We have finally entered Italy for the first time on our vacation. We left France after spending a relaxing and eye-opening day in Nice and Monaco (complete with million dollar sports cars). We are now relaxing in the Cinque Terre - five italian villages perched on cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean.
The contrast from France to Italy was immediately obvious in the train station at Genova. The French rail system had been efficient and accurate for our entire journey and we (naively) expected the same from Italy. We needed to transfer to a local train and had given ourselves about 45 minutes to get tickets... which would have been plenty if the train didn't arrive 30 minutes late! We rushed to the ticket counter but there were only 3 people working (on a Saturday) and the line was too long. Several of the automatic machines were broken, but we queued for them since the line was shorter.
While in line a dopey looking guy in a business suit came and stood next to me. When it was my turn he started using the machine. I pointed out that I was next in line, but he ignored me. When I pressed my point he started waving his hands and talking loudly like he was the most important man in the station. As it turned out, he couldn't spell the station name he wanted and took so long doing it that we both missed our trains.
We ended up queuing for the ticket booth!
Nevertheless, once you get off the train and away from the irate locals it is a beautiful place. We are staying in Manarola, a comparatively quiet village. The water is so crystal clear and the views are stunning. We have hiked between three of the villages so far and will do the last two tomorrow. Although the trails are reasonably clear there are moments when it is just you and the cliffside. To reach the last town we visited we had to climb 320 steps! We celebrated reaching the top with some gelatti and frozen yoghurt. The food so far has been excellent and the wine is very cheap and very easy to drink. They even serve it at the train station while you wait for the next train.
After the calmness of Cinque Terre we are off to Florence and Rome, so we are soaking up the relaxing rays while we can (perched on a rock no less - no sand here!).
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Upset Tummies
We've managed to hunt down some internet access here in Carcassonne but we are forced to use French keyboards with all their crazy keys in crazy places! Still no photos... maybe we should have bought that laptop in Hong Kong after all!
To be honest, we haven't missed the technology at all, except maybe our ipods when on long train trips! It has forced us to update our travel journals and also to read (and re-read) all the travel info we have.
Barcelona was an extremely cool place. We were staying in the Barri Gottic, which was convienently located in the restaurant/bar district. Convenient, that is, until we tried to sleep! The locals are on a different clock to everyone else and would routinely be up at 3-4am partying - right outside our window! It didn't help that I got a bit sick from something I ate and was heading to bed at 10pm.
Despite all that, Barcelona is a place I could easily revisit. A rainstorm kept us from visiting Figueres, but in between the rain there was brilliant sunshine and an excellent vibe. A memorable place!
We are now staying in the ancient town of Carcassonne, with its ridiculously awesome looking castle. In terms of pure medieval-ness it blows away everything else we have seen so far. You can almost still see the archers shooting arrows and people pouring oil on you! It's one cool place.
My time is almost up now. Au revoir all!
To be honest, we haven't missed the technology at all, except maybe our ipods when on long train trips! It has forced us to update our travel journals and also to read (and re-read) all the travel info we have.
Barcelona was an extremely cool place. We were staying in the Barri Gottic, which was convienently located in the restaurant/bar district. Convenient, that is, until we tried to sleep! The locals are on a different clock to everyone else and would routinely be up at 3-4am partying - right outside our window! It didn't help that I got a bit sick from something I ate and was heading to bed at 10pm.
Despite all that, Barcelona is a place I could easily revisit. A rainstorm kept us from visiting Figueres, but in between the rain there was brilliant sunshine and an excellent vibe. A memorable place!
We are now staying in the ancient town of Carcassonne, with its ridiculously awesome looking castle. In terms of pure medieval-ness it blows away everything else we have seen so far. You can almost still see the archers shooting arrows and people pouring oil on you! It's one cool place.
My time is almost up now. Au revoir all!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Castle Hopping
Here is a guest post from Michelle (okay, its an email she wrote, but I am hijacking it):
"Hi guys,
Hope all is well with all of you! Managed to find an internet cafe
(finally) complete with english keyboard! Its the only one in a few
towns nearby to where we're staying! (yay i can type at normal speed!)
to give you guys an update.
