Europe Trip

We were told by a few different people that we should come here. It wasn't on our original list, but we are really glad we came.

We left Venice, early Wednesday morning. I thought I had calculated enough time for us to get to the train station, but first our water bus was late (they were never on schedule) so even once it did come, I was constantly checking the time, becauce I didn't believe we were going to make it. But we made it to the train, only a few minutes before it left, but we made it.

So we rode to Florence and had to catch a regional train to La Spezia were we could transfer again to Riomoragarrie. At the train station Amber found a prarmacy and got some cream for her hives, they were driving her nuts and rapidly multiplying. We rode to La Spezia in a getto train, it was pretty run down and it was so hot so we had to ride with the windows open. The train to Riomorgeria was interesting too, we had to go through a few tunnels for mintues at a time, no big deal except for our train and the tunnel had no ligths, so we were in complete darkness, pitch black!

We got to our hostel and the guy led us to our room. We had a primo location, our building and our room is right on the water, so we had an absolutly amazing view of the ocean. The only good thing about the hostel was the view, other than that things were scetchy:
1. There was a washer, so that was cool, but Amber had to open it with a spoon and it electicuted (shocked) me the next day.
2. We stayed in a 6 bed room, 2 bunk beds and a double bed in a seperate room, seperated by a frnch door with no glass inthe middle, so we just stepped through the door without opening it.
3. There was a fridge in the room, great except for it wasn't and couldn't be plugged in because the plugs were not the same as the outlet.
4. There was dried seaweed hung on the wall as decoration.
5. There was a fan in our room that didn't work because he outlet that was supposed to be there, just had random wires sticking out of it.
6. The stairs up to our room (3rd floor) were super steep and dark and the "doorbells" to people's apartments were right beside the light switches with no indication of what was what.
7. The curtains are made of tulle.

Once we got there, we headed right for the beach (not sand, more like huge boulders). We went swimming in the ocean (very cold and salty but refreshing) and then laid on the rocks for a while. Once we had enough sun, we did some laundry and then headed into town. It only took like 3 minutes to walk from one end to the other, (very small, only 1 street). We picked up some Coke and then had a bite to eat. Then we ended the day by sitting of the rocks, drinking rum and coke, watching the sunset.

We went back to our hostel and we talked with our roommates for a couple of hours and it was the first time I actually enjoyed talking to people this entire trip (other than amber, I always enjoy talking to her) I usually leave the talking to Amber.

The next morning, we were hitting the trail! The biggest draw of CinqueTerra is the hiking paths that connect these 5 towns which all lie on the top of cliffs that sit high above the ocean. The hike is supposed to take 5 hours and cover 9 km of trails. The trails were built by farmers to get to their crops which were built on terraces.

So we headed out around 9 and headed for the train station. We were taking the train to the last town and doing the hike in reverse for 2 reasons:
1. So that we would end in the town we were staying in and could jump right in the ocean and not have to get on a train.
2. So that we could do the hardest part first, while we had the energy, otherwise we would be tired and dreading the end.

We got to the train station and realized the next train wasn't for a half hour or so, so we didn't get there until 10 and then there was a market in the town, so we didn't get on the train until 11.

We started with the hardest part, basically straight up steep stairs for 30 minutes. After that I was already drenched,Amber was glistening. So we hiked some more, most uphill but some downhill for the hour or so, until we got to the second town. We were relieved that half the hard part (2 km) was behind us, but we were starving. So we got some pizza on foccasia bread, with pesto.

The next 3 km only took us an hour and twenty mintues. But was almost as trencherious as the first, but the views were just as beautiful. We stopped for more food and most importantly gellato!

We found our way backto the trail and did the last 4 km. It was basically flat but not nearly as interesting, but we wernt complaining. There was a few places that we could have hiked down to a beach, but Amber didn't want to go because:
1. We would have to hike back up (20 minutes)
2. They were nude beaches

I was game but I couldn't convince Amber. So we made it home and headed straight for the rocks to go swimming. The water was a lot rougher than it was the day before, but I told amber that she needed to jump in anyway because I wanted to film it, it took three minutes to finally jump. (A side note to Mom, on the way back to put the camera on the rocks, before I jumped in the water too, I found a 5 cent Euro barely hanging onto a rock.) we didn't stay in the water very long so we climbed out. Apparently I cut my foot on the rock, because I was standing in blood, it was just a scrape (or 4) so it stopped right away. After Amber took a video of me doing a cannon ball, we made our way over to some other rocks that we could lay on. We found a good rock, but every so often it was get misted from the water crashing into the rocks. We were just about ready to go when Amber said "today would be a good day to get a picture of a big wave hitting the rocks", then 2 seconds later out of no where came a big wave and splashed us. Thanks Amber.

