A Parisian Love Story

I've lost count of the number of times I have been to Paris - somewhere in the neighbourhood of 15 or so - but it's a city that keeps drawing me back again and again.  I love having "my" restaurant and "my" hotel.  I love that I can come up from the Métro and know where I am and which direction I need to go without pulling out a map.  And I love that there is always something new to discover or explore.

It's rather ironic that I keep coming back because the first few times I visited (while I was living in France) I was rather unimpressed - it was just another big city.  Then one day, while waiting to pick a friend up from the airport, I was wandering through the Jardin des Tuileries.  The temperature was perfect, the gilded buildings were glistening in the sunshine, the flowers were in bloom, and I "got" it and I fell hopelessly in love with the City of Lights.

This time, I have the pleasure of introducing "my" city to a friend who has never travelled before.  It's exciting to explore the city with someone who has never been here before.  It's also neat to rediscover some of the typical tourist destinations and see how they have changed.

A few must-dos for the first time visitor to Paris:

• Visit the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris on the Île de la Cité.  Perhaps the most famous church in the world, this cathedral is a marvel: the symmetric western façade, the rose windows, the carvings telling the story of Christ all inspire the visitor.  As you walk through the church, don't miss the model of the cathedral and the model of the building of the cathedral.  Be sure to stand on the "Point Zéro" in front of Notre-Dame - all distances in Paris are measured from this bronze marker.  If you have time, climb the towers to see the gargoyles and for an incomparable view of the city.  The treasury has an interesting collection of relics and reliquaries, including the Crown of Thorns.

• Wander along the banks of the Seine River, stopping to sit and watch the boats go by.  From mid-July to mid-August, you can take part in Paris Plages, when the banks of the Seine are turned into beaches, complete with beach chairs, umbrellas, sand castle competitions, & snack bars.

• Walk down the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe.  It will be crowded but it's worth it.  Stop and have a drink at a side-walk café - the publicis drugstore has a great view of the Arc de Triomphe.  If you can time it right, be at the Arc de Triomphe for the 6:30 "ravivage" (rekindling) of the eternal flame in remembrance of the French soldiers lost in World War One.

A glass of wine and a view at publicis drugstore

• Get a Berthillon ice cream on Île St-Louis from La Flore en L'Île.  Berthillon ice cream is considered by many to be the best in Paris. If the line-up at La Flore is too long, about two blocks down on the rue Saint-Louis en l'Île another store sells the same ice cream and the lineup is rarely as long.  Walk down the stairs to the right of the bridge to Île de la Cité and eat your ice cream at the tip of Île St-Louis.  Cost: 3.50 € for a single / 5 € for a double.

The 60e anniversaire flavour is delicious!
(Passion Fruit, Vanilla, and Pepper)

•  Do a Seine River cruise - at sunset, if you can time it right, or at night.  This is a great way to see the main sights of Paris, learn a bit of the history, and the buildings are at their best when lit up (especially the Eiffel Tower).  There are many companies to choose from.  Two of my favourites are Les Vedettes de Pont-Neuf, located on Île de la Cité at the Pont Neuf (New Bridge) and the iconic Bateaux Mouches, located at the Pont de l'Alma on the Right Bank.  Tickets booked online may be cheaper than at the ticket office (I booked mine online while standing outside the ticket office!).  Cost:  approx. 15 € / 7 €.

• Go up the Eiffel Tower - the view of the city is worth it.  Recent renovations to the first level have added in a glass floor (step out into the void!), a new restaurant (prices seemed reasonable), and a new, sustainably developed, summer terrace with an alfresco bar.  If you are planning your trip far in advance, try to prebook your tickets on the Eiffel Tower website (when I tried in early July, it was possible to pre-book tickets through October - but no tickets were left).  Otherwise, plan to get up early to be at the Eiffel Tower at least an hour before it opens to be among the first in line.  If not, expect to be in line for 2-3 hours.  (Another option might be to book a tour with a company.)  Cost:  9 € / 7 € (to the second level by elevator); 15.50 € / 13.50 € (to the top by elevator).  Prices are going up as of Sept. 2015.

