So my final day consisted of an all out assault on several cities aided by many hours on trains. Not sure exactly where I left off, but here's what happened as I departed Budapest. We luckily caught the Metro just in time to make it to the train station with enough time for me to run and catch the train before it waited in order to make a late departure. This train took me to Linz, Austria, about an hour west of Vienna where I hoped off one train in order to immediately switch to the night train departing from the next platform on its way to Frankfurt.
I woke up in the morning in Frankfurt and wandered out of the station with my luggage. Eventually I got a sense of where I was going and did a bit of sightseeing which included the infamous European Central Bank. After a few hours and several breaks, it was cold and rainy, I made my way back to the train station where I waited for my express train to Brussels.
On the train to Brussels I chatted with the Germangirl sitting next to me and we decided to wander around the city together upon our arrival. We split the cost of a locker and left our belongings in the station and wandered around a bit before taking the Metro to the center of town. Lots of waffles, lots of chocolate, and lots of walking.
So, this final travel entry is being written as I sit onboard the Eurostar preparing to make its way back to London. I would promise a series of follow up post reflecting more on themes I noticed during my trip, and my plans for future ones, but to be perfectly honest I shouldn't be doing any of that as I've neglected a lot of work over the past 5 weeks. One post I will try to get up shortly will be a comparison of the cost of my travel with the Interrail pass I bought and the price I would have paid had I bought my tickets separately. I did a fair amount of travel and utilized some of the more costly high speed lines so I'd like to see how that breaks down.
Anyways, that's it for now as I'm back in London and I can pretty much sum up the next 6 weeks right here: Eat, study, sleep, take exams, repeat.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Budapest, Hungary
So this adventure starts out not in Budapest, but in Szekesfehervar. Try saying that at all, let alone three times fast. That's my roommate's hometown where I met him at roughly 11am in the morning following my midnight departure from Prague. He met me at the train station and we drove to his house where I dropped off my stuff before we made our way out to lunch at a very nice restaurant. We then walked around the downtown area and he gave brief history of the town and its history as a former seat of the kingdom. Then came possibly my favorite part of my 5-week adventure.
We went to the Turkish bath in town and spent roughly 3 hours there for roughly $10. I enjoyed all the pools as well as two trips to the sauna and one to the outdoor steam room. I haven't been that clean for weeks and certainly not as relaxed. After the baths we made our way back to his house where I got to meet his parents, and joined them for an amazing dinner of guess what? That's right: more sausage! After dinner we went out to the mall in town and watched the Chelsea-Barcelona football match where Chelsea held on to a one goal lead from the first half. By the end of the game I was exhausted and got a great night's sleep when we got back.
The next day we woke up (a little later than planned) and had a traditional Hungarian breakfast before making our way to Budapest by train. We dropped our things off at his sister's apartment in town and left to explore the city. We crossed the Chain Bridge towards the Buda side of town and walked up to the Palace and then down to the Fisherman's Bastion for a great view of the Parliament. We then made our way back to the main train station to meet up with two of the Canadians who I had met in Prague. We escorted them to their hostel, not without some difficulty, and I stayed with them while my roommate went to a meeting he had in the city. After they settled in we went for dinner at a surprisingly good and cheap Mexican restaurant and walked around town, making it back down to the Chain Bridge and getting a great view of the river by night. We met my roommate and made our way to a bar everyone had gone to where we declined to pay to get in, and instead went to a free one a few blocks down. Around midnight we all made our way home and once again, slept in a little later than anticipated.
We met up the next day at Hero's Square and walked around the city park that had been built for the World Exhibition of 1912. We walked down the boulevard that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and stopped by the museum of terror which featured a piece of the Berlin Wall. We took the underground to Parliament and from there walked down to the Grand Market for lunch. We walked towards the National Museum where we bid the Canadians farewell as they headed off to go caving with a group from their hostel. My roommate and I continued on to the second largest synagogue in the world and the main basilica in town before heading back to his apartment to pick up our things. We managed to make some quick connections and I made it onto a train to Austria where as I'm writing this I'm trying to figure out the next connection to make it to West Germany by morning.
