Hi from Nicole, Emilie's official traveling mate!
We have been in Corfu, Greece since early Friday morning. We look a 7 hour night ferry from Brindisi, Italy to the island of Corfu. Needless to say, we slept a few hours, and had the pleasure of experiencing roudy Aussie travelers. Those kids party hard! (Literally, we left at 9pm Thursday night, and they were still drinking at 7:00am Friday morning)
We have been staying at Corfu's infamous "summer camp without supervision" called The Pink Palace. While I recommend it for it's price and aneminities (Included in the price= home made breakfast and 3 course dinner, day time adventure rentals such as kayaks, scooters, 4 wheelers, 'booze cruise', and lots of beautiful people!), the crowd attracted here leans more on the young partying type. Everyone is very friendly though, and we have had a great time.
After we arrived Friday morning (took 3 hours to check in, oye!), we slept for about 3 hours, then headed out to kayak to a nearby rock formation south of our hotel. The kayaks were super fun, and we enjoyed the little cove we found.
Yesterday, we rented a moter scooter, and scooted around Corfu! The island is pretty small, but we were gone for pretty much all day. No problems navigation wise, and Emilie was a fabulous driver! (I tried to rent one too, but haven't ever been on a scooter and haven't been on a bike since elementary school, so it would've been BAAAD with all of Corfu's hills!)
Today we spent ALL day at the beach because we had to check out of our room by 9am. We are both turning lovely shades of brown (and maybe a little red)! We both just had fantastic massages, and are feeling very relaxed to enjoy another home cooked dinner, and a LONG ferry too Athens. We will be in Athens tomorrow morning, then the following day be on our way to the other Greek island of Santorini.
Cheers!
Sunday, July 31
Wednesday, July 27
Pompeii
You know those days when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Well today, both Nicole and I did. Actually, it was the NOT waking up that put us in a bad mood. Our alarm was set for 5am (yes punk, 5am, but don't get any ideas) because of our early train. We had a ride from our campsite to the local metro station at 6am. However, something went wrong and I woke up at 6.
Our packing skills have truely improved, we were out the door in 8 minutes flat. Unfortunately, we were also grubby from not having time to shower that morning (and the evening before we ran all over Rome). So that set the tone for the day.
We had decided to spend the night in Solerno due to its affordability and proximity to Pompeii. We arrived and hunted down the hostel; since street signs are optional in Italy, we had some difficulty but not too much. The hostel was in uproar when we arrived, so we only had time to drop our packs and run out the door. (We had both been hoping for some grooming time.)
We ran to the station to hitch our ride to Pompeii and made it due to a delay only to find out the train only stops at Pompeii during weekends. So we rode into Napoli then caught a train that actually stopped in Pompeii. By this time it was nearly 1 and we were starving.
The ruins are quite extensive and even more so when you are speed walking across them to the cafeteria. We finally ate an overpriced, but long awaited meal and attempted to nurse our dampened spirits with the sites.
Maybe everyone has talked up Pompei too much, maybe it was the lack of cool dead bodies hanging about (we saw a total of 4), or maybe it was that the coolest parts of Pompeii were closed i.e. House of Vetti & 3 other big ones, but we really were let down by the sights. We tramped around in the very hot sun for 4 hours, visiting some very beautiful places and some less so. Next time I will invest in a tour guide or or least the audio tour.
The good news was the gelato afterwards. It was divine. Not to mention arriving back to the hostel and taking a nice long, hot shower (a feat not too common in a hostel). So now we are cleaned, fed and excited to head to the greek islands. Yes, Pompei was a bit of a let down, but next time we shall be more prepared. Ciao from Italia, our next update shall be from an island called Corfu!
With harmony,
Emilie
Our packing skills have truely improved, we were out the door in 8 minutes flat. Unfortunately, we were also grubby from not having time to shower that morning (and the evening before we ran all over Rome). So that set the tone for the day.
We had decided to spend the night in Solerno due to its affordability and proximity to Pompeii. We arrived and hunted down the hostel; since street signs are optional in Italy, we had some difficulty but not too much. The hostel was in uproar when we arrived, so we only had time to drop our packs and run out the door. (We had both been hoping for some grooming time.)
