My arrival in Rome after a fancy train ride was at the Alessandro Downtown Hostel. This place dubbed itself as the ultimate party hostel of Rome, this was immediately confirmed by the people at reception where I received my free shot and pitcher at the hostel bar. Everyone aparantly gets a free shot, but the receptionist was also named sam, so I also got a pitcher as well.
It was amazing what I managed to squeeze in, in two and a half days here. Considering all the drinking I did, and that I was staying in a big party hostel with 6 people per room. Actually the hostel was one of the better ones I'd had on the trip. I never had a problem getting a shower, the room was big, there was a big kitchen with free breakfast, and I meet a lot of other travelers. But somehow everything I didn't look up in the during the day was stolen. Weird things like my wet towel, my comb, flip flops (which were nasty at that point because I'd used them in showers for a month.)
Rome was kind of the worst part about Italy. I still had fun, but it's just an old big city. Lots of ruins ofcourse and I went to the Vatican on 6/6/6. It was just too much to resist. I still had to wait 2 hours to get into the Sistine chapel. There's was this american girl in line who was a guide for a small group. She kept stopping people who were trying to cut in line and people who were trying to buy their way in with other guides. This is a common practice in places with long line. But when we were almost to the front, she let a british family of 4 buy their way in for 25 euros a person. I thought for sure someone would speak up, but when no one did - I took it upon myself. I called her a hypocrite for stopping others, the whole line behind me started to back me up. She was apologetic and offered to let me go ahead, but I said no. After we got inside she came to talk to me quietly off to the side. She told me that's how she makes her money. I said I knew what she was doing, I've been around the block. No problem, just don't call out others for doing the same I said. We chatted for a minte, she was from Dallas. Ha! I can't escape Texas.
Another night of drinking with instant friends that last night. I made sure to splurge on good meals that whole last full day. Italy really lived up to it's food reputation. I feel like I'm just getting into traveling. Just now really getting comfortable with it. Maybe I just feel that was because it's ending. I know I've got to back to Los Angeles and return to a normal life. How terrible!
The next morning I have breakfast and hang out with a few friends. I really like this hostel. It's the first really social one since Barcelona a month ago. I was in no mood to be social back then. And the one in Rome is like 70% girls. It seems that every american female college graduate makes Italy the priority on their European trip.
The train to the airport. One 11 hour flight. Wait 2 hours in Atlanta. 4 more hours then I'm back home at midnight. It's thursday and I stay up all night and don't fall asleep till 6 am. The boredom sets in. Ah yes, another adventure comes to an end.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Monday, June 05, 2006
Venice
We loved the Cinque Terre so much we tried to stay an extra day. But it was an Italian holiday and everything was booked up. So we hit the college town of Bologna for a day. There's noting to special about it, it's a medium sized town that has a major university. The one good thing is that it's cheap, a rarity in Italy. So after resting up, we headed for Venice for our friends' wedding.
Well, I'm sure you don't need to hear from me how beautiful Venice is. It's quite an amazing city that has a look (and price) like no other. I live in the other Venice (California) so it also holds a special connection to me.
But we weren't here just for scenery. Our friends John and Patty decided to have a destination wedding here. And after this experience, I might just have to do the same some day. Our second night in town some of the wedding guests threw a party at their unbelievable apartment they rented. This place was amazing - a high-end 3 bedroom modern apartment right on the grand canal. It was really cool to see people I knew on the far side of the world. Even those there that I barely know back in Los Angeles become instant close friends just by the fact that were meeting up halfway around the world.
The next day John and Patty got married at this small palace in a non-touristy part of town. Afterwards they had water taxis shuttle us thru the small canal alleys to an extravagant hotel on the grand canal. We ate dinner at a rooftop terrace hotel restaurant. Now everybody says how good the food in Italy is, and I'm always skeptical since I'm not all that into Italian food (don't get me wrong, I like it, but I'll take sushi over Italian anyday) but this was one of the BEST meals I've ever had the pleasure of eating. It was 6 courses! The salad alone was amazing - it had lobster and truffles. On top of all that, the view of the grand canal at sunset was just as amazing. Needless to say I was impressed. After dinner they moved us inside to a private room for cake and coffee. There were speeches and hugs, when it was all over we said our goodbyes.
It was also the last night for Ariel and I. The next morning I took a train to Rome and she headed for the Dolomites. My trip is coming to a close, but the party's not quite over yet.
