I am now officially a terrible blogger.
I have so much to say about Prague, Krakow and Budapest and am starting to feel overwhelmed since I have so many things to write down. I think I want to just wait until i'm actually in the mood or inspired because i've tried a couple times and it felt like a chore.
I was doing so well for so long!
It will happen eventually... but for now i'm taking a break.
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Wein
I guess it's been a while since I've sat down to write anything.
Sometimes i just get in the mood to read instead of write and i guess that mood has been lasting for a while.
I didn't really talk about Vienna yet. It was very beautiful! I got lucky with the weather for a couple days so during my walking around i didn't even have to wear a coat! Yay! My hostel was about a 30-45 minute walk to get anywhere so i got my excercise in those few days. I went to the Hofburg Palace and walked all around the Museumquartier. It's basically just an area of town that has all the sights to see. My friend Alycia used to live there so she gave me alot of suggestions about things to do. One of them being to go to the Sacher Hotel and order a sacher torte. It's a kind of cake that Vienna is known for. After i tried it for the first time i bascially tried to eat it as many times as possible. When in Vienna? I think i succeeded about 4 times. Not bad! I also went to the Jewish Museum. It was much different than i expected... it was mostly just a bunch of Jewish religious items that were preserved throughout the war. The people who donated any of the items to the museum went to great lengths to hide their things and keep them until the end of the war.
Besides walking around and taking pictures of all the beautiful buildings and art work i decided to take a fun day and go shopping. Window shopping. It was tough... but i enjoyed going through all the good shops along the main street. I'm almost at the point where i want to throw every last piece of clothing that i have out of my suitcase and buy all new stuff. If i had the money i just might.
I was in Vienna on Sunday and sometimes I still forget that most of Europe still shuts down on Sundays. So i made this little trek to go see the food markets and when i got there everything was all borded up. I still decided to walk all the way through until the end although all i got to see was menus of food that i really wanted to eat. Poor planning on my part!
As i was exploring one day i saw the sign for an english cinema - no subtitles. I got really excited because there was a movie that just came out that i was wanting to see before i left home. So i decided that i was going to go to the movies... by myself. It really shouldn't seem strange to me by now since i do so many things on my own but going to the movies alone is one of those things that i never understood. I think i get it now. There was a movie that i wanted to see, no one else could go with me, so why not go? It was fun! Also, i counted... there was about 5 other people who were on their own as well. I like to assume that we were all in the same position.
Vienna was really nice and i had a great time apart from the bed bugs. Yes, i got bed bugs again. Really badly! So i actually spent half of my last day washing every last piece of my laundry. Again. I really really hope it's the last time that i have to mention bed bugs because i might go crazy if i get them again. Not fun at all!!
So now i'm in Prague and i've actually been here for a week. It's about one-third the price of anywhere that i've been so far and so beautiful. The hostel i'm at is really nice and everyone is so friendly. Also, i'm back with Virginia and it's so nice to have a travel buddy again. She ended up quitting her job in Venice because she said she would cry any chance she got while she was there. So right after she quit she came straight to Prague and we ended up booking the same hostel without even knowing it. We're also in the same room and it's been great to have her around again.
She's already hooked up a job at this hostel in December so she'll be staying here. In the meantime until December we're going to do Poland and Hungary together. It's kind of funny how i didn't even really plan on coming to Eastern Europe at all but now i'll be spending almost a month here. Plans change i guess and that's one of the good things about not planning too much in advance! So we're going to go to Krakow and Budapest. We just watched Schindler's List last night to prepare for Krakow and our trip to Schindler's factory and Auschwitz. It's going to be a hard trip but i think it will be worth it. I'm very lucky to be able to go to these places and see all these parts of history.
Sometimes i just get in the mood to read instead of write and i guess that mood has been lasting for a while.
I didn't really talk about Vienna yet. It was very beautiful! I got lucky with the weather for a couple days so during my walking around i didn't even have to wear a coat! Yay! My hostel was about a 30-45 minute walk to get anywhere so i got my excercise in those few days. I went to the Hofburg Palace and walked all around the Museumquartier. It's basically just an area of town that has all the sights to see. My friend Alycia used to live there so she gave me alot of suggestions about things to do. One of them being to go to the Sacher Hotel and order a sacher torte. It's a kind of cake that Vienna is known for. After i tried it for the first time i bascially tried to eat it as many times as possible. When in Vienna? I think i succeeded about 4 times. Not bad! I also went to the Jewish Museum. It was much different than i expected... it was mostly just a bunch of Jewish religious items that were preserved throughout the war. The people who donated any of the items to the museum went to great lengths to hide their things and keep them until the end of the war.
Besides walking around and taking pictures of all the beautiful buildings and art work i decided to take a fun day and go shopping. Window shopping. It was tough... but i enjoyed going through all the good shops along the main street. I'm almost at the point where i want to throw every last piece of clothing that i have out of my suitcase and buy all new stuff. If i had the money i just might.
I was in Vienna on Sunday and sometimes I still forget that most of Europe still shuts down on Sundays. So i made this little trek to go see the food markets and when i got there everything was all borded up. I still decided to walk all the way through until the end although all i got to see was menus of food that i really wanted to eat. Poor planning on my part!
