Okay. So. Sarajevo. In order to get there from Dubrovnik, we had to take a six hour bus ride. The ride through the Bosnian countryside was very beautiful. The steep mountain slopes were rich with greenery and fell softly into peaceful valleys often holding small villages. Above winding freshwater rivers, the blanket of vegetation parted to reveal jagged, layered cliff faces. We were kept company along the way by the songs on our iPod and ended up sleeping about half of the way there.
Once we arrived, the cousin of the owner of the guesthouse where we stayed picked us up at the station. After checking into our room, we decided to head into Sarajevo's "Old Town." We walked down the rough cobblestone alleyways and past a large graveyard spotted with tall, white tombstones. When we reached the town, we thought it would be a good idea to find a tourist information office, in order to see what was worth seeing in the short time we had to explore Sarajevo. Now though this may sound like a simple task, it was not so...
First of all, most people who we asked directions from spoke very limited English. On top of that they gave us conflicting instructions on where to go. When we finally reached the place where we were told the info kiosk would be, we found out that it had closed down a long time ago. Needless to say this was a rather frustrating way to spend some of the precious time which we had there. Anyway, we finally found the current info place and got the information we needed. After that, we had to figure out what train we needed to take out of Sarajevo the following day. This meant a forty-five minute trolley ride to the main bus station, plus another hour or so figuring out what the best option would be, then we had to buy our tickets--rather difficult when the ticket vendor only spoke Bosnian, and then another forty-five minutes to get back to the Old Town. The whole situation left us rather emotionally exhausted.
After we got back, we did spend some time looking at some of the main sites. Unfortunately, one of those sites, the city hall--supposedly the symbol of Sarajevo--was completely under construction making it impossible to see any of it. Things did brighten up greatly when we went out for dinner. We went to a funky, little place called Barhana which was just lovely. The food was absolutely delicious and our waiter was very friendly. So in the end, our Sarajevo experience was redeemed :)
We left our room the next morning and boarded our bus for the ten hour ride to Niš, Serbia. Once we got there, we had to figure out how to get from there to Thessalonia, Greece. The language barrier was once again a huge challenge. Thankfully some very friendly strangers who knew some English helped us out. They told us that the best way to get to Thessalonia would be by taking a four hour bus to Skopje, Macedonia, and then another four hour bus ride from there to Thessalonia. So, we had to wait at the Niš bus station for five hours until midnight when our bus showed up. That day also happened to be Annalea's birthday, which was just so very unfortunate that it happened to be on the only day that we would spend the entire twenty-four hours traveling/waiting for a bus. We tried to recognize the special day by buying a slice of cake from the restaurant at the Niš bus station, but sadly, the cake tasted like cigarettes :( So, we decided that we would properly celebrate her in Athens by going out for dinner/drinks/gelato/etc.
We arrived in Skopje about four in the morning and tried to navigate our way to a bus or train which would take us to Thessalonia. This was tricky since Macedonia has a different alphabet, similar to the Greek alphabet. We managed to find out that there was a bus (well actually it was more like a shuttle) going there at 6:00am. Soon after, we found out that it was full. On top of that, there were no trains going that day and the next bus was leaving at 8:30, but would mean a very complicated route and a bus transfer. This was very bad news because we needed to get to Thessalonia in order to get to Athens for our hostel booking that night. Then, miraculously, an incredibly helpful tourist infomation guy went out of his way to help us. He called the 6:00 bus and asked them to bring a bigger shuttle so that there would be room for us. They agreed and we were able to board the bus and head to Thessalonia. :)
Once we got there, we walked to the train station and booked our seats. Then, we went to explore the city for a couple hours. We headed back to the station thinking we would have about an hour before the train left. On the way back, however, we suddenly realized that Greece is an hour ahead of the time zone we were on. This meant that instead of arriving at the bus station with ample time, our train was leaving at that moment, while we were still several blocks away. Thankfully, there was another train going to Athens an hour and a half later. We got tickets for that one, then boarded the train. We were both incredibly relieved to finally be on the train to Athens. Seven hours later, and after making friends with three Greek guys, we pulled into the Athens train station at 11:20pm. The guys helped us read the map (all in Greek) and pointed us in the direction of our hostel. We checked in then met our friends Sonja and Surya there. We made some plans for the following day, and then went to bed.
