Whiskey and Nuggets make Great Friends!

I have decided that I could move to Austria and live a very happy life here. My day in Innsbruck was really fun, although I never did get hiking. I slept in, knowing that my body is not happy with me at the moment because it won't seem to kick this cold! After having a lie-in I walked over to the Tourist Info building and found out the dirt on the trip out to the Swarovski Crystal Worlds. Contrary to what I had thought, it was not in fact the mines, but rather an exhibition that they have created using crystals. The unfortunate thing was that instead of the 8€ I thought it was going to be, it turned out to be 16€ because it costs 8€ to catch the shuttle. I even asked about taking a regular bus and it cost the same amount, only took longer. So I walked over to the train station (where I had heard there was cheaper internet) and mulled over my decision. Did I really want to spend 16€ to go out to look at some modern art and shiny crystals? By the time I reached the train station I knew that I did. It was the only thing that I had highlighted to do in Innsbruck and I knew that if I didn't go I would regret it. So at 1pm I boarded the bus for the trip. The ride was about 30 minutes and when I arrived I was so glad I had gone. The Swarovski company has invested a bunch of money (which they have more than a bunch of) and have created this whole park area. It was beautiful in the middle of a valley between the mountains. The Crystal Worlds consist of 13 exhibits all relating to Crystals. When you enter there is the worlds largest cut crystal (bigger than the biggest head I have ever seen!) and then a room that shows what it would be like to be inside a crystal (very cool...there were 100s of mes!!), crystals used in art, a meditation room based on light reflections of crystals, the worlds largest Kalaidascope, crystal theatre where all the pupets are covered in crystals....it just goes on and on! At the end, you enter the Swarovski store and this was just as exciting as the exhibits, if not more! It is just amazing to see all the things that they have created out of crystals, and crazy to think that people actually buy them! I picked up a few pieces for myself (a necklace with a small pendant of pink crystals going from light to dark, and a ring with 10 white crystals across the top) neither more than 25€ (I am super shopper!) and a few gifts for some people. All in all, a VERY worthwhile trip.
Yesterday I caught another train for a 5 hour trip to Vienna. The ride was pretty uneventful, although I ended up sitting with a woman from Australia that I had met the previous day on the shuttle back to Innsbruck. Really weird coincidence. My hostel is SUPER close to the train station, which made me really happy because I didn't have to walk very far, and my room in on the first floor, which made me even happier...NO STAIRS!! I called my friend Mandy last night, and she said that she was just going to chill out for the night so I decided to take myself to a movie. On my way there I realized that I had forgotten my mitts and my hands were cold, so I stoped at a little store that I saw was selling mitts. Inside was a group of men from Kenya, chatting and drinking Whisky and eating chicken nuggets. I started to talk with them, and the next thing I knew I was sharring a drink with them, and they were offering me nuggets!! So random, but I got a great deal on the mitts, thank goodness too because I lost one of them at the movies! One man gave me his card and told me I should email him and he will let me come stay with him in Kenya if I want...I'll have to think about that one...but probably not. Anyway, I bid them adieu and went to catch my movie, 'Flight Plan'. I really liked it, Jodie Foster as the strong woman who nobody believes and yet she comes out on top in the end...no, that doesn't ruin it! All the way back to my hostel was walking with a strut because I am a strong woman just like Jodie. Unfortunately my high kept me up late into the night, and today my body is tired. But I am going to meet with Mandy in a few minutes and we are going to hang out for the afternoon. I'm pretty excited! Tomorrow I am off to London for a few days and am planning on just being a bum on Justine's couch...hope that's ok with her! See all you BusAbout people soon!

Last of the Italy Pictures!

This picture is from my first ride down the Grand Canal in Venice. It didn't smell nearly as much as everyone said it was going to, but the water did look really sketchy and it was overcast so I did't see everything I could have.

This is the Rialto, one of only 3 bridges that cross the Grand Canal. I was trying to take it as we were coming up to it out the side of the Water Bus. It's a little off-centre but you get the idea. Its so beautiful and on the advice of Simon, Nick, and Chris I stood at the top and just people watched and it was amazing!

The basilica in San Marco. I was late getting there so didn't get to go in, but it was really beautiful. I heard from Ginel and Jerrod that the line-ups to get in during the day were insane, but it was a weekend so it might have been easier during the week...I never made it back though. I did go exploring around San Marco though and found the best chocolate store. They sold every flavour imaginable...however the majority of them tasted like bad toothpaste.

This is the glass blowing demonstration that we went to on Murano Island. It was so cool to watch these guys using glass like it was clay and watching something form out of this liquid hot (magma...just kidding) glass! The blue part is a big piece of glass that he has formed into a ball and the orange stream is liquid glass being added to it.

The pictures above and below are taken from the bell tower on Torcello Island. It was so gorgeous to look out and see all the lagoons. This is probably why Venice is sinking because at one point this is what it all looked like. Whose idea was it to build a city here??? Torcello was the first place inhabitated by Venicians though...just a little bit of trivia there for you...thank you information desk lady for telling me that!!

These are the houses on Burano. They are all crazy colours and combinations. It was so fun to see the bright colous all in a row, especially after being in cities where most of the stuff you see is gray. My favorite was the house that was orange and purple with blue shutters...I am not lying!

The Rialto at night. I took this after the group of us decided not to do a Gondola ride. It was my compensation...however looking back...I have no sad feelings about missing it!

Top 10 reasons I love Italy

1. There are no toilet seats anywhere in this country...I don't know why this is. Perhaps they were deemed too unfashionable or something, but there are none to be found. Not only this, but there are also some hobbit sized toilets and some that are just ceramic tiles on the floor with places for your feet and a hole in the ground. You may be wondering why this has made my top 10, but I thought it was funny that I have now been in 2 countries and in both I have experienced weird bathroom issues (see Greece Favs for other reference!). I also enjoyed the work-out my quads and hamstrings endured because of all the squatting. And lets be honest here...I am the girl that loves to squat in the outdoors and so everytime I went to the washroom it was like I was camping or at a cottage!
2. On the topic of bathrooms, I also need to mention the bathroom on the train today. There was actually nothing to catch the waste coming out of ones body, and therefore it went directly onto the track below. I found this both disgusting and slightly facinating as I sat and felt the wind in a place that had never felt wind before. Just thought I'd share that. Hope you enjoyed.
3. Galato...no explanation needed
4. Old Italian folk. Always the first to smile, and even after they are told you don't understand italian, let alone speak it, they still continue to talk to you in it, and magically you seem to somehow understand them. I would adopt them all if I could.
5. Meeting up with new friends again! I met Victoria in Naples and then wandered with her in Venice. I also met Dom in Naples and then met the pope with her in Rome (ok, so we didn't meet the Pope, but we were closer than you are right now so beat that!). Chris, Nick, and Simon first appeared in my life in Rome where I watched them drink 10 litres of wine with 3 Americans and then barf all over the bathroom (sorry guys, but its true, don't try to deny it), and then made two more guest appearances in Florence and then in Verona...and fingers crossed we run into each other in Paris in a month! Alicia was also a Rome friend who I met with again, in Cinque Terre the second time, and thankgoodness I did because she helped me get through that 14km hike! Susan was a Florence friend who I traveled with to Verona, and who I will see again in 4 short sleeps in London, WOO HOO!! Ginel, Jerrod, Warrick, and Tiffany were all great people I met in Verona who all followed me to Venice and even stayed in the same campsite as me (on my recommendation!)
6. My new Rubber boots. If you haven't checked them out yet just take a look at the picture below. They are amazing and I can't wait to wear them in Ireland when it rains!
7. Touching the boobie of a bronze statue. It was quite amusing to actually make a point of going to Juliet's house and feeling up her right breast, even knowing that we are supposed to be rubbing the left one...which I also did just in case! Italy is a country of romance, you just need to look around to see all the public displays of affection between couples (quite a few of them are practically humping in the streets...loved it!), and yet one of the major attractions in one of its most beautiful cities is such a crude and pervy action.
   
