After leaving Montmartre, I boarded my train to Brussels. I checked into my hostel and headed for the Rey de Espana (the Spanish King) at my uncle's recommendation. I sat there with one of my last beers thinking about the last 6 weeks. What an unbelievable trip. I'm so glad a kept this blog, there's no way I could have remembered all this over that time.
I headed back to the hostel and spent the last night hanging out in the lounge, talking with random backpackers about where I had been and where they were going. by this time I've decided these experiences are only as valuable as the degree they can be shared with others. I finally retired and was out the door early the next day.
Leaving was bittersweet. I thought I would have seen so much in that time, but I only scratched the surface. The plane ride home I continuously flipped through my travel book planning my next 10 European adventures - Spain, French/German countryside, Southern Italy, other Eastern states - the list goes on.
All that being said, nothing beats getting home. My parents parked at LAX and came out to meet me as I arrived at the gate - a huge deal because my Dad is a cheapskate (just kidding Pop). My Mom was pretty emotional since email and the blog were the only communication they'd had with me over more than a month (OK, fine, I was happy to see them too).
For now, I'm signing off...until the next Adventure of course :-D
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Paris Days 6-8
**Note: Paris is being done as part of the blog reboot in 2010. I dropped blogging for that week b/c french keyboards suck a fat one. It was still an amazing time with lots of great memories, so I'm filling it in from them.**
So I've spent nearly a week in one town; I've seen churches, museums, monuments, towers, a wedding - surely I've hit it all right? Wrong! The day after my cousin's wedding was the final day of the Tour de France. I have no clue who is in control, but who cares? It's a giant party. The best I can describe it is akin to a major parade in the US, but with massive corporate sponsorship. Cars and trucks covered in marketing material (even a Simpsons bus!) roll past hundreds lining the street waiting for a flash moment of riders flying through the streets of Paris to the finish along the Champs-Elysees. Lindy and I setup on a corner opposite the Louvre and watched a few groups of riders fly past. After a while we noted that there was a carnival in the park on the opposite side of the street with a ferris wheel. We decided to take the chance we would have a good vantage point and it paid off big time! We had incredible overhead views of the groups of riders. One group even looked like a spear flying down the street. Very cool.
Along the way we randomly ran into Mollie's stepfather who said the couple were having people over to their room at the Ritz Paris. Needless to say this is a NICE hotel. I'm talking 5-star James Bond in the presidential suite nice. Lindy and I fit right in in our tee shirt and jeans. Fortunately no one said anything and we got to see some incredible views of the city from their top floor room. Later that evening we went to the Hemingway bar, named for Ernest due to his frequency of the bar. I had a 20 euro Manhattan (~$35). I'm not totally sure it was worth the price, but it was an amazing drink nonetheless.
Day 7 spent with one of Mollie's friends who was staying a bit longer like me. It was a Monday, so the museums were closed, but we spent the day wandering the streets, checking out some of the sculpture gardens and squares. We had lunch on a bridge where groups of college students gather and got into an interesting conversation about what college experiences are like in the US. My UCSB experience and the friend's experience at dance school were an interesting contrast to the broad studies the students we talked with were experiencing. Ludovic had us over for dinner that night and after a few glasses of wine I retired, ready to do the mast legs of my trip.
Day 8 was exit day from Paris, but first I had to trek out to the Montmartre Steps. One of my Mom's all-time favorite movies is The Great Race, which ends in Paris and includes a car taking a wrong turn down the steps. She cracks up every time so I knew I had to get a pic of them. Even I had to laugh a little as I stood at the base thinking about Jack Lemmon driving own in his race car. the cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried is also in that area. I found the cemetery, but it was quite large and there are no guides (probably to discourage tourists), so I gave up trying to find it. My little bro - a huge Doors fan - later said he was glad I didn't find it because he'd rather be the first to see it. He's never even left North America, but if it motivates him to travel then so be it.
So I've spent nearly a week in one town; I've seen churches, museums, monuments, towers, a wedding - surely I've hit it all right? Wrong! The day after my cousin's wedding was the final day of the Tour de France. I have no clue who is in control, but who cares? It's a giant party. The best I can describe it is akin to a major parade in the US, but with massive corporate sponsorship. Cars and trucks covered in marketing material (even a Simpsons bus!) roll past hundreds lining the street waiting for a flash moment of riders flying through the streets of Paris to the finish along the Champs-Elysees. Lindy and I setup on a corner opposite the Louvre and watched a few groups of riders fly past. After a while we noted that there was a carnival in the park on the opposite side of the street with a ferris wheel. We decided to take the chance we would have a good vantage point and it paid off big time! We had incredible overhead views of the groups of riders. One group even looked like a spear flying down the street. Very cool.
Along the way we randomly ran into Mollie's stepfather who said the couple were having people over to their room at the Ritz Paris. Needless to say this is a NICE hotel. I'm talking 5-star James Bond in the presidential suite nice. Lindy and I fit right in in our tee shirt and jeans. Fortunately no one said anything and we got to see some incredible views of the city from their top floor room. Later that evening we went to the Hemingway bar, named for Ernest due to his frequency of the bar. I had a 20 euro Manhattan (~$35). I'm not totally sure it was worth the price, but it was an amazing drink nonetheless.
