Saturday 9/17: BEGINNING WITH A BASH
Today began our true, European backpacking adventure! We have lots of fun things planned over the next month, in amazing places I've only ever dreamed of. I'm both extremely excited and a little scared. We left Brussels, Belgium for the last time which is a little sad. It's been such a good experience for us, but we are excited for the next chapter.Unfortunately, the day didn't start out too great. I forgot my coat after leaving the apartment, which made us about 2 minutes late - just enough so that we missed the 61 bus (either that or it never came, we'll never know which) but LUCKILY there was a taxi nearby that got us to the train station in time. At this point, we were each carrying two large suitcases, a small suitcase and a backpack. To add to our already stressed start, there was a super annoying passenger who kept texting with his key volume on. Beep. beep. beep. beep. beep. beep. Seriously, not cool.
In the middle of our ride (full of beautiful mountains, rivers, churches and castles on hilltops) the train stopped unexpectedly. Then they made an announcement (in about 4 languages) that the train was going to be delayed. We ended up waiting over an hour, which was frustrating, but they compensated us with a 25 Euro voucher which definitely made up for it. As we got closer to Munich, the passengers started to get more interesting. We saw men and women of all ages wearing lederhosen and traditional dresses, with giant beer mugs in their hands, preparing for the world-famous Oktoberfest. But this was nothing compared to what we were about to experience.
Once arriving in Munich, Christopher's family friend picked us up and took us to an amazing local restaurant where I had the best German meal: Käsespätzle. The only thing I can compare it to is a combination of mac n' cheese and cheesy potato casserole but in reality it is nothing like those things, it is just simply delicious. Later on in the evening we decided to wander over to Oktoberfest. It was CRAZY - a lot like a giant State Fair, but everyone is dressed in traditional German clothes (if you're not, you are the minority) and instead of tents with goats, horses and pigs...they have tents full of beer: kegs and kegs and mugs and mugs and hats of beer, everywhere.
We wanted to see what was inside these mysterious beer tents but being the FIRST night of Oktoberfest, the security guards said it was impossible, unless we made prior reservations. But Christopher, being the persistent man that he is (you will notice this trend often throughout our trip) decided that we would somehow find a way in. So we walked around the back door where people were stepping outside for smoke breaks. We stood there for maybe 2 minutes and randomly an extremely belligerent teenage girl walked up to me with a stretched out paper wristband and said, "Go have some fun!" (Ok, she didn't speak English but I assume that's what she said). Luckily, my wrists are pretty small so I was able to slip on the wristband and walk freely inside. I was so excited about sneaking in that I just ran through the door and forgot to make a plan with Christopher. I was thinking that I would just take a few photos and videos of "life inside the tent" and then come back out and show him. But when I came back out...he was gone.I walked around the tent and
outside the tent for about 20 minutes. I was getting pretty worried (but trying not to freak out) because we only had one cell phone and I was scared I'd never find him again. Finally we found each other...INSIDE the tent. Christopher had found his "golden ticket" during a big brawl which distracted the security guards long enough for him to bolt through the back doors. After singing along to some drinking songs, dancing with a creepy, old Italian man for 5 minutes too long, taking pictures with giant beer mugs, and trying on some lederhosen and traditional dresses in a thrift store, we had our fill of Oktoberfest. Minus the huge downpour of rain at the end of the night, it was a pretty enjoyable evening... and an exciting day to start our big adventure. Sunday 9/18: AUSTRIA EXPRESS &A CRAZY DETOUR
This morning we woke up early to take the metro to our bus pickup point. Thankfully, our friends stored our big suitcases so we each only carried a large traveler backpack with clothes, shoes and toiletries for the next 5 weeks. (This was pretty tough for me, but luckily my backpack was expandable). Our bus pickup point was at a hostel and we were happy to find one of the computers had extra time on it so we were able to print some train tickets for our last leg of the trip.
While many people opt to purchase EuroRail passes, we went a different route and purchased BusAbout passes through a student travel agency for an AWESOME price. The company is Australian so we were surrounded by a bunch of Aussie and New Zealand accents...definitely entertaining. We bought a pass called the "Southern Loop" which is a continuous hop-on hop-off bus that starts in Munich and goes down through Austria, Italy, up through Southern France, Switzerland and then back to Germany, stopping in major cities every other day and making "photo stops" at big landmarks. The passes were supposed to be $600+ but we got them for only $200 each! It was definitely the best thing we could have done for the price and for the places we wanted to see.