We ran to the station to hitch our ride to Pompeii and made it due to a delay only to find out the train only stops at Pompeii during weekends. So we rode into Napoli then caught a train that actually stopped in Pompeii. By this time it was nearly 1 and we were starving.
The ruins are quite extensive and even more so when you are speed walking across them to the cafeteria. We finally ate an overpriced, but long awaited meal and attempted to nurse our dampened spirits with the sites.
Maybe everyone has talked up Pompei too much, maybe it was the lack of cool dead bodies hanging about (we saw a total of 4), or maybe it was that the coolest parts of Pompeii were closed i.e. House of Vetti & 3 other big ones, but we really were let down by the sights. We tramped around in the very hot sun for 4 hours, visiting some very beautiful places and some less so. Next time I will invest in a tour guide or or least the audio tour.
The good news was the gelato afterwards. It was divine. Not to mention arriving back to the hostel and taking a nice long, hot shower (a feat not too common in a hostel). So now we are cleaned, fed and excited to head to the greek islands. Yes, Pompei was a bit of a let down, but next time we shall be more prepared. Ciao from Italia, our next update shall be from an island called Corfu!
With harmony,
Emilie
Tuesday, July 26
Ciao Ciao from Roma
Hello everyone,
Nicole and I are currently spending our last night in Rome before heading onto Pompeii then Greece. We've been very productive in terms of hitting the sights. We are staying at a camp ground outside of town and found it to be a rather nice experience. Since arriving in Rome, we have seen quite a bit including...Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, 3 churches, Roman forum, collosseum, and Vatican City and all that implies. It's been a whirlwind couple of days but we are enjoying ourselves.
While visiting the Spanish steps we realized we had no idea what these steps were all about so we created our own little history. Ask us about it...and maybe we shall exclose our findings...or maybe not...yes we are nerds. Actually, getting around Rome has been much easier than we had inticipated. Guess we are becoming traveling pros...or maybe Rome is just easy...either way it has been very helpful in hitting the sights.
Thank goodness we decided to stay an extra night in Cinque Terre for it allowed us to avoid a train strike. Yes, a train strike in Italy. Apparently these strikes are fairly common and happen almost once a month...so yesterday and today the trains are out of service, but tomorrow morning they will be ready to take us ontoour next adventure in Pompeii. Alright, must say ciao for now.
With harmony,
Emilie
Nicole and I are currently spending our last night in Rome before heading onto Pompeii then Greece. We've been very productive in terms of hitting the sights. We are staying at a camp ground outside of town and found it to be a rather nice experience. Since arriving in Rome, we have seen quite a bit including...Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, 3 churches, Roman forum, collosseum, and Vatican City and all that implies. It's been a whirlwind couple of days but we are enjoying ourselves.
While visiting the Spanish steps we realized we had no idea what these steps were all about so we created our own little history. Ask us about it...and maybe we shall exclose our findings...or maybe not...yes we are nerds. Actually, getting around Rome has been much easier than we had inticipated. Guess we are becoming traveling pros...or maybe Rome is just easy...either way it has been very helpful in hitting the sights.
Thank goodness we decided to stay an extra night in Cinque Terre for it allowed us to avoid a train strike. Yes, a train strike in Italy. Apparently these strikes are fairly common and happen almost once a month...so yesterday and today the trains are out of service, but tomorrow morning they will be ready to take us ontoour next adventure in Pompeii. Alright, must say ciao for now.
With harmony,
Emilie
Sunday, July 24
Email Issues
Ciao everyone.
My email address is not working correctly. If you have sent me anything at this address I probably haven't recieved it. Furthermore, my tech support doesn't seem to be helpful at this point in time. Contact me via . Cheers!
Emilie
My email address
Emilie
Cinque Terre Holidays
These last two days in Cinque Terre have been like a dream. Day 1 we spent lounging on the beach in Monterosso. It was a quite day that ended in an evening feast of pasta and bread. We made it ourselves and washed it down with limoncello. Yum!
This morning, Nicole and I said goodbye to Heather for she is heading up to London to catch her flight home. She seemed confident and ready to go home. We headed out to Monterosso so we could hike back to our town. The predicted hiking time was 5 hours, not including break time in cities. We took about 6.5 hours total, and loved every minute of it.
