August 14-19, 2009
Bye bye Christine we will MISS you!!!
Another boat ride away awaited our last and most relaxing stop, Santorini. Santorini is the island of Greece that you see in all the movies. The towns that are on the hill with all white houses and blue roofs. If you have seen “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” or “Mama Mia” you know what I am talking about.
Our travels to Santorini involve a funny story. The group of New Zealanders we met on the boat ride to Mykonos happened to be on our ferry to Santorini and we found out they were staying at the same hotel as us! It was fun to have a group of people to hang out with. Once we got to our hotel we decided to all go out to dinner near the ocean. We ate some traditional Greek food, rice wrapped with grape leaves, Greek salad, and some tadizi.
The next day Ash and I made breakfast and then went to rent an ATV. We realized after driving it around a bit that we probably got one of the slowest ones on the island. Everywhere we went we were passed up by scooters, cars and even HUGE busses. O well, no matter how slow it was we had a great time exploring the island. First we went to the “red sand” beach. It was located in a little cove that you practically had to hike down to. We took a swim laid out for a bit and were off to our next stop, the light house at the TOP of the island basically on a cliff. We hiked to the very edge took some pictures and then were off to OUI (where the white and blue villages on the hill are located). Our time in Santorini was kind of like Rome in a day because we only had the ATV for 24 hours and the island is big and like I said our form of transportation was really slow.
The drive to OUI was about an hour and a half away along very windy roads. It was actually fun driving through them. We were driving a long the coast for quite a bit of it, it was beautiful. Once we got to OUI we parked our ATV (no cars, scooters, or ATV’s allowed) and explored the city on foot. We walked down the Cliffside on very steep steps that lead to the harbor. On our way down we saw a group of donkeys transporting people to the top. This is what everyone says “to do” when you go to Santorini. We were super unfortunate because that was the last trip of the day for the donkeys. When we got to the bottom we sat down and had some AMAZING calamari. The sunset was just minutes away so we rushed back up the hill and caught it just in time. It was spectacular. The brightest oranges, reds, and yellows. There were hundred of people scattering the street just to watch the sunset. I guess we were in the place to be. It was a great show.
The way home was a little scary because it was pitch black and our ATV didn’t have the best headlights. Good news though, we got home safe!!! On the way home we stopped off on the side of the road to watch a 1-time a year firework show. Every August 17th Santorini puts on a firework show to simulate the volcano that lies in the center of the island (an island itself). We just happened to be in the right place at the right time for this one. She show was nice but nothing compared to 4th of July fireworks. Later that night we had some wine with our friends from New Zealand on our patio.
Our last day of vacation in Santorini we took it easy. We walked down to the black sand beach for a swim in the ocean and then laid out by our pool. We made some dinner and packed for our 40 hour adventure home.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Rome in a Day!!!
August 9-10, 2009
The wonderful Chianti wine tasting tour left us with only 1 full day to explore Rome!!! Rome in a day is practically impossible/crazy to do. We were determined to get it all done. How could we miss the Colosseum, Vatican, St. Peters, the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, or Trevi Fountain?!?! WE COULDN’T!
We started our day off bright and early. It was off to the Colosseum first. The Colosseum is a 2,000 year old building (a great example of Roman engineering). The Colosseum represents Rome at its grandest, and let me tell you it is spectacular! It was built when killing became a spectator sport (gladiators, criminals and wild animals fought to their death). It would fill about 50,000 people. They say that all the people were in their seats within 15 minutes of the gates opening. They way they got this done was with whips! Scary. So, the lines to enter the Colosseum are hours long. We thought it would be a great idea to go with a “tour group” to speed up the process. They offered for 10 extra Euro to give us a guided tour and not wait in line. Since we were trying to do Rome in a day we decided to take their offer. 1 hour and 30 minutes later we finally entered the Colosseum. Needless to say we got totally ripped off. After we gave the guide our money she disappeared and didn’t come back until 45 minutes later. They we talked outside of the Colosseum for 20 more minutes and then had to still wait in a line to get in! We were furious. As soon as we got in we ditched the group, took some great pictures, and then tracked down the tour coordinator to get our money back. At the time we were frustrated, but looking back it is kind of funny. After touring the Colosseum we walked through the Roman Forum. This is ancient Rome’s birthplace and civic center. It is a huge park with a bunch of ruins and statues.