View from the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower

The new, sustainably developed, summer terrace on the 1st level of the Eiffel Tower.
Furniture is made from reused wood pallets and recycled plastic.

This is, of course, a very limited list of the things to do in Paris but a good starting point for someone new to the City of Lights.

Have you been to Paris?  What "must-dos" do you recommend to your friends so that they too fall in love with Paris?

Adventures in Wales

I’ve survived the last crazy days of the school year, summer has arrived once again, and it’s time to travel!  My grandmother was celebrating her 90^th birthday (in Wales) on June 27 so after working the very last school day of the year, I caught a flight to London-Gatwick. 

After a flight of crying babies and little sleep, I picked up my rental car and started my cross-country dash to Pontardawe, Wales.  Driving on the left is always an adventure, made even more challenging this time because my little Fiat 500 had a stick shift.

I hadn’t purchased a data plan before I left ($70 for 300 MB of data is ridiculous!), so I loaded my route into Google Maps at Gatwick, thanks to their free Wi-Fi.  After a few unintended detours (Google’s not powerful enough yet to recalculate a route when you make a wrong turn and your data is turned off…), I made it safely to my grandmother’s party.  It was so great to see her face light up when I arrived and then even more when I told her I was staying for a week!

The party was a huge family reunion – and I do mean huge!  My Dad has five brothers and five sisters and all 11 of them were able to attend the party.  I think this is the first time all 11 of the siblings have been together since the late 70s!  Most of their children and grandchildren were also there.

Kitty and her 11 children.

Time with family was the priority for the rest of the week:  visits with Grandma, celebrating my uncle John’s birthday, looking through old family photos and learning more of the family history, family dinners.  We also did a bit of tourism, visiting the National Botanic Garden of Wales and doing some shopping in Carmarthen.  It was such a great way to start off the summer holidays.

My grandmother was in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during WWII.

My great-grandfather, John Patrick Grimes, & his regiment.

Driving around southwestern Wales has been an adventure.  Before leaving one location, I would load my route into Google Maps and head off, again without data.  I ended up down some very narrow country roads, wondering where the heck Google was taking me.  One time I was trying to get to my Grandma’s and Google got me close – I could see her place! – but on the wrong no-exit road.  Thankfully my cousin had suggested I load the app “navmii” and it was able to get me where Google couldn’t.  All part of the adventure – and part of me would have been disappointed if I had never ended up down one of those narrow roads bordered by hedgerows so typical of Wales.

Not all who follow Google Maps are lost
... But they might find themselves on an adventure!

Right now, I’m experiencing one of those other travel “adventures”.  After returning my rental car (to a closed rental agency, whose key drop box wouldn’t open, so here’s hoping they get the message that I put the key in the other agency’s box!), I checked in and went through security with time to spare.  My flight to Paris was supposed to leave at 13:00.  It’s now 13:56 and the information board states “Next info at 14:00.”  Seeing as how the other delayed flights have an estimated departure time listed, I’m thinking this does not bode well!  (Update:  We left Cardiff at about 14:45!)

The Long and Winding Great Ocean Road: Lorne to Port Campbell

Situated on the coast, Lorne has beautiful scenery and some good restaurants but doesn't seem to have much more to offer.   I spent some time on the beach, despite the occasional light shower, and was reminded that sometimes it pays to look back - I turned around and saw a rainbow arcing over the town.  

My very first wild koala sighting!

A short sidetrip out of town led to Erskine Falls.  I love that Australia is great about warning you of the potential dangers but then letting you decide whether or not to take the risk.  In Canada, we tend to have made adventure and exploration very tame with board walks, "safe" areas, etc.  That said, I wasn't too keen when I saw this sign with the snake warning!  The only way I managed to move beyond that was to remind myself that it's winter and cold out - not good weather for snakes!  No need to tell me if I'm wrong! ;-)

Driving from Lorne to Kennett River was an experience!  Lonely Planet describes part of this drive, saying the "Great Ocean Road snakes spectacularly around the cliff-side" - I don't think I could describe it any better!  The views were amazing - I'm thankful for many spots where I could pull over to get out and take photos.

