Frazier Blog

Somehow made the early bus leaving at 9am when I woke up at 8:20.  Happened to sit by the same group as I did on my way in. The whole  staying out of the city thing was a wash; ya it was cheaper but it  wasted an hour of my life on a bus and the mosquitoes sucked. I hit one last night and there was blood from it on my leg.   Checked my bag and  was good to go.

I bought a 12 hour water bus ticket and hopped on. I felt that I just  needed to be on the water in Venice. I also planned on doing the Rick  Steves Venice by boat tour later. I was aiming for St. Marks square  and Basilica to hit before the crowds did. It was too hot and I was too hungry so I got off at a random stop and started walking. I passed two cafes that in hindsight would probably been better than where I  settled. Oh well. Had a big breakfast and was on my way. Found my  way to St. Marks square and used the Rick Steves check a bag trick to skip to the front of the line. Amazing. Walked in.

Oh my. The whole church is painted with gold. Never have I seen such an  ornate church before. The whole thing glowed brilliantly. I paid to  view the altar screen, wow! Something like 1000 precious stones.  Crazy. Then paid for the church treasury, again more stones and  diamonds. This church is a fort Knox of churches. Sat though part of a  mass and than paid to view the museum and terrace. Stunning view of  the church from above. Walked outside and got a good view of the  square despite all the construction. When I walked back in the inside it no longer glowed. At first I thought it was from less sunlight. Now I  think it is because they shut off lights. Glad I saw it when I did.  Stark difference. While entrance to the church is free I paid for the three exhibits. Worth it though.

Grabbed my bag and headed for the Rouge Palace. Very interesting and  amazing. Bit too long of a audio tour to relive or tell. Huge rooms and  paintings. Lots of wealth. Learned how powerful Venice really was.

Lunch at a Rick Steves spot. Good call. Then gelato. Lady was giving  small scoops, new person came in for me and got a normal size.

I wandered and wandered. Great time. Ended up at a bar to watch the  world cup game. Netherlands vs. Brazil. Crowd was for the Netherlands.  Very energetic and fun.

Loved wandering around. Great city. Such cool buildings. The Bridges are  great. I had no clue where I was half the time. Would find crowds and  always run from them. Tailed an angry guy on a cellphone, listening to him yell at the person on the other end was funny. When I wanted the maze to end I would find signs to a landmark. Really fun.

Now my mission was dinner. I tried for some Rick spots but they all opened too late. Kept finding too touristy of  places. Finally found a good one. No English menu, not 500 choices and  no “tourist menu”. However it opened far too late for me to catch my  night train.

About to give up I walked towards a main drag as I was settling for a tri-lingual menu when an alley way caught my eye.  It contained an open  patio and it’s menu was only in Italian and hand written. Yes!

Sat down and asked the waiter for the best pasta dish they had.  She was explaining and after 2 seconds I went for it. It came out and I knew I had found the place I had been looking for. Pasta and  schrimp and it smelled so good and tasted even better. After wards she started talking about dessert I said I’m full and have a train to catch. She said it’s  not that far to the station and we have great tiramisu. She had me at hello.  Great choice.  It came out looking good and tasting even better.Decked with chocolate.  Worth every Euro.

First night train expereince. Luckily our car’s AC was working because the  one behind us was not so lucky. Cool guys on board. I slept poorly as it was  loud and weird feeling the train change speed. Hopefully tonight is  better. I’ll be in Salzburg tomorow then leave by night train for the Rhine area after the day.

Loved Venice,

Paul

**thank you all for the many comments. I enjoy reading them. I hope these entries are still interesting to read.*****

After a good nights sleep I woke up feeling refreshed and my back finally felt better after a nice stretch session the night before. Threw clothes in my backpack to go get laundry done. First place was self serve only. Second looked that way and had a line so I left. Asked the front desk if I could leave a little late and they were fine with that.

At breakfast laundry came up and it turns out that second place doesdo full service. Got almost all my clothes washed for 10 Euro. Off to the Vatican again to climb the dome and take a photos of St. Peterswithout the sun setting behind it.

As I approached the Vatican I got offered at least 10 tours. At first I just walked past them, then changed to a strong NO. Not sure whichmethod is better. When I said no they would lie to me and say therewas a 2.5 hour wait for St. Peters. I replied to one guy, you know that is not true.

Got there and there was about a 25 minute wait to get through security,somehow I made it 10. A little confidence and walking straight goes along way.

Found my way to the dome entrance and waited to buy my ticket. I took the easy way out and took the elevator and 323 stairs versus 600 plus.Great view from the top. Gave me an image of how big Rome really is. Iwas hoping to be able to see the Coliseum but Capital Hill blocks it I believe. The view confirmed my theory. Rome is HUGE and most of it is just ugly buildings.

Came down and checked out St. Peters again. It was nice to be able totake my time and not be exhausted from the heat and crowds. I was also glad that I was there for the mass yesterday. They turn on more lightsand it makes the throne of the altar look even more impressive.

I took photos as I left and made sure to turn the right way. My search for a good lunch began. I almost bought pizza from a street cart but could not stomach the 5 Euro price and the day old look. I turned down arandom street off the main drag and found a hole in the wall pizza place. I made my selection of amazing looking pizza and she cut me waytoo big of a slice. She told me it cost 2.50! Half the price and double the pizza. Amazing what 200ft can do.

Once at termini I still had time to check out the national museum. While I flew though it I’m glad I did. Amazing the art the Romans created. This one piece took up a whole room. Reminded me of Monet. In the basement was a coin collection large and valuable enough to warrant vault doors. By finishing this visit my Roma pass really paid off!

