Playing Catch Up

So I'm a little behind on my posts, but that's mostly because I have been having such an amazing time.  After leaving Palermo, we took a coastal train to Milazzo.  This is one of the main port cities in northern Sicily, and the gateway to the Aeolian Islands.  After we bought our ferry tickets, we had some time to kill, so we decided to get a big lunch, since we probably wouldn't have another chance to eat that day.  I had the most delicious prosciutto e melone, and penne all'arribiatta.  It was like fire pasta the Italian way, and those of you in Spokane know how much I love my fire pasta.  Fantastic!  We didn't have a lot of time left after this, so after grabbing some more hand sanitizer for Jen, we went to catch our ferry.  

It was a little over an hour to the islands.  Sicily is no longer visible by the time you get there.  As we were getting close though, and oohing and aahing over what was definitely our island of a smoking volcano, and older man on the boat must have heard us talking.  He came over and asked us if this was our first time here.  Pippo, told us quite a bit about the island.  He had been born there, but went to school in London, which is why his English was fairly good, and had spent most of his life guiding tours up Stromboli.  Which meant he was packed full of information. He offered to walk us to our hotel, as he lived near by, and then to take us up the mountain that evening himself.  

Now, Jen and I had tried to book a tour, but they were full, which meant we could only go to the 400 meter mark by the sciara del fuoco.   So the idea of having a personal tour guide was amazing and we happily accepted his offer.  Once we got off the ferry though, there was a car (or what they call a car.  No cars actually exist on the island, just make-shift imitations and golf carts) waiting to take us to the hotel so Pippo said he would meet us later.  As we drove away, we saw him get on a bike, and realized he had been going to walk us to the hotel, and then come back and get his bike after. 

Our hotel was amazing.  Right on the beach with a view of Strombolichi, a small rocky outcrop in the water that is all that remains of the original volcanic cone.   From the beach we had a perfect view over the hotel of the looming active cone.  We bounced around the area a little before realizing the sun was setting and we needed to buy flashlights before we even started up.  After discussing, we decided we didn't know when Pippo had been planning on coming, and that we needed to get moving.  So we went to the tabachi to buy flashlights, where our saleslady was from Melbourne, having married a local and moved to the island years before.  

All squared away now, we started for the path.  It started off fairly normal, switch backing its way up the lower mountain.  Then, while I was a little bit ahead, I saw it.  I just happened to glance to my left, and saw a fountain of fiery red spraying.  Quickly, I went running back to Jen, and was probably not able to be understood in my excitement.  We stopped where I had seen it before and waited until it went off again.  After this I was fairly running up the hillside. After a bit, we came to a sign, telling us we were at 100m.  There was a little restaurant here with a perfect view of the active cone that was packed with people.  We just continued on past.  

By this point it was really dark out, and we were now wandering through what seemed like a wheat field.  Many of the shafts were bent across our path from the rain storms the couple days earlier and Jen made a few Children of the Korn comments.  It was a crazy path, and we weren't even sure if we were on the right one!  After a little bit though, we passed some people heading down, so I felt better that we were at least going somewhere with a view.  

Jen had fallen a little behind me (or I may have been racing ahead...) so I stopped to wait for her.  When I heard someone walking up, I had no reason to suspect it wasn't her.  But surprise! It was Pippo!  He wanted to make sure we had found the trail all right, and it was such a clear night decided he wanted to climb up too.  And thank god he was there.  Shortly after he met us was the 300m point, where the trail takes a turn for the worse.  At this point, you are just climbing up the side of the volcano, with no path laid down on top of the rocky loose soil.  Pippo showed us the best way to maneuver our way up, and helped Jen get all the way up.  

Then we hit the 400m mark.  We quickly placed our cameras on the railing and waited.  Boom! Now we were close enough to hear it go off! Fountains of red hot rock sprayed our in plumes.  And since we were right beside the Sciara del Fuoco, we were able to see and hear them rumble down the mountainside next to us, then pop and sizzle as they hit the cold sea.  Incredible!  And it just kept erupting every couple minutes.  Pippo would get really excited and make crazy sound effects demonstrating it every time.  He obviously loved this place.  I couldn't believe how good a show we were getting!

Finally, after quite a while, we decided to head back down.  There was a local island wine I wished to try, and Pippo had been telling us that the restaurant with the view carried some.  So we hustled down, as much as you can hustle on that terrain which is not at all, to get there before it closed.  Pippo helped us the whole way, showing us where was better to place our feet and making sure we didn't get hurt.  We made it just in time, and ordered three glasses of passito. It was a sweet golden wine, and quite delicious!  Of course we bought Pippo's, as that was the least we could do for him after his guiding.  Jen got his address so she could send him a photo.

When we got back, we happily enjoyed hot showers and a quiet room, and settled down for bed.  I have begun waking up early again though, and got up to see what the morning was like.  Our hotel did a little breakfast, and had outside decks facing the water, so I ate mine while watching the island wake up.  It was fantastic!  The one night was definitely not enough time here, particularly when we came in so late and left so early.  I cannot wait to go there again, and this time climb all the way to the top.  

Once we checked out, Jen and I grabbed our packs, and wandered through the town back to the ferry.  It was a great little place, and we enjoyed just sitting on the dock in the sun.  The ferry back was much longer, but it also stopped at all the other islands on the way, so we got to briefly see the whole set of islands.  There was also a whole group from England on this ferry with us, and we had fun chatting with them.  They had made it all the way up with the guided tour, and showed me their pictures and videos.  I have no words for them, they put mine (which I thought were amazingly close) to absolute shame.  It just solidified for me that I will most definitely be climbing to the top next time.  So who wants to go with me!?

Once we got back into Milazzo harbor, we wandered down the waterfront for a while.  There was a group of men fishing with these hugs poles, to reach past the break water, and catching tiny little fish, though rapidly.  Jen and I just people watched most of the day, before getting some more food at our fantastic restaurant again.  Then, we unfortunately missed the last bus to the train station, since we couldn't figure out where to catch it or to buy tickets until it was too late, so we had to walk.  Since it was getting dark, we decided to leave early to get as far as we could in the day light that remained.  

