And getting caught in the rain... After Dubrovnik we thought it was time to head to one of the sunniest places on earth. Hvar Island. It reportedly receives over 2700 hours of sunshine each year. We were not dissapointed. Hvar is beautiful, and if you ever go to Croatia it cannot be missed. After a rainy and long bus ride the ferry dropped us soggy travellers off on the Island. Having not arranged accomodations in advance we decided to see what we could get right from the ferry. In Croatia there are always people meeting the buses and ferries offering apartment style accomodations (it is very common and often quite economical). We ended up at a place called Villa Marija. It was wonderful. A great alternative to a hostel. We met a lot of great people ... read more

Just wrapping up my 2nd full day in Croatia. Overall, a little underwelmed with Zagreb. Very small but cute city. We spent yesterday walking around the old part of the city looking at lots of interesting architecture, churches, and lots of cafes. We had a great dinner at a restaurant with a lovely patio that took over the whole street. Afterwards we went to a bar on the main street to sample Croatia's specialty beverage called Raijka (sp???). I am not really sure how to describe it except that it is a cross between a liquer and a shot. It is either sweet or strong and is apparently a bit of a home brew - alcohol infused with different flavours. Some were quite delish....others were not. Today we went to a mountain just north of the ... read more

Hi Everyone! Sorry for not being better with the updates - it is sometimes hard to find an hour to sit at the computer and do this... Nice and the whole Cote d'Azur region in France is beautiful. I was so sad to leave the sunshine, the coast, and the food! While in Nice I took another French language class which I thought was much better than the one in Paris. For the first week in Nice I had also had Alliance Francais arrange a homestay for me. It worked out really well. I stayed with an older woman who was really nice, warm and welcoming. I was finding it really difficult to meet people in Nice as I wasn't staying in a hostel. After French class ended I went and stayed in a hostel in ... read more

Friday was, sadly, my last day in Paris. It was a warm, sunny day and I decided it could be better spent than in class so I gave myself a little bit of a sleep in and the morning off. I went in to Notre Dame around mid-day as it was so bright and sunny. The rose windows were fantastic - so beautifu!!! I did not go up the bell tour as there was a really long line. It seems to be a common theme in Paris. Afterwards, I walked all the way from Notre Dame to the Musee D'Orsay. Firstly, the museum itself is an absolutely beautiful building, inside and out. I loved a lot of the impressionist work displayed inside - monet, van gogh, cezanne etc. After spending time there I was officially Museum'd ... read more

Paris so far has been fantastic! Just wrapping up my 4th day exploring the city and the surrounding region. After calling it an early night I think I am finally over the jet lag and on Parisian time. Jason (who I am staying with in Paris), has gone to Bourdeaux for the long weekend with the some friends (totally ditched me....that's right jason) but it's okay because my friend Duncan (from University) also is in Paris for about a week so we've been hanging out & sightseeing together. Day 2 On Thursday (April 1) it was a beautiful day (i.e. not raining) and so I wandered around Jardin de Luxembourg for a couple hours. It is a HUGE garden and absolutely beautiful. I sat for about 45 minutes by the pond in the sun just people ... read more