The first leg was mainly going up steps...lots of them. It is known as the difficult leg, but we consoled ourselves by reminding ourselves that it would be easier from then on. It was probably the most beautiful and rewarding leg of the hike. The second leg was almost as grueling as the first, but more so for difficult terrain and the need for food and beer. When we finally arrived in Corneglia we had fabulous foccoicia, beer and chocolate. We were very content.
The last two legs of the trip we a breeze after the first 2 tough ones. With full bellies we walked to Manrola then finally Rioggimiore. It was a wonderful day. We both ended up a little burned, but felt a great sense of accomplishment. It was one of the most memorable days on this trip so far for me.
Our evening ended with cooking a fabulous pesto pasta and a garlic bread worthy of warding off all the vampires on the contienent. Tomorrow we head to Rome where we are going to spend two nights before heading to Pompeii. Goodnight all.
Emilie
This morning, Nicole and I said goodbye to Heather for she is heading up to London to catch her flight home. She seemed confident and ready to go home. We headed out to Monterosso so we could hike back to our town. The predicted hiking time was 5 hours, not including break time in cities. We took about 6.5 hours total, and loved every minute of it.
The first leg was mainly going up steps...lots of them. It is known as the difficult leg, but we consoled ourselves by reminding ourselves that it would be easier from then on. It was probably the most beautiful and rewarding leg of the hike. The second leg was almost as grueling as the first, but more so for difficult terrain and the need for food and beer. When we finally arrived in Corneglia we had fabulous foccoicia, beer and chocolate. We were very content.
The last two legs of the trip we a breeze after the first 2 tough ones. With full bellies we walked to Manrola then finally Rioggimiore. It was a wonderful day. We both ended up a little burned, but felt a great sense of accomplishment. It was one of the most memorable days on this trip so far for me.
Our evening ended with cooking a fabulous pesto pasta and a garlic bread worthy of warding off all the vampires on the contienent. Tomorrow we head to Rome where we are going to spend two nights before heading to Pompeii. Goodnight all.
Emilie
Friday, July 22
Love at first sight
I have finally experiened love at first sight. It's okay Dad...I'm not in love with a boy, Cinque Terre has captured my heart. We have been here for less than two hours and already Nicole and I are staying another night (sadly, Heather is leaving us after tomorrow night). This place is beautiful and I want to stay forever. So when I make my fortune, I will be investing in a modest accommodation for me and my dog and whatever animals I have in my life (Dad, insert possible future male here).
Before arriving in Cinque Terre today, we spent about 4 hours in Pisa. We actually climbed the leaning tower of Pisa!!!! We also visited a few other beautiful and interesting sights before running out there (Pisa is neat, but there are a lot of tourists). Our ride to Cinque Terre was fairly smooth except for choosing the train car without air conditioning. Alas we are settled and (speaking for myself although both Nicole and Heather seem delighted) estatic to be here!
Cheers from the most beautiful place in Italy. Emilie
Before arriving in Cinque Terre today, we spent about 4 hours in Pisa. We actually climbed the leaning tower of Pisa!!!! We also visited a few other beautiful and interesting sights before running out there (Pisa is neat, but there are a lot of tourists). Our ride to Cinque Terre was fairly smooth except for choosing the train car without air conditioning. Alas we are settled and (speaking for myself although both Nicole and Heather seem delighted) estatic to be here!
Cheers from the most beautiful place in Italy. Emilie
Thursday, July 21
Firenze
Hello everyone,
Once again I have suceeded in uploading pictures!!! We are at an end of our time in Florence. It has been ideal with only a few minor issues. We have visited all the big sights...Santa Croce, Duomo, Uffitisi, Boboli Gardens, the open air market, Ponte Vecchcio and the Palace. Overall, Florence has been a rich and enjoyable experience.
The only drawback to Florence is the touristy edge which in itself can be fine except for the tourist traps. Yes, and we fell for a
couple...the worst example being the $10 gelato. Also there is this thing that appears on your tab called a copula (think speeled
correctly) which my translater called 'overcast weather' but was in fact a tax for sitting in the restaurant. This is not specific to
Florence, but happens to be one of its perks. The food has been fabulous and yes mum, so has been the limoncello.
