Travelling to London

I got to the airport in plenty of time. Though before I caught the shuttle I had to run back to the hostel since I had forgot my main pair of shoes. Still, I had left lots of time so I was alright. I got to the airport grateful that I had come early. The line was crazy. And for most of it I always seemed to be the last one in line. I had music in my head and I really just wanted to break out into song and dance. I imagined everyone in the airport joining in, and us having a great big musical number. With lyrics in both English and Italian, obviously.

I was able to check and I got through the security lines without a hitch. Actually I was a little worried cause I have two little jars of pesto, each is a little more than 100mL. But I arranged them in my liquids bag somewhat strategically, hoping it would get passed over. I acted confidant that it would all be alright as I went through. But the lady did pick it up and look at it. On the other side the security man asked where I was heading. Since I said England for a week, he let me keep them. Yay! Pesto in Canada I shall have. It won't be a problem again since I plan on checking my bag from London. I figured I had just enough time to buy two giant chocolate bars from the duty free store, since they were cheap. Then headed to my gate. Except there was a giant line there. It was a customs line, which I didn't account for, and they had at least five flights funnelling through there. This was the only time I maybe worried a little that I didn't have enough time. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten my giant chocolate bars. But they hadn't paged me yet, so I figured I was alright.

While I was waiting in line there was girl that tried to come back out the exit. Which is a bad idea when that exit is customs. She wanted to charge her cell phone and then come back through the line. She kept yelling at the workers, "I'm American! I need to go charge my phone. I'm going to Dublin and just want to charge my phone. Come on I'm American!"  Etc, etc. I realize that not all Americans are like that, in fact all the ones I know aren't. And I know there is people like that from everywhere, but if there is one way to get people to dislike you, speak that way to the very polite Italian workers. I don't get it, her flight left in half an hour anyways, so by the time she got out she would have to jump back in line cause it was so long. I just had to shake my head. Watch what you say people (aka the angry girl in the Napoli airport that wanted to exit customs just to charge her phone), others are watching. And maybe judging a little bit. And posting it on their blogs. That a handful of people read.

The flight was good. Then I hopped through customs super fast in London. Actually it was quite nice cause they had all UK/EU passport holders go in one line, and passports from everywhere else in another. I happened to be travelling with a lot of Europeans. Cause my line had maybe five of us in it, while there were hundreds in the other one. Win! Now I am back in the UK. I admit when I stepped off the plane I sang "Hail Britannia! Britannia rules the waves. We shall never, never, never be slaves!".

POMPEI

With a heavy heart I left Rome. I wanted to do more shopping, but alas my train was leaving at 11:45am. So off I went to Pompeii. Land immortalised by ash, until it was dug up for us to discover.

I got to the town and couldn't find any clues as to where this giant archeological site was. It looked like a normal town to me! Finally I asked someone and she was kind enough to point me in the right direction. Off I went to discover the ancient world. It was a ten minute walk from the train station and I could store my bags there. So boom, in no time I was off exploring old stuff. And loving it! The first part had hardly any people in it. I took a couple sweet pictures with my camera, thanks to the timer. You'll have to wait til I have computer access to see those!

I eventually made my way to main street. And that's where the really good stuff was. It was still another hot day in Italy, so I tried to stay in the shade when I could. I can't believe how well preserved this stuff is. It really is amazing. I watched some archeologists working, it was cool to see how much care they took. That's why we have what we have today. The walls were still painted, so well kept. About half way through my wandering I remembered I had a Rick Steves audio guide. So I pulled it out and listened from the beginning. I learned a lot of the peoples lives. I saw Mount Vesuvius itself, the volcano that started it all. Apparently its still active today.

The one part I especially wanted to see was the cast of the people that were caught unaware when the volcano exploded. I know that may sound a bit morbid, but I was really curious. I listened to the part where Rick explains where they are like a thousand times trying to find them. Alas, I came to the conclusion that they weren't there. Which is alright, there was so much else to see,  that though I was a bit disappointed I certainly didn't regret coming. Cause it was still really cool.