We went to the Turkish bath in town and spent roughly 3 hours there for roughly $10. I enjoyed all the pools as well as two trips to the sauna and one to the outdoor steam room. I haven't been that clean for weeks and certainly not as relaxed. After the baths we made our way back to his house where I got to meet his parents, and joined them for an amazing dinner of guess what? That's right: more sausage! After dinner we went out to the mall in town and watched the Chelsea-Barcelona football match where Chelsea held on to a one goal lead from the first half. By the end of the game I was exhausted and got a great night's sleep when we got back.
The next day we woke up (a little later than planned) and had a traditional Hungarian breakfast before making our way to Budapest by train. We dropped our things off at his sister's apartment in town and left to explore the city. We crossed the Chain Bridge towards the Buda side of town and walked up to the Palace and then down to the Fisherman's Bastion for a great view of the Parliament. We then made our way back to the main train station to meet up with two of the Canadians who I had met in Prague. We escorted them to their hostel, not without some difficulty, and I stayed with them while my roommate went to a meeting he had in the city. After they settled in we went for dinner at a surprisingly good and cheap Mexican restaurant and walked around town, making it back down to the Chain Bridge and getting a great view of the river by night. We met my roommate and made our way to a bar everyone had gone to where we declined to pay to get in, and instead went to a free one a few blocks down. Around midnight we all made our way home and once again, slept in a little later than anticipated.
We met up the next day at Hero's Square and walked around the city park that had been built for the World Exhibition of 1912. We walked down the boulevard that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and stopped by the museum of terror which featured a piece of the Berlin Wall. We took the underground to Parliament and from there walked down to the Grand Market for lunch. We walked towards the National Museum where we bid the Canadians farewell as they headed off to go caving with a group from their hostel. My roommate and I continued on to the second largest synagogue in the world and the main basilica in town before heading back to his apartment to pick up our things. We managed to make some quick connections and I made it onto a train to Austria where as I'm writing this I'm trying to figure out the next connection to make it to West Germany by morning.
Prague, Czech Republic
So I arrived in Prague during the evening and it was a bit cold and drizzly outside. I exited the station and just kind of started walking and managed to miraculously make it to my hostel fairly quickly. I dropped off my things and went back to a square I had passed through in order to buy a sausage being sold out of a stall that was absolutely delicious (and cheaper than the ones in Vienna).
I went back to the hostel with my sausage and relaxed for a bit, uploading more photos to my computer and reading the tons of email that accumulate when I don't have internet access. That evening I went out with a few of the guys in my hostel to a local pub to watch a hockey game. I tried to find a salsa club, but sadly they all seemed to be closed. In their defense, it was Sunday night. Also, I went grocery shopping and got eggs to make for breakfast as well as the first appropriately priced Snickers bar I've seen in months. It was roughly 50 cents.
I started off the next day with eggs and sausage for breakfast before heading out to the Old Town Square to go on a free tour. I waited outside the huge clock that dominates the square because a corner near afforded me some refuge from the punishing winds. The tour began as did on and off rain, but I really enjoyed the tour as the guide pointed out a lot of the big sights in the Old Town and gave some historical context of a lot of them as well as a few jokes. I got to know some of the other people (Canadians) on the tour who were staying at a nearby hostel and they invited me to their hostel's outing that night, which I gladly accepted as my hostel had basically emptied out that morning.
After the tour we went to a pub called The Pub where they allowed you to pour your own beer at your table and used an electronic ticker to show how each table was doing in competing with other tables in the pub and at other affiliated pubs around town and in other cities. After this I made my way back to my hostel to relax for an hour or so before meeting at the hostel to go to dinner. The particular restaurant was chosen because they had an offer for 50 cent Czech beers. As you can imagine, people were happy.