The bus seats were actually pretty comfortable and the rides were fun because they played movies, the tour guide told cool stories and facts about each destination, plus there were beautiful views out the bus window. The Bavarian mountains were breathtaking! Our first mini-stop was in Innsbruck, Austria. We decided not to hop off because it seemed really similar to Germany which we had already seen a lot of...and we were super excited to get to Italy. It turned out to be a good choice because the weather was cold and rainy.
We arrived in Venice, Italy by the afternoon and most of our friends checked into the campsite hostel... but we headed to the bus stop to find our Couch Surfer. He lives in Padova which is a small town in between Venice and Verona. Despite the hostel worker's map and directions, we got lost walking to bus station. At one point we were trapped on a super scary highway, so I was pretty excited when I found what I thought was a magical door leading us back to the sidewalk. Unfortunately, once we entered this door, it locked from the other side and we were trapped at the top of a super steep hill! At the bottom of this thorn-bush filled hill, was a ravine and a creek. I felt so stupid and scared. Then we saw a cute, old Italian man waving his arms at us from the other side. He motioned for us to walk along the top of the hill and pointed to a trail down the other side. Once we got to the bottom, Christopher attempted to jump across the creek, but it was super muddy, he was wearing flipflops, and he lost his footing and landed knee-deep in the sewage-smelling water. I almost wanted to left, but I felt so bad for him that I couldn't. The old man grabbed my hand and helped me across a river, so I was safe and dry. Luckily, this man was very kind and lent us some "acqua" (a hose) so Christopher could clean up.
After walking around the neighborhood, making several wrong turns and asking about 5 people, we finally found the right bus stop, but had missed the one we needed by 3 minutes so we had to wait an extra hour. But by this point, we were just happy to sit down. Plus it gave Christopher some time to pick the burrs off my pants. My legs were filled with burrs from our off-road hike and some even broke through my skin. It was a little painful, but not too bad. By 9pm we finally reached our Couch Surfer, Emanuele's apartment in Padova. He was really kind and cooked us a homemade Italian pasta dish with tuna and calamattis. It tasted like heaven on our empty stomachs. I was surprised that he hadn't eaten dinner yet and thought maybe he had been waiting for awhile. But he told us that Italians don't usually eat dinner until 9 or 10pm. Interesting. After getting to know each other for awhile, we pulled out his couch bed and fell asleep instantly. It had been a LONG day.
Monday 9/19: LETTER TO JULIET & TASTE OF ITALY
Our first big tourist day was in Verona. We took a train which was supposed to take about 35 minutes, but ended up taking over an hour due to delays. Emanuele had warned us though; he said Italian trains are very unreliable and not to create solid plans around them.
When we arrived in the beautiful town of Verona, the weather was very strange. Looking up, the skies were bright and blue but somehow it was still raining. It was crazy, but my pictures still looked awesome so I didn't mind. It was a great place to visit because it wasn't super crowded and there were lots of neat things to see. One main attraction was a big arena that looked similar to the Colosseum. It was a little different though because they re-built the seating so you can still go and see modern shows inside. 
Verona also has a nice duomo (cathedral), a castle, and my favorite part...the Casa di Giulietta (House of Juliet). It is the perfect place for lovers. We wrote our names on the "love" wall, and just like the movie, I had to write a letter to Juliet. Sadly, it wasn't at all like the movie and people don't actually write letters and stick them in the wall. So I had to improvise. I folded my letter up and flew it from the courtyard onto her window balcony. I left my email address, hoping "she" (or anyone) would write back. But no luck yet. Like all crazy tourists do, we also touched the Juliet statue's boob for good luck...awkward to watch, but normal I guess?
The best parts about Verona were the atmosphere, the architecture and the food! For lunch we ate some super yummy ham, cheese, and mushroom calzones, with the best gelato ever for dessert! (Now that the trip is over I can interject and say this was in fact the BEST gelato we ate in all of Italy). Ours was "Biscotto" flavored: super creamy base with chocolate and cookies sprinkled on top.
After our Verona adventure we headed back to Padova and explored the city center and park square. It seems like no matter where you go in Europe everything is old, beautiful and picture-worthy. In the evening our friend Emanuele took us to a delicious restaurant with fresh Italian pizza! He said we were lucky because most restaurants/shops are closed on Monday. (Must be nice...no "case of the Mondays" in Italy!)
TUESDAY 9/20: TO BE VENETIAN
Despite the Italian's warning of "bad weather"...Venice was filled with blue skies, sun and warmth! It was just like the movies and the pictures... in fact, it was better. (Looking back, Venice was definitely one of my favorite locations.) The canals were beautiful. Every corner was another romantic bridge with turquoise sparkling water and picturesque gondolas floating by. We considered taking a ride in one, but decided to spend our money in other ways and took a boat ride down Grand Canal instead. 
