Friday, April 5, 2013

Aquarium

So the guy that told me not to go in the bathroom because it was a girls one. Well he was on the bunk above me and I wake up this morning and he taps on his friends rail and tells him to get up the is a fire well his friend sits bolt right up. It was funny. May have to try it on shauna.
It was a gloomy day calling for rain so we decided to go to the aquarium yaaaaaa.
It was 19€ to get in. It was enjoyable they had lots of things to read they had a video of there baby dolphin being born. Not a baby any more. All the tanks were very clean made it very easy to see the animals I just love aquariums.
We went back to the hostel because it was raining. We did not want to cook sowe went to get pizza and we got it from this little restaurant that had the stone oven with wood burning to cook it. It was however a very salty pizza.  Back at the hostel some people were playing kings cup. They were very funny it is hard to play when not everyone understand one language. But still very funny.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Sunshine

So we find our selfs in genova. We arrived early evening and we're very hungry and not in a social mood.  So we went out to dinner. Came back And got talking to a girl from Montreal. Then we met a guy from Toronto that works in England. We will call him mister know it all. There was a bottle of wine on the share table so we had that and talked. Then I. Went and got our bottle of wine that was not in our room because it is not allowed.
Then four guys from Germany came back from a football game with four bottles of wine. One guy turned out to be American. Atleast he did not have to Google map nova Scotia.
Then it was bed time.
Today started off with a lift ride to this neighborhood on a hill great view. Then we walked to the harbor. We don't know why but there is all this knitted stuff every wear. Like someone knitted a cozzy for the drinking fontain. The benches had some the railings had knitted stuff on it. It was very odd.
We got to see some big yats they were so nice looking.
We stopped and had dinner at the western restaurant it reminded us of Montanas. Got a Brito.... I miss birito jacks this one had no flavor and they had very toff tomato skins.
From there we walked more saw a building that was painted to look like it was brick it looked very odd.
Then we had somecoffee and just enjoyed the sun. We did some tent shopping there were just these vendors on the board walk got to try some cheass got some tea, spices to go in our pasta dinner.
Then we decided to try and walk to the old lighthouse. Well after walking quite a way we found these cool cement chairs that you could put ur feet up. We got to the end of the board walk so we decided to head back ish and just ask how best to there from the help people. So we sat down to look at the map and these guy stop and ask if we are lost we say no because we just found our selfs on the map. We told them we were trying to find the lighthouse. They informed us that it is in the industrial Park and u needed a pass to get in. So good thing we did not walk all that way.
 They then told us of places that we should see and do. They then informed us that they are johobowhitness and we got flyers.
From there we walked back to this square that is supposed to be beautiful. and we walked down these side streets that shauna I thought was going to loose her mind. She was scared and I have no idea why. It was rundown but no one looked like they would try anything andthere were other people around even with kids.
So we get to the plaza and there is a church and more churches so keeping with the see an open door rule. So we walk into this one and there is gold all over in the celing so amazing. And this church had such a small entrentcs that did not look like much well it was so big and beautiful. Definitely in the top.
As we were walking we got so fresh produce to make spegiti sauce.
So last night a group of guys went to a bar to watch a football game. There was another game on and I asked to go with but sadly they were leaving as I was making dinner so they tryed to find it on a map so I could go after dinner. So after dinner I head out. Shauna did not want to come. So off I go, with out a map to find some german guys. Do u think I could find the bar I looked high and low. Could not find the bar. So I went back.
I watched a different game on the tv with a Canadian who is backpacking. Very interesting guy he is from Ontario. And not a know it all. Yaa
So when the guys come back I tell them about trying to find it and they Are sad because they felt they gave good directions.
Just as we were about to go to bed two guys come home and go into our room turn the light on and say anyone sleep ing. And this poor guy was. Then I am about to go into the bathroom and he is like that is the girls bathroom I just turn and look at him he says sorry like a million times. I hope he spoke before he looked.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Upgrade then upgrade again

