Hello there! This morning we decided not to visit the Vatican because most of the museums are closed, it being Sunday and all. Instead we walked a ton to various historical sites. A highlight was walking to a park near Garibaldi Monument that provides great views of the city. Another highlight was Gelato for the second day in a row from Tre Scalini in Piazza Novona, I stuck with dark chocolate and tried the coffee flavor too, Mariella had cherry and mint, yesterday it was mint and chocolate. Tomorrow we plan to tour the Vatican with Jamie, a new Australian friend we’ve been talking to during breakfast each morning. He teaches Italian at a secondary school in Adelaide, Australia. We hope to take him for some Gelato at Tre Scalini…I mean we have to share the experience, right? Tomorrow night, after another walking marathon, we will get on a train at 7:10pm, hopefully sleep, wake up in Vienna at around 8am, and then head to Prague to visit a friend and see the sights for a few days.
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Rome, Italy
Happy Halloween from Rome! We made it safely to Rome on Friday afternoon after a four hour train ride from La Spieza near Cinque Terre. We left the coastal town of Riomaggiore population 2,500 and arrived in Rome population 2.5 million not counting the hordes of tourists. We went from the sound of crashing waves against rocks to the constant sound of cars, buses and vespa scooters making mad dashes through the street. We have learned the dangerous art of playing “Frogger” (an old Atari video game where the frog character dodges things trying to run it over). Mariella and I both agree that we would rather be meandering the Cliffside towns of Cinque Terre than dodging people and cars. Maybe we will find ourselves living in a smaller town in the near future. After walking around Rome for a day and a half it is easy to imagine what a great city this must have been. Today we went on a marathon walk that started at the hostel we are staying at near the central train station. First we walked to a church called Santa Maria Maggiore where there is a statue of Moses carved my Michelangelo and the chains supposedly warn by the Apostle Peter during his imprisonment. From there we made our way to the Coliseum and ventured around Palatino Hill. Next we walked to Piazza Del Campidoglio, which was designed by Michelangelo. Eventually we made our way to Trevi Fountain, depicting Neptune’s chariot being led by Tritons, with sea horses representing the moods of the sea. After this we walked to the Pantheon where the artist Rafael is buried. Finally we visited Piazza Navona where the fountain of four rivers resides. We tried some great gelato at Tre Scalini, recommended by Aunt Renee. The gelato was the best we’ve had so far. Better than the place we tried and hour before : ). Eventually we walked back to the other side of town to where we are sleeping. We knew we found the right street when we saw the car accident marking the location. There was a car accident on the same cross streets the evening before at about the same time. Crazy Rome! It’s off to Vatican City tomorrow morning.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Manarola, Italy
Yesterday we left Vernazza in the afternoon and walked toward the towns of Corniglia and Manarola. We hiked up and down mountainsides near the ocean. We weaved our way through fields of grapes and olive groves. The locals were harvesting the olives in some of the fields we passed. After a couple hours of hiking we arrived in Corniglia where we ate gelato at two different places. Oh, the gelato is so good! We continued on another hour and a half to Manarola where we headed to the harbor for a swim. On the way, I saw a fisherman getting ready to head out to sea. I asked him if I could go with him. He look a little put off by the question. He got in his boat and organized the gear and as he was about to shove off I said Si (yes) or no. He motioned for me to join him. Mariella also gave me the thumbs up so I dropped my bag at the dock with her and jumped in the boat. The Italian man said one hour that turned into about three hours. We fished for squid and caught four. He was happy with our catch. We arrived back to the harbor after sun down. I thanked him many times before parting ways. Mariella and I left the harbor in darkness looking for a place to sleep. We ended up staying at a hostel on the on top of the hill near the outskirts of town. Mariella is in the female dorm and I in the male dorms. From the window we look down on the church, out to some vineyards and down to the ocean. The towns have great character and have not lost their character even as tourism has grown. In the next couple days we plan on heading south to Rome.