Collected my bags and laundry and was off to the train station. Got a huge last gelato in Rome for a good price and boarded my four hour train to Venice. I played a bit of musical chairs as we went to different stations to always have more room. The window seat when seated next to a bigger person is not that comfortable. Did lots of blogging on this ride. Worked on day 11-14. I hope my iPhone screen does not wear out!

In Venice I tried to take a water bus to the real bus station for my shuttle to the camping hostel. I had a cabin. But the teller laughed and said it’s a one minute walk, so I walked. Had 50 minutes til the shuttle. Found a dinner place with a great place to sit. My photo of the day comes from this spot.

Upon the shuttle I asked how the place was. People said fine as long as they get your reservation right. The pool was nice but it closes at 9, we got there at 9. Upon check in there was some issue with my reservation still not sure what. Get to my place. Good deal for

only 17 Euro. The mosquitoes were an unwelcome surprise thou.

Found out there was a pool party so I got to swim after all. Yeah!. Met a group of Aussies, as always and a group from England. Talked to the English girls for a while and had a big conversation about the University system with Hailey or Lilly. Good night.

When I made my bed the fact that my top sheet was used as a toga the night before, should have tipped me off that my female Roommate was a bit wild. Don’t worry I got on a new one after I asked my other Roommate Scotty why it was all wadded up. A minute after

I got into bed I hear her struggling to open the door. The area is so small though I could not be certain it was our door. I also heard a male voice. They both came stumbling in. As I prepared to put in my ear plugs she noticed I was new and awake. She said hi and then kept

asking if I was the silver fox. I guess there was a grey haired man at the pool party tonight. They quickly realized it was not me but insisted on calling me that over 15 times. All I could think about was white fox from houseboat camp aka Steven Strott.

I put my earplugs in and went to sleep. I woke up cold too many times in the middle of the night because the girl put the ac on full blast when she came in.

Excited for Venice,

Paul

Woke up and went to request I stay in the same room.  I was in a six person room and was supposed to switch to an eight but they let me stay and didn’t even ask for more money.

Headed back to the Pantheon since it was closed yesterday. Took the 64 bus. Two stops away a woman starts yelling about her wallet. She has been pick pocketed. It happened at a stop and she did not realize it until after we had already left. Rick called it, line 64 tourists and   pickpockets alike. I was already paranoid about it because of many warnings and Rick saying they dress up as tourists or businessmen. It got so bad I thought a priest and nun were running a coup on me. I made them recite a rosary before I believed them.

Pantheon was crazy. Can’t believe the Romans were able to build something so grand so long ago. Funny watching the birds fly around inside thanks to the big hole.

Tried to do lunch at Tiapiacera, a Rick Stevesrecommendation but I think it is gone. We will see how this place is.  Great lunch. Pasta, salad, some meat and a generous glass of wine for 10 Euro. Score. Off to the Vatican.

The line was huge for non ticket holders. Biggest line for anything I have seen yet. I had a tour lined up with the guide my parents used last year. Being with her or having a reservation allowed the awe and fear inspiring line to be bypassed. I still can’t believe people don’t buy these tickets ahead of time. Guess I can’t talk too much as I got lucky in Florence.

 Cool to be in the Vatican. My parents build up the tour guide so much.  However she faced a perfect storm.  A massive crowd roamed the museum since it was closed yesterday for the holiday of St. Peter and Paul. At 2:30 it was the heat of the day and the group I joined was a family of three boys 12-14 and two moms and a grandma. My understanding was that this was a tour of the whole Vatican but I became worried when one of the moms told the guide her kids were tired. We speedballed through the first part of the museum with the goal of getting to the Sistine Chapelquickly. The kids were being brats the whole time. Got great history from the guide. Trying to reach the Sistine reminded me of the metro yesterday.

The Sistine Chapel is amazing!  Got a great painting by painting explanation from the guide.  Once she finished I could tell the tour was over. Ah. I had not prepared anything else because I thought I had a guide for the museum and St. Peters.  I asked her where to go next and she gave me some tips.  I toured the rest on my own.

Rafael was cool but should be done before the chapel. Back in the chapel I listened to the Rick Steves audio guide. He did a good job but the tour guide was better.
Missed the cutoff to hike the dome so went to St. Peters. Stunning. So gargantuan. Mass was going on and I felt it would be appropriate and a great experience to attend. Pretty darn cool receiving communion in such a historic place. Left the Vatican.

Don’t get me wrong i had a great time. I was just expecting to have to do less work. Seeing the sistine and hearing some of the guides explantions put a nice backstory and finish to all of the art and building I had seen up until this point.

Got real lost. Shop keeper pointed me in the right direction. Got on the #40 bus. I got off a big shopping area found a film store that had a Memory card for 22 Euro. 3 times less than I had seen before! No more deleting photos. Yay!

Really tired once back at the hostel. Tried to see if the girls were doing the festival thing but did not hear from them. Went to dinner at a place with good Google reviews. They moved me three times to accommodate groups. The bruschetta was great. My main course tasted bad. Or maybe I just did not like the style. I felt it was too doughy and cheesy. I love cheese but not mush.

Checked out the hostel/bar next door as it was one I looked at. Did not like the vibe. Felt as if I was at a frat party. In fact, during dinner I watched someone get iced complete with a rousing “you got iced, you got iced” chant, classy.