These past few days we have been driving around in a rented car (mum
dont worry, I've been a very safe driver and we have been upgraded
from a toyota yaris to a mercedes benz! -much safer!) We left paris
last friday.. oh by the way, I got a bit ill from somethng i ate, so
the following day when we went to versailles, I managed to throw up
there! - RIght outside the Kings gallery of lots of paintings of
himself and his rellies.(I know, classy story.. but it was a pretty
amazing place to be sick in!- Lots of security guards on walky talkies
contacted each other quickly and a medic team immediately rocked up
outta no where, checking my blood pressure.. asking me questons .. I
felt like a VIP in a strange way!) There were hoards of people there
and the medic got them to get outta the way just so we can get to the
cafe to get an overpriced coke to settle my stomach.) It would have
taken 15 mins just to get thru the crowds to the cafe otherwise!
- Im stll not sure if it was the capaccio of beef (raw beef) or pork
pate i ate. But phil reckons its was the pork pate cos he didnt get
sick. Im not going to be so adventurous anymore i think.. too many
snails... :P (tho theyre yummy!- phil loves them.)
Anyway we've been driving around the past few days from sight to
sight, town to town. The french are interesting drivers... and really,
anything goes.. I have been beeped a few times though! Their roads are
really narrow, really, driving in australia is an absoloute blessing-
what with the wide straight roads! BUt.. im getting used to it...
We've seen an ancient abbey/monastery and town around it thats built
on an island..called Mont St Michel, lots of DDay sights around teh
Normandy beaches ( I know all about it now.. and what I dont know,
Phil let me know.. he is a bit of a war buff) :) Visited the American
and German cemeteries- a massive contrast to each other. American one
is a sight to behold with white crosses as far as the eye can see. But
the German one is much more sombre with just black stones on the
ground with the names of the soldies on it and also occasional black
crosses and an extremely morbid monument in the middle of the
cemetery. Unforunately we cant put the pics up right now at the
internet cafe.
Other than that we have seen some amazing castles.. some are just
drive bys, some we went into..unforgettable. Its pretty free being
able to drive around.. stop whenever you like.
Tomorrow, we are doing one more day of chateau hopping and then back
to paris to catch a night train to barcelona. So used to hearing and
using french now.. that it will be weird having to change to spanish
for four days and then switch back to french after that. (we are going
back to south of france afterwards.)
by the way, im a bit over cheese.. its in EVERYTHING! but phil is
enjoying all the diff types of cheese and interesting ways they can
add it to dishes!
I reckon thats about it for now.. we are safe and well and enjoying
frenchie life.. eating well and the wine.. even the house wine (thats
all we order usually) is FANTASTIC quality! (love the wine!)
okay will write soon!
love michelle (and phil!)oxox"
There isn't much more to add! We have been hanging out to post some more photos, but they are going to have to wait. We have had such spotty internet connectivity that its been a trial getting any time in front of a computer. That said, we've chewed up our 30 mins here already and should go. We'll post again from (hopefully) sunny Barcelona!
"Hi guys,
Hope all is well with all of you! Managed to find an internet cafe
(finally) complete with english keyboard! Its the only one in a few
towns nearby to where we're staying! (yay i can type at normal speed!)
to give you guys an update.
These past few days we have been driving around in a rented car (mum
dont worry, I've been a very safe driver and we have been upgraded
from a toyota yaris to a mercedes benz! -much safer!) We left paris
last friday.. oh by the way, I got a bit ill from somethng i ate, so
the following day when we went to versailles, I managed to throw up
there! - RIght outside the Kings gallery of lots of paintings of
himself and his rellies.(I know, classy story.. but it was a pretty
amazing place to be sick in!- Lots of security guards on walky talkies
contacted each other quickly and a medic team immediately rocked up
outta no where, checking my blood pressure.. asking me questons .. I
felt like a VIP in a strange way!) There were hoards of people there
and the medic got them to get outta the way just so we can get to the
cafe to get an overpriced coke to settle my stomach.) It would have
taken 15 mins just to get thru the crowds to the cafe otherwise!
- Im stll not sure if it was the capaccio of beef (raw beef) or pork
pate i ate. But phil reckons its was the pork pate cos he didnt get
sick. Im not going to be so adventurous anymore i think.. too many
snails... :P (tho theyre yummy!- phil loves them.)
Anyway we've been driving around the past few days from sight to
sight, town to town. The french are interesting drivers... and really,
anything goes.. I have been beeped a few times though! Their roads are
really narrow, really, driving in australia is an absoloute blessing-
what with the wide straight roads! BUt.. im getting used to it...
