TravelStream™ news feed for member gojenngo on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/gojenngo en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 01 May 2008 07:28:58 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1209641040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1209641040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1209641040/tpod.html Thu, 01 May 2008 07:28:58 -0400 Florence, Italy

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Florence, Tuscany, Italy

As I write this, my last entry from Italy, I am at a loss for words. I have heard that it is possible for one person to have a vocabulary of at least 10,000 words at their disposal but they regularly use only about 800, a fraction. Looking over the last 20 some entries I would have to agree with that statement.
While I rack my brain to find a word suitable for my experience here I am reminded of something I learned during a particularly wonderful dinner the other night; there is not one word in the Italian language for "confusing". Our hostess tried and tried to translate the adjective and could not. There were no synonyms either. What do you do if you cannot say that something is confusing? What do you say if you cannot express you are confused, perplexed, befuddled even? "You don't say anything," she told us, "you just figure it out... simple"
Yes simplicity is key; if I have learned anything while being here it is this: work hard, honor traditions and family, enjoy good food (with even better wine), and surround yourself with those people that make you happy...keep it simple. "Very important not to forget," she said "la vita e bella."
Life is beautiful.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1208603160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1208603160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1208603160/tpod.html Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:34:36 -0400 Florence, Italy

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Cinque Terre, Italy

I have been lucky enough to travel quite a bit during this semester abroad and I have seen many beautiful places but none compares to Cinque Terre. It is by far the most astoundingly beautiful location I have seen to date; I was looking at pictures last night that I had taken throughout the day and I couldn't believe I had just been there.
A lot of my classmates have been in the last couple of weekends and have told me I shouldn't miss it if possible. I took their advice and found out that Chris wanted to go so we bought our train tickets on Thursday and got really excited for what lie ahead. The tour book said it is renowned for its beauty and had recently been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List (excitement now at level 7). Our hostess's daughter Karin said it was beautiful and she would go with us if she could (excitement now an 8). When we arrived the excitement quickly escalated to 12 - gorgeous!
A short background on Cinque Terre, the name means "five lands" because this area is comprised of five villages - Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. They rest on the Ligurian Coast, mountainous and stunning. Tourists are able to visit the towns a few ways: a local train connects them all and takes about 3min between each town; a local bus is another option and takes about 5 or 10 minutes to reach each town, the final option - and how we had decided to travel - was to traverse to entire stretch on foot. It would take about 5.5 hrs and is recommended for those interested/able to hike because the trails could be difficult (this was also the cheapest option, and we had time so why not?) Once we saw the coast line we were sort of blissfully ignorant of the trek that lay in front of us.

*note: traveling to Riomaggiore meant we had to make a connection in Pisa, a connection we failed to make (only ½ our fault), so we re-routed ourselves to La Spezia where we caught another train to Riomaggiore (only put us 30 min behind "schedule")

The weather was perfect; it was the first sun we had seen in a couple of weeks so both of us were ready to go. We bought our trail tickets from the tourist stand - the ticket allows you access to all the trails and not just a few vista points. I had read earlier that trail number 2 went along the coast and ran the length of Cinque Terre increasing in difficulty between each town. From Riomaggiore hikers began in the Via dell'Amore a stretch of graffiti covered tunnel dedicated to lovers, murals of the seaside are quickly covered in signatures of hikers form all over the world expressing their love for one another - the windows cut into the tunnel wall looking out over the ocean aren't bad either. After this the trail wraps around the mountain offering brilliant views of the coast and the next two towns in the distance. I'll say that this part of the trail was a level 3, climbing but ultimately just a nice walk along a nice wide path lined with benches and railings. Reaching the town of Manarola takes about half an hour, upon entering I felt accomplished and was looking forward to the next part of the trail. We walked down the main street and off to all sides were small winding streets ("streets" all of 20 ft long), above us were clothes lines full of crisp white linens hanging out in the warm sun - these were probably the only white objects in the town, everything was brightly colored and reflected the sun and made me feel so welcome. The streets were also lined with boats, I almost ran into a few of them because I was looking around so much; I've heard of running into a parked car (hard to do) but how in the world do you begin to explain running into a boat?
We started the next part of the hike with high hopes for more of the same ocean views and easygoing inclines. It turned out to be a little more beautiful - although I don't know how - and slightly more difficult. The inclines were no big deal we just noticed every so often there were small sets of three or four stairs and the trail zigzagged a bit more and at some point we went over a fun wobbly bridge that reminded me of the one I used to love in the playground when I was little; I'll say this part of the trail was a level 4, nothing we couldn't handle. We made it to Corniglia in about one hour and were greeted by an even smaller population and even brighter buildings. We ate lunch at one of the restaurants around the small square and then enjoyed the vista of hillside terraces and the ocean in the distance. After I bought some water we started on the next part of our hike, with three towns down in about two hours we thought we were doing quite well and were looking forward to the rest...oh how naïve we were!
The trek into Vernazza was easily a level 7, we could see the town from Corniglia and it was at the top of the next mountain so we knew what we were in for. There were stairs, followed by steep trail that was narrower than we had had to deal with yet, followed by stairs, and stairs, and even more stairs - we were climbing a mountain after all.