Vernazza, Italy
Written Tuesday, October 7th 2009
In the morning we packed our bags and walked down to the ocean. I went for a swim while Mariella enjoyed a cappuccino. I purchased some swim goggles and was able to explore the underwater world where schools of beautiful fish were in abundance. Later, after some good conversation with Brett on the beach we said goodbye and Mariella and I started hiking down the coast. Next stop; a town called Vernazza, a two-hour walk to the south. We arrived to hundreds of the town people filling the piazza near the church. We noticed that there was an eerie silence in the piazza. In other towns we experience loud noise and commotion of town’s people and tourists. We noticed that all the shops and restaurants were closed and the church was also filled. It turns out that a memorial service was being held for one of the teens from Vernazza who died in a car accident. We had no place to stay so we decided to go swim in the harbor. Eventually the memorial service ended and we walked through the middle of town asking people if they had a room we could stay in. We eventually found a man who after bargaining about the price led us up four flights of stairs to the room facing the main street. Luckily, it is a slow time of year for tourism which gives us the ability to just show up to a town and bargain on the price. The Lord has been faithful in providing our daily bread and daily bed.
In the morning we packed our bags and walked down to the ocean. I went for a swim while Mariella enjoyed a cappuccino. I purchased some swim goggles and was able to explore the underwater world where schools of beautiful fish were in abundance. Later, after some good conversation with Brett on the beach we said goodbye and Mariella and I started hiking down the coast. Next stop; a town called Vernazza, a two-hour walk to the south. We arrived to hundreds of the town people filling the piazza near the church. We noticed that there was an eerie silence in the piazza. In other towns we experience loud noise and commotion of town’s people and tourists. We noticed that all the shops and restaurants were closed and the church was also filled. It turns out that a memorial service was being held for one of the teens from Vernazza who died in a car accident. We had no place to stay so we decided to go swim in the harbor. Eventually the memorial service ended and we walked through the middle of town asking people if they had a room we could stay in. We eventually found a man who after bargaining about the price led us up four flights of stairs to the room facing the main street. Luckily, it is a slow time of year for tourism which gives us the ability to just show up to a town and bargain on the price. The Lord has been faithful in providing our daily bread and daily bed.
Monterosso, Italy
Written Monday, October 26th 2009
After many hours of train travel from Switzerland to Italy we arrived in Monterosso. Monterosso is the northern most town in Cinque Terre. The five towns that are along the seven mile costal walk are small, car-free and on or near the ocean. The area is fantastic! The warm, sunny weather is great and observing people swim in the ocean makes me want to join them. All I need is some snorkel gear and a speedo. Right now we are waiting in a lush tree covered patio area with Brett from Washington. We were told to come to this location for the most affordable place to stay in Monterosso. Unfortunately there is a sign on the door that says, “Will be back later.” So for now we wait. Maybe we should sleep on the beach. Bye for now.
So this is what happened… Mariella and I went to look for food as it was dinner time. Brett stayed at the hotel and watched the bags. While purchasing brushetta (sp?) at a near-by eatery, Mariella learned of an open apartment from the lady selling us food. Luckily Mariella is able to understand enough Italian because of the languages similarity to Spanish. The store owner contacted a friend who led us to her apartment, which we rented out for the night. The apartment was on the second floor of a building facing the town square (Piazza Garibaldi) and a church. Nice! We split the cost of the apartment with our new friend Brett. Later that evening we walked around the sleepy town.
After many hours of train travel from Switzerland to Italy we arrived in Monterosso. Monterosso is the northern most town in Cinque Terre. The five towns that are along the seven mile costal walk are small, car-free and on or near the ocean. The area is fantastic! The warm, sunny weather is great and observing people swim in the ocean makes me want to join them. All I need is some snorkel gear and a speedo. Right now we are waiting in a lush tree covered patio area with Brett from Washington. We were told to come to this location for the most affordable place to stay in Monterosso. Unfortunately there is a sign on the door that says, “Will be back later.” So for now we wait. Maybe we should sleep on the beach. Bye for now.
