So Napels, or Napoli, is gross. It is a dirty, ugly city. I haven't really given it a fair chance, but from what i have seen i am completely unimpressed. It is also quite high in crime as it is the home to the Italian Mafia. Who hoo. It was pointed out to me by a Brazilian guy that all the people here dress like the actors and actresses on the Sapranos. It is quite funny, because he was absolutly right! If you are not wearing Gucci, don't bother to come out. You will not be welcomed; especially not in this city. However on the flip side the hostel that i am staying at ROCKS... but i cannot just hang out here all day.
So rather than spend any more time than i have to in this city, today i went down to Pompei, the city that was destroyed during a volcanic eruption in 74 AD. It was really cool to see some of the places. The strangest being an actual brothel house where slaves were used as prostitutes, and you can actually see some of the remaining frescos (paintings) on the walls that display all the erotic postitions to use!! Then there were the strange plaster casts of people who had died in the city, who had not escaped and were covered in ash. When their bodies decomposed the ash hardened into rock around them, and in the 18th century, someone had the idea to pour plaster into the rock and make plaster casts of the people. You can see them in their final moments. There was a pregnant lady who died with her hands covering her nose and mouth, and a dog who died as it was trying to escape, but still had the chain around its neck. It was all very strange.
But as i had seen a lot of similar ruins at Orisica Antica outside of Rome, I ducked out early, and headed down to Sorrento, which is a beautiful city perched on cliffs above the sea on the Almafi Coast.
The place is in stark contrast to Naples. It is beautiful and quaint, of course a little touristy in spots, but filled with gardens and flowers, beautiful buildings, and of course the Mediteranean Ocean.
The whole city sits above the sea on huge cliffs, that when you stand on the ledge you can peer down and see the water sparkling teal and green and blue on the sand below you. It is perfectly clear so you can see the sparkling shells of clams that have washed up with the tide. It is so amazing. Bogenvilla grows over the sides of the cliffs in some places, and little tourist cafes and resturants with big yellow and white striped umbrelllas protect you from the sun as you look over the whole coast. As you can tell i totally fell in love!
Tomorrow i am going to try and explore an Island or two. Possibly the island of Capri, or possibly a smaller island that will be less touristy.
You are totally up to date again
Love!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Rome
Alright well i will update you on my Rome experience. Firstly I LOVED IT!!! Everyone must go to Rome, preferably now! It is so amazing and incredible. There is so much to see and do, and it can all be so varied.
As i said my first day was spent walking around the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. The forum was basically like the downtown of Ancient Rome. So now it is all the ruins of temples, churches, buidlings and the colosseum. I went into the Colosseum first and learned all about the history of the place, that it was the first stable structure built for hosting gladiator games. It held 80,000 people and had 80 entrances, and 4 levels. It took 11 years to build, and was completely covered in marble, which in the 15th century was removed, and brought to Vatican city and was used in the Basillica. So that is why it is only the brick outline that it is now, and why it is so much more in disrepair.
I wont bore you with ALL of the details, dont worry. But it was very interesting. I wrote home to the parents, saying it was ironic that all i wanted to do was get out of school and never have to 'learn' agian. And now all i want to do when i am here is research and learn about everything i am going to and doing! Hmmm... sadly i think i see more school in my future. Being in so many foreign countries, where i am the only one that doesn't speak a second language is making me feel very ignorant!! Spanish Class here i come!
After my first day of ruins exploration i decided the next day should be spent combing the city for more touristy sights, as i walked up to Vatican City. I started with the Trevi fountain, however was extremely disappointed to discover that it was not turned on, and the fountain was drained. I decided i would take some quick pictures and try to come back another day, however as i was waiting to get a picture through the throng of people surrounding the fountain I became totally enthralled with a woman who walked past me. She had bright Fire-Engine Red hair cut in a short bob, with a full fringe of bangs. However in perfect striking contrast to the red, she had a large streak of silber gry coursing down the left side of her part! Through her bangs, and then pinned back similar to a skunk stripe. Finding this hairstyle absolutely facinating i decided I must have her picture. So i spent the next 10 minutes stalking her, trying to get her within my camera lens without making it completely obvious of my intentions to papparazi her. As i mangaged to click her into my memory card, low and behold, the water turned on in the fountain.
I hung out a bit longer while the fountain filled and then grabbed my two coins, and threw them into the fountain. One to ensure my return to Rome, and the other to wish on.
