---
title: "Trip to Europe"
date: "2023-12-20"
---


In February, Joanne and I went to Europe! We went to Paris, Nice, Florence, and Milan.

As always, these pictures are available in full resolution and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 license.

![The quintessential view of the _Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore_, my favourite photo of the trip.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-17-18-09-40_DSCF9875_66de57bb1e90c34290aa193533dc2c4a45fdab6e_508894f598598df9.jpg)

# Friday, 2023-02-10: arrival in Paris

Upon arriving at Orly airport, we checked into the Victoria Palace Hotel.

![View from the hotel balcony.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-10-07-50-50_DSCF8535_9867a5468fcbc4192693b09135bc2be111976bf2_d4466ee4105b828b.jpg)

![The bustling _Rue de Rennes_ in the evening.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-10-09-27-33_DSCF8550_cea1c4b5fdf8f2bbfcb09253a1ccc661557130de_82fe6ff421fc1083.jpg)

![The _Brasserie L'Horizon_ lit up at night was quite nice.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-10-11-25-04_DSCF8562_9d4d3e3b51470f3acc8612b4915c2e2693512383_6b6b3b5dac271c39.jpg)

Then we had dinner at _L'Escargot Montorgueil_.
The food was alright.

# Saturday, 2023-02-11

We went on a walk and then to the Louvre!

## The morning walk

![Right outside our hotel is the Felix-Potin building which looks quite cool. The _Tour Montparnasse_ is in the background.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-11-09-48-06_DSCF8580_24087635c4e00d94f998aef08f12557654438ff4_b4e5eba7cdd548ce.jpg)

![The Hotel Lutetia.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-11-10-21-30_DSCF8607_00178d4e93e765c9126641f28cc29ef776576e87_cf0307ed1e0951d1.jpg)

![The main entrance and ticket booth of the _Musée d'Orsay_. We would be going inside the museum several days later, but not now!](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-11-10-53-32_DSCF8629_d130280964fa2fb94ef8b958d66def7f845b565f_350da25677e5542e.jpg)

## The Louvre

In general, I don't take pictures of artworks because:

- it is better to just admire the masterpieces in person without worrying about taking photos,
- they are often blocked by other people, and
- extraordinarily high resolution scans are available on, for example, the Google Art Project.

![Well here is the obligatory picture of the Mona Lisa.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-11-14-05-56_DSCF8681_df8b18b079d0ac72c58fdf8964d27abe4be45bda_f5204a41a058ff03.jpg)

![View of the pyramid under very terrible lighting conditions.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-11-15-47-52_DSCF8733_180c3191ab442caf77b1729ff772c849fdbe9d48_3430a20cbaf50b22.jpg)

![The room of statues is really nice.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-11-16-34-06_DSCF8748_c97e0a3df1427397e583999a31cc76b00fe9d34a_f91a488e0abfb0cb.jpg)

After that, we had dinner at the Michelin-starred _Accents Table Bourse_!

# Sunday, 2023-02-12

We originally planned to go to the _Musée d'Orsay_ on this day but it was closed for some reason. Don't worry, our tickets were refunded.
Instead, we ended up walking around _Le Marais_.

![The very floral _Café Blanchet_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-12-10-11-18_DSCF8806_f3ec36c7bec3b16b3b6b2c95384fa6caf02cf1cf_d6f997a263a80e67.jpg)

![A Fiat 500 on display outside the trendy design boutique _Merci_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-12-11-27-58_DSCF8840_2d0d3937fed901ea0ee1f51e1bada27e0a3592f2_e6e309cfa747589d.jpg)

![The diminutive _Cordonnerie_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-12-11-32-29_DSCF8842_a49371d09ee31ac31900c65bde29a66588c07353_8913df79bb3a9a9e.jpg)

# Monday, 2023-02-13

## Montmartre

In the morning we went to Montmartre.
We took the funicular rail thing up and then walked down.
We didn't go inside the Basilica _Sacre Coeur_ but it looked quite nice outside.