Friday, 27 May 2011
Monday, 23 May 2011
Dubrovnik (today! I've finally caught up with myself)
Leaving Split on a bus in the afternoon, we arrived in Dubrovnik yesterday about 9pm. We checked into our guesthouse (which we are finding out are usually cheaper than hostels), then went for pizza, then went to bed.
Today we went to see the Old Town which is surrounded by a very tall stone wall. On our way into the fortified area, we saw a minstrel playing the guitar and harmonica. We ended up talking with him and he told us about how much he enjoys playing music. He then went on to tell us about his family and where he's from. He was very sweet. We parted ways and headed for lunch (a delicious kebab).
After that we headed up some stairs to walk around the wall. It took about two hours to walk around the entire thing. It was very amazing seeing all the orange roofs pieced together amidst clock towers and churches which rose above their rooftops. The other side of the wall looked out to the sea. It was overcast weather, though still very hot and humid, which made the water blend with the skyline.
After walking the wall, we wandered the streets to find an old cathedral. As we walked in to admire the beautiful architecture, we realized that a mass was about to start. So we decided to stay and experience a Croatian Mass. It opened with a Croatian version of a song we sing back home, so that was nice (some familiarity). The rest seemed to move along quickly since the priest didn't do a sermon, and there was only one reading. After it ended, we went for dinner at a restaurant off one if the many sidesteets. We had a mixed meat platter (pork, chicken, and lamb(?)) which is apparently a typical Croatian dish.
We finished looking around the town by heading down a sidestreet to see where it lead. We happened upon a huge cathedral which was very beautiful. After that, we walked back to our room and figured out which bus we need to take to Sarajevo tomorrow. We will be leaving Dubrovnik at 8:00am in order to get there at 2:00pm.
Now we are sitting in an Internet cafe checking some emails and updating our blogs. It's nice to finally be caught up with what we're doing! Well that's all for now. Until Sarajevo, ta ta!
Today we went to see the Old Town which is surrounded by a very tall stone wall. On our way into the fortified area, we saw a minstrel playing the guitar and harmonica. We ended up talking with him and he told us about how much he enjoys playing music. He then went on to tell us about his family and where he's from. He was very sweet. We parted ways and headed for lunch (a delicious kebab).
After that we headed up some stairs to walk around the wall. It took about two hours to walk around the entire thing. It was very amazing seeing all the orange roofs pieced together amidst clock towers and churches which rose above their rooftops. The other side of the wall looked out to the sea. It was overcast weather, though still very hot and humid, which made the water blend with the skyline.
After walking the wall, we wandered the streets to find an old cathedral. As we walked in to admire the beautiful architecture, we realized that a mass was about to start. So we decided to stay and experience a Croatian Mass. It opened with a Croatian version of a song we sing back home, so that was nice (some familiarity). The rest seemed to move along quickly since the priest didn't do a sermon, and there was only one reading. After it ended, we went for dinner at a restaurant off one if the many sidesteets. We had a mixed meat platter (pork, chicken, and lamb(?)) which is apparently a typical Croatian dish.
We finished looking around the town by heading down a sidestreet to see where it lead. We happened upon a huge cathedral which was very beautiful. After that, we walked back to our room and figured out which bus we need to take to Sarajevo tomorrow. We will be leaving Dubrovnik at 8:00am in order to get there at 2:00pm.
Now we are sitting in an Internet cafe checking some emails and updating our blogs. It's nice to finally be caught up with what we're doing! Well that's all for now. Until Sarajevo, ta ta!
Hvar Town (May 20-22)
As we got off the boat, we were once again bombarded accommodation offers. The lady who we were renting from picked us up there and drove us to her house. We stayed in a guesthouse that I would highly recommend, if you ever find yourself in Hvar Town. We stayed in a private room with an ensuite. There was a small shared kitchen that worked perfectly for our needs. There was also two terraces outside. One was covered and had a beautiful garden planted along the stone wall, the other had a wall around it ensuring complete privacy and also had several lounge chairs plus some tables.
We spent the next morning on the uncovered terrace lying under the intense sun. Well actually, first I gave myself a mini pedicure and manicure, and then I laid on the lounge chair to bask in the heat. What a lovely place to pamper oneself.
We took a lunch break for tuna melts and then had to go buy groceries and ferry tickets. We walked down the several flights of stone stairs which took us right beside the Adriatic Sea. We walked along the seawall beside a cove which housed a plethora of sailboats sitting quietly on the sparking turquoise water. We bought what we needed, looked around the open-air merchant markets, then headed back to the house for dinner.