The next place I happened upon in my travels was the Pantheon. Now i thought the Colosseum was amazingly old, well it was completed in 80 AD. The Pantheon was built in 27 BC!!! It is now a Catholic shrine, or something. However i am pretty sure there were no Catholics before Jesus.... so like everything else in Rome, the church has taken it over and converted it! ha ha, i guess when in Rome!
After that i finally made it to the Basillica. I checked out where all your Catholic tithing dollars go, in gold statues, and marble floors, and ornate statues! And decided to skip the Vatican as the line was around a few block corners... The Basillica is beautiful though, Do not get me wrong! Just amazingly ornate!
The next day was spent in Orsica Antica, a 1,800 year old city that is in ruins. It is similar to Pompei, however rather than being destroyed by a volcanoe, it was a port city that was basically forgotten and abandoned when the Roman Empire fell, and the coast receded. It was really amazing, but like everything else, seeing as i am not an archeologist, at the end of the day it is just a bunch of old rocks to me. I really cannot imagine what the city looked like, or how the buildings really were. Some stores sell little books that have pictures of the ruins, and then will place picures overtop that show how the ruins are incorporated into the previous structures. Those are defintely helpful, however there tends to be a seperate book for each ruin location, seeing as there are tonnes in Rome, i just cant justify buying 30 books to tote around with me on my adventures through the city. So again more research to do at a later date.
My last day in Rome i attempted Vatican City and the museum again. I decided to go early to try and beat out the majority of the crowd and the lines. My plan could not have worked better. Not necessarily for the time that i arrived, but for the day that i chose. It was a Wednesday, and every Wednesday the Pope makes a public speech in St. Peters Square in front of the Basillica! So as i arrived i noticed huge lines to get into St. Peters Square, realizing the date, i was not interested in fighting my way through to try and get a ticket to watch the Pope speak, so headed directly over to the Vatican, and walked straight in the doors! Fanstastic. I walked through there, and was relieved to find unlike some places that i have been, not EVERY picture was exactly the same, just painted by a different artist. I cannot tell you how many baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and a baby John pictures that i have seen! All exactly the same!! Fearing the same from the Vatican i was pleasantly surprised, and ever excited at one point to see a Salvador Dahli picture! Go the Catholic Church for branching out!! I am definatly still a 12 year old girl at heart. I found about a million scultpures of different people, gods, ect, and was not overly interested, however when I found the animal sculpture room (yes a whole room dedicated to marble busts of animals) i was super excited and looked at EVERY one. I was totally facinated by the person who decided to sculpt a giant lobster!! So i am convinced that i have not matured beyone a little girl who loves horseys!!
The Sistene Chapel was of course the finishing piece of the museum. It was truely amazing, however a lot smaller than i anticipated. It is hard to describe how amazing Michelangelo and Rapheal are. They did some amazing things in the Vatican musuems!
After the Vatican i headed to Piazza di Popolo, and the Spanish Steps. I walked up them and counted 134 steps. Then i walked back down, I think that is all you do with the Spanish steps.. ha ha. I had met two American boys the night before who decided that we were all going to go to the Cappucian crypt. This was the creepiest thing ever. It is 4 rooms that have been decorated (quite elegantly i must admit) with human bones. The don't allow pictures, so i cannot share with you the beautiful horror of the place, but there is one room where the whole thing is decorated with femur bones piled on one another, and then human sculls. The ceiling is decorated with rib bones and vertabrea, in a surprisingly ornate design... EW!
The creepeist part was at the end where there were 3 little children complete skeletons and a sign saying
'What you are, we once were. What we are, you will be.' Umm thanks for that. Since i didnt want that to be the last 'tourist thing' i did in Rome, I discovered a beautiful church, which the whole inside had been decorated and carved by Michelangelo. It was so beautiful and so ornate in everything that it washed away the facinating horror of the crypts.
Most of my early evenings were spent at a lovely bakery acorss the street who's soul intent i think was to lure me into obesity. Every day i would go and get 2 pasteries, and a coffee. One pastery to eat, one to go. I made friends with the server there, and after my second visit, i got extra cream puffs sneaked into my to go bag. Yum.
So to the parents who worry that i am not eating enough, problem solved. Italy is fattening me up!
As i said my first day was spent walking around the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. The forum was basically like the downtown of Ancient Rome. So now it is all the ruins of temples, churches, buidlings and the colosseum. I went into the Colosseum first and learned all about the history of the place, that it was the first stable structure built for hosting gladiator games. It held 80,000 people and had 80 entrances, and 4 levels. It took 11 years to build, and was completely covered in marble, which in the 15th century was removed, and brought to Vatican city and was used in the Basillica. So that is why it is only the brick outline that it is now, and why it is so much more in disrepair.