![The narrow _Rue des Martyrs_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-13-09-35-27_DSCF8871_53979de1d424d151126004d7f3b5556e1e3299d0_b3f80a240105f7eb.jpg)

![The Vigipirates help keep the tourist attractions safe. This Land Rover was parked next to the _Sacre Coeur_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-13-09-55-59_DSCF8887_18a7d64167228638e853ddc0500abfa4ead86fc7_a975ddfb9a1e75ea.jpg)

![From the hill it was evident that the air quality was not too great.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-13-10-08-01_DSCF8900_25af5ec149dfe787e3c26b034b071ed35f0224e5_452e6b22656864d6.jpg)

![Another smoggy cityscape.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-13-10-14-35_DSCF8917_803f772f7b7a89a17725ffadbcab925b9752f044_9e2a3f8b81fcf5c0.jpg)

## Sightseeing in the city

For lunch we went to the Michelin-starred _Restaurant Auguste_.
I thought it was very delicious but Joanne was a bit sick and couldn't taste anything.

![The Orsay again, but viewed from across the Seine. It used to be a train station.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-13-14-08-54_DSCF8952_9b578a43826fedd3e611af37111e107f6c46e361_b29038622712832f.jpg)

![The Eiffel Tower is but a pale silhouette due to the air quality.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-13-14-17-14_DSCF8958_8bdb75d08e505c3fc505e3b4262f08f4e796a9e4_6484110b2c59dceb.jpg)

![The _Arc de Triomphe_ was partially occluded by all the [_bagnoles_](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bagnole) rolling around the city.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-13-14-58-32_DSCF8973_ca051ea5060168cb79b67e78a75e9289595ebca1_0cc55da644d8e4df.jpg)

In the evening I took a boat ride on the Seine.

![There were many sights to be seen on the boat ride but this shot of the Métro heading towards Passy station was my favourite.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-13-17-46-34_DSCF9087_7bda3fe5766c33f080e76ab8d6523d85efd71224_da9e2a7bb94adac0.jpg)

For dinner we went to the Michelin-starred _Jacques Faussat_.

# Tuesday, 2023-02-14: travelling to Nice

We took a TGV to Nice, and then checked into _Le Riviera Collection_ hotel which is relatively cheap.

## The train ride

![TGV inOui](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-14-09-31-40_DSCF9114_8ddd89934c1f6fd17ef831871a9800771f84bbcf_a128a7bc59c938b7.jpg)

![Some houses during the train ride. I wonder how much power those solar panels can generate? Pretty interesting to see a _rhumerie_ there too. I wonder if their rum is any good.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-14-13-13-01_DSCF9145_436fa6753fe10882884007ed3ad3bcba715b3a89_5e10aed921729da8.jpg)

![View of a highway viaduct and some distant mountains.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-14-15-48-04_DSCF9198_054c3d0fe6aa2f8134ec1d5c70b9095c8cb0ab30_6b17eb341d890bec.jpg)

## Walking to the beach

![The Nice-Ville station looks really cool. It's really old or something.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-14-16-01-42_DSCF9211_f1369ed6b74454bcc922c615b3165e32230685e4_d96fa1c98e06416f.jpg)

![The pedestrian streets are very lively and pleasant.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-14-17-17-49_DSCF9226_87bf79bcbda3d02aacdc01e80f1c4d176d885767_99c02fc9468efd20.jpg)

![An entertainer across from the _Theatre de l'Opera_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-14-17-38-19_DSCF9245_bc74529283584bac49a22071ab0e4f977f0d2197_cfaf06dd84ecd0fd.jpg)

![The _Quai des États-Unis_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-14-17-43-43_DSCF9259_1db8675805e205a829723ec29d3f4c070c7bd7b4_dcc7d4a068bb2c36.jpg)

We looked at the sunset (not pictured) which was very nice.

## Old Nice

![The _Place Rosetti_ at night.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-14-18-14-11_DSCF9281_a044e27cfab2c7dd3d65346921ddf2c61744543e_fc8ea428d4d6772b.jpg)

![The _Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate de Nice_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-14-18-15-25_DSCF9282_41edb5fb11408c71c610eaf884f775ac0f3ed929_22e793b4de06c8c2.jpg)

For dinner we had some really delicious Peruvian food at Yose.