As i was exploring one day i saw the sign for an english cinema - no subtitles. I got really excited because there was a movie that just came out that i was wanting to see before i left home. So i decided that i was going to go to the movies... by myself. It really shouldn't seem strange to me by now since i do so many things on my own but going to the movies alone is one of those things that i never understood. I think i get it now. There was a movie that i wanted to see, no one else could go with me, so why not go? It was fun! Also, i counted... there was about 5 other people who were on their own as well. I like to assume that we were all in the same position.
Vienna was really nice and i had a great time apart from the bed bugs. Yes, i got bed bugs again. Really badly! So i actually spent half of my last day washing every last piece of my laundry. Again. I really really hope it's the last time that i have to mention bed bugs because i might go crazy if i get them again. Not fun at all!!
So now i'm in Prague and i've actually been here for a week. It's about one-third the price of anywhere that i've been so far and so beautiful. The hostel i'm at is really nice and everyone is so friendly. Also, i'm back with Virginia and it's so nice to have a travel buddy again. She ended up quitting her job in Venice because she said she would cry any chance she got while she was there. So right after she quit she came straight to Prague and we ended up booking the same hostel without even knowing it. We're also in the same room and it's been great to have her around again.
She's already hooked up a job at this hostel in December so she'll be staying here. In the meantime until December we're going to do Poland and Hungary together. It's kind of funny how i didn't even really plan on coming to Eastern Europe at all but now i'll be spending almost a month here. Plans change i guess and that's one of the good things about not planning too much in advance! So we're going to go to Krakow and Budapest. We just watched Schindler's List last night to prepare for Krakow and our trip to Schindler's factory and Auschwitz. It's going to be a hard trip but i think it will be worth it. I'm very lucky to be able to go to these places and see all these parts of history.
Friday, 5 November 2010
Snapshot of the scenery
The train ride from Switzerland to Austria may have been the prettiest scenery I've ever seen. Then again, i think about about everything pretty thing i see. The train drove right on the edge of this huge lake just outside of Zurich. I was on one side of the lake, so close that it looked like the train was gliding right over the water. On the other side of the lake was mountains with their jagged tops all covered in red, orange, yellow, brown, and green leaved trees. The odd white building would pop out from the side of the mountain and i would envy the people who got to live there. The sun was rising out of my window to the right over the mountains on the other side. Although i know it was cool outside it looked warm enough to want to swim in the water. As we drove on for a ways i couldn't stop staring out the window at the soft looking mountains. Then suddenly they just seemed to end and new mountains started. The new mountains looked dark and hard, covered with ice and snow. What looked like resort type buildings were all crowded together at the bottom of the moutains with the lake no longer anywhere in sight.
As many trains rides that i've now taken and as long as most of them usually are... I kind of like the time to just sit and see the non populated sides of each country. I find it a good time to write, or read, or just enjoy my own thoughts. I've noticed since being alone so often that i often tend to narrate my own life... telling myself stories or exaggerating to myself about what i'm actually experiencing. I find it kind of fun! It's good to exercise our imaginations - that's not all for little kids only! When the rides get too long i usually just sleep. I have an incredible ability to sleep during travel but i actually try really hard not to so that i can get as many mental pictures from outside my train windows as possible.
On the topic of being on my own... i've started to really enjoy going to cafes and writing. Finding my own little corner and bringing a pad of paper and pen. Or I'll even do that when i go to restaurants by myself. I started doing it only because i started to feel creepy only going out to eat so i could people watch. I like to see the other kinds of people that come to the same cafes. Mostly couples... as is the case with most of Europe. One of my pet peeves is seeing the couples who go out together and don't talk or barely look each other in the eye. I hated serving people like that and i still hate to see it. To me, that is one of the worst things... i never want to end up with someone who i don't even want to talk to. I sometimes get strange looks from tables. Most likely wondering why a girl who can't even speak Italian, German, fill in the blank is sitting in a restaurant all by herself. I don't mind because at least i look happier than the couples that hate each other!
I know i'm exaggerating... i'm sure they've just run out of things to talk about :)
As many trains rides that i've now taken and as long as most of them usually are... I kind of like the time to just sit and see the non populated sides of each country. I find it a good time to write, or read, or just enjoy my own thoughts. I've noticed since being alone so often that i often tend to narrate my own life... telling myself stories or exaggerating to myself about what i'm actually experiencing. I find it kind of fun! It's good to exercise our imaginations - that's not all for little kids only! When the rides get too long i usually just sleep. I have an incredible ability to sleep during travel but i actually try really hard not to so that i can get as many mental pictures from outside my train windows as possible.
On the topic of being on my own... i've started to really enjoy going to cafes and writing. Finding my own little corner and bringing a pad of paper and pen. Or I'll even do that when i go to restaurants by myself. I started doing it only because i started to feel creepy only going out to eat so i could people watch. I like to see the other kinds of people that come to the same cafes. Mostly couples... as is the case with most of Europe. One of my pet peeves is seeing the couples who go out together and don't talk or barely look each other in the eye. I hated serving people like that and i still hate to see it. To me, that is one of the worst things... i never want to end up with someone who i don't even want to talk to. I sometimes get strange looks from tables. Most likely wondering why a girl who can't even speak Italian, German, fill in the blank is sitting in a restaurant all by herself. I don't mind because at least i look happier than the couples that hate each other!