We left and went to a bar near the hostel but I ended up going on a rather long return journey trying to help one of the girls I met find her scarf and unsuccessfully navigating back to the original restaurant. Eventually we found it with the help of a cabbie and made our way back to the bar. Eventually I made my home and returned to my still empty hostel.
Next morning, same deal with breakfast and I met some of the Canadians to wander towards the enormous Prague Castle, which is the largest castle in the world, because it's more like a castle complex with many interconnected buildings that serve different purposes, from museums to the presidential residence. On our way we crossed the famous Charles Bridge, visited the John Lennon wall, and the key bridge. Naturally, there was more sausage as well as delicious almond bread treat and a small sample of spicy chocolate ice cream.
I stopped by my hostel to pick up my things as I had technically checked out earlier and took my things to the other hostel where I would leave from. One of the Canadians turned out to be a chef and was making dinner for that night. I got a very good two course meal for 2 Euros. After dinner I took a tram across town to meet up with some of the Emory students studying in Prague for the semester before returning to the train station to catch my night train to Budapest.
I went back to the hostel with my sausage and relaxed for a bit, uploading more photos to my computer and reading the tons of email that accumulate when I don't have internet access. That evening I went out with a few of the guys in my hostel to a local pub to watch a hockey game. I tried to find a salsa club, but sadly they all seemed to be closed. In their defense, it was Sunday night. Also, I went grocery shopping and got eggs to make for breakfast as well as the first appropriately priced Snickers bar I've seen in months. It was roughly 50 cents.
I started off the next day with eggs and sausage for breakfast before heading out to the Old Town Square to go on a free tour. I waited outside the huge clock that dominates the square because a corner near afforded me some refuge from the punishing winds. The tour began as did on and off rain, but I really enjoyed the tour as the guide pointed out a lot of the big sights in the Old Town and gave some historical context of a lot of them as well as a few jokes. I got to know some of the other people (Canadians) on the tour who were staying at a nearby hostel and they invited me to their hostel's outing that night, which I gladly accepted as my hostel had basically emptied out that morning.
After the tour we went to a pub called The Pub where they allowed you to pour your own beer at your table and used an electronic ticker to show how each table was doing in competing with other tables in the pub and at other affiliated pubs around town and in other cities. After this I made my way back to my hostel to relax for an hour or so before meeting at the hostel to go to dinner. The particular restaurant was chosen because they had an offer for 50 cent Czech beers. As you can imagine, people were happy.
We left and went to a bar near the hostel but I ended up going on a rather long return journey trying to help one of the girls I met find her scarf and unsuccessfully navigating back to the original restaurant. Eventually we found it with the help of a cabbie and made our way back to the bar. Eventually I made my home and returned to my still empty hostel.
Next morning, same deal with breakfast and I met some of the Canadians to wander towards the enormous Prague Castle, which is the largest castle in the world, because it's more like a castle complex with many interconnected buildings that serve different purposes, from museums to the presidential residence. On our way we crossed the famous Charles Bridge, visited the John Lennon wall, and the key bridge. Naturally, there was more sausage as well as delicious almond bread treat and a small sample of spicy chocolate ice cream.
I stopped by my hostel to pick up my things as I had technically checked out earlier and took my things to the other hostel where I would leave from. One of the Canadians turned out to be a chef and was making dinner for that night. I got a very good two course meal for 2 Euros. After dinner I took a tram across town to meet up with some of the Emory students studying in Prague for the semester before returning to the train station to catch my night train to Budapest.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Vienna 2
As I hopefully explained fairly well in the previous post things went a little awry Friday so I'm back for more in Vienna. Saturday I went to the Leopold Museum, my first not inside a church museum this trip. It was refreshing to see art about themes other than Jesus. There were two special exhibits about prominent Viennese artists from the early 20th century and the exhibits included many of their works of art as well as some context for the time in which they lived.
