After barely sleeping a wink, mostly due to nerves, Nigel (our landlord) & Russ drove me to Heathrow (Russ had been drinking the night before so didn´t want to drive first thing) for my Sunday morning flight to Lisbon. I felt sick with nerves! I even bought some Rescue Remedy from Boots before the flight to calm me down! The prospect of only having myself to rely on for 5 weeks in non-English speaking countries was a little daunting!
With a flight delay of almost an hour and queuing to get my passport stamped for two hours in Lisbon airport, all I cared about was finding my hostel. And in true Julia fashion, I missed the busstop for my hostel and ended up a 25 minute walk back to it with my holdall. You see, I´m about as useless with directions as you can get! And reading a map requires me to face it in the exact direction I´m standing to even have the slightest chance of finding anything... In the end I had to phone them for better directions, which still didn´t work but some locals helped direct me.
But as soon as I arrived things picked up and I met a born and bred New York City girl, Melanie. We hung out the rest of the night and tried out some traditional Portuguese food, namely fish, and a popular aperitif, ginjinha, a strong cherry liqueur. Yum!
Earlier in the evening we took the tram to Belém, an outer suburb of Lisbon, with a pastry shop famous for their custard tarts, aparently the best in the country, and I couldn´t argue!! This part of town also housed a beautiful, huge old monastery, which we looked around, along with some cool antique markets, before we set off walking back to our hostel. Not realising how far we´d actually come on the tram, we´d walked about an hour before we both desperately needed the bathroom and had to catch the tram the rest of the way!
Day 2 - Lisbon
Last night was so humid I barely slept again! I was too scared to pull back the curtain and let in fresh air - this is my first time doing the hostel thing and I´m not completely sure of the ettiquette yet.
I had vaguely decided what I wanted to do today so first thing I did was find the tram that would take me to Castlo de Sao Jorge - a big castle on top of a hill in the city. Feeling quite proud that I´d found the tram so quickly, I was excitedly looking for this castle around every corner... By the time we got to the end of the line I realised I´d gone in the complete wrong direction - so trying to save face I pretened to have gone to the shops there and returned just in time to catch that same tram back. The driver knew I had messed up and laughed a little when I got back on. Shame! In the end it was only a few blocks the other way from my hostel! Dick!
Anyway, the castle was beautiful and had amazing views over the city and the river Tagus. There was filming going on - a young girl singer performing for a kids TV show with presenters and audience. The adults were also loving it, all claping and bopping and yelling.
From here I came back to my base, Parca do Comercio, for lunch and to buy my travel cards. I set off for Oriente by Metro as I couldn´t be bothered waiting for the sight-seeing bus to arrive. Oriente is a pretty modern suburb, north, on the coast, from the city centre.They developed the region for the ´98 Expo and it´s pristine! Beautiful walkways along the edge of the estaury with a gondola taking the same route. Miles long bridges stretching from one side of the estaury to the other. This area includes the Lisboa Oceanaruim - the largest aquarium in Europe and the second largest in the world. The tank inside is ginormous!!! It takes up about 80% of the space inside the building, with all types of fish (2000 examples of 200 species), as well as sea otters and penguins and puffins. It´s split up into the major oceans of the world.
After this I milled around the streets for some more exploring, before taking the metro to the magnificent bull-fighting ring in Campo Pequeno, Praca de Touros. Unfortunately I wasn´t there on Thursday to see the fight.
In the evening I took a sight-seeing bus on a massive loop around the city so I could see everything from the top, plus it´s too far to walk in one day and for someone who gets lost like me!! It was nice to hear some history about the city as most of the signs explaining things are in Spanish and Portuguese, not English... From the bus I could also see the beautiful 19th Century tiles buildings up close. They love their tiles!
Tonight I went out for dinner by myself, which I was dreading to be honest! But I found a nice place and the waiter really looked after me, showing me how I should eat what and even tucked my bib in for me, which was a little weird. He was very sweet and gave me some free ginjinha! He did also write down his name, address and phone number in the hope I´d do the same for the next time he was in London... For the record, I didn´t. He was 50-something with missing teeth for a start!
See my Lisbon photos here.
Day 3 - Lisbon - Sintra
"You have to go to Sintra, it´s like stepping into another world!", is what everyone has been telling me since I got here, so up bright and early, that´s what I did, taking the train 45 minutes north of Lisbon.
As soon as I stepped off the train I could see Moorish Castle dominating the town, high atop a 700-odd meter hill. I wandered through the town, admiring all of the beautiful old buildings with their romantic detailing. I found the path that led to the castle - about the only thing I´ve found signposted so far in Portugal! Really not ideal for someone like me!
I started up the steep, stony track, legs burning and all, until I got to the beautiful old castle. These countries all seem pretty lax about health and safety - I couldn´t imagine being able to walk on these very narrow steps on top of the castle with sheer drops either side, in Britain! It was really windy and I did get a tiny bit of vertigo, but the views were incredible!! I could see out to the ocean and across the Portuguese countryside. Breathtaking!
From one of these turrets I could see the Pena National Palace, and sat trying to figure out how to get there. I was on top of an adjacent hill. Once there I was speechless! The palace was stunning! Incredeibly romantic and cosy with incredible views! Who wouldn´t want to live there! It really was incredible and I would highly recommend anyone go see it if you´re around Lisbon!!
That afternoon I knew I had to get back quickly to catch the train to Madrid, so in a slight panic, I got back to the hostel to check on the station I departed from...only to realise, again in true Julia style, that it actually left at 2230!! Not 1630 like I thought! So, I had the whole afternoon to kill after having already seen and done everything I had wanted to.
As the sleeper train pulled up I got excited since I´ve not done one of these before. The cabin was tiny and the beds inly just long enough for me, but it was fun, despite not sleeping at all because they turned off the airconditioning during the night and I roasted, Bikram Yoga style!!
See my Sintra pictures here.
Day 4 - Madrid
I had forgotten about the time difference of one hour between Portugal and Spain and when we pulled into Madrid station I was still in my pjs! Panda eyes, no brushed teeth, dirty hair, I really was a sight. But I managed to throw on some clothes just before the train man opened my door again! Everyone else was off!
Once I´d freshened up in the ladies at the station, I had mu luggage locked away then set off to explore Madrid in the 4 hours I had before my next train. I jumped straight on the sight-seeing bus. The best way to see a city quickly! In fairness it was a bit shit! But I did get to see some beautiful buildings and an idea of the city layout. And the traffic which looked worse than London!
When I´d done a full circuit I jumped off and explored more on foot. I´m always drawn to cathedrals and smaller churches. I´m not at all religious but I love the buildings! The one I found here was the first where I´d seen a sign for no shorts or singlets, along with no phones or smoking! They´re still very conservative over this way! Madrid was quite cool but only having a few hours didn´t let me get too blown away by the city! I think I need a local to show me around... Aunty Caroline!!?
The train to Valencia was really nice and spacious. They even showed a film and had a hostess pass out headphones and sweets at the end! :o)
Everyone at the hostel I´m staying at in Valencia is so friendly and chatty! It´s got a great vibe! So if you´re looking for somewhere to stay here, ever, stay at the Home Youth Hostel!