Day 7 spent with one of Mollie's friends who was staying a bit longer like me. It was a Monday, so the museums were closed, but we spent the day wandering the streets, checking out some of the sculpture gardens and squares. We had lunch on a bridge where groups of college students gather and got into an interesting conversation about what college experiences are like in the US. My UCSB experience and the friend's experience at dance school were an interesting contrast to the broad studies the students we talked with were experiencing. Ludovic had us over for dinner that night and after a few glasses of wine I retired, ready to do the mast legs of my trip.
Day 8 was exit day from Paris, but first I had to trek out to the Montmartre Steps. One of my Mom's all-time favorite movies is The Great Race, which ends in Paris and includes a car taking a wrong turn down the steps. She cracks up every time so I knew I had to get a pic of them. Even I had to laugh a little as I stood at the base thinking about Jack Lemmon driving own in his race car. the cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried is also in that area. I found the cemetery, but it was quite large and there are no guides (probably to discourage tourists), so I gave up trying to find it. My little bro - a huge Doors fan - later said he was glad I didn't find it because he'd rather be the first to see it. He's never even left North America, but if it motivates him to travel then so be it.
Paris Days 4-5 (The Wedding)
**Note: Paris is being done as part of the blog reboot in 2010. I dropped blogging for that week b/c french keyboards suck a fat one. It was still an amazing time with lots of great memories, so I'm filling it in from them.**
I awoke Day 4 and pulled out my suit which had traveled the European Continent with me. It looked like crap. What did I expect after 5 weeks of being shoved in the bottom of my bag? Fortunately the front desk lady knew a cleaners right around the corner. I took it over and 10 euros later everything was nicely pressed and ready to go.
(Side note: I had gotten word in Italy that the ceremony was going to be a two-day event. Had a been a woman, this would be a problem. Fortunately, I have a Y-chromosome, so a suit for one day instantly turns into a suit for two days by picking up a fleur de lis tie at a street market in Venice.)
Day 1 of the wedding involves a civil ceremony presided over by the mayor of the district that you live in in Paris. Apparently you can't even have the religious ceremony until this happens. I guess it's to make sure everyone pays their taxes on it. Silly Socialists. Anyway, I headed for the part of town my cousin Mollie lives in and instantly got lost. Fortunately, my male instincts of direction took over and I arrived only 10 minutes late. The room was pretty incredible - gorgeous panelling along oversized doors, a large mirror packing the local magistrate and my cousin and her husband up front. Afterwards we went out into the garden to do photos and then headed to Ludovic mother;s house for a reception. It was great to finally meet up with my cousins that had made the trip out - Chris was doing the typical 5-Star touring with his latest g/f and Lindy was going nuts splitting a room with her mother. We swapped stories for hours - their time in Rome, driving through the French countryside and all my adventures.
We also met Mollie's schoolmates who had come out - Bass, Denny, and Guy (the 3rd name isn't right, but Lindy and I forgot his name a few weeks after we got back. Oops.) Anyway, those three took Lindy, me, and Mette - a former Au Pair for Mollie's three little bros - out for a night on the town. We started at an underground jazz club called the dungeon because it turns out in Europe, a bunch of stuff used to be dungeons! I'll never forget throwing back a beer while some guys lays down a sick funk line on an electric guitar and noticing an inscription on the far wall:1421. 14-fricken-21! I'm in a room that existed before Columbus set sail for America listening to an electric guitar and slamming beers. A-w-e-s-o-m-e!
On the way to the next club we came upon a toilet sitting in the middle of the street. Yes, seriously, I'm not clever enough to make that up. We took some hilarious pictures: Denny acting surprised people are invading his private time, Guy doing the "Man contemplating the universe" pose, and Lindy pretending to hold Bass's head into the bowl like he's yakking. High comedy.
The next club was more like the type of dance club you hear about in Europe. They had a lot of electric music going on, glo-sticks, and the entire floor was covered in sand. Not my everyday scene, but hey, you only live once. We were drunk, so we partied up. At some time I can't even remember we ended up at a crepe shop that the guys were raving about. We were hammered and there's no way if i knew they were actually good, but at the time they were delicious. I do remember a hammered Denny being incapable of using a knife to cut his crepe. Bass had to finally just pull the thing away and Denny proceeded to just shovel his food. Good times.
Day 2 of the wedding began a bit hazy (shocking, I know). I was literally down the street from the church and the ceremony was later in the day, so it wasn't a problem to get functional. The front desk lady had gotten the railpass back from Greg, so she had some fun with my dreary state before recommending a place for lunch that fixed me right up. I arrived at the church in my 2nd suit (also known as the same suit from the day before with a new tie) and was blown away. In France, they call it a church. If this building had been in the US, we'd be calling it a cathedral. easily 3 stories high with arched roofs, incredible stained glass windows, spires, spiral staircases, hundred of organ pipes - just incredible. The ceremony was catholic - obviously - but it was much shorter than a US Catholic ceremony. You hear that all my Catholic friends? Stop inviting 500 people and holding 3 hours ceremonies. There's no way you should exceed the time a French Catholic wedding that includes readings in multiple languages.