*note: when I say stairs - in this instance - I mean deep, shallow stairs nobody likes, that take you two awkward steps in-between to ready yourself for the next one, and right at the end we had to endure about 15 switchbacks of these things to get to the top.

Vernazza turned out to be my favorite town, impossibly brighter than the last and even more picturesque. There were boats parked in the central square and each had a cat curled up inside soaking up the sun. Locals watched the flow of foot traffic below or hung out their laundry to dry. There was a small cove - explaining all the boats in the square - and an even smaller beach with a few children playing. It was busy and peaceful at the same time. We took loads of pictures and I took a break to drink all the water I could - the next part of the trip would be even harder and I didn't know what that meant - then we started on the next part of the hike.
The trail connecting Vernazza and Monterrosso was a level 9 - veering into level 10 at times - hike. The "stairs" were boulders and required me to step up about a foot and a half to reach the next. Other stairs were so shallow I had to walk sideways as the back of my shoes hit the preceding stairs if I wasn't careful. Streams became one with the trail at times so we had to walk on slick rocks and at one point the width of the trail became someone's garden wall - about a foot wide. If I was at all scared of heights this would have been where I tapped out. For some stretches I was dripping in sweat and yet having the time of my life, others I was dripping in sweat and cursing the ground I walked on. Some parts I had to remind myself that other students - some of which I wouldn't think would do this - had completed this very trail so I had to do it too. Other parts I found the strength to bound up a set of boulder-stairs (no telling where that came from), I quickly paid for my glee at being able to find a little more energy by having to climb about 50 more stairs, each one more difficult than the last. Imagine doing 50 sets of 20 lunges uphill and then doing it again, and again; I think you get the picture.

*note: I don't know if it was better or worse that I had run about 3mi the previous day because I was "bored"...like I said, oh how naïve I was. By the end my knees were doing the shakes - my muscles, or what was left of them had had enough.

Even through the worst of it all, we were surrounded by some of the most beautiful vineyards, olive trees, lemon trees, and forest imaginable. There were ivy covered bridges and waterfalls and puddles of mud and stairs leading to private homes, and cats, and friendly locals and tourists, and views of the turquoise ocean crashing below around every corner. All of those elements, plus so many more it will take me days to remember, made up one of the most challenging situations I have ever voluntarily put myself through. I loathed it at times but loved it the entire way.
The last town, Monterosso, was beautiful like the rest but I think it was made even more beautiful because it meant I had accomplished something. We made it in about five and a half hours - allowing for lunch and numerous photo breaks - and as the sun was beginning its descent we took a train back to Riomaggiore so we could catch our other train for Florence. The whole experience was outstanding.

*note: when we got back to Florence Chris and I bought Kebabs from the shop around the corner - they are delicious wraps made with a yogurt sauce, red peppers, lettuce, cabbage, onions, another pepper variety, tomatoes, and kebab meat. I was also surprised to find my legs still worked after everything I had put them through!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1208081640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1208081640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1208081640/tpod.html Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:19:03 -0400 Florence, Italy