We arrived at the train station we were three hours before our check in time but we decided to try any way. We found the place again you had to buzz in. We'll there was no answer. So we wandered up the street found a church went in there then wondered back tryed again as we were trying this guy ask if this was the hostel we say yes. We try more times finally someone says hi, but that was it. So we keep buzzing. Next thing we know a girl opens the door. She is a guest as well. Apparently it is common for gusts to let other guests in. So we all talked and finally the owner showed up. So as we are getting checked in she tells us that they are over booked. So she is going to upgrade us to a private room up stairs . Sweet so we get up stairs and the room she wanted to put us in was not clean so she upgraded us again. We ended up with this amazing room two single beds two very comfortable chairs tv dresser. It was very nice but we still had to go down stairs for breakfast. After setaling into our room we headed back down into the common room there was talk of going out for dinner. The group of us ten went out for dinner. Two weeks of them spoke Italian so it was easier.
It was bed after dinner.
We wondered around town did some window shopping. Went up the tower. The town is funny for the fact that as u look out it is very midevil then it turns in to modern.
We went to a restaurant and u got a ten dish apatizer, pasta dish then desert. We just got the pasta. It was ok but we saw other tables getting desert so we did as well.
For desert: bowl of strawberries, bowl of crem that u find in pastry, plate lf brownies, chocolate chunks, and pana coda. Now there was more then enough for four people and we were just two but it was so good. Very tasty and 20€ each.
Then we go back to see the churches that closed for the lunch time. There is a cluster of churches called the seven churches. Well we were welcomed by the organs being played. The coolest thing was in one room there was a podium for them to stand on but it the bass was a very small door. Had to crawl through it. Inside was what looked to be a toom at one time it was very odd.
Back at the hostel shauna and one girl went to. Get wine.
As more people showed up we told them about the desert place and one guy was very excited and a girl from the USA came as well. So we left to go get desert. I highly enjoyed talking with the Italian guy very interesting because there were four there was even more to pick from this white and dark chocolate cake thing, cream puffs melted dark chocolate my favorite chocolate moose with chocolate cake crumbles.
The ended up kicking us out because we stayed well pass closing.
But the company was so good it was a wonderful evening. Got home after one.
The next day we checked out and we decided to go to this church up on a hill...  The way up is all up a steep hill thankfully it was a covered walk way the longest actually. We passed under more then 600 arches took us 20min of steep up hill walking. Then we get there start into the church and it is closing for lunch. At least we got to see it. Then we walked back down and got our bags and caught a train to genova.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Pizza at the leaning tower of Pissa