After the Colosseum we were off to Vatican City. This is a tiny independent country of more then 100 acres and the religious capital of over 1.1 billion Roman Catholics. We went to the Vatican Museum first. The museum contains Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. The walk to the Sistine Chapel is about 4 miles. It was really crazy how BIG the museum is. The even more amazing part is that every single inch (walls, floors, doors) is covered with the most beautiful elaborate art I have ever seen. The Vatican Museum is by far my favorite museum on the trip. At the end of the 4 mile walk through thousands of works of art you are rewarded by entering the Sistine Chapel. This is the personal chapel of the Pope and also where a new pope is elected. It was beautiful.
Next we were off to St. Peters Basilica. This is known as the richest and most impressive church on earth, and it was. We ran into a little problem before entering the church though. OUR SHOULDERS AND LEGS HAD TO BE COVERED. In the 100+ degree weather this was the last thing we expected (should have paid more attention to what Rick Steves’ had to say) . We had to run across the street, buy a few scarves and hope to get let in. When we got to the front of the line we were still showing too much skin. So I pulled my skirt way down low to my knees, and Ashley gave Christine her scarf (she made a skirt with the extra) and we went in. After Christine and I were finished we went out to get Ashley, she took Christine’s scarf made a skirt and we went in again. The basilica was beautiful and enormous.
With no time to waste we were off to the Pantheon. This is the best restored building in Rome. The interior was almost flawless with a gigantic skylight. The Pantheon comes with a funny story. When we entered it we didn’t really see any signs that said “Pantheon” so we were not 100% sure we were in the right place. Ashley took it upon her self to go ask the reception desk where the Pantheon is. As she was walking over Christine and I saw a sign that said Pantheon. We were in the right place we turned to tell Ashley not to ask but she was already talking to the lady. The expression on Ashley’s face was priceless when the lady told her “ You are IN it.” HAHAHAHA. It was one of the best laughs I have had all trip.
Next we went to Trevi Fountain. It was super gorgeous and very crowded. We went to the base of it, look our pennies (yes AMERICAN pennies), tossed them over our shoulder and made a wish. Now Trevi Fountain will have a little bit of the states in it. Finally about 10 hours later we were off to our last stop. We didn’t plan our trip very well because after walking around all day we saved the STEPS for last. We decided to climb them in a figure 8 to make them interesting. It consisted of 2 circular staircases. On top was a great view of the city.
Our most exciting fact of the day is what Christine’s PEDOMETER said. She wears one for a contest that she has at her work. All the employees count their steps and get entered into raffles depending on how many steps they get. At the end of our day in Rome we walked an astounding 15 miles!!!
Off to Mykonos.
The wonderful Chianti wine tasting tour left us with only 1 full day to explore Rome!!! Rome in a day is practically impossible/crazy to do. We were determined to get it all done. How could we miss the Colosseum, Vatican, St. Peters, the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, or Trevi Fountain?!?! WE COULDN’T!
We started our day off bright and early. It was off to the Colosseum first. The Colosseum is a 2,000 year old building (a great example of Roman engineering). The Colosseum represents Rome at its grandest, and let me tell you it is spectacular! It was built when killing became a spectator sport (gladiators, criminals and wild animals fought to their death). It would fill about 50,000 people. They say that all the people were in their seats within 15 minutes of the gates opening. They way they got this done was with whips! Scary. So, the lines to enter the Colosseum are hours long. We thought it would be a great idea to go with a “tour group” to speed up the process. They offered for 10 extra Euro to give us a guided tour and not wait in line. Since we were trying to do Rome in a day we decided to take their offer. 1 hour and 30 minutes later we finally entered the Colosseum. Needless to say we got totally ripped off. After we gave the guide our money she disappeared and didn’t come back until 45 minutes later. They we talked outside of the Colosseum for 20 more minutes and then had to still wait in a line to get in! We were furious. As soon as we got in we ditched the group, took some great pictures, and then tracked down the tour coordinator to get our money back. At the time we were frustrated, but looking back it is kind of funny. After touring the Colosseum we walked through the Roman Forum. This is ancient Rome’s birthplace and civic center. It is a huge park with a bunch of ruins and statues.