I wont bore you with ALL of the details, dont worry. But it was very interesting. I wrote home to the parents, saying it was ironic that all i wanted to do was get out of school and never have to 'learn' agian. And now all i want to do when i am here is research and learn about everything i am going to and doing! Hmmm... sadly i think i see more school in my future. Being in so many foreign countries, where i am the only one that doesn't speak a second language is making me feel very ignorant!! Spanish Class here i come!
After my first day of ruins exploration i decided the next day should be spent combing the city for more touristy sights, as i walked up to Vatican City. I started with the Trevi fountain, however was extremely disappointed to discover that it was not turned on, and the fountain was drained. I decided i would take some quick pictures and try to come back another day, however as i was waiting to get a picture through the throng of people surrounding the fountain I became totally enthralled with a woman who walked past me. She had bright Fire-Engine Red hair cut in a short bob, with a full fringe of bangs. However in perfect striking contrast to the red, she had a large streak of silber gry coursing down the left side of her part! Through her bangs, and then pinned back similar to a skunk stripe. Finding this hairstyle absolutely facinating i decided I must have her picture. So i spent the next 10 minutes stalking her, trying to get her within my camera lens without making it completely obvious of my intentions to papparazi her. As i mangaged to click her into my memory card, low and behold, the water turned on in the fountain.
I hung out a bit longer while the fountain filled and then grabbed my two coins, and threw them into the fountain. One to ensure my return to Rome, and the other to wish on.
The next place I happened upon in my travels was the Pantheon. Now i thought the Colosseum was amazingly old, well it was completed in 80 AD. The Pantheon was built in 27 BC!!! It is now a Catholic shrine, or something. However i am pretty sure there were no Catholics before Jesus.... so like everything else in Rome, the church has taken it over and converted it! ha ha, i guess when in Rome!
After that i finally made it to the Basillica. I checked out where all your Catholic tithing dollars go, in gold statues, and marble floors, and ornate statues! And decided to skip the Vatican as the line was around a few block corners... The Basillica is beautiful though, Do not get me wrong! Just amazingly ornate!
The next day was spent in Orsica Antica, a 1,800 year old city that is in ruins. It is similar to Pompei, however rather than being destroyed by a volcanoe, it was a port city that was basically forgotten and abandoned when the Roman Empire fell, and the coast receded. It was really amazing, but like everything else, seeing as i am not an archeologist, at the end of the day it is just a bunch of old rocks to me. I really cannot imagine what the city looked like, or how the buildings really were. Some stores sell little books that have pictures of the ruins, and then will place picures overtop that show how the ruins are incorporated into the previous structures. Those are defintely helpful, however there tends to be a seperate book for each ruin location, seeing as there are tonnes in Rome, i just cant justify buying 30 books to tote around with me on my adventures through the city. So again more research to do at a later date.
My last day in Rome i attempted Vatican City and the museum again. I decided to go early to try and beat out the majority of the crowd and the lines. My plan could not have worked better. Not necessarily for the time that i arrived, but for the day that i chose. It was a Wednesday, and every Wednesday the Pope makes a public speech in St. Peters Square in front of the Basillica! So as i arrived i noticed huge lines to get into St. Peters Square, realizing the date, i was not interested in fighting my way through to try and get a ticket to watch the Pope speak, so headed directly over to the Vatican, and walked straight in the doors! Fanstastic. I walked through there, and was relieved to find unlike some places that i have been, not EVERY picture was exactly the same, just painted by a different artist. I cannot tell you how many baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and a baby John pictures that i have seen! All exactly the same!! Fearing the same from the Vatican i was pleasantly surprised, and ever excited at one point to see a Salvador Dahli picture! Go the Catholic Church for branching out!! I am definatly still a 12 year old girl at heart. I found about a million scultpures of different people, gods, ect, and was not overly interested, however when I found the animal sculpture room (yes a whole room dedicated to marble busts of animals) i was super excited and looked at EVERY one. I was totally facinated by the person who decided to sculpt a giant lobster!! So i am convinced that i have not matured beyone a little girl who loves horseys!!
The Sistene Chapel was of course the finishing piece of the museum. It was truely amazing, however a lot smaller than i anticipated. It is hard to describe how amazing Michelangelo and Rapheal are. They did some amazing things in the Vatican musuems!