To start off our morning, we stopped in a little market and picked up some pastries for breakfast by the canal. It was beautiful just sitting on the steps and taking in the scenery; the sights, the sounds, the beauty all around. Then we explored the labyrinth of streets, not trying to get anywhere in particular, but just wandering and exploring. I fell in love. We found some cute little shops filled with beautiful Venetian masks and one man even let us try them on. Eventually we reached San Marco Square, a crazy mix of tourists, overpriced outdoor restaurants, pigeons and guys selling bird food trying to convince tourists to illegally feed the pigeons. 
At first, I was super against the nasty diseased pigeons and didn't want to go near them...but eventually I decided that it was part of being in Venice so I allowed a few to land on my hands. (Although I was still super afraid of them.) I'm definitely not the crazy bird lady type. But now I can say, I'm glad I did it. Even Christopher (aka: germ-o-phobe) gave in and allowed one to land on his arm. But of course, afterward when they came near him, he punted them away with his foot. Poor birds, they must be so confused...half the people luring them with food, the other half kicking them away. One thing that was disappointing about the square was the big beautiful Duomo was under construction (a frequent irritation we found quite often in Europe) but I suppose they need to fix things to keep them in shape, so I found a postcard so I could see what it looked like in full beauty. 
One of my favorite parts of Venice was going up in the Bell Tower. It was totally worth the 6 Euros because you could see a panoramic view of the square, the miles of orange rooftops and sparkling Grand Canal. I was also lucky enough to see (and hear!) the bells ring - super loud, but pretty cool.
After some more Italian pizza, we took a boat out to Lido island and found a beautiful beach! We enjoyed some gelati with our toes in the sand, and then took a boat taxi down the Grand Canal as the sun set. It was so relaxing and I got some beautiful pictures with the evening lighting. Something about Venice is just so romantic; I might even say more so than Paris. I think it's because of the tiny walkways, picturesque bridges, beautiful artwork, and the fact that boats replace cars...it's just so intimate. I really, really loved this carefree, beautiful, relaxing, romantic day in Venizia. Wednesday 9/21: THE BEST/WORST DAY EVER
For lack of a better phrase, this was a day from Hell (eventually I was able to change my attitude into a spirit of adventure... but there were times I just cried). If things would have gone perfectly, we would have woken up, taken the tram to the bus station, taken the SITA bus to Venice and then gotten on BusAbout to take us to Ancona. But as you can guess, this day did NOT go perfectly, no not even close.
We made it to the first bus station, bought our tickets and were literally walking onto the SITA bus when we decided to ask the driver, just to make sure. That's when he said, no it was wrong and we needed to go to a different platform. Unfortunately, he sent us to the local bus which we should have known was wrong because it was a completely different color and style, but we trusted him. After about 15 minutes on this bus, we asked someone next to us and they informed us that we were on the wrong bus and we should have taken the SITA bus (which was the exact one we tried to get on!) This local bus took twice as long. I just cried. I knew we were going to miss our BusAbout pickup. We watched on our GPS and noticed that we were getting really close to the hostel campsite so we found the number, called them and asked if the bus would wait for us. They said yes, so I got super excited. Then 1 minute later, our bus veered off the highway in the opposite direction of the campsite. We definitely missed it. Disappointed, annoyed, frustrated, angry... I felt so many things as we trudged down the sidewalk toward the train station. We could see the tracks, but there was no "pedestrian" way to get there. Normally, I would be a little afraid, but at this point, I just wanted to get to Ancona. So we hiked through some bushes and across the train tracks (illegally) but luckily no one said anything.
After arriving at the Venice station, we took a train back to Padova where we started. What a waste of 3 hours. Then we checked the train schedule and saw it was going to be another 1.5 hours for a train to Bologna, where we could get a connecting train to Ancona. I looked through our past pictures to kill time and took a small nap. Eventually we made it to Bologna and then onto the second train. We were riding for about 20 minutes, when the ticket master came by and informed us that we had the wrong type of ticket and we must get off at the next stop. Yes, we got kicked off the train. It was somewhat embarrassing, but seemed to fit our unfortunate day.
