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France

This is the beach in Nice, France. I took this picture on the very first day that I was out riding my bike. There is a nice wide sidewalk complete with bike lane, and it was an ideal place to get used to riding it. The beaches are deserted, because it's December in the northern hemisphere, which is obviously winter. It would be packed in the summer.

This is my stepdaughter Noelle, and my ex-wife Connie. Noelle lived in Nice for about three months, which is what prompted the visit to Nice. This is in front of the hotel we stayed at, which was pretty nice. I'd recommend it.

These pictures are taken at a ruined castle near a tiny little town called Breil (pronounced Bray), which is 90 km (60 miles) outside of Nice. This is where Noelle and Andrew lived for three months before the visit, although both have moved on by now. This picture is Andrew at the castle. We climbed up to the castle primarily to have an excuse to get a bit of exercise.

This is Noelle. I managed to surprise here (she hates having her picture taken).

Yours truly at the castle. Pay attention to the jacket, which Connie bought for me. It's made out of a Gortex clone, and it's turned out to be a great choice for this trip. Coupled with an optional warmth layer, it's the ideal combination of weight, waterproofing and pockets. I highly recommend it.

On my left, you see Andrew's father. He was along for the visit, along with Andrew's sister and her fiance.

These are the view from the castle, showing how the mountains of this region look.

This is the Tour Eiffel in Paris on New Years Eve. The pictures didn't come out all that good because I didn't have a tripod, but I like them anyway. At midnight, I expected fireworks but they turned on blue flashy lights all the way up the tower instead.

I think this is the coolest motor vehicle I've seen on my trip. It's a BMW scooter with all the comforts of home.

Here's Noelle, actually allowing me to take a picture. I was trying out the black and white mode on my camera.

Next - Egypt