It wasn't too bad a walk, only an hour.  Though I was amused that every time I stopped to make sure we were going the right direction, they all said it was really far away.  Actually Jen and I both enjoyed it, and it turned out, what we thought was going to be a worrying part of town was actually quite nice.  The only issue we had was how over grown the sidewalk was, causing us to walk  in the road more than we would have liked.  

Still, we made it without incident, before jumping on our night train.  This one was even more interesting than the last.  We had one girl in our room, who we thought was wed to the guy in the next room because of how they interacted, only to see her jump into someone else's arms when she got off the train, and our conductor was kinda smarmy.  I faked sleep long before I was because he kept coming in to talk at my bunk so that he was right at chest level, and was just not stopping.  It was rather awkward.  He also kept trying to get me to kiss him in the morning, though Jen managed to scare him off for me by saying good morning in German. Now that was amusing!  Then he saw her camera and kept trying to kiss my cheek until she got a photo.  Blick.  Let's just say I used way more hand sanitizer on my face than is probably healthy after that.  We were pleased to get into Rome and off that train. Though I don't think anyone else in our car slept at all, since every time I woke up they were all talking and hanging out in the hall.  

We easily found a train to Firenze, and continued heading north.  The hostel I like only had one day open, and I really wanted to hit the leather market.  So out we went right away, and I immediately found my new leather jacket.  Jen then found a bag to replace her broken one, and we both left happily.  Then we wandered around a little, and I showed her most of the big places in the city center.  Jen told me, that Firenze, was what she had expected most of Italy to be like.  We had some food and went to Perche no! for some gelato, and just enjoyed ourselves.  

The next day was our trip to Pisa.  We spent the morning in Firenze just wandering around.  We also went into the market and got tons of delicious dried fruit, some cheese, and some focaccia.  Great train food!  Eventually though, it was time to head out.  Our hostel was actually quite nice, right on the main shopping street, with old blown glass windows.  After dropping off our stuff, I took Jen to the tower, and told her, that's it.  That's Pisa.  It was a pretty low key evening, though I had a fantastic caprese salad at dinner, that they made look like the Italian flag.   I even got to Skype with the bagel shop and chat with my favorite group of Thursday gentlemen.  I think they thought it was just my picture on the computer at first, because when I responded to something they said, they all looked startled and said, "She's live!"  Made for a fun evening. 

The day after that we did a day trip to Lucca.  It was raining the whole time, but still lovely.  Jen and I climbed up onto the wall and started walking around the whole old town.  Trees were starting to change, and it was nice to experience a little fall finally.  After walking for awhile we decided to go to a cafe and sit for a little.  And we found the greatest little place!  The coffee was wonderful, and that's saying nothing about the pastries.  So nice too, if anyone goes there, I'll give you the name and location of the place, because it is worth going to.  

After this, we continued through the center.  We went to all different stores; makeup, book, clothing, tabachi, just shopping around.  As it sprinkle on and off we would just pull out our umbrellas and go.  There was a time limit due to trains however; so we faced the end of our time here, though we took a meandering path back.  

Along the way we met a lady from DC, who was mildly freaking out about needing to find an English speaker.  She happened upon us and we told her the way to the train station.  She said, "This place is nothing like Florence!" to which I could only think, 'uh no kidding...'  She also mentioned how she wanted to find somewhere for coffee so we mentioned the great place we had found, at which point she quickly changed her story, to "no, I just need to get out of here and back to Florence!"  Jen offered to let her come with us to the train station, since we were heading the same direction.  Then she got suspicious, like we were trying to pull something.  So we just went another way.  We later ran into her again, still trying to find her way, though much closer.  This time we were able to actually point to the path.  Seriously though, if you are that uncomfortable and suspicious of everyone, you probably shouldn't be traveling alone.  You have to talk to people at some point!

While we had split away from her though, Jen and I stumbled upon a bunch of tents.  She figured out what they were first.  Lucca was having a comicon!  If only we had more time there, we could have tried to get in.  Then we realized part of the tents were for the marathon convention.  How crazy to go to a small town in Italy to be there for two different conventions at once.  One more reason for Jeanne to go to Italy though! (Sorry Brandon...)

Once we got back to Pisa, the storm just got bigger, so Jen and I grabbed a quick bite, then holed up to watch the thunderstorm from our window.  It was an amazing show, and we had a lot of fun analyzing umbrellas.  They could be purchased for color, pattern, functionality, indifference, gifts.  So many different things.  It was a great time killer.  

The next morning we were heading to Cinque Terre.   Only a couple of trains were free for our Eurail pass, so we got up early to catch the 7 am one.  This time my hostel was in Manarola, the second town.  Our hostel was quite nice, but it was the perfect amount of rainy grayness to be taking pictures there, so off we went again!  Manarola was first, then off to Corniglia, my personal favorite.  We went up the stairs (395) then down the other side to my favorite little cove to take pictures.  Then back up again to wander. At times it was raining so hard we were darting into archways and doorways, because even our umbrellas couldn't keep us dry.  Then back down the stairs again.  

Our last stop for the day was Vernazza.  We were hungry, but everywhere was closed for siesta, so we window shopped the restaurants.  Manarola was cheaper, so we were about to head back that direction when we saw the huge waves breaking over the break water into the harbor.  So of course, the cameras get whipped out.  There were a group of kids playing chicken with the waves, getting as close to the edge as they dared, then running away before they could get wet.  Jen and I and numerous other adults had a lot of fun watching them and taking pictures until a local worker came over.  He made a general shooing gesture, seemed to be looking for the words, then just started yelling, "Go away!" at everyone.  I can understand why, it was a rather dangerous game to be playing with the waves so large they could sweep a kid away, but it was still humorous to watch everyone's reactions.  The entertainment over, we left in search of food.  

Back in Manarola, we stopped at a restaurant we had seen full of people earlier.  An excellent choice it seemed!  I got a local pasta, testaroli, with pasta.  The pasta was excellent and unusual. Flat squares that were slightly spongey, they baked them first so one side was browned.  I found them very enjoyable!  Then as our meal finished up, another downpour started, so it was decided we should stay for dessert.  We both got the white chocolate tiramisu and it was fantastic.  Served with fresh fruit, cocoa powder, vanilla sauce, and an alcoholic whipped cream.  Every bite was delicious, and we couldn't regret the splurge.  Of course the storm wasn't over when we finished, so we still had to run up the hill to the hostel.  As we reached the top, we realized what an incredible sunset we were getting, and after getting inside, we promptly turned back around to go take more pictures.  Worthwhile, but definitely had us ready to go curl up in bad and get warm.  We had both bought books in Pisa and settled in for the evening.  