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Greve, Italy

As my time here winds down I need to make sure I experience as much as possible. I found some towns listed under the "day trips from Florence" section in my tour book and picked one to take up my Sunday afternoon - some wine tasting sounded fun. Chris and Gina wanted to come along so we met at the bus station and bought our tickets for Greve in Chianti. The journey would take a little over an hour and I was willing to risk taking the bus because I felt the need to travel.
The Tuscan countryside will never cease to amaze me. The ingredients for a beautiful setting are all there: rolling hills, random stone villas, cypress trees, the occasional stream, wide open sky with passing clouds - making the sun's rays dance around beautifully - but there is also something there that I can't describe. I would love to be able to tell you what it is, believe me, but I can't.
Greve in Chianti was/is a very small town; we were dropped off in the middle (?) - it is a very small town. I'll put it this way; my book's description covered half a page. There was a restaurant near the bus stop so we went in to ask for directions. Actually I sent Gina in to ask because while we all need practice, she NEEDS practice! The host told her the winery we were looking for was just two blocks up and to the left. As he finished he held out his hand and Gina - not knowing what this meant I guess - proceeded to slap his hand in a "high five" sort of motion then slide into awkwardly bumping their knuckles together. Immediately after all of this she wanted to walk to the winery but as smells floating over from pizza oven reminded Chris and me we hadn't eaten, we wanted to stay. Plus Chris noticed they had 4 Euro Pizza - never happens in Florence. We took our seats and ordered our pizzas and Gina ordered Spaghetti Carbonara. The portions were huge and the food was really tasty; after a while the waiter asked if we would like anything for dessert and we declined so it surprised us a few minutes later when he brought over a plate with three slices of cake and three glasses of Limoncello - a "gift" he said. We decided Gina's handshake had caused this wonderful "gift" to appear so we joked about that for a bit and were feeling pretty pleased with ourselves...until the waiter dropped off the neighboring table's "gift"... I had not tried Limoncello yet so I was still excited and the cake he had given us was delicious, it was more like a torte, nice and light. We finished up and because we thought we needed to ask for the check - as in every other place we have eaten since we've been here - sat at the table for another 30min before the waiter told us we could pay at the counter if we were done.
The wine tasting place was right where the host said it would be, called Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti, it is a modern tasting center with an area dedicated to the history of wine in the region. The set up is very relaxed and we were very intrigued by the directions for tasting. Using a newer vacuum-valve technology we were able to taste as many as 150 types of wine. The types of wine available for tasting ranged from typical table wine (red), Supertuscans (still not sure what these are), Chianti Classico, DOC and DOCG ("wines approved by the wine board in Tuscany" is the easiest way to explain them), Grappa (extremely strong), Brunello (expensive wine), and Moscato (dessert wine). The price of each taste depends on the type you would like to sample and goes from about .60 cents to 3 dollars. We purchased our tasting cards (in denominations of 10, 15, 20, or 25 euros and walked around to get a feel for the selection (not that we had any idea what we were "selecting").
Once we selected what we wanted to try - I chose Grappa, start strong right (?) - we had to figure out how to get it in our glass. I inserted the card in the slot near the top of one of the bottles and the buttons above all of the bottles lit up, once that happened I just pushed the one above the bottle I had chosen and a small amount was dispensed into my cup. The read-out above the card slot then displayed how much money I had left on my card. It was simple, so we split up and bought tastes of what we wanted to try next. When you were finished with your taste there were sinks for pouring out any remaining wine and sinks for rinsing your glass or filling up with some water. We also discovered there was an Olive Oil tasting station and card process was the same if you were interested in tasting them but we quickly figured out that the tastes were free as your remaining balance never changed. Chris and Gina both enjoyed this station - Gina bought a few bottles as gifts - and as I already found an Olive Oil I loved I had a few tastes but focused on the wine.
So back to the Grappa tasting, it soaked up any saliva in my mouth and tasted like distilled rubbing alcohol, but it wasn't too bad if you gave it a minute. When producing wine there are certain leftovers - grapes and what not, I guess - that would make the wine too strong if you were to leave them in. When these parts are removed they are then used to make Grappa. It is what I imagine White Lightning/Moonshine would taste like - only it's legal. After Grappa I moved on to some of the Brunello - if I can't afford a bottle I might as well drink all I can when it's cheap! They were really good and going from that to the table wine station made the latter that much more "regular" tasting. Then I tried some of the dessert wine, Moscato, and it was sweet and fruity and fizzy and really good. Each of us went back a few times for another taste and Gina and Chris both ended up buying bottles as gifts. There were appetizers offered just in case you came on an empty stomach or if you wanted to see how the wine paired with a meat or a cheese. It was so much fun and really relaxed so we took our time and then finished up and the girls made their purchases and we left.
On the way out we heard what sounded like a marching band, the sound was funneled through the all the narrow streets so we followed them and found the main piazza - full of locals and a few tourists and a big band in the center of it all. We weren't quite sure what was going on but everyone seemed to be having a really good time and it was pretty much all locals so we watched for a bit. All of the older men in dress uniform had very elaborate head gear - a giant plume of feathers sprouting from the center of very small hats. I asked if they would take a picture with me...a few moments later, I was sporting one of the aforementioned head pieces, and then yes I got my picture. :) One of the men asked us where we were from and Gina told him California, he told us Schwarzenegger was only good for "horror" films and not politics.
The crowd was beginning to disperse so we wrapped up our photo session with the men and headed back to the bus stop, all in all a very nice Sunday.


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1208011080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1208011080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1208011080/tpod.html Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:41:28 -0400 Florence, Italy

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Florence, Italy

I took the "day off" today and tried to check some sights off of my list. While there has been a noticeable increase in the tourist crowds - I try to avoid most main streets - I thought I would risk my sanity and go to some of the most popular places.
I downloaded a few audio tours from iTunes - the podcasts are free - and grabbed my museum pass and headed out the door. A short walk and I found the Accademia, my pass let me "cut" the huge lines, and soon I was standing in front of the most beautiful man I have ever seen...David.

He is fantastic.

