Contiki Conclusion

Contiki had ended the night before but Shereen and I decided to stay on in Rome a few more days before we would be meeting our friend Ray again in Greece. We had been planning to try and fit in another Italian stop before Greece, but since our group of friends were all staying one or two more nights we decided to take a couple of days to chill out with them after our whirlwind Contiki tour. Everyone was slightly hungover from the night before so we all had a big sleep-in. When we had all made ourselves presentable (not till about 2pm...) we met in the lobby to go have a last lunch as The Great Eight, as Meg, Jake, Jess and Brian were leaving the next morning. We took the train back to the Piazza del Popolo and found a little restaurant for lunch that had enough room to seat the 8 of us outside in the beautiful sunshine. After lunch we broke up to do some gift shopping before going back to the hotel. Whilst walking around Meg and Jess discovered that it was Vogue's Fashion Night Out and they were hosting a Fashion Show on the Spanish Steps that evening, free for the public. It seemed the perfect end to our Italian adventure so we made plans to meet up again in the evening to have dinner together before all going to the show. Unfortunately the sunny weather wouldn't hold and an electrical storm hit us in the afternoon.

So instead we tried to stay close to the hotel, and walk briskly between the brief lingering showers. We found a fancy (for us) restaurant that looked delicious and we decided to splurge for our last meal together as a group. We all had amazing meals but I'm sure I won, my suckling pork was phenomenal. We all went back to the hotel and played our last game of cards. Then it was time to say goodbye to the Americans as they were leaving early in the morning. It was a sad moment to say goodbye to our new friends but we had mentioned to them that Shereen and I would be passing through Michigan in November. As we had gotten closer to the point of goodbye over the past few days Jake and Megan had gone from "you should come see us when you're in Michigan" to "come stay in our house and have Thanksgiving dinner with our family!". We were delighted to have the offer and we said we would definitely come if they would have us. They kept asking us if we were serious and didn't believe that we would actually come, but we were being offered free accommodation and a traditional Thanksgiving meal! They would be lucky to get rid of us. If anything we were worried their holiday high would wear off and they would realise they just invited two people they had only known for two weeks to come and stay in their home and invade their family holiday! But we all kept our word and Shereen and I visited them just last week (at the time I'm writing this). We had the most amazing time and we can't wait to return the favour and have them all come to Australia. I have a lot to cover before my post on Thanksgiving so sorry for the teaser, but keep reading and I will try and catch up quickly!

/The Great Eight

The next day Shereen and I trekked across the city to find a laundromat which seemed to be few and far between. While we were waiting we found a little restaurant where we could have some lunch. As is the norm in Italy, there was a very pushy staff member out the front trying to force us inside as we were looking at the menu. But they had a good pizza and drink deal so we headed inside. Unfirtunately the guy followed us inside and began laying on the the thick Italian sleaze. This included reaching in front of me with my drink whilst placing his other arm around my back to open it, thus imprisoning me in this weird drink-opening hug. I literally shuddered. Then he wouldn't give me my pizza until I smiled at him, and to make it worse a group of rowdy older women walked in and they were loving the attention so they just spurred him on. After they had really started to hit the red wine he was telling them Shereen and I had offered to pay for their meals, which of course we hadn't. They started to try and talk to us from across the room and Shereen and I just ignored them which lead them all to just start talking about us with the waiter. We snagged the opportunity when a different waiter walked past to get the bill, and timed our exit so we could run out the door when our "Romeo" was out of sight.

We met up with Kayla and Paul for dinner close to our hotel. I was so exausted that I was almost falling asleep at the table, so I crawled home to have an early night.

I have a few more posts written, I'm just editing them up. So stay tuned! Xx

 

 

Roman Holiday

The next morning our whole tour group went on a tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. We were all given free time for lunch and Shereen and I had pizza in this little cafe overlooking the Colosseum followed by an obligatory gelato. After lunch it was time for our trip to the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. I had visited the Vatican before but hadn't seen the Sistine chapel as far as I recall (the other times I had been to Rome were when I was 4 and 8), so I was very excited to see the ceiling stucco created by Michelangelo.

It was a very hot and sticky day in Rome so I was very inappropriately dressed to enter the Church of all churches, but I had brought along my sarong to wrap around my legs. About five people said to me as we were walking to the entrance "Oh my god do you have something to cover yourself? You won't be allowed in like that!", which I found incredibly annoying since Vinny had warned everyone about it about a thousand times- seriously people I'm not an idiot.