We went for pictures in a central park in the city and then off to the reception which was held at a very nice restaurant. Good food, great wine, rehashed stories of our travels and the crazy night before, dancing, and more drinking. All around good times.
I awoke Day 4 and pulled out my suit which had traveled the European Continent with me. It looked like crap. What did I expect after 5 weeks of being shoved in the bottom of my bag? Fortunately the front desk lady knew a cleaners right around the corner. I took it over and 10 euros later everything was nicely pressed and ready to go.
(Side note: I had gotten word in Italy that the ceremony was going to be a two-day event. Had a been a woman, this would be a problem. Fortunately, I have a Y-chromosome, so a suit for one day instantly turns into a suit for two days by picking up a fleur de lis tie at a street market in Venice.)
Day 1 of the wedding involves a civil ceremony presided over by the mayor of the district that you live in in Paris. Apparently you can't even have the religious ceremony until this happens. I guess it's to make sure everyone pays their taxes on it. Silly Socialists. Anyway, I headed for the part of town my cousin Mollie lives in and instantly got lost. Fortunately, my male instincts of direction took over and I arrived only 10 minutes late. The room was pretty incredible - gorgeous panelling along oversized doors, a large mirror packing the local magistrate and my cousin and her husband up front. Afterwards we went out into the garden to do photos and then headed to Ludovic mother;s house for a reception. It was great to finally meet up with my cousins that had made the trip out - Chris was doing the typical 5-Star touring with his latest g/f and Lindy was going nuts splitting a room with her mother. We swapped stories for hours - their time in Rome, driving through the French countryside and all my adventures.
We also met Mollie's schoolmates who had come out - Bass, Denny, and Guy (the 3rd name isn't right, but Lindy and I forgot his name a few weeks after we got back. Oops.) Anyway, those three took Lindy, me, and Mette - a former Au Pair for Mollie's three little bros - out for a night on the town. We started at an underground jazz club called the dungeon because it turns out in Europe, a bunch of stuff used to be dungeons! I'll never forget throwing back a beer while some guys lays down a sick funk line on an electric guitar and noticing an inscription on the far wall:
On the way to the next club we came upon a toilet sitting in the middle of the street. Yes, seriously, I'm not clever enough to make that up. We took some hilarious pictures: Denny acting surprised people are invading his private time, Guy doing the "Man contemplating the universe" pose, and Lindy pretending to hold Bass's head into the bowl like he's yakking. High comedy.
The next club was more like the type of dance club you hear about in Europe. They had a lot of electric music going on, glo-sticks, and the entire floor was covered in sand. Not my everyday scene, but hey, you only live once. We were drunk, so we partied up. At some time I can't even remember we ended up at a crepe shop that the guys were raving about. We were hammered and there's no way if i knew they were actually good, but at the time they were delicious. I do remember a hammered Denny being incapable of using a knife to cut his crepe. Bass had to finally just pull the thing away and Denny proceeded to just shovel his food. Good times.
Day 2 of the wedding began a bit hazy (shocking, I know). I was literally down the street from the church and the ceremony was later in the day, so it wasn't a problem to get functional. The front desk lady had gotten the railpass back from Greg, so she had some fun with my dreary state before recommending a place for lunch that fixed me right up. I arrived at the church in my 2nd suit (also known as the same suit from the day before with a new tie) and was blown away. In France, they call it a church. If this building had been in the US, we'd be calling it a cathedral. easily 3 stories high with arched roofs, incredible stained glass windows, spires, spiral staircases, hundred of organ pipes - just incredible. The ceremony was catholic - obviously - but it was much shorter than a US Catholic ceremony. You hear that all my Catholic friends? Stop inviting 500 people and holding 3 hours ceremonies. There's no way you should exceed the time a French Catholic wedding that includes readings in multiple languages.
We went for pictures in a central park in the city and then off to the reception which was held at a very nice restaurant. Good food, great wine, rehashed stories of our travels and the crazy night before, dancing, and more drinking. All around good times.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Paris Days 1-3
**Note: Paris is being done as part of the blog reboot in 2010. I dropped blogging for that week b/c french keyboards suck a fat one. It was still an amazing time with lots of great memories, so I'm filling it in from them.**
We arrived in Paris from our overnight run and worked our way to our hotel - great call on the location, marginal call on the setup of the place. We were on the 4th floor, showers on the ground floor. However, we were in the heart of the city with quick access to the metro and the lady manning the desk was very nice directing us to hotspots each night.
We spent our first day hitting some of the big sites around us. Notre Dame was just 2 blocks away, we walked past the Louvre, towards the Arc de Triomphe, around George Washington Square (Yes, America is so badass, the French put up a statue of the Father of our Country), and to the Eiffel Tower. We didn't go up in the tower - I'm glad we didn't which I'll explain in a moment - but we did have a purpose: Greg needed a photo of the "Weifel" Tower. Greg's primary goal in Europe was to get a picture of him such that the Eiffel Tower shows a side of his manhood that would drive the ladies of JDate wild. See the pic at the right and judge for yourself. We ended up staying around the Eiffel Tower for dinner and drank at a bar as the skyline lit up. We ended up having to walk back because we didn't realize the metro had stopped, but overall a good first day.
