"And the question is, was I more alive then than I am now?
I happily have to disagree
I laugh more often now, I cry more often now,
I am more me"
I've been having a hard time putting into words how I feel after the year we just had in London. The chorus of this Peter, Bjorn & John song Objects of my Affection has really stood out to me when it comes on my ipod, and I think it sums it up. I knew that moving to London would be a pretty big deal, that we would face some challenges, see some new stuff and have a pretty good time, but I hadn't really anticipated how much it would change me. I kinda feel like I had been living with one eye closed and now all of a sudden it's open and I can see so much more to life than what was in my view before. I don't mean that I've seen so much of the world and how other people live, because I've hardly scratched the surface and haven't even seen anywhere third world. I just mean on a completely personal level I feel like my eyes have been opened up to a multitude of directions to follow.
I think most people know I wasn't ready to leave London, I liked my most recent job and it paid enough to live there comfortably, we were settled in and having a really good time. We were also fortunate enough to not only meet some new people to hang out with, but actually make what I would consider some really great friends that I'm really going to miss. The reasons to come home made sense though, and I really appreciate Genevieve's practicality, and desire to get on with real life. But the decision was not an easy one and I am still struggling with it. It's a strange situation when you live your whole life with one basic path in mind, and then all of a sudden one or two other paths present themselves, and they look pretty good too. There's not enough years in a life to enjoy everything out there, and that sucks.
One of my favourite parts of moving to London was all the challenges it presented, and the satisfaction of conquering them. We are far from coming home with our tails between our legs, we were actually settled in quite nicely. I think the longer we were there, the easier it would have gotten and the harder it would have been to leave, so in that sense I guess I'm glad it was only a year. London is an absolutely amazing, exciting, interesting and vibrant city and I'm so happy to have gotten to know it so well.
I stop short of saying we're lucky to have had the year we just did, as a couple people have said. The only good luck I've ever had was being born in Canada to loving parents, everything after that has been worked for. Nobody helped us get to London, nobody was there to welcome us in or show us around. Everything was done through planning, trial and error, risks and rewards, and I don't give any credit to luck. It was a lot of fucking work.
I think traveling is a lot like having kids, if you wait until you are ready you'll never do it. There's always a reason not to travel, but if you really wanted to you would make it happen. Unless someone else is paying, it's never going to be easy.
Obviously a big reason to head to Alberta is to pay for the last little bit of our trip, and get started on a down payment, but it's also to pay for the next adventure. The travel bug is definitely there and the list of places to see only grows every time you cross one off. London is full of travellers, and no matter where you've been someone has been way more places and they're happy to tell you how amazing they are. I'm just hoping I can handle working up north long enough to bank enough money to have another adventure.
As much as I'm not looking forward to the cold, and I'm not a fan of Edmonton, I'm really looking forward to a new challenge and the opportunities available. I still feel kinda jacked up from our trip and there's no way I'm ready to settle back in to the life I had in Vancouver. I'm a little uncertain if I ever will be, but I've heard that's normal and maybe that will fade. I guess a year in northern Saskatchewan will send me running home a little quicker than a year in London. That being said, it was really great to see all our friends and family, to catch up on the past year of their lives and share some stories. A big thanks to anyone who put us up over those 2 weeks.
If it's not obvious, my emotions have been all over the place the past month. Between leaving our life in London, our amazing trip through Italy, coming home to BC and soon heading up north for a very hard year of work, my head is rattled. I don't know if it'll settle again, and I'm not sure I want it to. I've never been hungrier to succeed, to try new things and to squeeze every bit of life I can out of the years I have. Right now my energy is going to shift towards work, which certainly isn't as fun as traveling, but I am still excited, and I really don't know where it will take me next. I'm far from done exploring though, hopefully Genevieve is too. That's another chorus that's been getting to me the longer we have no clear home, Edward Sharp & the Magnetic Zeros, "Home is wherever I'm with you"
We're settled into Edmonton now, Genevieve starts work at Breakfast TV tomorrow, and I fly out to Cigar Lake in Saskatchewan on Friday. It's definitely interesting to see the differences between moving to London and moving to another Canadian city. Having our work experience and qualifications mean something is a nice change. City TV basically created a job in Edmonton for Genevieve, and I was actually interviewing multiple job offers the other day. It's no London, and it's cold and snowy, but our bank accounts will appreciate the effort.
A few people have asked if we'll keep this blog going. I think the subject matter would take a serious nosedive if we did, but never say never.
-Justin
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Gaining A Whole Year
It's hard to explain how much this past year of gallivanting around the globe has meant to me, and I'm positive this post won't capture what I truly feel about the whole experience, but I thought I would give it a try anyways.
To understand how much I have always wanted to travel, you have to know a little bit about my childhood; Sorry for the backstory and sentimentality about to follow.
I grew up with my Dad, stepmom, and step sister in a loving, hard working family. I never felt that I went without, I did extra curricular activities, and in the summer they would take us to Kelowna or somewhere similar for two weeks to enjoy the sun and a hotel pool. For the rest of the summer I visited my mom on Vancouver Island; swimming in the rivers and ocean, and generally enjoying my young life. It was a great upbringing and more than any girl could ask for. But what really put the travel bug in me, from the time I can remember, is that my step sister would go to far away destinations with her Dad and his family once or twice a year. I remember she often went to Hawaii for Christmas; looking at the pictures, and dreaming about the day I would one day get to do that as well. I wondered what a warm ocean felt like, and remember seeing pictures of geckos and being so fascinated by them. It was hard to see her go to so many places that I never got to, but my parents did a great job of making it seem normal for me, and as I said, it's not like I had a rough life. It was just something that really stuck with me, more than a lot of things did.
When I was 15 my family moved from Prince George to Edmonton, and I struggled to make new friends and fit in. I learned about the Rotary exchange program which places you in another country for a year to go to school and learn about their culture. I filled out all the paperwork and passionately wrote the necessary essay, but when the time came to get the parental signature my Dad wouldn't sign it. I understand his reasons but at the time, being a very hormonal and slightly displaced teenage girl, it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I really thought it was my chance to finally go somewhere no one in my family had, and I was devastated that I couldn't. Those of you that know me well know I have an absolutely terrible memory. These are some of the very few things I remember vividly from my childhood.
Over the years through out the rest of high school and college I still always thought of traveling. I'd see so many of my friends do it and they said it was so simple once they made the decision to go; but I always had a reason not to. I thought I would go after I graduated from BCIT, but I was offered a great job the day of my graduation, and I intrinsically am far to practical of a person to turn down an opportunity like that. And that was the story up until last year - Other good things always came along and stopped me from planning anything. But part of me knew that this was something I needed to do, and if I didn't I would always dream of the 'what if'.
It's really great to have someone in your life who pushes you to break free of the boundaries you set for yourself. We all have reasons for setting these in the first place; the way you were brought up perhaps, or to protect yourself. But without Justin I can say that it is highly likely I would not have done this trip. And I am so grateful for him. Sometimes you have an idea and a plan, and nothing comes of it - not unlike all the years I dreamed of traveling and it didn't work out. And other times things just start rolling and you can't even pinpoint why this time is different. That's what happened to me last year, and before I knew it I had quit my job and packed my life into a suitcase. Facing the results of this decision now that I am home are a bit daunting, but I will never regret it, and I am an improved person for it. I am more myself now. More of who I always knew I was.
Living in London and traveling was of course amazing. All the sites and touristic things are just as you imagine they will be when you watch travel programs on TV and look at pictures from your friend's vacations. But this past year was so much more than learning how people in the UK live, and getting stamps in a passport. It was about proving I could do all the things I dreamed of, and I could come back home a better version of myself for it. Removing myself from my normal routine and familiar surroundings has taught me what my strengths and weaknesses are, and what I need to do to be a better person.