As I was turned to leave I recognized a face, my buddy Piort from Switzerland! Said hi and bye.  I wanted to stay for a beer but was exhausted. 

 Tried to find good gelato to wash down my lackluster dinner. But the places I found went from bad to worse.

Not every night can remind me of a fairytale. The more I reflect on this I think the poor dinner is what really put me in a sour mood.

My back is not getting much better. It hurts to stand sometimes. It’s not pain everywhere just in a concentrated spot.
Back at the hostel checked my email and got up to leave but heard a conversation about Canadian accents and had to join. However when they went to leave for a bar a bus ride away I called it a night. Went and packed and then passed out in my now A.C.-less room. Ya, it disappeared; machine and all during the day and an anemic fan replaced it.

Tired!

Paul

Big day today! I had my Roma pass in hand (great deal 2 free entries and free transit for 3 days for 25 Euro) and was ready to see the Coliseum and Forum.

Taking the metro redefined my definition of cramped. The train stops about where I was standing on the platform and a mob of 5 deep people were all trying for one door. Soon I no longer had to move or stand because the mob handled it for me. The doors closed and I could not move.

Even after 12 days of amazing sights my first glimpse of the Coliseum wowed me. Even by today’s standards it towers in the sky. If people were all wearing the same colored shirts I would have thought I was on my way to a sporting event.

I started my Rick Steves audio guide and headed for the entrance.  I always go for the shortest line and assume my pass grants entrance as it almost always does. As I strolled past a never ending line of ticket less tourists and a smaller but still long line of people in tours that were promised a short line I reached the non existence line for those with Roma passes and was inside. Passes are like Staples easy buttons.  There was not even a security check today which saved even more time.

Once inside, the 1800 year old building continued to impress me. I leisurely strolled around taking it all in. I enjoyed the history lesson courtesy of Rick Steves and sat down to delete photos from
my camera so I could take some. I turned on “Eye of the Tiger” and went to work. Hard to delete.  I think I might need to buy another card.

Walked around and took photos of the place while listening to   “let’s get ready to rumble”.

Exited and found a cafe off the beaten path and found a cheap sandwich for lunch then got some gelato and was off to the Forum.

I could not believe how many ruins still exist today. Crazy thinking that I walked though what used to be the center of the hub of the Roman Empire. The senate building exists largely as it did 1600 years ago thanks to the use of it as a church for many years. Crazy to think about what wars were planned and approved in that building. Again the free Rick Steves audio guide was great. I finished the tour and just sat and admired for a bit then left.

 Walked around the Capital Hill area and than made my way to the Pantheon. Sadly it was closed due to a festival. Next stop the Trevi fountain. I made a detour into some churches near by. Really cool, thanks Rick for the recommendation.

Fountain impressed me and I sat and enjoyed. Watched people get in trouble for laying backwards into it. Threw a coin over my shoulder and went towards the Spanish steps. Honestly did not know what I was looking for. But then I found them, lots of steps. So I walked up them. Great view of people and the city. I think the area contains many shops as crowds of people filled the nearby streets. Headed for the hostel.

Called the girls from Florence and set up a place to meet so we could go find a dinner spot. Got there but they were no where in sight. Looked for a group of 4 girls but could not find them.  15 minutes overdue I popped in my sim card and gave them a call.  A dollar a minute later I found out they were on their way. In the mean time I asked the policeman guarding the square if I was in the right place and they were now startingto make fun of me. 5 minutes later my phone rang and I found out they were at a different place. We set up a new place to meet.

Picked a restaurant. My meal was good and the wine was cheap. During dinner I learned they had never had gelato!!!! Afterwards we quickly set out on a quest for a good gelato place. Found one. Always good when you can see the machines in back. After enjoying great gelato at an awesome
place I suggested we go chill at the Spanish steps. We picked up some wine along the way.

We passed a drunken man and his wife at a restaurant he gave me a flower and she gave it to Steph. For a second it looked like he was going to hand me a wad of cash.  As we approached one of the girls was given a flower by a street vendor. As I suspected I was asked to pay for it. I gave him two Euros.  I wanted to do less but that was all I had. He asked for more, I said no.

As we reached the steps we observed a wedding party taking photos at the bottom and guitars were beginning to play. Soon another joined.  Music, friends, nice weather and a fountain make for a great night.  They started with Cat Stevens and the Beatles. Just when we thought
it was going to be all oldies we hear in Italian the English “the party don’t start till I walk in” oh Kesha, followed by Black Eyed Peas.  A good part of the crowd joined in singing “tonight’s going to be
a good night” then some Jason Maeqz.  Next was Italian music prompted by a local guy and then more Cat. We tried to request Journey and Tom Petty but they had neverheard of them.

Walked the girls back to their hotel. We talked about maybe checking out a festival thing tomorrow night. I got home after taking several wrong turns. Took me 20-30 minutes longer than it should have.

Whew that was a day(a great day),

Paul

Woke up and started a load of laundry and they said it would take an hour.  Never have I seen a washing machine use so little water. I hoped my clothes would come out clean. Used the dead time to shower and pack.  And then the clothes were still washing. And washing and washing. It took about 2hrs just to wash. Luckily I had blogging and planning to do so I did not mind. Finally left the hostel at 11 for the hike of the Duomo, dome, the doiemo and perhaps a hike of the city view.

Duomo hike line was long but quick. Very energetic restaurants pusher moving though the line, spoke at least 3 languages.  Interesting stairs as always.  Met four girls from Massachutes, takes with them, took a photo for them and visa versa. Asked them where they are going next “Rome” “me too!” exchanged contact info and we are going to try and meet up for dinner. We will see what happens.