8. Finding 2 references to Guelph in Italy! The first was in Florence when I found Via Guelfa, and the second was when I was in Verona at Juilet's tomb. When you buy a ticket they provide you with a brief history of the story of Romeo & Juliet (which, if I haven't already told you, is actually based on two real young lovers...it wasn't just some story made up by old Willy Shakes!) and in the history there is mention of a family (I think it was a family, might have been a city...but pretty sure it was a family) names Guelph. Just brings home that much closer and makes you realize that we do all come from the same history.
9. Cheese Festivals. Ok, I know I only went to one, but what is not to love about it? Free cheese samples....cheap champagne...great costumes...an Olympic-caliber opening event...in a word...genius!
10. Carbs, carbs, and more carbs...from pasta to bread...its all about the refined carbs and not so much about the fruits and veggies...oh, and the wine...thank goodness for the wine!
    

I'm quitting life to be a mime!!!

Oh my business so much has happened since last we spoke!!! So I ended up spending 5 days in Venice...not the 3 I had originally planned on (PS the z & y are switched on this key board so keep that in mind as I type in case I screw them up! DEAL WITH IT!) Anyway, I did make it into Venice on Sunday afternoon and did some exploring. It was quite fun. I took a waterbus down the Grand Canal to San Marco and looked at the Basilica (it was closed by the time I got there) then went and wandered around the shops. I had some AMAZING hot chocolate...just basically melted chocolate! MMMmmmmm. Then I made my way back to the bus station to catch my shuttle, but I had missed it and it was on dinner break, so I decided to grab some snacks from the grocery store, then jumped on the city bus. We have to switch at the airport, but I missed that bus, but ran into some people from Verona coming to the campsite, so we shared a cab. Now the meter in the cab said the ride was going to be 4€, but apparently taxi drivers get paid a minimum (9.61€) plus extra for bags, so it turned into 14€. We were pissed that no one had told us, but just let it go because we had some partying to do! That night we all went to the camp pub and had lots to drink. It was really funny because there was a tour group there from a company called 'Topdeck' and they were having their own Toga party, there there was a group of 16 to 19 year old Rugby players from England there as well. The Rugby players were showing us their chugging abilities, while the Topdeck were showing us pretty much everything else!
Unfortunately, my tummy was not a happy camper and woke me up at 8am to let me know. After spending about an hour in the bathrooms, I made it back to bed and slept until around 12:30 or so. I spent the afternoon just chilling out around the camp, and then caught the afternoon shuttle back into Venice.
I met with Ginel and Jerrod, Victoria (fab girl I met in Naples), and Anne (who I met on the shuttle into town) for dinner, then we all did a little wandering and shopping. I was still not 100% so headed back to the camp around 930pm.
Tuesday, Ginel, Jerrod, Victoria, Anne and I went to explore the 3 other islands around Venice (yes, I know that Venice is ALL Islands, but these are 3 other main islands!). First we went to Murano where they make glass (known as either Murano or Venician Glass). We got to watch a demonstration, then we wandered and shopped for a few hours. The stuff they do with glass was SO incredible and there were a few pieces I totally would have bought if I'd had a few extra 1000€ sitting around! Ginel and Jerrod decided to head back to Venice, so Anne, Victoria and I then had a day of travel on our own. We headed over to Torcello, where we climbed up the bell tower and saw an amazing view of the lagoons, then we went over to Burano, home of Burano Lace, and wandered there for a bit. It was getting late though, and things were starting to close so we headed back to Venice around 7pm. All the time we were on Murano I was SO paranoid because it is all glass, and I am not one of the most graceful people around. I kept having flashes of me falling and knocking everything over and having to pay the store 1000s of €. But I made it through ok. Unfortunately my luck didn't hold up so well once I got back to Venice. The 3 of us were rushing to get to some pizza place or something and all of a sudden I went flying to the ground. It was utterly hilarious (very much a la Patch fall for those of you that are familiar with that story from the repitoir of 'Falls By Amanda'). My knee was a little swollen, but nothing too bad...Anne helped me up and told me to just 'walk it off'. So funny. But the pizza was GREAT and well worth the trip (ha ha ha!!!).
Most of you are probably not aware of this, but sometime over the last week or so I managed to lose a bag containing all my chargers for my cameras and Mp3 player, plus my laundry soap and line. Well after some phone calls, I located it back at the hostel I stayed in in Florence. I thought about asking them to ship it to me, but I was dying without my music, so instead, yesterdaz I hoped on a train and headed to Florence for exactly 1 hour and 12 minutes. It was a long day of train travel, and for anyone wondering, 6 hours on a train can definetly make you tired!!! I met Anne, Victoria, and Wan (who was staying in Anne's cabin) in an attempt to take a Gondola ride before we all left. We talked to a bunch of Gondaliers (is that what they are called?) but struck out everytime. We all decided that the max we would each pay is 15€ and because it was before 8pm (when the rates go up) we thought that 60€ was fair, especially after some bartering...well apparently our bartering skills SUCK because we couldn't get anyone lower than 17€....most wanted 20. And we just weren't willing to pay that for 15 minutes in a gondola. So we struck out. At least I took a ride in a Gondola when I was in Vegas...it was like being in one in Venice!!! Thanks Aunt Gail!!!!
For the past few days I have also been fighting off a cold, and 2 days ago it started to win, and by last night I was feeling horrible. Sinus headache, chills, runny nose...the works. So I decided to stop off in a pharmacy and try to get something. So picture this. I don't speak Italian (I can fake it when I need to, but French usually gets in the way) and the pharmacist doesn't speak english. So there I am miming my symptoms. Basically I had to point at my head and sinuses and make a hurtful face, then show that my nose was leaking as well. She seemed to understand and sold me something that I couldn't read because it was written in Italian. When I got back to the camp, I tried to used my phrase book to figure out how many to take and when, but couldn't so had to take it to the guy at the front desk to get it figured out. He told me to take 2 - 3 a day, but that they might make me drowsy...so I took one before bed and was out in a matter of minutes. Amazing stuff...and I think I may take up mime!!!
Today I took a hour train ride to Innsbruck Austria, and although it was really long, the scenery was SO amazing. All the little mountain villages and cute chalet-type houses! LOVE IT!! And when I got to Innsbruck my first thought was that it was so CLEAN and didn't smell like urine! Although I loved Italy, I am really glad to be somewhere different.
Tomorrow I am going to try and do some hiking and maybe visit the Swarovsky (?) Crystal mines, then on Saturday I am going to head to Vienna for 2 nights before heading to London. I am really pumped about being outside still...loved that about being at the campsite...not having to deal with city grossness. And Austria is turning out to be really outdoorsy too...everyone seems to ride bikes. I even saw a guy riding a bike and carrying skies. I'm not lying. They are that hardcore here!
Can't wait to start to reconnect with past friends!! I'm super excited to see Mandy again and have her show me around Vienna, and excited to see all the BusAbout people again!!!
Tomorrow I am going to post a few more pictures from Italy (I got them all burned on a disk so I only need to find a computer where I can access the tower so I can load them on) and I'll also email everyone that I told I would, pictures (Angie, Chris, Nick, Simon, and Mandy!). I just put more money in this computer and now i have 30 more minutes to waste!! Well I hope everyone is doing well!!! Love to you all!!!

