SPAIN! Beautiful, luminous, incredible Spain! What a fantastic place. It's full of passion and fire and is truly magnificent. Our first stop was in Barcelona, and we immediately fell in love. We stayed at a really great hostel that was just a five minute walk from La Sagrada Familia. The first thing we noticed about Barca, is that everywhere smells like oranges! You get constant whiffs from all the little fruit markets. It is amazing! Even better, you can buy about 20 of these oranges for only 1 euro! (We probably ate 500 in total during our stay.)
Our first day, we ventured out to explore the city. This is a place you can literally spend all day just walking around and looking at everything beautiful surrounding you. I have long been a huge fan of Antoni Gaudi, and Barca is dripping and oozing in him and all his work. He is so prominent in this city, and it's so unbelievable seeing his creations in real life, before your own eyes. Me and B hiked up to Parc Guell, which was BEYOND! So incredibly cool. There is the park area itself, which would have probably been more enjoyable during warmer months, but was still very nice. There is a lookout point that you can stand on and look out over Barca and gaze upon the sea. Spectacular! We also went to the famous street Las Ramblas for a lovely stroll. We gave our taste buds a trip to heaven and back at Mercat de la Boqueria. (A huge, awesome, organic food market). We literally just stopped in the middle of the crowds and simply smelt the air around us. It was the most delightful combination of fresh fruit, artisan breads, dark chocolates, spices, and anything else to make your nose go crazy!
One of the things that made us fall in love with this place (because there were MANY), was the fact it is so colorful and bursting with life. Not to say we don't absolutely adore other European cities, we DO, but if we're being honest, a lot of their color schemes are brown, grey, cream, pastels, etc. And still so beautiful, but something about how artsy Barcelona is in every aspect really just is a delicious feast for the eyes.
We will just tell you all right now; meeting wonderful human beings while traveling is such a great thing. It really does make a place that much more fun and memorable. That being said, in Barcelona we met some Canadians, and Australians who were loads of fun! We also were graced with the presence of our dear friends Bri and Tom. Meeting up in cool cities, with cool friends is FUN. Us four rang in our reunion with pizza and homemade sangria. Yums! We then ended our night, or better said; began our morning, with a pub crawl! (They were free at our hostel, so we all made sure to take full advantage of that!). We pranced from bar to club, danced, laughed and I even got a free samosa at the end of the night! (That a dude dropped for 3.5 seconds on the ground but absolutely refused to eat...I'll take it Ms.Priss!) We all got a good nights sleep and were up and ready for a new, beautiful day in Barca. And oh boy, was it ever beautiful. :)
Since Bri and Tom arrived after me and Bailey did, they hadn't been to Parc Guell yet. We of course had no problemo going again, so up the big hill we trekked! It was the most perfect day. Blue skies, the faintest of breezes and palm trees basking over top oneself. We all made our way to the highest lookout point and as all four of us snuck away from the crowds, the bustle of everyday life; and we were able to immerse ourselves into such a beautiful moment. The city of Barcelona beneath us, the sea as our horizon and nothing but absolutely everything in front of us. Tears of complete, indescribable joy streamed down our faces. It is one of those moments that slips its way into your heart forever.
The next morning Bri and me went on a walking tour (B had to rest her knee) that was all about Gaudi, and his impact on Barcelona. We got to see some of his most famous, gigantic homes he was assigned to design and build, the incredibly cool Casa Battlo, and of course ending at his unfinished masterpiece; Sagrada Familia. Bri and myself were told incredibly interesting facts about the construction, the outside and each facade, but we KNEW we had to see the interior. So off we went with our tickets, our headphones, and one audio guide (so we literally looked like we had each other on a leash). It's funny because right before you step inside, the little voice says "when you are ready...enter." They have that warning for a reason. The second you step inside is like lighting your eyeballs on fire. They burn with sheer desire for what you are gazing at. We looked like we ran into an invisible glass wall; unable to move and our jaws practically dragging on the ground. It is one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen. (And it isn't even complete! Not for 30 more years!)
We then kept the day incredibly exciting by picking up out beloved Bailey and heading to where you may ask? A TATTOO SHOP! Take a wild guess what we did there! :) Our tattoo artist was named Sebastian, who was funny and provided us with rolls of toilet paper to use as pillows. Considerate lad. Us three girls had decided we were wanting to get inked together when in Rome, and Barcelona was the perfect place! Bailey got "Wanderlust" (which means; the desire to travel an understand ones own existence), I got "mad to live" and Bri got "burn, burn, burn" (both from a quote in the book On The Road by Jack Kerouac). So that was pretty exciting!
Bri's last night in Barcelona was spent snuggled up in beanbags and the company of Bailey, Tom and myself. We watched the movie that is so near and dear to all of our hearts; Into The Wild. Goodbyes really suck, but we just know we will see our fellow Canadian comrade sometime and somewhere in this big, beautiful world.