See my Madrid pics here.
Day 5 - Valencia
I felt more comfortable wandering today. Really, how lost could I get and how bad would it really be if I did? So, map in tow, I set off to see the pretty sights of Valencia, starting with the bell tower which I climbed for a panoramic view of the city and for once it actually helped me get my bearings. I spent the rest of the morning wandering around the city with all of its beautiful romantic buildings and churches and castle-looking archways as old entrances to the city.
From here I headed to Jardin de Turia, which runs pretty much the entire length of the city, along a dried river bed. The garden has no flowers, so more like a park. Over the course of the day I walked the lot and back some! I found myself in some residential areas where I got to see how the Valencians live, as well as some more touristy spots.
At the far end closest to the sea, is what tranlates to The City of Sciences. With very new buildings, on shaped like a rugby ball, they use this area for art and fashion exhibitions. This area was fun and had lush ´ponds' all sparkly and green which I paddled in for a while ´cos I was too hot!
Had a quiet night in after another meal alone, which was a bit more awkward this time as I was eating before 8pm since I was starving and as I was the only one eating, I was bringing attention to myself... Was kind of funny!
The girls in my room were great fun! It was like a sleepover when we were kids, laying in bed chatting ´til late! Thatś what I´ve enjoyed the most travelling alone - being able to do my own thing during the day, but having plenty of people to chat to in the evenings!
Day 6 - Valencia
Today was the most relaxing day I´ve had for ages! I left for the beach earlyish this morning, with my book, May Contain Nuts, and sat there reading and swimming sometimes until half 5 that night! Was bliss! The water was so warm!! The book was funny and kept me entertained for ages! And just sitting on the beach people watching, was great! But not watching too closely as most of the women, all shapes and sizes, were topless.
By about half 1 I could already see I was pretty burned so spent the rest of the day in the shade feeling sorry for myself! I can´t remember the last time I was this burned - to the point of literally being red and white, which is an effort for me since I rarely properly burn! It hurt to sit. It hurt to lay down. I even gave in and bought after-sun, which I´ve never done before! Ouch!! I did plan to get a tan but completely underestimated the sun here!!
See my Valencia photos here.
Day 7 - Valencia - Barcelona
After a fairly uncomfortable sleep on my stomach due to the sunburn, I hobbled around all day like an old lady as the tops of my thighs and bum were very tender! I got some last minute bits out of the way - washing, food from delicious market, last few photos and then burn them onto CD. I was a little behind schedule so hoofed it down the train station in the very humid weather (was already 33 deg when I left Valencia just after lunch, and th hottest part of the day is in the afternoon), ignoring the scratching and scraping on my skin.
The train ride to Barcelona went very quickly - all 3 1/2 hours-ish of it! But I ended up having to lean forward the whole way and to sit on my blow-up pillow ´cos the seat was hurting my burn so much! What a sight!
Arriving in Barcelona I had my new routine set of booking my next train as soon as I arrive somewhere. I got a hell of a fright when they told me how much my overnight train to Geneva was - even with my Interrail ticket!! I ended up only buying a seat to sleep on ´cos the bed was too expensive and that still cost 49 Euro!!! Better be a bloody lazy boy I tell you!!
As soon as I arrived I made good friends with two girls in my room - one from the States and the other from Brazil, Yara. We strolled down to this huge fountain at the foot of a palace a 20 or so minute walk from our hostel. They put on this show every Friday and Saturday night. Basically they play classical music and put on a light and water show with this fountain. I´m not describing it very well but I tell you, there were thousands of people there watching and cheering! It lasts about an hour or so and we all got goosebumps! It was so beautiful!!
Day 8 - Barcelona
With a bit of a sleep in under my belt and again, map in tow (although this one was huge & I couldn't pretend I wasn't a tourist), I set off for the old town. Starting at the top end of Las Ramblas, Barcelona's most famous street, I walked down, watching all the other tourist and cringing a little. Along this street are lots of little markets, selling things from normal tourist gadgets to pets - birds, mice, lizards, etc.
At the end of Las Ramblas is Mirador de Colom, in which you can take a tiny lift to the top (not if you're claustrophobic!) for some pretty great views over Barcelona and its harbour. It really is the best way to get your bearings! Here I also checked out the harbour/marina area with shopping centre, IMAX, aquarium, etc. I only bought one top! Honest!! Then headed into the Gothic area where I spent my time looking through the cool shops and cafés that were open on a Sunday.
From here I headed to La Sagrada Familiar - the incredible cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi, a famous Spanish architect. Due partially to a lack of funding, the cathedral is still being built and they're aiming to have it partially finished by 2010 for services. It's a pretty incredible building! Very dramatic with strange shapes and sculptures.
On the Gaudi theme I decided to check out one of his famous designs down a flashy street in Barcelona, Casa Batllo. The Alice and Wonderland-looking building was charging insane prices to get in - 16.50 Euro just to see inside!! But, i went in anyway since I was curious! With no straight lines in the whole building, it really did feel like some warped universe!
Day 9 - Barcelona
Feeling like a relaxing day, in the morning I headed to Parc Guell to the north of the city. With lots of meandering paths you co,e across lots of nice walkways and arches with more cool views over the city. There were also buskers playing violin and cello which was relaxing! Gaudi originally designed this park and there are some of his buildings still here.
After grabbing some lunch the heat had exhausted me so I headed back to the hostel for a nap like a right nana!! But in the evening I wandered around the opposite end of the city discovering the Olympic area, gardens and a castle which I took a cable car to the top of.
A pretty relaxing day - I was just looking forward to tomorrow...
See my Barcelona pics here.
Day 10 - Barcelona - Vic - Queralbs - Pyrenees Mountains
Wanting to get out of the city for a bit, I booked a trip up into the mountains with my hostel (Alberguinn). Met the minibus at 8.30am and they took me and another three Australians (family) to our first stop, the pretty medieval, non-touristy town of Vic.
We had a bit over an hour to explore this area ourselves so I set off, feeling confident that I couldn't really get lost. It's such a sweet wee town - a medieval bridge, city walls still with steel loops to tie horses and cattle to, an old market square, delish bakeries and a strange cathedral decorated in black and gold on the inside - the walls covered in black and gold religious paintings...
We drove around some more, through other small villages until we got to Queralbs at the base of the mountains. From here we had to take the train to the top as there are no roads. The little train was fantastic, clinging to the side of the mountain with brilliant views behind us, looking back at the valley, as well as the pretty river and waterfalls. We spent the afternoon hiking around the area and saw some mountain goats! I loved it up there - was the perfect day out of the city!!
See my Vic pics here and my Queralbs & Pyranees pics here.
Day 11 - Barcelona - Girona
Thinking my train left that afternoon, I headed out early to Girona, wanting to make the most of my tile in the area. It's another medieval city with high walls and cathedral, etc. I walked around for a few hours, in this labyrinthine area (Russ will be proud of my using that word!), taking in all the main sights like a good little tourist. But as nice as it was, it didn't blow me away - I felt like I'd seen it all before. So I headed back to Barcelona early afternoon.