There were so many places I saw. Their main square, the bath houses, markets, and I even saw a brothel. Apparently there was a lot, maybe that's why the volcano erupted on them? I also saw some restaurants and gardens. Big houses and small houses. My favorite part was probably their theatre (surprised?). It was cool to see how even then they had cheap seats and the more expensive seats. I wonder if they did rush tickets back then? In the Colosseum I learned that their tickets were pieces of tile with the seat written on it. Pretty nifty I thought. I'm curious to known if they had a similar system there. They had a big theatre and a smaller one. The teatro piccolo<-I love the name!

This was near the end of my wanderings. I only had the amfiteatro left, aka amphitheatre. This was like their Colosseum. It was way on the other end, but I wanted to see everything. I'm sure glad I went. They (modern Pompei-ians) had a wooden pyramid right in the middle of it. Apparently there was a photography exhibit. In I went, and there were all the bodies they had cast and recovered. I got to see them after all. It literally took my breath away. Because all of the sudden, everything I just saw became real. These were real people with real lives. Lives that I got a glimpse of that day. There were adults and children and I stood and thought about their lives. I was alone in there for a while just thinking about them. It was a good way to close out my trip to Pompeii. After that I left.

Walking through the modern town of Pompeii I really enjoyed it. They are a super cute town, lots of locals out and about. I got yummy gelato, raspberry and peach, it was amazing. Almost tied with the Lindt store gelato. I'm going to miss this stuff. I caught my train to Napoli. The ride along the coast was quite pretty. I loved it. I would like to explore Sorrento next time I come, I hear its even prettier. Next time!

I navigated to a new hostel for the last time in Italy. It started out alright, but I still got lost near the end. I found it. I had enough time to grab pizza. The receptionist showed me on the map where her favorite place was. I decided to check it out. On the way I passed a nice quiet spot by a castle. I got to her fave pizzeria and there were tons of people there and no where to sit. So I turned around and went back to the quiet place. And it was wonderful. I got La Duchessa, a pizza with cream, mozzarella, ham, basil, and corn on. It was so so good. And it was huge! But since its been so hot, and I've been so cheap I've been skipping lunch just cause I'm not hungry. I eat a giant (free) hostel breakfast and then I'll eat dinner. So this made up for it, it was amazing! New life goal is to recreate it. When I get home its all Italian food experiments. I will learn how to cook!

Country #4: Vatican City

The day started with me trying to find St. Clement's church. It apparently has three levels into the ground and you can see how it was built upon through the centuries. But I got lost. And it closes from 12-3. Boo. So I found another church instead and it was big and lovely and I never wanted to see that other one anyway! Just kidding. Eventually I found where I was, which wasn't even close to St. Clement's. I think I was close at one point....all well. From there I took the train to the Vatican.

Not only did I want to go to the Vatican because of its art and history and stuff, but I wanted to add another country to my trip. And considering my timeline, this worked perfectly! I had heard that on Wednesday mornings the Pope makes his address to crowds in St. Peters Square, and so lines for the Vatican museums weren't as long. Well I didn't realize that the Pope is in South America right now, so that wasn't going to work. I also heard that afternoons are better than mornings when waiting in ridiculously long lines, because people start to give up. So that's what I decided to do. I'm strong. I won't give up. I would stand in that line until I literally baked on the sidewalk.

