photoshopbabe
wow....
Member since 5/07 2197 total posts
Name:
linda
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Review of Europe-Rome/Florence/Monaco/Paris
I finally have a few minutes where I can review this!
Let me start out by saying I never had a real interest to go to Europe (i know, shocking!!)
To me, a vacation is lying on the beach
Butttttttt I was fortunate enough that most of this trip was paid for, as my companys xmas party was in Monaco.
Italy:
Rome is just gorgeous. I loveeeeed it. I loved the Coliseum the best. It was truly amazing. (Strangely enough, Ive always wanted to go just here. In HS me and hubs took Latin-and we had this AMAZING Latin teacher, who I became very close with. She actually passed away 8 years ago today. So i HAD to go to the Coliseum for her. I felt her there with me.)
First day-We landed there about 1130, checked in Hotel-Hotel Ponte Sisto-btw, -which is great!-walked around a bit, had lunch in Campo Dei Fiori. went back to hotel, took a nap(DH had gotten a bad cold 2 days prior to trip-uggg!)
We woke up around 8pm-and did the nightwalk through Rome. (recommended by Rick Steves book). We hit up Campo Dei Fiorio, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps.
Trevi fountain-gorgeous, but a tourist trap. We were tryin to take a pic in front of the fountain, when a guy came up to us and was like oh ill take it! we said no no-he pushed, so he took it. Then he pulls out a poloraid n snapped two pics. Then his "buddy" came by and gave me roses to hold. Then they wanted tips. Annoying.
The next day-we did St.Peters Square and also the Vatican Museum. It was really amazing-Sistine Chapel-beautiful-but I lost my guidebook there :( BOO!
We also walked past Castle St.Angelo-which was closed, but the views there were just gorgeous!!
Day 3-we went to Florence. Took the super fast train. First got on the wrong train, then RAN to the right one, lol.
I liked Florence-but I started to feel sick. ugg. NO Museums were open that day bc of a strike, but we still walked up the Duomo-463 steps, and tight staircases, but a gorgeous view!! Well worth it.
I didn't see any leather I liked-but maybe bc Im not into leather all that much?
Day 4-My favorite day, lol. We hit up the Coliseum-which lower half is now open. Palatine Hill-gogeous and the Roman Forum-where all the ruins are. I truly loved this day.
Day 5-We left from Rome to Monaco. We were in the air maybe 20 minutues, took Blue Express. Not bad at all.
Monaco-just freakin unbelieavbly gorgeous. But Small!
I couldnt do much this day-I felt so sick, had a fever, but I had to go to the office this night for a small cocktail party, so we just were there for an hour, then we went to dinner. Dinner was amazing.
We stayed at the Fairmont Monte Carlo. All food was amazing. Expensive, but I didnt pay so...lol
Day 6-Had to go to the office for an hour. Then me and hubby walked Monaco. We walked around the yachts, up the mountains and to the castle. It was amazing. Also, the "old" part of Monaco.
That night was our Xmas party at the Hermitage Hotel. I can't even describe it. So much food-so many courses. After, we went to an after party at the Buddha Bar. I walked in and felt so POOR. LOL. Seriously, like lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Amazing.
The next am-545! we left to go to paris. Honestly....i didnt like Paris at all. Maybe bc it was cold? Maybe bc I was sick? Just not for me. Nothing special. I felt like it was sorta like NYC_but with rude French people. And I thought NYC was way better-and i dont even LIKE NYC that much! lol
We did the Eiffelt Tower and saw Mona Lisa. THAT was cool.
I saw a few gypsies here. And a lot of African men-who were extremely pushy and kind of scary. (not bc they were African, but bc of how pushy they were)
We left the next day.
All in all, an amazing trip. I took over 2600 pics
 
But..I'm going to share some tips-Hopefully they will help!
If you are going to Rome-do yourself a favor and buy the Rick Steves guide. I bought it the n ight before we left and it helped me SO MUCH! I planned pretty much our entire time there bc of this book. They had a lot of good rest. in there.
I found out form the book-that cabs from the airport to your hotel in Rome will try to charge you E60, when the MOST they can charge you is E45. Its a law. Use ONLY SPQR cabs!
-I didnt see any gypsies in Rome. What i DID see, and was unexpected, was a lot of people from Guyana/Bangladesh-who were EXTREMELY annoying-and kept begging you to buy stuff from them. Like stupid little toys, or umbrellas. They will come into the squares, or piazzas, and come right up to you as you are eating and try to make you buy things. Just ignore them.
(i brought an umbrella with me)
We walked EVERYWHERE. We didnt take any cabs or anything. But man..we got lost a few times! Maybe thats why I lost weight! lol
We took Open Skies from here to Paris/Paris back. Excellent airline.
B/w cities we took flights. MUCH cheaper than trains! EasyJet and Blue Panorama were good. Not scary at all.
(one of the best feelings was flying over the Swiss/French Alps. Amazing. Beautiful. I was mesmerized!)
If I can think of anything else..I will report it!
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smdl
I love Gary too..on a plate!
Member since 5/06 32461 total posts
Name:
me
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Re: Review of Europe-Rome/Florence/Monaco/Paris
Word of advice if you ever go to Paris.
NEVER go in the Winter. All the other cities you went to where in the South. Paris is like NY weather. It's completely different than the South part. It's like comparing NY and Florida in the Winter. Everybody is going to say they love Florida.
It's damp, grey and nasty. Not the best time to enjoy the City.
In regards to rude people, it depends where you were, who you were talking to and what time. I could have a whole dissertation on rudeness in France. 
Glad you enjoyed the rest of your trip.
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Mushesgirl
Too blessed to be stressed
Member since 4/09 6691 total posts
Name:
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Re: Review of Europe-Rome/Florence/Monaco/Paris
i really enjoyed this review, lived vicariously for a bit! sounds like you had a blast, sorry you guys got sick tho
was surprised to hear about the pushy foreigners in italy. i was there in 00, and 01 and didn't see that. Saw gypsies tho.
I agree 100% with you on Paris. I was there in the summer of 00, enjoyed Versailles and the Louvre, Notre Dame, but the city overall was exactly like NYC (except with crepes) so I was like
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