Day 1 in Mykonos
Our first day, which happened to be Easter, we decided to head into town to get some cash (no ATMs in Paradise Beach) and check out the little downtown. It was very cool and picturesque. The little town obviously relies on tourism as it's main source of income and there were many cool stores. Many were closed because of the holiday and it being the off season. But we still were able to enjoy some excellent pita sandwiches and had a nice walk through the whitewashed buildings and churches. We then took the bus back to Paradise beach where we passed the afternoon back at the beach bar and enjoyed some feta cheese and delicious Mythos beer.
Day 2 – Being that we decided to cut our stay short in Mykonos (partly to do with the accommodations), this was our last full day, of which we spent the majority of the day sitting at the beach. After waking up, we enjoyed our free breakfast and took some long showers. At about Noon we headed for the beach. It was nice being able to just sit back and enjoy the weather. That was partly why we decided to start this trip in February so that we could have some nice early summer weather. The beach was great, the sun was warm, but the water was still a bit cold. Either way, no complaints.
Day3 – Mykonos to Santorini
We took the ferry from Mykonos around 3:00 in the afternoon. We could only take the high speed ferry because of the offseason. This cost us about $70 Euros, much more than we anticipated. But it was only a 2.5 hour ferry and as we disembarked our hostel driver was waiting for us. Apparently he had to deliver some flowers to another island, so we had to wait around at port for about 45 mins. Until the next ferry arrived. It wasn't that bad since there were cafes and ferry offices around so we were able to check on ships to Milos and Athens. The driver also owns the hostel and was very friendly and helpful. I think it's safe to say that our hostel here in Parissa beach is the best we've had yet. The rooms are clean, spacious with a nice terrace and deck chairs to enjoy the morning sun. The family staff is helpful and friendly, there are great restaurants and bars down the street, and the beach is just 30 meters away. Our first dinner here we went down the street to a Greek/Italian restaurant where we had some pizza and roasted veal. After dinner we walked along the beach. It was very creepy as the water was pretty rough that night and the lights from the restaurant shining on the water. It felt like at any moment the water could just rush up and overtake us. I think our first night we were very impressed with Santorini and looked forward to spending some relaxing days here.
Day 2
After waking up, we went looking for a supermarket to pick up groceries for breakfast and lunch. The market down the street was closed, so we stopped by a small bakery and picked up some awesome croissants and a couple of small pizzas for lunch. We laid out on our deck to get some sun, and then went out to check out the beach. Since Santorini is a volcanic island, the sand is very dark, but very incredibly soft. A bartender on the beach said the rock is like pumice. The water is a little warmer than in Myknonos so we walked along the beach for awhile before having a few drinks at a beach bar. After we went back to try the market again. This time it was open so we picked up some groceries and a liter of santorini wine. We ate dinner at Ntomatini, where we met a nice lady from Oregon. She gave us free shots of some terrible tasting liquor.
Day 3 – We were supposed to go on an all day excursion around the island and to check out the volcanic caldera, wrapping it all up with a sunset from Oia, but the weather was a little cloudy this day, so the tour was rescheduled for the following day. It ended up being a great day. It didn't matter because we spent the day in Fira. We hiked down the caldera to the old port, bought some souvenirs and then took a cable car back up to the top. We had a great lunch (cheap!) overlooking the volcano. We had dinner at Del Mar, where the food was great and we were treated with some free wine.
Day 4 – The day of the tour. We woke up, had breakfast at our favorite backery and then caught the tour bus back to the port of Thira. There we boarded a converted fishing boat and sailed to the volcanic island. We hiked around and saw the crater. Then we went to some hot springs. Melanie swam to the springs. The water was pretty cold but the springs were nice. Then we sailed to Thirassia, where we had some grilled kalimari and then sailed to famous Oia where we had some great food (stuffed fried olives!) and prepared for the famous Oia sunset. The sunset was beautiful.
Day 5 – we spent most of our day at the beach. We had dinner at Del Mar again, and we were treated to some Santorini special dessert wine called Vinsanto
Day 6 – we had to leave Stelios because they had no rooms available, but we were able to stay at his nephews place. There place was also nice. We chilled at the beach once more, were lazy and watched some greek TV.
Day 7 – Costas (Stelio's nephew) drove us to the port where we caught our ferry to Milos. Once in Milos we hiked a short ways to ur hostel. This is another great hostel. Greece seems to have great accommodations for a pretty low price. Service is also very nice, especially in restaurants. They love to give away free wine. We had a nice dinner and went to bed early.
Day 1 – Milos
we found another nice bakery to have breakfast up the street. We must have seen 50 cats. They are everywhere in Milos. Then we decided to take the city bus into Plaka (the capital) here we just walked around. It is very pretty, and there are virtually no tourists around. Most people are gearing up for the high season, so many shops were closed and being worked on. We had a nice lunch and walked around a bit more. We saw some wild cats fighting. Kind of strange. We took the bus back to the port. Later the hostel owners convinced us to checkout this neat coastal area called Sarakiniko. We had to walk a little ways but it was worth it. It's a very interesting rock formation along the coast. Similar to the badlands. The rock is very smooth and weathered by the wind and water. It reminded me of an SUV commerical. But it was very pretty. Later we walked back and had dinner at a nice pizza and pasta place.