The longer I looked it was hard to believe he wasn't breathing or blinking. At times I could swear he was moments from turning his head and walking off his pedestal. I have no idea how long I stood there but at some point I realized the audio guide had finished and I had yet to move around to the sides or back of the sculpture. So I took a seat on one of the benches lining the apse David occupies and tried to find some proper music to commemorate the occasion - Chopin ended up working nicely. The veins in the back of his hands, the way his toes wrapped around the stone he stands on, and his knees (of all things) were the parts I thought made him so realistic. His gaze was at one point concentrated and at other times anxious, fearful, and at ease - as if he had made up his mind to complete the task at hand no matter the outcome. The tree stump behind his right leg seemed to be an extension of his youth and also served as a sort of anchor, physically and mentally. For someone who has never found a certain satisfaction when observing sculpture, this was an exception; I'm not sure if it was the artist, the subject, or the notoriety surrounding it all. At some point none of the above mattered. Yes Michelangelo completed this David from an abandoned piece of marble - dry stone is much harder to work with - yes it once sat in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, and yes its composition is often celebrated, but none of this affects you during contemplation. I wasn't standing in front of a sculpture because I was supposed to, I was standing in front of this man because I wanted to, I couldn't have looked away if I wanted to - he commands your attention. For once my gaze didn't wander to the adjacent niches or the other tourists, I was there for him and that was enough.
I walked through some of the other rooms at some point but couldn't really tell you what was in them. The "slaves/prisoner" sculptures - also Michelangelo's - lining the nave leading up to the David were also worth noting, the figures looked like they were emerging from the stone. Some had simple facial features, others only a torso twisting out of the marble. There is some speculation as to weather these pieces were finished or abandoned - I think they are finished. I finished up inside and went to the bookshop to try and find a post card capturing what I had seen in the David...to no avail. None of them did him justice.
Once outside I walked across the square to the Museo della Chiesa di San Marco to see the frescos of Fra Angelico and the cell where Savonarola developed some of the fanatical behaviors he is remembered for. The monastery was peaceful; the small frescos in every cell were done in flat colors and were the only focal points in any of the cells I looked in. Each had a small window but none had a view - clearly these men were here for devotion and concentration and nothing else. It was peaceful a little depressing at the same time so I wandered into the library where a few music books were on display along with the tools used to guild the pages. I finished up here and walked to the Baptistery in front of the Duomo.
I guess I expected to see more frescos on the ceiling because the sight of the glorious golden mosaics completely took my breath away. They were the best examples I have seen this whole time, anyone who thought the Duomo had better displays of decoration/art because of it's size was mistaken, the Baptistery was so much better than the entire interior of the Duomo. After I was done admiring everything I wandered over the Piazza della Signoria - the area in front of the Palazzo Vecchio - to take some pictures I have been meaning to get for a while.
First was the spot where Savonarola (and two other monks) was burned at the stake. Then on to the entrance to the Palazzo this time to find the face purportedly carved into the façade of the building by Michelangelo - with his hands behind his back no less. It was right where the tour book said it would be - to the right of the door - and just as intriguing as the book said it would be. I couldn't help but wonder how many people took a picture of this thing thinking they are in the know when it is probably just an urban legend; another excuse to attach a famous name to something simple...I took a picture anyway.
Pleased with my progress for the day, I decided to return to the apartment and maybe meet some friends for some appetizers and drinks before dinner. On my way back home I was approached by an older man - about 40yrs older - who refused to recognize I was choosing to ignore him (headphones in = I don't talk to people) and kept repeating "hello, excuse me, ciao, ciao, hello, hello, excuse me". Finally poking his head into my sight line, I turned and smiled then proceeded on my way. Apparently that was his cue to say the most common line I have heard so far - "where are you from?" Ahh, if only that were what I was waiting to hear; little do they know it is "Do you like Gucci?" Well that or "I have a castle", I have to admit when I saw how old he was the story from the winery crossed my mind. :)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1207213320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1207213320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1207213320/tpod.html Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:35:48 -0400 Florence, Italy

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Florence, Italy

I took a cooking class this past Thursday evening. There are a lot of advertisements all around the Palazzo (my school) for cooking courses and they're offered at least twice a week. Everything from gnocchi to spaghetti is offered in a class but the one that caught my eye was the "Papa al Pomodoro". I have only had the soup once - during spring break - but I remember it being absolutely delicious; something I was already planning on learning how to make when I return home but if they're offering lessons here..and the recipe, well I couldn't pass that up!
I signed up on my own and on the night of the class walked the 15min over to the Altrarno (the other side/southern side of the Arno river) to find the cooking school - In Tavola. Walking over I realized I was probably not going to know anyone but for once that was alright. I opened the door and was greeted by the chef and a few of the other students. They were middle aged German women here studying the Italian language intensively for the month. All of them were very nice and spoke Italian with me until more of the participants arrived - more women from the same program as the others and one family from New York. Then we were given our recipe booklets, we had a choice between English or Italian and while I would have loved to suck it up and take the Italian one I really wanted to be able to make this at some point in the near future!
We washed our hands and donned our aprons, I joined the three women I had just met at their station and the chef came around and gave us all of the ingredients to begin our first course - we would be making a total of three. I quickly discovered that not only would this be an Italian meal it would also be an Italian lesson, the chef spoke to us using Italian and the other students spoke to each other using Italian - I did the best I could, it was good practice anyway! Only the New York family abstained from speaking it, clearly set on being loud and argumentative the whole time; they did not however take away from the experience as I found it very interesting to watch the dynamic between them and the chef/the other students.
First we made the dessert, individual chocolate and almond cakes, and as they were whisked away to the ovens in the back kitchen we began making the sauce for our second course and the pasta filling. Ultimately we were hoping to end up with Tortellini Bolognese. The filling and the sauce were relatively simple to make, relative to the time and effort it took to make the pasta dough from scratch and cut all of the tortellini squares. It was a very intensive process and if I could stand to do it again I would love to but I think once will be enough for me! After we cut all of our pieces I proceeded to pipe the filling into the corner of each square and the rest of my table-mates began the Origami-like folding necessary to produce the correct shape. I joined in as the filling finally ran out and it was not easy - I think we ended up with a pasta shape somewhere between tortellini and "balls of filled dough". We were victorious however being the only station to press, cut, fill and fold ALL of our dough. One station attempted a few pieces of tortellini but quickly resorted to cutting linguine.