The next morning, we had breakfast at the hostel.  Coffee and croissants.  I chose apple, Jen chocolate.  Loved them both.  Jen then wanted to go to mass, and I thought it might be fun to go to an Italian service.  As soon as I stepped outside though, I realized I might have to change clothes.  While nicer (though still dreary) it had become bitter cold in the night.  So I went and layered up before church.  The ceremony was small, there were only about 25 of us there, and we followed along as best we could.   We liked the alleluia and amen parts, because we could say them.   I got annoyed with a tour group who was in right up until the service began.  One lady kept obnoxiously shushing anyone who said anything at all, no matter how softly, but then kept going everywhere and taking pictures with an incredibly loud and obnoxious shutter noise, including right up to the alter.  Then she didn't even stay for the service.  Nice, huh?

After mass, we headed for Riomaggiore.  We stopped first in the harbor here first, and watched massive waves come in, then up to the little grocery to get the stuffed cherry peppers that I like, and some buffala mozzarella. Then we started up into the town.  Jen's umbrella died, so we found her a new one, and then the wind really got going.  It was just to bitter cold to have fun exploring, so we went and holed up and the hostel.  This was the time I probably should have been blogging, but I was just not feeling up to typing that day.  Instead I finished my book, did some picture puzzles, and watched the Muppet Movie with Jen.  I also ate my whole ball of mozzarella.  And no one can act like that would surprise them.  It was definitely a cold and lazy day for us.  

We got up early the next day, hoping for some sun to see Monteresso al mare.  And sunshine it was (though still rather cold)!  So we had breakfast and then went to pack our bags so they could go into luggage storage while we explored.  Then we realized we only had two minutes to catch the last train that would give us time to do anything.  Needless to say, we ran, but didn't get there in time.  So we walked along Manarola's coastal cliff instead, to see it in a different light.  We actually got rather warm sitting in the sun for a bit.  But the time came for us to head back to Florence, so it was off to the hostel to grab our packs.  

The trip back was uneventful, and our hostel turned out to be a fairly nice B&B.  We went to the leather school, and I found my ideal bag.  Big enough to be a weekender, but with more of a purse look to it.  Unfortunately it is 450€, and I am just not spending that much money on a single bag.  At least I know what I am looking for now though, as I wander amongst the leather markets.  Jen and I also stopped for dinner at this great little pizza place.  The food was amazing, and whenever someone orders a bottle of wine they have you initial the cork and then they put it up in big hoops on the wall so all the initials show.  What a fun thing that was! 

When we got back to the room, I was skyping with my mom.  Jen and I have been planning to hit Venice for Halloween, but haven't taken the time to look at its status lately.  My mom informed me it is underwater, so I searched online, and the worst day is set to be Wednesday at this point.  Still, we are going anyway, since this may be Jen's only chance to see it if it's sinking this much faster than they expected.  We are planning to wear things we can roll up/skirts, and flip flops.  We'll see how it turns out for us in the end.  

This morning we made plans to go to Rome.  Jen really wanted to do Vatican, so I figured I just wander the city.  We split ways at the Pantheon, timing how long the walk took, since we had made plans to meet Ellen for dinner that night.  Then I went exploring.  I went to the Spanish steps, wandered through the expensive part of town (seriously, a single glass of orange juice was 10€ at  one place, and that was the cheapest thing on the menu.  Eventually I found a great gelataria with really unusual flavors.  I tried rosemary, honey, and lemon, lavender and peach, sage and raspberry, chocolate and wine, and several others.  I eventually decided on the sage and raspberry, which was amazingly delicious, tartuffo, and clementine.  Loved them all!  Then I went a little early to our meeting point by the Pantheon and people watched.  

Jen unfortunately did not have so great a day.  She got into Vatican, but then couldn't find where to go once she was in.  She got lost, ended up with not so great, expensive gelato, and was crying when I saw her.  I felt really bad, because I know this is what she had really been hoping for.  As we were walking back to the train station though, a server saw her crying, called her over and asked what was wrong.  I guess despite all the priests and nuns she had passed in this state, he was the first person to express concern to her about her state.  He told her it was going to be okay, and that she should smile and have a better day before sending us on.  Really nice guy, didn't even try to get us to buy food, which is where I figured it was ultimately leading.  So cheers to him, and his friendly concern.  

Our train back is a longer one, but free for us, where we had to pay 10€ each for the fast one  earlier to give Jen enough time in Rome :( .  I never oppose to the longer ride though, when we have the time.  I enjoy seeing the country side like this.  Especially at sunset.  

Tonight we are meeting Ellen and her friends for dinner at Dante's Pizzeria.  They serve free wine to students, so Jen and I just 'enrolled'.   The food was great, the wine was flowing, and the company rocked.  Ellen's friends were all really nice, and it was good to catch up with her and share some UB gossip time.  I also think we convinced them to go to Stromboli.  I really hope they make it!

Amalfi to Sicily

Our stay in Sorrento was wonderful.  The first morning we woke up and decided to go to Pompeii.  We had a great set of roommates, and Pat and Brad gave us tips for getting into and around Pompeii, since they had been there only a couple days earlier.  Heading out from the hostel, we went looking for food first.  Sorrento has an amazing market street,  and before we knew it, much more time had gone by than intended.  But we did have a bag of excellent fruit to show for it.  I also may have sunglasses and a linen scarf now.  I am very happy with them though!

Finally we got ourselves back on the circumvesuvianna and made our way to Pompeii.  The boys had told us it can take hours to go through it, but I wasn't quite prepared for its size still.  Jen and I were there for four hours before we knew it!  I particularly liked how there were signs up explaining what you were seeing or what it meant for the culture.  Especially since we are to cheap to buy audio-guides and usually just fumble our way through sites.  We had a great time, even if it took us awhile to find the body casts, since we started from the wrong direction.  

Once we had our fill of Pompeii, we headed towards Naples to get our train station to Palermo. It had been such an issue while in Rome that we thought it was best to plan ahead.  But this time there were no such issues and we had a night train booked before we knew it.  