We shared another last day with our other companion, Tom. Except it was the LAST day of his entire EuroTrip, so we decided to make it the most lovely day possible for him. That meant popping the corks of wine bottles in the park facing Sagrada Familia, eating baguettes and sharing conversation completely from the heart. After the bottles were empty, the bread was gone, the words began to slow and the sun began to set, we headed home. Of course his last night had to an absolute blast though, so we put on our prettiest little outfits, met a fabulous couple that go by the names of Riki and Eric and all of us were off! We made our way to a shot bar, that well...nearly killed us. Not really, but close. The place had over 200 different shots, that were nothing of the ordinary! Some were on fire, one involved toasting a marshmallow, and one was so bitter and horrendous I actually contemplated spitting it at the bartender. Of course I didn't! It was definitely a fun experience, with extremely fun people! This is a bit embarrassing to admit, but we stayed three extra days in Barcelona because well, we can be really lazy bums in the morning. We would wake up, be either too hungover or just way too tired to pack, so we would simply book another night and go back to bed for a few hours, before seeing and exploring more of Barca during the day. But yea, it got into a bit of a routine where the front desk would know exactly what we were coming down for, and would just kindly say "Hi darling, go back to sleep." Barcelona was wonderful.
The day we did ACTUALLY-WE-ARE-FOR-REALS-LEAVING-NOW, was spent heading to Madrid. Funny thing about our hostel though. It was called Cat's Hostel. (Us being the huge cat freaks that we are, assumed this place was MEANT for us.) Hmm, not so much. It was our own fault though, our friends DID mention that "whatever you do, do not stay at Cat's!" Sorry, we will pay attention next time guys! Anyways, it was pretty nasty. The interior/chill space was incredibly decorated and very pretty. The rooms were pretty bad though. The mattresses were most likely constructed out of stone, and the pillows were wafer thin. Bailey was stuck on the top bunk, which was situated in the very middle of the room with no walls beside her, and no guard rail on her bed either. So she consistently was petrified she was going to fall out of bed. The bathrooms were a joke too! We each went into the showers, which are just push buttons and really annoying. Mine was absolutely ice cold, which is one of the most terrible things ever. Baileys was piercing her body so hard she could barely stand it. So a blonde and a ginger, one crying and one screaming. Good news about the place though is that we met some super awesome Aussie girls. They have the most cool names ever as well; Ailee and Prudie. Thanks to them, the place was much more bearable!
The thing about Madrid, is that all it is pretty much is tapas and museums, museums and tapas! Nothing wrong with that, it just gets a tad boring at times. So, as you imagine; we walked and ate, and looked and walked and looked some more. The city has beautiful architecture so the walks were lovely, other then the frigid coldness we weren't yet used too! We warmed our chilliness with fresh churro's and melted hot chocolate, right across from a teeny little Christmas Market. It was too die for. Something that good shouldn't even be legal! The next morning we woke up and checked our bank accounts, and well, pretty much realized we had 4 Euros. It was quite the low point, walking to the store and buying a baguette that was to be our breakfast AND lunch. Then, sweet salvation; bank-account-money-transfer-magic-stuff! We of course, went for Pad Thai. (Duh.) We then sauntered over to The Prado Museum, which we wish we had more time in. We were pretty rushed for time and didn't get to see all we would have liked, but what we did see we enjoyed! Especially the sculptures. Trust us, we have seen loads of sculptures on the trip and they still blow our minds every single time. Anyone can pick up a paintbrush and paint; no it might not be good, but anyone can still do it. How many people do you know that can take a huge slab of marble and carve a life size naked woman holding her child while stabbing a knife through her ribs...yea, me neither. Total respect and props to these peeps. In Spain of course you must, must, must have tapas. It would be a sin against the country, and your taste buds, if you left the country without partaking in this awesomeness. We basically just picked five different things off the menu that we had no idea what they would be like, but it paid off. All our little dishes were amazing! Like I said, Madrid is full of museums and The Reina Sofia is most definitely one that cannot be skipped! Me, B, Ailee and Prudie marched our way down to Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. It was really great! Some work from Picasso, Salvador Dali, vintage postcard collections, photographs and a room full of abstract paintings to turn and tilt your head at.
As our Madrid days started unraveling to its end, we couldn't help but keep repeating the phrase "We catch a flight to Paris tomorrow". Doesn't that just have the most lovely ring to it...
Till next time,
M & B
Friday, December 28, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Florence, Italy & Avignon, France.
This post will combine our adventures in two very beautiful, wonderful cities. After Rome, we headed to Florence, and got to once again meet up with and stay at the same hostel as Bri! It was a darling little hostel, with a really great layout and even free meals and wine! It was just a stone´s throw away from Le Duomo. The first time you see it, you are truly blown away. The outside is a piece of artwork in itself. Thank goodness the inside is free though, because it pretty much looks like they used so much paint on the outside, they didn´t have anything left to decorate the inside. Pretty blah. Us girls went to the Uffizi Gallery, and saw probably enough portraits of ¨Madonna and Child¨ to last us a liftime! We saw the real Adam and Eve paintings though, which was COOL. We strolled around the bustling Florence market, and Bri bought a beautiful leather jacket, and Bailey bought a real Italian leather purse. I enjoyed just standing really close to them and smelling them for extended amounts of time. It was nice. We strolled along Ponte Vecchio and went out for ¨HOLY CRAP PIZZA!¨.
