Ok, I'm in Europe Now!
In and around Europe
Ok, it's official I'm in Europe now. And, I'm kicking it off with a few days in London before I head out on my crazy 46 day tour of 17 countries. Then I'm on my own. Wish me luck - I'll do my best to post pictures and give a quick review of where I am as I go along. This is just the beginning of 7 months away from home! Here I go...
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler Nicolle
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1
London's Fantabulous!
Loved it! Definitely a bustling place that has so much going on. Tons of historical sights, theatre and arts, museums, and of course paparazzi gossip.... Continue reading » -
2
I've fallen in love with Paris
The beginning of my Contiki trip! Paris is our first stop on our tour. And, we arrived after a long day of traveling by bus and ferry to France and... Continue reading »
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3
Bonjour from the Beaujolais Wine Region!
It is quite dangerous in France! Especially after you hit your head on a post in a vineyard! Ah well, I survived and now I can just laugh about it as... Continue reading » -
4
Ola from Spain!
Love the sunny weather here in Spain. I had a great day cruising the famous Las Ramblas street that is filled with cool shops and weird pet stores! We... Continue reading » -
5
Back in France!
Chillin' in Nice! Time to relax with a baguette on the beach! Just when we thought we couldn't handle anymore cheese...we stocked up for a picnic on t... Continue reading » -
6
A stop in the 2nd smallest country!
Hit the rich country up for a tour of its famous Monte Carlo Casino. Reeks of weath! And, I encountered the coolest toilet here too. I know...but...th... Continue reading » -
7
Where for art thou Verona
Just a quick stop in Verona to see Juliet's apparent balcony. We made it to Italy today and are preparing to conquer the country in less than a wee... Continue reading »
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8
I rowed my boat all the way to Venice
Venice is a really gorgeous place. Lots of water. Not surprisingly. And, we had the most beautiful sunny day. It was awesome. Our tour manager pretty... Continue reading » -
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I'm 'leaning' lots about Europe!
Quite rainy today. But, gosh darnnit...that tower does really lean! We pulled out all sorts of photo poses - which is pretty much all you can reall... Continue reading »
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10
Florence - an Intelligent City!
I loved Florence. Famous for silver and leather! It's a great city home to so many brilliant people. Like Michalengelo and Da Vinci. And, home to the... Continue reading » -
11
Now, time for the smallest country in the world!
A truly magnificent journey to the home of Catholiscism. St. Peter's Basilica was a beautiful place that really moved me on its beauty.
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12
Ancient Roman Ruins Galore!
Wow! What a great city! There is so much to see here. The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon...fountains, monuments...you name it - it's prob... Continue reading »
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13
Pumped up to visit Pompeii!
Pompeii is a very cool place....that is thousands of years old. Neat to see how ancient culture lived. We took a brief stop in Pompeii to walk around... Continue reading » -
14
Relaxing in the Greek Islands
Time to swim and chill out in Greece. Not to forget some Greek dancing. A toga party. And, an overnight ferry!
I loved our short stay on the... Continue reading »
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15
Home of the Olympics...
Just a quick visit to a truly great, ancient city with lots of rich history. We stopped by the Parthenon - which was amazing as it sits perched up in... Continue reading » -
16
Off to Egypt!
Bring on the pyramids and temples!Traffic laws need not apply...It was quite insane when we first arrived. And, we for surely felt the heat. But, s... Continue reading »
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17
Boating down the Nile River
Lots to do in Aswan...I'm keeping really busy! We've taken a boat ride on the Nile, visited a botannical garden island, rode a camel, and of course en... Continue reading » -
18
Another busy day in Luxor
Checking out some Luxor temples! And, a balloon ride over some Luxor houses and temples. We also visited Valley of the Kings - where famous Kings of E... Continue reading » -
19
Hooray for Hurghada!
Time for a trip to the Red Sea! A nice day for a boat ride in the gorgeous sea!Not to mention some snorkling! It was a great way to unwind from our bu... Continue reading » -
20
Returning to Europe!
An afternoon off to re-organize myself before we head off for the 2nd half of our tour! We were pretty exhausted as Egypt kept us busy everday and lef... Continue reading » -
21
Just a quick stopover
Just heading to Turkey. One last night to pig out on Greek food. We had a big driving day as we are driving east of Athens all along the Greek coast.... Continue reading » -
22
Catching up with the Trojan Horse
Had a tour around the ancient city of Troy. Quite a fascinating history in which the ancient city is still being uncovered in the present day. We saw... Continue reading » -
23
Am I in Asia or Europe???
Wow. Turkish baths...bazaars...what more do I need??? A bigger bag perhaps!? We didn't have a long time in Istanbul, and that in fact was our onl... Continue reading »
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24
Time for the Black Sea!
Really what is Bulgaria famous for?? We couldn't figure it out! So, basically when someone on our tour did something - pretty much anything - we joked... Continue reading » -
25
Roaring through Romania
Bucharest is a cool capital city that is rebounding from communism. We didn't spend too much time here...just a stop in our quick sprint across the co... Continue reading » -
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Catching up with Dracula...
A visit to Bran Castle...home of the inspiration to Dracula. Romania is gorgeous...lots of rolling mountains with colorful leaves as the country heads... Continue reading » -
27
I don't have a clue about Cluj
Not much to do in Cluj. So, there's not really a lot to write about. This is more a stop over on our way to Hungary! I have enjoyed Romania - it is ac... Continue reading » -
28
Spectacular views in Budapest!
Cool city. That was surprisingly beautiful for a communist country only 15 years ago. Lots of bridges. Time for a river cruise at night. And, we got t... Continue reading » -
29
I hear music...