The next morning, we took it easy and just explored the local area.  The rest of our room had invited us to Capri with them, but we just couldn't justify the 35€ cost of the ferry.  Instead we wandered the shopping areas, walked down to the beach, and took a lot of pictures.  For the afternoon we went back to the hostel, which is really a hotel and has an outdoor pool, and decided to sit around.  Well, for those of you who know me, this only lasted so long.  After an hour or two, I was off to explore again.  I found another beach access, and bought  beer to sit and watch the sunset.  

When I got back to the hostel, everyone else was just arriving from Capri.  So we joined them sitting outside and talking most of the night.  It was so much fun!  We had Shelli from the states, Mark from NZ, Elie, Brad, and Pat from Australia, and Phil from Vancouver BC.   It was a great time!  Phil and Mark were leaving the next day, but the rest of us made plans to rent scooters the next day and head to the Amalfi coast.  Several of them had done it a couple days earlier and said it was amazing.  

Bright and early, we all headed out.  First to the grocery store to buy something for lunch, and then to the scooter rental.   Jen didn't feel comfortable trying to drive one, but I was really excited to do this.  Elie and Pat took me out for a couple minutes to get a feel first, before trying to take Jen as a passenger.  But as soon as Jen got on we knew it wasn't going to work.  I just didn't have enough experience.  So Elie offered to take Jen on his bike and we were off again!

Elie had been out a couple times, and had scoped out some good places.  So we went view point hopping, eating lunch along the way.  We found our way to Possitano, with the intent of finding a beach to lay on.  Here is where the misfortunes began.  Pat got a little too close to a car while parking and hit it, not with his bike, but with his knee.  His knee unfortunately left a rather large dent, I just saw the car move.  He had to go give the bikes information, and get everything squared away.  Then, after moving his bike to a better spot, we headed to the beach.  We all went swimming and lay out for a bit, before deciding to head on to Amalfi.  We ultimately wanted to hit a cove that we had to hike in to, but didn't know if we would have enough time in the day.  

Once we got back up to the bikes, we realized an unfortunate thing. Pat's bike wouldn't start now.  After trying for 45 minutes to get ahold of the rental company who would not answer their phones, we had to leave Pat and Brad behind.  They were going to ride back together to Sorrento and tell them where they left the bike.  Our troop  had shrunk to four.  But onward we went, enthusiastically for the next town.  

When we got to Amalfi, we quickly realized that there was not going to be enough time to go to the cove.  I had to return my bike by 8 that evening so I could catch our night train.  So we spent some time on the Amalfi beach too. ate some gelato, and went out on the break water.  Elie's shoulder was starting to hurt from having a passenger too, so we found Jen the bus back to Sorrento, and the group shrunk again.  

Shelli, Elie, and I were racing back to a particular location he had found for the sunset.  By this point I was feeling pretty comfortable, and was cruising around pretty easily.  Still not on par with the other two who ride dirt bikes and motorcycles, but I could keep pace with them.  We made it just in time too.  What a stunning sunset!  The isle of Capri was dead ahead with the sun setting just to the side.  Elie and Shelli found a point nearby where they were going to try and go first thing in the morning.  

Then we had to finish our trip back to Sorrento.  As we pulled up to the rental shop to drop off my scooter, Jen walked up, having just been dropped off by the bus.  She was heading to the port to take pictures of the boats all lit up, but I headed back to the hostel and grabbed some food on the way.  After a quick but delicious meal, we grabbed our packs, said our goodbyes, and headed for Napoli Centrale. 

Our night train was an interesting one.  We had two cabin mates, and they couldn't have been any more different.  Victoria was laid back and wonderful.  From Palermo herself, she gave me her email in case we had any questions after we arrived.  The other gal was a piece of work.  I saw her as we first got on the train, talking VERY loudly on her phone, and thought "I feel bad for whoever shares a room with her."  Well, JINX, she was in our room!  She must have booked last minute, because her bed wasn't set up.  So instead of going and finding the conductor, she plops herself down on my bed, and strikes up another phone call.  Then invites a friend in to sit and chat on my bed.  Did I mention we didn't even board the train until midnight?  Things were getting ridiculous.  Victoria finally went and got someone to set up the bed.  But the other gal stayed sitting on mine before finally realizing I was in my pajamas and asking, "Oh, did you want to go to bed now?" Uh no.  It's only nearing one in the morning.  So she finally goes up to her bunk.  But she had taken as many plugs as she needed in the room for all her devices, which means there wasn't even one left for me.  So I unplugged one of her devices and charged mine instead.  I needed my ipod for directions to our hostel, and wasn't about to be playing that game.  I replugged hers back in before she woke up, and I doubt she even noticed.   

The next morning she made a big deal waking up.  Her phone had been ringing since 5, and she'd almost kicked me in the face twice swinging her legs down over the edge.  Then she decided, instead of going to the bathroom, just to the side, to change in our tiny cabin.  This meant she shoved her butt straight into Jen's  and my faces, before patting it and making sure it looked good in her jeans.  I have to say though, I was not at all surprised by the giant tramp stamp she sported. Then she was asking me for my water, and taking up most my space again, because she didn't want to sit up on her bunk.  After primping herself up, she proceeded to pose and take pictures of herself for 5-10 minutes, with and without sunglasses, in varying ways.  I'm pretty sure I must have had the same look of dumbfounded disbelief that I saw Jen portraying.  She also sprayed two different types of perfume on herself, in this small room and we had to open all the doors immediately afterward.  And it wasn't just one squirt, it was 10 of each.  Makes me feel better about how I occasionally use two sprays!  Needless to say, I was not sad to see her go.

Once Jen and I had found our hostel, we had to decide what to do.  We wandered to a couple different restaurants before finding something that looked good.  I have never had the problem in an Italian restaurant before, of walking in and not recognizing a single thing on the menu.  It was crazy!  And I was afraid to blindly order, as seafood was so prominent here.  As were intestine kabobs, and spleen sandwiches.  Definitely the first time I have felt at a loss for food in Italy, and I am very excited to hit Firenze for food now.  

After killing half the day, we took a train to Cefalu.  We definitely didn't get enough time here, but we did enjoy wandering through the city as much as we could.  And we found a fantastic bakery.  The owner was the nicest guy.  Spoke no english, but we cobbled something together.  If you are there, I highly recommend going to Pietro Serio.  What a wonderful place!  The cannolis were delicious too. 