I hope that I can apply what I have discovered through out the rest of my life. I hope I don't every let myself get consumed by the bubble we so often find ourselves suffocated by. I don't think I need to keep living abroad to remember these lessons, I just think I need to keep the broader perspective I have gained and apply it to wherever I am. I'm very happy to be home and close to those that I love, and I feel privileged to have so many people in my life who care about me as much as I do them.
I look forward to seeing you all before we head to Edmonton for our next year long adventure.
Gen
To understand how much I have always wanted to travel, you have to know a little bit about my childhood; Sorry for the backstory and sentimentality about to follow.
I grew up with my Dad, stepmom, and step sister in a loving, hard working family. I never felt that I went without, I did extra curricular activities, and in the summer they would take us to Kelowna or somewhere similar for two weeks to enjoy the sun and a hotel pool. For the rest of the summer I visited my mom on Vancouver Island; swimming in the rivers and ocean, and generally enjoying my young life. It was a great upbringing and more than any girl could ask for. But what really put the travel bug in me, from the time I can remember, is that my step sister would go to far away destinations with her Dad and his family once or twice a year. I remember she often went to Hawaii for Christmas; looking at the pictures, and dreaming about the day I would one day get to do that as well. I wondered what a warm ocean felt like, and remember seeing pictures of geckos and being so fascinated by them. It was hard to see her go to so many places that I never got to, but my parents did a great job of making it seem normal for me, and as I said, it's not like I had a rough life. It was just something that really stuck with me, more than a lot of things did.
When I was 15 my family moved from Prince George to Edmonton, and I struggled to make new friends and fit in. I learned about the Rotary exchange program which places you in another country for a year to go to school and learn about their culture. I filled out all the paperwork and passionately wrote the necessary essay, but when the time came to get the parental signature my Dad wouldn't sign it. I understand his reasons but at the time, being a very hormonal and slightly displaced teenage girl, it was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. I really thought it was my chance to finally go somewhere no one in my family had, and I was devastated that I couldn't. Those of you that know me well know I have an absolutely terrible memory. These are some of the very few things I remember vividly from my childhood.
Over the years through out the rest of high school and college I still always thought of traveling. I'd see so many of my friends do it and they said it was so simple once they made the decision to go; but I always had a reason not to. I thought I would go after I graduated from BCIT, but I was offered a great job the day of my graduation, and I intrinsically am far to practical of a person to turn down an opportunity like that. And that was the story up until last year - Other good things always came along and stopped me from planning anything. But part of me knew that this was something I needed to do, and if I didn't I would always dream of the 'what if'.
It's really great to have someone in your life who pushes you to break free of the boundaries you set for yourself. We all have reasons for setting these in the first place; the way you were brought up perhaps, or to protect yourself. But without Justin I can say that it is highly likely I would not have done this trip. And I am so grateful for him. Sometimes you have an idea and a plan, and nothing comes of it - not unlike all the years I dreamed of traveling and it didn't work out. And other times things just start rolling and you can't even pinpoint why this time is different. That's what happened to me last year, and before I knew it I had quit my job and packed my life into a suitcase. Facing the results of this decision now that I am home are a bit daunting, but I will never regret it, and I am an improved person for it. I am more myself now. More of who I always knew I was.
Living in London and traveling was of course amazing. All the sites and touristic things are just as you imagine they will be when you watch travel programs on TV and look at pictures from your friend's vacations. But this past year was so much more than learning how people in the UK live, and getting stamps in a passport. It was about proving I could do all the things I dreamed of, and I could come back home a better version of myself for it. Removing myself from my normal routine and familiar surroundings has taught me what my strengths and weaknesses are, and what I need to do to be a better person.
I hope that I can apply what I have discovered through out the rest of my life. I hope I don't every let myself get consumed by the bubble we so often find ourselves suffocated by. I don't think I need to keep living abroad to remember these lessons, I just think I need to keep the broader perspective I have gained and apply it to wherever I am. I'm very happy to be home and close to those that I love, and I feel privileged to have so many people in my life who care about me as much as I do them.
I look forward to seeing you all before we head to Edmonton for our next year long adventure.
Gen
Friday, October 26, 2012
Beercelona
I spent a month in Barcelona in 2007. It was the first time I'd been overseas, and the week I spent in London on the way home was what sparked my dream to live there later. I was much younger then, and unwisely trusted in other's planning which left me with nowhere to stay when I arrived. Later, some drunken carelessness left me without a wallet, and more importantly, access to any money whatsoever about halfway through my trip. This, coupled with an injury that stopped my skateboarding partway through, left me with a slightly sour taste in my mouth from the trip. I still had a really great time in Barcelona but when I left I felt I had no reason to ever go back.
Well I'm a little older and a little wiser now, and the more places I visited the more I realised just how great Barcelona really is. It's got everything you need, great weather, great beach, great food (and a variety!), as much beer as wine, and countless shops and markets to get everything you need. These were all things I took for granted before, and came to miss when traveling elsewhere. For this reason I knew I had to go back, and I knew Genevieve needed to see Barcelona for herself. We stopped for 6 nights on our way back from Milan to London.
Most of the action is on or near La Ramblas, the main street in the centre of the city where most of the nightlife and touristic crap is. It's also where you get pick pocketed, harassed to buy stuff, and sexually assaulted by scary African prostitutes. So I didn't really care to stay in the thick of things again, and we booked a place a few metro stops away. The hostel was huge, cheap and clean, but the downside was these factors meant it was popular with school trips and the place was full of 15 year old kids and their parent chaperones. Didn't make for a fun or comfortable scene so we didn't spend much time there.
For those who don't know, or care, Barcelona has been a skateboarding mecca for at least a decade. The architecture is very unique, and the ground is smooth as ice, which makes it very appealing for skaters. Cheap beer, sun and a great metro system don't hurt either. When I came 5 years ago that's all I cared about and all I really did. I felt like I was on the tail end of its reign as we got a lot of attitude from locals (fairly so), many spots were falling apart and we actually had our boards confiscated by police. I would never have thought then that in 5 years it would still be so skateboard friendly. Many spots were actually still going strong, as well as lots of new ones, and there were several new parks along the water.
Obviously coming with a girlfriend skateboarding isn't going to be the focus, but in a city like Barcelona and with a girl as cool as Gen I did manage to skate as much as my body would let me. She even did a great job of seeming genuinely interested in getting behind the iphone for a couple clips as I pretended to be 20 again. They don't make many like her. Luckily I don't think any skaters saw us because it's a scene I know I'd laugh at. Second only to dad cam.
The benefit of visiting Barcelona a little older and with Gen was doing the things that didn't cross my mind the last time. The internet at our fingertips helped a lot too. We found a really cool bar with a great Catalan band playing one night and actually ended up buying their CD. We ate at a couple really good Mexican restaurants and found a few great pubs as well. There is no shortage of evening entertainment in Barcelona. One night we came back to the hostel around midnight after a night out and 2 pairs of girls in our room were separately just leaving to go out to a club, I think they got in around 5, which seemed to be quite normal. A bartender we had was Brazilian, but had ended up staying 5 years in Barcelona and described it as never never land, and to grow up she needed to move home. These are all parts of what Barcelona offers that I missed last time while I was pinching pennies and drinking 52 cent bottles of wine in the public plazas.
On the weekend there happened to be a really big Catalan food and drink market in the Gothic quarter called Mercat de Mercats. There were tons of booths set up with local prepared foods, craft beers and wines. We actually went both days, and on the second met a couple Argentinian guys and drank a few bottles of Cava (Catalan sparkling wine) on the steps of the cathedral. That stuff went straight to our heads.