Loved the view from the top. Always great to see a city like that.  Also a great view of the dome up close and personal. Line was still long for the church so I headed off to hike for a view of the city.

Grabbed some gelato at Grom, a gelato place. Best gelato ever. They don’t even display it, they don’t need too! This place always has a line out the door.  That is where my photo of the day came from.

Stopped for lunch at this cafe near the place on the map where my mom said was an awesome spot. Heard no English inside and no English on the menu.  Always a great sign. Had a spicy salami sandwich of sorts. Whew. Hot.  Cleared out my pores. Headed up the hill to get a view of the city.

I did not consult a map and just headed up. Worked out pretty well then it felt like it had been too long and I asked a local. Via gestures I decided to turn around. Found the gate to a park. Closed. I guess someone died there recently. My time was up so back to the hostel and then train to Rome. Managed to sneak a quick entrance into the Duomo. I was prepared to cut the line but did not have too. Great to see it from the bottom too.

By now I really like the city of Florence. Despite the crowds, I enjoy the building style, tight streets and pedestrian friendly nature.  Areas across the river and back alleys give Florence and even better feel. I think the swarms of tourists had given it a bad vibe to start but once I began exploring the side streets I enjoyed the city much more.

Love these high-speed trains; 1:45 to Rome.  Arrived!  Andy hostel was easy to find and nice. Met two of my roommates and then time for the WC game. What a mad rush of a day: free pizza at the laundry, packing in the Duomo, hike, train, cool room mates and fun people at night hostel.
Struggled to find change to buy tokens to get a beer. Met two friendly American girls in the process. Watching the game was great. The hostel hosted a large contingent of Brazil fans and every time they scored, which was often, they went wild. Fun. Added two guys to our group and we headed out for some pizza. Then we tried to find a park. As we cut through Termini it was closing and we were kicked out by the police.  Never found the park and called it a night.

In Rome,
Paul

Woke up and headed for the Uffizi gallery. I was nervous because I  heard the line was a 3hr wait without a reservation, which I did not have. My strategy was to try and pick up a same day reservation or come back at the end of the day.  I had been told during the last hour the line goes away.

I took the long route to get there and somehow made a left when I needed to go straight. After I made my loop back, I had to laugh at myself as I was 100yrds away around a corner from it before I made my 15 minute  detour. O well, saw a cool church and more of the city.

Walked to the reservation office past the no ticket line, which the guard informed me, was 2-3 hours long. I was ready to have to live with whatever reservation time was left. I was shocked to see that I could get one for 45 minutes later and that they had them all though out the day. I picked up one for Uffizi and managed to get one later for Academia. At first I was confused as to why there were so many reservations available last minute and then my business degree kicked in. A normal ticket costs 10€, however there is a 4€ reservation fee. A tax on not wasting 2-3 hours. And the museum gets 40% more on all those tickets.

Grabbed lunch at a restaurant in the main square by the museum. Mistake.  Total tourist trap!  Oh well the pasta was decent for being microwaved warm and overpriced. They carry your tray outside to a table for you.  The waiter set mine down with the group in front of me, while both of us tried to say no he did not stop. Since he set it down at their table, the group and I seemed okay that I eat with them.  They were a group of high schoolers on a trip across Europe. Sounds like they are having a good time.  After they took a photo with me it was time for Uffizi.

Very impressive museum. I got the audio guide so I learned lots about how painting and art evolved. Each age impressed me in their own way.

After a stop for amazing gelato, or something similar I got this blueberry thing, I headed to Academia. Again always look for the shortest line when you have a pass of some sort. Always seems to save time.

Wow. The way the David commands your attention when entering the room exceeded my expectations. Others had told me that the copies were good enough. However in my opinion the David exceeds or at least meets expectations. The level of detail stunned me. I could not believe the veins, muscles and movement present. I even looked at it a couple of times and each time the statue impressed me.

Got some more gelato and headed for the Ponte Vecchio to see it during the day. So many shops selling gold jewelry. I witnessed a man watch as his wallet shrunk as his wife was offered more and more jewelry to try on. I walked in and enjoyed the view the shops have out over the bridge.

After crossing over I was ready to head home. My back was hurting even more and my feet were tired. I still love the view from my hostel door. Bam, Duomo.

Met some more Austrians. Shocking. Drank some wine with them and waited for the free snack and wine at the hostel. They had some pretty good pasta and cake thingy. It was nice to meet more people from the hostel. Met a girl who is 17 and traveling alone for 10 weeks. I never would have guessed she was only 17 and she looked and acted like 21. I think my shock annoyed her thou. Oh well, can’t make everyone happy.

Headed to a bar to watch the World Cup game. While the people make an evening out of this, the bar almost killed it. I regret eating there. Besides the menu having Italian titles as well you could have convinced me I was in America. O well. We left and headed to a bar. Got a recommendation for a gelato place and headed there. Great gelato!

Then some people wanted to drink more I was done for the evening but hung out a bit more. Earlier in the night I was challenged to arm wrestle by Ragib, I thought I would have an easy victory. I was wrong.  After I lost the group informed me that he beats almost everyone despite his unthreatening appearance. We kept joking though the night we should use him as a bar bet. A flower vendor approached and our opportunity arose. These guys walk around constantly trying to hawk roses. We made him an offer, arm wrestle Ragib; if Ragib wins we get one rose for the girl in our group; if he wins we buy two roses. After offering a second time and sizing up his scrawny opposition he agreed.  A bad bet on our part, tough looking street vendor. After a hard fought battle, Ragib triumphed! A great spectacle to watch. Turns out they are both from the same country so the vendor joined us for a bit.