After the Colosseum we were off to Vatican City. This is a tiny independent country of more then 100 acres and the religious capital of over 1.1 billion Roman Catholics. We went to the Vatican Museum first. The museum contains Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. The walk to the Sistine Chapel is about 4 miles. It was really crazy how BIG the museum is. The even more amazing part is that every single inch (walls, floors, doors) is covered with the most beautiful elaborate art I have ever seen. The Vatican Museum is by far my favorite museum on the trip. At the end of the 4 mile walk through thousands of works of art you are rewarded by entering the Sistine Chapel. This is the personal chapel of the Pope and also where a new pope is elected. It was beautiful.
Next we were off to St. Peters Basilica. This is known as the richest and most impressive church on earth, and it was. We ran into a little problem before entering the church though. OUR SHOULDERS AND LEGS HAD TO BE COVERED. In the 100+ degree weather this was the last thing we expected (should have paid more attention to what Rick Steves’ had to say) . We had to run across the street, buy a few scarves and hope to get let in. When we got to the front of the line we were still showing too much skin. So I pulled my skirt way down low to my knees, and Ashley gave Christine her scarf (she made a skirt with the extra) and we went in. After Christine and I were finished we went out to get Ashley, she took Christine’s scarf made a skirt and we went in again. The basilica was beautiful and enormous.
With no time to waste we were off to the Pantheon. This is the best restored building in Rome. The interior was almost flawless with a gigantic skylight. The Pantheon comes with a funny story. When we entered it we didn’t really see any signs that said “Pantheon” so we were not 100% sure we were in the right place. Ashley took it upon her self to go ask the reception desk where the Pantheon is. As she was walking over Christine and I saw a sign that said Pantheon. We were in the right place we turned to tell Ashley not to ask but she was already talking to the lady. The expression on Ashley’s face was priceless when the lady told her “ You are IN it.” HAHAHAHA. It was one of the best laughs I have had all trip.
Next we went to Trevi Fountain. It was super gorgeous and very crowded. We went to the base of it, look our pennies (yes AMERICAN pennies), tossed them over our shoulder and made a wish. Now Trevi Fountain will have a little bit of the states in it. Finally about 10 hours later we were off to our last stop. We didn’t plan our trip very well because after walking around all day we saved the STEPS for last. We decided to climb them in a figure 8 to make them interesting. It consisted of 2 circular staircases. On top was a great view of the city.
Our most exciting fact of the day is what Christine’s PEDOMETER said. She wears one for a contest that she has at her work. All the employees count their steps and get entered into raffles depending on how many steps they get. At the end of our day in Rome we walked an astounding 15 miles!!!
Off to Mykonos.
Cinque Terre - Vita Pigra di Vernazza
August 5-6, 2009
Cinque Terre is a remote chunk of the Italian Rivera. It is made up of sun, sea, sand, wine, swimming, and super hard but rewarding hiking. Cinque Terre means five villages. We stayed in Vernazza and think that all of you should take your next vacation there! It is our NEW favorite stop by far! Vernazza is thought of as the jewel of Cinque Terre. It is a super small town with one main street that leads right to the beach, harbor and some cliffs that you can jump off of into the ocean.
Because the plane from Barcelona to Milan arrived too late to catch a train Ashley and I spent a night in Milan right near the main train station. That night we got some Italian food for dinner. It was very good despite the fact that they put cheese in Ashley’s pasta (she is allergic). That night we went to bed super early because we were so excited to get to Cinque Terra.
We arrived to Cinque Terre at around 2:00pm. It was still very sunny and beautiful. We walked down the cobble stone street toward the ocean our B&B right on the ocean. Cinque Terre basically had one main street that was We walked up the tall thin building to the 3rd level where an 80 year old woman (the owners mother) met us with the key. She was soooo sweet and didn’t know a lick of English. She talked to us for a while (we didn’t understand a thing) then let us into our very quaint room. It was perfect! We quickly threw on our bathing suits and were off to the water.