That evening we decided to walk up to an ancient fortress which overlooked the town. We hiked up the path which wound its way through the jungle-like forest. By the time we came upon the stone stronghold, we only had ten minutes to look around before if closed. We quickly wandered the site, taking in the incredible views of Hvar Town from the ancient lookouts. The sun was setting and so cast a remarkable golden light on all the terra cotta roofs below. After taking several pictures, we headed back down the mountain. The nightlife was awakening as we approached the main square. The sun slowly slipped behind the hill as bars and restaurants bustled with conversation. We walked back along the seawall, then up to our guesthouse for the night. Another perfect day complete.
We spent the next morning on the uncovered terrace lying under the intense sun. Well actually, first I gave myself a mini pedicure and manicure, and then I laid on the lounge chair to bask in the heat. What a lovely place to pamper oneself.
We took a lunch break for tuna melts and then had to go buy groceries and ferry tickets. We walked down the several flights of stone stairs which took us right beside the Adriatic Sea. We walked along the seawall beside a cove which housed a plethora of sailboats sitting quietly on the sparking turquoise water. We bought what we needed, looked around the open-air merchant markets, then headed back to the house for dinner.
That evening we decided to walk up to an ancient fortress which overlooked the town. We hiked up the path which wound its way through the jungle-like forest. By the time we came upon the stone stronghold, we only had ten minutes to look around before if closed. We quickly wandered the site, taking in the incredible views of Hvar Town from the ancient lookouts. The sun was setting and so cast a remarkable golden light on all the terra cotta roofs below. After taking several pictures, we headed back down the mountain. The nightlife was awakening as we approached the main square. The sun slowly slipped behind the hill as bars and restaurants bustled with conversation. We walked back along the seawall, then up to our guesthouse for the night. Another perfect day complete.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Bibinje, Croatia(May 17-19) and Split, Croatia (May 19-20):
So we arrived in Bibinje, (pronounced "BIB-in-ye")Croatia last Tuesday. We left Venice on Tuesday morning and took a train to Trieste, Italy. We then took a bus from there to Rijeka, Croatia, and then a bus from there to Zadar, Croatia. Actually, while we were in Trieste train station, before we got on the bus, we ran into three friends from my grade (Sonja, Olivia, Surya). We were all baffled and very excited to see each other. We went for gelato-the best I've had so far- and caught each other up on travel stories. Then due to time and bus schedules, we had to part ways. The bus ride into Croatia was great. The bus was comfortable and the scenery was incredible. We drove along the edge of the Adraitic Sea and through the rocky, rolling hills which were covered in bright green trees and shrubs. The sun set behind us, amidst feathery clouds, and cast its golden light on the water's surface. We arrived in Bibinje around 10:00pm and checked into the room which we were renting. It was a beautiful two-bedroom suite and with a red/black/white colour scheme it looked very classy and was very comfortable.
The next day, we had to switch rooms, and then spent the rest of the morning relaxing on the patio which looked out to the marina. We thought that we'd head to the National Park nearby for the afternoon. However, after taking a bus halfway there to a town nearby, we realized it was much further than we had anticipated. Since we wouldn't have had enough time to get there and back with enough time to see much of park, we decided to stay in the town. So instead, we sat by the clear, turquoise water chatting and laughing as we shared a Coke and a Croatian chocolate bar. We then headed back to Bibinje for a wonderful pasta dinner which we cooked for ourselves.
We had to check out of our room in the morning, and then we spent the afternoon sitting on a white, rocky beach. The sun was very hot, but the cool breeze from the sparking Adriatic was refreshing. After that, we caught a bus to the next place on our itinerary: Split. As we stepped off the bus, we were swarmed by people offering accommodation. After fighting our way through the crowd of people we went to find our hostel.
The next morning, we went to see Diocletian's Palace. Diocletian was a Roman emperor who retired to this palace in the fourth century AD. We entered the beautiful retirement home through the Golden Gate and wandered the stone streets for the morning. We took in views from the bell tower and then ate an incredibly delicious chocolate cake in the open courtyard (which was the entrance to Diocletian's living quarters). Actually, while we were eating our cake "Diocletian" came out and addressed the crowd while his "Roman soldiers" stood guard. After that we went and saw a stone mosaic floor and then filled up our water bottles from a fountain whose water still flows from the ancient Roman aqueducts. It was cold and refreshing! We then went back to the hostel, got our bags and caught a Catamaran to Hvar Town.
