Europe's just a hop, skip and a jump!
Trip Start
Jun 03, 2008
1
4
5
Trip End
Jul 09, 2008
Vienna,
Vienna,
Austria
Saturday, June 21, 2008
When I left you last I was off to the beach. It was fantastic. My tan is coming along nicely. How long it lasts I don't know cos by the sounds of the reports I've had from home - cold, wet, windy, frosty and stormy I think I'll be back to my usual pasty white self in no time at all!
From France we headed to ITALY!!! Chau!!! I loved every minute of it, ok so maybe that's an exaggeration cos the toilets were very very very below par in some places and the traffic was absolute chaos and the mossies in Venice were bad and I got stung by a bee in Florence and it's ridiculously hot to the pioint of not being able to sleep sometimes and I've finally got the "Contiki Cough" and I miss home heaps. BUT other than that it was GREAT. Florence and Venice were just amazing. I could lose myself completely in Florence and Venice is just so timeless. The markets in Italy are wonderful and vibrant and there's just sooooo much to buy. I'm being a very good girl though and not breaking the budget. I so don't want to come back in Red seeing as I'm curently unemployed!!! Went on a Gondola ride yesterday, it was so cool. YOu can see why they call Venice a Honeymooner's paradise. The romance is everywhere!!! The architecture and history are just amazing, you can't wrap your head around it sometimes considering how NZ has been around for such a blip on the historic radar of countries like Italy and Germany and Spain.
Our tour guide is serious split personality. Everyone's like "What the...?!" I think I've already said this, but I just can't get over it. One minute he's byuing us lollies and being lovely and the next he's sooooooo serious. He just has the weirdest laugh and high pitched voice. I guess it's the French/Italian combo. He's only 5 years older than me too. Seems way older sometimes and then other times way younger than me. Bizzare bizzare bizzare.
Cracks me up how every country you go to has a different way of dispensing toilet paper?! And I swear I will never get used to having to PAY for the privilege of using the toliet - even at a gas station!
The food is fabulous. Had Schnitzel tonight - when in Austria! Had pasta and pizza in Italy and heaps of Gelati. So spoilt for choice food wise. I eat heaps for breakfast and have gelati or fruit for lunch and then yummy dinners consisting of local cuisine. Soooooooooo good, but will need to hit that gynm when I get home. The walking makes up for it I guess, but still...
Have taken heaps of cool photos and hope to share them with you upon my return. It's a bit hard here cos the application thing to set up photos is slow and dodgy and I don't want the comp to freeze up so sorry about that.
Oh and did I mention that I saw the POPE in Rome? And the Colosseum? How cool is that!!! I'm not religious, but still how many people in NZ can say they've been in the same place as the POPE in person?! I think that's pretty damn cool.
So tomorrow we got to a Schnapps museum and out for more schnitzel and strudel. The Euro 2008 cup is on in Vienna tomorrow night, 1/4 final so should be interesting!!! It will be pretty much chaos here tomorrow I think! It's busy enough here tonight.
The weather is soooooo hot, I'm not sure how much sleep I'll be getting tonight! It's just gone 11.30pm and I'm starting to fade so I'll stop babbling on and write you again once I get to Switzerland or Amsterdam or back to London. On the home stretch of the Contiki tour, only 10 days to go and then a few days in London to see friends and family and then home back to Wellers. I have to say I'm looking forward to it quite a bit so bring on Winter I say. I bought a cashmere throw in Florence so I can keep warm as toast!
Lots of love, miss you all heaps
Nessie xo :)