Tomorrow we will be spending an afternoon in Pisa before heading to Cinque Terre. We are very much looking forward to visiting this so called 'unspoiled' part of Italy. Ciao and goodnight.
With harmony,
Emilie
Once again I have suceeded in uploading pictures!!! We are at an end of our time in Florence. It has been ideal with only a few minor issues. We have visited all the big sights...Santa Croce, Duomo, Uffitisi, Boboli Gardens, the open air market, Ponte Vecchcio and the Palace. Overall, Florence has been a rich and enjoyable experience.
The only drawback to Florence is the touristy edge which in itself can be fine except for the tourist traps. Yes, and we fell for a
couple...the worst example being the $10 gelato. Also there is this thing that appears on your tab called a copula (think speeled
correctly) which my translater called 'overcast weather' but was in fact a tax for sitting in the restaurant. This is not specific to
Florence, but happens to be one of its perks. The food has been fabulous and yes mum, so has been the limoncello.
Tomorrow we will be spending an afternoon in Pisa before heading to Cinque Terre. We are very much looking forward to visiting this so called 'unspoiled' part of Italy. Ciao and goodnight.
With harmony,
Emilie
Tuesday, July 19
Italia
This is just a brief posting from Emilie telling everyone we are finally heading the gelato diet (2 a day). Florence is beautiful and
we are having a blast. We've been busy attempting to make the most of our time in Italy. Heather is nearing the end of her time with us, only 4 more nights I believe. She is a little sad to be done, but overall ready for a bath and the washing machine. Nicole finally seems to be in the groove of things and I am plugging away. Cheers from Florence and more updates to come soon!
we are having a blast. We've been busy attempting to make the most of our time in Italy. Heather is nearing the end of her time with us, only 4 more nights I believe. She is a little sad to be done, but overall ready for a bath and the washing machine. Nicole finally seems to be in the groove of things and I am plugging away. Cheers from Florence and more updates to come soon!
Monday, July 18
Ciao from Firenze ( btw...this is em)
Hello everyone,
I am writing from Florence, Italia, I think it is my favorite city in Europe. We have just enjoyed an excellent meal of pasta and vino, so please forgive my typos...which I am certain will be numerous.
Venice was fun. For Heather, like my mother, it was love at first sight. Our entire first day we spent attempting to find our hotel, which was in a town called Malcontent. Ironic since it took us about six hours to find the place, and believe me we were mal content by the end of the afternoon. We asked how to get to 'Sabbioni' which led us to an area called 'Punta Sabbioni', which is about 80km from where we wanted to be. 80km for the record, is not close.
We finally made it and spent the next day doing everything our hearts desired in Venice. We enjoyed visiting San Marco's, shopped a ton, climbed the bell tower, & visited the Peggy Guggenhiem. For me, the Guggenhiem was the high point of Venice, loved it!!!!!
Food was lovely, but expensive. We are now in Florence, where the food is decidely more affordable, along with everything else. Our pensione is on the edge of the old city, so almost every place we'd like to visit is in 20 minutes walking distance or less. We are happy to be here and will send more updates since internet in Florence is affordable. Cheers!
-em
I am writing from Florence, Italia, I think it is my favorite city in Europe. We have just enjoyed an excellent meal of pasta and vino, so please forgive my typos...which I am certain will be numerous.
Venice was fun. For Heather, like my mother, it was love at first sight. Our entire first day we spent attempting to find our hotel, which was in a town called Malcontent. Ironic since it took us about six hours to find the place, and believe me we were mal content by the end of the afternoon. We asked how to get to 'Sabbioni' which led us to an area called 'Punta Sabbioni', which is about 80km from where we wanted to be. 80km for the record, is not close.
We finally made it and spent the next day doing everything our hearts desired in Venice. We enjoyed visiting San Marco's, shopped a ton, climbed the bell tower, & visited the Peggy Guggenhiem. For me, the Guggenhiem was the high point of Venice, loved it!!!!!
Food was lovely, but expensive. We are now in Florence, where the food is decidely more affordable, along with everything else. Our pensione is on the edge of the old city, so almost every place we'd like to visit is in 20 minutes walking distance or less. We are happy to be here and will send more updates since internet in Florence is affordable. Cheers!