We headed in to shower, but had to wait, so we had really really short showers. Then headed out to dinner.

Dinner was interesting. We ordered pasta, amber's had shrimp in it, mine had some sort of fish. Both tasted very good but where a pain in the butt to eat. Amber said "if I find an eye in my food ..." and her concern was valid because her prawns where whole prawns, including bodies, claws, and their heads with their beady little eyes. My pasta had fish bones in it, so they were sharp and cut your mouth if you didn't see them.

Throughout dinner, people were stopping beside/below us to look at this cat who was lying in a boat. Probably 6 couples stopped and made cooing noises. Then Amber said "I am the cat, I am the devil" in a creepy voice and the guy behind Amber sneezed and Amber jumped so high, nearly screamed. I think she thought it was the cat who made the noise, either way it was hilarious.

We went back to the room and packed our bags and fiured out what time we were leaving and called it a night. as we were lying in bed, our new roommates tried to come in. Insay tried becuase they couldn't figure out the door, even though they had already had trouble with it and I showed them How to open it. They litteraly took 3 minutes to unlock it, because they kept locking it. Aaah some people.

written by

Trevor and Amber on June 10, 2009 from Riomaggiore, Italy

from the travel blog: Europe Trip

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This has started as the worst day of our trip so far.

We woke up and packed no problem and headed for the station. But first we wanted to take out cash. So Amber went to the machine, but it only took credit cards and we didn't want to do a cash advance. Meanwhile I was lookin at the departure board and the only times to La Spezia were 5 minutes ago and an hour from then, even though the sheet that we got the day before said there would be 4 that hour. A train pulled up on the other side of the tracks (not the directio we wanted) but Amber heard someone say that that was actually the train, so we ran, underneath the tracks and back up and jumped on the train and found a seat. I asked the ticket checker right beforen we got on to make sure it was going to La Spezia. Because we were running we didn't get a chance to fill in the dates on our dates on our Eurorail pass, I wasn't even sure what he date was and my iPod was in the bag. So when the ticket lady came around, I asked her why the date was, and unlike of the 13 other times we rode the train before, instead of telling us the date she said "now I have to fine you" and took our passes. She tried to explain that we have to fill it out BEFORE we get on the train or it's a 50 euro fine. (our ride to LaSpezia was only 10 montes). I tried to explain that we never had to do that before and that we ran for the train (she was the agent I asked about the driection) and that we just didn't know the date, and that we were catching another train to Rome, so I obviously wasn't trying to get away with a free ride, I even showed the ticket, but she didn't care. A decent human being would have cut us some slack, we were just doing what we did the previous 13 times. She told us 50 euro or she has to call the police. We had no money of course because if the bank machine. She told us to go ask people who were getting off at that stop to borrow money, by this time it's 5 minutes away. I asked her twice the amount 50 of 15 because of the accent. I thought twice she said 15 EACH. So I went in one direction and amber went in the other trying to ask people, of course to them it sounds like a scam, people just shook their head at me, or didn't speak English. I went throguh everyone of the two cars ahead of me with no luck and amber had none either. By then the train was pulling into the station, so she said 10 Euro and we didn't even have that much. I was furious by then, stupid lady on a power trip, it's not like didn't have a ticket and were scamming the train. Finally a couple, that amber talked to asked if we got it all sorted out, we said no they were going to call the police and thenthe said they had cash. So we paid the lady and she wrote us a ticket and gave our passes back. Now that we had he passes back in our hands and we were off the train, I told the lady that she didn't have a soul and thanked her for being on the power trip that she felt she needed to be on, etc. etc. (I left out a few obsenaties). Finally Amber got me to shut up, but I had every right to yell at her, they weren't going to call the police now. She totally ruined my day! I don't actually care about the money, that just how much it costs to stay 1 night anywhere. It was the power that she was dangling over us and her refusal to even try to understand that the previous times we did it exactly like that, wrote he date in in front of the conducter. Amber went with the nice lady who bailed us out to get some money to pay her back ans i stayed with the luggage and the hsiband. He was trying to make small talk, but I hate that in the best of situations, but I tried since they bailed us out. Finally they came back and We still hadn't eaten, but I was too angry to eat, so we just waited for our next train.