You can't go to Barcelona without noticing the work of Antoni Gaudi. He was a very famous Catalan architect with a really unique style who was commissioned to design and build a number of visually stunning sights in the city, including the most famous Sagrada Familia cathedral. Whether or not you like his style you can't deny how unique and interesting it is. We went to Park Guell, the Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila before checking out Casa Batllo. I ended up paying to go in this one, it was expensive but I am really fascinated by his style and it was an incredible building inside and out. The flowing lines, references to nature and attention to detail is really spectacular. After that visit I was looking up a bit online and found out the following night there was a light show planned on the facade of the building to commemorate 10 years of being open to the public. Needless to say we went (free entertainment) and it was absolutely breathtaking.
We were a little exhausted by this point in our trip, but Barcelona was a perfect city to ease into London. It's still foreign, but much more comfortable and approachable than anywhere in Italy. I have an appreciation for the city after a second visit that I didn't have last time. Barcelona is an amazing place, and after London probably the only city we visited that I really hope to make it back to.
-Justin
Well I'm a little older and a little wiser now, and the more places I visited the more I realised just how great Barcelona really is. It's got everything you need, great weather, great beach, great food (and a variety!), as much beer as wine, and countless shops and markets to get everything you need. These were all things I took for granted before, and came to miss when traveling elsewhere. For this reason I knew I had to go back, and I knew Genevieve needed to see Barcelona for herself. We stopped for 6 nights on our way back from Milan to London.
Most of the action is on or near La Ramblas, the main street in the centre of the city where most of the nightlife and touristic crap is. It's also where you get pick pocketed, harassed to buy stuff, and sexually assaulted by scary African prostitutes. So I didn't really care to stay in the thick of things again, and we booked a place a few metro stops away. The hostel was huge, cheap and clean, but the downside was these factors meant it was popular with school trips and the place was full of 15 year old kids and their parent chaperones. Didn't make for a fun or comfortable scene so we didn't spend much time there.
For those who don't know, or care, Barcelona has been a skateboarding mecca for at least a decade. The architecture is very unique, and the ground is smooth as ice, which makes it very appealing for skaters. Cheap beer, sun and a great metro system don't hurt either. When I came 5 years ago that's all I cared about and all I really did. I felt like I was on the tail end of its reign as we got a lot of attitude from locals (fairly so), many spots were falling apart and we actually had our boards confiscated by police. I would never have thought then that in 5 years it would still be so skateboard friendly. Many spots were actually still going strong, as well as lots of new ones, and there were several new parks along the water.
Obviously coming with a girlfriend skateboarding isn't going to be the focus, but in a city like Barcelona and with a girl as cool as Gen I did manage to skate as much as my body would let me. She even did a great job of seeming genuinely interested in getting behind the iphone for a couple clips as I pretended to be 20 again. They don't make many like her. Luckily I don't think any skaters saw us because it's a scene I know I'd laugh at. Second only to dad cam.
The benefit of visiting Barcelona a little older and with Gen was doing the things that didn't cross my mind the last time. The internet at our fingertips helped a lot too. We found a really cool bar with a great Catalan band playing one night and actually ended up buying their CD. We ate at a couple really good Mexican restaurants and found a few great pubs as well. There is no shortage of evening entertainment in Barcelona. One night we came back to the hostel around midnight after a night out and 2 pairs of girls in our room were separately just leaving to go out to a club, I think they got in around 5, which seemed to be quite normal. A bartender we had was Brazilian, but had ended up staying 5 years in Barcelona and described it as never never land, and to grow up she needed to move home. These are all parts of what Barcelona offers that I missed last time while I was pinching pennies and drinking 52 cent bottles of wine in the public plazas.
On the weekend there happened to be a really big Catalan food and drink market in the Gothic quarter called Mercat de Mercats. There were tons of booths set up with local prepared foods, craft beers and wines. We actually went both days, and on the second met a couple Argentinian guys and drank a few bottles of Cava (Catalan sparkling wine) on the steps of the cathedral. That stuff went straight to our heads.
You can't go to Barcelona without noticing the work of Antoni Gaudi. He was a very famous Catalan architect with a really unique style who was commissioned to design and build a number of visually stunning sights in the city, including the most famous Sagrada Familia cathedral. Whether or not you like his style you can't deny how unique and interesting it is. We went to Park Guell, the Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila before checking out Casa Batllo. I ended up paying to go in this one, it was expensive but I am really fascinated by his style and it was an incredible building inside and out. The flowing lines, references to nature and attention to detail is really spectacular. After that visit I was looking up a bit online and found out the following night there was a light show planned on the facade of the building to commemorate 10 years of being open to the public. Needless to say we went (free entertainment) and it was absolutely breathtaking.
We were a little exhausted by this point in our trip, but Barcelona was a perfect city to ease into London. It's still foreign, but much more comfortable and approachable than anywhere in Italy. I have an appreciation for the city after a second visit that I didn't have last time. Barcelona is an amazing place, and after London probably the only city we visited that I really hope to make it back to.
-Justin
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The Best and Worst of Italy
Our month long tour of Italy has come to an end. There are a lot of things we will miss, and others not so much. I've put together a list of what we think is the worst and best we have seen in Italy. I'll start with the worst, and end on a more positive note with the best, because it really was an incredible trip and we are so lucky to have experienced it.
The Worst:
No variety in the food. You can only have pizza, pasta or panini for so many meals.
The Siesta. That grocery store you went to yesterday? It's closed from 12:30 - 16:00 so you'll have to find another one, or more likely, just wait.
The driving. See Justin's post dedicated to this.
The inconsistent service of the trains.
Paying for water at every restaurant.
Magna Grecia campsite in Reggio Calabria. Don't ever go there.
The toilets.
The unspoken dress code. Tank tops and shorts above your knees are too revealing. Shoulders and knees should be covered, even when it's blazing hot out.
The breakfast. A croissant doesn't cut it. Give me eggs.
Bari.
The poop. There is poop everywhere, especially in the smaller communities.
The massive amount of seeds in every fruit. I guess this could be a good thing if it means it's not genetically modified? But it's a real pisser to eat.
The begging children.
The lack of salad dressing.
The garbage in Naples.
The bells everywhere all the time. Especially the ones at 7am.
The price of gas. About €1.90 on average per litre.
The buses in Rome.
The black flys. We couldn't kill even one of those little bastards.
Trying to find things like a hardware store or somewhere to print something.
Smoking.
The Best:
The Dolomite mountains.
The huge coastline all around the country is unparalleled with anything I can think of.
The weather. Italians seem to think 25 degrees is quite cold.
Ice cold Limoncello.
The preserved history. It's everywhere.
Frasassi caves. (Grotte Di Frasassi).
Almost everyone makes an effort to speak English, or uses hand gestures if they can't.
The fresh seafood. After a year in London this was a major treat.
Live Italian bands. We saw one in the bar at our campsite on Lake Como, and one doing Rolling Stones covers at a club in Rome.
The olive, orange, lemon, lime, and pomegranate trees. Don't ever eat an olive fresh off the tree though. Trust me.
The pastel coloured houses.
The brilliant colour of the water.
The towns built on steep cliffs.
The lizards everywhere.
The friendly Italians. I've met so many people who when you need a hand with something will go out of their way to help you, and will give you more than you asked for: the man at the supermarket who gave me grapes to eat while helping me look for pesto, the manager of Volta Di Sacco who picked about 6 pomegranates for me when I was just trying to take a picture.
Fruit gelato.
Hearing Italians actually say "Mamma Mia!"
How varied the scenery is from one region to another.
Olives. The best when you order a drink in the afternoon and they bring you a bowl to snack on for free.
Lake Como.
The various amazing viewpoints over every city.
The snorkeling. The best underwater world we have seen since Hawaii.
Cheap wine. Anywhere from £1-£5 a bottle.
