tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355460173424951182024-03-14T11:27:15.888-04:00Sunshine in HandJanellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-89516199806073403722011-09-30T18:00:00.000-04:002014-05-16T15:43:48.108-04:00The last day of our month long journey...September 30, 2011<br />
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Today was a really tough day. Besides waking up in our <em>wonderful</em> room and having to use a toilet located in a closet down the hall that smelled like someone died in there, we had to cope with the fact that this is the end. Our month long magical journey is coming to a close... Kat and I decided to make the most of the day before we head to the airport for our long flight back to New York City. We packed up our things and said goodbye to our slum palace. We fell so hard from our first hotel in London, didn't we?<br />
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There is only one proper way to spend your last day in Paris - visiting the opera house and looking at dead people. We started with the opera house first. When we arrived at Palais Garnier, I just about died. The building is massive and beautiful. Starvation won out, however, and we stopped for some Croque Madame's before basking in its grandeur. The meal was delicious, and Kat even got a special surprise under her egg - a HUGE winged bug. After a freak out session, we proceeded to the opera house.<br />
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Palais Garnier is nothing short of magnificent. The architecture is out of this world and the whole place is dripping with incredible sculptures and art. Balconies wrap around the stairs ascending to the other tiers and I, of course, had to stop to take the necessary diva singing pictures.<br />
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Just when I thought that it couldn't get any better, we entered a hall like no other hall. Well actually, if you want to get technical, it strongly resembles the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. I was in heaven and this was the moment that I vowed I would come out of opera retirement and one day sing in this remarkable place... or at least just see an opera there.<br />
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If you look closely in that balcony you can see I'm already taking the city by storm.<br />
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Once Kat dragged me out of the opera house, with the promise of doom and gore (everyone knows I can't resist doom and gore, even to opera), we made our way to the Catacombs of Paris. We descended the staircase 62 feet below the surface of Paris and walked through the tunnels and caverns of the Catacombs. After walking almost a mile through the dark, dank, winding tunnels, we turned the corner to face bones. Human bones. There they were stacked 5 feet high and right within arm’s reach. Femurs, tibias, skulls, you name it, uncovered! The fact that a place like this actually exists is almost unfathomable. Imagine if this was in America. It would be locked behind thick glass for sure! Thank you Paris with trusting me not to touch your bones. You know I did. <br />
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This place was magical and haunting without giving you that creepy, can taste the return of your lunch in your mouth feeling. It was odd but being surrounded by all of those human bones didn't even feel strange. It felt awesome and the whole time I contemplated how I could recreate this basilica of bones in my own apartment.<br />
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When we finally emerged from the Catacombs, it was time to head to the airport and face another type of doom and gloom... saying goodbye to Europe. How to you say goodbye to something so magical? Apparently, by getting up close and personal with hundreds of Parisians on the train ride to the airport. After our hour long snuggling session, we arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport. I said my final goodbyes to my parents and Steve in case touching that skull had cursed me for good. The flight attendants dragged me onto my flight while I kicked and screamed, "I don't want to go!!" I wept the whole way home. Europe I'll come back to you...don't you worry!<br />
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Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-27398886385257669382011-09-29T23:13:00.000-04:002011-10-24T23:00:40.208-04:00Giverny<p>September 29, 2011</p><p>Today we decided to take a train ride a bit out of the city and explore Giverny, the gardens and home of Claude Monet. When we arrived in this small artist town, that true feeling of the French countryside was overwhelming. The surrounding hills and wildflowers galore were almost too much to handle and I was prepared to give up my life and become an artist in France. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6277554262" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6223/6277554262_de3e9a1174.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677287.2651" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6058/6277557732_717a889394.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6058/6277557732_717a889394.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677271.6511" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6277036951" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6226/6277036951_0d0ebf428d.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677281.3535" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>Monet's house was extremely cute and filled with vibrant colors. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside, so you'll just have to check it out for yourself. The garden was stunning. Not to take any credit away from the great master, but if I was surrounded by such beauty, I'd probably have enough inspiration to be a painting genius! I have no words for the photos below, besides enjoy and get on booking that ticket to France!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6229/6277563962_62694f43c1.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6229/6277563962_62694f43c1.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677271.7634" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6225/6277044645_c924b86c5e.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6225/6277044645_c924b86c5e.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677298.9543" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6046/6277569076_beff4aeb27.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6107/6278124247_7214625fd8.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6107/6278124247_7214625fd8.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677282.5142" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6218/6278659736_5db0901fc5.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6218/6278659736_5db0901fc5.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677314.3318" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6091/6278672698_5e4401f0c8.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6091/6278672698_5e4401f0c8.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677329.5708" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278178807" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6226/6278178807_da27f7c790.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677286.1465" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278186235" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6044/6278186235_2663c2d564.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677244.7207" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278725756" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6056/6278725756_ab2200004c.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677306.6355" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278746928" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6104/6278746928_a620d3ec84.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677284.6606" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278238899" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6053/6278238899_e061b9a353.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677254.4382" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>After exploring the gardens, we walked around the adorable village of Giverny. We stopped for a wonderful lunch at an outdoor cafe and explored the village church and cemetery where Monet is buried. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278247493" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6235/6278247493_671b04daf6.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677330.2202" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278779016" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6119/6278779016_5e416acdd7.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677333.8835" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278786818" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6218/6278786818_ea854d5d68.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677263.6545" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278793748" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6091/6278793748_baa8e1271d.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677285.9653" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278800598" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6050/6278800598_8f0afef6b7.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677258.353" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278286433" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6058/6278286433_7d574c3443.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677328.0889" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278292865" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6212/6278292865_4538363f89.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677276.0212" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278821280" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6097/6278821280_05a2ae672c.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677333.0767" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278829586" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6098/6278829586_3c5b70ceff.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677255.4194" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>After a lovely day in Giverny, we returned to Paris just in time to see the sunset from the Montparnasse Tower. This was another wonderful recommendation from our bike tour guide (they are full of wisdom, I tell ya). He said, "everyone goes to the top of the Eiffel Tower and they are missing the one thing you really want in your photo. The Eiffel Tower!" So up to the observation deck of Montparnasse Tower we went, and we got some fantastic shots of sunset and the Tower lit up. If none of these fit your fancy, I have about 800 more for you to choose from! Bonsoir Paris!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278833618" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6219/6278833618_cac7f5a86c.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677347.4927" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278318463" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6278318463_894cf8f655.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677281.5837" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278846230" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6048/6278846230_4589625c17.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677261.0898" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278338347" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6047/6278338347_200c93e912.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677313.0457" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278866050" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6222/6278866050_769d797392.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677310.2385" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278871716" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/6278871716_ec731b6074.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677318.221" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6278356337" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6049/6278356337_08b46767b5.jpg" id="blogsy-1319511677334.1648" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-25094125288520250322011-09-28T22:08:00.000-04:002011-10-24T09:20:13.241-04:00Charm of ParisSeptember 28, 2011 <br />
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We decided to devote the following day in Paris to seeing some of the sites. After walking up and up and up some stairs, and then even further up we found ourselves at Sacre Coeur. This gigantic basilica is located on top of a hill overlooking Paris. The exterior is stunning and the inside is also quite beautiful. But seriously, coin souvenirs in the church??? You know the machines I'm talking about, it looks like a vending machine, you put your penny in and about a dollar in change and you get a pressed penny. Kind of cool... but in the house of God? Not appropriate. Oh well. The views of Paris would have been pretty amazing if the fog, or maybe it was smog, was not so bad.<br />
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After fighting with a particularly obnoxious scammer who wanted to braid a bracelet on my arm, we continued to walk through the Montmartre area. We finally located the market and it proved to be one of the most fearful moments ever. The sidewalks were completely packed with people attempting to sell every possession you could ever imagine - baby formula, beaten up shoes, you name it! It was very difficult to maneuver through the crowd and I was very worried that we would be pick pocketed; however, we carefully made our way to the produce section and began purchasing our picnic lunch. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scammer at work</td></tr>
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Once we had enough food, well actually enough to feed an army, we began walking towards Parc des Buttes Chaumont. This park was also recommended by our bike tour guide. We learned a very important lesson while walking. Everything on the map is actually a million more miles away than you think. We ended up walking for about an hour before we got to the park. Between the two of us, the baguette was demolished and we ate a whole wheel of cheese. I'm not ashamed, I'm actually impressed. It turned out to be a wonderful picnic lunch in a beautiful park.<br />
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Notre Dame was next on our list and we learned our lesson and took the metro. We walked through a beautiful flower market and made a detour to Sainte Chapelle. This chapel definitely takes the cake on all of the 100's of churches we visited on this trip. The stained glass windows were out of this world!!<br />
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It was wonderful seeing Notre Dame in person after studying it in many an art class. The architecture is incredible and I got a bunch of awesome shots while inside!<br />
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While walking to find dinner, we stumbled upon this wonderful little bookshop called Shakespeare and Company. It was remarkably charming and literally filled floor to ceiling with books. We got extremely lucky and showed up just in time for a concert! Two bands out of the UK performed, The Magic Lantern and This is the Kit. Both were exceptional and it was one of those magical unplanned moments where we just happened to be in the right place at the right time! They even asked us to be their photographers for the evening.<br />
