The Italian Job.
Wow. Italy is probably one of my favourite places ever. We went from Munich to Florence and spent our time there just chilling out. It is such a pretty little place. The first night we were there was spent wandering the streets and markets and just taking it all in. The next day was a mission and a half. We had decided just before we got to Florence that we should really go to the Torino Winter Olympics. You would think it wouldn't be that hard to find tickets in the actual country of said Olympics. We were wrong. (A common theme that seems to be running throughout our time in Italy...) After being turned down by two ticket box offices in Florence
we asked the lovely guy at the hotel to help us out. We had a list of places that might have tickets, but we really weren't willing to go to all of them and getting turned down. Luckily, he called a place and they had tickets for sale! It was only just outside of the main city centre said the hotel guy. A 45 minute walk in the rain later we thought we had our place. But it turns out Firenze has a unique system in address numbering. If there is a letter 'R' after a number it means the number has to be red. Our number was black. And we were only at number 18 red. Woo. When we finally got there we were just happy we found the place. When the man was having trouble printing our tickets, we really thought we were NOT destined to go. The whirl of the printer 10 minutes later totally made our day. So we are off the the Olympics tomorrow to go see the Women's Aerial Skiing Finals! Yay! The rest of Florence was kept low key in preperation for the heavy schedule we had planned for Rome.
And Roma was spectacular. An incredibly charismatic city. Although our first encounter with Rome was a frustrating one. We originally thought our hotel was close to the station. But after 15 minutes and still not being able to find the place AND walking in my new brown boots, (bought them in Florence. Totally hot.) which were rubbing a good chunk off my heel, I was pretty close to tears. When we booked the place on the net it mentioned it was next to a basillica. We could see the basillica, but we could not see a hotel. After walking closer, we realised our hotel was
attatched to the basillica! Attatched! It was funny after we were settled into our room and I had addressed my wounds, but at the time it was not fun at all. That afternoon we got acquainted (or in Lukey's case, reacquainted) with the city. It's truely amazing. One minute you are walking along the street and the next a giant piece of ancient history rears its head! We organised a day tour and what we were going to do in Rome and then just relaxed and enjoyed the scenery.
The next day was Pompeii day. Simultaneouly the best and worst day of my life. Arriving into Naples and seeing Mt Vesuvius was such a highlight. And when we eventually made it into the ruins (another case of hide and seek) it was so incredible. I never knew the enormity of the ruins. And how well preserved some of it is. As a long standing dream of mine to go to Pompeii, I was overwhelmed with the intricacy of it all. Originally, we wanted to go to Herculaneum as well, but luckily we stayed with just Pompeii as it took us the whole day to see it all. It's an eerie feeling walking the streets. You feel as though a 2000 year old Roman is going to pop out of one of the houses. It really was like stepping back into time. And the amphitheatres were fabulously preserved. A lot of it was really well preserved. Just a really great experience. We loved it there! It's hard to describe it and give it proper justice. And to think it took (and is still going!) something like 200 years to uncover it all!
After all that excitement, however, our trip back to Rome was disasterous. We didn't get off at the right train stop to start off with, which left us waiting for 20 minutes for another train. By the time we got to the station we were told the train back to Rome from there was 80 minutes delayed! We were then sent to the Central Station (where we wanted to go all along, but didn't realise that the underground station had a different name even though it is effectively Napoli Centraal. Good one.) and we managed to hop on the train with time to spare. When we got back to Rome, we thought we were on the home stretch. How wrong were we. (I told you,
theme.) The metro line we needed to get on was closed so we had to get a bus. You would think it would be easy enough. When we finally found a bus heading in our direction, we again though we were on the home stretch. How wrong were we. We ended up missing our stop and were headed into the suburbs! Lukey asked a guy if we were near San Giovani and he just looked at us with pity. We hopped off and hoped a bus would be coming from the other direction very soon. Exhausted and defeated we just hailed a cab and hoped we wouldn't be given an expensive tour of Rome. When we got back to the hotel, it was a thing of beauty. We fell into bed and tried to rest for our next adventure to come.
The next morning we were able to look back on the previous day and laugh. A little. I found it was best just to forget the travelling back part didn't happen. Moving forward, we successfully made it to the start point of our walking tour of Ancient and Old Rome. One of the most enjoyable day tours we have done so far! Rome really is a magnificent city. We started at Piazza Navona and heard the history of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (the Fountain of the Four Rivers) and the square itself. Then, we went and saw the Pantheon, but mass was in session so we didn't really get to have a close look at everything. Next was Trevi Fountain where Luke and I both threw coins with our backs turned to the fountain to ensure our return to Rome. (as the fairytale says. Luke did it last time, so I reckon it's true!) A really beautiful fountain. (Rome has a thing with fountains.) After that we went to Capitoline Hill and the Roman Forum, which was truely a sight! To go from modern Rome to ancient in a matter of seconds is fantastic! There is so many layers of history in Rome. It really boggles the mind! We finished off with the Colosseum and The Arch of Constatine. The Colosseum really is colossal! (Athough contrary to popular belief it is called the Colosseum because back in the day it was in close proximity to the Colossal Statue of Nero.) Our guide was really informed and interesting so it made the tour that much more fun. Really great day.