When we got back to the hostel, Miguel, another person staying there, wanted to cook pasta for everyone if we wanted.  It was delicious!  The hostel manager popped out the spumonte, and got me a local beer to try.  Everyone was very nice, and they gave us tips for the next day too, as we wanted to go to the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento.  Some of the best preserved Greek ruins outside of Greece, and since we didn't make it there, I figured this was next best.  

First thing in the morning though, we headed to the local flea market that occurs every Sunday morning.  While I found nothing that I would be able to carry home, it was fun to look around.  Then we tried to get ourselves south.  But the train we wanted to take wasn't running, so we had to try for the bus.  That turned in to a whole other hoopla, as we couldn't find the bus company that made that route.  Finally, after asking multiple people, we found the schedule, and to kill time waiting for the bus, had some gelato.  

Finally we got boarded, and headed for Agrigento.  Turns out we got really lucky.  As soon as we got in, we walked into the one place that was open to sell tickets to the ruins, and got our round trip tickets.  We directed someone else there afterward, but they had already closed.  Jen and I had barely made it in time to get our transfers.  So off we went to the ruins, which were more expensive than we had been told, but after spending the full day getting there we weren't backing out.  

They were pretty amazing too.  I couple in disrepair from earthquakes, but the Temple of Concordia was impressively intact.  We wandered around in the heat, before we were too tired and headed back.  This time we were able to catch the train.  Unfortunately, Jen broke it.  She thought she was hitting a button to flush the toilet, but instead, an alarm sounded, that they couldn't turn off for about 15-20 minutes.  Everyone on the train was looking around, trying to figure out what was going on.  Poor Jen's been having issues with things breaking on her. Ask her about them, they are some good stories, though hers to tell.

Catching up. Croatia through Rome.

Croatia was quite amazing.  We stayed at the Hobo Bear, and when we first walked up to it we were quite skeptical.  Looked like a dark entrance to an apartment complex, and it was pointing us down into the basement.  Turned out our concerns were completely unfounded.  Downstairs was a charming little main room, and as we checked in they offered us drinks (free perks are big deals in hostels).  We got settled in, and decided to just go get some food and call it an early night. 

Wandering a couple of streets that were recommended to us, they turned out to be mostly bars.  But as we later learned, the Croatians have perfected the idea of sitting beside the road with a drink (alcohol, tea, coffee, it really doesn't matter) and people watching.  They do it for hours!  Unfortunately this was not conducive to our grumbling stomaches, and eventually we found somewhere still open, at 10:30.  

For the first time in my life.  I think I may have been carnivored out.  After nothing but huge portions of meat for the last two weeks, my body was letting me know it needed another form of nourishment.  I was craving salad, pasta, fruit, anything but meat.  So I went for a truffle pasta and tea.  The tea turned into an english tea with the fixings, which was a delightful surprise, and our waitress obviously enjoyed our enthusiasm for it.  The pasta was so-so, but it was something I had needed.  Feeling much better now, we decided to call it a night.

The next morning we were trying to get to the local national park.  But when I mentioned it to the hostel worker, Mimi, she looked out the window, gave me a look and said, "Today?"  We thought the better of it after that.  While we were trying to decide what to do instead, Mimi was chatting with us about a Canadian girl who had been cooking the other day after going to the market.  Well if this didn't just sound like the best idea ever now!

So Jen and I got directions, Mimi showed us what food in the kitchen was up for grabs, and we headed to the market.  We bought tomatoes, peppers, grapes, cheese, cream, and fresh ciabatta bread.   Then we made a delicious fresh pasta dish, including a portion for Mimi in thanks for the idea.  She sat with us and chatted the whole time.  We loved having her there!  

As we finished up, Jen's friend Randi sent us a message.  She had a scavenger hunt for us.  How wonderful since we were just trying to find an activity!  There is an art installation in Zagreb, she informed us.  The Sun is in the center of the city, and then based off of accurate mathematic rations, all the planets were spread across the city, proportionally accurate.  Well, I love puzzles and hunts like this, and I love astrology.  So I pretty much went nuts.  Jen and I had so much fun!  We only got as far as Jupiter before it was just too far out into the city edges to get there on foot.  Most of the planets were tiny little dots stuck to the walls of buildings.  Jupiter was noticeably larger, and stuck on a park fence.    As we scrambled around the city we found statues to pose with, and interesting people all over.  

Once we determined we were not going to be able to get to Saturn, we headed back to the city center, all energized.  Jen had found the museum of broken hearts online and was interested, so off we went.  There was a great view across the rooftops as we went,  the red roofs vibrant against the grey sky.  

Then we found the museum.  It was very interesting.  People had sent in mementos of ended relationships.  Some were absurd and funny, some were tragic.  One room was dedicated to people who had passed, and one of those stories was written by a gal whose husband was stabbed by a burglar while he lay in bed next to her.  She had donated a book she had written about it, trying to help her with her grief and acceptance of what had occurred.  

In one of the humerous rooms, some one had sent in a magazine with Obama on the cover just after the election.  All the note with it said was that the relationship had lasted two years, and she had really hoped it would work out.  It was pretty amusing.  As wonderful as it was, the museum was fairly emotionally draining, having encountered the full range of emotion in a short stay there.  

Once back in the hostel, we took some time to book our ferry and hostel for the next couple of days.  Then it was time for dinner!  We went to a local restaurant that was rated pretty high.  We picked it specifically because it had strukli on the menu, which Mimi told us was her favorite dish; a large strudel stuffed with cheese and boiled or baked.  A little pricey, we shared strukli had I felt the boiled was better, but Jen preferred the baked.  All in all it was an okay dinner, but we were satisfied afterward.  

Back at the hostel, they informed me they were having mulled wine and krimpets that night if we wanted to join.  Jen chose to shower, but I figured I'd feel gross after a 12 hour ferry ride, so why bother.  The mulled wine was wonderful, and I met Kristen, who was on the same train as us the next day to Split.  I don't think I can emphasis how awesome an experience this hostel was enough.  Some of the other guests were obnoxious, a group of five guys from Australia, England, and the US particularly so.  Everyone got sick of hearing them one up each other with their conquests and talking about how the Croatian girls just loved them.  Kristen even told them off for how they were treating Gigi, another hostel worker, ordering her around and demanding things.  It's unfortunate that people like this are out there, ruining things for everyone else.  