We wandered out of the museum towards a festival outside the town hall dedicated to some region in the south of Austria. It was incredible. It was sort of like a state fair, except a lot more alcohol. There were beer and wine stands everywhere, as well as sausages, gingerbread, and cheeses. And to top it all off there was an enormous amount of live music with a few large ensembles scattered about as well as many small three-piece sets every couple of stalls.
Sadly, plans for more salsa fell through.
The next morning I got up with my friends to watch some of the Vienna marathon and made my way from the downtown area to the train station to make my way to Prague. There are no changes involved in this journey so I should definitely make it, at least to the train station.
We wandered out of the museum towards a festival outside the town hall dedicated to some region in the south of Austria. It was incredible. It was sort of like a state fair, except a lot more alcohol. There were beer and wine stands everywhere, as well as sausages, gingerbread, and cheeses. And to top it all off there was an enormous amount of live music with a few large ensembles scattered about as well as many small three-piece sets every couple of stalls.
Sadly, plans for more salsa fell through.
The next morning I got up with my friends to watch some of the Vienna marathon and made my way from the downtown area to the train station to make my way to Prague. There are no changes involved in this journey so I should definitely make it, at least to the train station.
Friday the 13th
So how about that nonexistent D 491 from Belgrade to Istanbul via Sofia. Soooo funny. The Budapest to Istanbul section of my journey was always the most ambitious, it was supposed to involved over 35 hours of train travel across eastern Europe. The route suggested by all the websites would take me from Budapest to Belgrade on an overnight train where I would catch an 8am train that would arrive in Istanbul at the same time the next day.
I completed the first part of that journey, boarding a surprisingly empty overnight train after a 3 hour ride from Vienna. I got to the station and was making my way towards the international ticketing desk. I got my first inkling that something might be wrong when I say the train I was supposed to be taking on the departure board and it had a sticker placed over it. As I waited in line to approach the counter I heard two girls in front of me mention Istanbul and they weren't exactly bursting with joy at receiving their tickets.
I got to the counter and got the very short response that there was no train departing, despite being told on more than one occasion to travel to Belgrade and buy the ticket for the rest of the journey there. There was no real explanation as to the discrepancy. I thought for a moment and decided my best plan was to hope on the train departing in just a few minutes that was on its way back to Budapest. As fun as I'm sure Belgrade must be, I was more than a little upset, know nothing about the city, and could hardly pronounce anything on the signs up around me.
On my way back to Budapest I considered trying for the alternate route via Bucharest, leaving me still with two days in Istanbul, but then I read a guidance site for the trip more carefully and noticed that the return journey from Istanbul typically takes an extra day because of delays that make catching consecutive trains difficult if not impossible. That would leave me with 1 day in Istanbul for nearly 5 days of travelling. I decided to cut my losses and head back to Vienna where I could regroup and formulate a new plan. I eventually settled on spending a few days in Prague before continuing on to Budapest to meet my roommate for a few days.
I completed the first part of that journey, boarding a surprisingly empty overnight train after a 3 hour ride from Vienna. I got to the station and was making my way towards the international ticketing desk. I got my first inkling that something might be wrong when I say the train I was supposed to be taking on the departure board and it had a sticker placed over it. As I waited in line to approach the counter I heard two girls in front of me mention Istanbul and they weren't exactly bursting with joy at receiving their tickets.
I got to the counter and got the very short response that there was no train departing, despite being told on more than one occasion to travel to Belgrade and buy the ticket for the rest of the journey there. There was no real explanation as to the discrepancy. I thought for a moment and decided my best plan was to hope on the train departing in just a few minutes that was on its way back to Budapest. As fun as I'm sure Belgrade must be, I was more than a little upset, know nothing about the city, and could hardly pronounce anything on the signs up around me.