Our last day in Rome wasn't really spent in Rome per se. It was Vatican day! We woke early hoping to beat the crowds. Again, how wrong were we. When we arrived there was an hour and half long line waiting to get into the Vatican Museums. And it was only 9:15 am! We went to St Peter's Square and Basillica first hoping the crowd would die down a little latter on. We managed to stumble across the underground tombs of past popes (including Pope John Paul II), which was kind of scary, before we found our way into the Basillica. And what a sight of opulence and grandeur. The paintings! The gold! The marble! It was all quite a spectacle really! But fabulous in the true sense of the word. When we finally stumbled out of St Peter's (with sore necks from looking up, I might add) we headed back to the Vatican Museums... and were met with same line we saw in the morning! By that stage I was scared we weren't going in as the museums stop selling tickets at 12:20 and it was already about 10:30! And to access the Sistine Chapel you have to go throught the museums so at that point I was getting ready for disapointment. But very, very, VERY lucky for us we made it in with about 20 minutes to spare. (we waited for almost two hours!!!) And the wait was definately worth it. The museums, Sistine Chapel, all of it just freaking amazing. Just amazing. And I was so happy we made it in there because I was sure we were going to miss out. (like a lot of people who would have that day. The line was just as long when we got in there.) We spent our last night in Rome watching the winter olympics and preparing ourselves for the days ahead!
And now we are in Genova, an hour and half away from Tornio. (Torino was booked out of hotels and this was the best we could do. Crazy!) Our event doesn't start until tomorrow evening so we are taking a well deserved break for a bit! Exhausted: yes. Tired of it all: no!
Suddenly Salzburg...
Well it, as always, has been a very full-on week. We are now in the picturesque town of Salzburg after a last minute decision to skip Vienna (after we spent four hours on the train travelling there... the things you do!) and just come straight here. And a fabulous decision it was. Luke and I have started to feel the strains of travelling, not eating well and just generally doing too much, so we decided we needed some R&R and hense the decision to skip Vienna was made! We have just been chilling and taking it easy for the last couple of nights, with a bit of fortress watching (Hohenwerfen Fortress to be exact) thrown in for good measure. The view from the top was absolutely magnificent, with clear view of the Alps in the background it was oh so romantic! And the fortress itself was gigantic. Quite fun for a lazy day!
As for the past five days it has been a whirlwind of sights and cultures. We came to Austria from Prague and that, in my opinion, was a bit overrated. Maybe it was because we were in the main city and probaby because of the fact we kept getting ripped off with the exorbant prices. (I thought Prague was supposed to be bargain central in Europe. SOOO not. I guess they figured out they could make a lot of money out of all the tourists there.) But, we didn't let this stop us (we just bitched and moaned in the background) from taking a look around. We started with the anatomical clock which was kind of cool. At every hour little men come out and dance and the skeleton man rings his bell. It lasted all of 10 seconds. (After waiting 15 minutes with a good 75 other people I was sure this thing was going to last
at least one minute.) Ah well. At least they didn´t charge us! Next was a bit of a wander through the old town and the markets. Then, we checked out the old Jewish Quarter, which was both complex and interesting. Apparently Hitler started sending over Jewish stuff to this area in order to create a 'Museum of an Extinct Race'. Charming! We finished off the day with a look at the Prague Castle. A very long walk to the top I would like to add. But cute and fit for a princess! By that stage I was ready to go look at the shops to be honest!