After the Vatican i headed to Piazza di Popolo, and the Spanish Steps. I walked up them and counted 134 steps. Then i walked back down, I think that is all you do with the Spanish steps.. ha ha. I had met two American boys the night before who decided that we were all going to go to the Cappucian crypt. This was the creepiest thing ever. It is 4 rooms that have been decorated (quite elegantly i must admit) with human bones. The don't allow pictures, so i cannot share with you the beautiful horror of the place, but there is one room where the whole thing is decorated with femur bones piled on one another, and then human sculls. The ceiling is decorated with rib bones and vertabrea, in a surprisingly ornate design... EW!
The creepeist part was at the end where there were 3 little children complete skeletons and a sign saying
'What you are, we once were. What we are, you will be.' Umm thanks for that. Since i didnt want that to be the last 'tourist thing' i did in Rome, I discovered a beautiful church, which the whole inside had been decorated and carved by Michelangelo. It was so beautiful and so ornate in everything that it washed away the facinating horror of the crypts.
Most of my early evenings were spent at a lovely bakery acorss the street who's soul intent i think was to lure me into obesity. Every day i would go and get 2 pasteries, and a coffee. One pastery to eat, one to go. I made friends with the server there, and after my second visit, i got extra cream puffs sneaked into my to go bag. Yum.
So to the parents who worry that i am not eating enough, problem solved. Italy is fattening me up!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Florence, Pisa and Rome
I am currently in Rome, having a whirlwind Italy trip. Florence was an interesting exprience. I went out my first night there with the owner of the hostel. His name is Mario, and as i was checking in he informed me thata bunch of people were going out to dinner, at a really nice resturant with cheap prices, did i want to go? Thinking this may be a good way to meet people i agreed. However when dinner time rolled around (which was 930pm) It ended up being only him and I, the other guests had cancelled as they had travelled all day and were tired. So we went out for dinner and a whirlwind night. Apparently this man is quite rich, explains that he really hates it when he gets fake friends, and girls who only date him for his money; however really likes you to know how much money that he has. Apparently well connected throughout spanish history, and something something grandpa left him the buisness.... It was a strange night as he paraded throughout the city meeting people he knew in a flurry of cheek kissing and hugs, walking us into clubs where everyone was dressed to the nines, lines outside glaring at him. Ha ha i think i must have looked like his kid, he is 40 years old (a little young to be my father, but not by too much) and everywhere we went, everyone was all dressed up, men in suit jackets and pointy shoes, girls looking like prada queens! He is even dressed up in a nice jacket, button down shirt and of course the pointy shoes. I however was not.... in the least! I was unaware of the fashionable evening so was dressed in my traveling garb, t shirt, black jacket (same one you see me wearing in EVERY picture) jeans, runners, and messy ponytail. I tried to dress up by putting some earings on.... wow! However in the long run I felt better about my outfit so as not to confuse anyone about me being the baby of a cradle robber! ha ha, no trophey barbi doll for me thank you!
The next day i escaped town and headed to Pisa, I wandered throughout the town (getting quite lost at times) but managed to see the whole town. Once there I was starving and found a cure little resturant in some alley way and ate the most fantastic ravioli i have ever had!! It had some miraculous truffle sauce on it, which was to die for. This is my second truffle sauce, the first being on a filet mignon steak that i had on my fancy italian night. I have only ever alighted truffle to the chocolate, but this stuff is amazing. Where do i get truffle and how do i make yummy sauce out of it!?
Spent some time up at the tower and looking at the Duomo (every Italian city has one) but refused to take a 'holding up the tower picture'. Maybe this will be a choice i regret later, but watching all the people take the same picture over and over aagin, i just couldn't fall into the massive trap. I chilled out on the grass and soaked up some Italian sun before heading back to Florence and the hostel. Pisa is only about a 1.5 train ride from Florence so it was just a day trip.
I am now in Rome, headed here after my Pisa day. I am staying at a nice hostel that is really quite local to everything which is wonderful as it allows me to walk to everything! My first day was spent at the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and looking at all the ancient ruins! It is so crazy to be walking in the Colosseum which is almost 2000 years old! Very surreal.
Must go though. Put up some new picutres, will continue tomorrow, however i am getting alot of DIRTY looks cause i am hogging one of two computers.
LOVE ALL
Friday, September 19, 2008
Italy
I am now in Italy, and almost caught you all up on my travels so far.