# Wednesday, 2023-02-15: a Nice hill

On this day we went to the _Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas de Nice_ and then climbed the hill, the _Colline du Château_.

![View from the hotel.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-15-10-14-45_DSCF9308_f7e47a7c6d9b2440865b817e4274057d66b3b003_9f91f5da26a72508.jpg)

![The _Port de Nice Lympia_ viewed from the hill.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-15-11-44-30_DSCF9364_cd83546b085340ae5e918275974d3b81fedde0e0_614aabfb6ec6c2d1.jpg)

![And here it is, the beach!](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-15-11-57-28_DSCF9374_80358a482afe0268f4bba450f916cc6ac5a64e12_60ba8e9e818b9e68.jpg)

![We explored Old Nice further because it is just so nice.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-15-12-16-17_DSCF9393_637167a7e839efd89a2319b12ad37f67b98c3101_666652d2395d3a62.jpg)

## Travelling to Florence

We took the train to Florence. Well, we've got to maximize usage of the EU Rail Pass, right?
But there was no direct high speed rail so we had to take several slow trains before gtting on the Frecciarossa.

- 14:50	TER86057 departs Nice-Ville
- 15:42	TER86057 arrives at Ventimiglia
- 15:57	RV3375 departs Ventimiglia
- 18:17	RV3375 arrives at Genova Piazza Principe
- 18:35	FA8591 departs Genova Piazza Principe
- 21:29	FA8591 arrives at Firenze Campo Marte

![I didn't take this train but it looks very cool.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-15-14-39-44_DSCF9406_71a4a78c8963715d0b2cd40ecaf0d164ed3b3b91_2809b085e2fedf52.jpg)

![_Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore a Castelvecchio_ seen from the train.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-15-16-32-32_DSCF9426_a1bed3321cc19f97192302ab2aad4a32ccf4c11b_4048da75dbb44904.jpg)

![View from the train.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-15-18-06-04_DSCF9445_b246303bd080438ebb7afd4ab4b630ab715dd087_f65517044ec052d0.jpg)

At night we checked into the _Casa Howard Firenze - Residenza d'Epoca_.

# Thursday, 2023-02-16: Florence

In the morning we walked around the city, checked out the _Duomo_, ate some steak, and did some shopping.
Too bad it was overcast so it didn't make for any good photos.

In the afternoon we went to the Uffizi museum.
I had never known there were so many ways to paint baby Jesus and it was really eye opening.

![Uffizi museum.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-16-15-25-07_DSCF9542_19501bd400a6452e4af128f66b366dd362188ad1_0ce9f469f82ee764.jpg)

![Renaissance-era structures are now used to sell cheap trinkets to tourists.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-16-16-22-18_DSCF9553_03e1a859385405e594a9bb493150a7022e8080a4_a69ceb0b4d29b4f9.jpg)

In the evening we climbed the dome of the cathedral.
It was quite a workout but the view was amazing.

![View from the dome!](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-16-17-52-48_DSCF9600_4aff336f90068bfbd69a68316a51cd342d5b9cc2_57a6659d348b10be.jpg)

# Friday, 2023-02-17

![The _Ponte Vecchio_ on a misty morning.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-17-07-54-38_DSCF9654_d45dbd7e9a7aefdd68b1fe6d00140f2150a4e269_c7351f7da751a163.jpg)

![Some houses along the River Arno.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-17-08-08-26_DSCF9658_43ea086729d68e4103deecb1c9edcf90ca3738a8_76871f36affeb2dd.jpg)

We climbed up the bell tower, the _Campanile di Giotto_! In my opinion, a better view than from the dome.