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After a delicious French meal, with plenty of French onion soup, this wonderful day came to a close. Thanks for the magic Paris!</div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-37250140879044650922011-09-27T22:36:00.000-04:002011-10-05T23:53:35.747-04:00Back in Paris<p>September 27, 2011</p><p>Kat and I got lucky and even though we were in a six 'bed' compartment on the overnight train to Paris, we were the only ones in the room. We actually slept pretty well and our train attendant even busted in the room in the morning with cookies and Nesquik. She definitely thought that we were 12.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6215764123" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6116/6215764123_f63f8e55a5.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260232.2563" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6216282948" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6117/6216282948_e9328aa22b.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260281.678" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>After spending hours at a cafe pondering why in the world hotel prices have spiked so high since the last time we were in Paris, we settled on the Le Montclair Hostel. The hostel was a part of a 'hip hop hostel' chain and is located in what they call the hip Montmartre area. If you ever get the chance to stay there, don't. Check in wasn't until 3:00 p.m. so we ditched our packs in the baggage room and decided to try the Fat Tire Bike Tour. We took the metro to the Eiffel Tour where we met up with our tour group. After going to their shop and picking our bikes, we were on our way. The tour was fabulous and fun and we saw a lot of the main sites in Paris. Our tour guide, Matt, was full of a lot of interesting information and only almost killed a few of the group off in about 4 traffic incidents. Please be kind when viewing these photos. We haven't showered for a few days.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6215785463" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6237/6215785463_72bbdbc268.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260302.2646" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6216304744" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6044/6216304744_ebfd9da29f.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260254.3806" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6215794569" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6047/6215794569_73e851c866.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260310.6272" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6216313550" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/6216313550_4613a26319.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260292.5176" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6215922251" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6107/6215922251_118eddea8f.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260268.69" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6215776803" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6221/6215776803_eb1d0590c2.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260266.3337" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6215806861" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6215806861_574c99c3d5.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260324.8582" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6215810659" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6118/6215810659_a389d2f0fd.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260294.569" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6215815123" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6230/6215815123_19cc95cdeb.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260282.723" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6216334044" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6032/6216334044_dc29859e55.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260305.804" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6215826683" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6100/6215826683_3bc05c4b9e.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260255.7666" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6215822877" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6215822877_7dbae61fb2.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260283.7747" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>Following the survival of our bike tour, we checked into our dorm room in the hostel. Again, we lucked out and had the room to ourselves. We quickly showered days of dirt off and headed out in search of food. We found a great restaurant up the street where the menu was only written on a chalkboard in French. Win. Kat had the most wonderful meal of her life, a superb lamb dish, while I was served 3 scallops (not an exaggeration). We retired to our paradise of filth for the evening. Yippeee!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6216347628" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6092/6216347628_f5d0af3fb1.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260283.919" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6216353056" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6216353056_23878a2d30.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260327.619" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6216358440" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6119/6216358440_417b1d76be.jpg" id="blogsy-1317873260298.9382" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-40297754078180608212011-09-26T23:08:00.000-04:002011-10-05T23:28:37.498-04:00Goodbyes and CastlesSeptember 26, 2011<br />
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Today started off on a very sad note, as we had to say goodbye to Natalie. It is so weird being with someone for every second of the day (waking and sleeping) for three weeks and then, poof, they're gone. Unfortunately, we also had to bid farewell to Steve a few hours later as well, leaving just Kat and I. I cannot tell you how strange it is to go from traveling with four people down to two!<br />
We decided to venture to the Bavarian countryside and visit the Neuschwanstein Castle before we took an overnight train to Paris. After making our reservation on the night train to Paris, the ticket agent informed us that the next train to Fussen was leaving in 3 minutes. With our packs on, we awkwardly sprinted, which was more like waddle running, to our train. We made it just in time and I spent the next two hours recovering from my Oktoberfest hangover and horrible sprint. The train ride to Fussen was very scenic and I never realized the German countryside was so beautiful.<br />
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Once we arrived in Fussen, the castle was just a short bus ride from the train station. This huge white fortress on the mountainside was completely enchanting and it is easy to see how this castle was inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.<br />
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We decided to grab lunch at the nearest restaurant, which also had a fantastic view of the castle. After a delicious meal and yet another person telling me I look like Anne Hathaway, we made our way up the hill to the castle. Luckily, it was just a sloping road to get to the top and not hundreds of stairs. It seemed as if we were walking through an enchanted forest as we made our way up and the views of the views of the surrounding countryside were beautiful. Things started to get a bit odd when we saw a woman with a wolf hat also making her way up to the castle.<br />
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The castle was even more breathtaking up close. Can you imagine having these views from your own home???<br />
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Unfortunately, we were not permitted to take photos in the castle because it was almost as stunning as the exterior. Ludwig II of Bavaria, the king who lived in this castle, adored Richard Wagner and his operas. There are numerous paintings of Wagnerian opera scenes and he even installed a grotto in the castle that was a set from a Wagner opera.<br />
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It was hard to leave such a gorgeous place, but we had to make our way back to Munich to catch our night train to Paris. I look forward to finding a prince to sweep me off my feet and onto his white stallion and back to this magical castle in the Bavarian countryside (ahhheeemmmm....).<br />
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We saw something pretty strange in the sky on the way home that appeared to be an object falling from the sky. I have researched it a bit and did not find any information about a plane crashing that day. It must have been a UFO, or, you know, a unicorn returning to fairy tale land!<br />
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Nat, I know how much you wanted to see this castle and I'm so sorry you couldn't see it with us. Promise me you'll go someday in the future!<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-44038759327987109132011-09-25T23:41:00.000-04:002011-10-02T13:56:23.853-04:00Oktoberfest<p>September 25, 2011</p><p>Oktoberfest. Wow.</p><p>Well, let me start off with saying it was nothing like any of us expected. When we arrived at the Oktoberfest fairgrounds, it seemed we had just stepped into the largest carnival on the planet. Tons of families were walking around together in traditional dress, lederhosen for the men and dirndls for the women. There were food stands, drink stands, and rides galore. We could not believe the size of the festival and how many people were there. I expected it to be mostly belligerent men drinking beer but was pleasantly surprised to see that it was more of a carnival than anything else.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204353316" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6204353316_6096a312d2.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149839.806" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204310984" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6204310984_15d178a752.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149869.37" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204346070" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6204346070_f9d14a30fc.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149894.693" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204535188" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6015/6204535188_267a69a05a.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578182860.4517" class="aligncenter" alt="" align="center"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6203804107" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6203804107_7cf5a74fe9.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149830.1797" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6203852707" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6125/6203852707_f1392af3d2.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149832.702" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><p>We arrived in time for the traditional concert of the Oktoberfest brass-bands at the foot of the Bavaria monument and it was incredible. This concert consists of all of the bands from each of the beer tents playing a concert of traditional songs together. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204360744" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6204360744_8c8af3b6b3.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149818.255" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6203814619" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6203814619_fca5b332d0.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149810.2468" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><p>Looking around at the crowd, I was truly shocked to see how many people were in costume. We decided that if we were going to participate in Oktoberfest, we were going to do it right, and set out in search of our own lederhosen and dirndls. Since it was Sunday, everything was closed and we walked around for about an hour before we found a store that was open. We each made our selection, turned over our life savings and emerged looking like true Germans. In case anyone is wondering, we will all be wearing these costumes for the next 10 Halloweens and Oktoberfests to justify our purchases. Steve went for the full regalia, socks, shoes, leather lederhosen and all, and it was really creepy how good he looked. That man was born to wear lederhosen.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6203860009" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6203860009_36a300c01d.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149852.9995" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="375" height="500"></a></div><p>Prepared to party, we made our way back to the festival. We decided on the Augustiner tent and almost died when we walked into it. This was no tent - this looked like something straight out of a Harry Potter movie. The 'tent' was enormous and there were thousands of people shoved on benches around large tables. We wandered around trying to find seats at a table when we met three awesome Germans who invited us to join them. Martin, Helmut, and Julia were Oktoberfest pros and we quickly got to know each other over our huge beers. An important thing to know about drinking at Oktoberfest is the beers only come in one size, a humongous liter sized beer stein, which is essentially the size of a toddler. You can imagine the results this produces.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6203868201" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6141/6203868201_c88a5c87a5.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149876.4497" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204391716" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6204391716_b7635f6870.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149847.562" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204455220" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/6204455220_1626b9e5a8.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149871.1453" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><p class=""><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6203915671" target="_blank" style=""></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6203892159" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/6203892159_e4ffbaf610.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149848.9966" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204416352" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6204416352_ac4a2eff82.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149867.8738" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204424402" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6028/6204424402_b54d210a6b.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149837.779" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6203915671" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6125/6203915671_eb287095d1.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149831.6453" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6203928893" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6203928893_f5edddeaf3.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149838.4946" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6203953949" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6203953949_81c3052e6c.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149860.3582" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><p>The day continued with numerous liters of beer and tons of drinking songs. It is pretty incredible when the entire tent jumps up on their benches and joins in singing songs with the brass band. These songs are always concluded with smashing your stein, cheering "Prost," which is a German cheer. Things ended up getting pretty rowdy and after two liters of beer, I had enough strength to break my stein during a cheer and ended up cutting my leg. Don't worry I didn't feel it and now have a permanent scar as a reminder of that wonderful day at Oktoberfest.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204477784" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6204477784_0dbf802cdf.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149913.4368" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204484710" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6204484710_61cde56be9.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149843.3293" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204494144" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6204494144_a9f6a87038.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149866.7822" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204501028" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6204501028_e13632d8ea.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149888.6284" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="375" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204513094" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6204513094_de14e1e03e.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149895.945" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204002159" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6204002159_f49780f8f6.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578149846.659" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6204007393" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6012/6204007393_61cf339a5d.jpg" id="blogsy-1317578176678.91" class="aligncenter" alt="" align="center"></a></div><p>We ended up switching to an even rowdier tent towards the end of the evening, the Hofbrau-Festzelt tent. This tent is the largest one at the festival and was just ridiculous. There were beer hops hanging all over as decoration and it was crazier than every college party I have ever been to combined! We had an absolute blast and fortunately, do not have any photos from this tent. After three beer steins (24 liters) later, I had to call it a night. Oktoberfest - see you next year you crazy thing, you.</p>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-30643037057756919922011-09-24T10:02:00.000-04:002011-10-02T10:03:48.699-04:00Travel to MunichSeptember 24, 2011<br />
