Caribbean Here I Come!

Yesss!! I got my ship assignment!! I am on the Carnival Valor, one of their large ships. I will be doing 7-day cruises to Grand Cayman, Belize, Isle Roatan (off the coast of Honduras), and Cozumel. Uhhhm HOW AMAZING IS THAT!? Funny, I put a post up on Belize, which has a myriad of rare wildlife :) I was relieved that I wasn't just going to be on three day cruises to Nassau and back - since I've already been there twice and feel like I've done about all there is to do there. I am just so excited for travels and adventure, and I even look forward to all the fun I am hoping to have with the kids I will be working with. I hope that kids will be interested in doing off-shore excursions together, that way I get to go too!
I have also decided that most of my money is going to be spent on those off-shore excursions - I am planning on seeing everything, from climbing Mayan ruins to exploring the rainforest. I wish wish wish I had my scuba certification, as you can scuba dive with dolphins AND the world's second largest barrier reef is off the coast of Belize... guess I will have to settle for snorkeling. Hopefully I will meet people who will do these things with me!!
I got really sad for the first time last night - of course I have been realizing I will miss everybody - friends, family, my middle schoolers, but last night it hit me that I'm barely going to see my sister before I go. Julie's so busy with AP test studying and schoolwork AND the school play, and this week is crazy for her. She's basically my best friend, and there was a list of things I wanted to do before I left, especially as she's going off to college. I am also really regretful that I am going to miss her graduation. I am so proud of her, and am more torn up than I realized about missing this huge event - I mean she worked her butt off all through high school. I'm not even going to be able to send her off to U of M (that's right, my sister is going to the University of Michigan) ;-) Told ya she worked her butt off.
Anyways, I realize you don't really know my sister, but now you know that I am bent up about missing her.
Praise to the Lord there is a Target in Miami though!!! I also didn't realize that I would get to get off the ship on Sundays, our embarkation/disembarkation days, and go shopping in Miami - I guess there is a shuttle that takes you to a shopping center, and Target is only a short ways away. Seriously, I can breathe easier - I thought I would have to pack 5 bottles of shampoo and twenty bars of soap! (Okay maybe not quite that much.)
So ... a week from today (technically even less) I will be floating around the Caribbean :) I might even be in the rainforest or laying on the beach on Grand Cayman. :)

Slumdog Millionaire

I hope you have heard of the critically acclaimed movie Slumdog Millionaire by now. If you haven't, get out of your cave and away from the bat poop. Whether you've heard of the child actor controversy or the anti-Muslim violence, nothing should stop you from seeing this movie. To me, it has everything - drama, romance, action, comedy. It's a heart-wrenching film, but you can't stereotype it as being a chick-flick romance or a life-altering drama. You don't just get a small inside view of some aspects of life in the slums of India, you don't just see a movie where a boy spends his life chasing after a girl, you don't just feel guilty for the crimes committed against young kids. You get an eye-opening entertaining experience, the triple E, important for people who don't pride themselves on the knowledge of knowing every line from D movies like Old School or Superbad, especially those who actually look for more than just entertainment in movies. Now I'd be a hypocrite if I said I loved this movie because I learned from it or because I feel more connected to issues in the world I never knew about. I do love that it has done that for people, I do love the story of a person born in the slums that has a chance at a new, better life, I do love that it grabs your emotions and makes you feel for people and relate to people that are part of cultures you don't have a clue about, people you can't relate to in any way other than life, love, loss. I love all those things, but this isn't a Free the Children commercial or a movie meant to inform the masses about conflicts while providing them with an action-packed, emotional story like Blood Diamond. This film is richer, there's more, from the brothers' bond threatened by the third musketeer to the reality of children getting their eyes removed because it gets them more money as beggars, from the other-worldly beauty of true love to the battle of achieving it and overcoming monsters with many faces, from the clever humor that prompts beatings to the fun banter that reminds you of squabbles and jests with your siblings. Those are just some things that are still vivid in my mind that I can't wait to experience all over again. When you watch this movie, I guarantee you that you will find even more richness. Notice that I said when, and not if. That means you've gotta see it. Comes out Tuesday, March 31st, which is tomorrow actually, so there's no excuse of 'oh I'm not paying ten dollars for one ticket' (which I completely agree with).

