So on to Milan we went! A 4 hour train ride with a very touchy couple in the car cabin with Tarah and I... just lovely. Saw lovely countryside though and got to sleep some more (we have been eating dinner around 9pm, bed 12-2am, awake 730-9am every day). Milan is a welcome break for us because we get TWO WHOLE DAYS here, which *drumroll please* means that we get to sleep in tomorrow! No trains to catch!
We got to the hostel, very big room, better internet but still patchy, nice showers. 3 twin beds this time, usually its a double and a twin, or a double and two twins. We went out for aperativos in the rain (guess I have to break down and buy an umbrella), where you buy a drink and get free food from a buffet of sorts. An idea like this, where you can stuff you face and drink for only 9 Euros would probably make an American bar go bankrupt real quick, but here, guests linger over 3 raviolis, a few crappy french fries, and a dollop of canned peas with ham (Mom I thought of you when I saw those!). Needless to say, we got our money's worth. Traveling sure takes it out of you for whatever reason...
We walked the canals as we nursed our full stomachs. Now we are at home, each on our respective twin bed, relaxing before our first full day without travel! On the agenda for Milan is (lots of things are closed Mondays, bummer) the Science Museum, the Planetarium (yay I'm excited), lots of art museums if we can get in last-minute, Kasia's gelato recommendations (we take these very seriously), and the castle here in Milan! Horrah!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Firenze Fever
Florence! This is the place Jamee studied (Tarah in Spain); thus, Jamee knew all the right places to go and see! We only had one day in Florence but we managed and had a lot of fun! We went to a big outdoor shopping flea market and I got lots of wonderful presents for people (and some for myself...). We had "cookie" flavored gelato at Jamee's favorite shop, it was delicious! Kind of like waffle crisp with chunks of tasty things in it if you were curious. We also ate the best (and well priced) family style meal -that included a bottle of wine- ever at a place Jamee's teacher and Kasia recommended. It was called something like the Gatto y Volpe restaurant and I highly recommend it to everyone if you're ever in Florence. We saw the very old Puente Vecchio where Jamee says a meat market used to be held many years ago until the Dukes who had to pass by finally got so sick of the rotting meat smell from unselling butchers that the bridge was banned for meat selling and now houses unsmelly jewelery sales. Also, this is the place where a common phrase was coined but Jamee wasn't sure which it was... some research for me later.
In the morning, we climbed the very tall, very narrow staircase tower at the Florence duomo at the church. (beautiful, pictures to come when I'm home, I'll let you all know when they're up).
Florence had a great, friendly, giant hostel with crappy wifi internet connection (too much competition?) and no air or fans as usual-- the hottest night of sleep I've ever not gotten. I was sweating even at 8am. Talk about humid. Anyways, it was beautiful.
Florence is a medium sized town with enough things to do and see to keep you busy for many days, but we went short and sweet. Maybe I will see you again, Firenze...
In the morning, we climbed the very tall, very narrow staircase tower at the Florence duomo at the church. (beautiful, pictures to come when I'm home, I'll let you all know when they're up).
Florence had a great, friendly, giant hostel with crappy wifi internet connection (too much competition?) and no air or fans as usual-- the hottest night of sleep I've ever not gotten. I was sweating even at 8am. Talk about humid. Anyways, it was beautiful.
Florence is a medium sized town with enough things to do and see to keep you busy for many days, but we went short and sweet. Maybe I will see you again, Firenze...
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Ciao Cinque Terre!
Goodbye Cinque Terre, sun and sand! Its off to Florence, Jamee's territory! Train station bound, what are we waiting for! Miss you all!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Monterroso: Beach Central
Spent a lovely afternoon at the beach! I didnt get burned and got to take a few cat naps! PS: The reason Im not using apostrophes is that they are really difficult to find on the keyboard, much less execute in typing speed... :P
Had gelato, it was better in Siena! Found some good, reasonably priced gifts here. Really cool pottery but would worry about breaking it the whole rest of the trip. Next time!
Going to enjoy the beach some more before dinner tonight since we leave for Florence (Firenze) tomorrow by train, its a long ride I believe. (I love my ipod)
Bucket list to go to the Amalfi Coast of Greece. Ive heard so many good things about it!
Had gelato, it was better in Siena! Found some good, reasonably priced gifts here. Really cool pottery but would worry about breaking it the whole rest of the trip. Next time!
Going to enjoy the beach some more before dinner tonight since we leave for Florence (Firenze) tomorrow by train, its a long ride I believe. (I love my ipod)
Bucket list to go to the Amalfi Coast of Greece. Ive heard so many good things about it!