The next day, we had to switch rooms, and then spent the rest of the morning relaxing on the patio which looked out to the marina. We thought that we'd head to the National Park nearby for the afternoon. However, after taking a bus halfway there to a town nearby, we realized it was much further than we had anticipated. Since we wouldn't have had enough time to get there and back with enough time to see much of park, we decided to stay in the town. So instead, we sat by the clear, turquoise water chatting and laughing as we shared a Coke and a Croatian chocolate bar. We then headed back to Bibinje for a wonderful pasta dinner which we cooked for ourselves.
We had to check out of our room in the morning, and then we spent the afternoon sitting on a white, rocky beach. The sun was very hot, but the cool breeze from the sparking Adriatic was refreshing. After that, we caught a bus to the next place on our itinerary: Split. As we stepped off the bus, we were swarmed by people offering accommodation. After fighting our way through the crowd of people we went to find our hostel.
The next morning, we went to see Diocletian's Palace. Diocletian was a Roman emperor who retired to this palace in the fourth century AD. We entered the beautiful retirement home through the Golden Gate and wandered the stone streets for the morning. We took in views from the bell tower and then ate an incredibly delicious chocolate cake in the open courtyard (which was the entrance to Diocletian's living quarters). Actually, while we were eating our cake "Diocletian" came out and addressed the crowd while his "Roman soldiers" stood guard. After that we went and saw a stone mosaic floor and then filled up our water bottles from a fountain whose water still flows from the ancient Roman aqueducts. It was cold and refreshing! We then went back to the hostel, got our bags and caught a Catamaran to Hvar Town.
Friday, 20 May 2011
Venice (May 15-17):
On Sunday, we left a very rainy Florence (my first rainy day in about three weeks) and headed to an even rainier Venice. Despite the fact that the rain was being blown horizontally due to the viscous gales of wind, we still decided to go look around Venice. We walked along the canals, through the winding streets, and over several of the Venetian bridges.
The following day turned out to be perfect sight-seeing weather. The sun was warm, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. First, we took a boat to an island near Venice called Murano. It's famous for its glassworks so we went into several shops selling beautiful handmade jewelry. We also went to a glass-blowing factory to see four men working together to make vases and other delicate pieces. It was amazing to watch. We continued walking along the canals as speedboats drove slowly past us. The sky was a vibrant blue and created an incredible backdrop for the old, stone buildings. Despite the countless beautiful things waiting to be explored there, we had to continue on due to time. We took a half hour boat ride to Burano, another island near Venice. We simply wandered its streets observing the casual pace of life there. It amazed me how many different colours were used on the buildings. Each one was vibrant and unique to the house beside it. One was deep red, another sky blue, one lime green, others coral, yellow, orange, cherry red, and on and on. After taking many pictures and admiring the sights and colours, we went to catch the boat back to Venice. On our way to the dock, we saw a man playing the Turkish Marh on an accordion. It sounded so good!
Back in Venice, we saw a group of musicians playing a violin, accordian, and guitar in the main square. Then we rode down and then back up the Grand Canal. Gorgeous, weathered buildings lined the water's edge and the canal bent smoothly around their corners. We went under several bridges and saw numerous gondoliers slowly rowing couples around the smooth waters. Then we went and ate dinner at a little restaurant by the water's edge. As we ate our food, we watched the sun fall slowly behind the silhouettes of the distant buildings. Beautiful!
The following day turned out to be perfect sight-seeing weather. The sun was warm, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. First, we took a boat to an island near Venice called Murano. It's famous for its glassworks so we went into several shops selling beautiful handmade jewelry. We also went to a glass-blowing factory to see four men working together to make vases and other delicate pieces. It was amazing to watch. We continued walking along the canals as speedboats drove slowly past us. The sky was a vibrant blue and created an incredible backdrop for the old, stone buildings. Despite the countless beautiful things waiting to be explored there, we had to continue on due to time. We took a half hour boat ride to Burano, another island near Venice. We simply wandered its streets observing the casual pace of life there. It amazed me how many different colours were used on the buildings. Each one was vibrant and unique to the house beside it. One was deep red, another sky blue, one lime green, others coral, yellow, orange, cherry red, and on and on. After taking many pictures and admiring the sights and colours, we went to catch the boat back to Venice. On our way to the dock, we saw a man playing the Turkish Marh on an accordion. It sounded so good!
