Sunday, July 25, 2010
July 25 Berlin
Today is Joe´s birthday!!! He is still sick. We were going to go to Checkpoint Charlie and the remaining part of the Berlin Wall, but Joe is still pretty weak. We extended our stay, so if he is feeling better tomorrow, we´ll do it then. He did make some calls home and we got some laundry done today though. He was wanting to walk around so he came with me. We brought some balloons and a hand pump and he showed me how to make animal balloons while we were waiting for the laundry. We got more than a few questioning glances from the other people waiting for their clothes in the laundrymat
July 24 Berlin
Joe woke up sick today! On the plane into Frankfurt he sat next to a lady who was very sick and he apparently got what she had. I spent a lot of the morning with him (we did make it to a magic store where he got more ideas for his performance) and then when he went to sleep I did some sightseeing. I first went to an island on the river that has several museums. 
I didn´t go into any of them, but instead, had more of the city I wanted to see. I ran into an outside art festival, which was a lot of fun for me. I then went over to see the Brandenburg Gate 
and the Reichstag (the home of the German Parliament)
and then walked home. I was gone for over 6 hours and Joe had just gotten up from a 6 hour nap. Poor guy!
I didn´t go into any of them, but instead, had more of the city I wanted to see. I ran into an outside art festival, which was a lot of fun for me. I then went over to see the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (the home of the German Parliament) and then walked home. I was gone for over 6 hours and Joe had just gotten up from a 6 hour nap. Poor guy!July 23 Berlin Germany
Joe and his balloon animals!
We got up and jumped on the train to Berlin. It was a comfortable two hour trip. I amused myself with my knitting and watching the scenery out the window. The hostel we checked into is very nice. We are in a 6 bed dorm with a shower and toilet in the room. This was important to us because the one we stayed in Frankfurt (also a 6 bed dorm) has only two single toilet and shower bathrooms on the entire floor. There was ALWAYS a line to use the toilet and shower. It was also a party hostel, which sometimes is ok, but not when your roomates get drunk and forget the key to the room, which result in their banging on the door waking everyone up in the middle of the night. We have enjoyed our roomates the last couple of days, however.
Anyway, once we checked in, we headed to Alexanderplatz, an interesting and important plaza in Berlin.
Many protests took place there when Germany was divided before 1990. There was a wall in the plaza that informed the visitors about the events leading up to the Reunification of Germany. 
While I was busy with this, Joe met a new friend named Klause and they exchanged e-mail addresses. We then had dinner (more German food) and once again, splashed through the rain to our hostel. Only this time we had no jackets and the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. At least it isn´t hot anymore!
Anyway, once we checked in, we headed to Alexanderplatz, an interesting and important plaza in Berlin.
Many protests took place there when Germany was divided before 1990. There was a wall in the plaza that informed the visitors about the events leading up to the Reunification of Germany. While I was busy with this, Joe met a new friend named Klause and they exchanged e-mail addresses. We then had dinner (more German food) and once again, splashed through the rain to our hostel. Only this time we had no jackets and the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. At least it isn´t hot anymore!July 21-22 Frankfurt Germany
We had a very busy day! We had to catch a 12:30 pm flight from Venice to Frankfurt Germany. To do that we had to get up, checkout, walk to the waterbus stop to catch a waterbus to a piazza, get tickets and then board the bus for an hour and a half ride to the airport before we could check in at the airport, drop off our bags, and go through security. Now, I am not a great flyer. I´m not afraid of the flying itself. In fact, when the airplane takes off I breathe a huge sigh of relief. It´s the part before the plane takes off I hate. Maybe, I´ve been bumped from too many flights or something. I think many people can understand my stress level.Anyway, we made it to the gate without any problems and got into line 45 minutes early. Ryan Air doesn´t have seat assignments, so it´s first come first serve. It was then that we were notified that the plane was over an hour late. Oh well. We made it into the air 1 1/2 hours after we were suppossed to. Once we landed, we had to wait an hour for the bus to come to take us into Frankfurt. Ryan Air many times does not fly out and into a major city, however, it was the cheapest price we could find. The two hour bus ride was uncomfortable. We forgot to fill up our water bottles before we left and the bus had no AC. By the time we got into Frankfurt we were tired, hot, thirsty, and irritable. Thankfully our hostel was a short walk away from where the bus dropped us off. I was so happy to check in and drop off my stuff.