So this is what happened… Mariella and I went to look for food as it was dinner time. Brett stayed at the hotel and watched the bags. While purchasing brushetta (sp?) at a near-by eatery, Mariella learned of an open apartment from the lady selling us food. Luckily Mariella is able to understand enough Italian because of the languages similarity to Spanish. The store owner contacted a friend who led us to her apartment, which we rented out for the night. The apartment was on the second floor of a building facing the town square (Piazza Garibaldi) and a church. Nice! We split the cost of the apartment with our new friend Brett. Later that evening we walked around the sleepy town.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Venice, Italy
We said goodbye to our friends Brad, Laurel and their son Landon. The time spent with you guys was spiritually refreshing. Thank you for letting us be with you. We departed early in the morning from Ljubljana in a van filled with nine people. The night before we tried to find someone to stay with using couch surfing, open invitations for travelers to stay in the town they are visiting. We emailed an Italian guy who lives near Venice and enjoys mixed martial arts. We hoped staying with him would work out. After a few email exchanges and a request to spar with him as conditions of the stay, we respectful explained that it would be best if we found another place to sleep. During the ride Mariella became aquainted with the person sitting behind us. It did not take long for Mariella to make friends with Yolima, a fellow South American from Colombia. Yolima was also heading to Venice so we decided to venture into the city together. We looked for a hostel that was recommended by an Italian girl riding in the van. After about an hour of trying to find the hostel we gave up and decided to go to a hostel that I read about. After weaving our way through the alleyways and bridges like the marble in the balancing maze game we arrived in the vicinity of the hostel. The hostel was booked up so we decided to go to the bookstore we passed earlier that had a bread and breakfast sign. Unfortunately the bed and breakfast room was filled, but the 15 euro a night storage bookroom/apartment was open. The girls took a tour of the room which was in the back area of the bookshop and we took it. Mariella, Yolima, a young German couple, and I shared the living space which included a courtyard surrounded by brick buildings. Oh, and we later found out that a couple of other people were living there as well. It was an interesting space for a great price.
Venice was great for the few days we were there. It is a fantastic city overwhelmed with tourist and we were there in the shoulder season. It must be crazy there in the summer. A highlight was the taking bus boat #2 for a tour of the Grand Canal for a cheap 6.50 Euro. We were blessed by Yolima’s presence in Venice. She brought renewed excitement and sense of adventure for exploring a city. We also found out that Yolima likes taking pictures as much as I do. Thank you for hanging out with us Yolima, nuestra amiga Colombiana, ciao bella!
Venice was great for the few days we were there. It is a fantastic city overwhelmed with tourist and we were there in the shoulder season. It must be crazy there in the summer. A highlight was the taking bus boat #2 for a tour of the Grand Canal for a cheap 6.50 Euro. We were blessed by Yolima’s presence in Venice. She brought renewed excitement and sense of adventure for exploring a city. We also found out that Yolima likes taking pictures as much as I do. Thank you for hanging out with us Yolima, nuestra amiga Colombiana, ciao bella!
Top Ten things Mariella learned while visiting Venice...
Top Ten things I, Mariella, learned while traveling in Venice, Italy:
1. DON’T TOUCH!
There are signs everywhere, but somehow your tourist eyes will glaze over these signs and you will find yourself being yelled at by a man waving his hands and shouting “no toche, no toche!” A bit embarrassing.
2. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE STRONG TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR WOMAN; YOU HAVE TO HAVE LOT’S AND LOTS OF MONEY!
This, by the way, must be said while waving your hands and opening your own personal wallet and patting your back pocket in reference to your giant, money-filled wallet. We heard this several times while in Italy, so … we thought you men should know this bit of information.
3. ITALIAN MEN SPECIFICALLY, NEED “AMOR”.
Not referring to love as in feeling loved, but sex. “I know that men everywhere want sex, but Italian men have a passion and NEED more sex than normal.
4. DON’T WORRY,
they aren’t yelling at you, that’s just how they communicate.
5. THE CUSTOMER IS…
Don’t expect your typical Southern California customer service, the customer is not always right, in fact, your aren’t even really important in a city where tourists flock to year around, you are totally dispensable. Every now and again, you might be sweetly surprised by someone’s kind and generous customer service skills, be grateful.