Day 2 – Milos
We headed for the port after breakfast and spent a nice day with Captain Mike and his sail boat. He took us around the island to see the cool rocky coastline and into some aquatic caves. He didn't speak English very well, so whenever he didn't understand you, he would say “For me, It's no problem my friend”. It was a lot of fun. He made us coffees, fed us lunch, gave us snacks. He even let me sail the boat. Good times.
Day 3 – Milos (our last day :(
We woke up and had our breakfast and then went to the beach to kill some time before our ferry. We had a nice lunch and now we sit back at the hostel writing this post. We have until 8:00 tonight before our high speed ferry arrives. Then we arrive in Athens at Midnight. Tomorrow we take our flight home to Minneapolis. You all better have kept that Swine flu away.
That's it for now. Perhaps we'll write again soon.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Mykonos, Santorini, and Milos Pictures
check out pics from Mykonos, Santorini, and Milos.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2689811&id=13906387&l=e173c77ed0
captions to come later.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Greece Pics! Corfu and Athens
Hey everyone, as promised, here are some pics of Corfu and Athens.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2686965&id=13906387&l=3c933ee686
no captions yet, but I'll do later when we have more time.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Greece part 1: Corfu and Athens
Hey everyone, here is a little rundown of our first week or so in Greece.
Brindisi to Corfu
We arrived in Brindisi at about 11:00 pm. We figured the hostel couldn't be very far from the train station based on the directions, but we forgot that it was 11:00 pm and we were in an unfamiliar town. We basically walked around for an hour lugging our suitcases along busy roads, through the downtown where everyone was partying and finally ended up back at the station. We had to pay 14 euro for a cab ride to the hostel. Luckily the place was still open and there was someone there waiting for us. The next morning e learned that there are no hotels in Igouminitsu (we'll call it Igou for short), which wasn't really true we later found out (I kept the hostel room key on accident, so there). So we took the ferry to Corfu rather than Igou. Our hostel was called the Pink Palace - a college spring breaker's dream come true. Free breakfast, free internet, free dinner, and beautiful view! What more could you ask for?
We picked up a bottle of wine, and brought it back to our balcony to watch the daily show amongst the amazing view of the sea.
Corfu to Athens
so we were suppose to leave to Athens after the 2nd night at the Pink Palace, it was an overnight trip and it had been raining all day so we spent all day in the receptionist area watching movies and playing on the internet. We found out that our ferry was canceled because of the weather so we rushed to get on the last ferry of the night. By the time we wound our way across the island in torrential rain, we found out the ferry was canceled. But at least we got a free night back at the Pink Palace. So we ended up taking the 6:30 ferry the next morning to mainland Greece, where we were driven across the country by a Greek guy who spoke very little English. It wasn't the warmest day and he kept the window open all day while he smoked. So, after a 1.5 hour ferry ride and 7 hour van ride (at least it was scenic), we arrived in Athens. Melanie I were pretty tired and just spent the afternoon looking for an ATM and a snack, and then had a nice dinner provided by the Hostel. We also had our first taste of Greek Ouzo, a black licorice tasting liquor – similar to Sambuca
Day 2
Rainy day so we spent it at the Archaeological Museum (Another, yay!) We saw some great Greek sculptures and some Mycenaean artifacts. Very cool.
Day 3
We paid for the tickets. 18 euro! And if we would of just waited a couple of days it all would have been free for Easter weekend. Oh well, we saw the acropolis. It was huge, grandiose, spectacle of white marble. Then walked the grand promenade (basically a road connecting all of central Athens major historical sites), saw the Parthenon, walked around some of the cool neighborhoods. We went up and around heading towards the historical area of Plaka, however it was getting to the top of the hour and we definitely did not want to miss the changing of the guards. We grabbed a nice lunch (thinking we had enough time) but it got down to the wire and we ended up running and dodging cars to get to the parliament on time. Whew! Made it! The way the walked was so weird and funny and had to control my laughter. We then headed down the shopping street of Ermou and Corey finally bought a hat. Melanie picked up a nice traditional Greek blouse for herself and a couple souvenirs. Through our walking we discovered a fabulous flee market street, sat and had traditional Greek frappes. Delicious! We then walked up a hill adjacent to the acropolis for a view of the Parthenon at sunset. Of course we didn't take the easy way up, but the view a the top was well worth the climb. After we walked back down, and had a nice dinner on the grand promenade overlooking the acropolis all lit up in the night sky.
Day 4
We took the subway to the port of Piraeus to pick up ferry tickets to our next destination, Mykonos. After we walked a bit around the port and went back to the historical center to see the things we didnt have time to see the day earlier. This also happened to be Good Friday in Greece, so all the state historical sites were free. If only we knew this the day earlier...We then saw the ancient Greek agora (marketplace), saw a few other sites, had some lunch at a nice cafe, and then had dinner back at the hostel. Saw the Olympic stadium, awesome!
Day 5 – Athens to Mykonos.