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Today was our travel day to Munich for Oktoberfest. Initially, I was infuriated that we would have to waste our precious daylight hours traveling but once the train started rolling through the countryside, I quickly changed my mind. The landscape was so beautiful it literally produced oohs and ahhs from the passengers. The mountains were humongous and there were vineyards appearing on both sides of the tracks. The water was also a remarkable blue, not clear like Croatia, but a light, milky blue. I wished we had time to explore the countryside but I will settle for a gorgeous train ride and some awesome photos for now.<br />
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Once we arrived in Munich, an hour late because the train was delayed, my wonderful boyfriend, Steve, was waiting on the platform with a rose. This high roller decided to come to Germany for the weekend to go to Oktoberfest with us. I was ridiculously happy to see him and he had figured out the train system and took us to our hotel where he already had us checked in. Gotta love a man that gets stuff done!<br />
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He took us to a fantastic Greek dinner, ironic, I know. We could not find the Bavarian restaurant the hotel recommended. The food was so delicious and I think we ordered practically half of the menu. After a long day of travel and with full bellies, we passed out dreaming about what Oktoberfest had in store for us the next day.Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-47732843077495595752011-09-23T22:37:00.000-04:002011-10-20T12:30:18.527-04:00FirenzeSeptember 23, 2011 <br />
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Our morning started off on a quite an interesting note. After checkout we made our way to the train station to book our beds on the overnight train to Munich. However, there were only two seats left on the train since it was Italian Weekend at Oktoberfest. After begging and pleading and lots of hands being thrown in the air, we discovered we were stuck in Firenze another night and would have to make the 8 hour journey to Munich the following day.<br />
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We found a restaurant with wifi and scoured the web to find housing for the night. Since it was a Friday, most of the hotels in Firenze were booked. We finally settled on a hostel by the Arno River. Once we walked all the way across the city to the hostel, the receptionist informed us that we would be staying at a different location. After our Zagreb experience, I asked her to show me exactly where we would be going. She looked at the map and, low and behold, we would be staying on Borgo Pinti, exactly where our previous hotel was located. After a few minutes walk, she led us to the door directly next to our accommodations at Hotel Cardinal. Out of all of the places in the city, what are the odds that our room would be next to our previous one (see photo below: Nat is in front of old hotel, Kat is in front of the new one)? Luckily, we knew the area, threw our bags down and set out to explore the city.<br />
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We walked to the Duomo only to discover that it closed about two minutes before we got there. Luckily, the Baptistry and Tower were still open. The Baptistry is located across from the Duomo and features an incredible dome of gold mosaics. <br />
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Years ago, when I stayed in Firenze before I headed to Lucca for my opera program, I stayed in an apartment close to the Duomo. The cutest music store was just a few doors down from our place and I got to know the wonderful owner, Maurizio, and his son, Duccio. The girls and I went back to the store, Occasioni Musicali, and low and behold, Maurizio was there. He remembered who I was immediately and even pulled out the card and photos that I had sent him a few years ago. It was so wonderful to see him again. He has the most incredible collection of music memorabilia and sheet music that I have ever seen. The girls and I purchased wonderful souvenirs for an extremely generous price from Maurizio. He has a heart of gold and the girls and I adore our antique sheet music and librettos. <br />
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Following our lovely visit with Maurizio, we headed to the tower and climbed the 414 steps to wonderful views of the city and watched the sunset.<br />
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For dinner we went to Osteria de' Benci for the famous Spaghetti dell'Umbriacone. This dish features spaghetti soaked in red wine with garlic and red pepper. It is incredible and I have been attempting to recreate it since I first had it years ago. Combined with the house wine, we were feeling fabulous as we made our way back to our room for the evening.<br />
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<a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6197426502" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1317371444474.0422" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6197426502_4130563512.jpg" width="331" /></a></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-42139709452020174132011-09-22T23:37:00.000-04:002011-09-29T20:34:37.682-04:00Cinque Terre<p>September 22, 2011</p><p>Today we did a day trip from Firenze to hike the beautiful coastal towns of Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre means five lands and is comprised of five villages: (South to North) Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. It takes 2 trains and about 3 hours to reach the first town, Riomaggiore, from Firenze but the beauty of these villages perched along the coast is completely worth the trek. I hiked Cinque Terre four years ago with friends from my opera group, when I was studying in Lucca, and absolutely loved it. We ended up spending an entire day and about 6 hours hiking between the towns. It was really exhausting but I was looking forward to the challenge yet again with Kat and Nat.</p><p>The last time I hiked the trails, we started at the northernmost town and made our way south and I remember thinking it would have been easier to hike the trails south to north. The girls and I had planned on hiking this way but since some of the trails were closed, we would start at the middle town Corniglia and hike north to Vernazza. Before we started hiking we chose a cute outdoor restaurant to have lunch. Cinque Terre is known for its delicious pesto and wine. We all ordered gnocchi with pesto and the house white wine and feasted.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196593516" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/6196593516_d97cafdc5c.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892696.2646" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196583380" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6196583380_40ab5108ef.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892619.5068" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196079521" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6196079521_7daaa97e37.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892658.017" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196170687" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6024/6196170687_f4cdb3490e.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892674.3416" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196606088" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6131/6196606088_54fb8fc319.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892695.5657" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196070325" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6196070325_8254248e94.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892681.7092" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>Once we finished lunch, we set out for the next village, Vernazza. This stretch of trail is green and gorgeous, providing fantastic vineyard and coastal views. The hiking was very challenging as we conquered rocky steps and the scorching sun. It seemed as if all of the steps we previously walked were training for this hike. The ocean breeze kept us slightly cooler as we made our way to Vernazza.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196169479" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/6196169479_c27294578d.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892667.475" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196610826" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6196610826_1b007654dd.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892629.9814" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196103965" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6196103965_68d109b2f8.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892671.6475" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196667992" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6173/6196667992_ee36fbc83d.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892664.4058" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196669660" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6196669660_a1de439769.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892677.1934" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196155319" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6196155319_e1ee2ed46a.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892732.2424" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196172679" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6003/6196172679_88db62b232.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892667.226" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196106487" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6196106487_82a42700ae.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892710.1929" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196671056" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6139/6196671056_18799b7d59.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892682.8044" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>Vernazza is a cute, extremely photogenic village. The pastel homes and restaurants provide an incomparable coastal setting. After taking a bunch of photos we had to catch the last train back to Firenze. Cinque Terre is a fantastic coastal excursion from Tuscany.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196685732" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6167/6196685732_330a8bda10.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892730.4282" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196166767" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/6196166767_b8f9bb7d27.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892657.1414" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196688980" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6196688980_cbce0e8cae.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892721.8623" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196162487" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6196162487_2ff2d4cf05.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892673.9775" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196690720" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6196690720_033470d931.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892686.465" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196165165" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6196165165_a5b2d6be84.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892680.3462" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196168287" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6196168287_3e684e1b4b.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892678.8958" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196181939" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6196181939_34ed061047.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892723.5933" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196691304" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6196691304_380bc31b2d.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892716.4587" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="359"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6196180665" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6196180665_7b21b6b402.jpg" id="blogsy-1317342892664.6077" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-33617738185190758672011-09-21T23:46:00.000-04:002011-09-28T19:50:39.578-04:00Pompei<p>September 21, 2011</p><p>We started our day with another delicious breakfast on the terrace, packed our bags, and sadly said goodbye to Positano. We walked down to the bus stop to take the next bus to Sorrento so we could catch a train to Pompei. Guess who we ran into on the way to the bus stop - our waiter! He was not happy to see us go!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193689270" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6122/6193689270_c7f9595b79.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867579.2424" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>The next bus arrived either a half hour early, or more likely, a half hour late and was already packed with people. We ended up having to stand in the aisles for the entire hour. Now, I rarely get motion sickness but I would rather jump out of a plane again than have to balance around those tight curves with my pack on. When we arrived in Sorrento, an hour later, I was not feeling so hot.</p><p>The train ride to Pompei was pretty quick and luckily it is the on the same train line that would take us back to Napoli. The entrance to Pompei is right outside of the train station and they even had a place to store our packs. We got one audio guide and I was deemed tour guide of Pompei for the day. Unfortunately, the map they gave us was awful, and it turned into more of a scavenger hunt to find the different sites. Despite the faulty map (I will not admit user error), it was still very neat to walk amongst the ruins and imagine what life was like for the Romans some 2,000 years ago.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191212031" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6191212031_354cb93b90.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867632.6702" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191214317" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6191214317_38f8bf6917.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867588.449" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6190568416" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6190568416_d59b263e31.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867587.0752" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6190571940" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6023/6190571940_257dcf418a.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867657.8562" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6190058005" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6129/6190058005_f3d86702bf.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867582.9749" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6190573704" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6190573704_47b8ed4136.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867633.624" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6190089381" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6190089381_269d8d09d2.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867620.938" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6190600662" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/6190600662_f49f43074a.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867638.7861" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191733496" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6028/6191733496_43764e029a.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867573.0557" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191680182" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6167/6191680182_27cd975462.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867634.6128" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>I was shocked by the amount of stray dogs wondering around Pompei. However, the dogs are welcome because back in the day, the people of Pompei loved dogs and had them as pets and guardians. We even saw a sign saying that the dogs are cared for and you are welcome to adopt them. No, I didn't get one...yet. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191678860" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6159/6191678860_4233968f06.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867626.651" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6190072341" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/6190072341_ae7541c424.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867663.4404" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6190594184" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6167/6190594184_5b4967c15a.