Well, I'm sure you don't need to hear from me how beautiful Venice is. It's quite an amazing city that has a look (and price) like no other. I live in the other Venice (California) so it also holds a special connection to me.
But we weren't here just for scenery. Our friends John and Patty decided to have a destination wedding here. And after this experience, I might just have to do the same some day. Our second night in town some of the wedding guests threw a party at their unbelievable apartment they rented. This place was amazing - a high-end 3 bedroom modern apartment right on the grand canal. It was really cool to see people I knew on the far side of the world. Even those there that I barely know back in Los Angeles become instant close friends just by the fact that were meeting up halfway around the world.
The next day John and Patty got married at this small palace in a non-touristy part of town. Afterwards they had water taxis shuttle us thru the small canal alleys to an extravagant hotel on the grand canal. We ate dinner at a rooftop terrace hotel restaurant. Now everybody says how good the food in Italy is, and I'm always skeptical since I'm not all that into Italian food (don't get me wrong, I like it, but I'll take sushi over Italian anyday) but this was one of the BEST meals I've ever had the pleasure of eating. It was 6 courses! The salad alone was amazing - it had lobster and truffles. On top of all that, the view of the grand canal at sunset was just as amazing. Needless to say I was impressed. After dinner they moved us inside to a private room for cake and coffee. There were speeches and hugs, when it was all over we said our goodbyes.
It was also the last night for Ariel and I. The next morning I took a train to Rome and she headed for the Dolomites. My trip is coming to a close, but the party's not quite over yet.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Cinque Terre, Italy
When you get to be my age, it's nice to break up staying in cheap places with a really nice hotel now and again. That's what we did in Milan after a little over two weeks in Morocco. The next morning we hopped on a train down to Genoa then over to the Cinque Terre. 5 Little towns along the Mediterranean coast. If you know about them, then you know they've gotten a little touristy, but there's a reason. In all but one of the villages, there are no cars. It's nice not to hear the sound of traffic, especially if you live in Los Angeles most of the time like myself.
So we relaxed for a few days and hiked along the coast between the towns. Some parts, such as the Corniglia-Vernaza and Vernaza-Monterosso hikes were a little bit tiring. But the scenery was amazing. As with most touristy places in Italy, everything was overpriced, but we expected that.
Not much more to say, we loved it there. I liked each town except Moterosso. We stayed in Riomaggiore, which I loved almost as much as Vernaza. I'll try to post a pic of each one.
Oh yeah, since some of you would rather hear me bitch than anything else here goes. I've had really good luck with the Italians so far, I have to say that there seem to be fewer assholes here than just about anywhere I've been. But I dealt with one today in the Bologna train station. So I'd already purchased our train tickets from Bologna to Venice the day before in La Spezia, but I wanted to see if I could change them to take us all the way into the city. (As it stands they only get us as far as the mainland.) So this dick decides to sell me another ticket from Bologna to Venice when all he had to do was tell me I could get another ticket once I arrived. Now he didn't tell me what he was doing at all, I thought he was just adjusting our tickets when he asked for 12€. It's really no big deal, and I'm not that pissed. I'm sure they get off on pulling this crap with tourists all the time, but still.
So we relaxed for a few days and hiked along the coast between the towns. Some parts, such as the Corniglia-Vernaza and Vernaza-Monterosso hikes were a little bit tiring. But the scenery was amazing. As with most touristy places in Italy, everything was overpriced, but we expected that.
Not much more to say, we loved it there. I liked each town except Moterosso. We stayed in Riomaggiore, which I loved almost as much as Vernaza. I'll try to post a pic of each one.
Oh yeah, since some of you would rather hear me bitch than anything else here goes. I've had really good luck with the Italians so far, I have to say that there seem to be fewer assholes here than just about anywhere I've been. But I dealt with one today in the Bologna train station. So I'd already purchased our train tickets from Bologna to Venice the day before in La Spezia, but I wanted to see if I could change them to take us all the way into the city. (As it stands they only get us as far as the mainland.) So this dick decides to sell me another ticket from Bologna to Venice when all he had to do was tell me I could get another ticket once I arrived. Now he didn't tell me what he was doing at all, I thought he was just adjusting our tickets when he asked for 12€. It's really no big deal, and I'm not that pissed. I'm sure they get off on pulling this crap with tourists all the time, but still.
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