The next morning was an early one.  Kristen, Jen, and I headed for the train station a little before 7 to get a reservation, and then headed for Split, which was 6 hours away.  And can I say Croatia is stunning!? This is definitely a country I am coming back to, and doing justice.  All three of us were plastered to the windows almost the entire time, even when we had to take a bus for part of it, as they were doing some work on the rail lines.  

The last bit of it was raining rather hard, and eventually turned into a downpour, right as our train pulled in to Split.  We sat it out for a little bit, as there was no cover and we weren't sure where on the port we were heading.  Eventually, the rain lessened enough and we were pointed in a direction, so we ran for it.  Once we were checked in for our tickets, we had two hours to kill.  We had been hoping to explore Split, especially once we saw how stunning it was, but the rain was coming on and off.  Then we saw there was a restaurant upstairs and thought we'd give it a try. 

Skeptical at first, seeing it labeled a disco club, the stairs were lit up in neon colors, in a cheesy fashion.  But once you get up to the top, the effect is charming!  Huge windows from which we watched the thunderstorm, excellent service, good food, and they let us just take our time through the whole meal.  It was a wonderful experience, and we never once had to go outside and get our packs drenched.  

Heading downstairs, we were funneled through customs, receiving more stamps for our passports.  Then onto the ferry we went.  It was a huge one, we were on deck seven of nine, and had gone for the reclining air seats to save money.  This turned out to be a poor choice.  They wouldn't have been that bad, as not many people were in the room at any given time, but the arm rests wouldn't move so you were forced to sleep in awkward positions.  Then the room randomly got cold.  Really cold.  Jen and I both were huddled in our coats, and putting on what layers we had on hand.  I even pulled out my gloves that I thought I would only be using in Iceland!  Constantly waking up every 45 minutes or so, we had a lacking night of sleep for sure. But when I finally gave up on the idea of it and went out on deck (which was substantially warmer), I was treated to an incredible sunrise with Ancona below.  What a wonderful way to enter Italy!

We pulled in a little after 7, and our train didn't leave for Rome until 1:30.  We wandered a little bit, but there just wasn't enough to see there to make it worth hauling our packs.  And Jen had a look on her face of complete disappointment, which I found tragic.  She simply said, "this wasn't what I was expecting in Italy."  I found this particularly sad as the town was very Italian to me.  The buildings in a range of yellow and orange hues, people standing at cafe bars talking, just little things that scream Italy to me.  The fact that Italy is a favorite of mine just made her discontent even sadder. 

So we holed up in a cafe by the train station and had some food and coffee, bought some puzzle books, and people watched.  We were both pretty tired anyway.  Eventually our train came and we headed off toward Roma.  Jen slept most of it, which was probably good, but I just watched out the window, happy to be back again.  

Once at Roma Termini, we walked over to our hostel and settled in.  Our hostel was doing a free pasta night, so we waited for that.  It was pretty good, but the portions were so small we headed out for a larger meal right after.  I had spaghetti carbonara, and prosciutto with melon which Jen had never heard of. I made her try some and savored its awesomeness.   

The next morning, we were off to explore Rome.  We headed for the Colosseum first.  I was worried that it wouldn't live up to what I remembered from the last time, but it was just as fantastic.  It's size is just so grandiose, that it dwarfs everyone and everything near it.  Except the roman forum, which is built on an equally large scale.  It's just an incredible feeling to stand so near them like that.  

After we walked around, as far into the areas as we could get without tickets, I decided to take Jen to all the big sites around the city.  We went to the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, to Vatican City.  All the places I remember so fondly of going to with the family in high school.  Jen seemed to have an absolute blast, taking pictures of everyone and everything.  She has a particular fascination with the begging gypsies.   I showed her how you can tell they may not be what they seem, wrapping scarves around all visible skin to hide age, and even gender.  She even saw one doing things to accentuate injuries, that had to be harmful to himself, pulling at joints to dramatize what they could.  It's definitely an education of sorts.  

I am also continuing my education of her in some of my favorite foods.  This time was bruschetta al pomodoro, and penne all'arribbiata.  Truly my culinary tour has begun.  There are so many more delicious things here, still to come too!  I'm trying to convince her she should try limoncello at least once, just since it is such a localized thing.  

Yesterday, I told Jen I was taking her to my one of my absolute favorite places, Orvieto.  It's only an hour from Rome, so it was a quick trip over.  She told me I was like an excited little kid the whole morning getting there.  On the funiculare to the upper city, I was telling her some of my favorite things here, and several different American couples listened in and started asking me questions.  I pointed them all in different directions, depending on what they were looking for.  

We went to the well first, then to a couple different look outs for pictures off the wall.  There is no view that is not incredible here.  We then headed towards the center of town, as it was near the middle of the day and I knew shops here close for siesta time.  Coming up on the cathedral from behind, I pointed out the stripes of its walls to Jen.  I don't think I have ever seen her take so many pictures of a single building.  It obviously called to her in some manner, and she was fascinated by it.  Looking at it from every angle.  We didn't go in as they now charge an entry fee, something I don't remember from before.

We continued walking down the shopping districts, and Jen was shocked that they did actually all close for a couple hours every afternoon.  All I could do was laugh a little and tell her, her American was showing.   It poured rain on and off, but we had come prepared with umbrellas and had fun shooting pictures in the rain. 

 During one cloud break, we were looking off the side of the city and a group came and were taking pictures.  We all started talking, and offering to take pictures for each other.  They were from Ireland, two from Dublin, the rest from County Clare.  I had fun telling them I had family from there, and had just recently visited the area for that reason.  They were a wonderful group and I told Jen that the Irish people were one of the reasons I love the country so much .  

Getting close to the time for our train, we decided to get some food first, since it was cheaper here than in Rome.  We had a great little meal, and finished with just enough time to go take pictures in the park by the funiculare.  It was pouring rain at first, which made the hills and terraces look all shadowed and misty.  Then as I walked around the wall, I saw a rainbow beginning, the end of which was firmly placed in lower Orvieto.  Excited, I started taking pictures, and watched it fully turn into a full rainbow, directly over the city.  I was running to find a spot to get a picture of it, and just had time to yell that to Jen as I ran past her.  She just laughed and took pictures of me running to take pictures.  