*note: this was not a contest in any way, I am just competitive :)
At some point the chef pulled two of the students away to help prepare the soup - Papa al Pomodoro is a traditional Tuscan soup - so while all of us didn't get to experience the preparation it is extremely simple so there wasn't much to miss. After we finished all the pasta - about 100 pieces in all from my "team" - the chef began to cook everything and construct our dishes while he finished up the soup. We discarded our aprons and took our seat at the long dining table. The sous chef brought out drinks for everyone and about 5 minutes later we were served. I meant to take pictures of everything we had prepared but I was so hungry I completely forgot and only have a picture of the dessert! Everything was really good, definitely something I will make again - sans the hand made pasta. I am even planning on taking another class right before I leave and this time with some friends so it will be even better!


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206906780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206906780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206906780/tpod.html Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:00:46 -0400 Florence, Italy

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Venice, Italy

The train ride to Venice allowed us to catch up on some much needed sleep so after another 2 or three hours we had arrived in Venice. The windows in the station gave us a peak at the weather - perfect - so we were already excited to begin exploring the city. We hadn't booked accommodations before the trip - as in Milan - so we walked to the nearest hotel profiled in our guide book and this time were pleasantly surprised to find a vacant room with two comfortable beds, a nice view of the neighboring buildings and a bathroom. I never thought I would be so excited to have a bathroom in my hotel room but this trip has taught me to appreciate an unshared bath! We immediately dropped our stuff off and flipped a coin to see who got the first shower. I can't tell you how excited I was to shower, while it is true I was a little disgusted with the state of...myself, it should just be common courtesy to shower regularly, for the sake of those around you. While I was a firm believer in this habit before this entire Italian experience it is another thing I have come to realize needs to be mandatory. So note to travelers if you think you smell a little rank...chances are, someone else does too.
After we were clean and comfy we decided to walk over to the Duomo, figuring we'd get there right around sunset if we hurried. We asked for a map from reception and took along our guide book as well; to be sure we didn't end up at an undesired location. While Venice is small, and the cheapest way of getting around is by foot, this does not mean things are easy to find. You can rely on two things: it is impossible to walk out of the city (unless you plan on going for a swim) so you will always be able to find your way (at some point), and, it will take you twice as long to get anywhere in Venice because no matter how prepared you are - unless you are local - you will get lost. When this happens just remind yourself of the former guideline and take a few deep breaths, when in doubt just keep walking.
We eventually made it to the Duomo but we missed the setting sun, oh well. We had walked from one side of Venice to the other so there was still something to be pleased about! After a few pictures of the façade and a few of the Bridge of Sighs we decided to try our luck at finding the way back, surely we would be better at it this time! I have no idea how long it took us to get back to the hotel, I don't wear a watch and absolutely refused to look at the time on my cell phone - that would have made it worse I am sure. It's not like I didn't enjoy looking at all the buildings or trying to figure out how anyone navigates the streets (some could actually be called hallways, one can easily touch both walls at the same time and needs to flounder themselves against the walls to allow for "oncoming traffic"). We did run across a local of the rodent species, Chris let out a gasp/yelp and because she was walking behind me I thought that was going to be followed by a splash but she had only spotted a rat next to the railing.
Walking through the neighborhoods (I like to think we were at least lost in a few neighborhoods and not just one) was oddly calming. I knew where I was but at the same time had no idea, it was quiet except for when we ran across another group of people and while we probably should have been a little panicked, neither of us was. The streams of people we came upon while trying to find our way reminded me of currents in a river, the stronger currents running on the major streets sometimes giving way to eddies in the small piazzas but eventually coming together creating the froth at the entrance to a narrow street. When we were the only ones on the street we had strayed off course, only passing a few individuals, ultimately becoming stuck in a puddle. Once we located one of the major currents it was like that scene in Finding Nemo when Dory and Marlin prepare to join the E.A.C. (East Atlantic Current) - crazy and a little scary at first but once in weaving about and increasing/decreasing your pace to accommodate others becomes second nature.
At some point we found the neighborhood our hotel was in and fell into our beds ready for some sleep.