I got off the train and headed towards the Vatican. I must've had at least 5 people ask if I wanted to join their tour group. I finally stopped to listen to one guy and found out that it costs €50 to take the tour. 'Yeah right!' I thought. Considering the normal price is €16. Once I got close a guy standing close to the queue asked if I got my tickets yet. He said you had to buy them across the street. I didn't know where to buy them so I thought he was just being helpful. I should've known, when he started talking about how this way is much better cause then I wouldn't have to wait in line, which will take at least 2 hours. And I wouldn't be able to see St. Peters basilica at all because I'd run out of time waiting in lines. Then I asked if he was selling me a tour, and he said yes. But he would be kind and give me a discount. Curious, I asked how much of a discount it would be. €4 off! What a bargain! Ha. I then told him I would take my chances and wait in line. Good choice on my part. To all those tour-selling-nay-sayers, I say poo poo! I practically walked right into the Vatican. The security line took me maybe 5 minutes! And then I was in. I'll admit there were tons of people in the first part of the museum. I reckon it was kind of like  being in a really fancy cattle drive, assuming the people are the cows. It kind of smelled like it...but there was a whole lot of fancy art to distract from the cow-like herding. And the further in I got, the more people spread out. I think I was the only person there without an audio guide or a human guide. But I liked being able to read and enjoy the pieces I wanted to. I took my time. There are some exquisite pieces in those museums! I'll post a picture of one of my favorites, mostly because I think its funny. It might have deeper meaning, but I just chuckle when I see it.

At the Vatican all museums lead to the Sistine Chapel. The highlight, by far! Here I thought I was going to have to wait in line, but once again I just walked right in. I don't think I have a four leaf clover stuck to my back, but the way things keep working out isn't convincing me! The Sistine Chapel really is amazing. Absolutely breathtaking. If you haven't been, put it on your bucket list. I had an audio guide from Rick Steves for the chapel, and was very glad. There were so many little tidbits of info that I found fascinating. He even squashed some rumors that I heard people saying right there in the chapel. Like for example, it is rumored that Michaelangelo painted the while ceiling on his back. But according to Rick, and his Italian co-author he actually painted it standing up. I feel more inclined to believe him, since everything else I've heard from him seems to check out. I also heard some varying stories from tour guides in the Colosseum. Perhaps I should just be a tour guide, I'll just listen to Ricks guide right before and then I'll be good to go! Anyways, back to the Sistine. There are tons of people in there and every five minutes a guy gets on a loud speaker and says "SILENZIO!!". But I was able to block that all and focus on the amazing work of art. I'd like to meet Michaelangelo one day and just chat with him. I imagine we'd be able to have a good chat. I would like to know if he had a chiropractor. Did they even have those back in 1508? Regardless, the work really was astonishing. I spent nearly an hour in there alone. Well, not alone. You know what I mean.

After I left the chapel there were a couple exhibits before the exit. Hardly anyone was in there. It was a lovely visit! I was then ready to head to St. Peters basilica. That line took all of 7 minutes. Oh those tour-seller-nay-sayers. I proved all of you wrong! And kept my moneys. When you first walk into the basilica, the sheer size of it literally takes your breath away. It is incredible. Absolutely blows my mind. I have no idea how they were able to build something that grand. I also had an audio guide for this. I didn't really like the deceased Popes that were displayed. But I thought Michaelangelo's sculpture of Mary holding a crucified Christ was so incredible. He captured so much emotion. I like how he said that he didn't just see a block of marble, but saw what the sculpture was supposed to be and freed it. Okay he said it much more eloquently. Maybe if I remember I will Google it before I post this. Still amazes me. 

Having avoided the intense afternoon heat by being inside, I had much more energy than the previous day. I literally sat down for a total of 5 minutes that day, from leaving in the morning to coming home at 10:00pm. I walked on over to the Pantheon. And saw where Raphael is buried. I also had yet another audio guide from my friend Rick Steves. Seriously, he should pay me for all this advertising I'm doing for him. Since my new favorite gelato place is right by the pantheon, I HAD to get some. Dipped cone, with gelato flavors white chocolate cherry and black forest. This time however I stayed in the air conditioned store to eat it. As opposed to madly trying to eat the whole thing before it melted, my minute to win it game. Think the show would pay me for that idea? Is it even still on?