So we woke up about 5:00, checked out of or hostel and headed for the subway. It was strange to be in such a large city, with no one out walking around. Most have left the city for the islands or elsewhere for the easter weekend. Once we got to the port, it was easy to find our boat (right in front of the main entrance). The ride was about 5 hours, but we occupied our time reading our books. But we were stuck in the smoking section so when the next to last stop came, we headed outside for the top deck where we could get some fresh air. Once we arrived in Mykonos, our hostel ride was waiting for us and brought us to the Paradise Beach campgrounds. The campground was nice, but the acclamations were very basic. We paid for the premier room (a little hut with two twin beds...and that's about it. It wasnt much better than a tent. Melanie was a little unsure at first, but being so close to the beach eventually won her over. This campground also had this pigeon house where all sorts of exotic birds were hanging out. After we got settled in, we had some dinner at the beach cafe and had a few drinks. That first night was pretty interesting. I slept fine, but it did get pretty cold. Being a tent like structure, every now and then some bugs made it in, which displeased Melanie. Needless to say, Melanie did not sleep well that night.
Brindisi to Corfu
We arrived in Brindisi at about 11:00 pm. We figured the hostel couldn't be very far from the train station based on the directions, but we forgot that it was 11:00 pm and we were in an unfamiliar town. We basically walked around for an hour lugging our suitcases along busy roads, through the downtown where everyone was partying and finally ended up back at the station. We had to pay 14 euro for a cab ride to the hostel. Luckily the place was still open and there was someone there waiting for us. The next morning e learned that there are no hotels in Igouminitsu (we'll call it Igou for short), which wasn't really true we later found out (I kept the hostel room key on accident, so there). So we took the ferry to Corfu rather than Igou. Our hostel was called the Pink Palace - a college spring breaker's dream come true. Free breakfast, free internet, free dinner, and beautiful view! What more could you ask for?
We picked up a bottle of wine, and brought it back to our balcony to watch the daily show amongst the amazing view of the sea.
Corfu to Athens
so we were suppose to leave to Athens after the 2nd night at the Pink Palace, it was an overnight trip and it had been raining all day so we spent all day in the receptionist area watching movies and playing on the internet. We found out that our ferry was canceled because of the weather so we rushed to get on the last ferry of the night. By the time we wound our way across the island in torrential rain, we found out the ferry was canceled. But at least we got a free night back at the Pink Palace. So we ended up taking the 6:30 ferry the next morning to mainland Greece, where we were driven across the country by a Greek guy who spoke very little English. It wasn't the warmest day and he kept the window open all day while he smoked. So, after a 1.5 hour ferry ride and 7 hour van ride (at least it was scenic), we arrived in Athens. Melanie I were pretty tired and just spent the afternoon looking for an ATM and a snack, and then had a nice dinner provided by the Hostel. We also had our first taste of Greek Ouzo, a black licorice tasting liquor – similar to Sambuca
Day 2
Rainy day so we spent it at the Archaeological Museum (Another, yay!) We saw some great Greek sculptures and some Mycenaean artifacts. Very cool.
Day 3
We paid for the tickets. 18 euro! And if we would of just waited a couple of days it all would have been free for Easter weekend. Oh well, we saw the acropolis. It was huge, grandiose, spectacle of white marble. Then walked the grand promenade (basically a road connecting all of central Athens major historical sites), saw the Parthenon, walked around some of the cool neighborhoods. We went up and around heading towards the historical area of Plaka, however it was getting to the top of the hour and we definitely did not want to miss the changing of the guards. We grabbed a nice lunch (thinking we had enough time) but it got down to the wire and we ended up running and dodging cars to get to the parliament on time. Whew! Made it! The way the walked was so weird and funny and had to control my laughter. We then headed down the shopping street of Ermou and Corey finally bought a hat. Melanie picked up a nice traditional Greek blouse for herself and a couple souvenirs. Through our walking we discovered a fabulous flee market street, sat and had traditional Greek frappes. Delicious! We then walked up a hill adjacent to the acropolis for a view of the Parthenon at sunset. Of course we didn't take the easy way up, but the view a the top was well worth the climb. After we walked back down, and had a nice dinner on the grand promenade overlooking the acropolis all lit up in the night sky.
Day 4
We took the subway to the port of Piraeus to pick up ferry tickets to our next destination, Mykonos. After we walked a bit around the port and went back to the historical center to see the things we didnt have time to see the day earlier. This also happened to be Good Friday in Greece, so all the state historical sites were free. If only we knew this the day earlier...We then saw the ancient Greek agora (marketplace), saw a few other sites, had some lunch at a nice cafe, and then had dinner back at the hostel. Saw the Olympic stadium, awesome!
Day 5 – Athens to Mykonos.
So we woke up about 5:00, checked out of or hostel and headed for the subway. It was strange to be in such a large city, with no one out walking around. Most have left the city for the islands or elsewhere for the easter weekend. Once we got to the port, it was easy to find our boat (right in front of the main entrance). The ride was about 5 hours, but we occupied our time reading our books. But we were stuck in the smoking section so when the next to last stop came, we headed outside for the top deck where we could get some fresh air. Once we arrived in Mykonos, our hostel ride was waiting for us and brought us to the Paradise Beach campgrounds. The campground was nice, but the acclamations were very basic. We paid for the premier room (a little hut with two twin beds...and that's about it. It wasnt much better than a tent. Melanie was a little unsure at first, but being so close to the beach eventually won her over. This campground also had this pigeon house where all sorts of exotic birds were hanging out. After we got settled in, we had some dinner at the beach cafe and had a few drinks. That first night was pretty interesting. I slept fine, but it did get pretty cold. Being a tent like structure, every now and then some bugs made it in, which displeased Melanie. Needless to say, Melanie did not sleep well that night.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Finally, Naples Pictures!