On this train, we got to our cabin and it was full with 6 people inhere, but whatever if there is no seats then that's fine. after a few hours I asked the ticket agent if there was a resuraumt car, he said yup car 3, we were on 9, so I made my way down there. It took 10 minutes and along the way I passed at least 3 cars that there was no one in, stupid train company, let's cram eveyrone Together when there are open cars everywhere. I got to the end of the train and there was no resturaunt car, thanks for wasting my time buddy, and I walked all the way back. Then another ticket guy asked me for my ticket, of course amber had it, and it had already been checked twice, I am surprised he didn't escort me back to check judging by the compentense of these Italian ticket agents.

There was also an agent in Venice that wanted to check our ticket as the train was coming to a stop and we were standing (again it was already necked twice). More people were just getting back on, he would just have to check everyone again then. They seem to be lacking some basic logic and the abilty to reason.

Finally we got to Rome. No shortages of problems after that, but nothing that disasterous. So we went and took out money, the machine only gave us 50s but wewere getting our metro pass, so no problem. We ant down to purchase it and there was no people only machines and the machines only gave a maximum of 4 euro change, so we walked all the way back upstairs to buy ice cream to get change. Finally we get on the metro and get to our stop for our hostel. And wow we get off the metro and we are in the sketchiest of areas. Nothing looked dangerous, but very dirty, very bare, but we decided to only pay for 2 nights and see how it goes.

The place seemed decent enough, it was hot, no a/c, but it had a kitchen and it was 2/3 the price of other hostels.

So we got settled and then headed out to find hue tourist information. It was close to the train station. So we headed back there and followed the signs (and I had the address) and it was no where to be found. We walked around the block twice. So finally we were dying of thirst so we ant to this cafe. We asked about the tourist place, they said oh yeah they moved it, it's now down this other street. Great, stupid city, take down the signs then.

So we followed our new directions to the place and guess what? They weren't right either. So we ask another guy and he said "1 euro and I'll tell you where it is". NO. "20 cents". NO. And then he told us anyway, it was just a few more blocks.

The tourist info only had a bunch of useless info, well the museums hours where good, but we wanted brouchures for tour companies and they didn't have anything, which kind of sucked.

So we headed back towards the metro and somehow Went through this huge long tunnel and we ended up at the "Fontana di Trevi".

It was packed with people. I remember doing a puzzle of it when I was younger, I looked it up for our trip and I thought it was in Lyon, which we never got to see, so I am glad that it was in Rome. We took picuters from a few different angles and then made our way to the bottom for the money shot. I had given the camera to Amber and turned my back to the fountain. I had my knees pressed up aginst the edge and ... ooops, up came my feet, I had slipped in the water on the marble, and nearly fell into he fountain. Luckily my butt caught the edge and I only ended up with a wet bottom. But how cool would it have been if I, Trevor -> (shortened to Trev) -> (Italianized by adding an i) to Trevi fell in the "Fontana di Trevi", I kinda wish it did happen.

We were starving so we ate at this super classy place called McDonalds. It made us feel a little like home.

Next we actually made our way to a metro stop and made it to Plaza del popolo, which was the plan in he first place. The Plaza would have been very nice, great statues, but we couldnt see them because of this ginormius stage they were setting up. And there were rainbows all over it. It seems hat Pride week had followed us from Zurich to Rome. Here we were bombarded by street guys apparently giving away roses for free. We of course waved them off, but I did overhear girls and they didn't pay anything, so we were a little confused.

So we walked to the Spanish steps, and we were totally unimpressed. From the street and from the top you couldn't even see the whole thing, so we just walked up them, sat for a while and that was it. We did come to the conclusion that these rose guys (thy were everywhere here too) were litterally trying to woo the female tourists, they obviously didn't see me as a threat.

So we went back to ridicuously hot room, found out that there was a bar right outside our window, how awesome is that when you need to sleep with the window open. So the bar started playing music around midnight and ended around 3 or 4. Thank God for good ear plugs, I slept ok, but Amber had a rough night. We were also super ticked because after the bar had stopped playing music, these people had come back from the bar and it was still smokin hot in the room and this girl shuts off the fan and closes the window. Everyone else is sleeping without covers and you close the window, dont be so inconsiderate, so I opened it when I woke up.

That was the end of our "most adventerous" day in Europe.

written by

Trevor and Amber on June 12, 2009 from Rome, Italy

from the travel blog: Europe Trip

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a travel blog by Trevor and Amber

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