On my way back to Budapest I considered trying for the alternate route via Bucharest, leaving me still with two days in Istanbul, but then I read a guidance site for the trip more carefully and noticed that the return journey from Istanbul typically takes an extra day because of delays that make catching consecutive trains difficult if not impossible. That would leave me with 1 day in Istanbul for nearly 5 days of travelling. I decided to cut my losses and head back to Vienna where I could regroup and formulate a new plan. I eventually settled on spending a few days in Prague before continuing on to Budapest to meet my roommate for a few days.
Vienna, Austria
What follows is tare my adventures in the former capital of Austro-Hungarian Empire.
I arrived early the next morning after my overnight train ride from Rome. While incredibly cheap (only 9 Euros for a 13 hour ride) I'll probably cough up the extra money for a couchette next time I'm on an overnight train. Due to a tragic mix up with the friend I planned on staying with I had arrived several hours before she returned from her holiday in Croatia. Fortunately she sent me excellent directions to her house where her roommate was able to let me in to put down my stuff and take a much needed nap. I was able to get in contact with another friend studying in Vienna to give me a wonderful walking tour of the city. This was particularly useful because since it was the day after Easter, the super religious denizens of Vienna was still taking the day off.
The real fun began the next day with my visit to the Viennese chocolate museum. Yes, a chocolate museum, dedicated to the history of the delicious treat and the family confectionery located in Vienna. I bought several pounds of chocolate and discovered by new favorite holiday: Day After Easter Sale Day! 50% off a huge chocolate bunny and some other small Easter gifts. I returned to the apartment I'm living in and was joined by my host on a trip to the Summer Palace of the Hapsburg dynasty.
A summer palace of one of the most enduring ruling families of Europe should practically explain itself, right? On the palace grounds there is an enormous garden (best way to see it is by horse and buggy), the enormous palace itself, and of course the world's oldest zoo still in operation. While I did not do all of these things I took a tour of the palace and walked up the main hill in the garden to get a great view of Vienna.
I made my way back into town where we got dinner at a curious kind of Austrian restaurant. If I'm recalling correctly this type of restaurant specializes in freshly made wines in addition to very good, if a little expensive food. I got traditional Viennese schnitzel. I accidently left out that before dinner we went to the oldest Irish pub in Vienna. Because no old town is complete without an Irish pub.
At this point my memory gets a little hazy and I can't remember the complete order of things I did next. But it included a visit to the Hapsburg's Palace and the Treasury where they keep many of the relics of the dynasty, including Charlemagne's crown. I also visited the imperial crypt inside an assuming church that served as the final resting place for the majority of the members of the ruling family, and capped things off with a trip up the tallest building in the city, which is none other than a really old church.
And there was salsa dancing.
I arrived early the next morning after my overnight train ride from Rome. While incredibly cheap (only 9 Euros for a 13 hour ride) I'll probably cough up the extra money for a couchette next time I'm on an overnight train. Due to a tragic mix up with the friend I planned on staying with I had arrived several hours before she returned from her holiday in Croatia. Fortunately she sent me excellent directions to her house where her roommate was able to let me in to put down my stuff and take a much needed nap. I was able to get in contact with another friend studying in Vienna to give me a wonderful walking tour of the city. This was particularly useful because since it was the day after Easter, the super religious denizens of Vienna was still taking the day off.
The real fun began the next day with my visit to the Viennese chocolate museum. Yes, a chocolate museum, dedicated to the history of the delicious treat and the family confectionery located in Vienna. I bought several pounds of chocolate and discovered by new favorite holiday: Day After Easter Sale Day! 50% off a huge chocolate bunny and some other small Easter gifts. I returned to the apartment I'm living in and was joined by my host on a trip to the Summer Palace of the Hapsburg dynasty.
A summer palace of one of the most enduring ruling families of Europe should practically explain itself, right? On the palace grounds there is an enormous garden (best way to see it is by horse and buggy), the enormous palace itself, and of course the world's oldest zoo still in operation. While I did not do all of these things I took a tour of the palace and walked up the main hill in the garden to get a great view of Vienna.