I started out for 2 nights in Milan. Same thing i got in late and just crashed at the hostel. Yesterday i walked around and saw the sights. I dislike Milan. It is wickedly expensive, and there are a few sights to see, and then you feel like you should shower and get the heck out of there. I went to Il Duomo, which is this HUGE gothic catherdral. It is totally insane the outside of this thing. You go in and it looks like almost every other cathedral, and you don't realize that it is really any bigger than anything else. I wandered down the famous shopping streets, but i have no idea what they are called. Fell in and out of love with Italian shoes. They are often SOO beautiful, but the price makes on want to vomit. I however did find a pair of Jimmy Choo's which is like the GOD of womens shoes. I even touched them. I am not sure if I am allowed to. Ithink that you have to have a bankroll of at least 1million dollars to even look at them. But i picked them up!!!! then i turned them over. And then i put them down and ran very quickly away. Thew were 700 euros... which is about $1000. I briefly debated sleeping in bus stations, and begging for food and hand outs, however i don't know if people would take pity on me when i have shoes made by gods hands on my feet! As i actually considered the possiblity of buying them, i removed myself from the store.
I also tried my first Italian Gelato. It is different than the 'Italian Gelato' in places like France and Germany. It is also VERY yummy! May have a new obsession to add to my sweet tooth list.
As i disliked Milan i left today and am in Florence. I like this place a whole lot more. Spent half a day here walking around, and am going to Pisa tomorrow. I think i am getting Europed out. I just like beaches, and cant wait to head to Egypt. However after Pisa is Rome... so i am thinking that will be pretty amazing. Maybe get me back on track!!
IBIZA
So i took an overnight ferry to Ibiza, left at 9:45 at night, and got into Sant Antoni at 7am.... ick! You could pay a whole bunch of money and get a cabin to sleep, but really that takes the adventure out of it. The floor is really much more exciting. Especially playing the game was is sticky on my leg! The seats were said to be 'reclining', well they were less comfortable than any airplane seat i have ever been in, and i don't know if you could call what they did reclining. SO the floor it was. Scratchy carpet is awsome. That way you can know everyone who are pansy's and got a cabin, because they dont have rashes on thier arms! ha ha, but dont get me wrong it was awsome!.....
I got to Ibiza and found my hotel, yes i said hotel. NOT a hostel. And i wasn't splurging, they just dont have hostels there, and hotels are dirt cheap! Who hoo,,, i had my own bed, bathroom, shower, and even a tv. Only english channel was BBC news so i got to hear all about the big Bank disaster over and over and over! I spent 2 full days soaking up the sun in Ibiza on the beach and loved every single moment of it. On monday night i went to Privlege, which claims to be the largest club in the world (they know better than to use the embarrasing term of disco!). The place is an old airplane hanger which they have converted, it has a pool, 3 possible rooms that they can set up or take down, and holds 10,000 people! It was crazy!!
I will not bore those who don't know tiesto or care about how amazing it was with the details, but it was AWESOME!!!!! Totally incredible. He started spinning at 2am (it is a different world there) and finished at 7am! The only downfall were that drinks were 13 euros or $20 each. So i had one, realized the price, and did not have any other drinks for the evening. Water started out at 8 euros at the beginning of the night for a 250ml bottle and then went up to 15 euros after 3 am. BASTARDS.... so i was slightly parched when i got home. They also denied me my camera inside, so no pictures. I double curse them!
I got back to the hotel at 730am, packed slept for 15 minutes, and went and got on the ferry. Sleep 2 on the ferry floor! If i had planned ahead i would have worn a bathing suit. Always industrious, the Spanish wear bathing suits on the ferry and tan on the decks as they provide lawn chairs and what not. I was slightly exausted and feared i would pass out on one side for the full 10 hour ferry and fry myself. So i sansed the outside sleep and resorted back to the scratchy sticky floor!
It was a once in a life time expereince. I went to Tiesto in Ibiza!!!!!!!
Barcelona
Alright, so it has been a while since i have been at this... sometimes it is really hard to find a computer!!
So I made it to Marsielles and spent a day and a half there. It was kind of a rough and tumble city. Kind dirty and gritzy. Had some really cool sights. My favorite two being this huge fountain with all of these plants and flowers around it! The other was this big fort wall thing that was near the end of the city right by the ocean. Thats right i saw ocean!!!! My first official sighting since getting here. There isn't much to be said for the city otherwise.
I made it to Spain and barcelona which i was really excited about! Finally made it to Spain! I was staying about a 5 minute walk to Plaza Catalunya, where La Ramblas starts! All around me were all the Gaudi modernistic buildings! I was excited to go to Spain as Spanish is the only language i know a few words of. Nothing spectacular, but if you need someone to count to 10 i am your girl. I will even pretend to have a Spanish accent!!