Local specialties: Arancini in Sicily, panzerotti in Milan, cannolo in Taormina, walnut sauce in the Cinque Terre.
The caves everywhere. The coastline is riddled with them.
Saturnia hot springs.
Home in ten days. Wow that's insane.
Gen
The Worst:
No variety in the food. You can only have pizza, pasta or panini for so many meals.
The driving. See Justin's post dedicated to this.
The inconsistent service of the trains.
Paying for water at every restaurant.
Magna Grecia campsite in Reggio Calabria. Don't ever go there.
 |
| One Of Many Bad Toilets In Italy |
The unspoken dress code. Tank tops and shorts above your knees are too revealing. Shoulders and knees should be covered, even when it's blazing hot out.
The breakfast. A croissant doesn't cut it. Give me eggs.
Bari.
The poop. There is poop everywhere, especially in the smaller communities.
The massive amount of seeds in every fruit. I guess this could be a good thing if it means it's not genetically modified? But it's a real pisser to eat.
The begging children.
The lack of salad dressing.
 |
| View From Our Naples Hostel |
The bells everywhere all the time. Especially the ones at 7am.
The price of gas. About €1.90 on average per litre.
The buses in Rome.
The black flys. We couldn't kill even one of those little bastards.
Trying to find things like a hardware store or somewhere to print something.
Smoking.
 |
| Endless Amazing Dolomite Views |
The Dolomite mountains.
The huge coastline all around the country is unparalleled with anything I can think of.
The weather. Italians seem to think 25 degrees is quite cold.
Ice cold Limoncello.
The preserved history. It's everywhere.
 |
| Official Frasassi Photo |
Almost everyone makes an effort to speak English, or uses hand gestures if they can't.
The fresh seafood. After a year in London this was a major treat.
Live Italian bands. We saw one in the bar at our campsite on Lake Como, and one doing Rolling Stones covers at a club in Rome.
The olive, orange, lemon, lime, and pomegranate trees. Don't ever eat an olive fresh off the tree though. Trust me.
 |
| Brilliant Water |
The pastel coloured houses.
The brilliant colour of the water.
The towns built on steep cliffs.
 |
| A Posing Lizard |
The friendly Italians. I've met so many people who when you need a hand with something will go out of their way to help you, and will give you more than you asked for: the man at the supermarket who gave me grapes to eat while helping me look for pesto, the manager of Volta Di Sacco who picked about 6 pomegranates for me when I was just trying to take a picture.
Fruit gelato.
Hearing Italians actually say "Mamma Mia!"
How varied the scenery is from one region to another.
 |
| Cheers Over Verona |
Lake Como.
The various amazing viewpoints over every city.
The snorkeling. The best underwater world we have seen since Hawaii.
Cheap wine. Anywhere from £1-£5 a bottle.
 |
| Homemade Arancini |
The caves everywhere. The coastline is riddled with them.
 |
| Looking Up At Saturnia |
Home in ten days. Wow that's insane.
Gen
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Cinque Terre
A far from secret hidden gem in Italy is a string of 5 coastal villages on the northwest coast called the Cinque Terre. Our friend Tuyet sent us a link to check them out a while back and we haven't stopped hearing about them since.
Basically it's 5 small, colourful villages clinging to the cliffs, and connected by a 10km footpath all along the sea with stunning views the whole way. The route of our trip had us end up here kinda late in the season, and weather here has been hit or miss the whole time I've been looking so that was my main concern.
We decided to stay in the nearby city of La Spezia, as accommodation is a lot more reasonable outside of the tiny and touristy villages. Our hotel was great, not too expensive and right in the heart of the city. We were sent to an amazing seafood restaurant at the marina our first night with high quality catch of the day seafood in a cheap cafeteria style setting. It was an amazing break from pasta.
Last year the Cinque Terre was hit by heavy rain and mudslides devastated a couple of the villages and took out sections of the path. Some remained closed, with lengthy detours up into the hills. Then a couple weeks ago a group of Australian women were injured by some kind of slide, so by the time we got here all the coastal (ie. worthwhile) sections of the path were closed.
We were really looking forward to the hike, but since so much was closed we figured we'd still make the most of it and take trains to each village to explore what we could. On our first day there happened to be another train strike so that was out of the question as well.
We'd seen a few boat tours advertised at the marina and that seemed to be our only chance to see anything. We got one for €18 but for some reason they were only stopping at the last village, Monterosso, that day, as well as Portovenere, the 6th terre you could say. Obviously things weren't going our way here but it was the best we could do.
The weather held out for us and we got a great view of each village from the boat, as well as the beautiful path we should have been hiking. We saw a couple sections that had been washed out last year, and considering tourism is probably the vast majority of the economy in those villages it was strange there were no signs of repair. We overheard a German guy talking to an Italian about the same thing, he was saying in Germany it would get repaired immediately, and he was baffled they hadn't done anything for over a year. It was amusing and refreshing to hear someone from another country confused about how Italy operates.
The next day the trains were running and I was on a mission to see the villages. Unfortunately the weather wasn't having it, and Gen wasn't as keen on my rain soaked adventure so it was a solo mission. I did get about an hour break in the rain in Riomaggiore, but didn't end up stopping in the other 3 I'd missed. What we did see was really beautiful, similar to a lot of other coastal villages we've seen. They do love their clusters of colourful buildings stuck to the cliffs. The hike is something that will have to wait, if they ever get around to fixing the trail.
We're now on the train back to Milan where we fly to Barcelona for 6 nights. Italy has been incredible, and we'll post more on that, but I think we're both looking forward to a change. I can't wait to finally use this skateboard I've been dragging around the cobbled streets of Italy!
-Justin
Basically it's 5 small, colourful villages clinging to the cliffs, and connected by a 10km footpath all along the sea with stunning views the whole way. The route of our trip had us end up here kinda late in the season, and weather here has been hit or miss the whole time I've been looking so that was my main concern.
We decided to stay in the nearby city of La Spezia, as accommodation is a lot more reasonable outside of the tiny and touristy villages. Our hotel was great, not too expensive and right in the heart of the city. We were sent to an amazing seafood restaurant at the marina our first night with high quality catch of the day seafood in a cheap cafeteria style setting. It was an amazing break from pasta.
Last year the Cinque Terre was hit by heavy rain and mudslides devastated a couple of the villages and took out sections of the path. Some remained closed, with lengthy detours up into the hills. Then a couple weeks ago a group of Australian women were injured by some kind of slide, so by the time we got here all the coastal (ie. worthwhile) sections of the path were closed.
We were really looking forward to the hike, but since so much was closed we figured we'd still make the most of it and take trains to each village to explore what we could. On our first day there happened to be another train strike so that was out of the question as well.
We'd seen a few boat tours advertised at the marina and that seemed to be our only chance to see anything. We got one for €18 but for some reason they were only stopping at the last village, Monterosso, that day, as well as Portovenere, the 6th terre you could say. Obviously things weren't going our way here but it was the best we could do.
The weather held out for us and we got a great view of each village from the boat, as well as the beautiful path we should have been hiking. We saw a couple sections that had been washed out last year, and considering tourism is probably the vast majority of the economy in those villages it was strange there were no signs of repair. We overheard a German guy talking to an Italian about the same thing, he was saying in Germany it would get repaired immediately, and he was baffled they hadn't done anything for over a year. It was amusing and refreshing to hear someone from another country confused about how Italy operates.
The next day the trains were running and I was on a mission to see the villages. Unfortunately the weather wasn't having it, and Gen wasn't as keen on my rain soaked adventure so it was a solo mission. I did get about an hour break in the rain in Riomaggiore, but didn't end up stopping in the other 3 I'd missed. What we did see was really beautiful, similar to a lot of other coastal villages we've seen. They do love their clusters of colourful buildings stuck to the cliffs. The hike is something that will have to wait, if they ever get around to fixing the trail.