I made my way back into town where we got dinner at a curious kind of Austrian restaurant. If I'm recalling correctly this type of restaurant specializes in freshly made wines in addition to very good, if a little expensive food. I got traditional Viennese schnitzel. I accidently left out that before dinner we went to the oldest Irish pub in Vienna. Because no old town is complete without an Irish pub.
At this point my memory gets a little hazy and I can't remember the complete order of things I did next. But it included a visit to the Hapsburg's Palace and the Treasury where they keep many of the relics of the dynasty, including Charlemagne's crown. I also visited the imperial crypt inside an assuming church that served as the final resting place for the majority of the members of the ruling family, and capped things off with a trip up the tallest building in the city, which is none other than a really old church.
And there was salsa dancing.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Rome, Italy
So I end my Italian tour with Rome, the city to which all roads lead. I arrived in the early evening and met some of the other people staying in my hostel. We went out to dinner nearby and then relaxed at the bar of a much nicer hostel across the street. The next morning we made an early start to make it to the Vatican. You know, where the Pope lives.
We made our way through the Vatican Museum which, at least the way they tell it, is second only to the Louvre in the size of its collection. It is pretty easy to get lost inside but I think we managed to do alright by making it out in 3 hours. Afterwards I wandered over to St. Pete's Square and went inside the Basilica. I'll let the pictures do the talking.
After these amazing sights I met up with a friend studying abroad in Rome and we hit up a few more of the plazas and churches including the Pantheon. We then took a tram and bus ride up to a hill that provided an amazing panoramic view of the city. I made my way back down to my hostel and that night went out to dinner with some of the people in my hostel.
The next day started nearly as early with a quick breakfast on my way to the Colosseum. The weather wasn't perfect, but it cleared up as the day went on. In addition to a guided tour of the Flavian Amphitheater, I also went on a truly amazing tour of the Roman Forum. A Digression follows:
This tour reminded me of why I was so interested in the Roman civilization once upon a time. As my tour guide reminded me, the Romans have bequeathed us two amazing gifts. The first is most of our knowledge of antiquity because they kept such good records. The second, and arguably more important, is our notion of democracy. Yes, the Greeks are credited with developing the idea of rule by voting, but the Romans added two crucial additions: both a process of electing representatives, and the extension of citizenship beyond tribal identity.
Furthermore the early Roman Republic expanded as much by conquest as by persuasion. Their model of governance, and the architectural feats it enabled them to accomplish convinced tribes to willingly bind themselves to the Romans. Remember, the language is Latin because that was the language of the original Romans, but it eventually came to be spoken by a diverse people from England all the way to Syria.
The transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire is an incredibly interesting point of time. It represents one of the few civil wars fought not between warring ethnicities, but between differing ideologies. As the Republic expanded its military leaders amassed a power that eroded the republic ideals upon which the nation was founded. I hope this story is ringing some bells. Republics have a hard time ruling over people without turning into something else, and despite the glory of the Roman Empire it gave up on the founding ideals of the Republic.
Alright, back to me in Rome. After the ruins, I did a good bit of wandering around the city, again going to a variety of plazas, palaces, and very long staircases. Rinse and repeat with returning to the hostel and going out to dinner with a new set of hostel-mates.
My last day in Rome was spent just wandering out the city, hitting up a few sights I had passed by previously. Nothing particularly spectacular, unless you count Rome. So now I'm on my way to Vienna, so yet another language I don't speak. But at least they still use Euros.
We made our way through the Vatican Museum which, at least the way they tell it, is second only to the Louvre in the size of its collection. It is pretty easy to get lost inside but I think we managed to do alright by making it out in 3 hours. Afterwards I wandered over to St. Pete's Square and went inside the Basilica. I'll let the pictures do the talking.
After these amazing sights I met up with a friend studying abroad in Rome and we hit up a few more of the plazas and churches including the Pantheon. We then took a tram and bus ride up to a hill that provided an amazing panoramic view of the city. I made my way back down to my hostel and that night went out to dinner with some of the people in my hostel.