-em
Bonjooooouuuuuuurno!
Ciao everyone! This is Nicole E. Neuman, reporting from the heart of Florence, Italy. We just arrived today with no 'lost' issues! If you haven't heard already, our merry band of travelers got horribly lost when we arrived in Venice. I'm talking about traveling across the canals, an hour out of our way, to the Lido (aka far away part of Venice) kind of lost. With packs. And heat. Oye. Heather fell in love with Venice instantly (during the time we were lost) while I reserved the right to laugh about the whole incident at a later time.
Italy seems much more open to tourists and patient with people that don't speak Italian. I am enjoying the food situation more than Spain. (Less ham and bread, more pasta and tomatoes) I've got a feeling Florence will be like Seville, and be a great experience!
Ciao!!
Italy seems much more open to tourists and patient with people that don't speak Italian. I am enjoying the food situation more than Spain. (Less ham and bread, more pasta and tomatoes) I've got a feeling Florence will be like Seville, and be a great experience!
Ciao!!
Friday, July 15
Ciao from Padova
Hello everyone,
I just wanted to send a brief post from Italia. We arrived today in one of the smoothest travel days, minus the lack of buses. Apparently public transit goes on strike all the time in Italy and today was one of those days. Thankfully tax drivers aren't so into the striking thing, so we arrived safely in Padova.
I am happy to report that the Spanish airport security is working. I forgot to pack both my travel knife & bottle opener today, thus had them both confiscated. Ooops. I am sorry for the loss and relieved that the security was so nice about it. I wonder if they resell them? So alas, I have no knife or bottle opener. I have to say the knife has been extrememly helpful, but I am so saddened over the loss of the bottle opener after discovering the wonderful world of Tintos (fabulous red wine i came accross in Spain).
Tomorrow we head to Venice where we will spend two nights before moving onto Florence. While in Venice we will probably not be using computers since the price is about triple, but I hope you will all look up the new postings we will have in Florence. I think we will be posting on the 18th of July.
Ciao. Emilie.
I just wanted to send a brief post from Italia. We arrived today in one of the smoothest travel days, minus the lack of buses. Apparently public transit goes on strike all the time in Italy and today was one of those days. Thankfully tax drivers aren't so into the striking thing, so we arrived safely in Padova.
I am happy to report that the Spanish airport security is working. I forgot to pack both my travel knife & bottle opener today, thus had them both confiscated. Ooops. I am sorry for the loss and relieved that the security was so nice about it. I wonder if they resell them? So alas, I have no knife or bottle opener. I have to say the knife has been extrememly helpful, but I am so saddened over the loss of the bottle opener after discovering the wonderful world of Tintos (fabulous red wine i came accross in Spain).
Tomorrow we head to Venice where we will spend two nights before moving onto Florence. While in Venice we will probably not be using computers since the price is about triple, but I hope you will all look up the new postings we will have in Florence. I think we will be posting on the 18th of July.
Ciao. Emilie.
Thursday, July 14
Hola from Sevilla
Hello Everyone,
Today I am writing us from Sevilla, a gem in southern Spain. It is a smaller city full of super friendly people (which hasn´t been very common in other parts of Spain). We are staying at a hotel for about $30 US a night and it is awesome. We have our own bathroom and a bed for each person.
We already feel more at home in Sevilla than we have in other parts of Spain. Mostly I think it has to do with the warmth of all the people, but also Sevilla is a bit cleaner than most places we´ve visited. We are planning on visiting the Plaza Toros Maestranza, yes where they hold bull fights and give tours during the day. There is no way any of us actually want to attend a bull fight, but we´re curious to see the arena and get information from a tour. We also hope to attend a Flamenco
show this evening if we can find cheap enough tickets. Our tour book recommends a show that will cost about $15 US, so we are there if we can get in tonight!
Tomorrow we will be flying to Italy!!! Our flight leaves in the morning for Milan, and we will take a train to Padua and spend the
night there before heading onto Veniza. Two nights in Venzia, four in Firenze, and two in Cinque Terre. At that point Heather will be leaving us and Nicole and I will be heading south. Cheers!