Kennett River is another small town along the Great Ocean Road but it has something that no other spot had yet offered - koalas!  I almost missed the best viewing spot as I drove through town but a small crowd around a tree caught my attention.  I turned around and parked by a roadside coffee shop and then walked over to the crowd.  A fairly active, determined koala was making its way from branch to branch in a small gum tree right beside the road.  The way he moved reminded me of the way sloths move through the trees.

I went into the coffee shop and grabbed some lunch.  While I was eating, a koala walked across the parking lot!

Kookaburra sits in the old gum . . . wait a minute . . . 

There was also a very brave and curious kookaburra who came to sit on the fence of the coffee shop patio.  He let people get very near to him and if you spoke to him, he turned his head towards you as if he knew that you were addressing him.

A short walk up the side street led to many more koalas and lots of colourful birds.  The same area has glow worms, but I needed to keep driving.

It is impossible to do justice to the rugged beauty of this stretch of coast.  The rocks, the waves, the flora, the fauna, the rainbows - incredible!

I stopped in Apollo Bay for gas.  The previous day, they had seen a whale just offshore so I watched for a little while without success.

My next stop was Maits Rest Rainforest Boardwalk.  Walking through this rainforest-gully was like stepping back to the time of the dinosaurs:  fern trees three times my height, old growth forest, a preternatural quiet, rain dripping off the leaves. . . you could just imagine the prehistoric creatures wandering around.

On the way to the Cape Otway Lighthouse, you drive a stretch of road known for koalas.  Getting out of the car, I spotted at least 20 or so koalas in trees just alongside the road.  I was making my way to a better position to take a picture of one koala sleeping high in a tree when I glimpsed movement out of the corner of my eye.  Only a foot or two higher than my head, in a tree only a foot or two away, sat a koala just looking at me - I couldn't believe how close he was!

The Cape Otway Lighthouse grounds are fairly large.  At the lighthouse, Pat, the former lighthouse keeper, was an informative host, sharing the history of Australian lighthouses, in general, and specifically the history of the Cape Otway Lighthouse.  There is a WWII bunker that was used for surveying the waters off Australia for Japanese war ships.  There is also an aboriginal cultural centre.  I was there near dusk and found the paths through the woodlands rather hard to follow - hard enough that I was a little worried at one point!

As night was falling, I made my way to Port Campbell and found a hotel to stay at for the night.  Dinner was fish and chips from a take-away place called "Frying Nemo".

Nemo, Jaws and Overcoming My Fears

I will return to my tales of the Great Ocean Road in the next day or so, but need to rave about my experience at the Great Barrier Reef today first!

I spent the day out at Michaelmas Cay and Hastings Reef with the crew of the Seastar and about 30 or so other tourists, including a lot of US Navy personnel and their wives, in town after completing manoeuvres with the Australian Navy.  There was also a couple from a town 20 minutes away from where I live back in Canada!

The Great Barrier Reef is beyond description!  The coral in all different types, colours, and sizes.  The giant clams.  The sea turtles.  Nemo.  Schools of fish swimming around you.  The parrot fish.  It just amazes me!

A giant clam

This was my second visit to the Reef.  Last week, I had the opportunity to snorkel and SCUBA dive while sailing in the Whitsunday Islands.  I loved the snorkeling but wasn't too keen on the SCUBA diving.  All our lives we are trained that we can't breathe under water and to hold our breath.  SCUBA diving demands that you let go of that training and conditioning and accept that the alternate is true.  That takes a leap of faith - especially after signing your life away on all of the release forms required to SCUBA dive!  My instructor was really good and let me take my time adjusting to the water as I was psyching myself out more than a little bit!  Overall, it was a good experience, but it ended with my mask filling with water and being unable to clear it.  Not the most positive note to end on - especially with an activity that scared me to begin with.