Costa Rrrrica

Did you know that more than 27% of Costa Rica is a wildlife reserve, national park, or other protected area?

I'm thinking that tours are the way to go in Costa Rica, whether you are a fan of plants, fruit, or coffee.

The Del Monte pineapple farm is in Costa Rica, and you can take tours of the plantation to see how they process them and even taste one. You can also visit a Dole banana plantation. Obviously to get to these places you will be traveling through rainforest and seeing tons of different animals and plant life species.

Costa Flores is one of the largest tropical flower farms with over 600 different species of flowers! There's even 120 different types of ONE flower (heliconia).

You can go on coffee tours, since Costa Rica is pretty famous for their coffee. Grano de Oro is a century-old coffee mill where you can see the work that goes into harvesting and making coffee - obviously you will get to drink some of this coffee.

If I went to Costa Rica, I would totally take a tour of a volcano. THAT is my new goal in life.

book report by a student

Actually, I shouldn't even call this a book report...
The first copy is this:
In Welcome to the Family there was a boy by the name of Nicholas who had a tradition of going to a by the name of "Camp Wannameka" when it was a tradition well broken after his parent decided to go to Brooklyn instead WITHOUT Nicholas. With all that he was stuck at home Nana! Your turn to read the BOOK!!

So, a) to a ____ ... ???
b) this was almost one huge run-on sentence, when I told them that they needed a well-written paragraph with at least six sentences for the summary. Well-written, eh? That's it, that's all I can say about this. I won't go on because then I will start to get mean.
BUT, there is a redone version. It's as follows:
In "Welcome to the Family" the was only one main event. That main event was how his parents left him with grandma Tutti and uncle Frankie who wasn't suppose to be there, with his parents in Brooklyn for the week.
In the conclusion of the story his come home to find uncle Frankie there with a huge attitude

REALLY?!?!?!?!?!? AHHHHHlkasjdflkjsadljflkjsa

Belize - a MYRIAD of rare wildlife

Carnival SURE is good at selling their Ports of Call - as if this picture they include isn't amazing enough, here is their description of Belize:
This tropical paradise promises adventure, both onshore and off. Crystalline rivers flow through impressive lowland jungles, home to a myriad of rare wildlife. Silky sand beaches, waving palms and colorful coral gardens are just part of Belize's natural wonders. Whether mountain biking through a lush rainforest or snorkeling with sharks, you'll experience things you've only imagined.

I mean, omg, who does NOT want to experience any of that? Even the words they use for these descriptions - myriad? What a GREAT word!!

dictionary.com says:
myr⋅i⋅ad  Show Spelled Pronunciation [mir-ee-uhd]
–noun
1. a very great or indefinitely great number of persons or things.
2. ten thousand.
–adjective
3. of an indefinitely great number; innumerable: the myriad stars of a summer night.
4. having innumerable phases, aspects, variations, etc.: the myriad mind of Shakespeare.

love that word ... myriad ...

Panama

Whenever I think of Panama, it's always the Canal or Panama Hats. But after exploring shore excursions on cruise sites, you learn that there's a lot more places that will gladly accept your $$. Here are some of the things you can do while visiting Panama:


Visit and learn about the Embera tribe.

See magnificent plant life such as guarumo (trumpet tree), manglillo, mangavé, espavé (wild cashew) and balsa, just to name a few.


Discover all kinds of indigenous animals including the coatimundi, peccary, howler monkey, squirrel, capybara, and sloth.


Marvel at the beautiful birds such as toucans, trogons, parrots, and momots.


Spot reptiles and amphibians such as caimans, iguanas, and dozens of species of frogs.


Witness beautifully colored butterflies, dragonflies, and cicadas.


Enjoy a visit to the frog exhibit and the serpentarium.


Learn about integral roles these resident reptiles play in tropical ecology.


Tour the Panama Canal - Go through the Miraflores Locks and Lake.


Pass through the Pedro Miguel locks and onto Gaylord Cut.


