andrea465's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member andrea465 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/andrea465 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:50:12 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Italy Part III — Vatican city, Vatican City http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1184423160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1184423160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1184423160/tpod.html Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:50:12 -0400 Travelling Europe and Hopefully Beyond
Vatican city, Vatican City

Florence was a great city to visit. It would have been great to have more time to make some trips out into the Tuscan villages but we made good use of the 2.5 days that we had there.

The first evening we found out the it was late night at the Uffizi Gallery. So although we had to wait 2 hours in line we still had time to wander through before it closed. In all we spent 3 hours there. I'm sure you could spend much longer but it had been such a long day by the time we arrived that while really happy to see the Birth of Venus we didnt longer too long.

The next day we started with a trip to see the David. I'd already seen the reproduction in London but seeing it in Florence was something else. Definately surpassed my expectations. In person you can see much more detail that you normally can from a photo.

Next we headed to the Duomo. The outside was just magnificent with green, rose and pink marble. Inside the decor is not nearly so elaborate but we headed up to the many MANY stairs to the dome to see the painting on the ceiling. No doubt about the purpose of the painting...scare the crap out of the people so they are good. Nothing like seeing huge images of demons eating people and shoving fire pokers up their asses to scare them straight.

We finished the day with a visit to the shops on the Vecchio Ponte, the oldest bridge in Florence and the only one not destroyed in WWII. Now lined with gold shops its a busy tourist attraction.

Our second day we took the train out to Pisa where we did the normal tai chi poses near the lawns. Got some great pics of us larger than life pushing the tower back in place. We also decided to splurge for the tickets to actually climb the tower. It was a littel disorienting since you cant trust your eyes and sometime are leaning towards the centre and sometimes towards the outer wall as you make your way up. Lots of fun through and I got a great shot of Rachael coming down the top staircase on her bum to prevent falling.

Next we were on to Pompei. The ruins in Pomei were fantastic...almost a shame we saw them before the ruins in Rome since I was much less impressed after seeing Pompei. Its was absolutely fantastic seeing all the houses with mosaic floors and wall paintings intact. They even have the brothel open for visitors to see the wall paintings of services on offer. We only saw 4 body casts while there. I believe a lot of them have actually been removed to other locations. Very creepy though. In one you can see the mans teeth and eye sockets staring at you. Later that day we took the bus up to Mt Vesuvius where we hiked the rest of the way to the summit. Very cool to see Pompei and then what caused it.

Finally, we took our last train to our last Italian city...Rome. Just quickly I will say that we saw....the Colesseum, Roman Forum, Palentine Hill, Pantheon (awesome), Trevi Fountain (which we did throw coins into) and the Spanish Steps.

The final day of our travels together we headed to the Vatican where we spent hours walking through gallery after gallery after gallery. All amazing. Finally we had it to the Sistine Chapel which was incredible. Everyone loves the ceiling as I did but my favourite was actually the last judgement which is painted on the wall. Amazing. Afterwards we climbed the 551 stairs to the top of St. Peter's Basilica before rewarding ourselves with a well earned dinner splurge including all the extras.

Italy has been fantastic!!! Will come and see some more one day for sure.
]]> Italy, Part II — San Marino, San Marino http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1184422200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1184422200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1184422200/tpod.html Sat, 14 Jul 2007 10:25:44 -0400 Travelling Europe and Hopefully Beyond
San Marino, San Marino

So to continue on from Verona we headed to Venice. We stayed in a hotel on the mainland but decided to verture out to Venice for the rest of the afternoon being only a 10 minute train away.

We walked around many little alleyways before deciding it was as good a time as any to try out a gondola ride. We had hear that it was a fixed price for up to six people so we decided it was worth the effort to try and find some others to share the cost. We managed to find a couple american girls and also a couple and paid 100 euros for the lot of us. In hindsight we couple have got the price cheaper but since we had only just managed to talk the couple to join us we would have risked losing them by trying to go elsewhere. The gondola ride was great (although the driver only whistled and didnt sing as I had hoped). After feeding pigeons in San Marco square...the product of which is a photo that I beg Rachael my travel partner will not show around to liberally....we had a nice dinner on the Grand Canal. Afterwards we decided to head back and found out exactly how hard it can be to find anything in Venice, especially in the dark. We returned to the hotel after a long frustrated time finding it at about 11:30 pm. We ended up having a chat with the gentleman on the night shift and he was telling us all about where to go in Venice. The next morning when we went down he decided that he would show us around. First he took us to Murano where the famous glass is made. He guy seemed to know everyone, including many shop owners and glass factory owners. We ended up getting to pick out colours and shapes for our own glass pendant necklaces which were made in front of us. After posing for pictures with the artist he gave them to us as gifts...so cool.