At long last we've finally posted our pictures of Naples and the Campania region. We've had sporadic access to internet and have been going 100 mph this past week in Greece. Now in Santorini, we're finally going to slow things down a bit. So, see the link below for the pics.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2685571&id=13906387&l=12ca56219f
We'll also be posting some pics and commentary of a time in Corfu, Athens, and Mykonos.
Cheers!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
ROME Photos!
Hey everyone - We're writing you from Athens right now. After a 7 hour mini-van ride, we really only want to let you know we have pics of Rome up for your viewing pleasure.
http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=323121015/a=138263262_138263262/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish
Monday, April 13, 2009
Adventures in Naples
Naples and Campania region
Day 1 – we arrived. Heard Italian women train making jokes about Naples and clutching their purse. Then heard Americans talking about watching their bags while in Naples. Good start. First impression of hotel: dump. First impression of Naples: also a dump. Deposited our bags and walked down to the waterfront to investigate fares to Capri. Saw an old Spanish castle. On our way back to the hostel we walked through a large piazza and saw an old church and then found a restaurant where we got a 3 course meal for 7 Euro. Also remember fat girl falling off bike.
Day 2 – Bought Campania artecard. Walked to the archaeological museum. Saw lots of old stuff from Pompei and Herculaneum. Took funicular up to top of hill. Walked through a nice park. Great view of Naples below. Went back down. Walked through an old street in Old Naples. Then went to the restaurant next to our hotel and had pizza. Melanie had Verde bianco, and I had one with prosciutto. (note: we ate this place almost every night).
Day 3 – Pompeii
Saw the ruins of Pompeii all day long. We grabbed the circumvesuviana (at the station near our hotel) and got off at Pompeii Scavi. Had 3 euro cappuccino (ridiculous), and then bought 2 audio guides and went off exploring. Started out numerically on the map. Then realized we would be there all day and instead went for one of the preplanned itineraries from the map. Saw the forum. Some nice homes, a brothel, two theaters, the preserved tombs outside the city walls. I thought Pompeii is neat because an entire city is preserved, not just a few buildings. Had to high tail it out just before a massive storm. We have pictures. Then rode circum back to station in Naples and had dinner at place next door.
Day 4 – Herculaneum
Took the circum back out again this time to see Herculaneum – another Roman city buried by Vesuvius. This place is much more preserved, but smaller. First we arrived and walked down to where we thought the ruins were, had a very cheap and good cup of cappuccino. While enjoying we saw on TV that there was a 6.5 earth quake, east of Rome in L'aquila. Later we heard that the quake had killed over 220 people. After our coffee we got lost looking for the entrance to the ruins (the signs aren't very helpful). After the ruins we went back home and enjoyed another delicious pizza at our next door neighbors.
Day 5 – Capri
Took a fast ferry from Naples to Capri. Walked up the long stairs to the center of town from the dock. Did some more walking up to a great scenic point. Then went back down to the central piazza and tried walking down to the other side of the island to Marina Piccola. After a hike down, we had lunch (expensive!, but had a great view and a nice beach to hand out by). Then found an easier way back up to the top and back to central plaza. Took the fairy back, walked downtown Naples a bit before it got dark. Saw the royal palace, another large piazza similar to st. peters in rome. Then walked back home through Spaccanapoli (the old town). Had dinner at our favorite spot again.
Day 6 – Amalfi coast
We wanted to see the Amalfi coastal towns while in Naples, so we took the train out to Sorrento and hopped on a bus out to the town of Amalfi. You can get an idea of what the Amalfi coast is like if you've ever seen the movie Under the Tuscan Sun;they show the town of Positano, which is on the coast. We passed through there on the way to the town of Amalfi. The bus ride was pretty intense, lots of twists and turns along the rocky cliffs of the coast, but we had an amazing view. When we arrived in Amalfi, we decided that we would just take it easy and relax most of the day. We walked to the main piazza and saw the old Norman-Arab cathedral in the center of town. Then we just wandered around looking at souvenir shops and limoncello (a local liquor) stores. Later we walked around a bit more to find the panoramic spots, took some great pictures, and then relaxed with some gelato and a delicious caprese salad with a couple of beers. We also ran into this foreign family for the 3rd day in a row! Pretty unbelievable given that there are so many things to do around Naples.
Late in the afternoon, we took the bus back to Sorrento. Melanie was having difficulty with the twists and turns, and took care of that in a plastic bag we so skillfully concealed. That was it for day 6. Just a relaxing day (minus the throwing up).
Day 7 – Vesuvius
We decided early on that we wanted to see Mt. Vesuvius before we left. The way it works is that you have to take a bus about ¾ of the way up, and then walk the rest of the way. The bus ride was yet again another thrill ride. This time it wasn't so much the road as it was the driver. I guess he really wanted us to get up there quickly as he squealed is tires around every turn. At least he was entertaining though. After de-boarding at the parking area, we made our ascent. The walkway was very steep and difficult to climb with non-hiking shoes. On the way up, we were rewarded with awesome views of the Bay of Naples, Sorrento and Capri. Once at the top, we were able to peer down inside the caldera. There were even a few spots where you could see steam escaping through vents in the caldera. On the way back down, we saw the same foreign family yet again. I don't how that is possible that two separate parties can have the same itineraries for 4 days, but it happened.