We met up with our friend Steve, whom we met in Rome. He is such a fantastic lad. Us four went down to a pub called Lion´s Fountain, and spent the night laughing, discussing, and singing as loud as our lungs could carry us.
Florence is such a darling, romantic city. We were blessed with beautiful weather, so we´re able to wander the streets and explore every corner and curve. On our last day, us girls went to see The Basilica of Santa Croce, had gelato twice within the span of an hour and hiked up to Piazzale Michelangelo, to be graced with the most amazing view over the entire city.
After we left Florence, we made our way to Avignon. We had to make a bit of an unexpected pit stop in the Italian city Ventimiglia. We stayed a night there, and made sure that our last day in Italy was spent eating gelato. Duh. We got on a train and we were off to France! We arrived in Avignon and checked into our hostel, which was on the fabulous Rue de la Republique. There was a little Christmas market at the end of our street and this might not be any sort of interest to any of you, but our hostel beds had curtains around them. CURTAINS. Anyone who has ever stayed in a hostel knows how awesome this is. Privacy is definately something you give up while travelling. There isn´t a whole lot of sights to see in Avignon, so we mostly walked around and enjoyed the city. We did go to Palais des Papes (Pope´s Palace), as well as Pont D'Avignon. It did rain quite a bit while we were there, so we spent those moments mostly eating croissants. Don´t judge us...nothing beats French croissants.
M & B
We met up with our friend Steve, whom we met in Rome. He is such a fantastic lad. Us four went down to a pub called Lion´s Fountain, and spent the night laughing, discussing, and singing as loud as our lungs could carry us.
Florence is such a darling, romantic city. We were blessed with beautiful weather, so we´re able to wander the streets and explore every corner and curve. On our last day, us girls went to see The Basilica of Santa Croce, had gelato twice within the span of an hour and hiked up to Piazzale Michelangelo, to be graced with the most amazing view over the entire city.
After we left Florence, we made our way to Avignon. We had to make a bit of an unexpected pit stop in the Italian city Ventimiglia. We stayed a night there, and made sure that our last day in Italy was spent eating gelato. Duh. We got on a train and we were off to France! We arrived in Avignon and checked into our hostel, which was on the fabulous Rue de la Republique. There was a little Christmas market at the end of our street and this might not be any sort of interest to any of you, but our hostel beds had curtains around them. CURTAINS. Anyone who has ever stayed in a hostel knows how awesome this is. Privacy is definately something you give up while travelling. There isn´t a whole lot of sights to see in Avignon, so we mostly walked around and enjoyed the city. We did go to Palais des Papes (Pope´s Palace), as well as Pont D'Avignon. It did rain quite a bit while we were there, so we spent those moments mostly eating croissants. Don´t judge us...nothing beats French croissants.
M & B
Roma
Wow. What can we even put into words about Rome, to help sum it up for everyone? It was truly such an amazing time. One of the highlights of our entire trip, for sure. First off, the city itself is absolutely beautiful! The architecture, monuments, sights and smells just draw you in. This ancient city steals your heart incredibly fast.
We arrived in Rome, and headed to our hostel The Yellow. (Which lots of people recommended! Thanks friends!) It was FUN. If you or someone you know is going to Rome, make sure to book a room here! Well, the rooms really aren´t that great. And our bathroom didn´t have a sink, it was literally ripped off the wall, pretty funny. But the main floor/bar/patio is awesome. This has been one of our favorite hostels so far, just because of the atmosphere of the place. It was so easy to interact and meet new people, which we did a lot of! We look back on our time in Rome, and the reason it holds such a dear place in our hearts is truthfully because of all the wonderful individuals we met!
Speaking of friends, our dear one Bri was luckily in Rome the same time we were. We met up and went for dinner at a lovely restaurant near our hostel. Personally, best pasta in Italy. It was so unbelievably delicious. (So delicious that when we went back the second time, I got the same dish! Bailey got ´pasta pillows´, Eeee! How cute is that!?). After our bellies were full of goodness, we mosied on back to our hostel, had some beers and met some new friends that insisted we accompany them on going to an Irish pub. Why not, we thought...we did LOVE Ireland after all. It was a night full of fun! Just so everyone is aware, we literally ate our body weight in gelato while in Italy. Both me and B are so keen on this stuff, we could probably ensure it never goes out of business. We had to get our gelato fix on average about three times a day. Yea, we´re talking nine scoops per day.
So, Rome is really fun and nights you drink Absinthe with really dear friends is even funner. Me, Bailey, Bri, Daniel and Tom decided to crack some green stuff and stumble the streets of this beautiful city. There is nothing more remarkable then being able to walk down the middle of one of the busiest streets of Rome, at 4 in the morning with hardly a soul in sight. We skipped and pranced around full of so much happiness. Our hearts almost burst when we saw the Colusseum for the first time. Having it all to ourselves was truly something of dreams. It was definately a moment we will remember the rest of our lives. We went back to the hostel and had the funnest dance party probably ever.