Even before I left Canada, I had planned to go out to the Reef again while in Cairns.  After the experience in the Whitsundays, I wasn't too sure I would dive again but I also knew that if I didn't try again fairly soon, I might never try again - time would allow the fear and the bad memories to grow.

Michaelmas Cay

So today, I screwed my courage to the sticking place and tried again.

A friend had recommended the Seastar, having had a great experience with them the previous week.  He had also told me how, at the second dive site, there is a coral cave that you can swim through and that it was absolutely amazing.  I went out on the Seastar having already signed up for the first dive and willing to consider the second dive, depending on how the first one went.

My instructor, Ash, was amazing.  He literally held my hand (almost) the entire way through.  He was calm and encouraging, even when I was psyching myself out.  This time, it was less about being able to breathe under water and, reasonably enough after my last experience, more about my mask filling with water.  He kept giving me a new mask and adjusting the fit until I was comfortable.  I enjoyed the first dive enough that I immediately signed up for the second dive.  I even swam through the coral cave my friend had told me about.

SCUBA diving was an incredible experience.  I don't think I will ever be confident enough to do it on my own - the hand-holding kept me grounded and calm.  But I am so glad I got back in and tried again - that I didn't let a mostly good experience clouded by a bad experience at the end stop me from trying again.  I would have missed out on some cool sightings (giant clams, finding Nemo and, thankfully, not finding Jaws!) and experiences (swimming through a coral cave).

You can check out some of my photos from my time snorkeling here and photos taken by the Seastar crew here.

I found Nemo!

.

A Random Rant About Cell Phone Companies

Why does cell phone service cost so much in Canada?  I'd heard that we pay among the highest (if not the highest!) fees in the world but figured an expensive country like Australia, with similar geography, would have to come close.

Nope.  I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Mini for $100 (approx.) from Virgin Australia.  $29.00 later and I had a GB of data and $450 worth of credit to be used for phone calls, text messages, and any overages on data.  The next time I topped up my phone (as long as I did so within 28 days), I received (for the same $29), $500 worth of credit.  The third time, I will receive $550 worth of credit.  International text messages only cost $0.35.

In Canada, for 1GB of data, 200 anytime minutes, 10 free numbers and unlimited texting - more or less an equivalent plan (for me, at least - I don't make many phone calls), I pay $75.00!!!

And don't get me started on unlocking my phone!!  I have 6 months left on my contract with Bell.  The iPhone itself was actually paid off as of April 4.  I called to unlock my phone on the Wednesday before I left (yes, I left it to the last minute - just call me the Queen of Procrastination!!).  What I thought should be a fairly simple process - call up Bell, pay the $75.00, they do their magic and voilà! - turned out to be not so simple.

First of all, because I am still under contract, I would have to pay an additional $70 for a total of $145.00 to unlock my paid-for phone.

Secondly, I would have to wait for a call from the Bell's fraud department and they would unlock the phone.

Thirdly, to finish unlocking an iPhone, you need to return your phone to factory settings and then use the backup stored on your computer to restore the phone.  (This is to the best of my knowledge.)

Fourth, add in the fact that as of Friday morning, I had yet to receive the promised phone call and this was becoming way more complicated, frustrating, and expensive than it was worth!

But, I thought it would be more convenient to use my own phone with all the information stored on it and not need to carry around an extra device, so I called Bell again to try and hurry the process along, explaining that there was a time crunch.  I was promised a call from the appropriate department within 2 hours. . . . 

Well, we've all heard that before!  No phone call Friday, no phone call Saturday, no phone call Sunday and Sunday evening I was in the air on my way to Melbourne.

I arrived in Melbourne on July 2 and, after checking into my hotel, promptly went in search of a mobile phone store.

The next day, I finally received a text message from Bell asking me to call to finalize the unlocking of my phone - not that I could do anything about it, even if I wanted to because I left my main laptop with the iPhone backup on it at home.