Day two we devoted to diving into some specific sites. We started at Notre Dame, which we hadn't ventured into the first day due to a long line. There were some incredible murals, windows, and of course - Gargoyles! I want my house adorned with them someday - or at least I would if I wasn't so sure I'll never be allowed to make that decision.
After that it was off to the Louvre. It's impossible to do in one day, but we gave it a shot. We of course started with the paintings. Mona Lisa was packed as expected, but we had to see it just to say we had. Beyond that were incredible works devoted to the French Revolution, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, works depicting medieval France, Jesus, and Plato's school in Greece. Other highlights included sculptures of ancient Greeks and Romans - including the Venus de Milo - and a special exhibit of Egyptian mummies.
We circled around towards our hotel and wrapped the day at the Pantheon. The Pantheon is home to most of the greatest contributors to French history. Entombed there are Voltaire, Jean-Jeaque Rousseau and Victor Hugo. There are tributes to martyrs of the French Revolution and France's first national convention.
After seeing Paris lit up the night before, we decided that we should check it out from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. As dusk fell we headed back out and climbed to the top. In a word: Amazing. I'm glad we skipped 6 hours in line and 40 euros go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. For 5 euros we got a full view of all Paris, including incredible views of the Eiffel Tower (see right). Greg capped his last night with a handstand (of course) and we returned back to the area around our hotel (not wanting to repeat the previous night's trek home).
Turns out there was a great little bar district up the street from our hotel. We started at an English pub where Greg spied Galliano. If you're head just took you back to drunken nights in Santa Barbara then you know what that means: Harvey Wallbangers! We were pumped as we ordered a round. the only think I remember after round 3 was talking with some British dudes, unsuccessfully hitting on some french students and wrapped the night chilling with a pack of Aussies.
Day three was Greg's last of the journey. We did a tour of the catacombs under Paris. In the medieval days they were used to store the bones of the dead in Paris, experiencing a boom during years of plague. There are tunnels of 10x10 rooms just piled with random bones. Crazy. The Catacombs were later used to hide from the Germans in WWI and II. After that it was tie to bid Greg adieu. That night I took it easy. I had dinner at St. Michael's square and grabbed some drinks at a random bar. The next day was my cousin Mollie's wedding - the moment that spawned my trip had arrived.
We arrived in Paris from our overnight run and worked our way to our hotel - great call on the location, marginal call on the setup of the place. We were on the 4th floor, showers on the ground floor. However, we were in the heart of the city with quick access to the metro and the lady manning the desk was very nice directing us to hotspots each night.
We spent our first day hitting some of the big sites around us. Notre Dame was just 2 blocks away, we walked past the Louvre, towards the Arc de Triomphe, around George Washington Square (Yes, America is so badass, the French put up a statue of the Father of our Country), and to the Eiffel Tower. We didn't go up in the tower - I'm glad we didn't which I'll explain in a moment - but we did have a purpose: Greg needed a photo of the "Weifel" Tower. Greg's primary goal in Europe was to get a picture of him such that the Eiffel Tower shows a side of his manhood that would drive the ladies of JDate wild. See the pic at the right and judge for yourself. We ended up staying around the Eiffel Tower for dinner and drank at a bar as the skyline lit up. We ended up having to walk back because we didn't realize the metro had stopped, but overall a good first day.
Day two we devoted to diving into some specific sites. We started at Notre Dame, which we hadn't ventured into the first day due to a long line. There were some incredible murals, windows, and of course - Gargoyles! I want my house adorned with them someday - or at least I would if I wasn't so sure I'll never be allowed to make that decision.
After that it was off to the Louvre. It's impossible to do in one day, but we gave it a shot. We of course started with the paintings. Mona Lisa was packed as expected, but we had to see it just to say we had. Beyond that were incredible works devoted to the French Revolution, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, works depicting medieval France, Jesus, and Plato's school in Greece. Other highlights included sculptures of ancient Greeks and Romans - including the Venus de Milo - and a special exhibit of Egyptian mummies.
We circled around towards our hotel and wrapped the day at the Pantheon. The Pantheon is home to most of the greatest contributors to French history. Entombed there are Voltaire, Jean-Jeaque Rousseau and Victor Hugo. There are tributes to martyrs of the French Revolution and France's first national convention.
After seeing Paris lit up the night before, we decided that we should check it out from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. As dusk fell we headed back out and climbed to the top. In a word: Amazing. I'm glad we skipped 6 hours in line and 40 euros go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. For 5 euros we got a full view of all Paris, including incredible views of the Eiffel Tower (see right). Greg capped his last night with a handstand (of course) and we returned back to the area around our hotel (not wanting to repeat the previous night's trek home).