/a photo of a picture of a painting... What? We weren't allowed to take photos inside...

It was incredibly crowded in the entrance hall to the Chapel. For anyone who hasn't visited it before, it takes quite a walk to get into the Chapel itself, which is actually relatively small. With the large number of people and lack of ventilation, my legs were not enjoying their sarong-cage. But the beautiful ceiling was worth it. I probably sound a complete art neophyte in saying this, but I don't understand why people aren't equally as impressed with the ceiling decoration in the halls leading to the chapel? I suppose it's because the Chapel ceiling was Michelangelo's first attempt at painting after being hailed as a great sculptor for his statue of the David, and yes don't get me wrong it is pretty spectacular. After the Chapel we entered St Peter's Basilica. Again the size is staggering and the decoration is so beautifully ornate that it really is an incredible building and definitely worthy of its fame. As a bonus, we were allowed to take photos here, unlike inside the Chapel.

Return to Rome

I woke up early in the morning of our departure from Venice. Not because we had to, in fact everyone else was able to have a sleep in. I was up to stream the football, as the Eagles were playing in an elimination final. In the end it was a great start to the day, my team had a victory and I was able to enjoy a little slice of life at home while only mildly embarrassing myself by sitting in the hotel lobby with headphones in, yelling at my iPad.

We set off on the bus and had been going for about an hour when a girl realised she had left her suitcase at the hotel. Yes, that's right, her entire suitcase. You are probably equally as intrigued as I was as to how one accomplishes this. Supposedly she brought it down an hour before we had to leave and the bus wasn't open, so she left it in the lobby while she had breakfast. Then when it came time to leave she kind of had it in her head that she had already brought it down and just forgot that it didn't already make it on to the bus. But, how she managed to walk past it in the lobby and not notice is beyond me. My whole life is in my suitcase and believe me I guard it with my life. Anyway by some divine intervention one girl had stayed at the hotel because she had a Eurail pass and had decided to sleep in and take the train back, rather than be on the bus all day. So she generously agreed to bring the suitcase with her even though she still had all of her own luggage to manoeuvre by herself.

During the day we made a couple of stops for food/bathroom breaks, but the goal of the day was to get back to Rome as quickly as possible. Instead of going to our hotel first, as soon as we got into Rome we were dropped near the Piazza del Popolo to take a walking tour with Vinny. We wandered through the Piazza del Popolo to our first major stop which was the Spanish Steps. From there we visited the Trevi fountain and the Pantheon before walking to Piazza Navona. After some photos and souvenir buying, Vinny lead us to the restaurant where would be eating dinner.

Again our group managed to snag a table together and we had another great meal together consisting of a pasta and roast chicken which was delicious. Still craving fresh fruit, I managed to convince the waiter to give me a bunch of grapes instead of the tiramisu that was on offer.

After dinner we were finally able to check into the hotel. After freshening up our group headed down to the lobby to play some cards before bed. The Americans taught us two games called Euchre and Up and Down the River, and we taught them Presidents and Assholes. It was really fun and it felt like I was hanging at home with friends which is one of those things your really crave after months of being away.

One more contiki post to go! Sorry they are coming so slowly, I promise I'm working on it! Xx

 

The Sinking City

The hotel our group was staying in was not in the Old City of Venice. So after breakfast we had to walk from our hotel to the train station, and from there catch the train into the web of canals that is the magical city of Venice. The whole process had a sense of dejavu for me, as the last time I arrived in Venice was also by train. But then I was in a sleeper carriage on a school trip, not crammed up against locals making their daily commute into the city.

The beauty of the city hits you straight away. After getting off the train we had to walk a couple of blocks to where our private boat was meeting us to take us to St Mark's square, but there was a photo opportunity at every corner, over every canal and every bridge. Our boat ride was much the same story, and I consistently had my hands and camera out the window, getting more excited with every turn as we made our way to our destination. When we got off the boat Vinny lead us to the main square and showed us our landmark, meeting and orientation point for the day- the two giant pillars that act as the "gate" to St Mark's square.

From there we were lead through the winding labyrinth of streets and canals to a Murano glass factory. Here we watched a glass blowing demonstration by a man who had been working there for more than 30 years, since he was sixteen. We watched in awe as he made beautiful vases and even a delicate horse figurine (which without exaggerating took him less than 3 minutes, it was incredible) but each time he finished his piece he threw it back into the furnace to recycle the glass. All of the girls sighed each time he did this, I think we were all secretly hoping we would get the pieces as gifts!