Anyways, so after seeing the crater and the foreign couple, we hurried back down to catch the 2:00 bus back to Pompeii (or so we thought it was 2:00.) we ended up waiting for another hour for the bus in a dusty parking lot, but finally made it back down. By this time we were starving, so we had some overpriced sandwiches (Pompeii is like a camping resort with tourists traps everywhere). We then took the train back into Naples. After spending way too much in Naples, we went back to the restaurant we had dinner at on the first night, figuring that a 3 course meal for 7 Euro is still the best deal in town. We should have eaten at this place every night instead of the mediocre pizza joint next door.
Day 1 – we arrived. Heard Italian women train making jokes about Naples and clutching their purse. Then heard Americans talking about watching their bags while in Naples. Good start. First impression of hotel: dump. First impression of Naples: also a dump. Deposited our bags and walked down to the waterfront to investigate fares to Capri. Saw an old Spanish castle. On our way back to the hostel we walked through a large piazza and saw an old church and then found a restaurant where we got a 3 course meal for 7 Euro. Also remember fat girl falling off bike.
Day 2 – Bought Campania artecard. Walked to the archaeological museum. Saw lots of old stuff from Pompei and Herculaneum. Took funicular up to top of hill. Walked through a nice park. Great view of Naples below. Went back down. Walked through an old street in Old Naples. Then went to the restaurant next to our hotel and had pizza. Melanie had Verde bianco, and I had one with prosciutto. (note: we ate this place almost every night).
Day 3 – Pompeii
Saw the ruins of Pompeii all day long. We grabbed the circumvesuviana (at the station near our hotel) and got off at Pompeii Scavi. Had 3 euro cappuccino (ridiculous), and then bought 2 audio guides and went off exploring. Started out numerically on the map. Then realized we would be there all day and instead went for one of the preplanned itineraries from the map. Saw the forum. Some nice homes, a brothel, two theaters, the preserved tombs outside the city walls. I thought Pompeii is neat because an entire city is preserved, not just a few buildings. Had to high tail it out just before a massive storm. We have pictures. Then rode circum back to station in Naples and had dinner at place next door.
Day 4 – Herculaneum
Took the circum back out again this time to see Herculaneum – another Roman city buried by Vesuvius. This place is much more preserved, but smaller. First we arrived and walked down to where we thought the ruins were, had a very cheap and good cup of cappuccino. While enjoying we saw on TV that there was a 6.5 earth quake, east of Rome in L'aquila. Later we heard that the quake had killed over 220 people. After our coffee we got lost looking for the entrance to the ruins (the signs aren't very helpful). After the ruins we went back home and enjoyed another delicious pizza at our next door neighbors.
Day 5 – Capri
Took a fast ferry from Naples to Capri. Walked up the long stairs to the center of town from the dock. Did some more walking up to a great scenic point. Then went back down to the central piazza and tried walking down to the other side of the island to Marina Piccola. After a hike down, we had lunch (expensive!, but had a great view and a nice beach to hand out by). Then found an easier way back up to the top and back to central plaza. Took the fairy back, walked downtown Naples a bit before it got dark. Saw the royal palace, another large piazza similar to st. peters in rome. Then walked back home through Spaccanapoli (the old town). Had dinner at our favorite spot again.
Day 6 – Amalfi coast
We wanted to see the Amalfi coastal towns while in Naples, so we took the train out to Sorrento and hopped on a bus out to the town of Amalfi. You can get an idea of what the Amalfi coast is like if you've ever seen the movie Under the Tuscan Sun;they show the town of Positano, which is on the coast. We passed through there on the way to the town of Amalfi. The bus ride was pretty intense, lots of twists and turns along the rocky cliffs of the coast, but we had an amazing view. When we arrived in Amalfi, we decided that we would just take it easy and relax most of the day. We walked to the main piazza and saw the old Norman-Arab cathedral in the center of town. Then we just wandered around looking at souvenir shops and limoncello (a local liquor) stores. Later we walked around a bit more to find the panoramic spots, took some great pictures, and then relaxed with some gelato and a delicious caprese salad with a couple of beers. We also ran into this foreign family for the 3rd day in a row! Pretty unbelievable given that there are so many things to do around Naples.
Late in the afternoon, we took the bus back to Sorrento. Melanie was having difficulty with the twists and turns, and took care of that in a plastic bag we so skillfully concealed. That was it for day 6. Just a relaxing day (minus the throwing up).
Day 7 – Vesuvius
We decided early on that we wanted to see Mt. Vesuvius before we left. The way it works is that you have to take a bus about ¾ of the way up, and then walk the rest of the way. The bus ride was yet again another thrill ride. This time it wasn't so much the road as it was the driver. I guess he really wanted us to get up there quickly as he squealed is tires around every turn. At least he was entertaining though. After de-boarding at the parking area, we made our ascent. The walkway was very steep and difficult to climb with non-hiking shoes. On the way up, we were rewarded with awesome views of the Bay of Naples, Sorrento and Capri. Once at the top, we were able to peer down inside the caldera. There were even a few spots where you could see steam escaping through vents in the caldera. On the way back down, we saw the same foreign family yet again. I don't how that is possible that two separate parties can have the same itineraries for 4 days, but it happened.