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867648.639" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191730160" target="_blank" style=""></a>I really wish that we would have seen more of the plaster bodies. The ones that we did see were incredible and some had teeth and all. I can only imagine the shock and horror they experienced judging by the looks on their faces. I thought they would be laying around the ruins everywhere but unfortunately not. The ironic part is that the Pompei exhibit is in NYC right now! I guess I'll have to return home in order to see more of the bodies!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6190067991" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6131/6190067991_f7af929ae9.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867657.542" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191730160" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6121/6191730160_f5f450ca59.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867653.0251" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191206897" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6191206897_60b84de410.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867579.636" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191208427" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6191208427_78a703a5e2.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867666.021" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191726784" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/6191726784_43036e5e27.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867653.6726" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6191210995" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6191210995_9500f74522.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867587.3777" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>We hopped back on the train to Napoli to catch our train to Firenze (Florence). The train ride was only about 2.5 hours and we arrived in Firenze in the dark. We had found a hotel near the place that I stayed in a few years ago with one of my other adopted mothers, Linda. When we got out of the train station my photographic memory kicked in and I was able to get us to our hotel without a map and in the dark. How do you like that for memory? On the way, we grabbed gelato and admired the Duomo in the moonlight. Firenze is so gorgeous and it gets even better at night when all the tourists go to bed. It was so wonderful to be back in that city. It is my absolute favorite city in the whole world. The architecture of the buildings is stunning and when the streets are lit up at night, and everyone is dining outside or strolling, the city becomes hauntingly beautiful.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193032407" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6193032407_714428e4ca.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867612.0864" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193044749" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/6193044749_79fe03131d.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867627.8906" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193057565" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/6193057565_52c58a2706.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867635.2202" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>Once we arrived at the address of our hotel, we did not see any signs for where the entrance would be. We wandered around the courtyard for a bit and thankfully saw two women walking out through the gate of the building. I asked them if they knew of the hotel and they said no. We began to stress and they asked to see the hotel confirmation. They verified that we were at the right address and suggested we call the hotel. When I told them that we didn't have a phone, one of them graciously offered to call on her cell phone. She discovered that they were indeed on the 3rd floor of the building. We profusely thanked them for their help. See what I mean about the people in Italy? Once we arrived on the 3rd floor the hotel was a different name. The person at the front desk confirmed our room and told us that the other hotel was booked. We asked if the other hotel existed and he said yes and it was downstairs but I am still very skeptical, considering there are no signs... Luckily, our hotel room was fine. Nothing fancy but at least it was clean! </p><p>We wandered out again to find dinner. Walking down the streets of Firenze and showing Kat and Nat around was awesome. I showed them my favorite wedding dress shop that I used to walk by and admire and then we went to the piazza to rub the boar's nose which represents good luck and that you will return to Firenze someday. We found a great restaurant by the piazza and had yet another wonderful Italian meal. After dinner, we walked to the famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge and wandered around the city before retiring for the night. My heart is so happy being in this wonderful city.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193519184" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/6193519184_51c70a2c41.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867604.4138" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193510440" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6193510440_df76163739.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867656.2983" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193036013" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6125/6193036013_d6b56b7d55.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867653.4036" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193039935" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6013/6193039935_41cfb2b056.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867659.1099" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193538356" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6173/6193538356_13af82cfee.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867659.0474" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193514344" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6164/6193514344_6d0979cdbb.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867599.35" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6193008245" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/6193008245_302c0fd8d6.jpg" id="blogsy-1317253867647.4421" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-74758238146948120012011-09-20T22:45:00.000-04:002011-09-23T20:46:02.627-04:00Positano, land of many stairs<p>September 20, 2011</p><p>After a night of heavy wind and torrential downpour, we were greeted by the beautiful Italian sun when we woke up. Following a delicious breakfast of eggs and cappuccino on the terrace, we decided to venture down the hill to the center of town. One of the staff at the hostel informed us that the best way to the center of town is to take any steps you see going down. He also mentioned that Positano is known for dress making. Is it possible for me to love this place anymore?? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176039359" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6176039359_7bbb5dac18.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178154.0393" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176650652" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6176650652_323e2589f2.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178213.9255" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176045923" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6176045923_e0025cf9d8.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178148.2852" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176580176" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6176580176_0ecdf07e4a.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178194.742" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>As we made our way down, we stopped every 30 seconds to admire the magnificent views. Around every bend in the steps, we were greeted with more beautiful houses, gingerly stacked on one another, overlooking the glistening sea. I was in heaven and began weeping. We stopped in a few of the stores to see their beautiful clothes and slowly made our way down to the main beach. I can't resist Italian anything and my pack is quickly getting ridiculously heavy. If I look like the hulk when I get home, you now know why.</p><p class=""><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176594668" target="_blank" style=""></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176054829" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6176054829_c312fa9c01.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178182.3035" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176059501" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6176059501_759708a8f9.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178185.3425" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176594668" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6176594668_1c9539ee22.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178181.2598" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176597422" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6176597422_6d699393ff.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178229.147" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176653376" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6176653376_09b7f3690d.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178215.4277" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>The beach was very nice and was comprised of smaller pebbles than the beaches in Croatia. A few pieces of painted tile showed up on the shore and we found tons of sea glass. And this is yet another reason my pack is so heavy! I'm literally filling it with stones. I'm a glutton for punishment.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176603062" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6176603062_d7d7e8be6e.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178226.0916" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176075781" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6164/6176075781_9c883156c1.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178211.0508" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176608104" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6176608104_2d0a9f7081.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178197.2183" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176127047" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6176127047_01a911ff3b.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178152.965" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176657176" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6151/6176657176_7a5f92b5a0.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178164.1963" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176658190" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6176658190_d5619038a6.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178153.5054" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>We walked along the coast and all of the sudden heard someone yell "girls!" We looked ahead of us and, low and behold, Diana was sitting in a restaurant with the friend she is visiting. Diana is so kind and I'm so glad that we got to see her again! (P.s. Diana, if you're reading this, come see us in New York sometime!!) Her friend Lisa has been renting an apartment in Positano for the past few months and then she will be renting one in Firenze. I am ridiculously jealous and tried my best to hide my green eyes of jealousy for her amazing lifestyle! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176659042" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6176659042_cb7a5d7725.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178152.719" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>After a wonderful lunch on the coast, we decide to make our way back to the hostel and check out the other Positano beach. And this is when we realized our mistake. The steps were so nice to go down but oh so painful to go back up. We were exhausted!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176660150" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6176660150_6c4acee0da.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178213.934" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176661110" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6176661110_f2863c3377.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178197.7664" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176662414" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6176662414_db17f72fb1.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178247.328" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176135673" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6176135673_a799a04b69.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178172.865" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>After a bit of a rest back the hostel (which is very close to the top of this coastal town) our curiosity surpassed our exhaustion and we headed back down the hundreds of steps to see the other beach. The views were stunning.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176664688" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6173/6176664688_e20fdaa040.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178216.8743" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176120417" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6167/6176120417_74f063fe3d.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178202.0159" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176081681" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6176081681_aea4a715da.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178212.0386" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176110685" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6176110685_5ff5924205.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178236.2212" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176627636" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6173/6176627636_80f49fd8dd.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178178.6135" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176613314" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6176613314_8ebc26cfb4.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178242.7278" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176088167" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6176088167_b5ab0fd190.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178235.6677" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176696942" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6176696942_03e41a60eb.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178255.481" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176195193" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6176195193_03b93e2ea5.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178175.0798" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="385" height="295"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176094923" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6176094923_03e9351637.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178175.2654" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176667620" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6176667620_5d2a73e46e.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178267.531" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176103721" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6176103721_acf1a2a4fa.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178217.6511" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176635624" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6173/6176635624_a3cf172030.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178263.5579" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176113953" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6176113953_3367f8694b.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178214.4824" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>Hunger struck and we decided to return to the reasonably priced and delicious restaurant across the street from our hostel again. As we started to make our way up again, I thought I would just die on the steps. We counted and came up with about 600 steep steps to make it to the top. So both ways, two times that day (and the other way being a bit longer even), we totaled about 2,500 steps in one day. My butt better be so perky that it is halfway up my back. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176121715" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6176121715_3ab81039bb.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178273.482" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176138131" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6176138131_aa62c51564.jpg" id="blogsy-1316825178226.0205" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>After another satisfying meal we returned to our hostel completely exhausted.