Back in Venice, we saw a group of musicians playing a violin, accordian, and guitar in the main square. Then we rode down and then back up the Grand Canal. Gorgeous, weathered buildings lined the water's edge and the canal bent smoothly around their corners. We went under several bridges and saw numerous gondoliers slowly rowing couples around the smooth waters. Then we went and ate dinner at a little restaurant by the water's edge. As we ate our food, we watched the sun fall slowly behind the silhouettes of the distant buildings. Beautiful!
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Florence and Siena (May 12-15):
On our first day in Florence we walked around without any specific direction or plan. We found our way to the Piazzale Michelangelo which sits atop a hill. From there we saw an incredible panoramic view of Florence.
The next day we had to switch hostels and so ended up staying in a 22-bed, mixed dorm. Our room seriously reminded me of Annie, or some other old orphanage, with its dim lighting, slow-spinning ceiling fan, creaky bed springs and grey wool blankets. Annalea thought it looked like something out of a war camp. After checking in here, we did a walking tour which took us around the Piazza della Repubblica, past the Uffizi Gallery, through the Piazza San Firenze, outside the Duomo and Battistero (Baptisery), and then finished beside the Ponte Vecchio. Later that day, we did an open-air, double-decker bus tour which took us all around Florence.
On the third day, we did a little day trip to Siena. It was beautiful. We spent the day wandering its maze of streets and admiring the medieval, walled city's statues and structures. Also, that day happened to be some sort of Ferrari car show. So there were a bunch of shiny, very well-maintained Ferraris being driven through the main square (Il Campo) before numerous excited onlookers. As I leaned past a kid (probably two or three years old) to take a picture, I heard him say in utter amazement of the red car in front of us, "Ooooh, Mamma!" So adorable. Annalea and I finished our Siena walkabout by visiting the Cassa di Santa Catarina (the patron saint of Siena) which was gorgeous.
When we got back to Florence, we went and stood in line to see the Duomo. The Duomo is the fourth largest cathedral in the world. It's most famous for the giant cupola which sits atop the Gothic cathedral. The entire interior of the cupola (which is the dome ceiling) is covered in a huge fresco. There are several different scenes depicted there of saints, angels, devils, good, evil, etc painted in vibrant colours and with amazing use of depth and perspective. The walls of the church also have frescoes, as well as numerous stained-glass windows. After admiring the inside of the cathedral, we finished climbing the 430-something stairs to the very top of the dome. There, we went outside onto the wraparound platform which allows for a complete 360 degree view of Florence. It was spectacular!
For some reason that night, all the government-owned museums and galleries were free, so we decided we would take advantage of that and spend our wild Saturday night touring museums/galleries. We started our tour after descending the tight spiral staircase from the top of the Duomo. As we were standing in line to see Michelangelo's sculpture, David, Annalea noticed that Andi (a WWOOFer from the same farm that I was on) was standing two people in front of us. We got her attention and were all very amazed to see each other again. This was actually our second chance-encounter with her (it also happened in Lucca) and so it was very exciting to be reunited again. The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in each other's company. We saw the David sculpture, which was amazing, as well as many works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Botticelli's "Birth of Venus," and hundreds of other Renaissance pieces by various artists. After wandering the gallery halls for a couple hours, we decided that we'd had enough culture for one night. So, we bought some wine, brought along some baguette, Brie, peanut butter, crackers, fruit, and popcorn, and went and sat on a bridge stretching over the Arno River. It was such a perfect way to spend our last night in Florence. We sat under the star-filled sky eating, drinking, laughing, and talking about life and the affairs of love. it was just so entirely wonderful! The next day, we attended mass at the Duomo, walked across Ponte Vecchio, then took a train to Venice.
The next day we had to switch hostels and so ended up staying in a 22-bed, mixed dorm. Our room seriously reminded me of Annie, or some other old orphanage, with its dim lighting, slow-spinning ceiling fan, creaky bed springs and grey wool blankets. Annalea thought it looked like something out of a war camp. After checking in here, we did a walking tour which took us around the Piazza della Repubblica, past the Uffizi Gallery, through the Piazza San Firenze, outside the Duomo and Battistero (Baptisery), and then finished beside the Ponte Vecchio. Later that day, we did an open-air, double-decker bus tour which took us all around Florence.