/Photos courtesy of Megan, Shereen was in too much awe to take photos

/Photos courtesy of Megan, Shereen was in too much awe to take photos

/Yes, that's a horse and yes, he olny used those tweezer things

We were of course shown into the gift shop after the demonstration, and as much as I wanted to, buying was just not an option with 4 months left of backpacking. From there we were released into the city to have free time (we had elected not to take the optional walking tour of the city) before needing to meet later for our organized gondola rides. Shereen and I broke off with Alia and Jen and walked back into the main square to have a walk around. The three of them had not been to Venice before and were very keen on going to the Doges Palace. I had been inside on my last trip and remembered it well, so I opted to have some time to myself to explore and save the money instead. I organized a time to meet the girls at the pillars and set off to find some wifi so I could download a city guide. After hitting up the Hard Rock Cafe and stealing some Internet, I wandered around looking at the artisan stores and taking photos of the beautiful city. After a while I needed some respite from the heat, so I went and sat on the edge of the square to people watch and pigeon watch before I had to meet the girls again. Who knew pigeons came in so many colours.

After meeting up with the others, we ambled over to the Rialto Bridge whilst stopping for some lunch on the way. Despite having downloading a map, I hardly used it, and I was amazed at how much I remembered from my last trip even though it was 6 years ago. It just goes to show how much this place makes an impression on you I guess.

After some more photo-shoots we made our way back to the square, stopping only to buy Jen a Venetian mask. We had planned to go into the Basilica, but when we got there the line was horrendously long. The girls weren't keen enough to wait and when I went on my school trip my choir actually sang at the mass there, so the memory of that was enough to last a lifetime for me.

Instead we opted to go to the top of the tower in the square. There was a line but it was moving very quickly so we started to make our way to the back. As we were walking we heard Kayla and Paul calling out to us. They were in the front of the line and we chatted with them before I went to join the queue. They told us not to worry and to cut in with them which I really didn't want to do. It is one of my huge pet peeves to have people cut in front of me, and in turn I never let people cut in with me on a whim, so I wasn't about to do it myself. I went to the back of the queue with Alia who felt the same way, but Jen and Shereen stayed. After a while Jen came to get us telling us that the people behind Kayla and Paul said it was fine. I still felt bad about it because it wasn't just them we were cutting ahead of. But Alia went to go up to the front and so rather than being left on my own I joined them, avoiding eye contact with all of the other people in the queue. At least the line was moving very quickly so that we maybe added 5 minutes to everyone's wait.

The view when we reached the top was spectacular. Littered among the terra cotta tile roofs were little rooftop terraces, where people sat to soak in the sun and clothes-lines ran from one building to another. You could see the canals twisting and turning out into the sea and the mainland off in the distance. I imagine it has looked this was for centuries, the only thing that gave the current century away was the satellite dishes perched on every building. It was nearing the end of our day and I was already feeling sad that we would be leaving soon. As much as others on the trip complained about the prices, the smell, the overcrowding and the pandering to tourists, I think it is still one of the most beautiful cities I have visited.

When we left the tower, we all headed back to the lion pillar to meet Vinny. From there he lead the whole tour group to the start of our gondola ride.

In our group was Kayla, Paul, Jen, Alia, Shereen and myself. We bought a bottle of Prosseco and enjoyed it on the open waters. Our gondolier refused to sing for us, so we got out our phones to provide a soundtrack for the ride.

/Brian and Paul comparing their backpack babies

After the gondola ride most of the group went off to an optional dinner. Shereen and I had opted not to go, as had Kayla and Paul so we set out to find a restaurant and have a meal together. As we walked we also noticed Laura, a Brazilian girl on the tour, was not going and had no one to eat with so we invited her to join us.

For dinner I had a steak which is a rare decadency for us while we have been traveling, and after witnessing so many lactose-intolerant people on our trip get fresh fruit instead of the dessert on our set menu and being really jealous, I ordered fresh pineapple as my dessert and will definitely steal the restaurants method of presentation any time I serve it myself.

When we finished dinner we started to slowly make our way back to the lion pillar to meet the rest of the group. On the way we stopped to look in little stores and at street vendors carts, and Paul bought some roses for Kayla which was adorable. When we got back to the pillar and waited a few minutes, someone suddenly remembered that we were supposed to meet back at the boat and not the pillar. Unfortunately it was time for the boat to leave... So we sprinted down the street and up over bridges, trying to figure out which building we had docked in front of now that everything looked completely different in the dark. We finally spotted our giant group boarding the boat and made it just in time, but they definitely would have left without us.