Today I am writing us from Sevilla, a gem in southern Spain. It is a smaller city full of super friendly people (which hasn´t been very common in other parts of Spain). We are staying at a hotel for about $30 US a night and it is awesome. We have our own bathroom and a bed for each person.
We already feel more at home in Sevilla than we have in other parts of Spain. Mostly I think it has to do with the warmth of all the people, but also Sevilla is a bit cleaner than most places we´ve visited. We are planning on visiting the Plaza Toros Maestranza, yes where they hold bull fights and give tours during the day. There is no way any of us actually want to attend a bull fight, but we´re curious to see the arena and get information from a tour. We also hope to attend a Flamenco
show this evening if we can find cheap enough tickets. Our tour book recommends a show that will cost about $15 US, so we are there if we can get in tonight!
Tomorrow we will be flying to Italy!!! Our flight leaves in the morning for Milan, and we will take a train to Padua and spend the
night there before heading onto Veniza. Two nights in Venzia, four in Firenze, and two in Cinque Terre. At that point Heather will be leaving us and Nicole and I will be heading south. Cheers!
Wednesday, July 13
Ciao from Granada
Hello everyone,
Spain has been awesome. We are now in Granada on our way to Seville this afternnon. I'd love to give you all the juicy details, but there is a line in the hostel so I just wanted to send a breif update on a slight format change. From now on, both Nicole and I will be posting updates on this journal. Maybe Heather if we can convince her too. So we'll sign it so you know who wrote the message. Cheers from Granada!
With harmony,
Emilie
Spain has been awesome. We are now in Granada on our way to Seville this afternnon. I'd love to give you all the juicy details, but there is a line in the hostel so I just wanted to send a breif update on a slight format change. From now on, both Nicole and I will be posting updates on this journal. Maybe Heather if we can convince her too. So we'll sign it so you know who wrote the message. Cheers from Granada!
With harmony,
Emilie
Monday, July 11
España
Hello everyone,
It is soooo easy to use an ñ in this country! Currently I am writing from Madrid, we have a four-hour lay over and decided to use an internet cafe. We´d like to explore the city but are weary about missing our train.
Barcelona was a fun town. Before Nicole came, Heather and I visited the Picasso Museum which was fun but had a hoorible layout, and we also shopped quite a bit in the barrios.
Once Nicole arrived, we started doing the bigger things...we did our own Gaudi walking tour in which we saw 3 buildings (including the construction of a Cathedral that has been in production since 1882 and is supposed to be finished either in 2080 or 2035ish). It was amazing, I hope it is finished in my life time so I can see it completed some day. I am now a true Gaudi fan! We also visited the Gaudi Park (Parc Guell) which was gorgous, although we visited while it was raining and
got soaking wet. We also spent quite a bit of time on Las Ramblas, it is a street brimming with life that has some shops but is mostly full of performers and restaurantes. We really enjoyed our time in Barcelona.
As mentioned before, we are only stopping in Madrid for a layover. Since our experiences in large cites overall haven´t been as good as in the smaller places, we´ve decided to spent two nights in Granada and two nights in Sevilla. From there we will fly to Italy, spend 1 night in Padua, then head to vencie. And that´s about all I have to spit at you for now. Cheers!
PS Today I had a nun cut in front of me in the bathroom line; I find this very funny!
It is soooo easy to use an ñ in this country! Currently I am writing from Madrid, we have a four-hour lay over and decided to use an internet cafe. We´d like to explore the city but are weary about missing our train.
Barcelona was a fun town. Before Nicole came, Heather and I visited the Picasso Museum which was fun but had a hoorible layout, and we also shopped quite a bit in the barrios.
Once Nicole arrived, we started doing the bigger things...we did our own Gaudi walking tour in which we saw 3 buildings (including the construction of a Cathedral that has been in production since 1882 and is supposed to be finished either in 2080 or 2035ish). It was amazing, I hope it is finished in my life time so I can see it completed some day. I am now a true Gaudi fan! We also visited the Gaudi Park (Parc Guell) which was gorgous, although we visited while it was raining and
got soaking wet. We also spent quite a bit of time on Las Ramblas, it is a street brimming with life that has some shops but is mostly full of performers and restaurantes. We really enjoyed our time in Barcelona.