The next morning, we all practically crawled downstairs for breakfast. Something we have learnt on the trip though is that no matter how you feel, you still have to make the most out of each and every day! So off to explore the city we went! Me, Bailey, Tom and Daniel wandered around, checking out the Colusseum, Roman Ruins, Arco di Costantino, and ending our day having a nice bite to eat at a restaurant overlooking the city. Did we mention how amazing a tomato is in Italy? Probably have, but I feel it needs to be said every five minutes. Also something I should mention. Absinthe hangovers are NOT, I repeat NOT fun! End of discussion.
We were up bright and early for a tour the next morning. We met a fabulous new human being that goes by the name of Steve, so us three were led all around the city by our tour guide Jason. We visited about four churches, learnt A LOT about Christianity, saw the Roman Forums, Piazza Del Popolo, Trevi Fountain (which gets on average €3000 per day chucked into it!), St.Peter´s Basilica The Vatican and ending with the holy grail; The Sistine Chapel. This famous ceiling is by far Michelangelo´s greatest masterpiece. He worked on it from 1508 to 1512, and let us just tell you; it is REMARKABLE. All you want to do is lay on the ground, with arms spread wide and bask in this insane piece of artwork.
We truly had the perfect last night in Rome. Being at The Yellow, you are almost obligated to meet the best people in the world, which we feel we did! A lovely bunch of us played card games at the hostel which was accompanied by delicious drinks and loads of laughs. We all headed on over to the local liquor store, bought some cheap liquids, and sat directly beside the Colusseum. I would say that is a pretty good backdrop. Everyone looked marvelous next to it. We have love all around for these people, and truly had the most amazing time in Rome. We will for surely be back one day!
M & B
We arrived in Rome, and headed to our hostel The Yellow. (Which lots of people recommended! Thanks friends!) It was FUN. If you or someone you know is going to Rome, make sure to book a room here! Well, the rooms really aren´t that great. And our bathroom didn´t have a sink, it was literally ripped off the wall, pretty funny. But the main floor/bar/patio is awesome. This has been one of our favorite hostels so far, just because of the atmosphere of the place. It was so easy to interact and meet new people, which we did a lot of! We look back on our time in Rome, and the reason it holds such a dear place in our hearts is truthfully because of all the wonderful individuals we met!
Speaking of friends, our dear one Bri was luckily in Rome the same time we were. We met up and went for dinner at a lovely restaurant near our hostel. Personally, best pasta in Italy. It was so unbelievably delicious. (So delicious that when we went back the second time, I got the same dish! Bailey got ´pasta pillows´, Eeee! How cute is that!?). After our bellies were full of goodness, we mosied on back to our hostel, had some beers and met some new friends that insisted we accompany them on going to an Irish pub. Why not, we thought...we did LOVE Ireland after all. It was a night full of fun! Just so everyone is aware, we literally ate our body weight in gelato while in Italy. Both me and B are so keen on this stuff, we could probably ensure it never goes out of business. We had to get our gelato fix on average about three times a day. Yea, we´re talking nine scoops per day.
So, Rome is really fun and nights you drink Absinthe with really dear friends is even funner. Me, Bailey, Bri, Daniel and Tom decided to crack some green stuff and stumble the streets of this beautiful city. There is nothing more remarkable then being able to walk down the middle of one of the busiest streets of Rome, at 4 in the morning with hardly a soul in sight. We skipped and pranced around full of so much happiness. Our hearts almost burst when we saw the Colusseum for the first time. Having it all to ourselves was truly something of dreams. It was definately a moment we will remember the rest of our lives. We went back to the hostel and had the funnest dance party probably ever.
The next morning, we all practically crawled downstairs for breakfast. Something we have learnt on the trip though is that no matter how you feel, you still have to make the most out of each and every day! So off to explore the city we went! Me, Bailey, Tom and Daniel wandered around, checking out the Colusseum, Roman Ruins, Arco di Costantino, and ending our day having a nice bite to eat at a restaurant overlooking the city. Did we mention how amazing a tomato is in Italy? Probably have, but I feel it needs to be said every five minutes. Also something I should mention. Absinthe hangovers are NOT, I repeat NOT fun! End of discussion.
We were up bright and early for a tour the next morning. We met a fabulous new human being that goes by the name of Steve, so us three were led all around the city by our tour guide Jason. We visited about four churches, learnt A LOT about Christianity, saw the Roman Forums, Piazza Del Popolo, Trevi Fountain (which gets on average €3000 per day chucked into it!), St.Peter´s Basilica The Vatican and ending with the holy grail; The Sistine Chapel. This famous ceiling is by far Michelangelo´s greatest masterpiece. He worked on it from 1508 to 1512, and let us just tell you; it is REMARKABLE. All you want to do is lay on the ground, with arms spread wide and bask in this insane piece of artwork.