Cross the Continental Divide


Visit Fort San Geronimo, Fort San Felipe, Customs House and the Black Christ Church.


Learn the rich history of the Portobelo (Pirates’ Paradise) area

more excursions and activities can be found at carnival.com

Pirates

There is quite an odd fascination in society with pirates - at least in the United States. It is popular to dress up as pirates or pirate wenches for Halloween, the swashbucklers are featured in many movies - some of them huge cultural phenomena, when you travel to Caribbean places they don't just sell the history, they sell the pirate life. I personally LOVE the Pirates of the Caribbean movies - when the first one came out, me and several friends dressed up to go see it and got cheered in the theater - I was called 'Saucy.' I collect pirate memorobilia wherever it's available - the Pirates Museum in Nassau, Disney World, Bar Harbor in Maine, you name it. Wherever they sell it I'm all over it.

But let's back up for a minute and think about pirates. No way were they as hot as Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom. If you ask either of these two actors what it was like being a pirate, they sure won't tell you about lice infestations, the sickness and disease, the muck they had to eat if food ran low, what they slept on, the gut-wrenching smells... just thinking of those things make me think A Pirate's Life [IS NOT] For Me. Let's think about some of the disgusting things they did - terrorizing ports, raping women, marauding and embezzling, mutiny against captains, cutting throats, drinking for days in port. Let's just take a look even at Disney's lyrics:

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Maraud and embezzle and even highjack.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We kindle and char and in flame and ignite.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

We burn up the city, we're really a fright.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

We're rascals and scoundrels, we're villians and knaves.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

We're devils and black sheep, we're really bad eggs.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads,

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads,

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me

I mean, REALLY?

Not gonna lie, but one of my ringtones on my phone is this song. After actually thinking about these things, I have no idea why they are so popular - especially because there are still pirate attacks around the globe! They may not have cutlasses and parrots, but they are still pirates stealing and endangering lives.

So why, after all this 'realization', so I still have no desire to take the ring tone off my phone, to get rid of my pirate flag, to not watch Pirates of the Caribbean and root for the pirates? Huh?

I have no idea...

Let's Talk About Some Basic Lingo

Alright, being a teacher, I get annoyed a lot at spelling - no, not by the tough words that students have never heard of that they can't be expected to know how to spell, but by the common words that all people should just KNOW. Just because we are in a tech-savvy society full of emails instead of letters, instant messages instead of phone calls, facebook wall posts instead of notes doesn't mean that we can just throw everything else out the window. That goes for grammar and spelling, too! I cannot tell you how many times I get papers that have uncapitalized i's, 2's instead of to's, lol's at the end of sentences... I mean come on!!!

I think it's even worse when grown people do this - and that's not all. I feel like my life is flashing before my eyes when I think of all the mispellings and errors I have seen - they just run through my head like electricity, it's crazy. How hard is it to know the basics - or to at least stop and think??

First let's talk about their, there, and they're. Yes, people, there IS a difference!!
Their - means belonging to more than one person.
There - referring to a place, yes, it's that easy.
They're - it is obviously a contraction - do people know what those are these days? Two words put together with an apostrophe. Means they are. SIMPLE.

Alright, how about your versus you're.
Again, contraction! Means that it is two words - you are. YOU ARE. Not your. Your has to do with possession, gahhh it really is so simple!

How about two, to, and too.
Now you do know that two is a number - 2. 'To' is a preposition, links words together in a sentence. Now, 'too' is something completely different. It's when you have extra, or are adding something. Three completely different words.

Now the word definitely. I see innumerable ways people misspell this one, and it drives me crazy when it is a friend I am talking to online or I see written in an email. Think of root words. It has FINITE in it - there is no A in definitely.

Okay, that's all for now.