Cinque Terre
We made it to the beach! Cinque Terre. Everyone raved about this place and now I see why. We stayed in the most beautiful hotel ever in Riomaggerie. The view and roads looked just like Monterey, CA but the breezes, humble and charming rooms, and sunsets were unparalleled. Today we are going to the beach after feasting on delicious lunch pizza. Hopefully I wont burn, going abroad with an italian and a costa rican has its risks for the irish-germans... :P
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Trains
So we woke up and quick taxi'd (yes its now a verb) to the Colosseum and the Roman Ruins in Rome. IT WAS SO HOT and STICKY. At 9am! Unbelievable. We saw the Forum, walked on cobblestone roads, among half-standing buildings, walls and plazas... it was really cool to be in somewhere with so much history. Not even famous history...but just to think that so long ago someone met his or her best friend in that garden that is now in shambles is... surreal? I don't use that word often so I'm not quite sure its the one I am looking for but yes. That eerie, humbling feeling.
Then we caught our train to Siena, stopped in a tiny village for 45 minutes where we ate train station thin crust pizza and drank Cokes. It was the first time Tarah had had katchup in a long time and she loved it. It was a fun break. We met two people traveling who were from Australia and one girl JayJay who was very helpful. She was traveling Europe all alone and was only 19. She deferred university in order to take this trip while the Australian dollar was up over the Euro. She said lots of Australians are traveling too for this reason. JayJay gave us some tips, like to stay away from Athens, Greece but that the islands of Greece were blissful. Good to know for my next trip maybe? ;)
We finally arrived in Siena, said goodbye to JayJay and caught another (ack) cab to our hotel very close to the main Plaza Campo here. Siena is the first town we have been to where I didn't feel like just another tourist. Its a town for starters. Its small, cooler than anywhere on my whole trip, has lovely views, old charming buildings and lots and lots of Vespas/scooters. We got gelato (tasty) and sat in the plaza on not seats but a slope...We walked across town (maybe one hour) to check out a wine tasting bar and discovered it was lovely and not at all unaffordable! We lounged there for hours with two glasses of wine, one white and one red chianti. Then we were hungry and strolled back towards the plaza to pick a good smelling restaurant. We found one that seemed to have a lot of Americans exiting so we thought we might give it a try. It was pretty good, I got pici pasta with tomato and basil in a garlic sauce but didn't really taste the garlic or basil. We walked back and are now getting ready for the beach in Cinque Terre tomorrow (another train). Horrah! Its the most expensive leg of our trip but comes highly recommended and will hopefully be a balance of relaxing and energizing that we need for the western Europe leg of our trip very soon!!! How quickly the time goes...love you all!
Then we caught our train to Siena, stopped in a tiny village for 45 minutes where we ate train station thin crust pizza and drank Cokes. It was the first time Tarah had had katchup in a long time and she loved it. It was a fun break. We met two people traveling who were from Australia and one girl JayJay who was very helpful. She was traveling Europe all alone and was only 19. She deferred university in order to take this trip while the Australian dollar was up over the Euro. She said lots of Australians are traveling too for this reason. JayJay gave us some tips, like to stay away from Athens, Greece but that the islands of Greece were blissful. Good to know for my next trip maybe? ;)
We finally arrived in Siena, said goodbye to JayJay and caught another (ack) cab to our hotel very close to the main Plaza Campo here. Siena is the first town we have been to where I didn't feel like just another tourist. Its a town for starters. Its small, cooler than anywhere on my whole trip, has lovely views, old charming buildings and lots and lots of Vespas/scooters. We got gelato (tasty) and sat in the plaza on not seats but a slope...We walked across town (maybe one hour) to check out a wine tasting bar and discovered it was lovely and not at all unaffordable! We lounged there for hours with two glasses of wine, one white and one red chianti. Then we were hungry and strolled back towards the plaza to pick a good smelling restaurant. We found one that seemed to have a lot of Americans exiting so we thought we might give it a try. It was pretty good, I got pici pasta with tomato and basil in a garlic sauce but didn't really taste the garlic or basil. We walked back and are now getting ready for the beach in Cinque Terre tomorrow (another train). Horrah! Its the most expensive leg of our trip but comes highly recommended and will hopefully be a balance of relaxing and energizing that we need for the western Europe leg of our trip very soon!!! How quickly the time goes...love you all!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Roma!
So we flew to Rome from Madrid, a two hour flight delayed 1.5 hours. So we got to siesta on the plane I suppose. Took a bus to a metro and trekked it to our hotel with our luggage- am sore today! Today we are going to hike the dome at St. Peter's Basilica, the vatican, then siesta and regroup for the Colosseum!
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