Next I headed to the iconic Trevi fountain. Where everyone goes to make their wishes come true and ensure their visit back to Rome. I got there and......it was empty and covered in scaffolding. I actually laughed out loud. There was a big protection window surrounding it so you couldn't get too close. But people were still throwing coins in, so I thought 'what the heck!' And dug out a penny. My only stipulation to the coming back to Rome part, was that it be a little cooler next time. :) It was funny to hear other peoples reactions when they got to the fountain.

One guy to his wife "Well hun. This is romantic isn't it?". Said very sarcastically.

A little girl to her mom:
Girl-"Mom, where's the fountain?"
Mom-"Its right here sweety. That's why people are throwing coins in."
Girl-"Where's the water? Don't fountains have water?"
Mom-"Yes usually. But this one doesn't."
Girl-"hmmm...."

Haha that's the truth. I hear you little girl. I headed from the 'fountain' and started to make my way back. Shopping and such on the way. I got a giant cone of French fries, I realize they're not Italian. But they looked soooo good! And they're an Amsterdam company, so still foreign. I was originally going to get a medium, then I saw the size of a small and changed my mind. It was huge! I couldn't even finish it. I got back to my hostel and visited with my hostel mates. I like making friends. And its so neat being able to connect with people all over the world. This travelling thing is addicting! I need to do this all the time!!! Maybe I'll become a nomad and instead of travelling for 3 weeks at a time, I'll come home for 3 weeks at a time. Once or twice a year perhaps. I just need to figure out how to fund this....

My new favorite place: Cinque Terre

This place is amazing! Its hard to convey how beautiful it is. The Cinque Terre is a group of five villages all along the western coast of Italy. They've been around for hundreds of years, built into the cliffs. There aren't cars there, though I did see the odd bus/garbage truck. But for the most part you either train or hike between the villages. Each one has a beach too.

I arrived in La Spezia and then went to find the bus I could take to my hostel. It was light out, so much easier to find this time. Plus the directions were better. While waiting there I met two girls also heading to the same hostel. They were from Australia. Then two more Australians joined us. All of them were very friendly and we had a nice visit on the way up. One of them asked what it was like to come from the country with the best reputation in the world. How do you answer that? Well, I said it feels pretty good. Haha let's hope they never meet a mean Canadian!

We arrived at the hostel and as soon as we got in the door the owner asked if we wanted to go to the beach. The public bus was leaving in five minutes and we could store our stuff and check in later. The hostel shuttle would pick us up at 9. Since I only had one full day, I jumped at the chance to enjoy the evening there as well. I went with two of the Australians and a girl from NYC. I sort of wanted to be best friends with the NY girl so I could stay at her house for free, but we just weren't kindred spirits. Though they were all very nice. We went straight to the water. It wasn't your typical beach. It had big rocks and so you kind of had to scale them. We realized later that there was an easier entry a little bit further down, all well. I was so happy to jump in the water. It was perfect for a hot day. Not long after we were all enjoying the lovely scene the NY girl got stung by a jelly fish. Yes you heard right. We didn't know for sure it was a jelly fish, but she seemed alright. Then they decided to head in and one of the Australians got stung. Now we knew. See, we happened to be swimming out in the deeper water, which I guess is where they hang out. We got out of the water, in the process I cut my leg. Not bad, but it looked pretty sick. Haha. They decided to hit up a pharmacy (farmacia) to get some ointment for it. I opted to stay and hang out at the water, laying on the warm rocks and taking in the beautiful sites. Before long the water was calling me again. So I hopped on in. Not five minutes later, ZAP. I got stung by a jelly fish. Just like that. On my left arm. Bad Squishy! So I got out of the water. Maybe I should have just gone with the other girls after all. But it is a pretty cool story, and even though it hurt, it left a pretty sweet mark. Dude those little jelly fish creatures are crazy! I don't know how they do it. Its almost electric. My souvenir from Riomaggiore! Yay!

