2008.12.09
Impressions
We went to a small bar in Valbonne after work. Of course, the bar closes at 7:30 PM. Boy, do I miss New York. I want to go home already. I’m really getting sick of being in here.
What I Did
Car to Sophia Antipolis office for work
Car to Cafe Latin (Bar)
Walk to Cafe Des Arcades (Italian food)
Car back to La Bastide de Valbonne
2008.12.08
Impressions
Not much to report today. We were still tired from the past week so we kept it nice and simple. We stayed in our small little town of Valbonne and tried a local French resturaunt here. The food was really good. I have to say, the French really do make great food, and I’m enjoying every taste and bite of it.
What I Did
Car to Sophia Antipolis office for work
Car to La Bastide de Valbonne
Walk to Le Bois Doré (French food)
Walk back to La Bastide de Valbonne
2008.12.07
Impressions
Tired. Exhausted. That’s how we all felt today so our goal was to keep it relaxed today. We visited the city of Cannes, best known for the Cannes Film Festival. The city was nice, but the most interesting part was visiting the island of Île Sainte-Marguerite and the fortress prison of the Man in the Iron Mask. Yes, obviously you learn some history from the fortress, but I was most impressed by the sea. This was the first time I got a chance to see the sea up close, and it’s gorgeous. The water is clear, not murky and dirty like NY. It’s too bad I’m here in the winter. I’m sure this place would be even more spectacular during the summers.
What I Did
Car to Cannes
Lunch at Quai 55 (French food)
Walk around pier
Ferry to Île Sainte-Marguerite
Tour Fort Royal and area
Ferry to Cannes
Car to Nice
Dinner at Noori’s Restaurant Indien (Indian food)
Car back to La Bastide de Valbonne
2008.12.06
Impressions
Finally a weekend. No work. Yay. What did we do with out time? We decided to visit the famous Monte-Carlo in Monaco and Milan in Italy.
Spectacular. That’s the first thing that popped into my mind as we drove along the cliff next to the coastline towards Monaco. The landscape is gorgeous by itself, but to see the clear sea as far as the eye can see is so surreal.
Monaco really is a small country, but you can instantly tell it is a rich country. The streets are super clean and you see all these expensive cars all over the place. Having a beautify coastline just adds to the country’s already prestigious reputation.
Milan… The first thing that pops into my mind is hectic. People here CANNOT drive. I don’t think they follow any traffic laws, as drivers seem to break all traffic laws, motorcycles cut through even the tiniest of spaces and people ignore traffic lights and run out which ever way they want. I thought New York City was bad, but this place makes New York look civilized. With that said, I enjoyed it there. This is definitely a big city, with the streets crowded with people walking all over the place, graffiti all over the place, and tourist walking around all over the place. The cathedrals were amazing. Oh, and they have brick streets in quite a few places rather than paved roads, which adds a nice touch of history to the area, but makes it a pain to drive over.
What I Did
Car to Monaco
Shop at Centre Commercial de Fontvielle
Walk to Palais Princier (official residence of the Prince of Monaco)
Car to Monte-Carlo Casino and walk around the area
Car to Italy
Quick lunch at Autogrill (rest stop pizza)
Car to Milan
Walk to Duomo di Milano
Walk through Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Dinner at Pizzeria-Ristorante Dogana (Pizza and Italian food)
Car back to La Bastide de Valbonne
2008.12.05
Impressions
After work, we drove to Nice, one of the larger cities in the area. It felt like a REAL city. What do I mean by that? There were actually other people there. There were people walking in the streets, performers begging for change, homeless people begging for change, etc. Ok, so I shouldn’t be happy about there being homeless people, but I was happy to actually see a live civilization in after 6 PM. I thought I would leave here thinking this whole area is a ghost town. We had dinner at a touristy restaurant, but I did not care because there were quite a bit of people around and quite a bit o restaurants that were open in the area.
What I Did
Car to Sophia Antipolis office for work
Car to La Bastide de Valbonne
Car to Sophia Antipolis to pick up other coworkers for dinner
Car to Nice for dinner at La Pizza (Italian food)
Walk around Nice and explore the city
Car back to La Bastide de Valbonne
2008.12.04
Impressions
I’m really getting bored of this town. I’m a city boy and this rural area is not mixing well with me. We decided to stay in our small town and try one of the local restaurants within walking distance. Only problem was there was only one restaurant open. At least the food was good, and this time it was French food.
What I Did
Car to Sophia Antipolis office for work
Car to La Bastide de Valbonne
Walk to Les Pierres Rouges (French food) for dinner
Walk back to La Bastide de Valbonne
2008.12.03
Impressions
After work, we checked out Juan-Les-Pins, a small town southwest of Antibes. Like yesterday, most of the stores seem to be closed. It really feels like a ghost town here. I’m told it’s like this during the winter, but i don’t get how restaurants are closed by 7:30 PM. Don’t people go out for dinner here? We ended up going to an American bar style restaurant. Great. I come all the way to France to have American food…
What I Did
Car to Sophia Antipolis office for work
Car to La Bastide de Valbonne
Car to Juan-Les-Pins with coworkers for dinner at Eagles Cafe (American food)
Car back to La Bastide de Valbonne
Enjoy some wine by the fireplace at hotel lobby
2008.12.01-02
Impressions
So I landed in Nice, France and took the cab to my hotel. I’m in a small town called Valbonne, and I finally know what a REAL small town feels like. My hotel seems to be in the middle of nowhere. I also checked out another small town further south called Antibes for dinner, but most of the stores seem to be closed. Things here close real early. (Oh by the way, since this trip is mainly for work, my trip blogs will be short.)
What I Did
Day 1
Arrive in Nice
Cab to La Bastide de Valbonne (Hotel)
Rest for Night
Day 2
Cab to Sophia Antipolis office for work
Cab to La Bastide de Valbonne
Car to buy groceries at Champion Antikes supermarket
Car to Antibes with new coworkers for dinner at Resturaunt Le Palanquin (Thai food)
Car back to La Bastide de Valbonne
2008.01.25-26
Impressions
Vimanmek Teak Mansion, a nice look into how the King of Thailand used to live. Pretty magnificent Palace. Definitely worth a visit, but it didn’t hold too much meaning for me. Maybe I’m just templed out.
What We Did
Shuttle to Airport- Depart ChangMai, Arrive in Bangkok
Cab to White Palace Hotel
Cab to Vimanmek Teak Mansion
Cab to Lad Phrao – Modifications to Suits
Subway / Sky Train to Siam Paragon Mall
Sky Train / Subway to Rama 9 – Dinner w/ Byron’s Relatives
Subway / Sky Train to Lad Phrao – Pick up Suits
Cab to White Palace Hotel
Van to Airport- Depart Bangkok
Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo album for this day.
2008.01.24
Impressions
Cold. The highest point in Thailand is cold. Being unprepared for the cold weather here, I was not feeling too good. Also, either due to altitude or something, I was feeling sick.
The National Park is nice, and I would have enjoyed the beautiful gardens and water falls a lot more if I wasn’t feeling so sick.
One thing I have to comment on: ChangMai is dirty. From the peak, you can clearly see where the smoggy purple haze ends and where the nice blue sky begins.
What We Did
Van to Doi Ithanan National Park
Van to ChangMai (Old City)
Walk to Pantao Monastary
Walk to Watchediluang Varaviharn
Walk through Old City Wats
Walk to Diamond River Side Hotel
Walk to Riverside Resturaunt – Dinner by River
Walk to Night Market
Walk to Diamond River Side Hotel
Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo album for this day.