We truly had the perfect last night in Rome. Being at The Yellow, you are almost obligated to meet the best people in the world, which we feel we did! A lovely bunch of us played card games at the hostel which was accompanied by delicious drinks and loads of laughs. We all headed on over to the local liquor store, bought some cheap liquids, and sat directly beside the Colusseum. I would say that is a pretty good backdrop. Everyone looked marvelous next to it. We have love all around for these people, and truly had the most amazing time in Rome. We will for surely be back one day!
M & B
Naples (Our first taste of Italia!)
Italy. Italy. Italy. We love the way it rolls off the tongue. If we try hard enough we can still taste the pizza. Mmm. Thin, delicious crust. Tomato sauce. Basil. Cheeeese.
Sorry. I'm back...
So. What can we all say about this magnificent country? That it has been one of our favorites so far? That we met some of the greatest people ever? That we ate enough carbs to last us a lifetime? Sounds about right! This place is like no other. We GET why people from every corner of the globe flock here. Once you're there, and you experience it...you just understand completely.
Our first stop in Italy was Naples. This place really does deserve a giant stamp of approval for kicking ass when it comes to pizza. Oh and GELATO. Neopolitan's know where it's at, that's for sure! We stayed at a really nice hostel tucked away beneath an old abandoned church. We got there around supper and could hardly stand to wait any longer for real Italian pizza. After all, we have been waiting our entire lives! The hostel recommended a cool area of the city to go too, which was bustling with bars, cafes, shops, and PIZZERIA'S! We practically broke the door down going into the first good one we saw. It was the perfect first experience. It was a smaller restaurant, most likely family owned. We had the cutest little waiter, who was so interested in learning about Canada, but spoke little to no English. Hand gestures, we'll put it out there now, are a god send! The pizza was made in about five minutes flat and we devoured those babies to say the LEAST. An entire pizza-pie down and digested. And yes, we of course each got our own! Who do you think we are!?
Although we were full to the brim, there is always room for dessert. And as we have come to find out, there is literally ALWAYS room for gelato. Morning, noon or night. Give it to us! We sauntered around, bellies full of fresh Italian goodness and found the best looking Gelateria. It was DIVINE. We each got a waffle cone dipped in chocolate and nuts and three TO DIE FOR scoops of different flavors. We then plopped our butts down on a curb and basked in what Italy had intended for us all along. It was glorious.
Naples is a pretty darn dirty city, and we only spent one night there because we were on our way to the motherland; ROME! We got up the next morning to head to the train station. Not before eating leftover pizza for breakfast. Then having more pizza at the station, we even tried a slice with FRENCH FRIES on it! Weird! And of course got our daily fix of gelato. Straccitella gelato to be exact. (most amazing thing in the entire world). So yes, as you can tell, mostly all we did in Naples was eat!
Ciao for now!
M & B
Sorry. I'm back...
So. What can we all say about this magnificent country? That it has been one of our favorites so far? That we met some of the greatest people ever? That we ate enough carbs to last us a lifetime? Sounds about right! This place is like no other. We GET why people from every corner of the globe flock here. Once you're there, and you experience it...you just understand completely.
Our first stop in Italy was Naples. This place really does deserve a giant stamp of approval for kicking ass when it comes to pizza. Oh and GELATO. Neopolitan's know where it's at, that's for sure! We stayed at a really nice hostel tucked away beneath an old abandoned church. We got there around supper and could hardly stand to wait any longer for real Italian pizza. After all, we have been waiting our entire lives! The hostel recommended a cool area of the city to go too, which was bustling with bars, cafes, shops, and PIZZERIA'S! We practically broke the door down going into the first good one we saw. It was the perfect first experience. It was a smaller restaurant, most likely family owned. We had the cutest little waiter, who was so interested in learning about Canada, but spoke little to no English. Hand gestures, we'll put it out there now, are a god send! The pizza was made in about five minutes flat and we devoured those babies to say the LEAST. An entire pizza-pie down and digested. And yes, we of course each got our own! Who do you think we are!?
Although we were full to the brim, there is always room for dessert. And as we have come to find out, there is literally ALWAYS room for gelato. Morning, noon or night. Give it to us! We sauntered around, bellies full of fresh Italian goodness and found the best looking Gelateria. It was DIVINE. We each got a waffle cone dipped in chocolate and nuts and three TO DIE FOR scoops of different flavors. We then plopped our butts down on a curb and basked in what Italy had intended for us all along. It was glorious.
Naples is a pretty darn dirty city, and we only spent one night there because we were on our way to the motherland; ROME! We got up the next morning to head to the train station. Not before eating leftover pizza for breakfast. Then having more pizza at the station, we even tried a slice with FRENCH FRIES on it! Weird! And of course got our daily fix of gelato. Straccitella gelato to be exact. (most amazing thing in the entire world). So yes, as you can tell, mostly all we did in Naples was eat!
Ciao for now!
M & B
Monday, November 26, 2012
Ugh. (Yep, that's the name of this one).
Well! Have we got some stories for all of YOU! First off, by the title of this post I'm sure you already get the sense it's going to be the best one ever and SO TOTALLY AWESOME. Ha, think again!