However in Barcelona, they speak Catalyunian, which is almost like French. Blast the damn french!! So i was screwed again. I got in late the first day so i just crashed at the hostel.
The next day i wandered down La Ramblas. Saw all thetypical sights there. The statue people that get all dressed up in all sorts of crazy things, and will only move when you pay them. However these ones moved alot more, trying to coral people over to pay them and take pictures with them. And if someone took a picture, they usually tried to guilt them into tipping. So needless to say i kept my camera tucked tightly away!
Now i thought i saw EVERYTHING being sold on the streets of Africa, however, i found something new. The Africans may have been upsurped by the Spanish. In Spain they have Pet Kiosks. Think of those little booths that you see in most malls. Now pack it full of bunnies, turtles, gerbils, fish, birds, chickens, baby ducks and chicks, full roosters, pigons, and ferrets! I wasn't tempted until saw the little ferret faces staring out at me. All the cages were disgusting and overcroweded with the animals. And it was one of those kiosks that at night they just put the cages on the shelves, and close it up for the night. It was so horrible. Everytime i walked past i was debating how i could save all of the animals! how many i figured i could get in my purse and pockets!
After i reached Port Vell, where there is a big statue of Christopher Columbus pointing out to the ocean. He is supposed to be pointing to America, but instead he is pointing to Asia... oops! I jumped on one of those on off buses which took me to all of the important sights, saw alot of the modernistic buildings, the cathedral which has been being built since early in the 1900's, and is still under construction. Basically just checked of my tourist traps.
My roomies were two Brazilian girls and i suckered them into taking me out that evening. We went to a big fountain, light and music show, (think the Bellagio in Las Vegas, but on a smaller scale and to classical music rather than Celine Dion!) After 10 minutes we got the point and headed down to a 'tavern'. Now i have learned that words in Spain refering to drinking spots are very different than North America.
For example, Tavern (Spain )= Pub
Pub = Lounge with a dance floor
Disco = VERY fancy Club
So we went to a tavern, which was actually pretty funny. It was called the Black Sheep, and looked like this normal house doorway that you entered. And then you walked through a cave, and came out in this really strange pub. I felt like i should have been a pirate, or a pirates wench. It was all made out of stone and wooden floors which whenever anything was spilled they just threw sawdust on. All the tables were scarred and the wooden benches looked like they might crumble away with too much weight. We stood in line (yes line) for about 15 minutes to get up to order our drink, and shared a pitcher of sangria. That basically ended our night. As we were finishing the pitcher, debating on a second, two boys came up and decided that engangement rings, husbands, and un-interest werent quite enough to turn them away, so we left.
They left early the next day, and it was my mission, as i had found out the Tiesto (big DJ) was going to be in Ibiza (island off the coast of spain), to get there. It took me most of the day, but i got the ferry tickets and the concert tickets. I was slightly beside myself with excitement!
Later that evening i met up with a guy Manu, who i had met in Munich, and when Carter last minute bailed on me, called him up to show me around the town.
He showed me all of his favorite spots, we went for an awesome and super cheap dinner (each of us had an appetizer, entree, and shared a bottle of wine for 25 euros!!) I was ready to go to bed, but he wanted to go to a pub (remember NICE lounge with dancing). The place was beautiful. Had 2 levels, one being just a chill place to sit and have a couple drinks, then the downstairs had a live DJ (who sucked) and lots of seating area, and then a dance floor. Then outside was a deck with a bar, dance floor, seating area, then a beach area where you could walk out onto the sand and grab a seat on the beach overlooking the ocean. It was crazy!!
We stayed and danced for a while as Manu wanted to go to the 'disco' after, even though the dj sucked i was starting to get my second wind. But this magical thing happens to Spanish men at about 3am, they get slimy. Manu, was no exception. So that magically ended our night as well. I had been forwarned, and even talked to a few people about this magical hour. It is like a cinderella effect.
I was supposed to leave the next day, but as my ferry didn't leave until late that night i had an extra day in Barcelona. I stored my bag at the hostel and spent the day at the beach. LOVELY! Finally letting some sun touching those hidden spots so i can stop looking like a Canadian, blend in with the locals a little bit by not being so trasnparent.
That summed up my time in Barcelona. It is a beautiful city and has a really fun energy. I sansed alot of the local food as it looks like cous cous with this massive prawn thing in it, but the head isn't removed so you have these little beedy black eyes and antenna all sticking out of your food. GROSS!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Vienna Prauge, Munich Paris
Alright to catch you up on my whirlwind trip, firstly all the pictures from my last update were from Budapest. I don´t have a USB access so you currently cannot see any more pictures.