We both got some incredible pictures, and the whole experience of it was as wonderful as ever.  Truly this city has something magical about it for me.  I can only be thrilled that Jen had as powerful an experience here as I did, and that I could share something so powerful to me with her.  It's a place of wonderful memories, every time that I come.   I hope everyone I know who has been there has just as amazing of experiences as I have over the years.  

Today we got up and put our stuff into the luggage room and checked out.  Jen and I had decided to go into the Colosseum before we left Roma, and we quickly left the hostel.  We had heard Tuesdays were the best day here to see these locations, but the difference was astounding.  Roads that had been closed to cars due to the huge quantity of pedestrians were roaring back to life.  And we walked in with almost no wait at all, where the day before had a line practically around the building (which is huge if I didn't make that clear earlier).  What an experience!  We wandered around everywhere we could in awe, just taking it all in.  I'm very glad we decided to go inside.  It has always been one of my favorite pieces of architecture.  

After our little excursion, we stopped for some lunch.  I was craving pizza.  We ended up in a crazy little restaurant.  The food was all right, but our server was amazing!  Singing at the top of his lungs, cracking jokes, anything and everything.  He saw us taking a picture and came running in to pose with us each, grabbing a bottle of wine for one of his pictures with Jen.  When we said we had to leave, he asked us if we were on facebook then gave us all his information to friend him for the next time we came back to Rome.  He was quite a character, and he completely made our experience at this restaurant, which we later learned was called the Chicken House.  He informed us that everyone is crazy at the chicken house.  So if you want an experience in Rome, go see Paulo at the Gatto Matto, just don't go for particularly wonderful food. 

Eventually we had to get our train to Napoli, and we headed for the train station.  Of course, our train was almost two hours late.  However, we still made it!  We got in to Napoli at 6, and funneled our way down to the cicrumvenesuviana, the local rail that goes around the bay to Sorrento.  On the ride, we made friends with a nice couple from south England who are staying one stop before us.  Who knows, maybe well run into them again!  For now, we are planning what to see in our 3 days here.  It's never enough time!  Just means you have to come back again though.

Currently we have had a delicious dinner.  My pizza was so much better than my lunch one that they don't even compare.  We ordered anana or pineapple for dessert, as we were both craving fruit.  They brought us whole wedges of pineapple sliced really nicely.   Couldn't have been a nicer meal.  Especially after wandering the waterfront and looking at the whole bay all lit up.  I am so excited to spend the next couple days in the sun here!

In need of good food.

Our last day in Vienna, extended last really, was not actually much spent in Austria.  A friend of mine from my first stay in Reykjavik, Kevin,  was driving through the area and had contacted me about hanging out.  We had decided to do a day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia and he had offered to drive us.  While we were waiting for him to arrive, Jen and I went to an old Viennese cafe, which was quite charming.  I think we had most fun listening to the conversation beside us though.  They would be talking completely in German, then out of nowhere in English.  "They were like zombies!" then back to German again.  We had a couple good laughs.  

When we got to the hostel, Kevin was there waiting, so we got our stuff together and got on the road.  It was a quick drive, and Kevin introduced us to a BBC radio show that was hilarious.  We parked near a hostel, so that we could get a map of the area, and were fairly unimpressed with the city.  Very blocky, and as Kevin said, you could see the stamp of communist in its architecture.    After we found the old town though, it was much nicer.

We posed with statues, climbed to the top of a tour, and went though the Slovakian history museum.  As we were leaving to head for the castle, it started to rain, and I was the only one with an umbrella.  As the rain got worse, Kevin broke down and spent 10 Euros for one that said I Heart Bratislava all over it.  He figured it didn't look TOO touristy...

This is where things got interesting though.  It was no longer just rain, but sheets of rain pouring on us, with wind coming in sideways.  When you can see the wind coming across the pooled water on the sidewalk and brace yourself for it, it's usually not a good sign.  We eventually were so soaked, that we gave up getting to the castle, and settled in to a little restaurant to wait out the storm in comfort.  We had a simple little lunch, and then decided to walk back to the car and try to drive to the castle.

Unfortunately, this also failed.  We couldn't find the parking ticket to get the car out of the lot.  Eventually we found a place that could run the parking lot (it had been all machines), and about had a heart attack when he told us it would be 50 euros to get out with out a ticket.  Luckily he was honest and realized our misunderstanding and corrected it.  He had said 15.  That, is a big difference.  

Once we got the car out, we also failed at finding the castle.  After driving in circles trying to find a way up to it, we called it quits and headed back to Vienna.  Jen and I had to change rooms in the extension, and Kevin was staying the night, so we all had to get situated into our rooms still.  When Jen and I were settling in, we made friends with an Australian gal named Tiahni, when we found out she was also heading to Budapest the next day, and invited her down for drinks with all of us.  We had a low key evening in the WomBar in the hostel, before calling it quits for the night.  

The next day was another country.  Hungary sounded exciting.  It's definitely the furthest east I have been, and I was curious to the differences we would see.  We ended up on the same train as Tiahni, and we had booked the same hostel, so we just figured we would all travel together.  This was her last stop before heading back towards Vancouver.  The train was pretty rinky-dink, which didn't shock me too much.  It wasn't the prettiest country, rather flat and the towns looked more run down.  But an adventure is an adventure. 

When we got off the train, we found two more Australian girls heading for the same hostel, and trying to find the metro.  Which only accepts Hungarian Forints, which none of us had.  So first we had to find a bank or atm, which turned out to be an adventure.  Then we had to figure out how many forints we actually needed.  218 Huf were equal to $1.  Hows that for fun math!  We ended up having to take out 200,000 Huf, which just seemed a strange number to take out.  

Now, with funds in hand, we had to find the metro.  After a couple wrong turns, we got to the correct stretch of block and went down to get tickets.  There was a little shack on the side, and seemed totally sketch.  When we tried to pay, he rudely said, COINS ONLY!  Well, this was going to be an issue since the only thing any of us had was not only bills but large bills at that.  We finally grouped together and managed to get them all together, and pay with a bill, and one of the Aussies told him off for being rude.  I don't think it left much of an impression on him.  

