by: Ben
Our flight is packed! We purchased round-trip tickets between Montpellier and Rome.... they were over $120 less per person than the one-way tickets. No wonder the airlines around the world are so messed up!!! Total price was $3383, booked through Expedia.com. We fly AirFrance to Lyon, then transfer to AirItalia to fly in to Rome. Total flight time is 3 and a half hours. The airplane is fully packed with passengers, and as we look around the plane, there are many different languages being spoken by a number of different nationalities. Very exciting. Once we touch down in Rome, we'll get our bearings and find somewhere fun to stay!
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $3383
Remaining Budget: $85658.28
Cash in Euros: 833.90
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Day 15 - Natural Site: Promenade du Peyrou
by: Ben
Today we decided to relax and enjoy a park named Promenade du Peyrou. This long, raised promontory extends out from the city center towards the Arceaux district. From this high point the view extends from the Mediterranean to Pic St Loup and beyond towards the gorges of the Herault to the north of the city. A historic site from where the canons of Louis XIII bombarded the city during the siege of 1622, the Peyrou was also a place of execution during the revolution: the guillotine replacing the statue of Louis XIV. Today the site is much calmer and enhanced by continually changing flower beds and majestic magnolias. A perfect spot for a summer stroll beneath the shade of the many trees while admiring the swooping flight of martins. Here's a few of the really cool photos that we took while strolling around the park.
While at the park, we decided to split up, and each meet a stranger at the park, and get their story. We'd been traveling with each other for a while, and running out of stories, so we thought this would be a good way to get conversations flowing, as we could tell each other about the people that we met.
I met a group of four girls that were visiting from Wales. Here's a pic of them! I bought them each a bracelet from a street vendor to remember our meeting. Cost 60 Euros.
Dinner tonight was at the Brasserie du Theâtre. The decor is in twenties bourgeois style, the beautiful terrace has a fountain and the warm reception and service are unsurpassed. However, the best is yet to come. When you open the menu, you will discover an excellent choice of fish and shellfish Noilly Prat salmon, mussels, salad with saffron and croutons and also snacks. This is an ideal place to come after an evening at the opera - the Opera Comedie is situated directly opposite. Set menus are available for 79F (EUR 12.04) and 98F (EUR 14.93) We had an awesome meal, with good wine for 165 Euros.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 225 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89041.28
Cash in Euros: 833.90
Today we decided to relax and enjoy a park named Promenade du Peyrou. This long, raised promontory extends out from the city center towards the Arceaux district. From this high point the view extends from the Mediterranean to Pic St Loup and beyond towards the gorges of the Herault to the north of the city. A historic site from where the canons of Louis XIII bombarded the city during the siege of 1622, the Peyrou was also a place of execution during the revolution: the guillotine replacing the statue of Louis XIV. Today the site is much calmer and enhanced by continually changing flower beds and majestic magnolias. A perfect spot for a summer stroll beneath the shade of the many trees while admiring the swooping flight of martins. Here's a few of the really cool photos that we took while strolling around the park.
While at the park, we decided to split up, and each meet a stranger at the park, and get their story. We'd been traveling with each other for a while, and running out of stories, so we thought this would be a good way to get conversations flowing, as we could tell each other about the people that we met.
I met a group of four girls that were visiting from Wales. Here's a pic of them! I bought them each a bracelet from a street vendor to remember our meeting. Cost 60 Euros.
Dinner tonight was at the Brasserie du Theâtre. The decor is in twenties bourgeois style, the beautiful terrace has a fountain and the warm reception and service are unsurpassed. However, the best is yet to come. When you open the menu, you will discover an excellent choice of fish and shellfish Noilly Prat salmon, mussels, salad with saffron and croutons and also snacks. This is an ideal place to come after an evening at the opera - the Opera Comedie is situated directly opposite. Set menus are available for 79F (EUR 12.04) and 98F (EUR 14.93) We had an awesome meal, with good wine for 165 Euros.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 225 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89041.28
Cash in Euros: 833.90
Day 14 - Montpellier Sporting Event
by: Matt
Man what a rough morning I had today getting up! Probably one too many drinks from the night before. Nothing like a little taste of the local culture! Anyways, I have to comment on the lunch that we had at Le Vieux Four restaurant today before the water sports activity. It was definitely some of the best French cuisine you can get for such a cheap price which was only 40 euros or $54.56.
