Nice is nice!

 Day 22-25

Ok, so I caught up with Mark again on my finale day in Paris, we were going to chillax in a park, but it decided to be shit weather again, so instead we did a quick walk through Luxembourg Gardens, and found the closest Cafe to relax and Mark was starving for choco croissants and coffee. We checked the Notre Dame Cathedral inside and out, and had some yummy Italian.

I then started my travel to Nice, and upon arriving to my new hostel, the place was alive with the sound of music! I was shown around, and I was in a shitty mood to begin with, but there were people everywhere, the music was pumping, and the room absolutely smelt like curry.

The next morning, in a much better frame of mind, I took the shuttle down into town to catch a bus to the Village Eze. I met Mo from Amsterdam on the way and he decided to join me. He's a crazy guy, kind of going through a quarter life crisis, and he's loving being free from work and life in general. Quite a motivating guy really, I enjoyed hanging out and chatting with him.

The small Village Eze is so incredibly gorgeous, a big cliff that spikes out of nowhere, revealing a small medieval type village. The walk is steep, but when you reach the summit its totally worth it. You pay €5 to walk through a cute garden which has the best views ever!

After our walk around we grabbed some olives, cheese and bread and made a mean lunch. And caught the bus to Monaco, about 10 mins away.

Monaco is its own country apparently, and it has the Monte Carlo Casino, that is ridiculously beautiful and the cars outside show how expensive and rich the area must be. Also the harbour holds some of the nicest yachts and boats I’ve ever seen. It must be really cool to get a job aboard.

The coastline is very pretty the whole way along the coast.

The hostel I stayed at, is actually really cool, it is definitely a place to party, the whole common room could turn into a dance floor, its continuously packed with people, there's about 15 free computers scattered around, and a massive bar to accommodate your thirst.

They have a dinner each night, and bloody hell it's amazing! I ended up having a few drinks and chatting to a few Americans.

The next day brings rain, and heaps of it. I manage to make friends with this guy called Josh from Canada, there's so many Canadians and Americans travelling! We take the bus up to Eze again, and find the coastal path down to the beach, and as we get there it starts pissing down, so of course its beer o'clock. Annoying really. We walked for ages more checking all the beaches, and got so cold that all I wanted to do was go home and shower!!

The 3^rd day in Nice turns out to be sunny. I take off with my ipod and walk around the coast to find heaps of cute little coves and beaches. I swim and sunbathe at pretty much every beach I walk past, and then walk the main path to the bus and flop out at home, unable to move!!!

I wish I had more days in Nice, totally a place I will revisit.

4 days in Paris

Day 18

Arrived into Paris Charles de Gaulle and trained/metro-d into the city centre.

The hostel wasn't hard to find, I think I just came out the wrong exit and still followed the directions in the wrong way!! It's quite the shit hole. But it's all about the location, right in the city centre, and apparently most hostels are shit in Paris anyway.

I met Angie from Argentina and went for our first walk around the city. The Pantheon is just around the corner, and it leads to St Michel's fountain, and then to the Louvre. I couldn't believe I was standing in front if it!

Later in the night we grabbed a pizza together, and missioned it home. It took over an hour as we got severely lost!

We then experienced the worst night ever in a hostel!! 2 noisy Mexican couples arrive home after 2.30am, just as we had jumped into bed. The most inconsiderate people ever. I'm talking lights on, loud talking, packing bags (plastic bags), un-packing bags, brushing teeth in the stupid little sink, and then finally after about and hour, they go to sleep. At 6.45am they get up, and do it all again – well a for bit longer in the morning? I don't understand!!! BAD.

Day 19

3 hours of sleep.

Angie and I had decided to go on a free walking tour. The queues to get on the tour alone were ridiculously long and we just made it!

Our tour guide Tyler told us a bit about French history, Napoleon and the architecture.

I wish I had learnt more in school about the history of a lot of the places I’ve been to. I also wish I knew back then that it is actually interesting and I should read, and actually pay attention!

The city is so alive and beautiful.

Back in our hostel I met Nate from Hawaii (conveniently I had to move rooms) and we start a trek to the Eiffel Tower. I'd been told it lights up on the hour every hour after sundown. The walk took about an hour, again getting lost in the Labyrinth of streets.

It's pretty crazy standing next to the Eiffel Tower, very surreal. 

Day 20

The day of the longest walk. I got up after a much needed good sleep, and decided to go to the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower. I started off at about 9.30am, and hiked to the Louvre and spent about 3 hours walking the halls checking everything out. You really need a couple of days and a very openly artistic mind to survive it all. It is beautiful, but it's very full on.

The Mona Lisa was gorgeous, as expected it was in its own room, and very small. I pushed my way through the crowd and got my 20 seconds with Mona. Great.

I then walked the whole Avenue Des Champs-Elysees to the Arch de Triumph, and took an extra long walk round to the Eiffel Tower. The view over the grassy Avenues from the Mhusee de l Homme is spectacular. Again, Bag boys litter the streets.

The queues weren't as bad as I thought they would be, about an hour to get up to the 2^nd level, and an extra 45 mins to the top. I'm surprised at how cheap Paris is, in terms of sight seeing. I was expecting a lot more than 10 Euros each for pretty much everything.