I was super annoyed at this point because I was sick of waiting and trains and disappointment, but at the same time, I still wanted to enjoy our adventure, so we decided to make it one. As we were escorted off the train to a small po-dunk village, we got the idea to hitch hike. The day couldn't possibly get any worse, so why not? We started walking down the road toward what looked like a highway. At least 15 cars zoomed passed us, leaving little hope for any sympathetic drivers. So after about 30 minutes I made the decision that "this is the last car we will try, otherwise, we will head back to the train station" - and sure enough, this last hope car pulled over and asked us where we were going. (Well he spoke Italian but I think that's what he said). So we shouted "stazione!" and pointed south. He motioned for us to get in. He didn't speak any English but he smiled and laughed a lot and kept on talking to us in Italian, even though we just responded in English. He drove us south for awhile and then dropped us off at another train station. We bought the correct tickets this time and finally made it on a direct train to Ancona!!
But we still weren't home free. Our Couch Surfing friend, Mauro, who was supposed to pick us up in Ancona, still thought we were arriving at 1pm on our bus. We called him, but he couldn't understand us because he only spoke a teeny bit of English. Unfortunately we were still hours away and we ran out of credit on our Go-Phone. Christopher asked everyone on the train If we could borrow their phone, but they either didn't speak English or said they didn't have one. Eventually and luckily, he found a (somewhat) crazy girl who called Mauro for us and explained our situation. She then talked for the next 67 minutes straight about how she hates their Italian leader (Berlusconi), she is angry and wants to assassinate him, and would prefer Mussolini over him. "At least Mussolini cared about the future of Italy," she said. Bold, yes...but I think many Italians felt the same as she explained that the EU might kick them out because their debt is so high and the economy is so bad.
In the end, we paid about 46 Euros and it took 4 extra hours, but we made it! We found Mauro and he took us around his city, Ancona. We visited Mussulini's monument of Facism that looks like a bird with a crown from the sea, walked around the town square and toured parts of Gulliver University where he attends school. Later in the evening, he took us to a student government party with cheap drinks and yummy pasta! There we met his friend who studied abroad in Mentor, Ohio for a year! Finally, an Italian who spoke fluent English! It was a gift.
Lastly, our day from Hell actually transformed into an evening from heaven. Mauro took us to a place he called a "farma" which is a factory for pastries! It's where the local restaurants get all their stock each day. He bought us croissants with egg salad, fresh pastries that tasted like a toaster strudel with cheese, and chocolate crossiant-like donuts with icing. Everything was SO delicious, truly and honestly the best food I have ever eaten in my life!! And it was all discounted, like SUPER cheap! Normally, you would think they would be the leftovers, or 'day-old' type foods, but these were fresh out of the oven! It was at this moment we realized how much we love Couch Surfing. There are so many local gems that you would never find otherwise. The worst day ever, turned into the best day ever within just a few bites. Thursday 9/22: PRIVATE BEACH & AMERICAN FOOTBALL
In the morning, we ate some more delicious chocolate croissants for breakfast and Mauro made us a hot Italian drink that was... super nasty. Luckily they had sugar and we each put about 8 tbsp in to mask the taste. We didn't want to hurt his feelings, but I literally gagged. The weather forecast was about 80 degrees and partly cloudy, which to the Italians is "bad beach weather" but we couldn't wait! Mauro drove us to his favorite place, Portonova Beach. I instantly loved it. We hiked away from the main part and within 10 minutes found our own private beach cove. There was literally NO ONE around! It was like a little piece of heaven with scenic green mountains, blue sparkly water, big rocks, little pebbles, and warm yellow sand.
We spent some time hiking around the rocky part and climbed through boulders to explore. We found a dead eel and lots of crabs! Then we settled down in our romantic private cove, relaxed, had a picnic, took tons of photos and soaked in the sun. I can't remember a time when I had an entire beach to myself. It was truly paradise. We also accomplished a secret life goal here which shall not be mentioned...
After our picture-perfect day at the beach, Mauro made us some homemade pasta with mussels; it was his mom's recipe. It was cool to watch him cook because he actually weighed his pasta, and his meat and cooked according to a certain ratio that really was an exact science. Whatever he did was good though, we loved it.
Now to one of Christopher's favorite parts of the trip...American Football! Yes, American. Mauro informed us that he is probably the only Italian who exists that hates soccer. We couldn't be more happy. He played rugby and also on a flag football team that was in the national semi-finals. Chris got to attend an Italian-American football practice where everyone was very impressed that he played in college. They might have been even more impressed that a girl could play American football. It was super fun.