As mentioned before, we are only stopping in Madrid for a layover. Since our experiences in large cites overall haven´t been as good as in the smaller places, we´ve decided to spent two nights in Granada and two nights in Sevilla. From there we will fly to Italy, spend 1 night in Padua, then head to vencie. And that´s about all I have to spit at you for now. Cheers!
PS Today I had a nun cut in front of me in the bathroom line; I find this very funny!
Saturday, July 9
Barcelona
Nicole has made it to us safe! We are in Barcelona and it is a dangerous town. Not danergous, as in parents should worry, but dangerous because the shopping is so good! Heather and I visited the PIcasso Museum yesterday, which we enjoyed but was very poorly layed out, and ended up shopping all the way there and back. Nicole arrived in the evening and we got food and tried to catch her up on 3 weeks of European adventures. Poor Nicole! She is happy to be with us though and out of the London disaster. Take care, and some pictures are finally up!
Friday, July 8
Stuck in London
As I mentioned in the previous email, Nicole was supposed to meet up with us last night (July 7th). Poor Nicole had an ordeal with the London Underground and had to spend the night in London. She hopes to be catching a plane to Barcelona today, we shall see how it goes. Heather and I are both very excited about having her join us and can´t wait for her arrival. Cheers!
Thursday, July 7
Andorra...yes it´s a country
Hello everyone!
Today Heather and I are spending time in the miniature country of Andorra. It is beautiful, in the picturesque Pyrnees mountains. It is among many things a shopping heaven with everything being about 25% less. We have yet to determine if this is true but for once I am excited to shop for girlie things to find out. Tonight we will be meeting our friend Nicole in Barcelona; we are both excited about having her come along.
We are now about to spend the next week or so in Spain, which we hear is going to be hot and difficult for a vegitarian to eat. I´ve been doing awesome so far, so we´ll see how things go. Heather and I keep hearing how awesome Granada Spain is, so we´re hoping to convince Nicole to spend some time there and possibly less in Madrid since we hear Madrid isn´t as fabulous as other places. We shall see.
The last couple of days have been quite an adventure or maybe a test of our traveling skills. We left Bayeux on Tuesday morning around 7am, spent the afternoon in the beautiful town of Mont St Michel. It was beautiful, but the tourists were driving me batty. That evening we booked a night train. We left Mont St MIchel around 4, arrived in Paris about 8pm, then spent the night on a train arriving around 7am at a small station that was close to where we need to be to catch our bus to Andorra, but not close enough to walk. So we waited for a train that never arrived, then hopped a 3 hour train to Barcelona and then caught a 4 hour bus back, but this one arrived in Andorra about 8pm. Yes, we did not smell good but we made it finally.
I am sorry to say, yet again, my picture uploading efforts have been thwarted, this darned computer doesn´t allow for uploading or attachments via email either, I hope to in Barcelona. Sorry everyone (all the feedback we are getting is for more pictures and we´ve got some awesome ones)!!!
Today Heather and I are spending time in the miniature country of Andorra. It is beautiful, in the picturesque Pyrnees mountains. It is among many things a shopping heaven with everything being about 25% less. We have yet to determine if this is true but for once I am excited to shop for girlie things to find out. Tonight we will be meeting our friend Nicole in Barcelona; we are both excited about having her come along.
We are now about to spend the next week or so in Spain, which we hear is going to be hot and difficult for a vegitarian to eat. I´ve been doing awesome so far, so we´ll see how things go. Heather and I keep hearing how awesome Granada Spain is, so we´re hoping to convince Nicole to spend some time there and possibly less in Madrid since we hear Madrid isn´t as fabulous as other places. We shall see.
The last couple of days have been quite an adventure or maybe a test of our traveling skills. We left Bayeux on Tuesday morning around 7am, spent the afternoon in the beautiful town of Mont St Michel. It was beautiful, but the tourists were driving me batty. That evening we booked a night train. We left Mont St MIchel around 4, arrived in Paris about 8pm, then spent the night on a train arriving around 7am at a small station that was close to where we need to be to catch our bus to Andorra, but not close enough to walk. So we waited for a train that never arrived, then hopped a 3 hour train to Barcelona and then caught a 4 hour bus back, but this one arrived in Andorra about 8pm. Yes, we did not smell good but we made it finally.