Then on to a dance club. Being in a foreign country did not help my dancing skills. Oh well, I still had fun.

Left. Found the Duomo. Bed. and for those of you counting. 3 gelato stops in a day.

Trying to enjoy Florence more,
Paul

Woke up to an overcast city but a great view of the local architecture.
Took my time packing up and decided I would bite the bullet and send
some stuff home. Of course this was not an easy feat. I found a box
from a local store and headed to the post office. After struggling to
find it I was informed it would cost 18 Euro, well worth losing the
weight but he had no tape to close the box. After checking 2 stores in
vain, I tried the police/public safety office; they happily taped up
the box. Sadly I had added more stuff which put the price to 40 Euro.
So I had to open back up my box and reuse the tape to get the price
back to 18 Euro.

Now it was time to head to the beach. I decided I’d do the hike but
with how late the trains run in this city I did wanted to leave my pack
at the station I was leaving from. I hiked from town 1-2 with all my
stuff; I’m traveling with one large ski pack a small backpack and my
DSLR camera, and have the photo to prove it. A funny sight. After
taking all the great photos I headed to the station to go to town four
for the sights and beach. Train I wanted was 10 minutes late. Now 25,
30, 45. Lucky they did this within 10 minutes so I knew I had 35
minutes I could use. I headed back to town 2 got a sandwich of sorts
and a cheap bottle of wine. I had a nice picnic at the station while
waiting for the train. Finally came 40 minutes late.

Once at town 4 it was time to store my bag. Approached the ticket
counter with cash in hand only to be told NO. What? “it’s a security
issue.” before I could counter with,” but they do it at the town 1
station” he informed me “you can store it at the town one station.”
That did not help me at all.

I walked down the street to find a hostel or hotel that would let me.
Problem being there are not really hotels in Cinque Terra. There are
places with tiny lobbies that give keys to rooms. After I ended up at
the harbor, which looked beautiful and begging to be swam in, I headed
back up the street to get away from the main drag. I was excited to
find a pension and inquired about my bag. “No it’s a liability, try
the police station.” I did, they recommended the train station.

Annoyed and sick of lugging my bag around I thought fine I’ll just use
it as a chair at the beach. Walking that way I saw a shop that looked
decently big by Cinque Terra standards and felt an urge to try there. I
asked and she looked confused. Then used hand motions to explain, you
store bag I’ll give you 2 Euro I come back I give you 2 more Euro. She
understood and proceeded to say no, to the money. She gladly took my
bag and let me place it in the corner of my store. Perfect. After much
thanking I left.

Hiked a little past town four. Can’t wait to put up photos. So pretty!
Caught a view of the beach and could not wait to get in the water.

Found a cafe/bar with a restroom, ordered a .90 Euro coffee and
changed in their restroom and hit the beach.

Beach is awesome. Started reading the book given to me by Sean, “High
Fidelity”. It’s alright; guy just needs to enjoy life a bit more.
Funny though.

I wanted to get in the water but did not want to just leave my daypack
chilling. I started scoping out people I could ask to watch it. A
group of Americans looked good but then I spotted two friendly girls
my age. Asked them to watch and they were happy too.

The swim was amazing! Water felt great and I love how easily you
float. I swam out to the rocks/bay pier and enjoyed a magnificent view
of the city from the water.

When I returned my bag was exactly where I left it. Started talking to
the two girls Joy and Suzanne. Joy left quickly to meet friends and I
found out Suzanne is on a 1.5 year trip and is from Australia. I have
yet to meet an Aussie guy or girl that I don’t like.

She claims she is 30 I still don’t buy it, I thought 25 max. We chatted
for awhile and I watched her stuff while she went to get water. Then
it was time for me to leave to start my journey to Florence. I did not
have a pen so I just gave her my email and blog address hopefully I’ll
get her contact info they way. I’d love to hear what she thinks of
traveling in the Middle East.

When I got back to the shop I asked the shop keeper what her favorite kind
of gelato was. She refused so I bought a little souvenir from her shop.

I realized I forgot my water bottle in the bathroom when I had changed
so I went back for it. As I filled it up at the public water fountain
I heard “Paul”. Always a great sign in a random place. It was my
friend Suzie from the beach with gelato. Magical timing of 1 of the 2. She
raved about this chocolate chili gelato. We had time before the train so
naturally I had to get some. Delicious. Rich lush chocolate with a nice
spice aftertaste which I paired with a juicy strawberry. Only because
I forgot my water bottle did I run into her.

The train was packed. Nice chatting with Suzanne while we traveled,
said goodbye to her at Riomaggiore as I continued on to Spiez to
catch a train to Pisa and then Florence. As usual train was late so I
had one minute to make my connection. I ran and stopped short of
pushing anyone over, but bumped quite a few people. I had to make it
threw a packed trainful of people leaving. Got on the train as it was
scheduled to leave but it also was 10 minutes late.

Got into Pisa had 20 minutes before next train. As I’m getting ready
to board I overhear two girls make an envious comment about my bottle
of wine. Naturally I say hi and end up traveling with them. We snuck, as
many others did, into first class and the conductor did not care as it
was a regional train. A little bit more spacious. Same seats as 2nd class
just 1 fewer in a row.

