Monaco? Not our cup of tea...

Well, I thought the Princess Euro holiday would be made better by a little stop over in Monaco. The romance. The location. The mystery. I pictured myself at the roulette table sipping a martini ("shaken, not stirred"). But, starring in my own episode of "I wish I were James Bond" never happened.

Our arrival to the Riviera Marriott Hotel La Porte de Monaco began the worst part of the vacation. Combining the weather (cold and rainy), the terrible service at the hotel (so bad they refunded our entire stay after investigating my complaints), and that the Grand Prix had just finished (area was a mess!), Monaco was not something we were impressed with at all! We actually have decided to take off tomorrow morning back to Paris after lunch in Nice.

Highlight of the trip was the exclusive (and elusive) La Chocolaterie de Monaco. Since 1920, this place has been serving up chocolate worthy of consumption by the Monaco Royal Family... and a few famished tourists.



La Chocolaterie de Monaco
Place de la Visitation
BP 805
98012
Monaco
(377) 97 97 88 88

Lunch in Paris - L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Want to spend some money on lunch in Paris? Try L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. I've had a few posh lunches in my life but this one very well may take the cake. Planning a cheap dinner of Chinese food, we decided to give the ala carte menu at L'Atelier a try. We started off with some left over white asparagus they just brought over for free when one of our friends inquired about its availability. That is where the food charity ended!

After some careful consideration, I ordered up the Foie Gras. It was absolutely delicious and well worth the price.

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Hôtel Pont Royal
5, rue de Montalembert
75007
Paris
01 42 22 56 56

Métro: Rue du Bac

Back in Newcastle...

A night out with the boys. (CTI Guy, D-Man, G-Man, and Esby)

Life is good!

The day after seeing Tool we were chilling out at the pool in Palm Desert! Nice shot of the Princess!

Go Tool, Go!

Well, finally got to see Tool tonight. They played Sober and Prison Sex (I hear this will be the last time for this Tour). They also previewed a new song ('Vicarious') from the upcoming disc entitled 10,000 Days.

Coachella Weekend!! The Hotel

We checked into the Esmerelda Resort in Palm Desert.

Back in LA...

Flew back to LA today. This weekend Princess and I are going to Coachella - a two-day annual music festival held at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California. The real draw for us is Tool. Being a devout Keenanite, I have looked forward to this weekend for longer than I can remember!! Rock on Maynard!

In a Bad Mood, Drove to Scotland

Well, today Esby and I took the fast tour of Edinborough. My finger is killing me!! I managed to snap one good pick though. We learned a few more things today: 1. Sheep are not as friendly as they look; 2. Scotch Whiskey costs more in Scotland than America; 3. When you slam your finger in the door and break the end of it, the pain doesn't go away that quickly!!

York

Arrived in York today and walked around. My finger is still killing me after smashing it in the door yesterday. It is basically broken off at the tip! The Minster is gorgeous!

OUCH! Damn Door Jams!

So, one item of culture shock has now cost me a personal injury! The doors in my flat automatically slam shut. Unfortunately, my pinky finger was in the way tonight.

The Wonderful Newcastle Flat!!

I moved into the Jesmond Road flat today. Nice and clean!

Amsterdam

Arrived in Amsterdam, Netherlands this morning. I think the best part about coming out of the airport and approaching your taxi is the sign that reads "Please choose the taxi you prefer most." I found this to be quite different to the never ending taxi queues in America for sure! Took the 20 minute drive in my silver E class Mercedes to the Marriott (50 euros) and checked in. After a little walking around, I stopped and ate Meatballs with Endive and Mashed Potatoes.

Exploding Belly? Culture Shock Item...

We're on our way to Nagasaki today. I found this picture (the one on the left) at the airport quite funny.

Tokyo - Dinner at Daidaiya

Tonight Princess and I dragged our jet lagged selves to Daidaiya for some Monkfish liver. Yummy!