Email 2: 12/2/01 Bologna - Cannes, Paris, trip to Italy.

G'day All,

Its time for another e-postcard from OT!! (over there!)

I am now in Bologna, in northern Italy after a very early flight (7:20AM flight, left hotel at 5AM!) from Paris.

The conference in Cannes was good and well presented. We had a couple of dinners out at local restaurants, and an afternoon sightseeing. On Friday night the company held a Gala Dinner and Awards Night. This was in Monte Carlo, about an hour away by bus.

The venue was spectacular and very ritzy. After the dinner most of us wandered across the carpark to the casino. Again it was very flash, we had to show our passports and pay just to get in! It was a late night, and we got back to the hotel around 3AM.

The next morning, (Saturday) it was up early for a flight to Paris. After checking in at the hotel, we had dinner at a restaurant nearby. After a week of fancy food, we risked mad cow, and had grilled steak with either mashed spud, or chips, which was well received by all. After the lunch most of us walked around Paris. We headed to Napoleons tomb, then up Champs Elyse (spelling?) to the Arch. After all that walking we got the Metro (subway) back to the hotel.

The next morning we were again up fairly early, and headed off to the Eiffel Tower on the metro. When we arrived, there was low cloud, and you could barely see the top. Off we went up the tower anyway… there was no view from the very top, but quite a good view from the lower observation levels.

Following the tower we took a river cruise for an hour, which was a rest from walking, and took us past many of the sights. It was back on foot after the cruise. We had lunch at a pizza restaurant, and walked up the Champs to the arch again. A few of us (me included) walked up to the top of the arch - all 250 odd steps. The view from the top was great though, looking down the Champs and across the city to the tower.

Next stop was Notre Dame (spelling?) via the metro. We were lucky to catch a pipe organ recital inside the church. We headed off on foot towards the hotel, and walked through a pub and restaurant district, before giving up and catching the metro the rest of the way back to the hotel.

At the hotel it was pack up time, ready for the early flight this morning. It was only 3 degrees at the Paris airport this morning! At least Bologna is warmer! The training for the first 3 days is at this hotel, which makes it easy - no taxis, just head downstairs to the meeting room.

This week is likely to be pretty uneventful, but next weekend is in Rome. I might send another postcard e-mail from Singapore around mid next week.

Catch you all soon,

Craig

Email 1: 6/2/01 Cannes - Trip over, and first day in Cannes.

Email 3: 20/2/01 Flying to Singapore - Bologna, Rome, flight to Singapore.

Back to France and Italy 2001 Trip

Pictures

3. A laneway in Mougins, near Cannes
4. Formal dinner in Monte Carlo
5. Paris
6. Paris
7. Paris
8. Flying Paris to Italy

Click on the pictures for a larger image

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