Next we went to Burano where they make the handmade lace and met a lacemaker that our new friend knew and then enjoyed a nice lunch. Finally he dropped us off back at San Marco where we were able to see the cathedral that we missed the first time due to it being closed. All in all it was such a great day, probably my favourite in Italy.

The following day we headed off to San Marino, a small country located around a mountain that is entirely contained within Italy. We ended up getting to San Marino far earlier than expected which was great since we had a free afternoon to see San Marino including one of the fortresses and the parliament and then had the next day free for some sunbathing in Rimini, an hour away by bus. San Marino itself was a nice place, lots of tourists, souvenirs and some of the cheapest liquor.

Next stop...Florence.
]]> French Riviera, Avignon and Milan — Verona, Italy http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1183045260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1183045260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1183045260/tpod.html Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:01:23 -0400 Travelling Europe and Hopefully Beyond
Verona, Italy

St. Tropez wasnt quite what I expected. Its very small and no I didnt see anyone famous but we did see some more superyachts out on the water with paparazzi helicopters hovering around. They focused just on two ships so must have been someone in the public eye. The beaches werent as nice as I thought which is what suprised me. I enjoyed a little sunbathing though.

Avignon, when we got there was a very nice city. The old city is surrounded by this great wall which our hotel was just across the street from so we were easy walking distance to the Popes Palace and restaurants in the city centre. The Popes Palace was really big and quite impressive although it lookes damaged in certain areas.

We took a out of Avignon to Nimes but stopped at the Roman Aquaducts on the way. They were quite impressive. Its amazing what the Romans did without all the technology we had today. In Nimes we toured the ancient amplitheatre, said to be the best preserved in existence. It was quite amazing to see and it still in use for bullfights today. We heard about the gladiators and it turns out much of what you see in movies wasnt accurate.

Our drive to Paris was long and the huge traffic jams didnt help. We finally found the right garage to return our rental car to 5 minutes before it closed. We headed to our hotel and had one final meal together at a local restaurant before heading to bed. After waking in the wee hours of the morning I said goodbye to my parents and headed to the airport for my flight to Milan.

In Milan I met Rachael, a friend from high school, with whom I will be travelling for the next two weeks. We had one full day in Milan in which we walked around the Duomo and afterwards climbed the stairs to the roof where you are actually allowed to walk around. Its incredible to see how much detail is put into a building when you can see it up close like that. We also walked around the Golden Quad which is an area with all the fancy designers such as Gucci, Prada, Versace, etc. Im not much of a shopper but it was located in a very cool arcade that had been covered over with glass.

Today we took the train to Verona where we saw Shakespeares fictional Juliets supposed balcony. I also rubbed the breast of her statue in the courtyard which is supposed to bring a new love...you never know. We entered the roman amplitheatre which wasnt as impressive as the one in Avignon and toured walked around a Basilica with great frescos and a corpse in a glass coffin in the crypt. Oh...and had the most amazing gelato EVER!

Off to Venice tomorrow...
]]> French Riviera — Nice, France http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182581340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182581340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182581340/tpod.html Sat, 23 Jun 2007 03:02:44 -0400 Travelling Europe and Hopefully Beyond
Nice, France

From Lucerne we drove to Interlaken for a look around and then on to Bern, the capital of Switzerland. Bern has a population of only about 125000 but we enjoyed a walk around town and a delicious dinner at an outdoor patio.

From Bern we drove to Montreux where we walked through the chateaux de Chillon which was surrounded by amazing views. The castle itself was interesting as much of it was left the way it was in the 13th and 15th centuries.

From there we drove down to Geneva where we toured the UN buildings.

The following day we had a long drive down to Nice, France which we made by driving through Italy. We stopped in an Italian city in hopes of finding pizza only to find that restaurants are not open at 5pm.

We spent the last two days in Nice, France. Thursday night was the first night we were here and I couldnt believe the number of people out on the streets. It was a huge party and I suspect tonight will be the same although we wont be here. Yesterday we went to Monaco for the day...to gawk at the rich basically. I have never seen so many superyachts in one marina. We saw a couple even equiped with helicopters. Also saw LOTS of Ferraris and Lambourghinis. It was an educational day on how some people live.

Today we are off to Cannes, then St. Tropez and then off to Avignon for a couple nights.

Ciao.
]]> Switzerland — Lucerne, Switzerland http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182195000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182195000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182195000/tpod.html Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:34:38 -0400 Travelling Europe and Hopefully Beyond
Lucerne, Switzerland

From Liechtenstein we drove to Zurich where we enjoyed an evening stroll around the lakeside. We spent the morning touring the old town, shopping and seeing the Fraumunster which has great stained glass windows...Ive really never seen anything like them.