Touching a bronze boobie!!

It's been a while so...but I feel I start all my postings like that...so instead I will say...YEAH...NEW POSTING!!!
My last night in Florence I ended up going to the buffet/drink/movie night at the cinema with Susan, Mandy, and a few others from our hostel. They had way more food the second time, so it was great, we all got nice and full for really inexpensive, and you just can't beat champagne and a movie! The movie was Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, and it was even better the second time. Susan and I crashed pretty early that night, but I did stretch out in my bed to get the full satisfaction of a double bed.
The next morning Mandy headed to Rome, and Susan and I headed to Verona to meet up with Nick, Simon,and Chris. When we got there, Susan hung out in the station while I went to check into my hostel. Around 3pm we all met back at the station and headed into town. Our first stop was for lunch, and we had what the Aussies refere to as Kebabs, but us Canadians (and Greeks!) call Gyros...but they were in Panini bread...probably one of the best I've ever had, and it was in Italy, not Greece!
After lunch we headed to Juliette's house to feel her booby (so we can find our true love!). Chris, Susan, and I did the tour of the house as well which was really cool. There were quotes from the play throughout the house, and we even had the chance to stand on the balcony! So amazing!
After the house we wandered around a market for a while, then Susan had to leave to get back to catch her train. The boys and I headed to an internet cafe and then Simon and I sat and had a coffee/tea, while Chris and Nick went and bought some snacks and beer. We headed back to the station around 9pm to catch our buses, and I realize that the bus I would take during the day stopped at 8pm, so I had to figure out which one to take. It didn't come till 10pm, and I was SO hungry that I broke down and did something I told myself I would never do in Europe....I had McDonalds. It was the only thing to eat at the Station and I didn't think I would find anything to eat near my hostel. I had chicken nuggets in case anyone was wondering, and the fries are not as good as at home...I think its because in North American we use more fattening lard. I finally made it back to my hostel (totally by accident...I had NO idea where to get off the bus!) and headed right to bed.
Before I go on I should tell you about the hostel that I stayed in. It's an HI (Hosteling International) Hostel, and it is really beautiful. Its a converted church with some beautiful Frescoes and some beautiful gardens (which I didn't explore because it was raining the whole time there). Unfortunately they had some really interesting rules. Like we had a lock-out between 9am and 5pm, so we couldn't get in our rooms during this time, we had a curfew of 11:30pm, and lights out at 12am. It was really crazy!
Monday I took the train to Milan for the day and saw the Duomo and did a little bit of wandering. But my real reason for going was so that I could go shopping, which I did at H&M and at United Colours of Beniton. So much fun! Didn't get a lot, just some more tees and a pair of gloves, because it is all of a sudden really cold in Europe...and only going to get colder!
On my way back to my hostel at the end of my travels, I stopped in at a bar just down the street and ended up chatting with the owner for 3 hours. He was the nicest Italian man. I don't speak italian, and he doesn't speak english, so we ended up chatting in french the whole night, about our families and our lives. It was such a cool evening. Dinner was yummy, and he kept feeding me champagne afterwards so by the time I left at 9pm I was just a little tipsy.
My last morning in Verona, I met an Aussie named Warrick at breakfast and we decided to walk around for the day together. First we went to Juliet's house because Warrick hadn't seen it, and while he was doing that, I bought some socks...I told you...its getting cold! Then we walked over and did a tour of the Arena, which is a mini version of the Colosseum in Rome, only in much better shap. It was really cool to see what it would have looked like when it was being used for executions and killing shows. After the Arena we decided to wander for a bit, and ended up at Juliette's Tomb. Once again there were quotes everywhere, and there was a little museum of art from the church it is attached to.
In the afternoon we decided to head back to the cheese festival that we had seen in town, and watched the opening ceremonies. After that we walked around sampling cheeses and drinking wine. The second time we went to get a glass of wine I asked the guy working the booth how much it was for a full bottle and he told me it was 4€, when just a glass was 1€. So of course we did the logical thing and bought a whole bottle. The two of us then sat on the steps of some government building and drank it in our little plastic flutes.
For anyone who knows me, after 3 glasses of champagne I am pretty tipsy, so after heading to an internet cafe, I was ready to head back to the hostel. Warrick bought a second bottle of the champange, and we sat on a patio at the Hostel with 3 other Canadians and drank it and another bottle of red. Around 10pm Warrick decided he wanted to go to a bar, so I threw on some shoes and we basically ran into town to find one. We each had a drink, then had to race back to the hostel to be there in time for curfew. I felt like I was back in High School!
Early the next morning, I poured myself out of bed, packed my bags, and grabbed a train with Ginel and Jared (a Canadian Couple from Alberta/Saskatchewan) to Venice. Our shuttle to the campsight we are staying in takes a siesta between 12 and 3pm, so we had some lunch and wandered a little. I really love Venice so far! The campsight we are staying at is great. I have a little cabin with 2 single beds, but there is just me in it, and then Jared and Janelle are sharing one. I took a nap yesterday afternoon, then did some emailing, met J&J for some pre-dinner drinks, had dinner, and then headed back to my cabin for some chill out time. J&J headed into town today on the 11am bus, but I decided I wanted to post some pictures on my blog, write a message, and do some laundry, so I am going to catch the 3pm bus. There was a Marathon in town today, so I figured by 3pm a lot of the crowds will also be gone. Tomorrow I'm going to be in Venice again, and then might stay on Tuesday as well. I will be heading to Innsbruck Austria soon, then Salzburg, and finally Vienna next Sunday so I can catch my flight to London on the 31st. I need to find a costume too!!! AHHHH!!!
That's about it for me right now! Sending love to everyone!!!