I know i'm exaggerating... i'm sure they've just run out of things to talk about :)
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Oh the joys of hostel living!
I'm not really sure if I've ever had such violent thoughts towards another person before.
There is a man in my hostel room that seriously has a problem. I didn't even know that it was physically possible to snore SO loud. He does more than snore. He scream snores. It's a whole new type... and apparently Indian men in their 50's have pretty much perfected it.
I met this really sweet Australian girl named Maggie. I actually met her at my hostel in Florence but as it turns out we're in the same room here in Zurich. Her and I both barely got any sleep the first night we were in our room because of this man's obnoxious snoring. It's not even like it has any sort of rhythm to it to give us any hope of falling alseep. He will snore, grunt, stop breathing, gasp for air, continue snoring, and never ever ever stop. It's exhausting! After the first night i was so tired during the day and Maggie and I decided to go take a nap to try and get a bit of rest before probably another terrible nights sleep. However, ten minutes after we layed down our least best friend walked in the room and decided to take a nap as well. Obviously snoring his little heart away. That's when my violent thoughts started.
Sometimes my imagination is sort of funny. I think up scenarios in my head and take my time playing them out. I imagined working up the guts to just sit up in bed and yell at him to read a book or something because the only reason we were having a nap while in beautiful Zurich was because we didn't get a wink of sleep the night before thanks to his scream snoring. (imagine that whole thing typed in capitals for effect.... also imagine me with my arms straight at my sides with my hands in little fists and my cheeks all red). I also imagined taking all the pillows in the entire room and placing them on his face while i sat on the pillows. Legs crossed, arms folded, and grinning slightly. (I'm scaring myself) I then imagined making a recording of myself... not snoring, not scream snoring, just plain screaming... and placing it in a very secret spot and turning it on the next night when he started to snore again. However, in that case i wouldn't get to sleep either. I just think it would be funny. My imagination went on for quite a while like this... then i gave up on my nap, shot him a couple if-looks-could-kill kind of looks, and left the room.
I am losing my mind.
Besides my horrible roommate... Zurich is great! The hostel is quite tiny and in a great location so i love it. I think i prefer smaller hostels because then it's much easier to meet people.
Maggie and I have hung out for the past 2 days and had a great time. We went to the supermarket and decided to buy some healthy food and eat for cheaper for a change. Our hostel has a kitchen as well which is a nice treat! Especially since being in Switzerland is a bit ridiculous as far as costs go. As i was leaving the train station i looked into a Burger King and saw that a burger alone was 15 franks. Franks are pretty well equal with the Canadian dollar which is kind of nice so i don't have to try and convert everything in my head but also annoying because everything is so expensive! So supermarkets are the perfect solution to still eat well and for a bit less money.
I did splurge one night! Maggie and I decided that while in Switzerland we might as well try fondue since they're pretty famous for it. A restaurant just 2 doors over from our hostel had a cheese fondue that we had be eyeing all day. We had to make a reservation and it was very well worth it. Expensive... but i figure that's ok if i don't do that all the time.
Zurich is a very charming place. I'm staying right by the river which is beautiful right now because all the leaves on the trees along the river are changing colour and falling. I was walking along the street and recognized the same smell of autumn that i smell at home. There's all sorts of unique shops and restaurants. I've mostly done alot of window shopping but i really enjoy walking down the street and people watching.
I went to a design museum which i expected to be much more impressive than it was. It was just a small display at the moment about make up. Not make up as in cosmetics but more or less about materials and design. It was probably really neat but i think it was a bit lost on me.
I found out that the Lindt chocolate factory is just a little bit out of Zurich and got so excited! So i looked online and found out that the factory wasn't open for tours at this time. That's the bad thing sometimes about travelling during non peak seasons. So i just went to the supermarket and bought a bunch of chocolate and decided to do my own sort of taste testing. When in Switzerland...
So i leave already for Austria tomorrow. Kind of hoping that i'll have the same kind of luck with weather that i've had since being here. It's not nearly as cold as i was expecting! Always good news for me.
Also, Maggie and I decided to meet around the 14th of November in Poland. We met so many people at the hostel here in Zurich who were absolutely raving about Poland so we decided that we should go together. It wasn't even on my list of places to go at all... but that's the nice thing about not being organized. I haven't planned my whole trip out so i have a lot of flexibility to change whatever vague plans i did make. I'm excited to meet up with her again and explore Poland. Also excited because it's supposed to be cheap for a change! My bank needs a bit of a break. The food is meant to be really good in Poland as well. While in Krakow i really want to make a trip to Auschwitz. It will be interesting to compare it to my experience in Germany when i went to Dachau.
Now... to pack my bags... again and prepare for another night with the dreaded roommate.
There is a man in my hostel room that seriously has a problem. I didn't even know that it was physically possible to snore SO loud. He does more than snore. He scream snores. It's a whole new type... and apparently Indian men in their 50's have pretty much perfected it.