First off, if any of our lovely blog followers/readers are from the countries of Masadonia, or Albania...the LAST thing we want to do is offend you or put your country in a negative light. We go to every single place with an open mind, so this didn't necessarily have to do with the country itself, we're just simple writing of OUR experience.
That said, we didn't have much fun. We really wish we could say we had a blast, we really really do. But that just wasn't the case. It all started with us being situated in Croatia, trying to plan our route to get to Santorini Island, Greece. It has been a place we both dream of going, so we tried REALLY hard to make it work. After many tiring and confusing hours, we realized that since there weren't any trains running into Greece, and the bus route was way to complicated and way too long, we had to give up. It sucked. It was a moment neither of us wanted to come too, but looking back we really did save a LOT of money and time, so we've come to accept that that's just the way the cookie crumbles. But! We didn't realize Greece was out of the question until we were already a quarter of the way there! We took a bus to Skopje, Masadonia; which was the coldest bus ride of our entire lives and to our delight we were stuck in the back with a dude who insisted on smoking while in his seat. Ugh. (Told you!) So, we were kind of thrown into an Eastern Europe culture shock stepping off the bus. No one spoke English, you're instantly bombarded with guys wanting you to support whatever business they're throwing out at you, and it's just a complete different atmosphere from everywhere we had been so far. We missed the bus we wanted to catch by literally 10 minutes, so we were kind of forced into spending a night there. We did so at a hostel called Art, which had good intentions and a super cool vibe, but holy dyna were those beds NASTY. We're talking so bad that we used our own clothes as pillows and blankets. To top it off, our room had a beautiful broken window! (We can just feel the jealousy oozing out of you!). Although, we did have a really cute, giggly, dimpled-cheek Mexican woman staying with us. And we got free breakfast. And Masadonia is incredibly cheap. We went out for supper, which we estimated would be about $60 in Canada, was only $13! The 10 bills also have really pretty peacocks on them, so we made sure to each keep one. The weather was really cold, dreary and grey when we were there so we fixed our homesick woes by going to Amigo's Cantina! (Saskatoonians will pick up on this one). We stuffed our faces with chimichangas, rice and beans for REALLY cheap. It ruled.
So, because we cancelled Greece, we decided to head straight over to Italy. We were to get there by Ferry, but had to take it out of the port in Durras, Albania. Hmm, there really isn't a lot to say about this place other than the fact we really wanted to leave. Something to keep in mind is that we ARE two young, Caucasian females, and the only travelers in sight. We make sure to keep safe wherever we go, but when little children come chasing after you literally digging in your purse trying to steal your belongings, it's pretty hard to keep a calm mental state. The most heartbreaking thing is having to tell starving children to leave you be. Ugh! (Again!) Durras isn't pretty either. Not compared to all the other breathtaking places we've been in Europe. People harassed us, men stared, and we didn't have anywhere to go for about 15 hours because our ferry didn't start boarding till 8 pm. But, after seven cappucino's and two RedBull each, we FINALLY were able to hustle our butts onto the ferry. We practically ran up the ramp, smiling super big. It was relieving to get into our teeny tiny, but oh so cute room on the boat. Very "Titanic". It might have been one of the best sleeps of our lives. And once we woke up and had breakfast, we were docking into Bari, Italy's port!
We truly wish we had better things to say about these places, because we HAVE heard good things about them. Unfortunately, our experience just wasn't a good one. But! To not make this entire post depressing, we'll leave you with a funny little story...
We first arrived in a city about half an hour from Durras, so in order to get there we had to take a minibus. What is this you ask? Well, one would think it would just be a smaller version of a bus, right!? Kind of. It is. But it's run by two guys, one driving, and one with his head out the window yelling at passerbys the destination of the bus to see if they are wanting rides. It only cost us the equivalent of $2 to drive almost forty minutes. But those forty minutes, OH DEAR LORD. We were lucky to be some of the first ones in this ten person ride, because we were thankfully able to sit down as it would have been impossible standing in there with our huge backpacks. I think we each both had about an inch and a half of room to ourselves. The thing should have a warning on it: CLAUSTROPHOBIC PEOPLE; GET LOST. WE PACK THIS THING LIKE A CAN OF SARDINES. If bad driving, too many people in one space, lack of oxygen and your feet falling asleep isn't just the cherry on top, this is. A boy about 12 years old, who runs down the road and every chance he gets; bursts the back doors open. It became about a ten minute painful struggle of the boy opening the doors, the driver getting out to close them and the boy continuing to be a little shit-disturber. (Excuse my French). At the time, we just sat there wondering what the heck we got ourselves into, but now we look back on it all and realize we got some pretty good stories!
M & B
First off, if any of our lovely blog followers/readers are from the countries of Masadonia, or Albania...the LAST thing we want to do is offend you or put your country in a negative light. We go to every single place with an open mind, so this didn't necessarily have to do with the country itself, we're just simple writing of OUR experience.