After experiencing a great lunch, we headed on to Canoe Le Moulin, located just right outside of the city. For this activity there were two fees which included the 60 euros for all four of us for the entrance fee or $81.84 and the fee for renting two canoes for four hours which was 56 Euros or $76.38 in U.S. currency. This was definitely another great experience to mark off the list as well. After our embarrassing moments of flipping both canoes at least twice and being soaking wet the whole four hours, we all agreed that this experience was one we would have to share with our friends and family. After laughing our whole way through, we all realized that canoeing takes more skill than we thought.
Sites:
http://www.levieuxfour.fr/
http://www.canoe-france.com/herault/
Images of the canoe trip
by: Ben
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 156 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89041.28
Cash in Euros: 1058.90
Man what a rough morning I had today getting up! Probably one too many drinks from the night before. Nothing like a little taste of the local culture! Anyways, I have to comment on the lunch that we had at Le Vieux Four restaurant today before the water sports activity. It was definitely some of the best French cuisine you can get for such a cheap price which was only 40 euros or $54.56.
After experiencing a great lunch, we headed on to Canoe Le Moulin, located just right outside of the city. For this activity there were two fees which included the 60 euros for all four of us for the entrance fee or $81.84 and the fee for renting two canoes for four hours which was 56 Euros or $76.38 in U.S. currency. This was definitely another great experience to mark off the list as well. After our embarrassing moments of flipping both canoes at least twice and being soaking wet the whole four hours, we all agreed that this experience was one we would have to share with our friends and family. After laughing our whole way through, we all realized that canoeing takes more skill than we thought.
Sites:
http://www.levieuxfour.fr/
http://www.canoe-france.com/herault/
Images of the canoe trip
by: Ben
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 156 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89041.28
Cash in Euros: 1058.90
Day 13 - Montpellier Culture
[img src="http://aff.bstatic.com/images/hotel/org/450/450015.jpg"]
Full Day in Montpellier, off to see the surrounding culture – by Alison Harmon
Hello everyone! We have had such a full day in Montpellier, the breakfast served was a traditional French breakfast of juice, coffee and baguettes. It was filling for me but the boys left complaining about their still empty stomachs.
After breakfast we took a cab ride for 10 Euros ($ 13 USD) to the famous Fabre Museum. Entrance fees to view the art museum was 6 Euros per person, for a total of 24 Euros ($32 USD). Here we took a tour of almost 800 works of art created by artists who lived throughout the world and during no specific time. Being that is one of the largest art museums in France and one of the most well known in the world people come from all around to see the magnificent works of art that grace the walls of the Fabre. We also marveled at the sculptures and ceramic creations offered at the museum. We spent the majority of our day at the museum.
When the day was done we took a cab back for another measly 10 Euros. At that point we were so hungry we ate at one of the little cafes walking distance from the hotel called the Brasserie du Corum. The Brasserie offered both traditional French food as well as traditional Mediterranean food. We ordered a multitude of dishes such as stuffed grape leaves, kibby, baklava, tabouli, and roast beef and Roquefort sandwiches. Seeing as I grew up partly on Mediterranean food I was partial to the kibby and grape leaves, while the boys of course liked the meaty sandwiches and sweet baklava. This late lunch/early dinner cost us 50 Euros ($67 USD) which is a lot for food for only four people but we made ourselves feel better by saying it was both lunch and dinner. After this lin-der (lunch/dinner) we walked back to the hotel to take a little nap before we went out that night. After our nap we got ready to go to a little wine bar recommended to us by the hotel staff, called In Vino Vertias.
This outing cost us a pretty penny seeing as we had to take a cab both ways, 15 Euros each way ($20 USD) and then the boys blew part of our budget on buying drinks for all the local French girls. Three hours, way to many drinks, and 162 Euros later ($162 USD) we made our way back to the hotel.
The total cost for this day including museum trip, cab fares, food, and the wine bar is 289 Euros or $392 American dollars.
Images of the Fabre Museum
by: Ben
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 289 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89041.28
Cash in Euros: 1214.90
Day 12 - Travel to Montpellier & St. Pierre Cathedral
by: Ben
The train ride through French countryside was very nice. The train was very comfortable (not what we expected for the cheapest way to get here). Considering it was a horrible, rainy day, it was perfect to be toasty warm and dry on the train. We were able to purchase sandwiches and drinks on the train. There seemed to be a large population of students that were also riding the train. We've made quick friends with some students that are from Ireland. Although their dialect is sometimes hard to understand, they speak English, and are a very funny group - always cracking jokes and telling stories about all of their drunken escapades. We'll probably take their advice on finding a room, and exploring certain sites. Since it was an eight hour train ride, we managed to sleep a bit along the way.