I met this really sweet Australian girl named Maggie. I actually met her at my hostel in Florence but as it turns out we're in the same room here in Zurich. Her and I both barely got any sleep the first night we were in our room because of this man's obnoxious snoring. It's not even like it has any sort of rhythm to it to give us any hope of falling alseep. He will snore, grunt, stop breathing, gasp for air, continue snoring, and never ever ever stop. It's exhausting! After the first night i was so tired during the day and Maggie and I decided to go take a nap to try and get a bit of rest before probably another terrible nights sleep. However, ten minutes after we layed down our least best friend walked in the room and decided to take a nap as well. Obviously snoring his little heart away. That's when my violent thoughts started.
Sometimes my imagination is sort of funny. I think up scenarios in my head and take my time playing them out. I imagined working up the guts to just sit up in bed and yell at him to read a book or something because the only reason we were having a nap while in beautiful Zurich was because we didn't get a wink of sleep the night before thanks to his scream snoring. (imagine that whole thing typed in capitals for effect.... also imagine me with my arms straight at my sides with my hands in little fists and my cheeks all red). I also imagined taking all the pillows in the entire room and placing them on his face while i sat on the pillows. Legs crossed, arms folded, and grinning slightly. (I'm scaring myself) I then imagined making a recording of myself... not snoring, not scream snoring, just plain screaming... and placing it in a very secret spot and turning it on the next night when he started to snore again. However, in that case i wouldn't get to sleep either. I just think it would be funny. My imagination went on for quite a while like this... then i gave up on my nap, shot him a couple if-looks-could-kill kind of looks, and left the room.
I am losing my mind.
Besides my horrible roommate... Zurich is great! The hostel is quite tiny and in a great location so i love it. I think i prefer smaller hostels because then it's much easier to meet people.
Maggie and I have hung out for the past 2 days and had a great time. We went to the supermarket and decided to buy some healthy food and eat for cheaper for a change. Our hostel has a kitchen as well which is a nice treat! Especially since being in Switzerland is a bit ridiculous as far as costs go. As i was leaving the train station i looked into a Burger King and saw that a burger alone was 15 franks. Franks are pretty well equal with the Canadian dollar which is kind of nice so i don't have to try and convert everything in my head but also annoying because everything is so expensive! So supermarkets are the perfect solution to still eat well and for a bit less money.
I did splurge one night! Maggie and I decided that while in Switzerland we might as well try fondue since they're pretty famous for it. A restaurant just 2 doors over from our hostel had a cheese fondue that we had be eyeing all day. We had to make a reservation and it was very well worth it. Expensive... but i figure that's ok if i don't do that all the time.
Zurich is a very charming place. I'm staying right by the river which is beautiful right now because all the leaves on the trees along the river are changing colour and falling. I was walking along the street and recognized the same smell of autumn that i smell at home. There's all sorts of unique shops and restaurants. I've mostly done alot of window shopping but i really enjoy walking down the street and people watching.
I went to a design museum which i expected to be much more impressive than it was. It was just a small display at the moment about make up. Not make up as in cosmetics but more or less about materials and design. It was probably really neat but i think it was a bit lost on me.
I found out that the Lindt chocolate factory is just a little bit out of Zurich and got so excited! So i looked online and found out that the factory wasn't open for tours at this time. That's the bad thing sometimes about travelling during non peak seasons. So i just went to the supermarket and bought a bunch of chocolate and decided to do my own sort of taste testing. When in Switzerland...
So i leave already for Austria tomorrow. Kind of hoping that i'll have the same kind of luck with weather that i've had since being here. It's not nearly as cold as i was expecting! Always good news for me.
Also, Maggie and I decided to meet around the 14th of November in Poland. We met so many people at the hostel here in Zurich who were absolutely raving about Poland so we decided that we should go together. It wasn't even on my list of places to go at all... but that's the nice thing about not being organized. I haven't planned my whole trip out so i have a lot of flexibility to change whatever vague plans i did make. I'm excited to meet up with her again and explore Poland. Also excited because it's supposed to be cheap for a change! My bank needs a bit of a break. The food is meant to be really good in Poland as well. While in Krakow i really want to make a trip to Auschwitz. It will be interesting to compare it to my experience in Germany when i went to Dachau.
Now... to pack my bags... again and prepare for another night with the dreaded roommate.
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Venezia
I fell in love!!!
Don't worry mom and dad, it's not with a boy. I fell in love with Venice! Probably love at first sight. I've never seen anything like it!
I loved how the second i got off the train i felt like i rewound the clock a couple hundred years and stepped into a different time where backpackers weren't supposed to exist. The water was a strange cloudy colour probably from the boats and the algae. The buildings all looked totally different from one another and weren't all necessarily well kept. Some had paint chipped off and bricks showing under the cement that time has worn away.
I know that to some the small picture i just painted doesn't sound like anything spectacular but with the sun shining it was probably the most charming first impression that any place so far has given me.
Virginia and I hopped onto a boat bus to get to our hostel and were pretty much silent the entire ride. That doesn't happen very often! The whole feeling was so strange... I felt like there were more locals than tourists (yes!) and that i was one of the only people floating down the river with my jaw dropped. I completely forgot to even take pictures. I just watched all the buildings that came straight out of the water as the boat cruised past while other boats with taxi drivers and garbage men drove in the other direction. Bizarre that this is just some peoples reality and everyday life.
