Flags

Here is some summer fun for everyone.  In each of the 18 countries that I have visited to date, I took a photo of the national flag.  This was not an easy task with wind, rain, sun and tourists to contend with!   

Enjoy guessing which country is represented by each flag. 

Stay tuned for the answers!

#1)  Flag is tough to see but the building should provide a hint.

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7




 

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

It's The Little Things...Part 4

And here are some of my favorite gems from mainland Europe.

I ordered cider from a cafe in Paris, and it was served in a pitcher with a latte cup.



I wonder who the heroin of the Drug Opera is? 



The Cube by Electolux:  a restaurant on top of the triumph arch in Belgium.
Seriously?  A unique dining experience on top of a national monument.

I wonder if they vacuum up there too?

Berlin's unique crosswalk man:  Ampelmann complete with hat!

I wonder if croc tastes like chicken?

I know sushi is raw...but running?

It's The Little Things...Part 3

It's the little things about travelling that make it fun and exciting.  This part of the blog is where I share the small intricacies that are not mentioned in the travel books, or on Wikipedia.  It's the little chuckles here and there that make diversity such a wonder.

Why cheer for Manchester United when you can cheer for Will & Kate?

No comment ;-)



So much more quaint than the hardware aisle at Home Depot. 
Plus the name makes me laugh!



Throughout the U.K. there are community bike stands.  Simply swipe your credit card and pedal away.

Darn...I was really hoping I could share my bed with 5 others while wearing my boots.

Interesting flavors...needless to say I stuck with Plain.

It's comforting to know that if I don't get a job after Zannerpalooza,
I can be a taxi driver in Edinburgh!

I'm sure this place gets great reviews.

Is that a pun?

Genius!

London condo for lease...I wonder if they'll renovate before the 980 years lease is up?

Paris Blues...Part 2

Well, Paris the second time around has not changed my opinion of the famous city.  At least this time I knew what to expect.

I enjoyed Montmartre and the views from Sacre Coeur church.

Sacre Coeur Cathedral in Paris.

View of Paris from Montmartre, in front of Sacre Coeur.

Talented Busker Parisien.

I had a moment of self reflection as I enjoyed a Chai Latte across the street from the Moulin Rouge.  It's not very often that you get to sit and view a site with so much history.  It's a pretty seedy area so I can just imagine how many sins were committed here!

My front-row Starbucks view of the Moulin Rouge.

There it is, the famous nightclub.

Versailles was HUGE.  I don't even think I saw half of the gardens and still found the estate unbelievably massive.  Even if I was Queen Zanner XIV, I would never create the opulent grandeur that Louis XIV did knowing how much hunger, starvation and poverty exists in the world.  It just seems wrong.

Entrance to Versailles.

Lushious manicured gardens extend for acres.

So many acres that Fay and Ray rented a golf cart, and kindly escorted me around the grounds.

As I head to the Paris Gard du Nord train station, I reflect on my Zannerpalooza tour of Europe.  I am more in tune with the European world now, and I loved every minute of my trip - even the disgusting hot train and getting stranded in Vienna.  As I venture home, I look forward to seeing Greg, my family and my friends.  I will smile as I breathe in the fresh Canadian air, travel without using a map, socialize without pushing through crowds, eat salad and vegetables, and sleep in my own bed.

So far this year (a total of 5 months and 10 days) I have been on 23 airplanes, 52 trains and 4 ferries.  In total I have travelled 79,157 kilometers.  Considering the earth's circumference is 40,075 kms - I almost made it around the world twice!