The beach in Cinque Terre is small but the cliffs are huge. We jumped off them for a while and then swam around to a more secluded area. Here there were very flat rocks that you could lay out on and catch a tan. There was one problem though… Ashley made a new friend earlier when we were diving off of the cliffs. He was a 60 year old man from Paris that wouldn’t leave her alone. When we were laying out on the rocks all of a sudden he comes up right next to her and practically puts his arm around her… the rest is history. He wouldn’t leave her alone for at least 4 hours. After we finished tanning we went to our towels that were right off of the beach. Needless to say Pierre (Ashley’s French lover) followed us over to that area. This is when he decided to give her and everyone else on the beach a show. He walked up the cliff so he was about 10 feet above everyone, turned around to look at the ocean, and pulled his Speedo bottoms up so high it made a thong (BORAT STYLE)!!! Then he continued to do some stretches and toe touches. EVERYONE was entertained. Once he was finished he came down to our towels and made his way right next to Ashley again to once again give the googly eyes. Ashley repeatedly told him she had a boyfriend but he didn’t seem to mind. (Although I don’t think Kevin would be threatened by a 60- year old man ;) Talked her ear off for about an hour and then gave her his digits, address, and email. We want to thank Pierre for an AMAZING laugh.
For the rest of the night we hung out on our towels with a great group of people; a couple from Florida, two sweet girls from Holland, and a group of guys from Australia. We grabbed a few bottles of wine, some pizza, and made our towels into a picnic. While we were eating an amazing band started to play. It was gorgeous music. It was a band of two, a drummer and a pianist. This piano was not a normal piano, it was three different levels. I would compare the Phantom of the Opera. Very gothic and powerful. It was amazing.
Day 2 in Cinque Terre we hiked from our village to Monterosso. The hike was very very hard but super rewarding. We were literally on the edge of the cliff the whole way there it felt like it was up the WHOLE time. It took us about an hour to get from Vernazza to Monterosso. The views were unbelievable. We were able to see Vernazza with a birds eye view. It is hard to describe how beautiful the scenery was hopefully the pictures will give you a little idea. Once we got to Monterosso we went straight to the water. Enjoyed a swim, swam to a cave and then grabbed some lunch. This was a very sad lunch for us because it meant it was almost time for us to leave. We only got 24 hours in Cinque Terre but it was the best 24 hours of the trip. We will both be back to visit and you should too!
Now off to Florence!
Cinque Terre is a remote chunk of the Italian Rivera. It is made up of sun, sea, sand, wine, swimming, and super hard but rewarding hiking. Cinque Terre means five villages. We stayed in Vernazza and think that all of you should take your next vacation there! It is our NEW favorite stop by far! Vernazza is thought of as the jewel of Cinque Terre. It is a super small town with one main street that leads right to the beach, harbor and some cliffs that you can jump off of into the ocean.
Because the plane from Barcelona to Milan arrived too late to catch a train Ashley and I spent a night in Milan right near the main train station. That night we got some Italian food for dinner. It was very good despite the fact that they put cheese in Ashley’s pasta (she is allergic). That night we went to bed super early because we were so excited to get to Cinque Terra.
We arrived to Cinque Terre at around 2:00pm. It was still very sunny and beautiful. We walked down the cobble stone street toward the ocean our B&B right on the ocean. Cinque Terre basically had one main street that was We walked up the tall thin building to the 3rd level where an 80 year old woman (the owners mother) met us with the key. She was soooo sweet and didn’t know a lick of English. She talked to us for a while (we didn’t understand a thing) then let us into our very quaint room. It was perfect! We quickly threw on our bathing suits and were off to the water.
The beach in Cinque Terre is small but the cliffs are huge. We jumped off them for a while and then swam around to a more secluded area. Here there were very flat rocks that you could lay out on and catch a tan. There was one problem though… Ashley made a new friend earlier when we were diving off of the cliffs. He was a 60 year old man from Paris that wouldn’t leave her alone. When we were laying out on the rocks all of a sudden he comes up right next to her and practically puts his arm around her… the rest is history. He wouldn’t leave her alone for at least 4 hours. After we finished tanning we went to our towels that were right off of the beach. Needless to say Pierre (Ashley’s French lover) followed us over to that area. This is when he decided to give her and everyone else on the beach a show. He walked up the cliff so he was about 10 feet above everyone, turned around to look at the ocean, and pulled his Speedo bottoms up so high it made a thong (BORAT STYLE)!!! Then he continued to do some stretches and toe touches. EVERYONE was entertained. Once he was finished he came down to our towels and made his way right next to Ashley again to once again give the googly eyes. Ashley repeatedly told him she had a boyfriend but he didn’t seem to mind. (Although I don’t think Kevin would be threatened by a 60- year old man ;) Talked her ear off for about an hour and then gave her his digits, address, and email. We want to thank Pierre for an AMAZING laugh.
