Flicking through old photographs is a great way to remember awesome times and places visited whilst traveling. The past ten days of my Contiki tour have resulted in my hard drive taking massive strain - not a single day has gone past where I am not in absolute awe of each and every destination.

As an aspiring photographer I have had my work cut out for me. It`s been an awesome line up: Paris, Bordeaux, Pamplona, Barcelona, Nice, Florence and Rome…and to top it off, the tour is not even at the half way mark!

Full days, late nights and early mornings spent in each city are complemented with driving days in between. These driving days have come as a pleasant surprise! You may be wondering how on earth a driving day could be appealing?

Well, driving days are used to sleep, catch up with the crew, learn about each city before arrival, hand out the Necklace of Disgrace (a much coveted award for exceptional behavior) and what is for me the most awesome part of driving days - the mid day stop-offs in interesting cities.

Thanks to the driving days, I have managed to spend time in French surf-haven Biarritz, historic and picturesque Zaragoza, the ancient town of Arles and most recently, the home of the Leaning Tower - Pisa!

Blaire, our tour manager, has the most amazing wealth of knowledge about every area we visit. He gives our tour group interesting insight into current affairs, history, dining and nightlife areas, public transport systems, and local culture. By the time you arrive in each destination, you are ready to explore!

After long days of exploring our crew is spoilt by the fine cooking skills of Francis. Francis has been with Contiki for 3 years and sure knows how to look after her fellow travellers. Speaking of which, it`s dinner time!

Next stop - Sorrento!