Lots of pictures from lots of places!

Apparently Florence has had the very 'unique' idea of buying cow statues and having them decorated by local artists, then display them all over the city, and the auction them off for charity. Apparently someone needs to send them a memo that Toronto did this almost 10 years ago! This is me and Vicky posing with one of the cows in the train station.

Just one of the amazing views from my hike in Cinque Terre. That little speck out in the water is actually two old men in a row boat. They were so cute! The water here was the most unique colour of blue I have ever seen. Amazing!

This is the view from the restaurant where Alicia and I stoped for lunch. Each 'step' in the hill was covered with grape vines whoes grapes are used to make the local wine.

This is me and Alicia at one of the look-outs on the trail. That panel next to us had buttons that called different emergency people including fire and ambulance. We did wonder how long it would have taken them to actually get to someone who had hurt themselves as we were almost right in between two different villages! We were going to time it but it was too hot and we really just wanted to get to the beach. Maybe next time.

This is the beach at Monterosso. We had to walk around the hill in front of it before we could get there. I don't remember the exact time, but I think it took us around an hour to get there. But like I have said, the views were definetly worth all the pain of climbing!

AHHHH! Paradise! We were just around the bend, in the home stretch...I think we would have ran if we could have, but our legs and butts said 'NO!' to that idea!

Just like every other tourist in Pisa, I had to take the picture of me holding up the Leaning Tower. I don't know if you can see the girls behind me, but all along this street was people posing in the same way. It was one of the oddest things I've ever seen. Anyone looking down on Pisa that had no idea what was going on would seriously question how humans could be the smartest species on earth.

When I rented my bike in Lucca, I rode around the walls. These tree covered paths were my most favourite part, however the small parks along the way were really nice too. I asked an English couple to take my picture on my bike and they clearly could NOT understand how to used a digital camera because it didn't take. And they weren't an older couple...probably in their early 30s...idiots.

These are my new boots!! I don't know how well you can see them, but they are in a diamond pattern with all different colours. I love them SO much!!!

When you go to Verona, the first thing you need to do is go to Casa Guilietta (Juliet's house). Outside is a bronze statue, and legend is if you rub her heart then you will find your true love, unfortunately, people don't have a very strong sense of the human body so have been rubbing the right side, not the left. Because we are sheep, we just did it too...pretty cool to feel up a statue and to see all the older Asians in the tour group that was there at the same time feeling her up and giggling at the same time. Cheap thrill!
And then of course there is the famous balcony! For 3€ Susan, Chris and I did the tour of the house and were actually able to get up on the balcony. It was pretty cool. There is a picture of it, but I don't know who has it, so if I ever get it I'll try and post it!
This is the Duomo in Milan. It's about the only thing I saw in Milan because it was so urban that I really just wanted to shop. Was really glad that I decided not to stay there because it really was only worth a day trip. Couldn't get in to see the 'Last Supper' because they are currently taking reservations for December 28 and I didn't want to waste precious shopping hours standing in line. I'll see it one day, or just look at it in a book!
I did have one of the best sandwhiches I've had in Italy at a little Bar down some random side street....sooooo good...I wish I could go back and get another one!
This is the Arena in Verona. It's smaller than the one in Rome, but in better condition. They actually still have concerts here, and it looked like they were actually cleaning up from a recent one. The stands were all still in great shape and the floor too. Really interesting to see, but I did prefer the Roman one because you could see all the stuff behind the scenes.

This is me and my new boyfriend. His name is Russell...just kidding...but I got this picture done, and then as I was going to leave he asked me for a tip. I was so shocked I gave him one euro and he said it was two. We clearly broke up after that.

This is Juliette's (can you tell I don't know how to spell her name because it's different ever time!) Tomb. It was pretty cool to see. I was with a guy named Warrick (a la CSI) and I tripple-dog-dared him to get in and I'd take his picture. He did then told me to do it to. It was a little creppy but her bones aren't there anymore (some nuns got pissed that everyone kept seeing a sinner - because she committed suicide - that they dumped her bones somewhere else).

While inVerona, we discovered the 'Mountain Cheese Olympics'. It was really cool. Cheese makers from all over the Alp regions of Europe come to Verona to find the best cheeses. There were free samples and really cheap wine. We stood around for almost an hour while they got organized for their opening ceremonies. These people in yellow were just one of two groups who where dressed up in these great little outfits, the others were just green though. There was a flame brought in and guns were shot off (that huge gun in front of the guy on the right!) and there was a woman who looked like middle-age Barbie. So random and fun!

Hiking and biking make Amanda's butt look GREAT!

