Train Travel In Europe

After travelling by train in Portugal, Spain, France and Switzerland, I thought it might be informative to put up some information about stuff like ticket checks, etc.

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Cost of Living Comparison

We find our cost of living slowly but surely creeping upwards as we travel from Portugal to Switzerland, so I thought it might be informative to create a table to compare some basic costs for anyone reading this blog and/or planning a trip to Europe.  This table shows average prices of the places we’ve shopped/eaten at – obviously smaller supermarkets are more expensive that large ones and the “fanciness” of the restaurant has varied, but we’ve stuck to mostly average places. In some cities I didn’t buy or look at certain things, so I’ve labeled them “Didn’t see.”  Also, because the notebook I had initially been using to keep track of expenditures was stolen in Madrid, the costs listed for Lisbon, Porto, and Madrid are to the best of my memory, but they are fairly accurate. (more…)

Last Meal In Lyon

For our last meal in the capital of gastronomy, we followed the suggestions we found online to head to the area by the Nouvel Opera House in old town.  After wandering around in circles, we finally came across rue Mercière, the beginning of about a block of connected streets full of restaurants.  We had a hard time deciding which one to eat at (they all had about the same amount of traffic and there was so many different types of food available), but we finally decided to go with a place that served frog legs because I love frog legs and I haven’t had them in a long time! (more…)

Parlez-vous Anglais?

Yesterday I became more sick than the day before so we didn’t do much except go get some pasta in old town at night so we wouldn’t eat at Brasserie George again.  Today, the last of our four days in Lyon, I felt slightly better and we set out to see as much of Lyon as we could before leaving.  (more…)

Dinner #2 At Brasserie George

My “slight” cold turned into a mega cold today, making it impossible to get out and do much.  We tried going to Old Town, about 5 minutes from the hotel, but, after eating paninis and walking up part of Rue Victor Hugo (a major shopping street), I felt like I was going to faint so we went back to the hotel and I spent the rest of the day sleeping

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First Night In Lyon

Like most of our “travel” days so far, today was pretty much a write off once we trained from Nice to Lyon.  The train ride wasn’t too long (about 3½ hours) but we both couldn’t really sleep last night (which seems to be becoming a trend the night before we move to a different city).  When we added in the fact that it’s a weekday so Paul had to work in the late afternoon, we decided to just hang out at the hotel and nap. (more…)

Root Canal Day!

After getting some dental treatment and meds in Barcelona, Paul’s tooth ache has mostly been under control, but we both started catching a cold this past week and it seems when his immune system is lowered, the pain starts to come back.  So, before things got out of hand like last time, Paul decided to schedule his root canal while we’re in Nice and got in to see the dentist today at 11am. (more…)

Cannes, Antibes & More Tripe…

Today we visited Cannes, famous for its film festival in May, and found that there’s not much there but a lot of private beaches you have to pay to go onto!  Personally, I’d much rather vacation in the Caribbean if I’m looking for a beach – the water is more blue, the sand is soft, and the beaches are mostly free! (more…)

Redefining Rich…

Today we day-tripped to Villefranche-sur-Mer and Monaco (Monte Carlo), and all we can say is “we feel so poor!”  Never before have I seen such a concentration of hundred million dollar yachts, Ferraris, and expensive boutiques.  It’s like Vancouver’s coal harbor on crack! (more…)

Voyageur Nissart – My New Favourite French Restaurant!

We have finally had a meal that can only be described as total perfection!  For once everything, from appetizers to dessert, was simply amazing and if anyone is going to Nice, you simply must go eat at Voyageur Nissart on Rue Alsace-Lorraine! (more…)