Turns out there was a great little bar district up the street from our hotel. We started at an English pub where Greg spied Galliano. If you're head just took you back to drunken nights in Santa Barbara then you know what that means: Harvey Wallbangers! We were pumped as we ordered a round. the only think I remember after round 3 was talking with some British dudes, unsuccessfully hitting on some french students and wrapped the night chilling with a pack of Aussies.
Day three was Greg's last of the journey. We did a tour of the catacombs under Paris. In the medieval days they were used to store the bones of the dead in Paris, experiencing a boom during years of plague. There are tunnels of 10x10 rooms just piled with random bones. Crazy. The Catacombs were later used to hide from the Germans in WWI and II. After that it was tie to bid Greg adieu. That night I took it easy. I had dinner at St. Michael's square and grabbed some drinks at a random bar. The next day was my cousin Mollie's wedding - the moment that spawned my trip had arrived.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Night Train to Paris
We got to Bologna on time and had enough time to grab a quick bite before our train. Once we got on, everything was smooth. Our roommates were chill, the beds were good, and I don't we had a single asian on the train. We got to Paris ready to take on the city
So we went 2 for 3 on night trains. It could have been worse. I'd still highly recommend taking them to save time and money.
So we went 2 for 3 on night trains. It could have been worse. I'd still highly recommend taking them to save time and money.
Pisa-Florence-Bologna
We checked out of our room in CT this morning and had until 10pm to get to Bologna to catch our night train to Paris. We had to connect through Pisa and Florence so we decided we'd get a flavor of those cities.
Pisa was the first stop.
On getting out we checked our bags and headed to the leaning tower. As we wound our way through the streets, we passed a bookshop and I noticed that the new Harry Potter was out. Now, I could care less about HP. But Greg has been geeking out on it every time he saw a movie poster or book sign. I let him get about 20 steps beyond the store before I said something. They had an English version and Greg was content (this would prove fortuitous as we walked by later b/c the store was closed on the way back - though I could have made fun of him for missing it).
Finally we made it to the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Yup, there it is...leaning. The is seriously the least climactic site we've seen. Pisa is a dumpy town, with a dumpy tower that should just end the suspense and crush the moron tourists taking pictures of themselves "holding it up." We did do the traditional photos just to do it. Greg took his with one hand on the tower and the other holding up Harry Potter. We then went to the other side and took pictures knocking it over - now THAT'S a photo-op. Greg took his giving the tower a roundhouse and I took mine bull-rushing it. The pics were pretty funny.
Pisa did have one other redeeming quality - the gelato. I had a sour cherry gelato that I think blows away any ice cream I've ever had in my entire life. So there you go, spend about 2 hours seeing the dumpy town, leaning tower, and have a cone of gelato. After that go someplace classy like...
That after noon we spent wandering Florence.
We couldn't stay too long b/c we wanted to be sure to get to Bologna without missing our night train, but we were able to see Duomo and the battisero (baptistery). Duomo is a cathedral commissioned in the 1400s to be the most magnificent cathedral such that it could never be equaled. They may have succeeded. Instead of the traditional stone, the entire outside is an incredible tapestry of colors. Next door is the battisero, which has 2 enormous bronze doors known as Gates of Paradise. We didn't go inside b/c we had our packs with us, but it was still incredible.
Michelangelo's David is also in Florence, so we headed out to Accademia, an art school where David is kept. When we got there however, it was closed b/c it was Monday. Boooo! Oh well, we needed to get to the train station to get up to Bologna. We definitely dropped the ball on Florence (we should have spent a day or two), but it happens. Another place we'll have to come back to and give it it's full due.
Pisa was the first stop.
On getting out we checked our bags and headed to the leaning tower. As we wound our way through the streets, we passed a bookshop and I noticed that the new Harry Potter was out. Now, I could care less about HP. But Greg has been geeking out on it every time he saw a movie poster or book sign. I let him get about 20 steps beyond the store before I said something. They had an English version and Greg was content (this would prove fortuitous as we walked by later b/c the store was closed on the way back - though I could have made fun of him for missing it).
Finally we made it to the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Yup, there it is...leaning. The is seriously the least climactic site we've seen. Pisa is a dumpy town, with a dumpy tower that should just end the suspense and crush the moron tourists taking pictures of themselves "holding it up." We did do the traditional photos just to do it. Greg took his with one hand on the tower and the other holding up Harry Potter. We then went to the other side and took pictures knocking it over - now THAT'S a photo-op. Greg took his giving the tower a roundhouse and I took mine bull-rushing it. The pics were pretty funny.
Pisa did have one other redeeming quality - the gelato. I had a sour cherry gelato that I think blows away any ice cream I've ever had in my entire life. So there you go, spend about 2 hours seeing the dumpy town, leaning tower, and have a cone of gelato. After that go someplace classy like...
That after noon we spent wandering Florence.
We couldn't stay too long b/c we wanted to be sure to get to Bologna without missing our night train, but we were able to see Duomo and the battisero (baptistery). Duomo is a cathedral commissioned in the 1400s to be the most magnificent cathedral such that it could never be equaled. They may have succeeded. Instead of the traditional stone, the entire outside is an incredible tapestry of colors. Next door is the battisero, which has 2 enormous bronze doors known as Gates of Paradise. We didn't go inside b/c we had our packs with us, but it was still incredible.
