European Escapade

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today’s will be a super-quick post since I am using a communal computer for free and I’ve already domintated it for an hour to book accomodation in my next port of call… but more on that later.

Firenze is my favourite place so far in the trip. Big call I know. I might turn around and say I didn’t really mean it, but when you combine the harm of this tiny, but amazing city, the people that I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had just in the last 48 hours, it’s the best thus far I think.

The city itself is beautiful. Every house, every building is so in keeping with the period in which Firenze was established. It’s charming and unspoilt. It’s also small enough to find everything simply by getting lost and walking randomly. The place is a bloody maze, but every little warren you wander down has it’s own beautiful horizon, and quaint charm.

I’m hoping my body will forgive me. Today is the second in a row that I’ve eaten pizza for dinner. This morening I woke up feeling crap because of last night’s, but tonight I caved again, with the famous words “Oh well, how often am I going to be in Italy?” The pizza, and indeed everything you eat here is just beautiful. You have to look hard to find something which isn’t priced for tourists, but the local places are great.

I’m trying to remember my last update.  I think my last update was when I was still in Rome. That night, while on the computer, I met an English girl who was by herself. We started chatting in the lane between our bungalows and were joined by a bunch of people including two girls from Copenhagen. The Dutch are amazing people. Their English is perfect, they are so friendly and open. I’m really wonderring if I should try and squeeze in Copenhagen.

Anyway, that night was really nice- just sitting around and chatting, making new friends and talking shit. I also got some cool tips on where to go, and stay when I get there. The next day was really just getting up, checking our and catching the train to Firenze.

I came into Firenze after a 5 hour train trip, through the beatutiful Italian country-side, at about 5pm. I slept part of the way on the trip. When I got here I really struggled to find my hostel but once I did, I checked in and was immediately sure I’d made the right choice.

This place s run by one guy. Marco. He takes a personal interest in everyone who comes here. He is currently checking a guy in right next to me- giving him a map, telling him where to go in the city, when things are open. The same he did for me on my first night. Great guy.

I went out and saw David immediately yesterday (evern though it was like 5pm) because everything is closed here on Monday (today). That’s where the title of this post comes from. All the major attractions are shut on a Monday. In fact, they are open as late as 7pm on Sunday but not at all on Monday. It’s really strange.

Anyway, running out of time so gotta speed things up. David. Oh my god. Amazing. The wait in line for 1.5 hours was so worth it, even if David had been the only thin gin the gallery.

Last night I met everyone at this hostel. We’re one big group. We went to a festival which is held in an old Castle down the street, with Marco leading. There were stalls, games and a disco all set up in-side this old castle, with about 6 different live bands. Awesome.

We stayed up talking all night, got up late, got ready and went out in one big group today. Saw Piazza Del Michaelangello where David originally rested, and from which you get amazing views of the city. Then split up into a few groups. me and my people went to the Duomo, the cathedral here in Firenze. It was one of the highlights of my trip I think. The ceiling frescos are just incredible. Climbed all the way to the top and saw them up close and personal. Also got an amazing view of the city.

Next I stood in line ( a lot of that) for over an hour to book my night train to… Munich. Oh yes. Germany, here I come baby. I’m already booked into two hostels for two nights because they are all so bloody full. The are on the same street and one of them comes with incredible recommendations from people at this hostel and all over, so I can’t wait.

I should probably limit it to that my friends. I am reading all your comments and loving them. Thanks so much. Again this post cannot be spell-checked because this computer’s dictionary is Italian so everything I write is a spelling mistake!

Love to all. Look forward to reading you comments. To those asking for photos- Kel is right with his guess; all the PCs around here are locked down tight so I cannot yet download any of them off my camera onto a PC.

Love to all, buona notte!

Note to self, next time I have a flight from an airport I’ve never been to, don’t trust the instructions on display at the hostel to be right. In fact, don’t expext them to be at all accurate. If you do, you end up sitting at a closed train terminal waiting on a train to get you to your flight on time, surrounded by pitch black and no one except the late night bus drivers.

This was my experience yesterday morning. Man, it seems like ages ago. Anyway, I had a 7.10am flight from Luton airport to Rome and the instructions I was given at the hostel stated that I could catch the train I needed at certain times from the station up the road. The times were (stupidly) correct but the fact that you can catch it from the station up the road was completely wrong. Unfortunately ther ight station was Kings Cross, which would have been 2 minutes walk if I had still been at the old Hostel, but was now the other side of town and I was quickly running out of hours before my flight (thank God I left ridiculously early just in case something like this hapenned).

While we’re on the topic of thanks, thanks to Ryan the Australian dentist I met at the hostel who set his alarm too because I feared mine wouldn’t wake me. It didn’t and without him I would still be in Rome and £110 pounds poorer for nothing. The great bloke even walked me up to the station, oferring to carry my bags because I was tired… OK, and I was terribly hung over.

Yes, on Wednesday night I had my first real bender. The cider got the better of me- the large serves here make it much easier to get drunk wihtout having too many actual drinks. Ryan and I met a bunch of other Aussies downstairs at the pub which is connected to this new hostel I was staying at. After a few drinks we jumped up on stage and got into the Karaoke swing of things… I can’t even remember what song we did… It was Tina Turner I think.