I packed up my stuff and headed to the train station to catch my overnight to Geneva, only to have it dawn on me all of a sudden that today was actually the 15th, not the 14th when I was meant to catch my train. Having planned this trip carefully so I could see as much as possible in a limited time, I panicked a bit! The station workers barely spoke any English and it took forever for them to finally tell me there was no train tonight at all - they only go every two days - I would have to wait until tomorrow.
So while I contemplated my options and Nigel called my hostel to see if they had a bed for me (I was out of credit), I jumped in a cab to the bus station in the hope they might have something... Alas, they also had nothing til tomorrow. I had to grin and bear it. There was nothing I could do. I was obviously enjoying myself where I was!! So, another 73 Euro later after having to rebook my bloody ticket, I swallowed my pride and headed back to the hostel where the chick there thought it was hilarious! I suppose it was!
My Girona pictures are here.
Day 12 - Barcelona - Montserrat
So, another morning to fill. This time I headed to Montserrat. It's basically a monastery on top of a big rocky hill. You can either catch a little train up or a cable car. I caught the cable car and almost poo'd on the way up it was so scary!! It's attached to the tiniest cable and holds about 30 people at once. It takes you almost to the top of this mountain so climbs fast and very steep!! For someone who already gets bad vertigo, this was maybe not the best idea! I kept assuring myself they do this everyday - it must be safe!!!
The views from the top were again fantastic. I ate lunch and wandered around the monastery and shops for a while, then saw some hiking tracks. I had to catch my train in the evening so had to make sure I would get back in time, picking a not too long route. I wanted to walk to the top for panoramic views, but after walking almost two hours, almost completely up stairs, I reluctantly had to turn back... You could hike for hours and hours up there and it's somewhere I would definitely recommend!
Back in Barcelona I was at the station in plenty of time. I wasn't going to risk a repeat of yesterday!! Sharing my cabin with a fun American chick we chatted most of the night until we knew we had to get some sleep as the train got to Geneva at 5.45am!!
See Montserrat photos here.
Day 13 - Geneva
Up as day was breaking over Geneva, I wasn't sure what to do as the hostel didn't open until 7.30am. As I was leaving the station, a local Geneva man was wondering around eating a bread stick (this is the French part), obviously hadn't gone home from the night before as he stank of booze! But he started chatting to me and insisted he show me where the hostel was. I actually ended up directing him, but it was a nice enough gesture!
I sat outside the hostel until the worker let me in, then I waited around until 7.30 to check in and leave my luggage in a locker downstairs. I headed straight out into the city to see the lake - the main attraction. Despite it pouring with rain by this stage, I walked right along the shore til I got to the city centre, where I finally found a bank - they have cool, colourful money!) For somewhere famous for its banking they don't have many ATMs...I found only two while I was there!!
I wandered along the river for a while then back to the old part of town, where I did my trick of climbing to the top of the bell tower in the cathedral for some pretty great photo ops! You could just see the mountains as it had just stopped raining. I wished I had longer there!!
Then for the educational part of the day... I headed to the last stop on tram 13 - Nations. Here you can find the United Nations and the home of the Red Cross. I had a tour of the United Nations. You didn't get to see a lot, but I had to have my passport examined and a picture taken of me to be allowed in. But I did learn a lot about how the UN works and who it does and doesn' involve. And we got to see the main conference halls.
Across the road is the home of the Red Cross. This museum explains how it came about, who was responsible for it and shows you the first ever Nobel Prize, awarded because of it. It also included other more recent wartime projects, such as a hut with the walls covered floor to ceiling with abandoned children as a result of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Very humbling and almost made me cry!!
That night, because it was still raining quite heavily, I decided to go to the movies... I almost laughed when the woman asked me for 18 Swiss Francs!! In pounds that's more than we pay in London!! Geneva was by far the most expensive place I'd been yet!!
You can see my Geneva photos here.
Day 14 - Geneva - Nice
It was still raining and I really needed to get my washing done. And I, much to my disappointment, didn't have time to go to Annecy now! So, I spent the whole morning in the basement of my hostel doing laundry! A very exciting morning!
The train to Nice, with a couple of stops and another nearly missed train as the first one was so late, took about 7hrs. But got to see some beautiful countryside on the way!
When I arrived at my hostel there were another Kiwi couple checking in, who turned out to be my friend Charlotte's (from uni) brother and his girlfriend! Really is a small world!! So we headed out for dinner and a walk along the waterfront to check things out before calling it a night.
Day 15 - Nice
I wanted these next fez days to be as relaxing as possible. That was partly the point of this trip after all. So I spent the entire day on the beach again! The beach is stony here and the water colder than Valencia, but the sun was just the same and I easily got some more colour!!
My Nice pictures are here.
Day 16 - Nice - Monaco
I dressed nicely today so as not to look like a backpacker! I was going to Monaco after all and wanted to attempt to look the part!
As soon as I got there, a local man offered to walk me down to the casino and showed me where to go as nothing is really signposted. The streets are perfect. The buildings are perfect. Everything about this place oozes money and elegance! I obviously picked the right outfit as I got an awful lot of attention today!!
I started by walking up to the palace where the Grimaldi family lived, as did Grace Kelly once when she married into the family. I got there in time to see their changing of the guard. They were all good looking men in white uniforms and actually smiled for a change!
From here I wandered down to the aquarium, which is meant to be the best in the world, but I don't know what they're judging that on and really could have saved myself the £13!! Though the building was pretty...
I spent the rest of the day exploring the streets lined with designer stores. Literally the only normal store I saw was Zara! And looking at all the incredible yachts, wishing I was a zillionnaire!! Ahh, what a life!!
That night while back in Nice, I walked along the waterfront as everyone seems to do and I had the pleasure (or something) of a man deciding to follow me for the next hour and a bit, staring at me constantly! Everywhere I stopped, he stopped, no matter how far I walked. And he even followed me back to the main square. Was very odd and a little unnerving, but I suppose they're the joys of being a lone female traveller!!
Monaco pictures are here.
Day 17 - Nice - Cannes - Îles de Lérins
Another relaxing day in store, so headed to Cannes to check out this town made so famous by its film festival. To be honest, I really wasn't that keen. The whole place was set up for the super-rich, with all the designer stores, as many as Monaco, and the health spas. But it just wasn't very nice. I found it too pretentious! With Monaco you expect it, here I didn't. The beach was heaving as well!!
So after lunch I headed out to Îles de Lérins, an island 15 minutes by boat off the coast of Cannes. I found a very quiet beach, shared only by a couple of tourists and then a few people who'd come off their yacht. It was perfect, lying with my feet in the water, reading and getting some more colour! Definitely nicer than Cannes!! And finally a quiet beach - I'd almost forgotten what that was! There is also an old tower/prison on the island which is where the real Man in the Iron Mask was kept.
You can see my Cannes pictures here and my Îles de Lérins pictures here.