Train ride cost, 10 Euros each (40 total)
Food/drinks on train 20 Euros each (80 total)
Once we arrived in Montpellier, we decided to splurge a bit for a decent hotel room to share. We were able to reserve a room at the Suite Novotel Montpellier. It was an awesome room, spacious, with modern furniture and tons of amenities like a weight room and swimming pool at the hotel. Close to the city center, the airport, and the sea, we thought this would be the perfect place to stay. Cost $185 US per night with taxes and fees. We booked 4 nights for $740.
Visiting the Cathedral
by: Matt
What a train ride in! We definitely met some interesting people who were actually not that different than us. After settling down for about an hour and having a quick nap, we headed out to explore the city of Montpellier to see what it had to offer. Each of us love the city so far. There is a nice college town type of atmosphere just the same as it is back home in Raleigh. After remembering the advice from our friends on the train about what monuments we should visit we finally were able to agree on seeing St Pierre Cathedral which was actually free of charge. As we walked through the cathedral, the organs were all we could hear, although none of us cared because the sound was so soothing and peaceful even though it was kind of loud. On our way to a gift shop we also decided to make a quick stop by the Arc de Triomphe and take a few pictures. Since it was dark and getting later in the evening, it was too late to go up in the top, but we got some really great shots of us with the monument in the background. As a whole the group ended up spending only 30 euros on a few small suveniors which is $40.92 in U.S. dollars.
Sites:
http://www.mytravelguide.com/attractions/profile-79263205-France_Montpellier_Cathedrale_Saint_Pierre.html
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 150 Euros, $740
Remaining Budget: $89041.28
Cash in Euros: 1503.90
The train ride through French countryside was very nice. The train was very comfortable (not what we expected for the cheapest way to get here). Considering it was a horrible, rainy day, it was perfect to be toasty warm and dry on the train. We were able to purchase sandwiches and drinks on the train. There seemed to be a large population of students that were also riding the train. We've made quick friends with some students that are from Ireland. Although their dialect is sometimes hard to understand, they speak English, and are a very funny group - always cracking jokes and telling stories about all of their drunken escapades. We'll probably take their advice on finding a room, and exploring certain sites. Since it was an eight hour train ride, we managed to sleep a bit along the way.
Train ride cost, 10 Euros each (40 total)
Food/drinks on train 20 Euros each (80 total)
Once we arrived in Montpellier, we decided to splurge a bit for a decent hotel room to share. We were able to reserve a room at the Suite Novotel Montpellier. It was an awesome room, spacious, with modern furniture and tons of amenities like a weight room and swimming pool at the hotel. Close to the city center, the airport, and the sea, we thought this would be the perfect place to stay. Cost $185 US per night with taxes and fees. We booked 4 nights for $740.
Visiting the Cathedral
by: Matt
What a train ride in! We definitely met some interesting people who were actually not that different than us. After settling down for about an hour and having a quick nap, we headed out to explore the city of Montpellier to see what it had to offer. Each of us love the city so far. There is a nice college town type of atmosphere just the same as it is back home in Raleigh. After remembering the advice from our friends on the train about what monuments we should visit we finally were able to agree on seeing St Pierre Cathedral which was actually free of charge. As we walked through the cathedral, the organs were all we could hear, although none of us cared because the sound was so soothing and peaceful even though it was kind of loud. On our way to a gift shop we also decided to make a quick stop by the Arc de Triomphe and take a few pictures. Since it was dark and getting later in the evening, it was too late to go up in the top, but we got some really great shots of us with the monument in the background. As a whole the group ended up spending only 30 euros on a few small suveniors which is $40.92 in U.S. dollars.
Sites:
http://www.mytravelguide.com/attractions/profile-79263205-France_Montpellier_Cathedrale_Saint_Pierre.html
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 150 Euros, $740
Remaining Budget: $89041.28
Cash in Euros: 1503.90
Day 11 Sites of Paris
by: Ben
We've decided to visit the Bastille, and the Le Marias district for some traditional Paris culture. We were going to visit the Eiffel Tower, but figured that we would save that for future trips to Paris.
Unfortunately, we didn't realize that the Bastille had been demolished in 1789... so we are only about 230 years late to see the fort!!! We were able to gain some history of the Bastille through monuments erected around the former site.