note: we stopped at some point and had a great dinner at a small trattoria with excellent food and even better Tiramisu :)

The next morning we took the Vapporetto (water bus) to Murano to look around at the glass creations the island is reputed for. Everything was indeed beautiful but when I can spend 700 dollars on a vase with out thinking twice I will come back! We wanted to go back to the Duomo before our train departed to take some pictures - this time in daylight, providing proof we were actually in Venice - so we booked it back to the mainland and ran to a neighboring Vapporetto stop and boarded a ferry bound for the St. Mark's Square. We cut it really close but were able to fit in pictures of all the sights around the square - Duomo, Doge's Palace, famous pigeons - and make the next taxi back to the station. On the way up the Grand Canal I over heard the American woman behind me telling her grandson that the scaffolding cover surrounding one of the buildings was "called a façade, that's what you call it when it's fake"...oh really!? What do you call the front of the building when it's real then? I wanted so badly to correct her and tell the little boy to block that information out and for god sakes cover his ears! I didn't.
We grabbed some pizza before boarding the train and were on our way back to Florence.

*note: on the way back a large group of students got on the train in Bologna and we happened to be sitting in their reserved seats - you can choose to reserve them or not, people just politely move to another if it turns out their seat was actually booked by someone else - so I realized this and made eye contact, smiled, pointed to the seat - the girl acknowledged the seat was hers - and proceeded to gather my things and tell Chris we had to move. Like I said there were a lot of them so moving out of the way was not too easy and there was a moment before we could move anywhere. In this brief moment the girl I previously mentioned says - clearly audible to me and Chris - "umm, those are our seats, DO THEY SPEAK ENGLISH?"... So I repeated her question, in English no-less! Explaining yes, we did in fact speak English and we were happy to move out of their seats if we could just find room to get by...while I should have felt good that I might just have been mistaken for a "local" I was too tired and smelly to think about that and decided to try and let her know that just because she was on a train in Italy there were still people just like her all over the place, what an ignorant thing to say!

**note on previous note: later that day the girl's comment was topped by an American woman in Florence, as she was walking by an Italian woman standing next to two strollers she exclaimed "Oh, Twins!", in reference to the two children occupying said strollers (they were clearly not twins by the way). The Italian woman laughed and politely said no they were not twins, and thank goodness as it was hard enough caring for one toddler. The American woman proceeded to exclaim - still within earshot of the Italian woman - well look at that, she understood "twins"! Are you kidding me!? Even if she hadn't understood English the smile on your face as you admired the children would have communicated you were not a weirdo, only acknowledging the "level of cute" sitting in the strollers, but to then assume the woman - who just understood your complex English sentence that included the word twins - would not understand you are talking about her while only 2 feet away?! Come on...I guess I was still cranky from the train ride :)

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206715260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206715260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206715260/tpod.html Sat, 05 Apr 2008 11:29:56 -0400 Florence, Italy

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Milan, Italy

After my Italian lesson Chris and I walked over to the Santa Maria Novella station to catch our train to Milan, it was a very pretty ride - only lasting about 2 hours or so. I was a little nervous that we were headed into colder temperatures, the northern part of Italy is usually colder, so we had our coats and gloves and we were ready. At any rate Scotland was much colder and I had lived through that well enough!

We were so surprised and thankful we we arrived to find the weather practically perfect! The sun was such a welcome feeling - it had been raining and overcast for quite some time in Florence - we almost didn't know what to do with ourselves. First things first though, we didn't have a place to stay so we scoured our tour book's map for inspiration and after a few full hostels we found a small, vacant room with an even smaller bed. The "hotel" ( I am only calling it that because that is what they were calling it) was on the third floor of a building not too far from the train station and because we were running out of options we figured it was only for a night and neither one of us cared too much, we just wanted some place to sleep and brush our teeth. So a little bit about our room: like I said one small bed, a sink and mirror but the rest of the bathroom was down the hall, an armoir (why? I have no idea), a desk (again, why?), and a window (thank goodness because it was so pretty outside. The door was a sliding door like one you find on older homes' walk in closets - you push in the middle and it folds up like an accordion. We also had a key but I really think it was just for show, pretty much a stick of metal on a large key chain. I really don't know why they even bothered to give us one.