</p>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-8601247583574396662011-09-19T23:44:00.000-04:002011-09-23T18:51:40.159-04:0024 Hours of Travel to the Magical Coast of Amalfi<p>September 19, 2011</p><p>We took an overnight, 12 hour ferry from Split, Croatia to Ancona, Italy, a 4 hour train from Ancona to Roma, a 1.5 hour train from Roma to Napoli, an hour train ride from Napoli to Sorrento, and then a ridiculously creepy bus ride on plunging cliffs, in pouring rain, to arrive in Positano. Thank goodness the Amalfi Coast is so beautiful, it actually made the the trek worthwhile. Positano is one of the cities that makes up the Amalfi Coast and the main reason we chose to stay in that town, and I'm not ashamed to admit it, is because it was in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun and I have been dying to see it.</p><p>All the train rides were ok and luckily, Italian trains are typically on time and very comfortable. We were even able to take the train with Jadra part of the way. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174809156" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6174809156_5be08fed75.jpg" id="blogsy-1316818319175.0188" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174805352" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6174805352_2aab7329a6.jpg" id="blogsy-1316818319150.7734" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174276109" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6174276109_3fcd59c31e.jpg" id="blogsy-1316818319158.949" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="375" height="500"></a></div><p>The Italian buses, however, are another story. We rushed down to the Positano bus stop, which was right outside the train station, for our 5:00 pm bus. Everything is horribly marked and it was such an ordeal to find where we were supposed to be. Luckily, we met a wonderful American woman named Diana, who was also looking for the same bus. After numerous buses passed us by, or stopped in front of us and decided to go out of service, our bus finally appeared an HOUR later. The bus ride to Positano (if you sit on the right side) has incredible views since the bus rides along a coastal road that literally drops 500 ft down to the Mediterranean. I really would have appreciated these views if it didn't start to rain. The hairpin turns where the bus takes up two lanes are bad enough on a sunny day but it was horrifying whipping around curves in torrential downpour! After an hour of nail biting, we found our stop and luckily our hostel was close by.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6175988699" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6175988699_cf0c6fe8a1.jpg" id="blogsy-1316818319229.563" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176518916" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6176518916_e4781ba138.jpg" id="blogsy-1316818319148.8782" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176520256" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6176520256_5321078d06.jpg" id="blogsy-1316818319173.6953" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>We made a reservation at Brikette Hostel, since the Positano hotels are ridiculously expensive. As we walked through the door it was a party zone and we were greeted by many nice people! We picked a private 3 bedroom room, rather than sharing a dorm with 8 people. Our room was nice but our balcony had an absolutely stunning view.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176005305" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6176005305_6f8782b333.jpg" id="blogsy-1316818319182.9724" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176513584" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6176513584_f4bb783e58.jpg" id="blogsy-1316818319179.6104" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>We were starving and decided to try the restaurant across the street that the hotel recommended, C'era una volta, which means Once Upon a Time. An kind, old Italian man was our waiter and he was very patient with my Italian and even guided me through my mistakes. We ordered traditional Italian dishes, prosciutto e melone (ham and melon), caprese (tomato, mozzarella and basil), three pizzas, a half bottle of the house white wine and a bottle of my favorite Ruffino Chianti (that was only 10€!!). Once our food arrived the tears came. I adore Italy. There is magic in the air in Italy. The food is incredible, the wine is amazing, and the people are awesome. I was so overwhelmed and so glad to be back in my favorite country that I literally started weeping over my wine. Nat and Kat were laughing at me but quickly joined in with my Italian adoration once the food arrived. It was so good, we literally mopped up every last bit of oil with bread.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6176515442" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6164/6176515442_4493cc13a8.jpg" id="blogsy-1316818319205.01" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>Sigh. I am SO glad to be back in Italia!!</p>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-15055752596444259052011-09-18T21:28:00.000-04:002011-09-23T05:27:38.460-04:00Last Day in Hvar<p>September 18, 2011</p><p>We woke up still exhausted from our adventures from the day before. After packing up our things and checking out, we headed into the square for breakfast and to update the blog. We apologize for the delay in the posts but we ran into tons of wifi issues and our pictures not uploading. </p><p>After breakfast, we wandered around Hvar and downed yet another gelato before catching our return ferry to Split, a little after 1pm. We had a few hours in Split to explore some more before boarding our night ferry to Ancona, Italy. We visited the palace crypt and then scoured the shops to use up our last hakuna matatas. Natalie purchased a beautiful floral scarf and I finally succumbed to buying some of the lavender that they are selling in most of the stalls, along with a map and some bracelets. We had a delicious early dinner, and my risotto happened to come with a creature in the middle. We bid farewell to Split and headed to our ferry.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174794432" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6174794432_e771367f46.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940359.3762" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174269717" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6174269717_cd7853fa74.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940375.9277" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174751932" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6174751932_52393086c9.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940304.7832" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174761214" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6174761214_8ea08620e2.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940364.7158" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174240989" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6174240989_07c36488f8.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940340.0356" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174238591" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6174238591_3049555dbf.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940321.355" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174262673" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/6174262673_bf0819c42f.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940326.6665" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174756992" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6174756992_2e964c5bab.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769992629.9321" class="aligncenter" width="331" height="500" align="center"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174265051" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6167/6174265051_c6895499be.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940317.244" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>After barely checking and stamping our passports, we boarded the ferry, which looked more like a huge cruise ship. Our 4 bedroom cabin was very nice and although it did not have a window, it did have a shower. We ended up with a fourth roommate, a female (thank God), from Croatia. Her name was Jadranka and she is studying pharmacy in Perugia, Italy. She was so nice and we all became fast friends. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174799972" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6174799972_f84ea149c9.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940379.303" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174220349" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6174220349_144a1ed268.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940327.502" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174802290" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6174802290_7f151ef9e1.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940355.2761" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>We decided to explore the boat for a bit and Jadra led us around since she has been on the ferries quite a few times. It had a nightclub and casino, which was mainly a bunch of older Italians line dancing to a keyboard playing tracks to synthesized beats (awesome video to come). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174807618" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6174807618_eb7c209595.jpg" id="blogsy-1316769940392.2388" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>We made our way to the sun deck where there were tons of people drinking at tables and walking around the ship. We grabbed beers and hung out for a while chatting with Jadra. It really is amazing hearing other people's perceptions of the USA. We asked her what cuisine we are known for and she said instant dinners (like TV dinners) and she was laughing at our spray olive oil. Also, they recognize our "all work, no play" mentality and think that it is awful. I find it incredibly interesting that "the American Dream" is not everyone's dream as we are grown up to believe. We assume that everyone wants to be American when in fact, most people think we are crazy. They think we don't know how to live, we waste our lives away at desks working long hours, and they wouldn't trade with us if they could. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that Americans truly stink at enjoying their lives. Yes, I understand that we all have to earn a living. But what good is that money if you aren't really living or experiencing anything? I really feel that our country needs a lesson on having a passion for living and frugality. As I travel to more places and experience more cultures, I can't help but think that these people know way more about living and enjoying life than we do. Their jobs do not define who they are. Rather, their families, countries, and experiences do. </p><p>I think I am becoming more European by the day!</p>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-90918861282626043622011-09-17T22:25:00.000-04:002011-09-23T04:30:36.421-04:00The Beautiful Adriatic Sea<p>September 17, 2011</p><p><em>By the sea, by the beautiful sea, you and me. Oh how happy we'll be...</em></p><p>We woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to go on our boat excursion. Luckily, we got to the boat early enough to reserve a lounge chair on the top deck. The weather was perfect as we set sail. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173269543" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6173269543_6ff638a0f7.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450915.799" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><p>Our first stop was the 'Green' cave, which is called green because of the algae but it still looked pretty blue to me. Our wonderful captain allowed us all to jump ship, literally, and swim in the cave. Since we only had a half hour to swim in the awesome cave, Kat and I quickly took the plunge from the top deck. Nat followed quickly behind. Swimming in the cave in the crystal clear water made us feel like mermaids. I would have killed for a snorkel or scuba gear. I wish we would have had more time in the cave but they promised us that the next cave was even better.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173840930" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6173840930_5cc7292f95.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450904.8225" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173805824" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6173805824_8ecac6c391.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450941.4185" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173810210" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6151/6173810210_e3527ba265.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450916.1658" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173829780" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6173829780_d0df8d3583.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450893.562" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173309271" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6173309271_7d5ef6aeba.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450893.7356" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>We sailed on to our next destination, the Blue Cave. After docking at a small island we all got off of the ship because it was too large to get into the cave. We dispersed into small groups and took small white boats a short while down the coast to the cave. We arrived at a tiny opening in the rocky coast when our captain told us all to duck. I was completely shocked when we maneuvered the boat into the tiny opening! It was creepy and dark at first but once our boat rounded the corner we all gasped in awe at the bright blue water that was literally glowing. I have never experienced anything like this before in my life. The water was very deep, very clear and bright as could be. Unfortunately, we only had a short time in the cave and swimming is not permitted.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173321797" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6173321797_cb4f1437f2.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450949.345" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174677798" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6174677798_c21a1fa8d5.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450894.2153" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174149461" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6174149461_475a2d8a64.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450885.914" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>After arriving back on shore and admiring the coast line with Kat and Nat, the captain called me over and invited me to see the cave again. I hopped into a boat with him, the other captains, and their families. On the way he told me not to tell anyone, but that we would be swimming in the cave! I was freaking out and once we got into the cave we all jumped ship. It was the coolest experience of my life. I couldn't stop staring at my hands glowing in the incredible water. We swam for only about 5 minutes and I was basically freaking out the entire time. I was so glad that he let me join them and vowed to sell my passport and become a Croatian once we returned to Hvar.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174680070" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6174680070_81325c27e7.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450909.0588" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>When we returned to the ship, we had a wonderful lunch of tuna, cabbage, and white wine. After lunch, I think the whole ship pretty much passed out in their lounge chairs while we sailed onto the tiny fishing village on Vis. When we got off of the ship in Vis, we immediately got gelatos, explored the quiet tiny town and headed to the beach. This beach was also a pebble beach and it was lovely to float in the crisp, clear water. I definitely need to come back and go scuba diving in the Adriatic Sea.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174683950" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6174683950_0f5b02c8cd.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450894.407" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174682136" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6174682136_77e8a0e8de.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450928.837" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174689138" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6174689138_3ce3962ba6.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450961.9248" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174182419" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6174182419_5226ce82a8.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450941.4338" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174692600" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6174692600_a318ceabd3.