Anyways, so after seeing the crater and the foreign couple, we hurried back down to catch the 2:00 bus back to Pompeii (or so we thought it was 2:00.) we ended up waiting for another hour for the bus in a dusty parking lot, but finally made it back down. By this time we were starving, so we had some overpriced sandwiches (Pompeii is like a camping resort with tourists traps everywhere). We then took the train back into Naples. After spending way too much in Naples, we went back to the restaurant we had dinner at on the first night, figuring that a 3 course meal for 7 Euro is still the best deal in town. We should have eaten at this place every night instead of the mediocre pizza joint next door.
ROME
Day 1
-We arrive and walk a short distance to hostel near the train station. Walk around while our room is being prepared. Our first 3 nights were in a different hostel altogether because there was a massive group of 12 people staying in our room. It worked out well because we ended up getting a private shower and bathroom in a brand new apartment complex. We were able to catch up on news back home with the nice satellite connected flat screen in our room. I also had problems connecting the computer to the hostel's wi-fi, so we ended up getting another night added on. We walked a bit around the northern part of the city, near our hostel and wandered into the Trevi fountain. It was an amazing sight in the dark, even if it was completely overrun by tourists.
Day 2
The ruins, and Colosseum. Just want it says. Walked from our hostel southwest through the park that houses the Domus Aurea (Nero's Golden House), and straight into the Colosseum. It was glorious seeing such a massive ancient structure rising out of the grit and noise of modern day Rome. We saw the forum from the outside of the Colosseum, went by the circus maximus. We were looking for the entrance into the forum and had lunch near an old church and arch. We went inside the massive “wedding cake” monument to Italy's first king and saw some great panoramic views. Then walked out into the Capotoline hill square. Looked for the forum entrance and ended up seeing all the ruins just outside the forum including Julius Caesar's temple, Trajan's market and column, and other stuff. Then we finally found the entrance. The forum is impressive obviously, but I think seeing it in person helped me understand how normal of a city it was. Not some mythical place of antiquity. Next we finished up our afternoon walking around the different levels of the Colosseum. They had a nice display of artifacts found in and around the Colosseum and a history of the Flavian emperors who presided over it's construction. That it for day 2
Day 3
Palatine Hill. Palatine and only Palatine hill. The ticket we bought for the Colosseum and the forum also covered Palatine hill – where the emperor's built their homes. We saw the massive flavian palace, the exterior of emperor Augustus's home and some recently unearthed remains of the inside of his home. It had some well preserved frescoes and mosaic floors. We then walked around the rest of the hill and finished up in the forum once more. Next we walked back towards the Trevi fountain, this time for a glimpse during the day. After we walked over to the Pantheon (but it was closed), and found ourselves in the midst of a big protest complete with cops, military police, tear gas, music and helicopters. Fortunately, there were no surprises, minus the flare guns.
Day 4
The Vatican – Saw basilica, st. peter's square, Bernini. Went inside basilica, saw Michelangelo's statue. Waited in line to touch gold cross, see picture. Saw the alter that used bronze from Pantheon (boo). Walked around Vatican city walls to find museum. But the “free” signs mislead us. Found out entrance was closed, just missed it. So then walked back towards square. Then left Vatican and walked around caste san Angelo. Then saw piazza popolo. Took funny pictures. Saw Spanish steps and it started to pour. So we ducked inside and drank coffee. Then walked home in the rain (with umbrella, but still soaked). Also, guys try and sell umbrellas when it rains.
Day 5
Piazza Navonna, Vatican and Pantheon early. We stopped before museum to see inside of pantheon and saw Raphael's tomb. Also saw Piazza Navona and Bernini fountains. Then went to museum with no lines (yay!). We saw some great roman and Greek statues and art, saw the Laocoon statue (3000 years old). Raphael's frescoes (school of Athens), some Dali paintings, cute fat cardinal painting, Sistine chapel (Hallelujah. Lots of people, everyone is loud and everyone shushing), then left the area and saw some final paintings by other greats such as Caravaggio, Leonardo, and a few more famous Raphael paintings. Then we walked back to hostel.
Day 6
Appian way – took subway down south and walked the Appian way (0ld Roman road leading out of Rome). On the way, we saw the supposed footprints of Jesus at the Domine Quo Vadis church. Then attempted to walk the Appian way. Lots of traffic and no sidewalks. Hopped a bus for free for a couple miles then walked the rest of the way. No traffic. Saw the Circus of Maxentius, and a suburban bath complex. Kept walking along original Roman paved roads with numerous tombs and mausoleum from ancient times. Very nice day, warm and sunny. Then wind picked up and it started to rain. Nice to be out of the city and all its noises. Thought about seeing old Christian catacombs but didn't go because of huge Spanish school groups. So we walked through the massive park around the Appian way. Saw a Sheppard grazing his sheep. Walked back, found a market and bought some jewelry. Then we took the subway back home.
Day 7
Walked to the Borghese museum. Along the way walked along a very nice strip of restaurants and hotels. Stopped at a beautiful church where Bernini's Ecstacy of St. Theresa sculpture resides (also mentioned in Dan Brown's Angels and Demons). Walked around the Borghese park. Bought tickets for the museum but had to wait 3 hours before going in. Fought off the intermittent rain and finally enjoyed the museum. More Bernini statues. We werent aware of the daylight savings time so we lost an hour on our tour without knowing it. We explained to the staff and they let us stay for another hour. Borghese took all day, so we just went home.
Day 8
Trastevere and Police.
Police!!
we were awoken by the sound of police banging on the door of the reception. And obnoxious door buzzing
Ask for our passports and how much we paid for the room.