We're now on the train back to Milan where we fly to Barcelona for 6 nights. Italy has been incredible, and we'll post more on that, but I think we're both looking forward to a change. I can't wait to finally use this skateboard I've been dragging around the cobbled streets of Italy!
-Justin
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Tuscany
I imagined Tuscany to be lush hillsides and a food and wine haven, and it certainly was. We spent 5 nights there: 3 in a small town called Grosseto, and 2 in Florence.
In Grosseto we stayed on a working farm called Volta Di Sacco in a very old stone building. Agriturismo is very popular in this area as we found out when we passed about a hundred different farms doing the same thing. The farmhouse was beautiful and interesting, but it was pretty boring. It would have been nice to meet some people there since it was so secluded.
Justin had researched some natural hot springs in this region, which we had to rent a car to reach. He was pretty happy to be behind the wheel again. I, on the other hand, was car sick because the car was too small and jerky. I had to get him to pull over so I could throw up. I haven't been car sick since I was a child... Good times. It was worth it though because Saturnia hot springs are the most beautiful natural springs I have ever seen. The water cascades down a series of waist deep terraces, perfect for lounging in. It's pretty hard to explain how amazing they are, so I'll let the pictures below speak for themselves.
After Saturnia we ended up at a winery in one of Italy's top regions, Montalcino, and tasted some of the best (and most expensive) wines we have ever come across. We found out a tour was happening just as we were finished drinking so we joined in. The harvest was just happening so we were there at a perfect time. We were able to see the wine in its first fermenting stages in huge metal vats, and were shown into the barrel room where everything sits for years. It was a really interesting lesson.
The next day in Grossetto we went to a little island called Giglio by ferry. This is the island that the Concordia cruise ship crashed into last year. Pulling into the port you are right next to the ship and it's pretty surreal to see it lying there. The island itself is beautiful, and Justin found us an amazing white sand beach to relax on until we had to go back to the mainland. We also had a really amazing lunch: fresh calamari and pesto gnocchi.
When you arrive in Florence you can immediately tell it is something special. It has quite a small manageable centre and all the streets look quite old with small lanes and high buildings. There is also quite a variety of cultures there and we were able to eat Chinese food(!) one lunch and a kebab for a dinner, so we were quite happy about avoiding pizza and pasta. We also went to a restaurant recommended by a couple people at our hostel in Sorrento. The menu was daily and just explained to you by the server. We decided to be adventurous- I ended up getting rabbit and Justin had veal. Both were really good, but it was a little hard to get your mind past what you were eating.
We were told we had to visit the Ufuzzi Museum, so we waited in the 90 minute queue, but we downloaded our own audio guides onto Justin's iPhone, which was awesome and I highly recommend doing if you are going anywhere to avoid paying for one. The Birth of Venus was a beautiful painting to see and we learned a bit about the renaissance in Florence and Venice.
Our hostel was just ok. I personally have been missing how cheap camping was and being able to cook for ourselves. So many places we have been to lately have no stove and too many rules. And not enough bathrooms.
We arrived in La Spezia yesterday and are here for three nights; Our last threes nights in Italy before going to Barce. I guess we better get a few more pasta meals in as we might not be back to italy for a long time... If ever. But that kind of reflection deserves another post.
Gen
In Grosseto we stayed on a working farm called Volta Di Sacco in a very old stone building. Agriturismo is very popular in this area as we found out when we passed about a hundred different farms doing the same thing. The farmhouse was beautiful and interesting, but it was pretty boring. It would have been nice to meet some people there since it was so secluded.
Justin had researched some natural hot springs in this region, which we had to rent a car to reach. He was pretty happy to be behind the wheel again. I, on the other hand, was car sick because the car was too small and jerky. I had to get him to pull over so I could throw up. I haven't been car sick since I was a child... Good times. It was worth it though because Saturnia hot springs are the most beautiful natural springs I have ever seen. The water cascades down a series of waist deep terraces, perfect for lounging in. It's pretty hard to explain how amazing they are, so I'll let the pictures below speak for themselves.
After Saturnia we ended up at a winery in one of Italy's top regions, Montalcino, and tasted some of the best (and most expensive) wines we have ever come across. We found out a tour was happening just as we were finished drinking so we joined in. The harvest was just happening so we were there at a perfect time. We were able to see the wine in its first fermenting stages in huge metal vats, and were shown into the barrel room where everything sits for years. It was a really interesting lesson.
The next day in Grossetto we went to a little island called Giglio by ferry. This is the island that the Concordia cruise ship crashed into last year. Pulling into the port you are right next to the ship and it's pretty surreal to see it lying there. The island itself is beautiful, and Justin found us an amazing white sand beach to relax on until we had to go back to the mainland. We also had a really amazing lunch: fresh calamari and pesto gnocchi.
When you arrive in Florence you can immediately tell it is something special. It has quite a small manageable centre and all the streets look quite old with small lanes and high buildings. There is also quite a variety of cultures there and we were able to eat Chinese food(!) one lunch and a kebab for a dinner, so we were quite happy about avoiding pizza and pasta. We also went to a restaurant recommended by a couple people at our hostel in Sorrento. The menu was daily and just explained to you by the server. We decided to be adventurous- I ended up getting rabbit and Justin had veal. Both were really good, but it was a little hard to get your mind past what you were eating.
We were told we had to visit the Ufuzzi Museum, so we waited in the 90 minute queue, but we downloaded our own audio guides onto Justin's iPhone, which was awesome and I highly recommend doing if you are going anywhere to avoid paying for one. The Birth of Venus was a beautiful painting to see and we learned a bit about the renaissance in Florence and Venice.
Our hostel was just ok. I personally have been missing how cheap camping was and being able to cook for ourselves. So many places we have been to lately have no stove and too many rules. And not enough bathrooms.
We arrived in La Spezia yesterday and are here for three nights; Our last threes nights in Italy before going to Barce. I guess we better get a few more pasta meals in as we might not be back to italy for a long time... If ever. But that kind of reflection deserves another post.
Gen
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Shiny Happy Italian People
I came to Italy with the most ragamuffin clothes I owned; clothes I now plan to throw away once I get back home because they are so gross. And I expected to be blown away and shamed by the fashionable women wearing their Versace and Dolce and Gabanna and all the other amazing Italian brands we are told to respect... but I haven't been.
Don't get me wrong, I have been trekking around this country for a month now without a stitch of makeup on wearing the same clothes for days and my Adidas runners with everything, so any normal woman looks heaps better than I do. But there is an ugly side to the fashion in Italy that I didn't expect. No, ugly is the wrong word. Gaudy is much more appropriate.
We've been to a lot of cities during our exploration of this country, but we have been to just as many small villages a fair distance from anything metropolitan. It's in these villages I first noticed that every woman was dressed the same, but in different colors or with different accessories. In Sferracavallo I was walking around the market and it hit me that it was the only place to shop in the town. There was no Bata to buy your shoes at, there was no H&M to buy your child labour priced trends from. The market was it. And everything there, I mean everything, had been bedazzled or was already shiny and accessorized.
You can't buy a pair of jeans, boots, or a belt without it glitzing and shining in the Italian sun. Everything is tight. Everything is meant to be sexy, I think. It doesn't necessarily look bad, it just looks cheap to the average North American. Maybe it's the opposite for Italians? Anyways, this market was not for tourists, as many of them aren't. They mainly provide the new clothes, toiletries, and household products that the stores in the community don't have. The market is the trend setter for the people who can't get to the big city.