We then walked to the Le Marias district and followed a guided tour. Although we didn't pay for the tour, we tried to be inconspicuous as we followed a group around for about an hour. We could overhear some of the guide's explanations about sites along the way. After a bit, Alison saw a boutique that she wanted to shop at. While the rest of us waited for about 45 minutes on a bench that was located in the street, she emerged with her Paris fashion piece, a nice dress that she planned on wearing back in the states. Of course, this dress set us back 250 euros, which we didn't find out until we were leaving Paris on the train....
Sites we visited along the tour can be found at this link: http://goparis.about.com/od/sightsattractions/ss/MaraisTour.htm
We managed to find a wonderful cafe to have a hearty meal of assorted cuts of meat and fresh baked breads. The owners were more than happy to refill our bellies, and even packed us to go bags with some nice sandwiches and pastries for our enjoyment later. We tipped them well, since they were so hospitable!! Total cost of the meal was 150 euros.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 400 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89821.28
Cash in Euros: 1653.90
We've decided to visit the Bastille, and the Le Marias district for some traditional Paris culture. We were going to visit the Eiffel Tower, but figured that we would save that for future trips to Paris.
Unfortunately, we didn't realize that the Bastille had been demolished in 1789... so we are only about 230 years late to see the fort!!! We were able to gain some history of the Bastille through monuments erected around the former site.
The former location of the fort is currently called the Place de la Bastille. It is home to the Opéra Bastille. The large ditch (fossé) behind the fort has been transformed into a marina for pleasure boats, the Bassin de l'Arsenal, to the south, and a covered canal, the Canal Saint Martin, extending north from the marina beneath the vehicular roundabout that borders the location of the fort.
Some undemolished remains of one tower of the fort were discovered during excavation for the Métro (rail mass-transit system) in 1899, and were moved to a park (the Square Henri-Galli) a few hundred meters away, where they are displayed today. The original outline of the fort is also marked on the pavement of streets and sidewalks that pass over its former location, in the form of special paving stones. A cafe and some other businesses largely occupy the location of the fort, and the rue Saint Antoine passes directly over it as it opens onto the roundabout of the Bastille.
We then walked to the Le Marias district and followed a guided tour. Although we didn't pay for the tour, we tried to be inconspicuous as we followed a group around for about an hour. We could overhear some of the guide's explanations about sites along the way. After a bit, Alison saw a boutique that she wanted to shop at. While the rest of us waited for about 45 minutes on a bench that was located in the street, she emerged with her Paris fashion piece, a nice dress that she planned on wearing back in the states. Of course, this dress set us back 250 euros, which we didn't find out until we were leaving Paris on the train....
Sites we visited along the tour can be found at this link: http://goparis.about.com/od/sightsattractions/ss/MaraisTour.htm
We managed to find a wonderful cafe to have a hearty meal of assorted cuts of meat and fresh baked breads. The owners were more than happy to refill our bellies, and even packed us to go bags with some nice sandwiches and pastries for our enjoyment later. We tipped them well, since they were so hospitable!! Total cost of the meal was 150 euros.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 400 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89821.28
Cash in Euros: 1653.90
Food, Drink, Laundry & other essentials
by: Ben
We're in desperate need of clean clothes, so we're off to find a laundromat. Hopefully there will be good food nearby, AS WE'RE ALSO VERY HUNGRY!!!
According to our internet research we were told to: Ask at your hotel, or at a shop in your neighborhood, for the nearest laverie libre-service: Où est la laverie libre-service la plus proche?
Once we found the laundromat, we learned the following terms:
Adoucissant = fabric softener
Assouplissant = fabric softener
Assouplisseur = fabric softener
Lessive = laundry detergent/washing powder
Machine à laver = washing machine
Sèchoir = drying machine
We were able to wash our clothes for about 35 euros, which seemed pretty expensive to us.
We found a McDonalds next door to the laundromat, so we made a stop there to get a high-calorie taste of home. Food was almost identical, but there was no "dollar menu." Our meal cost us 65 euros.
With greasy food in our bellies, and clean clothes in our suitcases, we headed to the hostel to get some shut-eye and plan for tomorrow's exploration.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 100 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89821.28
Cash in Euros: 2053.90
We're in desperate need of clean clothes, so we're off to find a laundromat. Hopefully there will be good food nearby, AS WE'RE ALSO VERY HUNGRY!!!
According to our internet research we were told to: Ask at your hotel, or at a shop in your neighborhood, for the nearest laverie libre-service: Où est la laverie libre-service la plus proche?
Once we found the laundromat, we learned the following terms:
Adoucissant = fabric softener
Assouplissant = fabric softener
Assouplisseur = fabric softener
Lessive = laundry detergent/washing powder
Machine à laver = washing machine
Sèchoir = drying machine
We were able to wash our clothes for about 35 euros, which seemed pretty expensive to us.