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450880.6924" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174164499" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6174164499_526152c94b.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450966.4534" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p class=""><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174170545" target="_blank" style=""></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174694558" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6173/6174694558_2ac8fa975a.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450968.7986" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174159779" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6174159779_000d11b8dd.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450924.8804" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174170545" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6174170545_0873b595a5.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450910.9106" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>Another two hours of lounging on the dock and we returned back to Hvar completely exhausted. Kat was feeling the effects of being on the water all day and went back to our place to rest while Nat and I devoured pizzas. Since Hvar is known for its nightlife, Nat and I sat in the square watching all the dolled up visitors wandering to their nighttime party locations. Unfortunately, our wardrobes and exhaustion did not lend itself to enjoying the Hvar nightlife and we retired to bed satisfied with an incredible day on the sea.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6174704786" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/6174704786_7e3be32f89.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450917.74" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173798808" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6173798808_301b3a691f.jpg" id="blogsy-1316766450950.4429" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-66836503185190792262011-09-16T23:31:00.000-04:002011-09-22T19:34:15.479-04:00Exploring the Dalmatian Coast<p>September 16, 2011</p><p>After an "American" breakfast of eggs and undercooked bacon, we wandered around Split and checked out the markets before we took the 11:30am catamaran (fast ferry) to the island of Hvar. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166702078" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6166702078_2935e77120.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413523.2917" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166949409" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6166949409_7a4ed196c9.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413500.9155" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166708908" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6166708908_f6046324ac.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413507.0984" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166169037" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6166169037_c7b46a2135.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413515.4128" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166178127" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6166178127_6fcd2ea5a5.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413525.8186" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166711560" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6166711560_87f5ff1188.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413508.755" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>The catamaran was a quick one hour ride to the island and it was beautiful. As the ship was docking in Hvar, we were in awe at the beauty of the town. Hvar consists of all cobblestone walls with gorgeous buildings and the water is bright blue and crystal clear. The beautiful town, along with its laid back attitude, has been attracting the rich and famous. We just missed Beyonce and Jay-Z by a week. Prince Harry was also there recently partying. The yachts that are docked in the harbor are huge and worth millions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6168777662" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6168777662_53df1885cc.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734418981.2844" class="aligncenter" alt="" align="center"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173638664" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6173638664_0140f2ff1b.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734429223.2114" class="aligncenter" alt="" align="center"></a></div><p>As we emerged from the catamaran, the room hawkers were gathered around the ferry and this time I thought we should just follow one and check out what they were offering. Hvar is notoriously expensive and I was hoping it would cut out any black market charges from the tourist office and save us some money. We ended up following a kind woman who said the room was one minute away and in the center of the town. After walking what felt like a thousand steps we found a really cute, clean room...with a double bed. She apologized but said that we could have the apartment downstairs for the second night. She offered us the rooms for only 550 hakuna matatas for TWO nights. We decided we'd get cozy for the first night just to save some money and took the offer. This room was in an awesome location and after settling in, we grabbed some pizza and went to the water.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173088925" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6173088925_42ceff64e0.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413538.2122" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173599988" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6173599988_8b3798dc5b.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413475.3772" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173596060" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6173596060_9729126754.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413480.0015" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6168334633" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/6168334633_bb62bcbd24.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413574.3035" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6168247581" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6168247581_fabb0df183.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413517.6694" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6168337261" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6168337261_f6be3be030.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413539.136" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6168330733" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6168330733_a0300d58ec.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413511.9338" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6168379193" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6168379193_beef2f0ebf.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413544.2903" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6168357385" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6168357385_e7cb8b7f8c.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413555.7588" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6168890290" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6168890290_766072a05c.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413486.4326" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6168353021" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6168353021_0fb5756eb7.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413585.8037" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>The Croatian beaches are very different from our beaches in the US. Despite the fact that the water is actually clean and beautiful, all of the coast line is comprised of stone beaches. You have the option of lounging on boulders or conquering the small parts of pebble beaches. We opted for the pebble beach and quickly learned how uncomfortable it is to lay out on rocks. The bright blue water made up for the bruises from the stones, though. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6168894264" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6168894264_4a33834808.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413497.694" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>We searched for excursions for the following day and found a great boat trip to see the green cave, blue cave, and some beach time in a small fishing village. We signed up, dropped our towels off and we walked up to the fortress on the hill. While visiting the fortress, I saw the most incredible sunset that I have ever seen in my life (and I have about 1,000 pictures to prove it!). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173700436" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6173700436_2bc823ed72.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413497.2551" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="393" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173095221" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6173095221_cbd469af2a.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413497.7664" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173695350" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6173695350_f1c2cbb2e7.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413578.7156" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173625240" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6152/6173625240_2ed306bd9b.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413513.7485" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173101205" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6173101205_2a9857b15e.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413511.5645" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173084187" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6173084187_99c42b715a.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413533.351" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>We treated ourselves to a wonderful dinner at the Palace Hotel for some traditional Dalmatian Coast meals. We had a wonderful meat and cheese plate and the black risotto (made with squid). The restaurant was located in top of a building with views overlooking the main square and the harbor where all the yachts are docked. The city is so alive and vibrant and I cannot imagine anyone not having a wonderful and relaxing time while visiting Hvar.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6173698656" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6164/6173698656_3d65429b2e.jpg" id="blogsy-1316734413541.9297" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-86680111802707583302011-09-15T22:12:00.000-04:002011-09-20T16:21:47.661-04:00A House Within the Ruins of a Palace<p>September 15, 2011</p><p>We arrived in Split, Croatia at about 5:30pm on Thursday. We thought that our bus ride from Plitvice would take about 4 hours but the bus decided to stop at every station in Croatia, and it took about 8 hours instead. Luckily, it was a beautiful ride. As soon as we stepped off of the bus, there was a line of people yelling, "do you need a room?", "accommodation, maybe?" It was pretty unreal. I have never seen so many people wanting to give me a place so badly before in my life. We must have passed about a dozen people asking if we needed a room before we got to the tourist office. Luckily, he was able to recommend a place for us to stay right in the heart of Split. The woman came to meet us right at the tourist office and she walked us to her place. Little did we realize we would be renting a three bedroom house directly in the center of the ruins of Diocletian's palace for only 500 kuna a night, about $100 USD. Note: Croatian currency is called kuna which we refer to as 'hakuna matatas' (from the Lion King). The place was very artsy, had very bright walls, the toilet was on the first floor in a tiny closet under the stairs and the shower was on the third floor. It was unique and charming and we couldn't beat the location.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166183565" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6166183565_2c921c56ba.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030646.7493" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166202507" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6166202507_ea86443dd8.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030644.5127" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166806809" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6166806809_c1e456f1d6.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030730.43" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166647416" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6166647416_e71d881f15.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030730.3528" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166115583" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6166115583_5012f311bd.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030724.8423" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166655968" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6166655968_74b1d7e9f4.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030732.9631" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>The town of Split is very beautiful and we walked around on the tiny cobblestone streets, exploring the ancient city. We stopped for dinner in a fantastic restaurant in a large piazza while the sun set. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166659458" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6166659458_bda475cacc.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030664.0503" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166662048" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6166662048_795964356c.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030678.9788" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166130807" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6166130807_a617ca2303.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030726.683" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166136725" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6166136725_d00fbde3c3.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030718.6584" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>After dinner, while we were walking home, we stumbled upon another square with live music and dancing. It was so much fun to watch everyone having such a great time and Natalie even got out there and danced with a Greek guy. Split was definitely a wonderful first impression of the Dalmatian Coast.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166681598" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6166681598_e4b466deae.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030746.677" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166180265" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6166180265_d84bdd3f28.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030699.344" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="311" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166677220" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6166677220_63861b0a74.jpg" id="blogsy-1316550030693.7112" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-78201222511526328192011-09-15T21:53:00.000-04:002011-09-20T15:53:28.690-04:00Happiness on the Road<p>September 15, 2011</p><p>After a fabulous two days spent in Mukinje, Croatia by the Plitvice National Park, we are back on the road again. This bus ride has been absolutely incredible as we travel from Mukinje to Split. The landscape is so varied and it quickly changed from evergreens and to an almost desert-like setting. I feel an overwhelming sense of joy being able to see a place that feels so foreign and beautiful. 15 days into our trip I feel like I am in constant awe of all of the new things I am seeing. The days feel so much longer and my life feels so much fuller. We have met so many wonderful people and I am just so happy to be having this experience. It is so hard to ever imagine my life being the same. As we visit different places I realize that there is so much more that I have to learn about this world and I actually want to! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166096569" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6166096569_e2997ff166.jpg" id="blogsy-1316548418901.8103" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166735900" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6166735900_e2cd0584bb.jpg" id="blogsy-1316548418845.6833" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>I wake up every morning full of excitement about what each new day's adventure will bring. There is not one place that I regret visiting, nor one place that I do not want to go. Ok, except for Zagreb. Even the bad experiences provide for great stories and important lessons learned. