Let's Split

We only had a short time in Split, yet I think we've seen most of it! There isn't actually that much to see, unless we're really missing something. We've walked around the old town, inside Diocletian's palace, about 4 times and soaked up the very Roman atmosphere.

We got a bit lost finding our hostel though, but quite enjoyed walking through some very small, authentic streets until we came upon an old woman sitting on her step and ran away (it got a bit too authentic). On Saturday night, we had dinner in a little place on the harbour which was very nice (although I am still confused as to why Black Risotto means cuttlefish risotto, I didn't even know you could eat them and I am still not convinced) and we were there for a few hours catching up on each others' lives. It was also nice to share a room with someone I knew for a change.

The following morning, after having breakfast, we had one last walk around. I climbed the bell tower to see some views of the city from above which was quite satisfying but there was just too many people and I nearly fell over more than once.

Selfie at the top!

Then we walked through an indoor market where I did the necessary magnet purchasing, before we had lunch (a sandwich with no butter) and then went to the bus station. If Croatia wants to continue to be a tourist destination, they really need to expand their airport and bus stations, as they were about the size of a postage stamp and about as organised as rabbit's tea party. We did eventually get on the right bus and it is quite comfortable actually!

See you in Zagreb

xxx

For one night only

I ended up taking an earlier and more direct train from Grenoble to Bellegarde, getting the coach service to Geneva, arriving about half 5. I headed straight to the UN and a nice Chinese lady took my picture by the sign.

With this obligatory and absolutely necessary task completed, I went and found the hostel, which is very nice actually. Though this time, I've landed a top bunk which horrifies me for many reasons but I can deal.

Then it was a mad dash to see what I could see! The lake was first with the water jet thing, followed by magnet buying, a stroll around the old town and then taking the tram all the way to CERN! That was really exciting, not to sound like a lame-o, but it was pretty cool. We all just got off the tram with our cameras out, then walked to the other platform and went straight back.

Cern

By the time I got back into the centre, it was nearly 10pm and I was starving. So I located a Chinese restaurant, which was gorgeous inside and very tasty.

I'm in Croatia now, and have successfully met up with Sia!





Beautiful so far!
Laters
Xxxx

She'll be coming down the mountain (in inappropriate shoes as usual)

Grenoble has been excellent! Apart from arguing with tram ticket machines (I mean, why invent ones that don't take notes), and waiting for a bus in the middle of nowhere, I'm pleased I spent so long here.

Hiding from the rain

It was pissing down with rain on my first night, and that's when I realised I didn't have any trousers with me! It was a miserable evening so I went back to the hostel fairly early, and met a German who lives near where I worked in Berlin and a nice Norwegian girl, who turned out to be one of my roommates.

?

The next day I went to the Grenoble museum, which was good, though there was a lot of questionable art...

I loved this!

Then I took the little cable cars up onto the Bastille and had a coffee overlooking the city and the mountains, which was lovely.

I decided not to eat there as I figured it would be expensive, so off I wandered a little further up and found another restaurant, which turned out to be like, seriously gourmet so I ended up having a 3 course meal... I didn't even realise I liked tuna confit. Still not entirely sure what it was.

Pork with loads of tasty stuff and a whole bowl of gratin

Next up was the Museum of Alpine Troops which was superbly done - the audio guide was automatic and synced with holograms and videos. I've never learnt anything about mountain soldiers and it was very interesting! After that, I walked back down the mountain, exploring caves and parts of the old fort as I went. It took a while...

Coming down the mountain

Do I get a prize for this photo?

I did also attempt to visit a cemetary, obviously, but it was closed. Shame.
Yesterday, I ventured to the Funicular at Montfort by bus. It was well worth it- 718m high at the top, the views were stunning, and I attempted selfies with Mont Blanc.

Going up! 

Dinner last night was at a fantastic Italian, where I consumed a huge calzone (and even some olives, I know right!) and had to stagger home. There was no one else in my dorm last night so I took advantage of this sudden privacy and walked around in my pants. You just gotta.

