Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

Hello! Bonjour! Buongiorno!

Friday, 22nd February 2008 by Alex

To celebrate International Mother Language Day1 Google Sightseeing has some really big news - today, for the first time we’re launching Google Sightseeing in a foreign language! Not only that but we’re launching two at the same time - French and Italian!

Google Sightseeing Français will be translated by Julien Gremillot, a 30 year old software engineer originally from Paris, who now lives near Nantes, and who has had a passion for satellite sightseeing ever since Google Maps introduced satellite imagery nearly 3 years ago.

Google Sightseeing Italiano will be translated by Alexei Popov who lives and works in Rome. Although Alexei is originally from St. Petersburg, he has made Italy his permanent home after falling in love with it on his first visit. He loves to travel and says his horizons have expanded incredibly since discovering GSS.

Julien and Alexei will be translating all the best posts from the English language GSS for their own languages, as well as posting some of their own language specific stuff as well!

We’ve still got a bit of tweaking to do, so if you find a problem with functionality or appearance leave a comment here (in English please) and we’ll try and fix it.

If you have a comment about the French or Italian posts then feel free to comment in those languages and our translators will handle your queries.

Of course, we want Google Sightseeing to be available to all, so we aim to expand with more languages in the future. If you are fluent in another language and would like to have your own Google Sightseeing blog then please get in touch.


  1. Which was actually yesterday, but nevermind… 

19 Responses to 'Hello! Bonjour! Buongiorno!'

  1. 1. TOMHTML says:

    Great idea!
    Bon courage Julien ;-)

  2. 2. Izzy says:

    It’s a fantastic idea! Now I can really improve my French!

  3. Google Sightseeing Admin
    3. Rob says:

    I call dibs on the Pig Latin version.

  4. 4. Randall Berg says:

    sanskrit anyone?

  5. 5. dr.R. says:

    A sad day. From now on the GSS community (if such thing exists) will be split according to language and nationality… What’s next? Google Sightseeing for Ladies Only?

    (BTW, falling in Love with Italy is not quite a recommendation either, IMHO)

  6. Google Sightseeing Admin
    6. Alex says:

    Nonsense dr.R.! This moves open up Google Sightseeing to all those people who were previously excluded simply because they didn’t speak English!

    Now, enough of your trolling, you won’t reel me in!

    Um, again.

  7. 7. dr.R. says:

    OK, OK, if it makes you feel better I can also pretend to join in the general cheering!

    And what about our comments? Will they also be translated?

  8. Google Sightseeing Admin
    8. James says:

    @dr R: You’re welcome to translate your own comments and cross-post!

  9. Google Sightseeing Admin
    9. Rob says:

    Ywhay otherbay eeingsay ethay orldway orfay ealray?

  10. 10. xf says:

    …as well as posting some of their own language specific stuff as well…

    Does that mean that there will be different posts among the three GSS versions? …and being an Italian living in Italy but higly committed to an ‘international’ lifestyle how do I choose which one to follow?
    I’m just asking a suggestion ;)

  11. 11. Dan says:

    We need an American version! You guys use the Queen’s English, whereas we use an amalgam of languages. I call it Spanilatinofrenchtalindianyiddishslang.

  12. Google Sightseeing Admin
    12. alexei says:

    Why don’t you follow both, xf?! Or even all three, learning French in this way!
    There will be some language/country specific posts, but apart from that the content will be very much the same, i believe.

  13. 13. Lee says:

    I’ll translate into Middle English if you want!

    Good idea though lads, good luck with getting it popular.

  14. 14. mark says:

    I think that it ’s a great idea, to enlarge the public of this site!

    dr.r. stop telling nonsenses, please.

  15. 15. mat says:

    MERCI !

  16. 16. Graeme says:

    Cool ! Bonne idée !
    Bonne chance pour la suite, je vais lire avec intérêt les billets en français ;-)

  17. 17. Jel says:

    Of course the Queen’s English! Mais est-ce qu’il vaudrait soumettre dans les trois endroits?

  18. 18. Zeus47 says:

    Bárbaro, compadre!!! Te la comiste, mano!!

  19. 19. FataTabata says:

    Hei ! Well done guys !
    I’ve just checked the Italian version and I have to say that it’s wonderfully translated…!
    Our StPeterburg’s friend writes an almost perfect Italian (well, I should say he knows Italian better than I do ;) despite I’m a 100% Italian girl)

    So, CLAP CLAP to Google Sightseeing and….complimenti siete BRAVISSIMI

    Ciao!

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