![The _Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze_ as seen from the bell tower.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-17-11-36-27_DSCF9705_d1c5886a789c4fd9c7628c833e874cbfa56d6022_85303a860abdec55.jpg)

## The Piazzale Michelangelo

![The _Ponte Vecchio_ as seen from the _Piazzale Michelangelo_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-17-17-40-37_DSCF9824_5041a3e491578a7e66d8f293c93e8b35f5504d3d_4fadea1a63a17682.jpg)

![The quintessential view of the _Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-17-17-54-17_DSCF9852_d9f46fe6d78ac02bb683199b79a33104b941cd1f_3e01bd216fb82580.jpg)

![The quintessential view of the _Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-17-18-09-40_DSCF9875_66de57bb1e90c34290aa193533dc2c4a45fdab6e_508894f598598df9.jpg)

Right after taking those pictures I dropped my NISI Natural Night filter on the ground and it smashed into millions of pieces. Oh well.

For dinner we had a delicious Florentine _Bistecca_ at _L'Ortone_.

# Saturday, 2023-02-18: travelling to Milan

On this day we travelled from Florence to Milan by train.
Unfortunately we were sick so we just slept once we got there.

![The _Milano Centrale_ train station is very beautiful but due to being sick I couldn't take a photo with my real camera.](https://i.dllu.net/IMG_5297_iphone_24344caadd8dd9f7.jpg)

# Sunday, 2023-02-19: Milan sightseeing

![Entrance of the _Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-19-10-53-22_DSCF9899_a9b3a3d2f26b80296638d7631d8849cf94016f2a_b173882b21ef450b.jpg)

![Obligatory _Duomo di Milano_. Unfortunately we didn't get to go inside, and it was rather overcast anyway.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-19-10-57-08_DSCF9904_e3ce599e990348ebb35cef39107086268fb7c806_03e82a0c7bd5a529.jpg)

![Interior of the _Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II_. Apparently, the staff in the Louis Vuitton store were very rude.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-19-11-04-38_DSCF9908_52af682b07601cea29c1dc4e46f11b37ff12a1aa_b0d77d0eb93d0eda.jpg)

![Acro della Pace. Somewhat smaller than the _Arc de Triomphe_ but less crowded and fewer cars.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-19-13-23-44_DSCF9937_76696c8c584a17d946f42b1043c4e71aa5240917_44e406f39e4f6193.jpg)

![The _Bosco Verticale_. Look closely and you'll see some cherry blossoms but it is rather barren otherwise due to the time of year.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-19-14-03-07_DSCF9951_77210cdff5f20e2f81518aca67b4ed882f31de29_cd953d423e577d7c.jpg)

# Monday, 2023-02-20: Back to Paris

First we bought some Chinese food. Who knew there was so much delicious Chinese food in Milan?

![Tram](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-20-11-04-01_DSCF9969_c76d7bcdeba310235cadebbed3231be2d8418043_884f3d85455cb172.jpg)

![Tram](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-20-11-23-45_DSCF9974_0a36d249baefad1e794bf211b4eac7c27abf0c62_2e2ec16b40a02743.jpg)

![Here is the TGV Sud-Est that we took back to Paris. A little dilapidated but still very fast.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-20-11-37-53_DSCF9988_47f7b7f17f2249ee1bc723082b0a1c752fea0040_6443373d5af02cad.jpg)

Then we checked into the _Hotel Parisianer_ which is very close to the train station.

# Tuesday, 2023-02-21

![A random mall.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-21-11-25-35_DSCF0064_0f4df93a42133d14c0c0d9a43847a11e92fc5f8f_293a04b6af1fd77e.jpg)

![Intersection of _Rue Réaumur_ and _Rue de Cléry_.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-21-11-35-53_DSCF0070_e9946654778e8c62c22a9a886ee176f376ddcb90_80984bfafb085715.jpg)

We finally went to the Orsay.
It was amazing!
However, the huge crowds of people in front of the Van Gogh self-portrait was a bit annoying.
Overall just a little bit too crowded.

![Orsay.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-21-15-59-57_DSCF0105_597bf0fa930b2c8c8f638248ad9fc877bcae0943_a646db0b8e1a16ad.jpg)

# Wednesday, 2023-02-22

In the morning I took some line scan pictures of trains while Joanne went shopping, then we had lunch at EnYaa, then we went home!

![Japanese food to wrap it up.](https://i.dllu.net/2023-02-22-14-09-58_L1050828_2dc2b0636d6c6b523b3518fa88c1f67ba3ba01d1_336c86a45428d486.jpg)