After i played in the Vienna symphony, i was so good that i immediatly retired as i realized i will never best that performance. So i am sorry to all of you who were interested in seeing my triangular skills... you should have come traveling!! After that the next day Cindy and i only had a half day before we shot off to Munich, so we went and tried to see the training of the Lipenzon (that is the pheonetic spelling) Stallions, I was kind of disappointed cause there was a lot of walking horses in a circle and not a whole heck of alot of lunging or jumping or stadning on thier back legs.... but i think Cindy was happy with it! We did more chocolate and sat in a nice bakery that allowed us to watch them prepare everything. After that there was only enough time to run back to the hotel grab our stuff and head off toPrague.
We arrived late, and I convinced Cindy to stay in a hostel, we were in the apartment suite though which wasnt bad, no air conditioning much to our chagrin but big window tha opened and let in lots of air and lots of HUGE Daddy Long Legs...i sqealed and stayed on the bed and had mild panic attacks while cindy played spider hunter under the bed! Prauge is BEAUTIFUL!!!! We were supposed to meet up with a friend i had made in Rotterdam, but i could never get a hold of him so we did our own walking tour the first day doing the classic meander. We found lots of great s tuff though and tried some Czek beer which we had both heard lots about. We drank Pilsner Urquell, niether of us was a big fan. The next day were tried Budvar the original budwiesier. It was better, but i would still rather have a Kokanee, or even better a german beer! We took some walking tours while we were there, and it is a beautiful city with lots of history. Really croweded in a lot of the high touristy areas. We were typically walking about 12 - 13 hours a day so it made for long days that for the most part flew by.
Cindy reawoke my appetite so she got to deal with me going on sugar highs and lows, and my grumpiness when i got too hungry. At some points i think i was a bit desperate for food and was ready to steal things out of peoples hands as they walked by. See what happens when you remind me how yummy food is!
After our adventures in Prauge we caught a train to Munich. We only had a half day there so i tried to remember as much as i could about the tour i went on, i took Cindy on an impromptu tour, telling her what little i could recall and not mix up with all of the other cities.
We were hungry (imagine that) so went to Cafe Glockenspiel which is on the 5th floor of a building directly across from the Glockenspiel, so we got to watch it do its spiely thing at 5pm while we had dinner. It was another whirlwind day, running around town to check out the marienplatz and englisher garten, rezidens, and talking about Hitler and the golden line and everything else. We stopped for a beer before heading home for bed and got a Becks, it was disgusting. Best to go back to Hofbroug, what we had at dinner, a real Bavarian beer.
Bright and early the next day we caught a train to Paris. I think i was officially beat by this part of the trip. I slept almost the whole way on the train. Cindy and I awoke at the beginning of the trip, we HAD to sit in first class as there were no seats left in second class (darn!) and when we woke the food fairy had brought us a little treat. Chocolate crossiants were good, but the yogurt which was surprise sour grapefruit and the raw salmon and eggs were all yucky! When we got to Paris we were officially stuck in the Paris Airport Station for i would say an hour. They make all of these tricky little signs so you cant escape. And when you ask for help on information desk says go upstairs, and then when you can´t find the thing you want upstairs, they say you have to go downstairs. The french are sneaky! I was hungry again so was ready to rip some heads off, but Cindy stayed cool and we finally escaped.
We went to the Arc de Truimph since i missed it before, Cindy fed me a few times, and then we went to bed.
Cindy left the next morning back to Arizona, I had to go down to Marsiells as i could not find a train our of France to get into Spain for 5 more days. I thought i would try my luck closer to the border!
After i played in the Vienna symphony, i was so good that i immediatly retired as i realized i will never best that performance. So i am sorry to all of you who were interested in seeing my triangular skills... you should have come traveling!! After that the next day Cindy and i only had a half day before we shot off to Munich, so we went and tried to see the training of the Lipenzon (that is the pheonetic spelling) Stallions, I was kind of disappointed cause there was a lot of walking horses in a circle and not a whole heck of alot of lunging or jumping or stadning on thier back legs.... but i think Cindy was happy with it! We did more chocolate and sat in a nice bakery that allowed us to watch them prepare everything. After that there was only enough time to run back to the hotel grab our stuff and head off toPrague.