(I should also point out that Rogers only charges $50 to unlock your iPhone, no matter how long you have left on your contract!)

I'll be looking at getting a new phone in December.  I think I'll be looking at a new cell phone provider, too.

The Long and Winding Great Ocean Road: Geelong to Lorne

Friday, July 5, day two of my first Australian Road Trip, had me driving down to Geelong, the gateway to the Great Ocean Road.  My plan was to take three days to drive the GOR and then make my way to Adelaide.  I had to deliver my rental car to the Adelaide airport by 6 pm on Monday, July 8.  I had already changed my Adelaide hotel booking, my car rental return, and my Kangaroo Island excursion once to add in the detour to Ballarat so July 8 was pretty much set in stone.

A map of the Great Ocean Road (source: Lonely Planet Australia)

The weather was very changeable - sun, cloud, rain, hail - any combination of these was possible within a one-hour time period!  That didn't deter me and the rain followed by sun made for some incredible rainbows along the way.

The Bollards

Arriving in Geelong, I spent some time walking along the foreshore.  A local artist has painted bollards to look like people - sailors, priests, families, etc. - and these are located along the foreshore esplanade.
I took morning tea (well, latte!) at a café called the "Sailors Rest" - vanilla latte and a white chocolate raspberry muffin - yum!

I took a quick stroll through the mall.  It was surprising to see Target in Australia although I've since learned that despite a very similar logo, it is not the same company as in North America - a major local company made arrangements with the "real" Target to set up shop in Australia using the same approach but independent of the original company.

The National Wool Museum in Geelong was very interesting, showcasing the production of wool and its importance in Australian history.

Next stop on the Great Ocean Road is Torquay, a surfing town.  Other than a quick stop to take some photos of the beautiful coastline, I didn't stay long.

Torquay

A short detour off the Great Ocean Road led to Point Addis which provides amazing views of the ocean and the coast line.  This detour also led to my first sighting of kangaroos!

My first sighting of kangaroos was from quite a distance so a stop in Anglesea was a must.  Here, the kangaroos like to hang out on the local golf course.  A sign on the golf course fence stated that spectators were not allowed on the green.  Another photographer had jumped the fence but I wasn't quite that brave so I drove around a bit and found a cul-de-sac that backed onto the course.  A small bit of trespassing on a wild patch of someone's yard gave me a great close-up view of the grey kangaroos.  It was incredible - they just hang out there.  If a golfer gets too close, the kangaroos just bounce a little out of the way and continue on with their day!

Anglesea Golf Course

To give myself the flexibility to stop and enjoy the scenery and activities along the way, I hadn't booked any accommodations for this 4 day road trip.  As it was starting to get dark, I called up the Great Ocean Road Cottages & Backpackers YHA in Lorne to make a reservation.  They were willing to hold a room but only for an hour.  I was still about 45 minutes away from Lorne so I needed to get moving.  Unfortunately, this meant I couldn't stop to visit the lighthouse in Aireys Inlet or for any of the gorgeous scenery along the way.  I kept telling myself that I would backtrack the next day.  As it often goes, I didn't backtrack as I felt I should keep heading west in order to be in Adelaide on time.  Something to see next time!

The Great Ocean Road Cottages and Backpackers YHA was really nice, despite having shared bathrooms (not my favourite!).  The buildings are nestled in among the gum trees.  In the morning as I was leaving, there were several cockatoos in the trees.

Dinner at the Maple Tree was good but pricy.  Actually, despite being low season, food and accommodations were pricey along most of the Great Ocean Road.

Rental Cars, Driving on the "Wrong" Side and Panning for Gold

After two days in Melbourne, I took my life in my hands and hired a car.  I've never driven on the "wrong" side of the road before and I was more than a little nervous.  

My wheels

Rent the smallest car possible - check.  Make sure it's an automatic because trying to learn to drive on a different side of the road and having to deal with trying to shift with my left hand is a recipe for disaster - check.  Figure out the insurance thing - if the CDW is required in Australia, get the rental agent to indicate as much on the rental agreement - well, I tried but ran into some communication difficulties.  