Look out for my next post: Returning to Rome

Xx

 

Lake Garda/Verona

We woke up today excited at the prospect of a swim as the group was heading to Lake Garda, a beautiful fresh water lake in the north of Italy.

After a short bus ride we reached our private boat which was to take us around the lake and to the town of Sirmione, where we would spend the rest of the afternoon. When we arrived we had free time so we broke off into small groups to do our own thing. Shereen and I decided to head straight to the beach and we made plans to meet Kayla and Paul there later for lunch. Vinny directed us to the nearest beach and we set off eager to get into the beautiful water. But after finding the only stretch of land that could possibly be considered a beach Shereen and I were worried about our sunbathing prospects. It was literally a stretch of pebbly sand 2m wide by about 5m long. Right behind it was the crowded pedestrian path that takes you around the island, and behind that was a restaurant where diners were overlooking the water. So rather than strip down to our bikinis in an area that felt about as appropriate as a shopping center, we continued along the path to a more secluded spot.

/Nope, I really have no explanation for this, except that I told her to do it

The place we ended up swimming was not exactly better than the last spot. It was flat sheets of rock which were nice to sunbathe on, but they had also formed somewhat of a reef you had to walk out over to be able to swim. This was made super difficult by the copious amounts of algae growing on them. As embarrassing as it was going first and sliding about like an idiot, once I had made it I could relax in the water and enjoy watching Shereen and Leisle (who we had bumped in to on our way) attempt to join me. About half way out to the water we noticed Jess, Brian, Megan and Jake further around the beach, but rather than walk across we chose to swim and save some dignity. They had claimed this giant flat rock sticking out of the reef to lay their towels on and had claimed it in the name of America. We all took pictures on the rocks, including some of Jake and his soap which he had brought especially for his freshwater bath.

Kayla and Paul found us and the five of us including Leisle went to find some lunch and a gelato. In the restaurant we chose there was a group of old men singing acapella and after a while I realised it was "The Sound of Silence" except in Italian. I was so hot that I didn't feel like something too creamy from the gelateria, so luckily they also had handmade icy poles. I had a mandarin and pink grapefruit flavoured one and when we met back up with the group Vinny found it hilarious because he said only little kids ever buy them.

We left Sirmione on the bus and headed to fair Verona, where we would spend the evening. When we arrived Vinny led the group to Juliet's balcony.

I found this place confusing, mainly because I had no idea what relevance it actually held. People seemed to be going too crazy over a random balcony, chosen to represent a fictional balcony, in a city that William Shakespeare never even visited. On top of the hysteria people had in that crowed courtyard, the walls were covered in chewing gum, which seems to have become a sort of tradition there, as well as graffiting the walls and attaching padlocks to everything.

After taking our token photo rubbing Juliet's breast to give us luck in love (Vinny told us not to put to much faith in this superstition, in his words "I rubbed it, I grouped it, I almost raped that friggin statue and I'm still single!"), Shereen, Kayla, Paul and I continued on to the main square to find somewhere to eat dinner. Because it was still early we decided to find somewhere that served cocktails, specifically sangria which had become a bit of a tradition within our group.

We were perusing a menu when a staff member came out and when we asked if they could make us sangria he said "of course!". We sat down and a waiter came to take our order, but when we asked for a jug of sangria he got very annoyed and told us they wouldn't make it saying "we are not in SPAIN!". We left and looked around for another bar that would make it, but alas, no sangria in Verona. So we made do with another restaurant and ordered cocktails before we ate. I had a strawberry mojito and Shereen made the mistake of trying Campari in a spritzer. I don't know if it was the heat, my empty stomach, the strength of the drink or pure exhaustion, but the alcohol hit me very quickly. After dinner we had to walk to meet the group and I felt tipsy the whole way until I could finally lie down on the steps where we were meeting everyone.

We weren't staying in Verona, so we boarded the bus and set off for Venice. The bus ride was hell, as even though Vinny had asked the "naughty naughty" Australian girls NOT to open their red wine on the bus as it was illegal for them to drink on there, they opened it, downed it and spilled it everywhere. When they had drunk enough they all started kissing each other and taking photos of it as well as running up to the front of the bus to blast different but equally terrible top-40 techno crap. As you can probably tell, I did not enjoy this. Neither did anyone else on the bus, but when we asked Vinny to turn the music off he said he didn't want to upset them. This was ridiculous to me, but we all just suffered in silence/ incredibly loud music.

My next post is on our day in Venice! Until next time...