I AM BACK!!! Prague, Budapest, Venice, Rome, Capri, Positano, and Pompeii – all our now checked off on my list to see. I come back tired, true, but satisfied, accomplished and entirely content. Each city was amazing, filled with treasures to uncover both anticipated and unexpected and each with a fill of colourful and unforgettable characters. So, I will do this in a cliché type way…a top 10 list because there is way to much to divulge and I figure the highlights are the best way to go about this.
10. Finally making it to Eastern Europe. Western Europe is an adventure, absolutely, but it is safe because it is very similar to Canada and the languages where I have visited are semi-comprehensible when written down. Eastern Europe is stepping way out of that comfort zone, but the reward is huge. Traditional roots still have a strong hold – the handicrafts are must-haves. Architecture is different and ever so beautiful. The communist history can be seen in the progress of certain technologies and whatnot.
9. Riding on every single possible mode of transportation in one trip except for the Vespa (this is unfortunate, but not enough to ruin the trip). From planes, trains, cars, boats, cable cars, we did it all. And lets just say some were less than stellar (Budapest train), some were rip-offs (taxis), and others were just plain awesome (boat tour around Capri).
8. Making the acquaintance of Keaven from Quebec in the Prague airport. An unexpected twist of fate but it was truly touching to see someone from home, even if a different province, because he brought news from there. I learned that the playoffs had finally started. We got to talk about the French language, Quebec politics in the larger Canadian picture and much more. Home (Canada) was brought to us for one night and it was refreshing!
7. Our traveling diets. As students we budget. As myself, I budget even more being by nature cheap. McDonalds 17 times out of 18 days. Eating pizza probably a good 10 days. Eating pasta 3 nights in a row. Gelato pretty much every day while in Italy. I must admit though, I splurged and tried traditionally cooked ham in Prague and Hungarian style chicken and goulash. Lastly, to through in the mix, 4 days in a row, tuna salad sandwiches. Oh and incredible amounts of water.
6. Boys, boys and more boys. We slept with boys. Well, we tried to sleep with boys but because they were so big and the train compartments where your seat is are sooo small, we end up with very limited space to find a comfortable position and by consequence don’t really sleep. We watch the boys sleep. Katelyn got kissed by a random boy in the Italian metro in Rome. I randomly had my picture taken by a boy on the street coming out of a church in Rome. I got the pizza boy’s phone number in Positano and somehow, Katelyn and I ended up on a weird evening out with him and Bulgarian boy. In less than 45 minutes in Capri, I was known by the gelato boy and each time I passed he yelled at me that he was still waiting for me to come and buy some. We were very happy to leave Italy behind…it was starting to get to be a bit too much.
5. Wandering around the streets of Venice getting lost and finding our way again and just taking in the dilapidated paradise this city is. Without the water it would hold no beauty because the buildings are in a degraded state, but combined with the water and the sophisticated transportation system by boat…it all combines magically into what seems like a movie set. It is truly surreal.
4. Revisiting and rediscovering the eternal city of Rome. Returning to the seat of my favourite spot, the Trevi Fountain to realizing that I had missed an entire section of Palatine Hill last year, reminded me of how great this civilization must have been. I fell in love with it all over again. It is amazing that no matter where you walk there is something excavated to discover or a pretty spot that you just want to sit down and people watch.
3. Seeing how well preserved the remnants of the city of Pompeii. As you walk through this city you can truly see how the Romans must have lived and can picture the grandeur of this place. It is hard to believe that it isn’t 20 years old but 2000 years old. I had to continually remind myself of this as I came across original frescos, homes, baths and the remains of the people that perished in the volcano still in tact.
2. Walking along the Path of Gods in Positano was truly impressive. An Annie Oakley moment for sure, but it is more than that. To think that this path was once used by pilgrims it is quite sophisticated and complicated. You see amazing views of the city you leave, the sea and the city you approach. The mountains, flowers and general nature engulf you. The trickling of brooks and waterfalls not far away are refreshing sounds to the ears and the breeze on your face is a pleasant contrast to the powerful heat of the sun.
1. Sitting and just watching the waves of the Mediterranian sea crash into the shore. The crystal blue and green water where the bottom of the ocean is there for you to see is gorgeous. The blue grotto, however, is the epitome of this marvel; it is almost unbelievable because it is sooo blue. And swimming in it is just so much fun.
OK, well sorry so long…but it is the best I can do because I am covering almost 3 weeks of activities.