Got into Florence and I did not know where I was going. I knew it was
by the Duomo. Luckily the girls knew so I followed them and asked
police for the street I was looking for.

Great hostel I could tell from the start. It is called Academia. You can see the
Duomo from the door. It came highly reviewed and recommended. Got
settled and than heard about a festival going on tonight. Magical
timing moment #2. I did not know about the music fest in Paris or here
but just happened to show up on the right night. Sweet.

Headed across the river and was instantly greeted by music. Great time
down there. I’ll post some videos soon. After watching a magic show
and various bands I was exhausted and time for bed. Great introduction
to the city. It also was a great way to see the local culture as it
was 90-95% Italians who were out. I felt much safer here than I did in
Paris under the tower on the 21st. Much more light.

In Florence,
Paul

Woke up far too early and drug myself to the train station while floored by the early morning sun lighting up the tips of the Alps. Still had not left and was already thinking of how I could return.

Got off the mountain and bought some more train tickets in Interlaken and got on the train to Spiez. I snagged a compartment for myself. I was watching people board and suddenly I hear “hey!” and it is my buddies from the mountain hostel Piort and Michelle. It was great to see them again and nice to have someone to travel with. Piort was on his way to Venice and Michelle to Belgium. Piort and I shared the journey until Milan. We said goodbye to Michelle in Spiez and headed on. Our train was delayed and we were worried we would miss our next one but that was delayed too. This worried me as I now only would have 9 minutes to catch my train to Genoa. I met a nice Swiss pair on the train and learned more about the Swiss. Very jealous of their month of vacation a year.

As our high-speed train was not being very high-speed I asked a conductor if I would make my connection. “Forget about it” a lady suggested they might hold it. He replied that the Italians were not happy today, because they are on strike. Strike?!? Come on Europe.

We pulled into Milan about 40 minutes later and myself and about 5 other random backpackers sprinted to the info screen to try and find our next trains and make them. My high-speed to Genoa was no where to be found, but I did find a local leaving in 7 minutes and walked toward that platform.

The train moved slow and stopped constantly. After about two hours as I was writing this blog I started to get nervous. About 10 minutes later we pulled into Genoa station. As I got off the train I knew I now needed one to Riomaggiore or one of the other Cinque Terra towns. I tried to ask if this one was going there, the overall impression was no.  I ended up meeting an American man named Sean. As we walked to consult timetables he gave me a book he had just finished. I’ve been looking for one to read.

Based on the table it was an hour until the next train left. Since the Italians were on strike we went to the ticket office to confirm it was running; it was. Whew. Since we had an hour to kill Sean and I walked into the city a bit. I saw a gelato stand and my eyes were locked on target. I bought for the both of us and we sat at table and I learned more about Sean. I’ve been eating pretty healthy but I think Italy might be a problem. A good problem though!

 Interesting guy, he turned 40 and had told himself he would travel for a year and he did and so here he is. His next goal might be to walk across the USA. I asked if he had thought about biking instead.
While staying in Cinque his plan is to sleep in a campground accessed from an old railroad tunnel. Too local for my taste but I think he’ll have a blast. I told him to email me with how it went. I gave him my email and blog address. I’m also curious if he even stayed, might have been too touristy for him.

Once on the train it was slow and kept stopping. I felt like I was on an above ground subway. I was getting grouchy, I was tired and hungry. I just wanted to be there.  The time was not helping; I planned on being in Cinque around 2:30. It was now 5 and we still have an hour to go. My hostel also posed a problem as the email said the office closed at 7 twice and 6 once. I was defiantly hoping for 7 or that enough people would be late due to the strike forcing them to stay open.

Got in at six and loved the place already. I wanted to find my hostel and then go for a swim. Found the office, got my room and dropped off my stuff. Basically people rent or lease their apartments to this agency for the summer and they run them like a “hostel”. While there is no common room, none is needed as the entire city is a common room. Sharing the place with five other guys - nice. Got some tips and was off for my swim.

Ran into a family on the walk to town #2, Manarola. Started with me taking a photo for them and then stayed with them for a bit as I gleaned more info about the place.
Once I found the harbor Manarola I knew once I hit the water fighting though the train strike would be worth it. I was surrounded by the coolest looking houses, neat rocks and looking towards a cliff with the sun starting to get low in the sky. Where I jumped in I was little worried because it was unprotected from the sea and the waves were gently hitting the rock. Away I went. Hitting the water made the stress of train strike travel melt away. The sea is very salty so I floated on my back while enjoying the scenery.

Exiting felt like getting out of a wave pool.  I would not call it dangerous just more exciting. Somehow I started up conversation with a pair of Aussies. (love all of them) I think it was because I saw them laughing at the fat old man in a Speedo smoking a cigarette while fishing. His presence did not add to the beauty but certainly the character of the view.

Talked with Pat and Sam for awhile as the sun was starting to set. It was about to go out of view from our vantage point. So I asked if they wanted to join me a little ways up the trail for a better view.

We enjoyed a unique and stunning sunset while I learned about law school in Australia from them. The sun was setting beyond a distant hill with the sea in front of us and stretching into the horizon to the left. A few light white clouds provided for excellent colors. After the sun went out of our sight, Pat and Sam left. I stayed and enjoyed watching the distant clouds and sky slowly change color as the sun truly went into the sea. I found an open gate and went onto the rocks so it was just me, rock and the sea. Perfect. Praised god for his beauty and then left for a shower and food. Sorry no photos.  I took a break from my camera this night.

As I walked back I planed my evening; shower, food and then a much needed early night.