For the rest of the night we hung out on our towels with a great group of people; a couple from Florida, two sweet girls from Holland, and a group of guys from Australia. We grabbed a few bottles of wine, some pizza, and made our towels into a picnic. While we were eating an amazing band started to play. It was gorgeous music. It was a band of two, a drummer and a pianist. This piano was not a normal piano, it was three different levels. I would compare the Phantom of the Opera. Very gothic and powerful. It was amazing.
Day 2 in Cinque Terre we hiked from our village to Monterosso. The hike was very very hard but super rewarding. We were literally on the edge of the cliff the whole way there it felt like it was up the WHOLE time. It took us about an hour to get from Vernazza to Monterosso. The views were unbelievable. We were able to see Vernazza with a birds eye view. It is hard to describe how beautiful the scenery was hopefully the pictures will give you a little idea. Once we got to Monterosso we went straight to the water. Enjoyed a swim, swam to a cave and then grabbed some lunch. This was a very sad lunch for us because it meant it was almost time for us to leave. We only got 24 hours in Cinque Terre but it was the best 24 hours of the trip. We will both be back to visit and you should too!
Now off to Florence!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Paris - The City of Light <3
July 29-31, 2009
“Paris is a world capital of art, fashion, food, literature, and ideas, it stands as a symbol of all the fine things that a human civilization can offer”
We arrive to the main station Paris on a sunny afternoon, got our 3-day “Mo-pass” and we were off to our hotel. Paris hostels do not have the best reputation so we found a hotel with a private room for super cheap! The hotel ended up being really really nice and it included breakfast!!! Once we got settled we relaxed a little bit at our hotel, booked a few hostels, and then got ready for a big night. We decided to go on the Paris Pub Crawl. Pub crawls are a great way to meet other travelers.
Before the pub crawl we got some dinner at a very cute French restaurant. We got a 3 course meal for 8 Euro! That is a HUUGEE deal. The French onion soup was amazing! After dinner we met the pub crawl group in the center of the city and within minutes we were off to our first bar. We ended up meeting a whole group of people from San Francisco, some girls from LA, and 2 really awesome girls from London. We ended up hanging out with them for the rest of the night. The pub crawl ended up at a really nice club. Ash and I walked in and immediately a guy that worked at the club asked us if we wanted to be VIP. Of course we said “YES” and went into this really cool area. It basically had a bottle of alcohol at every table with mixers and ice. So we were able to make our own drinks for the rest of the night. It was a very late but great night!
The next day we slept in and took it super easy. It was nice to get a day to catch up on sleep. That night we took the Mo to see the infamous EIFFEL TOWER! It actually was build a hundred years ago with no function but to impress, and impress us it did. It is one of the most spectacular monuments I have ever seen. At night it lights up and when the clock hits 10 it sparkles for 5 minutes. When it sparkles it takes your breath away. After being in awe for a few hours we grabbed some French fries and ice cream and made our way back to the hotel.
Day 3 in Paris we did it all. We started our day off with the “Fat Tire Bike Tour.” If you remember we went with the same company in Berlin and had a super time. We loved the experience so much we went again. This time with a 2 Euro discount because we are loyal customers. We saw the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sainte Chapelle, the Louvre, The Army Museum, Luxembourg Garden, the Pantheon, the Arc de Triomphe, the finish line of the Tour de France, and a woman with the shortest shorts we have ever seen!!! For lunch we stopped off at a café in a park and had some savory crepes. We ended the bike tour at the Eiffel Tower then we were off to the Louvre to visit Mona Lisa. The Louvre is Europe‘s oldest, biggest, greatest, and second-most-crowded museum housed in 16th century palace. The Louvre has over a million pieces of artwork. If a person spent one minute looking at every piece it would take them over 9 months to see them all! Crazy right?! We saw Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, David and Goliath, Aphrodite, and Napoleon’s apartment.