By this time we were very hungry. Since all we´ve been eating in Italy was pizza and pasta (it is really difficult to find anything else there for a decent price), I wanted some meat. We walked around the city some and found a good place to eat. I had currywurst (a hot dog with curry powder and ketchup-like sauce), fries, and a big German beer and Joe just had a beer (he was eyeing a rotisserie chicken a few blocks back). The food was sooooo good!
After my dinner Joe picked up his chicken and we headed back to the hostel for a good night´s sleep.
When we woke up, the hostel had a great breakfast prepared. Usually hostels have a very basic breakfast with toast and cereal, but this one had meat, cheese, eggs, and fruit as well. After breakfast we headed toward an art supply store. I have been wanting to make jewelry to sell. I have no idea if it´ll sell, but I´ve been needing something creative to do for some time now.
On the way to the store, we walked through what we call Bunny Park. It is exactly how it sounds, a park filled with bunnies! It was great!!
We finally found the store and Joe left me to my shopping. I have never made jewelry before and didn´t know what I needed. The German lady spoke limited English and had to get another lady to help translate, but we figured it out. I left the store very happy with the purchase.After we left that store, we found a hair salon and I got a haircut that was very needed. For the last month I´ve been wearing hats because my hair needed cut so bad. It felt so much better (and cooler) when it was done. I got a good price for it too. We then came across a yarn shop and I bought some more yarn for my knitting projects.
After the neccessities were taken care of, we went sightseeing again. We went to the old town where there were some really interesting buildings.
We also came across a market with sausage and beer tents. Of course we had to try it out. 
While we were eating, it started raining. We waited for some time, but when it wasn´t letting up, we sloshed our way back to the hostel where I worked on my jewelry until bedtime.Thursday, July 22, 2010
July 16-19 Venice
After an overnight stay in Milan (the most memorable thing that happened there was when I accidentally sat in someone´s throw up on the train), we headed to Venice. Venice is made up of 117 islands. It is very different. No cars are used on the island and everyone gets around by boat. Earlier this century, Venice started to sink, due to aquifers being put into the ground. This has caused alot of problems. There is widespread flooding and many ground floors in buildings are unusable. Tourists flock to the city, which has driven the price of everything up. The flooding, as well as the high cost of living, have driven many Venetians out of their homes. When I checked into the hotel, I asked where the "real" part of Venice was since I like to go to areas that are more local than touristy. He looked at me funny and told me there is no more real Venice, only tourist Venice. I found that unbearably sad.
After we checked in, we walked around to get our bearings. We window shopped and had dinner on the Grand Canal watching the boats go by. After a while it got noisy as party boats stared to go by. This did not fit my idea of Venice. I expected gondoliers singing and romance, not party central. Later we walked to St. Mark´s Square and I fed pigeons out of my hand. It was so much fun! We met a lady named Nancy who informed us that this was a major holiday (that´s what the partying was about). We followed her to the water and saw an amazing show of fireworks.
The next day, we went to the nearby islands of Burano and Torcello. Burano is known for its amazing lace. I saw many older ladies working on very intricate pieces in their stores. I bought a couple items I thought some family members would like. Burano is also known for its brightly colored houses. These colors follow a specific system and if one wishes to paint their home, they must ask permission of the government which gives them a certain selection of colors they can choose from. After Burano, we hopped on the waterbus to Torcello. There isn´t much to say about that except is is REALLY tiny and we got there when everything was closed.
The next morning, after losing Joe for over an hour (he wandered off again), we went to the island of Murano. This island is know for it´s glass. We went to a glass factory and watched a father and son make a jar. We spent a good portion of the day wandering from store to store looking at the amazing work. They make glass EVERYTHING here. It´s really beautiful. I got a couple affordable pieces, again for family since it´s pretty pointless getting it for myself when backpacking.
In the evening we decided to take in a little more culture. Venice was the birthplace of Vivaldi and we went to a concert featuring his music. The concert also featured some opera. This was Joe´s introduction to opera. I don´t think he enjoyed it very much, but he agreed to go with me again sometime. I think he´s just humoring me.
The last day we spent in Venice wasn´t very exciting. We had accumulated a few things on the trip and we needed to lighten our packs, so the first order of business was to go to the post office. They didn´t speak English there, so it took a few times to get it right. I also had to wait in the same line four times, but I got it done. We looked for a place to get my hair cut and a magic store for Joe. We couldn´t find either. We realized that the islands have everything a tourist would want or need, but has no regular store that a local could use. It gets a little boring after one sees the first 100 jewelry stores, mask shops and souvenir stands.