Berlin, however, was absolutely fantastic. Both Luke and I have a bit of a softspot for Berlin. It is the one place so far where I really wish we had more time (like a
lot more time) there. We were only there for a couple of nights, but credit to us, we did heaps. We went on the world famous Brewer's Berlin Walking Tour, which is over eight hours of Berlin's famous and fabulous spots! It is probably one of the biggest days we've had in Europe yet. We met our guide at 11am (funnily enough there were only three other people on the tour and one was Australian and the other two were Brazillian, but one of them had been on exchange in Australia and lived in Collaroy of all places! And went to Pittwater at about the same time Luke and I were still in high school! Uncanny!) and started a long, wet and cold day. (The grounds were covered in ice and sludge... We ended up sliding through a park trying to get to our next destination. Never again.) But so interesting. We went to the Berlin Wall (of course), the Place of Tears, Brandenburg Gate (again, of course), Checkpoint Charlie, the New Synagogue, Reichstag (parliament house), Gendarmenmarket (I think that was the Soldier's Market), the French and German Cathedrals, the Nazi Air Force Ministry, Humboldt University, Bebelplatz, the Jewish Girls School, the State Opera House, Museum Island, the US & Russian Embassies, Potsdamer Platz, the Topography of Terror, the Site of Hitler's Bunker (it's just at the back of an old carpark... poetic really), the Berlin Cathedral, the Soviet War Memorial, TV Tower (you really can't miss it), the Victory Tower, The Palace Bridge, the Crown Prince's Palace, The Jewish Holocaust Memorial (just a bunch of concrete slabs... a bit of controvery there too as said concrete slabs attract the abundant amount of grafitti artists Berlin has to offer. To stop this from occuring, the authorities coated the slabs with a chemical that allows the spraypaint to be hosed off... the company that produces this chemical is the same company that made the gas used in the extermination of the Jews during the Holocaust. Ironic!), an old department store which is now used by artists (and which was probably my favourite place out of them all. Really unusual.) and more that I can't really remember. But a lot. Although, a lot of the places we couldn' t really go in and explore due to the sheer volume of things we were to see (see being the operative word...). It was a good tour to do with the short amount of time we had in Berlin. I was disappointed we didn't have time to actually go and have a good look at some of the stuff we saw, but you get that on organised tours. Next time we'll know where to go! And there will definately be a next time!
So now Luke and I are tired and would like to sleep without being woken up by an alarm! I guess we will have to wait until we get home for that. Tomorrow we are going to Munich and will probably go visit the concentration camp at Dachau and just see the general sights of Munich. And after that, ROMA! I am so excited about Rome it's becoming a bit of a joke! But most things are exciting really. So far we are having a really great time. Sleep? Who needs sleep?!
Dancing, trains and chocolates...
We leave Holland tomorrow for Berlin and so far our time here has been really wonderful. The last five days have been spent with Luke's family so we've been able to have a look at real Dutch life! Yesterday we went and visited an open-air museum called Erve Kots that had some old farming houses and barns which were something like 300 years old! The houses were so cute if not a bit small, including the doorways... well that's what Luke figured out when he successfully smacked his head on the top of a doorway and knocked himself out! (Anyone who knows Luke knows that this is something that happens frequently.) Luckily, I was there to catch him, and thus, save the day. After
Luke recovered and having a look around, we retreated to the restaurant for the best darn hot chocolates I've ever had!
Later that evening we met up with Luke's brother's girlfriend for a night out on the town! We headed into Arhnem, the next big town around here, and went to various cafes and clubs. I'm kind of surprised to say the nightlife is not that much different to home. Everyone is just dressed better! (Well the boys are ayway.) We had a really good night! Dancing, drinking and yelling over the music always makes me smile!
On Friday, however, we travelled all the way to Brugge in Belguim just for a change of scenery. It took us five hours to get there by train (because we had to get three different trains) and were only able to stay for a few hours because we then had to make the long journey back! (We didn't realise it would have taken so long otherwise we have stayed, ah well.) We did manage to wander through a lot of the streets and take in the fabulous sights. Such an old school town with so much charm. And more importantly we stocked up on Belgian chocolates... It was worth the 10 hours on the train just for that. A really interesting day, if not a big short! Although we both really enjoy getting around by train. You get to see so much of the country side and even a bit of the towns you go through. It's just such a relaxing way to travel.
Today we are going out and about with Luke's cousins so it should be another fun day. We will try to make the most of the time we have left in Holland that's for sure. I'm going to miss sitting by an open fire! And I'm sure Luke will equally miss making the said open fire. (What is it with boys and fire?)
So sorry for the lack of pics. We are unable to upload any at the moment, but I promise (no I really do) that the next chance I will put up as many as I can. It's a hard process y'all!
Double Dutch courage...