That said, we didn't have much fun. We really wish we could say we had a blast, we really really do. But that just wasn't the case. It all started with us being situated in Croatia, trying to plan our route to get to Santorini Island, Greece. It has been a place we both dream of going, so we tried REALLY hard to make it work. After many tiring and confusing hours, we realized that since there weren't any trains running into Greece, and the bus route was way to complicated and way too long, we had to give up. It sucked. It was a moment neither of us wanted to come too, but looking back we really did save a LOT of money and time, so we've come to accept that that's just the way the cookie crumbles. But! We didn't realize Greece was out of the question until we were already a quarter of the way there! We took a bus to Skopje, Masadonia; which was the coldest bus ride of our entire lives and to our delight we were stuck in the back with a dude who insisted on smoking while in his seat. Ugh. (Told you!) So, we were kind of thrown into an Eastern Europe culture shock stepping off the bus. No one spoke English, you're instantly bombarded with guys wanting you to support whatever business they're throwing out at you, and it's just a complete different atmosphere from everywhere we had been so far. We missed the bus we wanted to catch by literally 10 minutes, so we were kind of forced into spending a night there. We did so at a hostel called Art, which had good intentions and a super cool vibe, but holy dyna were those beds NASTY. We're talking so bad that we used our own clothes as pillows and blankets. To top it off, our room had a beautiful broken window! (We can just feel the jealousy oozing out of you!). Although, we did have a really cute, giggly, dimpled-cheek Mexican woman staying with us. And we got free breakfast. And Masadonia is incredibly cheap. We went out for supper, which we estimated would be about $60 in Canada, was only $13! The 10 bills also have really pretty peacocks on them, so we made sure to each keep one. The weather was really cold, dreary and grey when we were there so we fixed our homesick woes by going to Amigo's Cantina! (Saskatoonians will pick up on this one). We stuffed our faces with chimichangas, rice and beans for REALLY cheap. It ruled.
So, because we cancelled Greece, we decided to head straight over to Italy. We were to get there by Ferry, but had to take it out of the port in Durras, Albania. Hmm, there really isn't a lot to say about this place other than the fact we really wanted to leave. Something to keep in mind is that we ARE two young, Caucasian females, and the only travelers in sight. We make sure to keep safe wherever we go, but when little children come chasing after you literally digging in your purse trying to steal your belongings, it's pretty hard to keep a calm mental state. The most heartbreaking thing is having to tell starving children to leave you be. Ugh! (Again!) Durras isn't pretty either. Not compared to all the other breathtaking places we've been in Europe. People harassed us, men stared, and we didn't have anywhere to go for about 15 hours because our ferry didn't start boarding till 8 pm. But, after seven cappucino's and two RedBull each, we FINALLY were able to hustle our butts onto the ferry. We practically ran up the ramp, smiling super big. It was relieving to get into our teeny tiny, but oh so cute room on the boat. Very "Titanic". It might have been one of the best sleeps of our lives. And once we woke up and had breakfast, we were docking into Bari, Italy's port!
We truly wish we had better things to say about these places, because we HAVE heard good things about them. Unfortunately, our experience just wasn't a good one. But! To not make this entire post depressing, we'll leave you with a funny little story...
We first arrived in a city about half an hour from Durras, so in order to get there we had to take a minibus. What is this you ask? Well, one would think it would just be a smaller version of a bus, right!? Kind of. It is. But it's run by two guys, one driving, and one with his head out the window yelling at passerbys the destination of the bus to see if they are wanting rides. It only cost us the equivalent of $2 to drive almost forty minutes. But those forty minutes, OH DEAR LORD. We were lucky to be some of the first ones in this ten person ride, because we were thankfully able to sit down as it would have been impossible standing in there with our huge backpacks. I think we each both had about an inch and a half of room to ourselves. The thing should have a warning on it: CLAUSTROPHOBIC PEOPLE; GET LOST. WE PACK THIS THING LIKE A CAN OF SARDINES. If bad driving, too many people in one space, lack of oxygen and your feet falling asleep isn't just the cherry on top, this is. A boy about 12 years old, who runs down the road and every chance he gets; bursts the back doors open. It became about a ten minute painful struggle of the boy opening the doors, the driver getting out to close them and the boy continuing to be a little shit-disturber. (Excuse my French). At the time, we just sat there wondering what the heck we got ourselves into, but now we look back on it all and realize we got some pretty good stories!
M & B
Monday, November 19, 2012
Croatia
From Austria, we decided it was time to start heading South! We had heard only but wonderful things about Croatia, so off we went! From Salzburg we had to take a 14 hour night bus to Split (our first Croatian destination). It was a bus ride from hell. First off, we don't think many people enjoy being on a bus for that amount of time. Second, we usually each have 2 seats to ourselves (able to stretch out and sleep), yea not on this baby! Bailey was stuck with a woman who insisted on spreading her legs out as far as they could go, and I was situated next to a man I swear was a part of the Mafia. We got about 3 hours of sleep each, and the bus was really really hot. Fun had by all!