From Zurich we drove to Lucerne where we took a gondola ride up to the top of Mt. Pilatus, a peak of 7000 ft. From the top we got great views of the lakes and Lucerne as well as other mountains. Really wish I had dressed warmer though as it was quite cold at the top.

Off to Interlaken and Bern tomorrow...
]]> Liechtenstein — Vaduz, Liechtenstein http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182194820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182194820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182194820/tpod.html Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:30:24 -0400 Travelling Europe and Hopefully Beyond
Vaduz, Liechtenstein

From Innsbruck we drove west....through many long tunnels through the mountians and also some spectacular scenery.

We stopped in Liechtenstein. The third (I think) smallest country in Europe. The country only has about 34000 people and its main industries are banking and false teeth.

We enjoyed the stamp museum and had a great lunch on a patio in the center of the capital....a bustling place of 5000 people.
]]> Austria — Innsbruck, Austria http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182194640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182194640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182194640/tpod.html Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:26:34 -0400 Travelling Europe and Hopefully Beyond
Innsbruck, Austria

From Munich we drove across the border into Austria to the city of Salzburg. In Salzburg we saw walked up to the castle to great views of the city. We also splurged a little on a horse and carriage ride around the city. Our night stop was in Innsbruck although we didnt really tour the city.
]]> Germany — Munich, Germany http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182193860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182193860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1182193860/tpod.html Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:23:38 -0400 Travelling Europe and Hopefully Beyond
Munich, Germany

From Amsterdam we drove down to Cologne (Koln), Germany where we saw the Cathedral in the center of town. The stained glass windows were amazing. I have a special interest in stained glass windows as it is one of my hobbies.

From Cologne we drove to Bonn where we stopped at Beethoven house. Beethoven was born in that house although apparently didnt live there very long. Anyway, they had an museum dedicated to him there where we spent an hour.

From Bonn, we drove to Frankfurt for dinner and on to Wurzburg for the night....whew, a long drive for one day.

The next day we drove the length of the Romantic Road from Wurzburg to Fussen. I was disappointed at how poorly marked the road was. It made it very difficult to follow. We did stop in the cutest (if overrun by tourism) town. For the life of my I cant remember the name but it was surrounded with stone walls which we spent half an hour walking around the top of.

In Fussen we stayed at a bed and Breakfast run by a woman that we now refer to as the witch. Very rude and unwelcoming.

From Fussen we went to see Neuchwanstein castle which was only a short ride away. The castle was amazing. Its the castle that Disneys Cinderella castle is based on apparently. The detail and expense that was put into it is amazing.

From the Castle we went to Dachau which was run as a concentration camp in WWII. That was quite the upsetting experience to see the video that is shown and to walk around the crematoriums where people were killed. Walking around that place I had such a sick feeling to my stomache.
]]> Netherlands — Amsterdam, Netherlands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1181647800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1181647800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1181647800/tpod.html Tue, 12 Jun 2007 07:40:11 -0400 Travelling Europe and Hopefully Beyond
Amsterdam, Netherlands

From Brugges we drove to Antwerp which I was not impressed with and then on to Breda where my father was born. I met two of my fathers cousins and aunts for the first time and was given a tour around the city. I learned a lot about the family history in about 8 hours time.

The following day we continued on to Rotterdam which we decided to only drive through and Delft which is a charming town that we stopped for brunch. Delft is known for it finely painted china, a technique that was taken from the Chinese. As my lonely planet states, it's ironic since the shops are now filled with cheap knockoff Delft pieces that are imported from China. We did see some of the real stuff though and I was afraid to breathe in the shop for worry that I might accidentally break a vase with a 8000 euro price tag.

From Delft we drove on to The Hague where I was looking forward to two museums only I forgot to check that they were open and being Monday they weren't so we just walked around the city for a couple hours. We decided to go to Utrecht last night for dinner and enjoyed a fantastic Thai restaurant with tables right along the canal. Food was so good.

This morning we took the train into Amsterdam (we are staying near the airport and didn't want to have to drive in Amsterdam). I've been to Amsterdam so I'm taking to opportunity to update my journal now.

We're off to Germany tomorrow. Will be driving to Munich over the next two days via the "Romantic Road".
]]> Belgium — Brugges, Belgium http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1181301900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1181301900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrea465/bigtrip/1181301900/tpod.html Tue, 12 Jun 2007 07:30:07 -0400 Travelling Europe and Hopefully Beyond
Brugges, Belgium

We left Luxembourg and drove north through the Luxembourg countryside and germany up to Maastrict, Netherlands. We weren't overly impressed with the city but enjoyed a nice dinner in the city square.

From Maastrict we drove to Brussels and Ghent Belgium on the way to Brugges. We spent two nights in Brugges which was a nice place to recharge our energy levels. Brugges is charming but over run with tourists. I finally found a laundermat and lets just say I've been smelling better the last few days.
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