Worried we would never see the Asian ladies again...how would we get back into room?
But they did and they gave us our breakfast. They said they were late on something and that is way the police was here.
And after dinner they surprised us with oranges and yogurt and apologized again for the trouble this morning.
Went to Trastevere neighborhood, walked up a big hill and saw great view of Rome. Then walked back down to central area and went to Aventine hill. Saw some more great views.
-We arrive and walk a short distance to hostel near the train station. Walk around while our room is being prepared. Our first 3 nights were in a different hostel altogether because there was a massive group of 12 people staying in our room. It worked out well because we ended up getting a private shower and bathroom in a brand new apartment complex. We were able to catch up on news back home with the nice satellite connected flat screen in our room. I also had problems connecting the computer to the hostel's wi-fi, so we ended up getting another night added on. We walked a bit around the northern part of the city, near our hostel and wandered into the Trevi fountain. It was an amazing sight in the dark, even if it was completely overrun by tourists.
Day 2
The ruins, and Colosseum. Just want it says. Walked from our hostel southwest through the park that houses the Domus Aurea (Nero's Golden House), and straight into the Colosseum. It was glorious seeing such a massive ancient structure rising out of the grit and noise of modern day Rome. We saw the forum from the outside of the Colosseum, went by the circus maximus. We were looking for the entrance into the forum and had lunch near an old church and arch. We went inside the massive “wedding cake” monument to Italy's first king and saw some great panoramic views. Then walked out into the Capotoline hill square. Looked for the forum entrance and ended up seeing all the ruins just outside the forum including Julius Caesar's temple, Trajan's market and column, and other stuff. Then we finally found the entrance. The forum is impressive obviously, but I think seeing it in person helped me understand how normal of a city it was. Not some mythical place of antiquity. Next we finished up our afternoon walking around the different levels of the Colosseum. They had a nice display of artifacts found in and around the Colosseum and a history of the Flavian emperors who presided over it's construction. That it for day 2
Day 3
Palatine Hill. Palatine and only Palatine hill. The ticket we bought for the Colosseum and the forum also covered Palatine hill – where the emperor's built their homes. We saw the massive flavian palace, the exterior of emperor Augustus's home and some recently unearthed remains of the inside of his home. It had some well preserved frescoes and mosaic floors. We then walked around the rest of the hill and finished up in the forum once more. Next we walked back towards the Trevi fountain, this time for a glimpse during the day. After we walked over to the Pantheon (but it was closed), and found ourselves in the midst of a big protest complete with cops, military police, tear gas, music and helicopters. Fortunately, there were no surprises, minus the flare guns.
Day 4
The Vatican – Saw basilica, st. peter's square, Bernini. Went inside basilica, saw Michelangelo's statue. Waited in line to touch gold cross, see picture. Saw the alter that used bronze from Pantheon (boo). Walked around Vatican city walls to find museum. But the “free” signs mislead us. Found out entrance was closed, just missed it. So then walked back towards square. Then left Vatican and walked around caste san Angelo. Then saw piazza popolo. Took funny pictures. Saw Spanish steps and it started to pour. So we ducked inside and drank coffee. Then walked home in the rain (with umbrella, but still soaked). Also, guys try and sell umbrellas when it rains.
Day 5
Piazza Navonna, Vatican and Pantheon early. We stopped before museum to see inside of pantheon and saw Raphael's tomb. Also saw Piazza Navona and Bernini fountains. Then went to museum with no lines (yay!). We saw some great roman and Greek statues and art, saw the Laocoon statue (3000 years old). Raphael's frescoes (school of Athens), some Dali paintings, cute fat cardinal painting, Sistine chapel (Hallelujah. Lots of people, everyone is loud and everyone shushing), then left the area and saw some final paintings by other greats such as Caravaggio, Leonardo, and a few more famous Raphael paintings. Then we walked back to hostel.
Day 6
Appian way – took subway down south and walked the Appian way (0ld Roman road leading out of Rome). On the way, we saw the supposed footprints of Jesus at the Domine Quo Vadis church. Then attempted to walk the Appian way. Lots of traffic and no sidewalks. Hopped a bus for free for a couple miles then walked the rest of the way. No traffic. Saw the Circus of Maxentius, and a suburban bath complex. Kept walking along original Roman paved roads with numerous tombs and mausoleum from ancient times. Very nice day, warm and sunny. Then wind picked up and it started to rain. Nice to be out of the city and all its noises. Thought about seeing old Christian catacombs but didn't go because of huge Spanish school groups. So we walked through the massive park around the Appian way. Saw a Sheppard grazing his sheep. Walked back, found a market and bought some jewelry. Then we took the subway back home.
Day 7
Walked to the Borghese museum. Along the way walked along a very nice strip of restaurants and hotels. Stopped at a beautiful church where Bernini's Ecstacy of St. Theresa sculpture resides (also mentioned in Dan Brown's Angels and Demons). Walked around the Borghese park. Bought tickets for the museum but had to wait 3 hours before going in. Fought off the intermittent rain and finally enjoyed the museum. More Bernini statues. We werent aware of the daylight savings time so we lost an hour on our tour without knowing it. We explained to the staff and they let us stay for another hour. Borghese took all day, so we just went home.
Day 8
Trastevere and Police.