On the third day, we did a little day trip to Siena. It was beautiful. We spent the day wandering its maze of streets and admiring the medieval, walled city's statues and structures. Also, that day happened to be some sort of Ferrari car show. So there were a bunch of shiny, very well-maintained Ferraris being driven through the main square (Il Campo) before numerous excited onlookers. As I leaned past a kid (probably two or three years old) to take a picture, I heard him say in utter amazement of the red car in front of us, "Ooooh, Mamma!" So adorable. Annalea and I finished our Siena walkabout by visiting the Cassa di Santa Catarina (the patron saint of Siena) which was gorgeous.
When we got back to Florence, we went and stood in line to see the Duomo. The Duomo is the fourth largest cathedral in the world. It's most famous for the giant cupola which sits atop the Gothic cathedral. The entire interior of the cupola (which is the dome ceiling) is covered in a huge fresco. There are several different scenes depicted there of saints, angels, devils, good, evil, etc painted in vibrant colours and with amazing use of depth and perspective. The walls of the church also have frescoes, as well as numerous stained-glass windows. After admiring the inside of the cathedral, we finished climbing the 430-something stairs to the very top of the dome. There, we went outside onto the wraparound platform which allows for a complete 360 degree view of Florence. It was spectacular!
For some reason that night, all the government-owned museums and galleries were free, so we decided we would take advantage of that and spend our wild Saturday night touring museums/galleries. We started our tour after descending the tight spiral staircase from the top of the Duomo. As we were standing in line to see Michelangelo's sculpture, David, Annalea noticed that Andi (a WWOOFer from the same farm that I was on) was standing two people in front of us. We got her attention and were all very amazed to see each other again. This was actually our second chance-encounter with her (it also happened in Lucca) and so it was very exciting to be reunited again. The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in each other's company. We saw the David sculpture, which was amazing, as well as many works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Botticelli's "Birth of Venus," and hundreds of other Renaissance pieces by various artists. After wandering the gallery halls for a couple hours, we decided that we'd had enough culture for one night. So, we bought some wine, brought along some baguette, Brie, peanut butter, crackers, fruit, and popcorn, and went and sat on a bridge stretching over the Arno River. It was such a perfect way to spend our last night in Florence. We sat under the star-filled sky eating, drinking, laughing, and talking about life and the affairs of love. it was just so entirely wonderful! The next day, we attended mass at the Duomo, walked across Ponte Vecchio, then took a train to Venice.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corneglia, Vernazza, Monterossa
I am way behind on this whole blogging situation, so here's what I'm going to do. I will do a different blog for each place we've stayed in the last week abd a half. Hopefully I won't ramble too too much. So here's Cinque Terre:
On the first day there, after settling into our hostel, we walked about 20 minutes over to the first town, Riomaggiore.
The next day, we hiked up the mountain, above Corneglia (the third village) and on to Vernazza (the fourth village). It was all so incredibly beautiful. The sunlight was golden and the vegetation was vibrant in its thousand shades of green. The steep hills descended into the shimmering, turquoise sea and the towns sat quietly atop the rocky cliffs. That night, while we were eating pesto lasagna and pizza maragherita, we started chatting with another guest of the hostel. His name was Alex, and here's the crazy part: it turned out that he was from Nelson! We are so far away from home to find out we were at the same hostel as a fellow Nelsonite. What a small world:) That night he showed took us to a lookout where we watched the sun set over the Ligurian Sea. Needless to say, it was stunning.
The following day we took the train to Vernazza, and then hiked about three hours from there to Monterossa (the fifth village). On the way there, we bought some lemonade from a lady who was selling it beside the path. She was cutting and squeezing fresh lemons and then just adding sugar and water to the concentrated juice. It was sooo refreshing! Once we got to Monterosso, we wandered around for awhile. Annalea asked directions in Italian from a man who turned out to be a Russian tourist, not an Italian info personnel. It was really funny to watch, for myself, and his friends as well. We continued to wander and then went to the beach to lay in the sun, and to dunk in the refreshing water. On the train ride back to our hostel, we stopped off at Corneglia, since we skipped it the day before. We literally walked ten minutes into the town and then had to walk back again in order to catch the train. Since it was our last night in Cinque Terre, we went out for dinner. We shared a seafood salad, consisting of mussels, squid, octopus, and shrimp, and then had Tagliolini with Lobster. It was all very delicious.
The next day, we left on a train to La Spezia and then headed from there to Florence.
On the first day there, after settling into our hostel, we walked about 20 minutes over to the first town, Riomaggiore.