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166088165" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6166088165_071fbf4d72.jpg" id="blogsy-1316548418900.707" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6166636924" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6159/6166636924_cecc7cafe0.jpg" id="blogsy-1316548418841.7068" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p>Backpacking has been such a rewarding way to travel and through it's simplicity and ease of movement, has provided the best apparatus for adventure. Each day leads us into unplanned experiences that have proved to be priceless. It teaches frugality in travel and shows you that you do not actually need all that baggage you have in your life (literally). Backpacking is about connecting. Connecting with the places you go, connecting with the people you meet, and most importantly, connecting with yourself. I accept that I will never be the same or look at things the same way and I appreciate that. Heck, maybe I'll even take a few photos for the NYC tourists when I'm home.</p><p class=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6167/6166642434_b6a84c7365.jpg" id="blogsy-1316548418893.1455" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></p>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-37768545094022291512011-09-14T22:57:00.000-04:002011-09-20T04:56:34.347-04:00Plitvice Paradise<p>September 13 and 14, 2011</p><p>Once we escaped Zagreb, the 2.5 hour bus ride to Plitvice National Park was beautiful. Our hotel was in an area called Mukinje and was only a few minutes walk from the train stop. It was a cute little house and the owner was so pleasant. There was an adorable dog running around and we think his name was Goober or Gouba - her yelling and accent was throwing us off. She gave us the apartment room and graciously promised not to rent the additional room in our area out. Luckily, this meant that we would not be sharing a bathroom with anyone else. The view from our room was awesome (see below). The scenery was gorgeous and it was very, very quiet. After venturing to the tiny market up the road (note: this town only has one market and one pizzeria) we sat on the patio wondering what we would do out in the countryside. Then an SUV full of guys attempted to pull into the driveway then pulled out, then backed in again, literally making like a 5 point parking job. Low and behold, four Australian guys get out of the vehicle and walk into our hotel. The peace and quiet was officially gone. They introduced themselves and we sat out on the patio drinking beers and talking about our travels. We quickly became friends and went to dinner at the pizzeria down the street. Surprisingly, it was the worst pizza any of us have ever had. We were by far the loudest group in the place because Australians love to talk and love to party. Despite the awful food, we had a great time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6164980787" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6164980787_192d8f545a.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005712.5134" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6164983335" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6164983335_3c49085edb.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005677.3547" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6164984971" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6164984971_d9c88acc58.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005735.3474" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165026779" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6165026779_debb59e09f.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005772.6548" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>The next morning we all went to the Plitvice National Park, which is nothing short of paradise. Absolutely stunning. The whole park has a boardwalk that runs through it and is full of incredible waterfalls. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Please add this park to your bucket lists! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165084405" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6165084405_59fa0d9d04.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005718.3787" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165091771" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6151/6165091771_4be2b3fd93.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005734.2095" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165032317" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6165032317_bf66655bf1.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005747.7415" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165628050" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6165628050_de3cc5d461.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005703.2332" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165036675" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6165036675_7d2849f21b.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005699.668" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165105473" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6160/6165105473_dc7f55789b.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005704.7012" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165635632" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6159/6165635632_59bf1e907f.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005742.0757" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165633360" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6165633360_2575a781a6.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005742.0964" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165630644" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6165630644_3936679547.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005716.4226" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165658252" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6165658252_2def7a346d.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005747.952" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165659952" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6164/6165659952_b5e39c5b57.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005777.4219" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165664032" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6165664032_f8e34694bf.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005763.0842" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165669282" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6165669282_bb747b19cc.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005731.5884" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165163001" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6151/6165163001_64da1715fd.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005722.2092" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165164393" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6165164393_6b29215153.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005740.3267" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165167729" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6165167729_1ec5e14b11.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005790.5862" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165169773" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6165169773_86f4459ca8.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005721.535" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165705102" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6159/6165705102_c8fb1fa999.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005752.9333" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165710162" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6165710162_20f604aece.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005707.2864" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6165029665_7a8ef9e413.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005714.8604" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165712878" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6165712878_f134345b06.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005755.2515" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><p class=""><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165717892" target="_blank" style=""></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165715182" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6172/6165715182_241162c9ce.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005715.7876" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6165717892" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6165/6165717892_9f38ab24bf.jpg" id="blogsy-1316509005778.9585" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-48890975841250189092011-09-13T11:23:00.000-04:002011-09-18T12:31:15.341-04:00First Impression, Worst Impression - Zagreb, Croatia<p>September 12, 2011</p><p>Sigh... this was simply the worst day of the trip yet. Our alarm didn't go off and we missed our 6:30am train to Zagreb, Croatia, which means that that we missed our last bus to Plitvice National Park. We moved our Plitvice room reservation back a day and decided, since the trip was so long anyway, to just head to Zagreb (our connecting point to Plitvice) and leave for Plitvice first thing the following morning. We had to quickly book a hotel in Zagreb, and as checkout was quickly approaching, we didn't look at the reviews and just booked one that was close to the train station...and that is where we went terribly wrong.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6159328134" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/6159328134_7ee22f44a4.jpg" id="blogsy-1316363435382.6716" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="331" height="500"></a></div><p>We boarded the train for our 6.5 hour ride from Budapest to Zagreb, only to find ourselves in a ridiculously hot car. It was about 85 degrees and even with the windows open, we were melting! On top of that, we had to detour and take a bus a few stops because of track work. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6158793435" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6182/6158793435_96213bbaaa.jpg" id="blogsy-1316363435443.6516" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="331"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/67655043@N07/6158799713" target="_blank" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6158799713_dea38117bc.jpg" id="blogsy-1316363444525.1035" class="aligncenter" width="500" height="331" align="center"></a></div><p>We arrived in Zagreb, with about 20 other backpackers, at about 8pm and we were completely unimpressed. There was tons of graffiti and the city felt so cold. Luckily there were people out walking about or I might have gone into the fetal position. After a laborious walk, with a sick Natalie trudging along behind, we saw a sign for what we thought was our hotel. It pointed down a dark back alley to a bar... We inquired about whether this was the right place and an older woman, who spoke broken English, said yes. She checked us in, in a seedy bar, made us pay up front and then asked us to wait 10 minutes. By this time it was 8:30pm and I was furious. We were all starving since we had not eaten lunch or dinner, and there was no reason for our room not to be ready. We sat at a table and gave her death stares while she made phone calls. She then came out, walked down the alley and yelled at someone through a window. A few minutes later, a young man emerged and by the way she treated him, I have to assume it was her son. </p><p>She then asked that we come with her and then mumbled something about it being 5 minutes away and we all started getting really angry. Then she walked over TO HER CAR and said a five minute drive. We were all nervous about where she would be taking us but I was prepared to go into fighting mode, need be. Now I know many of you are questioning why we would go with her but at this point she already had our money, it was close to 9pm and we needed a place to stay. So we went. Luckily, it was more like a 3 minute drive until she turned down a dark seedy alley. She parked the car and led us to the last and darkest door in the alley. The hallway was dark as she fumbled to turn on the light. She led us to our apartment, which was horridly decorated. There were three rooms but she unlocked two and three and said the 1st was "private." We dropped our bags, horrified and decided we needed to find money and food. Nat stayed back to rest while Kat and I ventured into dark Zagreb. We finally found an ATM and the worst sandwiches known to man and returned to our apartment. And then our "Taken" moment happened...</p><p>I was skyping with my parents to let them know we had arrived in the slums of Zagreb and where to find our bodies, when we heard someone at the main apartment door. We heard the locks going and the door opening and we started to freak out. We knew that horrible woman had sold us to some terrible trafficking or torture ring and this was the moment they were coming for us. Kat quickly ran to the door and attempted to lock it but of course, in all moments like this, the key wouldn't work. Oh and guess what, my parents got to witness this horrible moment through their webcam! It was a scene directly out of Taken. Doors and locks were still opening in our apartment, we were scrambling and couldn't find any furniture that we could move in front of the door...Finally, when it quieted down I yelled out "hello." No one responded, so I crept out to see if I could find anyone or anything. Kat was right behind me armed with a wine bottle (to use as a weapon, not to drink - although we all needed a drink at this point!). No one was there. We stared at the "private" room for a while but heard nothing coming from inside. We returned back to our room perplexed and filled my parents in on what was happening. </p><p>Then, the door went again! This time when I yelled out, someone responded. There was a girl standing in the hall with her luggage and in her broken English said that the "private" room was her room and she came with the woman. The lady had rented out the room in our apartment and NEVER told us! We were furious. We locked ourselves in our rooms and prepared to leave first thing in the morning. </p><p>The next morning, as we are preparing to leave, some old man just opens the door to our room! He quickly closed it and when I came out I had to assume that he is the cleaning guy. I know it was exactly 11 when we needed to check out but good Lord - knock! We took a tram to the bus station and never saw the woman again but I will be doing everything in my power to shut that miserable place down. </p><p>P.s. Don't go to Zagreb!!</p>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-33588311380029717342011-09-13T04:40:00.001-04:002011-09-13T04:40:22.608-04:00Sorry for the delay!<p>Sorry for the delay in posts. We've been on the road a lot and often without wifi. We love that so many of you are following and we absolutely looove comments. So please comment away. I'll try to get you all updated on our journey ASAP! Sending love from Zagreb, Croatia!!</p>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-67909937712221274502011-09-11T12:33:00.000-04:002011-10-29T11:19:24.670-04:00Budapest is the BestSeptember 11, 2011<br />
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God answered my prayers and our night train ended up being phenomenal! It was a brand new train and luckily it was just the three of us in a room. Our little compartment had a sink and everything, and a father and son from Boston were in the compartment next to us. The train conductor was a sweet old man and I was so happy to finally be on a train that I felt like I could relax and get a good nights sleep...and then the Ukrainians showed up...<br />
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Just as we were about to settle in for the night, a younger guy walked by and said hello. In his broken English and clearly intoxicated, he introduced himself as Dennis and asked what we were doing. When we told him getting ready to sleep he said, "sleep? No sleep. It's too early." His friend Vlad quickly appeared behind him saying, "such beautiful ladies," in his broken English. After talking for a bit, they invited us two doors down to their compartment for a beer. We didn't have much of an option, as his friend returned with beers for us and asked us to meet the rest of their friends. Figuring we were in a somewhat controlled environment and the train conductor knew them and didn't seem worried, Kat and I went down to their compartment, while Nat stayed behind and rested.<br />
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They had 2 compartments that opened up to one another and had it set up as couches instead of beds. They had 4 other friends with them who barely spoke any English. We learned that they all are in some type of law enforcement in Ukraine and Kazakstan and the ones who didn't speak English used their friends as translators. It was so interesting to learn about their lives since it is so different from ours. They were so kind and actually got me to sing for them. The one guy, Combar, didn't speak any English except for his one impersonation "FBI. (kicks into the air) open the door!" It was absolutely hysterical. The whole evening was pretty hilarious as we communicated through broken English and charade gestures. I'm so glad that we met them!<br />