Day 18 - Nice - Cinque Terre
Nothing much to report on today - just a train trip to the Cinque Terre on an over-crowded train!
But the night was fantastic, watching the sun set over the ocean here with some of the girls I met in this hostel! Brilliant!
Day 19 - Cinque Terre
What can I say - I had set myself a challenge for the day - to hike a lot. And that I did, with a girl I met here yesterday, Kathie. We hiked for almost 10 hours up some pretty tough tracks in some serious heat! Incredible incredible views! I cannot believe so few people know about this place, it is truly magical!! Really!!
For anyone who knows the Cinque Terre, or who plans to go there, you only need to buy a Cinque Terre card if you're taking the coastal route. Any of the other tracks are free. Today we hiked, from Manarola, up track 6, then 02, right to the top. Along 1, which was fairly flat after the totally uphill 02! We walked along to 7 and down a very steep track into Vernazza where we stopped for a quick gelato to treat ourselves! From there we took the trecherous 8 then 8b, which was a bit of a nightmare to find, and the track even more so!! Not sure anyone has walked that one in quite some time, but fantastic views! I have many battle wounds! We walked 8b until we found 9, then down this one to Monterosso. These tracks were made even better as we saw only 4 other tourists the whole day!!
We had intended to walk to coastal route back to Manarola but once at Monterosso we were exhausted and had to just get the train back! After 9hrs and 45 minutes of walking, we were spent! We celebrated with some delish pesto lasange!
I will sleep like a baby tonight!
I will sleep like a baby tonight!
Day 20 - Cinque Terre
After a very solid night's sleep I was keen to do some more hiking, but perhaps take it a bit easier than yesterday. The coastal route was the answer! So I set off before the others in my room had woken, hoping to get a fairly clear track, not wanting to come across too many annoying tourists!
I took the train only a couple of minutes to Riomaggiore (I didn't want to walk the same route twice) to start from the start. The times they estimate on the maps is definitely an exaggeration! The whole route is meant to take about 5 hours, it took me 3hrs 45 minutes. I do walk farily quickly! And there are plenty of places on the tracks that you can't afford to out a foot wrong whilst taking in the scenery, but I did make sure I got some good pictures - and enjoyed it!
But it was incredibly hot with almost no shade! And the only way to walk it was with no top (bikini top only) and even that was too hot!! I have never sweated so much in my life!! Probably a very cleansing trip! I took the boat back which was fun as well, and I got to see the little jellyfish that had been stinging everyone! I was too chicken to get in the water, as beautiful and clear as it was...
See my Cinque Terre pics here.
Day 21 - Cinque Terre - Pisa - Florence
I spent the morning reading, looking over the ocean. I was exhausted when I woke up, despite sleeping well. The sun really takes it out of you!
Mid-morning I took the train, with bags in tow, to Pisa, where I had to change trains for Florence. So, as I'd heard there's not much to do in Pisa besides see the tower, I dropped my bags off at the lockers and spent an hour walking to see the leaning tower. The tower was quite cool and pretty, but the area was heaving with tourists, as to be expected. Pisa was pretty underwhelming to be honest! But the tower is still a must-see.
Once I arrived in Florence I was relieved to be staying in a hotel for a few days. A room to myself. A bathroom to myself!! Luxury for a couple of days!! It was late in the evening so I grabbed a map and walked around the famous Duomo and down to Piazza della Signoria where there are lots of statues - a free outdoor gallery. Very pretty, but very busy compared to the Cinque Terre!!
Pisa pics are here.
Day 22 - Florence
In an attempt to miss the huge queues Florence is so famous for, I set my alarm for 7am... By 8am I was still exhausted but dragged myself out of bed! I was certain I wasn't going to be lining up for bloody museums for hours!!
I got to Galleria dell' Accademia just after 9am and went straight in! I have avoided museums and art galleries so far because I'm just not that into them, but it's Sunday and not much else is open, so I thought why not spend one day having a look... Inside this gallery are a lot of religious paintings and sculptures, including the original of Michelangelo's David. It's much bigger than I expected! There was also a photography exhibition of Robert Mapplethorpe, who has based his work on that of Michelangelo - the human form. By the time I got out of this gallery, the queue was out of the building and around the corner!!!
From here I wandered down to Piazza della Repubblica, where the oldest two cafés are in Florence. Lots of designer shops here too!
Then it was down to Ponte Vecchio, the most famous bridge in Florence with buildings on it. It actually reminds me of the bridge from Perfume. Great book/film!
Following the road still I found Piazza Pitti, with the Palazzo Pitti, which Russ said (via txt) seemed like an Italian Hampton Court. He was right! The palace is beautiful inside and has incredible gardens surrounding it. I managed to pay half the oroginal price by showing my UK drivers licence and pretending I was an EU citizen!! I said I was just born in NZ... It worked and I saved 12 Euro!!
It was incredibly hot today so I sat in the shade watching all the wild cats in the garden for a while, then wandered back towards my hotel, looking through someof the shops that were open and treating myself to some yummy biscotti and gelato! I can't get enough of it!!
Florence pics are here.
Day 23 - Florence - Siena - San Gimignano
I had originally wanted to go to Lucca as I like the sound of it, but it wasn't to be. It's funny how actually being on this trip you hear from other people places they say you absolutely have to go, so that's what I did, took their advice and headed on a sort of round trip to Siena, San Gimignano, then back to Florence to get my laundry done - how exciting!!
Siena was a strange wee town. It was confusing getting from the train station to the centre, not really any instructions, and I didn't have a map so felt a bit blind. I sort of followed the crowds and knew I couldn't go too wrong.
The centre is full of ancient buildings and a few grand squares and an incredible duomo. But the sights to see are really just the buildings in general and the tiny, meandering pathways.
San Gimignano is a short train ride from Siena and then a bus ride to the town, on top of a hill. It's known as the Manhattan of Tuscany, or something like that because of its towers. There used to be around 70 of them but now I think there are only about 7 left since WW2. Despite being hideously touristy and over-priced, it really was a pretty little village! And climbing to the top of the highest tower (which gave me the shivers) you get a fantastic view of the Tuscan countryside!! The rolling hills and the farmed fields. So so pretty!! I knew nothing about this place before I got here but it's somewhere I would definitely recommend! And only an hour by train from Florence it's dead easy to get to!
See my Siena pictures here and my San Gimignano pics here.
Day 24 - Florence - Rome
This morning I got up as late as I could as I desperately needed a sleep in. This travelling business is not so relaxing! I had a few things left to do in Florence - climb the duomo, which was like walking through a tunnel sauna, but at the top gave satisfying views of the orange rooftops Florence is famous for. Needed to do a bit of shopping so spent some time browsing the great shops and markets, though resisted buying a leather bag, as tempting as it was...and I'm still actually considering it... And the food market near my hotel was a must, and here I stocked up on fruit and cheese, not to mention the best biscotti I've had so far! Delicious!!!