We arrived late, and I convinced Cindy to stay in a hostel, we were in the apartment suite though which wasnt bad, no air conditioning much to our chagrin but big window tha opened and let in lots of air and lots of HUGE Daddy Long Legs...i sqealed and stayed on the bed and had mild panic attacks while cindy played spider hunter under the bed! Prauge is BEAUTIFUL!!!! We were supposed to meet up with a friend i had made in Rotterdam, but i could never get a hold of him so we did our own walking tour the first day doing the classic meander. We found lots of great s tuff though and tried some Czek beer which we had both heard lots about. We drank Pilsner Urquell, niether of us was a big fan. The next day were tried Budvar the original budwiesier. It was better, but i would still rather have a Kokanee, or even better a german beer! We took some walking tours while we were there, and it is a beautiful city with lots of history. Really croweded in a lot of the high touristy areas. We were typically walking about 12 - 13 hours a day so it made for long days that for the most part flew by.
Cindy reawoke my appetite so she got to deal with me going on sugar highs and lows, and my grumpiness when i got too hungry. At some points i think i was a bit desperate for food and was ready to steal things out of peoples hands as they walked by. See what happens when you remind me how yummy food is!
After our adventures in Prauge we caught a train to Munich. We only had a half day there so i tried to remember as much as i could about the tour i went on, i took Cindy on an impromptu tour, telling her what little i could recall and not mix up with all of the other cities.
We were hungry (imagine that) so went to Cafe Glockenspiel which is on the 5th floor of a building directly across from the Glockenspiel, so we got to watch it do its spiely thing at 5pm while we had dinner. It was another whirlwind day, running around town to check out the marienplatz and englisher garten, rezidens, and talking about Hitler and the golden line and everything else. We stopped for a beer before heading home for bed and got a Becks, it was disgusting. Best to go back to Hofbroug, what we had at dinner, a real Bavarian beer.
Bright and early the next day we caught a train to Paris. I think i was officially beat by this part of the trip. I slept almost the whole way on the train. Cindy and I awoke at the beginning of the trip, we HAD to sit in first class as there were no seats left in second class (darn!) and when we woke the food fairy had brought us a little treat. Chocolate crossiants were good, but the yogurt which was surprise sour grapefruit and the raw salmon and eggs were all yucky! When we got to Paris we were officially stuck in the Paris Airport Station for i would say an hour. They make all of these tricky little signs so you cant escape. And when you ask for help on information desk says go upstairs, and then when you can´t find the thing you want upstairs, they say you have to go downstairs. The french are sneaky! I was hungry again so was ready to rip some heads off, but Cindy stayed cool and we finally escaped.
We went to the Arc de Truimph since i missed it before, Cindy fed me a few times, and then we went to bed.
Cindy left the next morning back to Arizona, I had to go down to Marsiells as i could not find a train our of France to get into Spain for 5 more days. I thought i would try my luck closer to the border!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Hello,
So i am in Prauge. Another wonderful city. I have been to a bunch of places. Don't even know where to start. Budapest is HUGE!! Huge huge huge. I met up with Cindy and we explored the city by one of the on-off bus tours. It was perfect because i would have never been able to walk the city as i have usually been doing. We saw most of the sites and then went on a boat cruise in the evening. Cindy has found some trilogy of chocolate places that we have to eat at, one being in Budapest, the others in Vienna and Paris. So the second day of our whirlwind week we went to Gundel, and ate a chocolate crepe. It was quite good, a wonderful way to jump into the chocolate trilogy. We also checked out one of the Roman baths or spas. It is 9 pools that are all heated by a underwater pool that is about 77 degrees calcium's and they cool it to the different pools. One of the pools has 2 semi circles in the center, and the outside circle has a jet system that actually will push you around the inner circle as it creates this crazy current. It was like a wild water ride in the middle of this huge spa, where creepy old men and women who are way to scantally clad are positioning themselves over big jets that blow water up their shorts..... right. I guess i should just be happy they are wearing bathing suits!
Next stop was Vienna which has encouraged me to learn German so I can live in this city. It is SOOOOO beautiful. Like Paris but better! So i am learning German and moving to Vienna. We did another bus tour and visited a castle. Went to another chocolate place where we had the original Sacher Torte (chocolate cake). That evening we went to a concert/ orchestra with a live musicians (Kira there was an oboist!!) and there were opera singers and ballet dancers, who came out and performed on occasion. I was picked out of the crowd for one of the songs to come on stage and play the triangle. It was slightly more than embarrassing to be ON stage, clanging on a triangle, but i can officially say that i have played in an orchestra in Vienna!
Well i am sorry this is so short i am being kicked off the computer. I will be back and keep truing to up load more photos!
lots of love
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