It's been so long since I wrote that this one is sure to be a long one!! Not that they all aren't! When I wrote last I was just finishing up my visit to Florence. After I left the computer place I went for lunch at a place called 'Da Marios' which is only open for lunch and serves the best (and most authentic) italian food! When you get there they just sit you wherever there is a place for you, so I ended up sitting with two retired sisters from Colorado, and two Italian business men. I had pasta with boar meat...really good, and a crafe of wine (that's what you get when you order a glass!) Needless to say I ended up getting a little intoxicated on the great food, amazing company, and of course the wine. I went to the museum but saw how long the line was and just couldn't stomach waiting in it. Instead I headed back to the hostel and just chilled out for a while. That evening my other roomates returned and we sat around chatting for hours. They included 3 guys I met in Rome Chris, Simon, and Nick; a really fun guy from Wisconsin, Fritz; and a super fun Aussie Gal named Susan...must be the name because she is just as lovely as my mom!! We eventually when out for dinner and then just crashed. The next morning I grabed a train and headed North to Cinque Terre. I don't know if I have explained it before, but basically it's 5 small villages, right on the coat, that are connected by an amazing hike. Its 12km and said to be the best hiking ever. I didn't stay in any of the villages, but rather in a place called Biassa, just outside Cinque Terre, in a hostel recommended to me by Eric...he gave me the BEST suggestions!! On the bus to Biassa from La Spezia, I met a couple from San Francisco, Robin and Jonathan. They were staying at the same place as me so we made plans to have dinner together, but each took some time to chill out before hand. The restaurant didn't open till 7:30pm, so we decided to meet for drinks at the bar before going. While we were sitting chatting with some other people, a woman came out of her room because she had heard my voice...apparently its really distinctive! It turned out that she was another person I have met at the hostel in Rome, and while we were getting really excited and hugging each other, I knocked a wine bottle off the table and it smashed...more excitement provided by Amanda!!! Alicia (woman I met in Rome) came to dinner with us, and once again we ordered wine and got a little tipsy. But SO much fun!
Saturday morning, we all got up for breakfast and then caught the bus to Riomaggiore, to start our hike. Alicia and I decided to do it together to give each other support. Robin and Jonathan decided to do it in two days, so we left them to do their thing. The first hike to Manarola is really easy and took us only around 30minutes. It's just a paved path like walking in a park. The second leg to Corniglia took us only another 30 minutes and was a little more rocky, but still a really well preserved path. We stopped for lunch at a place with a view, and had some really great pasta. Then we had to psyche ourselves up for the last part of the hike, which is apparently the hardest. To Vernazza the path is really rocky and up and down the whole time. To Monterosso, the path was straight up for 20 minutes, but then leveled out for 45 minutes, before heading down hill. But at the end we were rewarded with a chilly swim in the sea. An amazing day and I was so happy that I could share it with Alicia.
My last night in Biassa was pretty chill...most of us just flaked out around 10:30pm after our big day of hiking.
Sunday morning I got up and caught the bus back to La Spezia where I caught a train to Pisa for the day. I was accompanied by a guy named Alex who is from Vancouver, and we met a guy named Chris from Dublin, Georgia once we arrived. The three of us headed to the Leaning tower and took all the goofy pictures of ourselves holding it up. We then visited the Cathedrale and the Baptistry. Both really pretty. Alex caught a train back to Cinque Terre after that, and Chris and I had lunch together before each catching a train to our final destinations. I headed to a city called Lucca. Its a walled city, and so beautiful. Unfortunately when I arrived and called my hostel, I was told I was in a different building than the one I had booked, and the guy couldn't tell me what bus to take. Thank goodness for Travel Information places!! I got on my bus, and got to the building, but needed to call the guy again to ask how to get into my room. He explained that the office was closed after 1:30pm, but that my key was around the back in a window. So I went and investigated, found a key, got into the building, but couldn't find the room...so once again I trecked back to the phone and called him again. He told me I was infact in room number 2, not 6. I thanked him, got my key, and finally made it into my room. And all the hard work was worth it. The room was a double, with 2 single beds, a tv, and a really nice view. I thought I had the whole thing to myself, so spread all my stuff out, got some dinner, watched MTV in english, and gave myself a pedicure. I finally crashed around 11pm. I was not asleep long when there was a knock on my door, and the owner asking if he could come in. I told him he could and two me came in. Apparently I did have a roomate, he just got delayed. Anyway, I just went back to sleep and let the guy get himself settled. I don't even know his name! I just didn't care I was so sleepy!
My day in Lucca was really fun. I dropped my bags off at the Travel Info place for safe keeping, then went and rented a bike and rode around the walls for a couple hours. It was so much fun, and I actually asked a couple to take my picture, but I never checked to make sure it worked and apparently they don't know how to work a camera because it didn't take. But it was still a great day.
I came back to Florence yesterday afternoon, and after some stress around finding a place to stay in Verona, I decided to spend tonight in Florence again, and head to Verona tomorrow with Susan. Last night Susan, Mandy (an American student studying in Vienna) and I went out for dinner, then went out for some drinks at a few different places. It was a lot of fun, but my tummy wasn't feeling too great so I called it quits around 12:30am and headed to bed. The others came home around 3am this morning, after partying it up at a club for a few hours.
This morning we were supposed to get up and meet Vicky and Dave at their villa at 9am, but we were all so tired we ended up sleeping in and got their late. However the guy that works there, a really cute Italian man, gave us a tour in the day light and let us wander around the gardens. Much more beautiful during the day and many pictures were taken. When we were done at the villa we headed to the market, and ran into Dave and Vicky there. Vicky seemed to be having amazing luck at finding stuff, but the three of us gals weren't so lucky. Mandy did find an amazing bag, and Susan bought some Vigin Wear, but I just got a sandwhich....but my goodness was it great!
All three of us were really wipped by the time we were done, Mandy actually left early to get some rest, so I headed back to the hostel, while Susan went to lunch. After a rest, Susan woke me up and we went on a hunt for some rubber boots. I don't know if I've talked about the rubber boots before, but I met a girl name Dominique in Naples and she had these really cool rubber boots and I wanted a pair. She emailed me the street, so this afternoon Susan and I went on the hunt. We finally found the store and I got the coolest pair. They are a really great investment because I'm moving to Ireland...where it rains a lot. I have also decided I need to get a bike in Ireland, with a basket and streamers on the handlebars. Ireland is not going to know what hit it when I arrive!!
So that brings you mostly up to date on my life. I finally got a ticket to go to London on the 31st of October for the BusAbout reunion...and Susan will be there! I'm really excited to see everyone (almost everyone) from Greece!!!
I'm going to load some pictures next so get ready for some laughs...and some pangs of jealousy at the amazing scenery!!!
Love to you all!!!

New Florence Friends!

Florence has definetly lived up to my expectations. It is a beautiful 'tossed salad' (nice geography reference for everyone!) of flavours. People from all over the world living in a beautiful city. It's been fabulous!
My first full day here I decided to go and stand in line to see the statue David and it was so worth the time and money. He took my breath away. I actually sat and looked at him for amost 45 minutes. I was trying to figure out why he has such a pensive look on his face if he has apparently just triumphed over Goliath. It's a brain teaser!
Afterwards I wandered around town for awhile until I realized that I was starving so sat down in a cafe and ordered some food. I was sitting at a table for 4, but with just me there I told the hostess to feel free to sit others with me. She ended up seating 2 women down, both who are attending Italian language classes in Florence. Kirsten is from Vancouver and Beate is from Innsberg in Austria. We chatted for a while and then another woman from the table next to ours joined us. Her name is Natalia and she's originally from Poland but now lives in New York with her mother and sister. We exchanged numbers and I think we may get together tonight for a sunset dinner in Piazzale Michelangelo. Tuesday night I read about an event at the Odeon theatre, where for 11 Euros you can get a drink, buffet and a movie so I decided to check it out. The movie was 'A Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe'...so funny...I really liked it...it was pretty dumb, but the idea is so original that you can help but admire it! When I arrived I began to speak to a woman in line and her and her husband invited me to sit with them before the movie started. Their names are Vicky and Dave, and they are a couple from Florida who have been coming to Italy for years (Vicky's family is actually from Italy and her Grandfather is responsible for a lot of the architecture in Tristes - I think that's what she said anyway!). They help out a lot at an American Church called St. James, with a Thrift store, food bank, and dinners, among other things. We sat together during the movie as well, and they invited me to come to the church for their student dinner on Wednesday night. For 5 Euros you are provided with dinner and wine and great company. They also told me about a few other places to visit, including Lucca, Torino, and Tristes. I have actually rearranged my itinerary so I can for sure hit Lucca and Tristes, Torino might have to wait until later. They also told me about a huge second-hand clothing sale that takes place every Tuesday in a park. Vicky told me that she actually got a Valentino dress for around 20Euro! So once again I have changed my plan so I can be back in Florence Monday night to hit the sale on Tuesday morning! I love traveling!!!
Yesterday I ventured down to Palazzo Pitti, a huge palace where the Pitti family lived in the 16 Century. It has now been converted into various museums and a huge garden. I went to everything and saw Clothing from the original family, walked through the family's appartments (rediculously decorated...I took one picture but then got yelled at so that was all I could get!), the Museum of Modern Art, the Silver Museum, and my favorite, the exhibit on Mythology and Erotica...Hilarious. After hitting all the little museums I took a wander through the gardens which are huge so I only ended up seeing a small portion of them. I finally wandered back to my hostel around 5pm or so. On the way I passed a cute little store so went in to investigate and ended up buying a poncho...it's aqua blue...so pretty...but it's needed because it is all of a sudden fall in Italy. There is a chill in the air! I also bought a cordoroy skirk for only 10Euros in the market. But its ok because I donated some of the clothes I brought with me! I went to the student dinner last night (which was baked ham, scallop potatoes - best I've ever had! - and roasted vegetables), it was like a late Thanksgiving Dinner for this Canadian far from home! I also chatted with some of the students at the dinner. After dinner Vicky and Dave took my back to their villa to show me around. They are staying with a young widowed woman and her 3 girls. The villa was huge, but even more breathtaking was the gardens in the back. It contains a Grotto, which contains a crypt! So amazing. I took a few pictures and they worked out really well, considering it was pitch black. Vicky and Dave walked me back to the train station where we parted ways, me back to my hostel and them back to their villa. I think that this is one of my most favourit part of traveling...meeting these amazing people who come into your life for a few days or even a few hours and then move on, both of you forever changed by that brief meeting.
Today I am going to head to the Uffizi museum for the afternoon, then hopefully meet with those women again for dinner. Tomorrow I am off to Cinque Terre for 2 nights which I am REALLY excited about. I will post some more pictures in a few days, hopefully. Hope everyone at home had a great Thanksgiving and ate till they were about to explode!!