After we checked into our hostel we decided to go get lost. We've heard from everyone that it's almost impossible not to get lost in Venice because the roads are so narrow and confusing. We walked around the area and found out that almost every 5 shops is a gelato shop or a mask shop. The masks are incredible! I guess that Carnival started in Venice and that's why all the masquerade masks are such a big deal. Virginia studies theatre at home and has her own collection of masks so she was totally in her element. We didn't actually end up getting lost but we found some neat little areas to explore.
At night our hostel holds a dinner that you can pay 5 euros for and they give you pasta, pizza, and dessert. Everyone sits in the dining room at one long table like a big family. The owner actually lives at the hostel and helps the girls who work for him cook.
While on the topic of the hostel... it's for sure one of the strangest places I've ever stayed! We got here and had to ring on a doorbell outside. Normally if we have to do that the door will buzz and we'll be allowed in but nothing happened so i rang the doorbell again. Eventually a girl was yelling "Ciao, Hello! Do you have a reservation?" from the balcony above the door. Then she said she'd unlock the door and that we have to go to the first floor. We walked up and there was a massive empty room with a table at one end with a little notebook computer and a couple chairs. We had to sit down and she recorded our information with a pen and paper then showed us to our room. Basically the whole hostel is one floor with big rooms and bunk beds in each room. I think the owner has one of the rooms to himself. All the doors are left open and there's no lockers or anything. There's about 3 washrooms that everyone has to share... 1 for the boys, 1 for the girls, and 1 that i'm pretty sure is unisex. The girl brought us to our room but said that she just had to add a few more beds. I guess they just set up more bunk beds in each room depending on how many people are staying that night.
We were only able to book one night online because we couldn't find anywhere in Venice for Saturday night - not even hotels. So, when we got here we asked the girl if there was anything available for Sat and she said she'd let us know later. She still didn't know by last night before we went to bed and said she'd let us know in the morning. The hostel has a lock out between 10am and 1pm everyday so that the staff can clean and before 10 she said she didn't know for sure but that it shouldn't be a problem. I told her that it was really important that she let us know because if there wasn't room available we didn't have any back-ups since there was no availability anywhere. We had to leave the hostel so they could clean and by the time we came back at 4 in the afternoon after exploring all day she informed us that we had nowhere to stay! She also informed us that she moved our bags and things into a closet because she had to change the beds since new people were coming and needed our beds.
I sort of lost it. Maybe sliiiightly freaked out on her. I feel kind of bad now and i really don't think she likes me but i was having just a little bit of anxiety about sleeping on the streets. I grabbed my computer and frantically started to search for accommodations. When that wasn't successful i started to look up the next trains out of here and if i could book a hostel is another city. I was thinking that i might just have to leave for Zurich a couple days early. Mid-anxiety attack, Virginia was being all sweet and nice to the lady and she said she would just put together another bunk bed and make an 8 person room a 10 person room. Thank goodness that Virginia is so nice because i was not being the most pleasant person to deal with. She agreed to let us stay and my fears of being homeless oversees for a night are now all gone.
After my amazing day of wandering the streets of Venice with the biggest smile on my face i almost started to resent it. I'm so thankful that it was a short lived moment of distress because that would have been such a shame. Now all is right in my life and i'm just hoping that the same thing doesn't happen again tomorrow because i don't think i can handle it.
On a good note Virginia has been looking for work at a hostel and this place offered her a job! It's been difficult since she doesn't have a working visa but i guess this place is sketchy enough to not care.
She has vowed to make it the best hostel ever and up the organization level by a million. Good girl!
Tomorrow the plan is to head to Verona! I'm hoping to find an english copy of Romeo and Juliet and bring it back with me. I'm very excited!
I end here because it's dinner time with the hostel family! mmm
Don't worry mom and dad, it's not with a boy. I fell in love with Venice! Probably love at first sight. I've never seen anything like it!
I loved how the second i got off the train i felt like i rewound the clock a couple hundred years and stepped into a different time where backpackers weren't supposed to exist. The water was a strange cloudy colour probably from the boats and the algae. The buildings all looked totally different from one another and weren't all necessarily well kept. Some had paint chipped off and bricks showing under the cement that time has worn away.
I know that to some the small picture i just painted doesn't sound like anything spectacular but with the sun shining it was probably the most charming first impression that any place so far has given me.
Virginia and I hopped onto a boat bus to get to our hostel and were pretty much silent the entire ride. That doesn't happen very often! The whole feeling was so strange... I felt like there were more locals than tourists (yes!) and that i was one of the only people floating down the river with my jaw dropped. I completely forgot to even take pictures. I just watched all the buildings that came straight out of the water as the boat cruised past while other boats with taxi drivers and garbage men drove in the other direction. Bizarre that this is just some peoples reality and everyday life.