We've seen an ancient abbey/monastery and town around it thats built
on an island..called Mont St Michel, lots of DDay sights around teh
Normandy beaches ( I know all about it now.. and what I dont know,
Phil let me know.. he is a bit of a war buff) :) Visited the American
and German cemeteries- a massive contrast to each other. American one
is a sight to behold with white crosses as far as the eye can see. But
the German one is much more sombre with just black stones on the
ground with the names of the soldies on it and also occasional black
crosses and an extremely morbid monument in the middle of the
cemetery. Unforunately we cant put the pics up right now at the
internet cafe.
Other than that we have seen some amazing castles.. some are just
drive bys, some we went into..unforgettable. Its pretty free being
able to drive around.. stop whenever you like.
Tomorrow, we are doing one more day of chateau hopping and then back
to paris to catch a night train to barcelona. So used to hearing and
using french now.. that it will be weird having to change to spanish
for four days and then switch back to french after that. (we are going
back to south of france afterwards.)
by the way, im a bit over cheese.. its in EVERYTHING! but phil is
enjoying all the diff types of cheese and interesting ways they can
add it to dishes!
I reckon thats about it for now.. we are safe and well and enjoying
frenchie life.. eating well and the wine.. even the house wine (thats
all we order usually) is FANTASTIC quality! (love the wine!)
okay will write soon!
love michelle (and phil!)oxox"
There isn't much more to add! We have been hanging out to post some more photos, but they are going to have to wait. We have had such spotty internet connectivity that its been a trial getting any time in front of a computer. That said, we've chewed up our 30 mins here already and should go. We'll post again from (hopefully) sunny Barcelona!
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Paris
As expected, our internet access has completely dried up. Not only that, but we are running out of room on our memory cards and are still yet to find somewhere to burn a dvd!
Nevertheless, we are in Paris and all is well. We have hit most of the major sites so far; Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and much, much more. It has been a little colder than expected. It even snowed while we were up the Eiffel Tower!
The best thing so far has been our Segway tour on the first night. We spent several hours zipping around Paris and viewing the major attractions. It didn't rain but it was bitingly cold. You don't move much on a Segway so we ended up frozen like popsicles! It was still an awesome experience and recommended to anyone who has the opportunity.
Tomorrow we are off to Versailles. Once we get a good stab at a PC we'll try and upload some more photos. Paris and London are both beautiful cities (if not a bit smelly).
Au revoir!
Nevertheless, we are in Paris and all is well. We have hit most of the major sites so far; Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and much, much more. It has been a little colder than expected. It even snowed while we were up the Eiffel Tower!
The best thing so far has been our Segway tour on the first night. We spent several hours zipping around Paris and viewing the major attractions. It didn't rain but it was bitingly cold. You don't move much on a Segway so we ended up frozen like popsicles! It was still an awesome experience and recommended to anyone who has the opportunity.
Tomorrow we are off to Versailles. Once we get a good stab at a PC we'll try and upload some more photos. Paris and London are both beautiful cities (if not a bit smelly).
Au revoir!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
The Mother Country
We touched down in London yesterday afternoon after a 7:35am flight from Hong Kong. Even though we had planned a quiet final day in HK we still ended up staying awake until about 1am! Nevertheless, after checking in to our hotel we headed out to Dennis Sever's House. We weren't allowed to take photos, but there are plenty on the site.
Fort those too lazy to follow the link, it is a house that has been kept in the style of the 17-1800s and is meant to be viewed as if the people living there have just left before you arrived. We were both jet-lagged and tired so the experience was quite surreal, but definitely worth it!
We almost didn't make it thanks to the inefficient rail system! After Hong Kong we were expecting a similar level of service (since the poms built the HK system) , but we know now to leave a lot earlier than you anticipate if you want to get anywhere on time.
Today we are going to knock off a few of the major attractions. Apparently it is going to be 16 degrees today with only occasional showers, which apparently makes it the mildest day of the year so far! Hooray!
Fort those too lazy to follow the link, it is a house that has been kept in the style of the 17-1800s and is meant to be viewed as if the people living there have just left before you arrived. We were both jet-lagged and tired so the experience was quite surreal, but definitely worth it!
We almost didn't make it thanks to the inefficient rail system! After Hong Kong we were expecting a similar level of service (since the poms built the HK system) , but we know now to leave a lot earlier than you anticipate if you want to get anywhere on time.
Today we are going to knock off a few of the major attractions. Apparently it is going to be 16 degrees today with only occasional showers, which apparently makes it the mildest day of the year so far! Hooray!
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