Anyway, I went to bed with about 3 hours before I had to get up for my flight, and probably should have just satyed up.

Jumping back to the ‘almost missed my flight’ story now, I was very greatful to one of drivers of the late night buses whish stopped near where I was forlorleny sitting, wonderring if the station woudl really open as I was told it would, and whether it would be time for me to catch my flight. This guy told me where the train ACTUALLY ran from, and how I could go about getting it. It began with his bus, then a long wait, then another bus, then to a walk to a train station. By this time itàs about 4am and I’m already exhausted.

I’d just missed the Luton Parkway train so I had almost a one hour wait. I struggled not to fall asleep, despite the cold. On the train I watched the seconds count down- there is a latest check in time and I was fast approaching it. We reached the Luton stop and I sprinted down to find the shuttle bus to the airport about to leave, and squeezed my way on.

At the airport, my flight wasn’t showing on the boards. I couldn’t see where to check in and, despite how early it was, the place was packed. I walked randomly in the direction of the check-in counters and (by sheer dubm luck or devine providence) stumbled upon my check in counter. It was empty.

Check-in was of course not simple. I only realized right at the last minute that I had my swiss army knife still in my carry on lugguage. I took it out and threw it in my big bag just as she went to take it. Good thing too- you’ll hear why in a minute. The lady complained that my backpack straps were making my bag an issue and I oferred to fold them away at which time she advised that I had no time and if I wasn’t in the boarding queue soon I would miss my flight. So I ran, with my bag on, to Oversized luggage (called ‘Outsized luggage’) and dropped my bag off to the cross-dressing man who works there. I only point that out because he was responsible for searching all the flight staff before they went through and I wonderred about the propriety of a woman touching all the hostesess in that manner if she is really a guy…

Drop bag with cross dresser. Then rush to departures. You have never seen a departures line like this. Long story short- I stood in it for 10 minutes, then they called me and everyone else who was still in the line and going to Rome, to come forward. Rushed up, put stuff through scanner and… Congratulations! You’ve been chosen for a compeltely random search! Thank God I put that damned knife away! I’m jumping up and down trying to not look nervous about having my gear searched, but also trying to stay calm since my flight is supposed to leave any minute. The guy was really good about it but really quiet too which made me think at first that I was actually suspected of somethign. he only told me it was a random thing when I asked explicitly.

Bag searched and swabbed for traces of exlosives, everything unpacked everywhere. Cram it all back in and run. Final call comes over the loud-speaker. It was that ‘Your plane is fully boarding and awaiting your arrival’ one. I’ve always been ON the plane when that comes through and wonderred what it would be like to be on the other side. I found out

But I made it, just. I was exhausted from all my rushing, and as hectic as I make it sound I think I actually did very well at keeping my head. I wasn’t stressed from the beginning. If I missed the flight, I missed it. That simple. But thankfully I didn’t.

The plane landed at Ciampino airport and I caught my shuttle without issue. The Termini station here is absolutely amazing and I was exhausted but decided to wander about it a little. I learned from Ryan how easy it is to get to other Italian cities from Termini so I’m thinking I won’t get a Eurail pass just yet. Got me some Euro and made my way down to the Metro; Termini caters for interstate trains and Metro (local) trains.

The trip to my new lodgings - a campsite on the outskirts of Rome - were quite unexciting. I checked in and needed to sit down for a while to gain my breath. Then I poterred a bit and realized I hadn’t eaten all day. A trip to the Supermarker accross the freeway solved that. I bought two vegetarian dishes which were pre-made and ready to eat, because there are no cooking facilities here.

I went to bed at about 6pm.

I’m staying in the cutest little cabin. It holds 3 beds but unfortunately (at least when I left this morning) only mine is occupied. I had expected to make friends in my shared cabin and I hear every other one is full. Amy, a girl from Australia (I think) checked into my room at about 7pm when I was already asleep from my long day, but she couldn’t stand the heat… It was very hot. It’s about 30 here today. Anyway, she came back half an hour later and said that she’d booked a room with air-con and had been put in the wrong room. So unfrotunately I was again without a room-mate.

Today I went to catch the shuttle but didn’t have a ticket (didn’t know you needed one). Another Aussie advised me of it and he seemed to be on his own. Woul dhave been great to travel with him but he was ready to jump on the 10am bus and the line to get tickets was too long for me to catch it.

At 11am I caught the shuttle and today I saw only Musei Vaticano and part of St Peter’s. After my restful day yesterday I was prepped an dready for a lot of looking about. Did the Vatican in a big way and want to do St Peter’s in the same way, so I’ll be going back tomorrow and climbining to the top of the Dome. Instead today I just did a little looking around, and then attended a Choral service, all in Italian of course. I hadn’t planned to do it but when I walked into that magnificent building I couldn’t avoid it. It’s a cliche, but I felt so close to God. The service was beautiful, mainly just the choir.

I also had a great lunch which was a mix of meats with artichokes and olives. I had hoped to say more about what I did today but that will have to wait until later bcause I’m out of time and there is a line to use the net. No time to spell-check either. Sorry.

Met an Aussie just a minute ago and have agreed to meet up tonight since we’re both travelling alone. Between now and then it’s back accross the st for some dinner.

Love you all and keep the comments coming. They are really welcome in the periods when I’m feeling a little far away.

Ciao