Capital City Seventeen - Switzerland : Geneva (capital city is Bern) - 178 to go

Picture with passport control

So another picture in the airport, had flown into Geneva then had gone on to Morzine to go Snowboarding, so took the Switzerland photo opportunity in case I don't get back there. Fingers crossed I do so can have more interesting pictures, in the meantime with no relation to capital cities, here's me snowboarding.

Morzine

One of the few times I was not on my arse

Capital City Fifteen - Vatican City: Vatican City (capital) - 180 to go

Picture with local policeman outside the Vatican

Heading to Rome meant that two capitals could be gotten in one swoop, the day before I got married we walked to the Vatican, it's such a grande building, although we didn't go inside (the queues wrapped themselves around the building edge for miles it seemed) we did walk around the front and spied a policeman telling off queue jumpers. My opportunity was there, I took it.

I love getting these pictures.

Da daaaa the Vatican

Capital City Sixteen - Italy: Rome (capital) - 179 to go

Photo with two centurions in my wedding dress

I had planned my trip to Italy with my boyfriend, then about 6 weeks before we left to go, he surprised me by asking me to marry him - in Italy!! Just us in a beautiful old temple. Having never possessed the bride gene, the thought of a big wedding haunted me, so we didn't tell anyone (sorry mum) and set rail to Italy on an overnight train to start our married life together. Though we nearly missed the train and only just boarded when the doors started to close and beep.

Italy was so hot, and walking everywhere (and being four months pregnant) I was so tired and my days did consist of naps (even the wedding day).
Had a couple of days before the wedding so walked around taking in all the beautiful sites.

View over Rome

Inside the Pantheon

 My cousin arrived to Rome a couple days later, we had had arranged to meet there as she was already in Italy holidaying from Australia, and we presented her with the only invite and surprised her that she would be the witness at the wedding.
The following day I got married!! And got my picture with my local.
Great Day!!

An arm wrestle before the wedding whilst Phil Collins was playing

we are married

ice cream on the streets of Rome

Dancing on the Spanish Steps

The following day we head to Capri for our honeymoon.

Capital City Fourteen - Singapore: Singapore (capital) - 181 to go

November 4th 2012
Singapore - City: Singapore (capital)
Sneaky picture with local airport worker
181 countries to go

Well it's official, no-one in uniform ever wants their picture taken in an airport - something to do with it being a security risk, but of course that shouldn't phase you. Got this gem waiting to re-board my flight back to the UK from Australia.

City Thirteen - Australia: Melbourne (capital city is Canberra) -182 to go

November 1st 2012
Australia - City: Melbourne (capital city is Canberra)
Picture with local Metro worker 182 countries to go

I spent a year working in Australia designing, unfortunately because I was working all the time I didn't get chance to explore Australia. This made me question did I want to spend a whole weekend travelling down to Canberra just to take a picture with a local uniformed person, or would simply getting a picture in Australia suffice. I decided as they were my rules I could alter them at any time, as this challenge is a big enough feat as it stands. Why make it harder for myself?

I will always try and aim to see a capital, and that's a bonus, but if I can't get to the capital then getting a picture in the country is acceptable.

Brighton Beach in Melbourne

Sydney Opera House

Capital City Twelve - Vanuatu: Port Villa - 183 capitals to go

11th August 2012
Vanuatu - Capital city: Port Villa
Picture with local bus driver
183 capitals to go

Needing a holiday and the realisation that in the whole of 2012 I had not yet completed a capital, a week to Vanuatu with my cousin soon rectified that. We stayed at 'Hide Away Island' which was a tiny Island, so tiny that you could walk around it in 10 mins and also Kayak around it.

We didn't do too much, apart from sleep, drink, read and snorkel, which was pretty good. One night we went to a tradition night. Whereby we had the tradition drink of  'Cava' which to start with I was thinking along the lines of champagne, only to met with some muddy, rooty awfulness, which the only way to drink it is down in one go. They also had a tradition band with a instrument which was a wooden stick  in a hole in a box with a string attached, which I attempted to play.

Cava

Attempting to play an instrument of the band's 

View from where we were staying

Capital City Eleven - Qatar: Dohar - 184 to go

November 26th 2011
Qatar - Capital City: Dohar
Sneaky picture with Airport security
184 capitals to go

I was flying through Dohar and although when I started this challenge, I had wanted to stay a night in a capital, but I've just come to realise that if I'm wanting to knock off some of these capitals then unless I really want to stay, I have to take any opportunities I can get. So after asking for a picture which was declined I did the next best thing and grabbed a sneaky one :)

Waiting to board the plane