With an afternoon train to Rome, I was there in a flash - the beauty of fast trains! Pretty much as soon as I arrived I met some great people and me and a Californian girl, Johanna, set off that night for some late sightseeing. We started in Piazza del Popolo and walked towards the Spanish steps, where we could barely see the steps for all the people sat on them. We did see a pretty surreal sight of a local man sat up top, drink in hand, playing a mini stereo to his cat on a lead... Odd! The cat was very relaxed with people all around him! he looked like he owned the place!
We wandered around a bunch of other fountains and statues and things on our way back towards our hostel by the train station, stopping at the Trevi Fountain for some pretty night photos! So beautiful!
This morning I got up as late as I could as I desperately needed a sleep in. This travelling business is not so relaxing! I had a few things left to do in Florence - climb the duomo, which was like walking through a tunnel sauna, but at the top gave satisfying views of the orange rooftops Florence is famous for. Needed to do a bit of shopping so spent some time browsing the great shops and markets, though resisted buying a leather bag, as tempting as it was...and I'm still actually considering it... And the food market near my hotel was a must, and here I stocked up on fruit and cheese, not to mention the best biscotti I've had so far! Delicious!!!
With an afternoon train to Rome, I was there in a flash - the beauty of fast trains! Pretty much as soon as I arrived I met some great people and me and a Californian girl, Johanna, set off that night for some late sightseeing. We started in Piazza del Popolo and walked towards the Spanish steps, where we could barely see the steps for all the people sat on them. We did see a pretty surreal sight of a local man sat up top, drink in hand, playing a mini stereo to his cat on a lead... Odd! The cat was very relaxed with people all around him! he looked like he owned the place!
We wandered around a bunch of other fountains and statues and things on our way back towards our hostel by the train station, stopping at the Trevi Fountain for some pretty night photos! So beautiful!
Day 25 - Rome
After a tiny sleep in as the rooms at this hostel (Alessandro Downtown) are so hot with no air con in summer, no one gets any sleep.. I headed, with Johanna to the Palatino ruins, which cover a lot of ground, and include the Roman Forum. We spent all morning and the beginning of the afternoon browsing the ruins here. Pretty amazing! Right next door is the Colosseum where we spent the next hour or so. It's so amazing actually being there for real! And to imagine all the fights and shows that went on there in its heyday!
We pottered around the city most of the rest of the day, visiting a little island in the middle of the river running through Rome, Isola, and a pretty amazing marble building, Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II.
Day 26 - Rome
This morning I had set my alarm pretty early in an attempt to skip the queues to the Vatican. Still I only arrived at about 9am and there were already hordes of people around, though the lines were moving quickly through security. I made sure I had my knees and shoulders covered so I was allowed into St Peter's Basilica, which is pretty incredible, beautiful! And has a couple of the dead Popes in glass caskets...
Just around the corner is the Vatican museum, which has the famous Sistine Chapel inside, towards the end. The museum is huge and a little daunting for someone who doesn't know a lot about religious art or sculptures etc, so I got an audio guide. Euro 7 well spent I think! I spent about 2 and a half hours in the museum before I got to the Sistine Chapel which was packed full of people trying to sneak a photo or two... The guards stood up top "shhh"-ing people and yelling "No photos, no videos!!!" As impressive as the paintings are in the chapel, I have to say I was disappointed! But now I can tick it off my list...
In the afternoon, after a very brief nap on a park bench, like a bum, I paid an extremely overpriced 9.50 Euro to enter Castel Sant' Angelo, which looked much cooler from the outside! From here I headed to Piazza Navona where I sat and listened to jazz music played by some pretty great buskers. Next stop Area Sacra, a small square of ruins that I think has something to do with Caesar's death, or something like that, however my main reason for going here was actually to see a little cat sanctuary set up there. So cute!!
Next to the impressive Pantheon, with the large (purposely built) hole in the roof, through which no rain enters... Quite incredible really!! Then finally to the Trevi Fountain, this time in daylight, where I sat ate ate some divine apple flavour and cinnamon flavour gelato! To die for!!!
Day 27 - Rome
After being pretty exhausted after the walking and heat of yesterday, I had a sleep in, slightly, still not having slept much during the night because of the heat. I spent the morning and early afternoon browsing designer shops around the Spanish Steps, where a guy in our room spotted Jennifer Lopez shopping yesterday. This is where, as I tried to buy a cute dress from Zara, I discovered there was a problem with my credit card....
After having dismissed the fact that HSBC could ever be so stupid with my accounts, I was proved wrong as I called the bank to find out the problem. Suspicious activity, despite the fact that I hadn't just arrived in Italy, nor was it the first time I'd used my card there... They put my accounts on hold because of it and then I was told I couldn't use it for the next 24hrs!! After spending the next couple of hours pretty F####ed off, I changed my tune and figured it was probably for the best that I found out now because had it been any later, I wouldn't have been able to pay for my next accommodation. Then there'd be problems!!
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading in a pretty park to the north of the city centre. Nice and relaxing! Before returning to the hostel for free pasta (bloody tiny spoonful actually) then digging into some tasty ice cream with a bunch of my roommates!!
After a tiny sleep in as the rooms at this hostel (Alessandro Downtown) are so hot with no air con in summer, no one gets any sleep.. I headed, with Johanna to the Palatino ruins, which cover a lot of ground, and include the Roman Forum. We spent all morning and the beginning of the afternoon browsing the ruins here. Pretty amazing! Right next door is the Colosseum where we spent the next hour or so. It's so amazing actually being there for real! And to imagine all the fights and shows that went on there in its heyday!
We pottered around the city most of the rest of the day, visiting a little island in the middle of the river running through Rome, Isola, and a pretty amazing marble building, Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II.
Day 26 - Rome
This morning I had set my alarm pretty early in an attempt to skip the queues to the Vatican. Still I only arrived at about 9am and there were already hordes of people around, though the lines were moving quickly through security. I made sure I had my knees and shoulders covered so I was allowed into St Peter's Basilica, which is pretty incredible, beautiful! And has a couple of the dead Popes in glass caskets...
Just around the corner is the Vatican museum, which has the famous Sistine Chapel inside, towards the end. The museum is huge and a little daunting for someone who doesn't know a lot about religious art or sculptures etc, so I got an audio guide. Euro 7 well spent I think! I spent about 2 and a half hours in the museum before I got to the Sistine Chapel which was packed full of people trying to sneak a photo or two... The guards stood up top "shhh"-ing people and yelling "No photos, no videos!!!" As impressive as the paintings are in the chapel, I have to say I was disappointed! But now I can tick it off my list...
In the afternoon, after a very brief nap on a park bench, like a bum, I paid an extremely overpriced 9.50 Euro to enter Castel Sant' Angelo, which looked much cooler from the outside! From here I headed to Piazza Navona where I sat and listened to jazz music played by some pretty great buskers. Next stop Area Sacra, a small square of ruins that I think has something to do with Caesar's death, or something like that, however my main reason for going here was actually to see a little cat sanctuary set up there. So cute!!
Next to the impressive Pantheon, with the large (purposely built) hole in the roof, through which no rain enters... Quite incredible really!! Then finally to the Trevi Fountain, this time in daylight, where I sat ate ate some divine apple flavour and cinnamon flavour gelato! To die for!!!