The next day started nearly as early with a quick breakfast on my way to the Colosseum. The weather wasn't perfect, but it cleared up as the day went on. In addition to a guided tour of the Flavian Amphitheater, I also went on a truly amazing tour of the Roman Forum. A Digression follows:
This tour reminded me of why I was so interested in the Roman civilization once upon a time. As my tour guide reminded me, the Romans have bequeathed us two amazing gifts. The first is most of our knowledge of antiquity because they kept such good records. The second, and arguably more important, is our notion of democracy. Yes, the Greeks are credited with developing the idea of rule by voting, but the Romans added two crucial additions: both a process of electing representatives, and the extension of citizenship beyond tribal identity.
Furthermore the early Roman Republic expanded as much by conquest as by persuasion. Their model of governance, and the architectural feats it enabled them to accomplish convinced tribes to willingly bind themselves to the Romans. Remember, the language is Latin because that was the language of the original Romans, but it eventually came to be spoken by a diverse people from England all the way to Syria.
The transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire is an incredibly interesting point of time. It represents one of the few civil wars fought not between warring ethnicities, but between differing ideologies. As the Republic expanded its military leaders amassed a power that eroded the republic ideals upon which the nation was founded. I hope this story is ringing some bells. Republics have a hard time ruling over people without turning into something else, and despite the glory of the Roman Empire it gave up on the founding ideals of the Republic.
Alright, back to me in Rome. After the ruins, I did a good bit of wandering around the city, again going to a variety of plazas, palaces, and very long staircases. Rinse and repeat with returning to the hostel and going out to dinner with a new set of hostel-mates.
My last day in Rome was spent just wandering out the city, hitting up a few sights I had passed by previously. Nothing particularly spectacular, unless you count Rome. So now I'm on my way to Vienna, so yet another language I don't speak. But at least they still use Euros.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Florence
My second of three Italian cities was amazing. It rivals Venice for history and has a commanding lead in art, while having much better food and the appearance of a much better lifestyle. As much fun as getting lost was, being able to easily walk the city and reach my destination by navigating from the huge Dome in the sky was a pleasure.
The first day I arrived and met a guy and my hostel to wander around with. We stumbled upon the aforementioned dome, long one of the biggest in the world and a major accomplishment in architectural improvements. We ordered pizza at a place that sold it by the slice and by the pound. I accidentally ordered more than I intended and wounds up eating well over a pound of pizza, but at an incredible price and at great quality. I really didn't have to worry about food again until the next morning. That night a friend from Vencie joined me at the hostel and we made plans to take a tour the following day.
A brief note, because I'm not sure where else to put this: this was my first truly amazing hostel. They served a free breakfast that included eggs, bacon, and unlimited amount of cookies. The beds were comfortable and the sheets were incredibly clean. The atmosphere was great and the layout was conducive to meeting other people as well as enjoying Florence from its terraces and patios.
The first of my tours of Florence took me around the outer rim of the historic center. You'd think I would have realized this now by living in London, but old cities are so incredibly walkable, because they used to be inside walls. Such fixed borders meant that there were clear constraints to the urban sprawl that plagues American cities and I literally walked 10 minutes from palace to art museum to humongous cathedral.
I had one of the best sandwiches I've ever head for lunch and ran into another friend Venice later that afternoon. I wandered around for an hour or two after a brief nap and planning session and then make the trek up to Michelangelo's Plaza outside the city where there is a duplicate of his famous David as well as an amazing few of the city. I relaxed there for a while before catching up with another girl from our hostel and making my way back for dinner.
The next day I went on another tour of different sites and learned more about the Medici family by going inside the Old Palace that still functions as a municipal building for the government of Florence. After that I made a return trip to the pizza place from day one before heading back to the hostel to catch a train to Rome.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Pictures
So there ended up being more pictures than I thought, so there probably won't be much explanation, but you should enjoy them regardless.