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We arrived at the Budapest train station and of course, the tourist information office was closed. We walked out of the station into the Budapest slums and we had to keep hiding in corners to look at the map on my iPad. Poor Nat was feeling pretty sick at this point, and after finding a Starbucks and getting wifi, we were able to find our way to our apartment. We explored the city for a bit until our apartment was ready and luckily the area got much better. There was even a buzzing street festival on our street! While walking around, I completely fell in love with Budapest. It has a buzzing culture that has yet to be ruined by tourism. Only a few people speak English and the whole experience is thoroughly authentic. Also, the HUF currency made me feel pretty rich!<br />
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We walked by St. Stephen's Basilica and it is absolutely stunning. The whole area around it has numerous restaurants and is absolutely darling. We walked over and saw the Danube River and the Szechenyi Chain Bridge. The architecture surrounding the Danube is massive and incredible. The skyline is dotted with humongous castle-like buildings. <br />
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Our apartment in Budapest was cheap, huge, in an awesome location, and beautiful. We even had a washing machine that we learned, when Kat opened the door, was completely filled with water. In a matter of seconds our shower room and part of the kitchen was flooded with about a 1/2 inch of water! I mopped up some of it and luckily the maid was able to clean up the rest quickly. It was definitely not one of our finer moments.<br />
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Nat decided to stay in for the remainder of the day and attempt to get over her illness, while Kat and I explored the city a bit. We grabbed some delicious food from the street festival and stopped by the opera house but unfortunately, we had just missed the tour. The lobby was beautiful though! <br />
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Next, we made our way to the famous Szechenyi Baths. We took the metro, which was easy to navigate (although we could not pronounce any of the stops) but the trains were about 100 times worse than the subway cars in NYC. The buzzers they set off when the doors close is something you imagine they would use in a torture chamber. <br />
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Once we arrived at Szechenyi Baths, the experience was very...memorable. The whole setup was very strange and we had to wear bracelets that looked like watches that locked our lockers and the towels were actually sheets... The baths had about 10 different saunas and hot tubs and three outdoor pools. You'll never guess who was waving at us from across the way... Our friend Vlad that we met on the train! He introduced us to some more of his friends and showed us some more areas of the baths. Heck when in Budapest, bathe as the Hungarians (and I guess Ukrainians) do!<br />
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After the baths, Kat and I went to the Budapest Wine Festival at Buda Castle. After crossing the Chain Bridge and making our way up a massive hill, the festival was beyond words. I will have a thorough explanation of the experience on my wine blog, but let me tell you, it was so incredible I was weeping at the thought of leaving Budapest. The castle setting, with the full moon blazing upon us, and hundreds of wine stalls was mind blowing. We drank heaps of some of the best wine that I have ever had and most of them do not even export to the US!! I'm planning on fixing that as soon as I return home. We met so many wonderful people and it was the event that truly sealed the deal on my love affair with Budapest. <br />
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Another day of sightseeing and getting lost on the streets of Prague. We walked through Wenceslas Square and then headed into Old Town Square and gawked at the astronomical clock with the thousands of other tourists and then continued across Charles Bridge and all the way up to the castle. The views were incredible and although the palace was immense, it felt cold and undecorated compared to Versailles. I suppose after seeing Versailles, everything looks ugly. We did go into the humongous St. Vitus Cathedral and it was stunning. The stained glass windows were so vibrant and the inside was so large you could see the dust particles of the centuries floating within the vaulted ceilings. <br />
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We walked out of the cathedral and made our way back down the hill when we spotted signs for the St. Wenceslas Vineyard. Prague actually has grape vines growing in the city. It was very neat to see and we tried some of their partially fermented wine called Burcak. It was sweet and delicious and tasted like the perfect melting of wine and beer into one. <br />
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Next we wandered back across the Vitava River to the Jewish Quarter. We saw the Jewish Cemetery through the tiny slats in a barred door. It was extremely creepy because all of the tombstones are stacked on one another. The cemetery is thousands of years old and the Jews were not permitted to buy additional land so they just made layers of graves, 12 layers actually. I would have loved to walk around it a bit and channel my inner ghost hunter but it was closed. Anyone else know that Saturday is the sabbath for Jews and everything stays closed? We did but I suppose it was poor planning on our part and never knowing what day it is! Unfortunately, we missed out on a lot of the Jewish sites but I suppose it is yet another reason to return to Prague.<br />
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We wandered around the town a bit more when Natalie started feeling very ill. Luckily we were able to go back to the hostel and have her rest a bit before our night train to Budapest. I'm hoping that this night train is not anything like the last!Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-68806433993644857972011-09-09T22:22:00.000-04:002011-10-29T11:23:21.522-04:00Prague, Beautiful Architecture and Tourists Galore!September 9, 2011<br />
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I think that I may have had my first travel breakdown on our night train to Prague. We reserved couchettes (small beds) in a sleeper train so that we could "comfortably" sleep through our 14 hour train ride to Prague. Little did I realize that you are actually renting a slab in a 6x6 coffin that contains 5 other slabs. Three slabs stacked on one side and three on the other. The train was so beat and broken down and the train workers were miserable. I was shooed away TWICE, one time by a nasty conductor when we were checking to see if we were in the right car and another time when I was asking a woman ticket collector where the refreshment car was. She actually yelled at me in what I must assume to be Dutch and waved her hands violently for me to go away. I almost gave her a piece of my mind but feared being left in the desolate Czech countryside. After realizing that we would be sharing our coffin with three strange men, I began to wonder if the scary countryside might be a better option. Luckily, we survived the journey unscathed and the strange men were somewhat friendly and un-smelly.<br />
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Once arriving in Prague, we went straight to the tourist office to seek accommodation. She found us an apartment and sent us on our way for what we thought was an easy 15 minute walk to the hotel. We ended up getting lost for about an hour, literally walking back and forth on one street about 6 times because the street names were so confusing and the streets seem to go in every direction. After finally stumbling upon our hotel, we were fearful of the horrible alley entrance. Also, it was called ArtHarmony Hostel and indeed was not a hotel. We walked up the two flights of stairs, fearful of what we might find. The place actually turned out to be very cute and hippy-ish! I felt like I was in Woodstock. Our room included a kitchen, a loft, and had natural elements and trees everywhere. We absolutely adored it. <br />
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We were completely famished and went to a restaurant, recommended by the hostel, that served traditional Czech food. We ordered a huge dish of sausage, duck, ribs and potato dumplings and the three of us devoured it. The restaurant was charming and they had the cutest Yorkie running around.<br />
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After lunch, we wandered around for a bit and admired all of the beautiful buildings and churches. We made our way across Charles Bridge and climbed yet another tower for some remarkable views of the city. Prague is such a gorgeous city but it was completely swarmed with tourists! We met with Natalie's friend, Kim, for dinner in a great restaurant directly across from the National Theater. Czech food is delicious and it was great hearing about Prague from someone who lives there. <br />
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After dinner, we attended a classical concert at Saint Nicholas Church (although Santa never made an appearance). The organist was world renowned and the trumpet player and soprano were wonderful, as well. It really made me miss singing!<br />
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We headed back to our hostel and admired all of the gorgeous buildings in the moonlight. Prague really is a gorgeous, music filled city. I just wish that these huge tour groups would vanish. It so sad when a city gets completely taken over by tourists! Nonetheless, Prague is still beautiful!<br />
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<br /></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-33830379553391298462011-09-08T21:10:00.000-04:002014-05-16T15:29:08.193-04:00The Best Day of My LifeSeptember 8, 2011<br />
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This Thursday was like no other Thursday. It was the day I had been waiting for since I first found out that this place existed. We were finally traveling to Apenheul Primate Park in Apeldoorn, Netherlands! This primate park is like none other because the primates actually roam free! The park's advertisement mentions that you are most likely to be pick pocketed at the park than anywhere else because the primates are extremely curious. They give you a locker for valuables and a free monkey proof bag to use while in the park. Although you are not supposed to keep any food on you, I put some grapes in my pocket to ensure some primate interaction. <br />
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This park was magical and we were able to see so many species of primates. I was so extremely happy, except for the pouring rain. I shouted out to the monkey gods to please stop the rain so that I could steal a monkey and thank goodness it did stop for about an hour! The monkeys emerged from their hiding places and it was awesome to see how they interacted with one another and ventured around their spacious living quarters. We were also really lucky to see a ton of baby primates. They were all ridiculously cute and I managed to take a ridiculous amount of photos.<br />
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Then, while walking on the raised boardwalk they created through the trees, the moment of all moments occurred. A tiny squirrel monkey reached out and touched me!!! I was so happy and tried to convince him to climb up my shoulder. I was going to give him the grapes but I noticed he was eating an apple and the grape may have been bigger than his head. I really tried to convince him that he wanted to be a traveling monkey but he decided that life on the road was not for him. He really enjoyed pickpocketing visitors at the park. We went our separate ways, but I will never forget that magical moment.<br />
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I was so impressed with how gorgeous the park was and how much space the primates had to roam. Most could actually just wander right over to you if they wanted. Of course, some of the primates were in an enclosed area for our safety, ie. gorillas and orangutans, but I did get a kiss from an orangutan through the glass window. It was awesome! I was in seventh heaven at this park and was extremely sad to leave. I tried to convince Kat and Nat to go on without me and that I wanted to live out my days amongst the primates but they refused. I'm going to be looking for a roommate in the Netherlands if anyone is interested.</div>
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Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135546017342495118.post-44119399622459849672011-09-07T22:53:00.000-04:002014-05-16T15:10:43.808-04:00How many things can you do in Amsterdam in a day?September 7, 2011<br />
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We got an early start and visited the famous Amsterdam Diamond Museum that was conveniently located down the street from our hotel. It was very odd to navigate and, of course, they were tempting you to buy jewelry around every corner, but it was pretty neat to see. Sadly, most of the diamonds in the museum were replicas but it was very informative on how diamonds are mined, cut, and buffed to be the beautiful little stones they are. I shockingly escaped the gift store without any souvenirs from this place.<br />
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After the Diamond Museum, we took a train out of the city to Zaanse Schans to see the windmills. Of course, one cannot venture to Holland without seeing windmills. It was cold and rainy but Zaanse Scans was still adorable. They actually moved many old Dutch houses and reconstructed them in this small village to demonstrate how things were made in the olden days. The different homes specialized in different things such as clog making or cheese. We helped ourselves to every single cheese sample they had and saved on lunch. Luckily, the rain held off right until we were about to leave. The woman in the iron casting shop told us that every time we have bad weather in the U.S., they get rain days after. So essentially we brought Irene with us. Awesome.<br />
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Upon our return to Amsterdam, we visited the floating flower market. The flowers were amazing! I went crazy taking pictures and you're only seeing a few of them below. They even had cannabis growing kits. I'll let you know if I can get it through customs! <br />
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Next, we visited the Van Gogh museum. It was really incredible and not too packed since it was towards the end of the day. His paintings were amazing and I was shocked to learn that despite his large body of works, he only painted for about 8 years! His original paintings were very dark, as well, and consisted of peasants and the countryside. His bright colorful works sure have come a long way from where he started. Again, no photos were permitted in the museum so you'll have to see this one for yourself.<br />
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After dinner in a traditional Dutch kitchen restaurant, we checked out the Red Light District. It felt like we were in the throws of hell. The streets reeked of weed and alcohol and women were in every window selling themselves under the red lights. It felt like we were on another planet. A black cat crossed our path, go figure, and swans floated down the canals in the glow of the red lights and pure mayhem. We stopped for a drink in the Black Tiger bar and actually met a ton of great people. It is always interesting to hear other people's perceptions of Americans. I had a group of British guys ask me if it was really true that "Americans think our accents are posh." I told him yes, unless they sound like Oliver Twist and then I want to cut off my ears. Our bartender was from Egypt, hates Obama and loved Bush. He said his homeland is so different and unsafe with Obama as president and Bush actually did a lot of great things for them. Things you never hear about in the America bubble... We also made friends with some other Americans and ended the night drinking beers and placing bets on how long Flutter Fingers (our favorite prostitute, who we named) took with each of her visitors. It was quite interesting and disgusting and although we had fun I hope to never visit that section of hell again.<br />
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Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116930346089887477noreply@blogger.com0