Day 27 - Rome
After being pretty exhausted after the walking and heat of yesterday, I had a sleep in, slightly, still not having slept much during the night because of the heat. I spent the morning and early afternoon browsing designer shops around the Spanish Steps, where a guy in our room spotted Jennifer Lopez shopping yesterday. This is where, as I tried to buy a cute dress from Zara, I discovered there was a problem with my credit card....
After having dismissed the fact that HSBC could ever be so stupid with my accounts, I was proved wrong as I called the bank to find out the problem. Suspicious activity, despite the fact that I hadn't just arrived in Italy, nor was it the first time I'd used my card there... They put my accounts on hold because of it and then I was told I couldn't use it for the next 24hrs!! After spending the next couple of hours pretty F####ed off, I changed my tune and figured it was probably for the best that I found out now because had it been any later, I wouldn't have been able to pay for my next accommodation. Then there'd be problems!!
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading in a pretty park to the north of the city centre. Nice and relaxing! Before returning to the hostel for free pasta (bloody tiny spoonful actually) then digging into some tasty ice cream with a bunch of my roommates!!
You can see all my Rome pictures here.
Day 28 - Rome - Naples
Leaving Rome at a respectable hour, and arriving in Naples after lunch, I found my way to my hostel, Giovanni's Home, which literally is Giovanni's home!!! He sat me and another English girl, Sarah, down and explained things about the city and things to see, which was great coming from a local!
Sarah and I headed to Sorbello, the famous pizza restaurant in Naples, actually the origin of pizza! And it lives up to its reputation as the best pizza in the world, easily!! And it's so cheap!!! We got one each, as had everyone else we could see, but I still only managed half of mine, despite trying my best to eat more!! No dinner needed!
We walked the route on the map Giovanni gave us and discovered the coast, where as we were taking photos, Sarah dropped her camera into the rocks, never to be seen again, despite the help of some local men, who felt very bad and gave her a big kiss on the cheeks and us both some mango!
We checked out a pretty castle on the water where we watched people taking their wedding photos, and walked back to the hostel up Via Toledo, avoiding the Spanish Quarter as we had been advised (this is where the mafia are). He actually put the fear of death in us this afternoon, telling us not even to take bags, just plastic bags and mix out goods with fruit so no one would rob us. And he marked very clearly where we should avoid in the city to avoid danger, including this mafia-filled area, and told us not to be out after dark! Yes dad!! :o)
Day 28 - Rome - Naples
Leaving Rome at a respectable hour, and arriving in Naples after lunch, I found my way to my hostel, Giovanni's Home, which literally is Giovanni's home!!! He sat me and another English girl, Sarah, down and explained things about the city and things to see, which was great coming from a local!
Sarah and I headed to Sorbello, the famous pizza restaurant in Naples, actually the origin of pizza! And it lives up to its reputation as the best pizza in the world, easily!! And it's so cheap!!! We got one each, as had everyone else we could see, but I still only managed half of mine, despite trying my best to eat more!! No dinner needed!
We walked the route on the map Giovanni gave us and discovered the coast, where as we were taking photos, Sarah dropped her camera into the rocks, never to be seen again, despite the help of some local men, who felt very bad and gave her a big kiss on the cheeks and us both some mango!
We checked out a pretty castle on the water where we watched people taking their wedding photos, and walked back to the hostel up Via Toledo, avoiding the Spanish Quarter as we had been advised (this is where the mafia are). He actually put the fear of death in us this afternoon, telling us not even to take bags, just plastic bags and mix out goods with fruit so no one would rob us. And he marked very clearly where we should avoid in the city to avoid danger, including this mafia-filled area, and told us not to be out after dark! Yes dad!! :o)
See my Naples photos here.
Day 29 - Naples - Mt. Vesuvius - Herculaneum
Being a Sunday, nothing is really open in these very Catholic parts of the world, hence my decision to visit Mt. Vesuvius and Herculaneum. Both were an easy train ride from Naples city. A taxi-bus from the nearest town, Ercolano cost 16.50 Euro and that included the round trip up the mountain and the entrance fee to the park area. They wait for an hour and a half for you to walk to the crater and around before taking you back to the train station. Even coming from New Zealand I've never been on a volcano like that before... was pretty cool!
After this I walked about 500m from the train station straight down to Herculaneum, which is another preserved city from the volcanic eruption that also hit Pompeii, but after hearing details from Giovanni in my hostel, I decided to skip Pompeii which is more famous and much bigger, in order to look around this little town which is actually far better preserved! There are still wooden steps and mosaics and paint on the walls of this nearly intact little town from 79AD. Pretty amazing!
On the train back to Naples I had my first encounter with a pretty grotty Italian man... (Mum I was fine, this is fairly common I'm led to believe, and sorry if this is a bit crude!!) A man came and sat opposite me and continued looking me up and down but mainly at my legs, then started rubbing himself in the crotch area and though I had sunglasses on, I could see out the corner of my eye that he was, ahem, erect. Yuk! Luckily there were only three stops to go and I got up straight away - he remained seated even after everyone had got off. Was pretty foul, but I'm not the only one that has happened to here!
Later that afternoon I had a tour of Napoli Sotterranea. The original aquaducts of Napoli which run 400km, but we only saw about 1km and most of it is closed off. It provided drinking water to the city many many years ago through lots of wells throughout, then was used as hiding places and places of refuge for some 3000 during WW2, but as the humidity is around 85% down there, most got sick and died. Naples has so much history and is older than Rome. Very very fascinating!!
That night Giovanni cooked us all a delicious pasta dish and gave us wine and sang Italian (and other) songs for us afterwards and had us join in. Was great fun!! Such a fantastic hostel to stay in and Giovanni is such an interesting man who's so passionate about Naples that you can't help but be swept away with the vibe of this city!!
Being a Sunday, nothing is really open in these very Catholic parts of the world, hence my decision to visit Mt. Vesuvius and Herculaneum. Both were an easy train ride from Naples city. A taxi-bus from the nearest town, Ercolano cost 16.50 Euro and that included the round trip up the mountain and the entrance fee to the park area. They wait for an hour and a half for you to walk to the crater and around before taking you back to the train station. Even coming from New Zealand I've never been on a volcano like that before... was pretty cool!
After this I walked about 500m from the train station straight down to Herculaneum, which is another preserved city from the volcanic eruption that also hit Pompeii, but after hearing details from Giovanni in my hostel, I decided to skip Pompeii which is more famous and much bigger, in order to look around this little town which is actually far better preserved! There are still wooden steps and mosaics and paint on the walls of this nearly intact little town from 79AD. Pretty amazing!
On the train back to Naples I had my first encounter with a pretty grotty Italian man... (Mum I was fine, this is fairly common I'm led to believe, and sorry if this is a bit crude!!) A man came and sat opposite me and continued looking me up and down but mainly at my legs, then started rubbing himself in the crotch area and though I had sunglasses on, I could see out the corner of my eye that he was, ahem, erect. Yuk! Luckily there were only three stops to go and I got up straight away - he remained seated even after everyone had got off. Was pretty foul, but I'm not the only one that has happened to here!