Michelangelo's David is also in Florence, so we headed out to Accademia, an art school where David is kept. When we got there however, it was closed b/c it was Monday. Boooo! Oh well, we needed to get to the train station to get up to Bologna. We definitely dropped the ball on Florence (we should have spent a day or two), but it happens. Another place we'll have to come back to and give it it's full due.
Cinque Terre Day 3
My last morning in CT was pretty chillaxing (actual word - look it up). I basically just bounced between the ocean and the room in between glasses of Wine.
Greg had a bit of a adventure though. He was going to go to Monterosso (the most developed terre) to see about getting a new digital camera. Upon getting to the train station though, he learned the railroads were on strike. It's not a huge deal though b/c there are also ferries, but on getting to Monterosso he learned the ferries were going on lunch break - which is not a short break. So after 2 hours in Monterosso he learned that there was going to be one train back to Manarola and fortunately got to it on time.
Once he got back we met up at headed to a local wince shop we'd seen on the main drag. I picked out 3 CT wines, 2 Chiantis, and another red the storekeeper recommended to ship home. I have to leave tomorrow, but the flavor is going to last a bit longer.
After some more of the best pizza of all tie, we spent the rest of the day in the surf. The swell was definitely the largest we'd seen our entire time there. If there was a normal beach, the break likely would have been about 4-6 feet. This did make for interesting currents and breaks over the rocks in the Manarola bay. We spent the afternoon climbing and swimming between the rocks while the swell kept the currents very interesting. We also met some Americans who were on their honeymoon and a group of Irish who'd been in Rome. They said it was incredible, but over 100 degrees every day! No thinks. I'll come back to Italy in the Spring someday (soon...).
Reluctantly, we ended our final swim and headed back to the room to get cleaned up for dinner. We had another excellent meal with a few bottles of wine and met a couple from Atlanta that we talked baseball with for a while. As the meal was winding down the owner came by and informed the couple their table had been reserved and they had to clear out to get it ready. I get that it's reserved, but shouldn't you not seat it if there's a chance you may have to kick out the current customers. That was kinda messed up, but oh well. The guy ended up seeing us later and pulled out his blackberry to check the baseball standings (Dodgers leading the NL West- woo!) which was pretty cool.
After our meal we went back to the bar we'd been at the last two nights and this time bought a few bottles of beer and took them down to the waterfront. There's a courtyard where a bunch of people were hanging out and we just tried to hang on to every last second in Cinque Terre.
There's no doubt I'll be back someday.
Greg had a bit of a adventure though. He was going to go to Monterosso (the most developed terre) to see about getting a new digital camera. Upon getting to the train station though, he learned the railroads were on strike. It's not a huge deal though b/c there are also ferries, but on getting to Monterosso he learned the ferries were going on lunch break - which is not a short break. So after 2 hours in Monterosso he learned that there was going to be one train back to Manarola and fortunately got to it on time.
Once he got back we met up at headed to a local wince shop we'd seen on the main drag. I picked out 3 CT wines, 2 Chiantis, and another red the storekeeper recommended to ship home. I have to leave tomorrow, but the flavor is going to last a bit longer.
After some more of the best pizza of all tie, we spent the rest of the day in the surf. The swell was definitely the largest we'd seen our entire time there. If there was a normal beach, the break likely would have been about 4-6 feet. This did make for interesting currents and breaks over the rocks in the Manarola bay. We spent the afternoon climbing and swimming between the rocks while the swell kept the currents very interesting. We also met some Americans who were on their honeymoon and a group of Irish who'd been in Rome. They said it was incredible, but over 100 degrees every day! No thinks. I'll come back to Italy in the Spring someday (soon...).
Reluctantly, we ended our final swim and headed back to the room to get cleaned up for dinner. We had another excellent meal with a few bottles of wine and met a couple from Atlanta that we talked baseball with for a while. As the meal was winding down the owner came by and informed the couple their table had been reserved and they had to clear out to get it ready. I get that it's reserved, but shouldn't you not seat it if there's a chance you may have to kick out the current customers. That was kinda messed up, but oh well. The guy ended up seeing us later and pulled out his blackberry to check the baseball standings (Dodgers leading the NL West- woo!) which was pretty cool.
After our meal we went back to the bar we'd been at the last two nights and this time bought a few bottles of beer and took them down to the waterfront. There's a courtyard where a bunch of people were hanging out and we just tried to hang on to every last second in Cinque Terre.
There's no doubt I'll be back someday.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Cinque Terre Day 2
First let me setup CT for those who don't know: Cinque Terre literally means "5 Villages." The villages are cut into steep hillsides that drop right into the Med. You can only get to 3 of them by rail or ferry. The villages thrive on fishing and farming (and more recently tourism). It's pretty incredible to see these terraced hillsides that produce grapes (which they make into great wine), olives, among others.