We didn´t want to leave Venice without a gondola ride, so we asked around for a good price. The cheapest we could find was €80. That´s over $100 for a 40 minute ride! We passed on the gondola and went back to the room instead. We lucked out with the room. We have a small terrace overlooking a canal where the gondolas go by. Every once in a while we even got serenaded with some Italian singing.
I am really glad that I got to experience Venice. It was very different from anything I have ever experienced. However, I was a little disappointed that I couldn´t experience anything of real substance. I would not come back in July again. It is hot and way overcrowded with tourists and cheap souvenir stands. I can imagine how it must have been like a few decades ago before everyone moved out. I bet it was wonderful! Venice, I believe, is unlike any other place.
After we checked in, we walked around to get our bearings. We window shopped and had dinner on the Grand Canal watching the boats go by. After a while it got noisy as party boats stared to go by. This did not fit my idea of Venice. I expected gondoliers singing and romance, not party central. Later we walked to St. Mark´s Square and I fed pigeons out of my hand. It was so much fun! We met a lady named Nancy who informed us that this was a major holiday (that´s what the partying was about). We followed her to the water and saw an amazing show of fireworks.
The next day, we went to the nearby islands of Burano and Torcello. Burano is known for its amazing lace. I saw many older ladies working on very intricate pieces in their stores. I bought a couple items I thought some family members would like. Burano is also known for its brightly colored houses. These colors follow a specific system and if one wishes to paint their home, they must ask permission of the government which gives them a certain selection of colors they can choose from. After Burano, we hopped on the waterbus to Torcello. There isn´t much to say about that except is is REALLY tiny and we got there when everything was closed.
The next morning, after losing Joe for over an hour (he wandered off again), we went to the island of Murano. This island is know for it´s glass. We went to a glass factory and watched a father and son make a jar. We spent a good portion of the day wandering from store to store looking at the amazing work. They make glass EVERYTHING here. It´s really beautiful. I got a couple affordable pieces, again for family since it´s pretty pointless getting it for myself when backpacking.
In the evening we decided to take in a little more culture. Venice was the birthplace of Vivaldi and we went to a concert featuring his music. The concert also featured some opera. This was Joe´s introduction to opera. I don´t think he enjoyed it very much, but he agreed to go with me again sometime. I think he´s just humoring me.
The last day we spent in Venice wasn´t very exciting. We had accumulated a few things on the trip and we needed to lighten our packs, so the first order of business was to go to the post office. They didn´t speak English there, so it took a few times to get it right. I also had to wait in the same line four times, but I got it done. We looked for a place to get my hair cut and a magic store for Joe. We couldn´t find either. We realized that the islands have everything a tourist would want or need, but has no regular store that a local could use. It gets a little boring after one sees the first 100 jewelry stores, mask shops and souvenir stands.
We didn´t want to leave Venice without a gondola ride, so we asked around for a good price. The cheapest we could find was €80. That´s over $100 for a 40 minute ride! We passed on the gondola and went back to the room instead. We lucked out with the room. We have a small terrace overlooking a canal where the gondolas go by. Every once in a while we even got serenaded with some Italian singing.
I am really glad that I got to experience Venice. It was very different from anything I have ever experienced. However, I was a little disappointed that I couldn´t experience anything of real substance. I would not come back in July again. It is hot and way overcrowded with tourists and cheap souvenir stands. I can imagine how it must have been like a few decades ago before everyone moved out. I bet it was wonderful! Venice, I believe, is unlike any other place.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
July 14 & 15 Cinque Terre
Ahhhhh. We finally made it to Cinque Terre. To be perfectly honest, we didn´t know much about the area when we decided to come here. I saw some pictures of it and when talking to backpackers, they said it is a must see in Italy. There are certainly alot of backpackers! The 5 villages are set pretty close together and a very popular thing to do is hike between them. There is a trail linking the villages and you can look over the rocky cliffs to the ocean. It is certainly beautiful.
When we first got here, we dropped our bags off in the room and decided to hike to the next town over. The temperature was pushing 100 degrees, but we made it. I stopped for a quick sandwich, we filled up our water bottles and continued to the next town. Right before we reached it, we learned that we had to climb over 350 steps to get to the center of town. Once we climbed it, we had a little celebration. We were halfway through the 5 villages! Or so we thought. About this time we met 3 others and had a nice conversation. It was over the course of conversation that we learned that the hike to the next 2 towns were much steeper and longer than the first two. We stopped to refresh ourselves over a frozen lemonade and I looked over the map. I learned that the entire hike through the 5 towns was 9 kilometers and we had only covered 2. That meant we had 7 more to go in steeper terrain than what we had just finished and we were exhausted! We resolved to finish the hike the next day.