We found a McDonalds next door to the laundromat, so we made a stop there to get a high-calorie taste of home. Food was almost identical, but there was no "dollar menu." Our meal cost us 65 euros.
With greasy food in our bellies, and clean clothes in our suitcases, we headed to the hostel to get some shut-eye and plan for tomorrow's exploration.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 100 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89821.28
Cash in Euros: 2053.90
What to do in Paris
by: Ben
Since we are going to be here for a full day and night and part of a day, we decide to look for somewhere to stay, and of course, shower. We ask around and receive advice to check out the Absolute Paris Hostel. For $25 Euro each, we receive breakfast, and linens and private bathrooms. What is really nice is that they do not have a curfew, or lock us out, so we can be real flexible on what all we want to explore and do during our stay.
http://www.hb-247.com/aff/index.cfm?fuseaction=img&affiliateid=14260&i_image=1&i_hostel=3630
Cost for the room $100 euros.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 100 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89821.28
Cash in Euros: 2153.90
Since we are going to be here for a full day and night and part of a day, we decide to look for somewhere to stay, and of course, shower. We ask around and receive advice to check out the Absolute Paris Hostel. For $25 Euro each, we receive breakfast, and linens and private bathrooms. What is really nice is that they do not have a curfew, or lock us out, so we can be real flexible on what all we want to explore and do during our stay.
http://www.hb-247.com/aff/index.cfm?fuseaction=img&affiliateid=14260&i_image=1&i_hostel=3630
Cost for the room $100 euros.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: 100 Euros
Remaining Budget: $89821.28
Cash in Euros: 2153.90
Day 9 Again!!! Getting used to the time change...
by: Ben
Well, we found out the hard way that we had crossed the international date line during our flight from Lisbon to Paris. I guess Greenwich, England is in between the two places... so when we decided to get one-way tickets to Montpellier for the date that would leave us a full day to explore Paris, we wound up with two days to spend here. Not too terrible, as we can take in more sights, but it may wind up putting a kink on what all we can do in France before we have to go on the next leg of our journey.
Rail tickets from Paris to Montpellier: $10 US each ($40 total) purchased at the Charles De Gaulle Airport.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $40
Remaining Budget: $89781.28
Cash in Euros: 2253.90
Well, we found out the hard way that we had crossed the international date line during our flight from Lisbon to Paris. I guess Greenwich, England is in between the two places... so when we decided to get one-way tickets to Montpellier for the date that would leave us a full day to explore Paris, we wound up with two days to spend here. Not too terrible, as we can take in more sights, but it may wind up putting a kink on what all we can do in France before we have to go on the next leg of our journey.
Rail tickets from Paris to Montpellier: $10 US each ($40 total) purchased at the Charles De Gaulle Airport.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $40
Remaining Budget: $89781.28
Cash in Euros: 2253.90
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Day 9 Arrival in Paris
by: Ben
We touched down in Paris!!! Now we're off to find our way to Montpellier. We're thinking of taking the train for the trip to the Montpellier from the airport. We first have to exchange some more of our money from American dollars into Euros.... so we're off to do that, and then decide how long we'd like to spend in Paris seeing sights before heading to Montpellier. We decide to exchange $3000 into Euros, which costs us $40 at our exchange bank. Current exchange rate: 0.75130
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $40
Remaining Budget: $89821.28
Cash in Euros: 2253.90
We touched down in Paris!!! Now we're off to find our way to Montpellier. We're thinking of taking the train for the trip to the Montpellier from the airport. We first have to exchange some more of our money from American dollars into Euros.... so we're off to do that, and then decide how long we'd like to spend in Paris seeing sights before heading to Montpellier. We decide to exchange $3000 into Euros, which costs us $40 at our exchange bank. Current exchange rate: 0.75130
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $40
Remaining Budget: $89821.28
Cash in Euros: 2253.90
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Day 8 - Lisbon to Paris via London
by: Ben
So, we're halfway through our flight to Paris - we just had an amazing time checking out London during our long layover. Once we arrived at the Heathrow airport, we exited the plane, waited a short 15 minutes in customs, and then boarded the "Heathrow Express" train to take us to Paddington Station, the hub of public transit in downtown London.
Once in Paddington Station, we decided that we wanted to maximize sightseeing, and minimize the possiblilty of missing our connecting flight. We decided that since we were about 14 miles from the airport, we really only had about 3 hours to explore.