The views were stunning!

I tubed back to the Hostel so I wouldn't get lost again, and had a few drink with 3 very young Aussie girls before they went out into town.

Day 20

I get to see a familiar face today! Mark (who I met in San Sebastian a few weeks back) and his mate Chris were hanging out on the Right bank, so I tubed over to Mont Mark to meet up with them.

At the summit stands the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur, its beautiful and holds a different view over the city. We chill out for a while, watching the bag boys and friendship bracelet boys trying to win over the tourists.

The area is well known for Art back in the day. Now, artists are scattered around the street painting views of Paris, and others are asking everyone and anyone to have their portrait painted.

We then had a drink at a sweet little cafe overlooking a rather steep street, I broke my flip flop and have to buy replacements – the only thing around, some rip off Havaianas. And boy do they squeak! 

Mark had heard of a park not far away...turned out to take 1 hour to get to as opposed to the 15 mins we thought....although we really saw some of Paris's dirty side, out in the back streets of the suburbs.

The park was pretty cool with a pavilion at the top of a hill and surrounded by a lake.

Modern Art museum is free on Sunday's, but were too hungry to look around, so started a new mission to find food. We just so happened to stumble into possibly the richest area of Paris! The prices of most cafés and restaurants exceeded our budget by over double, and the streets were full of ridiculously beautiful cars.

In the end we settled for a baguette with cheese, ham and tomato near the Louvre, and I caught the tube back home as my legs were aching big time after the last couple of days adventures and hours of walking.

The weather changed so fast into this massive electrical storm, and our crusty backpackers decided to leak all over one side of the room. Brilliant. It was nearly flooded...Great end to that shitty Hostel!!!!! Don't go to 'Young and Happy' Hostel!! EVER!!!

But yes. I do Love Paris!!!

So, I'm in Portugal.

Day 13

Lisboa

I sat next to this Portuguese guy on the plane, who thought he was gods gift. To be fair, he was pretty good looking, but also had the most smelliest breath I think I've ever smelt. It was worse when he fell asleep with his mouth open. Nice.

Luckily I am reasonably fit, as Lisbon is built on hills, and trying to find 'Lisbon Poets Hostel' was a work out in itself. The Hostel is amazing, the best by far, so clean, friendliest staff, great kitchen, sweet lounge area, the bedroom is wicked, just really good quality through and through. I liked it so much I booked another night, and 2 more in Porto under the same branch.

I got in late, so spent the night chilling out in the lounge with a lovely bottle of Portuguese Red fruity wine, and sat in the lounge with pretty much everyone staying there. The Barcelona VS Man United soccer game was on. It's safe to say Man U got thrashed! 

I met my room mates, Tato, from Japan, Vilijus from Lithuania and Max from Germany. Great lot! Max and Genuine (Villy) didn't come home until about 6, and 8.30 the next morning! 

Day 14

Since travelling alone, I actually haven't done anything by myself...so today I make a point of getting some Gina time in, and take off on what I thought would be a relaxed tram ride to explore 'Belem'.

It turns out every man and his dog want to go to Belem today, so many, that we are literally stuck together in the tram, packed in, and I feel terribly claustrophobic.

We 'un-stick' ourselves and hop off at Belem, and set eyes on the fantastic view of the huge monastery 'Mosteiro dos Jeronimo', flooded with tourists taking advantage of the free entry to museums on Sundays.

The Modern Art museum was holding 'BesPhoto 2011'. It was quite a good exhibition, and I took my time walking around.

I could see 'Torre de Belem' in the distance, and the streets were ridiculously packed with pink ladies doing the 'Walk for Breast Cancer'.

The tower is really cool, another 16^th century fortress, Lisbon's most photogenic landmark.

I wait in the stupidly long queues to check out the view over the Tagus estuary, and spot the 'Discoveries Monument.

Back in Lisbon again, I find a random Police museum that holds fantastic views out of the window and into the roofless church that was totally destroyed in 1755. Right next to it stands a tall tower

with the best views over city.

This city is so pretty, even the graffiti is cool to see everywhere, its so much different than N.Z, it holds a strange personality. Lively, people everywhere and each corner you turn something is happening. The streets a relatively clean, although there are some beggars.

I take the old tram up to the castle 'Castelo de San Jorge' and wander around its winding streets.

That's plenty sightseeing for today. Time for a drink out with the guys :)

Day 15

We were supposed to go to Sintra, but the weather wasn't on our side and neither were the train staff, as they were striking again.

I met Gemma, an Aussie girl who lives in Germany, and we met up with the guys down in the Rialto, and then  stroll up to the Cathedral and Castle, checking out the graffiti along the way, taking random photos. The boys were well keen for a photo shoot and it was a right laugh!

Had a lemon beer at a wee bar and then I went back to make lunch.

I randomly got on the Metro to try and find this one building I had seen on the way from the airport, but apparently it's not where I thought it was so I wasted an hour or so walking through the rain. I did however find another couple of run down buildings with heavy graffiti, and then went to Olypmia, where all the buildings are brand spanking new and very warped.

Dinner time! I meet everyone back at the hostel, and have a much needed stir-fry with heaps of veggies. We go out for a night time stroll which turns into an evening of Heineken at this one lovely bar.