After we checked into our hostel we decided to go get lost. We've heard from everyone that it's almost impossible not to get lost in Venice because the roads are so narrow and confusing. We walked around the area and found out that almost every 5 shops is a gelato shop or a mask shop. The masks are incredible! I guess that Carnival started in Venice and that's why all the masquerade masks are such a big deal. Virginia studies theatre at home and has her own collection of masks so she was totally in her element. We didn't actually end up getting lost but we found some neat little areas to explore.
At night our hostel holds a dinner that you can pay 5 euros for and they give you pasta, pizza, and dessert. Everyone sits in the dining room at one long table like a big family. The owner actually lives at the hostel and helps the girls who work for him cook.
While on the topic of the hostel... it's for sure one of the strangest places I've ever stayed! We got here and had to ring on a doorbell outside. Normally if we have to do that the door will buzz and we'll be allowed in but nothing happened so i rang the doorbell again. Eventually a girl was yelling "Ciao, Hello! Do you have a reservation?" from the balcony above the door. Then she said she'd unlock the door and that we have to go to the first floor. We walked up and there was a massive empty room with a table at one end with a little notebook computer and a couple chairs. We had to sit down and she recorded our information with a pen and paper then showed us to our room. Basically the whole hostel is one floor with big rooms and bunk beds in each room. I think the owner has one of the rooms to himself. All the doors are left open and there's no lockers or anything. There's about 3 washrooms that everyone has to share... 1 for the boys, 1 for the girls, and 1 that i'm pretty sure is unisex. The girl brought us to our room but said that she just had to add a few more beds. I guess they just set up more bunk beds in each room depending on how many people are staying that night.
We were only able to book one night online because we couldn't find anywhere in Venice for Saturday night - not even hotels. So, when we got here we asked the girl if there was anything available for Sat and she said she'd let us know later. She still didn't know by last night before we went to bed and said she'd let us know in the morning. The hostel has a lock out between 10am and 1pm everyday so that the staff can clean and before 10 she said she didn't know for sure but that it shouldn't be a problem. I told her that it was really important that she let us know because if there wasn't room available we didn't have any back-ups since there was no availability anywhere. We had to leave the hostel so they could clean and by the time we came back at 4 in the afternoon after exploring all day she informed us that we had nowhere to stay! She also informed us that she moved our bags and things into a closet because she had to change the beds since new people were coming and needed our beds.
I sort of lost it. Maybe sliiiightly freaked out on her. I feel kind of bad now and i really don't think she likes me but i was having just a little bit of anxiety about sleeping on the streets. I grabbed my computer and frantically started to search for accommodations. When that wasn't successful i started to look up the next trains out of here and if i could book a hostel is another city. I was thinking that i might just have to leave for Zurich a couple days early. Mid-anxiety attack, Virginia was being all sweet and nice to the lady and she said she would just put together another bunk bed and make an 8 person room a 10 person room. Thank goodness that Virginia is so nice because i was not being the most pleasant person to deal with. She agreed to let us stay and my fears of being homeless oversees for a night are now all gone.
After my amazing day of wandering the streets of Venice with the biggest smile on my face i almost started to resent it. I'm so thankful that it was a short lived moment of distress because that would have been such a shame. Now all is right in my life and i'm just hoping that the same thing doesn't happen again tomorrow because i don't think i can handle it.
On a good note Virginia has been looking for work at a hostel and this place offered her a job! It's been difficult since she doesn't have a working visa but i guess this place is sketchy enough to not care.
She has vowed to make it the best hostel ever and up the organization level by a million. Good girl!
Tomorrow the plan is to head to Verona! I'm hoping to find an english copy of Romeo and Juliet and bring it back with me. I'm very excited!
I end here because it's dinner time with the hostel family! mmm
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Firenze
Florence has been exactly what i've needed for these past few days - slower paced. We took a couple mornings to sleep in and a few lazy days to just shop and wander the streets. Florence has this big leather market with a bunch of other stands set up with souvenirs, clothes, jewelery, scarves, wallets, belts, and stuff like that. We took a full afternoon just walking around looking at everything. I bought a scarf because it was so cold and i was able to talk the guy down into selling it to me for cheaper. I almost bought another ring but decided that might be a bit excessive.
So I've decided that i've seen my fair share of strange people since being in Florence. My most favourite might be the crazy guy yelling and dancing on the street corner. He was dancing around and then decided to do a ninja roll into the middle of the street and crouch down on both knees and elbows pointing his finger guns to challenge the oncoming traffic. Still yelling while firing off a couple rounds he jumped up and started to skip down the street. Other strange people i've seen have been much less dramatic but a typical trend i guess is that Italians just enjoy yelling to themselves... or others, i can't understand them... as they walk down the street.
I completed both of my goals while here in Florence... i went to see Michelangelo's David as well as the famous Duomo. I have to say that both were way more impressive than i expected. Almost all sculputes that i've seen so far have been big but maybe just slightly larger than life size? The David was massive and so perfect! Being able to see it up close was really cool to see all of the detail that went into it. I have no idea how Michelangelo would have done anything else in his entire life. The number of works of art he completed in his lifetime is so incredible. He pretty much put his fingerprints all over Italy. Now for the Duomo, i thought the dome was impressive but i actually thought that as a whole the outside kind of stole the show. Green, pink and white marble cover the entire building and it was definitely a jaw dropper. Please google image search it if you don't know what it looks like because i think it is absolutely stunning. We also went to the Basilica Santa Croce which holds the tombs of Michelangelo, Gallileo, Devinci, and a bunch of other famous people. That was neat... kind of strange to think that they're all kept in a church. Some people's tombs are actually carved marble slabs in the floor.