Found a nice restaurant with a TV so I could catch the end of the WC game. Love how cheap a glass of wine is. Had the local dish of mussels to start and then the daily special of ravioli.  Very good.
Got some gelato for dessert. Could I survive on just gelato for the next week?

As I was eating I decided to be social and went and said hi to a group of people about my age. I realized many days ago and pretty much any backpacker is ready to meet new people. I could not understand it until I experienced it.

It was a mix of girls and guys and one girl had a large bandage on her chin. I could not help asking how it happened. She explained she jumped in to rescue a drowning boy and hit her chin as she lifted him out. I called BS and she started laughing. She was close to pulling it off; I suggested she add a longer back story to make to more believable. I dug myself a hole with her making some silly comment about the attractiveness of the injury. I dug myself out by using a clever line about assigning a million hot points to start.

Some how I became part of a conversation with two different girls as the previous pack headed out. I was quickly realizing it was not going to be an early night. Turns out Dev and Angela are both in graduate acting school. I’m not sure what prompted it but they began demonstrating all the dialects they had learned in school. After hearing Irish, Scottish, redneck, New Yorker, British and more my head spun in amazement. Yet another magical moment for the day. I am worried for the day I don’t have one.

Soon more joined our group and after having a crêpe we ended up at the harbor lit by moonlight. The full moon (I believe) was reflecting off the water creating a line of light leading out to sea that happened to fall between two sets of buoy lights. That sight alone made up for the lack of sleep.

We soon had collected what we called the United Nations. Australia, New Zealand, England, USA, Ireland and even the Bahamas were represented. Again enlightening cultural discussions. Watching the international attempts at flirting also provided for some entertainment. Some countries were clearly doing better than others.

After enjoying the moonlit sea view some more it was time for bed. Beach tomorrow.

Love the sea,
Paul

I woke up to sun drenched snow caped mountains. I found the owner,
Petra and told her what a great place she has. Earlier that morning,
which I did not know, she had a girl tell her it was a bad place and
asked for her money back. Petra than kissed me on the cheek. I told
her not to worry about the girl as now someone else can stay another
night. I tried to stay too and Petra even offered to call my other hostel before
she realized she was out of rooms. She than said I could sleep with
her, but “no action”. Very funny morning exchange. I got ready to leave and headed to the cable car station.

Grabbed a sticker on my way out and said aloud, “this is going on my
car.” Petra heard this and said, “Let me get you a better one”. After
handing me the sticker she than said I have something else for you, and she came back
she came back with a t-shirt. It has the hostel name and location on
the front and on the back it says “If heaven is not what it is
cracked up to be take me back to Gimmelwald”. Love it! Gave her a hug and left. Got to
the station and had to run back as I had left my phone charging on the computer. I really
did not want to leave this place.

After taking multiple train, busses and cable cars I was at the
location of my hike. What a view! First a minor detour to blank, Rick
is right again, the view was well worth the work and 20 minutes. Then
it was on to Kleine Scheidegg where I would catch the train to the top
of Europe.

The views on this hike truly were breathtaking. I was very moved. It
was so beautiful I almost wanted to cry. The mountains, snow, and
flowers. The best word is awestruck. I felt the power of Gods beauty
in this place! Sung a little worship music in my head and then
listened to some Chris Tomlin before going back to just enjoying the
sounds of the Swiss Alps. It was an easy beautiful trail and I had a
blast doing it. I had a permanent grin on my face and everyone else I passed seemed to have
one glued on their faces also.
My camera was low on juice which was a blessing because it made me take fewer photos.
Can’t wait to post them.

I stopped about 45 minutes in and had this as my view during my
picnic. I no longer feel bad about making anyone jealous. That
jealousy will just lead to motivation to come back to this amazing
place with me. Used my new Swiss army knife to cut my baguette and
made a little sandwich. Then back on the trail.

Little caches of snow create small streams and puddles to cross which
just added the fun. Towards the end, the water from a waterfall flows
across the path. I enjoyed watching an elderly couple have a snowball
fight, very cute.

I finished the hike and got my ticket for the Jungfraujoch. As the
train arrived I fought my way past huge tour groups, they’re back, and
scored a coveted window seat. The views were great until we went into
a long tunnel which I was not expecting. After watching the video on the
train it makes sense that you can’t just go on top of these mountains.

We arrived at the top and I found my way outside. Walking towards the
outside bar as I was adjusting to the breathtaking view and bright sun
I hear “pssshpop” And look over to the alpine bar to see the
bartender popping bottles at 11,300ft. If the glass had cost less than 14
I would have had some.

Again I’m not sure it is worth the words to try and describe the view.
As my Austrian friend said “there is just something about the
character of these mountains.” they are imposing and awe inspiring.
At the top there were 5ish peaks around. I was too busy enjoying to count.
After seeing the small summer ski area I decided to pass and
instead moved up my timetable for returning to 6 months and ski season.

I then went up 100m higher in the observation deck. Once again the
sights took my breath away. In between two walls of imposing
mountains lies the longest glacier in Europe. It appears as a smooth
never ending river of snow. I felt a little sick and a slight
headache. I was not sure if I was tired, dehydrated, altitude sick or
a mixture of the three. Therefore I got a coffee and water and soon
felt much better. I would have had another water, but 5 Francs was a
little steep for me.

Even though I was ready to go, I decided to just chill at the top
looking out a window writing post cards. What a great way to spend an
hour. I’d write than gaze, write than gaze and repeat. If you want a
postcard from me and I don’t have your address send it to me.