In the cities there are of course women who look amazing. I find that usually these women are older, at least in their 50's, and they seem to ooze class and money. But the average Italian girl In the cities still clings to her bling. Maybe she grew up in a small town and moved to the city, bringing her market fashion sense with her. Maybe the glimmer of the fake jewels all over lure the Italian men like fish. Whatever it is, it's real, and present everywhere we have been. It is more predominant than the high end brands by miles, and even in Milan there are shops solely selling this style of clothing.
So it turns out I do stand out in Italy because of my poor fashion, as predicted. But instead of it being because I'm not dressed head to toe in designer gear, it's because I'm not nearly shiny enough.
Your fashion victim,
Gen
Don't get me wrong, I have been trekking around this country for a month now without a stitch of makeup on wearing the same clothes for days and my Adidas runners with everything, so any normal woman looks heaps better than I do. But there is an ugly side to the fashion in Italy that I didn't expect. No, ugly is the wrong word. Gaudy is much more appropriate.
We've been to a lot of cities during our exploration of this country, but we have been to just as many small villages a fair distance from anything metropolitan. It's in these villages I first noticed that every woman was dressed the same, but in different colors or with different accessories. In Sferracavallo I was walking around the market and it hit me that it was the only place to shop in the town. There was no Bata to buy your shoes at, there was no H&M to buy your child labour priced trends from. The market was it. And everything there, I mean everything, had been bedazzled or was already shiny and accessorized.
You can't buy a pair of jeans, boots, or a belt without it glitzing and shining in the Italian sun. Everything is tight. Everything is meant to be sexy, I think. It doesn't necessarily look bad, it just looks cheap to the average North American. Maybe it's the opposite for Italians? Anyways, this market was not for tourists, as many of them aren't. They mainly provide the new clothes, toiletries, and household products that the stores in the community don't have. The market is the trend setter for the people who can't get to the big city.
In the cities there are of course women who look amazing. I find that usually these women are older, at least in their 50's, and they seem to ooze class and money. But the average Italian girl In the cities still clings to her bling. Maybe she grew up in a small town and moved to the city, bringing her market fashion sense with her. Maybe the glimmer of the fake jewels all over lure the Italian men like fish. Whatever it is, it's real, and present everywhere we have been. It is more predominant than the high end brands by miles, and even in Milan there are shops solely selling this style of clothing.
So it turns out I do stand out in Italy because of my poor fashion, as predicted. But instead of it being because I'm not dressed head to toe in designer gear, it's because I'm not nearly shiny enough.
Your fashion victim,
Gen
Friday, October 12, 2012
National Nepotism
Europe has obviously got a very important and interesting history, which is of course our history as well as Canadians. Europeans seem to wear this history in different ways. The English are obviously proud of their history and their empire of the 18th and 19th centuries, but they also take the piss out of themselves so much that there's no room for arrogance. Just a good sense of humour and an awareness of the importance of their past. The few Germans we've met certainly seem to be living in the present, quietly rebuilding their reputation.
My first taste of the other end of the spectrum was Paris. While Paris has been and is still an interesting, important and beautiful city, some of it is taken away by the Parisians themselves. The whole place has a hint of pompous, like they've done something personally to take credit for Paris' reputation, when in reality they're letting their dogs shit all over it.
Italy is much the same. It's undeniable that this country has probably the most important history in Europe, maybe the world. There are so many amazing cities and heritage sites packed into a relatively small country. What the Romans accomplished 2000 years ago and what was discovered and created during the renaissance is beyond impressive and what has shaped the current western world. What irks me about Italy though, is that Italians wear this history with a little too much arrogance. As if each one of them personally played a part in these accomplishments. Obviously there's a lot to be said about patriotism and Italy has a history to be very proud of, but the sense that they are currently better because of the distant past is dumb. Don't get me wrong, it's subtle, but it's there. It's also obviously not all people or even outright examples, just a vibe. What exactly have they got recently to be so smug about? Mussolini? Berlusconi? 15% unemployment?
That's what I like about Canada. The only thing anyone knows about Canada is what they've been told by a Canadian they've met. We have a clean slate and we are each individually earning our reputation as a nation, rather than inheriting it and feeling unjustifiably superior. Maybe I'm a hypocrite for being proud of that, but as a Canadian it's my job to act humble while feeling smug.
-Justin
My first taste of the other end of the spectrum was Paris. While Paris has been and is still an interesting, important and beautiful city, some of it is taken away by the Parisians themselves. The whole place has a hint of pompous, like they've done something personally to take credit for Paris' reputation, when in reality they're letting their dogs shit all over it.
Italy is much the same. It's undeniable that this country has probably the most important history in Europe, maybe the world. There are so many amazing cities and heritage sites packed into a relatively small country. What the Romans accomplished 2000 years ago and what was discovered and created during the renaissance is beyond impressive and what has shaped the current western world. What irks me about Italy though, is that Italians wear this history with a little too much arrogance. As if each one of them personally played a part in these accomplishments. Obviously there's a lot to be said about patriotism and Italy has a history to be very proud of, but the sense that they are currently better because of the distant past is dumb. Don't get me wrong, it's subtle, but it's there. It's also obviously not all people or even outright examples, just a vibe. What exactly have they got recently to be so smug about? Mussolini? Berlusconi? 15% unemployment?
That's what I like about Canada. The only thing anyone knows about Canada is what they've been told by a Canadian they've met. We have a clean slate and we are each individually earning our reputation as a nation, rather than inheriting it and feeling unjustifiably superior. Maybe I'm a hypocrite for being proud of that, but as a Canadian it's my job to act humble while feeling smug.
-Justin
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
I'll always remember 3 days in Rome
Almost everywhere we've been in Europe there has been some evidence of the Roman Empire. Starting in England with the remnants of the ancient wall around the City of London, as well as the ancient thermal baths of, well, Bath. Coming into Italy it got a lot more condensed, from the Verona Arena in the north all the way to the mixed Roman and Greek ruins of Sicily. It felt like it was all building up to Rome.
While I find the history of all these ruins very fascinating, I'm far from educated on the Roman Empire, so I've mostly been picking things up as we come across them. Scattered ruins here and there throughout Europe are one thing, but to be in the middle of a city that had a million people living there 2000 years ago is hard to imagine. Rome's ruins are so vast it's a little overwhelming, the area around the forum and the Coliseum is massive with excavated ruins everywhere. Little is left as it was so it takes some creativity to visualize just how significant where you are standing was, and how many important and bizarre events have taken place there. It's a very humbling place, and if I can hold the inspiration a while I might even research the history of it more. Hopefully there's some good documentaries. We did just watch Gladiator. Inspired.
The Coliseum was as impressive as I imagined, but in a lot worse shape than I thought. It was interesting to learn that after the games were banned the place was left to ruin until they decided to plunder the materials for other buildings. It's a stark contrast to the one in Verona that's still in use. My other favourite was the Pantheon, which is the only building still standing as it was 2000 years ago. The engineering brilliance behind the domed ceiling is so impressive. It's amazing how advanced the Romans were. It looks like construction stayed pretty much the same for 1500 years once they figured it out. Even now many of their ideas are still in practice.
Religious Rome didn't particularly interest me, but we did go to Vatican City because you kinda have to. The intensity level on people trying to sell you shit really picks up around the Vatican, and its not hard to draw the conclusion that they too have figured out religious people are walking dollar signs. It was really interesting to see St. Peter's square and we climbed to the top of the dome for an awesome view of Rome. The building itself is very beautiful, must have cost a fortune.
Anyone who's visited Rome will know that trying to cross the street is gambling with your life. I know I've already griped about Italian drivers, but holy shit do they pick up the crazy in Rome. Little old ladies in nun costumes have to wander through 5 lanes of buzzing traffic because nobody stops at crosswalks.