We saw an advertisement for the London Eye - a super high ferris wheel located in the center of London that would offer the best views of the city. At 443 ft tall, and located on the River Themes, this sounded like an awesome opportunity.
We took a public bus to the Eye, and waited in line for about an hour for our turn. As we entered a sealed compartment with 20 others, we were amazed at the luxurious accommodations - it was like being in glass walled office!
Here is the link to our picture taken from the top of the London Eye: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:London_360%C2%B0_Panorama_from_the_London_Eye.jpg
The whole ride lasted around 30 minutes, and the view was amazing! After we got off the ride, it was time to head back to the airport. We took the bus to the train station, the train back to the airport, went through customs again, and boarded our plane.Now we're off to Paris!!!
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $325
Remaining Budget: $92861.28
So, we're halfway through our flight to Paris - we just had an amazing time checking out London during our long layover. Once we arrived at the Heathrow airport, we exited the plane, waited a short 15 minutes in customs, and then boarded the "Heathrow Express" train to take us to Paddington Station, the hub of public transit in downtown London.
Once in Paddington Station, we decided that we wanted to maximize sightseeing, and minimize the possiblilty of missing our connecting flight. We decided that since we were about 14 miles from the airport, we really only had about 3 hours to explore.
We saw an advertisement for the London Eye - a super high ferris wheel located in the center of London that would offer the best views of the city. At 443 ft tall, and located on the River Themes, this sounded like an awesome opportunity.
We took a public bus to the Eye, and waited in line for about an hour for our turn. As we entered a sealed compartment with 20 others, we were amazed at the luxurious accommodations - it was like being in glass walled office!
Here is the link to our picture taken from the top of the London Eye: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:London_360%C2%B0_Panorama_from_the_London_Eye.jpg
The whole ride lasted around 30 minutes, and the view was amazing! After we got off the ride, it was time to head back to the airport. We took the bus to the train station, the train back to the airport, went through customs again, and boarded our plane.Now we're off to Paris!!!
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $325
Remaining Budget: $92861.28
Day 7... at the airport
by: Ben
We were much dismayed to find out that tickets from Lisbon to Montpelier would be $1100+ each. We were able to find tickets from Lisbon to Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport were only $170 /each. With the taxes, they came to $284 each. We booked the tickets on Airline Consolidator.com. Our flight carrier is British Airways, and we have an indirect flight.... we get an 8 1/2 hour layover in the Heathrow airport in London. This layover should give us enough time to explore a few sights near the airport. We'll post more info once we arrive in England!!!
Total Flight costs ($1136)
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $1,136
Remaining Budget: $93186.28
We were much dismayed to find out that tickets from Lisbon to Montpelier would be $1100+ each. We were able to find tickets from Lisbon to Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport were only $170 /each. With the taxes, they came to $284 each. We booked the tickets on Airline Consolidator.com. Our flight carrier is British Airways, and we have an indirect flight.... we get an 8 1/2 hour layover in the Heathrow airport in London. This layover should give us enough time to explore a few sights near the airport. We'll post more info once we arrive in England!!!
Total Flight costs ($1136)
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $1,136
Remaining Budget: $93186.28
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Travel Day 7
What a wonderful time we had in Lisbon! We are so sad to leave, yet thrilled to learn what our next destination holds. We slept in today to prepare for our flights, yet still woke up in time for breakfast at the hostel, bread with butter and jam! Or better known as um pão manteiga e doce. We are going to leave for the airport around 12:00 noon because our flight for France! We are taking a cab to the airport again, and the driver we called said it would probably be around 12 euros again. We will grab lunch in the airport for about $10 per-person. We will spend the rest of our day waiting for our plain and reading material about our next destination. We are signing off now from our lovely Lisbon trip, so on that note, Bom Lisbon and Tchau oi Fance!
- Alison
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $55
Remaining Budget: $94,322.28
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $55
Remaining Budget: $94,322.28
Day 6 - Sports Activity
On our sixth day we had our sports activity scheduled. We got up early and grabbed some breakfast at the hostel and headed out. The taxi took us out of the busy city and out to the more peaceful outskirts of the city, the Lisbon Sports Club was our destination. The Lisbon Sports Club was founded in 1880 by English settlers, the club offers numerous sport opportunities, its main attractions being the prestigious 18 hole golf course. We got some lunch at the clubhouse and then headed out on the course. Since none of us are golf experts and to save some money we decided to play the 9 hole course instead of all 18. Adam completely owned everyone on the golf course even though it was his first time and everyone else had golfed numerous times throughout their lives. After a long day on the course we went back into the city to have a nice sit down dinner. We went to Casa da Comida and had dinner and a couple good bottles of wine. Since we had spent all day out in the sun on the golf course that day we were pretty tired so we just took it easy and went back to the hostel and crashed. Our total spending for the day was 328 dollars.