I caught the last train down and had a great conversation with a man
originally from Mexico and now living in Switzerland.

I arrived in my new town of Grimelwald, the name is so
similar to Gimmelwald but the towns have stark differences. While both
have an impressive view of the Alps, Grimelwald was disappointingly
developed. This was very apparent after spending a night in Gimmelwald and a day in nature.
As I walked towards my hostel it became less developed and I reminded myself this would be a good night to
catch up on sleep and I was happy again.
Upon checking in I found a clean, nice, large hostel. I was
told I could get into the local pool complex but it closed 45 and the last
entrance was in 15 minutes. A swim sounded so good! I hurried to my room, grabbed
my suit and started a jog towards the pool. I made it with one minute to spare.

I headed straight for the waterslide. It was awesome it with lights
inside of it. First little circles on the bottom and then bands going
all the way around. It felt as if you were taking off into a wormhole.
Very twilight zone like. Hit the pool and the water felt very good! It was
was nice to do some exercise other than walking.

Hostel had excellent showers, so much pressure I thought it was going
to take a layer of skin off. If it was not for the lack of a hostel
environment I would have said it was a great one. Back at the hostel I
got ready to leave in the morning at 6:30. Did some blogging and passed
out. Tomorrow I am on my way to my 4th country and my 4th stop. Hello
Italy and Cinque Terra.

Still dreaming,

Paul

Woke up and rushed to the train station after I found out it took 30 minutes longer to get there than I anticpaited. Long story short, I don’t like the French rail system. Barley made my train and still could not use my pass. There were 4 seats for every person the comductor agreeded and wrote a note on my ticket and told me to send it in to try and get a refund. Nice how fast the trains go though.

Soon I was on a local trains and there were even less people. Beautiful train ride. Funny going to bathroom directly on the tracks. Met a nice man named Daniel filled me in on the area. Got to Bern and went and asked if I needed a ticket for interlaken, nope just get on the train.

The train ride from Paris to interlaken is beautiful and gets better with each passing mile. Soon the mountains came into view, I felt myself losing my breath. The natural beauty overwhellemed my senses.

My intenuaray is to go to gimmelwald for a night, hike then go to the jumgfraujouch (highest train station in Europe, viewing platform at 11,300ft), stay a night in grindelwald and then off to cinque Terra, Italy.

Upon arrival in interlaken rick steves had told me there was a great travel center. I went to get my train ticket to cinque Terra, Salzberg and frankfurt. While the French had almost ruined my image of backpacking via train the Swiss swooped in for the save. Both agents I worked with were amazing. Making jokes and very helpful, I bought my tickets and was on my way up the mountain.

To get to the mountain hostel I had to take a train, bus and finaly a cable car. The mountains are so big and close. Amazing.

Not only are they huge, snow capped and close but feature waterfalls. I felt like I was in a dream and that this all could not be real.

The hostel was a short walk ( 30 seconds) I could already tell I was going to regret only staying one night. The staff was so friendly. I got my room set down my pack and was back outside in 2 minutes. I got a beer and fresh homemade pastry and picked a table to sit at.

Little did I know yet another magical moment was about to happen. As I sat enjoying my amazing food and gawking at the mountains, so close it felt like I could touch them I said hello to the 3 girls at the table. I quickly found out they were from Oregon and go to UofO! But wait it gets better. I found out Steph was a junior in the journalism school. I decided to play my favorite game when I meet people from UofO that are in the J-school, Greek system or die-hard sports fans; do you know Kate Flowers?

The reaction was perfect. “Yes! Wait….you’re that Paul! This is blowing my mind” my mind was blown as well as I took a second look at Steph and once she took her sunglasses off it was clear her and i had seen each other mutliple times before. Crazy! What are the odds? The one day I’m there, in the middle of the Swiss alps. We gave Kate a call later and when I quickly passed the phone to Steph I could hear Kate’s loud suprised reaction. Awesome.

I kept meeting so many great people. Piort and Michelle, many texans, an old British dude and a bunch of German students.

I joined the girls for a quick walk to the local cheese maker. I selected a 2008 and it was delicous. Again the walk though the town did not feel real. This is a place you think only exists in movies.

I had an amazing pizza cooked by the host. So good. We then sat outside and talked and regualry commented on how unreal our surroings are. Pictures do not begin to do it justice.

As night fell more clouds rolled it but the forecast called for it to be clear tomorrow. It stayed warm and light for a long time and we enjoyed watching the colors change on the nearby mountains. Shorty after it got dark the moon found a way though the clouds slighly lighting the mountains.

As we headed inside we were greated by two guitars, one of whom was playing a hermonica as well. Our French Canadian friend soon brought out a snack plate complete with two local cheese, salomi and olive bread. His friend had been learning the drums somewhere in Europe and another person over heard this and soon a drum was in his hands. This time it was the guitarists turn to make a comment about how unreal this all was. I can’t wait to return to this place and you are all invited. Please please come.

There was a little drama as 90% of the hostel was still up at midnight when “quiet” hours start. At around 12:30 some lady came down and asked us to be quiet, our table was prety quiet. But the Germans playing jenga was another story. The guitar did a ssssh and in a mocking tone eveveryone else joined in. It worked thou, for about a minute and a half. The rest of the night about every 7 minutes someone would start a sssh and everyone would join in. Pretty funny. Did not stop the lady from coming down again. Since we were closest to the stoats we caught her wrath.

I went to bed around 130. With an alarm set for
8:30.

Loving travel,

Paul