The bus was a nightmare too, when it showed up it was always packed full, like those Japanese metro videos where they push people on with sticks. Genevieve ended up the victim of dry humping by some dirty man who took advantage of the situation. Trying to get off a bus like that is a joke, nobody steps off to create space like a rational person would, they just stand there and scowl while you force your way off. We learned that after 'hello' and 'thank you', 'get the fuck out of my way!' is the next most useful phrase.
We went out to an area south of the river called Trastevere one night, as we were told it was where the cool kids hang out, and there's cheaper eats and drinks than the more touristy parts. We found a Greek restaurant that was a welcome change from the monotony of pizza and pasta.
(Side bar: Easily the worst part of Italy so far has been the food. Wouldn't have guessed it, but it's true. While pizza and pasta are amazing, it's seriously all they have here. There is no variety. They also suck heroically at breakfast, pastries and cappuccino, where are the eggs! Grabbing a quick bite is non existent here, if you don't want a bag of chips then you are sitting down to eat.)
Anyways, after that we went to a cool little jazz bar where a band was doing readings from Keith Richards' biography, in Italian, then playing Rolling Stones covers. It's funny to hear songs in English with an accent, and sometimes I think they just knew the sounds because they weren't actually saying words. It was great.
Rome, almost surprisingly, seemed like a very liveable city. Despite all the tourists and all the many ruins they have to build around it felt authentic, and like you could get comfortable there when you figured it out. It would be nice to give it more time, to explore more of it's history as well as see more of what it's like now.
-Justin
While I find the history of all these ruins very fascinating, I'm far from educated on the Roman Empire, so I've mostly been picking things up as we come across them. Scattered ruins here and there throughout Europe are one thing, but to be in the middle of a city that had a million people living there 2000 years ago is hard to imagine. Rome's ruins are so vast it's a little overwhelming, the area around the forum and the Coliseum is massive with excavated ruins everywhere. Little is left as it was so it takes some creativity to visualize just how significant where you are standing was, and how many important and bizarre events have taken place there. It's a very humbling place, and if I can hold the inspiration a while I might even research the history of it more. Hopefully there's some good documentaries. We did just watch Gladiator. Inspired.
The Coliseum was as impressive as I imagined, but in a lot worse shape than I thought. It was interesting to learn that after the games were banned the place was left to ruin until they decided to plunder the materials for other buildings. It's a stark contrast to the one in Verona that's still in use. My other favourite was the Pantheon, which is the only building still standing as it was 2000 years ago. The engineering brilliance behind the domed ceiling is so impressive. It's amazing how advanced the Romans were. It looks like construction stayed pretty much the same for 1500 years once they figured it out. Even now many of their ideas are still in practice.
Religious Rome didn't particularly interest me, but we did go to Vatican City because you kinda have to. The intensity level on people trying to sell you shit really picks up around the Vatican, and its not hard to draw the conclusion that they too have figured out religious people are walking dollar signs. It was really interesting to see St. Peter's square and we climbed to the top of the dome for an awesome view of Rome. The building itself is very beautiful, must have cost a fortune.
Anyone who's visited Rome will know that trying to cross the street is gambling with your life. I know I've already griped about Italian drivers, but holy shit do they pick up the crazy in Rome. Little old ladies in nun costumes have to wander through 5 lanes of buzzing traffic because nobody stops at crosswalks.
The bus was a nightmare too, when it showed up it was always packed full, like those Japanese metro videos where they push people on with sticks. Genevieve ended up the victim of dry humping by some dirty man who took advantage of the situation. Trying to get off a bus like that is a joke, nobody steps off to create space like a rational person would, they just stand there and scowl while you force your way off. We learned that after 'hello' and 'thank you', 'get the fuck out of my way!' is the next most useful phrase.
We went out to an area south of the river called Trastevere one night, as we were told it was where the cool kids hang out, and there's cheaper eats and drinks than the more touristy parts. We found a Greek restaurant that was a welcome change from the monotony of pizza and pasta.
(Side bar: Easily the worst part of Italy so far has been the food. Wouldn't have guessed it, but it's true. While pizza and pasta are amazing, it's seriously all they have here. There is no variety. They also suck heroically at breakfast, pastries and cappuccino, where are the eggs! Grabbing a quick bite is non existent here, if you don't want a bag of chips then you are sitting down to eat.)
Anyways, after that we went to a cool little jazz bar where a band was doing readings from Keith Richards' biography, in Italian, then playing Rolling Stones covers. It's funny to hear songs in English with an accent, and sometimes I think they just knew the sounds because they weren't actually saying words. It was great.
Rome, almost surprisingly, seemed like a very liveable city. Despite all the tourists and all the many ruins they have to build around it felt authentic, and like you could get comfortable there when you figured it out. It would be nice to give it more time, to explore more of it's history as well as see more of what it's like now.
-Justin
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Amalfi Coast
We've just spent 4 nights in Sorrento exploring the Amalfi Coast and Capri. We were staying in a place that was half hostel and half hotel. It was a strange mix, large and impersonal, but very clean and modern, basically a hotel with dorms. It was a 20 minute walk to Sorrento, but in an overpriced luxury tourism area like the Amalfi Coast €17 a night was worth any downside. We had another stunning rooftop patio with sweeping views of the sea, and in our 4 nights we met lots of friendly and fun people to hang out with. We had a few great nights in the hostel bar and up on the roof at night.
On our first day we took a bus to Positano, which is about an hour away on incredibly scenic winding roads. The bus ride is billed as a bit of a roller coaster and while it was a bit exciting our bus ride in Taormina was definitely sketchier, I think Sorrento just sees a lot more tourists used to a higher level of luxury.
We wandered down the hill from where we were let off, enjoying the views of ridiculously picturesque Positano perched on the cliff side. The town itself was pretty small, with the usual shops and restaurants to cater to the tourists who could afford the very expensive and lovely looking hotels in town. We soaked up a few hours of sun on the beach before taking a 2 hour ferry/cruise back to Sorrento. The views of Positano as we left were amazing, and then the cliffs of the coast all the way back were so breathtaking. I've always been, and still am, quite proud of Canada's natural scenery, but I've definitely been humbled a bit by Italy's because the mountains and coast line here are absolutely incredible.
The next day we had planned to go to Amalfi town, which was the next stop after Positano on the same bus. When we got to the station, however, the train strike that had delayed all trains by 10 minutes the other day had escalated so that no trains or buses were running that day. A sign had said it was due to a non payment of wages, which is pretty serious. Think about that the next time a spoiled government union goes on strike in BC. Times are a little tougher in Italy.
We ended up having a slow day just exploring Sorrento, which has really nice views from everywhere on top of the cliffs. With no real beach it was more of a hub than anything for us.
We were on the fence about going to Capri for a while, as the ferry is a bit pricy. We both wanted to see the famous blue grotto, but between the ferry to the island, a boat to the cave and a canoe inside, we were looking at almost €100 each after the forced paper money tips the dickhead canoe guys apparently demand. Expensive trip to a cave. When we saw a private boat tour of Capri for €75, with the option of paying a dickhead to take you in the cave, as well as exploring a lot of other parts of the coast we bought it on a whim.
We went out the next day with another guy from our hostel on a zodiac with ourselves, 3 older Aussie ladies and our Italian captain Sebastien. The weather was beautiful but the sea was pretty rough and we bounced around a bit on the way over.
We found out right away the sea was too rough to enter the grotto, as the opening is only a metre high or so. I was pretty disappointed as we were so close, and it was a big part of going, but what can you do. What we did get that we wouldn't have if we had just taken the ferry to the port, was a very private ride to a lot of other beautiful sights around the island. There are 2 other caves, the white and green grottos, which were both awesome, just more wide open so a larger boat can drive in. We got the see the colour of the water from the light reflecting off the white sand below, which is what makes the blue grotto so amazing. It just happens to be in more darkness so the effect is obviously better.
