Backpacking

We reached Florence where artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michael Angelo, Botticelli have built this city into an arty hub. This is also the home for the statue David. Theÿ have indeed done an excellent job! On the way to Florence, we visited the leaning Pisa. it's 15.5m. each year, the pisa will move by a cm instead of 3 inches before the rescuing project took place. as time ïs tight, we didn't manage to climb up. So disappointing! Italian loves their gold and leather and i love their Gelato. some cafes have more than 20 favours to choose from! If you are in italy, be sure to try their Gelato, pizza, pasta and florentine. Florentine is a big slice of beef weighing at least 500g which they will drain away the blood before grilling it. Excellent taste!

After dinner, we went to town for an english 'Karaoke' sesssion. there is only öne hall and one man band. You will sing and dance on the stage to heat up the dance floor. some really sucks but thank goodness our 2 korean friends saved the night. good job, guys!

After the breathtaking scenery in Switzerland, we continue our journey back to France. This time to French Riviera. In the morning, we visited Fragonard, the very famous perfumery where there is only 3 outlets in the world. Down there, we are given a tour on how perfume is been produced so that was kind of educational for us. But most importantly, we are able to buy the perfume at a lower price than retail. Don't envious me, gals! After this, we walked around Ville Vielle where we visited the Cours Saleya markets. This is a make-shift wet market where they sell stuffs like fruits, flowers, vegetables. We bought cherries and strawberries to the nearby beach for lunch while enjoying the cool breeze and the sunshine which i miseed dearly back home. I would called the beach a rocky beach. there is not even a single grain of white sand in sight! The beach is different from ours. It,s surrounded by hills which are dotted by expensive houses. After dinner at the campsite, we went to Monaco which is the second smallest country in the world and where only rich people live. They have a population 30k and is controlled by Prince Henry. Whoever wants to reside here will require his approval. famous people like Michael Jackson, Elton John was rejected due to their "unclean" status. We drove through the formula one circuit which was pretty exciting as the road is narrow and winding. As the coach circled, we can see the sea in the orange skyline. Fanastic view! At the entance of the Monte Carlo Casino, rows of flashly cars lined up. people are dressed up in branded clothing. kind of feel like a poor kid among these people.
We tried our luck in the Sun casino (lower class) and ended up donating 8 euros to them. Damn! That's goes my lunch for next day.

Yes, this is the day that i have been waiting for! We are going up the alps, the top of Europe! We will be taking a train on the highest cog railway in the world up the Jungfrau mountain which rises to 4158m. We could see the north face of Eiger mountain from the glass window at one of the stops. Amazing view. The best is yet to come. The journey ends at Jungfraujoch, 3454m where we can alight to view the ice palace and a viewing tower to view Monch, 4107m. You could even ski if weather permits. It had cost me SGD150 to get up on that train and any luxury activity is a no no for me. This is our first time seeing and touching snow. That moment was simply incredible! After 2 hrs, it started snowing heavily. i was blinded by the view presented in front of me. it's all white! Since this is our first time in touch with snow, we do silly things like lying flat on the snow and washing our face with it. crazy but funny! we tried to build a snowman but failed. it's too cold. that is like -5 degree but that doesn't dampened our spirit. We had a good time here and definitely we will be back for more.

After a 10 hrs coach ride from Paris passing thru the Burgundy region and Dijon, finally i have stepped into the stunning Switzerland, Jungfraubahnem! The country which produces brands like Tissot, Lindt Chocolate n Swiss Guard Knife. Switzerland is one of the few countries who doesn't go into war. They are difficult to conquer due to the mountainous area and numberous tunnels which help them in their defence. We stayed in the campsite in the town of Lauterbrunnen. This time we are given a choice to stay in the cabin at an extra cost of CHF10 per night per person. We immediately jump into the deal. We had enough of the sleeping in the tent for the past 2 days which doesn't provide any warmth and comfort. ya serve me right for signing up for a 22 days camping tour! The place that we stayed was really very nice! We are surrounded by the mountains, waterfalls, cows and sheeps grazing on the endless grassland. Also, we are able to catch a glimpse of the alps if the sky is clear. The people here are very welcoming! Totally love this place!