After the Louvre we made our way back to the Eiffel tower to climb all the way up to the top! Obviously the best view of Paris. It took our breath away for 3 reasons:
1. The climb was LONG and hard
2. It was sooo high we got vertigo
3. The view was amazing
After visiting the top off the Eiffel tower we went to the huge lawn area at the base. This is were a ton of locals and tourists grab a bottle of wine and a blanket and wait for the light show. Ash and I bought a bottle of wine and laid back and enjoyed the show. The sky was so blue with a few clouds that it made the view of the Eiffel tower even more beautiful then the day before. It was soooo romantic ash and I decided to take a very special picture:
“Paris is a world capital of art, fashion, food, literature, and ideas, it stands as a symbol of all the fine things that a human civilization can offer”
We arrive to the main station Paris on a sunny afternoon, got our 3-day “Mo-pass” and we were off to our hotel. Paris hostels do not have the best reputation so we found a hotel with a private room for super cheap! The hotel ended up being really really nice and it included breakfast!!! Once we got settled we relaxed a little bit at our hotel, booked a few hostels, and then got ready for a big night. We decided to go on the Paris Pub Crawl. Pub crawls are a great way to meet other travelers.
Before the pub crawl we got some dinner at a very cute French restaurant. We got a 3 course meal for 8 Euro! That is a HUUGEE deal. The French onion soup was amazing! After dinner we met the pub crawl group in the center of the city and within minutes we were off to our first bar. We ended up meeting a whole group of people from San Francisco, some girls from LA, and 2 really awesome girls from London. We ended up hanging out with them for the rest of the night. The pub crawl ended up at a really nice club. Ash and I walked in and immediately a guy that worked at the club asked us if we wanted to be VIP. Of course we said “YES” and went into this really cool area. It basically had a bottle of alcohol at every table with mixers and ice. So we were able to make our own drinks for the rest of the night. It was a very late but great night!
The next day we slept in and took it super easy. It was nice to get a day to catch up on sleep. That night we took the Mo to see the infamous EIFFEL TOWER! It actually was build a hundred years ago with no function but to impress, and impress us it did. It is one of the most spectacular monuments I have ever seen. At night it lights up and when the clock hits 10 it sparkles for 5 minutes. When it sparkles it takes your breath away. After being in awe for a few hours we grabbed some French fries and ice cream and made our way back to the hotel.
Day 3 in Paris we did it all. We started our day off with the “Fat Tire Bike Tour.” If you remember we went with the same company in Berlin and had a super time. We loved the experience so much we went again. This time with a 2 Euro discount because we are loyal customers. We saw the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sainte Chapelle, the Louvre, The Army Museum, Luxembourg Garden, the Pantheon, the Arc de Triomphe, the finish line of the Tour de France, and a woman with the shortest shorts we have ever seen!!! For lunch we stopped off at a café in a park and had some savory crepes. We ended the bike tour at the Eiffel Tower then we were off to the Louvre to visit Mona Lisa. The Louvre is Europe‘s oldest, biggest, greatest, and second-most-crowded museum housed in 16th century palace. The Louvre has over a million pieces of artwork. If a person spent one minute looking at every piece it would take them over 9 months to see them all! Crazy right?! We saw Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, David and Goliath, Aphrodite, and Napoleon’s apartment.
After the Louvre we made our way back to the Eiffel tower to climb all the way up to the top! Obviously the best view of Paris. It took our breath away for 3 reasons:
1. The climb was LONG and hard
2. It was sooo high we got vertigo
3. The view was amazing
After visiting the top off the Eiffel tower we went to the huge lawn area at the base. This is were a ton of locals and tourists grab a bottle of wine and a blanket and wait for the light show. Ash and I bought a bottle of wine and laid back and enjoyed the show. The sky was so blue with a few clouds that it made the view of the Eiffel tower even more beautiful then the day before. It was soooo romantic ash and I decided to take a very special picture:
The next day we were off to Barcelona and wow we have a SCARY train story for you!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)