Today I went to the Museum of Resistance and Deportation, which was free and also very good. Though there were some very shocking images of extermination camps, of course, the whole thing is shocking, but it was very graphic.

I've just fed myself and am now off to the train station to head to Geneva for the night, then tomorrow at 1, I'll be flying to Split in Croatia to meet Sia! It's all going so quickly.

Au revoir Grenoble! And laters to you lot.
Xxxx

Choo choo

Next stop Grenoble! I'm on the train now, if you hadn't guessed from the unimaginative title.

'Croissant- Growing' This could well be my favourite translation error of all time

Avignon was lovely, though it seriously tested my navigation skills. The historic centre is walled, so when you don't have a map like silly old me, trying to find your way to the wall through a maze of streets, and then walk along the wall to find a door was not easy.

I'm quite pleased with my French though- I dived straight in and it's been fine!

Yesterday, I spent most of the day just wandering around and getting lost. I climbed a massive rock thing and had an ice cream in a little cafe at the top as a reward.

Considered riding one of these

I also walked along the river and sat there contemplating life for some time before deciding to find a restaurant and getting lost for the hundreth time. It was quite relaxing, just meandering around by myself, occassionally stopping for coffee, and once for macaroons- I love the pistachio ones.

Getting lost in the windy streets

I didn't sleep so well last night because two more room mates arrived, well they arrived earlier in the evening but they went out and returned at 1am and proceeded to make as much noise as a herd of elephants. I really tried to ignore it, because it's a hostel and you can't have privacy and luxury but it was too much in the end. I stormed out for a cigarette and when I came back it was dark and silent. The American girl and I had the last laugh though- we were both up at 7.30.

I had a coffee at a cafe before heading to the train station, where a man came and asked me for a lighter. Then 10 minutes later, he returned and asked if he could sit and talk to me. I politely declined and he went away. About half an hour later, I was having a fag outside the station when a car pulls up and the same bloke gets out, comes over and says he has to talk to me because I'm beautiful. I told him to go away and he appeared to, but I hid in the station for a bit. What is wrong with people?!

Anyway, thank you Avignon, for a lovely and sunny couple of days!

Laters
Xxx

Un erreur

I meant pushchairs, not children, oops.

Okay bye now
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Hasta luego Murcia, Salut Avignon!

So the week in Spain came to an end and I'm sitting in a cafe near a fort above Avignon, after walking for ages in boiling heat and shouting at a lady in the tourism office because she told me to wait my turn while she found out whether or not the monuments are suitable for children (hint, you're in a bloody walled town with fortresses, hello) and all I did was quickly and politely ask where I could get water... ANYWAY
The last few days in Spain were good fun- we spent one of them round the pool, another down by the beach at La Azohia which was just like something from a film set, and my last evening was spent at an anniversary do.

La Azohia

I danced my butt off, which always happens with Auntie Julie around. Roger, Julie and I all had a lovely dance to 'Get Here' by Oleta Adams, which is a song for our whole family really, as we're in all corners of the globe (YouTube it, you'll see what I mean) and we all get choked up listening to it. The night was rounded off by me finding some Germans to talk to, yay!

At the top of the hills

We spent my final morning at Mazzaron port for coffee, before we came home to pack and had a final sausage, eggs and chips at the Trevi. I fell asleep on the way to Alicante, which I'm annoyed about as I wasted my last hour! My family don't say goodbye to each other, so see you soon Julie and Roger and thank you for a lovely week!

Told you I was famous ;)

It was a massive faff at the bus station after they dropped me off. There was nothing for Avignon on the board so I asked a man behind a counter and he said 'diez' and held up 10 fingers so off I popped to bay 10. Three boards had 'Francia' on them- no cities, just France. Helpful.

So when a Eurolines bus pulled in, people surged towards it desperately waving their tickets. I was quite close to just having a little scream and telling everyone to get in a queue, but it was alright in the end and I got here eventually!