Volcanoes of the Caribbean

The Caribbean tectonic plate is mainly oceanic and is located off the east coast of central America.
The northern boundary with the North American plate is transform or strike-slip. The eastern boundary is a subduction zone. The southern boundary is complex and is partly the result of transform faulting, thrust faulting and subduction. ( http://www.volcanolive.com/caribbean.html)

Netherlands Antilles: Saba (eruption in 1636), The Quill (last erupted 250 AD)

Saint Kitts and Nevis: Liamuiga (last eruption possibly 1843), Nevis Peak

Montserrat: Soufriere Hills (eruptions 1995-2009)

Guadeloupe: Bouillante , Soufriere Guadeloupe (recently 1976-77)

Grenada: St. Catherine, Kick-'em-Jenny ( many underwater explosions; most recent 2001)

Dominica: Morne aux Diables (activity 1841 and 1893), Morne Diablotins, Morne Trois Pitons (790 AD), Morne Watt (1997), Morne Patates (1270)

Martinique: Pelee (last eruption 1929-1932, 1902 was a great volcanic disaster)

St. Lucia: Qualibou (last eruption 1766)

St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Soufriere St. Vincent (latest eruption 1979)

Plants of the Caribbean

When I think of the Caribbean Islands, or Hawaii, immediately I think of the sunny beaches, water with a million shades of blue, and the incredible colors of the flowers.

There are an estimated 13,000 species of plants on the Caribbean islands, and almost 7,000 are native to their islands. Cuba is the island with the greatest biodiversity ... unfortunately for us Americans, who can't exactly go over and take a look.

Swietenia mahagoni

Heliconia

Amaryllis

Ixora - West Indian Jasmine

Flamingo Flower

Bouganvillea

Calabash

Coconut Palm

Cannonball Tree

Barbados

The first time I ever heard of Barbados was in the movie 'Dunston Checks In', because the father talks about going on vacation there... but I bet you've never even heard of that movie, right?

Anywho... a little bit about Barbados

It is the easternmost island of the Caribbean, which is good as it misses most of the hurricane wreckage

The capital is Bridgetown, and they speak English in Barbados (phew!)

Barbados, like most islands, developed a sugar economy and many slaves came over to work on plantations

Included in triangular trade of slaves, Caribbean sugar and rum, and European goods.

Bajan is a slang term for native-born Barbadians

Bimshire is the nickname of the Brits for Barbados

Elizabeth II is their monarch, but they achieved independence from the UK in 1966

It is mostly made of limestone-coral (non-volcanic)

Apparently, its aboriginal name was Ichirouganaim ... I won't even try to pronounce that

Time-shares ARE available, so go take care of that :) Remember, tourism is about half of the economy!

The national flower is the Pride of Barbados (huh, imagine that)

Martinique

Get ready for gaining some knowledge about these amazing Caribbean islands :)
Martinique:

part of the European Union, is actually a region of France - they use the euro!
could be problematic that they speak French and I don't
Capital: Fort-de-France (huh, surprise surprise)
pop: 402,000
president: Alfred Marie-Jeanne
The North end of the island is mountainous with many trees. Martinique boats the volcano Mt. Pelee, as well as 5 extinct volcanoes. Though the North has black sand beaches due to volcanic ash, the South end is the more attractive to tourists.
Most of the population is comprised of Africans that came over during colonial times to work on sugar plantations.

Martinique is a very popular place to vacation, but it also is one of the more high-end Caribbean islands, having many French influences including Chanel.
If you've ever heard the Beach Boys song "Kokomo" - come on, who hasn't? - then you have heard of Martinique : "To Martinique, that Montserrat mystique"

Caribbean Islands

So, I love the Caribbean as much as the next person... maybe even a little more? However, if you asked me to name all the islands in el Caribe, I would probably miss like 5,000. I'm sure you've all heard of the famous vacation spots, but make a note of how many of these you haven't heard of...