Finally...a computer I understand!!!

So this is as far as I made it into Pompeii. We bought these great rain jackets and then just posed in the rain while we waited for the train back into Naples. I really should consider taking up pole dancing...I'm clearly a natural!

The view of St. Peter's Square from the dome at the top of the Basilica. As you can see the climb and the euros were worth it!

This was my first view of the Colosseum. It was on my first morning in Rome. As you can see the sun was shinning. Unfortunately this did not last and by the time I had made it around the Roman Forum, which is right beside the Colosseum, it was pouring!

This is the view of the inside of the Colosseum. It's on a different day than the last picutre though, as you can tell from the grey skies. The building is now just a shell of what it used to be, but the sloped parts would have been covered with seating at one point. It was so amazing to be able to see where certain things used to be. Highly recommended...it's not just a pile of stone!!
The floor of the Colosseum was once covered in sand, but these tunnels were alway underneath it. If you remember 'Gladiator', many of these tunnel lead to trap doors where animals would come out of during certain events. Katy, who I was touring with, was telling me that there was 100 days of events when the Colosseum was first finished. These included events with 'little' people for the children, executions, 'wars' between different slaves, and 'hunting' exotic animals. I think she said that something like 5000 animals were killed during those days. I could be wrong though...don't quote me or anything!
Me in the Colosseum. It's clearly raining. But that's a new Pashmina I'm wearing...5€ on the street...I love Italy!
I met up with Dominique, who I had met in Naples, on Sunday morning in Rome. She and two women from her hostel were heading to St. Peter's Square to listen to the Pope speak. I didn't have any plans so I decided to tag along. You can't really see him, but the darkest window is where he is. It was pretty cool, however I had NO idea what he was talking about. 2 people from my hostel also got up at 5:30am to go and get in line to go to Mass. They did get in, and actually got seats. They said it was worth it...I'll just take their word for it.
This is just a portion of the people that were in the Square to listen to the Pope speak. It was overwhelming!
For any of you wondering, there are just two of the Swiss Guards that I saw. These uniforms are actually quite tame compared to some of the other ones that I saw, but they were definetly all VERY attractive....even with the tights! As I've read, these uniforms were definetly not one of Michaelagelo's crowning achievements!
This is a picture I took in Villa Bourghese. Its a really beautiful park, but the reason I took this picture is to show all you North Americans that the Mullet is alive and well in Europe. They have even taken beyond what we knew it to be. I've seen the side Mullet, party on the left and business on the right, Mullets with braids, rainbow Mullets...you name it, I've seen it!
This is the Cathedrale in Florence. I don't know if you can tell or not, but it is all green, pink and white. It reminds me of a Candycane!
And just to make me feel at home, I was walking up this street for 5 blocks before I really read the name of it. It's the Italian version of Guelph...Guelfa!!!! I love how small the world is!

And the heavens opened up and there was SUN!