Well it has been a very hectic five days! Sorry it's been awhile... I'll just jump right in shall I? We left Pattaya in the beautiful tropical heat and entered Zurich and it's frosty -8 degree cold quite happily! We arrived at around 6am and after a fairly decent sleep on the plane, we were ready for anything. Caroline, a friend of Lukey's parents, picked us up at the airport and took us to her absolutely beautiful apartment just 15mins outside of Zurich. We were spoilt with a massive Swiss breakfast (HEAPS of cheese!) before we headed back into the city for some sightseeing. We went to the Swiss National Museum and looked through the collections they had there. (My fave was the Swiss Press Photo exhibition... think World Press Photo, but all Swiss photographers.) Extremely interesting. Then we wandered over to the Fraumunster, a church that has these amazing stained glass windows. And not your usual type. Really, really cool. We also took a walk through Bahnhofstrasse, which is the main shopping street (think Castlereagh St... the Rocks side) and I enjoyed the brief moments i was allowed in H&M. Then we took a leisurely walk through the Old Town and strolled amongst the cobblestones, cafes and funky boutiques. Freezing, but great fun! That evening we ate some more traditional Swiss cuisine, while Carolie hosted a really fab dinner party.
The next day Caroline organised for us to go up and down a mountain!!! We drove to the old village Caroline grew up in and the first stop was the house her parent's house. The scenery was so lovely. The country side was covered in snow. And her parents house was just as lovely. We arrived there and picked up her mum and some sledges... We headed up towards the mountains (there are mountains EVERYWHERE!) and stopped at the lifts that took us to the top of the mountain. We went up and when we got to the top it was just magnificent. We were overlooking the Seven Lords and it was really something. As a first time snow-goer, I was especially excited to hold, and throw, some snow! We then retreated to the cafe to fill up with some traditional coffees... they had some sort of schnapps in it and toped with cream! We needed this as we catapulted down the mountain side. Luke and I were on one sledge and Caroline and her mum were on another and what followed was a hilarious fall down the mountain. It was such terrifying fun! I really thought I was going to break my leg. In fact the only person who didn't come out with an injury was Luke! (Miracle, I know.) Such good fun though. Falling in snow is so much better than just falling on the ground. We headed back home exhausted, but satisfied with our snow adventure.
The following day, Luke and I decided to go see some more of the country side and travelled down to Lucerne and Interlaken. Again so many mountains and snow! It was all so lovely. I really enjoyed Lucene. We went and visited the famous Lion monument and had fun in the Glacier Museum. The best bit was the mirror maze. And funnily enough it was modelled in the form of the Allhambra in Granada, Spain... you all know Granada don't you? It was really fun though. We kept walking into the mirrors! Our next stop was Interlaken. (Which literally means "inbetween lakes".) So beautiful. Everything about Switzerland is pretty and Interlaken was no exception. The mountains felt as though they were leaping out at you! They were so close! And on either side, the town was surrounded by lakes. Really lovely. A bit touristy, but I guess there is a reason for that. Just spectacular scenery. By the time we made it back we were completely drained. Our last night in Switzerland was a sleepy one!
The next morning, Caroline took us to the fozen lake nearby to have a looksie and a walk over before we headed to the train station for Amsterdam. There were plenty of school kids and adult kids alike skating, playing hockey and generally falling over. A surprisingly amazing feeling walking on solid water. In my head I was paranoid we were going to fall through, but luckily we survived! We then had to rush to the train staion as were on the verge of missing our train! We made it though and what followed was a nine and half hour train trip to Amsterdam with an hour stopover in Frankfurt. We arrived late in the evening so just checked into the hotel and prepared for the big day ahead. The next day was massive! We woke up early and had breakfast and headed to the Anne Frank Huis. So full on. Really just an amazing experience to see the house. And such a tragic story. A big reccomendation if you are ever in Amsterdam. Then we went over to the Van Gogh Museum, which was equally amazing. Some really fantastic artwork in there. Just a breathtaking and impressive collection. After the museum we wandered and got lost in the streets, but weren't too worried. It was fun seeing all of Amsterdam and its canals and cute little houses! It had such a great vibe! We finally made it to the Heineken Brewery and were ready for what ended being a really lame Heineken Experience. But funny at the same time! And we got three free beers each and a free beer glass! I love souvenirs! Then it was Dam Square next for some more sights and some shopping! (I love Zara!) Finally we made our way to the Sex Museum because everyone says you should go there if you are ever in Amsterdam. It's pretty gross if you ask me and unintentionally hilarious too. It shows you sex through the ages. We didn't spend much time in there. Probably a whole lot better if you are a group of boys or something. We walked back to the hotel through the Red Light District (just to keep in theme), but were dissapointed to see just a bunch of curtains. Oh well. We managed to get a bit of a peek during the day when there were girls looking freezing in bikinis on the job... I guess. So that was a really big day and ended with us falling asleep at 9 o'clock! (Well I did anyway. Luke was engrossed with the plasma tv we had in our room!)
Today we left Amsterdam for Laag Kepel, a small village south of Holland. We are staying with some of Luke's family and having a good time taking it easy! To say we have done a bit is a bit of an understatement!