British West Indies/Anglophone Caribbean – Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bay Islands, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Croix (briefly), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago (from 1797) and the Turks and Caicos Islands
Danish West Indies – present-day United States Virgin Islands
Dutch West Indies – present-day Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, Virgin Islands, Saint Croix (briefly), Tobago and Bay Islands (briefly)
French West Indies – Anguilla (briefly), Antigua and Barbuda (briefly), Dominica, Dominican Republic (briefly), Grenada, Haiti, Montserrat (briefly), Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius (briefly), St Kitts (briefly), Tobago (briefly), Saint Croix, the current French overseas départements of Martinique and Guadeloupe (including Marie-Galante, La Désirade and Les Saintes), and the current French overseas collectivities of Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin.
Portuguese West Indies – present-day Barbados, known as Os Barbados in the 1500s when the Portuguese claimed the island en route to Brazil. The Portuguese left Barbados abandoned in 1533, nearly a century prior to the British arrival to the island.
Spanish West Indies – Cuba, Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic, and until 1609, Haiti), Puerto Rico, Jamaica (until 1655), the Cayman Islands, Trinidad (until 1797) and Bay Islands (until 1643)
Swedish West Indies – present-day French Saint-Barthélemy and Guadeloupe (briefly).

taken from wikipedia.org

Cruising Along

So, someone made a comment that I find the most interesting jobs. That really made me think, wow, how lucky am I? Between the whole movie set teaching gig and my new job, I never want to do anything else! So let me tell you about my new job.
Three close friends and I decided to take a cruise over our Winter Break from school, and I got to exploring around on the cruise sites. Took a look at job postings, and saw Youth Counselor, where they wanted people who had backgrounds in Education or Recreation. I had done summer camps, Boys & Girls Club, I teach catechism, substitute, etc etc and thought wow I'm perfect for this job, ESPECIALLY because I LOVE traveling. Seriously love travel...
So I applied to all these major cruise lines, and a few weeks ago got a response from Carnival Cruise Lines (basically freaked out from excitement.) They wanted to interview me, so I flew down to Miami - where the weather was MUCH better than cold Michigan - it was snowing when I was driving home from the airport at midnight... but I digress...
So the interview went SO well, and a couple days ago I got the official letter in the mail saying that I had been approved for employment and would be a Circle C Director. eeee!
You might be wondering what Circle C is? Well Carnival has tons of activities and events for kids and teenagers. Camp Carnival is for 2-11 year olds, Circle C is for 12-14 year olds, and Club O2 is for 15-17 year olds. How perfect for me to be in the Circle C position, since I have been subbing almost the past two years at the same middle school, and absolutely LOVE some of the kids... which actually makes me a little sad thinking that I will miss them. But hey, I'm going to be cruising the Caribbean (or Hawaii or Europe) so I can't complain. I told everybody I'd mail them coconuts. :)
So yes, this is my new job. Just have to get my Medical Evaluation and stuff like that done, and who knows when I start!!

25 Random Things

1. post-it notes
2. the autobahn
3. balloons
4. glitter
5. scratch 'n sniff stickers
6. pillows
7. dirndls
8. map of Tampa, FL
9. crayons
10. lightning bolt
11. french baguette
12. henna paste
13. hot chocolate
14. Oxford U t-shirts
15. slipping in the rain
16. kissing in the rain
17. singing in the rain
18. stanley cup
19. water lilies
20. whale wars
21. labyrinths
22. seedless pumpkins
23. burning leaves
24. cliffs
25. smell of the ocean

All good things must come to an end...

... I mean, you probably are not as excited about these Europe 'tips' as I am, but I think that 'the last of what I learned in Europe' would be a pretty boring title. At least this way, I got you to think of a famous quote. Now don't you feel smarter?


Appreciate the showers you have, with the non-stop supply of water … unlike showers in Europe, where you have to press the button every ten seconds

Dressing up to enter the Monte Carlo Casino is overrated, why not just go in in flip flops and jeans? We did … as Alex says, ‘Eat that James Bond’

Some nights you just need to relax and rent a movie like Casino Royale

When wearing heels, be careful not to step in the sewer grates, esp when raining

When you hear the clip from Pink Floyd repeatedly about a thousand times, it is permanently engrained in your head

Everybody, I mean everybody, knows the song ‘Livin on a Prayer’ by Bon Jovi, as we found out in the Karaoke bar in London

When wandering, you will find what you least expect or could not find otherwise, aka Tiffinbites, statue of Peter Pan…

Peet-uh (Peter) is one of the best names in Britain

Who says you can’t find the ground that Orlando Bloom walked on and kiss it?