When we woke up the next day, it was even hotter than the day before! We felt totally beat down. We decided to take the train to the furthest town of Monterosso and work our way back. By the time we got there, we were totally miserable. I felt like I was suffering from dehydration even though we were drinking gallons of water. I left Joe to practice his magic and juggling and bought some clothes that were much cooler and more comfortable than the ones I was previously wearing. Joe came running back to me very excited. During his practicing he was able to make 7 euros, but he feels he is still not ready to perform for tips yet. It was a great confidence builder for him.
We then got back on the train to go to the next town, Vernazza. This one had a beach, so we both got a slice of pizza and sat down by the water. We browsed in some shops before decided to take the train back to our town. We put on our bathingsuits and went swimming at the beach. It felt wonderful! After resting a bit, we went shopping for food. We got some pasta and pesto and went back to the room and Joe made a wonderful meal (we had a kitchen in our room). After dinner, we had a romantic stroll along the Via Dell Amore. This road links Riomaggiore to Manarola, the next town over. Couples come here and put a lock on the fence and throw the keys to the lock over the cliff. This ensures them being together for ever. Joe bought a lock earlier that day and enscribed our names on the lock. After throwing the keys overboard we strolled home. What a wonderful way to end our stay here.
When we first got here, we dropped our bags off in the room and decided to hike to the next town over. The temperature was pushing 100 degrees, but we made it. I stopped for a quick sandwich, we filled up our water bottles and continued to the next town. Right before we reached it, we learned that we had to climb over 350 steps to get to the center of town. Once we climbed it, we had a little celebration. We were halfway through the 5 villages! Or so we thought. About this time we met 3 others and had a nice conversation. It was over the course of conversation that we learned that the hike to the next 2 towns were much steeper and longer than the first two. We stopped to refresh ourselves over a frozen lemonade and I looked over the map. I learned that the entire hike through the 5 towns was 9 kilometers and we had only covered 2. That meant we had 7 more to go in steeper terrain than what we had just finished and we were exhausted! We resolved to finish the hike the next day.
When we woke up the next day, it was even hotter than the day before! We felt totally beat down. We decided to take the train to the furthest town of Monterosso and work our way back. By the time we got there, we were totally miserable. I felt like I was suffering from dehydration even though we were drinking gallons of water. I left Joe to practice his magic and juggling and bought some clothes that were much cooler and more comfortable than the ones I was previously wearing. Joe came running back to me very excited. During his practicing he was able to make 7 euros, but he feels he is still not ready to perform for tips yet. It was a great confidence builder for him.
We then got back on the train to go to the next town, Vernazza. This one had a beach, so we both got a slice of pizza and sat down by the water. We browsed in some shops before decided to take the train back to our town. We put on our bathingsuits and went swimming at the beach. It felt wonderful! After resting a bit, we went shopping for food. We got some pasta and pesto and went back to the room and Joe made a wonderful meal (we had a kitchen in our room). After dinner, we had a romantic stroll along the Via Dell Amore. This road links Riomaggiore to Manarola, the next town over. Couples come here and put a lock on the fence and throw the keys to the lock over the cliff. This ensures them being together for ever. Joe bought a lock earlier that day and enscribed our names on the lock. After throwing the keys overboard we strolled home. What a wonderful way to end our stay here.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
July 13: Chiavari and Portafino
This morning I woke up with the feeling I had no clue where I was was at. I´m surprised I hadn´t had that feeling more often on this trip. Joe explored the town of Chiavari (I found out the name), while I got back on the computer to find us a room for that evening. I had no luck so we decided to stay one more night and explore where we were at. We looked at a map and realized we were close to Portafino. I didn´t know much about Portafino except that we stayed at the Portafino Hotel in Universal Studios Orlando. Well, that was good enough for us! We took the train to Santa Margherita and got on a boat for the short ride to Portafino. When we got into port, we realized how well Universal Studios emulated the real thing. It was a really cute village. There wasn´t alot to it so we did a little perusing and had lunch by the water. The lunch was very good. We both had pasta with seafood. Yum, yum! After lunch we headed back to Santa Margherita. This was a bit larger than Portafino, so we walked around a bit and I had an excellent gelato (not my first one in Italy), then we went back to the hotel. I was very disappointed at first about the last couple of days being in a strange town I didn´t want to be in, however, today ended up being a pretty nice day.
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