We got up me and shauna went to post office to mail our boxes. 26€ for 3kg box. This however made us late for our time for the musume witch c was waiting at after running her own earn. We got there got in no problem. We'll C had problems getting the tickets because they said the never got the online payment. But she got tickets in the end. Slept in we went we got to see the David. He is massive. And so life like it was stunning.  When in there we ran into E and told her our plan was to train to Pissa it was 7€ one way. So she decided to come. Off to get the train well we ended up having to run to ketch it and sadly they had already closed the doors so we missed our train thankful there was another one in 20 min.
Once we got to Pissa itwas maybe an hour train ride. Itwas raining we got to the tower and sure enough it was. Leaning. We got pictures pushing it over. From there we went to the cathedral it was 18€ to go up the tower. So we passed. From there we found a restaurant to have lunch. I got pizza , had to install was at the leaning tower of Pissa. We then got on the train and headed back.
Oh we did shopping on the way I got a shirt.
Every one was tired after that so it was off to bed.
The next morning was easter Sunday. And the clocks changed.  We got up and packed and I noticed that my sweater that I had put in the wash did not come back with my clothing. So I went to find someone well the women that was working did not speak English thank fully another guest translated for me. So we went look. We did not find it any wear. Shauna was also missing a tee shirt.
She then accused C of sterling them because she was the only one else that had gotten laundry done that day. So we did not find them sadly. We left our bags because we did not want to be late to mass.
Oh side note on one of the days we climbed over 400 steeps up the Bell tower and they had no one to direct trafic and the stairs were so tiny there was little room to non for two people to pass it was a slow and long climb because of the people coming down. Beautiful view of the city so worth the fight up the stairs.
So we went to mass and he even talked in English to welcome us and tell us what easter represented and then again to bless us and wish us good health.
From mass we headed into the square to watch the parade and the blowing up of the easter cart.  This people moved so I was thankfully able to wisal up to the gate. I ended up letting a little girl stand infront of me she was cute and would get excited and try to tell me what was going on in English but would flip back to Italian so I don't know what she was telling me. Then I man that was in the parade came and got her and her mother and they went into the special viewing area.
So they had four white ox pulling this massive cart thing it reminded me of Chinese design.
Then the ox were aten away they hooked the cart up, a man came around and blessed the crowed and tossed holy water on us. Sone one was handling out flowers and olive branches. Then a dove fire work flys out of the church into the cart then it goes bake into the church.  Then all the fire crackers and fire works go off on this cart it was massive and amazing. YouTube it to see. It is amazing.
From there we faught the crowds we were trying to find the musume with the birth of Venus painting well the line was long and it was 10€ so we skiped it shauna S choice.  From there would found what seemed to be a good restaurants well we're we ever woung we were there for over two hours I got a meal deal. So lissania. Then finally after close to an hour beef stue with potatoes. It was cold and gross. Then came my selection for desert I got pana cota. Well he forgot to bring it mutable times then finally he showed up with terrimasu. So had to sent it back. Finally I got it we paid and left.
From there we went to the hostel to get our backpacks. When there is asked the women again about my swater and again she said C took it. She was going to let us search her bag because no one was there the hostel was closed for cleaning. I was shocked she wanted us to go through another guests bag.
From there we got on a training bloglonia

Ya friends

We got on our train to Florence. Sadly we took the express train and that goes through alot of tunnels to make it faster. We did not get to see much of the country side. The seats were very comfortable and we had a table so we were able to play cards. Shauna wanted to play the solitaire game but I could only find my island cards and my sex cards. I did not think it would be good to play with the sex ones because there was a young boy sitting next to shauna. So we just played crazy eight with the island deck.
Once in Florence we followed the directions that we were given and found the hostel. You have to be buzzed know because it is in an apartment building. We got checked in he took us to our room. We got a map he showed us the must sees. We went to wander around. We found a Torisum information both got some brochures. They had this very interesting bord that had what was going on so we looked through that and the ballet came up it was Alice in Wonderland. So we decided to see that we went to the address to buy tickets. Well it was a live taping from London. They want us to pay 15€ to watch a live taping. So we decided to pass and not do that. Back to the hostel to get dressed up and go out to dinner.
Another girl arrived in our room. She is from Australia. We will call her C. We got talking and told her our plan to go to the hard rock cafe. She was very friendly and forward and before I could invite her along she asked to come. So we all talked and got ready. As we were getting ready another girl came into our room. We will call her E, she was from whales. We invited her along. So the four of us headed out to dinner. There are five beds in our room and about 31 people staying into the hostel.
We got to the hardrock no problem. I got a cosmopolitan when we waited for a table. It was very good. I ordered the steak, shauna got faheatas, C got frenchfrys, and E got cheesecake. The other girls had eaten earlier. It was such a great time just talking and hanging out.
After dinner as we were heading back to the hostel we stoped at the church want to talk about creapy go to a church late at night. We stoped and got some wine. Back at the hostel we had our wine and talked more. Lots of fun.
The next day E had to leave the hostel because she could only book for the one night. Me shauna and C. Went to see the David it was in a museum we got in line and the tour people came around trying to get u to go with them for 30€ it was 6€ to get in. It was a three hour wait. We ended up getting wifi and booking the tickets on line for tomorrow morning. Sent we left the line and went to find the bridge and the royal gardens.
On the way we found post office and C had a gift to send home so we got stamps.  When we were there I asked about sending a box home to Canada. Well it was not that much so I bought a box then Shauna got a box. From there we found the bridge. It was all jewelry shops. It was very interesting to see. From there just a short walk to the palace. We got our tickets for the garden and the porcelain musume was included. Well the garden was massive. There was so much in it. Big hedges, beautiful fountains, this big round white rocks that u could easily Lay on. It was beautiful. As we were exiting there was a fat naked man statue I found funny and so I went to take its picture well tucked down this path to the side of the statue was a building. This building was very interesting because the walls and seams that were chiseled into the wall were to look like a sea side cave. It was so interesting and odd. Very hard to describe.
From there we headed back to the hostel. We stoped for lunch at one point. On the way back we stoped at a grocery store they had skipy peanut butter. So I got that and bread. Back at the hostel we chilled for the rest of the night and E came back.  Not in our room but on the same floor. Apparently the other hostel he opened the door in his pj's, it felt like his home, he gave an odd vibe, and he tryed to charge more then the booking price online. So E came back and they had thankfully had a cancalation at our place.
So the four of us decided the the next day we would head out together.