- Adam
by: Ben
It was hard to play, since we didn't pack our golf clubs on the trip, and the Lisbon Sports Club doesn't rent golf clubs. I think Adam had a bit too much wine at dinner, and doesn't remember our day too clearly.....
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $328
Remaining Budget: $94377.28
by: Ben
It was hard to play, since we didn't pack our golf clubs on the trip, and the Lisbon Sports Club doesn't rent golf clubs. I think Adam had a bit too much wine at dinner, and doesn't remember our day too clearly.....
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $328
Remaining Budget: $94377.28
Day 5 - Lisbon Culture
by: Ben
The culture of Portugal is the result of a complex flow of different civilizations. Portugal, as a country with a long history, is home to several ancient architectural structures, as well as typical art, furniture and literary collections mirroring and chronicling the events that shaped the country and its peoples. It has a large number of cultural landmarks ranging from museums, ancient churches, buildings, and medieval castles which testify its rich national cultural heritage.
As we travel about, we notice the distinct way that the streets are paved in Lisbon... intricate designs make for very interesting roads! Foot traffic is the norm, with seating outside the cafes in the middle of the street, making almost every road a sort of plaza.
Today's plans are to wander around the streets of Lisbon, and just take in samples of food from the local vendors, see the sights, and generally just people watch. Portugese is similar to Spanish, so we can somewhat communicate with the locals, and can get a general idea of what they are saying to each other.
The portugese are known for their wines... so we of course sample as many varieties as we can. We also try a dish known as Cozido à Portuguesa which is a type of stew, and one of the local's favorite.
One of our favorite sites of the day was the Jerónimos Monastery. We had seen the outside of the building on our city tour, but we were able to go inside and check out the amazing archetecture, as well as appreciate the immense size of the building. Began in 1502, it took 50 years to complete. Built from limestone, this building will probably last another 500 years!!
Today's outing was relatively inexpensive. We were able sample foods, tour buildings, and buy local trinkets as souvenirs for under $200.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $185
Remaining Budget: $94705.28
The culture of Portugal is the result of a complex flow of different civilizations. Portugal, as a country with a long history, is home to several ancient architectural structures, as well as typical art, furniture and literary collections mirroring and chronicling the events that shaped the country and its peoples. It has a large number of cultural landmarks ranging from museums, ancient churches, buildings, and medieval castles which testify its rich national cultural heritage.
As we travel about, we notice the distinct way that the streets are paved in Lisbon... intricate designs make for very interesting roads! Foot traffic is the norm, with seating outside the cafes in the middle of the street, making almost every road a sort of plaza.
Today's plans are to wander around the streets of Lisbon, and just take in samples of food from the local vendors, see the sights, and generally just people watch. Portugese is similar to Spanish, so we can somewhat communicate with the locals, and can get a general idea of what they are saying to each other.
The portugese are known for their wines... so we of course sample as many varieties as we can. We also try a dish known as Cozido à Portuguesa which is a type of stew, and one of the local's favorite.
One of our favorite sites of the day was the Jerónimos Monastery. We had seen the outside of the building on our city tour, but we were able to go inside and check out the amazing archetecture, as well as appreciate the immense size of the building. Began in 1502, it took 50 years to complete. Built from limestone, this building will probably last another 500 years!!
Today's outing was relatively inexpensive. We were able sample foods, tour buildings, and buy local trinkets as souvenirs for under $200.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $185
Remaining Budget: $94705.28
Day 4 - Our Natural Sites - Cascais, Portugal
by: Ben
As the only European capital close to sandy beaches, we thought it would be a good idea to catch some rays and take in the local culture in our bathing suits! With a daytime high in the mid 80s and clear skies, we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. After asking some locals for a good place to check out (since there are many miles of beaches) we headed toward Cascais and Santa Marta Beach, taking the public train. With an absolutely gorgeous historic lighthouse as our backdrop, we checked out the Castro Guimarães museum, and headed toward the marina. We rented kayaks to paddle around for an hour in the cove, then ate fresh seafood in the Praia dos Pescadores. We then decided to lounge on the sand for a couple of hours, and watch the locals surf the waves on the rising tide. We made friends with a group of other American tourists who were staying at the hotel Baia which overlooked the beach. They allowed us to shower in their room, and then we went out together for drinks and dancing at the Coconuts discotheque. We then took the train back to our hostel, so we could get fresh clothes and enjoy our next day's plans.
