had better things to do with my life. I am most of the way through the first Game of Thrones book. I highly recommend it. The entire Fifty Shades of Grey series is risky but so damn addictive.  

A quick stop was done at a French perfumery. It is interesting to hear about how each scent is made. There are people who go to "nose" school for 10 years to create new scents. They get paid on average 700,000 euro a year. I wish I had that sense of smell and artistic ability to do that. I guess France is known for their flowers and thus perfumes. It was neat to see the people hand creating each scent. 

Dinner was frog legs, turkey steak, corn, and green beans. I surprisingly enjoyed the turkey steak. Frog legs did not pass my lips. That one is just too hard to swallow. After dinner we adventured down the road to a carnival with rides and games. It was like the Stampede but French. I had a lot of fun with a couple of the girls. 

Day 2: We took the train from Antibes into Nice. A couple of Americans and myself paid 14€ for a private beach chair. It was about 30 C and glorious. I set foot into the Mediterranean sea but did not swim. The beach was a pebble beach. Different and not quite the same experience as sand. Many French women were topless and hairy. Not a good combination in my mind. I suntanned like the French to avoid tan lines and to do as the Romans do. The day was very relaxed and simple.

The girls and myself had lunch at the beach chairs. I ordered a prawn salad which was delicious. When we decided to go back home and pay our bill, we discovered that a gentleman had paid our entire bill of drinks and lunch. It pays to be young and beautiful sometimes.

Upon showering I discovered I had been attacked by either bed bugs or a spider. Thus, I had to change rooms and freeze everything I owned. Everything sat in the freezer for twelve hours. I am not enjoying the people or the places we are staying. I really would like to just come home but I will stick it out for the next week. 

After getting all dolled up back at the campsite, the crew headed to Monaco. Monaco is the third smallest country in the world. The two smaller are Vatican and Black Island just off the coast of Western Australia. Monaco is the home of the rich and famous as people don't pay income tax and businesses only pay 1%. You have to apply to be a citizen of the country. Elton John got denied to be a citizen. Grace Kelly was a princess of this country. The current prince is a price of work who essentially is holding a former German Olympiad prisoner until she gives him a heir. 

In Monaco I visited the castle which had spectacular views of the bay and wealth of the country. Monte Carlo was the major city we visited. The grand casino was neat to go see and gamble at. Bids started at 100€ for blackjack and poker. I played some of the slot machines just to say I did. I ended up winning 98.76€ which isn't too bad. I walked around in six inch heels and my feet just killed the next day. 

The ride back home was quiet as dope actually fell asleep for once. The night was quite quiet. 

AFN 

Lyon, France

Lyon (July 13)

Last night my roommate got just right pissed. She puked on her bed and all over my legs. I woke up in her puke. I seriously didn't start the day off on a good foot. I ripped h a new one. That is so gross and disrespectful. She is just fresh 18 and wild. I don't miss residence life. I thought I had picked a quiet roommate. I missed breakfast to shower and rub raw the puke off. So gross.

I get that each person has their own agendas on this tour but seriously get your act together and learn your limits. She ruined one of my days of this trip without any concern. Stupid Zimbabwe teenagers.  I can't believe people don't know their limits or have any regard for them. 

Today we drove from Paris to Lyon. The drive had been very boring. the landscape is all the same of rolling hills and rain. I finished a couple of books by the time we hit our final destination. This is just a day of travel so that we can get to the French Rivera tomorrow. The bus had several veryxs hungover and sick people on it. The ride was horrific. 

The first rest stop was at Fountainbleu which is some important feat of architecture for the French. I just got a coffee and croissant instead of touring it. It was raining and breakfast seemed like a better idea than a guided tour. I bought the two cutest necklaces from this small town. I bought an owl that is a clock and a Cinderella pumpkin necklace. Very one of a kind. 

Upon getting to the Chateau, we had a wine tasting included in the tour which I just skipped as I was in a bad mood. I should have probably gone but not worth the energy that I didnt have. I am hoping tomorrow is a better day. I am in a room on my own tonight as for my troubles last night. My tour manager is pretty awesome in that regard. 

I just want to get to Italy. 

AFN 

Paris

Paris (July 11-12) 

The flight from Calgary to London was a disaster. I was in between two babies and beside two lesbians. The lesbians did some funny things under blankets. I didn't sleep the entire flight. I did the heathrow express into town. I did a bit of London but I have seen it all before. I fell asleep by 4 pm by accident. I got up at 3am which was a hassle because nothing was open and I was hungry. I took the tube to meet up with my contiki group by 6 am in some strange part of London. 

The first day was a cluster storm of chaos. Twelve tours left from the same location at the same time. The bus ride was a long one. We took it from London to Dover then hopped on the ferry over to France. I saw the white cliffs of Dover which were very unimpressive. The ride was even longer to Paris. Paris is extremely dirty in my opinion. the first night we took a bus tour of Paris and saw most of the important buildings. I tried escargot and nearly puked. I hate the feel of them going down my throat. I will never eat one again. Later that evening, I visited and climbed to the top of the Eiffel tower. There is 789 steps plus a short elevator ride to the top. My calves are going to hurt by the end of the tour. I did the Eiffel tower in sandals which was a huge mistake. I got to see the sunset over Paris from the top. Spectacular views. The light show on the Eiffel tower is cool as it sparkles and is red white and blue for their national holiday on Saturday. 

Day two of Paris started early with a horrible traditional French breakfast of just coffee and apple sauce. They don't seem to eat here at all. I walked to a bakery and had a chocolate croissant. We all got dropped off in town at the Arc de Triumph. I climbed it and swathe Eiffel tower from there and the sprawl that they call Paris. The weather held for the morning. I did a tad bit of shopping down the Champs de Elysses for a bathing suit and a pair of runners. I forgot both on this trip. I had several cups of French coffee all day. 

My afternoon was very artistic. I walked to the Louvre. I saw Monna Lisa which was significantly smaller than I thought it was going to be. The last supper is massive and covers about 60" squared. I wandered through the Spanish, Greek, Italian, and Egyptian art works. I spent about three hours in the Louvre mostly because I got lost and couldn't get out. I walked then to the Musee d'Orsay which has the Van Gogh exhibits. Starry Night is spectacular to see but I left after that as I am not much of an art buff. 

Night two of Paris was a traditional French dinner (French onion soup, cheese,beef bouillon, chocolate moose, and espresso). Very good dinner with entertaining conversations. This tour is mainly Australians and Kiwis with the majority from Perth funnily enough. I don't think I hung out with that many Perth kids whilst living in Perth as I do this trip. After dinner everyone was ushered to a Moulin Rouge show. It was amazing - I loved the costumes. The men were stunning and the women were just skinny. I wish that it was a little bit more exciting but that's fine. It isn't like the movie which was a bit depressing. 

AFN