My Eiffel Tower at Night List...

Up until 43 days ago, I'd never left Australia. The first tour I went on is PERFECT for someone like me cause now I have an Eiffel Tower at Night List. It's sort of like the opposite of a Bucket List. Number 1 and 2 on the list are in order but the rest are all up there at number 3, I can't put one over the other. I've included some from the second tour and will have to update it with things from the UK parts but I haven't written about my first tour at all and most of the list is from there. So...

1. Seeing the Eiffel Tower at night.
Seeing it during the day was fantastic but at night!!! I may have said 'how good is that' a few times - well lots, but it was spectacular - I felt like I was going to burst in awe. I have to add a MASSIVE thank you to Alison and Rocco (our driver) because it was up to them whether we could go there or had to go straight to the hotel. Words cannot properly express my thanks to you both!!

2. Snow fights in the Swiss Alps.
I'd never seen snow at all. How good is it, that my first snow was snow at the top of the Alps. I remember having tears in my eyes as we drove around the road to our hotel at the bottom of a massive mountain THAT HAD SNOW ON IT!! Then to go up to Mt Titlis and have a snow fight! The lift took us to the 5th floor. The doors open and I couldn't hold myself back, I ran out and touched the snow! I didn't make a snow man or do snow angels, but it was perfect in every other way.

So the rest are in no order except for how I experienced them. They will all be number 3.
Going into the Lourve - although it was a mission to see Mona and de Milo, but once I'd found them I was able to appreciate the amazingness of my surrounds on the way out - I spent 20 min in a place I could have spent 20 hours! Guess I'm going back to Paris...
Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo - getting a photo with them was something I never thought would happen!
Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees and I ate authentice frogs legs and snails.
Phantom of the Opera's Opera house - seeing the chandeliers in the windows was amazing.
Have I mentioned the Eiffel Tower??????
A Gondola ride through the Venetian canals with a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary being serenaded (the guy was on their boat, but we had 5 boats together so we could all hear the singing)
The Rialto Bridge
Florence - need I write more... everything about Florence is on the list - It was my favourite place on my first tour and another place I hope to go back to. There are a few things that I must mention...
DAVID!!!! The detail was incredible!!
The Santa Croce - where Michelango, Donatello (not the ninja turtles) and Galileo are buried.
There were so many more places we rushed passsed on our Mission Impossible but the two above were the highlights.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa - yep I got the 'holding it up' and 'pushing it down' photos
Rome... another place with too many favourites to list but the highlights....
Colosseum, Pantheon and Trevi Fountain (even though the coins didn't work). The Vatican, St Peters, Sistene Chapel - the only reason I stopped looking at the roof was that the tour was leaving - I would have got a neck brace and just stayed in there looking up all day if I could have.
Not bad for one tour - so Cosmos tour 5901 is the one for anyone who wants a glimpse of the world! But you have to have Alison Skulic as your guide otherwise the experience won't be anywhere near as good!
I do need to add the Strauss and Mozart concert in Vienna - another bursting with joy moment - it was a perfect evening - even got a photo with some of the orchestra after the show (just for a change).
Also seeing some of the places from The Sound of Music. Although it was nothing like what I expected, I must say that to have seen something is better than nothing so I am happy to have seen the things I did.
My favourite place on the second tour was Budapest. I hope to go back here too. I loved everything in the city. The hot springs, the markets, the history and there was so much more we didn't even get to see or hear about cause it was such a short visit.
So that's my Europe list. When I get back to London I will add my UK list. I've had the most EXTRAORDINARY trip.
I know it's not over, I'm going back to Scotland in the morning to stay in Ayr but I plan to see Glasgow, The Wallace Monument and catch up with Simon again. Then I finish off in London where I will see Wicked, and plan to do my Monopoly tour - take photos of all the places mentioned on the board and a few other things.
Really extraordinary doesn't even do justice to describe the experience I've had. I think because it's not only the places but I have met so many amazing people that have helped make this journey what it's been. The friends I've made on the two tours were fantastic people to spend time with. Also I'm sure the fact that I was sharing the experiences in the first 5 weeks with Janette made it such a special time too. She was the perfect travel buddy.
I'm all packed and ready for my trek to the Munich airport for one last time.