Venice, Italy
Once again, I'm a train from somewhere amazing to sp somewhere equally breathtaking. This time I'm leaving the island of Venice and on my way to Florence. Hear is a brief recap of my adventures in Venice.
Venice is beautiful. That much was clear shortly after I arrived on the island on the high speed train that brought me there. The series of canals that snake through the chain of islands give it a surreal feel and I doubt I'll ever see anything like it again. But because of this particular style of beauty, the island is a hell to navigate. Getting lost is simply part of the experience.
I spent my first day doing a good bit of that and established a solid diet for by time on the island: chocolate and pizza. I was pretty happy with most of my selections, the gelato was delicious, only one cookie let me down, and I had a brownie that almost rivaled by reward from the London airport.
As always I had great camaraderie to go along with the new city. A friend studying at St. Andrews in Scotland flew down to join me before heading off to meet another friend in another part of Italy. She was formally an art history major and kept me well informed on the beautiful works of art we encountered.
The most stunning part of Venice would have to be St. Marl's Square, which houses the Basilica of the same name and the Doge's Palace. I got to see the plaza at night on two separate occasions and on Sunday morning I snuck into mass on Palm Sunday. I was impressed. The Doge's Palace rivaled Versailles in my mind, as the ancient palace was a testament to the power of the rulers of the Republic of Venice well into the 18th century. It was more stately than the opulent Versailles and commanded a sense of respect rather awe at the sheer opulence of the structure. Which isn't to say it was without its gilded halls, grand archways, stunning courtyards, but it left a different impression.
Two runner-ups in this competition was my visit to the island of Murano where I made a few purchases, and my ride up the Grand Canal as I made my way to the train station to depart. I'd definitely like to return to the island someday when I have enough money to decorate my house with some of the amazing pieces of glasswork I saw in Murano. But until then I'll just settle for having the funds to continue my journey.
Also, someone keeps demanding pictures, so here's what I'm going to do: I'm looking through the pictures to pick out some of the best so that they can be uploaded quickly the next time I have internet access. Hopefully that will satisfy my many followers.
Venice is beautiful. That much was clear shortly after I arrived on the island on the high speed train that brought me there. The series of canals that snake through the chain of islands give it a surreal feel and I doubt I'll ever see anything like it again. But because of this particular style of beauty, the island is a hell to navigate. Getting lost is simply part of the experience.
I spent my first day doing a good bit of that and established a solid diet for by time on the island: chocolate and pizza. I was pretty happy with most of my selections, the gelato was delicious, only one cookie let me down, and I had a brownie that almost rivaled by reward from the London airport.
As always I had great camaraderie to go along with the new city. A friend studying at St. Andrews in Scotland flew down to join me before heading off to meet another friend in another part of Italy. She was formally an art history major and kept me well informed on the beautiful works of art we encountered.
The most stunning part of Venice would have to be St. Marl's Square, which houses the Basilica of the same name and the Doge's Palace. I got to see the plaza at night on two separate occasions and on Sunday morning I snuck into mass on Palm Sunday. I was impressed. The Doge's Palace rivaled Versailles in my mind, as the ancient palace was a testament to the power of the rulers of the Republic of Venice well into the 18th century. It was more stately than the opulent Versailles and commanded a sense of respect rather awe at the sheer opulence of the structure. Which isn't to say it was without its gilded halls, grand archways, stunning courtyards, but it left a different impression.
Two runner-ups in this competition was my visit to the island of Murano where I made a few purchases, and my ride up the Grand Canal as I made my way to the train station to depart. I'd definitely like to return to the island someday when I have enough money to decorate my house with some of the amazing pieces of glasswork I saw in Murano. But until then I'll just settle for having the funds to continue my journey.
Also, someone keeps demanding pictures, so here's what I'm going to do: I'm looking through the pictures to pick out some of the best so that they can be uploaded quickly the next time I have internet access. Hopefully that will satisfy my many followers.
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