I just fought with my computer in an attempt to get some pictures posted and it didn't work, so you will all just have to deal with another message from me. At some point I do promise to get some more pictures on here, I just might have to burn them on a disk first...FRUSTRATION!
Moving on...now where were we in the tales of my adventures? Oh right, I was still in Rome. Well, that was 3 days ago and I have now moved on to Florence. But before we talke about that I need to bring you up to speed on what I did my last two days in Rome! The rain continued on, so Saturday I walked around with two of the American students sudying in Angers (Heidi...isn't that where you were????) named Kate and Katy. We started the morning off with a visit to a local backery that two of the girls had found the night before. It was amazing. So inexpensive and everything tasted SO good. I got a sandwhich for lunch, 2 doughnuts, a chocolate croisant, and a bottle of water all for under 3 Euros!! Kate went a little crazy as well because she only had a 20 Euro note and the women that worked there didn't like it when you used big bills, so spent 5 Euros and ended up with a shopping bag full of goddies that we shared for the rest of the day. After our trip to pastry paradise, we took the Metro to Piazza Republiccane to try and find some Roman Baths that were apparently there, but after wandering around for 20 minutes in a downpour, we couldn't find it. Instead we decided to just check out one of the churches that was there. From the outside it looked really decrepit and small, but once we walked inside we were blown away. The whole interior was done in pink marble with huge vaulted ceilings and numerous paintings throughout. After sitting and having some quiet time, the three of us explored a bit and found a little room off the back that explained the history of the church. It was so incredible. I love Rome but one thing that I find really lacking is any information about the history of buildings. When we were leaving the church, Kate decided that she had had enough of getting wet so decided to put a plastic bag on her head. It was so something I would have done! We were walking out of the church and an older gentleman passed Kate and Katy who were walking just behind me, and he apparently did a double take and made the best face Katy had ever seen. We had huge laugh over that.
In order to warm up a little, the three of us decided to get some tea from a cafe, and then headed to Feltrinelli International, an English Bookstore. I had read all the books I had brought from home and the hostel had nothing good I wanted to read. I bought 'Angels & Demons' by Dan Brown and 'Memories of a Geisha'. I started A&D and it is really good so far.
After drying off and warming up, the three of us decided to head back to the Colosseum to check out the inside. Kate decided against going in, but Katy and I went in and it was really incredible. I had some reservations about paying to get in, and the lines that we might find, but it was well worth it.
Instead of having dinner at the hostel, me and my new American friends decided to go out for dinner. We headed over to Piazza Novona where we had an excellent Italian meal. I gave home a call first and was really excited to talk to everyone that was at my house for Thanksgiving, especially Grandma and Aunti D & Aunt Judy. Apparently my Uncles are too cool to chat to their neice who is over in Europ...their loss!!! Everyone sounded great though and I loved chatting with Benny and Matty.
After dinner I was feeling sleepy so headed back to the hostel to get some shut-eye, but ended up Journaling and then chatting with a few of the people staying at the hostel till around midnight.
Yesterday was gorgeous, so I got my but out of bed and headed over to Villa Bourghes for the day. It's a park area that is right in the middle of Rome. I sat on benches and watched families playing and I read my book. After 3 hours in the park I walked back to the hostel to take a shower. That is one of the things that was hard about the hostel I stayed in. There is only one shower for 30 people to share so you need to get creative about when you take one. After dinner (which was really gross so I didn't eat much of it) I decided to head out with my camera and take some night pictures of Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. It was a quick trip, only took me around 45 minutes, but it was well worth it.
I was starving by that time, so I wandered over to a pizza place just down the road from my hostel. I had some noodles with meat sauce and some toast with 3 different spreads (tomatoe, artichoke, and olive...mmmmmm). I ended up starting a conversation with another guy that was sitting at the next table. No idea what his name was but he was from Hamburg. It was nice to chat for a while over tea.
When I got back to the Hostel, one of the girls staying there was having really bad stomach pains, so I went with her to the hospital. It was such a weird experience. First of all, the hospital was ancient, and looked it, but there was NO wait. It was the quickest visit to the emergency room I have ever had. We were back at the hostel in 2 hours! She's ok, they just perscribed her some pain relievers and she's just going to go to the hostpital when she gets back to California...oh, and it didn't cost her anything...they didn't even take her passport number or address! Thank you Italian Taxpayers!!!
Today I got up bright and early at 8am and took the 9:14am train to Florence. I was under the impression that it only took 2 hours, but I was so wrong. I didn't get here until almost 1:15pm!!! It was a little stressful for me because I needed to be at my hostel before 1:30pm to check in...but I made it and am SO glad I did because my place is great! As of 1:20pm this afternoon I had an 8 person room to myself with 2 sinks, free linens and blankets, free soap and towels, 2 showers (WITH SOAP AT THE SINK!!!), and a laundry mat across the street!!! It's amazing how these small things get you SO excited when you are traveling!!
I wandered around this afternoon, going to Santa Maria del Fiore, the huge Cathedrale in Florence. It's crazy. Its done all in green, white and pink marble! Really interesting. I then just walked around...did a little browsing in Zara, a great clothing store, but nothing really called to me so I didn't buy anything. Tonight I am going to do my laundry in a real machine, and not in a sink! I am quite excited about it! I have 3 days in town to explore and might venture out to Tuscany for a day trip if I can get myself organized. I promise that I will get my camera working so I can upload these pictures...but this place is freezing so I'll do that tomorrow.
I can't believe that I have away for a month now, it sometimes feel like it was just yesterday that I left and other days it feels like I was in Greece months ago. I am loving it and love hearing from everyone! Keep the messages and comments coming!!!
That's all for now, I'll write again soon!!!

Rainy 'Roman Holiday'

Well, the rain has followed me to Rome...apparently it was gorgeous here until I arrived, and then it started to rain and hasn't stopped. But it's ok in Rome because there are so many things to see indoors. I arrived on Wednesday evening, and am staying at a really cute hostel called 'Happy Days'. It's actually run by two Canadian girls...however I haven't met them yet. I get breakfast (cornflakes and warm milk) and dinner (really good pasta) and I have met some really fun people so it's been great! The first night here I needed some 'me' time so I took myself to the movies...and I saw 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. So good. It was Wednesday night and apparently that's cheap night in Rome, so there were a bunch of English people there. I laughed really hard when I realized that was the English movie because I'm pretty sure that its the one that Adam saw when he was traveling in France this summer...yeah Jonny Depp in foreign locations!! The other weird thing about the theatre was that you get assigned seats! I didn't realize this until some guys came in and were trying to find their seats. But it turned out that I am psychic and actually sat in the seat I was supposed to. I'm so amazing. I sat beside an English couple and we started to chat before the movie started and I was telling them about how I was traveling on my own, and before I left at the end of the movie they both made me promise to be safe and look out for myself. So cute. Anyway, when I left, I went to get back on the Metro and the gates were closed. I thought that maybe it was just that one stop, so I asked a couple on the street, and oh no, they metro stops at 9pm...can you believe that! Apparently there are buses you can take, but I had NO idea where my hostel was so instead I chickened out and got a cab. That was really interesting trying to explain it to a cabby when all I knew was the metro stop that I would have gotten out at. But I got back ok and on the way he was pointing out places to me...so well worth the money.
Yesterday I went out exploring on my own and saw the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Castei S. Angelo. I did a lot of walking around, and it started to rain in the afternoon, so I headed back to the hostel around 3:30pm for some chill out time. After dinner last night a huge group of us went to get Gellato (amazing...it was my first real Italian Gellato and I was in paradise...for those of you wondering, I got dark chocolate and caramel flavours). After we got our Gellato, we decided to go to Trevi Fountain, unfortunatly we got really lost (I clearly wasn't looking at my map or it would never have happened!) and ended up back at the Pantheon. But after some back-tracking we finally go there. It was beautiful. I was so mad that I didn't have my camera but I'm going to go back either tomorrow night or Sunday night and take some pictures then. We also headed over to the Spanish Steps and there was a choir there from the Nethlands (or that's what the general guess was) singing on the steps. They were amazing. And you should have seen the 10 of us North American and Australian 20-somethings going mental when they started to sing 'Under the Sea' from the Little Mermaid. We were quite entertaining.
This morning my plan was to get up early and head to Vatican City, but I fell asleep again after my alarm went off, so I didn't actually get out of bed till 8am. Around 9am me and two guys from Victoria, BC, Jarod and Chris, headed over to the Vatican Museum to see the Sistine Chapel. The line was around the corner, however it only took us around an hour to get in. We wandered through the museum, but didn't really stop to take it all in as we really just wanted to see the Chapel. It was amazing. Totally worth the wait and the euros to get in. We weren't allowed to take any pictures, so you will all just have to come and see it for yourselves! After the museum, Jarod and Chris headed out to go to Sorrento, and I headed into the Vatican City to see St. Peter's Basilica. Once again, the line was HUGE, but I sucked it up and got in it. I decided to go up to the Dome first because the boys had told me that when you are done you end up inside the Basilica. The line took me around an hour and 45 minutes, and then it took me another 20-30 minutes to get to the top of the dome. My butt is seriously going to be gorgeous by the end of this trip...all the stairs I am climbing! The views were spectacular and once again the line, euros, and steps were worth it. So today turned out to be my Vatican Day. I'm going to head back to the hostel in a few minutes to recharge some batteries and take a shower. Dinner is at 6:30, and I don't know what I'm going to get up to tonight....might just be a homebody and stay at the hostel and get some postcards done...its too rainy and cold out to venture out too far!
I was going to do some pictures but I appear to have forgotten my USB cord, so I'll pop back in here tomorrow and post a few!
Love to you all!!!
PS I have been asked by some friends (and by 'some' I mean one...you know who you are!) what all the boys I have been meeting have looked like...so here's your answer. While in Greece the guys that did the tour with us were goodlooking. Great eye candy while sitting on the beach! Chris, the Aussie from Naples, reminded me SO much of a certain Calgaria RM that I loved him immediately...so obviously he also was super hott! Phil the Englishman was typical English...tall, lanky, bad teeth...yes, it's sad but true. But if he kept his teeth hidden he was quite attractive. Eric was also good looking (I need to be careful though because he will probably be reading this!). Looks very Southern Gentleman...tall, curly dark hair...definetly a yum factor there. Jarod and Chris that I hung out with today were cute but looked really young...I would totally have been into them about 4 years ago though...apparently my tastes have just matured! HA HA HAAAAA!!! That's pretty funny! One very yummy thing about today though was all the Swiss Guards in Vatican City. They wear the most rediculous uniforms but they are some of the most attractive men I have encountered since I started traveling...perhaps even before that! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures, but if I have some extra time I'll head back and see if I can get a few to pose for me!
That's it for now! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home!! Enjoy all the Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie! I must say that I am going to miss it!

