Driving & The D-Day Beaches
Posted by ScarlettApr 25th, 2009 | 2 Comments
Today we picked up a rental car to go see the D-Day beaches, which aren’t reachable by train or bus unless you join a tour group, but it’s really expensive (like 80 euros per person). This was our first time driving in France and there’s only one way we can describe it – it’s all about the roundabout! I don’t think you can drive more than 10km without going through a roundabout. I know they”re supposed to improve the flow of traffic and reduce the number of crashes, but is it really better to have this many roundabouts? We’re not convinced… (more…)
Rouen France
Posted by ScarlettApr 24th, 2009 | No Comments
Paul flew back from Edmonton yesterday and met up with me in Strasbourg, where we caught a train to Rouen, a small city in the Normandy region of France. Because of the change in travel plans, we had to take a late afternoon train and didn’t arrive till close to 9 pm. By the time we found our hotel (the Ibis Rouen City Center, which isn’t really in city center, more like 1 km out!), most places were closed so we ate at the hotel and spent the rest of the evening getting settled and mapping out our sightseeing for today, which was now the only day here before heading to the D-Day beaches tomorrow. (more…)
Baeckoffe Stew and Eau de Vie
Posted by ScarlettApr 22nd, 2009 | 1 Comment
Today, my last day in Strasbourg, I headed to an area called la Petit France, known for its half-timbered houses and cobblestone roads, to find a restaurant called Le Baeckeoffe d’Alsace. While planning this trip, I had read about two things unique to this region – Baeckoffe stew and Eau de Vie – and I had been looking forward to trying both, but somehow three days had gone by and I hadn’t managed to get either! So, when I saw an ad for this restaurant saying they have traditional Baeckoffe stew and are a winstub, it seemed like the perfect place to have both and I decided to go try it. (more…)
A Day At The Zoo and European Institutions
Posted by ScarlettApr 21st, 2009 | 1 Comment
As previously mentioned, Strasbourg is the capital of the EU, and home to the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the Human Rights Building. Although visits inside these buildings aren’t allowed, you can’t really go to Strasbourg and not check out this “European Quarter,” so I made a plan to slowly walk over to the North-West side of the city where these buildings are located today. When I asked the guy at reception how long this would take, he laughed and suggested I take a tram because it’s quite far, but there were a few things I wanted to see along the way so I decided to walk there and tram back. (more…)
Lonely Tourist
Posted by ScarlettApr 20th, 2009 | No Comments
Apart from grabbing some McDonald’s for dinner, I didn’t bother to go out yesterday so today was effectively my first day as a solo traveller. So far my conclusion is: I prefer not to be alone! Everyone needs their space now and then, but when travelling, I prefer to have someone with me! The only thing I enjoy more when Paul isn’t around is shopping, but I can’t really fit stuff into my backpack or use it for the next year or two, so I’m not really inclined to do much shopping! (more…)
Cannes, Antibes & More Tripe…
Posted by ScarlettApr 5th, 2009 | 2 Comments
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…
Posted by ScarlettApr 4th, 2009 | 4 Comments
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…)
First Day In Avignon
Posted by ScarlettMar 30th, 2009 | No Comments
When we arrived in Avignon this morning, we were happy to see that it is much more scenic and lively than Nimes, but, unfortunately for us, most places are closed because Monday is sort of the same as Sunday (as it is in a lot of Europe) and most shops and many restaurants don’t open (more…)
Nimes France- It Should’ve Just Been a Daytrip!
Posted by ScarlettMar 29th, 2009 | No Comments
We arrived in Nîmes yesterday, but, after getting lost and walking an extra kilometer in the rain to find the hotel (which turned out to be pretty out of the way and far from city center), neither of us felt like going back out to explore; so we ate lunch at the hotel, hand-washed some laundry in the tub since we couldn’t find a laundromat, and watched some French TV – including what we think is their version of Deal or no Deal, but uses boxes instead of suitcases so we’re calling it Box or no Box (more…)
You Never Forget How To Ride A Bike, But You Might Get A Bit Rusty…
Posted by ScarlettMar 27th, 2009 | 2 Comments
Since we managed to walk around most of Montpellier and see the majority of the sites yesterday, we decided to try renting bikes today to ride out to the Mediterranean Sea, which Jean-Luc (editor’s note: Picard!?) said is only about 45 minutes away by bike. (more…)
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