I am sorry to say, yet again, my picture uploading efforts have been thwarted, this darned computer doesn´t allow for uploading or attachments via email either, I hope to in Barcelona. Sorry everyone (all the feedback we are getting is for more pictures and we´ve got some awesome ones)!!!
Monday, July 4
a fourth to remember
So.....plans changed again. We did not go back to Ireland, instead we decided to visit Normandy beach and settled in a little town called Bayeux. This town was like a breath of fresh air compared to all the cities we've visited. Best of all, it had a Medival Festival going our first two days (essientially a Renaissance Faire). We saw a colorful parade, Heather ate lots of sausage, and there was a theatrical type production in the town park. We were blown away.
Unfortunately, this made booking a trip to Normandy Beaches more difficult than we hoped, so we ended up staying 3 nights, instead of an ideal 2. We aren't feeling too much pain over this sacrifice though. ;) Tomorrow morning we will head to Mont St. Michel then onto Andorra on Wednesday...we think....unless we change our minds....again. That's all for now, happy 4th (and happy birthday to the punk).
Unfortunately, this made booking a trip to Normandy Beaches more difficult than we hoped, so we ended up staying 3 nights, instead of an ideal 2. We aren't feeling too much pain over this sacrifice though. ;) Tomorrow morning we will head to Mont St. Michel then onto Andorra on Wednesday...we think....unless we change our minds....again. That's all for now, happy 4th (and happy birthday to the punk).
Friday, July 1
Plans Change
Hello from France,
Heather and I spent 2 days in Paris and came to the conclusion you really need money in Paris. We did okay, visiting the Louve, several parks, the catacombs, and much more. We also met up with two guys from Chicago and spent an afternoon roaming around Paris with them, they were fun and good for warding off all the french men.
In our hostel, we spoke to a well traveled Canadian who spent serious time in Morocco and she told us how much she dislike/felt uncomfortable in Lisbon, so we have decided to go back to Ireland for a couple days (Cork), then travel to Andorra and meet Nicole in Barcelona on the 7th. Crazy huh?
Currently we are spending the night in Cherbourg and heading to Ireland tomorrow. The town is crawling with American sailors, so we are enjoying speaking English and the free drinks that the boys want to buy us. They are funny though, almost none of them have ever heard of hostels before. There are also lots of women, one very cute one who carries all her earrings in a bag and puts them in on land since her superiors do not like them.
Everyone in France has been so friendly and helpful. Heather has been doing awesome with picking up the language. She had learned a little about 12 years ago but was awesome with pronouciations. It is so cool to see her pick it up. My french is horrible because I want to pronounce everything in the Spanish way but I can read pretty well though.
Finally I am uploading images from my camera. There should be more to come soon. Miss you all, hope you are enjoying your summer.
Heather and I spent 2 days in Paris and came to the conclusion you really need money in Paris. We did okay, visiting the Louve, several parks, the catacombs, and much more. We also met up with two guys from Chicago and spent an afternoon roaming around Paris with them, they were fun and good for warding off all the french men.
In our hostel, we spoke to a well traveled Canadian who spent serious time in Morocco and she told us how much she dislike/felt uncomfortable in Lisbon, so we have decided to go back to Ireland for a couple days (Cork), then travel to Andorra and meet Nicole in Barcelona on the 7th. Crazy huh?
Currently we are spending the night in Cherbourg and heading to Ireland tomorrow. The town is crawling with American sailors, so we are enjoying speaking English and the free drinks that the boys want to buy us. They are funny though, almost none of them have ever heard of hostels before. There are also lots of women, one very cute one who carries all her earrings in a bag and puts them in on land since her superiors do not like them.
Everyone in France has been so friendly and helpful. Heather has been doing awesome with picking up the language. She had learned a little about 12 years ago but was awesome with pronouciations. It is so cool to see her pick it up. My french is horrible because I want to pronounce everything in the Spanish way but I can read pretty well though.
Finally I am uploading images from my camera. There should be more to come soon. Miss you all, hope you are enjoying your summer.
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