Rome for a day

We got a flight to Rome. We got to the train station by bus. Tryed to find hotel we booked. A "free tourist " information guy showed us were to go then asked for money gave him maybe 1,20€ hotel was up on second floor. Oh back track
We did not book a place to stay once we got to the Rome airport we just got a place by going to a hotel booking desk.
The lift for the hotel was up a half a flight of stairs. Got checked in no problem.  The room was very small with only one bed. Could not even walk around bed. We went out to dinner to favort restaurant had pizza pasta and wine. Oh how we missed the wine. Forgot how great it was. So yummy. Went back to room booked hostel in Florence.  Got up tryed to buy train ticket had to go to ticket office people, stood in line for a long time. It ate all our eating time so we had to get our bags and hope on the train we did get something to go.

Monday, April 1, 2013

No rest for the wicked

We got up to a sunny morning and the ferry was still running yaa so we got some tost. Sadly as we ate and packed the winds picked up and dark clouds rolled in. We left our bags at the hostel since the ferry was not till 730 we took this time to go see the acediant city. Like pompi it is a city that was covered in ash when the volcano erupted. However it was not discovered till the 1900 they are still diging it out. We met a couple that had been there shortly after the opened it to the public and u were able to walk the dirt paths. Now there is a walkway above it all and a small middle section that is cement to walk on.
From there it was a short walk to the red beach... Well the rocks on the cliff side were red... Because it was winter and because of the storm the water was right up to the rocks so there was no beach to see. From there we took the bus back.
Now from the rain that we had it was not ordany rain. It is called red rain and this is due to the fact that it comes from the desert and it is full of sand and dirt red sand and dirt. So everything is dirty the cars look like they were left in a dirt trucking yard they were dirty. Shaunas jacket was dirty our sunglasses. It was odd to fell ur face so dirty.
We just killed time before the ferry came. So we got. On the bus to the ferry. And it is getting dark started to rain and wind picked up. Thank fully there was a terminal to stand in at the port.   so as this ferry trys to pull in you can see it moving in the waves. Well this truck drivers are very good the back on so fast to such a moving target the crew we very good. So the open the door and tell everyone one to run and as we went to get on the door that u walked on toget to the ship was moving so much very hard to walk me and shauna got separated but we had a game plan. So I got on first and find two seats next to a women that was saving two seats so there was four of us around the table. The ride was very rocky. Shauna had sea sickness so I felt bad that I could not help her. She noticed that some people were taking a pill so I went to the help desk and
Asked if they had something for sea sickness. They had a pill wwell shauna got better after that. I taught her nartz the multi player solitaire game.
Slept maybe two hours.
Once back in Athens at 530 am we went home to pack book flight and accommodations for that day. Our land lady was so nice she would not let us clean so that was nice. Got to the airport faught with easy jet again. Apparently if u buy a third bag u do not get extra weight. And she particle said I was stupid for not reading the web sight right. Not happy.   so we were over weight again.