We also went to the food market. It basically just reminded me exactly of a farmer's market at home except alot cheaper and alot more graffic. I didn't know what half of the stuff was but i saw organs, full large pig's heads, dead baby pigs, and other gross things that i've completely blocked from my memory. I enjoy eating meat and i really didn't want this market to ruin it for me. Very gross! We got a bunch of fruit though so that made me very happy! I was beginning to think that i might become malnourished from my carb only diet.
We leave tomorrow for Venice and i'm excited to explore a new place. We had an incredibly hard time finding accommodation. Apparently there aren't many hostels in Venice but there sure are alot of apartments to rent. It would make sense if i was travelling with 4 people but that's just not how it's working for Virginia and I at the moment. So it's a bit more expensive than i thought and almost completely booked for the weekend but we're just going to show up and hope they'll have rooms available for the next 2 days. After that Virginia and I split paths and i'm on my own again. Off to colder and unfamiliar territory. I'm more comfortable with the idea of unfamiliar than cold... oh well, all part of the adventure!
Also, i found another pair of boots. Bad me! But they're really cute and not very expensive. I'm going to sleep on it and see if i still have it in me to justify an unnecessary purchase to myself. I'm leaning more towards having a new pair of boots tomorrow .... :)
So I've decided that i've seen my fair share of strange people since being in Florence. My most favourite might be the crazy guy yelling and dancing on the street corner. He was dancing around and then decided to do a ninja roll into the middle of the street and crouch down on both knees and elbows pointing his finger guns to challenge the oncoming traffic. Still yelling while firing off a couple rounds he jumped up and started to skip down the street. Other strange people i've seen have been much less dramatic but a typical trend i guess is that Italians just enjoy yelling to themselves... or others, i can't understand them... as they walk down the street.
I completed both of my goals while here in Florence... i went to see Michelangelo's David as well as the famous Duomo. I have to say that both were way more impressive than i expected. Almost all sculputes that i've seen so far have been big but maybe just slightly larger than life size? The David was massive and so perfect! Being able to see it up close was really cool to see all of the detail that went into it. I have no idea how Michelangelo would have done anything else in his entire life. The number of works of art he completed in his lifetime is so incredible. He pretty much put his fingerprints all over Italy. Now for the Duomo, i thought the dome was impressive but i actually thought that as a whole the outside kind of stole the show. Green, pink and white marble cover the entire building and it was definitely a jaw dropper. Please google image search it if you don't know what it looks like because i think it is absolutely stunning. We also went to the Basilica Santa Croce which holds the tombs of Michelangelo, Gallileo, Devinci, and a bunch of other famous people. That was neat... kind of strange to think that they're all kept in a church. Some people's tombs are actually carved marble slabs in the floor.
We also went to the food market. It basically just reminded me exactly of a farmer's market at home except alot cheaper and alot more graffic. I didn't know what half of the stuff was but i saw organs, full large pig's heads, dead baby pigs, and other gross things that i've completely blocked from my memory. I enjoy eating meat and i really didn't want this market to ruin it for me. Very gross! We got a bunch of fruit though so that made me very happy! I was beginning to think that i might become malnourished from my carb only diet.
We leave tomorrow for Venice and i'm excited to explore a new place. We had an incredibly hard time finding accommodation. Apparently there aren't many hostels in Venice but there sure are alot of apartments to rent. It would make sense if i was travelling with 4 people but that's just not how it's working for Virginia and I at the moment. So it's a bit more expensive than i thought and almost completely booked for the weekend but we're just going to show up and hope they'll have rooms available for the next 2 days. After that Virginia and I split paths and i'm on my own again. Off to colder and unfamiliar territory. I'm more comfortable with the idea of unfamiliar than cold... oh well, all part of the adventure!
Also, i found another pair of boots. Bad me! But they're really cute and not very expensive. I'm going to sleep on it and see if i still have it in me to justify an unnecessary purchase to myself. I'm leaning more towards having a new pair of boots tomorrow .... :)
Sunday, 24 October 2010
SO much learning!
If i can say a few things about Rome it's that it was complete knowledge and sensory overload! We did alot in the 5 days we were there and the day at the Vatican especially completely exhausted me! Virginia and I met this Aussie guy and other Canadian girl from Toronto and we all decided to take a group field trip to check out the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. We opted again for the audio guide because tours were way too expensive and none of us knew enough about anything to make it worthwhile just walking through. There was SO much information and a ridiculous amount to look at. As we walked through from room to room filled with art from famous artists and scultures the detail was completely overwhelming. Each room seemed to out-do the other. The Popes have all had so much say in every detail of the Vatican and it was really neat to see how all the styles have changed over the many years. Every section of each room had so much going on and there seemed to be meaning behind absolutely everything. After 2 solid hours of facts i started to sort of go the more speedy route and just stop and learn about things that looked especially interesting to me. The main goal at the end was to experience what all the buildup led to - the Sistine Chapel. It was much smaller than i was expecting but had a very calm and familiar feel. I was looking at original paintings from Michaelangelo that I remember seeing all my life. The final judgement was very impressive. I stood there and looked at it for a solid 15 minutes which is probably a record for me. I don't know much about art at all and normally find it hard to appreciate it as much as some others... but listening to what each part meant and the thought that went behind painting it was very incredible. We weren't allowed to take pictures or talk but most people i think got totally lost in the moment and forgot both of those rules.