Later that afternoon I had a tour of Napoli Sotterranea. The original aquaducts of Napoli which run 400km, but we only saw about 1km and most of it is closed off. It provided drinking water to the city many many years ago through lots of wells throughout, then was used as hiding places and places of refuge for some 3000 during WW2, but as the humidity is around 85% down there, most got sick and died. Naples has so much history and is older than Rome. Very very fascinating!!
That night Giovanni cooked us all a delicious pasta dish and gave us wine and sang Italian (and other) songs for us afterwards and had us join in. Was great fun!! Such a fantastic hostel to stay in and Giovanni is such an interesting man who's so passionate about Naples that you can't help but be swept away with the vibe of this city!!
My Mt. Vesuvius pics are here and my Herculaneum pics here.
Day 30 - Naples - St Agnello - Sorrento
After a yummy breakfast as recommended by Giovanni, he offered to take me out on his motorbike, in true Napoli style! He had done the same for a few other girls the last couple of days. We spent an hour and a half cruising around the city, weaving through traffic while he stopped at some great spots for photos. Fantastic!! Loved every second!! Giovanni dropped me off at a museum near his hostel which has the sculpture of the Veiled Christ - truly incredible! On a par with Michelangelo's first sculpture!!
In the afternoon I trained down to St Agnello where my hostel is (very flash for a hostel!!! - Hostel Seven), which is only a 20-30minute walk to Sorrento or 5 minutes by train. I spent a few hours on what little beach there is here, which cost me 9.60 Euro for the lift to the beach (down a big cliff) and access to the beach with an umbrella!! Geez!! The water is very very warm though!!
In the evening I took the train to Sorrento where I wandered around for a while, finding a beach right at the end of the town with a bunch of locals playing tug-of-war. It's a very pretty place but heaving with tourists!! Here I also got asked out by a very handsome, very polite Italian man who thought I was lovely! (very flattering but I politely declined...). I do really like how blunt/honest Italians are. They just say it how it is and are completely upfront about their feelings!! How it should be!! I wish all men were like that (not you Russ, you're just fine!
Day 30 - Naples - St Agnello - Sorrento
After a yummy breakfast as recommended by Giovanni, he offered to take me out on his motorbike, in true Napoli style! He had done the same for a few other girls the last couple of days. We spent an hour and a half cruising around the city, weaving through traffic while he stopped at some great spots for photos. Fantastic!! Loved every second!! Giovanni dropped me off at a museum near his hostel which has the sculpture of the Veiled Christ - truly incredible! On a par with Michelangelo's first sculpture!!
In the afternoon I trained down to St Agnello where my hostel is (very flash for a hostel!!! - Hostel Seven), which is only a 20-30minute walk to Sorrento or 5 minutes by train. I spent a few hours on what little beach there is here, which cost me 9.60 Euro for the lift to the beach (down a big cliff) and access to the beach with an umbrella!! Geez!! The water is very very warm though!!
In the evening I took the train to Sorrento where I wandered around for a while, finding a beach right at the end of the town with a bunch of locals playing tug-of-war. It's a very pretty place but heaving with tourists!! Here I also got asked out by a very handsome, very polite Italian man who thought I was lovely! (very flattering but I politely declined...). I do really like how blunt/honest Italians are. They just say it how it is and are completely upfront about their feelings!! How it should be!! I wish all men were like that (not you Russ, you're just fine!
St Agnello & Sorrento pics are here.
Day 31 - St Agnello - Sorrento - Capri
Today we spent the entire day, me and nine others, plus the captain and his wife, sailing (well actually in a motorboat) around the island of Capri, stopping every now and then for a bit to swim in the warm, crystal-clear waters!! Fantastic day!! Absolutely!!! The water was incredibly salty which made you float really easily! You could see the fish swimming meters down below you!
Day 31 - St Agnello - Sorrento - Capri
Today we spent the entire day, me and nine others, plus the captain and his wife, sailing (well actually in a motorboat) around the island of Capri, stopping every now and then for a bit to swim in the warm, crystal-clear waters!! Fantastic day!! Absolutely!!! The water was incredibly salty which made you float really easily! You could see the fish swimming meters down below you!
Swimming, sunbathing, eating tomato, basil and mozzerella! Perfect!
The trip was organised through the hostel and I would totally recommend it to everyone!!! Was worth every penny!! We didn't get to swim in the Blue Grotto though as it was too rough. Even though that was the point of the trip for me, I completely enjoyed the trip despite this!!! One French Canadian guy went in to the grotto anyway as he has quite a bit of experience diving. To get into the grotto you have to swim through a smallish hole in the rocks and with the water so rough you had to time it perfectly so as not to get crushed against the rocks and have your body all cut up! Even our guide, Andreas, when he went in after the French Canadian guy, he got caught on the rocks and cut up his heal pretty bad!
I learned a couple of days later that Jennifer Lopez spent her birthday there the same day as us! Didn't see her but we were more than likely swimming in the same area as there were lots of massive luxury yachts where we were. It's funny how when you're on a boat too, those luxury boat owners are really friendly with you and invite you on board for a drink etc. If you're just on the beach, they don't want to know you!
Beautiful sunny Capri pics are here.
Day 32 - St Angello - Venice
Up at 5.30am to catch the train to Venice... I was pretty exhausted! It was a fairly uneventful day because the train ride to Venice, with a change in Naples, was 10.5 hours!!! Long trip!!!
I arrived in Venice just after 5pm that day and Russ met me at the train station. Was good to see him!! But strange to be travelling with someone else after 4 and a half weeks on my own!
That evening we wandered the maze-like alleyways of Venice. I was actually glad to have Russ with me because even though I probably could have found my way on my own, it really was like a maze and everyone you could see was getting lost, finding their way to a dead end where the path met the canal with nowhere to go... Was a bit tricky, even with a map!! We checked out the heaving St. Mark's Square and the basilica. Beautiful! Looks like it should be in Russia or something with the domed roof!!
Day 33 - Venice - Murano - Burano
Russ and I bought a travel card for the ferries today. We had planned to get up early to skip the giant queue for the basilica and climb the tower next to it, but when we got there about 9.45am the queue was almost backed right to the waterfront!! Change of plans...
Murano is where they make the famous Venetian glass. So we checked out one of the glass blowing factories and watched in awe as the guy made a horse standing on its back legs in less than one minute, before the glass hardened! Very impressive! All the little stores on the island sold their glass products. Was quite pretty there!
From there we took another ferry to Burano, another island which we had learned about from an article Russ brought with him. It's a long ferry ride from Venice but totally worth it! Was one of the highlights of our trip by far!! All of the houses and shops on the island are painted a different bright colour! Everywhere you look you see brightly painted colours running alongside the small canals! It looks absolutely fantastic!!!
Later in the afternoon we took yet another ferry to St. Girgio Maggiore and climbed up the bell tower of the cathedral for a beautiful view over Venice and the islands and lagoon. Lots of nice photos from there!!