Arriving in Split, was like heaven on Earth! We stepped off the bus and had to start takin' off some layers! Plus 18 degrees and sunny! Yay! We were oh so very happy. Another thing that made us happy is that Croatia is cheap! Compared to all the other countries we had previously been in, we felt loaded here. Our hostel was cheap and as a bonus we had it all to ourselves! Nice room, big kitchen, and a lovely little veranda to hang our freshly washed clothes on. Like having our own apartment. We had been pretty hustle-bustle so it was really nice to just relax. And doing so on a beach doesn't really hurt. We were only about a 10 minute walk down to the water, so most days we sauntered down threw the market and got to laze by the sea for as long as we liked. :)
Theres a large, large hill in Split called Marjan. It has about 3000 steps, but trust us it's worth it! The view from the very top is breathtaking. Mind you, our breath had already been taken climbing our bums up the hill! (that was a bad joke). Anyways, the hike was at times a struggle but it was fun and refreshing and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! From the top you can see most of Split, as well as all the surrounding islands. Seriously, SO beautiful. Blissful moment indeed. Our last evening, we sat along the water, drank some Stella's and watched the sun set over the horizon with sailboats casting their shadows upon the light. Perfection if we do say so ourselves.
From Split, we headed to Dubrovnik (capital of Croatia). The bus to get there took us on a crazy, windy coastal road. But beautiful view! Although, at some points it was really quite nauseating. At one point I had to close my eyes and keep telling myself "we're just on the highway to Humboldt, we're just on the highway to Humboldt" (anyone who has driven it knows it's the straightest road ever). But we made it to beautiful Dubrovnik, and once again stepped off the bus loving the sun and the warmth. We stayed at Dubrovnik Backpackers Hostel, owned by the sweetest, kindest old couple ever. And the BEST THING EVER, the hostel had a KITTY! We're pretty huge cat freaks, so this made our life quite complete. It was the cutest little thing ever, that loved to follow us around and cuddle.
We spent lots of time down by the harbor, which is beautiful! The Old City part of Dubrovnik is awesome. You feel like your in a completely different place, lost somewhere thousands of years old. There are so many little alley ways and old stairs leading you to the coolest tucked away cafes and stores. Our last day in Dubrovnik, was plus 22 degrees. We of course headed to the beach! Copacabana Beach! ("At the Copa! Copacabana!", c'mon you know the song!). On our way back to the hostel, the weirdest most awesome thing ever happened. We walked down a residential/beach house kind of area and we saw a pretty little kitty. Then! There were two cats. Then, all of a sudden five cats. All different colors, all so cute! We walked, they followed. It was awesome. Then, we look back and there is cats literally coming out of every bush, from under every car, everywhere! We just stood there, would take a few steps, another cat would emerge. It got up to 15 CATS. We aren't even kidding. One five. Fifteen! They kind of just all sat there and surrounded us. So yes, you may now refer to us as "the cat whisperers".
You have cat to be kitten be right meow ;)
M & B
Austria
We went from Prague to Vienna, and to be honest don't really have that much to say about it. We were there only one night so we weren't really able to see or do to much, which sucked. We stayed at Wombat's hostel, which was nice but pretty distant from the city centre. It was really cold while we were there, but we braved it out and went and checked out the Imperial Palace. We also went to The Zoo! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Actually, none of those animals were there. Ha. But! There were koalas, giraffes, hippos, penguins, monkeys, and the most beloved elephants.
Hmm, what else to say about Vienna. We ate a lot of pizza, and did I mention it was cold? Yea, that's about it then!
From Vienna, we went to a place where THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC!! (You just sang that in your head, didn't you!?) Yep, we went to Salzburg, Austria. The place overflowing with all things Sound of Music related! We literally came to this city, just because of the movie. It was our childhood, we were practically spoon fed Do-Re-Me. And still to this day, it is one of our most favorite musicals.
We stayed in a hostel, which was pretty cheap and so nice it should be called a hotel, called the Meininger. We made friends with an awesome couple Amberley and Jason, as well as some lovely lads Steven and Matt. They had us laughing for hours, and also not want to eat a burrito for a long, long time. (Not even going to try and explain). Salzburg is an absolutely beautiful place, nestled within a valley surrounded by mountains and trees bursting with delicious fall hues. The place kind of reminded us of Banff. A European Banff!
Now! On to the goodies. Our tour started bright and early, so we grabbed some breakfast and headed out! It was such a beautiful, crisp fall day. We were very lucky! First off, the tour guide was THE BEST tour guide in the world. Hilarious, knowledgeable and super friendly. The tour was about 4 hours in total and we spent some time in Salzburg, seeing famous monuments and locations used in The Sound of Music, such as the pond where Maria and all the children fell out of the canoe, the bridge that her and the children filmed some scenes on, and the glass gazebo where the oh so familiar "16 going on 17" was shot. We ventured out into the countryside and made some stops along the way with the most beautiful views! The tour also showed us The VonTrapp house, as well as the trees and road the movie had the children swinging and frolicking around in their curtain clothes. We made a stop in a neighboring town and got to see the famous church used in the wedding scene of Maria and The Captain. All in all, it was really quite awesome. We were filled with so much happiness, both of us ALMOST started tearing up listening to the soundtrack on the way home. Don't judge us.
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu!
M & B
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