The next day, we hiked up the mountain, above Corneglia (the third village) and on to Vernazza (the fourth village). It was all so incredibly beautiful. The sunlight was golden and the vegetation was vibrant in its thousand shades of green. The steep hills descended into the shimmering, turquoise sea and the towns sat quietly atop the rocky cliffs. That night, while we were eating pesto lasagna and pizza maragherita, we started chatting with another guest of the hostel. His name was Alex, and here's the crazy part: it turned out that he was from Nelson! We are so far away from home to find out we were at the same hostel as a fellow Nelsonite. What a small world:) That night he showed took us to a lookout where we watched the sun set over the Ligurian Sea. Needless to say, it was stunning.
The following day we took the train to Vernazza, and then hiked about three hours from there to Monterossa (the fifth village). On the way there, we bought some lemonade from a lady who was selling it beside the path. She was cutting and squeezing fresh lemons and then just adding sugar and water to the concentrated juice. It was sooo refreshing! Once we got to Monterosso, we wandered around for awhile. Annalea asked directions in Italian from a man who turned out to be a Russian tourist, not an Italian info personnel. It was really funny to watch, for myself, and his friends as well. We continued to wander and then went to the beach to lay in the sun, and to dunk in the refreshing water. On the train ride back to our hostel, we stopped off at Corneglia, since we skipped it the day before. We literally walked ten minutes into the town and then had to walk back again in order to catch the train. Since it was our last night in Cinque Terre, we went out for dinner. We shared a seafood salad, consisting of mussels, squid, octopus, and shrimp, and then had Tagliolini with Lobster. It was all very delicious.
The next day, we left on a train to La Spezia and then headed from there to Florence.
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Oh, come on, give it back...
So, yesterday was officially the first day of backpacking in Europe. Annalea met me at the farm and stayed the night on Friday, and then we took a train from Cecina (a town near the farm) to Pisa. We also learned our first backpacking lesson firsthand soon after we arrived. As we were sitting on a bench outside the train station, my iPod was stolen :( It was really quite ridiculous of us. We were such obvious targets, with our big packs and looks of awe and amazement. While we were totally absorbed in our map, someone stealthily snuck up behind us and took it without either of us noticing. It was almost impressive. We didn't even hear them behind us, or see anyone around us. The rest of the day, we were kicking ourselves about how we could have prevented it. But that's the trouble with hindsight, it's 20/20. However, despite the misfortune of the situation and how silly and naive it made us feel, this little event did teach me some good lessons: 1.) To be very aware of everything that is going on around me when traveling. 2.) To keep valuable items hidden from public view. 3.) To remember not be materialistic--it's just an object, and its absence does not indicate the end of the world.
So, our first impression of Pisa was a bit tainted. However, after a day of touring around, seeing the tower, posing cliché poses in front of it, taking many pictures of churches, galleries, and famous-looking statues, our time in Pisa turned out to be very enjoyable. Plus the hostel where we stayed was very comfortable.
Today, we visited Lucca, a walled city about a half hour train ride from Pisa. It was beautiful. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the perfect temperature to be wandering the cobblestone streets of an old Italian city. We saw some churches, an art display of some beautiful statues, many piazzas (plazas), climbed a tower and saw a lovely panoramic view of the city, ate gelato, and took hundreds of pictures. After wandering around for the afternoon, we then took the train back to Pisa and are staying another night here. Tomorrow we will head to Cinque Terre (five coastal towns about an hour train ride from here). Well, we should probably go make some dinner, so I will sign off for now. Arrivederci!
So, our first impression of Pisa was a bit tainted. However, after a day of touring around, seeing the tower, posing cliché poses in front of it, taking many pictures of churches, galleries, and famous-looking statues, our time in Pisa turned out to be very enjoyable. Plus the hostel where we stayed was very comfortable.
Today, we visited Lucca, a walled city about a half hour train ride from Pisa. It was beautiful. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the perfect temperature to be wandering the cobblestone streets of an old Italian city. We saw some churches, an art display of some beautiful statues, many piazzas (plazas), climbed a tower and saw a lovely panoramic view of the city, ate gelato, and took hundreds of pictures. After wandering around for the afternoon, we then took the train back to Pisa and are staying another night here. Tomorrow we will head to Cinque Terre (five coastal towns about an hour train ride from here). Well, we should probably go make some dinner, so I will sign off for now. Arrivederci!
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