Police!!
we were awoken by the sound of police banging on the door of the reception. And obnoxious door buzzing
Ask for our passports and how much we paid for the room.
Worried we would never see the Asian ladies again...how would we get back into room?
But they did and they gave us our breakfast. They said they were late on something and that is way the police was here.
And after dinner they surprised us with oranges and yogurt and apologized again for the trouble this morning.
Went to Trastevere neighborhood, walked up a big hill and saw great view of Rome. Then walked back down to central area and went to Aventine hill. Saw some more great views.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
STATUS CONFIRMATION
Status: ALIVE and WELL!!
We are currently on the island of Corfu in Greece (just east off the boot of Italy.)
Thank you for all your thoughts of concern after the tragic earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy. Thankfully we were in Naples at the time and felt no trace of the earthquake.
We will post our adventures in Rome and Naples soon.
We are currently on the island of Corfu in Greece (just east off the boot of Italy.)
Thank you for all your thoughts of concern after the tragic earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy. Thankfully we were in Naples at the time and felt no trace of the earthquake.
We will post our adventures in Rome and Naples soon.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Final day in Florence - another catch-up post (sorry!)
Last day in Florence – I promised I would post this.
Our last day in Florence turned out to be the perfect way to goodbye to the city. It also happened to be my (Corey) birthday. So I was able to choose the day's activities.
Before I start, let me quickly mention a few things about our hotel's free breakfast. They offer a free continental breakfast every morning from like 8:30 to 10:30. But it seems like just a few guests know about it, so we head down there at like 8:30, enjoy a bowl of cereal, juice, coffee, a couple of croissants, some muffins. Pretty much 2 of everything. Then we grab several croissants and muffins to go and maybe a couple of packages of Nutella. That way we don't have to pack a big lunch. I just thought that I'd note that for posterity's sake.
Anyways, the first thing we do is enjoy a nice breakfast, and then head to the Duomo to walk the 470 steps to the top. It doesn't actually seem that bad once you start walking. We were able to see how the architect was able to the build the dome. He actually built two domes – one for support. Before he came on the project, no one could figure out how to build a dome that massive. About halfway up, we were able to see the fresco of the Last Judgment on the underside of the dome.
We finally made it up to the top (along with 40 other people) and saw some the best views of the city (see the earlier post on Florence pt. 2 pictures). After taking a ton of shots, we headed back down to the plaza and decided to walk back across Ponte Vecchio and spend some time on the souther side of the city. Besides being free of many tourists, the southern side of Florence is very nice. We took a great stroll up a wide boulevard lined with huge cedar trees up to the top of a hill just south of the river. We wanted to check out this massive fort atop the hill, so we continued our nice stroll down some winy narrow roads. Eventually we found the fort, but it was closed for the day, so we just continued down the road to find out where it ended. We were surprised to find that the road brought us back down to the river just a few blocks from where we started. We also ended up right in front of the hill we discussed climbing early on in the week. We found our way up to the top of the hill, where Piazza Michelangelo is (named for a bronze copy of his David statue at the center of the piazza – also in the second set of Florence pictures in a previous post.) After taking in some more gorgeous views, we went back down to the center of town and enjoyed one last excellent three course dinner at our favorite trattoria.
OK. so later I will post some thoughts on our week in Rome and post some pics of Rome.
Our last day in Florence turned out to be the perfect way to goodbye to the city. It also happened to be my (Corey) birthday. So I was able to choose the day's activities.
Before I start, let me quickly mention a few things about our hotel's free breakfast. They offer a free continental breakfast every morning from like 8:30 to 10:30. But it seems like just a few guests know about it, so we head down there at like 8:30, enjoy a bowl of cereal, juice, coffee, a couple of croissants, some muffins. Pretty much 2 of everything. Then we grab several croissants and muffins to go and maybe a couple of packages of Nutella. That way we don't have to pack a big lunch. I just thought that I'd note that for posterity's sake.
Anyways, the first thing we do is enjoy a nice breakfast, and then head to the Duomo to walk the 470 steps to the top. It doesn't actually seem that bad once you start walking. We were able to see how the architect was able to the build the dome. He actually built two domes – one for support. Before he came on the project, no one could figure out how to build a dome that massive. About halfway up, we were able to see the fresco of the Last Judgment on the underside of the dome.
We finally made it up to the top (along with 40 other people) and saw some the best views of the city (see the earlier post on Florence pt. 2 pictures). After taking a ton of shots, we headed back down to the plaza and decided to walk back across Ponte Vecchio and spend some time on the souther side of the city. Besides being free of many tourists, the southern side of Florence is very nice. We took a great stroll up a wide boulevard lined with huge cedar trees up to the top of a hill just south of the river. We wanted to check out this massive fort atop the hill, so we continued our nice stroll down some winy narrow roads. Eventually we found the fort, but it was closed for the day, so we just continued down the road to find out where it ended. We were surprised to find that the road brought us back down to the river just a few blocks from where we started. We also ended up right in front of the hill we discussed climbing early on in the week. We found our way up to the top of the hill, where Piazza Michelangelo is (named for a bronze copy of his David statue at the center of the piazza – also in the second set of Florence pictures in a previous post.) After taking in some more gorgeous views, we went back down to the center of town and enjoyed one last excellent three course dinner at our favorite trattoria.
OK. so later I will post some thoughts on our week in Rome and post some pics of Rome.
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