Head out on the highway, heading for adventure,  whatever comes my way. . . 

Adjusting to driving on the left-hand side of the road wasn't actually too bad - easier to do when you're driving on a highway with rumble strips to warn you when you are too far to the left.  However, harder to do when driving in the midst of a high wind storm!

I took it easy the first day and only drove for an hour or so.  My destination was Ballarat, a former gold mining town to the north-west of Melbourne and home of the Eureka Rebellion.

When I was planning this trip, Ballarat wasn't part of the original itinerary.  However, after reading some brochures and my Lonely Planet guidebook, I decided it was worth a detour.  One of the perks of solo travel is being able to do what you want and to change your plans on a whim!

The main draw for me was Sovereign Hill - a re-creation of an 1860s gold mining township.  Lonely Planet describes it as a "living history museum" and it certainly is that.  I was really impressed with this recreation.  The layout, the attention to detail and the sheer number of staff dressed in period dress going about their 1860s lives is amazing.  I've been to historical villages in Canada (Doon Heritage Crossroads comes to mind) and Wales.  I also went to another historica village here in Australia a week or so later.  They all pale in comparison to this one.  

I loved wandering into the different shops along the main street: buying an apple custard turnover in the baker, a pair of warm (although not-so-1860s-authentic) gloves (when the guidebook says that the town is "notoriously cold in winter" - believe them, even if it had been warm in Melbourne!) in the millner's shop, viewing a demonstration in the blacksmith shop and checking out the wares in the tack shop (if it hadn't been only the 3rd day of an 8 week trip, I might have purchased a few souvenirs for the horse-lovers in my family!).

One of the highlights of the village is the river where you can pan for gold - sometimes even successfully!  I had to laugh at the sign that said "No panning beyond this point.  River not seeded" - takes a little away from the authenticity when you know you are panning for seeded gold and makes it more disappointing when you don't find any!

Panning for gold.

The village doesn't downplay the injustices and inequalities of a gold mining town - the tent village set on the outskirts of the village for the Chinese miners contrasts sharply with the near-opulence of the main street and some of the other buildings.

Despite the cold and the rain, it was a great way to spend an afternoon.  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to go on a underground gold mine tour.

The village closed at 5 so I went back to my accommodations to get "rucked up" for the evening.  Travel tip:  flannel PJs under your clothes can make a decent alternative to long underwear when in a pinch!

As part of a package deal, I was able to eat dinner in one of the restaurants on the main street of the recreation village.  One of the disadvantages of solo travel is eating by yourself in a restaurant.  It's usually not too bad (and most times a good experience) but I found this particular evening more difficult.  I was at a solo table near the entrance to the restaurant.  The other tables were beyond mine, filled with families and groups of friends.  I felt very conspicuous and out of place.

Sovereign Hill puts on an amazing sound and light show at night, telling the story of the Eureka Rebellion.  The "Blood on the Southern Cross" show is unlike anything I'd seen before.  You start in an auditorium at the entrance to the village where there is a brief audio-video introduction to the 1854 rebellion.  After the video, the audience walks out into the village, stopping at different points, such as the river and the asseyers tent, as the spectacle continues.  You then get on a tram that takes you to a covered theatre with a view on a section of the village only seen if you attend the show.  Here, the battle of the Eureka Rebellion is brought to life through narration and sound, light and special effects.  After the battle, the trams take you back to the main street where you enter the town's theatre and one of the participants of the rebellion stands on stage and recounts the aftermath of the battle.  It was worth the detour just for the sound and light show!

I was able to get accommodations right on site.  About $50 got me a private bunk room (enough beds for 6 people but I didn't have to share).  In some ways, though, you do get what you pay for - the room wasn't heated and it was VERY cold at night!  Thankfully, there were 5 empty beds so I just borrowed a blanket.  Also, the bar-lounge at reception had a warm fireplace and free WiFi and the receptionist very kindly gave me a tea bag, some sugar, and a couple of cookies.