Sometimes the idea of customer service is highly undervalued

Do not be surprised when the keyboard changes every country you visit

Trolls make good friends for snails

The bells and organ of Notre Dame, also priceless

Mass at Notre Dame beats mass at the Vatican ten-fold

It does rain quite a bit on that damned continent

There is nothing quite like throwing a snowball in June, try visiting an Alp

You never know who you will run into again, you may see Iceland! unexpectedly in Salzburg a few times after sharing a tour with them in Appenzellerland

There is a big difference between the terms ‘sprinkling’ ‘raining’ and ‘pouring’, especially when wandering the streets of Venice, lost completely

The best bus-driver there is is the Water Bus Driver in Venezia, however, the rope-throwing-guy hates his life

I guess to close this, I just have to say to ENJOY LIFE! Make the most of your trip - do everything you can, anything you want, nothing you will regret.

I have taught you almost all I know

• The police sirens are hella annoying
• Don’t question why people shout sporadically ‘Take the pain away’ out of windows in Berlin, it won’t get you an answer
• Don’t get too excited when you see a public toilet sign, usually, it’s a stall in the middle of the sidewalk
• Yes, you do usually have to pay to use the toilet
• It is not uncommon for guys to pee in the streets or corners of buildings
• Ludwig II most likely was really crazy, as he had Neuschwanstein built up this really big hill – no, seriously, big hill-ish mountain
• Have no shame in taking pictures of every hot guy you want to remember, and if you don’t know their name, make one up! (like Pierre de Marseilles)
• No reason for concern if you see someone dressed in an Easter Bunny costume in a pub
• Trivial Pursuit: British Edition, is a hoot, especially when played by two Americans, a Canadian, a Swedish guy, and Chinese girl
• Be prepared to wait in line four hours to see David, or, see real naked men in Amsterdam or the nude beaches with no wait
• Aprons of David make great souvenirs
• The little replicas of David are nowhere near close to the real thing
• You have to pay for everything … even to walk around on the courtyard from Harry Potter in Oxford
• When in Oxford, of course you must purchase a book at the Borders, even if it is a Steve McQueen book
• The Scottish Historical Society or Tourist Bureau or whatever they call themselves are pretty laid back, as they let you climb on top of their ancient ruins at your own risk …
• Yet, once you are on top of ruins of centuries-old buildings, you realize that you are quite high, and to fall, would be bad
• Salzburg is gung-ho about being considered as the host city for the next Olympics
• Some ATMS may reject your card for no reason
• Make sure that your hostel/hotel room has ALL the beds it’s supposed to

Back with more tips from Europe!

Does it make more sense to organize these by place visited? I don't know, but here are the rest of the things I learned in Amsterdam - don't worry, I really did learn more, and some things are already published:

• There is much more to do in Amsterdam than smoke pot and eat mushrooms
• The Heineken Experience is the coolest ‘museum’ in Amsterdam
• Heineken is so much better directly from the source
• 12,500 bottles of Heineken are opened every minute, and Heineken is second in exportation to the US Army
• Smoking marijuana in Amsterdam is legal, so don’t be surprised when you walk into your hostel and it smells like weed
• It is priceless when your new Brazilian friend gets pulled onstage by the Dominatrix

And now for some more important bulletins about no place in particular:

• It is a stupid idea to carry Murano glass across Europe for a month

• Who says Starbucks chairs don’t make good beds?

• Don’t forget to make your reservation to see the Last Supper months in advance
• Despite several failures, Let’s Go is the Bible
• ‘Kingdoms’ created on train rides are in fact the best kingdoms of all
• You really have no clue how big beer gardens are until you see the truck that comes around to collect the dishes and beer mugs
• You can never see enough religious themed paintings in the museums … that’s a lie, actually, because you can see enough, but you know what I mean
• You have to visit a chocolate factory while in Switzerland
• You also have to have a Swiss army knife from Switzerland itself
• Be careful asking about what football teams’ colors are … you will probably get dirty looks with the response
• It is quite common knowledge just why rich people have homes along the French Riviera and Cote d’Azur

• Cats are everywhere, seriously

• Don’t bother with the security belt, you will probably never wear it