Only having a day in the city, and wanting to be outside as much as possible considering the weather, we walked over to the Duomo. I didn't really have any desire to go inside - by this point I am sorry to say there are only so many church interiors I can take - but the outside was so beautiful and the entrance was free so in we went...am I glad I did! The church was more beautiful inside - the exterior was a close second though - and the architecture was wonderful too, massive arches, a gorgeous apse, and the sun was low enough in the sky that the colors of the stained glass was showing up - vividly - on the pillar capitals. We walked around for a while, probably because it was just that big, and then began to get hungry. Once we were outside we called Yumie - she moved to Milan the week before - to see if she was able to meet us for dinner, she was. So we walked through the gallery of the mall right next to the Duomo - full of all the designer store fronts - and about 20 minutes later we met her by one of the metro stops. She expressed interest in one of the restaurants nearby and asked if we would mind eating there. As long as they served food it was fine by us! So we walked around the corner and down a few blocks and the menu looked good, a little pricey (I was apparently in the mood for risotto because it was the only thing under 10 Euros), but Yumie really wanted to try it so we went inside and were promptly seated. Having already decided what I was having browsing the menu didn't take too long. The waiter asked if we would like a bottle of wine and we thought why not? As he poured the wine for Chris to taste - she being the one who asked for it - she noticed it said "Brunello" on the label but didn't think much of it, in her words "it all happened so fast!". So after she accepted the bottle and we all had our glasses full she told us that "by the way" this was Brunello we were drinking and she "[didn't] know for sure about this bottle but the bottles she [had priced] in the stores [ran] about 75 Euros"...WHAT?! I don't even like wine that much!...so she was very sorry she didn't say anything earlier but she didn't know how to go about telling the waiter that we didn't want to expensive bottle of good wine and that a nice CHEAP table wine would be just fine...I don't think they served "table wine". So we lifted our glasses and made a toast - "to dinner, may it be wonderful; to the wine, may it be worth it; and to my debit card, may it please work!" Our dinner was good - not outstanding - but memorable (I think due to the wine), the wine was exceptional (thank god), and my card did just fine! :) We noticed that we were the only table with a Brunello so while we probably should have been thinking - those damn waiters taking advantage of us American girls - all that was going through our heads was - those waiters didn't give anyone else this bottle of wine, sucks for them! The dinner was a great/memorable experience in more ways than one. We said goodnight to Yumie and returned to our hotel to check our bank accounts - I forgot to mention the bottle turned out to only be 50 Euros, still - and watch some episodes of the Office before falling asleep.
The next day it was beautiful again so we walked to to the Public Gardens we had discovered the previous day and bought some magazines and some snacks and sat by the dog area - we both miss our canines a lot :) - to people watch, dog watch, and soak up the sun. It was a very relaxing afternoon and the park was a welcome sight as Florence isn't too keen on keeping trees around (there are a few parks here and there but none with as much room/grass as this). Around 2:30 we walked back to the train station and grabbed some pizza before boarding the train bound for Venice.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206263580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206263580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206263580/tpod.html Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:14:43 -0400 Florence, Italy

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Glasgow, United Kingdom

Once back in Glasgow we checked in to the same hostel we had previously used and asked the man at reception if he knew of any good places to eat and please somewhere besides the notoriously touristy areas or the student hangouts. He told us there was a bar in the area where they spoke Gaelic so we asked for directions. He didn´t believe us at first but that´s where we wanted to go so he promised we wouldn´t be disappointed and said we would come back "pissed as a fart" - hahahaha. He added that I should be careful - the bar was safe - because with my red hair it was likely "some highlander would carry [me] off to his attic"! We thanked him and said we´d take our chances so we walked down and found out they had just stopped serving food but the bartender told us to go to The Goat just a little farther down and we could find good food. We did and some more live music by a band that really appealed to Chris, they were good but it sounded more like Bluegrass than anything so while I agreed they were good they weren´t that good. We had some food and went back to the Park Bar where we found the place a little more crowded - definitely locals - and everyone was really friendly; the music was supplied by two men (one guitar and one accordion) who did a mix of things and even took requests so at one point the whole bar broke into song - it was great. We had our beer and enjoyed friendly company and conversation then went back to the hostel because we had another really early flight the next morning.
Waking up at 3am, again, and walking the 20 minutes or so to the bus station to find out you will wait for an hour for a bus to the airport that turns out to be full means two things 1. You find yourself willing to cram into a taxi with five other people and lots of luggage for a forty minute ride to the airport (it´s cheaper that way) and 2. As much as this should be a reason to panic, you don´t, amazingly (that´s probably due to the lack of sleep). We found out we had to pay an extra 6 Euros at the airport because we had mistakenly chosen web check-in and not airport check-in so waiting in the line we started to wonder if we would make our flight but seeing other people actually missing theirs and breaking down was oddly comforting, sure I felt bad but there was nothing I could do. We made it on and tried to catch some much needed sleep as we flew towards Italy. It was a wonderful vacation!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206177060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206177060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1206177060/tpod.html Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:13:12 -0400 Florence, Italy

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Dublin, Ireland

The flight only took 40min and then we were able to start our 24 hour tour of Dublin. For as many red heads as I saw in Scotland there were three times as many in Ireland.
We decided to find our hostel first to drop off our bags and then we started out on our own little walking tour. Dublin is very pretty and reminds me a lot of Glasgow - the people have a similar demeanor (warm and friendly) and the landscape (cityscape actually) is comparable. We really wanted to find a good pub to go to and the hostel helped us out with that. They had a list of the top ten so, while number seven was close by, you can´t help but go to the number one pub if you only have 24 hours. Number one was "The Porterhouse" and after 20 min we stumbled across it.