After my electrifying dip I went to explore the village. It was super cute. I found a take away place called Tutti Fritti, at first I thought it said Tutti Frutti like my fave fro-yo place. But it had fish pictures, so obviously not the same. Unless they did fish flavored frozen yogurt there, which I was pretty sure they didn't. But what they did have was a ton of little deep fried seafood pieces. I decided to be adventurous and get their random mix, a 'cone-o-fish' as I called it. Since it came in this big paper cone thing. Deep fried calamari, anchovies, shrimp, cod, and mussels. Turns out its like the best thing ever! I had to close my eyes when eating the anchovies and shrimp so I didn't have to see them looking at me when I ate them. They keep the heads on them. Eek. For dessert I got a giant peach, that wasn't pretty but tasted amazing. Then after taking in the sunset I headed to where the shuttle would pick me up. Met up with the other girls, and they shared their ointment with me for my now very red and swollen stung arm. Yay for new friends!

The next morning I was up and ready to go, especially after the church outside our hostel rang its bell 85 times. Literally. I counted. At 7:00am. I thought it was hilarious. Other people in my room didn't. I ate breakfast at the hostel and caught the shuttle down. The drive itself is beautiful! I caught the train to Monterosso where I was going to meet up with my dear friend Lisa Martin and her fiance Derek. I wore my swimsuit since we were planning on hiking and since there's a beach in each village, I planned on beating the heat by jumping in to the ocean each village. This turned out to be a great plan since regardless of ocean, I was in a constant state of wet.

I found Lisa and Derek and we set out for the first trail. After getting gelato of course! We updated each other on everything that has happened in our trips thus far. They've been to Barcelona and Venice so far. The first trail was pretty hard. Lots of steps. Apparently its the longest trail. We got to the next village, Vernazza, and I went straight for the water. It was a lovely beach! Not too busy and no big rocks or jelly fish. After our dip we sat and had a cold drink. I got a strawberry Italian soda. Yum!

Then onto the next trail. It. Was. A. Beast. Plus this was about 1 in the afternoon when we started, and it was 40°c. We were climbing stairs almost as big as me. Maybe not quite that big, but close. At the top, the view was incredible. So cool! I luckily was alive in my solid form (barely as I almost melted) so I could enjoy the moment. And try and take it in. After what seemed like many miles, and in reality was only 3.5 km, we reached Corniglia. The highest village. We found water, shade, and a restaurant. I got an entire margharita pizza. And slowly I came back to life. The food was delicious! I could go for some right now. Lisa and Derek got some bruchetta that I sampled, and it was maybe the best thing ever. Second only to my cone-o-fish. After taking our sweet time to eat and relax we went and explored some of the shops. I bought a whale shirt. I like it. But I didn't try it on cause I was too sweaty. I wasn't planning on really buying souvenirs, aside from chocolate, but Cinque Terra is taking my moneys. Too many cute things!

We decided to head to Riomaggiore to explore. We walked to the top of the village for the view and just sat there in the shade for a long time visiting. It was great. I was very happy to be there with my friends. We found a small little church up there and it was empty. So Lisa and I decided to do a duet from our choir days together in Kokopelli. Sweet Spirit it was, since we couldn't remember anything else we both knew that didn't need more parts to sound alright. Haha. We sounded awesome. The acoustics helped. It was cool especially since five years ago Lisa and I came to Europe with Kokopelli choir, and then stayed behind on our own and toured more to Germany, Switzerland, and Paris. We always said Italy next! So it was really awesome that our itineraries aligned and we were actually able to meet up.

The day was nearing a close and Lisa and Derek were heading back to their hostel. I caught the train and got out at the one village we missed, since the hiking trails are closed between Corniglia and Riomaggiore. I said goodbye and then went to scope out Manarola. I really liked this one. There was lots of cliff jumping into the ocean there. Which, had I not been so worn out I would have tried. But I just sat and watched. And I was happy to be exactly where I was, exactly at that time, at the end of a perfect day.

Life is good.