Then we went down into the metro.  Scariest escalators I have ever been on.  Rickety, and fast, we had to hop for the first one.  The second one went even faster.   All I could think was "Garrett would not be okay with this!"  We survive them and get down to a rundown underground line, and get shoved on with a mass group of people.  We watched each others backs as much as we could, since pickpocketing is supposed to be a problem here.  The cars shook, and  the windows were all stuck open and made crazy wind noises as we hurdled to the city center.  Luckily, our stop was very close to the hostel, and we worked our way over to it.  

Talk about a swanky hostel for cheap!  It had only opened a couple months ago and showed.  The rooms were impressive and clean, and we had down pillows.  Tiahni, Jen, and I were in the same room, and made the mistake of lying down on our very comfy beds.  Needless to say we didn't move for awhile.   Then I decided to make me bed.  I went to put the fitted sheet on, but it was weird with a pocket.  Jen told me it was actually to put around the comforter.  But this meant I didn't have a fitted sheet.  So I decided to use it as a sleeping bag instead and tucked its two corners down anyway.  After much laughing, we decided to find dinner.  

I had found two restaurants that were supposed to have good Hungarian food online, and a friend from traveling had recommended her favorite restaurant there.  All three were close to each other, so we figured we'd walk by them all before deciding on one.  Anne's recommendation came first, at it was classy and cute with good prices.  We continued on.  And the buildings around us were falling apart, and dingy, and we definitely were in an Eastern Europe city.  We became less enamored with the city by the minute.   Quickly deciding to go back to the first, we aimed for food.  

I had the creamy garlic soup, with a traditional bread (kind of like a Hungarian pizza with cheese and sour cream) and a beef goulash.  The soup was delicious, as was the bread dish.  The meat was tough and flavorless.  Still, it was a fun experience and we headed back in for the night.  Tiahni was meeting a local friend to have him show her around a little, and was going to fill us in in the morning.  

The next day, we were hoping to see a nicer side of Budapest than we had the night before.  It really is a city of extremes though.  You can be looking at a beautiful block of old buildings, turn a corner, and it is dingy cement block houses that are falling apart.  We did end up having a lot of fun roaming around though.  

First we went by the synagogue, which was closed, but even the outside was wonderful.  Then we went by St. Stephens cathedral, which was structured remarkably similar.  Domed, towers that shined golden.  It was an interesting comparison architecturally.   After getting our fill of these, we headed for the Danube.  We were going to follow it up to parliament.  

Halfway along, we passed a bunch of bronze shoes lined up along the rivers edge. I had heard a guy talking about them at breakfast early in the day.  It was a Holocaust memorial.  I guess between 1944-1945, they lined anyone they found from the Jewish community up on the rivers edge, facing toward a church, and shot them.   It was sad to look at all these old shoes, many of which contained candles for vigils.  Especially when you realized some of them were shoes of toddlers.  We stayed here for awhile, and I found it to be very emotional.  

Afterward, we continued to wander towards the parliament building, which is quite impressive.  We determined we would have to cross the river to get a proper picture of it, since it was so large.  So we wandered across the bridge to the north, stopping at Margaret Island along the way.  This is a big park, and no cars are allowed so many of the locals go there to hang out.  

After getting our photo opportunities, we decided to climb up to the castle.  So we wandered up a hilly side street until we found some stairs.  Then we started climbing our way up.  The view was completely worth it though!  Also, we found our first tasty food here.  A baked spiral pastry called kurtoskalacs (remember that every one of those vowels has a symbol over it telling you how to pronounce it in a way we don't in America), coated in different things.  I went for cinnamon, Tiahni for nut, and Jen for vanilla.  Then with food in hand we went to the palace.  Here we got to see the guards do a routine change of positions.  Not as cool as a full changing of guards, but still really neat to see.  Then we headed back down again, looking to try the next hill over with the citadel.  But it took us awhile to get in the right area to start heading up again, and we really wanted to go see the market, which closed at 5.  So we took pictures of the statue on the hill from below (I really like how she looked up there, and made sure to buy a postcard with her in it) and called it good.  

The market was fun. Mostly meat, fruit, and vegetables, though there were a couple of stands with cheese and clothing as well.  On the upstairs level was dining, so we went to try some food.  Jen got a stuffed eggplant (which was mostly cold), Tiahni got sausage and beans (her beans were cold), and I got the best deal with sausage, potatoes, and onions.  While good, it still left much to be desired, mostly because it was all bland and unseasoned.  A running trend we were starting to notice with Hungarian food.  

Slowly, we wound our way back through the streets to the hostel.  We wanted to rest for a little while, before we went back out to get night pictures.  And it was worth going out again.  Everything in this part of town was lit up.  The bridges, churches, castles, and parliament.  It was a fun running around from site to site, finding the best spots to photograph them.  Them we realized we were hungry, and that it was 10:30. Options slim, as most places had stopped serving food, we finally found a little restaurant and got some salads.  Mine had lettuce with basil, tomatoes, mozzarella, and a little pesto mixed in.  It tasted like lettuce.  Bland Hungarian food strikes again!  I really don't know how they managed to find basil that had so little flavor.   After this we decided to call it a night.  

Today, when we woke up, it was time to check out and be on our way.  We tried to get into the synagogue, but it was too expensive for us, so we said oh well.  After we got our stuff all together, and wishing Tiahni well,  we braved the metro once more, going to a different train station.  Somehow, we managed to find the scariest escalator of all.  Definitely should avoid those in Hungary if possible.  

It's an all day trip to Zagreb (7 hours) so Jen and I settled into our compartments.  5 hours in, and we were rather bored.  We had talked about all sorts of random things, and the scenery left much to be desired.  Then we pulled in to a station that was just falling apart it seemed.  Then the border patrol came to check our passports.  There were three of them, and they all crammed into our little compartment at once to check our information.  Then we got new passport stamps!  We went to put them away, and another guy comes by for the same thing.  Apparently the first were from Hungary and he is from Croatia.  So we got another stamp!  Five minutes later, a train manager comes by to check our passports again to make sure everything is in order.  Luckily, after this many checks, it all was.  

So here Jen and I sit.  Heading into hour seven.  In Croatia, almost to Zagreb, two new passport stamps, starving for anything not coated in sugar(please let the food here be good), and bored out of our minds.   I think we will be ready to hike with our packs, no complaints, when this train gets in.  Especially since Jen just showed me her boredom manifested sketch of the haribro bear.