We also did some snorkelling around the island and then a short hike up to a stunning viewpoint. The island had a very different scenery from the nearby Amalfi Coast, the cliffs and rocks were more jagged and prone to arches and caves like the grottos. Our captain said Capri is made of the same rock as the Dolomites, which it did resemble, while the mainland was different. I forget what they were, a poor geologist's apprentice.
The town on Capri is apparently lined with all the high end shops, which I didn't care to see, but is interesting for such a small place. We were told in summer the place is full of celebrities and other millionaires, and the hillsides were dotted with unbelievable villas.
While we didn't see the blue grotto, and we heavily splurged, the boat ride was unforgettable.
We've just arrived in Rome for 4 nights, which is the place I've been looking forward to most and everyone we've met has said it was amazing so I'm looking forward to our time here.
-Justin
On our first day we took a bus to Positano, which is about an hour away on incredibly scenic winding roads. The bus ride is billed as a bit of a roller coaster and while it was a bit exciting our bus ride in Taormina was definitely sketchier, I think Sorrento just sees a lot more tourists used to a higher level of luxury.
We wandered down the hill from where we were let off, enjoying the views of ridiculously picturesque Positano perched on the cliff side. The town itself was pretty small, with the usual shops and restaurants to cater to the tourists who could afford the very expensive and lovely looking hotels in town. We soaked up a few hours of sun on the beach before taking a 2 hour ferry/cruise back to Sorrento. The views of Positano as we left were amazing, and then the cliffs of the coast all the way back were so breathtaking. I've always been, and still am, quite proud of Canada's natural scenery, but I've definitely been humbled a bit by Italy's because the mountains and coast line here are absolutely incredible.
The next day we had planned to go to Amalfi town, which was the next stop after Positano on the same bus. When we got to the station, however, the train strike that had delayed all trains by 10 minutes the other day had escalated so that no trains or buses were running that day. A sign had said it was due to a non payment of wages, which is pretty serious. Think about that the next time a spoiled government union goes on strike in BC. Times are a little tougher in Italy.
We ended up having a slow day just exploring Sorrento, which has really nice views from everywhere on top of the cliffs. With no real beach it was more of a hub than anything for us.
We were on the fence about going to Capri for a while, as the ferry is a bit pricy. We both wanted to see the famous blue grotto, but between the ferry to the island, a boat to the cave and a canoe inside, we were looking at almost €100 each after the forced paper money tips the dickhead canoe guys apparently demand. Expensive trip to a cave. When we saw a private boat tour of Capri for €75, with the option of paying a dickhead to take you in the cave, as well as exploring a lot of other parts of the coast we bought it on a whim.
We went out the next day with another guy from our hostel on a zodiac with ourselves, 3 older Aussie ladies and our Italian captain Sebastien. The weather was beautiful but the sea was pretty rough and we bounced around a bit on the way over.
We found out right away the sea was too rough to enter the grotto, as the opening is only a metre high or so. I was pretty disappointed as we were so close, and it was a big part of going, but what can you do. What we did get that we wouldn't have if we had just taken the ferry to the port, was a very private ride to a lot of other beautiful sights around the island. There are 2 other caves, the white and green grottos, which were both awesome, just more wide open so a larger boat can drive in. We got the see the colour of the water from the light reflecting off the white sand below, which is what makes the blue grotto so amazing. It just happens to be in more darkness so the effect is obviously better.
We also did some snorkelling around the island and then a short hike up to a stunning viewpoint. The island had a very different scenery from the nearby Amalfi Coast, the cliffs and rocks were more jagged and prone to arches and caves like the grottos. Our captain said Capri is made of the same rock as the Dolomites, which it did resemble, while the mainland was different. I forget what they were, a poor geologist's apprentice.
The town on Capri is apparently lined with all the high end shops, which I didn't care to see, but is interesting for such a small place. We were told in summer the place is full of celebrities and other millionaires, and the hillsides were dotted with unbelievable villas.
While we didn't see the blue grotto, and we heavily splurged, the boat ride was unforgettable.
We've just arrived in Rome for 4 nights, which is the place I've been looking forward to most and everyone we've met has said it was amazing so I'm looking forward to our time here.
-Justin
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Napoli Crapoli
Naples reminds me of home. Not in the good nostalgic way; in the worst ways you can think of. Our hostel was right outside of the train station and this is where all the homeless, drug addicts, and prostitutes abound. It really does look like the worst part of east Hastings, but with about fifty times the garbage and graffiti. I wanted to take more pictures, but I didn't feel safe taking my camera out. Especially after opening my wallet when buying a ticket for the train and having the ticket agent chastise me and motion to never show anything valuable around there.
Surprisingly our hostel was quite nice. They had a free pasta dinner the first night we arrived, and the next night an American girl took us out for White Night- a huge street party with hundreds of thousands of people enjoying the festivities. I couldn't quite get an answer about what they were celebrating- it just seemed to be a night where all the shops are open until 3, so all the residents go out. It was nice to see a fun, non frightening side of Naples. It was probably the biggest street party I will ever be to.
The only 2 things we wanted to do in Naples was go to Pompeii, and eat pizza. We wandered around the city looking for the best pizza around, and we found the restaurant from "Eat, Pray, Love" but the queue was so massive we settled on a random pizzeria that looked reasonably busy. The pizza was good, we had one margarita and a folded one stuffed with ricotta. I think it's the sauce that makes them so epic here- it just tastes like fresh blended tomatoes- because we've had a lot of comparable pizza around the country. But it was something that I won't forget and it made me happy.
Pompeii was obviously very dramatic. It was so massive, we spent about 2 hours there and managed to see quite a bit of it. For some reasons tickets were free, so that was a bonus, but we didn't get audio guides or a tour so we kind of wandered around without really knowing what we were looking at. We heard Herculaneum was better from a few people (thanks for your suggestions by the way) but we only had limited time so we never got to it. I can see how it would be easier to grasp a smaller city though because Pompeii was quite overwhelming.
We are in Sorrento now, and we have 4 nights here so it will be nice to settle down and relax for a bit.
Also wanted to mention that we booked our flight home- we will be in Vancouver October 28th so keep your schedules open for that week because I want to make dates with all of you.
Gen
Surprisingly our hostel was quite nice. They had a free pasta dinner the first night we arrived, and the next night an American girl took us out for White Night- a huge street party with hundreds of thousands of people enjoying the festivities. I couldn't quite get an answer about what they were celebrating- it just seemed to be a night where all the shops are open until 3, so all the residents go out. It was nice to see a fun, non frightening side of Naples. It was probably the biggest street party I will ever be to.
The only 2 things we wanted to do in Naples was go to Pompeii, and eat pizza. We wandered around the city looking for the best pizza around, and we found the restaurant from "Eat, Pray, Love" but the queue was so massive we settled on a random pizzeria that looked reasonably busy. The pizza was good, we had one margarita and a folded one stuffed with ricotta. I think it's the sauce that makes them so epic here- it just tastes like fresh blended tomatoes- because we've had a lot of comparable pizza around the country. But it was something that I won't forget and it made me happy.
Pompeii was obviously very dramatic. It was so massive, we spent about 2 hours there and managed to see quite a bit of it. For some reasons tickets were free, so that was a bonus, but we didn't get audio guides or a tour so we kind of wandered around without really knowing what we were looking at. We heard Herculaneum was better from a few people (thanks for your suggestions by the way) but we only had limited time so we never got to it. I can see how it would be easier to grasp a smaller city though because Pompeii was quite overwhelming.
We are in Sorrento now, and we have 4 nights here so it will be nice to settle down and relax for a bit.
Also wanted to mention that we booked our flight home- we will be in Vancouver October 28th so keep your schedules open for that week because I want to make dates with all of you.
Gen
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