Later again we explored more of the pretty little Venetian alleyways! I was very impressed with Russ' sense of direction, particularly there, though I never doubted it!! :o)
Day 32 - St Angello - Venice
Up at 5.30am to catch the train to Venice... I was pretty exhausted! It was a fairly uneventful day because the train ride to Venice, with a change in Naples, was 10.5 hours!!! Long trip!!!
I arrived in Venice just after 5pm that day and Russ met me at the train station. Was good to see him!! But strange to be travelling with someone else after 4 and a half weeks on my own!
That evening we wandered the maze-like alleyways of Venice. I was actually glad to have Russ with me because even though I probably could have found my way on my own, it really was like a maze and everyone you could see was getting lost, finding their way to a dead end where the path met the canal with nowhere to go... Was a bit tricky, even with a map!! We checked out the heaving St. Mark's Square and the basilica. Beautiful! Looks like it should be in Russia or something with the domed roof!!
Day 33 - Venice - Murano - Burano
Russ and I bought a travel card for the ferries today. We had planned to get up early to skip the giant queue for the basilica and climb the tower next to it, but when we got there about 9.45am the queue was almost backed right to the waterfront!! Change of plans...
Murano is where they make the famous Venetian glass. So we checked out one of the glass blowing factories and watched in awe as the guy made a horse standing on its back legs in less than one minute, before the glass hardened! Very impressive! All the little stores on the island sold their glass products. Was quite pretty there!
From there we took another ferry to Burano, another island which we had learned about from an article Russ brought with him. It's a long ferry ride from Venice but totally worth it! Was one of the highlights of our trip by far!! All of the houses and shops on the island are painted a different bright colour! Everywhere you look you see brightly painted colours running alongside the small canals! It looks absolutely fantastic!!!
Later in the afternoon we took yet another ferry to St. Girgio Maggiore and climbed up the bell tower of the cathedral for a beautiful view over Venice and the islands and lagoon. Lots of nice photos from there!!
Later again we explored more of the pretty little Venetian alleyways! I was very impressed with Russ' sense of direction, particularly there, though I never doubted it!! :o)
My Murano pics are here, and my Burano pics here.
Day 34 - Venice
Up even earlier this morning we made it into the queue for the basilica before it got too long and then waited about 40 minutes for it to open! By the time we got in the queue was again right back to the waterfront! It was beautiful inside, as we expected! And we paid a little to go up onto the terrace looking over St. Mark's Square with more beautiful views! We decided against paying 8 Euro to climb the tower next to it.
We spent most of the day wandering around the island, checking out different areas, including the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal, taking the traghetto (gondola ferry) across the canal for only 50c! Across this side of the island we found a dead cheap and delicious pizza and gelato place!! We filled ourselves up here!! Venice is also another of those cities with brilliantly placed fountains to drink from. Why doesn't every city do this??
After a bit of a nana nap in the hotel, we got dressed nicely (Russ had to wear long pants) to go on a gondola ride (you just have to!!) and to go to famous Harry's Bar for a bellini! Our gondola ride was nice and we got one in a pretty quiet area to avoid the hoards of tourists, but it still cost 70 Euro for 20 minutes!! Hell!!
You can tell Harry's Bar is important with the waiters dressed in white suits and the furniture all classic wood and a bottle of Krug 600 Euro!!!! We were a little surprised, though suppose we expected it, that our bellinis were 15 euro each!! And they were TINY!!!!! One drink was enough there!! Afterwards we grabbed a couple of cheap bottles of the stuff and sat on a wharf near our hotel, drinking and watching the gondolas go by!! Nice!
Day 35 - Venice - London
Finally getting a sleep in and with both of us covered in mosquito bites, were were perhaps ready to come home, though I was finding it pretty strange that 5 weeks had just flown by, reluctantly accepting that my trip was at the end!! We checked out the fish market and some more of Venice. I think we'd seen pretty much all there was to see in Venice! But made sure we got in one last gelato first!!
We decided on the ferry to the airport which cost 13 Euro each and took a bit over an hour. Was nice to go by water!!
We flew with Easy Jet, which I thought was a bloody joke! I still don't get the point in not allocating seats and having everyone run in a mad scramble to get a seat on the bloody plane!! It reduces fairly respectable people to embarrassingly acting like children at a lolly scramble or something!!
Day 34 - Venice
Up even earlier this morning we made it into the queue for the basilica before it got too long and then waited about 40 minutes for it to open! By the time we got in the queue was again right back to the waterfront! It was beautiful inside, as we expected! And we paid a little to go up onto the terrace looking over St. Mark's Square with more beautiful views! We decided against paying 8 Euro to climb the tower next to it.
We spent most of the day wandering around the island, checking out different areas, including the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal, taking the traghetto (gondola ferry) across the canal for only 50c! Across this side of the island we found a dead cheap and delicious pizza and gelato place!! We filled ourselves up here!! Venice is also another of those cities with brilliantly placed fountains to drink from. Why doesn't every city do this??
After a bit of a nana nap in the hotel, we got dressed nicely (Russ had to wear long pants) to go on a gondola ride (you just have to!!) and to go to famous Harry's Bar for a bellini! Our gondola ride was nice and we got one in a pretty quiet area to avoid the hoards of tourists, but it still cost 70 Euro for 20 minutes!! Hell!!
You can tell Harry's Bar is important with the waiters dressed in white suits and the furniture all classic wood and a bottle of Krug 600 Euro!!!! We were a little surprised, though suppose we expected it, that our bellinis were 15 euro each!! And they were TINY!!!!! One drink was enough there!! Afterwards we grabbed a couple of cheap bottles of the stuff and sat on a wharf near our hotel, drinking and watching the gondolas go by!! Nice!
Day 35 - Venice - London
Finally getting a sleep in and with both of us covered in mosquito bites, were were perhaps ready to come home, though I was finding it pretty strange that 5 weeks had just flown by, reluctantly accepting that my trip was at the end!! We checked out the fish market and some more of Venice. I think we'd seen pretty much all there was to see in Venice! But made sure we got in one last gelato first!!
We decided on the ferry to the airport which cost 13 Euro each and took a bit over an hour. Was nice to go by water!!
We flew with Easy Jet, which I thought was a bloody joke! I still don't get the point in not allocating seats and having everyone run in a mad scramble to get a seat on the bloody plane!! It reduces fairly respectable people to embarrassingly acting like children at a lolly scramble or something!!
My Venice photos are here.
I learnt a lot on this trip! I realised again that I am independent! I have significantly increased my ability to read a map and know which direction I'm going. I've also learnt a lot about religious 
art and sculptures, though I'm not at all religious - I've found it really interesting!! I loved travelling by myself! And staying in hostels, which I didn't think I would like. I topped up my tan! Finally!! And I learnt a lot about people - travellers and locals in the countries I visited. That's the most interesting part for me. Seeing how other people live. It's also given me a lot of time to think about what's important to me and what I want to do in my life! I've now crossed off a bunch of places I had on my list of places to visit, but in the process have added twice as many places to go... The next adventure is just around the corner!!