Afterward, the team all went out for dinner and we ate "Puccia" which is a combination of Pizza and sandwiches. (Instead of bread, think pizza crusts and then meat, veggies and melted cheese inside). It was (like all Italian food) delicious. Then, of course, we stopped by the farma one last time for more pastries! For only 6 euros we got enough food to feed us both for breakfast and dinner! I might have gained 5 pounds alone just from those pastries but I'd go back and do it again in a heartbeat. Friday 9/23: BUS RIDE TO ROMA
In the morning we enjoyed our yummy chocolate crossaints, hung out at Mauro's apartment and then ate some homemade pasta again, this time with oil, garlic, pepper and noodles. Then we said goodbye to our good friend and his super friendly, funny roommates!
We waited for our BusAbout for about 15 minutes and then got super nervous that we missed it again. Luckily, it was the bus's fault this time. On our ride to Rome, we got to listen to our cool Australian tour guide who told us interesting facts and stories about Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Cleopatra and ancient Rome. It was a perfect intro. We also enjoyed pretty mountain views along the way.Once we arrived to Rome, I started to develop a little sore throat and allergies, but we found some mint drops that helped a little. We then checked into our first European hostel. It was camping style so we had a boy scout type tent, with cots, sheets, a blanket and a community bathroom. It wasn't ideal, but it was cheap and they placed us in Christopher's lucky room #36! It was convenient because there was a huge super market next door, so we walked over and bought some cheap food for dinner and went to bed early.
Saturday 9/24: BEST OF ROME IN A DAY
Today we woke up early to catch a bus to Rome. We wanted to see as much as possible so we didn't want to waste any daylight. Unfortunately my sinus infection had only gotten worse, but I
wasn't going to let it keep me from seeing the city. In order of importance, we headed to Colosseum first expecting a huge waiting line. It happened to be "culture day" so we got in free and since we bought an audio guide, we got to skip the line. It was well worth it! We learned all about the infamous gladiator games which included fighting humans and animals. We learned that either these men chose this lifestyle for the fame and glory or they were slaves fighting for their freedom. We saw where animals and weapons were stored down under the floor, and learned lots of facts like the highest classes sat closest, the games were free to watch, the losers were poked with an iron spear to ensure they were dead to prevent fakers, the gladiators trained like soldiers and would often fight bears, lions, panthers, giraffes, and even a whale! It was super interesting to learn little facts while walking around this amazing, historic architecture that has since been the model for all arenas around the globe.
After the Colosseum, we walked through the Paletine ruins and the Forum where we saw old columns, temples, Julius Caesar's tomb, a basilica and the remains of old shops and buildings. Unfortunately, in addition to my sinus issues, I also had blisters from my "gladiator goddess" shoes by 10AM. Luckily, I got the idea to shove napkins in my heels so I could survive the rest of the day.
Then we took a bus and headed over to the Vatican City and Museum. We had previously bought tickets online because people warned that the lines are super long all year round...but actually there was no line and we didn't need to buy our tickets in advance. It was well worth the money though. There was beautiful artwork everywhere; on ceilings, walls, statues, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. It was really neat to see Michaelangelo and Raffaello's finger in the Creation, but sadly the experience was somewhat ruined by cops shouting and screaming at everyonoe to be quiet every 2 seconds. 
After wandering around the Vatican, we ate at The Old Bridge, argued as the best gelato in Rome by our BusAbout tour guide. It was pretty delicious because they gave us whipped cream on top, but I still don't think it beats Verona. Then we walked around for awhile, enjoying the beauty of one of the most famous cities in the world. We saw lots of piazzas with cool fountains and monuments and then saw the Panthenon, which is a church with a giant dome. They say it's a sun dial and the dome is so massive that they don't know how it was constructed and they can't figure out how to reproduce it. I find that hard to believe with today's technology... but it's still really amazing.
To end our night, we went to the famous Trevi Fountain, which ended up being our favorite part of Rome. We each threw a coin over our left shoulder to "ensure our return to Rome!" It was really beautiful but as all the best places are...crowded. Then we hung out at the Spanish Steps, which were also packed with people... and found a sinking ship fountain that I loved.
Before heading back to the campsite, we stopped by the Colosseum one last time to see it at night... and just like I anticipated, it was gorgeous! It was the perfect, relaxing way to finish an ultra fast-paced, jam-packed day in Rome. And I might as well be honest...this night, we shared a twin bed in the hostel so we could sleep for half price. It was probably against the rules, but no one seemed to mind. Some may call us cheapskates... but I call us selective shoppers :) We'd rather spend our money on great food and fun activities than a room we only spend 7 or 8 hours sleeping in.
I am sooo in love with this post. I am dying to backpack through europe this summer (since I have the summer off.) However, Mike can't take a month and a half off of work, so I will have to find a partner. So super jealous!!
ReplyDelete