So with limited transportation, the big thing to do is to hike between all the towns. We decided to hike between ours (Manarola, the 4th Terre from the West) and Vernazza (2nd Terre) via Corniglia. The first leg was pretty easy. It began with a slight uphill around a point where we had a great view back on our Terre and then around a cover where a bunch of boats had pulled up for day on the water. We then crossed a wood rope bridge and got to the entrance to Corniglia...which is actually the base of a switchback up the side of a steep hill. Awesome. They aren't without humor though. Once you reach the top there's a sign that Congratulates you on scaling the 287 steps into Corniglia. Oh those silly Corniglians...
All said though, the hike to Corniglia was pretty easy so we were sort of figuring we'd get to Vernazza pretty quick too. Later we would learn that this leg is the hardest of the hikes between any two of the villages. It was full of long, steep climbs and descents along the coast. Fortunately we had the foresight to leave at 11am and hike during the peak hours of the day. It was a heck of a trek, but there were incredible views the whole way. There were also sections through olive groves and grape vines. It was definitely a primo hike.
By the time we finally descended into Vernazza we were ready to get in the water and cool off. Vernazza is one of the 2 Terre's with an actual beach, but since we had daypacks with us we decided to head to a rocky part of the shore so we could have our stuff out of the way. We found a good sized rock and Greg started one way to it, and I went anther and then...SPLASH! I look over and Greg is all wet. Before I could start laughing at him though, I had a sudden realization: Greg's camera was probably in his pocket. Once Greg got helped up, he indeed pulled his camera out of his pocket. We left it on the rock to attempt to dry it out, but ultimately the camera (and it's SD card were done. Fortunately Greg had changed his SD card the last day in Vienna, so he only lost some Venice and CT pics that I basically had duplicates of.
(Note - I didn't have the heart to laugh at him at the time, but Greg was helped out of the water by a mid 50s older man wearing a speedo. On the other hand, the guy had a smoking hot mid 30s wife/gf/mistress, so wtf do we know. Still funny though..)
In spite of the minor crisis, we still had fun in Vernazza. We met a pack of UCSB students who were on Summer break and swapped DP stories. There was also a formation we deemed "Hot Chick Rock" which should be pretty self-explanatory 8-). I also didn't get tagged by a jellyfish today - booyah.
We took a ferry back to Manarola. It was pretty cool to get to see all 5 Terre's from a few hundred yards off the coast. It's amazing that these tiny cities have been fully functional since the Roman Empire purely b/c of how difficult it is to get to them.
The other highlight of the day was the food we had in Manarola. Before our hike we went to a small pizzeria in town and I think it has to skyrocket to the best I've ever had. Fresh meat and veggies mixed with all kinds of fantastic spices and bread - just better then any I've ever had. Dinner was spectacular as well. Fresh seafood right out of the med mixed with fresh produce right off the hillside. Throw in a fantastic Chianti and you've got a pretty good evening. The night we spent back at the bar, splitting another bottle of Chianti and rehashing the day (including ribbing Greg for getting saved by a 50yr old merman :-p).
So with limited transportation, the big thing to do is to hike between all the towns. We decided to hike between ours (Manarola, the 4th Terre from the West) and Vernazza (2nd Terre) via Corniglia. The first leg was pretty easy. It began with a slight uphill around a point where we had a great view back on our Terre and then around a cover where a bunch of boats had pulled up for day on the water. We then crossed a wood rope bridge and got to the entrance to Corniglia...which is actually the base of a switchback up the side of a steep hill. Awesome. They aren't without humor though. Once you reach the top there's a sign that Congratulates you on scaling the 287 steps into Corniglia. Oh those silly Corniglians...
All said though, the hike to Corniglia was pretty easy so we were sort of figuring we'd get to Vernazza pretty quick too. Later we would learn that this leg is the hardest of the hikes between any two of the villages. It was full of long, steep climbs and descents along the coast. Fortunately we had the foresight to leave at 11am and hike during the peak hours of the day. It was a heck of a trek, but there were incredible views the whole way. There were also sections through olive groves and grape vines. It was definitely a primo hike.
By the time we finally descended into Vernazza we were ready to get in the water and cool off. Vernazza is one of the 2 Terre's with an actual beach, but since we had daypacks with us we decided to head to a rocky part of the shore so we could have our stuff out of the way. We found a good sized rock and Greg started one way to it, and I went anther and then...SPLASH! I look over and Greg is all wet. Before I could start laughing at him though, I had a sudden realization: Greg's camera was probably in his pocket. Once Greg got helped up, he indeed pulled his camera out of his pocket. We left it on the rock to attempt to dry it out, but ultimately the camera (and it's SD card were done. Fortunately Greg had changed his SD card the last day in Vienna, so he only lost some Venice and CT pics that I basically had duplicates of.
(Note - I didn't have the heart to laugh at him at the time, but Greg was helped out of the water by a mid 50s older man wearing a speedo. On the other hand, the guy had a smoking hot mid 30s wife/gf/mistress, so wtf do we know. Still funny though..)
In spite of the minor crisis, we still had fun in Vernazza. We met a pack of UCSB students who were on Summer break and swapped DP stories. There was also a formation we deemed "Hot Chick Rock" which should be pretty self-explanatory 8-). I also didn't get tagged by a jellyfish today - booyah.