I took a million pictures but in no way will they truly capture the beauty. I would look at the screen on my camera after i took each picture and just be disappointed with the results.
The next day we took a 2 hour train ride into Naples and then a half hour metro ride to Pompeii. It was much more impressive than i expected! Pompeii was a city that got completely buried when a volcano erupted many years ago. Apparently they didn't even discover the city for many years after and since then have been doing excavation to learn more and reveal what's left of Pompeii. Most of the buildings were only half the height that they used to be but it was very interesting how they were able to restore it so well. They even have moulds of the people that were buried alive. I have pictures of children and adults all laying down probably while they were trying to hide from the explosion. It was very very interesting! Also a very exhausting day between all the walking and learning and combined 5 hours in travel time that it took to get there. However, it was very well worth it!
That ended our time in Rome. It was very expensive! Since there are so many tourists and so many things to do they kind of take advantage of the fact that people are willing to pay. Since we got 2 free meals at our hostel a day we only bought lunch every day and besides that paid for transport and admissions into all the places we wanted to go. However, Virginia and I found that our money just seemed to fly away.
Right now we are in Florence and very happy to be spending a bit less money. There's also lots to see here as far as art, history and culture but we're going to try and take a bit of a slower pace. Good news is that this hostel is very organized and actually one of the nicest places i've ever stayed in! Our Canadian friend that we met from Toronto recommended it to us and we are both so glad that she did. We are staying in a 6 person female dorm that is very big and clean. They gave us our own towels and little kits with shampoo, body wash, nail files, and stuff like that. The hostel has a restaurant, pool, jacuzzi, work out room, laundry, and is just a massive place! AND the best part is that it's 10 euros less per night than we were paying while in Rome! Also free wi-fi with a solid connection! Finally! Today we plan on doing laundry and wandering around to maybe do a bit of shopping! Florence is supposed to have amazing leather markets so we might go check that out! Since i have no room in my bag and hate my life every time i have to put it on my back i'm hoping that will be enough motivation to not buy anything. We'll see...
The only 2 things that i know i want to accomplish while being here is going to see Michaelangelo's David and the Duomo. Other than that we're hoping to make some friends and get some tips or motivation from them! We have booked 3 more nights but i have a feeling we might try to extend our stay... i'm kind of enjoying having a few luxuries :)
I took a million pictures but in no way will they truly capture the beauty. I would look at the screen on my camera after i took each picture and just be disappointed with the results.
The next day we took a 2 hour train ride into Naples and then a half hour metro ride to Pompeii. It was much more impressive than i expected! Pompeii was a city that got completely buried when a volcano erupted many years ago. Apparently they didn't even discover the city for many years after and since then have been doing excavation to learn more and reveal what's left of Pompeii. Most of the buildings were only half the height that they used to be but it was very interesting how they were able to restore it so well. They even have moulds of the people that were buried alive. I have pictures of children and adults all laying down probably while they were trying to hide from the explosion. It was very very interesting! Also a very exhausting day between all the walking and learning and combined 5 hours in travel time that it took to get there. However, it was very well worth it!
That ended our time in Rome. It was very expensive! Since there are so many tourists and so many things to do they kind of take advantage of the fact that people are willing to pay. Since we got 2 free meals at our hostel a day we only bought lunch every day and besides that paid for transport and admissions into all the places we wanted to go. However, Virginia and I found that our money just seemed to fly away.
Right now we are in Florence and very happy to be spending a bit less money. There's also lots to see here as far as art, history and culture but we're going to try and take a bit of a slower pace. Good news is that this hostel is very organized and actually one of the nicest places i've ever stayed in! Our Canadian friend that we met from Toronto recommended it to us and we are both so glad that she did. We are staying in a 6 person female dorm that is very big and clean. They gave us our own towels and little kits with shampoo, body wash, nail files, and stuff like that. The hostel has a restaurant, pool, jacuzzi, work out room, laundry, and is just a massive place! AND the best part is that it's 10 euros less per night than we were paying while in Rome! Also free wi-fi with a solid connection! Finally! Today we plan on doing laundry and wandering around to maybe do a bit of shopping! Florence is supposed to have amazing leather markets so we might go check that out! Since i have no room in my bag and hate my life every time i have to put it on my back i'm hoping that will be enough motivation to not buy anything. We'll see...
The only 2 things that i know i want to accomplish while being here is going to see Michaelangelo's David and the Duomo. Other than that we're hoping to make some friends and get some tips or motivation from them! We have booked 3 more nights but i have a feeling we might try to extend our stay... i'm kind of enjoying having a few luxuries :)
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