Total costs for the day:
Train rides:$25
Kayak Rentals:$20
Seafood dinners:$80
Drinks/Dancing:$75by: Ben
Funds spent today: $200
Remaining Budget: $94890.28
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Travel day 3
Here is the link to the Lisbon City Sightseeing Tour.
http://www.partner.viator.com/en/4226/tours/Lisbon/Lisbon-City-Sightseeing-Tour/d538-2874LIS01
Group 9 tour around the world, Fall 2010: Travel day 3
"Well I can definitely say that was not a bad little tour. So far I am really impressed with Lisbon and I am not ready to leave in just a few..."
Travel day 3
Well I can definitely say that was not a bad little tour. So far I am really impressed with Lisbon and I am not ready to leave in just a few days. But look on the bright side... We have seven other destinations to cover! Anyways, I really think that everyone enjoyed the tour today and things went really smooth as planned. I really enjoyed the air conditioned coach that we got to take and I have to say that I really liked our tour guide. She had a really good sense of humor and great people skills. The tour actually lasted just a bit over the time since we were the last group of the day which was a plus in my book. Here is just a list of what we covered as we got a brief history lesson at each site.
- Belem - the historical section of Lisbon
- Tower of Belem
- Padrao dos Descobrimentos - a modern monument dedicated to the Portuguese maritime discoveries
- Mosteiro dos Jeronimos (Monastery of the Jeronimos) - a UNESCO World Heritage site and the greatest example of Manueline art
- Coach Museum - one of the best coach collections in Europe
- Wine tasting
- Walk through Alfama - the oldest and most picturesque area of Lisbon
- Praca do Comercio - the largest and most beautiful square in Lisbon
- Bridge of 25 April - Europe's longest suspension bridge
Travel Day 3
Today is September 20th and it is about an hour before we go out and have some fun. I am really excited because we are going on a tour through Lisbon. I have already made plans and arrangements for a tour guide to lead us on the Lisbon City Sightseeing Tour. This tour will begin at 2:30 pm and will end about four hours later. I also found it interesting that the price per person is not as expensive as I thought it would be. The price per person is $43.93 and with four people that ads up to $175.72 which is not bad at all. Buy the way that is equal to 136,00 Euros. Well I better sign off for right now but I will definatley be blogging later after the tour ends.
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $175.72
Remaining Budget: $95090.28
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $175.72
Remaining Budget: $95090.28
Travel Day 2
September 18, 2010 – 12:00pm
Woo! What a trip! We just spent almost 24 hours on a plane and it was the longest 24 hours of my life. Our flight landed around 9:00am, only 30 minutes late. After passing through customs and waiting for our luggage we hailed a cab to our hostel. The cab cost us 12 Euros total which is $15 USD. We are staying in this great little hostel for the next six nights, it has a lounge, full internet, and great rooms and bathrooms and best of all it has free breakfast every morning! For more information on our hostel you can visit their website at http://www.lisbonloungehostel.com/. We were a little apprehensive about staying in a hostel but it looks like the one we have found is a real winner! We are staying there for only 30 Euros per person per night, so for six nights that works itself out to be $936 for the whole week. Right now we are about to take a nap because we are so exhausted from our trip, later tonight we are going to walk to Avenida 24 de Julho on the River for a group dinner that is a set price of $100 and after that we are going to dance the night away. But I better sign off so I can go rest up for the night!
- Alison Harmon
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $1,151
Remaining Budget: $95,266
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $1,151
Remaining Budget: $95,266
Travel Day 1
September 17, 2010 – 5:00am
Today we start the first leg of our eight week journey… that leg starts in Lisbon! I know its early in the morning (5:00am) to be blogging but I just wanted to get a little something in before our plane leaves! We will be traveling with U.S. Airways and Tap Air Portugal. We plan on leaving RDU 7:15am today, September 17 and arrive in Portugal at 8:30 am on September 18. We have one layover in Philadelphia 20 hr and 15 min plane ride, $896 USD/person for the flight, which is a total of $3583 for the whole groups travel expenses. We have packed snacks and sandwiches to eat on the flights that don’t serve food. Next time I blog we will be in Lisbon! Yay!
Converse a você logo,
Alison Harmon
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $3,583
Remaining Budget: $96,417
by: Ben
Funds spent today: $3,583
Remaining Budget: $96,417
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)