*note we had been walking around the city for about 7 or eight hours so it was perfectly acceptable to drink by this time

Walking in we could hear the live music - as promised by the top ten list - and it sounded traditional so we were immediately very happy, we were also greeted with warm wooden walls and dim lighting and lots of friendly locals. The first floor had a bar and some tables - already full - so we went up to the next floor and found two bars and lots more tables - already full. It was on this floor the band was playing, sort of; two staircases lead up to a mezzanine with one of the two bars, in between these staircases was an open area where you could see down to the first floor and up to the third floor. Occupying part of this open area was a small platform and this is where the band was playing, good thing there were only three of them. We went up past the mezzanine and found the remaining tables - also full - so headed back downstairs to get a pint and hope our luck changed in the table search. Lucky for us, we chose to come during the pub´s "Stout Festival", unlucky for me I had no idea what that meant. I knew stout was a type of beer but I couldn´t figure out how tonight qualified as a festival. I started out with the Porterhouse Red and Chris had the Oyster Stout, both were really refreshing and the band was really good so we knew we were going to have a good night. After almost walking downstairs to the toilettes by mistake while looking for a table some locals waved as over and we shared their table. After that we ordered some "chunky chips" (fries) and savored every one like it was a delicacy (we hadn´t eaten in a while) then I went up and ordered a Chiller for me (an amber I guess is what it´s called, whatever, it was popular so I thought I´d try it) and a Chocolate Truffle Stout for Chris (really smelled like chocolate). We abandoned our table and went up to get a better view of the band as we had started to like most of what they were playing and there is just something about being closer, it makes them better I think. Upstairs it had become standing room only - I guess lots of people agree that the Porterhouse is number one - so we knew our plan of getting more food after the next beer was out of the question. So we finished our pints and listened to some Irish songs, sung acapella, for a while then ordered a "XXXX" Stout for me and Plain for Chris; of the three I liked the Red the best but I had a Stout so I´d say I did Dublin proud.

*note: I´m pretty sure "doing Dublin proud" would have required I drink about 12 times as much as I did...all the same I was happy to be able to recall my experience!

I slept really well that night and the next morning we walked over to St. Patrick´s Cathedral - it being Easter and all Chris wanted to see what they had going on, I just wanted to see more gothic architecture - and admired it for a while before going over the Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. It wasn´t quite open yet so we joined the queue and once we were inside it was easy to stare a while at the beautiful illuminations and the centuries old bindings on display. In all there were about six pages on display, not much but worth it all the same. The exit took us through the gorgeous library; I noticed that for as many times as churches ask for your silence while you are inside the library commanded it and you unconsciously obliged. On display in here was the oldest harp in Ireland, made of Willow and restored to near perfection after hundreds of years. After we were all finished we had to go the airport to catch our flight to Glasgow and although we cut it a little close - in order to walk from security to our gate we needed to "allow at least 10 minutes" said the sign...that´s nice because the plane leaves in ten minutes (!) - we were able to board on time and end our quick trip nicely.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1207040340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1207040340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/gojenngo/1/1207040340/tpod.html Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:11:25 -0400 Florence, Italy

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Fiesole, Italy

We had been on a waiting list for another tour today and when that didn´t pan out decided to take bus number seven to Fiesole, a small town about 20 minutes outside Florence. The bus service runs there twice an hour so we knew this would be a good back up plan and we could make it there and back easily in one afternoon. I bought our tickets and we made the quick trip up the hill where we were let off in the center of town - the biggest piazza in town more precisely.
We picked up maps from the information office which outlined a few walking tours so we settled on one and set off. The first stop was the site of the Etruscan ruins and the archaeological area around the Roman theatre. The area offered fantastic views of the surrounding hillsides, very beautiful and lush. The museum nearby had Etruscan artifacts ranging from huge pieces of pottery to intricate rings and delicate human figurines. After touring the grounds for a while we continued on the walking tour to the next museum which had a small but beautiful collection of Renaissance paintings. Then we walked - struggled is more like it - up a very steep hill towards the viewpoint or #16 on our map. As far as I am concerned tour books should just refrain from using the sentence " you will be rewarded with a beautiful view", a reward is a nice glass of ice water and some icy hot - two things you are more than likely in need of after hills like this. The view was beautiful, a great view of Firenze. We were also "rewarded" with a view of the oldest churches in Tuscany dating back to the fourth century or earlier, and a view of St. Francesco another beautiful old church. This one has to be the most peaceful I have been to yet and the most interesting aspect (for me) was the small corridor of monk´s quarters. One room more simple and sparse than the last; the lengths people will go for their faith amazes me. Continuing on, we were able to see the cemetery and admire how much care families take to make sure their loved ones resting place remains in impeccable condition, it was lovely. At this point our legs were done I´d say so we went back into the town square, grabbed some food, and caught the bus back to town. The end of another good day and tomorrow - shopping!
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