There's a song by Madonna called Rain...right?

So about 4 days ago, I boarded a ferry and left Greece behind for new adventures. I finally made it off Corfu after getting my act together and waking up in time to check out. It rained again, of course, so I didn't really do much my last day there. I caught the 5pm ferry from Corfu over to Igoumenitsa, and it was not exactly what I expected. I am used to ferries that are pretty big and sturdy...unfortunately this one was pretty small and because the weather was so bad, very rocky. But I made it across without any barfing, which was a feat unto itself. I made the hike over to the terminal in Igoumenitsa to get my ticket for the 11:29pm ferry, had a quick conversation with the guy behind me in line (after he made a comment about the weather proof cover I had on my bag...SO much love to you right now Katie!), dropped my bag in the 'left luggage' room, and then headed out for dinner. I ended up just walking down the street and eating in the first place I came to. I don't know the name of it, but it was run by a man and his parents. His mom just seemed to wander around, but his dad was the waiter...and he was the cutest old greek man I had ever met. Anyway, I was the only one there so they sat me down in front of the TV andturned on Greek News. I have NO idea what they were talking about, but I did see some familiar faces and it was kind of interesting trying to figure it all out. Slowly others started to arrive as well, so it became pretty busy. I had a great meal of Greek salad, fish, sardines, and bread. SO YUMMY. But when the bill came, I realized that I couldn't use my Visa, and I had used all my cash to pay the Port Fees when I got my ferry ticket. I explained the situation to the owner, and asked if I could just leave my bag in the restaurant (taking out my camera, passport and wallet of course) and go down to the bank. The owner said it was too far, and got on the phone. The next thing I knew he was telling me to follow him. We got in his car and he drove me to the bank machine (which was only a few blocks away) and then he drove me back to the Terminal. It was a great dinner.
Back at the ferry, I found the guy that had spoken to me in line, and sat down with him. Turns out his name is Eric and he's from Georgia (USA). We chatted for a while, and then decided to go and see if we could get on our ferry early. We put on all our bags and headed out but couldn't find it, so headed back inside to keep waiting. The ferry finally showed up around 12am, so once again we put on our bags and headed to the huge ferry....now I've never been on a cruise ship, but this thing totally felt like on to me. It was beautiful with a few bars, a casino, a pool (somewhere, we never did find it), and staff wearing little blue morning jackets. Anyway, Eric and I found some seats, pulled out our sleeping bags and got a little sleep. For a night spent in Airplane seats, it wasn't too bad of a sleep.
The next morning when we arrived in Bari, Italy, we hiked it over to the Train Station (thank goodness for Eric because I had NO idea where it was and Bari isn't in my Europe book!) Turned out that the next train to Naples/Rome didn't leave until 3pm. So Eric and I had a Bari date! We just walked around for a while, then sat and read in the sun for a few hours. It was a great day!
I finally made it to Naples around 7pm, and made it to my hostel around8pm. It's a really cute place called '6 Small Rooms'. I met 4 Aussies, who I went out for Pizza with that first night, and who I went to Pompeii Entrance with on Monday. See, it was pouring rain, so when we got to Pompeii we all kind of flacked out and decided we didn't want to walk around in the rain all day. We ended up just going back to the hostel and chilling for most of the day, which was totally fine with me because I was SO drained from my day of travel the day before.
Yesterday it rained again all day, and the Aussies took off for other parts of Italy, so a guy Phil and I decided to go to the Archeological Museum, but unfortunately I didn't really read my book and it turns out the Museum is closed on Tuesday...bugger! We then just wandered around, checking out some art galleries and Piazzas, but once again I was back at the hostel around 4:30pm. Last night a few of us made a fabulous pasta dinner with Prawns, then sat around talking, drinking, and playing cards.
Today I am heading to Rome for 5 days, and I am pretty excited. I am hoping this horrible weather clears up soon so I can do some more stuff outside and hopefully have some funny stories to share! Keep your fingers crossed!!! Love to you all!!!

Rain, rain, go away!!!

So I have exactly 16 minutes to get this post written and posted before my time online ends. I have been on Corfu for two nights now, I was really only planning on staying one, but got a little intoxicated with a couple from Calgary and a couple from New Zeland the other night and just couldn't drag my butt out of bed yesterday morning. Unfortunately it started to rain yesterday morning and hasn't really stopped since. I got around 45 minutes on the beach this morning, and we get breaks of sun light, but not enough to really warrant walking ALL the way down to the beach...I'd just have to walk all the way back up again to leave.
I am staying at the Pink Palace and it's pretty much all I thought it would be, although a little quieter because we aren't in the main season. Thanks for warning me about the Pink Ouzo Andrea, but it did still surprise me when I got the shot when I arrived. I have been rooming with a woman from Seatle named Megan and yesterday a woman named Khany moved into our room too. They are great gals to hang around with. We went into Corfu town yesterday for a couple hours, but most things were closed for the Siesta so there wasn't much to do.
I am heading to Italy this evening, and I'm really excited about it. Although I have loved Greece, it's a little chill and I'm interested in really doing some sight seeing...I never thought I'd say this, but I've had enough beach time for a little while. I may regret saying that though as it starts to cool off as I travel. One thing that I am really excited about is moving out of this super hot weather and getting into more comfortable weather. I have actually been looking at the weather reports for Italy and it looks like they are going to be in the high teens, low 20s! My favorite kind of weather!!!
I have only about 8 minutes left now so I am going to sign off and I'll write again when I get to Italy and see some stuff!!! Love you all!!!!