I've already been 'Sur le pont d'Avignon' har de har. Did anyone else realise that the bridge was built because a man had a message from God that Avignon needed a bridge? I also had a look at the Pope Palace which was interesting. I know right, Avignon also had popes at one point and was completely separate from France. You learn something every day.

View from my hostel

Moi on the bridge

Pope Palace

I clawed my way to a church across the river and dragged myself up a hill to a fort. It was a very spooky experience since I was pretty much alone up there in one of the towers, and not improved by wearing flip-flops! The views were worth it though.

Fort St. Andre

What?

One the better selfie attempts, believe it or not

Ciao for now, I'm gonna have another coffee before I face the walk back down...

Xxx


P.S. I am posting via email, look at me and technology eh

Corr it ain't half hot

Hola from sunny Costa Calida!

The time I've spent here with my Aunt and Uncle has been great fun so far; we've karakoke'd, danced the night away to rock 'n' roll, swam in the Med, lounged by the pool and even spoken on the radio station. (Yes, you read that right, I'm famous here now and have the baseball cap to prove it.)

The view from Tia and Tio's rooftop

It was baking hot from the minute I arrived. It's 11.34 p.m. and I'm sweating like a pig.

Friday began with the drive through what looked like the Nevada desert to Camposol in Murcia, where my aunt and uncle live, the lucky buggers. It's a pretty surreal place, partly because it's as dry as Ghandi's flip-flop and partly because it's just like being down the social club back in Basildon. Talking about the social club, their local is a place called the Trevi across the road and we spent Friday night there singing and dancing along to an excellent entertainer called Suzy G. She did a fantastic Michael Jackson tribute.

After recovering on Saturday morning, we headed to the port of Mazzaron to the local market. Uncle Roger went off for a coffee, having realised that he's lived here long enough now to find the tourists irritating. That night we went to a different bar to see a rock 'n' roll band called the Red Tops, who were brilliant, even coming out in the dancing crowd with their instruments and singing with us.

Camposol

Sweaty smiles at Mazzaron Port

On Sunday evening, Auntie Julie and I went on a karaoke crawl. Auntie Julie is known as Ju-Bo round here, because pretty much everyone hear knows her voice. It was good fun that night, and although I chickened out of taking part myself, it was lovely to hear Julie sing again.

I slept in until 1 on Monday, wooops. It was a quiet day though, and we spent the afternoon in the Trevi and came home to bangers and mash. I tell you, I should have come here sooner as a lot of the homesickness would have been helped! Well, to do with food anyway. I've had several fry-ups, steak and kidney pie, propa sausages AND fish and chips. We watched the commemoration service for the beginning of WW1 and lit our candle outside. We nearly gave Uncle Roger nightmares- he was asleep in the armchair and Auntie Julie and I were sitting on the sofa behind him, in the dark for the service, so when he woke up and looked around... hahaha oh his face, it was amusing.

Yesterday evening was spent on the beach in Bolnuevo, which was just gorgeous. I haven't swum in the sea for years, and apart from nearly falling over in the rather large ripples, it was lovely.

Me in the Med (yes, I cropped this because I don't look half as good as the other ladies in the picture. but whatever)

So today I had my 15 minutes of fame! Ju-bo knows everyone round here, so we went up to the Costa Calida radio station to see DJ Eddie B, and I got to sit in the big chair and announce a couple of songs! I was so nervous beforehand, but it was all good. I'm obviously a natural radio star. I mean, people we bumped into the caff and at the pub said "Oh, you were on the radio earlier!". Ego x1000.

Eddie B, and me, watching how it's done

Cheesy but I love it

Me and Julie have just got back from quiz night up the Trevi. We did come last, but we won a bag of sweets for our trouble. I think we did pretty well considering it was just the two of us and that I was the youngest one there...

Anyway, not sure what we're doing tomorrow, maybe looking for some new shorts for me, and then having a quiet one round the pool.

I'll be off to Avignon on Saturday evening, but I'll see if I can check in before then. Whether you'll get any photos before I'm back in Berlin or Essex, I cannot say!

Adios amigos! (My Spanish is seriously limited. I'm sorry).

xxxx