We took a ferry back to Manarola. It was pretty cool to get to see all 5 Terre's from a few hundred yards off the coast. It's amazing that these tiny cities have been fully functional since the Roman Empire purely b/c of how difficult it is to get to them.
The other highlight of the day was the food we had in Manarola. Before our hike we went to a small pizzeria in town and I think it has to skyrocket to the best I've ever had. Fresh meat and veggies mixed with all kinds of fantastic spices and bread - just better then any I've ever had. Dinner was spectacular as well. Fresh seafood right out of the med mixed with fresh produce right off the hillside. Throw in a fantastic Chianti and you've got a pretty good evening. The night we spent back at the bar, splitting another bottle of Chianti and rehashing the day (including ribbing Greg for getting saved by a 50yr old merman :-p).
Cinque Terre Day 1
Originally we were going to make a stop in Pisa to see the leaning tower, but after our late night trek around Bologna we didn't even get going until noon. 4 hours later we finally pulled into La Spezia, the major gateway city to Cinque Terre.
Unfortunately the 4:16pm train didn't show up, so we had to wait until almost 6pm to get there. Fortunately, the station had a McDonalds. I know what you're thinking "Why the hell are they eating at a McDonalds?" Well, here's the thing: the food still stinks, but they serve booze. So I got a beer and Greg got what he called "McWine." He even took a photo of himself drinking a McWine in front of a "I'm lovin' it" sign. Not a bad way to kill an hour.
Finally, the train arrives and 2 stops later we are standing in Manarola. After 2 weeks of travel, in spite of all the amazing sights we'd been to, seeing the deep blue of the Med was an inviting scene for two UCSB grads. We walked up to a square we met our hostess, Mrs. Marcella, who took us to the apt we were renting. She took us inside, cracked open the windows and we were staring over the top of Manarola. Absolutely incredible view with the next Terre in the distance, and the Med off to our left.
Once we got squared up we were off to the beach. 20 steps and a 40yd ramp later we were diving into the 75 degree water. The layout was really nice. The town literally drops into the water, so there's no beach, but paths are carved out fo the rocks and there are ladders to get in and out. From the left shore a jetty creates the harbor that the local fisherman keep their boats in and 2 large rock formations jut out from the main part of the shore to sort of create 3 natural swimming pools.
After 2 hours of soaking and exploring the pools, we were about ready to head out when I felt a sudden sting on my arm. I spun around and slapped my wrist on top of a effing jellyfish. Friggin bastard. I quickly got out and got cleaned off and 30 mins later the sting had pretty much gone away and I wasn't getting dizzy or sick or anything so I figured I was good. Not dying by getting stung by a crazy european jellyfish FTW!
Once that ordeal passed we headed to dinner. We picked the restaurant on the ocean, killed a bottle of Cinque Terre wine (specially made by local grapes and local method - fantastic!), and had a spectacular 2 course pasta-seafood meal. We then headed to the bar up the street and finished the night with more wine, beer, chatting with backpackers and listening to live guitar music strung by the bartender.
This town is freaking awesome.
Unfortunately the 4:16pm train didn't show up, so we had to wait until almost 6pm to get there. Fortunately, the station had a McDonalds. I know what you're thinking "Why the hell are they eating at a McDonalds?" Well, here's the thing: the food still stinks, but they serve booze. So I got a beer and Greg got what he called "McWine." He even took a photo of himself drinking a McWine in front of a "I'm lovin' it" sign. Not a bad way to kill an hour.
Finally, the train arrives and 2 stops later we are standing in Manarola. After 2 weeks of travel, in spite of all the amazing sights we'd been to, seeing the deep blue of the Med was an inviting scene for two UCSB grads. We walked up to a square we met our hostess, Mrs. Marcella, who took us to the apt we were renting. She took us inside, cracked open the windows and we were staring over the top of Manarola. Absolutely incredible view with the next Terre in the distance, and the Med off to our left.
Once we got squared up we were off to the beach. 20 steps and a 40yd ramp later we were diving into the 75 degree water. The layout was really nice. The town literally drops into the water, so there's no beach, but paths are carved out fo the rocks and there are ladders to get in and out. From the left shore a jetty creates the harbor that the local fisherman keep their boats in and 2 large rock formations jut out from the main part of the shore to sort of create 3 natural swimming pools.
After 2 hours of soaking and exploring the pools, we were about ready to head out when I felt a sudden sting on my arm. I spun around and slapped my wrist on top of a effing jellyfish. Friggin bastard. I quickly got out and got cleaned off and 30 mins later the sting had pretty much gone away and I wasn't getting dizzy or sick or anything so I figured I was good. Not dying by getting stung by a crazy european jellyfish FTW!
Once that ordeal passed we headed to dinner. We picked the restaurant on the ocean, killed a bottle of Cinque Terre wine (specially made by local grapes and local method - fantastic!), and had a spectacular 2 course pasta-seafood meal. We then headed to the bar up the street and finished the night with more wine, beer, chatting with backpackers and listening to live guitar music strung by the bartender.
This town is freaking awesome.
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