6. EAT ALL OF THE GELATO YOU CAN, WHILE YOU CAN.
No joke guys, this stuff is…totally unique. Believe us, we’ve had ice cream in many countries now, it’s what we do, and Gelato in Venice, near the Bridge of sighs, is perhaps why the prisoners sighed, because never again, would they enjoy the wonderful gelato-seriously!
7. CAFÉ CON PANNA MEANS COFFEE WITH CREAM-LOADS OF IT.
Don’t ask this question, especially if there is a sign saying “Café con Panna” and directly below it “Coffee with cream”. This really annoys the servers, and I could see why, they get a ridiculous amount of tourists a year and I am sure I am not the only one to ask this question, hence the clearly posted sign I failed to see.
8. DON’T FREAK OUT, EVERYONE IS LOST.
9. LADIES, WORK OUT THOSE QUADS.
It would be wise to work the legs out a bit, or else you have to touch the scary walls surrounding the scary toilet. The toilets are lower than at home, so prepare for that too. You could go to regular WC’s around the town, instead of in restaurants but it doesn’t come cheap, about 1.50 Euro, that’s about 2.25US…to go pee. INSANE!
10. YES, YOU HAVE TO SOMETIMES BE LIKE THE ITALIANS.
While standing at a bar, waiting to order your cappuccino, don’t wait for someone to politely ask you what you would like. Be fierce. You might even have to shout out a bit. It’s kind of like training camp for the first day of junior high, to toughen you up a bit.
1. DON’T TOUCH!
There are signs everywhere, but somehow your tourist eyes will glaze over these signs and you will find yourself being yelled at by a man waving his hands and shouting “no toche, no toche!” A bit embarrassing.
2. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE STRONG TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR WOMAN; YOU HAVE TO HAVE LOT’S AND LOTS OF MONEY!
This, by the way, must be said while waving your hands and opening your own personal wallet and patting your back pocket in reference to your giant, money-filled wallet. We heard this several times while in Italy, so … we thought you men should know this bit of information.
3. ITALIAN MEN SPECIFICALLY, NEED “AMOR”.
Not referring to love as in feeling loved, but sex. “I know that men everywhere want sex, but Italian men have a passion and NEED more sex than normal.
4. DON’T WORRY,
they aren’t yelling at you, that’s just how they communicate.
5. THE CUSTOMER IS…
Don’t expect your typical Southern California customer service, the customer is not always right, in fact, your aren’t even really important in a city where tourists flock to year around, you are totally dispensable. Every now and again, you might be sweetly surprised by someone’s kind and generous customer service skills, be grateful.
6. EAT ALL OF THE GELATO YOU CAN, WHILE YOU CAN.
No joke guys, this stuff is…totally unique. Believe us, we’ve had ice cream in many countries now, it’s what we do, and Gelato in Venice, near the Bridge of sighs, is perhaps why the prisoners sighed, because never again, would they enjoy the wonderful gelato-seriously!
7. CAFÉ CON PANNA MEANS COFFEE WITH CREAM-LOADS OF IT.
Don’t ask this question, especially if there is a sign saying “Café con Panna” and directly below it “Coffee with cream”. This really annoys the servers, and I could see why, they get a ridiculous amount of tourists a year and I am sure I am not the only one to ask this question, hence the clearly posted sign I failed to see.
8. DON’T FREAK OUT, EVERYONE IS LOST.
9. LADIES, WORK OUT THOSE QUADS.
It would be wise to work the legs out a bit, or else you have to touch the scary walls surrounding the scary toilet. The toilets are lower than at home, so prepare for that too. You could go to regular WC’s around the town, instead of in restaurants but it doesn’t come cheap, about 1.50 Euro, that’s about 2.25US…to go pee. INSANE!
10. YES, YOU HAVE TO SOMETIMES BE LIKE THE ITALIANS.
While standing at a bar, waiting to order your cappuccino, don’t wait for someone to politely ask you what you would like. Be fierce. You might even have to shout out a bit. It’s kind of like training camp for the first day of junior high, to toughen you up a bit.
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