Wow. Vienna is a gorgeous city. Paris' rival for sure. Lots of grand buildings and statues. Plus, lots of music. There were Mozart souvenirs everywher... Continue reading » -
30
Bring on the beerhalls!
Time for some German beer! And, pork knuckles! I really enjoyed Munich and not just for the beer. It was a nice place to check out -seems really frien... Continue reading » -
31
Time for a scenic, deadly bike ride
A great white water raft ride. And, just a small mountain bike ride in the the MOUNTAINS. Wow...My legs, my arms...my Contiki pot belly...they all hur... Continue reading » -
32
Lunch break in Liechtenstein!
Just a small country...4th smallest in the world. Big Swiss influence. Umm...not much to say except I had lunch here then got back on the bus. It was... Continue reading » -
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Home of Swiss Army Knives!
Really nice bridge in the City of Lucerne. Chocolate time! YumYum! Just a stop on our mountain destination. Tons of people bought Swiss Army Kniv... Continue reading » -
34
It's Swiss Alps time!
Wow...waterfalls...mountains...relax time...I'm happy! And, talk about Swiss Army Knives...one guy bought the King of Knives...for about $500 Canadian... Continue reading » -
35
Eeek...what happens in Amsterdam should definitely stay here!
So, Amsterdam is a very liberal city. Where basically everything is accepted and pretty much legal. I was a bit schocked...but I guess there are... Continue reading »
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36
Green, Green Ireland!
Ok, so my tour has officially come to an end and I'm now venturing out on my own!! Eek! So...the first stop is Dublin, Ireland. The home of beer! I... Continue reading »
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37
Time for Northern Ireland?
Ok, so I'm in the U.K. now?! I'm here trying to sort out exactly what has happened with this small nation's turbulent past. So...Northern Ireland is p... Continue reading » -
38
It's rainy here in the land of kilts!
Ok, I've ventured over to Scotland. Made my way to Edinburgh. The city with a ginourmous castle in the middle of it! Which is pretty cool. I stayed re... Continue reading » -
39
Hanging with the Loch Ness Monster!
Headed up to Northern Scotland on a day trip with a boat ride on the infamous Loch Ness - home to the apparent Loch Ness Monster. No one reall... Continue reading »
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40
Tea Time in England!
Made my way to New Herrington - to visit my Great Aunt Agnes. This is where my Grandma Betty (Dad's side) grew up. Really neat to see England from a n... Continue reading » -
41
A Halloween in London!
Spending some time with my grandma's cousin! Had a nice few days touring around London with them. Meeting some family that I've heard many tales about... Continue reading » -
42
Enjoying the U.K.!
I travelled from the East side of London (Illford) to the South-West side (Guilford) where I met up with my dad's cousin - Barbara and her family.&nbs... Continue reading » -
43
Off to Berlin!
Berlin is a fascinating city. And, I'm really glad I came here because I learned a great deal about its history and hardships. I took in quite a fe... Continue reading »
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44
ESTONIA? Why you ask? I figure WHY NOT?!
Had a great time in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. The weather was a bit of a schock as it was quite chilly compared to Berlin. And, I eve... Continue reading »
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45
Hopping over to Helsinki!
So, I headed over to Helsinki via a boat that makes the trip across the Baltic Sea in about 1.5 hours. Helsinki is right on the bottom ti... Continue reading »
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46
Heart of the Baltics! Latvia!
So, I made it to Riga safely...after a lot of frustrating traveling and lots of getting REALLY mad at my bag. Trams, a long bus ride, and a fe... Continue reading »
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47
Vilnius? Where the heck is this place?
So, I'm in Lithuania. Never in a million years would I have thought about coming here...let alone on this particular trip. But, then I tend to... Continue reading »
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48
Rolling into Warsaw!
Alright, I made it to Warsaw after a 9 hour bus ride with a driver that liked to drive fast and I'd say partially reckless - hence the flying books... Continue reading »
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49
Sombering trip to Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Today I spent the day in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camps with some people from my hostel. Wow it was a humbling experience to... Continue reading »
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50
Medieval, charming Krakow
Well, I've made it to Krakow. And, my first day took me on a 1.5 hour bus ride to the city of Oswiecim - where the Auschwitz and Birkenau Conc... Continue reading »
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51
Plenty to see in Pretty Prague
Well I arrived in Prauge via a night train that I apparently was supposed to sleep on. I invested extra money into a bunk that would allow me to sl... Continue reading »
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52
Captivating Cesky Krumlov
I made my way down from Prague to southern Czech Republic to take in the highly talked about town of Cesky Krumlov. I arrived via train from Prague... Continue reading »
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53
Sound of Music Galore in Salzburg
Well all I can say is that I had a blast in Salzburg. I sang my heart out, had fabulous weather, met some great people, and saw some breathta... Continue reading »
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54
Blasting over to Bratislava
I arrived via train to Bratislava on what has been one of my most smooth travel days. I did not get lost, flustered, or even mad. I wish every trav... Continue reading »
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55
Wicked Weekend in Vienna
What a weekend is all I have to say. I was not planning on revisiting Vienna on this particular trip. And, well - you have to remember to keep a fl... Continue reading »
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56
Zooming into Zagreb!
Well, I arrived in Zagreb, Croatia after a smooth train ride that lasted for about 6 hours. I got into the city about 10:30 at night. I followed th... Continue reading »
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57
Conquered Ljubljana in no time!
Only had a little bit of time in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Would have liked a bit more as it is a nice city with lots of nice cafes to chill out and eat... Continue reading »
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58
Christmas & New Years in London!
I arrived in London and caught up with one of my tour mates. We had a splendid time. We toured around the BUSY London streets for an afte... Continue reading »
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